Back up.
Turn around.
"The important thing is to love"
Move in.
Slowly...
Go lower.
Close in on her.
Hold still Nadine!
- Cut! - We keep it?
Yeah yeah, that was a good one.
So now the 3, the 5, the 6...
OK, now with the camera in the middle.
Now the camera to the other side...
What are you doing here?
Right, now you hold it.
Easy, easy!
You pull it, there.
You go in front of the camera, there.
That's good...
You put your head... there!
No, it's very important.
He is almost death, but it's life.
You hold his head and say
"But I love you!"
We'll just rehearse the close-up.
Then you will kiss him, screw him.
He'll keep his trousers on now...
It'll be much easier without those when shooting.
Go ahead, tell him you love him.
Come on, tell him.
Say it!
I... I love you. I love you.
Again!
I love you.
Again!
I love you.
You feel him. It turns you on.
That's when you say: "I love you!"
Come on, try! Go on!
Feel him and tell him "I love you..."
Again.
I love you.
I cannot do it, it's...
Yes you can!
No, I cannot do that.
...but it's too...
You have a contract, you're getting paid for it.
- But... - No 'buts', go ahead.
Feel him!
Put life into it, you love him.
More!
More, come on!
I love you.
Again...
No photos please.
I'm an actress, I do good stuff.
I only do this to... eat.
Who's this guy?
Cut!
No photographs...
Get off the set!
No photos on the set!
Confiscate the film!
Give us the film.
Make it quick!
And the camera.
What the hell are you doing?
We said 10 o'clock!
The kid was busy.
Or getting too proud?
Why say that?
You know what you are?
A nasty bitch!
You exaggerate. After all we've done for you.
Without us kid,
what would've become of you?
The receipt please.
He not talk?
He's a limey.
With the 40 bucks of Thursday, that's it.
Tell Mr. Mazelli,
I fulfilled my contract.
Do we get going?
Does he have to finish his book?
If it weren't for Mazelli...
Yes I know. I'd be...
there.
Did I wake you?
Yes, we were shooting the whole night.
I am sorry.
Do you remember me?
I took some shots of you yesterday on the set.
I sold them for a very good price so I...
I should take more.
You should?
Yes. To hit a cover...
a very important magazine.
Photos without yesterday's shit.
I haven't hit a cover in a long time, with or without shit.
That's a good reason.
It's nice here, is it yours?
A crazy old Austrian saw me once in a film and lends it to us.
As long as she's alive.
It's great!
A fantastic place to shoot photographs.
It's time.
Time? What time?
No idea.
That changes everything!
Sorry to barge in like this but
your telephone is out of order.
No, it's been cut off.
Coffee everyone?
My husband makes very good coffee.
Coffee?
I'm at your disposal, sir.
No make-up? Won't you comb your hair?
- Get prepared. - No.
Why? I have the face I have I'm 30.
You don t like it?
It's not that...
I just want to hit a cover.
To sell a cover, one needs...
Ah, something more...
catchy.
Wait a minute.
Like this?
More?
Like this? Some ass?
That's it. Let's use the light.
Come here, yes, lift your head.
Tilt your head back...
Hold it. Yes, that way.
Give me more profile.
Excellent...
Jacques Chevalier.
Servais Mont.
Do you work for an agency?
Several. I free-lance.
I'm interested... indirectly, I'm a collector.
Of agencies?
Photos... Louise Brooks, Baclanova.
Marilyn, Marlene Dietrich...
Excuse me.
Vitruve, the architect, says extended arms equal one's height.
from chin to cranium, 1/8 of one's height,
the width of the shoulders represent 1/4 of a man,
and from the nipples to the head,
1/4 of a woman.
Leonardo da Vinci.
Be gentle with my wife, she's pregnant.
He says any old thing.
What was your last film?
In Italy... nothing good
I don't agree.
What was the name?
It was first called "The Turkish dog", then...
"Nymphocula" which is a lot better.
Tell me...
I dreamt you were pouring coke in my ear.
A nasty death!
Stop it Jack, we have to work.
Work, go ahead.
