Original subtitles

This road is a disaster.

And now what?

Now we stop.

We go on foot.

No, no, it doesn't matter.

Leocardia!

Vamos.

You speak English, my daughter?

Yes, I speak English very well, my father.

I studied it for five years.

You wish a translation?

It would be an extravagance. I studied it for 30 years.

Shakespeare.

The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as a gentle... The book is

burnt. It says more than that.

It says that 30 years ago, men went to war for this house.

Sometimes it was won by the international brigade.

The English, the Americano, the foreigners who fought for Spain.

But in the end, it was won by the other Spaniards.

Give it to your husband to improve his mind.

He does not speak the language well.

See, it is a gift for which I might expect some small return.

His help to acquire this property.

You have money suddenly?

I spoke of a small return. Your husband's name.

For the property deeds.

Clearly, I cannot use my own name.

Officially, I have no money. Louis might lend you his name from family respect,

but not his money from common sense.

The detail obsesses you unduly. If I decide we must have this property...

The money will provide itself.

What might decide you?

The quality of the fishing.

That was good 30 years ago?

That was estupendo.

Trout. Golden trout.

Send the taxi back for noon.

I shall know by then if the trout are still here.

Can't fish live so long.

Hasta medio de entonces, padre mio.

And be careful with Luis Rod.

It is his best one.

The house is new, comprende? And the road reformed. But last winter before

building, it was a criminal of the road.

Who were you driving?

Que? Who were you driving last winter when you drove here?

Ah, a man of inconsequence. An old one.

He came before the building several times to start the foundations.

What do you mean? He drove to work to dig foundations in a taxi?

He was only Gomez.

It is of no consequence.

Who's Gomez?

Es un poco loco, nada más.

But the señor Iglesias you come to see takes good care of him.

You visit him on business, then? A commerciality? No, I'm not really sure

I'm visiting him.

Señor, even if you do not know why you arrived, you are here.

Thanks a lot.

You wait here.

Sí, señor.

Do you speak English?

A little, señor.

Great.

Señor Iglesias sent for me. My name is McGill.

Buenos días, señor.

My name is McGill.

El señor le da los buenos días y se llama McGill.

Buenos días, señor McGill.

Where's Diaz?

Should I keep this taxi?

El señor pregunta si hacer esperar el taxi.

Wait a minute. Does he understand what I'm saying? Does he know what I mean?

Ask him how long he wants to talk.

¿Cuánto tiempo necesita para hablar con él?

¿De qué?

Of what?

Of this.

It's an invitation he sent me.

No comprendo.

What do you mean he doesn't understand? There's his name.

There's my name.

I do not think Signor Iglesias can have sent it.

No, Signor. It is in English.

Tranquilo, Mr. Vajil.

I shoot the cook, not you.

Having heard that I am home, she can start cooking. Comprende?

Well, that's quite a dinner bell you have there.

Somebody sent me this.

It seems to be some misunderstanding.

Si, si. You are my guest.

I am Santiago Gomez.

The cleanest.

Check.

Hippolo.

Paco, fetch my guest's luggage.

I didn't bring my luggage.

Well, then me, you can't fetch it.

Paco, tell the taxi driver. No, don't tell the taxi driver anything, Paco,

you've told me a few things and you're a good man.

A few things.

Come.

You like my study, eh?

It's beautiful.

It's really beautiful.

And that's a fantastic fireplace.

Please, to sit.

Bourbon, because you are expected.

But you are to pour for yourself, because you are accepted.

Why didn't you put your name on that?

Oh, that.

It says in books which tell old carpenters like me how to become

never sign a social invitation.

So I signed the name Iglesias. My son -in -law.

But you mentioned business, and there was a bank job for expenses in there.

That doesn't quite sound like a social invitation to me. Oh, we're being social

now, Mr. Machio. I've much pleasure in your company, Mr. Machio.

Let's mix a little business with that pleasure. What do you say?

Oh, it is decided.

I will definitely hire you. To do what?

You don't need to know yet. I have to know before you can hire me, por favor.

Ah, you speak Spanish.

Yeah, I can say buenos dias, como esta, gracias.

Have a feeling right now you're qualifying for adios.

Ah, I think not.

Well, then you better tell me why I'm here.

