Gyoei no mure (1983) - full transcript

A Shochiku Presentation

THE CATCH

As I listen to the roar of the sea,

I feel the sound is in me.

It thrills me.

It excites me to no end.

Do you like the sea?

Will you become a fisherman for me?

Sure.

I'm tired of that lousy shop.

Fishing for tuna is hard.



It's hazardous.

Some men lose their legs.

Some are dragged into the sea.

Don't you mind that?

I love you.

I love the sea, too.

Come!

About Mum...

She left my dad.

She eloped with a young guy.

It was many years ago.

They say I'm a lot like her.

What do you mean?

Don't get mad.



I just want you to know
all about me.

Let's go in.

Wait...

There's a trick.

THE FIRST SUMMER

We got a tuna, everybody!

We got a tuna!

It's big!

Dad!

How heavy is it?

- How many kilos?
- About 120.

It's huge!

What a lush!
You drank half of it.

I'm bushed.

When I'm tired, I drink.

You got a big one.

The year's biggest.

That fish is old.

It's been around several years.

It was smart enough to live long.

But you caught it.

It was hard.

Take a bath after supper.

You've got salt on your face.

Gum on your eyes, too.

Dad, how old were you when
you started tuna fishing?

I wonder!
One day, I found myself fishing.

I was on a fishing boat
even as a kid.

I was 23 when I got my first boat.

I'll never forget it.
You were born a year later.

- What's wrong?
- Why?

Why ask that now?

Hello, Kohama speaking.

Is that you?

Great! We can pay our debt.

Really.

Thanks for telling me.

The tuna sold for 3,000 yen a kilo.

- How big?
- It was 180 kilos.

180 kilos at 3,000 yen per,
that's...

540,000 yen.

We can sure use the money.

Tell me more about your dad.

I want to be a good fisherman,
like him.

When the wind blows,
there's a heavy fog over the town...

White stallions at sea.

- What?
- Breakers.

They move fast, like stallions.

Sounds scary.

Even when it blows,
Dad thinks about fishing.

That's how he is.

I hope tunas aren't everything to you.

You asked me to be a fisherman.

Yes, but think about
other things besides tuna.

You're selfish.

Selfish?

Think so?

I'm selfish, too.

I'm going to quit my family trade
and be a fisherman.

I know.

Is it my fault?

I decided on my own.

- May I tell him?
- Huh?

Is it okay to tell Dad about you?

I thought I wouldn't mind you

only playing around with me.

No hauls since then.

Right. No tuna recently.

The boats rarely sail these days.

Fuel costs 40,000 yen a trip.

Can't go fishing so easily.

I wonder if the tuna season is over.

No. There'll be a few more catches.

We'll wait until then.

I think I'll go to Shiriya.

- Shiriya?
- The fish will be heading there.

They'll stay there even past summer.

I'll go there.

- Not to Hokkaido?
- I don't want to go.

They don't want us to come,
so I won't go.

It's only Ibu people who
don't want you.

- Go to other ports.
- I don't feel like going!

How stubborn!

- What did you say?
- Nothing.

She talks like my old lady.

- Say something?
- Nope.

Dad...

I want you to meet someone.

A man.

A man?

What do you mean, a man?

His name's Shunichi.

He runs a coffee shop.

You like him?

You love him.

But you can't marry him.

A city boy can't marry into
a fisherman's family.

He said he'll be a fisherman.

Your man did?

He'll close his shop to marry me.

So he said.

- I want you to meet him.
- No.

- Why not?
- I just don't want to.

I'll go fishing.

I wonder why!

Fool!

You Shunichi?

Yes, I am.

I'm Fusajiro, Tokiko's dad.

I knew the moment you came in.
You smell of the sea.

- I'll make tea.
- No, thanks.

Fishing is...

a lousy job.

Real lousy.

But I want to be a fisherman.

About Tokiko...

I feel sorry for her.

