Orders to Kill (1958) - full transcript

Subtitles by Nostromo

Madame has hurt herself?

Just a scratch Louise

-He was a colt when Gene went away
-So is Gene,Madame

Louise,you're a silly sentimental
old French nurse maid

Gene isn't a baby any more

You're not giving him his bottle in Paris

So there's heroes welcome in Boston

Now Louise let's not
make fools of ourselves

Where's that school pennant of his?

-I put it in,mothballs,Madame
-Mothballs,Louise



That's my call from Washington

Put it up there,Louise

Hello

Thank you

General Nolan

Jake,this is Daisy Summers

Jake,can you spare me three minutes?

Two then tell the plane to wait

It's about that boy of mine,Gene

This is for you,Major Kimball,Sir
from General Nolan himself

There's his crony called Cpt. Gene Summers
flying in tomorrow

General says can you find him a chair

it's personal,he knows his mother

OK OK give it to me



I'll find his mama a chair,
if the General wants it

An electric one

Ah, don't tell the general I said that,eh?

No,Sir,anyway the General
just left again for Cairo so

Col. Snyder,Lt take a look at
this and let me know your views-Yes,Sir

I've been with the free French

Cmndt. Morand got a problem

Morand tell Major Kimball
what's you told the meeting

-Good morning,Major
-Morning

Come on,come on,that's not
what you told the meeting

OK let's sit down

Well,it's like this

Last night,Andre

one of our few remaining free French
radio operators in the Paris area

radioed London that he
was getting off the air

He said that

Our Paris organization
was furiously disturbed

There were nine of our agents

using one and the same man as

an intermediary as a cutout between
themselves

and Xavier your radio operator

Out of these nine four are dead

Four out of nine?

Well,who is this intermediary this cutout?

He's a small time lawyer,
a man called Lafitte

Marcel Lafitte

That ring a bell,Major?

Yes,Sir,he's one of ours

There's nothing on him

Four out of the nine agents

who used him as a cutout are dead

Five if you count Xavier

Did you know this,Major?

No,naturally I,the free French losses

that I never thought of tying
in with Lafitte with

we had no reason to suspect
his loyalty with him

Four out of his nine contacts dead?

Five if we count Xavier's

So you want him eliminated?

With your agreement,he's your man

You have it,we agree

Thank you

Well

Who do we got to kill him?

Who do we got?

We,Sir?

This is a big country with lots of people

We got the free French into
a jam,so we get them out

Lafitte is our baby,we kill him

Can you call off all his contacts

and put in a substitute without
him getting suspicious?

Yes provided he thinks that the
substitutes are only temporary

But if you keep him eyed on for too long

a month at most

He'll know you suspect him

He won't have time to think
any such things,will he Major?

No,Sir

Major Kimball as my personal order

to mount this operation and keep you
informed at every stage of the mission

will that solve your problem?

It does,Col.

I'm very grateful

Have you any problems,Major?

No,Sir

Fine that's settled

-Better make it quick
-Yes,Sir

Mitchell

Yes,Sir

Who we've got in Paris we
can spare for a murder?

Why? No one,Sir,that's not the way you work

Thank you

What's the mission?

Well,the free French suspects
Lafitte is sold out to the Germans

Col.Snyder wants him eliminated

Well,who've we got in reserve?

Four radio operators

No

Dominic,he's in England now,
he could be dropped next moon

No,he's a fully trained battle loyal man

We need him for our D day operations
can't waste him on a job like this

Who else?

I've been looking in this file

the one General Nolan sent,Cpt. Summers

Lived in Paris until he was fifteen,
speaks perfect French

Silver star,DFC and Purple Heart,

flew 50 missions before he was grounded

The medical report said he's in first
class physical and mental condition

but his reflexes have become
too slow for combat flying

I get he's got tired

All right

Apply for temporary transfer
from the Air Corps

and have him reported to me
as soon as he flies in tomorrow

He looks possible but send him
right over to screening camp

Can't tell him anything specific until
he's been cleared with the psychiatrist

I am sorry,no

OK,Doc,look I'll buy all that but
precisely what's wrong with him?

In an ordinary context nothing,
he's a nice normal guy

-So?
-So this in ordinary context

You don't want a nice normal
guy,you want a nimble witted thug

Are you telling me he has no courage?

I'm telling you he's overanxious
to prove that he has

Oh,ball then,damned he
doesn't need to prove it

-Have you seen this,his flying records?
-Yeah

It's all here in black and
white and blood and guts

He's been terrific brave

This what I mean

What do you mean as what you mean?

I mean terrific bravery isn't the
sort of bravery you need for this job

We need a mixture of
levelheaded shrewdness,

maturity,tough unimaginative nerve

Who says he's imaginative?

Look what does he say to you about bombing

He said when you drop bombs you
don't think what might happen

when it goes off,he said if you
drop bombs or you don't win wars

Now don't tell me that's
being over imaginative

There's a heck of lot of
psychological difference

between being unable to imagine something

or not allowing yourself to imaging it

I think and I wouldn't know
without deep analysis

Look,doc,doc,quit stalling

I need this job done,and
need it done quick because

Because Frenchmen are dying

Give me a straight answer,could he do it?

I'll give a crooked one

He might

Cpt Summers

You must have killed a hell of a lots
of Germans in that fighter bomber yours

How do you like kill us one man?

Well,you don't have to say yes right away

You were going to say yes,weren't you?

Yes Sir

Well,now was the time
to say no if you wanted

No one is going to call you coward

nobody going to think you are yellow

They better not

Go back to the air corps

there will be nothing about this
interview in your record sheet

and get yourself a good desk job

My point of view there is
still a minimum risk

you don't know who we
want you to kill or how or where

If you got drunk and shouts your mouth off

you know great harm done,
except for yourself of course

we'll have you court-martialed

Now,a fine morning

Take a walk for half hour

Take an hour,I don't mind

Or have yourself a talk
with Abraham Lincoln statue

or have yourself a coke at
the drugstore,think it over

How about things?

I don't feel like a walk,Major

Meaning?

