"Johnny, what shall I do without you?" "Don't leave us alone!" "Who will take care of us?" "I shall return even from hell itself!" "No, no!" "Get in, guys!" "I know you won't come back to me." "I won't let you go!" "Get in!" "It's far away to Vranov!" "Get in!" "Go, Dragon!" "Adam my dear!" "Don't leave me all alone!" "Please, Adam!" "The Slovak Film Institute presents" "THE LIVING SCOURGE" "Screenplay:" "Based on the novel by Milo Urban" "Edited by:" "Sound:" "Music:" "Featuring:" "Executive Producer:" "Director of Photography:" "Directed by:" "Produced at:" "Steven!" "Did they take you on?" "They did, mom!" "And who are you?" "Andrew!" "And where's your hand?" "Is it cut off?" "What?" "You don't even?" "Mute!" "My Adam..." "There, my Adam." "Wait here, my son." "God bless." "I came to ask you to reclaim Adam from the army." "To reclaim him?" "But is that so easy?" "Please, help me, I can't go on like this anymore." "Help me." "It's hard." "I would have to vouch for him to the army authorities, and maybe even bribe them." "I don't care." "The only important thing is that they'll let him go!" " Alright." " Please..." "Chola, out!" "No... no..." "Oh no!" "Jesus Christ!" "Just cry, cry away your heart and soul." "You won't find peace anymore." "They've eaten him alive." "He won't even tell you how it happened!" "Now he can go begging with his father from house to house, and you in your old age, too." "You certainly didn't expect that!" "They've ruined, crippled the whole world." "So, I have waited to see..." "It's a shame you came here." "You should have better stayed there." "God bless, mister notary." "I came to beg... to get my son out of the army." "He is all I have." "Please, help me!" "What shall I do all alone?" "I would even contribute some money." "That's out of question!" "You are outraging the village!" "You are a rebel!" "Me?" "You are not a human being, you are a monster!" "She has soft hands." "She won't take care of a beggar, no way." "They took away my son, reverend." "I've heard." "I'll be left utterly alone." "Your son will leave, but not the real son of yours." "That one won't be taken away by the power of the world." "Our life is a delusion of the senses, it's only a creation of several years." "It will disappear like a fog." "Therefore, those who expect to find immediate happiness won't find it." "Won't even find any joy." "I can't go on like this, reverend." "I have only one son, and now they're taking him away from me." "Maybe they'll even kill him." "Tell me, who has the right to claim his life?" "All in the world is defining and solving itself." "Even if you freed him, even if you stopped the war, the wheels of ages will go on without your son." "The Scripture says:" "Nations rebel and people think in vain." "But He who is in heaven laughs." "The Lord laughs at them." "Mother..." " What else do you need?" " Nothing." " Will they give you?" " They won't." "So, now what?" "Nothing." "I'm not going to war." " And where would you like to go?" " To Poland." "What?" "Paul and I, we will disappear the night before departure." "My God, you must not do that!" "Why?" "They'll announce you a deserter." "They'll shoot you!" "And over there?" "Many have come back." "Perhaps even the war will end." "This is foolish, I won't allow that!" "Even if you will hide, your own men will betray you." "And what then?" "If you wish so..." "Jesus Christ..." "Did you see him off?" "I did." "Me too." "The day before yesterday my son, today my last calf." "Mommy, I'm hungry!" "Just a moment, son." "Wait." "Mommy!" "Mommy!" "They know nothing but whine." "When times are hard, they whine, when all's fine, they whine again." "And right now, who whines most?" "They took away the son of llchich." "She has had only that one." "There's no-one to mow, to deliver..." "So, llchich?" "And what about the accounting?" "I don't know whether..." "there are even people who have only one cow besides their own soul." "The accounting must include everything, the army mustn't starve." "Our homeland needs all." "And the crying must stop!" "The soldiers, when they return, have to find everything the way they've left