Hairpin Circus (1972) - full transcript
A Toho Presentation
A Tokyo Film Production
In human history,
the fighter aircraft was
introduced for the first
time during World War I.
Flying the fighter
required skills to handle
the engine and its controllability
to the ultimate level,
superb judgment, calmness
and courage.
Therefore,
a pilot who destroyed five airplanes
in the air was granted
the title “Ace.”
Especially,
the squadron led by Richthofen was
called “Richthofen Circus”
and was feared by many.
HAIRPIN CIRCUS
Production:
Ryu Yasutake
Based on a Story by: Hiroyuki Itsuki
Screenplay: Shuichi Nagahara
Cinematography: Kazutami Hara
Art Direction: Yukio Higuchi
Sound Recording: Noboru Kamikura
Lighting: Hiromitsu Mori
Music:
Masabumi Kikuchi Sextet
CAST
Kiyoshi Misaki
Yuko Enatsu
Kimiko Kasai, Yuko Tobe
Goro Mutsumi
Nobuhide Tachi, Fumiyasu Sato
Naoki Ariyama
Yuko Ashibe
Miyako Tasaka
Nakajiro Tomita
Directed by:
Kiyoshi Nishimura
Very well, it's ready.
Yo!
Oh!
It's been a while.
Who is he?
I think I have seen him before.
He is my personal professor.
- Your private tutor?
- Not that.
He is the driving instructor who
gave me driving lessons.
I see!
Mr. Shimao!
Is that your car?
You mean that the car has already become
brazen in less than a year, right?
It doesn’t matter to me anymore.
That's right.
Be careful not to get injured.
You better stand down.
Move over!
They have bombs.
Has anyone beaten my record?
What do you mean?
I am getting the proper license.
No one has beaten it yet.
You want to say
you taught me well, right?
No, you are the most talented
student I have ever taught.
You have a good eye and are decisive.
In addition to that, you tried hard.
It’s because I had a
reason to try hard.
Do you remember what
happened then?
I forgot.
You liar!
Are these your friends?
Correct, my friends to hang out with.
Crazy for speed.
2000GT and Alpha.
Is everything else just a toy, then?
Once the car speeds up, it’s incredible.
Akira has excellent skills.
Excellent skills, huh?
Driving fast is an incredible thing,
don’t you think, teacher?
I don’t think so.
That's because you drive a car that
breaks down at 100 kph.
Speed is not everything.
Do you remember what I told you
at the end of the lesson?
I forgot.
Let me tell you one more time.
Watch your back. Drive slowly.
Be careful with easy curves.
Don't forget that.
I forgot it!
Teacher!
Turn left here.
Why didn’t you
follow my instruction?
What’s the matter?
I just want to go straight.
When I see your gloomy face,
I feel like teasing you.
You are still young, aren’t you?
Slow down!
Where did you learn that kind
of reckless driving skills?
I don’t care how you drive once
you have a proper license.
But why don’t you follow my
instructions during the lesson?
If anything breaks, I will pay you back.
Just send me the bill.
I am not talking about that.
Come here!
We're changing seats.
This is how a spin-turn works.
You don't even know...
...the proper way to do it!
I'm going home!
I didn’t expect you'd come again.
Hello? Hello?
Ah, wait a second.
Mr. Shimao, perfect timing!
A call for you.
- Who is it?
- Didn’t say the name. A weirdo.
Hello? I am Shimao.
It's me, teacher.
Miki Komori.
I took the main test today.
Teacher?
Why don’t you say something?
- No way!
- Is this how you say congratulations?
I passed the main test, which tends to
drop 90% of applicants, at once.
Is that so?
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
I’ve wanted to hear that
word from you.
You tend to speed up. So, I want
to tell you something as a present.
Don’t forget to look at
the rear view mirror.
Drive slowly to avoid
pressing the brake suddenly.
Be careful with easy curves,
got it?
This is my last lesson.
Goodbye.
What an awful rain!
Here!
Did you have coffee at
the drive-in again?
You always get out early in the morning.
Why don’t you drink it at home?
Everybody tells me my
coffee is delicious.
The rain is coming in.
Are you thinking again about the
time when you were a racer?
I think it might be impossible,
given my age.
I don’t think I can do it.
Everybody is like this
when they start.
I appreciate your kind words.
But, frankly, you must think
it's impossible
to get a license at my age, right?
I am sure you will get the license.
It doesn’t matter how many months you have
to spend. I will give you proper lessons.
My skills haven’t improved a single bit.
I feel sorry about that.
Don't worry about it.
Those words make me
feel relieved.
