Satantango (1994) Movie Script

For Alf Bold
Presents:
Starring:
A film by:
SATANTANGO
One October morning before the first drops
of the long autumn rains
fell on the parched soil,
cutting the town off
by turning the roads to mud,
Futaki was awakened by the sound of bells.
The solitary chapel was
eight kilometres away,
and had no bell as even its tower
had collapsed during the war.
And the town was too far away
to hear any noise from there.
News of Their Coming
What is it?
Nothing, just go back to sleep.
I'll pick up my share and leave tonight.
Or tomorrow by the latest.
Tomorrow morning.
- You had a bad dream?
- Yes.
I was sitting in a room.
Suddenly there was a knock on the window.
I didn't dare to open it.
I peeked through the curtains.
I could only see his back,
as he was trying to get the door open.
And his mouth as he was shouting
something, I couldn't make out what.
His face was unshaven.
His eyes were like glass.
I wanted to cry out, but I had no voice.
Then, Mrs Halics looked in
through the window, grinning...
You know what she's like when she grins.
She was looking in,
and then she disappeared.
The man kept kicking the door,
it was about to burst open.
I rushed to the sideboard,
I wanted to open the drawer.
Then I heard the door crashing in.
Whoever he was,
he was already coming down the hallway.
At last I yanked the drawer open
and got the knife out.
And he was coming toward me.
Suddenly he was lying
under the kitchen table,
surrounded by red and blue saucepans,
clanging and rolling around.
And then the ground moved under my feet.
The whole kitchen started to move,
as if it were a car.
I was awakened by bells.
Where? Here?
They tolled twice.
- We'll go mad in the end.
- No.
I'm sure something
is going to happen today.
It's my husband, I recognise him.
Hurry.
Listen, do exactly what I tell you.
Is that clear?
Start packing. Move!
We're leaving tonight.
Pack up our clothes, boots,
coats, the radio, everything.
We got to disappear from here tonight.
You understand?
- You got it?
- You're crazy.
What are you saying?
I've talked to Krner,
we're off with the money tonight.
If we split it eight ways,
we'll never get away from here.
You think the others
will just go along with it?
Halics, the schoolmaster and Futaki?
I didn't work for a year
just to give it away now.
They can go to hell.
But it won't come to that.
We can buy the farm at last, don't you see?
You're out of your mind. You must be crazy.
Start packing. The jerry-cans,
the lard, flour, bedding...
I left my cane outside.
Get out!
Schmidt, are you in?
You wanted to get away
with the money, isn't it?
I wouldn't have taken you
for someone who'd do that.
I can explain.
Krner's involved too?
Fifty-fifty.
So, what happens now?
What would happen? We deal you in too.
We wait till nightfall and then we set off.
What do you mean?
I mean, we split it three ways.
But don't ruin me.
All I'm asking is to borrow your share.
Just for a short time... A year.
Until we can find a place
to settle down somewhere.
And where else do you need me to kiss you?
You said you wouldn't move
anywhere from here.
I don't want to stay here
until the end of my life.
I'm not asking it as a gift. I want a loan.
I worked as much as the others.
And now you're talking about "a loan".
So you don't trust me?
Of course not.
You're siding with Krner.
You want to get away with all the money.
And I should trust you after all this?
- What about the others?
- How would I know?
We've got to wait till dark
before we leave.
We said the same to Krner.
We meet at the cross after dark.
Why did you come back?
We only thought of it on the way back home.
And leave the woman behind?
That's true. She's really worth it.
- And the Krners?
- They want to go north.
Krner's wife heard
about a lumber yard there...
It's raining.
I can hear it.
I'm going south, winters are shorter there.
I'll rent a farm.
Close to a prosperous town.
Soak my feet all day
in a basin of hot water.
Or...
I'll be a watchman in a chocolate factory.
Or a porter in a girls' dorm.
And try to forget everything.
A basin of hot water and nothing to do.
Only watch the fucking life go by.
Where the hell do we wanna go?
We'd be caught by the police
in the first town.
They wouldn't even ask our names.
- Your pocket is full of money.
- That's just the point.
Pack a suitcase and go
like a bunch of beggars.
- None of your business.
- Pardon?
Nothing.
Quiet or he'll wake up.
What are we waiting for?
Why don't we divide the money?
Can't it wait?
Let's divide it now.
Don't worry, you'll get your share.
Let's wait till Krner
gives us the other half.
It's all very simple.
We'll split what you have.
And the rest, when we get it,
we'll split at the crucifix.
Fetch me the flashlight.
The document...
To see the money better.
So you see I'm not cheating.
Let's count it.
It's exactly that.
Mrs Schmidt! Are you in?
- Mrs Schmidt?
- Hide it quickly.
Get rid of her.
If she sets foot in here
I will strangle her.
- Will your wife be gone for a while?
- I will smash her face.
- What did she want?
- She's gone crazy.
She's saying that Irimis
and Petrina are coming on the road.
And perhaps they are already in the pub.
And that... they may...
have already arrived.
The conductor's seen them leave.
He also said
he'd seen them arriving in the town.
Then at the Elek crossroad.
They are coming here.
The Bible's driven her mad.
- But what if it's really true?
- Well, if it's so...
They died a year and a half ago,
everybody knows that.
Don't fall for that, it's a trap.
It is possible that Sanyi Horgos
has just simply lied?
- We heard it from him, too.
- Dead for a year and a half!
I suspected it then,
but nobody listened to me.
He told us a lie. Of course he was lying.
You're out of your minds.
Everything's going to change, you'll see.
Irimis is a wizard.
He could build a castle
even out of cow shit...
...if he wants to.
No way.
- You won't screw up my plans.
- I don't intend to.
A dead man comes back to life? Futaki!
You, at least, should have more sense.
They suspect something
and want to catch us out.
- I'm going to the pub.
- It might be true.
Damn fools.
If they are here,
you can't run from Irimis.
You know that. Right?
You're damn fools.
- If you don't believe it...
- Go to hell.
But you'd better leave
my money here on the table.
If you don't believe this
then let your wife go first.
And the money?
Well... let's leave it where it is.
You must trust her, don't you?
Then I'll go.
Have you heard? They're here.
My husband is off already,
he just sent me to tell you.
But you should know.
We saw Mrs Halics here.
I go now, I do not want to bother you.
My husband says, "Fuck the money."
This is not for us. Be on the run for it?
Not having a peaceful night?
No way! Irimis and Petrina, you'll see...
I always knew the shifty-eyed Horgos kid
made the whole thing up.
You too can see it, he just made it all up.
And we believed it from the start.
- You're in it too!
- Let them come, I don't care.
So, we're going?
So Schmidt went first.
Futaki staggered behind him.
He was trying to feel his way
with his cane in the dark.
And the relentless rain
blended Schmidt's swearing
with Futaki's cheery, encouraging
words, as he repeated,
"Never mind, old man, you'll see.
We'll have a great life!
"A great life!"
We shall be resurrected!
The two clocks show different times.
Both wrong, of course.
This one here is too slow.
The other, as if it shows the
perpetuity of defencelessness.
We only relate to it as twigs to the rain.
We are unable to defend ourselves.
Twigs and rain?
You're a great poet, I tell you.
- Do you think there's a snack bar here?
- I don't think so.
What are you waiting for?
- We were summoned.
- Let me see.
Can't you read? What floor is this?
- The second.
- Just follow me.
Identification.
Can I have the summons
and your identity cards?
Fill this out and read the information
on the back.
Follow me.
- Irimis?
- Yes. That's me.
Sit down.
- You're a gypsy?
- No. My name's Petrina.
Petrina? What kind of a name is that?
Romanian.
- Did you know your mother?
- No.
Irimis.
So here...
It all depends on what mood I'm in.
Let me ask you.
Since you've been released,
why haven't you looked for a job?
I'm sure you've been busy,
but you could've tried.
You're under surveillance, after all.
And it is crystal clear that it didn't occur
to you at all to find a job.
You know us, Captain.
Not that well.
You mean your future?
But you're a young man.
I'm not in love with my job either,
but do you really want to be out of work
the rest of your life?