Let me show you what this job entails, Mr. McKee.

Muy bonito, Ferrad.

Very beautiful.

The first payment only.

Five more after you've done the job.

At the present price of gold, that should mean... No, thanks. No, thanks.

It isn't a plated brick.

Investigate it. I don't want to investigate it.

You know, I didn't throw my gun at my son -in -law.

The more real this thing is, the less I want to have to do with it.

In front of you, my guest.

He allowed it to hit him.

How do you think I'm going to get that through customs?

Oh, let me negotiate it here.

Obscurely. And provide you with another bank draft.

Yeah, signed by your son -in -law, like the one I already have.

Luis does such things without questions, if I insist.

What do you do, hit him over the head with one of these?

Ah, si, in principle.

The only thing that impresses him. Oh, money.

That is why he married my daughter.

Ah, he's a leech.

He'll suck a pond full of poison dry if you put a drop of blood in it.

I'm not going to ask you what that means because I don't want to know anything

about illegal gold.

In time, as your employer, I will tell you everything.

I'm not working for you.

You started working for me simply by arriving here.

Then I'm going to stop simply by leaving.

Eta!

La comida está preparada, querido.

Bien, gracias, enseguida.

You know, for 30 years, I was forced to keep regular eating hours.

I now find myself, to my disgust, keeping the same regular eating hours

habit.

You see how hard it is to resist corruption of the free will.

Come on, eat with me.

No, thanks. I think I'll eat in Madrid.

You haven't any transport. I sent away your taxi.

Think I'll eat it? I won't tell you anything. You'll be afraid to hear.

in peace, the digestion.

Verdad?

Well, let me call a cab.

Takes about an hour for one to get here from Madrid.

But if your taxi's no the way, Mr. Amarillo.

Well, the one my hotel guy informed me did.

Oh, he did.

My daughter, Leocardia, who is married to Luis Iglesias.

Paco!

She's very pretty.

Senor? Paco, telephone Hotel Iglesias.

For I want a taxi that knows the way for Senor Magil.

Si, Senor.

Now we take food, huh? Food is not dangerous.

Paco Silvero.

Gomes tiene una visita de Londres. Un americano.

Americano. Su nombre?

McGill. M -C -G -I -L -L.

McGill.

Gracias.

Yeah, bueno.

Very much.

Not to have a second helping of Perea.

It's a doubt.

Eat, Mr. Machiavelli.

No, thanks. I'll wait.

Don't wait.

Leogaria didn't wait for you.

She eats very delicately, huh?

Like a contessa, first class.

Only the little finger shouldn't stick up like that. That is a pretense and an

ignorance. And that is a habit she shares with her husband.

When Luis takes his coffee, watch.

His little finger projects like the horn of a little bull.

Which is all the resemblance he has to any bull.

They have no children.

My beautiful daughter.

My elegant son -in -law.

Comprende?

Does your daughter speak English?

Why don't you ask her?

You say, habla usted ingles?

Perhaps she say yes, perhaps no.

I don't think that portrait really does her justice.

Eh?

Portraits? Why should it? It's not a portrait of Leocadia.

Tell my wife.

She asks if you

do not think she was very beautiful when young.

The answer is yes.

Very beautiful.

She asks if you agree.

Tell her she's still beautiful.

She'd know that you were only laughing at her.

Paco! I'm not laughing at her. She has very soft eyes.

She has a beautifully patient face, and I can really see why she needs that

patience.

¿Qué pasa, señor?

No hablo mucho español, señora, pero era guapa

y es guapa todavía.

Ah, gracias, señor, pero no.

Ahora, no.

Hey, that was more than thank you, good morning, goodbye.

We're and are beautiful.

Have you been honest with me?

Yes. Because I hide nothing from you.

For example, notice that although Leocadia, my daughter, is like the

her mother, she is not like me. What do you perceive in that?

I think she got the best deal.

And in this?

A long time ago, 30 years, I begin not to see my wife for a long time. That

was in a January.

My daughter, Leocadia, was born in December.

In these 30 years, I studied English.

Perhaps I should have studied arithmetic.

30 years ago, there was a war going on in Spain, Senor Gomez. Anything can

happen during war.

You want to hear about my war?

