Original subtitles

DRUMMER CRAB

My name is Pierre. I'm 50 years old.

I'd chosen this life,

but what does it matter?

I gave up on it.

I scare myself.

I fall into rank.

"Man your stations...

"...on a remote Philippine island.

"Amazingly, Onoda simply said, 'I'm a soldier.'

It's a case of honor and discipline pushed to extremes."

"Rio de Janeiro:

"Brazil's capital is busy preparing its carnival

"on the hills surrounding the city."

Slip the mooring ropes!

Steer 215

- En route to 215. - Established

Port rudder at 5.

Established!

Engines one and two.

- Engines one and two. - Established!

Steer 217.

Port 10.

- Taking the helm! - Captain at the helm.

Port 25.

Rudder at 0.

- Rudder at 0. - Established!

Starboard 25.

- Starboard 25. - Established!

Rudder at 0.

- Rudder at 0. - Established! Take over.

Thanks, captain. Sorry...

Don't thank or apologize to a superior.

- It's one of our privileges. - Yes, captain!

Steer 218.

Say, "I'm taking the helm."

Yes, captain. I'm taking the helm!

January 24. 5:05 p.m.

The Jaureguiberry is headed for 270:

the Banks at Newfoundland.

Doctor, there's hot coffee in the chartroom.

Clear the decks! Time for breakfast!

- 'Morning, captain. - 'Morning, sir.

I once sounded the bugle charge.

In '48.

On the river.

There was a wounded Frenchman bawling on the radio.

The Vietnamese die in silence in their trenches like cats.

Ever heard of Willsdorff?

They called him the Drummer Crab.

We won't get through!

Push!

Captain!

The radio's on the blink again.

Bocheau!

We might never drink his disgusting pastis again...

It's entirely possible

Sound the charge, it'll rouse 'em

I don't know it.

Sound anything, something cheerful.

Is that all you've got?

It's more cheerful than "Drill Call"!

True!

- How about a medley? - Go ahead! You're great!

Pretty good, anyway.

He played everything:

"Guard Mounting," "Action Stations."

"Taps," "Mess Call..." Everything!

We arrived just in time.

They bolted when they heard the bugle!

Taste this one, I think it's good.

Still disgusting!

It grows on you...

Drink, bugle boy!

Not good!

Yes, it's good.

Fixed red and white lights on portside.

Established!

Wrong bugle call, but...

...as a civilian, Bocheau played the hunting horn.

I found him one in Saigon.

Red and white lights on portside.

Established!

The captain doesn't like officers

talking on the bridge while off duty.

No talking on your bridge, Old Crab?

OK!

Then no more Drummer Crab and cat.

And no more hunting horn on the river.

Take him!

Take him!

Clamp.

How'd you end up in the marines?

Well...I'm French. Political refugee.

I broke this guy's jaw back home.

He's a government official now.

The captain wants you to join him for lunch at 12:30.

Come in.

We're changing course.

We're a bit top-heavy, but it'll be OK.

Please...

This morning I met your political refugee,

your "Negro of the Narcissus."

Bongo Ba?

He emptied trashcans and cleaned the sidewalks.

A naturalized Frenchman who, by some miracle,

did his service in the Marines.

He must've claimed he was a boatman on the Ogowe.

In any case, he sure knows how to swear!

He came to me before weighing anchor,

he wanted to reenlist, but...

...the Marines didn't want him, he's illiterate.

Leave us.

I heard you on the bridge.

I know your friend well.

I'm the one who found him in the Maldives.

It wasn't a wreck.

He still had two masts,

but no rudder.

There'd been a hurricane in the Gulf of Bengal.

- Get a boat ready. - Yes, captain.

What do you want?

- Pick me up tomorrow morning. - Aye. sir!

He talked a lot about you.

I'm the one who advised him to transport opium. a great remedy.

I should've been there with him.

He told me,

"One day we should leave Indochina for good."

"We'll buy a junk and sail home, four months on the sea.

"Things'll be better after."

He'd been invited to dine with the venerable Huong.

a sort of crazy prophet.

