Original subtitles

FIRST COMMUNION

Listen to the tale of the Gravet

Temelain and Dauchy families

Butchers, peasants and laborers

From the Pas-de-Calais and Picardy

English adaptation Jaib Warner

Subtitles ECLAIR VIDEO

Don't try to figure out who married whom

Or why a son doesn't bear his father's name

Or in what year who died

Listen with your eyes and memories

To the tale of a family that could be your own

Nothing could be simpler or less complicated

In 1900 Jules Ternelain

A farmer who had no son

Had 2 daughters over 20 years old

And he wanted a husband for one!

Take it easy!

Mama, you'll kill yourself!

Shut up!

You'll crack half the eggs.

They'll sell all the same! Never mind!

Walking all night to get to market!

You'll die of boredom!

I'm sorry I have no sons.

My girls are ready to marry, but with whom?

To make a neighbor rich?

So I offer you my eldest.

Don't worry. She's good stock!

Give me your eldest son for my eldest girl.

600 pounds of sale able meat!

I wish they were all like that!

I'll buy the lot... at my own price.

You made a good deal

by coming to Arras.

You're lucky to have 2 sons!

I had 3 but they died.

I'm always unlucky.

One of my calves ate too many apples and died!

I don't let them go out. They'd pick bad husbands.

The newly-weds'll live here on the farm.

I'll send for the cows.

How much?

The dowry?

The farm and its lands right now and when I die,

my silver savings and half my belongings.

Francois Dauchy from Haisnes-les-Mines

The pit-boy of the Pas-de-Calais

At 10 years of age could push a mine-cart

His father was proud to say!

They're coming!

Give your Ma your pay!

Your first fortnight!

Pour us some beer!

Frangois, be proud you're a pit-boy!

Work hard

and make the men respect you!

Hold your head high in front of the boss!

Us little Dauchys are big men!

20 years later the same Francois

Became Marie's lover

It's Frangois!

Jules didn't see a thing.

Not at all.

Lise followed her sister Marie

When Francois she went to meet

No one knew that by the slag-heap

Lise's heart skipped a beat!

He's there.

You're gonna go?

Keep an eye out in case someone comes.

You're crazy!

I can't help it. I'm like a glowing coal!

Leon Gravet, butcher at Arras

Had a son, dashing and pleasant

The beef buyer took his son Charles

To the farm to meet the peasant

There you are!

You sent for me?

I've found you a wife.

The daughter of a customer.

You'll see her tomorrow

and stay with 'em for a while...

before your engagement.

You're getting married!

Seeing her tomorrow?

Papa told you about her?

He never tells me a thing!

I only know she's a good catch.

Blond or brunette?

Maybe she has a wooden leg.

A blond?

Aunt, you scare me!

So no more school.

'Night, Mama.

'Night, Aunt.

We get up at 4:00.

Are you packed?

Everyone to bed.

A wife! Lucky you!

It'll be ours!

No one'll know it's yours.

When you leave me, I'll still have him.

He'll be a big boy.

I'll know you're the one who made him kick inside me.

- My mother superior! - Don't call me that!

My little orphan!

The nuns raised you and your sis.

I found you in a church.

In front of my husband!

Don't laugh that way. You scare me!

People see you too much. Everywhere!

Why d'ya like me?

You'd go to Hell?

Would ya if ya knew we could make love there openly?

You'll come?

You! Son of nobody! You'd go to Hell?

Raoul!

You'll go to Hell?

This is Matilda.

He's Charles.

Right, M. Gravet?

That's her sister Julie.

You'll stay here a week.

It's you!

Mother picked these for you.

That's nice!

You slept well?

I've slept one hour a night for 10 years.

I can't sleep. I think all the time.

I memorized your school poem by Rimbaud.

"Dearest, let's see if the rose..."

It's by Ronsard!

Of course!

I studied him in school at Arras!

Do you know it by heart?

"Gather your Youth!

"If you believe me, dearest, while your Age blooms

"of its greenest buds, gather your Youth!

"Like this flower, Age will tarnish your Beauty.

