Original subtitles

It's about saving the Reich.

We must prevent the sabotage of the decisive weapon of this war.

The V3 missiles, I know.

They will never fall into the hands of the Judeo-Bolshevists!

We'll have to go through Saint-Laurent.

The bridge will allow us to avoid the busy roads.

Good.

Head for the Saint-Laurent bridge.

We're ready for the Fritz's arrival.

Disperse until the meeting.

I hear voices.

Are you afraid?

What if it's the Maquis?

I'd be happy if they put you in jail.

You'd lick the guards' boots.

It's not their shoes that you would lick.

I can see it already. Come on, get going, fathead!

Give me that. Let's go!

We should have moved our barrels of brandy yesterday.

- Yesterday we delivered the pig. - We could have taken barrels.

We need to be done before dawn. Let's hurry.

If we get caught, it's your fault.

Leave me alone!

You're so stupid that I'm sad to be your brother.

SAINT-LAURENT BRIDGE

Oh, no.

Go!

Go already!

Hurry up, slacker.

- Come on, number four! - I beat you, Gregoire.

- Go! - It's the fourth one, Francoise's one!

- You always win. - That's what sports are all about.

Next time, mine will win.

In any case, you made a promise.

Yes. You promised to tell us a story.

Okay. I'll tell you about my mission to Y.

The war of '14 was different from the war of today.

So, I was on my plane.

The Nieuport?

No. I was all alone on a Caudron C3.

But the Caudron C3 has two seats.

Well, I preferred to be alone.

I was returning from my mission on Y,

I was coming out of a nimbus

and fell face to face with the Fritz's ace!

The terror of the English, Blankenberg himself.

Wasn't it Blankenburg?

Berg or burg, in German, it's all the same.

Did you go down like a dead leaf?

Did I tell you already?

- No, but Guynemer did that. - We all did it.

I approach Blankenberg, almost ramming him.

He sees me. He recognizes me.

I was well-known after all my exploits.

There was a price on my head.

Then all of a sudden Blankenberg flies right at me!

I dodge him and dive into a cloud.

He follows me, as I expected.

I pull on the yoke all the way

and I go straight up.

You should have seen Blankenburg's face.

I line up. I arm my machine gun.

And at that point, I start shooting.

Kids, you should have seen it. Come here.

I do an acrobatic turn on the wing and fall on it…

Do you remember, Guynemer? It was like fireworks.

Guynemer wasn't born yet.

Of course, he wasn't born!

But his grandfather told him all about it.

Anyway, I shoot Blankenberg.

Flames were coming out everywhere. The apotheosis!

Bang!

I told you so!

You didn't tell me anything!

- It's all your fault! - And what about the Maquis?

- What is it? Did you see something? - There's black smoke.

Help!

- The alcohol's burning! - Throw the barrel!

I'd rather throw the hay!

Cheapskate!

There!

Ouch!

My arm!

It stings!

Be careful.

It hurts.

Careful.

Good grief! What happened here?

- We don't understand. - It exploded, that's all I know.

Why were you on the bridge with a barrel of alcohol?

- What were you doing? - Etienne told me to come.

You've got a lot of nerve!

I obeyed him without saying anything. He is the eldest, the head of the family.

Have you ever heard of black markets?

Mr. Mayor…

It's all nonsense.

Mr. Mayor!

- It was me who blew up the bridge! - Gregoire, leave us alone!

Let me explain.

I don't have time for your nonsense.

My friends, this is serious.

The village is in danger.

- You don't care? - Because you're a foreigner.

I'm a Parisian!

- A Parisian isn't a foreigner. - It's worse.

Come on!

Forget it, Mr. Gregoire.

For once there's something going on here, they won't let you be the star.

You're kind.

Unlike them.

- Another coup by the Maquis. - All big mouths!

They must have received orders.

To hinder the Fritz's retreat.

Yes, it's quite simple.

We'll have blocked them off here.

Yes. Retaliation is to be expected.

We need emergency measures.

I told you it was me, Mr. Mayor.

Let me explain!

I was playing with snails with the kids.

They asked me to talk about my fight with Blankenberg.

So I mimed my descent in a spin between two clouds.

And suddenly, I don't know why,

I fell on a pile of logs and kaboom!

The bridge exploded.

Listen, Gregoire,

you were sent here by the administration after the exodus.

We accept you. We bow to you.

- We put you up in the castle! - So that I can keep it.

And that I maintain it.

Some gift that is.

We put up with you the best we can, and it's not always easy!

Don't forget that I am the only one in charge in this village.

During your rounds, tell the priest:

There's a town council meeting at noon!

That's an order!

Okay.

So I don't tell them?

Miss Verger will do the work by herself.

