Black Death

This film contains some violent scenes and very strong language.

BIRDS SQUAWK

OWL HOOTS

'The fumes of the dead

'hung in the air like poison.

'A plague more cruel and more pitiless than war

'had descended upon us,

'a pestilence that would leave

'half our kingdom dead.

'Where did it come from?

'What carried its germ?

'The priests told us it was God's punishment.

'For what sin, what commandment

'must we break that would earn this?

'No, we knew the truth.

'This was not God's work,

'but devilry or witchcraft.

'And our task -

'to hunt down a demon as God's cure.'

BELL TOLLS

Brother Thomas!

Brother Thomas!

-Who was taken from us?

-Brother Ignatius.

-Was it the pestilence?

-We have not been told.

I have no signs.

Please, Brother, let me out.

DOOR BANGS

< Please help us.

Averill.

Osmund.

Thanks be to God you're safe.

-Where have you been?

-I was confined.

They thought I was sick.

-I thought you were dead.

-I'm all right.

-I prayed for you. I prayed all the time.

-Shh.

I'm all right. Shh.

I've brought food.

One of our brothers...

he died this morning, Averill.

Even the monastery is no longer safe.

You must go now.

You must go back to Dentwich Forest

and you must hide there till this has passed.

On Sunday, the prior said the pestilence

was God's new purge sent to wash away our sins.

-Is God punishing us?

-No, no.

But you must go now.

You must go back to Dentwich.

You must go.

-Osmund, I...

-Averill, you'll die.

And you will not?

Come with me.

But if I leave the monastery now, I would betray God.

We have already betrayed him.

You know the Martyr's Cross at Dentwich Forest?

I will wait for you there

every morning at dawn for one week.

And then I will be gone.

Forgive me, Father. I'm confused.

I confess I'm torn.

Can I serve you outside of these walls?

I would leave here,

but I would never stray from your grace, Father.

Show me your will.

Father, give me a sign.

BELL TOLLS

I am Ulric, envoy to the bishop.

What I say now does not leave these walls.

Word has reached the bishop

of a village that does not suffer as the rest of you.

They say it is a sanctuary from the pestilence.

There are many villages

that have not been ravaged yet by the pestilence.

It is claimed these villagers

are beyond death's icy grasp.

Then they are gravely mistaken.

These are difficult times.

Such claims, however fantastical,

can find favour with those less educated than you or I.

Precisely why we cannot fall foul

of rumour and superstition.

God's grip on his people is loosened.

We must ensure the flock is not tempted

to look beyond God and Church for answers.

I must see for myself how this village is kept safe.

What part have we in this?

The village I seek lies in the Great Marsh.

I require a guide,

a man of God, to show the way.

No man here fit for such a task.

With the bishop's blessing I may choose any man here.

Out of respect, I grant you that choice.

I will lead you there.

No, he is a mere novice.

-This requires a more experienced hand.

-Let him speak.

You say the village you seek lies in the Great Marsh.

I was raised close by in Dentwich Forest.

I know the area better than any man.

He has all the experience I require.

You will lead us.

We leave at dawn.

Osmund, that man is more dangerous

than the pestilence itself.

Father, I prayed for guidance.

God has answered.

Even if you survive, the world out there will change you.

Perhaps that's what I want, Father.

< Get that woman out of here!

# My lady-love and I We lived in joyous sin

# Now my lady-love has got the blackened skin

# My lady-love and I We bore a love so brave

# Now my lady-love rots in an early grave. #

HORSE WHINNIES

We have our guide.

God has no men left.

He sends us a boy.

Are you up to it, son?

I can lead you there.

Pray you do.

Split any man from his asshole to his apple.

What's that for?

How much does he know?

Ulric was frugal, shall we say,

with the truth.

This Village we're headed to...

they have cast God aside.

In his place sits a demon.

There is talk of sacrifice,

of men eating men and of raising the dead.

Now we are charged to bring the leader of this village

back for confession, trial and execution.

The bishop seeks to roast himself a necromancer.

Sorry, what is a necromancer?

A necromancer is someone

who plucks the dead from the cold earth

and breathes new life into them.

-< We have the tools.

-We have the will.

We journey into hell,

but God travels with us.

So you misled me.

Return to your monastery if you feel betrayed,

or join us and do God's work.

Let's get this cleared up. Let's get going.

That includes you, Swire.

Aye.

Aye!

March it. Aye.

Aye!

-Oi.

-Aye.

We're not as bad as you think.

We're worse.

But we need you alive.

You seem well-suited to keeping men alive.

