Original subtitles

Oh, shit! Go fuck yourself!

You sly devil!

It's my lucky day.

Bruno!

Bruno!

Stop it,

we're off duty.

Come play with us!

I can't help it, I love the sound of an engine purring.

- So? - Like when your sister

sleeps on my shoulder.

Bruno and his cars...

The last one.

Bruno!

Bruno!

Giacomo, help me!

There are more of them!

Go!

Go!

Combes and Lassalle, left. Dronne, straight ahead.

Cassard, right.

Finito.

Right then, Marcel, see you tomorrow.

Bye.

Where are the weapons we were promised?

Where's the money we were promised?

Nothing.

I had 1,000 tons of weapons delivered and 6 million francs.

That's all the General could get.

Let's be clear: drive out the Krauts, obviously,

but also Vichy and the cowards.

The politicians won't hijack the Resistance. They betrayed us.

Of course. But the Resistance must unite.

The Spanish Republicans failed

because they couldn't coordinate.

Rex, I agree to the Secret Army.

Who'll lead it?

The General.

Which one?

- Can you be serious? - Are you following events in Casablanca?

History is being written there.

Casablanca has become the center

of Anglo-American power.

It is here at the Anfa Hotel

that Messrs. Churchill and Roosevelt, assisted by their chiefs of staff,

are preparing the next plan of attack.

Here is the General who will lead the French Forces into battle.

General Giraud will replace Admiral Darlan at the head of the French.

At least Roosevelt didn't pick

a guy who shakes Hitler's hand.

They've found a useful idiot to turn France into a vassal.

How very subtle.

But, General, France's fate is being decided over there,

in Casablanca.

What are you here for?

Securing the perimeter.

Against French dissidents. General Giraud's orders.

We're going Gaullist hunting! There's a whole nest of them.

I want them all.

Gendarmerie!

Get up.

Against the wall.

- Hands on your head. - Lambert, bring me the kid.

Come on.

No!

If you don't answer me, I'll kill your family, then you.

Is that what you want? Where's your daddy?

Don't do that. Stop.

- Where's his father? - I'm begging you.

Move.

Faster.

- Name? - Reynaud.

Name?

- Pennacchioni. - Hurry up, get in.

- Move. - Name?

- Giacalone. - Get in.

- Clean this up. - Yes, Warrant Officer.

Lock these Gaullists up.

- Come on, move along. - Come on, hurry. Hurry.

Come on.

General Giraud...

I'll say it again, Churchill has had a plane prepared for you.

I won't go to Casablanca by plane or by canoe, Pleven.

General...

the fate of the world is at stake there. And Churchill is inviting you.

No one invites de Gaulle to France.

It's a trap.

If de Gaulle doesn't go to Casablanca,

for us, it'll be Giraud.

I heard.

Livia, encode a telegram for the General.

This Casablanca business needs handling. Understood.

- Prisoners into the hangar. - Yes, Captain.

Message for de Gaulle: "Mission accomplished in Libya.

"Joining the British in Tripoli.

"Signed, Leclerc."

Received, Colonel.

General...

What is it, Blaise?

General,

there's talk of a fake General

who calls himself leader of the Free French.

He's not a fake General, he's a real one!

No.

You are the hero of France.

Her knight without fear or reproach.

Not anymore, Blaise!

Have you gone mad? The whole world admires you.

You're in all the newspapers.

The Americans are even making a film about you.

Maybe Chaplin will play you.

I don't give a damn, Blaise!

Pleven.

Ah.

Tell him I'm going to Casablanca.

Yes, General.

Let's go!

We're taking precautions to keep your arrival secret.

Is that a French decision?

Absolutely.

Stand back!

Sorry.

The simplest thing: create a binational army corps.

Harold, can I help you?

Good day, gentlemen. I'm looking for "Admiral Q."

Churchill?

He's with "Commodore Frankland."

Mr. President...

There you go!

General de Gaulle has landed.

Here comes the bride!

Congratulations, you pulled it off.

Eisenhower, is the groom ready?

General Giraud is downstairs.

We must celebrate!

The end of the French mess.

Tomorrow, we'll have a single French army.

One leader, one subordinate:

order at last!

Giraud's Army of Africa is large,

but de Gaulle's men have the sacred fire, and that's what matters.

Perfect,

they can pass that fire on to Giraud's men.

It's not that simple.

The groom, as you call him,

is surrounded by former Vichyites.

To de Gaulle and his men, they're traitors.

Remind me of something: who pays

for de Gaulle's army?

I won't bankroll his little war against Vichy.

We'll smother him in a committee.

You get all flustered whenever the French come up.

You're like Frankenstein, terrified of his monster.

- For pity's sake! - You know what?

I'll see him first.

Be my guest...

The heaviest cross I have to bear in this war...

is the Cross of Lorraine.

General, the President wishes to see you alone.

Follow me.

General de Gaulle,

at last!

It's such a pleasure

to meet you.

The pleasure is all mine, Mr. President.

I can't say "welcome."

You're at home here.

So...

The collapse of your country under the German invasion

came as a real shock: six weeks?

We'll get you out of this.

If you see a child being attacked by savages,

you step in, don't you?

France is not a child, Mr. President.

She has never stopped fighting.

The troops... Your troops?

Tell me, how many are we talking about?

10,000 men?

A battalion in the desert?

General Giraud's army is taking over.

General Giraud is a good soldier. He'll make a decent military commander.

But war is a moral matter.

Soldiers who are going to die must fight for a moral cause.

France needs a moral authority,

not an office manager. As long as France is occupied,

no one has moral authority.

You chose our side,

the side of freedom.

But you remain a solitary general,

with no backing from parties or deputies, and you've never been elected:

a rebel! Neither was Joan of Arc.

She simply fought for France.

General, Winston and I are asking you

to come to terms with Giraud.

You understand?

To help you,

we've sketched out a memorandum

proposing a protocol of agreement between the two of you.

If it's in keeping with France's interests.

