The Legend of the White Serpent (白夫人の妖恋)

THE LEGEND OF THE WHITE SERPENT

Producer: Tomoyuki Tanaka

Writer: Toshio Yasumi

Based on the Chinese folktale "Legend of the White Snake"

and Fusao Hayashi's "Madam White's Witchcraft".

Cinematography: Mitsuo Miura Art direction: Ryotaro Mitsubayashi

Production Design: Makoto Sono Sound Recording: Hisashi Shimonaga

Lighting: Rokuro Ishikawa Music: Ikuma Dan

Special Effects Director: Eiji Tsuburaya

Special Effects: Akira Watanabe Hiroshi Mukoyama, Masao Shirota

Textual Research: Li Ma

Developing: Toyo Lab Production Management: Kenichiro Tsunoda

Cast

Ryo Ikebe

Shirley Yamaguchi

Kaoru Yachigusa

Musei Tokugawa Kichijiro Ueda Nijiko Kiyokawa

Haruo Tanaka Eijiro Tono

Director: Shiro Toyoda

Song Dynasty

West Lake

Boatman.

Boatman.

Thank you very much.

Thanks to you.

My Young Mistress and I do appreciate it.

Today is the Tomb Sweeping Day.

So my young mistress went to pay her respects at her parents' tombs.

Me too.

Excuse me.

My young mistress is the descent of the famous Bai Family.

Her name is Bai-Niang.

My name is Xu-Xian.

Xu-Xian-sama.

I live with my older sister and her husband, my only living relatives,

as an apprentice of their herb shop.

That's beautiful. Look!

- Thanks very much. - Not at all.

Excuse me...

Ah, please...

But... I couldn't...

It's OK. My home is just nearby.

Is that so?

I could come to get the umbrella when visiting my clients.

Come to our house?

Xu-Xian-sama.

Do you know where we live?

No...

How careless you are. We live on Tea Lane.

- Tea Lane? - Yes.

I see.

Good morning.

Xu-xian, Xu-xian

have you forgotten to draw water from the well?

Xu-xian.

Sister, I'll do that in a minute.

I'll draw a whole jar of water.

It's already noon.

Have you forgotten to deliver the medicine too?

Sister, you're so beautiful today.

Don't you know how to behave

when your life depends on us?

Honey, though Xu-xian is your brother-in-law.

You should be strict with him for his own good.

Yesterday he wasted a whole day at the excuse of sweeping tombs.

You can't just let him go.

- I'm leaving. - Thanks.

Good morning.

The kid has been a bit weird since yesterday.

Xu-xian-sama.

We've been waiting for you for a long time. Please come in.

But I need to go once I get the umbrella.

I have clients to visit.

It's OK.

Do you like peonies?

Yes.

- Then let me show them to you. - Thanks.

We have been waiting for you since this morning

to thank you for your help yesterday.

These peonies were all planted by my late father.

Ah, beautiful.

Xu-xian-sama. Look.

This pearl is just like a drop of the moon

lying at the bottom of the sea.

A drop of moon you could not give to anyone else.

Pretty.

- You really think so? - Yes.

Which one?

Does that surprise you?

This pearl is just like my heart.

A pure pearl, like my pure heart.

I would like to keep it at the bottom of the sea

until you accept it.

All I dreamed last night was you.

Me too...

Xu-xian-sama.

Please take me. Allow me to serve you by your side.

Please accept my pure heart.

But...

Since I met you,

I have fallen...

Xu-xian-sama.

You are from a famous family.

I'm just a herb shop clerk. - No.

What makes me fall for you is your heart, so pure, so beautiful.

But Mademoiselle, you don't know what the world outside thinks.

Just yesterday, I talked to my late parents about my misery at their tombs.

I'm an orphan. I'm so poor that I couldn't even afford the betrothal gift.

No...

I have long given up my hope of happiness.

Even the clothes I'm wearing

are borrowed from my brother-in-law without his knowledge.

This is what Xu-xian really looks like.

Xu-xian-sama.

Don't be like that.

I indeed appreciate your kindness.

Xu-xian-sama.

But... that will also make your life hard.

Please... forgive me.

Xu-xian-sama You made my young mistress cry.

How could you say such cruel things?

But...

Xu-xian-sama,

it's your heart that my young mistress loves.

It has nothing to do with your social status.

Xu-xian-sama,

Why are you ashamed for being poor?

Or is it just an excuse to refuse the marriage proposal

and to hurt my young mistress's heart?

It's not like that.

It must be so.

I really have no money for marriage.

If it's just for that

please don't worry,

take this money to prepare for the marriage.

Is that not enough?

No.

Please don't worry about money.

But... I...

Xu-xian-sama,

Please don't refuse my young mistress's love.

I'll hate you if you do.

Then..I..

will go home to prepare at once.

How is she?

Xu-xian-sama....

500 taels official silver were stolen from the treasury last night.

Those taels are all marked with the Chinese character "fire".

Now we offer 50 taels' bounty

for any information of the criminal.

What's most ununusal is...

the lock of the safe is intact. So is the wall.

But the taels inside are gone.

Does the thief have magic power?

But those taels are all marked with "fire".

The thief will be exposed once he wants to spend them.

50 taels for getting that thief.

Not a bad deal at all.

What? You want to marry?

Are you crazy?

What are you doing?

Writing the girl's name all over the paper.

Don't you know you won't be able to

pay back our favor even if you work until you die.

I'm well aware of that.

Then why did you utter those stupid words?

Marriage? Do you know how much marriage costs?

Sister.

I have money here. - What?

How did you get this... this money?

Hey, anybody here?

Hey.

Honey.

Come here, I need to tell you something important.

What's the fuss?

It's important.

Xu-xian...

Xu-xian, where is the money?

Here. You see... here.

These taels are as silver as snow.

See, The silver tael is marked with the Chinese character "fire".

These taels are...

What happened? Why so surprised?

We won't suffer from poverty any more.

Xu-xian...

Are these taels really from that young lady?

Sure.

No kidding.

Xu-xian, are you sure?

Of course that's true.

What's wrong?

What's the matter?

Bad news! Bad news!

Xu-xian was reported to the police as the thief by his brother-in-law.

Really.

We thought it wouldn't cause problems

when stealing the money last night. But...

Xiao-qing. What should I do then?

The police will also come here soon.

We will be caught if we don't leave at once.