it." "So that... well, you know." "We know, we know..." "Any news in the village?" "Just trifles." "Hlavay, if you wish to know..." "Her husband is in the war." "What's the matter with her?" "She missed her husband, what else?" "It's already visible." "That fellow Hlavay, God protect him who was with his wife..." "Not all of them will come back." "It would be better for her if..." "Yuk, Chola!" "Goodbye!" "Into cold water in your state?" "You shouldn't!" "Eva..." "Does Adam write?" "Already for a long time no." "Does he at least know you are expecting?" "Shouldn't you write him?" "In that case, he wouldn't come." "One never knows what would be better." "Doing laundry?" "What did she want from you?" "Nothing." "She's waiting for her husband." "I don't get it." "She is showing postcards from her husband, but she's sleeping with others!" "They say she's begging to release her husband." "A nice way of release!" "What would she want him for?" "To break her neck?" "She nearly died when he left to war." "I haven't seen anything like that!" "We haven't seen a lot of things, and now we do." "Shame to the whole village!" "At first it should be known who is to blame." "Who is to blame?" "When the bitch doesn't want, the dog won't jump." "A dog maybe." "But a man?" "If Dankl-Aufenberberg did not act so rashly toward the Russians, he could be in Berlin today." "Even in Moscow!" "But if Dankl-Aufereber... damn the name, would have hit them from behind..." "Or our Hindenburg!" "He would have chased them off to America." "That's right!" "But it's worse with the Italians." "Come on, not worse." "I've seen it on a map once." "It's narrow like my palm." "But if they'd take a dynamite and put it underneath from both sides..." "Whole Italy would explode." "Not even stench would be left behind!" "And the Englishmen - shove them with a stick and there it goes, dear England into the sea!" "But when I used to serve, once I hit three Turks" "with my fist, just like that..." " And I, once..." " Where have you been?" "Once again." "No, at first... only then I'll pour." "Oh My God." "Don't be afraid, that's me." "Is that true?" "Is it?" "You silly one!" "You should have left the doors unlocked!" "Quiet." "Who knows whether he's still alive." " And then..." " What?" "You haven't got my husband released?" "If Adam won't come back..." "Alright." "Under one condition." "You won't tell a word about me to anyone." "Nobody will learn about it." "Alright." "Nobody will know." "It is being announced that on Saturday at six o'clock the youngest defenders of our homeland will join the army, those who were born in 1896, 1897 and 1898." "They know what they should do." "The carriages will take them to the station in Vranov and then straight to hell!" "First to Trencin." "And on from there." "Also it is being announced that tomorrow we will count the cattle." "Everybody who has cows, heifers, or oxen, should be at home!" " Will they count even those?" " Only the fatter ones." "They will devour not only our sons but even our cattle!" "But it's for your sons!" "They'll get only apple cores!" "Just ask those who were at the front!" "Stop!" "Dear believers!" "We are announcing the sad news." "This week we shall say goodbye to our biggest bell." "Lord's Angel spoke to Virgin Mary and she begot from the Holy Spirit." "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed..." "Forward!" "Stop!" "Rest!" "Squad, stand up!" "Run, forward!" "Squad, to the ground!" "Dig in!" "What?" "Do you dig?" "You swine, how do you dig?" "Go back to your mother, redneck!" "I'll teach you to dig!" "Why are you gaping?" "Dig!" "Don't look back, you idiot!" "You mountain sheep shepherd!" "Dirty dog!" " You dig yourself!" " What did you say?" "Squad!" "Attention!" "Prepare the guns!" "Aim!" "Fire!" "Jesus Christ!" "Mommy!" "When daddy comes back, he will make a carriage and I'll yoke the horse." "Mommy, did you see?" "Our daddy... who knows if he comes back." "He will, he will!" "The scythe needs to be sharpened, it's not working well." "Yes, but I don't know how." "There is someone who would do it." "Just a moment, son." "I'll give you something to