1
- She's pretty, the lawyer, huh, Irma?
- Yeah. She is.
They say her brother's a jerk.
I hope the sister's okay.
- What do you think, Karchy?
- Yeah, the sister's okay.
You know her?
I'm the brother.
- What?
- That's enough.
Come on.
- How are you, Mr. Laszlo?
- How are you, Mrs. Kiss?
- Hello, Ann.
- Mrs. Kiss.
- Grandpa, are you tired?
- I'm okay.
You should learn this dance.
Maria, teach him.
- No.
- Yeah.
- Mikey, come on.
- I don't know how, Mom.
- Come on.
- I don't know how.
- So they found the coke on you? Then?
- He began the Miranda.
Then the other agent,
the one with the pigtail...
...he said, " Cuff him." The first one
never finished the Miranda.
Okay, that's it.
- He'll never cop to it.
- We'll make him.
- He's got a history on Miranda.
- Now, they've got two witnesses.
One's a hype.
But the other is solid gold.
We'll dirty the hype
and rub some off on the gold.
- How you gonna do that?
- We'll deal with it. See you.
What about that B-and-E case
we've got tomorrow morning?
- They don't wanna deal.
- They'll deal. Thanks.
You must be a very foxy woman.
Just remember who you are,
scumbag.
- Hi, Annie.
- Hey, Johnny.
- Your secretary's trying to reach you.
- Yeah?
- Call your dad.
- My dad?
- Papa, what are you doing?
- Here, read it.
- Why do you got these old pants on?
- They say I killed people.
I asked you to throw those away.
Come in, it's cold.
- Garbage.
- What is this?
A man brought this, this morning.
I don't know nothing about.
I work in the mill...
...I raise my kids.
It's my country.
I've been here 37 years. I know.
They're going to take
my citizenship away, I'll show you.
- Papa. Papa.
- I'll show you.
Well, this Michael J. Laszlo...
...must have lied when
he went for his citizenship.
He's accused of war crimes.
- Come on. I'll make some tea.
- No. I'll make the tea.
How can they mix up?
- I was a farmer.
- It's not you.
It's not you, they made a mistake.
We will get this all cleared up.
Mrs. Talbot, are you here as
Mr. Laszlo's attorney?
No, no, I just wanna get
this thing cleared up.
- Papa, take your coat off.
- No.
- Take your coat off.
- No.
This is Jack Burke, he's from
the Office of Special Investigations.
- How do you do, Mrs. Talbot?
- Wanna go in?
- Mr. Laszlo.
- Mike Laszlo.
My father.
Look, this is a mistake.
You've got the wrong
Michael J. Laszlo.
Like hell we do.
- I beg your pardon.
- We don't have the wrong man.
I didn't do any of this. Lt is not me.
I'm a citizen, I'm a...
I'm a good American.
If you're a good American,
this country's in big trouble.
What the hell is this?
You don't talk to him this way.
I won't allow anyone
to talk to him this way.
I know why you do this to me.
I know why.
The Communists are doing this to me.
They are getting back at me.
Because of what you did
to the dancers five years ago?
Went on TV, talked to the newspaper.
Made the dancers stop.
That's what I did. That's all.
With all that activity, Mr. Laszlo,
you gave yourself a nice alibi.
Are you accusing him
of being anti-Communist?
Ln addition to the crimes he would have
committed 40 years ago?
Why wasn't he charged earlier?
The witness reports were locked away
in the United Nations until last year.
- That's why he wasn't charged sooner.
- I don't...
- Papa.
- Wait, Annie. I don't hurt nobody.
I work in the steel mill.
I raise my kids. My boy, my girl.
My boy was an American soldier.
He fought in Vietnam.
My girl, I'm proud.
She is American lawyer.
And you, you laugh at me.
You son of a bitch.
Mrs. Talbot, you should know
the Hungarian government...
- ...has already filed for extradition.
- What?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Lt means if your citizenship
is taken away...
- ...you'll be sent to Hungary for trial.
- They'll send me to die.
Nobody is going to take away
your citizenship, Papa.
- Papa, nobody.
- Yeah.
I don't know, Papa.
We'll get you a lawyer,
we'll get you the very best lawyer.
- You're gonna be my lawyer.
- No, Papa.
I don't know anything
about naturalization.
We'll get you the best
immigration lawyer.
- Papa, I'm a criminal lawyer.
- They say I'm a criminal.
They say I'm a humanity criminal.
The car is here.
The first time you kissed a boy,
he touched you...
...we came here.
I didn't know what to say.
We came here.
Words came easier here.
Your mama helped me.
What did I know about...?
About raising a girl?
Here.
You remember, Annie?
We were in the refugee camp.
After the war, in Austria...
...I met your mama there.
Now you have the same age...
...like your mama when she died,
Annie.
They came around the camps.
Hungarian Communist officials
from Budapest...
...looking for anti-Communists.
They say you are a war criminal
and send you back to Hungary...
...hang you from a tree.
" Repatriation, "
that's what they call it.
Everybody knew that if you said
you were a farmer...
...you got to America quicker.
America had a quota for farmers.
I said I was a farmer.
I got here quick.
Weren't you a farmer, Papa?
Yeah. I was a farmer when I was...
When I was a boy.
Well, what were you then?
I was a gendarme. A policeman.
A gendarme.
No, no, don't look at me like that,
Annie. I didn't do anything bad.
Crazy Hungarian Nazis, they took over.
I told them:
" I want to be a clerk in the office."
So that's what I did.
I was a clerk in the office.
Come here. Come here.
Give me your hand.
And so the legal paper,
what it said I did...
...you think I did that?
Oh, no.
Oh, no, Papa.
Yeah, it was so cold.
- Hi.
- Hi, Grandpa.
I didn't know you were here.
- Stopped by to see Mikey.
- Hi, Mom.
- Hi, baby.
- Mischka.
- Saw you on TV.
- Yeah, we saw you on TV.
It's all fake. We'll talk later.
You wanna make some popcorn,
Mikey? Lot of salt?
No salt, Papa.
- Lot of salt, Annie. Paprika.
- Come on, Grandpa.
What that?
I asked my dad to help...
For him to help me get rid
of the rust. But he didn't know how.
Give me a Coca-Cola and a sponge.
He wants me to represent him.
Were Harry, I wouldn't
represent him.
- Bye, Mikey. Bye, Mischka.
- Bye, Dad.
- Bye, Dean.
- What if he did it?
Oh, Christ, Dean.
You'd still love him. He's still your dad.
Blood's thicker than spilled blood.
That sounds just like something
Harry would say, not you.
I'm just saying, don't represent him.
It's not just another case to win.
I always say my prayers
and do my pushups.
Maybe it does good, maybe not.
You gotta pass, run, try everything
to make a touchdown, Mikey.
Do you always
do your pushups, Mikey?
- Yeah, makes a healthy body.
- A healthy body makes a healthy spirit.
God, you're strong, Grandpa.
Getting weaker every day.
No, you're not.
You wanna talk about the TV?
- Okay.
- It's not me they're talking about.
They made a mistake.
I didn't kill anybody or hurt anybody.
- That's not your grandpa.
- I know, Grandpa.
Your mama, she's a good lawyer.
- She'll defend you?
- Yeah, we're a family.
- You got trouble, I help. I got trouble...
- I help.
You help.
If somebody says something
about your grandpa...
...one of your friends, you say:
" Fuck you! Jump in the lake."
I can say that?
- Good night, Mikey.
- Good night, Grandpa.
Papa?
- Papa, I'll represent you.
- Good.
"Good"? That's all?
- Very good.
- Oh, "very good."
I need to know everything about you,
everything that they might know.
I think you should stay here with me
and Mikey for a while.
No. I'll go to my own house.
But we can work better out
of here, Papa.
