Days of Eclipse (1988) - full transcript

Lenfilm Studios

and Third Creative Association
Present

The Days Of Eclipse

(Based on the novel
by A. & B. Strugatsky)

Screen adaptation by Arcady Arabov

Film by Alexander Sokurov

…what receipt? I’m on vacation here.

- You are Malianov?
- Malianov.

- Give me a second…
OK… sign here.

- What is this…
- Be sure to sign with your own name. Your own!..

- You don’t have to state your occupation.



- But… I didn’t request anything!
- What do you mean you didn’t?
I have an order here somewhere…

- I don’t care if you do.
May be it's something for Lida?

- May be. Does she have a maiden name?

- Yes, she uses her maiden name now.
- Ah! It’s signed by her married name…
Can't you just sign it?

- All right, all right! Don’t be such a cry-baby.

- I’ll take this now.
- What are you doing?! Don’t take these pages!!!

It's like living in
a freaking wildlife preserve...

- I don’t get it.

May be you could explain?

Jesus.

Our Lady of Peace.

Saint Nicolas the...

- (Speaking Turkeman) … eight vials…

- … you can continue on your own…



Yes. Yes, I recognized you.

No. This is out of the question.
It will be a disaster for your little boy.

Look, you are calling me every day.
And I say the same thing to you.

The same exact thing…

Well, if you want him to become disabled,
you can do whatever you please.

Look at him, Malianov!
He has swallowed a needle again!

You are a believer, but you don’t cross yourself

You are not afraid of God,
but of me, you are… Yes?

- What is the purpose of all this?

(recites verses in broken Latin)

- You’re holding up good.
How are you able to work in this heat?

- I don’t work… when it’s hot…

- Yeah, right...

- Dima, I’m begging you,
don’t make any sudden moves...

- This little gator bites like...

- It might…

- I know you are afraid of him, a little.

- Me? Afraid?..

- Hey! Come here!
- Dima, don’t!

- Come, come… Now get out of here!!!

- See, now you've hurt his feelings…
Joseph always comes when I’m about to eat.

- His a coward, your Joseph.

- A coward?

- Why do you look so spiffy all the time?

- Look. Here’s Andrej Pavlovich.

- Good day, Andrej Pavlovich!
How’s your insomnia?

- Eh, he can’t hear a thing…

Where has all this come from?

- Why, from a package.
- Which package?

- Some incontinent idiot brought it to me.

- Incontinent?
- He was suffering from urinary incontinence.

- Dima, do you have a lot to do still?

- Yeah, a lot!

- And you staying
for your entire vacation?

- Perhaps even longer.

- Here you go...
What a remarkable creature.

- I don't understand...

Why the hell have you come here?

- Why have you?

- I live here.

- I do as well.
- You are Russian.

- I don’t care much where I live.

They gave me a job here, so I went.

You know...

my sister writes to me often.

She thinks I’m missing Nizhnij Novgorod.

I don’t even remember it very well.
Six years in Moscow

and then here...

I feel free here.

Although I get mad when patients complain

in Turkeman and

I just stare at them and
can’t say a word in response.

I have received another
package recently, from Gorky.

Another two hundred families...

- Those?

- Are those your “old ritualists”?

- Baptists, Adventists or something like that…

They get sick five times less often
than the general population.

- I have to get going.
Would you see me off?

- OK.

- Let's go.

Dima!

- By the way, Dima.
Would you like to leave this place?

- Leave?

Now?

I'm working on my research...

This guy in striped pants must be a spy.
He’s listening on our conversation.

- Yeah, right!..

You can finish your dissertation later.

- I don't understand, are you leaving?

- No.

- What's the problem then?

- Where would I go without you…

She's not here!
What are you looking for here?!

Get out!

- Your blood pressure is normal...

nothing to worry about. Normal...

- It's normal... normal...

Why the hell did you ...

have to come to this hole?

Why couldn’t you stay in Russia?

What's this liquid there?

- You've ordered the omar yourself.

- Omar...

Haiam...

I can see you like it here.

Slow, quiet...

Noone is bothering you.

You are some Dr. Chehov...

- Who?

- Chehov. Anton Pavlovich.

Are all these people your patients?

- Of course.

That one guy eats needles
all the time...

- And he is still alive!?..

- Aha. And nothing shows up on his X-rays.

OK, What’s this you’ve brought?

