Original subtitles

Wait.

- She�s called �Krassin�. - �Krassin�.

Expects to be here in five days.

She's...

She's the biggest icebreaker in Europe.

The biggest one.

Biagi� You've done it.

You are great.

Heavy ice blocking the way.

- I don�t get it. - Ice is getting heavier.

- How much is left? - About 100 miles.

- Use my glasses. - Better...

- Let's go on. - Better two good pairs of eyes,

than three, only half good.

- Take them. - Don't be so obstinate.

No.

Lie down.

- Give me your hand. - Mariano, quick. Pull.

My bag. Hurry.

Take off his boots. Rub his feet.

One mo.

- They won't go off. - Cut them with the knife.

- It's all right. - Cut them.

- Why are you not flying today? - Not in such weather.

- Sit with us. - Sit down, beauty.

We are not in her taste, eh.

You�re not flying?

Only balloons are flying in such a mist.

Only Lundborg is mad enough to try to go up

- in this weather. - Who?

- Lundborg. This one. - Your move.

Excuse me, are you Lundborg?

Excuse me, are you Lundborg?

Are you Lundborg?

When you going up again?

Will you fly today?

Ask Him.

- When then? - Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe in a week.

It depends on the clouds, on the sun.

Whenever the devil makes up his mind, baby.

Why?

Eh?

Why?

It's just that...

What's his name?

I can't...

haul him anymore.

Finn, get up...

- Get up! - We must...

We must walk on.

I won't suffer you just die here.

Get him up.

Let's go.

Mariano!

Mariano�

Mariano, get up!

Get up, we should move on.

Otherwise we'll all die.

Get up.

Let's go.

Let's go.

I thought you would like to see this young lady, Dr. Amundsen.

- Why? - She has come from Kings Bay.

I'm a friend of Finn Malmgren.

Make some tea.

Excuse me while I change.

This way, please.

So, you're on friendly terms with young Finn Malmgren?

Yes.

More than friendly.

Well� I'm glad.

I always thought Finn would die a bachelor.

But you must face the probability that he's dead now.

No. He isn't dead.

If he were, I would know it.

Nonsense.

- Will you come and look for them? - No.

You can't suppose that I haven't thought of it.

And so?

No.

Finn said you had a big heart.

You're needed.

You're needed, Dr. Amundsen.

That is an argument you might use against Finn, not me.

I think you're very alike.

You're wrong.

My dear, airplanes are the only hope now.

And I know nothing about airplanes.

You know everything about the Arctic, they say.

I'm never going back there.

My affair with the Arctic is over.

Now I'm in for a more humble kind of occupation.

- I know. - No you don't.

Now I know that human beings have no business in the Arctic.

This shocking disaster confirms me.

It's a horrible place.

Finn said it was pure and beautiful...

and that only you were fit for it.

You're very unscrupulous.

- Finn Malmgren was my friend. - Is.

I don't think so.

I actually introduced General Nobile to the Arctic.

And to that very limited extent do I feel responsible.

Finn said you were totally responsible.

What exactly did he say?

That Nobile wanted to measure himself against Amundsen.

No.

I have my work to do for the living.

I will not risk my own life looking for the dead.

It makes no sense.

They've been three weeks on the ice now.

- Have you any idea what that means? - Yes.

You have no idea, otherwise you wouldn't be here.

The Krassin icebreaker is their last hope.

The Krassin.

Their last hope. No.

I'm not flying...

No.

Finn also said that to want to be like Amundsen was ambitious...

But not silly.

You are quite the most obstinate young woman I've ever met.

Tell me, how is Kings Bay now?

Horrible. It's full of tourists.

- Tourists? - Souvenir hunters.

People are strange.

Then you'll fly?

Listen,

if I'm lost,

will you feel responsible?

No.

Good.

What is it? Is it a plane?

It's a plane!

It's a plane!

Where�s the plane?

Over here! Over here!

We're over here!

Over here!

We're over here!

Over here!

- Be quiet. - Over here!

Please, over here!

- Over here! - We're over here! Quick!

Silence! I can't hear.

Damned fog!

- He didn't see us. - No he didn't.

If you don't want to lie down and die

This merry carol you should try

If you don't want to lie down and die

This merry carol you should try

So what blizzard blinds your eyes And with your ass you froze to ice

It's the Arctic, we are told It's the Arctic, the land of cold

Now you watch this unending show -

Polar bears and the snow.

