Original subtitles

COMRADESHIP

On March 10th, 1906

a terrible firedamp explosion following a fire which

had been smouldering for 3 weeks, buried more than 1,200 miners

deep down in the Courri�res mines.

A team of German miners belonging to a special rescue squad

came from Westphalia to join up with the French rescuers.

This film, which takes place in our time

is based on that terrible catastrophe.

The two original languages have been deliberately respected

in the film's dialogues

in order to preserve the power and truthfulness

of the remarkable images which are the basis of this movie.

- I won! - No, I won!

- They're mine! - No, they're mine!

Give it to me!

Too bad, the French aren't letting in any more unemployed.

But we have border passes. Let's try anyway.

Give me my marbles back!

This is the border. Come and get them if you dare.

You think I'm scared?

- Do you always have to fight? - He wants to take my marbles.

Make up!

No use, guys. The unemployed can't pass.

Border's closed for the unemployed.

When you're out of work, you're not welcome anywhere.

No work. No work here.

There isn't even enough for us.

They hardly have enough work for their own people.

- The fatherland's calling. - We must tighten our belts again.

- Look at all the coal they got. - They still can't sell it.

Till then, no work for us.

- Good luck! - Good luck!

Hey, something fishy is going on there.

They're afraid that the fire will break through from the French side.

How long has the heat been noticeable?

For 3 weeks. Ever since the fires on the French side started.

As long as no gas comes through...

No, there's no gas.

They build wall after wall over there,

but the fire keeps chewing its way through.

No, it won't hold.

Today's Saturday.

The night shift must build another one by Monday.

No blasting here!

No gas.

No blasting for now. We have to wait until

the new wall is finished. - Okay, got it.

Hey, fellas.

Hey, fellas!

No blasting today because of the fire.

The fire. That's all we talk about.

As long as there's no gas, it's not serious.

If there were any gas, what would happen?

Don't worry, kid. They'll use Sunday to build another wall.

This wall must be finished first thing tomorrow morning.

Come on, guys. Give it all you got.

We're doing what we can. In all this heat.

Great way to spend a Sunday.

Dance Hall

Hey, guys! How about we go in, have a drink.

Three tickets.

No, three tickets, not flowers.

- Three tickets. - Not here. Over there.

My first conquest in France.

Three tickets.

Okay, here you are.

Parasite free!

- Look, the band's up there. - Nice.

- Waiter! - You say "gar�on" here!

Gar�on.

What'll you have, gentlemen?

One, two, three... beer.

Don't forget about schnapps.

Three beer, three...

Schnapps. I speak German.

Three beer, three schnapps and some cabbage for my rabbit.

Yes, a head of cabbage for your rabbit.

- Hey there, lovebirds. Everything OK? - Don't mind us.

Hits the spot.

I prefer Dortmunder Union beer.

Now, there's a girl.

What's French for "Shall we dance?"

Excuse... a dance.

You dance very well, Emile.

Not as well as the Parisiens.

You think they dance like this in Paris?

Fran�oise, you're not leaving tomorrow, are you?

- My vacation is over. - You promised me.

I'll come back.

You can't hold this one back. She's a Parisien now.

Excuse. A dance?

- What does he want? - A dance with you.

I'm not dancing anymore. Tell him in German if you can.

Mademoiselle not dance.

"German"?

I get it. "German." "Not with a German,'' she says.

Germans dance just as well as Frenchmen, miss.

Come.

- I won't be insulted! - Back to your rabbit!

Forget it, pal.

- Let go. - Behave. You're a foreigner here.

One more round?

Three beer, three schnapps?

Why didn't you want to dance?

I'm tired.

- I've had enough. I'm leaving. - I'm staying.

- Good-bye. - Good-bye.

Good night.

German should drink German beer.

- Good night, sir. - Good-bye.

I imagine this fire business is over. - Certainly.

With the new wall there's no more danger.

I hope it's finished by morning.

- What's he talking about? - Nothing.

Where are they coming from?

- There's a fire in a gallery. - A fire?

You always hear about those fires.

- How can you still be a miner? - But Fran�oise...

it's my job.

- I could never live like this. - Fran�oise, Fran�oise!

Fran�oise!

