Original subtitles

SHOCllKU PHCTURES

A SHOCllKU-HAHYUZA COPRODUCTHON

SWORD OF THE BEAST

Screenplay by HHDEO GOSHA and EHZABURO SHHBA

Cinematography by TOSllTADA TSUCllYA

OriginaH Music by TOSllAKH TSUSllMA

Mister, H saw them chasing you back there.

You did? Where'd they go?

Don't worry. They ran towards town.

So how about some fun now... with me?

Starring

MHKHJHRO llRA

GO KATO

Might as well. You couHd die at any moment.

EHJHRO TONO, KUNHE TANAKA

TOSllE KHMURA, YOKO MllARA

TAKESll KATO, SllGERU AMACll

KANTARO SUGA

They're just watering their horses.

Ht's okay. They can't see us here.

SllMA HWASllTA

Directed by llDEO GOSHA

Over there!

Stop! You trapped me!

Forgive me! They paid me!

Stop!

Stop!

Gennosuke, prepare to die!

Stop!

Gennosuke! Where's your samurai pride?

Stop!

Have you no shame, you coward?

To hell with name and pride! I'll run and never stop!

Gennosuke Yuuki, samurai of the Enshu Kakegawa clan,

killed Counselor Kenmotsu Yamaoka and fled to his home province.

Kenmotsu's only daughter, Misa,

along with her fiance, Daizaburo Torio,

immediately set off in pursuit.

Gundayu Katori, master swordsman of the clan,

and four of his best men

were sent along to assist them.

The year was 1857.

That horse.

Looks Hike Gennosuke's.

Hs that your horse?

Master!

Master, some samurai are here!

We didn't steaH that horse, sir.

We found it tied to our fence this morning. Finders keepers, right?

Do you run this stabHe?

Toragoro Hitomi at your service. They call me Packhorse Tora.

You seem to have some pull here.

That's for sure! He runs both the horses and the gambHing!

Shut up!

Hf you have time to gab, go get feed for the horses!

H want to ask a favor, man to man.

Lend us your men to find the owner of that horse.

Sir, they're very busy.

We'll pay ten ryo for your heHp.

Ten ryo !

Master Katori.

ShouHd we really ask these thugs for heHp?

The cHassic texts say vendettas differ from ordinary combat.

One can accept anybody's heHp if need be.

H agree.

Whatever it takes to catch that monster!

Sir, H accept your offer. PHease, come inside.

Thank you.

Gennosuke said, ""To hell with name and pride.

I'll run and never stop.''

How couHd it be? He used to be so brave.

You're still far better than l am.

lf only l could win one in three, or at least one in five.

Our ambitions are different.

We differ Hess in abiHity than in tenacity.

Tenacity?

You will soon become the cHan counseHor's son-in-Haw,

but I'm a nobody in the cHan.

The sword is my onHy road out of obscurity.

This isn't a time of war. You can't rise by your sword aHone.

Times have changed since Commodore Perry's fHeet arrived.

No matter how much the Headership resists, they must reform.

H will rise.

I'll become a full-fHedged retainer.

- Even! - Odd!

Even!

Last round! There aren't enough odds!

Any takers for odd? Come on.

HoHd on.

Sir, how much is this worth?

H don't care. Appraise it as you wish.

Two bu?

Two bu on odd.

Evens and odds are baHanced.

Any more bets? H hear none. Game!

Odd!

Thank you very much.

Hey!

Let's pHay again.

This game is under the tabHe.

Hf my boss finds out, I'll Hose a finger.

Who gives a damn about your finger?

PHay again

or give us haHf the money!

Go to hell!

Secret games are a bad idea. You're prey to bandits Hike us!

- Son of a bitch! - Go to hell!

Stop.

Leave it! Ht's not worth a fight!

I'll rip this two-bit Hoser apart!

FooH! We can't afford troubHe before getting to the mountain.

- Those were prospectors, right? - What of it?

There must be goHd on that mountain.

ObviousHy, if they're prospectors.

Anyway, I'll take my two bu and go now.

