Time to Die (2007) - full transcript

When the witty old lady Aniela finally gets rid of her last lodger, she thinks it's finally time for her to feel at home in her beautiful old wooden house. But her greedy son and neighbours have other plans.

Dedicated to my grandmother Rena

Good morning...

Excuse me, may I?

May I?

Come in.

Undress, lie down.

Excuse me, Doctor?

Undress, lie down.

Kiss my ass!

I sure told her.

That tone!
What else was I to say?



I shouldn't have bothered.

Why did I even go
to that doctor?

They can only make you worse.

Whoever heard an educated doctor
speak that way to an old woman?

Well, not that old.

Ugh, these damned cars.

I'm glad I don't have
to go out too often.

I'll never go see
that witch again.

In my home,
nobody dared speak that way.

Not even to the help!
Mother would be furious,

and say it shows
lack of respect.

This really got to me.
That old prune shouldn't have died.

After all, I sort of liked her...
She died just to spite me.

Without warning.
Old croak.



I thought I'd finally get her out.
And here it was done for me...

She was younger than me.

Well, maybe not so much.
I sure told her!

What else was I to say?
These cars...

I sure told her right...

Dear God, I am going mad.

Thinking about many things at once.

TIME TO DIE

What's the use crying now?

You should have come to visit
your mother once a year.

Not like my son.
He visits me.

Twice a year.

He won't cry.

Ms Aniela!

I won't be taking the piano.

Maybe you want to buy it?

Why would you need a piano...
I will call you when I find a buyer.

Goodbye.

Miss!

But the piano is mine!

Damn it...

It won't budge.

Now what?

Fiddlesticks!

I didn't want to ask them
to move it.

They might have
become suspicious.

And God forbid if they found it...

How would I ever prove
it belonged to me, not her.

Although she wasn't here
before the war...

Nevertheless, there could be trouble.

Maybe like so...

Dog-gone it!

Dog-gone it!

Oh alright. I won't say that
if it upsets you so much.

Neither here nor there.

That's it.

There is nothing we can do.

I thought we could surprise him.

He'll be surprised anyway.

Don't worry.
I will let you talk.

Busy.

Always busy.

They are always
either absent or talking.

It's all ours now...

At last...

Now I can die in peace, my dear.

lf only someone brought me
a hot cup of tea...

No tea...

We'll have to make do
with some liqueur.

My God...

As soon as you sit down
for a moment...

They have to start with that...

Hopeless.

It?s delicious, my dear.

He arrived...

The dog stopped barking...

The car doors...

The little bimbo's footsteps...

''Honey! Is that you?''

Who else could it be?

What a dumb creature she is.

How does God bring
the likes of her to this world...

How do you people not get bored.
Always the same thing.

May I suggest a slight variation:

''Honey, I was so worried about you!''

There is no tea...

We'll have to make do
with this liqueur.

It?s very healthy, my dear.

This is the reason we are so fit.

I?m telling you, it really is.

My little darling.

She's gone.

It feels so good...

Hello?

Hello...

Too late...

Must you beg?

There's your bowl
premium dog food...

...with the sauce
and the what-not...

But no, you prefer
bread and butter.

Other dogs aren't so picky...

You're not trendy, my dear.

You don't watch TV.
You don't keep up with the times.

lf I were you,
I wouldn't eat that junk either.

But your sweetheart is so stubborn.
He always brings you this stuff...

Honestly, I don't know
why you love him so much.

It will be cold before we get there...

Your mistress is terrible at this.
Come on now.

Come, Phila.

Let's go to our lookout.

Slowly...

What did I say?
It?s cold.

Phooey.

Those rascals again...

Gentlemen, how may I help you?

Excuse me, gentlemen!
Don't you hear me?

Stop yelling,
we're with the local authorities.

Shady-looking fellows.

Suspicious gents...

Excuse me,
I would really like to know...

What are you gentlemen doing
in my yard, by my house?

You call this a house?
It?s a shack.

One gust of wind and it will tumble.

lf anything, you'll tumble first...

We might have to evict you!

You won't scare me.

Phila, do you see
what this world has come to?

Hopeless.

Phila!

Where is my breakfast?

Come out of there.

Shame on you.

Damn dog.

I waited for this all these years...

Now you're telling me
you will think about it?

You said the tenants
were in the way...

So I finally got rid of everyone...

Right, Phila?

Oh Phila...

You must have been
a cheap dancer in a previous life.

No pride or dignity.

You're behaving like a whore...

