Original subtitles

MASTER OF THE HOUSE

CAST:

Victor Frandsen, Watchmaker: Johannes Meyer

Ida, his wife: Astrid Holm Karen, their daughter: Karin Nellemose

Alvilda Kryger, Ida's mother: Clara Schonfeld

"Mads": Mathilde Nielsen The Doctor: Johannes Nielsen

Mrs Hansen". Petrine Some

In the countless streets of the city, houses lie next to each other,

and in those houses people live in layers -

like wild birds carving their nests into the rock...

Nest above nest...

Every morning, the tens of thousands of homes in the city awaken,

and each home is a world unto itself-

with its own struggles,

its joys and sorrows,

its hopes... and its heroes!

Yes, hero is precisely the right word

for the patient wife of the house,

the valiant mother of the home -

the one who hides her tiredness, her sorrows, and her concerns

behind her loving smile...

The heroine of our story is called Ida, the "hero" is called Viktor.

Let me put it in the stove. You mustn't ruin your hands, you know.

Where are my slippers?

Prepare the coffee tray for Father!

You must hurry, Mother! Father is awake!

Mother, will you practise my tables with me?

God knows how often I have said

that the coffee must be on the table

when I come in the morning!

We must see if we can afford

to get your other shoes back from the cobbler's on Saturday!

Am I meant to stir it with my fingers?

Is that all the butter you can let me have?

Oh, you put some away out there!

Of course, it's more important that your birds get fed!

Have you brushed my coat?

There are two hamburgers left over from yesterday,

which I thought you could have for lunch.

Would you like them hot or cold?

Cold!

So, we are having you today!

Miss Madsen had been Viktor's nanny,

and as an old friend of the family,

she came and went freely in his and Ida's home,

where the children simply called her Mads.

This is a sock of Frederik's - I certainly can't make anything out of it!

Look, I might even get a pair of mittens out of them for Karen!

Now, what was 17 times 19?

There is Sister!

Wave nicely to Mads!

From morning to evening,

the little housewife did not have a moment's peace...

the small feet were incessantly running from the living room to the kitchen,

from the kitchen to the living room... back and forth...

You have to make an effort, otherwise it's no help!

Tell Frederik to go and buy some good apples...

Father is so fond of roast apples.

It's too heavy for you. Go and get me some potatoes instead.

Please think about your hands, Karen!

Whatever happened to Frederik?

Do you think I can afford shoes for you at that price?

Oh, there is the howler monkey!

Go and put the porridge in the tureen,

so that Father does not have to wait for his food!

Promise me, Mads... control yourself... for my sake!

What a lout. He is not worth the food he gets... what a rascal!

It's sad that you cannot even look after the boy a bit...

What do you get up to all day long?

Get that child to stop howling!

I think I must have said at least twenty times

that I do not want a drying loft down here!

Can't I give Frederik some dry socks to wear,

so that he won't freeze?

Freeze? He has to freeze!

Hands at your back!

I said good day, your honour.

Lumpy porridge... most ingenious!

Have you got cotton wool in your ears?

Do you have to run all the time?

Go and put on the kettle for coffee!

Cold hamburgers?

I guess you couldn't be bothered to heat them.

Why not? It all helps to get a bit of bread down!

Thank you, there will be no discrimination in this house.

Now, eat your apples yourself!

I cannot bear to see you mistreated in this way...

...I will go and get your mother!

Rascal!

I am so glad I met you, Mrs Kryger... I was just on my way to your house.

If only money alone would do,

then I'd certainly be more than happy to help...

but I do not want to pay my son-in-law to treat my daughter decently...

...but let's see if we old ladies cannot bring some order into this marriage.

After all, they do love each other.

Look where you are going!

I don't like that your mother brings her own food.

If the food she gets here is not good enough,

she can stay away!

Many years ago, I gave you such a good spanking

that I could feel it for a long time after...

...oh, how wonderful it was...

...I don't have the strength to give you the spanking you deserve today,

but thank God I can still slap your face!

If your mother and that old hag are not out of the house by the time I come home,

it's over between the two of us... You make your choice!

You gave me a nosebleed...

...but you just wait, my friend.

I assure you, you will be put in the naughty corner!

I have done my part of the job, now it's your turn.

She has to be gone by the time he gets back!

Take a soup plate!

You must understand that it cannot go on this way.

Maybe I am not how I should be... but that will change...

No, girl, the fault does not lie with you ...it lies with Viktor!

You have to get away from him, or you will be completely destroyed!

You all say that Viktor is evil...

...but it's not true!

Since Viktor lost his business,

he has had to struggle with adversity and poverty...

and that has left him embittered and hardened...

...I shared the good years with Viktor...

and I would feel like a traitor

if I failed him now when he needs me the most!

I'd better help you with your homework.

From "The Fall of the Tyrant" to the bookmark?

First of all, tell me: WHAT IS A TYRANT?

A tyrant is a cruel man of violence

who mistreats and oppresses those around him...

Now, little Ida, do you understand that you are unwell...

much more unwell than you will admit.

...you have to get away from here ...even if just for a while

...it would be the best ...also for him and the children.

Yes, but who will mind the house?

Will you do it, Mads?

But promise me not to be hard on Viktor.

HARD! I will be hard, but not cruel!

Run and hail a cab!

Here are a few pennies I have put aside to buy Viktor a little extra

...but he must not know that it came from me.

Goodbye, my boy,

don't forget to brush your teeth, both in the evening and the morning!

He must freeze!

Bring in the big zinc tub. You need a bath!

Good night, Mads!

Later.

Good evening, my friend!

Yes, that's my little tweety!

Where is Ida?

Gone!

