Sato Takeru played the main role in the live-action movie series “Rurouni Kenshin”. The first movie in the series released in 2012 became a big hit, and in 2014 the sequel to the two-part series also became a hot topic.
And this time, the final chapter of the series “Rurouni Kenshin Saishuushou: The Final” was released on April 23 (Fri), and on June 4 (Fri) the series will be completed with “Rurouni Kenshin Saishuushou: The Beginning”.
So, in March, Anime! Anime! held the shooting of the battle scene, which was supposed be the climax of “Rurouni Kenshin Saishuushou: The Final”. We also conducted an interview at the same time. We will also report what director Otomo Keishi said at that time.
■ Action that feels the “spirit” of men crossing swords
“The Final” is a story about the battle between the main character, Himura Kenshin, and Yukishiro Enishi. Kenshin, who killed his beloved , Tomoe, and Tomoe’s younger brother are crossing swords in revenge.
Their past strongly connected, they will fight a different death battle with Shishio Makoto, who became the main enemy from the previous work.
Otomo-san said, “For Enishi, his sister Tomoe was an irreplaceable person who was like a mother to him. Strong feelings not only for Tomoe but also for revenge at the swordsman who took her life have sprung up in Enishi. On the other hand, for Kenshin, Enishi is an opponent with who he does not want to fight but must fight. Because of these two people, the introduction of battle is also different from before. The tension is not like, “Now, it’s a fight!”
Perhaps because of that, the battle scene that I added this time seems to be quite powerful. The script was a little over 11 pages and 125 cuts, which was a dynamic and discerning shoot.
Arata Mackenyu played Enishi. Director Otomo commented, “He is a “full-blooded” action star, but at the same time, he excels in delicate plays that capture the subtleties of his heart. Enishi is not just a man obsessed with revenge, but a young man who originally had a kind heart. I thought that Arata Mackenyu, who has both high physical ability and naive acting abilities, would be a good match.”
In addition, he seemed to bring the potential and presence to compete with Sato, saying, “If anyone will hit Sato Takeru, it would be him.”
During the shooting, I have drawn in the powerful Kenshin performance by Sato. The swordsmen’s muscles drawn with well-trained bodies are straight and heavy. There, I could feel the length of time that Enishi had lived for revenge.
Sato and others chat between the shoots, but they were brief moments. Suddenly, I saw a serious expression confirming the movement.
There were also moments when he gave off an air that no one could approach, and he was breathtaking at his crazy and sad aura.
The actions of Sato, who starred in the movie, have an impression of lightness. In the difficult action scenes like going around the pond in the atrium of the Western-style building by putting his feet on the sides of the stairs and the pillars, he practiced many times and got used to his body.
Also, in this scene, there is an important moment using wires. A wire extending from the center of the pond supported Sato, and a scene was shot that used centrifugal force to run through more dynamically.
Director Otomo commented that “Rurouni Kenshin” is “sticking to analog-like action shooting.” By using wires and turning around to add to the physical strength of the actor without performing digital processing as much as possible, the scene became a sweaty scene with realistic images. Sato, who has shaped this kind of commitment in the past three works, may have a sensuous grasp of how to make a better picture. He didn’t have any gaps in the angle of the sword he was holding, his toes, or his fingertips, and he was thrilled.
Otome also said, “Since it is a battle for a woman (Tomoe) who is not there, I think that it is good to show emotions in small movements and swings, not just offense and defense, so I asked Tanigaki (Kenji), the action director. Kenshin is surely confronting while accepting the attack of Enishi, “Isn’t it different?”,”Can you understand, Enishi?”. I want viewers to feel the atonement from actions”
“The movie is packed with the ideas that the action team has accumulated over the last five years and gained shooting art to support those ideas, and the wisdom and ingenuity of all the staff.,” said Otomo-san. The best action movie in the history of Japanese movies has become a supreme movie this way. Please check at the theater to see what the culmination it is.
