It's Tango!
I have rice, bean curd, plums.
I followed you...
and saw how you suffered.
Though banished, I am still your loyal vassal.
Is it really Tango?
Hold on!
Don't take charity from peasants.
A samurai will starve rather than beg.
The peasants are presumptuous.
Burn their villages!
Wait, my lord!
Don't blame the peasants.
Rather than disobey Taro's decree, they fled.
What decree?
That you are banished.
Anyone who helps you...
will die.
Now I understand.
You tried to warn me of this.
Laugh, Tango.
Wretched Hidetora.
Rejected by his children...
driven from his castles...
with no place to go.
You have a place to go, my lord.
Master Saburo...
has found refuge with Lord Fujimaki.
Go to him.
No... I can't.
How could I ever face him?
Listen to me!
All Saburo wants is your welfare.
If I'm disguised like this...
if I followed you so far...
it's all thanks to him.
He sent me to protect you.
I have news.
Saburo's men gave up the castle.
They went to join Lord Fujimaki.
Now Fujimaki's plot is clear.
First he takes Saburo...
then Saburo's warriors...
then your lordship himself.
The Ichimonjis battle each other.
And he walks off with your land.
That's a lie!
He's not that kind of man!
We must go to the Third Castle!
But Taro's general has taken it!
Ogura? He won't touch us.
What do I smell?
A very fishy stink!
Ogura has only a few men.
We can beat them easily.
My horse!
That's it, hurry!
"Hell is ever at hand..."
"which you cannot say of Heaven."
Stay behind if you're afraid!
And yet...
all we did was tell the truth.
- The enemy. - I know. Call Ikoma and Ogura!
It's a trap: They tricked us!
We're surrounded, overwhelmed!
We truly are in Hell!
Lord Taro is slain.
What?
So be it.
A stray shot from the tower.
The fortunes of war.
The fates are kinder to you.
And Father?
He'll commit seppuku.
We are lost!
Prepare yourself.
Farewell, my lord.
Go back!
Lord Jiro!
The die is cast: Do not falter.
You chose this path: Follow it.
It leads to absolute rulership.
You can no longer turn back.
Is he mad?
And better off for it.
What do you mean?
Please, my lord...
come to your wits!
In a mad world only the mad are sane.
What do you see?
Forgive me...
Oh, excellent!
The failed mind sees the heart's failings.
The wonder of it!
I see on this withered plain...
All those I destroyed...
A phantom army...
One by one they come floating...
Rising before me...
Who's there?
Travelers stranded by the storm.
Let us stay the night.
My house is too poor for visitors.
We ask nothing special.
I'm sorry; I must be alone.
Why? Are you diseased?
- No. - Then let us in.
I cannot.
The one who seeks shelter...
is the Great Lord himself.
We're coming in.
Our lord was taken ill.
He is wet through.
Bring me something to cover him.
I'm cold...
Tango...
He is himself again.
More's the pity.
He is better off mad.
Listen to me.
I, Hidetora...
was attacked by my own sons.
I was betrayed by my vassal.
That's not the worst.
Because of me, my loyal men...
died a useless death.
As fate would have it...
only I survived.
I, who should have died.
You there! Woman!
I am not a woman.
It's so dark... bring a light.
I have no light.
I have no need of one.
Are your eyes so poor?
Are you Lady Sue's brother...
young Lord Tsurumaru?
Tsurumaru?
It's been a long time...
Lord Hidetora.
You remember me?
How could I forget you?
I was only a boy.
But could I forget the man...
who burned down our castle?
Who in exchange for my life...
gouged out my eyes?
I try to be like my sister.
To pray to Buddha...
and rid myself of hatred.
But not one day do I forget!
Not one night do I sleep in peace!
I regret I cannot welcome you...
as befits the Great Lord.
Luckily... my sister gave me a flute.
I will play for you.
Lacking anything else...
I give you hospitality of the heart.
It is the only pleasure...
left to me.
Sister-in-law...
here is my brother's hair.
He died in battle.
Unfortunately, it falls on me...
to bring this unhappy news.
Ogura
Where is my husband's body?
In this heat...
it was too unsightly to be displayed.
We burned it where it lay.
We held funeral rites at a temple.
Ogura...
Where are his armor and helmet?
You're mocking me.
I'm wearing them.
Surely you recognize them.
Of course.
But I didn't dream
...you would wear them so soon after his death.
So I chose not to see them.
You surprise me.
I had thought...
my brother would be pleased...
to see me in his armor.
It was stupid of me.
Forgive me.
Help me take it off!
Sister-in-law...
I am about to be naked.
Lords Ikoma and Ogura, you have worked well...
to further our interests.
We appreciate it.
These gifts are a token of thanks.
They're also a parting gift.
Farewell.
Lord Jiro feels it unwise...
to keep you in his service.
Men who betray one master may betray another.
A reasonable point of view.
Naturally you are disappointed...
but bear no grudges.
Is that clear? Good!
The Lady Kaede is here.
