Original subtitles

- How many times is this today? - It's the second time.

That should sort it out.

- Wouldn't be on the first floor, would it? - No.

Ambulance.

- Yeah, here you are, love. It's the old fella. - What's been happening?

- He's collapsed on the couch. - Let's have a look.

This is his granddaughter.

- You were here when this happened? - I come in and found him on the couch.

- What's his name? - Dave Carr.

Dave. Dave?

- Is he gonna be all right? - Dave? Dave?

- No response there, Dave. - No response.

- How's he doing? - He's OK at the moment.

Let's just keep our fingers crossed. Do you have any other relatives?

There's me mum. She lives in Wales she doesn't see him often.

Her and me dad have split up.

Paul? Make the hospital. He's just gone on us, mate.

Oh, God! Have we lost him?

Oh, God, Dot!

It's all right, love. It's all right.

It's all right.

This, this is a...

This is the, one of the militias going to the Zaragoza front,

in Aragon.

You can see all the cars, they've got the name of the workers' organisation,

because they've all been taken over by the workers.

That is the union of the railway workers.

This is the CNT, the Anarchists' union.

As you can see, the support,

the whole of Barcelona is on the streets.

But with very few guns.

Most people haven't got guns.

You can see, young, old, men, women.

These are the fascists.

The general, the defenders of privilege.

This is what they're doing to us.

They're killed and left there.

Just for being trade unionists.

Every defeat for us is a defeat for you.

Every step that takes Franco closer to power in Spain

also takes the fascists closer to power here.

If Franco wins the war, it would be a major boost for fascists everywhere.

And before long, comrades, they will drag all freedom-loving people

down to barbarism and war.

Comrades, whether Spanish or English or American or Chinese,

we are one class of people,

with the same aspiration, the same hope for a just and equal society.

I want you to join with us.

Make our fight your fight. Let's come together.

Let's come together. Let's take up the slogan.

"İNo pasaran!” They shall not pass.

See you.

Kit?

I'm gonna go to Spain.

- Just like that? You're going to Spain? - Not just like that.

It'll take a while to organise. I'll get to Barcelona and sort it out from there.

Why you? Why've you got to go?

Because I can. I haven't got any kids or nothing, you know.

What am I doing here, Kit? On 15 bob a week, you know, on the dole.

Now, there's millions of us out of work.

- Hang on... - I'm on demonstrations, hunger marches.

- I've been there with you. - I want to do something.

- And you can't do it here? - We've got to stop him.

Otherwise it's going to be too late. We'll have no future here.

I can't spare you.

Dear Kit. Well, I made it.

It was a bit tricky and the sea was rough. I was glad to get off that ship.

Larry who smuggled me aboard turned up trumps.

He got us ashore at Marseilles and put us on the road fo Spain.

1 hitched a lift in a couple of lorries to the border.

There's no organisation to help volunteers.

You've just got to make your own way.

With no passport, the frontier wasn't easy. ! walked across the Pyrenees.

Must have climbed for miles. Boots are all shot to pieces. My feet are steaming.

{ was scared stiff, but we made it.

Would you like to sit down?

Yeah.

Madam, could you please move the chickens?

Now I'm in Spain, and everything is so bright it hurts your eyes.

I've caught the train from Barcelona. Maybe !'ll see some action.

He say that they could use your feet as a weapon against Franco.

- What do you do here? - Oh, I've come to fight for the Republic.

Good. The more that come, the sooner we'll win.

Do you want a drop?

Good.

Thanks.

- Smoke? - Oh, with pleasure.

My name is Bernard. Bernard Goujon.

Pleased to meet you. David Carr.

Do you smoke, lads?

Do you have papers, documentation?

Yeah, I've got my Party card.

My Communist Party of Great Britain membership.

Yeah, I've got it here.

Look, it's like that.

See?

- It's for a comrade of the POUM. - The what?

- The POUM. P-O-U-M. Heard of them? - I've never heard of the POUM.

It's Spanish Workers Party. Revolutionaries.

Tickets, please.

He's with us, boss.

He's come to fight the fascists.

Welcome in Spain.

Thanks very much.

Trade union is controlling all the line.

Thanks.

- So it's a present for you. - Oh, I don't have to pay?

- No, you don't have to pay. - Thanks very much. Thanks, comrade.

- Hey, dickhead. Make up your mind. - Shut up. I'm in charge here.

- I'm pissed off with this. - This is important. Pick it up immediately.

- You pick it up. I'm off. - Where are you going, love?

Don't call me "love".

Comrade.

I am going to Madrid. Understand? They take things seriously there.

This is vital for the revolution, for both men and women.

We've got to have discipline. We'll never win without it.

Where are we going to get to with this?

This is just the beginning.

- I want a gun. - You'll get to fight...

Please trust me. Get back in the line.

What are you lot gawking at? Let's have some energy.

