CONFESSIONS OF FELIX KRULL
Open your hand. Open your hand.
Don't let the others see. Make the best of it.
Be quick, or they'll take it from you.
PARIS 1900
I filled in for you for two hours.
- And that gets me a franc? - A franc is a franc all the same.
I'll take the most beautiful one.
Finally.
My dearest, I'm crazy for you.
- Still? - More than ever.
My picture in your heart hasn't faded?
Not the slightest. I can't live without you.
Me neither.
When are we going to tie the knot?
I can't marry you.
- You mean, you're not allowed to. - Yes.
Not like this.
- Papa would disown me. - Let him, Louis.
We would be destitute.
You can't live without me?
But not without your money either.
That's right.
- Not without money either. - I see.
You have to come up with an idea.
Meet me at 10 p.m. at "La Lune en Route".
- What now? - Now?
You can think and come up with something.
Farewell.
Ah, Madame.
Ah, Armand.
He expects me at 10 p.m. at "La Lune en Route".
- I'll go. - You?
I'll go instead of you.
Yes?
- No. - Good evening, Marquis de Venosta.
Your champagne.
She left. Set it down over there.
No, take it away. And the rose too.
Can I help you?
I'm beyond help.
Everyone can help everyone, Marquis.
Thank you, Armand.
I have... to think.
Think.
Sorry, sir. We're very sorry. But there are no tables available.
A table along the side would suffice.
The restaurant is full. Everything is occupied. Every single seat.
Although some may think it does not suit a gentleman
to dine outdoors in the evening,
I however don't, and gladly accept the offer.
In these circumstances, I'd like to direct you to this table here.
- If that's all right. - Thank you.
You're welcome. Splendid.
- The usual table, Marquis? - Yes, please.
May I bring you something to drink?
- A bottle of Lafite. - Certainly.
- Armand? - Marquis de Venosta.
My apologies, Armand...?
I don't know your last name.
At the hotel they call me Armand, but my real name is Felix KRULL.
- Have you been dismissed? - Not at all. It's a job on the side.
Or this is. I am here and there.
- I can't figure you out. - I usually can't either. Please sit.
I hope I'm not a nuisance.
- By no means. - I know insistence...
That is, being nosy, asking questions, inquiring,
is a sign of a bad upbringing.
A gentleman ignores it all.
So I ask quietly and without insistence:
- Are you a gentleman? - What do you mean?
A man who is not noble, but deserves to be.
Clothes make the man. We know that.
But vice versa, the man makes the clothes.
I'll gladly answer every question you, as a gentleman, will not ask.
I have a bit of money.
Not much, but a bit.
I'm not only me, but...
others too.
Does this really interest you?
There's something else tormenting you, Marquis.
Where is Mademoiselle Zaza?
She should be here by now.
Do you know what is it's like, Armand? I mean, Felix.
To love, with the circumstances against you?
- I have a fair idea, Marquis. - Really?
- Then... - But I don't have time tonight.
I have a ticket for the Opéra Comique.
Faust? The first act is no good. Go for the second.
He'll have already sold his soul. It's more funny.
But beforehand, explain to me how this... is possible.
I shall be brief, Marquis, as the first act is the best.
I was born in the beautiful Rheingau.
Felix!
My poor father owned the company Engelbert KRULL,
which produced the defunct sparkling wine, Loreley extra cuvée.
Here you go, gentlemen. This is it.
I can't raise prices. The competition is on my tail.
You can if you improve the quality.
I'd have to produce more dearly.
The people don't want good sparkling wine.
They only want sparkling wine.
KRULL, we're sorry.
I need this increase in credit to be able to go on.
Have a sip. It's on the house.
We already own the house.
You must understand that the bank can't bail you out again.
We're no fiends. You're a good man. Your parties are legendary.
But... Our hands are tied.
Good.
- Have you been listening? - Yes.
My parents were bored to tears with each other.
Hence, we almost always had guests.
It was exceedingly cheerful.
Felix, what are you wearing?
- Hamlet. - Hamlet!
A prince, my prince.
You father is a fine man.
But the police should ban his champagne.
My sister, Olympia. A life-loving creature.
My godfather; Schimmelpreester.
A painter with whom I was on very good terms, as he was often around.
Very often, almost always.
Especially my mother liked that very much.
He was an esteemed artist. At least that is what we said.
A costume is necessary to be the Prince of Denmark,
my dear, but not sufficient.
One has to embrace it.
And part of that
is suffering.
Don't rely on anyone, son.
No, Papa.
Don't just say it. Really remember it.
Let it sink into your memory.
Never be dependent.
Never, Papa.
Not on a bank.
Not on rich people.
Not on the rich.
-And not on a woman -Not on a woman.
- You will remember that? - I'll remember.
You have to promise.
Otherwise I can't...
ls something wrong, Papa?
Otherwise nobody can help you.
Felix!
- Have you studied for your math exam? - Of course, Mama.
- I'll drink to that. - First fetch your father.
He hasn't appeared yet. He has to go to the bank today.
That's how it goes if you have one too many...
Young man? How much is 19 times 45?
745.
- Is that right? - How should I know?
We didn't hear a thing. He shot through a pillow. As one should.
We were ruined.
It all went under the hammer. We had nothing left.
Your father wasn't a bad person.
But he couldn't handle money.
Remember that.
Well, well, well. Go away! Be quick.
I don't believe it.
My apologies, gentlemen.
I can imagine a lot. But being poor? No, that scares me.
If one is poor, one can't get used to it, under any circumstances.
One works and climbs the ladder.
Excuse me. Could you help me?
My mother opened a boarding house called Loreley in Frankfurt.
When you're next in Frankfurt, you can stay there.
Then you'll learn the answer.
The kitchen served as our dining room.
It also served as my bedroom, and every night,
I knew that this situation couldn't last.
And my desire to see the world grew.
As I always say, one really can't be poor.
Good morning, dear Mama.
