Original subtitles

In the Dark Ages, the art of healing developed in the Roman era

has been widely forgotten in Europe.

There are no doctors, no hospitals,

only travelling barbers with poor knowledge.

At the same time on the other side of the world

medical science is prospering.

Based on the novel by Noah Gordon

THE PHYSICIAN

England, 1021 AD

Not enough

Get lost

Back and forth, and up and down

left to right, for more than 100 years

but nowhere, have I had the pleasure

of looking out upon a crowd

with prettier girls

than here in your wonderful ...

why do I especially like it here? because

I always lay me best eggs here

Ladies lords, from broken bones

to teeth rotting down in your jawbone

to useless stumps

from postures of the backside, to thick black fluid in your lungs

No matter the ailment, conjured up by the devil to plague us poor Christian folk

Me

me alone, has the cure

Me and me alone has the cure

is that only that?

I can also snip the lice out of your hair

oh look at the poor boy over there

he can hardly see with that rat's nest on his head

come on boy, let me show you the wonders of daylight

hey, that is my bread

give it back !

Dear lord Jesus

have mercy upon us, your poorest children

Except my sweet Rob from the error that he's a match of fists of bigger boys

Turn back the stinky finger my Samuel uses to pull snot from his nose at the table.

And let my baby Anne wait until I've finished grace

before she puts so much of a crumb of bread in her greedy little mouth.

Amen

It's nothing

Dear God, make it stop

Come quick, my ma needs help.

Go away! I'm not here

Please, barber

To hell with "Please, barber"

What do I care about another wheezing whore in this dunghole of a shitheap

Go home! Come back tomorrow if she ain't dead by then

Get out of my wagon!

I cleanse this sinful heart with this sacred oil

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost

Hurry!

Ma, I brought the Barber to heal you

What's he doing here?

If you've got him, it's too late

for me

You can reason no cure for what ails this woman, but the grace of God.

Anything else would be called witchcraft

Amen, Father. You've taken the words out of me mouth.

No, Barber, please

Is there somehone here who disputes the authority of the Holy Church?

Not me, father. Not me.

woman

do you wish to be crudely buried on a rough metal crawling with wild beasts

or rest in peace for eternity

in shedded grounds of my chapel's cemetery?

eternal rest costs feoffment

we got, no money

- nothing? - nothing

very well, the shallow grave which you'll have to be

my babies

Dear God and lord Jesus

have mercy on us three children

return our mother to us

we need her more than you

please Lord Jesus please God

she's breathing

she's cold

we need to cover her

she's thirsty

water

Ma! ma!

Ma, drink

I think she's dead

The utensils go to whoever takes the youngest

we can take the two youngest

They can sleep in the stable

If you can take two, why not three?

The oldest is too grown up. We can't fill his hungry mouth

Don't cry, Samuel

remember, she's always with us

let's go

Rob !

I've taken these for the penny owed for the sacred oil

where should I go?

pray the almighty God for guidance

shoo, run! shoo, hoo!

I can look after the horse

I know horses. ...

I don't need no horseman

I don't need no little lairy running around after me

my heart bleeds for you, rat

who's there? show yourself

Before the three of us come up and rip you apart

how did you get here?

you need a faster horse

down!

- please, just tonight - no

get your filthy rump out of here

- please - no!

Could you have saved her, barber?

there's no cure for side sickness

is your Ma still alive?

Nah.. died pushing me out

do you have a family?

No.. I've got enough of my own concerns

so, who do you talk to when you're alone?

I don't. I sleep, like now

if only you'd shut your hole

- I was only wondering.. - that's it !

one more word, and so help me God there'll be one less rat crawling the earth tonight

shut up

these eyes, have seen everything the good Lord put on the earth for us to see

And some terrifying things no man was supposed to witness in his life

I'll tilt your hands, and rip out your lungs

and then, I'll kill you

I was just dressing her wound

- God's our witness, look. - ... bitch!

there's no bigger time to ask yourself

what would Jesus do in your situation?

I was thinking.. so a little bit more forgiving

forgive you for giving?

that looks broken

for a thruppence I could fix it for you

come see us at the marketplace

...than here in beautiful Ethelweller

- nowhere are the girls prettier.. - you've said that already

oh, shut up! - hey, my juggler

I found him at the bottom of a well

The show is for free, and the treatment is almost for free

- Where the bloody hell were you? - House visit

A spoonful of kidney ash every morning gets your kidney problems out of the way.

For forgetfulness, tie the dried tongue of a hoopoe bird round your neck.

- And here is a very special potion.. - This is witchcraft!

- I picked the herbs myself under a full moon. - You'll end up in hell!

It will stop your wife from bringing more brats to the world

whether they're yours or your neighbor's. - black magic!

come and get healed !

- Can't the young barber do it? - There's no young barber here

just the ignorant apprentice of an ancient master

If you don't like the looks of me, you shouldn't have fallen off your broomstick, hag

who's next?

Me, me, me.

that'd be two penny, dear

- good night little boy - good night

how was it?

oh I'm in love

you should stick to whores too

much less stress

than other men's wives and daughters

oh, Rob..

you need a hand old man?

don't you dare!

have you ever wondered what's inside?

in here

flesh, blood, bones

your soul if you have one

down here?

more flesh, more blood

so, the side sickness come from bad blood?

I don't care if it comes from my arse

can't cure it, can't charge for it

have you never wondered what's inside? you've never looked?

I can slice you up after breakfast

I mean, like in dead people

Don't you ever talk about that again

never

you know what the church does to necromancers?

Burn them at the stay

as heretics, I've seen them myself as a child

skin peeling away

showing flesh and blood

and gore sizzling in the flames

most terrifying thing I ever saw

enough to turn a man's eyes dark inwards

so stop talking about the side sickness

it won't bring your mother back

not another word

never

pliers

open your mouth

more light

push down on him

Holy earth from the Mount of Olives

if you don't recall how to drink lad,

I'll remind you

like that, boy

the farmer with the tooth,

- death is coming for him - death is coming for all of us

I felt it

- you felt death? - yes

Death won't trouble him over a toothache

My apprentice thinks he's a soothsayer

oh, really? so when's me husband coming back from war?