Meaning I must have killed
hundreds of German like you say

Meaning I guess I could kill you one more

And I sooner talk over it
with you than Abraham Lincoln

Good boy

I had a hunch you're our man

OK sit down,Gene

Sit down and listen

First you got a German

He's a Frenchman

Does that make a difference?

No but I

He is the link,of what we call a
cutout within a half a dozen groups

for our cells of espionage
organization in Paris

Which I believe is a city
you know something about,eh

OK,now in the past three months

45% of our agents

who have contacted this
cutout had been arrested

They are dead

You know why?

On account of he sold them
down the river to the Germans

so we want him dead and dead quick

That's an outside job

Intelligence missions can't avoid risk and
security without any strong arm staff

You're to be the strong arm stuff

How soon can I get going?

How many times have you jumped?

I bailed out twice

Did you break anything?

My watch

That's saves us a week

Did you go on OK with the British?

Sure

OK we'll have you trained
in England instead over here

And you'll be ready to be drop
at first available moment

Remember

You're still not fully committed

I'm not risking the security
of a top priority mission

on a snap decision with either one of us

You can still back out during
training or we can kick you out

Until we're sure you're the
right man and you're sure

We'll just skip the details,OK?

OK

Any general questions?

Yes,Sir,three

Shoot

One

When I've

killed this guy

do you get me out of France

or do I wait and have
a date for you on D day?

We'll get you out

Two do I get any furlough?

48 hours

Three

What do I tell them at home?

I must say,Gene

48 hours seems ridiculous little
after two years overseas

Are you sure they didn't
say forty eight days?

I guess they just can't
win the war without me

Is it flying?

No,Louise,it's not flying any more

Is it hush hush or can you tell us?

What is hush hush?

Pst,pst

Ah, well if it is pst pst I'd
better go into the kitchen

Nonsense,Louise,you're not Mata Hari

No,but you are a good cock

That soup is terrific

Avant cette preuve tois

And for Mickey

Hi,thee

What is the job,dear?

Well,I guess it's all Louise's fault
for having taught me to speak French

Look

everyone knows the second
front is bound to open up on the spring

And sooner or later there's going
to be fighting in France

Ella van Horn says Belgium

Will you be fighting in France,dear?

Mother I'm not qualified to fight
anywhere outside an airplane

I'm not allowed to fight an ant any more

What a use

But I do speak good French,grace a tois

So I'm to go to England to do liaison

Is liaison a desk job?

Mother can you imagine
me do a crummy desk job?

No

Liaison is a sort of mobile

I'm to be part of the organization

that has to co-lead and co-ordinate
our tactical and strategical plans

for the free French forces in England

That means

conveying the gist of
high level conferences

to the free French HQ and
being a sort of bellhop

between then top brass on both sides

like,maybe between General Patton
and General Leclerc

or getting smart enough even
Eisenhower and de Gaulle

And the doing the same sort of
things when we invade

Wherever Ella van Horn says
we are going to invade

That'll be in the back areas

When the shooting is all over

When the war is over I
hope know so many generals

I'll be asked by all the biggest
corporations in the States

to become Vice president

in charge of making friends and
influencing people or something

Gosh I may even get to run
somebody’s political campaign

I'll be sitting pretty for life

Mother

I guess that I'd better get used to being
the mother of a very important man

You'll be able to write?

Sure,mother,sure,every three
weeks like I always have

Every two,dear

Well,I'll try for two till we cross
over then I maybe be a bit busy

I'll be able to send the
cookies and things

While you're in England I mean

Well,we'll be moving about quite a bit

Oh,I dare say they
could forward them,did you?

Yes,sure

-I can't wait
-Surprise,surprise

Remember there was a time
she made me meringues

and it took twenty four seconds,sing
about that,Louise,it's only take five

It's quiche Lorraine and in Boston

I hope that very soon you'll
be eating one in Paris

We'll drink to that

-To Paris
-by London

Well,what's it feel like
being a civilian,Mr Summers?

Not so good,Sir

Kind of deglamoured,ah?
I guess you'll be used to it

That's one of the reasons we
wanted you to wear these clothes now

Even before you started training

and also to look like less new

Stand up in the middle of the
light,will you please,let me have

Yes

you know these are made
right here in London

And got a French

right down to the last button

This,one thing our tailor
couldn't give them,less age

Well,you got about a month to do that in

You'd better eat a lot of soup

Yes,Sir

That's another thing

Now that you're civilian,drop the Sir

I want you to get out the habit of it

-My name is Mac
-Mine's Gene

No,it isn't

Not anymore

It's Jean

That's a further thing you'd had
to get used to like the clothes

From now on your name is Jean

Jean Doumier,write it down

Doumier,D O U M I E R

Yes

Now again like you were signing it,please

You needn't much practice

Where did you learn French copperplate?

Lyce?

And partly in public from
an old French nurse maid

Well,in that case

This,sign right here

-From Washington?
-Yeah

It came over with you on the plane

No,not with that pen

This got a proper nib

French ink

I think we'll photograph
you after your hairs

Well,a little longer

There

That's the way you'll always sign

All right

Who are you?

Jean Doumier

Good

I'll tell you more about yourself
after you got settled down and school

School?

Oh yes

See my Sgt at the end of
the corridor down here

he's already arranged transportation
for you over to station 31

That's where you're going to be trained

Run by the British

-OK?
-OK,Sir

OK what?

OK Mac

Jean

Jean

Come and kill me

Come on

Thank you,that was a beautiful death

Well,by now you'll have realized

that this particular series of
lectures is designed to show

that an agent's behaviour
should never be conspicuous

I'm thinking it applies to passwords

Passwords are used as an
additional recognition check

between two contacts who may
have been described to each other

but who have never actually met

They must be one,conversational
and not dramatic

I mean

as if you look after a fellow
who you think is your contact

and say

"The black panther arrives again tonight"

And he turns out to be a
member of the Gestapo in civvy

Well

This is what I call my "tunnels of love"

She's contained six Germans

You have exactly six
rounds in your revolver

Don't waste them on the first one you see

Only that moment the Germans shoot
you out when you run out of ammunition

All right,in you go

Now Jean

Sch

They are not expecting you to tea

First thing you must remember

if you want to kill somebody

begin quietly

All right now,start again

That's better

Good

They've heard you now

Go on

Well,done

Carry on

Now in here

Big drive

Go on quick

And now what do you propose to do?

