Your new home
How do you like it?
Not very well, sir
Why not?
We should be in Russia
For what?
The final assault on Moscow
You could transfer
But by the time you got there,
Russia would've gone like France,
Belgium,Holland...all the rest
We're all done fighting
Now we are the masters of the world
Do you understand?
Yes, sir
Good!
We have been assigned to guard this pass,
so here is where you'll stay
Tell the men to get out
Dismount!
Hurry! Hurry!
Machine guns come across the ravine into the Keep with us
What are you doing here?
I'm the caretaker, sir
And they?
They're my sons
There's a 108 such crosses made of nickel
embedded in the walls of the keep.
You counted them?
Or is it something to do with cathecism
I'm Alexandru, my sons and I work here
No one tours this place
I thought the keep was unoccupied
We go home at night,
we live in the village
-Where is the owner? -I have no idea
-Who is he? -I don't know
-Who tells you what to do?
-We do what needs doing
My father spent his life doing it,
his father before him, and so on..
My sons... will continue after me
There you are,
you may continue your maintenance after we settle in
-You cannot stay here
-And why not?
No one stays here
And who forbids it?
No one forbids,
some travellers have stayed, we don't stop them
-But no one stays the night
-Ghosts,Demons?
No, No ghosts here
-Death then, Suicides?
-No one's ever died here
Then what drives people out in the middle of a rainy night?
-Dreams
-ha ha...Nightmares?
Look man,
The real nightmares, man has made
upon other men in this war
The bad dreams of your Keep,
are nursery rhymes in comparison
Come on, I want a tour
Who built the Keep?
Some say the Turks, some say the
warlords of ancient Volakia
How do I know this is not a fortress
a soldier could walk out from outside the wall
Why are the same stones on the outside,
and the large ones, here in the interior?
It's constructed backwards
This place was not designed to keep
something...out
What is this place?
No one knows for sure
-Herr Officer, stop them!
-Stop what?
-There opening the walls!!
-Old man, spikes for lights we have generators
the Randoff doesn't live by candlelight
Now is he stringing lights?
Soldier! What's your assignment!?
-To string lights sir
-Then what the hell are you doing? Answer!
Silver crosses,sir
there is talk among the men they hide silver here
Treasure, sir
Private Lutz, it's been a profitable day for you
not only have you learned the crosses are made of Nickel
but you've earned yourself a place on first watch all week
Get out!!
Never touch the crosses!
Never!
And why not?
You must not stay here
Good day Alexandru
Nickel!
Nickel...yes, Nickel
but not this one
-I'm on duty!
-Forget it, c'mon
look at this!
Silver!
-Look it, look at the block
-This is the only silver cross
this block moves
Behind this one block there
may be more silver
-Are you ready to be rich?
-Oh yes
A passage, I knew it
Lets take this cross, block it and come back later
that's stupid, we're here why share it
Tie these around my ankle
Silver, there's more silver
Ah, Ah,
pull me back! pull me back
Lutz, Lutz!
Stand down!
-I need to hire a boat -Where to?
Constantes, the Romanian coast
Too dangerous, very expensive
Steiner, last night it was steiner
that makes five dead,
and I checked with the radio man
there's been no answer to your request for relocation
Stop this!
Stop!
Wait! Wait!
In this village,
partisans have been operating against
the greater german Reich -Are you insane!
I am Commander Koempffer, is what I am
Captain Klaus Woermann, is what you are
your request for relocation is denied Woermann
I am now in command over this emplacement
And you, will not interfere with our actions
You,you,you, you and you
Bring them to the Keep
There are no partisans in this village!
these people know nothing!
If one more german soldier dies, all five hostages will be shot
And five more will be shot every time a german is killed
We will continue until partisan activity stops
or we run out of villagers
They are no partisans!
You, see to it that my command quarters are in order
Those people you murdered are Romanian citizens
we are an allied state!
Let's have an immediate understanding Woermann
who gives a damn about a few communists
Listen to me
MG 34's cover the entrance,
lights illuminate the perimeter,
And whatever kills us, gets in anyway
Nothing we do, no security works
we have seen no partisans!
-Something has been released! Something?
What do you mean something, Woermann?
are you trying to create a mystery?
To excuse your incompetence in protecting your men
My competence, was proven in combat
against soldiers who shoot back
not slaughtering civilians
And I am a political soldier Woermann
and I shall say it once only your security doesn't work
because your methods are wrong
The answer's fear, Woermann,
From now on these partisans will be afraid to kill
because they will fear
the price these actions cost these villagers to pay
Now listen, something else is killing us
And if it doesn't care,
about the lives of three villagers
If it is like you
then does your fear work?
Take that brilliant thought
back to Dachau when you go
If...you go
Because here in this Keep,
Commander Kaempffer
you may learn something new
neither you nor the Keep can teach me anything
We found the rest of Steiner,
well, Commander Kaempffer
let's see the latest present our friend has left us
Come
Bring a hostage
Explain this Kaempffer,
this is what's happening to us
-What do these words mean?
-Herr officer, I don't know
Don't lie to me, those words are Romanian
What do they say, I want to know
They look like Romanian Herr Officer..but they're not
-I don't know what they say!
-He's telling the truth
Make him stop,
What do you suggest I do?
Arrest him?
Priest, your next
Teach him the art of translation
Herr Officer,
this writing is like Romanian but different, it's meaningless
not written in the Latin alphabet, nor the Cyerilic alphabet
What can you tell us about the Keep we don't already know?
Me? nothing
Yes, you were about to say more
-You can tell us nothing, -No
-Who can? -No one
Don't lie to me
or I'll shoot this man dead
There's a professor of medieval history
at the university in the city of Ayashi
He made a study of this Keep
perhaps he can translate that for you
-His name? -Dr. Theodore Cuza
He grew up in this village
Herr Officer
Dr. Cuza is not in Ayashi
Then where?
Dr. Cuza's a Jew
He's wherever you've taken the Jews
Good.
The SS will bring them today from the depot
Do you play at night?
I don't play music here
we suffer enough, not happy here
Why are you here, girl?
I'm Eva Cuza
this is my father Dr.Cuza
We are Jews, the gypsies are not the only ones
who are enemies of the state
When we reach that new settlement place they
say we are going to, then I play music for you guys
There are farms, and wheat fields there
they said...
Where are you going in such a hurry?
-Into the pass
-Get down
How far?
To the Keep
Move away from the machine
Open the case
Don't.. touch that
I will tell you something if you want hope
the people who go to these settlement camps,
there are only two doors,
One in, and one out
the one out, is a chimney
You'd better find a way to be of use to me in three days
Three days
Or back to the camps, go you
and your daughter
What does it mean?
Can you understand it?
Well?
The former is in the imperative
It says:
"I Will Be Free"
So we do have partisans
In zoltz navonic, but within
the Gaelitic alphabet
Your partisans are writing to you
in a language that's been dead for 500 years
Wood, we need wood for a fire
Does he get that cold?
Look at my father,
does he look 68?
He's 48
Eva!
He's dying from a variety of Schleroderma
With the temperature in this room
gangerine will be in his fingers in an hour
Alright, that's enough!
He won't last Major Kaempffer's 3 days
You'll get the wood, and some furniture
and lights
get your food from our mess
Let me tell you two something
the Major will snuff you out, like that
He has his reasons for a quick solution
I have mine
I don't want any more of my men to die
find out what is killing us
And I may be able to get you to Bucharest
And keep you safe
And then again, you may not
Mihail, how did you manage this?
I didn't think I could
You rescued us, for me it doesn't matter,but for Eva
What fairy tales did you tell him
None
They made up their own
But I made them believe that you could solve their problems
just to get you brought here
And now, now we must get you out
How
Today I arrange a guide, tomorrow you ask to see
the old slavonic manuscripts in the church
the guide will take you from the church across the mountains
to Nyipa, from there the black sea,..anywhere
How far do you think I'll get, I can't fight
I can't walk, nothing You just get Eva out of here
Listen to me
They've already killed three villagers here,
including old Seminesku, I was in Breschauf
they're rounding up trade unionists, journalists
Jews, gypsies,..God knows what happens to them
We found out what happens
I'm not going without you
You'll have to try
I'll carry you on my back if I must
So,
How long?
don't ask
whoever thought of sticking the miracle of human intellegence
inside one of these decaying bodies
He should of been fired
so where else would God of put the human soul?
In a desk
maybe a street car,
won't have been so bad, it breaks, you get a new part
Blasphemy,
one of these days your gonna believe in the divine
You believe in Gods, I believe in men
How's Eva?
Eva?