I've seen more life in a sick note.

Right! Halt!

In Germany, I was a pastry cook.

- Pastry? - Yeah, a pastry cook.

And you, Gene? What was your job?

11 years on the sea. Bosun.

- Marine marchande? - Yes.

I've just spent six days at sea, and it was not for me.

I went from Liverpool to Marseille, and I was sick all the time. So I'm not a sailor.

- I was a servant. Cleaner? - Yeah.

Servant. For an English family.

And the first day everything starts, they went running to England.

So they left me alone in Barcelona.

- Rich people? - Free, for the first time of my life.

- You have the rifles? - Yes.

- Antiques. - Antiques.

- German Mauser 1896. - Single load.

- How many? - 30.

You're better using it as pig stick.

OK.

Get these off, and take them over there.

Thanks.

- When did you learn about guns? - Five years in French army. Sergeant.

Comrade, where are you from?

Italiano. So, you know fascism?

Hey.

Do you need some help?

Aye aye, soft collies. Taking the piss?

You want to change?

Come here.

Sit down. Sit down, please. Garibaldi, come here.

- My name's Raffaele Poccetti, Captain. - 1 know.

But I need Garibaldis more than I need Poccettis. Sit down, please.

OK.

On the other side of the hill are the trenches.

Our trenches. And beyond them is the enemy.

And the only good soldier in Franco's army is a dead one.

My name is Vidal, and I'm your captain.

We are the POUM, and we organise this section of the front.

To the west of us are the Anarchists and we fight together, comrades in arms,

to defeat, to destroy the fascists.

And make the workers' and peasants' revolution. Understand?

Don't forget it.

You are welcome here because you are my speaking squad English. OK?

We are proud to have... fight with us in our side.

Hey, David. Look. The whores are also at the front.

Yeah, but they're better-looking than the ones back home.

Good morning, Coogan. Your reinforcements are here now.

Dear Kit. Well, I'm a soldier now, with the POUM militia.

It's a people's army. Ordinary men and women fighting for a cause.

Not like the army back home. There's no saluting.

We elect the officers, and everything's voted on. I's socialism in action.

I'm in a special section. Mainly internationals, some Spanish.

The common language is English so we get by.

An Irishman called Coogan is in charge.

We're all on the same pay, ten pesetas a day,

which is kept for us for when we go on leave.

We also get a packet of fags a day, which isn't bad.

It's a huge operation, with about 20,000 militia on this front alone.

I'm not in a Communist brigade, but no matter. We're all fighting the same enemy.

Fascist bastards. Rot in hell!

Sons of bitches!

Fascists - you've got no balls.

The food here's fucking brilliant!

The food here's fucking brilliant.

Hey, rich bastard, you'll die with nothing.

I'm going to shove a bullet up your arse!

- Hey, do you need cartridges? - I do.

You must be used to this weather, from your town.

- Never stops raining. - You've been?

Yeah, five years, Manchester. Staring at the poxy rain through prison bars.

- Ah, what did you get put down for? - Fighting the Brits.

Oh, aye?

Murderers...

- You all right? - Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

There's all sorts here. French, German, Yanks. Spanish, of course.

And a Scot by the name of Jimmy. All good lads.

The front line doesn't seem to move. We walch the fascists and they walch us.

Lots of hanging about, waiting. Digging trenches, going out on patrol, sentry duty.

But worst of all is the lice.

They're worse than the nits back home. They lay their eggs in your trousers.

You can't get rid of them. You're forever scrafching.

The food's not great. Bread and beans, which gives us a problem.

! could murder some cabbage and ribs.

The local women do the cooking.

It's strange to see women in the trenches, fighting with the men.

But no need to worry, Kit. None of them could hold a candle to you.

Max.

You said the other day when we were coming down about Blanca being a whore?

- A prostitute. - Who?

- Blanca. Is she... - Who? Who?

You said that Blanca was a prostitute. A whore.

Yeah, yeah. Sure.

- A good one. Good one. - Nah. Yous are winding me up.

Everybody knows it, except you.

Maite. Maite.

- It's true. - What you got Maite involved for?

Hey, David. Blanca has told me some stories, crazy ones. Hard life.

Hard life. Hard one.

In fact, José can tell you. He knows her very well, because...

She knows how to do it. She's good and cheap.

- Good and cheap, yeah? - Leave him alone.

- She's not a thing. - David, it's the right moment.

Listen, she likes you, I tell you.

- Watch your head. - Good luck.

- Hello. - All right?

Yeah.

- Want a cigarette? - No, thanks.

So, I was just thinking, if you're not busy later on, you might want to...

You know, go for a walk with me.

- You know. - I don't understand you.

Maybe me and you. You know, like...

With Coogan.

When we saw you the other day...

Coogan is my man.

- Mi compafiero. Do you understand? - Yeah.

