Europa (1991) - full transcript

An American of German descent arrives in post-war Germany 1945. His uncle gets him a job on the Zentropa train line as a sleeping car conductor. The American's wish is to be neutral to the ongoing purges of loyalists by the Allied forces and do what he can to help a hurting country, but he finds himself being used by both the Americans and the influential family that owns the railroad. After falling in love with the railroad magnate's daughter, he finds that he can't remain neutral and must make some difficult choices.

You will now
listen to my voice.

My voice will help you and guide
you still deeper into Europa.

Every time you hear my
voice, with every word

and every number, you will
enter a still deep layer,

open, relaxed, and receptive.

I shall now count from 1 to 10.

On the count of 10,
you will be in Europa.

I say one.

And as you focus your
attention entirely on my voice,

you will slowly begin to relax.

Two.



Your hands and your fingers
are getting warmer and heavier.

Three.

The warmth is spreading
through your arms,

to your shoulders and your neck.

Four.

Your feet and your
legs get heavier.

Five.

The warmth is spreading
to the whole of your body.

On six, I want you to go deeper.

I say six.

And the whole of
your relaxed body

is slowly beginning to sink.

Seven.

You go deeper, deeper, deeper.



Eight.

On every breath you
take you, go deeper.

Nine.

You are floating.

On the mental count of
10, you will be in Europa.

Be there at 10.

I say 10.

You are listening to the
noise of rain beating

against a large metal drum.

Go closer.

There's a fence and
you have to stop.

You are walking
across the rail yard,

and you've been
traveling by train

from Bremerhaven, and before
that, on a ship from New York.

You are in Germany.

The year is 1945.

I'm your uncle.

You may embrace me.

I have received this
letter from your father.

He has the nerve to ask
me to find you a job.

My father asked me to give you...

I do not wish to know
anything about my brother.

He left our fatherland
at a difficult time.

For that, I'll
never forgive him.

Family bonds are intolerable.

Well, also I'd probably
regret my kindness dearly.

Due to my position, I succeeded
to get you a job in Zentropa.

Huh.

Whatever reason you have
to apply for this job

and why you are here at all,
it's of no interest to me.

Uncle, I truly...

Zentropa will give no guarantee

that only new material will
be used for your uniform.

Your uniform will be
delivered within 12 hours.

Remember that the uniform has
to be changed twice a year.

The uniform is the
property of the company,

but paid by the employee.

Give me your wallet, please.

Thanks.

Your wallet.

The German citizens
you will meet

will only give the
impression of friendliness.

But never for a moment believe
that it's anything but trying

to gain something from you.

All Germans will hate you.

And in my opinion, they
are right in doing so.

We... we are all living at
the mercy of the Americans.

The military authorities have
tied Zentropa hand and foot.

Your fellow countrymen treat
Europeans without much respect.

What are you doing?

Do you want to
wake the sleeping?

All these people work at night
and they need their sleep.

I just wanted to get a look at...

You are in
Germany, just after the war.

You are cold.

You are covering
yourself with the clothes

you have in your suitcase.

You have to start your training
as a sleeping car conductor.

When you have rested, you will
be on your way to your new job.

Get up.

Get up and be on your way.

Then we'll return to here.

Now, we shall
receive our papers.

I think I understand
unemployment in Germany

much better now.

People just can't
afford to work here.

This is for railway
personnel only.

Stay back.

Come in.

Please sir, Sleeping Car
Conductor, the rails to Berlin

is our best section.

When I was in America,
I was fortunate enough

to meet Mrs. George Pullman.

She gave me this bonbondose
that Mr. Pullman himself

used to carry in his pocket.

Take two.

And crush them, as is the
custom in your country.

First only.

No.

No.

First class.

Sir.

Sir.

Have you got no decency at all?

The shades must be
down now, Kessler.

Please, listen Herr Kessler.

Things will be quiet for awhile.

I'll retire now.

If you would be so kind as
to keep an eye on everything.

I'll entrust you the passkey.

I'm in the kitchen
if you need me.

And keep in mind
that the management's

private compartment
has been taken, hmm.

Entre.

Sorry to disturb you, uncle.

I need some help.

Uncle?

Uncle?

Your German is not bad
at all, Herr Kessler.

Please continue.

I took the liberty of getting
a bit of information about you.

My name is Katharina Hartmann.

As you may know, my
family owns Zentropa.

You've chosen an unusual
time to come to Germany.

