"ATESHIGAHARA PRODUCTION" "A TESHIGAHARA PRODUCTION 1962" "Starring" "HISASHI IGAWA SUMIE SASAKI SEN YANO" "HIDEO KANZE KUNIE TANAKA KEl SATO KAZUO MIYAHARA" "AKEMI NARA TADASHI FUKURO KIKUO KANEUCHI KAN'ICHI OMIYA" "Produced by TADASHI OONO Screenplay by KOBO ABE" "Cinematography by HIROSHl SEGAWA Production Design by MASAO YAMAZAKl" "Music by TORU TAKEMITSU TOSHl ICHIYANAGl YUJl TAKAHASHl" "Edited by FUSAKO SHUZUl" "Directed by HIROSHl TESHIGAHARA" "PITFALL" "Here." "Oh, what are you making?" "Hey, I brought food." "You eating?" "We're coming" "It's hot." "It's hot!" "It's getting tough, so close to the bedrock." "You think we'll hit pay dirt?" "Yeah, I do." "The ground's gettin' nice and sticky." "Is that so?" "Well, sticky or not, I can feel something." "Gramps, if we hit coal, you'll be a big mining boss." "Stop kidding around." " Look at this." " What's that?" "Smell it!" "That's the smell of coal, nice and rich." "Time to eat." "Come over here." "Wash your hands." "There's nothing like white rice." "Sorry I can only pay you in food." "We're out of work anyway." "Besides, if you paid us, we'd owe you if we didn't hit coal." "Want some tea?" "You definitely leaving in the morning?" "Yeah." "Catching the first bus." "Where are you going?" "The boardinghouse in town." "Something'll work out." "The old hick hasn't caught on to us yet." "But he will." "I'm getting out while the getting's good." "Yeah." "I hear there's bounty hunters around looking for deserters like us." "What'd you do that for?" "What's it to you?" "We could've made dog stew." "You should've told me sooner!" "Hey, doggie, come back here." "Come back." "Shit." "He's gone." "Dogs and miners are both better off running away." "Even if I run from here now," "I'll probably just end up at another mine." "Who knows?" "Could even be more hellish than the last." "Everyone knows they bait the line." "Give you 1, 000 yen, then eat you up." "A slow tailspin to the depths of hell, where you crash and burn." "What do you wanna be in your next life?" "Forget it." "One life's enough for me." "Me, I wanna work somewhere where there's a union." "A union?" "Yeah." "Just once..." "I'd like to have my say and give my boss a good kick in the ass." "I'd like to be reborn as a demon." "A demon?" "Yup." "I'd be reborn in hell anyway, and demons have it easier there." "Yeah." "A demon's a good choice." "Want a caramel, kid?" "Take it." "Hey, look!" "They're hiring." "Hello?" "Yes, sir." "Very good, sir." "The Marusan warehouse at 8:00." "Yes, sir." "Thank you, sir." "Stand there like a telephone pole and a dog's gonna piss on you." "Couple of new guys." "Sorry, we don't need any more men." "You came from a mine?" "You have any proof of address?" "That's all right." "I don't need it." "Let's see you jump." "Jump up and down!" "Fine." "You're not crippled." "We can use you." "Hey!" "What's going on?" "A deserter." "Next, 280 yen." "Next, 300 yen." "Next, 250 yen." "Hey, you." "Me?" " Come here." " What is it?" "Isn't this your picture?" "Looks like it." "But what's it doing here?" "Don't worry." "It's about a job." "Just follow this map to your new boss." "I'll give him a call about you now." "Is this some kind of trick?" "Don't worry." "Just be glad it's work." "That's right." "You're lucky." "I've got work!" "I'm no cripple." "Isn't anyone here?" "Hello!" "Hello!" "There's nobody here." "Hello." "Is that the mailman?" "Finally!" "Excuse me..." "I just wanted to ask directions." "So you're not the mailman?" "This is where I want to go." "Let's see now." "You should go that way." "I thought so too." "The map doesn't show a fork in the road." "That must be the hill over there." "What a ghost town." "The mine was closed." "They said it could cave in." "The men all ran away in the night." "They owed me 7,000 yen." "That's a tough break." "You can say that again." "Aren't you gonna leave too?" "I'm no stray dog." "I can't leave with no place to go." "A friend of mine's gonna send for me as soon as he gets himself settled." "Well..." "I should get going." "Sorry for the bother." "Stop that!" "Thanks." "Why doesn't he write?" "Was he lying?" "You saw all that, didn't you, ma'am?" "It's quite all right." "I'd like to ask for your cooperation." "If the police ask, tell them..." ""The killer looked like a miner." "He wore split-toed work boots, so the footprints will be easy to spot." "He threw the knife in the marsh." "Then he came and threatened to kill me if I talked." "Then he left and hurried north." "He looked... 