Original subtitles

SAMSON

Starring

Screenplay by

Music by

Production Manager

Photography by

Directed by

A spring day.

"Later, he thought of it..."

...as the first quirk in his fate...

" ...which he was steadily,..."

" ...and inconceivably, walking towards."

It's a pity that your father never lived to see this day.

Your first lecture.

"Goodbye, mom."

Goodbye.

"Mister, it's not really my business but you might as well go home now."

What's that procession all about?

I want to go with them.

There will be a rally soon, but not for your kind. You'd better go.

" All right, all right."

He did not know that hatred was growing intensely in those days.

He did not feel its dark touch.

He arrived equipped with school knowledge of human brotherhood.

He didn't think he was any different from the others.

"So far, he had no friends, ..."

...but maybe he would have one someday.

" All that united them, or should have united them...

...the books they read...

...their heroes' names...

...the land where they were born.

He waited to hear their first words to him.

Beat the Jew!

Don't you know your place?

Move to the left side now!

What are you waiting for? Move it!

"Faster, faster!"

The Professor's coming!

Don't go this way. Go around.

You! Jew!

What do you want here?

A Jewish spy!

On your knees!

Beat the Jew!

He desecrated the banner!

Don't be fools. Stop it.

He killed him! He killed him!

That's not true!

I didn't want to kill him!

"Cell 25, can you hear me?"

"Yes, who is it?"

Political prisoner. 12 years.

"Tell me how long, and why."

Murder. 10 years.

Jealousy? Revenge?

No.

Robbery?

No.

Where and when?

"Here, in Warsaw."

On the Polytechnics campus.

I killed a student with a rock.

I've heard of you.

"You must appeal, understand?"

Why? I killed him.

It was self-defense. There were witnesses.

They were barred from testifying.

Tell me how it happened?

I can't figure out how it was my fault.

Shake it off.

The same rock would have killed you.

The murderer would've been found not guilty.

They needed a scapegoat.

A Jewish killer.

Use your brains!

If I had had a handful of sand instead of that rock...

What? I can't hear you.

Move closer to the bars.

You can't give up.

Listen...

You have to defend yourself.

Against what?

Look out The guard!

Good day.

My name is Jozef Malina...

...and this is my apartment.

I began to miss it at the hospital.

There are worse places in the world.

"You're a first timer, aren't you?"

Do you know how to weave baskets?

It's the best job around...

...not very ambitious but no disappointments.

"It's that communist, Pankrat."

He knows I'm back from the hospital.

They want to break him...

...but he's a man of iron.

Although I'm not sure whether...

...people should be made of iron.

This is Pankrat. Do you hear me?

I hear you.

"Tomorrow night, all hell will break loose."

What does that mean?

You'll see.

What should I do?

Follow the others.

How will I know?

You'll hear them.

We're counting on you.

I'll be waiting.

"Look out, the spotlight!"

Do you have anyone besides your mother?

No one.

I have a son.

He had tuberculosis of the bones.

They can treat that only in Switzerland.

I stole enough to pay for the treatments...

...and they cured him.

I think that makes me a good father...

...but not a good cashier.

"Last time, mother asked me to be strong..."

" ...and right after, to take care of myself."

My son is also an only child.

I told her they take care of us here.

Drop it.

I didn't mean to kill him.

You chicken-shit!

Pankrat!

I have to tell you something.

Speak up.

I know why you're keeping quiet.

"Listen, let me explain."

I couldn't do it.

You have to believe me.

"I'm not a chicken-shit, Pankrat!"

"Mr. Malina, it's time."

"It wasn't so bad here, was it?"

You get used to it.

"Come on, hurry up, or else I'll lock you up for another three years.

"What's that? Oh yes, you get used to it."

"Mr. Malina, I don't have time. It's already past twelve."

"Mr. Malina, I just saw my mother."

I'm leaving. I was waiting to say goodbye.

Mr. Malina!

"Coming, coming."

Remember my address.

"65 Mokotowska Street, apartment 34."

Will you come to see me?

Will you?

Yes.

Freedom did not look as he had imagined it during his prison days...

...when he thought of it constantly.

It greeted him with the arid heat of war and crowds of fleeing refugees.

He recognized familiar faces...

...from some of the other cells...

...but the man he talked to had supposedly been taken away at night.

