All language subtitles for Valley of the Issa (Tadeusz Konwicki, 1982)

baseado no romance de
Czeslaw Milosz

O VALE DO ISSA

Roteiro e dire��o

Em minha terra natal,
para a qual eu n�o voltarei.

H� um lago enorme
no meio da floresta.

Toda vez que eu me viro
lembro-me das nuvens.

Amplo, curvo nas bordas,
maravilhoso.

E um sussurro das �guas rasas
em um crep�sculo sombrio,

e um fundo com suas ervas
daninhas espinhosas...

O lago de espinhos est� dormindo
em meu c�u.

Eu me inclino e vejo l�,
em suas profundezas,

Um vislumbre de minha vida.
E o que me assusta

est� l�, antes da morte
definir minha forma para sempre.

Minha bagagem est� pronta

ela est� empilhada na
porta de casa

Dei um beijo de despedida
em minha pequena Kate

E ela est� chorando
por seu destino.

Ele pegou uma garrafa e um copo

E pegou a estrada procurando
uma mo�a

Bumpety-bump, bumpety-bump

Observe o pin�culo da igreja

Eu me casarei apenas com Mike.
Ele � o desejo do meu cora��o

Da floresta sussurrante

Veio um corpo de lanceiros

Chamando pelo meu amante

Para se juntar a eles na guerra

Chamando pelo meu amante

Para se juntar a eles na guerra

Ele montou na sela e partiu

Agora quem vai me manter aquecida?

Durante a noite e durante os dias

Agora quem vai me manter aquecida?

Durante a noite e durante os dias

A guerra veio e foi

Mas os rapazes se foram

Maldito kaiser assassino

Fui deixada sozinha

Maldito kaiser assassino

Fora!

Mas meu caro Balthazar.
Eu s� quero ajudar voc�.

Voc� se preocupa sem um bom motivo.
� realmente sobre a terra?

No fundo de seu cora��o,
algo est� lhe corroendo.

Voc� est� desejando uma fuga
e deixar este lugar para sempre.

O mundo � grande, Balthazar.

Cidades, noites de m�sica
e risadas.

Voc� adormeceria em uma margem do rio,
livre, com todas as pontes queimadas.

Uma vida teria acabado,
outra apenas come�aria.

Oh Jesus!

N�o h� ajuda para voc�.

Outono, inverno,

primavera, ver�o,
ao redor e ao redor.

at� que eles venham para
enterrar voc�.

Tome outro drinque,
� o seu �nico gosto.

Sua m�o foi feita para o machado,
os p�s para dan�ar, e a garganta para cantar.

Voc� vai se enforcar?

Sem chance.

Por que os outros podem ser felizes?
Por que eu n�o posso?

� porque a cada homem � dado
um fio, seu destino.

Ou ele o agarra e fica feliz
em seguir sua dire��o,

- ou n�o.
- Diga-me o que devo fazer?

Nada.

� tarde demais,
meu caro Balthazar.

Seu tempo est� se esgotando,
e sua coragem tamb�m.

Voc� n�o tem coragem
para se enforcar,

nem para fugir.

Voc� vai apodrecer.

Quanto ao segredo,
n�o deixe que ele o assombre.

Ningu�m saber�.
Isso � entre n�s dois.

N�o est�o todos condenados
a morrer?

Mais cedo ou mais tarde.
Qual � a diferen�a?

� verdade,
o veterano n�o era velho.

Mas ele estava fora
na guerra por um longo tempo

e seus pais j� se esqueceram
um pouco dele.

Sua esposa vai chorar, mas...,

ela vai superar isso...

E o menino que ele abra�ou era
pequeno demais para se lembrar de seu pai.

S� que voc� n�o fica tagarelando
quando est� bebendo

sobre ter um crime
em sua consci�ncia.

Mas o Padre Peiksva?

Sim, sim, voc� foi se confessar.

Mas voc� n�o � t�o tolo
a ponto de confessar tudo.