Anyway,
having coffee
in my bath is a must.
What's the matter?
Nothing.
Let's stop if you want.
Do you have the photos you wanted?
If I ask to see you again, will you throw me out?
Immediately.
When?
Tomorrow St Germain at 4?
Here at 3.
Okay?
It's you?
My elevator is out of order for 10 days.
Seven flights was nothing when I was your age, but now...
So you want to stay?
I don't want to be in your way!
Just say a word and...
I'll climb my 7 flights!
Drop it.
I'm really tired today.
I had a call from Mr. Mazelli.
So it's Mazelli, not your elevator.
You see, you get mad already.
He just talked to me. He's hurt.
He's got reasons.
I paid him back, didn't I?
Mr. Mazelli can leave me alone.
Money's not everything.
You prefer to see me work in shit
as long as Mazelli buys you drinks.
Is that what you want?
I have no lessons to take from you!
Me neither!
Take the couch.
There are sheets in the closet.
I have to unpack my shirts.
I don't owe you anything anymore.
I m saying...
Shit!
You're here?
Yes.
No, I'm not here anymore.
I'm leaving.
Good night.
Just slam the door when you leave.
I met a girl.
She works next door.
at Wimpy's.
She makes french fries.
She's a negro, well... she's a mix.
She's nice.
She has a little boy.
The father left.
The kid's name is Gerard, like me.
Well?
What was your part?
3 days.
I'm bitter.
It must be my age.
A wild guess: you'll be 50 tomorrow.
I'm 30.
It's the second time you told me.
The photos didn't turn out because
you're much more beautiful.
Really.
I've made myself up, I've combed my hair.
I've dusted the room
and my husband is at the movies.
That's it.
Since we're here, let's do things traditionally.
Traditionally?
Aren't you going to bring out your medieval liqueur?
Tell me where the bar is, I'll serve you a drink.
Why? You're not comfortable?
Yes I'm fine.
I don't have much time and we're not here for that.
We're here for what?
To be together, isn't it?
So?
Now you're wondering what you're going to say?
Yes, and...
you're not making things easy.
On the contrary.
Isn't it now you drag me to bed?
Yes.
More or less.
It's rather less than more, right?
You're used to this kind of thing, aren't you?
You too.
You've been married long?
6 years.
What does he do?
You really want me to talk about him?
No, but it's better than talking about other things
while thinking about him, isn't it?
I wonder.
Well, what do we do?
I wouldn't know.
If we don't make love and if you don't go,
we have to do something, right?
Such as?
Talk.
About what?
About ourselves.
And you think it'll help us?
How?
To be together
since we're here for that.
You start.
Well.
I can talk
about myself.
Shall I talk about the war in Algiers and Vietnam?
Are you really interested?
You see!
Too bad!
You know what time it is?
I'm sorry but I must see Nadine.
- You're mad, it's 5 a.m. - It's urgent.
- Call her tomorrow. She's asleep. - No, sorry!
Get out.
Get out!
How's life?
Life's shit.
Kind of early, right?
It's 8 o'clock.
Then you did right.
I usually wake up around noon.
I don't feel great!
It's 8 a.m., not p.m.
Is Luce sick?
It's not about her.
Another woman?
And you come to me?
You're the only person I can talk to.
Silly, isn't it?
Not at all.
It's even very interesting.
Is she an intellectual, a nerd?
No. An actress.
If she's an actress,
you've done the right thing.
And I should help you betray my wife?
I never loved your wife.
That's not my fault.
Shit, everything's my fault!
Okay, let's not be fussy.
Where's the problem with your stage girl?
The problem? Shit...
I wake you up at 8, act like a jerk,
where's the problem?
I don't know how, but I want to help her.
What have I got to do with it?
It's because you ball my wife... I get it.
We're in the Western world, the solution will be capitalistic.
How much do you love her?
What?
When l was small, a century ago,
my mother used to say:
"You love Mom a lot?"
I'd answer: "Oh I love Mom a lot."
But that wasn't enough for her.
So she'd ask: "How much do you love her?"
"10 cents... 20 cents?"
