Spiriting Away With a daring war film, Japan's movie master lays down his pen

摘要

Moviemaking, which requires a field mar-shal's gift for strategy and a foot soldier's fortitude, is supposed to be a young person's game. And occasionally, directors in their prime get weary of scouting locations and coaxing another take from a temperamental star. Steven Soderbergh, who directed 25 features in as many years, has called it quits at 50, saying, "For the foreseeable future, the movie door is closed." Kevin Smith (10 features since his 1994 debut with Clerks) tweeted in December, "My last cinematic effort as a writer/ director will be Clerks Ⅲ." He's all of 43. But most helmers keep going as long as they can find someone to subsidize their visions. They see directing not as a job but as a fulfilling, lifelong quest.