Here, thank you for your service.
Okay?
I can't...
Don’t care too much about it. Buy your
wife and kid a present or something.
Okay?
This...
Okay, thank you very much.
7,500 yen, please.
Please, wait a minute.
Isao hit the wall.
I am really useless!
I have no talent with this, do I?
- I wouldn’t say that.
- But, teacher...!
A car is supposed to go forward, right?
Racing backward sounds stupid.
There is no test without the
backward-driving session,
unless you want to fail
your test for the forth time.
Well, one more time.
Are you considering coming
back to the racing world?
Speed is like a drug.
You can run away from it once, but
you cannot run away from it forever.
You have world-class skills.
They are still sharp.
Aren't you interested in trying
one more time?
Do you want to go to a different bar?
Two scotches on the rocks.
- Yo!
- Hi.
Long time no see.
She always visits this bar
several times a week.
Right after Isao died, she quit singing
and married a rich corporation guy.
It might sound inappropriate,
but she was the most excited
one when Isao died.
No way!
But you cannot say I am lying.
She is enjoying her current life a lot.
She has become more beautiful.
You were attracted to her,
weren’t you?
I am sorry for asking again,
but you haven’t answered me.
Come back and join my team.
Mr. Nodo. I think I am a coward.
I don’t think
I have what takes to
become a race driver.
A guy who disagrees with you
is in front of you.
I wanted to meet you today
all of a sudden,
talk about my racing career and
get invited to your team.
However,
I had already decided to refuse
your offer even before I met you.
I don’t understand.
Can you explain?
By refusing it,
I want to reconfirm that my current life is
totally not related to the racing world.
Okay, then.
I won’t give up, though.
See you later.
- Do you need a taxi?
- No.
It might be difficult at this time.
Where are you going to?
To my home in Kawasaki.
On the way to Haneda.
I will give you a ride.
That's scary.
Because I'm the driver?
Are you kidding?
Get in now.
You don’t have to lock it.
- Why?
- You are driving fast, right?
In case of an accident,
it's hard to save the person inside
when the door is locked.
At least, one side should
stay unlocked.
It sounds like you think I will
definitely have an accident.
What if you have one?
So, how is my driving?
You trust your skills too much.
Pull your seat forward a little.
I know.
But this looks cooler.
Driving is not about looking cool.
You are the only one who
gives me a speech, teacher.
There are a lot of curves!
It's incredible!
You have improved a lot in a year.
- I reached the highest class recently.
- Good for you.
Racing sports are just too fun.
I bought my second MCV.
But it was too classy for me.
I bought a used Mini Cooper
as my third car.
But I crashed it.
This is a new one.
You have driven 4 cars in a year?
This is very powerful, right?
Everywhere I go,
I get a lot of attention. But
when they see a woman
driving, they challenge me.
Challenge you?
They are called road racers, right?
Those young dudes who challenge
everyone on the road.
They don’t miss a chance to pass.
It is so fun to beat those cars who
underestimate me because I am a woman.
Sometimes three cars come
at me simultaneously.
Every single one acts tough.
They are like male dogs in rut.
When I see that kind of scene,
I feel like destroying them.
You better stop doing that.
This is what I live for.
Stay there!
You are not my instructor anymore!
- Turn left.
- Kawasaki is right.
I get off the car at the airport
and take a taxi.
I have a wife and kid.
I cannot stay in this kind of car.
You coward.
I don’t think any taxi is available.
What are you going to do?
If so, I would rather walk home.
Walk all the way to Kawasaki?
Yes, stop the car.
You’re late, Miki.
It was a bit awkward the other day,
so let me do a proper introduction.
Akira and Tabo.
They are the aces in the Yokohama area.
Teacher, light?
Can you tell what this mark means?
Two more marks.
That’s right.
Nine marks in total.
Miki,
stop talking with this dude.
Shut up! I won’t let you
disturb my conversation!
It means we shot down
nine of them.
Shot down?
What do you mean?
I am going to show you
our aerial dogfight.
Where are we going?
Wandering. In other words, we are
searching for enemies.
Stop this stupidity!
Is this what you live for?
Yes, it is.
You guys are crazy.
You’re right.
I know that.
But do you have something
you live for?
I think there is no luck today,
probably because it’s Monday.
Hold it tight!
Stop it!
Akira!
We did it!
It was cool!
It was our 9th win!
What a weakling!
Komori, I need to make a call.
Who are you going to call?
The police, of course.
They might have been injured.
How can you tell they are injured
without actually checking on them?
We actually confirmed that
they were okay.
