Original subtitles

Turn!

Sweet hope...

We repeat.

To all the French forces in Indochina. Gentle...

How much time did we lose?

We repeat. To all French forces...

Lisbon!

Lisbon!

"Doux espoir" is the alert!

The Japanese are kicking us out.

Everybody out! Gather round!

Five minutes!

I want everyone here!

Come on, rapido!

Rapido!

Join the others in the courtyard. We're off.

How are you, Alvarez?

- Yeah, it's... Yeah, it's fine. - He fixed you up good.

I'm fine.

How are you?

- You got a problem, Eisinger? - No, something's wrong.

Do you know anything?

- Do you know what's going on? - I don't know what's going on.

I don't know.

We have sick people.

Ask for the nearest closer. Over to you.

Impossible. Your turn.

I repeat, it's impossible for us to apply the dispersal order

with patients.

Over to you.

Do your best.

Good luck.

Finished.

Attention!

Section assembled. Aye, aye, sir.

Section, rest.

The Japanese attacked all over the country. They are on their way.

We're off to Son La.

The rest of the 5th is there.

It's the base from which to fall back to China.

The great stampede.

We should wait for them, the Japs.

This is a rest camp.

They've been getting the boot for five years.

Distribute weapons.

Except Lemiotte.

I'm warning you.

If you leave, I'll shoot you.

OK. Let's do this. Come on, guys! Come on, guys!

What are we going to do in the jungle?

My adjutant.

Sorry, sergeant. But I can't.

Let us stay at the camp.

We don't have the strength.

Marly and Cossack, we mustn't think of you,

otherwise we'll never get to China.

Come on, come on.

Mathu?

I can't anymore.

I can't anymore.

We're the "drink column".

- Damn. - The "drink column"!

We're going to get caught up.

Give me your bag, Methuselah.

Hurry up!

Come on.

And walk!

Let the mules through.

How are you?

March 10, 1945 logbook.

Are you all right, Doctor?

Departure from Khan Kha� yesterday at 5 p.m.

Total workforce: nineteen.

It's okay, Alvarez. It's all clean.

Kossakowski and Marly have asked to remain in the camp.

They were unable to walk.

At least write down their names.

We mourn the loss of one member,

Krapfield.

Objective: Son La's post.

Distance: 200 km.

Our chances of success are close to nil.

Marly.

Cossack.

The Legion never abandons its own.

Come on, guys. Let's get out there.

Get your stuff, we're moving!

Come on, come on! Hey, Doc.

Vamos, vamos.

Come on, Poussin.

- It stinks of death. - It's okay, Lemiotte.

My adjutant.

My adjutant.

Can I tell you something?

Always say, Lemiotte.

No offense, if we all wait for the slower ones,

we're all going to die. Don't you think?

We should form groups. Just like this, a few will make it.

The Legion isn't every man for himself. You should have thought of that before.

I signed up for the Legion for 5 years.

It's been 4 years since my contract ended.

And I'm stuck here.

We're all stuck here, like you, for years.

Myself included. You're the only one whining.

Do you want to walk alone?

Scout ahead.

Unarmed?

Aye, aye, sir.

The four corners of the forest, protect us.

Fifth day of walking.

We had to get off the track before we were caught.

We couldn't walk any faster without losing the weakest.

My adjutant. My adjutant!

- What's that? - A tiger! I saw a tiger.

You weren't dreaming, were you, Alvarez?

I saw a tiger.

Men are delirious.

Madness lurks.

Keeping a semblance of order,

so that we don't all become wild beasts.

But here, nature rules.

Vamos, Alvarez.

Vamos, vamos, vamos.

No, no, no!

Calm down, calm down!

- What's wrong with it? - A snake, I think.

Captain!

- What's this? - Captain! Captain!

- Snake! - What's a snake?

- Has anyone seen the snake? - No, we haven't.

- No! - Shhh!

- It's all right. It's all right. - Hold it steady.

It's nothing, it's nothing.

- Calm down. Calm down. - What are you doing?

Here we are.

Wait, wait, wait.

Hold him, I'll give him an injection.

Hold still, Stigmann.

You'll see, everything's fine.

All is well.

Fuck it.

A problem?

The morphine that was in my bag is gone. It's all gone.

My adjutant!

Someone stole the morphine.

Lemiotte, report!

Yes, sergeant?

Morphine, Lemiotte.

