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The scene is Berlin,
the evening of Saturday, November 3, 1923.
A pack of cigarettes costs four billion marks,
and most everyone has lost faith in both the future and the present.
Mr. Abel?
Your brother愀 already at home. This is for both of you.
Thank you, Frau Hemse.
Thank you.
You can sit down.
So, you don愒 speak German at all?
Damned nuisance.
Fr酳lein Dorst has her Sunday ruined.
- What愀 your name? - Abel Rosenberg.
l惴 35. l was born in Philadelphia.
My folk come from Riga in Latvia.
My brother Max and his wife Manuela,
the three of us came to Berlin a month ago...
No, at the end of September.
Max hurt his wrist, so we couldn愒 perform anymore.
We were circus artists. We had a trapeze act.
The reason of your brother愀 suicide?
Depression? Unhappy love affair?
Alcoholism? Drugs?
Nervous breakdown?
- Fed up with life generally? - l don愒 know.
An unexplainable impulse, was that it?
Well, it happens.
Did you get in touch with his wife?
l tried to last night and this morning, but l can愒 find her.
You didn愒 live together, all of you?
Max and Manuela got divorced two years ago.
After the circus let us go,
Manuela went to work in a cabaret.
l will go see her there this afternoon.
They open at 3:00 on Sundays.
May l see your papers, please?
Yes.
You愉e Jewish?
- Why? - Nothing.
l was just curious.
You may now go. Thank you.
What are your plans?
How long will you stay in Berlin?
As you know, there is great unemployment.
We are not going to take care of you when your money runs out.
Yes, l know.
Good-bye, Mr. Rosenberg.
Good-bye, lnspector.
Good-bye, Fr酳lein Dorst.
Abel!
Are you going to have lunch? So am l. lt愀 on me. Come.
How are things, my dear Abel? And how are Max and Manuela?
Do you think his wrist will be better soon?
We all miss you, you know. The circus needs you.
You愉e wondering what l惴 doing in Berlin when the circus is in Amsterdam.
l惴 looking for new acts, my boy. Come in, come in.
Nowadays l could get any damned star l want.
They all know l pay in dollars.
We愉e playing to full houses all the time.
l could have twice as big a tent, and it would still be full.
Look what l read in the paper this morning.
l惻l try to translate it. Listen to this.
斐Terrible times are at hand
斐when circumcised anti-Christian Asiatics on all sides
斐are lifting their gory hands to strangle us.
斐The massacre of Christians
斐by the Jew lsaskar Zederblum, alias Mr. Lenin,
斐was enough to make a Genghis Kahn blush.
斐A Jewish terrorist pack, trained to *** and assault,
斐is prowling through the country,
斐butchering honest citizens and farmers on portable gallows.
斐Will you wait until you see thousands of people
斐hanging from lampposts in your town?
斐Do you want to wait until a Bolshevik commission
斐starts its murderous work in your town, just as in Russia?
斐Do you want to stumble over the bodies of your women and children?
Existence today is nothing but dread.斐
Do you need money? l can lend you some.
Look.
Here are some billions. Take them. l don愒 need them.
Why don愒 you say something, Abel?
l don愒 believe in all this political crap.
The Jews are as stupid as everybody.
lf a Jew gets into trouble, it愀 his own fault.
He gets into trouble because he acts stupid.
l惴 not gonna act stupid, so l惴 not gonna get into trouble.
Now you know, Papa Hollinger.
Thanks for the soup... and the money.
l have to meet Manuela at 4:00.
Take care.
Hello, Abel.
What愀 wrong?
When l got home last night, Max had blown his brains out.
l knew he悲 do that.
l...tried to keep an eye on him...
but l didn愒 really think he would...
He had a...sort of joke these last few weeks.
Do you know what that was?
l would ask him sometimes.
He just said the money was good,
and he told me to mind my own business.
There愀 a letter for you.
His handwriting is impossible to read.
l can愒. Can you?
l can愒 make out...
Wait.
Something...
斐There愀...
poisoning going on.斐
斐There愀 poisoning going on斐?
l didn愒 see much of him these weeks.
You lived in the same room.
We had a fight...
...a fistfight...
...over a ***.
l didn愒 hit him hard.
l was worried about his bad wrist.
Christ, finale! l惴 not ready. Please help me.
- l didn愒 know you performed. - Neither did l.
One of the girls got influenza and l said, 斐Why can愒 l take her number?斐
Take care of Max愀 money. There愀 nowhere to hide it here.
lt愀 funny seeing everything from the side like this.
l seem to recognize you.
Did we smoke our first cigarette together?
No?
