THE DECALOGUE 10
He sacrificed everything for his noble passion
his family, his professional
perhaps even his emotions
Taking leave of our late friend today
the winner of eleven internaional gold medals
and participant of many exhibitions
I would like to offer my condolences to his family
I bow down before this grave
Farewell, my friend
Just take a look at this tin-plated door, damn him
Well?
Wait a minute, let me see it
Right. An alarm device
Stop yelling
Shit. Look
Ah well, starved to death Get a strainer
No good. It's been nailed up
But why?
What do you mean, why?
Why the alarm device why the padlocks and bars
Dont' you know what kind of man Father was?
Not too well
And what about airing?
No idea. He probably never aired it
No, thanks I have business later on
Come on, it isn't much
To Father
Cheers Cheers
How much is it worth, I wonder?
I don't know But stamps are expensive nowadays
Well, some three or four hundred thousand, I guess
Yeah, this is our poverty Mother's wasted life
No decent meals... no money
Oh come on
I say, he didn't even own a decent suit to be buried in
I have sacrifice one of mine
Tell me, what is it that makes one so... so greedy?
So set on possessing?
You should know You like to own things
No. I just use them I like to be comfortable
But I couldn't understand the old man for a long time
I say, it's ages since we last met
Yeah, over two years
Hey, look
he collected press cuttings about you
May I? Yes?
My name's Bromski
Are you the son?
Yeah
I'd like to talk to you
I know this is not the best moment possible
But you see that's how it is with business
All right, what is it?
Your father and I were friends I have here...
Your father owed me two hundred twenty thousand zlotys
He never told me
I ought to get the money back in a few days
Well, I know a funeral costs a lot So it does
But perhaps I could find an equivalent here
if you know what I mean
To save you the trouble
Here's my phone number
Phone me in five days. I'll try to raise the money for you
Thank you so much If I get you right
you aren't going to get rid of the collection for the time
Of course you certainly have your reasons
In your place I think I'd do the same
Well, sorry for bothering you
Dad owed a fellow two hundred twenty thousand
That one was the first to come... As yet
Nothing but rags
Look, this was his way to iron pants. Under the sheet
What's this?
Those cuttings about you
And I thought he never even knew my name
I say, I've heard such guys have a market or something
Well?
Would you like to have a try?
What about that lame fellow who was here?
No, he's too clever
And what about your kid? Doesn't he collect stamps?
He only likes planes
Then why not give him these?
Balloons or something
Zeppelins All right, Zeppelins
It's a series
Polarfahrt this means they're German
Uhm... 1931
Which one's yours?
This one here. The first tenants
Quite nice. And tell the kid I have an LP for him
He's not really a kid anymore
Well, 'bye 'bye
To the "Riviera" Club, please
I'm glad we met
I'm sorry. I couldn't make it
We'll go tomorrow
Artur and I started talking after the funeral
and we quite for got the time
I haven't said anything
No reception tomorrow
Well, the day after tomorrow then I'll right him up
I'm sorry, really I haven't said a word
That's true, you haven't
Your slippers
This is from Grandpa, as a souvenir
Gee, they're nice
Grandpa died, you know
He was buried a few hours ago
Hey, what's that? You crying?
Not really. I've cried already
Mum told me at dinner
I'm sorry about Grandpa Aren't you?
Have you had toothache?
No
I couldn't make it
Mum was angry She shouted at me all day long
Good morning
I'd like to have this priced And possibly to find a purchaser
Are you "Korzen"'s son?
Yes
this is but a fragment of his collection
Yes. Well, I could sell more I don't know
Perhaps the whole of it
Could you please wait a moment, sir?
Our President would like to talk to you
Good morning Good morning
May I trouble you a minute, please? Why, of course
There are two of you if I remember right
Yes
could we perhaps meet at your father's flat?
Of course I'll write the address for you
I know the address
Well, gentlemen what are you planning to do?
We'd like to sell it. We need money
How much of it
Doesn't matter. Just money
I see
Well, you can buy a 126 Fiat for this one
And this one will get you two cars with Diesel engines
And this series would be enough to buy a flat
Er...
I believe you don't realize...
Well, and what is the value of the whole lot?
Millions and millions
Your father wanted to insure his collection
for two hundred fifty million zlotys
You see, your father put all his life in it
It would be criminal
to waste thirty years of somebody's life away
Even if that somebody was just one's father
whom one hardly knew at all
Good-bye, gentlemen
Good-bye
Bloody hell
Yeah. Quite a surprise
Hush... Mum's asleep
Have you been at the office?