Yes.
Here's this document, see, it says that
you do not respect work,
or those who work hard.
Nice words.
But the years will go by one day.
Do you have a wife and kids?
You expect your son to support you,
or what?
When your leg is broken,
or you break your back,
you have a head injury,
serious things, when you can't
look after yourself anymore.
We're on the side of the law,
just like you.
We know the law
and we haven't broken it so far.
According to this document
all you've done is break it.
- No.
- And with considerable effort.
That's just what it looks like.
And so what is the truth
if that's just what it "looks like"?
That we're law-abiding.
- And why start right now?
- We didn't just start now.
You've respected the law
from your early childhood?
- That's right.
- My grandfather respected it.
That was your grandfather, not you.
Talk about yourself,
not about your grandfather.
We're loyal citizens
of this country, Captain.
Let me remind you, our services
have been used for many years.
How did this happen?
Don't call your lives a tragedy.
Be humble, no tragedy.
- You know us, Captain.
- Of course I do.
But this is not a tragedy,
it's plain villainy.
Why don't we leave everything as before?
Leave it as before?
You'll never want to change?
Not that human life is so highly valued.
Keeping order may seem to be
the responsibility of the authorities.
But lately it's the business of the people.
The order.
In freedom, there is, however,
something not human,
but rather, divine.
But our lives are too short
for us to find out this properly.
If you searching for a link between order
and freedom, think of Pericles.
He said order and freedom
are linked by passion.
We have to believe in both,
as we suffer from both.
Both from order and freedom.
But human life is meaningful,
rich, beautiful and filthy.
It encompasses everything.
But we abuse freedom,
wasting it as if it were just some junk.
People don't like freedom.
They are afraid of it.
This is strange, because there is nothing
to fear when it comes to freedom.
Order, on the other hand,
can often be frightening.
But I must draw your attention
to certain points.
The fact of the matter is,
you have no choice but to cooperate.
And my point is, that
if you really respect the law,
then, it is obvious, that I'm just
a little ahead of you in this.
Practically you have... offered it.
We do respect you a lot, Captain...
Not "captain". The law!
But you're the law itself, Captain.
Oh, no. The law, that's all of us together.
Why not leave things as they are?
Right now you, for instance, are outlaws.
And you know very well why.
I suppose
I do not have to read out the lot.
I won't say this again.
From now on, you either work for me
or... well, I have to say,
you really have no choice.
Mr Irimis.
You can go now.
Two rum and liqueurs.
And a pack of cigarettes.
- Large ones I meant.
- Sorry.
Move aside, please.
May I just remind you of the cigarettes?
Sorry, I forgot.
May we ask what's so funny?
Nothing. Sorry.
Can you hear that?
What is it?
A machine?
The lights?
Someone's singing?
Who would dare to sing in here?
Quiet!
We'll blow everything up.
- Should we call the police?
- There's no need.
We'll blow them all up.
We'll plant explosives in their
jackets... or in their ears.
We'll stick the dynamite up their noses.
We'll have to stop this somehow,
don't you think?
Sure, why complicate things?
We'll blow them up one by one.
We'll kill them all.
In a very short time.
How do you know they're still there?
I think they had ran away long time ago
if they have any sense.
Them? They were servants
and will remain so all their lives.
They sit in the kitchen,
shit in the corner,
now and then they look out the window
to see what others do.
I know them inside out.
What makes you so sure?
I think nobody's there. The houses
are empty, the roof tiles are stolen...
At best, one or two rats are in the mill,
all skin and bone.
They just sit on the same dirty stools.
Stuff themselves with potatoes
and don't know what's happened.
They eye each other suspiciously
as they belch away in the silence,
and wait determinedly, because
they think they had been cheated.
They are slaves who have lost their master.
They can't live without pride,
dignity and courage,
but they don't feel such qualities
reside within them.
They only know how to live
in the shadow of such things.
Cut it out, will you?
They follow that shadow,
like lemmings, off a cliff.
They can't live without their fantasies.
But when they get too close,
they can't handle it.
What they really need is a heated room
and a bowl of hot paprika stew.
They're happy if at night,
under a warm quilt
they find the neighbour's chubby wife.
- Are you listening at all?
- Sure, whatever.
- I've been waiting for you for a while.
- How'd you know we were coming?
- From the conductor.
- What conductor?
- Kelemen.
- Why? Kelemen became a conductor?
Since the spring, on the coach.
But the coach doesn't run now.
You promised that if I spread
the rumour on the farm that you had died,
you'd hook me up with Mrs Schmidt.
I keep my promises.
And you promised me Mrs Krner.
She has nice tits, that one.
That will happen too, Sanyi.
Since you left here, not much has changed.
The schoolmaster's still at home, alone.
Mrs Schmidt's with Futaki.
You know, the cripple.
My younger sister is totally crazy.
Spies on everybody.
My mum tries to beat the crazy out of her,
but everyone knows she's nuts for life.
The Doctor broods at home.
He sits in his armchair,
leaves the lights on all the time.
Sometimes he sleeps in his chair.
His place smells like hell,
even though he smokes good cigarettes.
Drinks a lot of fruit brandy.
Mrs Krner keeps him supplied.
Schmidt and Krner are bringing
the money for the cattle today.
Everyone's been doing that
since February, except Mum.
Those bastards didn't include her,
they are happy to have lots of money.
The bar owner's sold his good Pannonia
and bought a piece of crap
you have to push to get started.
He uses that to go to town
to see his wife once a month,
although now he lives at my sister's
because we still owe him
for what he lent us to buy seeds last year.
In the east, the sky clears
as fast as a memory is forgotten.
At dawn, it leans all red
on the waving horizon.
In the same way the beggar trudges
up the back steps of a church,
the sun rises to give life to the shadows,
and to separate earth and sky,
man and animal,
from the disturbing, strange unity
in which they became
inextricably intertwined.
He saw the fleeing night on the other side,
as its terrifying elements disappear
on the western horizon,
like a desperate, defeated, confused army.
To know something
Futaki... it seems...
...is afraid... of something.
Early... morning... startled...
...he was looking... out... of the window.
Futaki...
...is terrified... he's afraid of death.
They'll die anyway.
You too, Futaki, you'll die too.
Schmidt... leaves through...
the back door...
...and stands... on top of...
...the path to... Sodic Park.
Futaki... quietly...
slips out of... the house...
...crosses... over to the stables...
...and hides... by the wall.
F. doesn't move.
He waits... for a moment...
...then... he too... dashes...
over to the door...
...knocks, and... enters quickly...
after Schmidt.
What a... hustle and bustle.
It has started... to rain.
It won't... stop... till... spring.
It is fascinating to see,
the erosion caused by water and wind
at the edge of the Ponticum,
when the sea on the Great Plain
had significantly receded
and it looked like a shallow lake,
like Lake Balaton does now.
Good morning, Doctor.
Quickly, Doctor, don't let it get cold.
Take it away.
You see, it's raining,
we'll soon have snow, too.
My husband and I feel, it would be good
if you could talk to the pub owner.
He has a car,
he could bring you this stuff.
You mean you won't anymore?
I will, but I can't go on foot into town
in this rain.
Besides, he has a car and could do your
shopping for two or three weeks.
The bus only starts running again
in spring.
It's all right, Mrs Krner, you can go.
Then you'll talk to the pub owner?
I'll talk to whoever I want to!
- Where shall I put the keys?
- Wherever you want it.
Goodbye.
K. has quit.
She can't...
...do it... any longer.
Last autumn... she didn't...
...mind...
...the rain...
...nor that...
...she had to... walk.
K. has...
...a specific plan.
She's thinking... about something...
in her head.
It seems I got pretty drunk.
Today I ran out... of the last drop...
of fruit brandy.
It looks like I need...
...to leave... the house.
Come on, cut that out.
You hear me? Stop that.
Look after the fire instead, I'm cold.
I'll look after my arse, man.
I've just looked after it... You're next.
- You hear me?
- All right, all right.
We're going to freeze again.
- How long are we supposed to wait?
- How do I know?
Leave me alone.
