Invincible (2001) Movie Script
1
It was in a country far away.
I don't know which one,
but it was a distant land.
A prince lost his mind,
and imagined himself
to be a rooster.
A rooster? Like this one?
Yes. He took refuge
under the dining-room table,
stripped naked, and refused
to eat anything but grain.
And then?
The King called in magicians
and doctors to cure his son,
but to no avail.
One day,
an unknown sage arrived,
took off his clothes,
and joined the prince
under the table,
and declared that
he, too, was a rooster.
Somehow, the sage convinced
the prince to get dressed,
and finally to sit down at the table
and dine with the others.
"I don't believe,"
said the sage,
"that by eating like a man,
with other men,
"a rooster ceases to
be what he is.
"You can interact with
people at any time,
"and be part of their world,
"and yet remain
the same rooster that you are."
I'm so proud of you, Benjamin.
So young, and yet you are
already brighter than the adults.
You know what?
I have some money.
How would you like
to eat in a restaurant?
A restaurant?
Really?
Look, look, look!
What do you make of her, eh?
-She's made for you!
-You said it!
Frulein? Frulein!
She's stacked
in the front and rear.
I wouldn't push her
out of my bed.
Frulein!
"Frulein, Frulein!"
Hey, Frulein!
Where the hell are the girls
in this stinking dump, eh?
Could I have another one, please?
Hey, Fatty!
Think about your figure.
Or soon you'll be
wider than you're tall.
Like a potato.
Like a fattened pig!
Hey, Fatso!
What's your name?
He's not fat!
He's my brother,
and he's strong.
I'm a blacksmith.
My name is Zishe.
Zishe Breitbart.
Hey, fat sow!
I'm talking to you.
Our fatso is a Jew.
A big fat Jew.
A fat Jew, and a thin Jew.
The fat Jew eats too much,
and the thin Jew not enough.
Hey, fatso!
Why doesn't the little one
eat anything?
Can you tell me, eh?
You should eat more,
like your fat brother.
You said it.
You're too thin.
The thick and the thin...
...together through thick and thin.
Open your mouth.
And eat!
Hey!
Hey!
You will pay me for this!
Have you any idea
how much beer that was?
One hectolitre.
Do you know
what a barrel costs?
And how much that table costs?
It wasn't his fault.
The others started it.
As for the money,
I'd like to pay.
Yes, we'd really like
to pay for this,
but we don't have any money.
What I should do
is call the police.
But I think there's a way
for you to pay for the damage.
The circus is in town.
Just outside, towards d.
There's a famous strongman,
and there's a five thousand zoty
prize to be won,
for the man who can beat him.
You will go there tonight.
And now,
ladies and gentlemen,
and, of course,
the children, too!
Something tremendous has happened!
Our Hercules has a challenger!
A strong young man,
without a doubt.
But, in more than twenty years,
our Hercules,
our Colossus of Rhodes,
has never been defeated.
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
for years we have been
raising the prize
to the enormous amount
of five thousand zoty
for any man
who proves himself stronger.
Not without reason,
the ancient Greeks have proclaimed
the Colossus of Rhodes
one of the
seven wonders of the world!
And now,
highly esteemed audience,
his challenger this evening!
Zishe Breitbart!
Blacksmith from this town.
I can do more!
I can do more!
Yitzak, come!
There's a visitor.
A real gentleman.
-What does he want?
-I don't know.
He arrived in a motorcar.
And, my God,
I have nothing to offer him.
Landwehr.
Alfred Landwehr.
Pleased to meet you,
Herr Breitbart.
Ah, and there's
your strong son, too.
Please, sit down.
I'm an agent for variety artists.
Dancers, jugglers, magicians,
everything that is in demand.
And the demand in Berlin
is enormous.
I have an instinct
for great talent,
for people who will go
straight to the top.
I was at the circus yesterday
to see the local strongman,
when your son...
You need not go on.
We are respectable people.
For a Jew,
this is not the right thing.
But the most gifted people
in cinema, in theatre and art are...
You know, I never
thought about leaving.
I belong in this smithy,
in our little shtetl.
You see, our Jewish shtetls
are like holy books,
open to the eyes of God.
And during the Day of Atonement,
even the fish tremble
in the brook.
In spring, during Passover,
even the trees rejoice.
Sir, you're like a shopkeeper
who sells nothing,
because your shelves are empty.
Young man...
you belong in a university!
You said that really beautifully.
Do you know
how old the boy is?
Nine.
This little fellow
is just nine years old.
And he's also
my brother, Benjamin.
Look at what an
incredible brother I have.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
-Good morning.
-Are you all right?
-Yes.
-Fine! Me, too.
Good morning, Herr Landwehr!
We've just been talking about you.
Did you sleep in
your motorcar overnight?
There isn't even a hotel
around here to spend the night.
Good morning.
Morning. Morning.
You are a very tenacious man.
I am, when I'm after
an exceptional talent.
Zishe, listen.
I want you to come with me,
just for the day.
I have something to show you.
But I can't leave.
I must work.
Your father would excuse you
for an afternoon, hey?
My son is able to make up
his own mind about such things.
You'll be most interested to see
what I'm going to show you.
CENTRAL CINEMA
Look! So many motorcars!
There must be every motorcar
in the whole world, right in Berlin.
More than motorcars, young man.
Watch what's coming.
That's a Zeppelin.
Have you seen anything
like this before?
-No.
-It can fly like a balloon,
but it has propellers.
And that's the gondola
for the passengers.
Oh, that many people will
never fit in an aeroplane!
No, no, aeroplanes have no chance
against such a thing in the future.
Benjamin.
Benjamin, wake up.
I am awake.
I've been thinking.
So have I.
Do you believe God
gives a gift to each of us?
Yes, of course.
God made me strong,
Benjamin.
Do you think
he had a reason for that?
A blacksmith needs
to be strong for his job.
But I am stronger
than a blacksmith needs to be.
Sometimes we don't understand
why God does what he does.
But I would really
like to find out.
Zishe?
What?
The Book of Prophets says,
"Spare me,
"that I may recover strength,
before I go hence
"and be no more.
"And be no more."
-And?
-And what?
-What do you think about it?
-What do you mean?
About Berlin.
Let me talk to the Rabbi first.
But, before anything,
we have to celebrate Passover.
But...
When we fled Egypt,
there was no time
for the bread to rise.
Chana? When we came
to the sea, what happened?
Hashem divided the sea.
Yes, exactly.
And Raphael? How many years
did we stay in the desert?
-Forty.
-Good. All right.
-And now, start the search!
-Yes!
Where is it?
It has to be somewhere.
Maybe under the pillow.
Chanele found it!
-Wonderful!
-Chanele found it!
-She has found it.
-Very good!
Fabulous!
How much do you want for it?
Six zfoty.
No, that's too much!
-Yes!
-Six.
-Fine.
-Six?
I want to thank the Almighty
for my good wife, and my children.
You are the salt of the earth,
and you fill my heart with joy.
And today...
Today, I want to thank
God in particular
for my strong firstborn.
Zishe, my son.
You will go out into the world,
but don't ever forget
who you are.
Hold on!
Let me try.
I've travel led very far.
I've been as far as Vilna.
But I've never seen
a thing like this before.
Can you give me a ride?
Where do you want to go?
You're not going to Berlin,
by any chance?
Are you hungry?
Yes, all the time.
My mother has never
been able to feed me enough.
And you want to walk
all the way to Berlin?
Yes. I have a ticket for
the train, first class.
But I'm going to return the ticket,
and use the money to get
my mother a new dress instead.
I've heard there are
many pretty girls in Berlin.
Girls like you won't
find in the country.
Maybe you'll meet one.
I have already, sort of.
In a dream.
But I couldn't
see her face, because...
I know it sounds strange,
but there was so much light.
I think she was a princess.
Did you come especially for me?
How did you know?
Your reputation is
faster than your feet.
My name is Delilah.
Better be careful, Samson!
It's me, Zishe!
Zishe Breitbart!
Oh, you want to
talk to Herr Landwehr?
Are you still there?
Hello? Hello?
Speak, please.
What?
-Please speak.
-Yes!
-Where are you now?
-In Berlin.
Then come and see us at once.
Herr Landwehr is expecting you.
We thought you'd got lost.
A beautiful girl, you say.
And she wanted to
marry you at once?
I wouldn't put it
quite like that.
She just wanted
to keep me there.
You don't have to stand.
Have a seat.
Thank you.
You realise that the chances
of placing you are...
somewhat limited?
Yes?
What do you mean by that?
No, no, don't worry!
I'm good at my job.
The best, in all humility.
I'm going to employ you in an
establishment called...
Hanussen's Palace of the Occult.
I don't quite understand.
What am I supposed to do there?
I've talked to Hanussen,
and he was immediately
taken with my idea.
Hanussen understands something
about the uncertainty of our times.
Inflation, unemployment,
large-scale strikes,
attempted coups,
banking collapses.
People long for a
strong man, a leader.
And Hanussen is the clairvoyant,
the prophet of this longing.
And what does that have
to do with me?
I will tell you.
We want you to be a kind of
contrasting program me.
The... The strength of the body
against the dark, sinister forces
of the occult.
And I'll point one thing
out now, right away.
You have to play a certain game.
No, I can't do that.
I'm strong, that's all.
I ask nothing more from you.
And, furthermore,
you'll keep your mouth shut.
I'll meet with you tomorrow
at Hanussen's.
Dismissed!
PALACE OF THE OCCULImpossible!
What if he carries a weapon,
perhaps a spear?
No, he shouldn't look like
some primitive, prehistoric man.
Someone from the distant past.
I have covered that area.
Take it off!
Away with it!
I address the darker instincts.
How about a Greek or a Roman?
Some kind of gladiator?
Turn. Turn around.
Perhaps for the first act.
After the interval,
perhaps he can be dressed as
some Kind of heroic figure.
How about "Zishe the Strong"?
Out of the question.
The Jewish name has to go.
My audience consists,
first and foremost, of film stars,
and lots and lots
of National Socialists.
All the party big shots
come and go with me.
We have to Aryanise you.
A Jew should never
be as strong as you.
Ah, the new one!
-Yes, I'm the strongman.
-I'm the magician here.
You don't look like a magician.
