Palimpsest (2006) - full transcript

Marek, the main character of "Palimpsest," is a police inspector, a man on the verge of psychological disintegration trying to solve an intricate case. The story is told on two planes. The first one is a crime story, which constitutes the framework of the film. In the course of events, another theme appears - psychological experiences of the main character. Vivid blend of picture with sound and music will draw the audience into the deepest recesses of Marek's mind, making the viewers face questions: What is reality and what is only an illusion? Where is the borderline between the real world and our perception of it? What makes suffering meaningful and what is really important in one's life"?

PALIMPSEST

Palimpsest, n. A parchment or the like

from which writing has been partially

or completely erased

to make room for another text.

Yes?

Who?

What time is it?

In an hour.

Base of the skull cracked,

spinal cord broken...

A fall from a big height.

Except for the water

in his lungs,

nothing below the norm.

The autopsy showed

that Inspector Hajdziak

could've been manhandled.

End of quote.

You can use any help

you can get.

- I get it.

- Marmielewski will join you.

- I'd rather...

- Forget it.

I know you and Maciek

were friends.

But don't take it

too personal.

You know what I mean?

If something pops up...

let me know first.

Is there something

I should know, Marek?

No.

How long and

who did he drink with?

Who?

How long, how long?

His whole life

as far as I know.

A three-week bender, that.

Who with? Everybody.

His latest comrade

in drink?

Malina.

Must've quaffed

for a couple of days.

Malina's whereabouts?

Malina's whereabouts?

Cuckoo's nest! Where else?

How long?

Since yesterday... could be.

Or since today.

Dates get me

fucking confused.

Ever been on the wagon?

Oh, it's you Inspector!

- To check in?

- No, to visit Malina.

Sorry.

- Doctor?

- Yes?

They are the police.

Want to see Malina.

Mr. Malina was brought in

last night.

You sure must know

that if you visit him now,

he's likely to think

you must be aliens,

sent down to take him away.

So you may freak him out.

Doctor, you must surely know

we've known him for years.

Second, it transpires that

he's implicated

in the murder of

a policeman.

So if he gets out of hand

he may freak you out.

Don't make it

difficult for us, please.

When was he brought in?

- At 2:20 a. M.

- Where from?

The hospital in Minsk.

He was unmanageable.

- How long did he stay there?

- From yesterday morning.

Where's he now?

- Take them to him.

- Still under observation.

- He gave us a hard time.

- Marcin...

Haven't you seen my

12 bottles of champagne?

Hi, Malina.

You've drunk with

Maciek recently.

Someone pushed him

out the window.

Malina, Maciek's dead.

Someone killed him.

Maciek...

Out the window...

First...

Mrowa...

Maciek...

- A guy...

- Who?

Wielded a doorknob...

- Bury...

- Bury?

Maciek... Bury.

When was that?

Friday...

Last week...

Tuesday.

Thanks.

Let's go.

Marek!

What?

A fucking spider's

crawling down your neck.

Take care.

Maciek... Maciek.

The champagne's drunk off!

- That Bury rings a bell?

- No.

Check on him.

An old score?

Let's go.

The police!

Down!

The police!

Freeze!

The police!

Down!

Move it!

Hands behind you!

I secure him...

Doctor!

- What was it?

- Coke.

- It stopped 1. 5 min. Ago.

- Plug in the monitor.

Fibrillation.

Gel. Defibrillate.

200 joules!

Here I go!

200 once again.

Good. Beating.

Bury, you killed a cop.

Did you! Didn't you!

You did!!!

He's just come to.

- Have you found something?

- Not yet.

- Bury hasn't done it.

- You paid him a visit?

I questioned his wife.

They stayed in Mazury

till last night:

A village wedding

of 800 guests.

- An alibi?

- Could be.

So much drugs and weapons

found in the house

that he may do a long spell,

but not for homicide.

- How is he?

- Could talk in a day or two.

Those bruises,

burns on his palm?

Funny...

