Original subtitles

Hello? Can you hear me?

This is the last Polish communiqué.

German troops have just entered Warsaw.

Our thoughts are with the Polish soldiers on Hel

and all those still fighting, wherever they may be.

Poland is not lost yet!

Long live Poland!

From now on, more than ever, my life belongs to my people.

From this hour on, we shall answer every bomb with a bomb!

Germany! Sieg Heil!

The fateful hour has struck for our homeland.

However hard it may be, our faith remains unshaken.

At around half past five this morning,

we learned that two Dutch airfields had been bombed

by German aircraft. Minutes later,

from the Foreign Ministry's windows,

we saw the first German bombers over Brussels.

We heard the first bombs explode...

Powerful mechanised reinforcements have already reached the Belgians...

...no warning, no ultimatum.

I, Winston Churchill, address you for the first time as Prime Minister

in this grave hour for our nation...

This is Radio Paris, wavelength 312.9 m.

Yesterday, German armoured units

bypassed the Maginot Line via the Ardennes into France.

Despite our soldiers' sacrifice, our defences on the Meuse collapsed.

The fighting continues.

War has already been declared...

Hitler's war machine against France seems unstoppable.

Civilians in the east and

north were ordered to evacuate.

German troops are closing in on Montcornet

as they advance towards Soissons and Paris.

Colonel de Gaulle's 4th Armoured Division heads for

Montcornet to halt the enemy advance.

Colonel, the Germans have taken Montcornet.

Have you seen them?

Then I'll go see for myself.

We have to go back, Colonel.

Overtake the tanks.

Continue at this speed.

How long, Colonel?

Until they shoot at us.

Colonel, the tanks are far behind us.

What now?

Where I'm pointing.

We must cut our losses! We have to turn back!

Colonel! They will open fire!

In the direction I'm pointing.

Stop!

Montcornet!

Colonel, we're surrounded. Why are we still advancing?

We're finished. There's no way out!

Do I look like I'm retreating?

Keep going.

Frenchmen, it is with a heavy heart

that I tell you we must stop fighting.

I, Marshal Pétain, take

charge of France today.

Last night, I asked the enemy

whether he was prepared to discuss,

soldier to soldier, after the fighting,

an honourable end to hostilities.

All French people must rally to my government and silence their...

No!

A nation is defeated only...

To London. - Isn't there anyone else?

General, we have to go.

You are free, Courcel.

You can go.

Let's continue.

London is in a panic since France surrendered.

That's why I'm here.

France has had her ups and downs since Clovis,

but she does not abandon her allies.

I must address the French people.

Here you go.

Heard the Marshal?

There are 200,000 German soldiers here.

What can they do against 40 million French people?

It's over, young man. Go home.

Sir!

No.

Hey, you two!

A NATION IS DEFEATED ONLY IF IT ADMITS DEFEAT

TONIGHT AT 9 PM

18 June 1940

The men who have led the French armed forces for years

have formed a government.

That government has opened negotiations with the enemy

to end hostilities.

But is that the last word?

No!

I, General de Gaulle, now in London, call upon...

France is like a boxer felled by a terrible blow.

There must be light.

There must be hope.

Somewhere, there must be...

an unquenchable flame of resistance.

DE GAULLE'S BATTLE THE IRON AGE

Tomorrow, as today, I shall

speak on London radio.

The marshal wants to see you, Admiral.

LIES FROM LONDON

Do you know this de Gaulle?

A minor colonel made a general in the middle of the rout,

who thanks his country by spitting on its government.

And he rejects the armistice.

Men have been shot for less. Come on!

Collecting metal for our Spitfires!

Special edition! France abandons England!

We cannot continue the war alone against the entire continent.

It's pure madness!

Madness?

Hitler can now turn the French fleet against us.

Morton, we've all read

the truce terms: France's fleet stays neutral and disarmed.

Under German control.

Above all, under the admiral's control.

Spears, why not bring Darlan to London?

Where is he now?

I... - In Toulon.

We're still keeping an eye on him.

His fleet survived the defeat intact.

That's why sailors respect him even more.

Even Pétain couldn't make him hand his fleet to the Germans.

A powerful fleet?

That is a powerful fleet.

We may win him over if we make the right moves.

We don't know exactly whose side he is on.

He doesn't think highly of Pétain.

True.

Order arms!

But he does not tolerate open disloyalty.

So we mustn't let anyone insult the Marshal on the radio.

What's his name again? - Gaulle.

De Gaulle is the only general who wants to continue the fight.

A disgraced acting general, Spears.

"Traitor", as the French call him now.

Listen, we can have Admiral Darlan with the fleet

or de Gaulle and his aristocratic name.

We can't have both.

I'm sorry, but that's what it comes down to.

All right.

I will stop supporting him.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Yes, Prime Minister.

Thank you, Prime Minister.

Have a pleasant afternoon.

Nothing personal, Spears.

I don't think I've ever seen him.

You'd remember, Eden.

He has the hips of a woman and a head like a banana.

All on a grand scale. Hard to miss.

Mr. Prime Minister.

The French must hear a voice calling them to fight.

And I need the French fleet.

I was happy to let you speak on the BBC.

In fact, I was the only one.

England must remain true to her principles.

Because of all those who,

like me, believe in her victory.

There aren't many of them, not even here.

I must still be able

talk to your government.

even if it has shamefully capitulated.

France did not capitulate.

Pétain signed the document, General.

France capitulated and no one can dispute that.

Well, I dispute it.

You?

What Pétain signs does not bind France

when he acts under enemy duress.

General de Gaulle,

France is an old country,

a great country.

Sadly, I have no authority to replace its head of state.

Mr. Prime Minister.

I shall form a national committee

with everyone who joins me,

ambassadors, governors.

Much of France's strength remains intact,

from Algiers to Dakar, throughout the Empire.

Recognise me, and we shall raise a victorious army.

"Me"?

You're on your own, General.

We are alone, Winston.

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

our French-language programme follows.

This is London.

You will shortly hear an important address to the French.

The commitment made today

by the British government,

recognising me as leader

of the Free French, is profoundly significant.

It allows the Free French to organise

to continue the war alongside our allies.

I have decided as follows.

