Original subtitles

Early in the 16th century, Martin Luther rose to fame

He criticised the Roman Church...

...savagely attacking the Church and clergy

The resultant break of the Protestants produced...

...a serious religious crisis in Europe

In 1534, in Spain...

...Ignacio de Loyola founded the Society of Jesus

It reflected a crisis in Catholicism

They fought to rebuild the Church...

...and widened their work beyond Europe

In 1549, along with the gun...

...Francisco Xavier of the Society of Jesus

...arrived on the southern shores of Japan

Thirty years later, 200 churches...

...75 priests and 300,000 believers existed in Japan

The rapid spread...

...of the new religion which came with the gun...

...worried Japan's rulers

The examples of Western culture...

...planted fear in the rulers' hearts

The new religion was suppressed

From the late 16th century to the middle of the 17th century...

...was a bitter time for Christians in Japan

Countless priests, monks and believers were murdered

Many others disappeared

Padre Ferreira was one of them

Original story by Shusaku Endo

Screenplay by Shusaku Endo and Masahiro Shinoda

Photographed by Kazuo Miyagawa

Music by Toru Takemitsu

Starring

David Lampson

Mako Iwamatsu

Don Kenny

Tetsuro Tanba

Yoshiko Mita

Shima Iwashita

Directed by Masahiro Shinoda

Padre...

In Macao you promised to pay me...

...as soon as we reached Japan with a bonus

Remember?

I've been wanting to ask you...

...are you really a Christian Kichijiro?

Are you really Japanese?

Of course I am Japanese

If the officials come, say you don't know me. Don't forget

We understand

Be sure. I'm going now

Padre! Padre!

Our hearts are the same as yours

You must change. Put these clothes on quickly

You mustn't be seen

Please hurry!

Padre!

Shut the door!

You will rest here tonight

At dawn we'll take you to the mountain

Here...

You'll be safe here. No one will come

Are there no priests?

No monks?

We've had no priests or monks visit here for years

If we're caught, all the villagers will be killed

We can only trust our own villagers

Strangers would inform on us right away

What about baptism and prayers?

Who passes on the teachings?

We do it all

We do the best we can..

...each taking a role in teaching or baptising

We've done things this way in hiding for years

The Padres and monks abandoned us and went far away

- What's that sound? -It's the rain

The rainy season has started here. It'll last many weeks

Let us make our way

Let us make our way

Make our way To the Temple of Paradise

We call it the Temple of Paradise

We call it the Great Temple

That Temple is to be found

Within our hearts

There is something I must ask all of you

Does anybody know where Padre Ferreira is?

He came to Japan twenty years ago...

...and he preached the gospel in this territory

He went to Kyoto, then to Edo

All we know is he was captured five years ago

Since then we've heard nothing

Has anybody here heard any news about him?

In our country called Portugal, when Garrpe and l were children..

...he taught us about the Lord

We decided to come to Japan to spread Christianity...

...for Father Ferreira

So we want to know what happened to him

Is he alive?

Or did he die bravely for the sake of Our Lord and go to Paradise?

We need to know

Do you know anything?

Do you?

We warned you!

We told you never go outside!

Don't be angry. We just wanted a little sun

You must never go outside again

If something happen, you must hide in here immediately

Open the door. Don't be afraid

We're fishermen We haven't seen a Padre for many years

Won't you trust us, Padre?

Five days ago...

...we were the ones watching you from the other mountain

We heard Padres were in Tomogi Village

Who told you?

Kichijiro, a Christian among us, told us

- Kichijiro? - Yes, Padre

But Kichijiro's not a Christian is he?

Yes. He certainly is a Christian

Eight years ago, someone informed on his family

Kichijiro and his brother and sister...

...were ordered to place their feet on the Lord's image

The fumi-e?

Yes. His brother and sister refused...

...but Kichijiro was so terrified at the test...

...that he promised he'd renounce the faith

His brother and sister were thrown straight into prison..

...and the very next day, they were burned alive at the stake

Kichijiro disappeared. No one had seen him since then

But he showed up again And told you about us?

He boasts that he brought you Padres to Japan

He's popular in our village

We don't have mass or confession

We just say our prayers

Come to our village, Padre!

Come this way

That day, the wind was very strong

They were thrown into the boiling waters...

