A thriller based on a solid original work is ready to shake up the theaters.
The movie ‘Final Piece,’ which garnered attention from the production stage for adapting a mega-hit novel, is set to be released. It is based on the novel ‘Sunflowers on the Board,’ a bestseller by mystery master Yuzuki Yuko that was ranked second in the Japanese Bookstore Awards, earning recognition for both its popularity and artistic quality.
‘Final Piece’ tells the story of the truth behind unidentified remains found by chance in the mountains and the expensive Shogi pieces that remained by their side. Using Shogi as a motif, it highlights an intense battle of wits and the destructive side of human nature. Let’s look at the key points of this film, which aims to conquer theaters with its seamless narrative and a cast of top-tier actors.
The biggest draw of this film is its proven original source. ‘Final Piece’ captures attention with its dense crime drama. At the center of this sophisticated mystery is Director Kumazawa Naoto, who persistently delves into the twisted fate of the human inner self. He previously received praise for sensually capturing unstable psychology in his work ‘Yuri Gokoro’ (2017). Director Kumazawa Naoto, who was fascinated by the chilly atmosphere and meticulous structure of the original novel, shared his thoughts on directing, saying, “The desperate passion of characters who cannot live without Shogi resembled my own passion for filmmaking.”
‘Final Piece’ creates a cinematic rhythm by precisely condensing the vast narrative of the original. Director Kumazawa Naoto trimmed unnecessary plot points while maintaining the density of the suspense the characters face. Just as a single move in Shogi can change the state of the board, he captured the moments that drastically change the protagonist’s life. The turning points of life intertwined with Shogi were well-transplanted, and the psychology of the protagonist, who must play Shogi on the boundary between life and death, was well-captured, bringing the dramatic tension to its peak.
The ending, which deals with the protagonist’s fate, is particularly impressive. Regarding the ending, Director Kumazawa Naoto explained his intention, saying, “Keisuke is a character who always wavers between life and death. I created an ending that reflects my hope that he would choose to survive.” Upon seeing the final cut, original author Yuzuki Yuko gave high praise, saying, “The sight of him walking away, accepting that the way of living is not just existing but enduring, was so noble that I couldn’t stop crying.”
The image transformations and chemistry of the actors are also key points. Sakaguchi Kentaro, who has been etched in fans’ minds as a sweet romance lead through works like ‘Those Who Come After Love’ and ‘The Last 10 Years,’ meets a turning point in his acting career with a chilly performance. He plays the role of Keisuke, a lonely genius Shogi player. Sakaguchi Kentaro expressed his affection for the role, saying, “It felt like fate that I encountered this work at age 33. I wanted to act by overlapping my own 33 years of life with that of Kamijo Keisuke.”
World-renowned actor Watanabe Ken, beloved by Hollywood, plays the legendary gambler Tomyo. Having established a unique presence in major blockbusters like ‘The Last Samurai’ and ‘Inception,’ he interprets a complex and mysterious character in this work with his characteristic seasoned skill. Reflecting on the process of building the character, Watanabe Ken said, “Tomyo feels Keisuke is more like a fellow raccoon in the same hole than a comrade.” Under his interpretation, Tomyo is portrayed as a character where meanness and humanity coexist. In this way, ‘Final Piece’ increases immersion and curiosity through the relationship between two men who share a strange bond while heading toward destruction.
The charm of Shogi, which is at the center of the movie, also stands out. ‘Final Piece’ does not let Shogi remain a visual game but elevates it to a high-stakes battle where lives are on the line. The production team maximized the reality of the match scenes by having actual professional Shogi players on set. Beyond correcting the rules, they meticulously directed the specific hand movements, gaze positions, and breathing patterns of professional players during a match to increase the quality of the scenes. Director Kumazawa Naoto also introduced a documentary-style filming technique that persistently captures even the slightest tremors of the characters, allowing the audience to feel as if they are sitting in the middle of an actual match.
Detailed direction using sound also played a major role in creating memorable scenes. The sound effects director designed the audio considering that the intensity and texture of placing a Shogi piece differ depending on the character’s personality and psychological state. He demonstrated craftsmanship by separately re-recording the sound of every Shogi piece in the film to match the characters’ personalities. Sakaguchi Kentaro and Watanabe Ken also showed passion by carrying Shogi pieces in their daily lives before filming to familiarize themselves with the weight, feel, and sound.
A large-scale production spanning time and space further strengthened the visual quality of the play. Since it follows the 30-year trajectory of a human life, the production team conducted an epic location shoot across Japan, including Toyama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Sendai, and Nagano, to capture the atmosphere of the era and the traces of time. It is also noteworthy that they recruited historic match venues used by actual professional players to recreate the unique solemnity of the space on screen. Furthermore, they delicately captured the angle of natural light seeping indoors and the texture of shadows moving with time, doubling the tension flowing in the silence of the characters.
‘Final Piece’ is a film that forms a chilly suspense through the fierce struggle of characters facing a harsh fate. At the same time, it creates touching moments by weaving a heavy drama about a noble attitude toward life. While precisely following the grammar of a mystery thriller, the lyrical ending it eventually reaches is expected to provide a fresh shock to fans of the genre.
The well-made mystery ‘Final Piece’ will meet audiences when it opens on the 27th.
