Enbamingu (1999) Movie Script
Embalming...
In Ancient Egypt, the dead bodies of kings
were soaked in precious balsam oil
to prevent decay and preserve the body
in a mummified state for eternity.
The origin of embalming lies in the
discovery of balsam oil and its use.
During the American Civil War,
embalming was widely used
in order to transport soldiers' bodies back
to their often far away home towns.
As a result,
embalming became famous world-wide.
Originally, embalming was seen as a means
of preserving the influence and power of men
and the beauty of women for posterity.
At present, the use of embalming in the
North American continent exceeds 90%,
and through technological
advances it is now possible
to preserve a body in its original state
for up to 100 years after death.
Fundamentally, embalming is an expression
of affection by the surviving family,
and an opportunity for them to say a
final farewell to their loved ones.
Embalming is a technique
that maintains the dignity of the dead.
Practitioners of such techniques
are known as 'embalmers'...
Reiko Takashima
Yutaka Matsushige
Seijun Suzuki
Hitomi Miwa
Masatoshi Matsuo
Kojiro Hongo
Toshio Shiba
- Hi.
- Good morning.
So what do you want?
I've got a job for you.
You always want to see the actual
scene of the incident, don't you?
'Love Discourse'
That guy in uniform, his hobby
is raping women at the break of dawn.
The top people are having a hard time
covering it up for him all the time.
Don't make such stupid jokes.
You'll have to put up with it if you
want to see the scene of the incident.
It was a young person, wasn't it?
How can you tell?
I can smell it.
The smell of death.
Yoshiki Shindo, 17 years old.
Most probably suicide or an accident.
There's no suspicion of
homicide in this case.
How can you tell?
I can smell it.
So it's just another boring case
for Detective Hiraoka.
His mother's gone mad and is
refusing to bury her son's body.
She wants to restore it to its
previous form and preserve it forever.
So what are you going to
do about it, Ms. Embalmer?
It's for fifty days.
What?
A body can only be preserved
for fifty days following death.
It can't be preserved forever...
Rich family?
It's Hideto Shindo. He's the
head of the National Country Party.
Let me know when
you finish the autopsy.
It'll be done by lunchtime.
Mr. Kurume, TD-2 embalming
treatment will be applied.
Could you please store
his clothes somewhere?
He doesn't look like that anymore.
Such a horrible ending.
He was a beautiful boy.
'I want to preserve his
current state for ever... '
I thought I already told you:
A body can only be preserved
for fifty days after death.
You should be careful
what you wish for.
Yeah, Mr. Detective?
These stitches need to be re-done.
How about signs of drug addiction?
There's no sign of it.
OK, let's start.
What is it?
A needle...
Daitokuin
(Daitoku Temple)
Miyako Murakami,
I command you to
immediately stop the evil acts
that you are inflicting
on Yoshiki Shindo's body.
Well, who are you?
Daitokuin Chief Bonze Jion.
What do you mean by 'evil acts'?
It's his family's wish that the
embalming be carried out.
I'm also the father of a
young boy who has passed away.
I am conveying to you
the wish of Hideto Shindo.
Well, what do you want me to do?
All things are transient.
There's not a single living creature
that can live for eternity.
Human bodies are destined
to return back to the soil.
So what you are carrying out is a
violation of the silence of Bodhisattva,
and is therefore an act of evil.
I order you to stop
the embalming immediately!
What are you talking about?
Embalming actually helps families
who have lost their loved ones.
Is that an evil thing to do?
I can see obsession in your face,
an obsession with death!
It's your own suffering that you're
trying to alleviate by embalming.
It's you that needs help!
You are possessed by death!
It was in his body...
I wonder how and where
it got inside.
I doubt if we'll be able
to confirm how or when.
Anyway, it means there's a slight
possibility of some kind of homicide.
Good for you.
Yeah, I can use it as an excuse
to spend more time with you.
Anyway, talking about
Daitokuin Chief Bonze Jion,
it looks like you've been
targeted by a huge organization.
He has a lot of followers.
But Jion is still just
some rip-off faith healer
targeting society's political
and economical echelons.
But I am possessed by death...
He knew what he was talking about.
You're an embalmer, aren't you?
You have to regularly deal with death.
She was trying to die, wasn't she?
You mean Rika?
She was a girlfriend of Yoshiki Shindo.
Hey, do you think embalming
can really heal their trauma?
It helps me feel better, at least.
When did this happen?
I can't remember.
OK.
No!
No! No!
Stop making a scene!
You're making a fool of yourself!
I apologize for what happened.
Can I speak to the person
in charge here?
Please understand, this was a robbery
case and could not have been avoided.
I'm in charge.
Then let me inform you.
Please return my son to his original state.
We can't hold a proper funeral like this.
I'm a congressman of a national party.
There'll be leading politicians, including
the former Prime Minister, at the funeral.
We'll be disgraced if we display
his body without its head.
Oh my God!
What a terrible father!
So your reputation is more important
than the death of your own son?
Mr. Hiraoka... please.
Who do you think you are?!
I'm a guard dog of people like you.
What's that?
Hello, this is Josei EM Center.
Miyako Murakami. Have you
realized the magnitude of your sin yet?
So you're the person
who set it all up, then?
Foolish woman. Just put Shindo on.
Mr. Shindo. It's Chief Jion.
Ah! Goodness Jion!
Goodness Jion!
Chief Bonze Jion. It's such an honor
to receive a phone call from you.
Thank you very much indeed.
Yes. We will certainly do as you say.
Ah, yes.
Well... Yes.
Thank you very much.
Yes.
Mr. Kurume, shouldn't you take a rest?
I'm fine.
I'm really sorry.
I should've stayed with you.
They used chemical weapons.
Even if you'd been with me,
you'd have been put to asleep as well.
Would you like a glass?
The group is going home.
Would you like some too?
Sorry, I don't drink.
I see, so you're a non-drinker...
Anyway Mr. Detective,
how do you see this case?
Is it something to do with
this organization?
It's the way they usually work.
What organization?
They're called 'Death Traders'.
They steal dead bodies from hospitals
or funeral director's parlors,
and remove body organs, such as eyeballs,
to sell on the black market.
But Mr. Detective,
something's strange, isn't it?
I know. It's very suspicious that
they only removed the head.
I'm sure there's some
kind of conspiracy behind it.
It looks like someone intentionally
removed Yoshiki Shindo's head
for some other kind of purpose.
So are you saying someone paid the
organization to steal Yoshiki's head?
Yeah, I guess.
Could have been done to harass the
Shindo family, or a case of revenge.
It's just like the Abe Sada case.
In Japan, these kinds of cases
are usually to do with love and hatred.
But Yoshiki Shindo was
only a high school kid.
Yes?
You'd be surprised to learn what
high school kids can get up to.
Yes, I guess he was
popular among girls.
I got it.
They've found the secret headquarters
of the organization.
Even useless police executives
will get up off their butts,
if they're pressured by
a powerful politician.
Can I have some?
They'll never find it there.
It's a letter of introduction from the
body organ trading organization.
Where did you get this?
I was invited.
It was many years ago.
