The Pleasures of the Flesh (1965) - full transcript
After Atsushi commits murder, he is blackmailed into keeping a suitcase full of embezzled money. What follows is a descent into lustful, reckless actions and regret.
foodval.com - stop by if you're interested in the nutritional composition of food
---
SHOCHIKU presents
A SOZOSHA production
PLEASURES OF THE FLESH
Producer : Masayuki NAKAJIMA
From a book by : Futaro YAMADA
Photography : Akira TAKADA
Lighting : Koshi HIRATA
Art decoration : Yasutaro KON
Sound : Hideo NISHIZAKI
Music : Kenji YUASA
Editor : Keiichi URAOKA
With :
Wakizaka, the young man :
Katsuo NAKAMURA
Shoko, his first love :
Mariko KAGA
Hitomi, the barmaid :
Yumiko NOGAWA
Shizuko, the married woman :
Masako YAGI
Keiko, the doctor :
Hiroko SHIMIZU
Mari, the prostitute :
Toshiko HIGUCHI
The bureaucrat : Shoichi OZAWA
Police inspector : Kei SATO
Hitomi's lover :
Mutsuhiro TOURA
A gangster :
Fumio WATANABE
A film written and directed by :
Nagisa OSHIMA
Miss Shoko !
Dear professor, You must
certainly come to my wedding
Yours : Shoko
"Dear professor,
"You must certainly
come to my wedding..."
There it is.
It works out well
that I came today.
This goes back six or seven years.
Shoko had moved on
from high school to college.
I was a student, and to pay my way
I worked as her tutor.
That's all it was.
It was nothing more than that.
No, that's all that it was.
I was in love with Shoko.
And out of love for her,
I killed a man.
This man was a criminal
who had raped Shoko
when she was eight years old,
when she was spending the summer
in the country with her family.
That was more than ten years ago,
and Shoko seemed to have forgotten all about it.
By the time she had become
a vivacious young woman
and her parents thought they had wiped out
every trace of that old wound,
the criminal suddenly reappeared
and shamelessly,
tried to blackmail them.
They couldn't go
to the police,
but they couldn't take any chance
that he might come back.
After they thought it over
they asked me for my advice.
I was blind with anger.
In any event,
I took the sum he wanted
and I went to see the man
in a dump of a station in Ueno.
He took the money, snickering
and would't promise
what he would do next.
That night I followed him
as he left for home
and I took the same train.
Everything's set
Thank you!
I'm not asking you anything,
but it's over, right ?
Yes
I don't have to tell you,
but clearly Shoko must never
find out about this.
It's nothing of great value,
merely a token of gratitude.
What is it ?
Why are you up
so early today ?
Two nights after this brief excursion
during which I had killed a man,
a stranger came to see me at home.
Tell me. Does this remind
you of something ?
A man was killed
in a fall from a train
I was on that train.
I saw what you did.
No, I didn't come here
to arrest you.
Toshihiko HAYAMI
Ministry of Waters and Forests
I spent all yesterday
looking into your character.
I went to your school
and I visited the family
where you worked as a tutor.
According to those who know you,
you are honest, discreet,
and respected by everyone.
I've been looking for someone like you
for more than a year.
The ideal man, with no ties to me.
You're perfect !
But I asked myself why
you had killed that man...
He was an unforgivable monster.
I couldn't hold myself back.
- It was an act of justice...
- I believe you.
Really, though, it's not that important.
Because, in spite of all appearances,
You're not going to get turned in
and that's fine with me.
In fact, if you go along with my request
you'll have to stay alive.
So what's the deal ?
There's thirty million here.
In public money.
I embezzled this money.
I hope you'll hold it
on deposit for me.
If you turn me in,
I'll turn you in for your own crime.
Nobody wins.
All told, I've embezzled
98 million Yen.
By my best estimate,
the scam will be discovered
in the next six months.
There will be a trial.
I've studied law.
I'll have to serve
five years in jail.
I'll have at least thirty years left
and I'll have thirty million Yen.
There's no way an honest employee
could come close to that kind of money.
The dreams of my youth
all went into this swindle.
Of course, I'll be disgraced.
But the world forgets quickly.
And other crooked bureaucrats
will soon take my place.
I'll be forgotten in a moment.
That's my story.
And that's why,
if you agree to my request,
this money will be safe.
As long as it is safe
you'll be safe too.
Right ?
You'll accept, won't you ?
Of course, you'll also agree
not to disturb me so I can keep up
my side of the bargain...
One last word.
You must never, under any circumstances,
touch any of the money !
Two months later,
he was found out.
The following year,
he was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
Everything worked out
the way he had expected.
Out of self-interest, I was never tempted
by that money.
If I dug int that bag,
I wouldn't be the only one hurt.
My crime would be discovered,
and that would harm Shoko
whom I loved
In the mean time,
Shoko had cheerfully married
another man...
In one more year,
the disgraced civil servant
would come for his bag.
I would let it go
without regrets.
Through gloom and poverty,
I plugged away at my life
a lonely virgin...
until the day I died.
It wasn't a tragedy,
but a sinister comedy.
Miss Shoko !
What's happened ?
Your trip...
you didn't go on a honeymoon trip ?
Was the wedding called off ?
Or then...
you've finally come
to understand my feelings ?
You don't have to...
this is terrible, Shoko !
The world is pitiless.
I live a life of poverty,
and I could never make your happy.
You know that well.
Go back to your husband.
I would rather die
than go back there.
Seriously ?
In that case, what the hell.
We'll die together.
Then again,
before dying, let's enjoy together
the life that's left to us.
Thirty million Yen.
Since we must die, let's use it all.
How could you
get hold of that much money ?
La commedia ? finita !
What are you doing ?
Do you want to destroy my life
completely ?
I just have to die
a year from now.
When I've spent it all in a year,
I just have to quit this world
and everything will be back in its place.
He hadn't asked me
why I had killed that man.
He never knew your secret.
If I die, you'll be left in peace.
When he gets out of prison,
he'll find the empty suitcase
along with my dead body.
The empty suitcase
will be my coffin.
I'll spend it all in one year.
How ?
On women !
Stop, stop, stop crying
In your cocktail glass
In that blue glass, all blue
Your eyes are floating
A sweet, sweet drunkenness fills me
When it vanishes, I'm bitter
She is blossoming, just starting to blossom
But tomorrow she will have faded away
Tonight your fate plays itself out
A flower out of season
For her,
the pleasures of the flesh.
It's for you.
Why ?
I like you.
But...
To tell you the truth,
you remind me of the woman I love.
Why don't you give it to her ?
She's married.
But why give me
the music box ?
You should hate her, that woman.
And me, you don't hate me ?
Yes, of course. And I want to revenge myself
on your body which resembles hers.
What a thing to say !
I feel sorry for you, in fact.
