The Marriage of Maria Braun Page #4

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That has nothing to do

with questions of interpreting.

Senkenberg, please.

He's right.

I don't know a thing about business.

But I know what German women want,

and I know about nylon and woven fabrics.

And I know a lot about the future.

I'm a specialist in that.

And what harm can it do

if the deal's off anyway?

You can always say no

when the time comes.

It's the first amusing idea all day.

With all respect, sir,

Mrs. Braun has absolutely

no experience in our field.

Then she's about to get some.

Maria Braun, you have rendered

outstanding service to the firm.

Come on, Senkenberg.

You too.

I'd prefer to drink

to the company in five years' time.

If it still exists.

You're a bore, Senkenberg.

You're never any fun.

You're the best accountant, the most

conscientious financial manager,

but you haven't

a mark's worth of imagination.

And I mean a reichsmark.

- That's no reproach.

In your profession, imagination

would be detrimental to business.

Someone must hold on to the money,

vouch for finances, secure credit.

Where would you and your firm be

without Senkenberg?

At the races?

Well said, eh, Senkenberg?

I'd like to drink a toast

to Mrs. Braun.

With her alone,

we probably would be at the races,

but without her,

we'd be in the cemetery.

Please excuse me.

It's been a long, hard day, and -

And you want to calculate

how long it will be

before we're bankrupt.

But seriously,

the two of us survived the war,

and the three of us

will survive the peace.

The firm had to survive without you

during the war years, sir.

The only contact you had with us

was through your bank account.

Oh, I don't hold it against you.

Political developments

have proved you right

and made your noble abstinence

look like foresight and stature.

But I'm glad

we can count on you again...

as we did before 1933.

And I'm glad to have found

in you, Mrs. Braun,

such a good

and unorthodox opponent.

Good evening.

You mustn't be angry with him.

I think he really likes you.

I'm not angry at all.

In a way he's right,

though not completely.

But he loves the company,

heart and soul.

I did leave him alone

for those thousand years.

I dreamed up

a cozy world of my own

in which I had

a comfortable existence.

But now,

in terms of economic accountability,

I fully endorse his assessment

of the investment.

I'm more of a gambler than he is...

but I must honestly say,

we're expecting a miracle.

I prefer to make miracles

rather than wait for them to happen.

You're a truly exceptional person.

- Shall we have another drink?

- No. I want to sleep with you.

Where's the bathroom?

First door on the left.

You're wonderful.

You're wonderful.

I'd like you to call me

Mrs. Braun again.

If you insist.

You know, this took me by surprise.

Didn't you want it?

Of course. Very much.

So did I.

And...

I want our relationship to be clear.

Do we have a relationship now?

Yes, a clear one.

That's the taxi to the station.

Senkenberg paid for the others.

Taxi back to the apartment,

and the hotel. That's all.

Something will be deducted

for breakfast.

Come in.

Hello, Mr. Oswald.

Hello, Mrs. Braun, Mrs. Ehmke.

Am I interrupting?

- Not at all, sir.

Not in the least, Mr. Oswald.

I just wanted to -

I'm finished anyway.

We have to evaluate the conference.

I'll be in Mr. Senkenberg's office.

Mrs. Ehmke and Senkenberg:

the two conspirators.

Tell him I'd like to see him

in my office at 4:00, please.

You too, Mrs. Braun.

You too, dear Mrs. Braun.

At 4:
00, Mr. Oswald?

I just dropped in to see you.

In private.

This is not a private place.

It's an office in your company.

All right.

The office is closed

over the weekend.

Spend it with me in the country.

I'm sorry, but I have to visit

someone on Saturday.

- You are -

- I am the way I am.

Last night you were

a different person.

Last night I was Maria Braun

who wanted to sleep with you.

Today I'm Maria Braun

who wants to work for you.

Are you afraid people will think

I'm having an affair with you?

I don't care what people think.

I care what you think.

I don't want you to think you're

"having an affair with me,"

when, in truth,

I'm having one with you.

But -

It's also true...

that I'm fond of you,

that you're my boss,

and that I don't want

to confuse things,

for your sake.

I have to know who I'm dealing with:

you or my boss.

I respect your point of view.

Let's talk about my salary.

How much were you thinking of?

I need to earn a lot of money

over the next few years.

Don't we all?

But I have a reason.

Well?

Now you know

what my work is worth to you.

That's how much I want,

not a penny more.

Then I'll have to consider

how much you're worth to me.

Not me.

My work.

Right. Your work, Mrs. Braun.

I'm an old man

and I'm getting a little slow.

But I'll do my best.

And then -

Not now, please.

Oh, yes.

What about Saturday?

On Saturday you'll be going

to the country on your own.

Why shouldn't he hear me say

I've slept with another man?

He hears me tell you

I love you too.

It's not the same thing.

No, and that's precisely why

it won't hurt if he hears it.

And why I want you to know.

If it were the same thing,

I wouldn't be here.

Is he good-looking?

He's good-looking,

he's courteous,

and he'd never hurt me.

And you should know

I wanted to sleep with him.

I didn't have to force myself.

Because he's my employer

and I'm dependent on him,

I wanted to beat him to it

to keep the upper hand.

Is that how things are

between people outside now?

So cold?

I don't know how other people are.

It's not a good time for feelings.

But that suits me.

That way,

nothing really affects me.

I thought you were in the country.

The flowers have wilted.

The chocolates have melted.

You have no claim on me.

I felt like a schoolboy.

That's what you are:

a dear, silly little schoolboy.

Why didn't you want

to come with me to the country?

Because you would have

proposed to me.

Precisely, and that's why-

How did you know?

With schoolboys

you know those sorts of things.

Sorry. You were serious.

I didn't mean to belittle you.

I should have told you

I'll never marry you.

But if you want,

I'll be your mistress.

The belligerent tone

adopted by your union is repugnant.

We can give as good as we get.

It's no wonder, with your

"we're the masters here" attitude.

The minister of trade himself said -

I know.

"We're all in the same boat."

But the boat belongs to you,

and we have to row it.

And it seems to irritate you

that we want to be paid well to do it.

I thought the talks had been adjourned.

We can argue next week.

Of course,

though I think some people

will never understand.

Let's have a drink, Maria.

You know each other personally?

Extremely personally.

I didn't notice a thing

these last three hours.

I'm a master of disguises:

a tool of capitalism by day;

an agent

of the working classes by night.

The Mata Hari

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