As Edo gave way to the Meiji era, the end of the samurai was nigh and the new
government hunted down remnants of the Shogunate into Ezo, the untamed north
and the defeated had nowhere to hide.
1869 Year 2 of Meiji Era
If you come upon a bear in the wild, stare it directly in the eyes.
You have to figure out whether or not it's your enemy.
What sort of beast am I...
I'd rather not fight if I don't have to
It's just in my character
If they understand
"I, too, can die",
people and animals will both become desperate.
No one wants to die.
There's an inborn instinct for survival.
Long ago, I was hunting the remnants of the Shogunate throughout Ezo
and I saw the ceremonial bear sacrifice at an Ainu village.
A bear they raised from a cub
was sacrificed to the gods...
beheaded.
It was a disgusting ceremony.
They ganged up to kill the bear...
Being a bear, it went wild.
You could see the panic in it's eyes...
These people I've been close to
have turned on me...
From here to Sapporo is 200 miles.
There's more bears than people around here.
But the funny thing is...
an uncivilized land...
attracts sneaky rats.
Rats only destroy small homes,
until they become bears.
What is it?
Some boys're causin' problems with the whores over at Kihachi's place
They're asking for the sheriff...
Sorry 'bout troubling you
I just couldn't handle it
That Kihachi...
He was about to kill them boys
What about the newbies?
Bring 'em along to the welcome party
Got it
Washiro Village, Hokkaido
She dying?
When she seen his teensy little pecker she giggled.
Cut their heads off.
Whose is this?
You boys are from Sendai?
Give me the stick
A beating's all they get after what they done?
What?
Ain't there a better way to handle this?
Okaji!
Sheriff
Here's a contract between me and the cut whore.
I paid to bring her in here...
Now nobody's going to pay good money for a cut-up whore!
Damaged property?
Like if I hamstrung one of their ponies.
Leastways, she don't cost as much as a horse...
You boys
Guess you want no trial, no fuss?
You'd surely do some hard time...
Spend all your time working the railroad...
If you want to avoid that...
Bring in some ponies to Kihachi
You've got 6 whores, right?
Yup
3 head each, that's 6 horses
Bring them in before winter
Yessir
We're done here
Hold on!
That ain't fair!
Okaji, that's enough!
Go tend to Natsume.
We're just the same as horses or cattle?
I can't believe you.
Calm down, Okaji.
Lots of folks come through this town.
Prospectors or dirt-poor samurai come wandering in.
But...
it ain't like they was bad men.
They were just hardworking boys that were foolish.
They just sometimes need the comfort of a woman.
So sorry!
These samurai probably got some friends.
If we go any further, we may get trouble.
The time of the samurai is at its end!
"Sheriff"... what a joke!
Haven't you seen enough blood tonight?
Let go of me!
Let go...
Where you gonna start?
Chest? Gut? Or maybe...
to kill him quick, right here in the neck!
- Let go of me! - Or...
cut his little thing off!
Forgive me...
because of...
all this...
Just cause we're whores...
You're lucky to be alive.
Dammit...
Them fools ride us like horses...
doesn't mean we let them treat us like horses.
Are we just going to cry about it?
By God,
we ain't horses!
==UNFORGIVEN==
Hold on...
Look who's still alive!
Long time, no see, Jubei Kamata!
The name that even made the elite Shogun's soldiers shake in fear,
"Jubei the Killer"
Killed Kondo in Satsuma?
Killed the whole posse in Yubari?
You have me confused with someone
You forget your old pal?
It's me, Jubei...
Kingo Baba.
I heard a rumor you were alive in well in Sapporo,
but I didn't believe it til now.
As you see,
now I'm just a farmer.
I think my only piece of luck was
that I never made an enemy out of you.
There was a bad time when I thought of you as an ally...
the kind of person that kills in cold blood.
You didn't come all this way
just to reminisce.
I'm headed to Washiro,
to kill two no-good men.
How about being my partner?
For what?
For cutting up a lady.
Well...
not so much a "lady" as a whore.
There's a bounty on them...
for $1,000.
Is the law paying that?
What... no.
It's the whores' money.
Saving the money they got from humping.
How bout we split it two ways?