Now, I am asking you: how much do you love her?
- I don't get you. - Do you want to ball her
or don't you?
And it's not for free.
That's the way it goes with a punk like you.
I've got a solution for you.
I know a sick guy who's trying to put on a play,
and he's broke.
A play, get it?
Theatre!
The Curtain!
"O despair! O cursed race!"
So?
You buy it?
Are you still drunk or mad?
She's an actress, right?
Actors have to act.
Since you don't love my wife, you have to pay.
I'll call the guy for an appointment.
You're not taking me for a ride?
I'm not sure of anything, and it's killing me.
Excuse me.
It's beautiful.
Lapade didn't tell you?
Ah yes, he did. Karl Heinz Zimmer.
May I dry my hair while listening?
- You're an actor, right? - No, not at all.
Too bad.
It's about an actress...
her name is Nadine Chevalier.
Isn't she beautiful?
Yes, very.
I brought photographs of her.
Superb!
Beautiful!
Lapade told me...
He will soon die like my brother.
You know what he died of?
Of disgust.
People have problems.
I know.
He knows.
I invested in the play.
The director got a city subvention.
What do you want. You see...
we are reduced to
the exigencies of cinema.
No stars, no money.
And the little fame I had in Germany
didn't follow me here.
Karl Heinz Zimmer!
Does my name mean anything to you? Shit!
You brute.
Isn't he a shit?
You'll have to talk to the director about her.
I'm only an actor.
Where can I see him?
Why, right here!
He moved here. His heating system broke down.
It's not a question of ambition,
it's the mechanism of power.
Shakespeare's Machiavelic virtues are astonishing.
But his plays must not be drowned in incoherency.
Is there a part for Nadine Chevalier?
The only important part in Richard III is...
Lady Ann, the greatest feminine part.
Is she skilled?
What does that mean?
Well, has she played anywhere?
Is she classical?
She was in a film named Nymphocula.
Nymphocula?
But of course, 2 dykes in a castle with a dwarf!
That was a Pontini.
Superb!
How was she?
She was good... I mean great.
That changes everything.
Except for the financial problem.
- How much is missing? - $ 20,000.
What's the production cost?
Including us? $100,000.
Okay, but on one condition:
She must never know I had anything to do with it.
Is that clear?
Don't judge him now, Messalina is a great director.
Ask in Paris. He's the best.
Here you are, my boy!
How goes?
I've been looking for you everywhere.
My boy!
We'll take care of that problem!
Hector called.
He says you've turned proud.
When he says proud, he means ungrateful.
I said: "No Hector,
he's a nice kid, still a bit young, that's all.
You need me?
A little party at my place on the 31th.
A few important friends. They're fond of sharing memories.
Okay, I need money.
All l want is to be generous.
No problem, boy.
The girls can't come before Friday.
I said Wednesday.
They're stuck in Munich. Customs.
Serious?
Kiss the kid and take off.
You've lost weight, you don't eat.
I eat.
Come to eat when you want.
Okay.
You won't come.
How much?
$20,000.
That's a lot of dough. Are you in trouble?
I'm sick.
You'll have to work well,
not like before.
Money is expensive nowadays,
you'll have to take more risks
You'll have to put your 'pride' aside.
You accept?
Don't bug me.
By the way, your dad
cheated me out of...
Does he know you saved his life?
Let's open a new account.
- How much did you say? - 20.
Alright, for $20,000.
And your dad, how is he?
"...and her father, not all so much for love
"As for another secret intent by marrying her
"which I must reach unto. But yet I run before my horse to market
"Clarence still breathes. Edward still lives and reigns.
"When they are gone, then I must count my gains."
"Set down,
"set down your honourable load,
"If honour may be...
"shrouded in a hearse,
"poor key-cold figure
"of a holy king!
"Thou bloodiest remnant of that royal blood!
"Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost...
Just a minute! Excuse me!
Would you mind, darling children,
if I said we're going head first into disaster?
I say that because I'm happy you're here.
What we'll do will be good.
We'll be among ourselves for a few weeks.
One day we'll face the audience.
