The Night Porter Page #3

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If you want to call Frankfurt,

just pick up the phone.

- What are you doing here?

- Work, excellency.

- At this time? What are you doing?

- I told you.

Get downstairs.

It all seems lost.

Something unexpected happens.

Ghosts... take shape in the mind.

How can one pull away from it?

This phantom.

The voice and the body.

This part of one's self.

Amen.

Greta doesn't believe

that Mario's death was an accident.

She has consulted Moritz the lawyer.

I know him. I can speak to him.

Don't speak to anybody.

I want to have a talk

with Greta's doctor.

Let's go.

- Are you sure?

- Yes. Are you leaving right away?

-Shall I call a taxi?

-Thank you, and a telegram form, please.

Certainly.

Here you are, madam.

Can't join you in Berlin either.

Will meet in New York.

Please don't worry.

All is well.

- Will you send it right away, please?

- Of course.

Good evening, Max.

I'm not too late, I hope.

I still have to prepare the show--

Stravinsky, The Firebird, as we planned.

No show tonight, Bert.

I, um, can't leave the desk.

Only postponed, right?

I will dance better

with a few more rehearsals.

Too bad about the flowers.

It's only postponed.

Oh.

Don't. Leave it. Leave it.

- You always break your fingernails.

- There.

- Thank you.

And so, there is a woman, hmm?

No.

Thank you.

Max, you don't trust me anymore.

You have changed. Thank you.

I met her again.

My little girl.

You mean, the little girl from then.

I found her again.

I found her again.

And no one must touch her.

Who'd dream of touching her?

Oh, Max, be careful.

Before she could testify against you,

you should file her away.

Oh. Oh, no.

- But--

- No.

I love her.

What a madman.

She's my little girl.

She was very young.

- And now she's not.

Yes. Yes, she--

She's exactly the same

as she was for me.

- Oh, Max.

- As she was then.

I've never seen you

so much in love.

I thought she was dead.

What a romantic story.

No.

No, it's... not romantic.

- No?

- It's not romantic.

It's a biblical story.

Yes? Well, tell me.

Tell me what it's about.

Well--

It's a story from the Bible.

- Shall I tell you?

- Please.

It's not very pleasant.

Go on.

Well, it was a long time ago.

Well, you remember.

Johann was a prisoner

who used to torment her.

She just asked me

to have him transferred.

I, I--

I don't know why,

but suddenly the story

of Salome came into my head.

I couldn't resist it.

So you see,

it was a biblical story.

- Poor Max.

- Hmm.

I told her I'd done exactly what she

asked me, or else I misunderstood her.

You were always insane,

and you still are.

Sane, insane then.

Hmm. Who's to judge?

And just you remember,

we're both in the same boat.

Hmm.

So we leave you this possibility.

You fix the date for the next meeting

and try to observe the rules.

I always observe the rules.

Tell that to the others,

Max, not to me, hmm?

- You don't trust me.

- That's where you're wrong.

Can't you understand the investigation

serves to liberate you from the past?

- We must help each other.

- Yet you have me followed and watched.

Then give us

the necessary information.

For example, where can I find

that witness Mario told me about?

I don't know

what you're talking about.

What time would you like

to be called in the morning?

Why?

- So they can't take you away.

- Who?

Klaus, Bert, Hans.

- It's nothing to laugh about.

And if they come with a file?

Then you fight.

Don't laugh!

Now--

- Excuse me.

Listen. The police came.

They're looking for Frau Atherton--

the conductor's wife.

You remember.

She paid the bill to me.

They're coming

to question you too.

I'm only here to ask you some questions

on behalf of myself and the others...

and to have a look at you.

I could have come

at another time to see him too,

but I don't need to speak to him.

I don't need to speak to him

in front of you. Useless.

With this business of the trial,

he's become too diffident.

- He's right.

- What do you mean?

Because then for the first time

he saw you all clearly.

Nothings changed, has it?

You're wrong.

We've all had our trials.

Now we are cured and

live in peace with ourselves.

- There's no cure.

- It is you who are ill.

- Otherwise, you wouldn't be with--

- That's my affair.

Very well. But, nevertheless,

your mind is disturbed.

That's why you're here,

fishing up the past.

Max is more than just the past.

Listen. Why don't you go

to the police?

If you want to,

I'll take you.

Hmm?

- Dr. Fogler, I remember you so well.

You gave a lot of orders.

You can't have forgotten

that Max was obedient.

Remember?

I don't remember.

I certainly can't oblige you to remember

if you don't want to.

I'm only here to ask you to testify,

to find out if the situation in which

you find yourself is of your own choice.

- I'm all right here.

- Yes.

You both want to live

in peace, right?

One lives in peace...

when one is in harmony

with one's close friends,

when one respects an agreement.

Tell Max that.

We could have denounced him

to the police for the murder of Mario.

But we didn't. Max is ill.

He mustn't be too far away from us.

He's locked you up here. We could

go to the police about that too.

I'm here of my own free will.

This chain is so none of you

can take me away.

If we wanted to carry you off,

would this chain stop us?

You poor fool.

A chain can be cut.

None of us is thinking of violence.

Hmm. I know how

your witnesses end up.

Max told me.

Max doesn't know

what he's saying or doing.

His mind is disordered.

Get out.

Go away. Go away!

If you change your mind,

if the chain grows heavy, call me.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

I wanted to tell you

I heard some noises last night.

I know you work at night.

That's why I was worried.

- Did they force the lock?

- No, it's nothing.

Oh, but there was somebody.

I didn't have the nerve to look outside.

It's not safe any longer,

you know, when you live alone.

It's your imagination, Frau Haller.

They were here, weren't they?

- Who was it?

- Hans.

What did he want?

- Tell me !

- I'm tired and I'm hungry.

Tell me!

- Nothing.

- Tell me what you talked about.

What you said to each other!

I sent him away.

Why were you trying

to go away from me?

It hurts.

I--

I love you.

the police are looking for your witness.

So is her husband. When they find her,

she'll begin to talk.

They'll never find her

as long as Stumm and Adolph keep quiet.

Oh, they won't talk.

It's your friend that concerns us.

-And so?

-And so, in the meantime,

we have to hold our breath and hope

that your love lasts for eternity

Max, you promised

to go on with your trial.

- You must bring your witness.

- Never ! Never !

I don't give a damn about this trial.

It's a farce.

- The trial is not a farce.

- Yes, it is ! It's a farce !

It's a game-- a game for freaks.

- The freaks are you and your whore.

- You b--

- Max, stop.

- Why did we have to meet up here?

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