"Do you, Hermann Braun, take this woman to be your wife?" "I do." "I do." "I can't get out." "Hey, stay here!" "Don't run away!" "Let me go!" "Please!" "CIVIL REGISTRY" "Hermann!" "Are you all right?" " Come here!" "Sign here." "Put the stamp on it!" "THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN" "FOR PETER ZADEK" "Is that you, Maria?" "I was worried to death." "I thought something had happened to you." "Nobody wants wedding dresses now." "Too many girls, not enough men." "That's all I got for it." "There's so much shaving gear on the market." "There, my dear." "Let's fry some potatoes with bacon." "We interrupt this performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony for this SOS broadcast for missing persons." "For each of the names mentioned, we have a message." "5821..." "Adler." "First name unknown." "Born 1910, paymaster from Vienna." "5822..." "Albartz, Eugen." "I still feel sick at the sight of some of them." "I could do with a tea now." "The medical orderlies say crosswise is not the worst." "If you get hit all on one side, you can't even hold a crutch." "I've seen it going on for six years, and I've been a widow for five." "I'd have been satisfied with mine, if he had only come back." "How long were you married?" "I still am married." "I just meant you didn't have much from your marriage." "Yes, I did." "Half a day and a whole night." "Mine was killed right at the start." "In Norway." "He was in the navy, until his ship was sunk." "Two soups, please." "He survived and swam through icy water covered with burning oil." "Then he had to fight on land." "Then he fell into a crevasse and died." "Why didn't you marry again?" "In condolence, they sent me a painting:" "A picture of a wreath with a ribbon floating on the waves, with "They died that Germany might live" written on it." "Just imagine." ""They died that Germany might live," and he's dead." "They send me a picture of the sea, and he falls into a glacier." "There were once seas where the mountains are now, before the last ice age." "How can you be so sure your husband's not dead?" "Because I want him to come back." "What did he say?" "Something indecent." "I don't know what you said, but you had no right to." "You must be crazy." "The divorce is pending." "That's why he told me:" "Because he loves me." "But her!" "Since I have her husband now, she said she was going to keep his food ration card." "Ration card?" "And now?" "I don't know." "Shame on you." "All right, Grandpa Berger." "Let's try it on." "The mistake people make is to love one person all their lives." "If we don't have potatoes, we eat turnips." "If we have no turnips, we eat gruel." "But in love, there's only one man, and when he goes to war and is dead five months later, you have to mourn for the rest of your life." "Does that make sense, Grandpa?" "Much too wide." "No." "It ain't good being alone." "It was almost too tight for Karl the last time he was here, in May '41." "The men still looked like men then." "Now they all look as if they've shrunk." "You can take the underpants." "They're warm." "And no one will mind if they're too big." "Let's say three bundles of firewood?" "All right." "Look what Maria had." "Three weeks of being in love and one day of marriage." "Now she stands there with her search board." "Do you know why we always stick to one guy?" "Because there is only one you love." "I don't know how Maria knew it at such a tender age." "Here she is." "Take your things, Grandpa." "She has her pride." "How wide?" ""Pride," I said." "There you are at last." "I was just sorting out your father's things." "Hello, Grandpa Berger." "It's nice to have a man in the house to come home to." "And it's warm, too." "Yes, it's warm, too." "Why are you doing that here?" "It's my way of remembering your father." "Grandpa Berger can use them." "Father won't need them anymore, and we need firewood." "I thought the same thing, but what about Father's belongings?" "Father is dead and we're alive." "What will you give me for them?" "Your brooch?" "My brooch?" "It's very valuable." "There's one missing." "Very well." "Okay then." "Wait." "I'll go get it." "Here." "Bunch of Nazis!" "Snotty-nosed bastards!" "They're not proper men anymore." "What difference does it make, whether you're a man or a woman if you're freezing?" "Something has to change." "What do you want to change?" "I don't know." "But something has to happen." " Do you know Hermann Braun?" " No." "Shed no tears for love" "In this wide world there's more than one" "There's more than one fish in the sea" "I look like a poodle." "You think so?" "It's the latest thing." "I'll bet... the Americans are just crazy about poodles." "My Willy wouldn't have approved." "That's for sure." "Hermann wouldn't have minded." "And they won't hire you anyway." " We'll see about that." " What'll you wear?" "What do you do with this?" "Play music." "Shall I play something for you?" "Any requests?" "Yes." "The German national anthem." "Cut it out." "For God's sake, stop it." "What use is it if you can't even play the national anthem?" "Go on in." "Keep your eyes open here." "I didn't think you were coming." "I waited so long." "Hold this a second." "Black, short sleeves, and low-cut." "It wasn't easy to come by." "Is it for you or is it a gift?" "It's a gift." "We all have to make a living." "And the liquor?" "For my mom." "Helps her forget her troubles with her daughter... and eases her heartache." "I have a valuable complete edition of Kleist's works, 1907." "Would that be something for you?" "Books burn too easily, and they don't keep you warm." " If you look at it that way." " That's the way I look at it." "Maybe it's better that way for now." "Thanks a lot." "And good luck." "I'm not going to sew it for you." "You know I can't sew, Mom." "My dear girl." "Mom!" "Come on." "When a girl has pretty legs like you... she ought to show them." "You father would turn over in his