A production of TOHO-HINOTORI
Around the year 180 after Christ
Frontier
Now I see. The rumors were true.
You are Yumidiko
from Matsuro.
I am Sukune.
Yamatai's queen Himiko sent me
- to look for you. - And who is
the other one?
He is prince Susano-O,
brother of the queen.
He has the strength of a wolf
and the cunning of a fox.
You killed the wild boar.
- Can you kill the eagle? - He signed
a pact with your king.
You must capture the phoenix for the queen.
The blood of this eagle would give her eternal life
and after that she would leave Matsuro in peace.
This agreement doesn't mean anything to me.
Why did you abandon? Why, Matsuro?
It's burning, help me!
That blaze should be the phoenix.
The phoenix?
Look!
I hit him!
During the centuries, men talked about this eagle.
He is immortal and no arrow can hurt him.
After a long period of life, he consumes in flames
and then he's reborn from ashes.
Whoever drinks his blood, receives eternal life.
He is known as ''feng'' in China and ''phoenix'' in Europe
and also appears in Indian-American legends.
He has always been an object of wishing.
THE PHOENIX
Executive producers Kunihiko Murai and Kiichi Ichikawa.
Based on the story by Osamu Tezuka.
Screenplay by Shuntaro Tanigawa.
Photography by Kiyoshi Hasegawa.
Special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano.
Cast:
Tomisaburo Wakayama,
Masao Kusakari, Ken Tanaka,
Reiko Ohara, Kaoru Yumi,
Toru Emori, Ryuzo Hayashi,
Mieko Takamine, Tatsuya Nakadai.
Directed by Kon Ichikawa.
In an unwanting way,
Yumihiko has decided to go to Yamatai.
Maybe it's because you refused his proposition.
Is it true?
STATE OF MATSURO
There's no reason for us to still fear Yamatai.
Dance, Uzume.
Anyway,
there is no longer any danger from Yamatai.
Dance, Uzume!,
to celebrate it.
What's going on?
- A nocturne attack! - An attack?
Has Yamatai broken the pact so soon?
They are monsters, with two heads and four feet!
THE PEOPLE OF MATSURO HAD NEVER SEEN A HORSE.
What the fuck!!!!
Who are you?
I am a ballerina.
Come on.
STATE OF YAMATAI
The man on the right has said the truth.
The one on the left
is a liar.
No! I did not lie!!!
Execute him!
Please, no!!
Celebrate a new judgement!
''A new judgment'', eh?
If you do it, you will loose your authority.
The people will no longer believe your foretellings.
I know
these men very well.
You have accused the innocent man.
Iyo, you have failed with your predictions.
Iyo is a disciple of mine.
If you doubt her, you doubt me.
You can leave now , Iyo.
She has not learned enough.
The errors...
they're inevitable, but you shouldn't blame her.
Yamatai can not depend on your predictions.
Otherwise, our power will decrease.
That's not for sure.
The power...
of Yamatai is...
depending on my youth and on my beauty.
Oh, you?
You want to take my place as governor, don't you?
Your face betrays you.
The queen is in anger once again.
The brave Susano-O obeys to his sister.
He doesn't know how to treat her.
Women are his weakness.
He is old enough to get married.
Himiko will not allow him.
That's ridiculous!
This way, he will die unmarried.
He will not have another youth.
Where's the phoenix?
If you drink his blood,
you will receive eternal life.
I heard about it a long time ago.
The emperor of China himself seeks to obtain this eternal life.
Should he succeed,
We would have to bow down to him.
What would happen if something like that ensues?
I have seen the phoenix,
he looked like the sun.
Why didn't you shoot him?
It's not so easy to capture him.
He knows the tongues of men
and speaks words of wisdom.
But when he gets angry, he will kill you.
It was wonderful.
But don't worry.
I have found out where he lives.
I am ready to capture him.
Just leave him to me, my dear sister.
STATE OF KUMASO
Nagi,
where's Uraji?
