Original subtitles

1894. Tartu, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire.

The Estonians' hopes for freedom during the time of awakening are fading.

Ideals are fading.

Suffering from a mental illness,

the poet Juhan Liiv is confined to the Tartu Neurology Clinic.

Little is known about his life for the next seven years.

Come, night's darkness,

gather me to your lap.

My sun doesn't recognize me,

the night is left to me.

There's not a single star,

I am in fear.

Cover me.

And how are you feeling?

Where am I?

The same place as yesterday - in the madhouse.

Oh, yes, you were struggling a bit.

I guess these are not needed anymore.

He's confused, talks nonsense, like he's seeing ghosts.

During a brief moment of clarity, he asked for his notebook of poems.

That's how it is... (in German) Beziehung Wahnvorstellung.

Let's take the medicine nicely and be at peace.

I will visit you again tomorrow.

Juhan... Juhan...

THE SHADOW

What is it flying towards the fatherland?

I don't understand, a bee is flying towards the beehive?

The bee, yes.

And where is this bee's fatherland? The bee has no fatherland.

The beehive is the bee's fatherland.

And wind of death might blow against you

and a bullet of death might fly your way:

your soul hurries to your fatherland.

You know, Juhan, no one wants to read it now.

The world is changing.

Factories are being built.

All this patriotic stuff is just a fragile substance of poets.

Can't print these!

At the present time, new leading values must be sought.

I can't print these verses, Juhan.

It's not modern, no one will buy it.

Don't touch everything all the time.

No one wants to read your poems... Juhan... Juhan...

But you printed my verses before.

Before...

This lack of income has exhausted my body.

And there are spies sent to stalk me,

constantly creeping around every corner, hiding in the attic,

drilling holes in the ceiling.

They're watching.

You know, Juhan... drive to the country, go home.

Buy some good tobacco, smoke a pipe.

Improve your health.

Let these verses about fatherland be for now.

When I go to my father's land, then I think of the fatherland.

Juhan...

Juhan! Juhan!

Juhan!

No...

Juhan!

Don't you remember me at all?

I remember you very well, you're the daughter of Madjus from Härma.

- Mari. - Yes, Mari.

You are my relative.

You once taught me how to read.

What did you do in Tartu?

My father sent me to Tartu to find a job.

Look, he owes everyone.

- Did you find a job? - No, I didn't.

Juhan... Juhan...

You have become a writer, Juhan. And I didn't know that!

Only trouble and misery have come from it, Mari.

And yet, those poets who sing about homeland...

Homeland? What is the homeland today?

Like a secret lover who is not supposed to be mentioned.

- So things are this bad? - Even worse.

Disguised spies are following me.

- Spies? - Lurking and spying and irritating.

Even here on the barge.

They stand there black as ravens.

But I'll fool them.

Grab him! Grab him!

Good evening to everyone!

So, is there a drop of vodka in this house?

You're in debt in this house, Madjus.

Am I in debt now?

Strange money.

Silver is silver.

It's silver all right, but not our emperor's silver.

Well, if you don't want my silver, I'll go to another tavern.

Hold on! Did I say I don't want it?

So who are these guys?

Some strongmen.

Comedians. Here you go!

Well, Madjus, who let you in?

You owe money everywhere.

Look, by the Midsummer day, I won't owe anyone another ruble.

What? Your wife earns money somewhere?

Go screw yourself, Jürka.

- I'll crush you, dammit! - I'm not afraid of your iron turd.

I shit out bigger ones myself.

Vodka for everyone, I'll pay!

What are we drinking to?

Let the schoolmaster say something nice.

I can't say anything myself.

But I'll read you something.

Let him read, shut up!

As Juhan Liiv, a man from our village, has written...

He's somewhat related to my wife.

And I would take the bond of blood,

I would take my brother's heart,

and bind it all as one

with you, my poor Estonia.

Okay.

When I...

When I was...

When I was just a little man,

a ringing... ringing... a ring...

a ringing in my heart began.

And when I grew older...

And when I grew older,

the ringing also grew stronger.

Now the ringing has grown over my head...

Now the ringing has grown over my head...

