Indochine Page #3

But it's sad

when there 's no inner beauty.

Get in, Raymond.

There's nothing for us here.

It stinks.

My respects.

You'll talk soon enough.

They average one communist

per hundred arrests.

My respects, sir.

I'm Inspector Perrot...

from the backup contingent.

What did you get out of him?

Remove his handcuffs.

Your father came this morning.

You were always a respectful son.

Rebelling against the authorities...

is as serious as rebelling

against your dad and ancestors.

Perrot...

I'll drop him, you punch.

Ready?

Harder.

I know all about you, Kao.

Go back to your cell meetings.

Nothing has changed.

Except you'll report back to me

every week, starting next week.

If not, you'll be in Poulo-Condore

prison with your father and brothers.

All right?

Wait! To the side!

What's going on?

Stop!

Get the doctor! Hurry!

It's the prisoner's blood.

I'm alive?

You saved my life.

Leave her alone.

What's wrong?

What's the matter?

Is it serious?

Mama, I can't marry Tanh.

I love another man.

He saved my life.

I love him.

Help me, Mama, please.

My darling, my Camille,

of course I'll help you.

I promise.

Who is he?

If I don't marry him, I'll die.

Who is he?

The officer who saved me.

His name is Jean-Baptiste.

And he-- he loves you?

He will. I'm sure of it.

How can you be so sure?

You wouldn't understand.

Nobody can understand.

He's always with me.

He talks to me, smiles at me.

Sweeps me off my feet,

takes me in his arms.

I am his.

You have enough eggs?

Hurry!

You want to ruin everything?

He's not here.

He won't come.

Sure he'll come...

at the last moment,

so everyone sees him.

I'm sure he's hiding nearby,

watching you.

So, that's the surprise!

A Yule log, like in France!

A real Christmas!

Coming?

Fan it. Fan it.

The record will melt.

It's not made for this climate.

I'd like to be alone with you...

in a small mountain chalet...

with a smoking chimney,

like in fairy tales.

Stay here. No!

- I'm leaving Saigon tomorrow.

- Where to?

- Haiphong.

- Perfect.

Near the ocean.

You'll discover the world.

The decision wasn't mine.

I was transferred...

thanks to you.

A woman decides my fate.

That's how you run your colonies?

- My daughter's crazy about you.

- What?

She thinks she is.

Same difference.

- I hardly know her!

- It's not you. It's her.

Camille is young, romantic.

She thinks you saved her life.

But I didn't do anything!

You won't be able to resist her.

She's irresistible.

I wanted to save her from you.

I don't want her to associate

love with suffering.

Good night.

Save her from me?

You just want revenge.

You feel threatened by freedom.

Let go!

- You won't let others live!

- Let go!

You think you have

a monopoly on life...

and you control me,

Camille, your coolies--

That's awful.

What do you want?

To stifle Camille

like your father stifled you?

You treat people

as if they were trees!

You buy them and drain them.

You're vultures!

You've lost your mind, Le Guen!

Follow me immediately.

Le Guen!

Lili, come with me.

No, I'm cold.

I don't wish to be disturbed.

Your driver brought your clothes

yesterday while you slept.

You feel better now?

A little better.

Bring us some tea.

You, prepare the betel.

I was at the school.

It's a disaster!

Camille's in quarantine.

The other students

yell insults at her.

"Little congaie, chink."

The Mother Superior

had to isolate her.

I'll go and get her.

She refuses to see you.

You spoke to her?

Yes.

I don't care. I'm going.

Listen, Lili.

We'll get them married fast.

I'll take them to the palace.

The court has to approve

the marriage. It's the custom.

I'll speak to Camille.

You two should be reconciled.

Meet us at Hu.

I can't promise it.

You must forget that man.

I'll never understand

French people's love stories.

There's nothing but folly,

fury and suffering.

Just like our war stories.

You know the secret.

I've already told you.

Yes, I know.

Indifference.

After that Christmas Eve...

Jean-Baptiste's transfer

became a sanction.

He was sent to

the most remote outpost...

Dragon Island

in the bay of Ha-Long.

I had thought

he would refuse...

that he would quit

the French Navy.

I thought I knew him.

I didn't know him.

Sheer mockery, dear friend.

We're deep in mockery.

You either fight it

or do as I do.

Revel in it.

You can be a hero here,

but nobody'll know.

A mere drop of water

in this ocean of jade...

but it's your drop of water.

And our presence here?

Nothing.

Ghosts of the empire.

From here,

observation of foreign vessels.

Some sampans, fishermen...

nothing.

The pirates stay far away

from the bay.

Occasionally we make our presence

known to the world.

We fire the cannon at a target,

a suspicious boat.

Nothing much.

But once a month...

the celebration.

The big celebration!

The slave market.

Up north they recruit

manual laborers...

volunteers.

They have no choice.

They're too hungry.

Here's where we serve France!

The volunteers are brought here...

and under your lofty supervision

the southern buyers pick workers...

for the plantations

of Cochin China.

You need do nothing,

just be here.

For the first time,

I let someone else take over.

Madame Minh Tam

had arranged everything.

Camille was with her

and would marry Tanh.

Camille returned to her relatives.

She was shut inside the palace

for days of meditation...

and purification,

imposed by court tradition...

upon fiances.

Being a European,

I couldn't be at the ceremony.

But Madame Minh Tam had arranged

a meeting with Camille...

the day before the engagement.

I saw Emperor Ming Mang's tomb.

He was 25 when he began

searching for his burial place.

One day he found the place. It

resembled a place he'd dreamt about.

So, he designed it.

He had trees and flowers pIanted...

in gentle, continuous lines.

Not a single broken line.

Once it looked exactly

like in his dream...

he said...

"I can die."

I also dream of a harmonious place,

but to live in.

That place exists, Camille.

It's yours.

The domain is yours.

Soon you'll be my daughter.

She was so gentle,

so calm...

as if she had

accepted her fate...

to marry the man

chosen for her.

Actually, she had secretly

decided her future.

That's why she looked

so beautiful.

Tell them we know

what we're doing.

I loved her more than anything...

and I had never told her.

She was leaving for good.

She had decided

to join Jean-Baptiste.

She had chosen...

and I hadn't wanted to see it,

hadn't wanted to understand...

that she loved...

as one loves the first time.

Nothing would stop her.

Continue.

They didn't arrest her

at the Hanoi station.

She knew they'd be

waiting for her.

I remembered her father's phrase...

"In Asia one doesn't die."

I hoped he would travel with her...

and protect her.

Tai!

There 's been no progress

since yesterday.

Wait!

Wait!

Well?

I'm heading north...

to the sea.

My name's Sao.

Sao!

It's for a family.

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