The Hidden Blade (Kakushi ken oni no tsume)

THE HIDDEN BLADE

Masatoshi Nagase

Takako Matsu

Hidetaka Yoshioka Yukiyoshi Ozawa

Ken Ogata

Executive Producer Junichi Sakomoto Produced by Takeo Hisamatsu

Producers Hiroshi Fukasawa Ichiro Yamamoto

Based on the stories by Shuhei Fujisawa

Screenplay Yoji Yamada Yoshitaka Asama

Cinematography Mutsuo Naganuma

Art Director Mitsuo Degawa

Artistic Supervisor Yoshinobu Nishioka

Lighting Gen Nakaoka

Sound Recordist Kazumi Kishida

Costume Design Kazuko Kurosawa

Editor Iwao Ishii

Music Isao Tomita

Directed by Yoji Yamada

Edo... that's a long ways to go.

It'll be hard living alone there, leaving a pretty wife here.

Money can buy you lots of girls in Edo.

She'll hear you!

No matter.

I'll take my leave.

Take care.

Get yourselves posted to Edo, too.

Thank you for coming.

He's a man who'll rise in the world.

Let's hope so.

Why do you say that?

I just have a bad feeling about all this.

May I come visit?

You're expected.

My sister's got the house in an uproar making the cod stew her hubby likes.

I'm not her 'hubby' yet.

Whoops? I'm sorry! No, you're not married yet? Are you.

No.

That was good!

It was?

Did you make this stew, Miss Shino?

Yes. With a little help from Kie.

'A little'! Listen to her!

Mother!

Kie!

Who made this cod stew?

Miss Shino, of course.

The secret's out.

Kie made it? Didn't she.

I sliced the radish!

Any child could do that. What'll we do with you!

This?

You sliced this?

Very well done!

You didn't have to say that! You're horrible!

Sir, you shouldn't...

...make fun of her before Squire Shimada!

Kie!

You poor thing!

Yes? You're right.

I'm sorry, Shino.

Come on, pour Samon a drink!

Squire Samon...

...this is a good time to ask.

Do you really mean to take this girl to wife?

Why do you ask?

When her father was alive, our stipend was 100 koku of rice.

That is not so much less than yours.

But after he had to commit suicide, we were reduced to 30 koku per year.

Our prospects for advancement are not good? Either.

Are you not worried about what your family will think...

...if you marry one of us?

Don't be concerned. I will choose who I marry.

That is good to hear.

There's just one thing that displeases me.

What?

You'll be my 'elder brother'. I don't look forward to that.

Fool!

It'll go to your head.

Kie? Did you hear that?

Agh!

Yes? Sir.

He's not making sense!

I understand perfectly how Squire Shimada feels.

What?!

See?

Drink up, 'kid brother'!

Kie watched over my sister s she was married to Smon.

Next it ws her turn to leve us forever...

...when she married into merchant family.

It was as if the light had gone out in our house.

Kie!

Hello? Sir!

I thought it was you!

Are you well?

I'm sorry I couldn't come to your mother's one-year memorial.

It was rude of me.

Shopping?

Yes. For cloth and thread.

Let me buy you a kimono collar? Then.

What have you got that would suit her?

You've lost weight.

I was in bed with a cold last month.

That's not good. Are you better now?

Yes.

How's this one?

We'll take that? Then.

Why, thank you!

I'm so pleased...

Are you happy?

Yes.

Why are you crying?

I'm so happy to see you again...

...the tears just came.

Is your husband taking good care of you?

Are you sure?

I'll treasure this collar.

Excuse me.

Um...

...you're married by now? Aren't you, sir?

Uh, no...

...I'm afraid not.

Since Mother died the house is a mess.

Perhaps you could come and do some cleaning.

I promise I will.

You know, Kume...

...I saw Kie today.

Oh.

I thought she was happily married into the Iseya family...

...but today...

...she'd grown so pale and thin in the shoulders...

She was always so cheerful and healthy...

Now she looks ill.

Oh? Dear!

I asked if she was happy...

...and she started crying.

The poor girl!

I wanted to help her, but I didn't know what to do.

Perhaps I should have just brought her back here with me.

I've cared for her ever since she was 16...

...like a younger sister.

And now she's...

I'm going home? Sir.

You are? Good night.

I couldn't help but worry about Kie.

I was Iso feeling guilty bout my inability to understnd...

...the principles of the new western artillery.

Now? This is vital.

Wearing the fingerstall? You insert the right forefinger into the vent.

This prevents air from being expelled when the shot is loaded...

...which could be disastrous.

Bang!

A premature discharge, causing burns and even death.

I had a colleague die that way.

Next occurs the 'ranging' of the gun. This involves four techniques:

1: Quadrant. 2: Tangent scale. 3: Breech sight...

...and 4: Pendulum hausse. You learned these yesterday.

Questions?

Yes?

This book says the English 'Armstrong' cannon...

...has a vent piece, so you don't have to stick your finger in it.

It costs more.

One Armstrong costs as much as 500 of your old matchlocks.

Wars now are won by the most expensive weaponry.

By money. Such is the age that is upon us.

Sensei...

Yes?

I'm sorry, but...

...I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about.

It'd help if you'd speak the way we're used to...

He can't!

Then why get an instructor from Edo?

Could you at least translate all those English and Dutch words?

They put my head in a whirl.

The longer I sit the stupider I feel!

You find this amusing?

Is this a time for levity?

To prepare you to face an emergency with modern artillery...

...your clan has summoned me from Edo to this backwater!

This is no laughing matter!

With all due respect? Sir... a 'backwater'?

We are hereditary vassals to the Tokugawa shogun.

At the Battle of Sekigahara our first chieftain...

I am well aware of that.

I apologize. We will pause for a moment.

Stupid back-country samurai!

Not that far!

Left...

Left!

All right!

Plaatsen!

'Post'!

Ladde!

'Load'!

Watch? You men. When he shouts, you all move.

That's the western way.

Don't stop to bow!

See what he's doing? That's 'aiming'.

Vaardig!

'Ready to fire'!

Ready!