Merry-Go-Round (1980) - full transcript

Good afternoon, Sofitel.

Excuse me. I've been told that
you're waiting for Elisabeth Hoffman.

Yes. I have an appointment with her.

I have an appointment with her, too.

Oh, right.

Do you know where she is?

No. I've just arrived.

My name is...

Benjamin Phillips.

If you'd like to follow me, sir.

Excuse me.



- Sir...
- Thank you.

Miss...

Elisabeth...

Elisabeth...

You call me,
you need me, then you're not here.

Elisabeth...

You call me,
you need me, then you're not here.

What's going on?

I'm sorry, I've locked myself out.

Would you mind opening it?

- There you go.
- Thank you.

I followed...

Hello, Bar Français. Good evening.

Good evening, madam.



A vodka? Yes

Which room are you in, madam?

723?
Very good, madam. I'll bring it right up.

723.

If you don't mind,
I'll drop you off on the corner,

because Rue De l'Abreuvoir
is a cul-de-sac, so I can't go in.

Excuse me, madam.
Have you been here long?

- Fifteen minutes or so.
- Have you seen anyone else?

Yes. There was a lady here,
about ten minutes ago.

- Did you see her leave?
- She went that way.

You can't get anywhere that way,
except to the old train station.

DAVID HOFFMAN'S SHOCKING
DEATH: PLANE EXPLODES MID-AIR

I know that address.

- There they are. We'll continue this later.
- All right, then.

Léo...

my darling girl.

You haven't changed at all.
Still as beautiful as ever.

I thought you'd sold the house.

Yes, I did. They're here.

They're just doing the inventory.

I know that it's a bit sad.
Can you understand...?

Keeping it on would've been
too much trouble.

- I'm never here.
- What's that?

I'll explain that later.

- I'm never here.
- Yes, I know.

Just three days a month

and you're never around either.

Did you know that...?

Do you remember all the things
we did here?

Do you?

Mum's room...

I hope they don't destroy it all.

Do you remember?
When lightning struck that tree?

No.

I remember nothing at all.

Basically, I don't give a fuck.

You're right. It's all a load of bullshit.

Let them cut all these trees
and turn them into newspaper!

Then they'll just build a motorway.

You know, I sold the house for very little.

Just so I could stop
thinking about the past.

My shitty past.

It's strange...
I don't feel a thing.

- It's still sad, though.
- Why did you ask me to come here?

Uh...? Come on, tell me!

Are you going to tell me?

It's a surprise, my darling girl.

Miss Hoffman. Sorry to interrupt.

We need you for a moment.

Be quiet. The patient is sleeping.

Now that he's occupied,
I can speak to you.

Why ask him here,
if you're afraid of him?

It's not that.

It's not him I'm afraid of.

If I asked him here,
it's because I need his help. And yours.

But I need to talk to you first.

Léo...

You must swear
that you won't abandon me.

What's more,
this doesn't just concern me...

- He's not dead.
- What? Are you mad?

Perhaps...

Perhaps I'm completely mistaken.

I almost wish I was.

Look, I'll be going upstairs
in a couple of minutes.

- Is he up there?
- No, he's not up there.

Upstairs...there is someone...

who claims to have seen him,
claims to know him...

- I'll come with you.
- No. You must stay here.

- I'm going, too.
- No. Listen, I've never seen this guy.

He contacted me two months ago.

He'll split the loot in two.
He's unaware that you exist.

- You're blackmailing David, then?
- Listen, it's not about the money.

What I want is for that bastard to pay
for everything he did to us.

- Do you understand?
- No. Get lost. Forget it.

We'll soon know everything.
Don't worry.

Miss Léopoldine.
It's a pleasure to meet you.

Your sister has told me
so much about you.

We have many plans for the house.
Let me introduce you to Mr Sampieri.

His ideas are charming and delightful.

If you'll excuse me...

Just this way...

- Who are you?
- I advise the new owner.

And this is Mr Sampieri,
the renowned Roman decorator.

As I said, Mr Sampieri
is not short of ideas for this house.

Especially for this fireplace,
if I'm not mistaken, Mr Sampieri.

Yes. The house is fine,
but we must make a few changes to...

You know, the fireplace, mouldings,
little things like that...

- Yes. You want to remove them?
- Yes.

- And what about the furnishings?
- They'll all be replaced.

- And the Corot?
- It's all going.

All that's going and...
Oh, you'll like this...

We're going to..

take these old planks off
and cover the floor in shiny plastic.

- Well, I'll leave you to it.
- Lots of reflecting surfaces...

And what about the curtains?

Well, for now, I'm thinking,
definitely, the curtains...

- But, more than anything, the floor.
- Yes, the floor, the floorboards...

- We'll put down concrete.
- We'll have to remove the floorboards.

- And, you. What part are you playing?
- I'm not playing a part.

No? No role?

I'm just here to help you out.

Léo! Help!

Léo!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Would you let me know when
the guests in room five wake up?

- Certainly.
- Thank you.

- What can I get you, sir?
- A cognac, please.

Yes, of course.

I'm afraid I need to place another call.

Could you give me the line again?

- Thank you
- There you go.