He went hunting for the phoenix!
The earth is shaking.
Will the volcano erupt?
Seven days have passed.
What retains him?
If he doesn't capture the bird,
- my daughter will die. - No!
Sister, please don't die.
Will he be able to kill the phoenix?
He's a mysterious bird with a great power.
He is a good hunter! He caught this one!
And also killed this fox!
If someone were able to capture him,
why has he waited this long?
There's no need for you to wait for the phoenix.
I will cure her with my dances
and my prayers.
Uraji!
I have found the phoenix!
Just like our chief said,
he upsurges in the middle of an eruption.
My wife will heal up.
He is alive!
The arrows can't kill him.
I will trap him with my hands!
Eagle phoenix!
Chief!
- What tribe? - He's a wanderer.
- His clothing is very different from ours. - Look at him!
- Wait! - Kill him!
My boat has sunken and the tides have led me here.
Kill him!
Wait! I am Guzuri.
I'm a doctor. Please don't kill me.
''Doctor''?
- What is a ''doctor''? - My job is..
- to cure sickness without prayers. - That's incredible.
Look at her.
She is my daughter.
Can you cure her?
- Don't touch her! - Nagi!
It's the sickness
of rotting.
One day, walking barefoot in the fields,
she was cut by a herb and fell ill.
She will die in seven days.
If you cure her, I'll let you live.
Otherwise,
you will die.
Okay, I'll try.
Witchdoctor.
What type of medicine do you use?
- What's that? - As you can see,
it's the head of a cat
and that of a raven.
You must rub them
whilst praying.
You must place scrappings on the patient's head.
And then you must burn her buttock.
Her buttock?
Yes, her buttock.
Furthermore...
there's other remedies.
She has to swallow
some tadpoles.
No!
Impossible! You're accelerating her death!
Are you her brother?
If you want to save her,
you must bring mould.
- Mould? - Mould?
Yes, mould.
It's better if it's bluish mould.
BLUISH MOULD CONTAINS PENICILLIN.
Uraji has returned!
Uraji has come back!
He has returned with the eagle! Then we don't need the mould any more?
Uraji is dead!
My husband has died!
I wish to die, too!
Calm down!
Uraji!
Where's the mould?
Bring it!
This is just superstition, the mould won't work.
If superstition prevails,
you don't need the witchdoctor.
Silence!
She is awake.
She has gotten better.
Hinaku!
It's me! can you see me?
Sister! How good!
The color of her lips means she is recovering.
This man, Guzuri,
has saved your life.
You lost a man,
but you have found another.
It's the gods
who have wanted this marriage.
From this day forward, you will be husband and wife.
Me to you...
I don't know if I can make you happy,
But one day I will get you the bird phoenix
and I'll grant you eternal life.
Uraji
lost his life for that bird.
I hate him.
And he also scares me.
He captures the hearts of the men.
Whatever happens, anyway,
I'll protect you
like your husband
till death.
Ships of war!
They're aliens.
How many ships!
Disembark!
Next ship!
A lot of time has gone by, Guzuri. Greatly done!
Susano-O is happy.
I will take care of the rest.
Saruta, promise me that
you won't attack the house with the white broadcloth.
My woman is in there. Don't kill her.
Get ready!
Sarutahiko!
What's going on?
Sister!
Guzuri!
- He's a spy! - What?
Sister!
They're orders from queen Himiko!
Kill them all!
The women and the children, too!
It's a nightly attack by sea!
Damn her!
Damn Guzuri!
The hell with him!
Hinaku!
Were are you?
I am the leader of the Kumaso tribe!
Who is your leader?
I am!
I am Saruta.
Get back.
Take this!
Die!
Are you Saruta?
You are very strong.
Where do you come from?
Who is your teacher?
The queen Himiko of Yamatai.
The queen Himiko?
Himiko...
I have heard of her.
She is a sorcerer queen
of a country in the south...
