Shinya Tsukamoto’s “Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill Someone?” I’m heading to a Japanese movie theater.
The film is the final installment of the Japanese director’s unofficial trilogy of 20th century war films, following “Fires on the Plain” and “Shadow of Fire,” which were screened in main competition at the 71st Venice International Film Festival. The project was conceived for seven years before it hit the screen.
Rodney Hicks plays the title role. The actor is known for appearing in Broadway’s Rent from opening to closing, and for playing Uncle Charlie in the Netflix series Forever. Geoffrey Rush, a three-time Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award winner over the course of his career, plays the role of retired military doctor Dr. Daniels, a role that follows on from such notable roles as Shine, The King’s Speech and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Tatiana Ali, best known for her roles in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and the Emmy Award-winning “Abbott Elementary,” will play Nelson’s wife, Linda. The film also marks the screen debut of Mark Murphy, who plays Nelson as a young man in flashbacks. Filming took place in the United States, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan.
The film is based on the real-life experiences of Allen Nelson, an African-American Vietnam War veteran. After returning from combat, he gave more than 1,200 lectures throughout Japan, testifying to his wartime experiences. Nelson, who is buried in Japan, spoke openly about his inner suffering as someone who lost his life during the conflict. Mr. Tsukamoto described this psychological realm as “the wounds of those who fought in war.”
The film follows Nelson’s journey from his poverty-stricken childhood in New York to his decision to join the Marines at age 18, who found a way out of discrimination and hardship in military service. After serving at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, he was sent to the front lines in Vietnam in 1966. When he returned home five years later, he suffered from insomnia, fear reactions, and a breakdown in family ties, and ended up living on the streets. Dr. Daniels eventually intervenes to pull him back from the brink.
Mr. Tsukamoto said that he first encountered this non-fiction original while immersed in research for “Fires on the Plain,” and that he couldn’t get it out of his mind. He described the process of making the film as a seven-year tug-of-war between wanting to tell the story and being overwhelmed by its darkness. Tsukamoto said, “Now that conflicts continue in various parts of the country, I have become more keenly aware of this reality than ever before.”
The film will be produced and distributed by Kino Films and Kino Films, the same company behind the domestic release of “Conclave” and the Japanese release of Michael Jackson’s biopic “Michael,” scheduled for June.
Tsukamoto’s body of work stretches back several decades, including the internationally renowned body horror film The Iron Man (1989) and the samurai drama Killing (2018), which was also exhibited in the Venice main section. The public announcement in Japan was made in conjunction with Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29th.