The audience!
And we'll say: we worked for them.
We'll ask ourselves:
Will they like us?
I want to warn you as of now...
Don't give them what they want. They don't know.
Don go to them, you'll get lost.
I expect you to be never, never
satisfied with yourselves.
Reach for the most demanding depth
you can find in yourselves.
You will then have a chance
to be accepted. Please, my little one.
Let's continue.
"More direful hap betide that hated wretch,
"That makes us wretched by the death of thee,
"Than l can wish to adders,
"spiders, toads, or any creeping venomed thing that lives!
"If ever he have child,
"abortive be it. Prodigious,
"and untimely brought to light
"Whose ugly and unnatural aspect may frighten the hopeful mother...
"If ever he have wife,
"let her be made
"As miserable by the death of him as I am made..."
I can't...
Stay here! I'll go.
Keep calm.
Gentlemen, please!
Let's take scene III.
Calm down!
It's happened to all of us.
He wasn't talking about you.
We're all puppets with careers that fall apart.
What do you think we're all here for?
All waiting for the good break.
Come now!
I'm washed up!
Do you understand?
No, I don't.
I feel old... I'm tired.
No one tried harder.
No one tried to give more...
That's all I can do for you.
I'm not joking.
I don't choose.
I don't try to understand.
I don't follow any direction.
I accept myself.
Look at yourself. You're beautiful.
I'd give anything to be like you.
Understand?
Come.
Come on...
The fat one on the right. We must recognize her.
See her? Go ahead.
Now the old one with the two guys.
Wait, wait... it's coming.
Look at the brunette with the transvestites...
Make sure you get her!
- Don't get upset. - Look! Isn't that a disgrace.
Calm down, it's bad for your blood pressure.
Can't help it. It makes me sick.
It's dough... but it's disgusting.
Oh, look at that bitch.
Is the music keeping you awake?
I'm out of sleeping pills.
I have to go near my place, they know me at the pharmacy.
There's some chicken in the fridge.
I'm not hungry at all.
I'm glad it's okay with Mazelli.
One never has too many friends.
What happened with your Wimpy girl?
Down the drain.
She's with the cook. A fat Italian.
I take her kid out sometimes.
I took him to the park this afternoon and you know what?
He's in love with a bitch his age.
She refuses to play with him.
He just stares at her like an idiot.
He's miserable and he's 5 ears old.
You know
with your mother... it wasn't always that bad.
To hell with her!
Sorry.
At the start, when I worked for Mazelli,
before you were born,
we were happy... it didn't last.
She was beautiful.
Time fucked up everything.
It's when we don't know where we're going...
Time goes fast...
Don't become an old schmuck like me.
"Sweet saint, in the name of mercy be not so cursed.
"Fare devil, for God's sake.
"Get out of here,
and trouble us not.
"For thou hast made the happy world thy hell,
"Filled with blasphemies and deep outcries.
"If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds,
"Behold this pattern of thy butcheries.
- "Oh gentlemen, see, see!" - One moment.
Excuse me.
Would you mind stepping into the coffin?
It would help your wife in this scene.
Well, what are you waiting for? Continue.
"Thou lump of foul deformity,
"For 'tis thy presence
"that exhales this blood from cold and empty veins.
"Oh God, who this blood mad'st, revenge his death!"
"Lady, you know no rules of mercy, which renders good for bad?"
"Blessings for curses.
"Villain, thou knowest no law, nor of God nor of man.
"Fouler than heart can thin thee, thou canst but hang thyself!"
Very good!
But mind you,
you don't carry it enough.
Oh shit, what more do you need?
But there will be men building an iron cage!
They'll be using a blow-torch.
A what?
A blow-torch.
He's sick.
I'm working for a sick man.
Let's continue.
I need to recuperate!
I'm recuperating!
Take 5 minutes.
I have to go now.
I was good no?
I said: 5 minutes.
Go to hell.
The ghost has returned.
This time I'll talk to him.
Hello mister, did you like it?
It's you, every day?
Yes, I'm a friend of Messala, the director.
I see...
another army buddy.
