Original subtitles

"FRANCE DOES NOT NEED TRUTH, IT NEEDS HOPE." CHARLES DE GAULE

THIS FILM WAS BANNED FOR 30 YEARS BY THE RULING GAULLISTS.

DEDICATED TO...

THE RESISTANCE FIGHTER

Mont Aiguille

reflects the Massif du Vercors, of which it is one of the peaks.

Its plateau is inhabited and surrounded by staunch walls.

In 1942,

some 300 resistance fighters, civilians, soldiers

or those that refused forced labor,

grouped together in this natural fortress,

where they were supported by the local population.

In 1944,

the successful Normandy landings revived their energy.

Within a month, 300 had become 4,000.

The patriotic machine got moving.

Flags unfurled. Fine words were declaimed.

The land prepared to be freed.

Germans worried about the activity

and, overestimating the dangers, decided to hit hard,

blocking the plateau's few exists

and launching an assault on the Free Republic of Vercors.

The village is called Vassieux.

It's July 21, 1944, at nine o'clock in the morning.

This man has nothing to do with the Resistance.

His name is Michel Perrat.

He came to live with his grandmother, while the war played out without him.

I'm glad you came back to Vassieux, my boy.

It's better here than in Grenoble.

I'll get some eggs.

Well now, you straightened him out pretty good.

His buddies still haven't finished their dirty work.

There won't be much of the village left.

They smashed the place up. They burned everything.

They even shot the animals.

-We need to get off the plateau. -I imagine they're everywhere.

We can always try to get out by going south.

We certainly can't stay here.

Shall we take his weapons? They could come in handy.

Yes, to pass as Resistance fighters.

No, we'd be better unarmed.

We'll fare better, if we get caught.

Don't be daft, kid.

You can see that's old man Rameau.

And who's that guy?

The lawyer's son - Mr. Perrat's boy.

Mr. Perrat. He did pretty well for himself.

What are you here for? To sell something?

Leave him alone. He just offed a Bosch.

Don't get touchy.

At this point,

whether you're a collaborator's son or not,

we're all in the same boat.

Still, I heard that you do all right, with fuel coupons.

What's your problem? I do all right and you don't?

They call me P'tit Louis.

I need to ask you something.

Hello. De La Frédière.

OK, guys, let's get going.

We're heading over to Saint-Agnan.

Saint-Agnan is on our way.

We could go with them, if that's OK.

I don't care, so long as we can get away.

And I bet the Bosch had plans, when they attacked Vassieux.

As for the Allies...

OK, come with us, but we don't have weapons for you.

A minor detail.

-Oh, do you speak English? -Yes, a bit.

Then come with us.

You can explain how this tube works.

The Yanks parachuted it in

and when they wrote the instructions they forgot I don't speak English.

The lieutenant tried to read the label,

but there are words he doesn't know.

But he said it's a babushka.

I'd like to see it work. It must hurt!

Are you sure it's not a telescope?

A what?

We need to make sure the Bosch aren't there.

Let's check the farm first.

Anyone home?

Antoine? Antoine?

Where is he?

Let's find him.

Is anyone there?

He's not in the sawmill.

There's no one there.

If he's not in the sawmill, he must be in the fields.

He won't mind if I have a drink.

Yes, let's fill our bottles.

Hey, Teacher, what time is it?

Not far off one o'clock.

Doesn't Antoine come in for lunch at noon anymore?

It's pretty quiet.

The kid.

Let's go.

The Germans are there!

That way, fast!

I get the picture. Do your thing. I'm on my way.

-We've had it, if we stay. -No, it's all to play for.

We have guns

and the Allies could parachute in at any time.

We can't give up at the first hurdle

or abandon our comrades at the crucial time.

Remember, we're the symbol of the French Resistance.

Symbols can wait till later. Right now the Germans are on our ass.

If you want to keep fighting, we need to stay alive.

So what do we do?

Hey, Lieutenant,

isn't Captain Grange supposed to be at the Col du Rousset?

That's right.

We can back him up.

Then let's go with him.

Follow me.

We won't all risk going up to the pass.

P'tit Louis, you're from the area.

You can scout it out, to try to get to the Grange squadron.

They must be on the other slope.

OK, Lieutenant, but not on my own.

Perrat, will you come with me?

