Original subtitles

That's your island.

It's called "Queimada"...

...and it is one of the hundred islands of the Lesser Antilles.

- Here, have a look. - Thank you.

It has an area of about 2,315 acres of land...

...and a population of about 200,000 people.

There's only about 5,000 whites here. The population's mostly black or mulatto.

The blacks, of course, are slaves...

...except for a handful whose owners freed them for one reason or another.

"Queimada" means "burnt".

In fact, the Portuguese had to burn the whole island in 1520...

...to put down the resistance of the Indians.

And since the Indian natives were all killed...

...they brought in slaves from Africa, over the following years.

That large, flat, white rock you see offshore...

...is called "Cementerio Blanco de los Negros"...

...because the bodies of slaves who died during the trip over were thrown there.

They say they lost nearly 25% of them.

That exceptional whiteness there seems, in fact, to derive from the dust of their bones...

...which have penetrated into and merged with the rocks.

The main resource of the island is the sugar cane.

But its importance derives from its commercial harbor...

...situated in a natural bay, protected from the winds.

Its docks are enough deep for all kind of ships.

This geographical situation turns Queimada...

...into the main commercial centre of tens of other islands in the surroundings.

There are the headquarters of Banco Espirito Santo...

...the residence of the Portuguese Governor...

...a fortress with a garrison of a thousand of soldiers...

...and the most famous brothel of the Lesser Antilles.

I want to control the number of cases before you unload!

Did you like Europe? Wouldn't you like come back again?

Sir William.

May I give you some advice?

Be careful of the three "M": "Mosquitos, mulatas, muerte".

All right. I won't forget it. Thank you.

Your papers.

- English? - Yes.

Go.

- Your bag, sir? - Your bag?

Your bag, please. Please give me your bag!

Out of the way! Out of the way!

- Your bag, sir? - All right.

Take them.

- Can I get ready the expenses account? - Okay, as you wish.

- Okay. - Mr. Walker?

- Did you have a pleasant trip, sir? - Yes.

The gray dolphins followed us all the way.

The gray dolphin has always been a friend of the mariner.

Sure. And the sailor has always been the friend of the gray dolphin, too.

Too late, Mr. Walker. Santiago was caught with all his men.

He's locked up in the fortress.

I must... I must talk to him.

Portuguese, aren't you?

Get him! Arrest him!

Englishman, here's Santiago.

They aren't Christians like us, and they believe in reincarnation.

But the reincarnation requires a whole human body.

So, that's what we do:

First, we strangle him with the garotte, in accordance with the law...

...and then we chop his head off.

Do you understand?

Therefore they will be afraid of the death.

Then they will carry his head around the island as an example.

At last, the corpses are returned to the families.

- And are they recovering the corpses? - Once in a while.

Hey, Englishman!

Your consul has arrived.

- How efficient. - Mr. William Walker?

- I am sorry to disturb you. - It's part of our job.

Leave things as they are.

Let's go, Josinho.

I knew your husband.

I knew your husband.

I never met him in person...

...but it is because of him that I have come to Queimada.

I'm not Portuguese.

I'm a friend. Do you understand?

I would like to meet one of his friends. One who had the same mindset.

I'm asking for nothing else.

I don't want to know anything more, you understand?

Wait! Let me meet one.

Just one.

Why not me?

Teddy, why are you dying your hair?

And how are you smoothing it?

My mother used to do it since I was a little boy.

Mr. William, the truth is that I don't feel as mulatto.

I feel myself as white as my father was and my grandfather.

Really? Good.

And how does it feel?

Anyway, I'm sorry, but a white man is useless around here.

And even less so someone who isn't white but wants to be like one.

What is needed here is someone who has nothing to lose but his chains.

Someone with the will and courage of losing it.

What is needed here obviously doesn't exist.

Take a look.

You, there!

Who gave you that money? Give it back to me! Come on!

Immediately!

You see?

- When will your ship set sail? - In five or six days.

Five or six days...

What can I do during these five or six days to avoid dying of boredom?

Englishman!

Sir!

Hey, sir!

What would you say if it was rum, not water, sir?

Well...

You are slack today, gentlemen, aren't you?

You are always saying that you like Europe. Get laid then with the lady.

Why not? The only important thing is the white pigment.

Enough! Enough!

You hear?

Stop it!

Pedro! Stop it.

Stop it.

That's silly. Give me the knife.

Give me the knife. Give it to me.

Give it to me.

Come on.

All right.

Don't go, Mr. Walker. Without you, nothing will ever be done.

It's finished here.

Why? I wasn't aware that anything had started.

And Santiago?

Santiago's dead.

Hey, Negro! Bugger off!

Bugger off, Negro!

Stinking, lying, lousy Negro!

