All language subtitles for Theatre Macabre. s01e22.The.Fatalist.eng

(sinister music)

- How do you do?

I'm Christopher Lee.

Where is man's fate written?

In the stars?

In tea leaves in a cup?

In tarot cards?

In a crystal ball?

Who knows?

Who will ever know?

Lieutenant Vulich thought he knew,

in Lermontov's story, "The Fatalist."

He believed that if a man
was destined to drown,

he would drown, even
in a spoonful of water.

But if he was born to
be hanged,

he would survive a hundred
sinking ships.

Man enters into this world without choice,

and exits on cue, or so
the fatalists tell us.

A consistent man believes in destiny.

A capricious man, in chance.

(somber music)

- A fine sentry you are.
Report to me after parade.

- Halt, who goes there?

- Friend.

Anything to report?

- Nothing, Sergeant,
it's as quiet as a grave.

- Fall out.

Be on your guard and
keep your eyes skinned,

the partisans may attack.

(bird crows)

(whistling)

(water splashing)

(man whistling)

(partisan whistling)

(birds crowing)

(indistinct chatter)

- I can see I'm beaten,

I knew I wouldn't win tonight.

- Well, if you knew you wouldn't win,

I can't see why you'd play.

- I have to every time,
because I believe in fate.

Because one's destiny is a fact.

- The money you lose is also a fact.

- I want to win, but my
star's unlucky, Scorpio.

And so I spend my time
fighting my destiny.

Ah, your destiny! Grand
words, usually misused.

And oftentimes, people'll
make destiny an excuse,

an excuse for anything that goes wrong,

even when they lose money at cards.

- Ah, I am not complaining,

as lots of people often do.
I simply fight, you see?

- With games like piquet?

- Fate is in everything you dream.

I surrender to the temptation of cards

because it would be futile to
fight it, though I can't win.

That's the priceless joke of the gods,

you have no free will.

- I'll think it over.

Something I'm suspicious of
is counting-up coincidences

and blaming some mysterious
providence for all of them.

I think a number of them come about

just because of vanity.

- Vulich, it's your turn for the bank.

(indistinct chatter)

(somber music)

(bird crows)

(indistinct chatter)

(bird crows)

- You've cleaned me out.

- I'll try another 5O
against him, Vulich.

- I'll cover your cards,
Vulrich. I think you'll win.

- You're entitled to your opinion.

I cover the bank.

(gun bangs)

(metal clangs)

(glass tinkles)

(intense music)

(gunfire)

- Get the doctor.

- Do you want to cover it?

- Queen for the bank.

- The lot, against the bank.

- Oh dear, the Queen of Hearts.

(guns firing)

The bank lost,
you had the queen.

- You've gone crazy.
The partisans are attacking.

- Business before pleasure
has always been my motto.

(guns firing)

Get after them!

(guns firing)

(water splashing)

(gun firing)

(water splashing)

(gun firing)

It wasn't his time to die.

(triumphant music)

- The poor fellow will never
know if he was just unlucky,

or whether he was the
helpless plaything of fate,

as you were.

- Why must you make an absurd joke

out of my belief in fate,

and the sudden death
of our brother officer?

- Because your philosophy
seems to make no sense,

no sense at all, because
we are all human beings.

If, as you say, fate decides everything,

why do men have brains?

What do we have willpower for?

A man may choose between
good and evil,

between now and later.

Where is the destiny in that?

- It is in every moment of your life.

Every day you are more helpless
and vulnerable to destiny,

for each day means you are
one day nearer the end.

(somber music)

- The bullet had gone through the lung,

I couldn't do a thing for him.

- I don't believe in destiny.

I think we live our time
and that's all.

- Our time is a vast battlefield,

and somehow one keeps fighting,

so that the future fate
has ordained for us

will not be the same.

Just as if somebody tried fighting

to prevent a thunderstorm.

- Can you prove it?

- Somehow I'll do it.
You won't be frightened?

- How could I be frightened
by something you believe?

If you really want to
know my opinion of you,

you're a fool to believe it.

- Please, Pechorin, spare
me your impertinence.

- My apologies if what I say
appears to you impertinent,

but I had to say what I felt about it.

I'm very surprised that
words can hurt a fatalist.

I suppose you would have
known that it was my destiny

to say them, and your
fate to hear them.

- I believe you wanted proof,
and proof you shall have.

(dramatic music)

I have a proposition to make.

Suppose I was to prove as a fact

that what I have said is true.

Is nobody interested?

- I am certainly not, Vulich.

- Me neither, Vulich.
No thanks.

- How about you, Pechorin?

- I'd be prepared to bet

that there is no such thing as fatality.

I'm sorry if what I say offends you.