Oh, really?
Well, then. Watch!
Don't be fooled.
The ace may seem like the ace.
And the queen
may seem like the queen.
But the truth here is always
what one does not see.
If you want to see the place,
I can show you around.
Follow me, but quietly.
This is Hanussen's
"Circle of the Occult".
Performers really
shouldn't be here.
Hanussen doesn't like it.
Place your hands in the light.
Make contact with one another.
Feel the energy
surge through you.
I am...
your visionary.
I see your future.
Excuse me.
My name is...
Actually, I wanted to tell you
that for me, you are...
Ladies and gentlemen!
I'd like to welcome you,
with all my heart,
to a new spring and
summer program me
in Hanussen's
Palace of the Occult.
Now we shall begin with someone
you are all certainly familiar with.
Herr Rothschild, the banker!
He's trying to run off with
the profits of the Great War.
Backstage laughter
is not permitted!
Only the audience laughs here.
Do we understand each other?
Yes. I understand.
Wig! Put it on!
Put it on! Quickly!
And now, ladies and gentlemen...
-And the helmet!
-...a novelty in our program me.
A man of immeasurable
physical strength.
The victor over all
Roman gladiators.
I give you Siegfried!
Out!
After the great battle against
the Cimbri and the Teutons,
Siegfried was taken to the
Roman arena as a prisoner,
and put in chains.
But chains could not hold him.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Siegfried, the Iron King!
Siegfried won every fight.
He took the breastplate from the
strongest of all defeated gladiators.
And from Varus,
he took not only his helmet,
but also his sword.
And now,
ladies and gentlemen,
the man who is in league
with the powers of the occult.
The master of the
deepest spiritual abysses,
whose power over the soul itself
is able to achieve
unbelievable things.
The man who is endowed
with more power
than the strongest body
could ever possess.
Erik Jan Hanussen!
Dear audience,
you are familiar
with the phenomenon
which I myself
cannot fully explain.
I have been endowed
with a mysterious gift.
Attracting the aura
of the cosmos,
and transmitting its rays back to
people who are also gifted mediums.
And are we not all in reality
endowed with this gift?
These rays of cosmic energy
are known as "hypnosis.
And they manifest all
the power of the occult.
The unknown side of
the human psyche.
And it will prove to you
that all the German people
are full of unrecognised powers.
A die will be cast.
-Four!
-Four. Table four.
Who is sitting there?
Ah, Count Helldorf!
Good evening.
-Good evening.
-The Police Chief of Berlin.
May I ask your
enchanting companion
to come up on stage,
please?
Here you go.
-What is your name?
-Hedda Christian son.
And I think
I've seen you on the screen.
Yes, I've done two talkies,
but I'm still a beginner.
The beginning of a
great career, no doubt!
Please, have a seat.
You have nothing to fear.
Just relax.
I'm now going to send
you into a trance.
And Count Helldorf, the most
charming of all police chiefs,
will be there
to keep an eye on you.
And some of the most
dashing SA men in Berlin
will be there to support him.
-Of course!
-Always ready!
To victory!
Focus on this object,
and listen to my voice.
Follow my voice.
My voice is leading you.
Keep your eyes fixed
on this object.
Don't let it out of your sight.
The strength of a whole people
will concentrate in you.
Your legs are getting heavy.
Very heavy.
Your arms are getting heavy.
Heavier and heavier.
Your eyelids are getting heavy.
Very heavy.
You feel sleepy.
Very tired.
Tired and heavy.
You want to sleep.
Your eyes are closing.
Your eyelids are becoming
heavier and heavier.
Your eyes are closing,
and you feel tired.
Sleepy.
Very tired.
You want to sleep.
Let yourself sink.
You're sinking
deeper and deeper.
Right down to the bottom
of a bottomless lake.
You are now asleep.
I now place a coin
on the back of her hand.
I now invoke the darkest powers
from the deepest abyss.
The coin on your hand
is getting hot.
Very hot.
You feel your hand
getting hotter and hotter.
Yet you feel no pain.
The coin is now red hot.
Your hand is being burned,
yet you feel no pain.
No pain.
Listen to my voice.
I'm now going to wake you up.
I will count to three.
When I count to three,
you will awake.
You will feel good.
Very well indeed.
And you will wake up.
One.
Notice that you're becoming lighter.
Yes, lighter.
Two.
Let your body drift up slowly
towards the surface of the lake.
Three.
You break the
surface of the water.
You open your eyes,
and you're awake.
You're awake.
You're strong.
You are feeling strong,
and comfortable.
Are you awake now?
Are you awake?
Yes.
Where am I?
What happened?
Count Helldorf,
can you please come up on stage
as a witness?
Will you please take the coin
from your charming companion's hand?
What do you see now?
Hedwig, my darling!
For God's sake, what's happened?
Please describe what you see.
Some kind of blister.
A blister from a burn,
I'd say.
I'd say this was
a big burn blister.
Are you in pain?
No, not at all.
Come in.
Well?
Well, to be frank...
It's about my costume.
What about it?
Marta,
my darling.
Have you met our new strongman?
His name is Zishe.
Hello.
-I have big plans for him.
-Oh.
We've already met.
-Yes, that's right. Backstage.
-No.
Where, then?
A dream.
-A dream?
-Yes, there she was...
What I want to say is...
This costume here...
I don't feel comfortable
as a Teuton.
Champagne.
Sit down.
Sit down!
Take a sip.
No, thank you.
Now, listen...
my friend.
You don't seem to be
quite clear yet, young man,
that we are entertainers.
We work for a sole employer,
and that is the public.
We give them what they want.
We embody their collective desires.
Now, if you still don't understand this
at the end of the interval,
perhaps we should send you
back to your little shtetl.
In Poland.
"I'm homesick.
"I miss my siblings.
"The work in the forge.
"Here, I'm working for a clairvoyant.
"His name is Hanussen,
"and he is a mystery to me."
I have been given the power
to radiate my energy onto you.
You feel a tug.
Something is pulling you.
You're falling backwards.
You're sinking.
Sinking down...
What the strength of
the body can achieve,
ladies and gentlemen,
the power of the spirit
can also do.
And more, much more.
The frail body of our pianist
is able to perform far greater things,
ladies and gentlemen.
Just as our people
are capable of developing
unimaginable powers.
They just need to be
guided properly.
And, like a cosmic event,
like a comet in the sky,
a figure of light
has come among us.
And this force, which will
crush all foreign worms,
has a name.
Adolf Hitler.
He will.
I see it.
I see it clearly before my eyes.
One day, he will lead
our thirsty people.
I am the seer.
I am the prophet of his coming.
Sieg Heil!
"Raise the flag!
"The ranks tightly closed.
"The SA marches
"with calm, steady step."
Heil! Sieg Heil!
So lively,
so early in the morning?
I am...
possibly in the wrong place here.
Marta, leave us alone for a moment.
I'll call you when I need you.
Something on your mind?
Look, the audience...
I have a bad feeling
about them.
Perhaps I'm just too Jewish.
I understand you
better than you think.
You really think so?
We are alike, you and I.
Yes...
We are in show business.
We offer a beacon of hope
to the bewildered.
The audience doesn't seem
very bewildered to me.
There are a lot of those
Nazis out there
who seem to know exactly
what they want.
And I am their prophet.
Do you know, my boy,
what my dream is?
Of something much grander
than this here.
And I've already found it.
I want to be to the present
what the Oracle of Delphi
was to the ancients.
High-ranking party members
have already intimated to me
that I will be
the Minister of the Occult
in Hitler's future cabinet.
I have just awakened the barbaric,
the pagan demons
to a new Godless life.
Look, I am not
particularly religious,
but, in my family,
God is ever-present.
If there is
such a thing as God,
then he lives here.
And this God protects me.
Gives me power.
Do you want to see
what real power is?
Marta!
Marta!
Sing!
Sing!
Which song?
The one about the chandelier.
"As long as my panties
are hanging
"in the chandelier
come the morning,
"you can be sure that
I still love you."
And now, turn around.
Provide proof.
Look, Siegfried, my hero.
The roundest bottom
on God's wide earth.
And it's mine.
All mine.
EXII didn't want to disturb you.
Excuse me.
You're not disturbing me at all.
Please, stay.
That was really wonder...
Wonderful.
Why don't you sit next to me?
I don't know anything
about music.
Tell me, where did
you learn all this?
You are as beautiful as a princess
in a dream when you play.
I studied at the Conservatory,
in Prague.
I had high hopes back then,
and I've never really
given them up.
And why are you here now?
The reason is that
I'm a stateless person.
Do you know
what that means?
As a child, I was pushed to and fro
between three countries,
and I never knew my parents.
And when Hanussen was in Prague,
he took me away with him.
-He was in Prague?
-Yes, in Prague.
And he gave me work
with his Palace Orchestra.
I'm sure you have noticed that
he doesn't treat me well.
Yes.
Yes, I've noticed that.
But I'm still not leaving him.
Why?
Why don't I go somewhere else?
Fraulein Marta, I want you to...
| I am...
Zishe, I know what
you're going to say.
Your music...
It's so beautiful when you play.
You see, I have a dream.
Do you want to tell me about it?
Someday I'd like to play
Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto.
With a full orchestra
to accompany me.
I would give anything for that.
I have a vision deep inside.
Come with me.
I'll show you.
Now, look at these creatures.
In my eyes, they have
the purest of souls.
I have never seen
anything more beautiful,
more delicate.
I want to play music
to match this being.
This is the vision
that I have deep inside me.
Now, I can see your soul.
-Please, will you take my note?
-That's enough. Enough.
Yes, madam, I shall of course
accept your paper.
Thank you.
Did you write your name on it?
Yes. And an important
event in my life.
Herr Hanussen will mind-read
this as well.
Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot
explain this phenomenon myself.
There are human emanations
which I can read
in a state of self-hypnosis.
Quiet, please!
Herr Peters?
Herr Peters would like
to know from you, Herr Hanussen,
what happened on
the second of March
in his neighbour's flat.
I see a room.
Flashes.
Yes, flashes.
Someone is taking photographs.
He does have a gift,
I must admit that.
It's just a trick.
Everything's a trick.
I see, I see...
Blood.
A dead body lies there.
Police!
Police!
Call the police!