It's not gonna be easy.
Papa?
It'll be okay.
It'll be okay, Papa.
No, Annie, it's never
going to be okay again.
Hey, hey. Hey, nice boots.
You're looking good.
Good-looking butt too.
- Hi. How you doing?
- Hey, Karchy.
- Why don't you come inside.
- No, no, I forgot my tie.
Listen, I got a list of guys
from the mill who are gonna testify.
- Okay? I can get more if you want to.
- No, this will be enough, this is...
You're gonna get him out of this,
ain't you?
- Ain't you?
- Yes.
I mean, you better. Because if this
was a bar fight and he needed me...
...I'd slice some nuts. Pop, he busted
his guts 30 years in that fucking mill.
- He did it all for us here, you know?
- I know that, Karchy.
- Well, what's going on?
- Well, I have to put the case together.
He ain't no fucking case, he's Pop.
Now, you're gonna have
to slice some nuts here.
Karchy, why do you always
have to talk so crude?
What? You know another way of slicing
nuts without being crude?
I'm gonna have to get crude here.
Go to work.
I just don't want you losing clients
because I'm working out of this office.
I'll work out of my
ex-father-in-law's office.
- She returns to Harry Talbot.
- Just for the trial.
Here, these are Monday's hearings.
- These trials last for years, Ann.
- Oh, not this one, Mackie.
Harry was in the OSS during the war,
you know.
And the OSS becomes the CIA.
And the CIA sets up its first little
spy apparatus in Europe...
...by putting a bunch of Gestapo guys
on the payroll.
Word is Harry used to sip his bourbon
with Klaus Barbie.
Well, now, the word I heard was that
he sipped bourbon with senators.
He even sipped bourbon
in the White House a couple times.
I never heard anything
about Klaus Barbie.
Those are all next week.
Why don't you get somebody else
to represent your father?
Get that guy from Cleveland.
He handled that Dimuna...
That Demjena... That Dimjolt guy,
whatever his name was.
Take it easy.
He wants me to represent him.
What do you know about
40 years ago...
...in a part of the world
you've never been?
What do we know about our parents?
Oh, I know him, Mackie.
He raised me.
Have you ever thought about
his fantasies?
- How he makes love?
- Oh, Lord.
I don't understand why
you can't work out of here.
Maybe she's afraid you're gonna be
going through her drawers.
- God knows I tried.
- Very funny, Sandy.
This isn't funny, Annie.
This is Uncle Sam's big truck...
...coming down full-bore.
- Hi, Harry.
- So we finally got you back, did we?
After all these years of your
ethnic airs about working up here.
Mrs. Cooper will take care
of everything for you. Bourbon for me.
Dean likes yuppie drinks. Sometimes
the apple falls far from the tree.
We got our judge.
- Erwin Silver.
- Silver, you kidding?
I wish a jury could hear this.
A daughter defending her father
would strike them as heartrending.
It's not gonna strike Erwin Silver
as heartrending, I'll tell you.
- All I know about him is that he's fair.
- Sure he is.
I don't care that he's Jewish,
I care that he's fair.
I care that he's fair.
Ln this case, I also care
that he's Jewish.
Probably lean over backwards though.
He'll have to.
You think you could claim bias?
Have his verdict put aside?
Harry, I hadn't even thought of that.
You don't have a prayer,
you know that?
The Holocaust is the world's
sacred cow.
Holocaust survivors
are secular saints.
You'd be better off pissing on
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier...
...than trying to cross-examine him.
- How's my grandson?
- Fine.
That's all you ever say about him.
" He's fine."
He's fine.
When you've settled in, you can use my
secretaries, they're at your disposal.
By the way, Mischka didn't do it,
did he?
This is it.
- So I'll see you later then?
- Yeah.
Bring me a Scotch and a bottle
of whatever Mrs. Talbot's drinking.
I had a professor
in law school who'd say:
" Don't ever let a case beat you down.
Always trust what you feel inside."
But he wasn't a litigator.
He was dropping pearls of wisdom
on young, idealistic students.
You're trusting your heart.
And you're going to get it broken.
What are you trusting,
your ambitions?
Lt must be devastating to have to read
those things about someone you love.
I'm sorry.
I don't want your condescension.
Come on, have a drink.
You've got the wrong man.
I wish we did.
You know, it's a perfect camouflage.
Raise a couple of all-American kids...
...and you avoid even a shadow
of suspicion.
- You know, you're his perfect alibi.
- Yeah?
I'm sorry.
Oh, violence runs in the family.
Fuck you.
Now, when I say go,
we both point to the right.
Go.
- Hey, porcupine. Come here.
- Hi.
- Dinner's ready.
- Point to the right, will you?
I'm not gonna eat.
How can you watch this?
What's the matter?
How would you feel, Papa,
if we had a Jewish judge?
You think it's a good idea?
A funny idea, that's for sure.
- He's a good judge.
- Okay. If you think so, it's okay.
Papa, why didn't we ever
have any Jewish friends?
How are we gonna meet?
Our friends, we see at church,
on the west side.
Jews live on the other side.
At mill, I have Jewish friends.
Why didn't you ever invite them
to the house?
They no invite me to come over.
At the university,
you dated a Jewish boy.
I told you not to date a Jewish boy.
Papa, tell me about
the Special Section.
Those...
...killers. Close to the SS.
Commando.
I don't know.
I've got nothing to do with them.
Papa...
...they have a Photostat
of a Special Section ID card...
...with your signature,
with your picture on it.
It's not possible.
Where did they get it?
The Hungarian government
turned it over to them.
I tell you, they...
They put my gendarme picture
on it.
My... My writing.
To fake. To fake the card.
They got witnesses.
Witnesses who identify you.
They're accusing you
of horrible things, Papa.
Annie, the Communists said to them:
" Better for you if you identify him."
Isn't there some record
somewhere, Papa?
Some record of your assignment
as a clerk?
They're going to tell you
they don't have it.
Lt was lost in the bombings.
The Americans drop bombs in the war.
That's funny.
Annie...
...are you upset at me?
Or at the case?
Lt makes me sick, Papa.
They took those people...
...women and children, and they
lined them up on the riverbank.
That's why I came to America.
Lt made me ashamed
of being Hungarian.
You are American.
We are American.
You're lucky...
...to be young in America.
Not in Europe...
...during the war.
Let's start from the beginning.
- Let's start from the beginning.
- Okay.
- " Had." Had a dog. Had a dog.
- What?
- " Had, " not " has."
- Maybe we should forget this, go home.
Six million dead! Six million dead!
Six million dead!
- I'm not scared, Grandpa.
- Me either.
Nazi, go home! Nazi, go home!
You see them?
They've already decided I'm guilty.
See, Mike, it's white folks like you that
ruin a nice integrated neighbourhood.
Okay, gypsy, you piss on the poor man.
Everybody piss on the poor man.
Gypsy piss too.
I've gotta sneak into my own house
like a robber.
Mikey, no, no, no.
I'm not afraid, Grandpa.
Go home! Nazi, go home!
Nazi, go home!
Okay.
I'll get the stuff you want.
- Is this your wedding picture?
- Yeah, it is.
Ann looks just like her mother.
Lt must have been hard,
a widower with two kids.
Ln the beginning, yeah.
But then Annie took care of everything.
I like you better
with a moustache, I think.
You need the bank papers too?
Yes, everything.
Come away from there.
- Are you okay?
- Yeah, I'm fine.
Get out of here. Leave us alone!
- Nazi, go home! Nazi, go home!
- Leave us alone!
- Nazi, go home! Nazi, go home!
- Go, go, go. Come on. Come on.
You must be elated this morning.
Old man in a Bears cap,
his arm around his grandson...
...being threatened by
a screaming mob. A jury will love it.