- Good morning, Felix. - Good morning, dear Godfather.
Felix, my good boy.
You once worked in the legendary Grand Hotel in Paris.
Golden days, my boy. Golden days.
You still have connections there?
I should say so. Good old Stürzli is now the director general.
- He wrote me recently. - Could you put in a word for me?
- You wish to go to Paris? - By all means.
Very difficult.
To be honest, I haven't been in contact with Stürzli in a long while.
Do you remember, dear Godfather?
The evening my father died, I dressed up as Hamlet.
Hamlet, the avenging son.
His father's deputy in moral matters, who won't let his mother
desecrate the memory of the deceased.
What are you talking about?
Every day, Hamlet casts a shadow over her,
clouds her conscience and reminds her
of what's proper and what's not.
- My dear boy! - How nice that you get along now.
Every day, Godfather.
Maybe I could write Stürzli. He still owes me a favor.
But not a big one. More of a little one.
In fact, I owe him a favor. And money.
You'd have to start at the bottom.
I'd need money for the trip and a new suit,
otherwise I can't enquire at such a place.
Well, enough is...
What I find so moving about Hamlet...
Who knows whether his father was a good king?
Perhaps he couldn't handle money,
but now that he's dead, Hamlet only has to say his name,
and his mother is overcome with guilt.
She'll immediately say, "He wasn't a bad man"
and deny Claudius his every wish.
Your generosity will always be a shining example to me,
dearest Godfather.
Yes, how nice that you get along so well.
- Yes. - What about the army?
You can't leave before your physical exam.
One problem at a time.
But we both know, Marquis...
there's more to life than problems.
Sometimes life surprises you in the most pleasant of ways.
I think I know what you mean.
There are times when everything appears in a new light
and suddenly makes sense.
I knew it. You love someone.
Another bottle of champagne! Quick!
Drive us around for a bit, will you?
Felix, I know how it is. I too am in love.
SQ?
What now?
- She taught me everything. - Good?
At first sight, she assured me, the expert recognizes
I was born for and superb in the services of love.
That I could bring a lot of joy to the world and to her.
One needs to be able to stand the other.
And that's how I can tell. You're talking so much.
Felix, I know how it feels. I'm in love too.
I am Felix.
Zaza.
What was her name?
- Anna. - A beautiful name.
The money is used up.
But now I had to avoid the pitfalls of the physical exam.
- Undergarments too, sir? - Certainly, Mr. KRULL.
How am I supposed to determine your health?
- I'm perfectly healthy. - Perfectly?
Merely headaches and a ringing in both ears.
And primarily great distress and fear,
or rather trepidation in the entire body.
- The entire body, recruit? - Completely, Doctor.
Describe the seizure, recruit.
Sometimes I feel as though I've suddenly
moved closer to a fireplace...
Attention, recruit!
Then it warmly touches my limbs.
The upper parts, at first.
These here?
Those exactly.
There's a kind tingling.
One might call it an anthill.
Ants?
Everything seems to be developing quite nicely.
You have to... You have to say it emphatically.
Not yet.
I haven't diagnosed epilepsy yet.
Of course.
Sometimes, Doctor...
while eating I suddenly drop my spoon...
- Well, I'm off to work. - Yes, have fun.
Attention!
Stand up straight!
Arms UP!
How does that feel?
Continue.
Nice.
What nonsense are you talking?
Silence in the ranks! We'll set you straight!
Get undressed! Completely! Form a line!
Name? Papers?
- Get undressed! - Krönke next!
Are you healthy?
Yes, sir. I respectfully report
as healthy and...
Next!
You'll have to bite your tongue.
We'll knock this nonsense out of you here. Fit for duty!
We haven't had epilepsy for two days.
Get out of my sight, you fake.
Next! KRULL!
- Step forward! - Are you healthy?
Are you healthy?
Absolutely.
Any diseases in the family?
- Love, General, sir. - What?
- For our Germany. - Tell me about your civilian life.
I intend to pursue a career in the hotel business, General.
- I am not a general... - And, I am fit for duty.
It's not up to you to determine that.
Your way of speaking shows a lack of restraint.
Which school did you attend?
I passed six grades of high school.
- Why not seven? - Answer him!
Out of love for our Germany, which I wish to defend
with a gun in my hand, against all enemies,
even if it costs me my poor life.
For our Germany.
What about your father?
Excuse me?
- I asked, what... - Dead.
But... he didn't kill himself.
He had a church burial. The gun went off unintentionally.
Pillow aside. It can happen. But...
It won't happen to me, General. My...
gun will only fire when the enemy...
- He shot himself? - What does that have to do...?
- Control yourself! - I'm controlling myself!
Controlling myself, General, sir.
I'm just saying, what happened to him will not happen to me.
I'll learn from scratch how to hold the hot gun,
how to load it, aim it, pull the trigger,
put a bullet into the flesh of the enemy and another
and another, and another,
and another bullet into the flesh,
so that he dies miserably, bleeds out, croaks,
but only the enemy and no one else.
I want to be a German soldier the fatherland has never seen before.
Loyal and good to my country and my rifle.
To my splendid and deadly... General, sir.
Go home, young man.
Get examined by a doctor.
You are a doctor.
Rejected. Unfit for duty.
If one has had a bad childhood,
one will always carry an invisible enemy.
Can't we give it a try?
- The army is no sanitorium. - I want to fight.
I must fight! I want a rifle!
I must fight! I must have a rifle!
I'm deeply touched, Felix.
From that point on, we only had three weeks.
Which wasn't much. But we made the best of every day.
Even more so. We were almost intertwined.
As you know what it is to love, you can understand how I feel.
Zaza said I should wait for her here, but she hasn't arrived.
Hence you are patiently listening to my story.
No offense, your story is fascinating.
But if Zaza were here, I would use the time differently.
- I understand very well, Marquis. - You know her.
You've seen her! You understand me!
I've seen Mademoiselle Zaza and I understand everything.
