> Conflict between the two directors began almost at once. Itami was alarmed by the raw political intent of the film and by what he considered were the many misinterpretations of Japanese life. Fanck, however, refused all compromise, insisting that this first German-Japanese film collaboration had to have a clear, pro-Nazi message. It soon became obvious that the project would collapse if a compromise was not worked out.
> It was – but in the most surprising manner - each director would make his own version of the picture. Fanck shot all of his scenes in the daytime. Itami, using the same sets and locations, shot his at night. Difficult as this was for them, it was even harder on the cinematographer, Richard Angst, who had to shoot both films, and on the actors who had to work all day and all night, and on the studio, where costs for the film doubled.
Oh interesting. Never heard of another production like that
edit: looks like it was common practice in 20s/30s Hollywood to do this for different languages, such as with Dracula having a different simultaneous production in Spanish
> Conflict between the two directors began almost at once. Itami was alarmed by the raw political intent of the film and by what he considered were the many misinterpretations of Japanese life. Fanck, however, refused all compromise, insisting that this first German-Japanese film collaboration had to have a clear, pro-Nazi message. It soon became obvious that the project would collapse if a compromise was not worked out.
> It was – but in the most surprising manner - each director would make his own version of the picture. Fanck shot all of his scenes in the daytime. Itami, using the same sets and locations, shot his at night. Difficult as this was for them, it was even harder on the cinematographer, Richard Angst, who had to shoot both films, and on the actors who had to work all day and all night, and on the studio, where costs for the film doubled.