I spent many a long year in the King's army

with Wolfstan and Griff.

I'll be honest with you -

we've never faced a demon before,

but we take what comes our way.

What happened to him?

Ivo was captured.

He wouldn't talk,

so the bastard French tore out his tongue.

-And him?

-Mold is a man to leave alone,

unless there is butchery to be done.

Dalywag, he's a torturer, a hangman,

and if rumour is true, murderer, thief

and defiler of women.

Apart from that, he's a good man.

What about Ulric?

I've got a wife and child. I'm here for the money.

Ulric is here because God told him to come.

Please don't do this! Don't!

-Burn!

-For God's sake, have mercy.

Please have mercy! No!

SHOUTING CONTINUES

We must help her.

Do you hear me? You deserve to burn!

-I haven't done anything.

-Burn! Burn the witch.

Burn her.

You have angered God and brought sins down on us all!

-You're in league with the devil.

-What is her crime?

She brought death to our village.

Death is all around us. It needs no invitation.

This does not involve you, Monk. Step aside.

I have done nothing! Please.

Move, stand aside.

Please, please.

-Stand aside! Back!

-Please help me.

What is this woman accused of?

She poisoned our well in a pact with the devil.

Now half our village is dead.

I offered a simple blessing

over our water to keep everyone safe.

-Liar!

-I did nothing wrong!

Liar! The dying began after she was seen at the well.

-Do you have her confession?

-Plenty of us saw her cast her spell.

Now she must burn to spare what remains of our village.

Move aside.

-I will not ask again.

-Back.

Help me.

Thank you. Thank you.

SHE SOBS

SHE SCREAMS

SHE GURGLES

Do not stop again.

Come on, brown slug.

As sure as the sun will rise and fall,

witches WILL burn.

There's a village in the north

that burned 128 witches in one night.

That's 16 an hour for eight hours.

By the time that night was through,

they'd killed every woman in the village.

By the end of that week, the men were shagging pigs.

Pestilence isn't trial enough.

Now God has us shagging pigs.

This village we seek - have you been there?

No, but I know where it lies.

Hell awaits us,

or so we're told.

If you've not got the stomach for it, then leave now,

and I'll have your share of the bounty.

Where does the Church believe

this pestilence has come from?

I don't believe God is punishing us, like many do.

I say from France,

where all foul things emerge.

For once, Swire,

you might not be too far from the truth.

Three summers past we fought a battle at Crcy in Normandy.

King Edward's army was dwarfed.

For every 20 of us there were 100 Frenchmen at least.

And the French... oh, the French...

..they could sense victory.

They could smell it.

Well, on that day for the first time

our archers used the longbow -

quicker to load, farther in flight.

Their arrows... Well, their arrows were useless.

They couldn't reach us.

But ours, ours were like a dark, buzzing cloud.

At the day's end, the field was littered

with their dead and their dying.

Now custom, no matter how fierce the battle,

is to use the misericorde.

Misericorde - it's the mercy-giver.

Stab straight through the armpit, directly into the heart.

It's quick and painless.

But on this day,

there was an end to chivalry.

King Edward ordered every Frenchman left alive

to be killed without mercy.

Arms, heads, legs hacked away.

God's greatest army descended into savagery.

Forgive me, but how does that

concern the pestilence?

We invited Death among us that day.

He hasn't left us since.

That woman you killed...

she was no witch.

Why did you volunteer to join us, Monk?

To serve God.

Killing witches serves God.

The woman was already dead.

But I freed her.

The mob would have caught her again and burned her.

I spared her suffering.

Sometimes that is all you can do.

BIRDSONG

DISTANT SHOUTS

THEY CHANT

He says turn back.

Where we are headed

men have become savages.

HE PRAYS IN LATIN

SPLASHING

Must have been something pretty special

to tempt you away from that nice warm monastery.

-Anything you want to tell me?

-No.

Do you know what my job is?

I'm a torturer,

truth getter.

Spend hours on a man, can smell a lie.

And I smell you.

I'd pray somewhere else if I were you.

Have you broken any vows yet, boy?

Leave him be, Mold.

Back! Get back!

Griff! Griff!

-I said get back!

-Leave me alone. Leave me alone.

Let me look.

Let me look.

I'm just going to take a look.

All right?

OK, my friend? Just having a look.

Why didn't you tell us?

I'm sorry.

His journey is finished here.

I prefer mercy.

I need to make confession to the friar.

No, we cannot be sure how this thing is spread.

Who the hell asked you?

I will take your confession.

Come, you shall have absolution.

You keep your mouth shut!

HE SPEAKS IN LATIN

Forgive me.