First, I command all Frenchmen

remaining on British soil...

The Prime Minister had that removed!

...or arriving here.

Cut the transmission! - Secondly,

Here and now we will organise...

Here and now we will

organise forces on

land, at sea and in the air.

For now, these forces will consist of volunteers.

These forces will work

with every centre of French resistance in the Empire.

I call on all French soldiers,

sailors and airmen to join them.

I invite all young people and all men

fit for military service to join them.

Generals, senior officers, governors of the Empire...

I agreed to volunteers, not a government in exile!

And I did.

...to unite the forces of resistance

and save French territories.

Who is that?

Let's give him a chance.

Our people need proof that Britain is not alone.

What about that damned fleet?

If I don't say it, the Cabinet will:

he's making a fool of you.

Forgive me for admiring a soldier with panache.

Men like him won the Great War, not pen-pushers.

Still, trusting de Gaulle

is a leap of faith, isn't it?

Anthony, this is not my first war...

If it doesn't work, we'll drop him.

FRENCH EMBASSY, LONDON Thank you again,

Mr Pleven.

General! I'm glad...

Take over foreign affairs, ambassador.

Monnet, finance.

Churchill has recognised us. Let's draft an official statement.

Every word matters. This is an agreement between states.

General, every Frenchman in London will follow his conscience.

And you, Mr. Ambassador?

This is my farewell party.

I understand.

Monnet, I'm counting on you.

General, President Roosevelt has asked me to join him in Washington.

And Mr. Pleven is coming with me.

The ambassador was kind enough

to gather the elite

of the French community.

All of you here.

Marshal Pétain has handed France to the enemy.

You can follow him...

down the road of humiliation,

or choose honour.

There is no third option.

Accepting the armistice plays into German hands.

We must pick up the broken sword.

I invite all who want a free France

to join me.

The marshal tries to protect the French.

We must not turn our backs on him.

We remain loyal to Marshal Pétain.

He was appointed legally.

That man is absurd!

He is unworthy of the uniform.

National Committee

The ship meant to bring your family arrived without them.

We are waiting for news.

Anything else?

The French government has revoked your citizenship,

and the military court sentenced you to death.

Interesting.

Is that all?

Yes.

No visitors

nor calls.

General.

We can still give up.

We have enough money to go to Canada.

I'm a soldier, Father.

Unfortunately for France...

I am responsible for her too.

The sin of pride, my son.

I know, Father.

And yet, I'd rather disappear...

than watch France accept defeat.

I'm lost without her.

General De Gaulle?

How many companies joined you?

Not a single soldier, Father.

If you need a chaplain...

Or a former naval officer...

Both.

By God's grace, persevere.

Hello? - Switchboard. Can I help you?

Mr. Paul?

Courcel? - You're not there?

Fuck!

Who are you?

Do you speak English?

No. A tragic upbringing.

Blazej. I'm here to fix the tap.

You must be a friend of Mr Paul, the landlord.

I am General De Gaulle.

At ease.

At ease!

"Blaise," is that right?

Good.

Sit down and answer the phone.

Sir?

Sit down!

Phone.

Here you go.

This way.

Thank you for coming.

France needs you.

General, I've already made my decision.

The Republic is disgraced, but it is still the Republic.

My role is not to... - I know, Washington needs you.

They lack everything there,

while here we live in abundance.

As head of foreign affairs and finance,

you can have the corner office. Your ego gets the other three.

And in whose name are you speaking?

We are France.

"We"?

You.

We.

If only you had been elected...

in any village...

Surely you remember

a certain Clovis?

When he arrived, our country needed defending

from everyone, just like today.

We had reached rock bottom,

but Clovis lifted us up.

He defeated the barbarians at Tolbiac.

Two hundred years later Charlemagne came.

Perhaps in two hundred years,

people will say France's revival

began right here, thanks to us.

I'm sorry, General.

Goodbye, sir.

Courcel!

Now even vagrants?

Who are these people?

We're fishermen from the Île de Sein, in Brittany.

We heard your call and we all came.

We will never accept a truce.

We don't want the Germans. We brought our boats.

All four. - Nonsense, they can't fight!

We can! And better than your soldiers!

How old are you, boy? - Eighteen, sir.

Sixteen.

Welcome.

Thank you, General!

See you tomorrow.

Lieutenant.

I hope it meets your needs.

I know such buildings.

They are beautiful on the outside,

but looks are deceiving, sir.

The plumbing is dreadful.

At your service, General.

Why did you come to London, Boislambert?

To war. I brought my best scarf. - Good. That's our camouflage sorted.

I won't have my family think I deserted. - Nor I.

I need an army.

You're in charge of recruitment. Dismissed.

Yes, General.

Captain Kœnig, Foreign Legion.

Passy, like the Métro station?

A pseudonym to protect my family.

Captain Philippe de Hauteclocque, reporting for duty.

Captain of what? - Cavalry.

I hope you don't have a family.

A wife and six young children, General. They're in France.

Choose a pseudonym.

It will be Leclerc.

Do you speak English?

You will set up our intelligence service.

Dismissed.

Form the 1st Free French Brigade to fight the Germans.

I understand, General. - Do you have ammunition?

Then find some!

"That."

Not "zat".

Repeat after me:

I know that France will...

I know France will... - Good.

I know France will rise...

"Rise."

It's all nonsense!

I'm sorry, ma'am.

Blaise? - Blazej.

I know that France will rise again. - That's right!

Very good.

Thanks.

You know, I speak English.

Not at all! Concentrate, Blaise.

What can I do for you, General?

Admiral Muselier.

Well, I need a war fleet.

What you need first, De Gaulle...

is an emblem.

Less corpse. More national treasure.

I am France, not a bloody soap advert!

That will do.

The Boulevards' largest cinema.

It would send the wrong message if it stayed closed.

There would be seats for you and all your officers.

Yes.

And all your soldiers.

No matinees. France only takes it from the critics after dark.

Yes, of course.

The clock goes tick-tock, tick-tick

The birds on the lake go pic-pac, pic-pic

The turkeys go gobble-gobble - A special screening, perhaps.

And the lovely bell goes ding-ding-dong

But boom! When our hearts go boom,

everything goes boom, and love awakens.

