Teruo Ishii Teruo Ishii (born in Tokyo in 1924) is one of the greatest film-makers in the Japanese exploitation cinema. He dropped out university to become an assistant cameraman at the Toho where he had the opportunity to work with the great Mikio Naruse, whom he still mentions today as his mentor. In 1947, he became assistant director on going to the recently created Shin Toho, and directed his first film in 1957. He filmed the series devoted to "Super Giant" (the Japanese Superman) and from 1958 to 1961 shot a series of detective stories in which the common denominator is the Japanese word "Chitai" ("zone", "frontier", "boundary limit") in the title. He then moved to the Toei at the right time : when the firm was looking form film-makers to direct films about yakuzas. It was at that time he won his stripes by giving the starring role to Ken Takakura in "Abashiri Prison" (1965), the first step in one of the most popular series of all time in Japan. Up until 1968 Ishii shot the first nine episodes.

He then moved to the Ero-Guro genre (eroto-grotesque) with such works as "The Joy of Torture" (1968) and "Hell's Tattooers" (1969). Towards the mid-seventies, he directed one of the episodes of the "Streetfighter" series with Sonny Chiba and inaugurated a series of films devoted to "bosokuzu" (biker gangs). He stopped his career in 1979 but made his come-back in 1998 with his adaptation of Tsuge's avant-garde manga, "Nejishiki". In 1999, he directed a remake of "Hell", Nobuo Nakagawa's masterpiece, using the Aum sect as its framework. He recently directed, totally independently, "Moju Tai Issunboshi" (literally the blind beast against the dwarf), a proclaimed homage to Edogawa Rampo. (Japanese anagram of Edgar Allan Poe)… (Merci à Julien de Cinemasie pour la photo)



1. Can you tell us how you became a director? I saw that you have been assistant director in particular of Mikio Naruse's films, "Okasan" and "Ginza Gesho".

When I started, it was proposed that for my first project I should do a follow-up of the film "Okasan" but I completely disagreed because I could never have made a film that equalled this masterpiece. So I refused but Mikio Naruse came to see me saying that he was supporting me and was encouraging me to do this film despite my being really against the project. Fortunately for me, the script-writer of "Okasan", who should also have written the scenario of the sequel, disappeared and the project naturally came to nothing. I don't think he liked the idea either and it's for this reason he disappeared (laughs).


2. Your first films were the series of "Super Giant". Can you talk to us a little about this series of films?

When the project of a follow-up to "Okasan" came to nothing, I submitted several projects which were somewhat in the same vein as Naruse's. At that time, we were four new directors who had been chosen to make our débuts, and the other three were already directing their second film whereas I hadn't even begun the first, because each project I submitted was refused. One day, one of the producers came to see me and told me that all the projects of the same type as Naruse's, that I might propose, would never work, and he gave me the script of a film about boxing. As I had never worked on a film about boxing, nor had I ever seen one, I was not very enthusiastic. So, I studied the project, and we made " Ring no oja: Eiko no sekai ". Just after this film, I was approached to direct the "Super Giant". I was not very keen on that either but I didn't have the choice so I made these films.


3. How were such films as "Punishment of the Tokugawa Women" or Shogun Sadism, which are still incisive today, received at that time?

To begin with, it wasn't supposed to be a series, but the first film was much a commercial success that other films followed. Little by little, I found myself directing a whole series of "Joys of Torture". In the beginning, it was the producer Okada Shigeru, now the president of Toei, who proposed the project to me. For me, this series of films was also an opportunity to explore themes which were important to me. For example, for the first film in the series I was inspired by a novel written by Kikuchi Kan called "Tadanao Kyo Gyojoki" (On the Conduct of Lord Tadanao). The novel tells the story of a man committing atrocious acts in order to know what feelings of anger and vengeance really are. I was also inspired by an other author called Akutagawa for other films in the series. If I had said that to the Toei, they would never have accepted as it was too complex for them. That's how throughout this series, I could adapt stories which were important to me and work on films which interested me.



4. In the second sketch of the film "Decadent Edo Women Genealogy: Brutality, Abnormal, Abusive" (Genroku Onna Keizu), you broach the theme of deformity as you also do later in "Horror of a Deformed Man" or again in "Blind Beast vs Dwarf", it seems that this is a theme you particularly take to heart?

In fact, it is not so much the theme of deformity which interests me but the fact that I'm inspired by many novels and short stories written by Edogawa Ranpo (Japanese anagram for Edgar Alan Poe) who is an author I have liked ever since I was small. I think everyone has already read something of Edogawa Ranpo and other directors like Shinya Tsukamoto are greatly inspired by him. Finally it's his world which I adapt for the cinema and the theme of deformity is a part of it. In"Horror of a Deformed Man", for example, I used amongst other short stories, "The Human Chair" by Edogawa Ranpo.


5. The tortures inflicted on women are invariably treated in all the films of the series except for Yakusa Keibatsushi: Reichi (Lynch) in which tortures are inflicted on men, why?

There is no particular reason. There are also certainly women who are sadistic (laughs).


6. In 1965, you direct Abashiri Jail which will become a huge success and make Ken Takakura a superstar. Did you expect such a success?

No, I didn't think the film would do well. For that matter, the Toei and especially the service dealing in relations with the exhibitors were against this film. Because of this, I was forced to make a film in difficult budgetary conditions and with a passage from colour to black and white. This element encouraged me even more to do it and just after the shooting of the film, Arashi Kanjuro, the actor who plays the old former convict, and who was extremely well-known at the time (a veteran actor who had acted since the silent films), came to see me and thanked me for having chosen him for the part, saying it was the best role he had ever played. That surprised me a great deal since he had already acted in numerous films, and it was at that moment I finally said to myself that the film was perhaps going to be a success. Because of the film's success, I had to direct nine follow-ups. By the end of the ninth I had enough so I left for Kyoto to direct "The Joys of Torture". But the series didn't stop there because the producers entrusted the direction of a further ten follow-ups to other directors.



