Original subtitles

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)

A fine clear morning and all is well.

Ahoy, there! Look up!

Fetch me a bow.

Look.

Captain! Captain Sinbad!

Up there in the sky. It's holding something.

Abdullah.

It shines like gold.

Too strange to be an albatross.

A jackdaw? They steal bright things.

No, too big for a jackdaw.

Omar!

You fool! You have brought bad luck on us all!

Captain...

Cast it over the side. It is evil.

I feel it.

Captain!

For the love of Allah, cast it overboard.

I think I'll keep it.

Sinbad!

Sinbad!

Sinbad!

Sinbad!

- Captain! - It's smashing us to pieces!

Can't hold her, Captain. She's running before the wind. Look!

We're being driven on to the rocks.

Lash that sail! Cut it adrift if you have to.

Abdullah!

Allah give me strength!

Sinbad!

Sinbad!

Marabia.

It must be Marabia.

We are way off course.

No. The dream I had, Rachid. This it all part of it somehow.

We have been brought here by some mysterious force.

Is it not written -

- that a wise man will try to realize his dream, to follow it?

Some say that it is through dreams that Allah speaks to mortal man.

- To forsake the dream... - Is to forsake Him.

Captain, he who walks on fire will burn his feet.

Captain?

I'm going ashore.

- Aye. There's a good anchorage beyond. - And that's where we'll meet.

Do as he says! We make for the anchorage!

You are Captain Sinbad?

I am.

You are also a thief. And a thief is a king until he's caught.

The bauble that hangs at your throat is mine. Hand it to me.

Or you will have no throat.

You'll be dead if you don't.

You stole it from my courier.

Very well.

It's Koura! The black prince!

We have waited for you a long time.

He escaped, Achmed.

He rode into the city and escaped. The Sultan's guards helped him.

But you are all right?

I brought the city gates down upon their foolish faces.

Master, your hand.

We must hurry, Achmed. He who searches for pearls should not sleep.

Sinbad is even now with the vizier. I must hear what passes between them.

Walls have mice and mice have ears.

And I have my spy.

He has failed me once but never twice.

You tell a strange tale, Captain.

Nevertheless, one fact makes me believe your story.

The amulet around your neck.

It makes us allies against the same enemy -

- who covets it as much as I.

Fate, destiny have brought us together. I would like to think so.

Why?

Our country is being choked by a great evil visited upon us by Prince Koura.

Koura?

The one who attacked me?

A man versed in every black art -

- and dedicated to bringing this domain under his power.

Please. I have an equally strange tale to tell.

When our Sultan died without a son, -

- he made me, his grand vizier, heir to two things.

The two being part of one great, mighty secret.

What are these two things you speak of?

You shall see.

Here is the first.

These pictures tell the story of a legend as yet unrealised.

Little remains, for even as our Sultan breathed his last breath, -

- and I hastened here to read the secrets, -

- a great ball of fire engulfed this room.

A fire which took my face -

- and left these few scorched patches that now you see.

- A ball of fire? - It was Koura's work.

You spoke of two things bequeathed to you.

Here is the second. Something the fire could not destroy.

A token. A sign. A riddle.

And it is said that the riddle will be unraveled -

- when this and the one about your neck -

- are placed before a great eminence who dwells in a temple of many faces.

And yet still incomplete.

A perfect match.

You see, I was right, Captain. Destiny has brought you here.

But it is still a riddle.

These? This?

The key to a great and mighty secret?

What secret? What is to be revealed?

Power. Absolute power.

Power to rid this land forever of Koura's black and ugly ambitions.

- If this fell into Koura's hands... - That thought constantly torments me.

If Koura were to obtain absolute power in this land, -

- freedom and happiness would be lost.

- Forever. - Absolute power?

I pray to Allah, but he does not hear me.

Then you and I must see to it that we solve this mystery before Koura.

If Allah be willing.

Part of it must be here.

I see a ship. A long voyage.

- An island. - And these foreboding symbols.

It can only mean danger of death.

Or great riches perhaps. A lost treasure.

Or it could mean nothing at all.

The more I study it, the greater the puzzle becomes.

The golden tablets then. What of these?

There is a third part still to be found.

It must be found, or our land will be plagued forever.

But how to get the third?

Vizier... Don't you see it?

The meridian. And there are shoals, an island.

It's a chart, Grand Vizier. A nautical chart.

And you are a sea Captain.

Allah be praised!

You can go home.

- Is this a ship or a monastery? - We sail with the tide.

She only removed two veils!

If the winds are with us, we'll reach this area before the rise of Venus.

And then we follow Orion into unknown waters.

- Why do you stare at me? - Do you believe in destiny?

- That is what has brought us together. - Possibly.

