Original subtitles

[theme music playing]

-[waves lapping] -[gulls cawing]

-[Jeep approaches] -[man 1 shouts]

[man 2] You've gotta take more salt than this.

[men grunt]

You're just depleting yourself, all right?

[men chattering]

Are my eyes yellow?

Why would your eyes be yellow?

Come on, your old man's a doctor.

Look at my eyes.

Give it a rest, Snafu.

Seriously.

I'm getting that yellow jaundice that's been going around. I know it.

The heebie-jeebies.

It's hepatitis and you don't have it.

I'll catch a fever then turn inside out

through my asshole like Carson in Love Company.

Come on, look at my eyes.

-I'm dying, Sledge. -Hey.

-Hey. -Check out my eyes, Jay.

They look yellow?

I just got transferred out of King.

What?

Where?

Headquarters Company.

[Snafu] It'll be all right, Jay.

Shit. You're just down the road.

Yeah, I'm just down the road.

Least I can do is buy you guys a drink at the slop shoot.

-[car honks] -[man 1 on radio] This is NBC,

the National Broadcasting Company.

[NBC theme plays]

[man 2] Carlo works at a camouflage factory

and Angelo is a fireman at an Army depot

in their home of Raritan, New Jersey.

Well, you brothers have a lot to talk over.

What do you say, Carlo?

Well, for one thing, I'd like to be out there fighting with Johnny,

instead of making camouflage paint.

That's where you're wrong, Carlo.

Some guys have to fight, sure,

but some guys have to give us the stuff to fight with.

I'll never forget that day you left for overseas. Johnny, remember?

All of us kids at Mom's house,

and after putting away all that grub.

Ha-ha, that's right. You got up to go

and all you said was, "Goodbye, folks."

"Be seeing you in the funnies."

-And that's just what happened. -Yeah, sure, sure.

Go ahead, Johnny.

Tell us about the night you killed all those Japs.

Remember? You were out in the jungle, standing guard from 8:00 till midnight.

-It was raining. -It had stopped raining.

My guns began throwing a lot of stuff

and plenty of stuff was coming back.

I was in charge of two sections of heavy machine guns.

While the enemy was hammering out our defensive positions,

we fought valiantly to check the savage and determined assault,

-the fierce frontal attack... -[people chattering]

-Oh, this is good. -That's right.

-Can I have some more? -[speaking Italian]

[Angelo in English] Yeah, Dad, I've never been more nervous.

Hey, sweetheart, I was good though. I sounded like a movie star, right?

I don't know. I was shaking like a leaf.

-[speaks Italian] -[in English] Of course, Pa.

Moses said I sounded like a movie star. That's me, right?

[Carlo] I sound like that too, Pa, the voice of an angel.

[speaks Italian]

[in English] Oh, Johnny, we're so proud of you.

Ma, all I do is dress up and say what they tell me.

Well, everyone in America knows the family name

-because of you, Johnny. -[Carlo] Right.

I don't want everyone to know me.

But they do, because you're so special.

Hey, I get free drinks because of my hero brother.

-How about that, huh? -That's right.

-I love that, Johnny. -Yeah, me too.

[speaks Italian]

-[speaks Italian] -[Salvatore speaks]

-[in English] Looks great, Ma. -[Dora] What's the matter?

-It smells good, Ma. -Thanks, Ma.

-[Dora] What did I say? -[Angelo] Mom, he just needs some time.

That's all.

[typewriter clicking]

-[bucket thuds] -[water sloshes]

[phone rings]

What can I do for you?

[Basilone] Sir, I joined the corps

because I knew the Marines were gonna be the ones

who went in first and the hardest,

and that's how it worked out.

But... I've been back more than a year, sir.

I've done what the corps asked me to do.

Well, that you have, John.

Well, I see your enlistment's up in six months.

I'll tell you what, I'll push through your discharge,

-let you go home now. -No, sir, that's not what I mean.

My home is the corps.

I just can't push pencils anymore.

Please, let me go back and train the new kids.

Let me help them the way I know how.

Sergeant Basilone, you make me proud to be a Marine.

Thank you, sir.

-[car honks] -[men chanting]

Sergeant Basilone.

