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A FILM

IN COMPETITION

7.30pm, Tuesday 4th September, Sala Perla (daily press) Press Screenings: 10.30pm, Tuesday 4th September, Palalido (press, industry, professional) Press Conference: 12.00pm, Wednesday 5th September, Palazzo del Casino – 3rd floor Official Screening: Midnight, Wednesday 5th September, Sala Grande (All Accreditations)

INTERNATIONAL PRESS ITALIAN PRESS DDA Public Relations Marzia Milanesi Comunicazione per il Cinema Hotel Excelsior #114 Tel : +39 041 526 6147 / 6141 Marzia Milanesi +39 348 3144360 Jill Jones [email protected] +39 335 6817909 [email protected] Jenny Bertetto +39 349 1999743 Anna Bohlin [email protected] +39 335 6755227 [email protected] INTERNATIONAL SALES Melody Monfreda Celluloid Dreams +39 335 672 3245 2 rue Turgot, Paris 75009 [email protected] T: 01 49 70 03 70 F: 01 49 70 03 71 [email protected] www.celluloid-dreams.com Photos can be downloaded from www.image.net : Action / Running Time: 121 minutes Completed: August 2007 Production Partners: Sedic International; Geneon Entertainment; Sony Pictures Entertainment (); Dentsu; TV Asahi; Shogakukan; A Team; Nagoya Broadcasting Network; Tokyu Recreation. Writers: Takashi Miike and Masaru Nakamura Director: Takashi Miike

su·ki·ya·ki [soo-kee-yah-kee] n. A popular Japanese dish made with beef and usually containing soy sauce, bean curd, and greens, cooked in a single pot at the table. Simple ingredients cooked together without added broths to create a unique essence that is truly Japanese.

Paying homage to the , or “macaroni western” as they are known in Japan, world renowned filmmaker Takashi Miike (Audition) has invented a uniquely stylish Japanese action western which he has named the "Sukiyaki Western." Set during the Genpei clan wars of the 12th century, and shot entirely in the English language, , brings together a talented crew including several previous Miike collaborators, such as award-winning Director of Photography, (Robert Altman’s Cookie’s Fortune), in addition to an all-star cast including Hideaki Ito (the Umizaru films), Koichi Sato (Crest of Betrayal), Yusuke Iseya (Casshern), Masanobu Ando (), Takaaki Ishibashi (Major League films), (The I Loved ), (Devil’s On The Door Step), and (Memoirs Of A ), with a special cameo appearance from filmmaker . What emerges from the sukiyaki pot, in which all of these ingredients simmer together, is Miike’s magnificent view of the world. CAST Gunman: Hideaki Ito Kiyomori: Koichi Sato Yoshitsune: Yusuke Iseya Yoichi: Masanobu Ando : Takaaki Ishibashi Shizuka: Yoshino Kimura The Sheriff: Teruyuki Kagawa Shigemori: Akira: Piringo: Quentin Tarantino Ruriko: Kaori Momoi

CREW Director: Takashi Miike Screenplay: Masaru Nakamura & Takashi Miike Executive Producers: Toshiaki Nakazawa, Nobuyuki Tohya Co-Executive Producer: Dick N. Sano Producers: Hirotsugu Yoshida, Toshinori Yamaguchi Cinematographer: Toyomichi Kurita Music: Koji Endo Production Designer: Takashi Sasaki Lighting: Hideyuki Suzuki Sound: Jun Nakamura Editor: Taiji Shimamura Set Decorators: Takahisa Taguchi Costume Designer: Michiko Kitamura Sound Effects: Kenji Shibazaki First Assistant Director: Masato Tanno Production Manager: Hajime Tsubouchi Dialect Coach: Nadia Venesse Casting Director: Toshiie Tomida CGI Producer: Misako Saka “The sound of the Gion Shoja temple bells, echoes the impermanence of all things.” “The color of the Sala flowers reveals the truth that to flourish is to fall.” The proud do not endure, they are like a on a spring night. The mighty fall at last, to be no more than dust before the wind.

SHORT SYNOPSIS Several hundred years after the infamous Battle of Dannoura (1185) in a remote Japanese mountain village, tension runs high as the white clad gang of the Genji (), led by Yoshitsune, and the red clad gang of the Heike (), led by Kiyomori, brutally confront each other over rumors of hidden gold.

When a nameless drifter, burdened with a dark past but possessed of remarkable gun skills, arrives in the village, both the Genji and the Heike speculate as to which side he will join. Power struggles, betrayal, lust and love interweave, drenching the earth with blood, as the historic Taira-Minamoto War resumes in the “macaroni western” wilderness.

LONG SYNOPSIS The sound of a temple bell rings through the wilderness lit by the setting sun. A bandit leader’s gun is pointed at the forehead of Piringo, a stranger wearing a poncho. Quicker than lightning, Piringo shoots down the surrounding bandits. On the ground beside him is a simmering sukiyaki pot.

Several hundred years have passed since the infamous Battle of Dannoura (1185.) Dust and tumbleweed roll across the desolate plains of Nebada. A gunman (Hideaki Ito) rides towards the village, now almost a ghost town, on a black horse. The first settlers of the village of Yuta were the “Heike Ochiudo,” the Heike warriors who were defeated in the battle against the Genjis.

