All language subtitles for A Separate Peace 1972

I'd always dreaded the thought
of returning to the Devon school

because of what happened there during
my last year as a student.

Now that I was back
after all these years,

I was surprised to see
how peaceful it looked.

'Course the Second World
War was going on then,

that had made a difference,
even at Devon.

As I crossed the school grounds,

I could feel myself becoming
isolated from everything,

except my memories.

I knew that there was one
place that I had to see.

And as I started across
the field toward it,

all of the fear, the anger,

the senseless rivalries
I'd lived with then, returned.

And that reminded me of Finny.

The tree.

I had to see that.

It's always loomed in my memory as a
huge spike dominating the river bank.

Yet, here it was.

No giant. Hmm!

It was not only stripped
by the cold season,

it seemed weary from age,

enfeebled, dry.

I guess nothing really endures.

Not a tree, not love,

not even a death by violence.

For the first time,
I could remember it all.

The tree, the war,

and most of all, Finny.

Ahh!

Ho!

Wait for me!

Hey, Finny, wait for me!

Hey!

Take the high ground!

Come on!

Hey, Chet, chuck it to me.

What I like best about this tree
is, it's such a cinch.

Is that what you like best?

Yup.

This is my contribution
to the war effort.

Hey, come down!

Come up!

Don't do it.

Whoo!

That's the most fun I've had this week.
Who's next?

All right, who's next?

Come on, Gene!

That's the way.

Let's go!

Come on, get up there!

Come on, hurry up!

Gene, come on!

Come on, Gene, jump.

Come on!

Come on, now.
When they torpedo the troopship

you can't stand there
admiring the view.

Jump, will ya!

That's one way!

I think that was
better than yours, Finny.

All right, Brinker.

But don't start awarding prizes
until you've passed the test.

Gentlemen, the tree is waiting.

Finny, I'm not going to
permanently damage myself,

following your silly lead.

I detect a note
of fear, Brinker.

And I am unimpressed
by immaturity.

How about you, Leper?

Well, I think that jumping out
of a tree is a dumb thing to do.

Trees should be looked at.

It's you, pal. Just you and me.

You were really good once
I shamed you into it.

Aw, you didn't shame
anybody into anything.

Oh yes, I did.
I'm good for you that way.

You back away
from things otherwise.

I never backed away from
anything in my life.

Come on,
we'll be late for dinner.

Gad! I can't get this stuff.

Hey, come on, Finny,
I have a lot of work to do.

I'd appreciate it
if you'd keep quiet.

Hallo, Gene.

Hallo, Gene Forrester.

I want to drink your blood.

You get all A's
and I get all C's.

You are the genius
and I the horse's ass.

Hey, come on,
stop clowning around.

Oh, Christ!

I mean what's the use, you know?

I could keep studying forever.

Hey, gimme a break.

I'm saying my prayers just in
case it turns out there is a God.

Amen.

What a beautiful
day for a party,

just beautiful.

Gentlemen,
lovely looking place.

Thank you very much.

Fingers were around
before tongs.

How do you do?

Mr. Patchwithers,
thank you very much for having us

to the party here today, sir.

You couldn't have asked
for a more beautiful day.

Jack, I wanted to, uh,
speak to you about an incident

that happened
before Pearl Harbor.

How are you ladies doing these
days with Bundles for Britain?

We meet in my apartment but...

Oh hello, Mrs.
Ludsbury, Mr. Ludsbury.

Good afternoon.

Well, we were talking...

Talking about the usual thing,

that man in the White House.

Oh. Well, well.

You know,
you mustn't get me started on that.

Well, I understand that

people up here
rather approve of him.

Well, he's my wife's
cousin, you know.

Hello, Mr. Easton.

Oh, how do you do. Oh, no, sit down.

Please, sit down.

Are you one of these liberals?

We try to insist...

Would you
like some of these...

Then you know Pip here.
Yes, of course I do.

Pip's the older one. Yeah, rowed very well.

My friends,
and indeed you are my friends...

Well, Madeline,
do you remember...

We're going to put you
on the impersonation radio,

Brinker, you're great at this.

I think the best thing is to
take it up with the trustees.

They're meeting Tuesday.

It certainly
is pleasant here.

It's nice of you to give this tea, Mrs.
Patchwithers.

As I was telling Gene, I read the
other day we bombed Central Europe.

As long as we don't hit any women or
children or old people or hospitals,

I think it's okay, don't you?

We have to be careful
about works of art too,

provided they are
of permanent value.

A lot of nonsense.

How do you expect our
boys to be that precise?

Thousands of feet up
with bombs weighing tons.

Look what the Germans
did to Amsterdam.

Look what they did to Coventry.

Oh, but the Germans are not
Central Europeans, dear.

There is no permanent
art in Central Europe.

A pink shirt is at best

a lapse of taste,

but the use of the
school tie for a belt...

It's about time
he got his ass in a sling.

I wore this, you see,
because it goes with the patriotic shirt.

It all ties in with what
we've been talking about,

this bombing of Central Europe?

Because when you
get right down to it,

the school's involved in
everything that happens in the war.

It's the same war
and the same world

and I think Devon
ought to be included.

Now, I don't know whether you think
the same way I do on that, but...

I never heard anything so
illogical as that in my life.

That's probably the
strangest tribute

that Devon has had in 160 years.

I think he's
gonna get away with it.

Although I must admit, I didn't think
of it when I put it on this morning.

I mean, I'm glad I put
on something for a belt.

I certainly would hate the
embarrassment of having my pants

fall down at the
Headmaster's tea.

