Original subtitles

Shot action!

- Ahead of the lot of 'em. - Wade out.

Traverse left!

Hold your fire, until 400 yards.

Four hundred.

They're still coming.

Must be the reserves.

- Tank! - Four hundred on.

Fire!

Fire!

Fire!

Fire!

Fire!

Hello, Charlie, Charlie.

We'll have to pull out.

One and two move now,

three travel with me from here. Right.

We're pulling out, Tiger!

Get the hell out of here now.

You've got to give me some help,

I'll not become a prisoner of war.

Come on, get a move on!

I'm on fire! I've got to get out of here.

Reverse!

Bail out.

Bail out!

Let's hit the road!

I'm stuck!

Thatch, I'm stuck! Thatch...!

Sorry, Tiger.

See you around.

Stand up.

Presto, presto.

Avanti, avanti.

Avanti, subito!

Fight!

Over there, go on, get back there.

Avanti!

Come on, you! Next time you do that, you'll be shot!

He push me around because he's got a gun.

Otherwise, I'd kill him. Come on!

Thanks. Got a match?

Take it easy.

I'll kill anybody who gets in my way.

- All right... - I plan to escape.

There'll be no escape plans

till we've had time to organize a proper escape committee.

That way everyone gets a fair chance.

None of this "every man for himself."

You're wrong.

We don't need a committee.

All we want to do is get out.

I agree with him. Look here, you two,

I don't care what you do with your own skins,

but not where it affects the lives of the rest of this mob.

Now you, get in the other truck.

Why'd they stop?

This truck's never gonna make it.

Change places with me.

You're crazy, Sarge.

They'd shoot you down before you got 10 yards.

I'm not crazy.

Halte!

Halte!

Feuer.

You were not quite quick enough.

Move your feet.

Would you like us to help you?

"1-0-1-5-7-4-2, Thatcher, D.H."

Sergeant?

For a superior officer to try to dispose of this,

I am not surprised.

He must hide his identity.

But for an enlisted man

a sergeant,

this interests me.

And I shall find out.

Bring him in here.

So, Major Patterson...

Hello, Kendall, mate.

Well, I'm sorry to see you here.

Sorry to see you too.

You look a bit seedy.

So that's what a cigarette looks like.

Seedy, did ya say?

You should see the blokes

who've been around for a while.

One dog biscuit a day, and a cup of water.

And once a week, a stinking liquid they call soup.

Thank you, Sergeant Major.

They're a good bunch of blokes, all of 'em.

There's not one who wouldn't set fire to his granny

for a smoke, or a piece of bread, or a glass of cold water.

You crazy? With that packet of fags here,

you're a millionaire.

Thanks.

Tell me, what are the chances here?

Getting out, I mean.

I'm head of the escape committee...

Careful.

Got three out the other night.

They were recaptured the next morning.

Two got six months hard labor,

the one they thought planned it,

he's been sentenced to death.

To death? Now you're crazy.

Well, they did it.

But it's against all the rules of war.

You know escape isn't a crime, it's a duty.

That's how it is.

1-0-1-5-7-4-2, Thatcher, D.H., Sergeant.

Ten times the same question, 10 times the same answer.

I do not like games, Sergeant.

Firstly,

an American serving with the British Eighth Army.

Secondly,

he wishes to conceal his identity.

Third,

he deliberately provokes me so that I almost kill him.

Tell me why.

1-0-1-5-7-4-2,

Thatcher, D.H., Sergeant.

Until tomorrow, then.

I have wired the Gestapo about an American named Thatcher.

Tomorrow, they'll let me know, what will you say then?

1-0-1-5-7-4-2,

Thatcher, D.H., Sergeant.

Very well, then,

Thatcher, D.H., Sergeant.

But I warn you,

I shall have to restrain our friends here.

They may wish to help you improve on this statement.

Do you think you can improve on this?

That's done it!

That's really done it!

That's all I've been waiting for.

He dropped his dog biscuit, and I picked it up.

I was gonna give it back to him, honest I was!

Keep your eyes open, you men!

You never seen anybody get his guts cut out?

You're gonna see it now.

I'd have done it before, only I didn't have the weapon.

But I've got one now.

And it'll do fine!

All right, give me that knife.