About six months prior, the word spread that somewhere in the Yuta gold was buried. As gold rush fever swept over the region, the Heike Ochiudo descended on the village. When the Heike gang, clad in red, first arrived, the villagers welcomed them as fellow descendants of the Taira clan, hoping that they would restore peace in the village. The villagers were wrong. The red gang led by Kiyomori Taira (Koichi Sato) bribed the sheriff (Teruyuki Kagawa), and drove all the outsiders from the village, extorting the locals and violating the graves of their Heike ancestors. When the village mayor () protested their brutal rampage, he was tied to a horse and dragged to his death, his body hung in the village street as a warning to others.

The anarchy of the Heike gang quickly came to an end when the Genji gang, dressed in white, arrived in their ox-drawn carriages. Upon arrival, Benkei (Takaaki Ishibashi) used his rifle blast a hole in Munemori Taira’s (Yoji Tanaka)’s stomach through which Yoichi (Masanobu Ando) skillfully shot an arrow from his bowgun to take down another Heike gang member. Sitting in his coach, the cool-headed leader of the Genji gang, Yoshitsune Minamoto (Yusuke Iseya) surveyed all. As the battle between the red and white gangs escalated, the villagers continued to flee the town by night. In the midst of such anarchy and bloodshed, a lone gunman drifted into the village.

On seeing the stranger, Yoichi from the Genji gang shoots at him with his bowgun but the stranger reacts quickly by shooting the flying bow down in midair. With such incredible combat skills, it was clear that whoever succeeded in winning over the lone gunman to their side would ultimately win the battle. The lone gunman heads for shelter at a general store managed by a wise woman, Ruriko (Kaori Momoi). Ruriko lives with her mute grandson Heihachi (Ruka Uchida). Each day, with an ocarina dangling from his neck, Heihachi waters a rose tree with petals that are red on one side and white on the other. He points at the rose and moves his lips as if trying to say something.

Heihachi lost his voice when his father Akira (Shun Oguri) was brutally killed before his very eyes. His father Akira, the son of Ruriko, had returned to the village with a wife, Shizuka (Yoshino Kimura). Shizuka was born into a Genji family but with the joining of the two families, Akira pronounced: “The days of Heike or Genji are over.”

Akira and Shizuka planted the new species of rose, with red and white on each side of the petal, after their son Heihachi was born. In spite of their wishes, the war between the red and white gangs did not end. When the red gang leader, Kiyomori, first arrived in the village, Akira confronted him by telling him to: “Get out! There is no treasure buried here!” and as a result was shot dead by Kiyomori in front of his wife Shizuka and son.

In order to protect her son and avenge her husband, Shizuka decided to live in the white saloon where the Genjis are quartered. Dancing to the music played by travelers from the South, she becomes the lover of their leader, Yoshitsune, but watching Shizuka with lustful eyes is Yoichi.

When the lone gunman appears at the white saloon and asks, “How much is that woman?” Yoichi, enraged, lashes out at the gunman, but to his surprise, his leader Yoshitsune intervenes saying, “Give it up, Yoichi. The strong and the brave gets the woman.” To the stranger he states: “Gunman, you are only the second person that I felt was truly worthy of killing.” “Who was the first?” the gunman responds. “The Bloody Benten. I first heard the legend about her when I was a child” explains Yoshitsune.

Shizuka and the gunman spend the night together. When Shizuka says: “Kill Kiyomori for me,” the gunman confesses in sympathy: “I was about the same age as your son when my parents were killed.”

Meanwhile, unknown to Yoshitsune, Yoichi, consumed with jealousy, plans to take down the gunman and orders Benkei to procure a Gatlin shotgun. When the red leader, Kiyomori, hears of this plan, he goes after them with his cavalry in the hope of stealing the guns.

Benkei and his men go full speed ahead in search of the guns when Heike’s cavalry attacks. All hell breaks loose in an explosive battle of guns and dynamite. News of the battles reaches Yoshitsune and he confronts the gunman who is still in saloon in a showdown. The gunman, making a narrow escape, jumps on his black horse, firing two guns at the same time and one of the bullets hit Yoichi.

Yoshitsune, however, is more concerned about what the Heike gang is planning. He rides to the mountain top and sees Kiyomori attacking his gang. He calmly pulls the trigger of his rifle equipped with telescopic sight and fires at Kiyomori. However, Kiyomori is protected by European style steel armor under his jacket and yells back: “I won’t die until we win!”

Back in the village, Ruriko and Shizuka start to run in the hope of getting Heihachi out of harm’s way. However, just as Shizuka returns for the red and white colored rose, she is shot in the back by Yoichi’s bowgun. The gunman intervenes but with Shizuka now being held hostage, he has no choice but to let Yoichi beat him up. The gunman thinks all is lost but suddenly Yoichi’s forehead is blown away. Having demonstrated her superb gunmanship while flying through the air, Ruriko makes a graceful landing. As he starts to lose consciousness, the gunman hears Shizuka breathe her last words “Ruriko…no, you can’t be… but… you must be the legendary Bloody Benten.” As Shizuka dies the trembling Heihachi closing his eyes and Ruriko’s words echo in the gunman’s mind as she shouts at him: “Heihachi! You have to open your eyes and face reality. You must not look away. You can’t live your life like that!”