You thief! You thief...

- You did steal my bags, didn't you? - Yes, sir.

Did you steal them, when the police arrested me?

- Yes. - Well, where are they now?

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know, sir.

- But you did steal them, didn't you? - Yes.

- It is true, isn't it? - Yes, sir.

No, it's not true.

You did not steal them. You gave them to my friend, that's all.

Nobody stole them. Do you understand?

Yes.

- So, you did not steal them? - No, sir.

Then why did you say you did? Because I said you did?

Yes.

- Because anything a white man says is right? - Yes, sir.

So, if I were to say... that your mother was a whore...

...would that be true? Is it true?

She's dead, sir.

- But you knew your mother, didn't you? - Yes.

What was she?

Say what she was!

Go on! What was she?

Tell me, what was your mother?

- Say it! - A whore, sir.

I was mistaken.

I thought you were someone else.

What's your name?

José Dolores.

Here you are, José Dolores.

It was just a bad joke. I am sorry. Forget about it.

Englishman!

I wasn't wrong then.

Well, now I believe we have something to talk about.

Are they all here?

There are 100 million in gold reales.

All we have to do is to take them. Fifty for you...

...and fifty for me.

Do you agree?

Now, it's very simple.

There's an outside gate, then a large door...

...an inside gate and then the safe.

Now, you enter, you take the gold, you load it onto the cart...

...and you cross the island to the village of which I told you.

That is the ship. Look.

So, I shall sail it to the other side of the island, then we'll go away.

- Go where? - Well, I don't know.

I go to England. You, wherever you like.

- Even Africa? - Yes, even to Africa.

But why?

You have time to think of it. Now, is the rest understood?

Yes. We walk in and take the gold. But what about the Portuguese?

At that moment, on Sunday, they'll have something else to do.

All right, you know where the village is. But I'll leave this map with you.

Yes.

- Would you like to taste some rum? - All right.

But you must try my whisky.

We drink to the Holy Spirit and its bank.

- To England, Englishman. - To Africa!

- And to the world! - And to the world!

- Cheers! - Cheers!

Why you bring rum instead of water?

Because today's a holiday.

Go! Go! Come on!

Son of a bitch! Go!

Why? Why! What's going on?

That gold costs a lot.

Stop there!

What are you doing here?

Where are you going? Stop there!

What do you got in here? Come on, answer me, Negro!

- What is it? - Bananas, sir. Just bananas.

Bananas, huh?

And what's this?

A case of bananas?

Did you see it?

Portuguese die, too.

Go now. I'll see to the ship.

But you be quick, Englishman.

Yes, here's the sugar cane plantation, and here's the path.

And it's this village here. It's a village of slaves, I believe.

Yes, I know it well. It's a village of bandits.

The famous bandit Santiago came from just around there.

Really? Well, in any case, it's a very wealthy village.

Because they bought all my goods and they paid for them in gold reales.

Are there many blacks as rich as that on the island?

No.

Just how many were there?

Well, wait a moment.

Not more than four or five.

Why?

Because that gold has been stolen from the Bank of Queimada, sir.

- You don't say so! - Yes, it's true.

- And all of them were black people? - Yes.

It's very odd that black people have so courage and ability.

It never happened before.

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, don't you think?

Englishman!

There are soldiers.

Yes, I have seen them.

- And the boat? - It's over there, behind the soldiers.

And us?

I brought weapons.

Unfortunately we're rather few.

Perhaps there's some people up there who'd be willing to help us.

Let's see.

I don't suppose they like the Portuguese any more than we do.

No one will risk being killed for a dislike, Englishman.

And least of all for defending our money.

Who knows?

Why don't you ask them anyway? Give it a try.

I am sorry, friends...

...but the Portuguese are coming.

I am sorry it happens here...

...but we can't let the soldiers take us.

Don't you agree?

Therefore you will be better off if you went away.

Go up to the sierra.

Better hide the old ones...

...the women and the children.

But if there are any of you...

...who are not a woman nor old nor a child...

...but are really men...

...and have thought, at least once, in life, of killing their Portuguese master...

...then now is the time to act!

Because they can be killed. I assure you.

Can you use rifles?

First, I'll show you how to load it.

Come close to me.

Look.

A measure of powder.

Then the hemp.

A bullet.

Again, the hemp.

Like this.

Now...

...the rifle is loaded.

Tomorrow, Englishman.

I like it here, it's nice. Let's wait until the feast is over.

They realize the soldiers aren't coming back, so they get prepared, you know?

Next time there will be more.

It'll be a massacre.

What can we do about it?

Why did you stole the gold?

To die up here...

...or to be rich and live as a free man?

What do you say, José? Why did we steal it?

Like you said, to be rich and live free.

