"Don't Promise Me Anything" "Monika?" "Martin?" "Do you love me?" "How?" "Very much." "Like a brother?" "Yes." "Like a lover?" "Yes." "Like a husband?" "Yes." "Well, like what?" "Like all together." "Aha!" "And why?" "Just because." "Aha." "How late is it anyway?" "Check the sun dial." "8:30 already?" "!" "I have to get going." "Good grief!" "At nine the sun will be gone from Potsdam Square." "All the best!" "And then I also love you when you mean so well." "Oh, Martin, how well could we be doing if we weren't doing so poorly?" "You look so cute when you say such stupid things with a semi-happy expression." "If only I could capture that expression." "Man, that would be something!" "So, all the best." "When are you coming back?" "If it doesn't rain, this afternoon." "With a huge appetite, of course." "But you don't have any money for parking." "That doesn't matter." "Then I'll just walk." "It's lovely, in this heavenly weather." "Live well, Martin." "Live well." "Can you believe it?" "No." "Good morning, you poor guys!" "Good morning." "They've obviously locked the door again." "Of course." "Yes, yes!" "My boss told me to wait as long as it takes to get the money." "Fine with me." "Aha, good morning everybody!" "Good morning!" "Hello, Mr. Lemke." "Say, you wanna play Sherlock Holmes?" "They want to get 5 months' rent paid." "You're practically a psychic!" "I am, too." "They won't get it." "Well, I never!" "Best wishes, gentlemen." "Good morning." "What a surprise!" "So many visitors at one time." "But today is the 1st, Mr. Pratt." "Do tell." "You don't say." "How time flies, no?" "Why are you standing around out here, guys?" "It's uncomfortable." "Come on in!" "Should we have broken down the door?" "Your wife is evidently not home." "Of course my wife is home." "Nikki, darling!" "Monika!" "Mr. Lemke, reach into my pocket, OK?" "Go ahead and take out the key." "I'm lucky to have run into you guys." "Please unlock the door, Mr. Lemke." "If I hadn't forgotten my brushes, I would not have been home until this afternoon." "That's right, Mr. Lemke." "Many thanks." "So, come on in, gentlemen." "Monika!" "My wife must be in the bedroom." "Monika!" "We have company!" "Make yourselves comfortable, gentlemen." "Monika!" "Oh, gentlemen!" "Good morning, gentlemen." "Good morning." "I can imagine what you want of me." "Not possible." "Namely... mmm... money." "True." "And that is exactly what I can't give you, gentlemen." "That's what I thought." "Yet again!" "Why not?" "Because... because I don't have any." "But why not?" "I don't have any money." "You don't have any money?" "From where?" "But you still had money." "As long as I had something to pawn." "But you sold the clock just yesterday." "Yes, I used that money to buy you the brushes, the paint, and the canvas." "And now you have nothing left?" "Now I have nothing left." "Well..." "Anyway, gentlemen, I couldn't have known that." "I was..." "My wife simply forgot that it's the first of the month." "Too bad you didn't also forget." "Maybe you can come back another time." "No, Mrs. Pratt." "Everything has limits." "I've been waiting for my money for 3 months." "And we have waited four!" "So, either you pay, or we'll meet in court." "In court." "Enjoy your meal." "I'm of the same opinion." "What am I supposed to tell my boss?" "Take a nice rest." "Thank you." "Well, how did I do?" "Great." "Pleased?" "Very pleased." "You see?" "Oh, there's another one!" "But Mr. Lemke..." "The others have left already." "Yes, I know." "Well, what are you still doing here?" "Well, the rent, Mr. Pratt!" "The rent for five months." "The rent for five months?" "Nikki, dear, can't you get that?" "Mr. Lemke, I don't have any money right now." "For God's sake, Mrs. Pratt, you must have money!" "I can't go home without it!" "I'm sorry." "You see, my wife won't let me in if I don't bring her the rent." "And I say..." "I say, "Mauseli, maybe they'll give me the rent for two months"." "When we have money, Mr. Lemke, you'll be the first to ha...ha...have the rent paid." "Have some patience." "I have so much patience." "I've been married 33 years." "You can't put me out on the street." "I would be happy to help you move out." "Otherwise you have to get money somehow." "Until then, I will stay seated here." "You see I am well-equipped." "I'm just going to stay here until I have the money." "What is it?" "What's her problem?" "Nikki darling." "What's wrong?" "Nikki!" "Get a glass of water, fast." "A cognac, if you have." "I'm sure we don't have that." "A pillow!" "Aww, poor, pretty little woman." "Oh, such a brave little woman." "Yes, yes." "What's going on?" "Thank God you are conscious again, Mrs. Pratt." "Why?" "I didn't..." "Did I?" "You just fell over on us for a minute." "Fell over?" "How stupid!" "Where is he?" "Mr." "Martin?" "He's getting water." "Wherever did it go?" "Good heavens!" "If you want a coffee while you wait, Mr. Lemke, I can make you a fresh one." "You're making an old guy like me blush with shame, Mrs. Pratt." "I'll leave." "Thank you." "My wife is going to be very angry, but I'll leave, Mrs. Pratt." "May I?" "You see, please don't be angry with me, but I leave now, my wife will come here later in person." "I cannot protect you from that, Mrs. Pratt, but may I perhaps..." "I mean, since I can, you need it, after all..." "No, that's not..." "Please, Mrs. Pratt." "It's not much." "It's so embarrassing..." "You won't find anything here!" "Yes, that's what I thought, Mr. Pratt." "But your wife is, thank God, doing much better now, right?" "So then, I'll take my leave." "Be seeing you, with my wife." "Sweetie, what was all that about?" "Nothing." "It's just idiotic." "It only happens because you always walk around barefoot." "Then the blood goes to your head." "Of course." "You see?" "You mustn't always give me such a scare." "No." "I have built up an appetite." "Bring me my shoes and coat." "I'll get us something to eat." "See, Shnookums, there's already a new evening dress hanging in the window." "Well, well." "Someone might see it and copy me." "Let's go right in and take a look..." "But, dear, I don't have time." "I have to go to the office." "Monika!" "It can't be!" "To meet you again!" "Mots, where have you been?" "Oh, I am so excited to see you." "What a small world!" "Shnookums, Monika is my friend from school." "Pillow Stain." ""Pillow Stain" was her nickname." "Can you please introduce me?" "Oh, I'm sorry." "I completely forgot." "So, this is Shnookums." "Brenkow, Consul Brenkow." "Shnookums is, of course, my husband." "Shnookums, belly in." "I am Mrs. Consul." "Yes, and this is my friend, Monika." "You know, I don't even know your last name." "You are married too, aren't you?" "Pratt." "My name is Pratt." "And what does your husband do?" "A painter." "A painter?" "!" "That's incredibly interesting!" "Shnookums, did you hear?" "Her husband is a painter." "He's actually an exceptional painter." "Did you hear, Shnookums?" "Monika's husband is an incredibly famous painter." ""Incredibly", I don't know." "Thank you very much, mesdames." "Hello, Mrs. Heilholdt." "You're coming in, Monika." "No, I don't have time." "I have..." "But maybe you can come visit us and..." "No, you must try on my new dress!" "Come on in, madam." "Embarrassing." "It would be really delightful if you came to visit us sometime." "My husband and I would be so glad." "I don't know, maybe you would like something of his." "Are you interested in paintings?" "Yes." "In fact, very much." "I recently bought a painting from the Felder Gallery." "Felder?" "Hey, Monika, tell us." "What does your husband paint, anyway?" "Does he paint naked women?" "Well, he paints everything." "Don't you want to come over and see his paintings?" "Yes, of course." "With great pleasure!" "Come!" "Is today good?" "Right away!" "I'll just quickly try on my dress and then we'll go with her, OK Shnookums?" "Martin!" "Martin!" "Martin, you!" "Look!" "Promise me something." "Promise me that you will be sensible for once in your life." "Indeed!" "I'm the most sensible person on the face of the planet." "OK, then that's great." "You see, I have arranged something." "Something to eat?" "No, nothing to eat." "My friend, Vera." "Is she pretty?" "I mean, don't misunderstand." "I'm not interested in her as a woman." "Does she have a painterly effect?" "Can one do something with her?" "For example, I need a wide face for this farm woman..." "No, Martin, she doesn't have a wide face." "See, she has a pug face." "Why are you bringing such a silly cow here?" "Vera Brenkow is coming here because..." "they have to buy pictures from you." "They have to buy pictures from me?" "We must have gone completely insane." "We must have gone completely insane." "Why else would you chase those unlucky people up these five terrible stairs?" "You have great ideas!" "Great." "Great!" "Martin, now