An American in a civilian job
is a rare sight these days.

Please excuse my curiosity.

But what are you doing here?

I'm a sleeping car conductor.

I'm just trying
to understand why

a young American
wants to play tourist

in these sad surroundings.

I understand you
refused to be a soldier?

I had to come here.

Why?

I believe my taking
on a job as a civilian

here is a small
contribution to making

the world a better place.

It's time someone showed this
country a little kindness.

Are you laughing at me?

No.

I'm smiling.

Because what you say seems to
come from a place far away.

What's this?

Partisans.

Executed by your
countrymen, I believe.

I thought the war was over.

There are those who try
to fight a lost battle.

Will that be all?

No.

Please stay.

Please sit here.

We are approaching a tunnel.

It's ridiculous.

I've been on trains all my life.

But I'm so frightened
of tunnels.

Could I persuade you to stay
until we've passed through?

Once the electric
light went out.

Give us a hand!

I must have fallen asleep.

It's very embarrassing.

You see, normally I have
problems falling asleep.

But when I hear the sound
of the wheels on the tracks

I become drowsy.

And now and then, I fall
asleep for a moment or two.

And when I wake
up, I'm ice cold.

It's frightening.

And then there's the feeling
that I don't know in which

direction the train is moving.

I don't know if we're going
forwards or backwards.

Or what I thought was forward,
has suddenly become backward.

Know I mean?

My dear uncle,
what's happened seems

to me to be a simple switch.

You lost track of
things for a moment.

And in the meantime, the
train has just turned around.

You see, it's easily explained.

You have traveled
through the German night.

You have met the German girl.

On the street above,
it is daylight.

But as you go on with
your job in car 2306,

there is little to see.

Go deeper.

On the count of three,
there will be a message

for you of great importance.

One.

Two.

Three.

This invitation,
it came by messenger.

I don't know.

But you have been invited to
dinner at 7:00 PM at the home

of the Hartmann family.

You are already late.

Naturally, I'll accompany you.

An invitation like
this is a great honor.

I demand that you
behave correctly.

It's of the utmost importance.

The Hartmann family
founded Zentropa in 1912.

Are you a Catholic, Mr. Kessler?

The enemy believes
as much in his cause.

Come.

I really admire the Americans.

Mr. Kessler, did you know
that manufacturers in Germany

were owned by Americans
during the war?

The Pater is praying for
Mariakirche in Westhafen, that

the explosions may not harm it.

May I call you Leopold?

Of course, sir.

I'm afraid there's one of your
fellow Americans at the door.

Come in, Alex.

Welcome, Alex.

Max, you must fill
in this questionnaire.

May I introduce you to
one of your countrymen,

who has just been
employed in our company?

Mr. Leopold Kessler,
Herr Alexander Harris.

How do you do.

In fact, it's actually
Leo I came to meet.

I understand you're
of German descent.

I'd be the last one
to blame you for that.

You meet so many sensible
Germans these days.

Coffee, Alex?

Oh, no, no, later.

I've got some
information on you.

I know about your AWOL.

I've come to ask you
to do us a small favor.

What's that?

Well, your job with the railways

could be an advantage to us.

I don't know what you've
heard about the Werewolves.

But you should know that
sabotage is still going on,

as well as
liquidations of Germans

who cooperate with the Allies.

All I'm asking you to do is
to keep an eye open for us

and report back to us.

Here, I brought you this.

Ah, excuse me, sir.

But I can't except a gun.

Why not?

Well, if I wanted
to carry a weapon

I would have come here earlier.

Oh.

I wouldn't make a move in
this country without a weapon.

OK, it's a deal.

You keep your eyes
on the Nazis for me.

I'll go and have
that coffee with Max.

Colonel Harris, my
father apologizes.

But he cannot bid you
goodnight in person.

He is indisposed.

Hm.

Just see to it, Larry,
that your father

fills out that questionnaire.

I've made arrangements
for someone to come

and verify it on Friday.

Father is taking his bath.

He's always retiring to
his bath when he's upset.

The Colonel is
forcing him to fill

out this stupid questionnaire.

So what's it all about?

They ask you about your
relation with the Nazi party.

And father has to have a
perfectly clean record if he

wants to retain his position.

And the Colonel knows
that father will

have to lie to keep Zentropa.

There's one thing I
want to confess to you.

I fooled you a little the
other day when I pretended

that the tunnel frightened me.

It was the sight of
these hanged people

that touched me so deeply.

