Kallocain (1981): Season 1, Episode 2 - Andra delen - full transcript
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Well, fellow soldiers? What do we know
of the conspiracy?
Personally I'd say that we
can't find anything that is an actual crime.
They all seem a bit deranged.
But are they criminals? No.
No hints of a political conspiracy, no organisation...
No leaders from what we could tell,
no lists of members...
And they aren't breaking
the law against unions.
Please allow me to object despite only
being a humble subordinate...
I am interested in your opinion as well.
To me, the secret conspiracy appears to be
anything other than harmless...
I mean... All of these people, whether
individually or as a group, are dangerous.
They show far too much trust in other people,
or at least to some people in particular.
I would already consider that harmful to the State...
And a gateway to lawlessness.
This really is dramatising things.
It's just a gaggle of lunatics.
Didn't you call them a sect of madmen yourself?
Right, that's enough.
Truth is, we have never fought obsessed
people such as these methodically.
We have jailed one or two...
But if this sickness were to spread...
... If so, we now have a method
to control the true nature of our senses.
Anyone could be judged by that!
Anyone could be judged by that...
Maybe you're not wrong, after all.
But Chief, if - as you've said yourself -
anyone could be judged...
The Propaganda Ministry would also
get access to a new, great method.
A law concerning illegal states of the mind...
To tell the truth, it would be within
our power to enact such a law...
If we get approvals from the 7th Bureau.
I'll send one of you!
Preferably someone well-spoken and convincing
who could inform the 7th Bureau of the drug.
So the highest ethical instance
within the World State...
Is offered cooperation with the Chemistry City?
Is that what you mean, fellow soldier Kall?
It would obviously be far too bold of me to discuss cooperation.
No; what we would like to offer you is simply an aid...
Under the condition that a law of great importance is enacted.
Something grander than
has ever been seen in the world.
A law against thoughts, and feelings,
that are treason to the state.
Anyone could be judged by such a law.
Yes; anyone could be
convicted by that law.
Naturally, I mean anyone
who isn't loyal, down to their core.
script and direction
HANS ABRAMSON
based on KARIN BOYE'S novel
the second part
You can't just give me that
for no reason!
Don't you know that certain
instructions must be followed?
Pardon?
Who gave you the order
to administer it to me?
Don't you want to get better?
You have been ordered to return
to the Chemistry City as soon as possible.
"Want to get better?"
Yes, I'm the Propaganda Ministry's
personal physician.
It appears that you have been put through
heavy stress in the Capital City, fellow soldier Kall.
Now would you please turn...?
I don't know if I'd
consider a treatment necessary...
I can't say.
But since you appear to have an
important position, I can say this much...
The situation in the Capital City
has suddenly come to a head.
You know what this means,
and so do I.
But none of us have the right
to say this out loud.
I knew very well what that meant:
The World State was on the cusp of war:
the war against the Universal State.
The Minister of Police, Tuareg, is here for an inspection.
We have shown the properties of Kallocain.
I thought I was the brains
behind the millions of eyes and ears...
... That see and hear our fellow soldier's
most intimate acts and conversations.
Day and night.
Is it possible that I have gained an equal?
I doubt it. I am merely an unimportant cell
within the organism that is our State.
Oh, that cell... I would be very
interested in studying it closely.
If only I could get you
under the syringe...
That would obviously not be necessary!
The Minister is fully convinced already.
Kallocain will replace other methods to
study crimes all over the World State.
We are already teaching experts
and training injectors...
And you will be responsible
for creating the Kallocain.
- I was supposed to report my visit with...
- Later.
Welcome! Our associate...
Just as the doors of power were about
to open for me, I heard a voice.
No fellow soldiers aged over 40
could have a clean conscience.
This was Rissen's voice.
Was that your last pill?
Yes.
Never had to use your whole ration before.
- No, but now I do.
- Why?
Are you worried about anything?
Why aren't you sleeping?
Can't.
What are you worrying about?
They are like the desert nomads of old.
They see mirages, oases, sources.
In reality they drink out of
pools of salt, and perish.
Don't you know that life
runs in here?
And, did your meeting with Lavris go well?
For Karrek and yourself?
Won't the fans get ready soon?
It's suffocating in here!
How are we supposed
to teach in these conditions?
So many unnecessary confessions...
These rehearsals are only giving us
reports of insignificant crimes...
The court will ask
if it is worth the effort!
You heard him: unnecessary confessions.
Besides, they are false.
They are convicting far too many.
We have to run from case to case...
- And the confessions increase steadily.
- This doesn't have to mean that the rate of crime has increased.
It may also depend on loyalty. Or we may have
a better sense of where the rotten are.
It means that fear has increased.
- The fear?
- Yes, fear.
We are headed toward
stronger and stronger surveillance...
And it hasn't made us safer, like we
thought it would... But more anxious.
Well, if you're not loyal enough...
What if your business with Lavris
was successful?
If not merely words and actions but
thoughts and feelings will be judged, then...
Then they will come crawling. Superiors
will report their subordinates, and vice versa.
Husbands will report their wives,
wives, their husbands...
Colleagues, their co-workers.
All of our fellow soldiers will be put
in motion, like ants crawling in their colony.
Unlike ants, the soldiers won't help another;
they will drive each other to ruin.
Only confessions of petty crimes!
Rissen was not allowed to be right.
Not everyone could show his lack
of loyalty toward the state, could they?
He would be the first reported,
if the law were to be enacted.
Cancel the training.
What's the matter?
It's because of that fan...
- No, it wasn't, it was something else-
-Oh? What was it?
- Something I heard.
- "Heard"?
The strangest thing I have ever heard.
The last test subject, a criminal from that mad sect...
He started singing peculiar songs.
Songs? Like what?
They were unlike anything I've ever heard.
Melodies, dark words...
I can't imagine how a soldier
could march to them.
Then something took a hold of me, so...
Would you tell me of
any of the concepts in these songs?
Would you repeat them to me?
I'm searching...
- But they were too foreign.
- What does the protocol say?
... I don't know, it was as if
I had been stunned.
Is that also part of the protocol?
I don't know.
I don't know.
- I did everything to hide-
- Hide?
Chief, have you done that before?
And if so, what are you hiding?
Is it a crime?
- There is a room...
- A room? Where?
I do not have the authority
to allow you to enter it.
You know very well that
the Minister of Police wouldn't hinder me.