And now?

Can I have some?

Hey!

You're beginning to like whisky, aren't you?

No, rum is better.

Let's go.

I'll...

...call the others.

They will all die.

Yes, probably.

Goodbye, Englishman.

I won't come with you.

I am sorry.

I'll stay here.

Gentlemen...

...let me ask you a question.

My metaphor might seem a trifle impertinent but I think it's very much to the point.

Which do you prefer, or should I say, which do you find more convenient?

A wife or one of these mulatto girls?

No, no, please don't misunderstand. I'm speaking strictly in terms of economics.

What is the cost of the product? What does the product yield?

The product, in this case, being love, purely physical love, obviously.

Since sentiments play no part in economics.

Right.

Now, a wife must be provided with a house, with food...

...with dresses, with medical attention, etc.

You're obliged to keep her a whole lifetime...

...even when she's grown old and perhaps a trifle unproductive.

And if you have the bad luck to survive her, you have to pay for the funeral.

No... Don't laugh at it, gentlemen.

It seems amusing, but actually those are the facts.

Now, with a prostitute, it's quite a different matter.

It's cheaper.

Because there's no need to lodge her or to feed her, not to dress her.

And you don't have to bury her.

You take a prostitute only when you want her and you pay her once.

You pay her services, by the hour.

Well, gentlemen, who is therefore more convenient?

A slave...

...or a paid worker?

Which do you find more convenient? Portuguese domination with its laws...

...its taxes, its commercial monopolies or independence?

With your own government, your own army, your own administration...

...and the freedom to trade with anyone you like...

...on terms that are dictated only by the prices on the international market.

It's not only for the freedom of trade, Mr. William.

For many of us, there are idealistic motives which are even more important.

We are now a nation, a small nation.

Born here and forged with toil, with difficulty during more than three centuries.

A nation, which originated from Portugal, but now is not a part of Portugal anymore.

And that no longer wants to be a Portuguese colony.

That's all quite correct, my dear Teddy. We all agree on the idealistic motives.

But it's the example of the whore that doesn't convince me as yet, Mr. William.

Because there's another supposition:

What will happen if once the Negro ceases to be a slave...

...and instead of wanting to be a worker, wants to be the boss?

That's exactly what will happen if we go on arguing about it.

Four months ago, José Dolores was on the Sierra Trinidad with a few dozen men.

Then he reached Sierra Madre with several hundreds.

Now there are thousands. They don't need to defend themselves...

...but they are coming to attack, spreading through the lowlands.

That's the situation.

If you don't take immediate action, if you don't weave yourselves into this revolt...

...and don't manage to gain control of it...

...you'll be swept away.

Then your ex-slaves, instead of becoming your workers...

...will not become your bosses, Mr. Prada...

...but your executioners.

Now, what are my interests in the matter?

And who am I?

I represent Her Britannic Majesty.

An English agent, if you prefer.

But actually, England wants the same thing that you want:

The freedom of trade.

And therefore an end to Portuguese and Spanish domination in all Latin America.

But what England does not want, however, and what I think you yourselves do not want...

...are these revolutions carried to their extreme consequences.

The adventures of men like Toussaint Louverture and José Dolores...

...are good for the beginning.

To break the ice.

But then after that, they become very dangerous, as in Haiti, for example.

So, gentlemen, as you can see...

...I think our interests coincide, at least for the moment.

And they also coincide with progress and civilization.

For those who believe in it, it's very important.

And you? Do you believe in it, Mr. William?

Yes, Mr. Prada, I do.

It's time.

I'm afraid I won't be able to go through with it, Mr. William.

It always seems that way the first time, but you'll see, it's actually rather simple.

It's only a moment.

A very simple moment, and then it's over.

- Everyone can do it. - Find another person, Mr. William.

- Too late. - But I am afraid of doing it. I don't dare.

Listen to me carefully, Teddy.

You are what you are.

A babbler.

A weak, a shallow and a so-called gusher.

But it doesn't matter.

You'll do what you have to do.

Because I order you it.

Yes, sir.

The "Dia de Reis" is like our Epiphany.

Once a year slaves are allowed to do what they want.

It is their day of freedom.

As you can see, dear Consul, they enjoy our Christian holiday...

...with the celebration of their African tribal rites, using our own symbols.

It's a last and desperate attempt of preserving their old traditions.

We know and we tolerate these things, because this way, without being aware of it...

...they'll be able to assimilate our own civilization.

- What about José Dolores? - The Portuguese fleet will arrive in a few days.

There's no need to be worried about José Dolores.

It isn't worth it, trust me.

Long live Queimada! Death to all the oppressors!

Come on!

Come on!

Come on, say something!

Show yourself!

Long live Queimada!

Long live Queimada!

