Original subtitles

This is a love song. This is a love film.

And...

But about love for everyone.

Love for a woman, for my wife in the film.

Love for a new family,

that in this film existed 100 years ago in America,

and I'm in an Indian tribe, but it could be today in the gdr,

or Argentina or Chile or in another country, too.

And love...

For an ideal,

for freedom.

For friendship between friends, gojko and me, in the film.

I think this film has a lot of action, a lot of love.

It has a lot of everything, I hope!

I hope that you will like this film.

Thanks for everything. All the best.

Watch out that you don't drop it during the attack.

Blood brothers

screenplay by Dean Reed with Wolfgang ebeling

Actors:

Harmonica Dean Reed

hard rock gojko mitic

Fawn gisela freudenberg

Grey elk toma dimitriu

Directed by Werner w. Wallroth

Come here, everyone, come here! Come here, come here!

If you stand under the flag of the white man,

nothing can happen to you.

Come here! Stay together, you're safe here.

Come on! Hey, hey, hey!

Damn it!

Stop that already!

Honestly, since I joined the damned regiment

I've already seen three fools like you hanged.

Why are you here?

I allegedly sold off army weapons and saddles.

Did you?

Everything okay, fat boy?

Couldn't you have picked another day to throw away the flag?

That was a bit much for you, eh big boy?

A bit much, you say? Murdering women and children!?

Well, the first time...

Forget it.

Somehow I feel sorry for him.

Big Fred and I don't want to play the hero for others either.

Actually, we had planned to scram tonight.

In Montana there's a lot of gold lying around.

It would be more than enough for the three of us.

You don't have to.

But if you think they won't tie a rope around your neck,

with a nice, flattering noose...

Alarm! The redskins!

Of course! They want to get their horses back!

What do you want? It couldn't get any better!

Go on, big guy!

In the year 1864,

chief black kettle was received by President Lincoln in Washington.

He was presented with a star-spangled banner during the official ceremony,

with the promise that no soldier would attack them

as long as the banner flew over their tipis.

After this, he led the Cheyenne to settle down

on the banks of sand creek in Colorado.

Placing complete trust in the word of the great white father,

they did not post guards.

After the massacre, some of the survivors moved northward,

into the region that is now the state of Wyoming.

They could not have known

that the American army would pursue them relentlessly.

In Montana, new gold fields had been discovered

and the United States had, in a breach of contract,

established the Bozeman trail, a route secured with forts

that connected to the north and cut diagonally

through the Indian hunting grounds with the few remaining herds of buffalo.

Damn it, harmonica!

Can't you play something else?

Of course I can!

But my horse likes this best!

It always puts a smile on his face!

I think your horse likes you because you're so scrawny,

so he doesn't have a load like big Fred on his back!

Yeah, I could stand to lose some weight.

If we have to run from the Cheyenne, my horse has his work cut out for him.

Well, big Fred? Maybe we should ask the Cheyenne where the gold is!

That would definitely be a bad idea.

They don't care about gold, those airheads!

I'd like to know why we've left them all this beautiful land!

I can't help thinking there's neither Cheyenne, nor gold on this lousy trek.

You stupid bastard!

Come here, you bugger!

I'll show you!

Stop it, Fred! What are you doing?

Fred!

That's no way to treat a horse! Drop the stick!

I know! You would talk sweetly to him and play him a song.

- But I'm telling you it won't... - As long as we're together,

what you do with the horse concerns me too!

Go to hell!

Stop it, or we'll change your name from flowing water to splashing frog.

Isn't it magnificent here?

We could build a cabin here. We could stay here.

Until the end of our days!

I'm sure you're as tired of looking for gold as I am.

Too bad...

About the beautiful summer.

What's up?

Don't you think so, too?

It's always a one-sided conversation between us.

Damn it!

That means trouble!

Are you crazy?!

Do you have to shoot right off, you moron?!

Don't be stupid! Give me the rope. Quick!

Are you both crazy?! What are you thinking?!

Let the girl go, Fred!

First the idiot shoots the old woman and now the boy!

Does he want to set the whole tribe after us?

I said let her go!

Why do you do that?

The best Indian is a dead Indian.