"His invisible friend was moved to a dark cell, but he managed..."

...to sneak out a message which cleared Jakub of cowardice.

"Soon, the resistance will fall silent and the weapons will fall to the ground.

The memories from his prison years...

...will include faces and voices...

" ...someone's address, the humid chill coming from the walls, and tapping."

All of it will come back to him...

...and there will be a time when those recollections will be his only hope.

"It is still day, and the air is filled with smoke."

The defeat happened in full daylight...

...but darkness is slowly falling over the earth.

Everyone will go their own way...

...to find their next of kin and tell them...

...Here I am! I'm back!

"In the center of the city, there is a new..."

" ...sealed off district, established for people..."

...doomed to death for the crime of existence.

Special laws will prevail there...

...and pleas for mercy will not be heard.

"In this crowd, stars on armbands fortell everyone's future."

He has changed a little since those days...

...but if you look deep into his mind...

...you'll still find some of the lessons...

...that his mother taught him long ago.

One such lesson was to bury the dead.

That responsibility falls on all survivors...

...and is done for peace of conscience.

Mom.

Mom?

"What's wrong, mom?"

Mom!

She fainted.I ran to get her water...

...but she must have died. I'm his cousin.

"I did all I could, but how else could I help?"

You! Come here.

Help me get over the wall.

You've already buried her there's no more you can do for her.

Come on.

Come with me. You have no one left.

"This is life, man. Come."

I'll help you out here.

Gienio! My God!

"My God, you've come!"

"Wieska, it's closing time."

Who is he?

- Who? - That Jew.

He's with me.

Did anyone see you together?

"No, no, no."

How could you bring him here?

"Well, he helped me get over the wall."

"Listen, let his stay the night here."

Impossible! There's no one like him here.

My nerves can't handle him being here!

Let him stay until tomorrow.

He can go back where he came from in the morning.

Either he goes away now or you go with him also!

"It's not my idea, it's hers!"

She doesn't know you!

Just take a look at your face!

She says there are none like you on this side of the fence anymore!

What's wrong with him?

Touch him.

You can't stay here.

Tell me what to do.

You knew what you had to do on the other side of the wall!

"Nobody was afraid of me, there."

Let him go back across the wall!

I can't make it alone.

There must be some passageways!

You'll manage.

Just look at yourself in the mirror and you'll understand...

...why he can stay and you can't.

I understand.

Don't look at me that way!

Don't look at me!

Let me wait here until dark.

I don't have a face like yours.

Tell him...

Go now! Can't you see how she is?

"Hold on, boy, just one minute!"

"Hurry, or we'll be late!"

You wouldn't have it any other way.

You bore me.

Always at the last moment.

Stop it!

There's someone on the roof.

"Breathing fresh air, weren't you?"

Here's to you!

"Great, a fourth person for the other table. "

Will you play?

What? You haven't drunk that yet?

"That's not good, you're falling behind."

"Excuse me, but how did you get here?"

I walked into the stairway...

...and the janitor locked that gate.

I see...

You must have been freezing!

Where do you think you're going? It's way past curfew!

You have to wait until morning.

He'll be caught out in the street.

You'll have to stay here with us.

You know what? I've been meaning...

...to meet you for a long time now.

Of course he should stay with us.

Then let's play!

It's really drafty by the window...

Let me just make some room for you over here.

"This isn't needed anymore, is it?"

" All right, then, I'll deal."

...And you'll get some color back in your face.

Only fresh air can help in this situation.

Zygmunt! Zygmunt!

" A few years ago, a sick man came to see me. But fate..."

"Fine, fine! Leave him alone."

"If you'll allow, it's my turn."

- First a taste of life... - ...and then the rest.

"If you play out of tune, I won't sing."

"Goodbye, you'll catch a cold."

"Get up, get up. Let's go home."

You're not sleeping here.

Thank you very much.

I apologize.

Say goodbye.

Who sent you here?

I don't understand.

"Well, someone must have sent you."

I told you it was blind chance.

Do you think I came here for help?

You're not leaving.

It's daytime. You have to wait until dark.

Don't be afraid.

You'll be safe here.

I have visitors only at night.

Were you hiding on this side?

"No, I was there the whole time."

Do you have a family?

No.

Is it really so horrible over there?

I don't know. Everything is white here and black over there.