Send her in.
My apologies for my harsh words.
I am ashamed.
The incident is forgotten.
They say your father has gone mad.
That should please you.
What do you mean by that?
I spoke frankly...
without gilding my thoughts.
Forgive me if I offended.
You must hate my father...
for what he did to your family.
Am I wrong?
Now it's my turn to be frank.
You are just as pleased as I am.
Lord Jiro, you are now head...
of the house of Ichimonji.
This helmet is rightfully yours.
I am not blind!
You murdered your brother...
and stole his title!
Prepare to die!
No...
Even now...
you deny it?
It wasn't I who killed my brother.
Then who did?
Speak! Who was it?
It was... Kurogane.
Hypocrite!
You gave the order but won't take the blame.
A fine leader!
You give in so easily.
Now I will tell you the truth!
I don't care about Taro's death.
What concerns me...
is my own future.
I won't be a widow, with my hair cropped;
not a nun, with my head shaved.
This castle was my father's.
I won't leave it!
Consider my request well.
For my part, I'll say nothing...
of your abominable crimes.
I won't reproach you...
or speak against you.
If I did the kingdom would split.
But always remember...
I can destroy you.
Is it a bargain, Lord Jiro?
My lord...
Yes, sister-in-law?
Sister-in-law?
After what we've just done?
By rights...
I really should be...
your wife.
I have a wife... Sue.
I'll be merely your concubine?
No... no.
You're mine.
No one else shall have you.
Don't cry, Kaede.
You won't be just a concubine.
As long as Lady Sue remains...
I'll attend to her.
But how?
I'll repudiate her.
That's not what I want!
After our ecstasy...
I can't bear it that another woman...
has known your touch.
Such a woman cannot remain alive.
Well now, look where we are.
If fortune had run true...
Tsurumaru would live here.
You shelter in the very ruins...
of the castle you burned.
Ignorance is bliss indeed.
Your helmet, my lord.
Your plumes.
Don't you look regal?
Help, here come demons!
Two of them!
Traitors! You must pay!
No, wait!
Let us explain!
Save your breath.
I know all about your treachery.
Die, traitor!
Jiro killed Taro!
Madness saved Hidetora.
If he recovers his wits...
he'll be killed, too.
Jiro slew Taro; our lord is next.
We must take him to Master Saburo.
If only we could!
Mention Saburo and he runs away.
He doesn't dare face him.
On that point he's sane.
What about Master Saburo?
Would you like to see him?
The only way is to bring Saburo here.
Maybe he can talk sense to him.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
Take good care of him.
Lady Kaede leads you by the nose.
If you wish to marry, fine.
But to kill Lady Sue for that?
Sometimes killing is necessary.
But to kill on a whim!
The order is unreasonable...
I must refuse.
Lord Kurogane...
At the Second Castle...
there is a supply of salt?
Of course... why?
When you bring back her head...
salt it first.
Otherwise, in this heat...
we'll be unable to look at it.
Lady Sue is so beautiful...
it would be ungracious to her.
Since you will go personally...
there will be no mistake.
Do it as you see fit.
Why stay with this mad old man?
If the rock you sit on starts to roll...
jump clear.
Or you'll go with it and be squashed.
Only a fool stays aboard.
What is this place?
Paradise!
Think of it.
All my life...
I've been his nurse.
Good boy...
Sweet dreams.
I, Kurogane, am back.
Approach!
Thank you for being quick.
At your service, my lady.
I have brought the object...
as per your instructions.
Be so kind as to examine it.
I'll be the first to look.
What is this?
Your joking goes too far!
Is anything wrong?
Imagine that!
Lady Sue was a fox in disguise.
Enough of your tricks!
This is a statue from a shrine.
Clever fox... first becomes human...
then turns himself to stone.
Are you making a fool of me?
Certainly not.
There are many foxes hereabouts.
It is said they take human form.
Take care, my lord.
They often impersonate women.
In Central Asia a fox seduced King Pan Tsu...
and made him kill 1,000 men.
In China he married King Yu and ravaged the land.
In Japan, as Princess Tamamo...
he caused great havoc at court.
He became a white fox with nine tails.
Then they lost trace of him.
Some people say...
he settled down here.
So beware, my lord, beware.
This is how you keep our bargain.
You conspire with Kurogane...
to humiliate me!
No, you're wrong.
Intolerable!
It's Kurogane's doing.
Always Kurogane!
Is he your only vassal?
He's the villain who kills Taro.
He's the hero who saves Sue.
A two-headed monster!
This is your "right arm"?
Until I have Sue's head...
you shall not see me again!
Sister... my flute!
We've no time to get it.
I've had it since boyhood.
What shall we do?
Kurogane said they'll pursue you.
I'll go back for the flute.
Your legs are old.
I'm the one to go.
We're near the ruins of your castle.
Go there and pray for your dead.
You may never be back again.
Tsurumaru, let's hurry.
I see our castle...
what's left of it.
Which way, sister?
Over there.
Where?