schönes badezimmer modern
my sweet... this is the blessed spotwhere we met 17 years ago. only the leopard is new. kind nature long ago relievedthe other of his shackles. you see, dear, i keep talkingof nature's benevolence, of merciful fate,of the kindness of god. we judge and criticise others,rebuke them. but what about we ourselves? i always have the feelingthat i do so little for you.
- we are not doing badly, roman. - not badly... thanks to your dowry, to your blessed mother's support and the support of your aunt. perhapsi furnished our apartment, but that's about all. dear, i must take care of you.zina is 16, mili 14. come now, children...
cages are for mute creatures. i've discovered howi can increase my income. i'll hirean agent on commission. it will be mr. strauss. a good, decent man. i'll invite him to our party. we are a lovelyand blessed family, but i always have the feelingthat i do so little for you. filmov㉠studio barrandovpresents
as the cremator based on the novel by screenplay by starring costume designerwardrobe production designermake-up art directorassistant art director edited by
sound music by played byconducted by production manager director of photography directed by not a drop of liquor,mr. rybka, just tea. mr. prachar is a poor man. you may serve weak coffee...to those willing to pay.
what about my cream coffin? smokers must also do without. you'll neither drinknor smoke during eternity. how about nextto this charming lady. i still didn'tget my cream coffin. indeed, mr. strauss, workingin contact with confectioners must be rather pleasant. but why not offer suchsweet people something... ...else?
not goods but something morepersonal for those fine people. offer your treats and then hand them a flyerwith an application form. ''come join us! save up for cremation'' you'll get five crowns for every subscriber. excuse me, mr. strauss.excuse me, my angel. a friend from the war,mr. reinke, has arrived. we fought together for austria.
a warm welcome!i haven't seen you for ages. - you must come and visit.- oh, paunchy... afterward,we must introduce our wives. mr. rybka... what's this? i thoughtwe were going to a concert. well...they're playing, aren't they? are you kidding? a philharmonic is an orchestra.i see... how many musicians? four!
the others might turn up......maybe. i am sure you love music,mr. strauss. sensitive people do. the poor, pitiful souls who die without knowingschubert, or liszt... are you by any chance related?to johann strauss? or richard? composer of 'der rosenkavalier'? no, i'm sorry to say,mr. kopfrkingl. - but i love their music.- yes?
anyway, the applications... people's suffering,mr. strauss, is another matter, and animals suffer, too. i havea wonderful book on tibet. this is potala, the dalai-lama's palace. lhasa. you can read itlike the bible. god knew what he wastalking about when he said:
"remember, thou art dustand to dust thou shalt return." dear friends, a crematoriumis pleasing to our lord, helping him to hastenour transformation into dust. some object, saying that christwas buried, not cremated. quite a different matter,dear friends. i tell those good people:they embalmed our saviour, wrapped him in a shroudand interred him in a cave. but none of youwill be interred in a cave or wrapped in a shroud.
my dear friends, we live in a humanecountry that builds crematoria. but not without reason, andnot to visit like a museum. after life's tribulations, theyallow people to lie down quietly and be transformed into dust. i have a wonderful bookon tibet - page 38, for example: "suffering is an evil we must berid of, or at least alleviate. "the sooner a man turns to dustthe sooner he is free, "transformed,
"enlightened "reincarnated..." animals, too.it takes 20 years in a grave but just 75 minutesin a crematorium. well, dear friends... to humanity's happiness. now, dear friends, enjoythe lovely music and dancing. partake of the refreshments,and may no one feel lonely. good bye.
