All language subtitles for The.Last.Vermeer.2019.1080p.BluRay.H264.AAC-RARBG

[♪♪♪]

[WATER DRIPPING]

[FUSE SIZZLING]

[EXPLOSIVE BOOMS]

PRIEST: Forgive this
man, found guilty here

of collaboration with the enemy.

May God have mercy on your soul.

Amen.

OFFICER:
Attention!

- Make ready!
- [RIFLES COCKING]

Aim!

- Fire!
- [GUNSHOTS]

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

- Has it arrived? Is it here?
- Last night.

Jerome, good work
on those etchings.

I aim to please.
There's a gift on your desk.

- Cherries for the family.
- I'll try not to eat them

before I get home this time.
Thank you.

[TYPEWRITER CLACKING]

A Dutch Jew
with a Canadian uniform.

Captain. Captain Piller.

Who let this one in?

Dekker, this is Minna.
Minna, this is Dekker.

- Hello, Minna. Nice to meet you.
- Hello.

We, um... We used to be
in the Resistance together.

Yeah, but he couldn't
resist anything without me.

- [SCOFFS]
- [CHUCKLES]

- Working with the Allies now.
- Yes.

Everything in here was stolen,

and they put me in charge
of finding out who took it

and who sold it to the Nazis.

But I want to avoid interference
from the Ministry of Justice

'cause they seem
to have their own agenda,

and that's why I need you.

I need someone I can trust.

DEKKER: Well,
anything for an old friend.

But do I have to wear a uniform?

Oh, yeah, it's one of the perks.

This was just found
in Goring's hidden collection.

Christ and the Adulteress.
It's a Vermeer.

- DEKKER: Vermeer!
- And, um, we found a letter.

- Oh.
- Folded in the crate.

I attended a show there once,

had champagne
and smoked salmon,

and saw some terrible paintings.

And what Germans
did you meet there?

I shook a hand or two.

Those pigs were everywhere.
You couldn't avoid them.

I never had that problem.

No, me neither.

I'm a personal friend
of Prince Bernhard

and the commander
of the Ministry of Justice.

That's very good for you,

but I don't work
for the Dutch government

who ran off when things got hot.
Dekker...

Will you please go sit down?

I was commissioned
by the Allied Command.

Who will soon relinquish power

to the rightful
Dutch government.

But not today.

And the more time
I waste on you,

the Nazi sympathizers you drank
champagne with will slip away.

Gentlemen,
I'm afraid I must ask you to...

In this letter, the owner
of the Goudstikker Gallery

references you
in verifying the background

- of a Vermeer painting...
- I don't collect art.

...before Reichsmarschall
Hermann Goring agreed to buy it.

[PISTOL COCKS]

Christ and the Adulteress
was just recovered

from a railway car
in an Austrian salt mine.

Thing about Goring...

he kept meticulous records
of all his acquisitions.

So now...

tell me about this letter.

It was a favor.

I had a respectable name.

I simply wrote that I'd vouch

for the painting's provenance
to finalize the sale.

Because the painting
had been stolen from Jews?

Who was the favor for?

Who brought you the painting?

Han Van Meegeren.

[♪♪♪]

[POUNDING ON DOOR]

Han Van Meegeren?

- Indeed.
- I'm Captain Joseph Piller

of the Allied
Provisional Government.

- Oh. Please, come in, gentlemen.
- Thank you.

Were you expecting us?

In these times,
one expects anything.

Ah, do you play?

No, not anymore.

- May I offer you a drink?
- DEKKER: Yes.

No, thanks.

No?

PILLER: Do you live
here all by yourself?

For the time being.
I am recently divorced.

This is my wife's house now.

She is in France,

and the housekeeper
went back to Utrecht.

The war has
been good to you, huh?

I was lucky enough to sell
a series of Flemish primitives

before hostilities broke out.

So you're an art dealer?

I am a painter and an art lover.

But, of course, I take
my opportunities where I can.

And during the war,
what did you do?

Tried to survive,
like everybody else.

Running out of champagne
must have been devastating.

Oh, not as bad
as running out of caviar.

- [SCOFFS]
- Shall we sit?

No, no, we're taking a walk.

Ah. Do I need a jacket?

You haven't asked
why I'm here.

Well, I find that in life,
as in art,

it's always best
not to spoil the surprise.

Or maybe
it's no surprise at all.

Shall we?

[♪♪♪]

[PEOPLE CLAMORING]

PILLER:
Do you like Johannes Vermeer?

VAN MEEGEREN: Of course.
The equal of Rembrandt,

superior to Hals,

and only a hair behind
Michelangelo and da Vinci.

PILLER: And this one,
Christ and the Adulteress.

How does that rate?

Undoubtedly a masterpiece.

It has his hallmark command
of light and color

and yet with a gravitas absent
from his more celebrated work.

You take interest in art
as well as music?

Oh, no, no, no.

What interests me
is that it was sold

to Reichsmarschall
Hermann Goring

for more than
1.5 million guilders,

which is the largest sum
ever paid for a work of art.

Which proves that pigs
can sometimes have taste.

- Mm.
- Or perhaps too much money.

[CHUCKLES]

I've traced the sale

back to the Goudstikker Gallery,

through a network
of your associates, to you.

Mm-hm.

I need to know
where this Vermeer came from.

Was it from a looted collection?
Jews trying to flee Europe?

Mr. Van Meegeren, as you know,

collaboration with the enemy
is a capital offense.

They're shooting people
in the streets daily.

We all must die sometime. Hmm?

Although Vermeer, Hals, Bosch,
they... They live forever.

They speak to us
across the centuries.

But you're not
among those names, are you...

Mr. Van Meegeren?

So you must have made
your fortune some other way.

And what, may I ask,

will be your great legacy,
Captain Piller?

Putting you
and your friends in jail.

Or in a noose.

This is your chance
at redemption

and perhaps,
more importantly, survival.

And yet I am sensing
that perhaps it is you

who needs redemption, no?

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

Put him in solitary.

Single rations. No visitors.

[♪♪♪]

[BLOWS]

- Finn, want to help me?
- Sure, Papa.

- Take these.
- Okay.

And they go into these.

VAN MEEGEREN:
Only I can paint the picture

that you
so desperately want to see.

And what is it that
I so desperately want to see?

You want justice
against the wicked, yes?

So you're going to need me.

But I ask a favor.

I need my paints.
I need my brushes.

- Please, send me home...
- I'll have them brought here.

There is no life here,
no inspiration.

Do you want inspiration?

What do you need inspiration for
if I break your hands?

Hm?

[HUMMING TUNE]

Piller?

I'm Detective De Klerks.

Ministry of Justice. Long time.

I've heard
you snagged a big fish,

a Van Meegeren. Is that right?

- Who told you?
- Ah, jungle drum, you know.

We need to question him.

