All language subtitles for Queimada 1969 720p BluRay AAC2.0 x264-EA

That's your island.

It's called "Queimada"...

... and it is one of the hundred islands
of the Lesser Antilles.

- Here, have a look.
- Thank you.

It has an area of about
2,315 acres of land...

... and a population
of about 200,000 people.

There's only about 5,000 whites here.
The population's mostly black or mulatto.

The blacks, of course,
are slaves...

... except for a handful whose owners
freed them for one reason or another.

"Queimada" means "burnt".

In fact, the Portuguese had to burn
the whole island in 1520...

... to put down
the resistance of the Indians.

And since the Indian natives
were all killed...

... they brought in slaves from Africa,
over the following years.

That large, flat, white rock
you see offshore...

... is called
"Cementerio Blanco de los Negros"...

... because the bodies of slaves who died
during the trip over were thrown there.

They say they lost nearly
25% of them.

That exceptional whiteness there seems,
in fact, to derive from the dust of their bones...

... which have penetrated into
and merged with the rocks.

The main resource of the island
is the sugar cane.

But its importance derives
from its commercial harbor...

... situated in a natural bay,
protected from the winds.

Its docks are enough deep
for all kind of ships.

This geographical situation
turns Queimada...

... into the main commercial centre of
tens of other islands in the surroundings.

There are the headquarters
of Banco Espirito Santo...

... the residence
of the Portuguese Governor...

... a fortress with a garrison
of a thousand of soldiers...

... and the most famous brothel
of the Lesser Antilles.

I want to control the number of cases
before you unload!

Did you like Europe?
Wouldn't you like come back again?

Sir William.

May I give you some advice?

Be careful of the three "M":
"Mosquitos, mulatas, muerte".

All right. I won't forget it.
Thank you.

Your papers.

- English?
- Yes.

Go.

- Your bag, sir?
- Your bag?

Your bag, please.
Please give me your bag!

Out of the way!
Out of the way!

- Your bag, sir?
- All right.

Take them.

- Can I get ready the expenses account?
- Okay, as you wish.

- Okay.
- Mr. Walker?

- Did you have a pleasant trip, sir?
- Yes.

The gray dolphins
followed us all the way.

The gray dolphin has always been
a friend of the mariner.

Sure. And the sailor has always been
the friend of the gray dolphin, too.

Too late, Mr. Walker.
Santiago was caught with all his men.

He's locked up in the fortress.

I must...
I must talk to him.

Portuguese, aren't you?

Get him! Arrest him!

Englishman, here's Santiago.

They aren't Christians like us,
and they believe in reincarnation.

But the reincarnation
requires a whole human body.

So, that's what we do:

First, we strangle him with the garotte,
in accordance with the law...

... and then
we chop his head off.

Do you understand?

Therefore they will be afraid
of the death.

Then they will carry his head
around the island as an example.

At last, the corpses are returned
to the families.

- And are they recovering the corpses?
- Once in a while.

Hey, Englishman!

Your consul has arrived.

- How efficient.
- Mr. William Walker?

- I am sorry to disturb you.
- It's part of our job.

Leave things as they are.

Let's go, Josinho.

I knew your husband.

I knew your husband.

I never met him in person...

... but it is because of him
that I have come to Queimada.

I'm not Portuguese.

I'm a friend.
Do you understand?

I would like to meet one of his friends.
One who had the same mindset.

I'm asking for nothing else.

I don't want to know anything more,
you understand?

Wait!
Let me meet one.

Just one.

Why not me?

Teddy,
why are you dying your hair?

And how are you smoothing it?

My mother used to do it
since I was a little boy.

Mr. William, the truth is that
I don't feel as mulatto.

I feel myself as white as my father was
and my grandfather.

Really? Good.

And how does it feel?

Anyway, I'm sorry,
but a white man is useless around here.

And even less so someone who isn't white
but wants to be like one.

What is needed here is someone
who has nothing to lose but his chains.

Someone with the will
and courage of losing it.

What is needed here
obviously doesn't exist.

Take a look.

You, there!

Who gave you that money?
Give it back to me! Come on!

Immediately!

You see?

- When will your ship set sail?
- In five or six days.

Five or six days...

What can I do during these five or six days
to avoid dying of boredom?

Englishman!

Sir!

Hey, sir!

What would you say
if it was rum, not water, sir?

Well...

You are slack today, gentlemen,
aren't you?

You are always saying that you like Europe.
Get laid then with the lady.

Why not? The only important thing
is the white pigment.

Enough! Enough!

You hear?

Stop it!

Pedro! Stop it.

Stop it.

That's silly.
Give me the knife.

Give me the knife.
Give it to me.

Give it to me.

Come on.

All right.

Don't go, Mr. Walker.
Without you, nothing will ever be done.

It's finished here.

Why? I wasn't aware that
anything had started.

And Santiago?

Santiago's dead.

Hey, Negro! Bugger off!

Bugger off, Negro!

