Sacrifice (1917 film)

Transcription

What do you say when entering a room with other people? "Good afternoon". But it's night time now. Why don't you kiss your sister's hand? And your brother-in-law's, the reverend. They came to take you to their home. You'll have a warm meal and a roof over your head. You grew up on the streets, with all kinds of hoodlums. You never learned to pray. You only learned bad things. What do you have to say to that? I grew up on the streets, with all kinds of hoodlums. I only learned bad things. You're a spoiled child. You were raised by a rebellious brother. I'm sorry, ma'am. He ended up the way he wanted, the way he deserved. THEN I SENTENCED THEM ALL TO DEATH Don't lie on the ground. The soil has unknown powers. They enter you with their wile. - You're soaking wet. - I can't believe! How did you get out? Didn't they see you? Me? Ipu... That's alright. You can call me anyway you want. But God forbid that someone else would call me that. Do you want to talk politics or to play? Let's play! What? Napoleon, the French Emperor. You'll be the Russian Czar. You say: "Napoleon, you beat me at Austerlitz and Jenna." "And other places too. But if you dare to attack me in my country," "there'll be a harsh winter, you'll lose all your grenadiers" "and I'll defeat you." That's what I'll say. I'm Napoleon and I'll say: "Listen, Czar, I'm not afraid of winter." "You'll come to me begging for mercy before the first cold." "Not even winter can defeat me." "Napoleon Bonaparte." That's what you'll say. The battle begins! Riders are passing by, the swords are flying, the cannons are rumbling. You and I are charging with our bayonets, taking flags, sleeping in the snow... - But I'm the Czar! - No! You're my soldier now. Okay. There's an old song, I don't know if you read about it. The good thing is not far away. It's coming to make us justice. I don't know the rest. - Do you like it? - It's very nice. It's noon already. I took care of everything back home. I cut wood for fire, I brought water, I cleaned the yard. But what if they need me? Aren't you coming? No, I'll stay here a while. I'll watch the sky. I'll think, I'll write something... - How can you write with no paper? - I'll write in my head. You'll mess you brain! Something wrong happened. I'm going home. Marcu, come and see! There's a dead man here. Call the policeman! He must take notice and take drastic measures! - Me? - Yes. Are you insane? I can't go! Do you want the Germans to kill me? I'm an old man, I'm not going to listen to a child. You're crazy! You should go. I must be at the sheep pen. Okay, I'll go. But aren't you afraid to be seen with a dead kraut in the middle of the road? What if there's a patrol passing by? Wait! He's dead alright. Somebody cut his throat with a sickle. And he's an officer! What should we do, doc? - What do you think, Mr. Cociman? - That's God's punishment! Take him away! Not like that! Careful! - His head will come off. - Shut up, you fool! Cross your hands under him. That's exactly what we needed! We should notify the authorities. Marcu, do you have fresh hay in the car? Yes, sir. Iolanda, you left me all alone. I shouldn't forgive you. But I'm a good guy. Let's go! Nobody must see us. Where were you? I told you not to roam around! Where were you? You left early in the morning. I'll make a man out of you or I'll kill you trying. Why do you hate me? Ioan! I don't know what to do with him. He grew up in the streets, with all sorts of tramps. He's not even grateful that he has a warm meal and a house in these difficult times. And you're not helping at all. You're pampering him! - Where were you? - I went to the hills. I watched the sunrise. My dear... Poor unhappy child... My loner... Come with me! This church was hit by lightning on April 5th, 1937, because of our sins. It was a dark cloud then. The mayor died. It was rebuilt with the help of the parishioners. Come, my dear! Kneel! God be with you! I love you and I'm hurt when I see you hurting. I want to help you. I'll pray for your peace of mind. Tell me what's wrong with you. Unburden your little heart. Father loan, I killed a man. What are you saying? How can you say such a thing? Sit here! Tell me! It happened before I came here. I was at my brother's, in the city. There was a bombing. I was in the park, near the shelters. - That's where the bombs felled. - The bombs fell. - There was lots of dead bodies. - There were lots of dead bodies. There were... I was running home, to see if my brother... Never mind that! Don't think about him! We were living near the railway station, remember? There were lots of corpses with their guts hanging out. A fat lady with yellow skin... She was bleeding. The earth was sucking the blood. She had no legs left. She was still alive. She was panting and I though she was laughing. She was surprised that she couldn't get up. Her fingers were looking for something. I ran away. Maybe nobody came to rescue her. So I'm guilty of her death. Isn't that right, father? Dear God! The foolish things you think of... Kneel! God is speaking through me now. He sees everything. Don't lie! Don't lie anymore! - Why don't you love us? - I can't, father loan. - You're too nice. - Listen... Ioan, something terrible happened. Come quickly! - What is it? - The Germans are looking for you. What are you doing here? Come with me! You'll stay here! Write an essay! I want to know