listen to me!" "You know we have nothing to eat." "You know that if we don't pay the rent we'll be kicked out tomorrow." "That's wonderful!" "You'll finally get some fresh air and I can paint at the" "Federal Office." "Look, Martin, sometimes you don't have money to buy brushes, paint, and canvases." "What?" "No, excuse me a second." "I mean, the money for my art supplies has to be there." "That's what I'm saying, Martin!" "So when Mr. Brenkow comes here, he is stupid and will buy a couple of pieces." "So, sell them to him for God's sake!" "Promise me!" "But the paintings are bad." "I can't sell bad pictures." "You know very well that I'm not ready yet." "I know, Martin, but you love me, don't you?" "You're a reasonable, hard-working man who wants to ease his wife's biggest burdens." "If I beg of you on bended knee, let Brenkow buy a couple of pictures off you." "Even if you don't consider them real art, you'll do it, Martin." "Promise me." "Otherwise, where will we sleep tomorrow night?" "You know I'm dizzy and starving half the day as it is." "Earlier I was also starving." "You know that!" "But Nikki, my dear." "No, I didn't know it was that bad." "Look, I do everything." "I'll do everything, Nikki, sweetie." "I'll go onto the streets, OK?" "I'll put my paintings up for sale, OK?" "I'll sacrifice myself." "I'll throw the truffles to the pigs." "Yes." "I'll talk Mr. Brenkow into buying a half-dozen of my bad paintings, OK?" "Come, you mustn't cry." "I can't stand seeing you weep." "You, hmmm?" "Do you really promise that with Brenkow and the pictures?" "But..." "Do you really promise?" "I'll promise whatever you want." "Then put on a fresh shirt." "Oh, yes." "Even a genius can sometimes wear a fresh shirt." "And brush your hair from your forehead." "Otherwise you'll start squinting, too." "I want to put something in my eyes." "She looks so cute when she cries." "Martin!" "Martin, answer the door." "Fast!" "The doorbell rang!" "I didn't hear anything." "Mr. Painter seems to be very busy." "Maybe his muse is with him at the moment." "We'll see." "Oh, great to see you!" "Good day, madam." "I'm very excited to see your atelier." "So, this is his atelier." "Look, Shnookums, this is his atelier." "I had envisioned it very differently." "Where are the naked women?" "But, child!" "What do you mean, "But, child"?" "Painters are always surrounded by naked women." "They need them as models." "What do you mean?" "Hey, that's how I lured him here." "I think he likes seeing that very much." "Isn't she adorable?" "There is one!" "No, that isn't one." "That's only my husband." "Your husband?" "Good day." "May I introduce you to the gentleman?" "Let me introduce myself." "Brenkow." "I don't know him." "Er, good day." "Um..." "Put on your shirt!" "Please excuse us." "Would you like to take a seat?" "Mops, maybe you here, and Mr. Brenkow, there." "Oh!" "Oops." "I'm sorry." "Welcome." "Well, then... welcome." "It's really charming of you, Mr. Brenkow, that you, despite your heavy workload, have so much interest in the arts." "It's hereditary." "So, you are a painter, Mr. Pratt." "I might become one, one day." "I find your husband delightful, Monika!" "I do, too." "You should make him a velvet jacket." "It would suit him incredibly well, don't you think?" "Martin, why don't you show the ladies and gentlemen your pictures." "Then I'll show them myself." "May I be of help, madam?" "You are highly interesting." "Have a seat." "Er, did you actually paint all of the pictures yourself, Mr. Pratt?" "Unfortunately." "So, uh, this is a still life." "One notices that immediately, right?" "There are wonderful flowers and wonderful fruits, and... the platter is ours." "Incredibly interesting!" "Vivid!" "One can practically smell the carnations." "One smells dirt." "Sorry?" "The painting isn't worth the canvas onto which it was painted." "Oh, I wouldn't say that, Mr. Pratt." "I mean, as an attempt." "As a... thrill, right, it's very striking." "Those are attempts." "Of course, I have seen much better paintings." "Where have you seen better paintings?" "Well, I mean, in the Felder Gallery, for instance." "At an exhibit." "Name better paintings?" "They are sixth-rate, my friend!" "That makes them worthless." "Excuse me, Mr. Pratt." "I mean, Felder is an authority." "A painter who launches there has it made." "How wonderful, Mr. Brenkow!" "Say, Mr. Felder is just dealing with my husband with regard to, um... with regard to this rigorous landscape." "This is actually my favourite painting." "I would really rather not give it up, but for you I would sacrifice it;" "I mean, what could this meagre landscape be worth?" "The whole vast power of Prussian- Brandenbur...er...history." "Should be represented by that painting." "Should and is!" "Come on, put this crap away." "Excuse me, a picture that interests Vera, interests me, too." "I know this landscape." "Oh, it has a lot of character!" "And, I must say, this character is captured to a large degree in your strong sense of mood." "Even if I miss the actual power of this quiet landscape, which formed this Prussian character." "You have a distressed look on your face." "Yes." "One endured all kinds of things." "I mean, one had success." "That is, of course, reflected somewhere." "Your face must be the most idiotic that I have ever seen in my life." "That's something one doesn't just come by." "One either has it or one doesn't." "You have it." "I'm totally serious." "When I look at your face, I'm suddenly appalled." "It's really appalling." "My husband means you have such an interesting head." "Really?" "I think I understood your husband very well." "This disproportion between the forehead and this totally expressionless mouth..." "The chin, and add to that these completely mulish eyes." "Man, oh man!" "I don't know if I would ever be capable of painting such a thing." "Isn't he delightful, Shnookums?" "I told you this would be an incredibly interesting visit." "We have another appointment, Vera." "An appointment?" "Just now, when we're having such a lovely time?" "But you said nothing of it." "May I reserve a landscape for you?" "That is a very nice little picture." "If I could pay you, madam, as an old friend of my little Vera, a special favour by doing this, then I would ultimately be inclined to do it." "...Sell for cheap." "Mr. Fill wanted to give us 800 marks, but from you we would ask only five hund...fiv..." "hun...fifty, roughly." "But how could you wish to cheat these people?" "That's easily 500 marks too much." "I don't understand you." "Clear out this junk, will you?" "OK, forget it." "Madam." "Goodbye, Monika." "Vera, you could help us so much." "You could use the picture." "Shnookums!" "Why are you walking away?" "I'd really like to have one of Mr. Pratt's paintings." "Um, th... that one there." "The still life with the lovely scent of carnations." "It's so incredibly original!" "I'm sorry, my child, but I'm not quite as idiotic as Mr. Pratt assumes." "Madam." "But Shnookums, why are you so upset?" "Goodbye, Monika." "Mr. Pratt, it was incredibly interesting!" "I'll have so much to tell at the club tomorrow!" "See you." "Yes, coming." "Whoa there, young lady!" "Good evening." "What do you want?" "Well, what do you think the gas man wants?" "Money." "Ha, Monika, the gas man wants money." "I don't have any money." "Only 5.30 marks, Mrs. Pratt." "I don't have 5.30 marks." "This is the third time I've come to have the bill paid." "If you don't pay I'll turn it off." "Go ahead." "Well, I'm sorry, Mrs. Pratt." "You don't have to be sorry." "When one has nothing to cook, one doesn't need gas either." "Ha, these Brenkows." "Indeed!" "That man has a divine block head!" "And the wife, a sweet snickerpuss." "Man, oh, man!" "If I hadn't listened to you," "I would have tossed them down the stairs after five minutes." "Thank you, Martin." "You restrained yourself impeccably!" "Yes, don't you think?" "God, what one doesn't do out of love for one's wife." "Hello, Mrs. Pratt." "You know, I only managed to get a money order." "Mr. Pratt, I got a money order, if you want to send it in." "Yes, yes, we'll settle that then, right?" "But how, Martin?" "Oh, that I don't know." "That's your problem." "Aha." "Tell me, off the record, what does a picture like that cost?" "Well, what are you offering?" "Hold on." "I don't have money to throw away, but you know what?" "Give me that painting and I'll pay the 5.30 out of my own pocket, and your gas flame will be burning again." "How about it?" "No, no, I can't do that." "I can't take money for this painting." "But I'll tell you what." "I'll give you this painting." "I'll just finish it off and then you come to pick it up, OK?" "Sounds good." "Nikki, dear, why did you run off?" "Did you sell the thing for 5.30 marks?" "No, I can't sell the man an unfinished painting." "Too bad." "What?" "If