Voc� mentiu. Certamente,
� desagrad�vel ter a absolvi��o recusada.

Ent�o voc� mentiu.

Voc� disse que ele pulou em sua dire��o com
um machado na m�o e que voc� teve que mat�-lo.

Sim, ele pulou,

mas o que aconteceu depois?
Bem, Balthazar?

Voc� atirou nele mais tarde, enquanto ele
estava sentado no mato comendo p�o.

Ele sangrou nas roscas e voc�
as enterrou com ele.

N�o foi?

Fora!

Na �ltima sexta-feira, meu genro
esteve aqui e pegou o len�o.

Ele diz que � sangue de verdade,
sangue de verdade...

� um milagre!
Eu n�o acreditei at� ver.

Ele continua fluindo,
o tempo todo.

Al�m do campo, uma floresta
e um campo,

Enormes �guas brilham com
seus espelhos brancos

E a terra em tons de ouro
a plan�cie, flutuando,

como uma tulipa em uma tigela,
emerge do mar.

Meu pai diz que isso
� a Europa.

Em dias claros
ela pode ser vista nitidamente,

Tudo fumegante depois
de tantos dil�vios,

Um lar para pessoas, cavalos,
cachorros e gatos,

Torres de multicoloridas
cidades cintilam,

As ruas se entrela�am
como fios de prata.

E a lua nas montanhas,
algo como penugem de ganso

aqui e ali espalhadas
na terra.

M�os ao alto! Renda-se!

Saia do meu caminho!

Maldito seja voc�...

Saia do meu caminho!

Mam�e!

- J� faz muito tempo.
- O bom e velho Luke.

- Estou muito feliz em ver voc�.
- Pronto! Pronto!

- Ah, vov�!
- Luke � a pr�pria bondade.

Oh, mam�e!

Vamos. Espere.

Tommy, voc� est� t�o crescido!

Bom dia.

Ol�, Balthazar.

Quem est� atormentando voc�?

Eles ou voc� mesmo?

S�o eles.

Oh, Jesus! E como!

Vamos l�.

N�o, Balthazar,
eu n�o posso ajudar voc�.

Um rei para um rei,
um imperador para um imperador.

Todo poder tem seu contrapoder
e eu n�o estou � altura desse.

Talvez voc� ainda encontre algu�m
que tenha o poder certo.

� s� esperar.

Quem � voc�?

Pequeno Tommy,
Tommy Malinowski.

Eu conhe�o voc�.

Quer uma baforada, Surkont?

Vamos.

Sobre o cargo de portador
da espada.

O credo da Igreja
de Jesus Cristo na Litu�nia,

brevemente registrado a partir
da Sagrada Escritura.

A defesa do of�cio mencionado
contra todos os seus advers�rios,

escrito por Simon Budny.

Resulta da Sagrada Escritura,

que um crist�o pode ter
seus s�ditos, livres e n�o livres,

desde que eles sejam tratados
de uma maneira temente a Deus.

Estamos no ano de 1583 A.D.

Este n�o � um livro cat�lico.

H� muito tempo vivia
Hieronymus Surkont.

- Ele era um calvinista.
- Um herege?

Sim, sim, um herege.

E esse Hieronymus Surkont
viveu aqui?

Ele morava aqui?

Principalmente em Kedainiai,
na corte do pr�ncipe Radziwill.

The Calvinists had their church
and school there.

Our family has a German line
descended from that Hieronymus.

Some 300 years ago, in 1655,

the Swedes invaded this land.

Then Hieronymus

changed sides in favor
of the Swedish king Carl Gustaff.

- He was a traitor?
- He was.

But if fought the Swedes,

he would betray the Prince
in whose service he was.

He would be a traitor either way.

Radziwill had allied with
Carl Gustaff.

So it was Radziwill's fault?

It was.
Radziwill was a proud man.

He believed that the Swedish
king would make him Grand Duke

and so no longer a vassal
of the Polish king.