I can be myself around her.
I don't have to put on a façade.
That is this woman's gift. I can no longer live without her.
What is keeping you from living with her?
My father.
Excuse me.
- The old problem. - He has booked a world trip for me.
- Lisbon-Argentina-India. - Why?
For one, it's what we do. Young gentlemen. It's called a Grand Tour.
And he thinks it will distract me.
He thinks I'll forget Zaza.
If I don't board the ships,
stay in the hotels, use the train tickets...
If I don't do that, he'll break ties with me.
I shall come into my inheritance in a year.
My father will retire. I'll be the owner of our property.
Then I'll be free. He can no longer disinherit me.
But I have to make the journey first.
Can't you secretly take Mademoiselle Zaza with you?
Doesn't her name sound wonderful?
Zaza.
No.
He has spies everywhere. In the highest circles.
The very highest. I can't take her with me.
I have to go. Paris.
- Can't she wait for you? - For a year?
No!
She says I'll meet another on the trip.
- Is she right? - It can happen.
But not to me.
It can't be that I stand here crying.
That's out of the question.
So I'll leave. Not you.
Complicated.
You stay here. Watch the people.
Enjoy the fresh air.
When I'm gone, and not beforehand,
you can cry, if you feel like it.
Farewell.
What's keeping her?
- Patience, Marquis. Patience. - Tell me more. It helps.
As the gentle May made the sprouts shoot,
fast wheels hurriedly brought...
Felix.
If people like you and me could be friends...
- I'd love to be your friend. - And I yours.
- What a pity it's impossible. - Indeed.
What a great pity.
As the gentle May made the sprouts shoot,
fast wheels brought the youngling closer to his new life.
The Grand Hotel in the capital of the world,
Paris.
Monsieur?
Good day. May I speak to Mr. Stürzli?
I'm a new employee. I come personally recommended.
I've no doubt the director has been impatiently
awaiting your visit for hours.
Would you like to wait at the reception?
- Thank you so much. - You fool.
You wish to rent a room?
No. If I may already say so, I belong to the house.
My name is KRULL. First name Felix.
Reporting for duty pursuant to a deal
between the director general, and his friend, my godfather,
to work as an assistant in this hotel.
Step back. Step right back!
Madame Ia Duchesse, Monsieur Consul, Bonjour.
Merci.
Come over here. Do you think I feel like exchanging shouts?
How dare you enter the lobby like a hotel guest?
My sincerest apologies. I didn't know another way. But...
You're either too intelligent or an idiot.
I hope to quickly prove to my superiors
that my intelligence is within the right limits.
Don't loiter. Go to your appropriate place.
The servants' quarters are under the roof.
- I am deeply grateful. - Jacques!
Take him to the quarters.
The accommodation is poor. The food is poor.
And we earn hardly any money.
- We can't use the lift? - That's right.
Going on strike is not an option. Too many willing to take our place.
One should burn this exploitative pigpen to the ground.
You must know, I'm an anarchist.
Find a free bed and a locker. I have to go back downstairs.
If my post is unoccupied for more than ten minutes, I'm out.
- But he sent you upstairs with me. - He's already forgotten.
Occupied.
That's mine.
My name is Stanko.
And that's mine too.
So all of them belong to you?
Well spotted. You know how it works here?
- What do you mean? - The bed and locker.
- They cost 10%. - Of what?
Of your wages, my beautiful boy.
The director's letter says accommodation is provided for.
That may well be what the letter says,
but you will pay me 10%.
And I get half of what you earn on the side.
- On the side? - Well, when you steal.
Or sell your body.
Excuse me?
Ah, a doll.
You play with dolls?
No, as a child.
As a child, you played with dolls?
Yes.
Your mother prepared this?
You might think that you won't ever do it.
- What? - Sell your body.
But you soon will.
If you do, I get half.
But if you don't,
I get half anyway.
Of what?
Here we go. You see?
Nice, kind Stanko?
Who's always telling jokes?
The friendly maitre d', that Stanko?
The world looks very different
depending on whether you look at it from above or from below.
- Are you a socialist? - By no means.
I find society charming as it is and I'm eager to win it over.
What are you doing?
I see you are wearing the uniform. Does it fit?
A little tight under the arms. And...
Splendid. From now on, your name's Armand.
The liftboy, who had to leave our house yesterday.
You'll take over everything from him. Even the name.
I have to report something.
Yes?
- I'm being blackmailed. - No.
One of the waiters is making me pay for my bed and locker.
And says he gets half of everything I earn on the side.
- Tell me his name. - I thought it my duty to report this.
- Well done, my boy. His name? - Stanko.
Tell Stanko he's been summoned. Quickly!
Thank you very much.
You have done the hotel a great service.
You shall be promoted.
- On my first day? - Right to whom right is due, Armand.
And there he is.
Armand, stay.
What do I hear? You've blackmailed this young man?
Certainly.
Then I'll have to dismiss you right away, you villain.
-Oh, yes.
- Oh, no. - Yes, yes.
What's his name?
- Armand. - Armand?
Armand,
you get one free pass.
But if you try something again,
I'll hurt you very badly.
He's serious and he will do it.
Now get to work or I'll kick you out.
Yes.
Come in.
Here.
Ah, yes.
Good. Good, good.
So you're the young man recommended to me by my friend.
Schimmelpreester. What an odd chicken.
We were good friends back then.
- So, have you settled in? - I have, sir.
I think I need help.
- A colleague is threatening me. - What?
- Stanko. He said... - Are you a socialist?
- Excuse me? - We don't need that here.
Sir, you have me wrong. Stanko said...
I can't listen to that.
Well, as a favor to your uncle, I'll explain it to you.
And just once.
A hotel is a huge economy.
We have 247 employees.
It's more expensive than you can imagine.
Some money flows through the cash registers.
Some does not. It has to be like that.
If it all went through the registers, we couldn't afford enough employees.
You mean because you'd have to pay us more?