Yes...

The conference ends tomorrow,

you will exercise your legendary wisdom.

Mr. President.

Until tomorrow, General.

- Quite a character. - Stark raving mad.

He knows nothing about politics.

I expected him to be more difficult.

Don't leave without his signature.

I hope you thoroughly enjoyed your private meeting.

Harold Macmillan.

I'm the special envoy of Prime Minister

Churchill, and I...

It's an agreement that fully respects your rank, General.

I'll stay in case

you have any quest... Save them

for your enemies.

Oh, my plane...

crashed.

Did I ask?

Putting me

on a committee with Marcel Peyrouton,

a Vichyite from day one... General, they hold all the cards.

And Giraud brings them 400,000 men. We're

barely 13,000, drivers and secretaries included.

It's a done deal.

We're more than ready now...

Mr. President,

all I need is equipment for my troops.

You promised tanks... Don't worry, my friend.

He said you'll get the tanks.

Does your creature realize we have bigger fish to fry,

do you think?

Sir.

Ah!

Barely two brigades and he walks in like Stalin!

Good morning, de Gaulle.

Did you sleep well, General?

Unfortunately, we cannot accept the suggested agreement,

but we'll go over all that with General Giraud...

Between Frenchmen.

You cannot obstruct the war, General de Gaulle!

If you don't sign, I'll denounce you to Parliament

and to the press, and we'll carry on

without you.

You are perfectly free to dishonor yourself,

Prime Minister. Calm down.

General, perhaps you're right,

it is a little premature.

For now, it will be enough to confirm our commitment

to work toward a solution that suits everyone

and simply to shake hands.

If you wish...

Very good!

Please.

Let's not waste any time.

Come along, gentlemen...

Follow me!

The closing press conference will begin in 15 minutes.

Ah, about time.

My friends...

You can come closer.

Ta-da!

- Everything ready to break camp? - Colonel!

- Are you done? - Almost.

- Hurry up. - I'm doing what I can.

Colonel.

Colonel.

Colonel.

Congratulations. You've been promoted to general.

- Cut the crap. - The General signed the promotion.

Combes, what's the number one duty of Force L?

Never obey a stupid order, General.

There you go.

We're breaking camp. Colonel, message from the Americans:

"Stand by and await instructions from Giraud."

What?

Yeah, right.

De Gaulle has supposedly made a deal with Giraud.

What do we do, General? De Gaulle, with a Vichyite?

Congratulations!

Coming from you, Peyrouton?

From the bottom to the top. The city's been cleansed of Gaullist scum.

Their master has bowed his head.

Checkmate.

I like your American friends more and more.

France will be rid of the Germans,

but not of the Vichyites.

Giraud?

But...

The Resistance with him?

Free France is about to disappear.

No, no, we can't

sign with Giraud. We don't even know what we'd be signing.

So, how was the vacation?

DE GAULLE ACCEPTS GIRAUD'S TERMS

We're currently studying our options.

There's no point staying in London anymore.

Here.

We've received a note from Downing Street.

Churchill intends to keep you in London.

He won't put a single plane at your disposal.

Except to Algiers.

To go and come to terms with Giraud.

So, Pleven, I'm a prisoner.

Giraud is a pure soldier.

We have to sign with him to neutralize him.

Catroux is working on getting an agreement

that leaves you a free hand. A free hand?

You understand nothing about politics.

Giraud is the Americans' puppet.

A free hand...

Rex.

At your service!

You're not scheduled on this transport.

I have to get to London. By the next moon,

it'll be too late.

Listen to me, it's vital for the General.

If that were the case, I'd have received an order.

He doesn't know.

He needs my help.

- Yes, Colonel? - Break camp.

What do we reply?

That we never obey a stupid order.

We carry on. The General needs us.

Received, General.

Break camp!

- He quit? - No, he quit on Giraud.

To join our troops in Tripoli.

That's a good thing,

isn't it?

Perhaps.

The French!

BRITISH 8th ARMY

Well done, boys!

Now for a good shower!

- General Leclerc. - General Montgomery.

Mmm...

Very good.

To be frank,

when I was told you were going to cross the Sahara,

I doubted I'd see you alive again, and here you are!

General Giraud must be proud.

We want to fight.

I understand.

I'm grateful, but this is a complex operation...

If you insist.

The US 1st Division is holding Gafsa.

It will catch Rommel in a pincer.

My men will push him from the south

to trap him at Tunis.

If he gets past the Mareth Line, he'll take you from behind.

No, a battalion will cover my left flank.

You'll have only two divisions, he has three.

That's correct.

We may look like tramps,

but we're fast and we know the desert.

We'll cover your left flank.

- How many are you? - 1,000.

We'll supply boots and rifles,

and clean clothes!

Come on!

YEAH!

Go north.

Ammo!

- You OK, Mirloin? - Yeah.

Nearly kept us waiting.

Here, for your trouble.

What's that thing?

Wait.

Two more Stukas.

So 18.

Plus one, 19.

A Panzer division.

They're regrouping.

Reconnaissance vehicles.

Strong enemy presence. You're not equipped for this.

Fall back toward the sea.

Against a Panzer division?

- And without a single tank. - Oh!

Dronne, Raynal,

what's going on?

Next skirmish, you send them packing.

A Panzer division,

at full strength!

Force L officers!

Come on, fall in. Quick, quick, quick!

The Krauts want to cross the Mareth Line.

Our line.

- How many Krauts? - We counted

19 planes.

So there should be 90 armored vehicles.

Those of the 15th.

there are two passes.

They'll go through both at the same time.

We'll let them in.

They're going to roll right over us.

Dio,

you'll hide your men

on the northern one.

Dronne,

you'll take this one. Combes,

with me on the high ground,

at the epicenter. But will we have

air support?

I don't think so.

The British air force is assigned

to priority missions in the east. General,

we've won all our battles.

You want us to get hammered by a Panzer division?

It's not coming for us.