Long live freedom!

Long live freedom!

Freedom!

Englishman!

Englishman!

When did you get back?

Me? I never left. I've been here all the time.

Here? And the boat?

Never existed.

- And the gold? - Back in the bank.

And I'm still a water carrier. It's all the same as before.

If I had told you to start a revolution, you wouldn't have understood me.

But to rob a bank, yes, that was possible.

Then you learned to kill in order to defend yourself.

And then you had to kill to defend others.

- The rest came by itself. - And you? What do you get?

Nothing.

The salary from the British Admiralty.

A rather modest one.

- And you? What do you get? - Me? Nothing. I am just a happy man.

Well...

...me too, just like you.

- Or almost. - And England, what is its part in this?

Portugal is England's enemy.

If the English ships were not in the port of Queimada...

...the Portuguese would already have returned.

- And how many English ships are there? - Don't be too ambitious, José.

No, I just asked.

Ramon! Pedro! Andres! That's enough now!

Let us go to Queimada.

No, better not. Trust me, José.

Set up your camp here.

But they have fought and suffered, and they have won, Englishman.

- They have a right to amuse themselves. - They'll have plenty of time for that.

There are other things that come first.

Gentlemen, I would like to present General José Dolores.

Mr. Prada.

Augusto Anguillar.

Fernando Cabrera.

Teddy, you certainly remember José Dolores.

This is Teddy Sanchez. He directed the rebellion here in the capital.

It was him who killed the governor.

He is now the President of the new provisional government...

...whose first act it was to abolish slavery.

General, you have our admiration and our gratitude.

In the name of the government I invite you to discuss with us...

...the proposals for a new constitution of Queimada.

That is the chair of the governor.

- May God bless you, José Dolores. - Thank you, my friend.

Well, gentlemen, you wanted to talk with me?

I am ready.

Come on.

Come forward, gentlemen.

We will talk.

But... be careful.

Your government is provisional. Our encampment is, too.

And my people...

...won't wait a long time.

No.

No.

No, no, and no.

For a month you've been answering "no".

General, why don't you try suggesting something?

Bastards!

I must talk to you about a very urgent matter concerning both our countries.

All our sugar is rotting in storehouses and on the quays.

And so?

Only a commercial agreement between us can change this situation.

And so?

The provisory government no longer exists.

With whom can I negotiate?

Who will sign this agreement? I was advised to ask you.

- Who advised it? - I did.

I did.

Apart from that, England can't wait forever.

But not only England buys the sugar.

No, and not only Queimada sells it.

Not to mention the fact that in Europe they're already extracting it from sugar beets.

Did you know that, General?

And what if Queimada were not to sell any more sugar?

How would these people live?

This Problem can't be delayed.

Competition is getting stronger every day.

Are you familiar with the latest market quotation?

10 and 11 raw sugars, which up to a month ago were quoted 7.63 pounds...

...didn't have any quotation at the last opening.

The refined 8.25-8.75 down by a half, more or less.

Number 12, current category, opened without firmness.

Refined, polarized at 96 degrees and lot 60 aren't even quoted at the opening.

Go now.

- Get out! - But, General...

Leave me alone.

I think there's no doubt.

I'm particularly good at convincing my people...

...and you have all the necessary qualities of a responsible head of state.

Go away! And stay away!

Ramon! Clear all them out!

And who will govern the island, José?

Who'll run the industries?

Who'll handle the commerce?

Who'll cure the sick?

Who'll teach in the schools?

Him?

Him?

Or the other one?

Civilization is not a simple matter, José.

You cannot learn its secrets overnight.

Today civilization belongs to the white man...

...and you must learn to use the white civilization.

Without it, you cannot go forward.

But to go where, Englishman?

Get out.

You too, go away.

José! José is back!

You can tell the whites I am going.

Say that my men will lay down their arms and return to the plantations.

England will rejoice, Englishman.

Not only England, José.

Have I become...

...so dangerous?

Yes.

Dangerous even for your own people and for Queimada.

You know, there are no miracles in history, but right times and cadences.

Everything has a logic.

And if you try to force it, you'll end up drifted of the course.

And you need to start again.

Why are you are intending to convince me, when I've made my own decision?

Go and convince the white men. Tell your friends...

- They're not my friends. - All right.

Then tell the white people to be careful. Very careful.

They may know how to sell sugar...

...but we are the ones who cut the cane!

Your bag, sir?

- A general doesn't carry baggage. - But he will for a friend.

All right, one bag for everyone. Let's go.

Well, what are you going to do with yourself?

And you?

Have you ever heard of a place called Indochina?

Well, they're sending me there.

Then, to Indochina.

- To those who cut the cane. - Right, Englishman.