Spit in his eye

This afternoon you're going on
your first subversive exercise

In Bournemouth

You work as a pair and
you plan a joint cover story

to conceal the nature of
your clandestine activities

In case you are interrogated
as I warned you,you maybe

any time after the exercise

-Is that clear?
-Yes

And that cover story,
if you remember your lectures

should be as near the actual
truth as security allows

And

how long did you and
Knowles followed the sales girl

About 20 minutes,I guess so

What was she wearing?

I can't really remember

Oh,come now

You followed her for 20 minutes

and you can't really remember
what she was wearing

I assume she was wearing clothes

Yes,Sir

What sort of clothes?

-Well,coat
-What coat?

-An overcoat?
-Yes,Sir

-It was cold there
-Yes,so it has

And it's going to be a cold night

Now then

What color was this overcoat?

I can't remember,Sir

More sure we try putting our hands
above the head until we do remember

Higher

Thank you

-Hi,Mac
-Keep your hands above your head

What color was this overcoat?

The overcoat of this girl

you and Knowles said
you followed for 20 minutes

A sort of blue

What sort of blue?

Light or dark?

Medium

Her hat?

Color of her hat

She wasn't wearing hat

Sir

Medium blue overcoat

No hat

Knowles said this first girl you
followed

was wearing a red beret

Raincoat,which you get lying

You can't both be telling
the truth you know

Come on,come on which of you is lying?

Keep your hands above your head

Knowles said this girl had a little dog

Did you see a little dog?

-Yes,Sir
-Oh you did,did you?

Come on did you?

Yes

Sir

I find him wrong

Knowles said nothing about a little dog

Nothing

But you saw a little dog,eh

Why didn't Knowles?

Come on

Why didn't Knowles notice the little dog?

We were just looking at
the girl,Sir,I guess Knowles

Oh,you guess,you guess

I'm not interested what you guess

I'm interested in what you know,
now what do you know?

We were following this girl

In no hat,a red beret

a raincoat a medium blue overcoat,
with and without a little dog

We were following this girl

Put your hands above your head

Get out

Jean

Jean

Here

You'd better put it on

Like you said it's been a cold day

Flunked,didn't I?

Yeah,you flunked,all right

Well,I never know anybody who didn't

on his first interrogation

This is typical

Typical first interrogation and
for Pete's sake don't get discouraged

You heard enough lessons that it
make a lot harder for us next time

The same wise you

you should have stepped closer to
the truth in your cover story

Why bring in girls? For what?

People do you know

we did try to bully you and make it
sound ridiculous but it's not ridiculous

As long as you and Knowles could
have agreed on one or two things

you might have talked about
like you were walking

and slow down your tempo

You know if you end for
something fast,nothing slow

didn't when you were lying

Answer everything slow

and

Never,never trust a kind face

when you met its owner only once

OK

Your own face is beginning to
look like it didn't belong to you

-Where's your room?
-Over there

You'd better get some sleep

you got an even tougher interrogation
coming up in the morning

-What about?
-About you,Jean Doumier

I'm going to tell you all about yourself

Who your parents were,where you were born

where you went school,work

-Is this it?
-Yes

Then get into it!

-Good night,Jean
-Good night

So much for you

Now you know all about you,Jean

Monsieur Jean Doumier

Now for your target

Here

His name is Lafitte

Marcel Lafitte

Marcel Lafitte

He looks like a real rat

Would it matter if he didn't?

Oh Mac,what's legally do you think I am

This's the guy I got to kill
in a kind if he's a traitor

I don't kill him if he looks
like George Washington

What's does he do for a living
beside from informing on his friends

He's what you call a huissier(bailiff)

processeur deliver writs

I think he does some small
time legal work on the side

Where does he work?

He has an office in the Avenue du Maine

In the 14 arrondissement

Here

But he lives in a little cul
de sac right up here off the

Rue de la Gaite

Oh,it's a nice place I know that district

I used to be taken to see plays there

You know matinee for kids

What's the cul de sac called?

L'impasse de la Gaite

Gaite's dead end

Kind of appropriate

Yes,it's more appropriate when
you think it ends in the cemetery

Yes,so it does,La cimetiere du Montparnasse

My nurse usually brought me
back to it after the theater

You know

I liked the cemetery better
than the theater

as you know how it is,for more adults

-What's the number of the house?
-Number 3

Oh,it's right next door to the cemetery

-It's funny
-What's funny?

Monsieur Lafitte is number three

right next door to the cemetery

You're a lyric writer,ah?

What's the music?

It's sort of French rhyme
called "Cadet Rousselle"

My nurse used to sing it to me

whenever she gave me
something special to eat

You know I could sing it to
Monsieur Lafitte when I

Yeah

You know

You can do a lot worse
than compose yourself

a set of lyrics around the house numbers

the names I have to give yo

and then savior it to
yourself till you remember them

Mac,I thought I only had to kill a guy

now I got to write poetry

Monsieur Lafitte I must explain
works on the Avenue du Maine

When every day he likes to go

once a month to cafe Bertolo

Monsieur Lafitte said number three

right next door to the cemetery

Impasse de la Gaite

he will be dead at the end
of the day,how's that?

That's good,that's

You forgot his office number

Three or four,how it was

Coming to number three or four

Monsieur Lafitte walks up one floor

Correct crap short and sweet

that is the end of Monsieur Lafitte

Well,here he is

now look don't sing him your lyrics

He knows what you got to
do but he doesn't know where

and to whom his job is to suggest how

-Hey,commander
-Hello

Come aboard

Do come in

I'm sure you like a cup of tea

-Yes,yes thank you
-Pray be seated

Oh,excuse me just one moment

So sorry I should have warned you

I've just been doing a little research

Jean,you'll find some sugar

in tin up there on the chimney piece

No not that one,that's gun powder

The other one

I'm afraid there's only tins

Your problems I understand
from Major MacMahon

is to dispose of an elderly
adversary,sugar?