But I didn't take up their offer. I'm not
good at speaking in English, anyway.
What was the thing called? The thing
written on the bottom of the letter.
Do you mean the email address?
A body's head isn't very profitable
on the body organ black market,
so they normally end up
getting sent to this address.
But why?
There's a certain man.
He's the kind of man who can
make anything turn to gold.
Who is he?
Dr Fuji.
He used to be a respected surgeon,
but he was disqualified after carrying
out an illegal organ transplant.
Then he acquired the embalming
technique in the USA
and became well known for using it
in the field during the Vietnam War.
But he was involved in another illegal
embalming case and was again disqualified.
Since then he's been working
in the body organ black market.
Body organ black market?
His technique is outstanding.
I've seen bodies embalmed by him.
I can only describe his
work as magnificent.
But, he uses someone else's
body parts for the embalming.
That's against the principals
of embalming.
Yes, he's an evil man.
So is this guy in Japan now?
Your mother's body...
He did it in the States.
You remember her perfectly
embalmed body, don't you?
Shall we go in then?
Where's the head?
What is it?
It's Hiraoka.
There are piles of heads,
but we couldn't find Yoshiki's.
Anyway, I'll see you
tomorrow morning.
That's not what we specified.
What were you thinking of?
I'm the one who'll be
told off by the doctor.
Call the guy outside.
Can't you hear me?
Call the guy now!
So what do you want?
It's a head.
A young boy's head.
If you want this head,
I'll give it to you in ten minutes.
No. It has to be a particular boy's head.
The head you received here yesterday.
I'm not sure which one.
I handled ten bodies yesterday.
There was a head without a body,
wasn't there?
- If there was, I didn't see it.
- Don't play games with me.
Anyway, he's still alive, isn't he?
The experimental new medicine that was
being tested on him has destroyed him.
He's alive in a sense, but his digestive
organs are completely useless.
This is the smell of death.
So you're an embalmer too?
Don't put me into the
same category as you.
In any case, I wouldn't even
call you an embalmer.
You're a death dealer.
You're mad.
A death dealer...
That's clever.
Heads don't sell.
But there was an exception yesterday.
That's it. Who bought it?
If you were in my situation
and knew the answer...
I guess...
it was a woman who killed him.
But he committed suicide.
So it's not only the police
who can't examine the situation correctly.
What do you mean?
What were the holes on the bottom
of his left ear and his eyelid?
A needle.
When a skull is broken,
because of high pressure,
blood bursts out and gushes
from an artery.
But the needle accidentally
went into a vein,
and was pushed out
during the embalming procedure,
and stuck around the eye, but...
Professionals don't use
such basic techniques.
It must be a woman who killed
him and it has to be a kid.
Mr. Kurume said the same thing.
Kurume?
There's one more thing
I need to ask you about.
Twenty years ago, did you work
on an embalming project in the States,
for a woman called Haruko Murakami?
I can't recall things that happened
such a long time ago.
Please try to remember.
It's very important.
What's the point of finding out?
I don't need the past.
It's useless...
just like this skin.
Just go back to your work
and finish what you're doing!
What do you want?
Nothing in particular.
So, did you manage to meet Dr Fuji?
Mr. Kurume!
I was threatened by Mr. Detective.
Anyway, welcome back alive.
I'm busy.
If there's nothing else, please go.
Don't be so unfriendly.
The autopsy revealed another
person's hair with Yoshiki Shindo's
in the remains of the fireworks.
So Yoshiki was with someone else.
That's her, isn't it?
Rika Shinohara?
I don't know.
That's what we're gonna find out now.
Hey, how about the needle?
Did they find out anything about it?
There's nothing they can
do without the head.
Mr. Hiraoka, Ms Miyako,
I'm in huge trouble! Please help me.
What's wrong?
Our trading license might get suspended
because of the stolen head incident.
But tell me. This was just a
robbery, wasn't it? Right?
- It's Chief Jion who's doing this to us.
- It seems like war's just been declared.
You don't care, do you?
I'm not going to ask you anymore!
Miyako, the public health center
is coming for an inspection.
So let me have your key.
Dr Fuji is an internationally wanted suspect
who is being chased by the ICPO.
If they knew that you met him,
you'd lose more than
your trading license.
Fuji has definitely seen Yoshiki's head.
He also noticed the needle.
But according to the medical examiner,
that was not the cause of death.
A needle went inside his body
through the neck.
It might not be the cause of death,
but Yoshiki's body might've
been paralyzed at the time.
Paralyzed?
If you pierce the area just below the
ear with some kind of needle,
you can temporarily numb
the muscular tissue.
I see. That's why I'm always
cooperating with you.
That was Yoshiki...
Oh, that's Ayumi.
Ayumi?
Isn't she Rika Shinohara?
It's Ayumi. Right?
Yeah.
- Didn't you fuck her?
- Just keep your mouth shut.
You're thinking about Yoshiki, aren't you?
Can't you forget about him?
You're much better than him.
Are you mad? Don't compare me
with that spoilt little kid.
But Rika says it has to be him.
Who's Rika?
Can you meet her and speak to her?
Tell me what you know.
I told you.
Ayumi's brain's fucked.
All of your brains are fucked.
No. It's different in Ayumi's case.
How's it different?
She'll suddenly start to speak
like a guy and punches me,
and she's talking like a kid.
Ah!
What?
When she acts like a child,
she calls herself Rika.
Hey, tell me where
you get this drug from.
Is this your dad's property?
It's so cool, isn't it?
We should have a party soon.
Yoshiki!
You're alive! Yoshiki!
Hey, I'm Kuniaki!
Ah... Yoshiki!
Don't fuck with me.
I told you I'm not Yoshiki, alright?!
That's why I said it's no good.
What are you on about? Stupid!
There's a place I'd like to take you to.
Cheers! Cheers!
Dissociated Identity Disorder?
It basically means
Multiple Personality Disorder.
The doctor says her personality
might have been damaged
because she was abused in some way.
How cruel...
In her case, there are at least
four characters that exist.
Firstly, Rika, who's still a school kid
and the main character.
Secondly, Ayumi,
who's a slut.
Thirdly Kuniko,
who's very strong-minded.
And finally Tetsuya,
who's a violent man.
Quadrophenia...
She was seeing a psychiatrist.
Yoshiki was also seeing the same
psychiatrist at the same time.
Sometimes they were analyzed together.
Yoshiki Shindo had it too?
No, apparently his condition was
just an autonomic imbalance.
But both of them stopped seeing that
psychiatrist around the same time.
Why was that?
They changed psychiatrists.
But the next psychiatrist
committed suicide and...
Who do you think the owner
of the hospital was?
Just tell me who it was.
Daitokuin Chief Bonze Jion.
Chief Jion...
Chief Jion closed the hospital
after the incident.
I'm going to investigate him tomorrow.
Then, who was the boy
that looked exactly like Yoshiki?
Yeah...
He's Kuniaki Osato, Yoshiki's twin brother.
But he was adopted by another
family right after he was born.
Chief Jion has something to do
with his adoption as well.
He'd been trying to convince some
congressmen that having twins is bad karma.
