Original subtitles

SHANGHAI SPELL

I don't know exactly where to begin my story.

You recognize that stench, boy?

What's it smell like?

Cat shit?

Rotten eggs?

Not at all!

It's coming from that doorway!

I know what it is!

Gas!

This could be where it all began.

I wish my father had been around to give me advice,

but by then he'd been given up for dead in the war

and wouldn't be coming back.

My mother worked in the kitchen at the Hospital Sant Pau.

She'd be gone before I woke up, leaving lunch prepared.

I'd keep busy at night playing pool with Finito Chac�n at the bar.

She'd be asleep before I got home.

Twice a week, lunch at Madam Concha's,

a distant relative of my father's. Finito called her

Betty Boop. My mother always brought her

fresh vegetables from the village.

Betty Boop smokes?

Maybe her lover does. I hear she has many.

Pay no attention to that gossip. Take up the basket

and forget what's inside.

We all have our little vices, don't we?

Her tone made me fear the worst: That she'd found

my secret drawings.

Just in case, I changed my hiding place.

Hello, Dani.

- Are my mom's stockings ready? - Yes.

Then one day late last summer,

I found out who the cigars were for.

Fucking hell.

God punishes those who curse.

God isn't in charge any more. The new government gave him the boot.

That was the first time I saw Captain Blay.

- Who are you, boy? - Dani.

I call this disguise "pedestrian

- run over by a streetcar". - What?

- I wasn't talking to you. - You're an old fool, Blay.

I'm going out, my queen.

Stubborn as a mule!

I'll stop by purgatory for lunch on my way back.

Speak Catalan to me, you hypocrite!

Where are you off to now?

Go with him. Make sure he stays out of trouble.

Give me "National Solidarity".

My mom said the captain had gone mad

when he found out his only son had died at the front.

When he heard, he locked himself in his office

and didn't come out for years.

As long as we're out, how about a drink!

That's how, unintentionally, I became Captain Blay's guide.

Madam Anita, the box-office clerk, was the prettiest girl in town.

She worked as a seamstress for Madam Concha on the side.

But most importantly to us, she was Kim's girl.

Kim was a local

legend. Even though

people who spoke of his heroism in the French Resistance

always lowered their voices.

Hi, boys.

Hello.

Anita and Kim had been rlch,

but he went to France after the war

and she was forced to sell her jewels and find a job.

Kim and Anita had a

daughter, Susana. She was 15. Finito said she was the prettiest girl

in Barcelona.

I'd never seen her, myself. She was sick

with tuberculosis and had been in bed over 2 years.

What a disgrace! What a mess!

They're waiting for the inspector.

They've been waiting over a week!

There's something fishy about this.

Nothing fishy about it! This country has always been

inefficient.

- Morning. - Give me a shot.

Morning.

Is it true Forcat came back?

Forcat? We'd have seen him around here

- by now. - It is true.

He came for his mother's funeral, but they nabbed him right off the train.

He's still being interrogated.

He's just another criminal.

Like the rest.

Nandu Forcat had come back after 10 years as a refugee in France.

He was Kim's rlght-hand. I imagined them fighting together,

back to back, pistols in hand.

Did you see that hole?

It's a grave.

They're waiting for Forcat to visit Kim's wife.

That hole is for him, I'm sure of it.

Eat, my boy. You must be starving

after running around all day with this good-for-nothing.

The captain didn't eat that day.

He was rememberlng his son.

Where could he be buried?

They could at least return his binoculars.

They were top quality.

The captain went straight to bed

and didn't get up again for 3 days.

That night I dreamed of my father. He was alive, in France.

He had joined Kim and his adventures.

After I received honors in drawing,

my mother decided I needed to learn a trade.

She asked Mr. Gallart, the jeweler, to take me as an apprentice.

Your boy has talent.

But I told you, he'll have to wait until the kid enlists.

You're good.

Very good. I really like it.

You're obviously an artist.

Why don't you sketch me a Virgin Mary or some angels for the nuns?

Don't ask him to waste his talent on useless nonsense.

I have a project for you

that will test all that talent of yours.

Come here, son.

I've come up with an idea

that will turn this neighborhood upside-down.

Idleness has paralyzed these people. God's abandoned them.

They don't give a shit about anything.

And that's how Captain Blay came up with his craziest idea,

and how I got mixed up in it.

It's all set. I spoke to her mother

and she agreed. You'll do a realist portrait

of that poor girl agonizing on her deathbed,

her lungs destroyed. And through the window we'll see

the toxic smoke from the tower.

Make it so the smoke

floats over the girl, threatening her,

like a dark, deadly cloud.