He'd joined forces with the French.

One night, Wlllsdorff announced his arrival

with his bugle playing.

Drummer Crab has come under the southern sky

and has washed his armor in our river.

Our enemies stare blindly at him, as though the sun itself.

- Old Crab! - They were just old butts.

The old woman lit up cigarette butts

to liven things up.

That's the night we decided on the day of our departure.

By sailboat, four months at sea...

Things would be better after.

He wanted to take advantage of the northeast monsoon

to make it to Singapore and the Sunda Strait.

But we were separated in '53.

Willsdorff stayed on the delta and I left for Hang Lai,

on the Upper Black River.

My radio operator intercepted:

"Lt. Willsdorff reported missing, presumed dead."

Shit!

Don't say shit!

- You OK, captain? - Well, captain?

It's OK, kids. We'll try to escape.

Captain, huh?

When he was released at the end of the war, I went to get him.

First thing he said was, "Buddy, let's go find a junk."

He'd endured his captivity well.

A mild case of beriberi. Malaria, dysentery...

Three months later, he seemed like his old self.

But he'd changed.

Sonday! Sonday!

He's a friend.

I met him on the China Sea.

He might be a smuggler.

Magnificent!

There's our junk!

Count me out.

He bought the junk,

but I didn't go with him.

Why?

Good-bye, Old Europe!

"To hell with you," as we used to say back then.

I didn't know what to do.

Quit the Marines, obviously.

but all I knew was...

I didn't want to leave.

Yet you eventually came back.

Yes, last year.

Arrival from Saigon...

Doctor!

Babourg...

Things have changed since '48.

We showed them! Remember?

The goddamn river!

The little midshipman.

You know, the one with the black cat.

Him.

You know... Your friend,

who commanded that entire flotilla.

He had a Kraut name.

We called him Drummer Crab.

That idiot...

'Morning, gentlemen.

- Who's on duty? - Me.

- Babourg - What?

Sorry, Lieutenant. Leading seaman Babourg.

I'm taking command of the flotilla at noon.

I'm taking command of the flotilla at noon.

In the meantime, you'd better...

We're not the Hussars of death!

Very well, captain.

And get rid of all those...

And get rid of all those...

We're not headhunters either.

Thanks.

See you later, gentlemen.

You heard him!

Cuc, get me a Molen beer!

He's so naive!

Cuc, the soup merchant's daughter,

had a damn crush on him!

Bring us a couple more!

It's not every day...

Don't go, stay with me.

What was that old nut's name again?

Oh, right... The Venerable!

Do you remember?

You drink way too much!

You're always getting on my nerves!

Screw it!

This place is sad as death.

- Thanks, sir. - Thanks.

Leave me alone.

I know you're sick of my stories.

Well, so am I. It's ancient history now.

Get away from here!

Get away before it's too late. Get away or you're screwed.

And then you reintegrated the Marines Medical Corps?

Yes.

Even though a private practice can be lucrative...

Very lucrative.

Three stripes, at your age...

Willsdorff said he had two friends in the Maldives,

you and his cat. Dirty creature!

I felt like I'd been abandoned.

Yeah.

That son of Satan left the ship right before the ambush

when they took me prisoner.

Presumed dead!

Thanks.

Hold on.

- Take her. - OK.

She's My Conscience.

As you can see, she's all black

and not pretty to look at.

Here.

Here.

As you can also see, she's incorruptible.

After my release,

I found her in the naval base kitchen.

Old rat! Deserter! Prophet of doom!

Excuse me.

Good, good...

18 knots.

Call me when you get it on radar.

A yacht in trouble.

There's an English trawler nearby.

Did you see him again?

Excuse me.

Yankee Fox to Lima-Novembre,

we estimate your vertical at ten min.

Lima-Novembre here, roger!

Speeding up to 22 knots. The yacht capsized.

The English already picked up two men and a woman.

There's still a woman missing.

He's hurting.

If it weren't for that woman...

What woman?

From the yacht.

The sea's too rough, the boat is suffering.

We might break something.

Did you ever see Willsdorff again?