They say that if a state
has a sorcerer queen, it will perish with the moon.
Finish him!
Hinaku!
This is why you cured me
and got married with me!
No!
Go back to the murderers of your friends!
- Don't touch me! - I am your husband.
No!
I'll not return to Yamatai. Wait, Hinaku.
Wait!
Damn you!
Get hem.
Wait!
What's your name?
Nagi, the son of the chief.
Kill me quickly!
- Murderers! - No,
I'll keep you alive.
What are you saying?
Get him on the boat.
You'll see my state.
BACK IN YAMATAI
She's the queen Himiko!
She has seen me.
It's a great honor for me!
Saruta,
what about the phoenix?
He lives in the volcano,
Your Majesty.
Who is that lad?
This lad
is named Nagi.
He is from Kumaso.
The inhabitants of Kumaso
were all destroyed.
Only this lad knows
where the phoenix is.
He angers me!
Kill him!
That lad
will bring a catastrophe
to this country.
He might attempt to kill me.
I am sure! Kill him!
You hear me? Are you disobeying me?
I can't! Spare his life!
Coward!
Traitor!
If you can't kill him, I'll do it myself.
Sword!
Don't do it, sister.
His blood will leave you with no power.
Then, you kill him.
You killed
my dad and my sister,
you killed all the people of Kumaso.
Die!
You Were awake the whole night.
Why didn't you kill me?
That old witch was mad at you.
Shut up!
Don't insult the queen!
I'll teach you the art of archery.
You must get the phoenix for the queen.
No!
The phoenix belongs to Kumaso!
When you dominate
the art of archery, then you can kill me.
Eat a lot and grow.
This is the basin of the valley.
Practice here with this bow.
Look,
there you have the target.
Let them get as close as possible.
They're dumb.
Now!
Nagi!
Don't die!
Try to live!
Drink
all of the medicine.
If you don't do it, I'll have you swallow it.
I've got dust
into my nose.
Saruta, don't make so much noise!
Not even the phoenix will be able to burn this steel arrow.
The queen is waiting impatiently.
She wants you to go to Kumaso to capture that bird.
Do you want it, too?
Who doesn't?
Me.
Then, why that arrow?
Because he already defeated me before.
Let's set camp here. We come from the mainland,
We crossed the ocean to found a new state.
Let's eat the sheep that we brought from our town.
There's edible grass on the other side of the brook.
There you can drink!
Set eight guards at the four sides.
Pick up the tents before sunset!
Uzume,
if you were just a little bit prettier,
I would make you my woman.
What a pity!
You're a big ballerina.
Ballerinas like you don't exist
in my state.
Have you crossed the ocean
just to find a ballerina?
That's good?
Take me to your state.
Abandon this land.
No.
I'll implant our civilization
in these lands.
Is it worth
killing so many people?
The men are mortal.
Someday they'll die, if I don't kill them now.
Not even the greatest kings
live forever.
But history will endure forever.
War will last
a long time, won't it?
The same as humanity.
And you...
Can you defeat everyone?
Yes, I am that powerful.
Leave me in peace.
Have you never seen a boy before?
Not a boy from Kumaso like you.
What?
Don't you know your home?
Are you looking for fight?
Wait.
My name is Oro and I think I can help you.
On purpose,
you hate the queen of Yamatai, don't you?
What does that have to do with you?
Yamatai is my fatherland.
But I hate the queen
because she takes our rice.
She killed all my people!
And ordered
to kill my dad, who was innocent.
And then,
my mother died out of hunger.
Why don't we kill
the queen together?
The mirror!
Shit!
It's that boy from Kumaso!
Warriors! Get him!
Around there.
- You're fearless. - Shut up!
Damn them!
Were you an only son?
Let's leave from here.
The queen is very angry.
Where's that boy?
He has left.
Did you help him?
I never thought to kill the queen.
They will push you into the moat of the wasps.
The phoenix will be mine!
I'll get eternal life!
Sister!
Where are you?