Have you seen Montgomery's order?

Avoid all contact and fall back 90 kilometers toward the sea.

Take cover!

General, get down!

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang!

General, don't stay there!

Has someone forgotten duty number one

of Force L?

But this isn't a stupid order.

Some people have understood nothing about Fighting France.

Back home, kids are fighting with nothing in their hands.

Sure, we have no news.

But we all have a brother,

a sister,

a cousin,

who, propped against a cellar wall, goes without sleep

to send intelligence to London.

We all have a friend

who, sent to commit sabotage, comes out of a wood, crosses a mountain,

finds a boat on a beach with no sail, no oars, no mast, no rigging

and climbs aboard without a second thought.

Over there, each of them is alone and in constant danger of death.

And not a single one of them would give up,

without even knowing if their mission will make a difference.

They all trust that sooner or later,

the enemy will be drowned by all these anonymous acts.

So we,

who are lucky enough to fight together, armed,

and in broad daylight,

let us prove ourselves worthy.

Does anyone here still want to retreat?

Dismissed.

Leave with the logistics unit.

No, I'm doing my job and I know the risks.

This isn't about risks anymore, it's a suicide mission.

Leave with the...

Hey, Mademba!

The Jerries!

The Krauts are coming!

12 tanks.

No infantry in sight.

No infantry support in sight.

12 armored vehicles, that doesn't add up.

They want us to show ourselves. Everyone in position!

You'll fire on my command,

and on my command only!

- Two seconds! - What are we waiting for?

We have to fire now! We have to fire, we have to fire.

What are we waiting for?

Two seconds!

That's the 12th tank.

12th tank!

Fire!

FIRE!

Fire!

Fire!

Fire!

Load.

Right side, fire!

Fire!

Fire on the right!

You, stay. You, take him

to get treated. Then come back, we hold the position.

Received.

At least 15 more tanks!

The Secret Army is getting into position.

We'll be able to strike hard.

Hold back your blows and keep your losses to a minimum.

For now, we're alone.

I stand alone against America, and only America counts.

Make no mistake.

Roosevelt is a Francophile. He speaks French as well as you or I.

Then what's his problem?

In 1940, we were the bulwark against Hitler.

When Paris fell,

after we'd fought so badly and so little,

he was shocked.

Like all of us.

Exactly.

So he should support Free France.

To him, France no longer exists.

And to keep the peace, he puts a pawn at the center of the board:

Giraud.

To keep the peace?

To avoid facing someone who intends to make France a country again.

Prefect,

I have no support from parliamentarians.

They voted full powers to Pétain.

I have few soldiers, and they're dissidents from a defeated army.

In other words,

I embody everything the Americans hate.

I am weak.

And I stand my ground.

And Churchill?

Ah, Churchill...

I swear allegiance to Giraud or he cuts off our supplies.

Then the Resistance is dead.

It may be that I am an obstacle to France's future.

I saw the Krauts repositioning to the southeast.

We're going to get hammered.

General,

we have to evacuate the wounded, it's now or never.

Immediate evacuation!

Wounded into the ambulances!

You're leaving with them, Davis.

Listen carefully.

We may all die here.

But I need you to stay alive.

So that people know we are undefeated, we, the Free French.

The Krauts have never beaten us.

We don't retreat, we don't submit.

Our children will have nothing to reproach us for when we return.

Do you understand?

Troop movements to the southeast.

Take the rest of the artillery for a line of defense.

Received, General.

Troops to the southeast!

Troop movements to the southeast, confirm.

Sometimes one card turns everything around.

The parliamentarians.

The parliamentarians?

Why not the political parties?

- Why not, indeed. - Because they handed

France over.

They're still elected, legitimate in the Allies' eyes, unlike us.

No Free Frenchman will accept that.

Without the Allies' support, who'll fund them?

What are you claiming to do?

Gamble the fate of Free France at cards?

Pick parliamentarians at random,

watched by the Germans night and day?

Gather them in a room

with resistance fighters hunted by the Gestapo?

And on top of that, you hope

to get them to agree when they cordially loathe each other?

If you trust me, yes.

That's not trust, that's the faith of the early Christians.

It took that to create Free France

with one aide-de-camp.

I have to go back.

Don't go to Algiers unless you're in a position of strength.

Give me time to act,

without believing any report, any telegram,

any rumor. I need time.

Don't sign any agreement with Giraud.

If you approve my plan, have a phrase broadcast on the BBC.

"The jack of diamonds is on the table." I can't lose you.

And if not,

have this broadcast: "The ace of spades is in my hand."

Fire!

Fire!

They're coming from everywhere!

General!

Leclerc hasn't fallen back.

He has only evacuated his wounded.

He's finished, General.

"In a few hours, we will bring you victory."

They don't make them like him anymore.

Have our planes finished their mission in the east?

Not yet, General.

No, General!

It's over, General.

With me!

For honor.

To the very end.

- He's mad! - Come on.

The British...

- They're coming! - General!

We won!

Look, he's chasing them!

Let's give him a hand!

- General? - Leave me alone, Passy.

General, Leclerc is alive!

Bravo, General.

Leclerc stood up to a Panzer division.

With what tanks?

- No tanks, General. - Just him and his men.

- 3 submachine guns and a few rifles. - Incredible.

Churchill sends his congratulations.

- Long live Free France! - LONG LIVE FREE FRANCE!

LONG LIVE FREE FRANCE! Long live Free France!

To Free France!

GAULLIST WARRIOR CHASES DOWN THE GERMANS

ROOSEVELT ASSEMBLES AN UNPRECEDENTED MILITARY COALITION

LECLERC! LECLERC!

LECLERC! LECLERC! LECLERC! LECLERC! LECLERC!

LECLERC!

LECLERC! LECLERC! De Gaulle!

LECLERC! LECLERC! LECLERC! LECLERC!

Shout: "Long live de Gaulle!"

- LECLERC! - Long live de Gaulle!

