Can director Carl Erik Rinsch balance a fantastic epic featuring giants and witches with one of Japan’s legendary tale of loyalty and sacrifice? That’s the question circling 47 Ronin but star Keanu Reeves explains how the film plans to honor the Japanese people who have grown up hearing this tale while still creating a widely-accessible tentpole flick. Says Reeves,
“Japanese kids grow up with this story told to them. They hear it from family and they learn it in school, it’s part of the culture. It’s been made into movies many times and on television. It’s like our westerns, the story keeps being told. It’s been reworked in some ways [for this new film] but with great care and respect.”
Hit the jump for more details on the project including a synopsis. The film also features Japanese stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Kô Shibasaki, and Rinko Kikuchi. 47 Ronin is set to open in 3D on November 11, 2012.
Reeves will play Kai, “a half-breed, the outcast in the group who joins with Oishi (Sanada), the leader of the 47 ronin.” Here’s how Hero Complex breaks down the plot:
The troupe of banished samurai long to restore their honor and find vengeance against the treacherous Lord Kira (played by Asano, who is in theaters now as Hogun in Thor) who was responsible for the death of their master. Kai is the uneasy compatriot in their company and his standing will be questioned even more as he falls in love with Mika (Shibasaki), daughter of the fallen master. The film presents a quest where the ronin (the term for samurai with no master) face trials that test their mettle and their loyalty to one another.
Reeves explained what intrigued him about the character.
“There’s a sadness about him and I admire the grace he shows in response to other people’s feelings. He doesn’t have anger about the way he is viewed, but there is sadness and I’ve found that an interesting thing to work with.”
Here’s Reeves exploring sadness:
The film will reportedly be more along the lines of 300 and Reeves’ character was specifically created for this re-telling. While some may call foul that a non-Japanese actor is playing a Japanese character (or in this case, half-Japanese character), there’s an economic reality that the film needs a name star to merit a budget that can accommodate witches, giants, epic battles, and “a stylized approach and sheer scale.” Also, since the character is Japanese, we’re not looking at a Last Samurai situation.
Where I get slightly worried is that one of the credited screenwriters is Chris Morgan (Fast Five). However, Hossein Amini co-wrote the script and while he still has some duds to his name (The Four Feathers, Killshot), he also penned The Wings of the Dove and Nicolas Winding Refn’s upcoming thriller Drive, which received strong reviews at Cannes.
The film is also taking an interesting approach to the language barrier as Reeves tells Hero Complex that “We do the scenes first in Japanese and then do it in English.” Finally, for those who have wanted to see Keanu wield a samurai sword, Reeves says “I haven’t done two-handed sword before so it was pretty cool to learn the basics and I’ve been building on that. There’s a definite style to this sword and it’s very fast I’m trying to keep up and learn as I go.”
I wouldn’t worry too much about his swordfighting skills. As long as the 47 Ronin have a Keanu Reeves, their victory is assured.
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I don’t understand why Hollywood feels that we as an audience cannot relate to protagonist unless he is of western heritage.
My ability to empathise with a human story, be it fictictious or factual, is not limited by me having to share the same skin colour of a lead character ( which in all cases I don’t ).
So you can’t have an all japanese cast who speak in English? Is that not good enough??
There’s a number of reasons why Hollywood does what it does when it comes to casting, and a short list includes laziness, arrogance, greed and racist beliefs. A book could be written on Hollywood’s practices, so I won’t write at length here.
I think that there are enough open-minded people out there who will go see a movie with non-white, non-Western actors in the lead — the Hollywood studios just need to believe in it and market it accordingly.
I myself watch all sorts of movies, from different genres, made in different countries from filmmakers of various cultural backgrounds, and in various languages. I’m not afraid of subtitled movies.
There are American movies set in Japan that would have benefited from having Japanese leads, or at least giving more focus to the Japanese side characters. I still think that Last Samurai would have been a far more interesting movie and had the potential to actually be good if it focused on Ken Watanabe’s character. But instead, it had Tom Cruise hamming it up and playing the typically limited character that Cruise almost always plays.
