James Cameron's Next Movie May Involve The Bombing Of Hiroshima.

[Old Guy]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013500.html


As "Avatar" continues to make box office history, James Cameron is eyeing a slice of history for a potential helming gig. The "Avatar" director has optioned Charles Pellegrino's upcoming nonfiction tome "The Last Train From Hiroshima: The Survivors Look Back" with his own personal funds. Pellegrino's book, published by Henry Holt, is set to hit bookstores Jan. 19. Advance reviews have been glowing for the title, which takes place over two days and weaves together eyewitness accounts of the Japanese civilians and American pilots who experienced the atomic explosions firsthand.

Seems like Cameron is trying to replicate a Titanic-type movie.

[Wounded_Dragon]

After the preachiness of Avatar I'd stay far away from this one.

[Spideyzilla]

After the preachiness of Avatar I'd stay far away from this one.

So now people are turning against Cameron?

[Wounded_Dragon]

So now people are turning against Cameron?

Box office numbers say different.

[Supernovametalstar]

Oh yeah, they're turning on Cameron. Or should I say political pundits and other such people. What I call regular people that just want to see action movies are still going to see it. There's an Illinois congressman (I think) that is saying Avatar is disrespecting America and the Marines. I would guarantee that if he did a movie that touches on Hiroshima and if it even hints that the U.S. didn't have to drop the atomic bomb, then you know people will get on his case about it.

However, there really hasn't been a movie that I can recall that ever talks about the bombings in any way. Twilight of the Cockroaches, an anime motion picture, is a really good one though.

[Spideyzilla]

There's an Illinois congressman (I think) that is saying Avatar is disrespecting America and the Marines.

Come on! The man's allowed to have an opinion. Did anyone say anything about this in Battle For Terra? Or Dances With Wolves?

[wonderfly]

That must be why James Cameron met with Tsutomu Yamaguchi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsutomu_Yamaguchi), (the only recognized survivor of BOTH atomic bombings) back in late December...

[HG Revolution]

Come on! The man's allowed to have an opinion. Did anyone say anything about this in Battle For Terra? Or Dances With Wolves?

Battle for Terra was a bomb and Dances With Wolves was directed by a "conservative" (back when that word didn't have the connections with the lunatic fringe that it does now), thus they didn't receive the same response that the outspokenly liberal and very successful James Cameron has gotten.

[AlgeaX]

Oh yeah, they're turning on Cameron. Or should I say political pundits and other such people. What I call regular people that just want to see action movies are still going to see it. There's an Illinois congressman (I think) that is saying Avatar is disrespecting America and the Marines. I would guarantee that if he did a movie that touches on Hiroshima and if it even hints that the U.S. didn't have to drop the atomic bomb, then you know people will get on his case about it.

To be fair to Cameron I don't think you could do any kind of Hiroshima movie that didn't piss off a significant chunk of the population, so he might as well just go nuts with it instead of trying to please everyone.

[defunctzombie]

As a student of Japanese culture and as an American I would go see a movie about Hiroshima, but not just because it has Cameron's name attached.

[Terra Branford]

This movie actually sounds pretty interesting. I've always wondered how the Japanese look back on the bombings so this really isn't a chance that I should miss.

[RonDrakenfan17]

I'm not sure if this is such a good idea at this time. Maybe he should try again later, when things are a little better.

[Hobbes829]

I'm not sure if this is such a good idea at this time. Maybe he should try again later, when things are a little better.
because hiroshima's so recent?

[ToonFaithful]

All I know is the Japanese aren't gonna feel too happy about this. History...o'history.

[Hobbes829]

it's a story worthy of being told, but i don't trust anyone in hollywood to do it properly.

[wonderfly]

All I know is the Japanese aren't gonna feel too happy about this. History...o'history.

No, I'm pretty sure that most Japanese would want to see this film made. It's the American backlash that Hollywood should worry about.

As for myself, if I can tolerate a movie about Pearl Harbor by Michael Bay, then I can stand this...

[ToonFaithful]

No, I'm pretty sure that most Japanese would want to see this film made. It's the American backlash that Hollywood should worry about.

As for myself, if I can tolerate a movie about Pearl Harbor by Michael Bay, then I can stand this...
And if I learned about this in History(which I did...) then I should watch it also. I wonder what it'll be rated..Pearl Harbor was rated PG-13.

[defunctzombie]

Iwo Jima was received pretty well in Japan, and though it didn't deal directly with the bombings, I think that shows the Japanese are willing to accept a nicely done film of the war.

That said, I really really really hope the execs have the decency to not push for the 3d thing. 3d can be nice for scenery, but it is not a good idea for the worst event in Japanese history.

[Hanshotfirst113]

I really think that someone like Cameron, who is confined almost exclusively to fantasy and is quite frankly clunky when taking on real world issues at best, should really keep far, far away. Cameron is at his best with aliens, robots, and secret agents. He's very good at what he does, and as we saw with Titanic, his attempts to graft his already wobbly writing skills onto something real world probably won't end well.


