The Making of Lion of the Desert Page #4

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can ride against a modern army...

It is Kufra, no question.

Thousands of soldiers and

machines, all going to Kufra.

Graziani is doing what

no one has ever done.

He's putting tanks in a desert.

Time... is on our side.

Graziani is marching south to Kufra.

We attack north. We throw him back.

But we must fight him for Kufra.

Sometimes, it is braver not to die.

What is lost count as lost.

We know your family is there.

But, to defend Kufra is to die there.

I must go.

Yes, yes you must.

- Are you ready to patter them?

- Yes sir.

Good... then, give them hell.

Lt. Sandrini, open fire!

Fire!

Go now.

Fire everything on them!

Bomb it to the front!

Murderers!

- What are you doing?

- Colonel Sarsana's orders.

No retreat, we fight and die here.

Fire!

Gentlemen, this is Kufra.

The seizure of Kufra

has hurt us deeply.

It has closed the south.

The only road for military supplies

is across the Egyptian Border.

We are in desperate

need of supplies, food...

Three Italian cars coming

up the Merch Road!

- How many?

- Three. They are flying white flags.

Let them in.

We will finish later.

Sharif El Gariani.

To come through, we had to

use the Italian cars.

- You found them comfortable?

- We want to talk to you alone.

What we have to say

cannot be said in public.

Then, it is not to be said to me.

Omar, why do you not surrender?

Obtain the best terms

you can from the Italians.

Mohamed XXXX??? can arrange a safe

conduct for you out of the country.

Safe conduct? Where to?

Egypt.

Ah... to Egypt...

to hide with his brother.

You are the only sonusi

left in this country.

I look at you.

Just...

Just look at him.

But my people have fought...

To defend your own privileges!

Where are you now?

- Omar Mukhtar...

The Italians assured us...

You better get back to them.

My friend, they are the

government of this country.

No, they take this land by day,...

...but, by God,

we take it back by night.

Omar Mukhtar,

you are alone,...

...cut off from the rest of this country,

isolated from the rest of the world.

In the league of nations,

you will not speak.

And if they should,

they will not listen.

No one would care.

This battle is not being fought

in the league of nations.

This battle is being

fought here on this land.

Omar, you cannot win this war.

Your blood against their metal?

Every man has two days, his

own day... and his children's day.

Your children are starving,

dying in the concentration camps.

Dying... because you

persist in fighting.

Yes, they are hostages of war.

But not one of them betrays me.

Not one has asked me

to surrender...

because they know and I know

that if I surrender I betray them.

Omar, we grew up together.

Don't you remember 70 years

ago, we were boys together.

Yes, yes I remember.

Look how far apart we have grown.

This may be the last chance you have

for seeking an honourable peace.

They steal our land, they destroy

our homes, they kill innocent people...

...and you call it peace?

I will not be corrupted by

that man's peace.

- Perhaps we should go.

- Yes, I think you should!

Yes, you should.

- Mabrouka?

- Yes.

You're alive...

Yes, with Siddik Omar.

I prayed for you.

When he sees Malik showed

him the back, he gave it to me.

My boy.

My baby.

Was he a brave boy?

Will you be back?

Yes.

But not for some time.

Go.

Go now.

Up you get!

Come on, out!

- The child is sick sir.

- I don't want him. I don't care.

You are accused of giving aid,

comfort and sustainance to

the rebels in the mountain.

Do you admit these capital crimes?

So, you are admitting your guilt?

You will all hang by your necks...

until you are dead.

As the holder of a Silver medal

of Honour, Lieutenant,

you will have the privilege of

giving the order for the execution.

No!

What did you say?

You will do your duty Leutinant.

I did not join the army

to hang women, sir.

Very well...

Lt. Sandrini, you will consider

yourself under arrest.

Thank you God for the lives

you have given.

What am I to do?

You refused your duty.

Insubordination is a

very serious offence.

When your officers start to

cry conscience...

you had that word

lent to you.

I'm prepared to answer to

the Court Marshall sir.

Indeed... and I am not prepared to

loose one of my colony's new heroes.

The hero I created.

I will not give you

the pleasure nor the

publicity of a Court

Marshall, Sandrini.

As an officer, you were taught to

obey orders not to question orders.

- Yes sir, but..

- Do not dispute with me!

The state has needs that outweigh

the conscious of the individual.

Demands that go beyond

individual intelligence, don't you agree?

Yes sir.

You will report to Sarsani for

duty in the mountains.

I will give you the honour

of dying XXXXXX???.

The old man has these mountains.

And he uses them.

XXXXX??? prove that.

Beyond this mountain range...

there's a plateau

upon which instinct...

Instinct tells us the tanks

can't operate.

Now, that is not true!

- Can we do it?

- Yes, but it will...

It will be decisive.

We control the approaches

here, here and here.

These are tank roads now.

Use them, will you?

- Uhm...

- Intelligence!

If I can think about that

you execute it,...

...especially if I could put you

on that plateau,...

...that'd be XXXX??? shock XXXXX???

- Yes.

Our directive Mukthar.

Here, using artillery,...

...gas, aircraft, no armor.

Once he's committed himself

30 kilometeres to the west...

by this road...

then we will push

by armors through.

That'll leave 'em with

their mouths zipped.

Let's flush them out!

- Gas will be our prison.

- We must get to high ground.

Get back to high ground!

Move everybody!

Captain...

XXXXXXXXX???

They've given us five days

and nights of it.

He's making a big push

for the mountains.

No use in artillery.

His tracks and armored cars

are useless in the mountains.

We can only operate

on level ground.

Yes.

But he forced us here.

What does that suggest?

He wants control of

the mountain roads.

Yes.

And what is there?

The bridge...

at Wadi Al-Kouf.

That is what he wants.

Gentlemen, this time he

won't get away.

First, we take the bridge,

get our armour behind him,

artillery in front of him.

then we pound him

into submission.

About the bridge sir, I'm surprised

that Mukhtar hasn't tried to cut it.

That's because he's an artful

fighter, not an educated one.

He didn't go to military

academy like you gentlemen.

Now is the time, we dangle the bait.

Check the bridge.

Sargeant, check the bridge.

All clear.

Right, check the next bridge,

I will hold this one here.

He is careful.

He is showing his naive.

That is bait.

We should have

blown up the bridge.

No.

The scout cars, we must stop them.

Give the signal.

You see?

Look the mice,

they could never resist the

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