[man] They brought you back after Guadalcanal?

Yes, sir.

I was at Tarawa.

No war bond drive for me, though.

I guess it's good to have another combat veteran training.

Where's the rest of the company?

I'm told they're coming in three days, a week.

What would you like to to do until then, Captain?

Take it easy. Put your feet up.

Whatever you want.

[typewriter clacking]

[men chattering]

[grunting]

Company! Fall in on your racks!

Shit.

-Names. -Tatum, Charles! Private first class!

Evanson, Steve! Private first class!

Well, Tatum, Evanson,

why do I find you in your racks in the middle of the day?

We've had no orders, Sergeant.

So you've been doing what you've been told to do,

-nothing. -Aye, Sergeant.

As of now, you are the first machine-gun squad

in "B" Company's weapons platoon.

Fall in for PT, five-mile run.

-Three minutes. -Aye, Sergeant!

[whispers] That's John Basilone.

Who the hell is John Basilone?

Jesus. Do you live in a cave?

The guy killed, like, 1,000 Japs on the 'canal.

The president gave him a medal. He's a hero.

Let's go! Let's go! Move! Move your ass!

You've got to go faster than that! The Japs are killing your buddies!

Get up that net! Move!

Fifteen hundred Marines waiting to follow you down that net!

The sea is pitching and rolling. It's not steady like this.

Now, we're doing the range at 1400.

Go draw your weapons and stand by to move.

Aye, Gunny.

The Jap banzai charge is right there! They're coming, damn it! Hurry!

You drop that gun, I'll make you carry it for one solid month.

[grunts]

Teamwork is the key to the Marine corps machine-gun squad!

-Set that pin on the tripod. -[Tatum] Shit.

Get that gun out of the dirt!

Sorry, Gunny.

You drop your rifle in a firefight, you die, Tatum!

Drop that machine gun, fumble with a belt,

your buddies die! Do you understand?

-Aye, Gunny. -[both panting]

You cannot fuck this up, ever.

Lives depend on it.

-Is that clear? -[both] Aye, Gunny.

Break it down. Do it again.

[indistinct chatter]

-Hey, Greg? -How you doing, John?

How's the chow, boys?

-Sorry. -[man 1] You stupid...

-[man 2] Good hands! Good hands! -[woman] Lend him a hand.

-Go on, get yourself some more. -Yes, Sergeant.

Come on, move it.

-VIP on deck. -[woman] Who?

That gunny with the ocean of hair.

It's John Basilone.

Oh, and he looks even better in person.

Oh, and here he comes.

Can I give you a hand?

We've got it under control.

Are you sure about that?

Do you see these stripes?

I'm an NCO, just like you.

I have work to do.

-What's her name? -Sergeant Lena Riggi.

I'm Lucy.

You know, every Friday,

us girls catch the six o'clock train to LA,

just in case you're interested.

[swing music playing]

[train whistle toots]

[indistinct chatter]

-Sergeant Riggi. -Yes.

I'm assuming that's Italian, right?

[chuckles] Here it comes.

"I'm Italian. You're Italian."

"Hey, we're both probably related to Joe DiMaggio."

"Oh. You know, I know where we can get the best lasagna in the city."

I could go for some good lasagna.

[chuckles] Look.

LA is full of girls for a guy like you. You'll do fine.

Happy hunting, Sergeant.

-[indistinct chatter] -[pop music playing]

-Sergeant. -Gunny.

Sergeant Basilone.

[Lena laughs]

-Yeah. -That's right.

That's... Oh, really?

This is so nice. I love it here.

[man] To better days.

-Hey. -[chuckles]

Boy, it's true what they say about you.

You get shot down, you keep coming back.

What? Everybody comes to the Biltmore, don't they?

[chuckles]

There's another medal in your future if you can get us a table.

How long have you been waiting for?

We gave up waiting. It's like this every liberty.

-Well, I'll see what I can do. -And what would that be, exactly?

Making a table appear out of thin air?

They know me.

Oh, hey.

Big shot here thinks he can get us a table.

-[Lucy] Mm. No. -I want to make him prove it.

You go. I'm thinking of joining the Navy.

Looks like it'll just be the two of us.

This place is bigger than the house I grew up in.