grave." "I don't think it's right either." "I just pray your soul doesn't come to harm, my girl." "Make sure somebody gives you a nice pair of stockings... if you're letting yourself in for that sort of thing." "HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM" "Amazing." "Really amazing." "I learned it here on these bars." "Is that a new way to apply for a job?" "Not really, but... if it were..." "I'd have been hired by now." "We don't need anyone." "You just might not need anyone apart from me." "Come in here." " We still have doors in our place." " Well, we don't." "I need your name, address and age." "Are you married?" "Yes." "Don't wear your wedding ring to work." "And I need a health certificate." "Payment in cash or goods?" "You can get dressed again, Mrs. Binder." "Everything okay?" "Do I get a certificate?" "No." "You'll have to take a break for three or four weeks." "Have I caught something?" "Something bad, I'm afraid." "You won't be able to work." "That's tough." "Come back on Tuesday." "Bye." "And send the next patient in." "Little Maria." "You used to give me a kiss on the forehead." "Did I really?" "Yes." "Then I must have forgotten... or learned to forget." "That's sad." "Yes, it's sad." "But tell me about yourself." "I need a health certificate." "Of course." "It's pretty cold this year." "I'm working in a bar... selling beer, not myself." "I've had to learn to stop believing people too... but I still believe you." "You know what you're doing." "And if anything happens," "I'll get some penicillin for you." "I'm not sure how, but I'll find a way." "Nothing's going to happen to me." "What is penicillin?" "Forget it, Maria." "How is your mother?" "The war hasn't taken away her sense of humor." "She shares my rations, cries my tears, tells my lies." "But she leaves the thinking to me, so that I have no time for dreams." "You can have my wife's bicycle, if you want." "It was as good as new under all the rubble." "Thank you." "Why don't you ask about Hermann?" "You don't have to believe he'll come back." "It's enough that I know he will." "My gloves." "You stole my gloves, you rat!" "You bastard!" "Say that again, you bum!" "Stop it, you Nazi swine!" "DOES ANYONE KNOW HERMANN BRAUN?" " Quiet tonight." " It's Tuesday." " It's not what you imagined, huh?" " I'm satisfied." "Then everything's fine." " If you ask me " " I didn't ask you." "You're here, and your Hermann's not here." "He's somewhere else." "Maybe he's dead... and love's only a feeling." "It's not the truth." " Sure love's a feeling." "And a great love is a great feeling, and a great truth." "Truth." "The truth's what you have in your belly when you're hungry." "Feelings are what you have between your legs... like an itch that you scratch." "And for this here, you need a full belly, and someone who's here, not just somewhere or maybe nowhere." "Your friend over there - he's here... and he's clearly not starving, and he's sweet on you." "What friend?" " Your Bill, darling." " I don't know any Bill." "You hadn't even noticed him, huh?" " No." "Which one is he?" " Over there." "He's big and strong." "He just happens to be black." "Better black than brown." "Braun." "He was just a normal guy till you came." "Now he's sitting there as if paralyzed." "He wanted to know everything about you." "Look." "Just like a movie star." "How do I look?" "Great." "Why?" "Because right now I want to look great." "What are you crying for, you silly cow?" "Your man's not dead." "He's standing there in front of you." "Thank your lucky stars you still have him and that it didn't happen to him." "Hermann didn't suffer." "It was all over quickly." "They say no one made it out alive." "Hello." "It's me." "Guess what I've got." "You won't believe it." "Willy." "You." "You're really back?" "Betti, you've got him back!" "We're so stupid." "All we can do is weep for joy that you're together, and that Willy's safe and sound." "Hermann is dead." "My dear!" "Leave me alone." "Where are you going?" " To the bar." " Darling, don't!" "I have to go someplace where I can be alone." "Beautiful." "Please correct me if I speak incorrectly." "What are you thinking?" "What are you thinking?" "I was wondering if it's possible to think about nothing." "Is it?" "I don't think I can do it." "I think I can." "You think I'd have gotten over it as quickly as Maria?" "I hope you would have, Betti." "What's that?" "Why?" "It's nice being with you, Bill." "I was very happy just now." "Only just now?" "I'm always happy when I'm with you." "Me, too." "Then it's simple:" "If we're always together, we'll always be happy." " Maybe." " Not maybe." "For sure." "I have something for you." "You shouldn't give me so many presents." "It's something special this time." "And you must promise me you'll accept it." "No, Bill." "I can't accept this ring." "I'm very fond of you and I want to be with you, but I'll never marry you." "I'm married... to my husband." "Are you sure?" "Positive." "How positive?" "Please, please, please." "Very well." "You'll soon feel it." "You'll help deliver it, won't you?" "Promise me." "I can't, Maria." "I'm too old to live, and too scared to die." "It scares me the way you talk." "Nonsense." "Let's just say I'm quitting." "I'm going to stay with my daughter in the Black Forest." "My hands shake too much." "Not for me... or my little boy." "I'll come to you when it's time." "Dear little Maria." "Yes, I'll come to you... and you'll help me give birth to him." "It will be a boy, won't it?" "The chances aren't bad." "Really?" "About fifty-fifty." "You don't take me seriously." "Oh, yes, I do." "Do you have a father for your boy?" "Can you have a baby without one?" "The father's black, and my son will be called Hermann." " I'm not sick." "I'm pregnant." " Pregnant." " You can also say "expecting."" " That's nice." "I'm expecting." "Mom." "Grandpa Berger." "Nobody home." " We're alone at last." "Are you expecting?" "Yes." "I'm