Moscow (2000) - full transcript

The film centres on Mike, a businessman in decidedly the new Russian mould. When Mike gets stung on a deal, his suspicions immediately fall on Lev, who receives the customary torture to make him reveal where the money has gone.

The mink is a wondrous little animal.
Its appearance reminds of a kolinsky or a polecat,

but the body is even more stocky,
the head is flattened, the ears are smaller

and the fur is much thicker.
There are two kinds of minks: The American and the European.

The European mink is smaller than the American.

That's the one living in Russia.

If an American mink is set out in an area inhabited by the European,
it, being the stronger one, will dislodge the European mink.

So that means that our mink is weaker than the American one?

Yes. But the most remarkable thing is when the American
mink tries to mate with our one.

In general, this ends tragically.

What do you mean?

Our mink dies after the coitus.



Hm... meaning the American mink fucks ours to death.

Quite corrent, Irochka.

Crass...

Horrid. The terrible world of animals.

Pity it's not like that with people.

Meaning?

Anyone getting deathfucked by someone.
The Russians by the Americans. The Chinese by the Russians...

The Americans by the Chinese...

I actually prefer cut mink.

And what is this?

And this, you know what this reminds of...

In the 60s, there were these children's toys,
covered with short fur.

You couldn't understand if it stung or if it was fluffy.
A very pleasant feeling.

But don't you like your coat, Mom?



Ah, no, everything's marvelous.

And you, Olen'ka? Are you glad? You like it?

I like it. It's soft.

We still haven't drunk to our coats, let's.

What do you drink to coats?

If you ask me, you drink vodka to anything.

But which vodka? By the way, I haven't once
drunk vodka in your club yet.

See, there's a cause then, let's drink "Absolut".

I want tequila.

Well, maybe to Russian coats,
you rather drink Russian vodka?

Well, tequila then?
Let's drink tequila then.

Serezha! Serezha!

Fuck, can't shout loud enough. Serezha,

we'd like tequila, please.

Maybe vodka after all?

Good. Tequila and vodka. And for Olen'ka.
Olen'ka, what do you want to drink, Sprite or Coca-Cola?

And for Olen'ka, Sprite and Coca-Cola.

And an ashtray.

And an ashtray.
And an ashtray.

Thank God, Serezha.

By the way, Irochka, are you sure the vodka is proper?

Mark, it's like you're not a Russian.

I was taught how to tell an authentic vodka from a counterfeit.

There has to be a stable chain of bubbles.

Like this. I think it's authentic.
- Well, come on, let's drink.

To bride and groom.

Daughter dear. Olya.

A film by Aleksandr Zel'dovich

MOSCOW

Mark, is it okay that we took her with us?

It's marvelous. I was always against
the inpatient treatment.

And the fact she's singing?

It's great that she's singing.

And she sings well.

First snow has fallen.
- Oh - my - God.

So, does it all fit well?

Everything's great. Many thanks.

Okay. Let's go.

Where to?

Olen'ka, we're going to celebrate
Mashen'ka and Mike's engagement.

And where to, to the "Metropol'"?
- No, there's a better restauraunt, "The Silver Age".

- What place is that?
- An excellent restauraunt, the Central Banyas have been turned into it not so long ago.

- Ah, it's a pity... Those were excellent, monetary
prostitutes bathed there.

In that case, will we be given bathing brushes?

What does that..? No, I'm saying the banyas used to be there,
now there's five waiters per person and Vivaldi is playing, come on, let's go!

Mihail Vladimirovich, Lev has called two times already.

So why don't you tell me right away?
Yes?

But we're expecting you tomorrow, right.

You know, it suits you very well.

Mashen'ka, I'm sorry, this is very important, I'll
be back in an hour.

Nothing's being canceled.

Gentlemen!

You're actively ruining my celebration.

Yeah, yeah, right now!

Why did you pay the electricians?

What do you mean why?

How much did you pay them?

You know yourself how much.

How often did I tell you: Don't pay
anyone anything without me.

The measures taken have been crowned unsuccessfully.

Not asking you how your flight was.
- And you're right not doing that.

Soviet champagne...
- Jubilee.

Party-ing!

For which time now?

Fifth.

Shall we drink to it?

Not ticklish?
- You asked once already.

Marriage?

Engagement.

Convenience marriage.

I love her.

