The Silent Mountain (2014) - full transcript

I remember that day

as if it was yesterday.

It was a peaceful spring...

here in the south

of our empire.

The first World War

was already raging

for almost a year now...

hundreds of miles away

in the east.

But people were

already talking about war,

even in our mountains.

That's when

I had this dream.

Every night... the same dream.

I was on top

of our mountain...

opposite an Italian soldier,

a wolch.

Suddenly, the wolch

ran at me...

as I pull out my rifle.

Back then, I wasn't

baffled by the dream.

I couldn't wait

to join the war

and finally

get away from home,

fight for our country...

against the traitors.

But then, the soldier

caught up again.

He was still alive.

Now, it was on me

to finish him up.

But when

I touched the trigger,

I saw that he wasn't

carrying a rifle.

Take it in your hand.

It's your fault.

No, it's not.

Is the fuse out, Ander?

Uh-uh-uh.

It's a dud, right?

It's a dud?

Lechner, you moron.

What did I do?

You let it get wet.

Oh!

Hey, leave him alone.

It didn't get wet.

Ah!

Whoa!

Help!

Lechner can't swim.

Help!

Come on!

Thank you.

Ander?

Ander!

Ander.

Have you lost

your mind, huh?

Leaving mass...

your sister's getting married.

To a wolch!

I don't want anything

to do with wolch!

Wolch?

Italians are our family.

Not mine.

The folks in our village

were outraged

that my father married off

my sister Lisl to a wolch.

Most of us hated the Italians,

but now everybody

was celebrating together

as if they were best friends,

just like my father predicted.

One more stunt

like this today,

and I'm gonna let

you have it.

Your father

will calm down soon.

I had never seen

my sister Lisl so happy,

there with her new husband,

Angelo Calzolari.

When I was four years old,

my father built this hotel.

It was an instant success.

People came from all parts

of the world,

but I hardly ever

saw my father again.

The more foreigners,

the more reputation

and prestige for my father.

Now, it was time for my father's

most ambitious project ever,

the first mountain

tramway in our valley.

And how convenient

that Lisl's new husband Angelo

was the engineer he needed

to compliment his dream.

We did it, Angelo.

Your father has big plans.

Want some?

I knew that my teacher

was secretly in love

with my sister Lisl,

and it didn't make things easier

that her husband was Italian.

He hated them

more than anyone.

But your time will come.

You will see, Ander.

Times are changing.

I can feel it.

And then, your father

will be proud of you.

He will see

what you are made of.

Hm?

I see you do fancy her.

She's stunning,

your new sister-in-law.

She's a wolch.

My grandfather was also

Italian, from Piedmont.

Blimey, so you care

less of me now?

Mm-hmm, not enough at all.

Mm.

May I cut in?

So you do like

the wolch, huh?

Mm.

Francesca.

Excuse me.

Are you all right?

No... no... no partire?

Si.

No partire.

No... you are...

no partire, you... you...

you don't want to leave?

Si.

No go.

No partire.

Well, um...

then, no partire.

Then... then...

then, don't leave.

Ander?

They are looking for you.

For the family picture.

Ander!

What are you waiting for?

And now, quiet, please.

Silencio.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Attenzione!

Don't move!

The Italians declared war

on Austria.

War, right here

in our mountains.

The news instantly turned

our two families...

into enemies.

We are cleaning up now.

No, another half an hour...

half an hour.

Here, here! Follow me.

Quickly!

You have to hurry up now.

Angelo, take care of yourself.

I'll see you very soon.

Francesca's in the last car,

I just brought her her suitcase.

Come on, let's go! Avanti!

You come back... promise?

See you soon.

It's a bit cold, but it...

it... it'll be fine.

Don't, um...

turn on the light

without covering the window...

the windows.

Well, the local riflemen

head to the front tomorrow.

That includes me.

They are... we will...

we will wait there

until the Kaiserjãger arrive.

They're in the eastern Russia,

but they'll get here soon,

and then we'll definitely

win... win the war.

The Kaiserjãger,

they are the strongest

mountain corps in the world.

I was reading a... a very, very

interesting book, actually,

about the... uh, yeah.

We'll probably

be cold at first,

but, um, there are other

blankets underneath here.

And... and... and... and if you

are... are hungry, then, um...

These bastards.

It's true.

Bastards are

hunting the Italians.

Tell them to stop.

Where to?

We are on our way

to Riva.

No Riva for you...

get out now.

Where do you think

you're going?

Go on, get back

behind the wire.