eat." "Mommy!" "Get up!" "Folks!" "Auntie!" "Mommy, get up!" "Auntie!" " What shall we name her?" " Just like me, Eva." "And who is the father?" "Reverend knows." "In the name of God." "We take a pagan, we come back with a Christian." "Whose?" "Hlavay's." "The one whose husband is in the war?" " Yeah." " And the father?" "What name?" "She says the reverend knows." "So let him baptize her." "I don't baptize such children." " And where's mister?" " He went away." "I came to ask about the claim of my husband." " I've sent it." "You don't believe me?" " No!" "Do you see what are you like?" "I've intervened personally." "But in the army they have time." "And... the front, one never knows." "He must come back!" "War is war." "The bullets wander." "Who knows whether one of them won't go astray?" "It's happened because of him." "I'm utterly alone." "Nothing to eat... they don't want to baptize the child..." "Bring Adam back!" "I can't go on anymore." "He will kill you if he comes back!" "So let him kill me." "But he has to come back." "He promised." " You have also promised..." " I've kept my word." "I've already told you." "What more do you want?" "Adam!" "Don't shout, Eva!" "I will." "Just let people hear!" "Let them see what you are like!" "You see how he struts?" "Eva, open the door!" "That's me, Adam!" "God bless you, good evening." " Adam, is it you?" " Me." "Did they let you go, or what?" "I left the war behind." "Have they been searching for me yet?" "No." "Sit down." "You must be hungry." "Don't you know where Eva is?" "You are soaked, you should change your clothes." "Where is Eva?" "Eva..." "She drowned herself." "Drowned?" "Why?" "She said she was scared of you." "She had a child." "A child?" "Eva had a child." "Nobody knows who the father is." "Nobody knows who the father is." "If only I knew..." "And they've killed my son, but what can I do?" "They are doing with us whatever they want." "Beware of sin, Adam." "Sin?" "I've learnt not to forgive." "Your son is waiting for you." "Where is he?" "He's staying with us." "He has grown up." "Change your clothes." "He was shot in Trencin." "You have to help me." "You know what shame that deserter was for the village." "Is that perhaps your fault?" "It isn't." "Gendarmes!" "They are only looking for pretty girls." "That's right, they only want to screw, but to work..." "I was thinking, maybe you need" "some help around the house." "Oh, mister notary, that would be..." "No." "The homeland knows whom to reward." "Your house is tilted and your loyalty deserves it." "You've helped us many times." "And what should I do?" "Report." "To me or the gendarmes." " And you know what, brother?" " What?" " I'll tell you the news." " What news?" "That Christ was born..." "Round the fence, to the yard." "The wife is not at home." "They all think you're in Poland." "I need a gun." "You'd like to hit, right?" "On the stove, under the blanket." " God bless." " Amen." " How do you do?" " Just fine." "And Adam, how is he?" "You have to ask him." "You have to ask him." "You know very well where he is." "And what did you come for?" "To ask you to lend me the sleigh." "So let's go." "Hurry up." "That crooked devil might have cheated us." "Pour us some more!" "Is it your birthday today, or what?" "Of course not!" "But I have this!" "Where from?" "Don't ask!" "Drink!" "What won't you say!" " I've found it." " I hope you didn't?" " Well, yes!" " Who?" "The notary." " How?" " I told him..." "What?" "They thought they can fool me." "Kramar squeezed my neck so tight he nearly strangled me." "But I saw him, he was hiding behind the stove." "Well, they don't know who I am." "And so you've told the gendarmes." "They were just coming to the village." "You rat!" "Spy!" "Yuck!" "Judas!" "And I even had a drink at the pub with him for the bloody money." "Yuck, you piece of dirt!" " What did he say?" " He has betrayed." "Just wait, I'll show you!" " What a shame." " What?" "That I didn't strangle that antichrist!" "I had such a nice hold of him!" "Filling the holes for them, right!" "No way, not for them!" "It's us who are sitting here, not them." "But wouldn't it be possible to