I'm going to the bridge. Lefebvre!

Don't wait for me.

You'll see him on the Banks.

He's the captain of a trawler.

The Shamrock of Fecamp.

They call him the Alsatian on the Banks.

I forgot to mention, doctor,

talking on the bridge is limited to questions of duty.

- 2.58, 1 to 5 nautical. - Roger!

Debris spotted at 130, 5 nautical.

From Lima-Novembre: roger.

Go to 130. 110 rpms, two engines only.

- Established! - Two engines at 110.

- Established. - En route!

From Yankee Fox: Yankee Zoulou in zone...

"Paris: a million people out of work in France

"due to the recession.

"The situation will only get worse.

Peking: in a New China Agency interview

"Chou En Lai declared,

"Nuclear war is inevitable the world must prepare for it.'

"Saigon: North Vietnamese pressure intensifies

"in the Banmethuot region.

"After intense fighting the South-Vietnamese army

"was forced to evacuate Ban Go, a key military post."

- Ban Ho... - "Caracas: experts declared..."

A monkey stole my watch.

I'd set it on a rock before I went swimming in a stream.

"Belfast: bombing in a Londonderry Catholic pub..."

General announcement: this is the captain speaking.

The search is over.

The woman was found dead.

We've resuming course for the Banks.

End at announcement.

West we go!

Toward the Crab...

Your Drummer Crab, doctor.

Why'd you think he asked for this mission?

He hasn't been to sea in 12 years,

not since the Algiers putsch.

Why, did he participate too?

Not him, he was against it.

Totally against it.

I thought you'd done it on purpose, on the bridge.

- What, on purpose? - The bugle call.

"Ever heard of Willsdorf?"

The old man was listening in.

Then...

You're also...naive?

You didn't know he wants to see the man that he...

The fisheries officer wanted on the bridge.

Drop your song and dance.

The man that he...

...that he what?

What lies up there that perturbs man's spirit so?

Nothing.

Far less than what's in this glass.

Cheers!

Why does he want to see him again?

Pour me another cognac and I'll tell you a story.

The story of a man who saw what he wanted to see.

I know it. sir.

Your crazy priest again?

Not crazy. Peculiar. He was fond of Qwin-Ru,

the Algerian wine that's 14 proof.

I should know, I was his altar boy in Bigouden.

Bigouden country is France's chin.

Look at this map.

Notice the eagle's head jutting towards the Atlantic.

You have the northern coast, Le Conquet, Brest.

the Crozon peninsula.

Pointe du Raz,

Pointe du Raz,

and here you have Bigouden country.

Cassius Clay himself could pounce on it,

to no avail. It never budges.

The most vicious storms pounce on it.

It's a sight to see, especially in winter.

One night,

about 15 years ago...

One of God's angels came to me in my dreams.

The angel said,

“Soon, a sign will cross the sky.

"You must take your sheep with you.

"And follow the sign."

- Hallelujah. - Hallelujah.

Those Bigoudens believed his vision.

Don't laugh. We believe in the Ankou.

The Ankou is the angel of death.

Men of little faith.

When one shivers for no apparent reason,

the elderly claim it's death passing by.

It keeps passing by...

...until one day, it stops.

Amen.

I prefer your stories of hanged men.

I suggest you learn how to steer this ship properly.

rather than spew nonsense.

You know nothing about the Bigoudens.

They may be stubborn, but their souls are so pure!

Everyone believed in his vision, and a sign did indeed appear.

A long arrow.

A white cloud crossing the sky. The Lord's finger...

...pointing East.

Whenever the sky was fair, they'd see the sign.

But God surely sought to test their faith.

for if He pointed East in the morning.

He would point West that same afternoon.

And they would turn back.

They walked and walked...

...singing hymns and drinking wine.

Nothing parches the throat like a good walking story.

Keep the cognac, doctor.

Well?

Finish your story about the crazy man who sees signs.

If you can.

Not crazy,

just peculiar.

Excellent reflexes!

You don't believe in signs?

Poor fool.

What do you think you do here?

