Original subtitles

THE TANGO OF THE WIDOWER

Unbelievable. Living like this.

Has last week’s set?

Hope so!

Shake it a bit.

Looks like it’s ready.

Note the dates down right. The time’s very important.

Green bottles...

Harvest: water from stockings.

Done in the bain-marie, May 25.

They have to foam, but not too much.

This one needs a bit more time, I reckon.

This looks almost ready.

Should wrap it up so it doesn’t cool.

Because if it cools, you can say goodbye to it.

Are we going to clean up?

When the washing’s done.

Do you want help hanging up the clothes?

Later, later.

Okay. Time for a rest.

What’s the hurry?

Shall I hang them in the yard?

Later...

There’s always something else.

- Best go to bed early. -I can’t.

Ok…

- Nearly finished. - Exactly.

I’ll be done right away.

Something started must be finished.

Ok...

What did you say the handyman was called?

His name’s Franco.

Franco! Franky! Franquito!

What?

How much do you reckon?

- Twenty! - How much?

- Twenty! - Twenty!?

- That’s enough! - What?

Shut up!

We’re on our way!

Get a move on!

It’s not enough time!

Do you need a hand?

Your smell...

You’re working a lot and you don’t let anyone help.

There are certain things you have to learn to do yourself.

I can’t believe it.

What’s going on?

The world’s falling to bits. Nothing much.

You have a visitor.

Who is it?

Ah, Iriarte! What a surprise!

I brought a little something.

How sweet! Come in.

Come in, professor, this way.

Come in!

It’s cold…

Hello.

Clemente, this is Rosina.

- A pleasure, Señor Iriarte. - The pleasure’s all mine.

Iriarte is a very well-known teacher.

How does it feel being so well regarded and popular?

Rosina... Lovely name.

You can call me Lola. I prefer that.

Lola it is, then.

I’m also a widow.

Tell me more.

Yes, for five years now.

Ana!

Come here!

Excuse me, make way.

Burying someone is so complicated.

More so every day.

You need a secretary!

The paperwork is endless... It’s unbelievable.

You know that perfectly well.

- I’ll get the coffee. - Please do.

Coffee from Colombia. The professor brought it.

Our thanks to Señor Iriarte.

Iriarte? Iriarte who?

Gossens.

- How’s the coffee? - Four out of seven.

How demanding!

And what else does Señor Iriarte know about?

That’s a secret.

Maria’s death was unexpected...

...despite being something common to all humans.

But... it’s a mystery, then.

You think it’s a mystery?

Yes, of course.

A mystery... or whatever you want to call it.

Stop that, Maria!

Is it this one?

Not that one!

What time are you leaving?

A quarter or twenty to eight.

Don’t keep on doing that.

You're so mean!

Very well, I’m going home.

THE END OF THE WORLD IN SMOKE SIGNALS

Look. They’re really expensive…

Prices for rich people.

No discount. Terrible!

Don’t worry about that. I’ve got an account.

Mmh… it’s still a mistake.

FOLKLORE AND PSYCHOANALYSIS

I have other editions, Señor Iriarte. You might be interested.

Very good, thanks.

We’ll pick them up later.

Yes.

They always appear in the same order.

The sea... Someone falling...

The wigs...

Rivers of blood...

The naked dead woman.

What do you reckon?

I’m not used to it.

No.

- What do you think? - About what?

Those weird dreams.

The same thing every night.

Well...

I need a distraction.

Right.

What if I phoned a girlfriend?

Why don’t you see a doctor?

It’s all nonsense!

Well...

These nightmares won’t let me sleep.

Okay. Right.

Take a Valium with whisky, that helps.

Okay, bye.

That was Clemente.

On about his nightmares again?

He should get himself a woman.

Then he’d sleep fine.

Good night.

For your information, we women aren’t sleeping pills.

Leave me alone, Maria! I want to sleep!

You’ve kept me awake for a week now!

Where are you going, Uncle?

To make a herbal tea.

Okay. Goodnight, then.

Sorry.

- Do you want to go on with the book? - Read.

Wait. We got up to here.

Let’s see... Here:

“They lived in different worlds, there was no meeting of minds.

Had it always been like that? He couldn’t remember”.

That’s right, no meeting of minds.

“They’d been married for nearly twenty-eight years

and were no more than two people who,

through force of habit, lived under the same roof”.

Twenty-eight... is a long time.

Uncle, you’re not listening!

Yes, yes. Of course I’m listening.

How long have you been reading those pages?

For a while. The book’s yours!

Yes, yes...

The book’s mine.

Carry on, carry on...

Carry on reading.

Thinking too much is bad.

So bad that it made me lose my wife.

It’s unbelievable.

What are you thinking?

You loved her as well, I suppose. Or not?

It’s all the same to me now.

This is no time to fall in love. Please!

Hey, chief! Chief!

Two gins-and-ginger!

I don’t care any longer.

I did then, sure.

They were tough times.

Tell me about it.

There’s no point.

Stop that!

What happened?

I don’t want to...

I don’t want to... I don’t want to...

Have you used, or do you use, glasses and/or shoe inserts?

No.

Do you suffer from any illness?

Only the dead are healthy...

Nonsense!

What’s Franco doing?

That handyman and his nonsense again.

Franco manufactures smoke.

Hey, mister!

What?

What’s up?

This smoke is much better than yesterday’s!

Okay, I’ve got it! Thanks!

Are you in good spirits?

How is your appetite?

When did you last eat beans?

Nonsense!

Brother John, Brother John...

I’m off!

See you!

See you later.

Look.

Yes. So?

A wig.

