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Lift, De (The Elevator) (1983)
THE LIF
RESTAURANT ICARUS DINE UNDER THE STARS That's quite an omelette. I'll have to come and see. Better keep the roosters inside. They'll stop laying when they see her. Rinus, a picture. Don't move. Can't you keep your hands to yourself? Your taxi will be here any moment. Here? It must be arriving by lift. Are you going home by taxi too? I can't wait until... the agricultural fair has finished. They're about to leave. About time. It's almost one. All those chickens have to stay in really tiny cages. They have plenty of room. -I'd hate it. I've got some nice roosters too, though. Let's hurry, the taxi's waiting. Do you know where the lift is? Have a nice evening. It's early and the best is yet to come. Did you press it? Anybody else? I think I had a bit too much to drink. Most of it was spilt. One little kiss. Wait until we're in the hotel. Must be the lightning. What a bang! Must be a short circuit. Also not working. Two bottles of champagne and some caviar. It must be a fuse. No, nothing serious. Verpoorten's checking the fuses. It won't take long. The lift's stuck. -Oh dear. It's getting so hot. Since we have to wait... Must have had too many mussels. Rinus, getting too hot already? Would they know we're here? It's stuck between two floors. Good, that's solved. It's not moving. That's strange. Klaas, a red light. It went on. -What? A red light. I can't breathe. It's like a sauna here. What's wrong with him? I don't know. Can you hear me? Maybe they're gone. -Or they don't want to be disturbed. Are you alright? I hope this is the right one. -Up there. This has got to be the one. -Yes. Let me out! Rinus! What's happening? Shall I call the police? Let's not panic. It's coming down. Do you want me to get hurt? But it's very urgent. Buy him something without batteries, for a change. You don't have to listen to it all day. He enjoys it. It's swollen. He's got a good right hand. It's your own fault. You know how jealous Harry is. I was only talking to his wife. Is that forbidden? You should have hit back. No way. He's much stronger. The siren isn't working anymore. -Daddy doesn't mind that. Can you fix it? -Tonight. But it's urgent. You have to go to school. Get dressed. Ineke's father has hair on his chest too. Does he? How do you know? -I saw it in the swimming pool. Bertie, don't read at the table. Do that at school. But daddy's reading too. He doesn't go to school anymore. Karin, finish your food. Will I have a hairy chest too? Girls don't get hair. They get bumps. -Bumps? Boys don't get bumps, do they, dad? Breasts. Women get breasts. When will I have breasts? When you finish your plate all the time. Bertie Adelaar speaking. It's for you, dad. Adelaar speaking. Hello, boss. What happened? The air conditioning? Yes, it can get hot. I'll go have a look. What's the address? Yes, I'll do that. Are they calling you at home now? A lift got stuck last night. Nothing serious, I bet. Good morning. Are you here for the lift? Yes, I heard something about a big party last night. Almost their last party. I'll call the janitor. Kees speaking. The new lift mechanic's here. Can you show him the way? He's coming. Had a rough party too? -No, a door. The air conditioning in the lift isn't working, apparently. Didn't one of the cages get stuck? Cages? Yes, this middle one. But it's working again. Must have been the lightning. The air conditioning's working again too. I only keep them clean. Ah, there you are. Ravenstein, Real Estate Construction and Development We manage the building. Adelaar. I hope you'll fix it quickly. Such a new lift. I'd like to help, but the air conditioning seems to work well. Don't you know four people lost conscience? They couldn't breathe. -Look for yourself. Strange, but four people ended up in hospital. There must be a reason. I'll check all the electric circuits. They could well be the source of the problem. Show Mr Adelaar the way. I have a meeting. If you need me, our office is at the 6th floor. Hello! Thanks. Are you alright, Mr Kraayevanger? Yes, I shouldn't be running like that. A psychiatrist. He has his office here. He'd better have a rest on his own divan. What else do you have in the building? All kinds, offices, companies... a restaurant, a real estate agent... But half of it's empty. -Not surprising considering the rent. I'm not complaining. Less work for me. Here we are. This is only the 14th floor. I must have pressed the wrong button. Happens often lately. I must be getting old. Look at that. Two broken window panes. As if I don't have enough work. I'll clean