They are made by members of the mad sect.
How barbaric!
Wait, what's that?
What is that supposed to depict?
A city in ruins.
Who knows if it really exists...
But it is said to be real.
Only a select few know
anything about it.
Some live there, among the ruins.
This city is from before the Great Wars,
before the rise of the World State...
But it was destroyed by bombs,
bacteria, and gas.
"Live there," you say?
How could humans be there?
If it was possible to live there,
the State would have conquered it long ago!
Yes. What could it be
but confused dreams and delusions?
And yet...
Those few inhabitants live...
In solidarity. By helping another.
In friendship.
Delusions, in other words.
They flee to things that don't exist.
The remnants of an extinct culture...
A culture that never existed!
How can we be so sure of that?
We know that!
Individuals fought individuals!
Societies fought societies.
Valuable resources...
Strong arms and brilliant minds
could be thrown away.
Be shut off from the working machine.
Decay without having been used,
without any meaning!
I consider those things a "jungle",
not a culture!
As do I! As do I.
And yet...
And yet.
Couldn't you imagine an vein of water,
underground, that never is depleted?
Overlooked, yet running out into the jungle?
That exists somewhere that the
arm of the State cannot reach?
An area with a different
kind of solidarity?
You believe in this kind of delusions...
No, the question is whether this mad sect,
with all of its teachings,
habits, and outlook on life...
isn't part of the Universal State's attempt
to undermine our security.
The security of the World State.
One of many intricacies in their
massive espionage system.
Be careful, Chief...
So that we won't count you as another
member of that maddening sect of madmen.
You think you would
be able to determine that?
Fellow Soldier Leo Kall, would you
be able to answer this other question?
Are you absolutely certain that you don't
feel any envy for those in the city of ruins?
I don't, no.
A city that the State couldn't reach?
Delusion.
And yet, that delusion can be tempting.
It is a shrine in which one stores hidden
temptations, as if they were treasures.
The deep tone of a woman.
The shiver in a man's voice.
A moment of complete dedication.
Ah, there you are!
The two of us have succeeded!
Lavris has induced Minister of Law Tatjo to
enact the law against treacherous thoughts.
It will be in effect starting tomorrow!
Then... Yes, then things will get started!
Well, what do you say?
I hope that this was thought through, Chief.
Sometimes I wish it could be undone.
Don't misunderstand; I'm just
concerned about the practical details.
What will we do with those
who have been convicted?
We can't have two thirds of our population
committed to punitive labour, after all.
Pruning, pruning, pruning! We
must focus on our notable fellow soldiers.
But that doesn't matter,
we'll have lots of work to do!
Do you believe that all people
suffer from a guilty conscience?
"Guilty conscience"? What does it matter
if they have a good or guilty conscience?
They may be calm and
fit in like a collection of pots...
But none will get away with it that easily!
- Get away with convictions, you mean?
- Convictions and verdicts!
You see...
Please take a seat, fellow soldier!
Understand? You need the right
consultants and the right judge.
The field is open for anyone who knows
what he wants. Everything will work out -
as long as you have the right judge, like I said!
You will get to announce
this law yourself,
both on the radio and TV during
the Police's broadcasting hour.
We would like to show you that honour.
You said that the field was open to anyone
who knew what he wanted to do?
This could be interpreted to mean that
there will be punishments leading to death.
Er, please do not laugh at me now, Chief...
But I have noticed that some people -
- exude such a strong idea of their...
outlook on life.
They're dangerous,
even when they are silent.
They're just like... a ventilation fan that
doesn't work, thus getting everyone's attention.
Don't you think it is likely that these people
hurt the State just by staying silent?
That they share their outlook on life
as if it were poison?
I wonder...
Is it a good choice
to let those people live?
You don't need to beat around the bush,
fellow soldier.
You did me a favour when
you convinced Lavris.
Favours owed and favours returned;
that's how you know who your friends are.
Very well: who do you want executed?
You can respond as you wish.
No, that's not what I meant. I...
I was just thinking about
the principle of the thing.
I have experience with such poisonous minds...
You don't want to.
You're afraid of me.
But that's not an issue.
I would still do what I could for you.
When you hand your report in,
or reports, if that's the case...
Give a proper motivation. Remember
that this is the most important condition;
and I suppose I won't be the one
performing the initial screening.
Therefore, put a sign in the left corner...
This sign...
Then I will do whatever I can
with an anonymous report.
"Reports must be signed with a
name that can be traced", it says.
In other words, they aren't anonymous
like they used to be?
- I thought Chief of Police, Karrek-
- Karrek? What does he have to do with this?
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
You should be put under that syringe...
[THOUGHTS CAN BE JUDGED]
Minister of Law, Tatjo,
has ordered the following law,
which will be effective starting tomorrow,
Norm. A. of the World State Era.
From now on, fellow soldiers' state of mind
shall be possible to investigate -
- using Kallocain, a truth serum.
When the harmfulness of a soldier's
thoughts have been judged,
one should think of the difference
between a usable soldier and a useless one.
A mentally and bodily splintered person who
could never truly be of help to the State...
Cannot build hope to continue living,
even if they have not caused any damage.
Everyone has the responsibility to report if he or she
notices treacherous ideas in their surroundings.
All reports must be sufficiently motivated.
Signed with names that can be traced...
Meaning no longer anonymous, like before.
This is done in order to prevent
a sizeable number of unnecessary reports.
Rissen was a threat to me,
and to everyone else.
But the worst part was the uncertainty
of how far into ruin he had driven Linda...
And if they were connected to another.
If we one day would notice...
I am not saying that we have,
but if...
Our pea soup grew thinner,
our soap unusable,
and our homes about to collapse,
without anyone worrying about these things...
Would we fight then?
No!
We know that a good life
isn't dependant on the good things in life;
that anything we sacrifice is
for a greater good.
And if we one day discover that our roads
have been covered with barbed wires...
Shall we not make do with our diminished
freedom of movement, without complaints?
Yes: we know that all of this
is happening for the State's sake.
To hinder those that do us harm.
And if we one day find that
the activities we do in our spare time -
must be put on hold
due to obligatory military training...
And that innumerable luxurious
skills and pieces of knowledge-
- that used to be part of our education
must be put aside...
I'm obviously asking you this
for formal reasons...
I am certain of the answer, after all.
Have never doubted it.
