Original subtitles

In the 17th century, Satan was abroad on the Earth

and great was the wrath against those monstrous beings,

thirsty for human blood,

to whom tradition has given the name of "vampires".

No appeal for pity or mercy availed.

Brothers did not hesitate to accuse brothers

and fathers accused sons

in the frantic attempt to purify the Earth of that horrible race

of blood-devouring assassins.

But before putting them to death,

human justice anticipated divine judgment

by burning into the flesh of those damned ones

the brand of Satan.

Asa, daughter of the House of Vajda,

this High Court of the Inquisition of Moldavia

has declared you guilty.

I, the second-born son of Prince Vajda,

as Grand Inquisitor, do condemn you.

And as your brother, I repudiate you.

Too many evil deeds have you done to satisfy your monstrous love

for that serf of the Devil, lgor Javutich.

May God have pity on your soul in this, your final hour.

Cover her face with the mask of Satan.

Nail it down!

May the cleansing flames reduce her foul body to ashes

so that the wind will obliterate all trace of her existence.

No... no!

No!

Griabby!

It is I who repudiate you,

and in the name of Satan I place a curse upon you.

Go ahead,

tie me down to the stake,

but you will never escape my hunger, nor that of Satan!

The unchained elements of the powers of darkness are lying in ambush.

Beware, Griabby!

My revenge will strike down you and your accursed house,

and in the blood of your sons and the sons of their sons

I will continue to live, immortal!

They will restore to me the life that you now rob from me.

I shall return to torment and destroy throughout the night of time.

As if by the Demons command,

the sudden fury of the elements extinguishes the purifying flames.

The terrorised people run in flight from that cursed place.

And for all that long night, the church bells toll

to keep away the spirits of evil.

When the wrath is spent,

the body of Javutich is covered with unconsecrated earth

in the burying place reserved for murderers.

And the body of Asa, the witch, is placed in the tomb of her ancestors.

Coachman! Coachman!

How much further to the crossroads at Mirgorod?

Six or seven versts, my lord.

Did you hear that, sir?

If we stop at Mirgorod, well never reach Moscow by evening.

It doesnt matter. We can spend the night at the inn at Mirgorod.

Good smoked salmon and excellent vodka!

Well still be in time for the congress tomorrow.

But well miss the opening address.

Too bad. Dr Blistanov of St Petersburg will be there, and Dr Steiner of Vienna.

How long have you had your degree?

Three years, Professor. Ive been with you for two.

When youve been in the profession as long as I have,

you learn to take all the speeches at these conferences with a grain of salt.

Coachman! Stop!

Ho!

Take the forest road, its shorter.

Its full of holes. No one uses it.

I understand. Youre afraid of the witch!

Its not so easy to frighten me,

I fought through the war against Napoleon,

but to tell you the truth,

Id rather find myself face to face with a cursed Frenchman than...

than meet up with a ghost.

This will help you to forget all about ghosts. Here you are!

Come on, now, lets get going!

Ho!

Ho!

Whats that wailing?

Its nothing, just the wind in the trees.

- Whats happened? - The branches of the tree, sir.

That branch reached out and tried to choke me.

Try not to choke yourself with that vodka. Now, get a move on!

Ho! Ho!

Why is he in such a hurry?

Well, between my tip and his fear...

Oh!

Oh, what a mess! Dear heaven!

Dear heaven, of all places for this to happen.

- Oh! - Is it serious?

No, no. Fortunately it just slipped out of the socket.

Ill have it back in no time.

- Just a minute. - Good.

It certainly isnt very cheerful here.

That weird sound.

Its coming from there. Lets see what it is.

There! You see?

Its just the wind in the pipes of this broken-down organ.

Agh!

Whats happening, my lords?

Its nothing. Continue with your work.

More than a thousand years of conflicts, hates and loves

all reduced to dust in these tombs.

Nothing remains of the ancient princes of Vajda

but the dead shadows of their former glory.

The history of ancient Moldavia is carved in these stones.

Andre, come here.

This is the witch of the old legend.

See this bronze mask?

One was always placed over the face of a condemned witch

so she would wear for all eternity her true face, the face of Satan.

