Original subtitles

Hello...

l[m Helen[s sister. The church is this way.

Hello.

One moment.

Fathert they[re waiting.

L[m so tired...

What[s wrong? What is it?

L[m so happy... but l[m not feelingverywell.

Could you staywith himt please?

It[s all this emotion.

That can happent right?

What[s your name?

Jeanne.

We are here todayto see yout Helen and Mark...

united bythe sacred bonds of matrimony.

Come with me. Hurry!

It[s father!

He[s not well. Move it!

What[s going on?

He[s asleep.

Don[t wake him up.

He[s alright. Wait!

Calm down.

Helent please calm down. l[m sorry about the wedding.

Fatherfelt ill. lt[s alright.

The weddingwasn[t held that day.

Overthe next fewweekst Charles got increasingly exhausted.

Until one dayt he didn[t wake up.

He[s goingto be fine. Hejust needs some air.

They didn[t marry until the next summert in 1939.

A French Woman

-All the best. -You too...

Nancytrain stationt 1944.

Attention.

All passengers on this train

were prisoners ofwar.

Their names and numbers are unknown.

Stand back.

Clearthe exitst please.

Let the prisoners get off!

Your attentiont please.

To all passengers.

Head towards the front ofthe traint

Then to the main hall and the exits.

You[ll be taken to shelterst where you[ll staythe night.

Would you follow me please?

The bad days are over!

Dad earns money in Germany.

Come with me...

Thanks to these three ment

who worked in German factoriest

yout a French officert are nowfree.

Say a fewwords.

Don[t got guys. Don[t go.

Germanywill soon be defeated.

Go find another one!

Are you jeanne?...jeanne Muller?

I was with your husband in prison.

How is Louis?

He[s alright.

This is a shock...

Can you take overfor me?

He[d show me photos ofyou.

I was so happy...

when your letters came.

You were always on my mind.

L[d fallen in love.

Forgive me.

Don[t be sorry.

What about Louis?

I dreamed...

We made love.

Please...

l won[t see you again.

Don[t go.

He said the Germans were sure the[d lose the war...

Within a year.

I sawyou.

What do you mean?

Earliert with that guy.

I sawyou.

You make me sick... it[s not the first time!

You[re rotten to the core.

At least duringthe occupationt

we were all together.

How[re you doingt kids?

Where[s this go?

Be careful!

Thankyout sir!

Sir?

Louis?!

My God! lt[s Louis!

You[ve no idea how happy l am!

We were always thinking ofyou.

I even prayed foryou.

Things were difficult here...

Forgive me forsaying it.

Let me take another look at you.

This is Benoit.

Heret take him.

Where[s jeanne?

She hasn[t lived here for a while.

She[s got a small apartment.

We all needed a little space after beingso cramped.

See? Everyone[s leaving.

Sit and relax a bit.

Are you hungry?

Are you sure?

Goingto jeanne[s?

Don[t go.

She[s livingwith someone.

You know him.

The guy in prison with you.

Henry.

It[s better not to go.

I really missed you.

L[ve waited five years forthis.

I was afraid to see you...

Afraid offorgetting howto feelt orwhat love was...

-You and Henry... -Don[t!

I was overwhelmed.

I thought: it[s alright...

lt hurts. That means l[m still a man.

I feel oldt used up...

Disgusting.

I came to tell you you[re free.

L[m not worth it.

I was goingto win the wart and you to wait.

We were wrong.

We[re not heroes.

L[m a cowardt you[re a whore.

Henry means nothing.

And the others?

There were days l thought

you[d never come back.

And on those dayst

l knew men were looking at me.

Thinking l was prettyt

desiring me.

It gave me the strength to carry on.

Keep me with yout byyourside.

Take me whereveryou go.

I have so much love to give you.

Louis!

Where is he?

Stop itt calm down.

He[s been swimming in that icywaterfor hours.

There are accidents here.

There he is!

Come out ofthe water!

Your uncle does what he wants!

Your mom said not to go swimming.

Look at you! You[ll catch pneumonia.

L[m not cold.

Mark...

Taste this.

Want some?

Helent

go bythe house on the way back

and tell jeanne you[re sorry.

