It Happened in Europe (1948)

[bunniefuu]

SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE...

Screenplay by:

Music by:

Photography:

Cast:

Director:

With the participation of the Symphony Orchestra of the Hungarian State Railways, conducted by Sandor Somlo and students of the School of Dramatic Arts:

This film is dedicated to the Nameless Child, and to children, who had the same fate on the roads of historical times:

SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE...

Our story takes place where the storm of w*r blew over countries, regions, people and lives...

Somewhere in Europe: Somewhere along the river Danu be:

Daddy!

Daddy...

Are you alive?

Tell me something, damn you! Are you alive?

The b*mb...

The b*mb... my foot...

You're shell-shocked!

Hold on to me! Come on, you idiot!

Hang on!

Wait a bit!

The Gopher.

What's the matter, General? Is that all?

You got a bit quiet, you turd, didn't you?

YOUTH CUSTODY CENTRE

What's up?

Are you alive?

If you've d*ed meantime and I'm carrying you for nothing, I k*ll you.

Tell me something, damn you!

Hosszu, wouldn't you turn your back on a pal, would you?

Go to hell!

Anyone who can smoke, can walk as well.

Wait a bit!

Hey, that is my cigarette!

Water!

Water! Water!

Take care of my mouth-organ.

What are they doing?

They're getting to know each other.

Quick!

Come on!

Quick!

Please sir, let us get on! Get out of the way!

May we get onto the back? Please! Go away!

Go to hell! Let me go!

Get out of my way, or I will run you over!

This is paint!

Wine!

Ugh, it's vinegar!

We have had this car!

What's this?

It's a hitch.

What is it for?

What for?

For the blighter.

It's all up with him. What shall we do with him?

Let's noose him! - Idiot! We'd rather look for some grub.

The shoes are mine!

Do you think, you have the rights to everything?

Hey, this is bacon!

Hmm... right, you can smell it.

It is too few for all of us, but one could regale himself.

We are going to draw it.

The one, who draws the headless one... wins.

Here you are.

It's Ficsur's!

Scapegrace.

Don't eat here, in front of them! Can't you see, how hungry they are?

Go behind the car...

What are you gloating at? Let's wake the blighter.

Potatoes!

Potatoes! Where did you find them?

Follow me!

Potatoes! Potatoes!

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Considering the ever increasing ravage, caused by tramps and looters, I enact to the farm-houses and villages, to set up permanent guards, to protect their values, against the common thr*at.

Government Commissioner.

Can anybody pray?

Come on! Hurry!

Who can swim?

Strip, then put your clothes to the rowboat.

The others will come by boat. Get in! Hurry!

What are you waiting for? Can you swim?

Yes, I can. Then why aren't you striping?

Because I am not a boy. What did you say?

That is why, I don't take my clothes off.

Take me with you, in the boat!

What are you about?

Hosszu, I have found an oar!

Get into the rowboat! This one will come with us.

This has had it, pretty well. But we can dwell in it.

Dwell? It is a ruin.

How choosey you are. It is exactly what we are looking for.

Tollas, Voros! Check it up!

Easy. Calm down, son.

Where is Tollas? He has been caught.

What were you doing here? What is your name?

Can't you speak? I've brought you some bread... to the sausage. To avoid indigestion.

That is the character.

Pull!

Hold his legs! Tighten the rope!

What's your name?

How did you get here?

If you have something to say, you can lick my...

Guys! Here's the grub! Come on!

Grub!

Why are you gazing at me?

What do you want from me?

Nothing.

Do you know... that I've never had...

anything to do... with your kind of people?

But I've had...

I've had something to do with... your kind of people?

With men?

It happened in autumn.

That was when the Germans came into our street.

They had already collected the people from the nearby houses.

I heared some noise from the stairway.

I knew they had arrived to our house.

They sent me message, that... if I was clever... and went into the other room, with them,

they wouldn't take us away.

The others knew nothing about it,

only me...

Do you want us to find him?

For what?

To make him pay his score.

He isn't a debtor.

He owes me nothing.

I didn't even see him.

I only saw the others, who were waiting for me in the next room.

Do you mind I have told this to you?

What's your name?

Eva.

My name is Peter.

Guys!

Let's hang him! I'm begging you.

Let's hang him.

Let's hang him!

Let's hang him! All right! Let's do it!

Let's hang him up to here! I am begging you!

Guys, wait!

One, two, three...

Stop it!

Who told you to hang him? I did.

You?

I did.

Why?

For fun.

Take him away.

So, what shall we do with this old blighter?

I haven't decided, yet. I'll tell you in the morning.

Hit the sack!

Can't you hear?

Drunken pigs.

Where's the old man?

Do you hear me? Where's the old man?

I don't know.

Did you let him go? No.