Saruta has survived three days
in the moat.
It can't be!
Sister,
if you're a goddess,
- revive that bull. - He has gone insane!
Hold Susano-O!
He has blood stained my palace.
Burn his eyes
and expell him from Yamatai.
The sky has transformed!
It's extraordinary!
Look! The sun is going down!
The sun is disappearing
because Susano-O provoked the queen.
That's for sure.
Has she got so much power?
You don't imagine what she could do.
She is even capable of moving the sky and the earth.
Queen!
What will happen to us?
Please, return
the light to the sun.
I can't! I didn't take it away!
Someone!
Someone, please, have the sun shine again!
Sarutahiko!
The wasps have disappeared.
They were scared of darkness.
Watch out!
Oro!
Let's go!
Nagi...
There's a raft
behind the three rocks
in the beach.
Row through the sea...
towards your state.
You're a girl!
Why do you wear that clothing?
I wanted
to be your friend.
Oro!
Saruta,
you took me across the sea last year.
And now I am taking you towards my state.
Oro,
take me to Yamatai,
to the queen Himiko!
After all of this, do you still venerate her?
The sea water is good for wounds.
BACK IN KUMASO
Sister!
What will we do now?
We can't stay here.
The army of Himiko will come.
No!
They won't come that far to attack us.
They will come for the phoenix.
They will never capture him!
What is Himiko?
Nothing else but an old witch!
She'd better swallow the mud and fall dead.
Idiot!
You're underestimating her power.
Saruta!
Your nose! Look at you nose!
Good, then, you laugh!
But now my nose works much better than before.
That's the fleet of Yamatai!
Didn't I tell you they would come?
What's that noise?
It's the volcano.
The Earth is shaking.
- It's going to erupt. - An eruption?
What's that?
The phoenix!
The phoenix?
How lucky I am.
Saruta, wait here!
- Be careful! - I'll get him!
Nagi!
I hear a voice inside my head.
Nagi, it's me.
Who are you?
Where are you?
You are seeing me.
Is it you, phoenix, the one who's talking?
No!
No, I can't talk
with a mouth like yours.
But I can talk with you
from heart to heart.
That's ridiculous!
I must be dreaming!
So it is.
For you, Nagi, it's just a dream.
How do you know my name?
I already knew it before you were born.
Then you should know that Uraji died because of you
and that I'm going to kill you!
But you'll never be able to kill me.
Because I never die.
You are immortal
but humans are mortal. Why?
That's not fair.
You're saying you'll be happy if you don't die?
Nagi,
look at the ground.
The ants fight to live.
But they only can live for six years.
And the life of a fly is even shorter.
It only lives three days.
I am not an insect! I am a human being!
You pursue happiness.
And that's why you must die.
I'll drink your blood!
Wait!
I'll chase you!
And I'll capture you before I die!
- Guzuri! - Wait! Nagi!
Your sister is alive!
Liar! You're lying once again!
No! She has a baby!
A son?
Whose son?
My son.
Yours? The son of a traitor?
She'd never do anything like that.
Nagi!
Guzuri cheated us.
How could you...?
I tried to kill myself several times,
but he saved me.
He had them kill most of us!
Kumaso succumbed!
No,
our tribe has not succumbed.
There's survivors, you and I.
I want to rebuild our town
I'll have more children.
100, 200...
Impossible!
It will take five or ten centuries!
Five... ten centuries...
Even if I die,
my children will live on.
And if they die,
their children will live on.
I am trying to capture the phoenix.
- And then she'll live forever. - Guzuri!
I won't allow you to get that bird.
I'll get him and I'll give her his blood.
Why do you have to go?
I can't stay with him.
Nagi!
Sister,
I'll bring you that bird. I will not fail.
Queen Himiko hired me
and ordered me
to kill you when I find you.
Very good.
- But I will not let you kill me. - You're wrong.
You can't escape my arrows.
Why don't you try it?
Yumihiko,
let me use your knife.
