Original subtitles

There are dark truths hidden deep within the shadows of history.

The oppressed weak cower behind the triumphant visage of the strong.

Those who resist are swiftly eliminated.

In this film,

we will explore the dark undercurrent that flows throughout history,

the history of torture.

Directed by: KOJI WAKAMATSU

Wait, you!

Stop! Have mercy!

Please!

What the hell is this?

- It's... - What's that?

I already know that you're a Christian.

Being a Christian is forbidden in this country.

Don't tell me you don't know that?

Please, can't you overlook it?

That depends.

Depends?

Give me the names of your fellow Christians.

If you do that, I won't tell anyone about you.

I'll never do that!

Is that so?

Then I'll have to do this!

No, don't!

Stop it!

Tell me some names!

Tell me!

Don't!

Kill me, just kill me!

Shut up!

You slut...

Tell me where they are!

You better tell me!

Please...

Where are they?

No!

Forgive me, please!

Forgive me!

Tell me where your friends are!

Are you gonna tell?

- Help me! - Where are they hiding?

Help me!

- You dirty slut... - Help me!

Mother!

Tell me some names!

It hurts!

Help me, it hurts!

Where are your friends?

You're not gonna tell?

No, no!

Oh, it hurts...

Where are they hiding?

Where are your friends?

No...

You slut.

You still won't tell?

Where are your friends?

Not gonna tell, eh?

Tell me some names!

Not gonna tell?

Here we go, then.

Torture in Japan can be traced back to medieval times.

It was during this era that the samurai class came to power.

In particular, the movement led by Hideyoshi Toyotomi

which outlawed Christianity in Japan,

has a special importance in the history of Japanese torture.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Genzo! Why are you here?

A friend of yours told me I would find you here.

Does that mean... You're a Christian too?

Of course not, over my dead body!

I am not a Christian.

Why are you here then?

I have... business with you and your friends here.

What business?

Christianity is illegal in this country.

Those who disobey shall be sentenced to death!

Which means...

It's useless to resist.

You Christians are lower than dogs!

- You bastard! - Stop, please!

We always knew that this moment would come.

We must accept this as Jesus' will.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,

let us pray, that we may rejoice in everlasting life!

For the kingdom, the power and the glory

are yours, now and forever.

Amen.

Hey you!

I see that you're firm in your beliefs!

What idiots!

Where does your praying get you?

You Christians are the same flesh and blood as the rest of us.

No, our bodies are merely a vessel for the Holy Spirit.

We are ready to offer them to God when the time comes.

So high and mighty!

Physical pain is only temporary,

it is nothing compared to the eternal life awaiting us in Heaven.

Oh, now I see!

Then I'll send you to Heaven!

Hey, you're first!

It's hot, isn't it?

Do you still refuse to renounce your faith?

Mother Mary! Please help me in my hour of need!

You're next.

How about you?

Will you renounce your faith?

How about now?

Renounce your faith!

What will you do?

Renounce your faith!

How about you?

Will you renounce your faith or not?

Which will it be?

How much will it take to break you?

Open your eyes and watch!

Mary, I humbly beg of you, please protect me.

Don't make me laugh!

What god could save you now?

Mother Mary...

Saki.

Do you like that?

The pain is so unbearable, I might as well be dead.

You call this pain?

Who's better, me or Jesus?

Oh Lord!

I can't bear it...

Forgive me!

Mother Mary!

You like this?

How about this?

Saki!

Mother Mary!

Me or your Mother Mary,

which do you like better?

Saki!

Mother Mary!

Mother Mary...

Those who died for their faith were venerated as saints,

while those who gave names or renounced their faith

under the cruel pressure of torture were much greater in number.

Even into the Meiji era, torture remained ever present.

In 1869, the second year of the Meiji era,

the Imperial Prosecuting and Investigating Office was created,

becoming infamous for using brutal methods of torture to preserve the peace.

While the victims may change, the dark truths of history remain.

Emerging from the dark shadows of history,

torture return to seek its prey once again.

My lord...

Let's see... How does this feel?

How about this?

Oh, my lord...

You like that, don't you?

My lord...

Sato Fukuda,

is it true that you are Shiro Yamamoto's mistress?

Yes, I am.

Yamamoto was killed on January 9th, while having relations with you.

Is that correct?

Yes, it is.

What did the killer look like?

I don't know.

I don't remember. I didn't get a good look at him.

You think you can get out of this with a story like that?

I'm not making anything up.

