The Train Page #5

London has decided the

paintings must not be damaged.

Save it?

For Von Waldheim?

Make him a present?

To hell with London.

We started this whole

thing for one reason.

To stop the train because the

Allies were going to be here.

Where are they? Every

day they've been due.

And every day, a man has been killed for

thinking they were just over the hill.

I say to hell with it!

Now they want us to paint the

train? Let 'em blow it up!

Paul.

It'd be too bad if it got blown up.

That is, if it could be saved.

Papa Boule, Pesquet, the others,

they wanted it saved.

And they're dead,

and they'll never know.

But we will.

White paint. Just the

first three cars.

I can find my way back.

You know what it's like down there?

There are Germans all over the

place. You haven't got a chance!

I'll figure something.

What are you gonna do?

You gonna walk up to the Germans and

tell them you want to paint the train

so it will look nice when

it gets to Germany?

Don't you see? It's hopeless.

Those cars have been needing a coat

of paint ever since the war started.

You crazy bastard.

Who are you gonna get to help you?

Have you thought of that?

Who are you gonna get to help you?

ROBERT:
Me.

I can fight.

That's two of us. A small army.

- What do you shoot with this?

- Rabbits.

You're not fighting rabbits.

How well do you know the

station in Rive-Reine?

- Have you got a plan?

- Shut up.

- I lived there all my life.

- Can you get some men to help?

Not in Rive-Reine. They're

all working on the tracks.

Even I serve food to the soldiers.

Other towns?

Montmirail.

Uncle Jacques had friends there,

rail road men. I can get them.

- And paint?

- Yes. And brushes too.

See about the men and the paint.

Be back an hour before dawn.

With luck,

no one will be hurt.

No one's ever hurt. Just dead.

Paul, have you ever seen any of

those paintings on the train?

I haven't.

You know, when it's over, I think

maybe we should take a look.

(CRACKLING)

(SIREN WAILING)

SOLDIER:
Alarm!

(MEN SHOUTING IN GERMAN)

(WAILING CONTINUES)

(WAILING CONTINUES)

VON WALDHEIM:
Herren!

Lights!

Pilzer!

Didont, get off! Get off!

(SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY)

(GUNFIRE)

Didont! Didont, run, run!

(GUNFIRE)

(GUNFIRE)

(SOLDIERS SHOUTING)

(GUNFIRE)

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)

(FAINT RUMBLING)

Not thunder, Colonel. Artillery.

How close?

Ten miles, perhaps fifteen.

88s I think. Our guns

falling back, retreating.

When will you be finished?

Half an hour.

Does it matter?

You can't take the

train out in daylight.

The Allies could be

here before night.

Possibly. But a moving

train has no chance.

(SIREN WAILING)

(SOLDIERS SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY)

Colonel, get down! Get down!

(SIREN FADES)

(PLANES APPROACH)

Why?

The paint, Herren. It's a signal.

They're not going

to bomb the train.

Don't scrape it off.

Leave it there.

It's my ticket to Germany.

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING IN DISTANCE)

(TRAIN APPROACHING)

(CRANKING)

(BRAKES SCREECHING)

After him! Search the woods!

Wait!

Colonel, while they

search the woods,

Labiche can blow another

section of the track.

And another and another.

Do you suggest he will stop

if we let him run free?

He could have blown up the engine.

The hostages you put

aboard prevented that.

I can have this repaired

in less than an hour.

Keep Labiche away from the train

for the next four or five miles,

till we reach Montmirail, then

we will leave him behind.

Labiche or the train. Which

do you want, Colonel?

(GIVING ORDERS IN GERMAN)

Hier.

(STEAM HISSING)

(METAL SCREECHING)

Stop!

Bring over the rails!

Now up! Good!

(PANTING)

(GROANING)

(STRAINING)

(CREAKING)

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING)

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

(SQUEAKS)

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)

(STEAM HISSES)

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)

Come here.

I think I saw something.

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)

Stop here!

(STEAM HISSING)

I'll ride the front to Montmirail.

(STEAM HISSES)

(WHISTLES)

(STEAM HISSES)

Ten miles an hour, no more.

Stop! Stop! Stop!

(METAL SCREECHING)

Major!

Yes, Colonel?

Can we get this back on the rails?

The crane is in Paris by now.

Without a crane, impossible.

Nothing is impossible!

Get the men to work!

I want this engine

back on the rails!

If we had ten times as many

men it couldn't be done.

I tell you it will!

Do you hear me? I tell you it will!

It's hopeless, Colonel.

(VEHICLES APPROACHING)

Unload those paintings!

All of you, start to

unload them at once!

Go on, now, Schwartz.

SCHWARTZ:
Come on. Get to

work! Unload the crates!

Stop!

Come on, hurry up!

Stop!

- Stop! Stop! Stop!

- (BRAKES SQUEAL)

- Get your men off the trucks, Lieutenant.

- Sir, we have orders...

- I want those trucks.

- But, sir...

I don't care about your

orders. Do as I say!

Off the trucks!

Off the trucks!

Come on!

Off the trucks!

- Heil!

- (HORN HONKS)

- Move back! Back in your trucks!

- (HORN HONKING)

Back! Move back!

Back in the trucks!

Back in the trucks!

- What the hell's going on here?

- Him.

I need your trucks,

Major. All of them.

I have a cargo to deliver to

Germany. It's of vital importance.

There's a French armored

division just over that hill.

- What about my men?

- I don't care about your men!

I order you to unload those trucks!

Save your orders, Colonel.

In this sector the war is over.

- Back in the trucks!

- I'll have you shot!

Back in the trucks!

Herren! Shoot that man!

He is to be executed for

gross insubordination!

Unload the trucks!

Herren! I gave you an order!

Move! Go! Schnell!

Schnell! Schnell!

Out!

We have lost, Colonel.

It's hopeless.

Look at those men.

A defeated army.

Lost, Herren?

Lost?

Ja.

Come on!

- You want transport?

- Thank you.

- I have 50 men.

- Tell them to move fast.

Schwartz! Bring the men on the

double! We are moving out!

Grote, get the men in the

trucks. We are moving out.

All of you get in the

trucks! In the trucks!

Drop the paintings and

get in the trucks!

Gunther!

Stop.

Colonel.

You go on, Herren.

There is nothing to

stay for, Colonel.

You're a good officer, Herren.

I'll be along in a few minutes.

There'll be other trucks.

(STEAM HISSING)

(HISSING STOPS)

VON WALDHEIM:
Labiche!

Here's your prize, Labiche.

Some of the greatest

paintings in the world.

Does it please you, Labiche?

Do you feel a sense of excitement

in just being near them?

A painting means as much to you

as a string of pearls to an ape.

You won by sheer luck.

You stopped me without knowing

what you were doing, or why.

You are nothing, Labiche.

A lump of flesh.

The paintings are mine.

They always will be.

Beauty belongs to the man

who can appreciate it.

They will always belong to

me or to a man like me.

Now, this minute,

you couldn't tell me why

you did what you did.

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