Everything changed overnight. Eyes watch from windows.

Germans. Raised hands. France darkens.

- Leave him.

Boom...

I can understand him.

When my heart goes boom,

everything goes boom, and anger awakens.

Boom.

Hurry up. There are posts to fill.

PÉTAIN FORMS A GOVERNMENT IN VICHY Marshal,

you surrendered, but my fleet hasn't lost a single battle.

I will not give it to the Germans. I will not submit.

As long as you don't send it to England.

The Germans would charge us dearly for that.

Unlike De Gaulle, I am not a traitor.

Between submission and

betrayal, there is a third way.

The way of reason.

Choose it and you'll have a place in my government.

Send your fleet to neutral territory.

Minister of Defence, and I remain admiral of the fleet.

The way of reason.

MERS EL-KEBIR, ALGERIA

Darlan sent a third of the fleet to Algeria.

The Germans could easily seize it there.

His fleet is too much of a threat.

Have we tried speaking to Darlan again?

He thinks we're losing the war

and that we will soon sign an agreement with the Germans.

He has made his choice, Winston. Now we must make ours.

It's a terrible situation.

Then we have no choice, do we?

We don't, sir.

All right, destroy them.

Shall we tell De Gaulle?

No, spare him that.

Incoming!

Victims of an attack no Frenchman should have suffered.

My poor Albert.

The most heinous attack...

Killed at the age of 22 by the English.

He couldn't defend himself. - A British squadron

appeared off Mers el-Kebir.

Just a few weeks ago,

that squadron fought alongside the French Navy.

Destroyed without warning... - I'm sorry, Aunt Catherine.

...which, exactly a month ago, protected the British at Dunkirk

and enabled their triumphant retreat.

If any of you still

doubted the traitor de Gaulle's motives,

now you understand.

His mask has slipped.

French sailors bombed, sunk...

And their comrades are imprisoned here.

What will we tell them?

What to say after something like this?

Fight alongside the men who just killed 1,300 of your comrades?

I can't do that.

Someone has to do it, Muselier.

Everyone, attention!

French sailors,

yesterday...

we were hit by a terrible blow.

Not a single

Frenchman heard the news

without pain and anger...

that ships of the French fleet

had been sunk by our own allies.

But...

those who handed our country over to the enemy...

could have prevented it.

How?

By refusing the shameful surrender

that would, sooner or later, allow the enemy

to use our ships against England.

But France and England

will fall or triumph together.

We obey Darlan!

Everyone who wants to...

Everyone who wants to

fight Germany, let them stay,

the others can leave.

Long live Darlan!

Attention.

Free French soldiers,

I promise you three things:

hard fighting,

never to fire on fellow Frenchmen,

and victory.

Don't expect congratulations. You're just doing your duty.

That's all?

This is nonsense! - Who does he think he is?

Your speech tonight, General.

Prepared by Spears.

In English?

Three pages?

I'd like to introduce a remarkable

man who can help us defeat the enemy.

Please welcome General Charles de Gaulle!

Here you go, General.

You bastard, Courcel!

I cannot face these Englishmen. They've mastered sentences AND trousers.

Did he say "trousers"?

Is he ever going to speak?

What's next? A Frenchman who listens?

A sober wine merchant?

Thank you very much.

Great.

A mute general.

What, Blaise? Do I look like a locksmith?

My God.

Dad.

Charles.

Everything is fine now that you are here.

Did Joan of Arc need a fucking wardrobe assistant?

Tell me what we've got! I see Churchill in an hour.

We've got pilots without

planes, and captains of damaged ships.

We do have a few recruits.

Mostly civilians.

Weapons are needed for warfare.

Churchill says I need supporters. I've already bought a better brassiere.

Pleven?

Only one governor answered your call.

The one from the New Hebrides.

Then we're moving to the New Hebrides. Someone tell the cheese.

New Hebrides, I...

A little further east,

General.

And Dakar? Algiers?

Nothing?

No. Nothing from Cameroon either.

The governor of Chad was ready to join,

if we could help him on the ground.

Deploy our imaginary battalion.

The real one's having his hair done.

He does have lovely hair.

Leclerc, you are going to Cameroon.

At your command, General.

That's madness, General.

They'll arrest and shoot him on arrival.

And you, Pleven, to Chad.

Please?

Him? To Chad?

Africa? I packed for a fucking luncheon.

All right, General.

General, first I wanted

to offer my condolences for the fleet at Mers el-Kebir.

It was the most painful decision I've ever had to make.

That makes it all the harder

to tell you we can no longer support you.

We tried, you tried...

But America must join this war,

and the Americans need reliable allies,

a robust supply network,

Ports like Algiers or Dakar!

You promised to bring both of them,

and the entire French Empire, into the fight.

And yet, nothing!

We will take back Africa.

Please?

What part of Africa are you talking about?

I'm talking about Africa.

Starting from the heart of the continent.

Chad.

Chad?

It's very simple.

It all depends on the shortwave antenna which is located...

In Chad.

First, a sudden silent attack. My men are ready.

They just need to be sent there.

Then news of Chad joining us

will spread over the airwaves and cause an uproar in Cameroon.

The domino effect becomes unstoppable.

My troops are recruiting,

agitating, mobilising,

and advancing into Senegal to win over Dakar.

But...

That won't be enough to take a port like Dakar.

Size is not strategy.

Meanwhile,

in complete secrecy, you and I will launch

a joint operation in Dakar Bay.

British sailors and French infantry

will appear together one morning

and pick the fruit without a shot.

I like that!

England supplies the weapons. France explains how it won the war.

If you like.

Prime Minister...

Dakar, at the crossroads of Africa, Europe and the Atlantic.

Dakar, the capital of Free France.

Dakar...

a landing port for the Americans!

Prime Minister! - What do you need?

Ten aircraft by Saturday. Twenty if you stop explaining France.

One will be enough.

One aircraft for all your troops?

Does your ego travel separately?

A seaplane will do.

A seaplane to decide the fate of Free France?

General...

I imagine such an extraordinary mission requires an exceptional pilot.

We'll give you a good pilot. - I already have one.

