Original subtitles

WINSTON CHURCHILL: Though I have myself full confidence, if all do their duty,

we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our island home,

to ride out the storm of war

and to outlive the menace of tyranny,

if necessary for years,

if necessary, alone.

We shall go on to the end.

We shall fight in France,

we shall fight on the seas and oceans,

we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air,

we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.

We shall fight on the beaches,

we shall fight on the landing grounds,

we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,

we shall fight in the hills.

We shall never surrender.

(MUSIC TRUMPETING)

GERMAN ANNOUNCER: Yet again the superiority and invincibility

of the German Reich has been demonstrated.

The Allied armies have suffered the most crushing blow in their entire history.

The full force of the might of the British, of the French

and of the Belgian military strength was launched against the German people.

Today, that might is no more.

The armies are shattered and dispersed.

The beaches of Northern France bear witness to the final collapse

and withdrawal of the enemy.

Nearly 70,000 Allied soldiers are dead, wounded or captured.

The enemy has suffered a colossal military disaster.

CHURCHILL: We have become the sole champions now in arms

to defend the world cause.

We shall do our best to be worthy

of that high honour.

We shall fight on,

unconquerable,

until the curse of Hitler is lifted from the brows of men.

We are sure that in the end,

all will be well.

(ORDERING IN GERMAN)

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

(TRANSLATING) Where is the senior British officer?

Brigadier Holmes.

Colonel Reichlig.

Until we can establish who is the senior officer amongst us,

I will accept responsibility.

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

Colonel Reichlig says he is the Kommandant.

(TRANSLATING) Your Kommandant.

Must I tell you what you are?

You are now in Laufen, Wehrmacht prison camp VIIC.

When you have recovered your wits...

...no doubt some of you will think of escape.

Yes,

think what you will.

But try nothing.

We shoot those who try.

We accommodate those who do nothing.

Twice a day, you will have roll calls.

When you hear this alarm, you will have five minutes.

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

(ALARM RINGING)

Everybody will be in place during the counting.

You will eat three times a day in your quarters.

These quarters will be kept clean and in order and periodically inspected.

Token money will be issued to purchase soap and razor blades from the canteen.

No credit will be extended.

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

All ranks will salute German officers at all times.

Discipline is mandatory.

That is all.

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

OFFICER: Next.

-Name? -Grant, Patrick.

-Rank? -Captain.

Your number is 257.

My number is 58974.

It is zwei, funf, sieben.

Of course.

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

Next.

IAN: How are you?

What?

(SIGHS)

(GROANS)

Yes, I'm all right.

Good.

I'm Pat Grant.

Ian Masters.

Have you brought any news, then?

Of what?

The world.

I've had none for weeks.

Except from you fellows.

There's no newspapers,

no wireless.

I mean,

is Churchill still Prime Minister?

How the hell would I know?

Sorry?

He was on the 6th.

Of June.

-What's your story, then? -Dunkirk.

What kept you?

We walked most of the way.

700 miles?

Is that all?

It seemed like more.

Well, it's all right now, isn't it?

-What do you mean? -(LAUGHS)

End of the line when France packed it in.

You didn't know.

Luckily, we're not French.

Looks like old Chamberlain was right.

And Churchill had better do some hard thinking.

Nobody's right.

That's a thought.

Hmm. There.

I win again.

-Again? -Yes.

As a matter of fact, again and again.

What do you...

What do you do when you're not playing Patience?

Oh, I do what you'll do when you come back to the use of your brain.

I think.

I damn well think.

You mean you sit on your backside all day and do damn all.

I know.

Army and country.

You're an officer. You've a responsibility to fight again.

Well, that's fine, as far as it goes.

Then I go to the window and I look out,

and I have a second think.

You don't think hard enough.

God knows what you'll be like if you get your strength back.

There are guards down there day and night, I suppose.

The night patrol starts at 9:00 p.m.