To hell with the whole thing.
Stop whining. Someone's coming.
Good evening.
Haven't seen you for ages, Doc.
Feel like a screw?
I'd like to warm up a bit
if you don't mind.
- Only warm up, Doc?
- Yes.
And what about a good fuck
like in the old days?
Come on, Doctor. It doesn't cost much.
For such an old friend.
Could I have a cigarette?
- Right there, at your feet.
- Thank you.
- How's business going?
- Bad.
You see, we just sit here day after day
and nothing.
We're all nerves,
we almost go at each other.
What's going to become of us, Doc?
It's the way a person loses heart
in the whole thing.
What do you think we live on?
We have Sanyi living with us,
crazy Estike, Mum too.
They keep asking where's the money?
Give it to them.
The money this, the money that,
but who cares?
We'll leave here anyway.
We'll move to town.
Cut the crap. Either go or stay.
It would make you happy
if I cleared off, wouldn't it?
Today, when they finally get the money?
They're not coming.
They should've arrived ages ago.
They'll come. I know them.
When they've got money,
they run after their dicks.
You think Krner admits
to the whole amount at home?
There will be a hell
of a lot of money here today!
- Can I have a cigarette for the road?
- Sure.
- Matches?
- Take them.
So, you won't change your mind, Doctor?
No. Good luck.
You too.
He hasn't got a lot of time left.
You'd hardly recognise him.
What the hell is he doing here in the rain?
He hardly leaves the house.
Now he comes out in this weather?
Idiot. Didn't you see the bottle?
Goes to pick up his brandy.
He doesn't even have
the money to pay Mrs Krner.
- Doctor.
- What do you want?
- Doctor.
- What are you doing? Let me go.
- Leave me, go now, you brat.
- Doctor!
Leave me alone, you brat.
Fucking hell.
Where are you going now? Wait.
Where are you going?
Stop!
I won't hurt you.
Stop!
Where are you running?
Wait.
Hallo, hallo...
Now there...
Time to get off.
"My heart," he thought, over and over.
He longed to lie in a warm room,
to be taken care of by sweet little nurses,
sipping his hot soup,
then turning towards the wall.
He felt light and easy,
though the conductor's scolding words
echoed long in his ears.
"You shouldn't have done it, Doctor.
"You shouldn't have done it."
INTERMISSION
The work of the spider I
You could light a fire.
I could.
I said, you could light a fire.
Stop this.
A litre.
Pick up the hundred for me too.
You only got the denomination wrong.
Don't worry, pinhead.
I won't do you any harm.
Just quit pointing.
It's raining.
Awful weather.
Yeah.
It destroys everything.
Look at this coat,
what it looks like on me.
This used to be as soft as butter,
and now, it's so dried out,
if I want to sit down, I have to break it.
Look.
Here, at my groin,
with the edge of my hand.
That's how I do it.
Flexibility, you know,
that's what's missing.
Totally missing.
Then the wind,
it can't keep that out either.
The whole thing's creased.
The leather's crumbling, you see.
You go here and there.
Can't sit inside all the time.
And it gets soaked inside and outside...
Because the worst is not out there,
but in here.
You haven't heard
of the inside rains, of course not.
You've been saying this for years.
They bathe your organs night and day.
They come from the heart,
and wash the liver, the stomach,
the spleen and the kidneys.
I am soaking wet.
If it were not for this coat,
I don't know what'd happen.
I don't even dare unbutton it.
A glass of wine would, of course, help.
Then there's the constant demand
from the liver,
the stomach, the spleen and the kidneys.
They have to work all the time.
Without a break.
Then this constant drenching can turn into
a sudden drying out.
Which can soon... turn fatal.
Listen, give me a glass.
Schmidt and Krner
will be here soon anyway,
they will count what I'm supposed to get.
Fine.
Nice little wine.
Give me one more.
He's fallen asleep.
How much you think
this one's supposed to eat?
It doesn't eat, it devours.
It can eat half a pig in one go.
Would you believe that?
I would.
That was very close.
Irimis and Petrina
are coming toward the yard.
- They can't be.
- It's as true as I'm here.
The hauler from the lumber yard was there,
two loaders...
...the schoolmaster, the PE teacher...
...and the night barman
from the station caf.
And I sat there.
Just sat there!
I couldn't believe my eyes.
And... there they were!
Irimis and Petrina,
drinking rum and liqueurs!
I waited till they drank up,
and went up to them.
Irimis gave me a hug and asked,
"Kelemen! How's it going?"
Then he told me everything.
Then off we went.
I had to see Hochan the butcher.
Then... I met young Tth,
who used to be my neighbour in Pstanya.
He told me that Irimis
had been at the Steigerwald's
and talked about gunpowder.
The Steigerwald kids
were talking about it in the street.
And when I was on my way back...
...and turned off...
...at the Elek crossroad...
...I caught sight of them.
And then I understood,
what, how, and why.
Irimis! Petrina!
I'll get rid of them, drunken pigs!
I'll turn the lights off
and board up the place.
Irimis and Petrina!
They can't take what is mine.
Mine! Everything here is mine! Mine!
Irimis! Petrina! Everything is mine! Mine!
Petrina!
Then I went up to them.
Irimis hugged me and said warmly,
"Kelemen! How's it going?"
And right away he bought a round.
The waitresses smiled
and jumped to it like grasshoppers.
And then he told me everything.
So tell me, have you learned your lesson?
What lesson?
Leave me alone. I've learned all I need to.
You've never learned anything.
You just keep drinking.
I've learned it all, you old witch.
I want no one meddling in my business.
In the book of your fate though,
this resurrection is written.
- Don't give me that nonsense.
- But you just go on boozing.
Boozing, sure I'm boozing.
Listen, you witch,
why do you think I'm here?
I came to drink, not to look pretty
for the likes of you.
You know what's waiting
for the likes of you?
No one happens to be waiting for me.
The blackest fire of hell.
You may have seen a black fucking arse,
but not a black fire,
so fuck the black arse and the fire
and go to fucking hell. That's it.
You think they'll stand for this
forever up there?
No.
Think they sit up there and just ignore
this Sodom and Gomorrah?
That's exactly it.
There'll be weeping and mourning,
as the prophet says.
No Creation. Spritzer!
Creation is a spritzer.
- None of your business.
- He's always like that, sorry.
A hell of a witch. Old cobwebbed cunt.
You'd better read this.
Leave the poor thing alone.
Get him a spritzer instead.
Spritzer withdrawal is a kind of murder.
Don't read Genesis, you poor thing.
That's a mystery.
Read Revelation.
You know what we're all waiting for?
If you haven't heard it before,
for you to go to hell.
But there's no use waiting,
it doesn't matter if you go away.
It doesn't matter if we can't see you
or hear you.
You'll leave your stench behind.
It lasts forever.
It's no use opening a window
and airing the room.
It remains.
Mrs Schmidt.
Halics can't imagine
what happened to your husband.
You see, this lousy weather.
What can I get you?
- Some cherry plinka?
- I don't really know.
A small one.
- Have you heard it?
- Are you sure that they must be them?
Must be.
They'll be here in the morning.
They'll be here by midnight.
Takes three hours to get here.
- It's not three hours.
- Why isn't it three hours?
Because it takes much longer.
Won't be any arrivals before the morning.
Why the morning?
If the three hours took me three hours,
the three hours will take them four hours.
They will be here by midnight.
By morning, that road
is full of potholes and ruts.
They'll go round the potholes.
They'll avoid the ruts.
They won't go through the potholes,
or the ruts, you're right,
so they won't be here
by midnight, but by morning.
By morning if they use the road.
I come from here.
They can only come by that road,
they'll only walk on that,
- they care about their shoes.
- Their shoes?
Yes, their shoes.
That road is a long way round.
It's soaked.
It's like having to go around the sea.
Their shoes! Never mind them.
They'll be here by midnight.
They weren't soaking wet.
The road goes by the fire.
Are you from here? Have you been there?
I saw them, I kept going, and I came here.
I saw them,
and they'll be here by midnight.
They're coming by the road
and won't be here before morning.
