Original subtitles

Don't worry, Daddy. We'll come out of this.

The creditors are already fighting over my corpse.

But I'm here.

I can help you.

Out of luck. It's heads.

So...

Nothing...

No, nothing...

Stop! Stop!

He doesn't know anything.

What's going on?

I don't know where Lantier is.

Lantier again. You're going too far.

It's my job to go too far.

Alzire!

Alzire. Alzire.

Come here. We'll put her over there.

You'll be all right.

Come on, darling.

And before Mr Guichard?

I was valet to the Dumont family in Lens.

A very good family.

And before that others, you have the references.

I would have preferred someone from Paris, but...

Sorry, but no.

Show the man out and compensate him.

Sir.

We'll engage a housekeeper.

Since we'd have to castrate a butler.

He was like my son, you know.

I'll never forgive you.

You're worse than a whore.

Yes, you're right.

But it wasn't his fault.

Spare him, please.

What's the matter with Zazire?

Sir, I have three children. Three children.

- Two sous. - Please.

Two sous, no more.

- My lamp. - The oil lamp.

Three sous for the oil lamp.

- Three sous? - Yeah, three sous, and no negotiation.

Three sous? But it's worth at least 20 times that.

It's worth ten sous.

Go on, ten sous.

The cloth...

What are you doing here, scab?

Stop!

Stop!

- Let go of me! - You traitor!

Leave her alone!

- Are you on the side of traitors now? - She's done nothing to you. Leave her.

- She's sleeping with the enemy. - Yeah, she is...

Stop! We don't fight among ourselves!

If you think it's easy...

OK, it's over...

Thank you.

You mustn't blame them.

They're bad-tempered because they're hungry.

Yes, I know.

Why do you stay with him? He'll do it again, you know.

You must leave him. You must save yourself, my poor Catherine.

Where would I go? On the street?

I don't sleep with one man after another like you.

What do you mean?

That I do it for money?

I'm not a slut.

I sleep with men for pleasure.

You sleep with a man so you don't sleep outside.

Don't turn things upside down.

Sorry. I didn't mean it.

No one can decide for you.

You're the only one who can do it.

The Belgian miners will be here tonight.

Very good.

- And the village? - No problem.

With the army nearby, they'll stay in line.

And those who don't want to go back to work will be thrown out.

That will finally persuade them.

Perfect.

I'll see you at Le Voreux.

Uncle.

You haven't spoken to me for a week...

You will go to the village.

You will tell them the news.

The miners from the Borinage are coming.

Yes, you can get your hands dirty for once.

Then I want you to leave this house.

Quickly.

Go home, Négrel.

No one is going down the mine, Négrel.

Be reasonable, Maheu. You don't want to be homeless in winter.

- Think of your children. - It's blackmail!

If we freeze to death, it'll be your fault. Clear off!

You've sold us out. Look at me!

You made us believe you were with us, but you were with them!

You know what? I'd rather lose my house than my honour.

We'll burn our houses. We won't let foreigners move into them.

You'll see what we do to your Belgians. Bring them here!

This is our home.

Yeah! Shoot!

Go on, shoot if you dare! Shoot!

Huh?

Bring them here!

Can we stop for a bit? My back and my arse are killing me.

No, we're nearly there.

Tonight we'll be in the warm in nice beds.

We've got board and lodgings!

It'll be strange to sleep without my wife.

There's Bébert if you like.

He feels the cold too. He can replace her.

Courage, guys. In a few weeks we'll be able to send for our families.

Lots of guys want to go back to work.

It's over.

You can't blame them.

- So what do we do? - No, it's not over.

We carry on. We said we'd stop them. We won't give up.

Easy for you. My husband is in prison.

I can't not work. I have children to feed.

I'll turn myself in, La Levaque.

It's me they want.

Me in exchange for the prisoners.

You can't do that.

You're our last chance.

Even if you turn yourself in, what's to say they'll keep their word?

Do you trust them?

Then we carry on, to the end.

We haven't made all these sacrifices for nothing.

We'll go to the end because we've nothing to lose.

Yes, they do exist, horses that can talk.

"When his master said, 'Chaud le gouillot',

the horse immediately understood that he had to turn left."

"When his master said, 'Chourni gouillot',

the horse immediately understood that he had to turn right."

"But one day when..."

Halt! Who goes there?

I know I shouldn't be out at this time.

Turn around.

Turn around!

Don't come closer or I'll fire.