But if l say Amalfi, a summer day 26 years ago...
Our parents had cottages next door to each other.
You had an older sister called... let me see...
Rebecca. Right?
Do you mind letting me by? l惴 in a hurry.
Why, of course...Abel Rosenberg.
So...get off the chair
and get your wet jacket off.
And l惻l make you some real tea,
nice and hot.
That惻l do you good.
lt愀 only the man that changes the toilet cans.
He comes every Monday morning around 4:00.
Oh, God.
We used to spend the summers in Amalfi.
And Mama had trouble with her lungs.
Max and l used to play with a boy named Hans Vergerus.
His folks came from Dseldorf.
The father was some kind of big shot,
a Supreme Court Justice or something.
Mama didn愒 like Hans.
l guess no one did.
But everyone thought he was some kind of genius.
Once...
...we caught a cat and tied it down.
Hans cut it open.
lt was still alive.
He let me see how its heart beat.
Fast, fast...
l ran across him again ten years ago in Heidelberg...
...when we were there with the circus.
Yes, l remember that.
l saw him again today.
Hans?
Did you see him?
He was at the cabaret.
No.
Manuela?
lt愀 morning.
The advantage of knowing influential people
is that you can have real coffee for breakfast.
The fire is going nicely,
but it will take a while before it gets really hot.
Do you get firewood the same way?
l do know a woodkeeper, as a matter of fact.
But l don愒 know anyone who can get me butter,
so you惻l have to eat marmalade.
lt愀 made of chemicals, the label says.
l owe you a dollar. l have to keep track.
Never mind.
Well, you...
You should keep this money before l spend it all on ***.
- Do you drink so much? - Whenever l have the money.
You愉e not going back to the circus?
What good is it without Max?
Well, we惻l get a new partner, of course.
- You know that愀 impossible. - l know nothing of the kind.
We惻l make a new number together, just you and l.
Abel, we could make a magical act.
l know a marvelous magician.
Markus, you know, he愀 just retired. We could take over his show.
l don愒 know.
Since this business with Max, l惴 just...
Ever since l met Max, you扉e been my big brother.
We愉e going to stick together now.
l wake up from a nightmare
and find that real life is worse than the dream.
Abel, everything is all right.
We have everything we need.
l just can愒 figure it out.
Last night they were beating a man. The police just turned their backs.
Abel, listen to me now. You愉e awfully tired.
You扉e been drinking much too much lately.
l惴 going to look after you now.
ln a few days everything will be much better. You惻l see.
We惻l talk things over.
But now l must hurry. l have to go to work.
Work?
Yeah, l have two jobs.
- This time of the morning? - Yeah, this time of the morning.
- l can愒 be late. - What sort of job?
Well, l don愒 know exactly. lt愀 secret anyway.
- Secret? - No, l was joking.
- lt愀 an office. l stick stamps... - What kind of office?
lt愀 import and export. l惴 not really sure.
What愀 the name of the company?
What the hell is the name of the company?
Ferkel. Ferkel und Sohn.
Where is this office?
ln Bayerstrasse.
Stop nagging me. You sound like a jealous husband.
l惻l be home around 2:00 and we惻l have dinner together.
Try and get hold of some meat while we still have the money.
- Twenty-two bucks. - We愉e rich.
- Herr Rosenberg? - Yes?
Would you mind coming in here for a moment?
My name is Frau Holle. l am Manuela愀 landlady.
Manuela just had time to tell me about you on her way out.
You are welcome to stay here with me for a short time.
These sudden changes in weather make my back ache,
so l must stay in bed all the day.
Still, it愀 nice with a peep of sun in November,
isn愒 it, Herr Rosenberg?
Would you care for a glass of sherry?
l am very attached to Manuela.
lf you forgive my saying so,
l am as fond of her as if she were my own daughter.
Prosit, Herr Rosenberg.
She is so kind and naive.
lt愀 as if all the terrible things going on around us didn愒 concern her.
l think your sister-in-law is heading for trouble, Herr Rosenberg.
The odd thing about Manuela is that she doesn愒 defend herself.
Nothing must happen to her.
Take this new job now.
There愀 something odd about it.
The Society for Church Democracy-- what is that, Herr Rosenberg?
lt isn愒 even in the phone book.
l must go now, Frau Holle.
How much is the rent? Should l pay in advance?
lt doesn愒 matter.
But if you have money, l don愒 mind.
You have dollars, haven愒 you?
Shall we say $3 a month? Or is that too much?
No, of course not.
Have you been crying?
No. Why?
lt just seemed so. Forgive me, Herr Rosenberg.
