You Probably Don't Know Enough About "Minamata" — Johnny Depp's New Movie Will Educate You On This Story That's Still Relevant Today

The photos taken in Minamata would form the final photo essay of W. Eugene Smith, who was called Gene by friends and colleagues. Gene shot for publications like the New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, and Life magazine during his legendary career before passing away after suffering a stroke in 1978. 

Photographer Hal Gould later remembered Gene's work for possessing a "deeply humanistic" style that "restructured and expanded the expressive possibilities of the photo essay to a major credit level," per the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. 

Gene produced numerous impactful photo essays during his lifetime, including the collection he shot in Minamata, which was published in Life magazine in 1972. Photos like "Tomoko and Mother in the Bath" showcased the human devastation of industrial pollution and influenced audiences around the world. The photos were then documented in a book also titled Minamata in 1975. Gene co-authored the book with his then-wife, Aileen Smith, who worked alongside him in bringing awareness to Minamata victims.

“I’ve had people saying, ‘I read this book at 13 and it changed my life and the work I do now is because of this book,’” Aileen told Magnum Photos in April 2019.

Colleagues have remembered how Gene's photography both informed viewers and embodied a strong artistic integrity.

“He had all of the requirements … He evoked drama and emotion. He told what was going on," David Scherman, a former Life photographer and editor, said of Gene. "He was exciting. He was artistic, from a pure, painterly point of view. He had those painterly characteristics of a good artist."

Residents of Minamata began noticing that a mysterious illness was growing in their community in the mid-1950s as people exhibited symptoms such as loss of muscle control, severe tremors, and cognitive dysfunction.

In 1959, researchers found that a plant run by chemical company Chisso Corporation was releasing methylmercury into the Minamata Bay. As this was spreading to fish that Minamata locals were consuming, serious health issues subsequently emerged.

In spite of protests, the corporation continued their toxic dumping into the bay until 1968. In the years since, 3,000 people have been recognized as victims of the illness, which researchers labeled as Minamata disease. Among this group, 528 victims are still alive as of September 2017.

Although these figures alone are significant, Minamata locals who have attempted to be acknowledged as victims exceed 20,000, the Japan Times reported in October 2020. Many are still fighting to receive reparations for their suffering. 

“People are always saying Minamata’s over but it isn’t because citizens continue to suffer and lawsuits are ongoing,” Aileen told the Japan Times. “The plaintiffs are people in their early 60s but what we’re actually talking about is kids who haven’t been recognized more than half a century after their bodies were contaminated.”

While the film recognizes Gene and Aileen's contributions, it also focuses on the lack of justice delivered to people who were impacted by Minamata disease, which the Japan Times stated resulted in "insanity, coma and death" in its most severe cases.

Johnny Depp, Minami, Hiroyuki Sanada, Akiko Iwase, Bill Nighy, and Katherine Jenkins are some of the talented actors who make up the Minamata cast. The performers, along with crew members, remained devoted to telling the story of Minamata victims throughout the film shoot.

"Our cast is incredible. We have unbelievable artists who came to this with a passion to tell this story," the movie's director, Andrew Levitas, told Variety in March 2020. "Our crew was remarkable. We did a lot with what we had because everybody loved what they were doing. Even the actors — Johnny was on set days he wasn’t working, just participating and being supportive. Same with Hiroyuki Sanada, an incredible actor, whose life mission is basically to bring east and west together and to find a way to make cinema that appeals globally and connects human beings."

Johnny has played several real-life people throughout his career, including James "Whitey" Bulger in Black Mass, John Dillinger in Public Enemies, and J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland, with the lattermost part earning him an Oscar nomination in 2005. While depicting Gene, he has again transformed and is unrecognizable as he brings the iconic photographer's story to life. Katie Walsh of the Wrap called the performance Johnny's "most tender, most mature work in years."

Andrew explained how the atmosphere of the Minamata set informed Johnny's memorable performance during a February 2022 interview.