Why don't you keep your nose out, Sergeant?

Jackie and me was always best friends.

We was even called up together... always.

I'd like carving up a sergeant.

I would!

Hand it over.

You've got one more step to take, Sarge,

just one more.

All right, drop it.

Okay, let's get some grub.

Slop.

How 'bout we break out of here tonight?

The idea's crazy.

It's the crazy ideas that work.

The ones the Germans do not guard against.

If I did go with ya,

and they ever caught us together,

you're a dead pigeon.

Why?

Open it.

She is very beautiful.

"To my husband David, from Rita."

"May you always be as near to me as

this is near to you."

Only now she is not near to you, hm?

She didn't last long where they put her.

Belsen.

As it was Goebbels who gave the orders,

it was at Goebbels that I threw the bomb.

He spent two months in the hospital,

I wish to God it would have killed him.

Why didn't they shoot you straightaway?

They would have killed me on the spot,

but they tried to make me sign a confession

that the bombing was caused by the American government.

- I was doing it for them. - And were you?

I wasn't married to the American government.

I was married to a Jewish girl.

The idea's still crazy...

But tonight

we'll try it.

Tiger, look. I want you to do us a favor.

We are getting out of here at 10:00 tonight.

Wow, does the escape committee know about this?

We don't need a committee, we need you. At 10:00 tonight, I want you to start a fight.

Create a lot of confusion.

- Me, start a fight? I'm not a fighter, I'm a lover. - Ten o'clock, huh?

Then organize a fight, and remember, plenty of confusion.

Yeah, I'm confused as it is.

Here they come.

Kendall, meet the rest of the escape committee.

Cousins, Bird, Lovestone, this is Corporal Johnson.

Johnson's sort of become a right-hand man.

He's very good at making things.

Before I was called up, we used to call it stealing.

Here's the score for tonight.

There'll be a hundred of us, the escape is planned for 12:00.

Don't breathe a word to anybody outside this tent,

understand? Not a word.

- Heil Hitler! - Heil Hitler.

Speak in English.

Our Neanderthal friend understands

only the language of his Fatherland.

At midnight, the Australians

are attempting a mass breakout.

They don't expect to succeed.

They're testing our weak points,

- not knowing that we have none. - Nonsense! Provide some for them.

- For tonight only. - I'm on the escape committee now.

They trust you that much?

You must be very proud.

I am. I've always done my best for the Party.

Even when I was a child.

I'd use to go around baiting Jews,

and they got so mad, they'd hit me.

The Gestapo would arrest them for attacking an Aryan.

I'm surprised you're not already a full colonel of the S.S..

You deserve it.

Thank you.

Well... Heil Hitler.

Heil Hitler.

- A match? - Oh.

Oh, yes.

You... You gave me a fright.

I, um...

I asked to see the Italian Commandant

to complain about not getting any mail.

They passed me on to the German.

He wouldn't help either.

Thanks.

Stay away from Johnson.

I don't trust him.

- All ready for you, Sarge. - Good.

I'll meet you at the wash house.

- Be ready in 60 seconds. - Right.

Just keep walking, Sarge, I won't let you down.

I know you won't. Tiger.

Pity I'm not coming with you, actually.

I've got a couple wonderful addresses in Cairo. Heh, heh.

- Oh, well. Good luck, - Same to you.

All right, lads, fight! Come on, lads, come on! Fight!

Fight!

Come on, lads, quickly!

Come on, now, lads, come on. Quickly! Fight!

Come on, lads. All join in.

No, no, not me! I'm the organizer!

Hey, you.

You!

- Pleased with yourself? - Well, we did our bit.

I started the fight, Thatcher started the fire.

- Wham, bam, and they're away! - Isn't it wonderful?

Do you realize that you and those two

have messed up an operation involving 100 men?

Something that had been planned for weeks in advance,

every detail worked out to perfection.

No, I didn't, Sarge.

If anything like this happens again,

I'll personally see that you'll stand a court-martial

for disobeying orders, wherever you are.

I'm sorry, Sarge.

Sorry...

That, son, is not good enough.

Everybody's always sorry.

Every lousy criminal written up in the newspapers

is suffering from a temporary blackout, has headaches,

had a beer too many, but he's always sorry.

