Obviously it's not an exact comparison, since Mochimune isn't as much of a dictator as Ozu apparently was. When we see him directing Iwaki, he doesn't give precise instructions such as "emphasize this line" or "gesture with your hand this way." Instead Mochimune gives Iwaki more general directions such as "I told you to appear menacing" and "to grow wild, to become dirty, evil." So Mochimune does give his actors freedom to interpret the character--but on the other hand, he'll give them hell if he doesn't like their interpretation. The part about grueling rehearsals that reduce the actors to tears definitely reminded me of Mochimune, and Iwaki's frustration about not being able to capture the role the way that Mochimune wants. Of course, Iwaki doesn't actually break down into tears on the set (although he does later in bed with Katou), but I can well imagine that Mochimune has probably driven many younger, less experienced actors to the point of tears. We know that Mochimune is talented, but he must be quite successful as well, to get away with that kind of behavior and his air of arrogance.

I also find myself wondering about Lost Heart, the movie he made with Iwaki. Rather than a hero, it seems to have an anti-hero, and I've often wondered how it ends. We know that Iwaki's character is a serial killer--does he get caught or killed at the end of the movie, or does it leave him free to continue kidnapping and murdering for his twisted pleasures? Or maybe an ambiguous ending where it seems like he was killed, but the audience isn't sure? I suppose it's a testament to Nitta-sensei's writing that she can get me so caught up in the fictional story-within-a-story!