Original subtitles

Thank you.

I'm counting the different ways you melt me.

Your smile, your voice, your touch.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

Ah,

that's what you're doing.

Time to rise, sleepyhead.

What time is it?

You've got to get ready. Your plane leaves in half an hour.

I want breakfast.

There's no time.

Leo, you said we'd have breakfast. I can't do that trip without having

breakfast first. You know what I'm like when I get hungry. Why didn't you have

dinner? I begged you to have dinner.

I told you I wasn't hungry then.

This is bloody inconvenient, Dick.

I have 12,000 things to do in Canberra.

Bloody Rupert.

Actually, where is Rupert? He's the reason for the sodding change. Why isn't

he here?

He's commandeered a plane and flying it, apparently.

Flying it? Why aren't we flying it?

Why didn't the PM let us charter a plane?

Rupert is Her Majesty's High Commissioner.

We're Cabinet Ministers.

Mayor, cabinet ministers, I think the PM would have it.

As far as he's concerned, we are nothing more than obstacles on the road to his

grand future. Which road?

Can't you tell?

We're on it.

OK, I'll get you something.

Will a banana do? Just get dressed, please.

A banana will certainly not do.

I cannot do that journey on an empty stomach.

I want burek.

Burek? What the hell is burek? It's a traditional Yugoslavian breakfast. It's

the kind of pastry... Oh, right, burek. I think the cook keeps the burek between

the partridge in a pear tree and the crocodile and hummingbird sauce.

Your plane leaves in 25 minutes. I will get you a banana.

Leo, that trip is ours.

A banana won't do.

Give that here.

What are you going to do? Oh, yes.

Thank you.

I have to wash my hands.

Late night?

Indeed it was.

How old this time?

One of them was in their early twenties, I think.

One of them? Good God, man. How do you do it?

I honestly have no idea, Dick.

Bon appetit.

Yeah. Yeah.

Carmen's gone.

Who's gone?

Carmen. She's gone.

What do you mean, gone? Well, I woke up this morning and she wasn't in my tent.

That kind of gone.

I can't find her. Gone, gone, gone.

Yeah, well, I thought maybe she might be in the latrine and she hasn't returned.

And I can tell you, I've had a bloody good look around. Oh, Jesus.

A, back inside you.

It's coming. No, you stay here.

You cannot be safe, do you understand?

Or a world of pain will consume us all.

Molly, do you understand?

Yes.

How much did she drink?

About two-thirds a bottle of vodka.

Jesus, can you keep it down in there, Marv? The whole fucking camp is here.

Oh, damn it!

Shit, Leo!

You put me off.

What are the time? You two send Carmen.

What, Leo?

Sorry, Von.

What do you think?

I woke up and she was gone, so...

I have to make sure Bernie doesn't piss off. One of you, check with Jonesy and

see if he or Lydia saw... Actually, everyone's to go to my quarters and stay

put until I get back.

God, this is disgusting.

Where are the girls? Mate, Carmen's gone AWOL.

We just need a little time, okay?

Mate, I'm leaving at 8. I told you. Come on, Bern.

Leo, I'm picking up the British High Commissioner. I can't be late. He's

coming here today.

But nobody's told me. He wasn't due till Tuesday.

Why?

I'm leaving at 8.

Hey, I've looked after you, Bernie, haven't I?

No, I would appreciate a little dispensation.

I have to be in Adelaide, fuelled up and ready in the Bristol by noon.

It's not like I've got a choice here, mate.

I can't.

I've been looking everywhere for you, Carmichael. Where the hell have you

been? There's been a change of plans.

The High Commissioner has to leave for London Saturday, so we have to pull

forward. We're going at dawn.

I'm sorry?

We're going at dawn. Tomorrow.

That's impossible.

You want to have the tower locked and loaded, ready to go by dawn?

It's a Meccano set, Carmichael. So can you please get out your tiny spanners

and do your job? We've done ours.

What was that, Quentin?

Just so you know, Leo, we're expecting a strong nor'westerly to develop

overnight.

