All language subtitles for A.Midnight.Clear.1992.1080p.BluRay.DD.2.0.x264-playHD

- No!

No!

No!

No!

No!

I didn't seem them, no.

No-

No, no, I didn't see them.

No-

It's too hot.

It's too...

When I get back, I'm
gonna put it...

- Mother?

Mother's the oldest
in our squad.

He just had his 26th birthday,

and two days later his
baby was born dead.

We call him Mother Wilkins
because he's always houndin'

us for being sloppy, buggin'
us about leavin' things around.

They're a little bent.

You want me to turn you in,
Vance?

Between the stuff you did
and the stuff I make up

I could at least get you to a
psychiatrist in some hospital.

- No.

Couldn't fool anybody.

Wouldn't let me do
all this shit.

Only you were here.

Doesn't really count.

- Well, you sure fooled me,
Mother.

I'll tell you that.

You also broke a squad rule.

- What rule?

- Well, you said shit.

What would Father say?

Father Mundy invented our
squad no obscenity rule.

We wanna make it clear we're
not actually part of this army.

Yes, we have a squad father too.

Mother Wilkins, Father Mundy.

Father Mundy was
gonna be a priest,

but never made it
through the seminary.

The next guard was taken
by Bud Miller,

our mad mechanical
genius and resident wit,

and Stan Shutzer, our
avenging Jewish angel.

There's supposed to be 12

in Intelligence and
Reconnaissance squads.

Ours is down to six.

Mel Avakian, our best
remaining soldier

became corporal to our squad

at the same time I
made sergeant.

It wasn't for anything we did.

Except stay alive.

He hasn't sewn on his
stripes either.

Our regimental commander
is Major Griffin.

Griffin was a mortician
in civilian life.

His main passion now seems

to be generating business
for his army counterparts.

It's thanks to Griffin and
his military mortuary skills

that I've made my recent
headlong leap to three stripes.

We lost half our squad,
attempting one

of his map-inspired,
ill-conceived recon patrols.

Let's go!

When I say lost, I mean killed.

Nobody in the army ever admits

that someone on our
side is killed.

They're either lost,
like Christopher Robin,

hit, as in a batter hit by
a pitched ball,

or they get it like in
hide-and-go-seek.

Or maybe they get it as
with an ambiguous joke.

Not one of the six killed

had an army intelligence
score of less than 150.

We gained a few miles
of European real estate

and lost the beginnings

to untold generations
of very bright people.

I think the army considered
this a good deal.

So now we've been moved north

into the Ardennes Forest
to await replacements.

It's become a kind of
frontline halfway house

for straightening
out our nerves.

I'm not sure I can be
straightened out.

I'm scared all the time now.

It's mid December, 1944.

My family name is Knott,
K-N-O-T-T.

My parents named me William.

By the third grade, I
was Will Knott.

I've learned to live with it.

What I wasn't prepared
for were the guys

of the I&R platoon who decided
I was to be known as Won't.

- Let's go, Knott!

Back in Camp Shelby
before we shipped out,

Lieutenant Ware was told

that Intelligence was
doing a lousy job.

He figured if he
filled the squad

with intelligent soldiers
he'd get better Intelligence.

So, he searched the
regimental records

for the soldiers with the
highest scores

on the intelligence test and
requisitioned us as a squad.

Of course, six of us are dead.

So, what's intelligence?

- Jesus Christ, Knott.

Haven't you got them fuckin'
sergeant stripes sewn on yet?

- The supply sergeant
says they're all out.

They're waitin' on a
new shipment.

- Well, get some staff sergeant
stripes and cut 'em down.

- That'd be destruction of
government property, Sir.

- Well, I just hope to hell

that son of a bitch
Griffin doesn't see it.

It's amazing
how much profanity goes

on in the army when
you're tuned to hear it.

- Yeah, at ease, gentlemen.

Well done.

And, Corporal, if we
could I'd like

the water a little
warmer tomorrow.

Give that razor a
fighting chance

up there against the whiskers.

Okay.

Lieutenant Ware, Sergeant Knott.

Gentlemen, I'd like you
to disregard all

the rumors you've been
hearin' around camp lately

because now there's talk

of a imminent all-out
enemy offensive.

Of course, the natural route

for any such offensive
in this sector

would obviously be up
these two roads

and through this pass
in the forest.

With that in mind, three days
ago, I sent out a patrol.

Now, that patrol has not
returned and unfortunately,

they have not reported back.

Accordingly, I've made
the following decisions.

Sergeant Knott, at this
particular clearing

in the forest is a house.

Now, I'd like you to move into

that house with your
reduced squad.

Take yourself two Jeeps
and a week's rations.

And from that house,
you're to report on any

and all enemy activity
within that sector.

Lieutenant Ware, you're
to maintain constant

radio contact with
Sergeant Knott.

Is that clear, gentlemen?

Yes, Sir.

- Sir, is there any evidence

of enemy occupation
at that house?

- Well, now, Sergeant
Knott, that's somethin'

you're just gonna have
to find out, isn't it?

- Right, Sir.

We drive for hours
through the snow.

Mother and I haven't
talked about

our cross-country jaunt
through the woods.

He just acts as if it
never happened.

That's all right.

Just thinkin' about somethin'
like that scares me.

What is it?

What's goin' on, Mother?

- I don't know.

There's somethin' up the road.

- What is it?

- You can't see it from here.

- All right, stay here.

Oh shit!

What is it?

- Miller.

Check it out.

- Why do I always have
to check it out?