Sing and dance and be brave Even if ice becomes your grave

It's the Arctic, we are told It's the Arctic, the land of cold

Our tent stands, so bright,

Like a red patch on the white

Day and night, in the frost, There lurks a cold white ghost

It's the Arctic, we're told It's the Arctic, the world of cold

So what the snow conceals the Sun

And you're forgotten by everyone...

Everyone off duty - get down to the ice.

- What is there? - Something has broken down.

- The propeller? - Divers, stand by.

Here comes an end to an ice expedition...

"Expedition Nobile Rescue Committee.

"Ten-point ice

"is blocking our way.

"The Krassin can't proceed on its way..."

Ponomarev has dived.

Give me a hand.

- Pull him out. - From this side.

Now.

Call for the boatswain.

What�s with the propeller, Pavel?

A blade was cut off.

- Can we repair it ourselves? - Damn it all! We are it.

- No, it needs to dock the ship. - It will take a long time.

- Did you hear that? - Can we move on?

No, the ice is heavy. We'll need to wait.

- So? - We're stuck?

Make the plane ready.

I'm ready to take off.

Permission not granted.

- Why? - Because

your aircraft is the last resort.

I cannot risk it too soon.

- We�ll wait. - We�ll wait?

Wait for what?

Till a new propeller grows up?

Or till the goddamn ice cracks us like a nut?

We are here to rescue people

- and not to collect the bodies. - I'm the head of the expedition.

We can't risk. Nor should you. You are what, so eager to die?

I am a pilot! A pilot!

I'm better at flying than walking. If I'm saying

I can take off, I mean it.

Also...

Don't imagine I'm any less homesick

- than you are. - What?

- What do you mean? - I mean what I mean.

You forbid me to fly?

It's a murder.

A murder. For which you won't face the court, of course.

You're hiding behind the circumstances.

You'll face the court for frowardness!

- Skoal. - You're Swedish?

What?

How can they?

Why shouldn't they?

After the weather grew worse

and the Krassin stopped...

And still you're asking me to save your boyfriend

in spite of bad weather.

Yes.

What will you give me,

if I do find him?

What do you want?

All right. You've got a deal.

- You don't fancy me too much, eh. - No.

But if I find young Malmgren, we've got a deal?

I wish I could have a glimpse of that Malmgren.

Leave him.

Let him rest a bit.

It's not us killing him,

but the other way round.

But if the same happened to you?

What then?

Take them.

They will be

more useful

to you.

Well�

Put them into bag.

Mariano�

Yes, Mariano�

Take them.

You have to...

And something more�

Help me

to dig

my grave.

Otherwise

the bears

will eat my flesh.

Where do you want it?

Here.

Is it good enough?

Go now.

No. We will wait.

We�ll wait.

I'll baptize you.

You must not die without God.

It's not God that I believe in...

No.

I'll baptize you.

No. Don�t.

- In the name of the Father... - No.

Amen.

Amen.

We�ll wait.

Let us go.

Please.

Let�s go.

Let�s go.

- Zappi! - We�ll wait!

Zappi!

Let�s go away from here, Zappi.

Let�s go!

Zappi, let�s go away from here.

Let�s go away from here, Zappi.

Let�s go away from here!

Let�s go away from here!

Over here!

Over here!

- Finally! - We�re over here! Over here!

Over here!

Come on, come on!

We are over here!

Gentlemen, I admire

your courage and endurance.

Cecioni, get ready.

I've brought some food and drinks for those

who'll have to stay behind a little bit longer.

- When will you be back again? - Soon.

- Are you Biagi? - Yes.

- Congratulations. You're a father. - I am a�

- A boy? - A girl.

- How's my wife? - She's all right.

Thank you, thank you, good news!

- The baby's weight? - I don't know.

Help Cecioni to stand up!

Which one of you is Malmgren?

Malmgren is one of the three

- that tried to go out� - On foot?

- Yes. - Good luck to him.

General, I can't risk shutting the engine off.

Your engineer keeps an eye on it.

Please get ready.

Now, boys, say cheese.

All right. Get him up.

Give us a great big smile.

One, two, three...

Thank you.

What are you doing with him?

He goes first.

You are wrong. You go first.

What difference does it make?

The field is excellent, weather perfect.

Six flights, and you'll all be in Kings Bay.

Cecioni is injured. You'll take him.

The man weighs about 100 kilos. If he goes, I'd have to stay here.

All right.

Cecioni, sorry.

