Original subtitles

Disgusting,

seven days confined to barracks.

Dismissed.

There was nothing wrong with his kit, I saw it.

He's right. Perfect.

Why did he do it? Because he is crazy.

It's not fair, Beau. I wonder you didn't sock him one.

Don't you see, Dig, that's just what he wants.

He's out to get me.

One! Two! One! Two! One! Two! One! Two!

Come along, up, up, up.

Halt!

Dismiss!

Not you, Chauvin!

Up.

So, you have seen better things on flypaper.

You have not finished yet,

double march.

All right, come along, in here.

Soldiers (inaudible).

Hey, new recruits are at the far end of the chambre.

Hey, out.

You, move.

Pardon me, friend.

Legionnaire de premiere classe, Saint-Andre, at your service.

My deepest regrets, but one has privileges.

That Lejaune sure is crazy as a hoot owl.

It reminds me of the time I wrestled with a grizzly bear.

Only I think I liked the bear better.

I shot me a grizzly bear, I have.

They ain't immortal.

Are you feeling better?

Go away, Boldini.

I mean it, go on, scoot.

I don't want you here.

Go back to your master, Lejaune.

Go lick his hand, like the good little doggy that you are.

Is it my fault you had a bottle of cognac in your kit?

It's your fault he found out about it.

You're a rattlesnake with a silent rattle, that's what you are.

You bring trouble to yourself.

First you make Lejaune hate you, then you give him reason to punish you.

You make it easy for him.

That don't let you off the hook.

I still say you're Lejaune's spy.

You can do no wrong in his eyes.

Why does he give you no dirty jobs to do?

We all get them. You? Never.

He makes you his orderly,

a nice soft job.

Why you?

I do not know.

Why don't you ask him?

Perhaps it is because I knew him before the Legion.

You knew him? Where?

On the rubber station in the Belgian Congo, he was a manager.

Yes. And you know what they say?

Lejaune was kicked out

for the way he treated the native workers.

There was talk of torture and atrocities.

Ah, you're just a gossip. There was no proof.

Two missionaries reported his crimes to the authorities.

I can just see Lejaune torturing helpless Africans.

And enjoying it. Ah!

You are not one of his favorites, either, Mr. Brown.

But you are clever.

You give him no cause to make life unpleasant for you

as he would like.

You do not lose your temper.

I admire your self-control.

A virtue one learns on the playing fields of Eton, my dear Maris.

The time may come when Lejaune will lose his patience.

Surely.

You ready, Dig?

Johnny?

I'll come down later.

Letter to Isobel?

Yes, letter to Isobel.

Another one?

Aren't you rather overdoing it?

Don't worry, I've told him exactly what to say.

Except for the billing and cooing…

That's very good, Monsieur Bolidar.

Here is your friend.

He's quite mad, you know?

Absolutely insane.

Insane and in-charge.

What your American friend said,

about me being Lejaune's informer,

it is not true.

What do you want, Boldini? You didn't follow us here just to tell us that.

You have made your mind up, Monsieur? What about?

About the talk we had, about all of us combining in a gang,

equal shares.

Ah yes,

to inform Senior Boldini of our decision number one.

Yes, of course.

Now then Boldini,

what makes you think you're fit to join our gang?

The French police could tell you that.

You mean, you're known to the police.

You've a prison record? I have been in prison.

That disqualifies you right away.

You're a marked man.

You are not known to the English police?

We've never been caught.

I also have done many jobs and not been caught.

What jobs?

Pinching candlesticks from a church?

Emptying the poor box?

Tell me this.

Supposing we decide to steal a ceremonial sword from the King of Egypt.

How would you suggest we proceed?

Well…

I do not know. Quite beyond your powers, you see?

Yes. Well,

I have one thing you do not: local knowledge.

If you get something valuable,

jewels, perhaps,

that you try to sell here in Sidi,

I know where you would get the best price.

Look old chap, you stay in your own little backwater,

you're happy there, you belong there.

Why try to scale the heights when God meant you for the plains?

You are the leader, Mr. Brown. That is what you also think?

You don't think perhaps as garçon de thé?

No, I agree.

Sorry, Boldini. Not even as tea boy.

You put on fine airs, my friend.

Well, take care you're not pulled down from your throne.

Thank you, Emily.

You see in very good spirits today.

Hmm, I had a letter this morning from John.

A letter? Where is he?

Is Beau with him? He didn't say.

You mean, you're not telling? He didn't mention Beau or Digby.

May one ask where John is? In Africa.

Africa. Then Beau will be there too.

You want him to get away?

That's simply isn't true.

You haven't contacted the police yet.

I wish to avoid a scandal.

Uncle Hector won't worry about scandal

when he learns that the Blue Water has been stolen.

He'll blame you for letting them get away.

But you don't care because you can't bear the thought

of your precious Beau being in prison.

I'm as disappointed and hurt by Michael's behavior as you are.

When is Uncle Hector coming back?

He has postponed his homecoming to go hunting bear in Kashmir.

Apparently, the tigers in the Central Provinces disappointed him.

He wants to return on a note of triumph,

lots of skins and heads. I'll never see Beau again.