Not to mention in front
of your wife here.

Oh, outrageous!

All that talk, boy!

Yeah, it sure was boring.

Who did most of the
talk, by the way?

Well, the Headmaster's
pretty windy and his wife.

Yeah, and uh...

Well, you don't mean
that I talk too much.

You talk too much?

How can you accuse me
of accusing you of that?

Hey, let's cut class and
go jump in the river.

The first person who says anything
unpleasant gets a kick in the ass.

Yeah, I agree.

Listen, are you still afraid
to jump out of that tree?

I would say there's something a
little unpleasant about that question.

That depends how you answer it.

I expect it'd be
a very pleasant jump.

Will you do me the honor of
jumping out of the tree first?

My pleasure, old chap.

We'll form a society.

If a guy wants to join,
he's gotta jump out of the tree.

The Suicide Society
of the Summer Session.

Marvelous.

This is a secret society.

Naturally, you guys have
guts so you're all members.

We have certain
initiations, naturally.

You'll be the first to jump.

Here.

Okay, I got ya, take it easy.
Here we are.

I changed my mind.

I'm not interested in joining.

But everyone must join.
Right, Finny?

I don't want to think about it.

Well, then naturally you're
out of the secret society.

- And I say
good riddance. - Not necessarily.

But, Finny,
you said that... Naturally,

one member is entitled to a bye.

I hardly think that's fair.

Leper's got a yellow
streak a mile wide

and everyone's aware of it.

Okay. So who's the next hero?

You don't have to make
allowances for me.

I don't need charity.

But we need you, Leper.

You'd be doing us
a favor to stick around.

Thanks, Finny, for saying that.

You're a nice person.

Forget it, pal.
A man like you is always needed.

Stroke!

Stroke!

Stroke!

Stroke!

So how does it feel to
be class valedictorian?

I'll be lucky
to get passing grades

if you don't stop
interrupting me.

You know I saw something today

that literally stupefied me.

And in my amazement,

I decided to share it with
you, old bean.

Come on.

Come on.

A. Hopkins Parker.

Who is this
A. Hopkins Parker anyway?

I mean, I don't know anyone named A.
Hopkins Parker.

Well, he graduated before us.

You mean that record's
been up there the whole time

we've been here at Devon
and no one's busted it yet?

Outrageous.

The thing is it's
an insult to the class.

I mean a guy should have
some class loyalty, right?

Yes.

So we'll set the bar at 13 feet.

Ooh!

You know what?

I thought I was gonna do it.

I felt as though I had
a voice inside my head

raising me higher than
A. Hopkins Parker.

But there aren't any witnesses.

I'm no official judge,
I don't think your new record will count.

Well of course it won't count.

You can try it again
and do it tomorrow.

Forget it!

Tomorrow we'll call
the coach in here

and all the official
track and field judges.

I'll telephone
the school newspaper

to send out a reporter
and a photographer.

I'm not gonna do it again.

Of course you are.

No, I just wanted to see if I could do it.
Now I know.

But I don't want
to do it in public.

Listen, we aren't gonna
talk about this, okay?

It's just between us.

Don't tell anyone else
anything about it, okay?

Not say anything?
But you broke the school record.

Shh.

Jumping indoors is screwy.

So let's go swimming
at the beach.

Mmm-mmm, not a chance.

I have to study,
I've got an exam in Trigonometry.

Come on. Uh-uh, not me.
I gotta work.

♪ How I love
The kisses of Dolores

♪ Ay, ay, ay, Dolores

Ugh, that's awful.
That's really awful.

What do you dislike most
about my character?

Your lethargy.

I like
that, I really do.

You not gonna have
no bad luck in this war.

You understand, what I'm saying?

I see peace of mind,
I see happiness for you.

Too many things in your
heart for each other.

You'll be safe.

Beautiful day, lady,
here we go.

It's a beautiful day.
Come on in...

Get outta here, you kids.
You're underage.

Get out of here! And stay out!

Make a wish.
You're a little bit stubborn.

You don't like
anyone to boss you.

I see for you two boys.

You got too much
sex in your mind.

Hey, red hot, hot dogs here.
Red hots.

Hot dogs here. Red hots.

Hot dogs. How many over there?

Red hots.

Red hot dogs.

Red hot. Red hot dogs here.

Can we have a couple more?

Couple more?
You had five a piece already.

Get the money.

Hey, listen,
you don't know where two kids

could pick up a little...
Little beer?

I hope you're having a
pretty good time here.

I mean, I know I dragged
you away from school

when you didn't
really wanna come.

After all,

you don't just come to
the beach with anybody.

And you don't just
go by yourself.

In this teenage
period in your life,

the proper person to
come to the beach with,

is your best pal.

Which is what you are.

It's time for a swim.

Wow!

Ah! Whoo!

Ah! Darn, it's cold.

Whoo! Oh!

Oh!

It's freezing.

Boy, nothing like a
morning swim though.

Oh! Whoo!

You're angry
at me, aren't you, pal?

No, not at all.

Ever since the beach
you've been acting funny.

Really?

I mean, I thought you wanted to go.
To the beach.

I'm worried about
something, I suppose.

What?

When you said
we were best friends,

you remember, at the beach?

Of course, I remember. You are.

When you actually said that...

You thought I was conning
you, so that you'd break rules

and stay on the beach
and cut class.

Forget it.
I'm worried about something.

You've got a fever.

You're at death's door.

I missed an exam this
morning because of the beach,

a really important one.

Trigonometry.