- a pleasant and witty man.- and how he has suffered. he had to go on disabilitybecause of an ulcerated liver ...or was it kidneys? well,something connected with urine. then he lost his wife and sonto fever. you don't like it? i could increasehis commission if he does well. jews are good businessmen. you think he's a jew, dearest?strauss isn't a jewish name. a name means nothing.
you call melakme instead of marie. you want me to call youroman instead of karel. because i'm romanticand love beauty, my dear. that's the one. and that noble face. we're framing itfor the japanese embassy. yes, that's the one. it's emiliano chamorro,president of nicaragua. yes, it's financialofficer louis marin,
minister of pensionsunder poincarã©. but it says on the frame he'sthe nicaraguan president... - never mind that, mr... - holy.- what? - holy. never mind, mr. holy, justcover the name with some tape. ah, yes, and something else. this is the cremation law.please frame it for me, and decorate itwith some nice sombre pattern. yes, yes... i imaginedsomething more cheerful.
i bought you some pictures,my angel. with my first extra income, so our home would beeven more beautiful. so zina's practicing. what a talented child. mili isn't home? he's out with jan,dr. bettelheim's nephew. at leasthe isn't wandering around. jan is a decent boy who won'tgo farther than the bridge.
- who's this?- the president of nicaragua. let's put him... i think he'll go here, dearest. - and where will we hang this?- in the bathroom. do you know, my angels... this bathroomis the nicest room we have? i don't know,a bouquet might be better. or a hunting scene... ...pursuing a deer.
and how's enchantress? don't letthe poor animal suffer. would you like some too? give it to enchantress then.it's yesterday's, anyway. help yourselves. may i? prague statisticianssay married men live longer. we're lucky, walter, and weshould thank our lovely ladies. without them we'd die sooner. when i remember, walter, howwe enlisted in the great war...
how we fought and died... how our poor horses suffered... it all seems unbelievable. peace, justice and happinessshould reign in the world. they don't drop like manna fromheaven. we must fight for them. take austria. joining the reichwas only the first step. the fuehreris a political genius. he has rid his huge nationof poverty and unemployment. haven't you seenour party flyers?
that's louis marin,former minister of pensions. i bought it at mr. holy'sframe shop. he's a widower. our nation was wrongedafter the war, and those with german blood in theirveins must put the wrong right. come join us have some almonds. you'd rather hear about somesensational death, eh? life is full of tragedies,mrs. reinke. mr. strauss went on disability,then lost his wife and child.
i don't know... our childrengo to czech schools. we only speak czech at home,like right now. all my books are in czech... even my book on tibet. our blood is czech too. investigate and you'll find atleast one drop of german blood. perhaps... perhaps a drop. well, a truly sensitiveperson feels even that drop.
i've got to see goermann. he'smeeting the minister in berlin. this republic isan obstacle to our deliverance. but that would taketoo long to explain. i wanted to tell yousomething interesting. siamese twins were born;two heads, two sets of limbs... poor kids,a life twice blessed. - where've you been, mili?- right here. jan and iwere looking at cars... pity you misseda noteworthy conversation.
mr. reinke also went to highschool before going to college. he is meeting a mr. goermann...and you're behind in german. we speak czech at home,but you should learn german. it's a huge nation. ah, mr. strauss! go on, go on. see how successfulthe poor man is. - good clay.- welcome, mr. dvorak. don't be frightened.i'll initiate you very gently.
- this is our porter, mr. vrana.- good day. he has liver trouble, poor man. i've been coming to thistemple of death for 15 years, and every time i entera holy feeling enshrouds me. it's like my marriage. we've been together for 17 years, and it's stilljust as beautiful as the day we metat the leopard's cage. come, mr. dvorak,nothing to be afraid of.
you have chosena beautiful, noble profession. but onefull of responsibilities. good day. that's mr. fenek,a morphine addict. have you heard? the alliesare pushing for appeasement. don't worry.it will all turn out fine. even i might havea drop of german blood. one can't help one's origins. no coat, mr. dvorak? we'll findone and i'll show you around.
mrs. liskova...how about coming too? you don't know howour equipment works either. it's not necessary for cleaning,mr. kopfrkingl. let's go then, mr. dvorak. may i smoke? of course,if it makes you happy... no thanks, i don't smoke ordrink. i'm a total abstainer. we can hear the ceremonythrough that speaker. beautiful music everywhere...do you do like music?
mr. dvorak?sensitive people love music. i really love it. that's nothing, justmrs. lesetinska practicing. this lets down the catafalque. upstairs is the worldof the survivors. our work begins down here. the furnaces alwaysremind me of the ovens used for the baking our daily bread. that's our timetable.
