Original subtitles

Fabrice!

Where is your lieutenant?

Fabrice!

- We're going up. - Are we stopping after 8?

We're not waiting. We're out!

The 75 have a short range.

- Be ready. - Wait, George!

Put the masks on.

We're going up.

Come on!

Jean! Shit!

- Weren't you down there? - I was at the aid station.

- How many guys are left? - I don't know.

Round your troops up.

- Your hand. - It's nothing.

- Go get first aid. - I'm fine.

- You can't be here! - Don't go up without me.

Not without me. I'll fight well, I promise.

- My lieutenant! - Coming.

Seven minutes. See you in a bit, brother.

Guys, we're going up!

Come on!

Fuck Pétain!

Fuck Nivelle, fuck Foch, fuck Pétain.

Calm down! Stop it, now.

- Fuck France! - Calm down.

No! Fuck France!

Mougeolles, shit!

Shit!

Raulic! 75! Watch your step!

Don't worry, Captain. It's not my time.

Raulic?

Raulic.

CEASEFIRE

Hello!

Marcel?

Ms. Vial.

You know?

I'm used to it. It's fine.

Hello, Marcel.

M, a, r, c, e, l.

My name is Hélène.

H, e, l, e, n, e.

I've come to talk to you.

It will be hard

if you don't look at me.

What are you looking at?

There's nothing out there.

Okay, so she left. Are you happy now?

You idiot!

Hello!

Do you prefer it like this?

Me in the street, and you behind the glass?

It's a good idea. So you have something to look at.

Okay? Should we go on?

My name is Hélène.

HONOUR TO THE INVALIDS

Don't just stand there. You have to move!

Here. Make this lady dance a little!

She'll show you how.

- What's your name? - Madeleine.

- What? - Madeleine.

That's a nice name!

Madeleine! And this handsome guy is Marcel.

Madeleine and Marcel, go dance!

Keep the rhythm!

The rhythm!

Good!

Good. Now a polka! Play a polka!

Shall we?

- Hey! - Come here, doll!

Invalids have priority.

What?

What did you leave to the Germans? Your balls?

It stings a little, but it smells good.

Here. For the emotions.

- Marcel! - They're over here!

How is he doing?

He'll be fine.

You're in good hands! Come with me.

You can come back. They kicked that guy out.

Come on!

Come on! We won't let him ruin our party!

Come on.

Oh, that's you!

You already looked like a dreamer.

Do I know him?

Philippe?

And him?

No, we shouldn't think about that.

That won't bring them back.

She's pretty, isn't she?

Pretty.

I might die tomorrow, you know.

Die.

Me. Die.

How will you manage alone?

George?

Will George take care of you?

Do you have any news?

UPPER VOLTA, 1923

At this speed, we won't reach Bobo in over a month.

The Diougani blacksmith will repair it.

He's never even seen an engine.

He's calling his ancestors.

Spirits of heaven.

Spirits of the earth.

Invisible spirits.

You...

I feel rage in you.

I see shadows fighting in your heart.

Drink.

You'll have a good trip.

I hope it holds up.

You should have drunk that blood, Captain.

- Leave it. I'll do it. - I'm finished.

How was Timbuktu?

Hot. Very hot.

Did you hear me play? I rehearsed for you.

Thank you.

You look fine in there.

You know what?

We're going back to France.

My dad will set up a business.

He'll sell telegraphs. He says it's the future.

Are you happy?

Angèle?

Do you intend to stay here your whole life?

I like it here.

My father says it's a waste.

He says we need men like you in France.

- What for? - To participate in progress.

- What progress? - That of humanity.

Angèle!

They're calling you.

- Do you think I'm ugly? - What?

You think I don't realize.

Nothing moves you anyway.

Not Schubert, not great ideas, nothing.

Angèle!

You're the prettiest girl in Bobo.

Right.

Stay in your rotten hole.

Listen to me!

Listen to me well! Everything I'm about to say

is nothing but the truth.

Adrian helmet!

Bayonet.

I myself

sliced 2 Germans

at the Battle of Verdun.