You watch your radar screen on the lookout for an echo,

a sign to help your helmsman chart his course.

And you too follow an old crab,

who spends his time looking at the sea.

No bar-stool philosophizing, please.

You don't know how to end your story.

They all managed to get there.

They got to Orly.

This is foolishness. What was the sign?

It was the very first New York-Paris flight,

a Boeing 707.

Headed eastward in the morning, westward in the evening.

Look to the sky and you shall see,

men of little faith.

If we let them, those youngsters would walk all over us.

It's hardly an amusing tale.

They never did make it to Orly.

They walked and walked and one by one, they abandoned him.

On the 7th day, the old priest was found dead in a ditch.

February 2.

First contact with the trawlers.

One of my men was hurt today. It's his knee,

so it might be serious. I'd like him to see the doctor.

I'll send the dingy now.

- Dumb Polack! - Give it slack!

Jaureguiberry here.

OK, I'm heading towards you.

Before you hoist me dingy, I'll give you my parcel.

By the time I get there, you'll have finished with Vidal.

There are 32 in the Gulf of Saint-Lawrence.

Within a 12 nautical-mile radius.

From Spain, Germany...

...Newfoundland, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

Jutland, on the Misaine Bank.

The Joseph Brothier, on the tail of Grand Bank.

Another three or four here, on the Baleine.

Your friend's Shamrock is somewhere over there,

on the edge of Labrador's glaciers.

You know him?

Jaureguiberry, what's your position?

I'm close. Very close.

On the coast of Greenland, on your portside.

Roger.

- Have you known him long? - Two years.

After his release, he worked as a fisherman.

On The Banks, he's known for his cat, "My Conscience."

A fisherman... A simple fisherman.

Tea, please.

The captain asked me to see him about Bongo Ba.

Our political refugee.

Bongo Ba wanted to get on a trawler.

The captain insisted I mention it to me Alsatian.

Your friend took him. Bongo Ba stopped emptying trashcans.

He gave me this.

There must've been a half dozen of them on the Shamrock.

I think he made them while he was in jail.

A bottle filled with wine is a dream in itself.

But a bottle with a boat...

...full sails open...

It's a jailed sailor's reason for living.

Keep it.

It's a gift.

Tell your captain. I'll take his Negro.

And tell him...

Never mind.

Why didn't the captain go see the Drummer Crab himself?

Things turned sour between them in Mers-el-Kebir.

During the generals' revolt of '61.

He testified for him at his trial.

An unfortunate incident occurred.

I shouldn't be the one telling you.

Besides, it was a closed-door trial.

We've been coming to the fishermen's aid for two weeks.

Clothing, food, spare parts,

medical aid, the works.

Mail delivery.

Go ahead!

They'll be swept up by the stern ramp!

"Disgruntled fishermen block ports on the Atlantic.

"Pnom-Peh, the convoy carrying food and arms...

"...could not cross the Khmer Rouge blockade."

Doctor, your patients are on board.

"...it seems the hostages on board the hijacked 747..."

- Your first expedition - No, but it's my last.

I found a job on land, in Concarneau.

Before that, I worked on the Shamrock. It's famous.

Don't move.

- Compress. - The Alsatian was nuts.

He named his cat "My Conscience."

He had eyes painted on the front of the boat.

He's got soldiers from Algeria and Indochina on his crew.

He says...

Cod fishing's like hunting down submarines during the war.

He's crazy.

The captain wants you to join him for lunch at 12:30.

I asked you to join me for lunch because...

I know I can't fool you for long.

I'm sick.

This is my last trip to sea.

If what Willsdorff says is true, you can help me.

Cancer.

- The lungs? - Yes.

If we can't halt metastasis, do you know what to expect?

Painful suffocation at the end.

I know. I just want to command this ship.

We don't have the necessary medication on board.

My family doctor gave me...

Family doctor.

So...

Tell me about Willsdorf.

I saw him in Alsace in 1960, at his brother's funeral.

I was commanding the Rhine Flotilla.

His brother was a CWO. Did you know him?