Jimmy Brunowski from
Griffin's patrol.

Looks like he finally
found a date.

- I don't get it, Won't.

What's goin' on?

- Those filthy Nazi,
Kraut-headed

motherfucking bastards!

- Give me a hand.

May God have mercy
on your souls.

- I don't see anything.

No smoke, no movement.

- What do you think?

Head on up with the Jeeps?

- Actually, I thought
maybe shoot through an eye.

We head down the road a
ways, circle around the back,

then come down the front of
the road and check for mines.

Is that okay with you?

- Yeah, we'll cover you.

- Great.

If Mel hadn't
gotten trench foot,

he'd sure as hell be
squad leader.

And that's the way it should be.

Or maybe he'd be dead.

I'm not exactly sure
what country we're in.

It could be Belgium, Luxembourg,
France or even Germany.

I don't know what day it is.

I have no watch, so I
don't know what time it is.

I'm not even sure of my name.

The next thing you know,
they'll be making me a general.

Hey!

We find four mattresses
and satin-quilted covers

along with some wine
and cases of sardines.

The I&R platoon or
what's left of it,

will be living in luxury
for a few days.

Wow, sheets and pillows?

I haven't had that since home.

♪ Do do do do do do do ♪

- Hey Mel, come on.

Show 'em how we did it
for the old USO.

USO, huh?

♪ Do do do do do do ♪

♪ They call it the
Jersey Bounce ♪

♪ The rhythm that
really counts ♪

♪ The temperature
always mounts ♪

♪ Whenever they play that
crazy rhythm they play ♪

♪ Hey ♪

♪ It started on Journal Square ♪

♪ Somebody heard it there ♪

♪ They put it right on the air ♪

♪ And now you hear it
everywhere ♪

♪ Uptown ♪

- Back at Camp Shelby
when we finally realized

they really were going
to ship us overseas,

we went into a mild
state of panic.

The thing that bothered
us most was that

with the exception of
Mother Wilkins,

we were all 11 virgins.

I don't know if this was
normal or if there's some sort

of correlation between a
lack of sexual precocity

and what is known as
intelligence.

♪ And whether you're
hep or not ♪

♪ The Jersey Bump'll
make you swing ♪

I think Shutzer came up
with the idea,

or maybe it was Eddie.

Eddie was the youngest
of all of us.

Four of us managed a weekend
pass and headed into town

to find a nice, complacent whore

who could put us out
of our misery.

♪ And now you hear it
everywhere ♪

♪ You hear it uptown ♪

We kept it to four
'cause we figured

any more would be some
kind of gang bang.

And, well, we had more
romantic aspirations.

We had $50.

We spent 10 on the room and left

the rest for the investment.

There was much discussion
as to the kind of woman.

I think we were all
scared that we'd end up

with a real woman and
not be able to manage it.

And the B girls in the
bars were out.

We were well-conditioned
by the army VD films.

Avakian and Shutzer were
to handle the search.

Eddie and I waited.

J Da de dum!

♪ Da de da da de dum ♪

♪ The Jersey Bounce will
make you swing ♪

What time is it?

♪ Da da da dum ♪

- One.

- You're kidding?

- We got company, guys.

- Oh, shit.

I know right then I
won't be able to do it.

I'm glad I'm third.

- So we'd just about
given up when we see

this girl down by the
bus station,

just sittin' there on one
of those wooden benches.

Anyway, we got around to talkin'

about what we'd been doin'
all night and right then,

out of the blue she
just volunteered

to come back here with us.

I thought she was kiddin',
but she's serious.

- Well, I got an extra rubber
you can use if you want, Stan.

- I got my own rubbers.

Jesus, you've gotten as
bad as Mother Wilkins.

Actually, I
could use one.

- I should have known Edwards
was gonna take forever.

What the fuck are they doin'
in there?

- Hey, watch your language,
Stan.

What would Father Mundy think?

- Fuck Father Mundy.

Hey, Eddie, how you doin'
in there, huh?

Maybe she rolled him
or somethin'.

Knockout drops or a blackjack.

Would you at least
say somethin'?

- Her name's Janice.

She was engaged to a
boy named Matt.

She found out last week that he

was killed in the
invasion of Sicily.

She came down to Shelby
to get his stuff

and decided to kill herself.

But she couldn't work
up the nerve.

All she has now is a bus
ticket back home to Pittsburgh.

Janice has only
made love to one boy, Matt,

just before he left.

Now she's volunteering
herself to all

of us insisting it's what
she wants to do.

Of course we're so
guilty and scared

we end up subjecting
this simple,

lovely idea to every kind
of spurious rationale.

We wind down before
dawn and sleep.

Then just before the morning,

Janice comes quietly
privately to each of us.

We pass through the
mythical barrier

between boys and men,
men and death.

Janice takes us with her.

After a luxurious mass
breakfast in bed,

we walk Janice to her bus.

None of us talk about
what happened.

And I think I'll
always feel strange

about my first
sexual experience,

masquerading as a dead
boy named Matt.

- Will.

- Yeah?

- I'll cook lunch if you can get

me some wood for the fireplace.

- No, Mother let's
use the mess stoves.

All we need is a bunch of smoke

to let the Germans
know we're here.

- Will, if we don't
light a fire,

we're gonna freeze
our butts off.

And it's very hard to kill
Germans with a frozen butt.

- All right.
- Okay.

The smoke's bad, but
not as bad as I thought.

- You're takin' a
little long puttin'

that back together, aren't you,
Bud?

