Daily Dialogue — July 23, 2010

Kyoami: A serpent’s egg is white and pure. A bird’s is speckled and soiled. 
 Hidetora: This is a castle… Here’s a wall. 
 Kyoami: The bird left the speckled egg for the white. 
 Hidetora: Strange… 
 Kyoami: The egg cracks; out comes a snake. 
 Hidetora: Empty space above the wall. Why? 
 Kyoami: The bird is gobbled by the snake. 
 Hidetora: Where am I? Who am I? 
 Kyoami: Stupid bird!

 — Kyoami (Pîtâ), Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai), Ran (1985), screenplay by Akira Kurosawa and Hideo Oguni and Masato Ide

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is kings, queens, princes, and princesses.

Trivia: Akira Kurosawa referred to his previous film, Kagemusha (1980), as a “dress rehearsal” for this film. He spent ten years storyboarding every shot in the film as paintings. The resulting collection of images was published with the screenplay.