No thank you

Help yourself

An elderly adversary will
probably be not settled if he's unarmed

Perhaps in his office

Now in office,please suppose there's a desk

At the ordinary course of events

You'll be talking to him
from the other side of it

And he's no good at all unless
you can shoot him

Can he shoot him?

No,no certainly not

it's got to be of a standard search

apart that shooting is so noisy

I quite agree

So I limit this in two ways

One,you should kill him with an
instant weapon over the bare hands

And two

if he is sitting in his desk

you must kill him from behind

I'll be reading over his
shoulder or something

Precisely,come and do it

Try to have a new strangle hold

No it won't work

I'll lean forward I tuck my
chin in and protect myself

But if I sit that moment schlepped

You know that'll do provided he
leaned back far enough

And you were sufficiently at a control

to be a speed up master you were then

Couldn't I maybe just strangle
him with my thumbs like this

Well,you could try

but I found it takes absolutely hours

Let's talk about innocent weapons

Take knifes for instance

innocent knifes

Boy scout knife

H section if you need
it pick him up

French model

For your good deed

We want to kill him quickly and cleanly

without just shove that in any idiots were

We have to use it surgically

you have to stun him first

What do we get use for that?

How deftly I know there it is,
a pair of socks

-Socks?
-Exactly that,socks

Go outside and find a stone
about the size of a goose egg

Mother's work basket

Here they are

Just the job

Would one of these do?

Yes,we'll have that one

Come along Santa Claus pocket in there

Hold that and we pull
the second one over it

Dear me

I keep forgetting that
table belongs to minor operations

Of course if you use this with confidence

you'll do more than stun him

you'll crack his skull as
neatly as a chef cracks eggs

BTW don't forget the stone in it

Otherwise not awfully effective

And all you have to prepare
is a pair of rather dirty socks

they are bound to be
a bit dirtier afterward

Take it to the laundry

the whole contraption fits
neatly and inconspicuously

in your raincoat pocket

Of course if you do only stun him

then you got to finish him
off with your boy scout knife

Now open your shirt

Where do you keep your heart?

Here I guess

Then you're a grotesque

Put your finger halfway
between your left nipple

and the base of your sternum

My what?

Sternum boy your breastbone

Now move it up an inch

What do you feel?

A rib

Thank heavens for that,you are normal

Now just above your finger

you'll find the space between that
rib and the one above,got it?

Right,that's where your heart is

And that's where you puncture him

It's a pity we can't use a knitting needle

and then you wouldn't bleed at all

I suppose you can't make it plausible

for Jean carrying a knitting needle

I'm sorry

So,there it is,when do we start practicing?

A lot now we can't,Sir

I've got four minutes to get to the lecture

the conditions is in a..
conditions in a French city I'm going to

All right

run along Mr Security of 1944

I'll see you after supper

OK

Thanks Commander,it was swell

I'm worried

Yes

This whole business to
him is nothing more than

Well,you just heard him

"Thanks Commander it was swell"

You know

Except for one moment in
his first interrogation

I don't believe he's ever started to think

what is really going to be like over there?

He's play acting

And he's loving it

-Commander
-Yes

This is none of my business

And I maybe sticking my neck out

But don't you think that

in this particular case

It might be better

if you didn't encourage him
to love it quite so much

I mean as if somebody got to tell him that

killing a man is not a game

You thought about that?

Yes

Very often

But should Jean?

Should he?

You know the other thing about war is

as we grow more civilized

So do our work killing,no I mean that

When we were still savages

Anyone wasn't feeling guilty about
killing a man with our bare hand

as we do now

you could almost measure out
the sense of guilt with a range finder

Major

I wish I was training
pilots to drop bombs

My job here is harder

I've got to stop civilized men

from thinking about the reality of

killing a fellow human being
with their bare hands

Because if they thought about
it they might never do it

They've got to do it
just as Jean got to do it

So what can I do?

I can turn the act of killing into

a cross between a game and a drill

Or I can drill them and drill them

And drill them

Until it becomes automatic

Did you see Jean get that
stranglehold on me just now

when I was sitting at the desk?

He wasn't thinking of the way
my eyes popped out of my head

if he had he'd muffed it

It was a conditioned reflex

And that's the way I hope he behaves

when he comes to do the real job

I don't mind if he's sick afterward

We're only concerned
that he isn't sick before

Good evening,can I take your coat

Next port is good Sir

Take off in about 15 minutes

Hi Pat

Come to our first class waiting room

-Will you ring if any questions?
-Yes,thank you

Gosh I feel good

Where did the British army cooks
learned to fried chicken southern style?

We'll let them steal the
plans from our Embassy

Wine wasn't even Algerian,Clos Vougeot

I feel like a fattened turkey

All right,turkey

-Gobble your piece
-What again?

Yes again

I want make sure you still remember
when you're full of burgundy

Francois from the reception committee
takes me to Paris tomorrow afternoon

he leaves me at Censier-Daubenton Metro

I go north for two blocks

then I turn east along Rue Guermants

at number 7 Rue Guermants

lives Leonie my favourite aunt

I go up the stairs and I knock
on the door and when she opens it I say

-Aunt Leonie I say
-In French I hope

Don't interrupt I'm in the roof

Aunt Leonie I say,it's your favorite nephew

And she says Jean I wouldn't have known you

Pause

And then,it must be six years

Then I give her the money
and the radio crystals

and she give me some more
clothes and a place to live

-OK
-OK,OK

You got your money belt

Yeah

Don't forget take the crystals out
from your flying suit when you land

Let's search the pockets

According to the lectures

you're supposed to be full of London
Buss tickets Virginia Tobacco shreds

English grass seeds and a cut of my pants

Not a single English grass seed

And now the other pockets

No longer marked

Small currency

Matches

Your identity card

Calendar

More currency,postcard from Brazzaville

-Where you were..
-Born in 1922

Came to France on the death
of my parents at the age of five

And I lived there ever since

OK,OK

Your handkerchief

Currency

Your matches

The pen

If,your knife

Postcard,identity card,calender and

-More small currency
-Hey

Have you got the letters to my mother?

