The Young Lions Page #8

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Ja, just near here, in a little stable.

- Well, we go now, we take the car.

- All right, let's go.

Why don't you have dinner

with Simone and me tonight, huh?

That would be very nice, Brandt,

but I think I must report.

Oh, report in the morning.

You need some rest.

- Brandt, do you ever see Franoise?

- Why, of course.

She's living with Simone now.

- She is living with Simone?

- She has been for more than a month.

Brandt, would you like to have dinner

with Franoise and me tonight?

Very nice. We'd be delighted.

Simone!

Simone?

Simone!

Simone.

Darling.

lt's been forever.

Hello, Franoise.

Hello.

Come in.

(Brandt) I'm an American officer!

Oh, my wonderful friends, I want to thank you

for this beautiful night. I love you for it.

And now, I'd like to make a little toast.

Farewell, Captain Brandt

of the army of the Third Reich!

You're drunk, darling. Say good night.

No, no, no, no. Christian understands me.

Good night, Captain Brandt.

Tomorrow you awaken to your new life:

Monsieur Brandt, citizen of the world.

lsn't he funny? He has such ideals.

Sit down, Simone. Sit down for a minute.

Christian, I... I know you don't approve,

but listen to me for a minute.

Tell me, are we civilised human beings,

or are we wild beasts?

A human being knows when he has lost,

and he tries to save himself.

When you are put into the army,

you are expected to risk your life,

but you are not expected

to just throw it away.

After all,

in any war, Christian,

after all the arms and the legs

have been... blown off,

it doesn't really matter,

because nothing really changes.

Good night... my dear friend.

Franoise...

be good to him,ja...

because he is the best of the best.

- All right, all right.

- Ja.

Come on.

Christian.

You...

You won't report him?

(softly) No.

Thank you.

You're not the same.

When you are...

When you are in a hole...

filled with your own excrement

for days on end,

and when you see the faces

and the bodies of the men you've killed,

you change.

And when you're out there like that,

when you have to live with death every day...

for so long...

you have to keep something in front of you,

or you would go insane.

And so I was...

I was always afraid that...

I had just invented you.

Oh, but I am real.

Yes.

Christian...

please stay.

There isn't anything for you to fight for.

There never really was.

Christian...

you're not the golden warrior any more.

And soon...

you will be just another refugee.

Don't throw this away.

Please.

Don't throw this away.

I think...

I think I've come too far.

(singing)

What are you staring at?

The faces of the generals. I don't like 'em.

lf there is one thing I cannot stand

it's enlisted men, with their air

of injured moral superiority.

They don't look like they could lead

you up the walls of a German fortress.

Don't you worry, honey. They're not gonna

lead you anyplace outside of a London bar.

- Let's not start that again.

- All right.

(explosion outside)

Go on, dear.

Whoops. Here comes another big man.

No, no, no. Sit down, sit down, soldier.

How are you, Margaret?

I'm all right, Sam. So far.

They are a little early tonight.

Oh. Private Whiteacre,

I'd like you to meet General Rockland.

Sam, huh? Nice to know you, sir.

Thank you. Come on over to the bar.

Bring your friend.

ln a little while. Thank you, Sam.

How long's this been goin' on?

- Wouldn't you like to know!

- And a general, too.

(explosion)

Johnny One-Note.

Always criticising officers.

Always turning down promotions.

Why do you insist on staying a private?

(explosion)

Guilt, I guess. You know, Dr Freud

would say I'm punishing myself

because I'm stayin' outta combat.

Because I'm letting Noah Ackerman

do my fighting for me.

- lf you wanna personalise it.

- Well, then, get into it.

Stop feeling so guilty.

lt's getting a little sickening.

I'd rather be guilty than dead.

Go on, see Sam.

These things get any closer, I'll probably

chicken out and make a spectacle of myself.

Go on, see Sam!

Go on!

- You would, too!

- Let me go.

(explosion)

You stay here.

What are you tryin' to do, get yourself killed?

General, will you do somethin' for me?

Will you?

- I dunno. What is it?

- Can you send me back to my old outfit?

- Where are they?

- They're fighting in Normandy.

Well, I suppose so. Why don't you just

put in a request through channels?

I don't wanna wait that long.

All right.

- Give me your name and your serial number.

- Yes, sir.

Thank you, General.

Thank you.

Well, now you've done it!

We're practically in a foxhole right now.

- That's what you wanted, isn't it?

- Michael, you stupid idiot.

That isn't what I wanted. You don't

have to get killed to keep me loving you.

I won't get killed. Believe me,

I'll have the deepest foxhole

and the biggest helmet in the whole infantry.

No you won't. I'll talk to him.

Don't. Margaret, please.

Come here.

Now let that be a lesson to you.

Margaret, I... I have to do this.

I know I'll chicken out afterwards,

but... by that time it'll be too late.

I'm... I'm scared.

- Ah, don't be scared.

- I am. I wish I hadn't...

I'll come back. I have to come back.

How else can I marry you?

- Mornin'.

- Mornin'.

Here it is.

(Noah) Also, the mail may be slow,

and I don't want you to worry.

I can't tell you where I am,

because the censors wouldn't like it.

lf it's not too private, could you read it to us?

Yeah.

''The photograph was wonderful.''

''I'm delighted with my little girl,

and I can see that she is a fine child,

straight of limb, quick of mind.''

''I promise to return to both of you

with a whole body and a whole heart,

no matter what happens.''

''I shall return to tell her stories at bedtime,

to feed her spinach, and to teach her

how to drink milk out of a glass.''

''To take her out in the park, and tell her

the names of the animals in the zoo.''

''To explain to her why

she must not hit little boys...

and why she must love her mother

as much as her father does.''

(Noah) Write me... my darling.

Write me. Write to me, please.

Write me. Love...

''Noah.''

They're gettin' close.

Look, I want no firing - no matter

what happens - till they move up.

Oh, no. No shootin'. We're only

artillery observers, you know.

I can hear the old man. ''You boys

go on ahead, see what we have to clear out.''

''lt's easy. lt's like takin' a walk

on a peaceful Sunday mornin'.''

What are they doin' out there

on a peaceful Sunday mornin'?

- (sneezes)

- Bless you.

Mother. Mother!

Mother!

(gunfiire)

Here they come. Put your guns on 'em

and make it count. Now!

Don't bunch up down there!

Grenade!

No sense in putting it off.

We're French-fried if we stay here.

We'll have a few minutes before they

reorganise. Who wants to go first?

We'll leave by twos and threes. We'll...

dissolve the detail in twos and threes.

No need to tell you to be careful.

Well, who's goin' first?

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