escape?" "Damn, we are some men, aren't we?" "!" "I've already checked it." "It's well done." "You should better lie down." "Help!" "Quiet!" "The other one, too." "Up, up!" "Give me your hand!" "Run!" "Run!" "John, what have you?" "Better not ask." "Well, whatever... thank you." "Want to know who did your wife?" "Who?" "The notary." "How do you know?" "I'm sure." "Deserter!" "Betrayer!" "Catch him!" "Do you know who is spoiling our women?" "This pig!" "He used Eva and now he brought so many of them here." "The nest of the sons of the devil, where the God's order fails on earth." "The Scripture says:" "Render under Caesar the things that are Caesar's and under God the things that are God's." "Our homeland feeds us just like a pelican feeds his young with its own blood." "Feeds?" "Damn it." "How do we pay back?" "With betrayal, rebellion, destruction of divine order." "Deserters, scoundrels who betray God as well as our homeland!" "Our homeland, protected by the crown of Saint Stephen." "No!" "No, not here!" "What would they say?" "What's the matter, Hanka?" "What do you want?" "I'm hungry." "I'd like to eat... gnocchi with sheep cheese." "Gnocchi with sheep cheese?" "Oh, my poor one!" "My poor one..." "What?" "Are you crazy?" "Do you at least have the card?" "I won't give you anything without the card." "Just a moment..." "For you... from my own, because you've suffered so much." "Here you are, eat." "She's dead." "It is being announced that the dysentery afflicting children should be flushed with lime." "The dung holes, excrements and everything where flies hatch needs to be flushed." "The citizens with carriages should go pick up lime at the station in Vranov." "The lime can go bad." "Scabs!" "Give people flour so they have food to feed children!" "My grey dove, where have you flown?" " Sit nomen Domini benedictum." " Ex hoc nunc..." "Don't cry, come dance!" "Women, what are you doing?" "Get out!" "Go home!" "And you?" " What, me?" " Get out!" "Do you think this is a church?" "Go to the chancellor!" "Useless scum!" "More, mister Aaron!" "Let's report it!" "Here it comes, just what we've expected." "Just a while ago twelve of them came." "The whole village is up and about." "I gave the order not to stop them." "Some of them came with weapons, I don't want to take risks." "So what will you do?" "What do you suggest?" "To leave, immediately." "We won't have them kill us like those in Vranov." "How many of you are there?" "And with the gendarmes?" "What good is it for?" "There are thousands of them around." "What thousands?" "I hope you're not afraid of peasants?" "You can't leave." "That would be hazarding with our lives and order." "Our homeland tells you to stay here!" "Or homeland?" "Our homeland is bleeding." "Impossible." "You are responsible!" "Stay here!" "Take even me into consideration." "You see in what state I am in." "Mister notary, that's impossible." "I am responsible." "I'm giving the order to prepare to leave." "If you want, we shall come back for you." "Drink, daddy!" "To freedom!" "Drink, old fellow!" "He also didn't have any mercy!" " That's right, he didn't!" " After him!" "He needs to..." "Shut up!" "And you, what were you like?" "You go out?" "Just wait, I'll show you!" "Won't you fill the glasses?" "Even Paul Khovanetz came, too!" "His mother waited for him since dawn." "But my son won't come." "My son won't come..." "My son won't come!" "Oh God, folks, my son won't come!" "Adam is here!" "What do you want?" "My son." "Give me my son." "What son?" "I don't know him." "You're telling a lie!" "Give me back my son!" "You have devoured him!" "What are you doing?" "Give me back my son!" "Give him back to me!" "Give him back to me!" "Help!" "Pack the things!" "Hurry up, let's go!" "Joe, throw me some more!" "Take it, damn you!" "Don't quarrel!" "They ran away, beasts." " Where are you going, mayor?" " To Lazukhy, bringing the straw." "And to whom do you bring it?" "To whom?" "So what?" "Paul, come here!" "I swear, a man!" "Women, come over here!" "You'll see what you've never seen before!" "Folks, what are you doing?" "Destroying the straw like that..." "Daddy!" "THE END"