So, you came for him?
Yes. Well, no... it's...
It's what?
I'm cold.
In all my plays,
there was a ghost.
A man who sits in the last row,
who watches...
And no one knows why he's there.
This time I know the ghost.
Do you like theatre?
Listen to me.
I'm neither a victim nor a prisoner.
My life is what it is,
even if you don't think it's a success.
About the ghost in my last play,
6 years ago.
I married him and I love him.
Look, here's our 5 a.m. door breaker.
You read "Le Figaro", right?
It's the only paper that mentioned Nadine.
He's a friend of Messala's.
A friend of Messala's,
it's obvious...
just look at him.
Look at what I found...
A South American record.
Georgio Cassati... fantastic!
I have to go.
Nice, isn't it?
Tell me,
why don't you come and eat at our place.
No thank you.
But I'm doing the cooking.
Wait, Nadine...
Come here.
Tell him to come.
He's right.
Come tomorrow evening, please.
Why not?
Fuck me.
Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me!
Please.
You're nuts, I haven't taken the pill.
Love me.
What's the matter?
We've eaten cat food,
and it hasn't agreed with us.
I read on the can there were good things in it.
What's that?
2 old bats...
They're going to croak soon.
They snore all night
and stare all day.
How can I sleep under such conditions?
Could you take the dog, I'm afraid to drop her.
That's nice of you.
Can you walk?
Yes, I'm alright
Solitude is the food of the soul.
How are things with your stage girl?
We're together.
I really missed everything.
Luce will never forgive me.
Delirium tremens. Nothing to do with what he ate.
His liver is enormous.
He must have known how it would end.
I came as soon as you called.
Can l see him?
He's just out of coma.
I've had it! It happens to the best people.
Parasites end up together.
Look at that.
I don't want the hospital.
They give you shit to eat.
Tell them!
You're not sorry for me.
You're perfectly right.
People have no more destiny because they have no morals.
And they have no morals because they have no illusions.
And my best time was this!
And you...
you don't exist.
You think you're the king of the earth.
but you're nothing but a dead man and I curse you!
You'll take care of Doriot? It's with the concierge.
Yes, don't worry.
I could've left her with Luce,
but I don't want my 2 wives together.
And since you got the first one,
I can croak in peace.
It's long.
I hate to tell you this,
but I think I'm gonna barf.
Be careful, you're among loots here.
We started a film magazine last year.
Just four issues, but they were good.
Then, I was switchboard operator and driver for tea-tasters.
I studied medicine before to be like my uncle,
who's an ambulance driver. It didn't work.
I met Nadine and took care of her.
Actresses are fragile, they break easily.
She was on a dangerous slope at the time.
You know... drugs and the rest.
And then, Zorro came to the rescue.
You see.
She was sure you wouldn't come.
Clear the table for dinner.
What is this... America?
Let's finish our exchanging session.
Servais Mont, this is Roger Beninge.
Raymond Manuel Rosenthal.
He's dreaming. My best "de Carlos"
against lousy re-prints.
You call these re-prints.
They're crap!
That's a re-print?
Look closer.
Be careful with those plates! Are you crazy?
This is Miriam Hopkins.
In what film?
Who with?
With... Bing Crosby.
And Kitty Carlisle.
OK, I got it...
It'll cost a lot, right?
Yvonne de Carlo?
All of them?
What did you think?
Seen anything more beautiful?
It's beautiful, isn't it?
Beautiful... sepia print.
This goes directly into the safe.
He's the only one who still has Bing Crosby.
Bastard. All Yvonne de Carlo.
Salome is enough for him...
Forgive me Yvonne.
Shit, the food is burning!
Do you remember?
- What? - Rue de Verneuil.
A tiny room with a tiny thing to cook on.
Everything was tiny.
The bed was so narrow, we had to turn simultaneously.
Now we have a large one and we still turn simultaneously.
That's marriage.
Right, darling?
Fritzy has her little habits now.
Don't you find her provincial?
You don't know her
Help yourselves.
Take some of this.
- I don't feel like it. - You don't eat.
