The Emperor: Director Peter Webber Interview

Peter Webber has helmed some incredible films over the years, from Girl with a Pearl Earring to the eerie Hannibal Rising. His latest film The Emperor, takes us back to the normally unvisited period in history right after the Second World War.

Japan is in shambles and America is keen on rebuilding the broken city. Matthew Fox plays General Bonner Fellers, who’s in charge of deeming the Emperor innocent or guilty. Under the influence of General Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones), he must decide what’s best for both parties while also struggling with his lost young love Aya (Eriko Hatsune).

Peter and I discussed the historical poignancy behind the film, how he researched such a specific period in history and his process working with iconic actors like Jones.

ATW:  You’ve said ‘The hidden aftermath of war raises the most provocative and intriguing human questions.’ What influenced you to make a film about this? Much of your work is historical.

W: Well, there are two strands to this if you like. One is to do with personal interest. I’ve always loved Japan and visited there many times. Then, I’m a big history buff. This was a story I just didn’t know that I found intriguing. We hear about the great victory; we don’t hear about the reconstruction. The story is contemporary as well. It was a good opportunity to go back and examine what happened. It was a fierce and destructive war, and yet the two sides reached reconciliation. I thought it was timely.

ATW: What was your impression the first time you read Vera and David’s script? Did it immediately catch your attention?

W: Completely. Often when you read a script there’s one scene that grabs your attention, the grain of sand in an oyster. That’s the scene that gets you and then the rest of the film forms around that.

ATW: Which scene was this in The Emperor?

W: The meeting between MacArthur and the Emperor. It was such an interesting combination, emotional but also humorous. It was a very important moment in history, the conclusion of this epic journey that grabbed my attention. There were the visual opportunities too. Constructing the landscape for Tokyo in 1945. I read the beginning very quickly. As a script goes, you sense challenges; it’s a very talky script. It’s very Japanese, it’s very cerebral. It was something that attracted me. This is a film I’d really like to see; I could do justice to it.

ATW: The cast is amazing. What was that casting process like?

W: It was in two halves. We had two American leads to cast. Macarthur we had to find someone who could bear playing an iconic character, who had balls and also intelligence. Not many choices there: Tommy Lee Jones. Because I was looking to make something that had classic virtues, which could have been made in this era, I was looking for someone like Gary Cooper. He’s s strong silent man who has a strong moral sense. Also someone that is believably American. I’ve been impressed of what I’ve seen of Matthew. He had a square-jawed intensity. I had the help of our Yoko as well. She was able to direct me to Japanese actors. It’s an all-star cast. We have high hopes of how the film will do in Japan when the film comes out. Tommy is the face of a Japanese coffee. His face is everywhere!

ATW: You also have foreign actors in the cast. What were the benefits and challenges of working with actors like Eriko who played Aya?

W: They all had to work really hard. They had to master their lines. They work differently than American actors too. Takataro [Kataoka], who played the Emperor, is a kabuki actor. He’s never played a male character in his life. He approached it from a point of view of movement. He studied how the Emperor walked in newsreels. He went from the outside in to getting to the psychology. Americans start with psychology and build outward to gestures. The styles are quite different.

ATW: How much did the script evolve once you started shooting?

W: It can be both small things and big things. It can be down to certain visual details or working on story beats and characters. When you come in, you’re taking this blueprint. You have to build the boat and hope that it sails. If you’re hired as a director on a job, its not just you and the writer; it’s a producers film. You steer the way that you best can towards what you think will work.

ATW: The film required a lot of research. I appreciated its specificity. Describe that process for you?

W: There was a lot of research done by the writers, but for me, I did a number of things. I read some history books. I spent a lot of time looking up visual material. Photographic books, I found an amazing book, a detective investigation’s of smoked filmed offices, clothes they wore. That was the book I used to the most. I passed it on to the DP.  I looked at certain classic films, it reminded me of The Third Man. There’s an approach there. I tend to call from a very wide variety of sources. There was a Japanese propaganda book my friend gave me. I was also going to the film of other Japanese filmmakers from that era, a whole smorgasbord of different things.

ATW: The dream sequences between Bonner and Aya really relieve the tension in the film. What cinematography influences did you draw from to create the magical contrast to the stark reality of Japan?

W: It was going back to look at the films of that era. I sat down and had an amazing conversation with Stuart [Dryburgh; cinematographer]. I wanted to get that high contrast in film between light and dark. They mirror the themes of the film in this murky world. It’s a country that’s been brought to its knees. To contrast with that, because the flashbacks where always memories of emotional highlights, they would have a fuller, richer contrast.

ATW:  When main characters are based historically, it can be a challenge. How did you go about directing the actors regarding this? Did they create brand new characters or base their performances on the actual people. Jones frequently puts his hands on his hips just as MacArthur did.

W: Matthew not so much in terms of basing. Much less is known about him Bonner. He had much more of a free range. He’s not a historical icon. MacArthur has a place in history books and he did manage to create an image for himself. He was very media savvy, his glasses, pipe and through using those props Tommy appropriated those few tricks. Tommy and I had big discussions. He was worried; I don’t look anything like him. Should we use makeup? I wanted him to capture the soul and the spirit of MacArthur. It could be a great mistake to go down that path to impersonate, people will just be looking at the falseness.

ATW: What are your hopes for a film like this? It’s definitely a subject most of Americans don’t know about.

W: You open up some doors to people to ask questions. We’re providing a different context. It feels like the Second World War in the Pacific it comes out of nowhere. And then you have all the suffering and cruelty that comes. The Japanese have their own point of view of the context. We may not agree with it, we’re not trying to apologize or say there’s moral equivalence, but lets look at both sides.

ATW: Tell me about your writing nest? What environment fosters the most creativity for you?

W: For this movie, I was giving notes to other writers, which is not the same as sitting down and doing the hard work yourself. When I try to apply myself, I find it incredibly difficult, mostly because of the Internet! There’s no one producing quality material with an internet connection. A lot of writers have a routine in terms of space. Some people enjoy the process more than others, are more disciplined. There are others who think it’s like having teeth pulled. Richard Cotton, he has a cottage down in Cornwall, and it’s the only place he can work! He knows no one in the town; he’s driven by that boredom!