what you've learned. Write the title down. "Our dear home". Ipu is insane, he's shooting the cannon again. Come here! Do you like it? Are you still hungry? Do you want to play? Not now. Later. Okay. Later... Don't you want to play with me? We'll get it today. Its time has come! You unlucky man! You died here, in a foreign country. You're all alone. We're crying when we're born. We don't know what's going to happen to us. You were once alive. Now you died like a dog. There was no candle burning for you. There's nobody to bury you. There's nobody here for you to wash your face. To light a candle for you. You're taking your final trip. You were born once, there's nobody to mourn you now. No brothers, no sisters, no father, no mother. A German soldier was killed here. If by tomorrow morning... you don't tell me who did it... I'll shoot you all. I'll never accept such a thing! We're not evil. We don't want to see here what happened in the next village. But if you don't give us the killer... nobody will stop me... to fulfill my duty. The Commander invites you inside. Are you going to fish? Bring me some! I always do, right? Bring me some fish. I have some debts to pay to the bar. Alright. Go home! Stop fooling around. I'm going. Don't worry about your sister. I'll take care of her. She almost fell into the well yesterday. I bathe her, I take care of her... Let's go! I'll bring you fish. Go home! Floarea is a nice woman. If I had the money, I'd fix her house. Why did you leave her, if she was a good wife to you? - When did you broke up? - A hundred years ago. - Don't you want to play? - Yes. We still have time. Nobody came through here. I'll take the machine gun today. - You can have whatever you want. - The rifle with the bayonet. I'll be the good guy. You're the enemy. I don't know how will we live without guns, if they beat us. Should we give them to the victors? They shouldn't be allowed to do whatever they want with us just because they're more than us, richer and meaner than us. - That's true. - Let's make a pact! If the Germans beat us, we'll fight them from the mountains, until the end. Will you? Let's swear! I swear! I swear! Thank you. Attention! Start running! We're charging in five seconds. Five, four, three, two, one! Use your bayonets! Charge! Forward... Forward march! Stay calm! We were better off playing Napoleon or the Indians. You're dead. Come here! Quick! Hands up! Throw your weapon away! I shot myself. A commander can stand the shame of being captured. Attention! Enough. Come! As usual, you snuck up on me. You circled my unit and you defeated me. It was nice! It really was. It moved. We got it! It's so big! Now! Pull! Don't let it get away! We got it! Hold on to it! Now! Be careful not to break the line! Let me hold it! Be careful! Done. Hey, you! Do you like it? - It's beautiful. - Huge! We got it. Eventually, the two of us captured it. Sentry, give me yours! Do you want some? It's good. Go home! I'll make peace with them. I'll give them fish. For the souls of the dead. You almost forgot about me! Have the tail! Go home! Come! Hold this! You should do something. Take it to Mr. Notary, to cut its head off. Here come our fishermen! My God! You caught a monster. Where the hell were you? Why did you have to go roaming around today, Tudor? I'm sorry, I didn't know there's work to be done here. - I'll cut the wood, sir. - Never mind, Todor! A little workout won't hurt. My belly is growing up. Everybody should be working. Nobody should be lazy. - There's a big dinner today. - You can make soup from the head. There's plenty for everyone. Todor, there'll be plenty of delicious foods today. Whatever you want... The turkey! You didn't killed it yet! Stay there, Todor. You do it! I know you like it. Can I do it with my sword? Let's sit! You're so beautiful, so elegant! You smell of honey! Honey, ask Todor, your friend, to have dinner with us. Go already! What are you waiting for? He's killing me! He doesn't understand a thing you ask of him! Tell him we all ask him to come. It's bad only at first. Then it gets better. - You'll destroy your liver. - Don't start with that again! Todor... They sent me for you. They're waiting for you. Aren't you surprised? Margareta used to say that you make her sick. And now she wanted me to hurry up and get you. Why is that? You look like a young master now. He's been with us for a few years. But every time I see him it makes me sick. If it wasn't for him, I'd have threw him out long ago. Good evening! Here I am. Have a sit, Todor. You're part of the family. Let's raise our glasses. - All the best! - In your health! - The children drink beer. - And then they wet the bed. It's good. Stick out your tongue. - Does it hurt here? - A little. Come here! Take a deep breath! Deeper! Say 33. 