Come on, Jubei.
Kill those boys with me.
The two of us, it should be easy killing them.
I can't...
Half don't interest you?
$500 could really help you out.
I promised my wife I wouldn't kill no more.
Jubei,
have you thought about it?
If we had beaten the imperial Army, what do you think we'd be doing now?
Come on...
This'll be the last one. Come with me.
I can talk to your wife for you.
She's passed on.
Been gone near three years now.
Forget it.
Jubei, people don't change that easily.
No matter how hard you try, you can't forget the past.
I'll ride due north towards Big Snowy Mountain.
Change your mind, you could catch me.
Pa!
Pa...
There ain't nothing to eat.
Put some flowers on your ma's grave.
Take care of your sister, son.
Kill a few chickens if you must.
If you have any problem, go to the Ainu village.
Alright...
Okay... wait... whoa...
She ain't a saddle horse no more, ain't used to it.
I'll be back in 2 weeks.
No, please!
Get off!
Somebody... please help!
- Sanosuke... - Somebody... help!
Sanosuke, cut it out!
Is this funny, whore?
Huh?
Sanosuke!
Laugh...
- No! Please! - Laugh!
Took you boys a while.
A few more days and I was going to call on the sheriff.
The river was all swelled up. Couldn't cross it.
Now here's a beauty.
This skin ain't yours.
Guess I didn't say deerskin, too.
Get out of here!
Bastards! Get out of town!
Get out! Get out!
Wait... wait...
Hold on...
Just hold on, please...
I brung this here...
for the lady my partner cut.
We don't need your goddamn charity!
If you were really sorry, you'd be handing over your balls!
Whores...
Get out of our town and don't come back!
Cut it out
I hate that sound.
If there's a man that'll cut a woman,
there's a man that'll kill him for money.
I can't understand the things the Japanese do.
I can't keep repeating the same mistakes.
I promised my wife.
It's been three years.
Are the children fine?
Yes.
They still don't speak Ainu?
It's okay...
You...
Even with your daughter, you're going?
Could you look in on my youngsters?
I told them to come here if they have any problems.
Riding together, just like the old days.
We seem to be inseparable.
Anyway, I'm glad you've got my back.
I'm useless by myself.
I need that money to make it through the winter.
I'm really glad you came.
Like I promised, it's 50-50.
I'm sorry...
Don't worry,
we'll finish it with this.
If you was mad at them... over some wrong, I could see shooting them.
We done stuff for money before, right?
Getting ahead by killing.
That's the times we live in.
I'm not so sure we're even the lowest of the samurai.
The Emperor or the Shogun, they're two sides of the same coin.
It's not so different.
11 years...
The Shogun surrendered and the war ended too soon.
And their troops chased us to the ends of the earth.
We ran and ran...
We had to kill if
we wanted to survive.
Senseless...
The scary thing is not being killed.
It's killing for no reason...
Even so, Jubei,
thanks to you, I'm still alive.
That was a long time ago.
I ain't had a drop in over 10 years.
I heard,
your late wife...
made you into an honest man.
Yeah
Jubei "the Killer" Kamata...
They call me...
Sawada...
Goro!
Here...
Here!
You're a son-of-a-bitching cold-blooded assassin, ain't you?
As for me...
I done killed 5 people.
5 of 'em.
You gonna use that to shoot rats?
Back off, old man!
Boy, get out of here!
Didn't you say you were going to Washiro to kill two men?
I'd make a better partner
than this old codger.
That's ridiculous, you just want a cut.
Is there anybody that doesn't need money?
Those cowboys cut a woman, right?
Her face. Cut her hands, they even cut her legs.
Everywhere but down here!
Unbelievable!
Not just your greed, you also brought a dubious sense of justice?
Hey!
Kingo's a good shot with a rifle.
No better than me!
Hey!
After the war, I went back to my village but I lost everything.
My wife even ran off.
Since I was back, there was nowhere to go but the coal mines.
In those dark holes...
for I don't know how many years
Before you know it, I got old.
What?
Changing your mind?
At least go the village with me.
Maybe if you have a little fun, you'll change your mind.
You probably haven't used it for a while, huh?
My wife's watching over me from above.