"The houses, streets... and we Jews."

I wanted to stay there and should have.

I don't understand.

Only a Jew would understand that.

There are exceptions.

People on both sides are the same.

You think everything here is white...

...because you don't know us.

The man who soaked you with vodka...

...had by fluke escaped from the Gestapo.

The other one is a university professor...

...and now works for the railway.

What were you doing over there?

I collected corpses from the streets.

And you want to go back there?

Yes.

Is someone waiting for you?

"No, no one."

Then why?

Look at me.

I'm one of them and I have to share their fate.

Collecting corpses!

Unbelievable.

Why do you deceive yourself?

No one is doomed to hell during their lifetime.

Nobody should go back there.

Actually, no one should have gone there in the first place!

Nobody went there voluntarily!

We had no choice!

But now you do.

If you had escaped Auschwitz...

...would you think of going back?

There are thousands of people living across that wall.

I have no right to rescue only myself!

All of them are doomed, and I have to be there with them until the end!

That's a false idea of solidarity!

There's no thing on earth that is worth a human life!

Wrong! Jews do not think like that!

"Jews, Jews, Jews..."

I'm also Jewish.

Not even you can see it.

Goodbye.

What will you do if you can't cross the wall.

Don't worry. I'll think of something.

Do you have anyone on this side?

Yes.

You have to be careful. Is it far?

Third house from Zbawiciel Square...

...on Mokotowska Street.

Who lives there?

A bank cashier.

We were in prison before the war.

Excuse me.

You should go.

Why are you crying?

I can't stand it anymore this house, those people.

They come almost every day.

I invite them in because I'm afraid of being alone.

"They don't know, and shouldn't but one day, they'll find out."

I look into their faces everyday and wonder if that day has come.

And I await their judgement.

You know what it's like to escape from the ghetto...

...but I do that everyday.

I'm scared. Please don't go.

I don't have to be afraid of you.

Do they mark everybody like that?

Only those with jobs.

Sometimes they have to leave the ghetto under escort.

If someone tries to escape...

...it's easier to shoot them in the back.

What time is it?

I don't know. It doesn't matter.

Now we'll have plenty of time for each other.

That's not up to us.

It is.

"The moment I saw you, I realized that..."

...something important had happened.

No one is a lucky as I am.

You appeared to me out of nowhere.

I can't lose you.

I feel very good with you...

...and that's the hardest part for me.

When I leave...

That won't happen.

You'll be safe with me.

You'll see what I'll do.

The people who were here already saw me,...

and that's enough reason for me to go.

They're honest people.

Honest people talk with each other about other people's business.

It's already harder for me to leave today.

Tomorrow will be harder than today.

Then you'll start hating me. Do you see?

"No, I don't."

My place is down there.

If only you had been there even once.

There's more than just a wall that divides us.

That's not true. You don't even believe it.

"Nothing divides us, and I love you."

You can't love me. I have to go back.

You'll never go back there. You're afraid.

I'm not sure if you know this, but yesterday when you wanted to leave...

...I saw it in your eyes.

What are you doing?

How do you like it?

What's this all about?

Your guardian angel has to have bright hair.

What about the suitcases?

We're leaving.

Where?

To the country.

"Don't ask about it, it'll be wonderful."

Why are you standing around like that? You're funny.

Say something...

We're not going anywhere.

So you don't know me yet.

I've always done impossible things things no one believed in.

That's why I always won.

"We'll be together, don't you see?"

We can only be together over there.

Being together kills Jews on this side. Being alone is the only way to survive.

We shouldn't talk about this.

It'll be better for us both.

I can't.

"Yes, you can."

If you ever want to get your life back...

...you have to forget about that.

I didn't stay away from the ghetto...

...with the intent of going there later to spend some time with you.

I'm not going away.

Of course.

As of today, your destiny is in my hands.

Don't you see I want to save you?

From what?

"From the Germans, from the Jews, from yourself, from the war!"

Don't think this is a sacrifice. I just want you for myself.

I have to go to town now.

I'll be back in the evening.

Don't open the door for anyone.

Where do you want to go?

To the ghetto.

Not this way. We'll take you there.

Walk through that gate and you'll find your way.

We're not going any further.

Thank you.

Quiet.

Don't cry.

What do you want?

