Original subtitles

WE THANK ALL THE ARGENTINEAN AND PARAGUAYAN AUTHORITIES

AND THE INSTITUTIONS WHO MADE THE REALIZATION OF THIS FILM POSSIBLE

THE THUNDER FALLS AND REMAINS AMONG THE LEAVES

THE ANIMALS EAT THE LEAVES AND BECOME VIOLENT

MEN EAT THE ANIMALS AND BECOME VIOLENT

THE EARTH SWALLOWS THE MEN AND BEGINS TO ROAR LIKE THE THUNDER

(FROM AN ABORIGINAL LEGEND)

Subtitulando el Camino (2000) presenta:

THUNDER AMONG THE LEAVES

THE FEATURE PRESENTATION OF

FRAMING AND DIRECTION

IN THE MYSTERIOUS HEART OF AMERICA

NATURE AND MAN STILL FIGHT THEIR DUEL OF CENTURIES.

SOMETIMES MAN FIGHTS MAN...

LARGE ESTATES AND FACTORIES, COUNTRY ESTATES AND FIELDS,

PLANTATIONS AND CONSTRUCTIONS, ERECTED BY THE FORCE OF

SWEAT AND HUMAN SUFFERING,

MARK THE WILDERNESS.

ON THE TROPIC OF CAPRICORN ALONG THE LEGENDARY ROUTE TO EL DORADO

THERE WAS LONG AGO ONE OF THOSE BARBARIC FIEFS.

ITS NAME WAS: PAITITI.

AS IN THE LEGEND: THE INDIAN LAND OF GOLD AND SILVER.

THERE, TOO, A HANDFUL OF UNTAMED MEN SUFFERED AND FOUGHT

FOR THE CONQUEST OF SOMETHING INFINITELY MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD AND SILVER:

THEIR FREEDOM, PRIMARY PASSION OF MAN

AND GUIDELINE OF HIS INVINCIBLE FATE...

You cannot escape!

Nobody will leave this place!

Forkel's camp is big,

huge as the world!

I am the lord!

The earth or the ants will eat you.

Nobody will leave this place!

You cannot escape!

I am the lord!

You cannot escape!!

Here, friend.

God will reward you.

I'll take you with me. - Where to?

There's nothing to be done for me anymore.

The path has come to an end.

Leave me here...

Any place is good for dying.

I have a hum in my head.

It resounds like a thunder.

The earth is calling me.

It will punish me for the death of the master.

I killed him.

Killed the master.

He bled like a quebracho tree.

I cut him with an axe.

With the axe...

until he fell

and fell down on me.

Here, this is all I have.

It's not much, eh!

This little paper however is worth much more.

I said this is all I have.

Fine, let's leave it like this.

But don't be careless, friend.

They'll soon notice that you're not from here

and will soon start looking for you here, too.

I suggest you to get out of here.

Far away!

Here you'll have peace.

air... light... silence...

This is your room.

If you'll need something,

Mitai will be there.

He's somewhat dumb,

but give him an order and a good kick in the ass,

he'll do it right away.

Already four and a half days...

Time's flying, friend! The bill is getting higher and higher.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner...

for 18 pesos a day

and I'm working with this notebook,

calculating the advantage,

and what comes out is misfortune.

Where can I find work in this area?

Work... work...

Well,

there are many places. It's a question of choice.

Some forest enterprise.

No matter. - Close or far?

Far away.

Better far away.

One of these ugly places is Paititi.

Paititi?

That's the name of a gringo's place,

his name is Forkel.

Where is it?

Upstream the river Ypané.

He has a very bad reputation.

You want to go there?

I'm trying to dissuade him of it.

Each to his own.

It won't be good for him.

They say it's like hell. - It depends -

it's not a very good place to work,

but there's no better place for hiding.

'Cause he's holding his labourers with a strong hand.

Going to Paititi

is like dying.

Sure. He's doing what he wants.

There's no other law than his will.

He has cheap workforce, too cheap!

Each month he sends a small truck there

bringing supplies and new labourers.

Then they find someone looking to get hired.

But those who go there don't come back

and no one will look there for them.

And no one will look there for them...

Paititi!

Documents!

There are none, boss,

only us three in person.

There's no passage. - Then you're just staying here?

