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| "Women's Life and Health" is the interview series that features active professional women about their health, lifestyle and career. |
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| Interview
vol.2 |
Sachiko Watanabe, Film Critique -Part2 |
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| It’s really tough for actresses to be in the film industry for a long time, isn’t it?
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| Hollywood is a world of youth and beauty. All the actresses who are making it big now will stay big until they are in their mid 30s. They have talent and they have youth. There are some who say that the life of an actress ends at 40. For actresses over 40 to land a part, it has to be specifically tailored to a woman over 40; and, in the end, it is the actress herself who has to come up with this part. They save up money while they’re popular, gather a staff, create their own company, and make their own films. That’s the easiest way for actresses over 40 to stay in the spotlight. The ones that don’t go to those extremes will have a really hard time of it. There are tons of supporting actresses in their 40s would shine if they had a chance to appear in a film. In Hollywood, though, there just aren’t many parts in big movies for women, which means these actresses over 40 hardly have a chance to be used. Even if they appear in independent films and work really hard, they sill can’t make that much money. The “pure talent” actresses probably have it the toughest. |
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| Each individual actress has to become an entrepreneur then, doesn’t she? |
| That’s absolutely correct. That’s what makes a Hollywood superstar. Using your own money, bringing on board a director who works well with you, and casting yourself in the main role is the way it goes. Producing the film and starring in it are the two absolute essentials. Some actresses in their 20s and 30s understand this and many of them have their own production companies. The movie studio United Artists was created by Charlie Chaplin, the director D.W. Griffith, the swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks, and “America’s Sweetheart” Mary Pickford as a way to get their movies distributed. Actors and actresses take on a staff and actors and actresses who are easy to work with, so the question for them is how are they going to make money. Once you become a superstar you start to think about how to keep your star bright. |
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| Is the phenomenon of actresses producing their own films a recent one? |
| The first case of this that I became aware of was Sally Field. She won the Oscar for best actress at the Academy Awards during the 70s. She was in her late 30s at the time; she said, “For a woman to keep going as an actress, she needs roles, and this means she has to make those roles. That’s why I have my own production company.” Ever since the 70s, little-by-ever-so-little the number of female producers has been increasing. In France and Germany there are a lot of female directors. There aren’t so many in Japan, but the numbers are increasing. Currently, the film “Yureru” was shot by a female director, Miwa Nishikawa. She’s such an adorable person! Naoko Ogigami, the director for “Kamome Shokudo” is also quite good. |
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| In this era of increasing female producers, has there been a film calling for women’s independence? |
| In 1977 there was an extremely famous movie called “Julia,” although it was directed by a man. It’s a drama based on a true story by Lillian Hellman about the friendship she had with her friend Julia. Julia is a bit older than Lillian and has always been extremely courageous ever since she was a child. When she becomes an adult, Julia studies abroad in Europe and throws herself into anti-Nazi activities. She sends a message to Lillian saying she wants her “to help transport funds for anti-Nazi activities.” Because it’s such a dangerous job, Julia tells Lillian she absolutely should not do it if she’s afraid. However, because of their bond of friendship, Lillian agrees to take it on. The story after that is incredibly thrilling. It’s amazing watching Lillian battle against all odds for what she believes in. |
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| Now I really want to see it. It sounds fascinating. |
| It’s a wonderful movie. I love it, and it really sticks in my mind. Vanessa Redgrave plays Julia and Jane Fonda plays Lillian Hellman, and they’re both just amazing. Jane Fonda herself became extremely famous for her anti-Vietnam War activities. She was ridiculed as “Hanoi Jane” for supporting the North Vietnamese and was constantly under FBI surveillance. Plus, they had such cute clothes! Vanessa Redgrave won an Oscar for best supporting actress and I just love the hand-knit cardigans they’re both wearing, and the shape of the bicycles was just so adorable, I love it! |
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| A few years ago there’s been the movie “Searching for Debra Winger”. An actress is the director, I believe. It’s a documentary where successful Hollywood actresses discuss their true feelings, but is what they say what they really feel? But I thought it was pretty interesting when I watched it. |
| Can an actress really say what she truly feels when the camera is on her? It seems a bit fake to me. It’s not as if Debra Winger was hiding and had to be searched for. She just wasn’t in movies and didn’t make it big. Still, the actresses in that documentary are being reasonably honest. Particularly those who talk about being in the prime of their lives in their early 40s and about having their pride but there just aren’t any jobs for them. There is no doubt that all of the actresses who appeared in that documentary were definitely thinking, “I’m better than she is.” |
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