You'll take Dr. Behounek.

He's snow-blind.

General!

Kings Bay is in shambles. There's no one in charge.

If you want those three wandering boys of yours found,

you better fly back with me and take over.

No, you'll take Dr. Behounek.

I take you

or no one.

I see.

What's your interest in this?

What's on your mind?

Those poor bastards you sent trekking are my interest.

- I sent no one trekking! - No? Who did?

They went on their own initiative.

I thought you were in charge here.

Well, enough of it.

- The Krassin is stuck among the ice. - Stuck?

That's right. Samoilovich is an old buddy of yours, isn't he?

- Yes, I know him. - So you can talk to him

from Kings Bay.

- I think you should go, General. - Yes, General,

- it's a necessity. - Go, General.

- I'll take over. - Right.

You make them move their asses in Kings Bay.

No.

No?

I'll take off in 10 minutes,

with or without you.

I'm not going to share Amundsen's fate.

What?

- Amundsen? - Amundsen has been lost

looking for you.

- I didn't know that he was here. - He's missing.

No. When?

I was dead by that time. Had been dead for 2 days already.

We took off in clear weather...

but we flew into an Arctic storm.

It took us north and beyond radio contact with Kings Bay.

Suddenly we saw the wreckage of your airship.

No chances.

Such a coincidence.

Strange, was it not?

And still it was just a coincidence...

When we saw the wreckage, we didn't know what to do.

To land was dangerous...

But it was dangerous to stay in the grip of that wind, too.

And we could see people. So I ordered my pilot to land...

And we crashed. My pilot Guilbaud was killed.

A nice man. A Frenchman.

Very brave and amusing.

The people we had seen from the air

were dead.

We shouldn�t have landed...

I could find no food,

nor means of making fire.

So it was just a matter of time.

Doesn�t it seem to you,

it is a bit theatrical, isn't it?

And for whom would I have been performing?

For yourself.

But that's not theatrical. That's necessary.

The trick is to choose a good part.

Lieutenant Lundborg,

why did you persist that General Nobile

was to be saved first?

Bravo, Lundborg! Bravo!

Whom have you brought?

- Was the landing dangerous? - Where did you find them?

- How far away from Spitsbergen? - Are the rest alive?

Let me through...

- Let me through. - How is Cecioni?

- Let me through! - Are the rest in good health?

Let me through! Let me through!

- Grab him. - Nobile?

Careful.

Radiogram: "Nobile is in Kings Bay".

Kings Bay?

Thank God! One of them is safe.

Captain Romagna?

Why wasn't I awakened?

- You left no order, sir. - Damn...

Never mind.

- What�s the weather? - It�s bad.

- Is flying possible? - No, sir.

Operator!

- Sir! - I want a met report.

How soon can you make contact with the Krassin?

- Now, sir. - Well, do it!

Captain, I want five land parties organized immediately.

One can take the tractors, four with dogs.

- I also want to see your logbook. - General...

General...

- What? - These are orders from Rome.

"In view of your extraordinary conduct

- "in abandoning the men in..." - It would be best

for me to continue in command.

In view of�

What do they think that I've done?

They think you have done...

what you have done, I suppose.

General, sir...

The Krassin.

No. Message.

Nobile to Samoilovich. Personal.

I am�

Message begins: urgently request...

No. Cancel. Cancel that.

My dear Samoilovich.

In the name of those

who are dead...

I implore you to save the lives of my men.

Position data:

Zero� Seventy� Four� dot.

One� Nine� Zero�

If your ship

is capable of movement...

I beg you�

immediately proceed there

and save them.

I lay all my hopes on the Krassin.

Umberto Nobile.

Here.

- Rudolph Lazarevich. - What?

Chukhnovsky reporting they are heading for the disaster scene.

Good.

- People! People! - Where?

Portside. Three dots. They are moving.

We�re here!

We�re over here!

We�re�

We�re over here!

Mariano!

Mariano!

- Zappi! - Mariano!

Zappi!

- Can we land? - No.

Too much of ice-holes.

The fog is thickening.

Ttansmit: Have sighted the group of three.

Returning to ship because of fog.

Zappi!

- I'm Mariano! - Zappi!

I'm Mariano!

I'm Zappi!

Mariano!

Zappi!

Zappi!

Zappi! Where are you going? Zappi!

Don't leave me. Don't leave me!

Don't leave me. Don't leave me.

Zappi, don't leave me.

- Grisha! - Give me some fuel.