No wonder your breasts are breaking down.
When I met her it was 3 packs a day.
Nicotine was coming out her ears.
But then Zorro came to rescue the old girl, right?
Do you think Messala wants to lay her?
Who?
Nadine.
He had all his actors...
Suddenly he fires the girl for Nadine.
Don't you think that's strange?
He's gay.
So what? I'm gay too
with your little boy's ass.
Small, round and juvenile.
I saw Nymphocula 6 times.
A few good shots...
Did you see Nymphocula?
You don't like porn films?
I like them.
Nadine does them but she hates them. She's a puritan.
She's done everything and is becoming even more puritan.
She discovered she had principles.
Now, you can take her panties off,
but not her principles.
She couldn't explain her principles.
They're just there... like rails
and she sticks to them,
even if they burn her feet.
Like right now.
Why do you talk like this?
It is embarrassing and useless.
I forgot l had an appointment at the agency.
I'm sorry but I have to go.
Did you speak to him?
Can I buy you a coffee?
No, I'll stay here.
I didn't leave him for you.
I know that.
Tell me something.
Are we through?
What is it?
I don't know.
Something has happened.
I can't explain but...
I fear to harm someone.
I am trapped,
because l feel that...
if I go further,
I'll do harm.
And if I stop,
I'll do even more harm.
"Now is the winter of our discontent made
"Glorious summer by this sun of York
"Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths
"Our bruised arms hung up for monuments
"Our stern alarms changed to merry meetings,
"Our marches to delightful measures.
"Grim-visaged war
"hath smoothed this front
"And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds
"He capers nimbly
"in a lady's chamber
"To the lascivious charm of a lute.
"But I,
"that am not shaped for sportive tricks,
"I...
"cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
"Sent into this breathing world
"Scarce, half made up
"And that so lamely and unfashionable
"That dogs bark at me as I halt by them.
And then, one hears a rooster backstage.
As usual Antoine shouts: "Terrible!"
The stage manager runs to him
holding a real rooster by the neck.
"This is a real one Mr. Antoine."
And Antoine answers:
"He's terrible, we must replace him."
What is she doing?
She should be here.
I'm in no hurry.
- I had to wait, it came late. - Give me this!
Do you know everyone here?
My wife. Sit down.
"What can one say about such a fiasco?
"That others did well where Messala got lost.
"Excessive, dark.
"Expressionistic without reason,
"his directing is a mixture
"of contradicting intentions and of random ideas.
"The only evidence is that of chaos.
"I first discard Nadine Chevalier
"who deserted a certain type of films
"about which I'd rather remain silent.
"As for Zimmer:
"he gave the poorest performance
"I have ever been given to see.
Stop directing, Messala. You like it...
"but it doesn't like you."
Crappy newspaper!
The verdict of he Oracle!
That's Bilimert. The others will have to admit that...
Shut up!
Back to the "Help Wanted" ads.
My overcoat, sir.
Pardon?
My overcoat sir, you touched it.
So what?
I paid a lot for this overcoat!
Since I'm a well-bred homosexual,
I care a lot about my things.
Silence.
I don't like your kind.
You touched me with your proletarian fingers.
If that's what you want.
You touched me again.
So what?
Let go of me.
Watch out!
If you're as vulgar as he...
it will be perfect.
Poor Karl, he never could take bad news.
I really liked it.
You couldn't care less, right?
Of course I mostly looked at my wife.
It's amazing all you got out of her.
Those screams, howls... all that.
It must be what you people call life.
I'd always wondered,
now I know.
And him... the photographer.
What's he doing here anyway?
All I can say
is that all of you are really
starting to piss me off.
Darlings...
I might as well say it now: it's a flop.
All the reviews will be like this one.
With luck we'll do the 30 compulsory performances.
Maybe we won't.
Selling the costumes,
I may manage to pay something
to the people who trusted me.
That's all I had to tell you.
I'm sorry.
Did he say anything before dying?
Yes, a few verses from Rimbaud.
"Turmoil originated your Poetry
"Immense forces served you"
"Your entrails burst, death menaces"
"Chosen City!"
