Original subtitles

[Suspenseful Music]

- How do you do?

I'm Christopher Lee.

Men die for a variety of reasons.

And that mirror of life, the theater, reflects them all.

Heroic deaths, slow agonizing deaths.

Death that comes as a blessing or as a release from pain.

Death that strikes down its prey

in the full flower of youth.

Tragic deaths and sometimes even amusing deaths.

But Tolstoy's story, "The Actress,"

represents that most terrible death of all:

suicide.

See for yourself.

[Dove Cooing]

[Gentle Music]

- We might as well make a move.

We've been waiting over an hour for him.

Can we go?

Kolai! You hear me?

[Horse Hooves Clopping]

- I was waiting to see you, Mushka.

I've got a stallion for sale. I'll make a bargain with you.

400 Rubles. How's that?

Well?

- Better to kiss your stallion on the nose,

where its tail grows.

Yeah, move along there.

- What a cursed life this is.

- I'll get my revenge on that upstart brother, just wait.

He'll have to swallow his words once

we're on our feet again.

(Laughing)

- Hey, Lushka! Come here, boy, go on fetch us a plate

of snail clubs and a bottle of vodka.

- Where's your money? - What?! Bastard.

Such impudence from a brainless upstart.

The manager will have something to say about this.

He'll teach you how to talk to your betters, you peasant!

Wait 'till I sell my stallion. Money!

I'll be floating in it, more than you've ever seen!

400 Rubles!

(Laughing)

- 400 Rubles.

(Laughing)

- You think I'm joking?

What did you ever do?

That's better than nothing, heh?

Oh, the scorn of the family fortune.

- You spent a lot of it that night, eh?

- Me, never! Not a penny on myself.

All I did was pay the creditors.

Then of course that clever brother of mine

started to build a summer house,

and what use is a summer house?

Even your wife decided to leave you then.

- Now you've got your country to laugh

because I found a buyer for the stallion.

- Be quiet, you're waking all the guests.

- Well, buy them a drink then!

- This is no public bar, it's a hotel.

- Some hotel.

[Chuckles]

- Nikolai Nikolai Yosakof. It's a letter from your wife.

- Read me the letter then.

- "My Dear Nikolai, I have been thinking of you constantly.

Please write and tell me how you are.

I expect you're busy on the farm.

The trees and the orchard will be in blossom soon.

Memories of past days keep on returning--

our long evening walks together.

I so often think of my old room and remember

with sadness that beautiful view across the water.

At the moment I am performing at Creamingshuge.

Please write to me."

[Chuckles]

Well then, what do you mean to do about this,

my good brother, huh?

- Nothing. I'm going to bed.

- Wait.

Why don't you write something like this...

"Dearest Madam, Unfortunately I no longer own a farm.

And it is with the greatest regret that I must inform you

that much to my shame,

I am now forced to beg for a living."

- No, I could never admit such a thing. Better they believe

that I'm heartless or that I'm jealous.

A villain, if you like.

But I cannot write and tell her the truth.

[Crowd Applause]

[Laughing]

- We must never part. You said so.

- But my husband needs me.

It was not to be. The final curtain has fallen.

- I'm coming with you.

I will kill that rich husband of yours.

I must do it.

- Well, my good friends, it's the hour

to drink a toast to Olga Simionovna.

Our fare and talented Ophelia. Let forever success and fortune

go with her.

- Bravo, bravo.

- I'm going to cry. It's too much.

No, we all have to laugh.

Good friends.

I asked you to promise me that as soon as my husband

and I invite you, you will come and visit us.

The whole company! Yes?

[Cheering]

- Cheers! Goodbye, Olga! Cheers, Olga!

- Now what's this you got?

Eh, telegram?

My God, it says he's arriving tomorrow afternoon.

Has she gone completely out of her mind?

You've invited her here, you stupid idiot!

- I didn't say anything about coming.

I said nothing to her.

I only wrote her a letter.

- Liar!

Why did she suddenly decide to come here?

- I have no idea why she's decided to come.

I even enclosed a small gift of 500 rubles.

- You what?!

So, you were generous.

Well, what are you going to do now?

Arriving tomorrow afternoon...