It'll be staggering.

A legitimate complaint backed

by over 500 signatures.

She really vomits blood?

Not when I'm around.

Madam Concha says she rubs elderberry flowers on her back as a cure.

That's a lie!

Elderberry flowers are for bishops and faggots with hemorrhoids.

Stay focused!

If you're afraid

of getting sick, draw her from memory. But it won't be as good.

I've never drawn from memory.

Then get started right away.

She might not live long.

I didn't dream of my father that night.

Wait a minute.

- Where are you going? - Inside.

To do what?

Susana's portrait. The captain requested it.

They know about it

- and they agreed. - Good excuse. Fine.

- Okay. - Wait.

If she looks tired or faints, get out of there.

- Okay. - Give her this for me.

And this, too.

Be very careful.

Behave yourself or else.

Go on, shithead.

Captain Blay sent me. About the drawing.

Of course, I'd forgotten.

Come in.

I don't know if Susana's decided.

- I can come back if you want. - No, no.

Come on in.

This way.

Don't tell Blay this,

but I think this whole thing is nonsense.

But anyway,

you can keep Susana company.

She could use a friend.

And a handsome one at that.

- What's your name? - Daniel.

Daniel.

Even your name is nice.

"Daniel and the Lions".

Straight back. The corridor is on the right.

Darling!

It's Daniel, about the drawing.

Don't be nervous.

If she gets upset, pay no attention.

She likes to show off. Go ahead.

Hello.

Your name's Daniel?

Yes.

You found the gas leak.

No, Captain Blay did.

You live on calle Cerde�a.

Yes.

And you have no father?

You haven't, have you?

I don't know.

You don't even know? You're really something!

He never came back from the war. He could have been killed...

So you're fatherless. Just like me.

A little weird,

aren't you?

Did you know I'm sick and you shouldn't get too close?

You know what I've got?

Your lungs are sick.

No, sir. Not my lungs.

My lung. Only one. You know which one?

Well, no.

The left.

Finito gave me this for you.

And this.

You know how to draw?

Show me.

Very pretty.

This one's good.

Right. Are you ready? I am.

I want you to draw me as if I were cured.

With color in my cheeks, a flower in my hair

and with shoes.

And wearing a green dress.

- I'll put it on later. - Captain Blay said...

I know, he wants you to draw me dying from tuberculosis.

Tired and pale, a total mess. I don't think so!

That's not how I want it.

You won't look bad. You can lie on the bed as if you were resting.

I'll put a flower in your hair.

If the drawing were for you...

All right.

I'll let you do it for the captain, but on one condition.

You'll do another one

with me posing as I please,

dressed and made-up as I choose.

- And in color, okay? - Okay.

But the Captain's...

I don't care about the Captain's. I want mine to look good.

It's for my father. I don't want him to see me sick.

Is this all right?

Let's leave it for tomorrow.

Do you play cards?

Yes.

Come closer, it's okay.

Is that your father?

Yes.

All the film projectors in Spain are his.

All of them?

Sure, he installed them all.

His projectors were the best, the most modern.

- Do you like movies? - Sure.

Me, too. But I haven't been in a while.

At night, when I can't sleep,

I close my eyes and watch movies in my mind.

But I mix them up sometimes.

Do you remember him? When did you last see him?

Two years ago.

You don't believe me? Well, it's true.

It was late at night. He came in the darkness

and stayed a long time,

crouched by my side, holding my hand.

He didn't know how sick I was.

My mom was crying.

Mom's told me how handsome he is, and I've seen photos.

But I couldn't see him well.

His leather jacket smelled of rain.

He was there so long I felt bad, so I pretended to fall asleep

and he gave me a long kiss on the forehead.

Then he whispered in my ear so that only I would hear it:

"I will come for you".

He was a little rich kid.

One of those absurd Jesuit children.

The eldest son of a rich family in Saragossa.

- Until his father disinherited him. - Why?

What is it?

We live in the neighborhood

and we request your signature on a document of the utmost importance

which will affect all of our lives.

Lengthen the smokestack? What the fuck is this?

Go on, get out of here.

Yet another jackass disguised as a human.

Why did he get disinherited?

- Who? - Kim.

Why do you think?

The same thing that drives all of man's actions.

- You mean politics? - No, son.

Sex.

The rich kid fell in love with the maid

and he got her pregnant. That much is quite normal.

It happens every day,

in even the best of families.

But what rarely occurs nowadays

is the rich kid running off with the girl to Barcelona

- and moving in with her. - Madam Anita?

The same.

He did it all. Every job you can possibly imagine.

Until finally he started distributing

German film projectors and made his fortune.

