Original subtitles

Remind me why we're doing this.

It's for charity.

Couldn't we just donate?

They don't want your money. They want your face.

All you have to do is listen to beautiful music.

How hard can that be?

You know, there's a lot of important people here tonight.

You'll be great.

I will.

Uh, one more?

- Rick. - Dorrigo.

I've got very deep, full pockets tonight.

Good evening, Dorrigo.

- Lynette. - Thanks for inviting us.

Well, thank Ella. She did all the organising.

- Thank you. - Oh...

Oh, uh, Rick?

Our surgery's benefactor, Keith Thompson,

is here this evening.

Perhaps you might regale him

with some of your customary humour later on.

He likes you.

Well, he's got excellent taste.

Mmm.

I'll do my best.

Darling.

Okay.

Lynette's looking very lovely this evening, isn't she?

Yeah.

So do you.

Excuse me, Dorrigo...

Do you think I look my age?

Do you think I look mine?

It's different for a man, it doesn't matter.

Especially your age.

I find you...

wondrous.

My husband doesn't look at me the way you do.

He remembers me young.

He remembers himself young.

And now we're just--

Lynette.

If this is to continue,

we need rules.

Okay? So...

No more sleepovers.

And no workplace visits.

If you want to have lunch, call me.

And, um...

your nails.

My nails?

Cut them.

Please.

You sound like you might've done this before.

Look at her, would ya?

I do love her.

Good team.

It's not easy, though.

You know, sometimes I feel like a bloke

with his head in a guillotine, awaiting execution.

And I know why she goes into town at night.

To get away from me and this place.

To be young.

You know, just... be allowed to be young.

And I wait here, and I just hope that she comes back.

Hey, Amy! Amy, Amy!

Two shots, please!

Thank you, my love.

Thank you.

Don't drink it all.

Oh, we won't.

Here, get that into ya.

Come on. Alright, you're right.

Easy.

I'll just be right back.

Jesus.

- I'm sorry. - It's not your fault.

You alright?

Think you got it all out?

Do you want to dance?

Not in your state.

Alright. I'll get you some water.

Nice one, Keith.

Ah, he'll be fine.

I'm sorry, mate, I'm-- I'm gonna clean it up.

Not tonight, mate. Get up to ya room, sleep it off.

You know who he reminds me of?

No, who does he remind you of?

That, uh... that bloody actor...

What's his name? Um...

Oh, that one?

Robin Hood.

You mean Errol Flynn.

Yeah. Yeah, that's him.

Maybe they're related.

You didn't have to make him sick.

Oh, he's fine.

Those dancing lessons paid off.

Have I ever told you how much I love your smile?

A couple of times.

Please let me see it?

You can't just ask for it.

You gotta make it happen.

How are you feeling?

Look...

I'm sorry.

Thanks.

- Don't be sorry. - There ya go, mate,

a couple extra snags there to fill out ya frame.

Let's... let's hope you can keep 'em down, eh?

- Thank you. - What a crackin' morning, hey?

What a fuckin' cracker.

Yeah, go on, piss off, get down there.

Don't like 'em runny?

No, it's good, no.

Soak it up, mate. That's the way.

Soak it up. You want me to cut you some soldiers?

I can cut you some soldiers?

Jesus, we had fun last night, eh?

There's a little treat for you outside the door, too.

Keith.

Sorry about last night.

About Keith. He can be a bit brutal.

He likes to play games.

Do you love him?

Do I love Keith?

Yes.

We're married, aren't we?

So, what does Ella look like?

She's...

People find her very beautiful.

- People find her very beautiful? - Yeah.

It's hard to do it on a hill.

Pah, pah, pah, pah...

Come here.

It's alright.

Stand here.

And follow my steps.

Back.

Step, step.

Forward, step, step.

Back, step, step.

Forward, step, step.

Back, step, step. Forward, step, step.

And then you do this.

...just seems to have

disappeared all by itself.

So... I'm wondering if I even need surgery at all.

I think surgery is your only option.

The doctor I saw before you

said it would be a mistake.

Yes. The mistake would be listening to that doctor.

Are you certain it isn't dangerous?

Without surgery, your cancer will spread

and you will die, Mrs. Davis.

Of that I'm certain.

Yes...

Of course.

Hey, Rick.

