Village by the River (1958) - full transcript

''Modern civilisation, with its many
excesses, threatens the survival...

of the legends and stories
people had been telling for centuries.

However, in some areas
where progress was slow to arrive...

the oral tradition
is still very much alive.

ln the villages along the river Meuse,
people speak with reverence...

about the days when Doctor van Taeke
lived there and swayed the sceptre.

The best story-teller is old Deaf Cis,
sitting next to the stove in the cafe.

He'll talk for hours about the Doctor,
that peculiar man...''

He Was a peculiar man, our Doctor.

The villagers adored him...

but didn't really get on With him,
because he did such peculiar things.



The only one to get close to him
Was me.

Yes, me. Deaf Cis.

But in those days l spent more time
in jail than at home.

l thought you had another week to go?
-They sent me off home again.

The Governor said: You don't think
we're taking care of you for a month?

No, they couldn't keep me.

But they did keep your gun?
-Yes, and my torch, too.

Come round this evening
and we'll drink to your return.

And l'll bring you a duck or a fish.

Home, that Was my houseboat
on the river Meuse.

That's Where l lived With my doggie.

Yes, our Doctor Was an odd character.

The things l could tell you
about Doctor van Taeke...

You'll hear it in a While.



But don't Worry if the stories
are out of the ordinary.

Because he Was a strange character
and those Were strange times.

Hello, Doctor.

VlLLAGE ON THE RlVER

based on the novel by Antoon Coolen

Hello, Geert.

lf that isn't Thijs van Erpen.

He's in a hurry.

Seems like a lot of a hurry.

Doctor, Doctor.

You've got to come.
The baby will be born soon.

Leave me in peace, man.
l haven't finished the paper yet.

But, Doctor...

Doctor, you weren't needed before,
but now it's time.

Scram, man.

Yes, Doctor.

As long as you're in good time.
You never know.

Van Erpen Was cursing.
He thought it Was no Way to behave.

But he'd only just got
to the dike road, When...

Much too early.
l'm going back to get my paper.

Can't l get it for you?
-No, you can't.

How are you now?

Why didn't you put on your good jacket
to go to the doctor?

Doctor notices things like that.

Offer the Doctor a cup of coffee.

Doctor, a cup of hot coffee.

Thank you.

Doctor, Sir.

Thank you.

Van Erpen, l can't bear it.

lt's coming.

More hot water.

Oh, dammit.

Has it arrived? l came running
when l saw your horse.

Here l am, lrma.

Hush now. Won't be long now.

Off with the blanket.

Look, the baby.

Look at it.

Look. Here.

Dammit, you got me all worked up
sitting there reading your paper.

But you know what you're doing.
Nerves of steel.

Give us a light.

He doesn't greet us with much respect,
Burgomaster.

l've stopped being annoyed, Nooteboom.
He doesn't know what respect is.

Mammeke Was still alive then.
She lived outside the village.

l'll tell you Why.

She had a horrible disease.

We kneW What it Was,
but We never mentioned it.

Hello, Doctor.
l always recognize your footsteps.

At least my hearing is still OK.
-Hello, Mammeke.

Did you bring my bottle of medication?
-Yes.

Thank you, that's a good thing.

l ran out of drops two days ago
so my eyes are beginning to burn.

Sometimes it keeps me awake.
-How are the boys?

They're good lads. They work hard.
And they're fond of me.

How's Mrs van Taeke and your kids?
They're real little devils, l hear.

But God bless them all.

l hear they were shooting
at the weather cock on the church.

Bring them along sometime.

And l'll tell them:
Make sure you don't get what l got.

May God preserve you from it.
But little devils they are.

And regular little devils they Were.

Run, Tjerk.

Go on, run.

What's going on?

Where are the boys?

ln bed.

Call them here.

The scoundrels. Damn them.

The old village pump
Was all in smithereens.

All our window panes are broken.

A fortnight on bread and water.

Off you go.

Hendrik...

How did you make that bomb?

Simple.

A bit of gunpowder, sulphur,
and potassium chlorate in a tin.

And bits of scrap metal.

We worked out how long it would take
for the fuse to burn up.

lt had to work. Did you hear it?
-Yes, indeed we did.

Now get off to bed.

lt Was in those days
that the miller's man...

called Long Lent...

Was nagged so much by his Wife
that he couldn't stand it any longer.

And so he did aWay With himself.

Yes, such things do happen.

Who knoWs What a man Will do
When he's nagged by his Wife?

He ends up doing stupid things.

Lent.

Boy.