- Long live de Gaulle! - LECLERC! LECLERC!

DE GAULLE! DE GAULLE! DE GAULLE! DE GAULLE!

For the BBC.

Personal message.

Praise is pouring in from every Allied capital.

A journalist who obtained an interview with General Leclerc

on the battlefield quotes him:

"We are undefeated, we, the Free French.

"The Krauts have never beaten us.

"We don't retreat. We don't submit.

"Our children will have nothing to reproach us for when we return."

And now, please listen to some personal messages.

"The jack of diamonds is on the table."

I repeat.

"The jack of diamonds is on the table."

"The sun rises every day."

I say it twice:

"The sun rises every day."

End of personal messages.

In the La Fontaine box.

The resistance fighters can't have gone easy on you.

They want more money.

For weapons, for everything.

And they're right.

The General is doing all he can.

I missed one.

Something under a table.

"On" the table?

The jack of diamonds?

Livia?

I don't know, sorry.

Let's go.

We're going to bring in the parliamentarians.

You're either mad or an imbecile.

We had an agreement, Rex.

You're destroying the Resistance because you don't control it.

Not only will we never accept this,

but we'll tell de Gaulle it's us or you.

Enough is enough! We need them.

Oh, sure.

The General needs that legitimacy.

And do you have them, these parliamentarians?

I'm working on it.

Oh, really?

With which ones?

With all those who reject Vichy.

Even the Communists?

- I'm working on it. - Ah...

Good luck.

- Deputy... - You're asking for my endorsement

while explaining to me that my party doesn't count.

I'm not asking for your endorsement, I'm asking for your support.

I'll be with you. I trust you.

The urgent thing is to go and settle in Algiers.

Catroux has obtained the concessions needed to sign.

Your plane is waiting.

You'll be on French soil by tonight.

Page 3.

General?

We won't get anything more out of Gir...

Page 3?

Patience.

Patience, Blaise.

I won't give up the presidency

and I won't agree to Peyrouton's resignation.

Everything else is open to discussion.

New proposal from General Giraud.

Understood.

Peyrouton.

Er, General...

Minister of Police under Pétain, the man who did the dirty work.

- Once we're there... - Peyrouton.

Yes, yes, he's fine with it, but...

the makeup of the committee needs more work.

And the preambles.

I can't take being squeezed between a donkey and a madman anymore.

I'll make one last attempt. After that, I'm telling you, I resign.

Trust...

that makes no sense. Our country's future is at stake.

What you're asking of us is impossible.

I don't see

any positive outcome.

We'll meet again, Deputy.

I doubt my Communist Party will be in favor.

I'll make it happen.

I'll organize the creation of the Council of the Resistance in Paris.

Easier for the parliamentarians. You like taking risks.

You set our meeting next door to Milice headquarters.

G...

"Network blown."

Watch out!

Wait three minutes.

Quiet!

Galibier and Suzette have been arrested. I was warned in time.

- Your cover's blown. - We have to move very fast.

Have the agents cancel

their meetings. Change the letter drops

and the identity papers.

Alert London and tell Mercure to disappear.

Meet in two hours.

No change of plan, we carry on.

Livia, if you're caught,

try to hold out 48 hours without talking.

If I'm caught, you'll put yourself at Mr. Bidault's service.

Happy birthday.

Come.

I have nothing more to add.

This agreement is take it or leave it.

My respects, gentlemen.

Florence Conrad.

I've bought 19 new ambulances.

I've recruited 14 Frenchwomen in New York City,

trained in first aid and able to drive.

We want to fight.

Very good.

Very good. General, would you...

We want Leclerc.

Wait, do you know the conditions they live in?

No sanitation, hundreds of kilometers a day

with dogs, chickens, fennec foxes...

We have great admiration

for General Leclerc.

Fine. I'll talk to him about it when he takes a break between raids.

Ladies.

The ambulances have arrived, there are women with them.

They want to stay. Sort it out with them.

This is a joke, isn't it?

General Giraud is here.

General.

Last time, you were young Captain de Hauteclocque.

Since then, you've made a name for yourself.

You're the one who trained me in arms.

- That doesn't explain your successes. - No.

That's down to having no telephone and being far from the top brass.

I came first of all to thank you.

When I was taken prisoner in Germany,

my wife and children were in danger,

with no help and no means in occupied France.

Until a family took them in.

Yours.

Your wife welcomed them.

She's well.

She's heard about a certain Leclerc,

without knowing who he was.

Philippe,

today I'm in charge of this immense battle for France.

This war is bigger than us as individuals, than our petty convictions.

I'll give de Gaulle a prominent place at my side.

So let's stop playing politics and join forces.

Not as long as you're surrounded by criminals.

What are you saying?

Peyrouton.

He has the backing of the Supreme Commander, Roosevelt.

- You know what you can tell him? - Philippe!

Hitler's ass-lickers will end up in the dustbin of history.

Take care not to join them there.

Stop, or you'll answer for your words before a court.

A French one or an American one?

Pff... Quoting Trotsky at me, on top of it all...

- No pasarán! - Our comrades.

- Attention! - NO PASARÁN!

Death to idiots!

- What the hell is this? - We send them back.

They're anarchists.

No.

Dronne, you'll handle them just fine.

And that?

Let it be.

There'll never be enough ammunition.

- Attention! - Viva!

- Knees up! - Come on!

Come on, let's go.

No, that won't do.

Come in!

Not good enough. Call me back in 20 minutes.

There's no way my men and I

are marching in Tunis with Giraud.

You helped win this victory, you must march!

Then may we march with your men?

Do you hate Giraud that much?

I'm very fond of him, alas.

It would seem

that being French today

is a complicated thing.

No, Catroux.

We'll have to talk again.

Goodbye, Catroux.

Ah! General.

Delighted to see you in France, Monnet.

Do you know Marcel Peyrouton?

Pleased to meet you.

To what do I owe the pleasure?

Getting bored in Washington? General,

it was President Roosevelt himself who sent me.

