最后的维米尔 The Last Vermeer(2019)(EN)Subtitles
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1 00:02:34 Forgive this man
2 00:02:40 May God have mercy on your soul.
3 00:02:44 Amen.
4 00:02:52 Attention!
5 00:02:54 Make ready! Aim!
6 00:03:00 Fire!
7 00:03:29 - Has it arrived? Is it here? - Last night.
8 00:03:32 - Jerome
9 00:03:35 There's a gift on your desk. Cherries for the family.
10 00:03:37 I'll try not to eat them before I get home this time. Thank you.
11 00:03:47 A Dutch Jew with a Canadian uniform.
12 00:03:50 Captain. Captain Piller.
13 00:03:53 Who let this one in?
14 00:03:58 Dekker
15 00:04:01 - Hello
16 00:04:03 We used to be in the Resistance together.
17 00:04:06 Yeah
18 00:04:12 - Working with the Allies now. - Yes.
19 00:04:14 Everything in here was stolen
20 00:04:17 and they put me in charge of finding out who took it
21 00:04:19 and who sold it to the Nazis.
22 00:04:22 But I want to avoid interference from the Ministry of Justice
23 00:04:25 'cause they seem to have their own agenda
24 00:04:29 I need someone I can trust.
25 00:04:31 Well
26 00:04:35 Oh
27 00:04:38 This was just found in Göring's hidden collection.
28 00:04:42 Christ and the Adulteress. It's a Vermeer.
29 00:04:46 - Vermeer! - And... we found a letter.
30 00:04:50 Folded in the crate.
31 00:04:55 I attended a show there once
32 00:04:58 had champagne and smoked salmon
33 00:05:00 and saw some terrible paintings.
34 00:05:02 And what Germans did you meet there?
35 00:05:05 I shook a hand or two.
36 00:05:08 Those pigs were everywhere. You couldn't avoid them.
37 00:05:12 I never had that problem.
38 00:05:14 No
39 00:05:17 I'm a personal friend of Prince Bernhard
40 00:05:20 and the commander of the Ministry of Justice.
41 00:05:22 That's very good for you
42 00:05:23 but I don't work for the Dutch government who ran off when things got hot.
43 00:05:26 Dekker
44 00:05:34 I was commissioned by the Allied Command.
45 00:05:37 Who will soon relinquish power to the rightful Dutch government.
46 00:05:40 But not today.
47 00:05:42 And the more time I waste on you
48 00:05:44 the Nazi sympathizers you drank champagne with will slip away.
49 00:05:47 I'm afraid I must ask you to...
50 00:05:51 In this letter
51 00:05:56 references you in verifying the background of a Vermeer painting...
52 00:06:00 I don't collect art.
53 00:06:02 ...before Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring agreed to buy it.
54 00:06:11 Christ and the Adulteress was just recovered from a railway car
55 00:06:15 in an Austrian salt mine.
56 00:06:17 Thing about Göring...
57 00:06:20 he kept meticulous records of all his acquisitions.
58 00:06:23 So
59 00:06:30 It was a favor.
60 00:06:33 I had a respectable name.
61 00:06:36 I simply wrote that I'd vouch for the painting's provenance
62 00:06:40 to finalize the sale.
63 00:06:41 Because the painting had been stolen from Jews?
64 00:06:46 Who was the favor for?
65 00:06:49 Who brought you the painting?
66 00:06:52 Han Van Meegeren.
67 00:07:27 Han Van Meegeren?
68 00:07:30 Indeed.
69 00:07:31 I'm Captain Joseph Piller of the Allied Provisional Government.
70 00:07:35 - Please
71 00:07:46 Were you expecting us?
72 00:07:49 In these times
73 00:07:52 Do you play?
74 00:07:53 No
75 00:07:59 - May I offer you a drink? - Yes.
76 00:08:01 No
77 00:08:05 No?
78 00:08:13 Do you live here all by yourself?
79 00:08:15 For the time being. I am recently divorced.
80 00:08:18 This is my wife's house now.
81 00:08:20 She is in France
82 00:08:24 The war has been good to you
83 00:08:27 I was lucky enough to sell a series of Flemish primitives
84 00:08:30 before hostilities broke out.
85 00:08:32 So
86 00:08:34 I am a painter and an art lover.
87 00:08:37 But
88 00:08:40 And during the war
89 00:08:43 Tried to survive
90 00:08:45 Running out of champagne must have been devastating.
91 00:08:47 Oh
92 00:08:50 No
93 00:08:54 Do I need a jacket?
94 00:09:02 You haven't asked why I'm here.
95 00:09:05 Well
96 00:09:07 it's always best not to spoil the surprise.
97 00:09:11 Or maybe it's no surprise at all.
98 00:09:17 Shall we?
99 00:10:23 - Do you like Johannes Vermeer? - Of course.
100 00:10:26 The equal of Rembrandt
101 00:10:29 and only a hair behind Michelangelo and da Vinci.
102 00:10:32 And this one
103 00:10:36 How does that rate?
104 00:10:39 Undoubtedly a masterpiece.
105 00:10:42 It has his hallmark command of light and color
106 00:10:45 and yet with a gravitas absent from his more celebrated work.
107 00:10:50 You take interest in art as well as music?
108 00:10:53 Oh
109 00:10:56 What interests me is that it was sold to Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring
110 00:10:59 for more than 1.5 million guilders
111 00:11:02 which is the largest sum ever paid for a work of art.
112 00:11:07 Which proves that pigs can sometimes have taste.
113 00:11:10 Or perhaps too much money.
114 00:11:14 I've traced the sale back to the Goudstikker Gallery
115 00:11:17 through a network of your associates
116 00:11:25 I need to know where this Vermeer came from.
117 00:11:27 Was it from a looted collection? Jews trying to flee Europe?
118 00:11:34 Mr. Van Meegeren
119 00:11:38 collaboration with the enemy is a capital offense.
120 00:11:42 They're shooting people in the streets daily.
121 00:11:45 We all must die sometime.
122 00:11:48 Although Vermeer
123 00:11:52 They speak to us across the centuries.
124 00:11:54 But you're not among those names
125 00:11:58 Mr. Van Meegeren?
126 00:12:00 So
127 00:12:03 And what
128 00:12:08 Putting you and your friends in jail.
129 00:12:10 Or in a noose.
130 00:12:12 This is your chance at redemption
131 00:12:15 and perhaps
132 00:12:20 And yet I am sensing that perhaps it is you who needs redemption
133 00:12:40 Put him in solitary.
134 00:12:42 Single rations. No visitors.
135 00:13:22 - Finn
136 00:13:30 - Take these. - Okay.
137 00:13:33 And they go into these.
138 00:13:48 Only I can paint the picture that you so desperately want to see.
139 00:13:54 And what is it that I so desperately want to see?
140 00:13:59 You want justice against the wicked
141 00:14:02 So
142 00:14:06 But I ask a favor. I need my paints. I need my brushes.
143 00:14:09 - Please
144 00:14:12 There is no life here
145 00:14:17 Do you want inspiration?
146 00:14:20 What do you need inspiration for if I break your hands?
147 00:14:44 Piller?
148 00:14:47 I'm Detective De Klerks.
149 00:14:50 Ministry of Justice. Long time.
150 00:14:52 I've heard you snagged a big fish
151 00:14:56 - Who told you? - Jungle drum
152 00:14:59 We need to question him.
153 00:15:05 We're on the same team. We need to share information.
154 00:15:08 Are we on the same team?
155 00:15:10 Last time I handed over a lead
156 00:15:14 The old boys' network.
157 00:15:15 Perhaps they should rename your outfit the Ministry of Convenient Justice.
158 00:15:22 You and me
159 00:15:24 We don't have to worry about the big picture.
160 00:15:27 I see. Well
161 00:15:31 Excuse me. What were you before the war?