Lent. Boy...

Dammit.

Dammit.

Noldus.

Noldus, what happened?

Answer me, Noldus.

He hanged himself.
l found him.

But how could he?
Couldn't you stop him?

His mother died in the madhouse, too.

You know what was the matter
with Long Lent?

He had madness on the brain too.
lt was inherited.

That's right.

Drika.
-Yes, Mammeke.

lt's worse than what l've got, right?
-Yes, it is.

l've only got myself to blame.
l used to be a pretty girl, didn't l?

Until he came.
-Yes, Mammeke. l know.

He stayed one night
and l never saw him again.

lt was a night l'll never forget
but l paid dearly for it.

Sometime l wish l was dead,
just like Long Lent.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive them who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Maria, full of grace.

Blessed art thou amongst women and
blessed is Jesus, fruit of thy womb.

Hail Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners.

Now and in the hour of our death.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

Blessed art thou amongst women and
blessed is Jesus, fruit of thy womb.

Good old Long Lent.

Life is full of insecurity.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed...

Yes, that Long Lent hanged himself
is nothing to be surprised at.

With a wife like that...

Quiet.

She's snoring.

After nagging him to death.

Well, nagging him to death...
Pale Pie, you can't say that.

Am l right, Uncle Jan?
-She did nag him, that's the truth.

And a man can get pretty mad
when he's got a nagging wife.

lt can get to his brain.

And he can turn crazy with it...

and do himself in.

Long Lent.

Hell... it's a bird.

lt's an eagle, right Pale Pie?

To Long Lent.

Lent, boy, your health.

Hey, Lent.

Did you hang yourself?

Why?

Because of that wife of yours?

Leave him be, Janus.
-lt's none of your business.

Do you know who l am?
-Long Dirk's son Janus.

Who dares do anything.
-Yes, who dares do anything.

There's nothing l don't dare do.
-We know you're a daredevil.

They can't say that about you,
Pale Pie.

l'm also a daredevil.
-You? You're a sissy.

What did you say?

Me?
-Yes, you.

You could be in for a surprise.
You don't know me.

You're nothing but a loudmouth.
-You watch it.

Tut, tut. Let's pray again.
-Our Father which art in Heaven.

Hallowed be thy name,
thy will be done.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

Blessed art thou amongst women and
blessed is Jesus, fruit...

Do you know
what Mammeke's disease is?

Do you dare pull off
Mammeke's headscarf?

No.

Van Lent, l swear by your dead body...

that l'll do something
that Long Dirk's Janus doesn't dare.

l shall pull Mammeke's headscarf
off her head.

What's going on?

ls this a proper wake or isn't it?

You heard me swear.

You've gone round the bend.

But Pale Pie,
what about Mammeke's sons?

There's going to be trouble.

l wouldn't do it, Pale Pie.

You heard my solemn oath.

l was serious.

And l shall do what l swore to.

Boys. Boys.

Pieter. Nol.

Pieter. lt was Pale Pie.

At four o'clock in the morning
he was found in the polder.

But he wasn't very nice to look at.

Well, with your skull bashed in
you wouldn't be nice to look at.

Mammeke's sons didn't do it.
-They weren't even around.

They were in here that night.

What time was that?

l don't know.
Almost all night.

And the axe that was used on Pale Pie
wasn't their axe.

lt was a new axe.
Not from around here.

These death certificates...

are peculiar, to say the least.

Because what is the cause of death?

Now that you're here, Burgomaster,
l'll show you something interesting.

You know that nature
sometimes performs curious capres.

But have you even seen this before?

lt is a calculus renalis equorum.
-l see.

You know what it is?
- No.

Look, it's the kidney stone
of a horse.

That's curious, very curious.

You must admit, Doctor,
that Lent's wife, his widow rather...

was not exactly blameless
in her behaviour.

And this atrocious murder,
less than a week later...

has convinced me
that drastic measures are necessary.

The mentality of these country people
is despicable.

So l'm here to discuss with you...

There are very clever people
who see through everything...

and therefore despise everything.

But there are also people
who are even cleverer.

They begin to have an inkling
of the mystery of things.

They despise less.

l have let you have
the death certificates...

and so my task is finished.

Hello, Burgomaster.

l understand your attitude.

The less publicity we give
to these sad misdemeanours...

the better for the whole community.

l shall see you out.

The Burgomaster Was offended.
And that served him right.

That summer...

l'm not likely to forget that summer.

Didn't l tell you l live on my oWn
on the boat? With my dog?