Yes, in the morning
But then I met Artur
Mum tried to reach you several times
Why?
Here
Are these autographs? Yes
Of the entire group? Yeah, I guess so
See what Artur wrote here? For Peter to make his life happier
Nice, isn't it?
I say, what have you done with those Zeppelins?
I exchanged them for these Look how many I got
Whom did you give them to?
Tell me!
All right, which one was it?
Well?
The one with glasses
Stay here. Don't go anywhere
I have some business with you
Yes sir Not here. It's confidential
Hey, what do you think you're doing Careful, Mister, or...
You've cheated a kid
One has to make a living
He's my son
Ah well, nearly everyone has parents nowadays
I want that series with Zeppelins back
I sold it
To whom? Out with it
To that fellow in Wspolna street
Good afternoon
Good afternoon, sir
I have an unpleasant business with you
A boy from Swietokrzyska street offered you a series of stamps
You bought it for forty thousand
I'm afraid that scamp cheated my son out of those stamps
and gave him rubbish instead
I don't know what you're talking about
I see
Say I'd like to buy something in your shop
Well, a series of German stamps
Polarfahrt with the Zeppelins in them. From 1931
Could we perhaps...
Do you want to buy? Let's say I do
We may discuss it
Is this what you mean?
Yes
Well, it's for sale How much?
Two hundred forty thousand
The price isn't high
Well, if that's so. The next time I'll bring the police here
I'm sorry
It's all right you can use my phone, sir
Well, do you want to use the phone or not?
I've got a receipt here
the former owner of the series
was going abroad and sold the stamps to me for
One hundred sixty-eight thousand
Here's the stamp duty
And this is my license Take a look, please
That was your favourite group
The city Death
And now a short break
You'll catch a cold
I'm free now
Things have turned out badly with the Zeppelins
How's that?
I'll tell you presently Those men are gangsters
Ah yes, that fellow phoned me
Father's creditor, you know I'm to meet him on Sunday
Two hundred twenty thou', eh?
Frecisely I have some ninety thousand
I was saving to buy Peter some furniture
But I've already told him I'm putting it off
What does your wife say?
She suspects me of having an affair
Now I have to stay in town on Sunday
instead of going to the country with her
and it's sure to strengthen her suspicions
And what about you? Have you got the money?
Where from? I'm not the saving kind
But I might sell the amplifier
Don't you need it to play?
It's not an instrument I paid about fifty dollars for it
I guess I should get some seventy thousand back, how do you think?
Yeah, that's it
And the rest of money?
The stamps?
I don't know
I'd rather that we don't sell them for the time being
I mean, not until we have to...
I feel the same
Let them stay where they are
Exactly
'Bye
Be seeing you
Bye
God damn you! I thought it was some stanger!
What the hell are you doing here?
Looking at the stamps
I was here yesterday, too
I didn't know I've been here today morning
What's the matter? Have you been fired?
No
I'm anxious about this flat
You know, all those safety devices are nothing, actually
Anybody could have entered the flat just as you did
Besides, I'm registered as tenant here
Why, of course...
I'll feel better, too
Hey, take a look at what I found
the only series in Poland
And it's incomplete
The blue one, the yellow one...
The red one's missing
Now listen this is what the old man wrote
red Austriean mercury of 1851
stolen during the celebrated robbery in 1965
Appeared for a short time in Cracow at J.'s. Was it sold or exchanged?
In 1968, before J. Left Poland
News from K.B.R. It's now in Southern Poland
Could M.W. Have it?
Is there a chance?
Just a sign, not money
Half the note book is taken by such notes
Figures, symbols
Most of it, I just can't make out
I've been reading for several hours
The red Austrian Mercury
It would look swell together with the other two
wouldn't it?
Yeah
It's red
They just slip down a rope or jump down
and there they are It's just a few metres
You mean, a grating?
Yes, in both windows
The ideas the old man had
nailing them up
A pane's just a pane, it's enough to break it and you're inside
I say, Artur
Yes? I forgot I ever had any problems
I forgot everything
Know what? I feel the same somehow
Like many years ago when we were just kids
and didn't care about the grown-ups' problems
It's the same now as we sit here like this
Nothing matters anymore
Yes, one forgets... it's childish
But nice
Oh yes, very...