Two stays in Indochina. Germans mobilized him in '42.

The Courtland retreat, etc.

An old soldier, he was.

He died like a soldier.

Lord,

only say the word and this soldier shall be healed.

For I have soldiers under my command.

I say "go," and they go,

"come" and they come.

Jesus replied,

"Go, and just as you have believed, so be it for you."

I like the part about faith.

Our faith in the soundness of our choices.

It took 12 hours for him to die.

His stomach torn to pieces.

He led Harki troops

in Djebel Amour.

When he returned from the front in '45, his brother said,

"I fought like an animal for those damn Krauts.

"All the while I hoped for Germany's defeat.

"But every time my company fought the Russians.

"I did everything I could to win.

"Winning meant survival, for me and my brothers in arms.

“We do the opposite of what we want."

He was wrong. I'll only do what's right.

Nonsense!

We never choose between good and evil,

but between one good and another.

One must choose.

Or perhaps he was naive.

The Bedouins who captured him named him 'El Majnoun."

The Conqueror of Arabia.

That’s how it unfolded.

Leave it with me.

My carpenter restored his rudder in the Maldives.

He'd lost it in the Red Sea. His vessel was old and rotten.

He'd been captured by dissidents.

Danakils sailing on a dhow.

Don't do that!

"There is a time for everything.

"A time to be born and a time to die.

"A time to sow... ...and a time to reap.

"A time to kill... ...and a time to heal.

"A time to weep, a time to laugh, and a time to groan.

"A time to throw stones and a time to gather them.

"A time to love, a time to hate.

"A time for war... ...and a time for peace."

El Medjhenoun.

He was their slave.

He carried their water,

and fought the Danakils, the neighbouring tribe.

They'd shoot at anything in sight, even stones.

That day, they were aiming at a white stone, in the valley.

Missed it again.

The Navy bought him back in exchange for 5 old rifles.

300 silver thalers

That's what your friend is worth.

Imagine him leading Harki troops in Algeria!

After his brother' burial, he told me,

“My brother would've rather been buried where he died."

I'll go take his place.

Then came the generals' revolt in Algiers,

and all the rest.

Engine room control station.

I'm listening.

Want me to take the helm?

No. He's doing fine.

Don't hesitate to force the boat.

Yes, captain. I placed men on the bridge wing.

There goes the mail buoy!

Don't forget anything!

Look over there!

Portside aft, 2.

- Port 25. - Port 25.

- Portside aft set at 2 - Established.

- Rudder at 0. - Rudder at 0.

Established!

Stop!

Buoy recovered!

- Buoy recovered! - Buoy recovered!

Front engines at 1.

Set at 90 rams...

Established.

- What's wrong? - Nothing, captain.

Then why aren't you heading for the Flemish Cap?

12 knots. Don't wait till we're covered in ice.

- Starboard 15. - Starboard 15.

- Starboard set at 15. - Established. Come to 120.

Both engines at 105 rpms.

Well, doctor?

Well, sir?

It want well, but... Be careful.

Portside rudder. Boat's responding well...

Doctor,

I'd like a word with you.

Come in, the captain's expecting you.

Do you know the Parable of the Talents?

The last one,

before Judas' kiss, Peter's denial and the crucifixion,

is the most terrible at all...

What did you do with your talent?

Doctor, give me an IV.

You're killing yourself.

All I want is an injection.

The nurse can do that, captain.

None of this matters. doctor.

Someone will take my place. All that matters is the ship.

The ship?

The ship.

Men...

We're worthless without a ship.

Don't just stand there, do what you have to, and fast.

Death isn't so wretched.

I know, I've already died once.

Almost.

Why did you wait so long to take to the seas again?

I didn't intend to navigate and then...

There's something I want to do first.

What are you looking at?

The effects of your family's doctor's prescription.

Not too brilliant.

Please, doctor. No lectures. There's no point.

It'd put me in a foul mood.

So you've already died once.

I don't usually talk about myself. It's...

...this drug.

Shift relief. 4th division to the navigation post.

I've stood guard all my life.

A sentinel.

I've always done what I thought was right.