- Yeah, I'm not working
for speed right now.

- This wine tastes

like sardines.
- Would it help if we blindfolded you or...?

Well, here.

The sardines taste sort
of like wine, so.

- I sit here trying to
work out four bridge hands.

Miller invented the game,

calling it Compact,
Cardless, Duplicate Bridge.

When we lost half the squad,

we also lost our only
deck of cards.

They were on Eddie.

He died in the field hospital.

With his left arm gone and
his face the way it was,

I don't think he tried
very hard to stay on.

Hi, Bud.

Listen, Mother and Avakian
set up all right down there?

- They seemed fine to me, Will.

- All right, good.

Listen, you have got to be

more careful lighting
cigarettes, all right?

Some German could sneak
up from behind you,

pop one in your head while

you're pretendin' to be
Walt Whitman.

- I think my eyeball's frozen.

- Yeah?

is that you, Will?

- Yeah.

Yeah, what's goin' on?

I don't know,
I think I saw something.

- What'd you see, Mother?

I'm not sure, Will.

I don't know.

I think I saw something move
on the hill across from us.

I--

- Did Avakian see it?

No.

Just me.

- All right, Mother, hang tight.

I'll call up top.

Oh, shit.

Father?
- Yeah?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mother says he saw somethin'
on the opposite hill there.

Did you see anything?

No, nothing.

Wilkins must have
eyes like an owl.

I can't see my hand in
front of my face.

- All right.

Could be he's only jumpy.

Just keep an eye on
their backs, all right?

Okay, Will.

- Hey Bud, relax.

Relax.

Mother's pretty nervous.

It's probably nothin''.

- Probably nothing?

That's real reassuring, Will.

- Well, what do you think?

- I don't know.

- Maybe I should tell them

about Mother's run
through the woods.

The news of his baby being
dead did him in for sure.

Yeah?

Won't, we're hearin'
somethin' down here.

Mother thinks it's the Germans
signalin' back and forth.

- All right, Mel, hold
on, we'll be right down.

Bud.

Bud, wake up.
- What?

- Listen.

Listen, Mel says he's hearin'
some noises, all right?

I want you to call Shutzer,

tell him that I'm goin'
down to the lower post.

Then call Mother and
Avakian back

and remind them not to
shoot me, all right?

Come on Bud, get up.

Go!

- Which, which!

Did you hear any more?

- Not since the last one.

It's closer that
time.

Hey!

Hey!

Americana.

- Easy, Mother.

Easy.
- Americana?

- What do you think?

Maybe they're gone?

- Jesus, I don't know.

Maybe they're just bein' quiet.

- Mel.

Let's you and me go check
out the road, all right?

You go up.

- Hey Will, you go if you want.

I'm fine right here.

If they're gone, they're gone.

If they're not, I'm not
walkin' into an ambush.

Will, put that pin back
in that grenade.

- No, it wasn't
- They do shit like

- I'm tellin' you.
- this all the time.

Yeah, I know,
but that wasn't the case.

How do you know,
how do you know that?

- No.

- Do you think it was
five of 'em?

- I don't know. I'd say...

Yeah, yeah?

What the
hell is going on?

Mel said they were
actually talking to you.

What'd they say?

- I don't know.

I don't know.

First it was, "Hey, Americana.”

Then when they left,
they started

saying somethin' like "Slap
.”

It didn't make any sense.

Shit, that's Yiddish.

It's.

It's sleep well.

- Sleep well?

Yeah, Will.

Sleep well.

Get it?

Holy shit.

These fuckin' Nazis.

They're softening us up
for the kill.

- Will, wake up.

Ware's on the phone.

He doesn't sound real happy.

- Was Mother out there alone?

- Yeah.

- Why?

It's the day.

You don't need to leave two guys

out there during the day.

What's the point?

- I don't know, Bud.

How 'bout the Germans?

- What do you want, Will?

You wanna lose one guy,
two guys?

- No, I'm just really
glad we talked about this.

I'm really glad we could

all work this out.
- Come on!

- Shit.

- It's up to you, Bud.

Bid or pass?

- I pass.

- Able One to Able Four.

Over.

I tell Ware about our nighttime
encounter with the Germans.

Bad idea.

Griffin's desperate
for information

so Ware orders us out to
find their command post.

We decided to head south
down the pass.

It's as good a guess as any,

and that's where their
voices seem to come from.

Of course that could be seen

as a good argument for
heading the other way.

I'm having my usual trouble
noticing how beautiful

the world is just when
I might be leaving it.

- Just this side of the road.

Don't worry.

I'm just enjoying havin' a
fuckin' Nazi in my sights.

I think I'm getting a hard-on.

Pow!

- I know we could've killed

those three guys and
gotten away.

I'm also sure they could've done

the same thing to us last night.

What I don't know in both
cases is why it didn't happen.

Shit, shit!

Fuck!

Oh, here we fuckin' go!

- You're gonna

get us killed here.
- Fuck, we're gonna

end up dead.

Fuckin' dead!
- You got to relax Stan!

- Fuckin' dead!

- Stan, you gotta relax!

You better shut up.
- I told you we should've

fucking killed them!

- You gotta shut up now!
- We should've fucking killed

them when we could!
- Ground yourself!

- Shut up, Stan!

- You're gonna get
us all killed.

You're gonna
- I should've fucking

- get us all killed here.
- killed them when I could've.

- You gotta shut up!

Stan, Stan!
- They're gonna kill us!

You gotta...

Shit!

- Come on!

- Okay, okay!

What happened?