They give me a zero,
it'll ruin my average.

Is that what's bothering you?

You'll get all A's anyway.
Like always.

You can make it up.

Maybe. I'm not so sure.

It doesn't do to
be so emotional.

You intellectuals are all alike.

How would you know, fatty?

Really?

A. Hopkins Parker had
no flab on his tummy.

You okay, pal? Forget the test.

Now this is everything
you need for sports.

All you really need
is a round ball.

And I think, it's about time we
got some exercise around here.

We'll start with this ball.

Let's call it something.

Let's make it have something
to do with the war.

Like Blitzkrieg or something.

Well, run for Pete's sake.
Get up and run!

Hurry up! No, not that
way, towards the river.

Come on, come on come on, come on.
Move it!

Let's get him, come on!

Come on, Brinker.

Come on,
towards the river!

Hey, don't hog it.
Throw it to somebody else,

otherwise now
that you're surrounded

somebody's gonna knock you down!

Do what? What is this?

Blitz-ball!

Now that was illegal.

You don't use your arms when you're
knocking down the ball carrier.

You don't? No, you keep
them crossed

on your chest just like this and
you just butt the ball carrier.

All right, Gene, start again.

Well, wouldn't somebody else
have possession, I mean after...

Not after you've been
knocked down illegally.

So, it's okay,
you have the ball, let's go!

Throw it!

Hey, Brinker!

Throw!

Knock him down!

What, are you crazy?

Knock him down!

He's on my team.

There aren't any
teams in Blitzball.

We're all enemies.

We're all enemies!

Knock him down!

Hey, Leper!

I don't want it.

Stop! Stop, stop.
Gene, come back, listen.

Leper has just brought out a really
important fine point of the game.

The receiver can refuse
the pass if he wants to.

Because we're
all enemies, we can

and will turn on each
other at all times.

We'll call that the
Lepellier Refusal.

Here, Gene.

The ball is,
of course, still yours.

We'll go all the way back to
the other end and start over.

Nobody's had the ball but me!

Naturally the use of
the stiff arm is illegal.

Kicking, or rather lashing
out with the feet is permitted

within 20 yards
of the pine trees.

That area is to be referred
to as the kicking perimeter.

Arise, O Overseer
of the Super Society.

Elwin Leper Lepellier
has announced

his intention to make the leap,

this very night, to qualify,

to save his face
from the dreaded bye. Aw, Christ!

Hey, what's up? Studying.

You know, books? Examinations.

This is a school
not a playground.

Go on.

You wouldn't know what I'm talking about.
No, not you.

Okay, let's go watch Leper
not jump from the tree,

it ought to be a riot.

In the meantime,
I ruin my grades.

I probably won't even graduate.

Hold it, hold it, wait a minute.

You mean, you want to study?

Forget it.

Well, don't go.
What the hell, Gene, it's only a game.

What? Well, I didn't know
you had to study.

I thought it just
came to you. Naturally.

Like sports do for me.

I don't think about sports,
I just go out and do 'em.

But I need to study.
How do you think I get A's?

By hard work, that's how.
Even you have to study.

Me? Well, but we
aren't competing.

I could study forever
and never break C.

But with you, it's different.

You're good. You really are.

If I had a brain like yours
I'd have my head cut open

so people could look at it.

Face it, Gene. You're gifted.

Gifted people don't have to sweat
or strain or do anything unpleasant.

You're wrong. I have to work.

It doesn't come easy for me.

It's okay,
I'll oversee old Leper.

I know he's not
gonna do it anyway.

Hey, I'm coming.

♪ Ay, ay, ay, Dolores

♪ Not Marie or Emily or Doris

♪ Only my Dolores

♪ From a balcony above me

♪ She whispers love me
and throws a rose ♪

What'd I tell you?
Nobody's here.

Let's go.
You and me, we'll go together.

A double jump.

Great!

Come on, let's go.

Come on, let's go. Come on!

Come on, don't take all day.

Let's go!

Come on!

Let's go, slowpoke.

We haven't got
all day, Gene. Come on.

Come on! We haven't got all day!
Let's go!

Come out a little way,
we'll jump side by side.

He's lucky to be alive.

Although the tibia is
shattered, he's improving.

But Finny'll be all right.

Well, he must
still be pretty sick?

Well, it was a messy break

but we'll have him
walking again.

Walking again?

Well, after a break like that
of course sports are out.

We'll have to send
him home to recuperate.

But he must be able to,
I mean if his leg's still there.

You're not gonna amputate or
anything, are you?

I mean,
it must come back the way it was.

Why shouldn't it?
Of course it will.

Take it easy, Finny.

See ya later, Finny.

Back Bay Station, Boston.
Back Bay Station, Boston.

How was
your vacation, pal?

Well, I spent most of
it thinking about you.

Sure you did.

I was thinking about
you and the accident.

Well, that's friendship for you,

thinking about me
instead of enjoying yourself.

I was thinking about...

I mean, I made
a special trip here

instead of going back to school.

I had to.

I was thinking
about the accident.

Because I caused it.

Sure you did.

I jounced the limb. I caused it!

I think I deliberately jounced
the limb so you'd fall out.

Of course you didn't.

Yeah, I did!

I did.

I did! I did!

I'm gonna hit you
if you don't shut up.

Hit me? Hit me?
You can't even get up.

You can't come near me.

I'm gonna kill you
if you don't shut up.

Go ahead.

Kill me.

Now you see how it is.

I did it because
I felt like that.

Now you know yourself.

I don't know anything.

Go away. I'm tired
and you make me sick.