Women sure are persistent!
Jubei,
you're not the only one that's changed.
Nowadays,
without this, trains and boats can't go anywhere
With my share, I'm going to mine this stuff.
Let's find our dreams together.
Me, just once...
Even the sun doesn't want to shine...
Let's go, old man.
Only you can call me that...
You hit?
Your nose is bleeding.
You're slow, old men!
I'm gonna get the reward first!
That kid
Hey! You ain't dead!
What were you shooting at?
Best shot, whatever... That hurt!
You always got something to say!
How bout I take care of that?
Don't pay him any mind, let's go.
Hold up a minute!
I know this area pretty well. I could scout ahead.
We could cut through that mountain and get there 2 days faster.
I don't care if you want me to come or not!
It's "may I please come with you?"
Huh?
Hurry up
Don't just stand there...
Before somebody beats us to the bounty!
==NO WEAPONS IN WASHIRO== ==DEPOSIT SWORDS IN TOWN HALL==
These are great times we live in.
Meat so readily available...
Not only that, but look at this.
This article is about the assassination of Akira Ookubo two years ago.
Now, publishing this kind of editorial...
just serves to distract from the democratic rights movements.
The world of the privileged, nothing has changed...
To us from Choshu, there are none more troublesome
than those that die in an old-fashioned way.
Anyway, there aren't any bodyguards that could defend against 6 assassins.
Is there even a master swordsman that could take on 6 opponents...
There is?
How would one handle six opponents?
Ah, there is a way.
Oh, great master!
Tell us more!
Hush...
Even here, we've got this sort.
Satsuma...
The great Mr. Ookubo, or the great leader of the Satsuma Rebellion, Mr. Saigo.
We're just now recovering from Satsuma's selfish struggle to control everything.
But they couldn't...
Desperately fighting for rights to Hokkaido lands.
Say that again!
I had heard there were Satsuma hicks raised around here.
Don't
I said don't
Yes, sir
Over there...
If you're not interested, give it back.
Let's go outside!
This won't do the trick, will it?
Shall we begin?
What? You didn't even pull it out?
No! No, it won't come out!
You're shaking too much.
Pathetic...
I beg your forgiveness!
You're not worth killing.
All this play has made me hungry for meat.
You two, hand over your weapons.
We'll keep them in the town hall.
Do I look dangerous?
No, but the ordinance...
You can just say you didn't see anything.
Did you come all the way here for the whores...
Masaharu Kitaoji?
You're alive...
Ichizo Oishi...
I heard that you passed out drunk and had drowned.
Unfortunately, I'm too stubborn.
I drank so much river water...
that I woke up.
You made enemies in so many places, you had to move all the way out here?
Who's he?
Yasaburo Himeji
Hi... Himeji...
You work for the railroads, Mr. Himeji?
I write.
Write? Letters?
Books, books.
Actually, he's my biographer.
Slowly.
A book?
That means you boys can read. That means you saw the signs...
saying surrender your weapons.
Without exception.
Why is that?
As long as they aren't drawn...
Look at this...
What a grand reception.
Bastard
You're saying toss them on this dangerous ground and go unarmed?
Isn't it because it is dangerous that I have to do this?
Grab it.
Be very careful with it.
You think you're a big man now...
boy!
Excuse me, gentlemen.
Hey!
I'll have the short sword, too.
The sword is a warrior's spirit.
How long will you spout that samurai crap?
Me...
I hate samurai trash!
Hear?
Talking to all them villains in Hokkaido!
I'm saying there ain't no reward!
Even if there was,
They don't want to come for it anyhow!
So, what you're saying...
is that the difference between winning and losing is not just skill?
If you face someone with a real sword, you understand each other's ability.
You can make that determination
within about 5 minutes and
in that moment decide whether to give up.
Win or lose in that moment.
But...
In the end, the bullet determines history.
In this era, do you need to cross swords to prove your worth?
If you fight with a sword, the timid die, understand?
Yes...
Look at the tricks he resorts to...
Take it.
What?
Do it.
If you can kill me,
then you can free Masaharu and escape.
If you think I'm lying, come at me.
Scared?
Yes...
Can't...
No...
I'm not really suited for this.
Hand it over.