you had sold it to him, he would have removed the seal in the kitchen." "So what?" "Then I would have opened the gas valve tonight." "But why?" "Because I've had enough, and I can't do this anymore!" "I've had it!" "I've had it!" "Say, are you trying to make a scene?" "Yes!" "But please, you know I can't stand scenes!" "I'm a person who needs to be able to concentrate, and I need my peace!" "Wonderful!" "Lovely!" "Bravo!" "You need your peace to be able to paint your pictures, and once you have painted them you throw them into a corner to rot." "Oh, perhaps you want to decide if I find my paintings good enough to sell." "Once and for all..." "Once and for all, I can't do it anymore!" "I have abided this for 2 years." "For 2 years I have lived like a piece of wood that one gives a kick!" "Worse than a piece of wood, because a piece of wood doesn't have an appetite." "And a piece of wood doesn't need love." "Don't you remember what we agreed to back when we got married?" "That you are a servant to art in your way, just as I am in mine." "To hell with your art!" "I'm sick and tired of it!" "God knows, you are mistaken if you think you can go around offending people and saying, "I don't care about the world"." "Ha ha, the world, my dear, doesn't care about you, for sure!" "The world would be highly indifferent if one day it says in the newspaper," ""We opened the atelier door and found the young married couple dead"." ""Cause of death was determined to be malnutrition."" "What am I supposed to do?" "Paint your pictures is what you should do." "But when I lure two people up here with much effort, urgency, and embarrassment, and you promise me..." "God, you promise me to behave yourself for once in your life!" "And then you stand there and behave..." "But I can't stand on a street corner and throw my pictures to the masses!" "Dear God, how could you put such a schmuck on this earth?" "How does it harm a painter if he not only paints pictures, but sells them, too?" "My God, I can't!" "Don't you understand?" "!" "I can't!" "Even if you beat me to death." "I can't do that!" "You can't expect me part with something if I'm not confident of its worth!" "And you can't expect me to sleep outdoors tonight, and to die of hunger tomorrow, just because you refuse to act like a responsible human being." "You have told me a hundred times, "I know that my paintings are better than most other paintings of today"." "Well, better than most that are on display these days." "Well, I have to admit you are right." "I mean, the paintings aren't bad, right?" "No, my paintings aren't bad!" "My dear child, if Mr. X or Mr. Y, for example, had made these paintings..." "Or if you..." "Well, I could imagine that you have learned a lot from me in the last two years." "Thanks." "You're welcome." "And that you would paint these pictures." "Yeah, if one day, down in the corner, this "M. Pratt" didn't mean "Martin Pratt", but rather Monika Pratt." "Monika?" "Yes, Monika!" "I would be the first to give it a very proper critique." "I would say," ""Come this way, gentlemen, philistines"." ""Here is a grand, young, talented artist."" ""She deserves your esteemed attention."" ""A woman who, in a unique manner, blends roughness and delicacy."" ""Please regard her Havel landscape."" ""Please consider the Valais Mountains, the delicate breeze, the twilight that rises in the valley between these two pines and the sand dunes."" ""A great one, a talented one, a young one."" ""A beautiful artist."" ""Remember the name, ladies and gentlemen." "Monika Pratt."" "I love her." "I love he..." "The boss is in a great mood today." "Gustav, I want Dr. Elk." "Now!" "When I say "now", I mean now!" "Now go!" "Mr. Elk, go to the boss." "Right away!" "What's going on?" "Dreadful, the racket!" "Gustav, go over to the confectioner." "Get a cake for the boss." "Not too small." "Oh, how nice it would be if you tripped on the carpet." "Get going!" "Excuse me." "Pay attention!" "Dr. Elk, if you weren't so damned good at propaganda, and if you didn't understand so much about the old Chinese and Japanese, and if, of all days today, weren't my day for crudités," "then I would roast you this evening on a small flame for dinner." "Give me a reason, please." "A reason?" "!" "How could you deal behind my back with such a helpless finicky eater?" "My goodness, how did these pictures get here?" "Do you want to stage a competition of mediocrity, or do you want to show what chasms of art we can fall into when you give a prize for incompetence?" "The best there is." "Bullshit!" "If that's the best, then hang it on the wall up right away." "I want to see optimism, my friend." "Optimism!" "World-weariness and intellectuals make me want to puke." "Mr. Felder, almost all young people who battle over ideology, are pessimistic." "It's a sort of youthful insanity." "Please shut up with that nonsense." "You're mistaking the birth of a real, true art style with the flatulence of some impotent weaklings who can't stomach this world." "I won't support something like that." "I need guys who can say, "yes"." "Guys who love life." "The nicest kids are born out of a person's love of life, my friend." "That's where the great artworks are created, those that last centuries." "What are you doing there?" "Taking notes." "Get out, eh?" "Delightful." "Don't forget to pack up those things and send them back to the art schools." "If you want, pack a revolver as well, or a rope." "They're not worth the gunpowder, these..." "Ah, beautiful!" "Blessed raw fruit, Mr. Felder." "Out!" "Get out!" "I know I don't have an appointment, but I have to speak to Mr. Felder anyway." "But, madam, Mr. Felder is at an important conference." "Oh, poppycock!" "A conference with apple cake and whipped cream." "Oh, Mr. Felder!" "My name is Monika Pratt." "I think you will remember my name." "I'm sorry, my name is Elk." "Oh, I see." "May I ask for your card?" "Here is my business card!" "I think Mr. Felder will be able to read it." "What's left over you can have." "There will be nothing left, Mr. Felder." "Oh, you little devil!" "Well, here." "Here's a small down payment." "I'm much obliged" "Yes, be much obliged." "What's that?" "OK, but quiet, please." "But if I whisper, he won't hear me." "He shall hear me." "He should come out here and..." "What's this racket?" "I demand the utmost silence." "Er, forgive me." "I must ask for forgiveness, Mr. Felder." "I..." "What would you like?" "I am a painter, and have brought you one of my paintings." "Optimism, Mr. Felder." "You wanted optimism." "Let me see." "Take that crap down for me." "The other one, too." "Everything up there." "What was your name?" "P.M." "Monika Pratt." "Oh, I see. "M.P."" "You painted this picture?" "Yes." "That's rubbish." "Pardon me?" "A man painted this." "But I am a woman." "Undeniably." "Go on in." "Would you like a cup of coffee and a piece of cake?" "Yes, if necessary." "Please try it." "May I offer you another little piece of cake?" "Oh yes, please." "Thanks." "Mmm, good!" "I'm happy that you like it so much." "If only you knew how much." "That's very peculiar." "I mean, you nullify all of my experiences." "Really." "I mean, you are a woman, but you have the eye and brushstroke of a man." "A talented man, hopefully." "A tremendously talented man." "Have you painted many pictures?" "Piles of them." "The whole atelier is full." "Gladly." "You can imagine what a man..." "I mean, what one amasses over time." "Yes, of course." "That makes me wonder why you have never tried to sell a painting." "I just didn't feel mature enough yet, Mr. Felder." "No one and nothing in the world would prompt me to plop myself onto the street in order to simply crank out my paintings." "Now I can't eat anything else sweet." "I'd rather starve to death in a rat hole." "You don't look like you're starving." "But Mr. Felder, I only made that up so you would like the Havelland more." "I'm willing to be discovered by you, Mr. Felder." "It's high time!" "Was that an apple cake or a cream cake?" "Excuse me, please." "I suddenly feel all hot and cold." "I need a little fresh air." "Yes, yes, yes." "Oh, God, even the shoes are borrowed." "Tell Klette to come." "Ms. Klette, please write in the form of a business letter." "Write, "The following agreement was made between Art Salon Felder and" "Ms. Monika Pratt..." Quiet." "Have a seat." "Mrs." "What?" "Mrs." "Monika Pratt." "Why?" "Oh, you're married?" "Yes, very." "To whom?" "To him." "And what else is he?" "He is also a painter." "Good grief!" "I'm sick of these "also-painters" anyway." "OK, then, write, "Mrs."" ""The following agreement was made between Mrs. Monika Pratt and Art Salon Felder."" ""Art Salon Felder will take the offer of a painting from Mrs. Monika Pratt, with the width of..."" "You have big mouths, all of you!" "You promise but don't deliver..." "Hey, how dare you scream at my husband!" "How did you get in here?" "This is a home invasion!" "Stop!" "Stand still as you are." "That's a fabulous position." "I have to draw that." "I knew it!" "Mrs." "Lemke, this will cost you!" "Is this good, Martin?" "Fabulous!" "This is a home invasion!" "I want my rent." "What do you want?" "Oh, they want the rent?" "Then they'll get it!" "I'm sorry, Martin. 