No. Poets, I promise no business. I keep my promise, but I will tell you this.

My war was better than my peace.

My war ended with my wife looking like that.

My peace began with her looking like this.

Que dices, querido?

That when I saw you again after such a long time, you looked like your hideous

mother. Corazon.

Entré, entré.

Buenos días, comendador.

¿Cómo está?

Bien, bien, teniente.

¿Y usted?

Muy bien. Gracias.

Eh, primero, el asunto de Gómez.

¿Cómo es tu inglés, teniente?

¿Cómo dice?

Ah, my English, I have a bit of it a little. Bien.

Let us exercise that bit of a little.

The language is appropriate for that.

Sí. Señor Marqués is an Americano. Bien.

Yourself and two guardias in the foyer of the Hotel Inglés.

I shall join you.

For the duty book, I write what?

To assist in the search of Senor McGill's room and possibly to arrest

On what charge?

That is too confidential for the duty book.

So it's todo, Comrade Honor?

Yes, Teniente, that is all.

Return the key to the desk.

Where do

we

search?

For what do we search, Comrade?

Who can know?

But why start there?

What would an unlocked suitcase be hiding?

Teniente.

Something interesting, Commander Hall?

F .A .I.

And in English?

Found in his jacket, inside pocket.

You are the witness.

Careless. Or innocent.

It will be decided.

Guardia.

Estudia esto.

Thank you.

Come in, senor.

This is your room.

Police.

You have a permit to carry this?

Yeah, I have a permit, but it's a British permit.

Now, what are you doing in my room?

Ah.

Now you define my difficulty.

You are in the American intelligence, no?

No. Not in any kind of intelligence.

My information is correct, then. They dismissed you six years ago. Okay, look.

How long is it going to take to get down to it?

As long as it takes to tell me certain things I want to know.

Like what?

Like, Senor McGill, the reason for your visit to Spain.

I was invited.

By a man called Gomez?

No, by a man called Iglesias.

Who is, of course, the son -in -law of Garnet, your old friends.

No.

So it was a business visit.

Look, I had lunch with the family.

Business just wasn't discussed during the meal. I understand that in piece of

the suggestion in your country.

But you were, nevertheless, present on business.

Well, I thought I was, but I couldn't seem to find out the nature of that

business, so I just took off.

It's closed.

But what is closed?

What payment was proposed?

Gold bricks.

Hombre, let us be serious in a serious situation.

Okay, look.

No business was discussed. We made no arrangements, so I didn't get paid.

Could it not be, Señor McGill, that the nature of the transactions between you

and Gomet is one in which payment is not relevant?

I don't do that kind of business. In other words, your business was

not commercial.

Political?

I'm suggesting, Mr. McGill, that you are no less dedicated to certain subversive

political beliefs than Gomet himself.

Subversive political what?

Listen.

I don't know anything about the political beliefs of anybody I've met

been here.

And we didn't talk about politics over lunch.

Either.

Unfortunately, this document seems to prove otherwise.

There's nothing to prove. What document?

A letter, Mr. McGill.

Addressed to you and found in your clothing.

A letter from the FAI, the Anarchist Federation of Spain, which fought

the present government in the Civil War.

Hold a minute, friend. Don't let this gray hair fool you that much. That war

finished about the time I was born.

The Anarchist Party has not admitted that the war is over.

Listen, that was 30 years ago. Are you serious?

This letter is dated last week.

It proves conclusively that you are a foreign agent of the anarchist party in

exile sent to Spain to conspire with the known revolutionary criminal Santiago

Gomez.

Now, Mr. McGill, to help this criminal, this enemy of the state, to do precisely

what? Save your breath.

I'm calling the American Embassy.

The American government is no less suspicious of anarchist organizations

mine. And they've already dismissed you from a position of trust.

The finding of this letter was witnessed.

What about the planting of it? Was I witnessed too?

I'm familiar with no witness in respect of that allegation.

But you do well to repudiate the letter.

Now all you have to do is to make atonement.

That is, to work for me.

Oh, I'm sorry. All I have to do is get out of this country, fast as I can, and

I'm going to do that tonight.

Leaving your suitcase, which I've sent to the house of Gomez?

Okay.

Make that call and I shall arrest you.

For what?