When it fits a story, Hollywood needs to cast accordingly. If the movie’s about samurai and is set in Japan, cast Asian people, preferably Japanese ones. Don’t twist reality and make a white person the center of the movie. Hollywood has been making those distorted movies for far too long and needs to stop.
If Fast Five is any proof, a movie with a diverse cast can succeed at the box office. They actually need to give it a shot, and not the rare, half-hearted attempt they usually vomit out there.
The “supporting” cast in 47 Ronin are all far more talented than Reeves will ever be. Hiroyuki Sanada is an incredible actor and he deserves to be the lead actor here. Tadanobu Asano is not one to be overlooked either.
I hope Reeves doesn’t come off as a part-Asian Tom Cruise here, but I sense that could very well happen. And I’ll have the same reaction as I did watching Last Samurai: Who cares about the annoying American military guy playing dress-up, I want to know about the samurai leader, his family and righthand man (who happened to be played by Hiroyuki Sanada).
Havent we established that Hollywood isnt interested in facts but rather money.
I cannot blame them in the case of 47 Ronin…
This story is amazing but like all “foreign” movies that lack any name recognition it will fall flat on its face without a star.
It is the same reason more recognizeable names are used for ridiculous parts WILD WILD WEST anyone?
My pointt is you cant really believe they would spend 100 million to make a movie like this on a gamble would you? That is just dumb business sense.
If anyting I am happy they went with someone like Keeanu because he has shown in Movies like the first Matrix he could fit into that eastern culture.
I am excited about it and will take it for what it is worth and not blame racism on the fact I may miss out on a good movie.
Bottom line is that stories are changed for movies all the time and it probably wont change
“This story is amazing but like all “foreign” movies that lack any name recognition it will fall flat on its face without a star.”
Neither Chow Yun Fat nor Michelle Yeoh were considered A-list stars in Hollywood. They both headlined Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon which made over 100 million dollars at the US box office. And that movie wasn’t even released in theaters in English.
That throws your and Goldberg’s nonsense about this “economic reality” out the window.
“If anyting I am happy they went with someone like Keeanu because he has shown in Movies like the first Matrix he could fit into that eastern culture. ”
That is one of the most hilarious things I have ever read. It turns sad when it appears you were being serious.
“I am excited about it and will take it for what it is worth and not blame racism on the fact I may miss out on a good movie. ”
This is the typical rhetoric I hear from apologists for Hollywood’s blatant racism. It’s nothing but a load of crap. Hollywood does not like casting nonwhites in lead roles. Background roles, victims, villains, etc… are fine but not lead roles.
Ken Watanabe would be perfect as the doomed lord of the 47 samurai.
Hard to believe he wont be in this movie at all.
Not that I don’t also have an issue with this type of casting most of the time, but Keanu *is* part Asian.
Not to mention that he’s doing a lot of Japanese actors a favor who would probably never break in that easily here otherwise. And apparently, if that summary’s correct, he’s not even the lead on this one.
Part Asian? Reeves is like 1/6 Asian. That’s hardly anything and he doesn’t look Asian at all. That’s why he’s made a career of mostly playing white people.
And Reeves doing Japanese actors a “favor”? You’re out of your mind. Many of that picture have been in Western movies before. Sanada Hiroyuki was in The Last Samurai and Sunshine. Asano Tanaobu is in Thor and Kikuchi Rinko was in Babel which she won a Golden Globe nomination for.
And he is the lead in this movie. That’s why he is the only non-Asian in the cast.
Stop making excuses for Hollywood’s racism. It’s insulting to the intelligence.
“Part Asian? Reeves is like 1/6 Asian. That’s hardly anything and he doesn’t look Asian at all. That’s why he’s made a career of mostly playing white people.”
Yeah, well, there are a lotta full-blooded Asian people who don’t “look” Asian. Keanu still counts, just like Depp can play Tonto, because he’s part Cherokee. So do you wanna start somewhere, or do the Akira with teeny-bopper actors thing? Your choice.
“And Reeves doing Japanese actors a “favor”? You’re out of your mind. Many of that picture have been in Western movies before. Sanada Hiroyuki was in The Last Samurai and Sunshine.”