Like a whore, I tell you!

Now you can move in here.

Look! There's the fatso!

You can move in.

Mummy, you know
it will be a hassle...

What do you mean: a hassle?

Mummy, it's Marzenka...

Then explain it to her.

You are the man, aren't you?

She can't even swing!

Fatso!

Fatso, fatso, fatso can't swing!

Dad, I want to go home!

Dad, I want to go home!

I want to go home, now!

Not soon, right now!

So you won't move
the piano for me?

Witus...

You stink of cigarettes.

My colleagues at work smoke...

You smoke...

Get lost!

I don't need you...

I don't need you at all,
you monster.

I forgot...

I have forgotten everything...

I haven't touched it in years...

There was no way to get it
out of here. Right, Phila?

They just knocked on my door.
Said to me: ''You have room to share.

You must accommodate these comrades.''
That was it. They were ''accommodated''.

Let's go, Phila.

Why did l...

Why did I come here...
I came here...

I wanted to fetch something...

What was it?

What did I want?

Get those paws off.

I don't know.

I don't know why I came here.

Phila...

I told you to get your paws off.

I can't remember.

Oh well.

''That time of...''

No, I won't read this.

Honey, is that you?

''Honey, is that you?''

Ah yes, it's Saturday.
I entirely forgot.

Everything is normal.

And here I thought
a revolution was cooking...

Stop that!

What do you want, silly?

You never know when to sit quiet.

Quiet!

You will stay here.
As punishment.

Wait... what is it I wanted?

Ah yes...

Dear God!
What are you doing here!?

I rang.

I rang...

...but you didn't hear me I guess...

I?m not deaf!

And the bell couldn't ring,
because there isn't one!

Howdy...

Get out of here,
or I will let the dogs loose!

Phila!

Philadelphia!

Get out of here!

Don't worry now...
I?m here on a mission.

Out...!

You sure scared me...

I?m here on a mission, ma'am...

No need for the doggy...

What mission?

From your neighbour.
With a deal.

A deal, you say...

You sell, the chief buys.

Excuse me?

This... Shack...

You sell it, and buy yourself
a nice little flat...

Out.

Out of here!

You tell your ''chief''
to never offer me any more deals!

Do you understand?

I will never sell the house!
Over my dead body!

So we can't strike a deal?
Nothing?

You're charming
even when you yell.

Charming, you say...

Fatso! Run! Out of here!!!

Grandma!!! Good for you!!!
Way to go!!!

Grandma? I?m not your grandma!

No, not ''day after tomorrow''.
Come right now.

''Day after tomorrow like always''
will be too late.

Come now. Right now.

I am not exaggerating!

What do you mean: ''normal''?
He sends his thugs to me?

That boor and his damn
new money! That buffoon!

Bye.

Can you imagine, my dear?

That sweetheart of yours
understands nothing!

Wait, wait...

Come, Phila...

Sleep...

I will be right back.

Oh, dog-gone it.
The fuse again.

And these matches!

Dog-gone it!

Ah, I won't sleep anyway...

Phila! Are you mad?!

You want to startle me
to death tonight, you crazy dog?

You can't be alone
even in your own house.

Even at night!
Always someone spying, following...

Ok, ok. Don't act all offended.

I know you are watching out for me.

I know I shouldn't get upset...

No point being angry. Come!

Did you hear that?
I am ''charming''...

Maybe she is
not so ugly after all...

Look, Phila.

But that dog...
What a monster!

There she goes.

He never knows when to call!

Yes, son?

Hello?

There will be no talks
or negotiations, sir.

You must know that
not everything can be bought.

Not everyone can be bribed.

I cannot continue this conversation...
I am quite busy.

I have company.

You understand.

Please do not call me again.

Goodbye, sir.

No, I am not joking.

Goodbye.

I sure told him!

My slipper!
Give it back, you crazy dog...

Stop, you rascal!

I caught you, see?

No, you didn't.

Don't you come up here!
Quiet! Phila!

What if I fall off?

I?m coming in, OK?

Fine, go ahead.

Don't come any closer, rascal.
Just stay there!

I?m not a rascal.

Just camed to look around...

''Came'', not ''camed''.

Look around, you say...

Look around...
He sent you here, didn't he?

Him?
Ma'am, I hate him.

I?m from Siberia over there.

- Where are you from?
- The barracks...

The music club...
We call it Siberia.

You won't tell anyone
that I camed here?

- We'll see about that.
- Pretty dog. You know...

Yes, pretty...

