英語と映画

Vol. 1 : ハリー・ポッターとアズガバンの囚人

『現在公開中の『ハリー・ポッターとアズガバンの囚人』のプレミア記者会見が6月28日、都内のホテルで行なわれました。ハーマイオニー役のエマ・ワトソン、ロン役のルパート・グリント、監督のアルフォンソ・キュアロン、プロデュサーのデイビッド・ヘイマンが来日し、ハリー役のダニエル・ラドクリフはロンドンからの衛星中継で記者会見に参加。以下でその一部を紹介します！

Q: How did you feel when you first saw the film in its finished form?

Alfonso Cuaron: I felt relieved, and I was pleasantly surprised. The movie ended up being pretty much the movie that I wanted it to be in the first place, a movie that would reflect the spirit of the book. Also, it was great to finally see all the elements come together, especially the special effects. For months and months the cast was performing against a ball and stick, which were replaced by computer-generated creatures.

Q: How did you find working with all the special effects?

Cuaron: I learned that it doesn't matter how good they are, or how well-crafted they are, they don't come to life until there's a human element. A dementor can only be as scary as how Daniel Radcliffe reacts in fear, and the hippogriff is only going to be as cute and tender as the reactions of the actors toward the hippogriff. Otherwise, it's just a computer-generated thing. What's great is how this cast brought all the computer-generated characters to life.

Q: How was the author's reaction to the film?

David Heyman: When Joe Rowling saw it, she said that it was her favorite of the three films, that those things that were changed, nobody would miss, and those things that Alfonso had added, she wished she had thought of them herself.

Q: The three of you, Daniel, Emma and Rupert, work well together, and apparently you're good friends. Rupert and Emma, what do you think about Daniel?

Daniel Radcliffe: Be very careful.

Emma Watson: Dan and I are very good friends. He has a fantastic sense of humor. He keeps everyone on the set laughing and entertained. He's a great guy, he's down to earth, I actually genuinely like him.

Rupert Grint: We get on really well, yeah, we have a really good time.

Cuaron: What do you really think?

Grint: He's alright, I guess.

Radcliffe: You're too kind.

Q: Daniel, what do you think about Rupert and Emma? Watson: No pressure.

Radcliffe: Me, Rupert and Emma. We're pretty lucky that we get on very well. Emma is like a sister to me and Rupert is a really, really awesome friend.

Q: Did they really get along?

Cuaron: No. They hate each other really. It was so hard to keep them from fighting all the time. That's the real reason why Daniel didn't come. They don't speak to each other any more. I'm joking, they get along very well, but the problem of three of them getting along so well is that they tend to team against me.

Q: You had to write an essay on your character? How did you feel about that?

Watson: I was flattered when he asked us to write an essay on our characters because it showed that he cared what we thought. That was a massive compliment to me. I love the freedom that he gave me to explore my character and take it to another level.

Grint: Ah, the essay, yes, it could have been quite useful. But I forgot to do it. It was kind of like my character.

Heyman: Yes, and true to character, Emma wrote around 65 pages for her character. Dan wrote around a couple of pages. They each embody their characters so successfully.

Q: You have grown considerably since the last film and so has your character, both physically and emotionally. Are there any moments when you think you're more mature?

Radcliffe: Not very often. I don't know. I haven't grown that much. It's now quite depressing because Emma's taller than me. But I hope I've grown as an actor. Everything I learned with Chris, Alfonso took to a new level. So if I've grown as an actor, I owe it to him.

Q: Can you tell us about your fan mail?

Radcliffe: Probably about 50 percent of the fan letters I get are from Japan, and they're just the most amazing letters. The presentation is amazing. I can't tell you what they say, because that wouldn't be fair, but they're fantastic letters and thank you to everyone in Japan who supports the film.

Q: Did you get any advice from some of the other older actors?

Radcliffe: The only specific piece of advice I got was from Emma Thompson when we were doing a scene and I was doing a walk-out. I was over-thinking it, debating whether or not to walk or to run. Emma just turned to me and said, "Dan, just do it," and I did, and it worked perfectly and that's what was in the film.

Q: What did you learn from Daniel, Emma and Rupert?

Cuaron: I learned so much from them. I'm grateful to them. A movie such as this, it's such a long process and you get exhausted. But these three don't lose their enthusiasm. They can be responsible and at the same time have fun. They can be mischievous, and at the same time generous. And they work longer hours than any of us, because they do their work and go to school. Any time I would start complaining to myself about how tired I was, I would just observe them and realize that I was wimp. Their inner strength is amazing.

Radcliffe: You're the one who works 25 hour days.

Cuaron （laughs）: I'm thankful to them. It is something very impressive; it's something that will stay with me forever.

Watson: I know that David, Rupert, Dan or Alfonso would never give themselves credit but someone has to say it? the people who put the film together worked so hard. All of these people deserve all the credit that you give them.