300 marks for 5 months." "Pfft, that's much too much for this rat hole." "Here." "Where are the receipts?" "Yes, the receipts!" "May I now ask you to get lost." "Goodbye, Mrs. Lemke." "Goodbye, Mauseli." "Goodbye, Mr. Lemke." "It was very nice." "I enjoyed it very much." "One second, please, Mrs. Pratt." "Now that you have money, my wife, she has so horribly..." "the mark that I needed." "Of course." "The mark, Mr. Lemke." "Thank you, and it brought us luck." "Yes, thank you and congratulations." "Too bad." "That would have been a pretty sketch." "No, don't, darling!" "I would love to assume all the burdens, but you must tell me how you did that." "Did what?" "Well, the theft." "You're not saying you killed the money postman, are you?" "Where did you get the money?" "From Felder." "What?" "Felder bought the Havel landscape." "What did he buy?" "The Havel landscape." "My Havel landscape?" "Yours?" "Why yours?" "Mine!" "You gave it to me!" "OK, all the best." "OK, now listen, Martin." "Look, you don't want to sell him any pictures bearing your name." "So, if we don't want to starve, we just have to sell them under my name." "You're making me dizzy." "OK, then I'll go the other way around." "Felder was absolutely thrilled with the Havel landscape." "Oh, sorry." "He's coming over to look at the other paintings." "And if he likes them..." "Martin, then the next big art exhibition will be in the name Monika Pratt!" "And then we won't have any more worries." "And we'll be happy." "And we'll move into a new atelier." "And then we'll be doing fine." "And now I'll make you a schnitzel with a salad and onions." "I'm excited, Martin." "Oh, I'm so excited!" "Marie, get the door!" "Well, should I give you a written invitation?" "Yes, Mr. Pratt." "Mr. Pratt." "Dear me, Mr. Pratt, what are you doing with that painting?" "Yes, I looked at it again." "You know, it's not done yet." "Something like this is never finished." "I'm going to redo the entire left side." "Yes, yes, but the picture belongs to us." "Whom?" "Who are you, anyway?" "Art Salon Felder." "Never heard of it." "I am Mr. Felder's right-hand-man, Dr. Heinrich Elk." "So what?" "Monika isn't home!" "Good morning, gentlemen." "Good morning, madam." "Where is Marie?" "Marie!" "Oh, there." "Marie, I bought some things." "Beautiful!" "And everything is so cheap when one has money." "This is for you." "It's a pot." "And this is a new pair of pants for the gentleman." "I'll put it there discreetly." "You see, he loves new pants." "Good day, Mr. Elk." "You must be here to pick up the painting." "Martin!" "I think he still hasn't noticed that we have moved." "Wow, the new chair!" "How nice!" "Martin, I brought you a hairdryer hood." "He has to wear one so he doesn't squint." "And paints." "All nuances!" "And brushes!" "Weasel-bristle, badger-bristle, pig-bristle." "The most expensive available, Martin." "And paid off." "Now you can paint with these, Martin." "If you can." "Please, Mr. Elk, put the flowers into the vase." "Sure." "What a crazy hunt that was today!" "If I hadn't had Felder's car..." "Oh, Felder went with you." "Yes." "He's coming to pick me up again in 10 minutes." "I still have to go to the photographer, and..." "I don't know, why is everything still in such a mess?" "Since we have stuff to stand around, everything is standing around." "You too, Mr. Elk." "Oh, you're her to pick up the painting." "The vase is over there." "I'm sorry." "These are the new socks for you, Martin." "Real silk-interwoven wool socks." "The nicest ones they had." "Here, see?" "But I'm so happy that I don't have to darn his socks for the hundredth time." "Martin, come and show me if the colour fits your face." "Where did he go?" "Now, he actually took off with the painting!" "Oh, of course!" "You wanted to pick up the painting." "Yes, absolutely." "Oh, maybe you can come another time." "Yes." "Please forgive me." "You, gladly." "Martin!" "Martin?" "Martin!" "Darling!" "Why did you run away, huh?" "Why don't you want to give the painting to Mr. Elk?" "Huh?" "You did say it was your best one." "Why did you take it away?" "Huh?" "You have changed immensely." "How you look." "The hat, these ruffles." "You jabber around with Mr. Elk." "Sometimes I don't recognize you." "You know what you see, Martin?" "No." "Fear." "I'm so scared." "Fear of what you wanted yourself?" "Yes, but did I want this?" "I just wanted not to starve anymore." "I wanted us to have a roof over our heads, so that we could simply..." "live." "But now, now everything's rolling, as if in an avalanche, and... and your paintings look so damned good the way they hang." "You're not trying to convince me that Felder's buying the paintings because he finds them good." "Why else?" "Because he's in love with you, no more!" "Oh, you must be..." "Do you imagine that every man will go with you to the hairdresser, fashion house, and photographer." "If he did that, he'd have a lot to do!" "Martin, you're mistaken." "OK, then, I'll go to him and say, "Dear Mr. Felder, you've fallen for a great scam." "My wife didn't paint the pictures;" "I did." "Not Monika, but Martin Pratt"." "We'll see how he reacts." "Martin, if you do that; if you are malicious enough to totally expose me..." "Yes?" "Excuse me." "Mr. Felder wants to remind you of the photographer." "Yes, I'll be right there." "Come on, Martin, believe me." "What you're thinking is nonsense!" "Of course." "Felder is only interested in the pictures." "Of course." "And he promises the exhibit will be a sensation." "He doesn't care about me personally." "So please believe me." "Of course." "Martin, stop with this "Of course"!" "I feel like punching you." "Really?" "Yes." "Put on another shirt, and go to the barber to have your hair cut!" "Special Exhibition" "My goodness, paintings, Shnookums!" "All those paintings, and all in real frames!" "Oh!" "Hilda, you're here too!" "Shnookums, Hilda is also here." "It's amazing!" "Shnookums, stomach in." "Hello, Zelda." "Have you two had a look at the exhibition already?" "Incredibly interesting!" "We know the Pratt paintings." "Monika is my very best friend." "Your friend?" "Yes, of course." "We're with her everyday in the atelier." "Excuse me, madam, one question." "How did you reach the decision to become a painter?" "I'd rather not talk about that." "Believe me, gentlemen, I am the least qualified to talk about my art." "My only justification for why my paintings are hanging in the Felder Gallery is that they are hanging in the Felder Gallery." "All the best." "Hello." "The pass is over there, sir." "Everything is fabulous here, really." "Unbelievable!" "The admission pass, sir." "There you are." "Well, well." "2 marks, please." "What?" "The admission ticket costs 2 marks." "Yep." "I hope you're not trying to convince me that there are people who would pay 2 marks to look at this junk." "Junk?" "!" "What the hell is this?" "That's the catalogue." "No." "I'm... you see, I'm the artist's husband." "Oh, forgive me, Mr. Pratt." "Then your admission is, of course, free." "No, it doesn't matt..." "I have suspected the whole time that these aren't my pants." "Surely I'm walking around in a stranger's pants." "There was no money in my pants." "Who put the money into my pants?" "It certainly wasn't me, Mr. Pratt." "Really?" "Well, look at this stuff here." "These things are lying around, and some person comes and scribbles numbers on it." "That's just..." "Yes, but Mr. Pratt..." "Not an "8"." "Who is this?" "The husband of Monika Pratt." "The spouse of Monika Pratt?" "Oh yes, gentlemen." "Let me introduce Mr. Pratt." "Pardon me, who is today..." "How do you feel as the husband of such a famous woman?" "Not very famous." "Surely not." "Surely not!" "Mr. Brenkow, you're sent by heaven." "Excuse me." "But Mr. Pratt is joking, Shnookums." "Oh, there's Mr. Elk." "Mr. Elk!" "Mr. Elk, you must give me advice." "Excuse me; a customer." "Sure." "At your feet, loveliest lady." "How do you mean that, Mr. Elk?" "Come." "Sir, I came here to honour your wife." "But I have firmly resolved not to be insulted by you in any way." "No, I... please don't be so loud." "That's what I just wanted to tell you." "It was because of a mistake, a fundamental mistake, you see, a mistake of my eye, my painter's eye, that I came to the wrong conclusion." "Your face isn't so tremendously idiotic." "Be careful what you say!" "No, no, no." "Let me expand." "You see, I am currently working on a self-portrait, and in doing