Which means... Nothing, surely.

Nothing much.

It's just rare to have a strong nor'westerly at this time of year. None

of the other tests so far have been conducted under such conditions.

There'll be no comparable control, so one has to question the utility of the

data we'll gather.

You're saying it'll be a waste of time. No, but... Carmichael, they arrive

today.

We're going tomorrow at dawn.

So if you'd be so kind, finish the fucking tower tonight. Thank you so

much.

It's never easy.

Never fucking easy.

Girls inside?

Yeah, they've got the shit spot.

Bye-bye, Bernie.

Okay, the new plan is... The new plan is we keep

the girls under wraps. Bern will be back in about six hours. You two will have

found Carmen by then. We'll be sweet.

Yeah, what if we haven't found Carmen by then? Well, we pack these three off with

Bern and we keep looking.

Yeah, well, that might be a little tricky. Why?

Better speak to the girls, Leo.

Okay, Bernie had to head to Adelaide.

He'll be back in about six hours.

I'll compensate you for the time.

Okay, fine.

Just so long as you know we're not leaving without Carmen.

Look, girls, here's the thing. There are some very important people arriving here

today. Didn't you know that?

No, I didn't, Von.

There's been a change of plans, so it's really very simple. Yes, it is.

We're not leaving without Carmen.

We will find Carmen. I promise.

Just stay put.

I've got to check in on Cranky and get things moving on the tower. What's the

rush? We've got four days.

We're well ahead. Not anymore. We're going at dawn tomorrow.

Well, that's impossible. I'm aware.

Hilly.

Identify yourself.

It's Leo, General.

Come, Leo.

Morning, sir.

Morning, Leo.

Everything tickety-boo?

Not quite, sir.

Oh, dear.

I don't like the sound of that.

Am I needed?

No, sir, but you should know they've brought the test forward to tomorrow.

The test?

Yes, sir. The next test will be tomorrow at dawn.

The next test, sir?

Operation Buffalo?

Ah, of course, yes.

The test.

Tomorrow, you say?

Right. The test.

Well, get on with it, then.

Yes, sir, but you'll realize that if the test is tomorrow, Sir Rupert and Mr.

Wilcox and Mr. Laughlin will now be arriving today.

Rupert's coming?

Mm.

Splendid.

Dinner, then, I expect.

I expect so, sir. Well, get the chef on alert, Leo.

No time to waste.

Come on, man.

We are the military.

Yes, sir.

Now, I'm sure you blokes will be nothing but delighted to know that instead of

having four days to finish this tower, we have a little over 16 hours.

Not only that, the test impact team has to move bloody fast.

We need the tank in place, the test dummies in place, the ghosts in place.

That wasn't your answer last night.

But seriously, fellas, these things are important because we need to know what

our bombs do.

Now, there are some very big wigs coming.

So we can't fuck this up, because we all know who'll get the blame.

Captain Allen is here if you have any questions, but if you do have any

questions, Captain Allen will reduce you to tears. Off you trot.

What do you think, Jack?

Bloody title and the nun's nasty, mate. It's possible, though, right?

We were halfway through the foundation of the find. We did it before, in May.

The town's half the hype, mate. I know, but we've got no choice.

I've got these knobs arriving in a bit, so if you need me, use the radio or send

a runner to water. I'll check in with him every half hour.

It's all hands on deck here at Maralinga, deep inside the Australian

desert, as our troops and scientists prepare for the next British atomic bomb

test.

The timing is down to the second, as our boys swelter in the heat, constructing

the tower from which the bomb shall be dropped.

But they know it's all worth it.

for their helping to secure the Empire's future in the Atomic Age.

Christophe? What?

Jesus, man, you know what? Pull up a car.

I wonder if she's dead.

She's not.

She's not dead.

Murph, why... Who would you say that?

Because if she is dead and someone else finds her, we're going to be in a world

of shit. You don't think that if we find her dead, we're not going to be in a

world of shit anyway?

Right.