- Don't give me that.
- They can only come by the road
and that takes a turn
like going round the sea.
Don't give me that, I'm from here.
What's wrong with this fucking stove?
This is a pub, not a waiting room.
- What time is it?
- 11.
At the latest... 11 or 12.
Who's taken my wine?
You spilled it.
- You're a liar, fool.
- You spilled it.
Then get me another one.
What's that smell?
There wasn't one a minute ago.
Just the spiders
or the coal.
No.
It's the earth.
Unravelling
Come on.
Give me the money.
See, with the knot upwards...
Are you sure the moneystalk starts
sprouting in four days?
Sure. But only if you give it
enough water every day.
- We're going to be rich?
- Sure.
- The others will envy us?
- Of course.
I can stay in the best room that night?
Yes.
Here, take that home.
Hi. Come on in.
What's up?
Where is your place? Stay right there.
Behave yourself.
You've made a mess in your pants.
You have a lot of nerve.
I can do whatever I want to you.
I'm stronger than you are.
Come on now.
Come on.
You're dead! I won't feel sorry for you.
So come on, then. Come on.
See you soon.
Sanyi!
Sanyi, come here!
The moneystalk's been robbed.
- Oh, come on.
- The money's been stolen, too.
It wasn't stolen, I needed it.
It was for me anyway.
- It was my money, too.
- Oh, go away.
- Why? Did you know?
- Get your hands off me!
Go away now. I said go away!
I won't say it again.
Come back here. I said, come back!
I said, come here!
Come on, move it!
Rat poison. You stole it, didn't you?
You stole it.
And you have the whole house
exterminated, right?
Now, here, but be careful,
I'll have my eye on you.
And now clear off.
I said, clear off.
- Doctor!
- What do you want?
- Doctor!
- What do you want?
- Doctor!
- Let me go. Little brat!
Fucking hell!
What the hell do you want?
Come on, tell me.
What do you want?
Where are you going? Stop now.
I won't hurt you.
Stop!
I won't do you any harm!
"Yes," she said to herself softly.
The angels see this and understand.
She felt peace inside,
and around her the trees, the road,
the rain and the night
all breathed tranquillity.
Everything that happens is good,
she thought.
Everything was, eventually, simple.
She recalled the previous day,
and, smiling, she realised
how things are connected.
She felt that these events
aren't connected by accident,
but there's an indescribably
beautiful meaning bridging them.
And she knew she wasn't alone,
for all things and people,
her father up there, her mother,
her brothers, the doctor,
the cat, these acacias,
this muddy road, this sky,
this night down here depended on her,
just as she herself depended on everything.
She had no reason to be worried.
She knew well that her angels
had set out to collect her.
The Work of the Spider II
(The Devil's Tit, Satantango)
I was plodding and plodding,
just plodding along.
The Steigerwald kids
and Hochan the butcher, the girls,
as they jumped like grasshoppers
when Irimis hugged me
and asked, "How's it going, Kelemen?"
and bought a round and told me everything,
and they were drinking rum liqueur,
even then I was plodding and plodding
and plodding and plodding along.
They'll be here.
They'll be here in the yard.
They'll be here. The Tth kid,
Irimis...
...and they've been to the Steigerwald's.
And as I was plodding along,
when it became clear
they were leaving for the yard,
then I knew everything.
Irimis and Petrina
were coming toward the yard.
I met Hochan the butcher
and I bumped into the Tth kid.
And as I was plodding along,
for I had to plod...
...and saw them by the road,
revelation which way... why... where to
and the plodding, the why,
the where to and the which way,
the Tth kid, the Steigerwald kids,
Irimis and Petrina
and the gunpowder at the Steigerwald's.
And the Steigerwald kids talking
about gunpowder,
and me plodding and plodding...
And the Steigerwald kids
were talking about gunpowder.
And the Steigerwald kids,
talking about gunpowder...
But the Tth kid,
he was there... at the Weighing bridge.
- Put some soda in it.
- I've already put some in.
- And the Steigerwald kids...
- A bottle of wine.
Gunpowder's not gun-powder.
They were talking about gunpowder.
- Careful or it goes to your head.
- Not gun-powder, gunpowder.
I was plodding, plodding along...
Gunpowder's not gun-powder!
Gunpowder! It's not gun-powder!
He hugged me... The waitresses
jumped like grasshoppers...
They were drinking rum and liqueur.
I know I shouldn't drink any more
because it will go to my head.
I was plodding, plodding along...
You're offering it so invitingly.
Just goes straight to your head!
You're pissed to the eyeballs.
As you plod along you learn everything.
Don't fucking give her another!
Can't you see the state of her?
I shouldn't drink. When I do,
I keep thinking of coffins.
...the Steigerwald's and Irimis hugged me,
the girls jumped like grasshoppers,
and bought a round,
drinking rum and liqueur
and he told me everything
and I'm plodding, plodding,
plodding, plodding, and plodding,
plodding and plodding, and plodding.
But there's a huge difference
between plodding
and plodding along.
I knew exactly when I saw them
at the junction,
why, how, which way, why and how...
I'm plodding, plodding, plodding,
and how am I plodding?
How am I plodding?
The gunpowder,
the Steigerwald's, the Tth kid...
The whole street was talking,
that they're hiding gunpowder.
Why did they do this?
And why are they coming here?
I know why they're coming
because I had a revelation...
It's too hot in here.
Jnos, please do something.
You don't begrudge the coal?
They are coming at the road junction.
I know exactly why.
Why, why and why they're coming
and why they're coming.
- It's nice and warm in here...
- You let him, dickhead?
What the hell you want?
At least there's something for the others.
For I was plodding and plodding
and plodding along...
They're coming and coming...
- This is not a whorehouse.
- What, then?
...coming and coming.
They stop but they're coming!
Let's go to the mill.
They'll get here. In a few minutes...
- Where the hell are you going?
- Nowhere, honey-pot, nowhere.
I'll show you who's the honey-pot.
Just you wait and get sober.
Nothing, nothing.
They're coming, because I saw them
by the road. At the junction.
Give me a shot.
The Steigerwald kids talked about powder.
Irimis and Petrina
are coming toward the yard.
Gunpowder, Steigerwald...
and they're coming to the yard.
They'll be here in a short while.
We were plodding along...
My husband is a good man,
but the alcohol, you know.
Without that he'd be so gentle.
He can be a blessed good man
when he wants to.
He's a hard worker. You know that.
He can do the work of two.
He only has this small flaw.
Who doesn't have one? Who doesn't?
They're coming, plodding.
Irimis and Petrina...
Someone's coming!
I was plodding, plodding, plodding along...
They didn't talk much.
Irimis and Petrina...
Good evening. A bottle of beer, please.
The girls jumped around like grasshoppers.
Irimis hugged me.
"How's it going, Kelemen?"
And bought us a round.
The girls jumped around like grasshoppers.
And I was plodding, plodding
and plodding along.
Have you seen my daughter?
- Which one?
- The little one.
Estike.
She hasn't been here.
Since they started toward
the yard at the junction,
I've known everything.
Irimis and Petrina
are coming toward the yard.
I met Hochan the butcher,
and bumped into the Tth kid
- at the Weighing Bridge.
- You know what happened?
Yesterday evening there was
a little trouble with Halics.
Now he doesn't even say hello,
the shithead.
I saw them by the road...
Revelation, which way, why, where to...
...and the plodding, the why
and the where to, the which way...
I slept all day, and when I woke up
no one was there.
The house was empty.
No Mari, no Juli, no Sanyika.
And plodding, plodding and plodding...
The Steigerwald kids
were talking about gunpowder.
But that's all right, even the little one
has wandered off somewhere too.
When she comes back, she's gonna get it.
She'll come back.
She's not the wandering type.
She's really not.
...the gunpowder's no gun-powder...
Wandering in this rain all night long.
No wonder I stay in bed for days.
The waitresses jumped like grasshoppers.
They were drinking rum and liqueur...
That's good for my stomach.
Do you want coffee?
Why? I'd be tossing
and turning all night long.
Then what is it good for?
Nothing.