Why is there a window?

They feared the witch might rise again

and maintained that a cross visible to her through the glass

would keep her nailed down forever.

- Incredible! - My lords!

My lords, where are you?

Someone had better come and help me with this wheel.

Please dont leave me all alone in this infernal place!

Hes frightened to death.

Go and help him. I want to have another look around.

Frankly, I prefer it outside.

Not only is there no air in here, but its also a little gloomy.

Professor?

Professor Kruvajan, what happened?

- Why did you fire? - Look here.

That monster attacked me for some reason.

Thats very strange.

Usually bats shy away from human beings.

Lets get out of here, Professor. Well be better off outside.

Otherwise the coachman will be convinced that hes right.

Wait.

What are you doing?

Still intact after two centuries.

Oh, youve cut yourself.

Youre right, I hadnt noticed it.

It must have been a splinter of glass.

Just a drop or two of blood, thats all.

Those empty eyes seem to be looking at us.

All right, well go.

Who are you?

What do you want?

I am Professor Choma Kruvajan and this is my assistant.

Andre Gorobec.

I was walking in the park when I heard a shot.

What happened?

I killed a large bat down in the crypt.

You must excuse us for taking the liberty of entering the chapel,

but we thought it was an abandoned ruin.

We wanted to satisfy our curiosity.

Its all so strange, so mysterious here.

Everything is going to ruin.

My father, Prince Vajda, refuses to repair even this old chapel.

This place, in his eyes, is a curse.

My lords, the wheel is repaired. We can go now.

All right, were coming.

Please excuse us, Princess, but we must go.

We still have five versts to go to Mirgorod.

We are spending the night there.

If you dont mind, I wont say goodbye to you.

Perhaps we will meet again.

Yes...

I trust you will spend a good night at... Mirgorod.

Well, spellbound?

What sadness in her eyes.

But look...

Ah, a souvenir of the witch.

Like a voice breaking off.

- Whats that? - Wolves!

Thats why I couldnt find any tracks of wild deer today in the forest.

No, it seems to be something else out there.

Those are not wolves.

The griffin moved.

Constantine! Katia!

- What is it? - Father!

- It wasnt painted like that. - What?

It was alive before. Now its dead.

- What are you saying? - Im certain.

Fathers right, it wasnt in that position before.

Katia, that portrait has always had a strange effect on you. I wonder why.

Its like a flame that cant escape.

Theres something alive about it,

something different about the eyes, the hands,

as if it were hiding something.

Sometimes Im afraid to go near it.

Katia!

Maybe Constantine is right.

I must have been dreaming.

Well say no more about it.

How cold it is!

A chill seems to come out of the fireplace tonight that penetrates into my bones.

Why dont you get some sleep, Father? Your eyes are tired.

No, my eyes arent tired.

My spirit is.

You two go to bed now. I want to be alone.

Good night.

Good night.

- Good night, my lord. - No, wait, Ivan.

Youve served in this house for many years.

I was born here, sir.

Todays the feast of St George.

You must know the legend of the curse that was placed on this castle.

Two centuries ago today, two people were executed for practising witchcraft.

Princess Asa and her accomplice, Prince Javutich.

And to their faces was nailed the mask of Satan.

A hundred years later, again on St Georges Day,

an earthquake destroyed only the ancient chapel,

and the witchs tomb was found split open,

as if Asa had tried to break out to accomplish her revenge.

In fact, that same night Princess Macha died mysteriously.

Macha was beautiful, the very image of Asa.

She was just 21 that day.

Like Katia.

And Katia is her living image.

Its as if the witch tormented her victims with her own beauty before killing them.

And its this resemblance, this repeating of Asas vengeance that terrorises me.

Im afraid, Ivan.

You mustnt be afraid, my lord.

The cross will protect you.

Even if what you said is true,

these monsters are terrified by the sacred symbol of Christ.

Always have it near you and youll be safe.

Yes, youre right, Ivan.

Its the atmosphere surrounding this cursed day that has upset me so.

Drink your toddy, sir, before it gets cold.

Its death! Ive just seen death!