"Like this flower, Age will tarnish your Beauty."

Be careful of the syntax!

You have a good memory.

Like me. I'd have stayed in school

if my father hadn't made me marry a farm girl!

I dreamt about them last night. The savages!

Your father can't understand that.

He wasn't in my shoes!

I thought about it all night.

The universe! The cosmos!

Where'd I write it down?

Pascal! You haven't studied him yet.

You'll see, it's terrifying!

The silence! Infinity!

"The eternal silence of infinite space frightens me.

"Eternal silence

"of infinite space frightens me."

Such a profound idea in so few words!

The terrible anguish of death!

I'm just an old man but...

I've had my days of glory.

Julien, is your father back?

No. I got homework to do.

Wait! Listen!

The universe!

You'll see. He talks about the universe.

"An infinite sphere whose center is everywhere.

"Its circumference is nowhere."

Try to imagine the center everywhere,

the circumference nowhere!

I can't.

Man's impotency is unimaginable, Jacques!

My name's Julien!

"Unable to see Nothingness from whence he comes

"nor infinity that engulfs him.

"Nothingness from whence he comes.

“Infinity that engulfs him."

Where's Marie?

Her husband's on the day-shift.

When'll she come?

I don't know! Find a way!

One day you'll be caught.

Wait!

You scared of me?

I gotta go make the soup.

Lise stole Francois from Marie, an act of most foul

She will be Francois” wife

Her big sister bears from the slag-heap

A bastard son named Raoul

Frangois Dauchy, would you wed Lise Paulet?

You are eternally bound by wedlock.

Raoul, stay here!

If I was a man, I'd have had real sons!

Those he gave my daughter were rotten, All three died!

I'd rather break eggs than be incapable!

Hurry up! I got other things to do.

My grand-daughters...

they'll have lots of sons.

Cracked ones?

Take 'em or you'll get none of my butter!

Ya gotta break eggs to make an omelet!

He's incapable!

Not even one son!

My sister wants you to go walking.

Julie, come on!

My parents have no sons.

They died. I've only one sister.

Never had a fiancé?

I was sent to a nuns' school in Amiens.

I was at the Fathers' in Arras.

Any sisters?

Just one brother.

My mother and aunt live at home.

You want children?

I'd like a big family. We'll live here.

You'll get used to it here?

Come and eat!

I'll show you the country in my cart.

I love this country.

I hate cities. I love the smell of the earth.

By 1914 Charles Gravet

Had a daughter and four boys

He left them with no hesitation

Depriving the house of its joys

Stop him! He aimed my own gun at me!

Halt! In the name of the town council!

Hands up!

What's wrong with you?

You've no right! Our country's in danger!

Thief! You robbed your wife of property! Mine!

Her made her sign a paper!

He squandered it all in Paris!

His five children are starving!

Charles, I never want to see you again.

Don't touch me!

What's he up to now?

My wife has rejected me.

Your low political tricks kept me from being mayor.

You're unworthy of me! You're retarded!

My lawyer will contact you tomorrow.

Madam, I go without looking back.

Alea jacta est.

Thief!

Hello, lovely.

Mr Gravet...

My son Julien.

You've grown. You're a man now.

Glad I fetched you? A son needs his father at times.

I stole you away at night like a thief.

Glad?

Look at the pretty Parisians!

You're not used to places like this on the farm.

Friends!

We now pay homage to a great artist Edgar Degas,

who knew how to reveal the secret contours of a woman

as she bathed.

Here is Femme a sa Toilette!

It's the most beautiful show in Paris.

A lovely chickadee!

To animate this living portrait,

we would like a gentleman in the audience

to kindly rinse the young lady

and then dry her with a towel.

Go on! Here!

Don't be afraid, Julien!

Such a young man. But we're amongst friends.

My boy, Paris watches you and thanks you!

A true Gravet!

Francois the miner defends the French nation

In the war of annihilation

I hear a regiment's rebelled.

They sang "The Internationale" and hung some cops.

Shut up!

They ask too much of us!

