School of the Holy Beast (1974) Movie Script

A Cult Epics Release

You're strange.

That's your charm.

l'm Kenta.

Come see me tomorrow.

Sorry.

l've enjoyed myself as much as l can

for the last time.

Now l have to say goodbye.

Where are you off to?

To where women

aren't women.

SCHOOL OF THE HOLY BEAST

An abbey

is a mansion for women

who long for eternal virginity.

They try to live

with strict principles

to become brides

acceptable for God.

Sisters, we've just received

another stray sheep.

When a stray sheep

kneels down

in the light before God,

he will cause her

to suffer.

We haven't been forced

to choose our way as nuns.

Our own burning desire

for belief guided us here

through the gate of the abbey.

Now let me introduce

our new friend,

Miss Maya Takigawa.

Greet them.

How do you do?

l'm Maya Takigawa.

We make it the primary rule

to practice discipline.

The discipline comprises

73 chapters.

We are strict about...

adultery,

murder

and theft.

Can you promise you'll

follow these principles?

Yes.

lf you break the rules,

you'll be punished.

l'll explain

about our garments.

The white means innocence,

the black, asceticism.

The asceticism

to follow the principles

is the only way

for us to attain the privilege

of the brides.

CHOlR NUNS

This room is for the choir nuns.

They're of a higher rank

than assistant nuns.

Don't forget to be polite.

How do you do?

ASSlSTANT NUNS

Lord! Oh Lord!

Give me your strength.

Lord, beat me

with a whip.

Forgive me.

Lord...

Maya.

Surprised?

You'll get used to it.

Whenever we feel

we're tempted by sin,

we whip ourselves like that.

That's why we have whips.

Jesus Christ was born.

His mother, Mary...

was engaged to Joseph.

Jesus was immaculately conceived.

That's how He was brought

into this world.

Mary's husband, Joseph

was a good man.

Though he didn't want

to speak of it in public,

he was secretly planning

to get a divorce.

While he was considering this,

God appeared in his dreams.

''Joseph, son of David,

do not be afraid to accept

Mary as your wife.''

The baby was

immaculately conceived.

God said...

that His name

was to be Jesus.

''You need to accept Him

with His mother,'' God said.

Prophets had known

of this for a long time,

as God had told them of it.

And God said...

''Let the woman

deliver the baby peacefully.''

His name was

to be Emmanuel...

which means

''God is with us.''

Joseph woke up

from his dream

and accepted his wife

as God had willed.

But until the baby was born,

he would not know love.

''Do not commit adultery.''

''lf you look at a woman

with desire,

you've already committed

adultery in your mind.''

The sin of adultery

is the heaviest

among the principles.

lf you harbor the thought

you'll be stigmatized

as a dirty renegade.

We nuns should keep

our bodies and souls pure.

l have a question.

Go ahead.

What did Jesus say

to those who committed adultery?

They're no better than animals.

They live to be arrested

and killed.

They'll be punished

and ruined for their injustice.

Vice Abbess.

Sister Takigawa.

lf our parents hadn't sinned,

we wouldn't have been born.

A surprising question.

Think of the lmmaculate Conception.

ls it really possible?

Stop insulting Mother Mary.

She got pregnant

because she had a lover.

How dare you!

No use shouting.

lf you don't have sex,

no baby will come out.

Mother Mary was a virgin.

You're insulting her.

What she said

was unforgivable.

Get rid of Sister lshida.

We won't study

with assistant nuns.

- Expel them!

- Wait.

You can't judge all of us

by Sister lshida alone.

We came here

because of our strong

religious faith.

What on earth brought

a person like her here?

We aren't any different.

An abbey

is a place for dropouts

from society.

You're probably

not even a virgin yourself.

How rude!

That's all for today.

We'll expel those

who make disgraceful remarks.

Good day.

You can't fall asleep, huh?

Let's have a drink.

l'm glad to have you here.

lt's nice to have a girl

with a backbone.

lt's funny to find someone

like you here in the abbey.

Pretentious women

irritate me.

l've always wanted to ridicule

the Vice Abbess in class.

Miss lshida.

Even as a joke,

drinking whiskey at night

is just too much.

The abbey is more like a prison.

Your parents are

pious and respectable.

How can their daughter

be so vulgar?

My father owns bars

and night clubs.

My stepmother was either gonna

send me here or to a loony bin.

So l chose to come here.

You need

to learn perseverance.

Your parents want us

to reform you

here at St. Clore Abbey.

My parents must've

given you money or something.

By the way,

who told on me?

Don't talk that way,

Sister lshida.

God knows everything.

Don't push alcohol

on somebody

who's training

to be a good nun.

l see. That new bitch.

Do we always

have to work so hard?

Not always. But it's usually

more or less like this.

