Portrait of Hell (地獄変)

PORTRAIT OF HELL

Executive Producer TOMOYUKI TANAKA

Story by RYUNOSUKE AKUTAGAWA

Music by YASUSHI AKUTAGAWA

Art Director SHINOBU MURAKI

CAST

KINNOSUKE NAKAMURA as the lord

YOKO NAITO as Yoshika

SHUN ODE as Hiromi

with TATSUHEl SHIMOKAWA MASAO IMAFUKU

TATSUYA NAKADAI as Yoshihide the artist

Directed by SHIRO TOYODA

In old Japan, about ten centuries ago, in the Heian era

the Fujiwara clan ruled the county.

Adding to their poor administration,

famine and disaster plagued the land.

The people, except aristocrats, were in despair.

Even in the hearts of the aristocrats,

fear and anxiety grew heavier by the day.

They were fearful and uneasy about everything.

All right. I'll go home.

Get ready.

The lord is leaving!

The lord is leaving!

The lord is leaving!

Pay me.

Please pay me!

No!

Pay me! Please pay me!

I belong to the lord's clan!

The lord's ox!

I'll curse you my lord, even to my seventh life!

You impose heavy taxes on us and collect them mercilessly.

You force us to work like slaves.

We're condemned to live a dog's life.

Get out of here! The lord is leaving.

Come on! Move it!

Is Yoshihide here?

Yoshihide, come in.

I have received, from your county of Korea,

a coded message from the king.

But... I see

It's written on the crow feathers.

The feathers and the ink are black. No one can read it.

How do you read it?

You must know something we don't.

First, steam the feathers with boiled rice.

Next, apply silk cloth onto them to copy the letters.

That's how we read secret messages in Korea.

You heard him? Do it.

You've done very well, Yoshihide.

Take it.

You dislike gold?

I thought you sent for me

for an order of painting.

My lord. I, Yoshihide, am an artist.

Why don't you let me paint on the wall on your new temple?

Then, paint a picture that I like to see.

You modelled an Angel on a humble entertainer

and the God of Fire on an imprisoned outlaw.

I admit your pictures are marvellous.

But you dote on technique and think little of heart.

I want to see paradise on the walls of my temple.

But you're ignorant of Buddhism.

Your pictures are grotesque.

You paint what's dark and ugly.

Your pictures lack heart and warmness.

I portray

only the truths I see with my own eyes.

Only the truths. I cannot paint lies

The same old mule.

Then, portray a truth that will convince me.

Be quiet.

Or I won't feed you nuts.

What's wrong with you today?

Jealousy.

Oh, Hiromi!

Don't move, Yoshika.

Comb your hair in the stream like you did.

Beautiful!

Give my flute back! No.

Give it back Yoshika.

I won't! No I wont!

I'll play for you.

Yoshika!

What were you doing?

What were you... with this person?

I love him.

Master! Please!

No!

I expel you!

Yoshika!

Hiromi!

Yoshika!

Get away!

Hiromi!

Father! No!

Master, please!

No, father!

Please! Father!

Is this Hiromi's?

Is this his picture?

Master! Let me marry her.

Let me!

No!

Is it because I'm not a Korean like you?

Shut up!

No one shall have her!

Get out!

Get out!

You look sad.

What happened?

You're silent and miserable. My sympathies. What's wrong?

Some just stay unhappy.

Others seek vengeance.

There's a place for the vengeful. Shall I take you there?

I'm a bandit.

A bandit?!

Afraid, flutist?

I'm a painter.

Does painting ease your pain?

No. My teacher kicked me out.

Then you can paint by yourself!

But...

He took the most precious thing I had.

Force him to give it back!

What counts is power!

Our power!

There'll soon be a lot of changes around here.

Come!

Afraid?

Coward!

Yoshika?

Yoshika!

Yoshika!

Who opened the door?

Who?.

The monkey.

The monkey?

Hiromi! Play the flute!

Take me with you! Hiromi!

Play the flute!

Where you go I follow.

You read the letter?

Yes, my lord.

Truly an excellent shot!

This is the copy of the Korean letter.

The Korean king requests our cooperation to conquer

the Tartars who threaten his country.

What'll we write in reply?

Nothing.

That's unreasonable... We'll conquer both of them.

But this is a chance... Say no more!

Okay!

We're powerful enough to beat them alone.

Where did it come from? A nice target.

No! Don't shoot it!

It's mine!

Don't shoot!

The monkey is mine! -Get away from the lord!

Don't shoot my monkey!

You'll be punished for this! -Please! Not my monkey!

Wait.

No violence.

My lord!

Bring her.

What'll he do with my daughter?

I told you. The lord took a fancy to her at first sight.

He wants her as a concubine.

He's benevolent. Congratulations! No!

I refuse!

This is delicious. What flavour.

Where is it from?

Deaf fool!

You said China?

Of course. Where else? Where else?

Yoshika is mine.

Give her back to me. She's my daughter.

She's my treasure. I brought her up single-handed.

A concubine, of all things!

Don't talk nonsense!

The lord is a man of fortune and power.

He'll make her happy.

Let me remind you that she left home to find her lover. She's nobody's daughter

She left home?

So she said...

That's a lie! A terrible lie!

That can't be true. That's ridiculous.

Look at these.

All her kimono are here.

Yoshika.

She's my only treasure.

Take anything but my daughter!

I'm a mere messenger.

If you disagree, tell the lord face to face.

The messenger is leaving!

You think you can steal my daughter from me? Yoshika.

Where's Yoshihide's daughter?!

My lord, she shut herself up in her room.

What an ungrateful girl!