Stinking, lying, lousy Negro!

You thief! You thief...

- You did steal my bags, didn't you?
- Yes, sir.

Did you steal them,
when the police arrested me?

- Yes.
- Well, where are they now?

I don't know. I don't know.
I don't know, sir.

- But you did steal them, didn't you?
- Yes.

- It is true, isn't it?
- Yes, sir.

No, it's not true.

You did not steal them.
You gave them to my friend, that's all.

Nobody stole them.
Do you understand?

Yes.

- So, you did not steal them?
- No, sir.

Then why did you say you did?
Because I said you did?

Yes.

- Because anything a white man says is right?
- Yes, sir.

So, if I were to say...
that your mother was a whore...

... would that be true?
Is it true?

She's dead, sir.

- But you knew your mother, didn't you?
- Yes.

What was she?

Say what she was!

Go on! What was she?

Tell me,
what was your mother?

- Say it!
- A whore, sir.

I was mistaken.

I thought
you were someone else.

What's your name?

José Dolores.

Here you are, José Dolores.

It was just a bad joke.
I am sorry. Forget about it.

Englishman!

I wasn't wrong then.

Well, now I believe
we have something to talk about.

Are they all here?

There are 100 million
in gold reales.

All we have to do is to take them.
Fifty for you...

... and fifty for me.

Do you agree?

Now, it's very simple.

There's an outside gate,
then a large door...

... an inside gate
and then the safe.

Now, you enter, you take the gold,
you load it onto the cart...

... and you cross the island to the village
of which I told you.

That is the ship.
Look.

So, I shall sail it to the other side
of the island, then we'll go away.

- Go where?
- Well, I don't know.

I go to England.
You, wherever you like.

- Even Africa?
- Yes, even to Africa.

But why?

You have time to think of it.
Now, is the rest understood?

Yes. We walk in and take the gold.
But what about the Portuguese?

At that moment, on Sunday,
they'll have something else to do.

All right, you know where the village is.
But I'll leave this map with you.

Yes.

- Would you like to taste some rum?
- All right.

But you must try my whisky.

We drink to the Holy Spirit
and its bank.

- To England, Englishman.
- To Africa!

- And to the world!
- And to the world!

- Cheers!
- Cheers!

Why you bring rum
instead of water?

Because today's a holiday.

Go! Go! Come on!

Son of a bitch!
Go!

Why? Why!
What's going on?

That gold costs a lot.

Stop there!

What are you doing here?

Where are you going?
Stop there!

What do you got in here?
Come on, answer me, Negro!

- What is it?
- Bananas, sir. Just bananas.

Bananas, huh?

And what's this?

A case of bananas?

Did you see it?

Portuguese die, too.

Go now.
I'll see to the ship.

But you be quick,
Englishman.

Yes, here's the sugar cane plantation,
and here's the path.

And it's this village here.
It's a village of slaves, I believe.

Yes, I know it well.
It's a village of bandits.

The famous bandit Santiago
came from just around there.

Really? Well, in any case,
it's a very wealthy village.

Because they bought all my goods
and they paid for them in gold reales.

Are there many blacks
as rich as that on the island?

No.

Just how many were there?

Well, wait a moment.

Not more than four or five.

Why?

Because that gold has been stolen
from the Bank of Queimada, sir.

- You don't say so!
- Yes, it's true.

- And all of them were black people?
- Yes.

It's very odd that black people
have so courage and ability.

It never happened before.

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later,
don't you think?

Englishman!

There are soldiers.

Yes, I have seen them.

- And the boat?
- It's over there, behind the soldiers.

And us?

I brought weapons.

Unfortunately we're rather few.

Perhaps there's some people up there
who'd be willing to help us.

Let's see.

I don't suppose they like
the Portuguese any more than we do.

No one will risk being killed
for a dislike, Englishman.

And least of all
for defending our money.

Who knows?

Why don't you ask them anyway?
Give it a try.

I am sorry, friends...

... but the Portuguese are coming.

I am sorry it happens here...

... but we can't let
the soldiers take us.

Don't you agree?

Therefore you will be better off
if you went away.

Go up to the sierra.

Better hide the old ones...

... the women
and the children.

But if there are any of you...

... who are not a woman
nor old nor a child...

... but are really men....

... and have thought, at least once, in life,
of killing their Portuguese master...

... then now is the time to act!

Because they can be killed.
I assure you.

Can you use rifles?

First, I'll show you
how to load it.

Come close to me.

Look.

A measure of powder.

Then the hemp.

A bullet.

Again, the hemp.

Like this.

Now...

... the rifle is loaded.

Tomorrow, Englishman.

I like it here, it's nice.
Let's wait until the feast is over.

They realize the soldiers aren't coming back,
so they get prepared, you know?

Next time there will be more.

It'll be a massacre.

What can we do about it?

Why did you stole the gold?

To die up here...

... or to be rich
and live as a free man?

What do you say, José?
Why did we steal it?