You find any Germans?

- Yeah, we found 'em all right.

And they found us.

Krauts nearly blew
our heads off.

- Oh, shit.

I lost the scope and the map.

- Great.

Injury to insult.

- What happened, Bud?

- What happened?

Germans found us, had
us dead in their sights.

They could've killed all of
us and they just let us go.

That's what happened.

- They had you and then
they let you go?

What are you complainin' about?

You should be happy.

- We should be happy?

Oh, okay, Mundy, we're happy.

We're happy!

Yippee!

Hooray!

You feel better now?

- All right, Stan, come on.

What the hell is that?

- Oh, that's just Mother.

Clompin' around in
the attic again.

It's fine.

Did you find the stuff?

- They must've come back
after we left.

There's all kinda tracks.

They took the scope and the map.

- What'd you do?

Crawl around on your hands
and knees lookin' for it?

- No.

I could see right off
the stuff wasn't there.

I got wet working out

a little surprise for
our Teutonic friends.

- What, a trap?

- I built a snowman.

Right where we
dropped our stuff.

I used pine needles
for a mustache.

And then a branch, like an
arm giving the Nazi salute.

I even put a few pine
branches over one eye.

It's not a bad resemblance.

- Jesus, Stan.

They could've come up
from behind you,

made a few well placed
critical comments

and one more
ventilated whiz kid.

- Even stamped out a message
in front of my snowman.

What?

- F-U-C-K H-I-T-L-E-R.

Made exclamation points
with pine branches.

- Where's Mother?

- He's upstairs in his attic.

- What's he doin' there?

- I have no idea, Will.

Actually, he's been
kinda quiet lately.

Maybe he hung himself, huh,
Father?

- Bud.

- Are you all right, Mother?

- Look at the paintings, Will.

Look.

See?

Somebody cared.

Somebody made something
probably not even for money.

For love.

Sometimes I didn't believe
there was any love left.

Try to remember who the
real enemy is, Will.

- Christ, I thought we
lost both of you up there.

What'd you do, start a family?

- Father, you're on next.

Unless anyone objects Bud,

I think we should go
back to at least

two on the lower post for now.

All right?

It's too weird out
there for one guy alone.

Shit!

What the hell's goin'
on?

- The explosion was me throwin'
a grenade.

They haven't fired back yet.

Can you hear that?

Can you hear that?

We can hear it
without the phone.

What are they yelling about now?

- I think they're
yelling "Fuck Hitler"

the way your
grandmother would say it.

There's this crazy guy
in the cemetery

pretending grenades don't hurt.

Maybe you should send
out some straitjackets.

- Oh, shit!
- Grenade!

Shit.

We're having a snowball fight.

What?

- You don't think maybe
the war's over

and they're not telling us,
do you?

I mean, they wouldn't do that.

You sure you're
okay down there?

] Goddamn it, Shutzer!

You're the one that started
this fuck Hitler shit.

Hey Will, you
got that map?

- Yeah.

- I'll be a son of a bitch.

- What?

- I've been trying to
figure out all

this crazy shit that's
been goin' on

for the past couple of days,

and only one answer makes sense.

Okay.

You remember the frozen American
and Kraut dancin' together?

See, it's like a message.

They wanna get together.

I mean, it's crude,

but you gotta remember
who we're dealin' with.

- So?

- So then they come around with

that bit the first night.

And it's like they're saying
they know that we're here

but they're not so mad about it.

- Yeah.
- Well, listen.

Okay.

Just try and think of one
reason they didn't mow us down,

or at least take us prisoner.

I think they're telling
us that they wanna talk,

maybe even surrender.

- What?

- If I'm right they want
us to meet 'em

in this clearing at 1200 hours.

- Stan, what if it's a trap?

- If they wanted to kill us,

they could've done it a
couple of times by now.

- No, no.

We could've shot them.

We didn't.

That doesn't mean we
wanna surrender.

They could be stalling for
reinforcements.

- With a snowball fight?

- A snowball fight doesn’t
mean surrender.

- Yeah, but look at this.

- I'll mention it to
Ware when I phone him.

- Come on, Won't.
- What?

- We don't wanna get
officers involved in this,

screwin' everything up.

You know, I think we
got a chance

to make somethin' good
come out of this

for everybody if we just
use our heads.

What do you say we just go out

there and see what's goin'' on?

Just the two of us.

Look, I'll take all the risks.

You just stay back and cover--
- I still say

I should call Ware first.

- What do you think Ware
is gonna do then, huh?

- He'll tell Griffin.

- Yeah, and you know
damn well that Griffin

is gonna come charging out
here and arrange everything

so he looks
- Yeah.

- like General Patton winnin'
- Wait, Stan!

- the war single-handed.

- That's the way it is, Stan.

There's nothing we're
gonna do about that.

- Okay.

Okay, suppose we pretend
that one of us captures

all the Germans single-handed,
all alone.

Then we build this guy into
a second Sergeant York.

It's gotta be worth at
least a Silver Star.

Maybe even a trip home
as a returning war hero.

- How's that sound?

- Sounds like a court-martial.

- Yeah, how are they ever
gonna catch on?

You know, for Mother's sake,

I think we should at least try.

For Mother?

- Sure.

Who else?

- Oh, boy, that
would be perfect.

We testify that the
Germans had us pinned down

and Wilkins comes in the nick

of time and saves
the whole show.

And we'd have a genuine
mob of enemy soldiers

to back up our story.

- Yeah, okay.

For right now we don't
tell anybody, okay?