Well, I won't insist.

Parisians are dog heads.

What are you staring at?

It's not my fault if your wife has nice breasts.

Offer us a drink.

What do you mean, "offer"?

To the crippled.

To victims of the war.

You sleazy people.

With all your dealing, I should rinse your throat?

Yes. Now that we've rinsed our eyes.

Come, Guynemer.

Come, Guynemer. Reconnaissance mission.

On the way, the stork squadron.

Let's go!

Oh, Gregoire!

Good morning, Father. Here is La Croix.

And a letter from your sister.

Her leg and liver are better. Her fiancé is fine.

Anything else?

- Nothing of interest. - Perfect, thank you… Gregoire.

We're expecting you at the Town Hall for an urgent council at noon.

In relation to the bridge I blew up.

Come on, at your age! You could start getting serious.

See, even the priest.

If that's how it is, I won't tell them anything else.

In 1970, we didn't see a single Kraut.

In 1914, neither.

It would be unfortunate if they come when the war is almost over.

These Maquis will ruin everything.

They're brave, they're saving France.

They're saving it by acting like idiots. Look at my arm and my brother's head.

If the Germans pass by here,

they'll be blocked by the bridge, and remain on our hands.

We risk retaliation.

We should evacuate the children and the elderly.

And the women, too.

If I were them, that would interest me more.

With all due respect, Ms. Verger.

- If you know what I mean. - Come on, Gaston.

With your skirt, you'll have to hide.

Because the Fritz don't see the difference.

Come on, Machu.

I have an idea!

Well, that's a first. With your percolator head.

Did you see your alembic face?

Let's let Edouard speak. What's your idea?

If we don't want to see the Krauts here,

let's screw up all the signs that lead to Saint-Laurent.

That's a good idea inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Praise the Lord.

They'll go to the neighboring villages.

They'll rape their wives. That will teach them.

That will teach them a lot.

Where do we start?

Let's go. Get out there.

Go with Marcel on the bridge of Saint-Laurent.

Let's hurry.

Move over!

- Watch my arm, you jerk! - Jerk yourself, son of a gun!

Calm down, my children.

- I will help you. - No!

Not there, Father.

This one might not be worth it.

The more you remove, the less you have left.

Okay, perfect.

- Did we forget any? - No, there are none left.

Now we can go back to our wives. Right, Mr. Priest?

Very funny. You better pray that the Germans don't see anything.

Fritz can't read French anyway.

Guynemer.

I'm not crazy, there were signs there, right?

It's probably another trick by those pesky kids.

Stop it!

I…

I was fixing the sign.

It must have been the storm.

Thank you very much. Without you, we were lost.

Because you are going to…

To Saint-Laurent.

And you will show us the way.

Come on.

Well…

You will ride with me.

No, let him go first. You never know.

You. Take the bicycle.

And show us the way.

Understood?

Yes.

Of course.

Well, we're in a bit of a pickle.

They'll be surprised at Saint-Laurent.

What have I done to God?

Oh, Negroes!

It's the Americans.

We're saved! It's the Americans!

It's the Americans!

The Americans! Long live Churchill!

They're coming! I saw them! The Americans!

Gregoire is bringing them!

It's not the Krauts?

No, there are no Negroes in the German army.

- What do you mean? - There are some in America.

My God!

Black Negroes.

We don't even have an American flag to welcome them.

I have an idea. Come, children.

They're here.

Thank you, Lord.

Do you hear, Guynemer?

What's going on?

There's no wedding in Saint-Laurent.

Look!

I yelled loudly enough.

It's not my fault it's not the Americans.

You're crazy!

Clean your glasses, they're Germans!

- It's your fault! - Germans?

From Germany? Where are they?

Oh, yes.

So… Ich bin a priester.

Mr. Mayor.

No, I didn't do anything. He's the mayor.

Yes, sir. I'm the mayor of this town.

Well, Mr. Mayor,

thank you.

This is the least we can do.

BROKEN BRIDGE

Achtung!

Thank you for your warm reception.

I see that there are still French people who are for collaboration.

Of course!

We're delighted!

You defend us against Bolshevism!

- What's going on? - The bridge blew up.

Dismissed!

- Terrorists again. - It's a trap.

They say we tricked them.

- Let's pull back. - We have orders to go north.

They're carrying something that prevents them from going back.

- We're not at risk. - All French people are terrorists.

We stay here.

They don't seem to agree.

How to believe this scum?

They're Jews, Bolsheviks, degenerates!

I'm in charge. Dismissed.

Bloody kids!

You'll see if I catch you!

Excuse them, officer. The kids pulled a prank.

In Germany, they must be the same.