Sorry is never good enough.

Do you understand me?

I'm sorry, Sarge.

Attenzione, attenzione!

All prisoners fall in on the parade ground.

The escaped prisoners have been recaptured.

As you know, one of your number

has already been sentenced to death.

The same thing will happen to these two men.

Silence!

Further attempts will also be met by the firing squad.

Take warning, all of you.

That is all.

Dismissed.

No, that is not all.

What is it, you say?

I said, that is not all, sir.

You have no right to threaten those men

with sentence of death.

Or to put them into solitary confinement.

Rights? You have no rights!

I am the Commandante of this campo.

Silence! Silence!

So you don't like my discipline, eh?

- It is not discipline. - What else do you call it?

I would call it murder.

Murder? Heh.

Is there such a thing in war?

There is such a thing as the Geneva Convention.

Signed by your country and mine.

I respect that agreement.

And I demand that you withdraw your sentence on these men.

Since when did the Nazis respect anything?

I am a German, Senior Commandante.

In this theater of war, I think we can behave like soldiers.

Withdraw your sentence!

All right, release them.

- Kendall. - Hmm?

We're mighty grateful to you for what you did for us.

What makes you think I did it for you?

I've known blokes like you before,

your soldiering isn't a profession,

- it's a performance. - Look, I...

No, I didn't do it for you,

I did it because it's part of a job, that's what soldiering

means in my books, and in King's regulations.

Think the King's regulations can get you out?

No, probably not,

but they might prevent me doing what you've done.

Let's get this quite clear,

from now on, I don't give a damn what happens to you two.

But don't ever again screw up someone else's chances

of getting out of here.

Now let's find a new spot to dig.

Okay...

As I was telling you, you've got a chance

to make up for messing up that breakout last night.

By volunteering for a diversion party

that the escape committee thought up.

To cover a mass breakout by the Aussies tonight.

- A hundred men again. - Only 100?

What's a matter with the others, they're shy?

We need three or four men for the diversion.

Which of you is going to volunteer to join me?

"Be kind to Australia week", eh?

- Put it that way, if you like. - Living's dull here.

Yeah, but at least it's living.

Scared of something?

All right, leave off. I'm on.

All right, pack it up.

- Pack it up, you clod. - Sorry, Sarge.

Nerves. Heh, nerves.

- Looking for me? - Mm-hm.

- You briefed 'em? - These three have volunteered.

You'd better tell 'em what they volunteered for.

The escape committee wants you to grab that ambulance there.

Ambulance?

Now, at 8:00 roll call, they want you to smash through

the barrier, through the gate, and head out into the desert.

Nothing more?

We expect you to be caught. It's a 50 to one chance.

And if the one comes up?

With a miracle, you might make Tobruk.

- Sergeant Major. - Hm?

Johnson.

The Polish geezer keeps saying there's something funny

between that one and the Germans.

No, he's all right, he goes in to see them on purpose.

He always knocks off a vehicle pass, map, or something useful.

Get rid of him anyway, will you? We don't want too many people in on it.

Sure.

Sarge?

If there is a chance,

even if it's only 50, why isn't Thatch coming?

He wants to get away as badly as any of us.

The important thing is the diversion party.

I'm afraid Thatcher is too escape-happy to see that.

Heil Hitler.

- Morning, Major. - Buongiorno.

Think it's gonna rain?

Get at it.

- Thanks a lot, Tiger. - Any time, Sarge.

They're gonna pinch the ambulance at 8:00

without us.

Why don't we take it at 7:30, without them?

Excellent idea.

Don't let it get out of your sight.

Some other brilliant individual might get the same idea.

I've prepared for it, so at midnight,

they will find six armed German soldiers

in the ambulance to welcome them,

You... You're sure he doesn't understand English?

Quite sure, why?

I don't trust these people, do you?

Of course not.

The S.S. Colonel should be here any minute now,

you had better get back to your friends.

Yeah.

And keep an eye on Thatcher.

If anything happens to him, we'll both spend

our remaining days in Dachau.

Oh, no, you must let me through. I've got to see...

Oh, no, you don't understand!

I've got to see Herr Hoffmann Ritter.

You must let me through, you must, you must!

Heil Hitler.

Heil Hitler.

