THE WHITE RIBBON
A German children's story
I don't know if the story
I want to tell you
is entirely true.
Some of it I only know by hearsay.
After so many years,
a lot of it is still obscure,
and many questions
remain unanswered.
But I think I must tell
of the strange events
that occurred in our village.
They could perhaps
clarify some things
that happened in this country.
It all began, I think,
with the doctor's riding accident.
After his dressage session
on the Baron's estate,
he was headed home,
to see if any patients had arrived.
Entering the garden,
his horse tripped on a wire
strung between two trees.
His daughter saw the accident
from a window,
informed their neighbor,
who informed the estate's steward,
so that the agonizing doctor
could be transported
to the district hospital
over 30 km away.
The neighbor,
a single woman of around 40,
was the village midwife.
Since the death of the doctor's wife
in childbirth,
she had become invaluable for him
as housekeeper and receptionist.
After tending the doctor's
two children,
she went to the school
to fetch her own son, Karl.
- Have you seen Anni?
- You don't say hello?
Hello, Mrs Wagner. Forgive him.
Hi, Klara.
We're so worried
that Martin forgot his manners.
That's all right.
How is the Doctor?
Not very well.
- Must he stay in the hospital?
- I don't know.
We'll go see Anna, to help her out.
Good!
- You enjoyed the choir?
- Yes.
Show how well you sang.
Good bye, teacher.
Last one is a rotten egg!
If I remember correctly,
it seemed odd to me
that the kids around Klara,
instead of scattering
after school to their homes,
headed together
to the exit of the village.
I could cut out some animals
for you,
like last week.
You'd like that?
We can color them together.
Or cut them
from the lovely colored paper?
The golden one
that I got for Easter?
Come on...
Well, I'll make us something to eat.
What if he never comes back?
What?
Come on!
Don't be silly!
It'll heal, just like the flu.
Remember last winter?
You were very sick, weren't you?
And then...
Hi, Anni!
How are you?
Can we help you?
How did the wire get there?
Did the Doctor say?
He was in no mood to talk:
his collarbone
was stuck in his neck.
I asked his daughter.
She has no idea.
He rides through there daily.
- Did you look at the wire?
- Sure.
It's thin, but strong.
Almost invisible.
Sorry, Madame.
You play too well for me.
Don't apologize, concentrate.
It'll help us both.
You play too fast for me, M'am.
I'm not Frederic the Great.
How could he have played Schubert?
Let's do the Variation again.
Darling, if you like the music,
sit beside me and turn the pages.
If you're bored, go to your room.
Or stay out of my sight.
I get nervous if you saunter around.
What time is it?
Where's the nanny?
With the twins, I presume.
- It's twenty to nine.
- Twenty to nine?
Way past your bedtime!
Has he done his homework?
Of course, M'am.
You want to turn the pages for me or not?
Yes.
Then come here!
Let's go back to the Theme.
Practice the Variations.
Or it's no fun.
I'll do my best, Baroness.
So from Bar 9.
Please forgive us, Father.
Forgive us.
Tonight, no one here has eaten.
When night fell,
and you hadn't returned,
your mother searched the village
in tears.
Could we have enjoyed our meal,
fearing for you?
Can we enjoy our meal now,
after hearing your lying excuses?
I don't know what's worse:
your absence, or your coming back.
Tonight we'll all go to bed hungry.
You surely agree with me
that I can't leave
your offense unpunished
if we want to keep on living
in mutual respect.
So tomorrow evening at this hour,
I'll give each of you,
in front of your siblings,
ten strokes of the cane.
Until then,
you may ponder over your offense.
Do you agree with me?
Yes, Father.
All right then.
Go to bed now, all of you.
Don't touch me!
Your mother and I will sleep poorly:
I have to beat you and the strokes
will cause us more pain than you.
Leave us alone, and go to bed!
When you were little,
your mother sometimes tied a ribbon
in your hair or around your arm.
Its white color was to remind you
of innocence and purity.
I thought you were now
well-mannered enough
to get by without such reminders.
I was wrong.
Tomorrow, once your punishment
has purified you,
your mother
will re-tie a ribbon on you,
and you'll wear it
until we can trust you again.
Where is the wire now?
Who removed it?
I don't know.
You weren't here?
You were in town with your father?
No.
- Then you were here.
- I was at school.
When you left,
was the wire still here?
I didn't check.
- When did you get back?
- At noon.
I make lunch for the Doctor
and the kids.
I've helped him since his wife died.
Since when?
Since Rudolf's birth, 5 years ago.
I'm the midwife here.
We work together.
- But you saw nothing?
- No.
How long was the wire there?
I never saw it.
Nobody saw it before, or afterwards!
It wound itself around two trees,
and vanished by itself!
Right?
Mom!
What is it ?
Excuse me.
The day after the doctor's accident
brought no solution to the mystery.
Then a second,
far more tragic incident,
almost made people forget
the previous one.
The wife of a tenant farmer
died in a work-accident.
The woman, who had an injured arm,
was dispensed by the steward
from harvesting chores,
and assigned to lighter work
in the sawmill.
Stay outside! I'm not done.
You get out!
On the same day,
I had a strange encounter.
The weather was beautiful and hot,
so I decided to improve my meager
menu with some brown trout,
which are plentiful in the river.
The Baron allowed me to fish there.
Martin!
Martin, be careful!
Are you insane?
You want to break your neck?
Hello, sir.
What's this?
Have you gone mad?
You know how high that is?
Didn't you hear me shout to you?
Yes, I did.
Well?
Well?
You saw me and wanted to impress me?
So why...
I gave God a chance to kill me.
He didn't do it.
So he's pleased with me.
What are you saying?
He doesn't want me to die.
Who doesn't want you to die?
God.
Why would God want you to die?
Promise me you won't do it again!
Look at me!
Promise it!
You don't trust me, huh?
