Original subtitles

In the year of our Lord 1598, five trader warships

left the Dutch city of Rotterdam

as the first expeditionary force

ever sent to ravage and plunder

Spanish and Portuguese possessions

in the recently discovered New World.

Protestant Holland had been at war with Catholic Spain

for more than 40 years,

with England her only ally in the struggle.

The Spanish had discovered the vast riches of the Americas,

and, legend had it, the even greater riches

of mysterious Cathay.

Both Holland and England were determined

to share in this wealth.

Only one Dutch ship survived the violent storms

and icy seas of Cape Horn

to breach the enemy's secret of the Straits of Magellan,

and finally sail into American waters...

the Erasmus.

Under the command of Pilot-Major John Blackthorne,

with only 28 men of his Dutch crew still alive,

the Erasmus ventured into the Pacific.

There, pursued and outnumbered by Spanish fleets,

her retreat cut off, this ship turned westward

and fled, alone, into the unknown.

Now, almost two years outward bound from home,

133 days from her last landfall...

How be the pilot?

I take this watch.

Where's the mate?

Dead. There's the stink of death, Pilot.

What's the course?

Wherever the wind takes us.

And where's the landfall you promised, eh?

Where's the Japans?

Ahead!

Ahead! Always ahead!

Blessed Jesus!

Damn the day I left Holland!

Get aloft, Maetsukker.

No, I'm near death, Pilot.

I'm sick.

The scurvy's taking me! I can't!

You'll get your face aloft

and stay there till you're dead,

or we make landfall!

How are you feeling, Johann?

Good enough, Pilot.

Perhaps I'll live.

At your age, most men are already dead,

so you're ahead of us all.

It's the saintly life I've lead...

that and the brandy.

Bosun's dead, Pilot.

Get the body aloft... you, and Roper, and Croocq.

Johann, take the dawn watch.

Ginsel, you're bow lookout.

Yeah.

Captain-General.

Where... where are we?

Still on course.

You and your damn course.

There is no Japans.

You... you'll kill us all.

We'll get there.

We'll make landfall.

It's a lie.

All lies, from the beginning.

God rot you, Pilot.

Reef! Reef ahead!

All hands on deck!

All hands on deck!

Pilot? Lord Jesus, help us!

Get the crew on deck!

Go on!

Get out on deck! Out!

Get aloft! Fores'ls ho!

Aloft!

Reef!

Reef ahead!

Turn, you whore from hell!

Turn! Damn you, turn!

Is this the Japans?

The Japans?

It is the Japans.

My God, it has to be.

Oh, uh...

Sorry.

Where are my boots?

Uh... boots.

Feet. Boots.

Thank you.

My name... John Blackthorne.

What's your name?

Blackthorne.

What's your name?

Onna.

Onna?

Onna. Onna.

Hai! Onna.

Can you... take me...

in your boat...

to my ship?

Hai.

You... wait here for me.

Wait here for me.

Hai.

But this is my ship.

There are papers... in my cabin.

I need them.

I... me... want to go... in there.

- Who are you? - Who are you?

I am Father Sebastio,

and you are a heretic Dutchman pirate.

How did you get here?

We were blown ashore.

What is this place, the Japans?

Yes.

The authorities know about you.

They crucify criminals and pirates here.

You're going to die.

Where's my crew?

They will die with you.

May God burn you in hellfire for all eternity.

Kasigi Omi-san wants to know

where do you come from, what's your nationality?

Who is he?

He's the samurai in charge of this village.

You'd better answer quickly.

Tell him I'm English.

I'm Pilot-Major of the Erasmus, out of Rotterdam.

Omi-san says because you are the pilot,

you may walk around the village until his master comes back.

Lord Kasigi Yabu will decide your fate.

What about my crew?

Where are they?

Omi-san says, "Do you understand?"

What's "yes" in Japanese?

Hai.

By the lot!

Jesus, Pilot! You're alive!

Where's the ship? Is she safe?

Anchored in the bay.

Where are the others?

Dead, Pilot.

Savages took them away.

Captain-General.

He can't hear you, Pilot.

All he does is lie there and moan.

He's in God's hands.

We all are.

Is it the Japans, Pilot, is it?

Aye, it is...

but there's a priest here...

a Jesuit.

Where there be one priest, there's bound to be others.

Priests and papists... they'll burn us at the stake.

The Day of Judgment approaches.

We never should've sailed here!

Are there riches, Pilot?

Is there gold?