Is it loaded?
A good question...
Even I don't know.
Anyway... probably empty.
My sword?
Come back again.
Drop him outside of town.
Go!
I didn't steal your biographer!
He's staying on his own account!
He can go stuff himself as well, can't he?
A plague on the whole stinking lot of you!
Without morals or laws! You're a lot of savages!
It's no wonder you all moved to Hokkaido!
They wouldn't have you in the mainland!
You're all a bunch of bloody savages!
A curse on you!
Now...
Nobody's going to come...
Jubei?
That business... that really happen?
Killing all those Christians and soldiers in Yubari?
Hiding with the Christians was a good idea.
They didn't want to be found by the Meiji government either.
Perfect for you.
But then, somehow, the soldiers found them.
So you killed all the villagers to keep them quiet.
Even the women and children.
how many people you killed?
I don't recollect.
- You don't recollect? - Right.
You deaf?
Hurry up.
This'll help you when it comes time for killing.
Hey...
The story about the Christians...
Killing all the women and children... that was the soldiers, right?
Tell me the truth.
Hey, imperial troops!
Move it!
Move, bastards!
Move it!
- Over here. - Hurry up!
Move!
You're slow.
Move, move!
I'm only asking once. Why'd you burn the house?
Huh? Tell me!
Filthy Ainu trash...
You bastards like fire?
You can't hide it, huh?
Let's get out of here.
It's unfortunate, but none of our concern.
Their mother died.
What?
When an Ainu woman dies, they burn the house to send her on to the next world.
Burn the house? Why...
They've banned all the old customs.
It's a Meiji proclamation.
They should mind their own business.
Sit!
Sit down!
Bastard, take out the earring!
Take it out!
What are you looking at?
Bring him here.
- Yes. - Yes.
Stop!
Hey...
Who're you?
You don't speak Ainu?
You said take out the earring.
Just do what he says.
Shut up!
What'll you do?
I said shut up!
You think you can take all them on?
Just do what he says!
Are you one of these dogs too?
Let's go, Jubei.
Jubei!
Let go!
Don't act like this.
Your mother would weep.
Stop!
You're the same as these dogs, bastard...
Huh?
I'm not in the mood...
to be talking to pigs.
Hold it!
Get down!
You're an Ainu?
So what if I am?
My blood is Ainu mixed with that of the Japanese,
who do nothing but steal and trample on others.
I ain't worth shit!
I'm nothing special at all.
I just have to take it
while people tell me I'm worthless.
I didn't mean nothin' by it.
There's no going back.
Someone with Ainu blood killing a Japanese,
they'll hunt you down.
Didn't I already say?
I've killed five already.
The Japanese won't put up with any Ainu causing problems.
==NO WEAPONS IN WASHIRO== ==DEPOSIT SWORDS IN OFFICE==
What the hell's he doin'?
You?
That's it?
What I heard was much worse.
Oh well,
I guess I wouldn't know how much it hurt.
Only you would understand, huh?
You look like shit.
Kingo
He's staring at me...
Huh?
I guess this town doesn't warm to strangers.
No, he's always there...
It's the rain. Take your drink.
I'm going to check upstairs.
He seems to have got caught by a woman.
If I was to take a little time for myself...
would you...
I guess you don't want to come.
Here.
Your best girl, please.
Hey, turn in your weapon.
Hand it over.
I guess you didn't see the sign,
because of the weather.
What's your name?
Don't you have a name?
Are you planning to play around with bears with this piece of crap?
Stand up!
There's a cabin at the hill to the north... You know it?
This is your shoe!
It don't matter right now!
Hide there.
Hurry!
Go quickly!
Ow!
What are we going to do about Jubei?
First the horses!
Turn around.
You're still alive?
Look at this, Mr. Himeji.
Yes?
This man is the former Shogun Army...
"Jubei the Killer"
What! Jubei...?
Who killed the Satsuma Samurai and those Christians at Yubari?
Women and children, too.
I'm...
just a farmer.
No, Jubei.
You are a murdering bastard.
What, Jubei the Killer?
Show us who you really are!
How far will you take this charade?
What?
This is what you've become?
Jubei,
here...
in this town, we don't allow trash like you!