Not Louis. l won[t do it.

Have you two been fighting again?

I told herwhat l think.

What everyone thinks.

That we love yout and that she can[t act this way.

We[re on yourside.

Wellt l[m on hers...

And l have great news:

jeanne is pregnant.

Twins...a boy and a girl.

How[s jeanne?

Theysaid she[s fine.

Twins...on Christmas Eve! How magnificent!

Congratulations!

They must be tiny... They[re a month early.

It[s always like that with twins.

They[re yourst Louis. A woman always knows.

We[re leaving.

We have to got we[re suffocating.

They[re all watching ust judging us.

Berlin. A few months later.

Get the hell outt you Frenchmen!

You haven[t won the waryet!

We are the victors! We. We. Me!

Long live Germany!

Germany despises you!

Go home you Frenchmen!

Backso soon?

I found this in the U.S. zone. Chrome fittingt Pontiac suspension.

-A bargain. -How much?

Onlysix bottles of Bordeaux.

A little longt isn[t it?

What... Like this?

There.

Not like that. Much more reasonable. Look.

Look. The first man who can sew.

Got any pins?

There... but Liseul will do it.

-Do you still need met ma[am? -Not l[ll feed the children myself.

Thankyou.

It[s amazingyou can sew.

Turn to the left.

Oh no!

What?

The old man[s down there.

It[s his house...

lt[s stranget isn[t it? He never goes out.

Maybe he doesn[t like the French.

He[s looking.

Stop moving.

Duringthe bombingt he went on stage every nightt

not wantingto stop.

The others were scared stifft

yet continued to act.

People kept coming.

It gave them courage.

As if nothing could harm them orthe others.

There...

Thent a bomb hit the theatert

right in the audiencet

during a performance.

Blood everywhere.

He hasn[t been on stage since.

Do you like it?

Yes.

I mean the length.

I like both.

Onet twot three...

Stop!

Are you crazy?!

What[s wrong?

Tell them!

Explain it!

We[ll take care of it.

She[s pregnant!

And out of her mind!

This is the last one. No more.

Maybet but this one[s mine.

To Captain Muller! Hip hip hooray!

Captaint when will your promotion be official?

In two months.

Want to change posts? Go backto France?

So go to Baden.

There are more French than Germans and it[s crawlingwith spies.

It[s more fun than Berlin.

We like it here.

I can see that.

Let[s celebrate.

This is myspecialty.

The recipe is from Dos Passos. lt[s a potion the hero uses

to seduce a young girl.

And then?

And then it works...

Theyfall in lovet and drink it every day.

They go blind and mad.

It[s called [[No Return[[.

It[s mom[s cousint l call him Uncle jaques.

What[s he doing in Berlin?

Workingwith Foreign Affairst inspectingthe zone.

L[ll do that. Go back in.

I sawyou laughing.

I like it when you laugh.

You[ll tell me thejoke later?

It[s man talk...

Militarystuff...

What[s wrong?

Oh my God!

Herr Muller! Come quickly...

Your battery[s dead. The carwon[t start!

Carefult don[t slip.

Take his arm.

Theywoke the old man!

What old man?

Excuse me.

L[m comingwith you.

It[s alrightt it[s alright.

Don[t worry.

Myson will take you.

The English hospital is closer.

L[ll tryt l hope we get through the check point.

-Let us through! -Stop! Calm down.

We must go through! lt[s urgent!

She[ll give birth in the car!

Let me go. l[m not French. l[m German.

I workfor Mrs. Muller!

Be careful. He[s a French officer!

Stop! Let me go!

L[ll be right back.

Shit...Shit!

Where is she?

She[s fine. lt[s a boy.

June 1948

Why do you come here? l brought you everything.

I don[t need anything.

Tomorrow morningt we[ll be cut offfrom the world.

Surrounded bythe Soviets!

That could last a longtime.

Theywant to starve us. There[s no reason to come anymore.

You[ll find nothing.

He[s coming! Let[s go!

Are you hurt?

Proud ofyourselves?

Armellet Laurent. Get back here!

L[ll take nothingfrom them.

They bombed ust

they razed mytheater.

We[d starve without them!

Haven[t we suffered enough?

