"Almighty God," "I put myself in Thy care on this journey which I've undertaken for Thy glory and the good of man." "Guard me from all misery and sickness." "From Satan and sinister spirits." "From the temptations of the spirit and the flesh." "Grant me a safe return home." "Amen." "Film Polski Presents" "LOKIS" "Starring" "Music by" "Production Supervisor" "Director of photography" "Written for the screen and directed by" "The lady in the next compartment kindly asks if the priest would take a cup of tea in her company?" "I'm a pastor, not a Catholic priest." "It's pastor in German and priest in Polish." "But what the deuce is the difference?" "There is a difference, but you're partly right." "Give my card to the lady, thank her and say" "I'll join her in 5 minutes." "Representative of the Konigsberg Biblical Society" " Please, do come in." " How do you do." "I'm Catherine, duchess of Pacow." "My niece Julia Dowgiello." "Miss Pamela Lemon, Julia's governess." "Delighted to meet you, my ladies." "Do sit down, Professor." "Thank you. it's rather tedious to travel alone." "We had company as far as Klaipeda, but the sea was unkind to us." "You have a long journey behind you." "We're coming back from London." "They served dreadful tea on the boat." "It was a German boat." "We Germans have little taste for tea." "Yet our coffee isn't good either." " He's forgotten something." " What?" "The milk, my lady." "Russian tea is drunk without milk, my dear." "You'll poison yourself." "Tea without milk is poison." "I'll take this poison." "Look, Pam." "Do something, Sir." "I'm not an expert in poisons, but this one seems harmless to me." "That's one of the English prejudices." "They asked me in London whether We drink kumis in Lithuania." "And whether white bears walk in the streets of Vilna." "The English think Vilna's on the North Pole." "They always ask about those white bears." "We're nearing the frontier." "Prepare passports and luggage for the customs." "Thank you for your company, my ladies." "We're getting off at Vilna." "How far are you going, professor?" "I intend to do some research in Lithuania and Samogitia." "Come and see us in Vilna." "I receive on Thursdays." "You must come, Reverend." "You might meet a white bear." "I can see one already." "That'll restore your faith in the common sense of your people." "What a shame I'm not a Gypsy." "You can't possibly mean it, Julia." "The question is - is this a Prussian," "Russian, Lithuanian or a Polish bear?" "It's cosmopolitan, like the Gypsies." "Over there is..." "Azarelis." " That's Where he lives." " Who?" "Strukis, Old Nick the bob-tailed." "I don't understand." " Azarelis -the big swamp." " Don't talk in riddles." " I'm afraid to say it." " Then don't talk at all." "This friend's a terribly big pike without tail." "He pops out in a bob-tailed German coat." "Why German?" "Old Nick dresses in German way." "Like Pazurkiewicz." "And who's he?" "Another devil." "An incubus, people say." "The worst kind." "Walks round the village." "Makes the peasants drive him or comes in his own carriage." "Didn't I tell you?" "He broke our wheel off." "We must hide there." "I'll go to the village blacksmith." "You wait here father." "Sweet Jesus!" "The Evil one!" "Wait, my good man!" "The count has personally instructed us on your rooms, Professor." "We hoped the horses'd reach you before the nightfall." "The storm prevented them." "The Count is very sorry he can't lunch with you." "He has a bad migraine." "You'll eat with Doctor Froeber who attends the Countess." "Luncheon will be served at one." "If you wish anything, ring for the footman." "Give us some starka." "As a doctor, I highly recommend starka to you." "It's the queen of all drinks." "40 years old." "There's no better tonic for the alimentary canal." "The most important of organs." "Your health!" "Isn't it delicious?" "Is the count frequently indisposed?" "It depends on how you look at it." "He's the picture of health compared to his mother." " Is the countess not well then?" " She's in a poor state." "But I'd cure her if I had my way." "What's her affliction?" "I'd like to describe it in the Petersburg's Medical Journal." " Is it that serious?" " Well, I'm afraid it is..." "She fell ill over 30 years ago." "A few days after her wedding, she and her husband, the father of our master, went to a hunt." "Our Lithuanian ladies are great horsewomen." "The countess refuses to eat." "She threw the soup on the floor." "Dammit!" "The confounded shrew!" "I'll finish her story some other time." "Take a nap after lunch." "You must rest after a journey through this savage country." "Anybody there?" "What do you want?" "A man was looking into this room from a tree." "You must be mistaken, Sir." "I'm sure I'm not." "It may have been a thief." "That's impossible, Sir." "In that