Hey!

Hey.

Stop him!

Hey, get him!

This is our chance...

let's go.

Stop! Halt! I'll shoot!

Si.

Milano?

Mm-hmm.

No.

I... I can't go to Italy.

Italia partire me no.

Nueva York.

In America.

America?

In America, si.

Hm?

Yeah.

I'll go to New York.

When?

I don't know.

No.

Soon.

New York.

Yeah.

We will go.

America.

We'll go to America.

Let's move! Hurry!

Let me through.

Everybody! Attention!

Every Tyrolean has the right

and the responsibility

to defend his country.

In this hour...

as Italy has

betrayed our Kaiser

and maliciously declared war

on our homeland...

it is you who are

the last line of defense

for our families and soil.

The Kaiser expects unconditional

fulfillment of your duties.

Ten hut! Fire!

What's going on out there?

I solemnly swear by God

the almighty.

A pure and sincere vow.

A pure and sincere vow.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God, I overslept.

To fight the enemy

courageously and stoutly.

To preserve and protect

our ordnance.

To preserve and protect

our ordnance.

And to always stand

by our flags.

And to always stand

by our flags.

The same as any brave soldier

would for his country.

The same as any brave soldier

would do for his country.

This is the biggest firework

that exists.

The Red Eagle.

If you're in danger,

you have a...

a problema...

you have a problema...

You light the fuse.

You understand?

You light the fuse.

It'll go up in the air.

And I'll see it,

up there in the mountains.

And I'll come down...

and I'll help you.

You understand?

Capito?

Fire!

Fall out!

Rifleman Gruber

reporting for duty, sir.

Close ranks.

Look after yourself.

It's good,

I'll be all right.

I love you.

Everybody, attention!

Right face!

Company, march!

Hey, alpini.

What is it?

Oh, alpini.

Alpini! Alpini! Alpini!

Are you out

of your mind?

Quiet down, for Christ's sake.

What's going on?

I was just taking a leak,

and this idiot

almost shot at me.

Ander said they were alpini.

Don't worry, you'll stop

laughing soon enough.

Where would the alpini

come from

on this side

of the mountain, huh?

Get back in line.

I don't want

the first one to die

before the war even starts.

Let's go.

Are you frightened?

You?

Eh.

When you go to war,

you always have two choices.

You could get caught

with your pants down,

or up and ready to go.

If it doesn't catch you,

good for you.

If the worst thing happens,

you still have two choices.

You either survive,

or you die.

If you survive, that's great.

But if you happen

to die...

You have two options again.

You'll either end up alone

in a single grave

or in a mass grave.

Let's move!

And...

Hurry!

What happens?

Come on.

What can happen?

Savoya! Savoya! Savoya! Savoya!

It's not easy for you,

Gruber, huh?

What do you mean?

Fighting against

your own family.

What is it, teacher?

Are you still

having a hard time

because I wouldn't give you

Lisl to be your wife?

Come on.

My daughter needed

a man, a real man.

Men!

Out there, under that rock,

we make camp.

Holy crap.

Look at them.

There are so many.

About 200 or 300

are sitting down there.

Well, it's a hundred times

more men than we have.

Ten.

The alpini are better equipped

and better trained than we are.

When do the Germans

join us?

We can't wait for them.

But God is on our side.

All right, then, tell him

to get us some more ammunition.

We can put more fires up.

Hurry!

Come on!

Hurry!

It's about time.

Let's unpack... quick!

Those first few days

of the war

were like one big adventure.

We knew our mountain

so much better

than the attacking Italians.

We made the wolch believe

we were big battalions

instead of tiny platoons...

and the Italians retreated.

What's the matter,

huh, Gruber?

He misses

his old Gruber lady.

That's not funny

at all, you morons.

This war

has only just begun.

Come on, give it up.

Let Kofler play that box.

Yeah!

Today, we really showed them.

How long do you think

this war will last?

Don't worry.

You will get

to shoot some wolch.

Someone's coming!

Nobody shoot!

Those aren't alpini!

First lieutenant Sven Kornatz,

Bavarian Jãger Battalion One

of the German Mountain Infantry.

Captain Karl Gruber,

Imperial and Royal

Infantry Battalion Sexton.

We were waiting for you.

Hey!

Come on, you lazy bastards!

Everybody pull!

Pull!

Put your backs into it!

Come on, move it!

Brand-new equipment.

We just got it.

Modern times.

They'll see these

all the way to Bruneck.

10,000 watt.