[LAUGHS]

We're on the same team here.
We need to share information.

Are we on the same team?

Last time I handed over a lead,
he somehow slipped away.

The old boys' network.

Perhaps they should
rename your outfit

the Ministry
of Convenient Justice.

- Hmm?
- [LAUGHS]

You and me,
we're just foot soldiers.

We don't have to worry
about the big picture.

I see. Well, keep your attention
on your feet, then.

Excuse me.
What were you before the war?

A tailor, right?

I've been a police investigator
for 15 years,

and this could be bigger
than some paintings.

This Van Meegeren may have
helped fund the Abwehr spy ring,

- laundering money for the Nazis.
- Even more reason

your department should
stay away from this.

Look, all this bluster
and confidence, Piller,

it's a pretty good mask, but
you're in over your head here.

- [SCOFFS]
- Yeah. And you know it.

I don't need your permission
to see Van Meegeren.

- Oh.
- I was just being courteous.

This is
a joint jurisdiction facility,

and I have a signed order here
from the Dutch government

granting me your fish.

[CHUCKLES]

So, in fact,
we'll take it from here.

[♪♪♪]

DE KLERKS:
Ministry of Justice.

Boys.

Dekker? Dekker!

Get him out.

- Time for exercise. Come on.
- What?

- Come on.
- Come on.

Get him out of there.

This way.

DE KLERKS:
Hey!

Piller!

[ALL PANTING]

Not that I didn't enjoy it, but
what the hell did we just do?

De Klerks wants him,
but no one takes my fish.

Your fish? How flattering.

Oh. Very beautiful, Joe.

Ah, yes.

Well, splendid.
I can definitely paint in here.

Well, as long as you're happy...

I'll make a list of my supplies.
My assistant, Cootje,

knows where everything is
in my studio.

And I'm going
to need my whiskey.

I'll get your paints.
Forget about the whiskey.

And, please,
don't play games with me.

Mr. Dekker here
has my permission

to break both your legs
if you try and escape.

May I borrow
your notepad and pen?

You are going to need
to find this man.

Theo Wijngaarden.
Why? Who's he?

He's the most important player
in this little game.

Do you want your paints or not?

Yes, and in return,
all will be revealed.

I believe Theo should be
in Amsterdam.

I don't know.
But you need to find him.

PILLER:
Don't let him out of your sight.

MAN:
This is outrageous!

Van Meegeren is instrumental to
our case. We have every right...

His lackey, De Klerks,
tried to steal my prisoner.

Enough.

[SIGHS]

Where'd you serve in the war?

Don't see
what that has to do with this.

Answer the question.

London.
Helping Holland's efforts

to the best of my ability.

Get the hell out of my office.

- Thank you.
- [SCOFFS]

He'll be back. Allied Command
is coming to an end.

And Theo Wijngaarden,
what about him?

I'll put it out on the wire.

Joe.

Ease up.

You're not going to get
every single one of them.

[♪♪♪]

[MINNA SIGHS]

I had a call

- from the Ministry of Justice.
- Uh-huh?

They're taking you
off their Christmas list.

Yeah, we don't have much time.

- We need to keep up the search for Theo Wijngaarden.
- Yes.

And let's put more pressure
on Van Meegeren.

MINNA:
Maybe I can help.

- You want to have a go at him?
- Yeah.

- I can rough him up a little.
- [LAUGHS]

What? I'm not saying
it's going to be pretty, but...

And here I was thinking

that you're just a nice,
quiet girl from The Hague.

PILLER: We need to find
Van Meegeren's wife.

- MINNA: Yes.
- Right.

- See you tomorrow.
- See you tomorrow.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

Hello.

Who was that?

That's Minna.
That's my assistant.

She's helping me
with the Van Meegeren case.

She's very pretty.

- Is she?
- Mm-hm.

I hadn't noticed.

Must make the long hours
so much easier.

Do you want to talk about
your long hours during the war?

That's not fair, Joe.

DEKKER: Hey, boys.
Looking to buy some art?

[DE KLERKS CHUCKLES]

We are crazy for art.

Love to take a peek
at what you have.

Well, we're closed now.

Which means...

take your boy scouts
and fuck off.

[CLEARS THROAT]

Tell your tailor
he'll be sewing prison uniforms

for the next 40 years when
I'm done with him, will you?

Good dog.

Let's go.

PILLER:
Anything else we can get you?

A drink would be nice.

And who's she?

This is my assistant,
Cootje Henning.

Cootje, meet my jailer, Joseph.

- I have to run.
- Oh...

[CHUCKLES]

Next time, I'll try
to bring your whiskey.

Yes, if you could.

She's not your assistant,
is she?

She's your goddamn girlfriend.

Little bit of both.

She brought the paints.

When she took her clothes off,

you know,
what was I supposed to do?

Miss Henning, wait up.
I'd like a word.

I'm late meeting my husband.

Han knows where to find me.

VAN MEEGEREN:
All for art, I assure you.

- We're wasting time, Joe.
- No, you're wasting my time.

Theo Wijngaarden can't be found.

I don't imagine
you've heard of a painter

by the name
of Willem Gillisz Kool.

No, I haven't.

Kool created hundreds

of beautiful works
three centuries ago.

Not one of them is worth
the canvas they're painted on.

Listen, I'm not really
interested in art history.

Vermeer, on the other hand,

paints just over 30 pictures
his whole career,

each worth a staggering fortune.

- Do you know why?
- No, and I don't care.

You should.

You think
you're investigating art,

but you're investigating
money and power.

Then get on with it.

Somebody decides.
A so-called expert, a critic.

They proclaim
that this is genius,

this is important, this is art.

And so a legend begins
and a legend builds.

Wealthy merchants
see their chance

to become cultured by owning it,

museums fight
to put it on their walls,

and so it goes, on and on.

When I was a boy, my father
used to beat me for painting.

Even though it was
the only passion in life I had.

But I took my beatings.

And when I could,
I moved away from home to Paris

and I painted even more.

I drank too much,

I slept with too few women,

and I eventually went insane.

One very stormy night, about
to leap off the Eiffel Tower,

a crack in the heavens opened.

It could have been the absinthe,

but I swore
I glimpsed the Almighty.

I very quickly
came back to Holland,

and in a raging fever
of creation,

I painted for months
without sleep.

Finally, when I collapsed,

I wept for days,
beholding my work.

I had captured
my soul on canvas,

snatched perfection
from the gods.

An influential friend
immediately arranged an exhibit

at the Biesling Gallery.

And the entire community
was buzzing

that a new, important
artistic voice had risen.

All of Amsterdam was there.

I can still hear the chatter,

smell the perfume
of all those beautiful women

who suddenly realized
I existed.

The energy was palpable,
the critics... unanimous.

They said my ham-fisted attempt
at profundity

was devoid of emotion,

lacking in vision,
utterly without soul.