Not too soon, I hope

What's harvest going to be like this year?

- the devils ! - you there, murderers !

you need to give us some answers

in the morning this poor soul went to work in the field

in noon, he went to see you to cure his aching tooth

by evening, he breathed his last

run away

You bewitched this poor man with black magic - run away

you trespassed against the Lord and the church

you owe my sister a husband

it might be hard, if she's as ugly as you are

get him

I think you'll live another hundred years

I told you to run

I'll start on the roof tomorrow

then what?

they'll heal

not before we starve

you should go

And leave you to the wolves?

I could always beg for alms outside the church

Yeah, and in winter?

I'll make a nice meal for the crows

At least then this miserable life of mine will be over

and the world, would miss a great barber

You're not listening, boy!

I can't even hold a pair of tooth pliers

I could hold them for you

I've been watching you all these years

You've also been watching the clouds

It doesn't mean you can make it rain

And some terrifying things that no man was meant to witness in his life.

I've seen ugly giants

I've seen greedy dwarfs

And just the other day, I had to fight a fire spitting dragon

with me own two hands

But, nowhere have I had the pleasure of looking out upon a crowd of prettier girls

Lord have mercy on me

Save me from soiling myself with fear

Come into the house of wonders

come in

good morning

put the lad on the table

- bone saw - ooh, bone saw, yes

whole toe has got to come off

- whole toe - or he'll lose his leg

how about tying him down first?

here, put this in your mouth lad

bite on it

iron

- iron - we're talking about the iron

is it hot?

- yes - how many times did your apprentice done this?

thousands! now shut up

deep breath, then go on swift movements

I want you to done with it

Look, the holy Mary

my first amputation

mine too

so, what's this potion called?

tears of the holy virgin

I thought you bought it from a monk in Jerusalem

He stopped crying a while back keep stirring!

it has bitten

Remember boy, the more painful the treatment, the more they respect the barber

there's some more

Next !

the same pay, the mercenary has to sell his soul

The farmer has to work himself to the bone

You thank the Lord for your profession

every bloody day

Thank the Lord

You look very healthy to me

Rob ! come here

Shut up !

I hereby christen Rob Cole a barber!

You're an apprentice no more, you serve no master but yourself

Reward this barber, Venus

I'm here, you blind, old sod

The moaning end is the top

Oh, hold your yap I have eyes like a hawk

Yes, a dead one

just don't be sticking anything in the wrong place

I'm at the right place

Your master should see the Jew, the Jew can heal the blind

- noone can heal the blind - the jew can

he also raises the dead and makes the lame walk on water

I think you're talking about Jesus Christ, our Savior

But he ain't no bloody Jew.

here, let me do it

I need to practice

These people mutilate their children

They cut off their cocks

They'll gouge my eyes out

so what?

you can't be any more blind

How is it done?

My master keeps his secret to himself

I'm a barber, too

A barber?

Excellent

My hair could do with a trim

I make no promises

Your operation is a difficult one

It doesn't restore sight in every patient, some even die

get on with it

Thirty pennies in advance

Thirty pennies? It's highway robbery Never!

please, do your best

what's your name?

Rob what's yours?

I'm Benyamin, he's Jesse

- Are you a Christian, Rob? - Yes

Is it true that you're not even circumcised?

Our God does not want us to do so

Did it work?

In few days, we will know

thank you

Once you've eaten the bread, you can talk

Why don't you take off his bandage?

A barber can unwind a bandage, can he not?

- Rob? is it you? - yeah, it's me

don't open your eyes yet

now loosen the scabs

can you see?

- like a child - he needs to rest now

oh bloody rat

what you've done to my master's eyes

where did you learn it?

In a place called Isfahan

is that beyond London?

is he serious?

Benyamin, shall we show him the map?

there

what is it?

the world

and around, in blue is, the heaven?

have you never seen the sea?

I've heard of it

we're here, this is London

and here is Isfahan

the greatest physician the world has ever seen teaches there

Ibn Sina

there's noone on earth who can match him, the knowledge and wisdom

Ibn Sina

can he cure the side sickness?

Ibn Sina can cure many illnesses

- how long would it take me to get there? - over a year

first, you'll have to go through south coast of England

then you cross the channel, then you walk through France

take a sailboat along the coast of Africa

and then you'll arrive in Egypt, and here

you will be killed

why?

from this point, the Muslim world begins

Arabia, Persia, the Christians have been banished from everywhere

only we Jews are tolerated

my condolences

you worship the wrong God

I don't remember the world so beautiful

I take the men, you take the women

we share the earnings fair and square

you take 1/3 and I take 2/3

no, 2/5 for you and 3/5 for me

no, that's too complicated

the Jew said, Ibn Sina can cure leprosy

consumption and typhoid

- for how much? - I don't know

but he's got this huge palace where he treats his patients

and they stay there until they're well

how much is he charging?

and, he's got another palace called madrasa

where he teaches his students

- he's got two palaces? - yeah, and I want to go there and study

a barber with two palaces

no, I want to become a hakim

the Saracens, they call their healers "hakim"s

I don't care what they call them

- that Jew has been feeding you a story - we should travel to the orient

- we? - yes

- in the orient? - we'll come back as great healers

cure our patients much better

here's your share

rise and shine Mr. Hakim

Rob?

bloody hell, what are you doing?

I don't want to treat warts all my life

I don't want to pull teeth and sell colored horse piss as a miracle tonic

I want to learn how to cure the cataract

I want to learn how to cure the side sickness and all the other diseases

You told me it couldn't be done, but now you can see again

There is so much that you know nothing about

it's huge

That's Dover. Best place to get a boat.

Now get off my wagon

What are you waiting for? Go and drown

Get eaten by sea creatures, what do I care?

here

thank you

piss off, rat

piss off

oh Lord, have mercy upon me

bless me on my long and dangerous journey

Let not the waves engulf me or sea monsters devour me

Let not bandits slit my throat or wolves eat me alive

Let me not starve or get lost in the dark woods and cold mountains

And, please, Lord Jesus forgive me

that I shall deny my faith

and soil myself with sin

to serve your creation and glory

The caravan to Isfahan leaves in four days

Before you go I'll bring you to my brother

He has nice Jewish robes, praying straps

He makes a good price

shalom

how long to Isfahan?

