Original subtitles

There'll be no papers signed today.

Look, maybe you don't understand.

I understand you perfectly.

I said no papers signed today.

Leave them, but no papers get signed.

The boss ain't going-

I said no papers get signed today!

Ok.

You're a tough man, Mr. Nazerman.

I mean, he looks tough, but-

Why don't you mind your own business?

You know...

You worry me when you look like that, Mr. Nazerman.

What-what is wrong with you?

Hmm?

I don't know.

Good afternoon, Mr. Nazerman.

Mr. Nazerman, for some days now

I've been trying to give an idea

Some sort of shape, a- a pattern.

Now-now, Mr.- Mr...

Socrates... Socrates himself

Was on the very borderline of drama, right?

Right, and look at Baudelaire.

Baudelaire and all his strange, sacred mysticism.

And who knows? Perhaps the marquis de-

Exactly what was it

That you came to pawn, Mr. Smith?

Pawn? Oh, of course. To pawn.

I- I did bring...

I... i...

I had it somewhere.

Just stand still.

Stand still for a minute.

Now, think.

Just for once in your life,

Try to be rational and think exactly

What you came in here to pawn.

I...

Nothing.

I had nothing to bring.

I...

I will miss talking to you.

What makes creatures like that exist?

Why-why did you call him creature?

Because he's black?

No, not because he's black.

I don't care what he is.

I'm nondiscriminatory, nonsectarian.

Black, white, or yellow, they're all equally...

Equally what?

Scum. Rejects.

You're a mighty hard man, Mr. Nazerman.

I mean, after all,

They are children of god.

Ain't they?

You believe in god, Ortiz?

I don't know, Mr. Nazerman.

But you believe in god,

And I make book on that.

I do not believe in god

Or art or science

Or newspapers or politics or philosophy.

Well, then, Mr. Teacher...

Ain't there nothing you do believe?

Money.

All right. Then you teach me

About money then, Mr. Nazerman.

All right, Mr. Ortiz.

Now, come here.

Firstly, money can increase or decrease in value.

Secondly, money is risky, but at a given moment,

One has some idea of its worth.

Thirdly, money can buy you many things-

Comfort, luxury, relief from pain,

Sometimes even life itself,

And now you listen to me,

And you listen very carefully.

Next to the speed of light, which einstein says

Is the only abSolute in the universe,

Second only to that, i rank money!

Well...

You believe me, that's all you need to know.

That's what life's all about?

That's what life is all about.

You mean, money is the whole thing?

Money is the whole thing.

I'll see you later, Mr. Nazerman.

Please, please?

Please, please, listen to me.

Honey, I can get you the money.

I got some gifts i could sell.

Extras from the customers. You know.

Baby, you don't need them others...

Tangee and buck, most that Robinson-

They just poison.

Baby, nothing they do for you won't hurt you.

Oh, please, please, let me chip in.

I can get it for you. I know I can.

Money. Money.

That's the whole thing.

Sure.

Sure, honey, only no going back to them others.

Oh, baby...

I'm just thinkin' of you.

Damn loot. I'm going to get it.

I'm going to get it and fast!

Chico! Come. Sit.

How come you don't join with us?

I got some thinking to do.

Oh?

You know what I think?

I think you got something on your mind

You want to talk about,

Or you wouldn't be here in the first place.

You want I should romance you a little before you talk.

Listen, you hear me, tangee.

I got nothing to say, see?

I just got to think.

I just got a lot of thinking to do.

All right.

Ain't nobody pressuring you.

And if-

If I decide to do anything at all,

I got to call the moves.

We had you figured for that.

And if the thing goes,

I say if...

There'll be no shooting.

Ok, man.

You need a piece, but just for show,

Because shooting is trouble. It's stupid.

We can do without it.

No matter what, understand?

If I decide to go ahead with it,

If...

I say when and how.

If.

I got some stuff to pawn.

We'll start off with this.

That's an expensive locket.

No sense in fooling around with it. It's gold.

I'll give you $20 for it.

$20? It's worth at least 100.

Maybe it is, but not to me.

This locket was a present, a gift

From a man for a private session.

Pawnbroker... you got it in your power

To make me a beat up old woman.

What makes you say that?