Before the war we live together. We joined together.

- I'm sorry... I'm sorry about that. - We fight together.

Sorry, yeah. I'll see you later, then.

You shower of bastards.

- You. I'll fucking have a word with you. - Have a nice time?

Have a nice time? Yes, thanks very much.

- David? - Look.

- Fascist prisoners. - No?

- An officer as well. - How many?

I can just see the officer. There's Lawrence, Coogan, Jimmy.

- Wonder where they found him? - I don't know.

Vidal? This fucking sefior wants a word with you.

Him and his sons. We found 'em behind the lines.

Doing a recce or something. Anyway, they were lost.

- What's your name, lad? - José.

José. Are you hungry?

Take them, and give them something to eat.

And where are you going?

- I've got some questions for you. - 1 don't have to answer.

I'm a professional soldier.

Support the government elected by the people.

It's not a real government.

How many soldiers in your command?

Have you got machine guns?

Artillery?

Do your soldiers obey you?

Of course. We're a real army.

Madruga.

Jimmy.

Pigat.

No. Sorry.

Coogan, over here.

Ah, great.

Pigat? Are you all right?

Hey, Pigat. Pigat!

Pigat.

Pigat!

Where are you going?

- What's wrong? - Leave me alone. I want to go home.

What's wrong?

- I'm going home, OK? - Why?

I've got things to sort out.

You're crazy. You can't just leave like this.

I came here willingly and I'll leave when I feel like it, OK?

No, it's not that easy.

You can't just go when you want to. There's a discipline here.

Listen, my woman's fucking another man.

Who'll sort it out? You? Vidal?

OK.

- What are you going to do? - String the son of a bitch up by his balls.

And what good would that do?

Tell me, what good would that do?

Make me feel better.

Stay here, with your compafieros.

I came here for her. For my daughter.

For the future.

You've got a daughter?

She was two last month.

- What's her name? - Lidia.

Look, if we don't win this war, there'll be no future for anybody. Right?

Not for Lidia, not for your wife, not you, not me, not anyone.

Do you understand?

The photos will give you some idea of how cold it was.

They don't show how the rain turns everything into freezing mud.

We spend our time searching for firewood. Anything that'd burn and keep us warm.

This Coogan fella's a bit of a wild one. Ex-IRA.

He's always first out on patrol and last one back.

He knows what he's doing, but he does take chances.

His girlfriend's called Blanca. She's in our section.

She's a bit of a character and all. Sharp as a razor.

They don't hang onto one another, but everyone knows they're a couple.

Worst thing about being here is doing nothing.

We seem fo sit around talking and arguing politics all the time.

I come all this way to fight fascists, and I can't get to grips with them.

Still. At last things are warming up a bit. Not just the weather, either.

Tomorrow's a big day. We're altacking a village held by the fascists.

Think of us. Lots of love, David.

Take off your sacks.

What's going on?

Fuck.

Don't shoot. Don't shoot.

No. No.

Chuck us a cartridge. Chuck us a fucking cartridge.

- There's women there. - I don't give a fuck.

Give us a fucking cartridge.

You can't put their lives in danger...

Coogan! Coogan!

Don't shoot.

This is the pig that was shooting from the tower.

Quiet.

I'm going to ask one simple question. Have you fired this rifle?

- No. - Tell me the truth. Have you fired this rifle?

- There's the proof. - What's this, then?

Kill him!

He informed on five comrades from the Union, and they're dead now.

What happened?

They took my husband and shaved my head.

Why?

Because my husband was in the militia.

They were young Anarchists.

Somebody say to the priest in confession where they were.

He told this to the fascists. He knew the fascists kill them.

Murderer!

And we'll see you in three days...

Two or three days...

OK. I'll stay here with 20 men for three days.

Very nice indeed.

- Very nice. - I hope you appreciate the French taste.

Blanca?

I just want you to know how sorry I am for what happened.

I should have opened fire but I didn't, and they got him.

That's all there is to it.

Thing is, he was a good man, you know. He was a brave man.

We're all gonna miss him.

I know.

I know.

Oh, come on, Blanca. Come on.

When I met him the first time, he was playing...

- Oh, how do you say? - The guitar?

No. He had the smaller one.

- Banjo? - Yes.

He was playing banjo in bars and cafes.

I'm sorry, Blanca. It's my fault.

- No. - No, I'm... I'm responsible, because...

No.

- You didn't kill him. - Yeah, but...

Fascists did.

He just wanted bullets, and I said I wouldn't...

Could have happened, sooner or later, to any of us.

We feel a great sorrow today,

but it must not halt our efforts.

Our companions have not died in vain.

Josefina, Sebastian, Teresa, all of you,

we all fight for the same thing as they did.

And we shall continue. It's what they would have wanted.

They're here with us,

fighting for the same cause.

We shall leave them in the ground,

but the earth is ours now, comrades.