Hmm
Eva wastes her youth,
chained to an old man in a wheelchair
I should have a nurse,
she should live her life
She won't let anyone else take care of you
I have much to do
Hey say
yeah
the writing on the wall
yeah
did you put it there?
no
How'd it get there, Mihail
There is something you can do for me, make me feel easier
Keep it with you, just two days
Hey look tres, it's your sister
-Can I help you
-get your hands off me
Sit down
Get a healthy helping, ma'ar
-alright, that's enough
Eva!
Eva
Get away from my child
take me and leave her
What have you done to her
what are you?
Why are you, here?
They thought I could find what was killing their soldiers
And I have! haven't I?
you turned into an ally
you collaborate!
No!
Don't accuse me of collaborating with Nazis
I'd do anything to stop them
If you don't believe me, then kill me
Papa
What happenend?
your hands
Your face!
I feel warm
-I know, it brought you here
-Who?
Father, it was a dream
it was a nightmare
It carried you here, I saw it too
What I saw wasn't real
Look at my hands, look at my face!
It touched my body
Look at you
don't know what it is and I don't care
-He's like a hammer,
and can now smash them
-What are you talking about?
We're dealing with a golum? A devil
A devil! Now you listen to me
the devil of the Keep, wears a black uniform
and has a deathshead at his cap and calls himself a sturbein Furor
There were two more deaths last night
you are going to stay at the Inn you have two minutes to pack
Why?
because I can at least keep you safe from what is killing us
And after the incidence in the mess,
maybe from the men too
Maybe from the men..
I'm not going to leave my father here alone
-Yes, you should go -No
You now have a minute, 45 seconds
A minute, 45 seconds for what?
For fraulein Cuza to pack her things and moving her stuff
She is not going anywhere
I forbid it, I will not permit you to send my daughter away
You, you forbid?
Let me tell you something, you forbid nothing
Nothing!
Get her out of here!
Are you ready?
Almost
Listen to me, my child
you are the meaning of my life
Whatever I will do here whatever happens to me
leave me behind, escape
Go without me, do not wait for me
-No -Yes, go!
Meet a man
live a full life
and you live for me
-Who is this?
-My son
He died in Spain, 5 years ago this month
Fighting on the Republicans side
Were you in Spain?
If I were, I would of been in the Itteral brigade,
with other anti-facist Germans
Your son and I, we would've been fighting on the same side
But, No I wasn't
What?
Cross?
Why do you, a Jew need protection of the cross?
I don't
It was a gift of a friend, A humane man
Listen to me Captain Woermann,
I pass the gift on to you
Take it
You're a humane man too and you...
you may need it
How did you get out? did they let you go?
where's theodore?
Still inside
Anything for theodore Cuza down here, through this door
I have no money to pay you right now
Your father did me many favors over the years
forget about it
Thank you, Mr. Oppe
What are you doing here?
Is this the only room overlooking the Keep?
Yes
Than I'll take it
It's taken by Miss Cuza
It's okay
Where will you go?
Back into the Keep, away from here,
I don't know
Why's your father in the Keep?
He's being kept there by soldiers
Are you going to wait for him?
Or leave?
I'm going to wait right here for him
Then you better stay here with me
Why are you here?
You
Where do you come from?
-I'm a traveller
-From where?
Everywhere
Go to sleep
And dream
There is...
Death around you
-At your hands
-No
And what you sense is my fate in a death camp
A place where people gather to die
A place where people are murdered
My people are murdered?
-yes, and others from all over
-who does this?
There leader in Berlin
-and the soldiers in black
-I'll destroy them!
I will consume their lies
When
could you do this?
When I am complete in two nights
If I can leave this place
-Why couldn't you?
because an object of mine
the origin of my power
must be removed from the Keep
and hidden in these mountains
and kept safe from people here
And from anyone who may come here
It must be done by someone I can trust
like you
Only then can I leave the Keep,
and destroy the soldiers in black
and their leaders
Will you...carry this object
out of here..for me?
Yes
-Mihail, -I'm not leaving yet
-did you get Eva out? -Eva..Eva is at the Inn
There is something here, a power
this power is our salvation
Power is God!
And the messiah, his immortal son
who took flesh of the holy mother and ever
virgin mary, And I... I have been right
And you... you Theodore Cuza
you have been wrong
I was right in my simple faith
I was right
Evil comes from the acts between man and man
it wears a swatzika and it believes in black dreams
you know this
What's happening to you?