Then he,
as the ruler of Lithuania,

would order everyone
to adopt Calvinism.

And if he had succeeded,
we all would have been Calvinists?

I guess so.

I sometimes wonder myself how it is
that we are what we are.

What does it depend upon?

Careful, it'll spill.

Where are you off to?

Bear hunting.

Good evening.

I see I frightened you,
madam Helen.

No wonder you did.
You move like a ghost.

- Where shall we go?
- Let's try that way, shall we?

It's sort of eerie here.

What's eerie about it?

God help me if I utter that name!

I can handle him.

How?

Speak to him politely and make
him welcome. Then he's harmless.

Jesus and Mary!
How can you?! I am going back!

I was only joking.

What are you doing?

Granny!

Someone smashed the window
with a stone!

Stand back, don't move!

I got it.
Get behind the door!

I know...

There is nothing to know.

Maybe there isn't, maybe there is.

I've come because you
are dumb.

Who taught you to read?
Did you forget?

You did.

Did I also teach you to pitch
grenades at people?

Even if I did, so what?
They are not people they are lords.

Did you ever see
me taking their side?

The lords have sucked us dry.
We don't need them here.

They'll get killed until
they run back to their Poland

and the land will be ours.

You are a Lithuanian.

The Lithuanian is not a cutthroat.

And we'll take the land
anyway.

Every Pole is our enemy.

The Surkonts have been Lithuanians
for centuries.

Then how come he is a lord?

Did you mean to kill him?

No,

it was all the same to me.

Thank God the grenade
did not go off.

Do you know who would
have died? Did they tell you?

No.

Little Tom.
It was found under his bed.

Like father, like son.

Fool!

Would you go to his funeral?

Why should I?

Now look here, Vackonis.

I know who put you up to it.

...And who was with you
that night.

I am not afraid of your
Iron Wolves.

All you're good at is
fighting women and kids.

It is none of your business.

With such a sense of honor
you must be a Pole.

Out of the way, please.

This area is closed,
keep beyond those ropes.

White clouds,
my terrifying white clouds.

How the heart beats,
what grief and sorrow of the earth.

Clouds, white and silent.

I see you at dawn with eyes
full of tears.

And I know that in my pride,
desire.

Cruelty and a grain of scorn

Prepare the bedding for
a lethal sleep.

And the most beautiful colors
of my lie veiled the truth.

Then I cast down my eyes
and feel the wind blow through me,

Burning and dry.

How terrifying.

You are, guardians of the world,
white clouds!

Let me sleep.

Let the merciful night
encompass me.

Please, people,
take her to the church.

How could she take poison.
My God!

It was bound to end like this.

It's not much of a coffin...

What do you expect?
It's a suicide.

Come on lads,
let's put the lid in place.

Easy.

Come on here.

Smell it.

There, there,
what are you up to?

The landlord is afraid of you.

But you are not rabid,
are you?

Let me see your tail.

See?

What bit you?

Come on, let's go.

What if I pull the trigger?

Will you drop dead
or will you jump?

Suppose man is to a dog
what God is to a man,

then if a dog bites
a man he grabs a stick.

God bitten by a man
will get mad too.

The thing is to enrage
God into firing

a thunderbolt and if he doesn't,
you can forget him.

Look at that...

One more refill, madam Helen.

Aren't you overdoing it, neighbor?

He says the hay is in.

Mama spanked me on my back
To protect me against lads.

- Not drinking?
- I am not allowed to.

You may drink.
You are not longer a baby.

Come on, your health.

That you are a debauchee

I must say that I like thee

I like you in sun and rain.

For your kinks, that's in the main

Hitch up six pairs of horses
Take me to see how she is

I must, I must, I must

Please my soul and fast.

I must, I must, I must

Please my soul and fast.

Four decades of happiness

All your letters to witness

Marry her to the devil

She's old

I will go for a prince
Who is bald.

Now, stay, wait...

Open up!