Yeah, I never ask for it,

but they always put me up in the presidential suite.

And I'm supposed to be impressed?

That's why you arranged all this?

To impress me before we get down to business?

Business?

Exploring the bedsheets together?

No.

Well, that's standard operating procedure for you, isn't it?

No. Not anymore.

You know, I saw you once at the Brown Derby.

Me and the girls were waiting to get in

when you arrived with one of those blonde starlets on your arm.

There you went, right to the front of the line,

and everyone was saying, "Ooh. Ah."

"There goes John Basilone, the hero of Guadalcanal."

The line to get in was so long I was still there when out you came,

a brunette starlet on your arm, and back into the same limousine.

And everyone said, "Ooh. Ah."

"There goes John Basilone, the hero of Guadalcanal."

You ever make it inside?

I had a shrimp cocktail and a Coke just before they closed the joint.

Gunnery Sergeant Basilone, dinner was delicious.

-Thank you. -You barely touched it.

Did I do something wrong?

This is nothing but steaks and conversation.

I am now going to turn in.

-Turn in? -We girls all share a room,

fight over the bathroom in the morning.

Tell the chef the Caesar salad was excellent.

The porterhouse is a little tough.

Lena,

if I did something stupid, I'm sorry.

You didn't do anything a million other guys haven't done.

You just did it in a nicer room.

[door opens, closes]

-[man] Left, right, left. -[men] Left, right, left.

-[man] Left, right, left. -[men] Left, right, left.

[Basilone] Gunnery Sergeant Basilone, sir.

Stand at ease.

I'm Lieutenant Sohn.

I'll be replacing Captain Le Francois, who went AWOL while on liberty.

How are the men shaping up?

All two of them?

The rest of the company comes in today from main side.

They'll be pretty green, Gunny.

Don't worry, sir. I'll take care of that.

Well, you haven't got much time.

Your enlistment runs out in... July.

I've been in eight years.

Four with the doggies, four in the corps.

I understand.

-[men grunting] -[Basilone] Get across that water!

Get up that tower!

Go! Get off my wall, Marine! get off!

[Basilone] One more time!

[man 1] Up that cargo net! Now!

-[man 2] Keep moving, boy! -[panting]

What is this, a mob?

In formation, two ranks behind me.

-Oh, come on. -[man 1] Move it!

Move your ass!

[man 3] Let's go. All right.

[all panting]

[indistinct chatter]

-Okay, that's the last of the butter. -Twenty-six lbs.

Private Dowling, grab a hand truck and get those sacks of rice.

-Got it? -Grab those from the bottom.

All perishables go in the reefer.

[woman] All right.

Sergeant Riggi.

Gunny Basilone.

Uh, this may not be appropriate, but...

Hold on.

Just a couple more and we'll have all this cleared out.

Uh, I would be happy

if you would allow me to take you out for a proper dinner.

-When? -Friday night,

a place I know just off the base,

-a restaurant. -Clancy's?

-So you know it too. -Nice place, but no.

Friday's no good for me.

I have orders, a big banquet for the officers.

-Maybe some other time? -How about breakfast?

Tomorrow morning.

The KP reports 0530. I show 0500.

Show up a little earlier, I'll make you French toast.

[door bangs]

Every Marine out of those racks and on my deck!

-[man] Get your ass up! -[Basilone] You've got five seconds!

-Five seconds! -[man] Up, up!

-Let's go! -Move your ass!

Get up! Move!

Don't you eyeball me! You stand at attention!

And how come we're the only ones running like this?

-Every damn morning. -To make us the best.

Oh, shut up. I'm so sick of this shit.

I just want to get out there and slap a Jap.

What did you say?

-I said I want to slap a Jap, Gunny. -[men chuckle]

"Slap a Jap"?

Well, how about it, boys?

I bet you all want to do more than slap a Jap.

[all] Yes, Gunny!

"Slap a Jap."

That's what the enemy is to you, huh?

A fucking bucktoothed cartoon dreamed up

by some asshole on Madison Avenue to sell soap.

Well, let me tell you something.

The Jap I know, the Japanese soldier,

he has been at war since you were in fucking diapers!

He's a combat veteran, an expert with his weapon.