And how do you love her? Like this...

...or like this?

Asshole.
- Yeah, yeah, and under cold water.

And the eyes are so sad.

Let's count.

Close it and open again.

Leva, your behavior is wrong.

Your behavior is very wrong!

I repeat... I repeat once again, I've brought what I was given.

Do you think I'm a complete idiot or what?

What those assholes gave me at Ben-Gurion,
that I've brought.

I've brought what I was given.

You think I am an idiot?

Your behavior is wrong.

You used to behave differently, Leva.

Judge for yourself, what the fuck should I screw you over for?!

Understand, Leha, it's my bread, I live off that!

I can't hear you.

What they gave, I've brought!

What have you brought? What the fuck have you -

I've brought whatever I was given!
- What have you brought?!

Whatever I was given that I've brought!

What the fuck have you brought? I can't hear you! Leva!
I - can't - hear you!

What have you - ? I can't hear you. I can't hear you, Leva!
- I've brought whatever I was given!

Hey, are you stupid or what? Giving two
atmospheres?

It's human being, not a tire.

What sort of a country is this?
Fuck.

Mike! Mike.

Mike, come on, what the - is this?

We'd been waiting and waiting, then everyone
crawled apart.

What's the matter with him?

He has stomach problems.

And why?

Germans.

Went with "Lufthansa", ate too much non-kosher stuff.

Where's Masha?

Where's Masha, where's Masha? Whereever is she now.

You want to drink?

Yeah, let's.

You know the saying: "Everything yours I carry with me"?

Where did you pick up that orthodox?

He's not an orthodox. He's a pal.

A jew?

Russian.

Brings me black money.

And why is he dressed like that?

Because it's really difficult to bring through black money.

And why is he dressed like that?

Because he tells at the customshouse he's
bringing money for the needs of the Russian and the Jewish communities.

And why is he dressed like that?

And the soul, like an expensive piano which is locked, and the key is lost.

I've been deceived.

Been stolen 300.000.

I'm on heels...

It's not even about the money but about the fact of having been deceived.

I've been abased like a child!

Is that a lot of money?

Nah, it's the interest... I have to abase myself because of some...
interest now. I look like a complete jack-ass.

Do you pity me?

I pity you.

Do you really pity me?

I do.

How do you pity me?

I pity you.

You think that everything in life depends solely on your
will and your wishes.

You don't account for the irrational.
- Come again.

A young man, smart, energic, willing,
earned a couple million dollars. In a year.

Great perpectives. Comes home carrying a bouquet,
enters the porch and from the dark,

he is met by nine grammes.

Of that very matter which does not depend on
his wit or will.

That's all lyricism. If you behave right,

there'll be no irrationality whatsoever.

You're a grown man, Mark, you make good money,

but you still haven't managed to get new teeth.

Teeth aren't the main thing in life.
- So what's the main thing?

The main thing is peace and will.

Who needs you with your peace and will?

I need myself. But who need you?

Russia needs me.

But does Russia need you?

Me? No, Russia doesn't need me.

You see. Russia doesn't need you.
Toothless jerk.

Yes?

All three? Okay, I'm coming.

Come on, come on. We'll get them, Mike. We'll get them.

You're strong.

Speaking of faith.

Of whom?
- What?

Not whom, what. Take the cathedral, for one.

I donated to the cathedral.

To what end?

When they build the cathedral, there'll be more faith.

Not sure.

You're never sure about anything.

What do you think faith is?

And faith, that's like this. Say, there's a pile of
dirt in front of you, a rather big pile, you know.

You're standing in the dirt, immersed to the knees,
and you're raking it with your hands.

It seems to you that there's nothing but dirt and dirt
all around you.

And suddently, there's a crystal clear stream.

That's what faith is.

I only need to go down and up again.

...huge perpectives, and you're sticking to some three million.
Three million, that's nothing! Come on, let's prolong.

And Borisov?
- Boris gets shit.

He'll live till December.

Hi.

Hi.

Is nobody here?

Nobody.

Would be nice to know if they have non-carbonated
mineral water in here. Non-carbonated mineral water.

How do you mean?

How do you mean?

Are you having a hangover or something?

Mineral water - mineral water is carbonated water. And
non-carbonated water is plain water.

Mineral water

is mineral water, and carbonic acid has absolutely
nothing to do with it.