And even if things were different...
I wouldn't care about it at all.
I hope you know me that well,
and I do know you that well.
Are you in a romantic
relationship with Rissen?
No.
But you love him?
No, Leo. I do not.
You don't believe me.
Yes... Of course I believe you.
Can't you see that?
Why are you asking me this right now?
I want to do something forbidden.
If we could trust each other...
Are you going to report me?
Linda?
Rissen.
Wait, you can come in.
Come in!
That's something necessary.
Every single drop will get used...
Even though reports
aren't anonymous any more.
Yes, there's an old joke about a fencer who
was so skilled that he could remain dry in the rain.
He swung his rapier at every rain drop,
so that none of them would hit him.
You want to know something.
What do you want to know?
There's too much that you need to know. I have
too much to say; I don't know where to begin.
Why are you forcing me?
I wanted to do this myself!
But maybe I wouldn't have been able to...
It's been like this, all of these years...
There's something...
... I want to say, or do, and...
I just don't know what that is!
But I know one thing.
I know this...
I would like to kill you.
If I knew that nobody ever would find out,
I would kill you.
But what does it matter if someone found out?
I could do it anyway.
That would be better than
things remaining as they are.
I hate you for not being able
to save me from this!
And I would have killed you
if it wasn't for this fear.
But now I have the courage...
We don't have too much time
to talk with another.
I have never been able
to speak with you.
You're afraid.
And I'm afraid.
Everyone is afraid.
You're all alone.
It's horrible!
I've never been able to talk with you
about the children!
This sorrow I've felt
over Ossu being in the children's camp...
And how scared I've been of the day
that Laila is gone too.
And Maryl...
I knew that you would despise me!
Feel free to despise me,
I don't mind.
I often wish that I was young again.
Hopelessly in love.
You know, when you're a young woman
who's hopelessly in love...
You believe that there's
something else out there.
That freedom that's supposed
to come with love.
Some kind of escapism that comes
with the one that you adore.
Some kind of warmth.
Some kind of rest.
Something that doesn't exist.
Yet you believe that others
have attained it. That it exists!
You see, when you believe that
there's so much happiness in the world...
And that your longing has a goal...
Then things aren't hopeless,
even if you're miserable.
But mutual love...
It slips away into the void.
It doesn't have a goal, after all.
Only loneliness remains there.
I have adored you too much, Leo.
And you didn't exist.
I think I could kill you now!
Rissen.
What do you think of Rissen?!
Rissen?
There's something unusual about Rissen.
What is it?
He isn't far away, like the rest of us are.
He doesn't scare anyone...
Because he isn't afraid, himself.
You love him.
You love and love him.
If I love him? No!
If only I could! He's just
so different from anyone else...
Different from you.
Different from me.
If either of us had been like him, Leo...
Or if both- both, Leo!
But it has to be you.
That's why I would kill you, because
it would never be anyone other than you...
And then it's not you, either.
How can it be like this?!
How can it be that you are searching
for something...
How can it be that you are searching
for something... that doesn't exist?
How can it be that you're
sick to the point of death...
Even though you're perfectly healthy?
I had believed that Linda
would be in my power -
- in a completely different way than before,
no matter what she would have said.
But one could have believed that I was
the one being analysed and uncovered.
I had thought that it was my stubborn love
that would force her to become my companion.
Was that possibility out of my hands now?
The new law against treacherous thoughts
is now effective.
A new truth serum has made it possible to
determine what is usable and unusable material.
All reports must be sufficiently motivated,
and signed with names that can be traced.
Did you hear who was arrested last night?
Chief of Police Tuareg himself.
Arrested for treacherous thoughts.
Who reported...?
I saw the back of
our next Minister of Police, probably.
Who knows? Maybe you'll get to fill
his role as Chief of Police, Leo Kall...
Considering
how highly he thinks of you.
But your ambitions are higher
and more distant, yes?
Like joining the Ministers
of our capital city?
You'll probably get there.
Assuming nobody reports you, of course!
Er, why did I come here again...?
Ah, I've forgotten.
And you don't seem too willing
to help me, either...
Oh! That young man that we
put under the needle...
The first one to tell us about the sect
of mad men's gatherings... Remember him?
He said something about
the horrifying parts of keeping quiet.
About how hopelessly exposed
quiet people are.
Yes, I understand.
You feel just like him.
You have reported me.
- ... But you're planning to.
- No.
No, no matter who has the upper hand.
It isn't me.
I want to speak with you!
I understand that I have hurt you.
You have cracked me open like...
I don't know what. Like a can of food.
And afterwards, I have realised
that I must either die of shame...
Or I have to continue, voluntarily.
May I continue?
Do you want some more of me, Leo?
I want to speak with you
about the children.
And what I have come to understand
about the children.
I will start from the beginning, with Ossu.
Do you remember how we had decided
from the very start that it had to be a boy?
I think we would have been
offended if it was a girl.
I would have seen it as an injustice
to you - yes, to myself as well.
Of course, I know that we're considered equals,
or almost equal, in the eyes of the law.
But only indirectly.
Only because we can give birth
to new men.
And new women too, of course, who
in turn can give birth to more men.
And even if this hurts my ego - one does
want to be considered highly valuable...
... That isn't true. One wants to be
considered valuable.
Even so, I could at least admit
that I wasn't worth much.
Women aren't as good as men,
I would tell myself.
Their bodily strength isn't as high.
Their nerves aren't as suitable
for the battlefield.
They're overall worse warriors;
worse fellow soldiers than the men.
They're just something
that can produce more warriors.
Yes: it was a strange and empty feeling, knowing
that you're nothing but a storage room.
Usable indeed, but far too valuable.
And now that I was honest
enough to admit it...
Wouldn't it be greatly disappointing if,
the first time that I gave birth...
I would have gained something else
that also was just storage?
But that wasn't the case.
Ossu was, fortunately enough,
a future man.
I was absolutely certain that
his future essence -
- depended entirely on his teachers.
On his superiors.
But he was also I.
And... And so, I also
became a man, in a way.
I had almost gained a purpose.
That was how loyal I was at the time, Leo.
But I couldn't help but notice
those funny little traits...
Those that I recognised from you,
and from myself.
I noticed the way that
he would crinkle his nose.
And I thought: that's peculiar,
I did that as well as a child!
And thus I returned, through him.
I noticed his laugh.