expecting, too." "I'll speak German with him." "And you?" "English." "Then he can decide whether to marry a German or American girl." "American girls are ugly." "German men are ugly." "I know only one American man who's handsome." "I know only one German girl who's beautiful." " And strong." " And rich." "And brave." "And brave." "And tender." "And tender." "Guess who I mean." "Me?" "Hermann?" "Look, Bill." "It's Hermann." "So, you met the deceased in the Moonlight Bar?" "Would you tell us more about this bar?" "It's a bar like any other." "Wouldn't you say that this was a very special bar?" "A bar exclusively for members of American occupation forces?" "Of course." "It was always off-limits." "Germans are not allowed in." "Exactly." "Germans have no business being in this bar." "Except for the hostesses who work there." "Would that be a fair description of your profession?" "And that in this role you attached yourself to the deceased... and allowed yourself to be kept by him?" "While your husband was a Russian prisoner of war, you, for low, egotistical reasons started an affair with a man... with a man who could pay for your favors with chocolate and silk stockings." "I was very fond of him." "You seem to have a big heart." "No." "You needn't look it up." "You wouldn't understand the difference anyway." "I was fond of Bill... and I love my husband." "That is really a very fine difference." "You can stop questioning her." "It was I who killed that negro." "The baby will be ours." "We'll explain it all to him later." "Later is a long time." "What are you going to do till then?" "I'll wait for you." "You're a young and beautiful woman." "I'm your wife." "And how do you intend to live?" "I've never learned anything." "I must learn to work first." "Then I'll get work." "We'll begin our life when we're together again." "Attention on platform 1." "Freight train passing through." "Shall I carry it?" "No." "Things are tough enough for you." "I know how hard this is for a mother." "And it was a boy, too." "The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away." "Maybe it has its positive side, too." "The poor creature wouldn't have had it easy in life." "And neither would you." "I never said I wanted to have it easy." "But with a black child?" "Now he's a little black angel." "A little black angel." "That's nice." "Will he always have flowers on his grave?" "I promise you he will." "What are you going to do when you get back to your world?" "I don't know, but I have a lot to do." "I must go now." "Express No. 309 departing for Heidelberg will be delayed for several minutes." "TO FI RST CLASS" "Leni!" "Let me through." "Attention on Track 5." "Close the doors." "The train is about to depart." "I have to find my little girl!" "There's no girl here." " I beg your pardon?" " Your Leni, ma'am." "It's a boy, not a girl." "You shouldn't have called him Leni, then." "How much extra for first class?" " Depends how far you're going." " Depends how far I get with that." "Can I go in now?" "That should take care of it." "Not many people travel first-class." "Times aren't easy." "See him?" "He's French, but he has a factory here." "French?" "Well, half French." "He's quite well-heeled." "Hold this a moment." "Open the case and turn your back." "And now?" "Now you can close it again." "I can't read clearly with one eye." "Do I charge for 23 kilometers or 32?" "Have you noticed how tiny the lavatories are?" "I always thought they'd be bigger in first class, because the people are fatter." "I didn't have any passengers at first after the currency reform." "Now I even get people like you." "Now just put the dress back- don't forget the purse - and then..." "Thanks a lot." "Excuse me?" "Oh, you speak German?" "I heard you were French." "I imagined you'd speak English." "I don't speak French myself." "I don't speak English, but I do speak German." "What can I do for you?" "Just answer a simple question." "Is that seat free?" "I believe it is." "It looks like it is." "Please sit down." "Thank you." "I don't like sitting facing the engine." "Haven't we met somewhere?" "I'm sure we haven't." "Never?" "I'm positive." "Here's your ticket and your suitcase." "Put the suitcase in the luggage rack." "Have a pleasant trip, ma'am." "Thank you, conductor." " Dr. Karl Oswald..." " Pleased to meet you." "...of Oswald Textiles." " Pleased to meet you." " Cigarette?" " No, thanks." "I don't smoke." "Neither do I." "You like traveling by train, too?" " Sometimes." "It gives you time to think." "That's exactly what I've been trying to do the whole time." "I'm afraid I don't speak English." "The lady's asleep." "Perhaps you could " "Incredible." "What did you tell him?" "I said you were Karl Oswald of textile fame, that you like to travel, and that you want to use the time to think." " Where did you learn such good English?" " In bed." "May I invite you to the dining car?" "That's a very good idea." "I have something to discuss with you." "A business matter." "And after three months, if we find we don't get along " "I'd be answerable to no one but you?" "No one." "You'll get along fine with Senkenberg and the other men." "Are there no women?" "Not in top positions." "Not yet, anyway." "Good." "Then I'll be the first." "We've managed very well without them up to now." "Senkenberg, you're being rude." "Forget it." "Caution is the better part of valor." " That's right." " Thank you." "And what is my exact title?" "Let's say... personal adviser." "How personal?" "That depends on the personal adviser's abilities and initiative." " Really?" " Really." "I told you about our venture with the Americans." "Don't forget:" "It's always about money." "However you meant that, Senkenberg, you're perfectly right." "Let him talk." "Senkenberg's an affable person, as am I." "Well, I'm not." " Hermann will be sad about the baby." " I'm not so sure." "Dr. Konrad Adenauer adamantly rejected rumors that he was in favor of