Now I'm sure the redskins will come after us, you idiot!

Come on, harmonica! Let's scram!

I'm sorry.

I've never hit a woman before.

But I want to save you...

Or at least try to.

Did you know that Indian girls were so beautiful?

We killed a white man and took this one prisoner.

The third one escaped.

We will sit in judgment over you, white man.

He shall die before our tribe!

No, gray elk.

This white man did not shoot your wife and child.

It was he who saved my life.

We must consider what your sister says.

It is important for the life of the white man.

Today he saved her life.

Tomorrow he will take it.

What will it take to understand that the white man is deceitful?

It is my son...

Flowing water...

And my squaw...

Who lost their lives to the white man.

And who will mourn for his squaw tomorrow?

Whose son won't come back tomorrow?

How many white men can you kill?

I saw how many whites there are when I visited

the great white father, their president.

The great white father promised you

that no white man would touch our land.

Yet he allowed them to plunder our hunting grounds

and kill our women and children at sand creek.

He shall not die like a thief or murderer.

You captured him.

You have the right to fight him. Man to man.

What gives him the right? I didn't kill anyone.

I saved someone from death.

Don't you understand?

I have spoken.

When the sun begins its course through the heavens again,

you will run a death race for your lives.

What's that?

Moccasins.

You'll need them tomorrow, and here is something to eat.

I'd rather have a knife.

I wish there were no death race.

I don't want to kill a brother or know why he'd kill me.

I'm not hungry.

My sister brought the white man something to eat?

Yes.

I was just going to send you to him, so no one can say

I caught him and killed him because he was weak with hunger.

You will follow the white man

once he has reached the top of the hill.

Your life is in your own hands.

Run, white man.

Not so fast. You have to drink slowly.

What happened to your brother?

He's alive, like you.

But I don't know if that's good for him.

But why would it be better to be dead?

If he's alive because you didn't kill him,

then you have punished him far worse than if you had killed him.

I don't understand that.

And what happens to me now?

Let me kill the white man, or kill me!

Your battle has been decided.

Both of you shall live.

The white man is free. He may determine his own path.

You could have killed me.

Why didn't you do it?

I've never killed an unarmed man.

You've spared my life.

Is it worth so little that you let me keep it?

That's nonsense.

Nothing is worth more than life.

Why should I take it from you?

You seem to speak honestly,

but with words I don't understand.

Listen to me!

Why should your life be worthless to me?

We have fought with one another, and are still alive.

We should become friends.

The red man does not accept gifts from his enemy.

Can I try?

What is the white man without powder and lead?

I think someone is making fun of us.

Well then.

We'll show her what all we can do.

With... a saddle.

What would the white man be without a saddle?

I want to know if he's ever tried to lasso in a running steer bareback.

Giddy up!

Did I scare you?

I don't think so.

Why do you always watch me?

It's fun.

Especially when I fall off the horse.

So, what's your name?

My name's Jack, and my friends call me harmonica.

Come on up.

It's much too lonesome here for little girls.

I'll take you home, ok?

Harmonica?

Strange name.

Strange? Why?

What's your name, then?

Fawn.

Big eyes would be a better name, since you always look at me.

But Fawn is prettier.

Hey! Do white men always ride in circles?

No.

Only when I'm riding with such a pretty girl.

It makes the ride longer.

So that's how it is.

But then play me something on your strange instrument,

so the ride is shorter for me.

If you like.

Well? Did you like it?

I could get used to it.

What was that?

There must be a bear nearby.

You had better hold on good and tight.

Will you stay with us?

I don't know yet.

Can you teach me how, hard rock?

Hold the bow straight,

fingers like this,

and pull back steadily.

Let it fly!

I think I'm making progress!

A wild animal is not as still as a tree,

but you're probably better with the weapon of the white man.

Very impressive.

But as with so many things the white man does,

I ask myself:

What's it good for?

But maybe I can figure it out. Let me see it again.

Come here, big fellow. Let's be friends.

It takes time to become friends.

I know.

Oh, that was you! Can you show me that trick?

Good! Almost right! You're already almost an Indian.

Someday you'll be able to do our war dance.

Somehow that doesn't look like a Cheyenne war dance.