There must be. Gold and riches...

Did you see it, Pilot?

Have you seen the gold?

No.

Well, then, maybe Roper's right!

Maybe it's only grief that brought us here.

- It's God's punishment! We... - Stop it!

We're the first ones to reach Japans,

and we'll all be rich if we keep our wits!

How?

By trading with the Devil?

It's always the Devil with you, isn't it, Jan Roper.

The Devil lives on your lips.

Look to your soul, Johann Vinck.

Will they let us back on the ship, Pilot?

Will they let us go now?

The ship is under guard.

Guards? Are the heathens aboard?

Sweet Lord, Pilot, what are we to do?

We've got to get away from here, this is the land of Satan.

Hold your tongue, man! We'll do whatever we can.

Their chief is coming soon,

then we'll get everything settled.

You think he'll let us go?

Why shouldn't he?

Done them no harm.

The way they all smile and bow...

They're not bloodthirsty heathens, are they, Pilot?

Are they?

Mmm...

Ugh! The same swill as before!

Raw fish! How do they expect us

to cook it with no fire?

He wants you, Pilot.

Maybe the chief is here.

Tell him, Pilot.

Tell him we've come in peace.

I'll do what I can.

He wants all of us.

No, I'm not going with that devil.

Roper, you and Pieterzoon bring the Captain-General.

He's going to meet his Maker.

Leave the poor man lie!

Do as I say, Roper!

I'll bring him, Pilot.

Bow to him.

He's a heathen savage.

The daimyo, Kasigi Yabu, Lord of Izu,

wants to know how you got here.

By Magellan's Pass.

Liar.

Magellan's Pass is secret.

You came by Africa and India.

The pass was secret.

A Portuguese sold us a rutter...

a pilot's chart book from his ship.

Liar!

Soon, all our ships will know the way through to the Pacific.

Heretic lies!

But you'll tell the truth soon enough.

They use torture here.

Lord Kasigi Yabu wants to know

what act of piracy you have committed.

None!

We are not pirates.

We come in peace.

Another lie.

Give him my answer, damn you.

God curse you forever.

Tell him we are not pirates, you Jesuit pig!

Lord Kasigi Yabu says your pirate ship

and all it contains is confiscated.

You Papist liar!

You lied to him!

You filthy lying Jesuit!

The guards... sweet Jesus, death.

We should all pray.

Vinck just did.

I'm sick.

I got to lie down!

Don't touch Captain-General.

Dying, anyways.

Then you don't touch him!

Shut up!

All of you, shut up!

- Get off my foot. - Ah, shut your face.

What are we going to do, Pilot?

Are they going to kill us?

Lord Kasigi Yabu

has graciously spared all your lives...

all except one.

One of you is to die.

You are to choose who it will be,

but you, Pilot,

you are not to be the one chosen.

Lord Jesus, help us.

What are we to do now, Pilot?

I don't know.

How?

How are we to choose someone?

We don't.

We fight them.

With what?

Give them the Captain-General.

He's useless, anyway.

You make a man sick!

No! They'll take none of us without a fight.

If we fight, they'll kill us all.

You heard what he said.

All our lives are spared except one.

How do we choose?

We don't, damn it!

Listen to me, Pilot.

This doesn't concern you anymore.

This is between us now.

It's our decision.

Aye.

We'll draw lots.

Straws.

One shorter than the rest. Agreed?

What about the Captain-General?

He wasn't excluded.

Then let the last straw be for him.

Who'll be the first to pick?

How do we know that...

that the man who picks the short straw will go, huh?

Well, how do we know that?

We'll all swear to God.

A holy vow.

I swear it.

I swear.

- I swear it. - I swear.

I swear to God.

God be praised.

Ooh!

Nobody's walking to death without a fight.

- But we agreed! - I didn't.

It's all right, Pilot.

We agreed.

It was fair.

It's God's will.

Nobody is going without a fight!

Get away from the ladder, Pilot.

You'll get us all killed!

No. No, it's not me!

I'm not the one to go!

Help me, for God's sake!

I was going.

I swear before Christ, I was going.

Oh, Pieterzoon.

Why did they leave him there?

They could've carried him away.

Maybe they thought he was dead.

He will be... soon enough.

You all right, Pilot?

Vinck.

We won.

Aye, we did.

It was Hans Pieterzoon they took.

No!

No! No! No!

Oh, my God!

No! No!

Oh, my God!

No!

This poxy heathen's awake.

Come on.

Get up.

