"XX Arts Festival program" "Kindai Eiga Kyokai and Tokyo Eiga Co Ltd." "A SCOUNDREL" "Produced by Hisao ITOYA, Kazuo KUWAHARA, Tamotsu MINATO, Setsuo NOTO" "Based on a story by Jun'ichiro TANIZAKI Written by Kaneto SHINDO" "Cinematography by Kiyoshi KURODA Music by Hikaru HAYASHI" "Art Direction by Takashi MARUMO Camera by Kenichi OKAMOTO Sound by Tetsuya OHASHI" "Starring" "Nobuko OTOWA Kyoko KISHIDA" "Eitaro OZAWA Isao KIMURA" "Jukichi UNO Koji TAKAHASHI Taiji TONOYAMA" "Eimei ESUMI Koji SHIMIZU and others" "Directed by Kaneto SHINDO" "XIV CENTURY" "In the history of Japan, this time period XIV CENTURY" "XIV CENTURY played a particularly important part." "Old order of life became a thing of the past and was replaced by new one." "Old system had rested upon aristocracy." "THE COUNTRY SANK INTO CHAOS PLUNDER REIGNED EVERYWHERE Old system had rested upon aristocracy." "THE COUNTRY SANK INTO CHAOS PLUNDER REIGNED EVERYWHERE" "In these new times, the masses THE COUNTRY SANK INTO CHAOS PLUNDER REIGNED EVERYWHERE" "In these new times, the masses left the steppe and showed their power." "Military power opposed the power of the crowd." "Everywhere, peasants threw their mattocks away and joined the army of plunderers." "It was the age of endless war." "The capital was burnt to the ground, people were starving to death." "New times came flooding, and there was no telling when the time of trouble would end." "EMPEROR GO-DAIGO" "Imperial power was divided into the Northern and Southern Dynasties." "EMPEROR GO-DAIGO" "Imperial power was divided into the Northern and Southern Dynasties." "A vigorous struggle between them broke out." "THE YOSHINO MOUNTAINS" "The head of the Southern Dynasty Emperor Go-Daigo THE YOSHINO MOUNTAINS" "The head of the Southern Dynasty Emperor Go-Daigo settled deep in the Yoshino Mountains." "He made desperate attempts to preserve his power in the country." "ZAO-DO HALL" "To aid the military, was summoned" "KUSUNOKI MASASHIGE, the head of the unit of robbers from Kawauchi." "THE KONGOO MOUNTAIN" "At the foot of the Kongoo mountain in the Chihaya Akasaka area, THE KONGOO MOUNTAIN" "At the foot of the Kongoo mountain in the Chihaya Akasaka area, on a steep slope, a guerrilla unit set up camp." "Ashikaga Takauji fought for Northern Dynasty against Southern Dynasty." "He was the head of the Ashikaga shogunate." "He led the struggle to transform the country." "ASHIKAGA TAKAUJI He led the struggle to transform the country." "He led the struggle to transform the country." "He strove to seize power in order to destroy the old order of life." "KO NO MORONAO" "Governor of Musashi province, the right-hand man of Ashikaga Takauji." "KO NO MORONAO" "Governor of Musashi province, the right-hand man of Ashikaga Takauji." "Among all the generals, he was noted for his strength." "Tramps from the grassy plains of Kanto took the side of Takauji." "Finally, the Northern army of barbarians breached the defense of Emperor's palace." "The Southern army retreated to Kyushu, then new forces attacked the capital again." "After the defeat of Kusunoki Masashige on the Minato River, the war flared up again." "As a result of the revolt, new samurai clans emerged, aggressive and pragmatic." "They were arrogant and vain." "From the Japanese historical epic The Taiheiki:" ""People who invaded the capital occupied large territories of land." ""Both the old and the new Imperial palaces were under their control." ""For an unknown reason," ""an effigy was made of wood or iron." ""The former Emperor was desperately" ""racing back and forth, not knowing where to hide."" "He decided to paint one of the court ladies aged 28." "But his brush wouldn't obey." "His consciousness became hazy and his vision - blurred." "He wanted to paint an iris flower " "and like in Yorimasa's poems:" ""In the fifth month rains are pouring over the grass on the bank." "Difficult to distinguish one iris from another... and choose the favorite one."" "Inspired by the tanka verse... devoted many years to the love... for an iris flower, attaining a higher sense of beauty." "It was a wonderful experience." "Beautiful performance." "I listened to today's song with particular interest." "Ms. Jiju-dono, what do you think?" "It was truly amazing." "That music touched my soul." "What do others think?" "Kengyo-dono conveyed the story of Taira both with his voice and beautiful performance." "Listening to it, I experienced a sort of ecstasy." "Besides, the story was so riveting." "I have heard many stories about the Heike before." "But today's one was so interesting as if heard for the first time." "We're so fortunate to be present at this dinner!" "Ha-ha-ha..." "Kakuiti, do you hear what others are saying?" "Let's begin." "Ladies from capital covered their mouths." "They could hardly restrain from yawning." "Hm, yes." "Nothing but idle talk there." "Court ladies can speak in a beautiful way." "How did I manage to catch a cold in summer..." "Pour Kakuiti a drink as well." "Evening heat is unbearable." "Lousy singer!" "One can tell he's from the capital." "It's sweltering." "It's better to fight in a war." "I've never felt any sympathy for the poor." "He spends every evening with that woman." "Such a woman won't do him any good." "This Jiju-dono, who is she?" "No one knows how she appeared in the estate." "The likes of her will get anywhere." "She gradually wormed her way into the Master's confidence." "This Jiju was a small fry in the court." "But she was dogged by bad luck and was banished from the palace." "Then she wormed her way here somehow." "She knows how to flatter the Master." "Kakuiti, that song by Genzanmi Yorimasa that you performed, could you sing it again?" ""In the fifth month rains are pouring