Onibaba (鬼婆)

A Kindai Eiga Kyokai Production

THE HOLE

DEEP AND DARK

ITS DARKNESS HAS LASTED SINCE ANCIENT TIMES

ONIBABA

Produced by ITOYA Hisao, NOTO Setsuo, MINATO Tamotsu

Original Screenplay by SHINDO Kaneto

Cinematography by KURODA Kiyomi

Music by HAYASHI Hikaru

Art Direction by SHINDO Kaneto

Cast:

OTOWA Nobuko

YOSHIMURA Jitsu ko, SATO Kei

UNO Jukichi, TONOYAMA Taiji

Directed by SHINDO Kaneto

Ushi, are you there?

Get something?

Nothing butjunk.

Is this the best you can do?

Kyoto's been burned to the ground.

They say the emperor has escaped to Mount Yoshino.

So no more big battles. Just skirmishes now.

I can't do any business.

This is good millet.

- Give us one more bag. - Take it or leave it.

Hey! You want one more?

Sleep with me, then!

I'd never sleep with you, you bastard!

Hachfl What are you doing here?

I'm so hungry. Give me some food.

Get him a bowl.

It's a wonder you made it back.

Where's my husband?

Just wait a moment.

You came back alone?

I escaped.

So where's my son?

It was the Ashikaga army that forced us to go with them.

We fought in two of their battles.

In the third, we got caught by the Kusunoki army.

My son too?

Yes, both of us. So then we became Kusunoki men.

It was all the same to us.

It's the generals' war, not ours.

We didn't even know what they were fighting about.

There are two emperors now.

Kusunoki fights for the emperor at Mount Yoshino,

and Ashikaga for the emperor in Kyoto.

That means the two emperors are quarrelling.

At first, we wanted to be heroes,

but killing's not easy.

I could've been killed myself.

Once I stabbed a man in the back with a spear.

He was taking a shit in the bushes, and I killed him!

What happened to my son?

It was three days ago.

The Kusunoki army got routed at Minatogawa.

Ashikaga's men completely wiped them out.

It was a hellish battle.

We couldn't tell friend from foe. It lasted two days and two nights.

We tried to keep away from anywhere dangerous.

The general ordered us to advance,

but we ran around till they chased us into a paddy field.

There was nothing to do but play dead in the mud.

We fooled them.

We waited for our chance and then ran for the mountains.

We hid in the bushes all night. I thought we'd starve.

So we went hunting for food.

We thought we'd steal from farmhouses,

but they were all empty.

There was nothing to eat.

Soon, farmers with sticks came from out from nowhere

and beat the hell out of us.

They beat Kichi to death.

I barely escaped with my life!

My son was killed?

And then? What happened to the samurai who took you two?

Well, he was killed right afterwards. An arrow right through his throat.

He flailed around and then keeled over.

- Right here. - Serves him right!

He had it coming!

They took my son so suddenly that we had a hard time surviving.

I was looking forward to the day of his return.

But only you made it back.

It's a wonder you're both still alive.

How do you eat?

There was frost last summer.

Hail fell.

Frost and hail in summer!

All our crops failed.

Strange things going on in Kyoto too.

A horse gave birth to a calf.

The sun rose black in the sky, and the day was dark as night.

How terrifying!

As if the earth had been turned upside down!

All the farmers are starving.

With all the fighting, they can't work,

and the fields run wild without men to till them.

How do you eat?

Never you mind!

We're beggars.

Kyoto's been burnt to the ground. Not even a dog around.

Everything becomes food,

people are eating snakes, even earthworms and mice.

You're wearing nice things. Did you steal them?

You're dressed oddly yourself.

I killed a priest on the way back and put on his clothes.

People trust priests. It makes it easier to get around.

- What'll you do now? - Is my hut still standing?

- I suppose so. - I see.

I'm going to get some sleep.

I'm exhausted.

Sorry I came back alone.

What is it?

It's upsetting!

What a fine day.

Makes war seem so far away.

That's a big fish you caught.

I have nothing to eat.

What do you do for food?

You don't seem to grow anything.

What do you do?

Do you steal?

I see. So that's it?

Everyone does where there's fighting going on.

They all steal in Kyoto.

You steal too? Right?

Why didn't you save my husband?

I had no time to save him!

We were attacked by about twenty farmers.

I barely got away myself.

You've been waiting for him? Poor girl.

What are you going to do? He's dead.

No use staying with that old woman, is there?

Mind your tongue!

You're still young.

How about coming over to see me?

Lovely CIHV!

Hachi, what are you doing here?

Catching fish. Got to eat.

You have it.

Better to take what's offered.

It looks good!

What did Hachi have to say?

Nothing at all.

That bastard! Not even sorry he came back alone.

He might've killed my son himself. No different than an enemy.

Don't be too friendly with him.

HelP me!

Help!

Help me!

Get the one floating away!

He's still alive!

We can eat now!

This is expensive stuff.

How about it?

Good stuff, eh?

Is that all?

The farmers are all hiding in the mountains.

It was hard enough finding this much.

It's risky work.

Bring me sake.

You've been lucky.

It's a wonder you made it back.

It's a good business you have here.

Only while the war lasts. I don't know how much longer it'll last.

They won't stop fighting for a long time yet.

Not until one side's beaten.

They'll carry on even if it ruins the country.

It's a business with them.

I'll take these birds too.

Bring me some good stuff.

Ushi's got himself a good business going there.

Armies will snap up swords, halberds and armour.

There's not enough to go around.

There's nothing for common soldiers,

so they use wooden or bamboo spears.

That's a good business, all right.

I heard you two do good work.

How many have you killed?

That's our business!

You stay out of it!

Don't you think we should join forces?

I've been trained in war.

I could come in handy.

That's our business. We can manage on our own.

You hate me for returning alone?

I don't care what you do. You're on your own.

How about making me her husband?

Idiot! Don't be so stupid!

We're turning in.

Go on home.

That good-for-nothing!

He's after you.

You see his eyes? Like a dog after a bitch.

He's sniffing after you.

You just stay away from him!

That bastard's in heat!

I want a woman.

Come to mine.