- two months - just two months?

that's good enough, Jew

make sure these are filled with water by sunrise

stop reading, and sleep you're wasting oil

That girl is as obsessed with her book

as an opium smoker is with his pipe

It must be good money to bring her to Persia

More than enough

Some wealthy man from down there is paying

Miss ?

are you an honorable man?

I try to be

then leave me alone

like this

close to the heart

what is your name?

Jesse

son of?

Benyamin

Well, I don't know how Jews pray in England, Jesse Ben Benyamin

but here we observe the rules, yes?

yes

and we don't look at girls who don't belong to us

yes?

yes

Seljuks

who are they?

nomadic tribes from up north

gruesome horse people

They trek across this land and leave a path full of blood everywhere

By Allah, they look like they are praying

What thieves leave riches like this behind?

The Seljuks believe Allah has chosen them to punish all sinners

They despise possessions and pleasure in equal measure

it's alright

we should take her with us

I don't have room on my camel and you don't even have one

I have room in my sedan

With all due respect, she's not your business

I'm making her my business

how is she?

sleeping

don't forget to make her drink

How come you know so much about fever?

In England I was a barber - a barber?

englishman, walk somewhere else

or do you find the desert too cramped for your liking?

jesse, come

the little girl, she's getting worse

She was shivering with cold before, now she's on fire

we need to lower her temperature do you have any water?

here

And Alladin was startled by the lamp which began to hiss and smoke

A ghostly fog arose from it from which a a giant shape emerged

with eyes the size of cart wheels

"who are you?" asked Aladdin

I am a genie at your service

a booming voice, answered

what happens next?

The genie grants Alladin's wishes

makes him unbelieveably wealthy

and this helps him win the hand of the Sultan's daughter

wish I had a lamp like that

My favorite story is about Sinbad, the sailor

He meets cannibals and giants on his voyages

but he isn't scared of anything

All these stories are in this one book?

Yeah, and many more

it's the most beautiful thing

I've ever seen

I can take care of her now

So what are you doing so far away from home, Mr. Barber?

I'm going to study with the greatest healer in all the world

Where I come from all the boys want to be rabbis or merchants

- I just want to help people - I can see that

what takes you to Isfahan?

business deal - what kind of business deal?

Englishman! Tie the camels together!

Jesse !

The others ! we lost the others

I'll find them !

Rebecca !

save your strength

they're all dead

we'll join them soon enough

keep moving

deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory

Forever and ever, amen

who are you?

you are no Jew

this man wants to speak with you

You're supposed to chase the beggars away from the gate, not drag them into my room

please sir, I'm no beggar

I've come to study with the great healer, Ibn Sina.

I see

So, you have letters of recommendation from renowned scholars of science

praising your intellectual qualities, heralding you as mankind's greatest hope?

I haven't, no

Then I can only assume you are fabulously rich

and wish to provide an additional wing to our library

No, I have only a pocket full of sand

Then why should I take you in here?

The last thing we need is another poor, stinking Jew.

Throw him out give him a beating

no please, I've come from other end of the world

you can't touch those

Why don't I feel any pain?

Your wound was made numb

So it could be sewed together without pain

how?

Poppy seed ointment

We've used it for centuries. What do they use in your land?

mead

lots of mead

it's not sheep gut

silk

a bit finer and stronger

you seem

more interested in medicine than my other patients

I've come to be a student of Ibn Sina

how do you know him?

I've been told he's the greatest healer in the whole world

Well, he's not that great, he's quite ordinary really

Do you know him?

A little better each day.

Could you speak to him for me?

You rest now

Jew, wake up.

Your class is about to start

You may have tricked the master into giving you a seat in his class

but you haven't tricked me

I've been accepted

My eyes are patient

They shall live to see you fail and leave

By Allah, not another Jew

Better a studious Jew than a lazy, over-privileged Persian loudmouth

Be careful whom you insult, Mirdin

my father donated thirty volumes to the library

and I can arrange it so you have access to none of them

Karim, Mirdin

I do hope that your heated exchange

is in the name of scientific progress

yes, master

And how is the head of our

new arrival from across the earth?

Very much better

- thank you sir - ooh, thank your youth

It works miracles no physician can match

No, I meant thank you for speaking to Ibn Sina on my behalf

That was far less trouble than you might imagine

Yesterday, I discovered something

- Those of you who play... - This is Ibn Sina's physics class.

...to a patient, the music

And I wish us to incorporate this into our healing

In my last physics class, we discussed sound

I demonstrated harmony and resonance

And I discovered that certain sounds can resonate with organs of the human body

Won't your parents mind a stranger staying in their home?

If they found out that I left a fellow student sleep on the street,

they'd disown me

This is Jacob

and this is Sarah - hello

Jesse,

would you do us the honor of saying grace?

ah, yes, of course

Let us thank the Lord for wheat

and let us thank the Lord for the wheat,

has born from the earth with his own two hands

so that we who eat bread,

have a lot of bread to eat

This is how you say it in England?

different countries, different customs

- criminals? - worse

You shouldn't pity them too much

- Why? What have they done? - They're zealots

They believe our Shah is violating the laws of Allah

Tolerance towards other religions,

his support for science and the arts

all deadly sins in the eyes of the Mullahs

Does that deserve such harsh treatment?

Jesse, if these people come to power, the madrasa will be closed

and we Jews will be driven out of the city

We must be thankful to the Shah

Up in time for class, Karim? what's wrong?

Did you father realize there is more to studying than just buying books?

One cannot be up in time for class if one never went to bed

be a bit more careful

If you drunk as much as I have you wouldn't even be standing

I learned to drink from the

I think I can . you under the table any day of the week

be careful I don't take you up on your offer

Shame on you, Karim. A true Muslim avoids wine and bad company.

A true Muslim avoids the advice of a fake student who only made it to janitor.

Exists, due to existence.

Existence is not the consequence of existing

The former is the sine qua non of the latter

Englishman, do you understand a word of this?

Not yet

Aristotle?

We don't treat diseases, we treat people who suffer from diseases

Good day to you, sir

My name is Ibn Sina and these are my students

With your permission, we would like to treat you

What is your name?

my name is Abu Kasem

It is a great honor to place my well-being in your hands, master Sina

imagine, the spheres of the universe is a series of concentric circles

moving within one another

the great Aristotle claimed

that the friction created by this motion

generates a sound which he'd termed

the music of the spheres

sometimes on a really quiet night, if you listen really hard

the sound is apparent to the human ear

master, I hear it

- excuse me - how can I help you my friend?

Ibn Sina would like a report on ear infections

- do you have a book on the topic? - up there

which one is on ear infections?

all of them

all of them?

gentlemen, this is lamp oil, while that is vinegar for purification

To the back are blocks of ice for cooling patients with fever

so, gentlemen, ideas?

- the ice? - ice

- maybe some rest? - he's in pain

that's how we do it, in England

now

who'd like to assist me in a demonstration of the numbing effects

of opium and henbit?

I will

and me

look at that brother, so many brave jews

will noone defend the honor of Persia?

fear not, in a few hours you'll wake refreshed

after a good sleep

give me a stronger dose, my body is more powerful than

this is refreshed?

I never want to sleep again

Are the girls in England as pretty as this?

- prettier - prettier?

Are their bodies like cypresses? Is their hair like waterfalls?

Some of them even have red hair

red?

I do not believe you

- all over? - yeah

Praise be unto Allah for the plentitude of creation

I pray that some red-haired English virgins await me in paradise

Did you leave a girl behind to come here?

Actually, I did

The most beautiful girl I ever met

clever, gentle

- clever - you already said clever

- yeah, and beautiful - You already said beautiful, too

I would have stolen this girl from you

I would have killed you first

Today we pray for our brothers who lie in chains deep down in the tyrant's dungeons.

But what misdeed did they commit?

Did they murder someone?

- No. - No.

Did they dishonor a woman?

No.

Their only crime was to follow the laws of the Holy Koran, Allah.

Allah, we kneel humbly in the dust before you and ask you,

how long do you want us to bear this injustice?

we're undressing?

you don't have the mikveh in England?

of course, we just don't undress

what? you don't undress?

well, mainly because

the climate, it's so cold

at least you circumcise your boys according to the law

more or less

We call on the righteous and generous Bar Kappara.

- Mirdin! - Honorable Bar Kappara!

Please let me introduce my friend and fellow student,

Jesse ben Benyamin,

from England.

From England?

We're proud of every Jew who gets accepted to the Madrassa.

And my future bride is from Spain!

Allow me to introduce her.

Rebecca?

Come.

You may greet them.

Shalom.

Shalom.

Shalom.

I hope you will each do me the honor of attending our wedding.

you are too generous.

Oh, we have much to celebrate.

It is a miracle Rebecca survived her passage to Isfahan.

Her caravan was swallowed by the most ferocious sandstorm.

A brave guide saved me...

..and a little girl.

Thank God.

My friend!

Today of days..

Now you know what the business deal is.

May your marriage be blessed and happy.

And now before we take our leave,

I want to thank you all for joining us here

on this day of days

on behalf of myself

and my beautiful new bride

from the very depths of our hearts

toda raba

and now the time has come

for me to fulfill my conjugal duties

You should've buried your feelings for her in the dessert

I thought I had

Jesse, a good Jew does not covet his neighbor's wife

come back inside

goodnight, Mirdin

You seem sad.

I lost someone I cared for very much.

Well, now you have found me.

We must take what we can find in this life.

So why don't we see what we can find...

here.

Now, listen to me. I never lie down for anyone for free.

Please, be quiet.

Does this hurt?

What's her ailment?

I haven't yet diagnosed it, Master.

Master!

If you are the master, tell this maniac to let me go.

The night is nearly over and my purse is empty.

Please moderate your tongue, my child.

If this young man has brought you here it will be for a good reason.

Your good reason is?

She won't survive the night.

She looks and sounds in perfect health to me.

It's something I can't explain.

I need to go!

My beautiful rose...

as a personal favor to me,

grant my student here a moment more of your valuable time.

Now, that's how to talk to a lady.

Hey, people pay good money to take those off.

Master, look!

Wake the pharmacist.

Fetch henbane. Run.

Where is he going?

To save your life.

Like a premonition, is it?

It's as if...

time stands still for a moment.

The fabric of reality is pulled aside like a veil for me to see through.

And what is it you see?

I see nothing.

I just feel

and know that death is coming.

The first time was with my mother.

She died of side sickness.

- It's a curse. - It's a gift.

You saved that girl's life tonight.

One success for many failures.

Well, this is the burden every physician must learn to bear.

You can't look upon death as the enemy.

Then, what?

A friend?

I've calculated the orbits...

of all these stars and planets.

Filled volumes with calculations.

I barely scratched at the real secrets of creation.

Doesn't it frustrate you that there is so much we don't know.

No.

It fills me with awe.

How pale and tedious would this world be without mystery?

Master,

could you have cured my mother's side sickness?

It's beyond our reach.

Maybe in a hundred years.

Maybe in a thousand.

Hyah! Hyah!

Ibn Sina!

It appears we're about to be summoned.

Never approach more than five steps.

Never look him in the eye.

Should he address you,

answer in short sentences

and always end with one of his honorifics.

Jesse...

Uh... answer in short sentences and end in one of his honorifics.

I sprained my wrist.

If you'd come earlier

you would have seen me deftly separate this Seljuk's head from his body.

I'm so sorry I missed it.

I'm sure the Seljuk deserved the dissection.

He was sent with a message of a peace treaty.

And this prompted his immediate decapitation.

Of course.

The Seljuks are constantly violating our borders.

We need to whip these wild animals.

Or they will slaughter us like a sick goat.

Do you so long for war, O Perfect One?

The Seljuks have nothing to lose but the beasts beneath their saddles.

You have an entire civilization.

Is that so?

But which great artist ever glorified a peaceful king?

War alone will bestow immortal glory upon my name.

Don't you agree?

I studied the healing arts, O Sublime One.

I know nothing of the route to immortality.

Did you hear that?

He dares to speak openly in my presence.

I pray my palace does not collapse from such audacity.

Where are you from?

He hails from England, O Sublime One.

I've read of it.

A barbaric island at the edge of the world,

where half-naked pagans resisted Caesar's legions.

My countrymen wear clothes now.

- O Protector of the People. - O Protector of the People.

But they continue to abase themselves before the carpenter nailed to wood?

we do, yes

but Jews like myself, await the true messiah

Tell me,

Have you seen strange countries on your journey east?

More than I can count.

Even a humble student has seen more of the world than the Shah.

Send that stinking head back to the Seljuks.

My son shall have a hero's burial.

What message may I bring to my Lord the Shah from the Lord of the Seljuks?

Do not trouble yourself.

I'll send my own message.

Get one of our brothers who is suffering from the Black Death.

So, the needle

pierces the middle of the eye

pushing the dimmed lense in the back of the eyeball.

This allows sunlight to reach the patient's eyes undiminished...

Master, somebody died in the market.

He had black boils all over.

Darkness allows him to attune to my heartbeat

when my pulse is calm he's tame

when it raises with anger, he turns wild

The falcon's beak can pierce a man's skull.

Did you know that, Englishman?

Please, Sublime One.

We've heard about the pustulated corpse of a masked Seljuk

who expired within the city walls.

We must evacuate the city immediately.

The city has been spared the plague for over a century.

Even my father only ever heard speak of it.

But his son may live to see it with his own eyes.

The Imam and his Mullahs have been praying for God's vengeance to punish my extravagance.

You know it

I cannot do them that favor.

My Lord, hundreds of thousands of your subjects could die.

My people are fruitful.

They will survive.

You have disturbed my falcon.

This audience is over.

The plague doesn't care if you're rich or poor.

Common man or noblemen, sun of the state.

If it's reached Isfahan, no wall, however thick, will stop it.

Are you threatening me, Englishman?

Not a threat, my Lord.

A promise.

we need more beds

Galen believes that the plague was due to a disproportion of the four humors.

Hippocrates blamed it on the release of bad air from the ground during earthquakes,

caused by a disease-bringing constellation of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

The only thing the scholars agree on is that

there is approximately twelve hours from contagion to eruption.

and the only suggested remedy

is frequent laughter

The author knows as much about the plague as does the Shah's falcon

this book is by

Ibn Sina

Twelve hours, Gentlemen.

Twelve hours.

Listen! On His Majesty's orders,

the Madrassa will be honored to accompany the Shah on his hunting trip.

Please, express our regrets to the Shah, but we cannot join him.

You refuse to obey?

We are hakims, not hunters.

I will convey your answer.

I know.

Each of us is thinking, 'why should I stay and risk my life fighting a pestilence that has no cure?' well

we must each find our own answer, so

those who wish to leave...

go now, with my blessing.

The rest will battle death by my side until we defeat it.

or it defeats us.

Since when do we have fleas here?

Twelve hours are almost gone.

Maybe the All-merciful spares us.

Shouldn't you be out hunting with the Shah instead of risking your life here?

Sure, to hear from Mirdin and you until the end of my days

what a bad doctor and infamous coward I am?

Is it so important what a bunch of Jews think of you?

No.

It's only important what my friends think of me.

Help! Help!

Lay her down.

The woman says the Seljuk spit on her before he died.

Master, the plague doesn't kill everyone.

The boy will live.

The woman, the two men...

Stop.

They're going to die.

We will fight for each and every life.

Do you hear me?

Each and every one.

Yes, Hakim.

The soldiers are closing the gates!

We're being locked in with the plague.

Yes, you, you can go through.

Hold back.

Hold them back!

Only members of the royal court are permitted to leave the city.

But I am a member of the court.

Go.

Close the doors. Hold them back.

Papa, Ima... please, don't worry.

It will all be over in a few days.

Watch out for yourselves.

You too.

Mirdin - hurry to your sponsor's house.

Hasn't Bar Kappara left town?

He has, yes.

Jesse.

The water cools down my fever. No?

You'd make a good Hakim.

So, this is your good Jew?

I agree that's what it looks like.

Would you have left her like that?

No.

Neither would any husband worth the name.

Tie her down.

She musn't scratch the boils. They must burst by themselves.

Why can't we just cut them out?

Their roots are too deep.

According to which authority?

Hippocrates himself.

He compares them to the roots of a tree.

Did he see them with his own eyes?

Do you question Hippocrates?

You told me to question all certainties, Hakim!

Whatever their source.

Deeper.

What if humans are different to dogs?

What if the the boils don't branch out inside of us?

No.

Hakim, we have more than enough corpses at our disposal.

What you are proposing, Allah forbids.

As does Yahweh, as does Jesus Christ.

People are dying and we can only watch.

How can that be the will of any God?

A hundred and thirteen.

Today's body count alone.

If we extrapolate for the entire city

there are probably more than a thousand deaths per day.

We're bailing out an ocean with a thimble.

But we are bailing, nevertheless.

this Sinbad the sailor has as a story to tell.

The story of his life.

For long seasons he kept open house.

And his entertainments were the most magnificent of all.

All that riches could buy seemed at his disposal.

And he lavished the good things of his life upon his guests.

Pages, slaves and attendants there were in great number.

His garden was spacious and beautiful.

- It's the fleas, Master! - What?

The shrouds of the dead are crawling with them.

I believe the plague might be carried by their bite.

When the host dies the body cools and the fleas leave to find a new victim...

So, every corpse is a threat.

you're going to end up in hell

I have no choice

Great! Now we look like women!

It's better than dying.

He won't be satisfied until we're all dead.

Well, you have all these virgins waiting for you.

How many was it again?

Some say ninety-nine. Some say twenty.

- What about yours? - None.

None?

Then what's the point in dying?

To walk with God.

Master! Look.

Gust flea.

Commonly found in rats.

Gentlemen!

We mix a strong poison.

Yes, sir! Yes, Hakim.

you look better

Don't the other patients complain that you're neglecting them?

I treat every patient equally.

So, do you also read to them for hours?

If it helps.

Will you grant me one more wish, Genie?

Or are they all gone?