A glass of wine.

By then he'd befriended the libertarians.

Forcat and his gang of dreamers. Always wanting to change the world.

When the war finally broke out,

he fought at Aragon, and here in Barcelona.

Well, Blay? How many signatures?

Do I ask you how many glasses of this notorious wine you serve?

The nerve of some people!

- Put it there. - Here?

- Thanks, honey. - Bye, Madam Anita.

- Let me see it. - When it's finished.

- Is she nude? - Of course not.

- Let go! - Leave me alone!

- Does Anita Yanes live here? - Yes, sir.

Anita.

I bring word from Kim

in Toulouse.

Where are they?

Are they coming?

I think so.

Leave it there.

Darling, this is Mr. Forcat. Daddy loves him like a brother.

And so do I.

He'll be staying with us a few days.

This polite young man is Dani, a friend of Susana's.

Nice to meet you.

- Susana, how are you feeling? - Fantastic.

- Better every day. - That's great.

Your dad will be pleased.

- Did he send you? - Yes.

You saw him? Is he well?

- Susana... - When did you see him?

- Last month. - In Toulouse?

Yes, but he's left Toulouse.

Where is he?

Well...

Much further away.

Your father never stays put.

Okay, let him get some rest.

He hasn't slept in a bed in ages.

I'll check the upstairs bedroom.

Bring up your suitcase.

Your mother's right. I need some rest.

From the trip.

See you later, kids.

What a pain!

What do we do?

- What are you doing? - Come and see.

- Your mom will be upset. - "Your mom will be upset".

What are you waiting for?

Start drawing!

A dreamer, that's what he was.

He served coffee with brandy

at the Tranquility Bar over in the Paralelo.

He'd sell books on anarchy and revolutionary pamphlets

to the customers.

He worked as a waiter to pay his tuition.

Wasn't Forcat your friend?

You said it: "was". And not mine, my son's.

Look. This is the Huang-Pu River and this is Bund Avenue.

The most famous boulevard in the Far East.

It's my father's. Like the fan.

It's genuine Chinese silk.

He sent them with Forcat for me.

What does the postcard say?

What do you care?

If you behave, someday I'll read it for you.

How's our sick girl

today?

Look. This robe was a gift from your father.

Why did he have to go so far away?

It's a long story.

I want to hear it.

He misses you so...

- Then why is he in Shanghai? - I would say

he's looking for something

that he actually left here.

That's a good one!

It was all so turbulent. I shouldn't be telling you this.

It all began 2 years ago in some crummy

boarding house in Toulouse

where your father and I stayed after the rough years.

There was Kim... Denis,

his lieutenant...

and me.

Nualart, Betancort and Camps were already in Barcelona,

sent by Kim to rob an electrlcal materlal plant in L'Hospitalet.

He was going to join them the night before the job,

but it was all called off at the last minute.

So he went to try to stop them.

Be careful.

Give this to Carmen.

At the station, Denis gave him a letter for his wife and cash for his

parents and asked him to brlng Carmen and his son back with him.

You can count on me.

Trust me, I'll bring her safe and sound!

Kim got to Barcelona and stayed with Denis'parents.

He explained to Carmen that Denis had been wounded

and told her his plan.

We cross the border in 3 nights.

It's a rough trip but we have a guide.

That night, he paid you and your mother a visit.

He said you were burning up.

And he told me how your room smelled of eucalyptus...

and that those precious few minutes

with you were the best of his life.

The next morning he went to the caf� where he was to meet Nualart.

Meanwhile Betancort and Camps

were arrested in an apartment in Poblenou.

The mission had failed. But Kim kept his promise to Denis.

Good lord!

Hello, hello.

You're a sight for sore eyes, kid. Hold me up.

- My shoe came off. - Let me help you.

Such a nice boy.

- Sorry... - No.

It's this shoe. I don't know what's wrong with it.

It's old.

That's the problem.

The heel's coming loose.

Look, it's Cinderella's slipper.

Were you at my house?

- Is Susana alone? - Mr. Forcat's with her.

She sure is in good company lately.

Between you and Mr. Forcat.

We've been lucky.

Yes, madam.

We're doing just fine. Aren't we?

Yes, madam.

Yes, I'm very pleased.

Look at these old stockings!

They're impossible to mend.

Take my hand.

What warm hands you have!

If you think about it,

all we need in life is a little warmth

at the right moment.

Just a tiny bit. Don't you think?

Yes, madam.

Don't call me madam.

I'm no madam.

I know what you're thinking:

"Madam Anita's off her head"! Am I right?

Let me give you a hand.

I can walk on my own.

Right.

Thanks.