What am I supposed to do up there?

But if you want me to...

How about catching our breath for a while?

We could see if this works.

This isn't the time and we're not here to make a racket.

Yeah.

There's no one here. It's deserted.

You don't know, but down there's the place to be.

We could be there in two hours.

I need the war to end first. I'm in the Resistance.

When I think about Ginette... She's waiting for me down there.

You're not married. You wouldn't know.

I mean, she's waiting for me... That's not for certain.

She likes a bit of it. It's not her fault.

That can be good.

There aren't many like her.

What would I know? She's been the only one.

But I'm here because of her.

Even the mailman says she's quite a patriot.

She got me into the Resistance.

But what do I care?

I'm not worse up here than slaughtering her dad's cows, right?

Right.

I'd like to go that way.

You'd be down pretty quick.

-They're not there, Lieutenant. -Grange must've gone to Vassieux.

There must have been a counterattack.

Let's have a bite and get going.

That's pretty strange, Lieutenant.

They didn't leave anyone there?

They need everyone.

Are you coming with me?

You saw what happened this morning. They didn't see. They couldn't know.

That guy's in bad shape.

Look out!

There's nothing we can do here.

We'd better get him to hospital.

The hospital's gone.

When the Germans attacked, a month ago,

they transferred the wounded to the Luire cave, three hours away.

And we can't take him now.

With the Germans on the prowl, it'd be too risky.

We'll settle in and leave to be there by dawn.

He's had it.

Hey, kid,

do you remember checking the snares around here.

We're the game now.

And the wardens are nastier.

It's not old Reppin now.

-We came with Mirette. -Yes.

-Where is she? -They must've got her in the village.

What do you think about the kid?

He won't get far.

He won't make the harvest.

If it's not him, there'll be others.

They won't make the harvest either.

Why are you in the Resistance?

Hey, I've been resisting for 40 years.

Those Germans are a surprise. I thought the Americans beat them.

I guess I was wrong.

When do you think they'll get us out of this?

There aren't many planes.

I've learned not to count on them.

No one mentioned the Allies when we came onto the plateau.

Were you among the first?

No, I did a lot of work, down below, in Grenoble.

I only came up when my cover was blown.

When did you come up?

Two weeks ago.

What network were you in before?

I was working. I wasn't in the Resistance.

You waited for the landings?

What was your big contribution?

It's not about where you were a month ago.

-It's where you'll be tomorrow. -That's easy.

If the Allies let us down, we'll have had it.

We can't make it on our own.

I don't think there's much chance of any help now.

The Allies have other fish to fry.

And the people in Algiers just want to take power.

We don't matter. We'd just be a nuisance.

That's politics. I don't do politics.

If I'd known it'd be like that, I'd have stayed at home.

That's over at Saint-Julien, right? That looks serious.

That looks like artillery fire.

But they can't be in Saint-Julien. It's impossible.

Our defenses to the north are unbreakable.

The Germans don't know the land. They can't get through.

-Then maybe we're counterattacking. -That must be it.

Right. They can't have gotten through.

We'll drop the injured guy off and go to give them a hand.

How could the Germans have analyzed things so badly?

Vercors is impregnable.

They went into the beast's mouth.

Look, Saint-Julien's on fire.

That can't be Saint-Julien.

Are you sure it is?

As sure as my name's Gaston.

Get down.

Maybe it's the Allies.

Don't give me that look. It'll be next time.

Stop. I'll give him a slug.

No, not that.

Never give the wounded alcohol.

Put him down a moment.

-Where's this cave? -It's five minutes away.

That's when we'll get to see a doctor.

That's right.

The Germans are in the cave! They got Léninas! Run!

The kid's dead.

If he's dead, we can run even faster.

That'll do for us, over there.

That's a perfect spot.

Move on, fast.

Hey, we're from the Resistance.

There are no Miliciens on the plateau.

We're French, like you. Put your gun down.

-We're in the Resistance. -We'll see about that.

Tell him.

It's Ahmed! Where did you spring from?

Vassieux, Lieutenant.

We were supposed to meet up there.

Hello.

-Hello. -Hi.

-Hello. -Hello.

I thought I'd never get out.

The Germans were well prepared.

They razed everything.

They're like a plague of locusts.

How did you get out?

I was really lucky.

I was on the cemetery road when I heard shots.

