Unbroken Featurette: How Miyavi Became Watanabe

(dramatic music)

You failed.

You are nothing.

I think Watanabe was sick,

but he was very, very well educated.

He was very intelligent

and he was described in the book

as a beautifully crafted monster.

And so, you have to cast somebody

that actually is quite the opposite of that.

Somebody who is a great person.

Because it's not somebody

that's gonna enjoy being a villain,

it's somebody that really doesn't want to be a villain

that will find the deeper side of what that means.

(banjo plucking)

Watanabe is such a complex character.

He's so brutal.

I think he was going insane.

But, he also had appreciation

toward Louie.

He thought Louie was a friend.

You are like me.

We are both strong.

I saw it in your eyes.

The first day,

I thought this man will be my friend,

but, enemy of Japan.

(dramatic music)

Watanabe, he was also afraid,

he was also suffering in those moments.

He was kinda trying to hide his weakness.

This man must be taught respect.

All other prisoners will teach him this lesson.

I think they are all victims of the war,

POWs and Japanese people, too.

They raised in different worlds

and met in conflicting positions.

So, that's why I wanted to try

to put humanity into the character.

(dramatic music)