And those over there?

This is Tiribión Zamoro.

At your service, Sir!

And this is Buyburú.

We call him Alfonsito.

You've to be brave to dare and come here.

We don't know how to sign.

We can make a cross. As signature for us labourers.

Alright...

Off - to work!

What a gang this is!

Oh fuck!

If you need one more man, I can come with you, too.

You want to get hired? - Yes.

He too wants to come with us.

Alright, if he wants to.

So, take off your shirt.

You too have taken some beating, yeah?

A well built man...

but a bit soft.

Do you know where you want to go?

Yes, to Forkel's place.

Maybe you won't survive it.

Don't worry,

I will survive!

A crazy young man!

You don't have to get the nerves so fast.

And now, do you still want to go with us?

Yes.

Good, I like it that you're not intimidated.

What's your name?

Julio Guillén.

That's our little contract.

Here, have one, friend.

No, thanks.

We are all comrades here.

Are you Paraguayan?

Paraguayan, yes.

But raised in Argentina.

What made you come here?

Wanted to travel... just like us.

Desire to see the world!

And what's up, comrades? [Guaraní]

Worse than ugly.

You are coming, we want to flee and cannot.

Lack of courage, comrade - who wants, he can!

The boss sees the slightest thing.

And why didn't you escape at the port?

And the marksmen of Penayo?

If you blow it, you'll pay with an eye. [Guaraní]

Just too bad.

Forkel's right hand does what he wants.

Remember this.

Bye, Mareco! Dance this Polquita! [Guaraní]

Evil little beer, I don't like you since a while now. [Guaraní]

Maybe that's why the storekeeper doesn't want to give you credit... [Guaraní]

Off we go!

Walk!!

That's awaiting you, if you are lazy!

This won't be an easy ride, boys...

Go!

Walk!

Walk, I say!

Fast.

I'm warning you in advance -

Some time ago a spy came here.

One of those newspaper assholes! What do I know!

He snooped around here.

I discovered his schemes.

The man couldn't return back home.

We know how to silence those curious people!

And him? Where do you have him from?

He, Sir, seems to be a fugitive.

That's why I brought him here.

Do you know something about motors? - A bit, I can drive.

Vehicles of any kind.

He'll drive the cars, to the mountain, to the mountain!

Bring him to the foreman at the new mountain.

Towards Ypanemí.

And the others with the cargo to the beach.

At your orders, Sir! Walk!

Walk, I said!

One moment.

We'll open an account for you.

You'll earn what you produce. Not a cent more, not a cent less!

You'll find what you need in the storage,

clothes, drinks.

Expenses and debts will be subtracted from the pay.

You already have debts with us.

The voyage from Decepción to here is 100 pesos.

I'm very strict at paying, as much as with collecting my debts.

No one leaves this place without paying his debts!

That's the law here and everyone obeys to it on my land.

There it is!

It's an old law

and here it is to be respected.

In the stake

there is one who tried to break it.

Now beat it!

Through here.

Now go to the foremen of the carts.

Let's dance.

I'll get you, spying on me?!

Out of here! Snake!

Play on, useless pack!

They're insisting on collecting the pay.

Collecting, ha?

Get out of here!

Throw those miserable out!

Get out of here! [Guaraní]

Look, guys! [Guaraní]

We want our daily pay! [Guaraní]

Out, you vermins!

Pay what you owe us! [Guaraní]

Go now, go now.

To the riverbed, so that no remains are left here.

Penayo!

Throw him into the river. - At order, sir!

Quiet, hungry dogs!... You'll have yourself a banquet!... [Guaraní]

How well he pays our poor Indios! [Guaraní]

[chanting in Guaraní language]

This devil's daughter is pretty! - The master will be happy.

Let's go!

Off we go!

Forward! [Guaraní]

And her?

A small present for you.

I caught her this night at the Indian dancing.

Look, Sir,

she's just ripe for picking.

Bring her inside and tell Valkiria to give her a good bath.

Let's go.

Taking her...

What's up, Guillén?

That way the tigers won't eat you after your death, Almirón.

A tiger from the big house once ate a man alive.

There were only bones left.

Now they'll say he escaped

and will put the son to the stake.

On top of that he's ill.

We must warn Almiróncito.