It is present in the water in a dissolved state
and appears when the water is being opened

and a pressure change takes place.

That's carbonated.

And now it'll be non-carbonated.

And how do you make it non-carbonated?

Okay, enough.

You work here?

I sing.

Olen'ka!

Greetings.

I don't want any more.

I have session now.

Attention, I count:

One, two, three, four... you are calm...

You are absolutely calm... five, six... you're not distracted by anything...

Your head is empty... the body is calm and relaxed...

I count. Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve...

You are a book.... A heavy book in a golden binding...

That which is not written in any other book is written in you...
Kind, warm hands take you from the shelf,

put you on the table and open you...

Warm, kind hands turn over your pages...

You like that they turn over your pages...

He loves

your fragile long fingers...

Your red hair...

Your eyes...

Your thin collarbones...

Doesn't it seem to you Moscow should switch to high octane gas by now?

The first thing that catches your eye is the stench.

When you arrive to Moscow from Berlin, from Paris,
from New York, instantly you feel this... smell.

Even here, in the garden.

You don't feel it?

It smells of low-quality gas.

You're used to it because you live here.

And that's bad.

It's strange, why aren't you worried about your health?

Betrachten Sie mich nicht als einen Kriegsgefangenen.

What happened?

We didn't let some kids in.

And why?

There were completely stoned. Right now,
Vasya and Lenya are taking care of them.

If a human being is complete shit,
you can waste him.

The Lord won't judge.

But if he's complete shit.

How do you know he won't judge?

Definitely won't judge.

If a human being is complete shit - he won't judge.

If he's just shit - the Lord might judge.

But if he's complete shit - he won't judge.

Masha. They broke three plafonds in the garden.

We had plafonds, didn't we.
- Where?

On top of the cabinet in the corner room.

We have to tell the electrician.
- Ah, he wasn't here today.

What sort of a bar is it that doesn't have
non-carbonated mineral water?

You recovered already?
Let's go change the plafonds.

Well, and he left me for the girl who lived above.

The only thing he had was an antiquarian cabinet,
well, and he broke even that thing in two with an axe.

That girl he also left two months later and went to the U.S.

And I stayed back with two girls, at nineteen.

What did he do for a living?

He was a movie director.

Back then, everyone was a movie director.

He was very beautiful. Had these cheekbones...

He was an absolute "camelman", like in those adverts.

He even wore "Camel" boots, a tweed jacket and smoked "Camel".

Unconsciously I believe.

One time, at the "Hudozhestvennyi" cinema, some punks
troubled me, he took it out, opened it, approached one of them

and said "You're fucking gonna make trouble,
I'm gonna cut out your fucking adam's-apple."

Well, and what happened afterwards?

And afterwards, he left for America, now he lives in a
municipal house there.

It somehow didn't work out with the movies for him.

He's working as a foreman... Some balk hit
him on the head, well, anyway, he's a foreman.

Some broads always keep supporting him financially.

So how do you like Moscow?

An expensive city.

Yeah, but everything is available.

Well, not everything.

Practically everything.

Not everything.

So what's not there?

There's no cheap cocaine.

So what do you do?

I wear payoth.

You want to become a lawyer?

No way. I deal with international business law.

By the way, speaking of international business law.
There was a time when I worked in an orchestra,

playing cello. So you know what distinguished our
wind players?

They could drink with no hands.

What do you mean?

Can I get a vodka?

Thank you.

Roughly like this.

And the most remarkable thing is you can't learn this.
It's like absolute hearing: You either have it, or you don't.

Two shots, please.

I've got absolute hearing, too.

Let's go dance then.

What do you have? I've got "Pershings".
- I've got "Pershings", too.

No, you've got SS-20s.

Well, where to? With the SS-20s.

Into Switzerland.

Why are you shooting at Portugal? We have nothing against Portugal.

One hundred, two hundred, three hundred kilotons.

Let alone the... cows, even ants won't be able to live there now.
What, out of Pershings?

What's left? Okay, I know.

Here's what else we have.
- What is it?

A B-52.

An American bomber.

You have to drink it before the straw melts.

You lost, you owe me one kiss.

Where?

In the ass.

Listen, is it true that hassids fuck through the bedsheet?

Yeah, it's true.

Look at that!

Why are you still awake?

It's past three.

No, I'm lying, past five.