And from this place we must draw the strength to fight on.

The battle is long, and our foes are many.

But we are more.

We shall always be many more.

Tomorrow is ours, comrades.

The struggle goes on. They shall not pass.

We shall overcome.

Come on, sit down...

Friends.

Don Julian's house is now the house of the people.

Let's start the meeting. Who's going to speak?

- Teresa. - We must collectivise.

The men at the front have no food and the people in the village

have been left with next to nothing by the fascists.

The village hasn't got enough food.

We must collectivise, as soon as possible.

We must get food to feed our people and the comrades fighting for us at the front.

I'm in agreement with the collectivisation of Don Julian's lands,

or re-distribution in all its forms,

but each to his own little bit, no?

I work my land my own way.

It's not much, all that I have.

I started working it, and... Shit! I've thrown everything into it.

- Miguel, what would you like to say? - I'd like to say to our friend here

that it's very good that he wants to work his own land,

but how much better it would be if we all worked it together.

When the harvest is ready,

are you going to eat all the wheat, and all the potatoes?

We need everything to be able to keep the revolution going.

The revolution has to be done this way.

- Don't wait for tomorrow. - José, it's not only a question of land.

The revolution is like a pregnant cow.

If we don't help out,

the cow and its calf will be gone and the children will be left hungry.

Remember that comrades, boys, died in this battle.

We must collectivise. Do you understand me? The people must eat.

This struggle we've started has to continue.

There are those who are the way they are,

and there are those who know how to work and people who don't...

I've got what I've got because I work.

Hold on. Paco's turn.

It's fundamental that we improve our harvests.

We must grow more.

Other villages have done it

by working all the land as one.

With a tractor you can do five times more work in one day than you can with a mule.

There's evidence from other villages that it's working.

I believe we have to take over private property.

No one's got anything...

We could pool all our resources

and depending on each person's situation we could share it out.

If you need a cow, you'll get one.

We've all got four or five kids and we've all bust a gut working, just like you.

We've got militia comrades here

who may know what's happening elsewhere.

They've helped us here.

Pepe's right.

Our friends from the militia will have seen what's happened in other villages.

This is an open meeting. You can speak, too.

Your opinions are as welcome as any of ours. Please speak.

It's your village, you have to decide. It's your decision.

OK, this is what I think, and if anybody disagrees they should just say so right out.

OK. You should take this estate, this house, this land,

and divide it up amongst the people in the town right away.

OK? The decree passed by the Republican government in October allows for that.

It says, "All property owned by individuals involved in the insurrection

will be confiscated."

All the landowners help Franco.

We must collectivise all their lands. You understand?

I understand. I understand that.

I'm not a friend of the landowner, OK? I'm not here to defend landowners, OK?

But what are you gonna do with... Pepe?

What are you gonna do with Pepe, who is a tenant farmer with a couple of acres,

or a tradesman who doesn't want to be part of your collective, OK?

These people are anti-fascists. What do you do?

It sounds great on paper, but in reality it won't work,

because it will pit the peasants against the anti-fascists.

You're fighting. It will endanger food production.

Lawrence, I think that private ownership of land

must be totally given up, forgotten, cancelled.

Because it maintains people in a capitalist mentality.

I agree. OK? I agree.

I'm not here to argue for private property.

I know the definition of private property. I'm not arguing that.

This is not the time for textbook arguments on land reform. We have to defeat fascism.

Are you expecting this man to speak about the textbook of socialism?

No, I'm not.

I'm agreeing with him. I'm agreeing with the collectivisation.

But these people cannot collectivise anything if they're dead. OK?

- Well, this is your opinion. - They asked for my opinion.

In my village, the people didn't wait for the government to give them land. They took it.

I want you to think beyond this village, OK? At a much bigger picture.

OK? I have no doubt that the Spanish people, on their own,

could have licked Franco.

But you're not fighting just Franco. You have Mussolini and Hitler on your back.

OK? Except Russia and Mexico, the rest of the world has turned its back on you.

OK? They refuse to sell the Republic arms.

OK? These are capitalist countries. They're capitalist countries.

If you want help, you have to moderate your slogans. You're scaring them away.

I'm from Germany. We wanted revolution, and what happened?

We'd been the strongest movement in Europe,

the best organised worker's movement.

There were six million of us in unions,

and what happened? Hitler.

The socialists and the communists told us

to make our revolution later.

But I say make the revolution now.

When people see as the village sees

that you can be in charge of your life, your land,

when collectivisation becomes a reality,

it'll be possible for people in Germany, Italy, to follow our example.

These people think they have something, but they have nothing.

But we have to show to the people that we have, we have...

We're poor but we're alive and we've got power now,

we don't have to be seized by fear.

We're alive, we'll die when our time comes, but...

Our French worker people are looking for us in Spain,

probably all around the world.