No, that is the love dance of chief harmonica.

Don't you want to learn the white man's dance?

Maybe...

This one here?

A cowboy loves his girl all weekend.

He rides through the night and the prairie, the prairie!

Miles and miles and days and days separate them,

so he kisses her until Monday in the morning.

The stars they sparkle bright in her pretty eyes,

until in the morning at sunrise.

You...

Never mind.

What did you want to tell me?

It wasn't that important.

But you wanted to say something. What did you want to say?

No, really, nothing.

I forgot what it was.

But how can you forget it?

Maybe I can help you.

Did it have something to do... With food?

No, nothing with food.

Maybe...

Maybe you wanted to tell me something about the weather.

Why specifically about the weather?

Well, then...

Did you want to maybe...

Tell me about your mother or your brothers?

I don't have any brothers, and I've told you about my mother.

I've got it!

Maybe...

You wanted to tell me that...

That you love me.

It tickles.

Fawn...

How should I tell you...

I've never asked a woman to marry me before.

You've never asked anyone, but...

What does that have to do with me?

You already know that. A lot, even.

I'd like to marry you.

I want to... live with you.

And I would like a child from you.

I say yes.

Yes!

Yes.

May I come in?

It's getting colder.

The fall storms will come soon.

Got something on your mind?

I want to stay here with you.

And I want to marry your sister.

And when she's your wife,

what will you do the next time your white brothers attack?

We have to manage to live in peace with the whites.

If I stormed your country and killed your family and livestock

wouldn't you have the right to kill me, too?

- Two wrongs don't make a right! - Maybe it's not better...

For me to avenge my dead brother by killing you.

But no man can live without honor and self-respect.

Otherwise he can't bear to see his own reflection.

Whoever comes into my house and kills mine,

I will kill him.

And that is fair and proper.

But... that's unreasonable.

I asked your chief how many whites you can kill.

With each white you kill, you kill ten of your own.

But you and your friends...

You should live.

Perhaps fate has chosen that we die.

It kills the strongest first and then the weak ones.

The only decision is...

How we want to die.

If you stay with us, then it will become your decision, too.

I will stay with you.

I will marry Fawn.

If you ever leave her

or want to take her with you to the whites...

It will break her heart.

I will never leave her.

And I will never leave you all.

We will prepare for the wedding.

A Cheyenne wedding is a very festive occasion.

First, the groom's friends bring gifts to the girl's father;

since Fawn no longer has one, to me.

The friends? Besides you, I don't have any.

- And I don't own anything. - Then my friends will help you.

People give clothing, blankets, weapons. Horses, too.

One horse is all I have.

If it's a good horse, it's a good gift.

The groom is accepted only once the gifts are received.

What? You've already given me your approval.

And you won't take back what you've helped bring about.

I'm telling you what the custom is.

And the gifts are not for me. They're divided among relatives.

I understand. What happens next?

The bride's friends paint her face for the ceremony.

They dress her in a newly embroidered robe.

They then lead her into the tipi of the groom.

A tipi? Hmm... I was just going to ask...

We'll help you build one. That's a custom, too.

You must decorate it yourself.

You mean, paint it? How?

That's up to you.

Good!

And now?

When your tipi is finished,

then you send your best horse to pick her up.

Hey, wait! I just gave away my only horse.

Then I'll lend you my black stallion.

I lead my sister to your tent,

where she will be received by your relatives.

- But I don't have any... - Let me finish.

She will be carried into your tipi on a blanket.

This is the custom of the Cheyenne.

Fawn will also want you to observe the customs.

I want to observe them, hard rock.

The bride will be painted anew and freshly combed.

This will be done by the women relatives of the groom.

But I don't have any relatives, not here with you.

We will have to help out there, too. Don't forget, harmonica,

though all of this is new to you, it's also new for us.

You're right, hard rock.

When everything is ready, we will go to your tipi

where the ceremony will be held.

You'll exchange brief vows before the chief, and then...

Yes? What then?

Now you are husband and wife.

I know there are two things you love the most:

My sister and this horse.

Your eyes have observed it since you arrived. Today it is yours.

It has never carried a rider.