In one blow!

Like they were chicken.

Not even God has seen what I, Diofo, have seen.

Captain Laffo's Lebel.

The rifle of victory.

Attack on coast 154

by the brave Captain Laffo.

War cross. Legion of honour.

Five citations.

Military medal.

We face fire for France.

He's crawling...

He stayed down.

Grenade!

Eiffel Tower.

Magical Eiffel Tower.

Nobody can beat Diofo.

We move between bullets and grenades.

Now I'm the one who captured Douaumont?

It's the true truth.

You almost had me imprison the Keiser!

That's a good idea, Captain!

Say whatever you want, but don't fire the Lebel.

- But they love that! - Leave it in the trunk.

So you won't waste the ammo.

- Rifles are made to shoot. - I don't want to see it again!

Yes, Captain.

- What do they want? - They're against our thing.

They say you must let the villagers go.

Are you the boss?

Listen to me! I'm not a recruiting agent.

I don't work for the French.

Those villagers are volunteers.

They'll work in cocoa plantations.

They're volunteers, get it? They will earn money.

He doesn't believe you.

He says you're taking them to build a railroad.

He sees we are going to the Gold Coast!

The railroad is to the North.

Stop!

Get back in, we're leaving. Diofo, stop them!

They'll be swallowed by night if they leave with you!

On the contrary! They will make money.

Get back in, guys, or we'll never get there.

Do you think you scare me?

Do you want to shoot me?

Go ahead!

What are you doing?

Let me show you how to use it.

Detach it.

With this.

Captain Laffo has killed more Germans

than you, Chied Dozo, will kill antelopes

in your whole life.

The mask of victory.

Incredible magic!

Captain Laffo guides his battalion.

The Battle of Verdun.

The queen...

who makes Laffo a tiger.

The soldier who killed most enemies...

in the 1914 war.

Oh, Great Spirit!

Sanem and Contron!

Great Spirit, capable of many things,

2 non-initiates

want to be part of your friary.

Here is the water

to ask you the way

and for you to authorize us

to accept them among us.

I bow to you.

It's good.

All the Dozos are brothers.

All, without exception.

You must be brothers.

- Will you be able to? - Yes.

- Will you follow the rules? - Yes.

- And respect them? - Yes.

Aren't we better here than on the truck?

On the truck, I wasn't scared of Mamiwata.

Mamiwata, the little mermaid who catches you by the feet?

What are you saying?

Misfortune and happiness

both live in humans.

That's what the Toucouleurs say.

Attention!

Do you know the difference between us?

There are many, Captain.

But there's one main one: The bugle.

It will never make me stand to attention.

Rest.

- Is he okay? - He's doing great.

Boss.

Here is Captain Laffo's mask.

It's the mask of victory.

Could we exchange it for one of your masks?

I think so.

Is it feasible?

Diofo,

tell him that my son Seydou

was killed at war

with a rifle.

Every night, his spirit haunts me by the water.

I'd love to make peace with him.

The elder says that his son Seydou

was eaten by the white men's great war.

At night, he sees his spirit by the river.

He says: Captain Laffo, since you command soldiers,

tell him to come make peace with me,

because I gave him to France.

Tell him that Laffo doesn't command spirits.

Captain Laffo knows Seydou.

He was a good soldier.

He won a medal.

He will tell Seydou to come make peace

with his father.

That's good.

We fight for France!

Diofo runs, Diofo is not scared!

He's there, he runs dodging the bullet.

I, Diofo,

I am not scared.

Here is the Eiffel Tower.

Do you see this piece of iron?

Whoever touches it...

will have power!

Wait. Six times nine?

- Thirty four? - Six times nine?

- Thirty four. - No. Fifty four.

Start over.

Captain!

Captain!

Captain!

Diofo?

Diofo!

What's the matter?

Captain.

Who did this to you?

- Shit! - My Eiffel Tower...

- Hold on, I'll take you in. - My Captain...

Hey, Diofo!

Stay with me. Look me in the eyes.

It's the war...