I like Sanada, but unless he gets some prominent PG-13 tentpole role, like Ken Watanabe, he won’t be able to prove he can sell himself over here. And Last Samurai doesn’t count, ‘cus it was a Cruise vehicle, while no one saw Sunshine.
“Asano Tanaobu is in Thor and Kikuchi Rinko was in Babel which she won a Golden Globe nomination for.”
I love Asano, and remember a white fangirl at a special Zatoichi screening telling him how much she loved his music. And he was enjoyable in Thor, too. But this is his chance to actually sell himself to an audience which might’ve only been interested in the guy with the hammer. As for Kikuchi, the Globe nom was good for her, but did that help her with Skycrawlers and Brothers Bloom?
“Stop making excuses for Hollywood’s racism. It’s insulting to the intelligence.”
I don’t really understand. They get a multi-Asian cast, and one guy who’s only a fraction Asian, and it’s suddenly “racist”. Sounds sort of like the opposite side of the same argument those white guys had about being upset over a black guy being in Thor. Are you also going to call your beloved CTHD racist because one of the producers-James Schamus-was *gasp* white?
“Yeah, well, there are a lotta full-blooded Asian people who don’t “look” Asian. ”
Name me a fully blooded Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese who does not look Asian at all.
“Keanu still counts,”
No, he doesn’t. By your horrible logic then comedian George Lopez should’ve also have been cast in this movie since he’s 9% Asian.
“So do you wanna start somewhere, or do the Akira with teeny-bopper actors thing? Your choice. ”
I don’t even know what you are on about here.
“I like Sanada, but unless he gets some prominent PG-13 tentpole role, like Ken Watanabe, he won’t be able to prove he can sell himself over here. And Last Samurai doesn’t count, ‘cus it was a Cruise vehicle, while no one saw Sunshine. ”
And how is his role in this movie any different from The Last Samurai? He’s still playing a supporting actor while a white guy is playing the lead.
“But this is his chance to actually sell himself to an audience which might’ve only been interested in the guy with the hammer.”
This is the kind of talk that racist apologists make. Trying to talk people into, “It’s great that a white guy is the lead in this. That way people will see other races in it!’
What a load of crap!
Supporting roles is the best that Hollywood will offer to nonwhites. They don’t want to build nonwhite talent and keep them in background roles.
“As for Kikuchi, the Globe nom was good for her, but did that help her with Skycrawlers and Brothers Bloom? ”
You’re not even making any sense. You said that Reeves was doing her a favor. A borderline racist comment really. White man Reeves is doing Japanese people a “favor”? I ask again:
Are you out of your mind??
What kind of a favor would a guy that has never been respected for his acting be doing for a lady that has been praised for her acting?
You don’t even know what you are on about.
“They get a multi-Asian cast, and one guy who’s only a fraction Asian, and it’s suddenly “racist”.”
White guy lead, nonwhites not leads.
It’s the same formula over and over again.
The Last Samurai was the same. Blood Diamond was the same. Dances With Wolves was the same. Those are just to name a few in an industry that has shown itself to not want to build and establish nonwhite talent when there is no proof whatsoever that a nonwhite films will do bad. In fact, the opposite is true. Hollywood just doesn’t want to do it because all of the people that own the companies are white and are cut from the same racist cloth from Hollywood’s early days.
“Sounds sort of like the opposite side of the same argument those white guys had about being upset over a black guy being in Thor.”
How?
Nonwhites don’t get anyone near the amount of opportunities in Hollywood as whites. It isn’t the same case whatsoever.
“Are you also going to call your beloved CTHD racist because one of the producers-James Schamus-was *gasp* white?”
What a silly suggestion. We are talking about actors in movies not producers.
To make this a hollywood movie they require a name. Hollywood being racist would be asking Jet Li or Chow Yun-Fat to play a Japanese man. I think taking the only Asian heritage male superstar in Hollywood and working it into the story is a fair compromise otherwise i don’t get to see a Hollywood blockbuster about samurai. Hopefully this will spark the rebirth of ninja/samurai movies, perhaps unveil the next Michael Dudikoff or Sho Kosugi.