Hitler also had to play pranks when he was a child.

Hitler… No?

- Terrorists blew up the bridge. - No, officer.

I did it.

- I made a mistake. - No, uh…

Enough, Gregoire! Leave us alone.

No, we're not responsible.

The whole village is for collaboration!

In that case, you will accommodate us until the bridge is repaired.

Yes, of course.

You have one hour to make a list of available beds.

Or I'll requisition automatically.

Mr. Mayor.

Send them to the castle.

There's nobody up there but Gregoire.

What's wrong with you?

The castle is historical. I'm in charge, so no!

- You have a castle? - Yes.

The castle of the Marquis of Mangebaret.

He left in 1940.

He was afraid of you.

Wrongly, of course.

He didn't know how good you would be.

The castle is an architectural wonder.

You'll love it. Gregoire, that's a good idea.

Take the gentleman to the castle.

I'll remember that.

- Perfect. We'll follow you. - Here you go.

Come, Guynemer.

I'll walk you to your car.

See how the mayor settled that?

That bastard!

I'll wait for you in an hour at the castle.

We have a few important issues to address.

Follow me.

In the car!

If the Americans spot them, the bombs still won't be on us.

- Right? - Yeah.

They'll surely requisition all the supplies.

Hide anything that might interest them.

You risk nothing, Mrs. Papart. You won't interest anybody.

Listen to me!

We must hide cattle, meat, wine, alcohol

fruits and vegetables, anything edible or drinkable.

- But where? - Dig some holes.

To fatten up the moles?

- In our barn, behind the hay. - Yeah.

- He's got his head screwed on! - In any case, we must hurry!

Friends, I have a brilliant idea.

The Blessed Virgin has just inspired me.

Don't walk on the carpet with your studded shoes!

Alright? Okay.

We'll have a hard time understanding each other.

- Ja. - Ja.

I speak French a little bit.

I don't speak German at all.

My name is Otto.

Is that so?

Can you believe it?

I'm a collaborator. That's the last thing I needed.

- My name is Gregoire. - Oh.

Nice to meet you, Mr. Gregoire.

- I love France. - I love France too.

Do you also love Germany?

No, I didn't say that!

This idiot will get me shot by the Maquis.

- Are you the keeper of the castle? - Ja.

Is this your uniform?

Oh no, that's a mailman's suit. Post.

I'm the one who delivers the letters.

- All right. - Yeah.

I do a bit of everything here.

We have to replace the prisoners.

Because I'm not from here, I'm a Parisian.

From Paris.

You're a foreigner. Just like us.

Yes, if you will.

But I'm still French.

Well, I'll leave you to it. I was asked to go and fix the bell.

I don't have time to waste.

I'll let you collaborate, Mr. Mayor. Go ahead.

- Ah! - Hitler!

Come, Guynemer.

Let me tell you something, Guynemer.

They're selfish in Saint-Laurent. They only think about money.

Sit.

A few days of occupation won't hurt them.

After all, this isn't the battle of Stalingrad.

No, I assure you, Commander. We have nothing left.

Nothing! We gave everything to the government requisitions.

Come on. You must have some pigs on your farms.

- Some small curly sheep. - We don't have pigs in this region.

We're very poor.

We're poor farmers.

And the last sheep was eaten a long time ago.

Some small rabbits?

Some chickens with eggs?

Look carefully.

Oh, yes!

We have carrots, turnips, and Jerusalem artichokes.

A poor woman died because of the restrictions.

We only eat rutabagas or ersatz, as you say at home.

- You too? - Of course!

Yet you look in good health, Mr. Mayor.

I've lost ten kilos since the war started.

Don't let that fool you.

This is bad fat.

I'll tell you,

I have fatty anemia.

It's terrible.

If you ask me, Guynemer, they're hiding something again.

Just because we're Parisians.

I wonder what they're up to, those hillbillies.

Come on. We're smarter than them.

Father.

I understand less with each passing day.

Do not seek. The ways of the Lord are inscrutable.

Instead, let's dig Mr. Galtier's grave.

I passed his house this morning. He was arguing with his wife.

Last night he had a fever of 40.

So he's not dead?

I don't want to be caught off guard. Come on.

Come on, Guynemer.

Oh, Guynemer.

You've got to be kidding.

It's top-quality meat.

You're exaggerating.

No woof. You're picky.

Some people would be happy with that.

Yes?

Mr. Gregoire. The commander has eaten badly.

He asks you if you have any schnapps. Alcohol.

This is my dinner.

Here.

To prove that I am a good collaborator, give it to the commander.

Fine Napoleon.

Gut. Fine Napoleon.

You're not likely to drink Fine Hitler one day.

Cheers, Otto.