It's so beautiful.

You can even see the snow on the mountains.

It helps you forget everything down there.

What sin has Isfahan committed that God must punish it so?

I'm just thankful He spared you.

In my fever, I dreamt that we were man and wife.

We had children.

Four!

And did we roam around in a barber's cart?

No.

No, we lived in a great city.

Where you built a Madrassa.

All by myself?

I helped.

Jesse.

You have to see this.

Praised be Allah.

A hundred and ten. Three less than yesterday.

The rate of death is declining.

You heard me! Get to work.

Stop loafing!

when the plague finally passes

there is an honorable man who will come looking for the woman

he wed before her shen and his community

Mirdin,

is it honorable for a husband to flea a catastrophe and leave his wife?

I only speak of what is to come, Jesse

and I beg you to stop

before it's too late

have you ever felt completely consumed with love for someone?

I don't know know what the punishment for adultery is in England

but in Isfahan, it is stoning, Jesse

to death

pending a few corrective words in a book riddled with errors

just a few pages of Palimpsest to

assist our fellow practitioners when you and I have long become dust

you deserve much credit

jesse ben benyamin

Bar Kappara! Bar Kappara, you're alive!

Jesse, did you see that?

Hakim! hakim!

Hurry! There!

Karim?

Don't look at me like that.

Where I'm going the rivers are made of wine,

and the women...

the women are more beautiful than in the Shah's harem.

One might even have red hair.

God gives us life...

and God takes it back.

Why does he always take more than he gives?

I'm just looking for reasons not to go home.

Jesse, I wish you a long and happy life.

You deserve it.

Blessed are you, Lord, sovereign of the universe

who has sanctified us with his commandment...

and saved us from the plague.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

To survival.

to Karim

to our friend

If the world were just,

I should bow to you.

But it is not.

Arise!

Arise, heros of Isfahan!

We have a celebration to attend.

Why so glum?

You have saved us.

You should be drunk on our gratitude.

Failing that... on my wine.

- Sun of the state. - Enjoy yourself, Englishman.

My father believed

feelings and emotions

were beneath a true ruler.

When I was a child, to drive them from my heart,

he would take me to witness executions.

I watched condemned men beg for their lives.

I watched the executioner's sword slice down

I watched the blood spurt

I watched the swarms of flies feasting on twitching corpses.

But then, over time,

I became used to the sight, the smell...

and the screams.

In time I felt nothing.

My father had succeeded in turning death into a subject for objective study.

like calligraphy

or archery

And now I am the Shah... ruler of all we see.

A king of feeling nothing.

What was the name of your heroic friend?

Karim.

I shall be your new friend,

Jesse ben Benyamin.

And perhaps one day

I shall mourn your passing.

When Aristotle claimed that the world had no beginning,

he was not saying that there was no creator.

No.

He simply wished to obsolve the creator of the charge of ever having been idle.

I must apologize, Jesse.

- For what? - For not engaging you with Aristotle.

When the plague came,

we were as helpless as a beach is to the advance of the sea.

The tide washed over us and dragged our people away

and we could do nothing to stop it.

- we pulled some back from the black water - not enough

not enough

Jesse, you ask of medicine what only Allah can perform

or Yaweh.

Do you never doubt your calling?

Every morning and every evening.

In between I work too hard to think about it.

We just received new patients.

I can offer you a broken hip,

worms or a terminal case of acute side sickness.

life, Jesse

for god or ill

goes on

that's what it does

Good day, sir.

My name is Jesse ben Benyamin

and with your permission, I'd like to treat you today.

Call me Qasim.

Can I give you something for the pain, Qasim?

Can I still talk to you then?

No, the opium does dull the senses.

Then I must gratefully decline your generous offer.

I might fall off the ladder.

Ladder?

The ladder my soul must ascend to paradise.

It is very narrow, it is easy to fall off.

May I nevertheless examine you and ask you some questions?

It will shorten the time before I...

Jesse

you know I am dying, don't you, Jesse?

Yes.

I didn't want to frighten you.

Would you do me a favor?

When I am gone

take my corpse to the tower and leave it for the birds.

You don't want to be buried or cremated?

We Zoroastrians give our bodies to the vultures.

They cleanse our souls of earthly remains.

What about resurrection?

Muslims,

Jews,

Christians

they worry about their cadaver

because they mistrust their own ditch

they doubt the immortality of the soul

and want to take their bones with them, just in case.

So you care nothing for your body?

Why should God worry about the husk

when he can harvest the fruit inside?

Jesse...

Jesse...

Thank you.

I hope you found your paradise, my friend.

Oh my Lord, have mercy on me.

It's been a long time since we have lain together.

It will have to wait a little while longer.

Why?

I have my impurity.

My husband would defile himself.

You still have it?

I'm sorry.

No matter.

I will tell the servant to prepare a bed for you in another room.

The lungs are a large circle in which the heart resides

with the stomach in front. A tube runs from the throat to both

the lungs and the stomach.

So, gentlemen...

- lungs - Lungs.

- Heart. - Heart.

- Stomach. - Stomach.

- Tube. - Tube.

exhale

For what sin did Allah strike us with the plague?

Why did our women and children have to die?

And I say unto you,

it is the sins committed each and every day in the university

whose godless philosophy corrupts our city!

Allah wishes that we finally open our eyes and look the enemy in the face!

He gives us the insight and the wisdom.

His mercy allows us to recognize who is responsible for our misery!

Allahu akbar!

Allahu akbar!

Allahu akbar!

Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!

Mirdin, what's going on?

Where have you been all night?

Working in the library.

The whole city is up in arms.

The Mullahs have taken to the streets.

You're on the wrong side, Davout.

Maybe.

One day a great Koran school will arise within the walls of this godless university

and Allah willing I will be its dean.

I bring you the word of God, father of all Seljuks.

I give you his sword, keeper of the faith.

The faithful of Isfahan need your help.

You promise me a city in chaos yearning for a strong ruler.

As a man dying of thirst yearns for water.

are you prepared for what will come?

is order not better than chaos?

is justice however fierce

not better than its absence?

Under the Shah the city of Isfahan is adrift in the desert.

Decaying from vice and apostasy.