Our aircraft are wonderful, but capricious.

An English pilot helps.

Our pilots are superb. It's the ground that's fucking rude.

It does tend to be there.

Frenchmen must be led by Frenchmen. That seems obvious to me.

No English pilot, no plane.

I'm afraid we've hit a wall.

Really.

Jones. Your pilot. - Marmier, your pilot.

At your service. - At your command.

Two pilots? Who's holding the handbag?

BORDER RIVER, CAMEROON

CHAD

FORT LAMY TOWN HALL

Gentlemen, in the presence of Mr. Pleven,

Commissioner of Free France for Africa,

I declare that Chad joins General De Gaulle.

Lieutenant.

Chad.

The French Empire rises to continue the fight.

The governor of Chad just proved that.

Former General De Gaulle attacks the French Empire.

It's just Chad, Marshal.

That doesn't make any sense.

De Gaulle has a plan.

Did Leclerc enter Cameroon?

No. Vichy rushed border guards there.

I'm sorry.

Colonel!

Turn back.

There is no time. We are 15 km from the governor's palace.

We won't risk Free France's future over two guards.

Give me your weapon. - We will not shoot at the French!

The British called three times. They want to cancel Dakar.

What should I tell them?

The whole idea was crazy.

General.

They're reinforcing the borders. Still no word from Leclerc.

It's raining.

Thank you, Blaise.

Your weapon, Captain.

If we kill a Frenchman, Free France will never be the same.

Now!

Halt! Don't move!

You don't move!

Give me your weapon. Where's the governor?

Upstairs.

Snails for breakfast? Snot in a crash helmet. Marvellous.

General. Cameroon is ours!

Dakar is waiting!

Italian wine. We add tax and arrogance.

Barbarians.

120 bombs today. - I saw it.

But we have reason to celebrate.

Your mad plan seems to be working in Africa.

That's right.

The cheek of the man!

You glorious bastard.

You dress like a disappointed nun and scheme like a brothel accountant.

Did your tailor lose a bet?

This?

At least someone paid to dress me.

I'll tell you something

that only you will know.

Do you know what my favourite song is?

"I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Generals"?

No.

So...

Thanks, my friend.

"Everything afflicts and harms me, and conspires to hurt me."

Thanks.

It's going to be a big day!

Dakar.

It's dawn.

The sun rises over the harbor.

Magnificent sun.

People wake up and see our armada,

and then, surprised,

they hear you speaking to them from the sea.

My supporters will greet us. Both were told to bring a friend.

Then champagne! Italian, naturally. We'll call it French once it's expensive.

The miracle of taxation.

Right?

And then your phone rings.

The President of the United States is calling you.

America enters the war.

Hitler lost and you won.

When I see our soldiers

Marching happily, the band leading,

I say, marking time:

"How beautiful France is, as of old."

As in days gone by, soldiers, I see

Carnot declaring victory

March on to glory,

My dear children Come back victorious

It's my favourite song.

To glorious bullshit!

We have to stop the bleeding.

Dakar.

DAKAR BAY

People of Dakar,

General De Gaulle is addressing you,

leader of Free France.

I come before you...

with our British allies.

Reduce speed.

We can't see anything in this fog.

Keep the same course.

People of Dakar,

answer my call

and join me in the fight

for the liberation of France.

It just arrived, sir.

People of Dakar...

They are shooting at us!

The plane is coming!

To your positions!

Admiral Cunningham, we must fight back.

That wasn't the plan. - Do it.

And now this? - Do it, Admiral.

Damage report!

Who is attacking us from the sea? Dakar has no squadron!

We've just learned that several French

ships got through Gibraltar yesterday.

Fantasque, Montcalm, Gloire...

The French Navy.

Darlan.

We will sink them.

Churchill needs Dakar.

Not at the price of a French civil war.

Cease fire!

General de Gaulle, you failed to win over the French politicians

or the French army.

You got a second chance.

This is the opportunity: here and now,

there will be no other.

We are not shooting at the French.

All right.

Keep your principles, and Darlan will keep Dakar.

You will suffer the consequences.

Break off the attack.

Cease-fire!

Congratulations, Admiral.

I just did my duty.

You know, if you were a little more inclined towards the Germans,

you would make a good prime minister.

Dill wants to see you.

Prime Minister? - Mr. President.

I'm sure you understand that the American public does not want this war.

How can I win them over if you can't take even a weakly defended port?

It was a combination of circumstances and bad luck.

Please don't mention the fog to me.

Your quixotic general has shown us one thing:

he is useless.

He thought... - You thought.

I thought... - You backed him out of desperation.

Free French?

I'm surprised you believe in his fairy tale.

Open your eyes. His kingdom is nothing but empty promises.

Pure fiction.

Mr. President, I apologise for de Gaulle.

But if we put Dakar aside,

you have to admit that I put up a damn good fight.

We are an island facing an entire continent of enemies.

Britain and her Empire will

be strong allies,

whenever you're ready.

Put your house in order first. Your French lodger is shagging the map.

Sir?

We have to find someone else.

I was wrong about De Gaulle.

Courcel.

We will join Leclerc in Cameroon.

We have nothing else left.

Here it is, we are on French territory.

Look, Courcel. Everything gets greener from here.

Look at those huts, they are big villages.

There are huge herds that you don't see.

This is a wonderland.

General, we lost our engine.

We'll attempt a forced landing. - No!

Hold on!

Hang in there, Courcel.

We were born into this iron age

to transform it into a golden age.

I met last Thursday with the Reich Chancellor.

That meeting raised both

hope and concern.

I owe you some explanations.

Such a meeting was possible

four months after our defeat

only because of the dignity the French showed in this ordeal.

Thanks to the heroism of our sailors,

the energy of our colonial leaders...

and the loyalty of our native peoples...

Fernand, sit down. -Bravo.

Little shit.

Straighten it.

Fernand, straighten it and return to your seat.

Straighten it.

Stop it! - Calm down!

Separate them!

A great start to the school year.

What school did you come from? -From this one.

I'm repeating the year.

Pétain's speech was not so bad.

Got a secret radio?

My sister.

She finds the parts and we put it together.

What are you talking about?

It's all right. He's not one of them.

