Original subtitles

Not yet, Colonel.

Wait till you get a clear shot.

You damn fool! I said wait!

That's not some clay animal in a fairground you're shooting at.

I'm sorry, old man. I thought I could make it.

[SPEAKS NATIVE LANGUAGE]

What's the matter, Marchent?

It will be dark in an hour.

Can't leave it to suffer all night. Let's go after it.

- You'd better go back to camp. - Wouldn't you like me to come with you?

You're dead right I would. I wanted to catch one of the most dangerous animals there is.

Might teach you something.

- Marchent? I realise that while I'm on this safari, I'm your responsibility,

but I think I'd like to go. Whatever the danger.

I'm sorry, Colonel Hammond. I had no right to shout at you like that.

But the animals in this country are part of my life.

And I hate to see them abused in any way.

You go back to camp.

Your daughter should be arriving tonight. You must be there to meet her.

All right, David. If you think it's best.

Good luck. See you later.

Right. Come on. Let's hurry.

Release the antelope.

Bwana! Look here.

- We can't be far behind. - Look!

What is it?

It is the sign of the sacred White Rhino,

that guards the entry into the lands of the Kunaka.

Wait bwana! You would enter their lands?

Well, we haven't come this far to be turned back by a primitive tree carving.

But here the Devils of Darkness are all about us!

The Deils of waht?

The spirits of the past that protect the forest lands,

from the desecration of unworthy eyes.

- They won't come with us? - They dare not.

And you? Do you believe in this?

Then wait here.

Malinga. Peace to you.

You are on the hallowed hunting ground of the Kunaka.

No hunter is allowed her.

I only came to end the suffering of this wounded beast.

Your presence has disturbed the spirit of the White Rhinoseros.

He who watches over you would understand.

Can you not also forgive me?

That is for our leaders to decide,

but it is written, that whenever the pale ones return,

they must die.

Come!

[CHANTS IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]

You who have entered the sacred lands and disturbed the tormented spirits, must die.

- Is there no defence I can offer? - None.

For your fate was sealed in the dark days of the past,

when this area was the domain of the rare White Rhinoseros.

In that time, tribes of the primitive white races came from the far north.

And having no fear of and no respect for our religion,

entered this area and senselessly slaughtered the sacred beasts.

Instead of falling upon them and killing them for this sacrilege

we of the Kunaka

accepted their false idol and entered into a hideous pact with them.

In this, we displeased our gods,

who placed us in spiritual bondage,

until the White Rhinoseros itself reappears!

Or until the false idol shatters.

Until such time as either of these signs from the god appears,

all who enter the sacred land must die!

Don't be afraid.

Let me help you.

I was trying to help her.

Who are you?

The White Rhino.

Your clothes are different. You are different. Can you speak our tongue?

Yes.

Where do you come from?

A land far from here.

- Why did you come? - I...

I can only believe the Fates brought me here.

Then they brought you to me!

Take him!

I'm sorry I had to hurt you.

- What is your name? - They call me Saria.

- Mine is David. - You came to help us?

If I can.

Tell me something about this place, Saria.

It is our prison... This room will be yours.

So when we met out there in the jungle, you were trying to escape?

Yes.

But there is no escape from Kari. We are her slaves.

Slaves?

How long has it been like this?

- For as lomg as I can remember. - Why not rebel?

You make it sound so easy.

She's not only protected by the timeless ones,

but beyond...by the devils.

Devils?

Yes. They are everywhere.

Who are they?

They are our guardians. They shield us from the cruel world outside.

In return, at each new moon, one of us must wed them.

The bride is never seen again.

It is our fate.

No one must accept such a fate, Saria.

Are there no men here to help you?

- But you said you had come to help us. - But your men, where are they?

They are no longer men.

Take her!

I did not save you for others, strange one.

You're mine, and mine alone.

Think on this.

Bring the stranger to me.

Now there are two mouths that eat before we get ours!

We are hungry, also!

If you choose to have your food upon the ground, then let it be so.

Now you may eat.

- I will tear the heart from her! - Now is not the time.

Look at her! She eats upon a throne while we grovel in the dust.

We are not beasts of the field.

We are women, equal to her!

You are wrong. You are my slaves.

Let her go.

Let the dancing continue.

Permit me, my queen, to speak.