- Morning, Jean. - Morning, Emile. I'll be right back.

Morning, Emile. Did you sleep well?

Thanks, Mom.

Good-bye.

Here, Mama. The luggage is ready.

Well...

Good-bye, Jean.

What time's your train?

Right now. I'm already late.

Well, good-bye, Fran�oise.

Good-bye.

Come on. Why do you have to go? Stay with us.

It's a real shame.

Hopeless.

Well, have a nice trip.

Emile is a good man.

He's a good worker...

And reliable.

Yes.

- Well, my boy, you going down today? - Of course, Grandfather.

Good-bye.

Say, Jean, what's going on?

All Sunday, all he could talk about was gas and fire and...

We've got no orders to stay home.

Emile, look after the kid.

- Don't worry. I'll be his nanny. - Thanks.

- You dying to come along? - Those were the good old days.

Mother, why don't you all come to Paris?

Jean would surely find work there.

Many have gone to Paris. They earn more

but not enough for the rent.

Besides, we've always been miners in our family.

Nice reason.

We've already lost Dad.

Jean's all we've got left.

I'll never marry a miner.

No, Mother.

Never.

- You done? Is it strong enough? - Yeah.

Okay.

- Fire in the hole! - Beware! Beware!

Fire!

Fire! Fire!

Guys, let's clear out! There's gas. Let's go.

Fire.

- Fire! - There's gas.

- Georges, here. - Don't be afraid!

Fire! Fire!

- Good-bye, Mama. - Good-bye.

The mine!

Let me go! I want to get off!

- What's the matter, Marie? - The big mine's on fire!

The big mine? The Thibault mine?

- The Tribaut mine's on fire again. - The Thibault mine? -Yes.

- What is it? An accident? - The mine's on fire!

My little Georges.

- What's the matter? - An explosion.

An accident.

A gas explosion.

Look. It's burning over on the French side.

It must be awful over there.

The mine. - The fire!

Our husbands are down there. Let us in!

Hey! What are you doing? You're not allowed in here!

Quick. Go get the mechanics.

What's the matter? What are we waiting for?

The elevator's not working.

What the hell are you doing? Don't get in the way.

Careful now.

Keep it taught. It's 2,000 feet (600m) down.

- Let us in! - You know that's not allowed.

- Tell us what's happening. - Come on, keep calm.

- The elevator's broken. - What?

The elevator's broken.

They can't go down.

We want to know what's going on. Where are our husbands?

Georges, quick!

Georges, Georges!

Miss, your bag!

Have you heard? A bad accident on the French side.

I know. Six hundred and nine are trapped.

What do you want? An accident like that is nobody's fault.

Well... This damned drudgery will kill us all.

- All the rushing around. - And then what?

We supposed to go on welfare?

What did you say?

600?

Yes. I heard it from the foreman.

Poor devils.

Hey, you think they have enough rescue gear? - Why should I care?

They have more money than we do.

We have to go over there.

- Good luck. - Don't leave just yet.

What do you want? - You're a member of the rescue squad, aren't you?

- You crazy? Not the French. - Think they'd get us out?

- We know the French. - Since the occupation of the Ruhr.

Come on, guys. Why should we mind the generals?

A miner's a miner.

You think the French will pay your pension if something happens to you?

And the ones buries down there? Don't they have wives and children?

Think of your own wife first.

Think I'm gonna suck up to the French?

Wait until it's you down there one day and nobody comes to help you.

You'll be crying out for your mother.

- Come to think of it... - Am I right or not?

- Of course he's right. - If we only new...

- Anton, you coming? - As long as you are.

- You too? - Do not worry. I'm in.

- Let's go, miners. - Get the rescue squad ready.

- And you, Fritz? You coming too? - Of course.

Let's go then.

You're all completely nuts.

Chickens don't need to come along.

We're lucky that the connections to the French side are well sealed off.

Otherwise, the gas would've reached our side in no time.

This is a heavy blow for the French.

They'll be busy with that for a long time.

Come on, Foreman. Bring out the rescue gear.

Be reasonable, Wittkopp. That's impossible.

- You know the situation over there. - There are miners trapped.

- I must ask management. - They won't be against it.

