Original subtitles

THE SEA WALL

CAMBODIA, FRENCH INDOCHINA. 1931. REGION OF REAM.

Ma'am.

Salty water...

It's just salt!

The soil smells of sulphur.

It's wasted now.

It's wasted.

How they must be laughing now.

Bloody bureaucrats! What a fool I've been.

They're just leeches.

How could they do this to me?

It's a disaster.

It's a disaster.

Move on!

Good boy.

Jesus Christ!

Joseph, stop it!

He's tired.

Stop it! Leave him alone!

I can't take it any more.

Your horse is dying. He's shaking all over.

No. He's old and he's hot.

Let him be, or else he won't budge.

Get a move on, now.

There you go!

A'chan, give the horse some grass.

Eat, Little Flower.

Eat.

Come on, eat.

Eat, for Christ's sake!

There you are.

We've been looking for you everywhere.

I was with Agosti.

No need to make a fuss about it.

The sea walls were breached last night.

The sea flooded the rice fields. The harvest is wasted.

One day, I'll leave this place.

Me too.

When you're both gone, I'll be able to die in peace.

Stop talking nonsense.

Don't forget your quinine.

- You're not eating? - I'm not hungry.

But you should be eating at your age.

Don't you care if I eat or not?

200 francs for this half-dead animal...

I told you not to buy it.

This horse is tired of living.

He's just like me. It's obvious.

Let him die in peace.

If you leave, I won't blame you.

I don't care what you think.

I'm letting you know anyway.

He's suffocating. It's worse than before.

He's dying.

Shit.

Joseph, don't do this.

Don't you do this!

Joseph, not tonight.

Don't forget to take your meds.

It's getting tiresome, really.

The doctor told you to take these pills.

Leave me alone!

Joseph, don't go tonight.

I'm going and you won't stop me.

Take me with you.

I'm not taking a woman hunting at night.

You're not going!

If you keep yelling, I won't be back tomorrow.

If I have a fit, you'll be to blame.

If I die, you'll be blamed for my death.

Corporal?

I'm over here. I'm ready.

Hurry up, now. We're on our way.

You'll inform the villagers tomorrow. They can keep the horse meat.

It's scary.

Go and stretch the skin.

What will he do with the skin?

I have no idea.

It frightens me.

It gives me the creeps.

There's blood dripping.

Give me a cigarette.

I ran out of them.

Move over.

What do you keep writing about? Stop dreaming!

It's none of your business.

Won't you come and have a swim in the river?

Not now. I'm busy.

This animal of yours stinks.

I need some air! Do you understand me, Suzanne?

Too bad. I'll go on my own, then.

You destroyed my rice. You're trapped now.

It's holding together fine.

Don't fall off! Stay with us!

He's got a handle. I made it with a piece of rope.

You tied a handle for him?

- The door is flying open! - Can't believe it!

It's gorgeous.

24 horsepower!

Must be damn fast.

- Hello. - Hello.

You poor things. This flood has been a hard blow.

Blame it on bad luck.

Mum couldn't have known when she got the plot.

How will you manage without the harvest?

You still have to eat.

You don't say, Bart!

Give us a drink, will you?

- Do you have a table? - Yes, over there.

Thanks.

Everything okay?

Tell me, Ago.

Do you know who owns that fucking car?

Joseph, please stop saying fuck.

Guess.

No kidding?

Fucking car!

As for the rest, he's just a coolie.

You should see your face.

Come on, guys. This is my round.

- Get your mind off things. - That's nice, Carmen.

What's that Chinaman doing here?

He's buying land.

His father's a big rubber-plantation owner up north.

Bart says this rich banana is his father's only heir.

Yellow on the outside, white on the inside.

Have you seen his diamond ring?

Put on a friendly face for once!

Madam.

May I dance with your daughter?

Yes, by all means.

Go and have fun, Suzanne.

You're a good dancer.

You're beautiful.

Very beautiful.

How much is your fancy car?