"We created these 360-degree environments where, not just Johnny, but all of our actors could step onto our set...and really just live and exist and be those characters and not feel that they had a technical responsibility to the camera," Andrew told Screen Rant. 

"Our responsibility was to them, and I think that's why you see such beautiful work for Johnny," he added.

Minamata is the second directorial venture by Andrew, who previously directed Amy Adams, Jennifer Hudson, and Terrence Howard in Lullaby in 2014. 

With this more recent film, he quickly impressed the cast and crew as he displayed his passion for telling the story of Minamata.

"[Andrew] was terrific," Bill Nighy said to HeyUGuys in August 2021. "I didn't know anything about [him]. I met him as I arrived, and he couldn't have been better. He was deeply prepared, he was very encouraging, he was courteous...and he was smart as anything."

"He had a big story to tell, and he did it extremely well," he added.

In February 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the addition of the Oscars Fan Favorite award to recognize well-loved movies of 2021 through an audience poll. 

Minamata earned third place in this fan survey on March 27, while Army of the Dead took the number-one spot. 

"Having a serious film like Minamata be among the Academy Award fan favorites last night was an incredible honor," Andrew wrote on Instagram following the accolade.

"From the bottom of my heart I thank you — but it does not end here. We must bring those who have been marginalized into the light and we must hold to account those who would fracture our right to a healthy clean unified world," he added. 

Cast and crew members committed a substantial amount of time to carrying out research for Minamata. This included Andrew meeting with Aileen and analyzing valuable archival material.

"There was an enormous amount of documentary footage and recordings. I did an incredible amount of digging with Aileen, where she basically told me her deepest, darkest secrets that she probably never shared with anyone," Andrew told journalist Jenelle Riley of Variety in February 2022.  

"[Aileen] understood that a film like this has the chance to make a difference and touch people, has a chance to change people’s view on the world, has a chance to inspire. So she was willing to give even more of herself," he added.

He also met with Minamata patients and the loved ones of victims, who provided their authentic accounts of living with the aftermath of the Chisso Corporation's negligent actions.

"The people of Minamata...they gave me such truth, real truth, real deep honesty and transparency because they too, felt that if there was a chance to stop the next Minamata, they had a responsibility to say something," Andrew said.

"I think the people will at some point realize that en masse they have far more power than...any upper echelon, uber-rich bajillionaire," Johnny told HeyUGuys while talking about Minamata in August 2021.

The film is a reminder to viewers that their actions can make a difference in ending injustice, he further explained.

"Listen, the people have the power to stop buying their products. They have the power to not listen to this rhetoric... So it's people like Gene Smith and many, many like him that I admire for continuing forward, for fighting the fight without any care of repercussions," Johnny said.

Johnny and Bill previously worked together on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Johnny played Captain Jack Sparrow, while Bill portrayed Davy Jones. With its 2020 release, Minamata is the first time the two have collaborated in nearly a decade, as their last joint project prior to this was Rango in 2011.

"It was very good to see [Johnny] again," Bill said in his HeyUGuys interview. "As always, he was gracious and welcoming. And when I saw him in the makeup for the first time with his beard and the whole thing, as Eugene Smith, that was very impressive and very encouraging because you thought, oh, yeah, this whole thing might just work."

Minami began her acting career in 2000, when she played the role of Keiko in the Japanese thriller film Battle Royale. Her portrayal of Aileen in Minamata is the first time she has taken on a role in an English-language project. 

"That was my first American-language movie at the moment, so I was honestly...very, very nervous," Minami told Hollywood First Look in February 2022. 

After meeting with Johnny prior to filming the movie, Minami said her nerves quickly subsided. She then delivered a powerful performance as Aileen alongside Johnny and her other costars.

"We did a test shooting...and then I met [Johnny] for the first time. We started to act together, and we felt the good chemistry... I just felt free in front of him," she added.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that over 75,000 newborns in the United States may be at a higher risk of developing learning disabilities annually as a result of mercury exposure. 