It is so similar to yours.
Thus, I almost got to witness
your childhood.
"You can tell that he is ours,"
I thought.
"Our son," I would add
with a sense of guilt,
because I knew that
this feeling wasn't loyal.
Rather, it was an illegal feeling
of ownership.
Just like that mother that you had seen
at that party for those who were to move.
Maybe you remember that Maryl's birth
was complicated, and took a long time.
Perhaps this is superstitious, but...
I was struck by a thought, and haven't
been able to get rid of it since...
That this happened because I was
so unwilling to let go of her!
No sense of guilt or shame could keep away
that greediness that had awakened within me.
How am I supposed to explain this...
What was I able to experience with Maryl?
You know, she is a peculiar child.
She is neither you or I.
She is simply Maryl.
It sounds so simple, and yet...
It was so peculiar.
She must have seen things in her own way,
even before she could speak.
You know, she is one of a kind!
And I noticed that my greedy grip
had become loose.
She could sing by herself.
Songs that she had never learned
on the children's floor.
Then where did she get them from?
Do you understand that it made me
light headed and terrified?
She was Maryl! Not
lumps of shapeless clay, like you and I.
I was fascinated by my child,
in a new, bashful and alien way.
And when the third child
was on its way...
Only then did I think that I knew
what giving birth meant.
I didn't have the feeling that I was
a costly machine of production any more.
Nor was I a greedy owner, either.
Then what was I?
I don't know...
Somebody who couldn't determine
what would happen.
Within me...
A being was brought to life.
It was already something unique.
And I could not change it.
I have to speak for so long...
And yet, I don't know if you understand.
I mean, whether you understand...
That there is something beneath us,
and behind us.
That this is created within us.
And I know that we aren't allowed
to say it because the State owns us.
But I will say it anyway.
So that you will understand.
Do you think that there are others
who have experienced this?
Perhaps among those
you have tested?
I have to find them!
Do you think there are lots of people
who have experienced that other thing?
Who have started to understand
what it means to give birth?
Other mothers, or fathers, or lovers...
Who don't dare to speak of
what they have seen.
You dare when others dare to.
I have to find them.
They are out there.
I have heard them.
"The living comes out of us..."
I wanted to believe that there is
a green depth within people.
An ocean of undamaged vigour...
That melts the remains of the dead.
That heals.
That creates a path with meaning...
Where are they?
Maybe a new world could grow
from those who are mothers.
Whether they are men or women,
whether they have given birth or not.
But where are they?
Rissen...
I have to save Rissen.
I have reported him.
I must contact the Chief of Police.
Hurry, it's important!
He is not available.
Rissen was there.
And he knew what existed...
Within me. And he searched for it.
And I... Delivered him
to his death in response.
I...
- I- I put that sign on the-
- I do not remember any sign.
What do you mean, fellow soldier Kall?
I was mistaken. I mean...
I have written a report, and...
M- may I have it back?
This one?
Impossible with
such a well motivated report.
Your request is not approved.
I believed that you were my friend.
If so...
I must...
We must...
Th-... I hope that he isn't
sentenced to death, at least.
Determining those things is
not within my area at all.
His sentence depends entirely
on the judge.
And trying to sway the judge
would obviously be illegal, yes?
You may be interested in getting to know...
That you will be responsible for injecting
the subject Edo Rissen with Kallocain.
That's right.
That's right!
Well, now I'm here.
Like I had to be.
It was just a matter of when...
Time to tell the truth...
But can you hear the truth today?
Not everyone is truthful enough
to hear the truth. That's the tragic part.
There could have been a bridge
between each person.
Of course, as long as it's voluntary.
As long as it's gifted and accepted as a gift.
But isn't it strange
that everything loses its value...
The second that it stops being a gift?
Even the truth!
But you obviously haven't noticed.
And yet, you speak of solidarity...
Solidarity!
Welded together, you say.
Welded together!
And all of you are shouting it from
their own end of a chasm!
But wasn't there a time...
A single point during the long evolution
of our kind, when we could have chosen
a different path?
Does this path have to cross a chasm?
Not a single point that we could have
stopped the tanks of might from
heading to the emptiness?
Is there a road over death
through which one can reach life?
Is there a holy place where
the direction of fate changes?
I have pondered this for years.
Where could that place be?
Will we be there...
When we have swallowed our neighbouring State,
and our neighbours have swallowed ours?
Will bridges start to grow
between people -
- as easily as roads are built between
cities and districts then?
If so, that day better come soon!
May it come with all of its horrors!
Or won't that help either?
Has that tank grown so strong before then -
that it refuses to be transformed
from a god to a tool?
Can ever a god, even if he
is the deadest of gods,
willingly leave its power behind?
And yet...!
Right, it's obviously the Kallocain
that is making me absurdly hopeful.
But right now, I know... that...
What I am is running out somewhere.
I have seen the force of death spread
across the world, in wider and wider circles.
But then, shouldn't the force of life have
circles as well, even if I cannot see them?
Right, I know that
it's the Kallocain talking, but...
It could still be true!
That's enough! This case
is perfectly clear.
Isn't that right, counsellors?
Do you not agree with me about this case?
My wife has not told reported
where she is.
May I contact the Central for Accidents?
She may be injured.
Or detained.
-where individuals, each a lone centrum,
lived in constant uncertainty.
... And to the completed State
who grants total security -
- without a bank or shortage...
Did you see the new Minister of Police?
Apologies, my fellow soldier,
but I feel terribly ill.
I've gotten the impression that I would
feel better if I...
could go outside,
in the open.
Preferably on the ceiling terrace.
Leo Kall... You have 5 minutes.
Linda!
For the last time: Do you wish
to buy your life with this invention?!
Do you wish to gift it to us, Leo Kall?
Yes.
I want it to remain.
It can cause a development.
Despite the years that I have been here,
as a prisoner and a chemist...
It must have been
more than 20 years-
that I have been working
with chemistry as a prisoner of war.
But despite that, I would say that I feel
more free here than in freedom, in a way.
I think a lot about what has happened.
And now, I have written my story down.
Even if my manuscript will be
confiscated and locked up...
It will be read by a number of people.
Maybe some of them will end up like me...
Perhaps, all of this
will be repeated somewhere else.
Perhaps, Kallocain can create
openness between people.
I can't get rid of this illusion
that has gripped my mind...
