Original subtitles

They say only those will go far in the future

who won't accept promises,

who only believe facts,

who'll only judge

by the results.

That's true.

But so what?

The man who owned this horse

said he had six living brothers

but it's the 7th he missed the most,

who was dead.

This power plant

or this town sprang up from the deserted land

were once promises. Now they are reality.

Why am I always thinking about what's missing?

Which ought to be or gone forever?

Can one forget those faces?

They'll make you answer for history.

Make history answer for man.

And make yourself answer, too.

THE UPTHROWN STONE Written by

Cast

Director and director of photography

Uncle János.

They phoned. The train can't stop.

In that case...

I was wounded by the Whites at Tsaritsyn.

I was groaning in the mud.

'Pavel.'

'You are my friend.'

'Shoot me.'

With his pocket knife,

he cut the bullet out of my body.

I came to meet him.

I must do as bidden.

30 years passed.

What's 2 minutes to that train?

They both served under Budyonny in the Red Army.

So, politically speaking...

They phoned. It's all right.

Pavel!

Pavel!

- János! - Pavel!

No photos on railway premises

I'm sorry I didn't apply to the film school like you.

When were you accepted?

I got the message 2 days ago.

I am really worried about my file. Can you understand it?

Don't start whining again. Have faith!

It's easy for you, having faith.

Why not? We have every reason to.

Mother!

Why don't you feed these dragons?

They've taken your father away.

Who?

Where to?

He's been taken away.

And... we don't understand either...

Because of the train.

First they said it would stop.

Then 500 people gathered at the station

with a band and signs,

they said it wouldn't stop.

Important people don't remember what they promised the previous day.

Nothing new under the sun, Balázs.

Did you hear anything, uncle András?

They don't say what they think at the county council.

They kept asking: what would happen if every railwayman stopped trains?

Why didn't you tell them that the train stopped only for 2 minutes?

Come on!

What shall I tell mother?

In 2 or 3 months, they will close the investigation.

We have to wait.

What investigation?

What are you staring at? Go away!

- Here we are, father. - I can see that.

I didn't dare to tell him.

He hasn't been accepted to college after all.

News came yesterday...

He's always been a good person.

Your grandfather got him a job with the railways.

He'd find you one, too, in spite of what happened to your father.

Give up your dreams.

You'll break that window.

Leave off about the railway. Damn it. It's Sunday.

You should know...

Your mother has her cross to bear, too.

- What about me? - You are a little snot.

And you're old!

I did four grades.

Your father did eight.

You did twelve.

I can count, too.

You've no father now.

And I am old.

- Going far? - To the dam keeper's house.

That's a bit further away.

Can you climb up? I'll take you to the dam.

Surveying something?

A water power station.

There'll be a huge lake here.

And the land?

It'll be under water.

It'll be nationalized, but you'll get compensation.

I have land here.

Vineyards and orchards.

They might bear fruit this year.

The dam keeper lives over there in the house with the red roof.

Good-bye.

- Hello. - Hello. Who are you?

I was sent from Budapest.

As a rodman or a pack animal?

- What's your name? - Balázs Pásztor.

Hi.

- I'm Ilias. - Balázs Pásztor.

Chief engineer Gönczy.

They praise you in this letter.

Excellent school finals, politically reliable.

That's important.

The fact that you came out to work is also honourable.

You could've gone to university.

Yes.

Our job here is confidential.

Top secret, in fact.

Vigilance is as important as the work itself.

You'll begin as rodman.

But after some experience,

you will survey on your own.

I do my best to back up gifted working class people...

I will teach you.

Come.

Not enough.

The pits are too deep.

- Shall we switch? - No.

Can we go?

Yes, we are ready.

- Enjoy your meal. Cheers. - Thank you.

My wife.

- Irini. - Balázs.

She only speaks Greek, but she speaks it really well.

- Ready? - Ready.

- Stand up. - Mind your language.

One more vine stock cut and I'll kill you.

Where are you going? Damn it.

Do you want to end up in prison? With me?