Very funny.

You're not asleep either? Unbelievable.

Once upon a time, Father Onufriy, whilst making
his round in the neighborhood,

discovered bare Ol'ga. Ol'ga, give in to me,
I'll make you rich.

Ol', why are you being so dull recently?

Say something.

What, you don't want to talk to me?
Say: Mashen'ka's come.

Mashen'ka's come.

Mashen'ka is drunk.
- Mashen'ka is drunk.

Mashen'ka has been strolling around the buffet.
- Mashen'ka has been strolling around the buffet.

Mashen'ka has been fucked through a map.

Mashen'ka has been fucked through a map.

How much I hate this manner of yours of looking to the side.

Now come on, look at me!

You have bad eyes.
- Really?

And what else is bad about me?

You have bad eyes.

Olen'ka, my dear, what do you despise me for so much?
- When you are drunk, you have bad eyes.

And do you know what that is, bad?
Bad is when it's bad.

And good?
Good, that's when it's good.

In a dark, dark forest, in a dark, dark castle,

inside a dark, dark room on a dark, dark table
lies a dark, dark case.

Inside this dark, dark case there lies a white, white sugar girl.

Her little arms are of sugar, her little legs are of sugar,
her little breast is of sugar and her little neck is of sugar.

And exactly at mignight, a dark man with a dark face
and a dark watering can approaches the case.

He opens the case, raises the watering can and
speaks three dark words:

You're bad! You're bad! You're bad! Bad, bad!

You're missing inpatient treatment?

Get lost here.

How long can you sit in a tub? You go to sleep right now.

My God, how fed up I am with you.

My God, when will all this end? There's not a
thing left whole in the house.

Throw me away, throw me, I can't do it anymore.

What are you freaking out for?
- It's disgusting to look at you.

Really? And what's so disgusting?
- Everything.

Everything is disgusting. Your lack of care for anything is disgusting,
your unwilligness to participate in anything.

What is it again I don't want to participate in?

You live by the principle: Everything can go to hell,
except me. You - you are a monster,

you grew up some kind of monster, you're...

...thick-skinned like an elephant.

You don't give a fuck about your loved ones,
about me, about your sister, about anyone!

You don't notice anyone, you don't want to notice.
- What is it that I don't want to notice?

You know, Mash, with you, I've gone insane.

My nerves are failing. You're looking at me, and I can't stand...
I want to hit you in the face.

Did you agree to meet each other or what?

One doesn't like my eyes, throws with elephants.
The other one wants to hit me in the face.

What am I, Medusa?

You're not Medusa, you're a vulgar, empty stupid cow.

I'm vulgar? And a drinking alone in the kitchen, that's not vulgar?

You... you... you're like... like some ivy!
Some parasite!

I'm a parasite. Working for you every day.

I don't know what you are, I mean you can't find a word
like that! I don't know, some slime!

You'd kick the bucket without me.

Some pestilent plant, eek!

You don't know how to do anything, anything.

You know, there's some kind of cold stench coming from you.
Like from a vault, like this... every word of you is stench!

Stench! Every movement of yours is stench! Stench!
Stench!

You fucked everything up, you see. Lost fucking everything.
Nobody would give a dime for you.

My God, how I am choking on that stench!

Maybe you're envious?

Of whom should I be envious? Of what should I be envious?

Maybe you're jealous?

You're jealous.
And I'm not.

I'm not jealous.

And if you're going to pity him in your office
once a week, I won't act worse towards you.

And she's even throwing herself upon me!
Who is supposed to be throwing herself on whom here?

Loony bin.

Ol'. Ol'. Are you sleeping?

I know Leva from very long ago.

Do you remember how Raika and me ran off
to Koktobel after graduation day?

You don't? I took your trousers then.
But forgot the swimsuit.

Olya, are you seriously sleeping?

How stupid everything is.

Father left us when I was about six.

I lived with my mother. She worked as a nurse.

She'd work till five and then go to private practices,
to make injections.

Came back at around ten. I'd run up to her and her
hands, you know, would smell of ethyl alcohol.

And she goes, "See, my butterfly's here."

Her last name was Babochkina.
- Not related to Boris Babochkin, by chance?

No.

So I used to call her like this, butterfly.

So then she had appendicitis. They put her in that very
same hospital where she had worked

and infected her with hepatitis during the operation.

