1
A Kaijyu Theatre production
Adapted from Shohei Ooka's novel
A film by Shinya Tsukamoto
FIRES ON THE PLAIN
You have TB and you can't even
forage for food.
Can you dig a bomb shelter?
Can you? Answer me!
Yes, sir!
You can't.
Go then!
To the hospital.
Go.
Don't waste it.
What?
Private Tamura, 14th
Independent infantry regiment.
My squad leader sent me here.
Are you sick?
It's my lungs.
That's no reason to come here!
You have food?
Yes, sir.
Tamura.
Private Tamura.
Return to the squad.
Sir?
You're discharged. Go.
Why are you back?
You're still sick!
Come back when you
can serve my squad.
You're early. You had 5 days
of rations.
What's your problem?
It wasn't a 5-day ration.
We already ate it.
These men are injured.
I have no time for you.
Why come back like he said?
Don't give up.
Tell him you have no place to go.
If the surgeon won't admit you
kill yourself.
Make use of your grenade.
That way
you'd be doing a service.
Sir, I will go to the field hospital
and kill myself if I'm turned away.
Right.
Good luck.
Yes, sir.
You gave away your rations so
there are no more.
I don't know which is better,
to go or to stay.
I won't kill you.
I won't.
Give me that.
And that.
I'll get you yams.
Ouch!
It's you again.
You won't quit.
Move those men outside.
They're untreatable anyway.
Cook this one so I can eat it.
If you give me half.
I can't eat this raw.
So give me half.
Go and do something useful, idiot.
Want to swap your yam
for a smoke?
Why not treat yourself
before you die?
Hey, come on.
Hey.
Why not swap your yam?
Please.
Please give me your yam.
It has to be the whole yam.
Keep the cigarette.
What?
I don't smoke.
Now leave me alone.
Alright!
Here.
Cook it.
Thank you.
You're like
a bunch of deserters.
You cowards.
Charge!
Don't let the enemy take
the island!
Don't surrender...
How's your leg?
It hurts.
I'll be right here.
Don't expect anything from me.
I'm just... lonely.
You're always crying, you sissy.
I'm...
illegitimate.
Why are you telling me that now?
Are you surprised?
Not at all. It's common enough.
Really?
You fool!
Listen to me.
I abandoned my son.
I was just a student.
My brother looked after him.
I was told to stay away.
I only got to meet him
when I was drafted.
That's when...
My son said, "So long, Father."
You're a sinner, Old man.
That's why I'm prepared to die
in this hellhole.
Give it back!
Now!
Those yams are for the patients.
Get up!
I've got yams!
Stop! Sir!
What?
You can have mine.
Let him off.
You have an attitude.
You have a problem?
Get up, Old man!
Ouch...
My stomach...
Fire...
I need fire.
If I can make fire...
I'll come back.
Damn, there's nothing!
Right, I need fire.
Any matches here?
I need matches.
I won't kill you.
I won't kill you.
I won't kill you!
I won't kill you!
I won't.
I won't kill you.
I won't kill you!
I won't kill you!
I won't kill you!
I won't!
It's too much to carry.
I'm with the 14th Independent
infantry regiment, Murayama squad!
The Murayama squad...
Didn't they die?
Die...?
The enemy attacked
while I was at the hospital.
What for?
My lungs.
I had a suspicion that an outsider
was in the area.
Where were you?
And your rifle?
I lost it in the stream.
That's enough yams to get us
to Palompon.
To Palompon?
You didn't know?
All personnel on Leyte have orders
to go to Palompon.
The top brass finally noticed
how bad it is.
Everyone's retreating.
They'll send us to Cebu by ship.
So you wandered around cluelessly?
We'll pack our yams and go.
You'd better get some food
and go, too.
Well?
Too sick?
You can stay
and give up on your
girl back home.
If you died some man will
console your girl
and she'll end up happily
married to him.
Are you okay?
What's that bulging in your bag?
- It's salt, sir.
- Salt!
That's great!
Let me have a lick.
Where was it?
In the village.
Let's go and see what else is there.
The villagers took
everything and ran.
I saw many dead Japanese soldiers.
One villager ran when he saw me.
He might have alerted guerrillas.
Right.
We should get moving.
How about you?
You give me salt
and you can tag along.
You look miserable.
Come with us.
I'll let you.
Lucky, huh?
What's that?
A guerrilla smoke signal?
Nothing like it...
A nice bonfire.
They're posing as villagers.
I guess it isn't the time
for bonfires.
Let's get going.
Palompon.
Palompon.
Palompon.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
You're good at that.
What did you do back home?
I was a writer.
I read
and wrote.
That's what I liked.
So you're the intellectual
among us.
But it means nothing here.
We survived hell in New Guinea
by eating human flesh.
We'll eat you if
you're not careful!
Don't worry.
Stay with me and you won't get hit.
Bullets dodge me.
Hey, Intellectual.
Let's go.
Yes, sir.
Thank you very much, sir.
Hold on.
He's dangerous.
Don't upset him.
Go around him.
Hello.
I'm glad it's such a fine day.
Is this the Kaneko squad?
You from the Kaneko squad?
The Oyama squad?
Mother...
Cigarette, anyone?
A yam for a smoke.
Half a yam will do.
You idiot. Who wants to buy
cigarettes now?
The higher ups might.
I'll catch up.
Moron! Don't come back without yams!
Remember me?
So you made it!
You too.
For the cigarette.
Wait.
Why should I?
Don't let people beat you.
Thank you.
Oh, it's you again.
You look better.
Looks like you're eating.
Can't you walk?
