TOHO CO., LTD.
THRONE OF BLOOD (Spider's Web Castle)
Producers: KUROSAWA AKIRA and MOTOGI SOJIRO
Screenplay by: OGUNI HIDEO, HASHIMOTO SHINOBU, KIKUSHI MARYUZO, KUROSAWA AKIRA
Cinematography: NAKAI ASAKAZU Art Director: MURAKI YOSHIRO
Score: SATO MASARU
Cast:
MIFUNE TOSHIRO YAMADA ISUZU
SHIMURA TAKASHI, KUBO AKIRA, TACHIKAWA YOICHI, CHIAKI MINORU
Director: KUROSAWA AKIRA
Look upon the ruins
Of the castle of delusion
Haunted only now
By the spirits
Of those who perished
A scene of carnage
Born of consuming desire
Never changing
Now and throughout eternity
HERE STOOD SPIDER'S WEB CASTLE
Fujimaki mutinies at North Garrison.
Caught unawares, fire ravages the Fourth and Fifth Fortresses.
And the Third Fortress?
The Third Fortress had no time to prepare itself.
And the Second Fortress?
Fighting like a man possessed, Second Fortress commander Miki
has redeployed men of the Third Fortress.
Our First Fortress?
As flames engulfed the Fourth and Fifth Fortresses,
First Fortress, under commander Washizu,
came under assault from Inui's men, some 400 strong,
who poured across our border full force.
So, this is Inui's scheme.
And how does Washizu fare in battle?
A bitter fight.
Attend to this man.
Shall we strike?
Or barricade ourselves in this castle?
We must confine ourselves here.
Striking at forces bent on victory will only bring greater injury to our men.
First, post sentries at the edges of Spider's Web Forest,
divide our foe's forces by luring them into its maze,
and wound as many as we can.
Then withdraw and barricade ourselves here.
This would be my strategy.
Our supplies?
We can eke out three months, slurping gruel.
I bring word.
I am a messenger from the Second Fortress.
Let him enter.
Lord, the tides of battle favor you.
How is that?
Even as Miki's valiant defense exhausted our foe's strategies,
Washizu tore through Inui's lines at the First Fortress,
raining arrows on their ranks.
- Washizu did this? - Yes.
Washizu did that.
Washizu's gambit has easily wasted our enemy,
and turned the tide of war to our advantage.
Lord, even now Washizu and Miki's men have driven the enemy back,
trapping them in the Garrison.
Lord.
At the Garrison, Fujimaki prepares to abdicate
and begs for peace.
No, we shall not talk of peace.
Noriyasu.
Take your men to North Garrison at once
and slay Fujimaki.
Fortify our border positions, and if Inui refuses to move his men...
Bring Washizu and Miki here. I wish to thank them myself.
What is this day?
I have never seen such peculiar weather.
Make haste. I wish to see our Lord's joyous face.
Indeed.
No, this is...
the very path where we last stopped our beasts.
Indeed, see the hoof marks where our horses tread.
This is baffling.
Is not this the Spider's Web Forest?
Without question.
Then the castle must be but very near.
We have wandered the forest two hours now.
Finding no outlet.
The infamous Spider's Web Forest.
Stretching out like a spider's web,
protecting Spider's Web Castle against all foes.
Ridiculous.
Though perilous to our foes, surely we know this forest well.
Hear that? There's evil afoot.
That was an evil spirit.
Then I'll trust my spear to conquer it and pass.
And I shall depend upon my faithful bow and arrow.
What is that?
Do you recall such a hovel?
No, the sight is new to my eyes.
Also the work of an evil spirit.
And yet...
Look at the horses. They're out of their wits.
Strange is the world
Why should men
Receive life in this world?
Men's lives are as meaningless
As the lives of insects
The terrible folly
Of such suffering
A man lives but
As briefly as a flower
Destined all too soon
To decay into the stink of flesh
Humanity strives
All its days
To sear its own flesh
In the flames of base desire
Exposing itself
To Fate's Five Calamities
Heaping karma upon karma
All that awaits Man
At the end
Of his travails
Is the stench of rotting flesh
That will yet blossom into flower
Its foul odor rendered
Into sweet perfume
Oh, fascinating
The life of Man
Oh, fascinating
Who are you?
Are you human or of the spirit world?
Speak now. If you can sing, surely you can speak.
Yes.
Washizu Taketoki.
Commander of the First Fortress.
What? You know of me?
Yes.
From this day forward, Lord of the North Garrison.
What? Lord of North Garrison from this day?
Yes.
One day, you shall also be Sovereign
over Spider's Web Castle.
How dare you. Cease your jesting.
Why should you show fury
when my tidings are so joyous?
Our Great Lord is the only lord of the castle.
Human beings are so strange.
Terrified to look into the bottom of their own hearts.
Wait now.
Though this may be a spirit creature,
it would not jest with your arrow poised at its heart.
Let me question further.
Answer me this.
Do you see into the future as clearly as my eyes now see?
Yes.
Miki Yoshiaki.
Commander of the Second Fortress.
And henceforward, commander of the First Fortress.
Even today, commander of First Fortress?
And my realm and rank thereafter?
Your destiny
is both smaller and greater than that of Washizu.
What?
What can you mean by this?
One day
your son shall rule
Spider's Web Castle.
Ah, there's the castle.
Finally free of that spider's web. Come, at a gallop.
No, wait.
My fatigue is great. My armor weighs heavily, as never before.
And no wonder.
We've tired three mounts since yesterday's battle.
Shall we rest?
I'm drowsy.
I desire nothing more than a deep, restful sleep.
I can't help but feel this is already a dream.
Our encounter with that spirit
may well have been a dream.
They say dreams manifest our basest desires.
In truth, who would not dream of ruling over a vanquished castle?
It seems your son shall become Great Lord of that castle.
No, it is you, yourself, who shall rule over that castle.
But first, I must become Lord of the North Garrison.
And I, commander of the First Fortress.
-Joyous tidings. -Joyous tidings.
- Yet... - Yet...
- What? What did you mean to say? - No, what did you?
And yet, what if as of this night,
I do become Lord of North Garrison,
and you command First Fortress...
Most distinguished warrior in battle,
Washizu Taketoki.
Henceforward, you are Lord of North Garrison.
Miki Yoshiaki.
Your service was equally distinguished.
From this night forward,
commander of our First Fortress.
Awfully peaceful.
Surely, this is paradise.
Vastly superior to the discomfort of a fortress.
Life can always be improved.
Fine fortune for we who serve them,
but our Lord and Lady must be well satisfied.
Is your heart resolved?
No.
I dreamt an evil dream.
Beguiled by a wicked spirit.
But I no longer waver.
Preposterous, to wish I were Lord of Spider's Web Castle.
Do not call your dream preposterous.
Any man who takes bow in hand would dream of such a fate.
No.
I prefer to remain here.
I will serve my Lord loyally from this Garrison.
Savor the peace of a life befitting my rank.
- That shall not come to pass. - What?
What if Miki Yoshiaki should disclose
the forest spirit's prophecy to our Great Lord?
If that comes to pass, we shall not survive here.
At once, the Great Lord would surround this castle with his men,
jealous of the threat you pose to his hegemony.
My Lord, you have but two paths ahead.
Remain here and patiently wait for our Great Lord to slay you,
or slay him first and become the Lord of Spider's Web Castle.
Slaying the Great Lord would be high treason.
Did not the Great Lord
secure his own position murdering his predecessor?
No, only because his own Lord doubted him and sought his death.
Our Great Lord trusts me.
He treasures me like no other.
Only because he does not know the depths of your heart.
My heart?
There is nothing in my heart.
That is a lie.
Ridiculous.
I am... perfectly content with my station at North Garrison.
Even if that were true,
do you think the Great Lord will trust it is so,
should Miki inform him of that prophecy?
Miki is...
Miki is my beloved friend from childhood.
He is incapable of betrayal.
To advance themselves in this world,
parents will kill children, and children, their parents.
In this degenerate age, one must kill so as not to be killed.
I cannot help wondering if Miki has already informed the Great Lord.
I have no respite from this fear.
Asaji. Do not speak of your doubts again.
Lord.
I've word. 300 men of Spider's Web Castle lurk in the woods.
They have assembled in silence.
My Lord.
The forests surrounding North Garrison are thick with armed men,
all from Spider's Web Castle.
Their flags and spears are lowered, their horses bridled with twigs.
News for Washizu, Lord of North Garrison.
The Great Lord approaches.
What is it?
My Lord, the Great Lord approaches.
Men, form your ranks.
Form your ranks.
Fall in, men.
Washizu, there is no need.
The Great Lord is out hunting incognito.
And thus no need for an official reception.
