Blood Is Dry (血は渇いてる)

BLOOD IS DRY

Production: Tsutomu SASAKI Cinematography: Tôichirô NARUSHIMA

Music: Hikaru HAYASHI

Art Direction: Kiminobu SATÔ Sound: Toshio TANAKA

With:

Keiji SADA

Shinichirô MIKAMI Mari YOSHIMURA

Masao ODA Kaneko IWASAKI

Asao SANO Yûko KASHIWAGI

Takamaru SASAKI Ichirô NAGAl

Shinjirô MATSUZAKI, Takeshi HASEGAWA Hirayoshi AONO

Miyoko NAKAMURA, Masahiko ARIMA Rokuhiko TOURA

Written and directed by: Kijû YOSHIDA

Against the power of indifferent capitalism,

a small business like ours can't compete.

Before we're cornered into bankruptcy,

I must ask you all to resign from the company.

I deeply regret it,

but I have no other choice.

I must ask you to please understand my situation.

I implore you.

Don't fire us! I beg of you!

Kiguchi!

What are you doing? Don't be a fool.

I'm not concerned for myself! But don't fire the others!

- Is he dead? - He'll be in the hospital for 10 days.

It's like a social crisis.

That's the Japanese for you: suicide, hara-kiri, execution...

Let them die if they want!

Mr. Kiguchi pointed a gun at his temple and said:

"Don't fire the others!"

He spoke only of "the others".

He didn't give a damn what could have happened to him.

Just like that, with a pistol against his temple...

- How did he obtain it? - A memento of his brother, I believe.

Will the business still fire him?

- With all this attention... - Then this gesture wasn't futile.

Certainly not... that's for sure...

Don't waste time with these antics.

- Antics? - Yeah, the fake suicide.

Excuse me... Kiguchi, I'm looking for Takashi Kiguchi.

- You're his wife? - Yes... Is he all right?

Nothing serious, apparently. He'll spend 10 days in the hospital.

What do you think? Did he really want to kill himself?

No... He's not the type of man to...

- You're from his company? - We're from Japan Hebdo.

We would like to ask you some questions.

She's not bad, eh?

Pardon me, please excuse me...

What's happened? Why did you do this?

- That didn't hurt you? - A little...

To shoot yourself with a pistol... Why?

It was only... I don't know... Like that...

"Like that... "

And you want to die for that?

Madame... what Kiguchi has... How to put it...

He did it, isn't that so... He wanted to die for us...

Everybody was surprised... I tried to hold him back,

I jumped on him... but it was too late.

I'm truly sorry, ma'am.

What will become of me if you die? What's taken hold of you!

Did you happen to think of me?

- Madame, Kiguchi... - No.

I want to hear my husband.

I am sorry...

What kind of guy is he?

16 home runs, a million yen? Baseball's a good racket...

Right? You're one of his biggest fans.

Understood. I'm a big fan. I love him until death.

Oh yeah? You seem to be in top form, no kidding.

Hey, Mr. Paparazzi, who's your friend?

She's a fan of yours.

You know, I,

I always sit in the same seat to watch you play

Seat #7: Lucky seven!

Lucky seven? Isn't that wonderful...

Yôko is a model.

I'm not very smart, but I'm rather proud of my body.

You're direct. It's the same for me: all in the body.

The body, it's the foundation... You're all right!

- A whiskey! - You've already had plenty.

What! You're going to cut me off?

- The team manager told me... - Asshole!

I know my limits!

You're pretty cute for your age!

What are you talking about...

What the hell are you doing?

He's a pain, this guy!

Hey! Where are you going? Everything's closed at this hour.

Boozing, I've got some here.

Come on, have a drink!

- I've had enough! - Didn't you hear me?

- It's not that, but... - Drink, I tell you!

- Are you done, you idiot? - It's my only pleasure in life.

What are you talking about? There are lots more amusing things.

You're a little too notorious around here.

- How about partying at your place! - Okay!

I don't have a game tomorrow! Let's go! We're going to wet our whistles!

Hey! It's too early for bed! We're going to drink and have fun!

I'm tired!

- Come on... - You'll have to drink by yourself.

I'm too tired. I'm falling asleep!

Hey! Get up!

It's been a long time since we had such a nice bed to sleep in.

SUICIDE ATTEMPT!

A PISTOL AGAINST LAY-OFFS

Life insurance and attempted suicide:

It's an altogether new combination.

This man's spirit of sacrifice is rare

compared to prevailing selfishness,

It goes well with the image of life insurance.

No! What nonsense.

- A joke in bad taste. - Perhaps,

but the public is not interested in our usual strategy.

Insurance is an honorable field.

Are we not risking our credibility?

It's a risk we've got to take in this slow market.

In any case, the boss won't accept it.

In my opinion...

it would be futile to try to make him a star.

Not futile. Absurd!

Isn't a great idea?

Looking at their usual ads, you'd think it was the Middle Ages.

They're all stiff and out of touch. Simply old-fashioned!

The clients would have to be placated.

If this project gets the go-ahead, you'll see that it will be a success!

The public is not so indulgent.

Selling a suicide, it's despicable.

The leadership won't want to give it the nod.

Feelings are taboo in publicity...

- Ah! Sir! Well then? - It's a go.

Really?

The president accepted it with no problems.

From now on we'll have plenty to do.

Nonaka, it was your idea. We're counting on you.

Honestly, we would absolutely need your assisstance

for our company's ad campaign.

Allow me to present my colleague,

Ms. Nonaka.

Would you like to be the star of our campaign?

Today, even University professors watch television.

It's a very exciting job.

I'm not cut out for that kind of work.

- I don't have any talent. - Of course you do!

My colleagues and I will take care of everything.

Everything will go smoothly.

I can assure you of that. If there's anything...

Mr. Kiguchi! You've had some visitors recently!

They want me to help advertise

for a life insurance company.

Advertising? And you declined?

Why wouldn't you do it?

In any case, your business is going to close.

We're two months behind in rent.

I can't do those kind of things.

It's certainly better than killing yourself.

Say, did you really intend to kill yourself?

It was to teach me a lesson, right?

No... I was afraid of getting laid-off...

You're lying!

Everyone thinks that we make a great couple.

But they don't know anything at all.

It's too late, we're powerless.

- It's staged. - If you say so.

- You've already sold them? - Everything's settled.

- How many of them did you sell? - Not many.

For such a famous guy, he's not profitable.

- Such a parasite! Like a tick! - This world's a living hell.

It's not just me.

...a masterpiece! Oh, hello!

- I don't have a lot of time. - Then we'll get it done quick.

Just talk amongst yourselves.

- About sex? - For example.

Not again! Isn't there anything better?

Yes. To be sent to a concentration camp and skinned alive.

- To make soap out of your skin. - Terrible!

- I have money. - How much?

Let's leave. The sight of them makes me nauseous.

- Nauseous? - Yeah,

like the smell of public feces.

We can't give up just like that.

Perhaps it is a problem of money, after all.

Well then, shall we grease his palm a little?

We may have to work on this little old man, Kanai.

Don Quixote also relied on Sancho Panza.

A little money will change his mind.

- It's been a long time! - Still living life?

- And you? - You couldn't pay me to die.

Always the same.

Who's that?

An old classmate.

She was always a pain, too pretentious.

How much did we take in from the baseball player?

Divide that in two.

This will help me out a lot.

Are we going to party tonight?

- I'm leaving with her. - You said she was a pain.

That's what makes her interesting.

A paparazzi and an advertising woman... It's the media that makes us dance.

- Nobody makes me dance. - But you're dancing!