The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (I) (1959)

Tatsuya Nakadai: Kaji

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Quotes 

• Kaji : [discussing the pardoning of prisoners due to be executed for an alleged escape attempt]  I'll be honest. There's only one chance in one hundred.

  Kyôritsu Ô : This does not concern us alone. Just as my companions stand between life and death, so do you now stand at an important crossroads.

  Kaji : You're right.

  Kyôritsu Ô : If you fail now, no one will ever trust you again, and you too will lose faith in yourself.

  Kaji : It's true.

  Kyôritsu Ô : Yet you would do nothing?

  Kaji : What can I do?

  Kyôritsu Ô : Must a man outside this barbed wire ask me such a question? Not all the Japanese working here are murderous devils. Their combined opinion objecting to this execution will be more effective than one individual alone.

  Kaji : If I'd always acted as you wanted me to there'd be no Kaji here today. I'd like to see what you'd do in my position.

  Kyôritsu Ô : You and I will both make minor mistakes. Such things can be forgiven. But an error made at a crucial moment is an unforgivable crime. Your life has been a series of errors stemming from the conflict between your work and yourself. Such errors can possibly be corrected. But this one cannot.

  Kaji : Meaning?

  Kyôritsu Ô : You'll either be revealed as a murderer wearing the mask of humanism or as one worthy of the beautiful name... "man".

• Kaji : Can't you see? Force has meaning only when overcoming tyranny.

• Kuroki Shochô : You know, Kaji, theory may be correct and yet not always apply to reality.

  Kaji : Then either the theory is wrong or it was incorrectly applied.

• [first lines] 

  Michiko : This isn't like you.

  Kaji : Why?

  Michiko : You're running away. Don't you want me?

  Kaji : Of course I do.

  Michiko : And I want you, too. Yet we can't marry-...

  Kaji : How many times must I explain?

  Michiko : Because you might be called up? I wouldn't care if it was the day after. Of course I'd cry. I'd cry bitterly. But happiness only lies in marrying the one you love.

  Kaji : Alright. I'll take you back to my dormitory. You'll stay with me tonight. Alright?

  Michiko : Yes, I'll go.

  [they start trudging through the snow] 

  Kaji : No, you better go back to your own dormitory... I can't take you to mine.

  Michiko : You were just testing me. You shouldn't have done that. You're a coward and a weakling! Now I see that!

• Kaji : So... I won't be seeing you again? I learned so much from you.

  Okishima : No, it's me who learned from you. Though you've paid a bitter price, you finally caught the humanism train.

• Michiko : I'm sorry about yesterday; I failed as a wife and a woman.

  [Kaji gives a refreshed sigh] 

  Michiko : I couldn't sleep.

  Kaji : This is your home. You can sleep soundly here.

  Michiko : Promise you'll share both your joys and your sorrows with me.

  Kaji : Sorrow for one is enough.

  Michiko : It's not! I'm walking down the same path you are. It's okay if I lose my way. Just tell me we might get lost and take me along. I'll follow you... and do my best to keep up.

  Kaji : I understand.

  Michiko : If I don't walk fast enough, will you wait just a tiny bit for me? Just a very tiny bit?

  Kaji : Of course.

  Michiko : I'll never ask you the same question twice.

• Kaji : It's not my fault that I'm Japanese... yet it's my worst crime that I am!

• Kaji : [furious over the recent escape of Chinese POWs under his supervision]  I've given up on all of you. You said you'd wait. You might think I'm a fool, but even a fool has his limits! Another escape and you'll all go without food for three days. I'll turn your men against you and break your authority in this camp!

  Kô : You Japanese are all the same!

  Kaji : Fine! Then I'll act accordingly. All promises are hereby retracted. Now I realize there can be no trust between us.

• Kuroki Shochô : We must give them some incentive to work.

  Kaji : I think so too.

  Kuroki Shochô : What does a man in a cage dream of most?

  Kaji : Freedom., I suppose.

  Kuroki Shochô : Freedom? You must be a poet! It's women. Men dream of women. Women dream of men. What did you dream of as a bachelor? The ways of the empire? I doubt it. The way to make caged men work is to satisfy 70% of their bodily lust.

  Kaji : With what women?

  Kuroki Shochô : It's very simple. You're in charge of the comfort women. Send them in here.

• Okishima : Where you been hidin'?

  Kaji : What's wrong with you? Drunk, I see.

  Okishima : Think I got drunk and came to make trouble? I had a drink with the boss, but I'm not drunk.

  Okishima : [they enter Kaji's house and Okishima lays on the floor]  I have some hot news. They're issuing commendations for the increased production. Okazaki will surely be included. I told the boss you were the only one in Labor who deserved a commendation... The boss felt the same way, but he feared that this old-timer might feel slighted... You don't think I'd feel slighted, do you?

  Kaji : Why have you suddenly turned to brute force?

  Okishima : [snickering]  The boss asked the same thing. I was born a brute... Good enough?

  [Kaji shifts in contemplation] 

  Okishima : How long do you plan to keep on like this?

  Kaji : Meaning what?

  Okishima : Straddling a fundamental contradiction and trying to justify it... I'm out of breath. If I'm being a nuisance, just say so and I'll back off.

• Kaji : The investigation is over, but I don't believe you tried to escape.

  Kô : You're turning us over to the Kenpeitai?

  Kaji : I don't intend to. But you never had faith in me before. Perhaps it's best to doubt me now as well. Those men have all the power! I have none! I'll do everything I can until tomorrow evening.

• Kaji : Bad quarters. Poor food. Men can't work on beans alone.

