Signs of Life (Lebenszeichen) (Lebenszeichen)

SIGNS OF LIFE

Actors -

Sound -

Written, directed & produced by Werner Herzog

What's the matter?

It's so hot!

Bring him over there.

He's almost dead.

Four weeks after the parachutist Stroszek

was transferred to Crete, -

- he was wounded and had to be withdrawn from battle.

He and another soldier had been shot at

by partisans in the west, -

near the town of Chania.

It occurred during a lull in the fighting, -

- in a village held by the Germans.

After convalescence,

Stroszek was sent to Cos in the Dodekanes.

On that island, there had been no fighting.

It was peaceful there.

A helpful officer sought to find a post -

- where Stroszek could spend the rest of the war

- without seeing any more action.

The occupation of the island was peaceful, -

- and only required a garrison of 60.

Stroszek was separated from the main garrison -

- and stationed in the old fortress.

H is Greek wife, Nora, and two other soldiers -

lived together with him there.

A previous guard informed them about their duties.

The only entrance, which could be reached by a bridge, -

had to be kept locked at night.

Parts of the town had been destroyed several times by earthquakes.

As a result, old relics were often found under the ruins.

The Venetians began to use relics

to fill in the walls of the fortress.

After the walls were finished, -

this was no longer possible.

There was an am m unition depot in the main courtyard -

- which was abandoned by the Greeks and had to be guarded -

- even though the Germans couldn't use it in their own weapons.

Guarding this was their only real task.

The living-quarters were located

in a newer building in the fortress.

There, the still incom plete m useum

and the house of the restorer -

- had been requisitioned by the army.

The surroundings had a strange effect on Stroszek, -

- but he could find no explanation for this.

However, the others adapted themselves quickly to the place.

Stroszek had tried his hand at various jobs without success.

At one time, he had been a salesman.

But he had always wanted to em igrate to Canada or Australia.

Then he thought of going to Chile, -

since he knew a fam ily there.

Nora nursed him in the hospital.

Stroszek had been granted special perm ission to marry her.

What a shame that the people had to leave all their belongings behind.

The household crockery, their little pictures.

How touching it all is.

And now we are making ourselves comfortable here.

Do you understand me?

If this war goes on m uch longer, -

we'll spend a long time here.

If the war lasts very long, -

I m ight have a baby here.

The words are hard to read because they run into each other.

It's beautiful.

Becker had often m issed school because of illness.

Still, he passed his exams with the highest marks.

When war came, stronger men were found unfit for service.

He passed his physical, but soon fell ill after he was drafted.

Meinhard was formerly a bar-keeper, -

- until one of his customers was killed in a brawl.

He then became a crane-operator.

It paid better anyway.

Everything's full of oil here.

Here everything's full of oil.

Salad in oil, fish in oil, meat, -

machine-gun in oil.

What a shitty country!

Empty, no ammunition.

Are we supposed to shoot with grease?

Okay, I'll get it.

I couldn't fix a decent meal today.

Salt and other things are m issing.

We have wine instead.

No thanks, not for me.

It tastes like turpentine.

Dammit!

This place is full of roaches.

They're not harmful.

They are the most repulsive things on earth.

They don't even bite.

It's not that.

They snap and pop all night long, just like this.

Just like that all night.

Becker, listen, I've got it.

The trap has to be placed against the wall, -

- since the roaches always keep running along the walls.

It works like this. Look!

The roach runs up this board or ram p -

- until it arrives at this trap, -

- which moves at the slightest touch.

Then it falls into the funnel, -

either this way or that way.

It should be baited, but with what?

What do you think they eat, sugar?

One could try it.

Stroszek volunteered from the beginning for sentry duty at night.

The lights in town were never put out at night.

He loved to sit facing the town -

- in order to show the world that he was still functional.

Everyplace else had been bom bed: only this place was spared.

Stroszek thought that he could detect a kind of anticipation in the town -

- which somehow attracted him and seemed to offer him a challenge.

U nbelievable!

There really are roaches in here!

There are even two of them!

I know I've got some insecticide somewhere.

This is the right seasoning.

That's what they get -

for being so repulsive.

Do we have turpentine or something?

The brushes are getting sticky, we can throw them away soon.

Maybe hot water would work.

Are you crazy?

Gasoline.

Gas would do the job.

I'll pick some up when I go in town.

I can mail the letters too.

Those dam ned idiots, -

- loading me down with a whole can.

And in this heat.

Dam m it!

That's what I say about it.

Regulations!

T o hell with them.

You took long enough.

I'm almost finished.

What do you mean, long?

You just can't reason with those idiots from supply.

I tell them I want a little gas.

They say they haven't got any.

So I had to take a whole can.

That's regulations for you.

H urry up.

I can't take this fiddling around m uch longer.

We've only been here two weeks, -

- and in two days we won't have any more work.

In 2 days we can twiddle our thumbs.

You are always napping anyway.

Don't be angry.

All work doesn't have to go so fast.

Here are peaches.

Not peashes, but peaches.

Please take seat.

I'll make my round on the bike.

I'm not the best guard.

There's hardly any goat's m ilk.

So we have to drink black coffee.

- Aha. - Aha, what?

I've always said -

- that goat's m ilk is shit; it tastes like he-goat.

Besides, she doesn't give any m ilk.

Maybe we should sell her.

Who would buy her?

She's as old as Methuselah.

The founders probably brought her.

A pity.

I imagined everything to be so nice.

A goat that gives milk, hens that lay eggs.

I imagined a pretty little garden.

But this place is too dry for that.

Well, Becker, what's up?

Has the goat given any m ilk?

Found any eggs?

No, but there's a strange fellow outside the gate.

He wants to come in.

Do we know him, or what?

No idea; he says he's a king.

A king?

He must have a screw loose.

He's well-mannered.

Let's have a look at him.

Although the isolation of the fortress weighed on them, -

the appearance of a stranger -

- was felt as a violation of a domain which had to be defended.

Excuse the disturbance.

I think I'd better leave.

I didn't realize that soldiers were here.

I hope that I didn't disturb you.

Would you like to have some coffee?

No, please don't bother.

I had intended to ask this gentleman whether I could spend the night here.

I'm a stranger in this country.

There would be room enough.

No, this is military territory.

Actually, we have no objections.

Excuse my curiosity, but where do you come from?