In a little while,
I was plodding and plodding...
The Tth kid, the Steigerwald's...
and Irimis hugged me...
The girls jumped like grasshoppers,
he bought us a round,
they had rum and liqueur.
He told me everything and I'm plodding...
Well, good night.
If you happen to see any of them,
tell them to hit the road home.
I can't be wandering around all night long.
Here's the bill.
...why, how, which way, why and how...
Plodding and plodding and plodding.
And how am I plodding?
The gunpowder, Hochan the butcher,
Steigerwald, Tth...
Everybody was talking
about the Steigerwald kids
hiding gunpowder. Why?
And why are Irimis and Petrina
coming toward the yard?
I know why they're coming.
Because I had a revelation. A revelation.
I know why they're coming.
Because I had a revelation.
They're coming at the junction.
I know exactly why.
They stop but they're coming.
Futaki, that stupid arse,
rolls in the mud like a pig,
then he goes out in the rain
like a sheep that has gone astray.
Have you lost your mind?
You do not know you are not supposed
to get wrecked in here?
And without eating, too.
Wash your face.
Dry yourself.
Do you have anything to eat?
Milk chocolate.
Or cheese rolls.
Give me two cheese rolls.
Bloody hell.
What can't be moved, they soil.
And foul, everything.
I could spend my whole life
following them with a cloth.
The legs of the table,
the window, the stove... the crates.
The worst is that you can't see them do it.
If I start to watch them,
they can feel it
and get out of sight.
That damn Swabian
did me in...
...he never mentioned spiders.
Nothing will come of nothing.
No.
The real threat comes
from under the ground.
Suddenly...
...one's frightened by the silence,
doesn't move,
crouches down in the corner
where he feels safe.
Chewing becomes pain, swallowing agony.
Then all slows down and finally
comes the most terrible thing.
Stillness.
There's no help or escape.
Because who can understand?
That I, who could live
till the end of time,
I'd still have to go away from here
all the way down to the worms.
And now there's Irimis coming.
Irimis?
He's been drinking on the house for weeks
and he has the bloody nerve
to come back here.
Because, OK, he said,
I should plant onions everywhere.
And it succeeded.
Because the great ideas are always simple.
But it's a bit too much
that afterward he comes back
and says that I owe him everything.
And for weeks he's been boozing for free.
And he has the nerve to come
back to take what's mine.
Everything here is mine.
Because I have done everything here.
Do they think they can do anything here?
They come in from the street and say,
"You can go now!"
There will be law and order here,
my friend, in this country!
There will be order here one day!
There will be order!
You see, here's Halics!
May I have a tango?
Do you know that dancing is my soft spot?
You're not like the others.
You need a settled, sober man...
...not a Schmidt...
...whose rough character
does not agree
with your tender personality.
Listen.
If those most excellent people
can again occupy the positions
they deserve in the offices...
...and I am the schoolmaster again...
...I would take you to the city...
Tango is my life. Tango, tango, tango!
My mother's the sea.
My father's the earth.
My name is tango... tango... tango.
My father's the sea.
Tango...
...is my life, tango.
My father's the sea.
My mother's the earth.
Never mind.
...is my life...
Tango.
Tango!
Tango...
...is my life...
Tango!
My mother's the sea
and my father's the earth.
No sea, no land either...
Fuck you.
What have you done to the sea, to the land?
Is my life,
...tango...
...tango, tango?
My mother's the sea...
That was all.
Drawn out by the tender sound
of the accordion
the spiders in the pub
launched their last attack.
They sewed loose webs
on top of the glasses,
the cups, the ashtrays,
around the legs of the tables
and the chairs.
Then they bound them together
with secret threads
so that in their hidden corners
they'd notice every little move
and every little stir
until this almost invisible web
would not be damaged.
They sewed a web on the sleeper's
faces, their feet, their hands.
Then hurried back to their hiding places,
waiting for an ethereal thread to move,
to start it all again.
INTERMISSION
Irimis makes a speech
I am in a state of deep emotion.
As you can imagine, I am totally confused.
I am bewildered and shocked.
Yet I must pull myself together.
Though right now all I can say is that
I share in this broken-hearted
mother's misery.
In a mother's never-ending
mourning and sorrow.
In the grief of losing the one
who is dearest to our hearts.
This tragic event weighs us all
down with sadness.
I don't think there's anyone
who would disagree with me.
And now the hardest thing is,
in this sadness with our teeth clenched,
to get our minds over the heartbreak,
to defy our tears when our voices fail us.
For, and I would like to call
your attention to this,
nothing can be more important
than for us to reconstruct
the shocking events
which led to the terrible death
of an innocent child...
...before the police start investigating.
You'd better expect
that the inspectors from town
will try to make us primarily responsible
for this awful event.
Yes, my friends, they're going to blame us.
Because, to be quite honest...
...with a little caution,
care and attention,
we could have prevented it.
Just imagine this vulnerable creature
wandering all night long
in the pouring rain,
at the mercy of the first
passer-by, of the first tramp,
of anybody.
She was whipped by the wind all night,
she fell easy prey to the elements.
She must have been around here,
wondering here all the time.
She may have looked in through this window
and saw that you were all drunk
and dancing around.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mean
to accuse anyone personally.
I am not accusing the mother,
who is never going to forgive herself
for getting up too late
in the morning of that awful day.
I am not accusing the victim's brother,
nor any other members of the family.
So I am not accusing anyone.
But let me ask you the question,
aren't we all guilty?
You will, of course,
answer that we are innocent.
But then, what do we call this poor child?
The victim of the innocent?
The martyr of the faultless?
The slaughtered of the sinless?
I'd rather call her innocent.
I spent the night turning in my bed
till I realised this.
Not only do we not know
how the tragic event happened,
but we don't really even
know what exactly happened.
I am quite convinced
that this event was fated to happen.
Now you also seem to suspect that.
It is not enough, however,
to suspect something.
Things are to be understood
and said without delay.
It had been quite clear for you
before coming here, but you were
too afraid to say
that this yard was ruled by misfortune.
You didn't dare talk about it.
Now you may rightly suppose
an irrevocable judgment is coming soon.
You are slouching around in this decay,
far away from everything that means life.
Your plans come to nothing,
your dreams, still blind, are shattered.
You expect some miracle
which will never come.
But what kind of misfortune
are you the victims of?
Is it the crumbling plaster,
the roofs without tiles,
the crumbling walls,
the sour taste our friend Futaki
keeps talking about?
Isn't it the shattered prospects,
and broken dreams,
that bend our knees and wear us numb?
Don't be surprised that I speak harshly,
but let us be honest.
If you felt the yard was ruled
by misfortune,
why didn't you try to do
something about it?
You thought a bird in the hand
is worth two in the bush.
But this is a coward's way.
It is disgraceful and careless
and it has serious consequences.
This is called impotence, sinful impotence.
This is weakness, sinful weakness.
This is cowardice, sinful cowardice.
Because, and bear this in mind,
it's not just to others that we can
do unforgivable things,
but also to ourselves.
And this, my friends, is even more serious.
Yes, when you think about it,
all kinds of vileness
are sins against ourselves.
And you know, my friends, if I think back
and see you lying half-dead
on the chairs and tables,
on top of each other,
dribbling, exhausted,
my heart sinks and I cannot judge you,
for I will never be able to forget this.
From your panting, snoring and groaning,
I heard your cry for help
which I have to answer.
We know each other well.
I have been keeping my eyes
wide-open for decades everywhere.
I bitterly observe that,
under the thick veil
of trickery and deception,
nothing has changed.
Misery has remained misery.
The two extra spoonfuls of food we can have
only makes the air thinner
in front of our mouths.
But I realised
what I have done so far is nothing.
A much deeper solution is needed.
So, using the opportunity,
I decided...
...to get some people together
and set up a model farm,
which will ensure a stable living,
and bind this tiny group
of the dispossessed together.
I am creating an island
where no one is powerless,
where everyone will live in peace,
and will feel safe as human beings.
That is why I left for the manor in Alms.
The main building is in good condition,
the rental agreement is a simple matter.
There's just one problem...
