THE lLLlTERATES
1:50:50 (do vrhunca)
l'm glad we could meet here. lt saves time.
- lt's not exactly cosy. - But suitable for divorce matters.
Here's the agreement, word for word as we decided.
- Then l don't need to read it. - Always read before signing.
- Don't look so grumpy. - l'm not grumpy.
Here's the list of our joint property and its distribution.
lt's just a list, it doesn't require a signature.
You get Granny's clock? That must be a mistake.
- But she left it to me. - l don't recall that.
lf you're so attached to it keep it, but it is mine.
You're always right, aren't you? Take the damn clock!
- Check that l haven't fleeced you. - Your sarcasm is wasted on me.
l have such a miserable cold.
What do you say to a glass of fine old brandy?
Yes, l think we should have one now.
Egerman gave me a bottle.
Some grateful Parisian colleagues gave him a whole case. Cheers!
Not bad, huh? l like it.
l don't care for brandy as a rule, but this is nice.
l feel better already.
lt's rough all the same.
- Getting divorced. - lt's just paperwork.
We've been living apart for ages and we're in agreement,
but feelings of guilt linger on.
lt's strange... Johan?
- What? - lt's strange.
On my way over l was determined not to cry.
You said you felt guilty.
Let's go and sit on the sofa instead.
Put the lights out, the glare is ghastly.
How can you work in such a bleak room?
The sofa isn't very comfortable either.
lf you put your feet up, it's fine.
- More brandy? - Yes, please.
- Comfy? - Very.
- ls this whole place empty? - There's a nightwatchman.
How nice!
- l just think it's nice. - Nothing's nice with a cold.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You're not going to die. Cheers!
- This gets better and better. - Aren't you in good spirits!
To be honest, l'm in love.
- With that David person? - No, that's over.
Give me a kiss.
- But l'm ill. - l never catch your germs.
Give me a kiss, l want you to.
- Was it what you expected? - Much better.
Now, put your hand on my breast.
- Are you seducing me? - That's right.
Right here on the carpet. Right now.
Doesn't that sound fun?
You look suspicious. Afraid of the nightwatchman?
We're still married, after all.
Come, lie on top of me.
People should make love on the floor more often.
- Lock the door. - No one will walk in on us.
- l'm kind of a prude. - Just in case the watchman comes.
- He might be eavesdropping. - No, he's doing his rounds.
ls it wise to take your trousers off with that cold?
- You can warm me. - So you don't freeze your thing...
Poor baby, you're so miserable...
lt's lovely being kissed by you.
l enjoy it so...
What if...?
Shut your eyes,
or l'll feel self-conscious.
Put your hands on my hips.
That's nice...
What if the watchman walked in now?
He could join us. We're liberated.
Let's stay here all night...
...and just drink and make love.
Tomorrow, we'll file our divorce papers.
A penny for your thoughts.
l'm not telling.
- Are you hungry? - l always am.
What about a steak tartare and some beer?
You're not supposed to take me out.
l'm in Uppsala with my students.
Poor Paula!
ln that case, l'd love to dine with you.
- Where's the bathroom? - Down the corridor, to the left.
1:58:44 (do dna)
Let's sign these papers and go out and celebrate.
Pay tribute to a long and happy marriage.
l think l'll take them home with me.
Why do an about-face now?
You said yourself to read things through before signing them.
Let's read it through from A to Z,
so you see that l haven't cheated you.
- Why are you so upset? - l'm not. Let's get moving.
- You look pissed off to me. - l am, but l'll control myself.
Like l always do when l'm subjected to your whims.
Can we end this boring discussion?
lt's late and tomorrow's a work day.
- Don't you want to have supper? - No, thank you.
l'm grateful for the favours bestowed on me.
- Talk about whims... - Now look here, Johan!
lt's pointless even trying to discuss this now.
Let's stuff these into an envelope, then you can take them home.
Then you and Paula can pore over the wording
to see that l haven't screwed you.
- What's going on? - Nothing.
We were good friends a minute ago.
Don't forget Eva's birthday.
- Do l usually? - No, because l always remind you.
Could you pay for her trip to France?
- How much is that? - 2,000 krona.
That's out of the question!
- Then let your mother pay. - l've borrowed too much as it is.
l've just paid for Karin's orthodontist.
- Doesn't she have free dental care? - She refuses to go to that place.
Eva will have to cancel her trip.
lt won't hurt her to learn that she can't have everything.
She's too damned spoilt and ill-mannered!
- Mother was appalled last week. - Your mother told you that?
Well, Eva is at a difficult age.
Don't let the girls rule the roost.
l have their complete confidence
and for that l'm grateful.
l couldn't care less about petty details like manners.
l can't afford the trip. Tell her that.
- Tell her yourself. - Why? You have custody.
l merely fork out huge sums for child support,
leaving me high and dry.
You and l were born
with silver spoons in our mouths.
We've squandered our resources,
leaving us poor, bitter, and angry.
However trite, it's the truth:
We're emotional illiterates.
We've been taught about anatomy and African farming methods.
We've learned mathematical formulas by heart.
We haven't been taught a thing about the mind.
We're ignorant about what makes people tick.
That signals the end of my lecture.
More brandy? Then we can decide about supper.
l don't agree with you.
By the way, that job in the US has gone to blazes.
- Not that it matters. - What a shame!
Well, l was pretty disappointed.
There was the usual wheeling and dealing.
First, things were postponed, then there was no money...
Then they sent someone else. That's life. Cheers!
l'll be 45 this summer.
l can expect to live another 30 years...