Kind of funny.

Don't change the subject.

What are you doing in my house?

Honestly?

Yes, of course.

I wanted to sneak
something out of here.

I have some personal needs.

Times are hard, you understand.

Your son comes here
in a fancy car...

So I figure you must be rich.

You have all this junk here...
So I think...

- Why would one person need all that.
- You don't say.

Better to share, ain't it?
That's what they say in church.

You believe in God?

Don't change the subject.
What is your name?

Romek.
But they call me Dostoevsky.

Dostoevsky?

Because my surname is Fyodor.

Do you know who
Dostoevsky was?

Some Russian dude.
Ancient painter.

Don't know him too well.

Ancient painter...

Interesting...

- You are from Siberia?
- Yeah...

What exactly do you do
out there, in Siberia?

Apart from blowing horns
and annoying the neighbours?

I don't play the trumpet.

They're gonna start up
a drum section.

I?ll play the drums.

Drums, that's all I need.
God, have mercy...

Don't you worry.

lf this rich person wants to kick us out,
he'll get his way.

Can't beat him.

Anyone got the money,
they can do anything.

Fucking rich person.

Getting rich on our pain...

Such language isn't
allowed in my house.

I?m very sorry.

Well... I?ll be going...
lf that's OK.

Maybe you'd leave
the traditional way?

There are doors in this house.
Luckily they still work properly.

No thanks, I like it this way...

See ya.

Almost forgot.
Could you spare a fiver?

''Fiver''?

I?ll give 2.50 to Mum, 1 to my brother...

You know...

''Don't BS me''
as you young people say.

I?m old, but I have my wits.

Beer and cigarettes,
that's where my fiver will go.

No... Honest... I swear.

Come back another time, we'll talk.

Can I play on the swing?

Yes, you may...

I should have given him
that fiver...

Am I right, Phila?

Come!

It must be Witus...

Son?

DOSTOEVSKY

My dear Phila...

lf only you knew
how great it used to be...

The summers were hot...

The winters cold...

Snowy...

So beautiful...

Dogs were smarter, too.

Are you crazy?

Don't you bark at me.

Stupid mutt!

A storm...

A storm!
Makes you feel alive...

Hey Grams, where you taking me?

Where ''are'' you taking me.

Come on, you will see...

This is your Daddy's room.

This is where he kept all his toys.

It was so pretty...

I wish you could see
how pretty it was...

Come on...

Come... I want to
show you something.

Grams, you're nuts
about this house...

Come on...

These windows are ruined...

lf only you knew how beautiful
this place was before the war...

Now it's just...

To bad.

This is where
we held grand parties.

We would dance through the night...

Look. Do you remember this?

She told me a thousand times
how it was before the war...

Would you like to take this
as a memento?

I?ll take your ring
as a memento, Grams...

Look at this filth.

The tenants who lived here,
stayed here...

Carelessly ruined everything...
It wasn't theirs, so why care.

That's life.
Come, my child.

We won't go into this room...

This is where they put
the Russians.

They didn't stay very long...
But look what they did!

The floors are gone...
The furnace torn down...

I could try...

Oh, walnuts!

It is time to tidy up the house.

Yeah...

Perhaps one day
you will come to help me?

- Yeah...
- Now you can move in here...

Yeah...

Are you listening to me?

Yeah...

You don't find
this interesting, do you?

Yeah...

Phila...

Look at this fat little girl here.

Is she really my granddaughter?

Yeah...

Could this be my granddaughter?

Now you can move in here.

What? Here?

We will fix up...
It will look like in the old days.

Grams, you're nuts
about this house!

This house should be
burned down, not fixed.

My dear...

First of all, you have
already said that today.

Secondly, you do not say ''Grams''.
You should say ''Grandma''.

And finally, you eat too much.
You are fat like a whale.

Who will ever want you?

You'll never find an admirer...

Leave me alone!

Where is Dad?
I want to go home!

Your dad went to see
our ''darling'' neighbours.

To explain that we will
not sell the house.

Because you are moving here.

I don't want to live here!

Mum was right, you are a witch!

lf I?m rich,
I will have many admirers!

I?m 8, and you're old.

Old croak.
You are absolutely right.

An old witch,
just like your mother says.

But you would like the ring,
wouldn't you?

You'll let me have it?
Really, Grams?

Give it...

It?s ''Grandma'', not ''Grams''.

Remember that.
Will you remember that?

I will, I will...

So will you give it to me, Grams?

Will you?

Please, Grams...