Good-bye, Frau Holle.
Good-bye, Herr Rosenberg.
We have been waiting for you.
May l ask you where you扉e been all night?
l couldn愒 very well sleep in that room.
- Where have you been? - With my sister-in-law.
She lives at 35 Bergmannstrasse, doesn愒 she?
- Yes, l think so. - Think?
- l think it愀 number 35. - Well, now you know.
- May l pack some things? - Not yet, Rosenberg.
l must ask you to come with us to the morgue to identify someone.
- l have to? - l惴 afraid l must insist.
Well, then, we悲 better get going.
l悲 advise you to smoke down there. lt helps.
- Do you recognize that girl? - Yes.
- Who is she? - Greta Hofer.
- How do you happen to know her? - She was engaged to my brother.
- When did you see her last? - A week ago.
- Was your brother on good terms... - Yes, l think so.
Fr酳lein Hofer愀 been assaulted.
Cause of death...drowning.
Do you recognize this man?
No.
- Are you quite sure? - No.
Think hard, Rosenberg. lt愀 important.
- He愀 like someone. - Who?
He愀 like my father.
- You can do better than that. - That愀 all.
He愀 like my father. My father died five years ago.
Someone stuck a very thin hypodermic needle into this man愀 heart.
A liquid of some sort was injected into the left ventricle,
a poison that must have caused him hideous pain before he died,
which probably took several hours.
So you haven愒 seen this man before?
Have you seen this woman before?
Yes.
Who is she?
l don愒 know.
- But l扉e seen her. - Where?
l think she delivered papers.
l used to meet her at Frau Hemse愀 boardinghouse.
Once, she helped me up the stairs
when l was too drunk to make it on my own.
- Her name is Maria Stern. - l didn愒 know her name.
She hanged herself in the basement room
where she lived with her husband and two children.
But she left a very strange letter.
Totally muddled.
She said she had been frightened to death
and that the pain was unbearable.
l don愒 think l can take this.
Come along.
Come on!
Have you ever seen this boy?
No.
He worked at the cabaret. You never saw him there?
No.
He used to stand near the entrance working the spotlight.
You must have seen him.
Yes, it愀 possible.
We are not certain how he was killed.
He seems to have been run over by a truck,
but something tells us he悲 been assaulted or tortured first.
Why do you want me to see all this?
During the last month, seven mysterious deaths have occurred...
in your vicinity, Herr Rosenberg.
You don愒 suspect me?
l think we need a cup of coffee.
This can愒 be called coffee, but it愀 something.
Not very chatty, are you, Rosenberg?
Can you account for the movements
on the evening of Sunday, October 28th?
- You can愒? - l was drunk.
Ask me about October 19th. l was drunk then, too.
l扉e been drunk every night since l left the circus.
Something doesn愒 add up.
No?
lf you were so well known--
good income, good reputation--
why did you start drinking?
l惴 an alcoholic.
Famous trapeze artist... alcoholic?
Maybe l didn愒 feel welcome in your beautiful city.
Why do l have to stay here?
You may be able to help me with seven unsolved deaths.
Tomorrow everything愀 gonna disappear.
Why bother with a few murders?
l惻l tell you, Rosenberg. l bother for my own sake.
l know that the catastrophe could be here in a few hours.
They say the rate of exchange for the dollar is five billion marks.
The French have occupied the Ruhr.
We have just paid a billion in gold to the British.
On every damned job there are Bolshevik agitators.
ln Munich, a Herr Hitler is preparing a putsch
with thousands of starving soldiers and madmen in uniform.
We have a government that doesn愒 know which way to turn.
Everyone愀 afraid. So am l.
l can愒 sleep for fear.
Nothing works properly except fear.
On Friday l wanted to go to Stettin to see my old mother.
She惻l be 80. But there was no timetable anymore.
There was a train that might go, but no timetable, Rosenberg.
lmagine! A Germany without timetables!
So what does lnspector Bauer do?
lnspector Bauer does his job.
He tries to create a little patch of order and reason
in the midst of chaos.
And he愀 not alone, Rosenberg. All over Germany,
millions and millions of petty officials,
just as terrified, are doing exactly the same.
You get drunk every day, huh?
That愀 also respectable, Rosenberg.
But l悲 be happier if you swung on your trapeze with your pals.
That way you悲 fight your fear more effectively.
So now you know why l sit here
investigating something l think is extremely odd,
not to say horrible.
And now l must ask you to keep quiet for a few minutes
while l write a few lines to lnspector Lohmann,
who is working on another case that also seems insane.
Sit down, Herr Rosenberg.
What do you suspect me of?