Holy Father Who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Come thy kingdom

Fulfilled be thy will in heaven as on earth

Our each day bread give us today...

I need a moment with him.

Amen.

HE COUGHS

I'm glad it's you.

Look, it's...

HE GASPS

Farewell, my friend.

Bury him.

March it, aye!

March it, aye.

The forest of Dentwich.

How far to the marsh?

Half a day, perhaps less.

Be on your guard.

God has slipped over the horizon.

You're on watch tonight, Swire.

Giving Griff absolution took courage.

Do you truly believe this village can raise their dead?

I would not be here otherwise.

Do you doubt it?

I believe that hunting necromancers and demons

serves men more than it serves God.

You have learned much nestled inside a monastery.

Demons and necromancers are among us

as you will find out soon enough.

Now get some sleep.

BIRDSONG

SNORING

Averill!

Averill!

Averill.

Averill.

No.

No, no.

No.

Averill!

Wake up! Ulric, get up!

Wolfstan, Ulric, wake up, wake up!

Ulric! There are men in the forest.

Calm down. What did you see?

-That's all I saw.

-What did you see?

-They're in the forest.

-How many?

-I don't know. I don't know.

-How many?

He doesn't know.

Mold, forward now.

Wait, wait.

Rah!

SHOUTING

Argh!

Ahh!

Get in there, now!

Ahh!

Ahh!

Ahh!

Ahh!

Shut up.

BONES CRUNCH

Ahh!

SQUELCHING

Yah!

Where's Ivo?

You all right?

We've lost Ivo.

Why did you leave the camp?

Speak!

I came here to meet a woman.

And where is she?

She did not survive the forest.

God has punished me for leaving his monastery.

God has better things to think of.

Because of you one of my men is dead.

If we move, we move now.

How do we know the man we've come for is not here?

These men are nothing more but common thieves.

-You will lead us to the Great Marsh.

-Sir, I'm of no use to you.

You will lead us

or stay here alone

and be damned.

The village lies beyond the marsh.

What's the plan?

Identify the heretic,

capture him, put him in the cage.

-The cage will never go across that marsh.

-Then we leave it behind.

We'll drag him here.

Come on, boy.

Come on.

What brings you to our village?

We seek refuge...

a place to rest, nothing more.

Then you are welcome.

My name is Hob.

I am Ulric.

You were attacked.

In the forest.

Then you did well to reach us.

That forest can be dangerous.

May I ask what you were doing?

Bringing relief to the suffering.

Relief? From what?

Word of the pestilence has not reached you?

Word is all that has reached us.

Come.

What the hell is going on?

We need guile to draw out the necromancer.

No one acts unless I say so.

Tonight, we'll feed you and give you a bed.

Then in the morning we'll escort you to a safer part of the forest.

We're not welcome?

Well, of course.

But why would you stay?

Here are some buckets. You need to wash.

This is no time to be blinded by grief.

If this is hell,

I can't wait for heaven.

You're not bound for heaven, Swire, believe me.

-I'll tend to your wounds.

-I'll tend to your wound.

That needs to be dressed.

-Come with me.

-Maybe you should get it seen to.

-Where are you from?

-From the monastery at Staveley.

-You're in mourning.

-Is it so obvious?

Was it a woman?

It's no sin to love a woman.

I'm sworn to God.

A man needs more than divine love to sustain him.

And he shouldn't be punished for wanting it.

Do you have a husband?

-My husband is dead.

-I'm sorry.

Take off your clothes.

I need to dress your wound.

HE GASPS

The pain's going already.

It's extraordinary. The pain's going.

It's a strong remedy.

May I ask, how did your husband die?

Men like you killed him.

Men like me?

Men of God.

This church has not seen worship for a long while.

The woman you went with...

She dressed my wounds, nothing more.

Nothing here is what it seems.

Are you gonna help us keep warm, girls?

Child.

I found it.

-Where?

-In the marsh.

Every village we rode through had graveyards bursting.

No corpse-filled pits, no burning bodies.

We cannot charge them for having no disease.

A party was sent before us,

charged with the same task.

Four men. None returned.

They were led by a man like myself.

This symbol is worn only by the bishop's envoy.

The girl wore its twin.

Please welcome our guests.

What is ours is now yours.

-To our guests.

-ALL: To our guests.

We also want to give thanks that we've been spared

the terrible pestilence sweeping through the land.

If I may?

I would like to express our gratitude

for your welcome.

Now let us pray.

HE PRAYS IN LATIN

-Amen.

-Amen.

I expected grace, not the entire Lord's Prayer.