Maybe the rest of your life simply isn't there
if you don't want it to pester you
Hey, I've just thought of something
Find a stamp for me worth say about 200 thousand
But it must be an official price printed in a catalogue or something
Two hundred thousand?
Yes
With pleasure. Wait a moment
I found this
How much is it worth?
Where have you found it?
At home
Your own?
Possibly
Well, it's worth say, fifteen thousand
I can buy from you...
for three thousand
No, five
Four. It's stolen property
Ah well, O.K.
Here you are
Thank you
What are you doing?
Shall we listen to it?
Check the recording, you know
It's worth, say, fifteen thousand
I can buy it from you
for three thousand No, five
Four. It's stolen property
All right let's come to brass tacks
What do you want?
Three German stamps with Zeppelins issued in 1931
I'm giving you four thousand for them
and a brand new Sony cassette
The recording only takes the first few metres
And it's a ninety-minute cassette, see?
Clever, that
I had an inkling when you came in
You should have followed your instinct
Yeah, A fellow came to me the other day
My brother
Not as clever as you
He didn't know everything then He didn't know you
Do you want money, or the stamps?
The latter
I see
You're the sons of... Yes
I see
Who is it?
It's me, Jerzy
Jerzy? Yes, it's me
A moment
What's that beast you have there?
What was that?
A dog. I locked him in the bathroom
My key doesn't fit the lock damn it
I changed the lock
They say you should do it from time to time
Who says so?
Friends of mine who know a thing or two
Here's your new key
The next time would you please tell me in advance
I've spent half a day
wondering about and trying to reach you on the phone
And what about the dog?
Just a dog
Does he ever stop?
Those friends told me to get one so I bought him
Shall I let him out?
O.K.
I'm afraid he might bite you
But you've got to do something about him
He should know I'm not a thief
I'm scared of him myself
Lokis! Lokis!
To heel! Halt!
Hey, wait
To heel, Lokis!
Heel, Lokis. Halt!
Gee, do something
Halt! Down, Lokis! Down
Christ!
This is Jerzy. A friend
He's a friend
Just look at him
Jerzy is a friend
Isn't he nice?
What about the Zeppelins?
It's all right, I've got them
Over there
Good doogie, good doggie
Stroke him
Hush, it's al right
Good doggie, down, Lokis
No... that's good
On my way here, I came across that fellow with a limp, remember him?
The one Father owed money
What did he want?
He was glad to see me, said he...
To heel! Halt!
He said he had friend in the neighbourhood
Down, Lokis
Did he come here?
No, why?
Down, Lokis. Good doggie
Sit down
Let him have it
What if he bites
He won't
Hey, what's that?
Perhaps you should try with they left
Good doggie, good Lokis
See, he only accepts what you give him with your left hand
He's your friend now
Stroke him
The left hand or the right?
Come on, risk it
Who's that?
Get him, Lokis!
Good doggie. Keep guard
Some beast, that dog
I say, I might stay here for the night
He'll get used to me this way
Sure
Where are the Zeppelins?
Ah, yes
That's shop-owner's quite a fellow
Is he?
Yeah. Wants to talk to us
Now, gentlemen
Have you already come across the problem
called the red Austrian Mercury?
Well, we have
Know its value?
All we know there's one such stamp in Poland
And I know who has it
Your father tried to find out but couldn't... all those years
As far as I know he was very particular about it
If you gentlemen are interested, too
We're rather out of cash
my brother here even sold his car, but
Oh, no, money's not the problem
Well, what is the problem then?
You see, gentlemen, I'd like us to meet again to discuss it
Only you'd have to have some tests made
What tests?
Nothing special
Blood group, sedimentation, urine...
Yes
As I told you this is not a financial problem
the man I was telling you about lives in Tarnow
You know, the owner of that red Austrian Mercury
And what does he want?
Just two stamps, a tiny series
owned by a serious Szczecin businessman
Well, what about him?
That's a good question
He in turn needs a small and inconspicuous stamp
Which we have, right?
But why on earth you needed our blood groups?
No. You haven't that stamp
Who has, then?
It so happens that... I do
You're the one
Why not me?
He's got the right blood group
You see, gentlemen
the red Austrian Mercury is worth over two million
But it's not for sale
All of the parties involved care for an exchange only
What about you? Is blood what you want?
No. A kidney
My daughter is seriously ill
A girl of sixteen
I've been looking for someone
YOur father was too old
Hell, what am I supposed to do?