What did you do with it?

Empty your bag.

The other.

Come on, the other one.

Empty all your bags.

Come on. Now.

What?

Empty your bags!

All pockets.

Come on, now! I want to see!

Give it up, Lisbon.

Here we go.

Japs.

Crap.

I didn't expect to find them already there.

Son La, c'est cuit.

We cross, we continue into the jungle.

Calm down!

Keep him quiet! The Japs are here!

He'll calm down.

Quiet, Stigmann. Quiet!

Stop yelling! Stop yelling.

Stop, stop.

Stop.

He breathes.

- Good. - One...

We hide out and wait for nightfall.

Two, three.

Come on.

Here we go.

Hush.

I hear something.

Down, down, down.

Lisbon.

Come on.

Margola, your turn.

Sorbonne,

- in the process. - Yes.

Let's go.

- Where is Lemiotte? - He was behind us.

Eisinger.

Go back.

Go see what he's doing.

Lemiotte?

Lemiotte?

Lemiotte?

Lemiotte?

What are you playing at, Lemiotte?

Come on.

Come on, we're leaving.

Cut the crap, Lemiotte.

We'll die if we stay with Jani�ki.

- Come with me, please. - No, I won't.

So hand me your rifle and let me go.

- No. No, no, no. - Eisinger, let me go.

He's going to kill me. Do you understand what I'm saying?

I won't say anything, don't worry.

Come on.

Run for it! Go, go, go!

That way, that way!

Come on, get up!

Die Spinnen!

I remember!

Margola!

I remember everything.

Die Spinnen!

It's the spiders.

We lost the mules.

We lost the mules.

Stigmann.

Where is Lemiotte?

I'm here, sergeant.

Your fault, Eisinger and Margola are dead.

Kneel down.

- I fell, sergeant. - Down on my knees!

- As we cross... - I warned you.

Jani�ki!

My adjutant.

Don't touch me.

Here we go.

March 19, 1945.

Eisinger and Margola are dead.

Dagoni has disappeared.

Lemiotte will be court-martialed.

I think he's beyond repair.

No more refuelling.

Impossible to hunt.

All we eat now roots.

The tiger.

You're crazy, Alvarez.

Methuselah called us

the "drink column".

Nothing, Alvarez.

Vamos.

Vamos, vamos.

Marly.

Aren't you dead?

Were you praying, Lemiotte?

Were you praying, Lemiotte?

Do you believe in God?

I'm surprised.

I'm surprised at you.

We're on our own.

I just think we're alone, Marly.

We're all alone.

We need to find supplies.

What can we do?

Mia Lang, sir.

Mia Lang?

Tinh knows... There's a camp of suppl�tifs m�o, over there.

Where is it?

We're here.

Mia Lang, there. China, here.

Ah, it's playable.

That's 80 kilometers more.

Another week, another ten days.

The Laotian soldiers not leave their village.

There, they will have ammunition, food.

This is our only chance to get to China.

If we stop running?

We hide, we cover our tracks

and survive in the jungle.

- We are soldiers, Aubrac. - Soldiers?

Really?

Food can be found,

but the forest is dangerous and the spirits are evil.

Who cares about spirits?

Hush.

Alvarez, I won't tell.

I have visions too.

Hush.

Puta madre.

- Alvarez. - It's underneath.

He's suffocating. Shoot him!

Pull, pull!

- Come on, Alvarez! - Come on, Alvarez. Good God!

Shoot!

Careful, now. Oh, shit.

Corporal.

Are you hurt?

No. It's tiger's blood.

Que susto.

What's your name?

- What's your name? - Julio Alvarez.

Alvarez Julio.

Come on, guys.

We're leaving as soon as possible.

Killing tigers is not good.

Stop it, Tinh. You're pissing us off.

We cut up the meat and leave.

- Is he on his own? - Hats off to you, Stigmann!

- You got it! - Is he on his own?

- Who's scared now? - Go, Stigmann!

Who's scared?

He's a dirty Japanese! Dirty Japanese!

- What are you doing? - Oh, oh!

Oh! Oh!

He shot at us.

He shot at us, the bastard.

What about him?

It was Stigmann who killed him.

Chick, what happened?

Answer the question.

He... He...

He shot at us.

Lemiotte prevented it.

Why was he shooting at you?

I don't know, sergeant.

I don't know.

He's gone mad, sergeant.

