DEKALOG: TWO
Screenplay by
Good morning.
Did this fall from your balcony, Doctor?
No. I wish it had.
Sorry to bother you.
- Something I can do for you? - Yes.
I'm listening.
I live on the top floor. I'm hoping you remember me.
Yes, you ran over my dog two years ago.
My name's Dorota Geller.
My husband is a patient in your ward.
I can't remember all the names.
You want to know how he's doing?
I see relatives Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Come by the hospital.
But that's two days away.
Yes. Today's Monday.
Too bad I didn't run you over.
Please come in, Basia.
Good morning, Doctor.
Basia.
It's not doing well.
Dorotka?
Are you there?
Pick up if you're there.
You're not there? This is Anka.
I'm going to Łódź for a week with school.
I'll call when I get back.
Take care.
Janek Wierzbicki.
I need to speak to you. I might stop by tonight.
"My beloved, it's freezing here now.
I remember our last meeting in the warm autumn sun..."
What was it?
It wasn't a cold.
He was teething.
He cried all night.
I sat up with him. Didn't drop off till morning.
And she...
She couldn't sleep either, worrying about the two of us.
In the morning Father came in.
Dressed and grinning.
He said "a-a-h"
and pointed to a hole where a tooth had been.
He'd pulled it himself.
He laughed over the baby's first tooth and said...
"Everything tallies."
That's how it goes.
I put on my scarf.
The baby's sleeping peacefully.
I can see him through the door.
Father's bouncing his granddaughter on his lap.
She's laughing and trying out the extracted tooth.
She's in the hallway...
tall and erect,
dark circles around her eyes from lack of sleep.
She says, "I don't like this.
Too many teeth in this house. Be careful."
I say, "Get some sleep. Father's staying home today."
She nods, "All right."
Tune in next week for another episode.
Excuse me.
Yes?
A hare fell from a balcony. The super was asking around.
Was it yours?
No.
If it's really urgent, come see me this afternoon.
Mrs. Geller?
Your husband's sick pay.
ID, please.
- All I have is a passport. - That's fine.
- You have the time? - It's after 10:00.
Thank you.
Good morning.
What room is a Mr. Geller in?
The post-op? Twelve.
Room 12.
Bring me his chart, would you?
Leave it here.
He might eat it later.
Has he eaten today?
Not much.
Good-bye.
- Who are you here to see? - The head of the ward.
He doesn't see relatives today.
I have an appointment. My name's Geller.
A Mrs. Geller to see you.
Is it afternoon already?
Ten past 12:00.
Come in, ma'am.
Have a seat.
May I smoke?
I don't smoke, but if you must...
Diagnosis, treatment, and surgery all came a little late.
What does that mean?
It looks bad.
Will he live?
I don't know.
I have to know. And you must...
My only "must" is to treat him to the best of my ability.
The one thing I know is that I don't know.
Administration, please.
Administration!
I'll give you a lift.
Thanks. I always walk.
"There's soup in the fridge. I transplanted the cactus.
Don't touch it. I called about the ad.
Will report Wednesday. Basia."
Just a minute.
I'm coming.
I took the other stairs.
Smoke if you like.
- What do you do about baths? - I boil water on the stove.
Listen, I really don't know.
I'm very...
My husband and I have a good marriage.
I love him very much.
I've seen you together.
I got that impression.
Mrs. Geller...
please try and understand.
We know nothing about the cause, little about the effects,
and next to nothing about the prognosis.
- The Americans tell their patients. - True.
And they're usually right when it's bad news.
Seldom when it's good.
I can take bad news.
You can tell me he's going to die.
I just have to know.
I want to do all I can for him... - Which is nothing.
All you can do is wait.
If you can spare another moment,
I'll explain my problem.
Please.
I couldn't have children until now.
I'm now three months' pregnant,
but not by my husband.
If I have an abortion,
I know I won't get another chance.
If my husband recovers...
I can't have this child.
The other man is very special to me.
I don't know...
I don't know if you know...
that it's possible to love...
two people at the same time.
Well, it is.
Can you understand that?
His chances of recovery are very slim.
For surviving as a vegetable, maybe 15%.
So medicine says.
But I've seen too many people live
when science said they should have died,
and others who died for no reason.
I can't pronounce a sentence.
You see...
one of them...
gave me peace and security.
The other one...
made me feel...
It's wrong to want everything at once.
That's pride.
Do you believe in God?
I have a God who's probably only enough for me.
A private God?
Yes.
Then pray to your God today for absolution.
