Zatoichi 11 - Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (座頭市逆手斬り)

A DAIEI CO. LTD. PRODUCTION

Could you hold on a second?

What's the problem?

How many more lashes are there going to be?

You're half done.

I can't stand much more. I think the pain is making me blind.

Son of a bitch! You're blind to begin with.

If I may, sir.

What now? Why don't you just shut up until we're done?

Well, I can't help wondering

about that man named Shimazo I was in jail with last night.

Quiet! He's no concern of yours.

37...

It's not true. I never did any of those things.

Why is this happening to me?

I've done nothing but work hard all my life.

How can it all be swept away just like that?

Did I say something just now?

No, not really.

Mister.

I wonder if I could ask a favor of you.

It's a matter of life or death.

But I'm locked up in -

You're only in for illegal gambling, right?

The authorities haul in a few people now and then just for show.

Come morning they'll give you fifty or a hundred lashes

and send you on your way.

Really?

But if I don't get help,

they're going to condemn me to die for crimes I didn't commit.

A couple weeks ago, I came here from Choshi.

There'd been some trouble,

and I came in place of the boss to cool things off.

But the moment I got here to Shimokura,

the police picked me up.

The next thing I knew I was locked up in here,

charged with housebreaking, arson

and even the murder of a townsman.

There's not a shred of truth to any of the charges.

There are two people

who can vouch for my innocence.

One is Senpachi Kurouma in Oarai.

He's my sworn brother.

The other one is Boss Jubei Araiso in Choshi.

I want you to take a message to these two men.

Tell them Shimazo Katase -

that's my name -

tell them Shimazo Katase is about to die

for crimes he never committed.

All they have to do is tell the authorities who I am,

and the charges against me will be dropped in a snap.

This is nothing but a case of mistaken identity.

Please, mister. You've got to help me.

Locked up in here like this, I've got no one else to turn to.

That's why I'm begging you, please.

I'll be eternally grateful.

And one more thing. Back home by the Tone River,

my wife and daughter must be worried sick.

Please tell them I'm all right

and that I'll be coming home soon.

You've got to do this for me, mister.

You've got to. Please.

ZATOICHI AND THE DOOMED MAN

Produced by SADAO ZAIZEN

Original story by KAN SHIMOZAWA Screenplay by SHOZABURO ASAI

Cinematography by HIROSHI IMAI Art Direction by SEIICHI OTA

Original Music by SEITARO OMORI Edited by TOSHIO TANIGUCHI

Starring:

SHINTARO KATSU

KANBI FUJIYAMA EIKO TAKI and MASAKO AKEBOSHI

KENJIRO ISHIYAMA RYUZO SHIMADA, KOICHI MIZUHARA

MANABU MORITA GEN HARADA, SACHIKO MURASE

KAZUO MORIUCHI, TOKIO OKI HAJIME KOSHIKAWA, YUKIO HORIKITA

Directed by KAZUO MORI

Oarai.

Aota.

Every time someone asks me a favor like this, I get into trouble.

Maybe I should skip it.

But if what that Shimazo guy says is true,

you've got to feel sorry for him.

On the other hand, I have to worry about my own life first.

Yeah, I think I'll skip it.

A hit!

That's five ryo, mister. Care to try for ten?

Sure, why not? I'll go for it.

Hey, the target got a lot smaller.

Here goes.

- A hit! - You're really something.

Now you've won ten ryo.

Go for twenty?

No, I think I'll stop here.

Are you sure? We're talking twenty big ones.

No, I think I'll quit at ten.

Excuse me. Mind if I join you?

Sounds like you're talking about big money here.

Not for a blind man.

Would you mind telling me which one's the 20 ryo target?

What good will that do? You can't see it anyway.

If someone could just tap on the target for me,

I'll aim with my ears.

Look here, mister.

Don't give me that.

You think you can hit it without even being able to see?

- You never know unless you try. - I suppose you think that's funny.

Look. Think about it.

I've got two good eyes, but I quit at ten ryo . Right?

How can a man who can't see hit something so -

Hey! Are you making fun of me? - Not at all, sir.

You better not be. Look.

I started at one ryo, and finally worked my way up to ten.

If you screw up,

even my winnings will go down the drain.

Well, it's too much trouble for me to work my way up from one ryo.

So tell you what.

I'll pay you your ten ryo up front.

Ten ryo?

Give me just one second here.

Here you go. Ten ryo.

All right.

Now then,

could someone tap on the target for me?

A hit!

So I hit it, didn't I?

I can't believe you hit it.

I'd like to let that 20 ryo ride

and go for 30 while I'm at it.

Hold on, mister.

Don't push your luck. Quit while you're ahead.

Just let me try it.

Thank you very much.

Aren't there any more targets?

If not, I suppose I'll collect my 50 ryo.

Here. Your 50 ryo.

Thanks.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. It's been a pleasure.

If you please.

Thank you very much.

Hey.

That was quite a show you put on there.

- You're really amazing. - That's nice of you to say.

I see you're dressed for travel. Where are you headed?

- I'm on my way to Tsuchiura. - I'm going that way.

You know, there are a lot of bad characters in this town.

Maybe you should let me take care of that money for you.

- That's quite all right. - You needn't worry.

Feel this? As you can tell, I'm a traveling monk.

Your money will be safe with me.

They say even chance meetings are ordained by the bonds of fate.

So just give it to me. I'll take care -

Yeah?

What do you think you're doing? - Get lost.

What the - Never mind.

Wait a second, mister. Just a second.

It's Zatoichi!

This is no fun.

My apologies.

It's hard to walk very fast when you can't see.

I'm not talking about how fast you walk.

Look. The only reason you scored big last night

is that I'd already set things up for you.

You just stepped in at the end and finished things off.

Isn't that right?

- Yes, that's right. - That's right.

So it seems to me we should go fifty-fifty on the winnings.

What's the matter? That's not enough for you?

No, that's fine.

Good. I want to be clear about this.

Since we've been thrown together in our travels like this,

we need to agree from the start that profits get split fifty-fifty.

Otherwise there could be trouble, and that wouldn't be funny.

You think it's funny that I don't think it would be funny?

No.

Good. I hope not. We don't want trouble.

But you know,

that blind swordplay of yours is really amazing stuff.

It's nothing special, really. It's just that when I get scared,

I start flailing around like crazy trying to escape the fear.

Where the hell did he go? He can't have gone very far.

Hey, did you two see anyone come this way?

Damn! They're blind and deaf. Let's keep looking.

I beg you, please help me.

You've got to help me.

Help you how?

Those three men are after me.

Please. You've got to take me to Oarai.

Hey, that's a nasty looking wound you've got.

We could never get you there in that condition

without a horse or palanquin. What's so urgent, anyway?

I managed to raise some money for the shop,

but if I don't get the certified bill there by sundown today,

the shop will have to go out of business.

So those three guys just now were after the bill?

That's right.

I see.

But there's no way you can get there in your condition.

Besides, if you show yourself now, those guys will work you over.

How about if I deliver the bill for you?

- You? - Sure.