The idea that I, despite everything,
still am part of
the creation of a new world.
---
Well, fellow soldiers? What do we know
of the conspiracy?
Personally I'd say that we
can't find anything that is an actual crime.
They all seem a bit deranged.
But are they criminals? No.
No hints of a political conspiracy, no organisation...
No leaders from what we could tell,
no lists of members...
And they aren't breaking
the law against unions.
Please allow me to object despite only
being a humble subordinate...
I am interested in your opinion as well.
To me, the secret conspiracy appears to be
anything other than harmless...
I mean... All of these people, whether
individually or as a group, are dangerous.
They show far too much trust in other people,
or at least to some people in particular.
I would already consider that harmful to the State...
And a gateway to lawlessness.
This really is dramatising things.
It's just a gaggle of lunatics.
Didn't you call them a sect of madmen yourself?
Right, that's enough.
Truth is, we have never fought obsessed
people such as these methodically.
We have jailed one or two...
But if this sickness were to spread...
... If so, we now have a method
to control the true nature of our senses.
Anyone could be judged by that!
Anyone could be judged by that...
Maybe you're not wrong, after all.
But Chief, if - as you've said yourself -
anyone could be judged...
The Propaganda Ministry would also
get access to a new, great method.
A law concerning illegal states of the mind...
To tell the truth, it would be within
our power to enact such a law...
If we get approvals from the 7th Bureau.
I'll send one of you!
Preferably someone well-spoken and convincing
who could inform the 7th Bureau of the drug.
So the highest ethical instance
within the World State...
Is offered cooperation with the Chemistry City?
Is that what you mean, fellow soldier Kall?
It would obviously be far too bold of me to discuss cooperation.
No; what we would like to offer you is simply an aid...
Under the condition that a law of great importance is enacted.
Something grander than
has ever been seen in the world.
A law against thoughts, and feelings,
that are treason to the state.
Anyone could be judged by such a law.
Yes; anyone could be
convicted by that law.
Naturally, I mean anyone
who isn't loyal, down to their core.
script and direction
HANS ABRAMSON
based on KARIN BOYE'S novel
the second part
You can't just give me that
for no reason!
Don't you know that certain
instructions must be followed?
Pardon?
Who gave you the order
to administer it to me?
Don't you want to get better?
You have been ordered to return
to the Chemistry City as soon as possible.
"Want to get better?"
Yes, I'm the Propaganda Ministry's
personal physician.
It appears that you have been put through
heavy stress in the Capital City, fellow soldier Kall.
Now would you please turn...?
I don't know if I'd
consider a treatment necessary...
I can't say.
But since you appear to have an
important position, I can say this much...
The situation in the Capital City
has suddenly come to a head.
You know what this means,
and so do I.
But none of us have the right
to say this out loud.
I knew very well what that meant:
The World State was on the cusp of war:
the war against the Universal State.
The Minister of Police, Tuareg, is here for an inspection.
We have shown the properties of Kallocain.
I thought I was the brains
behind the millions of eyes and ears...
... That see and hear our fellow soldier's
most intimate acts and conversations.
Day and night.
Is it possible that I have gained an equal?
I doubt it. I am merely an unimportant cell
within the organism that is our State.
Oh, that cell... I would be very
interested in studying it closely.
If only I could get you
under the syringe...
That would obviously not be necessary!
The Minister is fully convinced already.
Kallocain will replace other methods to
study crimes all over the World State.
We are already teaching experts
and training injectors...
And you will be responsible
for creating the Kallocain.
- I was supposed to report my visit with...
- Later.
Welcome! Our associate...
Just as the doors of power were about
to open for me, I heard a voice.
No fellow soldiers aged over 40
could have a clean conscience.
This was Rissen's voice.
Was that your last pill?
Yes.
Never had to use your whole ration before.
- No, but now I do.
- Why?
Are you worried about anything?
Why aren't you sleeping?
Can't.
What are you worrying about?
They are like the desert nomads of old.
They see mirages, oases, sources.
In reality they drink out of
pools of salt, and perish.
Don't you know that life
runs in here?
And, did your meeting with Lavris go well?
For Karrek and yourself?
Won't the fans get ready soon?
It's suffocating in here!
How are we supposed
to teach in these conditions?
So many unnecessary confessions...
These rehearsals are only giving us
reports of insignificant crimes...
The court will ask
if it is worth the effort!
You heard him: unnecessary confessions.
Besides, they are false.
They are convicting far too many.
We have to run from case to case...
- And the confessions increase steadily.
- This doesn't have to mean that the rate of crime has increased.
It may also depend on loyalty. Or we may have
a better sense of where the rotten are.
It means that fear has increased.
- The fear?
- Yes, fear.
We are headed toward
stronger and stronger surveillance...
And it hasn't made us safer, like we
thought it would... But more anxious.
Well, if you're not loyal enough...
What if your business with Lavris
was successful?
If not merely words and actions but
thoughts and feelings will be judged, then...
Then they will come crawling. Superiors
will report their subordinates, and vice versa.
Husbands will report their wives,
wives, their husbands...
Colleagues, their co-workers.
All of our fellow soldiers will be put
in motion, like ants crawling in their colony.
Unlike ants, the soldiers won't help another;
they will drive each other to ruin.
Only confessions of petty crimes!
Rissen was not allowed to be right.
Not everyone could show his lack
of loyalty toward the state, could they?
He would be the first reported,
if the law were to be enacted.
Cancel the training.
What's the matter?
It's because of that fan...
- No, it wasn't, it was something else-
-Oh? What was it?
- Something I heard.
- "Heard"?
The strangest thing I have ever heard.
The last test subject, a criminal from that mad sect...
He started singing peculiar songs.
Songs? Like what?
They were unlike anything I've ever heard.
Melodies, dark words...
I can't imagine how a soldier
could march to them.
Then something took a hold of me, so...
Would you tell me of
any of the concepts in these songs?
Would you repeat them to me?
I'm searching...
- But they were too foreign.
- What does the protocol say?
... I don't know, it was as if
I had been stunned.
Is that also part of the protocol?
I don't know.
I don't know.
- I did everything to hide-
- Hide?
Chief, have you done that before?
And if so, what are you hiding?
Is it a crime?
- There is a room...
- A room? Where?
I do not have the authority
to allow you to enter it.
You know very well that
the Minister of Police wouldn't hinder me.
They are made by members of the mad sect.
