With Fire and Sword (1999) - full transcript

WITH FIRE AND SWORD

In a film by Jerzy Hoffman
based on the novel...

"With Fire and Sword"
"by Henryk Sienkiewicz."

May God protect us.

I'm terribly afraid.

I have the blessed bullet
and wooden stake.

Perhaps you know some spells.

Lead the way.

"Oh no, I'm not going first."

"Get going, you sluggard!"

"This film is dedicated
to my wife, Walentyna."



Making yourself pretty
for our ataman, eh?

"He's a good man.
You should treat him well, too."

"He's a falcon, very strong."

He'll satisfy you.

If it weren't for Bohun...

Horpyna!

Who are you?

Recognize this?

Where's Bohun?

He's wounded.

I saw that he was.

They why'd you ask?

Watch out for the dwarf.
He shoots like the devil.

Oh God...



The baton!

I've seen all this. Czeremis!

Sir Skrzetuski went all the way
to Kiev looking for me?

"If he hadn't, he'd be with us now."

He didn't forget me?

Who could ever forget you?

Look at this knight.
He's giddy at the very sight of you.

"Remember, little girl,
how we got away from Bohun on foot?"

You carried me in your arms
over many streams...

You'll soon have something
to carry thanks to Skrzetuski.

"That's enough,
you're talking nonsense."

That girl goes to your head
like sweet wine.

While you stare at her drooling.
She's too good for you!

"Rzedzian, take the lady and ride!"

"Rzedzian, into the forest!"

Sir Michael! My horse is faltering!

Jump off and into the forest!

"Oh my dear, Sir Michael!"

Sir Michael!

Where are you?

Don't leave me!

"Save me, Sir Michael!"

Where are you?

Here!

"Save me, Sir Michael!"

"Quiet, maybe they won't see us!"

Kill the heathens!

Ours?

Kill them!
Murder the sons of bitches!

Brother dearest!

"God must have sent you, Sir Longinus!"

I thought I was done for.
Where's the princess?

Maybe they'll turn back?

"No, there were Tartars behind us."

All for nothing.
My little girl is lost.

"Rzedzian will make sure she's safe.
It means saving his own skin, too."

Is Skrzetuski at Zbaraz?

Has been for a week.

What do we tell him?

That's the problem.

He thinks the girl is dead.

Mum's the word!

"If anything happened to her now,
he'd lose his mind."

"ZBARAZ
July 10, 1649"

"We have guests, gentlemen."

They say there are half a million
Tartars and Cossacks.

Bite your tongue!

"When they storm the ramparts,
it's easier to cut off heads."

Don't shoot!

From the hetman to Duke Jarema!

What is it you want?

"Forgive me, I have orders to tell you."

Go on!

The hetman would like to pay you
a visit tomorrow.

"Tell him the feast is tonight,
not tomorrow!"

You sent for me Khan?

"What is going on, hetman?"

"Enlightened Lord, Duke Jarema
is having a feast."

Allah be praised.

He has the heart of a lion.
I'd rather have him than you.

Will all this be mine tomorrow?

"Tomorrow, they will all die."

Allah be praised.

I hate crowds.

Jesus Christ!

Save me!

I've captured the flag!

I never knew I was so brave.

You're lucky
I'm not the one charging you!

I captured the flag in this battle.

Face the cavalry!

Speak!

"All powerful Khan,
grandson of Mohammed..."

Has the infidel castle fallen?

God did not wish it.

- The Poles?
- Victorious.

- Chmielnicki?
- Defeated.

- Tuhaj-bej?
- Wounded.

Allah be praised.

Traitor!

"Cossack hetman, not traitor."

You promised me a feast at the castle.

How could I have known that Jarema
wouldn't humble himself before you?

Your fame and power are nothing
if the Khan of Crimea...

...is disgraced by a Polish Duke.

I'll have Jarema's head!
No infidel dog will dishonor me!

How long will these infidel dogs
continue mocking me?

Hunger will make them meek.

By the time
they've eaten their last horse...

...the King will have come
with reinforcements.

Launch an assault.

Give me your janissaries
to encourage my men.

"Subagazi, you'll lead the janissaries."

The grandson of Mohammed has spoken.