Speak slave.

The women are sad, and when the heart is heavy the feet are not light.

Let there be no more dancing.

You heard my command. Dance!

- You refuse me! - What else can you expect?

Your heartless cruelty is sickening.

You'd have me otherwise?

What makes you so cruel?

Cruelty has made me cruel.

I was once their slave.

Before the Devils came we dark ones were in bondage to the fair ones.

You would have pitied me then, a meek, cringing creature.

You would have pitied me, but you would not have wanted me.

- I don't want you now. - Why not?

Must a woman always be subservient to a man to be wanted?

No.

You suggest we should be equals?

Yes.

Then I offer you equality.

Share my throne and my kingdom with me.

If you abandon the harshness of your regime, yes, I could accept your offer.

You see! Already you want to impose your will!

You want to dominate me.

I'd be a fool to let any man do that again.

But you will want me - and on my terms1

Never.

I am queen here. I will not be denied.

You will never rule me.

Then like the others, you will become my slave.

Take him!

Tomorrow you will learn what happens to those who try to master me.

A devil!

Poor Saria. She's too young to have sufferred so.

The let this be your lesson.

Many more of us will have to suffer if you persist in this seneless search for freedom..

There is no escape.

Lie still, little one.

- Is he safe? Have they hurt him? - Who?

The stranger. The one that came to help us.

Don't expect too much from him. Kari has taken him for her own.

He has not resisted.

I don't believe you. He wouldn't betray me.

Do you still refuse me?

Let us see what a visit in there will do to weaken your resolve.

You - on the bellows!

Who are you? Where are you from? How did you come here?

Silence, you senile old fool.

The sooner you join your ancestors and your stupid tongue is silenced forever,

the happier I shall be!

Work!

- He hates yoy. Why? - The man he used to hate died last week.

He needs someone new.

They all hate. It keeps them alive.

- You do not hate? - I am too old.

Even for hatred.

Silence! Quiet! Work.

Let the ceremony of selection begin.

It won't help.

The selection has been made.

The bride will be...

Amyak!

No!

Do not look upon us with such disgust.

We too were once a civilised people.

It's hard to believe now.

It was so when we first came to the sacred land of the White Rhinoseros.

Even where I have come from, I have heard much of this legend.

Tell me, how did it begin?

Our forefather's brought us here.

We were not superstitious like the others.

We hunted the White Rhinoseros until it finally became extinct.

Then we erected a false image to make others believe that it still lived.

In this way we offended the gods, and the legend was born.

They sent us a tribe of dark people,

who came here looking for sanctuary. For our protection...

They were less intelligent people,

and instead of nurturing them, we made them our slaves.

This easing of our daily burden made us soft and thoughtless to the well-being of others.

One day, a young slave girl escaped.

She went to the most barbaric of the neighbouring tribes,

those who call themselves the 'Devils of Darkness'.

She betrayed our secrets.

No longer fearing the spirit of the White Rhinoseros,

the devils fell upon us.

Our women were enslaved.

The men put in here...

and that young slave girl was made our queen.

A more evil woman could not have been chosen.

How could she know better?

The evil within her was put there by us!

Our own selfishness and greed had grown tenfold on fertile soil,

and had turned against us.

These false doctrines that we have created

will be washed from the minds of men.

No. You're wrong.

The legend will not die.

Then we can only pray for the forgiveness of the gods.

For the legend is that we must all remain in spiritual bondage,

Until the White Rhino itself reappears,

and the false idol rent asunder.

They must not take Amyak away from us now.

- We must rebel. - Let us rise up.

Without Amyak, we are lost.

- She is our leader... - No!

You must take no action!

You're not ready yet.

You must only choose a new leader.

Let Saria lead you after I am gone.

Any form of resistence means death.

- Then you won't join us? - We must all be bride someday.

It si our destiny.

Only the gods can change one's destiny,

and you are not gods.

We must go to the stranger. He will help us.

How can he help you, little one?

He's imprisoned with the other men.

- He's not like other men. - To you he isn't.

He's not like other men, and it is Kari who desires him!

If he were to become her man, he could use his position in helping us destroy her.

And could you agree to allowing this stranger to become - Kari's man?

I must agree, for all our sakes.

- Are you not afraid? - Yes, little one. I am afraid.

- Don't wake the others. - Why are you here?