a schedule of deathno one can avoid... unless he'sburied in the ground. come, mr. dvorak. we have two gas furnaceswhich can transform the deceased into dustin an hour and 15 minutes. we take a breakin the afternoon, and you can breathefresh air in the cemetery. these little windowsallow us to see inside. there's nothing to see now,mr. dvorak. you must wait
for a nice cremation. the ashes are packedinto these canisters. but the soul is not.it's floating in the ether, free of the bonds of suffering.free and purified it seeks another body. here arethis afternoon's coffins. the first is upstairswaiting for the surviving family to say their goodbyes. but some coffinsare not sent for viewing.
as you see,these are already nailed shut. just leave it there,mr. dvorak. it may come in handy. today we cremate miss strunna.can you give me a hand? here she is.i already saw her yesterday. her complexionis remarkably rosy, as if she were alive. as if she might awaken... and rise.
you may thinkshe's not really dead, but you would bein error, mr. dvorak. she has been pronounced dead, and it isour duty to cremate her. it would be very unlucky ifmiss strunna were still alive, as she hadher whole life ahead of her. it would only be luckyif she were to have suffered. suffering is a great evil andwe must try to alleviate it. don't worry, mr. dvorak,miss strunna is, i suppose
really dead. such mistakes usuallydon't happen nowadays. how beautiful... how gorgeous, my angels. if only they were artificialthey'd bloom even in the snow. mr. dvorak's so nervoushe smokes all the time. come on, mili!don't keep wandering off. they exercise so nicely. my pretties,i know something far better.
- what is it?- not afraid, are you? laget, the mass-murderer. he murdered every day...and every night. - they look so alive...- stop acting so stupid. this is a wax museum, right? now, in dread of his wrathlet's all see the bath. lights! - will there be water and steam?- shut up. it's just wax museum.
this is the st. francis spa, where people come to fix a flaw. this ladywill give the baths a try... she smiles sweetlyat this young guy. then sits to calmly in the tub, but he's planningmore than a scrub. old baths. how much nicer our bathroom is. - she looks like the milk woman.- ssh! you're not at the dairy.
darkness. this bloke had the plagueso he hanged himself dead. he was decisive and braveand didn't want it to spread. he hangs here by the neck,and no one can bring him back. - he looks alive.- he's dead, hanged. this unfortunate lad waskilled by murderer moore. it only tooka second with this iron bar. sweet, blue-eyedmoore had everyone baffled. he murdered 6 peopleand ended at the scaffold.
there he is. - i knew it.- the hell you did. you're nuts. i can't even take you toa wax museum. she's an idiot... this way please, toward our wax gnomeby the name of tom. he's alive! the show is throughfor most of you. but men whose nerves are strongmight like to come along. here we have various diseases...pox and syphilis...
both contagious. how horrible to die this way. indeed. but modern doctors can protect us. like... our kind dr. bettelheim. you still feel these testsare necessary, mr. kopfrkingl? doctor, i have intercourseonly with my beloved wife.
i'm afraid to seem likea bit of a hypochondriac, but i worry about beinginfected at the crematorium. you don't deal with corpses.infection is impossible. how glad i am thatyou are our neighbour, and that my sonis friends with your nephew. mili wanders aroundand today that's dangerous. i hear martial law has beendeclared in the border region. that will meanhell for many people. violence never pays,mr. kopfrkingl.
it's not a reliableprinciple of power. this is 20th-centuryeurope in a civilized world. aggressors arealways defeated in the end. if you think it necessary,mr. kopfrkingl, come again. mr. kopfrkingl...come have a look. banana flies,used for heredity tests. this one is a 'drosophilafunebris', the funeral fly. would you like the collection? i'll let it go cheap...for just a pinch of morphine.
i have a weaknessfor such... decorations. we have a butterflypinned on the bathroom wall. but where would i get morphine?i don't even smoke. that friend of yoursis a chemical engineer... mr. reinke is out of town.it's mobilisation, mr. fenek. when he comes back then.i still have a bit left. i came in early so i could see you. there are betterthings to look at.