Minamata survivor Shinobu Sakamoto contracted the illness while her mother was pregnant with her. In her case, this has caused an inability to walk without assistance, recurring headaches, and slurred speech. In 2017, Shinobu, who is pictured above, spoke to the United Nations Environment Programme about the importance of addressing harmful pollution practices.

"The fetal Minamata disease patients including myself are getting worse year by year," Shinobu said. "Many people are still suffering and struggling from pollution. Today, I must repeat my message — Minamata disease is not over. Pollution must end."

While he was interviewed by journalist Jeffrey K. Howard in February 2022, Andrew likewise called attention to the ongoing harmful effects brought on by global pollution.

"Part of why we felt we had to make the film was I just found it remarkable that 50 years later, we're fighting the same fights," Andrew said. "These people actually in Minamata are fighting the same fights, and around the world are fighting the same fights... It's all sorts of industrial pollution incidents that are happening... I think people are waking up to it, but certainly not enough."

Not only did Johnny star as Gene in the movie, but he also came on board as a producer of Minamata. In February 2020, he talked about the privilege of being able to shed light on this story.

"Learning the history of what happened in Minamata...the fact that it even happened at all is quite shocking. The fact that it continued and still continues is even more shocking," Johnny said during a Berlin Film Festival press conference for the movie.

"Films like this don't get made every day," he added. "So I think we're all very lucky in that sense...to be able to have the honor to bring a story like this to the people."

When Andrew spoke at the same press gathering, he stressed Johnny's influence in spearheading Minamata.

"Johnny was a driver of this project from day one," Andrew said before adding, "This came from him. And all the passion and all of what we were able to do...came out of Johnny's heart and Johnny's passion, and it built from there."

Ryuichi, who composed the music of Minamata, won an Academy Award for scoring The Last Emperor alongside David Byrne and Cong Su in 1988. Early on, Andrew knew Ryuichi would be the perfect person to compose the musical variety necessary for Minamata.

“Ryuichi was my dream collaborator — he would be on any film — but on this mission in particular, there could be no one else,” Andrew said in liner notes for the movie's soundtrack, via Pitchfork. “The music quite literally needed to represent both the absolute best of humanity as well as the worst… In my opinion, Ryuichi was able to elegantly ride this razor’s edge and deliver on this concept entirely.”

While dedicating themselves to documenting the devastation caused by mercury poisoning in Minamata, Gene and Aileen utilized their platform to inform people on the urgent crisis of industrial pollution. In revisiting this real-life story, the film reveals how members of the media hold the responsibility of using their position to give a voice to those who need to be heard.

"[Media] is the most powerful tool for good or for evil and...it's great to tell a story where people are responsible and do try and speak truth to power," Bill said to HeyUGuys.

Andrew echoed this sentiment while examining the current state of journalism in his March 2020 Variety interview.

"[Journalism] matters. We have to find a way to reclaim that power and that importance," Andrew said. "Journalists are heroes. They’re the conduit to bring us real information and protect us as citizens... Journalists are there to boil it down for us and unfortunately it’s not happening as much as it should right now. So those scenes are important to us. It was a time when they were struggling to get eyeballs on magazines so people will read these important stories. That resonates today."

The majority of actors in Minamata are Japanese, including Hiroyuki, Minami, and Akiko. Their presence brings further authenticity to the movie as memories of the devastation faced by the Japanese city are revisited.

"When I read the script, I was moved a lot and also shocked... I thought, We have to tell the story to the world, especially for now," Hiroyuki said during the Berlin Film Festival press conference. "And I wanted [to be involved in] this project as a Japanese actor."

Akiko visited Minamata twice before filming began and met with victims of the disease, which added to her passion for the project.

"I hope [Minamata] will be a stone to make waves... I think we should keep talking about this and don't forget about it," Akiko said.