so I noticed that my face has almost exactly the same expression as yours, so it can't be all that stupid." "Yes, it's just an expression of enormous concentration, right?" "Well, I am certainly always very concentrated." "Yes, it makes our faces a little rigid, you know?" "I mean, I'm tempted to say, in fact, a little too unambiguous." "Well, yes, one has, after all, gone through a lot." "Yes, Herr Consul..." "I'm pleased, Mr. Pratt, really pleased." "Yes." "You know, here we'll be bothered." "Let's go into there." "There we can talk about it in more detail." "Yes." "This is a decent wigwam, huh?" "Yes." "Belongs to Mr. Elk." "You know Mr. Elk, right?" "Have you seen this?" "That's divine!" "Jeez Louise!" "Stay like that." "The lighting is magnificent!" "Your head in this light." "It's unprecedented." "What?" "It's singular." "I have to record it." "Jeez Louise, this round light and the vulgarian above it!" "It's, it's unique!" "It's unique!" "Stand still!" "The line-shift would be a deadly sin!" "That Monika dares to paint something like that!" "I would be extremely ashamed." "A totally naked man." "I'm so embarrassed." "Then why don't you take a landscape?" "But no, Mr. Elk." "I love to be embarrassed." "Then take the naked man." "Yes, but, oh, I don't trust myself to look at it." "Yes, um, do you think this picture would be suitable for my bedroom?" "I have not been privileged to know this location." "But Mr. Elk!" "Thank you very much, madam." "May I see?" "Please." "It's cute." "Of course, I can't compete with you." "No, very cute, very cute." "Hopefully it will look good in the newspaper." "Oh, yes." "May I bother you for your autograph?" "Yes, please!" "We thank you." "What am I supposed to write?" "What do you think? "M. Pratt"." "Your valuable signature." "Here." "No, I'd rather write with a pencil, because one can erase it later." "Ha, your hand is shaking as if you were a forger." "I hope you allow me to commission my portrait with you." "Money is no object." "Money?" "Herr Consul, please, leave me alone with your money." "I want your head." "Your head is what I want!" "There you two are!" "See, Shnookums, I told you right away you would get along famously with Mr. Pratt." "You won't believe what Monika painted!" "A real naked man." "We have to buy it, OK?" "You know, I think we really have to go." "May I drive you home, Mr. Pratt?" "Very kind, Mr. Brenkow." "Very kind." "What a deep expression your face has when one has totally experienced it." "I must say, it's an epiphany." "If you permit, I will continue drawing in the car." "Have you ever painted a fresco?" "Sorry?" "Have you ever painted fresco?" "Yes." "No." "I painted the pictures that are hanging here and in the atelier." "Those I have, of course, painted, but..." "Yes, yes, but you can do it." "When one looks at your paintings, really, you are almost destined to paint a fresco." "Oh no, I don't think so." "Yes, yes, you can do it." "You can do it." "Really." "I'd like you to do the big wall mural in the hall of the new women's sport school." "I am supposed to paint the big mural in the hall of..." "The big one?" "That's out of the question!" "I'm far too." "You can do it." "Really." "Don't you see what it means for a painter to paint a fresco?" "Yes, but I can't, Mr. Felder." "Yes, yes, you can!" "No, no!" "But when I see your pictures..." "You don't want to believe me I really can't do it." "You have to tell these people it's too difficult for me." "The job is too difficult, I don't feel mature enough for it..." "Did you ever see the likes of it?" "Tell me, are you afraid of your own success?" "Yes, Mr. Felder." "You should have thought about that earlier, my child!" "Yes, Mr. Felder." "Martin!" "Oh, there you are!" "It was so boring." "I had no one to speak with." "One time in my life I need you, and you are nowhere to be found." "You leave me hanging in the worst situation of my life, and I don't know how to advise or help myself." "What are you talking about?" "I've been talking about it for 15 minutes." "No, that's not true, because you weren't here 15 minutes ago." "Martin!" "Martin." "I'm supposed to paint a huge fresco." "What?" "!" "A fresco painting in a girls' auditorium." "Such a monster!" "It's not so funny." "I don't find it all that amusing!" "Hey Martin, don't laugh so idiotically!" "Ow!" "It'd be better if you told me what I should do." "So, burst open, my dear child." "What am I supposed to do know?" "Yes, I..." "Should I take the contract?" "Yes." "Or should I cancel it?" "Yes." "What the hell's the matter?" "Take it or cancel it." "It's all the same to me." "OK then, fine, I'll cancel it!" "Thank God!" "Nikki, darling." "Say, is that the auditorium that was just in the paper?" "Of course, I voided that contract." "I folded it so I could find it again." "Now where did I put that?" "Marie!" "Marie!" "Where's the page?" "Marie!" "These conditions are utterly impossible to grasp!" "I can't believe this state of affairs!" "It's clean here, it's neat, it's tidy, it has been dusted!" "It's disgusting!" "It has been tidied and tidied and tidied, until no one can find anything again!" "There are my books!" "I simply don't recognize them!" "They are standing bolt upright like lights on a Christmas tree!" "I mean, I can not live in such a Christmas room!" "I simply can't..." "I can't breathe in such conditions, with such orderliness!" "Where is the piece of paper?" "Which piece of paper?" ""Which piece...?" Oh my God!" "Which paper?" "!" "Which paper, Marie?" "!" "The local Krebshausen newspaper presumably, right?" "The local Krebshausen newspaper that I read at breakfast every morning!" "The art magazine, Marie!" "It's OK, Marie." "It's OK, Marie." "Martin, what that lying there?" "You see!" "I put it here so I could find it right away." "Page 17." "Page 17." "I folded it." "Where is it?" "Here." "These are proportions, my dear child." "This is a surface." "Here's a fresco." "The architect knows what he's doing." "That's an artist, dear child!" "That's an assignment one gets once in a lifetime." "Yes, but unfortunately I got the assignment, not you!" "And I am declining this commission." "5, 6..." "We have to decline this commission, Martin." "Say, you must not quite be of sound mind." "I'm supposed to decline this commission, this commission sent to me by God?" "At the moment He allows me to acquire maturity?" "Out of the question!" "Well, then you'll have to go to him... and apply for the commission yourself." "You can't be serious!" "You want me to go to those people and say, "Gentlemen, would you be so gracious as to allow me to make the mural?" Completely out of the question!" "Then there's nothing else you can do." "And I'm afraid, even if you were to go there yourself, you wouldn't get the job." "Ha, why wouldn't I get it?" "Oh, you believe everything depends on you now." "Allow one thing, dear child." "You know that I definitely don't undervalue you, what you have done for me, what you do for me, and what you always will do for me." "But, I am ultimately the breadwinner!" "I see." "Aha." "You are the breadwinner." "Well, I still remember a time, dear Martin, when we were sitting in a rat hole half-starved, and this whole thing started when the landlord wanted us out." "Have you forgotten already?" "At that time I think it was me who pulled us out, and I would pull us out now, too, but I won't participate in this deceit." "That's going too far." "Stop, stop, stand still!" "That's a wonderful pose!" "Just a second." "But be careful, dear child." "Don't fall onto my brushes." "Anyway, at the moment it's totally irrelevant who the breadwinner is." "At the moment, the only important matter is that they won't give you the commission." "But they'll give it to you, right?" "You'll arrive with an overcoat, a crooked little hat on your head." "You'll arrive like that and say," ""Good day, ladies and gentlemen." "How lovely of you to give us this commission." "We'll do it right away." "A colossal fresco painting by the famous artist," "Monika Pratt." "Let me tell you something, dear child." "It's not that easy, see?" "Rest is not allowed." "Effort, fighting through step by step!" "That's it!" "Exercises in concentration, blah, blah, blah!" "Yes, yes, wonderful, you memorized it superbly, but this, child, you didn't do!" "I did it and I paid for it." "And I suffered for it." "Dear girl, let me tell you something." "You're a lovely woman, you're a dear woman, you're an enchanting woman; but please don't be angry with me." "I have the feeling that the whole fuss here these last few weeks seems to have gone to your sweet head a little bit." "I have always admitted that you do everything here, haven't I?" "But the paintings, they ultimately were not painted by you." "And the fresco you are incapable of painting." "And you aren't allowed to paint it." "But I