how long have youbeen living like this? do you find meaning in lifeby cleaning every morning? times are hard -it's mobilisation. you need someone to cling to,to protect you. let's talk about itlater tonight. what's the matter? i frightened mrs. liskova. mr. kopfrkingl, a crematoriumis no place for jokes. you're right, bad timing.
i wanted to invite her toour place for a change of pace. maybe some other time. well, mr. kopfrkingl!do come in. massage parlour how sweet and thoughtful of you. - i bought this for zina.- the young lady has a client. perhaps you'd consider another?they all say how nice you are. you'd have to wait a bitfor miss dagmar. pity you onlycome once a month.
you should honour us more often. maybe i should. i can afford to now. i have an agent, and it's healthy. ah, miss dagmar. you didn'thave to wait long after all. - farewell, goodbye.- goodbye. here... mr. kopfrkingl, i've waitedall month. let me just tidy up. i wouldn't like myzina's present to be crumpled.
we have a new manat the ovens, mr. dvorak. he helps prepare the coffins. he smokedfrom nerves when he started. he's not so nervous now. thank godhe no longer smokes so much. mr. strauss is a successat selling cremations. people at sweet shopsare gentle, kind, and pleasant.
alright, let's go... i need another agent,a seller of toys... or cosmetics.either would serve. i must take care of my family. we have a beautifuland blessed home. i must take care of youeven better. i'd like to takeon another agent. mr. dvorakno longer smokes so much. but haven't ialready mentioned that?
you look so sad lately, lakme. anything worrying you? any problems? our angel'sbirthday is coming up. i bought her an outfit. let's hope her kaja'sas much a family man as i am even these died on us.everything dies here. mrs. liskova is quitting.she couldn't get used to it here. such a shame, mrs. liskova.why so suddenly?
now i won'tbe able to take you out. we're so busy too, and germansoldiers stand at the border. even mr. vrana can't light it. you're so upset,but why would they occupy us? violence never pays. this is 20th-century europein a civilized world. when does miss carska'sturn come, mr. dvorak? seventh. the first this afternoon.no waiting for her, poor...
miss carska. she wasjust about to get married. i'll make sureshe's perfectly ready. mr. kopfrkingl,i don't want to trouble you, but have you got the morphine? i told you mr. reinkeis out of town. be patient. you can't worry about morphinewith the germans at the border. they've convened a conference.it may mean war, and miss carska was just about to get married.
"how horrible it is to lose "so manyloved ones in their prime. "frost burnsflowers' flushed cheeks, "and the angel of deathtakes his toll." an educated speaker. they're playingdvorak's 'largo', mr. dvorak. in 75 minutes miss carska'sashes will fill an urn. but not her soul. that can't be.
it will be reincarnated,liberated, as the tibetans say. it will rise into the ether. you know, premature death isa blessing only if it relieves ...great suffering. i'd like to leave, too. i think i'd behappier in a boiler room. what's wrong now, mr. dvorak? i thoughtyou had overcome your fears. i was even tellingmy dear wife you smoked less.
boiler work is a humiliation. help yourselves, dear children,kaja, girls, vojta... much has happened since theborder regions were occupied. lovely music... let's seewhat they say in the papers. cherry bombs, sky rockets mili, what odd ideas you have.never swallow a cherry bomb. understandyou could be crippled for life. will you take a photo, kaja?
a photograph eternallypreserves the present moment. we take photos at work too, butwithout the finger-waggling. they buy them as souvenirs -the survivors, that is. did anyone everwake up in their coffin? oh really, kaja...it hasn't happened yet. not even miss carska, although so youngand about to be married. people do wake up in coffins.i read about it. only if the person wasn't dead.
but it would be impossibleafter 75 minutes in the furnace. in some human countriesthey even burn animals. you'll be cremated too,enchantress. one clay you won't evenrecognise your present self. cremation is humane. and rids peopleof the fear of death. my dear children...do not fear cremation. zina, why don't youplay for our guests? how about mahler's'songs on the death of children'?
or something more lively...danse macabre by saint-saã«ns? i'm taking milito a boxing match. my enchantress almostforgot to tell me about it. you've never seena boxing match, neither have i. it seems a brutal sport. but i'm looking forward to it. one... two... you're seeing a trulymanly sport for once. - i think it rather brutal.- tough, yes, but that's good.
you must be brave. boxing isfor fighters. man against man. why must i do this...can we never be on time? excuse me.these are our seats. beat it! that pale-skinnedgirl over there reminds meof a waitress at our club. - look!- shut up. - what if he breaks his leg?- what? drop it! my angel nearly forgotabout your invitation today. - is he bleeding?- there shouldn't be any blood.