Only once I...

Remember one thing, doctor: Nothing is ever certain.

There's no guardrail.

One can trip and fall at any moment.

Even him.

Remember the final moment?

"Dear God, why did you forsake me?"

Surely, you know. It's written in all the books.

Hasn't your friend ever stumbled?

Don't bother talking, there's nothing to say.

Except, no...

Three months after his release, he told me.

"I discovered within myself everything I hated.

"A dog willing to live at all costs.

"I'm Pavlov's dog's vile saliva."

They wanted us to sign their war manifestos.

A POW had to shut up, period.

Even...even if some of their points are valid.

The day of their release, the camp chief said,

"Farewell and good luck to all."

I'm sure it wasn't in his manual.

He stood upright, looking at me.

I thought I'd read emotion in his eyes.

A...glistening of sorts.

But can one truly read dead eyes?

And then,

he took two steps forward.

That's how it happened.

It's very hard to say no,

to refuse a handshake.

"To fully understand what I did, you must know

"that many of my friends died of hunger, sickness,

"or despair because of a camp chief.

"Many friends."

Do you have a Bible?

What?

Why? Did you kill one of your patients?

I'd like to reread the Parable of the Talents.

I've forgotten it.

The Parable of the Talents...

Our priest drilled it into us.

He who does not augment what he has received from the Lord

will be cast into the outer darkness.

What did the captain say?

Nothing.

Of course. He doesn't talk.

What have you done with your talent?

Does he ask himself that?

- We all ask it one day - Yes, surely.

He finds events surrounding the Drummer Crab very disquieting.

You know what happened after the putsch in South Vietnam.

Your friend was out of sorts and very hesitant.

You were OK if you were disciplined.

Clearly,

the Navy remained staunchly behind the Republic.

I was with him in Mers-El-Kebir during the putsch.

The very first day, I witnessed

the arrival of a a beanpole with a black cat.

Take me to the chief of staff.

They spoke privately.

No one knows what was discussed.

But your friend must've influenced the old guy

because...

Thanks.

The Drummer crab sure made me laugh.

But instead of retrieving it, he let it run away again.

When was Willsdorff arrested?

One year later, because of his cat.

In his file, it said, "Often accompanied by a black cat."

What really happened at the trial?

It was a closed-door trial, but the truth leaked out.

One of the two gendarmes

today owns a bistro in Saint-Pierre.

He was in the box, next to the defendant.

After the speech for the defense...

In Indochina and Algeria, where he served under me,

Lt. Willsdorf left to replace his brother, killed in Algeria.

I remember him telling me,

"I'll do what I think is fair."

Captain.

In Mers-El-Kebir.

you promised me that regardless of the outcome of the putsch.

you would also quit the Navy, after it was over.

I did quit.

Hadn't you given me your word?

Yes.

He said nothing further.

Neither did your friend.

Maybe he understood that he had just killed him.

Ten minutes later, he got 20 years.

I thought you knew all of that...

"Do you know Willsdorff?"

- Why didn't the captain quit? - I knew for a fact he did!

But the Navy didn't accept his resignation.

Admirals, former seamen,

the minister, even the all-powerful general...

"We order you to stay on!"

- Why? - Reason of State!

Officers can't quit because they have doubts.

Especially not our captain!

Especially not him.

Don't judge him, doctor.

You don't have the right to!

And that's how our Drummer Crab had his talent taken away.

March 3.

The Jaureguiberry nears Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

It's cold.

- Minus 10° Celsius. - I'm taking the helm.

All hands, man your stations.

All hands, man your stations.

Two front engines.

Stop.

Two rear engines.

Stop.

- Port rudder at 15°. - Established.

- Engines stopped. - Established.

Rear port side.

- Rear port side. - Established.

Shut off. Over for helm and gyro.

- You heard. - Six!

Six orders in all. I counted them.

The old guy!

Only he could've pulled it off.

Six!

Strange...

Their doctors are usually very young.

This way, doctor.

- You're fine. - Thanks, doctor.

You're in good hands.

How are you?