How do you know?

Remember the night of capitulation?

I told you to go to the Arc de Triomphe.

You said no one would come.

Well, he came.

Admittedly, there were not many of us.

Pleased to meet you, madam. Fernand.

He tilted the marshal's portrait in class.

If Professor Dressen hadn't stepped in, he'd be in hospital.

What's the point of tilting a portrait?

You think that will drive the Germans away?

I have to go. - Wait!

Curfew! - There isn't one.

Mr. Hero...

You may be brave, but don't die in vain.

Goodbye, madam.

Some talk about the November 11th protest.

That could piss off the occupiers.

Somewhere in Equatorial Africa

General.

We received a new message from London.

Churchill has met a five-star general

to replace you.

Churchill lent him his personal plane.

He's joined Pleven in Chad to put him under his command.

When I see our soldiers

Marching happily, the band leading...

OPERATION FIVE STARS BEGINS. DE GAULLE'S REPLACEMENT TODAY.

General.

He should salute the cheekbones.

At your command, General.

At ease, General.

They're being naive if they think this is an easy job.

Get ready!

Welcome to Free French territory, General.

De Gaulle!

You are France, General.

France is blocking the doorway.

I know, Leclerc.

National importance.

De Gaulle is winning over more and more African territories

and establishing the capital of Free France in Brazzaville.

He has raised troops in Douala, Fort-Lamy, Yaoundé and Libreville.

Meanwhile, Vichy France is turning towards collaboration.

I willingly accepted the Führer's invitation.

I was not subjected to

any coercion or pressure.

Cooperation was discussed between our two countries.

I accepted the principle.

So much for Darlan, the man we hoped to win over.

He just proclaimed the Jews enemies of France.

Smart guy.

That man is disgusting.

France no longer has a real government!

Exactly!

The organisation based in Vichy,

which claims that title, is

unconstitutional and subject to the occupier.

A new government must therefore

take on the task of leading France.

Events impose this sacred duty on me.

I shall not fail in it.

French officers! French soldiers!

French citizens!

Senile leaders want to surrender

the entire French Empire to the enemy.

Get up! - This is a declaration of war!

And take up arms!

I know exactly what you're going to say, Morton.

Then I'll say it.

Do you want him or America?

The enemy is already approaching Egypt.

We need real help.

Then again, wasn't Roosevelt clear?

But De Gaulle was right from the start.

The truce was a slippery slope.

Tell Spears to bring him back.

I hope Spears can manage it. - Just bring him back.

I'll make him come to his senses.

I need this, this and this.

Kœnig...

You will be the first to restore honour to France

by continuing the fight against the enemy.

Are your people sufficiently trained?

France cannot afford another surrender.

General, I repeat, the prime minister is... - I hear you, Spears.

Tell me when I should call him.

He obviously wants to see you in person.

All right.

It will be a particular pleasure for me

to receive your Prime Minister here, in

Brazzaville. Bring a fucking cake.

If I were you... - You'd need another foot of trouser.

I listen only to France. She sounds exactly like me.

The mosquitoes won't salute you.

Spears...

No mosquito dares suck a national hero.

General...

You have malaria, you must stay in bed.

November 11! Even my fever lacks tact.

Damn Spears.

That English bastard

has weaponised the fucking insects.

Incredible.

Your blood, it seems,

is less patriotic than your trousers.

Watch out, Blaise!

Next he'll make me pay for the bites.

Edward, it's a fever.

It's not just that.

There is no helping him.

General... - Good luck!

I ran out.

Me neither. Well, I do, but...

That's a leaflet, not a bloody fan! - No.

Our revolution looks like laundry.

Will this help De Gaulle?

How many of us will be at the Arc de Triomphe?

Three. - If that.

My boss says De Gaulle isn't real.

Just two diplomats in a greatcoat.

Then who's on the radio?

A BBC actor on stilts.

English talent. French billing.

I've heard "the Jews' refuge", "London's whore", but this...

What if there really are only three of us at the Arc de Triomphe?

There will be at least four of us.

A Great War veteran will turn up to show off his medal.

At least we'll have him.

Since we can't fight ourselves.

My father received the War Cross.

Sorry.

Is he dead? - No.

He moved to Algiers with a woman.

He left it to me.

Six months older, and I'd have been old enough to fight.

I wanted to join the tanks.

My uncle didn't let me fake my age.

Okay, I'm done, no more paper!

I don't know how we'll distribute all these.

I figured it all out.

At the Étoile, the Arc de Triomphe!

There, on the roof!

Quickly!

They must have escaped through the roof.

Come!

Pierre!

Let's split up!

Stop!

Meeting at Étoile!

Meet at the Arc de Triomphe. - Thank you.

Hi, girls! Going to a protest?

For Free France, anything is possible!

FRANCE, STAND UP AND FIGHT!

All to the Arc de Triomphe. Long live freedom!

Professor Dressen?

Long live...

Are those poles?

Long live...

"Des gaules"! Poles!

What do you mean?

Long live... - De Gaulle!

Ah, "des gaules"!

Long live... - De Gaulle!

Well done, sister.

Pierre!

Well?

Livia!

Still leaning right. Give the bastard a left hook.

We've got Paris back.

We'll take back France.

Soon we will be free.

Only three? Who taught you to count?

Give me those poles!

Make way for Free France!

Make way for Free France! Watch out!

How many do you think there are?

One, two,

three, four...

Fernand! Your dick isn't a recruiting tool.

Down, patriot! - Hands off!

Come back, you jerk.

Are we afraid of the Germans?

No!

Long live... - De Gaulle!

Livia!

Professor Dressen!

Professor!

No!

Pierre!

Livia!

My children.

My children.

France.

Fernand, you're going to your father's in Algiers.

What? - I got you a pass to Marseille.

No, no, no. - No arguments, Fernand.

The Germans are searching the apartments.

They arrest protesters at their houses.

Fernand! - Fernand!

Let me go. Let me go!

Be reasonable.

Under one condition.

I couldn't get a pass for her.

She's Jewish, right?

Get in.

ADMIRAL DARLAN MEETS THE FÜHRER TODAY

Demarcation line. Stopping for inspection.

Prepare the passes.