A hare?

Why a hare?

- It's a rabbit...

- What's it for?

- There's no meat left.
I'll cook it for you.

- I won't eat this hare!

- You will eat the rabbit.

- No, I won't!
- Of course you will!

You'll eat everything
I cook for you.

Why are your clothes so dirty?
Do you have fresh clothes?

- Full closet of clothes.

- Let me wash these.
- Go ahead...

- Why don't you ever take
your clothes to the laundry?

- Would you let me
do some work today?

- What's this junk?

- Don't touch anything!
- Don't yell at me!

Tell me what it is, calmly...

- It's medical equipment.

Used to take measurements
during physical activity.
There...

Again…

A little monster like this
corrupted Eve once.

- Monstrus Exotis

Just like in that movie...

By Oleinikov...

- Another fashionable filmmaker?

- At least he’s not a Baptist or Adventist.

- This monster is hungry.

Some day, I will feed Joseph to this thing.

Next time, I’ll strangle it!..

One can live anywhere.

Here’s as good as any other place.

You can find all sorts here.
Russians are abundant.

For example, my neighbour,
Andrej Pavlovich, across the hall.

Or Sasha Vecherovskij.
Although he's not completely Russian.

Turkemen, Azerbaijani...

Birth rate is high, child mortality as well...

- Don’t rush.

- I have a lot to do.

I wanted to compare these children...

and our, Russian -

their sicknesses.

But then I had a better thought...

- Are these people happy?

- They seem to be...

Happy and well-off.

Although there's nothing
to spend their money on.

Some require a bare minimum,
like their nomadic ancestors.

Others mimic what they see on TV.

Although in these conditions...

it always fails.

Take some salad...

- When I came here...

- Open a bottle of water.

- You know, it helps
not having a home.

- Wipe here... and here.

You are so handsome...

- But I can't open the bottle.

I just can't open it!

- Let me.

One can get by without having a home.

If not for these absurd phone calls...

They are distracting.

My data fits a curve

that shows

how child morbidity

depends not only on nutrition
and physical activity...

like juvenile hypertension for example.

Families, where adults have
a definite moral ideal,

believers in God, for example...

- Andrej Pavlovich, please come in!

- Dmitrij, your door was open, so I…

- Come in, don’t be shy!

- I came to ask for a pain reliever.

- Have you tried Dibasol as I suggested?
- It does not help.

Could you please see me?
It will only take fifteen minutes...

- Who's the woman?
- My sister from Gorky.

- Have you known her for a long time?
- What are you talking about?

- I'm just going crazy...
Dibasol you say?

- Dibasol.

- Come in.

- Hold this book, so that
you don't forget to take it.

- What is it?

- Better take this one instead.

- How's this one better?

- There are my notes and commentary.

Do you have friends here?

- Why?

- Just curious.

- Real friends?

Just one...

- I had a canary. It died...

- Pardon?
- It's dead!

- Dead...

Well, you can get another one...
- Do you like crime novels?

Are you OK?

- I'm fine...

Sometimes I can't fall asleep.
It's too hot.

- I can't either...

What about Vecherovski?

- See, that's why you have headaches.

What about Vecherovskij?
He's a geologist...

- Thanks for the information.

- What have you been working on lately?

- Look, I don't understand...

Do you want me to take a look at you?

- You think somebody needs your work?
Who's going to need it?..

Is it a secret topic?

- What secret topic?

I study juvenile hypertension
in the old ritualist families.

It's more of a hobby.

I work at a hospital.

- Juvenile...

What nonsense...

They don't even know what it means.

- I'm writing it for myself.

- Have you heard about Gubar?

Do you know Gubar?

- I don't know any Gubar.

- Well, if you don't, you don't...

- So, shell we take your blood pressure?

- What?..

You can go to hell
with your blood pressure...

- You are nuts, Andrej Pavlovich!

- Another seismic shock.

Somebody up there
does not like us very much.

- Who was that man?

- Snegovoj.

- Why did he come?

- I have no idea.
He was asking about you, buy the way.

Are you afraid?

- I am.

You know, you are so selfish.

- Oh, not again...

- You think you can justify yourself to us
with your old ritualists?

- I don't need to justify myself to anybody.

- You know,
I've never married because of you.

- I did not prevent you.

- Yes, you did...

I could not go to him
and leave mother alone.