And with the help of Allah we will surely triumph.

There is an old proverb I choose to believe.

"Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel."

It is Koura's spy. His watchdog.

Quick, quick!

There!

Already it may have betrayed us.

In the name of the Almighty, what was it?

Koura's creation. A living homunculus.

An extension of his eyes and ears. And with it -

- he now knows as much as we.

It's a race then. A duel.

We seek an island. An ultimate destination.

He will also seek it.

Find me a ship and a Captain who can be trusted.

He must make ready to sail with the next tide.

All right, all right!

Excellent. You are even better than they say you are.

It is Sinbad, isn't it? Captain of the ship that lies offshore?

I'm Hakim, owner of this aureate establishment.

I wish to employ you.

- Sorry, I sail with the tide. - It is only a small service.

No longer than it takes to drink a coffee.

Please, just hear me. It will only take a moment.

It's only a small service. This is my son Haroun. A waster, a fool.

200 gold coins if you take him with you.

Take him with me?

- I couldn't even use him for ballast. - 300 gold coins.

You cannot pick up two melons with one hand, and I cannot work miracles.

Hurry, hurry.

Come sit down.

- The girl... - That girl? A worthless slave.

But you like her? You view her with favour?

She's yours.

I give her freely. A gift. Along with my son and 400 gold coins.

- What is your name? - Margiana.

That mark.

- How did you get it? - I've had it since I was a child.

- An evil eye. - No, no.

It was tattooed on.

- Perhaps it is a good omen. - It's to ward off evil spirits.

You have nothing else to tell me?

She is curvaceous. Not deliciously fat as I prefer.

But at night a cotton seed is the same as a pearl.

- She finds favour in my eyes. - Yes? It's a bargain.

The girl, my son and 400 gold coins.

- Allah will smile on you. - More likely he will laugh at me.

Bring them to my ship.

It shall be done.

Very strange trip.

- Grand Vizier! - Look what's coming aboard.

Salaam alaykum.

I've heard of gold going to a man's head, but this...

- Cast off. - Cast off!

Cast off!

- Raise the sail up. - Sail up!

Fair wind, Captain.

Aye. Fair wind and a fine one.

Every voyage has its own flavour.

- You know what is expected of you? - Aye, my Lord.

In a few moments Sinbad's ship will come around that headland.

Follow him, Captain. Gently, cunningly.

Keeping him always just within sight.

He who is patient obtains.

You're thinking the same as I, Rachid?

Captain, an island. If it is here, then it can only be one place.

- Lemuria. - Lemuria?

The mythical island. Mariners have searched for it for centuries.

It is all that is left of a mighty continent now sunk beneath the waves.

It is a place of untold dangers, of death. They say...

That the man who fears the unknown will take fright of his own backside.

There you have it. We seek Lemuria.

We wager our skill against death.

And for rich reward. Find this island and a handsome prize awaits every man.

Are you with me?

To Lemuria!

And a bounty to boot!

- Even if it be into the jaws of hell? - We cannot be bought, Captain.

Only with money.

Then be warned. We can afford no laggards.

Every man must carry his own weight and more.

There's water everywhere!

- We're at sea! - This boy is a genius.

I remember my father's shop and my father coming up...

Father! This was his idea, wasn't it?

A quick run around the harbour to clear the cobwebs away?

All right. The sea breeze is beautiful, cobwebs are all gone.

Now we can go home.

Sorry. We are on course now.

- You are with us all the way. - All the way?

Well, things could be worse. A couple of days away from home isn't too bad.

A couple of weeks?

A month?

- More than a month? - Two, three years perhaps.

Two or three years?! But I'll be an old man by then.

- Show me to my cabin so I can lie down. - No cabin. You bunk with the men.

You want to eat, you work.

Work? Work?!

This is terrible!

Haroun.

You pace the deck like a caged beast.

For one who enjoys hashish you should be more at peace.

- I'll put you on watch. - On watch?

All you have to do is sit down and keep a sharp lookout.

Sit down and look? Fine.

Haroun...

Up there.

That's where you sit.

I forget I have company. Your pardon.

No, no. I am the one who bows. You are my guest.

- But I am your slave. - Slave? Up, up.

- You own me now. - Own you?

No human being has the right to own another.

You are free now.

You belong to no one but yourself.

On this ship you are at no one's beck and call. You understand that?

Right. I go to change.

Fetch me a drink.

Please.

- You will be sleeping in here? - Of course.

Captain Sinbad! Sinbad!

Aye?

Haroun saw a light on the horizon.

Over there.

- A ship. - Following us?

- Stay on this course. - Aye.

If she's still with us at daybreak, we know.

It is Koura.

Aye.

