Rinko Kikuchi shines in post-'Babel' era

Many movie fans overseas got their first look at Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi as the troubled deaf-mute girl Chieko in the 2006 film "Babel," for which she received a best supporting actress Oscar nomination. For the 27-year-old star, who made her movie debut in 1999 with "Ikitai" (Will to Live), her career now seems to be divided into pre-"Babel" and post-"Babel."

“There are positive and negative sides to it,” says Kikuchi. “On the negative side, since 'Babel,' people tend to say my name first, rather than the characters I play, like Rinko’s Chieko. As an actor, I don’t know if that’s a good thing. I really want my characters to be remembered more than my name. In the past, I wasn’t so well known, so I could audition for many different types of roles. Now I’m mainly getting offers to play strong and serious women. I don’t want my name to hinder me from getting diversified roles.”

Born in Hadano, Kanagawa Prefecture, Kikuchi got into modeling after she was scouted at age 14 in Harajuku one day. She did some commercials and TV dramas, but says she always aspired to work in films. She followed "Ikitai" with the critically acclaimed "Sora no Ana" (Hole in the Sky), which was shown at various film festivals. Little did she realize that one day she would be walking the red carpet at the Academy Awards, Cannes, Venice and other film festivals. “I would never have dreamed it. I love making movies and going to such events is a real bonus for me.”

With her urban chic glamour, Kikuchi is now one of Japan’s best known actors abroad and offers are coming in from foreign filmmakers. Kikuchi is steadily improving her English. She says she can manage with foreign directors on the set, but prefers to still do interviews in Japanese. She gets offers to play all kinds of roles. “Some are for Japanese, some native English speakers and some are generic Asian characters. I wouldn’t have any problem playing a Chinese or Korean part.”

This year, Kikuchi has completed work on two English-language films, "The Brothers Bloom" and "Shanghai" (both will be released in Japan next year). In "The Brothers Bloom," she ironically has very little dialogue. Her character, named Bang-Bang, is the silent explosive-loving sidekick of a pair of conmen who fleece heiresses in Europe. “For a role like that, I rely on my inner feelings of the moment to drive my character’s expressions,” Kikuchi explains.

"Shanghai," which stars John Cusack, Ken Watanabe, Gong Li and Chow Yun-Fat, is an espionage thriller set in Japanese-occupied China in the four months leading up to Dec 7, 1941. “Since I haven’t done any period dramas, it was great fun for me,” Kikuchi says. “That role is what acting is all about. I have to learn what the person was like, what the time period was like, the historical context of the fashion and make-up.”

Kikuchi says she devotes a lot of time into understanding her characters, none more so than the emotionally disturbed Chieko in "Babel," which required a year of preparation, learning sign language. It also involved a full frontal nude scene. “The scene never bothered me,” she says. “It was necessary for the story and I understood why Chieko did it. I won’t do a nude scene just to entertain audiences, but as long as it is important for the character and the film, then OK. My parents saw me in 'Babel' and were very supportive of me.”

Now that she is working with more foreign directors, Kikuchi notices a difference in work ethic from Japanese film productions. “In Japan, there is still a hierarchical relationship in the film industry, which is sometimes good and sometimes bad. In the U.S., for example, it is more a collaboration; everyone listens to each other because everyone is eager to make a better film. In Japan, I hesitate to talk to directors, maybe because I am younger than them.”

Although she has a busy movie schedule, Kikuchi still finds time to do modeling for magazines. “I can’t make two movies at the same time, but I can make a movie and model at the same time. You need lasting stamina to make a movie, but for modeling, you just need to have the energy on the day, which is fun for me. As long as there are offers, I’ll continue to do modeling.”

On her rare days off, Kikuchi likes to chill out at home with friends. “I don’t go out too much. I also enjoy reading good quality books and watching visual arts. I’d like to learn English but I don’t have time to take lessons. Sometimes when I watch films, I try not to read the Japanese subtitles.” When she does venture out, it might be to her favorite clothing shop. She says fans don’t bother her. “I used to cover my face somewhat, but that’s not really my style, so I don’t worry about it.”

Kikuchi says she doesn’t watch TV much, but maintains an interest in news events. “There have been a lot of crimes committed by young people recently. As an actress, that piques my interest because I think of their background and what their character must be like.”

© Japan Today