- clean your glasses, mili.- they'll knock their teeth out! - are they dancing?- they're in the ring, damn it. they'll hurt him. the referee doesn't box.watch the two men in shorts. white shorts is a union man andred is a butcher's apprentice. - a butcher! there'll be blood!- this isn't a slaughterhouse. now shut up, stupid, and watch. - you said he wouldn't get hurt.- it was a mistake. now shut up. it is slaughterhouse! there's bloodeverywhere. why did we come?
get out of here, you nut!she's headed for the asylum... ...three, four, five, six... ...seven, eight, nine... is the apprentice dead, daddy? death is the only certainty. come join us! ah, christmas...a truly blessed time. you look radiant, my angel. why don't i hang you upamong these pretty angels
and all this beauty? don't make them suffer.they're suffocating. ana is comingsoon to kill them. why is ana coming?can't you do it? dear child, of course i could,but i don't like to. ana is used to it.she's a good old soul. come, children,we needn't watch. leave her here.my sweet one enjoys the entrails. one of them is dead by now...if ana hit it well.
it's soulis already in the ether. now the second one is dead. you may play withtheir soul-bladders. but those are really their lungs. their true souls may havejust reincarnated... into cats, maybe. we may have once eatenenchantress as a carp. we may eveneat her again sometime as... something else.
but before enjoying our repastwe'll wait for mr. reinke. a pretty christmas tree.any carp? two. my angel is frying themon our little home furnace. her blessed motherused to make jellied carp, a foreign recipe,but we do it czech style. with carp, okay.but don't you feel our blood? we're fighting for the causeand you fry carp the czech way? i thought you opposed violence,wanted justice and salvation. this republicis a bastion for our enemies.
it's a humanitarianstate with good laws. for instance,the one on cremation. we will implement a highermoral code, a new world order. you are an honestsensitive, dutiful man. you are strong and brave.a pure germanic soul. listen, karel,we want to put you to the test. on march 6th there willbe some kind of celebration at the jewish town hallhere in prague. get your old jewbettelheim to invite you,
the one who got rich curing vd. listen to their talk,their opinions... it's a way of helpingthe poor unfortunate jews. how is it going to help them? they are poor, misguidedpeople who understand nothing. they fight against our fuehrerbecause they don't get it. they are a lost nationwhich understands nothing. you can help them by findingout what they say and think... walter won'tbe having almonds today, dear.
i bought you an applicationto join the party. become a member.there's still time. i have to go now. the wife and i are spendingchristmas eve at the casino. we usually don'tbring our wives. we already haveexcellent companions there. gorgeous blondes only. have a look. of course,only party members are allowed. germans like you and me.
"mother tongue" "i declare... no jewish blood...i claim german citizenship..." all blondes...i'll have to get used to it. now it's really christmas.candles at home, for once. i usually see themon the catafalque and on graves. i wonder whatthe bettelheims are doing. celebrating christmas like useven though they're jews? he's rich, the poor man,living off other's misfortunes. it's christmas eve, my dears,and the temple of death is idle.
no cremating today, but theyshould cremate on christmas when so many soulsneed emancipating, need liberatinginto space to find new bodies. christmas should be forthe dead, too. at least the carphave profited. just as a token. i don't drink.i'm an abstainer. germans don't drink either. that humane nationalso has a cremation law. a great future awaits them.unfortunately...
i hope we, too, belongto this chosen people who will implementa higher moral code. blood is bloodand cannot be renounced. do you still feel it'snecessary, mr. kopfrkingl? what kind of blood do i have,doctor? it'll be negative, as usual. that's not what i meant.i was wondering... whether it's czech blood... or german?