Be careful what you say, young man. Nobody likes socialists.
And I'll explain something else to you.
Our guests request all kinds of services.
Most we can provide, but not all. We're not allowed to.
We still have to provide them, as the guests expect them.
And I can't know about it. Although it has to happen.
It must be organized. Even if it may not happen.
Do you understand?
I'm beginning to understand.
Operating a lift is an easy job. One knows how to do it immediately.
Nevertheless, this service is very tiring when you do it for 16 hours,
only interrupted by a bad meal, made up of leftovers.
- You're the new Armand? - At your service, Madame.
One could say this change
represents a step forward with regards to the personnel.
- Your floor. - Leave it to me where my floor is.
What about me? We've just passed my floor.
Madame, I just said...
Don't contradict me or I'll complain about you.
Am I to carry my shopping myself?
I'm not allowed to leave the lift.
Nonsense.
Madame.
Merci.
Close the door.
Help me take off my cape.
- How dare you? - Madame?
You undress me?
Alone with me in my room? You dare to do that?
You bold servant.
If God gave me the time to interpret things like that.
- But? - But I have to return to my lift.
You really are a bold servant.
I'll be a former servant if I don't return to my lift immediately.
You will certainly be a former servant,
if I tell what you have done downstairs.
Excuse me?
That you first laid a hand on my coat
and then...
stole my brooch.
Your brooch?
Now you're holding the brooch and I've a hold on you.
Looks like it.
Come.
Madame?
Sit.
- Where? - Where do you think?
- My husband made it. - Excuse me?
The toilet.
Houpflé manufactured it. My husband.
The biggest toilet manufacturer in Alsace.
- All the hotel's toilets are Houpflé. - I'm impressed.
That's not necessary.
Madame, I really must...
It won't take long.
- Madame Houpflé? - Not now!
Thank you.
Thanks.
Thank you... Oh! Thanks.
Thank you.
You know I'm a good person.
That's why I say, no problem. Give me the rest tomorrow.
If not tomorrow, you don't have to give it to me at all.
You know what that means? Yes?
You know that? Right?
That was quick.
Good looks really are an advantage.
Rue de I'Echelle au Ciel, number 131.
The man calls himself the "clockmaker".
These are worth more than 2,000. He'll give you 800.
I get half, 400, no less. Understood?
- I'm sincerely grateful to you. - Remember...
I can always rat you out. Or break your fingers.
I can put my fingers up your bottom. I can do anything to you.
Please don't.
All right, go.
Not like that, like a sheep.
Put on civvies.
Very well.
Ah, sonny.
Well.
It's a bit late to be buying a watch. But take a look around. Choose one.
How do you know my company?
From one of my colleagues.
- Stanko sent me. - Don't know him.
He says that he knows you...
Very bad work.
- It's defect. - I can't imagine that.
An expert sees the diamond is impure.
Quark, smithers, jaded stuff. It's just decoration.
I'll give you 200 francs.
- For the ring 100. - For what?
- All in all, 300. - There must be a misunderstanding.
- 250. - The brooch is worth 1,000 francs.
200.
By the time you've found someone else, I'll have informed everyone,
and no one will give you more than 50.
While I'm still willing to give you...
150.
If I say anything other than "all right",
you'll go down to 100, right?
All right.
With all due respect, I can't help refrain from saying
- you're negligent in your business. - What?
Your stinginess endangers negotiations that have hardly begun.
You ignore the possibility that this
might not be a hundredth of what I have to offer you.
You're a smooth talker.
I like you.
Have you got a bit of money?
That must be enough or I won't be coming back.
- How much? - 800.
- As you said. - And?
So nice that you're here.
Your half. Thanks again.
For recommending me to that splendid man.
Was he a hard negotiator?
Very much so.
Poor boy. I know he didn't give you 800.
No way he did.
SQ?
200 at the very most. Probably less.
That means in order to pay my share,
my requested share, you had to not only hand over your wages,
but also some of your savings.
What if I did?
Then I'd say you understood how it works around here.
If that were true, would you give me my money back?
Look, you've just started.
Everything will be all right.
She's already asked for you twice today.
Madame Houpflé?
She rang twice, ordered chocolate milk, then wine, and asked both times
if the beautiful liftboy does room service too.
- I'm not on duty. - Put your uniform on and go.
She likes the uniform.
Yes.
- Are you mad? - Madame asked for me.
I'm in the bathroom.
Are you mad?
- Go! - Madame, just a misunderstanding.
My deepest and sincerest apologies.
Stop!
Who do you think you are, you little rat? Come here.
Come here, I said! Sit down.
How can it be?
A servant enters my room at night?
- Madame, you said... - Did I?
Did I say "come in"?
Think hard before you answer. Did I say it?
Not in those words.
You know I can get you fired.
You'll end up in the gutters,
like all the others who deserve that fate.
You'll die miserably.
I know that you can do that, Madame.
Come over here.
You think being handsome means you can just come in?
To be honest, yes.
Careful.
Get rid of this. We don't need it. Come.
You know who Hermes is?
The god of thieves.
Madame, you want me to...?
I have more jewels than you can imagine.
One necklace, three, five.
I don't think about them. I don't care about them.
- Houpflé sells so many toilets. - You want me...?
- Don't you dare. - No.
What a peculiar woman.
But without her, I wouldn't be here.
I wouldn't have these clothes or be allowed in this restaurant.
Without her, we wouldn't be able to have this conversation
as if fate brought us together
and allowed us to have a friendship.
- Nevertheless, what a peculiar woman. - It's up to you to call her that.
Toilet manufacturer!
But all in all, and on closer consideration,
I have to be grateful to her.
You had to do a lot to get those jewels.
Yes.
Yes. She was a beautiful woman, still is.
- Just a bit peculiar. - Now you've said it yourself.
But thanks to her, I was quickly promoted.
A liftboy is very immobile.
He can't be away for five minutes without suspicion.
