Original subtitles

Take it, Mr Briggs.

Ten of hearts, three of diamonds, three of spades, six of clubs,

jack of spades, ace of hearts, seven of hearts, nine of clubs,

ten of clubs, king of diamonds,

queen of spades... Is that enough for you?

Not quite.

May I?

Sure.

Page 1,088, Marino through Marks.

Where shall I begin?

Second column. Reading from the bottom up.

Markman, Andrew. 1265 Linden Place.

555-7768. Markey, Dr William.

Forbes Building, Suite 17. KL5-9837.

After hours, call KL5-3600.

Gorgeous.

I also remember 80, 90 brands of champagne

from long ago.

Two hundred cheap wines from only yesterday.

And the room number of every flophouse.

Now, Joseph, behind the Iron Curtain

there's a man we've got to remove from power within two weeks.

He's been trying to start a war and he's been succeeding

ever since he systematically exterminated his opposition.

- Janos Karq, the butcher of the Balkans. - Yes.

When I go to sleep, I always cover myself

with the political page. It's somehow warmer.

As usual, assassination is out, as a matter of policy.

That's too bad, you know.

We're going to try to destroy Karq politically

by making him appear to be a traitor.

And the rest is up to his own people.

Karq's head of intelligence is a man named Dimitri Soska.

For years, Soska has been searching for an agent

code-named Sparrow.

In a few days, Soska will capture Sparrow,

who, when questioned,

will reveal that Karq has been working with us,

selling out his own country for personal gain.

Where is Sparrow?

He died months ago, but Soska doesn't know that.

I see. He's going to return from the dead.

When he's captured, he'll be taken to Soska's headquarters

at Lubjanka Military Prison.

They're not fools, you know.

They'll never believe any such thing about Karq.

Of course not.

We're going to make a rescue attempt.

Elaborate, well-timed, ingenious, I hope.

We get all the way in, but we'll fail.

Normally, Sparrow's information will be disbelieved and written off.

But since we're going into a maximum-security prison to rescue him,

how will they buy the unbelievable fact that Janos Karq is a traitor?

And later, they let Sparrow live.

We'd try to negotiate his freedom.

All this water, you know.

I'm not so sure my system can stand the shock.

I haven't met all of you until today.

Your reasons for doing this work may not be mine.

It doesn't matter. For whatever reason,

I'll be Sparrow for you.

- Birth? - May 7, 1918. Village of Barabin.

- Names of teachers? - Lower school, Mr Mikeli.

Upper school, Professor Shandor.

The agents you worked with in 1961 who were caught, and where?

Max Loth, in blueprint company. Eva Zolchak, mineral quarry.

Describe Andre Neal.

5'6". Around 150.

Blue eyes. Spectacled. Limped when tired.

Scars on legs from land mine.

- Girlfriend in '63? - Anna Rovis.

What were her tastes?

Favourite colour, red. Favourite food, chow mein.

She loved movies.

You know, she really must have been impossible.

She probably was, at that.

Talk!

- All right, all right. I'll tell you. - No, no. No good at all.

Drag it out. It's much too fast, too easy. You're breaking too quickly!

I'm sorry. An occupational disease of a failure.

- I'll try again, all right? - Come on now. Look, let me show you.

Go.

Talk!

No.

Please!

I can keep this up for as long as you like, you know.

Your arm will give out eventually.

All you have to do is push the off button, and I'll stop.

All right, all right.

I'm listening.

I forgot what I was going to say. No, he... He...

Who?

- Janos Karq. - Nonsense.

No. He worked with us for three years.

I put the money in an Argentine bank account for him.

It's all...

Et cetera.

But stretch it out. That's the idea.

Now, as an actor, what do you think?

As an actor, my boy, in all seriousness,

I like your part better than mine.

Passport?

Security police! Security!

Quickly! Quickly! Forged passport!

Forged passport!

Excuse me.

What shade of red should I mix?

Here. I brought this along for you to match.

Joseph should be getting caught about now.

In two minutes.

Here, Grigor, over here!

Grigor!

Cyanide is too easy.

Sparrow.

Sparrow.

After all these years, I'd almost given up hope.

Sparrow.

I am Dimitri Soska.

Pleasure to meet you.

Welcome.

Will there be any flames?

Yes.

And an effluence of carbonaceous opaque material.

Thanks.

A lot of smoke.

- Nobody likes him. - Sorry.

I wonder how Joseph's doing.

In Indiana, fire engine red was, I don't know, redder.

You were 10 years old in Indiana, Willy.

At 10, everything is more so.

Well?

No.

You would like a drink, huh?

I read it in the eyes. That you cannot conceal.

Well, not until the cocktail hour, if you don't mind.

Ventilator's about 20 feet up.

No trouble.

It is senseless to lie. We all like a drink now and then.

And at times like this,

the desire can be almost overwhelming.

Is that not so?

But first,

what agents are you working with?

I was a freelance.

I have a passion, my friend.

A passion for making lists.

Now, this is a list of my agents.

It is up-to-date, totally accurate.