But how?

Generators.

Gruber, is the line

still dead?

I want to have

a line today.

A telephone?

In the mountains?

We have everything

to win the war.

Ander!

Time to change guards.

Hurry.

Huh?

Ah.

I'm supposed to relieve you.

Good.

So what happens

when you go to war?

Where were we?

Uh, the mass grave.

Mass grave, that's right.

Well, you either end up

on top of the pile

or somewhere underneath.

If you're on top,

well, then good for you.

But if you find

you're underneath,

you'll be left

with two choices.

Either you remain

just as you are,

or you become a tree.

If you do stay as you are,

well, good for you.

But if you become

a tree,

you've got two choices again

because you either turn

into a leaf tree

or a cone tree of some kind.

If you turn into a leaf tree,

well, then good for you.

But if it's a cone tree

you become,

you'll find yourself

facing two options again.

You either grow and become

a lovely piece of wood,

or you're stunted

and you get...

If you grow and turn into

a piece of wood, good for you.

But of course,

if you're cut down,

you'll find there's

still two choices.

You'll find you either

end up in a sawmill

or possibly

in a paper mill.

If you find you're in

a saw mill, then good for you.

But if you end up

in a paper mill,

you'll find

you have two choices again.

You'll eventually turn into

either writing paper

or possibly toilet paper.

If you become writing paper,

good for you.

But if you turn

into toilet paper,

you'll end up having

your head in someone's ass.

That's our village.

What are we waiting for?

We have to help them!

They are shelling the hotel.

And what are you guys

gonna do about it?

Sir, if we run down now,

we'll be back

by the morning.

You want to be

court martial-ed?

We are at war!

Get used to it.

Good night.

The Italians will try

to get up here.

If so,

they will try to come

over the east

or the south face.

Before we enforce our position

on the plateau,

we have to secure

the south face.

Nonsense.

You can't see this

on the map,

but the south face is steep.

No one can

make it up there.

You can see a lot

of things on a map

if you read it correctly.

Are you saying

that I can't read maps?

I'm saying that one battalion

is heading

to the south face today!

The teacher, ugh.

What an idiot.

It's coming from over there.

By those rocks.

To the right.

There.

Ibex.

Don't shoot.

Alpini.

Shh.

Come on, Ander,

this is ridiculous.

It's coming from down there.

It's a 100-meter drop.

123.

No one can

climb up here,

not even ibex.

Alpini.

Those bastards.

I'll get my men.

Don't.

There's only

the three of us.

One is enough.

Fire!

Shoot them, shoot!

Shoot it!

The Italian soldier returned.

He kept running,

and nothing would stop him.

But now, I just couldn't

pull the trigger

as he ran across

the battlefield.

All I could do

was wonder why

the wolch carried

this teakettle.

Excusi.

Hey, stop it.

It won't get me

out of here.

Apple pie, I made it.

Stop talking,

someone could hear you!

Sorry.

Stop!

Pronunciation's really good.

Get back...

back in the kitchen.

Come on.

What do you have here?

Looks good.

That's an apple?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah?

We will see

if he has temperature.

Lisl!

Go... what are

you doing here?

What happened?

Ah, just a little

alpini attack.

Who is she?

A kitchen head

from Hungary.

How's my father?

And Ander?

Here's a letter from him.

Your father doing

all right... Ander too.

And I have orders

to stay down here.

Mother!

Don't waste ammo!

Shoot straight, lads!

Lechner! Keep your tongue in!

Lechner! Come on!

Lechner, can you hear me?

Damn it, Lechner.

Open your eyes,

open your eyes!

Lechner, come on, boy.

Stop it, he's gone.

Francesca.

What happened to you?

Your mother

and your sister found me,

and have been helping me.

I thought you wouldn't

recognize me.

You speak so well.

You are a hero.

Everyone says that.

You saved your father's life.

How long

have I been here?

Only...

11... 11 days.

Look.

I love you.

I love you too.

Ander?

You feeling better?

You see, I told you.

Your time will come.

Everyone is talking about

how many wolch

you killed out there.

They say you shot one

right in the face.

A real hero.

A present for you.

You have to rest so you can

return to the front soon.

Hm.

Beautiful folk songs.

Come back after the war,

and I'll show you a couple

of other things you'll like.

After the war.

What's the matter?

It's moving.

It could be a boy.

You think so?

Oh... not again.

It'll go on in a second.

I'll go and light

a candle.

What's Francesca

doing down there?

I don't know.