Like you said,
to be rich and live free.

And now?

Can I have some?

Hey!

You're beginning to like whisky,
aren't you?

No, rum is better.

Let's go.

I'll...

... call the others.

They will all die.

Yes, probably.

Goodbye, Englishman.

I won't come with you.

I am sorry.

I'll stay here.

Gentlemen...

... let me ask you a question.

My metaphor might seem a trifle impertinent
but I think it's very much to the point.

Which do you prefer, or should I say,
which do you find more convenient?

A wife or one
of these mulatto girls?

No, no, please don't misunderstand.
I'm speaking strictly in terms of economics.

What is the cost of the product?
What does the product yield?

The product, in this case, being love,
purely physical love, obviously.

Since sentiments
play no part in economics.

Right.

Now, a wife must be provided
with a house, with food...

... with dresses,
with medical attention, etc.

You're obliged
to keep her a whole lifetime...

... even when she's grown old
and perhaps a trifle unproductive.

And if you have the bad luck to survive her,
you have to pay for the funeral.

No... Don't laugh at it,
gentlemen.

It seems amusing,
but actually those are the facts.

Now, with a prostitute,
it's quite a different matter.

It's cheaper.

Because there's no need to lodge her
or to feed her, not to dress her.

And you don't have to
bury her.

You take a prostitute only when you want her
and you pay her once.

You pay her services,
by the hour.

Well, gentlemen,
who is therefore more convenient?

A slave...

... or a paid worker?

Which do you find more convenient?
Portuguese domination with its laws...

... its taxes, its commercial monopolies
or independence?

With your own government,
your own army, your own administration...

... and the freedom to trade
with anyone you like...

... on terms that are dictated only
by the prices on the international market.

It's not only for the freedom of trade,
Mr. William.

For many of us, there are idealistic motives
which are even more important.

We are now a nation,
a small nation.

Born here and forged with toil, with difficulty
during more than three centuries.

A nation, which originated from Portugal,
but now is not a part of Portugal anymore.

And that no longer
wants to be a Portuguese colony.

That's all quite correct, my dear Teddy.
We all agree on the idealistic motives.

But it's the example of the whore that
doesn't convince me as yet, Mr. William.

Because there's
another supposition:

What will happen if once the Negro
ceases to be a slave...

... and instead of wanting to be a worker,
wants to be the boss?

That's exactly what will happen
if we go on arguing about it.

Four months ago, José Dolores was on
the Sierra Trinidad with a few dozen men.

Then he reached Sierra Madre
with several hundreds.

Now there are thousands.
They don't need to defend themselves...

... but they are coming to attack,
spreading through the lowlands.

That's the situation.

If you don't take immediate action,
if you don't weave yourselves into this revolt...

... and don't manage to
gain control of it...

... you'll be swept away.

Then your ex-slaves,
instead of becoming your workers...

... will not become your bosses,
Mr. Prada...

... but your executioners.

Now, what are my interests
in the matter?

And who am I?

I represent
Her Britannic Majesty.

An English agent,
if you prefer.

But actually, England wants
the same thing that you want:

The freedom of trade.

And therefore an end to Portuguese
and Spanish domination in all Latin America.

But what England does not want, however,
and what I think you yourselves do not want...

... are these revolutions carried
to their extreme consequences.

The adventures of men like
Toussaint Louverture and José Dolores...

... are good for the beginning.

To break the ice.

But then after that, they become
very dangerous, as in Haiti, for example.

So, gentlemen,
as you can see...

... I think our interests coincide,
at least for the moment.

And they also coincide
with progress and civilization.

For those who believe in it,
it's very important.

And you?
Do you believe in it, Mr. William?

Yes, Mr. Prada, I do.

It's time.

I'm afraid I won't be able
to go through with it, Mr. William.

It always seems that way the first time,
but you'll see, it's actually rather simple.

It's only a moment.

A very simple moment,
and then it's over.

- Everyone can do it.
- Find another person, Mr. William.

- Too late.
- But I am afraid of doing it. I don't dare.

Listen to me carefully,
Teddy.

You are what you are.

A babbler.

A weak, a shallow
and a so-called gusher.

But it doesn't matter.

You'll do what you have to do.

Because I order you it.

Yes, sir.

The "Dia de Reis"
is like our Epiphany.

Once a year slaves are allowed
to do what they want.

It is their day of freedom.

As you can see, dear Consul,
they enjoy our Christian holiday...

... with the celebration of their
African tribal rites, using our own symbols.

It's a last and desperate attempt
of preserving their old traditions.

We know and we tolerate these things,
because this way, without being aware of it...

... they'll be able to assimilate
our own civilization.

- What about José Dolores?
- The Portuguese fleet will arrive in a few days.

There's no need to
be worried about José Dolores.

It isn't worth it, trust me.

Long live Queimada!
Death to all the oppressors!

Come on!

Come on!

Come on, say something!

Show yourself!

Long live Queimada!