All right, go.

But watch out.

I wasn't a partisan leader...

but you weren't partisans, either.

Go on.

Go on.

Go on.

In his last statement the accused said:

As regards the acts constituting the charge

I have, during the investigation and the hearings at the People's Court,

made a full and detailed confession.

To this I have nothing to add.

I wish, however, to make the following remarks.

To avoid any misunderstandings,

before I'm sentenced by the People's Court

I must point out that I did and committed everything

upon free reflection,

of my own free will.

On most points I agree with the prosecution

and state herewith

that whatever the sentence will be

I shall regard it as a just sentence because...

...in virtue of article 90 of the Penal Code,

the accused is sentenced to death.

- Dear listeners... - Good night.

- ...at 8.15 pm you'll hear... - Good night.

Good night.

Ilias,

have you ever killed anyone?

I have.

In the revolution.

Could you kill me?

You?

I'd send you to a dancing school.

And that man?

He was a traitor.

He betrayed you and me, too.

Are you certain?

He admitted it.

Suppose they forced him.

Impossible.

- But suppose they did. - Who?

You're a happy person, Ilias.

Is your father alive?

Yes.

So is mine.

You said he was dead.

I lied.

He stopped a train for 2 minutes.

He was taken away,

he was investigated,

he had to confess to something.

But to what?

So did I.

But to what?

I wasn't admitted to university.

Nor to college.

I'm the enemy.

To get this job I had to say he was dead.

You're getting confused.

That man betrayed everybody.

The workers, the peasants, everybody.

You must know how many people died for proletarian dictatorship.

Those who are against it must die.

There are proletarians and enemies, you said.

What is my father?

A railwayman, isn't he?

But an enemy or a proletarian?

A proletarian.

So you see, Ilias.

Yet he was taken away.

The peasants' cooperative

send the working class and comrade Rákosi the first harvest of wheat.

Budapest workers celebrate the cooperation of workers and peasants

at the arrival of the 60 wagons of wheat.

Co-op members visit our great teacher,

Comrade Rákosi,

and give the fresh loaf to the man they love best.

The man our people is forever indebted to.

PEASANT DELEGATION RETURNS FROM THE SOVIET UNION

The private train of the 3rd delegation of Hungarian peasants

has arrived from the Soviet Union at the Hungarian border.

After a short celebration, they travelled on to Budapest.

With 200 delegates,

the private train arrives at Keleti railway station.

At the delegates' meeting in Budapest,

every peasant working individually made a call to his or her peers.

Seeing Soviet agriculture, they all joined a co-op,

or created one in his or her village.

If I were you, I would pull out all the stops.

What do they want from your father?

Your future is at stake, too. Don't you understand?

I don't know.

Hold the lamp, please.

A little to the right.

Right.

Boys, tone it down.

- Like it? - Yes.

It's just a lighting exercise.

Good morning, Comrade Professor.

- Good morning. - Carry on with it.

Why aren't you working, comrade?

I'm just a visitor.

Didn't we accept you?

I don't think so.

Funny, your face is familiar.

Stay if you are interested in filmmaking.

Comrades! Attention, please.

We have here a complaint from one of our members from the Tisza group

against comrade Ilias Christos' behaviour.

Comrade Gönczy claims

that comrade Ilias Kristos beat him.

- Is that right? - Yes.

What induced you to commit this act of violence?

He wants to know why you beat Gönczy.

I do everything openly.

He chopped down 200 vine stocks.

I threw only two at him.

Comrade Ilias, this is a serious matter.

We condemn your misdemeanor,

but we also condemn those, comrade Gönczy,

who only sees the goal and disregards the people.

I'd like to announce

that we've been entrusted with a great task by the State.

One and a half million Hungarians live on isolated farms

without electricity, culture or civilisation.

It will be our honourable job

to set up socialist farm centres,

which will bring an end to centuries-long underdevelopment.

That's the school.

That's the shop. It's open on Wednesdays and Fridays.

And that's András Jeles's pub.