But when the Seljuks have driven out both the Shah and his Jews

we can tether Isfahan to our faith

and rebuild it clean.

And the Seljuks?

Could conquer all of Persia.

Isfahan is your first step.

and the father of the Seljuk

will become the father of all

under whose banner all men shall kneel for a thousand years

Expect my army in ten days.

It will be my greatest honor.

Jesse ben Benyamin.

You are to come with us.

Are you hailed as a great hunter in England?

I killed a rabbit once

hey, you have nothing to fear

He has attacked and killed countless people.

All of the villages around here have been deserted for fear of it.

Finally, my boredom ends.

aren't the Mullahs' distraction enough?

they want to bring down everything you've built

when people grow tired of their achievements

they grant themselves the luxury of barbarism

and the Seljuks?

are they also a luxury you granted yourself to keep you immune?

look

The blood is still wet.

He's beautiful.

You should capture him, my Lord.

Take him back to your palace for company.

Where he will grow old and fat in a gilded cage?

No, he deserves a glorious death.

I shan't deny him.

My Lord, what are you doing?

Do not worry, Englishman.

We man-eating beasts have the greatest of respect for one another.

Did Allah ever create a more lonely beast than you?

Your eyes are still of this world, Jesse ben Benyamin.

The other world is so much better.

Only the road of excess can lead to the palace of wisdom.

Oh, you're in pain.

I should examine...

Our Lord is the very blossom of health and if anything,

illness fears him.

Go ahead, quench your desire.

They're very beautiful, Sire, but...

But...

The female body holds no attraction for you.

Am I right?

No, we should get back soon.

Only the Shah may end an audience!

Are you the Shah!?

No.

you refuse to smoke my opium

you refuse to mount my women

You bore me after only one day.

what made me think you could ever deserve my friendship?

Let's go. Go!

thank you for coming so quickly

she's been impure for weeks this morning she collapsed

she's growing weak

I'm worried

Would you permit me to examine your wife in private?

Of course.

I'd like to congratulate your husband.

But there is no reason to, is there?

You know who to congratulate.

Your husband will cast you out.

I could not wish for more.

Don't be naive.

He will have to hand you over to the elders

and they will pass judgment on you

and we both know what that judgment will be.

I want to go home.

This is your only chance.

You must lie with your husband tonight.

- but I can't - you have to

don't you understand?

otherwise, you're as good as dead

and this little life in you

will never see the light of day

she's healed

trully?

she will fulfill her nuptial duties

thank you, Mirdin

I cannot thank you enough

I'm back, my old friend.

Let's work.

Rebecca?

Rebecca?!

Rebecca?

I've always known you were a fraud.

But never in my wildest dreams did I see you as a fraud and necromancer.

Take him.

Jesse.

Rebecca!

It's time for you to tell your secrets to your husband.

You have no right to arrest me.

The Shah will punish you for this.

The Shah's time is over.

Now there is only God.

I wanted to lead a pious life with you

but you have chosen to dishonor me

and I have loved you Rebecca

but you just bought me

you know what breaks my heart? it's not you

it's the unborn inside you

why couldn't you simply have lied and told me the child was mine?

I would have been a good father to it

the elders await you master

you have decided my wife's punishment?

the law is quite clear

may our verdict wash the shame from your home

Mirdin!

Rebecca has been found guilty of adultery!

She'll be dead by tomorrow!

You promised me you'd be a good Jew.

you promised that you'd stay away from her!

But you dishonored her, and now she is with child!

What have you done, Jesse?

May the witness Davout Hosein arise?

These men have trespassed against Allah.

They've desecrated and defiled a corpse,

committing the sin of necromancy.

What proof do you have for your accusation?

They recorded their misdeeds.

Drawings depicting the inside of a corpse!

Which Hakim Ibn Sina

and his Jewish student cut open expressly for this purpose.

Where did you get these drawings?

In Ibn Sina's house which I searched after his arrest.

You liar!

I made those drawings.

You took them from me...

Are you certain they are not the result of a deranged imagination or an opium hallucination?

See for yourself.

This is the face of the godless Madrassa!

This is the face of the godless Jews who study there!

- This is the face of their godless teacher! - No!

I alone dissected that body.

You could not have undertaken such activities without his permission.

Whether or not Ibn Sina held the knife or the pen,

Ibn Sina was involved.

There can only be one verdict for such a heinous crime.

The court sentences both of them to death.

No! You're making a terrible mistake!

This is the most enlightened man of our time!

This is what becomes of letting Jews in our city!

They poison the spirit!

I am no Jew. I am no Jew!

I am no Jew! I am no Jew!

What did you say?

I am no Jew!

The Jewish community does not deserve your wrath.

My name is not Jesse ben Benyamin.

It's Rob Cole.

I'm a Christian.

Baptised in an English church in the name of the Father,

the Son and the Holy Ghost.

A fine performance.

It's true.

Shall we see?

Looks like a Jew to me.

Enough of this farce.

Take them away.

- according to the law we have to stone her - no

she betrayed you, there's no other punishment for adultery

yes, yes, but what about the child?

It cannot be god's will to kill an unborn

Is there no other solution?

Can't I just cast her out?

- The child is not yours! - It's innocent! It's an innocent child.

what do you care about an Englishman's bastard?

the Christian who became a Jew to become my student

would you have taught me otherwise?

the body you cut open

and made drawings of

was it a Jewish body?

Muslim one?

Christian? Zoroastrian?

it was a human body

common to all

the only body I know

Forgive me.

How can you expect me to forgive you, my greatest student,

to whom God gave such talents and a unique gift?

You owed it...

to the science of healing

to grow old and gray, Rob Cole.

It was your duty to live long and heal many.

But you were reckless

and I will die for it.

What is it like?

Inside?

It's both

beautiful

and frightening.

Go on.

I saw the heart.

Describe it.

It has two chambers with an impassable wall in between.

So how does the blood get from one side to the other.

By way of the lungs, I think.

So all our theories about human circulation would be wrong.

Master!

Nothing is as it is in the books!

Nothing.

Continue.

Don't skip a single detail.

It seemed to have become infected like a... like a toe or something.