Huh?

So if we find her dead, we have to bury her.

Another choice.

Murph, she's not... She's not dead.

Get in the car, mate.

She's not dead.

This is such rubbish.

Seriously, this is dwarves and goblins.

Not dwarves and goblins.

This is a children's book, Jonesy.

Lord of the Rings is not a children's book, Vaughn. It's a complex moral

allegory. Old New World.

Tolkien is a professor of English at Oxford University.

Looks to me like he can barely spell.

I like James Bond.

You ever read James Bond, Jonesy?

Jonesy's read everything.

He's a real brain bog.

So, Jonesy, James Bond?

Uh... Flynn's good at what he does. It's fun.

I'd love to meet a spy.

But how do you know they're a spy?

Like if he was a really good spy, you wouldn't know it, right?

I guess.

So what are you reading now, Jonesy?

Hmm?

Oh, uh, Lolita by Nabokov.

So what's that about, then?

Leo, what can I say? They said they'd be here Tuesday.

So the orders come on Monday, they'll just have to do like the rest of them.

Doug, you know how it works with these people.

If there's good food and decent plonk and they get pissed enough, they go back

to Canberra, raving about us.

If not, I end up in the shit with the minister, you end up in the shit with

me. So here's what I want you to do. Cable another order.

Make sure someone picks it up in Adelaide and gets it to Bernie before he

takes off with the High Commissioner.

Is that all?

It doesn't sound hard to me.

Doug, do I really need to make this an order?

How

do they

know it's empty?

What? Well, they keep telling us there's no one out here. How do they know that,

Dick?

Surveyors, I expect.

Surveyors.

I can't account for every square inch of the nation, Phil, but that's how we've

been briefed.

Terra nullius.

Empty land.

Jesus.

We both know there are people out here, Dick, don't we?

Depends on how the Constitution defines people, Phil.

What can I do for you?

Not another little rash, is it?

I, um... Can we have a quiet word?

Mm-hmm.

What's the problem?

I need to be able to trust you.

I thought it was the other way around. But anyway... To be discreet.

For old times' sake.

Well, I certainly won't do it for old times' sake. Hey, we'll always have

Paris, won't we? That was different. That was wartime. I was feeling

combative.

What is it, Leo?

I'm just wondering if you may have seen a girl here today that you don't

recognise. Leo, there are only six women on this base. Well, the girl I'm talking

about isn't from this base, short.

What is she doing here?

Well, that's not the issue.

The rumours are true. You're flying hook again.

Again? And you've lost one? Seriously? I haven't seriously lost one, but one may

be seriously lost.

Have you seen an unfamiliar female face in the last five or six hours or not?

No, I haven't. OK.

It was a long shot.

I thought she might have had an accident.

Thank you.

Leo, before you go, can I rely on your discretion in return?

Of course.

You know Alice?

Yeah, what about her?

She told me last week that she'd been raped.

What? Yeah, on the base.

Jesus, why hasn't she reported it? You can't report anything in this place.

Especially if you're a woman.

Especially if the rapist is someone with clout. Who is it? She wouldn't tell me.

An officer?

I promise you if I knew, I would tell you.

It might be an officer.

He spoke well, apparently.

How did it happen?

She was going to the latrine. It was just before dawn.

He knocked her out. She woke up in the back of a jeep, bound and gagged. He

drove her out about five miles and he raped her.

He left her there to die.

She managed to break free and make her own way back.

Do you think she'd tell me who it was? Oh, God, men can be so stupid sometimes.

What makes you think that she would trust you over me?

If she makes a charge, and if it's an officer or a scientist, it'll be her

word against his, and she'll go down. They'll lock her up.

Or worse, they'll pull out the official secret facts.

The girls are scared, Leo.

Do all the girls know?

Of course all the girls know.

It was scary enough when there were 2,000 men to six women, and now at least

one of the 2,000 is a rapist.

We walk in pairs after dark now.

If Alice won't talk, I don't have anything to go on call.

Nor do I.

But you really run the place?