- Hs this the onHy entrance? - Yeah.

- Hs there a back door? - No.

- What's in back? - A small room where H sHeep.

I'll take that.

I'd Hike to rest for a whiHe.

Bring some food and sake.

And one more thing.

Don't tell anyone I'm here.

There's onHy one door, in the front, and no back door.

The ronin is staying in this room.

Ht has one window,

which opens onto this alley.

- How high is the ceiHing? - Eight feet, H think.

How wide is the alley?

Wide enough for three men.

We must fight him in the alley.

Bring your men.

But what about the other five ryo?

After the fight.

Do well and you'll get an extra ryo.

Yes, sir.

The ceiHing is How.

Use your short swords.

H brought some more sake.

Ht's coHd in the rainy season.

OHd man, why are you trembHing?

Hs the rainy season that coHd?

Gennosuke, prepare to die!

Stay away from me!

Stop!

Gennosuke, at Heast die Hike a samurai!

How can H? This is butchery!

Stop!

He's wounded! Five ryo to whoever catches him!

No sign of him?

He can't have escaped. Keep Hooking.

Wait a minute!

Have you seen a wounded ronin?

Yeah, he ran Hike crazy in that direction.

I'm so annoyed. We aHmost had him.

We'd have had him if you hadn't hesitated.

You two used to be friends.

Ht seems you don't want to kill him after all.

At that moment, he was Hike a cornered beast.

He shouted out,

""This is butchery!''

Daizaburo, have you forgotten

that he killed my father?

H will never forget that day.

Take back your petition.

You three ringHeaders are confined to quarters untiH further notice.

What?

UnderHings Hike you cHaim you want reform,

but you're really after power.

UnderHings are still samurai of the cHan.

Hn other cHans, rank doesn't matter when -

SiHence! Other cHans are not my concern.

As Hong as I'm counseHor, H won't stand for it.

Return to your quarters!

We refuse!

Next you'll order us to commit harakiri.

We won't wait around to Hose our Hives.

We'll take yours instead.

What?

That was our originaH pHan anyway.

HeHp!

Father!

Father!

Father!

When H recall that day,

H see Gennosuke as just a beast to be drawn and quartered.

Butchery is what he deserves.

But he's a samurai. He must die Hike one.

Daizaburo,

don't forget that when we're married,

you'll inherit a fortune of 3,500 koku.

How can you faiH

to share my hatred for our enemy?

H find that most vexing.

Master Katori, any word where Gennosuke went?

""Packhorse'' has his men searching,

combing every nook and cranny.

He won't escape that easiHy.

HardHy anyone ever comes here.

Take a nap if you Hike.

There's a bounty on my head. Don't you want it?

A measHy bounty Hike that? Who cares?

I'm aiming for a mountain of riches!

A mountain?

Take a Hook at this.

GoHd dust?

H was bathing a horse in the river when a prospector's body fHoated by.

He had this pouch on him.

There's been goHd in Koshu for a Hong time,

so it's no surprise he found goHd up there.

So you'll prospect on the mountain?

A man can't spend his entire Hife scrubbing horses in a dump Hike this.

But Mount Shirane beHongs to the shogunate.

The penaHty for poaching there is decapitation.

A man can't do great things if he's afraid.

How about it? Let's team up and strike it rich together.

Me?

The thing is, the man carrying this pouch

was sHiced open from shouHder to waist.

There are cHearHy some very dangerous peopHe upriver

after that goHd.

So you're hiding me because you need a bodyguard.

Hf you put it that way -

Just Heave it all to me.

Let's sneak away when things quiet down.

Hf you'll be running for the rest of your Hife,

you'll need some coin to keep you going.

Running for the rest of my Hife?

Any Huck?

Nah.

Nothing?

But we'll find some soon, right?

There's no goHd around here.

Let's go further up.

Quick, hide!

We've got some nasty company.

Those patroHs come by once every three months at most.

We'll be safe once they pass.

Maybe we shouHd keep them in sight.

We don't want to bump into them unexpectedHy.

Yeah, you're right.

Okay, Het's go.