To remove our friend from London from the picture for good...

Oh, de Gaulle? But that's over.

He took himself out of the picture.

Apart from Catroux, who stayed to negotiate

some sham agreement or other with us,

no one supports him anymore.

Except public opinion.

Yes...

- Here, look. - Hmm?

This. DE GAULLE WINS SUPPORT IN AMERICA

GIRAUD'S MEASURES: A HARD BLOW FOR THE JEWS

And then this.

Yes.

- For example. - We're not going to start

letting opinion dictate our lives again, falling back

into the dithering that did France so much harm.

If you want to keep Roosevelt's support,

you'll have to spare him this kind of thing.

Mr. Monnet, the American newspapers

are run by Jews.

It's up to them to fix it.

I'm a soldier, I don't do politics.

There's nothing for you to worry about.

Show that you embody French values...

and American ones.

This is the speech Giraud gave in Algiers.

You should read it.

- In homage to Pétain? - No, but a big success.

A democratic program, compatible with the Americans.

Monnet did a good job. Ah.

And in his speech,

does Giraud give French citizenship back to the Jews of Algiers?

No. But, General,

he's entrenching himself further in power in Algiers while...

we wait for the British to cut off our supplies.

By the way, Churchill has just left for Washington.

And in case you mistake it for the fireplace,

the other file contains a message from the three main resistance networks.

They're demanding Rex's dismissal.

Patience.

ACTION THIS DAY Must break with de Gaulle. Churchill.

Gentlemen, de Gaulle

is taking us for a ride.

He was supposed to go to Algiers to make peace with Giraud.

Instead, he's stirring up trouble in London,

refusing any possible agreement.

How long are we going to tolerate this?

It's written here: break with de Gaulle.

Let's vote.

Thank you.

I know it's written there,

but we must think twice.

Really?

Have you read Montgomery's report?

Leclerc refused to march with Giraud's troops in Tunis.

Break with de Gaulle and we lose Leclerc.

That would be absurd!

If we don't break with him, we force him to go to Algiers.

Now!

But how?

Listen to me.

I have an idea.

- First, take a look at... - General,

the BBC has just announced your departure for Algiers.

What?

Well played. If you don't go, you'll look weak.

If I go to Algiers, it's to tell Giraud to his face

that there will never be any agreement between him and me.

General, first take a look at what General Catroux is proposing.

This is London.

This is a disaster.

It's all screwed, he's heading for a wall.

It's all I've got.

Encode this for me and send it out immediately.

"National Council of the Resistance established."

But... that's false!

The Republic is well worth a forgery, Livia.

"All networks and parties request swift installation of

"provisional government in Algiers under de Gaulle's presidency."

Boss... Organize a meeting with everyone.

Even the Communists?

And if you don't succeed?

You're putting the General at enormous risk.

And the Resistance.

Giraud still holds the presidency.

Peyrouton is still there.

Don't you tell me it was better a month ago. Though it's true.

Perfect.

I'll discuss the details in Algiers.

Gentlemen.

What's going on?

Here we go.

Gentlemen,

here is a message from General de Gaulle addressed to us.

"The terrible upheaval into which disaster,

"treason and usurpation

"have plunged our country will not end

"merely because the German forces have been crushed.

"The nation must emerge from its liberation independent.

"It is up to you to assert the rights

"and interests of France."

I propose the following motion.

Repudiating the Vichy dictatorship, its men,

its symbols and its offshoots,

a National Council of the Resistance is created,

made up of the members present here.

It intends that a provisional government be installed in Algiers

and entrusted to General de Gaulle, who has been the soul of the Resistance

in its darkest days

and who has never stopped preparing the rebirth of republican freedoms.

That's impossible. We'll never accept it.

He has no legitimacy. He wants power.

Not a word

about this Council of the Resistance, General.

I have my doubts. I'm looking into it.

If it's a forgery, it'll cut his suffering short.

Indeed.

Peyrouton.

Are you going straight to meet General Eisenhower?

We'll see each other at his HQ. I beg your pardon?

It's for Eisenhower to come and see me, not the other way around.

We're in France.

Let's go by way of the War Memorial.

The Communist Party

doesn't endorse pipe dreams. We know the Allies

have handed power to Giraud and not to de Gaulle.

It seems to me that it's up to us to express our will

on the future French government. The will of the parliamentarians?

Not long ago, it was to hand France over to Pétain.

You reject the parliamentarians

and the political parties?

You want to turn the Resistance into a single party.

What mandate from the people can you claim?

The Resistance rose up against these fascist practices.

No, the fascists have arrived here.

Gentlemen!

Every one of us is wanted by the Gestapo.

We have very little time left.

France's interests must come before those of the parties.

"We are undefeated, we, the Free French."

We all know

what this means.

It's now or never.

Who votes against the proposed motion?

Who's in favor?

So it is decided. Thank you, gentlemen.

"Let it be known to all that we are undefeated,

"we, the Free French."

This Committee... Council of resistance fighters, where does it stand?

It's been created.

Well...

Oh!

Here comes the diva.

Good.

General, as future president, it's for you to open

this meeting to create a provisional government:

the French Committee of National Liberation.

Yes, yes. So, well...

Does anyone have anything to say? Yes.

Me.

The French people

have expressed their will.

The French people?

The National Council of the Resistance

brings together all the political parties,

as well as all the resistance movements.

Here is the motion that was adopted.

Unanimously. Thank you, Pleven. I've read it.

Their will, indeed, cannot be ignored.

Ah.

Under these conditions,

I propose a de Gaulle-Giraud co-presidency,

with General Giraud remaining head of the armed forces.

Let's vote by a show of hands.

Good.

The Provisional Government of France is born.

I demand the retirement of the Governor of Algiers.

You demand nothing at all. Peyrouton is an excellent governor.

A collaborator from day one?

The cars are waiting. We'll discuss it at the next meeting.

"I demand..."

"I demand..."

He made it.