Now the ringing has grown over my head...

Juhan... Juhan...

Juhan... Juhan...

Juhan...

- Juhan! - Dear Lord! Juhan!

Aunt Liise.

Did you follow Mari from the barge?

No, I followed the old woman who just stepped in here.

No one has stepped in here. Wait now, who are you?

Johannes.

He's my relative.

Did you know this man?

- He looks dead. - More like murdered.

So Madjus went to the tavern last night with a horse and a cart.

The horse came back, pulled the cart,

but Madjus was dead, with a horrible hole in his head.

Madjus was such a good man.

Don't touch!

There must have been a reason why this person was killed.

I don't know any reason at all.

I'll go to the tavern, maybe there was a quarrel or something.

Why did you lie to the police officer?

Who lied here?

My dear husband is killed and I am lying?

What crazy talk is this?

Juhan!

Juhan! Wait, hold on!

Juhan, heavenly father has sent you to help me!

I know who killed my father.

Who was it then?

The devil!

And now I'm afraid the devil is coming for my mother's soul.

- Or my soul. - Mari, what are you talking about?

Juhan, I saw with my own eyes!

When I got home from the barge, mom and dad were in the barn

and there was a big pot of money they had dug up.

Pot of money?

Full of silver, and a spell was scratched on it.

"The devil takes the soul of a thief."

So the thief will not touch the treasure!

- But my father touched it... - Mari...

What's that, Mari?

I made it myself.

There's a cross on it, it protects against the devil.

Mari, what did they do with that pot?

Father hid it.

Juhan, give me some advice what should I do?

I'm terribly scared.

Follow God's command.

Do not fear the devil.

Then no evil can get close to you.

Do you promise, Mari?

I promise, Juhan.

Please don't tell anyone about this money pot.

Otherwise, my mother will be terribly angry with me.

Juhan!

Good Lord! This is Juhan Liiv!

Juhan! Men!

The most important poet of our time!

I'm just a tired wanderer.

Do you remember me, Jürka the Blacksmith?

And the steward from the manor?

Didn't the steward have a longer nose?

You go to hell!

Juhan, right here in the tavern, I have read out your poems.

Just yesterday Madjus bought vodka for everyone

and we drank to the health of the fatherland.

Madjus, yes... He was a good man.

He owed everyone money, but...

Men, to bless Madjus' soul,

bring vodka! The manor pays!

There. One mighty knife, I made it myself,

it cuts stone too.

For you, as a gift, because you write poems about fatherland.

It brings bad luck to give a knife as a gift.

For you or me?

In memory of Madjus, men!

Let's drink.

Jürka the Blacksmith!

In the name of the Emperor and so on...

Georg Haabermann, you are going to trial for killing Madjus.

Jürka, don't resist. You know me.

And you know me, we're from the same village!

I didn't do anything, Peeter! They'll hang me!

I have never killed anyone in my life, I swear!

I have always said that this Jürka is not a good man.

I knew it right away!

What are you doing here?

I want to defend Jürka the Blacksmith's innocence.

Hey, I know you.

You're the dumb-ass who was put in a madhouse by your own brother.

I want to testify, and you must take it.

Shoo! Brats! Get away...!

I want to know what evidence you have against Jürka!

Look, I'm the police here.

- I'm not going to report to some tramp! - I know that police stuff.

I worked for a newspaper,

you have to have evidence when you arrest people.

You tramp, are you threatening me?

What if a news story like this appears in the newspaper?

Arguing with a lunatic, it's like teaching a gypsy to read.

Wait here!

Tick-tock! Tick-tock...

Look, Madjus paid in the tavern with this strange old money.

Where he got it, no one knows.

And see...

Jürka paid with the same money, already when Madjus was dead.

Well?

What do you say now?

Are you hungry?

What the...?

There is a curse word in every tick.

As if something is cutting my ears.

What does Jürka say?

He says that Madjus gave him the money.

Why?

Because Jürka's brother-in-law runs a shop in the city

and could help to exchange it to the right currency.

Then you have nothing definite against Jürka.

But we can't have anything definite.