Anyway, after that
Shindo's votes doubled.
So in order to gain more votes,
he listened to Chief Jion's evil advice
and got rid of his son?
According to the medical examiner,
Hideto Shindo's blood type
doesn't match Yoshiki's.
That means there's no chance that
these two were really father and son.
Everyone seems to have
been totally brain-fucked!
Hey, why did you try to kill yourself?
I'm gonna go now.
Do you want to stay
at my place tonight?
Don't be stupid.
I'm going to stay at the hotel.
That's not the end of the story.
Just sit down, will you?
I investigated Dr Fuji.
It doesn't interest me.
Don't worry. We haven't
found out much about him anyway.
But... I want to know about your father.
What does it have to do with Dr Fuji?
Fuji used to be a surgeon.
He moved from Vietnam to the States,
where he learned the embalming technique.
Don't you think he might
know about your father?
Or he might be my father...
Don't be silly. You know what
kind of man he is, don't you?
My father was a surgeon.
He moved to Vietnam as a combat
medic for the United States army,
and went missing.
My mother visited Vietnam and the
States to look for him after the war.
I was looked after by her friend.
I don't know how or where my mother died,
but her dead body was as beautiful,
as if she were still alive.
I desperately wanted to know who
could make her body look so life-like...
...and alive.
And so I became an embalmer.
If Fuji was your father,
would you continue to be an embalmer?
Of course.
I'm going to complete Yoshiki Shindo's
embalming procedure.
That's my job.
Are you afraid, then?
Afraid? Me? I'm just feeling
uneasy being around you, that's all.
Uneasy? You always come out with
interesting things, don't you?
It's true that fear and disgust
are different feelings,
although they're very
close to each other.
You don't know about war, do you?
In war, fear and unease are eventually
replaced by the desire to live...
that's the only feeling that remains.
Even your feelings for your family
count for nothing in wartime.
Only the basic human instinct
of self-preservation remains.
Some fathers will even
abandon their own son
if it means that they can
survive and escape.
That's just how things are.
When a human being dies,
they become an object.
Human flesh becomes food
for maggots and bacteria,
and eventually the body
disappears completely.
I've seen people acting in this human
food-chain in front of my very eyes.
Once, I was trapped in mud for twenty
days under the dead body of a soldier...
It was like a frog.
I crushed it and swallowed it.
The eyes of the soldier were staring
at me and being eaten by maggots.
Every night I had the same
dream that I was eating his flesh.
The reason that I didn't eat him,
wasn't because of any lingering
respect for human dignity inside me,
but rather because I didn't
want to die from dysentery.
And that's how I managed to survive
and am here talking to you now.
So that's your notion of morality?
I've often heard people saying
that only those who have truly seen
hell, are able to talk about society.
But does this mean you can justify
whatever you do later in life?
I see... You're saying that
this is only an excuse...
I never choose jobs. That's all.
How professional you are!
But I remember that once, just one
time, I worked for my own sake.
Can you hold this?
Hey, come on!
My ex-wife came to Los Angeles
to look for me.
It was twenty years ago.
I didn't want to see her,
so I was trying to avoid her.
There was a terrorist bomb attack,
and 25 people were involved in the incident.
I heard there was a Japanese woman
among the dead, so I decided to go around.
Her skin was completely
burnt and melted
and the body was in pieces,
just like this.
Hey, don't let go of it.
I thought I couldn't possibly let my
daughter see my wife in such a state,
so I carried out the embalming
all by myself.
It was hard work grafting all her skin.
My mother was...
she looked as if she was alive...
OK, that's fine.
Thank you.
I still don't think you're my father.
My father was a combat medic who
went to Vietnam and then went missing.
But that doesn't mean
that you're my father.
My father died in Saigon.
Yeah, that's alright, then.
So let's end the conversation
at this point.
By the way, I heard that the head
belongs to the son of Hideto Shindo.
Do you know him?
No. But I know the guy
who's behind him.
Chief Jion?
Yeah, that's how he calls himself now,
but his original name was Ryugen Kawashima.
What do you know about him?
He used to be just an ordinary,
humble doctor, like I was.
And just like I did, he went to extremes,
but in Kawashima's case, his
work was on human experimentation.
Like the experiment
conducted by unit 731.
The new medicine Kawashima developed
was legalized in the States
and made a lot of money.
Then he used that money to find some
associates in the political world
and came back to Japan,
the country he was once exiled from.
I guess it was revenge.
And that's something which
doesn't apply to my case.
Anyway, he's trying to heal mental illness,
by using needles...
it's a strange idea.
Healing mental illness with needles?
Apparently, inserting a needle
somewhere below the left ear.
And this temporarily numbs
the muscle tissue...
Human mentality can be reset just like
a computer... how ridiculous is that?
Ah! It seems that someone's
here to pick you up.
Has Kurume told you that I was evil?
I guess that man is cursing me now.
Do you know Mr. Kurume?
He's an ordinary man. Society
needs ordinary men like Kurume.
But Chief Jion is different.
He isn't the kind of man you can handle.
Don't get too involved...
Hey, where is he?
So what do you
really want to do, Rika?!
I'm not Rika, I'm Kuniko!
Then Kuniko, what're you going to do?
I don't know.
Ask Rika, will you!
Where are you going?!
None of your business!
Then I'm taking her home first.
- So, see you later at the office.
- Alright. Thanks.
Are you alright?
What do you think?
I wonder why she wanted to look
for my father that desperately.
Did she want to find him
and kill the man who even survived such
dire circumstances during the war?
I guess she didn't want to accept
the fact that the man she loved died.
Perhaps Rika couldn't stand to
look at Yoshiki Shindo's dead body
because it was proof of his death?
Even though she was the person
who killed him in the first place?
I think someone else killed him.
So you're saying that Rika stole Yoshiki's
head to stop the embalming procedure?
No. What Rika wanted
to stop was his funeral.
So Yoshiki's head is with Rika...
Rika, I'm going to be dismembered too.
I will be with you.
First I'll be dismembered,
and then brought back to life.
But next time we'll be joined
into a single body.
I understand, Yoshiki.
If we find nothing there,
being fired will be the least of my problems.
We don't have time.
Let's go now.
Hey!
"Undo the ties of blood and be torn apart
in order to be put back together."
Rika and Yoshiki were
brother and sister?
Is this a suicide note?
What are you doing?
Are you Rika Shinohara?
I'm Hiraoka from the Metropolitan
Police Department and she is...
What do you think you're doing?
That's alright. Don't worry.
Get out! Get out!
This is your room, isn't it?
This is a search warrant.
Here you are. I have permission
to search your room.
Get out...
Let's go.
But...
Come on.
Hey...
You're looking for this, aren't you?
Give it to us.
Come and get it.
Put it back in the box.
Mr. Hiraoka!
You're Kuniko, aren't you?
Please tell Rika that Yoshiki
is no longer alive.
I told her many times.
Don't go along with their plan.
There's nothing I can do.
When she exists, I don't.
Rika promised Yoshiki...
You shouldn't kill yourself.
...that they would be together,
but free from Jion's blood.
Then you two were really
brother and sister, weren't you?