Yes, I do, sir.
All right.
Go home. Tomorrow after your
piano lesson, I'll talk to your dad.
No, please, don't tell him!
It's there.
Careful, it's all rotten.
Who sent her up here?
No idea.
We had to collect loose ends.
She fell through.
You saw it?
Not really.
You know how it works.
The foremen assign
weaker harvesters up here.
Who assigned her?
On my way home, after
that strange encounter with Martin,
was when I first met Eva...
Hello!
Excuse me!
Sorry for accosting you.
Aren't you the new nanny
on the estate?
Why?
They say you're from Treglitz.
Who says that?
The locals.
So?
Nothing...
I don't know...
I'm the schoolteacher here.
I just thought...
When I saw you, I thought...
I'm the tailor's son from Vasendorf.
- I know.
- What?
The Baroness told me.
What?
That the teacher is
from the village next to mine.
I see, yes...
Well... I thought...
Looks as if you're going there...
Where?
Back home. To Treglitz.
Yes?
- Are you going there?
- Yes, I am.
I thought...
since you'll go through our village,
you could...
say hello to my dad,
and give him a fish?
What?
He'd love that.
Especially over the weekend.
How...?
I don't know.
Unfortunately,
I have nothing to wrap...
Neither do I.
Unfortunately...
We could tie them on
with fishing line.
Just like that, on the bike?
That's not a very good idea.
Right, it was just an idea.
Yes.
Is it your bike?
No, the estate's.
Is this your first day off?
You must be glad to go home.
I can imagine.
Well... I've still a long way to go.
Well...
Good-bye.
Good-bye.
If you see my father in Vasendorf,
say hello to him from me.
I don't know your father.
That's true.
It's my first time on a bike!
You're doing fine!
But be careful!
The woman today,
what was wrong with her?
Which woman?
I see. She was dead.
What's that?
What?
Dead.
What's "dead"?
Quite a question!
It's when one doesn't live anymore.
When one has stopped living.
When does one stop living?
When one is very old, or very ill.
And the woman?
She had an accident.
An "accident"?
Yes. It's when you're badly hurt.
Like Dad?
Yes, but much worse than that.
So bad,
your body can't take it anymore.
And then you're dead ?
Yes.
But most people
don't have an accident.
- So they're not dead.
- No, they die much later.
When?
Well... later,
when they're really old.
Does everyone die?
Yes.
Everyone, really?
Yes, everyone has to die.
But not you, Anni?
Me too.
Everyone.
But not Dad?
Dad too.
Me too?
You too.
But not for a very long time.
All of us, only in a very long time.
One can't fight it?
It has to happen?
Yes, but not for a very long time.
And Mom?
She didn't go on a trip?
Is she dead too?
Yes.
She's dead too.
But that was a long time ago.
Klara!
Martin, you coming?
Karli?
You can come in.
What is it?
- What do you think?
- I don't know.
It's a boy.
What? Don't you want a brother?
Lucky your father didn't hear you.
I'm sorry.
They knew it was dangerous for her.
What do you want?
You want to sue the Baron?
Or murder the steward?
Go cut off his head
with your scythe!
Won't bring your mother
back to life.
Father, you loved our mother.
Shut up!
After those two days in July,
life in the village
got back to normal.
The daily harvesting chores
exhausted everyone.
Most of the kids pitched in
to help their parents.
I took up the steward's offer
to be his secretary
during the harvesting,
as I hoped it would enable me
to see the young girl again.
I couldn't get her out of my mind
after our meeting.
But she rarely came out
of the manor house.
The doctor was still
in the hospital.
Anna and Rudolf, his two children,
were cared for meanwhile
by the midwife.
After the farmer's wife's funeral,
that the whole village attended,
both accidents were forgotten.
Until the end of the summer
when the harvest feast
reunited the whole village,
first in a joyful mood,
then in horror and perplexity.
My thanks to all of you.
You have worked well.
The heavens were kind
and the barns are full.
So the beer can flow,
and you won't starve today!
Long live the Baron!
Long may he live!
Most honorable Baron
and Baroness,
dear merrymakers...
Let us hear on this festive occasion
Psalm 145, Verse 15:
"The eyes of all wait upon thee, Lord;
"and thou givest them their meat
in due season...."
In the name of the Father,
the Son,
and the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Now enjoy your meal.
Eat and drink to your fill!
You earned it!
You promised us
a chorale by your pupils.
Ask the pastor, Baroness.
We're still practicing
for the confirmation feast.
That's in spring!
Now it's the fall.
Our little singers aren't all
very musical. Sorry!
Well, you two "mothers"?
Not taking part in the festivities?
It's so nice here in the shade.
Our son seems to be enjoying that!
Yes.
I can imagine.
Who wouldn't like it.
Georg!
What about yout?
Aren't you bored
caring for other's children,
with all the young lads over there?
No, sir.
I like being with the children.
How old are you anyway?
Wouldn't you rather hold a suitor
than the Baroness's kids?
- Leave her alone, George!
- What did I do?
Won't you get us
something to eat, Emma?
If you'll mind
the children a moment, I'll go.
He was drunk,
but they couldn't stop him.
Leave Frieda alone!
Shove it!
...I'm the rooster on the tower...
Someone cut off
the Baron's cabbages.
What?
Someone cut off
the Baron's cabbages!
- I never learned.
- Neither did I .
You have to count out loud.
One, two, three.
Your pupils will laugh
when they see us dancing, sir!
They'd better not!
And stop being so formal with me.
Am I so old?
It's coming along!
Well...
Don't look at your feet.
Quite a job, huh?
It's disgusting!
It was an old custom:
"Harvest's done, pay everyone,
"If we don't get our due,
your cabbage'll be sliced for you."
Well, they sure slurped down enough!
Come in.
What do you want?
A favor, Father.
Yes?
Yes?