162 00:15:34 A tailor
163 00:15:36 I've been a police investigator for 15 years
164 00:15:38 and this could be bigger than some paintings.
165 00:15:40 This Van Meegeren may have helped fund the Abwehr spy ring
166 00:15:44 laundering money for the Nazis.
167 00:15:45 Even more reason your department should stay away from this.
168 00:15:49 All this bluster and confidence
169 00:15:51 it's a pretty good mask
170 00:15:55 Yeah. And you know it.
171 00:15:57 Actually
172 00:16:00 I was just being courteous.
173 00:16:01 This is a joint jurisdiction facility
174 00:16:04 and I have a signed order here from the Dutch government
175 00:16:10 granting me your fish.
176 00:16:13 So
177 00:16:33 Ministry of Justice.
178 00:16:41 Boys.
179 00:17:01 Dekker? Dekker!
180 00:17:04 Get him out.
181 00:17:10 - Time for exercise. Come on. - What?
182 00:17:13 - Come on. - Come on.
183 00:17:15 Get him out of there.
184 00:17:38 This way.
185 00:17:42 Hey!
186 00:17:48 Piller!
187 00:17:55 Not that I didn't enjoy it
188 00:17:59 De Klerks wants him
189 00:18:04 Your fish? How flattering.
190 00:18:20 Very beautiful
191 00:18:29 Yes.
192 00:18:32 Well
193 00:18:35 As long as you're happy...
194 00:18:38 I'll make a list of my supplies.
195 00:18:40 My assistant
196 00:18:43 And I'm going to need my whiskey.
197 00:18:45 I'll get your paints. Forget about the whiskey.
198 00:18:47 And
199 00:18:51 Mr. Dekker here has my permission to break both your legs
200 00:18:55 if you try and escape.
201 00:18:57 May I borrow your notepad and pen?
202 00:19:06 You are going to need to find this man.
203 00:19:12 Theo Wijngaarden.
204 00:19:15 Why? Who's he?
205 00:19:16 He's the most important player in this little game.
206 00:19:21 Do you want your paints or not?
207 00:19:24 Yes
208 00:19:27 I believe Theo should be in Amsterdam. I don't know. But you need to find him.
209 00:19:33 Don't let him out of your sight.
210 00:19:38 This is outrageous!
211 00:19:39 Han Van Meegeren is instrumental to our case. We have every right...
212 00:19:44 His lackey
213 00:19:46 Enough.
214 00:19:51 Where'd you serve in the war?
215 00:19:53 - Don't see what that has to do with this. - Answer the question.
216 00:19:57 London. Helping Holland's efforts to the best of my ability.
217 00:20:02 Get the hell out of my office.
218 00:20:16 Thank you.
219 00:20:18 He'll be back. Allied Command is coming to an end.
220 00:20:21 And Theo Wijngaarden
221 00:20:25 I'll put it out on the wire.
222 00:20:33 Joe.
223 00:20:36 Ease up.
224 00:20:38 You're not going to get every single one of them.
225 00:20:53 I had a call from the Ministry of Justice.
226 00:20:56 They're taking you off their Christmas list.
227 00:20:59 Yeah
228 00:21:01 We need to keep up the search for Theo Wijngaarden.
229 00:21:03 And let's put more pressure on Van Meegeren.
230 00:21:09 Maybe I can help.
231 00:21:11 - You want to have a go at him? - Yeah. I can rough him up a little.
232 00:21:16 What? I'm not saying it's going to be pretty
233 00:21:19 And here I was thinking
234 00:21:20 that you're just a nice
235 00:21:25 We need to find Van Meegeren's wife.
236 00:21:28 - Yes. - Right.
237 00:21:29 - See you tomorrow. - See you tomorrow.
238 00:21:50 Hello.
239 00:21:52 Who was that?
240 00:21:54 That's Minna. That's my assistant.
241 00:21:56 She's helping me with the Van Meegeren case.
242 00:22:00 She's very pretty.
243 00:22:02 Is she? I hadn't noticed.
244 00:22:05 Must make the long hours so much easier.
245 00:22:08 Do you want to talk about your long hours during the war?
246 00:22:17 That's not fair
247 00:22:30 Hey
248 00:22:35 We are crazy for art. Love to take a peek at what you have.
249 00:22:39 Well
250 00:22:41 Which means...
251 00:22:44 take your boy scouts and fuck off.
252 00:22:52 Tell your tailor he'll be sewing prison uniforms for the next 40 years
253 00:22:56 when I'm done with him
254 00:23:01 Good dog.
255 00:23:03 Let's go.
256 00:23:06 Anything else we can get you?
257 00:23:08 A drink would be nice.
258 00:23:14 And who's she?
259 00:23:16 This is my assistant
260 00:23:18 Cootje
261 00:23:21 I have to run.
262 00:23:26 Next time
263 00:23:28 Yes
264 00:23:29 She's not your assistant
265 00:23:33 Little bit of both.
266 00:23:37 She brought the paints.
267 00:23:38 When she took her clothes off
268 00:23:43 Miss Henning
269 00:23:47 I'm late meeting my husband.
270 00:23:49 Han knows where to find me.
271 00:23:53 All for art
272 00:23:56 - We're wasting time
273 00:23:59 Theo Wijngaarden can't be found.
274 00:24:02 I don't imagine you've heard of a painter by the name of Willem Gillisz Kool.
275 00:24:05 No
276 00:24:07 Kool created hundreds of beautiful works three centuries ago
277 00:24:11 and not one of them is worth the canvas they're painted on.
278 00:24:13 Listen
279 00:24:16 Vermeer
280 00:24:18 paints just over 30 pictures his whole career
281 00:24:20 each worth a staggering fortune.
282 00:24:22 - Do you know why? - No
283 00:24:24 You should.
284 00:24:25 You think you're investigating art
285 00:24:29 Then get on with it.
286 00:24:31 Somebody decides. A so-called expert
287 00:24:36 They proclaim that this is genius
288 00:24:41 And so a legend begins and a legend builds.
289 00:24:45 Wealthy merchants see their chance to become cultured by owning it
290 00:24:49 museums fight to put it on their walls
291 00:24:54 When I was a boy
292 00:25:00 Even though it was the only passion in life I had.
293 00:25:04 But I took my beatings.
294 00:25:07 And when I could
295 00:25:10 and I painted even more.
296 00:25:11 I drank too much
297 00:25:14 and I eventually went insane.
298 00:25:15 One very stormy night
299 00:25:20 a crack in the heavens opened.
300 00:25:22 It could have been the absinthe
301 00:25:27 I very quickly came back to Holland
302 00:25:29 and in a raging fever of creation
303 00:25:34 Finally
304 00:25:36 I wept for days
305 00:25:40 I had captured my soul on canvas
306 00:25:46 An influential friend immediately arranged an exhibit at the Biesling Gallery.
307 00:25:51 And the entire community was buzzing
308 00:25:54 that a new
309 00:25:59 All of Amsterdam was there.
310 00:26:01 I can still hear the chatter
311 00:26:03 smell the perfume of all those beautiful women
312 00:26:06 who suddenly realized I existed.
313 00:26:08 The energy was palpable
314 00:26:17 They said my ham-fisted attempt at profundity was devoid of emotion
315 00:26:22 lacking in vision
316 00:26:26 They not only wanted to destroy me
317 00:26:30 Why?
318 00:26:36 I had failed to properly seek their illustrious approval.
319 00:26:43 So
320 00:26:50 Which brings us back to Christ and the Adulteress.
321 00:26:57 Is music in your blood
322 00:26:59 I'm sure you've had your own Eiffel Tower moment.
323 00:27:01 Did you not always just want to be a piano player?
324 00:27:04 Please
325 00:27:07 how did you come by the painting?
326 00:27:13 The same way I came by all of them.