She asked the director
if I'd be better suited as a waiter.
And the director wants satisfied guests.
Indeed. Nothing is more important to him.
Thank you, Armand.
Weren't you operating the lift, young friend?
I was, my lord.
You must have advocates.
I was lucky to please people who turned out to be influential.
And these people are still here?
This is a hotel. No one stays here for very long.
- Oh, how thoughtful, Armand. - You're very welcome.
- Is your name really Armand? - Oh, Eleonor.
That's none of your business.
Armand!
Madame Houpflé would like champagne in her room.
- Of course. - Don't make her wait again.
She complained yesterday.
I find that hard to believe.
- Waiter, bring me a bottle of vodka. - Zaza!
Other people can travel to Paris too.
What a coincidence that we meet here.
Nonsense. You told me where you were going to work.
- You followed me? - I followed your example.
I hear that one can work on a higher level in Paris.
Isn't that the truth?
It's the truth, yes.
So, business is going well?
Considering the circumstances, I have to say it's going well.
May I see you?
I have a room. Rue St. Denis 25, third floor.
I'm alone on Sunday and Monday evenings.
And now I'd like to have my vodka.
Of course.
Not here. It could cost me my position.
Yes.
Don't forget your part. That's one thing that can't happen.
Forgetting your part.
Felix! You saw her again!
She came to Paris. Because of you.
Not entirely true. She followed my example.
Oh, come on!
My dear Felix, this is a great, romantic story.
If you say so, Marquis.
A hotel like this
is the right place to meet a man.
- You just did. - Not you.
I know.
No, Madame Houpflé. Yes...
Please.
My money will last another three days.
Behind me, in the restaurant, is a young man reading a newspaper.
He's very rich. And good-hearted. And he's not ugly.
Go to him and tell him you've noticed...
I know how to start a conversation.
I love you.
- Of course you do. - The champagne is on its way!
Excuse me.
Thank you so much, Monsieur.
May I?
And who was he? Who did you set her up with?
A Russian. Count Dobroljubow.
I know him. He was at the hotel with his entire family.
Didn't stop him. They left together.
I...
Never saw her again.
One can learn a lot from the Russians...
I would never have guessed.
And you just let it happen?
You don't know poverty, Marquis.
I know enough to be certain that I don't want to experience it.
By my Zaza does not understand. What can I do?
You'll see, Marquis. Time will tell.
But I don't have time.
My father expects me to start the journey soon.
And Zaza says that she'll leave me as soon as I go.
Hello. All on your own?
Tell me more.
- Three francs. - It helps. Tell me more.
All right.
I can't wait to pass it on to you.
What is it?
Shall we?
Then I learned what I had to learn.
- Armand! - Miss Twentyman.
The same, please.
Very well.
Thank you very much.
Thief.
My sincerest apologies.
This isn't a game anymore.
You steal and steal and steal. I've had enough.
I'm nothing to you.
But you will regret this. Bitterly.
- I'll have you imprisoned. - What are you saying?
Call me Madame!
Don't touch me!
- My apologies, Madame. - Louder.
My sincerest apologies.
Your apology is not accepted.
- How is he? - Louis?
Yes.
Louis is adorable.
He is generous and not dumb.
Curious. Handsome.
- And I feel safe with him. - Wonderful.
And he's often downright witty.
- I feel very entertained by him. - Great.
Yes...
What?
It must be great to feel safe with a man.
More than great.
It's fulfilling. I never knew the feeling.
- You know we have no future together. - You two?
We. You and i.
Do I know that?
Yes.
You do.
Bup.
I'm looking for a rich man to marry. And you're not that rich man.
You're a thief and a fraud.
It makes no business sense. Or do you want to become honorable?
- Am I not honorable? - You could be self-sufficient.
Open a small shop.
Bake bread or sell shoelaces. I'll raise the children.
On the weekend, the entire family can go for a walk.
And a week's holiday once a year
at a hotel that isn't too expensive.
Would that be so horrible?
It wouldn't be horrible,
just impossible for you.
As you'd have to be yourself.
Always and every day. From dawn till dusk.
And you can't cope with being yourself.
And because you can't, everything is so easy with you.
Because everything is a game to you.
That's why life is so light.
Because you won't ever be able to be Felix KRULL,
son of a failed Rheingau bourgeois.
Because you're like water.
Champagne, Zaza.
That's why I have to marry lovely Louis.
His father will find the means to prevent it.
I'll find a way. I'll take care of your future.
- You'll do that? - I promise.
I'll take care of mine too.
- You have one and I have one. - We just don't have one together.
Armand?
I... i would like to ask you a question.
Wouldn't you rather work as a valet instead of at the hotel?
How, my lord?
You... You would accompany me to Aberdeen, to my estate.
You'd exchange the uniform for an aura of distinction,
marking your position and status with regards to the other servants.
Your duties would consist of taking care of me
and perhaps my old friend here.
I need not tell you how extremely honored I am by your offer.
But I have to ask you for some time to think it over.
Of course. Yes.
But there's not much time.
Just come with me.
As you said, no one stays at a hotel for very long.
It's the wish of a lonely person.
I promise to carefully think it over, my lord.
The Kilmarnocks are renowned in Europe.
Not as renowned as the Venostas.
If I were to reply that almost no one is as renowned as us,
I would prove to be a liar by being pompous.
- A gentleman does not say that? - Indeed he does not.
I'm learning and learning. I'll soon have studied you.
I only need your signature and I could be you.
You could go on the world trip instead of me.
But what keeps you from becoming his valet?
You'd earn a lot more than at the hotel.
He said I'd be different from the other servants.
Which is never a good situation. They would envy me.
Not at the whim of the lord,
but at me, the toy of his whim, would anger be directed.
On the other hand, his offer comes at the right time.
Don't go to him.
I have to leave the hotel business soon.
- Oh, why? - Too many implications.
Don't be ridiculous.
And if I said I could do it? A shop, children, Sunday walks?