'Women outnumber men here.

'Maybe that's why a woman speaks for them.'

Do not be fooled.

Evil lurks within this place, within these people.

Osmund.

I just need some air.

We found her in the forest.

She spoke of you before she died.

Forgive me, Lord, but I'm angry.

Why did you take her?

Why did you take HER?

Osmund, where were you?

Why did you betray me?

Why?

Why did you betray me?

Osmund, Osmund.

Osmund.

Osmund?

-What troubles you?

-That we are to become beasts.

We must become more than beasts if we are to triumph here.

I see no evil here,

just a simple village that has not yet been ravaged.

Grief has softened your heart, dulled your senses.

Sir, how would you know? You have no heart to soften.

I have known grief.

My wife and child sit at God's side.

Yes, this village is without the pestilence.

But it is also without God.

For this they will suffer.

Are you shy?

I am ugly and I am Christian.

And that's not a good combination in here, hmm?

Piss off.

When will she be buried?

Do not worry.

I will take care of everything.

-Can I see her again?

-You will.

You are going to tell me these men mean us harm,

me in particular.

I knew the moment I looked into Ulric's eyes.

What I did not know was whose side you were on.

Come with me.

Come.

What's going on?

Something you should see.

Now.

What's wrong?

Get off!

Eat and drink.

Huh?

As a Christian you'll appreciate the concept of betrayal.

Keep it together. Keep your head together.

-What?

-Keep it together. Keep it together.

Keep your head together. Oof!

Back, you bastard.

Piss off! Piss off!

You're not there, boy. Look at me, boy.

Look at me! Not there, boy.

Ahh!

Come on, boy.

Whore!

Whore!

These Christians arrived in our village

claiming to seek refuge.

This was their true purpose.

They came uninvited to our home,

bringing malice and hatred.

These are God's gifts to us.

These are his words...

and these fine men his ambassadors.

13 centuries of control and intimidation

now gaze back at us through those bars.

We do not relish suffering.

We do what we must to keep us safe.

The pestilence is a Christian disease,

sent by your God to ravage his own people.

By spilling your Christian blood,

the pestilence is kept at bay.

You and your flock,

you believe this blasphemous filth?

Kill us now, you bitch. Get it over with.

I will offer you all the chance to live.

Renounce your vengeful God and you will be free.

Keep him and you will die.

Not one man here will bow down to you.

I will die first.

Who wants to live?

-You?

-I will fight Ulric for the right to die first.

Choose one.

You WILL renounce.

I look forward to shagging your mother's arse in hell.

My mother's alive,

and she doesn't relish the company of soldiers.

Come on.

Come on, then.

-Die well, my friend.

-Oh, I will.

Come on.

# Lady-love and I lived in joyous sin

# And now my lady-love has got the blackened skin

# Lady-love and I We bore a love so brave... #

She did, yeah.

# ..Now my lady-love rots in an early grave

# My lady-love and I We lived in joyous sin... #

Now you will learn about pain.

No, there's nothing...

nothing you can teach me about pain.

HAMMERING

HE SHRIEKS AND GROANS

Don't look. Don't look.

Hey, look away. Look away, boy.

Blood of our blood

Unholy trinity divine

We offer this lamb for slaughtering down

That death, not ours Shall stay afar

For Christian blood Putrid and sick

Into our marsh shall weep.

HE GASPS

HE SHOUTS AND SCREAMS

You bitch. You bitch!

I'll fucking kill you, you bitch!

I'll slice you open! Do you hear me?

I'll fucking slice you open,

you fuck!

Choose another.

I will renounce.

No. No, you won't! You won't!

You try to leave this cage,

I'll kill you with my bare fucking hands.

Mold, leave him. Leave him.

Swire, listen to me.

You renounce, you burn in hell.

-I'll come back for you.

-My friend,

you'll burn in hell.

They're going to kill you. Don't you go. No!

I swear to God they're going to kill you.

I swear to God...

I swear to God they're going to kill you.

God be gone.

I do renounce thee eternally.

God...be gone.

I do renounce thee eternally.

Holy Ghost be gone eternally.

Holy Ghost...be gone eternally.

Christ be gone eternally.

Christ...be gone eternally.

The false idols have been cast out.

God is gone.

The Holy Ghost is gone.

Christ is gone.

These men will escort you to the edge of the village.

You are free to go.

Where are we going?

Where are we going? Where are we going?

Where are we go... Agh, no!

Osmund, you WILL renounce.

Leave the boy. Leave the boy!

Leave the boy and take a man.

He's a boy! He's a boy!