It was coming every which way.

I jumped into the cemetery, to fire from behind the walls.

But the Germans knew that trick.

Over 20 of them came, with four or five machine guns.

I thought, "Ahmed, you've had it."

And then I saw a grave that had just been dug.

That was for the guy that was due to be buried at ten.

I jumped in and I didn't move.

They were up above me.

They just kept on shooting.

Then nothing.

I was thinking, "I have to get out of here."

A cat would've made more noise than I did.

And outside Vassieux?

They're everywhere, Lieutenant. Saint-Julien is ash.

They have cannons, artillery and even mules.

-They're mountain troops. -And what did our troops do?

I don't want to talk about it, Lieutenant.

-We're not through yet. -No, not yet.

What are you doing? We're not in Valcroissant yet.

This is no time to slack off.

There's no rush.

That looks like Mont Aiguille.

But a bit smaller.

OK, we'll stop off for a while.

I'll go take a look up there. I should be able to see Valcroissant.

Hey, Ahmed,

is your lieutenant always like that?

Yes, for as long as I've known him.

Always, like on parade.

I first met him in 1940, in Épinal.

I was with the sergeant, on the platform, amid it all.

It was a real rout.

People were running everywhere, babies were crying.

Chickens and rabbits were on the tracks.

That was just the start.

Then guess what we saw coming.

A lieutenant.

That was a surprise.

The officers left four days earlier.

And the uniform he was in looked freshly tailored.

He asked my superior where the third section was.

That was our section.

"There, Lieutenant."

We pointed to 20 freaks, climbing onto the train,

going at each other.

To get to the front?

What front? We were heading to Bordeaux.

And what did your lieutenant do?

What do you think?

I got him a seat and he did the same as now.

He said, "OK..."

He went in through the window too.

The window?

Two weeks later, there was the armistice.

He didn't get to fire a single shot.

He had to wait for the tide to turn, to come up to the plateau.

He was like you.

I'm not an officer. I'm in insurance.

You can see Valcroissant.

You're lucky we're not Germans.

We've seen enough.

I hear there are a lot at Die.

Even that they'll be on the plateau tomorrow.

But since you're here, you'd better stay the night.

One of us will go down to Die, to try to see what they're planning.

Any volunteers?

Then I'll have to choose someone.

Not me, Lieutenant.

Send Marcellin, he hasn't done anything.

Right - did you do the walking for me?

Who went up to Rousset?

Let's talk about Rousset.

Marcellin, you'll go at sunset.

You'll need to wear civilian clothing.

Will you come with me?

Hey, I'm not in the Resistance.

I'm a mailman.

-Here. -Thanks.

What about you, Ahmed?

What, with my Arab face?

Do you think I'll pass for a local?

You're French, just like me.

Yes, when I'm in uniform.

-So you'll let me go alone. -Like a drink?

Are you sure the Germans have gone?

If we were, we wouldn't be sending you.

-What if I run into a patrol? -Act dumb.

You won't need to act!

If you run into anyone, keep your hands in your pockets.

-Keep them in my pockets? -You don't have peasant hands.

Don't worry. You'll be fine.

Come on, we'll get you dressed up.

There you go! You look like a proper peasant now.

Not everyone has your mailman face.

If you meet a girl with big...

stay away - she's his wife.

If you see her, don't say we're here.

She can't keep quiet.

We'll see you again. Stay smart.

Here we go.

You'd have found it anyway.

Before I drink this...

I'd like to remind you.

Stop it!

-Don't you want to eat with us? -No, I already ate.

No, let the lieutenant serve.

Thank you very much.

That smells good!

That reminds me of a little inn, near our school,

where we all went on Sundays.

What, you went to a restaurant to eat stew?

The last time I went to a restaurant, it was for the firemen's banquet.

Are you a fireman?

No, but we mailmen go to all the banquets.

What a feast!

They had chicken and shrimp,

frog's legs, trout like that...

And all in wine.

Hey, Ahmed, you can't eat that, it's pork.

Have you seen pigs with wool?

Bring it on. See if I don't eat it.

Let me tell you, we're all lucky to be here.

We did OK.

If I was the Germans, I'd have shut it all off.

We're not out of the inn yet.

We'll make it.

And there are more fighters.

We'll be with our comrades from Drôme tomorrow.