will paint it." "And you won't paint it." "And I will...ow!" "Oh, you know, I'm having fun today." "Whenever the work... goes on, and one makes progress." "That's fun, huh?" "Yes, if only I weren't so scared of someone walking in." "But Father Schultz is keeping watch." "He's not letting anyone in without having a detailed explanation." "Yes, but if he himself notices?" "Ha, hasn't noticed as yet!" "There was a knock!" "Yes, come on up." "Hurry, hurry!" "Careful!" "Careful!" "What's wrong?" "My hand!" "It's nothing." "Be careful, please!" "My hand!" "Come in." "Madam, Mr. Felder and Mr. Elk are outside." "For God's sake!" ""For God's sake"?" "Why for God's sake?" "Please..." "Of course." "Tell them my wife, Mrs. Pratt, naturally welcomes them, OK?" "But Martin, what am I supposed to do?" "Paint, Nikki." "Just keep painting." "Well then!" "Why is it so hard to get in here?" "Well, whenever I paint frescos I have to be all by myself." "Now then." "Certainly we must be allowed to observe you a bit." "And, how far have you gotten?" "Are you making progress?" "It sure is well-barricaded." "Well, Mr. Pratt, you don't seem to be exerting yourself up there." "One does what one can, right?" "Oh, sorry." "Now we want to take a break." "Oh, that's a good idea." "Er, paintings that take hundreds of years need their time." "Yes, let's get something to eat." "Yes, let's go." "But it's still daylight." "You could easily work another hour." "No, dear Martin, I am totally bushed." "I'm just totally pooped" "You know, my husband can't grasp it." "When one stands up there all day long and slaves away like a horse." "Then one is simply pooped." "Yes, of course." "The little lady really is totally exhausted." "Why don't you stand up there and slave from morning to night." "I agree." "Aren't you coming, Mr. Pratt?" "No, my husband has to wash the brushes." "Goodbye, Martin." "All the best." "Oh, Nikki." "Today we'll finish." "Thank God!" "Yes." "That's what you say." "After the unveiling, you will be a wonder of the world." "And I will be a fool once again." "Are you sad?" "Yes." "Oh." "You know, when such a huge work is complete, suddenly everything is empty." "One has the feeling that something has to happen." "There has to be action." "I'd like to get plastered, or something." "Best would be if one started a new work right after finishing the previous one." "But, Martin, there are so many other nice things in the world besides painting." "Madam?" "Yes?" "Mr. Felder called." "He wants to remind you that you have a date with him at the opera." "Yes, tell him I'll be right there." "Well, well, well." "You can hardly contain yourself." "Of course!" "The opera is nicer than being here on painting scaffolds, huh?" "And the castle at Wannsee is surely more decorative than a painter's atelier." "Tell me, what are talking about anyway?" "Excuse me, but how long has this thing with Felder been going on?" "Martin, I forbid you!" "What does that mean, you are "forbidding me"?" "It gets better and better." "I paint and you scream!" "I scream?" "You scream!" "I scream?" "OK, I'll scream and you paint." "You have two brushes." "Please, paint this dreck on your own!" "But, Martin, you know I can't paint this dreck on my own." "Martin, you can't leave me in the lurch!" "Be reasonable!" "I have a quiet place!" "Mr. and Mrs. Brenkow are here." "They want to see if everything is in order." "Monika!" "This is incredibly interesting!" "Hello, Mr. Pratt." "Don't you get dizzy up there, Monika?" "One gets used to the dizziness." "Right, Martin?" "Good morning, madam." "Well, how's it proceeding?" "Good morning." "Good morning" "It's really very comfortable in this place." "Yes, working is very arduous, right Martin?" "Yes." "Are you surprised, Mr. Brenkow." "My wife slaves here everyday for 8-9 hours." "She's completely exhausted." "Martin..." "Well, you are completely exhausted." "Well, Moepsie, then we'd better go, and these good folks might come to dinner." "No, no, sorry, but that won't work." "We still have to finish the mural today." "Right, Martin?" "And you, Mr. Pratt?" "You'll come, won't you?" "You're always so humorous." "No." "Unfortunately my husband has to..." "OK, then." "You're coming with us." "I know a Chambertin..." "No, Martin..." "Of course Martin is coming." "A Chambertin, Mr. Brenkow." "Napolean's favourite wine." "You see, my wife always has to be all alone when she paints frescos." "All alone?" "That's interesting." "So, goodbye, Monika." "And don't over-exert yourself." "Goodbye, madam." "Martin, the left breast!" "I know, Nikki dear." "All the best." "Mrs. Pratt, you'll be finished today." "No." "I'm not able..." "I'm feeling nauseated." "Marie?" "Marie?" "Is my husband home already?" "Mr." "Pratt hasn't come home yet." "The gall!" "Thanks." "Even without him." "How does one paint a left breast." "Aha." ""Fresco Painting." "With Watercolour on a Damp Chalkboard." No, I'll go gaga." "There. "These days, one imagines fresco painting is more difficult than it is."" ""In reality, it is the easiest painting technique of all..." Aha." ""Concepts first, a story...steady hand." "And a proficient painting ability."" "Oy, I don't have that." "How can you paint at night?" "You know, I learned that from Monika." "She always does the bigger things and I do the smaller things." "And then I come here at night and paint secretly, and nobody knows who it was." "And it's good that no one knows that I'm called Rumpelstiltskin." "From now on, I also want to be called Rumpelstiltskin." "Yes, and you are called Rumpelstiltskin." "It's good that no one knows that" "I'm called Rumpelstiltskin." "It's good that no one knows that I'm called Rumpelstiltskin!" "Oh, 5 o'clock." "Oh, Martin." "Martin." "Oh, how good that no one knows that I'm called Rumpelstiltskin!" "But, gentlemen!" "He started it." "No, he started it." "He started it!" "No, he did!" "We both started it." "We started." "Both." "Oh, how good that no one knows that I'm called Rumpelstiltskin!" "Father Schultz, what do you think?" "Marie!" "My husband still hasn't come home!" "Oh, it's you." "Whom else did you expect?" "My husband, to be honest." "Did your husband leave already?" "That's plenty early." "But you're awake, too." "Yes, but I'm not married to you." "I'm sure he'll be back in a minute." "A pity." "I don't mind if he stays away." "By the way, good morning." "Oh yes, good morning." "Good morning." "So, I wanted to tell you..." "Wouldn't you like to have a cup of coffee with me?" "Gladly." "Of course." "Gladly." "Yes, so, I have to tell you..." "Do you want it with milk or without?" "A little milk, please." "Well, I came to tell you..." "Yes, yes, I know why you came." "You have come because of the fresco." "Yes, I must say, I had a look at it this morning." "It's really amazing." "It's wonderful!" "What you have pulled off there is singular." "Sensational." "Yes, but it's not finished yet." "What do you mean it's not finished?" "It's perfect." "A masterpiece." "Yes, b-but what about the left breast?" "What about the left breast?" "Everything is in order." "The hall is already being prepared for today's little celebration." "Oh, God, no, no!" "I can never finish painting it!" "Extraordinary!" "So much success and so little self-confidence." "I have a great surprise for you!" "For God's sake!" "Another fresco?" "No." "You're getting the Lucas Cranach Award." "I'm getting the Lucas..." "But that's an official thing." "Yes, of course." "Very official." "It's an official tribute to you." "Man, what a fine mess this is!" "Everything is falling apart." "No, I mean..." "Now the catastrophe has arrived." "Catastrophe?" "Why?" "That's the biggest honour a painter can acquire." "Exactly, that's why it's a catastrophe!" "I don't deserve anything and I can't accept the award." "You probably don't know what this award means." "No, I don't know, and I don't want to know, either." "It doesn't interest me." "Maybe money and a plaque, or something." "I don't care at all." "By no means can I accept it, Mr. Felder." "By no means!" "Fine, then refuse it." "That'll probably cause an even greater stir than if you accepted it." "I swear to you, I was with Rumpelstiltskin the whole night!" "Don't tell me any fairytales!" "Fine, then we'll just call Mr. Pratt, and he can tell you where I slept last night." "30, 35, 45, 50." "Good morning, Mr. Pratt." "Rumpelstiltskin." "Yes!" "Mr. Felder!" "Martin!" "Please don't say anything (unintelligible)." "What are you two whispering there?" "Good morning, Mr. Pratt." "What are you wearing?" "Do you like it?" "Er, well..." "I don't want to be more of a bother." "Madam, please call me when you have made a decision." "I like it, darling." "Goodbye, madam." "Goodbye, Mr. Felder." "Bye, Mr. Pratt." "Thanks." "Now, would you like to tell me where you were last night?" "Did you finish the fresco, or?" "Do