35 or 36." "He had a round face and a bald spot above his right ear. "" "That's how it was, right?" "Am I dead?" "Where the hell did he go?" "What did he have against me?" "Pops, did you see a guy with white gloves?" "Hey." "Little boy." "Lady, did you see a man with white gloves?" "Please tell me!" "Can't you hear me?" "What's the matter?" "You can't hear me, can you?" "I guess not." "I'm dead." "The living can't hear ghosts." "She probably can't see me either." "I guess she can't." "Being invisible might have been useful when I was alive, but this is unbearable." "Lady, I'm telling you, this is really terrible!" "Hey!" "Your daddy's dead!" "Go ahead, take it." "I paid for it." "Wait for me right there!" "Who are these people?" "Yes, sir." "He had a round face, and a bald spot right here." "Bald spot?" "Right ear?" "How big was it?" "Well... about this big." "He was dressed like a miner." "Must've been two miners in a brawl." "You bitch!" "Why is she spreading these filthy lies?" "A quarrel... two miners." "All right." "Give me the details later." "Hey, shut the kid up!" "I'm busy right now." " Did you touch the corpse?" " Of course not." "Hello." "We've got a murder." "Yes, sir." "Here's the information." "Thanks for coming." "Thanks for coming." "This way." "That's the crime scene." "Please go ahead." "I was looking out my window, and I saw them heading in that direction." "They started scuffling, and one was killed." "You were looking from that house?" "Get a shot of the whole scene with the body." "Describe the body's position in detail." "The killer ran this way?" "Place a marker here." "Careful not to disturb the footprints." "Where shall I stand?" "Over there's fine." "Morning." "A murder, huh?" "Looks that way." "Any leads?" "That's what they're looking for." "I heard there's a witness." " A woman from a candy store." " I see." "No pictures." "Here... and here." "The fatal wound was to the heart." "Could you pull that up a bit more?" "That's fine." "What about there?" " The carotid artery?" " Right here." "Get a shot of this." " Got it." " Man, he really got worked over." "Is that your corpse?" "You can see me?" "Of course." "I'm a ghost too." "What happened to you?" "A cave-in." "Can't you straighten your neck?" "The dead stay forever as they were at death." "Did you eat just before dying?" "No, I didn't." "That's really rotten luck." "You'll be starving forever." "Too late now though." "That woman!" "Why'd she lie like that?" "Who cares?" "It's not worth getting upset about." "They can't nab the killer unless she tells the truth!" "The dead only upset themselves by worrying about the living." "Let's go." "Forget about them." "I've got to know why!" "I wanna see that guy in white gloves get caught and confess." "Why did I have to die?" "Why you gotta know that?" "I can't rest in peace until I do." "The newly dead all talk like that." "They think it'll let them rest in peace." "But it never works that way." "The more you find out, the deeper the mystery, and the more you suffer." "Give it up." "Let's go." "When you die, it's best just to accept the mystery." "But I can't rest in peace until I know!" "The new ones all talk like that." "I'm warning you, the more you know, the worse it'll be." "He was the chief of Union No. 2 at the Hirakawa Mine." "The chief?" "This might be a big scoop." "Investigators may be back to search for the knife, so don't let anyone on the property." "This is horrible." "I should move away from here soon." "I'll come around tonight on patrol." "You're a witness, and the killer might come back for revenge." "Let me know if anything happens." "Thank you." "I will." "Hello?" "Is this Union No. 2 at the Hirakawa Mine?" "This is The Nishikuni Times." "Is the chief in?" "Yes, the union head." "Is this Mr. Otsuka?" "It is?" "So you're alive?" "No, pardon me." "What'd you expect?" "It ain't that easy to get a scoop." "Damn, it's hot!" "I found it!" "What?" "The ghost is alive." "Alive?" "What do you mean?" "He came to the phone in person." "I felt like a fool." "That's impossible!" "Look at this!" "What?" "They look almost alike." "No, they look exactly alike." "It's the same guy for sure." "This is no place for a woman on her own." "I've got money." "Now's the time to run." "Horrible..." "It's just horrible." " Who is it?" " It's me." "Hey, what're you doing?" "You're a material witness, you know." "I have to get out of here." "I guess you do." "This is no place for a woman alone." "No one else showed up?" "Nobody at all." "It's really secluded out here." "It's awful." "I can't stand it anymore." "Yeah, you must've been scared." "What's the matter?" "Come here." "I said come here!" "We're all alone." " What're you doing?" " Don't be shy." "I don't want this." "Stop!" "What are you doing?" "No, don't." "You must be lonely, huh?" "Nishikuni Times." "We just called." " What is it?" " We'd like to see the union head." "Hey, you seen the chief?" "He's at the dressing plant." "I'll get him." "So