Give us the key. There's no time to lose.

What's going on here?

Director, the rescue squad wants to go help the French.

What do you want?

We want the rescue equipment.

- Who's he? - Wittkopp from Level Seven.

We're volunteering for the rescue work.

You think they need you?

There are never enough rescue workers.

Listen, it just occured to me. Actually, we really are the closest.

Our men can get there much faster than the French teams.

- What if something happens here? - We'll have the midday shift.

Yes, that's true.

How you even gonna get across the border?

Just let us worry about that.

Pit foreman.

Distribute the equipment. You take charge. - Yes, sir.

Get ready, miners. We're getting the equipment.

Hey, the guys from the early shift are going over to the French.

The French? The ones who threw us out yesterday?

- What's that got to do with it? - Come on. We going in or not?

Yes, Sergeant.

Ready? - Ready.

Good luck! - Good luck!

Get me Director Berteux on the line.

- The French director is on the line. - Thanks.

Hello? Mr. Berteux?

Hello, Mr. Berteux.

Mr. Berteux, our rescue teams have just left.

Not at all, sir. It's only natural.

We're only too happy to help.

Good luck. - Good luck.

Come back soon.

Gustav, you haven't eaten yet.

Thanks, Mother.

- Make sure nothing happens to you. - We'll be back.

Anna...

Half the miners are buried over there.

We have to go.

They also have wives and children.

Don't cry, Anna.

You must understand.

Sister, please take me to the Thibaut mine.

Do you have a relative in the mine?

Your husband?

No, my brother and...

his friend.

Georges!

Georges!

See you soon, old boy. Good luck!

Georges!

When I was a little boy, a similar accident happened nearby.

The elevator got jammed. So they had to spend a half a day on repairs

to get the miners out.

German rescue team.

Think the French will let them pass?

Hey, Girard. Get the phone.

FRENCH CUSTOMS

If they start their passport nonsense, we'll lose valuable time.

Don't stop!

Speed up. Come on.

Watch out! The fool's shooting!

Hey!

Hey, don't shoot! Let them go. It's a German rescue team.

Yes, two trucks with German rescuers.

Okay, thank you. That's good.

Let me know as soon as you hear from the rescuers.

Look, there's the flag.

Mom. - Fran�oise.

What about Jean?

The rescue workers are at the bottom. There's still hope.

It's Albert!

Rose, it's your husband.

- Albert, Albert! - Please, ma'am. From the other side.

Albert... answer me.

Can you hear me?

You were with Jean? With Emile?

Please, answer me.

All...

All down there.

All dead.

It's not true. If he's alive...

the others are alive too.

We must rescue them. Let's force the gate!

Yes!

Be patient. The rescuers are still working.

- Liar! You're letting them die. - No. I assure you.

- They want to save the mine! - But not our husbands!

Take the flag down. They're not dead.

Open up! Open up!

Call the supervisor. The troops must be alerted.

You hear that?

He's asking for the troops.

They're going to start shooting.

Here they come.

- German rescue team. Open the gate. - Open up.

- Open up! German rescuers. - What? The Germans?

They're German rescuers. They're coming to help us.

- Open the gates. - Open up!

The Germans. I don't believe it.

Rescue squad from the German mine, at your disposal.

We thank you and your brave companions for coming to help

rescue our comrades.

We hope that none of you are hurt in your efforts.

Good luck!

- Think they made it over there? - Wittkopp will get it done.

- If we didn't have to work... - Too bad. It's a shame.

- We could've met them halfway. - Eat your lunch.

Yes.

Lunchtime.

Hey, he's taking off.

Let us in on it. I'm sick and tired of your secrets.

Good luck.

- He's nuts. Where's he going? - No clue.

Kasper. Hey Kasper!

We can't let him go alone.

Kasper! Kasper!

Hey, don't run like that. We can't keep up.

Look here. This goes to the French side.

During the war, they broke through here.

In other words, it's our mine. Get it?

- Are you crazy? - If anyone hears about this,

we'll get fired on the spot.

You can stay if you like, dearest.

- The French don't like you anyway. - Oh, the French.

I really shouldn't go over there. France insulted me.

But I'll show them. I'll tell 'em in German.

German rescue squad.