I'm not armed.

- I'm not dangerous... - Keep your hands up.

Gently...

Gently.

Move.

- Where are we going? - To check your identity.

Move, go on.

Wait a minute...

Let me explain.

I set some snares.

I just wanted to see if I'd caught something.

- You can't arrest me for that. - The law is the law. Move!

Wait.

If you arrest me, I can't go to work tomorrow. You know that.

- My sergeant will decide, not me. - Yeah.

Listen...

I'm cold. I haven't eaten for three days. I've got to do something.

- Look, even you are cold. - I'm not cold!

You're not cold...

How could you understand what we go through?

You'll go inside and have a nice bowl of soup.

If I wasn't hungry, I wouldn't be here.

You don't know where I'm from.

We're all sons of workers, peasants or miners like you.

We've nothing against you. We just need to eat. That's all.

You're like us, but what if they ask you to shoot at us tomorrow?

What will you do?

What will you do?

Go.

Go.

Daddy...

Daddy...

You're not giving her anything?

It's food she needs.

She has almost no strength.

But won't you give her something?

A syrup.

I'm sorry.

I'm going to get you something.

OK? You trust me?

Be careful.

If I meet a soldier, I'll eat him and keep a buttock for you.

Do you want the left or the right?

Don't go anywhere. Don't play tricks on me.

No messing. No messing.

These conditions are impossible, I tell you!

Look! What's the problem?

You should be happy you've got work.

And you have board and lodgings.

You call this lodgings?

You're not telling me that you lived in palaces in Belgium.

You didn't tell us we were going to break a strike.

We're risking our lives here for you!

You're safe here.

The army is here to protect you.

And as for the lodgings, I'll see what I can do.

We'll find an arrangement.

Now I advise you to regain your strength.

You'll need it. Thank you.

I've missed you.

A week without seeing you is a long time.

Here.

Pinched from the pantry.

Thank you.

I can't stand being shut in here.

My parents are terrified.

They refuse to let me put my nose outside.

The strike is nearly over.

Then I promise we'll go to the shops.

No, bookshops.

Bookshops.

I must play you some music.

I was given it to forget the riots.

What's the matter?

I'd rather we stop.

Why?

Do I dance badly?

No.

But the waltz is danced by two people, not three.

Tell her.

A welcome gift from the Belgians!

Blessed are the poor who are pure in heart,

for they will see God first.

Christ teaches us that death is just a crossing.

The true life is not in this world

but in the next.

We live and die for our creator.

We belong to him, body and soul.

The greatest richness is that in our hearts.

Alzire suffered but in heaven she'll be at peace.

Stop.

Stop with your fairy stories.

You don't believe in it yourself.

How are we supposed to live when we won't see our children grow up?

That's what our life is.

The truth is that if the poor like us, as you say,

were the rich in the next world...

If that were true, you'd eat a bit less and work a bit harder.

Then you'd be sure to have a place in heaven.

Your god doesn't care about people like us.

He's never had pity, or he wouldn't have taken my daughter.

I know the truth anyway.

When you're dead,

you're dead.

That's it.

Very good.

We need to prioritise these stalls.

Thank you.

I'm leaving Philippe.

Pardon?

I want us to go away together immediately.

We'll manage for money.

The important thing is that we're free.

Free to love each other publicly.

Charlotte...

I adore you.

I loved every moment we spent together.

I'm touched by your courage.

But I love Cécile.

And I'm going to marry her.

Cécile is just a flash in the pan.

You don't know her.

You haven't experienced anything with her.

Whereas we...

She'll never match up to me and you know it.

Maybe.

Come in.

If I were an informant, they'd have found you long ago.

We don't agree, but I've nothing against you.

And I know you were sincere.

I'd do it all again if I had to, Rasseneur.

You really haven't understood.

Having a standoff with the bosses leads nowhere.

But you persisted. You sinned out of pride.

If we'd held out longer, we'd have won.

What we needed was money

and food.

Food, right.

You're both so naive.

Capitalism works because everyone is corrupt.

Go on, Étienne, try.

Give money to a worker.

Do you think he'll share it out?

Like hell.

The poor man dreams of one thing only.

Becoming middle-class. Like him.

- What do you mean? - Yes, you.

Basically, you just want to sell your beer, don't you?

Well, I bet that tomorrow you'll be selling it to the Belgians.

Bourgeois.

The only way to change the world

is to start by destroying everything.

You hear?

