Original subtitles

Do you like it here in my room?

Yes, there's so much to look at.

You can always come here, Mino, even when I'm away.

You can read, play, learn...

But I'd like it most if you came here to listen to music.

That's Mozart. Beautiful?

He's supposed to have been a child prodigy.

I believe that Mozart was a miracle even as an adult.

Are those the maps of the front?

Yes. They're the work of another artist,

by the name of General Von Delmensingen.

A General who's a artist?

He's a Prussian general...

...who really knows the war.

And who may have found a way...

...to end this war.

Who would win?

Come over here and look.

Von Delmensingen saw...

...that if the mountain tops were all defended, then...

...we could simply break through into the valleys,

where almost no resistance would be expected.

You mean, an attack on the Italian positions in a valley?

Yes, a big offensive.

The troops will attack Telm and Tormino,

and in the centre, the Italian front will be broken.

And then?

It will be the end of the war.

Then we'd have lost the war.

The end of the war.

And when will this happen?

Soon.

Are you angry with me?

Yes.

Because I'm an Austrian.

Yes.

You're still a child.

Excuse me.

Hello, Mino.

Papa. I must speak to you.

What is it? Has something happened?

Uncle Karl told me...

...that the Austrians are preparing a big offensive.

They're going to attack Telm and Tolmino,

to break through the centre of the Italian front.

Are you listening to me?

Yes, yes. I'm listening to you.

We must do something!

We must get a message quickly to the front.

If the attack succeeds, Italy must ask for a ceasefire.

Perhaps that would be good.

But then we'll have lost the war!

Yes, but then everything would be over.

The men can go back home.

And everyone who fell in the field, like my friend Rico?

What will have been the point of it?

None.

None of them wanted to die a hero's death.

With them, the old world died,

and what's coming will be no better.

I don't understand what you're saying.

I only know that on the front are Lupo,

...Giuseppe, and all my other friends.

- Forgive me, I must go. - Papa!

Come here.

Extraordinary that I should take you on my knee.

I must get used to you growing up.

- I thought I'd lost you. - I'm here.

How can I send you into this hell?

This time we'll go together.

Listen.

You were alone for too long.

And I've forgotten how to be a father.

A father should say to his son:

"You stay here. You're still a child."

"I will go."

But I can't be that father.

Captain Rasi!

We'll see each other tomorrow.

Plezzo.

Tolmino.

I'll take it with me.

"Dear Papa,"

"Perhaps you're right."

"We were separated for too long,"

"and I've changed."

"And you've changed, too."

"I've experienced many awful things,"

"but also many beautiful things."

"If I think about Bloz,"

"who overcame his great fear,"

"and who had a good heart."

"Or about Cirasola,"

"who was so good with the mules,"

"and Captain Balestra, who was so funny,"

"and Lupo, and Rico."

"None of them wanted the war."

"They had homes, too, like you and me."

"Wives, mothers, children, and many cares."

"But they were drawn into the war,"

"and sometimes gave their lives."

"Papa, I can't wait for peace, either,"

"when we're all back together again."

"But now, everyone must do his duty."

"I'm trying to get through to our side,"

"Forgive me, but I must do this."

"Mino."

Please wait. Why don't you let Karl look for him?

He'll look for him, and he'll find him.

You read Mino's letter. He's no longer a child. It was his decision.

What's happening to us?

But why has Mino run away? Why won't you come to the villa?

I want to be with my comrades.

You must understand that.

But I don't want to understand!

And I don't understand, either.

What are you trying to prove by staying in the camp?

I went through everything with my men on the front.

And everything here, too.

I must go now, Freda. I must get back to my work.

- What do you see? - There was something there.

- There! Again! - I don't see anything.

- It must have been a stone falling. - Must have been.

I don't think the spaghetti-heads are up to anything.

Yes, but I'm sure I heard something.

There! There it is again!

- It's moving! - What is?

The tree trunk! To the right!

What are we firing at?

Help!

Plezzo, Tolmino, Caporetto. Those are the places I remember.

The surprise is the assault on the valley towns...

What did you say the name of this Austrian officer was?

Stolz. Count Karl von Stolz. He's on the general staff.

- You don't believe me. - Whether I believe you is irrelevant.

Only that the general will not believe you.

What makes you think that?

You're not the first to bring us this news.

Four days ago an Austrian officer came over with a deployment plan.