'Cause if my boss finds out

I've been messing around in private-

He don't hold still for nothing like that,

So if it was to get out to him,

He'd make me old before my time.

Hello.

Mendel is dead.

My father's dead.

Did you hear what I just said?

Yeah, I heard what you said, yeah.

Uh...

Just a minute.

Hang that up, would you, please?

Hello.

Papa is dead.

What am I going to do, Sol?

Well, you bury him.

There's nothing else to do.

Nothing?

Nothing. Nothing.

When you talk like that, you're not human.

You want me to come cry with you?

Yes.

The hell with your crying.

I need someone to help me.

I can't come now. I can't leave the store.

The store.

Big... important... store.

Where do you think your money comes from?

You wouldn't get your father's corpse

Into the ground if not for the store.

Papa is dead.

That's what you wanted, isn't it?

I'm good, pawnbroker.

I'm real good.

I know things you haven't never even dreamed about.

Just $20 more.

I make you happy.

Like you've never known.

I'll show you how pretty I am.

Don't you say nothin' about this, you hear?

Nothin'. Like I said,

If my boss was to find out

I been messin' around in private...

So don't tell Rodriguez nothin'.

Rodriguez?

Rodriguez... the big man...

The boss.

The biggest in Harlem.

You mean...

You work for Rodriguez?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, he's got lots of irons in the fire.

He's a powerful man,

So it's better if you don't tell him a thing.

But I got to get me some money.

Look.

Look.

That's it. Look.

Look.

Look.

That's it. Look!

It don't cost you nothin' to look.

That's it. Just look.

Look.

Look.

Aah!

I can't tell you, Nazerman,

How I've looked forward to this.

People I come in contact with...

They're dumbheads.

You've got background. The real thing.

Me, I never had a regular education,

But I've got a feel for things.

You...

Are a welcome change of pace for me.

Say...

If all you wanted was to come here and stare,

I could've sent you a picture.

Ok, partner...

What's your beef?

That whorehouse down the street from me-

Do you own it?

You wouldn't be trying to get-

It's your whorehouse, isn't it?

Assume it is, then what?

I don't want your money if it's from there.

Say that again.

I don't want your money if it's from there.

Why?

It's money that comes from filth and horror!

That's what it is, professor.

Then...

We can have no longer anything to do further-

Professor...

You don't know it, but the lecture is over.

Now, you're going to listen to me.

Where do you think the money

You've been living on comes from, professor?

Money you pay for an old jew's keep,

Money you give Tessie.

Money you pay for a nice, fat house on long island

And the nice, fat family you support there?

Oh, I know all about you.

And how. I know where your money comes from-

From me.

And one of the places i get it most

Is from whorehouses

And bowling alleys and parking lots

And hotel linens and tenements.

Now tell me where you thought it was coming from.

I don't know.

That makes you stupid, professor.

You're living right in it!

Right in the middle of one big whorehouse,

Right in the bosom of the world!

How do you say it- Filth, horror?

Right in the middle and you don't know it.

Or maybe something else- Because you don't want to know.

Are you that kind of man, professor,

That doesn't want to know about things,

Feel about things? Are you that kind?

That makes you nothing! A ton of nothing!

You give me a front, and I give you money,

So don't hang up on me, professor.

Not again.

Look at me.

Look at me!

I said...

Those papers you haven't signed...

By tomorrow morning, signed.

What?

Yes.

Yes?

Yes.

Yes?

Yes?

Yes.

Yes?

Yes.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Oh, yes.

Happy dreams, uncle.

Come in.

Can I get you something?

Coffee?

No, I thank you. No.

I was out on the terrace when you phoned.

I couldn't sleep.

Would you...

It's very lovely in the morning.

That's why i got this apartment-

This terrace.

The city and the river.

We had a...

We had a river in Germany.

Tell me about it.

That was long ago. That was...

That was before Europe became a graveyard.

What made you come here?

I don't know. I don't know.

Just...

Things have been happening lately,

And...

I felt I needed to be with someone.

What things, Mr. Nazerman?

Well, it's just that suddenly,

In the last few days, i feel afraid, and...

It's been a long time since I felt...

Anything.

Fear.

Fear, fear. That's what I felt.

And then i, uh...

I called you.

I'm sorry that you're so alone.

Oh, no, no, no. You don't understand.

It's just that there have been memories

That I have...