it's impossible to tell. well, then,whether it's slavic or germanic? there's no difference in blood.the same as with human ashes. you yourself always say that -whether french or spanish, doctor or clerk...it's all the same. isn't the jewish community planning some kind ofcelebration with pretty songs? you mean chevra suda, a dinnerat the funeral brotherhood hall. it won't be so nice this year.would you like to come?
at the funeral brotherhood hall. what a magnificent tremolo. they called the fuehrera fraud and a blackguard. what a gorgeous voice... so sad... didn't they say that partymembers would be eliminated? yes, there were lots ofthem there, speaking, eating... and that cantor,those high notes... so they said they'd destroygermany and assume power?
yes, assume power...and the singing was so soft, so heartrending... they said they'd bury germany? the reich! yes, yes.it was like a grand funeral. you're right...it's heavenly here, and no one is suffering. soon there will be no sufferinganywhere: warsaw, paris, london, new york...
they'll be liberatedjust like bohemia and moravia. not even horses need suffer.the reich's army is mechanised. you didn't see any horseswhen prague was occupied, right? it's all mechanised, automated -just like your crematorium. the fuehreris building a paradise. - good evening.- we must celebrate our victory! hold on, hold on... - cheers!- quick! i'm an abstainer.i don't even smoke.
today doesn't count. i'll remembermarch 15th my whole... life. just a token drop, then. we have enemies, karl. even at the crematorium. we rely on you. you're our only man there,and you're a party member. what's the situation? some peoplejust don't understand,
like zajic, fenek, beran, podzimkova, pelikan, or the porter... vrana. there's something wrong withhis liver, but still... he's an inveterateenemy of the reich. or... liskova.
she used to clean but quit lastyear. we can find her easily. and the directorof my temple of death... he also lacks the properattitude towards the reich i'd like to burn all germansin these ovens, he said once. i don't thinkhe should remain director. we'll take care of it. and what about those poor,unfortunate jews of yours? you employ two of them. well, mr. strauss...
is a good... decent man... who likes music, a good worker. he may be doing itonly for the money. he confided to me that hedisagrees with the germans. dr. bettelheim's a good man too, but doesn't understand either. i'm afraid he'sinfluenced his nephew, jan. i don't like him.he makes mili wander.
his housekeeper, ana... she isn't jewish. she killed our christmas carp... but she's probablyalso under his influence. jews can't be re-educated.a misguided, unfortunate nation. as you say,it's the same with music... look, the spartanskilled sickly children. some think it cruel, but, indeed, how merciful,especially for those children.
they'd have been unhappy, and how muchbetter for the nation. listen, karl, your wife's motherused to make jellied carp. you called it a foreign recipe. but that's the jewish way. lakme's mother was a jew. your dark-haired lakme told me that you only spoke czech untili spoke of your german blood. she 'forgot about' myinvitation to the boxing-match.
she didn't likeyour joining the party. what'll she say when you sendthe kids to a german school? you see what she's done to mili.the boy is soft, effeminate. that's the covertway they operate. they start with the family,with the children. how long, mr. kopfrkingl,have you been married? our blessed marriage haslasted for 19 years. we metby the leopards at the zoo. at the predator pavilion.
we must make sacrifices,mr. kopfrkingl. i'm afraidyou'll never hold a higher post. there's no difference in blood.dr. bettelheim says so. it makes all the difference.purity of blood is essential. under the just, new orderinferior blood must go. isn't your dr. bettelheim a jew? lakme should realiseshe isn't worthy of you. it's incompatible with the honourof an honest and healthy man. karl, many problems await her.
director,i couldn't get here on time. i had severalunexpected meetings. that isn't like you,mr. kopfrkingl. but in these crazy timeseverything is changing. yes, we mustexpect certain changes. you've nearly stopped smoking,mr. dvorak. mr. pelikan will takethis fair lady for viewing. okay, mr. pelikan,she seems just about ready. what about my morphine?
