War And Peace Page #7

pleasure, there's others' happiness.

You'll ruin a whole life

for your amusement.

Then amuse yourself with women

of your own rotten breed.

As a man of honour,

you can't talk to me that way.

- Is it satisfaction you want?

- Yes.

I take it back. I'd take it back,

I'd beg you for forgiveness.

Drive this gentleman

wherever he wants to go.

He's gone.

She's in her room.

- What are you doing here?

- I came to stop you.

- Nothing will stop me.

- What do you plan to tell Andrei?

- I wrote to him telling him everything.

- He's not good enough for you?

You crawl after a gambler, a liar,

and a notorious womaniser!

I'm going to marry him!

Whatever he's told you, he's lying.

He's married already.

It isn't true.

Look at me, Natasha.

Could I purposely deceive you?

- The rumour's all over Moscow.

- Who started it?

Prince Andrei has sent back

all her letters.

- That's bad. I am sorry.

- She's been quite ill.

When she knew you were coming,

she insisted upon getting up.

Don't tell her everything. One hasn't the

heart to scold her. She's to be pitied.

I hear he's in Moscow now.

Ask him...

- Ask him to forgive me.

- I will tell him, but...

I know that can never be.

All is over.

Only I'm so tormented

by the wrong I've done him.

Tell him...

Tell him I beg him to forgive...

forgive me for everything.

I will tell him everything.

But remember I'm your friend.

If you want help

or to open your heart to someone,

not now, but when your mind is clearer,

think of me.

- I shall be happy if it's in my power.

- I'm not worth it.

No. You have your whole life

ahead of you.

Ahead of me? No. All is over.

Nonsense, Natasha.

Listen to me, look.

Were I not myself, but the handsomest,

cleverest man in the world,

and if I were free,

I would not hesitate for one moment

to ask for your hand and your love.

- It's not cold, Mishka.

- It must be well below zero.

- Wonderful.

- Where to?

Where? I don't know, Mishka.

Are you looking at the comet, sir?

They say it means war and famine.

- All sorts of woes.

- Nonsense. Life is beautiful. Go!

- Where to? The club?

- No.

- Home?

- No. Just go, Mishka!

"If Your Majesty wishes to avoid

shedding our people's blood

"and consents to the withdrawal

of Your Majesty's troops,

"I will forget what has happened

and agreement will be possible.

"Otherwise, I shall be forced

to repel an aggression

"that has been

totally unprovoked by me.

"The decision whether to preserve

humanity from the disasters of war

"lies in Your Majesty's hands.

"I am, et cetera, Alexander."

So... this letter is very polite.

Very eloquent.

And it is full of fraternal expressions

of devotion from your Czar.

Sentiments, which, I assure you,

are reciprocated by me.

- However, in essence, Colonel...

- Bolkonsky.

...Bolkonsky,

what does this letter express?

It is not for me, as a mere messenger,

to express the wishes of the Czar.

Come, come, my dear fellow,

you must have an opinion. What...?

Where? Where have we met before?

Your face is familiar to me.

On the field at Austerlitz, sire.

Austerlitz... Austerlitz...?

Yes, I do remember.

You were lying

with a banner in your hand.

Yes, sire.

I thought you were dead!

Well, well, here you are again.

I'm glad to see you.

Now, Colonel, this letter,

what do you think it represents?

It can only represent

the Czar's sincere wish to avoid war

and to prevent the shedding

of both Russian and French blood.

A praiseworthy aim,

and one in which I completely concur.

However, what else

would you say was in this letter?

Since you press me, sire,

for a personal opinion, I would say

it is a request for the withdrawal

of your troops from our country.

A personal opinion! That's how

the Czar told his messenger to put it.

You personally say withdrawal, do you?

Say retreat!

I'm a soldier and I use soldiers' words.

I am not a fool!

I've been asked to put my head into

a noose while my enemies conspire!

Sire, it is not my opinion when I say

the Czar is not your enemy

and that he is not conspiring

against you.

If you read his letter carefully...

I will read the letter more carefully

and send the Czar my answer later.

Goodnight to you, Colonel.

Gentlemen, tomorrow at dawn

we cross the Neman into Russia.

We'll talk of peace... in Moscow!

And on 12th June 1812,

Napoleon Bonaparte, at the head

of an army of 200,000 men,

crossed the River Neman into Russia.

To combat this aggressive invasion

of their homeland,

the Russians welcomed the French

with a destroyed storehouse,

a widely desolated land.

Looting, burning!

As soon as Napoleon approaches,

the peasants run off with their grain.

What they can't take with them

they burn.

If we don't put a stop to it somewhere,

it'll be a desert, a scorched earth!

We must fight. The army demands it,

the Czar demands it.

And the people demand it!

What does the army want?

To be destroyed?

Because that would be

what would happen if we fought now.

Does the Czar want

to be brought to his knees?

Because that would be

what would happen if we fought now.

What do the people want?

To be the subjects of Napoleon?

Because that would be

what would happen if we fought now.

Gentlemen,

I have been put in command

to give the army, the Czar

and the people what they want.

And what they want is to drive the last

Frenchman from the soil of Russia!

And that I propose to do when I can.

- But the looting and the burning...

- Let it continue!

Let it increase!

- Soon they'll be at our gates!

- We'll stop him!

- They should call up more men!

- Kutuzov is afraid!

- He's a doddering idiot!

- What's wrong with the Emperor?

We will show Europe

how Russia rises in defence...

"Lord God,

hear us when we pray to Thee.

"Strengthen with Thy might

our most gracious sovereign,

"Emperor Alexander Pavlovich,

"and give him victory over his enemy,

as Thou gavest Moses victory,

"Gideon over Mideon,

David over Goliath.

"Smite down our enemies

and destroy them swiftly

"beneath the feet

of Thy faithful servants.

"Preserve our army, give a bow

of brass to those armed in Thy name

"and gird their loins with strength

for the fight.

"Take up the spear and shield

and arise to help us.

"Confound those

who have devised evil against us.

"May they be, before the faces of

Thy warriors, as dust before the wind.

"May Thy mighty angel

confound them and put them to flight.

"Let them fall

before Thy servants' feet

"and be laid low by our host."

I came to say goodbye.

I'm leaving Moscow today.

- Where are you going?

- To the army to fight Napoleon.

You're going to join up finally?

I don't know...

I have to see what it's like,

what it means for myself.

Prince Andrei is in command

of a regiment. I'll find him.

- When did you decide to do this?

- A long time ago.

- Even you, Pierre?

- You will stay to dinner?

- By all means.

- To say goodbye.

That's good. Come along.

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