Its a warning, Ivan. I wont be afraid.

They wont win. They cannot win against the symbol of Christ.

- Everything all right, sir? - Yes, thank you.

You were right, Professor, this vodka is great.

Right now I feel as if I could conquer the world.

Starting with the castle.

If Im not mistaken, someone there made quite an impression on you.

An excellent idea! Another little drink or two...

...and thats exactly where Id go.

Youd be wiser to go to sleep.

Mysterious princesses are more easily conquered in dreams.

Besides, we must be up early tomorrow.

Youre right.

- Er... Ill tell them to call us at five. - No, no, dont bother, Ill do it.

Ill take a little walk and then tell the innkeeper.

- All right. Good night. - Good night.

And watch out for bats!

Watch out for your head!

No!

No, no.

- Why do you always carry on like this? - I dont want to go.

Who do you think should go? Me, with all I have to do?

Oh, excuse me, sir, but isnt it shameful that a big girl like her

is afraid to go to milk the cow in the barn?

Your mother is right.

She didnt say that the barn is beside the old haunted cemetery.

You mustnt be afraid of the dead. They sleep soundly.

Hear what the gentleman said? Im coming!

Hurry. Im busy. Get a move on!

- Ive been waiting for a half-hour. - Ill go tonight, but tomorrow I wont.

Ohh!

Ohh!

Hello, Irina.

Rise, Javutich!

Javutich!

Rise!

Javutich!

Be still, Irina. Be still.

Are you frightened, too?

Oh, its a storm.

Be good, Irina.

No!

Father!

- No! No! - Father!

Look at me, Father. Its Katia. Look at me!

- We must find a doctor. - But where?

At the inn.

I met two doctors today in front of the chapel.

They said they were staying at Mirgorod.

Hurry, Ivan! Go down and wake up the groom.

Here I am, Master. I heard someone scream.

Go to the inn and get one of the doctors. At once!

Yes, Master.

- Dr Kruvajan! - Yes?

Princess Vajda has sent me. Her father is very ill.

She begs you to come to the castle.

Ill come, but first I must tell them at the inn.

You wont need to. Ive already done so.

They told me there where I could find you.

Ah. Very well, then.

Hey!

Kruvajan!

Ive been waiting for you.

I need you again.

Look into my eyes.

Look into my eyes!

Come closer!

Just a few drops of your blood brought me to life again.

All of your blood will give me the strength to accomplish my vengeance.

Come! Kiss me!

My lips will transform you.

You will be dead to men, but you will be alive in death.

Whats keeping Boris? Hes been gone so long.

Hell be back any moment now.

The griffin, the man in the painting...

- Whats he saying? - Hes delirious.

No, no, only the crucifix can save us...

...on this day of the damned.

Did you send for me?

Im so grateful to you for coming. My father is delirious.

Ill take a look at him. You may go now.

Whats wrong with him, Doctor?

Nothing serious. Hes just had a slight shock.

We were asleep when all of a sudden we heard a frightening scream.

When we came in, he was trembling with his arm outstretched,

holding this cross to keep back some horrible apparition.

Take it away!

He mustnt see it. It might provoke another attack.

Our eternal sleep has been broken.

You were able to do it.

You tore me out of the earth that weighed heavily on me.

This time you are not alone.

I will bring you her body.

She will be your victim.

She was born for this fate.

She is your living image.

Destiny has its way, Asa.

In her you will live again,

speak again

and smile as she does.

Well live once more, as we used to.

Get some rest, Constantine. Father is sleeping quietly.

- No, Im not tired. - Go, both of you. I will stay here.

Oh, dear, those dogs keep howling so!

Ivan, try to quiet them.

Yes, my lady.

You go. Ill stay here.

- But if... - Ill call you if necessary.

All right, then.

Whats the matter?

Shh... quiet now!

What is it?

I thought youd fallen asleep. Why dont you go to bed now?

Ill stay and watch over your father.

But arent you leaving Mirgorod at dawn?

It doesnt matter. I can stay the night here.

He seems to be much calmer now, doesnt he?

Yes. Youll see hell have a restful nights sleep.

You neednt worry any more.

