"In 1 185, the once-proud Taira clan perished in the inland Sea" "The victorious Yoshitsune Minamoto should have paraded proudly through the broad avenues of Kyoto, but his brother, Shogun Yoritomo, was famed for his suspicious mind" "His advisor Kagetoki Kajiwara falsely accused Yoshitsune of sedition and convinced Yoritomo to have him killed" "With no place to hide in his brother's realm," "Yoshitsune took six retainers dressed as mountain ascetics and went to seek shelter with Hidehira Fujiwara, ruler of the semi-independent province to the north" "Our story begins as they approach a new barrier in Kaga province with the unease of one about to tread on a tiger's tail" "A TOHO PRODUCTION" "THE MEN WHO TREAD ON THE TIGER'S TAIL" "Produced by MOTOHIKO ITO" "screenplay by AKIRA KUROSAWA" "Cinematography by TAKEO ITO" "Production Design by KAZUO KUBO" "Edited by TOSHIO GOTO" "Music by TADASHI HATTORI" "Starring" "DENJIRO OKOCHI" "SUSUMU FUJITA" "KENICHI ENOMOTO" "MASAYUKI MORI TAKASHI SHIMURA" "AKITAKE KONO YOSHIO KOSUGI" "DEKAO YOKOO CHIKAYOSHI NISHINA" "YASUO HISAMATSU SOJI KIYOKAWA" "Directed by AKIRA KUROSAWA" "Wear/ng the robes of a mounta/n ascet/c" "Wear/ng the robes of a mounta/n ascet/c" "Wr/ng/ng out dew" "From the sleeves" "May I ask where you priests are from?" "Seems like your first time around here" "Where are you headed?" "I'm just glad the weather's good" "We don't often have such nice days" "Look" "The entire province of Kaga" "Over there is " "What's in here?" "It's so heavy!" "Hey, what's " ""May my senses be purified!"" "silence!" "follow and be quiet" "The song of the bush warbler!" "There are so many around here you could eat them" "You there!" "How much further to the barrier?" "Just over a mile, sir" "Let's rest a while" "On we go" "You men sure have strong legs" "I never thought anybody could outwaIk me, but I can't keep up with you" "Though this gentleman seems a bit weaker" "actually, he's nowhere near as strong He's like a girl" "silence!" "This path certainly is difficult" "Is there another route?" "There is indeed but if the barrier guards see us, we'II all be killed" "Two men were cut down just the other day" "It's quite a nuisance" "Lord Yoritomo believed that Kajiwara fellow's slander and fell out with his own brother, Lord Yoshitsune" "Yoshitsune had to flee the capital, and the barriers were set up to catch him" "I guess a fight with his brother is a big deal for a shogun" "But gentlemen, don't you think a quarrel between brothers could be settled simply with a punch or two?" "It's horrible, hunting his own brother like a beast!" "Poor Lord Yoshitsune" "The famed general of the Minamoto clan has nowhere to turn" "But there's no need to worry" "They say his bodyguard, Benkei, is incredibly strong, so he's safe" "This Benkei fellow is a giant monk, almost seven feet tall" "He swings a one-ton iron rod and annihilates armies of thousands singIe-handedIy" "It's unbelievable!" "He pulls off men's heads like you pull up daikon radishes" "But I hear he's not real bright" "They're traveling in disguise, but word has leaked out Even the barrier guards know" "Pretty dumb, eh?" "How are they said to be disguised?" "Let me see" "I'm pretty sure I heard they were dressed as " "Not medicine peddIers and not pilgrims" "Now I remember Itinerant priests!" "Isn't that funny?" "Someone could take you for Yoshitsune and Benkei's retinue" "Pretty funny, huh?" "Isn't that funny?" "But it can't be can it?" "Don't scare me by staring at me like that" "They know exactly how many there are" "A seven-man party headed by Yoshitsune, whereas there are one two three four five six seven of you" "Right on the nose" "Benkei" "My lord" "Did you hear what this porter said?" "If it's true, it will be impossible to pass the barrier in this disguise" "It's just an improvised barrier guarded by a few hicks!" "We can smash our way through!" "Sounds like great fun!" "We haven't had a good fight in ages!" "We can easily break though that barrier" "But what about the other barriers sure to follow?" "The important thing is to arrive at our destination" "We must pass this barrier as peacefully as possible" "Moreover we only have to force our way through if our identities are revealed" "For one thing, you are a priest, even if a wicked one" "No one could dare call you an impostor" "As for the rest of you you could all pass for wandering ascetics" "If austerities in the mountains and plains qualify one as a wandering priest," "then we've all earned the right to call ourselves that" "We have every kind of priestly face represented" "We may be able to get by safely" "Benkei we may be all right, but our lord looked suspicious even to this foolish porter" "What shall we do?" "As for that" "Porter!" "Come here" "I don't know a thing" "I won't say a word please spare my Iife" "Bring that basket here" "What's wrong with you?" "Stand up" "I said stand up" "He's terrified" "Hey, Ise, how do you cure a coward?" "Leave him, Hitachibo" "He was startled, so his legs gave out" "StartIe him again and he might stand up" "On your feet" "Get up or I'II yank your head off!" "You're really testing my patience!" "A cr/mson blossom cannot be