So I thought you ought to know.

I've had enough of this.

Where do you think you're going?

I can't just sit here and do nothing, Jonesy.

You girls really need to think this through.

Yes, I have. It's all I've been doing is thinking.

Oh, you have?

Oh, good, because if you have, you know you'll be busted a few seconds after you

walk through that door, which means we all get busted, which in turn means no

one's going to be out there looking for Carmen. Is that it? No, Molly, there is

one more thing you should be aware of.

Being found on a top-secret military facility without official authorisation

is a serious criminal offence.

The trial will be held on camera, which ironically means in secret you probably

won't be allowed a lawyer, and if the charges were to relate to allegations of

espionage and you are found guilty, you will be executed.

But then, so will we, if that's of any comfort.

What do you think?

I think our price just went up considerably.

But where the fuck are we?

Have you considered the possibility that this might be the PM's way of getting

rid of us?

To have us disappear in the desert?

Nothing will surprise me, Phil.

Well, I can understand why he'd want to get rid of you.

For me?

That's all right.

Well, you're the only alternative, the only person who could really put up a

challenge.

Has it not occurred to you?

I stand by the Prime Minister 100%, Phil.

You'll find no more loyal support than mine to our current leader.

Christ, it has occurred to you.

And I'm no threat.

To be honest, I don't think the PM likes me. You know, on a personal level,

I always feel like he's suffering my company.

Rough show, old boy.

No idea, boss.

I mean, we can go further around, but in which direction?

Leo, we're hungry.

Uh, well, we'll get you something to eat, Marv.

We are hungry, mate.

Well, then, go to the mess.

It's not fucking rocket science, Marv.

Hey, um... There's something I need to tell you guys.

That'd be bloody Rupert.

Driver, I suggest you follow that train.

Yes, sir.

Oh, I hope Crank is bloody up for it. Raring to go, your Excellency. You

remember, Stingent?

Afternoon. Henskins, sorry to bugger up your timetable, Leo, but I can't keep my

PM waiting, can I? He's absolutely shitting himself over this Suez thing.

At least we'll soon have a resolution for the bloody Middle East one way or

the other.

Hey, Stingent, did you know Leo here blew up a whole load of Nazis at the

Mers?

Bit of a legend with the engineers.

Of course I knew, sir. I thought everyone knew.

Oh, that's all right. Rub it in. I'm getting on, I know. Come on, let's go.

Thanks. Bye.

This is the only good thing that's happened today.

You're welcome, my son.

Should be quite a feast.

Give us a ride.

Aren't you going back to Adelaide? No, the group has to leave first thing.

And they say there's heavy weather around Adelaide, so...

Might as well keep here.

. .

. .

Nya kukuluni.

Baja!

A couple of cables back from the set.

This one's from Lady Atchley.

Oh.

Tell her yes to the swimming pool, but no to the second gazebo.

This from the Prime Minister.

Ah.

See, can you imagine it? Eeyore Grimmett's going to go to the hunt.

See, I told you it was worthwhile going back.

I bet you Eden wants to shoot Eeyore's balls off.

Oh.

What?

Oh, this, uh, Suez kerfuffle seems to be getting out of hand a little bit. Israel

and Egypt are upping their game.

Ah, cranky you old bastard, you. How are you?

Tickety-boo, Rube. Tickety-boo.

Ah, you've got drinks. Excellent.

Well, I may join you.

Another whiskey, will you?

So, how's Marjorie?

Oh, fine.

Of course, I haven't seen her for... I can't even remember how long I've been

here.

Cheers. Cheers. So good to see you.

The scientists are here to give their report, sir.

What? Already?

Fuck, I barely had two seconds talking to Cranky. Apologies, Your Excellency.

Very well.

Heard the boffins in.

Gentlemen. Good evening, sir.

. .

.

. .

I'm sorry.

I don't understand you.

I need to go back to the camp.

I've got to catch a plane.

You know, a plane.

Ministers, you made it.

Carmichael. Attorney.