That summer
some gypsies came to the village.

Quite a croWd, those gypsies.
And one day, in the evening...

one of those dark-skinned gypsy
Women Was Walking along the river.

Evening fell...

You have to speak up.

l'm a bit deaf.

l use it to go poaching.

But When l Woke up in the morning,
she Was no longer there.

l Was scared stiff.
l ran outside.

But as l got to the top of the dike,
Well, have a guess?

What do you think? Well?

Exactly.

There she Went. My gypsy.

That Winter Was the Worst Winter
We'd had in years.

Dirk van Alem's Wife Who lived across
the Meuse Was expecting a baby.

ln such a terrible Winter's night.

The time has come.
He's given the signal.

But you can't get across.
-Call Willem.

He's got to harness the horse.
-You'll never get there.

You don't think l'm a fool, do you?

Willem.

He has given the signal.
Doc says you're to harness the horse.

But the ferry is out of action.

l'm not going to do it.

l'm no idiot, you know.

Do you hear?

l damn well won't.

Go ahead if you must.
But l won't be at the ferry.

You can't get across.
-What did you say?

l'm not taking you across.
Not for a hundred thousand guilders.

l'm a doctor. lf l can't
get to Van Alem, things may go wrong.

And his wife could be dead tomorrow.
-l am a ferryman.

And l can't get the ferry across.
The river is full of ice.

We'll both drown.
You can count me out, Doctor.

l'm not ready to die.

Now you can see for yourself, Doctor.
-Wait a minute.

What's he doing now?

Well, what brings you here, Doctor?

You're the man
who dares do anything, right?

l'm not easily scared.
-OK, listen.

Van Alem's wife
is about to give birth.

l have to be there,
or it will end badly.

Nardje is refusing to take me across.
But you replace him sometimes.

Will you ferry me across?
-Me?

Yes, you.
-Now? Right now?

Not for a million.

Have you seen the river?

No, l won't fall for that.
We'll both drown.

Goodnight.

Van Alem, from across the Meuse,
kept signalling With his lamp.

What are you doing, Doctor?
-l have to get there.

l'll go on my own.

On foot.

A stubborn man.
You have no idea how stubborn.

Once he had made up his mind
about something...

And there he went,
without more ado, on to the river.

He'll never make it. Never.

He'll drown.

He's drowning.

The villagers gathered on the bank.
All the men, Women and children.

l couldn't cross.
-lt's hopeless. He'll never get there.

No doubt about it.

He'll make his way back, too.

Mark my words.
The river is going to freeze over.

Where is the boss?
-He's a Frisian. Stubborn as a mule.

He'll come back.
-l think so too.

lf he gets there, he'll have to wait
till tomorrow, when it's frozen over.

You can't be sure.

You'll see. He'll come back.

lt Was a long night.
We Were all frozen stiff.

And We kept looking at the river.

But my poacher's eyes
Were the first to spot him.

There he is.
-Where is he?

Hell, the Frisian has made it.

Willem, give me a light.

We Wanted to say something.

HoW proud We Were
and hoW happy that he'd made it.

But We couldn't.

We Were dumbfounded.

Go home.

Tomorrow you'll all have bronchitis.

Goodnight and God bless you.

He is a peculiar man.

Thank you, Willem.

Go to bed now.

Goodnight, Willem.

Here.

ls it too hot?

lt hasn't been in vain.

Van Alem's child is alive.

l had to do a Caesarean.

The woman is in a bad state,
but she'll get over it.

Here, drink this.
-Bring me my book of births.

l've got it ready for you.

Dirk van Alem's seventh child.

Willem...

Jacob...

are the names.

Fine names they are.

l've been up all night waiting.

l couldn't sleep.

Then Nardje de Wit came to tell me
that you'd gone across the ice.

How could you, Tjerk?

Drink some.

When Nardje de Wit said you were
crossing the river, in this weather...

l almost resented it.

You know how unreasonable
l can be.

All alone in the house...
-You are not alone.

Pieta is here, and the boys.

The boys wouldn't go to bed.
They wanted to wait for you.

They nearly fell asleep at the table.

Pieta couldn't keep her eyes open,
so l sent her to bed.

And then sat waiting here on my own.

Afraid something would happen to you.
-You know l always land on my feet.

And then l was thinking
that something might happen to me...

in your absence.

l prayed you'd be back soon.
-Nothing will happen to you.

You're so clearly on the mend.

Have you taken your powders?

And?

They don't help. l was sick again.
l can't keep them in.

You look tired.
Let me look.

l'm afraid.