h/dden" "Even /n a garden f/lled w/th flowers" "But a s/mpIe porter" "pla/n as the mounta/n weeds" "W/II go unnot/ced" "He removed h/s ascet/c's robes" "And donned the rags" "That the porter had worn" "H/s face h/dden under a sedge hat" "He leans upon a staff" "How heartbreak/ng to see" "Th/s porter on totter/ng legs" "walk/ng up the h/II" "How heartbreak/ng" "Seems his love of money is stronger than his fear" "Breathe a word to anyone and you'II pay!" "It's not that I just couldn't stand by and watch" "What's that?" "He doesn't look like a porter at all" "Even a blind man could see that" "First of all, that's no way to carry a basket," "like some greedy old crone running off in the night" "silence!" "You again?" "I'm a worrier by nature" "I couldn't just leave, knowing Lord Yoshitsune is with you" "I can't rest easy until I see you past the barrier" "I'd never be able to face myself" ""Even a hunter won't kill a bird seeking refuge in his bosom"" "You talk big" ""Even a chance meeting is the product of karma"" "Let me help" "You're all right, despite your looks" "What should we do with this fellow?" "We appreciate his sentiment, but he's an insignificant nobody" "So you won't accept my help?" "Your darting to and fro is making me dizzy!" "Scram if you value your life!" "But I went to check out the barrier" "You did what?" "Wait, you!" "Come here!" "What's this about the barrier?" "It's no good" "Kajiwara's messenger is already there" "Kajiwara's messenger?" "I heard him say that Yoshitsune's party must have taken this path, so the barrier guards are on the lookout" "Impudent fool!" "Benkei!" "Benkei" "What do we do?" "Advance or retreat?" "If Kajiwara's forces are in the area, we're as good as dead whatever we do" "If we're trapped, then we must break through" "We'II spare no one, not even Yoritomo himself" "We'II break through, go to Kamakura, and kill Kajiwara and his sons!" "WeII-said, Ise!" "We'II kill everyone in Kamakura, then go to Tsurugaoka Hachiman shrine and cut our bellies open!" "Don't be absurd" "I might overlook young warriors talking like this, but you ought to know better, Kataoka" "If we'd been this overzealous before, we'd have died many times already" "As I said earlier this barrier is not the Iast" "The important thing is what happens to our lord" "Bravery comes after that" "First of all" "here's what we'II do" "We'II say we are traveling to solicit contributions to rebuild" "the Todai temple in Nara" "I am the steward of Kaga province" "My name is Saemon Togashi" "I am responsible for this barrier" "We are traveling to solicit contributions" "to rebuild the Todai temple" "We've been assigned to the Hokuriku road, and we wish to pass here" "surely a laudable task" "However, we've been ordered not to allow itinerant priests to pass this barrier" "I find that rather hard to understand" "May I ask why?" "Lord Yoshitsune, who has fallen out with Lord Yoritomo, is traveling in a group of seven men disguised as priests" "It is Lord Yoritomo's strict order that this barrier be carefully protected" "This is inconvenient indeed" "I gather that you were only told to stop those disguised as priests" "surely it cannot be an order to stop all real priests who may pass here" "What insolence!" "especially since there are seven of you!" "please don't lose your head" "Take a closer look" "We are six itinerant priests" "And two porters" "Quiet!" "An amusing fellow!" "Enough talk!" "As long as I'm here to exercise my lord's command, not a single one of you shall pass!" "You look suspicious, no matter what you might say" "Lord Togashi you must arrest them!" "Lord Togashi!" "Lord Togashi" "What are you waiting for?" "These are Lord Kajiwara's orders!" "Lord Yoritomo's orders!" "Nothing wrong with killing one or two of these "priests"" "I order you to arrest them" "What are you waiting for?" "I must say this is quite unexpected" "killing a servant of the Buddha for no good reason -- it's absolutely preposterous!" "nevertheless there's no sense in quarreling" "If it has come to that, we will surrender quietly" "gentlemen" "Let us offer our last prayer" "AcaIa, immovable Wisdom King, be my witness!" "In the name of the Avatar of Kumano may divine punishment visit us should our pledge be false!" "Om av/ra hum kham!" "Let me be the first to be bound" "I admire your resolution" "I doubt a bogus priest would display such bravery" "However you said you're soliciting funds to rebuild the Todai temple" "In that case, you must have the prospectus" "Let me hear you read it" "You want me to read the prospectus?" "I do" "Porter" "Bring that basket here" ""Hear, all ye assembled the autumnal moon of Shakyamuni Buddha" "is hidden behind the clouds of nirvana" "Nobody remains to jolt us awake from this long, dark dream of birth, death, and rebirth" "In the not-too-distant past there was an emperor" "who embraced the Three jewels of the dharma and showed benevolence toward his subjects" "He happened to have an inspired dream" "and for the sake of peace in the realm he erected a statue of the great Vairocana and a temple to house it" "However, the temple was destroyed during the turbulent Jisho era" "Our reigning emperor deeply