327 00:27:16 With the help of my friend
328 00:27:19 Theo. Theo Wijngaarden
329 00:27:25 Dirk Hannema will know exactly where he is.
330 00:27:29 - And help me here
331 00:27:33 He's the guiltiest of all of those critics.
332 00:27:36 He's also the director of the Boijmans Museum in Rotterdam
333 00:27:40 which still to this day confounds me.
334 00:27:45 Well
335 00:28:56 Awe-inspiring
336 00:29:00 It teaches one the meaning of forgiveness.
337 00:29:03 Mr. Hannema?
338 00:29:07 Until I discovered The Supper at Emmaus
339 00:29:10 there were just over 30 Vermeers known to be in existence.
340 00:29:13 They've become the Holy Grails of the 20th century.
341 00:29:17 If there's any silver lining to this war
342 00:29:21 it's that other hidden masterpieces may come to light.
343 00:29:25 To discover this one was the great accomplishment of my life.
344 00:29:32 What can I do for you
345 00:29:36 Captain Piller.
346 00:29:38 Yes. Your office has been keeping us busy.
347 00:29:44 What brings you here?
348 00:29:45 Theo Wijngaarden.
349 00:29:55 You're Jewish
350 00:29:59 Yes. Is that a problem for you?
351 00:30:03 Tragic what happened to your people.
352 00:30:08 My people?
353 00:30:11 Aren't we all Dutch?
354 00:30:17 Theo Wijngaarden. There.
355 00:30:22 Do you know this fellow?
356 00:30:24 A failure as a painter. Not much of an art dealer either.
357 00:30:28 What was your business with him?
358 00:30:30 He was a competent restorer. He did a job for me some time ago.
359 00:30:35 And your opinion of Han Van Meegeren?
360 00:30:37 Third-rate artist
361 00:30:41 Did he associate with the Germans floating around through the art scene?
362 00:30:46 - It would surprise me if he didn't. - And why's that?
363 00:30:50 He's a raging narcissist and a cunning devil.
364 00:30:53 Enjoy your day
365 00:31:21 Satan's piss.
366 00:31:26 Well
367 00:31:30 You're misinformed. I have no friends.
368 00:31:32 Yeah
369 00:31:39 This smells drinkable.
370 00:31:41 That's my highest-grade paint stripper. Why not try it?
371 00:31:43 It'll give you a second asshole.
372 00:31:45 Well
373 00:31:50 I'll tell you what
374 00:31:54 Bring two cases here and I will teach you how to drink.
375 00:31:59 If I go to your house
376 00:32:03 My diabolical plan foiled.
377 00:32:05 Except I have no interest in running.
378 00:32:13 Do I look that stupid to you?
379 00:32:15 Of course not.
380 00:32:17 People like you have done more for this country than anybody.
381 00:32:26 Damn right.
382 00:32:29 So
383 00:32:33 My deliverance. I don't know yet.
384 00:32:35 My subject is somewhat of a mystery to me.
385 00:33:32 It's quite liberating
386 00:33:35 To lay yourself bare and...
387 00:33:39 have someone paint you
388 00:33:41 stroke by stroke.
389 00:33:45 - I see. - I suppose Theo was in love with me.
390 00:33:50 He said I had a timeless Dutch face that could grace the classics.
391 00:33:56 Which was his way of trying to get me into bed.
392 00:34:03 And did Theo introduce you to Han?
393 00:34:07 Yeah
394 00:34:10 Yeah
395 00:34:14 Caroline.
396 00:34:17 The perfect choice for you.
397 00:34:42 Han loves to paint me.
398 00:34:46 You know
399 00:34:52 We don't need to.
400 00:34:53 And tell me
401 00:34:58 Well
402 00:35:01 all men fantasize about their wives being seduced by another man.
403 00:35:07 Or woman.
404 00:35:11 Han understands the human animal better than anyone.
405 00:35:15 Is that why the Germans were so fond of him?
406 00:35:20 - Everyone... Everyone likes Han. - The photograph!
407 00:35:24 - He's... - Five! Come on.
408 00:35:26 - He's the life of the party. - Four! Three!
409 00:35:28 - What Germans attended his parties? - Two! One!
410 00:35:34 I never said they did.
411 00:35:37 Look... I don't know anything about Christ and the Adulteress.
412 00:35:44 Or any Germans.
413 00:35:46 And I have no idea where Theo is.
414 00:35:54 Who did Han consort most with?
415 00:35:57 Himself
416 00:36:03 Johanna. Where's she?
417 00:36:05 Somewhere in France.
418 00:36:07 She got tired of his joie de vivre.
419 00:36:11 But he gave her everything
420 00:36:16 What other man would give his wife his entire fortune?
421 00:36:26 What did you find out?
422 00:36:28 Well
423 00:36:31 he's either Satan or a saint.
424 00:36:35 Maybe I'll find something in Theo Wijngaarden's notebooks.
425 00:36:38 Yes
426 00:36:41 Yes
427 00:36:45 Thank you.
428 00:36:51 Hello?
429 00:36:56 Dekker?
430 00:36:58 Piller
431 00:37:04 Walk towards me.
432 00:37:06 Stop!
433 00:37:07 Now
434 00:37:12 One more step. Not that big. Half a step back.
435 00:37:17 - Here? - Yeah.
436 00:37:19 - Yeah? - Now walk slowly towards me.
437 00:37:24 Just do it.
438 00:37:34 You're gonna need this.
439 00:37:53 How much is there?
440 00:37:55 I don't know.
441 00:37:57 It started whispering to me
442 00:38:02 Having a conscience is a terrible affliction.
443 00:38:04 Yes
444 00:38:06 You're damn right it will. I got two cases of liquor packed.
445 00:38:09 - No
446 00:38:11 - We're not taking any of that. - What? We're gonna let it rot?
447 00:38:14 Or leave it for some undeserving asshole? It's hooch.
448 00:38:17 - It's world-class hooch. - Yes
449 00:38:20 You've had plenty.
450 00:38:22 Just a nip
451 00:38:26 I've been having a lot of those lately
452 00:38:29 Yes
453 00:38:32 Damn well might.
454 00:38:35 This will bring back a bit of the old world
455 00:38:49 Your wife just called. Should I call her back? What should I say?
456 00:38:53 Tell her I'll be late. I'll deal with her later.
457 00:39:01 New Year's Eve
458 00:39:05 I bet. Who's who?
459 00:39:08 That's Cootje on my left
460 00:39:10 and Johanna
461 00:39:13 Van Stuyvesande you've already met
462 00:39:16 And these are just friends of friends.
463 00:39:18 What about this one here next to the blond?
464 00:39:21 The kraut with his arm around her?
465 00:39:23 Wouldn't have a clue.
466 00:39:26 Are you sure about that?
467 00:39:28 Look at his face and that criminal haircut.
468 00:39:30 I wouldn't let that creep shake my hand.
469 00:39:33 Do you remember not shaking his hand?
470 00:39:35 Oh
471 00:39:39 I don't want to talk about phantoms right now.
472 00:39:41 I want to talk about this Nazi spy
473 00:39:44 who's toasting to your good health in this photo.
474 00:39:46 My parties are lively.
475 00:39:48 People hear about free booze and free drugs and easy women
476 00:39:50 and there were plenty of those there that night.
477 00:39:54 Well
478 00:39:57 - Who brought him? - I don't know.
479 00:40:00 Jerome. Maybe it was Jerome.
480 00:40:02 - Jerome Heidjen? - Yes
481 00:40:04 Look at all these beautiful women
482 00:40:06 and you want to talk about some pig farmer from Muggendorf.
483 00:40:10 I think you have more than a drinking problem.
484 00:40:13 This pig farmer from Muggendorf was called Hermann Kempf.
485 00:40:17 He was a German intelligence officer
486 00:40:19 and he used to recruit Dutch citizens to spy for him.
487 00:40:22 Hermann Kempf was very costly to the Dutch Resistance.