up later. Nothing unusual. Lightning definitely didn't strike here. That looks way too complicated for me. Do you understand this? -It's my job. I studied it. Is that part of it too? The microprocessor's in there. The operating unit. Chips and stuff. It's pretty complicated. Terrible about your colleague. Breuker... He was very friendly and he worked on the lift for so long. That time when he serviced it. And now it's stuck again. But it could be anything. I'll let you work. Will the lift be out of order? No, there's no need. Good, I won't have to walk Come to me when you want a coffee. Ok, I will. Is it working? But be nice to your mother. There's mommy. Go brush your teeth and go to bed. You too, Karin. Are you still awake? Go on. It's half past 9. That late already? If it was up to you, they'd stay up all night. Did you talk to his teacher? -Yes, he's doing much better. See? He's not as stupid as you think. What about the lift this morning? Nothing special. Just a short circuit. People almost suffocated. They came out of the restaurant. Maybe it was the food. Much ado about nothing. I checked everything. The customer has to be satisfied. Yes, they have to be happy. Don't throw it out. What? -The cap. I'm collecting them. What for? When you have a 100... you can win a trip to Hawaii. Why do you want to go to Hawaii? We went to the coast last year. You're not very romantic anymore. Yes, I am. I like to be... at the riverside... in the moonlight, in the arms of... Just put it in the box. Where? -Next to the coffee. Could you describe the view? The view? For my mother. The view from the apartment. It's fantastic, I can assure you. On one hand endless forests... and on the other hand the blue water of the Mediterranean. But we've been through that. You'll have to decide. It's one of our very last apartments. Of course. But it's a lot of money to spend. You nor your mother will regret it. It's a surprise for my mother. She hardly leaves the house, because of her wheelchair. Shall we finalise that surprise? Here's the contract. Do you want to use my pen? No, I've got my own. Please put a signature here. Thank you. And one here. Another signature? Yes, for our administration. You'll enjoy this for the rest of your life. Do you know where the lift is? Yes, don't worry about me. Give my regards to your mother. -Thanks, I will. You forgot your pen. How silly. It's a dear souvenir. I wouldn't want anything to happen to it. Goodbye. -Goodbye. Did you say something? -No, I didn't. I thought you said something. It's 3 am. Two more hours to go. Would you like a drink? What? I hope you can keep a secret. My best friend in the early morning. I don't drink. They could have warned me about that. In that case, I'll drink alone. What do you do in your free time? Women? I'm engaged. -Really? We're getting married next month. Don't you have other things to do? When I was a sailor, I had a girl in each port. I was very busy back then. I've been immune to penicillin ever since. What's wrong? -I thought I heard a sound. You're just nervous. I would be too. You're getting married next month. No, I heard a sound. It's rats. They once found a lift full of dead rats. Dozens of them, inside. If you want excitement, find another job. The lift! There's someone here. -The lift's going up. That's strange. The stairs! We'll catch him by surprise. It's on the 10th floor. It stopped. It's at the 15th floor. Isn't that the restaurant floor? -Maybe he's hungry. Are you alright? Kees! There's something down here. There's a man down there. Help! Get me out! Quick! Shall I get some soap? The lift! The lift! It's stopping. Kees, where are you? Vice was even worse. I remember a psychopath. He'd picked up a girl. And he gave her a sleeping pill. He cut her up with a chainsaw. A Black and Decker, I believe. He cut her in half. I skipped lunch that day. You get used to it. Not all crazy people are locked up. It may be routine for you... but I don't experience these things terrible every day. It's unbelievable. They told me this lift was absolutely safe. And look what happens. It's not the first lift accident. And it won't be the last. I don't like lifts. I prefer the stairs. I suffer from claustrophobia when I'm in an enclosed area. That's why I'm a police man, not a criminal. I'd rather put others in a cell then myself. Do you know how many people get stuck in lifts every year? No idea. 100? 