The Shop on Main Street (Obchod na korze) (Obchod na korze)

After Hitler occupied Czechoslovakia and declared the region

the Slovak Republic, the Jewish persecution policy

was adopted by the Tiso regime.

On the eve of 1942

Tony!

Tony!

Tony, are you at home?

Tony! Where are you?

Did you take the trough to Mrs. Firic?

Do you know how many tons of ships the British sunk today?

What?

Or were British ships sunk?

And did she pay you?

Well, I told her: "Mrs. Firic,

you can be sure that a trough made by me is waterproof."

And the money?

Is that all?

- She gave me a pair of pigeons. - What a bargain!

Do you think I can pay my bill at the grocer's with the pigeons?

Put your tools away!

Are you asleep, or what? Are you listening?

Tony! What are you gawking at over there?

I'm putting the tools away.

Did you see the lovely structure going up on the square?

The height of it! And so many people around it.

The whole town talks of nothing else.

Even little Tibie is working at the site,

I even saw old lame Frank there, even Dzurilla, and Kamenicky.

That's nonsense... you don't understand anything.

I don't understand?

Didn't I tell you: they are building the monument

without even Mr. Brtko's help? And there it is!

The hell they are! I wonder where they got the money from.

The money? Just go and see for yourself!

I'll go when I feel like going.

Of course, you know best.

You are too stuck-up to go and see your own brother-in-law.

Tell Mark, others are fighting at the front.

Let me help. You'll make lots of money.

- We could live well. - To hell with Mark!

You'd be sick to use the Fascist greeting, what?

I am not a parrot.

You think your arm would go numb if you raised it in greeting?

At your service, madam!

Everybody else is smarter than you!

- Shut up! - What?

The workshop!

It's a waste of time talking to you! As if you were deaf...

Essenc! Come on!

Where are you going now?

Dress myself to look real smart, for my beloved, my sweetheart

To hell with her... she keeps ordering me about.

Go to town - go! Go to the workshop - go!

Nothing but go, go, go!

Look who's here! Run away, Essenc, no!

Gloria in Excelsis Deo! Amen

Hello, Mr. Blumenfeld!

Good day to you!

Essenc! Where's your master?

Hey, Tony! Now what's wrong? Are you cross with me?

- I'm in a hurry. - You're always in a hurry!

Come... I want to have a word with you!

That wooden monument won't run away!

You know what I mean.

It's a dirty job... I have only one arm and one soul -

but I advise you, most sincerely,

keep your hands off that dirty business! Fascist politics.

Geza, I left my money at home.

Essenc! Beg nicely!

Well, that's nice! Here.

Slowly! Slowly! Over to the right!

Welcome, Brtko!

Hey, boss! Did you come to give us a hand?

You can do your work alone!

Have you come to inspect the work, Tony?

Just a little... good afternoon, Mr. Kuchar!

And what do you think of our wooden "Tower of Babylon?"

Nice job! You won't find another one like it.

By tomorrow, we'll be able to stretch our hands out

and touch the stars!

You are joking, Mr. Kuchar!

I am not... I don't want to risk my pension.

There's nothing new under the sun, my friend.

There were Pharaohs - and pyramids before.

- Who? - Pharaohs!

But it's all ashes now... and only shame is left.

These are serious things, Mr. Kuchar.

Yes, very serious, very.

Take 50 cubic meters of wood at 1500 crowns

that is three times five.

Yes, but people get good wages!

Don't you?... You are a skilled carpenter, aren't you?

Yes... but I have a nagging wife.

Remember, Mr. Kuchar, when I made that gate for you?

What I need right now are some good materials.

His Excellency is coming! Have you been waiting for him, Tony?

I'd better go now!

What are you running away for? Wait.

Are you scared of your own brother-in-law?

He can go to the devil - my own brother-in-law.

Hold on! If you wait long enough, you may see the day!

Look how fat he's grown.

All those pig-slaughters and the good wine!

He's as fat as a bishop! Never mind a bishop?

An archbishop! The local god.

To me he is the same as ever. A good-for-nothing loafer -

the big shot commander!

If I had a brother-in-law like him,

I'd get a cushy job myself.

Well, smile at him! Smile, will you?

Well - what is it?

Laudatur!

Essenc!

We are going!

What have I ever done to deserve such a husband?

Move off, you beast - you are as bad as your master!

Shut up!

Good evening!

What - cat got your tongue?

Rosie!

Here you are, Tony! Some medicine for you! Catch!

Oh, God!

Just look at him!

Help! Help! The deluge! Save your souls!

Now look what he's done... just like a baby.

So what? Splashing about like a child, splashing.

You do have funny ideas, Mark!

Forgive this mess - I'll clean it up right away.

Don't stand like a statue in the puddle!

Let's have a rag and a broom, hurry up! A rag!

I don't want you to do that!

I told him not to soak his feet in the kitchen but in the yard

but he just won't listen.

Here! And wipe it well! Rosie, my dear.

All this work is our fault.

Of course not! That's nothing.

I always said to Tony: Watch out, blood is thicker than water.

What's all the fuss about! Look what I've got! Look!

You've never seen so much food in your life.

Like in the delicatessen's shop window!

But that's nothing, Evelyn.

Mark came home from the office and said:

Hurry up, Rosie, we're going out to visit people.

I said, visit whom? Tony and Evelyn, he said.

We can't put it off any longer.

Of course he didn't have to ask me twice!

Hell and damnation, we forgot the caviar at home!

Rum!

Hurry up, Tony, get the glasses! From the sideboard!

We shouldn't have come without the caviar!

What a thing to do! We shouldn't have!

Let me see your hat. Did you buy it

at the Modiste's on main street? So beautiful!

Hey, look! It's a fire!

Christ! Water... get water, quickly!

Tony, don't just dance around!

Bravo, Tony, bravo... you'll make a fine fireman!

Well, my dears... Our time has come at last!

We've got good times, plenty of food and drink,

thank God, and our freedom too.

Let's live in peace and unity, as befits an honorable and

decent family! Let's drink to that!

Isn't he sweet?

Well said, Mark!

Long live our wives!

Well, Tony? Shall we drink another glass?

Pour it out and let's drink to your carpenter Patron Saint!

There's an old saying that two glasses help you sing,

three help you to embrace and five help you to quarrel.

Let's forget it, Tony! What's past is past,

let's drown it in rum, Slivovitz or Terkelitz...

Whatever you want!

And we'll be happier than we ever were! Cheers!

Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!

Tony, do we have to beg you on our knees?

Aren't you drinking, Tony?

Drink it up, or you'll make me cross...

I am all right... I even feel like drinking.

What did you say that old saying was... with the... glasses?

I can't even remember.

- Three glasses help you what? - To sing.

Yes... well, let's drink the way our fathers did before us.

Only I guess they didn't have much. They were poor

but we are rich and get richer!

Bottoms up!

I keep blowing my whistle... dad has a right to squeeze mum.

I keep blowing my whistle...

I'll squeeze you too when we are wed

Rosie, my dear, how are we ever going to pay you back?

Sit down, stop showing off!

Stop showing off!

Wait! Now I'm going to tell you.

Why don't you leave him? Let him talk, he's charming!

Come on, Tony, say it, don't mind her!

We are a free country now. You can speak!

I won't if you order me to!

Stop it, Tony!

But my dear Tony, say what you've got to say,

that's what we are here for! You have the floor! Speak!

I have the floor - whether you want to or not, you know?