Stay here, stay here with your
daughter and burn with the others
Burn with the misfits, the gypsies,
the heratics,
-I won't lift a finger to help you
-Mihail
Ha, Monster!
Burn in Hell!
And the dead and the glory,
and judge both the living and the dead,
and deliver of the grace! Pray for them
Mihail!
I never thought I'd see you alive again
-Now we can get out
-Not yet
-Mihail, told me you didn't leave
-you alright
Mihail's gone crazy
-What's happened to this place
-I can't help Mihail
What's happened is...
that what was repressed within the Keep
is spreading into the village
Who are you?
What do you know about it?
This is...
I know that you have bound yourself to him
that you've agreed carry the talisman out
-It's the source of the power
It is not his, it's what keeps him inside the walls
and if you carry it out, he will be released into the world of men
what's happening in the world is worse than anything he could do
-He is the same
-look at him
-what, it's my body,
I don't give a damn about me, I'm not doing this for me
That's why he picked you
only someone uncorrupted could even get near the Talisman
-Don't listen to this
-Stop this..you stop it
-What are you doing
-let's just get out of here
Don't take it out
-What do you want?
-there's a stranger at the Inn he asks questions
I believe he's connected to the people who pay
for the keeps maintenance
Arrest the man, bring him to the Keep
This place, seems to agree with you
you look...
healthier
This place has it's strong points
You're part of this
Aren't you?
Tell me!
tell me
The talisman that holds him inside is mine
I have been here for ages
watching..
and guarding against what is happening now
He is being released
I don't understand
I have come to destroy him
Now...
and it may be too late
I will end it
What ends?
When he goes..I go
What?
Then why?
why did you come to me?
Become my lover
out of a dream
To touch
as only mortal men can do
You are coming to the Keep for interrogation..now
Stay here
No!
What's all the shooting in the village huh?
-A civilian being interrogated resisted arrest
-another civilian
the courageous commander again is victorious
Woermann
Woermann!
I will not!
you will..nothing
You will... die
-All of us will die
-you're falling apart Woermann
you despise our ruthlessness
but you do not grab history by the throat
and write the next 1000 year future
without brutality and courage!
-Fairy tales Kaempffer
romantic fairy tales,
you tell yourself,
then dress up in black and silver,
so you can look in the mirror and maybe believe them
Eich! Hiel Furror!
A year and a half ago,
SS commander executed men, women and children
children for gods sake
Ruthlessness
Courage
How many times in this Keep
have you made your bed?
Don't you talk to me about courage
were you with the German anti-facist fighting us in Spain? No!
Did you stop commadore posnack, No
you have a debilitated german disease, Woermann
Sentimental talk
It allows you to feel sensitive
superior, and yet safe, because you take no action
your sentimental suffering makes me sick
for once, your right Kaempffer
I'm only half a man
all that we are is coming out
here in this Keep
-Ha Ha Ha
-the man sees the truth
and what truth do you see?
what are you discovering about yourself, Kaempffer...Huh?
I murder all these people therefore I must be powerful!
and you smash them down because only that raises you up
it's a psychotic fantasy to escape
the weakness and disease you sense at the core of your soul
you have scooped the most easy psyches out of the german gutter
you have released the foulness that dwells in all mans minds
you have infected millions with your twisted fantasies
and from the millions of diseased mentalities
that worship your twisted cross
what monstrosity has been released on this Keep
Who are you meeting Kaempffer?
in the granite corridors of this Keep?
Yourself
Jesus, protect me
protect me
What are you?
where do you come from?
Where am I from?
I am...
from you
Carry it from this place
take it out of here
There's no one left to stop you
Eva! I have it!
take it back
it belongs to Glaehic Mahistis
No, this is power!
It's corrupted
It's changing your soul
take it back
No!
-No!
-Get out of my way!
Kill her!
and take the talisman out of here
Who are you,
that I have to prove myself to you by killing my child
Obey me!
Or you will return to the diseased state I found you in
And I'll slay both of you!
If this is yours, as you said then you take it out of the Keep
You can't..
then this isn't yours
and the Keep is a prison to contain you
And you have lied, exploited, deceived
And you are the same evil outside this place
so you prove yourself to me!
You take it out of here
You yourself
Take it!!
You
Take your father
and get out of this place