They'll be looking for me in a minute.

I'm gonna hide in the ambulance.

As soon as the guards clear,

we'll make our break.

The American, Thatcher, I will take him now.

Send for Thatcher.

As a matter of interest, Colonel,

Why is this man so important to the Gestapo?

Because he is a criminal.

He is guilty of a serious crime against the Third Reich.

I am responsible for his return to Germany.

Sergeant David Thatcher, report to the Commandant's office.

Will Sergeant David Thatcher...

He is not under close guard?

Do you not understand he is a dangerous prisoner?

An enemy of the Reich?

We are not equipped like Dachau, Colonel.

Attention, attention.

All prisoners fall in on the parade ground

for emergency roll call.

All prisoners fall in on the parade ground...

Blast, 20 minutes too early.

We might just still do it with the sand storm.

- Think you can do something? - Sure, I'll fix it.

What do I do?

Go and get Bartlett, meet you at the ambulance.

Come on, move yourselves.

Come on. Move it! Move! Move!

Come on, then, move!

Hurry up now! Come on!

- Hurry up and shut the door. - Hold on.

Who counted you in?

I do not wait to be counted.

All right, get going.

You killed him, you bloody fool.

Now we're gonna have the whole lot of 'em

after us, entitled to shoot to kill.

A surprise for you, Sergeant.

In the back, you will find a friend.

So you're the friend.

Yeah, you're gonna need a lot of 'em.

I happen to have one in Benghazi that can help us.

I see. They'll be expecting us to head to Tobruk.

Okay, Thatcher, you know where to go, take over.

Keep your eyes open.

It's pretty easy to miss the cut-off.

German military police.

Give me your knife.

Look, Sarge! There's a convoy coming.

Get him in the truck, quick.

Come on, come on.

There you are. Your mum couldn't have dressed you better.

Thank you.

Arrivederci.

Slow down.

Now stop here.

I'll lead you in.

Come on, now, slow. That's it.

- Poor Benghazi's getting it again. - Yeah.

I once spent a 48 in Benghazi.

A place called...

Stop dreaming, Tiger, let's go.

You keep an eye on him.

After the war, this is how we leave Germany.

You say they don't close until 11:30?

Yeah, but unfortunately, we can't wait that long.

The girl, can you vouch for her?

Used to be our old sergeant's miss,

she runs the place.

I'd trust her with my own mother.

Do you speak Italian?

No, but she speaks English.

- Has she got any friends, Sarge? - That's if she's still there, yoou mean.

She'll be there.

The only thing that might've changed

will be a portrait on the wall.

All right, now remember, be very quiet.

How come you speak German so good?

I used to talk to my wife occasionally.

Any objections?

You rat...

You cold-blooded murderer. An unarmed prisoner.

Did you want him to kick over more stones?

Wasn't his fault, I did it.

How was I to know one of us could be so stupid?

Stupid? I don't knock stones like that on purpose.

Come on, there's no time to argue.

You go on, I don't feel safe with you behind my back.

You don't think he'd sell us down the river,

given us the old double-cross?

- No, I do not. - I don't trust him.

Yeah, we know all about you, Bartlett.

Now wrap up.

Heinrich!

Heinrich, I told you to come to the kitchen.

I've told you at least a dozen times.

To the kitchen now, and be quick.

Music, Alberto!

Heinrich, why were you so late?

Paolo, this is my friend I told you so often about.

The one who married my cousin in Florence, remember?

You would probably like a glass of red wine, hm?

Nice going, cousin.

It's lucky you are not dead.

This is now a club for Italian senior officers,

and you are wearing the uniform of a German corporal.

- I'm very glad to see you. - Good to see you.

- Carola... - Yes?

I have four friends of mine outside, we've escaped.

We'll need food, gasoline, and water.

They've stopped playing the music.

Perhaps old Thatch's complained about the noise.

- Sarge? - Probably closing.

Alberto.

It's very late, no?

No, I don't think it's very late.

Anyway, good night, Alberto.

See you tomorrow.

Carola, tell me something.

- Yes? - This German, this Heinrich.

- Yes? - I hear he's your cousin.

No, he is married to my cousin.

Ah...

Alberto, good night.

Good night.

- Ciao. - Ciao.