He can live off of maggoty rice

and muddy water for weeks and endure misery

you couldn't dream up in your worst nightmare!

The Japanese soldier doesn't care if he gets hurt or killed,

as long as he kills you.

Now, you can call them whatever you want,

but never, ever fail

to respect their desire to put you and buddies into an early grave!

-Is that clear! -[all] Yes, Gunny!

Why aren't you in your full packs? Gear up!

Ten-mile run in formation

-in two minutes! -[men shout]

You're gonna enjoy this.

Almost ready.

Pretty fancy for 0500.

[Lena laughs] You strike me as an Italian mama's boy,

worshipped and pampered just like my brothers!

I wanted to make you feel at home.

Well... I was told at a very early age I was the best thing

-since sliced capicola. -[laughs]

And there's enough for seconds.

-You'll want seconds. -This is good.

[chuckles] When I first got here, the coffee was dreadful.

How a Marine mess can serve bad coffee is beyond me.

I can't live without it.

The best coffee I ever had was on Guadalcanal

the morning after the battle.

-I know the story. -Not this part.

We stole some coffee from the doggies when they came ashore.

Liberated some hooch from their officers too.

Anyway, the morning after the battle,

my guys cooked up the coffee over a fire of green coconut logs.

There wasn't any part of me that didn't hurt,

burns on my hands,

ears still ringing from the shelling.

But when they handed me that cup of coffee... [scoffs]

I never tasted anything so good.

Not that I don't appreciate this.

What was the best cup of coffee you ever had?

My parents were real traditional.

I was supposed to get married and give them grandkids.

So, when I announced that I'd joined the Marines,

there was a lot of yelling and crying,

and finally my father just stopped talking to me,

cut me out of the family.

A year later, I got my stripes. I went home to see my mom, my brothers.

I was sitting in this diner

and my pop walked in, sits down beside me.

He ordered two cups of coffee

and he put the milk and one sugar in for me.

That was the best I ever had. [chuckles softly]

It's incredible what can happen over a cup of coffee.

My enlistment's up in July.

I don't know what I'm gonna do.

You're gonna take a discharge and you're gonna go home.

I should be looking forward to my freedom, but I can't imagine it.

I love the Marines.

You do too. I love everything about it.

I can't imagine being anywhere or doing anything else.

-Lena. -Yeah?

You might hear this all the time,

but you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

No.

I don't hear that very often.

Must be the uniform.

-[women laughing] -I could use a coffee.

[women chattering]

-Shh, she's with the movie star. -Interesting.

-[woman 1] Yeah. -[woman 2] Look at Gunny.

[woman] A little early morning.

[gossiping, laughing]

-[man 1] Clear! -[man 2] Clear.

Tatum, Evanson, set it up. Two short bursts, 85 rounds.

Ready! Gun set.

Fire!

That's good.

Nice.

[Basilone] Listen up!

This is a bale.

It'll make it easier to carry the gun with a hot barrel.

You won't burn your hands.

Now, it's not made for its stability and accuracy

but if you're in a pinch,

you can shoot and move with this.

Let me show you.

I couldn't hit the side of a barn with that thing.

You'd better start practicing.

Yeah.

[Lena] It's gorgeous.

-[Basilone] Let's go in the water. -No.

-Come on, come on. -No, I'm not going in that water.

-Come on. -No way.

-No! -[Basilone] I'll get you.

[squeals] I'm not gonna have you drown.

No! No, put me down.

-Put me down. -We're going in.

No! [laughs] Oh, my hat.

My hat. My...

I'll get it.

John, you're crazy.

-Ah! -[laughing]

[gasps] I got it!

Oh, no. Oh, no, you don't. Don't you dare.

[soldier shouts]

[plane passes overhead]

Attention on deck!

Stand easy.

Gentlemen, the 5th Division will ship out very soon

for action in the Pacific theater of war.

We won't know our destination until we're well underway.

But wherever we go,

we will see the job through.

-Am I clear? -[all] Yes, sir!

I have some more good news.

Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone has decided that home can wait.

He will be joining us.

[silence]

Carry on, Gunny.

Atten-hut!

[heels click]

[door closes]

At ease.