The average time for passing that window is every 1 5 minutes.

Fancy yourself a good Judge of character?

Yes, pretty good.

Then pick out two good, decent chaps to go with us.

Us?

Well, you are coming with me.

Over the wall?

Well, it's under the wall

or over the roof.

I see us up and over.

I don't know.

Well, give it a think, will you?

If you're here out of curiosity

or you're Just a bit bored with prison life,

-then you'd better go back to sleep. -I want to go as much as you do.

-Not half likely! -All of you, please.

Now,

this is Just a reconnaissance.

I mean to drop onto the flat roof, about 1 2 feet, right?

-Right. -I'll use sheets for the rope.

-We'll need six. -Good.

-Then I'll cross to the main roof. -Only the face of the Matterhorn.

Now, you don't think that. You Just do it slowly.

You don't think. You keep moving. But we need to get fit.

Who picked you for this Job, Grant?

Did you volunteer? Are you fit?

There's nobody fit.

-You tell me about the guards, then. -PAT: What about them?

FREDDY: They look straight up the roof, with benefit of floodlights.

-We put out the floodlights. -DAVE: We do?

Pat, you've a facility for simplifying matters.

And a stunningly ordinary mind.

I'll fuse the floodlights, but to do it,

I'll need some razor blades and a broom handle.

-Now, can you get them? -I'll need a day.

Good.

Now, is there a window next to the power cables?

There's one in 44.

-Will the chaps in there cooperate? -If I speak to them.

-Well, tell them nothing. -They won't want to know.

-They're all settled in. -Good.

Now, I want a trial run with the lights.

Jerry will have trouble fixing them in the dark.

-I'll need 30 minutes. -It won't work.

-Have you tried it? -Let's try for Sunday night.

There's a guards' booze-up.

Right. One more thing.

Who's going to be at the end of the rope when I go down and come up?

Yes, I know nobody's fit.

Right.

-I'll chance it. -PAT: Good.

(DOGS BARKING)

(WHISTLES BLOWING)

(HURRIED FOOTSTEPS)

58, 59,

one minute, Pat.

Only 29 to go.

I'm losing my patience. Get them working!

Two down.

I want those lights!

(KNOCKING)

Sorry, Pat.

-Emergency supply? -We needed 30 minutes.

They gave us three.

German efficiency, I thought it was a myth.

Not to worry. We live in hope.

-IAN: Of what? -Next Sunday night.

-(PAT GROANS) -You all right?

PAT: What time is it?

-FREDDY: Should be lights out. -Why aren't they?

Good. Come on.

(GERMAN MUSIC PLAYING OVER INTERCOM)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(LABOURED BREATHING)

(LOUD CRACK)

(DOGS BARKING)

(TILE SCRAPING)

(CLATTERING)

(TRUCK APPROACHING)

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

(SCRAPING)

(BREATHING RAGGEDLY)

-What was that bet you mentioned? -AJoke.

Come on. I could do with that cigarette when Pat makes it.

He's overdue, isn't he?

First time out. There's no schedule for it.

Make it two cigarettes, then.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(DOGS BARKING)

(GERMAN MUSIC PLAYING OVER INTERCOM)

(SNAPPING)

-Hear that? -Bet's off.

Oh, no. You'll smoke them and choke.

(WHISPERED) Come on, Pat!

You can't stay there.

Grip it, for God's sake.

Just grip it!

-Where are you going? -You know they need help.

-Not our business. And mean it. -Who can say that?

-Well I'm going. -Hold it.

If they're caught, that'll still leave us in with a chance.

You're a hard nut.

No more than Pat.

(MOANING)

-Damn waiting. -Nervous, are you?

It's no good. There are lights and guards everywhere.

That's not your fault.

Get down!

-What they hell are you doing here? -No chance, then?

No.

You made enough noise for a herd of elephants out there.

I heard.

-He needs a hospital. -It's not for me to decide.

Now, let me take a look at this scalp.