Long live Queimada!

Long live freedom!

Long live freedom!

Freedom!

Englishman!

Englishman!

When did you get back?

Me? I never left.
I've been here all the time.

Here? And the boat?

Never existed.

- And the gold?
- Back in the bank.

And I'm still a water carrier.
It's all the same as before.

If I had told you to start a revolution,
you wouldn't have understood me.

But to rob a bank, yes,
that was possible.

Then you learned to kill
in order to defend yourself.

And then you had to kill
to defend others.

- The rest came by itself.
- And you? What do you get?

Nothing.

The salary from
the British Admiralty.

A rather modest one.

- And you? What do you get?
- Me? Nothing. I am just a happy man.

Well...

... me too, just like you.

- Or almost.
- And England, what is its part in this?

Portugal is England's enemy.

If the English ships
were not in the port of Queimada...

... the Portuguese would already
have returned.

- And how many English ships are there?
- Don't be too ambitious, José.

No, I just asked.

Ramon! Pedro! Andres!
That's enough now!

Let us go to Queimada.

No, better not.
Trust me, José.

Set up your camp here.

But they have fought and suffered,
and they have won, Englishman.

- They have a right to amuse themselves.
- They'll have plenty of time for that.

There are other things
that come first.

Gentlemen, I would like to present
General José Dolores.

Mr. Prada.

Augusto Anguillar.

Fernando Cabrera.

Teddy, you certainly remember
José Dolores.

This is Teddy Sanchez.
He directed the rebellion here in the capital.

It was him
who killed the governor.

He is now the President of
the new provisional government...

... whose first act it was
to abolish slavery.

General, you have our admiration
and our gratitude.

In the name of the government
I invite you to discuss with us...

... the proposals for a
new constitution of Queimada.

That is the chair
of the governor.

- May God bless you, José Dolores.
- Thank you, my friend.

Well, gentlemen,
you wanted to talk with me?

I am ready.

Come on.

Come forward, gentlemen.

We will talk.

But... be careful.

Your government is provisional.
Our encampment is, too.

And my people...

... won't wait a long time.

No.

No.

No, no, and no.

For a month
you've been answering "no".

General, why don't you try
suggesting something?

Bastards!

I must talk to you about a very urgent matter
concerning both our countries.

All our sugar is rotting in storehouses
and on the quays.

And so?

Only a commercial agreement
between us can change this situation.

And so?

The provisory government
no longer exists.

With whom can I negotiate?

Who will sign this agreement?
I was advised to ask you.

- Who advised it?
- I did.

I did.

Apart from that,
England can't wait forever.

But not only England
buys the sugar.

No, and not only Queimada
sells it.

Not to mention the fact that in Europe
they're already extracting it from sugar beets.

Did you know that, General?

And what if Queimada
were not to sell any more sugar?

How would these people live?

This Problem can't be delayed.

Competition is getting stronger
every day.

Are you familiar with
the latest market quotation?

10 and 11 raw sugars, which up to a month ago
were quoted 7.63 pounds...

... didn't have any quotation
at the last opening.

The refined 8.25-8.75
down by a half, more or less.

Number 12, current category,
opened without firmness.

Refined, polarized at 96 degrees and lot 60
aren't even quoted at the opening.

Go now.

- Get out!
- But, General...

Leave me alone.

I think there's no doubt.

I'm particularly good
at convincing my people...

... and you have all the necessary qualities
of a responsible head of state.

Go away! And stay away!

Ramon!
Clear all them out!

And who will govern the island,
José?

Who'll run the industries?

Who'll handle the commerce?

Who'll cure the sick?

Who'll teach in the schools?

Him?

Him?

Or the other one?

Civilization is not
a simple matter, José.

You cannot learn
its secrets overnight.

Today civilization
belongs to the white man...

... and you must learn to use
the white civilization.

Without it,
you cannot go forward.

But to go where, Englishman?

Get out.

You too, go away.

José! José is back!

You can tell the whites
I am going.

Say that my men will lay down their arms
and return to the plantations.

England will rejoice,
Englishman.

Not only England, José.

Have I become...

... so dangerous?

Yes.

Dangerous even for your own people
and for Queimada.

You know, there are no miracles in history,
but right times and cadences.

Everything has a logic.

And if you try to force it,
you'll end up drifted of the course.

And you need to start again.

Why are you are intending to convince me,
when I've made my own decision?

Go and convince the white men.
Tell your friends...

- They're not my friends.
- All right.

Then tell the white people to be careful.
Very careful.

They may know
how to sell sugar...

... but we are the ones
who cut the cane!

Your bag, sir?

- A general doesn't carry baggage.
- But he will for a friend.

All right, one bag for everyone.
Let's go.

Well, what are you going
to do with yourself?

And you?

Have you ever heard
of a place called Indochina?

Well, they're sending me there.

Then, to Indochina.

- To those who cut the cane.
- Right, Englishman.