-So, is anybody scared? -[all] No, sir.

-I said is anybody scared? -[shouts] No, Sergeant!

-You lying sacks of shit. -[scattered laughter]

It's good to be scared.

It means you're awake, you're ready.

Company dismissed.

[indistinct chatter]

[man] You ready? You scared?

-[woman 1] It's not ready yet. -[woman 2] Oh, okay.

[woman 1] Can I have a bowl this time?

[women chattering]

She's back there. Lena?

-Hey. -Hey to you.

Out with it.

-Out with what? -Whatever grim tidings

you men carry around with you like rock sacks.

I've shipped over.

I've reenlisted.

I see.

They can ship me out whenever they want.

So if you're looking for something else,

somebody in a different line of work, tell me now.

That sounds like an ultimatum.

-I'm just saying. -Look.

I'm in for the duration plus six months.

I know how it goes, Sergeant.

So? Where do we go from here?

[laughter, cheering]

Congratulations!

[Lucy] Stay there. I'm gonna take a photo.

You look so beautiful.

Lucy, let me get a shot.

No, you stay there. I want to take it.

No, I want a shot of Lena alone in that dress.

Look here, darling. Try not to blush.

[Lena] I feel like a paratrooper.

-I don't know why I wore this dress. -You look beautiful!

[enunciating] Beautiful!

[camera clicks]

Okay, John, go pose with your wife. Let's make it official.

-[man] Whoo! -[crowd cheering]

Now, kiss her like you mean it.

-I can do that! -[laughter]

[hooting, cheering]

[gulls cawing]

[laughs, squeals]

Don't you touch me.

[panting]

Hold it. Wait.

What?

Go stand over there.

Take your clothes off.

What?

Do it.

John, what have we done?

We've gone respectable.

You know, I woke up one day and I was 30 years old.

Satisfied.

Then you walk into my mess hall, and look at me now.

Just wait and see.

-We're gonna have six kids. -That's a lot of kids.

You should have come around ten years ago.

Little boys for you to pamper,

and little girls for me to drive crazy.

I'd like that so much.

This is yours now. I want you to wear it.

-You want some food? -Dear God, yes.

Let me see what I can rustle up.

What?

[explosions]

[grunts]

[screaming]

[whimpering]

Look at me! I said look at me!

You want to live? Get off the beach.

Move!

[soldier] Help, help me.

[shrieks] Help me!

Corpsman! I need a corpsman!

Move it back.

Get off the beach! Keep moving.

[screams]

Keep moving.

Don't stop. Keep moving!

Get off the beach.

Off the beach! Get up!

Move!

-Someone help me! -[screaming]

Help him back.

Off the beach! Off the beach, get off!

Evanson, Tatum, let's go.

Get the fuck off the beach, you sons of bitches!

[gunfire]

[soldier wails]

Set that fucker up here.

Move!

We gotta kill the bunker. Get me a rabbit team.

Get your charges ready to move.

[soldier] Captain, up here!

Aim for the gunport.

Short bursts.

Go, go!

[gun firing]

Keep firing!

It's jammed.

Pegg!

All right, Gunny!

Go, move forward!

Further up!

Here!

Let's go!

Go, go, go, go, go!

[shouting in Japanese]

[screaming]

Fire in the hole!

Let's go, let's go!

-[soldier 1] Get in, get it. -On me!

[soldier 2] Flamethrower up!

[screams in Japanese]

Move!

-Go, go. -Come on.

[screams]

Tatum!

Take out that machine gun and set up position!

Tatum, clear the back line!

Hold your fire. Go, go, go!

Stay low, stay low!

-Those are ours! -[plane roaring]

Tatum, set the gun up there!

They're firing for the ridge.

Go, go! Move, move, move!

Down low. Steve, Steve, lower!

Do not leave this position come hell or high water.

-Do you understand? -[both] Aye, Gunny.

[tanks creaking]

You tell that tank to follow me!

-Aye-aye. -Move!

Let's go!

The rest of you, grab as much ammo as you can find

-and get off the beach! -Aye, Gunny.

We're fucked. What are we gonna do?

Get that gun over here!

-Move! -Get down!

Go!

[gulls cawing]

[theme music playing]