After all, they were only
fighting for their country,

like most of the
world has been doing.

And suddenly it's a crime.

You have
left the house.

Behind you is the German family.

You see before you
the questionnaire

that is designed to test
the guilt of the country.

Friday, you will be back.

The children are with me.

OK.

Compartment 13 has
ordered a bottle of sekt.

The name is Ravenstein.

By the way, no guests on duty.

I'll see to it that
a fine of seven mark

is deducted from your salary.

Leo, help me.

These people will kill me.

What's going on here?

We have dismantling orders for
all the heaters on this train.

But it's freezing outside.

War debts for Scandinavia.

Take it easy, old man.

I don't have to accept this.

We got to distribute
all the blankets

we have to the passengers.

We'll get the children to help.

A security check
before the zone crossing.

Can we see the passenger list?

Sure.

Here we are.

You got the newly-appointed
mayor of Ravenstein

and wife in 13.

Thank you.

A security check
before the zone crossing.

Security check before
the zone crossing.

This paper's expired.

Do you have another
piece of paper?

You can't cross
the zone with this.

This guy's ID is no good.

No!

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

You are at a party.

Leo.

I heard about that
little episode.

I understand you
handled it very well.

I didn't do anything.

That's just it.

We'd have a lot less problems
if everyone behaved like you.

By the way, we've already
appointed a new mayor.

The children were
turned over to me

by this man, a man who
claimed to be a friend

of the Hartmann family.

Yeah, yeah.

They're not stupid,
those Werewolves.

Listen, I can hardly
recognize Max.

He's been staring out that
window for more than an hour,

waiting for the 9:15 to come in.

It's pathetic.

The form must be verified by
somebody from the Resistance

or by a Jew.

Max, you have to turn around.

We handed out 13
million questionnaires

and found that 80% of
the Germans in our zone

have Nazi sympathies.

Max Hartmann is important
for the reconstruction

of the transportation system.

I admit I made a little private
arrangement with that Jew.

He broke into an
American food depot.

And he's quite thankful that
I got him out of trouble.

Shh.

Come, let's get out of here.

What?

Father has given Larry this
train for one of his birthdays.

Larry never touched it.

It was quite rude.

That thing with the
questionnaire, it was a farce.

Colonel Harris forced
the Jew to sign.

I know.

I could see that
father had never

seen this ugly man before.

I'm sorry that father had
to go through such a farce.

You're so good
and understanding.

I find that a little provoking.

Allow me to test your
tolerance, Mr. Kessler.

Or more correctly,
I was a Werewolf.

So now you know.

I have no doubt that my
secret is safe with you.

I was foolish enough to get
involved with these people.

I realized right away that
it was a terrible mistake.

But to get out was not easy.

Maybe it was just
to spite father.

I've been very lonely
with this secret.

But it's all over now.

I've broken with them forever.

But I had to tell you.

Don't you understand?

Mr. Kessler, you once
said to me the time

had come to show a little
kindness towards Germany.

Now, Mr. Kessler, I ask
you to prove your open mind

and show a little
kindness to me.

Checkmate.

Again.

Again?

You know, we've played chess
about 15 times together

and I've beaten you every time.

Doesn't that bother you, Father?

Hm.

You know, sometimes it's
very difficult for me

to understand Germany.

We've bombed you to pieces.

And yet you all behave as if
there never was any war at all.

Max Hartmann and I have
been very close friends.

And now, I risk
everything, including

court-martial, just to help him
keep his position in Zentropa.

Do you think he
knows about this?

Frankly, I don't think he cares.

Damn you, Max.

Get out of that
bathroom and talk to me.

Max, you can't
treat me like this.

Open that door and
face reality for once.

Come on, Colonel Harris.

He can't do that to me.

Papa.

Papa.

Papa!

Mr. Hartmann!

Mr. Hartmann!

Of course, I don't know what
happened upstairs this evening.

But from the way that the
kitchen personnel reacted,

it wasn't very pleasant.

I'm inclined to believe that
my nephew bears a large part

of the responsibility.

Actually, I've taken
a rather substantial

risk in getting you this job.

My reputation is at stake.

And all this at a
time when the letter

we've been waiting for so
long has finally arrived.

This means that your
application for the examination

has been accepted and is to be
executed in nine or 10 weeks.

As the test is comprehensive,
and the grading particularly

severe, I recommend you to, as
soon as you finish these shoes,

go through the regulations.

