Original subtitles

In the circumstances I trust you will forgive

me if I insist, insist, that you comply

with the terms laid down in my letter

of the 23rd inst.

What the hell's the meaning of this?

Can I ask you the same question?

I happen to be in the middle of

dictating a letter.

I don't care what you're doing!

Is this the sort of letter you send

to a friend?

Will you excuse us a moment, my dear?

Now look, George, I think I know what's

upsetting you.

You think you know?

Dear Mr...

Dear Mr. Balsam.

Since when have I been Mr. Balsam to

you?

Dear Mr. Balsam, unless you can settle in

close to count on November 28th, I shall

feel compelled.

Do I have to go on?

Your best customer for 30 years, your friend

for the last 40.

But, George, you ignored my earlier letters and

my phone call.

Well, dammit, man, I'm going through a difficult

time.

The whole country is.

And I'm not?

Yeah.

What's a bill like this to a firm

like yours?

It's a lot if it's multiplied 20 or

30 fold.

I've just returned from the bank, trying to

negotiate a new loan.

I showed the manager how much it was

owed, a six-figure sum, and he asked

me if I was running a metal company

or a bank.

And more to the point, I didn't get

the loan.

George, I haven't even told this to my

wife.

I'm on the brink of bankruptcy.

You may not believe this, George, but I

came from that bank thinking if I had

a gun...

You were saying...

If you had a gun?

Oh, silly thought, really.

But I would have been tempted to hold

up that bank.

A plan even began to form in my

mind how I'd go about it.

Don't you have a gun?

A gun?

Me?

What would I be doing with guns?

I've got a gun.

As a matter of fact, I've got several.

I used to collect them.

You're not being serious, are you?

The way things are going, I've got nothing

to lose.

It was your idea.

George, I'm a prison visitor.

Justice of the peace.

He's about to go bankrupt.

We need an accomplice.

I could find one with a fast car.

Yeah, yeah, we'd have to steal one.

Ah!

Ah!

That's the dreadful thing.

You see, one crime leads to another.

Eddie, do you mean business or don't you?

I don't know.

I don't know.

Stop wasting our bloody time.

She's got this bad back.

Well, not that her front's up to much,

but she's learned to live with it.

But the back is agony.

The only thing that helps is thick blobs

of hot mud.

So she has this man there doing that

and nothing else.

Baking hot blobs of mud and slapping them

with a trowel on her back.

So, of course, I had to take charge

of everything else.

And it was go, go, go from the

moment I came to the moment I left.

And Keith isn't much help, as you know.

Besides, he's hardly ever there.

And the Italians are hopeless.

Because apart from anything else, they don't speak

English.

So, of course, it was go, go, go.

Well, the few items we had...

And bring your gun.

With any live ammunition, if you have it.

I couldn't stop thinking about it all day.

Me neither.

What on earth do you want a gun

for at this time of night?

With live ammunition?

Just want to know what it feels like

to have no gun.

Can you see yourself shooting somebody?

Oh, yes.

Quite cheerful.

That bank manager is special.

Eddie.

If you let the idea run away with

you, go to sleep on it.

I can't sleep.

I can't eat either.

George.

Isn't there a way of robbing a bank

when no one's there?

After hours.

Must be hundreds of ways.

You could borrow in from underneath.

Or to a neighbouring shop next door.

But then we'd need to bring in someone

to crack the safe.

Where are we going to find a cracksman?

I'd find one.

You'd find one?

You'd forget.

I'm a prison visitor.

And a member of the Discharged Prisoners Aid

Society.

It's the safe I'm worried about.

But I told you, I've got a master

cracksman.

Failed master cracksman.

He's done 12 years.

He had 20 good years before he was

caught.

No, it's experience that counts.

That'll be him now.

Yes?

Mr. McKenzie's waiting, sir.

Good.

Show him in, Fitters, will you?

I shall never forget what you've done for

me, Mr. Boyle.

Both in prison and out of it.

Talking to you has made me a new

man.

No, no, no.

Crime does not pay.

Not in the long run.

It's exactly what I told you.

And how right you was, Mr. Boyle.

And how sad that it took me so

long to realise how right you was.

I mean, I can't even blame my upbringing.

My father was an honest man, my mother

was an honest woman.

And I broke their arms.

Well, there you are.

It's never too late to mend.

Cheers.

Oh, cheers.

What are you doing now?

Social science.

At the Open University.

Oh, so you're going to be a social

worker?