In a cave atop the mountain, the gunman regains consciousness thanks to help from the trumpeter Denshichi (Sansei Shiomi), Toshio and Ruriko.

Behind a large rock in the wilderness, Kiyomori with his Gatlin gun is holding the sheriff as a human shield.

Back at the Genji gang’s hideout, Yoshitsune silently stares at the blade of his Japanese sword.

When the gunman, Ruriko and Toshio come down to the village with the gold, that Denshichi had been secretly protecting, they use it as bait to draw the others out and the three opponents come to a final face-off. PRODUCTION NOTES:

An integration of the Western and the Japanese Tales of Heike…

It can be said that Westerns are the roots of Hollywood films while samurai dramas are the roots of Japanese films. That ’s inspired John Sturges’ The Magnificent Seven, one of the all-time great Hollywood westerns, is well known. It is also widely known that Kurosawa’s The Bodyguard became the basis for director ’s Italian film Per un pugno di dollari (Fistful of Dollars). The Made-in-Italy-westerns, dubbed “macaroni westerns” in Japan, and “spaghetti westerns” in the U.S, became a worldwide phenomenon from 1960’s to early 70’s.

The man infusing fresh blood into the genre today is Takashi Miike. While paying the homage to spaghetti westerns, Miike has created a unique and stylish in this never-before-seen “sukiyaki” world.

Gun smoke drifts in the air and the haunting sound of melodic whistling echoes as you step into a world that transcends time and space, a world where the Japanese shukuba-machi (post station) and western saloons co-exist. From the familiar scenes of spaghetti westerns, to elements from Tales of The Heike, the War of the Roses and the legendary goddess of murder “The Bloody Benten,” anything goes in the Miike world. The climactic scene even extends a nod to the world of the classic western film, Shane (1953). However, this film is by no means a parody. What emerges from the sukiyaki pot, in which all of these ingredients simmer together, is Miike’s magnificent view of the world.

Music…

The word “spaghetti western” immediately brings to mind the melodies of Ennio Morricone. In Sukiyaki Western Django, Koji Endo has created a melancholic score that combines trumpets, ocarinas and whistling. The original theme song for Django(1966), one of the best spaghetti westerns ever made, has been arranged into a new theme tune for Miike’s film. With newly written Japanese lyrics, a haunting new version is sung by Saburo Kitajima, the veteran enka (Japanese blues) singer, known for his powerful kobushi (a vibrato-like vocal technique).

What’s the connection between the renowned blues singer and Miike? In 1996, Miike directed a made-for-video movie Jingi naki Yabou at the Toei Uzumasa Studio. Saburo Kitajima, who was already major star, had been cast as the gambler. For the film, Miike had unsparingly splashed the great singer/actor with artificial blood. Kitajima had mumbled “I’ve been acting for some twenty, thirty years and I never knew that artificial blood felt so cold!” Miike’s unconventional techniques left a strong impression on the blood soaked Kitajima.

Behind the Scenes…

A red and white rose blooming in the wilderness. Inside the sukiyaki pot live love and death.

Sukiyaki Western Django was filmed on a specially built outdoor set in Ishikura, Yamagata, deep in the mountains of Tsukiyama. A surreal set combining both a western theme and “Jidai-geki” (Japanese period dramas) suddenly emerged in the midst of Tsukiyama’s magnificent mountain scenery. The logistical difficulties of the shoot made the production a constant struggle primarily due to the extreme weather conditions. The freezing Fall nights of Tsukiyama were severe enough to freeze the food on the plates of the cast and crew. To make matters worse, it rained for a whole month, turning the ground into mud and when the production needed snow, however, an unusually warm winter resulted in almost no snowfall.

For the scene shot at sunrise in the caves of Zao, the crew had to hit the trail on foot at 2 a.m. in the morning in order to arrive at the location by 4 p.m., allowing enough time to make up the actors. Walking in the darkness with only the lights of the lighting department to rely on, more than a few crew members were nearly lost in the mountains.

For one shot, forty horses, brought to the set from the Tohoku area, were required to gallop away at full speed, a stunt rarely seen in recent Japanese productions. Working with such a large number of extras and coordinating the complex gunfights was also challenge. As a result, Miike found the usual calls of “Ready!” and “Action!” were not adequate and he resorted to donning a ten-gallon hat, taking out a Smith & Wesson and firing a blank in the air instead! The unexpected sound of gunshot surprised the extras whose reactions were expertly captured on film by cinematographer Toyomichi Kurita. One could say that the ultimate thrill of the production was the “face-off in the wilderness of Shonai territory” between Miike, shooting his Smith & Wesson, and Kurita, shooting with his Arriflex ST<!

