A WALK ALONG THE SCAFFOLD
Why does nobody believe that I'm your wife?
Hm, I tried to please you.
Did you ever wish to become one with nature?
So, do it.
Do you think we'll spend the night on the street?
There are no streets here, darling.
Everything you see around you...
...is a field.
Listen...
How about you change your clothes?
Or we really will have to sleep in the street.
So what? I don't have the local fashions.
How about your dressing gown?
Maybe you'll slip that on?
Hello, granny! -Hello, hello!
Can we rent a room for a month? We'll pay.
I wouldn't mind making some money, but I have nothing to feed you with.
So you really can't feed us?
How can I feed you? I don't have anything.
We'll buy food ourselves.
Fine, buy it yourselves. You can only get food for stamps here. Bread, only stamps.
Is there any other place we can stay?
There's just me and the old men, that's the whole village. -Wait, I'll help you.
Yasha...
You can go to the Tatar farmstead. Everybody is welcome there.
And where is this place?
You'll have to go around the lake. -Is it far?
Don't worry, you'll find it.
Hello!
Is anybody here?
Hey, look what I found. What is it?
It's a scaffold.
Is it real?
Looks real.
That wheel... is for quartering.
And this executioner's block is for the heads.
Wow!
A five star hotel, and all the stars are Soviet.
I think we should get out of here.
The sooner the better.
I'm tired.
I can't walk all the way back.
Now, now. It's alright.
Calm down. It's nothing.
OK, we'll spend the night here.
And leave tomorrow.
You did want to become one with nature...
Wake up...
Wake up.
What is this?
Hush.
It's impossible!
It can't be!
Hey, where are you going?
It's impossible!
But it's real.
It's hypnosis.
We were hypnotized all our lives... Until yesterday.
A standard Soviet hypnosis.
I understand...
None of this is really here.
It's drugs. We were drugged at night.
We have to get out of here now!
Nikitushka...
If we're truly in the grip of some force...
...it won't let us leave this place.
Don't you understand?
We don't have to fight everything.
Can't you see?
It wants us... to be happy.
But we can leave, if you want.
But let's have breakfast first.
How often do we see things like this?
Alright.
Where do you want to have breakfast?
I don't care.
Let's go on the beach...
It's so beautiful there.
What will you have?
Nothing.
And why is that?
If it's drugs, they can be in the food.
How about an apple?
You can eat an apple.
It's just a regular apple.
No.
Fine, but I'm eating.
How often do you get to see a pineapple?
I feel like I need a manual for all this.
I mean, what's this green thing?
Is it a fruit or a vegetable?
It's a kiwi fruit.
How do you know?
I've read about it.
Pour me some wine.
This isn't wine.
I've read that meat is served with red wine.
In a book about good and healthy food.
It was a funny book.
For instance, it says to take half a pound of avocado,
a glass of Madeira...
...and half of glass of peanuts.
Have you read about peanuts?
Hurry! Let's get out of here!
We'll have breakfast somewhere else.
No harm done.
Here, here! Hurry!
Go.
Come here.
Take a seat.
Please.
Take a seat.
Who are you?
I'm the one you're looking for.
You're the owner?
Where's the peacock?
What peacock?
There was a peacock here.
Who knows.
Walking around somewhere.
Where?
How should I know?
It's a free bird.
It's not a bird.
Then what is it? -It's you!
Now, what kind of peacock would I be?
What was it?
Blood was spilled...
...innocent blood.
Where?
It's all my fault.
What is?
Everything.
He reminds me... -Who?
The one who's meant to.
Is that a real scaffold on the wharf?
Of course it's a scaffold.
As real as it gets.
It's real?
Couldn't get any more real.
Yemelyan Pugachev was executed on it. I kept it for a keepsake.
What? -I said, for a keepsake.
What for?
How silly of me! I came, interrupted your breakfast... I'm sorry.
Would you like a glass of water?
That would be nice...
One moment.
You must be a wealthy man...
You have very fine furniture.
Yes, it's not bad.
But it's not mine.
I borrowed it...
...some from the Louvre, some from the Hermitage.
Really?
There must have been quite a racket.
No, nobody noticed.
I'm sorry we came in uninvited, we were stranded here...
You don't need to apologize.
This house has been waiting for you.
Waiting?
Exactly!
A long, long time.