this is what a union office looks like." "What a huge mine!" "You had something more to ask?" "Can you spare a moment?" "We'd like to hear what you have to say about this." "It looks like me." "Looks like you're asleep." "You're sure it's the chief?" "Yeah, must be." "This man is dead." "I'm the one who's dead!" "Stabbed in the chest?" "Those are bloodstains." "He was stabbed in the side, neck and heart." " So?" " Do you have any brothers?" "No." "And of course this isn't you." "So it's just a chance likeness?" "I'd say so." "But what a striking resemblance!" "One more picture." "Does this scene look familiar?" "Isn't that the abandoned pit at the Takaoka Mine?" "That's right." " You know it?" " Yeah." "We ought to." "It's on the way to the New Pit." "I see." "So you've passed by there." "You mean that's where he was killed?" "The white line marks the spot." " When was it?" " Between 7:00 and 8:00 this morning." "It was a trap!" "The chief was to pass by there around 8:00 this morning." "He was?" "That was the schedule, but we changed it half an hour before leaving." "Then it's reasonable to suspect a trap." "You were the intended victim." "Your plans changed unexpectedly, and your look-alike, who happened to be there, was killed." "Yes, that must be it." "It was no accident!" "The police didn't find the map I was carrying!" "It must've been a gang." "You mean you have someone in mind?" "Someone from Union No. 1, for example?" "Yes, that's likely." "Shouldn't you call the police then?" "Yes." "But how would we explain it to them?" "Just a minute." "I still can't believe it." "They may hate me, but enough to try to kill me?" "They'd only be hurting themselves." "You're right." "Maybe it was a warning to anyone defecting to your union." "Yeah!" "They're fighting to rein in the Old Pit faction." "Old Pit faction?" "Our mine has an Old Pit and a New Pit." "We at the Old Pit broke off and organized Union No. 2." "But we've tried not to step on anyone's toes." "I was supposed to visit the New Pit, since eight of their men wanted to join our union." "I was going to stop them." "Stop them?" "Why?" "The guys at the New Pit call us traitors and company stooges." "But it isn't that simple." "Before the split, the New Pit was the mainstay, since we were small." "We had few workers." "We were like a subunit." "We all belonged to the same union, so we pretended to get along." "But then the company moved in to divide and conquer." "It all began like this:" "The company decided to lay off some of our men." "The union didn't put up a united front." "The New Pit guys didn't care what happened to us." "That's how the union started to crack in two." "I see." "The company exploited our weakness and took an even tougher stance." "How could we fight back with the New Pit selling us out?" "I see your point." "A confrontation between us and the New Pit became inevitable." "I see." "But in that case " "Just then the company baited us with the promise not to lay us off if we split off and formed a second union." "Is that ruthless or what?" "We debated three full days and nights." "Break off and betray the union, or let them betray us?" "We were in tears when we finally decided to split off." "It was hell having to do that to our fellow workers." "But are you saying things aren't tense enough to come to murder?" "No, they are!" "The New Pit's facing job cuts now." "One wrong move and the union will be split forever." "Right?" "Yes, it's possible." "By the way, do you know a man with a bald spot above his ear?" " Would that be Toyama?" " Toyama?" "Second-in-command at Union No. 1." "I see." "Did Toyama do something?" " He's about to be arrested." " Arrested?" "There's a witness." "A woman, a nearby candy vendor, saw the whole thing." "She told the police the killer had a bald spot above his right ear." "That's bullshit!" "I can't believe it." "Chief, you're too trusting." "So it seems Union No. 1 will be disbanded as planned." "Serves 'em right." "Violence gets you nowhere in a nation of laws." " Thanks for your trouble." " Yes, thanks." "Wait!" "You just said "as planned," didn't you?" ""As planned"?" "Did I say that?" "What did you mean?" "I don't remember saying that." "A slip of the tongue, I guess." "We have to call the police." " We can't!" " Why not?" "That reporter suspects me." "Of what?" "It's a trap." "Soon the police will be suspecting me too." "Why do you say that?" "Union No. 1 had nothing to gain from the murder, but we did." "Besides, it's too great a coincidence that a man looking like me was on that road just then." "Yeah." "That seemed odd to me too." "Any fool can see it was a setup." "What about the witness?" "That's a good question." "She might've been pressured." "But would they go that