The Hidden Fortress (1958)

Minoru Chiaki: Tahei

Photos 

Quotes 

• Tahei : Now's our chance to give him the slip.

  Matakishi : Shhh.

  [He points at Princess Yuki sitting right behind them] 

  Tahei : Don't worry. She's mute.

  Matakishi : She's mute but she can hear.

  Tahei : Stupid. A mute can't speak because they're deaf.

• [first lines] 

  Tahei : Get away from me! You stink of dead bodies!

  Matakishi : Give it up. We both stink of dead bodies. And it's all your fault!

• [last lines] 

  Tahei : [Tahei hands Matakishi a piece of gold]  You take this.

  Matakishi : No, you keep it.

  Tahei : But...

  Matakishi : Don't worry about it.

  [they both laugh] 

• Tahei : Uh...

  [He realizes Matashichi is about to speak, and tries to let him speak, but Matashichi wordlessly urges, 'No, you first!'] 

  Tahei : What... are you doing here in the mountains?

  General Rokurota Makabe : What about you?

  Tahei : [stunned]  Us? We intend to cross... the border.

  General Rokurota Makabe : The border?

  [Matashichi nods] 

  Matakishi : We want to go to Hayakawa.

  General Rokurota Makabe : Hayakawa? But beyond the mountains it's Yamana.

  [Tahei and Matashichi briefly exchange glances and both stand up] 

  Tahei : [nervously]  Yes... but you see...

  [Tahei crouches, and begins to draw in the dirt with a stick] 

  Tahei : t-to go to H-Hayakawa... this is Hayakawa... and this is...

  [He continues to draw on his diagram] 

  Tahei : Akizuki where we are now.

  [He draws another picture of a plot of land] 

  Tahei : This is Yamana. Yamana, see? We want to go from, uh, Akizuki to Hayakawa. But the border is guarded by Yamana soldiers. So, uh, we'll cross first into Yamana right there, and then slip into Hayakawa. See...

  [He glances at Matashichi] 

  Matakishi : See... there's no way that the survivors of the Akizuki clan would go to Yamana, the enemy territory. So, uh, the border between Akizuki and Yamana... should be open.

  [Tahei laughs nervously] 

  Tahei : That's right, that's right. Th-the Hayakawa-Yamana border, uh, should be easy to cross, than the, uh, Akizuki-Hayakawa border.

  [He and Matashichi nod in agreement] 

  Tahei : Anyway, we're just peasants. Even if anything happened we'd still make it.

  [Rokurota bursts out laughing] 

  General Rokurota Makabe : All right, I've made up my mind. Going through Yamana is a good idea.

• Matakishi : We can't go home like this.

  Tahei : Then strip that dead guy.

  Matakishi : Huh? I may be desperate, but I ain't a thief.

  Tahei : Do what you want. I'm getting out of here!

  [Tahei starts to limp off down the road] 

  Matakishi : Go on, then. I'll catch up to you after I make a buck.

  Tahei : Don't come crying to me, then!

  [He scoffs] 

  Tahei : You'll caught again and be digging graves! You'll see!

  [Matashichi picks up dust and throws it at Tahei] 

  Matakishi : Damn you! Go on, get! It'll be a blessing to see you go!

  [Tahei scoffs again] 

  Matakishi : You shitworm!

• Tahei : [the two men rest against a wall of dirt from digging in the hidden fortress, Matashichi's leg over Tahei's. Tahei kicks it away]  What are you doing? Don't touch me, fool! lt's uncomfortable enough.

  Matakishi : [Kicks Tahei's leg]  lt's your face that makes me uncomfortable.

  Tahei : You leave my face alone!

  [He starts blinking the sweat away profusely] 

  Matakishi : l hate the way you blink all the time.

  [Tahei continues blinking] 

  Matakishi : There you go again.

  Tahei : Shut up! Put your filthy teeth away!

  [He begins prodding at Matashichi with an oar] 

  Tahei : Show them to me once more and l'll bash them in!

  [Matashichi lunges with a fork, its prongs landing right near Tahei's head. Tahei starts blubbering] 

  Tahei : l'm quitting! This is idiotic! l dig and dig and nothing!

• Tahei : [Holding onto Matashichi as the escaping, rioting prisoners run past]  Matashichi, this is hell!

  Matakishi : Let's die together.

• General Rokurota Makabe : [sees Tahei and Matashichi scrambling down the rocks, trying to escape]  Hey! where are you going?

  Tahei : Boss, run! The Yamana soldiers found us! There were horses by the spring!

  General Rokurota Makabe : Idiots! I stole those.

  Tahei , Matakishi : Huh?

• [General Makabe emerges from the fortress on a misty morning, clutching Tahei by the collar of his rags] 

  General Rokurota Makabe : Where's Matashichi?

  Tahei : I don't know!

  [Makabe drags the shifty peasant down the steps into the courtyard] 

  Tahei : Ow, ow, ow...

  General Rokurota Makabe : What are you up to?

  Tahei : H-he-he's gone to the town...

  General Rokurota Makabe : The town? What for?

  Tahei : To- to tell the soldiers...

  General Rokurota Makabe : Tell them what?

  Tahei : A-about the Princess, of course!

  General Rokurota Makabe : The Princess?

  [Makabe let's go of Tahei in surprise. Tahei scrambles away, wailing and screaming. He's now standing on the other side of the trench that Makabe forced him and Matashichi to dig] 

  Tahei : We ain't... as stupid as you think! You thought you'd fooled us! We know you... that ten ryo you had... it's from the war funds you stole! On top of that, you intend to get a reward for the Princess! We ain't gonna let you!

  General Rokurota Makabe : I was wrong to trust such scum.

  Tahei : Look who's talking- you're the scum!

• Tahei : Hey! What's your name?

  General Rokurota Makabe : Me? I'm Rokurota Makabe.

  Tahei : Rokurota Makabe? I've heard that name before.

  Matashichi : Makabe?

  Matashichi , Tahei : Makabe?

  Tahei : be?

  Matashichi : Makabe?

  Matashichi , Tahei : Rokurota? Eh?

  Matashichi : Get out of here! Rokurota Makabe is a legendary Akizuki samurai general! You take us for fools?

  [Makabe laughs and walks away] 

  Tahei : We shouldn't put up with this.

  Matashichi : Hey! Stop fooling around! You're no gereral. You're just a bully. What's with the big attitude?

  [Makabe continues laughing] 

  Matashichi : Don't make fun of us! Damn you!

• Matashichi : Damn it! Gone again!

  Tahei : He's on his high horse watching us do all the work.

  Matashichi : Right. He's probably running around looking for that girl.

  Tahei : Maybe he already found a place and is sleeping with her.

  Matashichi : We agreed to split everything in three. The girl should be the same.

• Matashichi : What is this place?

  Tahei : It's what they call a hidden fortress.

  Matashichi : A hidden fortress?