A Thrilling Japanese Blockbuster
Director Shinji Higuchi
Shinji Higuchi, the director of the latest Netflix release, bullet train Explosion, has made a name for himself in Japan with some of its biggest blockbusters. Higuchi has directed films such as Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman, and Attack on Titan. With his latest film, Higuchi takes on the classic 1975 movie The Bullet Train, which inspired the Hollywood blockbuster Speed, starring Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, and Sandra Bullock.
“We can do many things when we make a film,” says Higuchi. “We’re like God — we can control the life of the characters and their fate. We can make them die, we can make them live. While these characters may not actually exist in real life, having their fate in our hands, we have a responsibility of making those decisions.”
These philosophical lines come from a deeply personal place for Higuchi, who experienced turmoil during his adolescence. He went through a difficult time when he was young and found himself questioning the meaning of life.
- During his time in public service, Higuchi realized that he was not meant for that path, and he wanted to pursue a career in the creative world.
- He was heavily inspired by the works of Eiji Tsuburaya, creator of Ultraman and Godzilla, as well as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.
- Higuchi was inspired by Spielberg’s ability to make films in his twenties and wanted to do the same.
The film, titled Bullet Train Explosion, follows a ‘shinkansen’ (bullet train) bound for Tokyo, which soon comes under a bomb threat. The bombs on the train will explode if the train slows below 100 kph, leaving the passengers and crew in peril. The film is a thrilling, action-packed ride that raises several moral questions about life’s dignity and worth.
| Cast | Actors |
|---|---|
| Tsuyoshi Kusanagi | A former member of SMAP, one of Japan’s most popular boybands from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. |
| Kanata Hosoda | A talented young actor who has appeared in several japanese films. |
| Non | A talented singer and actor who has appeared in several japanese films. |
| Jun Kaname | A talented young actor who has appeared in several Japanese films. |
| Machiko Ono | A talented young actress who has appeared in several Japanese films. |
“When you’re making film in Japan, there are limitations and rules that you have to follow,” says Higuchi. “After Tsuyoshi left his old agency management company, we were able to get him, because his old management was very powerful and had a lot of influence on the entertainment industry. Tsuyoshi had rebelled against the boss of the entertainment business and left the company not on good terms. What happened was that a lot of the production companies in Japan were afraid that they might offend the boss by casting him.”
“Those who could hire and cast him were only the independent films, who had a lot of freedom and a good vibe,” adds Higuchi. “Then Netflix came around and compared to the TV stations and the film industry which have been in Japan forever, Netflix was able to do something that they weren’t able to do. Netflix was kind of able to leap over that big political game that we had here in the entertainment business. So although we’re not an independent film, we were able to cast him in this big-budget film because it was Netflix.”
“I just hope that there will be an environment and ecosystem — or even becoming that person myself — that would enable me to make that dream film, because there are only a handful of creators, maybe five, who are able to do that in Japan and stay true to their creative visions.”
“The writers who come from theater into films, when they write the script, they really make the actors shine,” adds Higuchi. “When you ask them, ‘what is the story?’, they always talk about the character instead of the story. Characters are usually the main impression and takeaways of these films — maybe that might be the appeal.” • • • •
Looking ahead, Higuchi wants to focus on making films based on original screenplays, but acknowledges that it is not easy to get such projects funded, compared to adaptations of IP that audiences are already familiar with. “What’s very challenging about making films here in Japan is not just funding and production companies, but the audiences too, who want something reassuring, something that they know is going to be good,” says Higuchi. “I really want to create an original story, but to be honest, a lot of the things I want to make are going to be high-budget. You need to convince the people who have the money that this is worth the money and investment, and I haven’t been able to do that yet.”
“I just hope that there will be an environment and ecosystem — or even becoming that person myself — that would enable me to make that dream film, because there are only a handful of creators, maybe five, who are able to do that in Japan and stay true to their creative visions.” • • • •
“The writers who come from theater into films, when they write the script, they really make the actors shine,” adds Higuchi. Characters are usually the main impression and takeaways of these films — maybe that might be the appeal.” • • • • •
Looking ahead, Higuchi wants to focus on making films based on original screenplays, but acknowledges that it is not easy to get such projects funded, compared to adaptations of IP that audiences are already familiar with. “What’s very challenging about making films here in Japan is not just funding and production companies, but the audiences too, who want something reassuring, something that they know is going to be good,” says Higuchi. “I really want to create an original story, but to be honest, a lot of the things I want to make are going to be high-budget.