It's just the two of us.

Look, if it doesn't
work at least we tried.

Sneaking out is easy.

Mother's back
upstairs by himself

and Father and
Miller are asleep.

We decide we'll have to
tell Avakian,

who's on guard at
the lower post.

- You're gonna tromp out there,

set up an armistice conference

and turn Wilkins
into a war hero.

What, are you outta
your tiny minds?

- I don't think so, man.

- It all makes sense.

It's a theory.

You're gonna get your butt
shot off for a theory.

- Well, I'm goin'.

- Won't, listen to me.

I'm the one guy here
who knows what--

- Mel, I said I'm goin'.

- Okay, fine.

But even if you do
pull this off,

how are you going to get
Mother to go along with it?

- We tell him?

- No.

No, he's right.

We'll have to draw straws
or something and rig it.

Wilkins will never accept it
if he thinks it's charity.

- Plus, you tell him, he's
gonna wanna tag along.

I don't think you want
Mother facin' any Germans.

- So what do you think, Sarge?

It's then I tell
them about Mother's run

through the forest back
at headquarters.

- I don't think we
should tell him.

Okay, look, when we go to
get the Krauts

we'll leave Wilkins
here to guard

the chateau and mind the radio.

It's all gonna seem
perfectly natural.

- Stan, what makes you so
sure this is gonna work?

What makes you
so sure it's not?

- Okay, fine.

Give two quick shots and one
more if you need any help.

- Then what?

- Then I'll miss you.

Hey, have fun, boys.

Don't get killed.

- Shutzer?

- Yiddish?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Hey, just calm down!

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, okay.

Good.

Just...

They want to talk to
our officer in charge.

- I don't speak
German or Yiddish.

- It's okay, I'll translate.

No, I don't have
stripes on my arm.

They're not gonna believe
I'm an officer.

- I just don't think
they're very happy

about surrendering to a Jew,
okay?

- Did they say they
wanna surrender?

- No, just stuff about wanting

to talk to our
officer in charge.

- What was all the
yelling about?

I'm not sure.

- You're not sure?

- Look!

I'm doing the best I can, okay?

Look, just, just come
over with me.

I'll tell them our officer's
back at the chateau.

Look, you look goy enough.

Maybe they'll come out
more with you around.

Okay?

Come on.

This is, uh,.

My is

in the you know?

Okay, I think I got it.

There's seven of 'em.

They just got sent back
from the Russian front

where it sounds like they got

the shit knocked out of 'em.

He keeps talking about that
big offensive south of here

and he doesn't want
any part of it.

See, they think the
war's almost over

and they don't want to get
killed in the last few days.

I told him we'd bring our
leader here tomorrow at 10 a.m.

- We're gonna bring Ware here?

- Look, just get Mother
out on guard duty

and get the squad together,
all right?

- What are we gonna do
about an officer?

- I don't know about this.

I mean, why can't
Will just do it?

He's the leader for
Christ's sake.

- They've already seen him.

Besides, no Kraut's
ever gonna believe

that a guy like Will
is an officer.

Take a look at him.

- Thank you, thank you.
- All right, fine.

Then let's let Mel just do it.

He's a natural leader type.

- Hey, wait a second here.

I'm not even sure I wanna
be part of this plan.

Besides, I don't look
like an Aryan God.

- What is this?

I mean Father, it's all
stripes and no rocker.

- What's that mean?

- It's somethin' new, Miller.

You're our bastard
sergeant minor.

- Okay, okay just--

- Besides, we don't
have any rockers.

- What if it's like some
kind of capture

the commander scheme the
Krauts have worked out?

You know, put a bullet
in my head or somethin''.

- Hey, look, Bud, why don't
you just try walkin' now?

- Come on, walks like a
soldier there.

- Put a little more
pigheaded asshole

into it and you got it.

- That I can do.

- Okay, come back.
- Chest out, chest out.

- Yeah, that's it!

That'll do just fine.

Just stand there like an
SOB and nod occasionally

and you'll look great.
- You know, you actually do

look like an officer.

- Yeah, well I actually
feel like an asshole.

- Well, that's about
- Hey?

- the same thing.

- Mother gets off post
in five minutes.

- Oh, okay.

Let's not blow his
Christmas present.

- Sure this is a good idea?

- I can't stop worrying.

God, I hope we're doing
the right thing.

Shit!

Yeah?

Won't, listen.

There are five or six of them
down here working like crazy.

They got something
big with them.

Could be a mortar.

I think maybe you
better have somebody

man that upper post to cover us.

- Shit.

Mel, you and Mother go
up to the upper post.

Stan says they're
setting up a mortar.

All right.

Listen, Mother and Avakian
are going to the upper post.

You want me to come down there?

Father?

Yeah, Will.

Get your butt down here.

You of all people
shouldn't miss this.

♪ Bethlehem ♪

- Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Happy New Year.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

- Yeah?

- No.

Yeah.

- No.

Merry Christmas.

♪ Holy night ♪

♪ All is calm ♪

♪ All is bright ♪

♪ Round yon virgin ♪

♪ Mother and child ♪

♪ Holy infant ♪

♪ So tender and mild ♪

Merry Christmas.

♪ Sleep in heavenly peace ♪

Merry Christmas,
Merry Christmas.

♪ Sleep in heavenly peace ♪

♪ O, come ye ♪

♪ O, come ye to Bethlehem ♪

- Hey, Father, they teach
you German in the seminary?

- No.

- What the hell were
you two talking about?

- I just kept saying Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year.

