Sword of the Beast

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SHOCHIKU PICTURES

A SHOCHIKU-HAIYUZA COPRODUCTION

SWORD OF THE BEAS

Screenplay by HIDEO GOSHA and EIZABURO SHIBA

Cinematography by TOSHITADA TSUCHIYA

Original Music by TOSHIAKI TSUSHIMA

Mister, I 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

MIKIJIRO HIRA:

GO KATO:

Might as well. You could die at any moment.

EIJIRO TONO, KUNIE TANAKA

TOSHIE KIMURA, YOKO MIHARA

TAKESHI KATO, SHIGERU AMACHI

KANTARO SUGA:

They're just watering their horses.

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

SHIMA IWASHITA:

Directed by HIDEO GOSHA

Over there!

Stop! You trapped me!

Forgive me! They paid me!

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 fianc, 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 1 857.

That horse.

Looks like Gennosuke's.

Is that your horse?

Master!

Master, some samurai are here!

We didn't steal that horse, sir.

We found it tied to our fence

this morning. Finders keepers, right?

Do you run this stable?

Toragoro Litomi 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 gambling!

Shut up!

If you have time to gab,

go get feed for the horses!

I 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 help.

Ten ryo!

Master Katori.

Should we really ask these thugs for help?

The classic texts say vendettas

differ from ordinary combat.

One can accept anybody's help if need be.

I agree.

Whatever it takes to catch that monster!

Sir, I accept your offer. Please, come inside.

Thank you.

Gennosuke said, "To hell with name and pride.

I'll run and never stop."

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

You're still far better than I am.

If only I could win one in three,

or at least one in five.

Our ambitions are different.

We differ less in ability than in tenacity.

Tenacity?

You will soon become the clan

counselor's son-in-law,

but I'm a nobody in the clan.

The sword is my only road out of obscurity.

This isn't a time of war. You

can't rise by your sword alone.

Times have changed since Commodore

Perry's fleet arrived.

No matter how much the

leadership resists, they must reform.

I will rise.

I'll become a full-fledged retainer.

- Even!

- Odd!

Even!

Last round! There aren't enough odds!

Any takers for odd? Come on.

Hold on.

Sir, how much is this worth?

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

Two bu?

Two bu on odd.

Evens and odds are balanced.

Any more bets? I hear none. Game!

Odd!

Thank you very much.

Hey!

Let's play again.

This game is under the table.

If my boss finds out, I'll lose a finger.

Who gives a damn about your finger?

Play again

or give us half the money!

Go to hell!

Secret games are a bad idea.

You're prey to bandits like us!

- Son of a b*tch!

- Go to hell!

Stop.

Leave it! It's not worth a fight!

I'll rip this two-bit loser apart!

Fool! We can't afford trouble

before getting to the mountain.

- Those were prospectors, right?

- What of it?

There must be gold on that mountain.

Obviously, if they're prospectors.

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

- Is this the only entrance?

- Yeah.

- Is there a back door?

- No.

- What's in back?

- A small room where I sleep.

I'll take that.

I'd like to rest for a while.

Bring some food and sake.

And one more thing.

Don't tell anyone I'm here.

There's only one door, in the

front, and no back door.

The ronin is staying in this room.

It has one window,

which opens onto this alley.

- How high is the ceiling?

- Eight feet, I 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 ceiling is low.

Use your short swords.

I brought some more sake.

It's cold in the rainy season.

Old man, why are you trembling?

Is the rainy season that cold?

Gennosuke, prepare to die!

Stay away from me!

Stop!

Gennosuke, at least die like a samurai!

How can I? This is butchery!

Stop!

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

No sign of him?

He can't have escaped. Keep looking.

Wait a minute!

Have you seen a wounded ronin?

Yeah, he ran like crazy in that direction.

I'm so annoyed. We almost had him.

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

You two used to be friends.

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

At that moment, he was like a cornered beast.

He shouted out,

"This is butchery!"

Daizaburo, have you forgotten

that he killed my father?

I will never forget that day.

Take back your petition.

You three ringleaders are confined

to quarters until further notice.

What?

Underlings like you claim you want reform,

but you're really after power.

Underlings are still samurai of the clan.

In other clans, rank doesn't matter when...

Silence! Other clans are not my concern.

As long as I'm counselor, I 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 lose our lives.

We'll take yours instead.

What?

That was our original plan anyway.

Help!

Father!

When I recall that day,

I see Gennosuke as just a beast

to be drawn and quartered.

Butchery is what he deserves.

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

Daizaburo,

don't forget that when we're married,

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

How can you fail

to share my hatred for our enemy?

I 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 easily.

Hardly anyone ever comes here.

Take a nap if you like.

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

A measly bounty like that? Who cares?

I'm aiming for a mountain of riches!

A mountain?

Take a look at this.

Gold dust?

I was bathing a horse in the river

when a prospector's body floated by.

He had this pouch on him.

There's been gold in Koshu for a long time,

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

So you'll prospect on the mountain?

A man can't spend his entire life

scrubbing horses in a dump like this.

But Mount Shirane belongs to the shogunate.

The penalty 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 sliced open from shoulder to waist.

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