488 00:40:26 I am an artist
489 00:40:28 - Why did you hide the picture? - I didn't hide it.
490 00:40:31 - Maybe Johanna did before she left. - Kempf shows up at your party.
491 00:40:35 Shortly after
492 00:40:38 from Hermann Göring
493 00:40:41 And why? Because the Nazis are so generous?
494 00:40:45 No
495 00:40:47 Hitler already had two Vermeers in his collection.
496 00:40:49 Göring wanted to outdo his Führer.
497 00:40:52 He wanted to own the most valuable painting in the world
498 00:40:56 - which meant he had to pay for it. - Or perhaps you were paid
499 00:40:59 for something more than just the painting.
500 00:41:02 Such as?
501 00:41:04 Money to funnel to Nazi operatives in Holland
502 00:41:07 using the art world as a front.
503 00:41:20 Jerome
504 00:41:23 Just a moment.
505 00:41:24 Let me dress.
506 00:41:54 Good evening
507 00:41:56 Why don't you tell us about your connection to Van Meegeren?
508 00:42:01 It's been confirmed by others
509 00:42:03 that you arrived at his parties with Kempf
510 00:42:06 that you were friends.
511 00:42:09 Keep your friends close
512 00:42:11 That's how I tried to deal with Nazis.
513 00:42:13 Is that how you dealt with Kempf?
514 00:42:17 You kept him close
515 00:42:20 I am speaking in general.
516 00:42:23 Van Meegeren is setting me up.
517 00:42:26 - He's got old scores to settle. - Like what?
518 00:42:30 Some things I said got back to him.
519 00:42:32 He was a rotten artist
520 00:42:35 That's bullshit. You had this club going
521 00:42:38 You passed information and art up the chain to Berlin.
522 00:42:41 They lined your pockets and let you keep your pretty homes.
523 00:42:44 - No! - Did you work with Theo Wijngaarden?
524 00:42:48 You have their eyes.
525 00:42:50 So locked in your crusade.
526 00:42:54 You're not gonna listen to anything.
527 00:42:56 You just need someone to nail to a cross.
528 00:43:13 Now
529 00:43:18 That's the same gun the German officers carry.
530 00:43:21 And all that cash...
531 00:43:24 From your Christmas club
532 00:43:28 Come clean
533 00:43:39 A fair trial? As if they won't rip me apart in the streets.
534 00:43:45 A Mussert. A traitor!
535 00:43:47 Tell me the truth. I promise I'll help you
536 00:44:02 Talk to me!
537 00:44:19 Joe? What's the matter?
538 00:44:35 You met Han Van Meegeren.
539 00:44:46 - You went to one of his parties. - I went to a lot of parties
540 00:44:51 You know this.
541 00:44:54 - With Kempf? - Yes
542 00:44:57 What is this? What do you want me to say?
543 00:45:00 I want you to tell me the truth.
544 00:45:02 The truth?
545 00:45:03 The truth is that I risked my life every day to survive
546 00:45:08 and you left.
547 00:45:10 I did not leave.
548 00:45:14 I joined the Resistance. Had to go underground.
549 00:45:18 I'm a Jew
550 00:45:21 If I'd stayed
551 00:45:25 What did you do?
552 00:45:26 Went out to parties...
553 00:45:29 dressed as a whore.
554 00:45:35 We can't go on like this
555 00:45:38 I need to get out of the city and go to my father's.
556 00:45:44 That's fine.
557 00:45:52 You've been going for six hours now.
558 00:45:56 Don't you get tired of it?
559 00:45:58 Inspiration is fleeting. You do not waste it.
560 00:46:01 All paint is merely ash and dirt
561 00:46:03 but layered together in perfect harmony and you have a masterpiece
562 00:46:07 that will survive wars
563 00:46:13 And that
564 00:46:18 It's all child's play.
565 00:46:19 Exactly. Children know that secret
566 00:46:24 And the only way back is through alcohol or pain
567 00:46:30 Story of my life.
568 00:46:33 - You miss the war
569 00:46:36 But I do like my country being safe.
570 00:46:47 Why don't you paint something
571 00:46:58 What do you say? I will make you a palette.
572 00:47:02 Sure. I'll paint you a masterpiece.
573 00:47:09 Well
574 00:47:12 Yeah.
575 00:47:13 I'm still working on it.
576 00:47:16 - I know it's a little childish. - That was my whole point.
577 00:47:19 This has a truth and therein lies its power.
578 00:47:57 Your dock worker painted that.
579 00:48:00 It's awful.
580 00:48:02 And yet you can't take your eyes off it
581 00:48:04 I have absolutely no problem taking my eyes off it.
582 00:48:09 Why did your wife leave you?
583 00:48:13 She married an artist.
584 00:48:15 But then I became a wealthy man.
585 00:48:17 And you were fucking half the town
586 00:48:21 Well
587 00:48:27 Is your wife leaving you
588 00:48:30 Yes.
589 00:48:34 Or we're leaving each other.
590 00:48:40 Never easy.
591 00:48:43 But
592 00:48:47 It's hard for people to accept that
593 00:48:49 You know what?
594 00:48:52 I loved being married
595 00:48:57 the war killed us.
596 00:48:59 The war is over.
597 00:49:01 Well
598 00:49:05 Or their ghosts are
599 00:49:11 My wife took a job...
600 00:49:14 as a secretary for a German officer.
601 00:49:17 It turns out it was Hermann Kempf
602 00:49:23 It was a way to funnel information to the Resistance
603 00:49:26 and she was good.
604 00:49:30 She was very good. And her effort saved a lot of people.
605 00:49:35 The Germans trusted her.
606 00:49:39 But that trust had to be earned.
607 00:49:45 She had to sleep with this man to keep in his confidence.
608 00:49:49 I never asked her about it.
609 00:49:53 I asked her to quit.
610 00:49:56 But only once.
611 00:49:59 And now?
612 00:50:03 The past no longer exists to her.
613 00:50:07 She's cut it out like a tumor.
614 00:50:10 I'm sure there are things you have done in the Resistance
615 00:50:12 that you won't be telling your wife.
616 00:50:17 You should play piano again. Music
617 00:50:26 Time is growing short
618 00:50:31 My painting's nearly finished and then I would like to show it to you.
619 00:50:57 Would you like a drink?
620 00:51:02 It's...
621 00:51:04 It's Van Meegeren's private stash.
622 00:51:09 Joe.
623 00:51:11 It's good.
624 00:51:16 It's empty.
625 00:51:19 Yes
626 00:51:24 A walk might be good.
627 00:51:32 - He offered me a job spying for them. - One of De Klerk's?
628 00:51:36 He said I should think about my future
629 00:51:39 because the Allied Command is on the way out.
630 00:51:43 And what did you say to him?
631 00:51:46 I said that I would think about it.
632 00:51:58 You should think about your future.
633 00:52:02 Yes
634 00:52:12 This is me.
635 00:52:17 What do you do up there? In the dark?
636 00:52:25 I wait for the light.
637 00:52:33 Were you waiting for me?
638 00:52:38 Yes
639 00:53:21 Is this your husband?
640 00:53:25 Yes.
641 00:53:40 When he died
642 00:53:45 Couldn't.
643 00:53:48 I couldn't feel anything.
644 00:53:50 I was numb.
645 00:53:54 And then the war was over and the Allies came
646 00:54:01 Just like that.
647 00:54:04 And I was scared I might not feel anything anymore.
648 00:54:10 But now I see hope.
649 00:54:14 For all of us.
650 00:54:16 I don't know.
651 00:54:19 Leez and I are like strangers now.
652 00:54:23 It's...
653 00:54:29 - You're tired. - Yes
654 00:54:32 Want to lie down? Rest?
655 00:54:35 Yeah
656 00:54:38 Lie with me?
657 00:54:40 Yes.
