A Farewell to Arms Page #2

come to the hospital where I was.

With a saber cut, I suppose,

and a bandage around his head.

- It doesn't happen like that.

- No, he didn't have a saber cut.

They blew him all to bits.

- Do you suppose it will always go on?

- No.

- What's to stop it?

- It'll crack somewhere.

It really doesn't matter.

We die anyway.

It takes a while.

You think so?

Will you excuse me?

I have to go now.

Miss Barkley...

I have been thinking

about Miss Barkley.

She has beauty and mystery,

but she is not for us.

Miss Barkley is not only a woman,

she is a problem.

- It is not a good mixture.

- Your lectures throw me off.

Well, gentlemen, I have news.

Tomorrow morning,

rain or shine, we advance.

We advance in the morning, and I am

wasting time with a billiard ball.

With this news,

it will be impossible...

...to get into Villa Rosa

with a shoehorn.

You go. I'm not in the mood.

This is madness. Tomorrow night,

you will be in the Alps, freezing.

You'll need a few warm memories.

I am stupid. The British.

You are going to call on Miss Barkley

in spite of my warnings.

- Father Galli, I need your help.

- Yes, major.

Tell our friend if he sees Miss Barkley

three times, he'll have to marry her.

Tell him. It is a British law.

And that is not all.

After marriage, children.

There is no end to the disasters

the British can bring down on Frederico.

I am hardly in a position

to discourage marriage.

Are you coming, papi?

I offer you a last reprieve.

I'll see you tomorrow in the parade.

All right.

But if all does not go well...

...you know where I am.

Good night, gentlemen.

- Good night, major.

- Good night, major.

- Miss Barkley will be down directly.

- Thank you very much.

- They look like a mausoleum.

- What did you say?

I said these busts

look like a cemetery.

- Bad for the patients, I should think.

- I think the busts are rather handsome.

By the way, you know

that our girls...

...are not permitted to leave

during the evening?

The Italians do not approve

of women being so near the front.

That's pretty silly of them, isn't it?

No.

I'm inclined to think they're right.

- Good evening.

- Hello, Miss Barkley.

Is there any place we can go?

Why?

Well, I'd... I'd like to see you.

Well, l... I suppose we could walk

in the garden, unless it rains.

Well, it's not raining now.

Thank you.

They certainly have difficult rules

for you nurses.

I'm not really a nurse.

I'm something called V.A.D.

- What's the difference?

- A nurse is like a doctor.

It takes a long time to be one.

A V.A.D. Is a shortcut. For war only.

Well, a lot of things are for war only.

Why did you want to see me?

Isn't that rather obvious?

You mean, to have a look?

You're nice looking at.

Frankly, I didn't like your attitude

about the war.

- Some people joined for other reasons.

- You mean a better world, and all that?

Yes. Seems rather foolish

to you, doesn't it?

You mustn't take things too hard.

It's a short life, at best.

- Yes, I think that too.

- Then why not enjoy it?

Let's drop the war.

- There's no place to drop it.

- Let's drop it anyway.

- Please.

- Why not?

- It's so meaningless.

- No, it's not.

People who don't even know each other.

I don't like it. I never have.

I'm sorry.

That's all right.

I'm dreadfully sorry.

I just couldn't stand

the "nurse's evening off" aspect of it.

I didn't mean to hurt you.

- I did hurt you, didn't I?

- No harm done.

It's happened before.

You poor man.

You mean girls usually slap you?

Well, not always.

You don't mind when they do?

It's more interesting when they don't.

Especially when they're

as beautiful as you.

You don't have to say

a lot of nonsense.

I said I was sorry.

I suppose I might have waited

until we knew each other.

- Lf only there'd been time.

- You're leaving?

We all are.

- When?

- In the morning.

It's raining.

This is closer.

- You're trembling.

- It's nothing.

- What is it?

- It's nothing, really.

Tell me.

It's only that l... I've always been

afraid of the rain.

Why?

- I don't know.

- Tell me.

Don't make me.

Tell me.

I'm afraid of the rain because

sometimes I see myself dead in it.

Hold me.

Hold me.

Say, "I've come back to Catherine

in the night."

"I've come back to Catherine

in the night."

Oh, darling, you have come back,

haven't you?

- Yes.

- I love you so...

It's been awful.

It's very funny, really,

happening to me like this.

Not with someone I loved

for years and years.

With someone I've just met.

A stranger.

Your name is Frederick Henry,

isn't it?

Don't talk that way, please.

You're so sweet.

You don't have to play any games.

I'm not playing any games.

I'm in love with you.

I wasn't kissing you.

I thought...

It sounds mad.

I thought he'd come back to me

in the night.

Catherine, darling...

"Catherine."

You don't pronounce

it very much alike.

But you're a very nice boy.

I'm glad you're nice. But you

don't have to pretend you love me.

- That's over for the evening.

- I'm not pretending...

I'm not mad and I'm not gone off.

It's only a little sometimes.

Now you can go to war

and forget all about this.

- I'll come back to you.

- Please, you make it worse.

I hope the advance is not too difficult.

That you don't get hurt.

Please.

Don't go away like this.

Good night.

I'm sorry, papi, but we must leave.

Lieutenant Henry. Lieutenant Henry!

Lieutenant Henry!

Take the wheel.

- Do you love me, truly?

- I'm mad for you.

Come back. Promise you'll come back.

- I promise.

- Promise you won't leave me behind.

Goodbye, darling. I'll be waiting.

We're liable to be up in these hills

a long time.

Well, baby, it will seem longer

to you.

Do you think we have

to capture all the Alps?

You sound as if Miss Barkley

had been very cooperative.

- Shut up.

- Tell me. It will make you feel better.

- Did she...?

- Shut up.

- I am a man of extreme delicacy...

- lf you wanna be my friend, shut up.

I don't want to be your friend.

I am your friend.

An envious one.

It's a long time since I had anyone

to say goodbye to.

They slow down.

Maybe they changed their minds.

- You think they like to attack?

- Nobody likes to attack.

- I like to attack.

- Then you are stupid.

The great Passini reads books.

Knows everything.

- Better than knowing nothing.

- Everybody's stupid.

Fighting is stupid.

- War is stupid.

- He's right.

He's right. What are we doing here?

The field hospitals, lieutenant.

There's your sawmill, doctor.

Good luck up there.

See you again, major.

Bonello, I'll drive for a while.

Passini, you and Aymo hop in the back.

- Is good, the blessing, no?

- It can't hurt.

Turn the ambulances around before

you come in. Fill the gas tanks too.

- Hey, we ought to clean the plugs.

- Yes, that will win the war.

Very fine.

We sleep in the snow.

Beg your pardon, captain.

Thought I'd come up and have a look.

Our front lines are just below.

The enemy is on that ridge facing us.

Rate this script:3.0 / 2 votes