I saw your car and the back gate was open, so...

Your husband's sleeping with my wife.

I followed her to a motel just now and he was waiting for her.

On the drive over

I tried to think of a reasonable way of telling you

and realised there wasn't one.

No, I suppose there's not.

I presume you didn't know?

I had my suspicions.

I've always considered him a friend, Ella.

I'm not sure Dorrigo has friends.

Hm.

What are you going to do now?

You mean am I going to sully the pristine reputation

of St. Dorrigo?

Hmm?

Well, don't worry.

The practice is more important to me than that.

What are you gonna do?

That's my business.

Maybe we could, um...

Maybe we could have a fuck.

Oh, Rick, go home.

Scissors.

Okay, hold it taut.

The cancer's spread to the liver. Gonna cut it out.

I don't think you should be doing this.

Oh...

Another little cut.

She's bleeding.

Blood pressure's falling.

Yeah, okay. We need to stem the bleeding.

Blood pressure's still dropping.

Told you not to do this.

Need more blood.

Applying pressure here.

You can't perform liver surgery on a whim

when we were just to remove cancer from her bowel.

I told her she'd be cancer free.

Now she could die.

Stop it.

Well, are we going to talk about what happened?

What's there to talk about?

We just performed a very successful surgery.

Oh. Is that what you're going to call it?

Yes, Rick. What would you call it?

I'd say that you butchered a woman

by performing a surgery that we hadn't prepared for.

If I didn't do it now,

we'd just have to do it down the line.

But because you did it, you risked her life on our table.

Yes, my table, Rick. Please remember that.

Ah, Kate. It's Ella here.

Um, is my husband still in surgery?

Where is he?

He's supposed to be here at the Military Hospital.

When he returns, would you please have him call here?

Thank you.

I am very sorry that my husband is unable to join us today,

but it is my great honour to officially open

this new beautiful repatriation centre for the hospital.

The first few weeks were serious enough

for me not to really know where I was and then...

They put me into a coma.

And then they had to make the decision to remove my leg.

While you were in the coma?

Listen, I must say, I'm rather glad he couldn't come.

Yes, yes.

So, thank you for this opportunity.

Cheers. Lovely to meet you.

I'll let you, um, you know,

get on with all the things you're doing, so, thank you.

What are you gonna say in your speech?

I don't know.

You should tell them what happened.

They don't want to hear what happened.

What do they want to hear?

Tales of...

heroes and...

mateship.

What would you prefer they hear?

The truth.

Cheers for the pencils.

Just don't let any of the other boys see your sketchbook.

Most of them have been wiping their arses

with rubber tree leaves.

Don't worry,

I've been hiding all my stuff from the Japanese

in the lining of my rice sack anyway.

Why bother shaving?

Why bother drawing?

'Cause people need to know what's goin' on here.

No words, are there?

Do you think that they'd mind me drawing them, the men?

No.

You mind if I draw you?

No.

San-byaku-san-juu-ni.

San-byaku-juu.

San-byaku-ni-juu-shi.

San-byaku-ni-juu-san.

Private Middleton is not fit to work.

Next.

Major, that man is sick with malaria. He can't breathe.

Next!

You... bastard!

Major...

I leave in the morning.

When I return I expect significant progress

to have been made.

Colonel,

I worry there is not enough man power.

Each man can only do so much.

You will be surprised what a man can do...

...if motivated correctly.

I understand, Colonel

but I have helped design this railway from the beginning.

It is the very reason why I am here.

I know what is exactly required at this point...

Colonel, we need more men.

There are no more men.

You will make it possible, Major.

Us Japanese are here to teach the Europeans...

...that they are not the superior race.

Listen...

this is not a railway line it is a battle field.

People die on a battle field.

You must show discipline! Punish them!

Understando...

Shi!

Harder!

Go!

Harder!

Mate, just make the first fuckin' move.

Just make the move.

Sheep.

Come on.

Come on, let go.

Come on.

Why are you here?

Dysentery.

It's affecting more and more of the men.

I need the proper supplies to boil more water.

To best build your railway,

we need to preserve the men.

Too many are dying.

Railway may kill men...

...but I make railway, not human beings.

You see...

...progress does not demand freedom.

I see no progress.

Only cruelty.

What war is not cruel?

These men need food, sir. They need medicine.