There's 100 000 Yen inside.
I pity you.
I give it to you.
What a thing to say !
Tell me honestly, then,
can you come back tomorrow evening ?
I can get off.
I'm not talking about
tomorrow or the day after.
I'm asking you
about a long-term contract.
A long-term contract ?
I want to live with you.
- You must be joking.
- Not at all.
You would have 500 000 Yen per month,
to spend as you wish.
500 000 Yen ?
- Liar !
- I'm not lying.
But...
how can you have so much money ?
I'm going to be leaving Japan.
Before that, I want to liquidate
the family fortune.
Where are you going ?
France.
That's wonderful ! Paris ?
No. Marseille.
Do you dance ?
I don't know how.
Well then ?
Is it a yes or a no ?
For a million each month
it's a yes.
That's great !
What happiness !
Even if it's just for a year !
What a beautiful bath !
I'm going to jump in !
Will you come with me ?
Later. Go on.
Okay ?
- Yours ! Go.
- No thanks.
Go on. I'll undress you.
No thank you.
Not right away.
Go on, go on !
First take your bath.
Odd how you've changed.
In only two months !
It's normal.
There's only ten months left.
Yes, that's true !
Tell me !
Where will you take me tomorrow ?
To the movies ?
A night baseball game ?
The racetrack ?
The fights ? Bowling ?
Golf ? Dancing ?
A French restaurant ?
Chinese ?
In Tokyo, there's no lack of choices,
whether it's dining or entertainment.
It's great !
I don't know how
to repay you.
Have you always loved
perfume this much ?
Is there a woman
who doesn't love perfume ?
But perfume...
it doesn't last.
It's like everything else.
There's nothing like perfume
for tossing money out the window.
It's all the same to me
if you go over your budget,
but it would be better
if you put
a little aside
for the future.
Impossible. It burns a hole in my pocket.
You're hardly the one
to lecture me about savings.
Me, I'm a special case.
Why ?
With money
you can buy anything.
There's nothing I need.
Then again, I could
get a makeover...
as a souvenir of you.
You're lucky...
you can smile just at the thought
of making yourself more beautiful...
Whose is that ?
Yours.
And that ?
Yours.
And that ?
Yours.
There's the proof !
You've bought me completely, haven't you ?
You think so ?
You don't think so ?
I get the impression sometimes
that you're the one who bought me.
- Go away.
- What ?
I gave you your dough.
Tell me, Hitomi...
You told me some idiot was paying you
a million Yen a month for a year
and you promised me
200 or 300 thousand a month
so I'd leave you alone,
right ?
You not only break your word,
but you're showing off !
- You've got to break it off.
- No way !
Even if I got out,
I'm not going back in with you.
I want to be a model
or get a job making ads.
Hitomi...
you've become damn good-looking.
I want you, the way we were before.
No way !
He's got a great bed.
- And I'm your husband, after all !
- No way !
What's that ?
Acid.
I brought it in case
you weren't so agreeable.
On the sack !
Take the vial away first !
Hurry.
He's coming back.
And then ? I don't give a shit !
Dirty trick !
Good. Get out now.
I'm leaving, but...
I'm going to put a spell
on your face.
A spell ?
So you can't ever
leave me.
You want to be a model, don't you ?
You've become a real beauty.
You just might make it.
But if you abandon me,
I'm fucked.
What are you doing ?
Don't worry.
Just one little drop !
To get you all I'll need
is my little finger.
You owe me that !
Don't move !
You're going to get two drops !
Bastard !
- What the hell ?
- Stop this bullshit !
Crap !
I'll pour the rest
down her craw !
Go ahead if you want.
But not on her.
This woman's a valuable
property for you.
Don't kill the goose
with the golden eggs !
For today...
you're safe.
But look out !
This can pour down your throat
any time at all !
Is Mrs. Hitomi there ?
With whom am I speaking ?
We're from the Hanawa firm.
Ah, there you are !
The president would like to see you.
Come with us.
She's not going there.
Excuse me, but...
who are you to her ?
How about you... ?
You should know that Mrs. Hitomi...
was a regular
with the president.
He was very attached to her.
As a special favor,
he would lend her to a gangster,
or, rather,
to one of the employees.
But you may be assured,
he remains close to her,
and when Hitomi is in trouble,
the president feels himself responsible...
I don't want the old guy
to feel responsible !
The president is responsible
for whom he chooses.
Especially so
because some disagreeable rumors
are circulating about you.
The Hanawa godfather
ordered us
to bring you back at any cost,
even if we have to tie you up.
Get a move on !
It's the guys without little fingers
talking, right ?
How much does your president
want for her ?
A pinky.
A little finger ?
So here's the story.
The boss says that
if a guy wants this woman,
he's got to cut off his little finger
to pay her husband.
A pinky -- what's that worth ?
Three million.
That's because you have
to cut it off alive !
That's cheap !
But I don't have that much here.
Come back tomorrow.
Don't give him anything.
Go back to your boss.
My debt... I'll pay it !
Hitomi !
I'm going to leave him.
This...
is for whoever wants it,
the godfather or my thug.
Are you new ?
No. I had a holiday.
Free tonight ?
Tonight ?
But no, she's got a husband.
She is blossoming, just starting to blossom
But tomorrow she will have faded away
Tonight your fate plays itself out
A flower out of season
I beg you.
I have to go home tonight.
I'll come back again.
I'm begging you.
- No, you're coming with us !
- Come !
Let her go !
Please excuse me.
He's my husband.
I'm so sorry.
I told him never to come,
but our child is sick.
You didn't take her ?
It doesn't look that serious.
He just came to ask me
for some money for medicine.
How old is your child ?
Three. A little girl.
She goes to nursery school.
What happened ?
She has a fever.
She gets them a lot.
What does your husband do ?
He's had a lot of jobs,
but he's never had much luck.
His employers all went broke.
He's the nanny at home.
But don't I give you plenty
of money each month ?
- You don't give him any ?
- Yes.
But...
I stood surety
for an old friend.
She killed herself
and I have to pay back her debt.
Tell me...
what's there that's good
about your husband ?
I've asked myself that.
Nothing at all.
And you never thought
of leaving him ?
Listen, Shizuko...
Every month I've given you
the million I promised.
From now on, it's over.
I won't pay for anything
but your current expenses.
You'll have the rest in a lump sum,
when we part.
Well ?
Are you going to stay
in spite of this treatment ?
Why do you have to
persecute me ?
I'm so sorry.
Did you give it to him again ?
Excuse me.
Did you think I didn't know ?
Shizuko,
you asked me one day
why I persecute you.
It's because you looki like
a woman who betrayed me.
When I see you,
the urge to kill comes over me.
Do you think I'm lying ?
- No...
- What ?
I don't really think
that you detest me.
What ?