Are you really going to build that centre?

Yes.

- Got the money for it? - Yes.

- From the State? - Yes.

And there's the postman.

He comes on Mondays or Tuesdays, at the latest.

- God bless. - Good afternoon.

I'd willingly work for you.

This is no life, believe me.

Giddy up!

- Hello. - God bless.

György Mosolygó, secretary of the farm.

- Ilias. - Mosolygó.

Comrades, I'll show you your lodgings.

- And the comrade? - My wife.

We didn't expect her. Still, I hope you'll manage.

Hello.

- Thank you. - Here you are.

It's not a hotel.

Good.

What do the Greeks put in it?

Fig leaves?

Don't understand...

I don't...

You don't, why don't you?

Make it nice and hard, it's going to chafe your back.

Listen, Greek.

If a farm centre is such a good thing, like you claim,

would you live here?

As your parish priest, yes. Right, Ilias?

Aren't you after our land?

Before the war, when they built the railway,

they also said we'd profit by it...

I'm not going to give up my land for all the farm centers in the world.

Who would want your land?

You know who?

The one they chased on horseback all the way to András Jeles's pub!

Young man,

tell your friend

things aren't quite as you think.

Strangers came to Ószőlős, about twenty of them.

They went to a farm.

They said to the peasant:

you'll see old man,

we will make the world better.

Machines.

Thriving agriculture.

All you have to do is sign this paper.

I won't.

Don't you hurry, old guy.

They give him an alarm clock.

Go out. Come back when it rings.

After a quarter of an hour he goes back.

Well, old man? You still don't want to?

No.

Then take your clock again.

It'll ring again, go, think it over.

This time he got 10 minutes.

Have you changed your mind?

Can a peasant give up his land?

Then five minutes.

Then three.

Then one.

He's never been seen again.

Just tell your friend.

You mustn't be afraid of the co-operative.

It's a good thing.

But throw the clock at their heads.

We'll make the farm centre.

Come and see...

Balázs and I...

what we're doing.

You won't get clocks.

All right, Greek.

The fork remains there if you've told the truth.

Thank you.

I'm going to the Bekes'.

Is there anybody here?

What happened?

The dog was barking.

You are tipsy.

Is he really Greek?

Maybe.

Well, uncle Jani says he's Japanese.

It's difficult, Balázs.

Irini says we're strangers here.

Good night.

Good afternoon, uncle Áron.

Good afternoon.

- So you have come. - Good afternoon.

We've come.

Hello there, uncle Sándor.

- God bless. - Good afternoon.

- Hello. - Good afternoon.

Hello, uncle.

Good afternoon. Hi.

You see, they've come after all.

- Hi. - Good afternoon.

- Hello. - Hi.

- Hi. - Hi.

Welcome.

- Thank you. - Hi.

- Good afternoon. - Good afternoon.

It's good to see you here.

Sándor Faragó.

Péter Katonka.

István Széles.

József Pipa.

Zsigmond Kaszabos.

Péter Verrasztó.

- Good afternoon. - Good afternoon.

An excellent idea, comrade Pásztor. Really excellent.

The merit is not only mine.

It's not enough just to do the job.

We must convince them it's for the best.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Good morning, men. So you have come.

Yes.

Get down to work.

Eat it.

- We aren't hungry. - You're hungry, too, father.

Here. Eat it.

Attention!

András Juhos's house will be put up for auction.

...8, 9, 10.

No. This is my house.

- Get out! - No, I won't allow it!

- I won't allow it! - I'll call the gendarmes.

- Sergeant, sir! - Get out!

- I'm not going! - András! My God! András!

It's not fair. It's my house.

Won't you greet us, Greek?

Good morning, ladies.

Trying to bolt, huh?

Is anything wrong, Mrs. Beke?

Yes!

The men were taken last night!

They won't be released, unless we give them the land.

If they release them at all.

Or they won't be released at all.

- Who's taken them away? - You know that better than we do!

You talked to the folks with the leather jackets.

They come here and give out building permits!