We know everything.

The number of men...

...the focus of the attack.

The duration of the artillery barrage.

All we're missing is the date.

And three days ago another two officers said the same.

According to your information...

...the assault begins this morning at six o'clock.

That means in five hours' time.

Assuming it's true.

Of course it's true!

What do you mean, "of course"?

Headquarters believes it's a trap.

A tactical deception.

But... But that's impossible!

Count Stolz had no reason to trick me!

He wouldn't imagine that I'd leave...

...to come and tell you about it.

Take me to General Angeli.

How do you know General Angeli?

I helped him once. Believe me.

Take me to the General!

- Saluzo! - Yes, sir?

- Has Cantatore left yet? - No, not yet.

- Tell him to wait. - Yes, sir.

If you're making a fool of me...

...I'll lock you up.

Then you'll regret it!

If you're right...

...then it's all too late, anyway.

When will we be in Cividale?

No idea. On these roads, some time in the early morning.

I thought...

...we'd go faster.

If you want to go faster,

you must ask for the Cantatore Method.

What's the Cantatore Method?

My name is Cantatore.

And the method that bears my name...

...requires some short cuts.

Do you know the short cuts?

Like the back of my hand.

And they'll be quicker?

For sure ! Hold on tight. We'll be going over hill and dale.

I'm a student of Vincenzo Lancia!

No need to be afraid.

Do you mean the motor racing driver?

He won the first big prize in Italy.

115 km per hour!

All right, hold tight!

- So this is the Cantatore Method! - Correct. Have no fear.

I want to be there early, too.

Wait. There!

That's Ettore, when he was 10 days old.

Like an old man, eh?

Newborns always look a bit like old men!

True. But now he's eight months old and getting started.

And looks a bit better!

Who knows?

I only know him from that photograph.

I've never seen him.

Poor Ettore!

But this time I want to see him.

Whatever it costs.

- Hey, you! Where are you going? - To Cividale.

Turn around. We have badly wounded who we're taking to Fordinone.

- But I have to go to Cividale! - No one can get in there now.

I must get to General Angeli.

General Angeli's gone to Treviso. The roads are blocked. Turn round!

Excuse me, Lieutenant.

Lieutenant, listen.

My wife and child are on the other side of Troiament, two kilometres away.

- Can't you help me? - You'll have to drive on.

- I have to get to my wife and my son! - Impossible! You can't get through.

- Let me try! - You'll do what I say!

Forwards!

We can't go any further.

Damn it!

What are you doing? Stop!

- Get out of the way! - Stop!

Clear the road!

Where are you going?

The Austrians are that way! Can't you see reason?

Forgive me, Lieutenant.

It seems to be my fate that I won't get to see Ettore.

He'll think I wasn't a good father.

I'm sure you'll see him soon.

And he'll be proud to have a father who can race at 100 km per hour.

He'll realise straight away that I'm only a car mechanic.

What do you mean, a car mechanic?

Didn't you notice?

We nearly turned over twice.

I was asleep.

Ah, but I really do know Vincenzo Lancia!

Yes! I repaired his racing car.

But you're the inventor of the Cantatore Method.

When the war's over, I'll patent it!

And that boy?

What about the boy?

We need you more than the boy.

Yes, but...

Urgent. Eight kilometres towards Lazarette, after the second junction.

You heard. I'm sorry.

And where are you going after that?

Wherever I'm sent.

It's been like that for two years.

A kind of cycle.

With the first trip I take the men to the front.

With the second, I bring their food,

so they have something to eat.

With the third I bring ammunition,

so they can fight.

And in the evening, on the last trip,

I bring the dead and wounded back with me.

My truck carries life and death.

You could say the wheels of my truck turn like the wheel of life.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, racing driver.

Let him walk for a bit. Then you can take a rest.

No, no. He's not heavy.

I really don't know how to thank you.

Young friend, you need some fuel if you want to get there.

Thank you!

Where are you going?

Can I offer you a drink, too, signora?

Have you seen my son Ronaldo?

Excuse me. Could I have a glass of water?

You must wait a minute.

What is it?

What do you want, boy?

But aren't you Lieutenant Rossi?

And who are you?

I'm Mino. Don't you remember me?

The spy, Bassano! The chemist and the officer!

Ssh! Keep your voice down!

Yes, now I remember!

That was good work. You did it well, you and that girl.