You must be... an alien?
In a way...
Oh, excuse me... -And how is life there?
I'm sorry, you must be sick of me by now.
I'll go and let the two of you relax.
When you need me, I'll appear.
How do we call you? -You don't need to call me. I'll appear.
What's the matter with you? -Look!
What?
Don't you see?! -See what?
There! On the top of the fir!
The man... the owner... standing on one leg!
There's nobody there.
What's the matter, darling?
What's the matter?! Calm down! Calm down!
Yegorushka, why are you in such a rush?
Let's stay here for a day or three, live properly.
What's that?
We can live like people for three days. -Like people?
With the blood flowing out there? Is that living like people? I've had enough!
It's not real blood.
What did you say? -I said it wasn't real blood.
How do you know? -I just know.
Go and see for yourself if you don't believe me.
This water is strange.
Perhaps it's living water?
Do I look any younger?
Sometimes I wonder... Are you brave, or just reckless?
A woman in love fears nothing.
Haven't you noticed?
You've just never been happy.
You're afraid of happiness.
Lie in this water for a minute.
And everything will be fine.
Lie here for one minute and everything will be fine.
Everything will be fine.
Only one minute...
You see, it's wonderful water.
I'm afraid of this water...
...and of you in this house.
I feel that I'm not me and you are not yourself.
Something is happening to us.
Don't you understand?
Very well, if that's what you really want, we'll leave.
I don't like this.
Suit yourself, but I'm going.
Where are you going?
What about me?
Fine, I'll carry you across. First the suitcase, then you.
Alright. You stay here.
I'm afraid. -Stay here!
I'm coming with you. -Stay here!
Shit!
I'm sorry...
Damn it!
We're on an island, I'm almost sure.
And there's no other way out of here.
Why?
Because there was no other reason to break the bridge.
Have you ever had coconut milk? -No. And I'm not sad about it.
Well, I'll have some...
...just a little.
Hand me a knife.
Would you like some?
Have some. It's delicious.
I want to sleep...
Where's our suitcase? It was here yesterday.
Look more carefully. You always lose things.
Damn it! We sank it.
What do you mean, sank it? Here it is.
Hand me the robe, please.
Could you turn away?
Don't you remember anything?
Have you gone crazy with fear?
What am I supposed to remember?
I want to eat! You're the man, you have to gather the food and make the fire.
Ah yes, I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well.
Where do I turn on the light?
The light? I don't know...
There's no light here. There's no electricity for fifty miles around.
Thanks! -Don't mention it.
I found it in the wardrobe. Do you like it?
Any minute now we'll wake up in that old woman's sheep pen...
...along with her sheep.
There's no doubt that we'll wake up in the pen.
What we'll do next, that's the question.
Was there anything for me in that wardrobe?
No there wasn't.
It seems to me that the old man has taken a liking to you.
So, a happy future in this one hut awaits you...
...and I will be turned into a peacock.
Possibly a fried peacock, so I won't get in your way.
You are wrong, young man!
You shouldn't worry about your future.
It is beautiful.
I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here.
Where else would I be?
Can I touch you? -By all means.
Doesn't that hurt? -I don't feel anything. Do you?
Excuse me.
Damn you!
It's no good. Why spoil a celebration?
What celebration? -Life! Life!
Life is a celebration, isn't it?
You are young, beautiful... the bottles are full of wine...
...the hazel grouses are roasting, a ball for three is announced, yet he continues!
What do you mean, hazel grouses? This is chicken.
Don't insult me, young man.
How could I offer you plain chicken in this place?
Music!
Where's the music?! What's the problem?! I called for it!
Phillip Phillipovich, the music is over. Please let go of me.
One moment! Hazel grouses, hazel grouses!
Oh, I'm so sorry!
Oh, what a bird! It's fried, and it still tries to fly away.
To hell with it! We'll have some champagne!
Here it is.... so cold.
You promised to tell us the story of this wharf.
Ah, yes... Yes! Of course!
History knows many interesting stories.
One moment! Attention, please!
As you know, Yemelyan Pugachev was executed on this scaffold.
But your history got that wrong!
It was actually Peter III.
That's going too far! I've read about this.
Your books were written by thieves and embezzlers!
Who has ever been paid to write the truth?
And how would you know the truth? -I was standing right there.
Right next to the scaffold.
Like you.