Go and get some rest yourself. You must need it.

Doctor, I dont know how to thank you.

Please call me if there should be any change.

I am sure there will be no need.

Your room is across the corridor here.

- Good night, and thank you again. - Good night.

Katia!

Katia!

Katia!

- Poor father! - No!

Dr Kruvajan!

No, Katia! Dont go!

Katia, dont... Dont look, Katia!

Professor Kruvajan!

Professor Kruvajan!

Its Andre.

Your friend has already left the inn.

- Left? - Last night. He was called to the castle.

It seems that Prince Vajda was suddenly taken seriously ill.

He hasnt come back yet.

- I wonder why he didnt take me. - Maybe he didnt want to disturb you.

My daughter saw him get in the coach that came from the castle to pick him up.

- Could I have a horse? - Right away. Come with me.

Be careful! If you upset the basket, Ill fix you!

Say! Excuse me.

Is this the shortest road to the Vajda castle?

- Yes, sir, take the one going uphill. - Thank you.

The currents stronger down here.

Oh, please! I told you not to play around here!

- The shirts fallen in the water! - There it is!

A shirt! Oh, how am I going to catch it?

Watch out or youll fall in the water, too!

There it is! Its getting closer. There it is!

Who is it?

Ohh!

Dr Kruvajan!

Who are you? What do you want?

I am Dr Gorobec.

I heard that Dr Kruvajan was called to the castle last night.

Yes, that is correct.

We called him to attend my father, who had a sudden attack of shock.

We left the doctor alone with him, but he went away.

If he hadnt left my father alone like this, he might still be alive.

I must say, I dont understand your colleagues strange behaviour in this case.

Youre right.

I dont know how to explain it,

but I assure you I am much more surprised than you are.

I know Professor Kruvajan very well.

I dont understand.

Something serious must have happened, I am sure of it.

Its very strange. When I left the inn, he still hadnt returned.

Hes not there?

Please, come up.

Merciful heaven, its Boris, the groom from the castle.

I want to see! Let me by!

Thats who it is. Poor Boris!

He looks terrible. How did he end up here?

The river. Cant you see hes dead?

- Ah... - Katia!

- We must take her away. - Yes.

- Where is her room? - This way.

Quickly, some water.

The features of his face are changed.

They are not human. Its like the face of Satan.

It made me sick to see it.

Its as if the Demon had devoured him from the inside.

Shh. Dont talk so loud.

Maybe its better not to tell them. Theyre stricken by their fathers death.

Ivan! Whats this all about?

Theyve found Boriss body, my lord, down by the stream.

Boriss body?

Yes, Your Excellency. You should see how he looks.

His eyes are popping out of their sockets, his teeth are bared,

and his hands are clenched.

Where is he now?

We carried him into the sacristy. The parish priest is with him.

- You there! - Me?

Yes. Come here.

Your mother says you saw the carriage that came to fetch Dr Kruvajan.

Yes, my lord.

I saw it as I was coming back from the barn.

I heard a noise, so I hid in the bushes.

But it wasnt Boris who was driving the coach.

I know Boriss face very well.

It was a stranger. At least, Ive never seen him before.

- Are you sure? - Oh, yes, my lord.

Im going to the village to see Boriss body.

And you come with me, but remember, you must tell me everything you know.

Do you understand that? Its very important.

Certainly, sir. Ill tell you everything.

Go on. So long, now.

Go on to your houses. Go on.

Thats the man!

Yes! Thats who it is!

The man who came last night to get Dr Kruvajan.

I swear it, my lord. Thats the man. Im certain.

I could see him clearly. The moon was shining on his face.

Whose face?

Enough of this childs fantasies

about a portrait of someone whos been lying dead for centuries,

or else well all go mad.

Calm yourself, Princess.

I must leave you now, but Ill be back.

And try to be courageous.

Wed be glad to have you stay here with us tonight, Doctor.

Yes.

Please do, well feel so much safer.

Its incredible.

He died in the same horrible way as the Prince.

The wounds on his neck look like the work of a wild beast,

but one who punctures the flesh without tearing it.

As a doctor I have complete faith in science, but...