Bring some hemp! Bring it over here!

Light your fires!

Light your fires!

And make more smoke!

- It seems it�s flying. - The fog.

He will see neither the ship nor the fires.

- Chukhnovsky will manage. - No way.

Flares... More flares.

Transmit. There is too much fog.

Landing not possible. Will look for other landing area!

Just in case I'll repeat the coordinates of the threesome.

The fog is everywhere.

- Samoilovich is here. - Samoilovich...

Yes?

- Their fuel is up. - It�s time.

It has been four hours.

Four?

Where is Chukhnovsky?

Wait, Boris!

What do you want?

- What do you want from me? - Samoilovich frets and fumes.

Asking what happened.

All is good. Nothing has happened.

What do I transmit?

I ask what do I transmit?

Leave me alone.

I'm not in the moods to talk normal, sorry.

I see. But Samoilovich is waiting.

Let him look for Malmgren and the red tent.

I told him that much.

He wants to pick us up first.

He demands our position.

- That moustached walrus. - Right.

The batteries are dying out.

Don't you know yourself what you should transmit?

I know. But you are the commander.

Transmit:

�The situation of the group of Malmgren is desperate.

"You will get our position only after you rescue the others.

"Regards, Chukhnovsky." Go.

But you have sent him your regards already!

Well, then... Kisses!

That was noble.

It�s rather silly.

No, too risky.

It was necessary.

- I knew that my sentimental boss... - Sentimental?

Didn't you know you had a girlish heart?

I knew he'll come for us,

even if crawling.

So I thought that first he should save those three guys.

Two.

Such different two creatures,

and still both called humans.

You!

What were you thinking about in a comfy cabin in Kings Bay?

I thought of Biagi and the others.

I wished to be there.

I won't buy it.

It doesn�t matter.

I wished to be there.

I thought�

There's a crack near the tent! Get out!

- Hurry up! - Get out!

Cecioni, get up!

Get out!

- Throw everything clear. - Where are you there?

Where are you there?

Hurry up!

The crack is widening. Come on, there's no time!

Hurry up!

Be quick!

- The crack is right here. - Get the food out!

Give me your hand!

Biagi, hold it.

- Quicker! Quicker! - Where you are, Viglieri?

Trojani, get out!

- What�s that? - Trojani, immediately out!

Give me your hand!

You are Valeria?

Yes.

He asked me...

to give you this.

Tell me how is he?

He asked me to give you this.

I�m sorry.

You said you are sorry, and that's all?

Commander, you are the only one who is back.

- I wished it was otherwise. - Oh, you are so pathetic.

I returned in order to save the others.

But now I know for sure

that I should have stayed there

- and died... - Oh, you're talking about death!

But you are alive! A celebrity!

I wasn't after fame, believe me.

- I have never sought fame. - Oh, really?

But now you're famous all around the world.

You were saving your own hide...

And Malmgren�

It's enough to press charges against you.

So, General Nobile�

You are charged of the failure to exercise command...

desertion, and cowardice.

What's the verdict?

Guilty.

- Guilty. - Guilty.

Guilty.

But there are alleviating circumstances.

Samoilovich?

We judge a man by his actions...

And by results of his actions.

He left his men and went to Kings Bay

where he radioed to me.

The result of his radio call to me

was the rescue of the survivors.

The action, therefore, was correct.

It's a ship. Trojani.

Trojani!

A ship.

It's a ship.

It's a ship.

It's a ship.

Over here!

Over here!

Hey, hey!

- Over here! - A ship.

It's a ship.

A ship!

Your verdict, Samoilovich?

I'm a witness, and not member of the jury.

In my opinion, we have no right to judge General Nobile.

We fulfilled our duty amongst this tragedy.

Your citizens were in distress.

Our country did everything to save them.

We are not fit to act as judges.

I agree.

What do we have here?

Check and mate, maestro.

Indeed.

- Let's go. Good bye. - Good bye.

It is very sad

they are not going to take part in the hearing.

Then the jury is unanimous.

No!

- Not unanimous. - Biagi.

- Better have a drink. - It's me who is guilty. Me.

If I fixed the radio from the very beginning,

everyone would be saved.

- Right? - Yes, but...

We needed just a piece of graphite.

But you didn�t know about it.

I didn�t know� You�re wrong.

- Did you? - I did.

I studied it back in radio school.

Why didn't you use your knowledge then?

- I forgot. - You forgot?

- I'm sorry. - He forgot.