Been humiliated enough?

The Americans will help us.

And l don[t care what you think.

It[s the same anyway.

They get rich on our misery. That[s what you want?

Money and wealth?

To do what? Make more money and become more wealthy?

I had other dreams...

Forget your dreams!

They[re dead and buried!

The wartook it all:

my ambitiont myyouth!

Gone forever!

You should have spoken out before the war.

But you and yourfriends didn[t do orsay anything.

Those who kept silent can neverspeak out again.

You can[tjudge me.

Not anymore.

I refuse to belong to the losers[.

I want some respect!

Let[s go and play upstairs.

The whole world abandoned us.

Now our city is the symbol offreedom and resistance.

I wasn[t sure about seeingyou...

l didn[t knowwhat to do.

But l[ve made the right decision.

I always think ofyou when l[m at myfather[s.

I knowyou[re there.

I nearlywent upstairs.

I wanted to see you.

But l knew it would botheryou.

You wouldn[t like it.

Sot l decided to write.

I reread your letters.

No one everwrote such beautiful letters.

Do you mean it all?

Yes.

If l asked you to do somethingt

would you?

Stop writtingto me... Don[t tryto see me again.

It hasn[t been easyt

but now l feel

at peace.

I think l[m happy.

I don[t want to lose everything.

Do you understand?

L[ll always think about you...

and love you.

The Allied Forces in Germany

send their best wishes.

You have the full support ofthe English

and U.S. High Commands.

Some ofyou leave Berlin today.

Many others in the next fewweeks.

We are proud that none ofyou failed in the line of duty.

Your mission in French lndochina is a vital one.

The free world is watchingt

expecting ourfreedom fighters to be victorious...

They can[t see me crying.

Tell them it won[t be for longt

that you[ll come back in no time at all.

Lookt l want to showyou something.

Here[s Germanyt and here[s Berlin.

And yourfather is going all this wayto...

heret then here.

And where are we going?

To Nancyt with mommy.

Why is that music so loud?

Liseult go tell them...

Oht my God!

L[m so sorry.

Father died at dawn.

A fewweeks later. Nancyt France.

Hurryt you two! You[ll be late!

Aunt Helen[s waiting.

Come ont Armelle.

Antoine! Let[s go.

Sorry. Theywon[t be late.

Give me your hands.

L[ll pickthem up around 4:3O.

Two letters from daddy.

One[s foryou!

When can l go to school?

Next year.

Will Liseul take me?

Grandma will be angry ifyou speak German.

Are you crazy?

Mom[s heret honey...

The horseman.

L[m bringingthe snack into the other room.

Behave yourselves now...

Eat upt then go play with your cousins.

Don[t be so shy.

They[re arrogantt not shy.

They haven[t been raised at all.

When[s mommy coming back?

Speak French and l[ll tell you.

When[s mommy back?

I want to take you away.

I want you in my life.

L[ve neversaid this before.

I thought solitude brought strength.

If l was alonet l was free.

But l feel strongwith you.

I feel free with you.

Let[s always be together...

Every dayt every night...

To wake up togehter...

Fall asleep side byside.

Live together.

I can[t live with you!

I don[t want to live together!

L[m scaredt Mathias. Scared.

Men declare warst men make peace.

All we do is to wait and say nothing.

That[s whywe go crazy.

Theyjust don[t realize...

When yourfather came back on his last leavet

he didn[t say a word.

He didn[t want to leave the bedroom.

All he wanted was to stay in bed with me.

That[s howwe had you.

Momt please...

l was 3 months pregnant when daddy died.

It was November 1Ot 1918.

The last day ofthe war.

I couldn[t eatt

l couldn[t sleep.

Then you began moving.

You wanted us both to live.

That[s why l[ve always forgiven you...

and perhaps whyyou[re crazy.

Momt l[m not crazy.

Where did l go wrong?

Don[t do itt dear.

You[ll ruin your life and your children[s too.

You[ll ruin Louis[t too.

All for a whim.

Throw everything awayt and start all over.

It doesn[t workthat way.

Miseryfollows you everywhere.

It catches up with you.

And the kids?

What about them?

L[ll take them with me.

I don[t want you to go!

What about me?