Lisbon.

Take his gun.

It's all my fault.

It's all my fault.

We're all going crazy.

The Japs are not far away.

Gotta go.

Thank you.

April 11, 1945.

We've been walking for over a month.

Stigmann is dead.

Please note.

He came across a Japanese scout.

The enemy is close.

We've been spotted now.

We know that.

Come on.

What do you think, sergeant?

We set up here and wait for them.

What are you talking about? An ambush?

Honestly, chief, I can't think of a worse idea.

Our strength is gone,

nothing left to eat.

If I have to die, I'd rather die arms in hand.

Like our elders in Mexico.

Are we going to do Camerone?

Guys.

The Japanese are going to be on us at any moment.

So we stop here and wait for them.

Hide.

Alvarez.

Your kepi is showing.

Poussin, cock your musket.

Nobody shoots before I do.

I'm thinking of names.

In the names of the dead.

Are our names recorded on a register somewhere?

Are we already dead?

My adjutant.

Charger!

FM!

Ammunition! Ammunition!

- Sorbonne, loader! - It's blocked!

Stop the fire!

Stop the fire!

Stop the fire!

It's okay, Poussin.

Stop it, Poussin. Stop it.

Bravo, Poussin.

Karamyan is dead.

Traguiliev too.

Any injuries?

No.

But we made it. We're alive!

How are you?

We can't eat that.

They had nothing to eat either.

Listen to me, all of you.

What you did today,

it was only legionnaires who could do it.

The Japanese are going to take us for what we are,

real soldiers.

Lemiotte, hand over your weapon.

I won that rifle.

I've done my fair share.

Surrender your weapon.

I don't trust you, Lemiotte.

Now that you're spirits,

protect us.

Attention!

Present...

weapons!

April 12, 1945.

Somewhere north of the RC7.

Clash with the Japanese.

Losses : Traguiliev and Karamyan.

Enemy section out of action.

Japanese as hungry as we are.

I feel weak,

but for the first time,

I believe we're capable to reach China,

despite the hunger and the illnesses we carry.

How are you?

Corporal?

- Corporal? - Yeah?

There's no more track.

Tinh, which way is it?

This way.

Any doubts?

No.

It's good.

To Mia Lang, I'll be able to treat you better.

A cousin has herbs.

Why are you staying with us, Tinh?

Are you coming with us to Europe or are you going home?

Leave him alone, Lisbon.

Aren't you going to answer it?

In your village, do they like the French?

If I wasn't on your side, you'd all be dead.

What?

Poussin.

They're my cousins.

How long, Doctor?

I'd say four, five days.

Corporal.

Corporal, Kommen Sie!

- Is that Mia Lang? - Yeah, that's Mia Lang.

Karlson, Sorbonne.

Go and see if there's anything to eat.

Oh, my sergeant! My sergeant!

He's burning up! It's malaria.

- He's fine. - We'll put it over there.

Slowly, slowly.

Tinh, water!

Easy, easy, easy.

Quiet. Here you go.

Come on, come on.

Wait, wait, wait.

There's nothing to eat in there.

There's no boustiffe?

Not there.

- The adjutant said we'd eat! - Mathu, stop!

Three days without eating!

Don't go, Mathu, it's horrible.

The adjutant had said we'd meet up with some guys in Son La.

We haven't reached anyone.

The adjutant had said we'd eat at Mia Lang,

and there's nothing but stiffs.

It's over, Jani�ki.

No more.

China...

China...

China?

- It'll be without us. - I think he's right.

This is not the time, Lemiotte.

On the contrary, Lisbon.

Now's the time.

Now's the time.

If authority doesn't work, get rid of it.

What do you expect, huh? What do you expect?

There are a few of us who think we can't go on like this.

Yes.

We're just men in the jungle.

There are no more rules.

No more boss.

Do you understand?

Cut the crap.

Do you understand?

Vaffanculo, corporal.

You can see how lame she is, authority!

Poussin, your gun!

Stop it, Lemiotte!

Stop, please.

- Medic. - Get back!

What are you waiting for?

Keep moving, you and Stenweeg, and you're dead.

Warrant Officer Jani�ki assumes responsibility for this column.

He's in charge.

Is that clear to everyone?

Is that clear?

Sorbonne, Karlson.

Tie that fool up.

And Stenweeg too.

Musso, hand over your weapon.

Give up your weapon, damn it!