Otherwise you have to drink your tea without sugar.

And since no one in the world wants to drink their tea without sugar...

...the world's leading sugar companies business continued to prosper.

This is the London Stock Exchange, 10 years later.

The quotations of shares in the sugar companies continue to rise.

The companies are merging...

...and with the increase of economic strength they grow ever more powerful.

- I want 10,000! 10,000! - 5,000 for me!

And a logic consequence of this grown power...

...is that the big companies are now able to take care by themselves...

...of law and order on their plantations beyond the sea.

Their first concern is to procure for this job the most efficient experts available.

This way.

- He has become a different man. - Sir William?

Sir William Walker.

First, he left the navy, and then, let's see...

Yes, here it is.

On May 21, 1841 he was expelled from this club.

What? Expelled?

Yes, expelled, sir.

He seemed not able of obeying the gentlemen's rules anymore.

And where did you address his correspondence afterwards?

Well...

...21, White Cock Street.

Do you know the district? It's the most unsavory of the city.

Sir William is a very extraordinary person.

A real gentleman, fascinating, magnanimous...

And when he'll be back?

His trunk is still here, after more than three years.

My husband did set sail for a Mediterranean cruise long time ago.

He may be now sailing the Atlantic. His last letter came from Gibraltar.

A very long cruise indeed... and I suffer seasickness. Therefore...

I know, this is really inconvenient for a long cruise.

- And what is the ship's name? - "Adios".

"Adios"?

Yes.

- See there the "Adios". Nice boat, isn't it? - Yes, indeed.

Look at the steersman. He knows his job, he's a real sailor.

- Where's it bounding for? - Plymouth, England.

Yes, they've arrived just this morning, after a very difficult crosswind.

- Right. And where's is he now? - I don't know.

- Maybe he's drinking. - If only it were so.

Would you like to continue?

I believe you've understood at last, haven't you?

Yes, I think so.

Now go on board, Carlos.

Get the boat ready and get drunk later. It's already paid for.

Well...

Never to interfere is an old principle, gentlemen.

Sir William?

My pleasure. May I introduce myself? Henry Thompson.

This is my colleague Jack.

- Delighted. - Nice to meet you.

During the last three months, we've been half way around Europe trying to find you.

Yes, really.

Why all the trouble?

There are people who need you.

But I don't think that I need them.

What a pity.

- There's a lot of money in this for you. - Really?

- And what is it about then? - I don't know, exactly.

But it seems that it has something to do with the Antilles and sugar cane.

Sugar cane...

Mr. President.

General.

Mr. Shelton.

Well, we've known each other for a long time.

10 years, I think. Yes, it's exactly 10 years. But...

...10 years ago, I worked for the British Admiralty.

I now work for the Antilles Sugar Company...

...which our ex-counsel so ably represents today.

We've both since changed our employers.

However, the Admiralty has given me its approval.

And so, I'm now here, in the capacity of military advisor...

...invited by the government of Queimada, commissioned by the ASUR Company...

...and authorized by Her Britannic Majesty's government.

Let's hope that my advice is worthy of so much trust.

General Prada has informed me of the events of the last years.

I now would like to summarize the most important facts.

May 13, 1845.

José Dolores agrees to dissolve the rebel army.

Queimada is proclaimed a republic.

José Dolores renounces to participate in any government...

...and Mr. Teddy Sanchez is elected its first president.

January 22, 1846.

The British government and the government of Queimada sign a treaty of alliance...

...establishing the elimination of customs duties and anchor right...

...and the supplying of the British Fleet.

Have your read this document, Sir William?

No, but all these treaties always resemble each other.

After so many years on duty, I know them by heart.

March 7, 1847.

The Republic of Queimada cedes to the Royal Sugar Co. the right of exploitation...

...of the sugar plantations for 99 years. Renewable right.

Why don't you mention the commitments of the Royal Sugar Co. towards Queimada?

Because that is not the most important aspect of the problem.

And is it not important that we have built a hospital and 50 miles of road?

No, Mr. Shelton, but what is important is that the ASUR Company...

...controls, in practice, the entire economy of Queimada...

...whilst the government of Queimada, in practice, no longer controls anything.

You're forgetting, Mr. William, you were asked here to put down a revolt...

...and not to concern yourself with our policies.

Without these policies, there wouldn't be any revolution, Mr. President.

February 23, 1848:

The sugar cane workers of Consolación del Norte enter the city...

...set it afire and sack the stores.

The army has to intervene.

32 dead and nearly 100 wounded.

Other uprisings break out in various parts of the island.

José Dolores takes over the revolution...

...and organizes a new army that wins some victories.

Three months later, England intervenes.

There's no intervention at all. Just technical support and instructors.

We have asked for this help, according with Article 32 of the treaty.