658 00:55:04 It will be light soon.
659 00:55:07 Yes.
660 00:55:09 We'll wait for it.
661 00:55:21 Yes
662 00:55:32 Sorry
663 00:55:40 Closed for business. Fuck off.
664 00:55:44 Let Piller in.
665 00:55:48 And there he is.
666 00:55:54 You blew it
667 00:55:57 Your bull-in-a-china-shop routine finally pissed off the big boys
668 00:56:01 and now this gallery is Dutch government's property.
669 00:56:04 - Okay
670 00:56:06 Whatever you're selling
671 00:56:08 I'm wrapping this whole thing up.
672 00:56:11 You're gonna cut Van Meegeren a deal
673 00:56:14 Yes.
674 00:56:16 You have a tin ear. I'm going to cut his throat.
675 00:56:19 Give the people some taste of blood. Isn't that what you wanted?
676 00:56:22 This guy is an honorary Nazi. Let him swing with the rest of them.
677 00:56:25 And I assumed he had friends in high places.
678 00:56:27 Yes
679 00:56:30 Enough of this. Where is he?
680 00:56:31 In the prison
681 00:56:34 You put him up there like in some grand hotel.
682 00:56:37 Did he offer you money?
683 00:56:38 Actually
684 00:56:44 Hey! Get off! Get off.
685 00:56:48 Get him out. Get him out!
686 00:56:53 My hat
687 00:56:58 That's sweet.
688 00:57:01 Hey
689 00:57:07 Joe.
690 00:57:09 Come on.
691 00:57:18 I had him. I goddamn had him.
692 00:57:21 And now he's locked in that dungeon and I can't get to him.
693 00:57:24 We no longer have jurisdiction over the prison
694 00:57:26 and Allied Field Security has been disbanded.
695 00:57:29 - Nothing left I can do. - Not a single favor you can call in?
696 00:57:33 In your government's eyes
697 00:57:37 We're the nuisance keeping Holland from its future.
698 00:57:41 Maybe it's time to move on
699 00:57:46 Van Meegeren will pay for what he's done. Isn't that what you wanted?
700 00:57:51 Thanks to you
701 00:57:59 Help me.
702 00:58:01 Help me.
703 00:58:03 Help.
704 00:58:18 Help me!
705 00:58:19 Traitor!
706 00:58:21 Traitor!
707 00:58:28 Help me!
708 00:58:34 Help me!
709 00:58:40 Attention!
710 00:58:43 Aim!
711 00:58:49 Fire!
712 00:59:45 Thank you
713 00:59:50 Joseph.
714 00:59:56 - Bye
715 00:59:59 - Take care of yourself. - Yes
716 01:00:01 Promise me one thing.
717 01:00:03 - Take care of Mommy. - Promise.
718 01:00:05 - Promise? - Promise.
719 01:00:06 Get a kiss?
720 01:00:57 The ministry has complained.
721 01:01:54 - Hello. - Hello.
722 01:01:56 I'd give you a hug
723 01:02:03 I...
724 01:02:05 Can we take a walk?
725 01:02:08 Yeah
726 01:02:14 Yeah
727 01:02:17 Full tarred and feathered by the government.
728 01:02:21 At least it gives you plenty of fresh air.
729 01:02:26 I know I wasn't allowed
730 01:02:29 so I took all of Theo Wijngaarden's notebooks home with me
731 01:02:33 to have a closer look.
732 01:02:36 And I think I found something. Can I show it to you?
733 01:02:39 Yes.
734 01:02:44 Do you remember this one?
735 01:02:45 This is Cootje Henning drawn by Theo Wijngaarden.
736 01:02:49 Yes.
737 01:02:51 Do you know he died three months ago in Belgium?
738 01:02:53 That hardly matters now
739 01:02:58 And now... look at this one.
740 01:03:02 Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer.
741 01:03:04 Exactly.
742 01:03:08 Look at this one.
743 01:03:11 - This one I don't know. - Also Vermeer. The Smiling Girl.
744 01:03:15 This one was a known Vermeer when he was still alive.
745 01:03:19 This one... was found in 1926
746 01:03:23 and authenticated in 1928 by Dirk Hannema.
747 01:03:27 Now it's in the National Gallery of Art in Washington
748 01:03:30 All right. And why am I looking at it?
749 01:03:35 What do you see?
750 01:03:37 I see two women.
751 01:03:40 Look at their faces.
752 01:03:50 Look. They look like sisters.
753 01:03:54 They look almost the same.
754 01:03:56 So what? So
755 01:04:00 No. This painting is not 280 years old.
756 01:04:04 This is Cootje Henning.
757 01:04:09 So
758 01:04:11 This is Cootje Henning
759 01:04:13 painted to look like a Vermeer by Theo Wijngaarden.
760 01:04:16 Theo Wijngaarden was not talented enough.
761 01:04:33 I know someone who can help.
762 01:04:40 Minna!
763 01:04:41 Look
764 01:04:43 - but it is certainly past mine. - Can we come in?
765 01:04:47 One moment
766 01:04:59 Sir
767 01:05:03 Minna
768 01:05:05 This is Joseph Piller. He's... He's a good man.
769 01:05:10 I see.
770 01:05:12 I am a registered lawyer
771 01:05:16 - You're hired. - Hired? My dear fellow...
772 01:05:19 I can offer you a dozen ration tickets.
773 01:05:36 My credentials.
774 01:05:38 This is my paralegal
775 01:05:43 You stink of mothballs. When did you last wear that?
776 01:05:48 My wedding. My name is Joseph.
777 01:05:53 No one is permitted to see him.
778 01:05:56 This facility is now governed by Dutch law
779 01:06:02 Mr. Van Meegeren is entitled to legal representation
780 01:06:05 and I'm his lawyer.
781 01:06:06 If you refuse me access
782 01:06:10 and move to have the entire case dropped.
783 01:06:13 Call someone and tell them exactly that. Now!
784 01:06:18 Very good.
785 01:06:21 This painting that you sold to Göring
786 01:06:24 Christ and the Adulteress
787 01:06:27 it's not a Vermeer.
788 01:06:30 It's a fake. You painted it.
789 01:06:34 Finally.
790 01:06:36 Why didn't you just tell me?
791 01:06:39 You would have believed me?
792 01:06:41 The experts would have told you
793 01:06:42 it's impossible to fake the immortal Vermeer
794 01:06:44 and I needed you to discover the truth for yourself.
795 01:06:48 Always best
796 01:06:50 And Theo's part in this?
797 01:06:52 Theo taught me a very important part of the process.
798 01:06:55 He is my only witness. Have you found him yet?
799 01:06:58 I am sorry to tell you this
800 01:07:04 - How? Do you know? - I don't know how.
801 01:07:13 So
802 01:07:17 I'm sure there was. I don't know.
803 01:07:19 I am merely a lost artist who found his calling imitating the masters.
804 01:07:23 And I stuck those Nazi pigs for all I could.
805 01:07:28 But you know the best part for me?
806 01:07:30 The experts swooning over my creations
807 01:07:33 calling them the most exquisite works ever put to canvas.
808 01:07:37 That made Theo very proud.
809 01:07:41 How are we gonna prove any of this
810 01:08:02 He kept it safe.
811 01:08:14 We have your painting.
812 01:08:16 - Good. - And... it looks just like a Vermeer.
813 01:08:21 A Vermeer that was painted only two weeks ago.
814 01:08:23 That's right. There's more that must be done to it.
815 01:08:26 Now
816 01:08:30 which fools the alcohol test used by the experts
817 01:08:33 which means the painting can be authenticated.
818 01:08:35 Well
819 01:08:38 - Why? - Do you think
820 01:08:41 that the owners of these masterpieces will deface them on your behalf?
821 01:08:45 We only have to prove that one of them is a fake
822 01:08:48 Do you think that the experts who authenticated these paintings
823 01:08:51 and whose reputations will be destroyed...?