200? Ah, Smit. I just asked this gentleman... how many people get stuck in lifts each year. -A quarter of a million! Each year! Those are the facts. Did you go to the hospital? -The night watchman can't tell us much. He's in shock. It could be days before he can talk. That won't help us. He did say there was someone else in the building. They were going after someone. In the building? A burglar? -That's all I could get out of him. That might have something to do with it. We'll check if there were signs of burglary. We'll have to wait until our friend can give a full statement. He's our only witness. And the blind man? Mr. Vink. He must have fallen in the lift shaft yesterday. He had just bought a holiday house. Looks like an accident. Was there a mechanic? He started this morning. He must be almost finished. Are you doing ok? Why? Who are you? Mieke de Beer of the New Review. The New Review? I've seen it in people's cat litter box. -Our readers are everywhere. Aren't you a bit late? I took pictures this morning. I thought no one was allowed in. -That's what almost everyone thought. Impressive. Are you from Rising Sun? -No, from the lift company. That's something else. For your readers? For my private collection. I heard you've been here all day. That's correct. What was that? Air circulation in the shaft. It makes the cables shake. Nothing to worry about. Are you back again? I asked you to leave. Alright, I'm done. Artistic tie. It was a pleasure, gentlemen. She's cheeky. Sorry, rules are rules. They were wondering how you were going. I checked all the electric circuits. Yes, the electric circuits. That's generally... where failures are located, but everything's working. We can't say that about the victims. The door locks are also working correctly. I couldn't check everything yet, of course. I should go into the shaft. But that would take days. -Would the lift be out of order? Of course. I read about a car accident the other day. A collision, because the traffic lights weren't working. Guess what. What did they find, Smit? Two mice. They found two mice... hidden in the relay box. Nothing was working anymore. I don't think we have a problem with mice. Why not? I wouldn't be surprised. A lift doesn't move on its own or does it? No. What do you want? I thought you were the best choice to ask for a lift. Do you always break into cars? It depends. Only when they're locked. Where do you want to go? -To the city centre. You're lucky. That's where I'm going. It's not a matter of luck. You look so serious. What's wrong with that lift? Didn't you talk to the police? -Of course. Preliminary conclusion. "Tragic accident. Under investigation. We're taking measures to prevent this in the future." Good for the front page. There must be more to it. They would have told you. -You're the expert. I'm very honoured. People aren't decapitated without a reason. A loose relay? -What gave you that idea? The janitor talked about a problem with the lift last week. This is a different problem. -A shame. Why? -I'd have had a good story. You call that good? Do lift accidents happen often? Traffic is a lot more dangerous. Lifts have security systems. Maybe we don't hear about all the accidents. A conspiracy? Cigarette? -No, thanks. You have a nice wife. Have you been married long? -Almost ten years. That's long. Have you been a lift mechanic for long? Have you been a journalist for long? Isn't it boring to go up and down in a lift shaft all day? Come and see me so we can do it together. Ok, I'll shut up. So you read it yourself. Only my own articles. Thanks. It was nice. You're welcome. Do you live here? If you live here. No, this is where my office is. I still have to work. I thought you lived here. -Why would I live at my work? If you find out anything about the lift, give me a call. Your wife's learning fast. We're being beating. Have you both been practicing? -No, she's got talent. Look at that. We're having a night out. Stop worrying. It's not your fault. These things happen. What do you want to drink, Felix? I'll have a beer. Another mineral water for you? I'd prefer... -No, that makes you gain weight. A mineral water then. I had to change all his pants. We need to cheer Felix up tonight. He's taking it too personally. I don't understand it. Two red wine, a beer and a mineral water. Are you two doing alright? The two of us? Why? Are you sure there isn't someone else? You mean another woman? It can happen to anyone. No, not Felix. What an idea. It could have been. No, that's not like Felix. Good, that would only have caused misery. I told Kees years ago. If I find out there's another woman... either you go or I go. He understood. He wouldn't dare. A complete maintenance job? Aren't you exaggerating? We've got enough work already. I'd feel better. There has to be something wrong. I understand how you feel, Felix. But