I know that now.

And neither will you.

Escouade, attention!

Well done, Brown,

you have passed out best recruit in this squad.

Thank you, sir.

Do you intend to make a career in the Foreign Legion?

I'm not sure sir.

My future at the moment is clouded over with uncertainty.

You could do well.

To the man of ability promotion can come quickly.

You might make sergeant one day,

even sergeant-major.

So, now Capt. Renouf sings his praises.

Well done, Brown,

you could be a sergeant,

even a sergeant-major.

And Brown is a good soldier, eh, Chef?

Renouf congratulated me for making him a model legionnaire.

Every day, you wait for him to make a mistake,

waiting like a hawk, ready to sink your claws into him,

but he does not make mistakes.

Not even a little one. He will.

He will break.

It'll be a long time before he does.

Perhaps you do not have to wait.

Perhaps there is a way you can strike at him now.

You know something against him?

He has done nothing wrong as a soldier.

It is something else, but it can be used against him.

What?

Speaking of promotion is it not time that a man of my talents

and experience was promoted to Corporal?

Aargh! What do you know about him?

He and his brothers are a gang.

They pulled off a big robbery in London and joined the Legion to lie low.

Boldini, if this is another one of your inventions...

It's true. They're thieves, gentlemen thieves.

How do you know this?

In Marseille, I happened to read a letter.

It was in the pocket of Legionnaire John Smith.

It was a letter from Brown

confessing to the theft of something called the Blue Water.

The Blue Water, what is that?

Here in Sidi one night, I heard them talking.

It is a jewel worth 30,000 English pounds. I heard Brown say so.

He carries it with him in a pouch around his waist.

Does anybody else know about this?

Not even their friends, the Americans.

So,

he is in possession of stolen property,

30,000 pounds, you said, Boldini.

Yes, Chef. Get the jewel.

But how? That is up to you, but get it.

What's your answer?

I don't like it. What are you afraid of?

I'm not afraid. Nor am I a fool to act without thinking.

And me neither. Hey, look amici,

let's sit down, let's talk calmly, no?

Have a cigar.

I'll tell you what you'll do now.

You change beds with me, it'll make it easier for you.

We could still get caught. What happens then?

Well you're as good a man as he is.

He is popular, this boy. You know what the Legion does to thieves?

I don't want to be pinned to the barrack-room table

with bayonets for my hands and ears.

What about his brothers, and his friends, the Americans?

What about your friends?

What about Sergeant-Major Lejaune?

If someone makes a row when Corporal Dupre reports a man to him

and I give my evidence as an eyewitness?

Brothers, you say? Aren't Lejaune and I like brothers?

Hey, Boldini, why don't you do it yourself?

I am going to be made corporal.

I mustn't be mixed up in any trouble.

When I'm a corporal, I shall look after my friends.

You say he carries the jewel in a pouch?

That's right.

"Like a kangaroo," he said. I heard it.

And he wears it all the time?

Day and night. And there's a thousand francs for you to bring it to me.

And all you do is sit back and wait for us

to bring the jewel to you, huh?

I take all the risks of trying to sell it.

You make our job sound too easy.

Santa Maria, one of you gets him and holds him,

the other one gets the jewel. You run back to your beds in the dark.

It is easy.

A child could do it.

Come, what do you think?

We'll think about it.

What is there to think about?

You heard, my friend, we'll have to think it over, eh?

So they went away with nothing settled?

Exactly.

What do you think they'll do?

I cannot say.

So, my brother, you imitate the kangaroo.

He did not divulge that I have a sapphire eye.

And here in my cheek, another jewel?

You see, the fool overheard us joking,

then Dig and I made it worse by pulling his leg.

Boldini is a fool, all right,

but he is also very dangerous.

Why did you tell us this?

I like you, English gentlemen.

Mr. Beau saved from prison when my tunic was stolen.

I could not have replaced it in time for Lejaune's inspection.

Pleased to help.

It is just possible

that they may try to steal your money belt.

They think there is something valuable in it.

I'll be on my guard.

Bon.

Now if you'll excuse me, gentlemen,

I must go.

Mr. Maris, I don't wish to be inquisitive,

but I'd be interested to know what you did before you joined the Legion.

Steady on, John.

That sort of question's bad form around here.

Sorry. No, it's all right.

I was a courier, and hope to be so again one day,

when a little trouble has blown over.

What sort of trouble?

It's alright, not asking.

I told someone not to steal my fiancée when I was traveling.

Bon nuit, mes amis. Au revoir.

And thank you, Maris.

Listen, Beau, I know you won't give me a straight answer about the Blue Water.

But if you do wear a money belt, let me have it at night for a bit,

in case these gentle Italians have been persuaded

and something happens in the dark.

Why?

With no property to protect, you can give them your full and undivided attention.

Also, you could establish the fact

that you don't wear a money belt at night and put an end to the rumors.

I'd sooner establish alarm and despondency in the thief, thanks.

Boy oh boy,

that Boldini sure is lower than a snake's belly.

Yes, what do we do?

Don't worry kid. Your brother can look after himself.

