Japanese filmmaker Xinji Higachi specifically found beauty in bullet trains, so he can destroy them on screen, a creative contradiction that defines his latest film, Netflix’s “Bullet Train Explosion”, and most of his famous career.
“Order, accuracy that is a symbol and something that is stable … It’s something I draw, and because I love it very much, I want to destroy it,” said Higachi. Diversity About the Japan-Set film at Netflix’s APAC Showcase in Tokyo.
The central basis of the film is that the bombs are rigged to explode immediately if the speed of the title train falls below 100 km/h. The bomber demanded JPY100 billion ($ 660 million) as a ransom to dispel the explosive equipment, leading to a frustrated race against the time for crew, passengers and railway personnel.
Prior to the “Bullet Train Explosion”, Higachi established herself as a master of filmmaking (using Japanese practical special effects, often using miniatures), in which trains often appear in their disastrous setpieces. His co-directed “Shin Godzila” (2016) depicted the demolition of a Keiku 800 series train, while his earlier work “Doomsde: The Sinking of Japan” (2006) performed the dramatic destruction of a Fujikuko 5000 series train. His expertise in special effects is for his success work on “Gamera: Guardian of the Universe” (1995), which establishes a career-lumbar attraction with great visual presentations of the disaster.
The “Bullet Train Explosion” marks the modern reunion of Higachi of a classic Japanese crime film since 1975, who left an indelible impression on him as a young boy. “This was the first non-crid film I saw,” Higachi recalled about the original “bullet train”, which he first saw at the age of 10 after school skipping school. “There was a criminal who committed a crime and was going to pay back with his life. This was the story.”
This childhood experience proved to be formal for Higachi, which feels a personal relationship for the topics of the film’s crime and punishment. “Because this was my first time when my parents were disobeying … I saw myself there and saw someone who committed a crime or committed something bad. So it was very impressive, and I never forget that experience,” they say.
“Bullet train explosion”
Netflix
Known for the visual effects and its leading work in Tokusatsu, the creative sensations of Higachi are inspired by the adventure of disintegration. “I like the adventure to see something that should not happen, it happens to you,” they say. “This really excites me in a strange way – makes me ecstatic.”
Adopting the story for modern audiences presented unique challenges. Higachi noted that the social climate in Japan has changed considerably over the last 50 years, leading to rethinking the creative team which will be the film’s opponent in contemporary Japan. He eventually took inspiration from conversation with young generations, who expressed a feeling of disappointment about the future.
On the technical side, Higachi discussed his approach to combining practical effects with visual effects, given that when he started his career, Toksatsu was often ridiculed by filmmakers. “They will joke in Tokasatsu, you know that they are for children, so we don’t want to use it in our precious film,” he misses. Their goal is to bridge this division: “What I want to do is to take the best from both the world and keep it together.”
For Higachi, Scale remains an essential element of cinema. “I love things that are exaggerated. When I look at things on a large scale … I think it is not worth going to cinema, if it is not so big on a scale,” he says, adding that it is now “emotional journey that is” emotional journey that is spread beyond scenes to join the character, main character, “
Without any spiler, the “bullet train explosion” clearly refers to its 1975 predecessor. Asked whether the “bullet train explosion” is a tribute or reinforcement, Higachi suggested that it developed to become more in the past. He said, “We started with a different title. The more we made, the closer and close to the origin,” they say that they finally decided to use a similar title. The film includes subtle references, the Japanese audiences should identify, such as a judo team among the train passengers – a detail that stood in the original film.
Higachi confirmed that he has recently seen most of the conversions of bullet train disaster films including Brad Pit Vehicles, which he has described as “fun”. He expresses interest in viewing the 1980 Bollywood version under the title “The Burning Train”, which he has not seen yet.
However, filmmakers remain somewhat esoteric about their next project, suggesting that it is “very complex” “is going on a lot.”
Sections “Bullet Train Explosion” on Netflix from 23 April.