They discriminate

against us

because we didn't make

any donations. lt's unfair.

They give us such small meals.

My body can't go on like this.

They're so delicious

l feel like l could die.

lt's been so long

since l enjoyed eating this much.

PERSECUTlON ROOM

Now God is going

to punish you.

God gave us the whips.

Beat each other twenty times.

Go on!

Beat each other

until you bleed.

Kaoru.

What are you waiting for?

Beat the woman!

Oka, go ahead

and beat her.

The punishment was too harsh

for just stealing food.

How did they find out?

We were alone

in the storage room.

Strange...

ls there an informer?

That's right.

One of us is a spy.

You mean me?

No.

But since you came here,

they've been well-informed.

Janet...

You gave me

valuable information.

l'll recommend you

for membership in the choir.

Sister...

Somebody's there.

Sorry to interrupt you.

What are you doing here?

You'll be punished for this.

You two will be punished.

Or do they allow homosexual acts

between nuns here?

Don't be scared.

Nobody's shocked

by lesbians.

Why don't you forget

about spying and enjoy yourselves.

Don't tell anybody about us.

Who told you to act as a spy?

The Vice Abbess.

Well, well!

She wants us to be honest

and true while she spies.

l'll keep this to myself.

You must obey my orders

from now on.

Hurry!

lt'd be terrible

if they saw us now.

''Michiko Shinohara''

''Christian name: Mary''

''Died of a heart attack.''

''Witnessed by Aya Ogasawara''

How are you?

Any better today?

Sorry for burdening you.

Not at all. lt's my job.

You assistant nuns

have been busy

since l fell ill.

Don't worry. We can handle

the food. We're glad to do it.

Maya, who gave you this?

My mother.

You mean you're...

Michiko Shinohara's daughter.

Don't tell the abbess.

l came here

of my own free will.

Will you tell me

about my mother?

How did she die?

Where was my father?

l don't know.

She was a nice, kind woman.

You're spying again.

You get another

gold star.

Don't call me a spy again.

What?

Go back to the reformatory.

l can run away any time.

But not before l expose you.

Don't mess with me, kid!

Stop fighting.

You shameless girls!

What if people saw you now?

Mind our honor.

You can't hide the filth forever.

Shut up!

You'll be confined for three days.

Sister!

How are you?

This is for you,

from the field in the back.

Thank you.

How's father?

The doctor said he wouldn't

be able to work again.

l can't do anything for you,

for l'm already serving God.

But l'm always praying

for my family.

Each time l see you,

you've changed.

Have l?

lt's as if you were talking

to a stranger.

l'll work as soon

as l leave school.

Mother wants you

to come back.

Father will die

if he isn't hospitalized.

She needs 100,000 yen

to cover everything.

All your praying

won't bring us money, will it?

Keiko, don't be unreasonable.

This is terrible!

What's wrong?

50,000 yen disappeared

from my drawer.

Are you sure?

One of the nuns stole it.

One of the assistant nuns

who cleaned the room.

Don't assume the worst.

Gather all the assistant nuns.

The money?

What's this?

How awful!

They're like beasts!

The criminal might be keeping it

under her garment.

''Criminal?''

Don't talk like a cop.

Let's strip to help

clear the suspicion.

Now investigate us thoroughly.

Strip, everybody!

Oh, no! How shameful!

Shall l take them off?

No. Keep them on.

Come on!

No thank you.

No use stripping.

The money won't be found.

What?

Whoever stole the money

wouldn't keep it in a place

that's so easy to find.

lf she has a guilty conscience,

she'll confess.

Right?

Yes.

Vice Abbess.

We'd better stop investigating.

All right.

l'll take these pictures away.

l'll burn them, for sure.

Welcome, Father Kakinuma.

St. Clore Abbey

is well-disciplined.

Everything is managed smoothly.

This is an ideal abbey.

lt's due entirely to your burning

religious faith.

Thank you.

l'll report to the headquarters

in Rome.

What's wrong?

Father.

You seem to be upset.

Tell me. l'll listen.

Father...

l stole the money

from the abbey.

l violated the disciplines.

My parents were against

my coming to this abbey.

My family is large.

We were living

from hand to mouth.

But l wanted to serve Jesus.

My father understood,

but he fell ill.

When l cleaned

the Vice Abbess' room,

l found the money.

l'd been thinking

of my father.

Before l knew it,

l had taken it.

Father, punish me.

l'm suffering.

l betrayed God

and l'm still

here in the abbey...

Only the innocent

can beat a sinful woman

with a rock.

Do you know these words

of Jesus?

He won't punish you.

Father... this money...

Pay fifty back.

Keep the rest

for your poor family.

Thank you.

ls your worry gone?

Yes.

Has your suffering disappeared

without any trace?

Yes.