I said it maybe 50 times.

- And what did he say to you?

- Well he said something
that sounded like,

throw me a why not.

And then, when he tried to
hand me his gun he said,

"Why not go shrink."”

is Merry Christmas,

and is Christmas present.

I wonder what the Germans
thought Father was saying.

- What's goin' on?

Couldn't get anybody to
answer the phone.

- Oh, my God.

Mother, I'm sorry.

I forgot all about ya up there.

- I, I heard singing.

Everything okay?

- Yeah.

The Germans just wanted to
spread a little holiday cheer.

Father even did some
present exchanging.

- They gave us sausages, Vance.

- Is that what happened, Will?

Yeah, that's it.

This particular branch
of the German army seems

to believe in turning off the
war every once in a while.

- I don't know if I can
take this kinda war.

I'd rather we kept out of
each other's way

except when we have to fight.

All right,.

Yeah, yeah.

- Oh, shit.

This is.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey Will, come over here.

Okay.

Okay, they do wanna surrender.

As soon as possible.

Today.

They...

He's convinced that
this German push

is comin' through here
any time now.

There's a kicker.

It's a big kicker.

See, the young ones are
scared shitless

that if the Germans
come through here

and it looks like they
surrendered without

a struggle it's gonna be
taken out on their families.

'Cause they say everything
is goin' nuts back home

and they don't want
their parents to get shot

or put in camps because
their sons were cowards.

- Well, do they have
a suggestion?

- Yeah.

They want us to take
'em in a fake skirmish.

- What?

- Just make some noise,
leave some

spent cartridges,
grenade fragments.

- No.

No, absolutely not.

- Will--

- No!

It doesn't make any sense.

- You gotta just calm down.
- I don't wanna do that.

- Now you're gonna blow
the whole operation here.

- It's crazy!
- You guys be quiet!

- Quiet, quiet!
- Maybe--

- Shut up!

- You wanna get us killed?

- No, we're not gonna
do it all right?

And don't tell me to shut up!

- All is good, all is good.

Yeah?

Will, I know it sounds nuts,
I know,

but I think it's the only
way they're gonna go for it.

I think they're just kids.

They're just scared.

They're just scared kids.

Look at 'em.

- I don't know.

You trust these fuckin' Nazis,
Stan?

- What does that mean?

- He said they're not Nazis.

They're just regular
German army.

They're regular army
like we are.

- I say we do it.

- What if it's a trap?

- Well, it's not much of
a trap having us

both come fully armed
to a skirmish.

I mean, at best, it's just
mutual suicide, right?

- What if they're
using the noise

to bring in reinforcements?

- No, no if they
wanted to do that,

they could've done that
the first night.

- He's right, Will, he's right.

Take a look at 'em.

Things must be pretty bad

in the

to have an army of old
men and little boys.

- Okay.

- Okay, what do we do?

- Just give a little nod.

We agree to come
this afternoon,

make a lot of noise with rifles

and grenades and take them in.

Able One to Able Four, over.

Yeah, you got
anything yet?

Over.

- Yes, Sir.

I think we're gonna be able
to take a prisoner, Sir.

We found some tracks.

Our plan is to hit their outpost

around three o'clock
this afternoon.

Over.

Good.

Do it.

I'll come out.

Maybe Griffin too.

We'll bring the prisoner back.

Over.

- No, Sir.

I don't think that's necessary,
Sir.

Tell Major Griffin that
no sense in him taking

the risk coming all the
way out here.

We'll have the Jeeps ready
with the chains

and we'll get that
prisoner to you, Sir, over.

I'll tell him.

- Over and out.

Over and out.

I tell
Mother we're going

out to try for a prisoner.

I tell him if we're not back

in two hours to call
Ware at the base.

He's obviously glad not
to be on the patrol.

We hide Miller's officer
outfit under his snow poncho.

Now what?

Walk down there and
knock on the door?

- Well, here I go.

I'm not sure what to do
so they don't shoot me.

- Try yelling comrade.

- Is that it?

- Well, Stan, you could
wave a white flag.

Then it would look like the
wrong group was surrendering.

- We're right here covering you.

Good luck.

Oh, boy.

We wait.

There's nothin' else to do.

What's going on?

Everything all right?
- Yeah.

He wanted to talk to our
officer, Herr Muller here.

You know, I'm sure it's
because I'm a Jew.

- All right, you
nick-prick Jew-type,

take me to my Aryan friends.

- All right, if they're
really giving up

why are they putting
a guy on post?

Who are they guarding
themselves from?

- Maybe other Germans.

They probably have a Major
Griffin of their own,

or something.

Don't worry.

Come on.

- That's nice.

- Okay, here's how
it's gonna work.

They're gonna wind up
in front of the cabin.

Miller and I are gonna stay

down here with them
as protection.

All right, now, you go on out
with the rest of the squad.

When old Shickelgruber
here and I signal,

we all start firing.

When we signal again,
we all stop.

Then you guys come
down the hill,

we disarm them and we
take 'em in.

All we need is a nod from Miller

and they'll get their
stuff together.

- Bud, dismiss me.

I'll go inform Father and Mel.

- What?

- Dismiss me.

- Will, why don't you get
up on that hill

and go inform Father and Will,
Mel.

- Fire!

Fire!

Fire!

Fire!

Fire!

- Mother!

Hold your fire!

- Go check on
Shutzer and Miller.

Hang in there, Father.

- Will!

- We're gonna get
you wrapped up,

and we're gonna get
you outta here.