- I should come about and sink him. - If he does not sink us first.

Sinbad has sent more pirates to the bottom of the sea than I can count.

There is much at stake, my friend. We must maintain our lead.

With a ship like that? We can't outrun him forever.

But if you can outwit him...

The cabin looks very neat. You have all a woman's gifts.

- Yes, all of them. Save one. - What is that?

curiosity. You never ask why I brought you along on this voyage.

I've only just become a free woman. Slaves do not ask questions.

I'm happy you brought me along.

We're being hunted, pursued like prey. And I must lose the hunter.

- Who pursues us? - A man.

A great, black bat of a man.

He is one of the reasons you are here. He, and that mark on your hand.

But why? Why?

I wish I knew myself.

Hold steady.

We lead him into this area of dense mist here.

There's enough rocks to snare a prow or rip open a keel.

But if you lead him there, you run the same risk yourself.

Not quite the same. I've navigated these waters before. Eh, Rachid?

Once before.

We'll abandon the chains!

How can he see to steer the ship? It's terrible.

- How can he see anything? - The Captain won't need to see.

He'll feel his way through.

Drop anchor!

Not yet. Pursue that ship!

Continue into this? We will be wrecked.

- Well, Sinbad navigates these waters. - Then he must have a chart to follow.

- Three points east. - Aye, Captain.

As Allah wills.

It's alive! It's moving!

It's alive! It's alive!

For the love of Allah! The chart!

- It's taken the chart! - Never mind. Fight it with fire.

Return. Return.

Return.

She's sunk. Straight to the bottom.

- Impossible. Wood floats. - The harpoon was made of iron.

- It took the chart. - But I still carry the course.

Here.

Return...

Return.

Return... Return now.

Return!

To him who breathed life into you. Return!

Return...

Master?

Master.

Your face... It's aged.

Master, you are ill.

You saw everything.

- I came when I heard your cry. - Then you know.

- Enough, Master. - Yes, yes...

You will die if you go on.

To summon the demons of darkness has a price.

And each time I call upon them, it consumes part of me.

Come, Achmed. We have no time to lose.

Haul it aboard! Easy, easy.

Your sword.

Bring us back on course, Captain.

- You like the lute, Captain? - Very much. Play me a tune sometime.

But I was playing a tune.

Land ho!

Lemuria.

Where we are destined to find our answer.

- We go ashore at daybreak! - May good fortune accompany us.

The Captain reports we are well on course.

But there is no hope of overtaking Sinbad?

No matter, Achmed. I expected such a possibility. I am prepared for it.

Mandrake root and a few chemicals is all that is needed.

No! Don't throw stones in the well that you drink from.

Do you dare defy the demons of darkness?

I've watched them drain your strength.

Look! See what they have done to you already.

If you continue, you will perish before this journey is over.

Have you no faith in my powers? We are soon to triumph, Achmed.

My life, my blood shall bring life.

Don't fear it, Achmed. It is our friend.

Come on.

You will find Sinbad, my little friend. Seek him out.

Magic purges the soul, Achmed.

The night with its ears and the day with its eyes.

Come ashore.

There's someone moving.

Beckoning.

I didn't expect you to volunteer.

Any land is good for these legs.

Even dangerous land?

Dangerous? You never told me it would be dangerous.

You didn't ask.

To land on these shores is cause for celebration.

Have them return to the ship and see that every man gets wine.

I know you propose we go alone into this place. But just the two of us?

We shall not lack for protection, Achmed. We shall not lack for that.

Stop!

Sinbad, look!

Your courage has deserted you?

Me? No. My heart is full of bravery.

But I have cowardly legs.

As it was written: A temple with many faces.

The temple of the Oracle of All Knowledge.

But I never thought to stand here. We must seek out the great eminence.

- Is it the oracle? - No, a guardian.

The keeper to whom we should present ourselves.

I bring you a token.

A sign from the sultans of Marabia.

We come humbly seeking the Oracle of All Knowledge.

Two golden tablets that fit as one.

Two tablets brought forth to the light, yet a third remains from sight.

A third?

A final place must still be found, a place that lies deep below the ground.

- He talks in riddles. - No race is lost until it's won.

And close behind you comes the black and evil son.

Spawned by the Devil, suckled upon black milk, in human form.

clad in robes of silk.

Destiny, destiny.

Destiny is invisible yet visible, and men may try to hide.

Yet its waters mark you clearly like a rainbow in the sky.

Destiny is a place where both good and evil wait.

And yet their very equality negates their power.

For it is the very deeds of weak and mortal men -

- that may tip the scales one way or the other.

And then the world shall know, and you shall know -

- which way the Fates have chosen you shall go.

Go!

Go now!

- Go? - Go north.