You'll be back at school
in a few weeks, won't you?

Sure, I'll be back
by Thanksgiving.

I've had a pretty long trip.

I never sleep much on trains.

Guess I'm not making
much sense today.

Don't worry about it.

I better get back
to the station.

I'm already a day late at Devon.

Well, you're not going to start
following the rules, are you?

No, I wouldn't do that.

To the shoulders, hup!

Ready, hup!

You're late, Gene.

Sorry, I got hung up. Did you ever row?

No, I never did.

I rowed for two years.
I wrestle in the winter.

What are you
gonna do in the winter?

I don't know, manage
something else I guess.

But you're a senior
now, aren't you?

Starting a little late to manage
teams, aren't you?

Am I?

Damn right you are.

Ah, it doesn't matter.

Yes, it matters.

I don't think it does.

Who the hell do you
think you are anyway?

Quackenbush,
you don't know anything about me.

Who I am,
what I've done or anything!

Listen, you maimed
son of a bitch...

What's going on?

The next time you call
somebody maimed

you better make sure
they are first!

Get out of here.
You're not wanted here.

Get out! Get out of here!

Hey, Gene! There's a call
for you in Ludsbury's study.

Happy first day
of the academic year.

Yeah. Thanks a lot.

It's, uh, um...

It's good to hear your voice.

You sound, uh...

Stop stuttering,
I'm paying for this.

Who're you rooming with?

Nobody. They didn't put
anyone else in the room.

Didn't think they would.
Roommates are roommates

even if they do have
an occasional fight.

God, you were crazy
when you were down here.

Yeah, I guess I was.

I guess I must've been.

Completely off your rocker.

I wanted to make sure you'd
recovered, that's why I called up.

I knew that if you'd let them
put anyone else in the room

in my place, then you
really were crazy.

But you didn't.

I knew you wouldn't.

No, I didn't let them.

So I spent all my money on a long
distance phone call all for nothing.

Well, it's spent on you
too, so start talking, pal.

Start with sports.
What are you going out for?

Well, crew.

Well, not exactly
crew, managing crew.

Assistant crew manager.

Assistant crew manager!

Well, I don't think
I've got the job.

Assistant crew manager.
You're crazy!

Look, Finny, I don't care if I'm
a big man on campus or anything.

Who said anything about that?

Well, what're you getting
so worked up for?

Well, what do you want
to manage crew for?

What do you want to manage for?

What's that got
to do with sports?

I'm too busy for sports. Bullshit!

Now listen, pal,
if I can't play sports

then you're gonna just
have to play 'em for me.

Bye for now.

Well, you should see
how hard we work there.

The coach, he said...

Hey, Gene! Hi, Charlie.

Hi, Brink. BRINKER: Hi.

Hey, uh, anyone got the time?

It's about five minutes of.

Five minutes of!
Judas Priest, I got to get out of here.

See you later, you guys.

Take it easy. Right.

What's happening today?

Anything exciting?

Just bullshitting again, right?

Phew!

Well, there's
your prisoner, boys.

I'm turning him over
to the proper authorities.

What's the charge? Doing in his roommate

so he could have
a whole room to himself.

Rankest treachery.
Practically fratricide.

Brinker. Not a word,
not a sound.

You'll have your say in court.

Brinker, you hang onto a joke
longer than anybody I know.

So you killed him?

Well, not exactly.

Our poor Finny is lying at this
moment, home, in the arms of his mom.

Aw, poor Finny!

I didn't do anything to Finny.

Nothing serious.

Well, a little arsenic in his
morning coffee, that's all.

Ah! Trying to weasel out
with a false confession.

We know the scene of the crime.

High in that funeral tree.

No poison, oh, no.

Oh, you know
about that tree? Yeah, the tree.

Oh, yeah. Well,
nothing much happened up there.

Nothing very exciting anyway.

Now tell us about the tree.

Well, first of all
I took all his money.

Then I screwed his sister
in confessional at church.

Yeah, sure you did!

Well, I got to do some French.

Enough of this shit.
I'll see you all around.

Yeah, so long.
Take it easy. See ya later, Gene.

Bye, Gene.

Hi, Gene. Hello, Leper.
What're you doing?

Not doing anything special,
just getting through Saturday.

You're doing a painting?

You might say that,
I'm not very good, you know.

Can I see? No, I don't think so.

Okay.

Real paintings have
emotional content.

They reflect the artist's
inner feelings.

I'm not a true artist.

Have you heard from Finny?

Not for a while.

How is he?

He's okay I guess.

Things are really crummy
with Finny gone.

I really like Finny.

Yeah, I know.

So do I.

He's not really
a person, that Finny.

He's more of a phenomenon.

Yeah.

He's a phenomenal person.

You have a shovel
across your shoulder.

You resemble the militia.

In Chapel today they asked
us to shovel snow off

the railroad tracks
at the station.

To help with the war effort.

I cut Chapel.

Want to help shovel?

No thanks.

I don't have any interest
in the war effort.

Hey, how old are you guys?

Not old enough.

You will be.

Hey, bring me back
one of those Samurai swords.

You know what
you can do with that?

Finny! Hey, whaddya say?

How are ya?

That's what I like,
a real hello.

Gosh!

I'm glad to be back. I'm glad too.

So what's been happening?

Well, a lot of people
are talking about enlisting.

Oh, sure, the war.

Brinker wants to join the Marines.
So does Bobby.

You know...

♪ From the halls of Montezuma
to the shores of Tripoli ♪

Hey, Gene, ready to enlist?