What's more, she doesn't either.
Shizuko,
you've known from the beginning
that I'm special, right ?
I wanted to live with you
and I promised you a million a month.
I did nothing
but make love to you.
Where did my money come from ?
They're public funds, embezzled.
This money was being held
for a minor bureaucrat
in Waters and Forests.
He knew that I'd committed
a murder.
In exchange for his silence
I had to guard this money.
The truth is, I killed the man
who'd raped my first love.
I decided to use up the money...
when the woman I loved
got married.
I chose this path
to show my scorn for that woman
and for my whole stupid life.
Once she'd become
someone else's woman,
I couldn't sit around
whimpering,
and doing nothing !
Police Headquarters
Is someone there ?
It's my husband.
He'd like to speak with you.
My name is Egi.
I would like to thank you for my spouse.
I beg of you.
You have a lovely home.
Isn't that right, dear ?
What is it that you want ?
Concerning Shizuko,
she's living, right now, on my tab.
I have, therefore,
the rights of a spouse.
Leave her alone.
I'm very sorry.
In fact...
forgive me for bothering you,
but I would love it
if you would give Shizuko back to us.
As you can see,
our children are still small
and I've come to appeal
to your good will,
in the company of
our children.
In the name of these poor children,
we thank you for your understanding.
I have full confidence in you.
I told my husband
that you weren't so evil.
- But he doesn't want to.
- Even so...
- You know very well...
- You could...
I see...
you came here to blackmail me
by playing on my weaknesses.
But you trembled with fear at the idea
that I was a vicious gangster.
No, no !
Please forgive me !
My poor Shizuko,
never really had a chance.
You thought
her luck had changed
and that you'd have
a million a month.
I had reasons for not believing that.
It was too good to be true !
We have to keep on living
under our unlucky star.
But you're bleeding !
Let's go... follow me !
Where's to ?
Come in.
"Shizuko, you and your husband,
you love being unhappy.
"You're a strange pair
who don't love being happy.
"I want to be cruel to you.
"What can I do to make you
as miserable as possible ?"
- Just a moment.
- Yes ?
I'd like to pay for the care of
the patient in the exam room.
I'm going to quit.
"What can I do to make you
as miserable as possible ?"
"I understood what
made you happy.
"I give you the house
"The balance of the sum I promised
is in my desk.
"You should be able to live well
for some time.
"But you'll end up rejecting
the happiness of life."
Why did you quit ?
- Because he grabbed you ?
- Isn't that obvious ?
You didn't make much
of a show of resistance.
When a man's all hot
with his animal instincts,
it's counter-productive
to struggle.
My strategy is to slap him
when the right moment comes.
"And in that moment,
"you'll understand real despair,
with no way out.
"It will serve you right."
Tell me then,
you aren't crazy, by any chance ?
Not at all, but you
can check me over if you like.
I'm not nuts.
Well ? Is it yes or no ?
I'm in a hurry.
I'm very sorry.
- You refuse ?
- Yes.
It's normal to refuse, right ?
Mrs. Keiko...
A million each month,
will be three million in three months...
Especially if you're unemployed
and looking for work,
it's tempting.
It's worth thinking about.
But I just can't do it.
I can't give myself
to a man I don't love.
I'll wait until you love me !
We can just be friends.
We could go on a trip,
for a month, let's say.
If you don't fall in love,
I'll call it off.
I'll pay you for a month.
What do you say ?
- Okay ?
- what ?
Is that better ?
You look so sad...
I'm here, in Hokkaido,
traveling with a man.
It's normal that this
would raise some questions.
You couldn't
let your guard down ?
You've never been with a man,
is that it ?
Am I wrong ?
I won't answer such
an insulting question.
Don't forget that I'm a doctor.
I know all about it.
May I embrace you ?
but tell me then...
you're burning up !
How are you doing ?
It's some kind of fever.
You mustn't let it
turn into pneumonia.
You're awake ?
How do you feel ?
The doctor saw me yesterday.
He said you're getting better.
I'm reassured.
I'm going to go now.
It's been twenty days
since you were confined to bed,
just about a month
since we left.
I've paid the hotel bill
and the doctor's bills.
And here's what I promised.
A million Yen.
I am truly happy
that you're cured.
I was afraid that
something might happen.
I'm the one who made you sick.
Since that day,
you've never said a word to me.
I didn't want you to.
Wait !
Where are you going ?
Since we've gone this far
I want to keep on to the end.
Take me with you.
Keiko...
love me, I beg you.
But even if you don't love me,
sleep with me, just this once.
A single time ! Not three months...
a single time. I'm begging you.
I'll pay you if you want.
A million for a single time.
Two million, if you want.
I'm begging you... speak to me, Keiko !
I implore you !
That's a no ?
It's truly no ?
Truly ?
What are you doing ?
Watch out ! That's dangerous !
Keiko !
No !
Stop !
Come back !
Keiko !
Come back, then !
Keiko !
Do you want to die ?
Keiko, I won't do anything.
I swear to you !
Come back !
Keiko...
- You know...
- Don't say anything.
No. Not here !
Not while we're away.
Let's go back to Tokyo
and get married.
Marry you ? But...
Since a month has gone by already,
there's only two months left.
After that you'll leave,
whatever happens ?
Makes no difference...
we'll get divorced and that'll be that.
Don't be afraid.
Okay.
Tell me...
who are you, then ?
What do you do ?
In the end, I don't want to give myself
to a man whom I don't know..
Now's not the right time.
When I want to talk to you,
you don't want to know anything.
Tell me.
No.
If you won't tell me...
Come to bed !
No !
It's me !
What are you up to ?
You're back late today !
That's getting to be a habit, isn't it ?
How can you be
stuck yourself ?
God, you have a wonderful body !
Women are all like that.
Me, though, I'm satisfied.
Tell me,
what do you keep looking for ?
Tell me, what kind of man are you ?
You've bought me
for a million a month,
and you're going to vanish in a month.
What kind of fate is weighing on your shoulders ?
I know.
I've promised never to speak about it.
Innkeeper, some water !
What's her name ?
Mari. She's deaf
and a little nuts.
but she's a sweetheart, right ?
- Do you want more ?
- Yes.
You don't want to know
who I am?
I'm finally out of the slammer.
- Why did you move ?
- But...
I'm house-sitting for a student.
This is temporary.
Give me the suitcase.
I expect you've taken good care of it.
It's just that...
You haven't lost it, I hope.
Did you take the money ?
You're broke ?
What have you done ?
Come on, answer me !
Say something !
I've spent it all.
How could you ?
Did you think I'd say nothing ?
That I'd disappear, like that ?
That I wouldn't get even ?
Please ! I need to tell you...
I was going to kill myself
before you came back.
Well then, die !
Are you awake ?