Otherwise you have to drink
your tea without sugar.

And since no one in the world
wants to drink their tea without sugar...

... the world's leading sugar companies
business continued to prosper.

This is the London Stock Exchange,
10 years later.

The quotations of shares in
the sugar companies continue to rise.

The companies are merging...

... and with the increase of economic strength
they grow ever more powerful.

- I want 10,000! 10,000!
- 5,000 for me!

And a logic consequence
of this grown power...

... is that the big companies
are now able to take care by themselves...

... of law and order
on their plantations beyond the sea.

Their first concern is to procure for this job
the most efficient experts available.

This way.

- He has become a different man.
- Sir William?

Sir William Walker.

First, he left the navy,
and then, let's see...

Yes, here it is.

On May 21, 1841
he was expelled from this club.

What? Expelled?

Yes, expelled, sir.

He seemed not able of obeying
the gentlemen's rules anymore.

And where did you address
his correspondence afterwards?

Well...

... 21, White Cock Street.

Do you know the district?
It's the most unsavory of the city.

Sir William is
a very extraordinary person.

A real gentleman,
fascinating, magnanimous...

And when he'll be back?

His trunk is still here,
after more than three years.

My husband did set sail for
a Mediterranean cruise long time ago.

He may be now sailing the Atlantic.
His last letter came from Gibraltar.

A very long cruise indeed...
and I suffer seasickness. Therefore...

I know, this is really inconvenient
for a long cruise.

- And what is the ship's name?
- "Adios".

"Adios"?

Yes.

- See there the "Adios". Nice boat, isn't it?
- Yes, indeed.

Look at the steersman.
He knows his job, he's a real sailor.

- Where's it bounding for?
- Plymouth, England.

Yes, they've arrived just this morning,
after a very difficult crosswind.

- Right. And where's is he now?
- I don't know.

- Maybe he's drinking.
- If only it were so.

Would you like to continue?

I believe you've understood at last,
haven't you?

Yes, I think so.

Now go on board, Carlos.

Get the boat ready and get drunk later.
It's already paid for.

Well...

Never to interfere
is an old principle, gentlemen.

Sir William?

My pleasure. May I introduce myself?
Henry Thompson.

This is my colleague Jack.

- Delighted.
- Nice to meet you.

During the last three months, we've been
half way around Europe trying to find you.

Yes, really.

Why all the trouble?

There are people who need you.

But I don't think that
I need them.

What a pity.

- There's a lot of money in this for you.
- Really?

- And what is it about then?
- I don't know, exactly.

But it seems that it has something to do
with the Antilles and sugar cane.

Sugar cane...

Mr. President.

General.

Mr. Shelton.

Well, we've known each other
for a long time.

10 years, I think.
Yes, it's exactly 10 years. But...

... 10 years ago,
I worked for the British Admiralty.

I now work for the
Antilles Sugar Company...

... which our ex-counsel
so ably represents today.

We've both since
changed our employers.

However, the Admiralty
has given me its approval.

And so, I'm now here,
in the capacity of military advisor...

... invited by the government of Queimada,
commissioned by the ASUR Company...

... and authorized by
Her Britannic Majesty's government.

Let's hope that my advice
is worthy of so much trust.

General Prada has informed me
of the events of the last years.

I now would like to summarize
the most important facts.

May 13, 1845.

José Dolores agrees to dissolve
the rebel army.

Queimada is proclaimed a republic.

José Dolores renounces to participate
in any government...

... and Mr. Teddy Sanchez is elected
its first president.

January 22, 1846.

The British government and the government
of Queimada sign a treaty of alliance...

... establishing the elimination
of customs duties and anchor right...

... and the supplying
of the British Fleet.

Have your read this document,
Sir William?

No, but all these treaties
always resemble each other.

After so many years on duty,
I know them by heart.

March 7, 1847.

The Republic of Queimada cedes to the
Royal Sugar Co. the right of exploitation...

... of the sugar plantations for 99 years.
Renewable right.

Why don't you mention the commitments
of the Royal Sugar Co. towards Queimada?

Because that is not the most
important aspect of the problem.

And is it not important that we have built
a hospital and 50 miles of road?

No, Mr. Shelton, but what is important
is that the ASUR Company...

... controls, in practice,
the entire economy of Queimada...

... whilst the government of Queimada,
in practice, no longer controls anything.

You're forgetting, Mr. William,
you were asked here to put down a revolt...

... and not to concern yourself
with our policies.

Without these policies, there wouldn't be
any revolution, Mr. President.

February 23, 1848:

The sugar cane workers
of Consolación Del Norte enter the city...

... set it afire
and sack the stores.

The army has to intervene.

32 dead
and nearly 100 wounded.

Other uprisings break out
in various parts of the island.

José Dolores takes over
the revolution...

... and organizes a new army
that wins some victories.

Three months later,
England intervenes.

There's no intervention at all.
Just technical support and instructors.

We have asked for this help,
according with Article 32 of the treaty.