Yes,all six of them

It's enough for three months if
I mail one every two weeks

But you're going to be
back long before then

Ready,Sir

Yes,thank you

Pat

Your raincoats

-If pockets...
-It's been checked

Suits

Like old times,eh

What does if feel like
having your glamor back?

Great

Boots

Crystals

It's a rough side in it

-No revolver
-No revolver

Here's your chute

-Now will it open
-I packed it myself

Any more for the Skylark?

-All ready,Sir
-Yeah

This way,Jean

So far,very very good luck

And from me

It will open

Au revoir,Jean

-Mes amities a tante Leonie
-I will

Au revoir Francois, thousands thanks

Something

And now you're on your own

I'm sorry,Monsieur, we're already closed

Aunt Leonie

It's your favourite nephew

Jean,I wouldn't have known you

It must be six years

Come in

I'm sorry,Monsieur et Madame,my nephew

Come in,Jean

Make yourself at home

If Madame would like to call
any time tomorrow evening

I'll make a trifle alteration

Would Monsieur like to settle now?

Yes

You said her 4000 Francs

-No Monsieur 6000
-A nous?

I'll give you five and

This

Monsieur is very kind

-Good night
-Good night

Take off your coat

I shall be putting this in
the till,rarer than money

What is it?

Soap

Oh,that's reminds me

This is my money,this is ours

Give me the money belt,it's
not a good thing be find wearing

It's got the radio crystals

Ah,yes

Now

Your ration book and clothing coupons

Your food cards for restaurants

Meat,cheese,spreads,bread

And your union card

-You know you're an electric mechanic
-Yes,but where?

At Lessier,in Rue Froidevaud
in Montparnasse

They contracted you to work for
the government and the Germans

otherwise a boy of your age
wouldn't be allowed to work for them

he'll packed off to do
forced labor in Germany

They are here

You're already on their books but
you should report there tomorrow

Just once

so the foreman can describe
you and you can describe the foreman

in case either of you get questions

After that you needn't bother to report

There are often accept arranged cover

you're supposed to do outside jobs

Where are your identity card?

Good,they are improving

You need another one when you
done whatever you come to do

With a different name of course
in case there is a search

You'll destroy this card

and use the second one on
your escape route back to England

And I get into touch with
the escape route through you

Only through me

Tonight,you spend the night here

But I find room for you near Lessiers

in the Rue de l'abbe Saint-Georges

just there you could move in tomorrow

You find some things there

overall,underclothes,shirt,toolkit

-What happened with this button?
-Happened?

Oh,I remember it came lose at the
school and somebody sewed it on there

Yes somebody British

We don't sew them on like that in France

-Now,a toothbrush
-You can buy that

-Razor
-Same with razor

And socks

With coupons

-Long ones
-Why?

It's the most important for my mission

I'll arrange it

You're not even curious are you?

I'm never curious! What you're
doing here is your own business

I don't know anything about
it and I don't want to

When they may catch me and then

There now you're a real Frenchman

Why are you doing all this?

Doing what?

All this

work

What a silly question,
why do people do things

Love,hate,greed

Sometimes even for their own country

That's not why I asked,why do you do it?

Sorry I shouldn't have asked that

You hungry?

Hide this one until you finish the job

When will that be,tomorrow?

-Day after?
-I don't know yet

Telephone me as soon as you do

When the job is finished,
will arrange rendez vous

Right

Don't blame me blame the acorns

You'll get used to them

Now before you go I want to see
that you remember last night's lesson

-You wish to meet me
-I telephone first

-My number?
-Guermants 6493

-You hear my voice give this number
-Only your voice

-Only my voice
-I say,Aunt Leonie

-I say hello
-That's the danger signal I ring off

And the safety signal?

You say "is that you Raoul?"we talk

And when we talk?

If necessary to speak about
my mission I refer to it as the job

I'm still looking for a job

I found a job,I'll finish the job

-Who are you?
-Jean Doumier,electro mechanic at Lessiers

What are you doing in the street?

Outside work house to house repairs

Where do you live?

Number 9 Rue de l'Abbe Saint-Georges

What's the name of your landlady?

Madame Godinot

Yes,Monsieur Doumier

I just put these away

Oh thank you

I'm going out now and I probably
shan't be back until late

Is Monsieur happy with the room?

Yes thank you very happy

Monsieur Lafitte I must explain

works on the Avenue de Maine

Coming number three or four

Monsieur Lafitte walks up one floor

-Monsieur?
-Coffee,Madame

Yes,Monsieur

-Louise
-Coming

-My bill please
-Certainly Monsieur Colet

-Louis
-One moment,Monsieur Lafitte

Thank you,Daniel

-Madame
-Thank you,Monsieur

Here you are,Sir

Dish for today,rabbit stew

Good morning,Louis

Good morning,Monsieur Lafitte

I saved you a portion of rabbit stew

Rabbit stew? Oh,no

You said yesterday

No,no you didn't tell me yesterday

it was rabbit stew

you bring me the cabbage
soup and some cheese

Meow

Monsieur?

Meow

I do hope not

You see I like cats

Yes,so do I

It tasted like rabbit

And conceivably it was rabbit

After all grass is still cheap,
rabbits aren't extinct

Where's cats are almost

nobody can afford to feed them anymore

But don't look so downhearted

The chances are on your side

He's a new arrival

Looks like it

Nowadays they see nothing
but old men and little boys

Thank you,Louis

Time I was going back to my fuses

-My bill,please,Sir
-No,no,no,Louis

I'm afraid my little joke about
the rabbit stew spoiled your dinner

Be my guest

No I couldn't

Please

I insist

My name is Lafitte

Doumier

-Monsieur Lafitte
-Looking for rabbit?

So forgive me for saying so young man

I have reason to know

that the police is going to be active in

this area within the next few minutes

What are they looking for?