Janek.
I called.
Did you listen to your machine?
Yes.
What's going on?
We're leaving.
When?
In a week. For Delhi.
From there it's on to base camp.
Come inside.
What's that you brought?
Andrzej's backpack, so no one rummages through it.
Isn't it a bit early for a funeral?
We'll miss him on the climb.
Take that away.
Take it away!
Dorotka...
Is he still a club member? With storage privileges?
- Yes. - Then keep it there, damn it!
At least until he dies.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean...
I know.
It must be awful.
No, not anymore.
Hello. This is 31-23-67.
Please leave a short message after the tone.
Dorota, it's me.
It's still afternoon here.
It's evening where you are.
I was at rehearsal. Old acquaintances were everywhere.
But I'm ill at ease here.
I wait for you every day.
I'll call tomorrow evening... night your time.
I'd like to say more, but this tape will probably...
All right.
It's a beauty.
You can get down.
I have to get rid of it.
- A beauty like that? - Yes.
Very well. It's the last moment for it.
Have you been here before? - No, this is my first time.
Let's say...
day after tomorrow at 1:00.
What's your name?
Dorota Geller.
Dorota. Lovely name.
- It's you, isn't it? - Yes.
Hello.
When did you fly in?
Last night.
He asked me to tell you about him.
Go ahead.
He's rehearsing. He gave a concert.
He thought you'd be there.
He can't seem to reach you on the phone.
He said to tell you he'd try again tonight.
I know.
That's it.
Do you have a key to his place? - Yes.
He wants you to bring his scores.
They're in a green folder on the piano.
All right.
This coffee's for you...
but it's gone cold.
So it has.
The previous sample.
And the one before that.
Take a look.
That's from a month ago.
This is from two weeks ago.
This is the latest one.
- You always taught us... - Never mind that.
What do you think?
Progression.
Dorota, pick up the phone.
You're there, aren't you?
Are you there?
You hear me?
Yes, I'm here.
It's about time! Is it good morning or good evening?
Just about good morning.
Good morning, then. I've been calling for days.
I know. Sorry. I was out.
Did they give you a passport?
Yes, but it doesn't matter anymore.
Why not?
How's Andrzej? - Bad.
Why doesn't the passport matter?
I'm having an abortion.
Tomorrow.
I don't understand.
I'm getting an abortion tomorrow.
You understand?
Yes, I do.
If you do that and Andrzej dies, you'll leave me.
I know.
This call's going to cost you a fortune.
We won't be able to be together. You understand?
Yes.
I want to be with you very much. Remember that.
You'll have to ask someone else
to bring you your scores.
All right.
Dorota?
I love you.
It won't be a long one today.
I went to my job at the hospital.
Somebody said a shipment had to be made to England...
that night.
I called home.
Father answered and said...
"I'm speaking softly because she's asleep."
I asked how the children were.
"Fine," he said. "The girl wet her pants laughing.
The boy woke up hungry, so I fed him."
I asked him what the boy was saying.
He must have put the receiver to the boy's mouth.
All I heard was "goo goo goo."
It was 11:00.
At 12:00 I headed home...
but it wasn't there anymore.
- That's when...? - That's right.
There was a crater where our house once stood.
It was that day, shortly past 12:00.
The doctor said just this once.
All right.
Andrzej.
Can you hear me?
I...
I love you very much.
Excuse me.
Please leave us alone.
No, please. I won't be a minute.
You refused to pronounce a sentence on my husband.
But I won't let you off that easy. I'm having an abortion in an hour.
I asked you to leave us!
Don't do it.
I don't follow.
Please don't do it.
- Why not? - He's going to die.
How do you know?
Metastasis is accelerating and intensifying.
There's no hope.
Swear to that.
I swear.
Tell me.
You play with the philharmonic?
Yes.
I'd like to come listen sometime.
Please come in.
I'm sorry. You were asleep.
No, just dozing off.
Have a seat.
I wanted to thank you.
It was nothing.
In this case that's really true.
We learned once again it's not X-rays we're treating.
I came back...
from the other side.
Yes.
You know...
it felt as though the world was disintegrating.
Everything grew ugly and grotesque...
as though someone wanted to make sure...
that I wouldn't feel sorry.
But now...
That's right.
I can touch this table.
And what's more...
we're going to have a child.
I'm glad to hear it.
Do you know what that means?
To have a child?
Yes, I do.
Directed by
Cinematography by
Produced by
Music by
Art Direction by
Sound by
Edited by
Digital Restoration by