They not only wanted
to destroy me,

they wanted
to crush my bones into flour.

Why?

I had failed to properly seek
their illustrious approval.

So all my new admirers suddenly
vanished and it was over.

Which brings us back
to Christ and the Adulteress.

Is music in your blood, Joe?

I'm sure you've had
your own Eiffel Tower moment.

Did you not always
just want to be a piano player?

Please, Mr. Van Meegeren,

how did you come by
the painting?

The same way
I came by all of them.

With the help
of my friend, Theo.

Ah, Theo.

Theo Wijngaarden,
this mysterious man.

Dirk Hannema will know
exactly where he is.

And help me here,
who's Dirk Hannema?

He is a so-called expert.

He's the guiltiest
of all of those critics.

He's also the director of the
Boijmans Museum in Rotterdam,

which still
to this day confounds me.

Well, Dekker, it seems
I'm on my way to Rotterdam.

[TRAIN CLATTERING]

[♪♪♪]

HANNEMA:
Awe-inspiring, isn't it?

It teaches one
the meaning of forgiveness.

Mr. Hannema?

Until I discovered
The Supper at Emmaus,

there were just over 30 Vermeers
known to be in existence.

They've become the Holy Grails
of the 20th century.

If there's
any silver lining to this war,

it's that other hidden
masterpieces may come to light.

To discover this one was the
great accomplishment of my life.

What can I do for you,
mister...?

Captain Piller.

Ah, yes. Your office has been
keeping us busy.

- Hm.
- What brings you here?

Theo Wijngaarden.

Ah.

You're Jewish, aren't you?

Yes. Is that a problem for you?

Tragic what happened
to your people.

My people?

Aren't we all Dutch?

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

Ah.

Theo Wijngaarden. There.

Do you know this fellow?

A failure as a painter.

Not much
of an art dealer either.

- What was your business with him?
- He was a competent restorer.

He did a job for me
some time ago.

And your opinion
of Han Van Meegeren?

Third-rate artist,
first-rate opportunist.

Did he associate
with the Germans

floating around
through the art scene?

It would surprise me
if he didn't.

- And why is that?
- He's a raging narcissist

and a cunning devil.

Enjoy your day, Captain Piller.

[GROANS]

Satan's piss. Blegh!

Oh...

Well, that turpentine's
all that's left,

- thanks to your Nazi friends.
- You're misinformed.

- I have no friends.
- Yeah, I see why.

[SNIFFING]

This smells drinkable.

That's my highest-grade
paint stripper.

Why don't you try it?
It'll give you a second asshole.

Well, that'd be interesting.

I'll tell you what,
go to my house.

I have a whiskey collection
in the cellar.

Bring two cases here and
I will teach you how to drink.

If I go to your house,
you'll run.

Ah, my diabolical plan foiled.

Except I have
no interest in running.

Do I look
that stupid to you, huh?

Of course not.

People like you have done more
for this country than anybody.

Damn right.

So, what are you painting?

My deliverance.
I don't know yet.

My subject is
somewhat of a mystery to me.

[♪♪♪]

HENNING: It's quite
liberating, you know.

To lay yourself bare and...

have someone paint you,

stroke by stroke.

- I see.
- I suppose

Theo was in love with me.

He said
I had a timeless Dutch face

that could grace the classics.

Which was his way of, uh,
trying to get me into bed.

And, um, did Theo
introduce you to Han?

Yeah, I think so.

Yeah, I think he did.

VAN MEEGEREN:
Ah, Caroline.

The perfect choice for you.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

[♪♪♪]

HENNING:
Han loves to paint me.

You know, sometimes we don't...

We don't even touch.

We don't need to.

PILLER:
And tell me,

your husband,
he doesn't mind?

HENNING: Well, Han thinks
that, uh, deep down,

all men fantasize

about their wives
being seduced by another man.

Or woman.

Han understands the human animal
better than anyone.

Is that why the Germans
were so fond of him?

[SWING MUSIC PLAYING]

HENNING:
Everyone... Everyone likes Han.

The photograph!

- He's, uh...
- Five! Come on.

- He's the life of the party.
- Four! Three!

PILLER: What Germans
attended his parties?

One!

I never said they did.

Look... I don't know anything

about
Christ and the Adulteress.

Or any Germans.

And I have no idea
where Theo is.

Who did Han consort most with?

Himself, me...

and his wife. Ex-wife.

Johanna. Where's she?

Somewhere in France.

She got, uh, tired

- of his joie de vivre.
- [SCOFFS]

But he gave her everything,
you know.

The houses, the money.

What other man would give
his wife his entire fortune?

Hmm?

What did you find out?

Well, depending on who you ask,

he's either Satan or a saint.

Well, maybe I'll find something
in Theo Wijngaarden's notebooks.

Yes, and check
death records too, please.

Yes, after I've finished
the mail, captain.

Thank you.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

Hello?

Dekker?

DEKKER:
Piller, in here!

[BLOWS]

Walk towards me.

Stop!

Now, two steps
to your right... Left.

One more step. Not that big.

Half a step back.

- Here?
- Yeah.

- Yeah?
- Now walk slowly towards me.

Just do it.

[FLOORBOARD CREAKS]

You're gonna need this.

[♪♪♪]

How much is there?

I don't know.

It started whispering to me,
so I called you.

Having a conscience
is a terrible affliction.

Yes, but our reward
will come later.

You're damn right it will. I got
two cases of liquor packed.

- No, no, no.
- What?

We're not taking any of that.

What? We're gonna let it rot?

Or leave it for some
undeserving asshole? It's hooch.

- It's world-class hooch.
- Yes, and you've had enough.

You've had plenty.

Just a nip, to make sure
it wasn't an illusion.

I've been having a lot of those
lately, and so have you, right?

Yes, and booze is
not gonna help, my friend.

Damn well might. Hm?

This will bring back a bit of
the old world, help us readjust.

MINNA:
Uh, your wife just called.

Should I call her back?
What should I say?

Tell her I'll be late.
I'll deal with her later.

Mm.

New Year's Eve, two years ago.
That was some night.

I bet. Who's who?

That's Cootje on my left,

and Johanna, my wife,
on my right... My ex-wife.

Uh, Van Stuyvesande
you've already met, the old fop.

And these are
just friends of friends.

What about this one here
next to the blond?

The kraut
with his arm around her?

Ah, wouldn't have a clue.

Are you sure about that?

Look at his face
and that criminal haircut.

I wouldn't let that creep
shake my hand.

Do you remember
not shaking his hand?

Oh, Joe, you're so literal.
Have you found Theo yet?

I don't want to talk
about phantoms right now.

I want to talk
about this Nazi spy

who's toasting to
your health in this photo.

My parties are lively.

People hear about free booze
and free drugs and easy women,

and there were plenty
of those there that night.