I'm looking for a way across. You can see who I am.

Get the kid.

I'll give you my jacket.

Many people have crossedthat wall. No one has everwanted to go back.

They kept telling us, as many of us will survive...

...as you'll be merciful to.

"What do you think, have they all perished?"

If anyone saves himselfit'll be someone who never wants to go back.

I don't have anyone.

You always have someone somewhere in the world...

...you just don't always know about it.

Sometimes others get in your way or your timing is bad.

That's true.

Let me out.

I can't. It's past curfew.

What do you care? It's not far from here.

- Only to Mokotowska Street. - Look out, Germans!

Does Mr. Malina live here?

"Yes, he went to the basement."

Mr. Malina.

Who's that?

"Someone to see you, uncle."

"Oh, it's you! Come in."

The dog's name is Athos.

My son brought him from Switzerland...

...just before the war. Have a seat.

Take off your jacket. It's warm in here.

kasia!

She's my niece. Take his jacket.

The two of us now live here together.

Do you see how life turns out?

We promised ourselves that we would meet again as free men.

" And now you sit in my kitchen, and we're both free."

But my best days were spent in that prison cell.

Complete peace.

Weaving baskets was the only thing I ever liked.

Just don't ask him anything about his son.

I'll explain it all later.

They killed my son. He died in a camp.

"What do you think, should I have stolen the money..."

...to let him live a little longer...

...considering how horribly he died in the end?

It's a great misfortune.

"Yes, misfortune."

I'm sorry I didn't ask about your problems.

My problems are Jewish problems.

I'm glad you've come.

Could you advise me what to do? I have nowhere to go.

Stay here. It's already past curfew.

You've come just in time for Christmas Eve dinner.

You can stay as long as you want to...

...or as long as you're able to.

Uncle forbids me to when he's not here.

Open up.

Are you waiting for someone?

Open up!

Good morning.

"This is Mrs. Jablonowska's apartment, isn't it?"

No.

Do you know which one it is?

"No, I'm not sure."

So no one can tell me...

She's the seamstress. I have to find her.

"No, I'm not sure where."

"That's too bad, then. Excuse me."

Good bye.

Was that the woman you were waiting for?

"Come in, doggie, we're home."

What's wrong?

She saw me. I have to leave.

Hold on. Who saw you?

I don't know. I have to go.

She just left.

So what if she saw you?

"She saw you, and that's that."

Let's not jump to conclusions.

"People are never entirely evil, and never entirely good."

And she might be much better than we're giving her credit for.

You're not going anywhere.

You'll run into these same problems everywhere you go.

I'm worried about you.

It's all my fault! My fault!

kasia! No hysterics! Calm down.

Let's think for a moment...

" All right, you'll wait in the cellar for a couple of days."

"kasia, give me the keys."

"Come on, the keys and a candle!"

"You'll see, you'll be back up here in a matter of days."

"Stop crying, kasia."

Come on.

- When will he be back? - I don't know.

- Maybe you could help me... - With what?

Nothing. I prefer to wait.

Uncle won't be back today.

Are you looking for someone?

Where is he?

Uncle?

"No, you don't trust me. I know he's here."

I have no idea who you're talking about.

"You're afraid of me. I beg you, trust me."

"Yesterday, a young man came to see you. Almost a boy."

He was in prison with your uncle before the war.

He has dark hair and he...

...one of them was quite young.

What happened to him?

He left right away.

Did you see him?

Yes. Medium height. Slim. Dark eyes.

A Jew?

" A Jew? No, madam."

" After all, you shouldn't let Jews into your house."

Why don't you believe me? How would he have gotten here?

You don't believe me? Have a look for yourself!

"He left my place, yesterday."

- Alone? - Alone.

And you just let him go?

The Gestapo prison is the only place where he could be.

Won't you wait for my uncle?

The boards can be moved. You can move them later on.

I'll come by tomorrow.

Thank you.

Good bye.

I'm a Jew.

Pardon me?

I'm a Jew.

You little brats! Get out of here!

Well?

He's not there.

I searched the whole apartment. There's no sign of the Jew.

They tricked you.

"I searched under the bed, and in the bed."

The bed... The bed is your specialty!

I looked in the closet!

Nobody hides Jews for free! You can make money for that!

"Children, which one is Mr. Malina's basement?"