I've been too busy.

I haven't taken care of her
very well.

She's lonely.

She's apt to fall for anybody
who's kind to her.

That's how she is.

But marriage is something different.

- You want to be a fisherman?
- Yes!

So teach me how to fish.

Did you have Tokiko?

Did you lay her?

I'm sorry!

Sorry? Then why did you do it?

Apologizing now isn't manly.

Forgive me.

We promised...

We promised to marry...
We're engaged.

Please consent.

- She and I will get married.
- No.

Why?

Fishing isn't something to teach.

Teach me!

- No.
- Please!

Teach me!

Please!

I've decided

I'll get on his boat regardless.

I'll be like him.

So I'll move to Ohma.

But...

Dad'll never agree.

He'll get mad.

I'll try until he agrees.

There's no other way.

I came at last.

Aren't you afraid?

Why?

It's a lonely place.

Thinking about the future...

you'll despair.

I have you with me.

It's funny...

We're like newlyweds.

You came here for me.

Thank you.

- Dad!
- What is it?

What brings you?

Sorry about the other day.

I know you'll get mad, but...

Please teach me.

Please!

Good morning!

In fisherman's duds, huh?

Cast off!

Hurry!

Take care!

I'm sorry.

Dad won't sail today.

Tokiko.

Is that young guy your beau?

- Trying to be a fisherman?
- Yes.

He won't make it.

The sea here is real hard.

Just anybody can't fish.

The sea here is hell.

It's hard,
even for the professionals.

I wish him luck.

Thanks.

Let's go.

What's keeping you?
Get on-board!

Shunichi!

Your lunch!
Water and fruit, too.

Eat everything.
What counts is strength.

I know.

Be careful!

What about lunch?

Don't want it?

What a shame!

A fisherman who gets seasick!

I can't work.

Your first trip.

It's natural.

But...

Aren't you scared of the sea?

No.

I like both you and the sea.

I like the two...

even more than before.

You're odd!

For you, the sea and I
are always together.

You can't separate them.
You never say you love only me.

That so?

To me, you're both important.

- May I go to sleep?
- Yes.

I'll leave.

May I go to sleep?

Tuna!

- I saw tuna!
- Shut up!

Shunichi respects you, Dad.

He wants to be a fisherman like you.

Being like me, he's doomed.

He'll make you unhappy.

Was she unhappy?

My mum?

I'll sail tomorrow morning.

We're still in debt, right?

I've got to catch another tuna.

Tuna?

Did you find any?

Listen, keep away from me!

- Anything I can do for you?
- No!

Once a tuna is hooked,
it moves fast.

The line stretches fast.

If you get tangled,
that'll be it.

Are they near?

They're Hokkaido boats.

Aren't you going?

They got their tuna.

The tuna are still around, right?

Stay away!

Hey, keep off!

Sorry.

- I was careless.
- Stop talking!

What happened to the fish?

Forget it.
The fish was stronger.

Fisherman's Association?
This is Toki-maru 3.

Call an ambulance.
Wait at the port.

Hello? What's up?
Somebody get hurt? Or sick?

Hello! Hello!
What's up? Answer!

Dad... Dad...

I wonder what happened.

Help me...

This is the Fisherman's Association,
can you hear me?

Mr Kohama, can you hear me?

There's been an accident
on your dad's boat.

Accident?

Help me...

Shunichi! Can you hear me?

It's Tokiko.

Dad, what happened?

What's up?

What's going on?

He said to call an ambulance.

Why don't we send a rescue boat?

We don't even know where they are.

This is an emergency!
All fishing boats help!

I repeat:
This is an emergency!

This is Toki-maru 3!

Why didn't you answer?

Get an ambulance!

Shunichi! What happened?!

Would you like to eat something?

No, thanks.

It's still raining.
It makes me sick.

He may die.

Who may die?

The guy being operated on.

I've been here a long time,

and it's the longest operation yet.