God, I hate this heat...

- What...
Did you remember Monstrus Exotis?

- Turn off the light.

- Do you realize I did not invite you?

And never asked you to come?

- And I...

did not order

that omar...

Don't drop him!

- What happened?

- Death happened. Death, my dear...

- Who died?

- Snegovoj. Andrej Pavlovich, from apt. 11.
Did you know him?

- Yes, I knew him.

Step away, step away!

Information?

Information?!

Has the morning flight
to Moscow departed?

It has...

Was Malianova on the passenger list?

Malianova!

Look in the passenger list!

- Hey! Where are you going?!!

- Have you received the summons?

- I have not.

- Don’t lie! I have sent it three times!

You will answer for this!

Give me water.

- Water?

OK...

What kind of summons?

To a camp training?

- What training...

Are you a writer?

- Me?

- Are you a writer?

- I'm a doctor.
- But you wrote all this...

All... this!..

Writing... always writing...
- Yes, yes, I'm always writing...

- Stop writing, do you understand?!
- What?!
- Stop writing!!!

Listen, you are an intelligent person...

Don't you understand, that all this...

- Calm down, calm down.
We'll go for training.

- Don't give me that...
- You are crazy, you know that?

- I need you to understand only one thing...

- I need you to understand your situation.

Your situation.

- What if I call police?
- Which police?!

Where are you going to find police?!

Sit tight. Just sit tight.

We’ll leave together.

- Leave? Where?
- We need to get the hell out.

You are a fool...
I was like you once, than I understood.

I believe in fait,

in coincidences

One can only die once...

I asked you to bring me water!

- Careful...

Careful with this!..

Do you drink tap water?

- Some writer...

Stand at the window!

- Where are you from?

- From here.

- Don't lie to me.

You don't look like you are from here.

You don't look like you are from here.

- I was born in Gorky...

- You are from Gorky?

That's where I'm from...

My name's Gubar, got it?

I'll leave when it gets dark.

- As you wish...

- Get back!!!

- Idiot!!

I just wanted to grab a book!

- Sit here!

Sit here...

If you rat me out bitch...

I'll shoot you.

- May I read at least?

- No. Not this one.

- How about this one?

- Yes, you may read this one.

- I warned you...

- All right, all right, you can relax...

Why have you come?

Go away.

The living don't belong here.

Don't you understand,
how painful it is...

when your body is not
under your control any more,

and only your powerless
and sad mind remains...

Don't take this sin upon your soul.

A fly!

I can feel it...

each one of us...
has an invisible circle around them

and we can not venture beyond it
for even a single moment...

Forgetting this limit,

trying to break it
with your mind...

you don't know what guardians
you have awakened,

what forces...

directed against yourselves.

Crossing the circle...

you lose everything
that exists within its borders,

and there is no way back.

I am ruining you forever.

Why?

Because now your place is...

with me.

- Sasha, open the door.

- Who is it?

- Open the door!

- If it's not you
I will release the dog.

- Open up!

Dmitrij Alexejevich...

What happened, doctor?

What's wrong?

- It's the heat...

- The heat... It'll get worse.

The forecast is lowsy.

- Why are you always so white?

- White?

- There's so much sun,
but you're always white...

- My blood is white.

- Where did you get the dog?

- The dog?

- My friends have asked me...

to look after it while they're gone.

- You know Sasha, I'm afraid.

- Are you afraid all the time?

- No. Just now.

I'm afraid...

- It must be a heat stroke.

- What do we do now?

- Nothing.

Your opus will get recognized,

they'll pet you on the head
and give you a medal.

- You can be cruel, you know that?

- Who, me?

Would you like some fresh coffee?

- You know...

Andrej Pavlovich has shot himself..

- And?..

- I just had a conversation with him.

- A chit-chat?

- No...

It's a shame we never really
talked when he was alive.

- I never knew him and have no regrets.

- Why?

- What do you mean, why?

- Still, you are so white...

- I'm white all right.

And you?

No matter what you do,
you'll always be branded...

as an outsider.

- Branded?...
Snegovoj was branded as well...

- The sea is excellent here.

Warm.

Almost like the Black Sea.

- I've never been to the Black Sea.

- It's been a long time
since I've been there myself.

Very long time...

Few people are where they must be.

- Must be?

- Yes Dima.

Because many won't have the opportunity.

- Why?