Ooops, I was wrong.
About what?
The person who promised Yoshiki
wasn't Rika, it was Ayumi.
Ayumi, please come out!
Shut up!
Ayumi!
Are you Ayumi?
What do you want?
Please tell Rika that Yoshiki is no longer
alive, so she has to stop her plan.
There's no need for her
to kill herself too.
I don't want the head!
Don't run away!
I don't need you.
I'm going to do it by myself!
Wait! What are you going to do?
What you always do! Embalming!
Mr. Hiraoka, can you hear me?
I think I'm coming back to my senses.
Rika must have gone to the EM center.
I'm going back there too.
Don't get involved.
Mr. Hiraoka, please go to the
Daitoku Temple and get Chief Jion.
What? Have you gone mad?
Please.
Hey, wait! Hey, hey!
Yoshiki?
Yoshiki?
Hey, man. Hey... hey man.
Don't waste your energy.
Where's the mad girl gone?
I don't know. She's just gone out.
Don't you know how to
get free of this rope?
Don't even try.
Someone will come to help us soon.
You must be joking!
Ayumi! Ayumi! Hey, Ayumi! Ayumi!
Chief Jion, or former chairman of the
General Psychophysics Research Institute,
Ryugen Kawashima!
Fool, do you know where you are?
Do you know that I don't
give a fuck where I am?!
If you move, I'm gonna shoot you.
Do you think a worthless
policeman like you
is allowed to take someone's
life in this holy place?
Huh, what holy place?!
You fucking greedy bastard!
Your daughter is trying
to sacrifice herself
to merge the separated
characters she possesses
and to follow the promises
she made to her dead boyfriend.
Why shouldn't you die with her!?
That fool went mad
and tore Rika's heart apart.
He ended up killing himself because
he couldn't endure his own responsibility.
I did everything that I could.
What? Are you proud of yourself,
you sick pervert?
Are you saying dead men tell no tales?
What an evil mastermind, huh?
You want me to tell you?
Those kids are all your
own kids, aren't they?
You were going to use them like guinea
pigs and kill them for their organs!
Are you really a human being?!
Yes, I am.
And that's why I do such things...
If you move, I'm gonna shoot you!
Please help... Ayumi...
I feel sorry for Rika.
Hey man...
You can do embalming, can't you?
Where's Yoshiki's body?
Can you do it with his head?
What's... embalming?
Where is it? Yoshiki's body.
The dead can never come to life again!
You stupid fool!
You can only be a flower
while you are alive.
If you die, that's the end of the story.
Help! Someone help me!
Shut up! I'm gonna kill you!
Stop it Rika.
- Don't interfere!
- Tetsuya! Stop it!
You, embalmer!
Where's Yoshiki's body?
Bring it here at once!
I'll exchange this for your knife.
Don't fuck with me.
Just give it to me!
Mr. Kurume!
Do you want me to kill him?
Give it to her quick!
Just give it to her please!
No!
Why? You're brother and sister!
I could do Yoshiki's embalming
without Kuniaki's body parts!
Shut up!
Look at Yoshiki's face.
We're going to put this head back on to
Yoshiki's body. That's embalming!
Please.
Could you please restore Yoshiki
back to his original state?
Rika? You're Rika, aren't you?
- Don't come closer!
- Please calm down Rika.
I'll definitely return Yoshiki
back to his original state.
Really?
Yes. So please don't do it.
No! I'm going to go too.
I'm going to be together with Yoshiki.
No! Don't kill yourself! Rika.
When I die, can you
embalm my body too?
So I can be together with
Yoshiki forever.
Nothing lasts for eternity, Rika.
What you should do
is live as long as you can
and continue to keep Yoshiki's
memory in your mind.
That's what you should do.
But I promised Yoshiki.
That's not true.
Yoshiki didn't say that.
Yoshiki didn't know what embalming was.
That was what you made
up in your mind.
Nothing can last forever!
Please give me the knife.
Rika.
It's me.
That's enough.
Let's end this.
Rika!
Wait!
Following Rika's request, I carried out
the embalming procedure on her body.
Chief Jion held their funeral
at Daitoku Temple.
Rika and Yoshiki's bodies were
cremated separately and buried separately.
In the end, they never
got to be together again.
Although I told Rika
that nothing is eternal,
I too yearn for eternity
somewhere in my mind.
Can embalming be a means to eternity?
That would be good, and I've started
to hope that it might be.
Reiko Takashima
Yutaka Matsushige
Seijun Suzuki
Hitomi Miwa
Masatoshi Matsuo
Junichi Hayakawa
Hiromi Kojima
Kojiro Asami
Yuya Takagawa
Yasuhiro Arai
Shunsaku Kudo
Asahi Yoshida
Hiroshi Ohkawa
Koji Kasahara
Koji Mizushima
Naoaki Yamamoto
Megumi Ujiie
Mayumi Honda
Chiaki lto
Jun Shimada
Ryo Shimada
Tatsu Tokairin
Kozo Nakano
Atsushi Makimoto
Rie Setoguchi
Kyoyo Morishita
Flash Up
Kuroki Production
Opening Narration:
Daisuke Ryu
Kojiro Hongo
Toshio Shiba
Production:
GAGA Pictures
Project Management:
Kazuhiko Tanaka & Yoichi Sakai
Producers:
Katsuaki Takemoto & Satoru Ogura
Production Manager: Hiroo Saito
Assistant Producer: Yuji Kanda
Original Story: Saki Amamiya
Published by Gentosha
from 'EM/embalming'
Screenplay: lzo Hashimoto
Music: Isao Yamada
Camera: Korehiro Nishikubo
Lighting: Junichi Akatsu
Design: Jin Shioda
SFX Make-Up: Akiteru Nakata
Recording: Fusao Yuwaki
Editing: Soichi Ueno
Scripting: Kimi Sato
Assistant Director: Yukihisa Nau
Camera Assistants:
Takehiko Tamiya & Ayako Makimoto
Lighting Assistants: Eiji Sakaki,
Kiyoshi Okano & Takeshi Fukase
Recording Assistant:
Takashi Koizumi
Designer: Okutsu Tetsuo
Decoration: Kei Sasaki
Stylist:
Fumiko lmamura & Kanako Nagamachi
Hair & Make-Up:
Miyuki Mizuno
SFX Make-Up Assistants: Fumie Ida,
Tokunosuke Miuram & Hideo Shibata
Still Pictures: Akiko Honda
Production Leader: Hiroshi Ohtani
Production Assistants: Osamu Ogawara,
Masayuki Hara & Ryuzo Ishoda
Production Administration:
Yasuko Sekiguchi
Sound Editing: Takamatsu Ogawa,
Ken Nakamura & Yoshihiro Sakaguchi
Sound Engineer: Shin Morimoto
Title: Marin Post
Negative Editing: Ryusuke Otsubo
lmage Development: Sony PCL
Filming Corporation: Kawasaki Reien,
LE DECO & Heiwa Sangyo Corporation,
Medical Adviser: Yoichi Shimizu
Script Adviser: Norio Kida
Produced by Office Ogura
Script, Editing, Music, Director:
Shinji Aoyama
In Ancient Egypt, the dead bodies of kings
were soaked in precious balsam oil
to prevent decay and preserve the body
in a mummified state for eternity.