As though we haven't enough troubles.

And where is she going to stay when she gets here?

Tell me. In this cow shed?

- Don't excite yourself, Joseph.

I've already worked out a plan.

You will meet her tomorrow.

You'll book a room for her for a day or two

at the local hotel and be sure that she's comfortable.

The journey will have exhausted her, no doubt.

You'll have to get money from somewhere, somehow on.

Oh, and don't forget to get some flowers.

- [Joseph] Flowers?

- My wife after all is a great actress.

- [Joseph] And what about you?

- Ah, yes. I have to go to town for a few days to attend

to some pressing business.

- [Joseph] Hey, Nikolai, wait a minute! Kolai!

- There's the ferry. Hurry now!

- Ah, thank goodness we've arrived,

that journey was tiresome.

Quite impossible to sleep.

I'm feeling completely exhausted.

[Hooves Clopping]

- It's so exciting being here again after all these years.

It's a lifetime.

Yet it's as if it where only yesterday.

It's possible.

You may have heard of my husband, Nikolai Yosakof.

He owns an estate in the neighbor.

- [Woman] No.

- Ah, what fun we had. Continuous parties and dancing.

We have many friends, besides my husband's relatives.

He's very well-known.

- There.

[gentle music]

- Welcome home, Madame Nikolai Yosakof.

[Cork Popping]

- [Speaking Russian] To your health, and your happiness.

- Still the same as ever.

- Allow me, a toast.

- To you, my dear brother-in-law.

I wish to make a toast to my return to your country and

say thank you.

- Good luck!

- Give yourself a few days to get settled down here.

Then you must come over to see my place.

We'll open a few bottles of Champagne and have a little fun.

- Who is that, Mishka?

- Balbien.

- Balbien?

- He recently came to stay here.

He thinks money buys everything.

Come along, madam, I'll see you to the hotel.

You must be tired.

[Gentle Music]

[Accordion Music]

- Olga! Please make yourself comfortable.

Dinner won't be a moment.

Des Daliabo is best hotel we have to offer.

A little old fashioned, I admit, but it has other compensations.

From this window you have before you,

you see the delightful panoramic view of the whole town.

The Holy Orthodox Church, in opposite, the bishops

palace and garden. Behind it, the firework shop.

- And what's that horrible thing there?

- That of course, that's the shop that's owned

by the merchant, Fabir.

- Is it? But I'm talking about that eyesore.

- Oh that, the village pond. The local council are

intending to clean it up a little bit.

Will make it a pretty walk in the evenings, and in the winter

it's going to be an ice rink.

Don't give way to sad thoughts. Life is too short.

Come drink, my dear. As Omar Khayam said, "Let us fill the cup,

and in the fire of spring the winter-garment of repentance..."

To your health. The bird of time is but a little way to fly.

- If I could see my husband.

- Your husband. Ah, well, but you will see

he wasn't expecting you. He's away for a few days.

He had some business to attend to elsewhere,

but he will come post-haste as soon as he knows

that you are here.

He loves you, my dear. He loves you.

That you can be certain.

You appear like a ray of sunshine but,

how can I explain to you?

We live here just like pigs.

It's no place for a beautiful lady like yourself, Olga.

I'll drink another toast.

To the art of the theater

and to the fulfillment of

man's dream.

- But why did you bring me to this horrible dirty hotel?

I had expected to go straight home.

You're hiding something.

- I must apologize for not explaining sooner

but your house was, was burned down a month ago to be exact.

We could only stand and watch, but nothing stops Kolai,

as you know, he's already planned to build this magnificent

new house in its place.

My wife's an actress.

And so it must have the very best possible outlook.

Overlooking the river and the mountains in the distance.

It could be a dream house for her.

And now, Olga, please don't upset yourself, my dear.

Listen, you'll stay with us for a few more days

and then we'll make sure you enjoy yourself.

We'll throw a Champagne party, you can meet all your

old friends before going back to Moscow.

- To Moscow?

- Eh?

- But I've never returning to that city.

- Oh?

- No, I've left the theater.

My duty is with my husband from now on.

- But that's impossible. Don't you see, Olga?

- Is that so?

Ah, there is something else I should know.