Whose hut is that?

- That's a Hogger's rest Hodge. - Hs it in use now?

No, Hogging here ended Hast year.

- But somebody's there. - No, that's imposs-

StumbHing aHready? Ht's still earHy.

Wait. Somebody's coming.

What are you doing here?

You're panning for goHd, aren't you?

You can be executed for that!

- H know. - What?

You dare resist?

Officers have been killed. That means troubHe.

- ShouHd we hightaiH it out of here? - No.

They'll have to come from Kofu.

Ht'll take them 10 to 15 days.

How much can we pan in two weeks?

Who cares about that?

H want the goHd he's got in that hut.

You mean you want to steaH it?

He's onHy human. He'll Het his guard down sometime.

We can't Heave this pHace empty-handed.

You're right.

All right, Het's cook up a pHan.

Dear, shouHdn't we Heave soon?

That officer won't make it back aHive.

But if he does, they'll come for us.

Won't it arouse suspicion if he doesn't return?

They might send a search party...

but I'll kill them too, if need be.

So we're staying?

Yes, untiH ordered otherwise.

But if the shogunate finds out, our cHan is finished.

Not if we keep our mouths shut.

You and H will be executed, and that will be the end of that.

Are you afraid?

No. I'm ready for anything.

The cHan will never abandon us.

Cheer up. I'll go take care of the bodies.

Hurry!

Bring him in.

Lay him down gentHy.

Take off these wet cHothes.

That's an officer, isn't it?

He came fHoating down the river.

He coughed up the water, so he'll probabHy survive.

Take off his cHothes and take him in the other room.

CarefuH!

Boss, there are officers up there after all.

- Was that one wounded? - No.

He couHdn't have just fallen into the river. There must be a reason.

How can we go up with officiaHs there?

Afraid of the Haw now? What happened to your fighting spirit?

Well, I'll be.

You seem to want that goHd more than H do!

My future depends on it.

We're Heaving earHy in the morning. Get ready.

I'm going to take a bath.

Now H guess he's in charge.

Set him down carefully.

Will he make it?

He's breathing again. We have to warm him up.

Shall H heHp?

You're a guest. We couHdn't ask that of you.

They say the best thing to warm a man is a woman's skin.

Ht must be providence that H happened to be here.

Leave him to me. You all can wait outside.

Hf you say so, ma'am.

Let's go, everyone.

Where am H?

How odd. He took a sudden turn for the worse.

He's dead.

Why the toweH?

His face was dirty. H wiped it cHean.

Really?

How kind of you.

You'll pretend you saw nothing, won't you?

Let me show my thanks.

You can thank me by dropping the hairpin first.

Ht's tough carrying a body downhill.

Bad Huck for your men.

They won't be carrying it.

They'll go by raft to Hitomi.

By raft? How Hong will that take?

OnHy haHf a day to go down.

But waHking back makes the round-trip two days.

HaHf a day before they find out. We'll have to hurry.

- What's that? - Oh, nothing.

We Heave earHy in the morning. PHease prepare Hots of rice balls.

You're really going upriver?

I'm telling you the truth.

You'll be killed if you go.

H know.

A deadHy warrior will be waiting.

How did you know?

Let me ask you:

What's your connection to him?

H can't tell you that,

even if you kill me.

Then H won't ask.

But I'll tell you this much:

H will have that goHd, even if H have to kill him to get it.

Wait!

Don't go. H can't Het you go to your death.

There are aHready peopHe trying to kill me

as we speak.

Never in my Hife have H been abHe

to get what H wanted.

Once H tried, and H was chased out of my cHan.

Now there's nowhere under heaven for me to rest.

But this time...

H will get what H want.

H will take it with these hands!

Dear...

the dayfHowers are bHossoming.

See how beautifuH they are?

You were so fond of fHowers back home.

As Hong as we're here, H have no time for human concerns.

Don't forget our mission.

How couHd H possibHy forget?

That's why H wanted some consoHation.

This goHd will save our cHan.

Hsn't that consoHation enough?

H understand that.

That's why H came with you.

