Tom Thumb (2001) - full transcript

SPI International presents:

Tom Thumb.

And here I am,
standing at the end of the abundant life.

Many things have I seen!
Many people have I met!

I learnt how to read in stars
and human hearts.

I delighted my eyes with
the beauty of this world.

But, once...

...as a child, I didn't even try to
expect to have such a life.

Back then, I was afraid of everything.

Everything seemed to be so spooky.

Back then,
I was called Tommy.



Tommy Thumb.

I was born...

...a long time ago.
On one winter night...

It's not the right time for that kid!

If he survives,
we'll namel him Tommy...

Back then...

...people were afraid of winter.

Even though, I survived.

Tommy!
The stone!

I was the youngest
of my five brothers.

Because of those hard times,
one too much to feed.

Show me the wicker of yours.

It's already full,
you won't put anything more into it.

Go and empty it!



What shalll we do with you, Tom?

You're too weak for a plow,
too clumsy for carrying the wicker!

Look, rich children!

I've to tell you,
we were poor.

For me and my brothers whole world
closed in this field.

My parents took it in a quite different way,
though.

Today I was in the village.

Bad news...

They say there's going to be a war.

What are you talking about?
What war?

People saw soldiers in the defile.

If a man listened to the gossips,
he would be already dead.

I hope that's really just a gossip.

Boys, help me out!

For God's sake, Tommy!
You're so dirty!

Bring me some brush from the woods!

Who're you?

Where are you from?

Did you get lost?

What's your name?

Tommy.

Mine's Rose.

Come closer and take a look.

Come on.

See?

He used to be a prince.

I kissed him
and he changed into a toad.

Can you change me into a toad?

You're not a prince.

I don't want people to be afraid of me.

I don't want to be different.

That's an angel feather.

It got stuck in the juices of this tree.

Come closer.

I'll tell you a secret...

It'll be protecting you.

I want to go home.

Come...

You have to go further by yourself...

Go.

I drained you some soup.

I thoughty wolves ate you.

I got lost.

I was scared...

Be more courageous!

Life's not easy!
Cowards lose with it.

For example, your brother.

I'm afraid of Cannibals, living
in the forest...

He's afraid of Cannibals, darkness!

You'd better be afraid of a harsh winter...

...or poor harvests.

Worry about the war,
and don't think about stupidities!

Cannibals do not exist!

I don't want people to be afraid of me.

I don't want to be different.

Boys!

Bread's ready!

Let the heaven
be generous for us.

If everything goes well, we'll make it
before the end of the Winter.

Let the children go!

No, Pierrot!

Everybody out!

Mum!

I'm begging you!

No, everything but not grain!

We'll die without it!

We're just peasants.

Grain is all we have!

Leave me alone!
When I eat, I win.

Woman, it's war!

Get off me!
I want to conquer the castle of your master!

And nothing will stop me from achieving that!

Come here!

- You don't have the right!
- Save the children!

We've taken all the food.

Didn't you leave anything?

We've still got to catch the pig!

Why do I have such an army?!
Off!

Have mercy!

Leave some food.

Didn't you understand what I have told you?

We won't leave you but a seed.

We'll take away your chicken, farm, and life!

Get off me!

Set a fire in here,
and throw them into it!

I'm begging you!

Let children go!

Burning children...
I guess it's too cruel...

What are you talking about?

I said that just to relax a little bit.

The enemy's coming!

Take the food and get on horses!

Quick!

No!

They forgot about a sack of oat!

Children, go and hide yourselves!

Quick, out!
Tommy!

Hurry up! Leave!
Run and hide yourselves!

We're the deputies of your master.
It's war.

There were robbers here before you!

They took everything!
And left us with nothing!

- Keep quiet, peasant!
- Stand back!

"A war has been declared with the army of North.

Messengers still haven't informed the Queen.

In order to let master and his army defend
the castle,

...the food of all sorts
will be confiscated."

All we're left with is a sack of oat...

Take the sack!

A war tribute!

Rosey!

Rose! Can you hear me?

We're peasants.

We've nothing left to take away,
we've nothing to sow.

We're finished!

We're gonna die.

- The war won't last long.
- What are you talking about?

- War last for a long time!
- Maybe this one won't...

Robbers will rob everything!
It'll be even worse!

Messengers of the master told us,
the Queen had not been informed...

Will she be of any help to us?

The queen is good.
She doesn't want a war!

The queen is not starving!

I don't want to watch my children die!
I already know the taste of starvation!

But you did survive!
We survived!

But I watched my family die!

You must not lose faith!

Tomorrow we'll go
and make our children get lost in the forest.

Where were you?

Outdoors.

I thought I had heard a hen.

I'd be to leave my children?

So that you don't see us dying from
starvation.

Why did robbers attack us?

Why did they do that?