No.
The police are there already.
A murder.
Horrible!
Can you confirm this, sir?
It's all true.
My neighbour was murdered.
And it's also true that
a lot of photos were taken.
To clear up any doubts,
do you know
Herr Hanussen personally?
Might there
be any possibility, sir,
that you had previously made
a secret agreement
with Herr Hanussen?
I won't stand for this! I'm
Chief Justice of the High Court,
and known to a good many
people in the audience here.
-Yes, that is true.
-Right!
Benjamin! Mother!
Who are you?
Zishe, my son!
How did you get here?
By train.
Father gave us permission.
Benjamin just wouldn't
stop pestering us.
But we can only stay a single day.
Hey, what's up with you?
Zishe, you've changed so much.
Zishe,
I made you these cookies.
Zishe?
For... For you.
Zishe?
Mother, how kind of you.
You know how much
I love your cookies.
-But, Benjamin...
-Zishe, what's the matter?
Benjamin,
you're my favourite brother.
And Mother, you're the best
mother a son could ask for.
But you shouldn't
worry about me.
I Know my soul now.
I mean,
there is an aquarium here.
Benjamin, I want
to put it very simply.
I'm still the same.
And now, ladies and gentlemen,
something unheard of.
Something never before attempted.
Siegfried, the Iron King,
and...
the elephant!
Siegfried! Siegfried! Siegfried!
Ladies and gentlemen!
My name is not Siegfried.
My family at home in Poland
call me Zishe.
I want to say,
I'm not Aryan.
I am not a Germanic hero.
The Iron King is dead
from now on.
That's why...
there is the new Samson.
Samson the Strong.
A Jew.
And I'm proud of that.
Jews' sow!
You have no business here!
Get out of here!
We don't need you!
Jews out!
Be quiet!
Esteemed ladies and gentlemen,
I did not expect such
an affront to the German people.
But I know how to respond
appropriately to this.
Marta Farra,
the gentle, lovely pianist
from our Palace Orchestra,
will, under the influence
of my hypnotic power,
unite all your strength.
Fraulein Farra has never
performed this feat before.
And yet we shall risk it
in response to this
cowardly provocation.
You become strong.
Stronger than
cold reason can imagine.
You are strong.
You will lift this elephant.
Lift it!
Lift it!
We! All of us!
We are all united!
Germany!
Heil! Heil! Heil!
I've come for my fee.
I mean, as soon as
you pay me, I'll go.
Have you read this?
There, on the front page.
You can read, can't you?
Yes. Yes.
When the box office opened today,
there was a queue three blocks long.
Three!
All Jews.
They all want to
see their new Samson.
-Ah, there you are!
-I'm so happy to see you!
Excuse me, madam, I...
Were you together
for the presentation?
Yes, it was very good.
An interesting program me.
I booked a table.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
May I introduce myself?
Samuel Edelmann.
I am the Rabbi of the congregation
of Berlin-Charlottenburg.
-Zishe Breitbart.
-You needn't introduce yourself.
I saw you on stage.
I am deeply impressed
by your courage.
But anyone would have
done what I did.
At least, I think so.
I'd like to invite you
to our synagogue
to read from the Torah
this Sabbath.
I have to admit that I am not
very proficient at reading.
What you have done
has given a lot of courage
to the Jewish community.
Listen, Zishe.
Visit us.
You don't have to read aloud.
Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.
Just be there.
We would be very happy
to have you with us.
We are so proud of you.
Before I begin my sermon today,
I would like to take this
opportunity to welcome
a very special guest to
our congregation.
Zishe Breitbart.
Zishe, please.
Good Shabbos.
-Good Shabbos.
-Good Shabbos. Have a seat.
In his hon our, I would like
to recite one of the Psalms.
"I will lift up mine eyes
unto the hills
"from whence cometh my strength.
"My strength cometh
from the Lord,
"which made
Heaven and Earth.
"He will not suffer
thy foot to be moved.
"He that keepeth thee
will not slumber.
"Behold, he that keepeth Israel
"shall neither slumber
"nor sleep."
You've been drawing
such large crowds,
I've been thinking about
raising your salary.
That was my idea.
And tonight,
my circle of aficionados
brings out their big guns.
Guess who's coming to
hon our us tonight?
I wouldn't know.
Himmler and Goebbels.
Who are they?
Film stars?
No! Politicians!
Both very high up in the party.
-Hitler's party.
-They let me know they were coming
just to demonstrate
their support for me.
Esteemed ladies and gentlemen!
As you know, the strongman
of our house has...
Jew! Jews' sow!
Jews out!
Excuse me, please.
Please.
Some doubts have been expressed,
by the audience and in the press,
about the strength
of Zishe Breitbart.
Cheat! Swindler!
It's unthinkable that
a Jew has such strength!
All right.
I acknowledge your objection.
That's why Zishe Breitbart
has announced an attempt
at a world record tonight.
He will therefore attempt
to lift a weight
of nine hundred pounds.
This is fifty pounds more than
the current world record.
The precise weight has
already been established.
But, so you can imagine
just how heavy this is,
we have here
nine sacks of potatoes.
Each sack weighs
a hundred pounds.
And now...
the new Samson.
Zishe Breitbart!
You pig, get out!
Jewish pig!
Gentlemen! Please!
The rule is simple.
It says that
the weight must be lifted
for three seconds.
If any of you Nazis
does anything to him,
you'll have me to deal with!
Stop! Stop!
Stop!
Stop that!
-This must be yours.
-Thank you.
That was merely an arabesque,
ladies and gentlemen.
Take your seats, please.
Don't we all feel refreshed
after such an
invigorating battle in the hall?
Place your hands upon the light.
Make contact.
Now we have taught
the Jews a lesson.
May I pass on a question
from our fhrer to you?
I am honoured.
The Fhrer, who very much appreciates
your predictions for the future,
and who finds your prognosis
to be very much in line with his,
recently asked
a small group of people
how clairvoyance and
the principle of cause and effect,
a law of nature,
can be reconciled?
Nature doesn't care about
what we think of it.
Nor about the laws that
we assign to it.
In reality, there is no
such thing as clairvoyance.
Because, for me,
there is no future either.
How is this?
There is no future.
Just a state of things and events.
You cannot imagine the
cosmos as either
"having been"
or "coming into being".
All events are a still point.
Only men hurry past them.
Let's imagine time as a die,
and the sides of the die
as periods of time.
The normal human being
sees only one side,
the side that faces him.
And that is the present.
The clairvoyant, however,
has a different disposition.
In a state of trance,
he walks around the die,
and can see the other side.
And that is the future side,
which, in time, will
become the present.
Please, Herr Himmler,
tell the Fhrer.
that I have seen his coming.
And that I welcome him
as the saviour
of the German people.
In line!
March, march!
Remove the vehicle!
Move it!
Eyes forward!
Attention!
If you think this is
my new palace, you're wrong.
It is my ministry.
And now...
open your eyes.
I respect you, because
you truly are strong.
This is overwhelming.
This is not only the very heart
of my future
Ministry of the Occult,
but much more.
At this circle,
cabinet meetings will be held.
In this very hall,
my dream,
my ascent to power,
will become reality.
But, with this vision in mind,
and this is the reason
I brought you here,
I sense something...
almost like fear.
I like palm trees.
I don't know why.
I've even dreamed
about palm trees.
And about crabs.
You absolutely have to
get away from him.
Then I'll lose my job,
and I'll be expelled
from the country.
But he hits you.
This is nothing new.
Is there anything
I can do for you?
I mean, to help you.
-Come with me on Sunday.
-Where?
On Hanussen's boat.
He's hosting a party.
There'll be some of his
business associates
and various party members.
The usual crowd.
I wouldn't be welcome.
Zishe, please come!
Do me this favour.
I need you.
What the hell is he doing here?
Zishe is my friend.
I invited him.
Ah, our Jewish strongman!
Excellent. He will add
to our entertainment.
Please, come aboard.
Have fun!
Herr Goebbels?
I think that the Germans
have no concept of style.
You Nazis are far too coarse.
You don't understand
anything about elegance.
Last night,
I went to the casino,
and I noticed
a Japanese man there.
He didn't play.
He was just
watching and smiling.
And early in the morning,
when the casino was about to close,
he put a million gold marks
on one colour.
On black.
A fifty-fifty chance.
It became very quiet in the room.
Only the sound of the ball,
rolling round and round.
And then it stops.
And it stopped on red.
He had lost.
Imagine what happened next.
The Japanese man just stood there,
no expression on his face.
He blushed a little bit,
and we saw him smile.
Herr Goebbels,
that's what I call style,
which you Nazis don't have.
I would have been happy
if Germany,
after its defeat
in the Great War,
would have just
blushed a little,
smiled a bit,
and shown some style.
You know, Count Helldorf,
it's easy to blush
for a moment
if you own
fifty thousand hectares of land
and two castles.
Ah, my young Goliath!
Sit down with us.
We would like your opinion on
a little plan that we're brewing,
with the help of the Jews.
Yes, my darling,
a little fire.
It's about the Reichstag!
You know, Herr Goebbels,
what puzzles me most?
That a vulgar person
like Himmler
is rising in the party,
while blaring on about
burning the Reichstag.
Cheers!
I don't know if we'll be
successful with this, but...
I won't do it!
I'm not going to that ugly dwarf.
Be careful what you say.
You're speaking of Goebbels.
Who do you think you are?
Don't overreach yourself.
Marta is my friend.
Fancy that!
This man,
whom you shall now keep company
with all your charm,
may have a club foot,
and be only five foot three,
but what he keeps
in his pants
he must have borrowed
from a stallion.
You will take him
to my private cabin below deck.
I want to have a full report
within the hour.
I can't.
What does that mean,
"you can't"?
Let me put it more clearly.
I won't!
You will never say
that word to me again.
Put me down! Right away!
Bravo! Excellent!
-Put me down!
-Bravo, bravo! Excellent!
This is entertainment at its best.
You will pay dearly for this!
I demand satisfaction.
With sabres? Pistols?
Excellent!
I will...
To you, I will...
Gentlemen, charlatans
like this one are inevitable.
They are marginal phenomena
at the fall of empires.
I mean the empire
that you are dreaming of.
Be quiet!
But it's true.