case it was a domestic." "Do you wish anything, Sir?" "Shut the window." "I apologize for being unkind to such a distinguished visitor, Professor." " I'm count Szemiot." " On, good morning." "Thank you for your wonderful hospitality." "Has your headache gone?" "Yes... until the next attack." "Are you moderately comfortable with us, 'barbarians'?" "I'm perfectly happy here." "You recognized me?" "Recognized?" "You caught me frolicking yesterday." "But my dear Count!" "I was in my study all day feeling poorly." "In the evening, walking in the park," "I was seized by curiosity." "I should have said something, introduced myself." "But the incongruous position!" "Please, forgive me." "I can only envy you your zest, Count." "Am I forgiven?" "But of course!" "Is it true that you have" "Lawicki's Samogitian Catechism in your library?" "The Duchess of Pacow mentioned it to me." "Let's go and have a look." "I don't know my father's library too well." "But I do know that he loved rare books." "I read almost nothing but contemporary ones." "You intend to translate the Bible into Samogitian?" "But those who speak Samogitian can't read." "You can't learn to read without books." "When they get them, they'll want to know what's in them." "It's happened in many savage countries..." "I'm not referring to Samogitia." "When the last person who spoke Corinthian died... it's so sad." "Humboldt apparently saw a parrot which knew a few words of the tongue of a tribe long since extinct." "Here are the rarest books." "Unbelievable!" "Lawicki's Catechism!" "The mysterious force of attraction." "Please consider this library your study." "No one'll disturb you here." "I can't tell you how grateful I am." "Who's there?" "Good morning, Professor." "I didn't hear you come in." "I must have dozed off." "I had an awful night." "My fiendish patient kept me awake." "But I'll find a remedy." "The herbalist says remarkable things." "I found a book I thought didn't exist." "Congratulations." "I didn't finish the countess's story." "This room is the right place to do it." "The late count was the art connoisseur." "He once invited here an Italian painter." "The man, having heard so much of the family tragedy, did some drawings on it." "It all began with the hunt." "Here are the hunters riding off." "The countess lagged behind or got ahead of them." "No one knew which." "Suddenly the count saw his wife's groom galloping at all speed." "My Lord he cried, a bear's carried off her ladyship!" "Where?" "asked the count." "Over there said the groom." "That's her horse, but she's not in sight." "Finally one of the Woodmen called:" "There!" "There!" "Where?" "Here." " What did the bear want with her?" " Devour her." "Then one of the rascally woodmen, so drunk he couldn't tell a rabbit from a stag, fired both barrels not giving a damn whether he hit the beast or the lady." "And whom did he hit?" "He got the bear." "You can't beat a drunk." "What then?" "The countess was badly scratched." "She was unconscious but alive." "Yet when she came to, it was found that she was out of her mind." "4 doctors were called in for consultations." "They said the countess was in the family way and the change for the better might come when the baby is born." "Nine months later she gave birth to a healthy boy." "But there was no change for the better." "Only increased insanity." "The count showed her the baby." "Kill him!" "Kill the beast!" "cried the hapless woman." "And almost broke the infant's neck." "She's been like that ever since." "But these drawings are rarely shown to visitors." "So don't give me away, Professor." "I wish you success in your studies." "Where do you get ice at this time of year?" "It's quite simple." "At the close of the winter half of the lake ice is stored away in the cellar." "There are deep cellars in this palace." "With many a mystery hidden in them." "Isn't it so, count?" "Maybe." "Now we're going to have quite a show." "Ivan, the hen!" "No bid." "I'll say the whist and you follow suit." " Where shall I put it, my Lord?" " Over there." " Won't it break away?" " No, my lord." "What kind of bird is this?" "A hawk." "Accipiter gentilis." "We're waiting, Professor." "Attention!" "He's descending!" "Take this fellow to the usual place." "Thank you for the game." "I'll see you at lunch." "I'm going to have a bath." "I'm glad the count had a good hunt today. it'll ease his mind." "I thought the hawk got away." "The lust for murder is stronger than fear." "Here's the count's curio collection." "He used to call it his meditation sanctuary." "Now this sanctuary is somewhat neglected, as you see." "How do you like this quail family?" "The count caught and stuffed them himself." "When he was only 10." "Got it!" "At last!" "What's this?" "An osprey caught by our fishermen." "The plunderer overestimated its