Very good.

Take my glass.

Surprise!

Gentlemen,

don't take my presence amiss.

You know the love

I've had for France since childhood.

She is going through hard times.

I've always supported her

and I always will.

I'm sure General Giraud

and General de Gaulle

will be able to give her a destiny again.

This is a great day for me.

So,

I've come to inflict on you

my favorite song.

When I see our soldiers

Marching merrily, band at their head

Ah, I say, keeping step:

"France is as fine as in days of old"

As in times gone by

SOLDIERS, I SEE AGAIN

CARNOT DECREEING VICTORY

MARCH ON TO GLORY

MY DEAR CHILDREN

COME BACK TRIUMPHANT

- Bravo! Bravo. - Thank you.

To victorious France!

Long live France!

Long live France!

What a jackal!

Sometimes it takes a jackal to lead a country.

Mr. President...

This is unacceptable, Ike!

Deal with the de Gaulle problem.

Of course.

If I may,

with all due respect, Mr. President, we have a war to fight.

That wasn't a suggestion, General.

I will not accept this putsch.

Sort it out!

Arrange a meeting with Generals Giraud and de Gaulle...

Let go of me!

Talking in German

Ow, you're hurting me! Let go of me.

Move!

The address.

Which one?

Speak!

Let it be known that we are undefeated, we, the Free French.

Undefeated.

Say that again, please.

Undefeated.

"Undefeated"?

What does that mean?

Ah.

Your interpreter.

For him.

Generals,

as you know,

we are preparing a massive military operation.

It will require

a strict chain of command

and a perfect division of tasks.

Of course.

I thought that was clear.

General Giraud is the military leader of the French,

he must command the army.

Yes, yes.

And he's also in charge of political affairs

as co-president.

A small question:

as military commander of the Allies,

are you also in charge of American policy?

But I'm also the guarantor

of the provisional government Roosevelt helped set up.

Where's the problem? I read your speech.

I thought you were a committed republican.

Separating civilian and military power is the ABC of it.

You command an army of mercenaries, foreign riffraff and communists,

generals promoted by a deserter.

- I never deserted. - Neither did I.

Your 15,000 mercenaries

and your fascist methods, we can do without them.

I'm called a fascist

because I demand respect for republican rules.

You're creating problems where there are none.

I won't work with this madman.

Let me be very clear, General de Gaulle,

nothing is going to change in the current organization.

The man I deal with is Giraud,

him alone,

on all matters. Period.

Thank you, General.

Like every...

great war leader,

you follow your President's instructions.

I understand that and respect it.

I wish you victory

in the difficult operations ahead.

General.

Gentlemen...

Good. Gentlemen, it's time to settle

the problem of the separation of powers.

Didn't you hear General Eisenhower?

I'm glad you mention it.

Could you tell us briefly what just happened?

General Eisenhower summoned us

and he decided that I would keep civilian and military power,

which de Gaulle wanted to contest.

You've just said it, we're dealing with

a clear case of foreign interference

against French sovereignty.

I propose we examine, right now, the proper way

to reassert our sovereignty.

Oh yes, and would we even be here without the Allies?

I propose an immediate vote.

Stop your act.

Does what happened constitute interference by the American army

against the French provisional government?

No, that...

Good, now let's vote on...

the question

before us.

In the French Republic we are rebuilding right here,

can one person hold both civilian and military power?

In that case, General, I see no other solution

than your resignation from this committee.

Monnet, give notice of the three decisions that have just been taken

by France.

Draw up the necessary decrees right away.

Very well.

General.

Rex...

Where?

At Gestapo headquarters.

There's nothing we can do.

We carry on.

Livia!

We got your message in time.

Thank you.

We don't know who betrayed him.

But you were on the list.

You have to disappear to another town.

Will you be OK?

"My friend,

"The end is near.

"Here comes the reward.

"Soon, together, we will be able to weep for joy.

"Charles de Gaulle."

We won't see each other again.

Good luck.

Perfect!

- Must I get involved? - You must speak to him.

I'll take care of it.

Do it before noon.

Ah, McSherry!

Come and show us.

Yes, Mr. President.

Take out "French Republic." Just the flag.

- Let's put "France" instead. - No.

Not a country,

not anymore.

Just the flag.

Mr. President...

Yes?

Our men are ready to administer France.

Each of them will take a department.

Perfect.

Eisenhower says he's counting on the Free French,

during the landing and after.

Let him say what he likes,

de Gaulle will be kept away from the theater of operations.

Next item?

Who...

Allied Military Government of Occupied Territories

"New Wallonia"?

This can't be real.

And yet...

Perhaps we should speak to Roosevelt.

No... Anthony.

We must win this war.

We'll lance that boil in due course.

Let's at least inform de Gaulle.

Discreetly, through his secret service.

General,

I ask you to create as soon as possible

an armored division

bringing together the Free French Forces at your disposal

and the troops of the Armies of Africa.

You will take command of it.

In the direction my arm is pointing.

Roosevelt intends to occupy France,

cut off a third of it,

and turn what's left into a condominium.

Perhaps even keeping Pétain.

- General? - Leclerc,

I know what I'm saying.

If we don't assert ourselves, there will be no France.

A single battle will decide everything.

And I'm entrusting it to you.

These instructions override all orders, wherever they come from.

Past or future,

they are secret and irrevocable.

Philippe...

No more absurd risks.

If you fall before you succeed...

I have no other option.

I entrust you with the supreme battle that will decide everything:

Paris.

My hands in yours. Charles de Gaulle.

And so,

after three years

of unspeakable ordeals,

the French people

are reappearing.

They have a Council of the Resistance

that brings together all those

fighting underground against the invader.

They have a provisional government.

They need a great army.

It is in the desert

that, at this very moment, there is re-emerging

the force we lacked

in 1940.

Fast, modern, designed entirely for attack.

The force that will unite all Frenchmen

since it is born of their union.

Bravo!

