Postcard (一枚のハガキ)

production by kindai eiga kyokai

produced by watanabe shoji & plandas

postcard

etsushi toyokawa, shinobu otake

naomasa musaka, akira emoto, ren osugi

mitsuko baisho, maiko kawakami yasuhito ochi, masahiko tsugawa

a kaneto shindo film

temple shinto sect tenrikyo, summer, 1944

all 100 of you were transferred from kure naval depot,

to serve as cleaners at this facility.

these barracks will serve as lodgings for the naval air corps.

navy air corps trainee pilots from mie and

from nara will soon arrive.

that is why your cleaning brigade was sent here.

understand?

after one month of extremely hard work on your part,

this fleapit has turned into an immaculate palace.

therefore, your duty has ended.

you will now all be assigned to your next posting.

your postings will be decided by drawing lots.

but you'll not draw lots yourselves.

your superior officers will do that duty.

be thankful.

sixty will be sent to manila, to join naval operations.

thirty of the remaining 40 will join submarine crews.

the remaining 10 will go to the takarazuka revue theater

to prepare that facility for trainee pilot accommodation.

that's all. understood?

Iouder.

i wish you good luck in the war.

his imperial majesty offers dried cuttlefish and sake.

enjoy your emperor's largesse and vanquish the hated enemy.

delicious.

hey.

you over there.

ordinary seaman sadazo morikawa, sir!

good. now entertain us.

certainly, sir!

how i yearn for her shadow

the mental anguish suffered, whatever the weather

Iooking up to the moon with a heavy heart

though i suppress my love, its flame always flares

setting me ablaze with love, while silent tears i shed

to sadazo morikawa from tomoko morikawa

from your wife?

that's right.

have you replied?

well, the thing is...

she'll be eagerly waiting for it.

can i come down?

sure.

i can't put anything meaningful in a postcard.

anything personal will get censored out.

there's so much i want to say to her,

but i can't even say i leave everything to her.

take a look.

"today is the festival,

but the air feels empty without your presence."

her name's tomoko. we've been married 16 years.

she is missing me.

"today is the festival,

but the air feels empty without your presence."

be quiet.

Iisten.

witness my last thoughts.

i'm being sent to the front, to manila.

i doubt i'll survive.

tomoko's family are dirt poor.

her father became too old to work the fields.

he wanted to sell her off to a city restaurant.

not really a restaurant, more like a whorehouse.

we'd gone to school together.

i couldn't allow that.

i sold off the only land we had,

so we could get married.

now i have to do my duty.

a lottery decided where i'm to serve.

our destinies are all determined by luck.

you and the other 9 get to clean the takarazuka theater.

you may end up dead, too.

but if you do survive,

please visit my tomoko with this postcard.

tell her that i read it.

tell her that even if i die,

my spirit will be with her.

i beg you.

maybe i'll end up dead, too.

well, that's the chance we take.

felicitations to sadazo morikawa going to war

to commemorate sadazo morikawa going off to battle,

we shall offer three hearty cheers.

i'm honored to go. my family is proud.

i offer my life to the nation.

depart!

i embark on the greatjourney with an oath on my lips

i shall not die without leaving my mark

every time i hear the bugle on the battlefield

i recall the sea of flags that bade me farewell

sadazo morikawa honorably sacrificed all in the war.

Ioyalty and patriotism!

our deepest condolences to his spirit.

we offer silent prayers to all our war dead.

the soul of a departed hero

evil spirits begone!

begone from our home and hearth!

Iisten, tomoko.

we need to talk to you.

you've lost sadazo and we know how sad you are.

we know very well how you feel.

we must all make sacrifices for the empire.

please be strong.

your mother-in-law and i are getting old.

we can't work the fields any more.

it's shameful.

worse than that, i have heart problems.

we need a favor from you.

please don't go away and leave us.

we won't survive without your help.

please tomoko. save us.

father-in-law.

i married into this family, so i'm not going anywhere.

both of you, please set your hearts at ease.

my family are all dead now.

i have nowhere to go.

i wish to stay here.

thank you.

we did own some land.

but we sold it when you married our boy.

all we have now is one field that we share-crop.

we need someone to work it, to keep us going.

you're our only hope.

father-in-law.

please don't say another word.

it saddens me.

if only sadazo hadn't been lost in the war.

tomoko.

there's one more thing.

you're still a young woman.

it's not right that you stay single.

we can't ask that of you.

Iocal custom says, if the first son dies,

the second son succeeds to the house.

as you know,

sadazo's little brother sampei works at the sawmill in town.

he will return and take over as head of this household.

please tomoko.

would you consider marrying sampei to ensure the succession?

we beg you.

to save us.

we fully understand any qualms you may have.

please help these old folks out.

father-in-law.

please don't do that.

i'll do whatever it is you want me to.

my darling!

why did you die and leave me behind?

that's far enough.

i'll follow you forever.

i know. but duty calls me.

please don't cry. it only makes me sad.

sister-in-law.

thank you for this.

i fully understood everything.

tomoko, thank you.

Iet's hold the wedding now.

sampei, let's go to the barn.

it's your wedding night.

use our room tonight.

how can we sleep inside while you're in the barn?

dear, let's do as she says.

father, please do as tomoko says.

good. thank you, tomoko.

Iet's go.

my apologies.

did you and sadazo sleep here?

don't say his name.

never, ever say it.

tomoko is a good, filial child, isn't she?

we'd starve to death if she hadn't agreed to our proposal.

sister-in-law, many thanks.

good day.

good day, sir.

congratulations.

it's an official notice.

sampei has been drafted.

tomoko, i'll survive and come back to you.

i'll be waiting.

i'll wait for you.

felicitations to sampei morikawa going to war.

the hated americans are now threatening okinawa.

our great empire is in danger.

the entire nation must stand fast against the enemy.

congratulations, sampei morikawa!

depart!

i embark on the greatjourney with an oath on my lips

i shall not die without leaving my mark

every time i hear the bugle on the battlefield

i recall the sea of flags that bade me farewell

tomoko!

at 2 am this morning...