strength." "And was drowned by its victim." "When claws fasten on a thing, reason has no say in the matter." "I think for this fish the time when it carried a corpse on its back was the happiest of all times." "It was the terror of the lake." "You mentioned a Samogitian ballad, professor." "I got it in Vilna." "It seems rather important." "Would you like to hear it?" "Willingly, if you allow me to smoke." "But of course." "I understand poetry only when I smoke." "It's called The Switez Maid..." "She's a folk-tale character." "Who is this fair youth wonder With the young maid at his side?" "Who by the blue waters wander Of Lake Switez at moon-tide?" "She gives him red sweet berries He gives her flowers to braid." "She must be the love of this youngster" "He must be the love of this maid." "So you know it?" "Who gave you this Samogitian ballad?" "A young lady I met in the company of the duchess of Pacow." "Miss Dowgiello?" "Wild, Wild Julia." "She passed on to you one of Mickiewicz's lovely ballads." "And I meant to publish it as a Samogitian original." "So you met Julia." "What do you think of her?" "She's very sweet." "And very beautiful." "Particularly her skin." "it's so remarkably white." "Yes." "As white as snow." "And as cold." "Get her out now." "Wait, Professor." "You'd like to watch, eh?" "Don't be shy, she pays no attention to strangers." "No." "I'd hate to be in your way." "I don't expect hydropathy to help in this affliction." "But the experiment may serve medical science." "A curious thing how these women like the treatment." "They probably see it as a magic rite." "Silver fish, who will catch thee?" "Golden bird, who will shoot thee?" "That's quite an idea." "What do you think of euthanasia, reverend?" "I'll have to dip her once more." "Hold her!" "Here are the bitches from Zorany, my lord." " You know anything about dogs?" " Very little I'm afraid." "They'll do." "Take care of them." "You noticed the terror of the dogs?" "Why are animals so terrified of me?" "I suppose they sense that you like them only for being useful to you." "Indeed, I've no love for animals." "They're no better than people." "What an unusual tree." "People were sacrificed here." "All religions are suspected of this." "I doubt if it can be proved." "I shouldn't doubt it if I were you." "Witches and seers used to perform their rites here." "Kind lords, for the love of God, by all you hold sacred, take pity on me!" " Who's this?" " You'll see in a moment." "Throw me a penny for a drop of vodka." "To warm my poor body with." " What are you doing here?" " You can't want to eat this." "My good Lord, poor people eat everything God gives them." "Lithuanian stomachs are lined with iron." "Don't touch it." "Better don't touch it." "Here's sample of local colour." "A witch charming a snake." "She could tell you fortune." "I'll tell you if you'll get anything at the Dowgiellos." "You know me, witch." "God forbid." "He knows you." "He says that the white dove is not for you." "Can you use a gun in need?" "We have wolves and bears here." "You're either a lucky man or this hag's a real witch." "You're going to see a unique thing." "What's this?" "Lithuanian bisons." "Aurochses." "So this noble beast still exists in Europe?" "They went off to the blackwoods." "The king of the beasts must be dead." "They'll be choosing a new one." "It's you who'll be their king." "You're big and strong." " You have claws and fangs." " Go away, you cattle!" " You'll be their master." " Away, or I'll kill you!" "Farewell, king of the beasts!" "It's a swamp." "There are more things in Lithuanian forests than are dreamt of in your philosophy." "Here you are!" "I'm so glad you came at the right time." "I got a new gown from Paris." "It's not for me, she'll dress up." "Welcome." "Professor Wittenbach" " Madame Dowgiello." "Professor has come to complain about Miss Julia." "She played a trick on him." "Well, she's still a child, Professor." "You should forgive her." "She confessed everything." "Isn't it beautiful?" "Julia, Julia..." "Professor's complaining about you." "Oh, no." "You gave me the opportunity of getting to know a lovely ballad by your bard." " Am I forgiven then?" " Not yet." "You will be when you keep the promise you made to me in Vilna." "Have you forgotten?" "Do you remember it miss Lemon?" "I'll never remember the name of that dance." "The Mermaid..." "I even have the right partner." "I hope Julia'll make good of the of fence now." "You must dance for the good of ethnography." "Choreography, child." "The professor's no choreographer, mother." "He's interested in primitive folklore." "We'll dance it as peasants do." "I'm a mermaid, a water nymph." "Lithuanian swamps are swarming with them." "You mustn't come near me." "I suppose I can play it, though the music's barbarous." "Here We go." "The