What then?
Then I'd say a smart friend told me
not to forget one's part.
May I say that you remind me of a sea lily?
I remind you of a flower?
A sea lily is not a flower, young man.
It's not what it claims to be. It pretends.
It's an animal form of the deep sea.
In its youth it is stuck on a stem, then it frees itself
and goes on adventures, swimming and climbing around the coasts.
You're going on an inspection trip.
Every detachment is painful.
Very true.
One is tempted to advise a newcomer of mobility a bit.
I'm a professor.
Then advise me, Professor.
Organic life...
is only a newcomer in this world.
Nobody can say how much time it still has.
But the habitability of the planet
you're about to inspect is limited.
Life is only an episode.
And on the scale of eons,
a very ephemeral one.
- That biases me towards life. - You see?
But tell me,
can we actually be proud of our history?
Descending from apes is not impressive.
Ah, from the apes.
Another one of those reductions.
Let us rather say that mankind comes from nature
and has its roots in nature.
Our skin is more like that of a pig,
and our brain comes closest to that of a rat.
We're skilled like them. We deceive.
We flee when danger is imminent.
I should say so.
Escape is nothing condemnable
if it saves the life of a person.
One can win a war
by running away from it.
That sounds strangely difficult to accomplish, Professor.
Strangely difficult.
Armand, I think you've received enough.
Enough for a lifetime, Madame.
I haven't forgotten a single thing, Armand.
Me neither.
That's not what I meant.
I meant, I can still file a complaint
against the bold servant who stole my jewels.
Madame's jewelry has been stolen?
Don't push it too far.
Madame is already leaving?
As you can see.
I hope your stay has been to your satisfaction, Madame.
Definitely not, Mr. Stürzli.
The food is no good anymore. The employees are pushy.
Don't expect me to come back.
Don't worry. She'll be back soon.
What do you want?
And what do you give in return?
Where do you want to go, Madame?
Where?
- Sauce, Miss Twentyman? - No, thanks.
You have to eat more, Eleonor.
- Ladies. - Madame Harris.
It might be helpful to understand how such a big hotel works.
The hotel's purpose is to
satisfy the guests' wishes.
If they want more sauce, they get more.
If they want another kind, they get it.
Or none at all. Or another meal.
Whatever the wish, we can and will provide it.
Some things are included, others cost extra.
At our hotel,
the guest should never feel helpless.
And if that guest wants something, it will be provided.
The question is the price, never the availability.
It is a given.
Then I'd like some cranberries, please.
Very well. And you, Eleonor?
Thank you, Stanko. I'll get back to you.
There's no sentence that sounds more beautiful to a waiter's ear.
Madame?
Sorry to interrupt. A question...
- Yes? What is it? - I need more. 300 francs.
Yes, I need more too.
I'll break each one of your fingers.
I'll cut your beautiful face into pieces.
If you work in this house, you pay as much as I tell you to pay.
Welcome.
So nice that you're here.
Have a wonderful stay.
A blackmailer never stops.
Everyone knows that.
So, I won't give you any more.
There's only one way to find out if you're right.
Give me 300 and you'll see if I stop.
My love, you're already here?
- Yes. - Could you wait in the room?
I just received a message. My vehicle is ready.
- I can pick it up. - Your vehicle?
It moves without horses.
Come in.
- Good evening. My apologies. - Stay, Armand.
Do you have the chocolate mousse?
A portion of strawberries, three of chocolate mousse,
an extra portion of whipped cream, and a portion of cranberries.
- Put it on the night stand. - Yes.
The order probably gave away that my governess is out.
I figured.
We have two hours, Armand.
- I am requested in the lobby. - I...
I'll give you my jewelry.
I don't want it.
My parents sent me here for the summer.
My father so that he can spend time with his new wife in Capri.
And my mother so that she can be with her lover in Iceland.
Eleonor, you have my deepest sympathy.
But I can assure you that being lonely and rich
feels much better than being lonely and poor.
You always say such beautiful things, Armand.
- Why don't you come here? - This isn't appropriate.
Who cares?
I shouldn't be alone with you in your room.
Have a nice evening.
Your colleague, Stanko...
What about him?
He said that everything is possible in a hotel.
Some things are more expensive, but nothing is impossible.
I know it's hard to understand when one is very rich,
but some things are impossible.
Don't be like that. I shall complain about you.
You can do that, but it won't change a thing.
The waiter who spoke to you about the cranberries
is forcing me to quit my job.
He threatens me. You don't know what he is capable of.
Mademoiselle, you see me and think
you can buy this man.
You think, "He has no principles. He can't afford to have them."
That's what I thought.
But there's a limit.
And where is the limit?
Here.
It's right here.
I'm beyond help.
Everyone can help everyone, Marquis.
Thank you, Armand.
I have to think.
Think.
SQ?
Excuse me?
Don't play games with me. You have until tomorrow.
- To do what? - That stupid face.
That uncomprehending smile. You're good at that.
Other may fall for it. I don't.
I can't do it. She's still a child.
Then I'll kill you.
Do what you have to do.
There are too many implications and I'm still too young to be
maimed by Stanko.
I've saved enough to live for a year in the south.
Where the sun is warm and the sea is an exquisite color.
Stanko's connections don't reach that far.
My sincerest apologies, Marquis. We're closing.
Yes, yes, quite all right. Another bottle.
I'm supposed to leave. Next week.
What could be better than a world trip?
But I can't take Zaza.
You're young and the world lies at your feet.
But I don't want the world!
Felix.
- Marquis? - The solution is simple.
One part of Louis Venosta has to travel, immediately, tomorrow,
while the other part is allowed to live in the south with his Zaza.
It should seem as if you're traveling
but you'd stay in the country.
Desperately right.
Desperately, for no one looks like you.
Yes, but in these places, no one knows what I look like.
I don't mind looking different out there.
I'd love to be more handsome there than here.