7. So the use of black and white for the film was a condition and not a choice?

Indeed, at that time it was cheaper to shoot in black and white and Toei imposed this on me.


8. You have also directed one of the follow-ups of the famous "Streetfighter" series with "Gyakushû! Satsujin ken (Street Fighter's Revenge). Had you already seen any of previous episodes before directing your film?

No, before directing the film, I had never seen a film about karate or any of Sonny Chiba's films. It was usually the Kyoto Studios who used to shoot this kind of film and I don't know why I was then approached and proposed this film while working in the Tokyo Studios. I did not at all enjoy directing this film but it was a box-office success and consequently I had to do a second film (The Executioner). I didn't want that to become a long series like the "Abashiri jails" so I did the second film anyhow and they didn't propose any more (laughs).


9. In "Blind Woman's Curse" (Kaidan nobori ryu) Meiko Kaji plays one of the main parts. At that time, she hadn't yet done the "Joshuu Sasori" series or even the "Shuriyaki Hime" which were to make people worship her. What do you remember most about your collaboration with her? Was her charisma already so great?

To begin with, Meiko Kaji worked for Nikkatsu and the big star at that time was Yoshinagasa Yuri. So Meiko Kaji was more in the background when I knew her. She was rather calm and quite discrete.



10. You have also directed two films about motorized gangs, the "Bakuhatsu". How did the casting go for these films?

The main character is played by Iwaki Koichi who, at that time, was the leader of a gang of Bokozoku from Yokohama. The project was to make a film about this character who was not a professional actor. The production had also recruited a lot of young bikers in addition to those accompanying Iwaki Koichi, which led to quite a few conflicts and fights between the bikers. It was very difficult to handle that (laughs).


11. From 1979 to 1991 you stopped directing. Was it by choice or by force?

It was quite simply because no-one proposed me any work during that period.


12. How did you approach the remake of "Jigoku"? Did you intend to distance yourself from Nobuo Nakagawa's film?

Actually, it has nothing to do with Nobuo Nakagawa in the sense that I had been wanting to do this project for a long time. To begin with, "Jigoku" is inspiredby a work called "Ojo Yoshu", written by a monk, who describes all sorts of hells, such as the hell of torture, the hell of fire…the different worlds of hell. This book is truly terrifying because the author imagines never-ending hells, like for example a person burnt alive who, when dead, would relive forever again and again the same suffering. So, I'd wanted to do this film for a long time and concurrently I directed "Neji-Shiki" with Tadanobu Asano. After this film, I planned to adapt a book by Asai Osamu called "Ningen Shikaku", again with Tadanobu Asano, but the Toei took so long to validate the project, the situation dragged on and I gave up. It was at that moment I took up the project of "Jigoku" again, but to direct an adaptation of this book was too complex. At the same time the sarin attack organised by Shoko Asahara, the guru of the Aum sect, took place in Tokyo. I started shooting shortly after his trial began - a trial which was very long and litigious. As a matter of fact it is still going on today and I was very shocked to think that the trial might last ten years and Asahara could die before being condemned. It was then I decided to make a film in which the victims would never win their case. "Jigoku" portrays Asahara Shoku's hell.



13. Recently you directed "The Blind Beast Vs The Dwarf" which like "Horror of a Deformed Man" (Kyofu Kikei Ningen) is taken from a story by Edogawa Ranpo. The story had already been adapted by Yasuzo Masumura in 1969 with "The Blind Beast" (Môjuu) Have you seen the film? And were you inspired by certain points, in particular in the introduction of the film?

Yes, I saw Masumura's film. "The Blind Beast Vs The Dwarf" tells the story of women who are locked up and want to escape. In Masumura's film, the sets were superb and grandiose but I found there wasn't enough continuity and that one didn't understand much, so I made a film with sets much more restrained, on a much smaller scale. In other ways, I was inspired once again by other Edogawa Ranpo stories not just the one used by Masumura. Now in Tokyo, my film, Nakagawa's film and also Masumura's film are often shown together and clearly they are quite successful.


14. How did you persuade Shinya Tsukamoto to play one of the principal roles in the film?

I met Tsukamoto during a debate which had been organised between us after the projection of "Tetsuo". I found the film interesting and I had heard from the assistant director of Tsukamoto that he was a good actor. Tsukamoto is also a fervent admirer of Edogawa Ranpo. He had even directed a film, adapted from one of his works, called "Gemini". When I proposed a role in my film, he accepted right away.


15. There are also other directors who make an appearance in the film, for example Shion Sono. Have you seen his very controversial "Jisatsu Circle" (Suicide Club) and what do you think about it?

No, I haven't seen the film.


16. What are your plans for the future?

There is one project which I am really keen on and that is to direct the film "Once Upon A Time In Japan", a remake of "Once Upon A Time In America" by Sergio Leone, with Takakura Ken in the principal role. After this film, I will be able to retire (laughs).


Our warmest thanks go to Teruo Ishii for answering our questions.

Another interview :
http://www.midnighteye.com/interviews/teruo_ishii.shtml


Interview by Tavantzis Nicolas (Ryô Saeba) on the 8th September 2004 and translation by Sevin Michel (Nightwish06).
Html version by Muñoz Cédric (Cherycok)

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