It's the 1914 war that came for me.

C, D...

E...

E...

F, G, H...

I...

J...

K, L...

M.

N...

O...

Albert!

O...

- Excuse him. - He doesn't bother us, ma'am.

- Say good-bye. - Good bye!

The cat...

The mouse is scared of the cat.

The cat is scared of the dog.

Yes. The dog is scared...

of the wolf.

The wolf is scared...

of man.

Of man, yes.

And what is man scared of?

Is man not scared?

Yes. Of everything. Of nothing.

Of women.

Of mice.

It's me.

Hello.

I'll leave you.

Marcel...

What? Do I look like a ghost?

George!

Shit!

Mom.

Mom, are you okay?

You idiot...

You're not saying much.

Four years down there is a lot to tell.

You said the same thing last time.

- I just came home. - But I'm interested.

Please.

He's changed so much! He's gained weight.

I wish it was just that.

Didn't they say he would talk?

That is was a matter of time, of months? No?

- What does Gagneux think? - Nothing.

- Neurologists don't know. - What does he do every day?

He hangs with Philippe or stays up there.

Fortunately, he has courses. And there's Madeleine.

- Is that serious? - Very much so.

- What is she like? - Petite. Very simple.

- Very kind. - It's not so bad, then.

Two months ago, he tried to drown in the Loire.

In the middle of the night.

George

Here, this is for you.

It's the Saint George!

Your father would have liked it.

Thanks.

Millet granaries.

My truck.

A party.

My boat.

On the Volta.

This is Diofo.

What about you? No pictures?

A portrait of your fiancée?

Madeleine.

No? No picture?

I'm told she's pretty.

Pretty.

When can I meet her?

Introduce her...

to me. When?

Miss!

- May I speak to you? - Sorry, I'm being expected.

I wanted to tell you...

Your classes are fine, but Marcel will recover.

- Excuse me? - He'll talk again.

- Oh, really? - Of course.

It's a psychic blockage.

- My brother will talk. - And...?

That sign language is not a good idea, you see?

No I don't.

It keeps him glued to his illness.

- Should I stop teaching him? - It would be best.

- Does Ms. Laffont know? - I'll talk to her.

- What about Marcel? - I will explain.

- I was hired by your mother. - I will pay for every lesson.

You're quite unique.

- Miss... - Ma'am.

Good-bye.

He went through Hell at that Psychoneurosis centre.

They were not really interested

in healing people.

So they didn't.

Your brother is proof.

Blind, crippled...

chronic trembling...

Completely ruined by fear.

Will he recover?

There's no way of knowing.

12-8.

What about you?

Do you have nightmares, dark thoughts, phobias?

No.

This is recent.

From a month ago.

- What happened? - Nothing. An accident.

With a blade?

Who sewed you up? It's a sloppy job.

Don't pull your skin.

Ask your mother to work less for her association.

With her heart...

- What association? - Missing soldiers' families.

Maybe she'll listen to you.

- Take your brother as he is. - Can't something be done?

What matters most is that he's still alive.

Nothing is worth more than life, George.

- Take care. - Good-bye.

What are you doing?

Writing to the ministry.

They want to stop the identifications.

Weygand says we should love the unknown soldier

as if he were our own son.

What an idiot!

Where did that sign language idea come from?

From the doctor.

- He won't readapt like that. - It does him good.

- Will you also learn it? - Madeleine and I started.

Madeleine...

- He doesn't seem too excited. - It's the girl he needs.

She's patient and sincere.

And she's well grounded.

- And she receives a pension. - Oh, how ideal.

Why didn't you ever write?

- I did. - Three postcards.

Did you think one missing relative was not enough?

Time is different down there.

It's surely not like mine.

- Are you reproaching me? - However...

- Do you want me to leave? - Don't be so sensitive!

- What do you plan to do? - Well, find a job.

Where?

Anywhere in Paris where they need engineers.

What about your brother?

Isn't he getting married?

20, 21, 22, 23,

24 hours.

One...

memorable day.

A day not to be forgotten

in the history of races.