- If you capture the phoenix... - I'll do it for sure!
Give his blood
to that boy.
That boy's name
is Nagi.
He's my son.
You're asking too much.
Himiko would die.
I'm ready.
Stop, Yumihiko!
Sarutahiko!
Don't tamper, stupid!
But, you were...
in danger.
No! I was going to win!
Is this the son you were talking about?
Son?
I'm a son of yours?
Who said it?
We'll meet again.
Go on living till then.
Go to Matsuro,
three mountains ahead.
Saruta,
you told him that I'm your son, did you?
Nagi, are you angry?
I won't say it again.
I'm your enemy.
I'm not angry.
My father was the brave chief of Kumaso.
He died as the strongest
of the warriors.
Really?
Is that what you were thinking of?
For sure...
The troops are searching for us. Leave me and go.
How could I abandon you and go away?
You should go.
I want you to be safe.
You mustn't die
- because I love you. - Wait.
What did you say?
That you love me?
Did you say that?
Repeat it.
I love you!
Again!
This...
will stay between you and me.
I don't think I'll repeat it again.
I know. I know.
- Just one more time. - I love you!
Listen, warriors!
Capture the phoenix
that lives inside that volcano.
Whoever traps him, will receive three mountains,
three forests and three rivers.
Your Majesty,
this predicts a catastrophe!
The birds are flying away.
- The volcano is going to erupt. - You!
Are you too scared?
The phoenix appears when there's an eruption.
It's our chance. Let's go!
Let's go, right now!
Calm the fury of the god
of Fire!
Help!
The lava is starting to come afloat. Let's get out of here.
No!
The falling rocks could kill us.
We have to reach the crest. Let's go!
I'm alive!
Such a horrible eruption.
For sure, Where is Saruta?
Sarutahiko!
Is he dead?
Don't die, Saruta!
What's this?
Sarutahiko!
Nagi!
You are alive!
I'm so glad!
It has ignited her!
Wind?
The light!
Hinaku!
We can get out of here!
I have got him!
Hinaku,
breath in the fresh air.
We'll never be able to climb
this precipice.
He is dead.
Herbs!
Now I understand.
The seeds from the herbs fell into the crater.
Then sun and rain had them grow.
I'll survive!
Let's live here!
What are you doing?
He's dead!
Are you possessed by a bad spirit?
The bird phoenix!
It's the...
hiding-place...
of the phoenix.
Let's go to Matsuro, just as Yumihiko suggested.
It's dangerous.
There's nothing to eat.
Sarutahiko!
The water has turned red!
Blood!
They've been dead for a long time.
These are weird footprints.
They're unknown to me. These animals are very big.
- Maybe deers? - No.
- It's bears, then? - No.
- Tigers? - No.
Hide!
Nagi! My bow!
Are you fine?
Saruta!
Look at this!
This is the animal I used to mount.
Let's mount!
I used to mount it easily.
It must be meek
like a little dog.
Nagi! It's better for you to leave it.
Why don't you come with me?
The enemy!
Where did you get
that horse from?
So this animal is named horse.
You aren't two tramps.
Where do you come from?
You, where do you come from?
We descend from the wolf and the female
of the fallow-deer.
We feed ourselves
with meat from animals and drink their milk.
I am Jingi from Takamagahara.
Saruta,
what's he talking about?
Who knows? Maybe he wants to say
that it's fantastic.
By the way,
we are from Kumaso. We want to go back to Kumaso.
- Is this Matsuro? - Matsuro?
He doesn't exist anymore.
We destroyed him.
Destroyed him?
You seem strong.
Work for me and I will spare your life.
If you don't, I'll kill you.
- I refuse! - Me too!
It's you who want it. Kill them.
Wait!
Uzume, What do you want ?
Your Majesty,
I beg you
to spare their lives.
You want him alive?
Yes.
I'm feeling sorry for them.
Why?
- Because... - Why?
Because...