Well, he didn't just walk
in your door, did he?

- Who brought him?
- I don't know.

Jerome. Maybe it was Jerome.

- Jerome Heidjen?
- Yes, but who cares?

Look at
all these beautiful women

and you want to talk about
some pig farmer from Muggendorf.

I think you have more than
a drinking problem, Joe.

This pig farmer from Muggendorf
was called Hermann Kempf.

He was
a German intelligence officer,

and he used to recruit
Dutch citizens to spy for him.

Hermann Kempf was very costly
to the Dutch Resistance.

I am an artist, not a Nazi spy.

- So why did you hide the picture?
- I didn't hide it.

Maybe Johanna did
before she left.

Kempf shows up at your party.

Shortly after, you take payment
of 1.6 million guilders

from Hermann Goring, far more
than even a Vermeer is worth.

And why? Because the Nazis
are so generous?

No, because
they're narcissistic.

Hitler already had two Vermeers
in his collection.

Goring wanted
to outdo his Fuhrer.

He wanted to own the most
valuable painting in the world,

legitimately, which meant
he had to pay for it.

Or perhaps you were paid

for something more
than just the painting.

Such as?

Money to funnel
to Nazi operatives in Holland,

using the art world as a front.

[POUNDING]

Jerome, it's Piller.

JEROME:
Just a moment. Let me dress.

[♪♪♪]

[GRUNTS]

PILLER:
Good evening, Jerome.

Why don't you tell us about
your connection to Van Meegeren?

It's been confirmed by others

that you arrived
at his parties with Kempf,

that you were friends.

Keep your friends close,
your enemies closer.

That's how I tried
to deal with Nazis.

Is that how
you dealt with Kempf?

You kept him close,

brought him cherries
from your garden?

I am speaking in general.

Van Meegeren is setting me up.

- He's got old scores to settle.
- Like what?

Some things I said
got back to him.

He was a rotten artist,
a lecherous drunk.

That's bullshit.
You had this club going, right?

You passed information and art
up the chain to Berlin.

They lined your pockets and
let you keep your pretty homes.

- No!
- Did you work

with Theo Wijngaarden?

You have their eyes.

So locked in your crusade.

You're not gonna listen
to anything.

You just need someone
to nail to a cross.

PILLER: Now, that's a very
interesting gun, isn't it?

That's the same gun
the German officers carry.

And all that cash...

From your Christmas club, is it?

Come clean,
I'll guarantee you a fair trial.

- [PISTOL COCKS]
- [PANTING]

A fair trial?

As if they won't
rip me apart in the streets.

A Mussert. A traitor!

Tell me the truth.
I promise I'll help you, Jerome.

[TRIGGER CLICKS]

[BULLETS RATTLING]

[YELLS, GROANS]

Talk to me!

Joe? What's the matter?

You met Han Van Meegeren.

- You went to one of his parties.
- I went to a lot of parties, Joe.

You know this.

- With Kempf?
- Yes, with Kempf.

What is this?
What do you want me to say?

- I want you to tell me the truth.
- The truth?

The truth is that I risked my
life every day to survive, Joe,

and you left.

I did not leave.

I joined the Resistance.
Had to go underground.

I'm a Jew, remember?

If I'd stayed, I would have
endangered our family.

What did you do?

Went out to parties...

dressed as a whore.

We can't go on
like this, Joe.

I need to get out of the city

and go to my father's.

That's fine.

DEKKER: You've been
going for six hours now.

Don't you get tired of it?

Inspiration is fleeting.
You do not waste it.

All paint is
merely ash and dirt,

but layered together
in perfect harmony,

and you have a masterpiece

that will survive wars,
civilizations,

live longer than mountains.

And that, my friend,
is as close to God as we get.

It's all child's play.

Exactly.
Children know that secret,

and we grow up and forget.

And the only way back is
through alcohol or pain,

madness, self-destruction...

Story of my life.

- You miss the war, don't you?
- I miss the action, yeah.

But I do like
my country being safe.

Why don't you paint something,
my friend, hm?

What do you say?
I will make you a palette.

Sure.

I'll paint you a masterpiece.

VAN MEEGEREN:
Well, look at that.

DEKKER:
Yeah.

I'm still working on it.

- I know it's a little childish.
- That was my whole point.

This has a truth
and therein lies its power.

[♪♪♪]

Your dock worker painted that.

It's awful.

And yet you can't take
your eyes off it, can you?

I have absolutely no problem
taking my eyes off it.

Why did your wife leave you?

She married an artist.

But then I became a wealthy man.

And you were fucking
half the town, weren't you?

Well, yes. Heh.

Is your wife leaving you, Joe?

Yes.

Or we're leaving each other.

Ah.

Never easy.

But, truthfully,
marriage is an unnatural state.

It's hard for people
to accept that, of course.

You know what?

I loved being married,
but, um...

the war killed us.

The war is over.

Well, the Nazis are still
at my house or...

Or their ghosts are, anyway.

My... My wife took a job...

as a secretary
for a German officer.

It turns out
it was Hermann Kempf,

the man whose hand
you refused to shake.

Ah.

It was a way
to funnel information

to the Resistance,
and, um, she was good.

She was very good.
And her effort

saved a lot of people.

The Germans trusted her.

But, um... But that trust
had to be earned.

She had to sleep with this man

to keep in his confidence. Hmm.

I never asked her about it.

I asked her to quit.

But only once.

And now?

The past
no longer exists to her.

She's cut it out like a tumor.

I'm sure there are things
you have done in the Resistance

that you won't
be telling your wife.

- You should play piano again.
- [SCOFFS]

Music, art,
it's good for the soul.

[♪♪♪]

- [HORNS HONKING]
- [CROWD CHEERING]

Time is growing short, I think.

My painting's nearly finished

and then I would like
to show it to you.

Would you like a drink?

It's, um...

It's Van Meegeren's
private stash.

Joe.

It's good.

It's empty.

Yes, probably is.

A walk might be good.

MINNA: He offered me
a job spying for them.

PILLER:
One of De Klerk's?

He said I should think
about my future

because the Allied Command
is on the way out.

And what did you say to him?

I said
that I would think about it.

[♪♪♪]

[CONVERSATION CONTINUES
INDISTINCTLY]

Well, you should think
about your future.

Yes, I know.

This is me.

Oh...

What do you do up there?
In the dark?

I wait for the light.

[CHUCKLES]

Were you waiting for me?

Yes, I think I was.

[TEA KETTLE WHISTLING]

[LAUGHS]

[WHISTLING STOPS]

[DISHES CLINK]

Is this your husband?

Yes.

When he died, I... didn't cry.

Couldn't.

I couldn't feel anything.

I was numb.

And then the war was over

and the Allies came,
and I just continued.

Just like that.

And I was scared I might not
feel anything anymore.

But now I... I see hope.