creating a West German army." " You don't have any experience." " She'll learn." "Don't move out!" "Who will take care of you?" ""We do not wish to take part in a new war, "he said." "I need my own apartment." "I have so much to do before Hermann gets out." ""We have had enough dead." "Too many young people have perished."" "I don't understand you." "Maria is not like you." ""It must be made clear once and for all that I am against German rearmament and the formation of a new German army."" "Will you be earning enough?" "Here is an excerpt from Dr. Adenauer's speech:" ""If it is asserted that, under my authority, the rearmament of Germany will take place," "I can only reply that this assertion is pure fabrication."" "I'm sorry, Betti." "I guess I've changed a lot." "Looking at you, nobody could tell what you've been through." " She didn't mean it that way." " I'll take care of that." " Maybe what Betti says is true." " What?" "That Oswald's really after Maria." "Do you understand now why I have to move out of here?" "And now for our program of musical requests." "We begin with the song "When the Bells Do Brightly Ring."" "Were you very sad?" "Yes, but it was a consolation to know you'd be sad, too." "And that I can tell you everything." "And that I'm pleased you don't ask me what you don't have to ask." "And that I'm going to build a house for us, as you would have done." "There's a Greek word for people you let work for you." "Translated, it means literally, "footman."" "I'm your "footman"?" "No, that's not true." "I'm not your feet." "Just say I'm your wife." "It was a stupid analogy." "You're Maria... and you're my wife." "And we're not Greeks." "No, you really couldn't say that." "But you have courage." "You're beautiful... and intelligent... and I love you." "I may change in the next few years." "You've considered everything very carefully." "Yes, maybe it's just that." "I'll always recognize you." "Your time's up." "On the contrary." "My time's just beginning." "What did he say?" "That Pency can supply the plant as a whole, not individual parts." "I understood something about handwork." "Senkenberg, we have problems enough without your making new ones." "I'm just trying to prevent us from having any." "I see no serious way of financing more than two of these machines " ""We're a solid firm, not a bunch of speculators."" "I know that by heart now." "But it doesn't solve the problem." "You have to take risks sometimes." "We're not at the races here." "I know." "But the Americans are getting edgy." "We have to tell them something." "You're quite right." "Well, Senkenberg?" "For once in your life, stop being Senkenberg!" "Be Napoleon." "Or Blucher, if you prefer." "All right." "We can take three SE machines, if we mortgage our stocks and get an ERP credit, and if" "If, if, if!" "Of course there are ifs!" "That's our job." "We're business people, not bookkeepers." "I beg your pardon, but I am a bookkeeper." "Sorry." "All I meant was that taking a risk" "What did he say?" "He summed up our negotiations." "Didn't he say he was sleepy?" "He said he was tired, meaning he's fed up." "What do we do?" "It looks as if we've bitten off more than we can chew." "Maybe this deal is a bit too big for us after all." "That means dropping nylon and giving German women a woven " "May I say something?" "Of course." "Go drink a brandy." "Give me half an hour alone here." "This is no way to do business." "That has nothing to do with questions of interpreting." "Senkenberg, please." "He's right." "I don't know a thing about business." "But I know what German women want, and I know about nylon and woven fabrics." "And I know a lot about the future." "I'm a specialist in that." "And what harm can it do if the deal's off anyway?" "You can always say no when the time comes." "It's the first amusing idea all day." "With all respect, sir," "Mrs. Braun has absolutely no experience in our field." "Then she's about to get some." "Maria Braun, you have rendered outstanding service to the firm." "Come on, Senkenberg." "You too." "I'd prefer to drink to the company in five years' time." "If it still exists." "You're a bore, Senkenberg." "You're never any fun." "You're the best accountant, the most conscientious financial manager, but you haven't a mark's worth of imagination." "And I mean a reichsmark." " That's no reproach." "In your profession, imagination would be detrimental to business." "Someone must hold on to the money, vouch for finances, secure credit." "Where would you and your firm be without Senkenberg?" "At the races?" "Well said, eh, Senkenberg?" "I'd like to drink a toast to Mrs. Braun." "With her alone, we probably would be at the races, but without her, we'd be in the cemetery." "Please excuse me." "It's been a long, hard day, and " "And you want to calculate how long it will be before we're bankrupt." "But seriously, the two of us survived the war, and the three of us will survive the peace." "The firm had to survive without you during the war years, sir." "The only contact you had with us was through your bank account." "Oh, I don't hold it against you." "Political developments have proved you right and made your noble abstinence look like foresight and stature." "But I'm glad we can count on you again... as we did before 1933." "And I'm glad to have found in you, Mrs. Braun, such a good and unorthodox opponent." "Good evening." "You mustn't be angry with him." "I think he really likes you." "I'm not angry at all." "In a way he's right, though not completely." "But he loves the company, heart and soul." "I did leave him alone for those thousand years." "I dreamed up a cozy world of my own in which I had a comfortable existence." "But now, in terms of economic accountability," "I fully endorse his assessment of the investment." "I'm more of a gambler than he is... but I must honestly say, we're expecting a miracle." "I prefer to make miracles rather than wait for them to