Don't you feel like it?

I'm sure you could learn to drive.

I want to learn myself.

I do!

Yes, I am going to learn!

What? Do you think women can't learn to drive?

Of course.

Women will learn to drive.

And one day, we'll get to the 24 hours

of Le Mans.

And we will win.

Circuit...

La Sarthe. Nice performance.

- Where is all this from? - From the Boni region.

They don't give things up that easily!

- Did you buy them? - I exchanged them.

- For what? - Other masks.

- What kind of masks? - Just masks.

- Do you have any more? - No.

You're not going back there?

Oh, the Kara-Wemba.

It's to honour the mother. It's superb.

I captured the La Laufée Fort again last night.

- Are you sleeping well? - I have my night ghosts.

Our wives suffer most from it...

- Shit. I'm sorry. - It's okay. It's in the past.

Where is she now?

Okay, so...

Here we go.

I work in the red zone. Total destruction.

120,000 hectares to rebuild. Can't see the end of it.

I have three plots. Here, here, and here.

Imagine, there's ammunition, armaments, all kind of debris.

It's crazy how we spent all that.

There's thousands just in lead pellets.

What's to be done?

Remove shells, clean, decontaminate the surface,

backfilling...

- We'll recycle the metals. - It's not my sector.

I don't care, I need an organizer,

a leader of men.

I'll have 500 workers.

Coolies, Kabyle, Senegalese, Italians...

I can't do it anymore.

- What about the bodies? - Bodies?

The 400,000 corpses that haven't shown up.

- The exhumations are over. - There must be more.

Where is Jean? Do you have something?

So you'll make money with that...

Should I leave it to shirkers? They went rich while we fought.

So, no George.

That is our place.

It's our home, believe me.

Do you want my register?

To see my citations?

No?

Hey, I'm talking to you.

I'll wait for you outside, asshole.

That girl killed me.

Labadou.

The king of exhumations.

50 F profit per body. He's unearthed over 60,000.

Do the math.

Anyway, who cares?

Come, let's dance! Foxtrot is easy.

Come on! Let's dance!

Come on, George!

Come on...! George!

George?

Oh, here you are! So...?

I shouldn't.

Soldiers!

Attention!

Are you looking for me?

- Are you okay? - Yeah, sure.

Do you want to see my medals?

Can't you hold up anymore, my friend?

- You little moron! - Let the dead rise.

Stop it.

Go home.

I killed about a dozen like him!

Right, I'm so scared!

A dozen...!

Go back to your trench.

George.

George, stop.

George!

Move!

George, stop!

It's the African...

Did you make fortune?

It's nice, huh?

Shall we go for a spin in the outskirts?

Just you and me, out for a ride.

We'll go to Saint-Aubin.

The weather is nice!

- Didn't you get your post? - I have other plans.

What did you do in Africa?

A bit of everything.

Crayfish.

Crayfish...

How do we find them?

They're under the rocks.

Right?

Which of the three brothers was the best?

The best. The strongest.

Yes. George.

What was your father like?

Was he strong?

Was he big?

Severe? Straight?

He always set the bar high for us.

He always said that. "Set the bar high."

There are lots!

Come!

Mule head.

- Don't come near me. - She's nice!

- I don't like them. - Just look.

- She's signalling to you. - No.

- Really... - Stop!

- Ouch! - Did she bite you?

That hurt!

Go ahead, laugh.

Thanks for your words. Did you change your mind?

How do you say "George"?

George. It's your name in sign language.

- What does it mean? - The zombie.

Ghost.

Marcel gave it to you.

- Do you know Madeleine? - I teach her too.

He seems to be hiding her. Is she ugly?

- Not at all. - Can she make him happy?

At least she's learning to talk to him.

It's a good start.

Would you teach me too?

That depends on you.

- Slowly, I said. - Sorry.

There you go.

- Where are you from? - Lyon.

- What brought you here? - My husband.

We're separated.

- Do I change gears? - Down there.

I think I'll love this.

Aren't you scared?

