Original subtitles

[ Man Narrating ] Returning from a raid and still far behind enemy lines,

the Rat Patrol was unaware that they were about to cross paths...

with Hauptmann Dietrich and an Arab leader in the pay of the German army,

who were on a special mission seeking to enlist...

the fanatic desert chieftain Faisal in the German cause.

- Worried, Captain? - I'm always worried...

when I don't know where my enemy is, Abu Hassan.

You find him. I'll take care of him, even though he is my countryman.

I think we can make it to the supply cache... maybe.

We're sitting on empty now, Sarge.

All right. Let's shake it.

[ Starting Engine ]

[ Gunshot ]

[ Engine Revving ]

Let's try and make it to those ruins! Come on!

[ Speaking German ]

Get in out of the rain!

[ German ]

[ Firing Stops ]

They've had it for the moment.

We've got them out there... and us in here.

Truce, Captain?

- Any other choice, Sergeant? - Not at the moment.

Fair enough. As you said, not at the moment.

All right. We've got food, water and ammunition.

What have you got? Three guns to add to yours, I guess.

You have any gasoline out there?

Some in the truck, if it hasn't been shot up by now.

I'll trade you half of my water for some of that gasoline,

No, Sergeant.

- I could send one of my men out there to get It. - If you do, I'll kill him.

- How long do you think we can hold out here? - [ Gunfire ]

Until we are all dead, I guess.

- Hold your fire! - [ German ]

Don't give orders to my men.

Then tell 'em to stop firing at things they can't see. [ Machine Gun Firing ]

This beautiful girl came dancin' over the hill doin' a Lindy.

What do you think about that? [ Snorts ]

[ Gunfire ]

Looks like that dancing girl's out squirrel huntin', Tully.

Hitch, brew up some coffee.

Coffee coming up, Sarge.

[ German ]

- You just chew it to soften it up, Hans. - Heinrich.

And then you make like you're blowin' a big bubble.

[ Chuckles ]

[ Gunfire ]

What I don't understand is that those are your people out there.

Animals. Wild, primitive animals.

He speaks, does he?

Now, let me see. Education... Switzerland?

France? United States?

United States, I would say.

New York. Chicago. You've got yourself quite a brogue.

Abu Hassan's father was attaché in Chicago, as you said.

- Quite a distance from his homeland. - I taught at the university.

What a parlay... America, Germany.

Let us say, brain power is another way to win the war, Sergeant.

Seems we both had the same idea...

To convert those primitive animals out there.

Oh, you wouldn't have a chance with Faisal.

Since you are the expert on Arabian affairs, Abu Hassan,

and since it's unlikely we'll get out of here alive to talk to Faisal,

tell me how you would have approached the situation... to satisfy my curiosity.

The blood of one's brothers always runs stronger...

than the water of one's friends, Englishman.

Then you seem to have forgotten some famous family vendettas, effendi.

Son of the father returning to his people... an infidel.

[ Laughs ]

An infidel! [ Laughs ]

[ Gunfire ]

This is absolute suicide. What do you suggest?

To do what I came to do. To go out there and

negotiate with Faisal for the Third Reich.

You wouldn't be able to negotiate a walk of three steps,

neither for the Third Reich nor for the Allies.

You know that. Captain, my orders are to make a pact with Faisal.

I cannot go back to the Propaganda Ministry and report failure.

Tully, make some noise. Let 'em know we're still here.

Be a pleasure.

[ Firing ]

Troy, whatever Hassan may say, Faisal doesn't bargain.

Not with anyone. I know him. I know his mind.

I know how he thinks.

He's declared a holy war against all unbelievers.

And at the moment, he and his tribesmen are running amok.

There's a way to cool even the hottest of fires.

It's your fire, Hassan. You burn your fingers.

Bad shot. He should have killed me. Yeah. Maybe he will next time.

Now, listen to me for the last time.

Faisal out there has fired up his people to such a degree...

that we're going to have to kill all of them in order to stop them.

It may not have to be that way.

Tell me, did Goebbels arm me with some kind of a secret weapon?

In a manner of speaking, perhaps: our momentary allies.

We're not so helpless. We still have guns. We take them as prisoners,

march then out to Faisal, use them as barter.

They could buy me time to convince Faisal we are his friends.

Absolutely not. It's ridiculous to create a second front...

on such a small battlefield as this.

Then let this battlefield become your grave, German.

Hold your fire!

[ Gunfire ]

Heil Hassan.

[ Gunfire ]

They're potshotting him like they're at a turkey shoot.

[ Gunfire Continues ]

He wrapped up a good deal for the Führer.

You see, Captain, how utterly brilliant they

are at the art of the long, slow extermination.

They have it timed exactly to the precise second one will die.

The next bullet won't kill him either, merely

drain another moment of life out of his body...

Almost as though they'd had their basic training with the S.S.

[ Gunfire Continues ]

- Let me go bring him back, Sarge. - No.

That's just what they want us to do. Right, Captain?

Western compassion against Eastern detachment.

He's already dead, Sergeant.

There's nothin' to it. I told ya, you make like you're blowing up a big balloon.

Now watch again, Hans. Heinrich.

[ Groans, Sighs ]

What do you think he's doing out there?

I should think Faisal will be doing a great deal of talking.

And in the morning, his whole army will hurtle down those dunes,

fighting for their new prophet.

You want to change your mind on trading gas for some food and water, Captain?

It's night. We could stand a chance on breakin' outta here.

Who's "we," Sergeant? And how do I know that the minute you fill your tanks,

you don't turn your guns on me?

You don't... any more than I know that you wouldn't put a bullet in my back.

It night be a bit risky, Troy.

Some of them may have buried themselves in the sand out there.

[ Dietrich ] They don't need eyes, Sergeant.

The minute you turn on your engine, they will shoot at your sound.

Well, why don't we just set here and...

open the doors and let 'em come in?

- Maybe invite 'em for breakfast. - Hey, Sarge, why don't we do just that?

- Do what? - Do what Tully says.

Open the doors and let 'em in. Invite them for breakfast.

Sometimes I think you're getting a case of the mirages.

What do you suggest we serve them?

Build a fire wall with the captain's gasoline supply.

I have some explosives out in the truck.

- What do you think? - Might be a little bit noisy.

- I can stand it if you can. - Cover us.

If any of 'em are out there, they'll keep their heads buried in the sand.

- Okay. Let's go, Hitch. - No, Sergeant. Just the two of us.

- What's the matter? Don't you trust me? - Should I?

- Like I trust you. - [ German ]

- What'd he say, Moffitt? - I told him to shoot...

as soon as you make a wrong move, Sergeant.

Give us 30 seconds, then let 'em know we're still awake in here.

Let's go, Captain.

Now.

Could be guests for breakfast.

- Got the main course ready yet, Sarge? - Cooking it up now.

Better hurry. They're getting awfully hungry.

They're beginning to drool.

[ Gunfire ]

They're coming at us like food was going out of style.

All right. Bring on the bacon and eggs.

Now!

[ Narrator ] Unwilling to trade further

heavy losses for the lives of the seven men,

Faisal withdrew with heavy casualties,

leaving the desert battlefield to the Rat Patrol and the Germans.

[ Firing Stops ]

- [ Firing ] - Tully! Tully!

Breakfast is over.

- Our truce is over, Captain. - Three of us.

Four of you.

One man wounded. The odds are almost equal, Sergeant.

I pull out.

All right. One by one.

[ German ]

Hitch, help Tully out.

[ German ]

Moffitt.

[ Roars ]