“To make this a hollywood movie they require a name. Hollywood being racist would be asking Jet Li or Chow Yun-Fat to play a Japanese man. ”
So getting a white guy to play a lead in a movie that should be all Asian is not racist but getting an Asian to play an Asian is racist??
Was getting Marlon Brando who wasn’t Italian to play The Godfather racist?
You need to learn what racism is because you clearly don’t know.
“I think taking the only Asian heritage male superstar in Hollywood and working it into the story is a fair compromise”
Reeves is like 1/6th Asian. That’s hardly anything. There is a reason why he has made his career playing mostly white guys.
“otherwise i don’t get to see a Hollywood blockbuster about samurai.”
Yeah, unless they star white people like this movie or In The Last Samurai.
Just cast someone who is Asian. Why not? Stars don’t become stars without the big break that Hollywood chooses or refuses to give to them. Keanu Reeves is white.
It’s funny how Jason is all up in arms about a part Asian guy playing a half-breed who is *not* one of the ronin.
And all these arguments about how non-Hollywood actors can carry a movie as well as established H’wood superstars? That’s funny, because I’ve seen a number of European movies get re-made with American actors and in US locations.
If H’wood film companies don’t even trust American movie goers to want to see European actors in European settings (because it’s too “foreign” for the American palate), how can anyone expect them to shell out money to make high-budget movies with non-western actors? How would they even manage to talk investors into taking that chance?
“It’s funny how Jason is all up in arms about a part Asian guy playing a half-breed who is *not* one of the ronin.”
The man does not look Asian. He is like 1/6th Asian. If you are going to consider Reeves an Asian start calling Snoop Dogg white because he is about 20% white.
Reeves is considered white. Why do you think he’s made his career by mostly playing whites? Had he actually looked Asian he wouldn’t have had the career he has had. If you doubt that ask anyone that actually looks Asian trying to work as an actor in Hollywood and see what they’ll tell you.
Reeves in a cast like this is typical Hollywood white supremacist bullshit. They claim it’s a diverse film but it’s the same casting structure. White man lead and nonwhites as either supporting players or the bad guys.
“And all these arguments about how non-Hollywood actors can carry a movie as well as established H’wood superstars? ”
Please read well before replying. I wrote “nonwhite” actors. I never specified whether or not they hail from Hollywood.
“That’s funny, because I’ve seen a number of European movies get re-made with American actors and in US locations. ”
And what about all of the Asian films that got remade over here? I can think of about at least a dozen Asian films that got remade in Hollywood in the last decade.
Also, how is this deflating my argument? A European film remade as an American film will result in “White cast not speaking English” turned into “White cast speaking English” whereas an Asian film being remade will be “Asians not speaking English” turned into “Whites speaking English”.
“If H’wood film companies don’t even trust American movie goers to want to see European actors in European settings (because it’s too “foreign” for the American palate), how can anyone expect them to shell out money to make high-budget movies with non-western actors? How would they even manage to talk investors into taking that chance?”
This is all so wrong I don’t even know where to begin. This production of 47 Ronin is not a foreign production. So bringing up European films being remade in Hollywood doesn’t even have a connection here.
As far as “non-western actors” you are going to have to specify that. Do you mean “not American” or “not white”? Because all that I have been writing has been in reference of the latter meaning.
As far as the setting goes this isn’t new territory for Hollywood. Hollywood made “The Last Samurai” with of course a white man in the lead.
The major point in all of this is that Hollywood does not like building up nonwhite talent. They prefer building up white actors even though there is no a single shred of evidence that most Americans are so racist that they will not watch a movie unless white people are in it as the leads. So when projects like this come around, people ignorantly toss around words that there are no major nonwhite talent in Hollywood to carry a movie like this but the reason for that is that Hollywood with it’s racist agenda never bothered to build such talent in the first place. They just continue to marginalize nonwhite talent.
This kind of bullshit needs to stop one way or the other.
No Maria Ozawa?