Someone saw you
and called the fire department
A few minutes later
and you'd have been gone.
Ordinary artificial respiration
was useless.
I had to suck out
the muddy water you'd drunk
so you could get your breath back.
There's a month left
before your promised divorce,
but I want to get divorced now.
Better than anyone else
you know why.
You disgust me !
Is that what you
were searching for the other day,
poking through my drawer ?
You'r back !
Innkeeper, I want that woman.
- She's not free today.
- How's that ?
He's asking about Mari ?
Go ahead and tell him...
Little Mari has been placed
under my protection.
A local gangster
who did time for
something pretty nasty.
I see. And Mari belongs to him ?
That's it. His name's Kudo.
So, M. Kudo...
I can't have Mari ?
What ?
I'd like to live with her
for a while.
You bastard !
I'm not saying it would be for nothing.
I'll pay you.
Take that !
D'you want to die or something ?
A million per month.
A million ?
Are you fucking with me, asshole ?
Not for long. Just a month.
Bastard !
Here's a down payment.
Good. I'll take her.
We're in no hurry, Mari.
We'll be living together.
Do you understand ?
You know...
I have to die in a month.
Do you understand ?
You don't have to understand...
It's not important.
There's no need for you to.
It's better that way.
To tell you straight,
in the month I've got to live
I want you to satisfy
my most intimate desires.
Mari, where are you going ?
Where did you go ?
Were you out
soliciting clients ?
Stop right there.
It's true that I sold her to you,
but I need her back.
She's a natural
for soliciting.
She gets her kicks
walking the streets.
100 000 a shot, okay ?
I'll come back each day.
Boss...
I'm not up for it.
Mari's yours.
I gave her to you.
No, I want to pay her.
You're not mad !
I'm sorry.
But I want to work for you.
Work for me ?
And I'd like your help.
In an important matter.
There's this guy who stashed
30 million before going to the slammer.
He left it with someone
to keep it safe.
I've looked everywhere
and I haven't found it.
I went to this guy's crib,
but he'd vanished,
no forwarding address.
It seemed a little too obvious,
and I didn't believe his landlord.
I staked the place out a few days,
nothing happened.
And worse, I'm being watched
by the cops,
so I can't move around
freely.
I've got lost of buddies in the hood
but I don't trust 'em at all.
If I say anything, it'll all come out.
I've had my eye on you
and I figured I could talk to you.
What should I do ?
We've got to go back
and search his place.
If you find the thirty million,
you can keep five for yourself.
I can see you
don't need any cash,
but you can have Mari on the house.
Who told you that story ?
Tell me.
Why do you want to know ?
Answer me.
Here's 200 000.
That's all that's left.
All that's left ?
I heard about it in prison.
In prison ? Who told you ?
A bureaucrat named Hayami.
The man with thirty million.
He told me just before he died.
Hayami... he's dead ?
Just before I got out of the clink,
he had a fever
that turned into pneumonia.
And he died.
The poor bugger.
He'd put tons of dough
aside for tomorrow,
but he never had a single visitor.
Me, I had Mari who sent me
parcels all the time.
He was so jealous,
he spilled the beans.
Apparently, he didn't know
he was going to die.
What is it, boss ?
I'm the one who
had the thirty million.
It was me, Wakizaka.
And the thirty million ?
You'll have all that's left.
It's come full circle.
You bastard ! Who the hell
do you think you are ! I'll kill you !
Help me !
What is it ? You're shaking ?
Are you afraid ?
Are you going to pay me some more ?
No. What I told you was the truth.
There's nothing left.
There's nothing left ?
You're lying ! You couldn't
blow that much in five years !
No, I spent it all in just one.
Asshole ! Stop shitting me !
Thirty million in one year,
that means per month...
My friend,,
it looks like you killed someone.
So it's okay to kill you...
Prepare yourself !
Is that you, Mari ?
Mari, this one's a real bastard.
He's a murderer and he stole
thirty million from someone else.
If I go to the police
he'll hang.
I don't know what he gave you,
but you owe him nothing.
He doesn't give a shit for us.
It was someone else's money,
the money I was going to get back.
Stop ! Let me go !
What are you doing ?
It's in your blood...
Shoko !
Good evening.
What are you doing here ?
I wondered if you
were ever there.
I was afraid
since you'd moved out.
I was uneasy.
- Why then ?
- It's that...
it seemed that you
had come into money.
Me, rich ?
To tell you the truth, I think
I saw you twice
since my marriage,
but both times you
were with beautiful women.
I didn't want to bother you.
You were so different from
the image I had of you.
I'm so sorry.
This seemed strange to me,,
so I called the advertising agency
where you were working.
They told me
you'd resigned.
Tell me, how did it happen...
The stock market ?
An inheritance ?
And yet you still lived
in the same flat...
Shoko, tell me what brings you here.
My dear professor,
would you do me a favor ?
Of course.
When the idea came into my mind,
I wanted to shout, "My God !"
I was so happy.
What idea do you mean ?
The idea that, just maybe,
you'd become rich.
I can't see how that
could be any concern of yours.
You're certainly more rich than I am.
Your husband owns a well-known
cosmetics firm.
We're on the verge of going under.
We have to come up with money
before the end of the month.
If not, we'll have to file bankruptcy.
My husband's at the end of his rope
and I'm running around
night and day to try to find money.
Money.
You're out of money ?
Nothing at all.
If you ever have some...
I'm begging you, lend it to me.
Five million, ten million,
three million, or even two...
Even two or three hundred thousand...
I implore you.
Money...
I once had thirty million Yen.
Thirty million ?
But now I'm penniless.
That's not true.
You're putting me on.
No, it's the truth.
I had that amount.
It can't be true.
Stop playing with me.
You don't want to lend me anything ?
I'll do anything,
anything you ask.
I've got nothing. Not a cent.
I spent all of it in a single year.
Really ?
How did you come by this money ?
Someone left it with me.
It was about five years ago...
a bureaucrat from Waters and Forests
had embezzled close to 100 million Yen.
He gave me thirty to watch over.
Why you ?
He wanted to get it back
when he got out of prison.
He knew my weak point.
I committed a murder.
That fatal secret gave him a hold on me.
A murder ?
You killed someone ?
Why ? Who ?
And why did you
spend all the money ?
You killed someone ?
Why ? Who ?
I did it for you.
It was the man
who raped you.
And why did you
spend all the money ?
Because of you.
Because you had married
another man.
Wakizaka Atsushi ?
You're under arrest for murder.
The one last night ?
Last night ? You committed
another murder last night ?
We'll see about that later.
Today, we 're concerned with
a murder five years ago.
And your complicity in
the embezzlement of public funds
What are you doing ? Spit that out !
Tell me. Who turned me in ?
A woman ?
Tell me, or i'll swallow.
Don't play dumb
with us.