I think he should be shot
for taking Mikey over there.
What jury? I won't have a jury.
Sure you will.
The world will be your jury.
Even paragons of virtue like
Judge Silver are human beings.
- Good morning, Mr. Talbot.
- Morning, Jimmy.
I did some checking
on your prosecutor.
I didn't ask you to do that.
He was a federal prosecutor
in Philadelphia, good one.
Never lost a case.
Nine months ago, he shows up
at Justice in Washington...
...volunteers for
Special Investigations.
I'll make phone calls to Philadelphia,
find out what happened there.
I can handle my own case, Harry,
I don't need any help.
From what I hear with this case, you're
gonna need all the help you can get.
What's that supposed to mean?
- Hear from who?
- Hear from "whom."
I thought you'd mastered
the English language.
- Hear from whom?
- Better.
- Hey, Georgine!
- Don't you have a boy to get home to?
Georgine, I found it.
Same thing happened before.
A man by the name of Walus,
charged with war crimes in Lithuania.
They prepare this elaborate case,
they bring him to trial...
...they brought over all these
witnesses. He was the wrong man.
The wrong man.
The witnesses were mistaken.
They simply had the wrong man.
The judge found him innocent.
Yeah, so tell me about my dad.
Well, he goes to church,
to the cemetery.
He buys strudel at the bakery,
he plays checkers in the park.
He even makes a few bets on the Cubs
and the Bears games.
Oh, I'm gonna have to tell Karchy.
He's always after Karchy for betting.
- Do you know an Irma Kiss?
- Who?
Mrs. Irma Kiss, a widow.
Oh, Kiss. Yes, Irma Kiss.
She makes doughnuts at the church.
- That ain't all she makes.
- What?
Off and on for 10 years now.
Three, four times a month.
I don't believe it.
No.
Now, he doesn't spend
a lot of money...
...but he did spend much more
for a while a couple of years ago...
...but then I guess he learned
to stick to $10 bets.
- Who's Tibor Zoldan?
- I don't know.
Mike wrote him a $2000 check
three years ago.
It's the biggest check
he's ever written.
This group he belongs to,
the Attila Circle...
...it's just a bunch of little old guys
who drag out the picket signs...
...whenever some dimwit
Communist diplomat...
...makes the mistake
of coming over here.
Honestly, Ann, I don't think there's
no devil here to advocate.
What?
Irma Kiss.
Papa, who's Tibor Zoldan?
A friend from the refugee camp.
He went back to the old country,
then he came here.
I gave him some money
to get started...
...and he got himself killed
in a car accident...
...and then I didn't
get my money back.
Are you ready?
I've spent my whole life
trying to forget what I saw.
- Now I have to remember.
- We have to do this, Papa.
All right, let's begin with Mrs. Kiss.
Irma Kiss?
Jesus Christ.
Damn lawyers.
They find out everything.
Papa, why didn't you
ever marry her?
I couldn't marry anyone
after your mama.
You didn't need another mama.
How about you?
You meet anybody
since you got divorced?
Well, yeah.
I mean, I've met a few men.
What about Dean?
Yeah. What about Dean?
He's a nice man.
- And he still loves you, Annie.
- Okay.
Tell me how you joined
the gendarmes.
Papa was a peasant.
We were very poor.
I didn't go to school. No money.
I liked the gendarme.
They paid good,
had a nice uniform...
...with a feather on the hat.
And the music.
- Hello.
- Well, hello.
So you wanna take a swing at me this
time? Ls that why you invited me here?
Look, I've always had a working
relationship with the other side.
We just got off on the wrong foot.
The night before court, you wanna
work on the working relationship.
Terrific.
What do you really want?
My father was manager
of a restaurant.
- Yeah?
- But he didn't have music like this.
And the room wasn't near
as pretty as this.
Yeah. I...
I wasn't too keen on the smell
of grilled onions...
...so after I got my degree,
I became a...
I worked for the county
as an assistant to the DA.
And after a while...
...Uncle Sam came after me.
Here I am, and here we are.
Cheers.
So how does a Laszlo
become a Talbot?
It's easy to fall in love when you've
got something in common.
Oh, yeah? Like what?
Like he didn't wanna be
a Talbot anymore...
...and I didn't want to stay a Laszlo.
Sounds like heaven.
So, what happened?
With all these lofty ambitions?
Lt was a big move from
Damon Avenue to Lake Forest.
I guess I never quite got there.
What is this stuff? It's unusual, huh?
It's good, but it's different.
It's called Bull's Blood.
Lt kind of sneaks up on you.
Clobbers you.
I bet.
- It's a Hungarian trait.
- Really?
I heard about your wife. I'm sorry.
You must've felt very bad.
Yes. Lt was...
...a terrible accident.
The police report said
you were drunk.
Lt must not have been very easy
to cover up.
You know, I liked you, Mrs. Talbot.
Now I think I must have
misjudged you.
You are your father's daughter.
Well, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to upset you.
Yes, you did.
You find the soft spot,
then you like to turn the knife.
So didn't joining legal aid
ease the guilt, Jack?
What if going after war criminals
doesn't do it either?
What are you gonna do then?
You're gonna find Jesus.
You're gonna get yourself born-again?
Do you honestly think you need
a self-serving reason...
...to justify prosecuting
war criminals?
I think maybe you should get
another lawyer, Mrs. Talbot.
Maybe a real lawyer
to defend your father.
One who's not emotionally involved.
If you like, I'll accept
a postponement while you...
...get a replacement.
And by the way...
...they never pressed charges
because there was no case.
I was innocent.
But they could've pressed charges,
couldn't they, Jack?
They could've built a case
if they wanted to.
Just like you're doing
with my father.
I fail to see how you can equate
one with the other, Mrs. Talbot...
...but maybe you can in court.
Good evening.
I hope you enjoy your dinner.
Smile, Papa.
How can I smile? I'm scared.
I'm going to pee in my pants.
Papa, I want you to be
real friendly with Georgine.
Talk to her. Smile at her.
Mike Laszlo.
Six million lies!
We're behind you, Mike!
God be with you.
Mike is innocent.
Mike is innocent.
Any statement, Mrs. Talbot?
Hi. Hi. Annie.
Annie, can I sit up here
with you guys?
Karchy. Give Karchy a hug.
- I saw him this morning.
- Give him a hug.
- Okay. Okay.
- Go sit down.
- Why?
- Tomorrow, wear a suit. Go sit down.
- Can I...?
- Sit down.
Talk to Georgine.
A lot of people here, gypsy.
All rise.
Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye.
United States District Court...
...for the northern district
of Illinois is now in session.
The Honourable Erwin W. Silver,
judge, presiding.
God save the United States
and this honourable court.
Please be seated
and come to order.
Case number 89-CN-22-80:
The United States of America
v. Michael J. Laszlo.
I will tolerate no outbursts,
disturbances or interruptions.
You may make
your opening statements.
Thank you, Your Honour.
May it please the court.
- Mr. Burke.
- Counsel?
Mr. Burke.
The issue in this case is simple.
The evidence will show
that Michael J. Laszlo...
...lied on his application
for American citizenship...
...and was granted that citizenship
under false pretences.
His citizenship, consequently,
must be taken away.
He lied in order to hide the fact...
...that in the latter months of 1944
and the early months of 1945...
...he served as a member of an
SS-organized Hungarian death squad...
...known as Arrow Cross.
Also called the Special Section...
...a unit of the Hungarian gendarmes.
Mr. Laszlo committed crimes
so heinous that the mind boggles...
...trying to comprehend them.
We are not speaking here
of the banality of evil...
...of an anonymous bureaucrat
sitting in an office giving orders...
...or a gendarme executing orders.
We are speaking of a man...
...who committed these heinous crimes
with his own hands.
We are speaking of evil incarnate.