You've chosen the wrong side,

my captain.

You're weak.

April 18, 1945.

41st day of walking.

I'm back to writing reports

following the defection of Warrant Officer Jani�ki,

malaria victim.

Let's give up Mia Lang's nightmare.

Dozens of Laotian partisans brutally murdered.

Let's move forward blindly, heading north.

Prisoners suffer without complaint,

despite the looming peloton.

Lemiotte touches me.

It occurred to me

a sentence from from Journey to the End of the Night:

"If people are so mean,

"perhaps it's only because they suffer,

"but it's a long time between

"the moment when they stopped suffering

"the one where they become a little better."

Mil�na...

Lemiotte must have suffered a lot to toughen up so much.

Mil�na...

Milena... Milena...

Mil�na...

Mil�na...

Mil�na...

Mil�na...

You said to eat the tiger.

Now spirits are angry.

You're grounded for good.

You're dying, anyway.

The deserters disappeared taking map and compass with them.

Only Tinh and the sun to guide us.

We followed Jani�ki like ghosts,

without knowing where we were going or why.

Obeying laws that may no longer apply,

that the forest doesn't care about.

We are the "drink column",

we walk with the current.

My hope: that one of us will make it,

that we don't all die like abandoned animals.

Sorbonne, wake up!

Come on, Poussin. Come on, get up!

Karlson.

Tinh.

Tinh!

Hey, Alvarez!

Vamos, amigo.

Franco, Francisco Franco, your mother's whore!

Viva la muerte.

Morphine.

It was him.

He was an anarchist.

Neither God nor master.

Hi, Alvarez.

Adi�s, amigo.

Mid-May. Malaria attacks are less violent,

the spirits of Tinh leave me in peace.

I resume writing the notebook.

Staff: seven.

Lemiotte, Stenweeg and Pepelucci, desertion.

We've lost Methuselah.

And now, Alvarez,

exhaustion.

We're completely lost.

Aubrac is right.

If any of us can do it,

we're all pretty good at it.

We are,

the last of mankind.

Hear that?

Did you hear that?

Flygplan.

Flygplan!

Airplane!

Plane. Can't you hear it?

Airplane!

It's the staff coming to get us!

Airplane! Flygplan!

Hey! Oh!

Karlson.

Where did you find this, chief?

I was saving them to smoke with you in paradise.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Does anyone have a lighter?

Ah.

Does anyone have another lighter?

Tak.

Somewhere near the border.

Around the end of June.

We have recovered the remains of Stenweeg and Pepelucci,

stabbed.

The Japs, I hope.

Lemiotte has not been found.

Aubrac is dead,

his heart gave out.

Remaining personnel: Corporal Lisboa,

Tr�feuil, Karlson, Volmann, Tinh and me.

I'm hanging on to our names.

I'm hanging on to this notebook.

I think of my son.

I'm thinking of you, my son.

I'm thinking of you, my son.

This is the Mekong.

What will you do after the war?

Would you like to return to Europe?

I don't know whether if I want to go back to Europe.

Do you have children?

A son.

What about you?

No.

You lost her a long time ago, your wife?

For a long time, yes.

What about you?

Is your wife waiting for you?

I don't know.

We're going to be visible and out in the open for a long time.

We're going to do a reconnaissance 500 meters upstream and downstream.

If it's clean,

we cross as quickly as possible.

I don't have a wife.

Never had a wife, never had a family.

I'm on my own.

Shall we?

It's a broken branch today.

Enough is enough!

Enough is enough!

I don't know!

My name is Giuseppe Sottile!

I've deserted death!

I don't know!

They're all dead.

They're all dead.

They're all dead.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't know!

He gets what he deserves.

So, what do we do? Let him die?

There are six of us. You say there are ten.

We'll surprise them.

We wait until morning.

No, no, no. Let's get out of here.

We cross.

Here we are, sergeant. Now! Now!

He deserted.

We're going to get that cocksucker Lemiotte and get out of here.

We're not going to risk our necks for Lemiotte.

It's not for him, it's for us.

If we leave him, we're just like him.

He'll pay for what he's done, but we won't let him die.

We abandoned our patients.

We don't let anyone die anymore.

I know we're not like him. Not me, not you, not them!

I don't know.

Now's the time to find out.

You don't have to come, Lisbon.

Grab your weapons.

Lemiotte. Lemiotte.