33. Can't you breath deeper? Can't you? Does it hurt here? How about here? No wonder. It's not like I'm sick, right? Do you expect to be like a 20 years old? The engine breaks. You've been through a lot. Let's eat! Doc, what's wrong with me? You're rotten to the core. Your misfortunes have caught up with you. - We know you were a bad seed. - Let the man eat! - Let's eat the turkey. - Bring on the wine! I'll carve the turkey. I have my own knife. It's 11 o'clock. In your health! Thank you very much! Good luck! Come on already! I'm sleepy! My dear friends... Dear Todor... A great misfortune befell our village. A German soldier was killed. Somebody cut his throat open with a sickle. Colonel Fonek came to me today. He called me to the command post. He can't admit such a thing. If he wasn't welcome by the intellectuals of our village... We don't care about politics. We're just ordinary people. We give onto Caesar what is Caesar's. Did you forget what happened last year, when the idiots from the next village killed a few German soldiers? And for what? For a cow? Or for the fact that a poor German soldier talked to a woman. They took them all to Transnistria. The colonel doesn't want to do such a thing. He's a kind man. But the punishment must be cautionary. Otherwise, the German soldiers lose faith in their leader, the man who lets them be killed by sickles without taking any measures. A cautionary punishment is needed! How can such a thing happen in our peaceful village? That's exactly what we needed! But people here are not so peaceful. Every Sunday the boys pull out the knives at the dance. Please! The colonel told me he wants to know the culprit by tomorrow at 5 A.M. If the man doesn't present himself by that hour, me, my wife, the sergeant, the doctor and his wife, the notary and his wife, the mayor and all his family will be taken hostages. At noon, we'll be shot in front of the city hall. God forbid! But you're all educated people! You didn't cut that man's throat. - I think... - Shut up! You don't know a thing! Don't say a goddamn thing! Dear God, why do you subject us to such trials? Todor, you know the village, you know everything that happens. You know every man, you know what's in their mind. You can help us. So you want me to tell you who cut him? To tell you: "That's your man." To point him. And then, to go fishing, to eat, to sleep. You want them to kill us all for one man's deed? To kill me? I'm pregnant! I want that baby! I want to live! I want to fill his lips on my breast! I want my baby! My dear baby! I want my child! Dear baby! My baby... God... My baby... My dear baby... You want for Miss Adina... For Miss Adina to become an orphan? For this child to become a vagabond, like yourself? A beggar? To be the joke of the children, to depend on people's mercy? My God... Maybe they'll get shot too. They're part of the family. It's better like that than to be left alone. I'm pregnant! Okay, I'll tell them that I killed him. What did you say? - I'll tell them that I killed him. - Todor! Let's drink! Never mind! Health and happiness to you all! Good luck, Todor! You weren't going to live that long anyway. Your liver is full of holes, the lungs are like a chimney. You wouldn't have lived till spring. And it would've been a torment. Shut up, you're drunk! Todor, they won't hurt you. You're an idiot. Yes, that may be. I don't know. Todor... My dear man! You can call me Ipu. I know that's what you call me when I'm not around. - Why do they call you Ipu? - I don't know. What does it mean? Nothing. That's why I couldn't stand it. People called me all sorts of names, nasty names. Crooked, Hole... I didn't get angry. I knew I was making them sick and that they didn't care about me. I like it when people are honest. But Ipu... That doesn't mean a thing. And I couldn't stand being called like that. On my grave you can write "Ipu". I want a nice grave. Ipu, you'll have the greatest grave in the village. God help us! We'll make it from marble. - With a big white cross. - Black marble, it's more expensive. Three meters high. And in gold letters we'll write... Whatever you want. Can you hear him? He'll bring you flowers every day. You'll rejoice! We'll call a sculptor to do your face on that grave. The way I was when I was young. That's alright. Have another glass. It's good wine. It doesn't give you headaches. Drink! And it will be surrounded by a golden fence. That's not a bad thing. It keeps the goats from jumping on my grave. Goddamn goats! They ruin the cemetery! I don't believe you. But it's nice of you to say that. Ipu... I'm getting angry with you! Right away. Let's write a record. Like we said... A beautiful place, 10 square meters. Next to the willow, where mayor Oancea is buried. Did you write that down? A black marble cross, two meters high. And a sculpture of Todor, when he was young. Below that, in gold letters: "Ipu". - And iron grill. - Golden. Of course. Did you write that down? Don't forget the flowers! Tulips! And lilac. I wrote everything down. I signed it. It's such an honor for me! I wasn't good for anything in my life. I didn't work the field. I didn't have any to work. I went fishing. - You can be buried with your poles. - It's not right. We're not pagans. Don't you want cake? It's good! I want some. - What would it be like? - What do you mean? - When? - When they kill you. It's easy... Bang! And it's done. - It doesn't hurt. - Bullshit! I know the truth. I know. In 1917, when I was at war, in Italy... Open up! It's the Security! Don't be afraid! Get dressed! Keep calm. Go through the attic and take this to Radu. Get up! Open up! Why the fuck aren't you opening the door? I didn't want you to see me naked. Why do you hit me? For a long time he was in great pain. A long time... The wind was strong and it was pushing him. So don't tell me it's easy. Nobody will hang you! What do you mean? They'll shoot you! Leave him alone! They'll shoot you, Ipu. They won't hang you. That's better. But I hope they'll hit me right. I hope they won't take pity on