...no use in trying
to keep it a secret from you...
...the money.
Without a penny, the whole thing is dead.
Capital is needed for production,
but this is a bit complicated.
There's no point in going into details.
And you'll understand that
the circumstances of our meeting
made me feel uncertain,
whether you would be able to do it.
Whether you would be able
to offer the little money,
the result of your extra hard work
and much hardship,
to hand over for a hasty idea.
Think about it.
Calm your thoughts.
Do not decide straight away.
But if fate decides
that from now on we stay together,
inseparable,
do remember the price that has been paid.
Do not forget the child...
...who may have had to perish
for the very reason
so our star could finally rise.
Who knows, my friends?
All we know for certain is...
...that life is very hard on us.
The Perspective, as seen from the front
I told you she shouldn't have
been taken from the institute.
I don't know why you brought her out.
Friends,
words fail me
now that I let you go on your way.
It's hard to describe the way I feel.
For what could I say...
...of your enthusiasm, your generosity...
...for the sake of our common prosperity?
Of that precious thing you gave me,
your confidence.
What else could I say
but that all this gives me courage
and lays a special responsibility on me
which I would like to fulfil
to the best of my ability.
Your enthusiasm and confidence
makes me confident and enthusiastic.
I'm thinking of the future we'll share.
Goodbye, my friends.
See you tomorrow at 6am
in the manor at Alms.
Go ahead and think of the future.
From now on you, my friends, are free.
And you were screwed, you mean shitbag!
Fuck off! Bastards.
Go fuck yourselves. Fuck off!
Fuck off!
Fuck off!
You see, what you have done?
The stuck-up person you were.
- Keep your mouth shut, OK?
- There you are.
Stop crowing and go to hell. Just go home.
- Oh, yes, once up and once down.
- Go home, will you?
I've been saying, one always has
to have respect for one self.
Now you're finished. You can close down.
Go home, will you?
Leave me alone.
My husband was the same,
he didn't know what was right.
And where did he end up?
Swinging from a rope in the barn.
Go home, stop bothering me.
Bother about yourself.
Go get your daughters instead
or they might go with them too.
- They'll never. They're locked up.
- Pay for your drinks and go.
They won't leave me like Estike did.
When they leave the yard,
they'll go and dig the ground.
Go home now.
Go.
Now, just go, go.
- You've finished it?
- I do not want to leave it for the gypsies.
The wind is blowing the clouds
Behind the sky is burning
Give me, my dear, your little hand
God knows if I'll see you again
Whether I'll hold you in my arms
Whether I'll kiss you, dear
God only knows the day I'll be shipped out
Whether I'll hold you...
You're lovely, you're fair, Hungary
Folks. We forgot the doctor.
Never mind the doctor.
He would have surely come
but I didn't mention it to him.
Come on, he would not be able to last
this long journey.
But he's going to starve now.
He can't even arrange it
with the pub owner.
Then let him starve to death.
I don't care about the doctor, if you miss
him so much, go back for him.
I haven't seen him for months.
There's no need to cry over him.
He's fine. Gets pissed every day,
then goes off to snore.
I wouldn't mind feeling
his mother's share in my pocket.
Are we all here?
No one's lagging behind?
We've done it!
At least we've done it.
You've come well prepared
for this new life.
Come on, Lajos,
there will be lots more of that.
How could those poor fellows heat all this?
Didn't I tell you?
We should never lose heart.
We have to have trust
until our last breath.
Otherwise what would become of us?
Tell me, what?
I can imagine.
You've seen the outer buildings...
...there's about five of them.
I bet the workshops are going to be there?
Workshops? What workshops?
Please be quiet. My husband
is already asleep. He wants quiet.
All right, all right. Can't we just talk?
I think it'll be the other way round:
we'll live in them
and the workshops will be here.
Won't you keep quiet?
No one can get any rest here.
Who was that?
Leave me alone. It wasn't me.
Nobody wants to own up to it?
Look,
I'll agree to anything you like,
just keep quiet.
Listen,
if everyone works hard,
I say, just one month.
We have great prospects for the future.
Tomorrow we'll find out
what Irimis is planning to do.
Tomorrow.
Halics was pursued
by a hunchback with a glass eye.
And after all sorts of trials
he fled to a river
but he started to lose heart.
Every time he came up for air,
the little man immediately hit his head
with a long stick.
And each time he shouted,
"Now you're gonna pay for it."
The schoolmaster persuaded
a man wearing an old suit
to go with him to somewhere he knows.
The man agreed,
like someone who can't say no.
He could hardly control himself
and when they turned into a deserted park,
he even pushed him
to reach faster a bench
that was surrounded by bushes.
He made the man lie down
and he jumped on him
and kissed him on the neck.
But seconds later, doctors appeared
on the path dressed in white.
Embarrassed, he waved to them
that he was going,
but he started to reproach
the confused little man,
for by then,
he seemed to hate his guts so much.
The ground trembled under Schmidt's feet,
as if he was walking on the moors.
He climbed up into a tree,
but he felt it starting to sink too.
Then he was lying on the bed,
trying to get the nightgown off his wife.
But she started to yell,
he jumped after her,
the nightgown was torn.
She turned towards him and laughed
and the nipples on her enormous breasts
were like two beautiful roses.
Mrs Halics was washing Mrs Schmidt's back,
and the rosary on the rim of the tub
slipped into the water like a snake.
Mrs Schmidt said she had enough,
that her skin was burning
from the scrubbing
but Mrs Halics pushed her
back into the bath
and went on scrubbing her back
because she said she was afraid
that Mrs Schmidt
wouldn't be satisfied with her.
Mrs Krner heard a noise from outside
but she didn't know what it could be.
She put on a fur coat
and left for the engine shed.
She had almost reached the road
when she had a bad feeling.
She turned and saw
that the top of their house was on fire.
"The chopped wood. Christ,
I left the chopped wood out!
"Heavens!" she screamed, and ran back.
Krner was sitting at the table,
calmly eating.
"Jska, are you crazy?
The house is on fire!"
But Krner didn't move.
Mrs Schmidt was a bird,
flying over the clouds, happily.
She saw that someone down there
was waving at her.
She came down a bit
and heard Schmidt shouting.
"Why didn't you cook anything, you bitch?
Come down here right now."
But she flew over him
and tweeted, "Tomorrow.
"You won't starve till then."
She felt the warmth of the sun on her back,
then flew closer to the ground.
She wanted to snatch a bug.
Futaki's shoulders were beaten
with an iron bar.
He couldn't move, he was tied to a tree.
He stretched out and felt the rope loosen.
He looked at his shoulders
and saw a long wound,
then turned his head,
as he couldn't stand seeing it.
He was sitting on an excavator,
the shovel was scooping out a huge hole.
A man came up to him and said,
"Hurry up, I won't give you
any more petrol, whatever you say."
But it was no use scooping,
for the earth kept falling back.
He tried again but failed.
Then he cried.
He was sitting at the window
of the engine shed
and didn't know whether it was
daybreak or evening.
The whole thing just didn't want to end.
He was sitting,
not knowing the time of day,
and nothing changed outside.
Morning didn't come, night didn't fall,
day was beginning to break
or night was beginning to fall.
Heavenly Vision? Hallucinations?
Friends.
Words fail me, now that the time came
and I let you go your own way.
It's hard to describe the way I feel.
For what can I say
about your enthusiasm, your generosity...
...for the sake of our common prosperity.
That precious thing you gave me,
your confidence.
What else could I say but
that all this gives me courage,
lays great responsibility on me,
which I would like to accept
and do the best I can.
And that your enthusiasm and confidence
makes me confident and enthusiastic.
I'm thinking of the future we'll share.
Goodbye, dear friends.
See you tomorrow at 6am
in the manor at Alms.
Go now and think of the future we'll share.
From now on you are free.
And you are screwed, you mean shitbag!
Fuck off. You bastards!
Go fuck yourselves. Fuck off!
I'm scared shitless, man,
how do we get out of this?
I'd be surprised if you weren't
shitting in your pants.
Do you want some paper?
This is no fucking joke,
it's bloody serious.