You are a charlatan. A fraud.
Just a man with sneaky tricks.
I will not have
someone like you
spreading lies
in front of my friends.
But these people are not your friends,
they're your puppets.
Those were your own words.
I should kill you for
what you've just said.
Herr Hanussen?
Please!
There are ladies present.
Might I suggest
this be settled in court?
If our strongman can prove his case,
so be it.
If he can't, then he shall
find out what the penalty is
for defiling the hon our
of a German citizen
with baseless accusations.
Excellent, excellent.
Ladies and gentlemen,
you are all cordially invited
to this spectacle.
It seems to me
that all creative performers
take certain liberties
with their presentations.
What else?
The elephant.
There was a mechanism.
A hydraulic mechanism
that was well hidden.
I mean, it would be impossible
for a woman
to be hypnotised
into lifting up an elephant.
-I myself can barely do it.
-And how is it that you can do it?
Well, Herr Judge, I'm very strong.
Herr Breitbart, in your testimony
about the so-called "mind-reading",
did you not speak of a secret code?
You must explain this
to the court.
Your Honour,
this is not difficult.
You just need a
good assistant.
He reads out loud
from a piece of paper,
on which someone in the audience
has written down some event.
Then he says, "Please, quiet."
That phrase means "a death".
When he says, "Quiet, please",
it means "a murder.
And Herr Hanussen
puts the rest together,
and embellishes it.
And do you have
a witness for this?
Yes, certainly! Marta Farra.
Fraulein, please...
Approach the witness stand.
Is "Marta Farra" your stage name?
I am really called that.
Are you a German citizen?
I am Czech by birth.
And can you confirm
whether Herr Hanussen
uses fraudulent tricks,
in order to deceive his audience?
Answer the question, please.
I can't.
I mean...
I don't myself
believe in such things,
the power of the occult.
Does that mean that you consider
Herr Hanussen to be a fraud?
Yes.
-She's lying.
-Please, be silent.
-You're lying!
-Sit down!
You're lying!
Sit down, Herr Hanussen!
I will determine
who is lying here.
Can you prove your allegation?
His name is not Erik Jan Hanussen.
He's not a Danish aristocrat.
What is his name, then?
Well?
His name is Herschel Steinschneider.
Jew! Jew swine! Jews' sow!
Silence!
Be quiet!
Be quiet!
Silence in court!
Or I'll have the room cleared!
It looks as if there might be
a discrepancy over your name.
Do you use a stage name?
May I see your papers, please?
Czech citizen.
His name...
Herschel Steinschneider.
Jew.
Is Herschel Steinschneider
your real name?
One of many.
In Istanbul, I once...
borrowed the identity of
Franz Lehar.
The, er...
operetta composer.
And, using this method,
I obtained a large sum of money
from operetta enthusiasts.
I then purloined a first class ticket
for the luxury liner Suez,
for my return
passage to England,
by posing as Enrico Caruso,
the famous Italian tenor.
Thus allowing a French countess
to fall in love with me.
I even dodged military service
in the Great Patriotic War
by using the name
of a dead childhood playmate.
You see, I have nothing
but contempt for those
who die on the so-called
"field of hon our".
And, with regard
to my little "inventions,
my so-called "fraud",
I take the view that even God
bluffed over his creation.
Otherwise, how could he
have come this far?
Come in.
What do you want here?
I wanted to say goodbye.
Actually, I wanted...
I wanted to tell you
that I'm sorry.
I didn't want any of this.
What choice do we have?
We can either be kicked around
like dogs or else conform.
Dress up.
Total assimilation.
The whole world saw me
as a Danish aristocrat.
And I, a little Czech Jew,
lived like a prince,
selling the occult
to the perplexed.
Stay calm.
We don't want anything from you.
I'm sorry.
Zishe, I wish we
could have been friends.
One moment, gentlemen.
My cape.
I want to look elegant
for this excursion.
-Zishe?
-Rabbi, please excuse me.
All at once it came over me,
like a great enlightenment.
Suddenly,
everything became clear.
It was as if...
as if the Almighty
spoke to me directly.
You have found your faith.
You have found God.
From the day that I met you
for the first time,
I knew that he had
found you long ago.
And...
how can I say it?
My destiny, my fate,
has finally been
made known to me.
And what is it, my friend?
Something terrible
is coming our way.
I can't even find words
to describe it. A danger.
A terrible danger for us Jews.
How am I supposed
to understand this?
I don't understand it myself.
It's like... as if...
As if I were Hanussen now.
The clairvoyant, I mean.
I can see it all
in front of my eyes.
What will you do?
What are your plans?
I have a mission.
A calling.
Yes?
I must be the new
Samson for my people.
You know, Zishe,
you sound like one of
the Unknown Just.
I don't understand.
Who are they?
Well, Zishe,
you have to know that,
in every generation,
thirty-six men are born
amongst the Jews.
God has chosen them to bear
all the suffering in this world.
And to whom he has
granted the privilege
to die as martyrs.
The world rests upon
thirty-six Just Men,
indistinguishable
from ordinary mortals.
Often, they don't even
recognise themselves.
And the most pitiable
are the Just Men
who remain unknown
to themselves.
When an Unknown Just
rises to Heaven,
he is so frozen from the cold
that God has to warm him
between his fingers
for a thousand years,
before he can
open his soul to Paradise.
And it is said that some of them
can never come to terms
with human suffering,
so that even God himself
cannot warm them.
And so...
it happens that the Creator,
blessed be his name,
from time to time brings
the clock of the Last Judgement
forward by one minute.
-You wanted me to wear this dress?
-Yes.
I also know the reason,
I think.
I already know that I will
miss you very much.
But I know that you have to go.
Zishe, dear, please be careful.
You're breaking me in two.
I'm a woman.
You must be very gentle.
I don't think you know why
you're wearing this dress.
The thing is...
I have a surprise.
You didn't... did you?
Yes. Yes, I did.
Oh, God, no!
Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto,
second movement.
But, in Heaven's name,
we've never
rehearsed together.
Don't worry, madam. The important
thing is that we have rehearsed.
We shall follow you.
CANCELLED
Zishe Breitbart?
Unmistakable.
Thank you for making
yourself available.
- Want to see it for myself.
-Get in!
Prepare yourself.
It won't be a pleasant sight.
When the body was found...
How shall I put it?
Identification was made
even more difficult by...
-I hope you can take this?
-Yes.
By the fact that the corpse
has at least twenty bullet holes
and has been further
disfigured by wild animals.
In other words, wild boars
have gnawed at the face,
and half of the body.
I know this man.
Zishe?
Zishe! It's Zishe!
Welcome!
Nice to have you back.
Zishe, I'm so happy about this!
Zishe, you've become
a famous man!
-Your brother will be so pleased.
-Who? Benjamin?
Yes. Didn't your mother
ever write to you?
But is Benjamin ill?
No. But don't you know that,
since the day you left,
he's been sitting on
the steps of your house,
looking in the direction
that you went?
For hours, every day.
Excuse me.
Zishe, my son!
Come closer!
To me, here!
-Come here! Come closer, please!
-Please!
Come closer! Come here!
To me, here!
We have to be strong now.
We're going to need
thousands of Samsons.
We must be strong.
We have to defend ourselves.
I mean to say...
I mean... I mean...
We shall need thousands
of young strong men,
to defend our people
and protect them.
I foresee something terrible
happening to our people.
Something horrific.
The Nazis in Germany have...
We need thousands of Samsons.
I will show you how to get strong.
That's all very well, Zishe.
You know we admire you
and that we are proud of you.
But how can the Nazis
pose a threat to us here?
The Nazis, yes.
The Nazis who live in Germany!
Germany is not
a threat to Poland.
Since they lost the Great War,
they are not even allowed
to have an army anymore.
That is not quite true.
It can be 100,000 strong.
But no heavy weapons,
no aeroplanes, and no battleships.
Yes, Professor, but Poland's borders
are secure, are they not?
I think so, yes.
If there's a threat,
it'll come from Russia.
Listen, I know what is happening!
I see it!
What is it?
The horror!
It's... It's...
It's horrible!
I cannot describe it in words.
Yes, yes, it's okay.
Benjamin's still missing.
-Where is he?
-In the forge.
He's still in the workshop.
Then I'll go and get him.
I'm not coming.
I have to get strong.
Even if no-one else
believes you.
But if you want to get strong,
you also have to eat properly.
Yes, there's nothing there.
It's better for you to study.
Study your studies.
I am the new Samson.
I want to be your protector.
But I can't do this alone.
You have to become
as strong as me. All of you.
I'm a woodcutter.
I know how to handle an axe.
But who says you're so strong?
If you have something to say,
prove it to us first.
Did you never hear about
Zishe, the Iron King?
The new Samson.
That's what he
called himself in Berlin.
Then he should
show us something.
Something that proves it.
Proof of his strength.
Impressive!
But the nails are sharpened.
Probably even oiled.
I bet you can't do it
with this one.
But of course.
He can do much more.
-Well, so what?
-It went all the way through.
Oh...
It's just a scratch.
The village doctor
will only need two stitches.
Vodka!
-We'll put some vodka on it.
-Ridiculous!
The nail was rusty.
Vodka, we'll drink the vodka!
And then we'll go on talking.
L'chaim!
Yes!
You should let the doctor
look at that.
Under the table.
The prince.
There it is! The rooster!
Zishe, you have a fever.
There's no rooster there.
JEWISH HOSPITAL
Come in, right now.
Herr Breitbart?
Herr Breitbart?
Can you hear me?
Zishe, can you hear me?
We have to operate at once.
The leg must be amputated.
It's the only way to
save his life.
I'm sorry, but we have
no other choice.
Will it grow back again?
Of course!
It'll only take
one or two months.
Chanele, get down
off the bed.
Oh, leave her alone.
I like it when she's with me.
Zishe, my son,
we're leaving again.
Would you like
to go back to the window?
That would be very nice.
You can visit again tomorrow,
from eleven o'clock.
I'm staying here.
-The doctors agreed.
-Listen, Benjamin.
We would like you have you
with us again sometime.
For a whole week now,
you've come home only to sleep.
Leave him be. I agree.
Zishe...
There's a ringing in my ears.
Someone must be thinking of me.
Father...
