Original subtitles

WITH FIRE AND SWORD

"In a film by Jerzy Hoffman, based on the novel..."

"With Fire and Sword" by Henryk Sienkiewicz.

There's going to be a battle.

The hetman has ordered you go forward!

Screenplay and direction by

"This film is dedicated to my wife, Walentyna."

"THE BATTLE OF ZOLTE WOD Y April 29, 1648"

Crooked Nose. God be with you.

Halt!

"Brother Cossacks, guns ready!"

Fire!

Lances ready!

Fire!

"Where are my prisoners, my victory and my loot?"

There.

Your infidel dogs don't want to fight.

You're destroying the Khan's army!

The rain will soften the ground and their cavalry will get mired.

The morrow shall be ours!

You promised victory not defeat!

We've captured many dragoons. Take them if you like.

I'll have them impaled!

"Let them go, they're Ruthenians."

They'll bring the dragoons to our side.

Beat the drums. Feign attacks then fall back.

All night long.

Halt! Fall back!

Fall back!

"God gave the Poles rain, and brought us the sun."

It's time.

"Don't despair, Bohun."

The hetman has quashed the rebellion with the lash...

...soon there'll be peace. I'll give you my coat-of-arms...

...then you'll be able to have the princess.

Colonel Barabasz ordered strangers brought to him.

But he's asleep right now.

He says he's going to Lubnie.

To Lubnie?

"Yes sir, to Lubnie."

Let him go.

"Good God, why it's Sir Skrzetuski's servant."

Is your Lord well?

"Yes, he is... He sends his regards."

I know your Lord too. I met him at Rozlogi.

Where?

Rozlogi.

The Kurcewicz manor.

Who?

I see you've gone deaf.

I haven't been sleeping well. Praised be the Lord.

"Hold on, you'll have plenty of time to sleep."

Search him!

You can't do this! "I'm a nobleman, too!"

"Leave him be, Bohun."

To the honorable Princess Kurcewicz in Rozlogi...

So you're going to Lubnie and don't know where Rozlogi is?

To Helena Kurcewicz...

"Bohun, a noble's seal is sacred!"

The hetman gave me the right to open all letters!

"My sweetest, beloved Helena, queen of my heart..."

So Skrzetuski's your rival? You're both courting the princess?

"You know, once I..."

Silence!

"In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost!"

I'll live...

"Maksym, open up!"

Wait in the clearing till you hear shots.

Who's there?

Don't you recognize me?

Praise the Lord.

World without end.

"Bohun, you're risking your neck."

My neck be damned...

Who the devil can that be?

Bohun! What are you doing here?

"Not glad to see me, mother?"

"I'm glad, just puzzled that you're here."

I heard you are stationed in Czehryn.

Who has God sent here with you?

"Sir Zagloba, a nobleman..."

...and friend of mine.

"Sit down... eat, drink."

Thank you for coming.

Is the princess well?

"Yes, well."

I'd love to see her.

Helen's asleep.

"A pity, I'm not staying long."

I wanted to see you all before I go off to war.

It's hard to kill your own...

...but I have to. Who knows if I'll return.

"Before I go, I'd like to hear again that the princess is mine."

"A noble's word is as good as gold, and you're nobility."

Do you promise?

We'll have to ask Helena.

She can speak for herself. What do you say?

Promise?

"Yes, we promise."

We promise.

Sir Zagloba...

...why don't you ask for the girl?

Maybe they'll promise her to you too.

"What's that, Cossack? You're drunk."

Sir Skrzetuski sends letters! Traitors!

"Grab your swords, sons!"

Back!

Princess.

"Surround the house, don't let anyone in."

I'll kill whoever steps in here.

Put the ataman to bed!

Knead bread and spider's silk. I'll take care of him.

"The ataman must rest. Get out, the cellar is yours!"

Just don't drink everything.

"Holy Mary, pray for us sinners..."

...now and in the hour of our death.