Why?

Because.
Because...

Tommy, hurry up.

We're going to the woods.

For the brushwood.

What for,
if we don't have anything to cook?

Will we be eating wood?

Do you want to die from the cold?

Come on!
We're going for the brushwood.

Off we go!

Jacques, hurry up!

- Father, why're we going that way?
- Because...

...it's more secure.

And here we are.

Let's split up.

Pierrot, Jacques, you'll be collecting
the brushwood over there...

Tommy, Martin...

Joseph!
You'll go that way.

The fog will simplify everything...

I can't do that...

Let's wait a little bit longer.

- Now.
- I can't...

Take a look around.
They're already lost!

Come on!

- I thought it was a bear!
- Where?

Gimme' that, you idiot!

Where are the others?

Here!

Here!

We saw a bear!

And we saw venomous caterpillars.

Shut up, will you?

Where's Tommy?

Tommy!

Tommy!

What about father and mother?

Mommy! Daddy!

Tommy!

We won't find the way.
Wolves're going to devour us.

I know the way.

Let's sing something.

So that we're gonna feel more comfortable.

Something cheerful.

Brave people,
listen to this sad story.

Listen up, brave people...

Listen to this sad story.

About Paolo...

...who was eaten by the wolves...

...and whose bones...

...rot in the mud.

Damn, I hate peasants!

Constable! That's the farm they haven't burnt down!

If I'm not mistaken, at the farm...

...which stands between the forest and the river...

...there lives a family with 5 children.

Here you go!
Shining 10 silvers!

Damned Queen!
She gives alms to the poor!

What do they want?

Damn it!

Here you go!

Damn!

Wolves must have already eaten our children.

And that's how God punishes us.

We're home!

Children...

Mother! Father!

Next day father let us play by the river
for the whole day.

Those days, workless times were a real
rarity!

Father went out to look for food with mother.

Even with 5 thalers in the pocket...

...it wasn't easy to find something to eat.

That was a wonderful day!

But even more wonderful were our parents...

...returning home with a...

...ham in their hands!

Hands off!
Martin, Jacques, Tommy!

We'll hide that ham really good!

We haven't had such a feast
for a very long time!

Trust me, the best way to sleep
is to sleep with a full stomach.

But nothing lasts forever.

As battles went on and on...

...our decent food supplies
were running out.

The knight with an iron leg
took over the region.

And we were starving once again.

There's nothing more left.

I had to mix some sawdusts with the
remnants of the flour...

Tommy, stop that!

Children, go to sleep.

Finish eating the bread in your room.

Good night, mother.
Good night, father.

Good night.

I know what you're thinking about.

We've got no other choice.

Tomorrow we'll go back to the forest.

Now, let's go to sleep.

Let God forgive us.

Off we go!

Where do you think you're going?

We're going to gather some wood...

You are not allowed
to leave your houses.

You could be sentenced for...

...giving supplies of Master to the enemy.
- We've got to have something to stoke.

Take that lamp.
The sky's becoming cloudier and cloudier.

May God watch over you!

The enemy hides in the woods!

Pierrot...

Joseph...

You'll go gather the brushwood over there.

Let's leave.

Where are parents?

We got lost!

Tommy, lead us home!

Birds ate all the crumbs...

So which way shall we go?

I don't know...

It's your fault!
Tommy is responsible for that!

We're all gonna die because of you!

Tell us, which way should we go!

I've heard some sort of a noise!

- Maybe it was a donkey...
- Shut up.

It was not a donkey.

Wolves!

Mommy!

Get on the trees!

Joseph, run!

Martin, don't leave me!

Tommy, help me!

Don't move!

I hope I'll go to heaven...

I didn't do anything bad!

This way!

This way!

- Where's Joseph?
- They got him!

Joseph!

Joseph!

Martin!

Let me go!

- This way, hurry up!
- Make it quick!

- Hurry up!
- Faster! Get on the tree!

I see a fire! Over there!

Wolves are afraid of fire...

I'd rather wither on this branch...

- I don't feel very well...
- We've got to run to where the fire is!

I won't make it...
I've got a headache!

To the fire!

Knight with the iron leg...

I was patient!
I accepted all humiliations!

All the defeats, caused by your master...

...have made me even stronger!

Everything I touch shall burn!
I'll burn your crops!

I'll kill you!
I neither know mercy!

...nor conscience, nor peace!

I'll pull out your hearts
and throw them into the abyss of the hell!

I'm a war machine!

The biggest knight of the world!

Incarnation of death!

This war is mine, ours!

Burn it, burn it!

Kill 'em all!

The castle of Master is close.

It's ours, brothers.

Don't leave anyone alive!

Noone will find us here!

We're already dead...

The Cannibal...

We've got to get onto the tree.
You can't see anything from it.