So your name would travel with a person that wouldn't be you.
- But it couldn't be any person. - One couldn't be picky enough.
If it's up to me, the choice is made.
Sorry.
Would you be able to help a friend in need?
You're losing yourself in fantasies.
But is fantasy such an unknown sphere to you?
There's something special about you.
- Your character gave me the idea. - Marquis!
I'm to be the one to carry your name, represent you there,
who, in the eyes of the people,
is the illustrious son of your parents?
- Have you thought this through? - Where I am, I'll stay who I am.
Wouldn't it be uncomfortable to only be you locally,
but to exist for the rest of the world mainly as me?
No, KRULL.
It wouldn't be so bad if you gave me your persona
and I were to walk around as you for a year.
And your father would pay the costs?
He has deposited a letter of credit with the bank
which refers to banks at the main stops.
- So the money is at your disposal. - At yours.
- But only if one is there. - Precisely.
You have to collect it. As me.
But how are you going to live while you're spending your money being me?
Yes, how? I can't be poor. I can't do that.
But if there was a bank account
with a small amount of savings...
2,000 francs. That would last a year in Nice.
It's not expensive down there.
I'd feel rather uncomfortable taking over your account.
Marquis, please.
But if I give you 20,000 francs in exchange,
can't it be considered a deal?
One that even a gentleman could accept?
Yes.
Do you have a piece of paper?
- Do you want to draw up a contract? - No.
I want to practice your signature.
A piece of paper, a pen and the bill!
- The bill. - Well, that is reasonable.
Thank you. Have a nice evening.
Marquis. Sir.
Felix, perhaps it's possible.
Perhaps we can be friends.
What luck I've had to have met you, Felix KRULL.
What unbelievable luck.
But you'd have to go on the journey tomorrow,
as I have to leave the city tomorrow.
My father will be surprised at the suddenness.
Surprised, but delighted.
Darling?
I seem to be a little late. I hope you're not mad at me?
I have a plan, my love.
- Really? - A wonderful plan.
I'll explain everything.
Felix, my dear. If I'm not mistaken, we're going the same way.
You are right.
I feel a bit dizzy. I think I'll leave it here.
- It's jolting a lot. - Very well.
Then we shall walk for a bit.
Yes?
My sincerest apologies, my lord.
I wouldn't have woken you
if it weren't the last opportunity for me to speak with you.
I'll no longer be here tomorrow.
I can't accept your generous offer.
My Sympathy for you...
offers unimagined opportunities.
I don't have children.
You could be Lord Kilmarnock one day.
My lord, I'll always be grateful to you.
Please don't take this to heart.
You've taken sympathy for my youth,
but that is quite by chance.
It could just as well have fallen on someone else.
There are millions of my age and build running about.
Return home now.
And forget me.
I shall never forget you, my lord.
SQ?
What now?
Yes, what now?
- Why the sudden change of heart? - Don't push, Papa.
As you see, I'm on the train.
- I'll leave. - I do see it, indeed.
You should step off if you don't wish to accompany me.
You'll soon forget this woman.
Never
Very well. Then don't forget her.
The main thing is you've given in. I'm proud of you.
Look, all the cities, all the experiences.
You'll see, in a few weeks' time you'll be a new man.
Come here.
Ah, KRULL.
Marquis.
Krull's passport and his bank account.
And... just to be safe.
This will easily help you last another six months.
How generous.
My traveling plan, the tickets, the letter of credit.
And not to forget...
the signet ring.
Any wishes, Monsieur?
One has many wishes. But we will step off soon.
So ignore us and fulfill the wishes of your other guests.
This is where our paths part.
This woman, the love of my life,
and I will now get off and take the train to Nice.
It has been a brief, but very pleasant acquaintance,
Marquis de Venosta.
My lady, I understand why a man is willing to sacrifice it all for you.
N."
Wish you a long and happy life with Felix KRULL.
Zaza? Zaza, we have to go.
I see.
You don't have to say anything.
You said a lot yesterday.
So I understand even more.
And because you understand everything, I'm going with you.
I've grown to love you both.
But I can only take one of you with me.
You have to be Venosta now.
It will be my honor.
Kuckuck.
- Excuse me? - Professor Kuckuck.
Finally I'm able to introduce myself.
Marquis de Venosta.
- Marquis de Venosta? - Please.
Of the Luxemburg line, I assume.
I have the honor of knowing a Roman aunt of yours.
And you're related to the Estherhazys of Galantha.
- My knowledge shouldn't surprise you. - I know, you are a professor.
I'm a paleontologist and director
of the Natural History Museum in Lisbon.
Genealogy is my hobby.
I couldn't fail to notice that you're sad again.
I know, I remind you of a sea lily.
Which, and I know it now, is not a flower.
Which has the advantage of being able to flee when danger is imminent.
You say it with such conviction as if you yourself had to flee once.
You little swine.
Speaking of descent, humans come from animals,
as the organic comes from the inorganic.
So something was added?
Not only is life just an episode.
Existence itself is one.
Everything is created from nothing.
Everything becomes nothing again.
Do you know how small the probability is
of something arises from nothing, life from something,
and the spirit arises from life?
Sir.
Is this the man?
Yes.
Stanko, you're to leave this hotel and never come back.
Sir, has something happened?
You have the nerve to even ask?
He told me everything is possible in a hotel.
And came into my room with a chocolate mousse
Then he...
- Then he... - I didn't do a thing!
- He touched me! - You think I would touch a child...
Are you saying Miss Twentyman is lying?
Mr. Stürzli, after all this time?
- You really want to kick me...? - You have gone too far!
It wasn't me who brought the mousse! It was KRULL! Armand!
Armand is an honorable man!
He knows where the limit is. You don't!
Stanko, don't waste our time with your nonsense.
I owe you and Miss Twentyman
and her parents, my sincerest apologies.
I see.
You little devil. I see what's going on.
Think of the universe out there.
Of its tumultuous feast in immeasurable spaces.