over the grass on the bank." ""Difficult to distinguish one iris from another and choose the favorite one."" ""In the fifth month rains are pouring  over the grass on the bank."" ""Difficult to distinguish one iris from another and choose the favorite one."" "What does that mean?" "Is it really about an iris flower?" "Yes, it is." "Yeah." "It's too difficult for a villager to understand." "Does the song imply that Yorimasa was deceived by a woman?" "Exactly." "Following the Emperor's order, Yorimasa shot the terrible bird Nue." "He averted trouble from the Emperor." "The Emperor was extremely grateful." "The same night, he decided to offer him a lady named Iris as a bride." "The thing is, Yorimasa had fallen in love with her without having seen her face." "It was decided to line up all the court ladies and make him find Iris." "Everyone thought he would be at a loss." "It was then that Yorimasa wrote those verses." "Yorimasa dealt with the situation in a smart way." "I would be at a loss." "Although I wouldn't go out of my way for some Iris." "Hey..." "There's nothing funny here, Jiju-dono." "Our time has different values." "What about at least trying?" "I don't need anyone's advice." "I don't write songs, but as far as military prowess goes, I'm just as good as Yorimasa." "If I could fight in a battle," "I would win the highest reward." "Nowadays, the one who is only good at poetry, and has a lot of gold, will sooner or later lose everything." "Still, you could at least try." "In the old days, both the nobleman and the peasant... had a sense of beauty." "Many captivating stories were written about that." "Nowadays, one receives titles and land as a reward." "Who would want to get a woman as a reward now?" "Wouldn't you like to be such a sophisticated man?" "What do you mean?" "Kakuiti, what do you think about Jiju-dono's words?" "People from my circle know nothing about such things." "Don't know if the feelings Jiju-sama talks about are characteristic of people today." "Hm..." "What do others think?" "Well..." "You speak first." "No, you first." "It'd be better if you spoke before me." "Maybe you would like to speak?" "Me?" "There's no point in discussing it as no woman named Iris exists." "I'm not joking." "If there was such a woman as Iris," "I would gladly give away 10..." "no, even 20 or 30 provinces." "This is what happens to a person when they attain power and wealth." "They wish to obtain all the victuals and experience all the pleasures." "Ha-ha-ha." "You must be joking." "Not at all." "It's true." "I wouldn't lie!" "Anyone who serves society has to protect their reputation." "It takes only one lie for people to lose trust for you forever." "If you were born a man, you have no right to hesitate." "Ha-ha-ha... what's gotten into you today?" "You must be out of your mind." "Erm..." "Jiju-dono, at your age you must be well-informed." "You are knowledgeable about all the subtleties of love." "Ha-ha." "Everyone knows how wise you are." "And besides, excuse me, but... you know quite a lot about men..." "There are a couple of women in the world, whose beauty could outshine Iris's." "You said you would give 10 or 15 provinces for her." "But for those beautiful women, even the whole of Japan wouldn't be enough." "Ha-ha-ha." "No way." "You can't fool me." "Jiju-dono, does a woman whose beauty outshines that of myriads of other women really exist in the world?" "What do you think?" "I think nowadays, unfortunately, such a woman doesn't exist." "But, frankly speaking, I'd like to find my own Iris." "But if you really want to find her, why give up your dream?" "One should be careful talking about such a thing." "If I ever saw a woman like that with my own eyes, I'd probably change my opinion." "But I'll never meet her." "You are so pessimistic." "The capital is so big." "What?" "I don't understand." "There's such a saying - "the capital is so big."" "Are you hinting at something in particular?" "No, that's impossible." "You are just teasing me." "Don't get all worked up." "Stop antagonizing me, do you know something for a fact or not?" "It's not exactly 'yes', but it's not 'no' either." "The former Emperor has a maternal relative - prince Hayata." "His daughter is known as Ms. Nishi-no-dai from the Kokiden palace." "You said you would give 10 provinces for lady Iris." "In that case, for this beauty the whole of Japan, India and China wouldn't be enough." "It's a lie." "Excuse me, but it's not a lie at all." "If you only caught a glimpse of her, you would be dazzled by her beauty." "I'm not that afraid to be dazzled, so I would like to have a look at her." "As far as I know, it can be arranged." "So where is this woman now?" "And how old is she?" "She lives in dire poverty now." "A samurai family in the backwoods up North gave her shelter." "But that didn't affect her beauty in any way." "If that's true, good for her." "Frankly speaking, when I last met her," "I couldn't help but admire her beauty, even though I'm a woman." "In a better time, she would undoubtedly become a court lady, or even a princess." "But in our time of trouble, she had to seek shelter and became a simple samurai's wife." "What a cruel fate..." "She had been destined for the shogun." "Instead, she became a wife of an ordinary daimyo." "What daimyo?" "Enya, Emperor's police inspector from Izumo." "Inspector Enya Takasada?" "Hm." "He is in the capital at the moment." "That's right." "This Enya has such a heavy provincial accent." "I imagine him cooing to her at night, like a pigeon." "The cooing of that provincial pigeon must drive her crazy." "It's revolting." "This story sends shivers down my spine." "It feels like having a cold." "Kakuiti, are you still here?" "Thank you for your