Come on,
you got fond of his nose.
That's it.
I want to get married to him.
But will he accept you?
You have a very pretty nose.
Are you single?
Or are you married?
- I'm single! - I'm glad of it!
Would you marry me?
Would you get married to me?
Don't get any closer! Go away from me!
Be not so cool.
- Help! - Running away
won't help you. I'm determined to marry you.
For sure you are an egoist!
I used to dream of a romantic marriage.
If you don't get married to me,
- you'll die. - Die?
No!
You don't know Jingi. He is powerful and cruel.
I don't fear him?
I'm Saruta.
He can't kill me so easily.
But what's going on with that boy?
He can't run.
Saruta,
don't listen to her.
I can escape.
No.
You can't run as fast as his horses.
Okay.
It's done.
Saruta and Uzume,
live happily from this day on,
till death.
Thank you.
Marriage without love is not good.
Shut up!
What do you know about love?
The queen can't hear your prayer. She is annoyed.
She keeps scolding us.
It's because she was hit by a rock in the mountains.
No. It's her age.
She is very sick. She won't live long.
She can't get the phoenix.
Does he exist?
It's the dream of those who yearn for eternal life.
We don't have to worry about it.
We're young.
Finally it happened!
The people won't depend
on the queen anymore.
She passed away!
All the people are running
to the palace.
They won't calm down till they see her. They want to see the queen.
Order the guards
to keep them far from here.
You can't do that.
Ask the queen.
Order the guards to use arrows of fire.
You talk as if you were the queen!
I order it to you
as your future queen.
We want to see Himiko!
Where is Himiko?
We don't believe
her predictions!
Susano-O!
- He has returned! - Susano-O!
Poor prince! He's blind!
This will protect my eyes.
Stupendous.
Don't you come to bed, honey?
No! Come to bed!
I have work to do!
- What's going on? - It's not your matter!
Will you forgive me?
What for?
I'll put some make-up on.
Make-up?
Nagi!
I ripped the rope of a bite.
And Uzume?
Saruta,
it's your chance to flee.
There's no moon tonight.
The guards are drunk.
Look, I stole a sword.
When they go to sleep,
kill Jingi and escape.
Honey.
Damn it! She's come back!
Uzume!
Your face...
What? I'm so amazed that I can't even talk.
But you're talking.
This is my natural face.
I put on some make-up
trying to look ugly.
Like a mask.
The make-up doesn't only make a woman nicer.
It can also make her ugly.
I'm amazed.
My country, Matsuro, was destroyed.
They killed all the men
and raped the women.
But I never gave up.
I wished for revenge.
So I made myself ugly
and succeeded.
Just as I wanted, nobody liked me.
I tricked them!
Now I understand what occurred.
Uzume, why did you marry me?
Out of compassion?
No.
- Why? - well...
for no reason at all.
It's just because I love you.
That's all.
You love me?
Yes.
I'm ugly.
This isn't a make-up, it's my face.
Do you still love me?
Are you crazy.
This is Takeru,
son of Guzuri and Hinaku.
Hinaku,
your dream became a reality.
This boy will fund a new country.
The tribe that was destroyed
will bloom again.
We have been walking for many days.
Where are we going to?
I understand that Jingy and his army
came from a remote country.
Their country was fallow,
no trees grew there.
They came to find fertile dirt.
Did they find it?
They want to found an empire in Yamatai
and want to make it their country.
what's going on?
You look really upset.
It's my country!
It's appeared!
The Golden Seal, a seal made of gold.
Have you seen it?
It's close to her bed.
It demonstrates that she's the governor
of this country.
She was granted with it
by the emperor of China.
Is it really important?
Who will inherit it?
That's the question.
If it's that important,
it should not be given away.
Shew wants to rule Yamatai for ever.
That's the problem.
Traitor!
Come over here, warriors!
Get rid of the body of this traitor!
Sister.
Susano-O!
That smell of blood... was it Iyo's blood?