you'll get none from me,mr. fenek. you won't be on my conscience.i am an honest, healthy man. if you don't stoppestering me i'll report you. addiction is a viceincompatible with honour. one more word andi'll have you put in an asylum. perhaps, mr. vrana, you didn'tnotice that the fires went out! and so they arrested beran,zajic and the director. it couldn't be helped. mr. fenek askedfor morphine again.
he's a weak, destroyed man. mr. prachar drinks,and his poor son, vojta... who else is there...? it's just that butcher'sapprentice... that boxer. where did you get this, mili? i've been to that youth club,where they train. their flyersaid, "come join us." how greatto have a boxer for a friend. you need to be tough and brave.
you've got my german bloodin your veins. you'll be goingto a german school next year. a boxer is betterthan that jan bettelheim. and what does the boxer say?what do you talk about? he says he has to trainhard to be able to knock... the germans' teeth out. that's all wrong, mili. when you and zinacome back from your aunt's i'll explain to youhow things are.
go and be good. why don't you dress up... since we're alone? we'll have a special dinner. you can put onyour black party dress. you've only worn it a few times. then we'll take a bathin our lovely bathroom as would befit a roman feast. you see,i'm to be promoted to director.
and isn't itour wedding anniversary? or that of our blessed encounterby the leopards at the zoo? no? we'll pretend it is. didn't you enjoy the meal? one should savourevery day of one's life... as if it were the last. silent one,the world is open to us, as are the heavens across whichno cloud has passed for 19 years. but i noticed thatthe bathroom fan is broken.
i've attached a rope so thatwe can get to it from a chair. do you hear this lovely song? how poor is he who dies... without knowingthe beauty of music. you at least loved music. come, my silent one,let's draw a bath. it won't be too hot for you. open the fan, dearest. what if i hanged you,my dearest?
may i speak todirector kopfrkingl? please take a seat. i was just reading... may i offer you a cognac?or some czech plum brandy? no thank you, i'm an abstainer.i don't even smoke. the dalai-lama has died. our blessed land of tibethas been seeking the reincarnation of buddha,our saviour. after years of searchingwe have found him at last.
the throne in lhasaawaits you, rimpoche. i shall come for you. we shall then leavefor the himalayas, our blessed homeland paradise. a painful duty has befallen me. as new directorof this grand temple of death, my first cremation will bethat of my own beloved wife. 19 years of happinesshave ended in her tragic death. but truly deathcan be a blessing.
a great blessingif it spares us from suffering. it can free us from the terrorand anxiety which might... have awaited us. that's the last straw... you have returnedto where you come from. your soul has been liberatedand now soars in the ether. even the old teutons,dear friends, burned their dead, entrusted them to the flames. i bid you farewell, my angel,
as crematorium directorand as your loving husband. but we must make sacrifices. the only certainty in life is death... ...and the implementationof a propitious new order. the fuehrer's new,fortunate europe and death are the only certaintiesthat we humans have. heil! the flames,my sweet, will not hurt you.
i've also retired mr. vrana,the porter. he was too old. as well as mrs. podzimkova,the cleaning woman. she once saidthe incinerators scared her, so i relieved her of her fears. i'll keep the othersfor the time being. but mili worries me. he is more and more effeminate.he never did take after me. - and he wanders about so much.- hedvika, throw me the soap!
his mother was half jewish...and it shows. - good evening.- good evening. we won't intrude. good evening. mili is a mischlingof the second degree, a quarter jewaccording to reich law. i'm afraid they won'tlet him go to high school, and you can forget the hitler youth. and he wanders about so much.i think he likes soldiers. we're almost at war...
he's romantic enough to join up. children are always a trial. it's saturday and nothing'sburning at my temple of death. at least you'll be ableto have a look at everything. at the place yourfather started 20 years ago. - where're you going, mili?- just out. to walk a bit on a fine dayso he won't just wander about. these are revolutionary times. we must bravely bear...our pain and suffering.
your blessed mother... i wonder what she'sbeen reincarnated into? would you like a cream coffinor a vanilla wreath? both, i guess. just the wreathor you won't eat your dinner. let's walk through the cemetery. i used to take walks herebefore i became director. go on, go on! don't say a word. you think you're at a carnival?