- Er, what was her name? - Nena!

That's right, Nena.

Are you alone?

Yes.

Have you no... family?

Mama's in a mental hospital and Papa's a prisoner-of-war near Klagenfort.

And why are you here?

- I'm on the way to my father. - To Klagenfort?

I believe the Austrians will be here soon.

Perhaps I can go on a truck, but otherwise I'll go on foot.

Here's the water. I've added a little wine, is that all right?

Heaven has sent us this boy.

Yes, you could say that.

We could make good use of him.

Listen, Mino.

You can join us.

Let's go outside.

We'll talk about it there.

I'll wait for you downstairs.

The house of an academic.

He belonged to the liberation movement.

He had to leave very quickly.

Listen, Mino. Do you want to help us?

You could be our messenger.

What must I do?

You take over Forlan's task. His cover's as good as blown,

so he must stay in hiding.

And what is my task?

This is something philosophical.

"The World as Will and Representation".

It's by a certain Arthur Schopenhauer.

I'll give you a key to this house.

You come here every evening, look in the book,

and you'll find a note with numbers inside it.

- With numbers? - It's an enciphered text.

You take it, and bring it to Forlan. He'll be hiding nearby,

at the Roveto farm. That's all.

But, actually, I wanted to go to my father.

We lost a battle today.

But we'll halt the Austrians at the Piave.

And the messages that, thanks to your help, are received...

...will contribute to that.

And who writes this note?

It's better that you don't know.

You do understand, don't you?

What you don't know, you can't give away.

I'll do it.

So, everything's arranged.

I've told him you're my son.

Your mother is dead and I can't take you with me.

I've given him some money, but you might give him a hand with the work.

Take that.

Listen, the two names. Can you still remember them?

Schopenhauer and Roveto.

Bravo.

And if I get caught?

Don't get yourself caught.

- Do you want to see where you're sleeping? - Just coming!

Right, then. Bye!

Bye, Papa.

Bye! And come back soon, Papa!

They've blown the bridges over the Piave.

Now Italy is over there.

And now we'll have a nice sleep, yes?

Don't cry!

- Do babies dream, too? - But of course.

Perhaps he dreams of you. Or his father.

His father is at the front, and he'll have forgotten him.

Have you been married long?

- I'm not married. - What? Not?

He left before I realised I was pregnant.

When he comes back, will he marry you?

Perhaps. When he comes back.

My father took it badly, that I had a child out of wedlock.

Is that why you had to cut your hair off?

Oh, no! That was because of lice.

But I'm not sorry. It's nice to have a child.

Even when you're not married.

Good boy!

For the throat and the heart...

...we drink this glorious bottle of home-made wine!

I'm Jaroslav Vavra.

From the 1st Forage and Acquisition Department.

And this is my friend Delkin.

Pleased to meet you.

My name's Naïde.

- And what's your name? - Mino.

Good, Mino. To the love of Art!

Excuse me, I'm being called.

You know, he reminds me a little of my Paul.

Are you starting again?

He'll be two kilos heavier by now.

And he's grown, too. Just a moment...

...a whole 3 centimetres.

Have a look !

No, I've already seen the photo.

Yes, 18 months...

But it looks like we won't be out of here so fast.

I've put everything usable in the hallway.

Good. Then let's have a look at house number 5.

Oh, it's you!

When you've nothing better to do, you traipse around abandonded houses...

... looking for something to steal, huh?

I thought you were a good boy.

No?

I'm not stealing.

I've got the key. See?

The owner gave it to me himself,

so that I can come in and check that everything's in order.

At this hour?

In the daytime, I work, so I can't come then.

I startled you, huh?

And you startled me when I heard you arrive.

Then we're quits.

And how did you get in?

I'm from the requisition detachment.

I can get in everywhere.

Are you going to requisition this house?

Uh-uh. Not this house.

You know, I'm a book-lover.

It would be a shame to damage this beautiful library.

There are fools throwing books in the oven as fuel.

It would have hurt the owner to leave these books behind.

I would have understood him.

I would have got along with him.

He must have been an academic, huh?

Yes, he's an academic.

A friend of your father's?

Here!

Goethe. Dante. Balzac.

Stendhal. Heinrich Heine!

Schopenhauer!

Do you know what Schopenhauer once said?

"If a god really made this world, then I do not want to be that god."

