The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity

OFFICIAL ENTRY 1959 FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

A SHOCHIKU FILM

THE HUMAN CONDITION

Produced by NINGEN PRODUCTION Developed by SHIGERU WAKATSUKI

Producer TATSUO HOSOYA Assistant Producer MASAHARU KOKAJI

Based on the Novel by JUNPEI GOMIKAWA

Screenplay by ZENZO MATSUYAMA and MASAKI KOBAYASHI

Director of Photography YOSHIO MIYAJIMA Production Design KAZUE HIRATAKA

Music CHUJI KINOSHITA Sound Recording HIDEO NISHIZAKI

Lighting AKIRA AOMATSU Editing KEIICHI URAOKA

Sound Technician TAKESHI KANEKO Assistant Director KOICHI INAGAKI

Set Design TAKAMASA KOBAYASHI Set Decoration SEIJI ISHIKAWA

Production Assistant MASAYA ARAKI Assistant Camera TAKASHI KAWAMATA

Production Manager ZENPEI MORIYAMA

Starring in Part 3

TATSUYA NAKADAI as Kaji

MICHIYO ARATAMA as Michiko

KOKINJI KATSURA as Sasa JUN TATARA as Hino

MICHIO MINAMI as Yoshida / KEI SATO as Shinjo KUNIE TANAKA as Obara

RYOHEI UCHIDA KAN YANAGIYA / KENJIRO UEMURA

KANEKO IWASAKI MAYUMI KURATA / TAKETOSHI NAITO

HIDEO KIDOKORO YOSHIAKI AOKI / RO OSE

TAMOTSU TAMURA KOJI ITO / SEN HARA

Starring in Part 4

TATSUYA NAKADAI as Kaji

KEIJI SADA as Kageyama

YUSUKE KAWAZU as Terada SUSUMU FUJITA as Naruto

MINORU CHIAKI as Onodera / SHOJI YASUI as

Officer Aspirant FUMIO WATANABE as Staff Officer

JUN HAMAMURA / SHOJI KOBAYASHI KEIJIRO MOROZUMI

YOSHIO HAYANO / SHOBUN INOUE SHINJI MAKI / SHOJIRO OGASAWARA

Directed by MASAKI KOBAYASHI

PART 3

- All's in order, sir! - Good.

Attention!

- All's in order, sir! - Good.

Salute!

At ease.

00 HOURS 32° BELOW ZERO

Here he comes.

You recruits are feigning sleep, eh?

You can't rest until I've made my rounds.

All seems to be in order.

Recruits, fall in!

Turn on the light.

Legs apart and grit your teeth.

Idiots!

- Did that hurt? - No, sir!

Good.

I'll teach you dogs a lesson!

Fools!

You know what that was for?

What about you?

- I dunno. - What?

I don't know, sir!

You don't?

Well, I'll show you.

It was for this.

Since when do you use the water tank as an ashtray?

Speak up!

The duty officer specifically ordered that those tanks

be kept clean and sanitary.

We received the order.

Who was on duty today? Step forward!

Remove your glasses.

Get up!

Obara refilled the tanks before the evening mess.

I removed the ashtrays after “lights out.”

You're implying that one of your superiors smoked after “lights out”?

Kaji, are you trying to pin blame on a senior serviceman?

No. I only said that Obara showed no neglect.

Watch your language!

Recruit Obara admits his neglect.

Of course. Why didn't you say so?

- I'm very sorry. - You should be.

- I'll be more careful. - It's too late for that!

Owaku, where are you going?

To change the water.

You don't have to do that.

Kaji, you dare talk back to PFC Bannai?

I didn't talk back.

The platoon leader demands discipline!

Who taught you to be insubordinate?

Your friend Shinjo over there?

Logic won't get you anywhere in this army.

Don't try acting big around here just because you went to college.

Any arguments?

PFC Bannai, leave this to me.

Very well.

You, report to me later!

Can't you even see the target?

I can.

Then your heart isn't in it.

Take careful aim.

Imagine it's the enemy out there.

Come on, Obara. Hit it, please!

Draw a bead carefully onto the target

at the bottom of the bull's-eye.

Hold your breath!

Apply pressure on the trigger and squeeze gently.

You idiot!

No luck.

We'll never get to lunch at this rate.

And always because of him!

- It can't be helped. - Shut up, you yokel.

That's no excuse.

What's going on over there?

Stop acting like starved mongrels.

Kaji!

Show Obara how to do it.

Yes, sir! Unstack arms.

Show him you can hit the target with eyes closed.

- With eyes closed? - That's right.

With proper posture, you should at least hit the target.

Objective: the target! Position: prone!

Obara, watch how he holds it and squeezes the trigger.

You see, Obara?

Bad eyesight is no excuse. Try again.

Obara, try to relax.

Don't jerk the trigger.

Squeeze down on it. Squeeze it slowly.

Slowly now...

You'd be better off dead!

You're a disgrace to the whole Kwangtung Army!

Obara, listen carefully.

A sense of responsibility is a soldier's life.

A grenade could wipe out your squad because of your missed shot.

Show some responsibility and some shame!

To the target on the double!

Kaji, you go with him.

Bayonet attack!

Charge!

Down!

Obara, stop crying!

Forward!

"At the time, Kaji was trying to save

the lives of innocent Chinese.

This earned him the hatred of the Kenpeitai.

They arrested him and grilled him mercilessly.

If my husband had indeed been guilty,

they would not have released him after just 20 days.

I fervently hope that this unfortunate incident...

will not compromise his position as a member of your unit.

As the wife of a recruit, I address this appeal to you.

The life of a recruit under suspicion

would be a living hell with no salvation."

Orderly! Where's the orderly?

Entering, sir!

Your orderly, sir!

Call Warrant Officer Hino.

Salute the warrant officer! Present arms!

Eyes front!

PFC Yamazaki now relieved of guard duty, sir.

Good.

Thank you for your work!

Knock it off!

See to your own duties.

Thank you. We're very grateful.

Anything you need washed?

That's all right.

You're a hard worker, Kaji.

I hated laundry duty even more than beatings.

One might hate it, but there's no avoiding it.

You won't be a private forever like me.

You're tops among the recruits.

But don't forget: You're under suspicion.

I know.

They can't afford to have a Red leading the pack.

They're hoping you'll make a misstep.

You and I can't even talk without being watched.

Anything suspicious about Kaji's actions?

Have you received reports to that effect?

I asked if you had.

None, sir, though I have him under surveillance.

What are Sergeant Hashitani's thoughts?

He's giving Kaji special sniper training now, sir.

- He's a good marksman? - An unerring eye, sir.

- And his barracks discipline? - Excellent, sir.

How is he with Shinjo?

They seem close, but...

Seem? You don't know?

They're both blacklisted by the Kenpeitai.

They have no time now to do any plotting.

Why's that?

I've kept Shinjo on constant supply transport and guard duty.

Keep an eye on them.

They'll soon show their true colours.

If they straighten up, they could be our best soldiers.

Attention!

At ease. Listen as you are.

Afternoon training is cancelled.

There'll be an arms inspection.

The tiniest speck of dust will not be tolerated.

After dark there'll be sentry training,

followed by attack training at dawn.

What do you think? Like the full schedule?

Owaku, you have a letter.

Kaji.

Obara.

- Corporal Shibata. - Salute!