A villain should carry a villain's mark.
Let him be.
He's as good as dead.
Bring that candle in closer.
They're just a bunch of cowardly bastards.
Otherwise, he'd have killed 'em all.
I'm scared of dying.
Scared...
Save me...
It's ok, Jubei.
Calm down, it's ok.
No, don't tell nobody.
Definitely...
Don't tell my kids...
Please...
All right.
I got it, don't worry.
He's gonna die, ain't he?
He's a stubborn one.
He's still alive.
We'll see in another 2-3 days.
Hey, hey...
Why are we going so slow?
Let's kill those boys tomorrow.
I don't kill nobody without him.
You're kidding?
We don't need him! We can do it.
Those boys... we can kill them.
One of us'll bring food in the morning!
And medicine if you got any!
Already?
Darling, I'm ready for another advance.
You planning on using up all the reward?
No more advances on what you ain't done.
Leave it to me.
Don't you ladies worry!
For I will avenge you without fail!
Does it hurt?
Feels like my face was ripped apart.
I must look like you now.
No offense meant.
How long I been here?
Three days.
You here that whole time?
I see.
I owe you my life.
It's strange.
I'm still alive.
Sitting here, looking at the mountains and eating.
The last time I saw my father,
he was like you.
A man who would die with the
weight of his sins on his back.
Sounds like something my wife would've said.
Kill and...
kill and kill,
then be killed in return.
That's all I thought my life was.
I knew I had to change that, but...
it took decades.
Your wife?
She's watching over my young ones.
Are you really...
going to kill them boys?
The way you...
killed women and children for money?
You get him?
He got the boy's horse.
I can't believe this! Dammit!
Again!
Heisuke!
Aim carefully!
Unosuke, you okay?
Hurry up!
Hold on!
Watch it!
They're flintlocks.
Flintlocks? Are you serious?
Here goes!
Hurry
I know
Hurry!
I know!
Stop shooting!
You better run!
Hurry up and kill him before his buddies come back.
I'm sorry...
Forgive me, please...
Then you shouldn't have cut up no woman!
Don't kill me...
Please don't kill me!
Take some responsibility before you die!
Dammit...
Jesus, I'm so thirsty. Give me some water, please!
What's going on?
I'm bleeding, Heisuke!
Better finish him!
Dammit...
Water!
He's gonna die...
put him out of his misery.
Jubei
What I said about the coal...
that was a lie.
I really don't...
have anywhere to go.
He's crawling away!
Hey!
Are you listening?
Hey!
Heisuke...
Shinjirou...
Sanosuke!
Forgive me, Jubei!
I dragged you into this...
and put it all on you.
This is it for me.
Hey, what about the reward? There's still one left.
Shut up!
Jubei, sorry I let you down.
You can handle it.
Kingo!
Kingo
You don't have to kill nobody.
We'll do the rest.
Thanks to you, I know you can choose what kind of person to be.
Lies just cause more lies.
If I think about it...
I'm a little scared of you,
and jealous
so I couldn't stay away.
We should've gotten together earlier.
Farewell, Jubei.
Smile until the end.
Smile!
They ran off to the east.
One of 'em had the scar on his cheek the Sheriff gave him.
As for the other two, one was white-haired and the other was a hick, maybe Ainu.
They're armed.
Try to get them alive!
What's with you?
You forget how to hold a sword?
Pick them up!
Itou, let's catch them sleeping.
Yes, sir.
I didn't think they'd really do it...
Think they come clear out here to fuck us?
Murdering whores!
A curse on you!
He had it coming for what he done!
And the other one too!
What'd you say?
Get on out here!
It's all your fault he's dead!
You listening?
Stop crying!
Down to one.
Cutting a woman is something a coward would do.
Frankly...
I really don't care if someone like that gets killed.
No need to write about this.
It might damage my reputation.
You beat me to it.
The survivors end up as the heroes, and the dead end up as the villains.
That's history, right?
Wouldn't it have been better if you'd have killed Jubei?
Sure is ripe.
I can't get it out of my nose.
Going to get a lot riper.
I bet.
You ever been with an Ainu woman?
You don't recollect that, either?
There's nothing I can't remember.