- Because my gardfather died
before he could return to his birthplace.

- Where?

- Not far from Yalta.

And also because my parents wanted so.

- What about your parents?

- My father died...

in a car crash.

And mother...

She attempted to settle near Simpheropol.

Tried for five years.

She was a good engineer.

People said - very good.

They would not give her
a residence permit nor employment.

Threatened to prosecute for sponging.

She was selling vegetables.

Once, a company of five
were selebrating a New Year.

A police car came
in the middle of the night.

They took everybody thirty kilometers
into the steppe.

Wished them good night,
and left.

In the winter, it can get cold
even in Crimea.

- Why did it happen?

- She was sick for a long time.

Almost half a year.

Just because she was...

a Crimean Tartar.

That's why, Dima...

Almost half of the nation
died during the relocation.

My adopted parents are here...

Almost for the same reason.

They are Volga Germans.

The same thing happend to them.

They left this house to me.

Books, furniture...

I don't want any of it...
- What do you want, then?

- I don't know Dima.

I was hoping my kids
would not have to think about

what nationality they are...

as about many other things.

And not just my kids.

- OK, I should be going...

- Let me see you off.

- I'll be fine.

It's a shame I forgot my bike
at the morgue...

My knees are so tired.

- Are you going to be OK
walking back alone?

- Listen... you are a really great guy.

We all need to come to our senses.

- Ciao, bambino...

- May I stay with you?

- Why are you not with your parents?
Where are they?

- I'm hungry.

- I'm also hungry...

Who's going to feed us...

All right.

Let me pick you up, like this.

Let's talk.

Why are you so limp?

Can you stand up?

How long have you been here?

And why?

- You are handsome.

- And you are very perceptive.

This is some merry music...

What's with your eyes?

Do you often have inflammations?

- Careful!

- What's this?

Did you heart yourself?

- Let's go to your place.

- Pour!

- Finish up.

- Eat. I'll get you more.

Eat..

- It's morning already!

- Go to bed when you're done.

- What's wrong?

What happened?

Does it hurt?

- Everything hurts.

- Does your head ache?

- It does.

- Does it spin?
- Yes.

- In which direction?

- Don't worry, this happens
to me often...

- Mornings?

- Afternoons too...

- You don't worry yourself.
I'll make you better...

You just need to have more fresh air...

and more sleep.

- It won't help.

I can see, as I'm looking at you...

how your face is getting older,

the skin becomes flabby.

Lines go from your eyes to your chin.

- Don't make me scared.

Just tell me where your parents are.

I need to find them.

- If you find them, I'll get hurt.

- Do they hurt you?

- Do you not obey them?

- It's not that...

- What is? Why do they hurt you?

- Because of you...
- Me?

I don't understand/

- I'm cold.

You are very nice...

- Feeling better?
How's your head?

- OK, so far...

- Excellent! Come with me.

- You have not slept?

- Lots of work.

- Look, he came again.

- Not to you.

All right. Stand here...

Like this... Chin up!

Close your eyes... Now,
touch your chin with your index finger.

- Were you working again?

- It's nobody's business.
One more time!

Like that...

My mom would say your nose
is enough for two people.

Let's see your eyes...

I will take you to an eye doctor at once.

- You won't.

- Why not?

- There's not enough time.

- Rubbish!

- This is for me.

- Let go of the door.

- I said, let go of the door!

- Where are you going?!
- Here he is...

- Who?
- Him... him...

- Stay there!
- He's a bit wild, with his fantasies...

- Stay there!

- All normal kids are having fun, and he
just stares at us as if we were strangers...

He's quite strange, isn't it so
Smitrij Andrejevich?

- Aleksejevich...

- I thought Andrejevich.
My neighbour told me about you.

- Which neighbour?
- My neighbour.

- Get your hands off him!
- My neighbour... my neighbour told me...

- Wait! Hold on a second!
Do you have any ID?

- Of course... of course...
Construction brigade #16, building architect...

- Which construction brigade?
- Here... See? Here's everything...

Here's everything! Everything! Take it!

OK darling.

Come to me...

Come to me, my angel,
spread your wings...

- Wait! Wait!

Where do you think you are going?

It's cold out there!

It's cold...

- Alexander!..

- Come in.

Meet Vladlen Semenovich Gluhov,
my school history teacher.

Have a seat, I'll make some coffee.