That's it.
You came back to take over the throne, did you?
Sister...
It's no time to fight
between a brother and his sister, a queen and her vassal.
A very powerful tribe
has attacked the north.
And now they're heading over here.
You can't threaten me like that.
You too wish to get hold of the Golden Seal.
But you're blind.
I am blind,
but I can see better than you.
I have known the greatness of this land.
I killed animals only to fight off my hunger.
I've lived close to the people and I've learned their longing.
Sister,
the people have abandoned you.
What's that?
Enemy forces!
Report immediatly!
Susano-O!
Yumihiko
has returned!
Yumihiko!
What about the phoenix?
Old lady...
here it is.
The phoenix!
It's mine!
Only mine!
I'll attain eternal life!
At last, the moment has come.
She's dead.
Now.....
The phoenix!
I beg you, Yumihiko!
Give me the phoenix!
- Give it to me! - To me!
- Give me his blood! - At least one drop!
To me!
Only to me!
And to me, too!
Please.
I can't let you have it.
I made a promise.
Yumihiko!
When did you return?
Where are you going now?
I'm saying bye to Yamatai.
I'll go back to Matsuro.
It's been destroyed.
What are you saying?
This is our encampment.
Attack them from three flanks.
O.K.!
Go.
- I'll give you an opportunity. - No, I can't.
- Why not? - They would kill you.
You are very nice.
Thank you.
My love.
But don't worry, they won't kill me.
Find out how many warriors and their positions.
There's eight horses ready. Let's go!
Jingi,
let me dance to celebrate your coming victory.
As you wish.
Uzume!
You amaze me.
You are so beautiful!
Now! Nagi!
Run to the position of Yamatai!
They are going to escape!
Catch them!
They fled!
What?
Run towards the forest! I'll detain our horses!
They have entered the forest. This way.
Eight horses.
Are you from Yamatai?
I'm Susano-O, the chief.
I want to see Jingi.
- What do you want? - Take me to him.
You're blind, right?
You don't need to keep killing
one another anymore.
I'm going to tell him.
We don't fight with words!
Take this!
- It's a present from heaven! Sarutahiko is back.
Saruta is back!
Welcome back home!
You have a big nose, now.
Give me a drink.
And fetch this boy some water.
It looks like we're in the same band, now.
We'll fight a duel
after the war.
Don't die till then.
The same to you!
Listen to me!
With your full attention!
The enemy is close.
Prepare big balls of hay.
- Balls of hay? What for? - For the horses.
- To feed them? - Stupid!
To detain
the enemy horses! Horses are scared of fire.
If it holds them back, we'll have a chance.
Set them up in a line!
I'll give you the signal to light them up.
Then roll them down the hill.
The air is getting damp.
It's going to rain.
To rain? No!
This is the battle front. It's not a place for kids.
Are you Nagi?
I have a present for you.
The place where I buried the phoenix.
You killed the phoenix?
- Really? - Of course.
For sure?
Yes.
Did you drink his blood?
What for?
I promised it to your father.
My father? Who...?
Saruta.
I see!
He asked me to hand you the bird.
It's inside a leather suit.
They don't burn!
Attack!
Right ahead!
My plan has failed.
Damn rain!
What are we going to do?
I have an idea.
Get into the balls of hay, two of you into each one.
Slip down the hill and then run to the horses
I'm getting dizzy!
Help me!
Where are they coming from?
The enemies are inside the bails of hay. Shoot them!
Let's retire!
To the palace!
The queen has died.
But here's the Golden Seal.
Whoever owns this seal will rule over Yamatai.
And I'm that person!
Let's flee!
Don't pull back!
Wait!
Come back here lest I kill you!
Saruta.
- You have lost. - No!
We have the queen Himiko. We can't lose.
She's dead.
- Didn't you know that? - That's a lie!
She can't just die like us, simple commoners!
Her body can't rot in the earth.
It's for sure. The queen is dead.
We have nobody to rule over us.