Viewed objectively, l'm dead weight.
l'll spend the next 20 years being a damn nuisance.
l'm an expensive, unproductive unit
that should be eliminated.
And l'm supposed to be in my prime,
brimming with useful experience!
''But it's: ''''Throw the loser out.''
''Let him rot.''''''
l'm so damn tired.
l hardly know who l am.
Someone spat on me and now l'm drowning in the spittle.
- Am l boring you? - lt's funny...
l wanted to have sex with you today to see if l felt anything.
All l felt was lukewarm affection.
l think l'm breaking free at last.
lt's taken a long time and it's been very painful,
but l'm free of you now and can live my own life.
Allow me to congratulate you.
lt's callous of me to say this when you're having a rough time,
but oddly enough, l don't care.
l've taken your feelings into account far too often.
Being considerate killed our love.
Had l not been sidetracked by guilt,
l'd have known everything we did was wrong.
Remember after Karin was born?
When we couldn't sleep together?
How we put the blame on my two pregnancies.
We concocted many reasons why our lovemaking gave us no pleasure.
Warning lights were flashing all around us,
but we ignored them.
These post-mortems are so pointless.
Your idiotic sarcasm drives me crazy!
Why should you tell me what to think and feel?
Lord, how l hate you!
l often used to think: 'Lord, how l hate her!'
Especially when we made love and l felt your indifference
and when l saw you naked at the bidet afterwards -
washing off the nasty stuff l'd deposited inside you.
l would think: 'l hate her body, the way she moves.'
l should have beaten you.
l wanted to strike down your hard, white resistance,
but we chatted away and talked about how well we got along.
Then why do l enjoy sex now?
- l do everything he asks. - Just you wait.
When you're married to him, you'll do the same thing again.
Your behaviour is deeply rooted.
Then you'll look for a new lover to free you from your loathing.
You're wrong.
There is such a thing as straightforward tenderness.
To say nothing of sensuousness
and physical desire.
For you that's all blocked.
Do you imagine that l didn't suffer when we didn't hit it off?
l'd think: 'ls this misery all there is?'
We'd console ourselves with the thought that sex wasn't everything.
That in other respects, we were happy. Talk about self-deception!
You're forgetting certain things.
Then please enlighten me.
You cashed in on your sex organs.
They became a bargaining chip.
A night of sex for a night of peace.
Good behaviour earned me a lay.
Bad behaviour or criticism
made you withdraw.
You were worse than any whore!
- You would never face the truth. - Some cosmic truth, or your truth?
The way you made me your doormat!
Am l a substitute for your mother?
All that carping about how l neglected the home.
That's a lie!
You heaped guilt on me!
You and your parents!
l felt inadequate at work and at home
and l was a lousy lay as well.
l was hedged in by all the griping and endless demands.
lf l used my sex organs, was that so strange?
l was fighting against hopeless odds:
You, my mother, your parents, and society!
When l think of what l endured, l could scream!
l tell you this: Never again!
You sit there whining about conspiracies.
lt serves you damn well right!
l hope it will be rammed down your throat
that you're a useless parasite.
- You're being utterly grotesque! - You made me that way!
The difference between us is that l fight it!
l intend to face reality just as it is.
lf there's one thing l truly appreciate, it's being alive.
l enjoy overcoming difficulties.
- l don't ask for special allowances. - How nice!
Then we needn't feel sorry for each other.
We're getting quite human.
lt's a pity we ever met in the first place
and decided to live together - what a glorious fiasco!
The sooner we sign the papers, the better.
We'll divide our worldly goods and go our separate ways.
lt was all just a ghastly mistake.
l know what's on your mind.
- You don't want a divorce! - That's absurd!
- Then sign the papers. - All right, l will.
Be honest now... Look at me!
You don't want a divorce, do you?
Well, would that be such a crime?
l concede defeat, is that what you want to hear?
l'm sick of Paula.
l want to come home.
Don't look at me like that.
l'm a failure. l'm going downhill.
l'm scared and rootless.
My timing is all wrong...
- lf you think pity will help... - l'm giving you a straight answer.
l was bound to you in a deeper way than l knew.
l needed our home
and to lead a regular life.
l'm tired of being alone.
Loneliness with Paula is worse than being all alone.
l can't stand either.
l won't go on... Now you know.
Please send a cab to Malmrosgatan 45.
Want a lift? You really shouldn't drive.
- l'll stay here for a while. - Please don't brood.
lt's none of your business!
- l want you to stay. - But l don't want to.
You're tired and drunk. Let me go.
- l don't want you to go. - Don't be ridiculous.
We've never behaved like this. Give me the key.
l don't give a damn what you say.
Your orderly mind is reeling.
''''''What do l do now?''''''
''''''Has he gone mad?''''''
''''''ls he going to beat me?''''''
You're quite a riot, actually.
Then why aren't you laughing?
You look scared to me.
Let me cancel the cab...
What for?
They only wait around for 10 minutes or so.
Sit down and take it easy.
- This will take quite a while. - Fine...
- So, what do you want to say? - Nothing.
- l want to look at you. - Go ahead.
l might have expected this.
l've often warned wives in the process of a divorce
against spending time alone with their husbands.
Yet here l am.
Shut your mouth!
l'm not afraid, l couldn't care less what you do.
- Shut up, l said! - You maniac!
Give me the key, l'll go and wash off this blood.
l'm not letting you out.
- You arsehole! - You bitch!
l'll show you!
l could kill you! l could kill you!
Oh, Marianne...
Listen, are you all right?
l guess l've only myself to blame...
Will you give me the key now?
- Shall l help you? - No, don't come near me.
Post je objavljen 31.01.2016. u 23:55 sati.