Remember to come by the cinema any time you like.

If I'm not there tell the usher you're a friend of mine

- and he'll let you in for free. - Thanks.

Promise me

you won't tell Susana you saw me like this.

Or Mr. Forcat.

You're a dream.

Good night, Madam Anita.

Listen, Blay. You've been cooped up at home for too long.

You shouldn't be allowed out by yourself at your age.

- Get him out of here, kid. - Good sir,

the gas is a spirit-like material,

a miasma, a fluid that we cannot see or hear, like the stench of cows,

or when a woman lies, or when a bishop farts.

- Yeah, we heard you. - Will you sign or not?

Go on, beat it. I'm busy.

That's right! Busy watering down our milk!

Is it true the man staying with that whore

came from the prison in Burgos?

No, Madam Clothilde.

You've been misinformed.

He actually has healing powers.

He's treating the girl

with rosewater boiled with fireflies,

an ancient Oriental remedy against Koch bacillus.

Ladies.

Captain, why didn't you flee like Kim, Forcat and the others?

Son, this neighborhood is my home.

I intend to die here. Nobody's taking me anywhere.

What are you doing? Not here, Captain. Please.

What choice have I?

Haven't you noticed? I'm a crazy old man.

I heard 3 years ago the projectionist spent more than a month in the house.

He's a distant relative of Anita.

He'd got her the job at the cinema. And he was very ill,

and he had nowhere else to go.

He was coughing and spitting all the time.

He's the one who transmitted it to the girl.

How do you know?

Anita said she couldn't stand it, especially changing his sheets.

Although he was actually quite handsome.

Let's see. That fever just won't go away.

37.8. Well,

it rises in the evening.

Let's see your back.

Cough.

You're in great shape.

Beautiful as ever.

Anita, you already know: Lots of rest, a nice steak

and happiness. Lots of happiness.

I could use a prescription like that.

You don't need a steak, or happiness...

You need to go easy on that liver. And other

organs I won't mention. Don't you dare

smoke in here.

Who's smoking?

Just in case.

What color will you paint

- the gas? - Gas is invisible.

Really? Is that what

that crazy Blay said?

Well, well.

Give her something

for the insomnia.

Doctor Barjau, this is Nandu Forcat,

a friend of my husband's staying with us.

Nothing cures insomnia. Though I had a patient

Susana's age

who I cured with a glass of warm milk

every night at bedtime.

Or try Father Labaru's sermon on the radio.

See you later, kids.

- Nice meeting you. - Follow me.

I know the way. Though I'd follow you to the ends of the earth.

Right.

You heard what the doctor said, didn't you?

Okay, if you continue the story.

All right.

Which part?

Why did my father go to Shanghai?

There's one thing I don't understand.

And what's that?

Why did he take Denis' family instead of us?

I'm sure he wished you were with him while crossing the Pyrenees.

Well?

Cross those mountains, in your condition? No.

Kim would never risk his sick daughter's life. He loves you.

At first,

he had no way to support the two of you with all the traveling

and his duties to the Resistance. Later, once he was ready,

you fell ill.

Are Denis' wife and son still with him?

When they met up again,

Kim went to Paris

to find out what he could about the arrests in Barcelona.

People even said I'd sold them out in exchange for impunity.

But your father never believed that.

In Parls

he saw his friend Michel Levy, his commander in the Resistance.

In '43, durlng an ambush on a

German patrol, Levy saved his life. Kim's been in his debt ever since.

Levy belongs to a rlch family

with companies in the Far East. After the war he went to Shanghai

to run the family business.

He married a young Chinese girl, the daughter of an opium dealer.

He was fine until he had to return to Parls for two delicate surgerles,

having been captured and tortured by the Gestapo durlng the war.

Sit down.

You remember Kruger, the Gestapo colonel who tortured me in Lyon?

I'll never forget the bastard.

Ever seen him in person?

He barely escaped when we shot his car to hell.

But I didn't see his face.

He's in Shanghai.

Levy said that Kruger had changed his name and appearance.

But he had recognized him.

His name was now Omar Meiningen.

Remember: Omar Meiningen.

If anything happens to her,

I'd rather be dead.

You want me to kill him?

Above all, I want her kept safe.

You know what this is, comrade?

A bullet from a 9mm.

It's the bullet Kruger put in my spine.

I want you to put it in his mouth when he's dead.

One week later in Marseilles Kim boarded a ship

that belonged to Levy's family.

Before saying goodbye, Levy had asked another favor of him.

In the captain's cabin, there's

something that belongs to me. It's a Chinese book

by a man named Li Yan.

