Original subtitles

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.