No, no more. I couldn't look another ravioli in the face.

All right, if you insist.

But from now on,

my motto's gonna be, "Temperance in all things".

That means everything. Drink.

I'm giving this up.

Girls.

Come on, let's get loaded up.

You will not take out some food for the Polish one?

He said he wasn't hungry.

I don't think he likes Italian cooking.

But thanks... for everything.

All right, Tiger. Picnic's over, let's go.

Stop the car.

- Turn around, I want to go back. - But why?

She has someone with her she called a cousin.

I don't believe it. Let's go back.

The boys wanted me to be sure and thank you for everything.

You're welcome, it's little enough.

I'll be coming back this way one of these days.

I'll still be here one of these days.

David.

A moment.

Will you carry it?

Still warm.

To guard you on your journey.

Don't worry,

I'm much too mean for anything to happen to me.

- I hope you'll be all right. - Oh, I'm sure I will.

They have two choices,

put me in jail and close the Lido,

or keep me out of jail and keep the Lido open.

Besides, I shall say I was robbed.

And they will pretend to believe me.

Oh, Carola...

Yes?

You be careful, you hear?

And you.

Someone's using the extension.

- Where's your other phone? - Near the front door.

What is it?

Someone's come back.

- I'll go and see. - No, no, no, wait.

- That hatch over there. - Yes.

It's Alberto.

What is it?

Shh!

One of them must have come back in.

You've got the rifle. Go around the outside,

and no shooting unless it's absolutely necessary.

Yeah, okay.

- Absolutely necessary, remember? - Right.

We'll have to slip up on him.

You go that way.

Shh!

Carola!

- Anyone else? - No. I've already cut the line.

Good. Come on, we can take their truck.

Do you think we've won the war and nobody's told us?

Here, Tiger.

Here you are.

Look, we've got no water to waste.

- We can't leave him here. - Why not?

What do you think?

Surely there must be something in the King's regulations to cover it.

All right, we take him with us.

We have not enough water.

We'll manage.

Get aboard.

I want all of these four men,

and especially the one called Thatcher.

- Thatcher. - For him, I will double the price.

Money is of no importance.

But I'll take it, of course.

What interests me more is the friendship of Germany.

Naturally.

For a long time, I and my people

have been wanderers,

driven from our lands.

I want to lead them back.

And with the English...

Germany will see it that you get back.

And we shall find these four men.

In this desert, I know everything that happens.

Heil Hitler.

You take the guard for the first couple of hours.

Then Bartlett, then me.

Here, catch.

The rest of us, in the back.

Oh, really?

Really, you know, you should wait till playtime.

What's that, Sarge?

What was it?

Somebody moving out there.

Oh, no.

Why, you dirty...

Drop it.

Drop it!

You're completely out of your mind.

Hold that.

I warned you that if anything happened to that man,

I'd drag you back to a court martial.

Well you're on your way, and I'll see to it in person.

All this talk for one dead German.

From now on, we mount our own guard

and look after ourselves.

I'll take the next trick, I can handle this joker.

All right, let's get some sleep.

I'll relieve you in a couple of hours.

- Fine. - Good night.

I'll take it.

Get out! Hands up!

It looks like our Polish friend is cooking up

another one of his delightful deals.

I wonder what it is this time.

I've given up guessing about him.

He's probably offering to sell us down the river.

From the looks of us, he should get a big price.

Where are you going with him?

What do you think they're gonna do with him?

Must you ask such bloody stupid questions.

So in a little while, Sergeant,

you will be on your way to Berlin.

I have notified the Germans.

I hope they pay you well.

No, Mr. Thatcher,

I am a Nationalist.

My part of the Egyptian desert is in British hands.

I want it back.

The Germans have promised it.

That's all.

What are you paying it?

Him? Different people have different values.

This man wants only a full tank of petrol,

and food and water for seven days.

Coffee?

You are the first American I have seen.

Stick around, you'll see more.

Ah...

The Germans.

I was sure they would not keep you waiting long.

They are very prompt.

It is one of their virtues.

Yeah, I know all about their virtues.

Now...

My instructions are

that you will sign this document.

And at once!

Not again, Colonel, please.

You are wasting time. Sign.

I'm not going anywhere.

I tell you, sign!

