What?
Lady Toda.
What?
Report from the front gate.
Someone in strange garments threw in this thing...
without telling who it was.
This is from Yoshida, a former vassal at Ako.
Read it for me.
Last night, 47 men headed by Oishi...
raided Kira's residence.
Oishi and men?
They attacked in two parties:
from the front and the rear...
as they had so planned.
They raided Kira's chamber...
but his bed was empty...
and only his sword was left.
They searched everywhere, but...
Kira was nowhere in sight.
They missed him?
After searching three times...
they heard a voice from...
behind the chamber, in a shed.
Takebayashi and Hazama broke the door.
They killed the man inside who was Kira for certain.
They looked for the scar on his back...
where our lord brought...
his sword of rage. It was there, it was Kira.
The head.
I have brought the head...
of Kira.
Our enemy, my lord.
Since what happened...
at Pine Corridor last March...
to revenge your humiliation...
we, who owed our lord...
in all ways of life gathered...
in determination.
How we looked forward to this day.
Through various hardships.
Humiliated, despised.
Some lacked daily meals.
Some impatient braves couldn't bear...
waiting.
Old men or sick men--
they hated to die of age or disease.
They wanted to die for loyalty.
Success was their second importance.
I suppressed them...
and finally succeeded...
in raiding Kira's place.
We brought his head here.
I hope it will satisfy your resentment now.
I report representing 47 loyal samurai.
Ever since the unhappy accident...
I feel for you all and thank you on the lord's behalf.
You saw many hardships.
Our lord must appreciate what you have done.
From so old and to so young...
good of you to have accomplished it with me.
Let me express my thanks to you all.
Chuza.
Suke.
Now that we've done what we should...
I want you to go to the officials.
Report all that happened since last night.
Sukeyemon.
What's wrong?
I must stay with the others.
All that is left for us is...
to commit hari-kiri.
I wish to stay here with my comrades.
How we have succeeded with heaven's blessing.
No hurry in dying.
What are you--
We saw many hardships...
in order to show...
true samurai spirit.
It's easy to commit hara-kiri now.
After all, we've violated the law.
We must respect the law.
We must obey it as good citizens.
We should calmly wait for the law's judgment.
It is the only way left for us.
This way we can take our stand as samurai, I think.
I understand. I'm glad to do my job.
Ako vassals had been kept in the custody...
of the house of Lord Hosokawa and other daimyos.
And the judgment had not been made for some time.
After 40 days sentenced to hara-kiri.
Time: February 3, 1703.
Place: Lord Hosokawa's mansion
No, sire. I cannot do it.
I beg you to ask someone else.
You've been visiting the Atago shrine...
praying for the life of Ako men.
I know your feelings.
But the messenger will come any day.
I don't want to surprise them.
Excuse me. There are some flowers...
sent from Lady Asano...
for the former vassals.
Asking your permission to present them.
What shall we do?
Flowers from Lady Asano for Ako men?
She must have heard of the judgment.
She meant to bid farewell...
with the flowers.
It's such a tender thought of Lady Asano's.
Denyemon...
take those flowers to Oishi and others.
Under the circumstances...
they'll know what is coming...
when they see it.
I see.
How sweet of her.
Hurry, Denyemon.
From our Lady Asano?
How beautiful!
A farewell gift for us?
So that we could surmise a judgment on us.
In return for your kindness toward us until now...
we will entertain you.
Splendid idea.
I'll do my best.
I'll take the first show.
No, I'm the first. I will sing.
I'm afraid we would upset captious old men.
Never mind. Our last fuss.
Everyone...
to the thoughtfulness of our lady.
Let us bid farewell.
I mean, say thanks for the flowers.
We couldn't miss Mr. Hara's dance.
Mr. Hara!
Here I am!
Dance!
How skillful!
Play your flute, Juroza.
Oishi.
I want to express our gratitude...
for your kindness...
to your lord since we came here.
How nice.
I have a favor to ask you.
Could I have some tea?
Certainly.
Someone prepare tea.
Now all seems...
to have been settled at last.
You've been very kind all the way.
I don't know what to say.
Please have some tea.
Thank you.
What I said was about this boy.
This son of mine.
Your kin?
Not my real son.
His father and I are friends since childhood.
His father is not very well off nowadays.
But he wishes his son to become a fine samurai...
and wants him to spend even a half day with you.
To teach him...
the way of samurai.
I pity him, so I am asking you a favor.
Presuming he's my son.
I want you to let him serve you today.
Do you play samisen?
Your fingers show you do.
I learned a little while working to be a page.
I appreciate your kind care, but...
I don't think we can accept.
I don't know what is on your mind.
But you went too far.
Please, I apologize. She is a woman.
You are right.
But she was driven by the stress of circumstances.
So she disguised herself as a man...
and tried to serve you.
What a woman needs for--
I imagine there's someone she wants to be near.
I won't scold you. Say it.
Who is it?
It's Isogai.
Please let me.
It will be the last.
I mean the nightingale.
Nightingale?
If you care for the girl so much...
send her a letter.
Too late if you've gone to the grave.
I dare not.
I used her to approach the enemy.
She's nothing now.
Think of a girl's heart whom you once promised to marry.
Please stop despising me.
A stubborn youth.
The messenger was sent.
When was it?
Sometime last July.
He was on a mission of investigation...
which I learned later.
I remember he wrote to me In Kyoto about that time.
He said being single was...
disadvantageous and was looking for someone.
He said to become a respectable samurai.
He was looking for a good relation.
He was sincere in proposing to marry her.
That was how he asked her father for her.
My friend loved the man deeply, too.
Son-in-law to be proud of.
Money he had been saving...
and even sold his armor...
he loved so much.
He spent them all to prepare for the wedding.