Jesus Christ Quiet!

Don't come any closer!

I'm from Sir Skrzetuski.

Why should I believe you?

Have any better options?

Give me some of that mead.

See that?

I'll be damned!

Not bad!

Pity to waste such mead on your peasant throats.

What about some for the guards?

Replace them! Give them some drink!

"Thank you, sir."

Is Lubnie far from here?

"Oh yes sir, it's far."

Can I get there by dawn?

Never!

What about noon?

That's more like it.

Have a good time boys! The ataman's sleeping.

Don't wake him till morning. I'll look after him!

Only a fool won't drink to the ataman's health tonight!

To the ataman's health!

"Feel better?Can't talk, huh?"

"Even better, you won't yell..."

...when I take the princess to Lubnie.

Maybe I should send a barber or one of the Duke's executioners?

These wounds won't kill you but you'll never drink with me again.

Hey!

Quiet!

Be well.

I could've stabbed you but it wouldn't be right.

Perhaps we'll meet again...

"...but if I do it on purpose, may they tear the skin off me and..."

...make a cupper out of it.

Slow down!

This isn't the way to Lubnie.

Hide your hair.

Never run where you'll be followed.

"They'll head for Lubnie, while we're going to Czehryn."

The son of a bitch God damned Pole!

I'll rip his throat out with my own teeth!

He asked the way to Lubnie.

To Lubnie!

Loot the place and then burn it!

What if Jarema comes?

They'll blame Bohun!

"Turn around, run!"

Czehryn has fallen!

In the name of God.

The serfs are slaughtering the nobles!

Avoid Rozlogi!

"Chmielnicki in front of us, Bohun behind us."

God didn't save us so we could die like this.

"There's a huge fortress, Bar, but it's far from here."

Very far.

I've told you everything.

You met no one?

No one.

Hang him!

"Wait, I met Sir Zagloba and his servant."

Where?

Half way to Czehryn.

Did you say Czehryn had fallen?

"Yes, I did."

Hang him!

Let's go!

May you be eaten by dogs!

May you be skinned alive...

...and may Jews wear you as collar trim!

What's wrong?

We have no horses!

We have them now!

Praised be the Lord!

World without end.

Who's there?

Christians.

What are you running from?

Chmielnicki.

Did you see him?

I'm blind.

The boy?

"He did, but he's mute."

Only I understand him.

You scoundrels are nothing but spies!

Stirring up the serfs!

Soldiers! Strip them and hang them!

"Take those clothes off, now!"

"Hurry up, or I'll hang you both."

You no good drunkards!

Give me those trousers!

Hurry up! You too! You're dead already.

Do you want to get to Bar?

But what to do with that hair of yours?

Cut it off.

How?

Just make sure you don't miss.

I feel like an executioner.

They cut off witches' hair so the devil can't hide in it.

But you're not a witch.

Cut it!

It's a horrid thing to do.

"Cut it off, already."

Close your eyes at least.

"You're killing my chickens, you sons of bitches!"

Where are the villagers?

How am I supposed to know?

"We're not Poles, don't be afraid."

"Poles, the devil take them!"

We're Cossacks.

Cossacks? The devil take them!

The villagers went off to fight the Poles.

Did you see a fat nobleman with a young girl?

A Polish nobleman?...No. Only an old beggar.

He went with the villagers.

"A beggar, you say?"

"With one good eye, fat as a pig, and a beautiful mute boy."

"Father ataman, I've never seen a cherub like that!"

It's him!

Jarema's men!

"Save yourselves, it's Jarema!"

After them! Into the water!

They'll kill us! Here they come!

Shoot them!

Vermin!

The princess...

Hands off!

Give a quart!

A doctor!

There is no doctor here. They hanged him for being a Jew.

But I know medicine.

Bohun...

Almighty be praised! We've made it. Bar...

What are you doing here?

Me?

I'm serving you.

You were weak from all the blood loss.

You've been here all this time?