I really don't remember!

That raises another question.

Why did the killer let you go unharmed?

Is it possible that he gave you a few bruises,

to hide the fact that you were involved with the murder yourself?

I don't know anything about it!

Tell me the truth!

What are you hiding?

Tell me!

I'm not hiding... anything!

Tell me the truth!

Has she told you anything?

Not as of yet.

Well, make her talk soon.

She was Yamamoto's mistress. She must be hiding something.

Yes, sir.

Please... Please stop this.

Such a pretty young thing...

There's no way that old man could have satisfied you.

I bet you have another man somewhere.

Tell me about him.

There is no such person.

There most definitely is.

Your body tells me so.

You can't do this to me...

That hurts!

You like that?

Get in there!

Miss Sato!

Miss Sato, do you know this man?

This is Shoichi Kida, the master's secretary.

Why...

Why such cruelty?

Miss Sato is hiding something.

We need to know what it is.

Even so, you've gone too far!

Nevertheless, when it involves a man of Yamamoto's stature,

we are forced to investigate.

Regardless of the methods, it is our duty to catch the killer!

That's just how it is.

Now Miss Sato, why don't you tell us the whole story!

Please, I'll tell you everything!

Please forgive me!

Please stop!

No, I won't stop until you tell!

Stop it, now!

Tell us the truth!

Please, stop!

Stop it, I beg you!

I swear, I'm not hiding anything!

Please forgive me.

You liar!

I know you're hiding something.

There's no doubt in my mind.

What right have you to treat us this way?

What did you say?

Shut up!

Don't talk to me about rights!

I'm only doing this because she won't talk.

You make a good speech though.

But that's not going to save you!

Spit it out!

Please stop this!

Miss Sato is...

covering for me!

Miss Sato and I...

we were sneaking behind the master's back...

We're lovers!

Kida,

is that the truth?

Miss Sato,

please forgive me.

I just...

couldn't hide it any longer!

It's okay.

As long as we're together...

I can withstand anything.

Miss Sato!

Spit it out!

Stick it in!

Sato, are you satisfied now?

You wanted to be together with Kida,

so you conspired to kill your master.

You're wrong!

Shoichi had nothing to do with the murder!

You're a stubborn one!

She's telling the truth!

I had nothing to do with the murder!

Silence!

You killed Yamamoto!

Confess your crimes!

Did she tell you anything?

Sato and Yamamoto's secretary planned the murder together.

I see. You did a fine job.

We have decided not to tell the public about this incident,

so please keep it quiet.

Understood, sir.

Torture is a means for those in power to stay in power.

Meanwhile, those who fall victim to their cruel whims

are merely objects to be discarded once they have served their purpose.

The dark underbelly of history, from which torture was born,

extended into the Taisho and Showa eras, into the present day.

The Special Military Police were omnipresent in this period,

exercising their power as the dominant authority figures of modern society.

Spit it out!

Come on, spit it out!

I won't tell you again!

Tell us now!

Renounce your beliefs!

Masako Fukada, renounce the enemy and join us!

Masako, don't think of this as a betrayal.

What's your answer?

I refuse!

I see.

I'll warn you though, you better decide soon.

I don't think you can stand much more.

I would rather die than betray my comrades!

Women should have more respect!

Even women have the right to think for themselves!

I see how it is.

Give me that.

Take that!

You bitch!

Oh, hello sir!

Miss Fukada, I must say that I admire your spirit.

But don't you think you've gone far enough?

Come back to your country.

All of the rebels who were captured with you have renounced their beliefs.

Here, once you sign this, you'll be a free woman.

No matter what the others have done... I refuse to betray my beliefs.

If I betray my principles, what's the point of being free?

Just sign it.

Go ahead and sign!

Don't you want to go back to school and see your beloved students again?

Even more importantly, what about your daughter?

Don't you want to see her?

My daughter is her own person.

She doesn't have anything to do with this.

I wonder...

Murai!

- Mother! - Kozue!

What are you doing here?

She said she wanted to see you.

Please stop...

What do you say, Kozue?

I bet you've never seen your mother like this before!

Please stop!

Making your daughter see this, you have no right to be a parent!

Fukada, renounce your beliefs!

Please stop.

You slut!

How dare you!

Don't hurt her!

Please don't!

I beg you!

Mother!

Stop, I beg you!

Mother!

Your daughter is crying.

Why don't you cooperate? We don't want to do this either.

How about it?

Please stop it!

