Don't Spoil the Film - Narrate It!
She could be either an actress or storyteller, but she's neither. Or, as a professional live narrator for film, she's perhaps both. Japan’s Saito Yuko is one of the world’s few remaining active benshi. On February 20, Yuko was in Tallinn, where she took part in the Silent Pictures Go Loud festival. She spoke to ERR News about her singular profession.
You said hello to the audience, you took a seat and you waited for the beginning of the film. Everything spectators were going to hear had to be told to them by you. Do you feel any pressure at that point?
Yes, of course. I felt so much pressure at that moment!
Most people from Estonia, and Europe in general, are not used to movies accompanied by a narrator's commentary. Are the Japanese used to it? Is it part of Japanese film culture?
It is not usual as far as cinema goes in Japan, either. Actually, in all of Japan there are only ten benshi. However, there are some people who are very fanatical and enthusiastic about this kind of cinema and they try to see films accompanied by benshi as often as possible, at least once per month.
How do you prepare for a narration?
First of all, I need a tape of the film and also a script with the subtitles which will appear on the screen. I may also ask for the original scenario, but I don't need it, because it's difficult to get many things from it. Thus, I watch the movie many times, I read the subtitles, and then straight afterwards I write what I will read during the projection.
You don't only read, but you also play the voices of the different characters. How difficult is to move from one character to another?
Actually, it's not difficult. In fact, once I get into the movie, playing the voices doesn't become difficult, because I feel I'm already in the movie.
How does the benshi profession coexist with contemporary talking cinema? Could a benshi be asked to play in a new Japanese talking picture?
Basically, we understand a benshi to play in a silent movie. But it's true there have been some benshi who have played in talking films.
In the Silent Pictures Go Loud festival, you narrated a 1925 Japanese film titled "The Snake." You did it in front of an audience which is not used to films accompanied by a benshi. Did you perceive any surprise on the part of the audience?
Yes, I did and I liked it. For example, today I sometimes heard people laughing. And this helps me a lot, because if I see how the audience is reacting, I can easily tune to that temper. But today's case has been very curious, because "The Snake" is a very dramatic film and its main character is not a hero at all. But I realized people were laughing more than usual, and I couldn't deny it to them, so I decided to join them and I played the main character's voice more lively than I'm used to. Definitely, I like to make use of the audience's first reaction.
What is the future of the benshi profession? Is its survival safe?
Most new movies are sound pictures, so it's not realistic to say the number of benshi will increase in the future. At the same, as a benshi I'm conscious that benshi culture is interesting and impressive, and that's why right now more and more people know about it. Although I don't think the number of benshi will increase much, I don't think benshi culture will perish forever.
Is there a movie you would like to narrate if you could turn down its volume?
If I could choose, I'd take part in any of Hayao Miyazaki's animated films.
Interview by Eduard Lladó Vila.