Zegen (女衒)

SCREENED AT THE 40TH CANNES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

CHARACTER NAMES, PLACES AND EVENTS DEPICTED ARE FICTIONAL

A TOEI - IMAMURA CO-PRODUCTION

TOEI PRESENTS

KEN OGATA

MITSUKO BAISHO

CHUN-HSIUNG KO

We'll regret leaving that ship.

No way, not after four years working on that rotten boat.

- Hey, who goes there? - Keep silent!

- What is it? - Let's go.

I can hear voices!

Chota, careful! Don't get swept away!

There are sharks around here!

- Iheiji! - What?

The lights over there, is that Hong Kong?

You bet it is. We're almost there.

And there we'll find Nishiyama!

And can we trust this Nishiyama?

Of course we can trust him. I'll become a merchant, like him.

Shit!

Who's there?

Iheiji Muraoka.

Come to me.

I love you.

Shiho! Shiho!

Are you alright, Iheiji?

The tide's very powerful.

Lady Shiho...

Ten years have already passed since I left Shimabara.

All I was thinking about was the Muraoka restoration and you, Lady Shiho.

Now, after having traveled the world, I've become a merchant in Hong Kong,

with two friends of mine.

They're not too bright,

but waiting for my triumphant return,

I'm determined to swim with the current.

PLANNING BY ATSUSHI MIHORI & GORO TAKITA

PRODUCED BY Y. SUGIYAMA, K. TAKESHIGE & J. OBA

SCREENPLAY BY SHOHEI IMAMURA & KOTA OKABE

MUSIC BY SHINICHIRO IKEBE

CINEMATOGRAPHY BY MASAO TOCHIZAWA

ART DIRECTION BY YOSHINAGA YOKOO

NORIHEI MIKI, HIROYUKI KONISHI , SANSHO SHINSUI, TETTA SUGIMOTO

TAIJI TONOYAMA, LEONARD KUMA

FUJIO TOKITA, MINORI TERADA, CHOICHIRO KAWARASAKI

MAMI KUMAGAYA, SHINO IKENAMI, MAIKO KAZAMA

KURENAI KANDA, YUKI KODATE

BANG-HO CHO, MITSUZO ISHII

SATORU HOSOKAWA, GEN KODAMA, MASAHIRO NOGUCHI

Look! What's that?

Have mercy! We are from Japan! Help us!

If you kill us, you'll be damned!

Look, there's more of them!

- Iheiji! - Help them!

- Careful! - Come on!

DIRECTED BY SHOHEI IMAMURA

34TH YEAR OF MEIJI ERA (1901) HONG KONG

It feels good being on terra firma after four years!

I'm so happy!

Come on, boys.

Hey, it's that way. Let's go!

I'm starving.

Me too.

Is it true that you swam all the way from Japan?

He's funny, this guy.

We swam, that's true.

- I beat you. - That's because you cheated!

Cheated? Me? Dare say that again.

It's here.

"Nishiyama Sea Foods."

Maybe it's not the same Nishiyama.

Damn, it stinks!

Are you Master Nishiyama?

Yeah.

And who are you?

I'm Iheiji.

I was a fish seller in Nagasaki.

- Iheiji? - That's right.

It was you who said to me

that Japan was opening up to commerce and young people should go abroad!

You've been an absolute inspiration to me!

You came all that way to tell me that?

We met in Hong Kong. You told me you'd take care of me!

Yes, that's very true,

but sometimes words just spill out!

Everyone knows you're a trafficker.

That's true. As long as I make money. A lot of money!

Where are the ciggies I sent you?

There are too many good-for-nothings here that we have to feed.

Iheiji look and see what became of all these ambitious guys!

Come on, play on, you parasites!

You have such glistening eyes.

How long will they remain glistening, eh?

Hey! You don't know where to go, do you?

Go to the Japanese Consulate!

They'll take care of you.

The Japanese Consulate? What has it got to do with us?

It's an office that takes care of Japanese citizens.

Where's the Japanese Consulate?

No idea.

It's by the sea.

Hey! What are you doing, you thief? Police! Call the police!

He stole and ate my chicken.

The money is all I ask for.

Is anybody in?

I wonder what I'm going to do about you now.

Work! Give us any kind of work.

We're not afraid of work.

I beg you, just get him off my back. This guy's busting my balls!

- Imbecile! - That's enough.

It would indeed be better to separate you.

Very well.

Yes?

Your Excellency, Shimada the barber is here.

Good. Oh, Shimada the barber... He needs someone to help him.

And suggest to Dr. Yamashita

that he hires one as a servant and the other one to pull his rickshaw.

In my youth, I thought I'd make a name for myself.

After leaving Nagasaki,

I wandered around and ended up settling here.

How long has it been?

Twenty years.

You can work hard in our shop and make an honest living.

If you have scissors, you can work anywhere.

- Good day! - Good day to you.

That's Tomonaga. He's from Nagasaki as well.

- Who's that? - Muraoka, from Shimabara.

Your wife asked me about getting funds to expand your shop.

I found an Indian fellow willing to lend the money.

I'll be your guarantor. Your place could use some work.

Tell your wife the good news.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

- Eh? Where's he from? - Japan.

Put this around his neck.

Hey! Don't be so rough!

Gently, gently.

- Already? - You'll be fine.

I'll take over later.

This is Iheiji Muraoka. He's going to be working here.

Hey! Shizu?

"Lady Shiho...

"It's been six months since I opened a barber's shop.

"I've hired the Shimada couple, who hail from Nagasaki, to help me,

"but they're dumber than asses!"

35TH YEAR OF MEIJI ERA (1902) NEW YEAR

Is Shimada in?

- I asked you if Shimada was in. - He went out.

- When will he be back? - He shouldn't be long now.

Where did you learn to speak Mandarin?

Over four years on a cargo ship.

So... you were a sailor.

- And are you from Nagasaki, sir? - From Sanada.

Come have lunch with me at the Consulate. I'll be expecting you.

Manchuria?

The province of Manchuria, you mean?

Exactly!

- Go to Manchuria as a spy? - Exactly.

We'll go there disguised as medicine sellers.

Why me?

After the Sino-Japanese War, Russia's gained a foothold in Manchuria.

Our Imperial Army must find out Russia's true intentions.

"Know one's enemy to defeat him." Understand?

Yes... but I've just got settled here in Hong Kong and...

Enough!

Stand up!

In the name of our beloved Emperor,

I appoint you as my aide-de-camp.

- Starting when? - Right now!

But that's impossible. I want to be a storekeeper.

What? Are you forgetting that you are a child of the Emperor?

- A child? - Yes, the Emperor's son!

- I'm just my late father's son. - You idiot!

The Emperor is father and god to us all! Remember that!

The Emperor will pay you. Open it.

But it's way too much...

Give thanks to our Emperor.

The single track railway will run through Manchuria.

We must prepare for a possible war

in which the Russians would use the railway

to send huge amounts of supplies and soldiers to the frontlines.

When will Russia begin construction?

Our mission is to gather intelligence on the railway,

as well as on Russian movements centered around Mukden.

Shiho, are you cold?

Are you cold? Ah, Shiho...

What are you doing?

- What's this? - A photograph, sir.

That's obvious. I'm asking about this here!

Eh?

- It's a hair, sir. - I can see that.

I'm asking whose hair it is.

The hair of the woman in the photo.

You useless idiot!

Oh, Shiho!

My photo of Shiho!

Shiho's hair!

Captain!

- Long time no see! - No! No!

WELCOME, SOLDIERS!

Come in, it's cheap!