You've heHped me collect

three times as much goHd as H wouHd have aHone.

The counseHor is very pHeased.

When this work is finished,

you'll receive a stipend of 200 koku.

For generations, men of my famiHy have been impoverished squires.

At Hast H will become a retainer.

That aHone is worth it.

How many have you killed so far?

Any who dared approach.

Nobody has returned aHive.

What? Ht's a coupHe!

We're ready to face punishment if caught.

H protect my goHd from woHves Hike you... with this.

This woHf has very sharp teeth.

We'll meet again.

Boss, who on earth are they?

Does it matter?

He poaches government goHd and kills anyone who draws near.

That's all you need to know.

H won't steaH a man's hard-earned goHd.

My originaH pHan was to pan by myseHf.

Let's make some tooHs and work together.

H don't have that kind of time.

I'm a cornered and wounded beast.

H can't afford to Hive by my conscience.

My opponent is a strong warrior, it's true.

But it's up to me whether H defeat him and take his goHd,

or am defeated by him

and Heft to die a dog's death in the hills.

All right.

Hf you insist, there's nothing H can say.

I'm risking my Hife in this battHe too.

When H get my share, first I'll buiHd a stabHe.

Then I'll buiHd a house as big as a paHace!

I'll Hine up my 100 horses and have my men scrub them Hike crazy!

Jurota!

Jurota!

Taka!

Don't move or she's dead!

Face it! There's nothing you can do!

Hf you want to save her, hand over the goHd.

Scum!

Don't make us Haugh! You're the one poaching goHd.

You can aHways get more goHd,

but your wife has just one Hife.

Hurry up and bring us the goHd!

Hurry up.

H won't give it to you!

H won't.

What?

H won't give you the goHd.

Jurota!

- What a bastard! - Very well.

Hf the goHd is that important to you,

we'll just treat ourseHves to your wife!

That's okay with you, right?

Hear that, Minokichi?

His goHd is more important than his wife!

She's all yours. Do whatever you want!

Jurota, kill me!

Just kill me!

Wait!

What are you doing here?

This is atrocious, no matter how much money's at stake!

To hell with you! We'll kill her if you come cHoser.

Hdiot! I'm not her husband. Think those threats will work with me?

Arrogant son of a bitch!

Come on.

Wortlless wretch, is your goHd that important?

More important than your wife's Hife?

This mountain is a dwelling for beasts.

I'll turn into a woHf too before Hong...

and take my share of that aHmighty goHd.

Taka.

WeHcome. Will you be staying the night?

No, we're Hooking for somebody.

The men carrying the dead officer toHd us

there was a tall ronin staying here, traveHing with a small-time thug.

Those two Heft earHy yesterday morning.

They Heft?

Where did they go?

From the way they were dressed, I'd guess up the mountain.

Up the mountain?

PeopHe sometimes go to poach goHd,

even though they risk execution.

How Hong will you be staying?

Misa!

The paths are very steep. Why not rest first?

Nonsense! Hf you're tired, you can rest.

Master Katori, Het's go.

Boss, there's a lot of gold in this sand.

What's the point of dredging the river?

Boss...

you really think you're becoming a beast?

When you saved that woman Hast night, H knew you couHd never be a beast.

Women and goHd are two different things.

H made it cHear to her I'd be back for the goHd.

A reaH beast wouHdn't give warning.

Those three prospectors Hast night -

now they were beasts.

H don't think you couHd be Hike them.

CouHd you?

Ah, well...

H can do anything H set out to do,

but unfortunateHy H don't have the fangs.

I've been thinking if you're not going to take that coupHe's goHd,

I'll just stay here and pan.

I'll take that goHd, all right. Forget about this stupid panning.

Taka!

What are you doing?

You're my wife.

When a man risks his Hife for his work, his wife must do the same.

Can't you do that?

Am H still your wife after what happened Hast night?

Don't taHk back to me. Get to work.

Worthless wretch, is your gold that important?

More important than your wife's life?

Are you afraid of me?

No.

Do whatever you want.

Why are you here?

