Takeshi Kitano Tired of Gangsters and Commercial Constraints
Variety | Oct. 25, 2014
... Kitano could be getting weary. “Maybe I’m getting tired of violent movies. I’ve made a few in order to make money,” he said.
Responding a seemingly innocent question about whether foreigners can make Japanese films, Kitano launched into a critique of the academy that selects Japan’s contenders for the foreign language Oscars.
“Only films from the major studios [Shochiku, Toho and Toei],and sometimes Nikkatsu, get selected. It really annoys me that there is such a narrow source,” he said. “Who are the Academy members? And why is it that commercial considerations always limit what filmmakers can say?”
He acknowledged that some restrictions can be helpful to a filmmaker. “A lack of freedom makes you use your imagination,” he said, and also said that he had recycled things he had learned as a director into his comedy.
In an interesting sideswipe, Kitano said that he did not enjoy the cartoons of Hayao Miyazaki, the Studio Ghibli founder and cultural icon honoured only a day earlier by the festival and Pixar’s John Lasseter. “I really don’t,” Kitano said. “But it is important to recognize other opinions.”
Moments later Kitano was asked by media to elaborate on his future film projects, but it turned into a prime example of the conservatism that Kitano and Rayns had criticized.
“I’m done shooting, but I’ve been told to keep quiet,” Kitano replied.
At that point the event MC cut in to proceedings and, without explaining the reason, said that the festival bosses had ruled such questions as inadmissible.
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