【この作品を選んだ理由】親の運転する車でしか辿り着けないTSUTAYAをひたすら徘徊する高校生だった。千円で借りられる五枚のDVDをどれにするか、可能な限り厳選していたのだ。『ジョゼと虎と魚たち』は、そんなころに手に取った一作だった。池崎千鶴演じるジョゼは、脚が不自由で、車椅子生活を送っている。そんなジョゼは、妻夫木聡演じる大学生・恒夫との出会いを経て、その世界を一気に広げていく。だが――当時の私は、作中で描かれている感情を、一度観ただけでは十分に咀嚼できなかった。特に後半、貝殻の形をしたベッドの上でジョゼが零す独白は、一週間というレンタル期間いっぱい、何度も繰り返し鑑賞した。今の自分では到底掴みきれない感情が描かれている――そう明確に自覚した、初めての映画体験だった。そして、本作に関しては、もしかしたら本編以上に忘れられない鑑賞体験がある。それは、犬童一心監督と池脇・妻夫木両氏によるコメンタリーだ。今では私も“千円で五枚レンタル”どころか“月額数千円で何万作品見放題”の世界線にいるが、その利便性と引き換えに失った、大抵のレンタル商品に付属されていた特典映像の数々を恋しく思っている。私は特典映像に目がない。メイキングや未公開シーンも良いが、何より、監督や出演者が本編を鑑賞しながら裏話を語るコメンタリーが大好物なのだ。そして、その癖を私に植え付けたのが、まさにこの『ジョゼと虎と魚たち』なのである。というのも、コメンタリーに収録されていた御三方の声が、今作を世へ送り出したことへの誇りや興奮に満ち満ちていたのである。次々に明かされる裏話も興味深かったが、鑑賞後、私は何より「こんな大人になりたい」と強く思った。当時の私は、大人になることや仕事をすることを、辛く苦しいことだと認識していた。そんな私にとって、自分の仕事について軽やかに弾けるように語り合う御三方の姿は、それこそ貝殻から零れ出る真珠の如く眩しく煌めいて感じられたのだ。

[Reason for choosing this film] I was a high school student who would wander endlessly around a TSUTAYA that could only be reached by car driven by my parents. I would carefully narrow down which five DVDs to rent for a thousand yen, as selectively as possible. "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish" was a film I picked up during that time. Josee, played by Ikeshima Chizuru, has a disability in her legs and lives in a wheelchair. Through her encounter with Tsuneo, a university student played by Tsumabuki Satoshi, Josee's world expands dramatically. But—at the time, I couldn't fully digest the emotions depicted in the film with just one viewing. Especially in the latter half, Josee's monologue on the shell-shaped bed—I watched it over and over throughout the entire one-week rental period. It was my first movie experience where I clearly recognized: "This depicts emotions I cannot possibly grasp as I am now." And regarding this film, there is perhaps an even more unforgettable viewing experience than the main feature itself. That is the commentary track by director Inudō Isshin and both Ikewaki and Tsumabuki. Now I live in a world where, far from "five DVDs for a thousand yen," I can watch tens of thousands of titles for a few thousand yen a month—but I find myself longing for the many bonus features that came with most rental products, which I lost in exchange for that convenience. I have an insatiable appetite for bonus features. Making-of footage and deleted scenes are fine, but above all, I adore commentary tracks where directors and cast members share behind-the-scenes stories while watching the film. And it was none other than "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish" that instilled this habit in me. The voices of the three in the commentary were overflowing with pride and excitement at having brought this film into the world. The behind-the-scenes stories revealed one after another were fascinating, but after watching, what I thought above all was: "I want to become an adult like them." At the time, I perceived becoming an adult and working as painful and difficult things. For someone like me, the sight of these three talking about their work with such light, effervescent joy seemed to shine dazzlingly, like pearls spilling from a shell.

上映スケジュール / Showtimes

Source: cinematokyo.com · Tokyo mini-theater & independent cinema showtimes.