For all of us.

[WHISPERS]
I don't know.

Leez and I are
like strangers now.

It's...

- You're tired.
- Yes, I am.

Want to lie down? Rest?

Yeah, I'd like that.

Lie with me?

Yes.

[♪♪♪]

MINNA:
It will be light soon.

Yes.

We'll wait for it.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

MINNA:
Yes, hello?

[CAR HORN HONKS]

DEKKER: Sorry, boss.
There's too many of them.

Closed for business. Fuck off.

OFFICER:
Let Piller in.

And there he is.

You blew it, Piller.

Your bull-in-a-china-shop
routine

finally pissed off
the big boys

and now this gallery
is Dutch government's property.

- Okay, listen, I'm...
- No, no, no.

Whatever you're selling,
Piller, I don't want it.

I'm wrapping
this whole thing up.

You're gonna cut Van Meegeren
a deal, aren't you?

Heh-heh-heh, yes.

You have a tin ear.
I'm going to cut his throat.

Give the people
some taste of blood.

Isn't that what you wanted?
This guy is an honorary Nazi.

Let him swing
with the rest of them.

I assumed he had friends
in high places.

Yes, he does, and they'd all
like to see his head on a plate.

Enough of this. Where is he?

In the prison, where he belongs.
"Where is he?"

You put him up there
like in some grand hotel.

Did he offer you some money?

Actually, how much does it cost

to buy Joe Piller? How much?

Hey! Get off! Get off.

Get him out. Get him out!

My hat, please.

[♪♪♪]

That's sweet.

[CHUCKLES]

Hey, there's still
a job here for you

if you want it, sweetheart.

Joe.

Come on.

I had him. I goddamn had him.

And now he's locked in that
dungeon and I can't get to him.

We no longer have jurisdiction
over the prison,

and Allied Field Security
has been disbanded.

- Nothing left I can do.
- Not a single favor

you can call in?

In your government's eyes,
we're no longer liberators.

We're the nuisance
keeping Holland from its future.

Maybe it's time to move on,
for all of us.

Van Meegeren will pay
for what he's done.

Isn't that what you wanted?

Thanks to you,
we got another one.

[♪♪♪]

[CROWD CLAMORING]

HEIDJEN:
Help me.

Help me.

Help.

[SOBBING]

Help me!

Traitor!

Traitor!

[YELLING CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY]

Help me!

Help me!

OFFICER:
Attention!

Aim!

[RIFLES COCKING]

Fire!

[CROWD MURMURING]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[♪♪♪]

FINN:
Thank you, Grandpapa.

Joseph.

- Bye, son.
- Bye, Papa.

- Take care of yourself.
- Yes, sir.

Promise me one thing.

- [WHISPERING] Take care of Mommy.
- Promise.

- Promise?
- Promise.

Get a kiss?

The ministry has complained.

[♪♪♪]

- Hello.
- Hello. Um...

I'd give you a hug,
but, um... Yeah.

Um, I...

Can we take a walk?

Yeah, sure.

Yeah, so here I am.

Full tarred and feathered
by the government.

At least it gives you
plenty of fresh air.

[CHUCKLES]

MINNA:
I know I wasn't allowed,

but I hate unfinished puzzles,

so I took all
of Theo Wijngaarden's notebooks

home with me
to have a closer look.

And I think I found something.
Can I show it to you?

Yes.

- Do you remember this one?
- Uh-huh.

This is Cootje Henning
drawn by Theo Wijngaarden.

Yes.

Do you know he died
three months ago in Belgium?

Well, that hardly matters now,
does it?

And now... look at this one.

Girl with a Pearl Earring
by Johannes Vermeer.

- Exactly.
- Mm-hmm.

Look at this one.

- This one I don't know.
- Also Vermeer.

The Smiling Girl.

This one was a known Vermeer

- when he was still alive.
- Mm-hmm.

This one... was found in 1926

and authenticated in 1928
by Dirk Hannema.

Now it's in the National Gallery
of Art in Washington, D.C.

All right.
And why am I looking at it?

What do you see?

I see... I see two women.

Look at their faces.

Look. They look like sisters.

They look almost the same.

So what? So someone looked like
Cootje Henning 280 years ago.

No. This painting is
not 280 years old.

This is Cootje Henning.

So you're saying it's a fake.

This is Cootje Henning

painted to look like a Vermeer
by Theo Wijngaarden.

Theo Wijngaarden was
not talented enough.

[♪♪♪]

I know someone who can help.

Minna! Look, it may not be
past your bedtime,

- but it is certainly past mine.
- Can we come in?

[STAMMERS]

One moment, please. My wife.

Sir, are you
a registered lawyer?

Minna, who is this man?

This is Joseph Piller.
He's... He's a good man.

I see.

I am a registered lawyer, yes,

but I haven't practiced for...

- You're hired.
- Hired? My dear fellow...

I can offer you
a dozen ration tickets.

My credentials.

This is my paralegal, Jacob.

You stink of mothballs.
When did you last wear that?

My wedding. My name is Joseph.

GUARD:
No one is permitted to see him.

This facility is now governed
by Dutch law, not military, yes?

Mr. Van Meegeren is entitled
to legal representation,

and I'm his lawyer.

If you refuse me access,
I will take it to a judge

and move to have
the entire case dropped.

Call someone
and tell them exactly that. Now!

- Very good.
- [SIGHS SOFTLY]

PILLER: This painting
that you sold to Goring,

Christ and the Adulteress...

it's not a Vermeer.

It's a fake. You painted it.

Ah.

Finally. Heh.

Why didn't you just tell me?

You would have believed me?

Nah. The experts would
have told you

it's impossible
to fake the immortal Vermeer,

and I needed you to discover
the truth for yourself.

Always best, don't you think?

And Theo's part in this?

Theo taught me a very
important part of the process.

He is my only witness.
Have you found him yet?

I am sorry to tell you this,
but Theo is dead.

- How? Do you know?
- I don't know how.

So there was no spy ring?

I'm sure there was.
I don't know.

I am merely a lost artist

who found his calling
imitating the masters.

And I stuck those Nazi pigs
for all I could.

But you know
the best part for me?

The experts swooning
over my creations,

calling them the most exquisite
works ever put to canvas.

That made Theo very proud.

How are we gonna
prove any of this,

now that Theo is dead?

[♪♪♪]

He kept it safe.

PILLER:
We have your painting.

- Good.
- And...

it looks just like a Vermeer.

A Vermeer that was painted
only two weeks ago.

That's right. There's more
that must be done to it.

Now, this is the process
that Theo and I perfected,

which fools the alcohol test
used by the experts,

which means the painting
can be authenticated.

Well, none of this may matter.

- Why?
- Do you think

that the owners
of these masterpieces

- will deface them on your behalf?
- We only have to prove

- that one is a fake, surely.
- [DOOR OPENS]

Do you think that the experts

who authenticated
these paintings

and whose reputations
will be destroyed...?