It's over... Good!

It'd be awful,
dying in the hospital.

I've never seen you.
You an outsider?

Shut up.

- How much?
- 850 yen.

He can't tell people!

He's half-unconscious.
He doesn't know me.

They waited too long.

His wound is starting to fester.

If it festers more...
he won't live.

He was asking your help.
He said to do something for him.

Is tuna that important?

Are fish more important
than humans?

If he dies,

you're the murderer!

I brought you some money.

Eat regularly...

What counts for fishermen is strength.

ONE YEAR LATER

It's you? How unusual!

I think I'll go to Hokkaido.

Last year I went to Shiriya.

This year I'll try at Hokkaido.

Hokkaido's all right,
but not Ibu.

They don't want us in their port.

If you go in,
there'll be trouble. Okay?

The sea off Ibu is the best for fish.

Mr Kohama, don't cause trouble.

It'd affect us all.
Try to understand.

Ibu Fishermen's Association, over.

I'm coming in with a 150 kilo tuna.

150 kilo? Great!
I was afraid

I'd have to send back the freezers.

The name of your boat
and the arrival time?

Toki-maru 3, over.

Toki-maru 3?

You from Ohma?

Sure. I'm from Ohma.
I'll be there in an hour.

Wait a minute.

What'll we do, chief?

We can't let an Ohma boat
in here. Absolutely no!

Hold it.

Chief, are you sure we
can get another tuna?

Tuna sells for top money now.

I know.

That's not the point!

No difference between
Ohma tuna and Ibu tuna.

Let us sell it, chief!

- Get up!
- How noisy!

Go away!

Out of the way!

Toki-maru 3!

Right here.

We can't let you bring
your catch to Ibu.

We'll let you in, for fuel,
and food.

But you can't unload your catch.
All right?

Chief.

Here he is.

Leave us alone.

Will you keep off the port for a while?

If the fishermen spot you,
they'll make a fuss.

I'll pay you tomorrow.
Give me a commission.

Any beefs?

TOMITAYA HOTEL

You haven't changed.

It's been like a nightmare.

A nightmare?

I see...

You aren't here for me.

Of course not.
It's been 20 years.

I'm stupid, too.

I forgot that time flies.

You got old.

Can't help it.
I stay in the salt air every day.

But you have no regrets.

How's Tokiko?

She's 25, right?

She left with her man.

She's like me, after all.

- Been here long?
- Not very.

Why did you come here?

A lot happened...

I wandered here and there.

Your men?

Customer?

Welcome.

Aya, can we talk?

Is this enough?

Give me a drink.

You remember it?

Sure. When we ran out of it,
you hit me.

Good!

- You still hit people?
- No.

You hit me before you spoke.
I was scared.

Is that why you ran?

Did it make you hate me
that much?

May I drink?

You weren't to blame.

I always made mistakes.

How much?
The tab.

Forget it.

Leaving?

You need money, right?

I got a tuna.
It'll sell tomorrow.

But I don't need money.

No, thanks.

Sure?

It's me.

Can you tell?

I came after all.

- You drunk?
- Not so much.

While tossing pebbles,

I remembered our past.

When I went to see you at a port

I signalled you like this.

May I come aboard?

Small boat.

I thought it would be bigger.

No bigger than your old one.

No catch lately.

Same as before, too.

It's funny!

I love you.

Hug me.

I miss Tokiko.

Where is she?

Rumour has it she's somewhere
in Wakayama.

They catch tuna there
even in winter.

Is her guy a fisherman?

He said he wanted to become one.

Become a fisherman?
Then why did he leave?

It was my fault.

I'm stubborn and gloomy by nature.

I send everything to the bad side.

Your gloom was what I liked.

Sleeping with you,
I was drawn into it.

Maybe I'll go home.

I wonder if you can sail
this boat right now,

and take me home to Ohma.

Will you really go?
What about your man?