- Farming centre! - Cinema!

And they take our land.

- Where are they? - In town.

It's a misunderstanding.

I'll go and take care of it.

You won't escape, Greek!

You won't move an inch until they come back!

I'm not.

- I'll go and bring justice. - You stay here, Greek.

You'll give us back our land!

It's your interest. Why don't you let him go?

You came here with this Greek.

You cad!

Mrs. Beke! Wife, friend will stay.

I'll bring justice.

- Good morning, ladies. - Is the water good in the well?

You used to ride a bike during summertime.

The mud's too deep now.

You took our men.

- What are you talking about? - Now you come with horses?

Keep calm, ladies. Go home.

Stop, you harlot!

We know that your husband sent the police on us!

How much money did you get for it?

Who sent you?

Young man, hold your tongue.

You'll pay for it.

Accomplices, all of you.

Mrs. Beke.

Plague on you.

The men?

- Aren't they back? - No.

The comrades said they'd been released.

I don't understand, either.

Our comrades must have overdone it.

Still we agreed upon our policy:

No coercion, persuasion.

- And the policemen? - What policemen?

Do you know what the women were shouting?

That Greek! He did it!

What are you saying? Irini!

I'll sort it out, comrades.

Try to calm them.

Why did I leave you behind?

To ogle Irini or to watch out for her?

Come in, Balázs.

- Where is Ilias? - What happened?

Eight are back. They gave up their land.

They're saying they want to kill the Greek.

He had the women trampled by horses.

- Where are they? - In András Jeles's pub.

Ilias!

Where is the Greek?

Where is the Greek?

They've all gone.

Now I will hand over to Comrade Irini Christos

Ilias Christos's decoration.

We want to reward Comrade Balázs Pásztor's

untiring work at the Rókahát survey.

He'll be granted a scholarship by the party leadership

and sent to university.

Irini.

You've no idea how much liquor gets mopped up

all over the country.

When I was admitted to college, I took a photo.

A porter sleeping on a cart in worn-out shoes.

Solid shapes, golden ratio, rim light.

'Say, comrade Halmos, do you work for LIFE?'

Two half rums, please.

If you hadn't been rejected because of your father,

your films, too, would drip with optimism to make everybody cry.

Peasants waving flags and crowding into co-ops.

We're full of bourgeois influence.

And rum.

How about those birds?

It won't be easier here than at the Tisza.

What are you after?

I was sent here.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

The engineer will take over the survey.

Discipline must not slacken.

After work, you prune the felled trees.

- You may take home the branches. - Thank you.

We may go.

Let me tell you first

I'm not an engineer, only a technician.

My name is Balázs Pásztor.

We'll work together. I'd like to get to know you.

I'm Pista.

Gyurka.

I'm Feri.

Pál Kalányos.

I'm József.

Uncle Pista.

József Szivler.

István Jáger.

József Katona.

I'll let you know when I need you, go and chop trees.

This way, sir.

There's a shortcut.

And you?

They won't cross the gypsy camp.

Find someone else instead of us.

We weren't hired to cut wood.

You see? They are afraid of us.

How long have you been here?

I was born here.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

What's this, Mister?

A camera.

Take a picture of me!

Of me, too.

Me, too, Mister.

Sir, couldn't you keep your equipment here?

It's nearer than the village.

All right.

Come to our house.

Your things will be safe here.

I believe you.

Come. There are no bugs.

- Good afternoon. - Here...

Take a seat.

See? They will be right here.

Better than with the Hungarians. Or anywhere.

Is that dinner?

Just potatoes.

There's no meat.

We'd like to have pigs.

We first thought of it seven years ago.

But money is scarce.

We'll be very honoured if you eat with us.

Say something in the Gypsy language.

I can't.

I've forgotten.

This is how we live.

I'll leave here when you go.

I'm 30, but I've never slept in a bed.

Yet I earn my bread just like the Hungarians, with my two hands.

There'll be work for you in this factory.

Balázs.

What kind of man was that Greek?