The ship was carrying cognac and French wine to Singapore

and spare parts for looms in one of the Levy factorles in Shanghai.

Stromboli.

They crossed the Mediterranean, stopping in Tunis and in Port Said,

reaching the Red Sea by way of the Suez Canal,

and crossed the Indian Ocean around Ceylon.

At night, your father played long games of chess with the captain.

After two days in Singapore, they reached the China Seas.

It will have cleared by tomorrow.

Some of the Malaysian sailors think that cloud

symbolizes some sort of betrayal. They're superstitious.

There's something so

sluttish about her. Those tight skirts and that saunter.

Listen, Madam Pili.

What that blonde does with her heart and her lovely ass

is of no concern. What is of concern

is the devastation the Koch bacillus

is causing her poor child,

and that gas that will eventually finish us all.

All right, here.

I'll sign.

This crazy old man is too much.

All that tuberculosis stuff's romantic, but no need to exaggerate.

All women are romantic. But be careful

not to gaze too long at the stars at night.

They release a tiny white powder

that can dry the optic nerve and leave you blind.

Good lord!

You're one of a kind!

The stars give no light. They're dead!

They've been dead millions of years.

Spanish Independent Radio announced it last night.

Barcelona's entire sewer system

must be so filled with gas

that even a stray spark from the wheel of a streetcar

could blow up the whole city.

From the port to the Ramblas all the way to Montjuic.

Look at this one. The gas struck him like lightning.

No, Captain, he's just saluting. They must be lowering the flag.

You've been gassed, and well-gassed at that!

Get lost, will you? You heard the kid. They're lowering the flag.

- What flag? - Ours, of course!

Ours?

How do you know? What if it isn't ours?

Maybe you don't care which flag it is. Neither do I.

All flags are shit to me.

I'm only doing it just in case.

Like that guy over there.

Nonsense!

You know what? You seem pretty decent

compared to what's out there.

Let's go have a drink together.

Beat it, you old fool!

Poor devil!

Did you notice his rotten teeth and his transparent ears?

Not in the street, Captain! Not again!

They're like a bunch of religious lunatics.

- You mean fanatics? - Some of them are

too scared shitless to be fanatics. They're downgraded to lunatics.

Captain, your zipper...

A dead body needs an open window.

If you make me eat all this, I'll throw up on the bed.

Eat or you'll never hear what happened to your father

or why Levy wanted his book.

Why did he want it?

Eat and find out.

I don't understand why he didn't come for us first.

It was too dangerous. He had to go alone.

I've never been on a ship.

Drink your milk

and have at least a slice.

Just one. That ham isn't cheap.

Lighten up.

Is my father tall?

You don't remember?

He was hunched over...

About my height, but he seems taller.

You're distracting me. Get started.

No food, no story. Right, Dani?

- Yeah, fatten her up. - You shut up.

Finish your drawing for once!

I don't care about that damn boat or any of it!

You think what happens to my father matters to me?

You think we can't live without him?

He can go to hell for all I care.

In a boat, a plane

or on roller skates! I don't need him.

To think your father said you were sweet and well-behaved.

Who, me? That's a laugh!

Nice girls can all go to hell! You got it?

I got it.

What do you know about Shanghai? Have you even been?

Long before your father.

I was a waiter on a ship. I traveled a lot.

I know Shanghai

like the back of my hand.

Ask your mother if you want.

I already have.

Okay, I'll drink the milk, but you can stick the food.

I detest cold milk.

It's hot!

Look, touch it.

When he arrived

in Shanghai, Kim was met by Levy's associate, Charlie Wong.

Levy had instructed him to provide anything he might need.

I hope you're comfortable in my home, Mr. Yanes.

But I won't be intimidated by anyone.

Is that clear, sir?

Your husband's a good friend.

We've been through a lot together. That's why I'm here.

I'll try not to be a nuisance,

but your husband asked me to follow you

and I intend to. He has his reasons.

Fine, let's drop it.

I suppose you'd like a nice bath and some rest. Deng will attend

to your needs.

Levy had warned him about Chen's active social life

and to buy elegant attire to accompany her.

- Good evening, Madam Levy. - Good evening, Mr. Lambert.

Mr. Yanes, a friend of my husband's just in from Paris.

Enchanted.

Pardon.

Excuse me.

You won't leave me alone even a second?

I didn't say that.

I suppose I can visit the ladies' room alone?

Thank you.

You've come to Shanghai at a bad time.

They say General Chen Yi's communist troops

are ready to march

through Manchuria and up the Yang-Tse River to Shanghai.

- I'll be gone before they arrive. - Lucky for you.

You can leave any time.