Father, Benjamin is flying!
It was in a country far away.
I don't know which one,
but it was a distant land.
A prince lost his mind,
and imagined himself
to be a rooster.
A rooster? Like this one?
Yes. He took refuge
under the dining-room table,
stripped naked, and refused
to eat anything but grain.
And then?
The King called in magicians
and doctors to cure his son,
but to no avail.
One day,
an unknown sage arrived,
took off his clothes,
and joined the prince
under the table,
and declared that
he, too, was a rooster.
Somehow, the sage convinced
the prince to get dressed,
and finally to sit down at the table
and dine with the others.
"I don't believe,"
said the sage,
"that by eating like a man,
with other men,
"a rooster ceases to
be what he is.
"You can interact with
people at any time,
"and be part of their world,
"and yet remain
the same rooster that you are."
I'm so proud of you, Benjamin.
So young, and yet you are
already brighter than the adults.
You know what?
I have some money.
How would you like
to eat in a restaurant?
A restaurant?
Really?
Look, look, look!
What do you make of her, eh?
-She's made for you!
-You said it!
Frulein? Frulein!
She's stacked
in the front and rear.
I wouldn't push her
out of my bed.
Frulein!
"Frulein, Frulein!"
Hey, Frulein!
Where the hell are the girls
in this stinking dump, eh?
Could I have another one, please?
Hey, Fatty!
Think about your figure.
Or soon you'll be
wider than you're tall.
Like a potato.
Like a fattened pig!
Hey, Fatso!
What's your name?
He's not fat!
He's my brother,
and he's strong.
I'm a blacksmith.
My name is Zishe.
Zishe Breitbart.
Hey, fat sow!
I'm talking to you.
Our fatso is a Jew.
A big fat Jew.
A fat Jew, and a thin Jew.
The fat Jew eats too much,
and the thin Jew not enough.
Hey, fatso!
Why doesn't the little one
eat anything?
Can you tell me, eh?
You should eat more,
like your fat brother.
You said it.
You're too thin.
The thick and the thin...
...together through thick and thin.
Open your mouth.
And eat!
Hey!
Hey!
You will pay me for this!
Have you any idea
how much beer that was?
One hectolitre.
Do you know
what a barrel costs?
And how much that table costs?
It wasn't his fault.
The others started it.
As for the money,
I'd like to pay.
Yes, we'd really like
to pay for this,
but we don't have any money.
What I should do
is call the police.
But I think there's a way
for you to pay for the damage.
The circus is in town.
Just outside, towards d.
There's a famous strongman,
and there's a five thousand zoty
prize to be won,
for the man who can beat him.
You will go there tonight.
And now,
ladies and gentlemen,
and, of course,
the children, too!
Something tremendous has happened!
Our Hercules has a challenger!
A strong young man,
without a doubt.
But, in more than twenty years,
our Hercules,
our Colossus of Rhodes,
has never been defeated.
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
for years we have been
raising the prize
to the enormous amount
of five thousand zoty
for any man
who proves himself stronger.
Not without reason,
the ancient Greeks have proclaimed
the Colossus of Rhodes
one of the
seven wonders of the world!
And now,
highly esteemed audience,
his challenger this evening!
Zishe Breitbart!
Blacksmith from this town.
I can do more!
I can do more!
Yitzak, come!
There's a visitor.
A real gentleman.
-What does he want?
-I don't know.
He arrived in a motorcar.
And, my God,
I have nothing to offer him.
Landwehr.
Alfred Landwehr.
Pleased to meet you,
Herr Breitbart.
Ah, and there's
your strong son, too.
Please, sit down.
I'm an agent for variety artists.
Dancers, jugglers, magicians,
everything that is in demand.
And the demand in Berlin
is enormous.
I have an instinct
for great talent,
for people who will go
straight to the top.
I was at the circus yesterday
to see the local strongman,
when your son...
You need not go on.
We are respectable people.
For a Jew,
this is not the right thing.
But the most gifted people
in cinema, in theatre and art are...
You know, I never
thought about leaving.
I belong in this smithy,
in our little shtetl.
You see, our Jewish shtetls
are like holy books,
open to the eyes of God.
And during the Day of Atonement,
even the fish tremble
in the brook.
In spring, during Passover,
even the trees rejoice.
Sir, you're like a shopkeeper
who sells nothing,
because your shelves are empty.
Young man...
you belong in a university!
You said that really beautifully.
Do you know
how old the boy is?
Nine.
This little fellow
is just nine years old.
And he's also
my brother, Benjamin.
Look at what an
incredible brother I have.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
-Good morning.
-Are you all right?
-Yes.
-Fine! Me, too.
Good morning, Herr Landwehr!
We've just been talking about you.
Did you sleep in
your motorcar overnight?
There isn't even a hotel
around here to spend the night.
Good morning.
Morning. Morning.
You are a very tenacious man.
I am, when I'm after
an exceptional talent.
Zishe, listen.
I want you to come with me,
just for the day.
I have something to show you.
But I can't leave.
I must work.
Your father would excuse you
for an afternoon, hey?
My son is able to make up
his own mind about such things.
You'll be most interested to see
what I'm going to show you.
CENTRAL CINEMA
Look! So many motorcars!
There must be every motorcar
in the whole world, right in Berlin.
More than motorcars, young man.
Watch what's coming.
That's a Zeppelin.
Have you seen anything
like this before?
-No.
-It can fly like a balloon,
but it has propellers.
And that's the gondola
for the passengers.
Oh, that many people will
never fit in an aeroplane!
No, no, aeroplanes have no chance
against such a thing in the future.
Benjamin.
Benjamin, wake up.
I am awake.
I've been thinking.
So have I.
Do you believe God
gives a gift to each of us?
Yes, of course.
God made me strong,
Benjamin.
Do you think
he had a reason for that?
A blacksmith needs
to be strong for his job.
But I am stronger
than a blacksmith needs to be.
Sometimes we don't understand
why God does what he does.
But I would really
like to find out.
Zishe?
What?
The Book of Prophets says,
"Spare me,
"that I may recover strength,
before I go hence
"and be no more.
"And be no more."
-And?
-And what?
-What do you think about it?
-What do you mean?
About Berlin.
Let me talk to the Rabbi first.
But, before anything,
we have to celebrate Passover.
But...
When we fled Egypt,
there was no time
for the bread to rise.
Chana? When we came
to the sea, what happened?
Hashem divided the sea.
Yes, exactly.
And Raphael? How many years
did we stay in the desert?
-Forty.
-Good. All right.
-And now, start the search!
-Yes!
Where is it?
It has to be somewhere.
Maybe under the pillow.
Chanele found it!
-Wonderful!
-Chanele found it!
-She has found it.
-Very good!
Fabulous!
How much do you want for it?
Six zfoty.
No, that's too much!
-Yes!
-Six.
-Fine.
-Six?
I want to thank the Almighty
for my good wife, and my children.
You are the salt of the earth,
and you fill my heart with joy.
And today...
Today, I want to thank
God in particular
for my strong firstborn.
Zishe, my son.
You will go out into the world,
but don't ever forget
who you are.
Hold on!
Let me try.
I've travel led very far.
I've been as far as Vilna.
But I've never seen
a thing like this before.
Can you give me a ride?
Where do you want to go?
You're not going to Berlin,
by any chance?
Are you hungry?
Yes, all the time.
My mother has never
been able to feed me enough.
And you want to walk
all the way to Berlin?
Yes. I have a ticket for
the train, first class.
But I'm going to return the ticket,
and use the money to get
my mother a new dress instead.
I've heard there are
many pretty girls in Berlin.
Girls like you won't
find in the country.
Maybe you'll meet one.
I have already, sort of.
In a dream.
But I couldn't
see her face, because...
I know it sounds strange,
but there was so much light.
I think she was a princess.
Did you come especially for me?
How did you know?
Your reputation is
faster than your feet.
My name is Delilah.
Better be careful, Samson!
It's me, Zishe!
Zishe Breitbart!
Oh, you want to
talk to Herr Landwehr?
Are you still there?
Hello? Hello?
Speak, please.
What?
-Please speak.
-Yes!
-Where are you now?
-In Berlin.
Then come and see us at once.
Herr Landwehr is expecting you.
We thought you'd got lost.
A beautiful girl, you say.
And she wanted to
marry you at once?
I wouldn't put it
quite like that.
She just wanted
to keep me there.
You don't have to stand.
Have a seat.
Thank you.
You realise that the chances
of placing you are...
somewhat limited?
Yes?
What do you mean by that?
No, no, don't worry!
I'm good at my job.
The best, in all humility.
I'm going to employ you in an
establishment called...
Hanussen's Palace of the Occult.
I don't quite understand.
What am I supposed to do there?
I've talked to Hanussen,
and he was immediately
taken with my idea.
Hanussen understands something
about the uncertainty of our times.
Inflation, unemployment,
large-scale strikes,
attempted coups,
banking collapses.
People long for a
strong man, a leader.
And Hanussen is the clairvoyant,
the prophet of this longing.
And what does that have
to do with me?
I will tell you.
We want you to be a kind of
contrasting program me.
The... The strength of the body
against the dark, sinister forces
of the occult.
And I'll point one thing
out now, right away.
You have to play a certain game.
No, I can't do that.
I'm strong, that's all.
I ask nothing more from you.
And, furthermore,
you'll keep your mouth shut.
I'll meet with you tomorrow
at Hanussen's.
Dismissed!
PALACE OF THE OCCULImpossible!
What if he carries a weapon,
perhaps a spear?
No, he shouldn't look like
some primitive, prehistoric man.
Someone from the distant past.
I have covered that area.
Take it off!
Away with it!
I address the darker instincts.
How about a Greek or a Roman?
Some kind of gladiator?
Turn. Turn around.
Perhaps for the first act.
After the interval,
perhaps he can be dressed as
some Kind of heroic figure.
How about "Zishe the Strong"?
Out of the question.
The Jewish name has to go.
My audience consists,
first and foremost, of film stars,
and lots and lots
of National Socialists.
All the party big shots
come and go with me.
We have to Aryanise you.
A Jew should never
be as strong as you.
Ah, the new one!
-Yes, I'm the strongman.
-I'm the magician here.
You don't look like a magician.
Oh, really?