And this strange behaviour of Professor Kruvajan.

It doesnt seem possible that a man such as he could abandon a patient

and disappear without saying anything.

On my way here I passed by the inn, but no one had seen him,

and the innkeepers daughter insisted today

that the man in the portrait at the castle is the same as the driver

who came last night to fetch Professor Kruvajan.

It makes my head spin. I dont understand.

The man in the portrait, did you say?

Yes, the portrait hanging near the fireplace.

An old 17th-century painting.

A painting of a man in black with a silver griffin embroidered on his chest?

Yes. Why?

Nothing. Nothing.

Oh, Father.

Prince Constantine would like you to prepare the funeral for tomorrow.

Yes, very well. Everything will be ready for tomorrow.

Go!

Help!

Help me!

What is it? Katia?

- What is it, Princess? - Theres someone hiding in my room.

- Where? - Behind the curtain.

Come! Ivan, stand guard in the salon.

Over there, behind the curtain.

Theres nobody there. You must have imagined it.

No! I saw it through the mirror. I saw a hand.

You dont believe me, but I tell you, Constantine, I saw it, I saw it...

- Ill get her a sedative. - Katia, dont cry.

Professor Kruvajan, its you! You frightened me.

Where have you been? What happened?

Ive been searching for you all day.

Your hair!

Go away, Andre. Far away from here.

Dont get involved in things that dont concern you.

Since you didnt come to the inn, I brought your luggage here for you.

Look, I was just trying to decipher this inscription.

Professor!

Krug! Brug!

- Theyre bleeding to death. - Yes, and I think I know who...

Come now. Quickly!

Carry everything into the salon where the coffin will be set up.

Take this. Easy, there.

And he fled from you in terror?

Yes, the moment I showed him the icon

he disappeared without any explanation.

Its very difficult to find the right translation

for these old Cyrillic inscriptions.

The important thing is to get the key word.

If I take it with me, Ill compare it with some texts I have in the library.

- Id be so grateful to you. - Father.

As you know, my sisters been suffering terribly from these shocking events.

Id appreciate it if you could urge her to leave the castle.

I tried to convince her, but it was useless.

She said it would be disrespectful.

Princess Katia.

I hope Im not intruding.

No, I just feel so desperate and alone.

I understand, but you mustnt despair.

You must always have faith in yourself, in life.

In life?

What is my life? Sadness and grief.

Something that destroys itself day by day, and no one can rebuild it.

Here is the very image of my life.

Look at it.

Its being consumed hour by hour like this garden.

Abandoned to a purposeless existence.

If the hand of man abandons this castle,

or even this Earth,

there is no reason why you should do likewise with your life and your youth.

Go far away from here and you will be happy again, Katia.

Forgive me if I call you by name.

And remember that Ill always be ready to help you.

Youre very kind, Andre,

but today everything seems so hopeless.

I feel a sense of terror, a presentiment of death,

of being destroyed by something thats inside me.

How I wish I had your faith, your strength.

You mustnt give in to despair.

I know its hard for you,

but even here in this garden the sun will reach into the darkest corners

and chase away the shadows of the night.

Andre, help me.

I beg you to help me.

Oh!

Thank you.

Without you I wouldnt have had the courage to go on.

In moments like this its difficult to... find the right words, but...

when this is all over, Katia...

Thank you, Andre.

Thank you.

It was the only way I could think of to put out the fire, my lord.

Strange.

I wonder what can be hidden behind here.

Doctor!

When Ivan was putting out a fire that had started in a hanging

he ripped through this canvas.

- Look. - Be careful.

Its pitch-black inside here.

A secret passageway.

Then my father was not delirious.

And his last words were "the silver griffin" and "the man in the portrait".

This is where I found the dogs with their throats slashed,

where Kruvajan disappeared.

Lets go in.

You stay here, Ivan.

Make sure the door doesnt close. Dont move.

No, my lord.

Its the same girl as the portrait in the salon.

The witch in the crypt.

How did you know about her?

I saw her when Dr Kruvajan and I visited the abandoned chapel.

Wait a minute.

