Go Masters overview

Scene-by-scene overview of The Go Masters

**Abbreviations used in notes**
Y	Yi-Shan Kuang
A	A-Ming, Y's son with sister A-Hue
M	Matsunami
S	Shinohara
T	Tomoe (Morikawa's sister, M's daughter)
K	Karin, A and T's daughter
H	Hashimoto, the go board maker who M mistakenly trusted
X	Xiao Chiang Guan (Y's friend, harp player)
Z	Dr. Zhang (Chinese doctor in Japan)

1946

zoom in under bridge, boats, women washing at river's edge
scenes from end of WWII
(Shanghai) Y is walking through market, gets $ at bank
Y is getting on ferry, X tries to talk him out of going
on crowded ferry, women's child dies, burial @ sea

1924

Wanghuzhen: mom prepping Y while he's playing go
Y takes A to Beijing to see famous go player, M
train is stopped and searched by soldiers. M saves reporter using his diplomatic status
arrival at mansion of General Lung
X warns Y not to beat the general at go, Y plays general, M arrives so Y starts winning and angers general
Y and A in dark brick room, M visits, while Y is talking with friend, M plays A, army busts in and takes Y
M pulls strings to get Y released, M begs Y for A

1946

boat arrives in Japan
scene from post atomic bomb Japan
M is drunk, beaten up for kibbitzing on go game, A-Hue saves M and brings him to ratty home where M conks out
Y buys soup
while searching streets, Y gets mugged
Y is brought to a Z's office

1930

A is playing a 3-game simul, man shot by Nationals for claiming Reds may win
Y's wife discovers Y took deed to house
house gets sold, Y's wife begs to get house back
Y and A pack to leave, scene with A and A-Hue in bed after moving books into new house
Y brings A to Japan
at M's, M asks A for game immediately upon arrival
A fights with another kid at beach, A begs to be punished
A learning Japanese at beach from T, homesick for Lake Tai
1931 Manchurian incident
1932 Shanghai incident
(China) A-Hue accused of being a traitor at demonstration since A went to Japan, fight ensues
(China) A-Hue worries

1946

Y visits M's but finds M has left long ago, moved to Tokyo
at Tokyo go club, Y discovers M stopped playing and T is in the hospital
M shown playing mah-jong
S talks with M over a drink, tries to talk M into playing more Go, but M's hands are too soiled with blood

1937

Lukouchiao Incident: Sino-Japan hostilities intensify
at M's A's best friend (M's son) going to Chinese front
Japanese troops shown marching through streets in China
X lost family, ``No one to support''
at Y's house, A-Hue warns family about soldiers, they have to leave
boats docking with villagers, ``Japanese occupy Beijing''
villagers watch their village get bombed from across Lake Tai
Nanjing (or Nanking) incident, scenes of Japanese massacres
at night campfire, A-Hue says, ``go ruined our family''
demonstrations in Japan, lots red and white paper balls and candles
dinner celebration of go victory
demonstrations
dinner discussion with chinese friends, Wu returning to fight for China, A learns of devestation at home, watching demonstration, friends sing patriotic song, ``charge against the gunfire'', ``Build a new Great Wall with our flesh'', ``Charge Charge Charge''
at M's, Morikawa reported dead
A wants to return to China to fight, M thinks US paper is propaganda, M: ``Japan is defending China against America'', M: ``all you can do is play go, how can you fight?'', A: ``you don't understand how I feel as Chinese''
T chases A at beach at night, T declares she wants to be with A, A says he's Chinese ``Love is forbidden''
Y's family returns to village, witness more death and destruction, mom: ``the Japanese you like did this, give me back my son''
T tries to find A, depressed
in bed, T confesses love to maid, ``I'll become Chinese'', maid admits to being Chinese, ``do you know the taste of hate?, she tells T where A is
A in house with woman who lost a go playing son
A torn about going back, drops handmade stones in snow
T visits A, tripping in snow, ``I love you'', ``remember why you are here and why dad sent you'', brings news the war will end soon, there need be no end to playing go, but if you go to Japan I'll go with you as a Chinese wife
A-Hue talking with friend who owns boat
scene where officers take chickens from starving family

1941

Pacific war
M clipping newspaper about A's win
A's baby photos
seven games for Tensei title, A wins title, press photos
officer tells A he must say he is Japanese, he's given an announcement to read, M argues on A's behalf
at press conference, A gives back title and leaves go circle, officer: ``no report on title''

1946

Y taking train in Japan, sees kid with doll, flashback...

1942?

Y painting doll
Y invited to go match at major officer's, Y says he no longer plays, warned not to refuse
Y suspects a trap, Y's family sneaks out on Wu's boat
gun fight on boat
caught by patrol at dawn, Y's daughter and wife shot

1946

Y visits T at mental hospital
T holding doll thinking it's K
T confuses Y for A, ``A-ming you're back!''
Y finds out A died, shot by Japanese
officer says that he got information from M betraying A
A tries to buy gun from police
A gets drunk at Z's, shatters glass in hand
doctor friend says M was found and was killed in action
doctor goes to M and ask if he really betrayed A
M's sister pleads with M to apologize to Y
M returns to go circle
Y is back in China, moping in streets
walks out into sea, adopts screaming abandoned baby from boat

1949

(October) People's Republic of China founded

1956

Wanghuzhen: Y with kids in classroom, happy
Y discovers M is alive and playing go
Y visited by X to arrange meeting with M, Y refuses ``my go board is stained'', ``M will bring A's ashes
Shanghai: M arrives with family at port, M is told of Y's refusal to play go
Y's adopted kid meets M's family in streets, brings them to Y
Y finally meets his granddaughter who has A's ashes
M's sister says M didn't betray, M arrives, ``I killed him but I never intended to''

1941

replay of end of press conference, MP arrives
newspaper says A was nationalized
M asks H to help A leave country, H tips off MP's
A and T leave M's
cross checkpoint in storm, no ship waiting, chase scene, A shot
looking over A's body, M realizes H betrayed him

1956

M gives Y A's signed fan with blood stains

1942?

M drafted, scenes at Chinese front
Y captured (after family shot on boat)
Y asked to play go by officer, officer brings in M to play
Y begs M for info on A, ``play or you'll be killed''
Y crushes stones over sword severing fingers

1956

Y leaves without forgiving M
K says box contains T's ashes too, flashback to T's death
K: ``did you send my father to Japan for his sake or for your go dreams? ... You didn't notice the world was changing''
sobbing, Y cries over A and T ashes at riverside

(Much later)

M and Y watch players ``finally playing go together'' at China-Japan Go competition

(Later still)

at Great Wall of China M and Y finish their go game started at beginning of movie