Thank you, Your Honour.
- Your Honour, if it please the court.
- Mrs. Talbot.
- Counsel.
- Mrs. Talbot.
Your Honour...
...the issue here is not
whether my father lied...
...on his application
for American citizenship.
That is a smoke screen.
Yes. My father did lie.
But he did so because he did not
want to be repatriated...
...by a Communist government
that either executed...
...or sent to work camps
all those who opposed it.
My father was a gendarme.
But he was not a member
of the Special Section.
My father worked as a clerk
in an office.
He requested that assignment
because he could not tolerate...
...the brutalities that he witnessed
his fellow gendarmes commit.
My father is simply an innocent man
who is unjustly accused.
He is a man who is
being punished by proxy...
...by a Communist government
for an action he committed...
...against representatives
of that government five years ago.
- Your Honour, with your permission.
- You may.
Would you please?
At an appearance here of the
Hungarian National Folk Dancers...
...a group belonging
to the Communist government...
...my father forced
the performance to halt.
The tour was cancelled,
my father was arrested.
Charges were later dismissed.
The Hungarian government
lodged an official protest...
...over the dismissal of those charges.
The State Department
rejected that protest.
His action was a demonstration
against the repressive policies...
...of the Communist government.
Policies which resulted...
...in the deaths of 15,000 people during
the Hungarian revolution of 1956.
My father is a good man.
He's the kind of man who is willing
to put himself at risk against injustice.
I know that, Your Honour.
And before this trial is over,
I will prove it to you.
Thank you.
Yeah.
You may call your first witness,
Mr. Burke.
I'm employed by the United States
Department of Justice...
...the Immigration and
Naturalization Service...
...at the Forensic Document Laboratory
in McLean, Virginia.
I'm a senior forensic
document examiner.
Now, what is the date
of the Arrow Cross...
...Special Section
identification card?
November 1, 1944.
Now, what is the date
of the immigration card...
...issued upon arrival
to the United States...
...the so-called green card?
February 12, 1952.
Mr. Nathanson...
...what is your conclusion
concerning the two documents?
My conclusion is that the
photographs are of the same man...
...and the signatures
are of the same man:
Michael J. Laszlo.
Did you conduct an examination
as to the authenticity...
...of the government exhibit one,
the Special Section ID card?
Objection, Your Honour.
Government exhibit one is not
a Special Section identification card.
Lt is a Photostat of a Special
Section identification card.
Sustained.
I conducted a full-phase examination
of the Photostat I was provided...
...to determine whether there'd been
alteration in any form.
What methods did you use?
I studied the document under
low-power stereoscopic microscope...
...to determine background tone.
Ln addition, I did a photo study
and handwriting analysis...
...using all scientifically
accepted methods.
And what is your conclusion,
Mr. Nathanson?
The exhibit is authentic
in my opinion.
Your witness.
Mr. Nathanson...
...when you say you did a photo study,
you mean you did a photo study...
- ...of a Photostat, isn't that correct?
- Yes.
Your Honour, may I approach
the witness?
Yes.
The fact that government exhibit
number one is a Photostat...
...and not the document itself,
did that hinder you in any way?
I felt I was not restricted
by the Photostat.
But would you have felt more
confident in your conclusions...
...if you were dealing with
the ID card itself?
I feel confident in my conclusions
without it.
Mr. Nathanson, when analyzing
a Photostat...
...to authenticate a document...
...is it possible to consider
the texture of the original document?
A Photostat examined
microscopically...
...would show any alteration
in the paper.
Can you authenticate the age
of the paper with a Photostat?
- Ilndirectly, yes.
- Indirectly?
- Yes.
- But the only way to authenticate it...
...directly is by having
the original document.
Yes.
So, Mr. Nathanson, your conclusions
here today are not definitive, are they?
Ln my opinion, they are.
- Ln your opinion?
- Yes.
Mr. Nathanson, are you Jewish?
Objection, Your Honour. The witness's
religion is not relevant here.
Lt relates directly, Your Honour,
to his objectivity as a witness.
He just stated he was offering
an opinion.
He offered conclusions
based on 30 years of experience...
- ...in the Justice Department.
- Overruled.
You may answer the question.
I'm Unitarian.
But I am part Jewish
on my father's side.
- Yeah.
- No further questions, Your Honour.
- Mr. Burke?
- Nothing further, Your Honour.
We will adjourn until
tomorrow morning.
First witness, and her bottom line is,
"Are you Jewish?"
Yes!
Georgine, find out where the witnesses
from Hungary are staying.
I wanna know who they see
and what they talk about.
They're gonna be speaking
Hungarian.
I understand Hungarian.
Don't I, Papa?
You wear a suit tomorrow. You sit
next to me, like Annie. Both my kids.
- It's in the dry cleaner's, Pop.
- Well, get it out.
Hi, Grandpa. I saw you on TV again.
- Hey, honey.
- Hey, Mom.
Let me see.
- What's the matter with your eye?
- Nothing.
- What happened?
- I'm fine.
- Lt was just a fight at school.
- Show me.
- Let's put something on it.
- I'm fine.
Sons of a bitches!
- Goddamn them to fucking hell.
- Good night, Mr. Laszlo.
Why, you!
Hon, put this one on. This is fresh.
Oh, Mikey. Why do you watch them?
They're so violent.
- No, they're not. They're funny.
- No, they're stupid.
Can I go to the trial with you?
It's not for kids, honey.
I already know all about
that stuff anyway.
- Yeah?
- Grandpa told me all about it.
What did he tell you?
It's a secret
just between him and me.
You can't tell me?
He said it's all a big exaggeration.
The Holocaust and stuff.
It's all made-up.
He said that?
You're not gonna say anything,
are you?
Keep that on your eye.
- Just keep it on your eye.
- Wise guy. I'll plank him.
Turn this off, Mikey.
You've got homework.
- That was a stupid thing to say.
- What did I say?
What you said to Mikey
about the Holocaust.
- I didn't say anything to him.
- Don't lie to me, Papa.
- I'm not lying to you.
- He just told me.
He didn't!
Grandpa Talbot.
You said you wouldn't say anything!
All rise.
- Come, sit up here.
- Please be seated.
Just keep your mouth shut today.
Call your next witness, Mr. Burke.
May we see you in chambers,
Your Honour?
You may.
All rise.
- What's going on, Annie?
- I don't know.
- What's going on, Pop?
- I don't know.
I have some good news,
Your Honour.
The Hungarian government
has turned over...
...the Special Section ID card itself
to the Justice Department labs.
Maybe that will clarify everything.
Do you have a problem with that,
Mrs. Talbot?
No, Your Honour.
It's funny. I score some points
on one of your witnesses...
...and they throw something
in the pot from Budapest.
They prosecuting the case,
or are you?
Come on. We've been working
for months...
...through the embassies
to get the original card.
The way you've been carrying
on about Photostat...
...you should be jumping with joy.
I'll let your forensic-documents man
examine it first.
- Will a week be sufficient?
- Yes, Your Honour. Thank you.
Mrs. Hollo, tell us what happened...
...on the afternoon
of January the 11 Th, 1945.
I worked at the steam dry cleaners.
I left work early that day because
the bombings were especially heavy.
Do you approve
of the translation, Papa?
- All the buildings were on fire.
- Yeah.
There was smoke everywhere.
The air-raid sirens were on.
Lt was at Kalvin's Square
where I saw them.
Who did you see?
I saw three men in black uniforms.
I knew they were Special Section
Arrow Cross.
- This one can't even speak English.
- Karchy.
Karchy.
Shut up.
They were talking to my neighbour,
Mrs. Canter, and her 10-year-old son.
Then one of them yelled
at the woman, "You gypsy whore.
- What are you doing here?"
- What did Mrs. Canter say?
