AKE BERNHARD BORJE DAHLEN HEADMASTER ERIK JOHANES KARIN LEFFLER MARJA MATRON MILTON PIERRE PUPILS PUPIL_FIVE PUPIL_FOUR PUPIL_ONE PUPIL_THREE PUPIL_TWO SILVERHJELM STINA STROMMER TOSSE TRAIN_CONDUCTOR WEGNERT BORJE You think it nk it's unfair. Is that what you mean? Hey! Look at ok at me! Is that what you mean? BORJE Erik! Erik! Erik, wait. I can expl n explain! I can explain! PUPIL TWO No. PUPIL ONE I think do nk do. It's not impossible. PUPIL TWO What will... happen to hi o him now? PUPIL ONE Perhaps he erhaps he'll be expelled. I don't know. PUPIL TWO Do you o you believe that? PUPIL ONE Yes, I think so nk so. It's not impossible. PUPIL THREE He r e really cannot stay. It just not done. PUPIL FOUR (Inaudible) ERIK Does he know? KARIN Not yet. Get in. ERIK What's this? KARIN There is a boarding school in S�rm n S�rmland. Not far from Katrineholm. No one o one knows you there. You can start over and b d become wh e who you're meant to be. And not... ERIK Not what? KARIN Erik, you're a good a good person. Be mindful of that. Promise me that? Promise me that? ERIK I promise... Mom. MARJA No one is bo o one is bo o one is bo o one is born evi n evil. We contain ever n every possibility at birth. Good and evil, and ever d everything in between. We're al e all a result of something. Things we've been ve been through. Things we've seen. Experiences that shape us in us into wh o who we a e are. TRAIN CONDUCTOR Next stop, Stjernsberg! Next stop, Stjernsberg! Next stop, Stjernsberg! MARJA I liked your hair the way it was. Are you going to the boarding school? I ? I could t d tell. Which year? ERIK Str�ngn�s Regiment. I've j e joined the military. MARJA Good lu d luck with that. HEADMASTER We don't usually accept new students in the middle of e of the semester. But your mother convinced t d the board to let you join our school. We expect e expect a lot from our students. Stjernsberg School is built on responsibility, trust, friendship. I hope I will not regret sitting here wi e with you today. ERIK I really hope not. HEADMASTER The ol e older students guide the younger ones. The Students' Council is responsible f e for daily duties, such as cleaning, handing out mail, maintenance wo ce work. We call it peer education. But above all, we e e expect excellent results from our students. ERIK That's fine. That's why I'm here. HEADMASTER Schools talk to ea o each o ch other. I know very well why you're here. I heard that no other schools will accept you. It's up to you how you want to use your time he e here. ERIK I understand. HEADMASTER But if you do finish your studies he es here a e at Stjernsberg, I guarantee you that every door will be open for you. ERIK Not "if". You have my word. HEADMASTER You'll be staying in one n one of the boarding houses. The chairman of the Students' Council will help you p you settle in e in. He's expecting you at Olympus when we n we are done e done here. ERIK Olympus? HEADMASTER That's what we've called it for year and years. Ask for Bernhard von Schrantz. ERIK Thank you. SILVERHJELM Whiskey for the boys. Boys, how are things? DAHLEN Good. SILVERHJELM Dahl�n, he's setting everything up for you. DAHLEN Yes, one can almost believe that. SILVERHJELM Boys, we need to restock the rat poison. Are you e you illiterate, or don't you know what "private" means? ERIK Neither of those things. Erik. SILVERHJELM Otto Si o Silverhielm. Welcome! ERIK I'm looking for Bernhard von Schrantz. SILVERHJELM Hang on. g on. Von Schrantz! BERNHARD Where's your uniform? ERIK In my bag. I've no ve not had the badge pu e put on it yet. BERNHARD At Stjernsberg, we wear our uniforms at all times. Both during cla g classes and when we n we have free time. SILVERHJELM What's he doing? BERNHARD What are you doing now? ERIK I thought you said t d that... BERNHARD Are you e you getting undressed in d in front of the fourth-year students in their sitting room? You ? You're new. But next time Number Wear your uniform. Always wear your uniform. Number Knock. Always knock. ERIK There was nothing to knock on. ock on. BERNHARD Someone needs to get the low grades. Bernhard von Schrantz. Welcome to St o Stjernsberg. Come along. BERNHARD This is the juniors' area, where you e you'll stay. The main bui n building, with cla h classrooms, library, and dining hall. You've al ve already seen Olympus, where the fourth-year students live. You won't see it again until you're four years older, or you mess up. ess