- Aren愒 l entitled to a lawyer? - This is a chat, not interrogation.
You愉e taking it out on me.
l need a cigarette.
l know why you愉e doing this.
lt愀 because l惴 a Jew.
l am here because l speak English.
You are allowed to smoke. You have ten minutes.
l spoke with lnspector Bauer.
He was very kind and understanding.
He wants to help you.
He said you went crazy.
What愀 wrong, Manuela?
l惴 just worried.
My savings are stolen.
l suppose you don愒 know where they愉e gone.
l didn愒 know you had any savings.
They愉e gone anyway.
Luckily l惴 in charge of Max愀 money.
That愀 just it. lnspector Bauer told me
they found Max愀 money on you when they searched you.
He asked me if l knew where Max had gotten hold of this money.
l said it was our savings,
as we were in Switzerland with the circus
and several of the artists changed their money into dollars
before they went on tour to Germany.
Who do you think stole your money?
What悲 you say?
Yes?
You愉e not listening.
You愉e sick.
- What愀 wrong? - She愀 sick.
l惴 all right.
l haven愒 eaten today.
l悲 like to point out that you have only a few minutes left.
- Manuela. - Yes, Herr Rosenberg?
l am going to let you go, Herr Rosenberg.
ln spite of the way you attacked me and my colleagues.
My God, the way you swung at us.
But then, you are a circus artist.
What are you looking at?
l惴 not looking, l惴 wondering.
l惴 wondering whether l ought to tell you what l am wondering about.
But l think not.
Fr酳lein Dorst will show you where you can collect your belongings.
We惻l keep your brother愀 dollar bills for the time being.
We惻l give you a receipt, of course.
- What are you doing here? - l dropped in to see Manuela.
l just heard about your brother愀 death.
You can go to hell.
What?!
You got any cigarettes?
There are some cigarettes on the shelf.
Who is it?
- Come in a moment, Manuela. - l惴 awfully tired.
Could we talk tomorrow when l come home for dinner?
l wish to speak to you now.
l can愒 sleep because of the pain.
Besides, l am worried.
Has it something to do with me?
You wouldn愒 have asked that before, Manuela.
l惴 dead tired. l think l have a cold.
l want to go to bed.
lt愀 about Herr Rosenberg.
l won愒 have him staying here in my house.
- But why? - He seems unreliable and arrogant!
Besides, the authorities don愒 approve
of my letting unmarried couples share a room.
l have changed my mind!
Herr Rosenberg must move tomorrow!
But he愀 paid his rent.
There愀 the money. l have changed it into marks.
lt愀 illegal to have dollars. You ought to know that.
lf Herr Rosenberg is leaving, l惴 leaving as well.
You must do as you like.
l think you愉e rotten! l think you are a witch!
We惻l get by. You惻l see.
As long as we stick together.
Have you slept with Hans Vergerus?
Yes, l have.
- Often? - Don愒 be silly, Abel.
l want to know.
Three times, maybe four. l don愒 know.
- Does he pay you? - No.
Yes...once.
- Why did he pay you only once? - l don愒 know.
- Why don愒 you know? - l felt sorry for him.
Are you in love with him?
- l don愒 know. - You don愒 know?
l feel sorry for him...maybe me.
Maybe he needs some kindness.
Where did you go today?
l went to the office.
Then l came home to have dinner with you.
ls it import and export or something to do with the church
or neither? What?
l work at a *** in the morning.
lt愀 not forbidden as far as l know.
lt愀 a very respectable ***--
only for diplomats and managing editors and famous actors.
lt愀 so classy.
Be nice to me, Abel.
Please be nice to me, Abel.
Please be nice to me.
Tuesday, November 6th.
The newspapers are black with fear, threats, and rumors.
The government seems powerless.
A bloody confrontation between the extremist parties
appears unavoidable.
Despite all this, people go to work,
the rain never stops,
and fear rises like vapor from the cobblestones.
lt can be sensed like a pungent smell.
Everyone bears it like a nerve poison,
a slowly working poison,
felt only as a quicker or slower pulse,
or as a spasm of nausea.
Abel, l惴 too late. l overslept.
l惻l be home at 2:00 for dinner.
l don愒 know why l惴 bothering you.
My name is Manuela.
My father was a magician. My mother was a circus rider.
l扉e been living in circuses all my life.
My husband was a circus artist as well.
Maybe it愀 wrong of me to trouble you,
but l need to talk to somebody who understands.
This last week l扉e been going to morning masses.
l惴 confused.
And then someone told me that you were an American.
lt愀 very comforting. My German isn愒 very good.