- He died. - Of what? Was he ill?

- He was beaten to death. - By whom?

I don't know.

But you were friends.

Yes.

Did you know that he was taken prisoner when he was a partisan?

Yes.

Okay. And then?

He kept silent.

Aren't you too resolute?

He hit you.

On November 28, 1949.

There were witnesses.

- No? - Yes.

Out of friendship perhaps?

Comrade Gönczi warned you

about that farm venture.

I don't remember.

Does your granddad still keep bees?

Where you there when that Greek died?

No.

My young friend,

isn't it odd that a partisan gets killed

and you get a scholarship?

I don't get you.

Did you apply to the Budapest Film Academy?

Yes.

Do you want to make films?

Yes.

What about?

About many things.

Tell me, that's why we're here.

It's beside the point.

When did you last see Irini?

- In the late autumn. - Do you correspond?

No.

Did you know that she had left Hungary?

I didn't.

Aren't you surprised?

Tell me,

what was your relationship like?

I mean was there something between you?

She was my friend's wife.

She's pretty, isn't she?

It makes you think all kinds of things.

You're not saying much.

Anything on your mind?

Be frank with me.

Do you know where my father is?

Your CV says he's dead.

Isn't that odd?

It is.

When will you release him?

She taught me.

Now I can sign my name.

- Have you learnt it now? - Yes, I have.

Let's hear it.

Lullaby by Attila József

The sky's blue eyes are falling shut, shut, too, the house's many eyes;

fields sleep beneath their coverlet - so go to sleep now, little Blaise.

Ants rest their heads upon their knees, the drowsy. Wasps are in a daze,

their business and buzzing cease - so go to sleep now, little Blaise.

The streetcar snores, its rumbling dozes, forgetful of the days,

but rings its dream-bell, ding-a-ling - so go to sleep now, little Blaise.

Asleep the jacket on the chair, its torn sleeve dozes where it lies,

this day no further will it tear - so go to sleep now, little Blaise.

The whistle snoozes, and the ball, the woods and picnic holidays,

the favourite candy bar, and all, so go to sleep now, little Blaise.

Distance, glass marble of the skies, you will achieve in all your ways,

you'll be a giant; close your eyes - and go to sleep now, little Blaise.

Ignác Orsós.

György Kalányos.

Erzsébet Barack.

Vendel Búzás.

What's going on here, Ferenc?

They say we have lice.

Stop it!

Stop it, I'm telling you.

Who told you to come here, young man?

Who sent you?

Who sent you?

Let me go! Are you blind?

Leave him alone.

Get out of here.

Give me that camera.

Didn't you understand? Do as you're told.

Stop!

Can't you hear me?

Stop!

1, 2, 3,

4, 5.

1, 2, 3.

What time is it?

The dance has just finished.

Can you forget those faces?

They'll make you answer for history.

They'll be right.

Make history answer for man.

You'll be right.

And make yourself answer, too.

They say only those will go far in the future

who won't accept promises,

who'll only judge by the results.

What was it the Greek used to say?

We are responsible for what we are,

for what we were,

and for what we could have been.

- We're ready for a rehearsal. - Fine.

Rehearsal.

Camera back to the start.

Don't wait till they finish,

- ...just cut in anytime. - Good, all right, yes.

What's your line, Madam?

- "You won't escape!" - No.

You will say: "You won't move an inch until they come back!"

And not under your breath, but powerfully, angrily.

- Okay. - Good.

Quiet, quiet, quiet!

Camera... rolling!

- Camera. - Silence, please!

THE UPTHROWN STONE Dir. Balázs Pásztor

Action!

You want to escape, huh?

Is anything wrong, Mrs. Beke?

There is, my dear.

Our men were taken last night.

They won't be released, unless we give them the land.

Who has taken them away?

You know that better than we do!

It's a misunderstanding.

I'll go and take care of it.

- You won't escape, Greek! - You'll give us back our land!

You won't move an inch until they come back!

You stay here, Greek!

I won't escape,

I'll go and bring justice!

THE END