They're being very foolish indeed
Farmers are always worrying about one thing or another
Rains, dry weather, winds
In other words, they wake up worrying and go to bed the same way
Today's no exception
They're just scared, meaninglessly scared, that's all
But, listen
Why are they afraid of us?
Yet they expect us to do something for them?
The bandits!
Please! Samurai, please!
Help! Bandits are coming!
Please help!
Keep calm!
Calm down!
Answer me clearly!
From which direction are they coming?
From mountain!
From front road!
Those who saw bandits, step forward!
Who saw bandits?
Who beat the alarm?
I did!
Don't be scared!
No bandits are coming!
You suckers!
You welcomed us as you would a plague!
But when you heard the alarm...
Oh! Samurai!
You turned to worship us
Fools!
Any objection, Grandad?
No
It's all right now
Well, looks like maybe he's useful after all
So now we're seven, eh?
Sorry this place is so filthy
But, where will you live?
I'll sleep in the stable
With horses?
No! The bandits took them last year
A stable is a nice place to sleep with one's wife
I have no wife!
Fool!
What's your real name?
I don't remember
Give me a good name
Kikuchiyo!
It becomes you
How would you attack this village?
I'd charge down from the mountain
Down this road? I'd do the same
WEST
How would you defend?
Shichiroji sure knows his business
Look at those logs
He plans a fence
Your old right hand man, eh?
Remember!
A war is run
We run, both in offense and defense
When you can't run, it's time to die
SOUTH
After the harvest, we'll flood here
Then this will be well defended
But will we have time to do that?
Spear! Go ahead and spear!
Look! I'm a bandit!
Come on!
Next!
EAST
We'll destroy this bridge
This border will then be safe
What about those houses?
Have to be evacuated
That mill, too?
That old man is stubborn, you know
Remember
You're afraid of the enemies
But, they're afraid of you, too!
You're splendid!
Splendid scarecrows!
But they're men, not sparrows, not crows!
You, chewing that cud!
Stop it!
You are not a cow!
You on the end! Step forward!
I mean you!
You!
If you want to watch, bring money
What is this?
A spear, sir
Where did you get it?
Grown on a bush?
I know!
Samurai on the run!
If you have one, the others must have them also
Have you?
Do - you - have - spears?
NORTH
Looks peaceful here. But a real danger spot
Katsushiro! We're leaving now!
Yes, Sir! I'm coming!
Still a child
Are you one of the villagers?
A girl?
A boy?
If you are a boy, why aren't you drilling?
Picking flowers during such a crisis!
Come!
Good! Good! Problem is here.
Hey! What are you doing!
A big haul!
What have you got?
Taken from a samurai on the run
Where did you get those?
In this village?
At Manzo's
Don't like them?
A real fine one!
What's the matter? You wanted these things, didn't you?
Shame on you!
They stripped those from samurai they murdered
- I know. - How dare you...!
One who has never been hunted would not understand
Go away! It's nothing!
I'd like to kill every farmer in this village!
A fine idea!
Hey, you!
What do you all think of farmers?
Saints?
Bah!
They're foxy beasts!
They say: "We've no rice, we've no wheat. We've got nothing!"
But they have!
They have everything!
Dig under the floors!
Or search the barns!
You'll find plenty!
Rice!
Salt! Beans! Sake!
Look into the canyons!
Hidden farms!
They pose as saints but are full of lies!
If they smell a battle, they hunt the defeated!
Listen!
Farmers are-
stingy, foxy, blubbering
mean, stupid and, murderous!
God damn! That's what they are!
But then! Who made them such beasts?
You did! You samurai did it!
You burn their villages!
Destroy their farms!
Steal their food!
Force them to labor!
Take their women!
And kill them if they resist!
So what should farmers do?
Damn... Damn...
You are a farmer's son. Aren't you?
Has... has anything happened, sir?
Nothing, Grandad
Everything is all right
I sleep here from tonight
I don't like their company
Fool!
Don't make yourself small!
This is your home?
You gave them your house and you sleep here?
Scared to death!
Go to sleep!
It's like old times
It's so quiet
I can't imagine the mountains being infested with bandits
Sheeyit! If I had woman now...
- Where to? - The mountain?
To practice
No women up there!
Sometimes you sound pretty sharp
What are you making now?
Our banner
In battle,
we'll need something to wave
What does it mean?
This says "Farm. " Farmers. This village
- These circles? - Us
Only six, eh?
I'm out?
The triangle represents you, Sir. Kikuchiyo
It's rice.
- Eat it. - But...
I tasted millet, for the first time
It was terrible
Go ahead
Don't be shy. Want to be alone?
I won't eat it
Why?
I brought it for you
I'd rather give it to Kyuemon's Granny
Kyuemon's Granny?
I'm not hungry now
I'll eat later
You eat
I'll save mine
What's going on? Tell me!
This is terrible
No relatives?
No, sir. The bandits...
I wish I could die right away
I want to die soon,
to escape from this misery
But, then
even in the world to come,
there must be great misery, I'm afraid
There's not!
No war, no bandits, in the next world
No misery, either
How do you know? Ever been there?
Why yell so much?
I hate all wretched people!
I feel disgusted with them!
Damn!
I want to do something
Save that feeling for the bandits
Didn't you...
Did you...
Did you, see me today, over there, with...
The girl?
Yes
Why didn't you tell...?
You want me to?
Give us some rice!
Give us white rice!
We have no rice!
Don't shout, you'll get hungry
Give us rice! The white rice ball!
Listen, you brats!