Prost.

And don't forget to take the bowl down to your boss.

Jawohl,Mr. Gregoire.

That's weird, I'm not deaf.

What's going on?

It's the Germans.

Are there many of them?

- Quite a lot, yes. - I'll talk to them.

This is flour.

My God, inspire me.

- Father, over here. - Thank you.

What are they doing?

They're on their knees. They're praying.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, so be it.

My dear brothers…

My dear brothers,

behold in the city of Bethlehem…

Well.

Behold in the city of Bethlehem, a savior is born.

He came as the poorest of the poor.

He came, naked,

between the donkey and the gray ox,

on some straw.

This donkey and this ox were the only wealth of his father Joseph.

Can one be so poor?

Can we imagine that God,

in his infinite goodness and greatness,

would give birth to his son, Jesus,

on a bit of straw?

Jesus, the son of God,

wanted to come to earth to redeem our sins.

To help us, his brothers.

To show us the divine path

that leads to bliss.

The path that we, Christians,

must follow with confidence

and serenity.

Did you ask why…

why…

What could be more natural

than to talk to you today about Bethlehem?

Why?

Why? You may ask.

Well,

because our village of Saint-Laurent

currently presents singular analogies

with the city of Bethlehem in the year 1 of our era.

Today there won't be any music.

I said no music!

No music!

Indeed, Caesar Augustus was ruling in Rome at that time.

Caesar Augustus was ruling in Rome…

You should have warned me.

His soldiers occupied Galilee and, no doubt,

they needed supplies,

and the people were thus put to contribution.

The Romans wanted pigs, cows…

Holy cow.

Cows, they wanted cows!

Cows and eggs.

They wanted cows.

Eggs, everything. Chickens, fowls, rabbits…

But the people of Bethlehem

were as poor and as destitute

as we are today in Saint-Laurent.

Understood?

I hope.

Christ will later tell his apostles

that we must render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

If this goes on, it will be a disaster.

It is not a matter of avoiding Caesar's demands.

I mean…

The Führer.

Chickens, fowls, rabbits,

pigs, eggs, cows… we have none.

I repeat. We do not have any!

But, what we can offer to our occupants

are our fervent prayers.

To ask God to forgive them

and to spare them on the day of the Last Judgment.

That's it.

Schulz, dismissed!

We can be…

We can be charitable in spirit.

We have no ulterior motives. We offer our rooms and prayers,

because we have nothing else, sadly,

to offer them.

Nevertheless, I prayed to God all night

for a miracle.

Let him multiply, once again, the bread!

And why not rabbits,

chickens, fowls, calves, oysters… What am I saying?

Commander.

I know! We'll miss Radio London.

Let us be ready,

French and Germans,

to accept new restrictions.

And let us know how to offer our flat bellies, our hollow bellies,

to penance for the greater glory of God.

Amen.

We need nothing but you, Lord Thank you, Lord

We need nothing but you, Lord

Could you sing along, please?

Let's begin.

We need nothing but you, Lord

Louder, please.

Thank you. Let's begin.

What did you get? I stole this.

I got something too. I found this lying around.

I got two potato mashers.

Achtung!

- Camembert. - Requisition!

Schwarzhandel? The black market.

I'm confiscating it all.

Franzose filous.

He's going to get us shot.

We collaborators supply our German friends.

Confiscate it all.

You're crazy to salute! Yet another attempt to get shot!

You can't do that!

- No! - You must pay first!

Never mind, we'd better shut up.

Get out of here.

And be quick with it.

Move it!

Give that back.

You little rascal, Guynemer.

Guynemer…

Achso, the aviator!

There you go! You got it, buddy!

I understood!

The engineers will come with a bridge.

A bridge?

- A bridge. - Yes.

When they get here, we'll leave.

- For Berlin? - No.

No, not Berlin. A strategic retreat.

Do you understand?

A strategic retreat, like we did in 1940.

- Jawohl. - Ja. Gut.

Incredible!

Guynemer. Such a little rascal.

Ja… Ja.

No, Mr. Mayor. This is an attack!

Your entire village is responsible.

I assure you, Commander. They're terrorists!

They aren't from Saint-Laurent!

You're all accomplices. Every one of you!

Mr. Commander. You've seen it yourself.

- We're good collaborators. - Do you think I'm stupid?

Mr. Mayor, you mistook us for Americans!

That's the truth!

You have 24 hours to hand over the culprit.

24 hours.

If not, I'll shoot all the men from 18 to 60 years old.

Starting with you, who plays the double game so well.

I assure you, I love Germany! Do you understand?

I love your Führer, he' s so nice.

- He's so good for France. - Shut up!

You hypocrite.