Sukiyaki Western Django was shot entirely in English. As with his other English language film, “ – Imprint,” Miike created a unique atmosphere on set. The actors went through a month-long intensive language training under Nadia Venesse, the dialogue coach who has worked with many of the top Hollywood stars in features such as Chocolat and North Country, and with Christian Storms, who translated the Japanese script into English. For Venesse and Storms, Sukiyaki Western Django was their second collaboration with Miike following “Masters of Horror – Imprint.”

Japanese star Koichi Sato’s comment on the experience was: “I realize now how effortlessly I’ve been making money all these years.” The actors not only had lessons in English but were required to learn horseback riding and gun slinging. The actress Kaori Momoi also had the additional challenge of working with flying wires and trampolines as the legendary fighter “Bloody Benten.” At one point her whole body was wrapped in plastic to protect her from the cold, which made even a simple somersault a challenging feat. Interview with Director Takashi Miike

You’re more of a “dragon generation” rather than a “macaroni western generation, aren’t you? “Yes. There weren’t many macaroni westerns in the theaters when I was growing up but they used to broadcast two to three of them every week on television.. I can’t tell you how many times they aired One Silver Dollar. My mother used to tell me to go to bed, but I usually stayed up and watched them with my parents. My father loved macaroni westerns and he used to buy me toy guns and pistols. My grandfather was a hunter and used to shoot birds with rifles. So the macaroni western was certainly very familiar to me. But having worked in the movie industry for a long time, I never thought that I would be making something like this as a Japanese film.”

Neither did we (laughs). How did it come about? “Toshiaki Nakazawa, a producer at Sedic International, whom I had worked with on The of Katakuris, asked me if there was any project that I wanted to do. That’s when the words ‘How about a sukiyaki western?’ fell out of my mouth. It’s what they call talking through one’s hat, I guess. But it wasn’t totally groundless. When I was a kid, I used to imagine myself growing up to be a wandering gunman. I don’t remember the specific stories but I was impressed with such things as the cool posture of the gunman, the intensity right before the shoot-out, and the dramatic effect of the music that starts after someone falls to the ground. Those kinds of things were imprinted on my mind. And I thought that anything a child can create in his imagination, surely a movie can bring to life.”

“I think that any other producer would have just dismissed the idea with a laugh but Mr. Nakazawa didn’t. He said it was interesting and went along with the idea. Although he may have said “No” if I had suggested a Sushi Western” (laughs).

Was it Masaru Nakamura who linked that idea with the Tales of Heike? “As we watched and studied macaroni westerns, we realized that they were rooted in Japanese movies. And then we thought that the root of all Japanese movies is the Taira-Minamoto War. We started writing the script based on that concept. Masaru writes a very literary script, which I made into more of a screenplay by incorporating my ideas on how I would shoot on set.”

And this time you had it translated to English …. “When you have so many leading men and women as in this movie, it’s a tough job just to give them satisfying answers to all their questions. So, I raised the hurdle a notch so that they’d be too busy to come up with any questions. I thought I could go ahead and quickly shoot the movie while they were struggling with their English (laughs).”

You’re impossible (laughs) “But their English is not an imitation of native speakers. Their accent is unique to the Japanese people. It would be interesting if English-language speakers think their Japanese English is cool and start imitating them, then I think we might change something! Japanese actors would be able to expand the scope of their careers. And for Japanese movies, surprising possibilities might result.

Unexpected dividends, so to speak… Italy’s macaroni westerns and films were something of that sort, to start with, weren’t they? Did making “Masters of Horror: Imprint” in English lead you to this film? “Yes, it did. If I hadn’t made “Imprint”, I don’t think I would have come up with this idea of a sukiyaki western. Maybe not even the idea of making a western at all. Even if I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have been able to pitch it to the producer. The fact that an American producer had said “Yes” to “Imprint” encouraged me.... Although I don’t personally understand English, it was a big thing for me to know that I have people like Nadia Venesse, the dialogue coach from Hollywood and (Masahito) Tanno the assistant director who speaks it, to make up for my inadequacy. Having Toyomichi Kurita, who has worked extensively in Hollywood, also helped a great deal. My directions were the same as usual but when I looked at the result, I was amazed. It looked totally different from any of my films. That is a wonderful thing. You can change by collaborating with other people. That’s what makes fun.”

I certainly felt the change. This film definitely has the same MIike vision but the quality of “blood” has changed, if you will. As a sukiyaki western, while keeping in mind the violence that is associated with director Takashi Miike (laughs), the blood ties from parent to child seem to have become thicker, which relates to you watching macaroni westerns with your father and to playing with your toy guns. (Laughs) If possible, I want to make this into a trilogy with “Sukiyaki Amazons” and “Sukiyaki Emmanuelle.” I think it would be pretty cool. Quentin said he will invest in it if I would cast him as a sex slave who’s beaten up by (laughs again). CAST AND CHARACTERS