824 01:08:53 Can you wait a second
825 01:08:56 Whose reputations will be destroyed
826 01:08:59 I'm not asking them to help me. I'm asking you to help me.
827 01:09:03 Go to my basement! Everything you need is there!
828 01:09:13 Yeah
829 01:09:17 All right.
830 01:09:18 Stuyvesande
831 01:09:22 Yes.
832 01:09:25 Christ and the...
833 01:09:26 - Christ and the Adulteress. - Yes.
834 01:09:36 It's no good. I can't remember.
835 01:09:40 And when I remember
836 01:09:42 I lock up and become a stammering fool.
837 01:09:46 Mr. Bakker
838 01:09:51 I just need you to keep me straight on the legal stuff.
839 01:10:03 It says to be rough with it.
840 01:10:15 Please
841 01:10:17 You're the only one who I can trust.
842 01:10:20 You don't have a career to protect.
843 01:10:36 Why do you care so much about this man?
844 01:10:42 It's not the man
845 01:10:48 How can I let him go to his death?
846 01:10:53 How could I face my son
847 01:10:56 You're not going to like this.
848 01:11:00 They say you've tried to shield Van Meegeren from the authorities.
849 01:11:03 De Klerks has put a bull's-eye on you.
850 01:11:09 De Klerks. Sad
851 01:11:30 - Traitor! - Traitor!
852 01:11:42 Dekker
853 01:12:54 Henricus Antonius Van Meegeren.
854 01:12:58 You are charged with collaborating with the enemy during a time of war.
855 01:13:02 How do you plead?
856 01:13:04 Not guilty
857 01:13:06 Very well.
858 01:13:08 Proceed.
859 01:13:10 May it please the court
860 01:13:14 The government will prove to the court that Mr. Van Meegeren is guilty
861 01:13:18 of selling Dutch cultural treasures to Hitler's Reich
862 01:13:22 for the purpose of enriching himself
863 01:13:25 and giving aid to the occupational government.
864 01:13:28 A capital offense for which he deserves the harshest punishment.
865 01:13:32 Thank you.
866 01:13:39 I'm Captain Jo...
867 01:13:41 I'm Captain Joseph Piller.
868 01:13:44 May it please the court.
869 01:13:47 May it please the court. I am former Captain Joseph Piller.
870 01:13:50 Are you a lawyer
871 01:13:52 No
872 01:13:57 But I have spent more time than anyone investigating Mr. Van Meegeren
873 01:14:00 and I've come to the conclusion that he is innocent of these charges.
874 01:14:04 Hence
875 01:14:09 - Very well. - We will prove
876 01:14:12 that Mr. Van Meegeren is not a collaborator
877 01:14:14 but indeed a patriot
878 01:14:16 who swindled the Nazi regime out of a fortune from their war chest
879 01:14:20 by selling them a fake masterpiece.
880 01:14:23 How much did he pay you
881 01:14:28 Quiet.
882 01:14:32 Mr. Wooning.
883 01:14:35 Mr. Henricus Van Meegeren.
884 01:14:38 We might save time if you just call me Han.
885 01:14:42 Very well. Do you recognize this receipt?
886 01:14:47 I would hope so. Those are my initials.
887 01:14:49 Please tell the court what it was for.
888 01:14:53 It is the bill of sale for Christ and the Adulteress.
889 01:14:56 That you sold to the second-highest ranking Nazi in the Reich
890 01:15:01 for the staggering sum of 1.6 million guilders.
891 01:15:05 Indeed. It is a unique painting.
892 01:15:08 I'd say. That's the most on record ever paid for a work of art.
893 01:15:13 If I'd offered a discount
894 01:15:21 Johannes Vermeer was one of the greatest artists in history.
895 01:15:27 And you're asking this court to believe that you
896 01:15:30 a man who could hardly sell a single picture with your own name on it
897 01:15:34 somehow painted better than the Master of Delft
898 01:15:38 and outsmarted the world's most esteemed Vermeer experts?
899 01:15:41 Well-stated
900 01:15:43 All you've left me to say is yes.
901 01:15:51 I call Dirk Hannema to the floor.
902 01:15:59 Mr. Hannema
903 01:16:02 I have been the director of the Boijmans Museum for eight years.
904 01:16:06 Before that
905 01:16:10 and also the chief critic for the Nederlander.
906 01:16:14 How many paintings have you verified in your career?
907 01:16:17 Hundreds.
908 01:16:18 - Come across any fakes? - Scores.
909 01:16:20 They're quite easy to spot.
910 01:16:22 In rare cases
911 01:16:25 but none pass the chemical test used to verify their age.
912 01:16:29 You were one of the experts who verified Christ and the Adulteress.
913 01:16:34 Indeed
914 01:16:37 - Could it possibly be a fake? - Absolutely not.
915 01:16:40 But that's just your opinion.
916 01:16:42 I consulted with half a dozen published experts
917 01:16:45 who have spent two months with the painting
918 01:16:48 cleaning and restoring it
919 01:16:49 - and came to the same conclusion I did. - Which is?
920 01:16:53 Johannes Vermeer painted Christ and the Adulteress around 1660.
921 01:16:59 Do you know the defendant?
922 01:17:01 Mr. Van Meegeren and I have crossed paths in the art world.
923 01:17:04 And is there any way he could have created a Vermeer?
924 01:17:10 There is no way.
925 01:17:12 This was painted by the defendant around the time Adulteress sold.
926 01:17:20 Mr. Van Meegeren's art has always been imbued
927 01:17:23 with a base
928 01:17:26 It's fantasy to believe these two works were painted by the same man.
929 01:17:32 Thank you.
930 01:17:35 Mr. Piller?
931 01:17:38 Some ten years ago
932 01:17:42 - Is that correct? - Yes.
933 01:17:44 The Supper at Emmaus.
934 01:17:46 That made you... a bit of a celebrity
935 01:17:49 Well
936 01:17:52 It's now considered Vermeer's greatest triumph.
937 01:17:55 Mr. Hannema
938 01:17:58 Vermeer painted just over 30 works in the 1600s
939 01:18:03 with no new works being discovered for the next 250 years.
940 01:18:09 Then
941 01:18:13 and all of them traceable back to one person...
942 01:18:17 Mr. Van Meegeren.
943 01:18:19 What it tells me
944 01:18:20 is that Van Meegeren got the paintings from a single source
945 01:18:24 a family
946 01:18:26 desperate to flee Europe before the war began.
947 01:18:30 Perhaps Jews.
948 01:18:35 And has any member of this mystery family come forward
949 01:18:43 Provenances are sometimes difficult to authenticate during wartime.
950 01:18:47 So
951 01:18:53 How do you determine if a painting is real or fake?
952 01:18:58 A deep intuition that cannot be put into words
953 01:19:02 followed by scrupulous analysis of the painter's technique
954 01:19:06 composition and color palette.
955 01:19:08 And should it pass this rigorous process
956 01:19:11 the final arbiter is the application of alcohol
957 01:19:13 to a tiny portion of the canvas.
958 01:19:16 Oil paints dry and harden over time
959 01:19:18 and by that
960 01:19:21 If the paint dissolves
961 01:19:36 It's completely safe
962 01:19:46 No paint
963 01:19:49 And this technique is foolproof?
964 01:19:52 When it comes to oil paint
965 01:19:58 Thank you
966 01:20:02 Ladies and gentlemen
967 01:20:14 It became my passion
968 01:20:16 after critics like Dirk Hannema destroyed my career years earlier.
969 01:20:19 So
970 01:20:25 And others which are not here today.
971 01:20:27 They are hanging in the Rijksmuseum
972 01:20:31 even in the National Gallery of Art
973 01:20:32 in the capital of the United States of America.
974 01:20:35 And I painted them not as revenge
975 01:20:37 but to bring more beauty into the world
976 01:20:42 There is simply not enough.