Thank you for your help.

What kind of birdcage is this?

Border... "Border, 1919"

Have you ever seen such a thing?

It goes 2,000 feet (800m) up from here to the surface.

Only you can't see it up there.

Like I said: ''The French have something against me.''

They won't let us in.

To hell with them!

- Those guys are in for a surprise. - Hit hard. Show them.

Tell me, Jean...

How many...

How many truckloads today?

Emile, my friend.

And Fran�oise? Has she gone?

One, two...

- You know the way, right? - Don't worry.

This leads home to mommy.

Wow.

What a mess.

Hey. Here's one.

There's another one over there.

He's had it.

Ah, it's Bijou.

Hey, go straight ahead here.

Let's follow the horse. He knows the way.

Hurry up. We're not getting any air down here.

Well, boy. Let's see where you've led us.

- He doesn't understand German. - Don't say that.

Sometimes horses like this are smarter than people.

Then let's find out what he likes about this spot.

Hey, it's the ghost of the mine!

It's an old miner.

You're right.

Look - it's Georges. It's my grandson.

I'm the one who found him.

What? - Yes. -Yes, yes.

What's wrong with the young one?

Hey, half-pint.

Get back!

Crap.

Now we can't get out.

Well, now we're done for.

Tighten this.

Come right back.

Hello?

Hello! Is someone there?

Is someone there?

The Germans.

Come on!

Come on, fellas! Fire! Open up on them!

Up there... Two more.

Pass the kid through. The air's a lot better in here.

Careful!

- Don't worry, fella. - We'll take good care of you.

It's nothing.

They hire pretty young boys.

Hey, you didn't find anyone?

Anyone missing from the rescue teams?

No, everyone's here.

Your guys all above ground?

- Are any of our men still below? - No, they've all come up.

Everyone's up.

So, stuck?

Not... Not get out?

Then we'll take this railcar to heaven.

Hello? Hello?

I can keep searching but they're all dead down there.

Look down under there.

Nothing here.

Maybe over there in the corner.

There it is.

Huh? Yes!

Five men trapped in the railcar room.

What? Germans? Where?

Five men trapped in the railcar room.

Yes. Yes.

Five men! Railcar room!

Yes, yes.

- There are five more. - There are five more!

Hey there! There are still five men in the railcar room, tunnel 8.

- They just telephoned. - Hear that?

- Five more down there. - Get up, guys!

Five men down there. We must search for them.

- What the heck is going on? - There are still people down there.

Move it!

Let's wait another 5 minutes. Then we'll see.

Hello, gentlemen. I'm told you were waiting for me.

Please excuse me.

I just found out five men are trapped alive in the railcar room.

A rescue team has already gone down for them.

Here they are.

Yes, that's them.

Georges, my Georges. They're here for us!

Yes, they're coming! They're coming.

Thank God. What can I say? We were as good as dead.

Right, Kasper?

Then Kasper said:

''If I only had an awl. An awl would be damn nice.''

What I have done well?

So what do you think I did? I went to the phone and said:

''Director, sir, could you please send an awl to our funeral?''

Here they come!

Come down, my boy!

Wanted to go in first?

Grandfather, there you are.

Go ahead, Jean. Say something to them.

My friends, we're all united as miners. And it's because

we're all united as miners that you brought me up from the bottom.

And again, it's because we're united as miners,

that comrade Kasper broke the gate in shaft 1315.

And it's also because on our side of the border

we have only two enemies: the gas and the war.

Bravo! Bravo!

We must never forget that we're all united as miners.

Thank you, my comrades. We say not farewell

but good-bye.

My comrades!

The exact words our French comrade said, I don't understand.

But what he meant, we all understood.

Regardless of whether we're German or French

we're all workers.

And a miner is a miner.

But why do we stick together when it gets tough?

Should we sit idly by until they've stirred up

so we shoot each other down in war?

The coal belongs to everyone. Whether we dig it up

on this side or the other.

And if they can't reach an agreement at the top

we'll stick together.

Because we belong together.

Long live our French comrades. Good luck!

Good luck!

Everything back in order.

Everything must always be in order.

Okay, this should hold it.

- Have you completed the report? - Yes.

Here.

THE END