it wasn't your fault. The police say they're accidents. Why would I think otherwise? I want to know the cause. It's not normal. Breuker checked the entire lift last month. He spent weeks on it. He had problems with it too. Who told you that? -That's what they say. It's our newest model. With the newest electronics and security. They spent years of research and money on it. So maintenance takes a bit longer. You have to get used to the technology. And the maintenance log? -Which maintenance log? There was no maintenance log. Did you check everywhere? I couldn't find it. I don't know. I'll ask Steensma. It's his responsibility. But don't you worry. If anything had been wrong, Breuker would have told me. Take some days off. -Why? I feel fine. In a couple of months, we'll merger with the Americans. That will mean a lot of work. So don't create any problems. I just try to do my work well. You're one of our best mechanics. Would you like a promotion? I'll see what I can do. We'll discuss it later. That would be inconvenient. Hello, Felix. -Hey, Spiekie. Do you know the blonde from administration? I have a date with her. Everybody does. -They say she shaves down there. Is it growing that fast? Soon, I'll be able to tell you all about it. Another bloody salami sandwich. Did you know Breuker well? Not very well. I went to see him. He was a mess. he didn't even recognize me. Could Breuker be the type to... mess with a lift? What do you mean? Unscrew a few bolts, out of revenge. No, he was a strange guy, but he loved lifts. I worked with him a few times. He only talked about his work. No, that's nonsense. Strange how someone can change from one day to the next. It happens. One day they're fine and the next... I have to talk to you, Spiekerman. Yes, boss. Go see him. He might be doing better now. I know, Karel. Sorry, I forgot... No, we're partners. I know. I'll send the quote today. I'll do it. Give my regards to your wife. Yes, I will. Bye, Karel. He never does it. What? -Give me your regards. Sometimes I think he suspects something. No, he's too busy. Like you. You have to relax... partner. What's wrong? -I don't want the employees to know. You never worry about that. And your secretary won't be back until 2 pm. We have to be careful. Relax. No one will know. A drink? If Ravenstein saw that... Don't worry. He's having fun. Yes, it's Wednesday. We'll be more comfortable on the couch. Where's your daughter? She's playing outside. Don't worry. You're wearing your black lingerie. Only for you. Why did you scream? What did you do? Come... It's always something with you. Are you a relative? -No, a colleague. How is he? No change. A strange case. He always sits in the middle of the room. He's afraid of the walls. Mr Breuker. Someone to see you. Get a chair. What's wrong with his hands? Last week he broke the TV screen with his hands. We don't know why. Let me know when you're leaving. He's had a lot of sedatives. He won't talk much. Do you remember me? Adelaar, from work. From the lift factory. We never talked very much. What's wrong with the lift? You must know. You've worked on it for weeks. There have been accidents. People died... You have to tell me what you know. What's wrong with that lift? Your colleague just left. My colleague? From the computer firm. Don't you know him? He was here to check the electronic installation. Lifts are pretty complicated. You bet. The things he did! The lifts were out of order for an hour. For an hour? Yes, it can take a while. I hope you're not going to do that too. No, I just came to see if everything's still working. You had me worried. My feet hurt from all those stairs. That's all we have about Rising Sun. Do you understand it all? It's one of the largest internationals in electronics. Did you know that? Is there anything wrong with that? "Charged with bribing politicians and industrial espionage." So what? They all do that. They were on TV the other day. Rising Sun? In a scientific program. When was that? Last week. Didn't you see it? No. But someone else did. Let's have a coffee. You can tell me what's bothering you. I think I understand. A lift has a mechanical part and an electronic part. The electronic part controls the lift. It makes sure all cages don't go to the same floor. Yes, it's the lift's brain. And you think there's a failure in the electronic part. Yes, and it was provided by Rising Sun. Do you think your colleague found out? Yes... I think so. Why would that have driven him insane? Maybe he's got a screw loose too? It's not funny. Why are you so worried about that lift? It's not working normally. -I don't always do that either. But