And I think it's not the right time to fight each other, but together.

Now, all of us know the price of the freedom, and we've lost a lot of friends.

Gene, your ideas are very seductive, but I've got one question for you.

Who are you trying to appease? Foreign governments, foreign bankers.

What is a revolution? It's a radical change in privilege, wealth and power.

What's gonna happen?

The only way we'll appease them, when the ideas are diluted

till they mean absolutely nothing.

Now, I think you're dead right when you say that we must look beyond this village

and look at what's happening outside.

But not only to bankers and governments.

What we must look to is that outside these windows, as we speak, on this land

are two million landless peasants.

They have absolutely no hope and are in a life of misery.

Unless we harness that energy now, the ideas will be dead,

there'll be no change, and this will be in vain.

- Ideas are the basis of this. - Jimmy.

Those people will be dead, never mind the ideas.

If Franco comes in, if Franco wins this war, he'll just kill a million of those people.

They're nothing to him, they're shit.

- The Soviets agree. - Exactly.

So unless we win the war, there's no point in ideology.

The ideology does not exist in a book. It exists...

It has to exist in a place. It has to be for real people.

I say that we have to take risks. What do we do?

Misery, hunger, hopelessness.

Franco might come back and kill us,

but I say it's worth it to continue collectivising

and improving the quality of our lives.

Let's vote. All those in favour of collectivisation.

All those against.

Friends, the vote is to collectivise the land.

- You all right? Want a hand? - Yeah, you?

- No, just maybe your foot was hurting. - It's OK, thank you.

No problem.

And you talk about being poor?

Who?

You. With Coogan, that night.

- I was talking about when we were kids. - I tell you what poor is.

Two pesetas a day for agricultural labourers, if you're lucky.

Peasant families living in caves or sandpits. That is poor.

That is why we need a revolution.

- Don't laugh. I saw you. - I wasn't laughing...

- Do you want a hand? Oh, you've got one. - Don't say any more.

What I'm saying is that I'm not the man I was.

I feel like I'm standing on higher ground.

I can see further. I notice things I hadn't even thought of before.

Like, I left Liverpool with a daft, romantic idea. But in war, people get killed.

Fellas like Coogan, and the women and kids who died in this village.

That's all part of me now, and I'll never shake it off.

Fascist planes dropped leaflets yesterday, saying they was winning.

Well, it's hard to know what's going on,

but here on the Aragon front we're holding our own.

If only we had decent arms.

Who knows? Perhaps a line of Russian tanks'll roll over the hill. Some hope, eh?

Pigat, Garibaldi, Roca.

Listen...

Max.

Come here...

Compafieros, listen please.

I have to go to the command post for a very important meeting

with the general staff of the column.

And I say very important, cos we are going to discuss

about our integration in the new Popular Army.

There is no choice. The government in Valencia says no more militia,

and say we all must become part in the new Communist-led Popular Army. OK?

So if we refuse, they continue to withhold arms, to keep arms from us.

- Do you understand? - Let's take a vote, no?

I have something to say about this.

Excuse me a moment, please. This is probably the last time

that we can vote on something as a militia. All right?

Maybe we could integrate to the new Popular Army and get the weapons,

join together and be still the militia, too.

You're a dreamer, Pigat.

I think we have to try to see the reality of the situation here, OK?

Who's ever gonna give us guns, the Russians or whomever,

they're not gonna give 'em to us if they think that we're not properly trained.

So it makes sense that the best training

is gonna come from a regular disciplined army.

I can't see what's wrong with that at all.

Everything is wrong. The creation of the new army,

with its saluting and discipline and military hierarchy,

will destroy the revolutionary spirit of the people, OK?

And it's exactly what Stalinists expect.

- That makes no sense, Bernard. - Absolutely.

The Communist Party was set up for revolution.

- Why suppress revolutionary spirit? - Obviously, David.

It is no more revolutionary. Look. The militia is the heart of the struggle.

Stalin fears us, because he wants to sign treaties with the West.

And he already did it with France.

So to sign treaties, to reach an agreement,

he needs to be respectable, and reassuring. OK?

So if he supports us, and the revolution we are making,

he will lose respectability.

That's the reason why we are a real threat for Stalin.

And also for the other countries.

I don't, Bernard...

What you're saying might be right, I don't know.

OK? But we're not gonna win with a bunch of amateurs.

- You may be an amateur. I'm not. - Ah, Jesus Christ.

We've done OK up to now, Gene.

We could have done better with guns.

- We saved Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona. - I know.

And we lost Toledo, Malaga, and more.

We've got to be clear about one thing. There's blackmail here.

Those arms come with conditions. They don't want partners. They want stooges.

- Let's vote. - Let's vote.

Let them know what we think.

Do we support our general staff when they insist

on keeping our own revolutionary organisations?

Everybody?

It's a clear majority.

Now watch.