• Kuroki Shochô : Your work here won't just be a desk job. It will cover all aspects of the men's lives. Rationing food, disposing of excrement from 10,000 men, handling menstrual cases among the women.

  Kaji : The women?

  Kuroki Shochô : We have comfort quarters for our men. Okishima will show you. There are about 60 Manchu women. Starting today, you're they're boss. I'm relieved you're not a bachelor. Go home now and do your duty by your wife -- but don't overdo it, eh?

• Kaji : I don't have the authority to release you, only to detain you.

• Michiko : Is something wrong? Why won't you tell me about it?

  Kaji : Would you want a husband who runs a whorehouse?

• Michiko : A prisoner and a prostitute in love -- it's like a novel. But what will come of it?

  Kaji : Nothing can come of it while there's a war going on. They have their love today. That's all.

• Kaji : I'll ask their leader's opinion.

  Kuroki Shochô : Who gives you orders? POWs or me?

• Kuroki Shochô : Can we exchange a good, hard-working Japanese man for the life of one mere prisoner?

  Kaji : That's not the point.

• Tôfuku Kin : Mr. Kaji, wanna have some fun? I won't charge you.

  Kaji : I sorry, but, I need 30 girls for the special laborers. The Labor Office will pay.

  Tôfuku Kin : They go inside barbed wire? Just like dogs - sleep together - everybody watch?

  Kaji : If you don't wish to, just say so. You don't, do you?

  Tôfuku Kin : We have no choice. It's our job. I send 30 girls tomorrow.

• Kaji : This bath feels good. Why don't you come in?

  Michiko : [smiles]  I think I will.

• Soldier : Kaji, don't you miss your wife? She was crying. She'll have no one to ride her at night.

  Kaji : What have I done?

  Soldier : I'm no monster. I'd like to put you back on top of your wife tonight.

• Kaji : In the end, you died without seeing the dawn. But your countrymen will surely bury you by the light of the newborn day.

• Kuroki Shochô : Personally I don't approve, but the head office says to leave it to the Kenpeitai.

  Kaji : Why?

  Kuroki Shochô : Must there be a reason?

• Kaji : Now I see the light. I should have trusted the whores instead of the managers here!

• Michiko : You did everything you could. Don't you care what happens to you? Well, I do!

  Kaji : Michiko, don't torment me!

  Michiko : I'll call for help! I won't let you do it. You always go your own way, and perhaps you're right. But if you free those men, they'll kill you for sure! Please don't go! I'll follow you! I'll shout for help!

  Kaji : Michiko, if I don't, I'm no longer a human being!

• Kaji : What a honeymoon!

  Michiko : What did you say?

  Kaji : It's all this wind and dust.

  Michiko : I don't care! It's wonderful! It feels like gravel in my mouth.

• Kaji : You may brutally beat your laborers, but it doesn't mean others will be intimidated. I just warned your assistant.

  Okazaki : Mr. Kaji, you know how important that ore is to us. What's wrong with slapping a cheek or two if it keeps the ore coming out and helps the war effort? What's more important: the ore or the workers?

  Kaji : I don't think in those terms. It's ridiculous to compare men with ore. Take care of your men and the ore will come out.

  Okazaki : Let me make it very clear that Okazaki of Loh Hu Liong won't be changed by any of your half-baked theories. I'll stick to my own ways. Remember that.

  Kaji : I will. And I'll stick to my ways too.

• Kaji : If you treat me like a murderer just because I'm Japanese, you'll be losing the only friend you have.

• Kaji : If this is ignored, supervision will be impossible! I'll charge Okazaki with manslaughter.

  Kuroki Shochô : Come now! Relax! It wasn't wise to use force, but he was only following orders to increase production. So he actually acted out of patriotism. Listen here. Okazaki may be a brute, but his brutality lets him run that large pit. We need him just like we need you and Okishima to keep our 10,000 men in line. Understand? We're at war. To achieve the greater goal, we must overlook the small mistakes.

  Kaji : Small mistakes? A human being was murdered!

• Kaji : The special laborers are unfit for work. Please give them a month's rest. They're half dead.

  Kuroki Shochô : These anti-Japanese elements should be fed without working?

  Kaji : If you'd witnessed the scene, I'm sure you'd agree, sir. Twelve of them were allowed to bake to death. If you want to kill them, stuff them with raw beans. They'll die for sure!

• Kaji : Loh Hu Liong is a tiny Manchurian village. All we'll find there are iron ore and labor camps. Would you go with me to a place like that?

  Michiko : I'd follow you anywhere.

• Okishima : The men here are plain speakers. You'll be fundamentally incompatible.

  Kaji : Thanks for the advice.

  Okishima : What's so funny?

  Kaji : Sorry, but your own fancy words sound out of place.

• Okishima : Anyway, it's very well-written. Touches the core of the matter. Touches... but doesn't quite grasp it.

  Kaji : Why?

  Okishima : If I knew, I'd write it myself.

• Kaji : I've been blind. Furuya! Blind because I never thought you capable of such a diabolical plot! Go brag to the boss of your brave deed!

• Kaji : You might think I'm a fool, but even a fool has limits!

• Kaji : An impassioned witness can't be trusted. All those men want to escape. Would you execute them all?

• Kaji : Chun Lan! Look at the man whose mistake killed his own friends!

• Kaji : I don't pick pockets. I don't steal. I have nothing to confess.

• Private Tanaka : How about it? Wouldn't it be smarter to confess everything?

  Kaji : I only regret that I let you behead the first three.

  Private Tanaka : You don't say! You're a hopeless case.