you're not a machine. Thank you. He's with someone else. I knew it. He's got another woman. The bastard! Come! Why don't you go to the police? I don't have any proof. They wouldn't believe me. My newspaper clippings didn't help much. -I now know what kind of company it is. What time will you see them? -I'm about to go there. Alright. What do you mean? -You're not going alone. What? -I'm coming too. I can't bring a journalist. -Why not? NO ADMITTANCE Behave, ok? What can I do for you? Hello, I have an appointment. What's your name? Felix Adelaar. You have an appointment with Mr Kroon from R&D, at 4:45 pm. You're right on time. He forgot his pager. I'll go get him. Put that thing away. -What's wrong? Mr Adelaar? Kroon. I was only expecting you. She's a colleague. We were in the area. A colleague? Doesn't seem like women's work to me. Why not? I don't have a lot of time. What can I do for you? This morning, one of your mechanics... checked the electronics of a lift that I worked on... That's possible. We often do routine checkups. The customer can request it. I wondered if there could be anything wrong with it. With the electronics? With the operating system. That's impossible. Our systems are tested extensively. We have a reputation to uphold. I don't know much about electronics, but why couldn't there be something wrong? Mr Adelaar, we sell our systems all over the world. For lifts... factories, hospitals, nuclear reactors. Everything. We spend millions on research. We can't afford to make mistakes. Our microprocessors are 100% reliable. Are you making them there? What? Your microprocessors. Part of them. The rest comes from Japan. We mainly do maintenance here. I can't help you any further. -I'd like to have a look. I don't have any more time. -Neither do we. We've got work to do. Yes, we have to fix a loose relay in the shaft. Thanks for your time. Don't hesitate if you need more assistance. I will. He wasn't very convincing. Neither were you. I hope I won't get in trouble. Did you believe him? If anything was wrong, he'd never tell us anyway. What do you think is wrong with the electronics? No idea. Do you know? A new recipe? -No, it's a bit burnt. That can happen when you have to wait this long. I don't enjoy being stuck in traffic. Bertie, stop that. And take the cap off. Dad, what's adultery? Adultery? I'll explain that when you're older. Tell her now. -What? Explain adultery to her now. You know it very well. -What do you mean? Don't be stupid. They saw you with a woman. I called your work. They didn't know where you were. -What are you on about? You've been away all day with her. I'm not good enough anymore. You're fed up with me. I won't let you treat me like an idiot. No, we're having dinner. Can you call back later? What? Which professor? Theoretical information science? Doesn't ring a bell. Can it wait until tomorrow? At the university, alright. Yes, I know where it is. See you later. So she's a student. It's not what you think. She's a journalist. How nice for you. Eat up, children. Daddy has an appointment tonight. This is a chip. The biggest discovery made by mankind, according to some. Others say it's a big threat to mankind. It's only a few millimetres in size. A chip consists of thousands of microscopic transistors. They're used everywhere, these days. Society wouldn't function without chips. Soon chips can even regulate... our blood pressure. The end's not in sight. Soon, chips will be able to replace certain brain functions. If I was stupid, which I'm not... one chip could make me smart. Tell us about that computer in the US. In America, they had developed a computer... that was equipped with the newest type of chips. One day, it started working on its own. The computer started to create its own programs. It could not be controlled anymore. So they dug a hole and threw it in. Ditched. Was something wrong with the chips? -Clearly. Lately, scientists have been trying... to make the chips smaller. For this chip, we once needed a computer the size of a room. Look here. This computer's performance was equal to... that of a modern chip. There are only ten years between them. Chips are still getting smaller and smaller. And that's where the danger comes from. Certain outside influences can change the programming of chips. The smaller the chip, the more unstable and unreliable it is. Which influences? Magnetism, static electricity, temperature... ultraviolet light, radioactivity. When chips are exposed to this... their instability can lead to automatic reprogramming. And then they start doing things... that they shouldn't. In Japan, they're experimenting