You! Up!

What should we do with him?

Kill him.

No. Maybe we can trade him for something.

Look at the way he's just squatting there,

like he don't see nothing.

Pieterzoon.

God in Heaven.

Pilot, you are to come up alone.

What do they want with me?

I don't know, but you must come up at once.

What happened to my man?

What happened to Pieterzoon?

He's dead.

May God have mercy on his soul.

Pilot, you must come up.

They can have me instead.

Tell them me, not him.

Pilot!

What did he say?

It's a saying.

"A man's fate is a man's fate, and life is but an illusion."

What the hell do you want with me?

Mind your manners, Pilot, I warn you.

Tell this poxy bastard

that I'm a lord in my own country.

Tell him.

He says he does not care

if you are a king in your own country.

Here, you live at Lord Yabu's whim...

you and all your men.

Tell him to go to hell.

If you do not agree to behave,

another of your men will be brought up.

What does he mean, "behave"?

It means to obey.

Obey totally.

Tell him I piss on him and his whole country...

and his Lord Yabu.

No, I can't!

Tell him exactly!

No, you can't.

Aah! The heat!

The heat!

Aah! No!

Please!

Tell him...

Please...

Ask him to stop.

No, please!

Do you agree to behave?

Yes, I agree.

He wants you to answer directly to him.

The Japanese for "yes" is hai.

He says, "Will you obey all orders?"

Hai, as far as I can, hai.

Omi-san says, "Lie down immediately."

He says he did not insult you personally,

and there was no cause for you to insult him,

but you must be taught manners.

Do you understand?

Yes, tell him I understand.

You must tell him yourself.

Hai.

He says

it was bad manners to... to say what you said.

Very bad.

Do you understand?

Hai.

Get up.

What about the boy?

Croocq?

Croocq, lad?

Is the boy all right?

He's alive.

Omi-san says you are to go with Muraji.

You will obey his orders.

Hai.

He has also said that the lives of your crew

depend on your behavior.

If you fail to obey, they will suffer.

Is that clear?

Yes. Hai.

Omi-san says that since your name is so difficult to say,

from now on, you will be called Anjin...

that means "pilot."

Omi-san wants you to know that this is not meant as an insult.

Anjin...

Anjin...

If you say so.

Oh, no. No, I don't.

Like hell.

A bath'll make you foul sick.

Get out of my way.

Oh, sweet Jesus.

Yes. Yes. Hai.

Lord Yabu's pleasure at having the barbarian

as his prize vanished with a glance.

The galley that was rounding the headland

depended on neither wind nor tide.

And on its sail was the crest of Lord Toranaga.

And Toranaga's most trusted ally,

General Toda Hiro-matsu, was standing on the deck,

the barbarian ship calmly at anchor in front of him.

This was no coincidence.

Pilot.

Pilot!

You must wake up!

What?

Konnichi wa, Anjin.

You must greet him.

Say konnichi wa and bow.

Konnichi wa, Omi.

You must say Omi-san.

Why?

San means "honorable."

It is an insult if you leave it off.

Say it quickly and bow.

Konnichi wa, Omi-san.

You must get dressed, quickly.

Konnichi wa.

Konnichi wa.

Is she his wife?

Wife? No.

Who is she?

The woman is a harlot...

common whore, and damned for all eternity.

A slave ship.

You can't stop now, not if you want to live.

Come, Pilot.

Anjin.

Anjin-san.

Anjin-san.

Hai, Omi-san.

No, I'm not going on a slaver.

Damn slave ship, and I won't set foot on it!

It's a God-cursed slaver,

and you'll never make me go on board!

Leave him alone.

Did he hear what I said?

Leave him alone!

Is he the pilot, the Anjin, ka?

You the pilot of the Dutchman?

Aye, I'm the pilot. Who are you?

Good, good.

I'm Vasco Rodrigues, pilot of this galley,

at least on this miserable trip.

rotten-to-hell...

That's better.

Listen, Pilot, that man is like a king.

I told him that I'd be responsible for you,

and that I'd as soon blow your damned head off

as drink with you.

Now bow to the bloody sama.

You do that like a Jappo.

You really the pilot?

Aye.

What's the latitude of The Lizard?

49 degrees, 56 minutes north, and watch out for the reefs,

and bear south by southwest.

You're the pilot, by God.

Come aboard.

There's food and grog

and all pilots should love all pilots. Amen. Right?

Right, but where are you taking me?