How barbaric!
Wait, what's that?
What is that supposed to depict?
A city in ruins.
Who knows if it really exists...
But it is said to be real.
Only a select few know
anything about it.
Some live there, among the ruins.
This city is from before the Great Wars,
before the rise of the World State...
But it was destroyed by bombs,
bacteria, and gas.
"Live there," you say?
How could humans be there?
If it was possible to live there,
the State would have conquered it long ago!
Yes. What could it be
but confused dreams and delusions?
And yet...
Those few inhabitants live...
In solidarity. By helping another.
In friendship.
Delusions, in other words.
They flee to things that don't exist.
The remnants of an extinct culture...
A culture that never existed!
How can we be so sure of that?
We know that!
Individuals fought individuals!
Societies fought societies.
Valuable resources...
Strong arms and brilliant minds
could be thrown away.
Be shut off from the working machine.
Decay without having been used,
without any meaning!
I consider those things a "jungle",
not a culture!
As do I! As do I.
And yet...
And yet.
Couldn't you imagine an vein of water,
underground, that never is depleted?
Overlooked, yet running out into the jungle?
That exists somewhere that the
arm of the State cannot reach?
An area with a different
kind of solidarity?
You believe in this kind of delusions...
No, the question is whether this mad sect,
with all of its teachings,
habits, and outlook on life...
isn't part of the Universal State's attempt
to undermine our security.
The security of the World State.
One of many intricacies in their
massive espionage system.
Be careful, Chief...
So that we won't count you as another
member of that maddening sect of madmen.
You think you would
be able to determine that?
Fellow Soldier Leo Kall, would you
be able to answer this other question?
Are you absolutely certain that you don't
feel any envy for those in the city of ruins?
I don't, no.
A city that the State couldn't reach?
Delusion.
And yet, that delusion can be tempting.
It is a shrine in which one stores hidden
temptations, as if they were treasures.
The deep tone of a woman.
The shiver in a man's voice.
A moment of complete dedication.
Ah, there you are!
The two of us have succeeded!
Lavris has induced Minister of Law Tatjo to
enact the law against treacherous thoughts.
It will be in effect starting tomorrow!
Then... Yes, then things will get started!
Well, what do you say?
I hope that this was thought through, Chief.
Sometimes I wish it could be undone.
Don't misunderstand; I'm just
concerned about the practical details.
What will we do with those
who have been convicted?
We can't have two thirds of our population
committed to punitive labour, after all.
Pruning, pruning, pruning! We
must focus on our notable fellow soldiers.
But that doesn't matter,
we'll have lots of work to do!
Do you believe that all people
suffer from a guilty conscience?
"Guilty conscience"? What does it matter
if they have a good or guilty conscience?
They may be calm and
fit in like a collection of pots...
But none will get away with it that easily!
- Get away with convictions, you mean?
- Convictions and verdicts!
You see...
Please take a seat, fellow soldier!
Understand? You need the right
consultants and the right judge.
The field is open for anyone who knows
what he wants. Everything will work out -
as long as you have the right judge, like I said!
You will get to announce
this law yourself,
both on the radio and TV during
the Police's broadcasting hour.
We would like to show you that honour.
You said that the field was open to anyone
who knew what he wanted to do?
This could be interpreted to mean that
there will be punishments leading to death.
Er, please do not laugh at me now, Chief...
But I have noticed that some people -
- exude such a strong idea of their...
outlook on life.
They're dangerous,
even when they are silent.
They're just like... a ventilation fan that
doesn't work, thus getting everyone's attention.
Don't you think it is likely that these people
hurt the State just by staying silent?
That they share their outlook on life
as if it were poison?
I wonder...
Is it a good choice
to let those people live?
You don't need to beat around the bush,
fellow soldier.
You did me a favour when
you convinced Lavris.
Favours owed and favours returned;
that's how you know who your friends are.
Very well: who do you want executed?
You can respond as you wish.
No, that's not what I meant. I...
I was just thinking about
the principle of the thing.
I have experience with such poisonous minds...
You don't want to.
You're afraid of me.
But that's not an issue.
I would still do what I could for you.
When you hand your report in,
or reports, if that's the case...
Give a proper motivation. Remember
that this is the most important condition;
and I suppose I won't be the one
performing the initial screening.
Therefore, put a sign in the left corner...
This sign...
Then I will do whatever I can
with an anonymous report.
"Reports must be signed with a
name that can be traced", it says.
In other words, they aren't anonymous
like they used to be?
- I thought Chief of Police, Karrek-
- Karrek? What does he have to do with this?
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
You should be put under that syringe...
[THOUGHTS CAN BE JUDGED]
Minister of Law, Tatjo,
has ordered the following law,
which will be effective starting tomorrow,
Norm. A. of the World State Era.
From now on, fellow soldiers' state of mind
shall be possible to investigate -
- using Kallocain, a truth serum.
When the harmfulness of a soldier's
thoughts have been judged,
one should think of the difference
between a usable soldier and a useless one.
A mentally and bodily splintered person who
could never truly be of help to the State...
Cannot build hope to continue living,
even if they have not caused any damage.
Everyone has the responsibility to report if he or she
notices treacherous ideas in their surroundings.
All reports must be sufficiently motivated.
Signed with names that can be traced...
Meaning no longer anonymous, like before.
This is done in order to prevent
a sizeable number of unnecessary reports.
Rissen was a threat to me,
and to everyone else.
But the worst part was the uncertainty
of how far into ruin he had driven Linda...
And if they were connected to another.
If we one day would notice...
I am not saying that we have,
but if...
Our pea soup grew thinner,
our soap unusable,
and our homes about to collapse,
without anyone worrying about these things...
Would we fight then?
No!
We know that a good life
isn't dependant on the good things in life;
that anything we sacrifice is
for a greater good.
And if we one day discover that our roads
have been covered with barbed wires...
Shall we not make do with our diminished
freedom of movement, without complaints?
Yes: we know that all of this
is happening for the State's sake.
To hinder those that do us harm.
And if we one day find that
the activities we do in our spare time -
must be put on hold
due to obligatory military training...
And that innumerable luxurious
skills and pieces of knowledge-
- that used to be part of our education
must be put aside...
I'm obviously asking you this
for formal reasons...
I am certain of the answer, after all.
Have never doubted it.
And even if things were different...
I wouldn't care about it at all.