All right, the details are not so important.

On the contrary, they are very important.

We are very jealous of our independence.

I wanted to say, Mr. President, that not even with this support...

...you have succeeded in putting down the revolt.

That was why we've been half way around Europe trying to find you.

- Now, what do you want me to do? - To deal with José Dolores.

- Or to help us get rid of him. - Our government wants to negotiate...

...Mr. William.

And not because it is the only solution, but because it is the best.

No one can do this better than you.

You've already done it once.

- 10 years ago. - The situation is the same.

Yes, but the problem is different. 10 years is a long time.

- Sometimes it can be too a long a time. - Even so, it's still only 10 years.

Then you judge the French Revolution for its length?

José Dolores is not Robespierre, Mr. William.

In fact, history goes on.

I only want to explain, General...

...that sometimes between one historical period and another, just 10 years...

...might be enough to reveal the contradictions of a whole century.

And so we might realize that our judgments, our suppositions...

...and even our hopes may have been wrong.

Wrong, that's all.

Does that mean our interests no longer coincide?

Yes, our interests do. Royal Sugar pays me well enough.

And our ideas?

My ideas at the moment are concerned with how to get something done...

...not with why to do it.

All right, on what basis do I negotiate?

Equal rights for all citizens, better wages, and a general amnesty.

Is that a good basis for discussion?

No, but I don't think that you can offer more...

...unless you give up the government and the plantations of Queimada.

I believe that you will succeed.

And you believe it, too. Am I right?

We must wait to see what José Dolores believes, Mr. President.

Go! Come on! Walk!

Hurry up!

Aim!

Wait a moment!

Put your weapons down! What's your order, sir?

That one. Bring him here.

- This one? - No, no, the fourth one.

- This one? - No, no!

- One, two, three, four, this one. - Yes, sir.

Put your hands down, Josinho.

Looks like you were pretty lucky today. Does that make you happy?

- Don't you remember me? - Aim!

- You were a child, then. - Fire!

Josinho! Stop! Don't shoot!

Don't be a fool!

Don't shoot, we need him alive.

Now José Dolores says...

...that if what we have in our country is civilization of white men...

...then we should be glad of being uncivilized.

Because it is better to know where to go and not know how...

...than it is to know how to go and not know where.

And then?

And then, José Dolores says that if a man works for another...

...even if he's called a worker, he still remains a slave.

And it will always be the same.

Since there are those who own the plantations...

...and those who own the machete to cut cane for the owners.

And then?

And then, José Dolores says that we must cut heads instead of cane.

- That's a nice program. - Yes.

Very well, then, tell José Dolores that we must meet and discuss this question...

...wherever and whatever time he wishes.

- Do you understand? - Yes.

Listen.

Tell him also that I shall be pleased to see him in any case.

Wait!

Give this to José Dolores. Tell him it's from me.

Go away, servant!

Why are you here?

Why aren't you in the sierra with the others?

Why?

Halt!

Halt!

Who are you?

Captain! Captain!

Captain!

I DON'T DRINK ANYMORE, ENGLISHMAN. JOSÉ DOLORES

Now we must realize that if we are to succeed in eliminating José Dolores...

...it's not because we're better or braver than he is.

It's simply because we have more arms and more men than he has.

And we must also realize that the soldier either fights to earn his pay...

...or because his country forces him to do so.

But the guerrilla, on the other hand, fights for an idea.

And therefore he's able to achieve 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 times as much.

- Is that clear? - No, Mr. William, I don't agree.

No?

That's strange, because I think it's a rather simple calculation.

What does a guerrilla have to lose, except his life?

Whereas you, General, have a lot to lose.

Wife, children, house, career, savings...

...your habits, personal pleasures and normal hopes.

It's nothing to be ashamed of, that's simply the way of it.

Now, according to your information...

...José Dolores has less than some hundreds of men, few arms...

...very little ammunition and no equipment.

But you have thousands of soldiers, modern arms and equipment.

And yet, in six years, you've not been able to defeat him.

Why?

Well, their bases are here...

...on the Sierra Madre.

And on the Sierra Madre there's no possibility of survival.

There's not a tree, not a blade of grass.

The only animals are vipers and scorpions.

In all these centuries the man never had arrived so high.

But in the last six years it is here that the guerrillas have made their headquarters.

Why is that?

There are a handful of small villages, on the slopes of the Sierra.

These people are destitute with subhuman living standards...

...and they haven't anything to lose, either.

The guerrillas are their only hope.

One, two, and three.

These are the reasons and conditions on which the guerrillas survive.

And these are roots which must be cut.

Hey!

They came out from the fire.

Naked, covered with flames...

...like devils.

No... They weren't human beings.