Open up now!
Or we will break the door!

Colors come from the sun,

And yet the sun has no particular
color, for it has the all.

And the whole earth is
like a poem

While the sun above
represents the artist.

Whoever wants to paint
the world in its colors

Let him never gaze directly
at the sun,

For he will lose memory
of things he has seen

And only burning tears
will stay in his eye

Let him kneel down and bring
his face towards the grass

And look at a ray reflected
from the ground.

There he will find all that
we have abandoned,

Stars and roses,

and dusks
and rising of the sun.

Why must I fade?

Why must my arms and legs fade?

Why am I, and yet I am not.

Only once did I live from the
beginning to the end of world.

Oh, the sky and the sun
will be there,

but I will be gone forever.

Only my bones will remain.

Nothing is mine, nothing.

Oh, oh.

Judas, hey Judas!

Judas, we got you!

I am alive!
Hurray! I am alive!

Pardon?

He says the war will
end in the autumn.

Denis, you cover the lane,

while Victor
will get to the meadow.

I and Tom will wait here.

Just watch how Lutnia
will flush them.

Didn't I tell you?

It's Lutnia.

She is picking the scent.

It s faint and she must
work on it more.

Duna!

They flushed hares.

Now, now, now.

If you don't get there in time,

Dunai may leave you with
half a hare.

Jesus Christ!

Oh God! A monster!

Tell me, Father...

Tell me, Father how could
the Grand Duke save Lithuania

if it was either side with the
Teutonic Knights against the Poles,

or with the Poles against
the Knights.

Are you listening?

Are you listening?

What about Tom's Father?

No use talking.

It's likely he won't come back.

For joining the Polish army
he would land in prison here.

It's expected he will send for
the boy to take him to Poland.

They don't acknowledge coming
from a small country.

All they think of is culture,
big cities, Poland.

Some kind of poison seems
to be getting' into people.

No it's just that things
are so mixed up.

Tom's grandmother
is of German ancestry.

In Prussia you get
Lithuanian and Polish names,

but they are all Germans.

Let's hope nothing bad comes
of this confusion.

Little Lithua,

precious freedom hidden in the sky,

how do we find you?

Is death our only refuge?

Wherever a miserable man
turns his eyes,

To the east, or to the West,

he sees but misery,

duress and slavery.

The Great Earth is flooded
with sweat from work,

With blood from the whip.

Little Lithia,

precious freedom,

Step down from Heaven
and take pity on us.

Good day, Mr. Rabbi.

I am not the Rabbi.

What does the peasant expect
of the Rabbi?

Tell the Rabbi
the forest ranger has come

a man can't find a place
to call his own.

Have you a farmstead,
a wife and children?

It is sins, great sins that
make a hell of life.

I don't know if it is a sin,
or fear or something else.

Tell the Rabbi I am in torment.

Alive, yet not alive.

I am doomed without a pious
man's advice.

Do you pray to the Lord?

That's what I cannot grasp.

After all, there is no way
to get close to him.

But I go to church
as required, why not?

Hush Jews,

he will speak!

No man is good.

Whatever wrong you have done
is merely your fate.

Man, do not curse your fate,

for whoever thinks he has
another man's fate

and not his own,
will perish and be damned.

Man, do not think what your
life might have been like,

for another life would not
have been yours.

He has finished.

Magdalena! Magdalena!
It's her. Oh my God! Help!

She tried to strangle me
with her claws.

She pulled the blanket off me!
Ripped my shirt!

Mother of God.

Saint Joseph!

He caught erythemia from
the shock!

Come on, lift up the lid!

It's her. Her complexion, hair,

Everything same as while alive.

Take it. It's sharp.

- You know what to do.
- I do.

Love no country:
Countries soon disappear

Love no city:
Cities are soon rubble.

Throw away keepsakes,
or from your desk

A choking,
poisonous fume will exude.

Do not love people:
People soon perish.

Or they are wronged
and call for your help.

Do not gaze into the pools
of the past.