My dear woman, would you come to the point?
l have to get to another service.
l see.
Well, maybe you惻l come again.
All this guilt is too much for me.
l feel it愀 my fault that Max committed suicide.
You愉e responsible for someone, and then you fail your duties
and you stand there empty-handed and ashamed,
wondering what you could have been doing.
Now l feel l have to take care of Max愀 brother Abel as well,
- and that愀 even worse. - Worse?
Well, he愀 just like Max. He never says what he愀 thinking.
He just charges ahead with all his feeling
and he looks so frightened.
And l try to tell him that we惻l help each other,
but that愀 only words for him.
And everything l say is useless.
The only real thing is fear.
And l惴 sick. l don愒 know what愀 wrong.
ls there any forgiveness?
Would you like me to pray for you?
- Do you think that would help? - l don愒 know.
- Now? - Yes, now.
- ls it a special prayer? - Yes, yes. Let me think.
We...We live so far away from God...
...that he probably doesn愒 hear us when we pray for help.
So...
we must help each other,
give each other the forgiveness that a remote God denies us.
l...say to you...
...that you are forgiven for your husband愀 death.
You愉e no longer to blame.
And l beg your forgiveness...
...for my apathy...
...and my indifference.
Do you forgive me?
Yes, l forgive you.
That愀 all we can do.
l must hurry.
The parish priest becomes annoyed if l惴 late.
Young woman, l have to close up, please.
What the hell does this mean?
lt愀 a place where we愉e going to live.
lt愀 nice, isn愒 it?
Yesterday when you came to the cabaret,
l悲 just been telling Hans Vergerus about all our trouble.
He suggested at once that we could move into this flat
that St. Anna愀 Clinic has the use of.
lt just became vacant.
Please say it愀 nice.
We don愒 have to pay any rent for the time being.
He also said that you could work in the clinic愀 archives.
We could stay here and decide what we wanted to do.
l惻l be damned if l惻l live here
or accept charity from that *** Hans Vergerus.
Maybe it愀 better if we work things out alone.
l probably won愒 see you for a while.
lt愀 best not to mix things up.
There is no point in continuing here in Berlin.
Look around you, Mr. Rosenberg.
Sixteen people, and what a program.
May l offer you anything to drink? A cognac?
A cognac for Mr. Rosenberg.
What do you think, Mr. Rosenberg?
A cabaret and a brothel... ln Beirut, for example.
A totally different climate. A totally different ambience.
We惻l close earlier tonight and shorten the program.
lt愀 useless staying open.
l扉e never seen anything like this rain.
Maybe it愀 the flood.
Cheers, Mr. Rosenberg.
How do you like my English accent?
Marvelous.
l lived for some years with a woman fakir from New Jersey.
She taught me all the English l know.
l扉e been expecting this.
Can愒 you sleep?
l have to be drunk to go to sleep.
l扉e half a bottle of gin in the small suitcase out in the kitchen.
You know, actually it愀 quite nice to have a fever.
You can daydream.
You fall asleep and then you wake up.
Everything愀 mixed up.
Suddenly you愉e 6 years old, and then l惴 15.
lt愀 all so clear.
That damn engine. lt愀 started up again.
- What engine? - Don愒 you hear it?
l can hear something rumbling.
Yes! lt愀 an engine.
That bathrobe you愉e wearing belonged to Papa.
lt愀 quite touching.
l can remember sitting in the sunshine
watching Papa practicing a new number.
lt didn愒 work very good.
Mama came out of the wagon and said,
斐You愉e not doing it right.斐
And she showed him how to do it.
He just stood and looked embarrassed
with a sheepish smile on his face.
Now what愀 the worst thing?
People have no future.
People have lost the future.
l惴 getting drunk...finally.
May l introduce myself? l am Dr. Soltermann,
and this is my colleague Dr. Silbermann.
We are, as you might have guessed,
in charge of St. Anna Clinic愀 archives,
the largest hospital archives in Europe
and one of the largest in the world.
We have floor space of several thousand square meters,
and our card index includes over 100,000 entries.
But then, the St. Anna Clinic has been in existence for 357 years...
in various guises, of course.
May l show you to your place, Herr Rosenberg?
Yes, thank you.
Dr. Silbermann and l are very grateful to have an assistant.
We have been complaining to our chief, Professor Vergerus,
for years to no avail.
So you must know you are very welcome, Herr Rosenberg.
You are very welcome, Herr Rosenberg.
Don愒 you think Dr. Soltermann speaks very good English?
- Very good. - Dr. Silbermann is far too kind.
l spent seven years in England before the war.