I do not have to make public any charge I hold you on until I have decided what

it should be.

It might take me years to decide.

Okay, okay.

Now, what are you framing me for? What is it you expect me to do?

I wish you to accept the hospitality which Gomet has undoubtedly offered.

To find out what he wants you to do, and then to tell me.

I'm sorry, I wouldn't be happy working for the police.

The alternative is one of my government's more uncomfortable prisons.

Anyway, tell Gomet the truth.

What do you mean? I can tell him that you forced me to work for you?

Precisely.

In fact, you began to work for me the moment you arrived at the house of

No, senor.

The fare will be paid by the Ministry of Internal Security.

And the teniente told me to wait.

Good evening. Good evening, good evening. Looks like you're having dinner

little early.

Just a merienda before the opera. We will dine in Madrid.

You are not surprised that we speak English?

Nope. I knew you understood it. But that, how?

Because you tucked your little finger in when your father almost bit it off, and

every color of the rainbow passed your face when he was talking about that

Pleased to accept the apology, senor.

We mistook you for a friend of Gomez.

Well, maybe I am.

We heard you defend my mother. You are no friend of the man who is called my

father. What you said about war was true, and it's worse for the women.

I think you would do well not to see Gomez again.

Why is that?

You might find it an unsatisfactory transaction.

Adios.

Buenas tardes, senor.

Buenas tardes.

Estais listos?

Careis salir?

Are we standing here waiting if we are not ready to go?

Que? Nada.

Vamanos.

But if you wish to understand anything said in truth, in your house, your old

camp, follow and learn English.

What was that about him and Gomez?

You know his meaning.

Would I ask?

A woman who produces a father who is not her father might ask anything.

But be careful, the tiles will be slippery.

I always do my own cleaning in this room.

I had 30 years' experience in another one.

Much smaller.

You mean a prison cell, don't you?

Tell me, how have you passed the afternoon?

Or shall I tell you?

The police were waiting in the hotel, without?

Well, Don, how did you know that?

My servant Paco is their spy.

I knew that he would tell them.

I was depending on him.

I'm through getting pushed around between you and the police.

I'm ready to start doing a little pushing of my own. How?

With that gold.

Clearly you have not told the police about illegal gold.

No, but I will if you don't tell me exactly why you brought me here in the

place. That depends on another question.

I just ran out of patience.

Who questioned you?

Please, the name of the policeman, just that.

A commendador called Palmer.

Raphael Palmer.

Very good.

He told you to return here?

That's right.

Why did you obey him?

Because they left my suitcase here and I have to pick it up.

Besides, I got hit with a forged letter.

Forged? Written on anarchist party stationery.

Oh, marvelous.

Well, it may be marvelous to you, Big Daddy, but I want some answers fast.

And he ordered you to tell me everything?

That's right.

Now there is clarity.

Where? Not to me.

Only thing clear to me is I got one foot in a prison cell, man. I don't know

why. Now, you better give me some fast talk, Pancho.

Tranquilo.

I will tell you because it is time.

If you want to fight, be right and let us do that. And I will tell you anyway.

Take your choice.

Go on.

Talk some more.

Okay.

30 years ago.

Like now.

I was anarchist. But when the civil war began, I was in the wrong part of the

country. And Lucia, a civil, very fascist, comprende?

Not yet.

So I stay in the wrong part of the country.

Myself and one other, just the two of us.

You understand why?

Because our party knows we are there and orders us to stay, to become the enemy

within. We obey, we become...

Very busy with administration, we reach positions of power.

One can always rise fast if one can betray enough people.

So I betrayed everyone that I was ordered to betray.

I became very big, fascist boss.

Did you enjoy that? The party moved against them before they moved against

You mean they were killed?

It was war.

There were orders. Anyway, my turn came.

I was betrayed.

They put me into the prison for 30 years.

And that's what you want me to do, to find out who betrayed you? From a war

ended 30 years ago?

No.

I know who betrayed me.

Raphael Palmer.

Palmer? Yes.

He was the other anarchist who stayed on the wrong side with me.

You don't think I'm going to kill him for you, do you?

It's the question of killing.

Well, what is it a question of?

Raphael betrayed me.

But there were orders, this I understand.

And I was not killed. This I appreciate.