Forgot...

See?

When I'm guilty, everyone laughs.

When he is guilty - it's a tragedy.

Why? What's the difference?

I'll tell you why.

This here

and this here.

A uniform makes the difference, General.

We are all alike only in pajamas.

And you know what?

Forty years have passed.

So slip into your pajamas

and stay at peace.

You�re right, Sergeant.

A good advice.

What about using it?

Don't condemn me to a life in pajamas.

I'm waiting for your verdict.

All right. You'll hear it.

But I discount the verdict.

What? How can it be?

Why do you discount the verdict?

Take yourself, for instance, Captain Zappi.

You are clearly an officer of great initiative

and perhaps you should have led an expedition of your own.

- Thank you. - But I personally

wouldn't take you on an expedition

across a municipal park.

'Tis a thousand pities that the reliable Captain Romagna

- was not in your place. - Thank you.

And a million pities that Captain Zappi was not in yours.

Lieutenant Lundborg,

why did you so urgently persuade the General to fly first?

Daren't you answer?

You disappoint me.

They said that I would be paid a lot of money.

- Yes? By whom? - By an insurance company

who would have had to pay a lot more for the dead general.

You did it for money, then?

If I did, I wouldn't be ashamed of it.

Men are risking their necks for fame, a medal,

promotion or money.

What's wrong with money? Just a means to happiness.

But you don't look like a happy man, exactly.

More like a man who's indifferent to unhappiness.

I'm glad you know it all, Mr. Amundsen.

But a man who is indifferent to his own unhappiness

is indifferent to everything.

That is why she preferred Dr. Malmgren,

but Dr. Malmgren was in love with purity,

as I was once.

But purity is sterile. Nothing can grow in it,

not even love.

Valeria would have been a lot more happy with a less pure you.

Finn,

you should have given her ordinary pleasure

and left her with a pleasant memory.

But as it was, you left her

to a lifetime of regret.

And now she,

as you all are, is unfit to judge.

I don't want to be misunderstood, General,

and I wish you

a very good night.

You know, you haven't helped me.

They all talked about the role of commander,

about valor, wrongful orders

and duty...

But you haven't helped me.

Samoilovich pointed out the good result of what you did.

But not that keeps you awake.

What keeps you awake is why you did it.

Yes.

- Yes. - And why

- did you do it? - To help my people.

Of course.

But when you got into Lundborg's aircraft,

what were you thinking about?

Tell me.

- I don't remember. - Try.

I was thinking of a thousand things.

For example, were you thinking that by deserting your men

- you could possibly save them? - Yes.

And you were also thinking of the end of your career?

Maybe.

There were 50 reasons for leaving

- and 50 good reasons for staying. - No.

There were 50 for staying, 51 for leaving.

You left.

Which was the 51st reason?

I can't say.

Try to remember�

At the moment of takeoff,

which reason was most vivid?

You�re sitting in the plane.

You're in the air.

You thought of those who stayed on the pack?

Yes.

Of those who perished with the dirigible?

Yes.

Of Malmgren, Zappi, Mariano�

Of the Krassin?

Yes, yes.

Of Romagna?

Yes.

Me?

Yes.

- Of your daughter? - Yes.

- Of a hot bath? - Yes.

O, my God�

I was thinking of a hot bath at Kings Bay!

Of course.

And that was the reason for not going.

You made a mistake.

Just a mistake.

But, my friend, what a moment to make it.

You despise me?

You despise me!

Do I?

If you said anything else, I wouldn't believe you.

You'd been four weeks on the ice.

There was a hot bath 50 minutes away.

It was all too human, to think about it.

But you see,

when we take up leadership, we forfeit the right to be human.

We simply can't afford it.

Though, there is hardly a commander

without human weaknesses.

Thank you. I had always wanted

to be like you at least in something.

Oh, come on.

We have more things in common than you can imagine.

I imagined the great Amundsen

leaving the pedestal

in order to save his old friend from the grips of death.

There were crowds of journalists around me.

Oh, really?

There were 50 good reasons.

And that was one of them.

But not so natural as the thought

of a hot bath.

The only difference between us is that

I had the good luck

to die soon after Guilbaud.

And if I had the misfortune to be still alive...

What would you do?

Forgive myself

and sleep.

That's the proper thing.

Sleep and dream.

Of what?

Of the great things that we attempted.

Of the great things.

And of all the things that we saw.

It was magnificent.

Magnificent...

THE END