I don't mind giving him the shop.

Will you forgive me?

For what I did?

It's been 20 long years.

Can you forget?

I loved you.

I loved you, but ran out on you.

Why did you run?

I forgot.

You forgot?

Will you wait until tomorrow?

Tomorrow evening I'll bring my stuff,
if you don't mind.

I came for you!

Aya, I heard you went to the port.
I was waiting.

I watched the fireworks.

Then somehow I felt scared.

I felt as if the fireworks were

calling the dead.

So, I could hardly wait until you came.

You may not know this,
but she's a woman with a past.

In Matsumae, a man died
because of her.

She has a past.

You stole my woman!

Damn whore!

Stop it! Stop!

I should have burned your boat!

Come on, ass!

Stop! Please!

He called you a whore!
What sort of life have you led?

All right.
You haven't changed at all.

You can't tell people from fish.

You just hook them and pull.

When they object, you hit them.

You hit them and keep them.

You haven't changed at all.

We're through.

See you tomorrow evening.

I'll stay here until then!

END OF SUMMER

Excuse me.

I can't get used to this.

It stinks.

Everything here is rotten,
isn't that right?

The men are saying that
you might be dead.

Your boat's bad.
It won't move, right?

What's the matter with you?

You've acted odd since
you got back from Ibu.

Anything happen there?

A tuna broke the line.

The first in my life.

It happened a few more
times later, too.

I hauled them toward me,

but at the last moment,
they broke the line and...

That means I'm getting weak.
I lost pep, too.

It's time to retire.

Retire?! What will you do?

Think you can live in town?

Can you live on land?

If you can, retire.

Shunichi!

Eat it all, okay?

You bought that boat?

He sold his shop.

- We used the money.
- I see.

Catch much tuna?

The sea here is different
from where we were.

The fish here are tough.

They ran from the Hokkaido
and Russian fishing boats.

You can get real big ones...
if you can make it.

We got married.

- In Wakayama.
- I see.

Sorry I didn't tell you.

Weren't you ashamed?

Weren't you ashamed,
without your folks at the wedding?

No!

Shunichi doesn't have many
relatives either.

He has fisherman's eyes now.

I saw his eyes.
He seemed to be challenging me.

Where do you live?

Where we used to.

Over the fish shop?

But...

Don't come.

I won't go to see you, either.

Say you won't come.

How scary!
You're tough for your age.

No sense being impatient.

The fish get hooked
when the time comes.

Have you told him you're pregnant?

Have you?

No.

Why not?

I wonder.

I tried to tell him, but...

Somehow I was shy.

He's your dad.

No, he isn't.

He's no longer my dad, is he?

Won't he be glad to know he's
going to have a grandchild?

When Dad sails...

keep an eye on him.

Follow him and you'll get tuna.

They say so in Ohma.

Are you saying I should beg?

I didn't mean that!

But...

You must learn the sea here.

I know!
I'm no amateur!

I've got tuna at Wakayama.

What's wrong?

Everything around me looks strange.

I'll make up a bed for you.

Tomorrow...

we'll go to a hospital in Mutsu.

I'm all right.

I could see his eyes clearly.

It seemed he was appraising
me as a fisherman.

So...

you met my dad?

When I said I was cold,
he gave me hot noodles.

He said he'd give me a ride
in his boat, but he didn't.

You can get on-board my boat.

Some wind, huh?

If it blows for 10 days,
it'll kill fishermen.

Welcome.
What'll it be?

Noodles and sake.

When the wind blows,
guys get mean.

They used to say windy days
bring men in red clothes.

You know what red clothes are?

Sure. Prison uniforms.

The wind makes people
frustrated and desperate.

I feel that way now.

It's like fishermen are
always mean and desperate.

Fusajiro sailed a while ago.

He's just joyriding.

He wants to smell the salt air.

Even he couldn't catch tuna
in this weather.