This one cost me 50,000 francs.

It's a special make.

I had it shipped from Lyons.

But you know, money can't buy happiness.

I don't know.

I have the feeling money would help us be happy.

You're so young.

You can't know.

Mr Bideau...

I'm sorry to bother you, Mrs Bideau.

The tides have...

I know, but our bank can do nothing.

Can't you help me out?

Get the proper paperwork, or else you'll get nothing from my bank.

Goodbye, Madam. Let's go, now.

What do you want?

Good morning, Madam.

To remind you

that if the entire plot isn't under cultivation after a year,

the Land Registry may repossess it.

Are you threatening me?

I'm ruined because of you.

You knew that my plot got flooded by the December tides.

You knew it, but you said nothing.

Our government wouldn't allot land unfit for cultivation.

We don't control nature...

Don't take me for a fool. I know you split up my money.

I'm ashamed to be French!

Madam,

mind your words. Are you accusing us of bribery?

Of course, it's bribery!

5,000... 8,000... 10,000 to get a cultivable plot of land.

How much does it cost?

Now, beat it!

Hold your son back!

Hold him back or else we won't help you out!

I'll stop at nothing until you give me another year.

I'll fight! I'll go and see the governor himself!

Bloody Land Registry!

Yes?

- Are you all right? - Yes, I'm fine.

Don't worry.

I should have thought about it.

We should have used stakes, logs,

anything hard enough to hold back the bloody mud.

Help me. My son is ill.

Your son is ill?

He has a fever. Help me.

He has dengue fever.

You have to give him a lot to drink.

Together, we can reclaim hundreds of acres from the plain.

But you'll have to help me rebuild the sea walls with logs.

Madam said

that if we help each other,

we may reclaim hundreds of acres of land from the Prey Nop Plain.

Let's help her build a sea wall.

We'll use wood logs to fortify it.

From the time of our ancestors,

the sea has flooded our fields every year.

Sea walls won't ever hold back the sea.

See?

The wall holds out with the logs.

When a child dies,

those bastards from the Registry enjoy it.

The more children die, the fewer people will live here.

And the men from the Registry will grab your land.

If they hound you for more taxes, threaten to cut their heads off.

Those bastards from the Registry are unfair.

They take taxes from our land and from Madam's rice field too.

We've always worked on this land.

We won't let those damned agents starve our children.

This land will remain ours.

This is all we have to feed our children on.

Why steal it from us?

We work hard to clear this land.

We won't give it away.

Corporal, you have to bind them tighter.

Then we'll secure the crosspieces.

When you're through, we'll add the buttresses.

Hurry!

Hello, ma'am.

500 logs, all in all.

Here's a down payment.

There you go.

It's too little. I won't be able to deliver the other 200 logs.

Impossible, ma'am!

Listen, Mr Khing. You'll get your money, right?

500 logs for 80 piastres?

Hello.

Shall I drive you home?

Okay, fine.

Hello, Joseph.

You could be polite and say hello.

Mind your manners.

Give me a break! I have a toothache. My teeth are rotten.

Mr Jo...

Come and have a swim.

Come on, it'll do you the world of good.

Go and join her.

I'll send you to the dentist when I have money.

Why don't you come and have a swim?

I'm not allowed to swim.

That doesn't tell me why.

Where are you going?

I'm getting cigarettes.

It can wait.

Chinks get all the attention here.

Shut up!

I'll be with the corporal.

Natives have no business being with white women.

Suzanne?

Let me see you naked. Forjust a second.

No.

Suzanne...

You got me all worked up...

I beg you... I'm mad about you.

I won't touch you.

No.

I'll get you a gramophone. The latest model.

Suzanne, please?

You're trash.

My brother is right.

You're just trash.

Now, go away!

Dear Mr Resident General,

as you know, my request is very simple.

I'd like to be granted permanent use of the 12 acres of land

by the sea surrounding my bungalow.