I found it.
It's wounded.
And?
May I keep it?
How will you go about that?
We'll heal it.
And when it's healed?
Won't you be attached to it then?
Will you let it fly away?
Piepsi still lives in a cage.
Yes, but it grew up in captivity.
This one is used to freedom.
Will you set it free,
once it's healed?
Have you asked Mother?
Yes.
What did she say?
That it was for you to decide,
Father.
Really?
That's what she said.
You'll really take care of it?
Yes.
You realize that's
a heavy responsibility?
You'll be its father and mother.
We'll have to find a cage
for your patient.
Did you do it, or didn't you?
- Seems somebody saw you.
- So what?
They're lucky
they still have their heads!
I have to tell you, Father:
I'm proud of it!
Sit down!
What did you intend to do?
Tell me.
Come on. Tell me.
You know why, Father.
Because of your mother?
You think they caused her death?
You think that?
That I'm not man enough
to settle it?
Know what your act
may do for us all?
If Frieda loses her job,
which keeps us alive
for a whole year?
If we can't work here
in the summer?
You want to marry
and run the farm in two years?
You'll feed everyone
without the help of the estate?
How do you know they're responsible?
How do you know they're innocent?
I don't know.
But I also don't know the opposite!
What do you mean "not there"?
He's disappeared.
I looked all over.
He hasn't disappeared.
When did you last see him?
Around 2 o'clock.
Around 2?
- You know what time it is?
- I know, Baron.
What does my wife say?
She sent me to you. She's terrified.
I can imagine.
You're an idiot, Huber.
Why do you think you're here?
To take care of one child!
Is that so hard?
I'm so sorry, Baron.
You can shove your excuses!
Where did you last see my son?
Here. He left to play
with the other kids.
- Where?
- He didn't say.
My wife noticed nothing either?
The cabbage heads affair upset her.
She retired, indisposed.
Indisposed?
Yes, a terrible migraine attack.
This is a madhouse!
Have you seen my son?
No.
Ask your sons. Sigi has disappeared
with some other kids.
- What does it mean?
- That he's disappeared, dammit!
The steward's kids said
they'd only seen Sigi
very briefly,
that he'd gone off with other kids.
They didn't pay
much attention to it.
The search began
shortly after midnight.
The searchers, tired,
some still drunk,
were divided into two groups:
one searched
all the estate's buildings,
the other combed the countryside.
Around 2.30 AM,
the siren sounded again
calling the men back to the estate.
Sigi had been found.
He was in the sawmill,
tied upside down.
His trousers were pulled down,
his buttocks
bleeding from cane strokes.
He was in a state of shock,
unable to walk.
Lying on his belly,
he was carried home
on a makeshift stretcher.
Next Sunday, after the service,
the Baron asked the pastor
to let him speak.
City policemen questioned
many of you this week.
To no avail.
First I thought
my child was tortured
by those who cut off my cabbages.
To get even!
For what?
Supposedly it was my fault
their mother died in the sawmill,
which is absurd.
At least, young Felder
told the police that was his motive
for his "mowing prowess".
I've always helped
the Felder family.
But people aren't always grateful.
It takes character.
Don't run away, Felder!
It's your honor I want to salvage!
It turns out
the "valiant" Max Felder
boasted of his feat to his fiance.
Then the coward
hid among his family,
so he didn't have time
to torture my son.
As to his father,
he'd bite off his tongue
rather than cover
for his wayward son.
I'll remind you of a fact
that most of you may have forgotten.
Two months ago, our doctor
had a riding accident,
and is still not back from the hospital.
This accident was caused
by a wire strung in his garden,
with the explicit intent
of bringing him down.
There, too, nobody knows,
saw or heard anything.
We all know it:
those who injured my son,
and the doctor,
are here
among us,
in this room.
I won't let such crimes
go unpunished,
and hope nothing like that
happens to any of your children.
That's why I call upon you all:
help me find the culprit
or the culprits!
If we fail to find out the truth,
the peace of our community
will be gone.
The landowner's speech
frightened the locals.
The Baron wasn't popular,
but as a powerful figure
and employer of half the village,
he was respected.
His statement
on the community's peace
was ominous.
And the mysterious character
of these criminal deeds
awakened the old mistrust
of the farmers.
Come in!
Eva!
May I come in?
What a question!
Of course, come in.
What's it about?
What's wrong?
They fired me.
What do you mean?
Nothing. They just fired me.
The tutor was also fired.
I don't know where to go.
I'm afraid on the road alone.
Don't worry. Calm down.
Come, sit here.
Calm down, tell me what happened.
Well?
What happened?
The Baron's son isn't at all well.
His parents are desperate and angry.
Now they say
the tutor and I are to blame,
because we didn't pay
enough attention to him.
But I'm only there for the twins.
I've always taken care of them
very well.
When you and I were dancing,
the Baroness
had given me permission.
I haven't done anything wrong.
I know, come on. Stop crying!
Where can I go now?
My family needs my earnings.
You'll find something else.
You know,
the Baron is quick-tempered.
But his bark is worse than his bite.
No, it's all over now, I know it.
The Baroness doesn't want
to see anyone.
She wants to take the kids
with her, to town,
or to her parents' estate.
I'll try to talk to her.
We used to play piano together,
four-handed.
But I wasn't very good.
Now she's the tutor,
who studied the flute in town.
He doesn't play that well.
That's true.
Who does things like that?
What?
Beating a child like that.
I don't know.
Can I stay here tonight?
Don't send me away, sir, please.
How could you think that?
I'll just wait for daybreak,
here in the classroom.
Then I'll leave.
At home, they won't understand this.
They'll think I did something wrong.
Want me to come with you?
What?
Tomorrow, after school?
I'll find a carriage,
I'll be back by evening.
Why would you do that, sir?
Stop being so formal.
Why would you do that?