work." "You are free to go." "It's a dangerous game." "Be careful, please." "None of your business." "Leave." "I apologize." "Yes, Sir." "Alright." "It seems that my story bored you." "I didn't notice it was so late already." "While Kakuiti was playing the biwa and telling The Tale of the Heike," "I couldn't wait for it to end." "So that's why you feel unwell." "Alright, I'll keep you company when you're in a better mood." "Jiju-dono, wait." "What do you want?" "Just one more little thing." "Here's everything you asked me to bring." "Good." "Leave it in the next room." "Jiju-dono, these are all rather modest things:" "there are ten kosodes and a head of the bed from Indian Ginkgo tree." "I would like to give all this to you as a present." "To me?" "Exactly." "Such wonderful things..." "It must be a mistake." "The story you told lately moved me deeply." "This present is an expression of my gratitude." "So it's simply an expression of gratitude then." "When one earns so much attention, one understands how impolite it would be to reject such kindness." "Thank you very much." "It's just an expression of my gratitude." "I see you're not feeling very well." "Good night." "Jiju-dono, I feel better already." "No-no, your face looks pale." "You definitely need rest." "Although I have completely recovered from a cold," "I've been affected by another illness." "Another illness?" "Is that... because of me?" "Of course, it's because of you, Jiju-dono." "I see, you're joking again..." "No, it's not a joke." "There's only one way to treat this illness." "Jiju-dono, help me to recover." "If I could..." "What kind of illness is this?" "Jiju-dono, that lady you told us about..." "I suffer from love for her!" "You are capable of anything." "Help me to get that woman." "No." "We were just talking nonsense here." "It was simply in order to entertain you." "She is married, you know." "But will you help me?" "Excuse me, please..." "My whole life flashed before my eyes." "If I could share the bed with her only for one night..." "Jiju-dono, be my intermediary." "Oh, I'm getting sicker and sicker..." "That Enya is an ordinary officer from Izumo, yet another Southern barbarian." "Citizens of the capital hate the likes of him for a reason." "Sir, enough..." "No, I'm struck to the innermost of my heart." "She belongs to a despicable unknown man." "It's ridiculous." "If Moronao himself, the right-hand man of shogun Ashikaga Takauji was duped, that means the authorities of the country were defeated by ordinary officers and sergeants coming from Azuma, from back of beyond." "Everyone will mock me." "What you're asking for..." "Of course, if I could..." "But she has a husband..." "Didn't you hear what I said?" "This is the kind of person I am, the more you're trying to evade, the more I'm going to insist." "Jiju-dono, my character is known even in the capital..." "Not only the daimyo, but the regent and princesses too..." "The obedient one will be rewarded, the negligent one brings trouble upon himself." "Did I make myself understood?" "Yes." "So, if you make my wish come true, both that lady and Enya's family will benefit from that." "As they say, "seize the opportunity"." "Do the right thing." "While you're thinking, the opportunity might be lost." "I understand." "In this case they say, "fear has a hundred eyes"..." "I understand." "I don't forget neither good nor evil deeds." "I understand." "I'm losing my patience!" "You're not going to say 'no' to me, are you?" "No." "I understand you..." "Then arrange everything as quickly as possible." "Please." "I would like to help you, but..." "Then do." "I can't do it without you." "I beg you." "A person like you will always find a loophole." "Do you accept?" "I beg you to give up your idea." "No." "Never." "What if..." "Inter-mediation in forbidden love is a heinous crime." "That's why I refused so vehemently." "I'm very sorry." "It's true, but..." "It just occurred to me that I can help you in making your wish come true in an indirect way." "Thank you." "That makes me so happy." "I'm on friendly terms with a girl who serves that lady." "What if we pay that girl a visit while that lady is taking a bath?" "Then we can get closer to the bath unnoticed..." "And take a look inside!" "Quiet!" "Don't speak so loudly." "We have to be careful so that no one can possibly suspect us afterwards." "I don't need any trouble." "Alright, I'll be careful." "If I see the naked body of that goddess," "I'll remember that for the rest of my life." "Jiju-dono, thank you." "Also, I have to be careful not to get dazzled by her beauty." "How much longer?" "Enya's house is right at the end of the grove." "I'm out of breath." "Hey you!" "Get out of the way!" "Move aside!" "Move!" "What's going on there?" "Neighbors are having a binge." "Is the lady of the house there?" "Yes, she's taking a bath." "She told me to go home." "Is everything alright?" "No strangers in the house?" "No one." "Only me." "I'm taking care of the fire." "Thank you." "Sir." "Sir, excuse me, do you feel unwell?" "It seems like you have a fever." "How can I help you?" "Jiju-dono, give me some water." "What did you say?" "Water?" " Water!" " Alright." "Alright..." "Wait a minute." "It's terrible..." "Here's your water, Sir." "Sir, what's wrong with you?" "I feel dizzy." "That's not right." "I told you, you shouldn't have gone out today." "We can't keep sitting here." "Let's go." "Jiju-dono, help me." "Get up." "I'm feeling weak in the knees." "Sir, come on." "Muster up your strength." "We shouldn't stay here any longer." "If someone sees us around this house..." " I can't." " Quickly." "I can't..." "Sir, let's go." "Let's go, quickly." "Look at you, the famous Ko no Moronao..." "In such a pitiful