I looked at his face!
I wanted to understand his holiness.
And did you? -No.
It seemed that something was revealed to him in the process.
But what?
He took it with him... So I kept the executioner's block for myself.
I look at it... and ponder.
My god, how old are you?
What's the matter?
What's the matter now?
Try to remember... It's very important.
We are waking. We're carrying a suitcase and a bag.
We come to a bridge and there's no bridge.
Somebody took it apart.
You're so afraid, you've started to hallucinate.
What bridge? How should I remember it?
Hallucinations?
Then what's this?
These are hands. The hands that I love so much.
Why are you peeling the potatoes?
I'm just having fun.
Life is so boring when you have everything.
Who are you?
Me?
Well... I'm the one who created the sky, the earth, the seas and rivers...
You are... God?
Oh, come now... how could I be...
God created me.
And he gave me the talent.
You're a painter? -I used to be.
Believe it or not, anything I created with these hands came to life.
I would mould a snake and it would crawl.
I would mould bird and it would fly.
What? What? What?
Don't I look it? -I suppose you do.
Don't be afraid. I'm sane.
I'm sane.
You don't believe me? You're right
It's penance for my sin.
I have sinned.
I have sinned!
A horrible sin.
I was proud of my talent!
I felt myself above god!
I began to judge the ones that I created.
Naturally! I created them myself!
They didn't obey me!
I began to execute and pardon them, execute and pardon!
I banished them from paradise for not obeying me!
I sent a sea of sores upon them.
In this way, young man, I used my talent for evil.
And it disappeared.
It disappeared.
And the earth... here it is... it remained.
It was not finished by these hands. Everything is pell-mell.
God didn't forgive me my talent.
Excuse me...
The globe keeps spinning, and the blood keeps flowing.
The blood is flowing.
Why are you standing there? Unclench your fist. The knife is here.
Quick! Get ready, we're leaving!
What happened? -I'll tell you later.
Quickly! Take the bag. Be out by the bridge in a five minutes.
Can I at least take a bath? -No baths!
Wait! My skirt is in the suitcase. I need to put my clothes on.
Please, I'm begging you! I'm begging you, we don't have much time.
Be out by the bridge in five minutes. Five minutes.
So you're a hooligan! I wouldn't have guessed, to look at you.
Did you fall in the water?
It's hard not to fall in, here. You fall in, even if you try not to.
What do you want from us?
Good god. I don't want anything from you.
Live, be happy... what more do you want?
I have to understand... where am I? What's happening to me?
You mean to say that in your small, miserable live you understood it?
Yes!
Well... you are free to go.
Go.
Wake up and go!
Go.
It's knee-deep, go, go!
I don't want to wake up.
If this is a dream... so be it.
You're insane!
What are you doing?
Please! Don't be afraid! It's not painful.
And it's not dangerous.
You will go back to the first day of creation. To holy ignorance.
My talent will return. And we'll start everything from the beginning.
I just need to be forgiven by two people on this earth!
And they have to agree to this operation.
I'll start over...
And I won't get it wrong this time!
And what about the ones that already exist?
What will happen to them?
But something has to be done.
It can't go on like this.
She's agreed? -Yes!
You can see.
She's alive and happy!
Can I speak to her?
No... She doesn't speak Russian anymore.
Which language does she speak?
She doesn't need words.
Hey!
I love you!
No... No... No...
Hey!
Where are you?
Excuse me...
Are you the owner of this farmstead?
If you can call it a farmstead.
We... came in uninvited in last night.
It was raining. -I know.
How did you sleep? -Alright.
Alright? -Yes.
Why? -No reason.
Will you have breakfast? -Thanks, but I think we'll go.
We're on a trip, you know.
Wandering the Earth. Here today, there the next day.
But you still need to eat.
Those who don't peck at their seeds can't flap their wings.
Have you seen a girl here?
Of course I've seen her. She's gathering berries over there.
Hey!
It's me.
Ivan Ivanych. Philidor.
You need to wake up.
It's very simple!
All you need to do is wake up!
And everything will be alright.
Everything will be alright! Please, wake up!
It's me.
Do you hear me?
It's me, Panteleimon.
Nikifor...
Please, wake up.
You can't.
Let's go away from here.
And everything will be alright.
Come with me.
We have to run away from here.
My god! What is this?
These are people.
THE END