No living soul witnessed the killing of Madjus.

Someone did.

One living soul.

That's not really how things work here.

Good horsey.

Your master was killed.

I understand you.

You're worried.

Who killed him?

Listen now, who killed him?

Easy, easy...

It's alright...

You saw it.

Tell me the truth.

Where does this road go?

It's a shortcut to the tavern, it's a bad road, as you can see.

It is said that the horse goes the last route it remembers.

So what? Animals don't talk...

What are we looking for here?

Death is around me.

I can feel it coming.

You're absolutely crazy.

(in German) Beziehung Wahnvorstellung.

It's what I have in my head, I even got a paper from the madhouse.

Stop!

You dung digging scoundrel!

Let's go!

Go!

(in Russian) Stop right now! Stop right now!

Residence permits?

Let's see...

Rudolf Kõiv.

That's me.

Tõnis Miil.

That's me.

Saint-Petersburg, oh, look at that!

We work in the circus and came here to show our strength.

We're on our way to Tartu.

Well, well...

You're coming with me, and no funny stuff.

Good Lord!

In the middle of the day!

Madjus is gone, so it's not a problem.

He's in the barn, cold and stiff, with a hole in his head.

God be with him.

I have a gift for you.

- What is this? - Raisins.

- Is Mari home? - Somewhere in the village.

Shall we do it here or go to the back chamber?

It was our kettlebell, but we ran out of money,

so we gave away all kinds of stuff for a half price.

Where did you sell your stuff?

In the village and at the tavern.

To whom?

I think the blacksmith bought it.

With what money did Jürka pay?

With real money, what else?

Did he pay with these?

No.

I have never seen such money in my life, I swear on athlete's honor.

- Don't lie. - Liiv, be quiet!

Did you buy such a kettlebell?

Looks like it, yes. Good pure iron. Why?

Madjus was killed with it. Look, there's still blood on it.

I left mine in the tavern, go check it if you want.

Jürka waved with a kettlebell in front of Madjus.

I don't know if he took it with him or not.

It's not here now.

- You see? It's still Jürka. - Anyone could have stolen it.

Even you.

Why would I steal it, if it was already in my house?

What about you?

What did you buy from them?

Show us!

Not that I needed it.

They needed money

and I did them a favor and bought it.

Shall I pour beer for the officer to make it more pleasant to watch?

Someone wants to blame Jürka.

When you arrested him, the real killer stole the kettlebell

and took it there for us to find.

Look, this one has two kettlebells.

There was stone dust on Madjus' head, like from the graveyard wall.

He was killed with a stone.

Soon you'll want to get paid too.

Bread and lard for Liiv.

And tobacco.

I can find you some work at the manor.

You have plenty of girls at the manor.

Well, I mean, how will you manage here alone now.

The farm is falling apart, no money.

If I come to the manor, will you help me with something?

I help you with something all the time.

No, I mean like exchanging silver for ruble?

I'll give you some too.

You mean this Madjus' silver?

How do you know about Madjus' money pot?

Money pot?

There's a whole pot of it?

There is as much as there is.

A ringing in my heart began...

A ringing in my heart began...

Now the ringing has grown over my head

and my heart is crushed under rubble and lead.

(in Russian) And again...

(in Russian) God save the emperor.

(in Russian) And once again, God save the emperor.

We have to start singing like this every morning at school.

Do we no longer sing in Estonian?

Children...

I want to read you another verse today.

For the refreshment of our souls.

And you, my fatherland, you are a bare shadow.

You love your mother tongue, it is your last shadow.

And truth and justice you must love and don't become a shadow.

This was written by a man from our village, the poet Juhan Liiv.

New times, Juhan.

The new emperor.

Children can be taught only in Russian now.

What will become of our Estonia like this?

A place of faceless stagnation,

and disappearance of education.

There is deep concern in your eyes.

Last year they were full of joy, you talked about wedding.

Juula has tuberculosis.

She's in terrible pain.

Otto, do you have any good tobacco?

Yes, of course I do, Juhan.

The manor supports the school and therefore also me.

- Juhan, have you been home yet? - Why should I go there?