you want to tell me what's going on here?" "Mr. Felder is in my atelier at this time of the morning!" "Sits on my chair, at my breakfast table, drinks my coffee, and my wife gives him my buttered toast!" "And you're clad in your most tantalizing clothes!" "You're drunk!" "I'm more sober than I have ever been in my life!" "Nobody's home!" "What did he say?" "He said nobody's home." "You scoundrel have cheated on me." "I know now that you live in a nightmare world, in which even that is fresh." "In which, other than you art, only your ego has room." "But I thought you would at least notice that I didn't do all this for enjoyment." "Rather, how much this whole swindle has annoyed me." "You started it." "Of course I started it." "But why?" "So that we didn't have to starve anymore." "But now it seems to me that all this junk has cost me too much." "Please turn off this ringing, or I will go insane!" "That's the worst invention of the last 100 years!" "You can see that I'm already there you idiot!" "Wrong number." "I don't believe a word of it!" "What do think of me, anyway?" "I think nothing." "I know that I've caused Felder to fall in love with you." "I sympathize with that." "But successfully." "I don't sympathize with that." "Martin, don't you want to hear what I have to say to you?" "Martin!" "Please, please, please, let's not get excited." "We don't want to start yelling." "You know I can't stand people who start to holler at the slightest little thing, like the tooth-breakers." "I understand you completely!" "You are sick of it!" "You can no longer live with a person like me, a man who's usually lost in his thoughts and consumed by his work." "I completely understand you!" "You are a woman!" "Don't tell me different." "You are a woman." "You need company and you need dancing." "You need a car." "How can I know what you want?" "I don't know, and honestly, I'm not interested!" "I'm not interested." "Such a woman, who tries to finagle a career in such a way, doesn't interest me." "You are free to leave!" "Really?" "Yes!" "Just a moment, madam." "Mrs. Monika Pratt." "Monika Pratt?" "Ah, you can continue on your own." "This is a pleasant surprise!" "I'm sure I'm bothering you." "Not at all!" "To the contrary." "A mocha, fast." "No, no, thanks." "Another cup." "I don't want to keep you." "But why not?" "I need something, and then I have to leave right away." "Yes, but we can drink a mocha then..." "Please don't be angry at me." "Not at all." "Please come in." "Now come in and have a seat." "No, no, please don't." "Quiet, quiet." "People with such cold hands and spinach- green nose tips, they should quietly follow good advice." "So, now I'll put a little pillow behind you." "Now you're sitting comfortably." "Now, tell my what's weighing on you." "Please don't be so kind to me, otherwise I'll have to go home right away." "I just want to help you, little lady." "Nobody can help me." "No, no, no." "Well, of course, your situation is exasperating." "You're young, pretty, talented." "You have success and earn lots of money." "Have the Lucas Cranach Award in the offing." "You have completed the best, loveliest assignment a painter can dream of." "Of course, why wouldn't a person be distraught?" "It's exactly the success, that success." "I should never have had such success." "No, no, no... or, are you maybe lovelorn?" "Do you take me for a goose?" "!" "Not only geese can be lovesick." "If it were only that!" "Now you're really scaring me, little lady." "I don't know how I'm supposed to go on." "Oh, dear child!" "I have deceived you." "Yeah, yeah!" "I lied to you." "Yeah, yeah." "You and the whole world!" "Yes." "Do you know that I have never in my life had a brush in my hand, other than to wash it." "Then you must have invented a new technique." "Or did you paint your pictures only with the putty knife?" "I didn't paint them at all." "How come?" "You didn't know Martin and me, back when we lived in the old dump." "Painfully little money, debts up to our ears." "We were half-dead from hunger." "Oh, was that ever nice!" "And Martin painted from morning until night." "That's right!" "I always wanted to have a look at his paintings." "Look at?" "Yes, but you have already bought them!" "What do you mean "bought"?" "But you had them on display!" "I haven't gone insane, have I?" "I mean, you signed the paintings yourself." ""Monika Pratt"" "Monika?" "Where does it say "Monika"?" ""M. Pratt"" "Yes, "M. Pratt"." ""M" stands for "Monika"." "Not "Monika". "Martin"!" "Martin?" "Yes." "I always said it." "Only a man paints like that." "Yes." "Marie!" "Maria!" "Mr. Pratt." "Where the hell did you put my hat?" "Onto your head." "Oh, that's so asinine!" "Should I tell Mrs. Pratt?" "I remember everything." "And what should I say to Mrs. Pratt?" "Nothing!" "But she has to know where you are, Mr. Pratt." "She doesn't care!" "But, Mr. Pratt!" "I have had it with everything, my wife, and especially you!" "Open the door." "I've had it with you, too." "A devilish situation." "You understand that the story can not be made public under any circumstances." "It... it'll be a scandal like we haven't seen, since the invention of painting." "I cannot indefinitely keep pretending to be this famous painter." "For now, yes." "No!" "I only did it to save my marriage." "And now I have ruined it." "Ha, something that has happened one cannot so easily obliterate." "One has to accept the consequences." "Aha." "Should I perhaps also accept the" "Lucas Cranach Award?" "Of course not!" "You only have a month's time anyway." "Today the fresco will be unveiled." "And then you will stop painting." "I could have easily explained, that I want to keep the paintings of my wife for myself." "Sorry?" "Please say that again." "Well, Monika..." "I want to marry you." "But Mr. Felder, I'm already married." "I know, I know, to Mr. Pratt." "To Mr. Martin Pratt." "A painter whose name will resonate in the future, as he deserves." "I will take care of that." "But a person who sings doesn't deserve Monika." "But I love him." "Since I married Martin, I have known nothing but misery and worry." "He has burdened me with as many things as one person can burden another." "But dear God, is there anything more wonderful on Earth for a woman than to care for the man she loves?" "Then one knows why one is alive!" "You certainly knew that very well about your husband." "Certainly!" "You went as far as committing fraud for him." "Fine then, I agree." "I deceived you!" "Do you think I feel sorry?" "Not a bit!" "You have cleared the path to Martin." "And if it must be, fine." "I know nothing in life is free." "Then I'll just have to pay." "Think carefully about what you want to do, Monika." "I know you have endured a lot." "But one thing you haven't." "You haven't been dragged through the mud in public." "One's heroism tends to vanish." "And I just wanted to spare you that." "I don't need your decision right now." "Not at all." "I'd just like to ask you to think about my suggestion with great deliberation." "Enjoy your lives, because the lamp still glows." "Pick the rose, before it wilts." "One likes to give oneself worry and trouble." "Searches for thorns and finds them." "And leaves the violet unnoticed, which blooms there on the path." "Enjoy your lives, because the lamp still glows." "Pick the rose, before it wilts." "Now the fresco is being inaugurated." "And I won't be there." "I won't be there?" "Of course I'll be there." "Gentlemen, I am fankthul, er shankfool, um thankful for this great honour." "I can't." "I can't." "I can't!" "How does it go on?" ""It's the greatest distinction a painter can possibly receive", or..." ""greatest distinction"." "If you only knew how much I'd like to forego it." "Oh, I have also completely lost my courage." ""Very esteemed sanitorium..."" "Cura, cura, cura, cura!" ""Very esteemed curatorium..."" "I'm going crazy." "I'm going insane." "I'll hang myself." "Mrs. Monika." "No, I'm not ready yet!" "But, Mrs. Monika, come on." "Here." "The more scared you are, the more moving your speech will be." "Come now, we can't let the people in there wait any longer." "Get ready to march." "Left, right, left, right, left, right..." "It has always, always, always gone well." "Lots of luck, madam." "Come on." "Go ahead." "My fellow curators, honourable guests." "When I surrendered this beautiful house six months ago to a purpose, at the time it didn't seem quite complete." "Because we were looking for an artist whose piece would be worthy of coronating the work of the architect." "Today the artist has been found." "The eyes of the world are directed at this masterpiece." "The name "Pratt", unknown 3 months ago, is enjoying worldwide acclaim today." "In the seclusion of her atelier, Monika Pratt honed her craft until she could appear in front of the world as a complete master." "Therefore, we