I hope you know me that well,
and I do know you that well.
Are you in a romantic
relationship with Rissen?
No.
But you love him?
No, Leo. I do not.
You don't believe me.
Yes... Of course I believe you.
Can't you see that?
Why are you asking me this right now?
I want to do something forbidden.
If we could trust each other...
Are you going to report me?
Linda?
Rissen.
Wait, you can come in.
Come in!
That's something necessary.
Every single drop will get used...
Even though reports
aren't anonymous any more.
Yes, there's an old joke about a fencer who
was so skilled that he could remain dry in the rain.
He swung his rapier at every rain drop,
so that none of them would hit him.
You want to know something.
What do you want to know?
There's too much that you need to know. I have
too much to say; I don't know where to begin.
Why are you forcing me?
I wanted to do this myself!
But maybe I wouldn't have been able to...
It's been like this, all of these years...
There's something...
... I want to say, or do, and...
I just don't know what that is!
But I know one thing.
I know this...
I would like to kill you.
If I knew that nobody ever would find out,
I would kill you.
But what does it matter if someone found out?
I could do it anyway.
That would be better than
things remaining as they are.
I hate you for not being able
to save me from this!
And I would have killed you
if it wasn't for this fear.
But now I have the courage...
We don't have too much time
to talk with another.
I have never been able
to speak with you.
You're afraid.
And I'm afraid.
Everyone is afraid.
You're all alone.
It's horrible!
I've never been able to talk with you
about the children!
This sorrow I've felt
over Ossu being in the children's camp...
And how scared I've been of the day
that Laila is gone too.
And Maryl...
I knew that you would despise me!
Feel free to despise me,
I don't mind.
I often wish that I was young again.
Hopelessly in love.
You know, when you're a young woman
who's hopelessly in love...
You believe that there's
something else out there.
That freedom that's supposed
to come with love.
Some kind of escapism that comes
with the one that you adore.
Some kind of warmth.
Some kind of rest.
Something that doesn't exist.
Yet you believe that others
have attained it. That it exists!
You see, when you believe that
there's so much happiness in the world...
And that your longing has a goal...
Then things aren't hopeless,
even if you're miserable.
But mutual love...
It slips away into the void.
It doesn't have a goal, after all.
Only loneliness remains there.
I have adored you too much, Leo.
And you didn't exist.
I think I could kill you now!
Rissen.
What do you think of Rissen?!
Rissen?
There's something unusual about Rissen.
What is it?
He isn't far away, like the rest of us are.
He doesn't scare anyone...
Because he isn't afraid, himself.
You love him.
You love and love him.
If I love him? No!
If only I could! He's just
so different from anyone else...
Different from you.
Different from me.
If either of us had been like him, Leo...
Or if both- both, Leo!
But it has to be you.
That's why I would kill you, because
it would never be anyone other than you...
And then it's not you, either.
How can it be like this?!
How can it be that you are searching
for something...
How can it be that you are searching
for something... that doesn't exist?
How can it be that you're
sick to the point of death...
Even though you're perfectly healthy?
I had believed that Linda
would be in my power -
- in a completely different way than before,
no matter what she would have said.
But one could have believed that I was
the one being analysed and uncovered.
I had thought that it was my stubborn love
that would force her to become my companion.
Was that possibility out of my hands now?
The new law against treacherous thoughts
is now effective.
A new truth serum has made it possible to
determine what is usable and unusable material.
All reports must be sufficiently motivated,
and signed with names that can be traced.
Did you hear who was arrested last night?
Chief of Police Tuareg himself.
Arrested for treacherous thoughts.
Who reported...?
I saw the back of
our next Minister of Police, probably.
Who knows? Maybe you'll get to fill
his role as Chief of Police, Leo Kall...
Considering
how highly he thinks of you.
But your ambitions are higher
and more distant, yes?
Like joining the Ministers
of our capital city?
You'll probably get there.
Assuming nobody reports you, of course!
Er, why did I come here again...?
Ah, I've forgotten.
And you don't seem too willing
to help me, either...
Oh! That young man that we
put under the needle...
The first one to tell us about the sect
of mad men's gatherings... Remember him?
He said something about
the horrifying parts of keeping quiet.
About how hopelessly exposed
quiet people are.
Yes, I understand.
You feel just like him.
You have reported me.
- ... But you're planning to.
- No.
No, no matter who has the upper hand.
It isn't me.
I want to speak with you!
I understand that I have hurt you.
You have cracked me open like...
I don't know what. Like a can of food.
And afterwards, I have realised
that I must either die of shame...
Or I have to continue, voluntarily.
May I continue?
Do you want some more of me, Leo?
I want to speak with you
about the children.
And what I have come to understand
about the children.
I will start from the beginning, with Ossu.
Do you remember how we had decided
from the very start that it had to be a boy?
I think we would have been
offended if it was a girl.
I would have seen it as an injustice
to you - yes, to myself as well.
Of course, I know that we're considered equals,
or almost equal, in the eyes of the law.
But only indirectly.
Only because we can give birth
to new men.
And new women too, of course, who
in turn can give birth to more men.
And even if this hurts my ego - one does
want to be considered highly valuable...
... That isn't true. One wants to be
considered valuable.
Even so, I could at least admit
that I wasn't worth much.
Women aren't as good as men,
I would tell myself.
Their bodily strength isn't as high.
Their nerves aren't as suitable
for the battlefield.
They're overall worse warriors;
worse fellow soldiers than the men.
They're just something
that can produce more warriors.
Yes: it was a strange and empty feeling, knowing
that you're nothing but a storage room.
Usable indeed, but far too valuable.
And now that I was honest
enough to admit it...
Wouldn't it be greatly disappointing if,
the first time that I gave birth...
I would have gained something else
that also was just storage?
But that wasn't the case.
Ossu was, fortunately enough,
a future man.
I was absolutely certain that
his future essence -
- depended entirely on his teachers.
On his superiors.
But he was also I.
And... And so, I also
became a man, in a way.
I had almost gained a purpose.
That was how loyal I was at the time, Leo.
But I couldn't help but notice
those funny little traits...
Those that I recognised from you,
and from myself.
I noticed the way that
he would crinkle his nose.
And I thought: that's peculiar,
I did that as well as a child!
And thus I returned, through him.
I noticed his laugh.
It is so similar to yours.