What did Almirón tell you when he died?

Talk to me just once!

Stuck-up!

Never speaks.

We'll get your pride with our machetes.

Keep your machete, companion,

until we'll need it.

We'll need it.

Your father has died, Almirón. [Guaraní]

This must end, comrades.

We are cornered here in misery and despair.

They kill us without being punished.

Our wages are not enough to pay for this

and the rotten stuff we eat.

We must fight. - How?

By uniting. United we are stronger than them.

We don't have weapons, a machete is a toy compared to a gun.

A machete is stronger than a gun

when a man is fighting for his life and his freedom.

I know all this

and know we can't escape.

No labourer so far has escaped alive from here.

Since we're dying here in vain,

let's die for those who'll come after us.

What do you think?

[Guaraní]

They'll stake us all together.

The boss'll not want to run out of slaves.

Bonifacio is right - it can't be done.

With courage and obsession - yes! We are men, comrades!

But we're castrated by fear.

Forkel is a man of flesh and blood

and we can fight him.

Let's go, other workers will follow our example.

We must make a plan.

My wife is coming.

She wrote announcing her voyage.

What a luck. Finally the lady decided to come.

Yes, we must go and await her.

She'll come with the ship next week.

This Sunday the whole camp is off work.

To celebrate the news.

I'll invite the workers to some booze.

The guys will be happy.

Come on, come on.

Keep on playing.

Very good.

I hope that after this you'll resume working even harder

To make up for the lost time.

Yes, Sir. - That's good to hear.

I'm glad and I hope my men are glad, too.

If sometimes I'm hard on you,

it's because you behave bad.

Nobody has taken courage like me

to come so far into this wild land.

And I tamed it.

I tamed it by force of patience and will.

You must thank me by also making some efforts.

Did you understand?!

Long live the Master. - Long live he.

Master! Master!

Come and look what happened to Penayo.

He's dead.

I'd like to know which son of a dog did it!

And his weapon? - They took it.

They even took his weapon? - Yes.

They ripped him apart like

a mama's boy.

Mangy dogs.

Take him out of my sight!

Throw him into the river!

Wait.

First I'll talk with them.

I know that some of you know something about this.

Maybe even among you

is the murderer of Penayo.

They won't escape.

As true as I am Forkel, I swear

they'll fall into my hands sooner or later!

I want to gain time.

He who denounces the murderer,

I promise to write off all his debts.

But not only this;

I'll give him a month vacation with double pay.

He can go wherever he wants.

Did you hear it?!

Nobody wants to talk.

This is the result of my tolerance.

And to you I gave a party.

But that's over now.

I won't tolerate the slightest trace of rebellion amongst my workers.

Anyone who is not satisfied,

may tell me right now.

Bring this miserable here!

You protested.

I'll teach you to raise your voice.

Mangy dog!

Stake him above the ants.

I don't know, boss!

What are you hiding?

I am sure that you know!

Stay here and watch him,

in case he talks... - Yes, master.

Throw him in the river, the mulatto!

Then you'll search all hidings.

Yes, master. - And get me the suspects.

And this one you'll put on the stake. Did you understand?

Poor Penayo... They came early... [Guaraní]

Now you'll take his place...

Thus one can be castrated by fear, Guillén.

We were all together in it and what did we do?

And what did you do?

We have to wait.

Our union has to grow from inside to outside.

We have to form it to become one single man.

Almirón was eaten by the ants

and we here are talking.

Almirón is one martyr more,

like his father,

like so many others we saw die among us.

At our side. It's like that.

Penayo's weapons!

Long live Almeida!

You told me that you can operate boats, isn't it so?

Yes, Señor.

Fine, you'll take care of my boat.

Good, Señor.

There are no complaints against you.

If you continue to behave well,

you can get a better position. Better, eh?

I have a free position, get me?

Did you understand me?

Answer me, when I talk to you!

I want you to give me money for my daily work.

You want to have some fun in Decepción, don't you?

No, Señor.

Don't intent to escape, I figure!

No. I'm well here.

Good.

I'll pay you.

You're one of the few without debts.

Go away.

In the storage they'll give you new clothes.

Tomorrow we leave for Decepción.

Hello, Max!

Finally, Flavia! Finally...

We can spend the night here in a hotel and leave at dawn.