A Wandering Gunman (Hideaki Ito) An emotionally scarred high plains drifter rides a black horse. Slinging two pistols at lightning speed, this gun-for-hire shoots an arrow in mid-air. Ito was born on August 3, 1975 in Gifu prefecture. He started his acting career in 1997 appearing in the TV drama “Dessan”. Since then, he has starred in films such as Himitsu (1999), Cross Fire (2000) Blister (2000), Love Song (2000) and Shura Yukihime (2001). In 2001, he reunited with director Yojiro Takita in Onmyoji and played the role of Hiromasa Minamoto opposite . Earning 3.2 billion yen, the film became the top grossing Japanese movie of the year. In 2003, the sequel Onmyoji 2 established Ito as one of Japan’s top movie stars. In 2004, he played the role of Daisuke Senzaki, the Japan Coast Guard rescue diver posted to the 10th Region Mobile Rescue Unit, in the blockbuster Umizaru directed by Eiichiro Hasumi. Umizaru was made into a TV drama series the next year, which was followed by Limit of Love: Umizaru in 2006 and became a three part film and TV project. Limit of Love: Umizaru grossed 7.1 billion yen at the box office and became the number one Japanese live action film of the year. Ito starred in all of them. Other credits include Kono Mune Ippai No Ai Wo (2005) for director Akihiko Shioda.

The Hard-Nosed Tyrant - Kiyomori Taira (Koichi Sato) Kiyomori, a.k.a. Henry, leads the Heike gang dressed in red. Clad in European armor, he sprays the village with shots from his Gatlin gun screaming “I won’t die until we win!” Koichi Sato was born in and started his acting career in 1980 with the television drama “Zoku Zoku-jiken”. The following year, he received the Best New Actor Award at the for his performance in Seishun No Mon (1981). Since then, he has starred in numerous films including Gyoei No Mure (1983) and Dun Huang (1988). In 1994, he received mulitple awards including the Japanese Academy’s Best Actor Awards for Chushingura Gaiden Yotwuya Kaidan and Tokarefu. His other credits include ’s KT (2002) and Bokoku No Igis, “Ah Haru” (1998), Mibu Gishinden (2002), Makai Tenshou (2003), and Uchoten Hotel (2006), directed by Kouki Mitani. In 2006, he won the Best Actor award at the 18th Tokyo International Film Festival and the 60th Mainichi Film Concours forYuki Ni Negau Koto.

The Proud, Merciless Warrior- Yoshitsune Minamoto (Yusuke Iseya) The commander of the white clad Genji gang aspires to live a “mononofu” life of fighting instead of a philosophical “samurai” existence. Cruel and heartless, his drawn sword craves a truly worthy opponent. Yusuke Iseya was born on May 29, 1976 in Tokyo, Japan. In 1998, he made his big screen debut in Wonderful Life, directed by Hirokazu Koreeda. The same year, he attended NYU and studied filmmaking. In 1998, he had his first leading role in Kinpatu No Sogen, and he followed it with films such as Distance (2001) and Gaichuu (2002). In 2003, he made his directorial debut with Kakuto, which he also wrote and starred in. The film was screened in official selection at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and received rave reviews. In 2004, he starred in Casshern, directed by Kazuaki Kiriya which became a huge hit. 2006 was a prolific year for Iseya who starred in several features: Kiraware Matsuko No Isshou, Hachimitsu To Clover and Deguchi No Nai Umi among others. In 2006 he starred in Yuki Ni Negau Koto (2006), directed by Kichitaro Negishi, opposite Koichi Sato. This role resulted in Iseya receiving the 1st INVIATION AWARD’s Actor of the Year award at the Tokyo International Film Festival. He most recently completed the features Zukan Ni Nottenai Mushi, Densenka, and Closed Note.

A Crazed Incarnation Of Death – Yoichi (Masanobu Ando) As the craziest Genji of the lot, Yoichi magnificently wields his deadly bowgun. Setting his sight on his prey, Yoichi’s eyes dazzle. Ando was born on May 19, 1975 and in 1996 he made his screen debut with a leading role in ’s which won him numerous Best New Actor Awards including the Golden Arrow Award. He has starred in a wide variety of films including Battle Royale (2000), directed by , Red Shadow ~ Akakage (2001), directed by Hiroyuki Nakano, Drive (2002), directed by , Showa Kayou Daizenshu (2003), 69 sixty nine (2004), and Bokoku No Igis (2005). In 2006, he starred in Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s Seishun Kinzoku Batto, Hitoshi Yazaki’s Strawberry Shortcakes and his first collaboration with Takashi Miike, 46-Okunen No Koi. Mostly recently he starred in Akumu Tantei and Sakuran.

A Tender Hearted Hero – Benkei (Takaaki Ishibashi) Leave the firepower to Benkei who provides the dynamite, the rifles and the machine guns. He is Yoshitsune’s right-hand man and the gang’s hooligan. Ishibashi was born on October 22, 1961 in Tokyo. In 1980, he teamed up with Noritake Kinashi, his classmate at Teikyo Senior High School and won 10 weeks in a row in the NTV’s “ Star Tanjo” ultimately winning the grand prize. Since then, the comedic duo known as Tunnels has starred in countless TV variety shows. In addition to a successful career as comedians, they received the Nihon Kayo Taisho award as musical artists and continue to act in dramatic features. They made their debut with starring roles in ’s Soroban Zuku (1986). As a solo artist, Ishibashi, who had played for his high school baseball team made use of his skills to star in the Hollywood feature Major League II (1994), and the sequel Major League: Back to the Minors (1998). In Steal Big, Steal Little (1997), he starred with Andy Garcia.