Put the bullet in here.

You take off the catch,

and it's ready for firing.

Come on, then, Mr Laurel.

Remarkable resemblance. Remarkable.

Even down to the blank expression. Here you go.

You need to hold the rifle harder against your shoulder.

Fire.

How's your shoulder?

You're afraid of the rifle.

Hold it firmly, like this.

You mustn't jerk the trigger.

Squeeze it like a woman's tits.

Understand?

- Have you ever squeezed a woman's tits? - Yeah.

- I'll bet you have. - Hold on a minute.

Fuck!

- Fucking... - Come quickly.

- You OK? - Get a stick.

- A stick! - Try to be calm.

- Is he all right? - We must get him to the hospital.

- What happened? - Fucking rifle blew up in my face.

- Ah, Jesus. Jesus. - Piece of shit.

Satisfied? The equipment you voted for.

- I fucking know. - You've nothing better to say?

He needs some peace. Don't you see?

I can see. I see a bunch of amateurs, with stupid ideas, with a death wish.

Can't you see what's going on? It's over. It's finished.

- Jesus. - Easy, easy now.

Fuck it, I've had it. I cannot sit here and watch you die of stupidity. I can't do it.

I'm getting out of this. Fuck it.

David, if you had any fucking brains, you'd do the exact same thing.

David, how's your eyes? Are your eyes OK?

- Oh, you daft bastard. - I'm all right.

- Open your eyes. - I'm all right.

Easy.

- How far is this place? - About four miles.

They patch you up and send you to hospital in Barcelona.

Ta.

Ta.

When you get out of the hospital,

you'll need somewhere to rest for a while before you come back.

- Yeah. - I know a place.

A pension in Barcelona where the people from the POUM stay.

- Would you like the address? - Yeah, that'd be great.

Thanks.

You stayed there yourself, this pension?

Yeah, sometimes. I know the old lady.

I've stayed there.

Tell her my name.

1 will. I'll say, "Blanca sent me. Can you give me a nice room, please?"

- Look after yourself, Blanca. - I'll see you soon.

- Is this boarding house around here? - The Pension Adela?

Hello.

Do you have a room for me?

Who are you?

My friend Blanca sent me...

I like having English people, they are clean and tidy.

- This is my room? - This is yours.

Hello.

- How are you? - Great. What are you doing here?

- You're not pleased to see me? - Yeah. Yeah. Just shocked.

- How's your arm? - It's much better now.

I had the stitches taken out two days ago.

- What are you doing here? - Bernard gave me seven days' leave.

I thought I would surprise you.

You definitely have. Without doubt.

I bought some wine, it's on the table. I'll be with you in a minute.

- All right, yeah. - Help yourself.

Pour a glass for me.

Please.

- How's Bernard? - He's fine.

You know, women aren't allowed to fight any more.

- New rules. - Yeah, I heard.

I can be a nurse, I can drive a truck.

I can be a cook.

But I mustn't shoot a gun any more.

I must know my place as a woman.

- Maite is going to be a cook. - No?

Yeah.

She will... She will be the worst in the militia.

Well, that's without doubt. Doesn't sound at all like her.

- Things are changing very quickly. - What did Vidal say...

No, no, no, no, no, please.

I don't want to talk about it.

- All right. - Today I want to forget it all.

Bullets, trenches, politics, killing, betrayals.

I want to feel human for a change.

- Take off your shirt. - What?

Come on.

- Take off your shirt. - All right, all right.

All right. It's got buttons, you know.

Take care.

What's going on?

The police from the old days. And now they're back.

No guns for us at the front, and in Barcelona

the police have guns sticking out of their arse.

I'll make some coffee.

- Do you have some matches? - What?

- No matches. - Yeah, there are some matches in my bag.

What is this?

What?

This. We got no uniforms like this in the militia.

Look... I meant to tell you.

I'm not in the militia any more. I've...

I've joined the International Brigade. I leave for Albacete on Friday.

- Come on, come on. - You vote. You vote to keep the militia.

Yeah, but... Things are different. I've changed my mind.

- Is because Lawrence? - No.

He left the day after.

No, it's not because of that. I'm a member of the Communist Party.

- I've never hidden it. - But you fought with us. With the POUM.

Yeah, I fought with the POUM. And look what happened. I've got metal in my arm.

But you know perfectly well why. You know they refuse us arms.

David. The Stalinists are betraying the revolution.

- I don't believe that. - Go to La Batalla. Talk to them there.

I haven't got to. I've been in hospital, talking to others.

Our leaders were expelled from the government.

- That's politics. That's how it works. - No.

They are trying to ban us, say we are social fascists.

And you know, you know this.

You know our papers are banned, journalists arrested.

And here they even talk about torture chambers.

I don't know, do ll? I'll wait till I see it.

But you don't see it. You don't want to see it.

Why you didn't tell me yesterday?

