Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice (御用牙)

TOHO COMPANY, LTD.

A KATSU PRODUCTION

NORTH MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE

The oath.

Take no bribes.

Don't abuse your authority.

Hate the crime, not the criminal.

Remember your sphere of activities and your duties.

Do not compromise authority.

Those who break this oath

will be punished by the gods.

I, Magobei Onishi, chief officer, swear this oath.

- I swear this oath. - I swear this oath.

Next, Officer Hanzo Itami.

Hanzo.

Don't you hear me?

I do.

I know this is only a formality,

but I can't betray myself and seal the oath in blood.

Please go on.

You.

You say our oath is only a formality?

An insult!

Inexcusable!

You say you can't swear the oath if you have to betray yourself-

That means you abuse your authority and take bribes.

Absolutely not.

But this office receives gifts from the retainers of the daimyo

who hope to avoid trouble with us.

This is a fact.

It's also a fact

that the brothels and tradesmen send gifts.

I'm a member of this office,

and although I do not receive any of the actual money,

I may be under obligation in some way.

So I refuse the oath.

What is a bribe, Officer Onishi?

Being lenient for a sum?

Because of bribery, we've become too lenient.

We overlook violent samurai.

We shut our eyes to what goes on in the Yoshiwara brothels.

We don't arrest many tradesmen either.

Watch your mouth, Hanzo.

Don't argue.

Talking back to your superior? Insolence!

Simmer down and listen!

Our duty's not to protect the samurai, the rich, or Yoshiwara.

We should protect the millions of Edo townsmen and farmers.

Put that in writing before making us take an oath.

Then I'll seal it with the blood of my entrails.

- You! - Hanzo, you're -

Calm down.

Hanzo Itami.

How many years have you been an officer?

Four years.

You've never taken this oath?

The first year he was sick. The next year he was on duty.

The third year he was sick again. And this year

he finally shows up and does this.

I am sorry.

Up to something?

If you've got anything to say, out with it.

We keep peace and order in Edo.

But there are too many things to block us.

Starting with the retainers, the temple, and the finance magistrates,

they all say they're not under our jurisdiction, and won't let us investigate.

Innumerable suspects escape us because of it.

It's impossible to keep law and order.

The matter urgently needs correcting

rather than stupid oaths.

To justify this corruption with an oath

is a rather foolish act.

It's like asking us to abandon our jobs as officers of the law.

I admit it's a regrettable thing.

But that's the government's problem.

We can do nothing about it. Be reasonable.

No, sir.

I cannot set my blood seal to such an oath.

Please permit me to carry out my duties as a real lawman.

Please take my request into consideration.

SWORD OFJ USTICE

Put it on.

- Master. - Are you all right?

Put more on.

But -

I said put more on. Hurry.

Take your hands away...

fools.

Master!

Put it on.

- It'll break your bones! - Please stop!

Never mind. One more.

Devil-fire.

Viper.

Roll up the sleeve on your left arm.

Again?

Just do what I say and tell me what you used to be.

Tell me.

- I was a thief. - That's right. And you?

Let me off, Master.

So you're not going to say it?

I kidnapped girls to sell them.

Who made it possible for you

to walk the streets as free men?

Our lives are yours.

That's clear.

Do as I say then.

Put it on.

Master.

Master.

I'm not done yet.

Hanzo. Are you out of your mind?

On your rounds?

What's the idea?

As you can see,

I'm torturing myself.

Stop it. Take them off.

- Don't touch them. - Hanzo, you -

A member of the magistrate's office undergoing torture!

What's the meaning of this?

I didn't think I'd hear those words from you, Chief.

What?

We're filthy lawmen who handle criminals.

That's why we can't even meet the Shogun.

So I don't see anything wrong...

in testing myself by torture.

Testing?

Chief Onishi.

We ourselves should know the pains of the criminals we torture.

After people are tortured

beyond the limit of human endurance,

they enter a sort of world like Shangri-La.

So we must find the limit

that's most effective in torturing men.

Take them off.

Hurry!

How did you get these scars?

I hung upside down and went through the water and basket tortures.

I was lashed, stripped naked,

and underwent severe torture.

It seems to erect when in pain

like when it's all tired out.

We're too busy for these things.

Hanzo, we're going to round up vagrants today.

You'll go too.

I'm an officer. That's not my job.

Don't complain. We don't have enough men.

Everybody takes part in today's roundup.

- I refuse. - What?

Think you can get away with refusing your superior?

It'll be December soon.

You don't mind being fired next year?

Always bragging of your position.

Why don't you look me in the face when you talk?

Fire me if you can!

Onishi, do you know what your nickname is?

It's Snake Magobei, idiot!

That's no way to talk to your chief.

We can't continue to work

unless we get your consent at the year's end.

Taking advantage of it,

you force us to give you gifts and line your own pockets.

We fawn on you so you won't hate us. You're Snake Magobei!

I let you talk and...

Want to?

I'm telling you our duties.

Rounding up vagrants isn't really our work.

Plus, we're off-duty. It doesn't make sense!

You forget your position.

I'll settle this once and for all.

I don't understand.

Why get worked up about vagrants?

Something's behind it.

If we don't keep Onishi under control, we'll end up getting the ax.

Check on him.

Watch him around the clock. Report everything.

- We'll do that. - If I'm fired, so are you.

We know.

All men, high or low,

have a skeleton or two in their closet.

Produced by SHI NTARO KATSU and HI ROYOSHI NISHIOKA

Screenplay by KAZUO KOI KE

Cinematography by CHISHI MAKI URA

Music by KUNI HI KO MURAI

Cast

SHI NTARO KATSU

YUKIJI ASAOKA

MARI ATSUMI

KO NISHI MURA

AKI RA YAMAUCHI KAMATARI FUJIWARA

TAKAHI RO TAMURA

Directed by KENJI MISUMI

Stop!

Don't resist!

Damn it! I won't give in!

Out of my way!

Serves you right, assholes.

Move aside!

Help me, master!

I don't want to be sent to Tsukuda Island!