Well, then. Watch!
Don't be fooled.
The ace may seem like the ace.
And the queen
may seem like the queen.
But the truth here is always
what one does not see.
If you want to see the place,
I can show you around.
Follow me, but quietly.
This is Hanussen's
"Circle of the Occult".
Performers really
shouldn't be here.
Hanussen doesn't like it.
Place your hands in the light.
Make contact with one another.
Feel the energy
surge through you.
I am...
your visionary.
I see your future.
Excuse me.
My name is...
Actually, I wanted to tell you
that for me, you are...
Ladies and gentlemen!
I'd like to welcome you,
with all my heart,
to a new spring and
summer program me
in Hanussen's
Palace of the Occult.
Now we shall begin with someone
you are all certainly familiar with.
Herr Rothschild, the banker!
He's trying to run off with
the profits of the Great War.
Backstage laughter
is not permitted!
Only the audience laughs here.
Do we understand each other?
Yes. I understand.
Wig! Put it on!
Put it on! Quickly!
And now, ladies and gentlemen...
-And the helmet!
-...a novelty in our program me.
A man of immeasurable
physical strength.
The victor over all
Roman gladiators.
I give you Siegfried!
Out!
After the great battle against
the Cimbri and the Teutons,
Siegfried was taken to the
Roman arena as a prisoner,
and put in chains.
But chains could not hold him.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Siegfried, the Iron King!
Siegfried won every fight.
He took the breastplate from the
strongest of all defeated gladiators.
And from Varus,
he took not only his helmet,
but also his sword.
And now,
ladies and gentlemen,
the man who is in league
with the powers of the occult.
The master of the
deepest spiritual abysses,
whose power over the soul itself
is able to achieve
unbelievable things.
The man who is endowed
with more power
than the strongest body
could ever possess.
Erik Jan Hanussen!
Dear audience,
you are familiar
with the phenomenon
which I myself
cannot fully explain.
I have been endowed
with a mysterious gift.
Attracting the aura
of the cosmos,
and transmitting its rays back to
people who are also gifted mediums.
And are we not all in reality
endowed with this gift?
These rays of cosmic energy
are known as "hypnosis.
And they manifest all
the power of the occult.
The unknown side of
the human psyche.
And it will prove to you
that all the German people
are full of unrecognised powers.
A die will be cast.
-Four!
-Four. Table four.
Who is sitting there?
Ah, Count Helldorf!
Good evening.
-Good evening.
-The Police Chief of Berlin.
May I ask your
enchanting companion
to come up on stage,
please?
Here you go.
-What is your name?
-Hedda Christian son.
And I think
I've seen you on the screen.
Yes, I've done two talkies,
but I'm still a beginner.
The beginning of a
great career, no doubt!
Please, have a seat.
You have nothing to fear.
Just relax.
I'm now going to send
you into a trance.
And Count Helldorf, the most
charming of all police chiefs,
will be there
to keep an eye on you.
And some of the most
dashing SA men in Berlin
will be there to support him.
-Of course!
-Always ready!
To victory!
Focus on this object,
and listen to my voice.
Follow my voice.
My voice is leading you.
Keep your eyes fixed
on this object.
Don't let it out of your sight.
The strength of a whole people
will concentrate in you.
Your legs are getting heavy.
Very heavy.
Your arms are getting heavy.
Heavier and heavier.
Your eyelids are getting heavy.
Very heavy.
You feel sleepy.
Very tired.
Tired and heavy.
You want to sleep.
Your eyes are closing.
Your eyelids are becoming
heavier and heavier.
Your eyes are closing,
and you feel tired.
Sleepy.
Very tired.
You want to sleep.
Let yourself sink.
You're sinking
deeper and deeper.
Right down to the bottom
of a bottomless lake.
You are now asleep.
I now place a coin
on the back of her hand.
I now invoke the darkest powers
from the deepest abyss.
The coin on your hand
is getting hot.
Very hot.
You feel your hand
getting hotter and hotter.
Yet you feel no pain.
The coin is now red hot.
Your hand is being burned,
yet you feel no pain.
No pain.
Listen to my voice.
I'm now going to wake you up.
I will count to three.
When I count to three,
you will awake.
You will feel good.
Very well indeed.
And you will wake up.
One.
Notice that you're becoming lighter.
Yes, lighter.
Two.
Let your body drift up slowly
towards the surface of the lake.
Three.
You break the
surface of the water.
You open your eyes,
and you're awake.
You're awake.
You're strong.
You are feeling strong,
and comfortable.
Are you awake now?
Are you awake?
Yes.
Where am I?
What happened?
Count Helldorf,
can you please come up on stage
as a witness?
Will you please take the coin
from your charming companion's hand?
What do you see now?
Hedwig, my darling!
For God's sake, what's happened?
Please describe what you see.
Some kind of blister.
A blister from a burn,
I'd say.
I'd say this was
a big burn blister.
Are you in pain?
No, not at all.
Come in.
Well?
Well, to be frank...
It's about my costume.
What about it?
Marta,
my darling.
Have you met our new strongman?
His name is Zishe.
Hello.
-I have big plans for him.
-Oh.
We've already met.
-Yes, that's right. Backstage.
-No.
Where, then?
A dream.
-A dream?
-Yes, there she was...
What I want to say is...
This costume here...
I don't feel comfortable
as a Teuton.
Champagne.
Sit down.
Sit down!
Take a sip.
No, thank you.
Now, listen...
my friend.
You don't seem to be
quite clear yet, young man,
that we are entertainers.
We work for a sole employer,
and that is the public.
We give them what they want.
We embody their collective desires.
Now, if you still don't understand this
at the end of the interval,
perhaps we should send you
back to your little shtetl.
In Poland.
"I'm homesick.
"I miss my siblings.
"The work in the forge.
"Here, I'm working for a clairvoyant.
"His name is Hanussen,
"and he is a mystery to me."
I have been given the power
to radiate my energy onto you.
You feel a tug.
Something is pulling you.
You're falling backwards.
You're sinking.
Sinking down...
What the strength of
the body can achieve,
ladies and gentlemen,
the power of the spirit
can also do.
And more, much more.
The frail body of our pianist
is able to perform far greater things,
ladies and gentlemen.
Just as our people
are capable of developing
unimaginable powers.
They just need to be
guided properly.
And, like a cosmic event,
like a comet in the sky,
a figure of light
has come among us.
And this force, which will
crush all foreign worms,
has a name.
Adolf Hitler.
He will.
I see it.
I see it clearly before my eyes.
One day, he will lead
our thirsty people.
I am the seer.
I am the prophet of his coming.
Sieg Heil!
"Raise the flag!
"The ranks tightly closed.
"The SA marches
"with calm, steady step."
Heil! Sieg Heil!
So lively,
so early in the morning?
I am...
possibly in the wrong place here.
Marta, leave us alone for a moment.
I'll call you when I need you.
Something on your mind?
Look, the audience...
I have a bad feeling
about them.
Perhaps I'm just too Jewish.
I understand you
better than you think.
You really think so?
We are alike, you and I.
Yes...
We are in show business.
We offer a beacon of hope
to the bewildered.
The audience doesn't seem
very bewildered to me.
There are a lot of those
Nazis out there
who seem to know exactly
what they want.
And I am their prophet.
Do you know, my boy,
what my dream is?
Of something much grander
than this here.
And I've already found it.
I want to be to the present
what the Oracle of Delphi
was to the ancients.
High-ranking party members
have already intimated to me
that I will be
the Minister of the Occult
in Hitler's future cabinet.
I have just awakened the barbaric,
the pagan demons
to a new Godless life.
Look, I am not
particularly religious,
but, in my family,
God is ever-present.
If there is
such a thing as God,
then he lives here.
And this God protects me.
Gives me power.
Do you want to see
what real power is?
Marta!
Marta!
Sing!
Sing!
Which song?
The one about the chandelier.
"As long as my panties
are hanging
"in the chandelier
come the morning,
"you can be sure that
I still love you."
And now, turn around.
Provide proof.
Look, Siegfried, my hero.
The roundest bottom
on God's wide earth.
And it's mine.
All mine.
EXII didn't want to disturb you.
Excuse me.
You're not disturbing me at all.
Please, stay.
That was really wonder...
Wonderful.
Why don't you sit next to me?
I don't know anything
about music.
Tell me, where did
you learn all this?
You are as beautiful as a princess
in a dream when you play.
I studied at the Conservatory,
in Prague.
I had high hopes back then,
and I've never really
given them up.
And why are you here now?
The reason is that
I'm a stateless person.
Do you know
what that means?
As a child, I was pushed to and fro
between three countries,
and I never knew my parents.
And when Hanussen was in Prague,
he took me away with him.
-He was in Prague?
-Yes, in Prague.
And he gave me work
with his Palace Orchestra.
I'm sure you have noticed that
he doesn't treat me well.
Yes.
Yes, I've noticed that.
But I'm still not leaving him.
Why?
Why don't I go somewhere else?
Fraulein Marta, I want you to...
| I am...
Zishe, I know what
you're going to say.
Your music...
It's so beautiful when you play.
You see, I have a dream.
Do you want to tell me about it?
Someday I'd like to play
Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto.
With a full orchestra
to accompany me.
I would give anything for that.
I have a vision deep inside.
Come with me.
I'll show you.
Now, look at these creatures.
In my eyes, they have
the purest of souls.
I have never seen
anything more beautiful,
more delicate.
I want to play music
to match this being.
This is the vision
that I have deep inside me.
Now, I can see your soul.
-Please, will you take my note?
-That's enough. Enough.
Yes, madam, I shall of course
accept your paper.
Thank you.
Did you write your name on it?
Yes. And an important
event in my life.
Herr Hanussen will mind-read
this as well.
Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot
explain this phenomenon myself.
There are human emanations
which I can read
in a state of self-hypnosis.
Quiet, please!
Herr Peters?
Herr Peters would like
to know from you, Herr Hanussen,
what happened on
the second of March
in his neighbour's flat.
I see a room.
Flashes.
Yes, flashes.
Someone is taking photographs.
He does have a gift,
I must admit that.
It's just a trick.
Everything's a trick.
I see, I see...
Blood.
A dead body lies there.
Police!
Police!
Call the police!
No.
The police are there already.