happen." "You're a truly exceptional person." " Shall we have another drink?" " No." "I want to sleep with you." "Where's the bathroom?" "First door on the left." "You're wonderful." "I'd like you to call me Mrs. Braun again." "If you insist." "You know, this took me by surprise." "Didn't you want it?" "Of course." "Very much." "So did I." "And..." "I want our relationship to be clear." "Do we have a relationship now?" "Yes, a clear one." "That's the taxi to the station." "Senkenberg paid for the others." "Taxi back to the apartment, and the hotel." "That's all." "Something will be deducted for breakfast." "Come in." "Hello, Mr. Oswald." "Hello, Mrs. Braun, Mrs. Ehmke." "Am I interrupting?" " Not at all, sir." "Not in the least, Mr. Oswald." "I just wanted to " "I'm finished anyway." "We have to evaluate the conference." "I'll be in Mr. Senkenberg's office." "Mrs. Ehmke and Senkenberg:" "The two conspirators." "Tell him I'd like to see him in my office at 4:00, please." "You too, Mrs Braun." "You too, dear Mrs. Braun." "At 4:00, Mr. Oswald?" "I just dropped in to see you." "In private." "This is not a private place." "It's an office in your company." "All right." "The office is closed over the weekend." "Spend it with me in the country." "I'm sorry, but I have to visit someone on Saturday." " You are " " I am the way I am." "Last night you were a different person." "Last night I was Maria Braun who wanted to sleep with you." "Today I'm Maria Braun who wants to work for you." "Are you afraid people will think I'm having an affair with you?" "I don't care what people think." "I care what you think." "I don't want you to think you're "having an affair with me,"" "when, in truth, I'm having one with you." "But " "It's also true... that I'm fond of you, that you're my boss, and that I don't want to confuse things, for your sake." "I have to know who I'm dealing with:" "You or my boss." "I respect your point of view." "Let's talk about my salary." "How much were you thinking of?" "I need to earn a lot of money over the next few years." "Don't we all?" "But I have a reason." "Well?" "Now you know what my work is worth to you." "That's how much I want, not a penny more." "Then I'll have to consider how much you're worth to me." "Not me." "My work." "Right." "Your work, Mrs. Braun." "I'm an old man and I'm getting a little slow." "But I'll do my best." "And then " "Not now, please." "Oh, yes." "What about Saturday?" "On Saturday you'll be going to the country on your own." "Why shouldn't he hear me say I've slept with another man?" "He hears me tell you I love you too." "It's not the same thing." "No, and that's precisely why it won't hurt if he hears it." "And why I want you to know." "If it were the same thing," "I wouldn't be here." "Is he good-looking?" "He's good-looking, he's courteous, and he'd never hurt me." "And you should know I wanted to sleep with him." "I didn't have to force myself." "Because he's my employer and I'm dependent on him," "I wanted to beat him to it to keep the upper hand." "Is that how things are between people outside now?" "So cold?" "I don't know how other people are." "It's not a good time for feelings." "But that suits me." "That way, nothing really affects me." "I thought you were in the country." "The flowers have wilted." "The chocolates have melted." "You have no claim on me." "I felt like a schoolboy." "That's what you are:" "A dear, silly little schoolboy." "Why didn't you want to come with me to the country?" "Because you would have proposed to me." "Precisely, and that's why" "How did you know?" "With schoolboys you know those sorts of things." "Sorry." "You were serious." "I didn't mean to belittle you." "I should have told you I'll never marry you." "But if you want," "I'll be your mistress." "The belligerent tone adopted by your union is repugnant." "We can give as good as we get." "It's no wonder, with your "we're the masters here" attitude." "The minister of trade himself said " "I know." ""We're all in the same boat."" "But the boat belongs to you, and we have to row it." "And it seems to irritate you that we want to be paid well to do it." "I thought the talks had been adjourned." "We can argue next week." "Of course, though I think some people will never understand." "Let's have a drink, Maria." "You know each other personally?" "Extremely personally." "I didn't notice a thing these last three hours." "I'm a master of disguises:" "A tool of capitalism by day;" "an agent of the working classes by night." "The Mata Hari of the economic miracle." "Your dull views of other people don't do you justice." "Let's go, Willy." " Would you say a few words?" " Ask Mrs. Braun." "Does she speak for the management?" "Mrs. Braun has power of attorney." "I haven't much time, but I'll drive you home." "Shall we have a drink first?" "Would you care to say a few words?" "The union demands, as presented here, can only be called extortion." "I'm going to the ladies' room." "Would you endorse these tough words?" "Of course." "Are you of a different opinion?" "I have no opinion." "I'm a journalist." "You've really made something of yourself, my girl." "Funny, isn't it?" "Us sitting here, tearing each other apart." "It's better than that "all in the same boat" crap." "How's Betti?" "Why?" "What do you mean, "why"?" "Is something wrong?" "What could be wrong?" "It's just that I need someone to talk with, and what I have is someone who cooks for me." "She does what she's learned to do." "Sure." "But she hasn't learned what really counts:" "How to learn." "She's not like you." "She doesn't have your lightheartedness." "I have to be lighthearted so Hermann has something to look forward to and be proud of." "A man can't look forward to or be proud of a wife who's miserable." "You put it so nicely." "It was nice the way you said, "You've made something of yourself."" "I have made something of myself." "I like that." "It's no use, Dr. Klaus." "He's so