She started to cry and she said,
" No, I'm not a gypsy."
Then he yelled at her,
" If you're not a Jew...
...tell your boy to say
the 'Our Father."'
She started to cry so hard
she couldn't even speak.
And the others just laughed.
It's all right. Take your time.
What happened?
He shot her in the head.
Then the boy threw himself
on top of her...
...and then he shot the boy
in the head also.
Then one of them said,
" Mischka, let's get out of here."
And they just walked away.
He called him Mischka?
Yes.
Mrs. Hollo...
...is this the man...
...that shot the mother and the boy?
Yes. This is the man.
He walked right by me
when they left.
He was so close I could have
reached out and touched him.
No further questions, Your Honour.
Your witness.
Mrs. Hollo, you must have
an amazing memory...
...to recognize a face you saw only
briefly 40 years ago.
- Your Honour?
- Yes.
Mrs. Hollo...
...did you place a phone call
to Budapest last night?
Objection. Irrelevant and immaterial.
This woman is not on trial here.
Relates to the witness' state
of mind.
The witness' state of mind
is not the issue here.
- I will allow it. Get to the point soon.
- Did you place a call to Budapest?
Yes. I spoke to my son.
And what does your son do
in Hungary?
Objection. Her son's life
has no bearing on this trial.
Overruled.
What does your son do?
He's deputy to the assistant
agricultural minister.
- He's a Communist official?
- Objection. This is red baiting.
I must be able to question this
witness regarding motivation.
Excuse me, how would you know
she made a phone call?
Counsel, would you approach
the bench, please?
- How do you know she called?
- I was fishing, Your Honour.
Yeah. What did you do,
wiretap the room?
If Mr. Burke is accusing me
of an illegal act...
- ...he should do it formally.
- She'll turn this into a circus.
- You'd like that, wouldn't you?
- Mr. Burke, in this courtroom...
...address your arguments to me,
not to opposing counsel.
Mrs. Talbot, you may pursue
this line of inquiry...
...but do it quickly,
and make your point.
Thank you.
- My objection stands, for the record.
- Objection is overruled, for the record.
Ls your son a Communist official?
Government officials are
members of the Communist party.
Mrs. Hollo, when you identified the
photograph of my father in Budapest...
...did you speak with your son
about it?
Yes.
And did your son tell you...
...that my father had once
been arrested...
...for disrupting the Hungarian National
Folk Dancers?
- Objection, Your Honour.
- Overruled.
- Did he?
- No. He did not.
But you know it now.
Yes.
But this has nothing to do
with my testimony here.
No?
No further questions,
Your Honour.
- Mr. Burke?
- Nothing further, Your Honour.
We will recess for one hour.
Georgine Wheeler, please.
Pop, I've got a lot of good
salami sandwiches here.
- Want one?
- She say when she'd be back?
- Harry.
- Mischka, don't worry.
They're never gonna send you back.
- Salami?
- Both of us will be dead...
- ...before the appeals are exhausted.
- Yes.
I thought you did real good,
considering.
Annie, you want a salami sandwich?
You know, I don't understand
what the hell is going on here.
Trouble with these young clowns
in Washington today...
...they're so full of glasnost
and building Hilton hotels over there.
They should never have gotten
into court.
- Why'd you say that to Mikey?
- What did I say?
The Holocaust was all made-up.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Mikey and I never discuss politics.
Where have you been?
Getting information
from those Hungarian witnesses.
Do you swear to tell the truth...
...the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
- Yeah, I do.
- Please be seated.
- Mr. Boday, do you speak English?
- Little.
We could use the interpreter
if you'd like to speak Hungarian.
I try English.
Mr. Burke.
- Mr. Boday, where do you reside?
- Ln Budapest.
And where did you reside
in December of 1944?
Ln Budapest ghetto.
Mr. Boday, can you describe
to us the events...
...that took place there
on December the 14th, 1944?
Night, 7:00.
One room we're in.
My mother, father...
...my brother, my wife, Clara,
my boy.
- How old was your boy?
- He 7 year old.
- They come.
- Who came in?
Special Section.
They come in. Machine gun, uniform.
- Black. All black.
- You must look at the witness.
On arm...
- How you say?
- What?
- Look at him.
- " Insignia."
Insignia.
- "Arrow Cross."
- Arrow Cross.
Did you know about
the Arrow Cross before, Mr. Boday?
Yeah. We see Arrow Cross before.
How many of them were there,
Mr. Boday?
Four.
Two leaders.
One have scar on face.
Other, big boss, Mischka.
- His name was Mischka?
- Yeah. They called him Mischka.
What did they do then, Mr. Boday?
Mischka, he the most talk. He say:
"You got jewel, diamonds.
All you Jews got gold."
My father say, "We got nothing."
- Then what happened?
- Mischka, he...
He take my wife. He say:
"Open mouth, pig."
He look at teeth.
He say, " Plenty gold."
And then?
They take us from ghetto.
Very cold. Snow.
We march in street.
My mother fall.
One of them, not Mischka...
...he with a scar...
...he beat her on head with rifle.
We keep march.
No see Mama again.
She stay in street.
- Where did they march you?
- They march us to the Duna riverbank.
Danube.
By bridge. Lanchid.
To a field.
Many people there. Jews.
Mischka say, "All you get bath,
water cold, kill fleas."
And what happened there, Mr. Boday,
on the riverbank of the Danube?
They tell us:
"Stand close."
We stand close.
They take wire.
They wrap wire around us,
two group.
Very tight.
They move us to the edge
of bank of river.
Mischka say:
"Sorry, we no got enough
the bullet."
He take pistol, go behind my Clara.
He say:
"One for you, pig."
He shoot.
He come behind us...
...he put pistol to my father head...
...he shoot.
And then push us in Duna.
So he shot your wife and then your
father and dumped you in the river.
Your Honour, that is not a question,
that is a speech.
Sustained.
Yeah. They... They push from edge.
We wired together.
Duna very cold.
They think we all die.
How did you survive, Mr. Boday?
I don't know. I feel I died.
We got swept to riverbank.
I got hand out, take wire off.
Father dead...
...boy dead.
I no see Clara in water.
Mr. Boday...
...is this the man that shot
your wife and your father...
- ...and pushed you in the river?
- Yeah. That is Mischka.
Ls there any doubt in your mind
that that is the man, Mr. Boday?
I see him 40 year every night
I close eyes.
Lt is Mischka.
No further questions, Your Honour.
Your witness.
Mr. Boday, would you care to take
a short recess before we begin?
Mr. Boday...
...how did you identify my father
as the man...
...who did these things
to your family?
They come to me six month ago,
show me photograph.
They showed you a photograph?
- Objection, the witness is misspeaking.
- He's coaching the witness.
Let the witness speak for himself,
Mr. Burke.
They show me many photographs
of many people.
Who showed you
these photographs?
Mr. Burke...
...man from American Embassy...
...man from Interior Ministry
and translator.
And what did they tell you?
Mr. Burke, he say he investigate
war criminal.
He find in United Nations
my affidavit what happened.
He say, " I think they find man."
How many photographs
were shown to you?
- Many.
- This guy's a fake.
Were there 10 or 20?
Were there 100?
- Twelve or 15.
- Well, which was it? Was it 12 or 15?
- I no remember.
- You don't remember?
- How were they displayed to you?
- Displayed?
They put on table.
And of these 12 or 15 photos...
...where was my father's picture
on the table?
- I don't remember exactly.
- You don't remember?
And were the men in
the photographs all the same age?
Yeah. All of them young, like Mischka.
How long did it take you
to recognize the photo?
Mr. Boday, you said that you
dreamed of this man every night...
...for 40 years,
that you couldn't forget.
So how long did it take?
Can you give us your best estimate?
As soon as I see him.