Calling the police is the worst thing
you could do to me.
Do you know what you
are doing right now?
It's a crime!
If accidents scare you, you are supposed
to drive gently. They deserve it.
That's wrong!
You didn’t step on the
brakes at the curve.
The car behind braked when
the brake lamp blinked.
You went through the curve
without stepping on the brakes,
because you knew the capability of
the car and the curve well.
You don’t take a curve you have never
seen before without braking.
After today,
the dude in the foreign car will never
pull dangerous tricks
again, don't you think?
If so, what we, Hairpin Circus, did
was a valuable lesson instead of a crime.
What are you going to do here?
Just come.
You will see.
It’s his Richthofen Circus.
It is supposed to launch with
bombs when finished.
Let's sit here.
- How about you, teacher?
- No, I...
Scared of the police, right?
What are you scared of, really?
Why don’t you smoke, teacher?
- Shall I make you tea?
- Okay.
Is this Komori Hospital?
I am Shimao from the Private Instructor
Association. Can I talk with Ms. Miki?
She hasn’t come back yet?
Do you know where she went?
I see.
Thank you.
I hate this.
I would rather not buy a car.
You move your handle too early.
Well, one more time.
Okay, okay!
Mr. Shimao, have you read this?
- No, what is it?
- Here.
Remember I taught
pro baseball player Sawatani, right?
He crashed his car last night.
- Where do you think it was?
- Well...
It’s the well-known T junction
in Yokohama.
He is a professional baseball player,
so he has good reflexes.
But he tends to depend on his
own reflexes too much.
By the way, I think the junction
is a problem nowadays.
It’s not that dangerous if more
attention is paid to it.
Too many accidents happen there.
Do you know Miki?
Go to the dock.
Everybody is there.
Do you know Miki?
She was here a second ago.
- Do you know where she went?
- No way.
Kiss me.
You coward!
It's Shimao.
Hello?
Two more chrysanthemum marks.
What happened?
You want to give me a speech again?
Do you realize that,
one day, you will become
the victim of the same crime
you have committed?
Not really.
I guarantee it.
It will be too late, then.
Will it ever happen? Do you think there
is anyone who can beat me, teacher?
I want to meet you.
Why?
For what purpose?
Kiss me.
Mikami.
Today’s lessons are over.
Tell that to my students.
Here.
The End
A Tokyo Film Production
In human history,
the fighter aircraft was
introduced for the first
time during World War I.
Flying the fighter
required skills to handle
the engine and its controllability
to the ultimate level,
superb judgment, calmness
and courage.
Therefore,
a pilot who destroyed five airplanes
in the air was granted
the title “Ace.”
Especially,
the squadron led by Richthofen was
called “Richthofen Circus”
and was feared by many.
HAIRPIN CIRCUS
Production:
Ryu Yasutake
Based on a Story by: Hiroyuki Itsuki
Screenplay: Shuichi Nagahara
Cinematography: Kazutami Hara
Art Direction: Yukio Higuchi
Sound Recording: Noboru Kamikura
Lighting: Hiromitsu Mori
Music:
Masabumi Kikuchi Sextet
CAST
Kiyoshi Misaki
Yuko Enatsu
Kimiko Kasai, Yuko Tobe
Goro Mutsumi
Nobuhide Tachi, Fumiyasu Sato
Naoki Ariyama
Yuko Ashibe
Miyako Tasaka
Nakajiro Tomita
Directed by:
Kiyoshi Nishimura
Very well, it's ready.
Yo!
Oh!
It's been a while.
Who is he?
I think I have seen him before.
He is my personal professor.
- Your private tutor?
- Not that.
He is the driving instructor who
gave me driving lessons.
I see!
Mr. Shimao!
Is that your car?
You mean that the car has already become
brazen in less than a year, right?
It doesn’t matter to me anymore.
That's right.
Be careful not to get injured.
You better stand down.
Move over!
They have bombs.
Has anyone beaten my record?
What do you mean?
I am getting the proper license.
No one has beaten it yet.
You want to say
you taught me well, right?
No, you are the most talented
student I have ever taught.
You have a good eye and are decisive.
In addition to that, you tried hard.
It’s because I had a
reason to try hard.
Do you remember what
happened then?
I forgot.
You liar!
Are these your friends?
Correct, my friends to hang out with.
Crazy for speed.
2000GT and Alpha.
Is everything else just a toy, then?
Once the car speeds up, it’s incredible.
Akira has excellent skills.
Excellent skills, huh?
Driving fast is an incredible thing,
don’t you think, teacher?
I don’t think so.