That is to say, your wife is very ill

and has gone away in order to get well again.

What an amusing story!

Now people will think I mistreated my poor wife...

...and to punish me, I come home to find an empty living room

and desperately rush to my mother-in-law,

where the two of them are sitting and laughing at me...

...but she will be the one who will beg me to forgive her!

We have to make savings now.

How dare you speak like that!

You have to learn to speak decently, at least to me!

Do you understand?

Take that kettle away!

- Shut up - You fool!

It's worst for you, since you have to pay to have it washed again.

Take your gear and get out of here!

Father!

Father!

Beast!

Where is Mother!

I don't know. All I know is that she is ill and...

...and if Mother dies, it will be your fault!

Father, there is something, which Mother told me not to say to you

...but I still think you ought to know.

The last year Mother has stayed up working almost every night

just so that you could get a thick layer of butter

and cold meats on your bread...

Father, where are you going?

I'm going to your grandmother's to get Mother!

Yes, my lamb, it hurts to thrash a loved one,

but we must endure it for your mother's sake

...until he squeals!

Months of suffering, contempt and humiliation

had marked Ida, our valiant little wife.

The thousand household duties had kept her afloat,

but now that she was off the treadmill, she broke down completely.

If your daughter is ever to regain her humanity,

she must get out of the city... into the countryside to peace and quiet...

...and of course, during that time

she must break off all connection with her husband and home.

Promise me, Ida, not to let Viktor know where you are...

If you want to listen to my advice,

then go home now and wait patiently for your wife to recover

...that is the best way you can atone for what has happened!

The misdeeds of tyrants always turn against them, sooner or later

...even our "hero", who recently wielded the whip,

learnt to bend his back.

Good night, Mads!

Do you know the feeling

of suddenly standing in front of an old teacher of yours?

Without you noticing, your fingers fiddle with your trouser seam,

you stammer and flush all the way to the hair roots.

Something similar happened in the case of Viktor.

A month had passed since Mads took the reins,

and the memory of the childhood beatings that she gave was so deep-rooted

that he willingly submitted to Mads' strict discipline.

You're a little slow getting out of bed!

Take the glasses for the birds with you!

What's taking you so long? It's taking ages!

Take the kerosene bottle out with you and put it in the cupboard!

There is a Mrs Hansen out there!

Yes, it's the washerwoman. Let her in.

You didn't think I would stand toiling in a rough and cold laundry room, did you?

Bring the bucket down there!

What does Tweety say? ...tweet!

Father, you don't have to be ashamed of being fond of the birds.

Canaries are human too. That's what Mother always said.

Karen... sit down with me.

Don't you miss Mother?

Don't you know when Mother will come home?

Mads says it won't be before you have been in the naughty corner!

Karen, take a teaspoon!

Do you know what I have been looking to get you?

...a nice dolls' stove...

...you will get it for your birthday! - Will you then tell me where Mother is?

The surprises your father needs, I'll take care of them!

I was asked to ask you to take that tub up with you!

Mads never let Viktor have a moment's peace.

Through his own experience

he came to know the exhausting life of a housewife.

I need 6 kroner for the washerwoman!

Are your ears blocked?

She must have wet herself ...go and change her!

It pleased Mads to see the humiliation of the fallen tyrant,

but her smile would also tremble with compassion

when she saw him consumed by his longing for Ida.

Here is some bread for the coffee!

I cannot stand this uncertainty...

...until Ida returns, there is no joy for me...

I would gladly sacrifice everything

to see her sweet face and to hear her voice.

Would you?

Wouldn't there be a little bit of arrogance left

that you don't want to part with?

How stupid we men are!

We go around thinking we're the ones carrying the load

because we're the ones earning the money...

...and in reality it's HER who carries everything...

...and by way of thanks she gets rudeness from her husband!

I have only one wish and one longing: to be allowed to be good to Ida!

You have to get on with Mads. You know her conditions!

Use the opportunity you have. ...I'll go to the kitchen meanwhile.

Mads! There is something I would like to speak about with you!

Listen, Mads ...you're dropping a hairpin!

Come here for a moment ...l want to tell you something!

Your necktie is not straight!

Now I know where Mother is...

but I will not tell!

Are you out of your mind?

Mind the stove!

But Eriksen is the one who is closest to my heart.

He claims that I am the most wonderful woman in the world,

and he says that he loves me, which I really...

Aren't you going to close the stove door?

Who is Eriksen?

It must be a man!

I have had enough, I want to speak now!

Sit down!

You men are all the same at the end of the day...

stupid...

stubborn...

vain...

pretentious...

You treat your wives in a strange way.

In the beginning everything is fine and dandy

...she is your "Princess" and God knows what...

...later on, when she really deserves your admiration,

you treat her like a housemaid...

...until one day another man appears

and you feel that your vanity has been offended

- then she suddenly becomes valuable to you again!

Do you admit that you deserve a good thrashing?

...I will spare you if you go nicely to the naughty corner.

And if you're a good boy, I will let you know where Ida is!

Hands on your back!

Hey! Hey!

Frederik, hurry upstairs! Mother has come!

Who is Eriksen?

I only know now what happiness is

...and trust me, I shall take good care of it now.

But I have nice teeth!

It's a bit of Foodstuff...

Now close that stove door, will you?

OPTICIANS' SHOP For immediate sale

Beautiful premises on the high road for sale

10,000 kroner in cash PO box 4327.

Here is the money!

Tell me, what's going on? Are we going to have cold coffee?

And once again the heart of the pendulum beat and proclaimed the message:

THOU SHALT HONOUR THY WIFE!

For her strong hands are what keeps the whole world together.

SHE is the heart of the home.

THE END