A murder.
Horrible!
Can you confirm this, sir?
It's all true.
My neighbour was murdered.
And it's also true that
a lot of photos were taken.
To clear up any doubts,
do you know
Herr Hanussen personally?
Might there
be any possibility, sir,
that you had previously made
a secret agreement
with Herr Hanussen?
I won't stand for this! I'm
Chief Justice of the High Court,
and known to a good many
people in the audience here.
-Yes, that is true.
-Right!
Benjamin! Mother!
Who are you?
Zishe, my son!
How did you get here?
By train.
Father gave us permission.
Benjamin just wouldn't
stop pestering us.
But we can only stay a single day.
Hey, what's up with you?
Zishe, you've changed so much.
Zishe,
I made you these cookies.
Zishe?
For... For you.
Zishe?
Mother, how kind of you.
You know how much
I love your cookies.
-But, Benjamin...
-Zishe, what's the matter?
Benjamin,
you're my favourite brother.
And Mother, you're the best
mother a son could ask for.
But you shouldn't
worry about me.
I Know my soul now.
I mean,
there is an aquarium here.
Benjamin, I want
to put it very simply.
I'm still the same.
And now, ladies and gentlemen,
something unheard of.
Something never before attempted.
Siegfried, the Iron King,
and...
the elephant!
Siegfried! Siegfried! Siegfried!
Ladies and gentlemen!
My name is not Siegfried.
My family at home in Poland
call me Zishe.
I want to say,
I'm not Aryan.
I am not a Germanic hero.
The Iron King is dead
from now on.
That's why...
there is the new Samson.
Samson the Strong.
A Jew.
And I'm proud of that.
Jews' sow!
You have no business here!
Get out of here!
We don't need you!
Jews out!
Be quiet!
Esteemed ladies and gentlemen,
I did not expect such
an affront to the German people.
But I know how to respond
appropriately to this.
Marta Farra,
the gentle, lovely pianist
from our Palace Orchestra,
will, under the influence
of my hypnotic power,
unite all your strength.
Fraulein Farra has never
performed this feat before.
And yet we shall risk it
in response to this
cowardly provocation.
You become strong.
Stronger than
cold reason can imagine.
You are strong.
You will lift this elephant.
Lift it!
Lift it!
We! All of us!
We are all united!
Germany!
Heil! Heil! Heil!
I've come for my fee.
I mean, as soon as
you pay me, I'll go.
Have you read this?
There, on the front page.
You can read, can't you?
Yes. Yes.
When the box office opened today,
there was a queue three blocks long.
Three!
All Jews.
They all want to
see their new Samson.
-Ah, there you are!
-I'm so happy to see you!
Excuse me, madam, I...
Were you together
for the presentation?
Yes, it was very good.
An interesting program me.
I booked a table.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
May I introduce myself?
Samuel Edelmann.
I am the Rabbi of the congregation
of Berlin-Charlottenburg.
-Zishe Breitbart.
-You needn't introduce yourself.
I saw you on stage.
I am deeply impressed
by your courage.
But anyone would have
done what I did.
At least, I think so.
I'd like to invite you
to our synagogue
to read from the Torah
this Sabbath.
I have to admit that I am not
very proficient at reading.
What you have done
has given a lot of courage
to the Jewish community.
Listen, Zishe.
Visit us.
You don't have to read aloud.
Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.
Just be there.
We would be very happy
to have you with us.
We are so proud of you.
Before I begin my sermon today,
I would like to take this
opportunity to welcome
a very special guest to
our congregation.
Zishe Breitbart.
Zishe, please.
Good Shabbos.
-Good Shabbos.
-Good Shabbos. Have a seat.
In his hon our, I would like
to recite one of the Psalms.
"I will lift up mine eyes
unto the hills
"from whence cometh my strength.
"My strength cometh
from the Lord,
"which made
Heaven and Earth.
"He will not suffer
thy foot to be moved.
"He that keepeth thee
will not slumber.
"Behold, he that keepeth Israel
"shall neither slumber
"nor sleep."
You've been drawing
such large crowds,
I've been thinking about
raising your salary.
That was my idea.
And tonight,
my circle of aficionados
brings out their big guns.
Guess who's coming to
hon our us tonight?
I wouldn't know.
Himmler and Goebbels.
Who are they?
Film stars?
No! Politicians!
Both very high up in the party.
-Hitler's party.
-They let me know they were coming
just to demonstrate
their support for me.
Esteemed ladies and gentlemen!
As you know, the strongman
of our house has...
Jew! Jews' sow!
Jews out!
Excuse me, please.
Please.
Some doubts have been expressed,
by the audience and in the press,
about the strength
of Zishe Breitbart.
Cheat! Swindler!
It's unthinkable that
a Jew has such strength!
All right.
I acknowledge your objection.
That's why Zishe Breitbart
has announced an attempt
at a world record tonight.
He will therefore attempt
to lift a weight
of nine hundred pounds.
This is fifty pounds more than
the current world record.
The precise weight has
already been established.
But, so you can imagine
just how heavy this is,
we have here
nine sacks of potatoes.
Each sack weighs
a hundred pounds.
And now...
the new Samson.
Zishe Breitbart!
You pig, get out!
Jewish pig!
Gentlemen! Please!
The rule is simple.
It says that
the weight must be lifted
for three seconds.
If any of you Nazis
does anything to him,
you'll have me to deal with!
Stop! Stop!
Stop!
Stop that!
-This must be yours.
-Thank you.
That was merely an arabesque,
ladies and gentlemen.
Take your seats, please.
Don't we all feel refreshed
after such an
invigorating battle in the hall?
Place your hands upon the light.
Make contact.
Now we have taught
the Jews a lesson.
May I pass on a question
from our fhrer to you?
I am honoured.
The Fhrer, who very much appreciates
your predictions for the future,
and who finds your prognosis
to be very much in line with his,
recently asked
a small group of people
how clairvoyance and
the principle of cause and effect,
a law of nature,
can be reconciled?
Nature doesn't care about
what we think of it.
Nor about the laws that
we assign to it.
In reality, there is no
such thing as clairvoyance.
Because, for me,
there is no future either.
How is this?
There is no future.
Just a state of things and events.
You cannot imagine the
cosmos as either
"having been"
or "coming into being".
All events are a still point.
Only men hurry past them.
Let's imagine time as a die,
and the sides of the die
as periods of time.
The normal human being
sees only one side,
the side that faces him.
And that is the present.
The clairvoyant, however,
has a different disposition.
In a state of trance,
he walks around the die,
and can see the other side.
And that is the future side,
which, in time, will
become the present.
Please, Herr Himmler,
tell the Fhrer.
that I have seen his coming.
And that I welcome him
as the saviour
of the German people.
In line!
March, march!
Remove the vehicle!
Move it!
Eyes forward!
Attention!
If you think this is
my new palace, you're wrong.
It is my ministry.
And now...
open your eyes.
I respect you, because
you truly are strong.
This is overwhelming.
This is not only the very heart
of my future
Ministry of the Occult,
but much more.
At this circle,
cabinet meetings will be held.
In this very hall,
my dream,
my ascent to power,
will become reality.
But, with this vision in mind,
and this is the reason
I brought you here,
I sense something...
almost like fear.
I like palm trees.
I don't know why.
I've even dreamed
about palm trees.
And about crabs.
You absolutely have to
get away from him.
Then I'll lose my job,
and I'll be expelled
from the country.
But he hits you.
This is nothing new.
Is there anything
I can do for you?
I mean, to help you.
-Come with me on Sunday.
-Where?
On Hanussen's boat.
He's hosting a party.
There'll be some of his
business associates
and various party members.
The usual crowd.
I wouldn't be welcome.
Zishe, please come!
Do me this favour.
I need you.
What the hell is he doing here?
Zishe is my friend.
I invited him.
Ah, our Jewish strongman!
Excellent. He will add
to our entertainment.
Please, come aboard.
Have fun!
Herr Goebbels?
I think that the Germans
have no concept of style.
You Nazis are far too coarse.
You don't understand
anything about elegance.
Last night,
I went to the casino,
and I noticed
a Japanese man there.
He didn't play.
He was just
watching and smiling.
And early in the morning,
when the casino was about to close,
he put a million gold marks
on one colour.
On black.
A fifty-fifty chance.
It became very quiet in the room.
Only the sound of the ball,
rolling round and round.
And then it stops.
And it stopped on red.
He had lost.
Imagine what happened next.
The Japanese man just stood there,
no expression on his face.
He blushed a little bit,
and we saw him smile.
Herr Goebbels,
that's what I call style,
which you Nazis don't have.
I would have been happy
if Germany,
after its defeat
in the Great War,
would have just
blushed a little,
smiled a bit,
and shown some style.
You know, Count Helldorf,
it's easy to blush
for a moment
if you own
fifty thousand hectares of land
and two castles.
Ah, my young Goliath!
Sit down with us.
We would like your opinion on
a little plan that we're brewing,
with the help of the Jews.
Yes, my darling,
a little fire.
It's about the Reichstag!
You know, Herr Goebbels,
what puzzles me most?
That a vulgar person
like Himmler
is rising in the party,
while blaring on about
burning the Reichstag.
Cheers!
I don't know if we'll be
successful with this, but...
I won't do it!
I'm not going to that ugly dwarf.
Be careful what you say.
You're speaking of Goebbels.
Who do you think you are?
Don't overreach yourself.
Marta is my friend.
Fancy that!
This man,
whom you shall now keep company
with all your charm,
may have a club foot,
and be only five foot three,
but what he keeps
in his pants
he must have borrowed
from a stallion.
You will take him
to my private cabin below deck.
I want to have a full report
within the hour.
I can't.
What does that mean,
"you can't"?
Let me put it more clearly.
I won't!
You will never say
that word to me again.
Put me down! Right away!
Bravo! Excellent!
-Put me down!
-Bravo, bravo! Excellent!
This is entertainment at its best.
You will pay dearly for this!
I demand satisfaction.
With sabres? Pistols?
Excellent!
I will...
To you, I will...
Gentlemen, charlatans
like this one are inevitable.
They are marginal phenomena
at the fall of empires.
I mean the empire
that you are dreaming of.
Be quiet!
But it's true.
You are a charlatan. A fraud.