Come here,
I'll play something for you.
If you want.
Good morning, Father.
I'm back again.
They set me free.
I can see that. So what?
Can you forgive me, Father?
Forgive you for what?
That the estate
won't give me any work?
That Frieda was fired in disgrace?
That your brothers and sisters
have nothing to eat?
Or what?
The next day, after school,
I went to the estate
to inquire about Sigi's health
and to intercede
for Eva's reinstatement.
I was told
the Baroness had left that morning
with her children.
Reluctantly, the steward
lent me a carriage to take Eva home.
As we left the village,
we crossed the doctor.
A few days
after the Thanksgiving feast,
Rudolf, his four-year-old son,
had suddenly disappeared.
This upset everyone
in view of the previous events.
The boy was finally found
on the main road,
scantily dressed for a trip,
walking eagerly toward the town.
When asked where he was going,
he said he wanted
to visit his father.
He fought tooth and nail
against being taken home.
The doctor was told about this
and, due to be released soon anyway,
he decided to cut short his stay
at the hospital.
Rudi?
He was in the living room.
What do I owe?
Thanks.
Have a nice day.
Rudi, where are you?
Hello, Rudi.
Won't you say hello to your father?
No?
I heard
you wanted to visit me
at the hospital.
And now you lock yourself in?
All right.
Then I don't want to see you.
I'm going away now.
Stay in the toilet, if you want.
Keep well, Rudi.
Your office is ready.
Mrs Wagner did it all.
- Why do you tell me that?
- I don't know.
I thought you'd like to know.
- She took good care of you?
- Yes.
How old are you now?
It's amazing,
you look so like your mother.
... your mother and I
are very worried about you.
Think carefully. Do you sleep badly?
Are you overtired?
No.
Do you have problems at school
I don't know?
No, Father.
You don't understand why we worry.
I'll explain it to you.
As you know,
I'm also the pastor for Birkenbrunn.
One day, a mother came to see me,
as her son,
about the same age as you,
had the same symptoms
you've shown for some time.
The boy suddenly seemed
extremely weary.
His eyes were ringed,
he was depressed and joyless.
He avoided looking his parents
in the eye,
and soon was also caught lying.
This lasted about half a year.
Then everything went very fast.
He lost his appetite,
couldn't sleep any more,
his hands began to shake,
his memory started to fail,
his face became
covered with pustules,
then his whole body.
Finally, he died.
The body, that I had to bless,
looked like an old man's body.
Do you understand now
why I'm worried?
What do you think
caused these changes
that led
to that boy's miserable end?
I don't know.
I think you know very well.
Won't you tell me?
No?
Then I'll give you the answer.
The boy had seen someone,
who was harming
the finest nerves of his body,
in the area where God
has erected sacred barriers.
The boy imitated this action.
He couldn't stop doing it.
In the end he destroyed
all his nerves, and died of it.
I just want to help you.
I love you with all my heart.
Be sincere, Martin.
Why did you blush listening
to the story of the poor boy?
Blush?
I don't know. I felt sorry for him.
Is that all?
I think there's another reason.
It's written on your face.
Be sincere,
Martin!
Why are you crying?
Shall I spare you that confession?
Have you been doing
what that wretched boy did?
Yes.
My arm!
Glad that you're back. About time.
One can say that. Yes.
It was hard with the children,
without you.
I know.
He doesn't like me.
- Who?
- Rudi.
He's at a difficult age.
Actually not.
They're always at a difficult age.
Yes.
You didn't miss me.
What does that mean?
Nothing.
I said it because it's true.
Nothing like
a nice dose of self-hate!
What?
Nothing. Forget it.
Winter came early that year.
For Reformation Day,
on the first Sunday of November,
a blanket of snow
covered the village.
Quite unusually, the Baron,
whose family had not yet come back,
didn't attend the service.
The villagers took that
as a sign of his anger.
Indeed, no leads had been found
to a possible culprit,
although the Baron's appeal
had led to a flood
of mutual suspicions,
even to some attempts
at denunciation,
that had all turned out
to be untenable.
Well, it's not pneumonia.
But you must be careful.
If his temperature rises,
call me again.
Give him these drops
every two hours.
And hang wet sheets over the oven.
That helps breathing.
- Good night to you.
- Good-bye, Doctor.
How long was the window open?
Hard to say.
My wife nursed him around 1 AM.
She came back around 2:30 AM.
By then the room was icy cold.
And the baby didn't cry?
No. The children heard nothing.
He's doing all right.
We have to wait.
But it looks fairly good.
A drink to warm you up?
Or stay for supper.
No, thanks. I'm overloaded,
I was away so long.
How's your arm doing?
It's all right.
It'll be fine
in two or three weeks.
Thank you.
That must be terrible, I imagine.
One must be helpless
with only one arm.
Quod erat demonstrandum.
Well, good night, children.
Good night, Doctor.
If your wife thinks
the baby's fever has risen again,
let me know.
Good...
What do you mean "good"?
I mean, that's fine.
When did you go see Father?
Down in his office.
Why?
Just asking.
In mid-December,
I finally got a letter from Eva.
Her father
had found her a job in town,
that she'd start early
in the New Year.
Since the night she came
to shelter in the school,
when until dawn,
we told each other the story
of our short lives,
her pale face,
her shy but frank personality,
were constantly on my mind.
The school holidays
lasted until January 2nd,
but already
on the day after Christmas,
in the cold but sunny weather,
I headed for Treglitz
to visit Eva and her parents.
And Sigi?
I don't know.
The Baroness isn't back yet.
And the Baron?
We hardly see him.
He talks to nobody.
I don't know.
Some say they went to Italy.
To Italy?
The steward says they'll tear down
the sawmill. Because it's...
Good morning.
Morning, young man.
Please be seated.
We're not very formal here.
Scram!
Care for a drink?
No, thanks. Very kind.