She died a year later. I was relocated to a boarding school
in Bykovo.

You know...

Whenever I'd see a butterfly, I'd remember my mother.

Started collecting them. They're so beautiful, right.

They're very beautiful. And one time they took us to the
Bol'shoy theatre, to see the Swan Lake.

And you know, soon as I saw the ballerinas,
something seriously just turned over in my heart.

They're just like butterflies, right.

Ever since then I couldn't live without the ballet.

Forgot mother. Stopped collecting butterflies.

Hey, no need to warm it up, just bring it here!
Yeah, yeah, just bring it here.

And where do you think am I supposed to go from here?
My God, I'm chained to this place like uncle Vanya.

Cherries are ripe in uncles Vanya's garden... cherries are ripe...
cherries are ripe.

Ah, I want cherries!

I've 50.000 of debt, how am I going to pay it off?

I've got to work.
Work, work, work and work.

Why doesn't the future son-in-law pay for the
debts of his mother-in-law?

Maybe he will. Let her become mother-in-law first.
- No, no, no. No.

I want to go to Africa. Maybe to Congo, maybe to Uganda.

Why would you go to Congo? All that's there is
savannah and cholera.

Are you going to hunt safaris or what?
- Yes.

No, no, no, Congo isn't where it's at.
I've been told: Bali. Island of Bali.

That's the place. First of all, it's cheap. You can rent a bungalow
at the seashore for 40 dollars a night.

And I've been told you could rent a bungalow for four
dollars in Suez, and eat for a dollar a day.

Well, we haven't met here to count money.

Rusty. "Swiss steel."

It's not supposed to rust, right?

Everything Swiss is nowadays made in Poland.
A great country.

Ah, it's good! I can't remember when we had
breakfast out in the garden for the last time.

Such an excellent garden, and you aren't using it.
- So what are you suggesting, opening up a bistro here?

Why a bistro? If I were you, I would long have built a
gardenhouse here. In Russian style,

all overgrown by ivy, then I'd take breakfast and
lunch in there.

Out in fresh air. And guys in kosovorotkas
serving bliny.

And generally, I'd plant trees and bushes everywhere
around here. For the garden to be completely wild.

Right, you walk out of the office and gather
mushrooms for a while. Very soothing.

So you like wild nature?

One time, some Americans visited the English. And were
astonished by the English swards.

Well, and they go, typically American: Say, how could
we arrange such swards as well?

The English tell them: Very simple. You choose a place,
take out the sod, level the area, plant the grass.

And after it's grown, water it two times a week and
cut once a week.

In just a hundred years, you're going to have
an excellent English sward.

If only here someone would mow it down at least once
a month. Can't ask often enough.

Mike, seriously, where do you want to go?

I haven't been to Italy yet.
- What do you mean you haven't? You haven't been to Italy?

No, I haven't.
- Are you nuts?

Mashen'ka, believe me: You don't at all neccessarily
have to despise a person just because he hasn't been to Italy.

We have to go at all costs.

And visit museums, visit museums, visit museums...
- I see you recovered fast.

Is the food not too rough for you? Will your digestive
tract make it?

Mike, where did you find him?
- An alright guy.

We went to music school together. Was a mighty fine player,
finished two conservatorium classes.

So what did he play?
- Cello.

Then he married a Jewish girl, they moved to Germany.

He played in an orchestra there. Even took the second place
in some contest.

Then he got divorced, moved to Israel.

Played sax in pubs there. Plus jobbed as a massager.

A class massager.

Somewhat perky, though.

And here's Sliva.

I've been screwed over with the black money.

So... Valentin has no protection anymore now.

There's real estate worth about half a million there, though,
plus a dacha in Kratovo.

Quite a pretty little dacha.

...then Pasha Zirul' appears, they all turn green.

He goes, look here, this is the contract, I'm tearing it.
Understand? He says, now, money's due tomorrow, 20% to Zahar...

Any questions? He says, no questions.
And where, he says, did you come from? He answers, from Haifa.

And he says, well, here you go with a hundred shekel,
for the gas, he says, so you're not mortally offended.

Then he calls. Says, let's go shoot. Means he's not offended.

I say, okay, let's go, he goes, nah, you have to fly there.

Your partners have arrived. Those who packed the money.

They say they put in the exact amount.

As at the pharmacy.