Somebody who killed a German officer

in Rue Froidevaux two nights ago

He's supposed to be hiding in this district

Well,I don't suppose you
did it for a moment

But even innocent young loiterers

have the disadvantage of being able bodied

run the risk of being picked up
and sent to work in Germany

They may well need electrical mechanic

Where do you live?

Across over the cemetery

It's too far

-Come to my office
-I can't

Everybody will have gone home

it's quite safe a place to hide oneself

I have to lock you in of course

I let you out at half past
eight in the morning I promise

If the telephone rings don't answer it

there's no reason why it should be answered

I'm always home by six o'clock

And if anyone knocks
don't answer that either

There's drinking water in the cabin there

Have you had your dinner yet?

No

Not the cat it's only bread

-No I can't
-Please take it

I shall be dining at home
with my wife and daughter

And take my coat too

You can use it as a blanket

Really,Monsieur Lafitte

There's such a little way to go

and it's quite warm
for the time of the year

Don't switch on the light

when it gets dark as no proper black out

I'll be back at half past
eight in the morning

Oh thank you,thank you

-Good night
-Good night

Don't go near the Cafe Bertolo

Think yourself lucky,you're only hungry,

you're not even deserved to be alive

Question is does your master

Does he?

-Good morning
-Good morning

I hope the raid didn't disturb you

They went away very quietly

Yeah,so did the men they took

Except one

Good morning,Minou

I see you discovered my guilty secret

Ah,well,I knew it was
safe in your hands

She wants her breakfast

Here we are,come on

There we are

There you are,Minou

As I speed it up

You know,I think I reclaim my overcoat

it's much colder today

Of course

Thank you

It's very undignified having
to work in one's overcoat

How else can one keep warm?

No,no,no,Minou

No more until tomorrow

Oh well come on,here we are

She really is a guilty secret

We're not supposed to keep
animals in this building

even in peacetime

But I had to bring her here

because my wife,blessed
her dear,thrifty heart

so we couldn't afford to feed her anymore

and must get rid of her,get rid of her

How does one get rid of a little cat?

Sell her for 50 francs to Cafe Bertolo?

Threw her into the Seine?

Strangle her?

It's all very well just to talk
about it,Monsieur Doumier

But you can't just strangle a little cat

Now,can you?

No

This is Guermants 6493

Aunt Leonie?

Is that you Raoul?

Yes

Have you finished the job?

No,may I come and see you?

Very well

Come at seven

-At seven,couldn't I come..
-At seven

I might have done it then

when I was helping him on with his coat

or even when he stood
down and stroke the cat

Of course I didn't

I couldn't

You see,I'm not convinced that he's guilty

I'm not convinced that he's guilty

and I can't kill an innocent man

Now I think he may be
innocent for four reasons

One he warned me against
the Montparnasse raid

and probably saved me from being
catered off to do forced labor in Germany

A collaborator wouldn't have done that

Two.He let me spend the whole of the night

alone in his office and I was able
to go through all his papers

I found nothing

people denounce one and
another for no better motive

than greed or ambition or
sheer personal spite

Well you yourself said that
people did it for hate and greed?

I think Lafitte may be a victim
of that sort of denunciation

An innocent victim

You said there were four reasons

There are

Only I saved the fourth for last

because it is a sentimental one

you might understand it
because you're a woman

I don't believe that anyone in Paris today

who can't bring himself to
drown a cat or sell it for the pot

and even let it starve

could possibly send human beings

to the torture chambers or the firing squad

That's all

What exactly do you want me to do?

-I don't know I only know..
-Do you mean organize

A court of inquiry,
investigates Lafitte's guilt?

No but perhaps

Do you want me to send you back to England?

If there's need we'll do that you know

Of course not

but perhaps we could radio
to our people in London

and have them reexamining the whole affair

and then they still feel
he's got to be killed well

I'll go ahead and do it

Splendid

Sit down

Sit down and listen to me you little fool

How long have you been here?

A week tomorrow

You're an optimist

If you go on behaving like this
there won't be any tomorrow

You won't just be sniveling to me

you'll be sniveling to the Gestapo

Things must be very bad when they

send us a child to do a man's job

Did they tell you your mission was secret?

Yes

Then why have you broken every
rule of security by blabbing it to me?

-Because I thought that
-What did you think?

That he might be innocent

Were you ordered to signed out

whether he was innocent or
guilty before you killed him?

No

Were you taught at school

for every time our radio
operator send the message

it makes it that much
easier for the Germans

to get a fix on this transmitter

-and set
-Yes

-And torturing
-Yes

And then kill him

And yet after six days in France

you have the impertinence to suggest that

we fidget away our precious time

on the air to London

by drafting and ciphering and
transmitting a personal message

from you asking your
people to disbelieve evidence

which has been gathered
against Lafitte by real agents

who been working here for years

It's not your business to
sit in judgment of Lafitte

it's your business to kill him

Dozens of Frenchmen have risked their lives

receiving and guiding and
hiding and clothing you

only have you go to beat us

because of a stinking cat which should
have been carved up and eaten months ago

Himmler like cats

Goering like pictures,Hitler like music

Goebbels is a wonderful father

What are they?

Did they order you to come
to Paris kill Lafitte and clear out?

Yes

Then why don't you obey orders and do it?

Just because you are
wearing civilian clothes

doesn't mean you aren't a soldier

-Because you've never worn a uniform
-I have one uniform I was a fighter bomber

pilot for the American air corps
and I flew 50 missions

How dare you tell me that?

You break security about your
new job through weakness

and you break security about
your old job through vanity

You maybe

don't you realize you just
proved yourself to be so weak

there's nothing left to be vain about

He may still be innocent

What if he is?

What if he is?

But that would be murder

Murder?

But this is war,war

And in a war the innocent and
the guilty get killed together

When you were ordered
to drop bombs over France

did you refuse because it might
have killed innocent Frenchmen?

Or women or children like yourself

Or cats?