We'll die like rats!

My house's gone!

I'm in the ruins like a dead rat!

I got a wife and two kids!

Frangois, talk!

My God, they killed me!

The same Francois, a rural policeman now

In 1936 had a small café

Two children, Marcel and Josette

Plus Raoul, the bastard-boy from slug-heap way

We worked for our families.

I had two kids and Pa wouldn't let me get married.

I had to give him my pay.

Even now we feed "em for 15 years.

Let 'em pay me for a year or two!

At 18, they send the soldiers to Africa.

He won't return!

They won't get my boy.

He'll join up now.

He'll go to Germany instead of Africa.

Right, son?

Pa, I'm a carpenter.

A soldier's got a future.

Raoul, this one's got bad nerves. That's no good.

A good future in peace time!

In war, you get killed, stripes or not.

Unless you're a general!

Enlist to avoid going to Africa.

In my day we weren't scared of the enemy!

Everything was better in your day.

Sure! Laugh at me!

Me and my kids defended the town against the Huns in "14!

I lost 3 sons and Frangois got shot

in the lungs right where the café is!

We know, Pa. In the swamp next door.

It almost killed him.

I was in the pits when I was 10!

I had 9 kids!

When he began to mine, we had some beer.

Little Dauchy's a big man!

Your Ma blessed ya with holy water each day before work!

Leave Grandpa alone! Papa, you're mean!

- Josette, more gin. - I'll go see my pigeons!

Bunch of garbage! Idiots!

I could still slap you around!

I'll go see my pigeons.

Bunch of clods!

Kiss your Ma. Ya won't go to Africa.

I'll sign ya up at Town Hall.

Raoul, son of the slag-heap

Son of Francois of the mines

Discovers from beneath a towel

His cousin Palmyra's curvaceous lines!

Quiet! Pa's dead tired.

They're lined up at the union, fightin' to join!

Stop! I haven't washed yet!

You're not dirty!

I'll put the kids to bed.

- Get washed. - And him?

He's out! Put a towel over his head.

Hurry up!

You've no shame anymore?

What's wrong?

I fought with Rachel.

She's told everyone I stole her man. I had to see ya.

Ya shouldna come here.

I can't hide it any longer, Raoul.

I'm fed up!

We won't hide.

I'll go work in Pit 12 with ya. Everyone knows us here.

There we can live together.

Really? You're not lyin'?

We'll have time to love.

You'll come to my pit and we'll live together.

Really?

Do I ever talk hot air?

In '54, the rich Charles Gravet

A widower by his third wife

Rediscovered his eldest son Julien

He said "I'm your father! I'll love you all my life!”

It's a painting by a great artist.

A copy! Not an original!

It's not the real one?

It looks like she's really bathing!

It's a copy of a great master.

It's worth money.

You're lucky to have such a lovely wife.

A nice figure!

And 2 fine children.

We had 3. The first died in an accident.

My third wife.

Splendid! An opera singer.

A fine voice! Dead!

Destiny!

She was pretty hefty.

Stop acting up!

Jacques is laughing at his old grandad.

My name's Julien.

Chateau Margaux 1937.

Mean anything to you?

Bottled gold.

Sure! At that price.

So you're in business?

I manage.

Here's to the ladies.

To my lovely daughter-in-law!

My God, that's good!

Go easy! You'll be plastered!

Seeing you and your family after all these years moves me deeply.

You were always my favorite.

You and your 2 brothers are the only ones left of my 5 children.

Don't I know it!

I can't find Lucien and Jacques.

We haven't seen them since the war.

It always ended in a fight. The savages!

All I've left are my photos and paintings.

I was ruined 3 times!

I won back my losses each time.

Gambling, horses...

Women too!

I left my second wife after 2 weeks of marriage.

She made love very badly, so... out!

What a full life!

And how!

Let's go! I have to get back to work.

May I call you by your first name?

Yes, it's Josette.

Josette's a nice name.

Where'd you meet?

He came in to buy cigarettes at my parents' café

and I fell for him.

3 months later we were married.