Thus, I almost got to witness
your childhood.
"You can tell that he is ours,"
I thought.
"Our son," I would add
with a sense of guilt,
because I knew that
this feeling wasn't loyal.
Rather, it was an illegal feeling
of ownership.
Just like that mother that you had seen
at that party for those who were to move.
Maybe you remember that Maryl's birth
was complicated, and took a long time.
Perhaps this is superstitious, but...
I was struck by a thought, and haven't
been able to get rid of it since...
That this happened because I was
so unwilling to let go of her!
No sense of guilt or shame could keep away
that greediness that had awakened within me.
How am I supposed to explain this...
What was I able to experience with Maryl?
You know, she is a peculiar child.
She is neither you or I.
She is simply Maryl.
It sounds so simple, and yet...
It was so peculiar.
She must have seen things in her own way,
even before she could speak.
You know, she is one of a kind!
And I noticed that my greedy grip
had become loose.
She could sing by herself.
Songs that she had never learned
on the children's floor.
Then where did she get them from?
Do you understand that it made me
light headed and terrified?
She was Maryl! Not
lumps of shapeless clay, like you and I.
I was fascinated by my child,
in a new, bashful and alien way.
And when the third child
was on its way...
Only then did I think that I knew
what giving birth meant.
I didn't have the feeling that I was
a costly machine of production any more.
Nor was I a greedy owner, either.
Then what was I?
I don't know...
Somebody who couldn't determine
what would happen.
Within me...
A being was brought to life.
It was already something unique.
And I could not change it.
I have to speak for so long...
And yet, I don't know if you understand.
I mean, whether you understand...
That there is something beneath us,
and behind us.
That this is created within us.
And I know that we aren't allowed
to say it because the State owns us.
But I will say it anyway.
So that you will understand.
Do you think that there are others
who have experienced this?
Perhaps among those
you have tested?
I have to find them!
Do you think there are lots of people
who have experienced that other thing?
Who have started to understand
what it means to give birth?
Other mothers, or fathers, or lovers...
Who don't dare to speak of
what they have seen.
You dare when others dare to.
I have to find them.
They are out there.
I have heard them.
"The living comes out of us..."
I wanted to believe that there is
a green depth within people.
An ocean of undamaged vigour...
That melts the remains of the dead.
That heals.
That creates a path with meaning...
Where are they?
Maybe a new world could grow
from those who are mothers.
Whether they are men or women,
whether they have given birth or not.
But where are they?
Rissen...
I have to save Rissen.
I have reported him.
I must contact the Chief of Police.
Hurry, it's important!
He is not available.
Rissen was there.
And he knew what existed...
Within me. And he searched for it.
And I... Delivered him
to his death in response.
I...
- I- I put that sign on the-
- I do not remember any sign.
What do you mean, fellow soldier Kall?
I was mistaken. I mean...
I have written a report, and...
M- may I have it back?
This one?
Impossible with
such a well motivated report.
Your request is not approved.
I believed that you were my friend.
If so...
I must...
We must...
Th-... I hope that he isn't
sentenced to death, at least.
Determining those things is
not within my area at all.
His sentence depends entirely
on the judge.
And trying to sway the judge
would obviously be illegal, yes?
You may be interested in getting to know...
That you will be responsible for injecting
the subject Edo Rissen with Kallocain.
That's right.
That's right!
Well, now I'm here.
Like I had to be.
It was just a matter of when...
Time to tell the truth...
But can you hear the truth today?
Not everyone is truthful enough
to hear the truth. That's the tragic part.
There could have been a bridge
between each person.
Of course, as long as it's voluntary.
As long as it's gifted and accepted as a gift.
But isn't it strange
that everything loses its value...
The second that it stops being a gift?
Even the truth!
But you obviously haven't noticed.
And yet, you speak of solidarity...
Solidarity!
Welded together, you say.
Welded together!
And all of you are shouting it from
their own end of a chasm!
But wasn't there a time...
A single point during the long evolution
of our kind, when we could have chosen
a different path?
Does this path have to cross a chasm?
Not a single point that we could have
stopped the tanks of might from
heading to the emptiness?
Is there a road over death
through which one can reach life?
Is there a holy place where
the direction of fate changes?
I have pondered this for years.
Where could that place be?
Will we be there...
When we have swallowed our neighbouring State,
and our neighbours have swallowed ours?
Will bridges start to grow
between people -
- as easily as roads are built between
cities and districts then?
If so, that day better come soon!
May it come with all of its horrors!
Or won't that help either?
Has that tank grown so strong before then -
that it refuses to be transformed
from a god to a tool?
Can ever a god, even if he
is the deadest of gods,
willingly leave its power behind?
And yet...!
Right, it's obviously the Kallocain
that is making me absurdly hopeful.
But right now, I know... that...
What I am is running out somewhere.
I have seen the force of death spread
across the world, in wider and wider circles.
But then, shouldn't the force of life have
circles as well, even if I cannot see them?
Right, I know that
it's the Kallocain talking, but...
It could still be true!
That's enough! This case
is perfectly clear.
Isn't that right, counsellors?
Do you not agree with me about this case?
My wife has not told reported
where she is.
May I contact the Central for Accidents?
She may be injured.
Or detained.
-where individuals, each a lone centrum,
lived in constant uncertainty.
... And to the completed State
who grants total security -
- without a bank or shortage...
Did you see the new Minister of Police?
Apologies, my fellow soldier,
but I feel terribly ill.
I've gotten the impression that I would
feel better if I...
could go outside,
in the open.
Preferably on the ceiling terrace.
Leo Kall... You have 5 minutes.
Linda!
For the last time: Do you wish
to buy your life with this invention?!
Do you wish to gift it to us, Leo Kall?
Yes.
I want it to remain.
It can cause a development.
Despite the years that I have been here,
as a prisoner and a chemist...
It must have been
more than 20 years-
that I have been working
with chemistry as a prisoner of war.
But despite that, I would say that I feel
more free here than in freedom, in a way.
I think a lot about what has happened.
And now, I have written my story down.
Even if my manuscript will be
confiscated and locked up...
It will be read by a number of people.
Maybe some of them will end up like me...
Perhaps, all of this
will be repeated somewhere else.
Perhaps, Kallocain can create
openness between people.
I can't get rid of this illusion
that has gripped my mind...
The idea that I, despite everything,
still am part of
the creation of a new world.