Can you wait a second, please?

Whose reputations will be
destroyed,

do you think they will help you?

I'm not asking them to help me.
I'm asking you to help me.

Go to my basement!
Everything you need is there!

[♪♪♪]

Yeah, close it.

All right.

Stuyvesande, Wijngaarden.

- Yes.
- And, uh...

Christ and the...

- Christ and the Adulteress.
- Yes.

It's no good. I can't remember.

And when I remember,
I can't remember.

I lock up and become a...
A stammering fool.

Mr. Bakker,
you don't have to remember.

I'll remember.
And I'll do the talking.

I just need you
to keep me straight

on the legal stuff, please.

It says to be rough with it.

[CANVAS CRINKLING]

Please, find someone else.

You're the only one
who I can trust.

You don't have
a career to protect.

Why do you care so much
about this man?

It's not the man, really.

It's the fact
that he's innocent.

How can I let him
go to his death?

How could I face my son,
knowing that?

MINNA:
You're not going to like this.

They say you've tried to shield
Van Meegeren

from the authorities.

De Klerks has put
a bull's-eye on you.

[SCOFFS]

De Klerks. Sad, little man.

[♪♪♪]

[CROWD SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

- MAN 1: Traitor!
- MAN 2: Traitor!

[YELLING CONTINUES]

[SPITS]

[ALL YELLING, GRUNTING]

Dekker, stop. Stop. Stop!

[♪♪♪]

[CROWD MURMURING]

[CROWD QUIETS]

Henricus Antonius Van Meegeren.

You are charged with
collaborating with the enemy

during a time of war.

How do you plead?

Not guilty, Your Honor.

Very well.

Proceed.

May it please the court,

I am Special Prosecutor
Maarten Wooning.

The government will prove
that Mr. Van Meegeren is guilty

of selling Dutch cultural
treasures to Hitler's Reich,

for the purpose
of enriching himself

and giving aid
to the occupational government.

A capital offense
for which he deserves

the harshest punishment.

Thank you.

I'm Captain Jo...

I'm Captain Joseph Piller.

[QUIETLY]
May it please the court.

May it please the court. I am
former Captain Joseph Piller.

Are you a lawyer, Mr. Piller?

No, sir. Mr. Bakker here
next to me is a lawyer.

But I have spent
more time than anyone

investigating Mr. Van Meegeren,

and I've come to the conclusion

that he is innocent
of these charges.

Hence, I was asked
by the defendant

to speak on his behalf.

- Very well.
- We will prove

that Mr. Van Meegeren
is not a collaborator

but indeed a patriot,
who swindled the Nazi regime

out of a fortune
from their war chest

by selling them
a fake masterpiece.

- [CROWD CHUCKLING]
- How much did he pay you, Piller?

- [CROWD LAUGHS]
- [GAVEL BANGS]

Quiet.

Mr. Wooning.

Mr. Henricus Van Meegeren.

We might save time
if you just call me Han.

[CROWD TITTERS]

Very well.
Do you recognize this receipt?

I would hope so.
Those are my initials.

Please tell the court
what it was for.

It is the bill of sale

- for Christ and the Adulteress.
- That you sold

to the second-highest
ranking Nazi in the Reich

for the staggering sum
of 1.6 million guilders.

VAN MEEGEREN:
Indeed. It is a unique painting.

I'd say. That's the most
on record ever paid

for a work of art.

If I'd offered a discount,

he would have suspected
it was a fake.

[CROWD LAUGHS]

Johannes Vermeer was one of
the greatest artists in history.

And you're asking this court
to believe that you,

a man who could hardly sell
a single picture

with your own name on it,

somehow painted better
than the Master of Delft

and outsmarted the world's
most esteemed Vermeer experts?

Well-stated, sir.

All you've left me
to say is yes.

[CROWD LAUGHS]

I call Dirk Hannema
to the floor.

Mr. Hannema,
state your credentials for us.

I have been the director of the
Boijmans Museum for eight years.

Before that, I was an art dealer

for six of the top galleries
in Holland

and also the chief critic
for the Nederlander.

How many paintings have you
verified in your career?

Hundreds.

- Come across any fakes?
- Scores.

They're quite easy to spot.

In rare cases,
the technique is adequate,

but none pass the chemical test
used to verify their age.

You were one of the experts

who verified
Christ and the Adulteress.

HANNEMA:
Indeed, very thoroughly.

Could it possibly be a fake?
Absolutely not.

But that's just your opinion.

I consulted with
half a dozen published experts

who have spent two months
with the painting,

cleaning and restoring it,

and came to
the same conclusion I did.

- Which is?
- Johannes Vermeer painted

Christ and the Adulteress
around 1660.

Do you know the defendant?

Mr. Van Meegeren and I have
crossed paths in the art world.

And is there any way
he could have created a Vermeer?

[SCOFFS]

There is no way.

This was painted
by the defendant

around the time
Adulteress sold.

Mr. Van Meegeren's art
has always been imbued

with a base,
almost pornographic nature.

It's fantasy to believe

these two works
were painted by the same man.

Thank you.

JUDGE:
Mr. Piller?

PILLER:
Some 10 years ago,

you discovered
another lost Vermeer.

- Is that correct?
- Yes.

The Supper at Emmaus.

That made you...
a bit of a celebrity, right?

Well, I suppose.

It's now considered

- Vermeer's greatest triumph.
- Mm-hmm.

Mr. Hannema,
help me understand something.

Vermeer painted just over
30 works in the 1600s,

with no new works
being discovered

for the next 250 years.

Then, suddenly, six new works
are found in as many years

and all of them traceable
back to one person...

Mr. Van Meegeren.

What it tells me

is that Van Meegeren got
the paintings

from a single source,
a family, perhaps,

desperate to flee Europe
before the war began.

Perhaps Jews.

[CROWD MURMURS]

And has any member
of this mystery family

come forward, Mr. Hannema?

Provenances are sometimes
difficult to authenticate

during wartime.

So the answer
to that question is no.

How do you determine
if a painting is real or fake?

A deep intuition
that cannot be put into words,

followed by scrupulous analysis
of the painter's technique,

composition and color palette.

And should it pass
this rigorous process,

the final arbiter
is the application of alcohol

to a tiny portion of the canvas.

Oil paints dry
and harden over time,

and by that, I mean decades,
even a century.

If the paint dissolves,
it's a fake.

Let me demonstrate for you.

[CROWD MURMURS]

It's completely safe,
I assure you.

- No paint, no forgery.
- [CROWD MURMURS]

And this technique is foolproof?

When it comes to oil paint,
you simply can't cheat time.

Thank you, Mr. Hannema.

Ladies and gentlemen,
The Supper at Emmaus.