Osaka. The Great Lord High Executioner himself

wants to see you.

Who?

Toranaga, Lord of the Eight Provinces,

whatever the hell they may be.

He's the chief daimyo over this whole bloody country.

He's the chief daimyo over this whole bloody country.

What does he want with me?

Well, how the hell would I know?

But if he wants to see you, by God, he'll see you.

Now, give him a nice little Jappo bow, and on you go.

Do it, Ingeles.

Ship's confiscated, Ingeles.

Confiscated?

What about my crew?

Oh, they'll be all right.

Listen, there's nothing that you or me can do about it now.

You'll just have to wait and see what happens.

You'll never tell with the Jappos.

They're all six-faced and three-hearted.

Hey...

Madonna, she looks fast, your ship.

Where was she built, Rotterdam?

Aye.

Do you think we could go aboard her?

I'd like to collect my gear,

and you could have a closer look.

I'll blow your head off, Ingeles,

if you've got some damn trick up your sleeve.

I give you my word, pilot to pilot...

and I'll swear on your mother's virtue.

I'm beginning to like you, Ingeles.

Hey!

Ima!

Ima, it is.

Ima means "now, at once."

We're to leave at once.

Please ask him if I can go aboard my ship.

No, Ingeles, I won't ask him a poxy thing.

I have your word?

You have it.

Come on.

There's a boat down there, Ingeles.

Move fast...

...don't look around,

and don't listen to anybody but me... go.

Don't worry, Captain-san, I am responsible! Me!

Sit there.

Not to worry, Captain-san.

You get ship ready.

Watch them carefully, Ingeles. Tell me what they're doing.

The bowmen are taking out arrows.

Madonna, they're too cursed accurate with those things.

Are they getting ready to shoot?

Yes, they... No, wait a minute, they're...

The captain's talking to them.

Damn all samurai, anyway.

Why?

They love to kill, Ingeles.

They even sleep with their swords.

And they fear nothing, least of all, death.

If a samurai's lord says "kill," he kills.

Their lord says, "Die,"

he'd slit his own belly open just like that.

I saw Omi-san kill a man in the village

just because the man didn't bow.

And you'd better remember that, Ingeles.

The samurai rule everything here.

They have the right to kill anyone who isn't a samurai

whenever they feel like it.

Man, woman, or child, it doesn't matter.

They all serve their master.

That's what the word means, Ingeles.

Samurai means "to serve."

And if you forget your bloody manners,

they'll serve your head up for you.

I didn't see you bow and scrape.

That's because I'm me, Rodrigo-san.

I am important because I act important.

They understand that.

Here you don't ask, you act.

Of course, sometimes you get killed if you act wrong.

Right.

Konnichi wa...

to all sod-eating samas.

Bow like I did.

Right. Let's go and get your gear.

Kinjiru, eh?

Well, not for me, it isn't bloody kinjiru.

I am Rodrigo-san.

Ichi ban bloody pilot to Toda Hiro-matsu-sama.

Toda Hiro-matsu-sama, ka?

Well, I'm from Toda Hiro-matsu-sama,

who's a bigger king than your bugger,

and Toda-sama's from Toranaga-sama,

who's the biggest bugger in this whole world. Neh?

Get ready to abandon ship.

Toranaga-sama!

Toranaga-sama!

Hai.

That's bloody well better.

Those sons of plague-infested lice!

They've taken everything!

God curse all Jappos.

Well, since there's nothing here,

why don't you take a look at the ship?

Where are they, Ingeles?

What?

Your rutters, your charts.

You've hidden them somewhere.

Well, that's why you wanted to come on board.

No pilot would worry about clothes.

You came for your rutters,

and now you want me to get out of here

so that you can get them.

You're right.

That's why I wanted to come...

but they were in here.

Oh, I don't want to steal them, Ingeles.

I just want to read them, maybe copy a part or two.

They were in the sea chest.

Oh, Madonna, what a liar!

You wouldn't have left them in there.

Now, come on, we haven't got much time.

Look, I took your word, now you take mine,

pilot to pilot.

I won't steal them.

Damn!

Stolen!

What?!

Do I believe you, Ingeles?

Ah, I think so.

This was where you kept them?

Yes.

Everything?

Even your Portuguese rutter?

Oh, come on, Ingeles!

It had to be Portuguese.

How else would you have found your way here?

Yes, damn it, even the Portuguese rutter.

That's gone, too.

Halfway around the Earth, and no way to get home.

Lord, give me strength!