I love lovelies like you!

Come see me soon.

Give your father a kiss.

My father!

In 1936, the same Julien

Asked for his brother Jacques' advice, did hark it

And returned from Paris

To sell butter at the country market

Frangois Dauchy, my fiancée's father.

You just got time to see Ma.

We'll go right to market and waste no time.

I'm glad you came. You'll be better than in Paris.

It's too hot! Shit!

I'll get ya a smock.

Ya can't go to market like that!

It's not like Paris here.

We're all back in the Pas-de-Calais, except Leon.

It'll be easier to get your butter here.

You look pale.

Seen your father?

Here!

Hurry! We gotta get there early to get a good spot!

Come look!

With his hen!

He's the strongest one.

He's the other cock's hen!

Cuckold!

Sunday he'll win against the miners!

Josette, the girl from the café

Was adored by Jacques and Julien

The 2 brothers fought like cocks

The one who won was Julien

There's always a war!

Spain'll have one soon.

But it's against the fascists!

Albert joined a brigade and went to fight.

You OK, Marcel?

He's got stripes now.

2 beers please, Josette.

I got a good one.

A pack of cigarettes.

You're a Parisian?

You got a Parisian smile!

I was born here in the mines. You're Parisian?

I came to see my brother and go into business here.

Jacques' your brother? You're not much alike.

Am [ nicer?

What's your name?

I'm Julien.

Don't start actin' smart!

Your beer?

Ya can keep it!

Ma, why cry?

One day they'll kill you.

I had no parents. I want to keep my son.

Go back to carpentry now.

This is my trade now.

He can't quit! He's been promoted!

Save your chat for the kitchen.

Not for the customers!

Stay away from those market vendors.

He's Parisian!

So he's not from around here!

Don't hang around her.

She's not your wife.

But I'm gonna ask her to marry me.

What if she falls for me?

Lousy clod! Dude! Phony Parisian!

She wants a serious guy.

That's enough.

Crap!

See? I told ya he was too high-strung!

You're the best!

Ya gave him your secret! The best of the cocks!

I feel bad.

Wait for me!

Open up! It's me, Julien.

Go away! They'll hear us.

Open or I'll yell.

I can't! We mustn't!

What if Papa comes?

I don't want to! We mustn't!

Our wedding's in 8 days!

Not here! They'll hear us!

It's forbidden!

We got no right to!

Ya yelled, Josette?

Are ya sick?

Just a bad dream!

Want anything?

Let me go back to sleep.

Such dreamin'!

I hope your light's off.

It's not allowed before the wedding!

You're my woman! I love you!

Long live the bride!

Champagne for everyone!

Long live the bride!

Here, Jacques! Drink to my health!

I want everyone to be happy!

We can be friends! Like brother and sister!

I'm so happy!

Leave me alone!

Meanwhile, Charles' daughter

Leona is a hairdresser

It's too hot!

What a pest! Always moaning!

It has to be hot. Sit still!

My electrician's late.

It's burning!

There! I turned it down.

The thing's busted.

The electrician?

You're late!

I don't know this area yet.

Stop!

There! Dry!

It burned me! It's incredible!

They had to dry.

Ya gotta suffer to be beautiful!

But my hair's blue!

What? Blue?

It's silvery blond! Is it blue to you?

Answer me! Blue or silvery?

Silvery.

See? Silvery. You get on my nerves!

Come on! I'm busy, out you go!

Or your hair will be black and blue!

Peasant!

So fix this dryer, it overheats!

Why're ya starin' at me?

Lucien Gravet the baker goes mad

For a beautiful automobile!

His baby brother Gaston is a butcher

All 5 children will meet again, I feel!

I'll met you at Dames Wood Lucien

mete

Don't stand there, Gaston!

Go get the pick-hammer.

See if my daughter's in the store.

You killed it?

Not yet.

Take the hammer.

I hate doing it!

What a sissy!

Ya comin' or not?

Careful! He'll catch us!

Gaston, I'm pregnant.

Were ya takin' a nap?