Ready to enlist in what?

Finny, you're back!

Hi, Brinker. What do you say?

Sorry, your little plot
didn't work out after all.

What plot? Ah, you know Brinker,
he's full of it.

You know what I'm talking about.

No I don't. Yes, you do.

You telling me what I know?

Damn right I am.

What's he talking about?

He wants me to enlist.

You know, run off
and join the Marines.

Yeah.
I suspect we're officer material.

You're gonna enlist.

You've really swallowed
this war crap.

Uh, I don't think I get you.

Well, you must really think
the United States of America

is at war with Nazi
Germany, and Imperial Japan.

I most certainly do.

You guys ever heard of
the Roaring Twenties?

Yeah, sure.

Uh-huh. Go on.

You know, they all drank bathtub
gin and everyone who was young

did whatever they wanted to.

Well, the old ladies and the
stuffed shirts and the preachers

didn't like that
so they arranged Prohibition.

But that didn't work because everyone
just proceeded to get drunker.

So they got desperate,

and they invented
the Depression.

And that kept people who were
young in the '30s in their place,

but they couldn't use
that trick forever

so for us in the '40s
they cooked up this war fake.

Who are they anyhow?

Well, you know, the fat old men

who don't want us
encroaching on their jobs.

They made it all up.

There isn't any real
food shortage, for instance.

They all have the best steaks
delivered to their clubs now.

You've noticed they've
been getting fatter lately.

First of all,
you're speaking treason.

Second of all, you're insane and
quite ready for the loony bin.

But, Brinker, the whole world's
already in the nut house.

It's only the fat,
old men who understand the joke, though.

And you? Yeah, and me.

What the hell
makes you so special?

Why should you get the joke and all
the rest of us stay in the dark?

Because I've suffered.
God damn it!

Out of shape, aren't you, pal?

No, not really.

Look, I'm the one with
the bad leg, not you.

There's no sense in both
of us being out of shape.

Did I ever tell you I was
aiming for the Olympics?

No, you never did.

Well, I was.

But now I'm not completely
sure I'll be healed in time.

So, I guess,
I'm coaching you for them instead.

But there aren't gonna
be any Olympics in 1944.

I mean the war. Forget it.

We're grooming you
for the '44 Olympic Team.

Twenty eight.

Twenty nine.

Thirty!

Great! In a week
you'll be able to do 40.

You're not even winded.

I know.

You found your
rhythm, didn't you?

That fourth time around,
just into the straight part there.

Yeah, right there.

You've been pretty lazy
all along, haven't you?

Yeah, I guess I have.

You didn't even really know
anything about yourself.

I guess I didn't.

This time I want you
to really sprint. Come on!

Beautiful! You cut five
seconds off of yesterday.

Hey, isn't that Leper? Yeah.

I had no idea he was that good.

Yeah, you can train him
for the Winter Olympics.

Not a bad idea. Hey, Leper!

Leper!

Leper, come here! Come on up!

Come on, Lep! Come on, Lep!

You might say
I was getting good. I'd say that, Leper.

You look like a real pro. I try to.

You might even make the
United States Olympic team.

This isn't for sports at all.
It's for me.

What's that mean?

A recruiter from the American Ski
Troops showed a film last week.

It revealed something to me.

Skiers winged down slopes,
silent as angels,

chests filled with mountain air.

You're practicing for the war?

Of course.

The war is a fake.

Tell him, Gene.

I'm enlisting.
I turned 18 today.

See you around.
You're lucky because you're still 17.

The date
might be helpful.

October 25, 1412.

And of course
you will need to know.

Crispin Crispian.

What is Crispin Crispian?

That is what you shall learn
from the memory passage.

Crispin Crispian.

You have one week

in which to memorize
these lines.

And we still have a little
time before the end of class

so perhaps we should
hear these lines.

Oh, uh, Mr. Ludsbury,
we know how well you read Shakespeare,

so would you read it for us?

Why don't I read it? BOYS: Yeah.

I shall do better than that.

I shall act it for you.

"He that shall live this
day and reach old age,

"Will yearly, on the vigil,

"feast his neighbors and say,

"'Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.'

"Then will he strip his
sleeve and show his scars,

"and say, 'These wounds
I had on Crispin's Day.'"

"All men forget"

You know what
we ought to do next Saturday?

We ought to form the
Winter Carnival Committee.

Cut it out.
We don't have a Winter Carnival.

We do now.

Maybe there'll be a ski
jump, slalom races, track,

music and something to eat.

"As household words..." You're crazy.

Are you gentlemen
quite finished?

Sorry, sir.

Exeunt omnes.

I do hope you'll be a little
more attentive in Latin class.

I hereby declare
these games open!

On your marks, get set...

Damn it, Phineas.
Let's get this thing started.

Phineas, it's cold.
I want to go inside. Oh shut up, Brinker.

Give me my prize.
I want my prize.

Phineas, what's next? You are.

Give him some cider.

I've been violated!

Hey! Finny. Finny!
There's a telegram!

Finny! A telegram!

Hey, shut up!

It's a telegram for Gene!

Must be
the Olympic Committee. Yeah.

I knew they wanted him.

"Gene, have escaped and...

"Escaped and need help.

"I'm at the Christmas location.

"My safety depends
on your coming.

"Don't let me down."

"Leper."

Your mother's probably
pleased to have you home.

What's she got
to be pleased about?

I'm pleasing myself.

How long you gonna be home?

How long?

What a stupid question.

Well, I mean if you're on
furlough, you must know

when you have to go back.