They'll send me back to the madhouse.

Otto, an innocent man was put in chains. My soul can't rest.

I know, Jürka presented you a knife, but it doesn't mean he's innocent.

She will get well?

Who?

Juula.

Of course, Juhan.

Of course she will.

You should go see her, she loves your poetry so much.

- My poetry? - Yes, she talks about it often.

When it was printed in newspaper she wrote it down for herself.

They don't print my poetry anymore.

- But it's in your soul and in your head. - It's inside my head.

It rots inside my head, Otto.

Go home.

Get some rest.

Refresh your soul.

Do you want me to talk to your brother?

Don't let evil get the better of you.

Estonia really needs you and your poetry.

Mari! Mari, wait!

Hold on, darling!

Wait, dear Mari!

- What do you want? - What do I want?

I want to help, of course.

- To help? - Yes.

Dear Mari, how can you and your mother manage now?

Madjus is dead, debts unpaid.

- What debts? - Tavern debts, you see.

Madjus owed me a lot for vodka.

And now I must go and ask your mother to pay this debt.

Look, Mari... I can give you a job at the tavern.

To keep me company in the evening.

Your mother will get rid of her debt and if you're a good girl, Mari...

- Leave me alone! - Mari!

Aren't you afraid that your mother will lose the farm?

No, I'm not!

I'm not! I'm afraid of the devil

but I'm not afraid of you at all.

Juula, can you hear me?

You can't?

You're better now, right?

Your face already has the color of life.

You are stronger than this disease.

Now the ringing has grown over my head

and my heart is crushed under rubble and lead.

My heart is crushed under rubble and lead.

My soul and my life are the ringing sounds.

My soul and my life are the ringing sounds,

grown too large for earthly bounds.

Don't come!

Help!

Help! Help me!

No!

Help me!

Why are you crying?

Juula?

Do you want some porridge?

Juula.

Look who he wants.

What else would the master want? Hug and kiss too?

Why was Juula here?

Hey, do you want to get laid?

Got any money? I can find you some old hag.

He's up there.

Keep an eye on him!

Let's smoke him out!

Juula.

Juula, I am Juhan.

Do you remember?

It's you.

Juula...

I wrote you a poem.

Come, I will heal your pain!

So said the soft summer wind.

Softly it pleased, it tempted, opened all the tangled knots...

You'll take me to Germany.

Yes.

I am reading to you, Juula.

Gently it kissed my hair, and my lips and eyes.

Silky hands tied my heart together again.

It flirted, caressed, desired and gently stroked me and begged.

Yes.

Kiss me.

Kiss me a lot.

Otto.

Juula, I am Juhan.

- To Tartu! - The hell with Tartu.

It's so unfair.

It's so unfair.

My daughter!

You came like the sun,

like the morning you arrived.

Why? Why...

You came like the sun

and the day became bright.

You came like the sun and shone into my heart.

And disappeared like the sun

into the darkness of night.

Mari knew about the money pot.

How do you...?

No she didn't.

But she did.

Oh, Liise, dear Liise.

Madjus was a good friend and Mari like my own child.

If you need anything, just tell me.

Liise, you have to tell the truth about the money pot.

It's gone.

What is gone?

My money pot.

Yesterday it was still here.

What money pot?

Madjus dug out a money pot.

Someone found out about it, killed Madjus and stole it.

Why didn't you tell me the truth right away?

If the pot belongs to the manor, then I'll be punished.

Dammit!

A spell was on it...

It's all a damn mess now.

If it was on the manor land, then the silver belongs to the manor.

Or even to the emperor?

And Mari hangs herself?

No.

No, no, no.

Unhappy love or something.

Mari feared for her life.

That the devil is coming for her.

And where did Mari get such a good rope?

What? What rope?

It's a new rope, a good rope.

Still smells of hemp.

This rope is from the manor!

Ours. For sure.

The best rope in the whole parish.

Mari hanged herself with it.

I would have used it too.

Does not break, holds the knot well.

Liiv!

Liiv, dammit!

Where are you?

I ran out of tobacco.

But this hemp will do.

You have access to this rope?

I have this rope everywhere.