This is all we can give you
If we give you more, we'll be...
See?
Say! Hasn't any one of you got a pretty sister?
Anyone?
When are you going to harvest?
After ten days
At top speed how long will it take?
Three days, at least.
I want to flood it, then
We need a moat at the south border,
so no horsemen can approach
This moat need not be wide
Well, we'll dig a waterway and flood the farm
The work can be done in one day
Thanks
And there's another thing
Those three houses and this mill
must be evacuated when the harvest is completed
What? Me evacuate?
I'm sorry
We can't help it
We can't cover this big an area
Listen!
The crops will soon be harvested
Then, the bandits will come
Let's be ready
From now on
we must be on the alert
We'll harvest in groups, not individually
From tomorrow, you'll live in groups
Remember! You move as a group, not as individuals
Listen, men!
Love your wives plenty tonight
It's stupid!
Come, neighbors!
Throw them away!
Let's not risk ourselves to protect others!
Come!
Let's protect our own homes!
Stop!
Pick up your spears! Go back to your line
Where is Yohei? That blasted fool!
You fool!
The outlying houses are three
The village has twenty
We can't endanger twenty for three!
No outlying house can be saved
while the village proper is destroyed!
Remember!
That's war!
You're all in one boat!
He who thinks only about himself will destroy himself, too!
Such selfishness will not be tolerated!
INTERMISSION
Sheeyit! Who would have suspected
So many women lived here!
Where were you hiding these girls?
Give me your sickle!
I'll cut a lot for you
So let's be good friends, eh?
Rikichi!
I see that the married couples are the most efficient
I'd wish you'd marry soon
Why are you angry?
I only...
Katsushiro, bring him back!
Why did he run away?
Shino, stop dreaming!
What is this? A bear's lair?
It's been sickled
Rikichi, eh?
I didn't witness it
I was looking for him, when he came out
His face was strained and sweaty
What did you say to him?
Nothing. I only suggested that he marry
Something pretty painful must be eating him
His face tells me that
His lips are tightly set, like bolted door
Try to open them
Who's there?
It's me!
Is everything all right?
Won't you sit down?
Let's talk
Often, just talking soothes one's mind
Speaking about a suffering eases it away
Incidentally, you're a man of few words
But, if you have something bottled up inside you,
better let it out
And I believe this is a good chance to do it
I've nothing bottled up
Let's go out
Don't wake him. He's a child
He said "Shino. "
Shino is...
A woman's name
Certainly doesn't sound like a child dreaming
Where shall we begin?
First, the weakest
Who's there?
Come out!
Who's there?
Kikuchiyo!
You're lucky!
Had it been the bandits, your neck...
Yohei!
What is this?
My horse, sir
I thought it was a fat mouse
Sparrow singing, crows crowing
What's the matter? Aren't the bandits coming?
If they don't come, what a loss!
Hiring those greedy samurai!
- Fool! - Bandits better not come at all!
What are you going to do with this old horse?
Stop it! If you cripple it, Yohei will cry!
What are you talking about? I'm a good rider!
He's doing all right!
That looks good!
They're merry
The thrashing is finished and no sign of bandits
They're beginning to think none are coming
Wishful thinking
Danger strikes when everything looks so safe
Tell them to take up their posts!
I wish I were a samurai's daughter
A farmer's life is wretched
I'm too fortunate. I'm shamed
Oh, I don't mean that
You're samurai and I'm a peasant
I never...
Oh, I don't mind that!
I'm not worrying about the future!
You chicken!
Aren't you samurai?
Three strangers near the west road, sir
- No one else knows about this. - Not yet
Let's keep quiet
I saw three horses on the hill!
The bandits!
I know
- They're here! - How do you know?
It's evident. This commotion
From which direction? The hills or the west?
The west
The bandits are coming!
Tell them to stay inside
It's only three bandits
Keep them quiet
They must be scouts
They must not see us
What's up?
The bandits?
They've come?
Quiet!
Where?
That tree...!
Scouts, undoubtedly
They're surprised to see the fence
They don't know about us
I hope you're right
Where is everybody?
What a fool!
Kikuchiyo!
Have they come?
Is that right?
Now they've seen us!
Now that they know, they mustn't leave
I'll kill them. They're in my territory
I didn't know...
Go. Catch one of them to make amends
Take a short cut
Yes, to the horses
Katsushiro!
You just watch! Understand?
Gee! Good horses!
You lie here
- What are you going to do? - Me?
Katsushiro! It's all over now
Come out
Wait! This is a prisoner of war!
He's begging for mercy! We mustn't kill him
We don't need your help!
Let her avenge her son's death!
Somebody!
Assist her!
According to that bandit, their fort must be pretty...
- Flimsy! - Must be as full of holes
as Yohei's trousers!
If it's that approachable
- Let's attack. - They are forty
We must decrease them
if we can do it without losing anybody
We couldn't afford a loss
Any battle is a gamble
Three can kill at least ten
Is that place very far from here?
A day's walk
But we have horses now!
Then half a day
All right!
If we leave now, we'll get there by dawn
But who?
Not you!
I go! It's decided!
Me too! I'll be the guide!
- Not enough horses! - Yes, we have
You ride Yohei's horse. Nobody else can!
You fool! This way! Damn you!
You call yourself a horse! For shame!
Hey! Wait!
Please!
I apologize!
Forgive me!
Set fire to all the huts!
And we'll kill them as they come out!
Looking good, fool! Damn!
Good work!
Rikichi! Look out! Rikichi!
Come back, Rikichi!