No, let's go to that famous fief...

We'll travel at night through the jungle. Do you dare, Fla?

You know that nothing can scare me. I suppose you have weapons with you.

Weapons and good whiskey.

To toast to your arrival.

Let's go.

What's the name of this river?

Ypané.

And what does it mean?

It's a Guaraní word.

Yes, yes, but what does it mean?

Water of misfortune. - How is that?

Y = water.

Pané = misfortune.

It also means fatality.

Stop! Stop!

Good day, Madam!

You're the one from the motorboat?

Yes.

What are you doing here?

My work.

Keep on.

You spoke to the Madam, how good!

Shit, you are lucky.

Let's go!

Did you walk this morning?

Closely followed by your men again.

Doing their duty.

I hate them spying on me.

They don't spy on you.

They watch over you.

Don't go too far on your excursions.

You know that I'm a fatalist.

What must happen, can't be avoided.

For example, my arrival...

Sure.

You swore not to go to the camp.

And here I am. You never know when the same thing might happen to you.

You spend little time by my side.

Don't intend to have me locked up all day with this old mute.

I said on my side, Flavia!

I'm exasperated by your malaria excesses.

You've a horrible way to talk feverish. I can't stand it.

What do you want me to do? Whiskey!

It's strange, I've never been sick before.

I'll go to search a doctor. - No, no, not this.

I don't want to know anything about these quacks here.

But you must do something. - I'll swallow quinine in huge doses.

I'm stronger than this miserable fever.

I'll finish off with it.

Give me your hand.

Not there.

It's mud, not blood.

Why did you come?

To remind me that I'm mortal! Which not even

this stupid land was able to do,

you did it.

I'm crazy now.

But I can't touch you.

You are like smoke.

Don't laugh!

Don't laugh!

Almiróncito has almost fallen for the lady! [Guaraní]

He's not even good anymore to collect flies...

The master will be shacking again with fever.

Each time he has an attack, she goes out for a stroll...

May this be the last time! It's forbidden to follow me.

Orders of the master. - You and him, you can both go to hell.

I'll fill with water what's missing. [Guaraní]

He's going to cut some lizards!... [Guaraní]

Gossiper!

What plan is this?

Penayo's death and Forkel's sickness helped us a lot.

Arnec, let the tribe rise.

When we're all prepared and decided,

the strike will break out. - I'll take care of the load comrades.

They'll all answer me.

I'll take care of the Jangaderos. - The lumberjacks are just waiting for a sign.

They are decided.

We were strongly monitored in the sawmill, still many are on our side.

I'll take care of the cart driver and the ones on the fire.

They will shoot at all of us.

We'll take the bodyguards by surprise in their own houses.

Forkel is a coward. He'll feel the strength of our union

as an equal or stronger will than his.

They destroyed a giant.

They have overturned him, it seems?

You don't say anything, you are proud.

I told you once to answer me when I speak to you.

Give me the whip!

Give me the whip!

Oh beauty of the sun

Drawing in the shadow

And a strange trembling

Is shaking my heart

What a raving without you... - I can't stand this music.

I'll go to silence it. - Leave it.

I feel you're suffocating here.

Once you're healed, I will go.

I'll do the impossible to keep you.

I'm sick of your camp.

Just after a few days.

This is a horrible hole.

I counted on you to embellish it.

I could never get used to this earth.

It seems bewitched.

Don't exaggerate.

The jungle is just waiting to snatch you.

You take it too seriously, Flavia.

I must escape in time, escape from this nightmare.

You are my nightmare, Flavia.

In my thistle path...

Strange woman

Strange woman

Tenderness and anguish, torment and desire

The reddest mouth is burning in the thicket

A thunder of blood is shacking the leaves...

What a woman!

She bathes naked

and 100 guys are there to delight on it.

Let's go and rape her! [Guaraní]

After all these deaths, maybe we can! [Guaraní]

A bad moon brought this woman to us! [Guaraní]

Let's not get drunk about her.

We are fighting.

A woman like her

is worse than death.

Tell it to him. [Guaraní]

Guillén, you're to go to the administration.

Let's go! Forward! Let's go!

It seems they'll invite you for a ride.

Go.

Where does this river lead us?

I see that it's difficult for you to talk.