Don[t l count?

It[s not a whim.

It[s my life.

Mywhole life.

L[ll lockthe apartment. Keep quiet. People are sleeping.

If a man comest tell him l[ll be back. He[s nice.

Stop!

What do you think?

That you can take them and raise little Germans?

They[re Louis[ kidst

not yours!

Where are they?

Answer me!

Where[re you takingthem?

The countryside...

Fresh air!

It[s best forthem.

Nowt go meet your [kraut[.

Open up! l knowyou[re in there!

Open the door!

Pleaset open the door.

I begyou!

Paris. Twenty months later.

Air France Flight 48 arriving from Saigont Phnom-Penht Rangoont

New Delhit Baghdadt Damascust

lstanbul and Vienna.

Miss! You can[t do that!

Tell me...

Were you on board?

Leave her alone!

Can l see some l.D. please?

You[ll be sent there soont so live it up now.

But leave mywife alone! We[ve been apart 2 years!

You tell[emt Louis!

Wayto got Louis!

Someone[s been sleeping in my bedt said big bear.

Someone[s been in my bedt said middle bear.

Someone[s been sleeping in my bedt said little bear. She still is!

Little bearwas goingto cry.

Just thent Goldilocks woke up.

Shejumped out the window and ran away.

There[s daddy. Go ont boys.

Which one is she?

Here.

It[s a gift from daddy.

The war in lndochina will end tomorrow or in a year...

You[ll all come backt triumphant maybet a little bitter.

You[ll end up with deskjobs.

Not exactlywhat you always dreamed of.

I didn[t dream of desert duty either.

Syria is no desert.

It[s the world[s oldest civilization.

We gave them independence. They love us and we love them.

The attache post is available.

It[s yours.

You can offer it to any officer here.

Not one would accept.

You preferto get yourself shot up for nothing!

What do you want? To be heroes?

You[re a real pain!

A real pain.

Will you excuse me?

I offeryou a chance to stay alive!

Jeanne fears each letter will be the last onet

that you[ll have died in the meantime.

Think of her... ofthe children.

Keep them out ofthis!

It was jeanne[s idea...

to go to Syria foryou.

Damascus. Three months later.

L[ve been here 3 times this year.

I make sure l[m invited for official visits.

It[s so incredibly beautiful! These stones have such a past.

Are you feeling alright?

I feel a little dizzy.

It[s the desert... the intoxication ofthe desert.

Flaubert wrote about it... he came all this way.

He describes it in hisjournals...

Apamea[s population was 7OOtOOO.

It was a political and military capital...

And the most prestigious school of philosophy in Asia Minor.

Thent in the 12th century...

An earthquake razed the city.

Restoration will take decades.

German and ltalian archaeologists are busy at work.

The Syrians want to drain the Ghab valley.

They plan...

to build a dom further north. They need help.

Let[s go to the amphitheater. lt[s a spectacularsight.

What[s wrong?

Are you hurt?

I can[t take it any longert Louis.

L[m leaving.

What[s the matter?

L[m leaving...

l[m leavingyou...

lt[s over...

What do you mean?

I love someone else.

That[s why l wanted us to come here.

I wanted you to live with us.

To be together all the time.

Yout met the children.

I thought l could forget him.

I did everything l could.

But l just can[t.

He[s been here a week.

I told him to come.

L[ve wanted to talkto you for a week now.

L[m leavingwith him.

He[s waitingfor me.

I won[t let you go!

-You hear? You[re not leaving! -Let me go! -Never!

Let her go!

Stay out ofthis!

It could be anybody!

Come ont let[s go.

You[re crazy!

Stop it!

Stop it!

Get awayfrom me!

Stop itt Louis!

Leave him alone!

How long?

Say itt how long?

Stop it! You[ll kill him!

No one is to know about this!

It[s serious. We didn[t move him.

It came this close to his spine.

The rockwent deep into his back.

He could[ve been paralysed.

He can[t move forseveral weeks.

He[ll stay here until he[s better.

I want to see him. l must see him.

He doesn[t want to see you.

You and the kids are to go to Paris.

You can stay a few nights at the Club.

Then you[re on your own.

That[s all l can do.

Passion isn[t mything.