- I am ready to accept the bet.

Major, will you act for us in this?

Here's my stake.

- It seems to me that
this bet is rather vague.

I can't make head or tail of
any of it, I'm sorry to say.

- Mr. Pechorin, please give me a pistol.

- Choose one.

- They're all the same to me.

(dramatic music)

I'm waiting, gentlemen.

Is no one prepared to wager
their money against my life?

Not one of you?

- What a stupid farce.

- I am prepared to bet 50.

- All right, I'll bet
100 against you, Vulrich.

- He'll blow his brains out.

(gun clicks)

(soldiers laugh)

- So very brave with
a pistol that's empty.

- That was an expensive joke,
Vulich.

Come-on, let us get back to our cards.

(indistinct chatter)

(gun clicks)

(gun fires)

- Thank you for your help, Major.

Would you be kind enough
to give your opinion

as to whether the bet was fair?

- It was perfectly fair.

Collect your winnings.

- How about you, Pechorin,

do you agree that I won?

- I must,. You appear to
have been lucky for once.

- A very good time to have some luck,

but at least you must believe now.

- I suppose if I said no,
I'd be lying on my feet.

Something puzzles me.
Why was I so certain

you were going to die?

- Because disbelieving in my theory,

the only result my action could have

was for me to lose my life.

I made a bad bet in order to prove

that my trusting in fate was valid.

Your interest was only the cash.

Your money against my life.

Gentlemen, goodnight.

(somber music)

Any sign of the partisans,
Sergeant Major?

- [Sergeant Major]
Not a whisker, sir.

They won't be back in a
hurry after this afternoon.

- It's so quiet.

- [Sergeant Major] That's a
good sign in the mountains, sir.

Be a fine day tomorrow.

- So you think it's going
to be a fine day, do you?

- [Sergeant Major] Yes,
sir, beautiful, sir.

- We'll see.

(horse whinnies)

(horse snorts)

(soldier grunts)

- Partisans, blasted partisans.

Kill them.

- He's had a skin full, huh?

- A partisan.

(dramatic music)

(horses whinnie)

(Vulich thuds)

(horses neigh)

(soldiers laughing)

- I have to report a serious matter, sir.

Lieutenant Vulich has been killed, sir.

- Killed, by whom?

- Nastja.

Pontiniev, blind drunk
he was, sir,

broke up everything in the billet,

and when I went to arrest
him, ran out with a sword.

- Did Lieutenant die immediately?

- He lived a few seconds more
after we found his body, sir.

They found him committing
his soul to God,

and his last words were:

"He was right."

- What? Who was right?

- I've no idea, sir, he didn't say.

- And this man, Pontiniev?

- Locked himself in the stable tower, sir.

- He won't escape.

- Come gentlemen, double.

(dramatic music)

- [Soldier]
Nastja, come out, you fool!

(gun fires)

(Nastja laughs manically)

He's raving mad, sir.

- Nastja, this is your
company Sergeant Major.

Come out, I say.

- [Nastja] (laughing)
You both go to hell!

- [Sergeant Major]
I'll give you one more chance

to come out of your own accord,

You know what'll happen
if you don't.

I'm waiting for your answer.

(gun fires)

I'll soon have him out of there, sir.

You men, bring some
torches, come on, move.

Corporal, fall in those men at once.

Get a move on there!

(horses neigh)

He'll soon have had enough, sir.

You two, get him out,
on the double!

(gun fires)

(gun fires)

- Let's have no more of this.

Take a platoon and kill him.

- Very well, sir.
I'llsee to it at once, sir.

Corporal.

- Sir.

- Pay attention to orders.

Major's orders, that man
in there is to be killed.

You will fire through the holes

in the door and the roof,
understand?

- [Corporal]
Yes, sir. Very good, sir.

- It's a pity the only
way they could get him

is to shoot him like an animal.

After all, he's a soldier.

He should die like one,
true enough.

Maybe it was Vulich.
He'd never have missed the chance

of proving his belief in fate,

and that his destiny was unchangeable.

- Oh, Vulich.

(dramatic music)

- May I have your
permission, sir,

to arrest Nastja, myself?

- I'm sorry, Pechorin,
you'll stop with the others.

Pechorin! Back here,
Pechorin.

I gave you an order.

(gun fires)

Blast!

(gun bangs)

(gun fires)

- You murdering swine!

Prisoner in custody, sir.

- When you went in there,
didn't think you'd come out.

- Very good.

- Well done, well done, really.

(somber music)

- [Pechorin] You were
right after all, Vulich.

Now we are even.
It was a fair bet.

- Lieutenant Vulich learnt his lesson,

but didn't live to profit
from it. That is fate.

(dramatic music)