Well suppose they just stick a knife into him one night while he's asleep?

Forget it son,

those boobs would never do that.

They don't trust each other enough, for one thing.

Far too risky for another. Shh!

Hi, boys.

Find one drop of blood on their hands or on his shirt, one yell out of your brother,

they'd be caught red-handed.

What if Guantaio or Colonna simply crept up to the bed

and drove a bayonet through his blanket and through his heart?

There'd be no blood stains on the murderer.

Look here, son.

Suppose as you were trying to stick me.

Well, how do you know where my heart was,

me being curled up under the blankets and being near dark and all?

Well, in that case, I hope they do have a try

because they'll never get near that belt without waking Beau.

Son, I'd undertake to clean your brother out every night of his life.

I'd get every red cent and the belt likewise also and he'd sleep like a babe.

Well, you picked my pocket easily enough.

Now look here, kid. I got me an idea.

Suppose I go to Boldini and I says, "Boldini,

if that young Britisher, Michael Brown, gets robbed, I'm gonna do you an injustice.

Well, I'm gonna beat you up so bad,

your father, if you had one, wouldn't recognize you,

and your own mother would disown you."

No, Hank. Thanks, but I don't think that will be necessary.

As long as he's not going to be stabbed in his sleep, I'm not too worried.

Aw, shucks.

I've just seen Colonna and Guantaio.

Come in, Boldini. Sit down.

Well?

They've turned me down. Why?

I don't know. They won't do it.

A thousand francs, I promised them, and they still won't do it.

You went to the wrong men.

Now they know about the jewel, they will try and get it for themselves.

Oh, they wouldn't do that. It is what you would do.

Perhaps you are thinking of going behind my back even now, huh?

Why would I do that?

Didn't I come to you in the first place and told you about the jewel?

I need your help. We need each other.

You'd better tell your Sicilian friends to forget that you have spoken to them.

They won't try to steal it. They're too scared.

We'll have to get someone else. This time I will pick the man.

They will not refuse me.

Salud. You're not worried about that?

You put on fatigue and you sing.

I think of my wife and son.

And the end of my service, which comes very soon.

You're very fond of this boy, aren't you?

I'm proud of him. When I return to Portugal, I will make him proud of me.

You, get out.

You were a thief, were you not?

No, Chef.

You were a pickpocket before you joined the Legion.

That is in the past, Chef.

It's not a skill one forgets. I've forgotten it.

You are going to steal something for me, Bolidar.

He is a legionnaire in your room, his name's Brown.

He has stolen a jewel.

You are going to get it for me without him knowing you've taken it.

No, Chef, I will not do that. I cannot.

You will do as I say.

I swore an oath in church never to steal again.

I will give you absolution.

No, Chef, I won't do it.

You are due for discharge soon, are you not?

Looking forward to going home.

Unless, of course, you get into trouble.

You know how it is, Bolidar, a run of bad luck,

the corporal punishes you, the sergeant punishes you, and I punish you.

And the officer doubles your punishment for being a troublemaker.

A man could end up in the penal battalion.

Not everyone survives that experience.

Wring the thieving coyote's neck, kid.

Who is it?

Bolidar!

What are you doing over here?

Well, he is trying to steal. It's obvious, isn't it?

To rob the comrades. What do you say?

What, Bolidar? I can't be absolutely certain.

Well, you all know what the Legion does to a thief?

Wait a minute, It was me he was trying to rob. Let him speak.

Hold on in there now.

Give the guy a fair trial.

Lynching's for horse thieves and such like, but give him a trial.

Cough it up quick, boy, was you stealing?

I was sleepwalking. Sleepwalking.

Well, you never walked in your sleep before.

Till he luckily walks into the bed of a man who has money.

What are we waiting for?

No more use, Johnny! They can't do that to him!

Guards! Guards! Quickly move away.

What is going on here?

I see. An "accident."

Take this one to the hospital.

Leave him, go to your bed.

But… It is finished! Go to your bed!

Your bayonet, Boldini.

Take care somebody doesn't stick it into you one of these days.

Why would Bolidar do something like that?

He's not Boldini's man.

I did hear tell that he joined the Legion because police were after him for thieving.

Could be he was acting for himself, Beau.

Or maybe he was only after your money, a chance to get rich quick.

There's a story going around that,

well, some of these boobs have got it in their heads

that you and your brothers are a gang of jewel thieves.

Story goes that

you pinched a valuable jewel in London from a famous general.

Famous general, which one?

Name of Sir Duke Smith.

Sir Duke Smith?

Yeah. Seems like he got the jewel…

jewel from the Prince of Wales, who had a loving eye on his sister...

He's on his guard now.

Getting the jewel will be difficult,

impossible.

Here, perhaps, but at Zinderneuf... Zinderneuf?

The tribes have risen in the Sudan,

a strong military presence is to be dispatched.

We are to form part of that force.

We are to provide a special squad for duty at Fort Zinderneuf.

That hellhole, the Devil's Outpost.

You and I will be in that squad,

so will our three English friends.

An isolated desert fort, hundreds of miles from civilization.

Men go mad,

and die in such places, Boldini.

Not all of us will come back.