up. Wegnert! WEGNERT Von Schrantz! BERNHARD Many students have bee ve been hom n home over the we e weekend and have d have not yet returned. TOSSE Let's close the gap and go f o for contact. Come on now! BERNHARD These are the jocks. Are you like t ke that? ERIK If I do sports? So s? Sometimes. BERNHARD Sports like t ke these? ERIK Mostly swimming. BERNHARD The swi e swimmers have ve -meter pools. Libtard trains the juniors on Thursdays. TOSSE Start! ERIK Libtard? Is that his name? BERNHARD No, but he is one. TOSSE Wait, wait, wait. Wait! Wait for it, I said! Leffler, calm down! You have to... LEFFLER For heaven's sake, that person has hands of butter. TOSSE But he has hands of butter. You need to seek out contact. TOSSE Good. Let's go again, the same thing. Shorter this time. Come on, Leffler! PUPILS Come, Lord Jesus, our guest to be o be And bless t ess these gi se gifts bestowed by Thee Bless our ess our loved ones everywhere And keep them in Thy n Thy loving care Amen. LEFFLER Ponti! You're sitting at my table. That's your chair. ERIK Hello. MILTON Hello. MARJA Is this everyone? LEFFLER Looks li oks like it ke it. MARJA Str�ngn�s, was it? LEFFLER Hey, you. In he n here, we ea e eat what we're served on the pl e plate and nothing else. And dinner is at pm sharp. But since this is your first night, it's okay. Welcome to Stjernsberg. JOHANES Damn. SILVERHJELM What the hell, Johan? Get up. Is your head as lax as your body? Get up. Wasn't that unnecessary? JOHANES Ouch! SILVERHJELM Wait. Wait. Come on e on. JOHANES For heaven's sake, that's enough! SILVERHJELM So. Let go of my hand. JOHANES That was never intended. You can't give me two! SILVERHJELM Can't? Yes ? Yes, I can. Lower your head. JOHANES Ouch! Ouch! MILTON Eat. Don't look, for heaven's sake. Eat. KARIN --. ERIK Hi, it's me. KARIN Hi. It's good of you to cal o call. I've just had a d a cancellation. Hold on d on. There, I'm back. Let's see... Will Monday suit her? Ho ? How are you? ERIK Isn't he at work? KARIN No. He mixed up the days. We're bo e both ho h home this evening. ERIK Is he very angry? KARIN Yes. She knows the scales now es now, but it's difficult when we n we add the left hand. That's when it n it gets a bit hard. ERIK Should I d I call another day? KARIN Like I ke I said... I have two free appointments on Monday. Perhaps that could work out? ERIK Can I call you then? KARIN Yes, if it works for you. That's what I can offer this week. I need to go o go, my husband is expecting a g a call. ERIK I'm sorry, mother. That's all I wanted to say. I'm sorry. KARIN Right, that's fine. Thank you for your call. PIERRE Are you e you Ponti? Hi ? Hi. Pierre... Tanguy. Do you like classical music? ERIK No, not really. PIERRE I'm used to being on my own. What music do you listen to? ERIK Whatever I can get my hands on. ds on. Elvis. Tommy Steele. That kind of music. PIERRE Right. We'll have to put up wi p with each h each other, then. ERIK I guess so. Erik. PIERRE Pierre. Like I ke I've said. Have you gotten away with that all day? ERIK How did you d you learn to do that? PIERRE Mom died when I was young. Someone had to do it. ERIK Can I ask you something? A ? A boy was hi as hit on the head at d at dinner. PIERRE So I heard. JOHANES. A pep. ERIK A pep. PIERRE To further motivation. I've had a e had a e had a few of those. ERIK Why? PIERRE It's part of the deal. Don't take it personally. Just accept it without arguing. ERIK What if I argue o e or hit back? PIERRE Section . n . Violence aga ce against a council member leads to immediate expulsion from school. So up. o up. Yes, in. ERIK Thank you. PIERRE So. You're a e a real Stjernsberg boy now. Can I ask you... How come you started in m n mid- semester? DAHLEN Inspection! ERIK What's going on? SILVERHJELM Ponti, don't argue. Tanguy wi uy will explain t n that you need t d to stay calm whilst we ar e are doing this. SILVERHJELM (Inaudible) DAHLEN (Inaudible) ERIK What are you doing? PIERRE Erik! ERIK What's going on? SILVERHJELM Don't argue, Ponti. Hidden unde n under the mattress! DAHLEN What the hell? SILVERHJELM I thought juniors aren't allowed to smoke. ERIK Mine? Ut ? Utter rubbish. What the hell? I just came... SILVERHJELM Language, Ponti. Language! We don't speak like t ke that at Stjernsberg. Did I hear a protest among the invectives? Huh? ERIK I'm just saying that cigarette isn't mine. SILVERHJELM Oh yeah h yeah. LEFFLER Really? SILVERHJELM I believe we a e are bei e being