My doctor愀 thesis dealt with *** perversions
in the writings of Ben Johnson, an interesting but limited subject.
We go here, please.
May l ask, Herr Rosenberg,
if you have had any previous experience in archive work?
- No. Unfortunately l扉e-- - l was afraid so, but never mind.
Today l can give you a responsible task
that calls for very little archive experience.
l惴 very grateful.
How do l find my way out?
At dinnertime either Dr. Silbermann or l will come for you.
You can rely on us. We won愒 forget you.
By the way, one thing l almost forgot--
all our material is strictly confidential.
lt mustn愒 be taken out of here, and you mustn愒 read
or try to decipher the documents that pass through your hands.
All the files are full of reports of inconceivable human suffering,
of the battles of science, its victories and defeats.
This will be your place, Herr Rosenberg.
We begin work each morning at 8:00 and finish at 6:00.
We have dinner at 1 :30.
We take turns to fetch it from the kitchen of the clinic.
We are also entitled to take home our supper in a special container.
These days that愀 a priceless emolument.
Good morning, Herr Rosenberg.
Excuse me for asking. What am l supposed to do?
You see these gray files here?
There are yellow files of a cheaper kind.
Your first task will be to remove the contents of the gray files...
...and transfer them to the yellow files,
after which you will number and letter them
in the same way as the gray ones.
Good luck, Herr Rosenberg.
- How愀 it going? - lt愀 hard work.
- You愉e not well. - No.
Did you have something to eat today?
We have dinner in the hospital staff dining room.
When do you knock off?
l think l get away at 7:00.
l can take supper from the kitchen. lt愀 part of the salary.
How are you getting on in the archives?
Fine.
l don愒 think l ought to stand here any longer.
They愉e terribly strict.
You suddenly look so thin and pale.
l惴 all right, Abel. lt could have been worse.
l must hurry.
- Couldn愒 you just say you愉e sick? - l don愒 dare.
- You were nearly run over. - Thanks.
- How do you like it here with us? - l扉e only just started.
- And Manuela? - Ask her yourself.
Let愀 meet one evening, the three of us.
l惴 in a hurry.
Dr. Soltermann went home after dinner.
He愀 in poor health.
l惴 usually alone here in the archives nowadays.
With Dr. Soltermann away, l can say it.
Something terrible is going on here.
What?
Here, at the clinic.
Do you know what these are, Herr Rosenberg?
l don愒 understand German.
They are reports, detailed reports, marked 斐secret.斐
So?
Reports concerning certain experiments undertaken at the clinic
under the supervision of Professor Vergerus.
l don愒 get it.
Can you guess what kind of experiments, Herr Rosenberg?
How could l?
Very strange experiments.
Strange?
Experiments with human beings, Herr Rosenberg.
The engine is driving me wild.
l didn愒 notice it.
But you do hear it, don愒 you?
Yes, when you mention it.
- lt愀 a trap. - What is?
Don愒 be an idiot. We愉e locked in.
Don愒 get hysterical, Abel.
My head is splitting!
- You sure this gas isn愒 leaking? - lt isn愒.
- How can you be sure? - Because l扉e tried it.
Then you did think it was leaking, didn愒 you?
Stop raving at me like a lunatic.
lf you want to leave, go!
So you want me to get out?
l just say if you want to leave, you can go.
l扉e done everything l can to keep us together.
l just can愒 go on anymore.
Do you hear what l惴 saying? l can愒 go on anymore!
l give a damn about your fear!
l give a damn about you!
Then you want me to leave.
No.
l give up. l give up.
l can愒.
- Just stay close. - No, l can愒.
Lie still.
l can愒 stay like this.
A little while, Abel?
Go away.
Come home with me.
lt愀 warm.
You can have it any way you want.
You have dollars, don愒 you?
Go to hell!
Where do you think we are?
Come on. Come on.
You愉e trying to kill me! You愉e trying to drain me!
You愉e trying to suck me!
Stella says l can愒 ***!
That *** is jiving the whole *** world.
She愀 got fangs in her ***, man. Fangs! ln her ***!
l saw them! l did! l saw them!
Mike, tell her that you and l
have screwed seven times in at least seven different ways.
Mikaela, you know Monroe,
and you know damned well he can only *** faggots.
And if you say he even half screwed you, you愉e lying.
Do you remember that time? Do you remember that time, Stella,
you had to go to the hospital because you thought you had syphilis?
- l didn愒 have syphilis! - But you thought you did.
Who was that sweet man
who laid up next to you every night,
stroking you, making you feel fine, at the risk of catching it?
You悲 like some? lt愀 nice.