you see how crazy she is?she thinks she's at the fair. stop or i'll kill you! come along... it's nothing. did you enjoyyour vanilla wreath? that's good. one shouldn'tdesecrate a sacred place. that's not for you, mili. look, isn't thata nice gravestone? do you see there? greek torches...
like in ancient sparta. they've been burningever since we hired new people. but they're not burning. come along. this is where peopleare turned into dust. don't be frightened, mili.i'm here with you. mr. dvorak... this is the preparation room. this one is nailed shutbecause it won't go for viewing.
the ceremony is mondayand then straight into the oven. it holds a bravepure-blooded german. no weak, effeminate soul.pure origins. wipe your glassesso you won't ruin your eyes. mr. dvorak wantedto get rid of this bar, but i said it mightcome in handy sometime. there's no differencebetween human ashes. mili, what about if i... ...put you in with him?
daddy... rimpoche, it's time. the throne awaits you. our beloved tibetawaits its ruler. the wall obscuringyour vision has fallen. the heavens have opened,stars shine above... you will save the world. you are buddha. yes, the heavens have opened,the stars above are infinite...
as i read for years in my bookabout tibet by david-neel: "free all creatures fromthe suffering that awaits them." i must save one more good soul. save her fromthe suffering in store for her in the comingblissful life which awaits. wait until next saturday,my son. so that's it, mr. kopfrkingl... we have to test certain...as you know... but it's all top secret.
you have 20 years experience... a gas furnace of the future... you'll be the expert in charge.but absolute secrecy is vital. it's top secret. naturally,i understand completely. equipment for incineratingas many people as possible to free them fromthe shackles of this world, and let themdissolve into the ether. what a tremendous opportunity.
my crematorium takes 75 minutesto change each corpse into dust. if we had huge furnacesto hold a hundred, five hundred,a thousand, it could be done in 10 minutes. entire halls in constantoperation would be economical. hundreds fed into one side,ashes streaming out the other. they'd get mixed, true,but ashes don't differ... and liberated soulswould gush from the chimneys. we could quickly liberateall humanity, the whole world.
poor mr. prachar, vojta...what luck for the bettelheims, for all those jewsat the celebration... if i gave them hopethat they wouldn't suffer... if i could tell themabout reincarnation... mr. kopfrkingl! mr. kopfrkingl!you must be overworked. you know, a person wouldn'thave to be completely dead. in such huge hallsconstantly in operation once you enteredyou'd never come out alive.
but absolutesecrecy is essential. yes, secret... absolute secrecy is essential. i've been put in chargeof a huge project. i'm leaving my temple of death,but you can still have a look. truly, zina,there is still no news of mili. he must havewandered off quite far. where are you going, zina? please come another time, kaja.i've something to show zina.
should i come next week? yes, my angel will be so glad.do you have your camera? - no.- you don't... a pity, you could havetaken an everlasting keepsake. no one will suffer any longer.i am working on a great project. let's go through the cemetery. i used to take walks here...it may be my last time. excuse me, have you seenmy wife? she ran off a week ago. you met us here, remember?have you seen her?
you were here with some boy.i've already waited a week. maybe she'll come backby herself, the idiot. look around where your fatherworked for twenty years. that's a bit disrespectful.don't even look, angel. look, sunshine,at this lovely gravestone. but the ovens are small. i'mplanning something much larger ...and faster. this is the preparation room. the coffin's nailed because itgoes right to the oven monday.
no, that wouldn't be proper. this piano teacher will befar more suitable. see that bar? i told mr. dvorakit would come in handy. we must go. the wall around us has fallen. stars andeternal light are before us. now you will save the world. rimpoche, the nationand humanity are waiting. i'm glad you came.i will soon come among you.
i shall mount my throne. but my poor unfortunatedaughter is a quarter jewish. i haven't yet saved her. don't worrywe'll take care of her. we'll take careof her ourselves. you've work to do, mr.kopfrkingl.lots of work. for the nation.for all mankind. no one will suffer.i'll save them all. i'll save them all.
the whole world. the end