told of d off. DAHLEN Yes, it seems like that. SILVERHJELM Whose is it, then? Is someone else staying in here? What? Hello? Hello! Hello? Hello! Who could it be? No! What? N ? No? No one? o one? I think we nk we're back at square one e one, Ponti. PIERRE It's mine. SILVERHJELM Tanguy. Don't get involved. You don't even smoke. PIERRE Sometimes I do. I made a m a mistake. It's stupid. That one is mine. ERIK No, it's not at all. PIERRE Yes, it really is. ERIK No. SILVERHJELM What will it be? Is it yours or his? Well? ERIK The cur e current situation implies t es that it belongs to us both. SILVERHJELM Ponti, you shouldn't be so dam o damn cocky. You'll be summoned to the Council tomorrow. Both of you. Got it? Lads... Clean t n this place up. It looks like hel ke hell. We lo e look a ok after our things here at Stjernsberg. DAHLEN Thanks! SILVERHJELM Ponti, good old hone d honesty goes a es a long wa g way. DAHLEN We'll see you tomorrow. AKE An hone n honest breadwinner is hard to find these days. Did I tell you? You ? Your previous boss came in again wi n with cli h clients. When he ordered wine for them for the fifth time, I couldn't stay silent. I said "Look carefully at this bottle. You'll see it again - in hi n his invoice." AKE What have we ve we told you? No el o elbows on the table! I should be d be able t e to keep order around my own t n table. We'll talk after dinner, the two of us. KARIN What did t d they say about the wine? AKE You know me. I said it d it with a h a smile. They all laughed and gave d gave me a e a kronor tip wh p when they left. They are so di so dim that don't even realize wh ze when they're bei e being despised. AKE Only the best. Rich pa ch parents who think their kids w ds will be famous pianists because t se they practice scales for you. Beautiful? Li ? Like hel ke hell. KARIN I've always li ays liked music. AKE Do you o you call that music? This... This is music. KARIN Sometimes you need to take the rough with the smooth. Right? KARIN No, thanks. I am good. I'll be too tired tomorrow. AKE You're no e not going anywhere. KARIN But it's late. KARIN Where are you going? AKE I'm going to talk to E o Erik. Since our evening is over? KARIN Let's change rooms. He might hear us. ERIK Hush... AKE Go ahea o ahead and sleep. I didn't mean to wake you. KARIN It's school tomorrow. AKE Sleep is ear p is ear p is earned. AKE Haven't you undressed? We didn't finish our sh our chat, you and I. Mm? So ? So we c e can't go to bed o bed yet. AKE There. AKE Friends again. ERIK Friends again. AKE Clean t n that off the wall. It looks like hel ke hell. Good night. STROMMER Good morning, Ponti! We're discussing English- speaking writers, you might have missed that. What's your contribution? ERIK Oscar Wilde. STROMMER Let's start with decent writers before discussing pederasts. ERIK Have you read Do d Dorian Gray, sir? STROMMER We pick our literature carefully here at Stjernsberg. So I haven't. Ponti, have you? e you? ERIK In that case Absolutely not. STROMMER No. So gay o gay literature is all the rage where you're from? Take a ke a seat. More suggestions? No s? No one? PIERRE George Orwell. STROMMER Excellent. Good e d example. Can you see what these writer e writers have in co n common? PIERRE Hang on! g on! Hang on! Do y o you always r ays run this fast? I can't do this. I can't do this. ERIK Sorry. We just have one more left. We can take a break. I think better when I n I run. PIERRE Just let it go. Why do you car u care about JOHANES? ERIK I don't. But... What did the teachers do in the dining hall? They saw ? They saw ? They saw it all, but just sat there. PIERRE You know what? I need a br a break. Come on e on. ERIK I'll be damned. PIERRE I can't help what I find in nature. ERIK It was rigged. That cigarette, and you know it too. PIERRE Of course, it was. ERIK Summoned to the Council... Who do Who do they think they ar ey are? PIERRE Alright. I get it. I was li as like you when I was new. Let's find someone who has the final control point and co d copy it py it, so we so we are done with this nasty business. MARJA I'm not completely sure, but I don't think this is Str�ngn�s. Am I allowed to speak t ak to this soldier? Or are you e you on a secret mission? I ? In that case, you should a d avoid s d smoke signals that the enemy can see. PIERRE What? STINA We could smell the smoke f e from the hill. Just so you know u know. MARJA You should hi d hide further into the