The women are ready to rebel, but we need your help.

How can I help?

Kari must be watched by somebody close to her.

- You could be that person. - Me?

It is known that you have refused her, but,

if you would change your mind?

- Do you know what you're asking? - Yes.

Yes, I know what, but you must help us. Please, promise me that you will.

How can I refuse you?

Don't be sad. When this is over, we'll be together.

No, when this is over, you will leave us.

I will never leave you.

The legend foretells, that when the stranger comes to free us,

and his task is done,

he will return to his own land... alone.

I won't leave you.

I must go.

That woman... is she your special woman?

Yes.

I had forgotten about such things.

- On my terms, completely? - Yes.

- You will run my household? - Yes.

- Look after my clothing? - Yes.

- Mix my perfumes? - Yes.

In fact you will do everything that I ask?

Yes.

Fetch me my robe.

Why do you hesitate?

It will take me a little time to...

You must learn that each command must be obeyed at once.

Come.

My body hungers. Bring food and drink to my chambers.

No!

I release you from your promise.

What promise?

There is no promise.

He fulfills your desires only because I made him promise that he would.

Is this true?

She is confused. She doesn't know what she is saying.

- Is it true? - He did it for all our sakes!

Take him to the cavern, and never let him see daylight again!

Never! Never! Never!

Bring her!

Never! Never! Never! Never!

Look at her. Look! For you'll never see her again.

Never! Never!

The Devils are here.

They've come for a bride.

Why did you stop him?

I couldn't bear to see him humiliated any more.

And yet to save him you've condemned yourself - and us.

While he and the other men still live, you must not lose hope.

The men! What use are they? Better they were dead.

They've become beasts.

You must think of the men, not as enemies, but as friends.

Then together you will conquer.

It is the only way.

No! Nobody can stand it!

He's right.

Pain won't last long.

Let us try again.

- You must stop! - No!

Not until we are free.

Are we free?

Yes.

The gods are kind. My one prayer was to die free.

Am I free?

I... I am free! I am...free.

Quickly! There is work to be done!

After them!

Victory is ours. Stop!

You don't have the time to go in there!. The jungle is their home.

- Kill her! - After them!

Kill them all! They dare to rebel against me! Kill them all!

Kill them all!

- David! David! - Saria!

Look!

Stop!

He is our god. He will not harm us.

We won't need them any more.

You don't think they'll come back?

No. The legend...

It's partly fulfilled.

I don't care what the legend says. I won't leave you.

My world is not yours. This much I understand.

- How can you know that? - You came to help us and your task is finished.

And now you must leave.

Saria!

Are we never to be together?

Not until the gods who watch over us wish it to be so.

I love you.

And my love for you will last forever.

It is fulfilled.

The legend of the White Rhinoseros is fulfilled!

At last we are free. Our souls are no longer in bondage.

We are free!

Free! We are free! Free!

Our gods chose you to free us from this burden that has tormented us through the ages.

The Kunaka will be eternally grateful.

The temple of the false idol must be destroyed!

What happened, bwana, I thought you were in danger?

- Jakara, how long was I in there? - Only for one moment.

One moment...

What happened?

I'm not sure.

There was a sheet of lightning.

What has happened to them?

They are not as fierce a tribe as you would have me believe, Jakara.

I think it safer we get back to camp.

Pity David didn't get that leopard, m'dear.

The skin would have made a nice present for our daughter.

John... Did you notice anything strange about Mr. Marcheant when he came back?

Can't say I did. Why?

He had a sort of farawy look in his eye.

- Almost as if he... - Excuse me, bwana.

- The others are coming. - Splendid. Tell Mr. Marchent.

Wonder if they've got some English newspapers.

The others have come, bwana.

Thank you. I'll be out in a moment.

John!

- David. - Hello. Good journey?

Fine, David. Fine.

Hope I haven't missed any excitement here?

No. Not really.

Come on then. Come and meet the new people.

Mr. and Mrs Perkins, from London.

Mrs. Perkins. Mr. Perkins.

And Mr. Peter O'Donnell.

Mr. O'Donnell. Please make yourselves at home.

My head boy will show you the sleeping arrangements.

There's another one here, somewhere. Ah, there she is.

Oh, Sarah, I'd like you to meet Mr. David Marchent.