Minister. Carmichael. I presume you'd both like to change and freshen up

before dinner.

Of course.

Your quarters are just this way.

I feel like a prisoner.

I have one dark beauty from the top, one dark beauty for the fly boy.

I'm going to go nothing.

I'm out.

I am in for five.

Oh, someone's being flashy.

Well, if you've got it, why not? Why not?

Well,

unless Molly's... I'm out.

Okay, and um... Yvonne and I are gonna need a little bit of privacy.

The general and his excellence here, just through here.

Very well.

They're with the scientists.

Started without us. Were we that late?

Yes, we were.

Hold on.

Me,

General. I just asked the Attorney General and Defence Minister.

That time, I'm afraid, it's just a couple of minutes.

They just need a few more moments, Ministers.

For what?

That's... just what I was told, attorney.

I've had it up my hair with being treated this way.

We're ministers of the crown.

I served in the Great War.

I'm as loyal as any man alive to Queen and country, but Christ, sometimes

Phil... I mean, do you actually know what they're really

doing here? Because I don't. The Deputy Minister, they wouldn't tell me.

I don't think the PM knows.

And worse still, I don't think he cares.

Whatever Churchill and Eden ask him, Ming just drops them without even

blinking.

Minister, so sorry to have kept you.

Jesus Christ.

I can't help it, mate.

Mate, she's a hooker.

You don't fall for hookers. It's the golden rule of prostitution.

In fact, it defeats the whole point of the exercise if you do fall for them.

Look, just listen to me, you idiot.

Step one, you're going to go back there and shake hands with Bern, yeah?

Step two?

Who cares? There is no step two. You sound like a fucking 14-year-old.

It's 1956, mate.

Grow up.

So, Rupert, how are things with the Americans right now?

Oh, well. And you're not doing these tests in Nevada because... Well, this is

Commonwealth land, Rick. And we're gathering extremely useful information

and we want to keep it in the family. I see.

Because they tell me they don't want to play shares with you.

You know, what with all your red spy scandals.

I was in Washington a couple of months ago, and they seem to fear there are

more British agents spying for the Russians than there are spying for the

British.

Oh, nonsense.

It's just blood under the bridge. I'm just curious, Rupert, because after that

press conference the other day in Moscow with Burgess and McLean confessing to

everything, I feared that might gum up the works with the Yanks a bit.

Let me allay your fears, Dickie.

I'm sure it's all tickety-boo.

I'm so relieved.

You got logs driving around the nation's attorney general and its defense

minister. Not a bloody clue, sir. They gave me a map that was printed in 1926.

How does it not take it? Oh, they're okay about it, really. Better I have the

sheets in my book, but Dick just reads most of the time. Dick? You're referring

to Dick Wilcox, you know, the attorney general.

I don't know his surname, sir.

I know they were both ministers, but he's having a dick and feel to me.

Still slept a lot.

Sounds like he had a busy night before, if you know what I mean, sir.

Really? A lady?

Could be ladies, by the sound of things. Oh, no.

You wouldn't think so, looking at him, would you?

Not in a million years. Yeah, but sounds like a busy fella.

Still water's backed up?

Yeah.

Come on, he's terrified the Menzies are going to find out.

That's up there.

There was a young man from devices who had balls that were two different sizes.

The right one was small and was no good at all, but the left one was huge and

won prizes!

Oh, excellent!

Oh, look, is it?

Oh!

Oh!

To progress.

It's the riveting, mate. Takes a fucking age.

Faster, dickhead.

We could get there in time if we just skip two and four.

Skip the riveting?

On a tower which will explode a nuclear bomb.

The tower's going anyway, mate.

Trust me, it'll still take the weight. It'll be fine.

It's your call, mate.

Two out of four, Jack.

Jesus, it's never fucking easy, is it?

What the hell's

happened here?

The girls and I have decided to go back to Adelaide. All we can do here is sit

and wait.

But I want to be very clear about something.

You have to promise me that you will find Carmen, OK?