Excuse me, Herr
Kessler, but I've

found this pair of Crockett
& Jones outside.

I'm sure that must be
a misunderstanding.

Well, they're polished.

I don't think so.

Where is the chalk mark?

Chalk mark?

Chalk mark!

A chalk mark on the sole is
the passenger's guarantee

that the shoes
have been polished

and that they've been polished
by the conductor of a car.

I can't see how a chalk
mark can be the passenger's

guarantee of anything.

No, no, no.

That you've come here with your
background in American culture,

American way of
thinking, that I ask you,

kindly, kindly, Herr Kessler.

Without humility, you
will not get anywhere.

Besides, we guarantee the
chalk marks also indicate

the traveler's compartment.

Take these shoes, for example.

Where do they belong?

Now, I've lost track of...

Aha, there you are.

And how will you find out?

Well, I could always
ask one of the passengers.

When I return, I want to
see all the shoes marked

with compartment numbers.

And under no circumstances
will I tolerate any disturbance

of the passengers.

You are being
led through the train.

You are led through carriages
you never knew existed.

I'm waiting for an explanation.

This is
the American occupation force.

Law 1067 of the
military government

forbids gatherings
and processions.

Please disperse and go home
or you will be arrested.

Disperse and go home or
you will be arrested.

The ceremony is over.

The coffin is to be turned
over to the occupation forces

for confiscation immediately.

Go back to America, please.

You stay away from her.

Open the door, please.

Please open the door.

You lover her.

She is so strong, and
yet so vulnerable.

I want you to go
forward in time.

Go forward one month in time.

Be there on the count of three.

One.

Two.

Three.

Goodby Herr Kessler
and Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Father.

Priests are a
necessary discomfort.

Marry me, please.

Yes.

It is New
Year's morning, year one.

You are on your
honeymoon in the Hartmann

family's private compartment.

You have been making love.

You have enjoyed the
tenderness of your wife.

But now she's asleep,
and you are alone.

For the first time,
you experience

the fear of being on a
train with no possibility

of getting off, and no idea
of where the journey may end.

Stuttgart, Leipzig, Berlin,
Wiesbaden, Hamm, Hannover,

Hamburg, Frankfort, Duisburg...

What's the matter?

Nothing.

I'm so glad you got
this compartment for us.

I've traveled so
many times in it.

My father showed me all
of Germany from here.

Kat, I know so little
about you and your family.

And yet you know
more than others.

I don't believe your
father could be threatened

to take his own life.

You see, for father,
transport was a sacred word.

The most important thing
for him was that the wheels

kept on rolling.

But they were rolling.

Yeah.

But the war made
father old and strange.

And he saw the whole of
Germany as his model railway,

running around, and round, and
round, and round, and round.

And he wanted to believe
that the cars were

just as empty as toy trains.

But even though he
did his best, it

was not possible to repress
the fact that Zentropa

during the war
transported Jews in cattle

trains to concentration
camps, and American officers

first class afterwards.

In the end, it was all too
absurd, even for father.

But listen, I just...

Shh.

Jesus Christ, what a dump!

The two
of you are moving

into what can be provided
for a newly married couple.

The place is OK with you
because she is there.

And as you go on with your job,
and are back on the tracks,

you'll feel stronger.

One night, there is a
call for you in the middle

of the Berlin/Frankfurt run.

Answer the call in the middle
of the Berlin/Frankfurt run.

Hello.

Hello, Leo.

Kat, is everything all right?

Where are you?

I'm in the villa, in Frankfurt.

What are you doing there?

Can you come over here?

I'll be in Frankfurt
in half an hour.

Are you OK?

We'll talk when you get here.

Kate!

Kate!

Kate!

Kate!

Where's my wife?

Excuse me.

Here you are.

Up you go.

Suitcase, sir.

I've reserved compartment
three for you, Colonel.

Please take a seat and I'll
come to you once we're off.

There is a package for you.

We don't approve of such things.

Come in.

Sit down, Leo.

Now, talk to me.

Well, I...

Excuse me.

I would like a word
with the conductor.

Excuse me.

Sorry about the interruption.

So what is your story?

Remember the
Ravenstein incident?

Germans killing Germans,
that doesn't break my heart.

I met that man again, the Werewolf,
at the Hartmann villa tonight.

Yes.

And...

Excuse me.

Kat, what's going on?

You must place the bomb during
the stop at checkpoint Urmitz!

For Christ sakes, Kat.