Will!

will?

You warm
enough?

- Anybody else hit?

Everybody's fine,
Father.

Are the Germans dead?

Don't worry about
that.

Oh, Will!

You all right?

- God have mercy on
those poor Germans.

God have mercy on us.

Will?

Shh!

- Don't, don't tell Mother.

I won't.

- Don't tell Mother.

I won't.

- Will?

Will?

Don't tell, don't tell Mother.

Promise me.

- Don't...
- I won't.

- Will?

Will?

- is he dead?

- I think so, Vance.

- He ran out to warn me.

Why?

I don't understand.

I had a perfect position.

I don't get it.

- He's stupid, Vance.

He does stupid things.

- What a mess.

Shit!

It looked so easy.

- Looks like our friend here
got a million-dollar wound.

- The one guy who wants
to fight these bastards

and I get the
million-dollar wound?

Isn't it the way?

How's Mundy?

- He's dead.

He died fast.

There was nothin' I could do.

- What a fuck-up.

- Father said don't tell Mother.

That's what we'll do.

We were pinned down
and he saved us.

That's the plan.

Mother tells us why he
came out after us.

Ware and Griffin are
at the chateau,

looking for their prisoner.

Well, we've got one if
he stays alive.

It's hard to look at Father.

I keep waiting for his
eyes to open,

waiting for him to tell me it'll

be all right if I
just have faith.

- Sergeant Knott.

- Yes, Sir?

- Get some men out on post.

The enemy camp may have heard

that skirmish and sent
out a patrol of their own.

- Well, Sir, before the
prisoner went into shock

he told Shutzer that
an enemy attack

was expected through
this sector at any time.

- Well, now, holy shit, soldier!

Just when the fuck were
you gonna tell us that?

I thought this was an I&R
platoon for Christ's sake!

Lieutenant, get me Regiment
on the horn immediately.

Whiz kids, my ass!

- Able One to Able Four, over.

Able One to Able Four, over.

Corporal Leary here, over.

- Son, this is Major Griffin.

You take down this
message and get it

to Regimental Command on
the double quick, over.

Wilco, Sir.

Over.

- Have contacted enemy and
taken prisoner.

Have suffered casualties.

One dead, one wounded.

Have destroyed enemy outpost.

Prisoner claims
impending enemy attack

through this sector
at any moment.

Repeating.

Prisoner claims
impending enemy attack

through this sector
at any moment.

Am leaving immediately with
prisoner and wounded for base.

Signed, Major Griffin.

Now, you get that to

the regimental commander
- He ain't gonna make it.

- on the double quick.

Over and out.

Let's go.

Sergeant Knott, have
your men transfer

the chains from your Jeep
to my vehicle.

We have a long way to go,

and the road's gonna
be very rough.

Yes, Sir.

- Son,

I am shocked by the
conditions of these quarters.

This is private property.

The United States government
is responsible for it.

- It was in bad shape
when they moved in, Major.

- Are you finished, Lieutenant?

Because there is ample evidence

to indicate a
dereliction of duty

and conduct not becoming
an American combat troop.

I'll be dead honest with
you here, son.

I wonder if your fuckin'
men even know

there's a war going on outside.

Were it not for extreme
extenuating circumstances

I would see that this
soldier as noncom in charge

were brought before a
military review board

and severely disciplined

and where the fuck are
your stripes?

I'll be goddamned if you haven't

had enough time to sew 'em on.

- Yes, Sir.

I'll get on it.

- No!

Do you know what you'll do?

You will march your ass outside

and transfer those chains
from your Jeep

to my vehicle on the
double-time.

Now!

Lieutenant, do not ever
contradict me

in front of the men again.

- All right, buddy,
you're almost home.

- What do you think, Mel?

Is he gonna be all right?

- Yeah, Shutzer's strong.

He'll be okay.

- They won't fall out
if you're careful, Sir.

It's a rough trip, but it'd help

if you'd loosen the tourniquets
every once in awhile.

- We'll do the best we can,
Knott.

- Thank you, Sir.

- Don't worry, Knott.

You done a good job.

- I don't think so, Sir.

- Knott, Major Griffin
wants you to keep

the squad here until the
Krauts attack.

- Stay here, Sir?

What do we do when the
attack comes?

- You contact us by radio.

We'll give you our position,

then you get the hell out,
understood?

Understood, Knott?

- Yes, Sir.

- Lieutenant Ware, goddamn it!

Are you going to baby-sit
or drive this fuckin' Jeep?

- Be right there, Sir.

On the double, Sir.
- Get your ass in here!

- Good luck, Knott.

- Did you ever think about

how many dead people
there must be?

Looks like Father just
joined the great majority.

- Father told me he still
wanted to be a priest.

He just didn't think he
was pure enough.

- You know, I've been thinkin'
maybe Father's the lucky one.

I mean, is this whole world
run by shits like Griffin?

If we get through this,

is that the way it's gonna be?

- What's the tree for?

You gonna burn it?

- No.

Vance thought a little
Christmas cheer

would pick things up
around here a little bit.

Thought we could roast
some chestnuts

and stuff ourselves with turkey.

- You first, Will.

You aren't the rankest,
but you do have rank on us.

It's a, it's a
Christmas present.

- We tried to turn off the war.

We don't even keep a guard on.

We figure when the attack
starts, we'll hear it.

I asked Ware to put you in
for a citation.

I hope that's okay.

- I think Father or Stan
should get it.

- No.

You should.

The Germans had us pinned
down and you saved our asses.