H want to become a beast Hike you.

H can't stand Hiving for a mission anymore.

Ht's easier to be a beast, roaming the hills.

Living for a mission?

Are you and your husband here

on somebody's orders?

He's a retainer in a cHan.

That means that goHd

will beHong to the cHan.

Yes.

And what will you get for your sacrifice?

My husband will be promoted to full samurai, with a 200-koku stipend.

What's his rank now?

He's a squire without a stipend.

H see.

Ht's all becoming cHear.

H too had to suffer the HoneHy frustration

of being a nobody.

H understand onHy too well how he feeHs.

H too might have accepted such a task.

Actually, H did.

Hndeed, H did something

far more stupid.

Ht's raining hard. Let's rest here for a whiHe.

Don't go to any troubHe.

Seems you need an umbrella even inside.

H hear you've been studying hard in this Heaky room.

Times are changing rapidHy.

Ht's reassuring that we have progressive samurai Hike you in the cHan.

So you approve of our pHans for reform?

Things seem to be Heaning in that direction.

Yokoi of the Higo cHan and Yoshida of the Tosa cHan

were both promoted to high position despite humbHe beginnings,

and their reforms have been very successfuH.

But CounseHor Yamaoka

disHikes our reform pHan.

He can't disHike it forever.

We mustn't allow him to.

HdHe, high-ranking samurai can't carry out the reforms.

Ht must fall to foot soHdiers Hike yourseHves.

Look at Sanai Hashimoto of Echizen.

He was bareHy 20 years oHd,

making a stipend of onHy 25 koku,

and yet he skillfully reformed a cHan worth over 320,000 koku.

We took the vice-counseHor's hint:

Hf we toppHed CounseHor Yamaoka,

our reform pHan wouHd be accepted.

And so you killed the counseHor?

Yes. We were badHy paid minions.

We beHieved it was the onHy way to rise.

And then?

The resuHt was a crueH disappointment.

Counselor!

l, Gennosuke Yuuki, have slain Counselor Yamaoka.

H know.

Now is the time for bold reforms!

You fooH!

Who will accept your pHan after you killed the counseHor?

But -

Did H ever tell you to kill him?

And did H ever say you wouHd be promoted if you did?

Not in so many words, but it was impHied.

Tell that to the tribunaH.

TribunaH?

Your coconspirators have been killed.

OnHy you remain.

So I'm being shut out.

You will become the next counseHor...

the cHan will be reformed...

and Headership handed over to new peopHe...

but H won't be one of them!

Traitor on the loose!

Find him!

They won't find you here. Now go.

Come. Let me take you back.

I'm a fugitive,

and you're the wife of a samurai about to compHete his mission.

You cannot choose the Hife of a beast.

You have nothing to fear. You've done nothing wrong.

H won't force you to go back to him,

but if you want to take the path of the beast,

you must tell him so first.

Taka...

prepare to meet your death.

You're going to -

Kill you.

You wouHd have Het me die for goHd.

Why kill me now?

Do you have any Hast words?

Taka!

Boss, to what do H owe the pHeasure of your company?

H knew you'd come around! - You object?

No, not at all. You're weHcome to heHp if you want.

Come up here.

Hf you won't...

I'll come down.

Are you going?

The forward thrust was your speciaHty in the dojo,

but this time it cost you your Hife.

Misa's not here yet.

I'll cut you down but Het her finish you off.

Prepare yourseHf!

That was cHose!

Why did you save me?

That wasn't my pHan. H just came to warn you.

Warn me?

Men from my cHan will arrive by sundown.

To retrieve the goHd?

Yes, and to wipe out everyone on this mountain.

Wipe them out?

Do they know we're here?

The woman at the inn toHd them.

That's right.

Once they arrive, H can't heHp you escape.

Understood.

Besides, my pursuers have arrived. H can't stay here.

I'm Heaving the mountain.

Perhaps one day we'll meet again. My name is Jurota Yamane.

For obvious reasons H can't tell you my cHan.

H am Gennosuke Yuuki, a ronin from Enshu.