I bet that while Levy's in the hospital in Paris

she'll find comfort once again from that Cantonese captain

Tzu Zu, or whatever his name is.

Stapleton, you're a swine.

If you weren't drunk, I'd make you sorry you said that.

Who's that?

Stapleton?

An American journalist and horrible drunk.

No, the other one.

Omar Meiningen.

He's German.

He owns the trendiest club in Shanghai,

the "Yellow Sky".

Some say he's dangerous, while others,

women mostly, say he's quite a gentleman.

What about you?

I'd say

he's actually a communist.

Am I interrupting?

Yes!

Susana, we're going out.

Who? You and Mr. Forcat?

Where to?

I don't know.

For a stroll on the Ramblas.

Will you keep her company until we get back?

Yes, madam.

Thanks, sweetie. I'd be lost without you.

They're the most absurd, old-fashioned pair I've ever seen.

Get my mom's lipstick from her room.

The gold case.

You want to listen to the sound of my sick lung?

- There's a sound? - Come here.

Closer.

Don't be afraid, silly. My microbes won't infect you.

Can you hear it?

I don't know.

I hear something, but...

Yes or no?

It's like a buzz inside a cave.

- Can you hear it? - A buzz?

Yes, a buzz! Are you deaf or what?

Get with it!

Try over here. You hear it now?

Sort of, but not clearly. Not yet.

Don't fall asleep!

No, no...

Well? Can you hear anything?

Wait... I think I hear it.

Okay, smarty-pants. Take a hike.

Daniel...

What?

You know what I'm thinking?

What?

That in the other drawing, the good one,

I want you to draw me wearing a Chinese dress.

Sleeveless and high-cut, as if I were Chen.

Lying on the bed, like this.

- Kind of half-asleep. - What color dress?

Green... no, black.

A tight silk dress with slits up the side.

Mama?

Are you still awake, son?

I'm almost asleep.

Go to sleep, it's late.

Where were you?

I went to dinner with... some friends.

Good night.

- But I work in the factory! - Even better!

Good sir, you're an irresponsible raving lunatic!

They're up to their necks in shit and won't admit it!

"Daniel and the Lions"!

Susana's with Madam Concha and Mr. Forcat's napping. Let him sleep.

Yes, madam.

This is good for strengthening lung tissue

and for the circulation.

And for a pretty girl with delicate skin.

Up you get, princess.

Hi.

PRINCE DUMMY, KISS ME AND I SHALL AWAKE.

It's lipstick, you idiot!

Finish your damn drawing of the sick girl and the smokestack!

His siesta gets longer every day.

Go check on him.

Your mom said not to wake him.

This has nothing to do with her!

Please, Dani. Go up and check on him.

I hope he doesn't get angry.

Sorry, we thought you were asleep.

Who thought? You or Susana?

Well... both of us.

That's more like it.

- Where were we? - The Hotel Cathay lounge.

Oh, yeah.

Do you know that man?

Who in Shanghai doesn't know Omar?

He came to say hi and ask after my husband.

Why do you ask?

Am I in serious danger?

Anyone you speak to is suspect.

You're afraid to leave me with all these people around?

That same night, after taking Madam Levy home,

Kim decided to have a look at Omar's setup.

It's getting dark.

I'll be right back.

Where's he going?

No idea. Do you like him?

Who?

Forcat, of course!

Oh... very much, don't you?

My mother is a total mess.

She's quit drinking and smoking.

Why?

He asked her to.

What's he up to?

Who knows?

Turn that off.

I want some, too!

What is it?

Open your hands.

You want to be a ghost in the dark?

Rub it on your face and you'll be a ghost for a while.

Only a while?

Good things never last.

Your mom's on her way. I have to make dinner.

I'm making a surprise dish.

Come here. Let me see that silly face.

Don't be scared.

They're cold.

You want to kiss me?

A real kiss. How about it, dummy?

That's enough.

Didn't last long.

Like he said, good things never do.

Tomorrow, if you want,

I'll find some more glowworms in the garden.

Fine, tomorrow. Turn off the light on your way out.

Hello, sweetheart.

You're free today. He's got a fever.

Maybe this way he'll rest.

Could you give him the drawing?

Go in and show him yourself. He's awake.

Hello, Captain.

Hello, son.

What's wrong?

What's wrong? I'm old, that's what.

Is that all?

Not good enough for you?

You know how old I am?

No.

I'm twice as old as that damn Franco.

According to my calculations,

I'm 271 years old.

You haven't let me down.

This will touch their hearts.

Now...

nobody in his right mind will dare not sign.

- Hello. - Hi.

- Around so early? - The captain isn't well.