I want to know what you think.

Why are you running from me? - We're living in worlds apart, Señora.

What kind of man are you? - A slave, nothing more.

You are not from this class. - I gained the privilege of being it.

What are you doing among them? Agitating maybe?

Leave me alone!

You'd never understand. - I'd want to understand, though.

I'd have to be born again to this ragged and miserable life.

Be also like these unfortunates.

What do you have in common with them?

The suffering.

They are my brothers.

I'm learning how to be like them,

to be worth of them.

You are what one calls an idealist, right?

Maybe.

But the suffering is the only real thing for us.

Apart from this...

we only have death.

You I understand, but not these people.

They are as insensible as the earth or the plants.

They are completely degraded.

Slavery degraded them.

They are strong and pure like the earth.

It'd have also been beautiful to live in human dignity.

But we live here like buried alive.

We've torn out trees with our teeth for the camp.

But in these trunks, instead of sap,

there was human blood. - These are just the ghosts of the men.

No, they cannot suffer. - You think...

I'd like you to see those who your man brought to the stake.

There the ants turned them by suffering into ghosts.

Or the workers, struck by his bodyguards until their bones hung in the air.

Or the fugitives

who are shot on because they can't endure this life anymore.

If you want to leave, I can help you.

I'm here of my own will.

Someone like you'll bring me into hell.

But now I'd not leave here for anything in the world

and even less

for a betrayal. - Why do you talk about betrayal?

Let's leave this. Words do not count here.

We've talked too much. - You hate me.

Hate you? No...

Worse than that...

You represent everything I want to forget.

So... you are not very sure of yourself.

A great belief doesn't fear temptations.

And after that he's talking to us about an uprising! [Guaraní]

Lovely little uprising!

Making love to the master's wife!...

He must be some pimp! [Guaraní]

Let's be honest...

I'm not indifferent to anything.

River of fate.

You must leave this camp.

Your presence degrades us more than anything else!

It saturates and corrupts everything! You must leave!

You're making us crazy! Go!

Guillén is finished for us! [Guaraní]

Now we continue fighting alone.

How quickly he gets along with those from above!

I think that he is also an informer.

Let's finish him off! [Guaraní]

Sublime nostalgia

Keeps my soul

And brings sadness

In my loneliness

I'm thinking of the future

Which brings me hope

Because far away

You will forget me

If in your little head

You still carry...

If she goes out with Guillén, we'll follow her and rape her! [Guaraní]

Come what may! [Guaraní]

You think that far away...

We rape her! [Guaraní]

Agreed!

Agreed! [Guaraní]

Why do you stop longing...

...must leave this camp.

You're making us crazy! You're making us crazy!

Go!

River of fate.

River of fate...

Enough. Enough!

Out of here.

Go if you don't want me to shoot! - The music was for me.

Here my will is happening and enough!

Out of here, you miserable!

Hello, Madam!

I called you because I noticed

that we are close to an uprising.

These miserable, ungrateful dogs

intend to get up and murder me!

And murder all of you, too!

Isn't it true?

Yes, master.

The head of this riot

is this cart driver Guillén.

Where is this miserable?

This morning he left early from the hill, Sir.

Since then... he disappeared.

Rollen! That's how you take care of your people!

Surely they are doing a clandestine assembly.

And you are here!

Take this guy and bring him to me!

Yes, Sir.

Where are the others? - They went after her... [Guaraní]

Leave me, bastards!

Leave me! No!

Leave her, comrades! Don't be cowards!

Come here, rat! I'll give you...

You idiot!

And you, our leader against the boss, defending this woman who's worse than him!

I'm serving our cause by preventing this.

Liar! Miserable traitor...

I was right! We are comrades.

I'm not the comrade of a bodyguard. - Take this for the bodyguard...

I'll give you what you deserve.

Get dressed...

and leave.

Come... come.

We'll give you strike and uprising.

Just do it, you unhappy!

Come! Boy... Come on!

Go on, you unhappy!

Mangy dog!

This is how you want to make the people rebel.

Mangy dog!

And I made so many considerations for you!

But you disgraced think you can make a strike at Forkel's.

Who are your accomplices?

You'll have to talk this time, miserable!

Because I'm going to make you spit out your ideas.

Here, miserable... Let's go!