JEWS ARE STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO CROSS THE DEMARCATION LINE

Identity verification.

Don't move.

You take it. They won't check the name.

Jean Moulin, I live here.

Can I pass?

It's okay.

Control. Your documents, please.

A year later

Buy an Echo d'Alger, sir. Two francs!

Sarah...

Still nothing for me? - A letter. I gave it to your father.

Thanks.

Ah, Fernand!

Finish it. - Your letter arrived.

It's on the bed. - Good morning, Adrienne.

Can you help her with math? -Of course.

Mom, when can I go back to school?

Ask Marshal Pétain, sweetheart.

Eugene! -Jews are not allowed to go out.

What's next? The yellow star?

I want to fight, dad.

A year ago, students protested

in Paris, risking their lives,

and you can't even contact them?

Passy! Have you mislaid fucking France?

I'm finding contacts in both zones. Half of them think the BBC is witchcraft.

Try knocking, you decorative spanner!

Every Frenchman who reaches London

gets tea and a working phone. None of the bastards want to leave.

Sir.

Sir, you should read this.

Germany has declared war on the United States.

Accordingly...

America enters the war.

Thank Christ. A solvent ally.

America's in. We can stop buying rounds.

Churchill is on his way to Washington,

and says no more invading French bits just because they resemble your profile.

Muselier is off Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon,

with three corvettes and a submarine.

Warn him now. He means to bring them into Free France, but...

They're only two islands

Two frozen rocks. Even the penguins want a refund.

America ranked 35th in arms in 1940. Now it will win the war

and become the sole master of the West.

England will always be...

England will keep its dignity. We've sent ours to the dry-cleaner.

We shall be lords of cheese and wine. An empire you can eat when it fails.

But how?

You're right, Pleven.

Fetch the imperial cheese knife.

Tell Muselier to take the islands. I want somewhere to store my portraits.

Prime Minister!

COUP IN

SAINT-PIERRE-ET-MIQUELON Prime Minister!

December 1941

Do you approve of what the Secretary of State said?

I guess. Why?

He said: "Free France must withdraw

their ships from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon."

Please? Which ships?

Prime Minister! Mr. Churchill.

Your General has once again

stuck his enormous French ego into a gap in our fucking map.

I'm speechless.

Mr. President, I need a landing. I already have a French headache.

We are on our knees.

We lack the planes, ships and men to hold out much longer.

The Germans are taking over North Africa.

We cannot fight everywhere at the same time.

I understand your plight, Mr. Prime Minister.

but it would help if my

government didn't take

a blow every time your general

decides to grab another piece of France.

Perhaps, now that we are allies,

could we discuss the war, rather than his frozen vanity project?

The landing.

First, put that six-foot baguette back in the diplomatic bread bin.

General, he has arrived.

Mr. Moulin, I'm glad you managed to reach London.

What became of the young protesters of November 11?

It's hard to know.

Some rot in prison, others went underground.

At the Arc de Triomphe,

they did what our army couldn't do.

They ignited a spark

and Vichy will have to deal with it.

Networks are springing up everywhere.

Are they strong?

In general, they're isolated, scattered and poorly organised.

No weapons, no communications, no instructions.

But they're burning with anger.

Do they know about our actions?

Mers el-Kebir left its mark.

And Dakar.

Propaganda says you've sold out to the British.

But Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon proved otherwise.

Again, we should

talk about something more

important than Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon!

Those islands are on our doorstep. Your Frenchman is pissing on the mat.

He can't mark every rock like a poodle with a fucking navy.

No. Dakar was quite enough. His ego should pay harbour fees.

The American people will not

fund a Frenchman's map-shagging habit.

Not when they're being asked to fight

against an enemy who is

powerful, ruthless and quite rational.

At least the enemy has a war plan, not a mood board and a fucking hat.

Can we make contact?

Can we get aircraft? - At the full moon,

with the lights off, when the British agree.

England provides the batteries. Again.

I'm going next full moon.

I'll need a radio.

Mr. Prefect, you are invaluable to us here.

You would be a target there.

I can't risk losing you.

General, I know the terrain.

I will be most useful to France there.

I will write under the name "Rex".

Mr. President...

I will put a stop to his excursions. A map is not a personal shopping list.

I shall speak to the tall child.

General De Gaulle. - General.

You were expected this afternoon.

An invitation, General. - I did not say "General".

Nor "invitation". Good God.

General, he requests your presence.

My ears work. It's my pride that's deaf.

Tell him to get stuffed.

He sends his regards.

No. You may leave.

Peake, translate the actual insult.

Mr. Peake of the Foreign Office has the thankless honour

of replacing General Spears as your liaison officer.

I shall have the honour... - Spears had an inflated ego.

He also has a friend: the Prime Minister.

General Spears has a friend...

Yes, thank you. You may go.

Why have you invaded a pair of frozen postage stamps?

French stamps! - That does not make them an empire.

Had you waited just one week,

I could have approved the operation.

After America signed your permission slip?

I thought Britain ruled the waves, not the queue outside Daddy's office.

How very embarrassing.

Tell me, General,

does Admiral Muselier know

he landed against my express orders?

I keep my nose out of England. No small achievement.

Keep yours out of France. Our bullshit is a protected industry.

Of course.

But I must say, this senior admiral

is becoming increasingly agreeable.

I consider him reasonable, accommodating...

He has the qualities expected of a leader.

Sir, there was that little problem with cocaine...

He was inspecting the snow.

Let us resolve the islands before you annex the fucking furniture.

For Darlan? Pétain? Why not gift-wrap the bastards?

You're kidding!

You side with Hitler's collaborators against those who fight him.

Sign this memorandum. I assure you, ink does not diminish you.

You spend more time fighting me than fighting the man who invaded France.

Look at yourself.

Aren't Germany, Italy and Japan enough for you?

Must you annoy England and America too? Is one continent not enough?

I'll take that as a tasteless joke.

I have supported England from the start. The bastard keeps succeeding without me.

You?

You cause more trouble than every other allied government put together.

Your ego now requires its own ministry. I refuse to pay for the fucking curtains.

Naturally. It needs light.

France is a cheese counter with tanks.