That's because you drive a car that
breaks down at 100 kph.
Speed is not everything.
Do you remember what I told you
at the end of the lesson?
I forgot.
Let me tell you one more time.
Watch your back. Drive slowly.
Be careful with easy curves.
Don't forget that.
I forgot it!
Teacher!
Turn left here.
Why didn’t you
follow my instruction?
What’s the matter?
I just want to go straight.
When I see your gloomy face,
I feel like teasing you.
You are still young, aren’t you?
Slow down!
Where did you learn that kind
of reckless driving skills?
I don’t care how you drive once
you have a proper license.
But why don’t you follow my
instructions during the lesson?
If anything breaks, I will pay you back.
Just send me the bill.
I am not talking about that.
Come here!
We're changing seats.
This is how a spin-turn works.
You don't even know...
...the proper way to do it!
I'm going home!
I didn’t expect you'd come again.
Hello? Hello?
Ah, wait a second.
Mr. Shimao, perfect timing!
A call for you.
- Who is it?
- Didn’t say the name. A weirdo.
Hello? I am Shimao.
It's me, teacher.
Miki Komori.
I took the main test today.
Teacher?
Why don’t you say something?
- No way!
- Is this how you say congratulations?
I passed the main test, which tends to
drop 90% of applicants, at once.
Is that so?
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
I’ve wanted to hear that
word from you.
You tend to speed up. So, I want
to tell you something as a present.
Don’t forget to look at
the rear view mirror.
Drive slowly to avoid
pressing the brake suddenly.
Be careful with easy curves,
got it?
This is my last lesson.
Goodbye.
What an awful rain!
Here!
Did you have coffee at
the drive-in again?
You always get out early in the morning.
Why don’t you drink it at home?
Everybody tells me my
coffee is delicious.
The rain is coming in.
Are you thinking again about the
time when you were a racer?
I think it might be impossible,
given my age.
I don’t think I can do it.
Everybody is like this
when they start.
I appreciate your kind words.
But, frankly, you must think
it's impossible
to get a license at my age, right?
I am sure you will get the license.
It doesn’t matter how many months you have
to spend. I will give you proper lessons.
My skills haven’t improved a single bit.
I feel sorry about that.
Don't worry about it.
Those words make me
feel relieved.
Here, thank you for your service.
Okay?
I can't...
Don’t care too much about it. Buy your
wife and kid a present or something.
Okay?
This...
Okay, thank you very much.
7,500 yen, please.
Please, wait a minute.
Isao hit the wall.
I am really useless!
I have no talent with this, do I?
- I wouldn’t say that.
- But, teacher...!
A car is supposed to go forward, right?
Racing backward sounds stupid.
There is no test without the
backward-driving session,
unless you want to fail
your test for the forth time.
Well, one more time.
Are you considering coming
back to the racing world?
Speed is like a drug.
You can run away from it once, but
you cannot run away from it forever.
You have world-class skills.
They are still sharp.
Aren't you interested in trying
one more time?
Do you want to go to a different bar?
Two scotches on the rocks.
- Yo!
- Hi.
Long time no see.
She always visits this bar
several times a week.
Right after Isao died, she quit singing
and married a rich corporation guy.
It might sound inappropriate,
but she was the most excited
one when Isao died.
No way!
But you cannot say I am lying.
She is enjoying her current life a lot.
She has become more beautiful.
You were attracted to her,
weren’t you?
I am sorry for asking again,
but you haven’t answered me.
Come back and join my team.
Mr. Nodo. I think I am a coward.
I don’t think
I have what takes to
become a race driver.
A guy who disagrees with you
is in front of you.
I wanted to meet you today
all of a sudden,
talk about my racing career and
get invited to your team.
However,
I had already decided to refuse
your offer even before I met you.
I don’t understand.
Can you explain?
By refusing it,
I want to reconfirm that my current life is
totally not related to the racing world.
Okay, then.
I won’t give up, though.
See you later.
- Do you need a taxi?
- No.
It might be difficult at this time.
Where are you going to?
To my home in Kawasaki.
On the way to Haneda.
I will give you a ride.
That's scary.
Because I'm the driver?
Are you kidding?
Get in now.
You don’t have to lock it.
- Why?
- You are driving fast, right?
In case of an accident,
it's hard to save the person inside
when the door is locked.
At least, one side should
stay unlocked.
It sounds like you think I will
definitely have an accident.
What if you have one?
So, how is my driving?
You trust your skills too much.
Pull your seat forward a little.
I know.
But this looks cooler.
Driving is not about looking cool.