me, so that their hands would quiver. - Why would they take pity? - Because I gave them fish. - Will you be at my funeral? - Do you want another priest? - I would feel so bad... - No, God forbid. But in case you have something else... How can you say that? The whole village will be there! People from the other villages. - Everybody will honor your heroism. - And our army. You'll have the best service ever. - I want to see. - What?! I want to see. - Let's try it now. - We can't do that. It would be a sin. Alright... Let's go to the church. You go ahead. Unlock it and light the candles. God be merciful with us. Hear us and be merciful. We're praying for the eternal rest of Todor's soul and for You to forgive his trespasses. May God rest his soul among the righteous ones. May God grant him mercy and forgiveness of his sins. May Jesus the eternal, our King, help him! Let's pray! Grieving witnesses... We have here the remains of our dear and respected neighbor, Ciupe Todor. He's one of the unknown heroes of our country. He made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He saved our village from an awful revenge. He gave himself like a lamb, so that others may life. He didn't have a family. But what are we? We'll always mention him! Amen! Let's pay our respects! It was beautiful. Father, the candles. - He was a good man. - Ionica had a great speech. I never heard him talking like that before. He was inspired. Did you lock the door when we left? What's wrong with you? You can come to us every day. We have hay from last year in the barn's attic. We can play any way we like. I think I'll have another glass of wine. I'm done. - What about the others? - Who? My family. Family? Do you have a family? My wife, Floarea Toia. Wait a second... You broke up 23 years ago. Did you forget? You went to court. Yes, in court we were separated. But not in my soul. And there's my sister, Catita. She's sick. And my cousin. He came back from war without legs. I don't understand. - They'll be left all alone. - A big help you were... Don't make us laugh! The village takes care of them. - I can't leave them with no help. - I still don't understand. Of course, we'll take care of them. I want them to have a nice life when I die. Cheers! You've been filling my glass all night long. What do you want us to give them? Money... Land. Good land! - He's drunk. - Ipu, don't take advantage... Let's talk! There's not much time left. Soon it will be 5 o'clock. The Germans will come to get me. Cheers! Good land and all the deeds. I know the notary has the stamp on him. He can't go anywhere without the stamp and the knife. For Florea, 10000 squared meters in Cosalau, from the reverend. - Alright. - It's our best land! We made such sacrifices to buy it! - We took from the parish... - Shut up! Make the deed. - Donation for all time. - I wrote that down. Now, the doctor... - We don't have land. - Money. For my sister, the sick one. 25000 lei. We don't have that much money. Our girl is in high school. - It costs us a lot... - Stop fussing around! - He's sacrificing his life for us! - I wrote that too. Alright. And now, the notary. For my cousin, loaniche. 5000 squared meters. - We gave 10000! - My cousin already has 5000. And the notary filled my glass all night long. - Where do you want the land? - In Rasad. Sign! Alright. God help you all! And may He forgive all my sins. I'm going. In half an hour I'll be back. Then we'll go the Germans. Farewell! Todor! Do you want to play? For the last time... You're Napoleon Bonaparte and you say... - But I'm usually the Czar. - Forget about him! Who can remember that Czar? But Napoleon... Europe, the whole world... You are Napoleon Bonaparte and you say... "I crushed you the way I wanted it, when I wanted it." "In every single battle." "And now, that I'm dying, every weakling is here." "But my name will shine on through the centuries." Yes, that's what I'll say! What about you? You say: "I'll revenge you!" "I won't forgive your death!" "And I'll do..." What your brother used to say. - A nicer world. - That's right. I'm sorry I messed up. It's the poverty... You're all fools! He made fools out of you! The Germans will come and he won't be here. He won't come! Don't you hit me, you idiot! Why do you hit me, you impotent? You good for nothing! Do you think you're some great man because you married me? I was poor, and now you waste the fortune I build with my own two hands! I have no stockings! Why do you hit me? What did I do to deserve this? The village idiot fooled you! He took our best land! And now we'll get shot! You hit me, you idiot! You jerk! Fuck you, you drunk! Why does he hit me? What did I do to deserve this? What... - He's coming! - Who? Ipu and his family. Hurry up! Let's go! They're gone! Our army is coming! Father, notary... The Germans ran away! Our army is coming! They're gone! They ran away! Our brothers are coming! They're gone! How can they leave? What about me? Dear God, thank You so much! We didn't deserve this! See, loan? I told you we don't have to worry and spend so much money. I told you! Admit it! And you're hitting me in front of the people. You make me say things you know I don't mean. But I have my pride. I'm a woman and a teacher. They're all gone! It's all over! Todor... You're saved, Todor. Thanks to Jesus and our prayers. You were lucky. He's drunk, the fool! He stinks. And then I sentenced them all to death.