...at a place called Hell Valley of Mt Unzen

Fathers Ludovico, Johann, Antonio...

...Julian Marta, Michael...

...Thomas and Ignatus...

l can still picture the scene

The pagan cheered as each one fell

Uneme Takenaka was the embodiment of evil

Matsukura, too

They grabbed Fathers Dominico and John..

...and they tied their hands behind their backs

Then straw mats were wrapped about them and set on fire

As the fire spread, they began to jump around

The pagan laughed, calling them "the mat-dancers"

They were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle

Following the Christian faith nowadays...

...is even more dangerous for us

And Magistrate Inoue is to blame

Inoue is the devil incarnate...

...he is the leader of the pagans

The islanders were overjoyed to see you

They've waited a long time for a Padre to come across the ocean

Girls even smile at me since l brought you

Listen to me

l know what you want to say

But I've reformed

That's why I'm accompanying you around the area

Why did you say you'd renounce the faith?

It was just momentary confusion

l don't feel that way now

Can you swear that to me?

That you'll keep the faith under any pressure?

l swear!

Please forgive me for what I've done

But, Padre, you don't know how they tortured us

That's why you're so angry now

There are the strong and the weak in this world

The strong bear up and go to heaven

But a weak man like me...

- Padre! - Mokichi!

- Officials are in the village! - Officials?

Yes, to arrest us

Us, too?

They don't know about you. But you can't go back to the village

- Where's Garrpe? - He's hiding. I'll take you to him

There is no time for discussion

It has been reported that there are prohibited Christians amongst you

l will give you 100 pieces of silver for their names!

Take that one!

We'll take him as hostage until you decide to talk!

We'll come back in three days for more hostages!

Think it over!

We didn't tell them about you Padres

And we never will

No matter what!

But that mean all of you will be taken hostage

Yes. But still we won't talk

We can't allow that. We would rather leave Tomogi Village

We could go to Kichijiro's island

But since they came here, Padre, they'll go there, too

You must go further away

I'd like to go along, but it's too dangerous

Since you still refuse to say anything...

...we must believe you

But we must find out who is the liar...

...you lot or the informer

The hostages will then return

Today we must take three more hostages to Nagasaki

They will come to no harm

Those three shall be...

You and you...

...and you

You will prove to the magistrate that you are not Christian...

...and then l give you my word you will be returned here

You are all aware that Christianity is forbidden are you not?

But it has been reported that you are Christian

What do you have to say?

We always pay our taxes

We have Buddhist funerals

Then you claim that you're not really Christian?

- Yes, sir - Well, that makes the Magistrate happy

Do you know what this is?

A Christian carving

Exactly

It's called the Santa Maria

Christians worship this

But to non-Christians like yourselves, it has no meaning

Step on it!

You must step on this!

Stand up! Stand up!

What's wrong with you?

Non-Christians should have no worries about stepping on it

So you think you've fooled us with that?

Don't think l didn't see you all breathing nervously

You're wrong! We're not Christian!

Then spit on this!

And say Santa Maria is a whore!

No?

How about you?

And you?

How about you?

Spit!

We hear you!

Let us make our way to the Temple of paradise

Let us make our way...

Padre!

Padre. It's been a long time

It's dangerous for you here

The officials are on this island, too

You must eat

Eat it!

We use these snakes for medicine

Is there a river?

You want some water?

You sure gobbled that dried fish

Isn't there a river? A river...

Padre!

Why did you run off?

Don't you trust me?

Please don't feel bad. I'm just very tired

l just want you to leave me alone

Alone? What for?

l know a village with Christian and Padres

- Padres? - And they're not Japanese Padres

Padre, you don't trust me anymore

Nobody trusts me anymore

Mokichi was strong, like the paddy fields that we plant

But a weak paddy field stays weak, no matter what you fertilise it with

l was born weak, Padre, like a weak paddy field

Kichijiro, kneel!

Our Lord was crucified

Our Lord was crucified

Our Lord was crowned with thorns

Our Lord was crowned with thorns

Our Lord was crowned with thorns

Our Lord was crowned with thorns

Padre, forgive me!

Forgive me! Forgive me!

I'm weak, not strong like Mokichi or Ichizo

Take him!

Here they come!