have decided, against tradition, to hand her the Lucas Cranach Award already today, in front of her monumental masterwork." "Too early." "May I ask you, madam, to accept the certificate." "Gentlemen..." "I thank you for the great accolade you have awarded the painting." "I thank you, but I can't accept the award, because... because I didn't paint the mural." "Who painted it then?" ""M. Pratt" doesn't stand for "Monika", but "Martin"." "Martin Pratt is my husband." "The award belongs to him." "I thank you on behalf of my husband." "I didn't want to become famous." "I just wanted to help my husband." "I just did it out of love." "Out of love." "Please understand." "Please forgive me." "Forgive me." "This outrageous scandal of course renders the bestowal of the" "Lucas Cranach Award illusory." "Now the question is whether the state shouldn't file a criminal complaint." "Let me out!" "Let me go!" "Let me out!" "I must go to Monika!" "Where's Monika?" "Where's Monika?" "She ran away." "She confessed to everything." "You are a genius after all, Mr. Pratt." "And because of that Monika will go before the courts." "Before the courts?" "Yes!" "...rather, it should make it public." "It belongs in front of the courts!" "No, no, no!" "I demand an immediate decision that the damaged parties proceed with a class-action lawsuit." "Good heavens, what do you mean, "damaged"?" "Who has been damaged?" "Quiet, ladies and gentlemen!" "I think the Lucas Cranach Award is conferred upon an artistic achievement." "The achievement is there." "This fresco is an achievement." "An artistic, a grandiose, a singular achievement in fact!" "So tell me, who has been aggrieved?" "Ladies and gentlemen, we have to be clear about this:" "This is not about Martin or Monika Pratt." "Not at all." "Above all, it's about the piece of art!" "Irrespective of who made it!" "And if we are met with an abrupt surprise, then we have to appreciate that this surprise represents something thoroughly positive." "A young person steps for the first time into the light of the public sphere." "A person, who out of artistic responsibility, out of discipline, until now, didn't reveal himself to the world." "Gentlemen, who can ridicule that?" "But consider..." "What should one consider?" "There's nothing to consider!" "Every consideration is silenced by the enormity of the artwork!" "Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a sense of humour." "Let's have enough humour to realize the cheerful side of this surprise." "Let us once savour the rare opportunity to witness the hour of birth of a genius." "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Don't you understand what I've been asking you the whole time, you dumb goose, you?" "I'm not a goose, and I know very well what you want to know." "But Madam is not home." "She's not coming back, either." "She's not coming back?" "What do you mean?" "The poor woman won't survive the disgrace!" "She won't survive the disgrace?" "What are you trying to say?" "She's going to hurt herself." "She's going to hurt herself?" "On the basis of this scandal, the Pratt exhibition will be a huge success." "Seriously, Ms. Klette, do you understand this woman?" "I mean, what is it about this Martin Pratt that makes her stay with him?" "I don't know." "She just loves him." "It's incomprehensible." "You needn't shake your head, doctor." "But what does a bachelor know about it?" "Yes, you're right." "Pardon me." "Mr." "Pratt!" "Do you know where Monika is?" "But why?" "Have you notified the police?" "The police?" "Why?" "Hopefully it won't be necessary." "Where have you looked for her?" "Everywhere." "At home, at Brenkow's." "I even went to the small cafe on the corner." "She's nowhere to be found." "Have you asked Mr. Felder?" "Mr." "Felder?" "Where is he?" "In Wannsee, of course." "You're kidding!" "Yes, yes." "I hadn't even thought of that." "You think she's at his private residence?" "If that's true, by God, then I can still congratulate her!" "I'll have to notify Mr. Felder right away." "All hell will break loose!" "Is my wife here?" "Monika!" "Monika!" "Where is Monika?" "You're asking me?" "Indeed, I'm asking you!" "But I'm looking for her." "OK, then look for her." "You could have shown concern about her earlier." "But you don't have anything better to do than paint." "Painting!" "As if there isn't anything more important to do in this damned world!" "Your vanity and hubris have made your wife's life difficult." "Not difficult; unbearable, you made it!" "To let her go hungry and put all the heavy worries onto her weak shoulders." "These gentle child's shoulders." "When she didn't know what to do anymore, she tottered into a great deception, in conflict with the civil laws." "And that's all because you have the stubborn disposition of an artist!" "Well, how do you want to explain yourself, Mr. Pratt?" "What do you have to say?" "Didn't you know that Monika didn't paint the pictures herself?" "Of course I knew." "She confessed to everything." "And you let it play out all the way to the awarding of the prize?" "Yes, why not?" "The money would have been disbursed to the artist." "I bought the pictures." "Nobody would have been damaged." "Above all, we all would have been spared a scandal." "Wait a minute." "Hold on!" "Tell me, did Monika know of your fabulous offer?" "Of course she knew." "Oh, and still she allowed it to become a scandal, and assumed all consequences." "There's something not right here, Mr. Felder." "It stinks!" "What kind of conditions were there to get her out of this mess?" "Did it have to do with the paintings, or with the woman?" "Of course the woman." "Well, then." "The woman you tormented, my friend." "Whom you left high and dry." "Not one minute of her life was worth anything to you." "But they are worth it to you, huh?" "Not either." "But, with me she would at least have had it good." "What would she get out of it?" "The two of us belong together." "I'm the one she loves." "Rascal, I would twist your neck around, if I didn't know how much she relies on you." "But I'm telling you, my friend, if you don't do everything to repair what you have caused, then may God have mercy on your soul!" "But I have to have her back in order to do that." "Of course you must first have her back." "At the moment we can't do a thing but wait." "No, I can't wait, Felder!" "Jesus Christ, I can't wait!" "I'm going insane!" "Oh, now you're going insane." "What are we supposed to do?" "Should we stand on the street and yell, "Monika, where are you?"" "Or get the police?" "If she hurts herself." "I mean, if she really..." "I can't think like that." "Just calm yourself down." "A lady like Monika wouldn't let something like you walk around in the world alone." "Even though you orchestrated the whole fraud." "Why fraud?" "Do you think I could have painted a single picture if Monika weren't my wife?" "Do you think I'm capable of anything when she isn't there?" ""M. Pratt" In truth that means Martin and Monika Pratt." "The paintings are the work of both of us together." "You know that you are the only person I envy." "Because of your wife." "Because of your talent." "Because of your really stunning child's disposition." "Until now, I didn't know how much I depend on that woman." "God, was it wonderful in the old atelier." "In that rat hole." "When the sun shone through the dirty window between 8 and 8:15 a.m., and everything reflected in her eyes." "And her heavenly, unique smile." "You know, I always wanted to paint her when the bailiff visited us." "She looks so cute when she cries." "You are a major fool." "You talk constantly of your old atelier and of your rat hole." "Didn't you ever get the idea..." "I mean, where did you hide yourself away when you were unhappy." "Did you never get the idea that she was hiding there too?" "No." "Well, didn't you look?" "No." "Then it's high time, my friend." "Come on." "Get going!" "Mr. Felder..." "Well, what is it?" "Should I write down what you're supposed to say, or what?" "No, no, can you lend me 20 marks?" "For a taxi." "It's such a long way." "Well... because it's so far." "Oh, goodness!" "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Monika!" "Moni..." "Monika." "Enjoy your lives because the lamp still glows." "Pick the rose before it wilts." "One likes to give oneself worry and trouble." "Searches for thorns and finds them." "Beautiful." "What's it going to be?" "An "M"." "Oh." "Monika." "Martin." "Do you love me?" "How?" "Very much." "Oh, you know, it's all so difficult when you're not there." "And it's all so easy when we're together." "It'll just have to become totally different now." "Above all, me." "I will..." "I will now always wear a clean shirt." "I'll get my hair cut." "I will..." "I will..." "Don't promise me anything." "Subtitles by BobbyFletcher/Radial/Oliver L. for KG and SMz"