I shall give the order.

Subagazi?

Lord of creation...

I did not bring
the faithful here to die.

"If you surprise the infidels, strike!"

"If not, sound the drum for retreat."

"My bravery needs three things:
to eat, drink and sleep well."

"Let's go to sleep at least,
as there's nothing to eat or drink."

Without orders?
Don't you know the army?

You're smaller than a wren
so a grain of millet...

...and a thimbleful of drink
will do for you.

I thank God I wasn't dug out
of the sand by a chicken...

...but born by a woman.

"I have a canteen, but since
I was dug out by a chicken..."

...such a mean person's meat
won't taste very good to you.

"You're a sly fox, Sir Michael,
but you do share with others."

I didn't want to offend you.
Take it from Sir Longinus.

What are you doing?
Stop pouring it in like that!

I only had a sip!

We can relax until tomorrow.

Quiet!

- They're coming.
- In even step.

Cossack infantry or janissaries.

To arms!

"So, today's a day to celebrate!"

"Certainly, our friend
has fulfilled his vow."

A holy day to remember so a nation
like ours shall not perish.

"They come with praise, but what about
food or a sip to drink..."

"I haven't eaten since yesterday,
but we might find a sip of mead."

Shame on you begging like that.

I'm not begging at all...

"...but when such a worthy man asks,
it's impolite to refuse."

"I can't invite you to eat,
even horsemeat's hard to find."

There are only two bottles
of mead left.

"When the King sends relief,
we'll see to his army supply wagons."

The soldiers care more for
their bellies than for the Republic.

The King's our last hope.
We're low on food and gunpowder.

"I wouldn't tell the others that,
but I can tell you."

"The nobles are slowly mobilizing,
but how is the King to know..."

...we're eating our last horses?

If someone could get through...
but not even a mouse could do it.

I'll go.

What are you saying?

The King must be informed
of our situation and I thought...

"...that if God allowed me
to fulfill my vow, then I'd go."

Are you mad?
A bird can't get out of here.

"If it's God's will, He'll find a way."

"If not, He'll reward me in heaven.
So I'm going, my brothers."

You won't go alone.
I'm going with you.

So am I.

Let's go see the Duke.

You must be crazy with your,
"Me too, me too!"

God is punishing me.
That's what I get for being with you.

What did I do to you
that you persecute me like this?

Persecute you?

Sir Longinus was always a joker.
Cutting off three Turkish heads...

He has now added his own!

I won't listen to this.

You'll hide in a Cossack's boot
and get through.

But why do you want all four of us
to face certain death?

Four?

If any of you go...

"...then I'm going, too."

May my blood be on your hands.

"Oh no, sir..."

The devil take you!

"Think positive, sir..."

Shut up! This is all your fault.

"It's not the king you're hurrying to,
you just want to get out..."

...so you can run like a stallion
through the villages...

"...and lose your virginity.
It's scandalous, for God's sake!"

I won't listen to this.

Let's listen to what the Duke says.

The same thing I just did!

You want to go together?

"They want to leave,
your excellency, not me."

You aren't going?

"I didn't say I wasn't,
I said I didn't want to."

As God has punished me
with such comrades...

...I must stick with them
till the end.

"Bravery is one thing,
but this is madness."

I trust that your excellency
won't allow such rashness.

"You're a good comrade,
but I'm afraid I must disappoint you."

I accept your offer.

We're dead...

"One will go first.
If he's killed, another will go."

And so on.

Your excellency...

That's an order.

Who first offered to go?

"I did, sire."

Go.

Tell the King everything you see.

Two companies are standing by.
Give the signal and they move.

Lousy weather.

"Better this way, brother."

It'll be dawn in three hours.

Go with God.

"God be with you, brothers.
Forgive me all I've done wrong."

All you've done wrong?
Good Lord...

"Wasyl, is that you?"

Yes...

Got anything to drink?
Let's have some.

How'd you get so tall?

Maybe he'll turn back.

He'll never get through the camp.
He can still turn back.

He won't.

"If he's in the camp,
there's no way we can help him."

Let's let the men get some sleep.

We won't even hear the shots
from here.

I'm not moving.

"Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison,
Christ hear us and hear us out."