Let me remind you that I am the widow of a decent civil servant

who left me with two children,

today aged 19 and 16,

and that it's precisely for them that I need this plot of land.

I have a heavy duty

and I wouldn't worry about their future so much

if you granted me this plot of land.

I've already put in my savings and made a lot of sacrifices.

I'd therefore be ruined if I wasn't granted my request.

This is your gramophone.

Come on, open it.

No.

Joseph, come and have a look!

- What? - Come and have a look!

You're awesome!

You're only attracted to men like your brother.

And I always will be!

Slightly wild men, and very handsome too,

like my brother.

Don't make such a face!

Suzanne!

I don't know what's happening to me.

I've never felt like this about anyone before.

How do I look naked?

Beautiful

and desirable.

I'm only 16.

I will become even more beautiful.

You will.

Here's Joseph.

You mustn't tell them anything. Never.

Look.

- What's in it? - You open it!

It's the latest model!

They're all in English, except for Apr�s bien des voyages.

Shall we dance?

Stop it.

Stop it now.

Don't make such a fuss.

Come on...

Come closer.

Turn it off. I can't stand it.

- You're pissing me off! - Get off me!

You'll drive me crazy with this music.

Calm down or we'll be gone!

Your bungalow is wonderful.

Everything seems to grow over here, even on sand.

Dry weather can be terrible. But you have to be patient.

You have green fingers, Corporal. Everything grows with you.

Do you know that pepper is worth more than gold?

One day, you'll definitely be working for me.

Mr Jo.

If I notice something, I'll make you marry her within a week.

I have too much respect for your daughter.

I was her age once, you know.

My brother and I never went to Paris. We've never left here.

Paris!

I loved to walk there at night.

It's a wonderful city, you know.

I'd have stayed there for years

if my father hadn't asked me to come back.

What about women? Are they as pretty as they say?

They're perfect.

Just like you.

I got this varnish specially for you.

Don't you like it?

Mum says a girl's greatest wealth is her purity.

Don't you agree?

This is the colour that suits you best.

A'Chan! A'Sok! Collect the branches.

Ma'am...

Mr Jo is no good.

Like a snake in the forest.

You know, Corporal, Mr Jo is like the others.

They're all opportunists.

They're all self-serving rascals.

It isn't human.

This colony will never experience peace or rest.

Car coming!

Give this to the crazy woman over there!

Ma'am, here's a letter!

"Dear Madam,

"after considering the inconvenience you have suffered lately,

"we are delighted to let you know that we grant you permission to farm

"plots 145, 146, 147 of Prey Nop

"for an additional year."

Listen up!

As this ownership certificate shows,

Mr Khing is now the owner of plots

23,

24, 25, 26 and 27,

where rice is grown,

and of plot 44, where you have your huts.

Mr Khing is willing to let you stay on his land for free.

But in return,

he'd like you to grow more pepper plants for him.

Go ahead, translate this!

These bastards have come to rob us.

We'd rather die here than let you have our land.

Khing! There's a lot of virgin land. Why don't you clear it?

- Why do you want our land? - It is mine.

I have a certificate. Look!

None of you can claim ownership of these plots.

So far, our office has let you farm the land.

Mr Khing now owns the land.

You have no right to this land.

Stop him! Don't let him go away!

Mr Jo!

Help me!

They tried to kill me. They've gone crazy.

Completely crazy!

The most important thing is that you're sound and safe.

No matter what, I want this land for my pepper plants.

And I'll get it.

What will you do now, Mr Jo?

Wait...

The white woman is right.

When you have money, you have all the time in the world.

Corporal!

What's wrong?

Don't stay here, Corporal.

What's the matter?

Get out of here!

Pirom! While you're at it, search the house.

They need to learn our laws

and whatjustice means in this country.

For Christ's sake! They had it coming, didn't they?

Mr Bideau.

Would you please be so kind as to read this letter?

I'm afraid it's impossible.

You still owe interest on your former mortgage...

We all know Madam's plot was flooded by the December tides.