- I was going... - Why?

I meant to tell you...

Come on, look. I tried, but...

Blanca.

Oh, fucking hell. I came to fight for socialism, for the Republic.

The best way I can think to do that is with the International Brigades.

If what you say is true, I'm sure there's a reason.

- There's an explanation. - It's true.

There is an explanation. It's Stalinism.

Oh, come on.

- Look, what are you gonna do now? - Go back to the front, to my real comrades.

Ah, fuck, no. Come on. Blanca.

Fuck's sake. Blanca.

Listen.

Blanca.

Look after yourself, will you?

Please?

WITH LOVE

So that's why I'm in Barcelona.

It's dead complicated, Kit, and difficult to explain.

Problem is, the struggle seems fo be falling apart.

No one trusts anyone any more.

Anarchists and POUM pulling one way, Communists another.

It's mad. All I can do is believe the Party. They must know what they're doing.

The city's a powder keg. There's trucks of assault guards everywhere.

There's trouble at the telephone exchange, run by the Anarchists.

The police just took it by force.

They say the Anarchists are sabotaging the war effort.

Fighting in the streets. Barricades all over.

There's shootings, comrades against comrades. Fascists must be laughing.

I've got orders o join a squad of government supporters.

Seems we're being sent to defend Communist Party HQ.

No choice. I'm not looking forward to it.

David.

The attack of the telephone exchange

is a declaration of war against the working class...

- What are the POUM up to? - A general strike has been called

in all industries, except those producing weapons...

Plants, warehouses, are stopping work.

The barricades of liberty have risen again in every part of town.

You should be killing fascists, not one another!

Shut up and go home.

Get out of here, madam. You'll get hurt.

We've got nothing to eat.

Do you hear? We've got to put food on the table.

Sorry.

Sorry, friend.

I'm sorry.

Bastards!

Hey, you, Stalin's sidekick. What division were you in?

The Karl Marx division. And you? The Third Division?

No, you bastard. We're from the Durutti Division, the best.

You don't even know who's your enemy. You idiots!

You have betrayed the revolution.

That's a lie. You're the ones who have broken the anti-fascist front.

Bollocks.

Are you English?

- Yeah. You? - Where are you from?

- Manchester. - Fucking hell, I'm from Liverpool.

What you doing here?

I don't know. Why aren't you over here, with us?

- Why aren't you over here, with us? - I don't fucking know.

We can smell food, fascists.

- What are you cooking, bastards? - Sausages and beans. Are you hungry?

You bet!

Then here you are.

You shithouse, you.

No more. Never.

We're not enemies.

My friend, Martin, returned from the front dying of hunger. It's a disaster.

- Which front? - Aragon. The militias are a disaster.

When it's decision time, everyone is the boss.

They say they don't even know how to load the guns.

They say the militia women aren't killing fascists,

they are fucking them instead.

- They fuck them. - They do nothing. They're crap.

They're a disaster. They take four totally inexperienced men,

- give them guns and stars... - That's a lie.

I'm from the front.

You're in the militia?

- He can't even speak properly. - What? What are you saying?

You're a fucking kid. You know fuck all.

- I'm a kid? - Yeah, a kid.

You don't know nothing. You've seen fuck all. Sit down, arsehole.

Fucking know nothing, you little twat.

Snotty-nosed little...

- What's going on? - That's enough!

Are you mad, or what?

What do you think is going on?

If the leaders of the POUM and CNT get together, we're fucked.

That's what's happening!

They need to come from abroad to tell us that?

So what? At least it's good that they're here.

Lazarus.

Back from the dead.

- Stranger. - Yeah. Gone but not forgotten, eh?

Roca! Andrés! Bernard!

Are you a spy of the Communists?

Fucking English.

- You're welcome. - It's good to see you.

Women have to cook now.

- Maite! - Fucking shit the woman don't know...

David? What are you doing here?

I came back for something to eat. I heard you'd taken over the cooking.

- No, seriously. What happened? - No, seriously. What's on the menu?

- Seriously. - Fucking beans.

What are you doing here? Did you see with your own eyes?

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I saw a lot of things with my own eyes.

Things I didn't want to see.

All right?

Yeah.

I'm glad to see you again.

The Party stinks, Kit.

I never thought the day would come when I'd have to say that It's evil and corrupt.

In Barcelona I saw a good comrade snafched and executed.

Others disappeared into torture chambers, and it's still going on.

Stalin is using the working class like pieces on a chessboard,

to be bartered, used, and sacrificed.

Things have changed while I was away.

Some old faces are missing. Couldn't stomach the infighting.

All in all, we've taken a baltering.

It's rumoured we're going to make a big attack soon. Still no weapons, no support.

But this one we're going to win. Despite everything, our spirits are high.

They're bombing us...

Listen... Where's the cover you promised?

What kind of position is this? Nobody's come.