Then how did he slope off? I...

You?

I let him go.

That's not true, she's lying.

The old man asked me to untie his hands.

And you untied them of course. Yes, I did.

That's topping!

The old blighter will set the whole village against us.

You've betrayed the whole g*ng!

Do you know what you are? A traitor!

I am begging you guys. Hang him! - Shut up...

Lock him up into the cupboard.

No! Leave me alone! Please!

What are we going to do?

If they come we'll defend ourselves.

They're coming!

Wait! He is alone.

Come out. - I don't because they've locked me in.

But I am going to lock you out.

It is unnecessary to do that. I'm a prisoner.

If you come out, you won't be a prisoner any more.

Girls know know nothing about these things. Close the door!

Good morning, gentlemen...

Before I forget. The villagers are looking for some children.

And what did you tell them?

I don't lie.

So, you have snitch on us.

I said that I hadn't met any children.

I only saw some tramps, but they didn't question me about them.

You can come out.

He has come back!

Are you explaining it to me?

Do you think I'm a fool?

What do you mean they have disappeared?

Did they just evaporate?

They must be here somewhere.

You are supposed to find them. Do you understand?

Yes, we did. Report to me tomorrow!

Dismiss!

Well, these were the last two.

It's rumored in town, that Berlin is besieged.

Is it going to be peace again?

I don't think so.

We won't give it up so easily.

If you like the w*r so much, why did you hop off?

Why are you hiding here?

Do you want to go on with w*r here? Do you want to make w*r on children?

I didn't call a doctor to criticize me, but to do his job. Understand?

Dismiss!

As you wish.

Comrade...

Are you here, in the picture?

I was and will be.

What's that in your hand? Can't you see? A baton.

What are you? A teacher? No.

A magician? Kind of...

When I wave with this baton, people start making music.

Don't you believe me? No, I don't Can you read? Yes, I can.

Then go, and read those letters you can find over there. Go.

Pi-er-re... Si-mon.

Okay, you can read. Now read the other one.

Conductor: Peter Simon...

You see? That's me. And that's me, too.

All those Peter, Pierre, Pietro. They're all me.

That's how I was called in different foreign languages, in different countries.

In Europe, in America, everywhere I went in the world.

If you're such a famous man, what are you doing here?

Because there are too much noise going on, in the world They wouldn't hear the music...

Later, if there's quiet once again...

How did you get here? Do you ask this?

Did I ask, how you all get here?

I didn't ask this dog either when he fell behind me... this morning in the woods.

I didn't ask him how and why he came here.

He got kicked somewhere, he has mavericked, and now he's here...

He's a tramp like all of us.

Are you a tramp, too? Of course, I'm a tramp.

Like those, who had to flee because they had got hurt somewhere.

What was the wrong with you?

Big trouble.

I dared to think.

I've relieved the guard.

Good.

So, do we leave or stay?

We stay.

And where the hell are we going to sleep?

I really don't want to chip in your business, gentlemen, but if you would repair the roof a bit, as I repaired it, you could sleep here quite well...

The old blighter thinks we're bricklayers.

I couldn't know what your profession is, but I'm not a bricklayer either, but the roof doesn't leak over my bed.

It's only a question of a couple of rafters and a little will.

Listen. You can lick my...

Don't trouble yourself, young man. I've heard that before.

Look after the supper.

Even the nails.

Supper! Supper! Supper!

Shall we go up to the fortress? What for?

Maybe they're up there. With the musician? Don't be stupid!

He doesn't have a word with anybody.

He can't even tolerate a dog around him.

Do you think so? I think so.

What are you writing? Music sheet.

What is that for?

You can read music from it.

And what's that for?

You can pose very difficult questions.

Well, how can I explain...

If something hurts very much or if something is so beautiful that it is beyond impressions, then this could be a way to tell it.

It can be easier to heard.

Do you understand? No, I don't.

Now, listen.

Once, there was a young man somewhere beyond the seven seas.

Far away, somewhere in France.

He had a lot of things to say.

So, he sat down to the piano and played this...

Have you ever heard it? No, I haven't.

Has none of you heard it?

Never mind, nobody also knew it at that time.

But one day someone passed under the young man's window and heard it.

Then another heard it, then a third one...

One man whistled it, the other crooned it.

And then, more and more people begin to sing it.

The song took wings...

And when the many were singing it, their song was answered by g*ns...

And the g*ns were getting bigger and bigger.

It was answered by tanks and machineguns But the song became louder and louder.

It travelled the world, because people understood what that young man wanted to say...

And did the young man want to say?

Freedom.

But freedom isn't a child's game.

It's the adults' favorite game.

If anyone wants to take it away from them, it always causes trouble.

Only a few people can understand that.

It's my favorite game, too.