Who else?

I'm the only one here who knows anything about medicine.

But you serve Skrzetuski.

I don't serve anyone anymore. I've joined the Cossacks.

I'll see that you're well again.

And this...

"I don't bear a grudge, I know you're hot-tempered."

Witch... why are you here?

"I saw you were in trouble, falcon."

"Get up, there's a war on. Did you treat him?"

"Good, now get out."

Leave.

I saw your Polish lady...

...in a castle on a white cliff above some water.

How do you know?

I saw her.

"KORSUN, May 26, 1648 The Republic's second defeat"

"Fame is ours, Cossack brothers!"

"I'll give you a Tartar escort, for the Duke impales my Cossacks."

You're a free man.

No!

"You're free, though I know you'll fight against us."

May God give me strength.

To fame and fortune!

"To joy, not misery!"

Kiss my hand!

Why should I?

"Because now, I'm a nobleman!"

And I'm enlightened.

I'm drinking from an enlightened hetman's goblet.

"That's a chamber pot, you fool!"

I have to drink in the chamber?

Sir hetman Potocki pissed in it!

And shit in it too!

You're lying!

Crooked nose never lies!

Even a dog shits outside!

"Silence, our hetman!"

"Brothers, I bring sad news."

"Our defender and benefactor, King Wladyslaw IV..."

...is dead.

"We must decide, wait until we've regained our strength, or..."

Attack Jarema!

Who's our enemy?

Jarema!

Attack Jarema! Put him on the pale!

Tuhaj-bej has taken his captives to Crimea and will be gone a month.

Do we move against Jarema without the Tartars?

Attack Jarema!

We'll write him that we don't seek war only respect of our rights.

A letter!

Silence!

But who'll deliver it?

Who here is the bravest? Who shouted the loudest?

I'll go.

"Good. Now, what shall we write?"

"You son of a bitch, Jarema!"

"Wisniowiecki, born of the devil."

Defiler!

That's very good.

But this is what we'll write.

"Your enlightened excellency, Duke and Governor."

I'm asking you to bear us no ill will for what...

...happened when your forces attacked our armies.

"Bohdan Chmielnicki, hetman of the Cossack armies."

Seize them.

We're the hetman's envoys!

"A rebel, not a hetman."

We're envoys!

Your excellency! Chmielnicki freed Skrzetuski.

Skrzetuski was my envoy. Are you equating me with a rebel?

Kill them so that they know they are dying.

What do you think of that letter?

"Our foe is crafty, your excellency."

He wants us to let down our guard until the Tartars return.

We must move immediately.

That is my will as well.

But we can't disregard Chmielnicki.

The hetman wanted to quash the rebellion with a few lashes...

...and paid with his son's life and his own captivity.

We're all alone and can't expect help from any quarter.

The King is dead and that's chaos. Bychowiec!

Your excellency!

"You'll take 300 dragoons and lead the royal court, nobles..."

...and the Jews to Zamosc.

You are to return immediately. Every sword will count here.

"Where shall I return to, your excellency?"

"You'll find us, we'll be on everyone's lips in the Ukraine."

"I, Jarema Wisniowiecki, Governor of Ruthenia..."

"...Duke of Lubnie and Wisniowiec, do solemnly pledge to God..."

"...and you, His Blessed Mother..."

...to raise the sword against wickedness...

...I shall not put it down until I have pacified the Ukraine...

...and drowned the serf rebellion in a sea of blood...

"...so help me God, amen."

Curse... you... Poles.

My God! It's Skrzetuski!

"Jan, do you recognize me?"

"Oh my God, he's gone mad."

Our Father who art in heaven...

...hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done...

Thy will be done!

On earth as it is in heaven.

Wolodyjowski! Take him on patrol...

...let the wind blow away his cares.

Search all the huts in the village.

If you find anything from the manor...

"...drive out the women and children, burn their huts..."

...and thank the serfs.

Subtitles @ Polart 2003