This is me.

The spirits have protected you, Lemiotte.

You've done something good in the past

or in another life.

Shit!

Run, run, run! Run, run, run!

Come on.

Come here! Come here!

Lisbon...

The bullet went through.

- Would you like a bandage, sergeant? - Please don't.

Thank you for your time. We'll talk later.

The French.

Do you know where the French are?

Sergeant, look!

Who are you? Are you French?

- Who are these men? - They look French, sir.

Major Bellington. Officer liaison with Chinese troops.

Warrant Officer Jani�ki,

5th foreign infantry regiment.

Where are you coming from?

Khan Khai. Southern Laos.

Southern Laos? Did you walk all that way?

Any French people around?

The French Command is 40 km down the Mekong.

Can you take us there?

Impossible, we're evacuating the camp.

And the Chinese won't help you.

The adjutant is wounded.

And so are they. We're at the end of our rope here.

Are there any seats left seats on the plane, by any chance?

Five is too many. Choose two men.

Where are you off to?

- Calcutta. - Calcutta?

Don't you know that the war is over?

Poussin, Sorbonne, Karlson... Go ahead.

Two, no more!

You can't do that. If you only knew...

Go ahead, Karlson. You go up with them.

Why not you, sergeant?

I've got something to finish.

Come on, lads. Let's go!

Hurry up!

Move it! Move it!

Dirty shits! Go back home!

Have you found Musso and Stenweeg?

Where you left them.

Are they dead?

You killed them.

Why would I do that?

It was the war that killed them, not me.

You see, Jani�ki...

I'm the only one you brought alive to China.

And you're sending me to the firing squad.

You saved yourself, Jani�ki.

You should have let us to ourselves.

And for what?

We're being left to die.

And you, what do you do? The good soldier?

To follow the rules of those who let us down?

But do you know why, Jani�ki?

Because stripes, that's all you've got.

Without the stripes,

you're nothing.

Without the war,

you're nothing.

I was here to pay for my bullshit.

The Legion,

I don't owe him anything.

I don't owe him anything.

Let me go, Jani�ki.

No.

Please let me go.

You have to...

You have to pay for what you've done.

For the deaths you caused.

What the fuck do you give a shit?

Don't bother.

I've lost too much blood.

Why didn't you let me die?

Why?

Don't you get it?

No.

I know.

Take it to headquarters.

You're on your own.

That we didn't do for nothing.

But it was all for nothing.

Do it for them.

Are you asking me to keep this?

Whereas if I'm caught with it, I get shot?

What do you think?

I'll burn it, Jani�ki.

You're out of luck.

As you say.

It's stupid.

I wish they'd known

how we died.

Let my son know

that I thought of him.

I understand you, Lemiotte.

I was like you.

Will you bury me?

Crossing the Mekong Mekong: Lisbon and Tinh.

Karlson, Tr�feuil and Volmann

died in the crash of the British plane

which evacuated them to Calcutta.

Lemiotte, wounded, died on the north shore.

Myself, wounded in the arm,

I resume writing as best I can.

You've abandoned us,

and fate had its way with us.

What could we do, the alcoholics, the underdogs?

In any case,

the "drink column" sends its regards.

Sergeant, we are going to organize a ceremony

in memory the dead of your column,

with presentation of the Croix de Guerre this afternoon.

The Alessandri column arrived China three months ago.

Your efforts and the efforts of all those who arrived...

I've deserted death.

I'm a deserter of death.

A question about Lemiotte.

Do you want us to include it to the tribute or not?

No.

Are you sure?

It would cost nothing and preserve an image of unity.

He was...

Irredeemable?

Yes.

The pain will never stop.

Adjudant Jani�ki?

My name is Giuseppe Sottile.

Adjudant Jani�ki?

Lemiotte was my legion name.

My name is Giuseppe Sottile.

Present... arms!

Captain Aubrac.

Died for France.

Corporal Lisboa.

Died for France.

Legionnaire Alvarez.

Died for France.

Private Tinh...

We're on our own.

Died for France.

Legionnaire Pepelucci.

Died for France.

Legionnaire Stenweeg.

Died for France.

Legionnaire Stigmann.

Lemiotte.

Grazie.

Grazie.

Where does this river flow?

Where does this road lead?

Where, the clouds of dawn?

Where, the evening sky?

Men's eyes, where do they look?

The footsteps of men, where do they go?