Iaments its destruction" "By imperial decree, we are recreating this temple of temples" "by soliciting contributions from all parts of the realm" "Those who contribute, however small the amount" "will henceforth enjoy virtuous pleasures in this life" "and find a seat among the thousands of sacred lotus flowers" "Bow to the Buddha!" "We reverently beseech you"" "That was indeed a genuine prospectus" "However, Iet me ask you a few questions" "Buddhist orders wear various robes, but none as ostentatious as the ones you wear now" "What is the reason for that?" "It goes without saying that just as different orders have different regimens, they also wear different attire" "Our ascetic practices are oriented at both the Womb realm and the Diamond realm" "Thus we cross steep mountains and passes, destroying snakes and evil animals, out of love for humanity" "We call upon divine protection and pray for the peace and welfare of our land" "Therefore inwardly we are forgiving and merciful, but outwardly we combat evil" "Why do you wear a peaked cap?" "It symbolizes a warrior's helmet" "Our robes symbolize suits of armor" "Your iron staff?" "It is based on the staff of Arada KaIama, a hermit of Mount DantaIoka" "It helps us attain the merits of the Womb and Diamond realms by striking the earth with it to punish evil and heresy" " And your sword?" " The sword of Amitabha!" "That sword may cut through things in the world of form, but what of the formless world of evil spirits and ghosts?" "We banish them with the Nine-SyIIabIe Mantra" "What is that?" "The Nine-SyIIabIe" "The Nine-SyIIabIe Mantra consists of:" "Rin, Pyo, To, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen" "When one chants this mantra one stands reverentIy and clenches one's teeth 36 times" "Then, with one's right thumb, one draws four vertical lines and five horizontal ones and then shouts, "Obey forthwith!"" "AII manner of devils, apparitions, and heathens will immediately be delivered from evil" "If you have any further doubts about our training" "I'd be happy to answer your questions" "No, I have nothing else to ask" "Judging from your replies, you must be a distinguished teacher" "To have doubted a man of such knowledge is the greatest error of my Iife" "As a gesture of apology," "I will make a contribution to your campaign" "That is indeed commendable" "I assure you of pleasures in this existence and the next" "You there!" "Prepare an offering" "Wait" "We are on our way to the northern districts but we will be back in early summer" "please keep your offering until then" "Very well" "But we have tarried here too long" "We shall be on our way" "gentlemen" "walk slowly" "Restra/n your eager heart" "As /f draw/ng back from the v/per's mouth" "Or tread/ng on the t/ger's ta/I!" "Stop that porter!" "Not that one!" "The one with the sedge hat!" "Wait!" "What is this?" "That porter resembles someone!" "A resemblance between two men -- that's not unusual" "I mean he looks like Yoshitsune" "What?" "This porter looks like Yoshitsune?" "You weakIing!" "Staggering along under such a light load" "No wonder people think it strange" "always lagging behind and holding us up" "You're always getting us in trouble" "I will tolerate it no Ionger!" "This isn't right!" "Don't be so unreasonable!" "Have you learned your lesson, you shirker?" "Now get up and move!" "I won't allow you to pass!" "He looks more like Yoshitsune every minute!" "So you've been eyeing his basket" "Are you a thief?" "Now I see why you've been so unreasonable" "You reveal your true motives!" "Barrier guard, eh?" "How dare you!" "This is wicked audacity indeed!" "On guard!" "Had this porter been Yoshitsune none would have dared strike him" " But Lord Togashi " " No" "No vassaI would strike his own master" "You may pass" "Lord Togashi!" "I'm the one in charge here" "What a relief!" "We're safe now" "Let's rest a bit" "I must say I was truly surprised when Benkei raised his staff" "only Benkei could think that quickly on his feet" "Now I see!" "I thought he'd suddenly lost his mind" "I'm such a blockhead!" "It was an unforgivable impiety even if it was meant as a ruse" "Benkei do not apologize" "May my crime cause my arm to rot!" "It is not this hand that struck me" "It was heavenly protection" "The hand of Hachiman himself, god of war" "I am most grateful" "Let 'em all go to hell, including Yoritomo!" "Let 'em eat shit!" "Uh-oh!" "I am steward Togashi's vassal" "I bring you sake on his orders" "He apologizes for our discourtesy" "Much appreciated" "First, please accept these sake cups" "Indeed, /ndeed" "How welcome /t /s" "To rece/ve" "A cup of human k/ndness" "Here, at the end" "Of the northern road to Hokur/ku" "How glad I am" "To partake of the k/ndness" "Conta/ned /n th/s cup" "Another?" "Very kind of you" "Who will dance?" "You there, porter" "Dance to celebrate our feast" "Hurrah!" "Banza/!" "There I/ved a turtle atop a rock" "Get lost!" "I too will dance before we depart" "Even though the waterfall roars" "Even though the waterfall roars" "Even though the sun sh/nes" "We cont/nue on w/thout rest" "We cont/nue on w/thout rest" "THE END" "subtitles by Kerim Yasar for Subtext SubtitIing, Los angeles"