The origin of embalming lies in the
discovery of balsam oil and its use.
During the American Civil War,
embalming was widely used
in order to transport soldiers' bodies back
to their often far away home towns.
As a result,
embalming became famous world-wide.
Originally, embalming was seen as a means
of preserving the influence and power of men
and the beauty of women for posterity.
At present, the use of embalming in the
North American continent exceeds 90%,
and through technological
advances it is now possible
to preserve a body in its original state
for up to 100 years after death.
Fundamentally, embalming is an expression
of affection by the surviving family,
and an opportunity for them to say a
final farewell to their loved ones.
Embalming is a technique
that maintains the dignity of the dead.
Practitioners of such techniques
are known as 'embalmers'...
Reiko Takashima
Yutaka Matsushige
Seijun Suzuki
Hitomi Miwa
Masatoshi Matsuo
Kojiro Hongo
Toshio Shiba
- Hi.
- Good morning.
So what do you want?
I've got a job for you.
You always want to see the actual
scene of the incident, don't you?
'Love Discourse'
That guy in uniform, his hobby
is raping women at the break of dawn.
The top people are having a hard time
covering it up for him all the time.
Don't make such stupid jokes.
You'll have to put up with it if you
want to see the scene of the incident.
It was a young person, wasn't it?
How can you tell?
I can smell it.
The smell of death.
Yoshiki Shindo, 17 years old.
Most probably suicide or an accident.
There's no suspicion of
homicide in this case.
How can you tell?
I can smell it.
So it's just another boring case
for Detective Hiraoka.
His mother's gone mad and is
refusing to bury her son's body.
She wants to restore it to its
previous form and preserve it forever.
So what are you going to
do about it, Ms. Embalmer?
It's for fifty days.
What?
A body can only be preserved
for fifty days following death.
It can't be preserved forever...
Rich family?
It's Hideto Shindo. He's the
head of the National Country Party.
Let me know when
you finish the autopsy.
It'll be done by lunchtime.
Mr. Kurume, TD-2 embalming
treatment will be applied.
Could you please store
his clothes somewhere?
He doesn't look like that anymore.
Such a horrible ending.
He was a beautiful boy.
'I want to preserve his
current state for ever... '
I thought I already told you:
A body can only be preserved
for fifty days after death.
You should be careful
what you wish for.
Yeah, Mr. Detective?
These stitches need to be re-done.
How about signs of drug addiction?
There's no sign of it.
OK, let's start.
What is it?
A needle...
Daitokuin
(Daitoku Temple)
Miyako Murakami,
I command you to
immediately stop the evil acts
that you are inflicting
on Yoshiki Shindo's body.
Well, who are you?
Daitokuin Chief Bonze Jion.
What do you mean by 'evil acts'?
It's his family's wish that the
embalming be carried out.
I'm also the father of a
young boy who has passed away.
I am conveying to you
the wish of Hideto Shindo.
Well, what do you want me to do?
All things are transient.
There's not a single living creature
that can live for eternity.
Human bodies are destined
to return back to the soil.
So what you are carrying out is a
violation of the silence of Bodhisattva,
and is therefore an act of evil.
I order you to stop
the embalming immediately!
What are you talking about?
Embalming actually helps families
who have lost their loved ones.
Is that an evil thing to do?
I can see obsession in your face,
an obsession with death!
It's your own suffering that you're
trying to alleviate by embalming.
It's you that needs help!
You are possessed by death!
It was in his body...
I wonder how and where
it got inside.
I doubt if we'll be able
to confirm how or when.
Anyway, it means there's a slight
possibility of some kind of homicide.
Good for you.
Yeah, I can use it as an excuse
to spend more time with you.
Anyway, talking about
Daitokuin Chief Bonze Jion,
it looks like you've been
targeted by a huge organization.
He has a lot of followers.
But Jion is still just
some rip-off faith healer
targeting society's political
and economical echelons.
But I am possessed by death...
He knew what he was talking about.
You're an embalmer, aren't you?
You have to regularly deal with death.
She was trying to die, wasn't she?
You mean Rika?
She was a girlfriend of Yoshiki Shindo.
Hey, do you think embalming
can really heal their trauma?
It helps me feel better, at least.
When did this happen?
I can't remember.
OK.
No!
No! No!
Stop making a scene!
You're making a fool of yourself!
I apologize for what happened.
Can I speak to the person
in charge here?
Please understand, this was a robbery
case and could not have been avoided.
I'm in charge.
Then let me inform you.
Please return my son to his original state.
We can't hold a proper funeral like this.
I'm a congressman of a national party.
There'll be leading politicians, including
the former Prime Minister, at the funeral.
We'll be disgraced if we display
his body without its head.
Oh my God!
What a terrible father!
So your reputation is more important
than the death of your own son?
Mr. Hiraoka... please.
Who do you think you are?!
I'm a guard dog of people like you.
What's that?
Hello, this is Josei EM Center.
Miyako Murakami. Have you
realized the magnitude of your sin yet?
So you're the person
who set it all up, then?
Foolish woman. Just put Shindo on.
Mr. Shindo. It's Chief Jion.
Ah! Goodness Jion!
Goodness Jion!
Chief Bonze Jion. It's such an honor
to receive a phone call from you.
Thank you very much indeed.
Yes. We will certainly do as you say.
Ah, yes.
Well... Yes.
Thank you very much.
Yes.
Mr. Kurume, shouldn't you take a rest?
I'm fine.
I'm really sorry.
I should've stayed with you.
They used chemical weapons.
Even if you'd been with me,
you'd have been put to asleep as well.
Would you like a glass?
The group is going home.
Would you like some too?
Sorry, I don't drink.
I see, so you're a non-drinker...
Anyway Mr. Detective,
how do you see this case?
Is it something to do with
this organization?
It's the way they usually work.
What organization?
They're called 'Death Traders'.
They steal dead bodies from hospitals
or funeral director's parlors,
and remove body organs, such as eyeballs,
to sell on the black market.
But Mr. Detective,
something's strange, isn't it?
I know. It's very suspicious that
they only removed the head.
I'm sure there's some
kind of conspiracy behind it.
It looks like someone intentionally
removed Yoshiki Shindo's head
for some other kind of purpose.
So are you saying someone paid the
organization to steal Yoshiki's head?
Yeah, I guess.
Could have been done to harass the
Shindo family, or a case of revenge.
It's just like the Abe Sada case.
In Japan, these kinds of cases
are usually to do with love and hatred.
But Yoshiki Shindo was
only a high school kid.
Yes?
You'd be surprised to learn what
high school kids can get up to.
Yes, I guess he was
popular among girls.
I got it.
They've found the secret headquarters
of the organization.
Even useless police executives
will get up off their butts,
if they're pressured by
a powerful politician.
Can I have some?
They'll never find it there.
It's a letter of introduction from the
body organ trading organization.
Where did you get this?
I was invited.
It was many years ago.
But I didn't take up their offer. I'm not
good at speaking in English, anyway.