state!" "Everything went dark before my eyes." "I'm dying." "You can't die here." "We have to leave this house as soon as possible." "Oh beautiful Kaoyo Gozen!" "Do you recognize the famous Moronao?" "I've never seen you before." "My name is Kenkoo." "Summers in the capital are so hot." "I'm all covered in sweat." "Have you already got used to the heat?" "No." "I marvel at the citizens of the capital." "I try to behave as those from the country." "As the capital is in the hands of those barbarians now." "But this summer is particularly sweltering." "So, has Jiju-dono told you what I need from you?" "Yes." "I described everything in detail." "I heard you're the best writer in the capital." "It was you who wrote Essays in Idleness." "Could you write a love letter for me?" "The one who holds a pen - writes, the one who holds a flute - plays music, the one who holds a cup - drinks sake, the one who rolls dice - gambles." "I haven't wrote a single bad line in my entire life." "I'm happy to oblige the governor of Musashi." "Thank you." "Hey!" "Bring a pen and paper for Mr. Kenkoo." "Sir, isn't it wonderful that Mr. Kenkoo agreed to write a letter right now?" "Kenkoo, you'll be generously rewarded." "Happy to oblige." "I finished." ""The thread of life is so thin, cut it or let it continue..."" ""Cannot wait any longer."" "Hm..." "Is that enough?" "Yes." "Happy to oblige." "Sir, it's common practice in the capital to send poems to one's beloved lady." "Yes, I know, but..." "It's so short." "And what does all this mean?" ""A thin thread" is your life." ""To cut it" means that your life will end." ""To continue" means that you hope to live." ""Cannot wait any longer" means that you're losing your patience." "It means that a loving heart can't find a response." "It's a song of loneliness and the sense of finiteness of life." "Oh, I see." "That's exactly what I feel." "Well put." "These verses are a modern interpretation of an old poem by Princess Shikishi." "So it's not your own?" "I wouldn't be able to write such a beautiful poem." "Not at all." "You did a wonderful job." "Jiju-dono, send this letter immediately." "Such a letter has to be perfumed, put into a nice envelope and sent with a messenger." "That's so much trouble." "But if it's supposed to be done like that, let it be." "The great minister Fujiwara, I forgot what his name is... gave me some expensive Indian incense as a present." "And I'm so used to the smell of dung that I didn't know what to do with it and tucked it away somewhere." "Now an opportunity to use it presented itself." "Jiju-dono, can you perfume the letter with incense?" "I'll do it right away!" "Hey!" "Let it saturate really well." "Of course." "Such expensive incense is bound to make an impression." ""The thread of life is so thin, cut it or let it continue..."" ""Cannot wait any longer."" "Hey." "It's me." "Thank you for yesterday." "Thank you very much for your presents." "I have one more request to you." "Could you give it to your Mistress?" "Alright." "No one should see it." "Alright." "Do you know the man who came yesterday?" "Call him simply "that Sir"." "Alright." "Tomorrow at noon I'll come for a response." "You won't... tell anyone... that I was eating here, will you?" "I won't tell anyone." "I'll leave you now so that you can eat." "Sir, I've brought a response." "A response, really?" "Yes, I received a response and came as soon as I could." "I counted on you, Jiju-dono." "Give it to me." "Show it to me quickly!" "Thank you for all your help." "What does it say?" ""The thread of life is so thin, cut it or let it continue..."" "What does this mean?" ""Cannot wait any longer"..." ""Cannot wait any longer"..." "What is this?" "Is it a letter from her?" "Jiju-dono..." "What does it mean?" "What is it?" "How could it have happened?" "Jiju-dono, it's the exact same letter that we sent her." "Without a shadow of a doubt." "I sent the letter yesterday, and today at noon I got this." "Outrageous!" "Tea!" "Call Kenkoo!" "Alright." "Kenkoo!" "Look!" "The letter that you wrote was returned." "I don't understand." "Maybe... she didn't even open the box and didn't read the letter?" "Tosh!" "The thread on the box is tied differently." "I remember very well how I tied it." "It's all your scribble..." "It made zero impression on her." "That's why she didn't respond." "Excuse me, but even a glimpse... of what was written by Kenkoo touches the heart... of even the most virtuous woman." "Apparently, that lady simply doesn't understand poetry." "Shut up, miserable!" "How dare you make Kaoyo-sama responsible for your mistakes!" "Hey Kenkoo!" "What is all your scribble and this your calligraphy worth?" "Your Essays in Idleness didn't impress me." "Such miserable recluses as you should be executed in public." "If you want to live, get out of my face, and take your lousy piece of paper with you!" "Very well..." "That lousy bonze is good for nothing." "A bonze is only good for reading sutras." "And his face makes me sick." "Monks think they're special, they look down on ordinary people." "They're full of shit, like all the noblemen." "Right?" "You're absolutely right." "Jiju-dono, you're my chamberlain." "You should have seen that happening." "I'm sorry." "It won't happen again." "Again..." "Call Momonoi!" "We are all very glad that Sir is in better health from day to day." "Listen, your father is a great scholar, and you studied something as a child." "Yes, I did." "Write a poem for me." "A love poem..." "Jiju-dono, tell him everything he needs to know." "Oh god!" "I have no idea how to go about writing poems." "I haven't even seen others write poems." "Jiju-dono, please, help me..." "I know nothing about poetry myself." "Maybe you know some writer, from