He couldn't have done

it himself.

The witnesses are waiting.

And Hanna?

Yes, she's been summoned.

A few questions.

That night before

the incident,

did anything

draw your attention?

Some strangers...

hanging around?

Did you see him that day?

Why?

I found him.

I'd seldom seen him recently...

only at night.

He'd go to the store...

once in several days.

I don't know much.

Ask the man across the street.

Who?

At No 6,

the 2nd staircase.

Who's he?

I don't know anything.

He's just a neighbor.

- A neighbor...

- Yeah.

Well, we won't grill you

any longer.

We're stuck?

Let's check on the neighbor.

I want to talk to her alone.

I get it.

Hi, Marek.

What's up?

You don't look good.

Tired?

I don't sleep well.

You don't...

But I sleep perfectly.

What did you do

Thursday night?

I still can't get

used to it.

I'd like to question you...

as a witness, of course.

When was the last time

you saw Maciek?

Since we parted?

Long ago.

Could someone...

want him dead?

He wasn't around any more.

Fear...

- Constant fear.

- How are things with you?

Thanks for asking.

Everything's fine with us.

A new hairdo.

Why are you doing

it to me, Marek?

Anything else

you'd like to ask?

I'm leaving.

What?

Hello, this is the police.

May we?

- Sure if necessary.

- It is.

Then you may.

You know why we're here?

I've seen you.

You deliver sugar?

The night before last, a man

fell out the 3rd story window.

We have reason to suspect

we was defenestrated.

- Anything caught your attention?

- No.

I don't recall

anything unusual...

... beside your friend

falling out the window.

- A friend? How d'you know?

- A policeman.

You are the police, right?

So he must've been a friend.

I looked out

when it got noisy.

I was watching something

on TV...

Now...

come to think of it...

that thud...

a funny dull sound, that.

A strange sound.

Well? Have you found

anything interesting?

- You know now?

- What?

Where you saw me.

- Well, we'll be going now.

- Yes.

- Mister...

- Zygmunt.

If you can possibly...

I may recall something.

Where is it?

Where is it?!

Pour!

Quaff, you fuck!

Search!

Freeze!

Hands on your nape!

Down!

Good evening.

Where's the doctor on duty?

Where's the doctor

on duty?!

Tomek!

Come here.

We'll have a drink.

You don't feel well,

Tomek?

Everything's fine with me.

Marek's in the corridor.

- Bring him in.

- Wait.

I want you to do something

for me... for him.

How can I help him?

Detox him first.

- Piece of cake, right?

- I've done it a couple of times.

What else?

Keep him here

as long as possible.

What happened?

This will be best for him.

Well, shall we down one?

Going anywhere?

I asked for a discharge.

I'm fine.

I see.

We got to question that thug

as fast as possible.

We won't.

He hanged

himself in his cell.

- Bury?

- Bury what?

- Where is he?

- He's safe.

- He's the next one.

- Cool it. We're watching him.

You were the other

one too.

You visited Hajdziak

5 days ago.

- You were aggressive.

- I'm hyperactive.

- He was murdered the next day.

- I didn't kill him.

- Why that visit?

- A social call.

Who sent you?

Drugs - 5 years,

accomplice - 15.

Man...

I sometimes moonlight

as a debt collector.

A guy called, said he

knew some men in town.

We met at the Bristol Hotel

with his henchman.

He gave me the address

and told me to scare Hajdziuk.

- Hajdziak.

- Scare or what?

Just scare, as he'd forgotten

to pay off something.

Pay off what?

Your Hajdziuk was in such

condition

that you could scare him

with an overdue phone bill.

How do you know it wasn't

the henchmen who called?

The voice was different.

Would you recognize him?

What if?

It's about a homicide of a cop.

You don't set conditions.

Let's have composite

portraits of those two,

and check connections.

Someone may know them.

I know one who does them all,

unless they were foreign.

- We must get back to Bury.

- We have time.

Where did you get

the keys?

From you.