And our human body, Marquis, is made of the same particles
that stones and stardust consist of.
The animal is converted into the plant,
and mankind preserves the animal,
as life preserves the inorganic.
And in its smallest parts, the atoms,
the not-anymore is transformed into the not-yet.
This may sound strange, Professor.
I don't know how to express it, but...
what you're describing...
This vast expanse.
As a boy, when I stood at the mirror looking at my face,
I described that feeling using a dream word.
"The big joy."
I wanted to be everything. Anything else out there, but me.
Would you like to visit me in Lisbon?
My family always seeks tennis partners.
I'm honored.
But tell me, what makes mankind so special?
Knowledge of the beginning and end.
You said you're biased towards life as it's just an episode.
Hence, you expressed the most human thing.
Transience does not devalue.
It gives value,
dignity, kindness, to all existence.
Only the episodic evokes sympathy.
Only nothingness,
from which existence has arisen, is eternal,
to its burden and delight.
Burden and delight?
Existence is always a burden and a delight.
You cried earlier on. Now you're cheerful.
Are you sure you've had tennis lessons?
Mademoiselle, I've played all of my life.
Only the technique in Paris is different than in Lisbon?
- That's it. - A more modern one, I assume?
A different kind, Madame Kuckuck.
It's helpful to know it.
We're very happy my father met you, Marquis.
Visitors from the big wide world
are always a blessing to us in the province.
My apologies.
- I'm so sorry. - It's all right.
It's not bad.
Does pain not make matter alive?
But you're staying, I hope. Marquis?
- We have to defeat you first. - Yes, we do.
It will be my pleasure to be defeated by such a beautiful duo.
Marquis de Venosta!
Marquis?
For me? Who's writing to me?
A visitor like you has to make the tour. You know that?
Yes, it will be an honor.
Bad news, Marquis?
No. I don't know.
The King. His Majesty has summoned me for an audience.
"For the sake of old ties to your well-born family
and your dear father,
I wish to meet you again tomorrow at one o'clock..."
- Splendid. - He knows my father. He knows me.
Your stay in our city seems
to be taking delightfully fruitful turns.
Spies in the highest circles, he said...
who?
I'm feeling slightly sick. Does one have to go?
- Where? - To the King.
Well, if you're seriously asking, Marquis...
in Portugal, one can't cancel an audience with His Majesty.
Yes.
- Louis, you're white as a sheet. - I'm feeling a bit sick.
- Perhaps the sun? - Yes, perhaps.
Finally we're alone.
MY... my apologies.
I'm not who I am.
That's the most beautiful excuse.
Yes, no. I love another woman, but I'm not me, and he is rich.
- You're rich. - I would be, if I would be me.
But he is me. I took this part because of her.
- What part? - His.
May I give you a kiss?
At least.
If you have to.
I promised you not to forget my part.
What part?
His.
Dear Marquis,
I hope you're enjoying your time with Zaza
as it could come to an end sooner than expected.
The King knows you and does not expect to see me.
What am I to do?
His Majesty is the best-guarded person in Portugal.
These are rough times. Secret activities, radical...
Sir, could you be quiet just for a moment?
- Excuse me. - For a moment. I must concentrate.
People forgive everything, Marquis,
if they just find you pleasant enough.
Your Majesty.
- Who are you? - Louis de Venosta, at your service.
No, you are not. You... Guards!
Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I have changed a lot,
lived through a lot, seen and suffered a lot.
And please allow me to say openly, Your Majesty,
you have changed a lot too.
And that is how it should be, Your Majesty.
What would life be without change?
We even prefer to suffer than to stand still.
- Beautifully put, Marquis. - Yes, but I'm not blind.
Definitely not, because Your Majesty notices change where others
only see the constant on the deceptive surface.
He who looks into the depths...
experiences more confusion, but knows more.
And if Your Majesty will allow me to comment
on what enables a man such deep insight,
it's nothing more than royal responsibility.
Every man is a sovereign in his own way,
and consequently, a true sovereign is more man than everyone else.
- How is your esteemed father? - Healthy, Your Majesty.
And therefore I'm able to congratulate you
on the splendor of this city,
even though I can see its shadows.
- Shadows? - Shadows?
Yes, it's not unknown to me
that radical elements gnaw at the roots of society here.
And how do they do that?
By pretending that differences
of birth, of blood, of status, can simply be leveled out.
Your Majesty, forgive me. I'm excited.
And if you were of low status...
Venosta?
I would thank God and nature, and joyfully remain who I was.
Just as I now joyfully remain Louis de Venosta.
My parents' son and great ancestor's heir.
Ready to die for Your Majesty.
- It is not necessary to die. - It could happen.
I'll not sit down.
I'll kneel or lie in my own blood,
if these are your orders, but I'll not sit down.
You prove to be of commendable disposition.
I know it's not for me to feel compassion
for the King's sacred person.
But I can't help it.
When we met in Paris five years ago, you were certainly not this eloquent.
I was another man.
An unfinished, provisional version of Louis de Venosta.
A version that no longer exists.
I have to admit I like this version better.
My story ends the moment it begins.
A wise man told me, my dear Zaza,
that only the transient deserves our sympathy.
What we had was very transient
and that is exactly why I 'II think of you, every day.
Perhaps we will see each other again.
I don't know what will happen and I don't know who I will be.
But I know what has been and I shall never forget a single thing.
I'm still young. A new century has just begun.
Where will the storm take us?
I only know I'll throw this letter, once it's finished, into the sea.
Because how can somebody who no longer exists, write?
Felix's story has come to an end.
I'll be many things.
I'll have to drink champagne. And I'll have to drink water.
I'll inspect this planet for a long time.
But I'll never be one thing again.
Your friend, who for the last time
sends you affectionate greetings for all eternity, Felix KRULL.
CONFESSIONS OF FELIX KRULL, CONFIDENCE MAN
Subtitles: Ameera Rajabali et al.