But I come back here after 30 years. My friend is a big Franco boss.

Now, I must know who he is today.

Is he Raphael, my anarchist friend and comrade? Or is he Raphael Palmer,

Franco's commendador?

What difference does it make? The gold.

The gold? Your gold?

Anarchist gold.

Here, during the war, I intercepted a shipment of Franco's gold reserves.

I had it put in a chest and I hid it here.

I wanted to send word to the anarchist party headquarters to attack, to capture

the gold, but I couldn't. I was betrayed first.

And the gold's been here ever since?

Like Raphael, the gold has been here. Now, if Raphael is still an anarchist,

will help me to deliver the gold to our government in exile.

Yeah, and if he's loyal to Franco, you're going to go right back to prison.

Si. And he will go to the cemetery.

You did not wish payment in kind.

So, here is a bank draft.

You may call for it when I have seen the Commendador.

You will arrange the meeting.

Wait a minute. I'm not going to set up any shootout between you two.

You haven't any choice.

The Commendador told you to report everything to him.

Yes, I will. Well then, report.

Tell him I want to see him.

Alone.

He's going to think you're trying to kill him.

Convince him otherwise.

He'll try to get you first.

What does that matter to you?

Oh, pardon me.

The forged evidence.

Don't worry, Michael.

A prison is not so bad, I promise you. You would adjust.

Return to Madrid.

You are

honest with Gomez, as I advised you?

Yeah, and I think he was honest with me.

See?

Yeah, he would like to see you.

Any place you pick, but you have to be alone.

He wishes me to bring a rope around my neck.

No, I don't think he's in that kind of mood.

This is what he tells you.

That's right.

It doesn't surprise me.

What does surprise me is that you should believe him.

I, in any event, am not such a fool.

I just wonder how big a fool he's been.

Okay.

When the anarchists ordered you to stay with Franco, just how long do you figure

they wanted you to stay?

I've stayed so long with Franco, I've grown old with him.

My memory fades.

I can no longer clearly remember being an anarchist.

Then you've turned completely.

To cease to be one thing is not always to become another.

Sometimes it is only to become nothing.

Wait a minute.

I wouldn't be helping you to kill Gomez, would I?

Does Gomez wish to kill me?

That's what you wanted me to find out.

Whether he was going to put a bullet in your back or not.

The appropriate place for those who betray.

I've even wondered if it was to be you who would fire the bullet.

No, strangely enough, he doesn't want to kill you.

He says you used to be friends, and he thinks you still are his friend, his

anarchist friend.

And what has convinced him?

Those papers you forged, and when you sent me back to tell him the truth.

Then you have nothing more to tell me, Mr. McGill.

The Kometh will not tell me himself.

I think you can trust him.

Why?

Because of the gold.

Okay.

He has some anarchist gold. He says that you would know how he got it. You'd

understand. And he needs your advice.

That's why he wants to see you.

I prefer the theory of the bullet.

I'm going to see Gonneth.

McGill will stay with you.

You go alone?

Not even Parco is in the house.

For which reason I will carry insurance.

Your pistol, por favor.

Give me your pistol, too.

Thank you, Mr. McGill.

Your collaboration is appreciated.

There's cognac in the cart. It's getting cold. Be hospitable to Mr. McGill. You

do not advise the handcuffs?

Mr. McGill is already handcuffed.

I've not yet concluded that the letter we found is a forgery.

Say, wait a minute, Palmer.

Palmer!

Cognac.

And let us hope the command at all succeeds, Mr. McGill.

The evidence against you is very strong.

The notepaper was authentic.

And the typewriter was a standard issue in the anarchist party during the war.

Oh, come on now. Who's going to be using a typewriter 30 years old?

The anarchist party. Always short of funds.

To the return of the commander -in -law.

Without his authority, he will never be released.

Then let's make sure he comes back.

You sent for me?

You come with a gun, Rafael?

To kill me?

And what were you going to do to me, Santiago?

You shot better when you were young. I hit what I wish.

Turn around.

Right round on your knees.

What is this of gold, you say to Magill? King.

Nothing. Lies to Darius.

Why lie to Magill about gold?

So he will work for me.

This I believe.

Be still.

Or be shot without it.

My fingerprints will not be on it.