Because God came to me,

to forgive me.

God never comes to you.

Never to you.

You make a confession,

and your guilty conscience

melts like snow.

God will never

come to you.

Did God ever come

to save men?

ln the history of mankind?

Why not wait?

Why not wait for God,

who'll come to punish you?

Father!

Maybe God got you

ready for me

as a sacrifice!

Mother!

How filthy!

Oh, Jesus!

Why do men

do such filthy things?

Like dogs!

Tell me, buddy.

Will your girl really come?

Of course.

She wanted to see me.

Why did she have to go

to the abbey?

She was lnfluenced

by a movie.

Maybe.

Hi!

ls she your girl, Maya?

Yes. She's a nun.

- l'm surprised you got out.

- l have a fun idea.

lnterested?

l'll do anything for you.

l'll disguise myself.

Hello.

The sex-hungry nun

is sleeping in here.

Give her pleasure.

l'll stand watch here.

All right.

Good.

Poor woman!

Wasting her womanhood!

l'll give her what she wants.

Me first.

No, me.

You're not hung.

How convenient!

Oh, God!

l'll take you.

This way you can

go to heaven quickly.

Who are you?

l'm a pure virgin for God.

Stop it!

Jesus!

Jesus.

Jesus Christ!

Let's switch!

l'm nearly exploding!

Forgive me!

Stop it!

More! More!

Mother Mary!

Amen.

My turn.

Where's the pussy cat?

Time's up. Get out

before they find you.

Come on! Hurry up!

Oh, no! How cruel!

Let's go.

Who are you? Wait!

This way.

Wait!

Maya, you've got guts.

l admire you.

You got men into an abbey

for women only.

She's my type!

You're flattering me.

Hurry!

Bye-bye! Hurry!

What are you doing?

Taking a walk.

Did you see the strangers?

No.

Let's go to the chapel

for prayer.

Excuse us.

Vice Abbess, what happened?

Did somebody

break into this room?

Control yourself!

Tell me what happened.

l resisted desperately.

But they forcibly...

''They?''

l kept my virginity for 32 years

and 4 months.

But the men...

they took me by force.

''Men?''

Men?!

Those suspicious nuns

were men.

Abbess.

Ryoko passed Maya

in the corridor.

She was with the strangers.

- ls that true?

- Yes.

lt was dark,

but l saw their faces.

Bring Maya

to the Persecution Room.

We have to weed out

the Judas.

The 1 3th punishment!

Punishment!

ls she...

Sister lshida!

You filthy hypocrites!

This is worse than prison.

lshida.

She's a rebel

against the church.

She brought men

into the Garden of Angels.

''Angels?''

You're just a dyke.

Oh, no!

How could you call me that?

Abbess, it was me who

brought those men in here.

ls that true?

Yes. lt's my confession.

You can count on it.

Punishment on lshida!

Give her punishment!

Punishment!

Don't mess with me.

Hysterical bitches!

l'll handle this.

Why is sex wrong?

You look decent,

but you want to get laid.

Abbess, this is blasphemy.

Expel her.

She's like a gangster.

Maya, it's getting interesting.

Sister lshida,

get out of this abbey.

All right. l don't care.

l'll go away, but...

don't bully Maya.

lf you do, l'll have

your scandals publicized.

Remember that.

Dismissed!

Abbess!

Not enough evidence.

Sister Takigawa,

go back to your room.

Maya.

l'm going...

to the house of God.

l'll tell you the truth.

You must go to another abbey

as soon as possible.

l still remember that day.

l can't forget it,

even if l try to.

l was watching

from the shadows.

l watched a pure woman

who served God

change into a devil.

Michiko was going to be abbess,

but she violated the discipline.

The present abbess tortured her

when she was pregnant.

She looked like a demon.

lt was December 25th,

Christmas Day.

When she hanged herself,

a baby was born.

l tied her rosary to the baby

as the mother's keepsake.

l took the baby to town.

lt was you, Maya.

l don't know

who your father was.

That is all l know.

Maya, dear.

So it's you.

l won't forgive you.

But your mother

was to blame.

She violated the discipline

and had you.

l had to do it to protect the honor

of the abbey.

l don't want to hear

your excuses!

You must leave here today.

Go back to the time

when you only had

good thoughts of your parents.

You should return.

No kidding.

Who was my father?

- Tell me!

- l don't know.

Why not? You must know

everything that happened.

Maya, dear,

don't go any farther.

This is the realm of God.

''Realm of God?''

You should return now.

To where?

l came back to where

l was born.

l'll watch this rotten abbey fall.

l'll make it happen.

Why not expel

Maya Takigawa at once?

She knows too much.

Then arrange a ceremony

to offer her to God.

There should be

no ''ceremony'' for her.

Her mother

was Michiko Shinohara.