whom I could borrow a suitable poem." "I don't know any scholars." "But..." "I beg you." "For god's sake, help me." "Jiju-sama, that boor..." "How can you be around that monster?" "Well, I don't exactly take pleasure in being around him." "But for a powerless woman of my age... losing a Master would mean losing the livelihood." "The capital was burnt to the ground, there's no shelter to be found anywhere." "The victors live in luxury, the defeated have nothing left to do but fawn." "When everything is going to hell  a powerless person has no choice but to bow and scrape." "All over the country barbarians feel like Masters and sow hatred  but the Emperor's court has to keep their dignity." "They say in the East everyone speaks the barbarian dialect now..." "How come?" "Everyone trades nobleman's clothes for a samurai helmet without hesitation." "I can smell the stench of decay of the nobility." "I beg you!" "Write something." "If you insist..." "I'll make something up..." ""You returned the letter, but remembering that your hand touched it  I cannot confine myself to only one."" "Are you sure it's a love letter?" "I read this poem and I can't understand what all the fuss is about." "Of course, the words are beautiful and the handwriting is elegant..." "And the smell is pleasant too." "It's been ten days, but the smell is still there." "It must have been saturated really well." "Even my hands smell now." "I've lived all my life... not knowing that love letters are supposed to be written in verse... and perfumed with incense." "Moronao wouldn't be able to write like that, someone else did it for him." "So... did the Mistress read the letter?" "No." "When she received the box, she was at a loss... and threw it away." "Ko no Moronao rules the country, he doesn't care about laws." "But we're dependent people." "We have to endure all the miseries... with a pleasant smile." "The Mistress's elder sister also got into trouble." "This Moronao has no sense of decency." "But his Jiju, she's weird too." "She got into the house  and started harassing the Mistress's elder sister." "All this is so disagreeable..." "If she comes again tonight  the guards will have to arrest her." "The tenacity of this Moronao... will cause a lot of trouble one day." "And we, as loyal vassals... will have to pay for that." "Loyal vassals always pay for their masters' deeds." "Excuse me." "That woman again?" "Today, for an unknown reason she... crept into Her Highness's living room." "Bring her here." "Let's listen to her story." "Yes, Sir." "Be nice to her." "Unfortunately, I'm in a hurry today." "Maybe tomorrow?" "The boss said it won't take a lot of time." "This way, please." "Here's Ms. Jiju." "Come in, please." "Have a seat." "I'm the Master's younger brother, senior inspector Enya Rokuro." "The member of the Enya family - Yamashiro-no-Kami Munemura." "Nice to meet you." "I used to serve in Oochi  I'm the Mistress's old friend." "Unfortunately, we're ordinary people from the province." "We know nothing about who the Mistress is friends with..." "You don't forget your old friends..." "And you decided to pay a visit to our Mistress." "That's laudable." "Ha-ha..." "We are always drawn to old friends." "I often reminisce about the Mistress and happy life at the court." "She's a woman of an outstanding beauty..." "Of course, not in the same way as she used to be a long time ago, but lately she's been looking younger and more beautiful again." "Indeed." "She's so beautiful!" "At my age I realize what a miracle that is." "You have made a few requests of the Mistress recently." "Rumor has it that you brought her some letters." "Ha-ha-ha..." "You mean, some business papers..." "Ha-ha-ha..." "I often act as a messenger." "People tend to interpret events erroneously and gossip... but they're clearly exaggerating." "Ha-ha-ha..." "Jiju-dono, nowadays... when the power is in the hands of parvenus... unfortunately, one has to seek friendship with such people." "I doubt that we need that kind of support." "Your reckless behavior threatens established relationships among people." "Rest assured, I've never done anything like that." "Although there's always a lot of fuss around such beautiful women." "That happened to me as well..." "Ha-ha-ha..." "I wanted to ask you before you leave..." "What's that letter?" "Don't try to fool us!" "We have irrefutable evidence!" "What are you trying to say?" "Are you threatening me?" "How dare you!" "Alright." "No more Mr. Nice Guy." "I'm not going to listen to your lame excuses any longer!" "Ouch, it hurts..." "What do you want from me?" "Tell the truth!" "My arm!" "You broke my bones." "Painful enough?" "Answer me!" "God..." "It's difficult to breathe, I'm going to die." "The death of a person like you will make the world a better place." "Since a court lady payed us a visit, we'd like to hear something important." "Because of the likes of you, boors rule the country." "Oh..." "I can't talk like this." "It hurts!" "I'm running back and forth trying to oblige the Mistress, and this is how you pay me for my efforts." "It should serve as a lesson for me." "In that case, I apologize..." "Speak!" "Why are you here?" "I tried to be patient..." "Very well..." "Help!" "Murder!" "Stop it!" "Rokuro, what's all this noise?" "Help me..." "I beg you!" "Rokuro, let this woman go." "I swear to God, she's a true villain." "I'm listening to you." "Tell me her name, maybe then I'll understand what's going on..." "What do you accuse her of?" "Let her go." "If it were my decision, I'd cut her to pieces." "She always gets away." "Show me the letter." "I have to protect my wife's name." "I have to fend off..." "Moronao, the governor of Musashi." "There's nobody here?" "Jiju-dono hasn't