All right, the details
are not so important.

On the contrary,
they are very important.

We are very jealous
of our independence.

I wanted to say, Mr. President,
that not even with this support...

... you have succeeded in
putting down the revolt.

That was why we've been half way
around Europe trying to find you.

- Now, what do you want me to do?
- To deal with José Dolores.

- Or to help us get rid of him.
- Our government wants to negotiate...

... Mr. William.

And not because it is the only solution,
but because it is the best.

No one can do this
better than you.

You've already done it once.

- 10 years ago.
- The situation is the same.

Yes, but the problem is different.
10 years is a long time.

- Sometimes it can be too a long a time.
- Even so, it's still only 10 years.

Then you judge
the French Revolution for its length?

José Dolores is not Robespierre,
Mr. William.

In fact, history goes on.

I only want to explain,
General...

... that sometimes between one
historical period and another, just 10 years...

... might be enough to reveal
the contradictions of a whole century.

And so we might realize that our judgments,
our suppositions...

... and even our hopes
may have been wrong.

Wrong, that's all.

Does that mean our interests
no longer coincide?

Yes, our interests do.
Royal Sugar pays me well enough.

And our ideas?

My ideas at the moment are concerned
with how to get something done...

... not with why to do it.

All right,
on what basis do I negotiate?

Equal rights for all citizens,
better wages, and a general amnesty.

Is that a good basis
for discussion?

No, but I don't think
that you can offer more...

... unless you give up the government
and the plantations of Queimada.

I believe that
you will succeed.

And you believe it, too.
Am I right?

We must wait to see what
José Dolores believes, Mr. President.

Go! Come on! Walk!

Hurry up!

Aim!

Wait a moment!

Put your weapons down!
What's your order, sir?

That one.
Bring him here.

- This one?
- No, no, the fourth one.

- This one?
- No, no!

- One, two, three, four, this one.
- Yes, sir.

Put your hands down,
Josinho.

Looks like you were pretty lucky today.
Does that make you happy?

- Don't you remember me?
- Aim!

- You were a child, then.
- Fire!

Josinho!
Stop! Don't shoot!

Don't be a fool!

Don't shoot,
we need him alive.

Now José Dolores says...

... that if what we have in our country
is civilization of white men...

... then we should be glad
of being uncivilized.

Because it is better to know
where to go and not know how...

... than it is to know how to go
and not know where.

And then?

And then, José Dolores says that
if a man works for another...

... even if he's called a worker,
he still remains a slave.

And it will
always be the same.

Since there are those
who own the plantations...

... and those who own the machete
to cut cane for the owners.

And then?

And then, José Dolores says that
we must cut heads instead of cane.

- That's a nice program.
- Yes.

Very well, then, tell José Dolores that
we must meet and discuss this question...

... wherever and whatever time
he wishes.

- Do you understand?
- Yes.

Listen.

Tell him also that I shall be pleased
to see him in any case.

Wait!

Give this to José Dolores.
Tell him it's from me.

Go away, servant!

Why are you here?

Why aren't you in the sierra
with the others?

Why?

Halt!

Halt!

Who are you?

Captain! Captain!

Captain!

I DON'T DRINK ANYMORE, ENGLISHMAN.
JOSÉ DOLORES

Now we must realize that if we are
to succeed in eliminating José Dolores...

... it's not because we're better
or braver than he is.

It's simply because we have more arms
and more men than he has.

And we must also realize that the soldier
either fights to earn his pay...

... or because his country
forces him to do so.

But the guerrilla, on the other hand,
fights for an idea.

And therefore he's able to achieve
10, 20, 30, 50, 100 times as much.

- Is that clear?
- No, Mr. William, I don't agree.

No?

That's strange, because I think
it's a rather simple calculation.

What does a guerrilla have to lose,
except his life?

Whereas you, General,
have a lot to lose.

Wife, children, house,
career, savings...

... your habits, personal pleasures
and normal hopes.

It's nothing to be ashamed of,
that's simply the way of it.

Now, according to
your information...

... José Dolores has less than
some hundreds of men, few arms...

... very little ammunition
and no equipment.

But you have thousands of soldiers,
modern arms and equipment.

And yet, in six years,
you've not been able to defeat him.

Why?

Well, their bases are here...

... on the Sierra Madre.

And on the Sierra Madre
there's no possibility of survival.

There's not a tree,
not a blade of grass.

The only animals
are vipers and scorpions.

In all these centuries
the man never had arrived so high.

But in the last six years it is here that
the guerrillas have made their headquarters.

Why is that?

There are a handful of small villages,
on the slopes of the Sierra.

These people are destitute
with subhuman living standards...

... and they haven't anything
to lose, either.

The guerrillas
are their only hope.

One, two, and three.

These are the reasons and conditions
on which the guerrillas survive.

And these are roots
which must be cut.

Hey!

They came out from the fire.

Naked,
covered with flames...

... like devils.

No...
They weren't human beings.

