Onibaba

A KINDAI EIGA KYOKAI PRODUCTION

THE HOLE...

DEEP AND DARK...

ITS DARKNESS HAS LASTED

SINCE ANCIENT TIMES

ONIBABA:

(Demon Woman)

Produced by HISAO ITOYA,

SETSUO NOTO, TAMOTSU MINATO

Original Screenplay by

KANETO SHINDO:

Director of Photography

KIYOMI KURODA:

Music

HIKARU HAYASHI:

Sound

TETSUYA OHASHI:

Art Direction

KANETO SHINDO:

Edited by

TOSHIO ENOKI:

Starring

NOBUKO OTOWA:

JITSUKO YOSHIMURA

KEl SATO

JUKICHI UNO:

TAIJI TONOYAMA:

Directed by

KANETO SHINDO:

Ushi, are you there?

Yes.

Get something?

Nothing but junk.

Is this the best you can do?

Kyoto's been burned down.

They say the emperor

has escaped to Mount Yoshino.

So no more big battles.

Just skirmishes now.

Can't do any business.

This is good millet.

One more bag.

Take it or leave it.

Want one more?

Sleep with me.

I'd never sleep with you,

you bastard!

Hachi!

What are you doing here?

I'm hungry.

Give me some food.

Get him a bowl.

It's a wonder you made it back!

Where's my husband?

Wait a minute.

You came back alone?

I escaped.

Where's my son?

It was the Ashikaga army that

forced us to go with them.

We fought in two of their battles.

In the third, we got caught

by the Kusunoki army.

My son too?

Yes, both of us.

So we became Kusunoki men.

All the same to us.

It's the generals' war, not ours.

We didn't even know

what they were fighting about.

There are two emperors now.

Kusunoki fights for the

emperor at Mount Yoshino,

and Ashikaga for the

emperor in Kyoto.

It means the two emperors

are quarrelling.

At first, we wanted to be heroes,

but killing's not easy.

I could have been killed myself.

Once I stabbed a man

in the back with a spear.

He was taking a sh*t in the bushes,

and I killed him.

What happened to my son?

It was three days ago.

The Kusunoki army

got battered at Minatogawa.

Ashikaga's men

wiped them right out.

It was hell.

We couldn't tell friend from foe.

It lasted two days and two nights.

We tried to stick

to the safest places.

The general ordered us to advance,

but we ran around till

they chased us into a paddy field.

There was nothing to do

but play dead in the mud.

We fooled them.

We waited for our chance

and then ran for the mountains.

We hid in the bushes all night

and thought we'd starve.

So we went hunting for food.

We thought we'd steal from farmhouses,

but they were empty.

There was no food.

Soon, farmers with sticks

came from out of nowhere

and beat us up.

They beat Kichi to death.

I barely escaped with my life!

My son was killed?

And then?

What happened

to the samurai who took you two?

He was killed right afterwards.

An arrow right through his throat.

He flailed around

and then keeled over.

Right here.

Serves him right!

He had it coming.

They took my son so suddenly

that we had a hard time surviving.

I was looking forward

to the day he would return.

Only you made it back.

It's a wonder you're still alive.

How do you eat?

There was frost last summer.

Hail fell.

Frost and hail in summer!

All our crops failed.

Strange things going on in Kyoto too.

A horse gave birth to a calf.

The sun rose black in the sky.

Day was dark as night.

How horrible!

As if the earth had been

turned upside down!

All the farmers are starving.

With all the fighting,

they can't work.

The fields run wild

without men to till them.

How do you eat?

Never you mind!

We're beggars.

Kyoto's been burnt to the ground.

Not even a dog around.

Everything becomes food -

snakes, even earthworms and mice.

You're wearing nice things.

Did you steal them?

You're dressed oddly yourself.

I killed a priest on the way back

and put on his clothes.

People trust a priest.

Makes it easier to get around.

What'll you do now?

Is my hut left?

I suppose so.

I see.

I'll get some good sleep.

I'm very tired.

I'm sorry I came back alone.

What is it?

It's sad!

Fine day.

Makes war seem far away.

That's a big fish you caught.

I have nothingto eat.

What do you do for food?

You don't seem to grow anything.

What do you do?

You steal?

I see. That's it?

Everyone does

where there's fighting going on.

They all steal in Kyoto.

You steal too? Right?

Why didn't you save my husband?

I had no time to.

About 20 farmers attacked us.

I barely got away myself.

You've been waiting for him?

Poor girl.

What are you gonna do?

He's dead.

No use staying

with the old woman, is there?

Mind your tongue!

You're young yet.

How about coming to see me?

Nice day.

Hachi, what are you doing here?

Catching fish. Got to eat.

You have it.

Take what's offered.

It looks good!

What did Hachi say?

Nothing.

The little sh*t! Not even sorry

he came back alone.

Might have killed my son himself.

No different than an enemy.

Don't be too friendly with him.

Help!

Help!

Help!

Get the one floating away!

He's still alive!

We can eat now!

This is expensive stuff.

How about it?

A good buy?

Is that all?

The farmers are all hiding

in the mountains.

Had a hard time findingthis much.

It's risky work.

Bring me some sake.

You were lucky.

It's a wonder you're back.

Good business you have here.

Only while the war lasts.

Don't know how much longer.

They won't quit for a long time yet.

Not until one side's beaten.

They'll go on

even if it ruins the country.

It's a business with them.

I'll take these birds too.

Bring me some good stuff.

Ushi's got himself a good business.

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