Mr. Boday, are you a member
of the Communist party?
Objection, Your Honour.
Irrelevant and immaterial.
Relates to his believability
as a witness.
No member. I no like Communist.
They know I no like them.
What they can do to me?
I old man, no have family.
Nobody can no hurt me no more.
You have your answer, Mrs. Talbot.
No further questions, Your Honour.
Mr. Burke?
We will adjourn until
tomorrow morning.
Mr. Vamos, tell us where
you were between...
...December of 1944
and January, 1945.
Ln Budapest. Forced labour.
- Where did you work?
- At bank of Duna, Danube River.
Lanchid Interrogation Centre.
What were your duties there?
- Clean up.
- Mr. Vamos...
...do you remember meeting a man
there in the Special Section...
...known as Mischka?
Everybody know Mischka.
Everybody afraid.
Mischka worst.
Why was that, Mr. Vamos?
Why was he the worst?
Mischka and his group enjoy.
Mr. Vamos,
what was it that Mischka did...
...at the interrogation Centre
that you saw him enjoying?
Mischka liked kill Jew. Mischka
liked kill gypsy more than Jew.
Mischka liked game. Inside, they ask:
"You have gold, diamond?"
You say, " No."
Mischka take outside, play game.
What was this game, Mr. Vamos,
and how was it played?
- He put bayonet in earth.
- Your Honour, may we demonstrate?
Yes, yes.
Would you mind coming down and
showing us how the game was played?
Mr. Vamos, suppose or imagine
that this were a bayonet.
How did he play the game? Show us.
He make hole.
He put bayonet in earth.
He tell you get on earth.
Body over bayonet.
Arm and leg on earth.
Push up and down, push up and down.
Up and down, up and down.
- Pushups?
- Pushups.
Mischka like pushup.
He do pushup too. With bayonet too.
He had them doing the pushups
over the bayonet?
Till fall. We throw in Duna. Clean up.
- I do clean up.
- Thank you, Mr. Vamos.
Thank you very much.
Mr. Vamos, did you ever have
any occasion to speak to Mischka?
No can speak.
Once speak Mischka, hit with gun.
No can look. We look,
Mischka hit with gun too.
We were not permitted
to look into his eyes.
Was there a shortage of ammunition
while you were there?
Oh, yeah. Big trouble.
They no can shoot.
They take wire, wire people together,
shoot one, dump all in Duna.
Did you ever see the man
known as Mischka do that?
Oh, yeah. Many time.
Approximately how many times would
you say, Mr. Vamos? Approximately.
Twenty, 30.
River red.
Ice on side of river red.
Bodies on side of river blue.
Blue Danube was red.
Mr. Vamos...
...is this the man
that you knew as Mischka...
...at the Lanchid Interrogation Centre?
- Yeah.
- Mr. Vamos...
...would you mind looking
at the photograph?
Yeah.
Please, Mr. Vamos,
can you look at the photograph?
Lt is him.
No further questions, Your Honour.
Your witness.
I'm sorry to have to ask you
these questions.
Mr. Vamos...
...do you know Istvan Boday?
- I read in Budapest newspaper.
- She's going up the wrong tree.
We'll see.
- Did you know him in Budapest?
- No.
You never spoke to him in Budapest?
They tell us no speak to each other.
No me.
You never spoke to him
on the plane over here?
They have us come different plane.
- You never spoke to him in your hotel?
- Different hotel.
- So you've never spoken to Mr. Boday?
- No.
Are you telling the truth, Mr. Vamos?
I no lie to you.
Then would you tell us about
the meeting you had last night...
...in your hotel room
with Istvan Boday?
Objection, Your Honour.
The witness just said
he never spoke to Mr. Boday.
Overruled.
You did meet with him in your
hotel room last night, didn't you?
- Didn't you, Mr. Vamos?
- Yeah.
He come to my room.
Judas Priest.
So you were lying before
when you told us...
- ...that you had never spoken to him.
- Yeah, I lie.
Do you lie often?
Boday come to my room, he ask, he
want to know about wife and brother.
Did you and Mr. Boday go over
your stories together?
- Did you compare notes?
- No, he ask if I remember.
- He show wife's picture.
- He came to show you...
...a photograph of someone you
might have seen once, 40 years ago?
- Yes.
- And you didn't speak of anything else?
No further questions, Your Honour.
How you can do this?
I come here, I tell truth.
How it can be wrong? A man ask
about his wife. That's wrong?
You must step down, sir.
Go on, Mr. Vamos.
Everything will be all right,
Mr. Vamos.
- Come this way with me.
- I think this is Mr. Burke's last witness.
Your Honour, we have one
more witness, Mrs. Melinda Kalman.
Judge, a moment.
We have no witness statement.
We have no deposition.
I object to this witness.
A last-minute government witness.
Arrived last evening from Budapest.
She's a psychiatrist specializing
in rape trauma.
Judge Silver overruled vehement
Defence objections to her testimony.
A car stopped in the street.
There were two men inside.
They were wearing the uniforms
of the Arrow Cross.
They asked me for identification.
I had left my purse...
...at a piano lesson. I had no papers.
One of the men, he had a long scar
on the left side of his face.
He said:
" Look how pretty this pig is,
Mischka."
- He called the man Mischka?
- Oh, yes.
They said I was a Jew.
I told them I was Roman Catholic.
- How old were you then?
- I was 16.
Please continue, Mrs. Kalman.
They told me I was under arrest
and put me in the car.
They drove over the bridge...
...the Lanchid, and turned into
the buildings and the riverbank.
- At least she had a chance.
- Yeah.
They were quite friendly,
actually, in the car.
They asked me about
playing the piano.
They took me into the building...
...into a little room.
There was nothing in the room
but a mattress on the floor.
They told me to take my clothes off.
They told me to stand
against the wall.
I started to cry.
I told them I was a virgin.
They laughed.
Mischka said,
"We will teach you to play us...
...like you play the piano."
Mischka took out a revolver...
...and he forced it into my mouth.
The other one tore my clothes.
He lighted a cigarette.
He put the cigarette against my...
They took turns.
I passed out.
There were others...
...men who came into the room and left
and came back.
I lost track of time.
They burned me.
Someone took my picture.
The flash would awaken me.
Then, I don't know how much later...
...it was Mischka again.
" Pig, " he said.
"You have learned to perform
very well."
And he started again.
The other was there. He laughed.
They stood me up,
they carried me outside.
Lt was cold. Lt was so cold.
On the ground, in the snow,
there was a bayonet.
They told me to get down
on my hands and feet...
...over the bayonet.
They told me to exercise.
I heard them laugh.
Mischka said:
"A healthy body makes
a healthy spirit."
The bayonet was at my stomach.
I pushed myself up...
...once.
And then I fell.
I remember...
...nothing else.
I was told I was found
on the bank of the river.
Mrs. Kalman...
...is this the man...
...known to you as Mischka?
Yes. That...
...is the man.
No further questions, Your Honour.
Your witness.
- No questions.
- The government rests.
- Annie, what are you doing?
- Stand up, Karchy.
It's not me.
It's not me, Annie. It's not me.
I didn't do this.
- Papa.
- It's not me.
I didn't do this to you.
I am not a beast. I am a father.
I was a husband.
I loved my wife. My family.
- I couldn't do this to you!
- Papa.
Yes, you are the beast.
This man didn't do this.
- It's not me! It's not me!
- Come on now, Papa.
- Come on, Papa.
- It's not me! It's not...
- Pop!
- Papa! Papa!
- Get back.
- Pop!
I believe your father's had
what we call acute anxiety reaction.
I understand he's been under
a lot of stress lately.
Frankly, I don't know how much more
pressure his system can take.
Mr. Laszlo, if you promise
to go home and rest...
...I'll let you go home.
Thanks, doctor.