I'm fine, doctor.

Don't look at me that way.

It's over, captain.

Don't drop me off at Saint-Pierre.

I should.

I should've, with the others.

If you die on board, I'll be up the creek.

Don't fret, doctor, you're but a go-between.

Before he was killed.

Archimedes was drawing geometric shapes in the sand.

When a soldier came for him,

he simply said, "Don't disturb my circles."

One day, you'll come for me too. Don't worry. I know.

You're only a go-between. Still, don't disturb my circles.

Their Irish whiskey is really something!

Evenin'.

- Still have Irish whisky? - Yes.

Say...

Would you mind telling us about...

- ...about your accused? - "Accused"?

I saw him again two years ago.

He showed up here one night with some friends.

At first, I didn't believe it.

But it was really him! Ice?

Yes, please.

I'd been keeping tabs on him.

He danced with her.

Just waltzes.

But he was holding her too close.

I was watching him.

I'm not sure he'd recognized me.

It's like he was taunting me. I was eyeing him warily.

Then the cat peed on the bar!

On the very rag I used to dry the glasses!

- But what about the trial? - It was very dignified.

But he always seemed to be chuckling.

- I figured he'd be guillotined. - Or shot.

No, guillotined. He was a civilian.

He tendered his resignation after the putsch had failed.

He was expecting it as well.

Have you ever watched a capital execution?

Be sure to empty your bladder first.

Thanks.

I'll remember to do that.

You're right, you're absolutely right.

You're right, you're absolutely right.

The journalists who were waiting outside for the verdict

took photos of him before he was driven to La Santé.

I kept the article... Yeah, here it is.

That's me.

It was written by a woman.

"He walked past me with his cold-blooded murderer's smile.

"He should've been guillotined."

Everyone thought that.

May I have this dance?

He was so charming...

...and well-mannered.

He's a smooth talker.

I knew he had feelings for me.

But he didn't drop by last year.

If you run into him, tell him...

...I still have the key. He'll understand.

You've had enough, Mr. Ernest!

We had already sank three ships.

- Grand Admiral Doenitz...kaput! - Grand Admiral Doenitz.

They're remembering the Battle or the Atlantic.

1941.

A bleak year.

Grand Admiral Doenitz was triumphant.

The corvette Mimosa sank.

Not in '41.

- In '41. - Not in '41.

And we had already sank three ships.

Convoy SC 78.

Dec. 8, 1942.

7 p.m.

A U.S. cargo ship loaded with ammo: the Donald Sutterland.

The...

I forget the name...

The oil tanker!

- Mr. Ernest... - Leave me alone.

Lady Collins, an English ship...

No survivors.

The U.S. cargo ship loaded with ammo...

No survivors.

We were tracking it with the ASDIC.

Nobody gets along.

The Sicorona... 12,000 tons.

- He liked red wine. - That crazy priest!

Peculiar, not crazy.

Before the cross,

one of the three atheists had a crazy idea.

You're smashed!

Hide, guys! This oughta be good.

There's no Savior, no Christ,

no sin, no heaven, no nothing! Lies, all lies!

Buffoon!

Hey, guys! I'm cold!

Help!

But his buddies had slithered into the night,

gripped with terror after having heard such profanities.

The simpleton called the gendarmes the next morning.

You'll be seeing a patient tonight.

- Good evening, captain. - Good evening, Wagner.

The Belle Normande is reporting a seaman missing.

He may have slid all the stern ramp.

The Belle Normande is at 163, 120 nautical miles away.

Head towards it.

We're only 60 nautical miles away from the Shamrock.

- Head for the Belle Normande. - Yes, captain.

Another reprieve, doctor.

He slipped here.

- But the look in his eyes... - He drank.

That's true.

- He was a little crazy. - He'd pretend he was a fakir.

He'd learned some tricks in Holland.

- Yeah. - He was good.

Another alcoholic. The men are exhausted.

The weather was bad.

The victim, a guy named Yorick, slipped and lost his footing.

All hands, man your stations.

March 26, Saint John's, Newfoundland.

We retrieve mail and pick up provisions.