down again today and full of despair." "Don't cry, Mrs. Braun." "I told you before," "I can help your husband without this visit." "Believe me." "Money's no object." "I have enough, at least." "It's not primarily a matter of money." "We must proceed with the utmost discretion." "The right word to the right person at the right time can work wonders." "It will require great tact and delicacy." "I know very well that you're the only one who can help him." "It's true." "You'll help him and me." "I know you will." "But how long must we wait?" "That depends entirely on the political situation." "Eight days, eight years." "I don't want to know where you were after the meeting, but why you won't tell me." "Dining with Willy Klenze." "Why didn't you say so?" "Because it's a lie." "I detest you." "I like you." "Why don't you love me?" "Because you lie to me." "I wasn't lying." "You're driving me out of my mind." "I repeat:" "I don't want to know where you're going tomorrow " "Good." "Thanks." "Let me finish." "Why?" "What do you mean, "why"?" "Why don't you want to know where I'm going tomorrow?" "You're not interested in me." "I detest you." "I love you." "Why don't you love me?" "I thought we wanted to eat first." "The mark of a good businessman... is that he can change his plans quickly." " Did you want to see me?" " Why?" "Can't I?" "Don't be silly." "But why didn't you phone?" "Because I want to see you, feel your presence." "You're crying." "What's the matter?" "I'm crying." "What do you know" " I'm crying." "I don't know why." "Now you're crying." "I'm not crying at all." "I never cry." "Come with me." "Where?" "You'll see." "My name's Karl Oswald." "Hermann Braun." "I'm a friend of your wife's." "I know." "What do you want?" "I wanted to meet the man she loves." "Do you remember?" "Why don't they fix this place up?" "They wanted to do more for the children." "Shed no tears for love" "In this wide world there's more than one" "There's more than one fish in the sea" "I'll love each one who pleases me" "Did I understand you correctly?" "You want me to write it like that?" "Yes." "You can't be serious." "I am, Senkenberg." "Would you joke about such matters?" "You're crazy, both of you." "No." "We're very much in our right minds - both of us." "I have only two or three years left, and you know it." "I want to use that time... to live." "An idea like that could only come from a sick mind." "Your brain is in worse shape than your liver." "I'm sure you're right, Senkenberg." "But I have life... adventure... the key to the universe." "And a dose of madness." "No." "But maybe..." "I live in a country of that name." "Madness." "Well?" "Anything wrong?" "You didn't come yesterday." "No, no." "Everything's fine." "Do you have a hangover?" "A bit." "It's nothing serious." "Don't forget, it's my mother's birthday today." "Oh, yes." "Should I pick you up?" "No." "Happy birthday, Mom." "The things that go in a basket like that." " Shall I dry your hair for you?" " No." "You work so hard as it is, dear." "Go in the kitchen and make some coffee." "This is Mr. Wetzel, a friend of mine." "A very good friend." "So good, you can call me Hans." "Hello, Mr. Hans." "Grandpa Berger." "How are you?" " Did you have to come out now?" " I have to go to the bathroom." " Now of all times?" " You can't deny the call of nature." "Go on, then." " My name's Maria." " Hi, Maria." "Maria Braun." "Glad to meet you, Mrs. Braun." "You crafty old son of a bitch!" "Well, how was I?" "Sweet." "I can never decide what to choose." "Something sweet or" "Now one with the whole family." "Let me take it, Mom." "Oh, no, you don't." "The whole family has to be in it." "Mr. Oswald, if you would be so kind?" "Why not?" "But Maria knows how hopeless I am with technical things." "Any fool can take pictures with a camera like that." "If that's the case, nothing can go wrong." "Grandpa has to be in it, too." "Set the focus at 12 feet." "The aperture's okay." "And keep still, or we won't be in focus." "Either way, we still look sharp!" "Ready." " Shouldn't we wake Grandpa up?" " No, it's more natural that way." "He's always sleeping." "And never sins." "He at least kept me warm in those cold times after the war." "Really?" "Yes." "He supplied me with firewood." "He didn't even wake up when Goebbels spoke." "Don't hear much of him these days." "Life has its own rules." "Somehow it never occurred to me that my mother's a woman, too." "Then someone comes along, and suddenly she is one." "I still don't think it's right at her age." "It's indecent." "Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but that's how I feel." "When you're unhappy, all happy people seem a bit indecent." "When Willy and I are alone... at times I feel as if we were already dead." "It's always the same old thing, basically." "What am I saying, "dead"?" "He's bored to tears with me." "That's the worst thing." " Then do something about it." "What should I do?" "I'm no good at anything, except putting on weight." "We all put on weight." "Soon I won't even be able to find a lover." "Lovers are getting fatter, too." " Does Oswald know about Hermann?" " No." "It wasn't important at first." "Then it was too late to tell him." "Tell him now." "He'd kill himself." "You look sad." "I am sad." "Let's dance until we drop." "Until we drop." "Tell me what's wrong." "I'll love you forever." "As long as I live." "What's all this?" "I want you to have everything, to feel independent." "It's your money and your life, Maria." "I live my life and allow no one to give me a different one." "But it's your money." "I've led this life for you." "For us." "Take me back, please." "It's for you, Mrs. Braun." "A Dr. Klaus." "When?" "On the 23rd?" "That's next week." "So suddenly?" "I " "Excuse me." "I " "I have to " "I'm completely confused." "I have so many things to sort out." "So many things " "Things " " Hello, Mrs. Braun." " Hello." "I've come to pick him up for good." "I