Viva Zapata! Page #4

are asking.

Don't worry. Now we will

build slowly and carefully.

The country people

want to know.

They will get their land,

but under the law.

This is a delicate matter.

It must be studied.

What is there to study?

Well, the land must be

given back under the law

so there will

be no injustice.

And speaking of lands...

Close the door, please.

Let me show you this.

Thank you.

You see here where

these two streams meet?

The land is

very rich here.

Rich, level,

and well watered.

I'm told it has

a good house on it.

You know what

this is, General?

No.

This is your ranch.

My ranch?

It's a fine old custom

to reward victorious generals

and no one deserves it

more than you.

I did not fight

for a ranch.

I don't think you

know what I meant.

I know what you meant.

Forgive me, Sir, but the land that

I fought for was not for myself.

But, General, I didn't...

What are you going to do

about the land I did fight for?

General, General, that will be taken

care of, believe me, in good time.

Now is a good time.

General Zapata, sit down.

I am not tired.

This is

a constitutional government.

There's only one way

to do these things.

This noise, this confusion...

I can't think here.

Get out. Out. Get out.

Give me these.

I'll sign these now.

They're still waiting, sir.

Let them wait.

Well, I'll come.

I'll be right back.

Don't let anybody else in.

Get these workmen out.

They make too much noise.

This mouse in a black suit

talks too much like Diaz.

No, he's right.

This is peace.

Takes time.

We must work by law now.

Laws?

Laws don't govern,

men do.

The same men who governed

before are here now in that room.

They have his ear.

They've got to

be cleaned out.

First the land

must be given back.

And if Madero

doesn't do it...

Yes.

...then he is an enemy too.

You're his emissary,

his officer, his friend.

I'm a friend to no one

and to nothing except logic.

Peace is very difficult.

Hermano,

what do you think?

It's a nice piece of

land they offered you.

What's the harm?

You've never taken anything.

The result?

We have nothing.

It's finally quiet.

General Zapata,

don't you trust me?

You must trust me.

I promise you that my first

preoccupation is with the land.

But in a way

that is permanent.

Before you can do anything

by law you must have law.

We cannot have

an armed and angry nation.

It's time, General,

to stack our arms.

In fact,

that's the first step.

That's my first

request of you.

Stack your arms and

disband your army.

And who will enforce the

laws once we have them?

The regular army.

The police.

They're the ones

we just fought and beat.

Give me your watch.

What?

Give me your watch.

Give it to me.

It's a beautiful watch.

Expensive.

Now take my rifle.

Now you can have

your watch back.

But without this, never.

You draw a strong moral.

You ask us to disarm.

How could we get our land

or keep it, if we disarm?

But it's not that simple.

There's the matter of time...

Time? Time is one

thing to a lawmaker

but to a farmer there's a time

to plant, and a time to harvest

and you cannot

plant and harvest time.

General Zapata,

do you trust me?

Just the way

my people trust me.

I trust you and

they trust me,

as long as we keep our promises

and not a moment longer.

Where are you going?

I'm going home.

What will you do there?

I will wait,

but not for long.

Kill that Zapata now.

Save time, lives.

Perhaps your own.

Were you listening,

General Huerta?

I advise you to

shoot Zapata now. Now!

General Huerta,

I don't shoot my own people.

You'll learn.

He's a fine man.

What does that mean?

I mean he's an honest man.

What's that got

to do with it?

A man can be honest

and completely wrong.

I trust him.

To do what?

I think it's essential that I

take my troops down to Morelos

and help him

decide to disarm.

Yes?

Excuse me.

No, no, wait, wait.

Come in. Come in.

I...

You can speak freely.

Yes. Excuse me.

Come in. Come in.

I want to speak to

General Zapata again.

You ask him to

come back, will you?

He won't come back.

He's stubborn.

But if you could come down to

Morelos, he's different there.

You know, his whole

life has been fighting.

He can hardly read.

He needs you.

He may not know it yet

but he needs you to help him.

He can learn.

He wants to.

If you'll excuse me for

saying it, you need him too.

I will come.

Thank you.

I will come.

With your permission,

excuse the interruption,

please.

Troops are not necessary.

I will do it without troops.

These are fine people.

You know, General Huerta, there

is such a thing as an honest man.

The odor of goodness.

Get me a drink.

You know we're never

going to get anywhere

as long as that

Zapata is alive.

He believes in what

he's fighting for.

So does Madero, sir.

I know, but he's a mouse.

He can be handled.

Zapata's a tiger.

You have to kill a tiger.

See?

They don't mind

giving up their arms

now that I've

explained it to them.

He explained it very well,

didn't he, Emiliano?

They have accepted it.

Have you?

I've been fighting for so

long I don't understand peace.

Peace is the

hard problem.

Many men have been honest

in war, but peace...

I often wonder

how a man can stay honest

under the pressure of peace.

Emiliano, whatever happened to

that little boy you told me about

who got your horse?

He's dead.

And they were never

able to find the horse.

This woman

has three rifles.

Husband and

two sons killed.

Seora.

Please, take this.

No. It is too valuable.

As valuable as your sons?

Emiliano! Emiliano!

What is it?

Ask him!

What is it?

Huerta's forces are coming

through the pass, Emiliano!

Pretend

you don't know it.

No, they're not.

They can't.

How many?

Three regiments

with artillery.

Who posted scouts?

I did.

You?

I don't trust him.

I'm right.

Look at him!

Bugle.

I want to shake hands with our

liberator so I can tell my children.

Troops are coming?

Huerta has

disobeyed my orders?

What did you say, sir?

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

I have to go

and stop them.

Huerta would not dare!

Don't let him get away.

We must trust Madero.

Only he can bring us peace.

Emiliano, listen.

Please listen to me!

No!

Now get the snipers out

and flank the road.

Might be better to finish

him off. What do you say?

Emiliano,

I give you my word.

I will stop the troops.

I hope so.

But if you don't, I will.

I'm sorry, Mr. President.

Huerta must have

misunderstood.

You know, he's got good

qualities, too. Believe me.

Pablo.

Yes, I know, I know.

I'll talk to Emiliano. I'll

bring you two together again.

You look across the river!

I'll look upstream.

Watch it.

Wait. The hat.

Giddy up.

Here!

Here! Here!

All right.

Did you see him?

Did you see Huerta?

Yes, my president.

How does he explain this?

Why am I a prisoner here?

You are no longer

a prisoner, my president.

But they won't

let me leave.

I've been here for days!

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