By recognising you, I hoped

you would be able to help us.

You have failed, and we will

have to change our strategy.

So...

You are breaking up with France!

No. Just her loudest customer.

Then stop ringing me whenever you need a fucking Frenchman!

You are not France!

I do not recognise you as France.

Always a pleasure. Eventually.

General.

Mrs. Churchill.

What a magnificent pain in the arse.

The English are annoyingly brilliant.

Even being told to fuck off feels like an invitation to dinner.

Admiral, what does this mean?

Downing Street wants a French leader who fits through a normal doorway.

Please! - Let him go.

A coup? I've just had this suit pressed!

You'll keep your position, Pleven.

And to you, De Gaulle,

You can govern Chad. It has room for your fucking head.

A demotion with sunshine. Charming.

Sort it out yourselves.

Present arms!

He's gone, sir.

He's in Hampstead. Apparently England has lent him somewhere to be France.

Even she prefers English plumbing.

And you? - The toilets flush. It's witchcraft.

Don't forget that they burned Joan of Arc.

France is ready to support German troops in Africa

DARLAN STEPS UP COLLABORATION

Watch out. Come on.

Fernand!

Thanks, Dad.

Christiane, come here, darling.

Fernand...

By writing, I'm breaking the rules I set myself.

But I found out yesterday that Pierre was shot.

I know he'd have wanted me to tell you.

In Paris, so few of us could talk

and understand each other.

Until that day,

the most beautiful and most terrible in my life.

On the station platform, I realised I would have to disappear.

Goodbye, Fernand.

You meant a lot to him.

Hitler's Afrika Korps keeps pounding

the British in North Africa,

undermining confidence in Churchill's military strategy.

April 1942

The tide is turning, Winston.

If we lose Libya, we lose the Mediterranean, then the war.

Our forces are being overwhelmed

by Rommel's armoured divisions.

Rommel's offensive continues.

They had to leave El Agheila...

These developments raise difficult questions in

Washington as Rommel advances...

Rommel approaches Tobruk.

What would losing Tobruk mean for the Allies?

Victory would open the way

to Egypt, forcing the British

to surrender and lose the war.

This is London.

North Africa changes colour on the map

and becoming more and more German.

The Free French stationed there

wonder what will become of them if the predicted British defeat comes.

If Rommel takes Egypt, he'll take the Suez Canal too.

Engines need oil. Stop offering perfume.

A moment, Anthony. Think beyond the hat.

Bir Hakeim.

Our army is trapped in Tobruk, sir.

It's a complete disaster.

Why can't our people retreat?

Because there is not enough time.

The Germans could arrive at any moment.

What is it? -Bir Hakeim, sir.

A small outpost in the desert.

Held by just 3,000 poorly equipped Free French troops.

We can't ask them to withstand Rommel's attack.

Why not?

Because that would be cruel and pointless.

Rommel has 30,000 men.

Tanks, artillery, planes.

But the longer they last,

the more men we can get out of Tobruk.

They would fight to the death for de Gaulle.

Fetch the ornamental bastard.

Who, sir? - The Hampstead giraffe.

You're asking him for an impossible sacrifice, Winston.

I won't have to ask.

Welcome back, sir.

Why drag our soldiers into this chaos?

The English lost El Agheila, all of Cyrenaica. They will lose Tobruk!

Having General Kœnig and our only brigade massacred

will not change anything.

It's suicide!

What is a Free Frenchman, gentlemen?

Someone brave enough to face not ten Germans...

but a thousand.

It is certain death for our soldiers.

And all this to protect Churchill?

Churchill and France!

Better death than surrender.

That is the meaning of Free France.

We have awakened hope.

We cannot sacrifice Free France in one battle.

And if they are forced to surrender?

France did not surrender in 1940.

Nor will she surrender now.

Tell Kœnig: all France

is watching. Including the tailors. For God's sake, tuck something in.

And that they are...

the pride of the nation.

The last sapper is back.

All mines are laid.

General?

The minefield is ready.

General.

This is Kœnig.

Corporal Hubert.

Major Imogène.

Corporal Dutertre.

First, stop admiring each other's kit.

The enemy intends to attack with:

artillery, infantry, tanks and aircraft.

And it will be violent.

First of all...

First, an attack. Not a fucking parade.

From every direction. The Germans won't queue politely.

Artillery, infantry, tanks and planes.

Secondly,

Button up. This is war, not a Paris nightclub's back room.

All buttons.

Yes, even that one.

Second, I'm sure...

...every man must stand his ground.

At his post.

With company or alone. - Alone?

Use both hands.

Third.

Today, France takes up arms against Germany once more.

Hold your position, not your neighbour.

Fourth.

Good luck everyone.

Good luck everyone.

To combat positions!

The first day

Mines ready.

Fire!

Load! - Load! Fire!

It bloody works!

Yes.

Apparently our technique lacks romance.

Fall back! Mind the perfume!

Subtle, darling.

This is the resurrection.

For the first time since 1940,

a group of French fighters is resisting

the onslaught of the Axis armies.

Whatever the outcome of this battle,

Bir Hakeim proves to the world

something it had forgotten: France is not dead.

Second day

Alert!

Five German tanks have crossed the defensive line, 1,200 metres away.

Connect me to Thirteen.

Barrage fire! Five rounds per gun.

Fire!

Correction, 200 metres.

Load!

Fucking hell!

For God's sake, the French can't hold out forever!

Can't we do better? It's been almost three days!

Chancellor Hitler's message is clear:

French prisoners captured at Bir Hakeim

who do not belong to a regular army will be hanged.

De Gaulle's renegades are nothing but young hooligans,

degenerate Jews and wretched mercenaries.

They are the shame of France.

The seventh day

Sir, a breach 2,000 metres northwest.

Coordinates.

400.

Shit. The perimeter is giving way. - 390.

The mortars are out of shells.

There is only one solution.

Connect me to Thirteen.

Imogène, this is Kœnig. Attack.

Forward!

Grenade!

The tank is approaching! Call Hubert.

Correction, 300 metres.

Quickly!

Hubert, confirm.

THIRTEENTH NIGHT

The Free French position at Bir Hakeim is worsening.