- l didn愒 have syphilis! - But you thought you had syphilis!
You looked lousy!
You are lousy.
You used to be so beautiful. She used to be so beautiful.
But now you are the worst *** on the whole of Steinstrasse.
You l could screw anytime. lt愀 just that...that...
that big-mouth *** that makes me nervous!
l could screw you...
l could screw you any amount of times.
You see, l惴 not a ***!
lt愀 just a *** lie Stella goes around telling everybody
because l won愒 get in between her legs!
A man could die in there!
You l could screw anytime!
- Here? - What do you mean, here?
You say you could screw her anytime.
- Could you do it now? - You愉e like that!
Sure! Sure, l could! Sure!
lf you think you愉e going to watch for nothing, then you愉e crazy.
Come on, Monroe, let愀 show him what you愉e made of.
- l惴 going to bet on this. - How about it?
You惻l be a rich man, Monroe.
Let愀 go, Monroe, before l惴 down.
You can have all the money from that guy who won愒 tell us his name.
Wait, wait, wait.
Quiet now. No fair laughing.
l惻l help him.
He has to do it himself.
Say it, say it. Say it, say it, say it.
lt doesn愒 work!
Say it! Say, 斐Do it, Daddy.斐
Say, 斐Do it, Daddy斐!
Say it.
Monroe, don愒 cry. Don愒 cry, Monroe.
We won! We won!
Stop laughing. Stop laughing!
On the morning of Wednesday, November 7th,
there is no milk to be had in Berlin.
Many food shops remain closed. They have nothing to sell.
The Reichsmark has practically ceased to exist.
The wads of bills are now counted by weight,
and no more notice is taken of the printed value.
When you began your employment,
l pointed out that working hours are from 8:00 to 6:00.
Could you be so kind as to show me to my workplace?
l can愒 find my way.
Of course.
Are there other people here in the archives?
Of course.
Every day we are visited by scientists from other institutions.
Give me the keys.
Give me the keys.
You behave most improperly to an old man.
lt愀 all so absurd and humiliating.
Surely you realize l won愒 tell you anything,
no matter how rough you are.
Unlike you, l have a conviction.
Something unheard of is happening down there in Munich.
A savior is born.
The delivery is taking place in pain and blood.
A terrible time is at hand.
But what are 30 or 40 years of suffering and death?
What do you or l matter?
What do even millions of lives matter?
There are plenty of human beings, Herr Rosenberg.
Kill me, Herr Rosenberg. l won愒 resist.
My body is weak, but my soul is strong and calm.
l think it愀 better l lock the door so that no one will disturb us.
Dr. Soltermann warned me against you,
but l didn愒 believe him.
You say nothing.
Look at the screen and you惻l see some interesting pictures.
They were taken during our experiments
here at the St. Anna Clinic.
This is a resistance experiment.
This woman, 30 years old,
volunteered to look after a four-month-old baby
with a brain injury who screams day and night.
We wanted to see what would happen
to this completely normal, fairly intelligent woman
if we shut her in with a child that never stopped screaming.
As you see, after 12 hours she is still quite self-possessed.
Now, however, 24 hours have passed.
We can see now that she is affected.
Her sympathy for the sick child has been wiped out,
her feelings replaced by a deep depression,
which in its turn paralyzes every initiative.
She has left the child to its fate.
Here we can see quite clearly
the thought of ridding herself of the child has developed.
But it took another six hours before she carried out her intention,
a remarkable resistance.
Unfortunately our camera didn愒 manage
to document the actual deed.
Our technique has not been quite perfected.
You would like to see more, wouldn愒 you?
For seven days, this man was shut up in a cell so constructed
that he could not move his arms, legs, or head.
ln addition, he was deprived of all sound
and was in total darkness.
l know what you are going to say, Abel.
You are wondering how we could get anyone to agree
to such an experiment voluntarily.
No trouble, l assure you.
People will do anything for a little money and a square meal.
These pictures are not particularly instructive
but may be of physiognomic interest.
The subject was give an injection of Thanatoxin,
a drug that produces violent anguish.
What you will see is someone subjected to unbearable agony.
Here you see him just as he愀 given the injection.
You notice that he is quite balanced
and is laughing and joking.
An unusually nice boy, incidentally.
He was a student of political science at the university.
We are now at the condition of dread,
which is getting worse and worse.
ln a few moments he惻l commit suicide.
Watch carefully. lt happens without any warning.
He picks up the revolver. You can愒 see it properly.
Now you can see it.
Then he puts it in his mouth.
The gun is not loaded, of course.
That student really did shoot himself a few days later,
although the effects of the Thanatoxin had completely worn off.