Well, we flew off. Flew off. Arrived, and there's a firing field there!..

with all kinds of stuff. Kalashnikoffs, grenade guns, rockets: "Earth - earth".

I'd never shot rockets before. A thousand bucks, several
people pool together - and start shooting.

So, did you pull together?
- We did.

Whatever you might say, your country has its merits.

I don't know. I'm generally a peaceful person.
I like classical ballet.

I spend all my money on that.
- In what sense?

In the most direct sense. The Bol'shoy theatre is shit.

The Russian ballet has degenerated. Noone in this country needs it.
If i don't help it, nobody will.

Are you serious?
- Absolutely.

By the way, in the next days we'll lay footing for a new theatre
and a new ballet school.

Of my ballet school.

Ballerinas - that's good.

Can you imagine the ways you can fuck them?
I mean, they can do - the splits with their legs.

Only let's drink not to, but against.

Against those who screw us.
- You know who that is?

Who?
- My friend.

And friends don't deceive you.
- Well, right, friends screw you.

Drink.

Drink, drink.

Well, drink, drink.

What stupid shit.

Let's leave!

A negro couple. He and she. Edik and Viola.

Made cheese sticks at home and delivered them to clubs.

Not too expensive. Bought three bags.
And my jackasses put them in the wrong place,

well, and rats got into them and bred little baby rats.

Once I'm walking down the Sretenka and see him standing.

I approach him and say: Edik, don't worry,
I'll give you those 50 bucks.

And then I see it's an entirely other negro standing around.

You know, I can't remember if I told you -
I was at Serezhka's, at the television station.

I have an idea. Making my own talk show.

Everyone says I'll have success with that.

If I only would pay off the debts.

How can you pay off the debts?

You're only able to get into them.

Why do you drag me into bed if you don't want to?

I do. I do.

You want a short joke? What's the difference between
life and a dick?

You know it?

Life's harder.

Is it funny?

Rather.

Mark, why have you gotten so ceremonious?

You always did what you wanted to and slept
with whom you wanted to.

Olya!

Come bring the opener!

Come bring the opener!

Olen'ka.

You know what the cosmetic surgeon's fate is?

Sucking off bankers' wives' fat.

Sasha -
- You want coffee?

As always.

Cognac is what I want. You want Cognac?

I want to tell everything it can go to hell.

In what way?
- Haven't decided yet.

Think of something more original.

Are you depressed or something?

Worse.

Well, I heal them from constipations. They have depressions
which manifest themselves through migraines and constipations.

They sit around at home, plagued by loneliness.

The psychiatrist's fate at the given moment.
And no depressions at all.

I'm catastrophically losing my qualification.
Lately, I've felt I was treating teenagers.

When I was a child, I was used to having to do with
grown-ups, they taught me how to be adequate towards reality.

To be sane.

Now I'm stopping being sane.

I feel like a grown-up in a country of children.
Children, children, children.

Children of the circumstances.

And back then?
- What about back then?

They weren't children?
When is back then?

Twenty years ago.
- Twenty years ago...

Twenty years ago the children were struck by fear.
There was a clear clinical picture.

Now the fear is gone.
Society reminds me of a clot out of undercooked pel'meni.

The psychiatrist is helpless.
- And back then?

Back then, the pel'meni were deep frozen.
It was easier, much easier.

I'm sure that an unbelievable, fantastic future
is waiting for us. You know why?

You know, you know, there are such crystallic structures
with one... well, a conjoint center.

- Aleksandr Sergeich, there's one with a facial trauma,
will you see him?

But facial traumata are Furman's specialty.

He's on his lunch break. Will you see him?
- Anarchy is the mother of order.

So, they cannot be broken apart with anything.
But if you find the center of this crystal with a needle,

it'll immediately fall apart. Immediately. The whole thing.
I'm sure that this whole ice lump that has been growing and growing

around all of these, all of these years, will collapse
immediately.

In one second.

And you can't imagine what a happiness that will be.

What happened?

A bad person bit it off in a fight.

Well, master, can you fix it?

I'll need the lip.
- Lip's here.

You see, master, this isn't quite his lip.

But the donor's healthy, didn't have any bad diseases
or anything.

Friends! I'm sure, I'm convinced that today

will stay in the history of Russian ballet.