They're not very hard-workin' where you're from!

Why'd he change the meeting place?

What'll we do at Dames Wood?

Shit! I won't go.

I want to see Lucien.

And all my kids!

He shoulda met us as planned.

The dumb ass!

Him and his paint bucket!

Julien, I want to see Lucien!

What about Jacques?

We'll meet Lucien first, then Jacques.

We'd be too late. Jacques' bringin' his fiancée.

Your favorite Lucien's lost his marbles!

I wanna ride up front, Ma.

Ride with your uncle.

Come ride with Unky!

Is Jacques' fiancée a local girl?

You're out?

Smarty!

Julien, it was a joke!

I left Paris because of the economic crisis.

I did lighting for the movies.

The studios closed.

Now I'm an electrician.

We met thanks to the crisis.

What's a crisis?

Vandenberghe!

Dad was a miner in Belgium but we moved to France.

You were in business?

Talk nice to your Ma!

He's tired. He worked all night.

I wouldn't eat his bread!

What's wrong, Leona?

They're dumb, huh?

Unky Lucien!

Unky Jacques!

Unky Uncle!

Aunty Leona!

Unky Eugene!

Julien, step forward a bit.

Hurry up!

Back up a little.

Make up your mind!

He used to work in the movies.

I'm fed up!

For once we're all here for a picture!

No, I'm fed up!

Go tell him! Go on!

Come be in the picture.

They piss me off!

He says you can all piss off!

You off your block?

I like cutting meat!

If he saves, he can open his own shop.

Save now? They say it'll be war in '39.

Please!

Ya knew what his brothers do?

I didn't know.

Your sis is a hairdresser?

- Why not change the subject? - Nobody asked you.

Talk nice to my wife!

I'll talk as I please!

Dammit, be polite!

Crap on your dumb outing! Come on, Jeanne!

Come on! Shit!

I'll never come again!

Ma and Sis managed to get here.

I can see Sis anytime... and you're a pain in the ass!

Julien! Jacques! Stop!

Stop playing scared.

I'll kill that dumb ass!

Do something! Pick things up!

It's cause you always look sheep's eyes at him!

I saw ya!

The bakery's biggest oven

One day split from the heat

All the bread was ruined!

There was nothing at all to eat!

No need to cry!

Julien's exactly like his father.

I had 5 kids before I understood.

Take the boy... and leave him now.

You stole my daughter!

Pa, we're gonna get married!

Married? What can he give you?

3 times nothin', That's all.

I swear I didn't mean to. We're in love.

Disgusting! Get outta here, both of you!

I shoulda kept an eye on you! Go to the shop!

Lemme cut up this pig in peace!

Your Pa's upset. He never expected this!

If your Ma was here, she'd be delighted.

Go to the shop!

I'm still boss here!

Go with him.

Is this the hotel?

We'll visit Grandpa.

He lives here.

He's right to enjoy life.

We'd like to see Mr Ternelain.

Room 9, first floor.

We'll surprise 'im. It's been 3 years.

No need to knock, he can't hear!

Shit!

The old guy!

He's enjoyin' it!

Ya saw him?

He's in fine shape!

In 1939, that cursed year

At Gaston's butcher shop

Little Julien died when

Into a boiling kettle he did flop

When's the baby due?

In 19 days!

You newly-weds lost no time!

How's your father now?

He's glad and impatient to see the baby.

This cut is reserved for the butcher's wife!

It melts in the mouth!

In 1940, Marcel, Frangois' son

Is an officer in the army

Raoul, an ordinary soldier

Finds his half-brother rather barmy

Marcel! You're here?

I didn't expect to see you!

- Hi, Jacqueline! - Hello, Raoul!

Say, you've really grown!

Put the boy down and snap to!

Marcel, we're cousins!

At school we were like brothers!

Snap to or I'll have you arrested.

An army's no family matter! Not in wartime!

I could arrest you for not saluting an officer.

Bastard! I know who your father is!

Dismissed!

One night in the '40s

That Josette will always recall

In the midst of the black market

The third little Julien came to call!