"Consume your shrieks in the Deaf Trumpet."
Weird, isn't it?
Where's Raymond Lapade?
In the elevator.
And his wife?
She left immediately.
There he is.
A man opened the door for me.
He told me to wait inside.
I preferred waiting here.
He said he wouldn't be back,
and that he had told you all he had to say.
This is Doriot, the 2nd wife of the play's adapter.
I'll give her to animal lovers.
She deserves better than me.
Coffee?
That's all I have.
I came to pay my debt.
I have one toward Jacques,
a big one.
I'd be pretty low-down if I hadn't met him.
I'd be... I don't know.
A whore.
Do you understand?
You see,
you were right.
A woman can always be bought.
And then you'll leave, right?
Does he know you're here?
You'll never tell him?
Then, it's better you leave now.
I went to Servais,
to sleep with him. He refused.
How's his place?
Empty, sinister.
You must give me a respite.
We've had breakfast together for 6 years,
so you must give me a chance.
A little time, a month or two.
You see,
I stopped to breathe.
One mustn't breathe.
So, you agree?
Nadine told me everything.
Why are you here then?
Are you a complete blockhead?
I'm giving you the "good friend one".
I'll tell you my whole sordid life story.
The more I cry, the more you pity me,
and the less tricks you pull.
Don't build pity into a monument.
And I don't want to pull tricks.
This is just lousy for me.
Nadine promised she won't try to see you again.
Well then,
there's no problem.
What do you mean, no problem?
Congratulations!
Refusing to go to bed with my wife,
you call that nothing?
Your want to know? I love it.
I love it... honest I do.
I become like a beast.
Okay, tit for tat.
I'll ask you a favour.
Go to hell!
Help me.
Help me, shit! Do something.
You know how to make things happen,
and I don't.
You see, Nadine owes me a respite.
Do I owe you anything?
Yes, because you didn't sleep with her.
I'm bushed.
I went to see a Maciste film I had missed.
Any good?
Some interesting things.
Special effects mostly.
Did you get a crowd?
45 persons, 20 paid.
The big success!
Yes,
the big success.
You should've seen those Cyclops
fighting Titans.
throwing whole mountains at them!
The Titans were throwing whole countries back at them.
The whole thing nicely blended
in juicy music.
You see what I mean.
Strange, I'm tired.
I work and I'm tired.
Do you understand that?
I still have my respite?
Don't forget to say your prayers.
My God,
I'm fed up.
Thanks for coming.
How are you doing?
What's the matter?
Nothing.
- Why you hide your breasts? - Don't you stay here doing nothing!
She was getting on his nerves.
He got her under control.
But why hide her breasts?
He must've cut some off
to be more convincing.
Interesting.
I came to say goodbye.
I'm leaving for Manaos.
The Sarah Bernhardt theatre.
I'm playing Vladimir in Godot.
It's all over?
A kir, please.
Listen, I'm rich. Family money.
Please accept this.
For me it's nothing.
I think it's a lot for you.
I don't want your money.
I'm very fond of Nadine.
You're mad.
No,
rich.
Philosophically speaking,
the middle ages were a catastrophe,
but we owe it a special conception
of woman's dignity.
Let's drink to that.
Get lost!
It's taken care of.
You should've called, we could've met elsewhere.
I tried, your phone is still cut off.
Shit! No wonder it doesn't ring much.
Can I talk to you?
Are you OK?
I'm here for Jacques.
Coffee, tea, wine, cognac, whisky?
Fernet, ham, butter, my briefcase?
No, thank you Jacques.
We're listening.
Watch what you're doing.
You didn't get it.
He's doing this for me.
For me, right?
It's for me.
That's him!
Saint Francis of Assisi in person!
Strong...
and handsome.
I'll be able to keep my Marilyn collection.
Louise Brooks.
You must thank the man, Nadine.
You have to thank him.
Thank him, go ahead!
Go on!
Don't you kiss me?
I'm here!
Can't you be at 'Petit Louis' tomorrow at 4?
Where?
Of course, she forgot.