The Army just doesn't
give out passes and say,

"Come back when
you've had enough."

I don't have a pass.

What?

What's the matter, you deaf?
I said, I don't have a pass.

I know you said you escaped
but I thought that...

I escaped,
that's just what I meant.

What do you mean?
Nobody escapes from the Army.

What the hell
do you know about it?

Nothing, I guess.

I mean, I don't know
what's normal in the Army.

What a dumb-ass word. Normal.

I can tell what you're thinking.

That I'm not normal.

That I'm some sort
of psycho. Say it!

Stop it, Leper. They were gonna
give me a Section Eight.

That's for the nuts in service.

It's like a dishonorable
discharge, only worse.

Because you can't even
get a job after that.

They want to see
your discharge papers.

You're screwed for life,
that's what a Section Eight means!

Come on, Leper.

That's tough shit for you, Mac.
They've got you.

Nobody's got me.

Oh they've got you, all right.

Don't tell me who's got
me and who hasn't got me.

Who do you think
you're talking to?

Who do you think you are?

You were always
the Lord of the Manor.

A swell guy except
when the chips were down.

You always were
a savage underneath.

I always knew that
but never admitted it.

Like that time you knocked
Finny out of the tree.

You stupid crazy bastard!

You crippled him for life!

You always were
a savage underneath.

I'm sorry.

I forgot myself.

You said something
crazy and I forgot.

Your nerves, the war,
you didn't know what you were saying.

Did you come here to abuse me?

I'm sorry.

No, don't go.

Leper's absent
without leave, isn't he?

Leper? I guess he just didn't
like the Army.

He was too scared for
it, wasn't he?

You could
put it that way. He panicked.

He simply fell apart.

He must be out of his
mind to do such a thing.

I'll bet he cracked up.

Well he did, in a way.

Poor dumb Leper.
What's he doing with himself?

Well, he's very upset.

He's afraid they'll find him
and bring him back for trial.

What's the matter
with our class?

It's not even June and we already
have two guys out for the duration.

Two?

Well, there's Finny here.

Yeah, there's me. Finny isn't out of it!

Of course he is.

Yeah, I'm out of it.

So what? It's a fake.
The war's an invention of fat old men.

Sure.

I'd like to
begin this morning

by making one thing
perfectly clear.

In a few months most of
you will be graduating

and at that time,
it's gonna be up to you

to choose your own
branch of service.

Well, I'm not here,
repeat, not here

to convince you to join any
one branch over any other one.

There's a call...

You've been avoiding the
whole question of enlisting.

I think I know why.

It's Finny. You pity him. Pity him?

Yes, and if you don't watch out
he's gonna start pitying himself.

Nobody ever mentions
his leg to him except me.

You'll have him sloppy
with self-pity. Face it.

He's crippled and that's that.
He's got to accept it.

It's up to us to act naturally
and even kid him about it.

You're wrong.
I can't even hear you, you're so wrong.

Well, I'm going to anyway.

No, you're not.

I don't need
your approval, do I?

He's my roommate.
He's my best friend.

And you were there
when it happened.

I mean, it wouldn't do you any harm
if everything about Finny's accident

were cleared up
and forgotten, would it?

What do you mean by that?

Nobody knows.

Unless you know.

Believe in our program.
We feel the same way.

We gonna win this war.

With your help we can do it.

You better do this, pal.
I'm completely lost.

Okay, let's see.

Caesar instructed him to
come as quickly as possible

by long forced marches, to him.

With three legions.

He himself...
Caesar that is. Yeah.

Sent cavalry to withstand any
sudden attacks of the enemy.

When the Gauls learned
what was going on...

Um... They sent infantry men.

They scattered a selected
band of infantry men

in ambushes

who, overtaking our horsemen

after the death of Vertiscus,

uh, followed our
disorganized men to our camp.

I have a feeling that

that's what Mr. Horn
would call...

A muddy translation.

Well, what's it mean?

Well that there means that ole
Caesar's in a lot of trouble.

Oh, Jesus!

Well, I have a sincere and personal
grudge against Julius Caesar.

I absolutely refuse
to believe in him.

It's a dead language and a dead
empire and I say the hell with it.

Naturally, I don't believe books
and I don't believe teachers

but I do believe you.

And if you tell me there's a
Caesar then maybe there is.

You told me about Leper.

That he's gone crazy.

If a war can drive somebody
crazy then it's real all right.

I guess, I knew it all along,
I just didn't have to admit it.

To tell you the truth I wasn't
completely sure about you

when you told me how Leper was.

But then I saw him myself.

You saw Leper? Mmm-hmm.

I saw him hiding in the
shrubbery next to the Chapel.

He looked up at me and I went up to
him, and he looked at me

but he didn't say a damn thing.

He just looked at me like I
was a gorilla or something.

Then he ducked
into Ludsbury's office.

He must be crazy.

There isn't a damn thing
we can do about it.

I don't want to see him.

I mean there's
nothing for us to do.

Maybe Doctor Stanpole
could do something.

You won't talk to anyone
about this because

they'd just upset Leper.

And he'd upset them.

Anyway...

That's how I knew
there was a real war on.

Yeah, there's
a real war on, all right.

I preferred yours a lot better.

So did I.

It's too bad
you had to find out.

Why'd you have to find out?

Well, you did a beautiful
job in the Olympics, anyway.

And you're the greatest
coach who ever lived.

Do you realize you won every gold
medal in every event in the Olympics?

No one's ever
done that in history.

We're taking you out.

It's after hours, Brinker.

Get them!

What is this?