Its spirit can never be broken,

just as the Cheyenne spirit can never be broken.

But you must convince it to let you ride it.

I thank all of you.

And I want to tell you...

I don't know how I should tell you...

I thank you for your trust.

I will not let you down.

I thank you.

I hope he doesn't hurt himself.

Who? The stallion or harmonica?

So, now untie him, but nice and slow.

Now take off the blinder!

Thanks, you old rascal.

I'l do you a favor sometime, too.

That feels good.

I'd like to break a horse every day.

- Just for this. - For this?

Yeah.

I love you.

Sleep well.

I love you.

Good night, my husband.

If we want to get out of here alive we have to act like

the most peaceful people in the world. Keep your mouth shut.

We found them in the mountains, observing our village.

Did they try to resist?

They didn't have time.

We wouldn't have tried to resist. We come in peace.

Do you think we believe that after all that's happened?

There is a contract between us which allows our free passage.

Yes, I know there is such a contract, but you haven't observed it,

and killed our wives and children at sand creek.

You can trust me.

There is peace between you and the great white father, our president.

You speak of peace because you are our prisoner.

No, we only want to pass freely to the gold fields of Montana. That's all.

Yes, free passage. And then? You'll take our land from us.

There is also a white man among you. You seem to trust him.

Why don't you believe me?

Lieutenant... a red man whose family survived the massacre at sand creek

is supposed to believe that?

That assault was carried out without authorization.

That captain has been discharged.

Here is an army order.

Read it.

It's true.

He's been discharged,

and a government committee is investigating the massacre.

Will the committee bring our wives and children back to life?

How do you feel about it?

I see no reason not to trust the lieutenant.

But think about it, harmonica! They'll come back.

Now they know where we are. Don't trust them.

If we take them prisoner,

there will be more conflict between the white man and the red man.

I think harmonica is right.

You are free to go.

You can tell your white brothers we want to live with them in peace.

Thank you.

That's a useless habit of the white man.

The Cheyenne are more practical.

We just rip all the hairs out. Once and for all.

We'll show you!

Let me go!

What's going on here, my brother?

That's a competition. You have to fill your mouth with water

and hop around without spitting or swallowing it.

Want to bet I can beat my Indian brother at this game?

What do you think?

- Sure, let's see. - Okay. Let's go.

I have to tell you something.

I have to tell you something important!

Harmonica, we're going to have a child!

What did you say?

I'm going to have a baby.

How do you know?

I know.

Hey, can you see?

We have to get closer.

I've had enough, damn it!

That wouldn't have happened with me.

I've seen scouts scalped, too.

Don't worry.

I've already got the brothers in my sights.

Well?

They've set up camp here for the winter.

You just have to wait for them to go hunting.

The tribe won't survive the winter if you burn the camp.

Tomorrow my white Cheyenne will go hunting for the first time for the two of us.

For the three of us.

We need a lot of meat for the winter.

Did the little guy just kick?

Yes! I felt it!

Already?

Sleep now, Fawn.

You need rest.

I love you.

Sleep well.

Good night, harmonica.

There isn't any meat, even here.

The white man has killed most of the buffalo, the others fled.

We'll go hunting again tomorrow. Maybe we'll spot a herd.

Have I already shown you that I can whistle like a bird?

What's so funny? Fawn taught me to do that.

She forgot to tell you that it's our dog whistle!

Very funny.

No!

I have never hated.

Now I hate.

Fawn and my child were murdered.

I will avenge their death.

I will find their murderer.

How will you find him?

Why search for the one murderer?

He shall die.

Fawn was your wife and my sister.

I'm looking for revenge, too.

We must fight together for the survival of our people.

If 1 don't kill him, then I can't live with myself.

Come with us.

I can't.

I can't stay with you.

Then may our gods be with you.

The memory of the days and nights I spent with you

will accompany me, wherever I go.

I have to go bury Fawn now.

I know. You'd like a fire, too.

But the wood is too damp.

We have to get going. Come on.

It's a bit much for you,

and you're hungry, too.

My good boy.

Not one day of rest these weeks, but we have to find him.

We have to find him.

Can I help you, friend?

- Do you have room for my horse? - Room? More than I'd like.