- Really?
- No, thanks a lot.
So you're a schoolteacher?
Can you afford to have a wife?
My father's a tailor at Vasendorf.
I've learned the trade.
I earn money on the side.
Taking over his business
would've been smarter.
And why are you so focused on Eva?
She's still a child.
You could be her father.
I'm 31.
Well, you're not far off.
Father!
Have you asked her
if she's interested?
She's a child,
knows nothing about life.
Speak up. Do you want him?
Come on. Say something.
He came all this way in the cold.
Leave her alone. Of course,
she wants him. Can't you tell?
How can I, if she clams up!
Sit down again.
Women!
Don't take them too seriously.
Listen, I'm not a big talker.
On one hand, it suits mea
if she leaves the house.
Lots of mouths to feed,
as you can see.
On the other hand,
it's moving too fast for me.
I don't know you.
I don't dislike you,
but I need to know more about you.
The town hairdresser has agreed
to take her on as an apprentice.
She'll get to meet people,
she can decide
if she really wants this.
If in a year
she's still in favor of it,
we'll talk about it again.
You can make up your mind too.
All right?
- I actually thought I...
- Yes, I know.
But it's either that or nothing.
If you insist...
Yes, I do.
Delighted.
So, my work's waiting.
Even on holidays.
Don't get up.
I'll send the kid back in.
So you can say good bye.
A year goes by fast.
The world won't collapse.
You can come and visit her.
Did your father tell you...?
Is that all right with you?
And is it with you, sir?
Don't call me "sir".
Adi! Are you awake?
Adi!
What is it?
Look!
What's happening?
Look! Go see what's happening!
My God, what do you want?
Over there! Look out the window!
Something's burning! On the estate!
Untie me!
Come on, untie me!
I don't know if...
Untie me, I said!
What is it?
Be quiet!
Gustl, come and untie me!
What's going on?
Untie me, dammit!
There's a fire!
What fire?
A fire!
Yes, a fire! Now untie me, dammit!
Father won't allow it.
It's an emergency!
Somebody must warn them!
Father!
Stop shouting! I'll do it!
Shall I call Mom?
- What is it?
- A fire!
I know. Your father already went.
What are you doing here?
Go to bed now! It's nothing.
There's a fire on the estate.
Don't be afraid.
Go to bed and sleep.
Go on! You'll catch a cold.
Why all the noise?
You woke them all up!
I thought it was dangerous.
I had to untie him.
Now everything's fine again.
Tomorrow,
Father will tell you about the fire.
You all go back to bed.
I'll wait till you're in bed.
It's cold here.
Good night, then.
Sleep tight.
Night, Mom!
Why don't you stop doing that?
Why all the effort?
Don't look so dumbfounded.
You don't lack talent.
I just can't do it
with you any more.
To be truthful: you disgust me.
Can't you finish your work?
I don't want
to spend the night here.
What did I do to you?
My God, you've done nothing to me!
You're ugly, messy,
flabby and have bad breath.
Will that do?
The cover has to be sterilized.
Don't sit there
looking like death warmed over.
The world won't collapse.
Not on you,
or on me.
I can't go on with this, that's all.
I've really tried...
to think of another woman
while making love to you.
One who smells good,
who's young, less decrepit than you,
but my imagination can't manage it.
In the end, it's you again
and then I feel like puking,
and am embarrassed at myself.
So what's the point?
Are you through?
I have been for ages.
You must be very unhappy
to be so mean.
Please, not that routine!
I know I'm not much to look at.
My bad breath comes from my ulcer,
you know that.
It didn't bother you in the past.
I had it when your wife was alive.
Spare me these sordid details.
Let me reassure you:
it always disgusted me.
After Julie's death,
I wanted to ease my pain
with anyone.
I could have screwed a cow!
Whores are too far from here,
and once every two months
isn't enough for me,
even though I'm getting on.
So skip acting like a martyr,
and scram.
Why are you only noticing this now?
When should I have noticed it?
At the hospital,
I forgot how tiresome you are.
One grows sentimental when in pain.
Get out! Don't you have any pride?
There's no room for any with you.
That's true.
What if I do something silly?
Go ahead.
It'd surprise me. But be careful:
it may be painful.
I know, I'm ridiculous.
You wouldn't care anyway.
Well...
Why do you despise me?
For helping to raise the boy?
For watching you
finger your daughter
and saying nothing?
For helping you to deceive yourself?
For listening to you
claim how you loved Julie,
when everyone knew
you treated her as badly as me?
For loving you,
when I know you can't stand
being loved?
That's it.
Now get up. I have work to do.
You can't afford to get rid of me.
Who'll do the dirty work for you,
who'll help you with the kids,
and your practice?
You don't mean what you're saying.
I want to see how far you can go:
"Will she take it?
Can I drag her even lower?"
I'm tired too.
I've got two retarded kids:
Karli and you.
You're the most troublesome one.
My God, why don't you just die?
The year ended with fine weather.
The snowy landscape
sparkled so brightly
that it hurt the eyes.
None of us suspected
it'd be our last New Year
in an era of peace,
and that this year
would bring a radical change,
of a magnitude we couldn't foresee.
Despite the strange events
that had unsettled the village,
we thought of ourselves
as united in the belief
that life in our community
was God's will, and worth living.
... Christ's body
as bread and as wine.
May the period of preparation
for your confirmation
be one of happiness
and enrichment.
You, Martin,
will now be free
not only of that ribbon,
but of those nightly ties
that kept you from yielding to
the temptations of your young body.
I trust you, my beloved children,
and wish you
a profitable and happy new year.
Shortly after Easter,
in the last week of April,
the Baroness came back
with the children.
She was accompanied by a new nanny.
My secret hope
that Eva could come back here,
was definitely dashed.
The new nanny was an Italian woman
who came from the area
on the Mediterranean coast
where the Baroness
had spent the winter.