And what’s so strange about that?

- Dinner’s ready... - Okay.

How many years ago? Twenty? Thirty?

We were young then.

Look.

This is my year.

This could be my teacher, sure.

These were in my team.

The one from school. Practising.

That’s Ducky Lucas.

Yes, I remember him.

Do you remember when we swore the oath?

No, but I remember it was a Saturday.

I don’t know.

These are for the group of ex-students.

And these...

And these too...

For you.

Thanks.

You deserve a prize.

I told you before.

Clemente’s ill. We have to do something.

Tomorrow I’ll go and see him.

He seems a bit weird to me.

Look at this. Read it.

Ah, this is the last.

Dear friends:

Do you remember the will I signed?

I’m very sick and don’t have much time left.

I expect you to respect my last wishes.

Greetings to Teresa and her Swedish husband

whom I met a week ago.

I’m leaving on time.

Signed, Iriarte.

Well, that really is being ill.

Brother John, Brother John, Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?

Brother John! Brother John!

Are you sleeping!? Are you sleeping!?

Morning bells are ringing! Morning bells are ringing!

Ding, dong, dang! Ding, dong, dang!

I can’t sleep!

And your toys annoy me.

But if you can’t sleep, better just wake up.

Look at this!

It’s a boy!

Now... We’re going to wash him.

Careful. That’s not just anything.

It’s gone off.

Let me see?

And how’s Clemente?

Let’s just say he’s been better.

I’m going to have a look.

Make yourselves at home.

What can I offer you?

Nothing, thanks.

Wigs... Rivers of blood…

The bottles...

Bearing this in mind…

Da da da da da da…

Also taking into account... para-tem, para-la...

How are you?

Bearing this in mind, I swear... tatatata.

Yours sincerely... ba ba ba ba.

Don’t move.

Good.

He’s appeared.

How are things?

Nothing. We’re just off. We only came to say hello.

Hey!

Why did you come?

- Did you bring them? - Me?

Don’t worry, we’re just leaving.

Are you coming with us?

There’s a smell of smoke.

Yes. Must be the pipe.

It’s not that!

You know, there’s something which really struck me.

I’ve been looking at the photos you gave me…

Yes. And?

Wait.

Look.

Remember?

This hotel was really elegant.

In the earthquake... it collapsed.

Joaquín, come here.

Leave it in the left pocket.

Let’s go?

Ok.

Wait for me. I’ll come with you.

Back soon!

Good.

What’s good?

When are we going to that marvelous square?

We’ll go back to that place soon. Very soon.

Call!

I will.

Call! If you’re sure about that.

Leave me alone.

At least I know... you always are.

Darling, I’ll always be waiting for you.

I know.

I’ll wait for you.

We’ll start a life together again.

This is not real.

I knew it.

MINISTER OF EDUCATION

THE RECTOR

MRS LATORRE, WIDOW

MR FLOREAL SILVA AND MRS SILVA

I’m already dead.

Where will you go? To a hostel?

I haven’t really thought about it.

You’ll think about it later...

His last outing.

He’s gone.

It’s all over.

It’s hard to know why.

Maybe we should have had a church service.

That murdering woman wanted him dead.

Let’s take a last picture for the album.

Keep still, please.

Just a moment. Don’t move.

There, still.

No…

Why would we do that?

We’re not obliged to justify ourselves to anybody.

No, no, no.

No correspondence.

Yes, darling, yes…

We love you too…

A lot, yes very much.

How do you do it?

Why do you do it?

Why do you do it!?

Let them wait.

We didn’t invite them.

They want to know...

They don't know anything... Nobody knows anything.

That's good... Very good...

She used to like to go by car.

Stronger than you... Stronger than you...

Much stronger than you! Much stronger than you!

Nothing.

After the last shovel of dirt, nobody said a thing.

They say photos can talk...

But that's not true, they're mute...

In that sense they resemble the dead.

You can do it as many times as you want.

You no longer scare us...

Not anymore...

Bye bye…

What’s your favorite animal?

The basilisk… But it doesn’t exist anymore.

The dodo then…

What a coincidence! It disappeared too.

You don’t abandon us, night or day. You don’t abandon us, night or day.

It’s you… We know it.

You don't surprise us anymore.

Before, perhaps. Not anymore.

Stop! That's enough.

Go away! Go away!

If you knew what we know, Lolita.

If you knew…

It was a happy day.

What had to happen, happened.

Let's forget the issue.

You were a good friend, Silva.

At least that’s what we thought.

But you would never have understood…

Never.

That means… “crime… and punishment”.

Stop... Stop! We said it was enough!

You don’t remember? Or you were deaf too?

Yes… You were.

Same as always...

The world takes itself too seriously.

No… Let’s hope… she takes the first step…

Let's hope so.

Yes.

Life stays on its path.

Nothing has happened here.

Now… Now we can sleep in peace.

They can't fool us.

Maybe they can fool Silva, but not us.

Brother John, brother John...

Are you sleeping, are you sleeping, yeah sure!

Brother John...

It wasn't our fault...

She just did what she had to do...

To kill oneself in self-defense is a very dignified act.

She should have done it long before.

But well…

The important thing is that she did it.

Ancient Egyptians would have embalmed you.

But we're not in Egypt.

Atrocious you say? Maybe.

But necessary.

Your smell...

We never put up with your smell.

Good... You're no longer...

Let’s say we killed you because…

…you were killing us, darling.

Thanks.

THE TANGO OF THE WIDOWER and its distorting mirror

Spectral thanks to Carlos Piaggio for the working copy made in 1967.

...and to all of our dead!