Almighty God!

Jesus Christ!

There's somebody there.

"Corpses, they float to the surface."

Orders are to keep watch.

There's nobody there.

Have the patrols returned?

"Yes, your highness, but empty-handed."

"What, not a single prisoner?"

"Only local serfs,
who don't know anything."

Advise me!

"Wait, your highness."

"Wait, until Zbaraz falls?"

If Wisniowiecki is the warrior
people say he is...

...then he ought to be able
to hold out a bit longer.

Once the people learn
that the king himself is here...

...the rebellion will melt away
like snow in the glow of the sun.

So that is your advice?
That's no advice at all.

"Tomorrow, we leave for Zbaraz."

If Chmielnicki has only Tuhaj-bej
and a few thousand Tartars...

"...then we can try our luck, but
if the Khan is there with his army..."

...we'll all be killed.

"In every normal country, the king
rules the treasury and the army."

"Here, Parliament decided
on every cent and nobles avoid a fight!"

Your highness...

...a comrade from Zbaraz is here.

Bring him in immediately!

Who are you?

I'm from Zbaraz.

Sit him down.

- Can you speak now?
- Yes.

Who are you?

"Jan Skrzetuski, hussar lieutenant."

How are things?

"Misery, hunger, no gunpowder."

Is the Khan there?

With all the Tartars.

And Wisniowiecki
has held out this long?

Enough of this! Khan or no Khan...

"...whether the army's here or not,
we're leaving for Zbaraz today!"

I am indebted to you.

Your highness...

Feed him and send for a doctor.

We leave at dawn!

"But sire, what about the wagons?"

Whoever thinks wagons are more
important than our nation...

...can stay here and wait.
Sound the trumpets.

Rzedzian...

Is that you or your ghost?

"I thought you'd never wake up, sir."

Where am I?

At the king's quarters.

And the king?

He's leading an army to Zbaraz.

Praise almighty God!

The king and lords have sent us
many treasures.

Great riches...

No one else could
have made it out of Zbaraz.

"Sir Longinus went before me,
but was killed."

Oh my Lord...

"Sir Longinus, dead?"

Such a giant...

They used bows and arrows.

Sir Wolodyjowski and Sir Zagloba?

Still alive when I left.
Give me some water.

"Praise the Lord,
for they are great friends of yours."

I was afraid the Tartars
had captured them.

So you were with them?

They didn't tell me.

They didn't know if I'd escaped.

If that doctor hadn't forbidden me.

He had to go to Zbaraz
with the king...

...but told me to take care of you
and not say a word.

Rzedzian!

How'd you get here?

"Well, you see, sir..."

"...when the Tartars attacked,
they stayed behind while I escaped."

I thought you were
a better servant than that.

"But sir, if we had been alone,
just three, I would have stayed."

"I would never have left them,
but there were four of us."

But the doctor told me
not to tell you.

Who was with you?

But the doctor...

Who was with you?

"Oh, it's you Bohun."

Hetman! What's going on?

Peace.

You're letting them go? Jarema?

The Khan sold us out.

He signed a treaty with the king.

"Brothers! Those who still have
Cossack pride, follow me!"

Halt!

Follow me!

Prepare arms!

Fire!

My little girl!

Jan!

My little girl!

You have no idea
how famous you've become!

"May God bless you, Jan."

I'll be indebted to you
for the rest of my life.

A peace treaty has been signed.
It's time for a wedding.

The Duke himself
will be giving you away.

"You did well, you scoundrel."

"Careful, I can't breathe!"

You need not fear anything any longer.

He attacked our entire army.

"The Duke told us to prepare a pale,
but then changed his mind."

"He's yours, do as you wish."

Let me have Bohun.
You'll just kill him...

...but I want to torture him first.

You're free.

You know I'll return to Chmielnicki.

The wars continued for a long time...

...desolating the Republic
and desolating Ukraine.

"Hatred grew in people's hearts,
poisoning blood between brothers."

"150 years later, Catherine II,
Empress of Russia..."

"...conquered the Crimean Khanate,
destroyed the Cossack Sich..."

...and was largely responsible
for the collapse of the Republic.

Subtitles @ Polart 2003