To be fair to Cameron I don't think you could do any kind of Hiroshima movie that didn't piss off a significant chunk of the population, so he might as well just go nuts with it instead of trying to please everyone.


After the preachiness of Avatar I'd stay far away from this one.

Preachy can work in the context of allegorical sci-fi and fantasy. In the context of a real-world film and event like this? I think that he'll irk more than a few ires.

That's true, except I simply don't trust him (or anyone in Hollywood) to deal with issues like that, especially when they have to conform to the rules of the $200 million blockbuster film. I just simply say no. Michael Bay's god-awful Pearl Harbor showed the same: stick to what you're good at, and don't try to bring politics into things, because it almost never ends well. Every now and then, I'll trust someone with it, like John Sayles' masterful Lone Star, but usually, it simply doesn't mix well with Hollywood, or filmmaking in general.


It's a story worthy of being told, but I don't trust anyone in Hollywood to do it properly.

Yes, but I don't that anyone in Hollywood could do it in a way that doesn't Hollywoodize it and offend someone.


No, I'm pretty sure that most Japanese would want to see this film made.

Really? Why would you think that :confused:?


It's the American backlash that Hollywood should worry about.Given the "rah-rah-rah America" style of every Hollywood movie, I question that...


As for myself, if I can tolerate a movie about Pearl Harbor by Michael Bay, then I can stand this...I couldn't tolerate that. I think that Bay and Bruckheimer were simply way out of their league and depth, and I don't think that Cameron is any different. He's head and shoulders more intelligent than most mainstream Hollywood filmmakers, but his movie still aren't know for their intellectual and narrative complexity. Moreso than most Hollywood genre movies, I grant you, but not enough to handle something as important and real-world as this.


Iwo Jima was received pretty well in Japan, and though it didn't deal directly with the bombings, I think that shows the Japanese are willing to accept a nicely done film of the war.

Letters was also a lower-key drama film made a filmmaker who is known for intelligent dramas rather than special effects blockbusters. Again, I just don't know. This sounds like too risky a proposition. Not to suggest that it won't be successful financially, of course, because Cameron always seems to be able to turn lead into gold.

[NewcomerDC]

However, there really hasn't been a movie that I can recall that ever talks about the bombings in any way. Twilight of the Cockroaches, an anime motion picture, is a really good one though.
Don't you mean Grave of the Fireflies?

[Hobbes829]

it doesn't matter if he doesn't use a complex narrative. The stories are still well told. I may not like the subject matter but he tells a good story.

I'm not against hollywoodizing persay, so much as i don't trust Hollywood to draw the right conclusions about the bombing.

What's so bad about Ra-Ra-America! It's about time we stand up and be proud of who we are and not appologize for it. Though i'm not sure that's what we'll get from Cameron's movie

[Hanshotfirst113]

It doesn't matter if he doesn't use a complex narrative. The stories are still well told.

I agree. He's good at telling stories of the nature he usually tells. I just think that he should stick to what he's good at. But there's always real complexity to historical events, and numerous different perspective on it. That's the difference. That's why I think that his storytelling style doesn't fit something with so many complexities. But then, I'm not sure that there's any filmmaker I would trust with it.


I'm not against Hollywoodizing per-say, so much as I don't trust Hollywood to draw the right conclusions about the bombing.Which is part of why it's impossible; almost everyone has different conclusions about the bombing.


Don't you mean Grave of the Fireflies?That's a beautiful film, IMO.

[HanaKirei]

There was also a recent music video done by Dir en grey called 'Vinushka' where the full length version they released deals heavily with the bombings. It was released on a DVD out here in the states, albeit heavily censored at points. Still get the point across though. Breaks my heart to watch it. Grave of the Fireflies was beautifully done too.

If James Cameron can do it right, I'd love to see a movie dealing with this topic. Long as it does it well. I'd go see it.

[G. Wen]

If he's going to do it, he should stick to the source material presented in the book, and not shoehorn a romance in there about a geisha and an American GI or other somesuch thing he's prone to do.

[Old Guy]

If he's going to do it, he should stick to the source material presented in the book, and not shoehorn a romance in there about a geisha and an American GI or other somesuch thing he's prone to do.

It's likely that he might go in that direction.

[wonderfly]

Really? Why would you think that :confused:?


Because the nuclear disarmament movement is still very strong in Japan, and also because the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are rallying points for Japanese nationalists (much as Pearl Harbor is for Americans). The only possible downside is that it's a Canadian directing a movie about it, but if the movie puts the Japanese in a sympathetic light, then I still smell a hit in the making.



I couldn't tolerate that. I think that Bay and Bruckheimer were simply way out of their league and depth, and I don't think that Cameron is any different. He's head and shoulders more intelligent than most mainstream Hollywood filmmakers, but his movie still aren't know for their intellectual and narrative complexity. Moreso than most Hollywood genre movies, I grant you, but not enough to handle something as important and real-world as this.


Just to clarify, I didn't enjoy Bay's "Pearl Harbor" I merely meant that I was able to stomach watching it. ;)