Excuse met l[d like to know if...

lt[s alright.

Thankyou.

It[ll be alright.

Please tell jeanne l[ll be at the hotel until noon.

Can we take the elevator?

Not byyourselves.

Go to the room. l[ll go see about the apartment.

Ask mommyto take you to the zoo.

You[ll see all the wild animals.

It[s true. You[ll see them all.

It[s the world[s biggest zoo. There are tigers this big.

Tigers?

-And what are those? -Giraffes.

-Giraffes. -Yes.

And those?

-Elephants. -What[s that called?

Horns.

Not tusks.

Take yourshoes off.

L[m goingto talkto mommy.

Be good. l[ll be right back.

Come on.

L[m leavingfor lndochina.

I signed up.

L[ll be paid more... it[s forthe kids.

Please forgive me!

I didn[t want to see you.

I just wanted to hug my kids.

I want to be with them a bit. Come back in an hour. l[ll be gone.

Jeannet

l threw myself into the war

like othersjump off a cliff.

Death has spared me so fart

striking down others who wanted to go on living.

I expected nothing. l was afraid of nothing.

Finallyt life caught up with me.

We go from village to village.

Some we burnt others we liberate.

Kids run to us forsafetyt not knowing ifwe[re friend orfoe.

Their innocence reminds me of my own children.

Fortheirsaket l must stay alive.

Kiss them for me.

Louis.

Don[t look at me that way.

I want to be alone.

With no one around... not even you.

One dayyou[ll understand.

You[re not nice.

You[re not making it easy.

Your brother and sister play outside.

Stay and watch both films.

Don[t go outside during intermission.

L[ll pickyou up at 6:OO.

How longwill this go on?

L[m sick ofthis mess!

That[s enough.

Stop criticizing me. l[ve done everything myself.

Gettingthe apartmentt the best school forthe kids.

Has Louis written?

And the divorce?

Cut that out!

Did he mention the divorce?

Not a single word. He avoided the subject.

He[s strongerthan we are.

He[s miles awayt but he still runs my life.

You[ll never leave him.

Help me.

Don[t leave me.

Staywith me.

Look at me!

And what[s this?

Let me see? A dog.

Not dogs are mean. lt[s a horse.

Honey...

What happened? l told you to wait for me.

I have to hurry. l left the twins with the concierge.

Alright. Sign here.

He[s a good kid.

But he smells terrible. He[s filthy.

You could give him a bath from time to time.

Wellt good-byet ma[am.

L[m tired. Please leave me...

l[m not coming back.

Each timet we separate and then we wait.

A day of blisst then weeks go by.

I don[t want to be alone.

L[m always alone...

l waited so longforyou.

I hoped forso much...

l wanted to have a child.

I love yout jeanne.

But l knowyou won[t be back.

It will be verysimple.

We won[t say anything.

You and yourson will walk away.

L[ll watch you got

and then l[ll leave.

It[ll be so simple.

You only need to choose...

We have to make a choice.

Come ont Antoine. Let[s go home.

-Who[s that man? -No one...

No one at all.

-Hellot Gisele. -Hit kids.

Come ont harder.

Here. l[ll do it.

A night battle near Haiphong...

l got shot in the back.

The Viets left me for dead.

The locals did their best to patch me up.

Shall we go?

Your husband[s a real hero.

But no one realizes it.

Is he leaving again?

ForAlgeria this time. His leave ends in a few days.

Who goes first?

-Me. -You?

Let[s go.

There. Yourturnt Armelle.

Yourturnt honey.

When will daddy get them?

In a few days. He[s not far away.

Alrightt let[s go.

I have an errand to run.

Gisele will watch you. She[s overthere.

Heret Laurent.

See you later.

Life went on.

Jeanne had other loverst Louis fought in otherwars.

Then one Christmast jeanne became violently ill while readingthe paper.

She couldn[t breathe.

One month latert she was dead.

She had slowly suffocated to death.

This was all she had when she came in.

The doctors couldn[t save her. No cause of death was given.

Industrialist Mathias Behrens Dies

That dayt Louis wondered if it wasn[t love that killed jeanne.

Jeanne died over 2O years ago.

This film is for her.