This is where
they've crossed the river.

Now they're here,
in the Sierra Trinidad.

There are five villages
in the Sierra.

Five.

Tomorrow we start again.

Stop! Stop!
Hey, you! Come back!

Get back or I'll shoot!

You well know that it is not us
who are responsible for this tragedy.

It is José Dolores
who wanted this war.

The government of Queimada
promises you that the war will end soon.

And peace will return.

Order will again be established
and you will be able to go finally back...

... to your houses
and to your work.

Have faith a little longer.

We will do everything possible
to take care of your needs...

... and to alleviate your suffering.

Listen to me.

My friends, brothers and sisters,
I beg you.

I beg you. Trust us.

And now, bread will be distributed to you
offered personally by President Sanchez.

Stay in your places.

Bread! Bread!
Bread! Bread!

- Bread! Bread!
- Bread! Bread!

- It's dangerous!
- No! Don't shoot.

General, I want you to take back
the effective command of our army.

From now on, you will consult personally
with me on every decision concerning the war.

And any possibility of peace.

- And Sir William Walker?
- He'll go back to England.

But the Royal Sugar Company,
Mr. President...

Royal Sugar was supposed
to help our independence...

- ... and not the other way around.
- There's always José Dolores.

Who knows?

If there hadn't been Royal Sugar,
would there have been José Dolores?

Who knows, General?

Come in.

Hello, Teddy.

You wanted to talk to me?

Sir William Walker, in the name
of the Government of Queimada...

Mr. Teddy Sanchez,
in the name of the people of Queimada...

... I declare you under arrest.

I think we've said
all there is to say.

Citizens of Queimada.

The special military tribunal
has decreed...

... that ex-president Teddy Sanchez
is guilty of high treason.

Citizens, it is your duty to declare
your allegiance to the new government...

... to our heroic army
and to the soldiers of England, our ally.

Citizens of Queimada,
the bandits of José Dolores will be annihilated.

Peace will return to
our beloved country.

Signed, General Alonso Prada,
head of the provisional government.

Forward!

Stand still!

Take your position!

Charge!

Aim!

Fire!

On your feet!

Turn around!

Walk back!

Battery two, fire!

Battery four, fire!

Battery three, fire!

One, fire!

Two, fire!

Three, fire!

Keep your hands up!

How many have you counted,
Mayor?

Sixteen, with this one.
I don't think there are anymore.

Must have been their rear guard.

Let's go.

So there are no more plantations,
they're all burnt to the ground.

- They'll rise again.
- In 10 years, Mr. William.

That's true, but you have another
89 years to exploit them. Renewable.

- Doesn't your contract specify that?
- Yes.

And your contract specifies
that you are to defend our interests.

Instead, you're destroying them.

That's the logic of profit,
my dear Shelton.

One builds to make money.

And to go on making it or to make more,
sometimes it's necessary to destroy.

Yes, I think it's inevitable.

Then why didn't you
say so before?

- Why didn't I say what?
- Where this is going to end.

Well, as I told you...

... with the end of José Dolores.

At this price,
it's no longer profitable.

It isn't you who pays,
or even Royal Sugar.

Do you remember him?
That's Tinchin, one of the old ones.

- But there is no José Dolores.
- And you're sorry?

No. I wouldn't want to
find him like this.

You might have thought
of that before, Ramon.

No, I say, as long as José Dolores lives,
I have work, and good pay.

Is it not the same for you,
Englishman?

No, on the contrary,
because I work for a lump sum.

- I must report to London.
- Do that, Mr. Shelton.

- I'll tell them how things are.
- All right, tell it.

I'll have to inform them that
the island has been completely burnt...

... and José Dolores has once again
broken through the encirclement.

Inform them, Mr. Shelton.

And tell them also that
you drive me up the wall.

Mr. William!

Do you know why this island
is called Queimada?

Because it was already burnt once.
And do you know why?

Because even then, it was the only way
to conquer the resistance of the people.

And after that, the Portuguese exploited
the island in peace, for nearly 300 years.

Yes, but I was trying...

You know that fire
can't cross the sea.

But certain news and certain ideas
travel by ships' crews.

Have you any idea how many islands there
are on which Royal Sugar has concessions?

You should know.

And have you the vaguest notion
of what would happen in the plantations...

... if the example of José Dolores
reached those islands?

Sir?

Mr. Shelton, I...

I don't know yet...

I'm not just quite sure
what I'm doing here.

Money is important, but then my salary
is small compared to yours.

Therefore it's much less important.

I'm not sure just why I do
what I'm doing.

Perhaps it's only for the pleasure of it.
Or perhaps... I'm unable to do anything else.

Or perhaps I've nothing else to do,
but whenever I try to do something...

... I try to do it well.

I do it my way
and I want to see it through.

You got that?

Bugler!

Bugler's here, Sir William.

Bugler, sound your cease-fire!

There, that's José Dolores.

At the bottom
where the soldiers are running.