Current affairs, stock exchange prices,

stock exchange results, radio-dancing, all for free

once you buy the place.

And the greatest plus, the Eiffel Tower.

The antenna at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

- Can I come in? - No.

It has a magical effect, especially in the province.

I was sure you'd come back.

Get out, please.

Don't tell me you came back for her.

I see that old Europe doesn't disgust you anymore.

We'll see about that.

- Talk more with clients. - I will, I promise.

It's a pity you didn't bring your infantryman along.

That Diofo...!

- You won't do this for life. - It's fine with me.

A man like you? Come on! We'll see later.

Let's have lunch.

Bravo.

I can do that.

I had a pirogue.

- A pirogue? - Yes.

Pirogue.

Do you miss it?

- Yeah. - Why did you come back?

I had nothing more to do down there.

Let's put the hood on.

Won't you help me?

"Where the sun...

The sun.

"of the proud mountain glows...

"there's a small valley

"that lathers...

"with sunbeams.

"A young soldier

"with his mouth open..."

- Is it funny? - No.

How will you say "Two red holes on his right side"?

Holes... red...

right side.

Where did you learn this?

In Bar-le-Duc, during the war,

with a mouthless man.

What were you doing with a mouthless man?

I was a nurse.

My husband's pension is a bit scarce, so I'm working again.

What else could I do?

Thank you.

This is how I met him:

I was sewing his military doctor's braid.

We married very soon, with few guests.

His family did not agree.

We married during his leave.

Very merry, very brief.

We hardly got to know each other.

He didn't want children.

At least not until the war was over.

I'm sorry to receive you like this.

No, it was my idea.

I'm excited to meet you.

- Did he tell you about me? - Your mother did.

Marcel always has a picture of you on him.

Of you both, in high school, I think.

That's him.

Secretive, sensitive.

That's what I like about him.

You know... I understand him.

With or without signs, I understand him.

That's what binds us.

This was Jean's!

I would burn that.

Look.

You'll play again, you'll see.

Why don't you propose to her?

I'll come with you if you want.

Don't you?

I will come...

with you.

Me with you.

So you...

can ask...

her hand in marriage.

YOU DON'T NEED TO LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE.

Would you like to come to Africa with me?

You just came back from there.

It's too small here.

I'm not used to it.

- I don't sleep well. - Because of me?

What would I do in Africa?

See things you have no idea about.

What about your brother?

He'll soon be married.

I'm married too.

You're getting a divorce.

Do you still love him?

We've earned the right to be selfish.

You'll be selfish with me too.

We'll be selfish together.

That's what colonies are for.

I hardly know you.

Marcel.

Marcel!

Shit.

Marcel!

Marcel! I don't understand.

What is it?

What are you thinking? Tell me!

What about Madeleine?

Answer me!

What are you doing here?

What happened to your man?

What happened to you both?

Don't you want to tell me?

We married in 1914.

He left in 1916.

Is was the beginning of the end.

Whenever he came home on leave it was...

as if he hated me for staying behind.

I don't know. He imagined things.

So I tried to get close to the front

and went to work to Bar-le-Duc.

It was hard to see each other.

And when we did meet,

I didn't recognize him anymore. Nothing interested him.

I didn't know what to do. Then came the Armistice.

- And you left him? - No.

We went back to living together.

But he was no longer the same and you left him.

It's what I said.

It had become hell.

- Don't you want to know? - I know what comes next.

- What's going on? - Do you really know hell?

George!

What did you expect?

For him to be smiling, in a good mood,

as if he'd been on a field trip?

I know what you went through. I saw it myself.

What did you see? Were you in a trench?

That's where it all happened.

Among shit and corpses.

Under the shells. 10, 20, 50 per minute,

for days, until you forgot who you were,

with men gone crazy with terror.

Do you want to know where I got this?

A jaw sunk into me!

They extracted the molars from a guy who turned to dust...

- Stop. - Do you know what it's like?

- You talk, then he's dead. - Stop!

His brain dripping from your neck.

That's only a tiny fraction of what I saw.