Tommy, you're the lightest.
Climb!

- I can see the smoke, coming from the chimney!
- We're saved!

Joseph!

They smell like blood...

We got lost...

Get out of here!
Right now!

- We haven't eaten anything for the past few days.
- That's not an inn.

Death awaits you here.

Wolves will eat us, if we return to the woods!

That's not an usual house...

We're begging you...

We're so tired...

That's a house children should
never visit.

Children!
Wait!

Come in, quick!

Come closter to the fireplace.

I'll prepare something to eat for you.

Are you a witch?

A witch?

God, no!

I'm just... his wife.

Where is your husband?

He's out in the woods.

He went to look for one of our daughters.
She's quite troublesome for us.

The four others sleep upstairs.

I'll hide you here until the morning.

Noone can see you here, nor hear.

It's about your life.

So you aren't a witch?

I don't think so.

Oh my God!

Hide!

He's coming!

Quick!
Into the chest!

Get into the chest!

Silence!

I'm coming!

What's the matter?
Why didn't you open the door?

It's nothing...

I was laying the children to sleep...

I didn't hear you coming, master.

Lay that one to sleep as well!

Rose...

It's the Cannibal!

That girl keeps hiding further and further!

Why is she so different from
her sisters?

No penalties can do.

She's got everything she needs
in here!

Go to sleep.

Since tomorrow morning I'll have you locked...

...in your room!

And you'll become
the real daughter of the Cannibal!

Whether you want it or not!

Go!

Wife!

I'm starving!

That's strange...

What is it?

I smell...

...something.

Something strange.

I guess it's mutton.

No! That smells...

...is subtle...

...unique.

Oh yeah!

The spices!

Those, which you've brought me
from the far-aways, master!

I spiced the soup with them.

That's neither spices, nor mutton!

Nor any other exotic animal! It's...

Maybe it's a rottening
fruit somewhere in the kitchen...

No, it's a subtle smell...

Unusually delicate...

Like a sweet flavour of nuts and
mineral water...

...which leaves a subtle metal after-taste...

- I can't smell anything like that.
- You're wrong!

The sheep's ready!

It'll wait!

I must find out...

...where that smell comes from.

It smells like...

It smells like...

It smells like...

It smells like...

It smells like a young body in here!

What a fragrance!
What a smell!

Someone wants to keep something in dark
in here...

In my own house!

It's a misunderstanding!

I didn't want to hide anything
from you, master!

Who're you taking me for, huh?

Wife, you deserve...

...being roasted with them!

I blamed you!

I blamed you, forgive me, master!

Wife!

Where's my silver cutlass?

In your room, master!

I'm begging you, master,
forgive me my weakness!

Let me just find my silver cutlass,
and fill my stomach!

These are lost children,
don't kill them!

What shall I do,
if not eat them?

You'll eat them, master...
What's that hurry for?

Where's my silver dagger?

You're running too high, master.
You might spice them incorrectly...

It would be such a loss to waste such
a rarity.

They're so skinny...

Last meal would have surely
accented the taste of their bodies.

They can wait one night.

You're right.

Let's feed them
and cook tomorrow!

Wake up the daughters.

Dad's back.

My daughters, my beloved,
my princesses!

My little Canniballists!
Come to daddy, daughters!

To me, my beauties!

Sit beneath the table!

We've got guests today.

- This one is ripe...
- Nah, that one.

No, my daughters!

We shall have a feast tomorrow.

And now, eat! Empty your plates,
my beauties!

We shall eat those boys...

...tomorrow.

Why aren't you eating?

I'm not hungry.

Cannibals are always hungry!

Just take a look at your sisters!

I don't want to be a Cannibal.

What did she say?

She prefers a cream soup, soft...

You're the black sheep of the family!

Go to your room!

And come down...

...when you feel the hunger!

Upstairs!

Fortunately, I've got you...

Eat!

Eat as much as you can!

Eat!

Daughters, it's time to go to sleep.

And you, wife, don't forget to prepare
the meal for tomorrow.

Put them to sleep in a comfortable bed.

So that they will be even more ripe tomorrow.

Go, my beloved.

You can sleep calmly.

I'll wake you up at the dawn,
before my husband wakes up.

Tommy, are you sleeping?

Come.

That's my room.

I knew we'd see each other once again.

I made it myself.
I didn't name it though.

Do you recognize it?

That's you! I've made it
after I met you in the forest.

Take a look.

I gather them in the forest
and store in here.

This one is magical!
It opens, if you touch it.

You can't fall asleep.

Cannibal comes here during the night.

That's him!

Wake up your brothers!

Martin, Cannibal's coming!

Wake up!

Tommy, come back!

He's coming!

Hurry up, come here and hide!

Stop that!

Tommy...

Lay the dolls!

Why should I postpone it until tomorrow,
what can I do...