mermaid emerges from the lake, she comes to the fisherman, and begins to lure him." "He's young and stupid, so he's easily seduced." "You seized me like a bear." "I am sorry." "Then by boat to Uruguay." "That's very far." "What made you go so far?" "I studied the native language." " It must have been dangerous." " Tiresome, I should say." "We lost our way once and went without food for a week." "I had to do what the gauchos did." "I opened a vein of my horse and drank his blood." " How did you like it, professor?" " It was morally hideous." "But thanks to it I've the honor to be present here." "Did it taste like claret?" "No." "Blood's sweeter." "Where do you open a horse's vein?" " Behind the ears I think." " I don't understand." "The count's speaking of horse blood." "Yes, behind the ears." "The ladies are waiting." "Good night, my lords." "Our civilization's a Spartan one as you see." "In Uruguay I had to sleep on the ground." "Yes, they're more savage over there." "What do you think of Julia?" "Was your first impression right?" "She's charming." "But isn't she too much of a coquette?" "Do you think she really likes that young lieutenant?" "The aid-the-camp?" "How should I know?" "He's no good." "Women like his sort." "I beg to differ." "Shall I tell you what I think?" "Julia cares more for the favors of count Szemiot than for all the Army officers." "I mustn't go to sleep with arms close at hand." "It happened to me once that I fired a gun when I was asleep." "And nearly killed my bed-fellow." "Would you mind keeping the key until morning?" "Time to sleep." "Good night." "Perhaps he's sick." "He talked and moaned in his sleep." "Maybe he's a somnambulist." "He can be dangerous when sleep-walking." "It may be hereditary." "His mother..." "But the count's in his right mind." "So educated." "That's as it may be, but he's peculiar sometimes." "He often stays in his room for days." "Or roams the country at night." "Reads some impossible books on metaphysics, physiology..." "God knows what." "A waste of time." "You know what he really needs?" "I'll show you in a minute." "Make no noise." "See yourself." "Nice, huh?" "Shame on you!" "Aren't they lovely?" "Like princesses when they are naked." "Don't run away!" "Don't frown so, reverend!" "They didn't see who scared them off." "I repeat what I said about our invalid." "Our Hercules needs a Hebe." "Believe me, each of these girls would be proud if she could entertain her master." "Only look at him!" "No mistress, doesn't get married." "That's wrong." "I'm going to give him some releasing remedy." "You should have seen me at his age!" "I consider your gross materialism highly disgusting." "Your prying was a disgrace." "Though you may be right from the medical point of view." "I wish count Szemiot found a bride worthy of his merits." "Let's not talk about it anymore." "Who's that?" " The count." " He'll topple over." "He's going to jump." "Mad as a hatter." "Do you like our historic treasure?" "You frightened me." "I was afraid you'd fall down." "I was looking at a countryside." "I saw you wading." "Did you count the steps?" "113 of them." "How do you explain man's dual, two-sided nature, professor?" "What do you mean?" "Aren't you seized by a desire to jump mixed with a sense of fear?" "It's a purely physical reaction." "Exhaustion after climbing up." "Caused by the blood mounting to your head." "Let's not talk about blood." "Suppose you have loaded gun in your hand." "Suddenly you want to kill your friend." "Murder horrifies you." "Yet it haunts your thoughts." "If all your thoughts were written down, the mildest of judges would send us to prison or to an asylum." "I never thought of killing anyone." "But should such a thought occur to me," " my reason ought to discard it." " That would demand consideration." "Which means time and cold blood." "Do We always possess both?" "Hey, owls, eagle-owls, ravens!" "We too shall know no mercy!" "First we'll tear the food away." "And when the food is gone, we'll tear the flesh away!" "Until the bare bones gleam." "The chorus of birds speaks these lines." "Yes, I know." "What does the title Forefathers mean?" "It's a name of the commemorative rite in remembrance of our forefathers, our dead ancestors." "It's probably a heathen tradition." " You want to produce this drama?" " Yes." "To try at least." "Though my late father considered it untheatrical." "Is anything wrong?" "Where are the servants?" "Excuse me." "What's happened?" "The doctor's angry." "He says the music's disturbing." "My father wasn't fond of the theatre." "It was my grandfather who built this stage." "This room used to be a ball-room." "You see..." "I intended..." "I told you not to play ever." "Give it to me, I say." "Go to your room." "Lie down." "I'm so sorry professor." "Last night's gale unsettled us