Sigi!
Hi, Ferdinand!
Wait!
I'll come down!
Stay here, Sigi!
You can see the boys later.
Let him go, Madam.
He's so happy to be back home!
All right, go.
But don't be too long.
Marie-Luise?
Where are you?
Sigi!
Won't you come say hello to your father?
Watch out, he's coming!
Be quiet!
For God's sake! Be quiet!
Quiet!
What's going on here?
Why are you still here?
There's a divinity class now!
Get going!
How about a good-bye?
Good bye, sir!
Good bye, Pastor!
I'm sorry, Pastor.
It won't happen again.
Good bye, Pastor.
Good bye.
Let us pray.
Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed by Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil
for Thine is the kingdom, the power
and the glory
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Sit down.
This is a very sad day for me.
In a few weeks, we all want
to celebrate your confirmation.
For months I've tried
to bring God's word closer to you,
and make responsible
human beings out of you.
Who do I face today?
Yelling monkeys,
undisciplined, as childish
as your 7-year-old classmates!
But to me,
what is even sadder
is that my own daughter
plays the leading role
in this pitiful display.
Last year
I tied a white ribbon in her hair.
White, as you all know,
is the color of innocence.
The ribbon was meant
to help Klara avoid sin,
selfishness,
envy,
indecency, lies and sloth.
At the start of the year,
I navely believed
that she was now mature enough
not to need that ribbon any more.
That she'd become
responsible enough,
as the daughter
of the spiritual leader of...
Anni?
Anni? Where are you?
Anni?
Rudi? What are you doing here?
Why aren't you in bed?
I can't go to sleep.
Is that why you're wandering around?
I woke up and you weren't there.
Dad has pierced my earlobes.
Does it hurt?
Yes, a bit.
Is that why you're crying?
I'm not crying any more.
Beauty has to suffer.
That's what they say.
Go back to bed.
Anni's coming.
I haven't worn earrings in ages,
so the holes closed up.
For Whitsun,
I'm getting Mom's.
The pretty ones,
you know?
A few days
after Klara's fainting fit,
that frightened us all,
and left her feverish and weakened,
I went to see the steward,
on the eve of Whitsun
to borrow the carriage again.
Since my marriage proposal,
Eva wrote me once a week.
I felt she was alone
and lost in the city,
and was hinting for me
to come see her as soon as I could.
I wanted to spend Saturday with her
and be back on Sunday
to prepare the confirmation ceremony
with the pastor.
The steward had gone to the sawmill,
but was due back any minute.
Good morning, sir.
Hello, Erna.
He's cute.
Do you like him?
Yes. Very much.
He was quite sick last winter,
I was told.
Yes. Very sick.
But the doctor cured him, thank God.
Maybe I'll come back this evening.
I'm sure Father will come for coffee
at four.
Then I'll sit down again.
Can I get you something? A coffee?
It must be ready.
No, thanks.
I'll just sit and wait.
Sir!
Can dreams come true?
That depends.
On what?
On what does it depend?
If you dream of being
first in your class, and study hard,
your dream may come true.
- I didn't mean that.
- Then what?
I mean, if you dream of something,
really dream it in your sleep,
can it come true?
Why, what did you dream?
Tell me.
You have something on your mind.
So tell me.
I dreamt that Karli...
- the odd little boy of the...
- I know.
Something terrible
will happen to him.
Something terrible?
Like what?
I don't know.
Like what happened to Sigi.
But even worse.
But he's so sweet. He harms no one.
Come on...
It was only a dream.
Don't take it so seriously.
Dreams don't come true.
Let alone that kind.
But sometimes
my dreams do come true.
What do you mean?
Last winter,
before Gustl got sick,
I dreamt
my brother opened his window,
so he'd die.
And his window was opened,
he caught a chill, almost died.
What are you saying?
That's nonsense!
We arranged to meet
at the railway station,
as Eva wanted to avoid
being seen with me.
She was living with distant cousins,
who gave her parents
regular reports on her behavior.
She had become thinner,
which made her even prettier.
I was ravished again
by her mixture of shyness
and almost childlike outspokenness.
So it's not really so awful?
No. But sweeping up hair all day...
The twins were more fun.
But it's all right.
I can't really complain.
No?
No.
Really.
Aside from the twins,
you miss nothing?
Come on, you!
How is the nanny? She only speaks Italian?
That's what the steward says.
I see.
Where are you going?
There's a nice little pond
in the wood.
We can picnic there.
I brought some food.
- I'd rather not.
- Why?
What is it?
Nothing.
Please.
I had no improper intentions.
I just wanted you
to enjoy the picnic.
Please.
How could I disgrace my future wife?
All right then.
I'll turn around.
Thanks.
Accept and drink!
This is the blood
of the New Testament,
shed for you
to forgive your sins.
Here! He's here!
Out of the way!
"For I, the Lord, your God
"am a jealous God
"visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children
unto the third
and fourth generation."
After the atrocities committed
on the retarded boy,
the Baron was finally convinced
it was smarter
to enlist the help
of the county's police force.
So a few days later
two plainclothes policemen arrived,
who, after visiting
several of the crime scenes,
inquired if anyone
had noticed anything suspicious.
When I learnt of Karli's torture,
I didn't think
of what Erna had told me.
When I remembered,
I hesitated to tell the authorities.
Such an absurd coincidence
might jeopardize
the reputation and inner peace
of the steward's family.
But when I heard that Karli
might lose his eyesight,
I made Erna come to the school
and tell the policemen
about her dream.
... we're not as stupid as you think.
But I really dreamt it!
Watch out!
I'll give you one last chance:
tell us who told you
of a plan to torture the boy,
and we won't repeat it to anyone.
All right?
She's already had dreams
that came true.
Is that so?
About what, may I ask?
It was a family matter.
I see! A family matter.