Well, I feel that I have committed so

many crimes against society, I must make amends.

Mr. Boyle, you see before you an honest

Christian.

A reformed man.

You haven't by any chance kept in touch

with your former colleagues?

You mean cracksmen and bank robbers and the

like?

Oh, no, no, no.

You'll never get me consorting with criminals ever

again.

Anyway, they'd only lead me back into the

bad habits again.

How'd you like to earn 30 grand?

Did you say 30 grand?

Could be 100 grand, could be 200 grand.

Doing what?

Robbing a bank.

Doing what?

Robbing a bank.

What do you two know about robbing banks?

Nothing.

But we're willing to learn.

Yes, well, I think I'll...

I'll be on my...

Is this it?

Yeah.

Take me to the place.

This is the bank, this is the shop.

Very quiet in the evening, very little traffic.

We should be able to make our getaway

without any difficulty.

You're making a getaway already?

I haven't even got in yet.

Yes.

Yes, it's possible.

There's no visible alarm system, but we'll see.

All right, let's have a look round the

bank.

Ah, this way.

He's very agile for his age, isn't he?

As soon as he's been out of practise,

12 years, he's got bad feet.

Ideal.

Ideal.

Ideal.

Do you know this place could have been

designed with a bank robbery in mind?

Isn't that a bit dangerous?

I can't see without lights.

Yes, but if people outside see the lights,

won't they call the police?

Well, first of all, Mr Boyle, you will

notice that there are blinds at the window.

Yes, but there's chance that a blind...

And second of all, Mr Boyle, you have

to have nerves for this job.

How much do you reckon will be in

that bank?

Oh, main branch, provincial town, slack time of

the year, of course.

Three quarters of a million, if we're lucky.

That's 250,000 apiece.

We need a driver with a fast getaway

car, and you'll need to be paid in

advance.

How much?

Well, you start off by asking.

Ten, but I shall beat him down to

five.

Five?

A thousand?

What do you think?

I'll find the money.

You couldn't find the 5,000 gold, me.

Oh, come on, Eddie, this is different.

This is a chance of a lifetime.

Now, what's he up to?

Yes, as I thought.

Reinforced concrete.

Well, that's it.

Put this all over.

What do you mean?

That's impenetrable.

Nothing is impenetrable if you use enough dynamite.

Dynamite?

Well, I'm afraid that would be a bit

too noisy.

No, no, no.

This will be a down-and-under job.

Here.

We shall need a long weekend and a

Monday.

Why a Monday?

Because there's no money in the bank over

the weekend.

They don't stock up until Monday.

And that's when we'll surface after the cleaners

have gone.

Dear little pussy.

You know, I think it would be a

good idea if we started tomorrow night.

Oh, no, we can't.

No, I've got a trade dinner tomorrow night.

You've got to give it a miss.

Well, how can I?

I'm in the chair.

All right, all right.

We'll make it Friday.

Now, you, Mr Boyle, will be responsible for

food and drink for four days.

You, Mr Burslem.

Balsam.

Make a note of the following.

Spades, shovels, props, helmets, block and tackle, and...

Oxes, saddle and equipment.

How are things going up there?

Well, to be honest, I'm finding it quite

difficult to keep up.

We should be coming up for air soon.

Good.

Shall I make the tea, then?

No milk for me.

This is bloody ironic.

Your ma, my old man, he was a

miner.

I'll never forget him saying to me, when

I'm out in the sun, I shall see

you never go underground.

Silly idiot.

Professor!

Shh.

It's the law.

Police.

Oh, my God.

It's all right.

He's gone.

Now, I've told you before.

You shouldn't be doing this job if you

haven't got the nerve, Boyle.

Now, don't you start me.

After all I'm going to take from you,

you've gone on your own.

Listen, we have another 49 hours to go.

If we start qualling now, we're never going

to get it finished.

This isn't like you, Eddie.

It isn't like you.

Just remember, I've forgotten my Indoro.

Your what?

Indoro.

It's for my heart.

Oh, God.

Are you trying to tell me that you

have a heart condition?

This is no employment for people with heart

conditions.

I didn't have one before I started this.

Dr. Romney prescribed a tablet yesterday.

What happens if you don't take?

I don't know.

I don't know, George.

I suppose it could drop.

Well, that would rather complicate matters.

On the other hand, these are ideal circumstances

for a burial.

You, you rascal.

I didn't mean it, Eddie.

We wouldn't leave you, Eddie.

We wouldn't leave you.