It's a woman who's known you
for ten years
Got it ?
Shoko...
THE END
Subtitles : Catherine CADOU/Mengtsu
---
SHOCHIKU presents
A SOZOSHA production
PLEASURES OF THE FLESH
Producer : Masayuki NAKAJIMA
From a book by : Futaro YAMADA
Photography : Akira TAKADA
Lighting : Koshi HIRATA
Art decoration : Yasutaro KON
Sound : Hideo NISHIZAKI
Music : Kenji YUASA
Editor : Keiichi URAOKA
With :
Wakizaka, the young man :
Katsuo NAKAMURA
Shoko, his first love :
Mariko KAGA
Hitomi, the barmaid :
Yumiko NOGAWA
Shizuko, the married woman :
Masako YAGI
Keiko, the doctor :
Hiroko SHIMIZU
Mari, the prostitute :
Toshiko HIGUCHI
The bureaucrat : Shoichi OZAWA
Police inspector : Kei SATO
Hitomi's lover :
Mutsuhiro TOURA
A gangster :
Fumio WATANABE
A film written and directed by :
Nagisa OSHIMA
Miss Shoko !
Dear professor, You must
certainly come to my wedding
Yours : Shoko
"Dear professor,
"You must certainly
come to my wedding..."
There it is.
It works out well
that I came today.
This goes back six or seven years.
Shoko had moved on
from high school to college.
I was a student, and to pay my way
I worked as her tutor.
That's all it was.
It was nothing more than that.
No, that's all that it was.
I was in love with Shoko.
And out of love for her,
I killed a man.
This man was a criminal
who had raped Shoko
when she was eight years old,
when she was spending the summer
in the country with her family.
That was more than ten years ago,
and Shoko seemed to have forgotten all about it.
By the time she had become
a vivacious young woman
and her parents thought they had wiped out
every trace of that old wound,
the criminal suddenly reappeared
and shamelessly,
tried to blackmail them.
They couldn't go
to the police,
but they couldn't take any chance
that he might come back.
After they thought it over
they asked me for my advice.
I was blind with anger.
In any event,
I took the sum he wanted
and I went to see the man
in a dump of a station in Ueno.
He took the money, snickering
and would't promise
what he would do next.
That night I followed him
as he left for home
and I took the same train.
Everything's set
Thank you!
I'm not asking you anything,
but it's over, right ?
Yes
I don't have to tell you,
but clearly Shoko must never
find out about this.
It's nothing of great value,
merely a token of gratitude.
What is it ?
Why are you up
so early today ?
Two nights after this brief excursion
during which I had killed a man,
a stranger came to see me at home.
Tell me. Does this remind
you of something ?
A man was killed
in a fall from a train
I was on that train.
I saw what you did.
No, I didn't come here
to arrest you.
Toshihiko HAYAMI
Ministry of Waters and Forests
I spent all yesterday
looking into your character.
I went to your school
and I visited the family
where you worked as a tutor.
According to those who know you,
you are honest, discreet,
and respected by everyone.
I've been looking for someone like you
for more than a year.
The ideal man, with no ties to me.
You're perfect !
But I asked myself why
you had killed that man...
He was an unforgivable monster.
I couldn't hold myself back.
- It was an act of justice...
- I believe you.
Really, though, it's not that important.
Because, in spite of all appearances,
You're not going to get turned in
and that's fine with me.
In fact, if you go along with my request
you'll have to stay alive.
So what's the deal ?
There's thirty million here.
In public money.
I embezzled this money.
I hope you'll hold it
on deposit for me.
If you turn me in,
I'll turn you in for your own crime.
Nobody wins.
All told, I've embezzled
98 million Yen.
By my best estimate,
the scam will be discovered
in the next six months.
There will be a trial.
I've studied law.
I'll have to serve
five years in jail.
I'll have at least thirty years left
and I'll have thirty million Yen.
There's no way an honest employee
could come close to that kind of money.
The dreams of my youth
all went into this swindle.
Of course, I'll be disgraced.
But the world forgets quickly.
And other crooked bureaucrats
will soon take my place.
I'll be forgotten in a moment.
That's my story.
And that's why,
if you agree to my request,
this money will be safe.
As long as it is safe
you'll be safe too.
Right ?
You'll accept, won't you ?
Of course, you'll also agree
not to disturb me so I can keep up
my side of the bargain...
One last word.
You must never, under any circumstances,
touch any of the money !
Two months later,
he was found out.
The following year,
he was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
Everything worked out
the way he had expected.
Out of self-interest, I was never tempted
by that money.
If I dug int that bag,
I wouldn't be the only one hurt.
My crime would be discovered,
and that would harm Shoko
whom I loved
In the mean time,
Shoko had cheerfully married
another man...
In one more year,
the disgraced civil servant
would come for his bag.
I would let it go
without regrets.
Through gloom and poverty,
I plugged away at my life
a lonely virgin...
until the day I died.
It wasn't a tragedy,
but a sinister comedy.
Miss Shoko !
What's happened ?
Your trip...
you didn't go on a honeymoon trip ?
Was the wedding called off ?
Or then...
you've finally come
to understand my feelings ?
You don't have to...
this is terrible, Shoko !
The world is pitiless.
I live a life of poverty,
and I could never make your happy.
You know that well.
Go back to your husband.
I would rather die
than go back there.
Seriously ?
In that case, what the hell.
We'll die together.
Then again,
before dying, let's enjoy together
the life that's left to us.
Thirty million Yen.
Since we must die, let's use it all.
How could you
get hold of that much money ?
La commedia ? finita !
What are you doing ?
Do you want to destroy my life
completely ?
I just have to die
a year from now.
When I've spent it all in a year,
I just have to quit this world
and everything will be back in its place.
He hadn't asked me
why I had killed that man.
He never knew your secret.
If I die, you'll be left in peace.
When he gets out of prison,
he'll find the empty suitcase
along with my dead body.
The empty suitcase
will be my coffin.
I'll spend it all in one year.
How ?
On women !
Stop, stop, stop crying
In your cocktail glass
In that blue glass, all blue
Your eyes are floating
A sweet, sweet drunkenness fills me
When it vanishes, I'm bitter
She is blossoming, just starting to blossom
But tomorrow she will have faded away
Tonight your fate plays itself out
A flower out of season
For her,
the pleasures of the flesh.
It's for you.
Why ?
I like you.
But...
To tell you the truth,
you remind me of the woman I love.
Why don't you give it to her ?
She's married.
But why give me
the music box ?
You should hate her, that woman.
And me, you don't hate me ?
Yes, of course. And I want to revenge myself
on your body which resembles hers.
What a thing to say !
I feel sorry for you, in fact.
There's 100 000 Yen inside.
I pity you.
I give it to you.
What a thing to say !