But you sent them back.

I'd made copies earlier.

Just in case...

Just in case?

Shall I call a taxi?

You want to go?

To have breakfast

sent here.

Yes?

Dead?

Where from?

Yes.

I must.

Just this once.

Too late.

OD'd for good.

Why did you do it?

What?

- I didn't kill.

- Gimme the portraits!

Them?

Them?!

You...

I what?

I what?

I what, Bury?

Man, not here!

This is Zubiec.

I don't know the other's alias.

They're both hatchet men.

Whose?

Whose?

That's him.

Him for sure.

You lie!

Go now.

Him.

Why a Maciek's photo?

We check everything.

- A dead man put a contract on me?

- Could be an old score?

No score whatsoever!

You may not have been friends

you thought you were.

I give up the case.

It'll be better for the inquiry

if someone else takes it up.

I haven't included this

in the files.

What's that?

This all is getting too personal.

I get confused.

- You're not alone on this.

- I don't trust him.

I don't know his game.

Your resignation's rejected.

That's still your case.

You remember now?

Is that what you want?

What's that?

You.

When did you snap it?

You'll see.

See what?

What you don't want.

- Where did you get it?

- From you.

You remember nothing?

The photo is a montage.

The program you see on TV

was aired last night.

You contrive evidence!

Why?

Someone's trying to set me up.

Maybe it's you?

You're off the case

as you requested.

Leave it.

Why have you come?

Beat it!

What did I do?

I can't go on like this.

Please,

I love you.

You killed him!

No.

I loved him!

Please...

What d'you want me to do?

I want you to disappear.

Malina...

- He won't be troublesome.

- I wouldn't take chances.

Take him.

- Quiet... quiet... come...

- You crazy?!

Don't worry.

We'll take care of him.

Not true.

All this is untrue...

Someone's trying to

set me up.

I've seen you.

- Hello, Mrs. Hanna.

- Hello.

Your husband's been

hanging around here.

- Hello!

- I'd like to talk to you later.

Good.

Hi.

How you doing?

All right.

Attention please.

Our main topic

- Patient Jeklewski.

Things don't seem

to be looking up.

Dr. Nowicki, please.

He was brought in 2 months ago,

a extreme case of intoxication.

He was roused from coma

quite fast,

but now it's

Wernicki-Korsakov psychosis

with recurring d. T:

Tremor and hallucinations

for the last 6 weeks.

With this psychosis one

totally confabulates reality

and despite strong tranquilizers

has psychotic fears.

Our therapeutic results

are nil.

He remains without the least

contact with the outside world.

He has contact

with another one, though.

Only his wife can unite the two

worlds on the emotional level.

I believe she holds the key

to his recovery.

A daring thesis, that.

His wife's been coming here

every day for two months.

He hasn't spoken to her

or to anybody for that matter.

We doubt if he still has the skill

to communicate this way.

So I wonder where you

get your conclusions.

From my observation,

Dr. Nowicki.

We have the diagnosis.

What further therapy

do you recommend?

It's a given that this psychosis

is connected with

irreparable damage to the brain

and central nervous system.

Despite our efforts, his condition

hasn't improved in the least.

We have to admit it

that he is a typical lost case,

and our role

has come to a close.

With all due respect,

I disagree:

This is not a typical

lost case.

The man is somewhere and quite

possibly we're there with him.

Our task is to find him

at any price and...

A wild-goose chase, doctor, no

matter how beautifully you put it.

Honorable colleagues, all we can talk

about is what to do with him now.

So it's home or social care?

I don't think the wife would agree.

It's easiest to get rid

of a problem,

but we're here to help,

aren't we, Dr. Nowicki?

How you doing?

Everything's fine with me,

thank you.

You're looking well,

darling.

Would you like

to ask about something?

God, are you still

there, Mark?!

Am I too?

I wonder why I...

- Mrs. Hanna.

- Yes?

I'll be waiting in my office.

Hanna...

Yes?!

You here.

I am.