Pale Flower (1964)
Ryô Ikebe: Muraki
Photos
Quotes
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Muraki : People - such strange animals. What are they living for? Their faces are lifeless, dead. They're desperately pretending to be alive. Why make such a big deal about slaughtering one of these dumb beasts?
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Saeko : Why do you do what you do? You went to prison for killing a man, right?
Muraki : Yeah.
Saeko : A crime like that...
Muraki : It was no crime. Far more ordinary than that. I had no reason to stab him. It wasn't about honor, or duty, or saving face. I killed a man I had no reason to kill. It was just a matter of whose number came up, whose turn it was. But at the moment I killed him, I knew it was the only way I could survive. As I stabbed him, he said, "You don't have a wife and kids." I really hated him right then. But when I stabbed him, I felt more alive than I ever had before.
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Muraki : Enough! Don't let your mouth be your ruin.
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Yakuza's Lover : The sooner he dies, the better.
Muraki : How long has he made you sleep in the shop like this?
Yakuza's Lover : Eight years. Ever since I was 15.
Muraki : You still hate him?
Yakuza's Lover : I may have been his step daughter, but I was still his child. He's a beast. And my dead mother - she knew. He's no father. He's an animal. A pig!
Muraki : That first time - you and I went to that movie theater - you gave in so easily. In the darkness we were like pigs too.
Yakuza's Lover : I love you. I really do!
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[first lines]
Muraki : Back in Tokyo. It's been three years. It makes my head spin. What on earth is this?
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Muraki : Someone's looking for a big game. Know of any?
Aikawa : Sure - but can you vouch for this person?
Muraki : Yes.
Aikawa : What sort of a player?
Muraki : It's a woman.
Aikawa : A woman? An amateur, then.
Muraki : That's right. But she's definitely a different breed.
Aikawa : Some white bitch?
Muraki : No. And she won't make trouble.
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Muraki : Did you sleep with anyone while I was gone? Something about you seems different.
Yakuza's Lover : You're making me mad.
Muraki : It's okay if you did.
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Aikawa : That was Yoh.
Muraki : Yoh?
Aikawa : Half Chinese, from Hong Kong. The boss picked him up in Yokohama. Carries a dagger and an automatic. Fast as hell. Fled Hong Kong last month after killing two people - though some say they saw him five years ago in Tokyo. No one knows who he really is. A real creep. That ghostly face would curdle anyone's blood. You must have noticed.
Muraki : Noticed what?
Aikawa : It's the drugs. Only dope addicts have that creepy color. He isn't a real yakuza, just some sleazy amateur.
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Saeko : Have you ever tried dope?
Muraki : No.
Saeko : Why not?
Muraki : I hate drug addicts.
Saeko : Why?
Muraki : They're a bunch of cowards.
Saeko : Why?
Muraki : They can't pull their own weight.
Saeko : Really? Is everyone supposed to pull his own weight?
Muraki : Enough. Anyone strong enough to control how much they take wouldn't start using it to begin with.
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Muraki : I loved watching wild geese fly when I was a kid. Don't see many these days. They're all gone.
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Yakuza's Lover : Who's Saeko? Fine. Go wherever you like. Run off with your Saeko. But you won't get rid of me. I'll follow you wherever you go. I can't live without you!
[kisses Muraki]
Muraki : Is your stomach upset? Your breath smells bad. I really am headed back to jail. I've already told you - It's time you settled down. Lead a decent life.
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[last lines]
Muraki : I hunger for her.
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Muraki : What on earth is this? Why so many people crammed into a cage-like box? People. They are such strange animals. What are they living for? Their faces are life-less. They desperately pretend to be alive.