This is where they've crossed the river.

Now they're here, in the Sierra Trinidad.

There are five villages in the Sierra.

Five.

Tomorrow we start again.

Stop! Stop! Hey, you! Come back!

Get back or I'll shoot!

You well know that it is not us who are responsible for this tragedy.

It is José Dolores who wanted this war.

The government of Queimada promises you that the war will end soon.

And peace will return.

Order will again be established and you will be able to go finally back...

...to your houses and to your work.

Have faith a little longer.

We will do everything possible to take care of your needs...

...and to alleviate your suffering.

Listen to me.

My friends, brothers and sisters, I beg you.

I beg you. Trust us.

And now, bread will be distributed to you offered personally by President Sanchez.

Stay in your places.

Bread! Bread! Bread! Bread!

- Bread! Bread! - Bread! Bread!

- It's dangerous! - No! Don't shoot.

General, I want you to take back the effective command of our army.

From now on, you will consult personally with me on every decision concerning the war.

And any possibility of peace.

- And Sir William Walker? - He'll go back to England.

But the Royal Sugar Company, Mr. President...

Royal Sugar was supposed to help our independence...

- ...and not the other way around. - There's always José Dolores.

Who knows?

If there hadn't been Royal Sugar, would there have been José Dolores?

Who knows, General?

Come in.

Hello, Teddy.

You wanted to talk to me?

Sir William Walker, in the name of the Government of Queimada...

Mr. Teddy Sanchez, in the name of the people of Queimada...

...I declare you under arrest.

I think we've said all there is to say.

Citizens of Queimada.

The special military tribunal has decreed...

...that ex-president Teddy Sanchez is guilty of high treason.

Citizens, it is your duty to declare your allegiance to the new government...

...to our heroic army and to the soldiers of England, our ally.

Citizens of Queimada, the bandits of José Dolores will be annihilated.

Peace will return to our beloved country.

Signed, General Alonso Prada, head of the provisional government.

Forward!

Stand still!

Take your position!

Charge!

Aim!

Fire!

On your feet!

Turn around!

Walk back!

Battery two, fire!

Battery four, fire!

Battery three, fire!

One, fire!

Two, fire!

Three, fire!

Keep your hands up!

How many have you counted, Mayor?

Sixteen, with this one. I don't think there are anymore.

Must have been their rear guard.

Let's go.

So there are no more plantations, they're all burnt to the ground.

- They'll rise again. - In 10 years, Mr. William.

That's true, but you have another 89 years to exploit them. Renewable.

- Doesn't your contract specify that? - Yes.

And your contract specifies that you are to defend our interests.

Instead, you're destroying them.

That's the logic of profit, my dear Shelton.

One builds to make money.

And to go on making it or to make more, sometimes it's necessary to destroy.

Yes, I think it's inevitable.

Then why didn't you say so before?

- Why didn't I say what? - Where this is going to end.

Well, as I told you...

...with the end of José Dolores.

At this price, it's no longer profitable.

It isn't you who pays, or even Royal Sugar.

Do you remember him? That's Tinchin, one of the old ones.

- But there is no José Dolores. - And you're sorry?

No. I wouldn't want to find him like this.

You might have thought of that before, Ramon.

No, I say, as long as José Dolores lives, I have work, and good pay.

Is it not the same for you, Englishman?

No, on the contrary, because I work for a lump sum.

- I must report to London. - Do that, Mr. Shelton.

- I'll tell them how things are. - All right, tell it.

I'll have to inform them that the island has been completely burnt...

...and José Dolores has once again broken through the encirclement.

Inform them, Mr. Shelton.

And tell them also that you drive me up the wall.

Mr. William!

Do you know why this island is called Queimada?

Because it was already burnt once. And do you know why?

Because even then, it was the only way to conquer the resistance of the people.

And after that, the Portuguese exploited the island in peace, for nearly 300 years.

Yes, but I was trying...

You know that fire can't cross the sea.

But certain news and certain ideas travel by ships' crews.

Have you any idea how many islands there are on which Royal Sugar has concessions?

You should know.

And have you the vaguest notion of what would happen in the plantations...

...if the example of José Dolores reached those islands?

Sir?

Mr. Shelton, I...

I don't know yet...

I'm not just quite sure what I'm doing here.

Money is important, but then my salary is small compared to yours.

Therefore it's much less important.

I'm not sure just why I do what I'm doing.

Perhaps it's only for the pleasure of it. Or perhaps... I'm unable to do anything else.

Or perhaps I've nothing else to do, but whenever I try to do something...

...I try to do it well.

I do it my way and I want to see it through.

You got that?

Bugler!

Bugler's here, Sir William.

Bugler, sound your cease-fire!

There, that's José Dolores.