You...
you seem to have lost your reason to exist.
Poor man!
You are right.
I'll kill Jingi and then die!
Saruta!
Be not so sad.
Ill bring you something nice.
Where are you going?
I'm going to help you, myself and everybody else.
- It's buried. - Wait!
- Should you go? - I'm in a hurry.
Nagi,
before you go, call me father.
That can wait.
No! Say it right now!
Father!
And now I leave.
Good. Thank you.
Nagi,
this is a goodbye.
My son!
Jingi!
Here it is!
Narigudo,
this time I'll finish you.
Let's have a duel.
- Dismount! - There's no need to dismount.
We'll fight like this.
Barbarian!
Be quite there.
Flee as far as you can.
But remember:
unless you run till hell,
my arrow will hit you.
Who are you?
Yumihiko from Matsuro.
You are very lucky.
- You are the only survivor. - Don't move!
I'll teach you a lesson: ''Fear till the last
of men''.
Yumihiko,
do you know that woman?
Uzume!
You knew her well.
She lived and died with a bow in her hands.
He must be satisfied.
Saruta is dead.
Sarutahiko!
Uzume,
I order you:
Be my wife
and forget the dead.
Marry me.
No.
Are you nagging?
I am the conqueror.
Who else is better than me?
I am pregnant
with the son of this man.
The sun of Saruta?
You think you destroyed him
and that you're the winner
but you're wrong.
I am a woman
and women
have their own weapons.
Having kids.
Generating life.
I'll destroy all the life you generate.
Even the insects
enjoy life.
Life is present even in the immense vault of heaven
As long as the sun shines,
you won't be able to destroy life.
Where are you going?
I'm taking a trip.
I'll kill you!
Do it,
if that's what you wish for.
Who gives a damn about a woman?
You're free to leave and die on your way!
There it is!
The phoenix!
His blood grants you eternal life!
Damn it!
He has no blood!
Not even one single drop!
He's dry!
We'll meet again.
You are...
- What's that? - Have you come for this?
I'll never give it to you nor to anyone else.
Try to get him!
You'll never catch him!
The phoenix is mine.
He rises again,
the bird phoenix!
The mythical bird!
His blood grants eternal life.
Should we shoot him?
Let him be.
I'm not interested in the bird phoenix.
Eternal life?
What's it good for?
And eternal life?
I don't need it. Bless you, phoenix.
Live for ever...
and talk about Jingi, the conqueror,
for many, many years!
SEVERAL YEARS AFTERWARDS...
Father!
Mother!
The phoenix!
The phoenix has returned.
I never thought he'd come back.
Takeru!
At last, today...
I'll scale the ledge.
Don't hold me back!
Mother!
I've trained hard for this day since my father's death.
He told me not to try climbing this ledge.
He said that our world
was all in this moat.
But there must be
a better one far away.
I want to see it
outside of this moat.
You can go, Takeru.
Thank you, mother.
I'll be coming back.
Wait for me! No doubt, I'll be back.
Agreed?
The more I climb, the higher it seems.
This is as far as I can reach. I feel dizzy.
My fingers feel numb.
This is the end.
I'm going to die.
How can I untie the knives...
Try to live!
Who is it?
Who's talking to me?
I'm going to die!
Try to live!
Phoenix!
Is it you?
Are you talking to me?
Yes.
You mustn't die.
Live!
Try to live, despite all.
What for?
Why should I live?
Because you were born.
Because you are alive,
That's why you must keep living.
- You must live! - Shut up!
Don't lecture me.
You're nothing else but a bird.
I've been watching over you for a long time.
And now, open your eyes wide and look over there.
The peak is there.
His father died.
And I'm also going to die.
But the phoenix
will take care of him.
Now he is his mother.
I'm ready.
The peak!
I've reached it!
I escaped from there!
The world!
How wide!
How wide it is!
And it belongs to us!
Father!
Goodbye!
Mother! I'll come back!
THE END