Someone will recognize her.

I'll go get her.

Yeah.

Do you want to go

to the military command?

You can choose.

Either me...

or an entire battalion.

Ander!

What are you doing?

The lightning!

Throw away your rifle, Ander,

the lightning!

Ander!

Drop your rifle, Ander!

The finger...

I bit off.

He wouldn't let me go.

Understand?

He wouldn't let me go,

so I bit off his finger.

Then I... swallowed it.

I swallowed... his finger.

His finger...

I swallowed his finger.

Ander.

Son.

Ander!

Hello, Lisl.

Hello.

I wanted to see

how you were doing...

how the two of you

are doing.

Thank you.

If there's

something I can do...

Times are tough...

and we all have

to stick together.

I want you to know...

I'm here for you.

And for the child,

of course.

You need a husband.

I have a husband.

So you don't know?

What shall I know?

Huh?

Your husband.

He's dead.

That's not true.

My deepest condolences.

We confiscated the list...

with all the names

of the full Italians.

I had a look.

His name was listed.

Calzolari, right?

Angelo.

I'm so sorry.

He'll be fine...

In the mountains.

What?

They are in the mountain.

Who is in the mountain?

R... right...

now.

They are in the mountain.

Mm.

Morphine, morphine.

It will come soon,

it will come soon.

I'm really sorry,

it will come soon.

Yes.

Congratulations for

the little boy.

What's his name?

Angelo.

I'm worried about you.

Your child needs a father,

you need a husband.

What do you think will happen

when the boy is older?

Without a husband?

Go away.

And with that half-breed

of yours.

Who will be running the hotel

if your father dies?

Please, leave me alone.

If you have the marriage

annulled, I'll say it's mine.

Just get out!

Shh.

I guess I'll have to tell

the commander

that you're

hiding a wolch...

who is spying.

You know what you will get

for collaborating

with the enemy.

You have to leave.

Hold on!

There's another one.

Come on!

Pull! Pull!

And pull!

Don't shoot.

I know him.

Karl Gruber.

Go get Karl Gruber,

come on!

Let's open the trap.

No, no, no!

Hey, Gruber.

Hey, we need you.

Come on...

Gruber, let's go!

They can't just blow up

the mountain.

You have to leave.

Return to your positions.

I'm going into the valley.

No way.

When will they blow it up?

Today.

Tomorrow.

Anytime.

I'm going.

I said return

to your positions.

High command ordered

all prisoners

to be taken

to the valley immediately.

Flight risk.

Lieutenant Gruber.

Assign one of your men...

to take him down.

Everybody, back in position!

Understand?

We hold this mountain!

We hold this line!

You heard the man.

For you.

Thank you.

I will...

would have preferred...

to leave you

a real cable car, Ander.

I know.

Ander.

You good to walk?

I will make it.

Listen.

Your sister's

in grave danger.

What? Wha...

Shh!

What...

Shh.

If you go this way,

get to the... barn

just before you get

to the village.

Wait there...

then I'll come get you.

Good... take care of my sister.

Just go.

Halt!

Got matches?

Good afternoon, Commander.

Good day to you, sir.

You're a disgrace.

Just returned from combat?

Look at you, soldier.

We will never win

the war like that.

Get another uniform.

You stink.

Yes, sir.

That's him, the wolch spy!

Get down!

You sorry little

Italian bastard.

I wanted to see you

on your knees.

On your knees, now!

Can't you hear me?

How dare you!

There! Down there!

There's another spy!

Run!

They're coming,

they're coming!

Get out, you shysters.

You just ruin

everything here.

There's a spy.

Get out!

What are you looking

for, huh?

All you do is mess things up,

get out of here!

You need to step out

of the way, ma'am.

You are not going anywhere.

Good luck.

Let's go!

Get out!

Come on, move it!

Get out from under there.

Get out.

Get to the left.

Don't look!

Don't look!

Ander!

I am not angry

with you!

Ander! Where are you?

It's gonna be all right,

it's gonna be all right.

It's gonna be all right.

Ander!

Did she seduce you?

She did the same

to me, Ander.

Don't worry,

we will sort it out!

Ander!

Francesca.

Francesca.

Not the worst place

to die.

As the Italian soldier

came closer, he stumbled...

as if he finally found

what he was looking for,

and it was not me.

He held the kettle

and poured.

There was nothing in it.

We didn't know

where we were going.

We just knew it would

be together.

But I still dream

of the mountains...

with no soldiers...

just mountains.

Just silence.