Or are you such a magnificent marksman

you can press a button and drop a bomb

which only will kill Germans
and collaborators

Didn't go whining back
to your superior officers

saying I couldn't do it

there might have been a man in the
marshalling yard who loved his mother

then why are you whining
at me I'm not your mother

I'm not anybody's mother

Not anymore

Oh Jean

It happens to all of us,sometimes
early sometimes late

It's not so much the danger
of what we have to do

but the loneliness in which
we have to do it

Often quite easy jobs which
we have to do secretly

in lieu of the hard and difficult jobs

which you can talk about to somebody else

You got the worst of both worlds

your job is difficult and
you got to do it alone

You can't talk about it

You got to forget you ever
talked about it to me

If I'm caught I'll have
to try and forget too

Please,please remember that

loneliness is your worst enemy

Remember that however
great your difficulties is

you must talk about them only to God

If you don't believe in God
then there's nobody

Nobody

That's why I shouted at you a little

So you'd remember

Your shout was very quiet

You have to learn to be quieter than that

You have to learn to be silent

Yes

So have to learn not to
be deceived by appearances

Lafitte's appearances?

Yes

Well,my reasons for his
innocence are very stupid

No,they weren't stupid

You left out all the other reasons
on the other side for his guilt

What reasons?

He saved you from a police raid
but what if he did?

It didn't cost him anything

It would be a very good story to tell us

ever he was suspected of collaboration
by the resistance

But how did he know there
was going to be a police raid?

You found no incriminating
documents in his office

why should you? He's worked
for us since 1940

Did you find any documents about
his dealings with the resistance?

Of course you didn't

Anyway he's not a key man

According to you he would only
been in contact with key men

he wouldn't have it afterward

He pass verbal messages on
from one key man to another

When it suits his bank balance

he'd sold the same messages to the Gestapo

You're still worried about the cat

No

Give me one or two more days

Then I'll ring up and say
"Aunt Leonie the job's done"

And you could send me back to England

Now for better

Jean,we're all cowards about something

I am

When I think about being
caught and tortured

Because I don't know my own breaking point

So the reasons I was angry just now

If I'd heard only one word
more than I need to because

I don't want to betray anybody

At least of all you

Why me?

You're not like the rest of us

you still believe the best of people

War hasn't corrupted you yet

Oh my young friend

-What luck
-What?

Is this a social visit

or were you coming to
consult me professionally?

About a social visit I was going
to return your hospitality

by asking you to have a drink
with me at the Bertolo

Oh,thank you,thank you but
I've got a much better idea

You're going to have a drink at my house

No,monsieur Lafitte that
was not what I meant

But it will be when you heard the news

My wife has discovered about Minou

She's under sentence of death

not my wife,the cat

But you can save her

Monsieur Doumier can
save your life,sit down

I though at the moment I saw you

that's what comes of having a legal mind

You're a friend of mine

and you have a friend in the country

who is plagued with mice and rats

Tonight in front of my wife

you take Minou from me and
give her to your friend in the country

But I have no friend in the country

What difference will that make?

At least me with a cat,I don't want a cat

Well,of course you don't want a cat

Tomorrow morning I have to
be here at 7 o'clock

and meet a client who's
going to pay me some money

What could be simpler

At half past seven

you come here with Minou in her little box

and you give her back to me

You see

And then at lunchtime

we'll go and spend some of my
client's money at the Cafe Bertolo

It'll be in cash it's that
sort of business deal

One has to live

Well?

-Half past seven tomorrow morning?
-Yes

You're sure your client would have gone?

I mean I'd look like a bit of fool

walking into your office with a hungry cat

meowing into the holes
of the cardboard box

No,no,no he'd gone by then

I want him off the premises

before the concierge gets
back from the breadline

All right I'll do it

I knew you would

Come Minou the death sentence
has been suspended

-I live at number 3
-Really?

After you

That's better

I always give the D sign

-Hep father
-Mauricette

This is a friend of mine,Monsieur Doumier

In you go my dear fellow,in you go

That's fine

Have you brought me a present,papa?

No my dear

That's a present for Monsieur Doumier

It's Minou

Oh,there you are,may I
present Monsieur Doumier

Monsieur Doumier,my wife

Monsieur Doumier has a
friend in the country

whose farm is absolutely
infested with rats and mice

He's been trying to find a cat for weeks

He'll be very happy to have Minou

What does he offer?

Oh my dear

Monsieur Doumier has
been extraordinary kind

enough into deliver my note
to his friends personally

I brought him back to ask
him to take a little aperitif

Mauricette

Show Monsieur Doumier into the
drawing room while I get the glasses

And give Minou some milk

Water

After you,dear

"You want to bring that
young man in to the home"

"My dear"

"You could have given
the wretched cat.."

-Do you go to school,Mauricette?
-Yes

What subjects do you like best?

Dancing

Before Christmas we danced
the story of Cinderella

Who were you? Were you Cinderella?

No,I was one of her sisters

Because of my glasses Mother Superior said

Do you like dancing?

Yes

Can I dance for you?

That'll be very nice

Would you like to sit down?

I'm sorry for being so long

I had a little difficulty getting
Minou back into her box

I see Mauricette been entertaining you

Yes,very well

My wife sends her apologies

fact she's not feeling very well,
it's been a hard day at the shops

And she's,something of an invalid

-Your health
-Yours

Thank you,Monsieur Lafitte,
thank you very much Mauricette

Oh,my dear fellow,must you really be going?

Yes,I'm afraid so

I'll got to report to my shop
and see what jobs are for tomorrow

Don't forget you are doing
a job for me in the morning

Oh,wait a minute

You forgot Minou

Half past seven

-Who's that?
-Jean Doumier

Oh my dear fellow I do apologize

Come in

Come in

I was just counting my ill-gotten gain

Oh dear that window

Tonight I'm going to surprise the family

These chicken

A real rabbit

I suppose you do know
anybody who sell me a rabbit

Of course you don't,never mind

you can sell me a cat for the
price of the drink at the death

Come along,here we are

Hello dear

There's a good girl

Come on

I got a lovely little news for you

Why?