The café, rue de Verneuil.
You remember?
I remember.
I'll have things to tell you.
I nearly called the fire brigade.
I'm late.
A guy committed suicide in the subway, I was stuck for half an hour.
Nothing's changed here.
What have you done?
I've managed to get a dubbing.
I'm dubbing Jane Fonda.
Fantastic!
When do you start?
On the 14th.
- Coffee with... - With rum!
Yes and with... you don't have it.
Do you know what's the lousiest thing?
The most disgusting?
Pity.
Why?
Because it's final.
I know what you think of me.
Of all my bullshit.
There's a word for it,
I found it in the dictionary.
Contempt.
I don't despise you.
What's happening to us?
I don't know anymore.
I'm always there...
waiting.
I want you so much.
I need you so much.
There's no one in the world I love more. No one.
So, you mustn't leave me alone.
You mustn't...
I can't be alone.
Where are you? Where? Here?
I don't know where you are.
I can still give you a lot. Everything.
But I don't want to feel...
to feel that life is elsewhere.
I can't.
I could do anything for you.
Anything.
Anything except...
Except what?
Live.
I can say I love you.
"I love you" means nothing!
Nothing!
It means nothing!
You understood everything.
Is that all?
What?
Many women would find it a lot.
Especially in Yemen.
May the gods
scatter roses on your path.
I have to make a call.
See you at home?
Where do you think you are?
Look at all that shit!
Unbelievable!
Is this the agency?
May l speak to Servais Mont.
That's it.
Come with me.
What a fool!
Why did he do it?
He should've done it before!
Before he met you!
Why did he do it?
He should've done it before!
Do you understand?
Help me.
Come.
He sold all his photographs
except these.
No one wanted them.
He put the money in the bank on my name.
They gave me a shot
to make me sleep.
Leave me alone.
I'll go when you sleep.
Nothing is possible between us two anymore.
It's the shot, it won't last.
I hope so, it gets on my nerves.
My face must not be seen.
Oh shit!
It's nothing, we'll start soon.
She'll be alright.
He'll do a good job?
You can trust him, he's a specialist.
We haven't talked about our next meeting.
I've arranged something for Friday.
I'm through. Do without me.
Your grandma dyke disgusted me.
Don't you think it disgusts me too?
But they're all alike.
Do you know what man is like?
He's like "the ugliest things he can do".
He's like "when he sits in the can".
Force yourself to look at what disgusts you.
When you see yourself in a mirror,
do like me: think about something else.
I'm through!
I've had enough.
Not so fast...
When I met you, you were that small.
I could've crushed you like a tadpole.
Too bad you didn't.
Maybe, but since your father,
to say the least, doesn't have much backbone.
therefore if you're now
big an strong, it's thanks to me.
I'm a bit
your father somehow.
Think of it.
I'm a bit the father to all of them.
They tell me their troubles.
I listen.
They disgust me but I like them.
So, like God, I'll say:
you're free.
No one was ever forced to work with Mazelli!
You forgot to talk about the day you saved my life during the war,
and risked yours stealing milk from the Germans.
Go to hell!
You owe me a lot of dough kid.
If you quit working for me you'll have to pay be back.
I'll give you 10 days, because I like you.
You know, God
only took 6 days to create the world.
As you see, I'm lenient!
It's us.
So kid,
playing hide and seek with Mazelli?
I had said 10 days.
It's been 11 days, kid.
11 days of anxiety for good old Mazelli.
I can pay you back.
It's on the mantelpiece.
What did l say?
Look at his face.
I knew you were not eating.
Do you sleep at least?
When you don't eat, you must sleep.
We always have a bed for you.
You'll never learn.
It's not a matter of money, but of principle.
I was wrong about you
and Hector was right.
You've become proud.
You know what's coming to you?
What was due to your dad 3 years ago.
Normally people like us don't exist.
I know it, but I'm the only one.
Each morning when I see myself I say: "This is not real".
So, since we don't exist
we must find a way to be accepted, right?
That's what you're doing now,
you're accepting.
Goodbye kid,
I really liked you.
I love you.