What was the thing called? The thing
written on the bottom of the letter.
Do you mean the email address?
A body's head isn't very profitable
on the body organ black market,
so they normally end up
getting sent to this address.
But why?
There's a certain man.
He's the kind of man who can
make anything turn to gold.
Who is he?
Dr Fuji.
He used to be a respected surgeon,
but he was disqualified after carrying
out an illegal organ transplant.
Then he acquired the embalming
technique in the USA
and became well known for using it
in the field during the Vietnam War.
But he was involved in another illegal
embalming case and was again disqualified.
Since then he's been working
in the body organ black market.
Body organ black market?
His technique is outstanding.
I've seen bodies embalmed by him.
I can only describe his
work as magnificent.
But, he uses someone else's
body parts for the embalming.
That's against the principals
of embalming.
Yes, he's an evil man.
So is this guy in Japan now?
Your mother's body...
He did it in the States.
You remember her perfectly
embalmed body, don't you?
Shall we go in then?
Where's the head?
What is it?
It's Hiraoka.
There are piles of heads,
but we couldn't find Yoshiki's.
Anyway, I'll see you
tomorrow morning.
That's not what we specified.
What were you thinking of?
I'm the one who'll be
told off by the doctor.
Call the guy outside.
Can't you hear me?
Call the guy now!
So what do you want?
It's a head.
A young boy's head.
If you want this head,
I'll give it to you in ten minutes.
No. It has to be a particular boy's head.
The head you received here yesterday.
I'm not sure which one.
I handled ten bodies yesterday.
There was a head without a body,
wasn't there?
- If there was, I didn't see it.
- Don't play games with me.
Anyway, he's still alive, isn't he?
The experimental new medicine that was
being tested on him has destroyed him.
He's alive in a sense, but his digestive
organs are completely useless.
This is the smell of death.
So you're an embalmer too?
Don't put me into the
same category as you.
In any case, I wouldn't even
call you an embalmer.
You're a death dealer.
You're mad.
A death dealer...
That's clever.
Heads don't sell.
But there was an exception yesterday.
That's it. Who bought it?
If you were in my situation
and knew the answer...
I guess...
it was a woman who killed him.
But he committed suicide.
So it's not only the police
who can't examine the situation correctly.
What do you mean?
What were the holes on the bottom
of his left ear and his eyelid?
A needle.
When a skull is broken,
because of high pressure,
blood bursts out and gushes
from an artery.
But the needle accidentally
went into a vein,
and was pushed out
during the embalming procedure,
and stuck around the eye, but...
Professionals don't use
such basic techniques.
It must be a woman who killed
him and it has to be a kid.
Mr. Kurume said the same thing.
Kurume?
There's one more thing
I need to ask you about.
Twenty years ago, did you work
on an embalming project in the States,
for a woman called Haruko Murakami?
I can't recall things that happened
such a long time ago.
Please try to remember.
It's very important.
What's the point of finding out?
I don't need the past.
It's useless...
just like this skin.
Just go back to your work
and finish what you're doing!
What do you want?
Nothing in particular.
So, did you manage to meet Dr Fuji?
Mr. Kurume!
I was threatened by Mr. Detective.
Anyway, welcome back alive.
I'm busy.
If there's nothing else, please go.
Don't be so unfriendly.
The autopsy revealed another
person's hair with Yoshiki Shindo's
in the remains of the fireworks.
So Yoshiki was with someone else.
That's her, isn't it?
Rika Shinohara?
I don't know.
That's what we're gonna find out now.
Hey, how about the needle?
Did they find out anything about it?
There's nothing they can
do without the head.
Mr. Hiraoka, Ms Miyako,
I'm in huge trouble! Please help me.
What's wrong?
Our trading license might get suspended
because of the stolen head incident.
But tell me. This was just a
robbery, wasn't it? Right?
- It's Chief Jion who's doing this to us.
- It seems like war's just been declared.
You don't care, do you?
I'm not going to ask you anymore!
Miyako, the public health center
is coming for an inspection.
So let me have your key.
Dr Fuji is an internationally wanted suspect
who is being chased by the ICPO.
If they knew that you met him,
you'd lose more than
your trading license.
Fuji has definitely seen Yoshiki's head.
He also noticed the needle.
But according to the medical examiner,
that was not the cause of death.
A needle went inside his body
through the neck.
It might not be the cause of death,
but Yoshiki's body might've
been paralyzed at the time.
Paralyzed?
If you pierce the area just below the
ear with some kind of needle,
you can temporarily numb
the muscular tissue.
I see. That's why I'm always
cooperating with you.
That was Yoshiki...
Oh, that's Ayumi.
Ayumi?
Isn't she Rika Shinohara?
It's Ayumi. Right?
Yeah.
- Didn't you fuck her?
- Just keep your mouth shut.
You're thinking about Yoshiki, aren't you?
Can't you forget about him?
You're much better than him.
Are you mad? Don't compare me
with that spoilt little kid.
But Rika says it has to be him.
Who's Rika?
Can you meet her and speak to her?
Tell me what you know.
I told you.
Ayumi's brain's fucked.
All of your brains are fucked.
No. It's different in Ayumi's case.
How's it different?
She'll suddenly start to speak
like a guy and punches me,
and she's talking like a kid.
Ah!
What?
When she acts like a child,
she calls herself Rika.
Hey, tell me where
you get this drug from.
Is this your dad's property?
It's so cool, isn't it?
We should have a party soon.
Yoshiki!
You're alive! Yoshiki!
Hey, I'm Kuniaki!
Ah... Yoshiki!
Don't fuck with me.
I told you I'm not Yoshiki, alright?!
That's why I said it's no good.
What are you on about? Stupid!
There's a place I'd like to take you to.
Cheers! Cheers!
Dissociated Identity Disorder?
It basically means
Multiple Personality Disorder.
The doctor says her personality
might have been damaged
because she was abused in some way.
How cruel...
In her case, there are at least
four characters that exist.
Firstly, Rika, who's still a school kid
and the main character.
Secondly, Ayumi,
who's a slut.
Thirdly Kuniko,
who's very strong-minded.
And finally Tetsuya,
who's a violent man.
Quadrophenia...
She was seeing a psychiatrist.
Yoshiki was also seeing the same
psychiatrist at the same time.
Sometimes they were analyzed together.
Yoshiki Shindo had it too?
No, apparently his condition was
just an autonomic imbalance.
But both of them stopped seeing that
psychiatrist around the same time.
Why was that?
They changed psychiatrists.
But the next psychiatrist
committed suicide and...
Who do you think the owner
of the hospital was?
Just tell me who it was.
Daitokuin Chief Bonze Jion.
Chief Jion...
Chief Jion closed the hospital
after the incident.
I'm going to investigate him tomorrow.
Then, who was the boy
that looked exactly like Yoshiki?
Yeah...
He's Kuniaki Osato, Yoshiki's twin brother.
But he was adopted by another
family right after he was born.
Chief Jion has something to do
with his adoption as well.
He'd been trying to convince some
congressmen that having twins is bad karma.
Anyway, after that
Shindo's votes doubled.