977 01:20:45 And tell us how you might pass the alcohol test Mr. Hannema described.
978 01:20:51 Same way I pass every alcohol test
979 01:20:55 Mr. Van Meegeren
980 01:21:00 I use a very common plastic resin called Bakelite.
981 01:21:04 Invented in 1908
982 01:21:07 And when it's heated
983 01:21:09 the hardness and consistency of centuries-old paint
984 01:21:13 so Mr. Hannema can douse it in alcohol all day if he so chooses
985 01:21:17 and he won't succeed in removing any of it.
986 01:21:19 And what challenges does one face?
987 01:21:22 Because the Bakelite is mixed into the pigment
988 01:21:25 it makes it very difficult to compose with.
989 01:21:28 - And then? - I must also find canvas and frame
990 01:21:31 from the correct period. They are impossible to duplicate.
991 01:21:35 Once the canvas is stripped
992 01:21:37 I then must create an unmistakably original work.
993 01:21:40 I have studied every one of Vermeer's brushstrokes.
994 01:21:43 I understand perfectly the pressure he applied
995 01:21:47 the movement of his wrist
996 01:21:48 even the hairs that he's chosen for each brush.
997 01:21:52 I also understand how he mixes his pigments
998 01:21:54 as well as how he interprets light.
999 01:21:56 So
1000 01:21:59 Yes
1001 01:22:03 to make the viewer my coconspirator
1002 01:22:06 so it not only fools the mind
1003 01:22:10 Look at my lacemaker. Is she from Vermeer's time?
1004 01:22:14 No. She is a jazz-age flapper. And she arouses you
1005 01:22:20 And if you look closely at this young lady here
1006 01:22:23 you may recognize the face of Greta Garbo.
1007 01:22:25 Göring was no different.
1008 01:22:27 At the Olympics in '36
1009 01:22:30 so when I painted Adulteress
1010 01:22:37 He believed he was gazing at a 300-year-old painting
1011 01:22:41 but as Narcissus
1012 01:22:46 his thousand-year Reich.
1013 01:22:50 Never once occurred to him the painting was a fake.
1014 01:22:53 And
1015 01:22:57 I despise it intensely.
1016 01:22:59 I believe every fascist deserves to be swindled.
1017 01:23:04 Thank you.
1018 01:23:12 All these exploits...
1019 01:23:18 Yet there isn't a soul to corroborate any of it.
1020 01:23:21 All we have is your fantastic story...
1021 01:23:24 against the experts' facts.
1022 01:23:27 And you declare yourself a hater of fascists
1023 01:23:30 yet you were a registered member
1024 01:23:32 of the fascist-leaning Unity Party before the war.
1025 01:23:36 - That was simply a matter of... - In fact
1026 01:23:39 described you as
1027 01:23:44 motivated more by passion for our principles
1028 01:23:46 than by desire for material gains."
1029 01:23:50 They weren't Nazis. They were the wealthy and elite of society.
1030 01:23:53 Closet fascists who saluted the Nazis when they took over.
1031 01:23:57 They could afford to have flattering portraits of themselves painted
1032 01:24:00 and as a young artist
1033 01:24:03 Is there anything else you haven't told me?
1034 01:24:05 Nothing. I would have told you this if I'd remembered such nonsense.
1035 01:24:08 You had the courtroom!
1036 01:24:12 You got under their skin.
1037 01:24:13 And now Wooning has taken away all your credibility.
1038 01:24:18 And there's something else.
1039 01:24:19 Wooning has found your ex-wife in France.
1040 01:24:23 He's going to put her on the stand.
1041 01:24:30 Well
1042 01:24:32 This is good news.
1043 01:24:34 That is good news indeed.
1044 01:24:43 Your ex-husband gave you most of the assets in the divorce.
1045 01:24:48 - He did. - And what were those?
1046 01:24:51 Couldn't tell you.
1047 01:24:55 Fourteen houses
1048 01:24:58 seven plots of land in Laren
1049 01:25:00 two homes in Deventer
1050 01:25:02 a chateau in Monaco
1051 01:25:05 and 567 individual properties in Amsterdam
1052 01:25:12 as well as the millions of guilders stowed in the floorboards of your home.
1053 01:25:15 Does that sound correct?
1054 01:25:17 I suppose so.
1055 01:25:18 For the record
1056 01:25:21 was bought during the German occupation
1057 01:25:23 after the sale of Christ and the Adulteress.
1058 01:25:28 Now
1059 01:25:32 that the pictures he sold by Vermeer
1060 01:25:36 were actually painted by his own hand?
1061 01:25:39 No.
1062 01:25:40 Though
1063 01:25:44 He is relentless once he has an idea in his mind.
1064 01:25:48 His artistic talents
1065 01:25:53 He is a genius.
1066 01:25:55 Do you recognize this photograph?
1067 01:25:59 It's from a party we hosted shortly before our divorce.
1068 01:26:06 Germans attended your parties often.
1069 01:26:11 Rarely but it did happen.
1070 01:26:13 - Thank you. - They were everywhere.
1071 01:26:33 Were you married to him when he joined the National Unity Party?
1072 01:26:36 Yes
1073 01:26:38 Please tell us why he joined.
1074 01:26:41 It was a long time ago.
1075 01:26:43 Painting portraits was one of the few ways an artist could make a living.
1076 01:26:48 And was your husband a believer in the party's doctrine?
1077 01:26:51 My ex-husband is apolitical
1078 01:26:57 I can think of a few other adjectives...
1079 01:27:02 - but here is not the place for them. - Thank you.
1080 01:27:08 You are Van Meegeren's assistant?
1081 01:27:10 I am.
1082 01:27:11 And also his mistress.
1083 01:27:14 We're... friendly
1084 01:27:19 - You were a confidante for years. - Yes.
1085 01:27:22 Would you describe Mr. Van Meegeren as a bit of a showman
1086 01:27:27 someone that wanted to be seen
1087 01:27:31 What artist isn't?
1088 01:27:34 Did you ever witness Han forge a Vermeer painting?
1089 01:27:38 Yes
1090 01:27:40 Many times.
1091 01:27:42 Did you know that he then sold them for exorbitant sums?
1092 01:27:45 - Of course. - That would make you an accomplice.
1093 01:27:50 I understand.
1094 01:27:53 What about this one? Did you see him paint it?
1095 01:27:56 - I did. - In 1939
1096 01:28:00 Yes.
1097 01:28:02 Han Van Meegeren spent all of 1939 at his villa in France.
1098 01:28:08 - If I didn't see that one... - No further questions.
1099 01:28:13 Mr. Piller?
1100 01:28:16 Questions for Mrs. Henning?
1101 01:28:21 No.
1102 01:28:23 We will adjourn until tomorrow.
1103 01:28:44 Proceed
1104 01:28:46 Your Honor
1105 01:28:52 Very well but get on with it.
1106 01:29:07 We call Dirk Hannema to the stand.
1107 01:29:20 Mr. Hannema
1108 01:29:23 Yes
1109 01:29:28 by the office of the Allied Command.
1110 01:29:31 And what was your opinion of it?
1111 01:29:33 Well
1112 01:29:38 I have your written statement here.
1113 01:29:42 "The painting tentatively titled Boy Jesus in the Temple
1114 01:29:47 is likely an early work in Vermeer's lost biblical series.
1115 01:29:53 The work is estimated to be 280 years old
1116 01:29:59 and is a major and important find."
1117 01:30:03 - You wrote that? - Indeed. And I stand by it.
1118 01:30:06 You didn't spend very long analyzing it
1119 01:30:10 It was clearly part of the biblical series.
1120 01:30:12 I was able to expedite the process...
1121 01:30:14 It should be noted
1122 01:30:16 that Mr. Hannema has already put in a bid for this painting
1123 01:30:20 hoping to acquire it for the Boijmans Gallery.