All inhabitants are forbidden to leave the village.

If even one of you disobeys this order,

I'll burn Saint-Laurent!

Yes, Mr. Commander.

We're still at war.

- Don't forget it! - Yes, Mr. Commander.

Don't think that we have lost.

We have a great weapon to annihilate our enemies.

- A colossal weapon. - Really?

That's great.

- I'm very pleased. Well done, commander. - Go!

You may leave.

- Gregoire. - Yes.

- It's terrible. - What's the matter?

They'll shoot everyone.

Warn everyone. We meet in an hour at the town hall.

- I don't have any brakes! - Figure something out!

That's easy to say.

Do you want us to lend you a bike?

That would be great.

At least you don't want to see me shot.

Nicht shot!

- Achtung, bike. - Ja. Achtung, bike.

I know it's a bike.

Gregoire! Come see!

I can't, I'm in a hurry.

What's this?

It's a German grenade. Are you nuts, this isn't a toy!

If it blows up in your face, you'll lose your head! Take a look.

One, two… three.

There. See that?

- We have something to tell you. - What is it?

We killed the German man.

What did you say?

We wanted to play. We tied it behind the van.

What? The grenade?

Yes. We thought it was a potato masher.

Oh dear, what a story.

Do you realize what you've done?

Listen to me.

Don't say anything to anyone. Especially not your parents.

I'll try to fix it. Do you understand? It's going to be hard.

Don't move.

Oh, dear.

Guynemer!

Come, Guynemer. Things are getting complicated.

There is only one thing that can save us: the Americans!

I have to find them.

Hello?

Hello? Saint-Fereol, hello?

No answer.

Hello?

Hello, Saint-Claude? Hello?

No answer here either.

That's the last thing we needed.

The kids blew up the line.

And then…

I looked him straight in the eye

and said,

he was so mad.

"Mr. Commander,

the men of St. Laurent

will die with their heads held high."

"Like true patriots."

I don't think you should have said that.

Yeah, maybe it was better to play both sides.

I did!

What do you think.

I tried everything.

If he doesn't get his culprit, we're all going to die.

The men will. The women are lucky.

It's nonetheless someone from the village who shot this Fritz.

- Maybe it's Mr. Gontrand? - Mr. Gontrand? An 83-year-old man?

Exactly. At that age, he doesn't have long to live.

A little earlier, a little later…

Oh, that's a good idea!

It would be a better idea if it were more Christian.

It will make him go to God sooner.

- Everyone would be happy. - You Machus are bastards!

You can't be serious!

Mr. Gontrand is paralyzed.

The Fritz won't fall for it.

We must find someone.

We need a hero

to surrender to the Germans.

A hero isn't easy to find.

It would be best if it were someone who's not from St. Laurent.

A foreigner.

That way, the village's honor would be safe.

By the way, where is Gregoire?

We didn't see him this morning.

That's weird.

Yes, quite.

According to the radio, the Americans are 50 kilometers from here.

What are they doing?

They're visiting.

- Hi, Raphael! - Gregory.

The line is cut in Saint-Laurent.

The Fritz will kill us if the Americans don't come.

The Americans are very close.

- Where? - In Saint-Claude.

We saw them this morning.

Are you sure?

It's the shop… shop…

The shopkeeper told you? Well, then let me do it.

Call up Me… Me…

Wait, I'm coming.

Out of the way.

Hello?

Hello, Meneul?

This is Gregoire from Saint-Laurent.

No. I'm in Saint-Fereol.

I'll explain. My line is cut.

Are the Americans there?

Really? Thank you.

They passed right through. They're moving forward.

- They're not far. - Yes, they are. Take the earpiece.

Let's see what's going on in Fleury.

Yes?

Hello, Fleury?

Hello, beautiful.

Say, it's joyful at your place!

Really?

The Americans are there?

Are you sure? They aren't the Fritz?

The Fritz don't chew gum.

- Chew… - Yes, chewing gum.

Thanks, sweetheart. Bye-bye.

They are here, here, and here.

Everywhere, except in Saint-Laurent.

Damn them!

Stop!

Look.

How am I supposed to communicate with you?

Wait here.

- It's a… - A phone.

Couldn't you have said that earlier? I can call you.

Thank you.

See you!

There you are! I was about to call you.

Wait, I can explain.

It's not my bike. A friend lent it to me.

It's not my bike. It's Otto's, he lent it to me.

Damn it!

All this for those fools from Saint-Laurent.

- I'm looking for Gregoire. - You too?

Ja. He left with military equipment.

What?

He took my bike.

He left.

We're all going to die.

Holy Virgin, what have I done to the good Lord?

Lord, do not abandon your pious children of St-Laurent.