[♪♪♪]

[ALL APPLAUDING]

It became my passion
after critics like Dirk Hannema

destroyed my career
years earlier.

So you painted all these
as sort of revenge?

VAN MEEGEREN: And others
which are not here today.

They are hanging in
the Rijksmuseum, the Boijmans,

even in
the National Gallery of Art

in the capital
of the United States of America.

And I painted them
not as revenge

but to bring more beauty
into the world, more Vermeer.

- There is simply not enough.
- [CROWD LAUGHS]

And tell us how you might pass
the alcohol test

Mr. Hannema described.

Same way I pass every alcohol
test, with flying colors.

- [CHUCKLES]
- [CROWD LAUGHS]

Mr. Van Meegeren,
answer the question.

I use a very common
plastic resin

called Bakelite.

Invented in 1908,
it was the first plastic.

And when it's heated,
it perfectly emulates

the hardness and consistency
of centuries-old paint,

so Mr. Hannema can douse it in
alcohol all day if he so chooses

and he won't succeed
in removing any of it.

PILLER: And what
challenges does one face?

Because the Bakelite is mixed
into the pigment,

it makes it very difficult
to compose with.

PILLER:
Mm-hmm. And then?

I must also find canvas and
frame from the correct period.

They are impossible
to duplicate.

Once the canvas is stripped,
I then must create

an unmistakably original work.

I have studied every one
of Vermeer's brushstrokes.

I understand perfectly
the pressure he applied,

the movement of his wrist,

even the hairs that he's chosen
for each brush.

I also understand
how he mixes his pigments

as well as
how he interprets light.

So you tried
to emulate a genius?

Yes, but more than that,

I must also weave
the present into the past

to make the viewer
my coconspirator,

so it not only fools the mind,
it tugs at the heart.

Look at my lacemaker.
Is she from Vermeer's time?

No. She is a jazz-age flapper.

- And she arouses you, yes?
- [CROWD LAUGHS]

And if you look closely
at this young lady here,

you may recognize
the face of Greta Garbo.

Goring was no different.

At the Olympics in '36,

I learned of the kind of art
he liked,

so when I painted Adulteress,

I gave him
his very own Nazi Jesus.

[CROWD LAUGHS]

He believed he was gazing

at a 300-year-old painting,
but as Narcissus,

he would see
his own eternity in that canvas,

his thousand-year Reich.

Never once occurred to him
the painting was a fake.

And, Mr. Van Meegeren,
your views on fascism?

[SCOFFS]

I despise it intensely.

I believe every fascist deserves
to be swindled.

[CROWD LAUGHS]

Thank you.

[INHALES DEEPLY]

All these exploits...

Yet there isn't a soul
to corroborate any of it.

All we have
is your fantastic story...

against the experts' facts.

And you declare yourself
a hater of fascists,

yet you were a registered member

of the fascist-leaning
Unity Party before the war.

VAN MEEGEREN:
That was simply a matter...

In fact,
the chairman of the party

described you as, "One of
our best contemporary artists,

motivated more by passion
for our principles

than by desire
for material gains."

They weren't Nazis.

They were the wealthy
and elite of society.

Closet fascists who saluted
the Nazis when they took over.

They could afford to have
portraits of themselves painted.

As a young artist,
that was survival for me.

Is there anything else
you haven't told me?

Nothing.
I would have told you this

- if I'd remembered such nonsense.
- You had the courtroom!

You got under their skin.

And now Wooning has taken away
all your credibility.

And there's something else.

Wooning has found your ex-wife
in France.

He's going to put her
on the stand.

Well, this...

This is good news.

That is good news, indeed.

WOONING: Your ex-husband gave you
most of the assets in the divorce.

- He did.
- And what were those?

Couldn't tell you.

Fourteen houses,

seven plots of land in Laren,

two homes in Deventer,

- a chateau in Monaco...
- [CROWD MURMURING]

...and 567 individual properties
in Amsterdam,

as well as
the millions of guilders

in the floorboards
of your home.

Does that sound correct?

- I suppose so.
- For the record, Your Honor,

most of Van Meegeren's
real estate

was bought
during the German occupation,

after the sale
of Christ and the Adulteress.

Now, did your former husband
ever intimate

that the pictures he sold
by Vermeer, Hals, de Hooch,

were actually painted
by his own hand?

No.

Though, if anyone could do it,
it would be him.

He is relentless
once he has an idea in his mind.

His artistic talents,
I believe, are second to none.

He is a genius.

Do you recognize
this photograph?

It's from a party we hosted

shortly before our divorce.

[♪♪♪]

Germans attended
your parties often.

Rarely, but it did happen.

- Thank you.
- They were everywhere.

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

PILLER:
Were you married to him

when he joined
the National Unity Party?

Yes, we were.

Please tell us why he joined.

It was a long time ago.

Painting portraits was
one of the few ways

- an artist could make a living.
- Mm-hmm.

And was your husband a believer
in the party's doctrine?

My ex-husband is
apolitical, agnostic,

- apathetic.
- [CHUCKLES]

I can think of
a few other adjectives...

[CROWD LAUGHS]

...but here is not
the place for them.

Thank you.

WOONING: You are Van
Meegeren's assistant?

I am.

WOONING:
And also his mistress.

We're...

friendly, both
professionally and personally.

- You were a confidante for years.
- Yes.

Would you describe
Mr. Van Meegeren

as a bit of a showman,

someone that wanted
to be seen, recognized?

- What artist isn't?
- [CROWD CHUCKLES]

Did you ever witness Han forge
a Vermeer painting?

Yes, I did.

Many times.

Did you know that he then
sold them for exorbitant sums?

Of course.

That would
make you an accomplice.

I understand.

What about this one?
Did you see him paint it?

- I did.
- In 1939,

- at his studio in Amsterdam.
- Yes.

Han Van Meegeren spent
all of 1939

at his villa in France.

- If I didn't see that one...
- No further questions.

[CROWD MURMURING]

JUDGE:
Mr. Piller?

Questions for Mrs. Henning?

No.

We will adjourn until tomorrow.

[♪♪♪]

JUDGE:
Proceed, Mr. Piller.

PILLER: Your Honor,
we have one final piece of evidence.

Very well, but get on with it.

[CROWD WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

PILLER: We call Dirk
Hannema to the stand.

Mr. Hannema,
do you recognize this painting?

Yes, it was brought to me
recently for analysis...

- Mm-hmm.
- ...by the office

of the Allied Command.

And what was your opinion of it?

Well, I subjected it to
the usual tests and scrutiny...

I have
your written statement here.

"The painting
tentatively titled

Boy Jesus in the Temple

is likely an early work in
Vermeer's lost biblical series.

The work is estimated
to be 280 years old

and is a major
and important find." Hmm?

- You wrote that?
- Indeed. And I stand by it.