with bio-chips. They're the size of a molecule. They built a computer... a prototype... with chips based on protein. Chips made from organic matter! Did that computer work? It was a total failure. Apparently, the chips were so unstable... that reprogramming occurred immediately. The most fascinating thing... was that the protein chips started to reproduce like rabbits. The computer started generating... its own chips. -It started to grow? Did you hear that, Felix? Did they bury that one too? -I don't know. Maybe it committed hara-kiri. What do you think, Felix? -It's all nonsense. Chips that reproduce... not possible. Why not? A growing computer! Are you sure your friend's a professor? He's the most brilliant person I know. He doesn't make things up. He knows what he's talking about. I think Rising Sun used a device like that in the lift. Breuker found out and went crazy. You drive me crazy as well. You don't want to believe it. Let's find out who's right. -How? We can have a look at the computer in the building. You want to break into it? We'd know who's right. I understand it would make a good story... but I have enough problems as it is. I don't want to piss of my boss. Just because a friend of yours tells crazy stories... about a computer that starts to live its own life. You're afraid. -Yes, that must be it. Are you coming? No, I'll take a cab. That's enough, Van Rooyen. You're not in the circus. How often do I have to tell you? If you want to act like a clown, do it somewhere else. And if you don't like it, get lost. Don't talk too much, ladies. Asshole! I'll get you replaced. Hello, Mr Kraayevanger. Good morning. Hello, Spiek. You're early. I thought you were ill. Ill, why? They told me I had to fill in for you. To do what? -The lift in that office building. I thought you were ill. Did something happen? Someone from the cleaning company got stuck in the shaft. He's dead. The police think he's the one who sabotaged the lift. Why don't they ask me anything? Ah, Mr Adelaar. There you are. What's happening? Why is Spiekerman doing my work? Because you have today off. I have today off? -And the next couple of weeks. You're on sick leave for four weeks. What kind of madness is this? I could have fired you. You didn't show up at work yesterday. We've let important customers down. And I don't like to see private visits... to our business partners. We have an excellent relationship with Rising Sun. And you're suggesting their electronic installations are faulty. I didn't say that at all. -Spiekerman's replacing you. And you can have a rest. It's my lift. -And it's my decision. Stay away from that lift. Understood? What's wrong, Felix? -With me, nothing. But something's wrong with the lift. -I'll service it on Monday. That's a bit late. But they found the guy who did it. -Nonsense. The cleaner. -He's got nothing to do with it. What do you mean? This time he was careless. That got to him. I don't understand why he would have done that. It looks that way. Did you know he had a criminal record? No, he didn't tell me that. What did it say, Smit? Car theft, burglary, drunkenness... See? Not minor stuff. I'm not surprised. I never trusted him. But it's hard to find people, these days. A signature, please. I'm glad I could help. Call me if you need more information. We will. Thanks for your cooperation. My pleasure. Let's focus on something more important. Where are the brochures? In the top drawer. Are you sure the cleaner's guilty? -It's clear. Whenever there was a lift problem, cleaners had been there the day before. That could be a coincidence. We only deal with facts, Smit. And all the facts point in one direction. I'm glad we solved this case, just before my holiday. What time does my plane leave on Monday? Saskia? Where are you? Your mother must be happy. And the kids? I don't know what's wrong with you... How long do you intend... I'm not going to play these crazy games of yours. LIFT MYSTERY SOLVED It's going too far. We've had some bad luck. You told me it couldn't go wrong. It would be a disaster if anyone found out. No one will know. I can't fool my mechanics any longer. I should never have listened to you. Who knows what you've been doing. There are some... problems. We'll find a solution. I don't want to have anything to do with your experiments anymore. I have to think calmly first. You're sick, Kroon. Very sick. I can't leave you alone for one minute. I think most of the fun is over. Why did you take so long? I don't know what you're doing on your nights off. What's he doing here? It wasn't working too well. |
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