"The misery of the world will break the heart."

- Very cynical, eh? - I don't know.

Yes, very cynical.

Reads Schopenhauer and has to worry about the household costs!

That's how we thinkers are.

What's the matter?

I'm just tired.

You know, I think I'll make this house my place of refuge.

It's better than the inn, isn't it?

Yes, yes. Certainly.

I used to read at the front.

Before the assault and after the assault.

And what did your comrades say about that?

They laughed at me.

They said: "You can't read at the front. This is Hell."

Yes. And how could you?

I just did it. Precisely because it was hell.

Come, let's go.

- Don't forget to put the candles out. - Yes, I'll do them.

Do you understand what's in the note?

It's the deployment of a German and Austrian combat and supply unit...

...in this zone of the front.

We can tell from this where they plan to cross the Piave.

Is it in there when that will be?

If we knew everything, the war would be child's play.

Hold him tight!

Do a good job! This time we want to outwit them!

- Can I let him go? - Let him go!

Fly!

Yes, you're a dear little rabbit!

- Why are you running away? - Let me go!

Right! And now you can bow to the young lady and apologise!

Ah! I'm ... sorry.

- Signora! - Signora.

And now get out of here!

What was happening?

Nothing. He was just stopping Naïde from working.

I just reminded him that he has a date.

Isn't Vavra here?

He's feeling sad. When he's sad, he sits in a tree and reads.

By the river.

Why's he feeling sad?

We're all sad, Mino.

At dawn tomorrow we leave.

Ah, Mino!

I heard that you're leaving.

And I wanted to say goodbye to you.

Thank you.

Yes, the war isn't over yet.

Now it seems to be really happening.

- That means in four days. - On June 15th.

Do you know what happened on June 15th a hundred years ago?

Do you remember that book we found in the abandoned house?

That's when it was published. Arthur Schopenhauer:

"The World as Will and Representation".

And what will happen on this June 15th?

All children are inquisitive.

All Italians are inquisitive.

As for Italian children...

Sorry. I was only asking!

Ah, Mino! You can't fool me. I know what you're thinking.

You think that will be the day we defeat you. Right?

You've guessed right.

Mino...

We're friends and must be enemies.

We are friends, aren't we?

Yes, of course. We're friends.

You know, he was quite right, that Heinrich Heine.

He said: "Life is nothing but a single contradiction."

"You can only laugh."

Vavra, why are German writers always sad?

I don't know.

Perhaps because the sky isn't as blue in Germany.

The sun doesn't shine as warmly.

We've had a fine summer this year.

Forlan!

- Mino! What is it! - I know it!

What? What are you talking about?

- The date! I know the date! - Come in. Quick!

That isn't the Austrians. That's our artillery!

What do you know about it?

I just know. Today's the 14th, isn't it?

The 14th, yes.

And tomorrow's the 15th.

Bravo! How clever of you!

Today's the 14th and tomorrow's the 15th.

That's when "The World as Will and Representation" was published, a hundred years ago.

- Mino! - Oh, you're awake!

I was passing and I heard a little cry.

So I calmed him.

That was sweet of you.

I was so tired that I fell asleep.

And why aren't you sleeping? Are you still wide awake?

I don't need sleep.

At your age, you need a lot of sleep.

I'm not as young as you think. I'm nearly grown up.

- Yes, I noticed. - What does that mean?

Oh, nothing.

But you were looking at me.

Yes, yes. I was looking at you.

I don't know why. I...

- Have you ever kissed a girl? - What?

Not here. I mean here.

You don't do it like that.

Was that nice?

Now go and sleep.

Vavra!

Vavra!

Water...

Where is Delkin?

He's lying under there.

He was so large and heavy.

Much too large and heavy for the war.

He was one of the first to fall.

Behold!

It was hell.

For four days we attacked.

We got as far as the right bank of the river.

Then they started firing.

The attack broke down. They repulsed us.

Then we had to cross the Piave again.

The pontoon capsized,

the bridge collapsed.

The barrage never stopped for one moment.

The Piave was swimming with corpses.

Dante couldn't have described Hell any better.

It was a complete disaster.

20 hours before our attack, your artillery started firing.

As if they knew about it!

Are you happy now, Mino?

We lost. You won.

I can't be happy at so many dead.

I'm tired.

I must sleep now.

Just sleep...

Come into the house. I'll help you.