far?" "Who is it?" "Sorry to bother you again." "What is it?" "Did you forget something?" " Who are you calling?" " Toyama." "Get me the New Pit union office." "Be careful!" "It could be a trap." "Union office?" "Is Mr. Toyama there?" "Yes, Toyama." "This is Otsuka of the Old Pit." "Mr. Toyama." "Mr. Otsuka at the Old Pit is calling." "Otsuka?" "What the hell?" "We have nothing to talk about." "Toyama speaking." "Is this Toyama?" "What is it now?" "Something urgent has come up." "A reporter just left here for your office." "A reporter?" "Why's he coming here?" "I don't believe it myself, but you're suspected of murder." "Murder?" "Of course I don't believe it for a second." "It can't be." "What murder?" "I have an alibi." "I've been with my men day and night since the strike." "Don't waste my time!" "Listen, this is serious." "I can't give details over the phone." "There's some terrible plot brewing." "Can't we meet?" "No need." "My hands are clean." "But there's a witness." "The candy vendor in the ghost town told the police you did it." "What a load of crap!" "This "load of crap" is gonna do you in!" "Even a tiny leak can sink a ship." "DOUBLE-CROSSER" "Let's go see her together and get to the bottom of this before it's too late." "All right." "Where?" "Hold on." "T ell 'em I'm not here." "Don't answer any questions." "What is it?" "We're from The Nishikuni Times, here to see Mr. Toyama." " What for?" " Isn't he here?" "No." "We're on strike." "You can't just barge in like this." "This is important." "You want Toyama?" "Sorry, but he's out now." "He'll be back in a few hours." "Wanna wait?" "Fine." "I'm dead." "I'm a ghost." "I'll never know what it says, but it's too late anyway." "What a monster!" "How cruel!" "I did what he told me." "Why'd he kill me?" "Filthy rat!" "And that cop!" "Excuse me!" "May I have a word?" "How am I supposed to answer you?" "I'm dead." "Excuse me!" "Anyone home?" "I'm home all right, but I'm dead." "You better not come in." "Is she out?" "You!" "It's not my fault!" "I got killed too." "Please forgive me." "Even if I'd refused his money, you'd still be dead, right?" "Are you... still alive?" "She's dead." "You're alive!" "Damn it!" "I was too late." "I'll say!" "You raise a ruckus pretending to be dead, but I'm the one who really got killed!" "Why me?" "Who could've killed her?" "You two were in cahoots!" "It's a trap!" "Daddy." "Come here." "Hey, stop!" "Is that him?" "No, it's not." "What's he up to?" "He wouldn't answer me anyway." "The union chief!" "So it was you!" "You let me die for you and then killed the woman!" "Vicious scum!" "Must a man become a demon just to survive?" "Hey!" "I saw everything!" "So it's you!" "I saw her." "I had nothing to do with it!" "I saw it with my own eyes!" "Wait, hear me out." "Listen, will you?" " What for?" "It's too late for excuses." "I didn't do it, I tell you!" "I don't believe you!" "...and then I called you..." "Did he kill you?" "So... you're dead after all?" "I was killed in that guy's place." "We look alike." "Son of a bitch!" "No, you've got it all wrong!" "Some trap you lured me into!" "He's not the one who killed me." "Then who did?" "The same guy who killed you." "He came back?" "The guy with the white gloves and leather briefcase." "Who the hell is he?" "I have no idea." "Then why did you lie for him?" "I'm sorry." "I wanted the money." "Well, then... why did he kill you?" "I don't have the slightest idea." "He killed me without a word, took the money back, and left." "Who the hell had anything to gain by murdering the likes of me?" "Double-crossers like you always have a good story!" "Double-crossers?" "You're the one who betrayed the Old Pit, a spineless dog who barked when the company told you to." "Fine!" "We'll let others decide who the real criminal here is!" "You stupid shit!" "One murder led to another, is that it?" "You're gonna hang!" "We're both gonna hang, you stubborn fool!" "Who'll believe nobodies like us?" "Murder, huh?" "You don't stop at anything, do you?" "A great example for our members!" "Son of a bitch!" "Where do you think you're going?" "Stop, you bastard!" "Stop, damn you!" "Come back!" "You don't understand a fucking thing!" "They're really going at it." "That's some fight." "Fuck you!" "UNITE" "Who are you?" "Why did you kill me?" "Tell me!" "Who the hell put you up to it?" "Why did you kill me?" "Who stood to gain from my death?" "Exactly as planned." "What's that?" "Look here!" "Tell me!" "There has to be a reason to kill a man!" "Why did you kill me?" "Say something!" "Speak up!" "You have to tell us!" "You can't do this, you son of a bitch!" "We don't understand!" "Why don't you tell us?" "Why did you kill me?" "Who was it for?" "I'm so hungry!" "Oh, shit!" "THE END"