Two days ago, this tomb was intact, and the witch...

She looks as if she had just died.

Look!

Shes breathing.

Were in the presence of some unnatural mystery.

I must talk to the priest.

You return to the castle. Dont leave Katia alone for a moment.

Go out that way, youll get to the stables quicker.

Ivan!

Ivan!

From what you tell me, there can be no more doubt.

We are faced by the unleashed powers of the Demon.

The ancient words on the icon explain exactly what must be done.

We must find the grave of Javutich... before sunset.

Father!

- Yes? - Look, the mask of Satan.

Like the one I saw over the witchs face.

Its just as I had feared.

Well find him buried here.

Look! A freshly dug grave.

Open the coffin.

Its Dr Kruvajan.

But... last night... he was still alive.

I saw him.

No, he was already dead.

But its impossible, Father.

He moved, even spoke to me.

Then he ran away.

Sometimes Satan, with his capacity of doing evil,

even plays tricks with the dead.

You see? This is the proof.

Now we must find a way for his poor soul to rest in peace.

Yes, but how?

The inscription on the icon indicates the only way.

The spell is broken.

Poor Kruvajan.

We must take action.

And quickly, for now it is all clear.

The witch had transformed your friend into the slave of the Devil.

Dead during the day, but alive by night,

so he could carry out Satans nefarious orders.

- Then the Prince, too? - Yes.

But now we will have to make haste,

for the witch may regain her life completely.

How could she?

By possessing and entering the body of a young woman.

- Katia! - Yes, Katia.

Hurry back to the castle. Its late.

Before the sun goes down, go to the crypt and pierce the left eye of the witch.

Go now.

I will do the same to the body of Boris, which is still in the sacristy.

And then Ill join you.

Constantine?

Ivan?

Ivan?

Constantine?

Where is everyone?

Where have you gone?

Help!

Help!

Where are you?

Help!

Constantine!

Andre!

Help me, Father!

Please help me.

Dont leave me alone with all these horrors.

Father!

Father? Father!

I am no longer your father.

My blood is no longer your blood.

The spirits of evil have rent that tie between us forever,

and an accursed poison flows in your veins.

Ohh!

No!

Constantine!

Ivan!

Open up!

At last your vengeance is at hand, Asa.

Now you will be free forever.

Katia!

Constantine!

Where are you?

Katia! Constantine!

Katia!

You did not know that you were born for this moment.

You didnt know that your life had been consecrated to me by Satan,

but you sensed it, didnt you?

You sensed it, didnt you?

Thats why my portrait was a constant temptation to you,

why it frightened you.

You felt your life and your body were mine.

You felt like me because you were destined to become me,

a useless body without life.

The love that young man had for you could have saved you.

You might have been happy together, but I was stronger

and now you shall enjoy a beautiful life of evil and hate in me.

No!

Constantine!

Dont worry about me.

Save Katia.

Dont lose time.

Save Katia... from the witch.

Katia!

Katia, thank heaven... that Ive arrived in time.

Yes, she wanted to kill me.

Quick, Andre, do something before its too late.

I couldnt do it. Quickly.

Yes, yes, youre right.

We must destroy her forever,

and I know how it can be done.

Dont look, Katia.

Its horrible, but I must do it.

But this is your cross.

Katia! How is it possible?

I understand.

Come.

No!

No, I am not your love.

There she lies, dead.

Forever. Forever.

My vengeance is complete.

All of her family is destroyed. All!

Look, Andre. Look into my eyes.

Yes, look at me the way Kruvajan did that night

and, like him, lose yourself deep in my eyes.

Dont you feel the joy and the beauty of hating?

Look!

She... She is the witch.

Dont be deceived by her face. Look at her body.

She is transforming herself into Katia

by draining her lifes blood.

Take her!

Two centuries ago,

a storm prevented the flames from destroying her wicked soul,

but today her innocent victims have broken the spell of Satan.

Why?

Why was Katia taken away from me, Father?

And she is dying with Katias beauty.

Katia...

My life is finished too now.

How can I ever forget her?

How can I resign myself?

I will never find peace.

Look, her young body... destroyed.

Father!

Katia.