-Why? -Because I'm a doctor.

What can you do?

I can clean you up, for a start.

-In this pigsty? -Find me some water.

Good news.

-Our worries are over. -You've made a separate peace?

How can you eat that muck?

Potage du jour.

Nourishment.

I've found the right place for our tunnel.

It's a perfect entrance. We can start digging.

Hell.

Our troubles have Just begun.

Right here.

-7 feet underground. Made to order. -Mmm-hmm.

We put the soil behind those targets.

What do you think?

We're without a paddle.

What about these?

Three 6-inch nails? (SCOFFS)

What's wrong with them?

Nothing.

PAT: There's the old girl right now. IAN: 6:1 5.

PAT: And what was it yesterday? IAN: 6:05.

She never starts before 6:00.

Yeah. I'd say 30 yards.

-And how long? -Oh,

four men, 30 yards,

-2 feet a day. -2?

Forty-five days, we'll make it.

Yes. I'll start a rota.

The Oflag VIIc Construction and Resurrection Company Limited

is in business. We'll start Monday.

We'll start today.

(SCRAPING)

(COUGHING)

Rest it, Pat.

(VOCAL YAWNING)

(VOCAL YAWNING)

Dig away.

Forty-five days.

I'll boot the first that reminds me.

It needs years.

Right.

You're the Count of Monte Cristo,

and don't you forget it.

-What? -Not you. Me.

(SHOUTING IN GERMAN)

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

Let me give you a hand with that.

(ALL SHOUTING)

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

Hey!

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

(ALARM RINGING)

I welcome your spirit.

You must behave like men,

with courage and dignity and reason.

That is a credit to this camp, and to me,

which is why I

regret to point out

that mingling with you fine gentlemen and officers

there are thieves.

(LAUGHING)

A few minutes ago, a truck entered this camp.

And while some of your other ranks were helping to unload it,

some irresponsible hooligans created a diversion

in order to make it possible to steal from this truck!

(MEN MOANING)

Those who consider themselves

leaders of men

will want to discuss this among themselves

and find a way to return

what has been stolen,

within one hour.

To help you with your search,

I will tell you the missing items are certain tools.

You know about these things, hmm?

Any likely villain?

You'll turn him in?

No, maybe I could give him his freedom

in exchange for those tools.

You'll excuse me?

Yeah.

I hear tell, some of the boys were saying

you're a civil engineer.

I am.

Good. That's good.

Because, you see, I'm thinking of starting a little tunnel.

Nothing elaborate.

Good luck.

Right, well, I'll need a bit more than that.

You see, I lack experience in these matters.

Pity.

Damn shame.

I thought, if I could get onto a team that knew what they were doing,

I could see myself far away from here. Do you know what I mean?

Yes, I, uh, can't help you.

Then you don't know anyone that might be going into the excavation business?

No one.

Well, it's a pity, isn't it?

What is?

There's no one needing the use of my hammer and chisel.

(GRUNTING)

# Ye'll take the high road

# And I'll take the low road

# I'll be in Scotland before ye #

You know, Cameron, like the Kommandant, I admire your spirit,

but not your tunes.

Well, if it's all the same to you, I'm a man who's very happy in his work.

Aw!

Board.

Sorry.

The way I see it, Hitler's not going to stop at the Channel.

-Would you? -What's that?

I'm telling you what Hitler's doing.

Bombing the hell out of London. Every night for weeks.

How do you know that?

That new boy, Carew, told me all about it. He was there.

I couldn't shut him up. I didn't want to hear.

Well, you might have listened, for my sake.

You know too much already.

Telling me what's good for me? You've a fine Tory mind.

By the way, are you one of them?

-Oh, what do politics matter here, now? -Well, it got us here.

Yeah, well, I wouldn't count on it getting us out.

I might take up politics someday.

Then I can muck things up firsthand.

(CHUCKLING)

Hey!

