The Last Castle Page #5

I'm proud of you.

You should be proud.

- Men did good, huh?

- They did.

Now, listen. Be sure to leave a window,

a portal. Every castle has one.

Aguilar? Excuse me, Chief.

Aguilar, come here a minute.

- Go ahead.

- Guys, hold up a minute.

Hold up the work.

Hold up.

Maybe you should go first.

Put your name in the wall.

Hey, hold up on the work.

Come on.

Putyour name right in here.

Spell it out.

A-- [Stutters] G-G-G.

- Scumbags are having

at it, sir. Yes, sir.

- [Winter] Really?

They're calling Irwin "Chief."

That's the word they got for General.

They got substitute names

for the other ranks, too, sir.

Anybodywho was a captain is "Boss."

Sergeants are "Sport," Privates are "Pal."

Playing soldier, sir.

- Hearts and minds.

- Sir?

He's building a structure of loyalty.

He's offering them self-respect,

in exchange for obedience.

The general is building

himself an army.

He can have their hearts and minds, sir.

As long as we got 'em by the balls.

- Well put, Corporal.

- Thank you, sir.

- Captain.

- [C*cks Gun]

- Bring him to my office.

- Who, sir?

- The prince of Venezuela.

Who do you think?

- General Irwin?

Mr. Irwin.

[Winter] When you first arrived,

I asked you a question.

I need to ask again.

What do you want from your time

here at the castle, Mr. Irwin?

And my answer is the same

as it was then.

Do my time. Go home.

So you say, but everything

you have done has contradicted that.

[Sighs] These men are not here

for unpaid parking fines and traffic--

I'm under no illusion why

the men are here, Colonel.

I just think they might

be reminded...

about some of the good things they've

done, rather than only the worst.

Yes, that is-- that is something

my predecessor used to say.

In his last two years here there

were seven escape attempts,

twelve injury assaults on officers

and N.C.O.s, including one killed.

Since I've assumed command,

there have been zero escape attempts,

zero injury assaults,

zero fatalities.

Some may question

my methods, but they do work.

No soldier has ever died needlessly

under my command, Mr. Irwin.

See, I, too, share

the burden ofcommand.

You may not think that

I've ever set foot on a battlefield,

but that's because you've never

sat behind this desk-- this desk.

My men and I are

vastly outnumbered.

We spend every day

behind enemy lines.

Because, make no mistake about it,

Mr. Irwin, they are the enemy.

But I don't need to justify

myself to you, do I?

I don't know.

Do you?

This wall...

that has become the focus

of so much... tension...

and turmoil--

Well... in about two minutes,

there will be no more wall.

- [Horn Honks]

- [Man] Back away from the wall--

[Indistinct]

Back away!

- Come on!

- [Bulldozer Advancing]

Backaway from the wall.

Come on!

Aguilar!

Aguilar, damn it!

What is he doing?

Sound the horn.

[Horn Blaring]

Agui-- Get down!

- [Man On P.A.] All inmates

remain on the ground--

- Aguilar, get down!

[Niebolt]

What the hell are you doing?

Get down, Aguilar.

- [Aguilar] No!

- Get down!

- [Inmate] Hey, what are you

doing, Ramon? Get down!

- Aguilar, get down!

- Aguilar, get the hell down!

- Zamorro.

- Yes, sir.

- You bet, sir.

- What the hell are you doing?

- Get down!

- [Inmates shouting]

Get down! Get down!

- Aguilar, get down!

- Get down!

- [Gunshot]

- [Blaring Horn Subsides]

- Aguilar?

- [Doc] Permission

to examine the prisoner, sir.

- [Niebolt] Doc! Come on!

- Sir.

[Cell Door Closes]

[Inmates Chattering, Indistinct]

- Dellwo.

- Sir?

- You're a sergeant-major?

- I was.

Prisoners! Fall in!

I said, fall in!

[Dellwo] Let's go, ladies!

Now! Now! Now!

All right!

Let's fall in!

Fall in!

We don't got all day!

Come on. Fall in!

You look like

a bunch of old women!

Fall in, goddamnit! Fall in!

Now! Now! Now!

- Scumbags runnin' the asylum?

- [Chuckles] Maybe.

Some may think to be

remembered in this way...

would be a disgrace

to a soldier.

But this is not a disgrace.

The greatest monuments

to fallen men...

are not made in marble.

They're deep in the sea,

deep in the jungles,

on foreign battlefields,

a rifle driven

into the ground,

with a helmet on top...

and some tags.

And that is the tribute

that this man has earned.

Gentlemen,

Corporal Ramon Aguilar,

United States Marine Corps.

[Inmate]

From the halls of Montezuma

To the shores of Tripoli

[Other Inmates Joining]

We fight our country's battles

In the air on land and sea

First to fight

for right and freedom

And to keep

our honor clean

We are proud

to claim the title

of United States Marines

Duh-duh, da, da, da, da

Da, duh-duh

La, la-la, la

La-la, la

- [Snickers]

- Sir, do you--

[Singing Continues]

Da-da da

Da-da da da

Da-da da

Da-da da da

Da-da da da-da

Sound the chow horn.

Sir, you still have

about ten minutes.

- Sound it.

- Yes, sir.

- Da da-da da...

- [Horn Blares]

- [Singing Stops]

- [Dellwo] Present...

arms!

Fall... out!

[Man On P.A.] Chow call.

All inmates report to the mess hall.

Chow call. All inmates

report to the mess hall.

So, tell me again.

Why is it

Aguilar had to die?

- [Enriquez] Believe us now?

- [Irwin] I believe you now.

Very good.

You have checkmate

in five moves.

Looks that way, sir.

Why you movin' if I have

checkmate in five moves?

'Cause I have

checkmate in three.

[Enriquez]

Shall we, uh, call it a draw?

[Winter]

If you'll excuse us, Mister, uh--

[Peretz] Enriquez.

Let's go. Move it out.

[Extended Sigh]

Your, uh,

grandson.

Yes.

Very cute.

- Five?

- Four, when that picture was taken.

- Oh.

- Six now.

It was unfortunate about...

Aguilar.

But tough decisions

do go with thejob.

Burden of command, correct?

[Exhales]

Look.

These salutes, I've given

them some thought.

Technically, they are not

a violation of regulations.

So, if the inmates can

confine themselves to a simple...

hand movement

through the hair,

I see no problem with it.

And if the men want to call

you chief, well, that's fine.

Free speech and all that.

- Okay, then.

- No, not okay.

It's too late, Colonel.

- It's too late for what?

- For your offer.

The men don't want to salute.

They don't want to use rank.

They don't want better food.

They don't want more TV.

They just want your resignation.

So do I.

- My resignation?

- You're a disgrace, Colonel.

A disgrace to the uniform.

You should not be allowed

to retain your command.

Well, then I'd better go pack.

[Chuckles]

- I think you should.

- Oh?

Tell me, Mr. Irwin,

what's to stop me from just...

placing you in the hole...

for, say, six months?

Nothing.

If that's the way

you want to win.

[Peretz]

Sir, if I can make a suggestion,

- maybe we should

isolate prisoner Irwin--

- Get me General Wheeler.

[Inmates Shouting]

Yes, sir.

[Winter] Two weeks ago,

I watched as he marched

a man up and down the yard.

A minor eccentricity. Fine.

Since then,

he's been acting as though...

he still has a command

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