The construction of what you see behind my back started
in 1915

but later got stopped, to speak in contemporary language,
because of the sponsors' insolvency.

All that was best about Russian ballet went abroad.

So what is left to us?
The moth-eaten nineteenth century.

But you and I, we are standing on the cusp
of the twenty-first century.

And here and today, a window will be hewed in to the
Russian ballet of the twenty-first century.

Everything starts from the footing.

You and I, you and I are standing on the footing
of a new theater and a new ballet school.

Starting today, work will be carried out in three shifts,
and already for the next year, I invite all Russian ballet enthusiasts

to the first national premiere of Igor Stravinsky's
ballet "The Firebird".

You will see enchanting girls - butterflies...
Like... Like earthly butterflies,

who wish to rise, start flying... over
this whole complicated world of ours,

but they are not able, they... to break away...
from all of this... From all of this.

Mr. Kovalev, please tell us what it was that
agitated you to start such a big enterprise.

The love for Russian ballet.

How much does it all cost?
- A lot, a lot.

And how does your family view it?
- My bride fully supports me.

I'm very glad that you came.

When did you like it best - yesterday or six years ago?

Six years ago.
- Why?

Was it tighter then?

You're a bitch. You cunt.

I feel equally bad and good anywhere. I'm a dead man.
I have a lot, yet I have nothing. I want to be with you

You're not there. You're not there, I can't feel you.
Where are you?

You're just not there. I could kill you. I love you.

And don't bullshit your pals. You have an own life?
You live by another's will. Like water.

You take any form. Right now you've been poured
into Mike. You don't feel hot nor cold about that.

It's explainable, all of it.

Listen, Mike, maybe it was you who swapped the money?
While I was holding my hand under cold water.

That's a future talk, about the money.

Good morning.

Can I ask you for some paste?

Do you wash yourself with boiling water or what?

I don't know.

There's a cold water tap.

Then there's going to be cold water.

Well, you can mix it.

You want coffee?

I'm not allowed to.

Ice.
- Yes.

What about it?

I don't like ice.

Why not?

It's scary.

It's not scary.

Let's play ice.

Let's go.

Where to?

I'll show you Moscow.

And that's the "Rossiya" hotel. The biggest one in Europe.

And that's the "Kempinski" hotel.

And that's the Kremlin. The President lives here.

And that's the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

People will pray to God here.

And that's the confectionery factory "Krasnyi Oktyabr'".
Chocolate is made here.

And this is the Tretyakov Gallery. Pictures hang here.

And that's the Russian shuttle "Buran".

And that's the spring-board.

Skiers jump from it in winter.

How?

Like this.

You're gray. You're gray.

If, on purpose, you pick on everything around you a bit,

it's all soft inside. And sometimes I fear that it's all
not solid and going to fall down.

I fear that it's all not solid and going to fall down.

That is, the house is going to fall down and nothing's going
to happen. Or it won't fall, it's just that inside of it there's

potatoes with meat balls, for example. Especially if
you mixed it. And it completely consists of it.

That is, inside of everything, any tree or head, it's hidden,
the inverted comma. Of everything.

Of everything maybe, you have to find it, it's like a key or it
reminds of this beer thing, the one that's of metal and small.

You have to pull it, and then everything will collapse

like vomit.

Then everything stands in its place. Everything is clear.
Everything is clear.

You don't have an inverted comma inside you.

I had to search inside a human once, too.

I was living in Berlin at the time, and had a visit from
a guy. He had swallowed a diamond.

Eight carat. And got it through this way.

Arrived, called me, and disappeared for two weeks.

Well, I waited for a while, then I think, I'll go see
where he is, what's the matter, maybe he got caught.

He had his sins. So I thought I'd go check.
He lived alone.

On the first floor. Well, I came to his place, climbed in
through the window, and instantly felt this weird smell.

Stinks of something.
Found him in the bathroom.

Don't know why he kicked the bucket, maybe the heart, maybe
something else.

He was like jelly already by then.

I didn't even need a knife. Searched inside him
with my bare hands.

Did you find it?
- I did.

I haven't shown you the main thing yet.

The metro.

Why do I have to?
- You don't have to do anything.

Why do I have to?
You don't.

All my life your ability to remain sober astonished me.

It's not a merit.

It's a big problem.

How do you mean?

Drank a whole lot.

You always drank a lot.
- I mean really a lot.