Take him to the stake, to the ants!

And be hard with him!

Don't make me say it...

I will smash them, crush them all.

The camp of Forkel is huge

like the earth, and I am the lord.

I am the lord!

I'll destroy you, dog!

Your damned mouth. I'll grab it and tear it to pieces.

You are playing like a dead man.

Miserable, how do you dare!

To come in here... Out!

Penayo!

I will destroy that dog and his damned mouth.

I'll grab him and tear him to pieces...

The lady is coming.

Now it's my turn to tell you - go away!

Be sure not to follow this man.

You'll answer me for his life.

Someone like you'll bring me into hell...

Hate you? No...

Worse than that...

You represent everything I want to forget.

There they are! [Guaraní]

This little brunette is the only one I love!

Ah, nice brunette! You'll make a good noise!

Like a single man we'll rise to destroy the gringo and the camp!

Or die all together!

Soon will come the day of San Juan. [Midsummer feast]

What do we care about the saint!

The fire boats, let to water from the village,

will fool the bodyguards.

We'll go near them and with this fire we'll ignite the camp.

We'll surprise the bodyguards while they sleep! Who's coming with me?

We'll call Guillén.

We don't know where he is...

He'll be dead...

He's not dead... He's too much of a man!

Where'd he be?

The Indio Annec will know it. He'll tell you. [Guaraní]

Why didn't you tell me he escaped?

You had fever for three whole days, master.

I want to know which demons got their hand in this.

Call this worker.

He must know something.

He's worth more than you two together.

Call him! - He's not here anymore, master.

Where was he? - They killed him.

The same night we put Guillén to the stake. - Whom?

We don't know, it could be the same Guillén.

In revenge.

Find that miserable murderous dog.

Search for him day and night!

And bring him alive to me!

What are you doing here?

Why did you come? - I had to.

Do you regret to have let me escape? - No!

It's the only dignified thing I've done so far.

You... you saved my life.

You mine. Now we are even.

I came to say sorry.

How can I believe you?

Nobody can believe me now.

I betrayed everybody.

I only want to be faithful to the only thing I have left -

to my love!

You must leave this place. I am asking you again.

I love you.

I love you madly and desperately.

You cannot understand.

It's useless that you are preparing your luggage, Flavia.

I will not let you go!

You cannot hold me here against my will.

It's dangerous these days.

This damned leader is on the run.

I put a prize on his head.

Later... later we'll see.

I don't want to stay here one day longer.

You are my wife. You must stand by me!

I decided to break up with you!

Me not! What do you think I am?

We've discussed this many times, Forkel.

Our union can no longer continue. I must leave.

Do you think I want to pay for all your whims?

And I'm staying here for you to enjoy!

Forkel! - Here!

Here I'm the lord and my will is happening.

You are miserable, a coward!

Shut up! - Let me go. - You want to revolt just like those filthy dogs.

I'll take your will away!

You'll never leave this place! No one can escape from here!

Not even you!

Not even you!

Flavia!

This is a moment

apart from time...

You'll never leave this place! No one can escape from here!

Not even you!

We've to surround them.

They could set the wood on fire, master!

I'd burn them with shots.

Place yourselves around the pile, I said.

I have to tell you the truth, master.

Now I really don't care. - What is it?

The lady

made Guillén escape that night.

Why didn't you say it earlier, you disgrace!

We've only one shot left! [Guaraní]

Our vigil will be nice, guys! [Guaraní]

This way.

Look... fire!

I'm sure she made him set it on fire.

You won't get away with it!

No, don't kill me!

Let's put the gringo in this storehouse! [Guaraní]

And let's burn it!...

You won...

I'm leaving in peace...

Let me out!

You miserable!

Don't kill me!

Help!

We have triumphed!

Our greatest triumph is to have discovered that together we're invincible.

More than ever we've to stay strong and united, here and everywhere.

Isn't it true, comrades? - Yes!

Let's show that working is a good thing

when there's no fear and hate anymore.

Work done in friendship and comradeship.

It's true what Guillén says, we shouldn't escape!

Let's stay here to face whatever comes.

The camp is a piece of our land.

We regained it from a bossy gringo with our sacrifice and our blood.

River of fate...

Subtitulando el Camino (2000)...