The bomb has to go off in
the middle of the bridge,

which is under repair.

The train will go very slowly.

Leo...

I love you.

Kessler, do me a favor.

Stop messing around with me.

What sort of information
do you have for me?

Is it that brown bag that
you wanted me to see?

The situation is a bit more
complicated than I thought.

Kessler, God damn it.

Can't you stay put for a minute?

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

On your way to
the platform, sir?

Excuse me.

Jesus Christ!

Uncle, there's something
I got to tell you.

Where is your cap?

I do not have the
authority to decide

whether this
examination can proceed

without you having your cap.

But I know that if you want to
carry out the job of a sleeping

car conductor with
your head uncovered,

I had no choice but to put
you off the train immediately.

There's something
I got to tell you.

The last thing I desire is
private conversation on duty.

You have
carried out the orders.

Now, relax.

I want you to sink down into the
soft cool grass on the railbed.

Look up.

Look at the stars.

See how the stars resemble
illuminated cities on a map,

or maybe it is the fading
lights of human lives.

But you are here to help
the lights burn brighter,

not to put them out.

At any price, you must
make this good again.

Run for the bomb!

Out of the way!

Out of the way!

Out of the way!

Hold it, boy.

Don't you want your
promotion at all?

There is a high ranking military
officer in number three,

if you didn't know.

He has put in a
complaint about you.

This will be noted in your exam.

It's going to be
difficult for you now.

The exhausting
run has made you sick.

Your clothes
are soaked with sweat.

And you're afraid of fainting.

Your heart is pumping
faster and faster in panic.

Can I have a glass
of water, please.

You cannot breathe.

On the count of
three, you faint.

One.

Two.

Three.

One second of infinite rest.

Kat is sitting
in compartment one,

if you wish to talk to her.

Kat.

Excuse me, Colonel.

There must be some
misunderstanding.

My wife is handcuffed.

I'm afraid there is no
misunderstanding, Leo.

I'm sorry.

I once told you that your
connections with the railways

could be of help for me.

You couldn't know that
it was your association

with the Werewolf
Katherina Hartmann

that really interested us.

We needed your help
to keep track of her

when we found out
that it was Kat

who wrote the anonymous letters
of threat to her father.

Tell the Colonel that
you're not a Werewolf.

Please believe
me when I tell you

that I really cared for you.

What are you saying?

You know, they say a werewolf is

only a werewolf during nights.

In the daytime,
it's a human being.

I know I can't make you
understand what it is

that makes a man
turn into an animal

because you don't accept
that it ever happens.

During nights, I wrote
the letters to father.

During days, I regretted it.

I didn't him to die.

But it hurt me so
much to see him suffer

at the feet of the Americans.

And Larry?

He must have followed me
to the meeting at the villa.

It was him or us.

So our marriage was
just part of a plan

to blow up this train.

No, that's not true.

I really loved you.

You know, there were
times when all I wanted

was for us to leave and
forget about Germany.

But, Leo, it didn't work.

I'm sorry, Leo.

I... I did what I had to do.

But it's your fault too.

The bridge would have
been so easy for you.

Easy?

Nothing could have
happened to you.

And what about all
the people on the train?

What people?

Everybody on this train has been
through the war, just like me.

You can't compare
yourself to us.

Everybody has
killed or betrayed,

directly or indirectly, hundreds
of times, just to survive.

Look into their eyes
and you see what I mean.

Kat, you're talking
about an awful crime.

But the way I see it is that
you are the only criminal.

I haven't done anything.

I'm not working for either side.

Exactly.

I'm sorry to say this.

But I got this rotten feeling
that everyone's been screwing

me ever since I got here.

And that makes me mad.

And now, it's my turn
to say something.

Think it over.

Your problem is not important.

Because I don't want
this train to go to Munich,

Bremen, Frankfurt,
or fucking Auschwitz.

I want it to stay right here!

You'll have to excuse me.

I need some time to think.

Isn't this the Neuwied bridge?

It might be.

There have been some diversions.

Back into your compartments now.

You are in
a train in Germany.

Now, the train is sinking.

You will drown.

On the count of 10,
you will be dead.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

In the morning, the
sleeper has found rest

on the bottom of the river.

The force of the stream
has opened the door

and is leading you on.

Above your body,
people are still alive.

Follow the river.

As days go by, head for the
ocean that mirrors the sky.

You want to wake
up, to free yourself

of the image of Europa.

But it is not possible.