Don't hurt her!

Don't hurt my mother!

Your comrades...

Your leader...

Your plans going forward...

Tell us everything!

- Stop it! - What's that?

Please stop, I beg you!

Who is your leader?

No, don't!

Tell us!

Cut it out!

It's in your best interests to tell us everything now.

I still don't... have...

anything... to tell you!

How dare you!

Don't fuck with us!

Fukada!

- Renounce your beliefs! - No, I won't!

You still won't talk?

Mother!

Please stop!

Change your mind! Cooperate!

Feel like talking now?

Here we go!

Tell us what you know!

Tell us now!

Please stop this!

Tell us what you know!

Come on, Fukada!

Speak up!

Mother!

Speak up!

Please, stop!

Well, I'll be...

She passed out on us!

Oh, mother...

Mother, help me!

It hurts!

Mother!

Kozue! Oh, Kozue!

Kozue!

Fukada, look what you've done to your daughter!

Kozue... this doesn't have anything to do with her!

If you don't speak up, your daughter will get the same thing you got!

Give it to her!

No, it hurts!

Mother!

Come on... Open your eyes and look at your daughter!

Don't you feel bad for her?

Look at her!

I don't want to.

- Open your eyes. - No, I won't.

Open your eyes! Take a good look!

You call yourself a parent?

Your daughter is suffering for you...

And you can't even look at her?

Well?

Maybe now...

You're ready to tell us something?

Take that, bitch!

I have nothing to say.

Open your eyes then.

- Please stop this. - Fukada!

Kozue... Kozue hasn't done anything wrong.

- Please... - You hypocrite!

You're the parent, you have the power to stop all of this.

How many times do I have to ask you?

Don't you have anything to say?

I don't know anything.

Tell me! Where is your meeting place?

- I won't tell you. - Tell me!

Look at your daughter! You still won't talk?

Just tell us already! Are your beliefs so important?

I won't talk...

Fukada...

Don't you feel bad for your daughter?

We didn't want it to come to this.

We're just doing it because we have orders from the top.

We'll make sure nothing happens to you.

Put your trust in us and tell us what you know.

Come out, come out, little monk...

Come out, little monk.

Make tomorrow a sunny day for me.

I'll visit you some evening...

When the moon is high...

If the sun shines tomorrow, I'll give you some golden bells.

You bitch! Are you trying to make us angry?

If you won't speak up...

It won't be good for your daughter!

Give me that!

Take this, and this, and this and this!

If you don't want me to kill your daughter, you better talk!

Damn it!

You bitch!

Your mother will lie there while you die!

Take this, bitch!

Should I keep going?!

- Take this, bitch! - Stop it!

Please stop...

Kozue!

Kozue...

Please forgive me.

Kozue, forgive me!

So... it seems you've finally understood the situation.

She passed out again!

This is what happens when we have to go to such lengths.

War is a hotbed for torture.

Throughout all of history, we can find no darker time.

During this era,

torture was ever present, ravaging society with incessant cruelty,

leaving all manner of carnage and destruction in its wake.

Don't fight back!

Come on!

Anti-Japanese rebels?

Swine!

If you don't want to end up like him...

You better do as we say!

Tell us where your hideout is!

Hey!

You think you can get out of this by keeping quiet?

Don't fuck with the Imperial Army!

If you don't want to end up like him, you better tell us where your hideout is!

We won't think twice about killing you.

Are you cows or humans?

Why don't you say something?

Hey you!

I'm talking to you!

- Come here. - I'll get him!

Stand up, you!

I said stand up!

Come over here!

Come here, you!

Sit down! I said sit!

How about it? Will you speak?

Okay, then.

Come with me!

Hey!

Tell us where your hideout is!

How about it?

Still won't talk?

Speak!

Still won't talk?

- Get them too! - Yes, sir!

(reciting the Imperial lineage) Jinmu, Suizei, Annei, Itoku...

Kosho, Koan, Korei, Kogen...

Kaika, Sujin, Suinin, Keiko...

Seimu, Chuai, Oujin... and...

Shit... What do we... say now?

We, uh... humbly profess... our allegiance...

As the emperor's... humble servants...

and loyal citizens... of the Japanese... Empire!

That's the spot!

You're all insects...

Not even human!

It makes me feel sick to look at you!

I'll wipe you off the face of the earth!

Japan was devastated by war.

But its dark history remains.

Likewise, torture still exists,

lurking in the darkness, waiting for its prey.