Only it was inside...

and I believe that is what killed him.

You sent for me.

A trial detained me.

I heard.

First preacher,

now judge.

What's your next step?

I serve Allah wherever he sends me.

So much pride in such a humble servant.

I should lay your head in front of your feet.

But I do not grant you

the fame of a martyr.

Did you bring me here to tell me everything you don't want to do

because of your fear?

Set Ibn Sina free.

Immediately.

before worthy ruler of Isfahan you have no right to judge anyone

Rescinding Allah's judgment would be a blasphemy.

It would require someone with greater courage than I possess.

Someone with no fear of the wrath of God.

Or the Seljuk army

that arrives in front of our city walls as we speak

a person like that could pardon Ibn Sina but I cannot

and will not

Clear the gates! Everyone inside!

Seljuks! Seljuks!

Thank you, master...

for all that you've taught me.

Thank you...

Rob Cole for all that you have learned.

Come with me.

bring them closer

The Hakims

have reached a consensus.

I have side sickness

and shall not live to another sunrise.

Only you have seen the cause of this illness

with your own eyes.

You will cut me open

and remove it.

Impossible.

You've done it before.

On a dead man, sun of the state.

If the sun of the state sets tonight,

the army will surrender to the Seljuks

and the Mullahs will wipe out everyone

who stands in their way

especially the Jews.

Or does a Christian care nothing for the fate of Jews?

I agree

But you must help me first.

the husband must throw the first stone

the law commands it

it's your sacred duty, Bar Kappara

if you are too weak, Bar Kappara we all must

No.

Stop this!

This woman is under the personal protection of the Shah!

Release her immediately.

Which one of you is Mirdin Askari?

Right here.

Mirdin, where's Rebecca?

She's with my mother.

will you help?

I cannot think of a reason to help a liar and a traitor like you.

The Shah has side sickness.

Then you don't need my help or anyone else's... because he's going to die.

Master?

We are going to cut the Shah open and remove the sickness.

Are you mad?

Yes! I think we've all gone a little mad.

You're next.

Send your men away now.

Someone has to punish you if you fail.

You wouldn't want to outlive your beloved Shah.

would you?

never

I might die of boredom

Like that.

I see.

The Englishman.

Tonight you are the Shah

and I am your subject.

We don't have much time.

the Shah will place his men here, and here

and we will take all our soldiers and place them all on that ridge

to go and wait...

here.

It is the sins of the Jews,

who take every advantage while they shelter

under the protection of that man who permits all other sins.

Our friends the Seljuks, they need our help now

as they try to break down the walls of our prison from the outside,

we need to clean it with fire from the inside.

May Hashem be with us in time of distress

and danger.

As our enemies rise against us...

lend our congregation strength,

Lord...

and help your children

to stand together as one.

- Hashem Yahsu! - Hashem Yahsu!

Now,

we can throw stones at the right people.

Master, hand me the scalpel.

Hold the wound open.

Can you see it?

There is too much blood.

How's the heart?

Strong enough...

Mirdin! Put him out.

Wait! I think...

Master, I need the scalpel.

Hold it.

We should bandage him now.

Mirdin,

you know I deceived you and your family

this is not about me

you offended my God

and yet he was with us during surgery, don't you think?

how could we have done it alone?

- so he's less angry with me than you - yes

it's hard to believe, but

he has mercy even on the lowliest of sinners

the sublime one awakes

youse lie still if the stitches are to hold

I'm thirsty

they are behind us! quick, get inside!

burn them like rats!

smoke them out!

My Lord, if you stand any chance of surviving you must rest.

The hour of my demise

is already written.

Thanks to you...

the angel of death

will not find me in bed like a simpering old man

but on the battlefield,

like a king.

the Seljuk army

is a hundred times stronger than mine

You gave me a gift,

now I give one to you.

Lead your people to the east gate.

My guards will escort you.

From there the path is clear to the mountains.

What will you remember me as, Englishman?

Friend or tyrant?

Both.

Hurry, the Mullahs are gone.

The way out is safe now.

This way.

Come, we must move. Quickly!

Quickly.

This is everything, master. What shall we do now?

To the east gate. Don't stop.

Don't stop until the city is but a pinprick behind you.

Go to the east gate!

Perfect One?

Let us write some lines in a poem.

Let us conquer a place in a painting.

- Where's Ibn Sina? - I saw him at the Madrassa.

Ibn Sina?

In my dreams...

I had hoped that students would still study here in a thousand years...

and..

Honor my memory.

Such vanity deserves to go up in flames.

Another ruler will build you a university.

I am too old to scrape and bow.

What have you done?

Call it

your final exam, Rob Cole.

Because there is nothing to be afraid of.

Death is merely a threshold we must all cross.

Into the silence after the final heartbeat,

and drifting away

with our final exhalation

into eternal peace.

Correct my mistakes.

Add your diagrams

and show the world what we've learned in this place.

Hakim Robert Cole.

Master.

Now do as I say for once...

and leave.

Can you take us home now?

Where to?

Wherever.

Our home is with you now.

I already miss him.

No. Noone is dead

as long as we remember them.

His spirit will live on

but it is in your hands to keep it alive.

How can I do that?

Be a great phyisican.

Those two eyes have seen everything the good Lord put on this earth for us to see.

And some terrifying things no man was meant to witness in his life.

But nowhere have I seen more beautiful girls than here in...

in beautiful London.

So roll up!

Listen up and shut up!

What's wrong?

Nobody's sick in this dump anymore?

All the sick are at the hospital.

The what?

The hospital...

built by the phyisican from the Orient.

What physician from the Orient?

Physician Cole!

Cole?

Him, his wife and a bunch of Jews.

They can cure anything.

The rat!

Here.

Lead the way.

Tell me about him.

I went for a fever.

You get a soft bed to lie in,

hot meals and magic medicine.

Someone's playing music.

And then what?

Physican Cole comes to see you every evening

and if you ask,

he juggles for you and tells you amazing stories!

With lions and horses with big humps on their backs

and falcons that can break a man's skull with its beak.

Now this wife of his... what is she like?

Delicious.

What do you know? What are you nine?

Bloody cheek!

I'm ten.