Destroying everything.

Clear his place setting.

The rat.

Sit there and don't move.

A bottle of genever.

No, stay.

I start work tomorrow in charge of the Belgians. It's cause for celebration.

All right, Catherine?

The Belgians are obedient. They're not scared of work.

Stay, I said!

Yeah, walk away.

What are you looking at?

Drink.

- She doesn't want to. - Shut up!

She's my woman. I do what I like.

Drink.

You've changed your mind? Good. Drink.

Leave them. It had to happen.

Stop!

Stop!

No, stop! Stop!

Look out!

Stop, Chaval.

Don't touch me!

Filthy bitch!

Where are you going?

Montsou.

To his place?

My place.

What are you doing?

I love you.

I know you love me too.

I know.

What does that change?

Chaval will never let me go.

And they're searching for you everywhere.

They'll arrest you in the end.

- We have no future together. - Yes, we do have a future.

- We just have to leave now. - And go where?

Until when? Until you're killed?

It's too late, Étienne. You chose the revolution.

And I chose Chaval.

We can't do anything about it.

Go, please.

I don't want him to find you here.

Go.

Jeanlin, no!

Why did you do it?

He was just a kid. Look.

Look what you did.

He hadn't done anything to you. Why did you do it, Jeanlin?

Wasn't Alzire innocent?

You said it was war, remember?

Well, this is war, this is it.

He only got what he deserved.

What are you doing here?

You think I still want to see your face?

Come here.

I don't need you! You hear me?

He's the one you want, so run and find him.

He and his puppets, you'll all die!

You'll all die!

I made you believe in victory.

Please forgive me.

- I'm leaving. - Don't even think about it.

You're part of the family now.

You're staying.

We lost our little girl.

We're not losing you as well.

With all the shit you've stirred up, you think you can get away like that?

It's over.

It's over.

There's still a chance.

Come with me to see the Belgians. Persuade them to go on strike.

No.

You're the only one who can do it.

You're the only one.

I still believe in you, son.

You can show us the way.

We're not armed. We're not armed.

Stop! Stop!

Calm down, guys! Stop!

Stop! I know him.

He was there when they threw stones at us, but he didn't throw any.

So, calm down.

- What do you want? - To talk.

You mustn't go to the mine.

Whatever happens, you'll be stopped.

No, if you do that, there'll be a fight.

No, no! Quiet! Quiet!

We only came here to work.

Then you're playing the bosses' game.

That's what they want. To turn us against each other.

Please don't do that for them, guys.

Look... We've been starving for months, OK?

We didn't leave everything, our homes and our families,

- to come all this way for nothing. - Not for nothing.

Because you're going to fight with us.

For the rights of all of us.

Look where they've lodged you.

Look around you.

Your lives are worth less than their dogs or horses.

What do you think?

That they'll give you a medal for toeing the line?

Is that it?

But they'll get rid of you.

Just like us.

They'll replace you with workers from ever further away

who are even cheaper.

Just like us.

And they'll say they have no choice.

And then Belgians,

Frenchmen,

we, the working people, will all have lost.

And the bosses will laugh at our corpses because we will have killed each other.

Is that what you want?

- You forget that the army's outside. - They won't fire.

They won't fire because they are the people.

They're our brothers.

And they're hungry, just like us.

Think, guys.

- If you fight with us... - Victory is certain.

We won!

We won!

The Belgians are on strike.

- What's happening? - We've won, La Maheude.

The Belgians are on strike.

Everyone to Le Voreux!

Move your men.

- Move your men! - In formation!

Are you mad? There are women and children.

Don't retreat! Don't retreat!

Fire a warning shot! Above the shoulder! Fire!

Take aim!

No, stop! Stop!

- Stop! - Stop!

Stop!

We're not your enemies.

We're your brothers.

We're your brothers.

We're not even armed.

Look.

Look. We have nothing.

We're your brothers.

We're the people.

We have the same blood.

We whose lamp in the morning

Is relit when the cock crows...

Lower your weapons.

Put your weapons down.

We who with our arms, feet and hands...

Put your weapons down.

Join us.

Without protecting our future

Against the cold and old age

Let's love each other and when we can

Come together to drink in a circle

Whether the cannon is silent or roaring

Let's drink, let's drink

To the independence of the world

The army is with us!

- Victory! Victory! - Yeah!

Yeah! Thank you!

It's a declaration of war. React!

Take aim!

Fire!