come back yet?" "What happened to her?" "I don't know." "As soon as she comes back, send her to me." "It's already late." "Yes." "Not sleeping yet?" "No." "It's so humid tonight." "The breeze is blowing from the sea, from where Izumo is." "I can't fall asleep either." "I'm sorry that you lost peace because of me." "No-no, don't worry." "I see you're very worried yourself." "Let's go back to Izumo as soon as possible." "I'd like to go back too, but it's impossible now." "Nitta Yoshisada from Hokuriku set up camp near Kuromaru." "Until the conflict is resolved..." "I was ordered to stay in the capital in order to protect the shogun." "On the other hand, I can be with you everyday." "I think you'll enjoy that." "I'm so afraid of the governor of Musashi." "This Moronao is not a devil, after all." "We'll resist like bamboo in the wind." "And then, faced with resistance, he'll give up." "Will you protect me no matter what?" "Protect you?" "You're my life!" "Woman's lot is sad." "She has to follow her husband everywhere." "I don't belong to myself." "But you left the court for me." "And you've become indispensable for me." "I'm so happy." "Here, in a simple provincial house, you must miss the time at the court?" "Excuse me..." "It's me..." "Jiju." "It's imprudent to come at such a late hour." "Leave until someone sees you." "You're causing me so much trouble." "Madam, please." "I beg you." "I can't go back home... until I get Madam's response." "I believe I told you everything in the afternoon already." "Look at me..." "You found yourself in a plight, but my situation isn't any better..." "If the rumors reach my husband's ears," "I won't be able to stay here." "Neither will I be able to go back to the Emperor's palace..." "No." "Now I won't be able to go back neither to the palace  nor anywhere else." "Please, leave me alone." "Madam has a husband... but I have no one to rely on at all." "My lot is so sad..." "Madam... just a few words..." "Respond to the letter." "Save me, I'm desperate..." "If Mr. Moronao gets angry, I'm dead." "There are plenty of beautiful women around him, but for some reason he only has eyes for you... that's why he's angry at me." "I think a few warm words will suffice." "Write him a few lines." "I won't leave until you write something." "I won't leave..." ""The night gown on the blanket is too heavy."" ""Do not add another man's wife to your own."" "It's hard to understand..." ""The night gown on the blanket is too heavy."" ""Do not add another man's wife..."" "Does she want me to present her with a silk kosode?" "Jiju-dono, what does all that mean?" "I can't say for sure..." "Maybe, she wants to thank you..." "I feel that's what she does." "Are you sure it was written by Kaoyo-sama?" "I saw it with my own eyes." "I watched her brush move swiftly over the paper." "First attempt, second, third... and she finally understood what Moronao feels." "Jiju-dono, apparently, women should be conquered like countries." "Stop wiping me already!" "As you wish." "Still, Kaoyo-sama's poem is too hard to understand." "They say Yakushiji Jirozaemon arrived in the capital." "Give him my regards." "And tell him I have something to discuss with him." "He should come over." "At your service, Sir." "They say you're good not only at archery, but at literature as well." "Everyone talks about your scholarship." "Yes, it's true." "On the other hand, I'm not very good at martial arts." "I've written some good verses, but not everything I write is good." "Is it true that you were an apprentice to Yoshida Kenko?" "Yes, but I didn't learn much." "By the way, could you interpret this poem to me?" "I understood the general idea, but..." "It's from the Shin Kokin anthology, the song about The Ten Precepts." "Third Buddhist precept - "Refrain from sexual unchastity"  that is, do not covet another man's wife." "Even sex with one's own wife is a big sin." "The poem urges not to aggravate that by sinful thoughts about another man's wife." "Yes, you're a true scholar." "Not at all, it's so simple... any educated person knows that." "So "do not covet another man's wife"..." "Alright..." "Yakushiji..." "Sorry for the trouble." "Anything else?" "No." "You're free to go." "Call Momonoi!" "Yes." "Jiju-dono, they say "do not covet another man's wife"..." "That's exactly why I dream about another man's wife..." "Sir, forget about her!" "Why?" "Why the hell do I have to forget about her?" "At your orders." "Send my order to inspector Enya Takasada:" ""Go back to Izumo immediately..."" ""Equip 300 ships and go to the Northern Provinces to attack Kuromaru."" "Execute immediately!" "He has to rise in defense of the shogun by sunset." "A hundred of Northern barbarians have been taken prisoners." "Execute all of them." "I think the order to go to war immediately  was given by Moronao simply to remove the elder brother from the capital." "Rokuro, I doubt governor Moronao came up with it himself." "I think it's the order of shogun Ashikaga Takauji." "Possible." "Be that as it may, there's obviously a snare here." "Leaving the capital in this situation... would mean falling into that snare." "That's precisely Moronao's plan." "We can't just sit and watch him do whatever he likes before our eyes." "What happens if we disobey?" "What if we complain to the shogun and tell him about Moronao's plan?" "But who will dare to do that?" "Everyone in the capital - the daimyo and landlords - will laugh at our misfortune." "The weak have to obey the strong." "In war as in politics." "Isn't it so, Munemura?" "Truth always obeys strength!" "His face dropped you say?" "Ha-ha..." "So he quickly went to war?" "Hey, Jiju-dono..." "Yes..." "But..." "I have to go." "Jiju-dono, stay, the most interesting