Their corroded surface will mirror

A face different from the one
you expected.

There you are, Balthazar,
only one life.

Millions of people are concerned

With millions of problems,
and what are yours?

Sukont, Helen Jukhenevich,
the shooting incident,

it's all pretty small.

And why this does befell
you in particular?

You might have fallen anywhere,
a like a star.

But you had to be here.

And you won't be born ever again.

The Rabi spoke the truth.

The truth.

You pretend to accept your fate,
but actually you don't,

do you?

Knock the table over.
But what then.

I know that what you really want
is to ask a question.

Go ahead, ask.

You'll get it off your breast.

Is it that if someone
does something,

he does it because he had to?

It is this what rankles you,
isn't it?

If I am what I am now,

it is because I have done
what I have done?

But why did I act so?

Wasn't it because I had always
been what I am now?

Regret that the seed is bad,

that wheat won't sprout
from nettles?

Sure.

Whatever happened...

Looks like it had to happen
and could turn no other way.

That's how man's life
is ordered.

But I never know why.

I've sent the matchmakers,
I don't remember why.

And then that Russian,

I could have just scared him.
I can't remember.

Tommy, shut the window,
It's cold.

Shatibbel has brought a letter.

It's there, look.

Your mummy writes
she'll be arriving soon
and this time for certain,

in a couple of months
at the latest.

- By what route?
- She has arranged everything.

You know that
the border is closed,
and she can't cross it legally.

But she knows of a little town
where she can easily cross.

Will we go with mom the same way
back or by way of Dyneburg?

You will go.

- I won't need it any more.
- Don't say such things.

The pillows.
Can you straighten them up?

So many birds this year.

Yes, Grandma, so many.

So many cats.

How come the birds are not
afraid to sing?

Goodamned mare!

But Luke, there is no need
to worry.

Maybe they won't divide
up the estate.

This time they will.

Blackguards, thieves.

They'll ruin us and what
we will do, miserable.

Move in with us of course.

You can help us run the farm.

Joseph Czarny, that nationalist,
has informed on us.

That snake?

Didn't I tell you the
Lithuanians are all the same.

And you called them good
and dear who mean no harm.

I would teach them a lesson
with a whip.

We'll have to grease the hand
of the land commissioner.

He promised to help.
Joseph won't have his way.

I think it's best to move
into the forester's cottage.

They would thus see Papa on his
property and me on mine.

One's home is one's castle.

Poor thing, he will perish?

That bully who hangs around
doing nothing all day,

except drink his moonshine
damned drunk.

And he is so fat as to
be obscene.

- Throw him out and that's final.
- How could we.

He built the house himself,
he looks after the woods.

- It's no way to treat a man.
- A man? He's not really a man.

For you he is the dearest Balthazar,
the apple of your eye,

a pearl dearer than your
own daughter.

God forbid doing harm
to anybody.

I didn't mean it even for a sec.

He could be put up here,
in the manor. He could help out.

What dreadful times
we have lived to see!

You have to treat any
cad in kid gloves.

My God, it weighs heavy
on my heart.

Poor Luke.

Give him some drops, perhaps.

All we need is one room
at the Balthazar's.

Could be.

Just one small room
to satisfy the commissioners.

Let them come and see.

But Helen,
in the middle of the forest?

At the mercy of that
country hick? Come on.

It wouldn't be permanent.
Just once every few days.

It would get around that
I have a farm of my own.

I'll talk to him, all right.

Joseph Czarny may be right to
some extent from his point of view.

- My God!
- Well, I never!

I know what you want to enquire.

Go to the crones.
They have their methods.

They say you should add
your menses blood to his food.

What about lovage growing
in the everglades?

I can't help you.
He isn't worth it.

- Spit on the old lecher.
- I can't live without him.

A nasty old codger with
a hankering for noble ladies.

Don't waste your time on him.

So you won't help, Masyulis?

Go and follow your nose.

What does he know...