Fifth column? I'm a mailman!

I'm not a spy!

Spy. Shoot.

Damn it!

"Shoot." That's all you think about!

Shoot!

I shouldn't be shot, but decorated.

I came from the Germans.

I blew up the bridge. Boom! The bridge. Me!

If you don't come, the whole village of Saint-Laurent, shot!

By the Germans.

I don't understand.

If I don't go back to Saint-Laurent, they'll burn the village. I'm going!

And this? Material. Espionage.

No. This is a telephone. Hello. Telephone.

Let's start over. I'll explain.

I blew up the bridge.

Search, Guynemer.

Halt!

What did I say? This is as far as we can go.

With his poor eyesight and dumb look, he fooled us.

- He made fun of us. - Parisians make fun of everyone.

He is far away now. God knows what he's saying.

Dumb stories. With all due respect, Mr. Priest.

And then, when I had him in my sights,

he charged at me and…

Went down in the daisies in no time.

Listen up.

In aviation, alcohol is prohibited

because it unbalances the device.

Listen up. I turn around.

What do I see before me?

The ace of the aces of German aviation:

Blankenberg.

Blankenburg.

Not again.

Berg or burg, who cares?

It's a synagogue. It doesn't matter.

Synonym.

You're not going to give me French lessons are you?

Huh?

Synonym. Synagogue. Who cares?

In any case, there he was in front of me: Blankenberg.

Or burg.

And then I repeat the same tactic.

I go over Blanken… What you said.

I took him, like this, on top. And went full speed ahead and I…

I can't handle alcohol.

Help!

Too slow.

You'll break my bike.

Damn them!

You won't catch Gregoire like that.

I fought in World War I.

They're overreacting. If this goes on, I'll get angry.

I have a lot of breath.

They won't catch me easily.

They're starting to annoy me!

Don't worry, they'll bite now!

I warned them.

- Fire! - I'm not a spy, I'm just a mailman.

These Yanks are crazy!

If I don't get out of sight, they'll catch me.

I'll be safe there.

To think we've waited four years for them.

Taking a walk, mailman?

Oh my! They're so clingy!

Now, that sucks.

Fortunately, I know the shortcuts.

Oh dear.

This is complicated. We can't both go.

They're pissing me off!

I was in the trenches!

No doubt about it, it's a funny war.

If I have to choose, I prefer the other one.

That way, Saint-Laurent. You're not from around here?

Saint-Laurent. Behind you. Turn around.

Saint-Laurent. Understood? Turn around.

- What was that? - The Americans.

I'd rather not wait for them.

I'm sick of you!

He'll have trouble catching up.

They still won't believe me in Saint-Laurent. And yet…

- So? - Nothing.

They'll burn the village.

I got a flat tire.

Of course!

Piece of crap!

I don't have a patch.

They don't have the Tour de France.

- A problem, Mr. Gregoire? - You bet!

A Judeo-American mortar shell punctured my tire.

- A Judeo-American mortar shell? - Yes.

Very funny. You have a great sense of humor.

Hop in.

Well, that's nice. Thank you.

A great sense of humor.

No one ever believes me. How strange.

In any case, you're kind.

Have you seen the new bridge?

- Oh, yes. - But where?

In Paris. Everyone knows it.

No, have you seen our soldiers with the new bridge?

The new bridge? I haven't seen it.

In any case, even when I've seen something,

nobody ever believes me.

If no one comes forward, we're all going to die.

We still don't know why the Machus were on the bridge with their horse.

In fact, where are they?

Those bastards!

They ran away, too!

- Miss, wait! - Please!

- Wait! - Wait for us!

- Wait for us! - We're coming with you.

With your stupid idea, we'll get our asses kicked!

- Hold them off. I will find some backup. - Damn it. You hold them off.

You'll scare them.

- Come here! - Nice stroll!

Excuse me, ladies.

I've never seen them before.

Oh, for crying out loud!

Everybody, come here!

Come see the pretty ladies. Beautiful virgins.

- Dirt! Scum! - Come on now, my children, calm down.

What's wrong?

You look like Machu.

They disguised themselves as women

because the Fritz said they would shoot the men.

Bastards! Bunch of cowards!

Twenty-two!

Gentlemen.

Bastards!

Stop it! This is no time to fight.

Time's running out. If this goes on, we'll die.

We must find something. Go get dressed!

Ladies.

Excuse me, ladies.

France is quite lovely.

I think so too.

Later, I will certainly come back.

- There he is. They arrested him! - I told you so. We're saved.

Poor child. How awful.

Dear Gregoire. How could you do that?

It was madness.

See you at the cemetery, dear friend. And thank you very much for your humor.

I really like the Parisian spirit.