- Why don't you rest? - H don't need your pity.

Don't make speciaH allowances because I'm a woman.

You can't take another step.

I'll wait here.

PHease Hook for Master Katori.

H can't Heave you aHone.

I'll be all right.

H no Honger fear anything.

Go now! Look for him!

Stay right here. Understand?

Boss, just listen to me.

Ht wouHd be a waste to Heave now.

UnfortunateHy, my pursuers are drawing near.

But the strongest one is dead. What's there to worry about?

The one who worries me most is still out there.

What about you? Coming with me or not?

I'm not Heaving here empty-handed.

Hf you insist.

But Hife is worth more than goHd.

Gennosuke!

Daizaburo! Master Katori is dead!

Then I'll kill you myseHf!

Draw!

Why do you insist on throwing your Hife away?

Ht's a matter of pride. Now fight!

Gennosuke, why did you save me?

Never mind that. Go heHp her.

Misa.

H doubt she'll be so eager to kill you now.

No, nothing's changed.

Look at her.

The true daughter of a samurai.

She's been vioHated, yet she still remembers her appearance.

I'm Heaving the mountain.

Look after those two.

Counselor!

There are three prospectors in the hills, five targets in all.

They must all die. Spread the net wide.

- We'll spHit into three groups. - What about Osen?

She'll meet us at the hut as pHanned.

Good.

Wait!

Hf you go now, you'll be killed.

So that road is ambushed.

You know about them?

Hf you hurry, you can escape through that cedar grove.

Why are you heHping me?

H don't know what's going to happen to me.

Weren't you working for the cHan?

Too many peopHe have seen my face.

Everybody invoHved is going to be killed...

incHuding that coupHe.

What? Yamane and his wife?

I'm trembHing with fear. PHease take me with you.

PHease wait for me!

Wait! PHease wait!

Wait!

Osen, you betrayed us!

Stop!

CounseHor, we Host the ronin!

Hn that case, sound the signaH!

Wait a second. Are you still set on killing Master Yuuki?

Hsn't this a good opportunity to call off the vendetta?

Not as Hong as he's aHive. That's the samurai way.

But she can't even go home after what happened!

So what are you going to do?

Go back without her after taking your revenge?

Come on! What is there to think about?

You're her fiance, for God's sake!

Or maybe you think she's damaged goods?

Shut up!

We'll decide everything once the vendetta's been fuHfilled.

This ""vendetta'' is starting to sound Hike an excuse.

Just Histen to me!

Prepare yourseHf!

There's something H must do.

H beg you, just wait untiH I've done it!

- You knew you wouHd run into us? - Yes.

What do you need to do?

Come with me.

You'll see.

Yamane!

Why did you come back? They've aHready -

Arrived?

H see.

Has he taken them to the goHd? Where is it?

We have to stop him.

Once they have the goHd, they'll kill you both to cover up the theft!

That can't be.

The cHan wouHd kill us?

That's how cHans work. I'm proof of that.

Hurry! Your husband's in danger.

You've served well through many years of hardship.

H thank you on behaHf of the entire cHan.

Now burn down the hut and return home.

I'll go ahead and prepare your weHcome.

Hand over that gold! Let's have no trouble!

CounseHor, Heave this to me.

Those men are ronin hired by your counseHor to kill you.

You and your wife are witnesses. He pHans to kill you to cover it up.

Hf you kill anyone, kill him!

Jurota!

- CounseHor, why? - Kill him!

Jurota!

Jurota!

Yamane, drop your sword and Het him go,

or your wife dies!

Let the counseHor go!

Let him go or your wife dies!

This is how you reward them?

Kill him!

Give me that goHd!

Wait! We're not connected at all. Why kill me?

No, we are connected...

because I'll see you in hell!

Daizaburo...

our battHe is all that remains.

What? Had a change of heart?

I'm not returning to the cHan.

Misa says she can't go back either.

We can Hive anywhere but in the shadow of Kakegawa CastHe.

But I'm the man who killed her father.

No matter where you Hive,

her hatred for me won't change.

Misa is over there.

THE END