- What has happened?
- Just... stuff...

- Careful, it's messy here.
- What's all this...

- Don't do this...
You shouldn't have done this.

- What's this in your portfolio?
- Leave it alone.

- Sure, sure... You are not from here,
perhaps you will be interested in this.

This is a historic overview of our region.

The Russian mission...

The springs...

The Governor-General's palace...

Look at the excellent quality.
It's due to silver.

Old school...

- I barely remember my history teacher.

- It's probably because you didn't have
much interest in history.

Sasha have always wanted to study Liberal Arts.

- I did not.

- Let's not pick up!

- Why not?
- Don't pick up!

- Don't pick up! It's a wrong number!
- Are you afraid of something?

Give me the phone!
- Don't! Don't pick up!

Don't...

- Give me the phone!
Hello?

- Who was that?

- I think they spoke German.
I couldn't understand.

- Thank God...

- Take a look at the photos here...

The mountains are beautiful...
- Who was it?

- Everything's fine! It was your father perhaps.

Take a look at these...

Thank you.

Take a look...

- Do you love this area so much?

- Why shouldn't I love this area?

- Don't you want to return
to where you were born?

- Look, there's more...

Depressions, dunes...

- I see it every day when I go to the hospital!

- So the young man is a doctor?

- A doctor and a writer.

- Is it true, that you write?

- Why, is it forbidden?

- My dear...

- I'm old enough to be your father.
Listen to what I'm going to tell you.

There is no need to write.

Don't invent anything.
It's the work of the devil, believe me...

Because... you are a doctor.

So be a doctor...

Like Hippocrates... or Botkin...

You know?..

Angina is cured by garling.

For running nose, one puts on
wollen socks with mustard powder.

Sleeping pills help for insomnia.

- And analgesics - for cancer...

- Analgesics - for cancer...

My friends!

Listen to me!

Why can't you love Life?

Why can't you just love Life?

- Vladlen Semenovich...

- Rubbish!

If you are human beings,

you must understand the unwritten
laws of human life.

To love women,

to have children

to grow trees

to swim in a river.

My God,

how great it is to hold
beautiful life in your arms!

Or to have a sip of hot coffee.

Turkish coffee...
- By the way, the coffee is ready.

- So bring it!

- Do not answer the door!

- Shut up!

Let me go!
- Let him go, will you.

- You are hurting me, let me go!

- Here we go...

- Don't listen to him, Sasha,
open the door.

- Alexander! I'm asking you to think
very hard before answering the door!

- Vladlen Semenovitch, this is for you.

- Who? Who is it?! Who?!

- Look, it's Marina!
I only stepped in for a second.

To show my friends some photographs...
Photo albums...

- How many times have I asked you
not to leave on Sundays.

- This is really my fault, Marina.

- Please don't get upset.

Marina, it's awkward,
they don't understand...

Speak Russian...

- And I don't want to!
Open the door for me.

- By the way, Alexander, do
you have a recent newspaper?

There must be a criminal drama on TV tonight.

Great, thank you!

There you go, at 19:50.

Take care, my friends!

- Sorry, Vladlen Semenovich...
- Good by...

- So, you are going to quit
because you are afraid?

- Leave me alone, for god's sake.

- You couldn't have
told me in advance?

- What are you looking at?!
- Don't yell...

Why did I have to tell you?

Think about it...

You are used to jumping in,
in full speed.

- There's nowhere to run.

- I've left everything...

- For some reason...

I pity Gluhov.

Do you see your parents often?

- What?

- Do you see your parents often?

- No, they live on the other
side of town, as you know.

- Father calls me.

At night. When he suffers from insomnia.

- How long ago were they exiled
to this place?

- Well, this is good-by...

It's cooled down quite a bit.

May be you could stay...

It will be difficult for me without you...

- It will be difficult for me too.

- Stay...

- When I was a kid, I was happy to
find yout that the Earth is round.

It would be impossible to get lost,
I thought.

Wherever you go, you'd always
return to where you started from.

Call my parents.

Make up a story.

Tell them I promised to come back soon.

- I will call.

And make up a lie.

And you won't come back...

OK, I have to leave the boat now.

What is it?
- My diaries.

- Take care!

Alexey Ananishnov
as Dmitrij Malianov

Escander Umarov
as Alexander Vecherovskij

a.g.a. 2006