Mr. Mayor.

Don't forget our little deadline.

You have five hours to hand in the culprit.

Or else…

I know, Commander. We'll do whatever it takes.

Don't worry.

We'll figure it out.

He is happy to see his master again.

They're giving me the cold shoulder.

To hell with them.

Just make him turn himself in.

Why him?

Why Gregoire?

Because he's a foreigner.

- What if he didn't kill the SS? - A Parisian is capable of anything.

Don't push it, Leroux! We can't just turn him in like that…

Gregoire to the Germans?

No.

Children, you won't believe this.

I land, I get off my plane.

And what do I see? I'll tell you.

Marshal Foch himself.

With his beautiful oak leaf kepi. His big mustache.

He had a bugle in his hand.

He handed it to me and said,

"Gregoire, this is your big day."

Go ahead. Go talk to him.

What am I supposed to say to him?

To turn himself in, damn it!

Prove to him that he's guilty.

Come with me.

Then he said to me, "To you, soldier of France,

the honor of ringing the armistice."

Kids, go play somewhere else.

Gregoire.

Yes?

You're one of us.

Really? Well, I'll be damned.

Don't strain yourself. It's bad for your kidneys.

- France owes you a lot. - You've got some big ones.

Unlike my idiot brother.

Everyone agrees about the bridge.

Except…

There's the rest.

What rest?

It's the…

Well, the rest.

It's the…

Father.

Father!

Gregoire, my son.

- Yes, Father? - It is true. I am your Father.

It's with deep emotion that I speak to you.

- Father. - What? Oh, right. Yes.

You are not unaware of the threat

that Commander Müller weighs on the village.

Yes.

If no one sacrifices themselves,

all the children of Saint-Laurent will be orphans.

All the women will be widows.

How sad.

Yes, not just anyone can be a hero.

You always admired Joan of Arc.

Yes. Well… so and so.

Hush…

If the Lord called you, what would you answer him?

Call me? Call me where?

To the ultimate sacrifice.

- Not bad. - What's next?

I believe that the Lord has chosen you.

And it is said in the Gospel, if the hand of God is upon you,

let it carry you to bliss.

No, it's not true. It's not him who killed the German.

Why wouldn't I kill that Fritz?

That's right. It is me who killed him!

He's not the first and he won't be the last!

I know it's not him, Father.

Shut up. Gregoire says it's him, let's give him the honor.

That's right. Like Joan of Arc.

Like our national virgin.

Joan of Arc, maybe. I don't like to be taken for a fool!

Go play, my little darlings.

Gregoire…

Come on, Gregoire.

The sacrifice you're going to make is for France!

France never took its heroes for fools.

Yeah right.

- Maybe we messed up. - We have only four hours left.

MILITARY CEMETERY

If you would please follow me.

The grave.

The smaller one.

Considering what's left. There was no need to…

What about this one?

The hostage.

We're dumb and disciplined in Saint-Laurent.

Otto.

Except,

with all due respect, Mr. Commander,

it's quite tactless to shoot a Frenchman right now.

But it's my duty.

I understand that.

But sometimes duty has its limits.

In certain situations, you have to think about yourself.

If you wait just a bit longer,

if you do nothing,

I can plead your case with the Americans. I saw them.

I even talked to them. Look.

You will be a prisoner,

and thanks to me,

you will be treated like a king.

Preserves, chocolates, cigarettes, chewing gum…

No. No chewing gum.

Fine. No chewing gum.

With the Americans, no problem. It's democracy.

That's it.

So?

You've got a deal, but keep quiet.

Don't tell anyone.

The SS is watching me.

Don't worry.

Thank you, Commander.

Hush.

Okay. I'll leave you to your work.

Squadron, attention!

We are gathered here today to salute…

…Lieutenant Helmut Dietrich, who fell in battle.

You see, Guynemer, everything is going smoothly.

If that's the case, I think we'll have a lot of fun.

A Fritz plane.

It's been a while since we've seen one.

Weapons up.

Fire!

Crap.

Major Müller. My respects, General.

General Von Bach, of Reichsführer Himmler's staff.

Where's the missile?

It's safe, General. We're guarding it day and night.

Why wasn't it higher up to the north?

Terrorists blew up the bridge in Saint-Laurent.

And you burned Saint-Laurent, right?

Not yet, General. But…

We'll do it.

Retaliation, Commander!

The whole village must burn.

Shoot everyone.

It's an order!

Retaliation!

Father.

Father, Mr. Mayor.

I thought it over.

I agree.

My son! Blessed be God.

Yes. But I have some conditions.

It will be done, don't worry.

Let's go.

I need to fix this.

- Mr. Mayor. - Yes?