Is this one
of your games? No, no, this isn't mine.

Brinker, did you cook this up?
What is this?

What are we gonna do?
Where are we going? Cut it out.

- Cut it out, you two.
- You're full of it, Brinker.

Take them!

Hey, you guys, cut it out.
A joke's a joke.

What is this?

All right, bring them in!

You see how badly Finny limps.

Sit down. Take a load
off your feet.

Now the other one.

Be seated.

Gentlemen.

The country demands an
inquiry into this contretemps.

There's no time to waste.

The honor of the
school's at stake.

Blame must be laid immediately
upon the responsible party.

Now Finny,

if you please,
in your own words.

What own words?

I know you aren't
very adept with words.

Use some of Gene's.

What do you want me
to talk about? You?

I'm all right.

You're the casualty.

Are you crazy?

No, that's Leper,
our other casualty.

Tonight we're investigating you.

What are you talking about?

There's a war on. GENE: So?

That's one soldier
our side has already lost.

We've got to find
out what's happened.

Just for the record.
You agree, don't you, Gene?

I told Brinker this morning. I warned him.
I think this is the worst.

And I said that
for Finny's own good.

For your own good too, Gene.

Get this all out into the
open once and for all.

We don't want any mysteries
or stray rumors left in the air

once this school term is over.

What mysteries?
What rumors?

Finny, just try and tell
us in your own words what happened.

Humor us if you want
to think of it that way.

We're not trying to make you
feel bad or anything. Tell us.

There's nothin' to tell.

And that?

Oh. Well, I fell out of a tree.

Why?

I took a wrong step.

Did you lose your balance?

Yeah, I lost my balance.

But you have better balance
than anyone in the school.

Thanks.

Have you ever thought...

That you didn't fall
out of the tree?

It's funny, you know?

I kinda had the impression
that the tree shook me out.

Someone else was in the
tree, isn't that so?

No!

I don't think so.

Somebody told me
Gene was there.

Finny was there,
he knows better than anyone.

You were there,
too, weren't you, Gene?

Yeah, I was there.

Were you near the tree?

You were down at the
bottom, weren't you?

The bottom, yeah.

Did you ever see
the tree shaking?

I always meant to ask you,
just for the hell of it.

I don't remember.

Forget it. Nutty question.

I thought you
were in the tree.

Well, of course,
I was in the tree.

How the hell d'you
think I broke my leg?

Oh, you mean Gene.
Was he in the tree?

Well, I...

I meant Gene.

I was at the bottom
or climbing rungs.

How do you expect him
to remember anyway?

In all the confusion
and everything.

A kid I used to play with

was hit by a car once
when I was 11 years old.

When I was 11 years old.

I remember every
single thing about it,

exactly where I was standing,

the color of the sky,

the sound the car brakes made!

I will never forget
anything about it.

You and I
are two different people.

No one's accusing
you of anything.

Well, of course
no one's accusing me.

Don't argue so much.

Look, we're
not accusing you.

I think I remember now.

I remember seeing you
standing on the bank and...

What did I say? Do you remember?

Yes, I said,
"Let's make a double jump,"

because I thought
if we went together

it would be something that's
never been done before.

No. Uh...

I was on the ground
when I said that to you.

I said that to you on the ground

and then the two of us
began climbing the tree.

The two of you began
climbing the tree together?

Was that it?

And he just said he
was on the ground.

Or on the rungs!
I said, I might've been on the rungs.

Leper was
there, wasn't he?

Yes. Leper was there.

Leper always was the
perfect person for details.

It's too bad he's not here,
he could clear up this whole mess.

There is no mess.

Leper's here.

I saw him this morning
outside the Chapel.

He ran into Ludsbury's study.

But don't go get him, please.

Go get him!

He might still be with Ludsbury.

Short recess in
deference to our key witness.

Be quiet!

Anybody that's not serious
can leave right now.

♪ Hitler, he only has one ball

♪ Goering has two But very small

♪ Himmler has something similar

♪ And Doctor Goebbels
has no balls at all!

♪ Hitler, he only has one ball

♪ Goering has two But very small

♪ Himmler has something similar

♪ But Doctor Goebbels
has no balls at all!

Once more!

♪ Hitler, he only has one ball

♪ Goering has two But very small

♪ Himmler has something similar

♪ But Doctor Goebbels
has no balls at all!

♪ Hitler, he only has one ball

♪ Goering has two But very small

♪ Himmler has something similar

♪ But Doctor Goebbels
has no balls at all!

♪ Hitler, he only has one ball

♪ Goering has two But very small

What can I do for you?

♪ Himmler has something similar

What can I do for you?

♪ But Doctor Goebbels
has no balls... ♪

You were standing
there next to the river bank,

watching Finny climb the tree.

Yeah.

I was looking up.

It was almost sunset.

I remember the way the sun
was shining in my eyes.

So, you
couldn't really see.

What did you see?
Could you see anything?

Sure.

I just shaded my eyes a little,

like this.

Then, I could see both
of them clearly enough.

'Cause the sun was
blazing all around them.

The sun's rays
were shooting past them,

millions of rays
shooting past them like,

golden machine gun fire.

That's the way it was,
if you really wanna know.

The two of them
looked as black as...

As black as death
standing up there

with that fire
burning all around them.

Up there where?

Where were the two
of them standing?

On the limb.

Was one of them
ahead of the other?

Of course.

Who was ahead?

I couldn't see that.
Just two shapes.

And with that fire
burning all around them,

they looked as black as...
You said that already!

You couldn't tell who was ahead?