Sown in sin,
the body is raised in glory.

Sown in weakness,
it is raised in power.

Sown an animal body,
it is raised a spiritual body.

In the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do not torment yourself,
my daughter,

but repent of your sins
and God will be satisfied.

Sin.

Sin.

I am listening.

My son,

- I will tell...
- Tom!

Tom!

Where are you?
Come here, we need you.

Lay me on the floor.

I am choking.

My son...

Constantine...

Jesus!

Save oh!

And let eternal light shine
upon her. Amen.

And why were we so worried?
Was it worthwhile?

And why did we suffer
without knowing each other?

You would have lived with me.

I'd have found you a husband,

and you'd have helped me
with your courage.

How sad that people come to
love each other only after death.

Is it hard to take poison?
Tell me.

It's hard.

I was praying to God
to forgive me

and I swallowed it as I was
on my knees.

But right afterwards I was
scared and crying out for help.

And why did you haunt people?

Need you ask. Now you know.

Yes, it's true. Now I know.

Curse death.

It is assigned to us unjustly

Implore gods,
let them give you easy dying.

Who, after all, are you?

A trickle of ambitions,
lusts and dreams

Does not deserve a long
death agony.

But I don't know what you can
do with the death of others.

Children splattered with fire,
women hit with buckshot,

Blinded soldiers,

Their death lasts many days,
here, next to you.

Your pity is homeless,
dumb is your speech.

And you are afraid of judgment,

For you could do nothing.

Go on,

more, more.

Now you!

- I can't stand it anymore!
- You can.

Turnover.

That's enough.

Come my love.

Oh saints in heaven!

Saint Andrew! Saint Peter!...

Romuald!

Shout!

Not enough! No enough!
To live is not enough!

Shout!

It's wrong! It's wrong!

Kill!

Who?

I don't know.

- Barbarka!
- Take it!

You swine!
Chasing old broads!

- What? Are you out of your mind?
- That's for doing me harm!

Barbarka!

Barbarka,

lay dawn!

Oh my God!

- Gee-up!
- Hoo, hoo-hoo!

Turn back! Turn back!
My God, what did I do?

Turn back!
I'll never set foot there again!

You bitch! I'll teach you!

- I'll beat romancing out of you!
- Gee-up!

Just show up again!

Only try!

It's outrageous! I don't know what
she is up to? Why?

How dared she?
She must be out of her mind!

Mummy,

please come!

Come, mummy!

Damn it! Damn it!

To think I gave birth to him!

- Filth! Filth!
- Hush, Mama, calm down.

Oh! I got cramps in my stomach.

He has disgraced us!
He'll kill his mother.

Oh, Denis, I feel weak.

Well?

Mom is ranting and about to faint.

You'd better not show up now.

I no longer want to.

Couldn't you have made it
more gentle for her?

Don't you know her? Gently or not,
she'd behave in the same way.

- What now?
- Nothing. She'll cool down.

But she says she won't
give you her blessing!

Too bad.

But I've got to marry
Barbarka anyway.

Dishonor!

Dishonor!

It will be over soon!

Over soon.

It will be over soon.

- It's at Balthazar's!
- Fire! At Balthazar's Fire!

Everything will be over soon.

Move on, men!

It will be over soon.

Mommy!

Tom,

what do you want to be
when you grow up?

A priest, I guess.

What nonsense?

Why a priest?

For...

For I...

for I am worse. That's why.

You know nothing of
what you are.

I don't want to be left alone.

Mama!

I said so little. Days were short.

Short days. Short nights.
Short years.

I said so little. I couldn't keep up.

My heart grew weary
from joy,

Despair,

Ardor, Hope.

The jaws of Leviathan
Were closing upon me.

Naked I lay on the shores
of desert islands.

The white whale of the world

Hauled me down to its pit.

And now I don't know

What in all that was real.

Poems translated by Czeslaw Milosz:
Robert Hass,
Jan Darowski and Lillian Vallee