You didn't spend very long
analyzing it, did you?

It was clearly part
of the biblical series.

I was able
to expedite the process...

It should be noted, Your Honor,

that Mr. Hannema has already
put in a bid for this painting,

hoping to acquire it
for the Boijmans Gallery.

And why is that relevant?

Your Honor, this painting
is not even one year old.

- [CROWD MURMURING]
- It was painted

by Han Van Meegeren
while in my custody

at the Goudstikker Gallery.

That's utter nonsense.

My associates and I were there
for the entire creation,

start till finish, not knowing
its purpose at the time.

Mr. Van Meegeren painted
this painting

to try and save his life.

Are you saying
that you then submitted it

to Mr. Hannema for verification?

No, my assistant,
Minna Holmberg, did,

through the Allied Command.

But not until the process
had been completed in full.

- And what does that mean?
- That means

that Mr. Van Meegeren painted
the painting,

and Mr. Dekker and I assisted
him in aging it.

The process is quite intricate,

but, as you can see,
it is very convincing.

WOONING:
Another fantastic story!

Your Honor, if I may,
I would ask the court to observe

the second figure on the left is
in fact Captain Joseph Piller,

my jailer, whom I painted
in the style of Vermeer.

[CROWD CLAMORING]

[GAVEL POUNDING]

- Quiet!
- Sure, there is some likeness

between Mr. Piller and
the subject, but is that proof?

It could be purely coincidental.

- You need your eyes tested.
- Mr. Van Meegeren!

You might find in this room
several men,

who, with cloth on their head,
resemble this disciple.

Your Honor, there is enough here

to warrant a more radical
and foolproof test.

Please, take a tiny scraping
of this painting

and test it for the presence of
phenol formaldehyde or Bakelite,

a compound invented
less than 40 years ago.

- We don't need...
- [GAVEL BANGS]

In my chambers.

Even if Van Meegeren
did paint that thing,

it doesn't mean
that Goring's Vermeer,

for which he stands trial,
is a fake.

Test both paintings.
Test all of them.

These are priceless
cultural treasures,

and to deface them is totally...

Your Honor,
you're talking about paintings.

I'm talking about a man's life.

I... am not persuaded.

BAKKER: This isn't a trial.
This is a stage play.

Someone who just wants
Van Meegeren out of the way.

Someone whose wife
he slept with.

Someone who didn't get
a good cut of bacon.

- Oh, please.
- Let me tell you this.

They're persuaded, and when
they hear the full truth,

after you've thrown Van Meegeren
to the wolves,

they will be
coming for you next.

Are you threatening me?

Yes, you're goddamn right I am.

You jumped-up spiv.

Now, consider this a first...

and final warning.

You've been played, Piller.

Van Meegeren is the magician
and you're his greatest trick.

Maybe this case is
all about you.

Did you get
a taste for the good life?

You think he's gonna give you
a pile of cash

to secure your family's future?

Good luck with the verdict!

That deliberation is not gonna
take very long, is it?

I think we'd stand a chance.

They believed that painting.

Look at all these people.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

They need a win.

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

Upon careful consideration
of all the facts presented,

it is the unanimous conclusion
of this court...

that Han Van Meegeren...

is guilty of wartime
collaboration with the enemy.

[CROWD SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

[YELLING]
And I hereby sentence to...

[GAVEL BANGING]

Quiet!

And I hereby
sentence him to death.

Quiet!

MAN:
He doesn't deserve that!

[GAVEL BANGING]

JUDGE:
Order! Silence!

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]

- DEKKER: Come on!
- [CROWD GASPING]

[SIZZLING]

DEKKER:
Piller!

What is he doing?

[CROWD QUIETS]

Stop him! Stop him!

"H.V.M."

Han Van Meegeren.
This painting...

is a fake.

They're all fakes.

[CROWD MURMURING]

Only one minute ago,
these paintings were considered

sublime and priceless.

Now they are worthless

and not one brushstroke
has changed.

[ALL CLAMORING]

Quiet!

[♪♪♪]

You did that.

[CROWD CHEERING, APPLAUDING]

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

You kids don't know
how to drink anymore.

- [CHUCKLES]
- Another round.

- Who are you calling a kid?
- [BAKKER CHUCKLES]

Thank you.

[GLASS CLINKS]

[PIANO PLAYING
MELANCHOLY TUNE]

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

Surprise.

May I come in,
just for one minute?

Thank you.

Congratulations are in order.

Please don't tell me you're here
to give me the Medal of Merit.

No, no, no. I'm here,
actually, to give you this.

A souvenir.
My assistant came across it

when we were
packing up the gallery.

It's a collection
of Van Meegeren's art.

Yes, I know it.
The Americans found it

in Hitler's private library.

The dedication page
might interest you.

[♪♪♪]

Ah.

The people have their hero.

I'm done with this case,
but what about you, Piller?

We are so pleased you came, Joe.

Joseph, look at this.

Look at the light
on their faces.

Our story is
all over the world.

We have given Holland wings
to rise from the ashes.

A victory over darkness.

[GLASSES CLINK]

People want
more life again, hmm?

They want to laugh,
to drink, to have hope.

They want to dream
of a better day.

And thanks to you,
they can and they will.

You got what you wanted.

You enabled them
to see the truth.

And here it is,
in beautiful black and white.

You're quite the hero, it seems.

I suppose this is more adulation
than even you imagined.

Are you kidding me?
I always imagined it.

Please sit down.

Listen... Joseph.

I never could have trusted
anyone in the way I trusted you.

I hope you understand that.

Perhaps, then, you can
help me understand this.

"To my beloved Fuhrer,

in grateful tribute.

Han Van Meegeren."

Very touching gift
to Adolf Hitler

from Holland's most famous hater
of the Nazis.

In the colonies of yesteryear,
we were the Nazis, yeah?

We raped, we murdered,
we took slaves.

We even threw babies onto fires.

And the statues of the men

who led
to those glorious exploits

stand proudly
in our public spaces.

The tide comes in,
the tide goes out.

And we do what we can
to survive, huh?

To keep the hope alive.

In all our glorious colors...

including gray.

Bravo. To art.

You know, I never
really cared about art.

But now I know
that all truly great artists

bravely walk through the fire
of critics and doubting sheep

to claim their place in history.

And that is black and white.

And that is why the merchants
place such high value on art.

They get to possess
their own small piece

of an incorruptible soul.

But you could have claimed
your place in history

as an artist.

In your own name and right,

next to Hals,
Rembrandt, Vermeer even.

God gave you
all the talent in the world.

And yet you went
and wasted it all away.

Guess you weren't brave enough
to walk through the fire.

Joseph, please.

I did trust you, I did.

That's why I stood up for you.

And it almost
cost me everything.

Enjoy your victory, Han.

Our victory.

[♪♪♪]

[HORN BLARES]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]