- I want to talk to Annie, Karchy.
- Why?
I understand, you wanna talk
to your lawyer now. Fine.
Annie...
...come here.
I know...
...what you think, Annie.
Plenty things...
...that makes it...
Lt sound to you...
I...
I see your eyes, Annie.
And you've got to answer
the question:
" Ls this...?
This my father?
This beast?"
No, Papa.
No.
Ln your heart, Annie.
You got to answer the question.
- Come on, Papa. Let's go home now.
- No.
I'm not going to hide anymore, Annie.
Come on.
- Grandpa.
- Oh, Mikey.
- Hi, Dean.
- Come on, let's go home now.
No, I'm going to my own home.
- No, Papa.
- I don't care what happens to me.
I'm going home.
Tibor Zoldan was killed
by a hit-and-run driver.
I don't care.
For nine months...
...from the time he wrote this guy
that $2000 check three years ago...
I don't care.
Mike's monthly cash spending...
...ran $1000 over
what it always had.
Lt stopped running over the month
this guy got run over.
Stop it!
He is not a monster.
I'm his daughter.
I know him better than anyone.
- All right.
- That's beautiful.
All right, Mikey, make a wish.
Happy birthday.
- Is it really mine?
- Lt sure is.
Mischka, help teach our grandson
how to run a train.
You people have a lot of experience
running trains.
I can't believe he's 12 already.
Let him come to the trial.
He keeps asking me about it.
No.
His friends talk, he sees it on TV,
he wants to know.
Well, I'll explain it all to him.
He wants to know for himself, Ann.
It's called growing up.
- You should let him go to the trial.
- No. He's too young.
Lt wouldn't hurt to have him there.
Especially after
that woman's testimony.
- Can they go faster?
- Well, I'm not gonna use him.
I'd look at it as letting him do
something that he wants to do.
- I'm not that cynical.
- Oh, yes, you are.
You're a lawyer, like me.
Did you really drink whiskey
with Klaus Barbie?
No. I drank with a lot
of others like him though.
I was an intelligence officer.
I interrogated war prisoners.
What do you think happened
after the war?
The Communists were
Satan's army on earth.
They were our allies.
We weren't prepared to spy on them.
Nazis are the best anti-Communist
spy apparatus in the world.
We needed them. We used them.
If the Communists haven't taken over,
it's because we did a good job.
We were right to use them.
So you really did drink
with those monsters.
None of the men I knew
were monsters.
They were all salt-of-the-earth types.
Like your old man. Yep?
Georgine.
Yeah.
Okay, thanks.
The forensic man says
the ID card is authentic.
I know.
I still have friends in Washington
with money, old-fashioned values.
We're dead, Harry. This case is over.
- That woman spitting on him...
- Courtroom theatrics.
You know all about that.
- I don't know how to fight this.
- I thought you never needed help.
Can you help me?
Do you know anything
about harlequins, my dear?
All rise.
Okay.
- Please be seated.
- All right, sit down.
- Mrs. Talbot, call your first witness.
- We call Vladimir Kostav.
Your Honour, counsel gave this name
two days ago.
No statement.
I don't know why he's called.
- May we approach?
- Yes.
Kostav is a reluctant witness,
just subpoenaed.
We've only known for two days.
- What are they doing?
- They go up there...
...so that we can't hear.
It's a private argument.
He's under federal protection.
How did you find
an ex-KGB CIA consultant?
And, Your Honour, I fail to see
what he has to do with this case.
Lt concerns exhibit number one.
No statement?
That's fair turnaround.
- You can call your witness.
- Thank you.
Mr. Kostav, when did you defect
to the United States?
Two years ago.
- And where did you reside previously?
- Ln Moscow.
And what was your occupation there?
I was a lieutenant colonel,
counterintelligence section, KGB.
While you were with the KGB, were
you familiar with Operation Harlequin?
- Yes, I was.
- What was Operation Harlequin?
Lt was programmed to annihilate the
character of those living in the West...
...enemies of socialist state,
by means of falsified documents.
Here we go.
And how was that put into effect?
Group of scientists were put into
special department in Moscow...
...to scientifically devise ways to forge
documents in such manner that...
...no amount of analysis
would reveal its falsity.
- Did they succeed?
- Oh, yes.
And were such forged documents
used by the KGB against someone?
To my personal knowledge,
they were used against...
...television commentator
in West Germany.
And what was the forged document
used in this case?
Lt was an Einsatz commander
identification card.
- Einsatz commander exterminated...
- I told you.
...the Jews and gypsies.
German courts accepted the card
as authentic.
What happened to that man?
He commit suicide.
Mr. Kostav...
...do you personally know
if the KGB shared...
...this forged document
expertise...
...with security agencies
of other Communist countries?
Yes.
Did you share it
with the Hungarians?
Hungarians showed a great interest
in Harlequin.
Thank you. No further questions.
Your witness.
Your Honour,
in light of the new testimony...
...may we adjourn?
The New York Times called,
60 Minutes wants to talk to you...
...and Georgine called.
- Thanks, Mrs. Cooper.
- You're welcome.
Judge Silver called.
He wants to see you right away.
The government has uncovered
a witness who allegedly served...
...with your client in the gendarmes.
- Another surprise.
- He's in Budapest.
He's terminally ill
and unable to travel.
We will hear his testimony in Budapest.
Lt will all be at government expense.
Your client's expenses
will be covered as well...
...if he decides to come with us.
- I will never go back to Budapest.
- You don't have to go.
- I have to go.
- I can't go.
We get the KGB guy,
he says " Card is fake"...
...they suddenly get a witness.
You will never learn it.
The grease has to be gold.
You learned it when you were 8.
If I go, they'll kill me.
They'll put something in the food,
or maybe I'll have an accident.
- Papa, that's paranoid.
- It's not paranoia.
They do all this, Annie.
Be careful.
I can't win without you, Annie.
I know that.
Don't worry about nothing, okay?
I'll take care of Pop.
Maybe me and the guys will get
together and take him to the bar.
- Jesus, Karchy, he's had a heart attack.
- Well, we'll take him bowling.
- How's that?
- Yeah.
- What are you doing here?
- Hi, Karchy.
Ann, can I speak with you
for a moment?
What?
Take it and read it.
- What is it?
- Read it on the plane.
Tibor Zoldan's sister lives in Budapest.
That's her address.
Ann, wait.
Lt feels like Tibor Zoldan
was blackmailing your father.
Good afternoon. Welcome
to American Airlines Flight 38...
- ...nonstop service to Zurich.
- Hi, how are you?
At this time, we ask that all passengers
board through the Gate 3 doorway.
Thank you.
- Mrs. Ann Talbot?
- Yes.
Have you ever been
to Hungary before?
- No.
- It's a beautiful country. You'd like.
Have nice, big suite at hotel.
We checked, everything in order.
- Do you work for the government?
- No. I told you, Bayar Tourist Agency.
Nobody likes working
for the government. No money.
Tomorrow at 8:00,
we go to Fo Krhz Hospital.
Do you speak Hungarian?
- Not very well.
- You'll get better.
- Yes?
- Madam Laszlo?
Talbot.
You like marzipans, madam?
Wait just one minute.
Thank you.
- Do you work with the hotel?
- No, madam.
There are some people here too.
We believe your father innocent.
This trial is bad for everybody,
here and there.
- Who are you?
- Governments not understand such.
- Who are you?
- That's not important.
I hope you will find them very sweet.
- Wait a minute. Please.
- Try them.
United States v. Laszlo...
...number 89-CM-22-80,
proceedings resumed...
...at the Fo Krhz in Budapest,
Hungary. Counsel may proceed.
Your Honour, I move to bar this witness
as inherently unreliable...
...and ask here to put four questions
to him regarding his reliability.
Objection, Your Honour.