You've been trying to hide it from me.

My Nikolai has never cared.

Supposed to be so proud of his wife.

Proud of her, is he? Keep her quiet with a few paltry rubles.

"She's an actress."

"A g reat actress."

Some brave words. Sounds good to say you're an actress.

A life of misery you've never dreamed of.

When I fell and broke my arm, did Nikolai help?

Did my husband send me money?

It was all his fault. I'll never forgive him.

No doubt you think I'm loaded with money. Money!

Count it! A meager pittance.

[Crying]

' Ola!

Nikolai!

Come here, I must talk to you!

She says she won't leave you!

Nikolai!

Nikolai! It's no use, your hiding! You have to tell

her everything now!

Do you hear me, Kolai?

- I have come to ask a great favor from you, Ilya.

It is concerning my brother's wife,

an actress of great reputation.

Olga, quite possibly you've heard of her.

She's played in the best theaters in the country.

As you can well imagine, she has become accustomed to

living it up a little, as you know, feted high society

in Moscow and dining in the best restaurants.

It's a bit of an embarrassment for us the way things are.

That's why I'm here.

I was wondering if you could lend us, say,

400 rubles for a week or so?

- Why are you asking me all this?

Where is that distinguished husband of hers hiding?

- Oh, he's down by the ferry. He's too proud,

he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth.

Would you be so kind as to give us a loan?

- You take me for an idiot?

- I will go and see the station master.

We must raise some money somewhere.

How do we pay the hotel bill when we haven't a ruble left?

Are you listening?

You hear what I'm saying, Nikolai?

- She is beautiful. A perfect portrait.

She hasn't changed at all.

Even more lovely than she was before.

Did she say anything?

What did she say?

About me.

- [Joseph] She said plenty.

What a hopeless husband you were.

How in all those years of struggling, she didn't have a crow

pick for you.

How at the theater in Quosdim Gdansk, when she was playing the

part of Mary, she fell and broke her arm.

Again, you did nothing,

even though you are to blame.

She detests the filthy hotel

we put her in, and she wishes to be taken

straight to the house.

She finds it difficult to believe that

the great house was burned down recently,

and you're planning a new one in her honor.

- Enough of that, enough of that!

- Well, that is what she said.

Go and ask her yourself if you don't believe me.

[Footsteps]

[Gentle Music]

- Nikolai.

Speak to me, Nikolai.

[Crying]

- Nikolai!

Nikolai!

Everything's all right, I've got the money, Nikolai!

HEY, I've got it!

The station master. He said he would give us some money.

He's not such a bad fellow, is he, Kolai?

What now? Tell me, have you talked to Olga yet?

What's the matter now? Stop moaning like an imbecile.

Maybe it's the cold.

You want a drink? Gets in the bones.

Let's go home then, eh?

You will catch pneumonia if you sit out here in this weather.

We'll think it over tomorrow.

There's a solution somewhere out there, eh?

Who knows, you might have to get the job as a manager.

Manager of an estate! Not bad. Good idea.

They make good money when you think of it.

3,000 rubles a year. For nothing at all.

Big house to live in, you know?

You make all your own decisions, Kolai.

- Mmmmmmmm.

- Think of it. There we are in the evenings,

your beautiful wife reading to us while we sit by the fire.

The lamp is lit, and it is warm. So warm there by the fire.

Another thing, how about if a wealthy

aunt of ours should die? Be a surprise for us, eh?

She leaves her enormous fortune to Kolai.

[Chuckles]

It's time you had something to eat.

Let's get out of here.

Nikolai?

- I am sick.

- What is it, Nikolai?

Nikolai!

Kolai! What's the matter, huh?

Nikolai. What have you got there? What is it?

Oh my God. Please, God.

Oh no.

[Crying]

Nikolai.

[Woman Screaming]

[Dog Barking]

' [Qlga] Help! Help!

[Whistle]

[Dogs Barking]

- Come.

Zinka! Raskovia! Prepare the guest room!

The lady of the house is here.

[Gentle Music]

- What a shame that your sea cuff should have been

prompted to such an effect by such a woman.

But, that's life.

I beg your pardon.

Death.

[Dramatic Music]