She's your daughter.

l'm scared.

Our sins of 18 years past

are standing before us

wearing a cloak

of hatred.

Past...

ln the past,

you were extremely jealous

of Michiko.

You even hated her.

That's right.

We went to school together.

We were baptized

and came here together.

We were always

on the same path,

but she was always...

outshining me.

We were always compared...

l was always inferior to her.

l was miserable.

When l left

pregnant Michiko...

l fled to Rome, to school.

You dealt with her

after l went away.

That's how you earned

your present position.

lt's true.

At last l defeated my rival.

With these

blood-soaked fingers...

Father...

l hated Michiko

because you loved her.

She was trying to live

out of love for you.

l was mad. Jealousy

made me cold and cruel.

l made love to you, too.

You did.

But l wonder

if you really loved me.

Love?

lt's an illusion.

Then what have you

been living for?

God.

l'm waiting for God.

Even in the hell l lived through,

l waited for Him,

though he never came.

Father...

You still remember Nagasaki.

Even in Auschwitz,

He didn't come to save us.

Has He ever

shown Himself to men

who are begging for help?

Maya will never stop fighting

against you.

Hell has come.

For you betrayed God!

Hell.

Give a ceremony

to offer Maya to God.

What do you want?

l want to apologize to you.

l've been needlessly suffering

for 18 years.

l'll tell you about your father...

to atone for my sin.

But when you learn

the truth,

you'll fall in the hell of hatred.

- Hatred for my father?

- Yes.

Your father

is Father Kakinuma.

The priest?

ls that true?

Yes, it is true.

He also asked me

to dispose of your mother.

That's a lie!

lt's true.

Look at the sea.

lt hasn't changed.

This is where your mother...

met her lover.

She was desperately in love.

She forgot herself

in the transient gleam of love.

There's no going back for me.

l came to assist the abbess

of St. Clore Abbey.

My name is Nataly Green.

Any act of violation

of the discipline won't be missed.

l can smell the foul odor

of witches,

servants of the devil.

l'll catch the witches.

l'll expose them.

Don't give orders

on your own.

What can you do?

l know this abbey

like the back of my hand.

l'm in charge here.

Father Kakinuma

would disagree.

He sent me here.

Follow my instructions

from now on.

Hisako!

You're pregnant!

Who's your man?

Tell us who.

lt's not an immaculate

conception.

Who were you with?

Confess!

Stop it!

Father Kakinuma.

lt's his child.

What a horrible thing!

Frightful!

Unbelievable!

You're accusing him

to hide your disgrace.

What do you think, nuns?

Unforgivable!

How can she blame that strict, benevolent

priest?

lt's true. lt's true!

Liar! Witch!

l'll test your Christian faith.

Get salt water.

Drink all of it.

lf you're true to God,

you'll never be able

to stain Jesus.

lt's a method used in the Edo Era

to find secret Christians.

That's right.

lf she wets the image,

she's a real witch.

How long

will we be confined?

Hisako hasn't returned.

They're still punishing her.

Attend the witch trial

or you'll be considered rebels.

lt's the best way

to persecute the witch.

Janet. Onozuka.

Watanabe. Nakagami.

What are you waiting for?

Get moving!

Takigawa.

l will not go.

What?

You admit to being a heretic?

How long can you

have your way?

All right.

Come to the Persecution Room.

This woman is a witch.

Where's the priest?

He's coming.

Will you expel Hisako?

You care about her?

No wonder.

Her fate is the same

as your mother's.

Your father

made Hisako pregnant.

You're the fatal child

with cursed blood...

the doomed offspring

of the priest,

your mother and myself.

Hisako!

The rebel

has exposed herself.

Bless those who hate you.

Pray for those

who speak ill of you.

lf any one strikes you

on the right cheek,

turn to him the other also.

From anyone

who takes away your coat,

do not withhold

even your shirt.

Do unto to others

as you would have them

do unto you.

Do not judge others.

Do not punish them.

Forgive them.

Bless them.

The witch will die tonight.

Thank me for picking

the night of Christmas.

This poison

will take you to hell.

lt's your last supper.

When you reach hell,

l'll be in the arms

of Father Kakinuma.

Who are you?

Michiko Shinohara's daughter.

Your daughter.

You don't know me,

but l've been cherishing you

in my heart for 18 years...

not knowing

you were a beast.

You slept with your daughter.

You violated the discipline

in the most dreadful way.

Have a nice Christmas night.

Oh, God!

My God!

God is you!

You're God!

l don't know...

but on this night

18 years ago,

my mother died in agony

in this abbey.

You should suffer

for the rest of your life.

This is my

Christmas present for you.

God! l can see you now.

Your horrible figure...

God! You at last...

The End

School of the Holy Beast (1974) - full transcript