That one.

That's the one. Come on.

- Look in there. - No, he's not here.

Hello? Is anyone there?

It's too dark to see anything.

There's no one there. Come on.

You're an idiot. We'll come back soon.

You can't give up. He has to be somewhere.

"Madam, that's not the basement. It's that one there!"

Were they here again?

"Who are you talking about? Oh, the blackmailer!"

"Yes, he was here. But he's not coming back."

I chased him away.

I slipped on the stairs.

"Mr. Malina, I shouldn't stay here any longer."

I can't...

Take it easy. What's wrong?

Please let me leave.

Where to?

I can't keep living in a basement.

"Besides, all I'm doing is putting you in danger."

I should go back to the ghetto.

I should stay there...

...with them...

...until the end.

Don't you understand? I'm one of them!

Listen to me. You have to stay here!

I won't let some mean bastard decide if you should die!

Let's not talk about this anymore.

I have given this some thought.

You should tell me to go.

"I know that sometimes, saving your life comes at too great a cost.

What cost are you talking about?

"The war will end, and you and I will be proven right!

Leave the door unlocked!

You want to leave? Then go! Go!

They'll catch you at once.

What will happen to me and kasia?

I was very happy when you came to us.

"I don't go out anywhere, either."

Uncle doesn't even want to let me come down here.

I stole the keys.

"Nothing happens in the courtyard, either."

"Once, a fire-eating woman came with a troop of acrobats."

It was very nice.

"Soon, you come back upstairs."

No one will be asking about you anymore.

You're not angry with me?

Angry with you? Why would I be?

You know what?

I'd like to walk the streets...

...without anyone stopping at the sight of me...

...without anyone looking back at me...

...I just want to walk down the street.

Where to?

I don't know.

It doesn't matter.

I'd like you to always tell me the truth.

You're childish.

You think so?

I have to clean this place up.

There's no need to. Nothing will change here anyway.

Since I've taken charge of your fate...

...I now have duties to you.

You too?

Strange.

Everyone is in charge of my fate.

Everyone...

...except for me.

Don't do that. Stop it.

It makes no sense.

I'll leave you a candle. You can read at night.

Just make sure you black out the window first.

What for? I don't want to read.

You've been alone for too long.

This is the only way. I realize that now.

I've thought about it a lot.

"Listen, I'll take you back upstairs very shortly."

No.

You won't take me from here.

They've been here again.

Who? When?

Yesterday.

I don't remember.

I'm losing track of time.

It's already spring.

True...

...cats chase around at night...

...meowing.

Let me go.

No. I've read news from the front.

Good news!

"You know, I keep having dreams."

No one wants anything from me.

Nothing. It's almost hard to believe.

I've never felt this good.

"Neither in prison, nor in the ghetto."

You don't need to lock the door anymore.

I won't be leaving anyway...

...not even when the war ends...

...not even when the war ends!

Everyone held flowers in their hands...

...because it's called the Feast of the Rose.

Mother wore long swinging earrings...

...and a golden brooch.

And? Tell me more.

There were candles on the table.

When father came back we sat around the table.

We were all good to each other.

Mother kept repeating, "Leben und leben lassen."

What does it mean?

Not to kill. "Live and let live" .

The Jewish prophet said that.

"The poet was a Jew, but he wrote in German."

Tell it to me again.

I haven't thought about it before.

Only since they started coming.

They come to you? You see them?

Yes.

All of them.

It must be beautiful.

I knew from the moment you came to us that you're different.

Do they come to you often?

Whenever I'm left alone.

Do you talk with them?

"Is it green outside, yet?"

"It's fully spring, can't you feel it?"

I also see somebody in my dreams every night.

Do you know who it is?

I see you quite clearly. You're talking to me.

Last night you told me...

"Oh, can I really believe it?"

Aren't you curious to know what it is you asked me?

I had to wait until she left.

"I didn't want to talk around her, mom."

I never taught you to hate.

"Remember, our suffering has been going on..."

...for over five thousand years already.

You have to be strong like Samson.

Mom!

Is there any strength left in me?

"Samson, with his bare hands, tore a lion to pieces."

Tell me...

I have nobody. I am alone.

Could this be my strength?

Fear is your strength. You want to live. I understand.

"You're the same as me, although you despise me."