Well, I thought that I had...

Pushed them far away from me,

And they keep rushing in...

And then there are words...

Words that I thought I have kept myself from hearing

And... now...

Now they...

Flood my mind.

Yeah.

Today is an anniversary.

What happened?

Happened?

Yes.

I didn't die.

Everything that I loved...

Was taken away from me and...

I did not die.

Mr. Nazerman...

There was...

Nothing I could do.

Ha.

Nothing.

Strange? I could do nothing.

No, there was nothing i could do.

Why do you sit like that?

I got... chilled.

I got chilled listening to you...

And not being able to do anything for you.

Sol!

Sol, don't let him fall!

David? Sol, he's falling!

Oh, god, David!

Sol! Sol!

Ruthie! I can't do anything!

Oh, my god, i can't do nothing.

David. David!

David! David!

Mr. Nazerman.

Mr. Nazerman. Are you all right?

You-you don't look good.

Listen, i...

I- is there anything I can...

Mr. Nazerman.

Do you remember me?

The Oratory Award.

Just to carry me over until i...

Well... I have this for you.

Don't scratch them.

They're surely worth $10.

$50.

$2.00.

You're crazy.

$2.00 for a leica camera?

What the hell are you saying?

$1.00. That's better?

You're out of your mind for sure.

Whatever you want to give.

I've got no use for them anymore.

How much do you want to borrow?

Oh, I-I don't know.

$20?

$50.

I'll let you have it for $2.00.

Why, yes, I'll just take that watch.

Now, just wait a minute.

This says, uh...

It says 121/2 bucks, lady.

You got a mouth, boy. Pawnbroker says-

I don't care. You want this article,

You come up with $12.50. That's what the sign say.

Mr. Nazerman.

Mr. Nazerman, are you ok? Huh?

Leave me alone, Ortiz.

Ok, I'll do that, Mr. Nazerman.

I'll do that. First I want to know,

Are you ok?

I'm ok.

Are you sure?

Yes, I'm sure! I'm ok.

Now just leave me alone.

That's all right.

I'm just concerned, that's all.

After all, you're my teacher.

Ha. I'm your what?

You're my teacher.

Hmm.

I'm a student to you.

You're nothing to me.

For true?

For true.

You mean, I'm like...

The rest of them out there?

That's right.

You're like the rest of them out there.

You're nothing to me.

I'll go for lunch now.

Go to lunch. Do what you please,

But just leave me alone. Now, go!

See you later.

It's at closing time.

Hmm?

I said it's at closing time.

How come?

That's when it's got to be.

Now I said it,

And I'm saying it again.

No shootin'.

What's the matter,

You worried about the jew?

No.

I'm worrying about Jesus Ortiz.

Now...

I got a plan.

Then this jive cop, he said,

"Mon, I'm sympathetic

To the problems of your race."

You were supposed to deliver the papers this morning.

They better be signed.

Sign them.

And if I don't sign the papers...

What do you do to me then, you kill me?

Oh, yes.

So kill me.

Pardon me, uncle.

Professor...

You have to kill me.

That's what you want.

That's what you really want, professor, isn't it?

I'll tell you what.

You'll die...

But not when you want to.

Not when you want to so bad.

One day it'll happen to you...

Just the time when you wish it hadn't.

I'd like to borrow some money on this.

I- I want to borrow $10 on this.

I collect them.

You'd be surprised how many people

Use them for decoration.

There's a monarch in here.

And the great spangle fritillary.

The mourning cloak...

And...

The one with the eye design, tha-

Thank you.

Well, gentlemen, what do you want?

The money.

The money.

Now, we ain't playin'.

Now you open that safe fast.

Well, come on!

Well, come on!

Look...

Go home.

We ain't jokin', mister.

You get that money out of that safe.

You get it.

Hey, no sweat. It's open.

Step aside, uncle.

What do you want to die for, uncle?

The money don't mean that much to you, does it?

Now... you move.

Get out of the way of that safe-

No shooting!

Back up! Back up!

Jesus!

Jesus! Jesus!

Jesus!

Ay, ay, ay! Dios mio!

I... I said no shootin'.

I said no... not to hurt you.

No...

No, don't hurt you.

No.

No, don't hurt you!

Back it up, back it up!

Let's go!