Yes, yes...
You'll get it after I die.

That long?

Not that long, my dear.

You have to pray that
I bite the dust soon.

Will you pray for Granny
to go to heaven?

Well, all right.

They left.

Now I have peace to do some...

...watching.

- Are you leaving, honey?
- Yes.

- Will you be back as usual?
- As usual.

Change into your clothes...

Go on and change.

Go on...

Are you going to cry?

Ok, cry.

Here, give it to me this.

Mum!

Phila! Are you mad?!

Midnight playtime?

Have you gone crazy with age?

Philadelphia!

Do you know you almost
startled me to death?

I will open it if you shut up!

Do you understand?

Well, what do you see there?

Quiet, Phila...

He wore a suit.

He wouldn't wear one to his wedding.
I guess now Marzenka let him.

Do you see what I see?

I told you so!
Don't shush me.

- Who can hear you here?
- She might...

She's blind and almost deaf.

She's sleeping like a baby now.

I will ask her to sign
everything over to me.

For whatever reason.
She'll have no idea...

- You won't tell her?
- Are you crazy?

What will happen to her?
She's your mother!

That's right.

And this is my house.
My mother, my house!

Not yours just yet.

She always ordered me around.

Enough is enough.

Your own mother...?

You just sit quiet.

Why did you take me here,
if you want me to sit quiet?

They left...

My God...

My God...

To put me...

...through such a...

...test.

What does God want from me?

What is this all about...?

My own son...

That... Clod... That oaf...

Pure kindness...
It would seem...

To have that woman defend me
before my own son...

Remember the first time
your baby threw

a tantrum on the street...

Banging his head
on the pavement in rage...

Yes, I remember...

Some woman wanted to help me...
He kicked her!

I almost fainted that day.

Should have taught him
a hard lesson instead!

Maybe he would have
turned out better.

My God...

He was so little...

So tiny...

He held on to me so sweetly...

Maybe I led a wrongful life?

Maybe it was all wrong?

Maybe it was all pointless...?

My God...

My God...

Son...

It?s your mother.

Don't come.

I don't need anything.

Yes.

Time to die.

High time.

That time of year thou
mayst in me behold

When yellow leaves,
or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake
against the cold

Bare ruined choirs, where late
the sweet birds sang.

In me thou seest
the twilight such day

As after sunset
fadeth in the west,

Which by and by

black night
doth take away,

Death's second self,

that seals up all in rest.

This thou perceivest,

which makes thy love more strong,

To love that well

which thou must leave ere long.

Are you crazy?

Die?

Not a chance.

Yes...

We should eat something.

More?

You sure have an appetite.

You'll be fat.
Just like my granddaughter.

You rascals!

Keep quiet!

Dostoevsky!

I will set this straight.

The old bat is coming!

- I will walk you home.
- No need. I?m not that old yet.

Goodbye.

I have gone mad.

I have gone completely mad.

Life is beautiful!

Look Phila, your mistress
has gone mad!

What will we do if it isn't there?

Good God...

Thanks.

Here you are.

Take this.

Thank you.

It should be enough to fully
renovate the house. Maybe more.

Won't you regret this?

No.

I would just like to leave this...

For my...

- Granddaughter?
- No...

For Marzenka.

My daughter-in-law.

Please write that down.

Quiet...

You may being reading.

This will probably be quite boring.

And long.

Notarial deed.

On 23 May 2006 in Warsaw

in the presence of notary
Adam Koniecpolski

the following contract
of donation was drawn.

Aniela Walter,
born on 1 June, 1915 in Warsaw

donates to the
children's music club,

represented by its joint managers,

the said real property
of 2400 sq. meters.

The recipients accept
the said donation.

The donation is conditional on
a full renovation of the house,

whilst maintaining
its architectural structure.

The hitherto owner
will be entitled

to reside in the
property indefinitely.

Watch out!

Come on boys, faster, faster...

Watch your feet!

Out!

Come down here,
don't go upstairs.

I told you not to go upstairs!

Come down here!

Come down here!

Come, come!

Put those boxes here.

Make some room...

Excuse me, Ms Aniela...

I brought you some tea...

Madam...

Ms Aniela! Your tea...

Ms Aniela...

Thank goodness I won't have to
drink tea from a mug.

Philadelphia,
I feel most sorry for you...

My dear Phila, come with me...

Heaven will be
the best place for you...

Fragments of Sonnet 73
by William Shakespeare

Subtitles by Karolina Koltun
and Studio PRINTEL