Jason, how many $100 million dollar plus films that have Asian actors/technicians out there apart from the one you mentioned? Beam me up is right it’s all down to money, especially in this current climate where money is tight. Just look at MGM, almost went bankrupt and that’s with Hollywood actors. Hollywood film studios make big budget films with a star so they know there is a greater chance of making their money back. On the back of big budget films they make the smaller films where they know they haven’t spent much and so they won’t make too much of a loss if it fails. The majority of cinema going public in English speaking countries want to see films with their favourite film star in it, (rightly or wrongly) Film makers know this and that’s why they use star names to sell their pictures. At the end of the day, it’s a business, businesses need money to survive.
“Jason, how many $100 million dollar plus films that have Asian actors/technicians out there apart from the one you mentioned?”
So you’re using the “it was a fluke” argument?
Realize that Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon didn’t make it’s money like most movies in Hollywood do by hyping it up and releasing it on 3,000+ screens. It started out small and word of mouth was good. Sony decided to capitalize on it and gave it more and more screens. If the public didn’t like it the movie wouldn’t have made it past it’s initial small scale release.
That’s the key here. Hollywood companies have to actually put forth the effort to make nonwhite movies successful. There are no facts that indicate that nonwhite movies won’t make money in Hollywood. It’s just the simple fact that Hollywood is owned entirely by whites and those people in control are white supremacists.
“Realize that Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon didn’t make it’s money like most movies in Hollywood do by hyping it up and releasing it on 3,000+ screens. It started out small and word of mouth was good. Sony decided to capitalize on it and gave it more and more screens. ”
That “word of mouth” was by Hollywood. I attended the Oscars that year it won best picture. 71% of it’s gross was after it was nominated for that award.
Besides, that film was incredibly westernized. I’m 100% asian and that movie made me sick. It catered toward whites who thought it was “exotic”.
Lauren,
Do you honestly think that telling me that the movie got most of its box office after its Oscar nomination is supposed to deflate my argument? I haven’t verified that as of this writing but I’ll take your word for it. Even so, let me point out that many Oscar nominees and winners did not take the box office by storm. For example, the Hurt Locker won an Oscar and it still never was a box office winner. In other words it only serves to back up my point further.
Also, claiming that you are Asian on an internet comment section is useless since I have no proof of such. Even if you are Asian, what relevance does that have? Your opinion of the movie also has no relevance in this discussion. I myself don’t think it’s as great as many of the critics have said it is but that isn’t what’s being discussed here. Besides, whatever “westernization” you claim the film was many in the Chinese film industry would disagree with you as it was voted into the top 10 of the 100 greatest Chinese films list that was formed by the Hong Kong Film awards.
The point was that it was a movie with no whites in the cast and wasn’t even in English and yet it grossed over 100 million at the US box office proving that the United States isn’t as racist as Hollywood wants to insinuate it is.
If you are Asian like you actually claimed be ashamed that you replied to me an a failed attempt to debunk an argument that offers proof that nonwhites can lead movies and be successful in America unlike what some here are trying to pass off as supposed truth.
More than a few of these arguments are true, but I believe the majority are mostly “let me trash the American’s again”. And boy does it get old quick.
As a long time watcher of Asian Movies and TV shows the same argument can be said, why is it that almost every time I see the token American Business Man in Asian films & shows the actor has either a Swedish or German accent, or Asian’s supposedly raised in America or Canada almost all have a heavy Asian accent. So all country’s do it, not just America, it’s just that American like everything it does does it on a Grand Scale.
bec
I would like to see this movie. I think you guys should wait until the movie come out to judge. Keanu Reeves is a good actor and the fact that the role is half-Japanese, meaning that he’s mixed. I have cousins who are mixed with Asian and White ancestry, and they look White and not Asian. I think you have to watch the movie to see if Keanu Reeves do justice to his role. Better that he has some part Asian than what past American cinema has done by having White actors make-up themselves to be Asian. Ex “The Good Earth” 1937.
iam half japenese, and i mostly agree with jason. But Keanu reeves is actually 1/4 asian and he is probaly one of the only 1/4 asian people on earth where you can tell he is of asian decent. Other than that 99% of quarter japenese people do not even look remotely asian. keanu reeves does not look completely white, but to be honest he is probaly on of the only 1/4th asians in this world to look even remotely asiian.