You checked if it was true?
No.
Well,
it may be true.
Maybe she's
an authentic clairvoyant,
and we're luckier than we think.
Stop crying!
Your deceitful whining
won't work with me.
I've got other ways
to make you talk.
I don't believe in witches
and sorcerers,
even less in the hallucinations
of a brat like you.
So make up your mind
to tell me the truth.
I won't let go till you come clean.
Got that?
Now let's go see
what your parents think
of your version of the story.
Can you come with us?
Of course.
Hello, there!
Who do we have here?
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon, sir.
Why do you eavesdrop?
We saw the teacher had visitors.
We didn't want to intrude.
We were waiting to talk to him.
What do you want?
To ask you about Karli.
Like what?
We heard he isn't well.
We wondered if we could help.
You'll be all right...
I know, it hurts.
Be patient...
Everything will be fine again.
It'll be fine.
I have to go now, Karli.
Don't worry.
I'll be back tomorrow.
You'll be all right.
Don't be afraid.
The doctor will be back.
Come in!
Yes?
What is it?
To replace Piepsi.
Because you're so sad.
Thank you.
You're welcome, Father.
- Give me the whistle!
- Sorry?
The whistle!
What whistle?
Give it to me!
What whistle?
Give it, or I'll kill you.
I have no whistle.
Bastard!
Wretch!
For God's sake,
what's got into you?
What has he done?
For the last time, give it to me!
Give you what, Father?
What is it?
What are you talking about?
You know what I mean!
But if he says so!
What's going on?
Please wait!
What did the boy do?
Calm down.
Stay out of it!
I have to go back to the Baron.
Georg! Please, don't!
You'll kill him!
... with the birch-trees in Retenow,
it'll be 6,000 cubic meters.
It'll take them around three weeks.
And now we have 80 extra Poles.
They've been put up in the annex.
We're all out of bedding.
It takes time.
There are lots of kids with them.
In spite of it...
I won't stay here.
What?
I won't stay here.
What does that mean?
That I'm leaving with the children.
What do you mean?
Armin!
That's not so hard to understand.
How do you plan to do all this?
I don't know yet.
But in any case,
we're leaving this place.
"We"?
Yes.
That'll be all, thank you.
Good night, Baroness and Baron.
I only came back
out of fairness to you.
To give us a chance.
You gave me a chance?
Wonderful! And I missed my chance?
Will that help us
to solve the problem?
What?
Your sarcasm.
What is the problem
we have to solve?
You stay here!
You'll only leave when I say so.
Fine.
I was hoping to spare you this.
At Uncle Edoardo's
I fell in love with a man.
He's from Lombardy
and is a banker who advised
Uncle Edoardo financially.
He courted me assiduously
and was very fond of the children.
It was thanks to him
that Sigi has blossomed.
Despite this, we came back.
Because I felt committed to you.
But I can't stand this place
any longer.
Not so much personally,
though life with you
isn't thrilling
for a woman of my age.
I'm leaving so the children
don't grow up in surroundings
that are dominated by malice,
envy,
apathy and brutality.
Sigi's whistle was the last straw.
I'm sick and tired of persecutions,
threats
and perverse acts of revenge.
Did you sleep with him?
You don't understand anything.
Did you sleep with him?
No. I didn't sleep with him.
You're lying, right?
Come in!
Good evening.
Good evening, Baroness.
- Can I talk to you?
- Can't it wait?
No, or I wouldn't have
disturbed you so late.
What is it?
They've assassinated
Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo.
The news spread around the village
like wildfire.
What would the consequences be?
The first who said "war",
was severely contradicted.
But once the word had been uttered,
it remained stubbornly
at the center of all our thoughts.
I wanted to go to town quickly
to discuss with Eva
what we should do
if war broke out.
Maybe her father would now agreed
to an earlier marriage.
I asked the Baroness for the bicycle
that Eva had borrowed previously.
I planned to use it
to visit her Sunday.
Friday when I went to pick up
the bicycle,
I witnessed a strange confrontation.
What is it, Mrs Wagner?
Can I borrow your bicycle?
- It's not mine.
- Can I borrow it anyway?
I just borrowed it myself.
To visit my fiance.
Please!
Where do you want to go?
- To town.
- What for?
The stubborn steward
won't lend me a carriage.
Please lend it to me.
Why? What for?
To go to the police.
I know who committed those crimes.
Who?
Can I have the bicycle?
Why not tell me?
I'll only talk to the police.
I'm sick of insults.
What about the doctor's horse?
I don't know how to ride.
Please! Believe me!
My son told me who did it to him.
He may lose his eyesight.
Lend it to me!
Thanks!
I was so sorry that I gave in.
But the state of that woman,
usually so level headed, upset me.
What had she found out
that she didn't dare tell?
Back in the village,
I decided to investigate.
Hello, sir.
Hello, Klara.
What are you doing here?
We wanted to see how Karli was.
Can't you see it's closed up?
Yes. We were worried.
We saw Mrs Wagner
bicycling off.
We wondered
what had happened to Karli.
Go home.
You don't belong in here.
Go on home.
Good bye, teacher.
I wondered why the midwife
had closed the shutters.
Nobody in the village
locked their house.
Why had the midwife
locked in her son?
Karli, can you hear me?
I thought of Erna's dream again.
What if Erna hadn't dreamt it,
but knew that Karli
would be tortured,
who had told her?
Who wouldn't she denounce?
The kids' interest in Karli
seemed strange to me.
Usually, because of his disability,
they had no contact with him,
or treated him disdainfully.
When the midwife
couldn't take care of him,
she entrusted him to me
or the doctor.
But since his mishap,
I hadn't seen him again.
Worried,
I decided to ask the doctor.
OFFICE CLOSED
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
- Wasn't his daughter in school?
- Yes, she was.
And she said nothing?
I have a request...