You are assigned

to the 2nd Armored Division under my command.

It is the first great force in which

Frenchmen who had been divided for three years are brought together.

Even enemies.

I ask you to reflect

on the importance of this union.

In the world,

some supposedly realistic minds

may have believed that for the French,

and for the French alone,

the war effort could exist

outside of morality.

Our country is in a situation

it has never known before.

It has become

a second-rate nation.

Our elites have failed.

Tomorrow, when you see a dignitary, you may wonder

whether he was incompetent before '40

or a coward since.

But we cannot afford the luxury of internal divisions.

Theorists may have

imagined

that our soldiers, our sailors, our airmen,

unlike every other soldier, every other sailor,

every other airman in the universe,

would go into battle without caring about the reasons

for which they would face death.

From the moment

you set foot on French soil,

you'll be thrown into battle,

with no transition.

France

is a tortured captive

who, under the blows,

in her dungeon,

has measured once and for all

the causes of her misfortunes

and the infamy of her tyrants.

No time to get familiar with the terrain and the enemy.

You'll have to take initiatives

quickly. Without claiming

the gift of prophecy,

we need only listen

to our hearts beating

to declare this:

In life,

you only succeed if you're obsessed with an idea.

Let's recheck the inventory and load the crates.

I thought armored divisions were off-limits to Negroes.

- You got a problem? - Captain, Captain...

Captain, it's not worth it.

Forget it.

Because of them, we lost our 4,000 Senegalese Tirailleurs.

Three quarters of the division.

Think about the men instead of the division.

They fought like lions

and were sent home like losers.

The Americans have rules for everything.

One day, they'll lecture the whole world on morals.

They're impressive all the same.

This way.

Captain!

- Ariane? - We're completely lost.

So are we.

On the high ground.

We haven't the faintest idea what we're supposed to do.

- Or when. - Or where we're supposed to do it.

We don't even know where Leclerc is.

How long did it take them to build that?

We're not about to find him.

Look, their General.

General, Mr. Churchill on the line.

Between you and me, do we need de Gaulle?

How many casualties are we prepared to accept?

That's the question.

Be specific.

The more the Resistance deploys,

the fewer men we'll lose.

Every act of sabotage,

every strike by the Secret Army

on German logistics will take the pressure off us.

And we really need that.

De Gaulle's men could make all the difference.

And I trust him.

- Have you told Roosevelt? - More than once.

I'm not even allowed to speak to de Gaulle.

How will we tell the British that their children

died because we wouldn't talk to de Gaulle?

I know, Anthony!

Can we avoid breaking up his armored division?

The Leclerc Division isn't up to standard,

it's

253 vehicles short.

Yes, I've read the file.

But...

could you step in?

Is your line secure?

Yes.

Well...

I might be able to find some other vehicles.

And tell my men to look the other way.

Would that help with de Gaulle? Yes.

Very well.

If we want our children to think

we acted like adults on the eve of this historic moment,

we must bring de Gaulle here urgently.

We can't land in France behind his back!

What's this?

Eisenhower's message in case of success, and this...

is for the opposite.

Where's Mr. Weather?

Excuse me.

If we're to brush against hell, we may as well be brave and dignified.

That idiot said the storm would pass, I want to hear him say it again.

Winston!

De Gaulle!

The prefect is the head of the police, the gendarmerie,

the fire department and the schools.

THE PREFECT IS THE HEAD OF THE POLICE,

THE GENDARMERIE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE SCHOOLS.

All right, boys.

Meet Mr. McSherry, who's in charge of us.

Go ahead, introduce yourselves.

Who's first?

What's your name?

John Boivin. Lansing, Michigan, age 39.

Assigned to Limoges.

Bill Abella, from Tucson, Arizona.

Married, three kids.

I'm a winegrower, I can't wait to get to Bordeaux!

Perfect.

Carry on.

Let's get back to it.

The Vichy government...

General.

That, for future military spending.

Ah!

General.

Prime Minister.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you, gentlemen.

I'm taking it upon myself

to inform you that we are going

to launch a landing in Normandy

in the next few hours, weather permitting.

Thank you for inviting me.

A few hours after

the operation is launched,

Eisenhower will make a radio address.

It is essential

to show our unity

to spread fear among the enemy.

I hope you will agree

to speak after him.

By what right would Eisenhower give orders

to the French population?

By what right

would he make decisions that are the business

of the French Provisional Government?

Do you think I don't know the Americans are about to land

carrying currency printed in the United States?

I think

you should go and see Roosevelt in Washington.

What for?

I've asked ten times to go and see him.

He never saw fit to answer me. General,

the battle is going to be long.

You can still convince him.

Convince him of what, Mr. Eden?

- The President... - Sir,

if you do not publicly support the Allied soldiers

who are coming to liberate your country,

we shall take it as an insult, I and the entire Labour Party.

An insult?

I've lived as a prisoner in London.

I've had to face systematic opposition in Algiers.

I sent proposals

to which neither you nor Roosevelt replied.

And now the Labour Party feels insulted by me.

I will not endorse Eisenhower's statements by speaking

after him.

Go on, wage war with your counterfeit money.

General de Gaulle, know this

once and for all:

every time we have to choose between you and Roosevelt,

we will choose Roosevelt.

Between Europe and America, we will choose America.

I take due note of that, Prime Minister.

There's no way he's going to France.

Put him in chains.

A crucial day in the history of the world,

the one free people have been hoping for.

This is D-Day.

These pictures from France

reveal the Allied victory.

An assault led

by General Eisenhower's American soldiers.

The operations were carefully planned

to drive back a determined enemy.

Here, Prime Minister Churchill comes ashore.

He has followed the operations with justifiable pride.

Four years ago, the British, defeated in the Battle of France,

were evacuated.

Now they return,

cheered as heroes.

Some are asking:

Where is General de Gaulle?

General,

the White House is announcing your immediate visit to Washington.

Have you received an invitation?

- No. - Well, then?

You could ask for recognition of the Government.