-Maid,may I use your telephone
-Of course

This is Guermants 6493

-Aunt Leonie
-Hello,hello

If I say hello that's the danger thing

Hold the line,keep away,keep away

Thanks Major

These trays

I mean, Colonel, I'm not used to it yet

I'm not either

And I'm still not used to
working in Washington through August

Like a steam laundry

You know I sweated through
two shirts this morning

and it's not even noon yet

What a war

I guess you won't have to
be here much longer,Col.

The news is good

Patton crossed the Seine at Mantes

Well that old son of a gun

Right flank at Fontainebleu

A few more days

I think Bandelor and LeClerk's
tanks move on Paris

Eisenhower wants the French to be first in

For Pete's sake where are
my traveling orders,I got to be there

What about Pierre?

Pierre was arrested in February

Deported to Germany

I've seen his life as no news

Just has to wait

-Dominic?
-Dominic is still over drunk

Anything more about Leonie?

Tortured and shot,end of April

She didn't give anything away

She managed to live a message for Summers

Just before Gestapo came for her

It was too late

How do you know?

I saw him

Gene Summers?

Yeah

He's alive?

Yeah

Well,I'll be..

Mac,notify the general,
will you? And his mother too,of course

I have

That's real piece of luck

I'm not so sure

if you think it's a real piece
of luck after you've seen him

What's the matter with him?

Is he hurt?

Mentally,an MP picked him up

He was trying to steal a
bottle of brandy from a jeep

He wasn't just pie-eyed he was
sowed he was stood in alcohol

That's

No,no seems he hadn't run a sober
breath since he did the job

That was a couple of months ago

We should thank the Good Lord

that he was lying around in gutters where

nobody bothered to pick him up

You know when he heard
the MPs talking English

He gave his old Air Corps
rank and serial number

over and over and over again

So they turned him over to the medics

They got him rather tried to
pump the liquor out of his system

Where is he now?

Base Hospital St Cloud

Have you told him we found
out that Lafitte was innocent?

No

That might finish him off all I gather

Well,take care of him,ah?

I think you ought to see him

Me?

You're his boss,you recruited him

I think maybe you might be able
to help him and pull himself together

So what do I tell him?

I don't know might

Tell him we think he did a valuable job

He might believe you

Hi Gene

Well

Hi,Gene

Got hours since we met,eh

Me on one side of the
desk and you on the other

-Remember
-Mm

I asked you to do a job

Ah

Well,you did it,Gene

You're fine

We're real proud of you

You're proud?

Sure,proud

It was a valuable job,well done

Of course,we know you hit the
bottle after you've done it

But who doesn't ah?

You're probably get the same
thing after a bombing mission

This was a little tougher
than a bombing mission

For this time he hit a good nigh

I'm going to gave in
and go to celebrate with

Look

What's it matter anyway,ah?

You're OK now

Skip it

No,you see I hadn't any money

When I killed him I took his to
make it look like a robbery

I hid it in a grave

And the one day I went back

and I took one note out of the
grave because I needed a drink

And in the end I took it all

When I hit him

He laid quite still

I thought he was dead

Then

He turned over

He looked at me

Said

Why

Could I told him why?

Sure

You sure could have,Gene

Look

I don't know if it helps

We found out that Lafitte was
a worse traitor than we thought

He penetrated our Paris circle about as

deep as anyone could

And when you killed him

He could have given away
about twenty key agents

If they'd been caught and tortured

They each could have
informed against 20 more

that's maybe 400 lives you saved

400 good lives for a real lousy one

And each of those good lives

Made it possible to liberate
Paris that much sooner

And save more lives still

My guess

you could chalk up all over
thousands lives you've saved

Just for killing one man,when you did

Doesn't that answer your question?

Yes

Thanks Major

Colonel

Congratulations

Well I

feel as allowed to
be congratulating you

I'd better be going

Look if you need anything
just let Mac now,eh

I'll see you now

I'll be back

Well,that'll do the trick ah?

Don't you think?

I hope so

Well,let me know,ah

-I'll see you
-Thank you for coming

Mack,how much back pay am I due for?

I don't know

I'll figured it out

Or could I have it all?

In cash

Or in allied currency,yeah

Could you fix for me to wear
an air corps uniform?

Why? I guess so

He overplayed it,didn't he?

Overplayed?

Mac I know Lafitte wasn't
as important as all that

He was a small timer he
had about 6 contacts

Look Mac

while Kimball was talking,
suddenly I understood something

Leonie once said to me

In a war innocent people and
guilty people get killed together

I didn't refuse to drop my bombs, did I?

because they might kill an innocent person

I just obeyed orders and dropped them

What was so different about obeying orders

and killing Lafitte with my hands
even if he was innocent

She was right,there's no difference

Let me

when I dropped the bombs I wasn't
down there when it hurt somebody

Say why

So you see Mac you don't need
to have to be afraid to tell me

if I've murdered an innocent man

because it won't be for the first time

But this time I can be sure

And if I'm sure I can face it

So Mac you got to tell me the truth

Because I'm the guy that
got to live with it

Was he innocent,Mac?

Then I think I'll get up

-Monsieur?
-Good morning,Mauricette

Monsieur Doumier

But you're an American

I know do you mind?

No,come in

-Papa is dead
-I know

He was taken very ill at the office

Yes,I know

Is Mama I like to see is she at home?

Yes,stay there,Mama,Mama

Papa's friend Monsieur Doumier

He's an American

Monsieur Doumier?

But

I'm afraid I haven't cleaned the
drawing room,what is it you want?

I want to speak about your husband

About his work in the resistance

Resistance?

No,of course he never told you

That's the hardest thing

Not even be able to tell the people we love

He was a brave an important agent with us

Who did magnificent work for
American intelligence and for France

You should be proud of him

Proud?

We are so proud that we
like to give you this

And please don't you
be too proud to take it

I know it won't make up for his loss

But it will show you that we share it

Good bye,Madame

Good bye,Mauricette

Monsieur Doumier

Are you sure that my husband,
I mean that he was

Quite sure

He was a colleague of mine

Subtitles by Nostromo