woods, for the sake of ke of our country. ERIK We'll keep that in mind. PIERRE Do you o you know her? ERIK What's her name? PIERRE Marja. She's a member of staff and three years older than us n us. Try to learn the rules bef es before you break them. Come o e on. Come on e on. ERIK Come on. Let's go! ERIK Article ? A e ? A e ? Are you e you kidding? PIERRE No. Article e Students aren't allowed to fraternize wi e with s h staff serving food. ERIK "Fraternize"? PIERRE I know. But it's not a joke. Do that, and you d you'll be expelled right away. Do you think I am joking? Don't you want to be here? LEFFLER Miss. What is the main course today? ERIK Believe me, I have to be o be here. PIERRE In that case you must trust me. LEFFLER Miss. Is there roast pork today? PIERRE You need to la o lay low. It's as simpl as simple a e as that. LEFFLER What's today's main cou n course? PIERRE Learn that, and the wait for this to be over will be shorter. LEFFLER Is it roasted pork? SILVERHJELM Yes, it looks great. DAHLEN Will we get e get gravy? ERIK Where's the limit regarding "fraternizing"? PIERRE It's where al e all the limits are. Between the fourth-year students and the rest of us. LEFFLER What the hell?! MARJA Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Allow me. DAHLEN The gr e gravy is here. LEFFLER It's enough. Goddamnit. STINA -. MATRON Are you e you trying to have me f e fired, or yourself? MARJA I just dropped it. BERNHARD The f e following students are t e to meet the Council after dinner. Karl�n, Sandstr�m, Ragnarsson, Videgren, Jibestrand, Tanguy and P d Ponti. Did I say that we're done? The ? The Council has learned that a st a student here is e is trying to in o involve ext ve external parties in in n internal business. Meaning someone has e has called their mother. And Mother has complained t d to the Headmaster. Do I need to r o remind you that we focus on us on peer education? We sol e solve ou ve our conflicts internally, between the parties conce es concerned. Otto? JOHANES You can't... What the hell? BERNHARD Right, we're done e done. Please eat e eat. PIERRE The box. e box. JOHANES is challenged t d to the box. ERIK The box? e box? PIERRE You've seen ve seen Silverhielm's shoulders. He swims three times per week since he started here and has won every championship. A guy like Joha ke JOHANES n S won't last five minutes. ERIK What are the rules? PIERRE You need to de o defend you d yourself like a ke a gentleman until you have been beaten enough, and then crawl out on your knees to ask o ask for mercy. ERIK Why would he d he even show up? PIERRE Or he'll be a rat forever. Believe me, that's a lot worse than ge n getting beaten up. We need to go. Erik, it's p pm. If we're not e not there, we can e can't go home ove e over the weekend. They'll cancel our leave and gi d give us ve us detention. SILVERHJELM Ponti. BERNHARD Welcome, Ponti. Back at Olympus already. Sit. ERIK You've moved the furniture a e around. BERNHARD Let's start the proceedings. What's your defense? ERIK I think you nk you're supposed to pr o present the charge first before I defend myself. BERNHARD But you know why you're here. ERIK Let's be honest... I'm here becau e because I'm new, right? Just ? Just say it like it ke it is and tell me what to d o do, so we so we can get out of here m e much faster. BERNHARD So? ERIK I'm here becau e because a se a cigarette was found under my bed du d during a search. BERNHARD That wasn't too hard. What do you say? Do we ha e have enou ve enough for a verdict? ERIK Won't you hear my side of things first? BERNHARD What side of things does mr Ponti wish t sh to present? ERIK Firstly, it wasn't my cigarette. BERNHARD So the accused blames his roommate? ERIK No, that's not what I said. I just said i d it wasn't mine. SILVERHJELM What's wrong wi g with you, Ponti? BERNHARD Right. Let's look at the facts. ERIK By all means. BERNHARD You omit that the room where the find was made is shared with Pierre Tanguy. Correct? ERIK "Admit." But otherwise, correct. BERNHARD Sorry? ERIK "Omit" isn't the right word. BERNHARD You say the cigarette i e isn't yours, but you won't blame Tanguy. ERIK Correct. BERNHARD Please expl se explain t n this to me. Did the cigarette just crawl into your room on its own? ERIK Does that seem likely? It wouldn't even oc n occur... SILVERHJELM God damn i n it, Bernhard! Are you e you arguing with the Council? ERIK We're just looking at different possibilities. We