Ugetsu monogatari (Tales of Ugetsu)

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Silver Lion, Venice

DAIEI presents

UGETSU MONOGATARI Tales of a Pale

and Mysterious Moon After the Rain

From two tales in Ugetsu

Monogatari from 1776 by Ueda Akinari

The cast:

The imagination of modern man is stimulated by the contact with

the 18th century writer Ueda Akinari and his mysterious tales in

This story has been derived

from these imaginations.

During the civil war Early spring at the

northern seashore of Lake Biwa in the Omi province

- What is that?

- They are probably executing Shibata's spies.

- I have to sell before the war starts.

- Will you be able to sell the goods in Nagahama?

Yes, the city fortress flourishes

ever since Shibata's forces arrived.

- I can't come with you, can I?

- No, not with all marauding warriors.

And then you have to take

care of little Genichi.

What a magnificent Samurai you

will be! Such grandiose plans! Fool!

Without grandiose plans one can not

come far. "Plans as big as the ocean!"

You who can't even handle

a spear or a sword!

- It can only end in misery!

- Tell me that when I have succeeded!

The warrior god shall fulfill my

dreams! -Genjuro, take me with you.

- Forget these foolish plans!

- I pull the wagon for you.

What a dreamer! He thinks the future

is waiting for him in Nagahama.

He's impossible.

- Goodbye, Miyagi.

Not knowing ones place! Not

only Tobei, but Genjuro as well!

Money earned in bad times

are as easy gone as won.

The more you earn, the greedier you get.

Above all, we must now

prepare ourselves for the war.

Tell that to Genjuro when he gets home.

Thank you very much.

It's daddy!

Welcome home!

- Here, look!

- But...?

- What is it with you?

- Did you get that much for the goods?

Just feel it! I came straight

home to show them for you.

Now at last you realize

what trading is all about.

What about Tobei?

He noticed a samurai in the

crowd and was impossible to stop.

Dear lord!

Take me on as vassal! I will

serve you faithfully until death.

- A beggar as vassal?

- First, get yourself an armor!

- Armor and spear! Get lost!

- Do I become a samurai if I have that?

- Are you still here?

- Get yourself armor and spear!

Oh, nice! Aren't you happy now?

Nice, nice!

It's like new years eve and

midsummer at the same time!

For many years, I have wanted to buy

you a kimono. But I couldn't afford it.

At last I could! What do

you think? You look happy...

It's not because of the kimono, but for

the kindness of your heart that I'm happy.

I do not wish for anything more

than to always have you by my side.

Look!

Dried fish, oil, dried

sea cucumber, rice cakes...

Tanks to the money! Without it,

life becomes hard and wishes vain.

Well, now daddy must work.

And make even more money.

I'm going to burn as

much pottery as I can.

The last pottery we burnt gave

us a whole three silver coins.

Give it up now, we

don't need more money.

Shibata's troops might even be here

tomorrow, and by then we can't...

On the contrary. It was because of the

war that I could make such a good profit!

That doesn't mean it will turn out well the

next time. If something should happen to you...

Don't worry unnecessarily.

- Ohama?

Don't worry, no samurai would

hire a peasant dressed in rags!

He will be home soon. Please,

come in and get something warm.

Fool! Awake at last?

You look like a beggar! The

greatest fool in the village!

Give it a good spin!

Away with the kid! We won't

have time if we don't hurry.

You are in my way, please

seat yourself over there.

- Mommy, the breast.

- Damn.

Just a few turns more!

You are so impatient,

completely changed.

If we only could work

together in peace and quiet-

and live happily together all three.

Yes, that is the only thing I ask for.

- You have really worked hard now.

- Yes, because I have some plans.

In Nagahama we will get a lot of money.

- You will share it?

- Of course, you'll get a third.

Imagine just to hold that money!

I have never seen those

two work that hard!

They have filled the owen with all

they could by strength and nerve.

But how would they react if

something should go wrong?

Me and my husband and the little

could have it nice together-

- but men are impossible when

they deal with risky business.

My husband, who was so orderly!

The war makes people change totally.

But isn't it good to make

money... What is that?

Wake up!

The rumor was right.

Shibata's troops are here!

- Do you see anything, Tobei?

- Yes. The villagers are fleeing in all directions.

- We can't close the owen now!

- They are planning to put us in forced labor.

Genichi!

Hurry up and flee!

Shibata's troops are here!

They plunder our houses

for rice and property!

All men are put into forced labor!

- They are like wolfs!

- Couldn't they have waited one night?

Hurry, hurry! It is dangerous to dawdle.

There wont be any money for

me if they destroy the owen.

You could never get your life

back! Hurry up and get finished!

Pack some food for the mountains.

Ohama, quick!

So it is here you are hiding, rascal!

Help!

Samurai, without my husband

we wont survive! Help!

Don't stand in my way!

Help!

Dinner is ready.

We'll eat immediately.

- Where is Tobei?

- He is impossible.

- Have you seen my husband?

- No.

Who's there?

- It has calmed down a lot.

- Yes, the guns have almost all become silent.

It is dangerous to go down now.

Let's wait until the samurai are gone.

- It's better to wait!

- Don't talk rubbish!

Please, don't go! Forget about

the owen! What if they capture you?

- It must not die down!

- You can light the owen later.

- Quiet! I can't just abandon it!

- Don't go!

Damn, the fire has gone out.

Too late, it has died down.

- There might be someone hiding there.

- You take a look!

- What? Only pottery!

- Come on!

Look! They are done! What a luck!

- They are done!

- Burnt and ready.

- Are they done?

- Yes, and very nice too.

- So, are we going to Nagahama then?

- No, we take a boat across the lake.

Ohama's father was a sailor.

- You'll get to handle the boat.

Let's take the other way to the beach.

- Will we find a boat then?

- There are plenty of deserted boats there.

Be careful, the fog is thick.

Genichi, isn't the lake beautiful?

We can calm down now.

It's good we took the way over the sea. We would

probably be dead by now if we had gone over the mountains.

Tomorrow morning we

will arrive at Omizo-

- the fortified city of general Niwa.

It flourishes even more than Nagahama.

You and I will be wealthy, and

Miyagi and Ohama become rich wives.

- I will build a magazine.

- I will buy an armor.

A boat!

A boat ghost!

I'm not a ghost.

I'm a sailor from Kaizu.

I was on a trip to Azuchi with my

goods, when I was boarded by pirates.

Water!

Wherever you are going,

look out for the pirates.

If they see you-

- then both your lives and your cargo is

in danger. Not to speak about the women!

May his soul rest in peace!

Let's return! This was probably

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