You mustn't give into it.
You have to control yourself.

Fear promotes the disease.
-l can't help it.

lf l think of you and the boys.

And young Tjerk.

And our whole life together here.

l am deadly afraid.

We've never talked much together.

You have your work,
l look after the boys.

Time passes.

l just wanted to say
that l am happy with you.

lf only it could last...

You shouldn't talk like that.

l am happy with you.

So am l with you.

You are cold.

l'm so afraid, Tjerk.

You'll get better, l tell you.

Soon the winter will be over,
and then we'll go to the South.

You'll see.

Be quiet, boys.

You must keep quiet now.
You can go in.

Morning, Doctor.

Hello, Cis.
-Nardje.

Caught anything?
Anything worthwhile?

Not bad.

What's the matter with him?

My wife isn't doing well.

He kneW, in his heart...

that she Wasn't going to get better.

l always dread going home.

That's all right now.

Call them in, Pieta.

Go in now, boys.

Come a bit closer.

Take a very good look now.

Quiet, come on.

You've seen her now...

The lid is closed.

Never forget how she was.

You'll never see her again.

Go to the kitchen now.

Have your bread and butter.

Never again.

l want you to swear by the Book
that you'll keep silent about it.

Now say: l swear.

l swear.

As l said...
-Breathe.

And as l said...
-Take a deep breath.

lt's nothing bad.
Just a mild catarrh.

Thank Heaven.

My dear Doctor...

l had meant to come and see you...

after the sad blow that struck you...

to express my deepest sympathy...

in your loss of the respected
Mrs Van Taeke.

Thank you.

My dear Doctor van Taeke...

You and l are in the village
the only ones...

and l'm leaving out Mr Nooteboom
for the moment on purpose...

the only people of culture.

And since we also represent
a certain authority in the village...

l feel it's such a pity,
my dear Van Taeke, that we don't...

that we don't cooperate more closely.

And that our joint interests don't...

l don't see how we could have
any joint interests.

My dear Doctor...

Since Mrs Van Taeke
was so sadly taken from us...

my thoughts have gone out to you
more than you may expect.

To you, in your large and lonely home.

One pill after lunch and after dinner.
Goodbye and God bless you.

The Burgomaster Was offended.

Oh, and another thing.
l put out some snares around the time.

And Lou, the Constable Was after me.

Damn, he nearly hit me there.

Thijs van Erpen, they're after me.

Where is Deaf Cis?
l saw him chuck his gun away.

l haven't seen him.
-There's no point in denying.

l don't know anything about Deaf Cis.
l hardly know him.

What's that then?
-What's what?

That dog.

Oh look. The little doggie.

Yes, that's Deaf Cis's dog.
-ls it really?

Yes, now that you mention it,
l've seen that dog before.

Come along.

What's the matter?
-Just taking a look.

That was all.

Nothing.
-He's got away.

But he'll be back for the dog.
-lt was prowling around the house.

ln the end l let him in.
-l'll have a glass of beer.

Me too.

Stop.

'Stop,' l called out, Your Honour.
'l can't help it: l give myself up.'

What would you have done,
Your Honour, in my position?

That's enough.

So then he pulled me out,
and kicked me in the butt.

l had to lie down for two days.
lt still hurts when l sit down.

l am glad l did my duty.

But you shouldn't have kicked him.
You should have shown more restraint.

Well, Deaf Cis,
you're fined twenty-five guilders...

and your gun is confiscated.

Next case, please.

After his Wife's death
the Doctor had a difficult time.

He felt lost
in that large house of his...

that seemed noW
so empty and deserted.

He Would sit up in the draWing room
until the early hours.

The hours Went by very sloWly.

What's the matter, Father?

Did you love your Mother dearly?

Yes, Father.

Do you often think of her?

Do you ever go to the churchyard?

Do you never pray
on your Mother's grave?

Do you never go to her grave?

Do not forget how she was.
-No, Father.

God bless you.

Go to sleep now.

Good morning, Sjef.

Morning, Doctor.

He said it to my face.

He said: We have no joint interests.

No hesitation now, Nooteboom.
This was the last drop.

l emphatically ask you
to second my proposal.

You can count on me, Burgomaster.

Thank you for your support.

This discussion
is leading us nowhere.

To celebrate our municipal doctor's
jubilee in style...

which we have decided to do...

Van Taeke's present
should be a generous gift.

l propose to present the Doctor
with the following.

A closed envelope
containing a thousand guilder note.

A thousand guilders?
-l'm sure l'm grateful to him.