Could I talk to Klara and Martin?
Won't you wait for my husband?
He's at the church.
The service is almost over.
But if you insist, please come in.
Be seated.
I'll fetch them for you.
Good evening, sir.
Won't you sit down?
Yes. Perhaps. With pleasure.
Can I offer you something?
A coffee,
like during the piano lessons?
Yes, with pleasure.
Very kind of you.
I'll be right back.
Did you know the doctor
was leaving Eichwald?
You're not surprised by my question?
Our mother just told us.
Anna didn't tell you?
Not a word?
It's odd not to say
you're going away on a trip.
Anna doesn't say much.
But this was completely different.
You're hiding something from me.
What?
I'm waiting for you to tell me.
When you looked for Karli,
what did you want from him?
We were worried. He's ill.
I'm asking Martin.
Yes. He isn't well.
And since his mother was leaving
we thought we'd pay him a visit.
Did you ever wonder
who mistreated Karli?
And Sigi?
Who tied the wire
to trip the doctor?
Who set fire to the barn?
No?
Of course, we wondered.
Well?
Father said
it must be a sick person.
Sigi was with you at Thanksgiving.
And Karli always wenet along.
I don't understand.
No?
What did they do wrong?
- Who?
- Sigi and Karli.
Why?
They obviously were being punished.
For what?
I don't know.
Erna foresaw that Karli
would be punished. What for?
I don't know!
Why ask us?
You're a smart girl, Klara.
Don't play dumb.
I don't understand.
Talk about this
with Father or Mother.
Shall I get them?
Martin, will you go?
Stay here, Martin.
I'll see them later.
Now, I'm talking to you.
Tell me the truth.
- Where were you when Karli was...
- Here.
I mean, after the confirmation?
Coffee's coming.
Could the children help you?
I'm afraid not. They know nothing.
His daughter said nothing at school?
No.
Sorry I disturbed you.
Stay! My husband is coming,
and the coffee is almost ready.
Thanks, but I'm worried
about the midwife's son.
- She didn't say when she'd be back?
- I didn't ask her.
She caught me off guard.
She was panicked.
Wait, I hear my husband.
Good evening.
The teacher was waiting for you.
Yes. I'd like a word with you.
Please. Let's go to my study.
It's quieter.
What's this about?
I spoke to the midwife:
she said she knew
who tortured her son.
She'll only tell the police,
and went to town.
Well?
She left the boy behind alone
and locked the house.
Locked it?
I went to ask the doctor
if he was caring
for the child, but...
there's a paper saying
that the office is closed.
He and his kids have disappeared.
What does it mean?
I don't know.
I thought you might know.
That's why I'm here.
I have no idea.
Please be seated.
Wasn't his daughter in school?
Yes. She mentioned nothing.
I asked Klara and Martin.
They know nothing either.
Why should they?
I don't know...
I went to Mrs Wagner's place:
they and some others were there.
To do what?
They were looking for the boy.
Why?
They wanted to help him.
So what?
I don't know how to say it...
I think they're hiding something.
What?
I don't know.
When the doctor had his accident,
last year,
they appeared in his garden.
Supposedly, to help Anna.
Yes... and?
Nothing. I had forgotten it.
I just remembered today.
I don't understand.
When the Baron's son was found...
He'd been with the children
just before.
What are you getting at?
The steward's daughter
predicted that Karli
would be beaten.
She says she dreamt it.
The police think she's lying.
From whom did she find out?
Who told her?
You're saying that your pupils,
my children included,
committed these crimes.
Is that right?
You realize what you're saying?
Do you really know...
I assume I'm the first person
to hear these monstrosities.
If you ever dare
to bother others with this,
if you ever accuse
respectable families and their children
and denounce them publicly,
I'll make sure, take my word for it,
that you go to prison.
I've seen a lot
during my work as a pastor,
but never anything so repulsive!
One can tell you have no children.
Or you wouldn't stoop
to such aberrations.
You have a sick mind.
How did they let you loose
among those poor creatures!
I'll speak to the authorities
about this.
Now get out of my house!
I don't want to see you here again.
The midwife didn't come back.
I waited until morning,
two days later.
Then I went to the manor house
to inform the Baron.
He told the steward
and said to open the house
and take care of the disabled boy.
I'll look upstairs.
I'd never been
in the midwife's house
and felt uncomfortable
barging into somebody else's place
without asking.
It was strange,
but while we still searched
and called out Karli's name,
I already knew
our search was in vain.
Anyone who knew how devoted
the midwife was to her son,
knew she'd never have abandoned
her wounded Karli.
During the next few weeks,
the village gossips worked overtime.
Some claimed the doctor
was Karli's father.
He and the midwife
had tried to abort the child
so their relationship
wouldn't be found out,
and that's how
the child was disabled.
Some even claimed
that the death of the doctor's wife
was suspect,
and the two might very well
be responsible for it.
Better still,
the doctor and the midwife,
as potential murderers,y
had also perpetrated
all the other crimes.
Wanting to spare
his legitimate children and himself
from public disclosure of his guilt,
the doctor had fled with them.
On July 28th,
Austria declared war on Serbia.
On Saturday, August 1st,
Germany declared war on Russia,
and on France the following Monday.
The solemn service next Sunday
was attended by the whole village.
A feeling of expectation
and departure was in the air.
Now everything was going to change.
Eva's father,
in the face of the coming war,
had taken his daughter back home,
and, at her pleading,
had come to Eichwald
where his future son-in-law lived
and worked, to look it over.
The prospect of soon calling
this beloved creature my wife
also made this a festive day for me.
The pastor never mentioned
our conversation again.
And apparently never went through
with his threat to denounce me.
I was drafted at the start of 1917.
After the war,
as my father had died meanwhile,
I sold his house in Vasendorf,
and with the money
opened a tailor's shop in town.
I never saw
any of the villagers again.