Drôme's not just next door. I'm from Vercors.

I need to speak to Ginette first.

But the people in London and Algiers left us high and dry.

We can't judge.

Maybe the planes landed elsewhere.

There must've been higher priorities.

What's that's supposed to mean?

Whose higher priorities?

We might make it,

but tell the guys left on the plateau about "higher priorities."

Maybe we should leave a nice piece for Marcellin.

Some meat, not just potatoes. Some mutton.

That reminds me of a story.

This was back in '38.

Before the Bosch trashed the scenery,

I'd go to visit Louise, at the Richardière.

I'd go on Saturday evening, across the plateau,

and I'd come back on Sunday, at nightfall.

I was coming back one summer evening,

in a rush, because a storm was looming.

The sky was black and the storm broke just when I was passing the big hut.

I ran for shelter

and I came across a grumpy shepherd, on his own,

eating an omelet.

With herbs?

With mushroom and potato.

He invited me to join him.

We were both sitting there, under the oil lamp.

We started eating, in silence.

You know, kid, if I was your age,

I wouldn't miss an opportunity like that.

Where was I?

Ah, yes, I was eating, with that old guy.

He wasn't that chatty, so I was feeling a bit awkward.

After a while, I decided to say something.

"You've got the place to yourself."

He said, "I don't mind."

"You don't mind? But what about women?

"You must miss them, sometimes.

"Or you're really cut out to be a shepherd."

He really wasn't that chatty,

so I decided to sleep in the sheepfold,

because it was chucking down.

I spent the night in the hay

and then in the morning I went to see my shepherd.

He was letting the sheep out.

So I thanked him and then when it was time to go,

what did I see, amid his flock?

A kid with curly hair, gamboling on all fours.

He said it was his son.

I said, "Your son?

"I'm amazed. You were saying that you and women...

"I don't get it."

And right then,

the shepherd started shouting at the kid.

The kid comes over

and when he got over I asked his name.

And he said, "Albeeeert."

Come on.

Come here.

Come here!

Could you help me?

There he goes.

Come here!

Come here.

Come here.

Sing us something.

I don't think I could, today.

Mailman, can you play music?

I sing songs.

Pass me that.

Are you ready?

And one, and two...

When it returns

The time of the cherries

The cheerful nightingale

The cheeky blackbird...

It sounds like they drank the lot.

Yes, the farmer's best thinking was to bring two liters of spirits.

Will you stay a couple of days?

No, we need to get back to it tomorrow.

Thanks.

-You're not counting on them? -No.

I wanted to ask you to stay up till one o'clock tonight.

And wake me up, when Marcellin gets back.

If he doesn't come back,

we'll need to be gone by daylight.

The time of the cherries...

The cheerful nightingale...

They're good.

But it's short

The time of the cherries

The cheerful nightingale

The cheeky blackbird...

-Come inside and sleep. -No, we're waiting for Marcellin.

Hey, Ahmed, he wants to wait for Marcellin.

We've been drinking, but he's drunk!

Wait, I... Long live France, Lieutenant.

You're drunk, Ahmed.

Yes, completely, but it's not my fault.

The French planted vines where we live.

We never used to drink wine.

It's nothing, with him, but...

He's under the table, Louis.

He won't measure up to Louis. He's worse than you...

You think?

Come on...

Is there a spot where I can sleep?

Yes, there's a barn there.

-Thanks. -Good night.

So, did we make it out, fella?

Yes, we're OK.

But out where?

Make yourself at home.

This will be better than straw.

Get back on your straw.

You're a funny sort of warrior. You need your creature comforts.

I'm not a warrior.

Then what are you doing with those guys?

I'm trying to get out.

I'm fed up with patriots, on both sides.

I wonder if it wouldn't be easier just to pick a side and stay there.

That wouldn't trouble you.

That wasn't always the case.

I was married,

to an early Resistance member, in '42, in Lyon.

The Gestapo caught him in May and shot him two months later,

so I came to live with my brother.

Are you worried?

No, I never agreed with the war.

What are you going to do now?

We'll see tomorrow. I'll be here tonight?

At the abbey?

No, here, in your room.

There's no war, no Germans, no Milice and you're beautiful.

-Maybe I have an opinion too. -Let's hear it.

Shit!