It is a fine game, isn't it?

We played it a lot on the roads.

Freedom.

We almost starved to death.

You were not free.

You had to tramp, to steal, to rob, otherwise you would have d*ed of hunger.

Freedom means that you aren't forced to suffer, to do evil things, to hurt other people.

The worst captivity is misery.

Play!

What shall I play?

The song which was sung by so many people.

Come nearer!

You aren't brave enough, are you?

But you are brave enough to steal, to rob, to m*rder!

We were hungry.

We stole.

But we haven't done anything wrong.

"We haven't done anything wrong. "

I'll flog it out of you, damned rascals.

A few slohs and you will tell us everything.

Leave them alone... They're only kids.

How fastidious you've become, Lieutenant.

Where are the others? There are only three of us.

Where's the g*ng? What g*ng?

Won't you tell me? I don't know...

I don't know...

You are out of tune!

Can't you hear? You are out of tune!

Listen!

Whistle!

Oh, I'm hungry.

Good morning.

Here's the food.

However... the portions have to be cut, I'd better not to go to the village for a while.

Something has happened? Not yet...

Not yet? They caught three kids.

They are being sloshed in the school.

Why?

They want to b*at out of them where the g*ng is.

What g*ng?

Ours...

Yours... exactly.

And what about the kids?

They crying... howling... bearing...

Are they sloshing those kids?

No, they are just stroking them. Shut up!

Portion the breakfast out!

Wait.

Sit down!

Are you deaf? Sit down!

You have heard, what's going on.

Those three kids are being beaten up...

And? It hurts to them.

Shut up!

Those three kids are being beaten up instead of us.

Do you understand? I am hungry and he preaches!

You stole the old man's bread yesterday.

Mind your own business. Why are you defending him?

Silence, damn you! Shut up!

Didn't you hear? Silence!

Don't you see?

The question is, whether we tolerate that those brutal bastard b*ating those three kids, or not!

They are stronger!

And they've got g*ns.

We can be happy we are alive.

If we go to the village, they will find out that we are here, and they'll smoke us out.

No way, I am going there.

When I got beaten up, no one gave a damn.

Two of my teeth were knocked out.

So what are you going to do, now?

Are they still being beaten? Who knows?

Are they still being beaten?

Are you going down, to the village?

Gather up four or five tough kids for tonight.

We'll go to the village.

Don't tell the others.

Go ahead. I will follow you.

I'm coming with you.

You stay here.

If I don't come back, tell the old man that I entrust the g*ng...

...and you to him.

Come on!

Hurry up!

Take those tiles out.

There!

Be careful!

Quietly!

Who's that?

Open up!

Have you been drinking again?

Again...

Are we leaving?

Leaving?

Idiot!

We're staying, old chap!

Staying...

We put some naphtalene onto our uniforms to keep the moths away.

Naphtalene?

Naphtalene?

What did you do with yours?

I soaked it into petrol...

and it burnt.

Coward!

I've had enough!

Enough!

Enough of everything!

Of heroism, of uniforms, of bravery...

Enough!

This is the g*ng. Come.

These three boys belong to us from now.

Do you understand? Go to sleep.

These three stairs are yours.

Stop.

Did it hurt very much?

What? The b*ating.

It doesn't hurt anymore...

Go to sleep.

They're coming! Who?

Three men.

It'll be better if I speak with them.

To the tower. Go!

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

You've repaired it... Very nice.

People couldn't believe it.

It looks like a ruin from below.

Well yes, I did my best to make it habitable.

I did the best I could.

They're leaving.

They're taking the old man with them.

No. They are only three.

You can come down.

What did they want?

They came to snoope around.

And?

Nothing.

They came, they looked around and they left.

I acted the idiot.

Did they believe it? No, they didn't So... they'll come back.

Probably.

We'll go away.

Whereto?

Hell knows.

Somewhere...

Back to where we came from. To the road.

It is a pity. Why?

Have you got a better idea?

The whole thing is messed up.

Is that your famous freedom?

You have to fight for freedom.

With them?

Shall I fight against the world with a couple of brats?

Leave the world alone.

There's nothing wrong with it anymore.

It's already yours.

You just don't realize that, yet.

Nor those few stupid adults who are standing in your way.

The gate has to be strengthened.

Bring down the rafters from the attic.

We're going to build a fortification in the bend!

Take the stones from there.

Ficsur, you and five boy come with me to chop some wood.

Hosszu!

Where's the old man?

What's the matter with him?

I saw him this morning. He was walking towards the village with his dog.

He has lammed.

Shut up!

Whatever you say, he's just as much of a scoundrel as the others.

Shut your mouth!

Maybe we're in a mouse trap, but they won't defeat us easily.

Get down to work.

Take your places!

Is that you?

I'd like to tell you something.