I won't go and submit an application to Roosevelt.

But if Eisenhower were allowed to talk to us,

it would make operations easier for the Resistance,

for Leclerc and for the Allied forces.

Eisenhower wants to be able to make contact with you.

I have an idea.

Welcome to Washington, General.

Stand back!

Don't stay there!

My country

made a mistake,

General.

We thought we could isolate ourselves from the world's chaos.

It is now clear that we must take charge of it.

That chaos includes some 150 countries.

Some must do their share: Great Britain, the USSR.

The others will enjoy our protection.

We will establish permanent military bases around the world,

including in France.

Speaking of which, you no doubt have some requests to make of me.

Not that I know of, Mr. President.

I believe we still haven't recognized your...

Committee.

Is it the FCNL? I have trouble with acronyms.

It is now called "the French government,"

which, by the way, offers you a small gift.

A symbol of French resilience,

it was made in 1942

while waiting for the parts to repair

the real submarine.

Well, how about that!

Thank you very much.

And...

Harry? Here you are, sir.

For you.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Yeah...

We've fallen 3 weeks behind.

The President wants us in Germany, he has doubts about the Paris strategy.

But in fact...

The Germans control all the key positions in Paris.

They're preparing to hold out.

It would take a very long time, and cost many lives,

to retake the city.

ROOSEVELT RECOGNIZES DE GAULLE

General?

Hmm.

General Eisenhower has asked to see you when you arrive.

The Allies will be here soon!

If they don't come, there won't be enough of us.

At Port-Royal, the Germans arrived

before they had time to finish.

- Inside, children. - Why?

It's dangerous, come on! Come.

Welcome to France, General.

Uprising in Paris. They've put up barricades.

- Who gave them the order? - No one.

Spontaneous action.

We have to get there before the Germans massacre them.

Go, go, go!

To the Paris Mint, with us!

Positions!

Hurry up.

Unload the bags, block the main entrance.

Gentlemen,

the Council orders us to retake control of the Mint,

in the name of our sovereignty.

We need you.

It's the Mint of France.

Thank you.

All right, it won't be much longer.

Get ready for what's next.

Dronne, Porte d'Italie. Received.

Strauss, go around by the north and come in through Asnières.

- Yes. - I'll take Porte d'Orléans.

General,

the supply column has been attacked.

Three fuel trucks were burned.

Get me the Allied commander!

Cherbourg: 6.

One, two, three, four, five, six.

- Angoulême: 4. - One, two, three, four.

Lisieux: 8.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...

8,000 francs, General.

Where are you going?

Things are heating up at City Hall, I'm going as backup.

Come on, come on!

Shit.

Oh shit, shit, shit.

Talking in German

Come on, hurry up.

Paul, speed up.

Faster!

General.

General Gerow here, go ahead.

This is General Leclerc.

Resuming our advance on Paris. Urgently need fuel.

Negative, General. Third Army will head north.

You'll go on reconnaissance with First Army

and be under its command.

But the plan is to go to Paris!

I repeat:

the plan has changed.

General Leclerc...

Do you read me?

General Leclerc...

Please.

General de Gaulle.

General.

General Eisenhower,

there is an uprising in Paris at this very moment.

Paris is too dangerous, I won't risk it.

Then let's send the Leclerc Division alone.

It takes more than one division to take Paris. Impossible.

If we don't step in, it will be a bloodbath.

We will never forgive ourselves.

I'm sorry, General.

I have my orders.

Save your fuel.

Or give it to the others!

General, my Spaniards and I have enough

to get to Paris.

What's the first duty of Force L?

Dronne, take all your men.

Go whichever way you want. Charge!

Let's go!

¡VAMOS! ¡VAMOS!

Tell the Parisians to hold on! We'll be there tomorrow.

General, Leclerc has sent

a company to Paris.

He has disregarded our instructions.

This is unacceptable!

I intend to redeploy his division

and relieve him of his command.

He's only doing

his duty to his country, General.

General...

This is a direct order to Leclerc.

Give his entire division

everything it needs to reach Paris.

Yes, sir.

Paul!

- You OK? - No!

He's bleeding out. We have to get him out of here!

Try to cover us! We'll catch up with you.

Here! There's almost nothing left.

Surrender!

Let it be known that we are undefeated, we, the Free French.

We don't submit, we don't retreat.

Our children will have nothing to reproach us for.

Talking in German

Here come the reinforcements, make room!

They're at the end of the street!

The Germans are straight ahead, 300 meters!

A section over there, 300 meters. Be ready.

Liberty

¡Libertad!

Bravo! We fought too!

Lille: 4.

One, two...

Hey, General!

Carry on. It'll make kindling for this winter.

General,

it's time to proclaim the restoration of the Republic.

France

has never stopped fighting.

The Republic has never ceased to exist.

Mr. President.

Prime Minister.

We've come a long way

since I received you

alone,

in my office.

That day, you alone decided France's fate.

Well, you are

a better host

than guest.

Prime Minister,

today,

I propose an alliance to you.

To the east and to the west,

two great powers

are going to rule the world,

but our two nations can

guarantee their independence together

if their friendship comes before all else.

Mr. President...

Er...

In politics, as in my strategy,

I prefer to win over the strongest

rather than stand in their way.

I make a point of being involved in every world affair.

I give nothing for nothing.

And I always collect a few dividends for my country.

That's the way of the world.

I see.

Let us carry on.

WHEN I SEE OUR SOLDIERS

PASS MERRILY, BAND AT THEIR HEAD

AH, I SAY, KEEPING STEP:

"FRANCE IS AS FINE AS IN DAYS OF OLD"

AS IN TIMES GONE BY

SOLDIERS, I SEE AGAIN

- For you. - CARNOT CELEBRATING VICTORY

MARCH ON TO GLORY

MY DEAR CHILDREN

COME BACK TRIUMPHANT

Subtitles: Émilie Nicolas

Subtitling: TransPerfect Media France