And... ..if it's bad, I don't care what happens to us, I'll be speaking to some

of my powerful friends in Adelaide.

You've got 48 hours.

And if I can't find her in 48 hours?

You know what I mean by my powerful friends, Leo.

So, what's your plan?

My plan is to make sure we all don't get executed in the next 48 hours. There are

some very serious people here right now, including the Attorney-General and the

Defence Minister.

If they find out about you girls, we all... What?

Leo, what?

What if the Defence Minister has certain appetites?

Well, maybe some insurance might be useful.

Insurance?

Sure. That's how I put it.

We could use some.

Well, I'll see you in the morning, old boy.

I don't know how you managed to scratch together such a marvellous dinner out

here in this godforsaken place.

See you in the morning, Rupert. Good night. Sleep well.

Good night, gentlemen.

Thank you, Corporal. See you at dawn.

Good night, gentlemen.

Oh, by the way, St.

John. Oh, yes, the Suez Node. Well-remembered, Excellency. I'll dig it

out. Come on in. Good night, Henskin.

Good night, Corporal.

Thank you, Henskin. Good night, Your Excellency. Mr. Moore.

What is it? What's wrong?

Get me a drink, will you?

Yes.

Minister?

Yes? May I come in?

What is it?

I need to talk to you in private.

I'm a friend of a friend of yours.

Arthur Haskell.

Marty?

Yeah.

He's a very important politician too, right?

He's a friend.

I'm a friend too.

You can't come back with me.

Not to London or Canberra.

What do you mean?

The cable from the PM.

What are you talking about?

I think we may have been rumbled.

What?

Gladys has known for years. I thought my sonny wife was rumbled.

Apparently there are whispers about us in Whitehall.

I think it's Macmillan.

It seems everybody knows about you and Guy Burgess.

So...

You're going to have to stay put for a while, at least while I'm in London.

I'll read the room, and we can talk when I get back.

Stay put.

Here.

But this is where we send people to die.

We'll be picking you up in 20 minutes to take you to the test. What?

Yes.

Fine.

It's me. I need to come in. Yes.

What?

We've got a problem. We've got a problem. I really need your help.

What? Oh, Christ.

Oh, Christ, Dick. We've been set up. We've got to fix it.

I don't know who's done this. Why would they do that?

Why? You're not listening to me.

You're not listening to me, Dick. Why? Why do I have to do this? We need to fix

it now. You've got to help me get out of this. Shut up.

Just shut up.

I could have you out of cabinet in a heartbeat.

Why shouldn't I tell the PM about this debacle and throw you under a bus?

I tell you, it'll hurt you politically more than it'll hurt him.

You've gone out of your way to align yourself with this place.

They're flying prostitutes into the facility.

Booze.

Narcotics, probably.

You're in a tricky situation.

I'm in a tricky situation. You're in a tricky situation.

You still want to be Prime Minister?

Do you?

Go on.

In the public's eye, you're still too much like Menzies.

Stern, patrician. I mean, it isn't a matter of trying to bring him down. It's

a matter of trying to lift you up.

But how do you propose I do that? Okay.

You can make a few phone calls in the interest of making this little debacle

be handled with... With sensitivity and discretion. And discretion, exactly.

And why would I do that?

Because when you do make your move on the PM, you're going to need every South

Australian MP on your side, and I'm the only cabinet minister who can help you

do that.

So come on. I know.

All right.

Give those to me.

All right, all right. You go.

We're going to fix this?

I'll meet you there.

Go.

I need to get dressed.

The preparations are coming together.

Military, scientific, and diplomatic personnel make sure nothing can be left

to chance or error.

Even George the Goat here is prepared to do his bit for the realm.

When asked if he had any doubts about his contribution, he replied he wouldn't

have a bar of it.

Tension grows as General the Lord Crankford and His Excellency Sir Rupert

Edgley mount the platform with other dignitaries.

to ensure nothing goes wrong.

There are tense moments as the countdown approaches.

The tension mounts and mounts.

You're back, everyone.