Yes, yes.

Yes, as I said, I shall pass it on
to the lawyer, Ms Novick.

In any event, we're in touch.

I will call you back.

- Hello.
- Hello. I'm Ms Novick, the lawyer.

- Are you the one who called me?
- Yes.

Léopoldine Hoffman.

Léo.

You don't remember me,
but I remember you.

- Hello.
- Hello.

Come and sit here, Léo.

- This is my secretary.
- Hello.

Please...

Well, then?

I called you because Elisabeth
asked me to call you...

...if I didn't hear from her,

after a very important appointment
she had last night.

I did not hear any news last night,

which is why I've asked you to come,

and Léo, too,

because she has
given me an envelope for Léo.

- An envelope for Léo?
- Yes.

But she wanted you to be present...

...when it was delivered.

This is Elisabeth's envelope.

Do you know what this is?

It's a safety-deposit key.

Elisabeth hasn't disappeared.

She was kidnapped.

I found this at the house last night.

She disappeared at home?
From home?

Do you know what this is?
It's for people who are asthmatic.

- Was your father asthmatic?
- Yes.

He kidnapped her
because she wants his money.

So, he's not dead, then?

No. She told me that
just before she was taken.

What's this?

I received a postcard just like this
three years ago.

I can't see a thing. Read it out.

"'Rousselle the bailiff has three houses
with neither beams nor rafters,

"which provide lodging for swallows.

"What do you make
of Rousselle the bailiff?"

That's true.

If this key has something to do
with the four million dollars...

Oh, I don't know...

You'd need to know which bank it was,

the combination to the safe...

- Didn't Elisabeth tell you anything?
- No.

But...

When Elisabeth gave me the envelope,

she said, "I need Léo".

As if...

you were the only one...

who could save her.

But...Léo...

When I received the same postcard,
it didn't have this red cross on it.

Elisabeth put it there.

When you were a kid,
did you have three houses?

Yes.

There are still two.

Two houses.

This is typical of him.

Throwing a message
in a bottle into the sea.

And then punishing those
who've deciphered it.

Arms trafficking and international money
laundering were rather amusing to him.

When he went bankrupt,
he said to me...

"You know, Renée, I'm like a child".

Yes, a child that might be
killing my sister.

"Rousselle the bailiff has three houses,
Rousselle the bailiff...

"has three outfits...

"Rousselle the bailiff
has three deniers..."

The key...

the address, the number.

The address...
I may be able to find.

But it's up to you to find the number.

At both houses?

Be careful, Léo.

- I'd like my secretary to go with you.
- What for?

I'm going with Ben.
Ben and Elisabeth.

That'll do.

Jérôme, show Ben
how to operate the motorcycle.

Watch...

- Good luck, Léo.
- Thank you.

- We've been fooled.
- What did you say?

Sardines. I feel sick!

Diabetes.

- Hello.
- How are you?

All in all, pretty shitty.
Any news from Elisabeth?

No.

But I have an idea about her...

Don't you worry.
I'm working on it.

You wouldn't have a spare cigarette,
would you? Because I...

Thank you

Well?

Regarding Elisabeth...

I have opened a case...

cause it's been two years, now,
since he disappeared.

Here's what I've found out.

This is...

the account of what happened...

...in the two or three months
leading up to his disappearance.

Here, we have all the information
taken from the international press.

American press, French, and so on.

Not much we didn't already know.

But there is something else I found...

You can take a look, if you like.

This is interesting.

The last photograph of David Hoffman,

in the company of a close friend.

Take a look.

- Shirley?
- Shirley.

She's Ben's sister.

Shirley?

Ben's sister?

I have my doubts, though...

Ben's gone off to find her.

So, they're all in it together.

Elisabeth, Ben, Shirley...

Ben, Shirley, and David, in any case.

Elisabeth I'm not so sure about.

She's just disappeared
and we know nothing.

It's possible.

Will you help me?

- For Elisabeth's sake.
- Yes. Can you do something?

Yes, of course.

There's someone I must contact.

I know who it is...

But before I start,
there's something I must ask you, Léo.

- Do you trust me?
- Look, I don't have any money...

It's not that...

Léo...

Do you really trust me?

Oh, well. Too bad.

My things are at the hotel.

I'll send a driver to get them.

I've noticed something...

Your hands are exactly
like your father's.

Right...

Let's go.

Sorry. I'm a bit behind schedule.

Oh, good. Number 24.

Ms Novick was indisposed

and asked me to assist you.

Who told you that Elisabeth is here?

We received
an anonymous telephone call.

The voice, a woman's, was disguised.
It said,

"She's being held at
24 Rue Saint-Marc".

But don't worry...

I'm prepared,
in case there are any problems.

Eli?

She's here.

Wait...for...me.

All right.

Stop!

That's it. Hold her down, Miss Hoffman.

Ah, it opens the other way round.

Are you all right?

When I entered the room,

there was a man,

seated behind a desk, alone.

He kept staring at me.

I got closer...

and then I sat in front of him.

We never spoke.

Just then, Shirley came in.

Because Shirley...

It was her who organised it all, actually.

Because when I...

had my suspicions,
I spoke to her about it.

