Ali and Nino

But we did it yesterday.

He said he loved it.

I'm so glad he clapped,

because if not it, would be...

Father, I want to get married.

You want me to find you a beautiful wife?

I want to marry Nino Kipiani.

Her hips are too slim, like all Georgians.

Father!

A woman's hips are more important

than her education, my son.

Remember that.

When do you want to marry?

Soon.

I should like my grandson to be born in May.

It is a lucky month.

Why did you choose her?

I love her, Father.

Generally speaking,

loving a woman is not a good idea.

Father.

Ali Khan, congratulations on graduating.

It's a very well-deserved

celebration for you.

Will you be going on to study in Moscow?

I haven't decided.

May I ask you for this dance?

Father?

Certainly.

How much for the land, sir?

How big is your domain?

Well, sometimes I'm quite shy, but...

No, no.

May I?

- Yes, of course.

- Thank you.

- I'm Malik Nakhararyan.

- Oh. Nino Kipiani.

- Pleasure to meet you.

- Lovely to meet you.

I'm a very good friend of your father.

- Oh.

- We are in business together.

Thank you.

But we have to do that.

After all, it's the supply,

we have to control.

Well, at least we try to.

Prince Ali Khan, you are most welcome.

I am so sorry, but my train was late.

Not at all. Come and join us.

- Welcome here.

- Thank you.

I have just learned of your

ennoblement, Your Highness.

My sincere congratulations.

You are most kind. Thank you.

Thank you.

God is in our wine.

It can do you no harm.

Father, Ali Khan does not take alcohol.

It's against his religion.

On this occasion, I will make

an exception so I can toast Prince Kipiani.

Thank you, young man.

Prince Kipiani.

Prince Kipiani.

You must go and look at our gardens

after dinner, Ali Khan.

We have the most beautiful ancient trees.

Thank you, Your Highness,

but I came to visit you, not your trees.

What, you have something against trees?

Ali Khan is afraid of trees, Mr. Nakhararyan.

Not exactly, but what others feel

for trees, I feel for the desert.

The desert?

It's just scrub and sand.

That's what I love about it:

Its simplicity.

Maybe that's the difference

between East and West.

The desert asks for nothing,

promises nothing,

but the woods are full of questions.

- Well...

- Ali Khan.

Eagles come from the mountains

and tigers from the forest,

but nothing... nothing comes from the desert.

Lions and warriors come from the desert.

Lions and warriors.

And not to forget,

the source of our wealth, our oil.

Ali Khan.

I'm so happy you came.

I'm sorry I was late.

I was getting worried.

Who was that man sitting next to you?

Malik?

He's from a very important Armenian family.

Your father's a prince now.

Does that make you a princess?

It does.

I think I love you, Ali Khan.

Even though I'm a princess.

Maybe you won't be one for very long.

What do you mean?

Don't you lose the title

when you get married?

Is that supposed to be a proposal?

Yes.

Will you always love me, Ali Khan?

Yes.

And will you stay with me, whatever

happens, and take no other wives?

Yes.

Won't your father demand I become a Muslim?

No.

I've always wanted to go to Paris,

more than anywhere in the world.

I promise I will take you

to Paris for our honeymoon.

Now...

will you marry me?

I will.

I will, Ali.

Khan.

Khan.

A telegram for you.

My dear son, the czar has seen fit

to declare war on various European monarchs.

Return at once to Baku

and be ready to do your duty.

Who's this war against?

The German kaiser, the Austrian emperor,

the king of Bavaria, the king

of Prussia, the king of Hungary,

the sultan of the Ottoman Empire...

And who are Russia's allies?

The king of England, the king of Serbia,

the king of the Belgians,

the president of the French Republic,

and the emperor of Japan.

I know, when our family ruled this country,

how many of them fought

and died on the battlefield.

Your father, your grandfather.

And I feel part of that.

But why should I fight for one

Christian monarch against another?

Why should I fight for Russia's

cause, whatever it may be?

We've grown used to thinking

of ourselves as part of Russia.

We are not.

They invaded us a hundred years ago

and took away our family's power.

We are an occupied country.

Believe me, Father, I shall be proud

to die in battle when the time comes.

But this is not our fight.

You're crazy.

You mean you're going to pass up

this wonderful opportunity?

Ilyas, we're here,

and the front line will be around here...

2,000 miles away in Belgium.

If we get to fight at all, it will

most probably be against the Turks,

our cousins... why should I want to do that?

For the glory.

Listen, do you care who wins this war?

No, not in the least.

- You just want to fight.

- Yes, I want to be a soldier.

I've always wanted to be.

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

You'll be jealous when you see me

in my officer's uniform, Ali.

I'm sure you'll both

be brave officers, but why?

It will be an adventure.

That's the important thing.

What do you think, Seyid?

I'm with you.

I don't think this war

is any of our business.

At least I won't have to go back to school.

Beautiful.

When will you go and see him?

My father?

Soon.

Your Excellency can assure the czar

there will be no interruption in

the oil supply in the coming months.

There is even scope for an increase.

Prince Ali Khan.

I'm afraid it has to be admitted

that, regrettably,

war is extremely good for business.

As you may know, our family were rulers

in this region for nearly 700 years.

Yes.

We have retained enough property in

the city to make us financially secure.

I don't doubt it.

So...

Yes?

I have the honor to ask Your Highness'

permission to marry Princess Nino.

This is genuinely an honor, Ali Khan,

not only for Nino but for our entire family.

However...

I can't help feeling she's still

rather young to marry,

to say nothing of the differences

in background

and in, uh, religion.

I'm...

Sure this is also of concern to your father.

No.

I've discussed it with him.

Well, anyway, main thing is,

the world has embarked

on a terrible and unpredictable war.

I think we should wait to see its outcome.

Don't you agree?

Ali Khan.

Are you all right?

What's the matter?

How dare he?

A hundred years ago, a Kipiani would have

kissed my feet for such an opportunity.

My father will laugh at me.

- He didn't actually say no.

- The end of the war.

This war could go on for 20 years.

- What will you do?

- We'll run away together.

You mean kidnap her?

Well, I'm not against the idea.

It's the traditional way

to settle problems of this kind,

but it should be

the last resort, shouldn't it?

I think...

someone should explain to Prince Kipiani

what a wonderful marriage this would be

for all kinds of political

and cultural reasons.

Who is going to do that?

I can. Leave it to me.

Thank you.

Why did you say the end of the war?

I don't think there is

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