Not to mention fear. Fear of the shells,

fear of the mines, fear of bullets.

Did you experience that?

Fear of an assault when you crossed the parapet.

And death.

Your death.

How many times have you felt your own death near?

How many times?

That's where we came from. You know nothing.

Nobody does. Nobody can ever know.

Leave.

Leave.

Bastard!

Son of a bitch!

I'm going to kill you.

You can't beat me, Captain Laffo.

I have the Eiffel Tower.

DEAF PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE

Hélène.

Won't you see me anymore?

I can't help it.

What is it? Tell me.

Say something.

I need peace, George.

That's all.

Can't you see what peace is?

Damien.

I'm right here.

Can you hear me?

Ministry of War Laffont Jean...

Jean Laffont 1916

I asked you to take care of him.

Shut up.

You promised...

What did I promise?

I lost half my company

while 75's fired over us.

What was I supposed to do?

Now I come back

and you still blame me.

Damn...

It's no wonder I left.

- Some of them survived. - What do you want?

Trade places with him?

Sometimes I wish that too.

He also visits me at night.

Every night, just in case you're wondering.

I'm sorry.

What happened with Marcel?

Nothing. We just had an argument.

I'm scared for him.

Don't ask me to protect him too.

He's locked himself in his room.

Marcel.

Open the door!

What is it?

Won't you see me anymore?

Do you want me to go back to Africa?

I know you hear me. Answer me, say something.

Hélène and I are through.

Are you happy now?

Is that what you wanted?

You don't care?

They found Jean's ID plate. Jean's plate!

You don't care either?

George...

You spoke.

You spoke!

Yes, you just called me.

You just said "George." You said "George."

Can you hear me? You can.

It's fine.

It'll be okay.

You will speak.

You will.

He said "George."

Do you still want to?

Are you sure?

You're as handsome as a god.

Nice house!

He said "Nice house."

I inherited from my husband.

You're more talented than me.

I have a good reason to be.

We don't need it anymore.

Marcel speaks.

Marcel hears.

He said "George."

That's wonderful.

It's just the beginning. So the doctor said.

Wonderful.

I'm not really surprised.

Marcel.

Do you want to marry me?

Yes.

Come on!

The Impossible

H. Laffont

Marcel, my dear!

Did you see Farge?

Marcel!

Marcel, stop!

Shut up!

Marcel!

Are you leaving again?

Not without you.

I was offered a job at the Saigon Hospital.

And I accepted.

No kidding.

I had said no several months ago.

What about your husband?

I asked him for the divorce.

When are you leaving?

This week.

- We'll write to each other. - No, no letters.

I'll think about you.

You can be useful here.

Seriously?

I'm 37 and I'm all worn out.

What will I do here?

You'll find something.

- When will the chemist come? - I don't know.

In the meantime, keep it up.

There's wind in Abaucourt.

What do we do?

Stop.

Stop!

Hello, guys.

Hello.

- Are you alright? - Yes.

Mr. Cottereau. He's the boss now.

Cottereau.

Hello, sir.

- Is everything alright? - Yes, Mr. Cottereau.

My pleasure.

Mr. Cordier said we'd need 700 years to clean all this.

Nobody cares. We'll stop before that.

They'll plant trees to hide it all.

The shells in the forest, the soldiers in the ossuaries...

and we'll move on.

Mr. Laffont.

How are you, guys?

Mr. Cottereau.

- Pleased to meet you. - The new chief engineer.

Welcome to the moon.

Go on. Good luck, people.

Will you go back to Africa?

Did Fabrice tell you that?

No. I'm going to Saigon.

Saigon? To do what?

To live, my friend.

To live.

It was impossible to come back whole.

With a tongue to speak, a mouth to sing,

lips to kiss, ears to hear,

eyes to see,

legs to dance,

hands to caress,

arms to build,

a head to dream,

and a heart to love.

We will speak soon, George.

We will sing,

dance, work, sleep,

dream, hope,

love, and live.

Very soon, we will have done the impossible.

To Léonce and to all those who did the impossible

Adaptation: ECLAIR