I wouldn't say I'm bursting with laughter.
Stop it, will you?
Would you be surprised
if I said our time has come?
What the hell are you getting at?
Listen to old Petrina this time.
Look, let's take the first train
and get away from here.
We're going to get in big trouble
if they realise what's going on.
Shut up.
Don't you see that we're partisans
in this persistent and hopeless
fight for human dignity?
Petrina, our time has come.
Our time has come.
You keep saying this, "Our time has come."
Our time will never come.
I had faith and confidence...
And there we are.
The web... don't you understand?
Irimis' nationwide cobweb.
Is your dull mind getting clear?
Where something stirs...
Go on.
You've never seen fog before or what?
The horses got away
from the slaughterhouse again.
Who do you support?
Myself.
How are you?
Fine.
You haven't changed at all.
What about you?
Nothing special.
I thought...
Two rum liqueurs and a glass of wine.
Here you are.
Listen, drink this up.
Then you go see Pyer
and tell him I'm waiting for him here.
Steigerwald.
What is it now?
We're staying here for tonight
but I'll need the car tomorrow.
But then I want the money before you go.
All right.
- And three bean soups.
- OK.
- With ham.
- OK.
I'm going to dictate.
Dear Captain...
...eternity...
...lasts forever...
...because it doesn't compare
to the ephemeral...
...the changeable...
...the temporary.
But the intensity of light
penetrating darkness
seems to weaken.
"Seems... to... weaken."
There is discontinuance...
...interruptions...
...holes...
...then finally the black nothing.
Then there are myriads of stars
at an unreachable distance...
...with a tiny spark in the middle,
the Ego.
"A... tiny... spark..."
Our deeds can be rewarded or punished,
punished in eternity, and only there...
...because everything has a place,
a place far away from reality...
...where it has its place,
where it has always been...
"Where... it... has... been..."
...where it will always be...
...where it is now.
The only authentic place.
I hope I didn't wake you.
You didn't disturb my sleep
and I do hope you won't either.
- My collaborators.
- My name's Petrina.
Horgos.
Very nice young man.
He can have a nice career.
Would you get me something now that...
...you got me out of bed?
What would you like?
Don't ask me what I'd like,
they don't have it.
Get me a glass of plum brandy.
Sanyi.
The gun dealer.
Sports guns.
I don't love this job, you know that.
You'd better call me Pyer.
Mr Pyer.
I asked you to come here this late
because soon
I will need rather a lot of explosive.
I'm going to think about it.
And decide as I see best.
And I hope you will do
your best for the success.
Listen, it's not entirely up to me.
But I need to know
whether you can give more
emphasis to this excellent plan
right now, with a so-called good start?
Certainly.
You are a gentleman...
...Mr Irimis.
Let me ask you something.
This "something new,"
which is waiting for us after
realizing your excellent plan...
- Well...
- Don't take me for a liberator.
Regard me as a sad researcher,
who investigates why everything
is as terrible as it is.
Would you like to have dinner with us?
No, thank you.
Well then, we'll discuss
the details another time?
I'll see you on the weekend.
Well, gentlemen...
Sleep well.
Look, it was 25 years ago, when I was
last able to sleep five and a half hours.
Since then, I've been turning
in my bed, half-asleep.
Thank you all the same.
Our Father,
who art in heaven...
...Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done...
...on earth...
...as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread...
...the power...
Amen.
The Perspective, as seen from the back
I don't understand Irimis.
He was one of us.
And now, he's like a lord.
You just can't understand
what he wants.
All the nonsense he said.
Bent knees and cries for help!
Then threatening with the child...
The way he spoke yesterday,
I was beginning to believe it.
Why the hell did he stir this shit up?
If I'd known he wanted more of the same,
I'd have saved him the trouble.
It's crazy to say
that it was my fault.
That I had anything to do
with that little idiot.
Even her name drove me up the wall.
"Estike," what's that?
Is that a name?
She ate a lot of rat poison and that's it.
Perhaps it was better for the poor thing.
But what's the whole thing to do with me?
He lured us here, to this rundown dump.
And we acted like sheep.
Meanwhile he dropped out.
God knows where he's drinking
with our money.
A whole year's pay.
And I'm flat broke again.
And if he appears in a minute,
what are you going to shout at him?
You're the one to say that?
You have the nerve to utter a word?
Stop for a minute!
Whose fault is it that I was robbed?
Who said that it'd be all right,
to share the money?
Irimis and Petrina, what?
You fucker...
Give me my money back, you bastard!
Give me my money back.
Give it back, you prick!
Let's give him two minutes,
and see if he calms down.
- Are the two minutes up now?
- Listen, people.
What on earth are you doing? Not this way!
- Use your heads.
- Shut up!
Here he is. Your saviour's here.
Do you really think it's my fault?
Give me my money back.
You hear me? Give it back!
I don't believe my eyes.
What are you doing there?
You get lost.
Don't worry about it.
It's none of your business.
Get away from here! I won't say it twice.
What's going on here?
I want to know what's going on!
We thought you wouldn't come.
You said you'd be here
by six in the morning.
I do my best to help you.
I've had no sleep for three days,
I walked hours in the pouring rain,
I run here and there
to overcome difficulties,
and you behave like piglets
when their dinner is late...
What happened to you?
- My nose is bleeding.
- I can see that. But why?
I never expected that from you.
From you neither.
And we've just begun.
What will be later on?
Will you knife each other?
Sad.
This is very sad.
I'm going to forget it this time.
But with a condition that such a thing
can't happen again. Is it clear?
So let's talk sense.
There is something important
I have to tell you.
We must postpone our plans
for the manor for the time being.
Because in certain circles
it wouldn't be desirable
if an establishment
for such vague purposes were created.
Their primary objection is
the fact that the manor,
being almost totally isolated
and a long way from town,
could hardly be brought
under their control.
Therefore,
in the present situation
for us the only way to succeed is
to scatter around the county
for a time being
until these gentlemen get so confused
that we can safely come back here
and start working as planned.
From now on, you are special people.
For you are selected to help in a matter
in which loyalty, devotion and prudence
are absolutely necessary.
Our goals go way beyond themselves.
Scattering is just a tactical decoy.
Because you're going to keep
in continuous contact with me,
even if not with each other.
In the meantime, do not believe
that we are going to remain
passively in the background
and wait for things
to get better by themselves.
What you have to do
is to listen to people around you.
Views, stories, events which are imperative
and connected to the matter.
Every one of you will need
to acquire the exceptional ability
by which you can distinguish between
the good and the bad signs.
In other words, between right and wrong.
And how are we going to live
in the meantime?
Don't worry.
Don't worry.
Everything is organised,
everything is prepared.
You will all have work to do.
At the beginning you'll get
enough money for the basics
from our common capital.
But do not waste our time
asking unnecessary questions.
We are late anyway.
We have to start right now, my friends.
Go pack your things. Hurry up.
Take your things and go.
Take the big things first.
Come on, move.
Krner, you too, you hear me?
Wait a second. Give us our money back.
You hear me? Give the money back!
The money?
Is that what you want?
Here, here's your money.
Do what you want to do with it, alone.
Good luck.
This is one year's of our hard work.
Jska, give the money back.
No, just share it out.
Perhaps it's better this way.
At least it became clear right from the start
that you have no honour or perseverance.
Good to know from the start
whom I can count on.
I think Mrs Krner,
your husband may be right.
I cannot realise my plans with you.
I need people who are at least able
to look after their own interests.
I have to go now.
Wait.
And...
...the farm will be working?
I don't know,
but this no longer should concern you.
Give him the money.
I didn't meant it.
Now, take the money.
This rain, you know, and the long hike.
We were so cold last night.
We are so sorry.
It's not about me.
It's the fact that you deserted,
you betrayed the cause
already on the very first day.
The whole thing is based
on confidence and perseverance.
Take the money now.
We trust you. Take it.
Look, I have no time or mood
for such scenes.
I must admit, you disappointed me.
But I will look past it this time
just for once.
I'm going to try and forget
this whole disgraceful event.