North to barren lands of pagan places and pagan bands.

Before a goddess cast with many limbs.

And death to all intruders is their whim.

In that sacred place -

- hid from the eyes of man is the third gold tablet -

- that completes the plan.

Go now.

Go now.

Go north... Go north...

Back! Go back!

Go! Down here! Inside!

Captain!

The entrance is blocked!

Farewell, Sinbad.

Perhaps it is our destiny to be buried alive.

A man's destiny lies in his own hands.

A live dog is better than a dead lion.

Rachid, your bow.

All of you, your turbans and sashes. Make a strong rope.

I knew we'd go mad down here eventually.

An arrow. A straight, sure arrow.

A strong rope.

Come on, men. Trust in Allah.

But tie up your camel.

Do as he says. Your turbans and sashes.

Hurry, hurry!

Tie strong.

Strong.

Good, good.

Rachid.

Sinbad, you've done it!

- I'm the lightest. - But I'm the most foolhardy.

- Easy, Captain. - He's going too fast.

Up you go.

Go on, Captain.

Sinbad, look out!

What is it, Master?

All of you, up you come. Margiana first.

Moving north.

- It is as the oracle said. - There's a steep climb ahead.

What is it, Master?

They mean to sacrifice us to their living god. Don't!

O mighty Kali. Mightier than thou am I.

Make obeisance to me!

Dance! Dance for me!

Stop!

- Achmed... - Master?

I shall remain and commune with their deity. Go!

Go now.

In that sacred place hid from the eyes of man is the third gold tablet.

The third tablet is here somewhere. And I shall find it.

I shall find it!

I won't be denied! I won't!

Koura!

We meet again.

- To the death. - To the death.

To the death, Kali. Death to our enemy.

No, wait! Don't!

Stay back!

Stand clear!

The third golden tablet.

Here it is written -

- that the Fountain of Destiny lies within easy march.

Yes. Where the gods smile upon mortal men.

But I shall not enter that hallowed place empty-handed.

For it is also written -

- that he who places these tablets into the waters of the fountain -

- shall receive in turn:

Youth.

A shield of darkness.

And best of all: A crown of untold riches.

All this is my destiny.

But I fear your destiny lies before you. Have you not destroyed their shrine?

May Allah receive you. I bid you farewell.

Their journey is over and mine almost. Return to the ship, Achmed.

- To hear is to obey, Master. - Have the crew make ready to leave.

Sire.

They think she is one of their own. A goddess. We are saved.

No, she is the chosen one of their God of the Single Eye.

- Sinbad! - Margiana!

Vizier, take off your mask.

Uncover your face!

Sinbad!

Into the tunnel! This way!

Rachid, over there.

Vizier, in there. We must find Margiana.

Let them sustain me!

Margiana? Margiana?

The Fountain of Destiny. The final place.

Margiana... come.

You followed me instead of Koura?

- Then he has won this race. - The race perhaps.

- And the prize? - Not the prize.

- A crown of untold riches... - I regret nothing.

Frightened you, huh? Margiana?

The final place.

The energy of youth is mine again. You are too late, Sinbad.

The shield of darkness, a crown of many riches. I'll deny you these.

O gods and demons of darkness! Rid me forever of this enemy -

- who stands between me and my destiny! I'll plead!

- They don't hear you, Koura. - I implore!

Kill him!

Destroy Sinbad!

It is as the oracle foretold.

The forces of good and evil battling eternally.

It also foretold that it is the deeds of weak and mortal men.

That may tip the scales one way or the other.

Rachid!

Sinbad!

No!

Oh no!

And now, Sinbad...

- A shield of darkness shall be mine. - I see no shield.

You will.

Look carefully, Sinbad. What you cannot see, you cannot kill.

I congratulate you, Captain.

Your sword arm is excellent, but your eyes betray you.

For now you cannot see me at all.

For all your strength you are helpless.

As helpless as a child.

I can kill you any time, Captain. Any time.

Am I here?

Or right beside you?

No...

You cannot kill me. But I can destroy you. All of you.

Sinbad!

A crown of untold riches.

Your Majesty.

Are you not the true and worthy successor to the throne of Marabia?

And has not Allah delivered this -

- into my hands from the wondrous waters of the Fountain of Destiny -

- to rest upon your head?

Praise be to Allah the All-merciful.

I can't understand. Sinbad, why did you do it?

Give away a whole kingdom, priceless treasure. Why?

I value freedom. A king is never truly free.

Why, he is even told who he must marry.

Captain! Captain!

Will you take me on as a fully-fledged seaman now?

Aye. And make yourself fast with that rope.

Don't worry. I always trust in Allah.

But tie up your camel.

Subtitles by: Scandinavian Text Service

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