I don't remember that.

That's the four years that we haven't
seen each other.

Is that why you don't drive anymore?
- Partly.

How do you mean partly?

Partly because I stopped receiving enjoyment
from driving.

Long as I remember you, you never walked.

There's a certain style of life.

Driving as an art form.

Listen, I can't forget how Vovochka, Mishka and you
drove around the Sadovoe in single file at four in the morning.

With cardboard boxes in-between the
bumpers.

And a hundred kilometers an hour.
- A hundred and twenty.

Is it for real that nobody
dropped them?

I never dropped one.

Yet this vodka has a strange taste.

Something from the childhood.

You're looking back?

Doing nothing else.

Me, too.
- Well,

let's drink to the golden youth of the seventies.

We were the boh?me.

Our dads were writers.

And the moms were wives of writers.

We all speculated.

Me, with underpants.

And me, with LPs.

And me, with underpants.
- And me, with LPs.

And me, with underpants.
- And me with underpants and with LPs.

And everyone was fucking, fucking, fucking...

More than they do today.

Much more.

Almost scary to think of it, we sleep with each
other since we're sixteen.

With intermissions.
- No long ones.

Listen, why won't you marry me?

Don't ask metaphysical questions.

You've got class glasses. I've got -2,
but I don't wear any.

Why not?
- I don't know.

But you wore glasses at school.
- Looks bad.

Do they suit me?
- They do.

Good everning.

Where have you been?

- We went on a boat.

And what have you seen?

The Kremlin. The confectionery factory.

The spring-board.

I'll be right back.

As for the cleanliness, all is right with that there.
You could eat off the sidewalk.

But it's boring as hell. No celebration. Everything's
very serious there somehow: "Bitte sch?n, danke sch?n"...

He's my stud.

And where did you learn such words?

At the ward?
- At the ward.

And maybe you'll stop wetting yourself
at night at last?

I haven't wet myself for a long time.

Yeah, right.

You're nuts?

Stupid insane cow.

Pull yourself together.

Dear friends!

I'm feeling so wonderously good that I don't
want to speak hollow, tedious toasts.

Marriage, as birth and death, occurs
once in a lifetime.

And forgive me, but I don't believe in
second and third marriage.

Masha and Mike are great guys!

They have everything neccessary to be happy.
They're young,

beautiful, clever, rich, finally, they love each other.
So may they be happy! May they only have

one marriage, for all their lifetime!

I told you a hundred times: Let's pull together.

You couldn't imagine what will be, what we
can do conjointly.

We'll fuck Europe doggy-style!

We'll show the world the new Russian ballet.
One that hasn't been seen since Dyagilev's time.

Segera, do you imagine what Dyagilev means?

Take him. He'll come to me tomorrow and tell me:
To raise a new generation of ballerinas, I'll need ten years.

To raise. You understand? It's like
an English sward.

Ten years. We're not talking about mushrooms which
grow in a day. You understand?

And every year I need half a million, and every year
I'll deliver him half a million. Although I've five times less

money than you and ten times less than Vasya.

They work eight hours a day. And every day, every day.

The diet: No dough, no sweet stuff.
Iron discipline. Take Irochka.

It only seems like she has china legs. If you touch it -
it's just sinews. Fingers all dislocated, it's scary even to look.

Olen'ka, are you drinking wine?

Yes.

Leva, see that she doesn't drink too much wine.

No, no, I'm taking care.

It was in September of this month.

Why are you so gloomy?

Mike, I didn't take this money.
- You didn't?

So fuck it. Friendship's more important.

I'll be a moment.

No money. Here, an English jacket. Three hundred bucks.

Dear Olya and Leva, dear Masha and Lev.

Today you are celebrating your marriage.

From now on, you are going to go through life together,
surmount difficulties together, share happiness and good luck

and be happy about life together.

Try to bring your bright feelings through all
the ordeals which life prepares.

Live in love and accordance and be happy.

Please exchange rings.

Where to now?

Where does everyone go?

To the Unknown Soldier.

Let's go.

What's an unknown soldier?

It's the soldier who wasn't there. This memorial.

How can there be a soldier who wasn't
there?

Those who weren't there have the right to a memorial
as well. Maybe even more so than those who were.

I've understood.

By the way, you haven't said where
you were hiding the money.

In Moscow.