So in order to gain more votes,
he listened to Chief Jion's evil advice
and got rid of his son?
According to the medical examiner,
Hideto Shindo's blood type
doesn't match Yoshiki's.
That means there's no chance that
these two were really father and son.
Everyone seems to have
been totally brain-fucked!
Hey, why did you try to kill yourself?
I'm gonna go now.
Do you want to stay
at my place tonight?
Don't be stupid.
I'm going to stay at the hotel.
That's not the end of the story.
Just sit down, will you?
I investigated Dr Fuji.
It doesn't interest me.
Don't worry. We haven't
found out much about him anyway.
But... I want to know about your father.
What does it have to do with Dr Fuji?
Fuji used to be a surgeon.
He moved from Vietnam to the States,
where he learned the embalming technique.
Don't you think he might
know about your father?
Or he might be my father...
Don't be silly. You know what
kind of man he is, don't you?
My father was a surgeon.
He moved to Vietnam as a combat
medic for the United States army,
and went missing.
My mother visited Vietnam and the
States to look for him after the war.
I was looked after by her friend.
I don't know how or where my mother died,
but her dead body was as beautiful,
as if she were still alive.
I desperately wanted to know who
could make her body look so life-like...
...and alive.
And so I became an embalmer.
If Fuji was your father,
would you continue to be an embalmer?
Of course.
I'm going to complete Yoshiki Shindo's
embalming procedure.
That's my job.
Are you afraid, then?
Afraid? Me? I'm just feeling
uneasy being around you, that's all.
Uneasy? You always come out with
interesting things, don't you?
It's true that fear and disgust
are different feelings,
although they're very
close to each other.
You don't know about war, do you?
In war, fear and unease are eventually
replaced by the desire to live...
that's the only feeling that remains.
Even your feelings for your family
count for nothing in wartime.
Only the basic human instinct
of self-preservation remains.
Some fathers will even
abandon their own son
if it means that they can
survive and escape.
That's just how things are.
When a human being dies,
they become an object.
Human flesh becomes food
for maggots and bacteria,
and eventually the body
disappears completely.
I've seen people acting in this human
food-chain in front of my very eyes.
Once, I was trapped in mud for twenty
days under the dead body of a soldier...
It was like a frog.
I crushed it and swallowed it.
The eyes of the soldier were staring
at me and being eaten by maggots.
Every night I had the same
dream that I was eating his flesh.
The reason that I didn't eat him,
wasn't because of any lingering
respect for human dignity inside me,
but rather because I didn't
want to die from dysentery.
And that's how I managed to survive
and am here talking to you now.
So that's your notion of morality?
I've often heard people saying
that only those who have truly seen
hell, are able to talk about society.
But does this mean you can justify
whatever you do later in life?
I see... You're saying that
this is only an excuse...
I never choose jobs. That's all.
How professional you are!
But I remember that once, just one
time, I worked for my own sake.
Can you hold this?
Hey, come on!
My ex-wife came to Los Angeles
to look for me.
It was twenty years ago.
I didn't want to see her,
so I was trying to avoid her.
There was a terrorist bomb attack,
and 25 people were involved in the incident.
I heard there was a Japanese woman
among the dead, so I decided to go around.
Her skin was completely
burnt and melted
and the body was in pieces,
just like this.
Hey, don't let go of it.
I thought I couldn't possibly let my
daughter see my wife in such a state,
so I carried out the embalming
all by myself.
It was hard work grafting all her skin.
My mother was...
she looked as if she was alive...
OK, that's fine.
Thank you.
I still don't think you're my father.
My father was a combat medic who
went to Vietnam and then went missing.
But that doesn't mean
that you're my father.
My father died in Saigon.
Yeah, that's alright, then.
So let's end the conversation
at this point.
By the way, I heard that the head
belongs to the son of Hideto Shindo.
Do you know him?
No. But I know the guy
who's behind him.
Chief Jion?
Yeah, that's how he calls himself now,
but his original name was Ryugen Kawashima.
What do you know about him?
He used to be just an ordinary,
humble doctor, like I was.
And just like I did, he went to extremes,
but in Kawashima's case, his
work was on human experimentation.
Like the experiment
conducted by unit 731.
The new medicine Kawashima developed
was legalized in the States
and made a lot of money.
Then he used that money to find some
associates in the political world
and came back to Japan,
the country he was once exiled from.
I guess it was revenge.
And that's something which
doesn't apply to my case.
Anyway, he's trying to heal mental illness,
by using needles...
it's a strange idea.
Healing mental illness with needles?
Apparently, inserting a needle
somewhere below the left ear.
And this temporarily numbs
the muscle tissue...
Human mentality can be reset just like
a computer... how ridiculous is that?
Ah! It seems that someone's
here to pick you up.
Has Kurume told you that I was evil?
I guess that man is cursing me now.
Do you know Mr. Kurume?
He's an ordinary man. Society
needs ordinary men like Kurume.
But Chief Jion is different.
He isn't the kind of man you can handle.
Don't get too involved...
Hey, where is he?
So what do you
really want to do, Rika?!
I'm not Rika, I'm Kuniko!
Then Kuniko, what're you going to do?
I don't know.
Ask Rika, will you!
Where are you going?!
None of your business!
Then I'm taking her home first.
- So, see you later at the office.
- Alright. Thanks.
Are you alright?
What do you think?
I wonder why she wanted to look
for my father that desperately.
Did she want to find him
and kill the man who even survived such
dire circumstances during the war?
I guess she didn't want to accept
the fact that the man she loved died.
Perhaps Rika couldn't stand to
look at Yoshiki Shindo's dead body
because it was proof of his death?
Even though she was the person
who killed him in the first place?
I think someone else killed him.
So you're saying that Rika stole Yoshiki's
head to stop the embalming procedure?
No. What Rika wanted
to stop was his funeral.
So Yoshiki's head is with Rika...
Rika, I'm going to be dismembered too.
I will be with you.
First I'll be dismembered,
and then brought back to life.
But next time we'll be joined
into a single body.
I understand, Yoshiki.
If we find nothing there,
being fired will be the least of my problems.
We don't have time.
Let's go now.
Hey!
"Undo the ties of blood and be torn apart
in order to be put back together."
Rika and Yoshiki were
brother and sister?
Is this a suicide note?
What are you doing?
Are you Rika Shinohara?
I'm Hiraoka from the Metropolitan
Police Department and she is...
What do you think you're doing?
That's alright. Don't worry.
Get out! Get out!
This is your room, isn't it?
This is a search warrant.
Here you are. I have permission
to search your room.
Get out...
Let's go.
But...
Come on.
Hey...
You're looking for this, aren't you?
Give it to us.
Come and get it.
Put it back in the box.
Mr. Hiraoka!
You're Kuniko, aren't you?
Please tell Rika that Yoshiki
is no longer alive.
I told her many times.
Don't go along with their plan.
There's nothing I can do.
When she exists, I don't.
Rika promised Yoshiki...
You shouldn't kill yourself.
...that they would be together,
but free from Jion's blood.
Then you two were really
brother and sister, weren't you?
Ooops, I was wrong.