Did you sell this rope to Madjus?

To Madjus?

He was already in debt to the manor, no rope for him.

But those comedians, they needed a rope, I sold it to them.

I knew right away they weren't good men.

They won't get far.

I'll catch them on the road to Tartu.

They're not going to Tartu.

Death is around me,

I can feel it coming.

But there is the meadow, where you are blooming.

How pretty the meadow, where you are blooming.

But death is around me, I can feel it coming.

I say we should squeeze more money out of this piglet.

Don't mess with this.

We were almost charged with murder.

Don't be such a coward.

You only live once. We'll get money and hit Paris.

The piglet has a gun. You sold it yourself.

I'll body search first.

Let’s go!

Paris! Moulin Rouge!

Dammit!

The cart feels heavier.

Don't whine all the time.

I'm telling you, we say the amount and it will be paid.

If you don't come, I'll go alone.

- They're already chasing us. - Some village cops,

do you think I'm afraid of them?

I'll break their teeth with a bat before they can even fart.

You can wait for me at the next tavern.

I'm sorry.

- I must be in the wrong wagon. - That fart face!

I just have a few questions for you.

Damn rat!

Is he done?

I think he's still breathing.

Danger...

What?

Your life is in danger.

Dirtbag.

Let him rest there, he's crazy, that's enough.

Crazy...

Me...

I'll see you in the evening.

When I was just a little man,

a ringing in my heart began.

And when I grew older,

the ringing also grew stronger.

Now the ringing has grown over my head

and my heart is crushed under rubble and lead.

My soul and my life are the ringing sounds,

grown too large for...

They're gone, no sign of these wrestlers on the road to Tartu.

...for earthly bounds.

Liiv! Did you fall on your face?

I know where one of them is.

He's dead.

It was in his hand.

The wrestler Kõiv.

So it was them, dammit.

They fought for the money and one killed the other.

Come, you'll tell me on the way.

I know who the killer is.

But I can't prove it.

- I want to trap him. - You're crazy.

- Leave it. - I can't.

I have Beziehung Wahnvorstellung.

I have sickly obsessions.

And I will not leave it.

I don't understand what you're trying to do here, Liiv.

The murderer must come to kill Liisa.

Woman in the tavern!

I'm just looking for the police.

Liise, why do you need the police?

- Listen, Liiv. - If Liise tells you about the money,

it messes up the killer's plans.

There is something I didn't tell him before.

And now it is stolen.

I have to tell the police.

That's why he also killed Mari.

He killed my Mari?

And Madjus too?

Liise, I'll tell the police to come to you.

Go home now!

And then we wait,

until he comes.

Il get you some beer to drink.

It's a strong beer, Liise.

Madjus brewed it, but who's going to drink it now.

Liiv.

If I'm not home soon,

my old lady will also give me one Vorstellung.

Take that!

You shit!

Take that, you shit!

You stupid woman!

Who are you?

The killer is coming!

I followed him.

I lost sight of him.

Hey...

Are you dead?

Police master!

Wake up!

Juhan! Police master! Wake up!

Listen, what am I going to do with you?

You'll die here like this.

Bear it.

Don't go yet. Wait a minute.

Bear it. Don't go yet, wait.

Dammit!

Police master! Wake up!

Police master!

Police master!

Police master!

Wake up!

Police master!

He ran away.

Who was it, Liise?

The devil.

The devil himself.

The devil...

Liise, Liise...

What did you give us?

Sleeping drug?

You wanted to avenge him yourself.

No one moves!

He followed the murderer who killed Madjus,

hanged Mari

and shot the wrestler's friend.

Who is this murderer?

The devil.

One very real devil.

Juhan.

What are you doing here?

I'm thinking about the death.

I'm thinking about Mari.

And Madjus.

And Juula.

- Juula? - Juula is in pain.

She's hurting so much and you can't help her.

And then these men come from St. Petersburg and sell stuff.

They have opium.

To soothe Juula's pain.

But it is expensive and you don't have that much money.

You don't have the regular money, but you have...

No, Juhan.

Not me, they got it from Madjus.

