Fort Graveyard

Toei Corporation

Mifune Production

Summer, 1945

Frontline, Northern China

Chi to Suna

Cast

Toshiro Mifune

Makoto Sato

Reiko Dan

Tatsuya Nakadai

Yunosuke Ito

Director

Kihachi Okamoto

You're a grumpy-looking bunch.

You should be. I'm the guy who arranged your transfers.

Just like you I've been transferred,...

banished from Division Headquarters

Personnel Dept. to the front line.

How about it?

Coming with me?

Silence means you've agreed.

Let's get along.

Run for it!

What happened to your guns?

I told you to pick them up

from the weapons dept.

We don't know how to fire a gun.

We've just graduated from music school.

Our only weapon is our musical instrument.

I see...

But playing your instruments might draw the enemy.

This area is a guerilla hot spot.

That was hit just yesterday.

What a sorry bunch I'm with.

Let's go!

A tank!

You got lousy ears for musicians.

It's not a tank.

It's one of our trucks.

We'll get a lift.

I'll stop the truck.

Everyone jump in when it stops.

What? It's Oharu.

"What?" That's no way to greet me.

Then... Why?

I've been transferred.

Transferred, where?

I'm going to the same place as you, Kosugi-san.

It's cold.

Let's get going.

Um... we're still wet.

You'll dry off while walking.

Let's go.

We want to go but can't stand up.

Huh? Can't stand?

Well...

It's standing but...

Young ones.

You guys are young.

Go back in the river once more

and cool off. Forward crawl.

What's the matter, Kosugi-san?

They all had a spot they forgot to wash,

so I sent them back in.

Go easy on them. They're still kids.

That lady was saying...

The sergeant is an important officer who

won a distinguished service medal.

If he's so important why was

he let go from headquarters?

I think it goes like this:

It involves the woman.

She's in love with the sergeant.

And the commander is in love with her.

"No! No!" she said, running away.

"How about it?" said the commander

while chasing her.

Then the sergeant came barreling in.

Hey! We're in Feijiazhai.

You're digging a pretty deep hole.

Yes. Wolves come around here.

Oh?

You're digging very carefully.

Five years in the battlefield and

this is all I've been doing.

I'm still a private first class.

I'm Private Mochida.

But everyone calls me the Mortician.

I was a mortician in Tokyo until I was drafted.

This is about the only thing a mortician can do.

The least I can do is allow them

a peaceful rest after burial.

Who died?

No. It's for one who is about to die. How sad.

Badly injured.

There's an Apprentice Officer Obara

in this regiment, right?

Yes.

What was that... guerilla fire?

No. That was Officer Obara.

What?

Listen. From now on you guys

have nothing to do with me.

This is important. You must remember.

He's started again.

He's really sick.

Sick?

Sick, I say.

You'll be dead if you don't shape up.

Stack arms!

Excellent.

One shot to forehead center.

Who shot him?

I did.

What about it?

You are a murderer.

A murderer?

You're kidding me.

Everyone fired, you know.

Only one shot hit him.

So?

Well? So What!?

Your first shooting death?

Yeah. I haven't held a rifle in a while.

I'm embarrassed to say in 7 years of service

I've only held a knife as a cook.

I was a chef when I lived in the countryside.

If you think you'll make me cook...

I see.

Sorry.

I apologize.

Hey. I shot him squarely so

he could rest peacefully.

What's wrong with that?

Not wrong, but you don't have

to be the only murderer here.

No one knows who actually hit him.

It's because everyone has one eye closed.

That's death by shooting.

What happens when everyone misses?

By order one guy fires.

The killer is just that one guy.

I see...

Argh!

Wait! I will take care of him.

So you guys made me the only shooter!

You won't take all the credit

while I get blamed.

This time...

I'll really make you thankful

to this 7-year soldier.

Only rice and water for you guys tonight!

Poor thing.

He's the same age as you guys.

Hey. We meet again.

With her, as usual?

Where's Commander Sakuma?

Reporting.

No need to report.

I know all about you.

Then I will ask you a question.

I also know about it.

"Why did you execute Apprentice Officer Obara?"

Desertion in the presence of the enemy.

Apprentice Officer Obara was

in command of Fort Yakiba.

Also known as Fort Y.K.

The entire Yakiba garrison was killed

in action with the exception of Obara.

Rather than face enemy attack...

Obara withdrew from the battlefield.

Our troops spotted him wandering near

the patrol border and arrested him.

Do you have proof whether he withdrew

before or after the garrison was annihilated?

No.

Huh?

No, there's no other way to see it.

You question me for such a trivial matter.

You then become violent.

Again you strike a superior officer.

While stationed at Headquarters...

You avoided court-martial due to your outstanding

achievements, but you won't avoid it a second time.

Furthermore, my body is elegantly built.

One blow by you would destroy it.

Understood.

However, Apprentice Officer Obara was killed in action.

He should be promoted to First Lieutenant.

A non-combat death.

I intend to record a non-combat death

for Second Lieutenant Obara.

Why so concerned?

Do you know him?

No.

But... I feel sorry for you.

Oh? That's a nice thing to say.

Why?

Because your body is elegantly built.

Kosugi.

Let go of him.

But...

It's okay.

Police! Arrest Kosugi for striking a superior officer.

Yes, sir.

Oh, those boys?

The reason you got violent

at Headquarters was that...

you opposed sending them to the front,

then you chomped on the Deputy Officer.

Hmm...

What's going on over there?

That is the military band.

I'm talking about that song.

It's probably a memorial song

for Apprentice Officer Obara.

"Out to Sea" should be the memorial song.

"Out to Sea" is too sad. Obara was around 22 or 23.

His life was cut too short. Too pitiful.

At least send him off with a lively song.

Don't you think so?

Not my feeling.

I hear it as an affront to career servicemen

and as a resistance to military organization.

Commander Sakuma here.

Giving command.

Salute! Eyes right.

Eyes front!

Reporting. 2nd class Private Harada,

Military Band Unit. 13 members.

We have come to perform for your troops.

Thanks.

Thanks, but my unit rejects your offer.

Huh?

By command from Headquarters...

You will now be treated as ordinary soldiers.

The reason. The War Cabinet sees music

as unnecessary to fighting a war.

Leave your instruments here.

Practice war songs on the premise

until further command.

But... just don't go to Yasukuni Shrine.

You'll be treated badly by the other gods.

It's good you're going out first class.

Even demons disappear.

You do so, too.

You listen to this mortician's words.

I've been a mortician for 25 years, you know.

Full of mercy, rightly take the sword.

Zoo-san. We're not open yet.

I thought you were already open for business.

A new woman came today?

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