Christmas Truce Page #2

It's too dangerous for us.

Mother.

She's right.

We wait out the day,

we move out tomorrow night.

Sir, if we move him too soon

he could die.

I understand the risk.

I'm not going to put this family

in any more danger

than we have to.

No.

Please, you will stay here

as long as you need.

I'm sick of this war,

and it's Christmas

for God's sake.

It's time we start

acting like it.

I will be back with

some fire wood

for the stove and some food.

Thank you.

What about our mission?

I can't just sit here.

I will fill Lefeuvre's spot.

You and I will complete

the mission.

But not before Berk says

Jensen can move

and we'll make sure you guys

get across the lines safely.

You guys get caught

and interrogated

you could compromise

the mission,

and I won't have that.

Agreed?

Oui, d'accord.

But I don't like this waiting.

Get some rest.

I'll take first watch.

You know that's a one-way

ticket, right?

Going with him?

Get some rest.

Captain, more coffee?

Yes, please.

Thank you.

So you're from England.

Bradford?

Yes.

My mother and I were

on holiday here

when the war broke out.

I volunteered for the army

after Pearl Harbour.

I thought it would be

good research.

For?

Captain Travis Mills

in Liberties Fallen.

A novel?

War, mystery, a little romance.

Well please read me some.

It's still going

from here to here.

Your father?

He's a professor at the

University of Birmingham.

We share the same passion,

literature.

Literature, as in...

The classics.

Shakespeare, Dante,

Plato, Poe-

Poe?

You know he's hardly considered

a classic.

What do you know about that?

1941, Texas, A&M,

Bachelor's in literature.

Why didn't you leave?

Evacuate when we

liberated you last month?

My mother was sick.

Pneumonia.

Have you heard anything

from your father?

Christmas two years ago.

How does that make you feel?

No man has ever asked me

how I feel.

Caught between two sides in a

war that's not yours to fight,

I wondered how it must feel.

Lonely.

You must have someone.

Most men are unavailable.

Love and war.

I've loved with love

that was more than love.

But still, my heart hasn't found

what I'm looking for.

Poe didn't write it that way.

My way is true.

How about this?

Tomorrow is the greatest thing

in life.

It comes into us at midnight,

very clean.

It's perfect when it arrives,

and it puts itself

into our hands.

It hopes we've learned something

from yesterday.

Well, that's beautiful.

Is it from your book?

John Wayne.

And I've told myself those words

every night

since my first battle,

hoping that tomorrow

might be better.

And?

I'll tell you tomorrow.

I should go.

What's your name?

Alina.

Alina Anne Hamlin.

Alina Anne Hamlin,

thank you.

Good night.

Captain Myers.

Merry Christmas.

Yeah.

Merry Christmas.

Morning.

You don't have to do that.

Oh, I'm not one

to take advantage.

Where are you headed?

We need a Christmas tree.

How's Jensen?

He's still passed out.

Alright, I want you to keep

an eye on things.

Hey, wait up!

What if there was a patrol?

They never use this path.

When the war ends,

what's in store

for Captain Myers?

Finish my book.

Wife? Kids?

Not yet.

And you?

When the war ends-

I hope to be liberated.

For the second time.

Find my father,

attend college as planned,

then set up a primary school

here in Wereth.

I never had a brother or sister

and I love children.

I believe there would be

no wars

if children were taught

tolerance and peace.

A pacifist.

A realist.

War is not a solution.

Here.

It's perfect.

It's tiny.

Excuse me!

It's barely above my head.

Now look at this.

This is a Christmas tree.

It's huge.

I know.

No, no, no.

It won't fit in my house.

I can get it in.

I like the small one.

Nah, bigger is better.

I'm not so sure.

Trust me, I'm from Texas.

Hmm...

Do you have any decorations?

No.

Any raisins?

No.

Any nuts?

Really?

What do I do with that?

Chew it.

What are you doing?

There.

It's kind of small.

Oh, come on.

It's alright.

We didn't get many gifts

in the orphanage

so we had to be creative.

You can put it on top

of the tree.

Look at that.

Mistletoe.

Hey, wait up!

So you were an orphan?

Yeah, I never new my parents.

They left me on the doorstep

of the orphanage.

You said the path was closed.

I said they don't use it.

No, please.

Please.

Let me speak with them.

Go Hide. Please.

Guten tag.

Hallo.

If they laid a hand on you

I would have stopped them.

We should get back.

You'll catch a cold.

I told you it was too big.

Are you always right?

Yes, and your enemies agreed

with me.

Nice of them to help out.

You might have been right.

Well, hmm...

Ta-dah.

Here you go.

A star.

The bath is ready.

Ok.

Here we go.

Thank you.

Here, take this.

It was my father's.

Great.

To keep you warm

while these are drying.

Ah, so you're saying just...

in the other room?

Yes, right.

Over there.

Lovely.

Is he ok?

He fell in the stream.

It's a good thing, Alina,

what you're doing for them.

But don't forget

who they are.

And who are they?

Soldiers.

Today they're here,

but tomorrow they're

re-deployed,

wed or dead.

It's not what I want

for you.

I was you once.

I fell in love with

a French soldier,

before your father.

We spent two weeks together.

I never saw him again.

It's better you love a scholar

or a butcher.

So, Peter.

Yes, Peter.

Peter will keep you safe,

he will take care-

What if I don't want "safe"?

I want to dream that

all of this is over.

That we can take risks

and look beautiful

without fear of-

I want to know love.

Even if it's just for

one fleeting winter night.

Can't I have that?

The animals are fed,

mother.

Thank you, Alina.

My father's name is Henry.

Can I show you something?

Yeah.

They were banned,

so I had to hide them.

Britolt.

Poe.

Hemingway.

Karl Marx?

Only to understand

communist thought.

My father said it was important

to understand all ideas

so we can formulate our own.

Marx had good ideas

but the communist system

can be unjust to the poor,

or the rich become a hidden

ruling class,

claiming everything is equal

when clearly it's not.

What?

Wine is the most civilized thing

in the world.

Hemingway.

"That the things of the night

cannot be explained in the day,

"because they do not

then exist."

One of my favourites.

His words have such hope

when plagued by tragedy.

Happy endings

aren't really his style.

I hope to meet him someday.

Who? Hemingway?

Yes, of course.

Here, let me get that.

Thank you.

I've had the pleasure.

Of what?

I met Hemingway.

Really?

What was he like?

He's a big man.

And a little bit introverted.

Introverted?

How so?

Well, when he spoke,

everyone listened

because he never said anything

that didn't need saying.

I can only imagine.

I'm putting on a record.

One of my favourites.

It's American.

You must miss home.

I've never had a home.

What about Texas?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes