Louis Cyr

---

THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD

One moment, please.

She says that if you have

something for her, give it to me.

I can't. I must give it to her myself.

I'm sorry, Mr. Barr.

Tell her it's important.

- She refuses to see you.

Listen, I'm not leaving

until i talk to her.

It's fine.

If you have something for

me, hand it to me and go.

I have some things to tell you first.

No.

There are things he confided

in me, and no one else.

You might regret it for

the rest of your life!

Did you know that your father was 16

when he first set foot in a school?

He wasn't there to study, though.

He was there to move

his sisters' things.

Your grandfather had had enough of

seeing his family struggle at home,

so he decided to try

his luck in the States.

He took the train with your

grandmother and their 10 children

to Lowell, a small city

where they knew no one.

That in order to fulfill the great dream

of many French Canadian

families at that time.

That is, to stop struggling

and start a better life.

It didn't take long

for reality to set in.

LOWELL, UNITED STATES, 1878

The Irish guys were laughing

at Father and his bad back,

so big bro' grabs the crate

and takes off with Labelle and Tanguay.

They catch up to the

Irish guys in two seconds.

Don't forget, the red

heads are four to a crate,

and we're three.

Then, Tanguay can't keep

up anymore, so he bails.

Big bro' flies over the

top and lands on Labelle.

The Irish guys pass us and finish first.

But then, big bro' gets up,

grabs the crate by himself

and launches it over three other crates!

A crate full of cotton?

- Full to the top!

You lifted a 300-pound crate of cotton?

Closer to 400 pounds, i'd say.

Even so, Goodwin's right.

You were putting on a show.

It's distracting.

- The Irish started it!

Pierrot, mind your own business!

He said that next time, you're out.

I don't think so. I got a raise.

I just left his office. He's going

to pay me the salary of two men.

Still, i work as much as three!

And eat as much as 10!

I don't want to hear you

mouth off to your father!

I'm sorry.

Wretchedness, he'd say,

lies in the tiniest details.

A crack in the wall through

which the cold seeps in...

a hole in a worn-out shoe...

dirty water...

Tiny details which add up

until they finally do you in.

Marie. Come now. Drink up.

We'll get you a doctor, OK?

We'll find a way.

Hey.

Are you rehearsing for my funeral?

What?

- Come here for a minute.

What?

- Stand there.

Come on, pick it up!

Faster!

Have mercy!

Thank you.

Come on, Brisebois! Get in there!

C'mon, on your butt, Ireland!

- Hey! Calm down.

Damn potato eater!

Come on!

Come on.

You should go up against Mulligan.

I know nothing about boxing.

You jump in the ring and

crush him, not much to it.

Sounds easy. You should give it a try.

Hey, Mlina!

- Hi, Pierrot.

My brother is the

strongest in the world.

He just lifted a huge stone at the dump.

514 pounds!

Touch this. It's hard as a rock.

Knock it off.

Sorry, he doesn't know better.

He's proud of his

brother. I think it's nice.

All right, we should

go. Mom's going to worry.

Have a nice day.

Anyway, they all went quiet.

They were all looking at me, wide-eyed!

I couldn't even feel

the rock on my shoulder.

Ain't done anything with my life.

That's not true, sweetheart.

Ain't done anything,

ain't seen nothing...

I'm going to die an idiot!

No... shhh... shhh...

Marie, darling, there's

someone here for you.

This is Dr. Morgan.

Well... we'll leave you.

Louis, this is Mr. Bryce Johnston.

He's the son of Mr. Johnston,

the owner of the factory.

The doctor is a friend of his.

Say thank you, maybe?

- Thank you.

Good evening.

Hello.

Are you the one...

We Canadians have to

help each other out.

You're always reading a book, you!

They let me travel the world

without spending a dime.

Bryce lends them to me. His

house is filled with books.

He speaks six languages.

He's been around the world.

Bryce is quite something.

Well, it's very generous of him to come.

It wasn't hard to convince him.

He knows what it's like to be sick.

Dr. Morgan gives him less than a year.

Thank you.

Nice neighbourhood.

Even worse than my part of town!

I went through the same thing.

Typhoid, just like her.

She doesn't seem to want to fight.

I understand why.

You know what this neighbourhood

was before? A garbage dump.

We're living on a pile of trash!

I understand why your

sister's had enough.

I've had enough too.

I'm tired of waiting for

life to happen. Aren't you?

You've had your eye on me for

months. What are you waiting for?

Well...

i thought that you and

Johnston, you know...

Bryce is just a friend.

See? You're still waiting!

Well... I'm not just

going to jump on you!

Why not?

- Because!

That's not proper.

- What does that mean, "proper"?

Acting like everyone else?

You like living all crowded

together like cattle?

Do you want to be dumb and

ignorant for the rest of your life?

I don't want to be "proper".

I love you.

And you love me too.

I can see it in your eyes

every time you look at me.

Let's not waste six more

months, trying to be proper!

I don't have time to

waste, and neither do you...

Is that better?

Yeah, a little.

I'm truly sorry.

- Yes, well, 5 feet long is too short.

That's all i have left in pine caskets.

The epidemic has created a shortage.

She was 5'6".

I have a 6-foot casket in oak,

but it's not the same price.

All right then... The five-foot

pine casket will be fine.

We'll manage.

I can lift 210 pounds.

No, no, he said it's all right.

He's paying me $25 a week.

Just say when.

- What about your parents?

No one can make me stay here!

See you later.

What are we going to do?

We'll be losing two salaries.

I'll send you money every month.

He's offering me five

times more than i make here.

Offering... that doesn't mean a thing.

You don't know this guy. An Irish man!

There are good people and

bad people of all races!

Your place is here, with us.

Yeah, right!

And we'll all end up

in tiny pine caskets.

If i want a better life, i can't

stay here, that's all i know.

I'll make you proud.

Find your path, son, and follow it.

We'll manage.

I'm coming with you!

Pierrot, you know i can't take you.

Let go!

Listen to me. Mom needs you.

After Dad, you're the man of the house.

Yeah, and what are

you? A big fat coward!

We'll see each other again.

I hate you.

Mac Shomer said he had a two-year plan.

New Brunswick to warm up.

Then total triumph

in Quebec and Ontario.

Not too sure about the costume!

It's going to be fine.

It's a waste of money.

He's not here!

He left during the night,

didn't even pay for his room!

He robbed us, Louis. Six months' salary.

That can't be!

That no-good son of a b*tch!

What are we gonna do?

I should have listened to my dad!

We could look on the bright side.

This gives us time.

Time for what?

I don't know... to get married?

You're going to ask me eventually!

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