He engaged the best houseboat on the river...
and held a big feast on it.
But no sign of the groom...
on the very day of the wedding.
He was not at home, either.
Completely missing.
The old man was so straight-minded and raged...
in so much disappointment.
He heard about the men who raided Kira last December...
and he found Isogai's name.
He cried and cried...
that it was his son-in-law to be.
I couldn't stand watching my father that way.
So I came here disguised like this.
Please permit me to see him.
Please do not...
overestimate us.
People are calling us nowadays...
as if we were the incomparable loyal samurai.
Out of the sentimentalism of a young girl--
forgetting the past--
isn't that the way you are now?
It's a fickle feeling of yours.
He is the man who betrayed you.
The man who put you to shame.
You should resent him for the rest of your life.
You don't know a woman.
It's a cruel thing to say.
I just want to know one thing as a woman...
and as a human being.
His real heart.
Was I only a tool of his plan?
Did he not love me at all?
Or did he do it for his mission?
That's the only thing I want to know.
Omino...
do me a favor.
I'm sorry, but will you sacrifice yourself?
For the sake of my men.
Isogai is prepared...
and nothing will confuse him now.
But he is young.
If he met you and heard your words...
he might fail at the most important moment.
It's not so hard for a man to rise for justice...
but keeping it up is...
much harder than one would think.
I don't want him upset at this last moment.
You're young, and you've everything before you.
Forget him and live a happy life.
Bear the bitterness you felt...
on the wedding day.
Please despise Isogai to the end.
Look down on him.
Is samurai honor so important?
You only think about his honor.
What about my lasting humiliation?
Must I live with the doubt...
that he may not have loved me?
Horiuchi...
Otomeda's daughter.
I'll explain later. Something?
Omino, I can't accept it.
Isogai is to blame for fooling you.
But there are times one is forced to.
As you have come here dressed as a man.
It may have been...
your inevitable ruse.
I suggest that you leave the matter as it is.
You'd better go.
Tell me.
You can torture people for a shift?
I feel so sad.
A lie isn't a lie if turned to the truth in the end.
My lie, to fool people in a man's disguise...
will turn to the truth if I see him.
I can change his lie into the truth, too.
Change his lie into the truth?
Please let me see Isogai.
The messenger has already left the castle.
Please be ready.
Will you please tell Isogai to come here?
Yes.
Isogai's here.
Come in.
I'd rather stay here.
Juroza!
Do you know the daughter of Otomeda?
I haven't the slightest idea.
Juroza!
The messenger is sent from the castle.
Not that. I'm asking you about Omino.
I don't know her.
They're waiting for you.
It is time now we should get ready.
Wait.
The messenger--
Don't be confused.
Take out the paper you keep in your bosom.
You must have a plectrum...
that you treasure there.
I'd like to see the crest on it.
The reason I sent you down from upstairs...
was because of the plectrum.
You are young and hungry for affection.
I've no intention of reproaching you for that.
But we have an important thing to do.
If it made you...
waver in your resolution when you looked at it.
That was why I did it for your sake.
Take it out. I want to see it.
Please spare him now. I beg you.
He kept it close to his body;
even until now. I feel so happy knowing it.
No need to ask him more than that.
You tell me not to ask?
Will you let him off without asking?
It's I who have to beg you.
Juroza!
Tell your father I'm his son-in-law.
Just tell him so.
I'll bid farewell, Omino.
Lord Asano in charge of ceremony...
resorted to an outrageous deed and was punished.
No steps were taken on Lord Kira.
Claiming the revenge for their lord, 47 men...
headed by Oishi...
banded together and raided Kira's residence.
Their act was insolent defiance of the shogunate.
So they are sentenced to hara-kiri.
No matter how heavy...
the punishment may be, we deserve it.
Be it decapitation or death by hanging.
We are grateful we are ordered to hara-kiri.
Hear this unofficial message.
Kira's son has been deprived of his fief.
House abolished.
And he is to be confined to the house of Suwo.
For your information.
Everyone...
my lord wishes to express his regret.
That it has come to this...
despite his efforts.
His regret is deep.
Since matters have come to pass...
I'll give you my lord's message:
to quietly prepare yourselves as brave men.
Did you hear, men?
You've taken every possible care since we came.
We all are deeply grateful.
Please give our regards to Lord Hosokawa.
Here's something my lord offers you.
Please take your time in preparation.
I cannot find a word...
to express our gratitude.
Chamberlain... and all you honorable men.
Omino, why did you do this?
As I told you a while ago...
I have made it the truth.
The lie for convenience's sake.
What?
The house that drove my father out.
The reason I came here in a man's disguise was that...
I intended to the end...
to show the truth this way.
Omino!
Juroza!
Too hasty.
As we told our lord what happened today...
he was moved.
His anger toward your father has abated.
He even ordered to make him a vassal again.
I'll call a doctor.
No, no. Thank you, but no.
Then the lie will remain a lie.
If my father heard of my death, he'd die too.
Only by ending our family...
we can carry out the chamberlain's request.
For the sake of loyal samurai...
we would gladly sacrifice ourselves.
Please abolish the family of Otomeda.
I beg you to.
Omino!
Please commit hara-kiri with composure.
I will follow you soon.
It's time, Isogai. Don't delay.
After you.
You go first.
I have my responsibility until the last moment...
in making certain that all keep in step.
Gengoyemon Kataoka has committed hara-kiri.
Junai Onodera is next.
Jurozayemon Isogai has committed hara-kiri.
Chuzayemon Yoshida has committed hara-kiri.
Moriguchi.
It seems that they all died...
without being disgraceful.
We've carried out our intention.
Next...
Kuranosuke Oishi.
My turn. Excuse me.
THE END
(c) 1942 SHOCHIKU Co., Ltd.