Your brother Max...
met with the same misfortune.
By the way, he was one of our best assistants.
He was really interested in our experiments.
He wanted to try out the Thanatoxin.
l advised him not to, but he insisted.
His fianc嶪 also helped us quite a bit.
They were very attached to each other and lived for a time
in one of the apartments that you, yourself...
This is one of our most recent and interesting experiments.
The subjects are administered
carefully controlled doses of Kapta Blue,
a virtually odorless gas.
lnitially the gas plays tricks with the behavioral centers,
throwing the entire emotional balance out of kilter.
The subjects are stripped of their social defenses,
lose their inhibitions, teeter madly
between quickly changing moods which possess them.
Their reactions are so farcical,
at times one can hardly keep from laughing.
Of course, repeated exposure to Kapta Blue
can cause some permanent damage.
Perhaps you are wondering what my intentions were
with you and Manuela,
placing you in one of our experiment rooms.
Will you believe me if l tell you l had no intentions at all?
Except to help you.
As you saw, the building behind your rooms had been vacated.
Some time ago we were forced to transfer our activities
to a more out-of-the-way place.
We must take great care.
Besides, our economic resources are limited.
We are financed entirely by private means.
l惴 not a monster, Abel.
What you have seen are the first faltering steps
of a necessary and logical development.
l know you have told lnspector Bauer of your experiences.
l also know that justice, represented by the plodding inspector,
has begun to move, slow and creaking.
He惻l be here soon with his police and his rusty guns.
But in a few moments,
l惻l bite on this cyanide capsule.
l did consider burning the archives
and destroying the results of our work,
but it seemed too melodramatic.
The law will confiscate our results and then file them.
ln a few years, science will ask for the documents
and will continue our experiments on a gigantic scale.
We are ahead of our time, Abel.
We are to be sacrificed.
lt愀 only logical.
ln a day or two, maybe even tomorrow,
the national units in South Germany will attempt a revolt
led by an incredible scatterbrain called Adolf Hitler.
lt will be a colossal fiasco.
Herr Hitler lacks intellectual capacity and method.
He doesn愒 realize what tremendous forces
he is about to conjure up.
He will be swept away like a withered leave
the day the storm breaks.
Look at that picture.
Look at all those people.
They are incapable of a revolution.
They are far too humiliated,
too afraid, too downtrodden.
But in ten years...
By then...
the 10-year-olds will be 20,
the 15-year-olds will be 25.
To the hatred inherited from their parents,
they will add their own idealism and impatience.
Someone will step forward and put their unspoken feelings into words.
Someone will promise a future.
Someone will make demands.
Someone will talk of greatness and sacrifice.
The young and inexperienced will give their courage and their faith
to the tired and the uncertain.
And then there will be a revolution,
and our world will go down in blood and fire.
ln ten years, no more,
those people will create a new society unequalled in world history.
The old society was based on extremely romantic ideas
of man愀 goodness.
lt was all very complicated since the ideas didn愒 match the reality.
The new society will be based on a realistic assessment
of man愀 potentials and limitations.
Man is a malformation, a perversity of nature.
That is where our experiments come in.
We deal with the basic construction and reshape it.
We set the productive forces free and control the destructive ones.
We exterminate what is inferior and increase what is useful.
l always liked you and Manuela.
She showed an affection for me which l hope was sincerely meant.
Against my better judgment, l tried to help you.
Comic, isn愒 it, Abel?
One day you can tell all this to anyone who is willing to listen.
No one will believe you
despite the fact that anyone who makes the slightest effort
can see what is waiting in the future.
lt愀 like a serpent愀 egg.
Through the thin membranes,
you can clearly discern the already perfect reptile.
You were given Veronal. You扉e slept for two days.
What day is it?
lt愀 the morning of November 1 1th.
- Can l have some water? - Yeah.
l扉e been in touch with Hollinger.
He thinks he can use you in his circus.
The German state will pay for a train ticket to Basel.
That愀 where the circus will be for the next two weeks.
l take it for granted that you will accept his kind offer, no?
l think so.
lt would be the simplest way, Herr Rosenberg.
A constable will go to the station with you.
The night train is supposed to leave at 1 1 :20.
Thank you.
Good-bye, Herr Rosenberg.
By the way,
Herr Hitler failed with his Munich putsch.
The whole thing was a colossal fiasco.
Herr Hitler and his gang underrated the strength
of the German democracy.
Good-bye, Herr Rosenberg.
On the evening of Sunday, November 1 1th,
Abel Rosenberg escaped the police escort
which was taking him to the railroad station.
He was never seen again.