At the bottom where the soldiers are running.

Yes, I can see him.

A fine specimen, isn't he?

It's an exemplary story. In the beginning he was nothing.

A water carrier, a porter.

England makes him a revolutionary leader...

...but when he's no longer of use, he's put aside.

And when he rebels again...

...more or less in the name of those same ideals which England's taught him...

...England decides to eliminate him.

Don't you think that's a small masterpiece?

- You're the author, Sir William. - No, only the instrument.

It is not true that fire destroys everything.

A little life always remains.

Just an ant, a blade of grass...

So, how can the white invaders win?

How?

How can they win in the end?

Some of us will always remain.

Still others will be born later. And others will begin to understand.

In the end, you will also understand.

And the whites, in the end, will be maddened.

Like a wild buffalo when it finds itself closed in...

...and runs for the last time, crazed, all over the island.

Finally it falls into one of the great fires...

...made just by itself.

And the groans from this dying beast...

...will become our first song of freedom.

One that will be heard far, very far, far beyond the sea.

Come on, get ready, we're going back.

José! A war was necessary for seeing us again.

Thanks heavens that you and I remained alive.

Well, it's inevitable that someone has to lose.

In this case, it's you.

Otherwise, how could I have won?

Apparently you've lost everything, including your power of speech.

Come on, tie him up.

So, you don't drink anymore? Aren't you thirsty?

That's strange. Your throat must be dry from all that talking all day.

I see no reason for you to walk.

You can remain silent even on horseback.

Soldier, give the prisoner your horse!

Let's go, General.

What are you waiting for? Go and get him!

Now, listen to me, Negro!

Listen to me.

It wasn't me that invented the war.

And furthermore, in this case, I didn't even start it.

I arrived here and you were already butchering one another.

Death to him!

Thank you.

But, anyway, sooner or later, they are going to kill me.

That's not sure, General. Maybe they will let you live.

If they let me live it means it is convenient for them.

And if it's convenient for them, it is convenient for me to die.

Why?

Because the hunter lets the hawk live only when he wants a decoy...

...or to hunt in his place.

It's kept alive then, but in a cage.

But then, after a while, maybe they will free you.

It's not possible, little soldier.

If someone gives you freedom, it is not freedom.

Freedom is something that nobody can give you.

You alone must take it. Do you understand?

You will understand soon, because you've already started to think about it.

All that remains now is to settle what to do with him.

Well, let's see...

We certainly can't use the garotte. It's too reminiscent of Portugal.

Either we shoot him, as we did with Teddy Sanchez...

...or we hang him as you do in England.

All things considered, hanging is better.

It's more solemn.

- More definite. - Right.

Right.

But the man who fights for an idea is a hero.

And a hero who is killed becomes a martyr...

...and a martyr immediately becomes a myth.

A myth is more dangerous than a hero, because you can't kill a myth.

Don't you agree, Shelton?

Think of this ghost running through the Antilles.

With its legends and songs.

- Better songs than armies. - Better nothing, just silence.

Ah... And that is?

A hero that betrays is soon forgotten.

But we'll have to see if he's willing to betray.

Well, now let's see, against whom did José Dolores rebel?

He rebelled against Teddy Sanchez.

And you, General, have eliminated Teddy Sanchez.

Now... that gives you a position in common.

That's the beginning of a rationale which José Dolores...

...could make public without too much shame.

- Do you think he will do it? - Would you do it in his place?

Me? For God's sake, Mr. William. I would do anything to stay alive.

But I don't think that José Dolores...

You can't tell what a man will do to stay alive.

Until you put him to the test, you'll really never know.

Right, as long as he leaves Queimada.

And the Antilles, General.

Sure, and the Antilles, Mr. Shelton.

Will you see to it?

I finished. This is your duty.

These are our proposals...

He started to laugh.

There'll be another martyr, Sir William.

But you, you were waiting for me?

I was going to bed.

I used every argument possible and I offered him a great deal of money...

...and his freedom, of course, but he...

- Sir William? - I am going to bed.

Do you see, Paco?

This is how they do it in England.

I'll take you outside the camp and you can take my horse.

I'll see to it that they don't find out until it's too late.

All right, come on.

But José...

You lose nothing. You renounce nothing.

I ask nothing from you.

Only that you try not to be caught again.

Now, come on, you haven't much time.

Come on, you're free! Get a move on, you're free!

José, you're free! Free! Don't you understand?

Why?

What good does it do? What meaning does it have?

Is it a challenge, perhaps? A revenge?

But what kind of revenge is it, if you're dead?

I don't know, José.

It just seems madness.

Why?

Englishman!

Remember?

You said, civilization belongs to whites.

But what civilization?

And till when?

Your bag, sir?

Your bag?