She had...

A little later on, she called me,

then I lent her the house and...

And then...

back inside the room...

He started to speak.

His voice was muffled.
It was very strange.

I couldn't understand what he was saying.

It was unintelligible.

And then...

Then we both looked at his hands,

which he'd rested on the desk.

Then he was going like this...

- You know?
- David.

Yes.

So, then...

I just looked at him

and...

he gave me this mocking smile.

Then he said,

"My darling girl".

I was just like Father's voice.

I recognised it at once.

But the face was different.
You see?

I was afraid.

I wanted to call out, to scream...

But someone covered my mouth
with their hands.

Shirley?

No, I don't think so.
I didn't see Shirley.

Anyway, then...

they dragged me out to the van
and put me in it,

and then they chloroformed me...

and that...knocked me right out.

And, then, I woke up here.
In this strange place.

Now I know what you were on about,
I want revenge, too.

- For yourself?
- No, for us.

- Do you have the number?
- Yes.

Who are you?

My daughter has always had
a taste for strange company.

Have a seat.

I don't know where Elisabeth is.

I don't know where Elisabeth is!

What's going on?

- But I don't know where Elisabeth is.
- Stop it. Stop this charade.

Do come in, miss.

Did you do the
same thing for Mr Hoffman,

when you were his secretary?

Thank you, miss.
It's a pity you're so inept.

- But I thought that for Mr Phillips...
- You're out of line, miss.

Let's not waste any time.

Now, the correspondence...

The police have sent their thanks.

- How much?
- 5,000.

Pass me the map.

I need the geological survey map, miss.

- Now, where are we?
- Sénart.

Sénart...

If you ask me,
the young bride has fled.

What's the betting we find her
with a travelling salesman?

Let's try Chantilly.

We've already tried Chantilly.

Oh, I've tried Chantilly already.

Then let's try...

Ermenonville.

Ermenonville...

Are you feeling better, Elisabeth?

- I'm well.
- We could take the car.

- Is it in Lucerne, the bank?
- Yes, The First National.

But I only realised that after
I got the letter from the bank.

We need the real key now.

So we need to have a meeting.

Jérôme...

Come on...

Jérôme?

So...has everything worked out?

The bank's address.

So, our dear Elisabeth has
stopped playing her part, then?

Exactly.

Once I get away from them...
Let there be blood.

Rendezvous as planned.

- Where's the house?
- On the edge of the golf course.

But we're to meet on the course.

I'm worried that Shirley might be followed.

Here we're better placed
to see who's coming.

See? It's that house over there.

Ms Novick would like you to wait here.
She'll be along any minute.

Right. I'll be back shortly.

- Why here?
- Because this is the meeting place.

It's an open space,
so we can't be taken by surprise.

All we can do now
is wait for Shirley.

We're early.

- What is it?
- Was that Shirley on the phone?

Yes, I'm sure it was.
I recognised her voice.

- Did she sound normal?
- Actually, I got the impression...

that she was somewhat uncomfortable,
as if she wasn't alone.

There's Shirley. I'll be off, then.
I'll wait inside.

Relax, young man. Relax.

Would you like to know
what our friend is doing outside?

There's no need to go out.
I'll tell you.

Yes, I'll tell you.

I see.

Green.

Green.

A figure moving away from us.

Shirley.

There's another figure...

A dark one...

She's coming towards us...

Their paths are going to cross...

They hesitate.

They exchange looks.

And in that look
I can see everything.

There's the key.

They've crossed paths.

Shirley joins a party...

Three people?

Two people.

Blue...

...white.

White-beige...

Three people.

Someone approaches.
Another woman.

She's here.

You must be the lawyer, Ms Novick.
Julius Danvers.

So sorry to have kept you.

I can see...

Shirley has stopped.

The figure in white...

approaches her.

She speaks...

"Now I have what we were missing..."

Be careful. She's a bitch.

I'll explain everything.
There's nothing to be afraid of.

Well?

Now I have what we were missing.

So we're ready to go, then?

- With the real key?
- Yes.

I think I might even have
the real number.

Are you sure?

Good. We're all set.

Where's the meeting taking place?

Lucerne. Day after tomorrow.
Two in the afternoon. At the airport.

But first...
I want her to know everything.

That's all right.
We have plenty of time.

I can't hear them properly...

Wait!

A man.

At the back. All in black.
He's hiding. In his hands he has...

I'm sorry about all this drama, but it was
necessary for you to come after me.

You lied to me, too.

I was doing it for you, too.

It's David, isn't it? Where is he?

I have not seen anyone!

I can no longer see anything.

I can no longer see anything.

Something's up.

- Something's up!
- Calm down.

Something's up!

I'm not David Hoffman!

I'm not...

your father.

You're screwed.

Are you listening to me, Léo?

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time...

...David Hoffman and I...

I think you know what I mean...

He was so strong, your father...

All Shirley cared about was the money!

As for me...

All I cared about was you two.

The Hoffman girls.

And now...

I've killed Elisabeth.

And you, Léo...

What have you done?

Léo, can you hear me?

What have you done?

Stop calling for David! Stop it!

Stop it, Léo.