No matter how hard you try to leave it behind.
Crazy bastard...
Ever since my mother died...
The only thing that keeps me going is the desire to kill my father.
At first, I wanted to beat him to death.
I could never forgive someone that hurts a woman.
Dammit, it stinks!
That him?
Yeah, it's him.
He's all yours.
Go get him.
Hey!
St... stop...
Please don't!
If you let me...
Shut up!
Sheriff!
Hurry, hurry...
Get the Sheriff!
Hurry up!
Halt!
Hurry! What are you doing?
Come on!
Jubei!
Well, do you remember now?
Jubei Kamata's home and the other one.
The Ainu?
He's not Ainu...
He's...
not Ainu...
I don't know where he's from.
Then what's this?
Why'd we find an Ainu dagger stuck in Sanosuke?
Okaji!
How're you supposed to get the money to Jubei?
The... the money...
I already gave it to him.
I told you, didn't I?
I don't like it when people lie.
And I don't like hitting women.
So until Okaji tells me the truth...
you'll just have to put up with this a little more.
No, please don't!
Watch closely, Okaji!
Even though he was shot, he still came at me.
Of course, it rattled me.
I killed the hell out of him!
While he was taking a shit...
I guess he had it coming.
Look at me.
I can't stop...
That was the first.
First...
one I ever killed.
It's not what I thought!
Not at all, dammit!
Drink until you forget it.
But when you open your eyes, you'll remember.
Of course, they had to die.
Right?
Count it.
What?
What's wrong?
He's dead.
They killed your friend.
Kingo?
The Sheriff beat him up.
He beat him bad.
You could hear his screams through the whole town.
Kingo didn't kill no one.
What'd they ask him?
About you being Ainu
and where you lived.
Did he talk?
Even when he started hurting him bad...
he just said "I don't know that he's Ainu".
And finally...
he started laughing and said
"You don't know how scary Jubei really is"
"Jubei is gonna..."
"kill all you bastards"
It's too much.
No matter what,
it should've been us,
not Kingo.
I can't
I won't kill nobody no more.
I ain't like you, Jubei.
And I don't want to be.
Keep all of it. It's yours.
I'll get it from you later.
I don't want you to come after me.
You know my place?
Yeah, I know it.
Take care of the money.
This is what my wife gave me to remind me...
I could live differently.
Please give it to my kids.
Hey!
When you're warmed up, we gotta go.
We're going to comb the entire highway.
Each man gets two glasses on me.
Sheriff, I think I'll put 3 men here.
You own this shithole?
You cowardly son-of-a-bitch!
He shouldn't have hung my friend out like a flag.
Get in my way...
and I'll kill you.
This is crazy...
Yeah.
You're the only other one I want dead.
Let's see if you can.
Listen up.
When he fires,
kill him like the mangy scoundrel he is!
There's nowhere to run.
Shoot him...
Shoot him!
Don't...
mess with me.
Hurry, reload!
Steady! Hold your ground!
Get out.
I'm shot! I've been shot!
I'm... a writer!
I'm just a writer.
I write in newspapers and magazines... and books too.
A writer?
I won't write this!
I didn't see anything, know anything and won't write anything!
Write exactly what you saw here.
Huh?
It's okay?
It's really okay?
Even if they track you down, it's still okay?
However...
if you write anything...
about the whores or the Ainu, I'll hunt you down and kill you.
So heavy...
I'll wait for you in hell.
That was the last I saw of Jubei.
He entrusted those dear things to Goro and me...
and left.
As the rising sun touched my back, I thought
"I could live in this place".
Jubei loved his wife... loved his children.
This place that once held his hopes...
I believe he will come back someday.
==UNFORGIVEN==
Ken Watanabe as Jubei Kamata
Akira Emoto as Kingo Baba
Yuya Yagira as Goro Sawada
Shiori Kutsuna as Natsume
Eiko Koike as Okaji
Yoshimasa Kondo as Kihachi
Jun Kunimura as Masaharu Kitaoji
Kenichi Takito as Himeji
Yukiyoshi Ozawa as Sanosuke Hotta
Takahiro Miura as Unosuke Hotta
Koichi Sato as Ichizo Oishi