A Flower with a Sad Fate – Shizuka (Yoshino Kimura) A Genji herself, the man she loved and married was a Heike. When her husband is murdered by Kiyomori, this mother vows revenge for her son Heihachi. Kimura was born on April 10, 1976 in Tokyo but spent her junior high school years in New York. Her career debut was a leading role in the television drama “Genki Wo Ageru ~ Kyumei Kyukyui Monogatari” (1996). In 1997, she made her big screen debut with Yoshimitsu Morita’s Shitsurakuen. Her performance received rave reviews which won her the Japanese Academy Award’s New Actors Award. Her credits include Mohou-han (2002), Ashura No Gotoku (2003), Fune Wo Oritara Kanojo No Shima (2002), and Semishigure (2005) for which she won the Best Actress Award at the Japanese Academy Awards. She has also appeared in many popular television drama series, on stage and in numerous commercials. In 2006 she starred in Nezu No Ban and Sakuran. She most recently starred in Dream Cruise (2007) directed by Norio Tsuruta.

A Man Frightened Of Authority And Himself – Sheriff (Teruyuki Kagawa) A cloud of dust blows across the desolate town of Nebada Yuta. Walking a fine line between the Genji and the Heike gangs, this opportunistic sheriff plays both sides of his personality. Kagawa was born in Tokyo on December 7, 1965. After a career debut with NHK’s series “Kasuga No Tsubone” in 1989, he went on to has star in such films as Dokuritsu Shonen Gasshodan (2000), directed by Akira Ogata, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the Nikkan Awards, and Nuan (2003), directed by Jianqi Huo, which won the Grand Prize and for which he won the Best Actor Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Last year, he won a Best Actor award for his role in ’s Yureru. His recent film credits include Kisaragi (2007), and Tsukigami (2007). He will next start filming the NHK special drama “Saka No Ue No Kumo,” scheduled to continue until the year 2010. An accomplished stage actor, Kagawa is also a successful author and winner of the Readers Choice Awards.

The Brave Leader Whose Code Is Loyalty - Shigemori Taira (Masato Sakai) Shigemori always serves as a shield to protect Kiyomori, the Heike gang boss but he’s a little too skinny for Kiyomori’s own good! Masato Sakai was born on October 14, 1973. He started his career in 1992 by joining the Gekidan Tokyo Orange of ’s drama workshop and starred Eriko ’s “Zenmai” (1998), Kouki Mitani’s “Vamp Show” (2001) and “Mofuku No Niau Electra” (2004). More recently, he starred in “Uwasa No Otoko” directed by Keralino Sandorovich at the Parco Theater. He has also worked extensively on television, starring in the NHK morning drama series “Audrey” (2000), NHK historical dramas “Shinsengumi!” (2004) and “Izumo No Okuni” (2006), the Fuji TV drama series “Dr. Koto Shinryojo 2006” and “Himitsu No Hanazono” (2007), TBS drama “Kodoku No Kake ~ Itoshiki Hito Yo” among others. Since making his big screen debut in 2000 with Kasei No Wagaya, directed by Taku Oshima, he has starred in many features including ’s Himawari (2000), Harikomi (2001), Kokoni Irukoto (2001), Mibu Gishinden (2003), Hachimitsu To Clover (2006), and Kabeotoko (2006).

A Tragic Man Of Justice – Akira (Shun Oguri) Hot-blooded Akira, the son of a Heike family descendent Ruriko, husband of Shizuka and father of Heihach, aspires to create peace in the village telling his mother ”The days of Genji or Heike are over.” Shun Oguri was born in Tokyo on December 26, 1982. He started acting as an extra from the sixth grade. He first gained attention as a deaf mute boy in a TBS drama series “Summer Snow.” In 2001, he played his first lead role in an NTV drama series “Cherry,” which he followed with his first leading role in a feature, Junji Hanadou. His popularity soared in 2003 with Azumi, directed by Ryuhei Kitamura and Robokon, directed by Tomoyuki Furumaya. As one of the leading actors of his generation, he works extensively in film, television and theatre. His other credits include The Neighbor No. Thirteen (2005), directed by Yasuo Inoue, which won the Critics Award at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, and Kisaragi (2007) directed by Koichi Sato. His stage credits include Yukio Ninagawa directed “” (2003) and “Taitasuandoronikasu” (2006). As one of the regular members of the Ninagawa team, he will appear in Ninagawa’s “Karigura” at the Theater Cocoon in November of this year. His next upcoming feature is Close Zero directed by Takashi Miike.