You are the only one who
gives me a speech, teacher.
There are a lot of curves!
It's incredible!
You have improved a lot in a year.
- I reached the highest class recently.
- Good for you.
Racing sports are just too fun.
I bought my second MCV.
But it was too classy for me.
I bought a used Mini Cooper
as my third car.
But I crashed it.
This is a new one.
You have driven 4 cars in a year?
This is very powerful, right?
Everywhere I go,
I get a lot of attention. But
when they see a woman
driving, they challenge me.
Challenge you?
They are called road racers, right?
Those young dudes who challenge
everyone on the road.
They don’t miss a chance to pass.
It is so fun to beat those cars who
underestimate me because I am a woman.
Sometimes three cars come
at me simultaneously.
Every single one acts tough.
They are like male dogs in rut.
When I see that kind of scene,
I feel like destroying them.
You better stop doing that.
This is what I live for.
Stay there!
You are not my instructor anymore!
- Turn left.
- Kawasaki is right.
I get off the car at the airport
and take a taxi.
I have a wife and kid.
I cannot stay in this kind of car.
You coward.
I don’t think any taxi is available.
What are you going to do?
If so, I would rather walk home.
Walk all the way to Kawasaki?
Yes, stop the car.
You’re late, Miki.
It was a bit awkward the other day,
so let me do a proper introduction.
Akira and Tabo.
They are the aces in the Yokohama area.
Teacher, light?
Can you tell what this mark means?
Two more marks.
That’s right.
Nine marks in total.
Miki,
stop talking with this dude.
Shut up! I won’t let you
disturb my conversation!
It means we shot down
nine of them.
Shot down?
What do you mean?
I am going to show you
our aerial dogfight.
Where are we going?
Wandering. In other words, we are
searching for enemies.
Stop this stupidity!
Is this what you live for?
Yes, it is.
You guys are crazy.
You’re right.
I know that.
But do you have something
you live for?
I think there is no luck today,
probably because it’s Monday.
Hold it tight!
Stop it!
Akira!
We did it!
It was cool!
It was our 9th win!
What a weakling!
Komori, I need to make a call.
Who are you going to call?
The police, of course.
They might have been injured.
How can you tell they are injured
without actually checking on them?
We actually confirmed that
they were okay.
Calling the police is the worst thing
you could do to me.
Do you know what you
are doing right now?
It's a crime!
If accidents scare you, you are supposed
to drive gently. They deserve it.
That's wrong!
You didn’t step on the
brakes at the curve.
The car behind braked when
the brake lamp blinked.
You went through the curve
without stepping on the brakes,
because you knew the capability of
the car and the curve well.
You don’t take a curve you have never
seen before without braking.
After today,
the dude in the foreign car will never
pull dangerous tricks
again, don't you think?
If so, what we, Hairpin Circus, did
was a valuable lesson instead of a crime.
What are you going to do here?
Just come.
You will see.
It’s his Richthofen Circus.
It is supposed to launch with
bombs when finished.
Let's sit here.
- How about you, teacher?
- No, I...
Scared of the police, right?
What are you scared of, really?
Why don’t you smoke, teacher?
- Shall I make you tea?
- Okay.
Is this Komori Hospital?
I am Shimao from the Private Instructor
Association. Can I talk with Ms. Miki?
She hasn’t come back yet?
Do you know where she went?
I see.
Thank you.
I hate this.
I would rather not buy a car.
You move your handle too early.
Well, one more time.
Okay, okay!
Mr. Shimao, have you read this?
- No, what is it?
- Here.
Remember I taught
pro baseball player Sawatani, right?
He crashed his car last night.
- Where do you think it was?
- Well...
It’s the well-known T junction
in Yokohama.
He is a professional baseball player,
so he has good reflexes.
But he tends to depend on his
own reflexes too much.
By the way, I think the junction
is a problem nowadays.
It’s not that dangerous if more
attention is paid to it.
Too many accidents happen there.
Do you know Miki?
Go to the dock.
Everybody is there.
Do you know Miki?
She was here a second ago.
- Do you know where she went?
- No way.
Kiss me.
You coward!
It's Shimao.
Hello?
Two more chrysanthemum marks.
What happened?
You want to give me a speech again?
Do you realize that,
one day, you will become
the victim of the same crime
you have committed?
Not really.
I guarantee it.
It will be too late, then.
Will it ever happen? Do you think there
is anyone who can beat me, teacher?
I want to meet you.
Why?
For what purpose?
Kiss me.
Mikami.
Today’s lessons are over.
Tell that to my students.
Here.
The End