If you can just give them a day's rest,

I can give you the men that you need.

We all have our orders, Lieutenant-Colonel.

I don't have days to give.

I will try...

...and have my soldiers allow

for some of what you have asked for.

We drink to the railway.

I'd rather not.

You will do it anyway.

Tiny, mate, move over.

Come on, Tiny.

Move over, mate.

Frank...

Look!

Bloody hell!

Bloody Leaning Tower of Pisa!

Fuck, I told you it was big!

Fuckin' hell!

Rooster, oi.

Finish him off, Rooster.

He's sick. Let the bastard sleep, for God's sake.

He's out like a log. I can't get him up.

Fuckin' get him up? He's already fuckin' up!

Could you help me, Rainbow?

Show the man some respect, for God's sake.

I'll show you some respect, Rooster.

Lads!

Our boy Tiny here recently was promoted to Pope.

Better, Rooster?

Fuck you...

What the fuck do you think you're doin', mate?

Oh, well, do you want me to put it back on, do ya?

- Pervert, Rooster. - Pervert? Fuckin' pervert?

You fuckin' pervert, Rooster.

Fuckin' eggshell sittin' on ya knob.

Mate, you are...

- Dirty dog, Rooster. - Shut the fuck up.

Let me see, let me see. Franky.

Get him up, get him up.

Franky, you right, mate?

You right, mate?

You alright, Franky?

You fold!

Mate, I folded... I folded the fuckin' thing.

Your fold was facing inwards.

It's meant to be facing outwards.

Nah, he's alright.

He's alright, he's alright...

What are you doin' over there, Rabbit?

Mate, you focus on what you're doing, and I'll just...

Okay, alright.

Can you do anything about the smell?

I'm sorry, Rainbow.

Dead tissue has a certain odour, I'm afraid.

What are you doing, Bonox?

Well, I'm... I'm cleaning the ulcer, sir.

Well, look closer. You see the pink?

Uh, yeah, yep.

Well, that's fresh tissue growing.

The maggots, they debride the wound,

and they eat away the dead tissue.

You're to leave them there.

You can clear out the dead ones.

And fill it up with new ones.

Colonel...

The other day I drank with the Australian doctor...

then he asked me why Japan had started the war.

What did you say?

That we are liberating Asia from European colonisation...

and making Japan leader

of a new order of Asian coexistence and prosperity.

But I don't think he sees it yet.

You waste your time trying to explain our ideas to prisoners.

You know...

what we do here, Major,

will be remembered forever...

Yes.

You and I, will be remembered forever,

will be remembered forever...

Have you ever cut off a man's head?

It feels both euphoric and horrible.

It is as though...

it is you that is dying, only to be reborn.

I noticed yours when we were first introduced.

I can see precisely where a sword should fall.

Come along.

There's something I want to show you.

First time I've had seconds since being out.

Listen.

In order to kill quickly...

you must concentrate on your stroke and placement.

A good stroke will see the head fly a metre.

A bad one...

will mean butchering it.

It is necessary to be swift and precise.

Don't worry, I just teach.

Major...

come over here and take position with the sword.

First you take the sword out.

Yes just like that.

Next you purify it.

Then balance.

Fix your centre of gravity.

Even from a scrawny man like him...

...you'll find a lot of fat on your sword...

surprising isn't it?

Watch what I do.

Like this.

Our Father, who art in heaven...

Only the moon and I...

on our meeting bridge, alone...

...growing cold.

And forgive us our trespasses...

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power...

Colonel... let's go back.

...and the glory, Lord.

Colonel.

Amen.

Chummy, mate.

Sing us a song, would ya?

♪ Oh I wish I had someone ♪

♪ To love me ♪

♪ Someone to call me their own ♪

♪ Oh I wish I had someone ♪

♪ To live with ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm tired of living alone ♪

♪ Oh please meet me tonight in the moonlight ♪

♪ Please meet me tonight all alone ♪

♪ For I have a sad story to tell you ♪

♪ It's a story that's never been told ♪

♪ For if I had wings like an angel ♪

♪ Over these prison walls I would fly ♪

♪ And I'd fly to the arms of my poor darlin' ♪

♪ And there I'd be willing to die. ♪

Hoo-hoo! Whoo...

Oh, fuck.

Stop, stop.