Tell me honestly, then,
can you come back tomorrow evening ?
I can get off.
I'm not talking about
tomorrow or the day after.
I'm asking you
about a long-term contract.
A long-term contract ?
I want to live with you.
- You must be joking.
- Not at all.
You would have 500 000 Yen per month,
to spend as you wish.
500 000 Yen ?
- Liar !
- I'm not lying.
But...
how can you have so much money ?
I'm going to be leaving Japan.
Before that, I want to liquidate
the family fortune.
Where are you going ?
France.
That's wonderful ! Paris ?
No. Marseille.
Do you dance ?
I don't know how.
Well then ?
Is it a yes or a no ?
For a million each month
it's a yes.
That's great !
What happiness !
Even if it's just for a year !
What a beautiful bath !
I'm going to jump in !
Will you come with me ?
Later. Go on.
Okay ?
- Yours ! Go.
- No thanks.
Go on. I'll undress you.
No thank you.
Not right away.
Go on, go on !
First take your bath.
Odd how you've changed.
In only two months !
It's normal.
There's only ten months left.
Yes, that's true !
Tell me !
Where will you take me tomorrow ?
To the movies ?
A night baseball game ?
The racetrack ?
The fights ? Bowling ?
Golf ? Dancing ?
A French restaurant ?
Chinese ?
In Tokyo, there's no lack of choices,
whether it's dining or entertainment.
It's great !
I don't know how
to repay you.
Have you always loved
perfume this much ?
Is there a woman
who doesn't love perfume ?
But perfume...
it doesn't last.
It's like everything else.
There's nothing like perfume
for tossing money out the window.
It's all the same to me
if you go over your budget,
but it would be better
if you put
a little aside
for the future.
Impossible. It burns a hole in my pocket.
You're hardly the one
to lecture me about savings.
Me, I'm a special case.
Why ?
With money
you can buy anything.
There's nothing I need.
Then again, I could
get a makeover...
as a souvenir of you.
You're lucky...
you can smile just at the thought
of making yourself more beautiful...
Whose is that ?
Yours.
And that ?
Yours.
And that ?
Yours.
There's the proof !
You've bought me completely, haven't you ?
You think so ?
You don't think so ?
I get the impression sometimes
that you're the one who bought me.
- Go away.
- What ?
I gave you your dough.
Tell me, Hitomi...
You told me some idiot was paying you
a million Yen a month for a year
and you promised me
200 or 300 thousand a month
so I'd leave you alone,
right ?
You not only break your word,
but you're showing off !
- You've got to break it off.
- No way !
Even if I got out,
I'm not going back in with you.
I want to be a model
or get a job making ads.
Hitomi...
you've become damn good-looking.
I want you, the way we were before.
No way !
He's got a great bed.
- And I'm your husband, after all !
- No way !
What's that ?
Acid.
I brought it in case
you weren't so agreeable.
On the sack !
Take the vial away first !
Hurry.
He's coming back.
And then ? I don't give a shit !
Dirty trick !
Good. Get out now.
I'm leaving, but...
I'm going to put a spell
on your face.
A spell ?
So you can't ever
leave me.
You want to be a model, don't you ?
You've become a real beauty.
You just might make it.
But if you abandon me,
I'm fucked.
What are you doing ?
Don't worry.
Just one little drop !
To get you all I'll need
is my little finger.
You owe me that !
Don't move !
You're going to get two drops !
Bastard !
- What the hell ?
- Stop this bullshit !
Crap !
I'll pour the rest
down her craw !
Go ahead if you want.
But not on her.
This woman's a valuable
property for you.
Don't kill the goose
with the golden eggs !
For today...
you're safe.
But look out !
This can pour down your throat
any time at all !
Is Mrs. Hitomi there ?
With whom am I speaking ?
We're from the Hanawa firm.
Ah, there you are !
The president would like to see you.
Come with us.
She's not going there.
Excuse me, but...
who are you to her ?
How about you... ?
You should know that Mrs. Hitomi...
was a regular
with the president.
He was very attached to her.
As a special favor,
he would lend her to a gangster,
or, rather,
to one of the employees.
But you may be assured,
he remains close to her,
and when Hitomi is in trouble,
the president feels himself responsible...
I don't want the old guy
to feel responsible !
The president is responsible
for whom he chooses.
Especially so
because some disagreeable rumors
are circulating about you.
The Hanawa godfather
ordered us
to bring you back at any cost,
even if we have to tie you up.
Get a move on !
It's the guys without little fingers
talking, right ?
How much does your president
want for her ?
A pinky.
A little finger ?
So here's the story.
The boss says that
if a guy wants this woman,
he's got to cut off his little finger
to pay her husband.
A pinky -- what's that worth ?
Three million.
That's because you have
to cut it off alive !
That's cheap !
But I don't have that much here.
Come back tomorrow.
Don't give him anything.
Go back to your boss.
My debt... I'll pay it !
Hitomi !
I'm going to leave him.
This...
is for whoever wants it,
the godfather or my thug.
Are you new ?
No. I had a holiday.
Free tonight ?
Tonight ?
But no, she's got a husband.
She is blossoming, just starting to blossom
But tomorrow she will have faded away
Tonight your fate plays itself out
A flower out of season
I beg you.
I have to go home tonight.
I'll come back again.
I'm begging you.
- No, you're coming with us !
- Come !
Let her go !
Please excuse me.
He's my husband.
I'm so sorry.
I told him never to come,
but our child is sick.
You didn't take her ?
It doesn't look that serious.
He just came to ask me
for some money for medicine.
How old is your child ?
Three. A little girl.
She goes to nursery school.
What happened ?
She has a fever.
She gets them a lot.
What does your husband do ?
He's had a lot of jobs,
but he's never had much luck.
His employers all went broke.
He's the nanny at home.
But don't I give you plenty
of money each month ?
- You don't give him any ?
- Yes.
But...
I stood surety
for an old friend.
She killed herself
and I have to pay back her debt.
Tell me...
what's there that's good
about your husband ?
I've asked myself that.
Nothing at all.
And you never thought
of leaving him ?
Listen, Shizuko...
Every month I've given you
the million I promised.
From now on, it's over.
I won't pay for anything
but your current expenses.
You'll have the rest in a lump sum,
when we part.
Well ?
Are you going to stay
in spite of this treatment ?
Why do you have to
persecute me ?
I'm so sorry.
Did you give it to him again ?
Excuse me.
Did you think I didn't know ?
Shizuko,
you asked me one day
why I persecute you.
It's because you looki like
a woman who betrayed me.
When I see you,
the urge to kill comes over me.
Do you think I'm lying ?
- No...
- What ?
I don't really think
that you detest me.
What ?
What's more, she doesn't either.
Shizuko,
you've known from the beginning
that I'm special, right ?
I wanted to live with you
and I promised you a million a month.