You know that brick wall that we've been digging alongside?

Mmm, foundation. So what?

Yeah, well, what if it turns out to be an old sewage chamber?

My God, we'd save weeks.

(HUMMING)

(COUGHING)

Pat! What's happening? Are you all right?

(COUGHING)

I got a flood!

It's asphyxiating!

(COUGHING)

I'm coming to pull you out.

Pat!

Get out!

(COUGHING)

(RETCHING)

Oh, God!

I think I'm going to pass out.

-How's it going? -Fine.

I want round-the-clock surveillance on the courtyard now.

I want everything that moves noted. Try to get a man to watch the road.

We need to know what the villagers are doing, as well.

-Good. -Now, we'll take the river road.

Freddy and his group can go straight through the village.

Then we take the easy route?

Well, that remains to be seen.

We should be smack under the woodshed in the morning.

-What if it's concrete? -What?

-The floor. -Thanks very much.

-God love you, Pat! -GRANT: Three feet off.

We're gonna get wet tomorrow, and cold and miserable.

But we won't care, will we?

Damn German weather!

(GRUNTS)

I can't sleep. I've been thinking.

If we put back the locks on the woodshed properly,

there's a chance Jerry won't find that tunnel.

And it can be used again when things calm down.

And they call off the dogs.

I've given all the details to Bobby Peters.

He's gonna clear our things from the basement.

Why him?

Because he wants to escape.

There's 600 in this camp, and they all want to escape.

-They don't. -Yes, they do.

Mostly, no.

Oh, they want their freedom, open the gate and they'll go home.

But they don't want to work for it.

That's a hell of a thing to say.

I know it.

(SOFTLY) 4:00.

-Damn! -Don't look like that.

It's supposed to be a lock and key, not a bloody padlock and hasp.

What difference does it make?

As long as you ease it off, neat and gentle.

I want to put the locks back from inside the shed.

I see.

Someone has to stay behind, so the others can have a go.

Right, who's it to be?

Cameron.

I'm a good man in a pinch.

You know who was last on this scarper? Newman.

He speaks German.

No doubt about it.

(SIGHS)

Right then, Cameron volunteers to stay behind

and put the lock back on, for the good of all.

-Three cheers for Cameron. -Next time, first out.

Wouldn't go through this again. Push off, the lot of you.

I'm glad you didn't say you were sorry.

Well, you two will have to sort yourselves out without me now.

Go on. They've only had a five-minute start.

I want to make at least another five miles before dark.

If we don't do it today...

You can't hurry these things, Cameron. They've only been gone a week.

That's long enough. We'd have heard by now.

We should stay put a few more days.

Look, I'm first out next time round, remember?

And I've decided that's tomorrow.

What's left of my discretion as to when we'd have another go.

You want to risk the tunnel being found?

It is not there to use at your pleasure.

Are you telling me the tunnel's closed?

I am.

You know what I think?

I think you haven't got the stomach for it.

Cameron, for your own safety, and the safety of the rest of this camp,

you will stay put.

I gave you an order, Cameron.

And you know what you can do with it.

With any luck, we'll be in Yugoslavia tomorrow.

(VEHICLE APPROACHING)

-How are we doing? -Okay.

I've had enough.

Yes, I realise it is nine days since they escaped, Herr General.

But we are narrowing the area of search.

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

Show's you what skilled planning and brains can do.

Nothing, unless you've got luck.

You are quite normal in your answers, Captain Grant.

You tell me nothing.

You stand on your rights, such as they are.

I would not mind having you shot.

Thank you, sir.

Fortunately for you, higher authorities have devised a place

for people such as you,

misfits who must escape and escape...

Thank you, sir.

This new place is a Sonderlager, a special camp.

It is called Colditz,

Oflag IVc.

It means nothing to you now.

But when you have discovered for yourself there is no escape,

it will impress you.

Colditz, Captain.

Where the hell is Colditz, sir?