- I only shot twice.

After Father went down I,
I didn't shoot anymore.

My glasses were all fogged up.

I don't even know if
I hit anybody.

- It doesn't matter.

Just stick with the story.

You shot 'em all.

That's what I told Ware and
maybe if you get decorated,

we can get you
pulled outta here.

- Two-thirds of the
squad is gone now.

I don't see how any of
us is gonna make it.

- I'll make you a bet, Vance.

I'll bet you that in six
months you're back with Linda,

and she's pregnant and this will

all be somethin' you
hardly remember.

I doubt that.

- I'll bet you $100.

- Who has $100?

- You can pay me off a
bit at a time.

We'll start New Year's Day,
1946.

- Okay.

It's a bet.

- Yeah.

- Able One to Able Four, over.

Able One to Able Four, over.

Able One to anybody, over.
- Will, we gotta go.

- All right, Mel.

Pull up the phones
and the wires.

Miller, Miller, if
anybody can get

through on this thing you can.

Just keep trying, all right?

Mother, let's get Father out
to the Jeep.

Come on.

- Able One to Able Four.

Able Four, come on.

Able One to Able Four.

- Come on!

Come on, Will!
- Let's go!

- Shit!

- Come on, Will, move it!

Move it!

- Fuckin' Griffin took
the chains off the Jeep!

- Christ!

There they are!

Oh, fuck!

- You all right?

- I think so.

Father got some.

Another 100 yards and
we'll be out of range!

Straighten out.

- I can't!

It's not doing anything!

Straighten out!

Jesus Christ!

Oh, fuck!

You guys all right?

- Hold it down!

We're about to slide over.

Put some weight on
the back, Mother, on the back!

Let's go.

Come on, Bud.

Let's go.

All right?

- Let's get Father and
get the fuck outta here!

- Well, Sergeant Knott,
what the fuck do we do now?

- I can't believe
they'd just leave.

- Mel, what do you think?

- I don't know, but
we'd better keep moving.

- I have no idea where we are.

- Just go.

- Will, we could be headed
straight for Berlin.

- Just go!

We're outta gas.

We'll probably have
to surrender any time now.

Miller insisted on
rigging up the .30 caliber

but without a real mount
it probably wouldn't

sit still long enough
to hit anything.

We can't stay here long
and the Jeep is dead.

I wish Shutzer were here.

He might know what to do.

I'm through playin' soldier.

- Did you see those markings?

That was honest-to-shit SS.

- What do we do now, Will?

- We stay away from them.

- What, you think they were
advancing or retreating?

I wonder what
they'll think?

Maybe this will convince
them I am over the edge.

We'll have a mutiny.

I'll join it.

- .30 caliber?

- We'll bury it.

- Radio?

Bury it.

- Rifles too?

- There's no other way.

- Even if we pull this
off and get back,

what are we gonna say?

- We'll say we were
captured and they

took our weapons and
then we escaped.

But I'm thinking with all
this confusion goin' on

there's not gonna be too
many questions.

We do it together or nothing.

If anybody has any objections,
any at all, speak up now.

- Well, for what it's
worth, I say we do it.

- Yeah, me too.

I mean, the idea's so wild,
I'd be sorry

for the rest of my life
if I didn't try.

Of course, the rest of
my life could be today.

- Mother, don't let us
pressure you.

You make up your own mind.

- I already have.

I was only waitin' on
the other guys

so I wouldn't put
pressure on them.

This could be the deepest
finesse in squad history.

I've never seen
a better smile.

It's the smile I need to make
myself do what we're gonna do.

- All right.

- Bleacher!

Bleacher, goddamn it!

- We don't know the counter.

We're from another sector.

Stay where you are.

We're Americans.

- Is that blood?

We give him
our escape story.

They tell us to take Father
to the grave registrar.

They drive us back to
our own regiment.

I'm sent straight to Ware
and I tell him our story.

I wander into the kitchen
tent and curl up

to sleep behind the
warm pots of hot water.

- Just wanted to let you
know it's all settled.

Since you weren't in a
POW compound,

you won't have to go through
a shit load of clearance.

You can go right back
out in the field.

I'm gonna fill out your platoon

with an antitank group
they broke up.

I put in for a Bronze
Star for Wilkins.

Had him reassigned to
the motor pool.

He's gonna be okay.

- Thank you, Sir.

- Just want you to know
I did my best

to radio you before
we pulled out

but Griffin said there
wasn't any time.

- How's Shutzer doin'?

- Real tough shit.

He was dead before we
even got back.

Kraut was dead too.

Didn't even have time to
interrogate him.

Before I go, you're gonna have

to fill out a
statement of charges

for the Jeep, radio and phones.

We'll be movin' out soon.

Gonna push those fuckin'
Kraut bastards

all the way back to Berlin.

Merry Christmas, Knott.

♪ It came upon the
midnight clear ♪

♪ That glorious song of old ♪

♪ From angels banding
near the earth ♪

♪ To touch their harps of gold ♪

♪ Peace on the earth ♪

♪ Good will to men ♪

♪ From heavens oh,
gracious King ♪

♪ The world in solemn
stillness lay ♪

♪ To hear the angels sing ♪

♪ And here beneath life's
crushing blows ♪

♪ Whose forms are
bending loose ♪

♪ Who toil along the
climbing way ♪

♪ With painful steps and slow ♪

♪ Look now for glad and
golden hours ♪

♪ Come swiftly on the wing ♪

♪ A rest beside the weary road ♪

♪ And hear the angels sing ♪