Madjus comes to the tavern one evening

and hits some old silver on the counter.

And you...

You realize that Madjus has found a treasure.

Juula has to go to Germany for treatment.

You don't have that much money, you need money.

You wait when Madjus goes home and then you run after him.

Don't make the deal with Jürka! Make the deal with me!

I can solve it so that the manor will never know!

And we split the profit!

I don't believe no schoolmaster's talk!

My money, I found it, what's buried under my barn, is mine.

Let's go!

And he didn't need to say anything more.

Damn you...

Jürka the Blacksmith is arrested,

but you know...

you know that there is not much evidence against him.

You go to the tavern.

I have never killed anyone in my life!

You take the kettlebell that Jürka bought,

and smear it with blood.

I have always said that Jürka is not a good man.

You take it to where you killed Madjus.

Juhan.

You're very, very sick.

You're always imagining crazy things, Juhan!

But then Mari comes to you.

I haven't seen Mari for a long time.

If Mari tells the police about the money pot, it's out of your reach.

The authorities will take it away.

I have to go tell the police that the pot of money belongs to the devil.

You went after Mari and killed her.

The manor supports the school and the school has plenty of

manor rope.

You are crazy, Juhan! Absolutely crazy!

You are crazy, Juhan! Absolutely crazy!

The wrestlers had sold you opium for that old money,

and the police arrested them.

You were afraid they would tell who gave them the money.

It's so unfair.

You saw where they fled. You went after them.

Schoolmaster, I was just coming to see you.

Hands up.

I'll explain everything. I didn't kill anyone.

I don't care.

Wrestlers were only interested in money.

Why so little?

Shut up!

What will you do with your bundle?

Take it to court?

Manor rope and a witch's bundle,

I don't know if it proves anything in court.

Then go home and sleep it off!

But I know that if I tell the police everything,

they'll be searching here to see

if the schoolmaster is hiding money somewhere.

And even if it's not found, they will keep a close eye on you.

There will be spies on your tail all the time.

Do you know, Otto, what it's like

to have spies on your heels all the time?

Peeking behind windows and doors,

drilling holes in the ceiling.

And nothing is hidden from them.

I know that feeling, Otto.

Juhan.

Listen...

Wait.

We're old friends.

And Madjus,

what was he? He couldn't even read.

He was nobody! A drunk!

Or those wrestlers. Uneducated animals.

My bride is dying!

And your health is not so good either.

Let's say that I have the money

to buy you a place in a foreign sanatorium?

In a real sanatorium?

Yes! Sure!

But Mari?

What crazy talk is this now?

No, I have to go tell the police that the money pot belongs to the devil.

You know Mari...

Go home and don't worry. I'll talk to the police myself

and everything will be all right.

Oh, I knew that my schoolmaster would help me.

Give yourself up, Otto.

And admit the truth.

God has not given you the right to decide who lives and who dies.

Does the Russian Empire need more money?

The emperor will be even richer.

And my bride will perish for your madness.

You are crazy, Juhan.

You're confused and crazy, everyone knows that.

You came to the schoolhouse and hanged yourself.

Crazy poet, no one knows what came over you.

You didn't dare to go home,

because your own family will send you back to the madhouse.

And you hanged yourself.

Your poetry will now become even more famous.

A mad poet who put a rope around his neck.

Liiv!

From flower to flower he flies

and flies toward the beehive;

and should the thunder clouds rise,

he flies toward the beehive.

And thousands will fall,

and thousands make it home

they won't let sorrows abide,

for they fly to the beehive.

(in Russian) Come here! Yes, you!

(in Russian) Come here.

(in Russian) A wind of death might blow against you, a bullet of death might fly your way,

(in Russian) you forget about death and sorrow and hurry to your fatherland.

Juhan Liiv.

(in Russian) A terrorist. Is he here?

(in Russian) Be more careful with whom you associate.

I'm at home, in the midst of the fatherland,

I'm at home, in the midst of the fatherland,

but still looking for a way towards him.

I'm looking, oh, I'm looking for the way

and die and wake up hour by hour.

And the currents may throw me here and there,

soul rises towards you everywhere.