I want my name on the village square.

Yes.

- If that's not too much to ask. - Of course.

The Legion of Honor.

Sure.

Posthumously, of course.

Yes, of course.

You'll also have a municipal funeral.

- No. - You don't want any?

- A national funeral. - Okay.

Thank you.

Father?

I also want a stained glass behind the altar.

You shall have it, my son.

I also want my funeral to be rehearsed

to see how you'll behave after my death.

I'd love to, but time is running out.

Don't worry about the time. That's my problem.

You're in a hurry to see me die, huh.

No! We love you, my little Gregoire.

Okay. I'll leave you to it.

I still have a few things to do.

In the name of the Father, the Son…

Gregoire, be reasonable! I treat you like everyone else.

I gave you everything I could.

When you haven't given everything, Leroux, you gave nothing.

You bastard!

I didn't ask for this.

- I see you coming, with that look! - Edouard. It's for France.

No! France never asked anyone to be a cuckold.

So you'd rather be shot?

I didn't say that.

But Claire!

You're selfish, Edouard.

You, what are you waiting for?

Lend the Parisian your Germaine!

No, not Germaine!

Sorry, Auguste, but with those whiskers and that rack…

No way!

It's Claire or nothing.

It's loud and clear. That's it.

Whether you like it or not, I'm sacrificing myself.

Plain and simple. No choice.

Promise me you won't yell "More!"

It's hard to control yourself in these moments!

Bite your lips or bite him.

I can't promise anything.

Come on, let's go.

Let's go.

Madam, I almost waited.

The whore!

It's not a big deal. One more won't change much.

- What are you trying to say? - Nothing, Edouard.

He has good hygiene!

Oh, you're naughty.

Go, Gregoire!

- Show us you're a man! - Will you shut up?

What? It's nature. There's nothing wrong with that.

Do you feel good?

Are you proud of yourself?

Can you let me breathe?

Give me a little drink to cheer me up.

- Seriously? - Don't be a jerk.

Today, I really went through a lot.

You should be happy.

It's better to be alive and a cuckold than dead.

Tell yourself that.

See you later!

- I'll see you at the church. - That's enough.

He didn't even pay for his drink.

The kingdom of heaven is opening before you, Gregoire.

The Lord is here,

and the angels sounded their heavenly trumpets.

Glory to Gregoire… Glory to… It's not easy to say.

Glory to Gregoire, the savior of Saint-Laurent.

- The savior. - He surrendered thanks to me.

I gave him my land.

Are you kidding? It's worthless. I gave him the meadows.

I gave him a pig and 75 cattle.

I saved the town.

I am certain

that his… holiness… It's not easy to say either.

That his holiness Pius XII will agree to canonize Gregoire,

as I intend to ask him.

- That's a lot. - Already…

He agreed because I let him rape my poor wife.

No need to rape her, she says yes to everyone.

Say that again.

Will you stop it!

What's going on?

Could you shut up?

You're in a church.

Not at the bistro.

If this goes on, I'll withdraw my application!

Understood?

What do you say? Who wants to take my place?

No one.

Soon, you'll be Saint-Gregoire of the PTT.

Ask him thanks to whom he accepted. Gregoire!

- The ladies of the post office! - Gregoire!

Gregoire!

I'm touched.

- What if he doesn't come back? - Where could he be!

We gave him our lands, our animals, and our women.

- Well, Edouard's. And he runs away. - He's clever.

He fooled us all.

There are 30 minutes left. We're all going to get shot.

We should have been wary of him.

Well, well.

You see, Mr. Mayor? I knew we could count on him.

Yes!

He's crazy.

Those kids!

Guynemer!

Guynemer! Come back!

Come here!

- He's handsome as an aviator. - See, his war wasn't fake.

Private Valentin Gregoire of the 46th infantry regiment.

Oh no, Gregoire!

You've done enough nonsense. The general wants me dead.

He gave orders.

Don't worry. I have a surprise.

See?

- What? - It's what promised you.

The general's cap?

Yes. While I was at it, I shot him.

I don't do half measures.

Surprised, are you?

Calm down, Commander.

It's nothing.

The kids made another mess. Damn.

Trouble always comes in threes. Come, Guynemer!

Come!

Otto!

Otto!

Otto, wait up.

You lost your gun!

Everybody out.

All in line. Faster than that!

- Make a nice line. - Otto!

Otto!

On this glorious day,

Gregoire Valentin,

I'm proud to have pronounced your eulogy.

You're a worthy representative of the heroes of the resistance.

And for this day to take on its full meaning,

we must give this place the name it deserves.

GENERAL CH. DE GAULLE SQUARE

Subtitle translation by: Amaury Pinos