You don't understand anything...

- We can't hold on... - Fucking Stalinist bastards.

This should be over. They should have taken that hill.

They're busting our balls just to make a fucking point.

Ammunition.

I'm waiting. I'm not going anywhere, am 1?

Ah, fuck. They know we're here, mate. They know where we are.

Where are they? Where's the assault? Fucking reserves.

- We can't hold this position any more. - No, no, no.

We must stay here.

No, we can't. We don't have any weapons.

We must show them what we are, Bernard.

Listen, they know exactly what's happening here. Nobody sent towards our army.

We will die up here.

We're fighters, you know? We're fighters.

It's an order.

We're fucked here...

You've got to hold on.

This is madness.

Yes, sir. Retreat immediately.

Why are you giving me this order when you've just told me to hold the position?

All right? I also want to know... Listen! Why we've been risking our lives here,

waiting for the promised reinforcements. All right?

Whatever you say, sir.

Madruga, Andrés, come here... And the rest, quickly.

Garibaldi, Roca, we're going back to our old positions...

Come on, Roca.

Bernard, to the left with Jimmy. David, cover this flank... Come on.

Quickly... Orderly, orderly, go with them.

Come on, David.

All of you get back...

Come on, back.

- Blanca, come here... - Orderly, orderly, there's a bad one.

Stay with them.

- Come on, Jimmy. - Be brave.

The cavalry have come.

If they've come to fight, they're a bit late for that one, aren't they?

- Gene. - Gene, what are you doing here?

Take it easy.

Bernard, keep everybody calm.

- Stay where you are! - Listen to him.

- Quiet, everybody. - What the hell's going on?

Drop your weapons on the ground, immediately.

Obey the order!

What's the meaning of this?

- Can we know why? - Officer, get your men to obey.

- I refuse. - Obey my orders!

From now on this unit is disbanded.

You can all go home, except for the following, who are under arrest.

Quiet!

Juan Vidal.

Bernard Goujon.

Miguel Angel Campos.

Rafael Jiménez.

What are we accused of?

The POUM is now illegal.

Your newspaper has been banned and your leaders arrested.

- What charges? - Conspiring with the fascists.

Collaborating with Franco!

- How can you say that, Gene? - Is this conspiracy?

Is this conspiracy, Colonel?

It's a lie. It's a lie.

Don't look at the ground, look at me face to face.

It's not a reflection on you, it's your leaders.

It's a Stalinist plot.

- Siétamo. - Fucking government's a load of bollocks.

What about Siétamo? Alcubierre?

Lecifiena? Casetas de Quisena? Tierz?

Navales?

They're all places liberated by the POUM.

- Were they fascists who did that? - I don't have to discuss this with you.

Estrecho Quinto? La Naja?

Les Drassanes?

Were these places liberated by fascists, too?

Quiet! Obey my order!

Prepare to fire!

Take it easy!

- Madruga, quiet! - You're under arrest.

Do as he says.

What happened in Barcelona with our comrades? Murderers!

They're going to shoot you...

Murderers!

Control your men, Captain.

Fight with us against fascism.

You bastard, come here, you coward.

Come here, and say that face to face with us. Come here.

They have to do this.

They have to do this. You're being tricked. You're being tricked by your own leaders.

- You're being lied to. They're tricking you. - You fight with us.

- The POUM are tricking you. - Bollocks! Open your eyes.

- Come here. - They have proof. They have proof.

Come here, come here...

Silence, you idiots. God Almighty.

Murderers!

What the fuck did you do that for?

You bastards...

We've fought for nothing, comrades.

- Lower your guns. - Death to Stalinism!

- Open your eyes! - Long live the revolution.

Down with fascism.

We buried Blanca in collectivised land.

She would have liked that.

Even though the Stalinists came four weeks later and broke up the commune.

At least the earth belonged to her for a short while.

I'm trying to get home, but it won't be easy.

They have a wanted list, and as a so-called deserter

and supporter of the POUM, my name's on it.

There are no safe houses. We spend our time hiding in building sites, living rough.

Some of the most sincere and dedicated fighters of fascism have been murdered.

But if you get this lefter, understand that I regret nothing.

Revolutions are contagious and had we succeeded here, and we could have done,

we would have changed the world.

But never mind. Our day will come.

We shall leave them in the ground, but the earth is ours now, comrades,

and from this place we must draw the strength to fight on.

The battle is long, and our foes are many,

but we are more, we shall always be many more.

Tomorrow is ours, comrades.

Erm, can I just say something a minute?

The other day, I found this. It was amongst, like, my grandad's papers,

and I just thought it was, like, fitting for him.

It's a poem by William Morris, and I'd just like to read it out.

"Join in the battle, wherein no man can fail,

For whoso fadeth and dieth, yet his deeds shall still prevail "

Visiontext Subtitles: Paul Burns