He's my witness.
- Ask four questions.
- Thank you, Your Honour.
- Mr. Burke.
- Thank you.
What is your name?
- Pal Horvath.
- Ls this your signature?
Yes, this is my signature.
Mr. Horvath, on April 15th, 1952...
...you swore in an affidavit
to the Hungarian security police...
...that a man, a Michael Zanavi,
was the Mischka...
...who committed war crimes at
the Lanchid Interrogation Centre.
No, I didn't.
And on November 18th, 1973...
...you again swore in another affidavit
to the Hungarian security police...
...that Michael Bato was the Mischka...
...who committed war crimes
at the Lanchid Interrogation Centre.
I don't know
what you are talking about.
Your Honour...
...I have here copies
of both Mr. Horvath's...
...affidavits identifying
these other men as Mischka.
May the translator read these
into the record in English?
Yes.
" I have no doubt in my mind...
...that the man I saw commit
these crimes was Michael Bato."
Signed, " November the 18th, 1973.
Pal Horvath."
- Did you know of these affidavits?
- I did not.
- How did you find this witness?
- The Hungarian authorities notified us.
Apparently,
Mr. Horvath told his doctor...
...and the following day, he picked
Michael Laszlo out of a photo spread.
If I could get these,
why couldn't the government?
We don't have access
to Hungarian security files.
The Hungarians are cooperating
with Mr. Burke, not with me.
They must've known about these
affidavits. They were in their files.
We are fortunate
some honest people...
...sent these affidavits to me.
I think that's absurd, Your Honour.
This man...
He wasn't investigated
by the Hungarian authorities.
He came by his own free will,
and they turned him over to us.
There's no conspiracy here.
- What did he say?
- I have no doubt in my mind...
...that it is Laszlo.
The motion to bar is granted.
We've all come a long way
at substantial government expense.
Both money and time
have been wasted.
- Your Honour, I'd like more time...
- I'm not finished, Mr. Burke.
You have yet to show me enough
evidence Michael Laszlo committed...
...these heinous crimes.
Your Honour, he lied on his application
for immigration, and he admits it.
- That's what he's being charged with.
- Don't make this worse.
You know you have to show more than
a lie about being in the gendarmes.
I move for dismissal, Your Honour.
The motion is taken under advisement.
We are adjourned.
I just wanna tell you...
I just wanna tell you
I think you'll probably win this case.
Or you'll drag it out for years,
which amounts to the same thing.
But tell me...
...aren't you a little suspicious
about all this new evidence...
- ...that just falls into your lap?
- You just can't give it up, can you?
Why do you wanna punish him?
He did nothing.
You really think I give a damn
about punishing an old man?
I don't have vengeance in my heart,
but I'll tell you what I do care about.
I care about remembering.
It's too late to change what happened,
but it's never too late to remember it.
The case is over, Jack.
You don't have to argue it anymore.
You can't tell me
after everything said in this trial...
...you don't have any doubts
about your father.
I don't have time for this.
Our country has always tried
to be a haven...
...for those who have been persecuted.
And after the war,
we let in thousands of its victims.
But unfortunately we also let in
some of the executioners.
The war was almost over.
We were in Germany, and the Russians
were crossing the Hungarian border.
But the Hungarians
were still killing their Jews.
They turned the fucking romantic
Danube into their own shade of blue.
- That's what was happening.
- Some Hungarians.
Not my father!
Maybe you should go down
to the riverbank, Ann...
...and look into the water.
Maybe you'll see your face.
You like chocolate, Madam Laszlo?
You like chocolate, no,
Madam Laszlo?
Thank you.
- What bridge is this?
- Lanchid.
Ln English, "chain bridge."
Can you ask him to pull over?
I wanna take a walk.
Zoldan, Magda?
Chicago.
Can I help you?
Jesus Christ, lady.
Lt took you a while to come back.
Perfect condition.
Two-thirty-six even.
Annie, I'm trying to call you.
What's going on?
Can I speak with Mikey?
Mikey.
No, I...
I just got home.
How are you, Mikey?
No, I'll come by first thing
in the morning.
Keep your heels down
and keep your hands down.
And keep him going, keep him going.
Look forward.
Boy, that's good.
Yeah, I like it very much.
Sit straight. That's good.
Hey, you.
Good to have you back.
Good to have you back.
You did it, kid. You sliced some nuts.
You did it.
- Hey, what's the matter? Come on.
- Ask Mikey to come in the house.
- He's right out back.
- Get him.
- Harry brought some reporters.
- Get Mikey.
Tell him to come in the house.
I have to talk to him.
- Annie, come on.
- Go on, Karchy, get him.
Hey! No, no. This way.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you.
Thank you all for coming.
Sorry it's not a prettier day.
As you know,
since you've been reporting it...
...we can consider this absurd case
to be over.
- Mom.
- Oh, Mikey, I missed you so much.
Isn't it great? About Grandpa?
- I told you he didn't do anything.
- Come on, honey, let's go home.
Grandpa Talbot got me a pony.
- I know. Come on. Let's go home.
- Come see him.
- Please, Mikey, come on.
- Come on, Mom.
Energy and money that's been
expended by the...
You go on ahead, I'll come out.
Hurry up.
I think the American taxpayer
has legitimate questions...
...as to how his money's
been spent in this case.
Well, personally I think it is
an official lynching...
...that's been choreographed
by the KGB.
If it's not, it's a very good imitation.
What's the matter?
Annie, what's the matter?
- I know, Papa.
- Annie, we won. The trial's over.
- The judge dismissed the charges.
- I know everything.
Oh, Annie, we won. The trial's over.
We won.
- Harry says we are going to sue.
- Lt was you, Papa.
You killed them all.
I saw those photos.
Lt was you, Papa.
You killed that boy
in front of his father.
You raped that woman,
you threw their bodies in the Duna.
I went to see that place, Papa.
The man's son was 7 years old.
He was only 7 years old!
He was 7 years old!
You shot him in the head.
You shot them all in the head.
You were that beast.
You shot that boy in the head when
he was crying over his dead mother.
You hurt all those people.
Oh, God, what are we gonna do?
Tell me. What photos?
Tibor Zoldan was blackmailing you.
- No, he was a friend.
- I saw the scar.
- From the refugee camp.
- I saw the scar, Papa.
- The scar?
- The scar running down his face...
...just like they all said.
I went to see his sister.
How could you do those things, Papa?
Why did you do this to us?
To Mikey?
Papa...
...why?
Answer me.
I need you to answer me.
Answer me, Papa.
I love you.
I love you too.
What happened to you?
What did the Communists do to you?
I don't ever wanna
see you again, Papa.
I don't want Mikey...
...to ever see you again.
- You can't do this.
- I can do it.
You don't exist.
You can't do that.
Papa, you don't know how much
I'm gonna miss you.
Annie.
Annie! He's my boy! My son!
You don't have a grandson!
You gonna tell Mikey this garbage?
You gonna poison his mind
like they poisoned you?
You're like a stranger!
You say those things.
You tell him anything you want.
Mikey is not gonna believe you.
Nobody is gonna believe you.
They are gonna say you're crazy.
Why can't you try to say the truth?
The truth?
Something happened...
...to your mind, Annie.
I have friends here...
...and there.
And believe me...
...you will know the truth.
I am not this beast.
No.
Mikey!
Mikey!
Persecute an honest man
and citizen...
...a family man like Michael Laszlo, all
in the name of stamping out racism.
One, two, three. Up.
I think it's time that we stopped trying
to appease...
...a liberal New York-Washington lobby
and concentrate on the future...
...not on the past.
Let's worry about the grandsons,
not the grandfathers.
Now go, Mikey, go! Go! Yeah.
Good!
Go forward.
That's good.
Yeah, Mikey, that's good!