She's too big for the door.

Dammit, get inside!

It's the first and last time!

She'll get us caught.

Kill 'er quick!

I don't like this!

Don't turn yellow now!

Armand, get the hell to bed!

My labor pains! It's time!

What? Ya sure? Get to bed!

Tend to her!

Ma, what's wrong?

Ma's baby's com in"!

A boy?

You're gettin' a sister! And you go to bed!

I'll see to the cow!

Of all the goddam times!

Get out! It's dangerous here.

Julien's come back from heaven.

It's a boy!

Don't worry, I killed 'er!

It's my brother Julien.

My God, I think I'm gonna faint.

Get him a glass of water!

Not water, some gin!

It's my little brother, Julien.

It's Julien.

He's come back!

Raoul of the slag-heap, Francois' son

To foment a strike he seeks

He fought the mining office

The strike lasted 8 weeks!

We won! 8 weeks! The longest strike since '36!

8 weeks, but we got what we wanted.

We almost gave in! Ya gotta hold on!

They can't do without us.

Raoul Lhomme, the boss wants to see you alone!

Wait. They're gonna make me pay for this.

A lot!

They'll fire him. He went too far.

- They can't! - They know we're all broke.

Gilbert in Pit 9 got fired the same way.

He promoted me to foreman!

Roland!

Ya didn't finish.

Look at the 2 cocks.

Lets see how he handles this.

I'm finin' ya for not finishin' your cut.

The pit's no family matter.

No sons or brothers.

Not on the job!

At home, yes! But here each man does his job.

Brother or not!

Son or not!

Remember that and go wash you nose.

And anybody else'll get the same.

Son or no son!

"The sale by annuity concerns the house,

“furniture, paintings, old books

"and all objects on the attached inventory.

"The monthly payment will be 8400 until the death of Charles Gravet.

""At that time all his property will belong

"to Miss Edwige Rapert.

"Signed at Roubaix, May 10th, 1954."

Repeat it! I didn't understand.

I saw, but didn't understand!

To your health, my goddess!

Remove thy robe and burn me at thy stake!

I'll toss my pants in the air!

Sign it.

I've forgotten my name.

Charles Gravet.

A charming name that charms me!

Alea jacta est!

Long live Charles Gravet!

Just give me a corner in your home.

With bread and water.

Take my old-age and veteran pensions, my medals!

I'd be with my grandchildren.

Stone broke! You gave away everything!

They robbed me of everything!

I signed because I'd had a drink!

I didn't read it!

You're wiped out.

He's ruined again.

But this time you're through!

See? So don't count on me to help you.

The paper said they were to keep and feed me.

They put me in this home!

Such promiscuity! Nobody but old folks here!

No! He left my mother with 5 kids!

It's all spent! You're done!

You can't leave him!

He's not my father anymore.

You've lost your paternal rights!

You're a nobody with nothing!

Bread and water...

with my grandchildren!

Just bread and water!

It's cold!

I'm to put in central heating just for you?

Too expensive!

To think you used to have your own servants!

Old bastard!

I wash you and you abandoned us when I was 14!

I coulda been rich!

You left us and squandered everything.

Please Julien!

But the best part happened afterwards.

I'm like Job!

I'm like Job!

You played the gay blade in Paris

while your family starved.

Careful!

Hang on!

Hello, all!

Come to table!

- What's that? - For calling her!

I can't eat with this service!

You make us ill at ease.

But she has class!

That's how to do it.

We're not gonna change!

Stop! Go get yourself a plate.

Take that bell! There are no masters here...

except one who's broke!

Pa, let her do it!

She'll sit!

Go get your plate!

Whatever you say, but make up your mind.

- Your father... - He's no longer my father!

I'm the boss here, not him!

Get your plate!

How embarrassing!

Sure. You always side with him!

Help yourself, madam!

So that's the tale in memory

Of the butchers, peasants and laborers

And their lives for a century

In the Pas-de-Calais and Picardy

3 families: Temelain, Gravet and Dauchy

Communion-boy's playin' the piano!