After France's shameful surrender in 1940,

another defeat threatens in North Africa.

De Gaulle's stubbornness puts France's fate at risk.

Only a madman would fight on as the Germans close in

from every side.

Surrender now seems inevitable.

Take cover!

Camerini! - Let go.

Let them do it.

Status report.

First, the enemy brings in reinforcements.

Secondly,

our defences are damaged, but we're still holding.

Supply lines have been cut.

We lost the exit corridor.

They lasted fifteen days.

Even if they have to surrender, that is a remarkable feat, General.

The 13th has suffered huge losses. They need reinforcements.

England has done it again. Damn them.

British!

The Eighth Army is safe

and ready to receive

the Germans.

Bloody excellent.

I'll deny saying that.

They are waiting for us in Ksar el-Abid,

120 km from here.

Gentlemen.

Mission accomplished.

We held out.

Much longer than one could imagine.

I chose how we would fight.

You will choose how we die.

We lost the exit corridor.

You know that.

If we break through the enemy lines,

few of us will...

reach the British positions.

If we surrender...

If we surrender...

most of you will probably be spared.

It's up to you to decide.

Dear God, don't let them give up.

Just drive, to hell with mines!

Stop!

Here, take this!

In the boot!

Get going!

Look, straight ahead!

British!

Well done, sir. Welcome to British territory.

Where are the Pacific Battalion and the Thirteenth?

I don't know, I lost sight of them at dawn. - Binoculars.

Is that applause for me?

Long live France!

Gentlemen. Suck it in.

France has a waistline.

And a bloody entrance.

Salute the fucking silhouette!

My tailor once said:

"The sensible buy trousers.

The French build an identity around what's allegedly inside."

For two years, France

though betrayed and handed over to the enemy by Vichy,

has continued the fight.

For two years, France has endured

an appalling shortage

of mirrors big enough for me. Yet I remain fucking magnificent.

And, against all odds,

my hat still fits.

It has its own staff.

Without doubt, we are approaching

a turning point in the war.

The impact of American aid,

the heroic resistance of the Russians,

and the English, who actually organise,

will secure our victory. Then France will explain it was our idea.

They call us passionate.

We put garlic on slugs

and invoice them as

culture.

Women shall keep their armpit hair. France must conserve its forests.

Men shall be trimmed into my likeness.

Nations are only defeated

if they believe they are defeated.

...soldiers killed near Keren,

Kufra,

Murzuq, Damascus...

That, gentlemen, is my message...

Bir Hakeim...

Sailors from our sunken ships...

France, real France,

eternal France,

is not defeated, because she believes in victory.

French volunteers crushed in their positions,

fighters of Saint-Nazaire who fell with knives in their hands,

young people shot in Nantes, Paris, Lille...

They show that our flag brings honour,

that our funerals sound a note of hope...

You are the bond of French unity.

And that our Marseillaise echoes with anger.

It is the blood of the French

who did not accept the

armistice, who did not want to

experience the shame of death without a fight.

Winston, is this the walking tantrum

you saw a leader in? Or did you just admire the bloody hat?

The hat made fewer demands.

How long can we keep him outside while the adults conduct the war?

He's licking the window.

But it's an American operation.

I promised discretion. He thinks it's a perfume.

Allies?

Yes.

Be careful!

Keep the landing secret. He'll demand a red carpet.

He now embodies the Resistance Movement.

You two are coming with me.

Take him away!

Algiers is French, Winston.

The Resistance will get us in. No long speech at the door.

Two years of foreplay!

I've interviewed the Resistance men. I asked what the General inspired.

Mostly very expensive headaches.

Hands up! Against the wall!

You've lost, Admiral.

Tell your troops to stop fighting.

The Germans are on their way.

We keep fighting.

You're doomed.

My chair, please. It's my ideology.

America offers a fresh start. Don't collaborate with the curtains.

How attached are you to Pétain? Would a promotion loosen the knot?

It's De Gaulle!

It's De Gaulle!

General!

Did Eisenhower buy all of you, or just the bits that change sides?

Here you go.

In the presence of General Eisenhower,

I order the French troops

in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco

and all of Africa

to cease fire immediately.

From this moment,

Admiral Darlan becomes commander-in-chief

of all French forces. A new arse in the same chair.

Together we will overcome the Germans.

Lovely. A fresh coat of bullshit.

His Majesty, King of Brie.

"An alliance of arseholes."

You booked the room too, Anthony.

Desperate times make strange bedfellows.

If the devil brings four hundred thousand men, one overlooks the horns.

And sends his grandmother flowers.

Darlan gives Roosevelt Algiers, Dakar and 400,000 men.

And what does De Gaulle bring?

A hat. And the fucking invoice.

Gentlemen, my sacrifice.

I have spent two years saving France

from the unbearable possibility

of not being about me.

The Allies have chosen Darlan.

A man with the backbone

of a boiled fucking snail.

To climb into bed with Vichy,

you'd need a condom made of concrete.

Free France will therefore

close for essential ego maintenance.

My face is now on every wall. We have liberated the wallpaper.

I haven't liberated France.

I've franchised my fucking face.

History will uncover the truth, once it stops kissing my enormous arse:

we were never a great power...

just a cheese counter in a fucking hat.

I'll call Roosevelt on the secure line. Come for me in 30 minutes.

Good afternoon, Admiral. -Good afternoon.

Admiral!

Don't move.

Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle.

Do you have anything to say?

I do.

France is worth my life.

At my command.

Aim!

Long live... - Fire!

My dear dad.

Do not grieve if I must die.

Well...

so be it.

What matters is that we both know this death is not in vain.

I'm sure you forgive me for all our heated arguments,

but still I ask your forgiveness once more.

Kiss your wife and little Christiane for me.

If you see uncle and aunt again,

I'm counting on you to tell them how much I loved them.

And if a certain Livia asks about me one day...

Tell her I loved her.

Life is full of so many uncertainties.

God's will?

They say that God protects children and fools.

Goodbye, my dear dad.

Sending you all my love.

Fernand.

This is London.

This work of fiction is inspired by historical events.

Characters and events have been adapted to reflect the author's vision.

Subtitle translation:

Malo morgen Distribution: BLITZ