He's a boy!

This monk came to restore our faith.

Today, he will abandon his own.

Inside that cottage is the woman he loves.

I've brought her back to him.

God, I'm dead. I'm in hell.

No, Osmund. You left hell behind when you crossed our marsh.

Come live here with us.

Come live with the woman you love.

We have no fury. We have no pestilence.

We have no God.

Why are you doing this to me?

Because I like you.

Renounce and you will be together.

Go.

Go!

Osmund, Osmund, do not be tempted.

It is not her. It is not her!

Osmund! Osmund!

Averill.

Averill.

-No, come here.

-No, no.

No. No, Averill.

Shh, shh!

SHE MUTTERS

Come here, Averill. Shh.

Averill, look at me.

Shh.

It's all right. It's all right.

You're with God. You're with God.

And very soon I'll be with you, I promise you.

I promise you.

I love you, Averill.

HE PRAYS IN LATIN

Amen. Amen.

SHE GASPS

Averill is with God...

..and so am I.

This shows how cruel they are.

Even the ones they love are slaughtered in God's name.

Osmund, Osmund!

Ahh!

The boy will not renounce.

He will not renounce!

You have no power here. You have no power here.

Hob! Crucify them all.

You cannot tear a true man of God away from his faith.

I do not fear you or your pagan lapdog.

You finished?

Bring out the horses.

Crucify us and you shall be spared.

That is the creed of your witch.

You came to our lands bringing death.

For once you speak the truth -

we came bringing death.

She cannot protect you

from God's wrath.

Repent before it is too late.

WHIP CRACKS

Move it! Repent!

HE GROANS

ROPES CREAK

You WILL renounce.

Never.

HE GROANS

No! No!

Never.

HE GROANS

-Renounce.

-No!

Never.

No!

Ahh! Stop!

Let me see the boy.

You did well.

Come on. Come on, you...

They will all die by God's hand.

Open my shirt.

Open my shirt.

CROWD GASPS

I am Death.

Vengeance is mine.

God's fury rains down on you!

God is restored.

Move it, yah!

Agh!

CROWD SCREAMS

Where are you?!

-No!

-Amen.

No!

Hell awaits you with open arms.

-There is no hell.

-Well, heaven doesn't want you.

-There is no heaven.

-Why?

Why follow her?

Because she was beautiful...

and real.

THIS is real.

There is no God.

Where are you?

Where are you?

Thou shall not kill, remember?

Remember?

Averill was in purgatory!

Perhaps in your twisted mind.

Did you never think that maybe Averill was never dead?

We found her in the forest, injured but very much alive.

No, that's not true.

Yes, Osmund, Averill was never dead.

She was alive.

I drugged her.

-I drugged her.

-No.

No, Averill.

No, no, no.

So wh...why would... why would you do that?

Why would you bury her?

Because people need miracles

and they worship the miracle makers, whoever they might be.

The people in this village believed in me...

and so did you.

Averill was dead!

You killed her.

Averill was dead.

Averill was...

She was dead.

Bring her back!

I beg you, bring her back!

No, I can't.

Pray to your God. See what he can do.

Averill was...

She was dead.

'There's nothing beautiful or uplifting

'in returning people to God.

'There's no place in heaven for those who kill.

'The pestilence claimed no higher purpose.

'And those who had survived our swords that day

'soon fell foul of its scythe.

'They were not protected by the witch.

'They were simply remote.

'And once the pestilence crossed their marsh,

'it killed them too.'

Whoa, whoa.

Osmund. Osmund.

We're here.

Osmund.

That you've returned safe is a miracle.

Who is that?

He's the necromancer that I'll be delivering to the bishop.

Here. That's it.

-How many of you are left?

-Enough.

Look after him.

There's no need.

He's back with God.

'I never saw him again,

'but I heard stories,

'dark stories,

'that in the years that followed

'Osmund's heart turned cold,

'that in the shadow of his grief he found hate,

'and that in God's name he took up the sword

'and vengeance became his creed.'

Can I help you?

Please.

Please.

Please...

I've done nothing wrong.

Please.

You have the wrong woman.

I want a confession and I want her alive.

I'm not a witch.

Please.

BONES CRUNCH

SHE SCREAMS

Osmund, she won't confess.

Are you sure she's a witch?

Where is she?

'Some say he found the witch

'and that he tortured her and burned her.

'Others say it was never her.

'It was only her guilt he saw

'in the eyes of the accused.'

Please, stop. No, no!

SHE SCREAMS

'I'd like to think that he found peace,

'that he continued seeing beauty in the world,

'goodness.'