A Mythic Gunslinger – Piringo (Quentin Tarantino) This homeless wanderer dressed in a poncho has a deep knowledge of the oriental spirit. Going by the name Piringo, this man loves sala flowers (women), and guns down the proud and the arrogant. Quentin Tarantino was born on March 27, 1963, in Knoxville, Tennessee, but was raised in Los Angeles. After dropping out of high school, he held a day job at a video rental store while taking acting classes. He appeared in TV and local theater. In 1991, he directed his first feature Reservoir Dogs in which he also starred. Reservoir Dogs garnered worldwide acclaim including the Critics Award at Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival. He followed this success with Pulp Fiction (1994), for which he received the Palme d’Or at the Cannes International Film Festival. In From Dusk till Dawn (2006) directed by his friend , Tarantino played the role of Richard Gecko. Prior to that, he had also starred in Rodriguez’s Desperado. His first lead role was in Destiny Turns on the Radio (1995) directed by Jack Baran. Quentin continues to write, direct and act. His most recent feature is Grindhouse.

A Kind Hearted Calamity Jane – Ruriko (Kaori Momoi) Ruriko, a descendant of the defeated Heike soldiers was one of the early settlers in the village of Yuta. She runs a general store and takes care of her grandson Heihachi. But she hides a great secret - if there is killing to be done, the Bloody Benten is your woman. Kaori Momoi was born on April 8, 1952. She attended the British Royal Academy of Dance at the age of 12. After training at Bungakuza, she made her screen debut in 1971 with Arakajime Ushinawareta Koibitotachiyo directed by Soichiro Tawara. While becoming an icon of the new generation in Toshiya Fujita’s Akai Tori Nigeta? (1973) and Tatsumi Kamishiro’s Seishun No Satetsu (1974), she won the Best Supporting Actress awards at the Japan Academy Awards and Kinema Junpo Awards for her performance in ’s Shiawase No Kiiroi Hankachi (1977). Since then, she has had an impressive career winning many awards with such films as Mo Hozjue Wa Tsukanai, TOMORROW/Ashita, Kimurake No Hitobito, and Tokyo Yakyoku. Internationally, Momoi also starred in Rob Marshall’s The Memoirs Of A Geisha (2005) and in the Russian feature Solntse (2005) directed by Aleksandr Sokurov. In 2006 she wrote, directed and starred in Ichijiku No Kao a.k.a. Faces of a Figtree , which won the Netpak award at the Berlin International Film Festival. This film was screened in 12 countries as official selection and received international acclaim. Momoi is a unique and ageless actress who continues to influence women worldwide.

STYLISH VISUALS - THE CREW - From Hollywood to Italy to Japan Masaru Nakamura – Co-Writer Masaru Nakamura most recently wrote the smash hit Dororo. Nakamura’s credits include many Miike films such as Chugoku No Choujin, Dead Or Alive 2, Tobosha and 46-okunen No Koi. As a Nakamura knows the Miike world inside out.

Toyomichi Kurita – Director of Photography The Director of Photography is Toyomichi Kurita, who worked as a camera operator for the late Robert Altman (Cookie’s Fortune) and his protégé Alan Rudolf. This is his second project with the Miike team following “Masters of Horror – Imprint.” Using his CINESCO super 35mm film, Kurita has created an incredibly beautiful and strong look for this film.

Michiko Kitamura – Costume Designer Costume Designer Michiko Kitamura created the wacky and ultimately very muddy costumes(!). She has collaborated with the Miike team on numerous projects including Yokai Daisenso and “Masters of Horror – Imprint.”

Takashi Sasaki – Production Designer Production designer Takashi Sasaki is also a regular member of the Miike team and previously worked on Koroshiya 1 and Utsukusii Yoru, Zankokuna Asa (box), among others. Deep in the mountains of Shounai, Yamagata, Sasaki built an extraordinarily set for the film. Sasaki was previously praised by Quentin Tarantino for creating the Japanese set for Kill Bill.

Rounding out this outstanding crew, are the other regular members of the Miike team: Misako Saka, the CGI producer, Yuichi Matsui, the special make-up/molding artist and editor, Taiji Shimamura.

Takashi Miike – Director Takashi Miike was born in Osaka on August 24, 1960. He graduated from Yokohama Housou Eiga Senmon Gakuin (now called the Japan Academy of Moving Images). In his early career he worked under such directors as Shohei Imamura and Hideo Onchi. In 1991, he directed his first direct-to-video film Eyecatch Junction. He followed this with many direct-to-video films before making his debut as a theatrical film director in 1995 with Daisan No Gokudo and Shinjuku Triad Society. Renowed for his innovative ideas and edgy directing style, Miike’s popularity boomed with Fudoh (1996), and was further fueled by Bird People of China (1998), ultimately exploding with Dead or Alive (1999). With Audition, that blaze quickly spread overseas and his unique visual style won both the KNF award and FIPRESCI prize at the 29th Rotterdam International Film Festival. He also ranked as the tenth “most promising film directors” chosen by TIME magazine. Since then, Takashi Miike, one of the busiest directors in Japan, directing at a fast pace of a few films per year ranging from “gokudo” films to musicals including (2000), Ichi the Killer (2001), The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001), Graveyard Of Honor (2002) and (2003). In 2003, screened at the Cannes International Film Festival, becoming the first ever made-for-video film to be selected as a Director’s Fortnight official selection. In 2004, he directed One Missed Call, which was a major hit at the box office while competed in the official section at the Venice International Film Festival. (2005) was another huge commercial success, while A Big Ban Love: Juvenile was screened in the Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama section. His first English language horror feature, “Masters of Horror - Imprint” was banned in the U.S. for its unexpectedly disturbing scenes. His upcoming film slate is full of exciting projects including: Bishonen and Yattaaman (Spring 2009). In addition to directing, Miike has starred in numerous films including Kenka No Hanamichi (1996) and Agitator, which he also directed, Kyoufu!! Namamushi Yakata No San-shimai (1997 directed by Takeshi Miyasaka) and Last Life In The Universe (2003 directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaluang), The Neighbor No. Thirteen (2005 directed by Yasuo Inoue) and Hostel (2006 directed by Eli Roth). Quentin Tarantino, who executive produced Hostel, makes an appearance in Sukiyaki Western Django, an exchange of friendship between two film geniuses.