won't be coming anymore." "You're too late, I'm afraid." "Your husband's gone." "He left this letter for you." " Who?" " Your husband." "My husband?" "He left in a taxi over an hour ago." "Maria, I'm going away to Australia or Canada." "We'll live together when I've become a human being." "We'll have to wait that long." "A rose every month will remind you of me." "Hermann." "Is Maria there?" "Yes, of course." "I just thought " "Thank God." "I beg your pardon?" "I just thought " "Yes?" "I don't know." "Why are you here?" "I'm working." "So late?" "Why not?" "At night I find some peace and quiet." "I'm nearly finished." "Then you can take me home, please." "Please." "Downstairs on the left." "No one in our family ever had their own house before." "You're the first, my dear." "Somebody had to be first." "If your father had lived, he'd have built us a house." "But he's not alive, is he?" "My dear girl." "How can you say such a thing?" "It's the truth." "You didn't used to be so sentimental." "That's not the point." "You've changed so much, Maria." "You're like a stranger." "And cold too, right?" " That's nothing unusual these days." " Why doesn't she just say so?" "You can put the crate in there." "I said put it down, not throw it down!" "But they're solid crates!" "Don't interfere." "That's no way to treat people." "Nonsense." "He's paid to do his work." "I've a right to demand he does it properly." "That's right." "You, who never did an honest day's work." " I guess that's it." " Fine." "What's he waiting around for?" "For a tip, I imagine." "A tip." "If that's the custom, why don't you say so?" "Ask for what you're entitled to." "Is that enough?" "Give him another one." "So, now I don't have to say thanks." "I'd rather pay than say thanks." "What's this?" "There's a pair missing." "There were four of them." "She gave me a pair." "Then why doesn't she tell me?" "He hasn't worn them yet." "You thought Hermann didn't need them." "He won't be coming back anyway, you thought." "I can really use them." "That's not the point." "I don't like her lying to me." "At least I live as best I can." "You don't live at all!" "I beg your pardon." "I think she wants you to ask her to move in." "You know very well I got this house so I could be alone." "You know exactly what I want." "Yes - to live like you were in prison!" "Not bad, coming from someone like you." "I have to pay for my sins." "Or was it your idea?" "My idea?" "No, of course not." "You and your roses and your power of attorney and your money!" "One rose a month!" "That's all she hears from him." "It's like dying once a month." "Am I right?" "We should also like to express our surprise that you are interpreting the quality standards contrary to the terms of the contract." "We hope you will reconsider your position without delay and amend it to comply with the agreement." "Failing this, we will be obliged, etc., etc." "To place the matter in the hands of our legal department." "Mrs. Ehmke, don't drive me crazy." "We've included that sentence at least a hundred times." "If I don't dictate it, you don't have to repeat it." "But I always " "You've completed that stupid sentence 99 times." "That's at least 98 times too often." "I've had enough of it!" "I'm sorry." "That's all right." "We all lose our temper sometimes." "It's no wonder with you, the work you do." "How about a coffee with some brandy?" "You don't look at all well." "Don't interfere in my personal affairs." "The way I look is my business." "Answer the phone." "But I'm not here." "Mrs. Braun's office." "Hello, Mr. Oswald." "He wants to speak with you." " I said I'm not here." "I'm sorry, Mr. Oswald." "She's out of the office." "And I don't want to have lunch with him either." "And she doesn't want to have lunch with you either." "Oh, my God!" "I'm sorry." "My God, was that funny!" "That was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time." "Stop crying now." "Call him back and tell him" "Maria Braun is possessed by the devil." "And if he wants to have lunch with the devil, he can meet me at the Bastei at 1:00." "Mr. Oswald." "You're late." "Sorry." "I was almost afraid to breathe anymore." "I had to remind myself... that I enjoy life." "Life's like that." "It's as if we had a contract to enjoy life." "When we have a nice meal, we discuss how nice it is." "You're cynical." "Maybe I am cynical." "You're bored with me." "Maybe I am bored with you." "Why do we go on sitting here?" "Because you were brought up well, and I pretend I was." "And because there's something between us for which I can't find the words." "And because..." "I like living the way we live." "Besides, I have no choice." "It may not sound like much, but it is, because it's the truth." "The things I imagine," "I don't have." "Nobody does." "Not even you." "We can't exist without each other." "Do you want to leave me?" "Why should I?" "We'd be even unhappier then." "That would be stupid." "Only if you've known unhappiness... do you still have hope." "I'm not bored with you." "The problem is, she believes we broke up because she was getting fat." " She still thinks so." " But it's not true." "In fact, she was losing weight." "Don't talk like that." "After all, Betti was your wife." "And she's my friend, the only person I can tell all my troubles to." "Because she doesn't listen." "Perhaps." "Just as you need someone who listens to you, maybe I need someone who doesn't listen to me." "And her boutique is quite a success." "Her boutique." "What a laugh." "It's your boutique." "Without you, she'd be sitting on her fat ass " "Then it's true?" "You haven't gotten over her." "Otherwise you wouldn't tear her to pieces." "It wouldn't matter to you." "This used to be our classroom." "Betti used to sit next to me and copy my work." "What about Anneliese?" "What's she like?" " What's she like?" "Hard to say." "She's the type of woman a man needs:" "His own equal." "She can talk, think." "She's