"Fear is your weakness, because you're afraid to die!"

No! I don't want to die just because of my face!

Go away!

You're one of those that I picked from the street.

I found you on the sidewalk.

I've deserted you.

"There's the price of life, and the price of death."

Do you remember that?

"They took him, in chains..."

...and locked him up in a dark cell...

...and his hair began to grow back...

...and he appealed to the Lord and said...

"My Lord remember me, and restore my former might."

Listen...

...have they blinded me already?

"Carefully, carefully."

A German truck was rushing behind a tram and he got hit on the head.

"He was a good man, but had a wretched life."

He died without a priest.

Sleep. Everything's all right.

What's going on?

Don't you know? The ghetto is burning!

They've been shooting since morning.

What's happening?

Where?

These explosions.

"No, they're not in town."

"Look, I brought you some cake."

I had one just like it.

Don't you like it?

That must be the front approaching.

We have to be very careful now. I'll cover the windows.

Why doesn't Mr. Malina come to see me anymore?

Uncle has gone away for a couple of days.

I'm taking you upstairs today.

"You won't stay here any longer, you hear?"

You're leaving here. Upstairs to the apartment.

I have everything ready. I've rearranged the furniture.

You'll see how nice it is now.

We'll be together.

Why aren't you happy?

I'm going upstairs?

Not yet. After dark.

Upstairs?

Yes.

Where is Mr. Malina? I wanted to say goodbye.

I'm taking you upstairs to the apartment!

What about them?

They won't come here anymore.

They already know that uncle...

Don't be scared.

I must go back to them.

I must be with them.

I must go back...

" ...yes, to the ghetto."

To the ghetto?

The ghetto is gone.

There's nothing there anymore! The uprising is long over!

They ran out of ammunition.

The Germans burnt down the last houses! No survivors!

That not true!

You're lying!

I'm not lying. I went everyday. I saw everything!

"They defended themselves, but the Germans were stronger."

"There's no one there anymore, understand?"

They'll be taking down the walls soon!

No! No!

You're a brave man!

You have any money? Hand it over!

You prefer the Germans?

"Well, dead man, no deal? You prefer the Germans?"

What does he want from that guy?

He's a Jew catcher.

"He's caught a Jew, and wants to skin him alive."

The guy won't even squeal.

Don't pretend you're some saint! I know you have some one near here!

Do you think I live a good life?

Hey! What? Let me go!

Who's that?

We were in prison together before the war.

I found him on the street. Some guy beat him.

I couldn't leave him there all alone.

Signal them that I'm coming down.

What's going on?

Is the professor downstairs?

He is.

"Stupid, why did you run from me?"

Professor...

What is it?

I've brought a man who was beaten. He's lying upstairs.

"Good, good."

I brought a Jew.

" All right, I'm coming..."

Where were you before?

"There's no danger here. You're safe, understand?"

Answer me.

"There's no danger here, understand?"

Drink.

"Sit up. Sit up, will you?"

I want to help you.

Were you hiding on this side?

Nobody survived.

Everything was destroyed.

I didn't know. I was blind.

You can't do that! You can't!

Start thinking.

Only a man can suffer such an ordeal...

...and only a man can rise back up.

You have to find the strength for that!

You are a man.

And who are you?

Thank you. I'll do it myself.

This will hurt a bit.

- Professor? - Yes?

- It's time. - Is it ready?

Yes.

Good. I'll bring the rest.

You want to cover my face?

Anyone will recognize it.

"I don't want to cover it, I want to bandage your wound."

Anyone can tell what I am.

It doesn't matter what your face looks like.

"If they bust in here, everyone they meet will die..."

...regardless of their face.

Are you telling the truth?

"Just look around, none of them wants to die..."

...but none of us will die for nothing.

See this?

"The price of our life, and the price of our death."

Do you believe me now?

"Listen, you'll stay with him."

I'll be back before dark.

You'll stay with us.

Who was he?

Who?

The one who talked to me.

Pankrat.

Pankrat?

Pankrat. You didn't know?

keep them here.The boy will warn his companions.

The man who dressed your wounds shouldn't come back here.

keep them here.

That will be the moment of your strength...

...the moment of your salvation.

You shall bring your oppressors to their knees...

...for the deaths of the innocent...

...for all the evil you were made to suffer!

Now is the time.