Even if you did, you're a soldier on,

see, Eddie?

You're a soldier on.

How's it going?

Huh?

I said, how's it going down there?

Better without a musical accompaniment.

Do we really need four days for this

job?

It's like being buried alive.

Yes.

The joy of this work is that you're

cut off from the outside world.

There's no better way of getting away from

it all.

There's an old mill by the stream.

May I say, Mr. Meakin, that that is

a very long tunnel for such a short

distance.

What I'm afraid of is that we're going

to surface right in the middle of the

road.

Just leave things to me, please, Mr. Burslem.

Folsom, sir.

If you ask me, that's rather too much

to you.

Oh, is that so?

Well, in that case, you can finish this

job yourself.

Right, we will, we will.

For anyone to think of falling out.

Now, we have come so far.

Look at us, muddy, stinking, burrowing our way

through the earth like moles.

My wife wouldn't recognise us.

She might consider it an improvement.

Will we ever get clean?

There isn't a shower in this place.

There isn't a bath, not a bath.

Listen, Boyle, when this is finished, you will

be taken hence.

And if necessary, thence to a Turkish bath

where you can come out smelling like a

lily of the valley, if you so wish.

But in the meantime, will you please shut

your mouth and stop moaning.

I'm not going to be addressed by you

in that manner.

All right, all right.

You can have my share.

I'm getting out of here.

Shut up!

Heaney!

God, if it isn't Larry.

I thought you'd retired years ago.

So I have, so I have.

But I've taken up a bit of antique

collecting.

I happen to notice a fine piece of

delft in the window.

You know the prices they charge these days.

It's robbery.

If it comes to that, I thought you'd

retired.

Get out, don't you!

Yeah.

You know I like to keep my hand

in.

Is there anything I can do seeing as

I'm here?

Oh, no, no, no.

You're much too old for this, Heaney.

Oh, you're not in the first plus of

youth yourself.

You'd be surprised what I can do.

The only thing is I've got my best

clothes on.

But I can take them off.

A take it is not expecting a full

share of the proceeds.

I'll be happy with a few thousand.

Hmm?

All right, so I've cut the bloody cable.

We all make mistakes.

Throw some tape and gloves down, I'll fix

it in a jiffy.

And if you could manage to electrocute yourself

whilst you're at it, you'll be doing us

a great favour.

I can't understand this.

How did he manage to cut through the

cable without electrocuting himself in the first place?

Oh, that would be asking too much.

I let him blow a safe once, you

know.

And so I got these bad feet.

Aren't you frightened he's going to cut right

through a water main?

Hey, well done, Edison.

Bravo.

What did I tell you?

Why don't we send him home?

Because he'd be picked up by the police.

Now get to it, boy.

It's nearly daylight.

All right, now let's be having the props.

PHONE RINGS ALL

SHOUT All right, Cole, you can ease off

now.

It's done.

Good.

Hey, I think this calls for a cup

of tea.

Wait a minute.

The bank's closed at half past three.

Why do we have to wait so long?

It's the cleaners.

They don't finish until ten.

That's when we'll move.

It'll take us about an hour to get

through that floor.

And five minutes for me to open the

safe.

The Third World War could have started while

we've been in here.

Checkmate.

Can't wait to get home.

See my house?

My dog.

I bet she hasn't even bothered to take

him for a walk.

Poor old Cedric.

That's Cedric.

Who's Cedric?

It's his dog.

It's Cedric.

Homeboy.

Cedric.

Homeboy.

Cedric.

What good will that do?

Keep him off this edge.

I feel like a Christmas pudding.

Cedric.

We were nearly done, four-boil.

Why is it so quiet?

That's the cleaners, they're on their way.

Right.

Go, go, go, go, go, go, go.

Go, go, go, go, go, go.

Go, go, go, go, go, go.

What's all this about a new generation of

safes?

This'll be as easy as pushing open a

swing door.

Take me about five minutes.

It's an old casing, but if you ask

me, it's a new sort of lock.

Do you wish to time me?

Wait a minute.

Where's Eddie?

I hope he hasn't.

Eddie?

Eddie?

Eddie?

I felt a bit shaky.

I suppose it was the excitement.

Hey, you all right?

I'll kill you.

I'll kill you.

What if the alarm goes off?

He knows what he's doing.

I doubt it.

I told him.

Shut up, Eddie.

Open sesame.

I don't believe it.

Maybe they've moved the money already.

Not on a Monday.

Not after one day's business.