my equal in every way." "Must women be men's equals?" "Of course." "Except that most men don't have that consciousness." "Human consciousness lags behind real development." " Did Anneliese say that?" " Why?" "One day you'll wish you had your fat little Betti back." "Or do you already, at night in your dreams?" "Nonsense." "How can you say that, of all people?" "Because with me it's the opposite." "Reality lags behind my consciousness." "Sleep, my child, sleep" "Your father was a sheep" "From Pomerania your mother came" "Pomerania's gone up in flames" "Sleep, my child, sleep" "Maria Braun, don't start acting peculiar now." "Mr. Oswald?" "This is Maria Braun." "I need someone who'd like to sleep with me." "Hello." "Mrs. Braun." "What's wrong, Senkenberger?" "Why are you staring like that?" "Mr. Oswald is dead." "His housekeeper found him." "Heart failure." "He died in his sleep." "Peacefully." "She said he had a smile on his face." "Like a baby." "...in the words of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer:" ""If it puts an end to it, my friends, we have the right to arm ourselves, as much as we can, as much as we wish."" "And now to sports." "Less than 24 hours remain before the start of the World Cup football finals in the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern, between Germany and Hungary." "The Hungarians are still clear favorites." "That is the end of the news." "Bavarian Broadcasting." "It is 11:00 p.m." " Are you hungry?" " Yes." "You're mean." "How can you think of food at a time like this?" "Maybe you'd like to take a bath?" "I'll run it for you." "Hot or not too hot?" "Medium." "I'll do it." "I'll be right back." "Here, catch." "Don't look at me like that until I'm all ready." "You have a beautiful wife, you know." "The opener's in the kitchen." "Oh, you don't know where that is." "Here." "You can put these on after your bath." "There's a pair missing." "Hans has them." "Don't you want to know who Hans is?" "No." "I won't tell you, then." " Are the women in Canada beautiful?" " Yeah." " As beautiful as me?" " Yeah." "You're lying." "Naturally." "Why did you get dressed?" "I did, didn't I?" "I have to get to know you first, Mr. Braun." "And when you remind me of someone I love very much," "I won't need a dress anymore." "We haven't even kissed." "Patience, Hermann, patience." "We were only married for two days." "And our days are long." "Are you afraid?" " Yes." " So am I." "Let's take a trip." "Somewhere in the country." "A honeymoon, to get to know... the man I love." "Why don't we go?" "Because I can't just get up and leave everything." "I have a very specific agreement to honor." "I have to hand things over." "I need a few days for that." "Short days, Hermann." "Not long ones." "Maybe I should take a bath after all." "Maybe you should kiss your wife first." "Let me finish this first." "Tell me about things." "I did it for us, for you." "Because I love you." "And I can love you only as your husband, not as someone you have to give his life back to." "I didn't give you your life back." "It was a checkbook." "Yes, that it was." "I wanted to be somebody for you so you could love me." "Understand?" "No, but I do love you." "It's a goal!" "Goal!" "Goal!" "I want to be your wife." "I've been thinking." "We'll draw up a contract saying everything I have is yours." " Including your heart?" " That has always been yours." "Or else it belongs entirely to me." "Perhaps that's the same thing." "I'm serious about the contract." "Dismissed." "I want a different contract, in which I give you everything I possess." "You mean it?" "I mean it." "It meant so much to you." "But now I have it." "Fine." "But I'm a rich woman." "And I shall certainly inherit a fortune." "Anyone can inherit things." "Anyone?" "Maybe." "Why do you want to give me everything?" "Because I will become your husband today and won't need anything anymore." " Who can that be?" " What time is it?" " Quarter past 6:00." " What day is this?" "The fourth." "It's Senkenberg with a notary public from Lyon." "Oswald executed his will in Lyon." "Strange." "I almost forgot about the appointment." "Excuse me, I thought we " "We agreed that man is a complex being." " Yes." "May I introduce Mlle. Delvaux?" "Hello." "Please go in while I put something on." "And please begin." " But " " No "ifs" or "buts,"" "and certainly no "maybes."" "I'm sorry, mademoiselle, but we " "No "buts," remember?" "I'm Hermann Braun." "In respect of the main provision:" "The right of ownership and use of all movable and immovable company assets, with the exception of the above limitations, and of my entire personal estate, with the exception of the above limitations, shall pass in one moiety to Maria Braun," "who gave me morejoy than any other person in the world." "The remaining moiety shall pass, in accordance with the contract concluded at KreuzhofJail on June 14, 1951, to Hermann Braun, who was my friend, although he loved the same woman I loved." "He respected a love that was not his own" "You knew about the contract." "Mr. Oswald was very ill." "...and sacrificed more than may humanly be expected." "Only those capable of great love are capable of respecting the great love of others." "Only those who can serve may rule." "I have a headache." "Hermann Braun has earned the right to power as few others have." "They've finished reading the will." "Senkenberg and Mlle. Delvaux want to go." "Ask them to excuse me, please." " Aren't you feeling well?" " Just a headache." "Don't forget I've given you everything." "All the money." "It doesn't interest me." "I've given you everything, too." "My whole life." "Have you got a light?" "They play to the right." "Czibor shoots!" "Saved by Toni!" "Saved!" "And Puskas, the great soccer player from Budapest, hammers the ground with his fist." "No!" "THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN" "It's all over!" "It's all over!" "Germany is world champion,"