Look how tall he is!

He's evil!

By the powers invested in us by the Nagasaki Magistrate...

...we have come to take custody of Padre Rodrigues

We are grateful for your presence

Hello, sir. l can speak Japanese

l see!

In that case, l won't have to use the foreign tongue l learned at seminary

l went to a seminary, but I'm not a Christian

Why did you learn it then

To succeed in life

A samurai can take up arms or education

l chose education

You knew Christianity is forbidden

Still you came. Why?

I'm ready for martyrdom

Blind bravery like yours is a bother to others

Christianity is like an unwelcome gift...

...that is forced on the receiver

We have our own religion

We don't need yours

Many things were taught to us at the seminary...

...but they are all utterly useless

- That's a pointless argument! - Pointless?

Change into these!

They're clean

They're the sacred garments of a Buddhist priest

l don't need them

Change into them quickly. The officials are coming

It's a Padre!

l didn't know we had a Padre here

I've been here for five days. Have you...?

My word, he can speak Japanese so well

No talking allowed!

Lord Chikugo is concerned for you, Padre

He wishes for you to feel comfortable

Nationality: Portuguese. Name: Rodrigues

Arrived from Macao. Correct?

We are deeply moved and impressed by your determination..

...in travelling such a great distance to our country

You must have suffered greatly

Forgive the inconvenience, but we must conduct these investigation

It is not the validity of the Padre's religious beliefs that we are questioning

In Spain Portugal and other Western countries...

...the Padre's religion is perfectly valid

But here in Japan we have banned Christianity...

...because it is of no value to us

Truth should be universal

Why else would we teach it?

If it's not truth in Japan..

...then how could it be anywhere else?

All the Padres say that

But even a tree chooses the place it will grow

Christianity may flourish in other countries...

...but not here in Japan

Have you ever thought of that?

It should grow and bloom here!

Of course, it was well known in Macao and even in Europe...

...that Padres were sent on mission to work in Japan

When permission to preach was granted here in Japan..

...the believers numbered more than 300,000

If Christianity doesn't grow here...

...it is due to lack of cultivation

Why are we discussing this anyway?

My words won't be able to change your mind

Nor can yours change mine

No matter what l say l shall be executed

We won't execute you without reason

That's not Inoue's way

He would execute me immediately

Why are you laughing?

That is Inoue, Lord of Chikugo, sitting there before you

It's 300 mon

What is?

You want to have me, don't you?

You're funny

Where are you from?

Why ask me that?

It doesn't matter where one is from

Are you crying?

No!

Forget it. Whatever it is, forget it

Such painful things aren't easy to forget

However low you've fallen l won't be shocked

You've never been as low as l am. It just doesn't compare!

What did you do? Did you kill somebody?

l did something worse!

You want me or not?

You have money?

Money? Sure...

...I've got money

Did you steal it?

l sold for it

Fine

Nobody enjoys taking money that's stolen

Come on

What's wrong?

Spit in my face!

That's disgusting

What do you mean

If you spit on me, I'll give you all my money

Or l can't forgive myself

Spit on me!

And how are you?

You must find all this very tedious

We have something to show you to relieve your boredom

Sanemon Okada and his wife, Kiku

This is your last chance

l ask you again will you renounce Christianity?

And you?

Hey, you! Hey!

What are you doing here?

Get away from here!

Don't hang around here!

Sanemon Okada...

...will you bring shame on yourself as a samurai and still refuse?

Kiku, they're coming for us from Paradise

It won't be long

Padre, please listen

l want to confess

Oh, Padre! Padre!

I've deceived you

Won't you listen to me?

Padre, you made fun of me

That's why l hate you and all believers

l stepped on the fumi-e. l did!

Mokichi and Ichizo were strong, but l am not

Are you drunk?

What should a weak man like me do?

l didn't betray you for the money

It was because they threatened me

Get out!

Padre, listen l couldn't help it!

Get out!

Listen..I'm a Christian

Throw me in jail!

Right. Get in here

Padre! Hear my confession

l want to repent and start all over again

Please, listen Padre!

l renounced my faith!

But if l had been born sooner...

...I'd have lived and died a good Christian

But l was born when Christianity is banned

How l regret it!