are a cou a court of justice. SILVERHJELM There's no "we" in t n this. You're just a junior rat. And we d we... are deciding the punishment. BERNHARD All right... I assume you e you realize t ze that a cig a cigarette ca e can't crawl there on its own. That leaves two possibilities. Will you frame you e your roommate? Or will you confess? ERIK There's also the aggravating circumstance that no one saw e saw the cigarette until the judge was holding it. SILVERHJELM Hm. ERIK Technically, he might have put ve put it there. BERNHARD Do you o you think you nk you're more trustworthy than a pupi a pupil in year n year four? ERIK You wanted to lo o look at the f e facts. I just wanted to raise t se the question. BERNHARD So you' o you're impl e implying that the real culprit is Otto Silverhielm? Do ? Do i understand you d you correctly? ERIK It would be d be stupid o d of me to impl o imply that. I just wanted t d to raise the question. SILVERHJELM Bernard, could we d we have a ver a verdict? BERNHARD I sense we hav e have reached a ve a verdict. SILVERHJELM Correct. LEFFLER Yes. BERNHARD There's no point in di n discussing this further. The C e Council sentences Ponti to one we e weekend for tobacco use and se and one we e weekend for insubordination. ERIK Question Could I get one m e more? It's nearly springtime when the leaves w ves will come out here and t d that... BERNHARD I suggest you stop before you e you go too far. How about that? That's it. You know where the door is. KARIN I'm glad you like it ke it there. I think you nk you should s d stay a ay away f ay for a while unt e until he's calmed down. ERIK Yes. What's he saying about it all? KARIN We don't talk about it. ERIK What's he saying about me? Does he know? KARIN We don't talk about that either. I miss having you here, but I'm so happy they accep ey accepted you. You know... Sometimes you get a second chance in li n life. But you need to take the chance when you n you get it. Right, Erik? ERIK Hey, I think so nk something's happening. I need to go now. KARIN Happening? ERIK Yes, a contest at the sports field. KARIN I'm glad you're havi e having fun. ERIK Yes, mother. We'll talk again soon. DAHLEN Will he show up? SILVERHJELM I think so nk so. DAHLEN Oh. Look! SILVERHJELM JOHANES! Welcome to the box. e box. Come on in. Come on. e on. LEFFLER I hereby dub you, JOHANESigurdsson, a rat. PUPIL ONE Rat. LEFFLER I hereby dub you, Otto Si o Silverhielm, a punishment prefect. SILVERHJELM Thank you. Thank you. LEFFLER Defend you efend yourselves li ves like g ke gentlemen or crawl out of the box and a d ask for mercy. Understood? PUPIL TWO Come on, Otto! LEFFLER May the best man win. DAHLEN Come on now! PUPILS Yes! ERIK So the idiot's fighting in a watch and a d a necktie? SILVERHJELM I'll let you start. Come on. Give me a e a black e ack eye, I deserve it. JOHANES No. SILVERHJELM Yes, come on e on. Here, right there. DAHLEN Hit him, Johan! SILVERHJELM Come on! Use your force. PUPIL ONE Come on! Hit him. PUPILS Oh! PUPIL THREE Go for it, goddamn. JOHANES Oh! PUPIL ONE Come on! Johan, that's good! PUPIL THREE Johan, punch hi h him on the mouth! PUPIL ONE Yes, punch away. PUPIL FOUR Damn rat! PUPIL THREE Rat! PUPILS Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! PIERRE Erik? Erik! k? Erik! PUPILS Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! Rat! SILVERHJELM Get up. Get up. There. We'll do it one more time, and you won't need to b o be a e a rat for the rest of your life. Alright? Hands up. ds up. Keep you p your guard up. LEFFLER Johan, show that you are a e a man. PUPIL TWO Now, come on. DAHLEN Johan, well done. PUPIL ONE Come on! DAHLEN Johan, come on! SILVERHJELM Come on. You'll get one more punch. Go for it. One more punch e punch. Hit hard. DAHLEN Kill him. PUPILS Yes! PUPIL ONE Come on now! PUPILS Yes! Yes! JOHANES, JOHANES, n S, JOHANES, JOHANES, JOHANES, JOHANES, JOHANES, JOHANES, JOHANES, JOHANES, JOHANES! n S! PUPILS Yes! PUPIL TWO Hit him! PUPILS Yes! PUPIL TWO Hit! Hit him! PUPIL ONE Come on, Otto! LEFFLER Are you e you a rat, or? DAHLEN Crawl, Johan. PUPILS Crawl! Crawl! PUPIL FIVE Johan, come on. PUPILS Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl! MARJA No one is bo o one is bo o one is bo o one is born evil. We contain ever n every possibility at birth. Good and evil, and ever d everything in between. DAHLEN Johan ! MARJA All we can e can do is see the evil around us. See and try to resist.