No, naturally I couldn't.

Where were the two of
them standing exactly?

One of them was next to
the trunk of the tree.

I'll never forget that because
the black trunk anchored him,

if you see what I mean,
on something solid.

In all the bright fire they
were standing up there.

The other one was a little
further out on the limb.

Then what happened?

Then they both moved.

How?

Like an engine.

Well, I can't think of the
name of the engine, but anyway,

in this engine
first one piston sinks,

then the other one sinks.

The one holding onto the
trunk of the tree sank,

for a second, up and down

like a piston,

then the other
one sank and fell.

Then the one who moved first,
shook the other one's balance.

I suppose so.

He was the one who fell.

In other words,
Finny moved first or second?

I don't intend
to implicate myself.

I'm not gonna
tell you everything

and then have it
used against me later.

You always did take me for a
fool, didn't you?

Well, I'm no fool anymore.

Leper,
this is very important!

So am I! You be the fool.

You be the fool now, bastard!

Wait a minute!

We haven't heard everything yet.

We haven't
found out all the facts.

You get all the facts, Brinker.

You get every frigging
fact in the world!

Finny!

Finny?

Finny, it's me, Gene.

Finny.

Finny, it's me, Gene.

Finny, I've come to see you.

You!

What, d'you want to break
something else in me?

Is that why you came?

Hello, Gene.

Hello, sir.

How's Finny? He's fine, Gene, fine.

The break was
a clean, simple one.

Say, you could bring
over some of his clothes

and toilet articles.

You look a little peaked.

You're taking this
thing much too hard.

Put the suitcase on the table.

Okay.

Finny,
I tried to tell you before.

I tried to tell
you the first time.

I know.

I remember.

I wish to God
there wasn't a war.

I don't know if I can
take this with a war on.

If you can take?

What the hell good are you
in a war with a busted leg?

I've been writing the Army and the
Navy and the Marines all winter.

Did you know that?

No. Of course,
you didn't know that.

Well, they all
gave me the same answer,

once they saw my medical report.

"No thanks. We can't use you."

I wrote the Merchant Marine,

and the Coast Guard,

General De Gaulle personally.

I even wrote Chiang Kai-shek,

and I was about to write
somebody in Russia.

You wouldn't like it in Russia.

I'll hate it everywhere
if I'm not in this war.

Why do you think I kept
saying there was no war?

I was gonna keep saying it
until the second I got a letter

from China or Canada
or someplace.

Saying "Yes.
You can enlist with us."

Then there would've been a war.

You wouldn't be any
good in the war.

Even if nothing
happened to your leg.

They'd get you
some place at the front.

There'd be a lull
in the fighting.

Next thing you know,
you'd be over with

the Japanese and the Germans,

asking if they'd want
to field a baseball team

against our side.

You'd be sitting in one of their
front posts teaching 'em English.

You'd get things so screwed up,

no one would know who
to fight with anymore.

You'd make a terrible
mess out of the war.

It was some sort of a blind
impulse you had in that tree there.

You didn't know
what you were doing.

That was it, wasn't it?

Yeah, that was it.

But how can you believe that?

I can't even make myself pretend
that you could believe that.

Then that was it.

Something just seized you.

It wasn't anything
you felt against me.

It wasn't some kind of
hatred you felt all along.

It wasn't anything personal.

No.

But I don't know
how to show you.

How can I show you, Finny?
Tell me how.

It was just some
ignorance inside me.

Something crazy inside
me, something blind.

That's all.

I believe you.

It's okay, because I understand.

I believe you.

You've already shown me.

Thanks, Finny.

See all those trucks?

They're for a parachute
school right here at Devon.

What do you think of that, Gene?

I've got to go to the Infirmary,

they're operating
on Finny's leg.

Gene, about last night... I've got to go.

Well, how is he?

This is one of those things

that I think boys of your generation
are going to see a lot of.

Your friend is dead.

It was such
a clean, simple break,

anyone could have set it.

Of course I didn't send him to
Boston, why should I?

In the middle of it,
his heart simply stopped without warning.

As I was moving the bone,

a bit of marrow must have
escaped into the bloodstream

and gone directly into
his heart and killed him.

It's the only possible
explanation, the only one.

There are risks.

There are always risks.

An operating room
is just a place

where risks are more
formal than others.

An operating room and a war.

Why did it have to
happen to you boys here?

Here at school.

So soon.

The feeling of
the importance of commencement,

is very strong in me today.

There's the loveliness
of the season,

the memories which
come back to us,

the beauty of Devon,
at this time of year.

The pride of parents,

the ambitions of the graduates.

I speak for the faculty
as well as myself,

in congratulating you,
on the receipt of your diplomas.

They stand for hard
work, well done.

You have been here
in difficult days,

and you've met
these days like men.

Here, at Devon,

you've been trained
both in body, and in mind.

We've taught you
to play hard, and to win.

We've challenged
your minds in the classroom,

and your bodies,
in keen competition,

on the playing fields.

This war has lowered
the age of responsibility,

by at least two years,

and you have
responded magnificently.

In a few months from now,

you will meet a more
severe challenge.

Some of your teachers
and classmates

are already fighting
in distant lands.

Some are already casualties.

Now, you too will
be asked to fight

with guns and bombs,

against an enemy
whom you have never met.

None of you has ever been
asked to kill before.

I didn't cry then
or ever about Finny.

I didn't even cry when

he was being lowered into the

burial ground outside of Boston.

I couldn't escape the feeling
that it was my own funeral.

And you don't cry in that case.