At least it will be known that you shot me as you betrayed me. In cold, fascist

blood. Yes, I betrayed you.

But I saved your life.

I forged documents.

I did what I could for you. So I spent 30 years in the jail.

Better than a firing squad.

Better to die young.

I had to betray you. I had my orders. You should understand that.

And now, with that gun, come in the door.

And now, I must kill you before you revenge yourself on me.

Why don't you shoot, then? Is your hand shaking too much?

It is not easy to destroy you.

You have it wrong, Raphael.

Thirty years with Franco has destroyed you more than you can ever destroy me.

Santiago, por favor.

Okay. Well, you stay right where you are.

Now, don't move!

I ought to tell you, Mr. McGill, that pistol is empty.

What did you want from the desk?

A pistol?

We have enough.

McGill's fingerprints are on his and it has plainly been fired.

In a moment, the Teniente will be here to confirm that I've had to defend

myself. Well, I wouldn't count on him if I were you.

I see.

Well, it's not necessary.

I wish you to believe this.

I did not plan to kill you.

Only this one.

But you volunteered.

My deepest regrets, Mr. McGill. Why kill anybody?

Clearly, this one can only wish two things for me.

Either to kill me or betray me to the government.

Look, you're wrong. He wants to tell you about the gold.

Ah, that again.

He's told me nothing about gold.

You wish to now?

I do not hear you.

There is no gold.

Now, come on, Gomez. Don't lie.

Now, you wanted me to arrange this meeting. Now, I arranged it. Now, just

him. My apologies, McGill.

I would never have gold for a man who came to kill me.

I regret that I have to take so severe a self -protection.

I regret.

And I kill you first, out of respect.

McGill, you wish to be first? No, no, no. Wait, wait, wait. Just wait a

I'm going to show you where the gold is.

That's the second time I've seen water run down the cracks in that tile. Will

you hand me that paper knife?

Give it to him.

You too

wish to betray me?

No, but I'm not going to die for some old gold or for your convictions.

Not foolproof, clearly.

You act well together.

You're almost convincing.

Open it up.

Okay, get up.

Get down there.

Both of you.

Come on.

devil you do?

Well, you two may trust each other down there, I don't know, but I don't trust

anybody anymore.

Comprende?

Now, you have a typewriter?

Si, in the cupboard.

Okay, I'm gonna forge a few papers myself now.

One will be my safe conduct out of here, and that's for you to sign, Palma.

With pleasure, amigo.

And the second will be a confession stating that you're still an anarchist,

if you harm Gomez in any way, I'm gonna send that to Franco.

You are severe, McGill.

There's going to be a third one, and that's for you, Gomez.

And it's going to be to the effect that you've stolen government gold.

And if you hurt him in any way, I'm going to send that to Franco. Now, you

got that clear?

We sign these things, then what for?

As soon as I get across the border, I'll cable the Teniente to let you out of

there. But if you don't sign, you're buried.

Dios mio!

A little prayer might help.

It'll be opened only from above.

Santiago.

You tell the truth.

There is gold down here? Si.

I tell you now only because I can no longer conceive it.

Raphael. See? Would you forge the documents to help to get the gold across

border?

Amigo, if we send gold to the anarchist government in exile, we finance a new

war and are caught on the wrong side again.

What else can you do? You would send it to Franco?

No. But we could leave it here and give it to ourselves.

You want to have a look at it?

Very much.

Que cosa?

The matter is that my wife, my daughter, my son -in -law and my servant who have

gone to the opera have not gone to the opera. Okay. And they're not coming

Que importa?

What is important is that the gold is not coming back either.

They have taken all of it.

You think it is funny to be betrayed by my entire family?

It's worse than when I was betrayed by you.

Who orders these tontos to betray me?

Greed orders them. Hatred of me. At my age, it is contemptible.

No.

No, Santiago.

It is impressive.

They prove what you have always wanted to prove.

We Spanish are all anarchists.

I need some signatures.

Amigo, I want to tell you. Don't tell me anything.

I don't want to hear any more talk. Just sign those papers.

Please do listen, McGill.

There's no reason to keep us down here.

Just sign.

Everything is gone, the gold, everything, except the bank draft I gave

Come, see for yourself.

No, thanks.

He doesn't believe us.