It's been a long time

I've been to Hirado

You should visit there sometime if you have the chance

There is the Matsuura castle and a hill facing a peaceful bay

l heard in Macao that it's a beautiful town

l wouldn't say it's beautiful, but it's certainly interesting

l heard an interesting story when l was there

Lord of Hirado once had four concubines

- Concubines? - Correct

The four women were always fighting amongst themselves

The Lord was troubled by this

What do you think he did, Padre?

l don't know

He threw all of them out

Perhaps stories of women do not interest a celibate man like yourself

I'm glad to see that you agree with him

So, Padre...

...do you not think that Japan is in the same position

Spain Portugal, Holland, Enland...

...they all fight for Japan's favour like concubines

If you think the Lord was wise...

...you must understand why Japan has banned Christianity

We believe a man should have one wife

And a married man must not cavort with other women

Japan too, should choose a single wife out of the four

You mean it should be Portugal?

But, Padre...

...why should Japan choose a foreigner?

Surely a woman of his own country is best suited for him

A woman's heart is more important...

...than her nationality

But if it were only the heart that mattered...

...there'd be no infidelity

The love of an unwanted woman..

...is most troublesome to any man

And such a marriage will produce no offspin

And she is barren

If she's barren it's not the fault of the Church

It is the fault of you and your people...

...who try to separate the believers from their Church

It seems you don't know Japan very well, Padre

And it seems you don't know Christianity well

Thirty years ago, l too was taught by Padres

Still, l have to forbid it

l have my own reason

It's not that l think Christianity is bad

Do it quickly and put an end to your suffering

You're free to believe what you want

This is only a formality

It will not harm your beliefs

Step on it, and your troubles will be over

A samurai becoming a Christian

Who cares about him?

Enough, enough

Stop, please!

l beg you, stop!

Renounce and we'll stop

Understand?

If you renounce, l will stop the horse

You mustn't renounce, Kiku!

You mustn't renounce!

Kiku, don't look at me!

Be strong!

Don't step on the image!

She stepped on it!

Pull him out!

Kiku!

l renounce my faith!

Listen to me! Give me the fumi-e!

Take him away!

I'll renounce my faith! I'll renounce!

Give me the fumi-e! Give me the fumi-e!

Please, Magistrate!

Give me the fumi-e!

Kiku! Kiku!

Listen carefully, all of you!

The sooner you step on the image, the sooner you'll be free

l tell you again it will not affect your beliefs

It is simply a formality

You want to go beneath the horse's hooves, too?

I'll stand on it!

Get out!

Get up!

You're leaving

Where is everyone?

At the Magistrate's

Under the Magistrate's orders, you are to meet a certain person

That person will be here shortly. Do you know who it is?

Really?

Here he comes

Can you guess what is going to happen next?

The Magistrate says that if Garrpe renounces his faith...

...all the farmers will be set free

You see, Padre...

...it's not the nameless people who we want to renounce their faith

Many Christian farmers are hiding all over the country

If you Padres yield to us, their lives will be saved, too

You selfishly force your own dreams on us

You never think of the bloodshed that you are causing

Just look

Their blood is flowing

The blood of those innocent farmers is flowing!

Garrpe was brave

But you, on the other hand, you're just a coward

You're not worthy of being called a Padre?

What is your name?

It was Monica...

...but not any longer

How will you survive now?

l don't know

What would you do, Padre if you were me?

You did all that you could

The Lord will forgive you

In this world, neither God nor Buddha exists

There's nothing at all anymore

Did you hear? Another body was found washed up on the beach

They said it was a Christian woman all tied up

How cruel!

The officials threw her in the water off a boat

Even with treatment like that...

...the Christians still believe in their god

How pitiful!

They're idiots! Duped by Padres!

They asked for it

Are you...?

Are you crying?

Not at all!

Have a dink! Why are you crying?

Were you a Christian before?

- What? - l don't care if you were or not

Where are you from?

What's it to you?

Sold, weren't you?

Yes

It was during the drought, four years ago

It was the only way we could eat

Want to see your folks again

What for, you fool?

Any brothers and sisters?

Yes, l have a little brother about this big

l often wonder how he's gettin along

It's a tough world!

Really tough! Too tough!

Do you know who you're about to meet?

The Magistrate thinks it's time that you saw him

Inoue thinks so?