But Burgomaster, aren't we
supposed to be more economical?

Precisely.
-Also this would create a precedent...

the consequences of which
are hard to predict.

How can you be so stingy
after what the Doctor has done for us?

A thousand guilders isn't stingy.
-Yes, gentlemen, a thousand guilders.

But in addition l'd like to move
another resolution.

Van Taeke is a devoted doctor
and a capable obstetrician.

Quite.
-But there is more to come.

l have heard complaints
from certain families...

about shamelessly high bills
they had to pay.

And after...
-l'd like to know...

And after l had gone into
the complaint...

l have to say that the invoices
were excessively high .

l'd like to know...

Let me finish, please.

l could even quote an example...

which came to my ears...

of someone who went for treatment
for a simple catarrh...

for which the bill, Jeff Blacksmith...

came to fifty guilders.

So the intention is...

to grant the Doctor honourable
discharge after his jubilee.

And the thousand guilders are
by the way of a small compensation.

Discharge?

As simply as that?
-Exactly. lt's been decided.

His pension rights still stand.
-lt's a disgrace.

The way you treat a man
who'd give his life for his patients!

But don't you think there is a need
for a younger doctor...

whose view of life conforms more
to that of our own...

and to the nature of our people?
-lt's a disgrace.

Let's vote on the idea
of offering the reward first...

and inform him later
of his honourable discharge...

with a vote of thanks
for services rendered.

l vote against.

From the bottom of my heart.

But Sjef the Blacksmith did
What a Councillor should never do.

He divulged What had gone on
in the Council meeting.

Come on in, Sjef.

And then we had to vote...
-Have a cigar.

Thank you.

And the outcome...
-l knew about the discharge.

But thank you all the same.

But it's a disgrace.

Nooteboom.

Silence, please. Silence.

My highly esteemed
and deeply beloved Doctor.

When l was asked, as first citizen
of this community...

to address you
on this solemn occasion...

l consented with great pleasure.

For l do not exaggerate
when l state, worthy Doctor...

that you are an example to
all the practitioners of your craft.

ln that capacity
you have reached a milestone.

Your long term of office...

will forever be inscribed
in the annals of our community...

as a glorious one.

Not only a servant of Aesculapius,
have you been to your patients...

but as a man, too,
you were to us...

someone who considered it his main
duty to serve his fellow human beings.

And when the time comes
to enjoy a well-deserved rest...

which may soon be the case,
after 25 years of faithful service...

years that have taxed you so much
in physical and mental efforts...

l hope that this well-deserved rest...

may turn out to be an undisturbed
dolce far niente ...

for many years to come.
-Hear, hear.

As a token of our recognition
and gratitude...

l have the privilege to offer you
a sealed envelope...

the content of which you may spend
in any way you like.

ln the way that will give you
the most satisfaction.

Thank you. Long live Van Taeke.
Long live our Doctor.

Bring me a burning candle.
l'll need it.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Those who have given me flowers
and their best wishes...

and who meant well in doing so...

l'd like to thank them all sincerely.

Each of you knows in his heart
whether he deserves my thanks.

To you, Burgomaster,
l should like to reply thus:

lt is a bitter fact
that whoever you are...

and whatever you do...

on this kind of occasion
you only meet with hypocrisy...

that camouflages betrayal.

Mucius Scaevola...

held his hand in the fire to show that
the Romans were men of character.

l hold this envelope in the fire...

to show that Frisians
are people of character.

Thus l have spoken.

l have acted.
Thank you all, gentlemen.

Beautifully spoken.

No music.

No music.

Stop playing.

This is an insult, Burgomaster.
lt's impertinent.

lmpossible.

Then he left us.

Doctor van Taeke himself resigned.

ls there no shooting there?

Yes, but the area isn't large enough.
l've seen it for myself.

Just a few meadows, no more.

lt'll be a different life, Doc.

Funny country, Friesland is.
l'd never been there before.

lt's further away than l thought.

And the people...

l couldn't understand them.

Do you speak Frisian?
-l spoke nothing else as a child.

How do you say...

that the weather is nice?

Yes, that's where l'm going to live.

My wife is buried there now.

And my sons will be going
to boarding school there.

l'm leaving tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

Thank you, Doc.
lt's a very nice shotgun.

They won't take this one off me.
-l've heard you say that before.

And l saW him go.

He didn't look back once.

We never saW him again, our doctor.

What else is there to say?

That it Was a pity, for such a man...

And a pity for us, too.
Here, in our village on the river.