My congratulations on your bountiful kill.
No, the hunt is only a pretext
that I may deploy my men to attack Inui.
Inui's behavior is untenable.
Knowing this day would come,
I overlooked his conspiracy with Fujimaki.
Take heed. Hereafter, I quarter at North Garrison here,
secretly fortify our border, and attack when opportunity permits.
Until then, not a word to anyone.
- Washizu. - Sir.
- Miki. - Sir.
I elevate you in recognition
of your courage.
Washizu take my vanguard, Miki, Spider's Web Castle.
- Sir. - Sir.
Asaji.
Now your suspicious heart must find respite.
Our Great Lord trusts me.
In your uneasy heart that would slander Miki, that evil spirit lurks.
I cannot agree.
And still you doubt. Listen.
Great Lord places his trust in me above all others.
Thus he gives me the noble rank of vanguard commander.
This vanguard commander
is vulnerable to arrows on every side.
Great Lord is a fox.
With easy words, he cheats you of the North Garrison,
sends his trusted Miki
out of danger to guard Spider's Web Castle,
and casts you, his most hated adversary, into danger.
From the heights of the castle keep,
Miki will laugh as he watches you take your last gullible breath.
- Who's there? - We are with the Garrison.
That way lie the Great Lord's sleeping quarters.
No one may approach them.
I do not seek his quarters.
I come to air the sealed chamber.
Sealed chamber?
The place where the former Lord, Fujimaki, took his life.
No scrubbing will cleanse the bloodstained floor,
and thus the chamber remains locked.
Why open the room on such a night?
The Great Lord sleeps in our Lord's chambers,
thus he must rest here.
I thank you for your labors. You may pass.
Most peculiar.
Though I have waded through endless mires of battle dead,
these blood stains never fail to chill my spine.
For this is dog's blood.
The blood of a traitor most foul
who, when his rash schemes failed,
begged our Great Lord for his life. This is coward's blood.
Damn, even the birds cry ominously.
You accuse me of doubting too deeply.
Yet even my distrustful heart,
cannot help but trust that spirit's prophecy.
Open your eyes and look for yourself.
Each truthful provision of that prophecy
has come to pass, without the slightest help from you.
Do you still not comprehend it?
The Great Lord himself has flown into your very hands.
If you let this night pass, such an opportunity will never come again.
And yet...
under what pretext can I commit high treason?
In any case, all his men will turn against me.
Though the Great Lord claims to trust you,
he's left Noriyasu's men to guard him. This is our good fortune.
We'll quench their thirst with a sleeping potion mixed in sake.
As his guards dream, you shall slay the Great Lord,
and denounce Noriyasu as the murderer to his own men.
What do you hear in that bird's cry?
''Will you risk the world?''
So it sounds to me.
Ambition makes the man.
From your stronghold, Spider's Web,
you may yet aspire to all the world. The cry is from heaven.
Who's there?
Your sleeping quarters are ready.
Good work.
And how did you leave the Great Lord's guards?
Spears poised, they maintain their sleepless vigil.
Indeed they do.
Let us offer them some sake, then.
Intruders! Intruders!
Take arms!
The Great Lord is in danger.
Traitor.
- Let me go. - You must hold your temper.
First, back to the castle, Prince.
Let me go.
Surely this is Washizu's work.
Flee now and they mark us traitors.
Hear my story, Prince.
No justice for the dead.
Let me go. Let go of me.
Do not heed the minions. Noriyasu is our only foe.
- Where's Noriyasu? - He was nearly ours.
So he's escaped.
He fled to the castle with the prince.
What, to the castle with the prince?
My God. Spider's Web Castle is in Miki's charge.
If he admits those two...
Admitting those foul traitors insults our Great Lord.
Press forward.
Give chase.
Ready your arrows.
Damn them.
Word for Lord Miki.
As he prepared to attack Inui, our Great Lord died tragically,
in the Garrison at Washizu's treasonous hand.
I, Noriyasu, fought my way back
to this castle with the prince under my protection.
Open the gates in haste.
Open the gates.
Lord Miki.
Washizu swiftly approaches.
Open the gates.
Miki, how dare you?
Prince.
Strike them, Lord.
Hold back.
Give chase and strike them, Lord.
No, hold back.
We cannot move until we perceive Miki's design.
With our Great Lord gone,
Miki may plan to usurp the throne,
and then Miki himself will become our next enemy.
Lord.