1124 01:30:23 And why is that relevant?
1125 01:30:25 Your Honor
1126 01:30:30 It was painted by Han Van Meegeren while in my custody
1127 01:30:33 at the Goudstikker Gallery.
1128 01:30:35 That's utter nonsense.
1129 01:30:37 My associates and I were there for the entire creation
1130 01:30:41 start till finish
1131 01:30:45 Mr. Van Meegeren painted this painting to try and save his life.
1132 01:30:49 Are you saying that you then submitted it to Mr. Hannema for verification?
1133 01:30:54 No
1134 01:30:59 But not until the process had been completed in full.
1135 01:31:02 What does that mean?
1136 01:31:03 That means that Mr. Van Meegeren painted the painting
1137 01:31:06 and Mr. Dekker and I assisted him in aging it.
1138 01:31:11 The process is quite intricate
1139 01:31:13 but
1140 01:31:17 Another fantastic story!
1141 01:31:19 Your Honor
1142 01:31:22 the second figure on the left is in fact Captain Joseph Piller
1143 01:31:26 my jailer
1144 01:31:33 Quiet!
1145 01:31:34 There is some likeness between Mr. Piller and the subject
1146 01:31:37 but is that proof?
1147 01:31:38 It could be purely coincidental.
1148 01:31:39 - You need your eyes tested. - Mr. Van Meegeren!
1149 01:31:42 You might find in this courtroom several men
1150 01:31:44 who
1151 01:31:47 Your Honor
1152 01:31:50 to warrant a more radical and foolproof test.
1153 01:31:54 Please
1154 01:31:57 and test it for the presence of phenol formaldehyde or Bakelite
1155 01:32:02 a compound invented less than 40 years ago.
1156 01:32:05 We don't need...
1157 01:32:09 In my chambers.
1158 01:32:10 Even if Van Meegeren did paint that thing
1159 01:32:12 it doesn't mean that Göring's Vermeer
1160 01:32:16 Test both paintings. Test all of them.
1161 01:32:19 These are priceless cultural treasures
1162 01:32:23 Your Honor
1163 01:32:26 I'm talking about a man's life.
1164 01:32:30 I... am not persuaded.
1165 01:32:34 This isn't a trial. This is a stage play.
1166 01:32:36 Someone who just wants Van Meegeren out of the way.
1167 01:32:39 Someone whose wife he slept with.
1168 01:32:42 Someone who didn't get a good cut of bacon.
1169 01:32:44 - Oh
1170 01:32:50 They're persuaded
1171 01:32:55 after you've thrown Van Meegeren to the wolves
1172 01:32:58 they will be coming for you next.
1173 01:33:01 Are you threatening me?
1174 01:33:03 Yes
1175 01:33:07 You jumped-up spiv.
1176 01:33:12 Now
1177 01:33:16 and final warning.
1178 01:33:26 You've been played
1179 01:33:28 Van Meegeren is the magician and you're his greatest trick.
1180 01:33:32 Maybe this case is all about you.
1181 01:33:34 Did you get a taste for the good life?
1182 01:33:37 You think he's gonna give you a pile of cash
1183 01:33:39 to secure your family's future?
1184 01:33:42 Good luck with the verdict!
1185 01:33:45 That deliberation is not gonna take very long
1186 01:33:48 I think we'd stand a chance.
1187 01:33:52 They believed that painting.
1188 01:33:55 Look at all these people.
1189 01:34:00 They need a win.
1190 01:34:45 Upon careful consideration of all the facts presented
1191 01:34:50 it is the unanimous conclusion of this court...
1192 01:34:55 that Han Van Meegeren...
1193 01:34:57 is guilty of wartime collaboration with the enemy.
1194 01:35:03 And I hereby sentence to...
1195 01:35:08 Quiet!
1196 01:35:09 And I hereby sentence him to death.
1197 01:35:13 Quiet!
1198 01:35:19 He doesn't deserve that!
1199 01:35:22 Order! Silence!
1200 01:35:27 Come on!
1201 01:35:41 Piller!
1202 01:35:43 What is he doing?
1203 01:35:48 Stop him! Stop him!
1204 01:35:57 "H.V.M."
1205 01:36:00 Han Van Meegeren. This painting... is a fake.
1206 01:36:05 They're all fakes.
1207 01:36:10 Only one minute ago
1208 01:36:12 these paintings were considered sublime and priceless.
1209 01:36:15 Now they are worthless and not one brushstroke has changed.
1210 01:36:25 Quiet!
1211 01:37:41 You kids don't know how to drink anymore.
1212 01:37:45 Another round.
1213 01:37:47 Who are you calling a kid?
1214 01:37:51 Thank you.
1215 01:39:50 Surprise.
1216 01:39:54 May I come in
1217 01:40:01 Thank you.
1218 01:40:09 Congratulations are in order.
1219 01:40:11 Please don't tell me you're here to give me the Medal of Merit.
1220 01:40:13 No
1221 01:40:18 A souvenir.
1222 01:40:19 My assistant came across it when we were packing up the gallery.
1223 01:40:22 It's a collection of Van Meegeren's art.
1224 01:40:27 Yes
1225 01:40:32 The dedication page might interest you.
1226 01:40:49 The people have their hero.
1227 01:40:55 I'm done with this case
1228 01:41:10 We are so pleased you came
1229 01:41:14 Joseph
1230 01:41:18 Our story is all over the world.
1231 01:41:20 We have given Holland wings to rise from the ashes.
1232 01:41:25 A victory over darkness.
1233 01:41:28 People want more life again.
1234 01:41:31 They want to laugh
1235 01:41:34 They want to dream of a better day.
1236 01:41:36 And thanks to you
1237 01:41:40 You got what you wanted. You enabled them to see the truth.
1238 01:41:44 And here it is
1239 01:41:49 You're quite the hero
1240 01:41:51 I suppose this is more adulation than even you imagined.
1241 01:41:54 Are you kidding me? I always imagined it. Please sit down.
1242 01:42:03 Listen... Joseph.
1243 01:42:07 I never could have trusted anyone in the way I trusted you.
1244 01:42:12 I hope you understand that.
1245 01:42:15 Perhaps
1246 01:42:26 "To my beloved Führer
1247 01:42:29 in grateful tribute.
1248 01:42:31 Han Van Meegeren."
1249 01:42:34 Very touching gift to Adolf Hitler
1250 01:42:37 from Holland's most famous hater of the Nazis.
1251 01:42:47 In the colonies of yesteryear
1252 01:42:51 We raped
1253 01:42:55 We even threw babies onto fires.
1254 01:42:58 And the statues of the men who led to those glorious exploits
1255 01:43:02 stand proudly in our public spaces.
1256 01:43:05 The tide comes in
1257 01:43:11 To keep the hope alive.
1258 01:43:13 In all our glorious colors
1259 01:43:16 including gray.
1260 01:43:20 Bravo. To art.
1261 01:43:29 I never really cared about art.
1262 01:43:31 But now I know that all truly great artists
1263 01:43:35 bravely walk through the fire of critics and doubting sheep
1264 01:43:40 to claim their place in history.
1265 01:43:42 And that is black and white.
1266 01:43:45 And that is why the merchants place such high value on art.
1267 01:43:48 They get to possess their own small piece of an incorruptible soul.
1268 01:43:56 But you could have claimed your place in history as an artist.
1269 01:44:01 Your own name and right next to Hals
1270 01:44:06 God gave you all the talent in the world.
1271 01:44:12 Yet you went and wasted it all away.
1272 01:44:15 Guess you weren't brave enough to walk through the fire.
1273 01:44:31 Joseph
1274 01:44:34 I did trust you
1275 01:44:38 That's why I stood up for you.
1276 01:44:41 And it almost cost me everything.
1277 01:44:51 Enjoy your victory
1278 01:44:55 Our victory.