all." "Shall We smoke?" "I regret that I acted on the spur of the moment and went to the Dowgiellos." "All's finished now." "I'll never see her again." "You think I'm in love with her, don't you?" "The fool of a doctor thinks that." "No," "I never loved her." "She amused me." "I loved looking at her white skin." "I wish to thank you for your hospitality." "But I must leave tomorrow." "I'll explore the country a bit." "Then go back to Konigsberg." "Were We of any use to you?" "Let me assure you..." "But you know better." "Lo, and behold!" "Lo, dog's tongue!" "Our fiddler's been killed by cats." "His hands and feet, his heart and head, they're under the table buried." "Never look through a crack, the devil's behind it." " Is this a proverb?" " Yes, an old one." "I must write it down." "What was that other saying?" "Bear and Lokis are the same thing." "What precisely does Lokis mean?" "The same thing as bear." "Some call them Lokis." "Others call them Bear." "When they speak of madmen." "That's an old dance, too." "A letter from the count." "We looked for you in 3 villages." "The carriage is waiting." "So it has come to be." "I was right." "We'll have two weddings." "A catholic one after the Advent." "You'll marry them now in the protestant way." "In the palace chapel." "Our bridegroom seems to be in a hurry." "There'll be supper only for the family." "Then a sumptuous wedding at Christmas!" "Shoot him!" "Shoot him!" "Kill him!" "Kill!" "He's carrying off a lady." "Kill the beast!" "My dear friends," "I bind you now in holy wedlock before God." "You're entering a new life." "A life no longer filled with the joys and amusement of youth, but with serious duties and experiences." "May God, the lord of all Creation have you in His care." "On this great day I've decided to call an amnesty." "Danilka, open the cage." "I'm setting my prisoners free." "Oh, my God!" "May the palsy strike you!" "May worms eat you alive!" "You haven't seen the last of me, you wild beast!" "That's gratitude for you." "I'll drown that maid." "She let the countess sneak out on the balcony." "It's ruined everyone's humor." "Was that the reason?" "I thought it was the face slapping." "Why?" "It's customary here." "A legal trick, you know." "An excuse for a possible divorce." " Disgusting!" " Dear friends, my dear countess, now a married matron." "Allow us for the last time to treat you as a child and offer you this toy." "Straight form Petersburg." "Oh, what a sweet teddy bear!" "Its neck's broken." "Don't be sad, darling." "I'll buy you another one." " Who's there?" " it's me." "Oh, it's you..." "Come in then." "You can't sleep either?" "It's an uncanny night." "Have you noticed how still it is?" "The wind has subsided." "Wle have the first snow." "A still wedding night." "Let's play cards." "The countess must be restless." "We've tied her down to her bed." " Well, I'm waiting." " Oh, God!" " What is it?" " Something fell down." "You're seeing things." "Let's get some sleep." "Good night." "Excuse me gentlemen." "Let's go." "Apparently something happened upstairs." "Open up, count!" " Is there no other way out?" " There isn't." "Count!" "Has something happened?" "I saw from the park that the window's open." "Wle must force the door." "Open the door, count!" "Julia, darling, say something!" "Open up, count!" " Julia, open up." " Open up!" "What's going on?" "What happened?" "Julia!" "Over here!" "What happened?" "Let me pass!" "A basin of water and bandages!" "And my surgery kit!" "No blade inflicted this wound." "Teeth did!" "You're a strange man, reverend." "One might think you're sorry to leave this place." "Who knows, maybe..." "I'm happy I'm going to see normal life again." "Cities, traffic, gas light." "I've no idea why I stayed so long in this wilderness." "You know, this pack of fools probably really believe that the count turned into a bear, bit his wife and ran off to the woods." "I may have sounded too gruesome about that wound." "While he probably bit her in the heat of love." "She fainted, he took fright and ran away." "He'll be back in a week." "He must be sitting tight somewhere." "Unless..." "Unless what?" "Unless he too believes he's changed into a bear." "Then it'll be his mother's lot - insanity." "I foresaw that too." "You were aware of his state, and yet, you didn't help him." "On the contrary, you drew him towards madness." "I observed it and asked myself:" "why does he do it?" "I was bored stiff in this wilderness." "You're a rascal." "And you're a coward and hypocrite." "Did you help him?" "You're a clergyman." "Did you comfort him?" "True, their suffering amused me." "Because I despised them, like everything else." "Myself included." "The world's a dunghill to me." "But why do you despise them and consider yourself superior?" "Eternal rest give unto them, oh Lord!"