About what?
The person who promised Yoshiki
wasn't Rika, it was Ayumi.
Ayumi, please come out!
Shut up!
Ayumi!
Are you Ayumi?
What do you want?
Please tell Rika that Yoshiki is no longer
alive, so she has to stop her plan.
There's no need for her
to kill herself too.
I don't want the head!
Don't run away!
I don't need you.
I'm going to do it by myself!
Wait! What are you going to do?
What you always do! Embalming!
Mr. Hiraoka, can you hear me?
I think I'm coming back to my senses.
Rika must have gone to the EM center.
I'm going back there too.
Don't get involved.
Mr. Hiraoka, please go to the
Daitoku Temple and get Chief Jion.
What? Have you gone mad?
Please.
Hey, wait! Hey, hey!
Yoshiki?
Yoshiki?
Hey, man. Hey... hey man.
Don't waste your energy.
Where's the mad girl gone?
I don't know. She's just gone out.
Don't you know how to
get free of this rope?
Don't even try.
Someone will come to help us soon.
You must be joking!
Ayumi! Ayumi! Hey, Ayumi! Ayumi!
Chief Jion, or former chairman of the
General Psychophysics Research Institute,
Ryugen Kawashima!
Fool, do you know where you are?
Do you know that I don't
give a fuck where I am?!
If you move, I'm gonna shoot you.
Do you think a worthless
policeman like you
is allowed to take someone's
life in this holy place?
Huh, what holy place?!
You fucking greedy bastard!
Your daughter is trying
to sacrifice herself
to merge the separated
characters she possesses
and to follow the promises
she made to her dead boyfriend.
Why shouldn't you die with her!?
That fool went mad
and tore Rika's heart apart.
He ended up killing himself because
he couldn't endure his own responsibility.
I did everything that I could.
What? Are you proud of yourself,
you sick pervert?
Are you saying dead men tell no tales?
What an evil mastermind, huh?
You want me to tell you?
Those kids are all your
own kids, aren't they?
You were going to use them like guinea
pigs and kill them for their organs!
Are you really a human being?!
Yes, I am.
And that's why I do such things...
If you move, I'm gonna shoot you!
Please help... Ayumi...
I feel sorry for Rika.
Hey man...
You can do embalming, can't you?
Where's Yoshiki's body?
Can you do it with his head?
What's... embalming?
Where is it? Yoshiki's body.
The dead can never come to life again!
You stupid fool!
You can only be a flower
while you are alive.
If you die, that's the end of the story.
Help! Someone help me!
Shut up! I'm gonna kill you!
Stop it Rika.
- Don't interfere!
- Tetsuya! Stop it!
You, embalmer!
Where's Yoshiki's body?
Bring it here at once!
I'll exchange this for your knife.
Don't fuck with me.
Just give it to me!
Mr. Kurume!
Do you want me to kill him?
Give it to her quick!
Just give it to her please!
No!
Why? You're brother and sister!
I could do Yoshiki's embalming
without Kuniaki's body parts!
Shut up!
Look at Yoshiki's face.
We're going to put this head back on to
Yoshiki's body. That's embalming!
Please.
Could you please restore Yoshiki
back to his original state?
Rika? You're Rika, aren't you?
- Don't come closer!
- Please calm down Rika.
I'll definitely return Yoshiki
back to his original state.
Really?
Yes. So please don't do it.
No! I'm going to go too.
I'm going to be together with Yoshiki.
No! Don't kill yourself! Rika.
When I die, can you
embalm my body too?
So I can be together with
Yoshiki forever.
Nothing lasts for eternity, Rika.
What you should do
is live as long as you can
and continue to keep Yoshiki's
memory in your mind.
That's what you should do.
But I promised Yoshiki.
That's not true.
Yoshiki didn't say that.
Yoshiki didn't know what embalming was.
That was what you made
up in your mind.
Nothing can last forever!
Please give me the knife.
Rika.
It's me.
That's enough.
Let's end this.
Rika!
Wait!
Following Rika's request, I carried out
the embalming procedure on her body.
Chief Jion held their funeral
at Daitoku Temple.
Rika and Yoshiki's bodies were
cremated separately and buried separately.
In the end, they never
got to be together again.
Although I told Rika
that nothing is eternal,
I too yearn for eternity
somewhere in my mind.
Can embalming be a means to eternity?
That would be good, and I've started
to hope that it might be.
Reiko Takashima
Yutaka Matsushige
Seijun Suzuki
Hitomi Miwa
Masatoshi Matsuo
Junichi Hayakawa
Hiromi Kojima
Kojiro Asami
Yuya Takagawa
Yasuhiro Arai
Shunsaku Kudo
Asahi Yoshida
Hiroshi Ohkawa
Koji Kasahara
Koji Mizushima
Naoaki Yamamoto
Megumi Ujiie
Mayumi Honda
Chiaki lto
Jun Shimada
Ryo Shimada
Tatsu Tokairin
Kozo Nakano
Atsushi Makimoto
Rie Setoguchi
Kyoyo Morishita
Flash Up
Kuroki Production
Opening Narration:
Daisuke Ryu
Kojiro Hongo
Toshio Shiba
Production:
GAGA Pictures
Project Management:
Kazuhiko Tanaka & Yoichi Sakai
Producers:
Katsuaki Takemoto & Satoru Ogura
Production Manager: Hiroo Saito
Assistant Producer: Yuji Kanda
Original Story: Saki Amamiya
Published by Gentosha
from 'EM/embalming'
Screenplay: lzo Hashimoto
Music: Isao Yamada
Camera: Korehiro Nishikubo
Lighting: Junichi Akatsu
Design: Jin Shioda
SFX Make-Up: Akiteru Nakata
Recording: Fusao Yuwaki
Editing: Soichi Ueno
Scripting: Kimi Sato
Assistant Director: Yukihisa Nau
Camera Assistants:
Takehiko Tamiya & Ayako Makimoto
Lighting Assistants: Eiji Sakaki,
Kiyoshi Okano & Takeshi Fukase
Recording Assistant:
Takashi Koizumi
Designer: Okutsu Tetsuo
Decoration: Kei Sasaki
Stylist:
Fumiko lmamura & Kanako Nagamachi
Hair & Make-Up:
Miyuki Mizuno
SFX Make-Up Assistants: Fumie Ida,
Tokunosuke Miuram & Hideo Shibata
Still Pictures: Akiko Honda
Production Leader: Hiroshi Ohtani
Production Assistants: Osamu Ogawara,
Masayuki Hara & Ryuzo Ishoda
Production Administration:
Yasuko Sekiguchi
Sound Editing: Takamatsu Ogawa,
Ken Nakamura & Yoshihiro Sakaguchi
Sound Engineer: Shin Morimoto
Title: Marin Post
Negative Editing: Ryusuke Otsubo
lmage Development: Sony PCL
Filming Corporation: Kawasaki Reien,
LE DECO & Heiwa Sangyo Corporation,
Medical Adviser: Yoichi Shimizu
Script Adviser: Norio Kida
Produced by Office Ogura
Script, Editing, Music, Director:
Shinji Aoyama