Mind how you sit there,
it takes at least two hours
even with this outstandingly fast vehicle.
Button your coats.
Put on your hoods and hats.
And just turn your backs
to the bright future
or this bloody rain will get
all over your faces.
Schmidts, Halicses, Krners, come on!
Futaki, Mr Schoolmaster,
please wait a minute.
What's the matter, you're not coming?
Is there a pub here?
- We could have a drink.
- No.
Schmidt and family,
you're going to Elek.
I've put everything down,
who to contact and where.
There you'll get work and a place to live.
And what work is there?
This is a butcher's.
There's plenty to do.
You can serve the customers.
Now the Krners.
You ask for Istvn Kalmr in Keresztur.
Listen carefully, it's not written down.
There's a street before the church
on the right.
You go down that street until
you see the "Ladies' Fashion" sign.
That's Kalmr's house.
Tell him Dnci has sent you,
he may have forgotten my real name.
He has a laundry in the back,
you'll stay there.
Is that clear?
Yes, Dnci.
A street after the church
and there's a sign...
Right.
Halics.
You go to the presbytery...
...and ask for Gyivicsn,
the parish priest.
Gyivicsn.
There's plenty of wine there.
You can clean the church
and do the cooking for the three of you.
Here's a thousand forints per person...
...if anything comes up.
But don't waste it.
And don't forget
what you're supposed to do.
I think all is clear.
We'd like to thank you
for all the good that you've done for us.
You don't have to say thank you.
Me too, I'm only a servant
of a great cause.
So remember what you have to do.
Then take good care,
as you know we care about you.
Take care of yourselves.
Listen, you sit up there...
...and we'll take you to the Streber.
We'll pick you up in an hour
and talk about the rest. OK?
OK.
Futaki.
Don't worry about me.
I know where I'm going.
I could find a job somewhere as a watchman.
You'd be better off doing something else.
What? Is there no way to come
to terms with you today?
Come to Steigerwald's by 8 in the evening
and we'll talk it over there.
All right, I'll do it your way.
Here.
A thousand forints.
Buy yourself a dinner somewhere at least.
This Futaki is the biggest sucker
I've ever met.
What did he think?
That this is paradise here?
What did the poor devil expect?
Nothing but worry and work
- Leave out the part about eternity.
- OK.
"Though I don't believe it's right
to write such information down
"but for you to see my willingness,
"I am following your instructions:
"I've taken into account
that you encouraged me to be open
"in all circumstances.
"I must say that there can be no doubt
about my people's aptitude.
"I hoped I could have convinced
you of this yesterday.
"This is important to emphasise again
"because from this rough draft
might derive other implications as well.
"I emphasise that in order to keep
my base working, I will be the only one
"to keep in touch with my people.
"Anything else would lead
to complete failure, etc..."
- I think it's all right.
- Then we leave that in.
Mrs Schmidt...
Type it.
Instead of a stupid woman
with big tits, you write,
"mentally immature person,
"who mostly emphasises her
female character."
And what about the "bloody whore"?
Could be a "lady of easy virtue"
or a "woman of low morals"...
How about "a woman prostituting herself
without hesitation"?
OK. Type it.
- Finished?
- Yeah.
"She went to bed with anyone and everyone.
"And if she missed anyone,
that was only by accident."
"She's a paragon of conjugal infidelity."
Finished?
Instead of "a stench created
by the mixing of cheap cologne
"with God knows what else..."
"She attempts to relieve
her unpleasant body odour
"in an unusual way."
- Krner.
- What?
Mrs Krner. Just type it.
"A termagant with a big mouth,"
should be replaced with,
"indiscreet transmitter
of fabricated stories."
- And instead of "a fat sow"?
- Leave that in.
- We shouldn't.
- Then put "big".
- "Overweight".
- OK.
- Can we leave Mrs Halics as it is?
- Sure.
And what about "wrinkled worm,
filled with alcohol"?
"Elderly alcoholic, short of stature"?
"Eager beaver."
"Inert dullness, blind wandering."
- We can leave that out.
- OK, we left it out.
You finished? Let's go on then.
Schmidt.
What's this? "Crude dullness mixed
"with featurelessness in the abyss
of uncontrollable darkness."
"Extreme stupidity,
inarticulate complaints,
"inert anxiety stiffened...
"...in the solid darkness of being."
Write this.
"His modest mental ability...
"...his submissive attitude to authority...
"...make him especially suited...
"...to accomplish
the activity in question...
"...to a high degree."
The schoolmaster.
He must have been out of his mind here.
Listen to this.
"If someone who's about to commit
suicide by jumping in the water
"were to hesitate at the last moment
on the bridge whether to jump or not,
"he should remember the schoolmaster
"and he will realise
there's only one chance.
- "To jump."
- Go on.
"He's like a withered cucumber.
In mental ability
"he remains below Schmidt,
a definite achievement."
Let's put, "Appearance: worn down.
No abilities."
- How did the two come together?
- That's what he wrote.
"He compensates for his cowardice
with narcissism and conceit.
"He's rather sentimental,
"as is often the case with onanistic men."
Then "weak and sentimental.
- "Sexually immature."
- OK, write that.
As for Krner,
he's a "boorish sloppy buffalo..."
"Though strongly built",
he worked as a smith.
"A strongly-built smith"?
"A stupid arse with dull eyes." Go on.
"The only dangerous one
is Futaki, but not very.
"A rebel, but a cowardly one.
"He might have had a nice career,
"but he can't get rid himself
of his obsessions.
"I'm sure he's the one
I can surely count on."
- So?
- Leave it.
No.
Write "dangerous,
but can be of use," instead.
"Cleverer than the others. Crippled."
- Is that all?
- Yeah.
Then sign his name. "Irimis."
- Is it still raining?
- Yes.
They shook hands outside the gate.
"You go by...?" "Bus."
"OK." "Bye then, " said the clerk.
"Nice day we had, eh?" the other added.
"Yeah, bloody good."
They shook hands again and parted.
At home, both were asked
the same question at the door,
"Did you have a bad day, dear?"
To which, shuddering and exhausted,
they could only say,
"Nothing much. The usual, my dear."
The circle closes
During the thirteen days...
...I spent in hospital...
Mrs Krner...
...didn't turn up...
...again...
Everything is...
...like I left it.
Neither of them dares...
...to come out the house.
They must be...
...lying on their beds, snoring
or staring at the ceiling.
They haven't a clue...
...that it is this dull...
...inertia...
...that leaves them...
...at the mercy
of what they most fear.
A cosmic economy.
My hearing...
...is getting worse.
The Turks are coming! The Turks are coming!
The Turks are coming! The Turks are coming!
I must be crazy.
I've mistaken the bells of the sky
for the sound of the bell for the dead.
One morning...
...at the end of October
not long before...
...the first drops...
...of the insufferably long
autumn rains
fell on the parched
sodic ground
on the western side of the yard...
...when...
...the mud of the stinking bog
makes the roads
impassable,
cutting off the town...
...until the first frosts.
Futaki was awakened...
by the sound of bells.
There was a solitary chapel
eight kilometres to the south-west
at the old Hochmeiss field
but it had no bell
its tower having collapsed
during the war...
Directed by Bla Tarr
From the novel of the same title
by Lszl Krasznahorkai
Script by Lszl Krasznahorkai
and Bla Tarr
Editor and co-author: gnes Hranitzky
Visual treatment: Bla Tarr
Camera: Gbor Medvigy
Art Consultant: Gyula Pauer
Music: Mihly Vig
Sound: Gyrgy Kovcs
Cast:
Voice of Peter Berling: Ferenc Kllai
Narrator: Mihly Rday
Assistants:
Produced by:
Production crew:
Assistance was provided by:
Magyar Televzi,
Tlvision Suisse Romande,
Filmfrderung Berlin,
Magyar Mozgkp Alaptvny,
and EURIMAGES Foundation.
With special thanks to:
Aerocaritas,
The Town Council and people of Baja
for their invaluable help.
Magyar Filmlaboratrium, Budapest
and Geyer Werke GmbH, Berlin
Lighting: Andrs Bederna
1991-1994