Just a man with sneaky tricks.
I will not have
someone like you
spreading lies
in front of my friends.
But these people are not your friends,
they're your puppets.
Those were your own words.
I should kill you for
what you've just said.
Herr Hanussen?
Please!
There are ladies present.
Might I suggest
this be settled in court?
If our strongman can prove his case,
so be it.
If he can't, then he shall
find out what the penalty is
for defiling the hon our
of a German citizen
with baseless accusations.
Excellent, excellent.
Ladies and gentlemen,
you are all cordially invited
to this spectacle.
It seems to me
that all creative performers
take certain liberties
with their presentations.
What else?
The elephant.
There was a mechanism.
A hydraulic mechanism
that was well hidden.
I mean, it would be impossible
for a woman
to be hypnotised
into lifting up an elephant.
-I myself can barely do it.
-And how is it that you can do it?
Well, Herr Judge, I'm very strong.
Herr Breitbart, in your testimony
about the so-called "mind-reading",
did you not speak of a secret code?
You must explain this
to the court.
Your Honour,
this is not difficult.
You just need a
good assistant.
He reads out loud
from a piece of paper,
on which someone in the audience
has written down some event.
Then he says, "Please, quiet."
That phrase means "a death".
When he says, "Quiet, please",
it means "a murder.
And Herr Hanussen
puts the rest together,
and embellishes it.
And do you have
a witness for this?
Yes, certainly! Marta Farra.
Fraulein, please...
Approach the witness stand.
Is "Marta Farra" your stage name?
I am really called that.
Are you a German citizen?
I am Czech by birth.
And can you confirm
whether Herr Hanussen
uses fraudulent tricks,
in order to deceive his audience?
Answer the question, please.
I can't.
I mean...
I don't myself
believe in such things,
the power of the occult.
Does that mean that you consider
Herr Hanussen to be a fraud?
Yes.
-She's lying.
-Please, be silent.
-You're lying!
-Sit down!
You're lying!
Sit down, Herr Hanussen!
I will determine
who is lying here.
Can you prove your allegation?
His name is not Erik Jan Hanussen.
He's not a Danish aristocrat.
What is his name, then?
Well?
His name is Herschel Steinschneider.
Jew! Jew swine! Jews' sow!
Silence!
Be quiet!
Be quiet!
Silence in court!
Or I'll have the room cleared!
It looks as if there might be
a discrepancy over your name.
Do you use a stage name?
May I see your papers, please?
Czech citizen.
His name...
Herschel Steinschneider.
Jew.
Is Herschel Steinschneider
your real name?
One of many.
In Istanbul, I once...
borrowed the identity of
Franz Lehar.
The, er...
operetta composer.
And, using this method,
I obtained a large sum of money
from operetta enthusiasts.
I then purloined a first class ticket
for the luxury liner Suez,
for my return
passage to England,
by posing as Enrico Caruso,
the famous Italian tenor.
Thus allowing a French countess
to fall in love with me.
I even dodged military service
in the Great Patriotic War
by using the name
of a dead childhood playmate.
You see, I have nothing
but contempt for those
who die on the so-called
"field of hon our".
And, with regard
to my little "inventions,
my so-called "fraud",
I take the view that even God
bluffed over his creation.
Otherwise, how could he
have come this far?
Come in.
What do you want here?
I wanted to say goodbye.
Actually, I wanted...
I wanted to tell you
that I'm sorry.
I didn't want any of this.
What choice do we have?
We can either be kicked around
like dogs or else conform.
Dress up.
Total assimilation.
The whole world saw me
as a Danish aristocrat.
And I, a little Czech Jew,
lived like a prince,
selling the occult
to the perplexed.
Stay calm.
We don't want anything from you.
I'm sorry.
Zishe, I wish we
could have been friends.
One moment, gentlemen.
My cape.
I want to look elegant
for this excursion.
-Zishe?
-Rabbi, please excuse me.
All at once it came over me,
like a great enlightenment.
Suddenly,
everything became clear.
It was as if...
as if the Almighty
spoke to me directly.
You have found your faith.
You have found God.
From the day that I met you
for the first time,
I knew that he had
found you long ago.
And...
how can I say it?
My destiny, my fate,
has finally been
made known to me.
And what is it, my friend?
Something terrible
is coming our way.
I can't even find words
to describe it. A danger.
A terrible danger for us Jews.
How am I supposed
to understand this?
I don't understand it myself.
It's like... as if...
As if I were Hanussen now.
The clairvoyant, I mean.
I can see it all
in front of my eyes.
What will you do?
What are your plans?
I have a mission.
A calling.
Yes?
I must be the new
Samson for my people.
You know, Zishe,
you sound like one of
the Unknown Just.
I don't understand.
Who are they?
Well, Zishe,
you have to know that,
in every generation,
thirty-six men are born
amongst the Jews.
God has chosen them to bear
all the suffering in this world.
And to whom he has
granted the privilege
to die as martyrs.
The world rests upon
thirty-six Just Men,
indistinguishable
from ordinary mortals.
Often, they don't even
recognise themselves.
And the most pitiable
are the Just Men
who remain unknown
to themselves.
When an Unknown Just
rises to Heaven,
he is so frozen from the cold
that God has to warm him
between his fingers
for a thousand years,
before he can
open his soul to Paradise.
And it is said that some of them
can never come to terms
with human suffering,
so that even God himself
cannot warm them.
And so...
it happens that the Creator,
blessed be his name,
from time to time brings
the clock of the Last Judgement
forward by one minute.
-You wanted me to wear this dress?
-Yes.
I also know the reason,
I think.
I already know that I will
miss you very much.
But I know that you have to go.
Zishe, dear, please be careful.
You're breaking me in two.
I'm a woman.
You must be very gentle.
I don't think you know why
you're wearing this dress.
The thing is...
I have a surprise.
You didn't... did you?
Yes. Yes, I did.
Oh, God, no!
Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto,
second movement.
But, in Heaven's name,
we've never
rehearsed together.
Don't worry, madam. The important
thing is that we have rehearsed.
We shall follow you.
CANCELLED
Zishe Breitbart?
Unmistakable.
Thank you for making
yourself available.
- Want to see it for myself.
-Get in!
Prepare yourself.
It won't be a pleasant sight.
When the body was found...
How shall I put it?
Identification was made
even more difficult by...
-I hope you can take this?
-Yes.
By the fact that the corpse
has at least twenty bullet holes
and has been further
disfigured by wild animals.
In other words, wild boars
have gnawed at the face,
and half of the body.
I know this man.
Zishe?
Zishe! It's Zishe!
Welcome!
Nice to have you back.
Zishe, I'm so happy about this!
Zishe, you've become
a famous man!
-Your brother will be so pleased.
-Who? Benjamin?
Yes. Didn't your mother
ever write to you?
But is Benjamin ill?
No. But don't you know that,
since the day you left,
he's been sitting on
the steps of your house,
looking in the direction
that you went?
For hours, every day.
Excuse me.
Zishe, my son!
Come closer!
To me, here!
-Come here! Come closer, please!
-Please!
Come closer! Come here!
To me, here!
We have to be strong now.
We're going to need
thousands of Samsons.
We must be strong.
We have to defend ourselves.
I mean to say...
I mean... I mean...
We shall need thousands
of young strong men,
to defend our people
and protect them.
I foresee something terrible
happening to our people.
Something horrific.
The Nazis in Germany have...
We need thousands of Samsons.
I will show you how to get strong.
That's all very well, Zishe.
You know we admire you
and that we are proud of you.
But how can the Nazis
pose a threat to us here?
The Nazis, yes.
The Nazis who live in Germany!
Germany is not
a threat to Poland.
Since they lost the Great War,
they are not even allowed
to have an army anymore.
That is not quite true.
It can be 100,000 strong.
But no heavy weapons,
no aeroplanes, and no battleships.
Yes, Professor, but Poland's borders
are secure, are they not?
I think so, yes.
If there's a threat,
it'll come from Russia.
Listen, I know what is happening!
I see it!
What is it?
The horror!
It's... It's...
It's horrible!
I cannot describe it in words.
Yes, yes, it's okay.
Benjamin's still missing.
-Where is he?
-In the forge.
He's still in the workshop.
Then I'll go and get him.
I'm not coming.
I have to get strong.
Even if no-one else
believes you.
But if you want to get strong,
you also have to eat properly.
Yes, there's nothing there.
It's better for you to study.
Study your studies.
I am the new Samson.
I want to be your protector.
But I can't do this alone.
You have to become
as strong as me. All of you.
I'm a woodcutter.
I know how to handle an axe.
But who says you're so strong?
If you have something to say,
prove it to us first.
Did you never hear about
Zishe, the Iron King?
The new Samson.
That's what he
called himself in Berlin.
Then he should
show us something.
Something that proves it.
Proof of his strength.
Impressive!
But the nails are sharpened.
Probably even oiled.
I bet you can't do it
with this one.
But of course.
He can do much more.
-Well, so what?
-It went all the way through.
Oh...
It's just a scratch.
The village doctor
will only need two stitches.
Vodka!
-We'll put some vodka on it.
-Ridiculous!
The nail was rusty.
Vodka, we'll drink the vodka!
And then we'll go on talking.
L'chaim!
Yes!
You should let the doctor
look at that.
Under the table.
The prince.
There it is! The rooster!
Zishe, you have a fever.
There's no rooster there.
JEWISH HOSPITAL
Come in, right now.
Herr Breitbart?
Herr Breitbart?
Can you hear me?
Zishe, can you hear me?
We have to operate at once.
The leg must be amputated.
It's the only way to
save his life.
I'm sorry, but we have
no other choice.
Will it grow back again?
Of course!
It'll only take
one or two months.
Chanele, get down
off the bed.
Oh, leave her alone.
I like it when she's with me.
Zishe, my son,
we're leaving again.
Would you like
to go back to the window?
That would be very nice.
You can visit again tomorrow,
from eleven o'clock.
I'm staying here.
-The doctors agreed.
-Listen, Benjamin.
We would like you have you
with us again sometime.
For a whole week now,
you've come home only to sleep.
Leave him be. I agree.
Zishe...
There's a ringing in my ears.
Someone must be thinking of me.
Father...
Father, Benjamin is flying!