Nagamatsu helps me walk
so I manage.
We better
get to Palompon before we run out
of smokes.
Guess sales are down.
Not really.
People always need cigarettes.
Especially when times are tough.
We're making ends meet
as you can see.
You're wrong, Old man.
No one's buying.
That's your fault, moron!
Any soldier
would swap his last yam
for a smoke!
Cut it out, fool.
You big cry baby!
No more yams...
Why did I give it to him?
Where are the corporal
and his company?
It's useless.
I can't catch up.
That's how I'll end up.
They don't know when to stop.
Corporal.
It's you. You're still alive.
Now's the tough part.
See the path?
We'll have to climb over the hill
to get to Palompon.
Once we're there we'll be okay
if we hide in the woods.
Will we go at night?
Who'd go in daylight?
We'll get to Palompon
and when we reach Cebu
we'll be home free.
Don't worry.
Bullets dodge me.
Save your strength.
Hey, you.
Any salt left?
Can I have some, please?
Wait.
Come with me.
You don't have any left.
Thank you.
Listen.
There's no reason for you
to join us.
We're stuck with the corporal.
But you're not.
You're free.
Did you really eat people
in New Guinea?
Human flesh...
Of course not.
Corporal.
I surrender.
I surrender.
I surrender.
Surrender.
I surrender.
I surrender.
Is this the way to Palompon?
Corporal...
Burning...
It's burning.
The Sun goes down so fast.
The earth is rotating.
That's why the Sun sets.
I'm in Buddha's Heaven.
I'm Buddha, Amitabha.
Count one.
Count two.
Namaste.
I'm going home.
Let me go home.
Please!
Oh, it's you.
You're still alive.
When I die...
you can eat me.
It's warm.
How nice.
It's like home.
It's like home.
No, it's happening again!
Not again!
Please don't!
You can eat me.
Eat me.
You can eat me.
You can eat me.
Is this his leg?
No...
I haven't eaten it.
I haven't.
I don't want to!
It is you.
It's monkey meat.
I shot one and dried the meat.
How do you feel?
Where is the leg?
Are you joking?
You...
Did you think I was a monkey?
Is the other guy alive?
He's fine.
He'll be happy to see you.
It's kind of you to
stay with him.
I don't want to be alone.
And he has smokes.
Really?
He swaps them for my monkey meat.
His supply is endless.
Is it far?
Just over there.
Where is he?
We sleep separately.
I can't trust him.
He says he can't walk but...
You can see him in the morning.
That's to cut up the monkeys.
What's wrong? Can't sleep?
I'm okay...
Don't swallow it.
You don't want to get diarrhoea.
I'm glad you're in one piece.
The problem is
we're low on food and guns.
And there's no monkey meat.
I have a grenade.
A grenade?
I forgot I lost it.
Oh.
What a bummer.
Then his rifle is our last hope.
To hunt monkeys.
I'll go get some.
I'll help you.
No, you stay.
You need your strength.
He'll kill you if
he got your grenade.
That punk's developed an attitude.
He won't listen to me.
He'd be long dead if not for me.
Well?
Show me the grenade.
Don't worry.
Come on.
Don't you trust me?
It's a 99.
It's still active.
- Wait a minute...
- It's okay.
It's not okay!
- Give it back!
- It's okay!
It's okay.
Keep it.
You keep it.
Put that away.
He got one!
A monkey.
Relax, he'll butcher it for us.
Don't throw it. I'm kidding.
You saw him?
You ate one, too.
Right.
I let a monkey go.
Right.
I don't know when I'll see another one.
There aren't many.
Where's the grenade?
Where is it?
He took it?
He took your grenade?
Oh shit...
He kept me alive
so I'd supply him with monkeys.
If I don't he'll kill me.
I'll trick him into using it.
Old man!
Old man?
The monkey.
I chased it.
But they're cautious now
so it got away.
Run!
Ouch...
Are you okay?
He actually threw it!
I'll kill him!
I knew he could walk!
This is the only water around here.
He'll show up here sooner or later.
Hey.
What will you do?
He is your friend.
It's not his fault.
What then?
You want me to eat you?
Or you want to eat me?
What do you want?
Hey!
Hey!
Hey, why don't we make up?
I made a fire.
I can make one, too.
You can have all my smokes.
I'll take them when I kill you!
I'd be an idiot to have
them on me!
I found a good place to hide them.
Let's be friends!
He's a sly fox.
Hey.
What?
Why...
Why didn't you kill me
when you could?
Let's end this.
Let's stop.
Here.
No more hiding.
Kill me, Nagamatsu, if you want.
I don't think you can.
We've been through a lot.
Right?
You think you can kill me?
Can you?
Nagamatsu!
Oh, come on!
Come on, Nagamatsu!
You always end up in tears.
But don't worry.
You've become a man.
I can hunt monkeys now.
That's right.
You see?
Do as I say and you'll be fine.
My son told me
when I saw him that time,
he'd join the air corps.
You know what that means?
He might be flying around here.
He might be looking for me.
You see?
Now you know
how I think of you.
I won't hide it anymore.
We'll share everything.
Don't!
Stop!
Stop there!
Bastard!
I know
you'll eat me.
The next thing I remembered
I was at the enemy
field hospital.
I'll leave it here.
Thank you.
"The last thing I remembered was
the raindrops on the rifle."
Shinya Tsukamoto
Yusaku Mori
Yuko Nakamura
Tatsuya Nakamura
Lily Franky
Adapted from Shohei Ooka's novel
Written, Produced & Directed by
Shinya Tsukamoto