I did nothing
but make love to you.
Where did my money come from ?
They're public funds, embezzled.
This money was being held
for a minor bureaucrat
in Waters and Forests.
He knew that I'd committed
a murder.
In exchange for his silence
I had to guard this money.
The truth is, I killed the man
who'd raped my first love.
I decided to use up the money...
when the woman I loved
got married.
I chose this path
to show my scorn for that woman
and for my whole stupid life.
Once she'd become
someone else's woman,
I couldn't sit around
whimpering,
and doing nothing !
Police Headquarters
Is someone there ?
It's my husband.
He'd like to speak with you.
My name is Egi.
I would like to thank you for my spouse.
I beg of you.
You have a lovely home.
Isn't that right, dear ?
What is it that you want ?
Concerning Shizuko,
she's living, right now, on my tab.
I have, therefore,
the rights of a spouse.
Leave her alone.
I'm very sorry.
In fact...
forgive me for bothering you,
but I would love it
if you would give Shizuko back to us.
As you can see,
our children are still small
and I've come to appeal
to your good will,
in the company of
our children.
In the name of these poor children,
we thank you for your understanding.
I have full confidence in you.
I told my husband
that you weren't so evil.
- But he doesn't want to.
- Even so...
- You know very well...
- You could...
I see...
you came here to blackmail me
by playing on my weaknesses.
But you trembled with fear at the idea
that I was a vicious gangster.
No, no !
Please forgive me !
My poor Shizuko,
never really had a chance.
You thought
her luck had changed
and that you'd have
a million a month.
I had reasons for not believing that.
It was too good to be true !
We have to keep on living
under our unlucky star.
But you're bleeding !
Let's go... follow me !
Where's to ?
Come in.
"Shizuko, you and your husband,
you love being unhappy.
"You're a strange pair
who don't love being happy.
"I want to be cruel to you.
"What can I do to make you
as miserable as possible ?"
- Just a moment.
- Yes ?
I'd like to pay for the care of
the patient in the exam room.
I'm going to quit.
"What can I do to make you
as miserable as possible ?"
"I understood what
made you happy.
"I give you the house
"The balance of the sum I promised
is in my desk.
"You should be able to live well
for some time.
"But you'll end up rejecting
the happiness of life."
Why did you quit ?
- Because he grabbed you ?
- Isn't that obvious ?
You didn't make much
of a show of resistance.
When a man's all hot
with his animal instincts,
it's counter-productive
to struggle.
My strategy is to slap him
when the right moment comes.
"And in that moment,
"you'll understand real despair,
with no way out.
"It will serve you right."
Tell me then,
you aren't crazy, by any chance ?
Not at all, but you
can check me over if you like.
I'm not nuts.
Well ? Is it yes or no ?
I'm in a hurry.
I'm very sorry.
- You refuse ?
- Yes.
It's normal to refuse, right ?
Mrs. Keiko...
A million each month,
will be three million in three months...
Especially if you're unemployed
and looking for work,
it's tempting.
It's worth thinking about.
But I just can't do it.
I can't give myself
to a man I don't love.
I'll wait until you love me !
We can just be friends.
We could go on a trip,
for a month, let's say.
If you don't fall in love,
I'll call it off.
I'll pay you for a month.
What do you say ?
- Okay ?
- what ?
Is that better ?
You look so sad...
I'm here, in Hokkaido,
traveling with a man.
It's normal that this
would raise some questions.
You couldn't
let your guard down ?
You've never been with a man,
is that it ?
Am I wrong ?
I won't answer such
an insulting question.
Don't forget that I'm a doctor.
I know all about it.
May I embrace you ?
but tell me then...
you're burning up !
How are you doing ?
It's some kind of fever.
You mustn't let it
turn into pneumonia.
You're awake ?
How do you feel ?
The doctor saw me yesterday.
He said you're getting better.
I'm reassured.
I'm going to go now.
It's been twenty days
since you were confined to bed,
just about a month
since we left.
I've paid the hotel bill
and the doctor's bills.
And here's what I promised.
A million Yen.
I am truly happy
that you're cured.
I was afraid that
something might happen.
I'm the one who made you sick.
Since that day,
you've never said a word to me.
I didn't want you to.
Wait !
Where are you going ?
Since we've gone this far
I want to keep on to the end.
Take me with you.
Keiko...
love me, I beg you.
But even if you don't love me,
sleep with me, just this once.
A single time ! Not three months...
a single time. I'm begging you.
I'll pay you if you want.
A million for a single time.
Two million, if you want.
I'm begging you... speak to me, Keiko !
I implore you !
That's a no ?
It's truly no ?
Truly ?
What are you doing ?
Watch out ! That's dangerous !
Keiko !
No !
Stop !
Come back !
Keiko !
Come back, then !
Keiko !
Do you want to die ?
Keiko, I won't do anything.
I swear to you !
Come back !
Keiko...
- You know...
- Don't say anything.
No. Not here !
Not while we're away.
Let's go back to Tokyo
and get married.
Marry you ? But...
Since a month has gone by already,
there's only two months left.
After that you'll leave,
whatever happens ?
Makes no difference...
we'll get divorced and that'll be that.
Don't be afraid.
Okay.
Tell me...
who are you, then ?
What do you do ?
In the end, I don't want to give myself
to a man whom I don't know..
Now's not the right time.
When I want to talk to you,
you don't want to know anything.
Tell me.
No.
If you won't tell me...
Come to bed !
No !
It's me !
What are you up to ?
You're back late today !
That's getting to be a habit, isn't it ?
How can you be
stuck yourself ?
God, you have a wonderful body !
Women are all like that.
Me, though, I'm satisfied.
Tell me,
what do you keep looking for ?
Tell me, what kind of man are you ?
You've bought me
for a million a month,
and you're going to vanish in a month.
What kind of fate is weighing on your shoulders ?
I know.
I've promised never to speak about it.
Innkeeper, some water !
What's her name ?
Mari. She's deaf
and a little nuts.
but she's a sweetheart, right ?
- Do you want more ?
- Yes.
You don't want to know
who I am?
I'm finally out of the slammer.
- Why did you move ?
- But...
I'm house-sitting for a student.
This is temporary.
Give me the suitcase.
I expect you've taken good care of it.
It's just that...
You haven't lost it, I hope.
Did you take the money ?
You're broke ?
What have you done ?
Come on, answer me !
Say something !
I've spent it all.
How could you ?
Did you think I'd say nothing ?
That I'd disappear, like that ?
That I wouldn't get even ?
Please ! I need to tell you...
I was going to kill myself
before you came back.
Well then, die !
Are you awake ?
Someone saw you
and called the fire department
A few minutes later
and you'd have been gone.
Ordinary artificial respiration
was useless.
I had to suck out
the muddy water you'd drunk
so you could get your breath back.