You can have the entire stall to yourself.

Goodness!

That's a damn fine steed you have there.

Give him some oats or hay. We've had a long trip.

As you wish, sir. I'll do it.

A beautiful animal.

Marvelous.

Yes.

The city is almost empty,

since the path to Montana has been cleared of the Cheyenne.

We never dreamed that the army would work so fast.

No one would have thought, damn it.

But I...

It's done me no good,

none at all.

Did you want to go to the gold fields in Montana, too?

Maybe.

I'm looking for a friend.

Land's sake! That necklace!

That's the same necklace bill Simmons wore.

I haven't seen it on him in ages, though.

Yeah, bill is his name. I've been looking for him since bull run.

If he's not at his ranch, then he's at the saloon.

Try there first.

Hopefully you'll recognize him again.

He got some big scars from the last tangle with the Cheyenne.

Listen, mister!

He's got a nice Indian scratch on his face now.

So it was one of you.

Who has the scar? Who?

No.

Not him, either.

Which one is jt?

What can I get you, handsome?

Nothing, thanks.

But you must order something, or you can't sit here!

A whiskey.

Okay.

He has to be here.

Maybe...

The big guy there!

Turn around so I can see your face.

Which one is jt?

Come on, show your faces.

Not you.

Not you, either.

Now you turn around.

Turn around!

- What's wrong with you? - I'm sorry.

Mary!

I'm hom El

I can't.

You can stop.

Don't you see no one else is here?

Closing time!

I hope this is enough for your whiskey, or you'll have to sell your horse, too.

Oh well.

I must be going crazy! It's really you!

Harmonica!

I was worried to death about you.

I thought redskins had massacred you but they just caught you.

They must have really worked you over.

You look terrible.

Did you know they killed Fred?

And me? I only have one arm left.

How long it's been.

It must have been really bad for you lately.

Be quiet!

Listen up!

We have someone great here with us, and none of you recognized him.

This is harmonica. And I'm proud that he's my friend.

The same Cheyenne who took my arm caught and tortured him, for about a year.

- The savages almost killed the poor guy. - He should tell us how he escaped.

That would be interesting.

Come on and tell us how you escaped.

The poor guy.

It was so bad he can't even talk about it.

Let's all have a drink with him.

He should forget how the barbarians tortured him.

To my friend harmonica! Hip hip!

Attention!

Thank you, gentlemen. The photograph has been taken.

You are Jack birch. They call you harmonica.

Yeah, my friends do.

I'm from the Boston spectator. Can I call you harmonica, too?

My friends call me harmonica.

A question: When the savages caught you, what was the worst thing you experienced?

What did he say?

They tortured and tormented him.

He had to lay for days on a bed of nails upside down in a tree.

And did you see any other whites being tortured?

- Answer him! - Long live our harmonica!

And what was it that kept you going?

The belief in civilization?

I wasn't tortured!

And they are not barbarians!

And I don't want to forget.

The only thing that keeps me alive...

Is the memory of those days.

You are the barbarians!

You killed my wife!

And my child.

And... my friends.

Now leave me in peace.

Leave me in peace.

He must've gone crazy.

People!

Come and see who's come to town!

The savages themselves! They're being taken to reservations!

But now they're really tame!

Don't get too close to them!

The big one is dangerous!

The one in the back...

Is some kind of war chief! So be careful!

String them up! Beat them to death!

No! No!

Hands off of my woman!

You damned bastard!

No!

- Something in the woods, Jim? - Didn't hear anything. Maybe a raccoon.

Could've been a deer, too. How'd you like a juicy roast?

Maybe you can catch it.

Something there?

Where are you, Bob?

Help!

From now on we are blood brothers:

My life is your life, and your life is mine.

Our blood has mixed.

I am proud of you.

My heart is happy.

This line is the way to fort Reno,

that goes on to fort kearny.

This is the way they are taking our brothers to the reservation.

Our troops will grow.

And the more we are,

the bigger the liberation mission we can carry out.

We want to protect as many of us as possible

from the dishonor of the reservation.

Are you ready, my brother?

Charge!!

Blood brothers

Subtitles by Timothy dail

©2007 the defa film library university of Massachusetts Amherst