My list of your agents is incomplete.

I want to complete it.

Particularly at the top.

Now, you tell me,

from whom did you get your orders?

I made them up as I went along, you know.

I enjoy this work, my friend.

I could stand here and work for hours at a time

and feel more and more refreshed.

From whom did you get your orders?

We will try again later, my little bird.

Take him away.

Give him three-quarters of an hour to fall into a deep sleep.

Then bring him back.

He's back.

How much juice in that fence?

Enough. You can't get deader than dead.

If there's no voltage drop, we're in.

Silence is golden.

Now, we begin again, my friend.

Come on.

We change the style a little.

Here.

There.

You feeling better now?

- Please. - Please?

Please, what?

A real drink?

Of course.

When you truly want it, it is so simple.

Really.

All right.

Janos Karq.

Janos Karq?

You are very droll, my friend.

No,

Karq.

Janos Karq gives you your orders?

Of course, you create fiction.

No.

Karq.

We're doing some fashion pictures, and...

And you make such a divine background.

- You wouldn't mind, would you? - No. No, of course not.

Hold it.

Gorgeous. Hold it.

Brilliant. Such contrast.

Darling, closer to the one with the beard.

Hold it.

No, too much backlight. Willy, turn off the lights inside.

Perfect. Perfect. Now, just one more, fellows.

Come on! Come on! Get going!

Fire! Fire!

What is going on?

Come on! Hurry up!

Come on! Hurry up!

Put the prisoner back in his cell! I want everyone at station!

Dan, I've memorized his list of agents. Get me out of here.

- We can't. We're not prepared for it. - The entire list of his agents in Europe!

Get me out of here!

Are all the prisoners accounted for?

- Yes, sir. - You idiots!

I want the fence rewired so this cannot happen again.

I want searchlights and machine gun towers erected.

I want the guard doubled, including a detail outside the fence.

Sir, I do have a report of axe marks on a cell door.

- Which cell? - Sparrow's, sir.

Bring him to my office.

Get out of here! All of you!

Janos Karq.

Home, Cinnamon.

No. We're not going home.

We gotta go back in.

Cut!

Once more, Rollin. Now, Joseph's walk is not that athletic.

Now, I know it's tough working from still photographs

- and just our impressions, but... - No problem. Let's go again.

All right, Barney, roll it.

Rolling.

Okay, go.

Good.

Now, try to go to sleep.

Hey, Barney, how much mastic?

A lump about the size of a golf ball, Will.

Dan, Willy said Baresh had been drinking.

Yes.

Is it possible he wants out?

Baresh was on the level.

How do you know?

I know.

- Okay. - Rollin, shift around a bit.

We need five minutes of film.

Keep it rolling, Rollin.

Cinnamon.

What are you doing here?

- The lock is broken. - We're shooting.

Dream sequence. New wave.

Keep it rolling, Barney. We can splice Cinnamon out.

- My big scene. - Sorry.

And you waited two buttons longer than you had to.

Come!

We are ready, sir.

- And Karq? - Yes, sir.

That's the end of the reel.

We've got five and half minutes of film, Dan.

When I cut out Cinnamon,

we'll have a little over four. Is that enough?

Yeah. Thanks, Rollin.

Anytime, Dan.

My favourite actor.

Ready, Cinnamon?

Go.

Joseph, follow these instructions precisely.

Inside this projectile...

I am sorry, Janos.

You are not sorry.

You are ambitious.

- And I am innocent. - With all that money in Argentina?

We have checked. Just as our informer told us,

huge sums have been deposited in your name.

Get it over with.

As you wish.

Ready.

Aim.

Fire.

Work up rage and shake fist at viewer.

Swipe at it angrily with blanket.

Throw blanket over viewer.

Attach screen and projector rapidly.

Clip thermite capsules to window bars.

Your execution is set for dawn.

You have five hours.

You want anything?

Hey! You want anything?

Yes.

A bottle of Napoleon brandy.

Stop that, you scum!

You always stare at me, all night, all day.

What is it?

Nothing, sir. He's quiet now.

Soon, he'll be quieter.

My friend, your brandy.

I had a moment of weakness.

I want nothing from you. Keep it.

Impossible, my friend. A requisition was made out for you.

I am not going to steal a dead man's last request.

Open.

I prefer this drink alone. You don't mind, do you?

Don't let him get drunk. He'll have to be on his feet.

- Drunk, sir? - The brandy I just gave him.

- What brandy, sir? - The brandy I just handed to him.

- You were not watching. - Sir, when did...

A moment ago!

But he didn't leave his bed, sir.

You're dreaming! Your orders are to watch!

But, sir, he did not leave his bed.

He came to the door to receive the brandy from me.

Not on there, sir. No, sir. Not on there.

Escape! Escape!

The gate! The gate!

Don't move.

You passed anybody going the other way?

Yes. A red Volkswagen. He must have been drunk or crazy.

Almost knocked me off the road.

I don't understand how some people these days

can get a driver's licence.

Coastline's only 400 yards.

The boat's waiting.

How was it?

I forget.