The Pride and the Passion

- Well?

- It's the big cannon again, sir.

- Get rid of it.

- Leave it for the French?

- Get rid of it!

- Yes, sir.

Yes, sir?

Ah, Major, you have accomplished

the impossible.

How can a seven-ton 42ft cannon slip

through your fingers and leave no rust?

They must have destroyed it, sir.

It was too large, in my opinion...

In my opinion,

you don't know peas from powder.

General Jouvet wants that cannon.

Your orders are recover it, not evaluate it.

- Yes, sir.

- And Vidal?

The English want that cannon too. Enough

to send an agent to Spain to get it.

Do not fail.

The general is the kind of man who will

find work for both of us in the stables.

Yes, sir.

Out.

- English?

- English.

Take me to army headquarters.

English.

I'm looking for General Larena's staff.

- They've moved?

- Retreated.

Where?

- Who are you?

- We are the Spanish who do not retreat.

Guerrilleros.

If your business has to do with

this province, you talk with me.

My orders are for General Larena.

Sorry.

Juana!

Read these orders.

He is called Anthony Trumbell,

a naval captain.

General Larena is to turn over to him

a huge cannon

and the men to haul it to Santander.

What for?

To keep it out of Napoleon's hands.

- The English are fighting him too.

- Why did they send a sailor?

Because I speak Spanish

and have studied ordnance.

Guns.

You would like to see this gun?

I would like to see it, yes.

Thank you.

- Do the English have such a cannon?

- No one in the world has such a cannon.

- Is it bad?

- It can be repaired.

- Can you do it?

- If I had the men.

I have the men.

Blacksmiths? Carpenters?

Guillermo! Francisco! Pepe!

Listen to the captain.

I'll need six heavy wooden beams.

And take the gears from the guns they left.

Carlos! Get them.

And get everybody up on the road.

Oh, and rope.

I'll need all the rope you can get.

- Anything else?

- That's all for now.

Yes, Captain.

Get those mules moving!

Let it swing clear!

No, no. More to the left.

Miguel! Miguel!

- French cavalry!

- How far?

- Across the valley.

- They will be here in an hour.

Leave the gun where it is.

It's easier to hide all this up here.

Get Jos off the gun. Quickly!

Ramn! Take some men from the ropes

and cut the trees. Help them. Help them.

Carlos! Bring up the men.

Secure the ropes.

Hook up those mules.

Tie those tightly. We are moving.

I think this is the best route to Santander.

Yes, Captain.

But this gun is going to vila.

- I beg your pardon?

- vila.

- But you said...

- I said nothing.

You know my orders.

General Larena agreed to give us the gun.

But General Larena is not here.

You can't fight your way

across half of Spain with 200 men.

- With this gun, I will get the men I need.

- You have no powder.

- I will get it.

- The whole world is fighting Napoleon.

Compared to that, vila's a flyspeck.

I do not know about the rest of the world.

vila is French headquarters in Spain.

But it's 1,000km from here.

The country is swarming with French.

- You'll never get there.

- We will get there.

vila has a wall, Captain,

and this gun was made to fight walls.

We will get there no matter what it costs.

If it costs the lives of every one of us,

we are going to take vila.

And the French will then know

that their day in Spain is over.

You must be mad. All of you.

Captain, you want the gun in Santander,

and I want it in vila.

Go with us.

Show us how to use it, how to move it.

And afterwards we will help you

get the gun to Santander.

How do I know you'll keep your promise?

You do not.

- Get the captain's horse!

- I prefer to walk with the gun.

You might get tired, Captain.

Bring the horse!

(mule brays)

Captain, your face is dirty.

(sings)

Ah, Juanita! Ol!

(crowd) Ol!

Ol!

Juanita! Juanita!

Ol! Ol!

It is late.

What are you doing?

Taking the Englishman some food.

He did not eat with the others.

Then he does not eat. I ate. You ate.

He is no different than we are.

- But he is different.

- Mm. How?

He knows about guns.

You need him. You said so yourself.

I said nothing. I do not like him.

Miguel, you're jealous.

- Not of him.

- Anybody who looks at me.

And this one more, because

he can fire the cannon and you can't.

- How do you know? Maybe I can.

- You know you can't.

You say things you don't mean and then

you are sorry. We need him. Admit it.

I do not like the way he looks at you.

Miguel.

And I do not like the way you look at him.

That is still my privilege.

You know this Miguel

and you know him well.

You know he has the gun and where it is.

I am waiting for you to tell me.

Make no mistake, I speak to you as your

enemy, and I shall be your executioner.

Very well. An example must be set.

I shall begin by hanging all ten of you.

For every day after,

I shall hang ten more. And ten more.

If necessary,

every woman and child in vila,

until we loose some tongues

and I am told where this cannon is.

Take them out.

(spits)

Carry out the order.

I'm doubtful, sir.

I'm doubtful that these hangings...

I know, I know.

You wouldn't think it was worth it to them.

How big can a cannon be?

At half the size

it would excite their imagination.

The people of an occupied country

begin as martyrs.

Give them something to rally around and

die for, and they explode into a new army.

That is the real danger

of this cannon, General.

I am not stupid, Sermaine.

I know we have to find it.

(drum roll followed by thud)

(drum roll followed by thud)

(drum roll followed by thud)

We ought to be able to build and assemble

this raft in about three days.

There'll be 100 logs underneath.

We'll lash the cannon to this platform.

- I think we can get it across the river.

- I think it will sink.

It won't. But in any event it's the only way.

Unless you expect the river to dry up.

I expect to get this cannon to vila.

This way, we might lose it.

Not if I get cooperation.

I repeat, we'll need 100 logs.

All right. You get the men,

start cutting the trees.

You got your way, Captain.

But if this cannon sinks...

- It won't. And I'm sick of your threats.

- I do not like this.

- You don't have to. It will succeed.

- All I have is your word. It is not enough.

- Then don't do it! Recall the men!

- All right!

Wait. I know... and both of you know

the reason for this stupid argument.

If you are going to cross the river,

we are wasting time.

(slow rhythmic hammering)

Let it out easily!

Pull, pull! Keep pulling!

Get to the other rope!

Look at it. Mud up to its barrel.

I wish I'd never seen the thing.

- Can we pull it out?

- How? With what?

- We have the men and the mules.

- They won't budge it an inch.

- How many people would it take?

- 1,000. 2,000.

There are more than that

in Algado, Miguel.

(whistling and rhythmic clapping)

Citizens of Algado...

I spit in your faces.

I am Miguel of the gun, and of vila.

In vila, we do not sit in the bullring

with the French.

And we do not fly the flag of Spain

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