part is about to begin." "I'll show them who Ko no Moronao, the governor of Musashi is!" "It's not an easy task to breach the castle of Kuromaru." "If we attack from the sea, the army of Enya will suffer huge losses." "Men from Izumo are quite skillful at warfare." "Jiju-dono, when Enya leaves... all this trouble with letters will finally end." "Make inquiries and let me know when he gets on the ship." "Sir, no violence, please..." "Oh..." "Jiju-dono, you got me wrong." "There's no connection between sending Enya off to war and Ms. Kaoyo." "Those are two completely different things." "Do you understand?" "Even though this inspector Enya seems to be a decent man, he is, in fact, a real crook." "He seized the opportunity to lead Ms. Kaoyo away from the Emperor." "On the 11th day of the 12th month of the 2nd year of Kenmu period,(i.e. in 1336) during the decisive Battle of Minato River... inspector Enya fought on the Emperor's side under the command of Nitta Yoshisada." "However, he later defected to our side." "That's how we managed to defeat Nitta." "So... he's your ally?" "That's why I gave him patronage." "But he's the kind of person who can betray you at any moment." "I have to remain vigilant with him." "But if you think that way today  tomorrow you'll have to slaughter everyone around you." "Exactly." "Today he's an inspector, and tomorrow he'll take Moronao's place." "What if inspector's wife goes to Izumo with her husband?" "Unlikely." "All the local princes obey me..." "So I think he'll leave his wife here." "What if we leave the Mistress here and go back to our motherland?" "We aren't going to our motherland, we're going to war." "Wouldn't it be better to take my wife with me?" "If something happens, and we're not around, she'll have a hard time..." "She can fall in Moronao's snare." "I trust my wife." "Your trust isn't going to save us from trouble." "It'd be better to take the Mistress with us." "Yes, that's right." "Let's do that." "Sir, you mustn't leave your wife alone here." "In any case, it'd be better to keep an eye on her." "It'd be better to take her with us to Izumo." "Otherwise  as soon as we head North, she'll go to Moronao." "Watch your mouth!" "If that was the case, it would be much easier for me." "Izumo is the land of our ancestors - our whole lives belong there." "Sad as it is, but circumstances are against us now." "I will resist strokes of misfortune with all my strength." "Tell me you won't put up with such humiliation, brother!" "I won't." "You do love your wife!" "Ms. Kaoyo!" "I'm sorry for having brought you trouble." "I don't have a grudge against you." "If only you had given a positive response..." "It's all because of the poem you wrote to him." "There's nothing worse than infidelity." "Everyone has to remember that." "In our time, everyone has to do everything they can to survive." "Kaoyo-sama, come with me!" "Come see Moronao only for one minute." "You're saying terrible things." "I don't even want to hear that." "I wouldn't want to witness the trouble you're bringing upon your family." "You alone can fix this." "I have a husband." "If you don't tell anyone about it yourself, no one will know." "You're a terrible person." "Kaoyo-sama, it's all because we live in time of trouble." "When you lived in the palace, didn't you share a bed with the Emperor or princes every night?" "My heart has been trampled." "I'm being sold, like a thing..." "Isn't it so?" "Isn't it what court life is like?" "Kaoyo-sama, if you love your husband, forget everything just this one time." "Just once... no one will know." "Jiju, I see you're very knowledgeable about how to survive in time of trouble." "Maybe you'll teach me some good sense too?" "I'm sorry..." "Mercy!" "I'll do anything..." "Vile creature!" "Aargh!" "Help!" "Please!" "Moronao's sleuth!" "Kaoyo!" "What are you plotting?" "Dear!" "You're going to him?" "You're going to Moronao to save me?" "I'm your wife..." "Are you telling the truth?" "Would I ever lie to you?" "Have mercy..." "So if you don't tell anyone, no one will know?" "Why... why..." "Why are you so cruel?" "If I leave, and Moronao comes, what will you do?" "I'll kill myself!" "Will you really?" "I'm your wife!" "Kaoyo, if you die..." "As soon as I learn about your death  I'll also die in the battle for the Northern lands." "Dear, I'm so happy." "Even in this time... in this world..." "To die means to find peace." "The Enya family is not guilty of anything." "I hope we can escape death." "Dear, if you die, I'll die with you." "Take me to Izumo with you." "No." "I'm not going to execute the shogun's order." "If you make me stay here, Moronao..." "Moronao will have to leave you alone." "Shut up!" "Are our lives more important than the well-being of the whole family?" "The Enya family carries on traditions of numerous ancestors." "Its death will be the end of all of them." "But I love you so much." "There's nothing in the world more important for me than you." "My love..." "My only one." "My native land Izumo and the whole of Japan are nothing compared to you." "Jiju, do you see how much we love each other?" "This is true love." "The Mistress and me will follow you." "Even if revenge awaits us, this exceptional love is worth it." "What's our plan?" "The Master will take the Hakami road." "We'll take the Tamba road to Harima." "There, we'll unite." "In small groups, we can remain unnoticed." "Beautiful morning!" "The weather is great, the sky over the capital is clear." "What a day!" "Has Jiju-dono come back yet?" "I think she'll be here very soon." "Your breakfast is ready." "Indeed..." "What can be better than a breakfast outside in such weather!" "Hey!" "What's so funny?" "Master is in a good mood this morning." "As soon