The Silk Road (敦煌)

A Co-Production by: Imagica, Tokuma Shoten Toko Tokuma, Daiei Video New Century Producers

Executive Production: Yasuyoshi Tokuma

Production Supervison: Gohei Kogure, Kazuo Haruna

Production: Atsushi Takeda, Yuzo Irie

Original Novel: Yasushi Inoue

Screenplay: Takeshi Yoshida, Jun'ya Sato

With Toshiyuki Nishida as Zhu Wangli

Koichi Sato as Zhao Xingde

Anna Nakagawa as Tsurpia

Yoshiko Mita as The Woman of Xi Xia

Takahiro Tamura as Tsao Yanhui

Tsunehiko Watase as Li Yuanhao

Directed by: Jun'ya Sato

THE SILK ROAD

Zhao Xingde. Elaborate a countermeasure to deal...

with he Xi Xia, which threaten our Song Dynasty from the West.

The Xi Xia...

declare subordination to us on the surface,

while plotting their independence in secret.

I'm asking you for a countermeasure for that!

I say we should build a guarding wall.

We could build a large castle in the neighboring grassy plains.

The situation has evolved past that!

Take a look at this map.

At present, at the Hexi Corridor region, the Uyghur Kingdom and Tibetan Empire are holding their ground against us,

and on top of that, Xi Xia has been inching closer to us.

The only city we, the Chinese, rule, is the far off city of Dunhuang!

Make your argument.

What kind of country is Xi Xia?

How can we make them swear allegiance to us, Song?

I can't believe the question they gave me was a countermeasure for the Xi Xia situation.

Isn't Xi Xia just a small country of savages and nomads?

The next Imperial Examination is in three years... I'm in Hell.

I've had enough with these Imperial Examinations!

There's no way students from the countryside like us can pass that easily!

And currently there's 200,000 people waiting to become government officers.

Even if we did pass the examination, we'd have to wait for several years to take office!

But our parents and relatives back home...

are waiting with baited breath for us to pass the Imperial Examination!

I made up my mind. I'll give up the Imperial Examination, and go to Dunhuang.

Have you gone mad? What are you going to do in Dunhuang?

There's an incredible amount of caves in Dunhuang,

and they are filled to the brim with amazing treasures. The governor of Dunhuang is building a new cave, now.

I heard he's recruiting ten people from the capital to work there.

I'm going there, and I'll leave my paintings on the walls of Dunhuang!

It's just three years. Let's wait and do our best until the next Imperial Examination!

No, thank you! I won't waste my youth like this any longer!

I'm going to Dunhuang! I'm fed up with this city!

Move! Out of the way!

- Let me go! - It's a woman from Xi Xia!

Weren't you just going to show me merchandise?!

I'd rather die than work by selling my body to men I don't know!

Come here!

If you don't obey, I'll kill you!

How about it?

Now, no man will want to buy me!

If that's the case, I'll sell you for cheap right now!

Does anyone want to buy her?! It's a real Xi Xian woman!

I'll sell her for the price of one pig!

It's the deal of a lifetime!

Her face got hurt, but her body still can be of use!

That's right, yeah! Buy her!

I told you I will not sell my body!

Excuse me! I'll buy! I'll buy her!

I won't do what you want just because you bought me!

Everyone else, go away!

You're from Xi Xia, right?

I was tricked by an Uyghur merchant, and brought over from Xingqing.

Xingqing? And where's that?

It's the capital of Xi Xia! It means "castle of jewels".

Is it that beautiful a castle?

It is beautiful.

Like a mirage in the desert.

A mirage in the desert, huh?

You're free to do what you want now.

Wait!

Here! Please accept this!

That's the only thing I have that can be called "precious".

I can't enter Xingqing without it, but...

I probably won't go back there.

It's a Xi Xia travel permit.

A Xi Xia travel permit?

These are Xi Xian characters?

Xi Xia has its own characters too? What's written here?

My place of birth and my name. But I can't read it, either.

- They were just created. - Who created them?

Our king. He built the country, and created the characters!

Since our country was just built, everything there is new!

This country is beginning to rot,

but you're not rotten.

I see a star on your face!

A star that shines on the desert.

It's the star of destiny, that burns out in the desert.

This country is beginning to rot.

Xi Xia is a newly built country. It's full of life!

5000 years ago, a trade route between Asia and Europe was established.

It was called the Silk Road.

Central China and the Silk Road...

are connected by a region flanked by the Gobi Desert and the Qilian Mountains, called the Hexi Corridor.

In the Hexi Corridor, there were five oasis cities.

They were Liangzhou, Ganzhou,

Suzhou, Guazhou and Dunhuang.

No matter what Dynasty or people tried to rule over the Hexi Corridor,

desert merchants would come and go through these oasis cities,

and engage in trade.

Zhao Xingde.

We ride to Lianzhou tomorrow. There, we part.

I'm taking these painters to Dunhuang.

Give me water. I need water, please.

Give me water.

What, did you drink your share already?

Come on, please! Just a little bit! Just a sip!

I only have enough for myself, too.

How long is it from Lianzhou to Xingqing?

It takes just one day, just one day.

Water! I found water!

That fool! Go back and drag him back!

Water, water!

You fool, this is poisonous!

- I need water! - You'll die if you drink it!

Water...

Don't you get it that you'll die?

- Boss! - What's wrong?

There's something over there!

Let's go!

Get all the camels!

Don't leave anything behind.

You're like vultures. How can you do this?

Vultures, huh?

Who do you think I am?

I'm Wei Chinguang.

We were kings of Khotan until Li came.

Then, we came to live in this desert. It's our home now.

We take whatever we want.

Steal what we need.

You've never lived like that! What do you know?

Let's get on with it.

Water, please.

Water, give me water.

Please, someone, water.

Let's go, everyone!

Here. Water.

Take care of the camels.

Water, here.

Hey! Hey!

Only fools give water away.

It's you that I'm talking to. You big fool!

Let's go.

Hey, hurry up, we'll go without you.

The Xi Xians!

Come, follow me!

Captain, we've rounded up 15 men today.

Go on, stop!

No looting or raping.

A Khotan caravan... we let them go.

They're Chinese. They're not Xi Xian.

Are you all Chinese?

What's it to you?

We're Chinese, too.

Sure, that's why you're here!

Is this the Song Army, then?

The Xi Xian Army!

We've got Tibetans and Uyghurs, too.

We're the Chinese unit.

I see. You're prisoners, or mercenaries.

Hey, young one, and what has the Song government done for us?

We're here because we couldn't live there.

Just remember this!

In this desert, it doesn't matter where you came from. Only the strong win.

To live, you have to fight!

Listen up! On the other side, there's a Uyghur battalion!

You, on the front line! If you don't want to die, charge them!

Again!

One more time!

- The Uyghur! - It's an ambush!

It's the Uyghur!

Captain!

Help! Help!

Mao Zhen, Mao Zhen! Mao Zhen!

Hey, hang in there. Here's water.

You, there. What's your name?

Zhao Xingde.

Xingde, you're my orderly from today.

Stay close.

- I'm not a soldier. - But you fought well.

Stay close.

Forgive me! Spare me, I beg you!

- Help me! - Captain!

- I beg you! - He was supposed to be standing watch!

- Spare me, please! - This bastard.

He fell asleep and we were attacked.

Forgive me! Spare me, I beg you!

Is this true?

Please spare me, I beg of you!

Is this true?!

Please wait, wait!

- He was my friend. - Huh?

My friend...

Friend?

Because of your friend, many men died!