Filmography 1991 Toppu! Minipato Tai - Aikyachi Jankshon (Eyecatch Junction) [video]; Redi Hanta - Koroshi no Pureryudo (Lady Hunter) [video] 1992 Rasuto Run - Ai to Uragiri no Hyaku-oku Yen (Last Run) [TV]; Ningen Kyoki - Ai to Ikari no Ringu (A Human Murder Weapon) [video] 1993 Bodigado Kiba (Bodyguard Kiba) [video]; Oretachi wa Tenshi Ja Nai [video]; Oretachi wa Tenshi Ja Nai 2 [video] 1994 Bodigado Kiba 2 - Shura no Mokushiroku (Bodyguard Kiba 2) [video]; Shinjuku Autoro (Shinjuku Outlaw) [video] 1995 Bodigado Kiba 3 - Shura no Mokushiroku 2 (Bodyguard Kiba 3) [video]; Daisan no Gokudo [video]; Naniwa Yukyoden [video] Shinjuku Kuroshakai - China Mafia Senso (Shinjuku Triad Society) 1996 Shin Daisan no Gokudo : Boppatsu Kansai Gokudo Uozu!! [video]; Shin Daisan no Gokudo 2 [video]; Jingi naki Yabo [video]; Pinatsu - Rakkasei (Peanuts) [video]; Kenka no Hanamichi - Osaka Saikyo Densetsu [video]; Gokudo Sengokushi Fudo (Fudoh: The New Generation) 1997 Jingi naki Yabo 2[video]; Kishiwada Shonen Gurentai - Chikemuri Junjo Hen (Young Thugs: Innocent Blood); Gokudo Kuroshakai - Reini Doggu (); Furu Metaru Gokudo (Full Metal ) [video] 1998 Chugoku no Chojin (The Bird People in China); ; Blues Harp; Kishiwada Shonen Gurentai - Bokyo Hen (Young Thugs: Nostalgia); Zuiketsu Genso - Tonkararin Yume Densetsu [short] 1999 Tennen Shojo Mann [TV series, 3 episodes]; Nihon Kuroshakai – Ley Lines (Ley Lines); Silver [video]; Sarariman Kintaro (White-Collar Worker Kintaro); Tennen Shojo Mann Next [TV series, 2 episodes]; DOA Deddo oa Araibu - Hanzaisha (Dead or Alive) 2000 Kikuchi - Jo Monogatari - Sakimori-Tachi no Uta [short]; Audition; Taju Jinkaku Tantei Saiko (MPD-Psycho) [TV series, 6 episodes]; Hyoryugai (The City of Lost Souls); Deddo oa Aribu 2 - Tobosha (Dead or Alive 2); Tsukamoto Shinya ga Rampo Suru (The Making of Gemini) [video] 2001 ; Family; Tengoku Kara Kita Otoko Tachi (The Guys from Paradise); Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer) 2002 Deddo oa Aribu Final (Dead or Alive: Final); Onna Kunishu Ikki; Katakurike no Kofuku (The happiness of the Katakuris); Araburu Tamashii Tachi (Agitator); Sabu [TV]; Shin Jingi no Hakaba (Graveyard of Honor); Go! Go! Fushimi Jet [music video]; Kinyu Hametsu Nippon – Togenkyo no Hitobito (Shangri-La); Jitsuroku – Ando Noboru Kyodo-Den :Rekka (Deadly Outlaw : Rekka); The Gundogs [music video]; Part Time Tantei [TV] 2003 Koi no Jerrifisshu [music video]; Yurusarezaru Mono (); [video]; Gokudo Kyofu Daigekijo - Gozu (Gozu); Koshonin (The Negotiator) 2004 Chakushin Ari (One Missed Call); Zebraman; Part Time Tantei 2 [TV]; Saam gaang yi (Three Extremes); Izo; Yashagaike (Demon pond) [stage] 2005 Urutoraman Makkusu (Ultraman Max) [TV series, 2 episodes]; Yokai Daisenso (The Great Yokai War) 2006 46-okunen no koi (A Big Bang Love: Juvenile); Waru; Imprint episode from Masters of Horror [TV]; Waru – kanketsuhen; Taiyo no kizu (); Ryu ga gotoku: gekijo-ban (); 2007 Sukiyaki Western Django; Zero