as Jiju-dono comes back, we have to go in town together." "Make all the necessary preparations." "Also, I have to shave after breakfast." "This is how we usually eat in my native land." "In open air, you don't even notice eating two or three extra bowls." "Sir!" "Important news!" "What news?" "Inspector Enya has left the capital following your order." "On the same day at dawn, Ms. Kaoyo also left..." "What?" "What did you say?" "Ms. Kaoyo ran away?" "Yes." "Kaoyo ran away." "How could it have happened?" "I told you to keep an eye on her." "Idiots!" "Inspector went through the main gate, and Ms. Kaoyo used the back door." "Cretin..." "Where did Ms. Kaoyo go?" "We got into the house in the morning and didn't find anyone inside." "Then we scoured the whole estate, searched every nook and cranny..." "We checked the Mistress's chamber, it was empty too." "There are only servants who keep the house." "When we asked them about the Mistress, they said she had left at dawn." "Was Jiju there?" "We didn't find Jiju-dono either." "Ungrateful homeless bitch!" "Inspector Enya and his wife went where they had come from." "So inspector secretly decided to defect to the Southern Dynasty." "When Northern army is so close to victory, their whole clan decided to withdraw." "It's a real covert plot!" "Treachery!" "In this case, we'll ask the shogun to arrest the traitors." "Send a brigade to pursue the defectors immediately!" "Yes." "Momonoi!" "Yes, Sir?" "Bring me Kaoyo-dono alive." "And don't even think about hurting her!" "Yes." "Then, execute all the traitors." "Yes, Sir." "One more cup!" "Just a second." "Munemura." "Maybe we should let Jiju go?" "No." "I won't let her go until we reach Harima." "Moronao's brigade is on our heels..." "Don't worry, I won't run away." "But if you don't untie me, I won't move." "Untie her." "Have I caused you too much trouble?" "It's nothing." "I'm still happy." "Let's get to Izumo as soon as possible." "We'll be there tomorrow." "When we get to Izumo, everything will be alright." "Are you inspector Enya?" "I'm Momonoi Tadatsune, governor of Harima, subject to governor Ko no Moronao." "Inspector, your escape from the capital is regarded as riot." "The shogun ordered to arrest you." "Defend yourselves!" "Sir!" "Brother, we've been betrayed!" "Sir, let's hide in the hut." "Sir, what happened is my fault." "My idea to take the Mistress with us was a mistake." "Forgive me please!" "Calm down, Munemura." "Don't lose your composure at the decisive hour." "If we hadn't brought the Mistress with us, we wouldn't have been accused of treachery." "We acted imprudently, and let the slanderers accuse us." "We have no choice but to commit seppuku now..." "I'm sorry..." "Dear!" "Even if Kaoyo had stayed in the capital, we wouldn't have been able to escape." "One can't escape one's fate." "This is the fate of small provinces." "When the Enya family perishes, the land of Izumo will be ours." "Kaoyo-dono mustn't die." "It's a shame that they caught us on our way." "Now they'll throw our dead bodies on the road to everyone's derision." "Brother, don't think about that." "If we could get to our castle, we would be able to give battle to them." "Brother!" "We're powerless against such a big brigade of Moronao's." "Let's die without regret." "Alright." "I'm ready." "The odds were 1000 to 1... that we would survive to this day." "But now we have no chance." "We can't escape." "There's only one way to salvation - to face the enemy in battle." "We're brave and determined." "It's a shame that we have women and servants with us." "I hope our enemies will have mercy." "We have to release women and servants." "Thank you, inspector!" "But we won't release this one!" "Listen to me, Momonoi, the governor of Harima!" "We're ready to fight, but women and servants have nothing to do with it." "We expect mercy from samurais." "In that case, I also have a request." "Tell the inspector:" ""If you give us Kaoyo-sama..."" ""... we will let you go."" "Rokuro!" "We're all together in the Enya family." "We're one family!" "You have a few minutes to make a decision." "Listen to me, hold the line!" "Leave now!" "Deal shortly with them!" "Jiju-dono, you won't slip away." "Please..." "I beg you..." "That doesn't mean I want to kill you." "I want you to be a witness." "You'll see us die and what preceded our death  and you'll tell Moronao and the whole world about it." "What are you talking about?" "She's the one to blame for all this." "We should tear her to pieces." "No." "We need a witness." "Only a living witness will tell all the truth." "Jiju-dono, watch attentively." "Farewell, brother!" "Farewell!" "We'll meet in hell." "Sir!" "Farewell!" "Forgive us for leaving before you!" "I'll follow you right away!" "Munemura..." "You'll stay with Ms. Kaoyo." "Yes, Sir." "Someone has to fight Moronao." "Don't touch Kaoyo-dono, we need her alive!" "Life is so short!" "Yes." "We'll meet on the other side." "Yes." "I was so happy." "Me too." "Goodbye." "Hey you!" "Where are you, Moronao?" "Moronao!" "Madam!" "It's over." "Now you have to commit suicide." "I can't." "Kill me, please." "Kaoyo-sama." "Forgive me..." "Forgive me..." "Kaoyo-sama!" "My love!" "What have I done?" "Forgive me!" "Please!" "My love!" "What have I done?" "What have I done?" "Quick..." "Kill me quick!" "Madam..." "Are you ready?" "Go ahead..." "Stop torturing me!" "Sir, we've just arrived." "So you're back..." "Who's that?" "Oh." "Jiju-dono?" "We've brought Jiju-dono with us." "And where is Kaoyo-dono?" "You got her alive, didn't you?" "This... is Kaoyo!" "Sir  even hundreds of thousands of warriors  can't capture the soul." "I needed Kaoyo alive  not a head from the dead body." "I wanted her alive!" "Alive!" "THE END"