I'd like to ask you to...

I'd like you to forget...

What?

Everything...

The things you've gone through and everything.

Why? I don't know...

I'd just like it.

It would be good to know that you've forgotten...

Do you promise?

Victory!

One up for us!

They are retreating!

They're running. Hosszu, come here!

Kuksi, Kuksi!

Kuksi, Kuksi.

There's nothing... there's nothing wrong.

No! Don't sh**t... no... no.

What's he saying?

I don't know... he's got a fever.

His little body is so hot...

Kuksi...

Dear Kuksi...

Boys, Kuksi needs a doctor.

He has to be taken down to the village.

Anyone who goes down must know what to expect.

It isn't an order, of course, it's a request.

Who will come with me?

That... that's all right.

Yes. That's how it should be...

Thank you in Kuksi's name, but it wouldn't make any sense.

If we have to be punished two of us will be enough...

Clear?

We came together, we'll go together!

Can you help?

Which of you is the boss?

What's your name?

Who's your father?

The Youth Custody Centre.

I asked you who's your father.

How should I know? I've never seen him.

What did you do for a living?

Nothing.

Until the Youth Custody Centre was bombed apart.

And you? What's your name?

Ficsur.

Don't bareface!

Tell me your name!

The name by which you're called at home.

Pityu...

Pityuka... but mostly Pityu.

Why are you tramping? Why aren't you at home?

Because there's only a hole where our house used to be... ruins.

My father was under the ruins. I could only see my fathers hand...

It was like this... no, with his fingers like this.

And you? With that idiotic face of yours?

How did you get here?

Have you got a father, a mother?

Come on! Have you got a father?

Yes, I have.

Where is he?

They said he was a prisoner of w*r.

My mother said he wouldn't come back.

And your mother?

She shacked up with the grocer...

He tried to suck up to me.

He gave me raspberry sweets, but I didn't want sweets. I left them...

Shut your mouth!

Liars!

It's impossible to get a single decent answer of you!

Bullshits, lies!

Do you know what can tramps and marauders sentenced to?

Summary justice!

Do you understand?

Martial law! Do you understand? Martial Law!

Kuksi...

Kuksi...

Where is... where is my mouth-organ?

Here it is.

Who of you dares to accuse them?

You? You? Or I? What is their crime?

The w*r was not their fault. It was ours. The adults began the w*r.

You! You! And I!

It was the w*r, misery and despair which drove them to the highways!

If there's anyone here to be accused, it's us!

You! You! All of us!

And now let's hear the accusation!

Here are the witnesses.

Speak!

Come on! What the hell is wrong with you?

Open your mouths! Why don't you speak?

Tell the gentleman what these scoundrels did to you?

Thank you... people...

...do you understand now?

Did you understand?

According to the law these boys are tramps!

They're a dangerous.

According to the law...

According to the written law, a tramp is a person without an occupation and without a home.

The occupation of the defendants is that they are children, while their homes were devastated by the w*r...

If you're referring tothe law, I will do that, too.

And so will they.

Here's the document. It's just been signed in the town.

That rock and the ruin on it belongs to them... and to every child who is looking for a home.

Here, take a look at it. There is even a seal on it.

Down there on the left.

What kind of seal is it?

Who signed it?

Someone... someone who wanted to help.

And who is this someone?

You would call him 'authority'. I'm calling him a human.

Things started to change in the town.

New people write new laws.

New laws?

In whose name?

In the name of all who need help.

In yours, too.

The place where you have fled, is your home now.

The roof you made together, is the roof of your own house.

And we're going to made the things that are lacking.

And if you need anything else, I'm going to play them together for you on the piano.

I don't understand...

Didn't you want this?

You wanted a home!

You wanted to defend it against the whole world... now the world has given it to you.

Aren't you pleased?

I think it was expensive.

Expensive?

Kuksi...

Kuksi?

What's the matter with Kuksi?

Come.

You can leave now.

Go home, kids.

Kuksi.

Kuksi, look at me.

We're here with you... Kuksi, Kuksi, Kuksi, here's the whole g*ng.

Look up, everybody's here.

Look, Kuksi...

They're coming...

with g*ns...

No, no, Kuksi, they aren't coming.

We are here.

We are here with you, do you understand?

You'll recover... and we'll go home, do you understand? Home!

We'll go up to the fortress which... which belongs to us now.

We're going to build a big house and there'll be a big garden, too... and all kind of toys... a toy-railway and a train...

and a bear, a teddy bear.

A teddy bear and a lovely mouth-organ, made of silver.

One with a double-row!

And there'll be a lovely bell on it, too.

And this all will be yours, Kuksi, because you saved us...

Kuksi...

Don't cry.

You mustn't cry now.

Look, he is smiling, too...

THE END