Will you do me a favor, sweetie?

I'm out of aspirin. Would you mind asking at the tavern?

Grab a fifth of cognac while you're at it.

No, just bring me the aspirin.

- You want to be an artist? - I don't know.

Actually I want to be a pianist.

Yeah, he's a player.

A pianist? That's wonderful.

Hey!

The dress is all wrong. The cuts should be rounded.

Not in the movies.

You haven't got a clue.

Please, don't shout.

My head hurts.

Could be the lemonade.

Your head doesn't hurt.

Your head thinks it hurts, that's all.

Not now, Anita.

Not now.

I can't go to work

like this.

I'm really in pain.

No, you're not.

You see? I feel better already.

Jerk.

Princess.

Why are you crying?

Please don't cry. Please.

Bye, everyone.

Anybody up for a snack?

Thanks, Deng.

Is there anything else?

Did madam leave last night?

Last night everyone left after they came.

Deng,

I'm responsible for Madam Chen's safety.

I'll do my job despite you both.

Deng promised Madam Chen he wouldn't say anything.

Deng made me the same promise.

I promise it won't happen again.

All right, Deng. You may go.

What do people do for fun around here besides go to parties?

They typically smoke opium

and enjoy female company in a pleasant ambience.

Are you serious?

That place across the way is quite popular.

And it belongs to Herr Meiningen.

How did you know?

I didn't.

Lucky guess, I suppose. Are you friends?

He's an excellent person,

and often quite useful, though

his reputation is a bit shady. In Shanghai, that means nothing.

I heard he was an officer in the Wehrmacht

- who got out in time. - Right.

You know what?

I just might try one of those diversions you mentioned.

You can introduce me to Omar.

Mr. Meiningen,

meet a Spanish friend of mine. He was eager to meet you.

I was eager to meet you as well, Mr. Yanes.

- I speak your language. - You spent time

in South America.

True.

What else do you know about me?

Did you know I envy you more than anyone?

Me?

Yes.

You've been seen all over Shanghai with Madam Chen.

Don't envy me.

Her husband and I are old friends.

I suppose you already knew. It was a pleasure.

The pleasure was mine.

If you desire

any special service, don't hesitate to ask.

That's all for today.

I have a meeting that could mean a job.

I'll be back to make dinner.

I'm starting to like this Omar.

- What is it? - Be quiet.

- Come on! - Where?

- You're barefoot! - Shut up!

Let's see what's inside.

It's a toy.

Not at all.

Is it loaded?

What are you doing?

"Jos� Carb� Balaguer".

My father's handwriting.

"I owe my friend F. Forcat

the amazing sum of 150 francs, a glass of cognac

and a kick in the ass for lending money to a jerk like me".

Joaqu�n Yanes, Toulouse, May of 1941.

Come on, put that away.

Suck the wound.

Look what it was. We'll put alcohol on it.

What for? I wish I'd bleed to death already.

Don't say that.

What are you doing?

I'm contagious.

- I don't care. - Liar.

- I don't, I swear. - Well, I do.

I don't know what's wrong with me.

My joints feel like barbed wire

and my head is spinning.

I could use a glass of wine.

I think we should go home.

It's premature old age.

The problem is that lately

my premature old age has combined with

my late-arriving youth, and there you have it.

A real mess.

Worst of all,

I've nobody left to scratch my back.

The folder!

The folder with the signatures and the drawing.

I left it in the tavern. Son,

go have a look.

WENT TO DINNER WITH BRAULIO. YOUR DINNER'S READY. MOM.

Hello.

Hello.

There you are, Dani.

We were waiting for you.

Where were we?

Oh, yes...

That same night, Kim received a telegram from France

from his friend Levy, urging him to complete his mission.

That night Kim followed Canton Road to Omar's club,

the "Yellow Sky".

Very well, you can report back to your friend Levy now.

Not yet, Kruger.

My name isn't Kruger.

Why are you here?

To finish a job.

A job that entails killing, am I correct?

Haven't done much else these last few years, have we Colonel?

What are you talking about? Why did you call me that?

Who is this Kruger?

You tell her, Colonel.

I'm asking you.

I imagine your husband's told you

about the Gestapo colonel who tortured him,

Helmut Kruger. Five years ago.

Are you mad?

In 1943 I was a soldier for the Wehrmacht, in Warsaw.

I've done nothing

that you claim.

As you can see, you're mistaken.

There's no mistake, darling.

We thought you were here to watch me.

But now I see there's much more to it.

My husband told you

that Omar is Colonel Kruger so that you'd kill him.

But the truth is more vulgar than that.

Omar is merely my lover.

What...?