Let them remove one of my kidneys?
To get a bloody stamp?
To get the red Austrian Mercury Yeah, from 1851
You're right. Why You have a family, wife and son
No, I didn't mean that
Why, it's a part of myself
That's true. In your place
I wouldn't hesitate a minute
What do I need that bloody kidney for
I've got another one to live on
A guy I know had his kidney removed over twenty years ago
and he lives a normal life
Likes his liquor and women and so on. No problem at all
And there's another thing
I would also think about that girl
To save the life of a young girl
this counts, too
It's so humane
Artur!
Come on I'm not trying to persuade you
It's your kidney
But it's our stamp, too
One, two, three, four...
There's something wrong
Yeah, but it's just the question of practice
Couldn't you go with us after all? Such a tour
I can't
You've been trapped, eh? A girl?
Some girl
Great
Oh, sorry
Good morning
Yes?
You see... I...
Are you...
Are you from the City Death?
Actually, yes
Gee
I'm looking for my brother
He's having his kidney removed right now
Yes. I've been there It'll be all right
Really?
I say, sir... May I touch you?
Sure
Are you sure there's no danger?
Doctor?
How are you?
I'm fine As if nothing happened at all
Have you got it?
Really?
Of course
Christ... At last
When did you get it?
Ah, well, about a week ago
Then why haven't you visited me to let me see it?
I've been waiting all the time
I feared he could have cheated us or something
Or that you've decided to keep it for yourself
I didn't know what to think
I couldn't come
What's the matter? Out with it
During that operation, you know
I stayed in the hospital and waited for news
Yes?
You see, we've been robbed
Robbed of everything... everything
Bloody fool of a dog
They locked him in the bathroom
I told you he should be poisoned
Move!
Get off!
What the hell did you go to the hospital for?
They could manage without you
Does it ache?
Hey, did you report it?
Here
Who are you, sir? A brother
Yes, my brother's just been released from the hospital
And how do you feel?
How shall I feel in these circumstances?
Do you know what was in this flat?
Yes, I know well enough
By the way, sir
Your brother didn't know for sure
The alarm apparatus in the window and balcony door
had been disconnected
From inside the flat
I did it
It hooted every time I put the grill on
You know to be able to open the window
I thought the grill was enough
I see. Your brother wasn't sure
Well, good-bye, gentlemen
Good-bye
We'll get in touch with you, sir
Here's my phone number in case you should want to see me
Thank you
You never told me About that alarm device
I forgot
This is all we have
It's yours
Why?
The kidney was yours
Besides, I don't want it
Where are you going?
What business is it of yours? I'm moving away
I've found a job in a bar
Leave me alone, will you?
I don't care a damn about this here
You wanted to see me, sir?
Good afternoon
Bye
Yes?
It's rather difficult to say
You're sure to think the worst of me
Don't worry about it
I think you should...
Well, check my brother...
That dog, you know
Only my brother could touch him
and yet the robbers managed to lock him in the bathroom
He says he spent many hours in the hall
while I was operated on
That's right he sat there all the time
Later, he even lay in the nurses' duty room
No, I didn't mean he did it
But some of his friends, perhaps
You know, the company he keeps...
Thank you
You've helped me a lot
Good afternoon. Sorry I'm late
I... I just...
You wanted to see me?
Well, yes
You think I'm crazy?
No, why?
Well, we spent so much time in each other's company
and now I've invited you to have coffee with me
Quite natural
You see, we've talked a lot but...
I just couldn't say it
I suspect... I suspect my brother might be involved in this robbery
Oh, God, what have I said
You said you believed your brother might be involved
I feel somehow
Well, I don't really know it might be intuition only
Oh yes, intuition is not be neglected
as you very well know yourself
Well, you've helped me a lot
Just like they say in the movies
But it's a fact
Thank you, sir
Can I help you?
Thanks, I'm just looking for new stamps. Have you any?
Oh yes. Fortieth anniversary of the police and Security Force
Sixty zlotys
A stamp with a seal on it, thirty
And World Championships in Wrestling, twenty-five...
I'd like one of each How much are they?
One of each? One hundred and five zlotys
I didn't expect you here
And I didn't expect you
Shut up, will you?
Now!
Artur
I did something horrible
I thought... So did I...
But I said... I thought it was you...
So did I...
Jerzy
What's this?
Ah, I went to the post office and bought these
It's a series