Known for "Farewell My Concubine" and numerous other hit films, Chinese director Chen Kaige has created a fantastical period mystery centering on Kukai, a monk who travels to Tang-dynasty China as an envoy of Japan. He describes it as "just like a dream."
A joint production of Japan and China, "Legend of the Demon Cat" is currently showing in Japan under the title "Ku-Kai -- Utsukushiki Ohi no Nazo" (Kukai and the mystery of the beautiful queen).
The film is based on a period fantasy novel by Baku Yumemakura. In it, Kukai meets poet Bai Letian after arriving in the Tang capital of Changan, or present-day Xian. Together they try to discover the truth behind the death of a beautiful concubine named Yang Gulfei.
"Mr. Yumemakura gives such lively, realistic descriptions of Kukai that it feels like he met the monk in person," Chen said in Chinese during a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun. "It's like he had a firsthand look at the curious incidents that happen in Changan. I thought it was extraordinary for a Japanese writer."
The cast includes many Japanese actors: Shota Sometani plays the title character, and is joined by Hiroshi Abe and Keiko Matsuzaka. Chen decided to use Sometani after watching him in the film "Kiseiju" (Parasyte).
"I thought his beautiful eyes were right for Kukai," the director said. "When we first met, he told me he had confidence in the shape of his head [as ideal for a monk]. He's just right for the part."
Sometani played the monk in Chinese. "He really made a tremendous effort," Chen said. "I'm sure he had a hard time, because even if he learned all the lines by heart, I sometimes changed them overnight."
To depict Changan, the director spent about six years building a vast open set in Xiangyang, Hubei Province, with trees growing there since they were planted at the time of its construction.
"It would've have been impossible to shoot this film without building a set very close to a real town," Chen said. "This story isn't something you can film quickly at some place nearby."
Chen also used computer graphics to depict witchcraft and the demon cat, which holds the key to the story. He admitted this technology is "essential" for fantasies like his latest work.
"But you must avoid relying on it too much," the director said. "To us filmmakers, technological advancements are welcome. On the other hand, such progresses also involve a paradox, because they can destroy the qualities a film is supposed to possess."
Chen has nurtured a friendship with executive producer Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, who is chairman of publishing company Kadokawa Corp., ever since they worked together on "Shikotei Ansatsu" (The Emperor and the Assassin), a 1998 film about China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Chen and Kadokawa would talk about their dream to create someday an epic film beyond borders.
"China and Japan have been holding exchanges through films since the 1980s," Chen said. "I think this is a good thing for both countries, and I believe a joint film like this will help people in both countries understand more about each other."
The film is shown with Japanese voiceover at Toho Cinemas Chanter and other cinemas. Please visit ku-kai-movie.jp for more information.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