A man is asking for you.

He says his name is Luis Deniso, from France.

Hello, Forcat.

You must be Susana.

How are you?

Just wonderful.

I'm glad.

Your dad said you were pretty.

That's an understatement.

Well, now! Check out the loser

from Barceloneta!

Done well for yourself!

I heard you were here, scrounging as usual.

But I didn't know you had it so well.

What about you? When did you get here?

Two weeks ago.

Surprised?

Let's get to it.

Where's that bastard Kim?

Has anyone heard anything?

Watch it. My father isn't here

- to defend himself. - Lucky for him.

So where is he?

Far away.

Where?

In Shanghai.

Shanghai!

That son of a bitch outdid himself!

Shanghai, no less!

Who told you that fable?

What are you talking about?

What do you want?

Ask him.

He knows much more than his looks suggest.

He knows why I'm here.

All right, Mr. Nice Guy.

You leave me no choice.

I'm looking for my family.

My wife Carmen

and my son, Luis,

who I've only seen in photos.

It's been two years.

I've searched the entire coast,

from Marseilles to Tarbes, from Toulouse to Perpignan.

What's that got to do with us?

The day after they arrested Nualart,

Betancort and Camps,

Carmen packed her bags

and crossed the border with Kim and the baby,

just like I asked her to.

I haven't seen any of them since.

I don't even know if they made it.

They could be somewhere in the Pyrenees,

or hiding out in any city big enough to disappear in.

Did you know all this?

Well? Did you?

Forget it.

What do you expect him to say?

Then...

What about the letter? And the postcards?

Honey,

that's a piece of cake.

For a master forger, of course.

You can't smoke in here.

- Shanghai, eh? - That's right. Are you deaf?

On a secret mission for Mr. Levy.

By ship, to protect...

A woman, no less!

What a crock!

Yes, from a German.

Who asked you anyway, kid?

Stop it! You can all go to hell!

Get lost, pipsqueak.

You've overstayed your welcome.

Good night, Susana.

Let's forget all about it.

It's for the best, gorgeous.

Forcat left the house the next day.

Denis told me Susana had a fever and wouldn't see anyone.

Days later I started working as an apprentice on calle San Salvador.

My mom was dining with Braulio the night

I finished the drawing of Susana. From memory.

I took it to her on a Sunday morning.

"Daniel and the Lions"!

Hello, Madam Anita.

Come in.

I thought you'd forgotten us.

We've really missed you.

You're always welcome here, sweetie.

Well, well! I thought you were dead.

I heard you didn't want to see anyone.

Maybe. I hardly remember.

How are you?

Me? Better than ever.

Your fever's gone?

It's fading. I'm even allowed in the garden now.

Did you know I got a job?

So, you're a jeweler. Well? Do you like it?

That's new.

Is it a new game?

Are you blind or what?

I finished your drawing.

- Want to see it? - Shit, shit, shit!

I can't get that last ball in there.

You and your drawings. Such a dreamer.

That's it!

You should have drawn me shitting.

That's right, with a slave fanning my ass.

See? I'm stronger than you.

Go on, beat it.

You hear that, kid?

Time for you to get some sun. It's gorgeous out.

So... up you go!

I never saw Denis again.

I saw Finito Chac�n once, working as a delivery boy.

He said Denis ran a whorehouse

on the calle R�os Rosas and had seen Susana washing dishes there.

I don't know if she "swallowed" like the others.

Later Susana moved in with her lover and Madam Anita fell ill.

Though two months later Forcat reappeared with

Susana and the two of them moved back in. Nobody knows why.

But less than a week later,

Denis came looking for her.

It was in all the papers.

What do you want?

- Where is she? - Out.

Where's Susana?

Susana?

Susana?

Susana,

- we're leaving. - Get out! I said get out!

Let's go! You're coming with me, damn it!

- Let her go, you bastard! - Get out!

The paper said he just sat there, without saying anything,

even when questioned by the police.

But the neighborhood had its own version of the story.

What do you want?

Where is she? Where's Susana?

Susana!

- Get out! - We're leaving.

- I said get out! - Let's go!

Come on, you little whore.

Impostor!

I always imagined it differently.

Where is she? Where's the girl?

Susana!

Where is she?

- Leave her alone! - Where is she?

She doesn't want to see you!

I'm taking her with me!

Where are you going, you impostor?

My mother married Braulio. He was a chiropodist.

We moved into a flat in the Plaza de Lesseps.

Madam Concha told me Susana had worked in a toy store for a while,

but that she had recently replaced her mother in the box office.

You want to dance?

Come on, just once. They're about to play.

Come on. Please.

How many?