There's a month left
before your promised divorce,
but I want to get divorced now.
Better than anyone else
you know why.
You disgust me !
Is that what you
were searching for the other day,
poking through my drawer ?
You'r back !
Innkeeper, I want that woman.
- She's not free today.
- How's that ?
He's asking about Mari ?
Go ahead and tell him...
Little Mari has been placed
under my protection.
A local gangster
who did time for
something pretty nasty.
I see. And Mari belongs to him ?
That's it. His name's Kudo.
So, M. Kudo...
I can't have Mari ?
What ?
I'd like to live with her
for a while.
You bastard !
I'm not saying it would be for nothing.
I'll pay you.
Take that !
D'you want to die or something ?
A million per month.
A million ?
Are you fucking with me, asshole ?
Not for long. Just a month.
Bastard !
Here's a down payment.
Good. I'll take her.
We're in no hurry, Mari.
We'll be living together.
Do you understand ?
You know...
I have to die in a month.
Do you understand ?
You don't have to understand...
It's not important.
There's no need for you to.
It's better that way.
To tell you straight,
in the month I've got to live
I want you to satisfy
my most intimate desires.
Mari, where are you going ?
Where did you go ?
Were you out
soliciting clients ?
Stop right there.
It's true that I sold her to you,
but I need her back.
She's a natural
for soliciting.
She gets her kicks
walking the streets.
100 000 a shot, okay ?
I'll come back each day.
Boss...
I'm not up for it.
Mari's yours.
I gave her to you.
No, I want to pay her.
You're not mad !
I'm sorry.
But I want to work for you.
Work for me ?
And I'd like your help.
In an important matter.
There's this guy who stashed
30 million before going to the slammer.
He left it with someone
to keep it safe.
I've looked everywhere
and I haven't found it.
I went to this guy's crib,
but he'd vanished,
no forwarding address.
It seemed a little too obvious,
and I didn't believe his landlord.
I staked the place out a few days,
nothing happened.
And worse, I'm being watched
by the cops,
so I can't move around
freely.
I've got lost of buddies in the hood
but I don't trust 'em at all.
If I say anything, it'll all come out.
I've had my eye on you
and I figured I could talk to you.
What should I do ?
We've got to go back
and search his place.
If you find the thirty million,
you can keep five for yourself.
I can see you
don't need any cash,
but you can have Mari on the house.
Who told you that story ?
Tell me.
Why do you want to know ?
Answer me.
Here's 200 000.
That's all that's left.
All that's left ?
I heard about it in prison.
In prison ? Who told you ?
A bureaucrat named Hayami.
The man with thirty million.
He told me just before he died.
Hayami... he's dead ?
Just before I got out of the clink,
he had a fever
that turned into pneumonia.
And he died.
The poor bugger.
He'd put tons of dough
aside for tomorrow,
but he never had a single visitor.
Me, I had Mari who sent me
parcels all the time.
He was so jealous,
he spilled the beans.
Apparently, he didn't know
he was going to die.
What is it, boss ?
I'm the one who
had the thirty million.
It was me, Wakizaka.
And the thirty million ?
You'll have all that's left.
It's come full circle.
You bastard ! Who the hell
do you think you are ! I'll kill you !
Help me !
What is it ? You're shaking ?
Are you afraid ?
Are you going to pay me some more ?
No. What I told you was the truth.
There's nothing left.
There's nothing left ?
You're lying ! You couldn't
blow that much in five years !
No, I spent it all in just one.
Asshole ! Stop shitting me !
Thirty million in one year,
that means per month...
My friend,,
it looks like you killed someone.
So it's okay to kill you...
Prepare yourself !
Is that you, Mari ?
Mari, this one's a real bastard.
He's a murderer and he stole
thirty million from someone else.
If I go to the police
he'll hang.
I don't know what he gave you,
but you owe him nothing.
He doesn't give a shit for us.
It was someone else's money,
the money I was going to get back.
Stop ! Let me go !
What are you doing ?
It's in your blood...
Shoko !
Good evening.
What are you doing here ?
I wondered if you
were ever there.
I was afraid
since you'd moved out.
I was uneasy.
- Why then ?
- It's that...
it seemed that you
had come into money.
Me, rich ?
To tell you the truth, I think
I saw you twice
since my marriage,
but both times you
were with beautiful women.
I didn't want to bother you.
You were so different from
the image I had of you.
I'm so sorry.
This seemed strange to me,,
so I called the advertising agency
where you were working.
They told me
you'd resigned.
Tell me, how did it happen...
The stock market ?
An inheritance ?
And yet you still lived
in the same flat...
Shoko, tell me what brings you here.
My dear professor,
would you do me a favor ?
Of course.
When the idea came into my mind,
I wanted to shout, "My God !"
I was so happy.
What idea do you mean ?
The idea that, just maybe,
you'd become rich.
I can't see how that
could be any concern of yours.
You're certainly more rich than I am.
Your husband owns a well-known
cosmetics firm.
We're on the verge of going under.
We have to come up with money
before the end of the month.
If not, we'll have to file bankruptcy.
My husband's at the end of his rope
and I'm running around
night and day to try to find money.
Money.
You're out of money ?
Nothing at all.
If you ever have some...
I'm begging you, lend it to me.
Five million, ten million,
three million, or even two...
Even two or three hundred thousand...
I implore you.
Money...
I once had thirty million Yen.
Thirty million ?
But now I'm penniless.
That's not true.
You're putting me on.
No, it's the truth.
I had that amount.
It can't be true.
Stop playing with me.
You don't want to lend me anything ?
I'll do anything,
anything you ask.
I've got nothing. Not a cent.
I spent all of it in a single year.
Really ?
How did you come by this money ?
Someone left it with me.
It was about five years ago...
a bureaucrat from Waters and Forests
had embezzled close to 100 million Yen.
He gave me thirty to watch over.
Why you ?
He wanted to get it back
when he got out of prison.
He knew my weak point.
I committed a murder.
That fatal secret gave him a hold on me.
A murder ?
You killed someone ?
Why ? Who ?
And why did you
spend all the money ?
You killed someone ?
Why ? Who ?
I did it for you.
It was the man
who raped you.
And why did you
spend all the money ?
Because of you.
Because you had married
another man.
Wakizaka Atsushi ?
You're under arrest for murder.
The one last night ?
Last night ? You committed
another murder last night ?
We'll see about that later.
Today, we 're concerned with
a murder five years ago.
And your complicity in
the embezzlement of public funds
What are you doing ? Spit that out !
Tell me. Who turned me in ?
A woman ?
Tell me, or i'll swallow.
Don't play dumb
with us.
It's a woman who's known you
for ten years
Got it ?
Shoko...
THE END
Subtitles : Catherine CADOU/Mengtsu