Right. And the man wants to see you, too

Don't call Lord Sawano Padre Ferreira

He has renounced his Christian faith...

...and he's taken a Japanese name, Chuan Sawano

Isn't that right, Lord Sawano?

He's working on another book

It tells of the errors in Christian teachings

The title is "Falsehoods Revealed"

I'm useful here

l help the people of Japan

l introduced astronomy

l got telescopes from a Dutch ship's captain

I'm of use here in this country

Lord Sawano, we didn't bring Rodrigues here...

...for long discussion

Give him the old priest's message

I'm here...

...to ask you...

...to renounce your Christianity

Look at this

He was hung in the pit

His arms and legs were bound and then he was hung in the pit

Then they proceeded to cut holes behind his ears...

...so his blood could trickle out and thus keep him alive

It was Magistrate Inoue's idea

l preached in this nation for twenty years

l understand this country better than you

Our religion can't take root in a country like this

This country...

...is like a swamp

You will learn that

A swamp more terrifying than we ever imagined

A terrifying swamp...

...where any seedling planted is destined to rot

The leaves wither...

...and the plant dies

It was in such a terrifying swamp...

...that we first sowed the seeds of Christianity

That is not...

That is not our God

That is not true

It is not our God, but their gods...

...that these people believe in

We didn't realise that for a long time

We thought they could become Christian

Maybe you've seen it already...

...how the farmers worship the Kannon Buddha as Mary

They love that pagan figure more...

...than the teachings of our Lord

Probably no one will believe what l say

Not only you

Neither will the Jesuits in Goa or Macao...

...nor all the holy fathers in Rome!

No one will believe me!

The saint never once noticed the fact

Xavier taught them about Deus...

...but the Japanese changed it into their own sun god

They call it Dainichi, and it became their god

They bend and change our God into something else...

...something quite different

That is all

Has anyone come to save you?

Jeers from all sides

No one needs you!

Come on just say you'll renounce and you'll never go back there again

To the Magistrate's

l don't want you to suffer. Just renounce!

Get out of here!

Get away! Go!

I'm a Christian, let me see the Padre

Be quiet or I'll beat you!

Who is he?

He's crazy

- He says he's a Christian - Right

Padre, forgive me! Please forgive me!

l came to confess. Please forgive me!

Get out!

Well, Padre, was the experience frightening?

Stop being stubborn

Take the easy way out

He thinks that's snoring, Lord Sawano!

The Padre thinks it's snoring. Tell him the truth

That's not snoring that you hear

It is the sound of believers groaning with pain in the pit

You were brought up after a short time...

...but they've been there for six hours already

Listen to me...

Somewhere on that wall are some letters that l carved

"LAUDATE EUM"

If they're still there...

...you should find them on the wall to the right, near the post

Try to touch them

l heard the voices here as you do now

It wasn't because l was tortured that l renounced my faith

For two days...

...they hung me by the ankles in the pit

But in spite of that l didn't utter a word againt God

The real reason l renounced...

...was because God had done nothing

l prayed desperately to Our Lord...

...but He did nothing

You can pray all you like...

...but it's those believers...

...who are suffering more than you can ever imagine!

They've been hanging there since yesterday

And all day today

Why do they have to suffer?

You can do nothing for them

God can do nothing for them either!

The night that l was in here...

...five people were hanging in that pit

Their five voices were carried on the wind...

...and l heard them

The officials told me...

"If you renounce your faith...

"...they will be pulled out of the pit immediately...

"...their ropes will be cut and they will be given medicine"

Sawano, is he ready for the fumi-e?

It's a mere formality, a mere formality

Notice: the practice of Christianity is absolutely forbidden

Today three ships came into Nagasaki Harbour

They were loaded with silk...

...gold brocades, hemp cloth and two boxes of jars

In the cargo hold of one of the ships...

...we found these

Are these forbidden Christian objects?

What do you think?

The Magistrate has ordered you to examine them...

...as part of his investigation

This is not a Christian object

What do you think?

I'm in agreement with Sawano

The chalice used in the Christian mass is taller here

You're sure of that?

Yes, sir

You have done your job well. That will be all for today

From that day onward...

...Sebastlan Rodrigues was called Sanemon Okada

The End