I let my patients off the ship.

No lectures, doctor.

- You're just the go-between. - Three or four months, tops.

We'll be in Lorient before then.

Why do you call him the Drummer Crab?

The Drummer Crab...

Because he'd refer to everyone as a "crab,"

You'd have old crabs, poor crabs

good crabs, bad crabs... Nothing but crabs.

When he was little, his dad used to call him "Baby Crab."

He had a round tummy that swelled after a hearty meal,

and his father started calling him Drummer Crab.

We'll meet up with him later.

- What do you plan...? - Sorry, I have things to do.

Sunday Mass in 15 minutes.

Some tea, please, It's cold as hell out there!

We'll be with the Alsatian in about 30 hours.

Poor doctor.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

I'm just looking at you.

Here we were cozy

and warm,

but the man with the black cat...

What have you done with your talent?

You're ranting.

You drink. I should check your liver.

The captain's only interested in one man, for the rest...

Say...

He's very sick, isn't he?

Of course...

I'll bet the other guy, up north,

your friend,

doesn't give a damn now!

Stop it, sir.

I'd rather listen to your tall tales and stories.

My stories?

I've got one you've never heard.

Gwen.

Gwanael, actually.

He also refused to accept reality.

You're afraid of your shadow!

A trough of low pressure over Cape Rasse

and gale force winds are threatening the entire area.

- Reduced visibility. Shamrock, eight nautical miles.

8.5, captain.

What's this sonar reading?

Given the weather conditions, let's use the mail buoy.

OK, I'll take care of it.

Someone wants to speak with you.

- It's Pierre. - Pierre?

Pierre who?

Wait!

Wait, don't go.

Play.

Good old Pierre! What are you doing here?

I'm the on-board doctor.

How are you?

G'bye, Europe! Good riddance!

Looks like you've abandoned the little Viets.

They could use a doctor right about now.

I was deported.

Did you come back with Mai-Li?

Did you marry her?

She's dead.

They murdered her...

...last year.

I'm sorry.

See you soon, Pierre.

Put the officer back on.

Release!

I'm heading back north to Greenland.

Good-bye, gentlemen. Safe journey. So long, Pierre.

Shamrock, Jaureguiberry. Fair journey. Good-bye.

Farewell.

How are you. captain?

I'm not surprised.

I was wondering if...

I just wanted to say good-bye,

that's all.

- I have nothing more to add. - I know you're...

No, you're right. There's nothing more to add.

- Let's head home, gentlemen. - He's sending a message, sir.

D...

...I...E...U, or God.

He's saying adieu, captain.

- What shall we reply, sir? - Signal to the ship.

Helmsman! Signal to him.

The bridge is too crowded.

I've been expecting you.

Now you can finally rest.

You did what you set out to do.

What did I do?

You know exactly what I mean.

You...

You have such pride.

You didn't have the courage to stand by Willsdorff,

just like at the trial,

yet you took to the sea for this.

Lie down, captain.

I want to steer this ship back to Lorient.

April 14, 9:30 a.m.

We're coming home.

Close that door, it's windy.

Close that door!

It's all over, doctor.

You're afraid.

Does this help?

I can't read anything else.

I'm tired.

"Phnom Pehn is a dead city.

"In Saigon, the number of refugees keeps rising..."

General announcement.

This is your captain speaking.

In accordance with Article 21 of French naval force rules.

the second in command will now

be in charge of the Jaureguiberry.

You will obey his every order,

for the welfare of the department,

the execution of military rules,

the observation of laws...

...and for France's successful defense.

End of announcement.

Shit!

Fifteen years.

I served under him for 15 years.

Good evening, captain.

Good evening, Wagner.

Doctor.

Saigon fell this morning. They just announced it.

The Paris-bound train.

It's running three minutes late.

Attention!

Laberloque! Starboard!

Dismissed!

We wish to thank the Navy,

the captain and crew of the fleet escort ship "JAUREGUIBERRY"

and the captains and crews

of the deep-sea trawlers "GROENLAND" and "SHAMROCK III"