Yes, I can see him.

A fine specimen, isn't he?

It's an exemplary story.
In the beginning he was nothing.

A water carrier, a porter.

England makes him
a revolutionary leader...

... but when he's no longer of use,
he's put aside.

And when he rebels again...

... more or less in the name of those
same ideals which England's taught him...

... England decides
to eliminate him.

Don't you think
that's a small masterpiece?

- You're the author, Sir William.
- No, only the instrument.

It is not true that
fire destroys everything.

A little life always remains.

Just an ant,
a blade of grass...

So, how can
the white invaders win?

How?

How can
they win in the end?

Some of us
will always remain.

Still others will be born later.
And others will begin to understand.

In the end,
you will also understand.

And the whites, in the end,
will be maddened.

Like a wild buffalo
when it finds itself closed in...

... and runs for the last time,
crazed, all over the island.

Finally it falls into one
of the great fires...

... made just by itself.

And the groans
from this dying beast...

... will become
our first song of freedom.

One that will be heard far, very far,
far beyond the sea.

Come on, get ready,
we're going back.

José! A war was necessary
for seeing us again.

Thanks heavens
that you and I remained alive.

Well, it's inevitable that
someone has to lose.

In this case, it's you.

Otherwise,
how could I have won?

Apparently you've lost everything,
including your power of speech.

Come on, tie him up.

So, you don't drink anymore?
Aren't you thirsty?

That's strange. Your throat must be dry
from all that talking all day.

I see no reason
for you to walk.

You can remain silent
even on horseback.

Soldier,
give the prisoner your horse!

Let's go, General.

What are you waiting for?
Go and get him!

Now, listen to me, Negro!

Listen to me.

It wasn't me that
invented the war.

And furthermore, in this case,
I didn't even start it.

I arrived here and you were
already butchering one another.

Death to him!

Thank you.

But, anyway, sooner or later,
they are going to kill me.

That's not sure, General.
Maybe they will let you live.

If they let me live
it means it is convenient for them.

And if it's convenient for them,
it is convenient for me to die.

Why?

Because the hunter lets the hawk live
only when he wants a decoy...

... or to hunt in his place.

It's kept alive then,
but in a cage.

But then, after a while,
maybe they will free you.

It's not possible,
little soldier.

If someone gives you freedom,
it is not freedom.

Freedom is something that
nobody can give you.

You alone must take it.
Do you understand?

You will understand soon, because you've
already started to think about it.

All that remains now
is to settle what to do with him.

Well, let's see...

We certainly can't use the garotte.
It's too reminiscent of Portugal.

Either we shoot him,
as we did with Teddy Sanchez...

... or we hang him
as you do in England.

All things considered,
hanging is better.

It's more solemn.

- More definite.
- Right.

Right.

But the man who fights for an idea
is a hero.

And a hero who is killed
becomes a martyr...

... and a martyr immediately
becomes a myth.

A myth is more dangerous than a hero,
because you can't kill a myth.

Don't you agree, Shelton?

Think of this ghost
running through the Antilles.

With its legends and songs.

- Better songs than armies.
- Better nothing, just silence.

Ah... And that is?

A hero that betrays
is soon forgotten.

But we'll have to see
if he's willing to betray.

Well, now let's see,
against whom did José Dolores rebel?

He rebelled against
Teddy Sanchez.

And you, General,
have eliminated Teddy Sanchez.

Now... that gives you
a position in common.

That's the beginning of a rationale
which José Dolores...

... could make public
without too much shame.

- Do you think he will do it?
- Would you do it in his place?

Me? For God's sake, Mr. William.
I would do anything to stay alive.

But I don't think that
José Dolores...

You can't tell what a man
will do to stay alive.

Until you put him to the test,
you'll really never know.

Right,
as long as he leaves Queimada.

And the Antilles, General.

Sure, and the Antilles,
Mr. Shelton.

Will you see to it?

I finished.
This is your duty.

These are our proposals...

He started to laugh.

There'll be another martyr,
Sir William.

But you,
you were waiting for me?

I was going to bed.

I used every argument possible
and I offered him a great deal of money...

... and his freedom,
of course, but he...

- Sir William?
- I am going to bed.

Do you see, Paco?

This is how they do it
in England.

I'll take you outside the camp
and you can take my horse.

I'll see to it that they don't find out
until it's too late.

All right, come on.

But José...

You lose nothing.
You renounce nothing.

I ask nothing from you.

Only that you try
not to be caught again.

Now, come on,
you haven't much time.

Come on, you're free!
Get a move on, you're free!

José, you're free!
Free! Don't you understand?

Why?

What good does it do?
What meaning does it have?

Is it a challenge, perhaps?
A revenge?

But what kind of revenge is it,
if you're dead?

I don't know, José.

It just seems madness.

Why?

Englishman!

Remember?

You said,
civilization belongs to whites.

But what civilization?

And till when?

Your bag, sir?

Your bag?