You're wasting your time.

With all respect, Colonel,

our desert methods are much more effective.

You would try to break this man's spirit.

It could be done, of course, but in this case,

it would take rather a long time.

No, Mr. Thatcher, they only look like handcuffs.

They are quite something else.

Colonel, you can't allow this.

I am interested only in a signature on a piece of paper.

I have no interest in how it gets there.

I think you can count on Mr. Thatcher's

cooperation.

Colonel, this is an outrage!

Ah! Quiet.

Thatcher...

Thatcher, I beg you to sign the paper.

Sign it! I beg you.

I think that will be enough.

Now, perhaps you will sign.

What with?

What do you think they'll do with you?

Take me back to Berlin.

Thanks.

Have a big trial.

And then...

Are you sure?

I'm sorry I had to get the rest of you all involved.

They'll just take Noakes and me back to Campo 30.

Look...

This is difficult for me to say.

I've said a lot of hard things,

and I know I'm a bit of a stuffed shirt.

Yeah?

But you meet a lot of blokes in life.

Some you like, some you don't, some...

Every so often, there's one that...

One can really use your Yankee phrase, but...

I'm proud to have known you.

Pick it up, Tiger.

Grab his gun, Noakes.

Take a look around to see if you can find anything else.

Hey, Sarge, here's our Easter eggs.

One, two,

- three, four, five... - Tiger.

- Six, seven, eight. - Bring me a grenade.

All right.

- Tiger. - Um-hm?

I wanna see how brave the Colonel is.

Pull the pin.

How brave the colonel is? What about me, heh, heh?

Go ahead.

Now start moving.

Oh, uh, better take your hat.

I don't want you to die of sunstroke.

Tell your men to lay down their guns.

Yours too.

Nein!

Start her up.

What is it?

It's nothing.

The other truck.

Come on, you too.

All right, hold her.

We'll damn well take him with us,

even if we have to court martial him ourselves.

I would not have done that for you, Sarge.

I didn't do it for you.

I told you I'd get you back for a court martial.

And I told you not to doubt me.

He isn't worth saving, even for that.

We're out of gas.

Look Sarge, Shufti, Arabs.

Yes.

British Eighth Army.

Do not go over hill.

Big machino. Big German gun.

Why are you telling us all this?

Me friend Inglese.

Some people have got very funny friends, heh.

He says there are two German tanks, eight men.

Give me the glasses, Tiger.

Thanks.

Sarge?

What you reckon they're up to now?

I wonder.

Probably now they've gone to tell the Jerry's

that they've seen the English.

What do you think?

The last place they'll be watching

is along that anti-tank ditch.

So that's where we'll have to go.

Might just work if we came at it from either side.

Must be a tea break.

Yeah.

Well, let's go.

How do you feel?

Coincidentally,

is there anything in the King's Regulations

that says we can't steal that tank?

Let's go, buddy.

Now I know how a snake feels.

Quiet, Tiger.

So far, so good, Sarge?

So long as Thatcher's made it too.

Hey!

We got to get him out of here.

- Think you can handle it, Tiger? - Huh.

We'll soon find out.

Step on it. Keep your fingers crossed.

Why not? I've got everything else crossed.

Open this buggy wide open,

as fast as she can go.

Feuer!

They're firing on one of their own tanks.

The gun is pointing our way. Take him on.

Fire!

Bail out!

I'm very cold.

You'll have to join my escape committee after all.

I joined a long way back.

A long way

to this godforsaken place.

David...

I wonder...

Can't you even give a man time to die?

Over here, darling!

Come on, you little darlings!

Come to Daddy!

Get down! After all you been through, you want to get killed?

But they're coming.

Take it easy, I know how you...

They're packing in now, boys.

- You all right? - We are now, sir.

But that uniform?

Oh this? I borrowed it.

That's a funny accent. You sure he's on our side?

I had my doubts at first, sir, but I think he's all right.

He says he can sing "Rule Britannia".

What's that?

You better hop a lift in the last tank,

it's got engine trouble.

Right, sir. Can we borrow a shovel, sir?

- Help yourself. - Get one, Tiger.

I wish we could have given him a cross or something.

Maybe we can take care of it tomorrow.

But if we can't...

I don't think he'd hold it against us.