Now!

Crowns! Damn...

I'd nearly have killed all my daughters.

That wine really made me fly away.

These are the caps of those boys.

Those soft bodies...

Let's get down to work!

It's morning,
and I'm hungry as I've never been before.

Wife!
Prepare those boys!

Oh God, he's already awake.

Kids! Cannibal...

No!

My daughters!

Did I kill my own daughters?

Cursed boys!

Goddamn them!

Vengeance!

Vengeance!

No! I'm begging you, master, stay here!

Stay here!

I've got seven-mile shoes.

You can run...

...but you can't hide!

Nothing will bring our daughters back!

Don't leave, master!
Stay with me!

Don't leave me...

It's pulling me!

Help me! Tommy!

Pierrot!

My legs!

Help me, quick!

I'm gonna die!

Pierrot...

Help me!

- We'll have to climb!
- Oh no!

Calm down.
Just don't look down!

Tommy!

- I'm gonna fall down!
- Martin, catch my hand!

I can't take it anymore!

The Cannibal...

The Cannibal...

Get in here! Quick!

Those shoes are so tiresome.
I've got to sit for a second.

We're gonna die...

We will all end up as skeletons!

The Cannibal won't get us without
his seven-mile shoes.

We've to take them off him, and
throw them into the canyon!

Let's send Tommy!

Tommy is brave, but
I should do that.

It's no use.
I'm too big.

I'll do it.

Quick!

Get out!

Tommy, hurry up!

I'll join you in a moment!

What are you doing there with my shoes?
They're mine!

Who do you think you are?
I'm the Cannibal from the forest!

You have nothing to worry about.

All I want to do...

...is to...

...eat you!

Hey, little one!

Little one!

Come here!

Little one...

Come closer, little one...

Come and take a look...

Here...

I've got a letter...

Take it...

It's a message...

It's a message for the Queen...

After Queen receives it...

...she'll know how to end the war.

The Queen must receive this message
before the night!

Go!

You're a brave boy...

Go!

And hurry!

Run fast!

Your Majesty can't
wait any longer!

Please let me send
my troops!

Your Majesty must make up your mind
quickly!

- You like war...
- Excuse me?

It's in your nature.

Your Majesty, it's only cannons
that can save this kingdom now!

And bring even more death and
unhappiness...

I don't want to see this country
getting flooded with fire and blood.

It's high-time we introduced peace to this
realm and rebuilt the country.

But not with tears.

The future is not in your hands.

They're shooting us with children!

They're shooting us with children!

- It's a trap!
- The Queen will tell us what to do!

Let me go!

We escaped from the wolves!

I killed the Cannibal!

I've got a message for Queen!

And I knew Joanna d'Arc!
Send him to Queen!

What is going on?

They're shooting us with children!
I've never seen something like that before.

This child is said to carry a message
for Your Majesty.

Show it to me.

War won't last long!

What's your name?

Tommy.

That's a nice name.

This country hasn't heard a better
information than the one, you brought me for a long time.

Don't ask me what kind of information
that important letter contained. I don't know.

I was a child, and children are not
told about secrets.

This letter...

...must reach all the garrisons as soon
as possible.

And that's how the war ended, thanks to
a small sheet of paper.

One single letter proved to be enough
to end the time of hunger and fear.

My boy, you're too young to become a knight...

...but I'm sure you'll be
a wonderful messener!

An honour messenger!

I announce you
the first messenger of the Kingdom!

Our custom obliges us to
fulfill one of your wishes.

Of course, if it will be in our
might.

Think it over.

I'd like to see my brothers.

My family.

Here they come!

Long live Tommy Thumb!

Since then, I've lived during many wars.

As a messenger, I have been doing everything
I could, not to let them happen.

I was trespassing the countries,
I made them reconcile, I helped people.

Time was passing quite fast.

Everybody grew up, then
we became older.

Wonderful life have we had.
It's not that it was always easy...

...but that's the way the life goes on.

Joseph became a beekeeper.

His honey was so delicious, that
it became famous all over the region...

...as a honey of the best beekeeper.

Jacques and Martin stayed
at the farm.

Seasons of the year declared
their life rhythm.

In a proper time,
they gave the responsibility to their children.

Pierrot became the captain of a ship.
He has encircled the globe for many times.

And he spent his senility on an
archipelago, far away from here.

But, to tell the truth,
I never forgot the journey to the forest.

At the harsh moments of life...

...that reminiscence always made me
feel better.

Like the angel's feather
I'm still carrying on my neck.

Have fun, children!
Believe in yourselves!

Respect other people,
appreciate the advantages of them being different.

Okay, but that's enough. I don't want
you to point out my childishness!

And, for the end, I've got a riddle for you.

Do you know whom I've married?

[English subtitles: TML Group]