Get out the back!

Get your guns!

Quick!

Come on.

Are you thirsty?

-Is that all that's left? -Yes.

-You didn't wake me up last night? -No.

You'd be court martialed, usually.

I'm not a soldier.

Nor were the people that died because of you.

What you did before you came to the plateau is your business.

Now you're with us, you have to march with us.

Anyway, you'd have no chance alone.

I happen to think the opposite.

You're losing the war.

I'll manage on my own.

We need to move. The Germans are close.

It wasn't to be, this time.

We've had it, on the plateau.

-We need to set an ambush. -With what?

That's suicidal.

They didn't take her alive, did they?

No.

What are they doing?

They should be here.

It's a trap. We should fall back.

I'm not holding anyone back.

I'm off. You can play the fools without me.

Here.

Let him go.

Cover me. I'll see what's going on.

Get moving, fools! They're coming from behind!

Come on, I'll cover you.

Fall back, Lieutenant!

Hurry up.

Get down.

You see, there's another exit.

I wouldn't have brought you here, otherwise.

We got them, guys! That's the Germans for you.

What do we do now?

Let's go by the hut, before we do anything else.

Maybe we'll get some news.

And we'll be under cover. There's a big storm brewing.

Is that your hut?

It looks deserted.

The dogs will be there, at least.

You're just in time. The weather's about to turn.

-You're not called Albert, are you? -Yes, why?

-Are you in the Resistance? -If you like.

If you see the guys in charge,

tell them to organize their parachute drops a bit better.

That's what they sent on July 14. Oil.

At least 300 liters, just outside the door.

They'd have done better to send some Côtes du Rhône.

Are you thirsty? And hungry?

I'll get you something.

It gets dark early.

That's the storm.

It's not a regular storm.

I've never seen candles lit at three o'clock before.

How do you get supplies, around here?

There are the sheep.

Yes, but they're not yours.

They kill one from time to time and there are the steps and the fog.

And you might give nature a helping hand.

Yes, what do you think? It happens!

That's life.

Do you always stay here?

So long as there's grass for the sheep.

And I change huts.

But there's no water on the plateau.

There's enough for me and my sheep.

You just need to know the springs.

And it rains quite a lot.

There's always this.

What was that?

Take it easy.

Well now...

That's funny. The sheep are coming up already.

Maybe the storm made them a bit crazy.

But it's not their first storm. It's strange.

Where are you going?

We want to get off the plateau. Is there a way without Germans?

They're everywhere.

The Col de Menée might be an option, but I don't know.

Have they been here?

Here? What for?

Did you hear that noise?

Listen.

It's the wind.

It's not just the wind.

Storms always bother animals, you know.

Will you come too?

I'm not leaving the plateau and my sheep.

And what would they do to a poor shepherd like me?

I don't bother them.

And if they get up to me, it'll mean they're everywhere

and I can't climb Mont Aguille.

Is Mont Aiguille far?

It's just behind.

In good weather, you'd see it through the window.

What's Mont Aiguille?

It's like a keep, with a meadow on top.

People also call it Mount Inaccessible.

Have you been up?

No, it's not a mountain for men.

You see, Perrat,

that's one more that the Germans won't be getting.

You really can't see anything.

I'm going to fix that shutter.

Shit!

Quick, the barrels.

We need to shake them off that way.

That's all we need. We'll get lost in this.

No, just be careful and keep an eye on the cairns,

the stones that the shepherds use, in bad weather.

We could be quite a while here, if it wasn't for those.

The Germans could be here for quite a while too.

Once we're through, we can let it all fly.

We can hide there.

Shit! Stop messing about!

Look, there's one.

No, it's not one.

I think we're lost.

Then we'll just try our luck.

Damn!

We've come full circle.

I've still got no idea where we are.

I can't get you out of this cage.

We can try that way.

Fools!

We'll end Michel Perrat's story at that arbitrary point.

He was not among the 840 identified victims.

He was never seen at the Vercors veterans banquet.

His name didn't figure on the lists of those decorated.

Perhaps, like you and me,

he just drifted through that period by chance.

ALL OF THE CHARACTERS AND EVENTS IN THIS FILM ARE IMAGINARY

AND ANY SIMILARITY TO REAL EVENTS PEOPLE, ALIVE OR DEAD,

IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.