Yeah? Not even him?

My husband insisted on sailing.

Stupid!

You want to leave your wife
and come home dead?

Sonny.

Staring at my leg?

Is it that curious?

I once broke a leg, too.

Mine didn't just break.

It got caught by a tuna line.

It ruined bone and muscle.

Were you a fisherman?

Sure. My boat was called
'Benten-maru'.

Fusajiro's boat and mine
were good rivals.

Good tuna, eh?

What are you doing?

Stop!

I feel your dad is laughing at me.

No, I feel all the fishermen
are ridiculing me.

Many fishermen get hurt at sea.

Some even die.

But... they still belong to
the sea of Ohma.

And you're one of them now.

You already belong here.

Why don't you think that way?

I'm getting bigger, huh?

Mrs Yoda.

A call from the Association.

I guess your man got a tuna.
A big one!

I wonder...

Yoda speaking.

Glad you came.

The sea's calm.
I don't think it's an accident.

What will you do?
Shall we tell your dad?

No.

Toki-maru 1...

Do you hear me? Over.

What brings you?

My man.

He isn't back.

He went out yesterday.

He hasn't returned.

No word?

What about the radio?

What do you want me to do?

Look for him.

You know the sea best.

Do something and find him.

Please!

Is this Asami? It's me.

I heard from Tokiko.

Sorry to bother you,
but will you fuel my boat? Hurry.

I'll go.

Dad!

Thanks.

Toki-maru 3...

This is the Ohma Association.
Where are you?

I don't know.

Why not? Over.

I'm just guessing where
the tuna went.

Then, Shunichi was pulled by a tuna?

I'm sure of it.

This is Toki-maru 3. Over.

I found him!

You found him?

Is he dead? Alive?

His boat is moving.
A tuna's pulling him.

Toki-maru 3!

What a guy!

You can relax.

Pull it!

Pull!

Or else, cut it.

Cut it!

Don't cut it!

Don't cut it.
I'm a fisherman, too.

Don't cut it! Please!

All right.

It's your baby.
Hit it!

This is Toki-maru 3.
Shunichi's badly hurt.

His bones and guts are damaged.

He puked blood.

Hurry! Scuttle the tuna
and move at full speed.

We'll call an ambulance.

No. We can't give up the fish.

It's Shunichi's pride.
He'll never consent.

I'll have a kid next spring.

I'll be a father.

Is Tokiko pregnant?

Didn't she tell you?

She's four months gone.

If it's a boy,
he'll be a fisherman.

So Tokiko's having a baby?

Yes. She'll be a mother.

- What will the price be?
- The tuna's?

What will it bring?

Let's see...
At least a million yen.

That much for one tuna?

Fishing's good work, huh?

For fishermen,
there's only paradise or hell.

It's a gamble.

Don't your arms hurt?

No. Stop talking.

I'm sorry I'm a punk fisherman.

When you get back to port,
drink up.

Sleep as long as you like.

Love your wife all you can.

Fool!

Ass!

Toki-maru 1, over.

Go ahead, over.

Let me talk to Tokiko.

This is Tokiko.

Tokiko, calm down and
listen carefully.

Shunichi just died.

He wants the baby to be
a fisherman, if it's a boy.

No!

♪ Along the mountain path in the sun

♪ He and I strolled
Hand in hand

♪ He boarded a steamer and left

♪ Then I heard a rumour about him...

I won't!

I won't make him a fisherman!

CAST:

Ken Ogata

Masako Natsume

Koichi Saito

Tatsuhei Shimokawa
Minori Terada

Enraku Sanyutei

Yukiyo Toake

CREW:

Produced by Akira Oda,
Kanji Nakagawa, Hideji Miyajima

Based on the novel by Akira Yoshimura
Screenplay by Yozo Tanaka

Photography by Mutsuo Naganuma
Music by Shigeaki Saegusa

Directed by
Shinji Somai

THE END