Soldier's Home (1977) - full transcript

(soft dramatic music)

- [Voiceover] Krebs
went to the war

from a Methodist
college in Kansas.

There is a picture of him

which shows him among
his fraternity brothers.

Many of them went, too.

(military march music)

(explosion)

(dramatic music)

(explosion)

(dramatic music)



Krebs did not return until

the Second Division returned

from the Rhine in late 1919.

By the time he returned
to his hometown,

the greeting of heroes was over.

He had come back too late.

The town had returned
to its usual patterns.

But, that was all
right with Krebs.

He'd fought well.

He felt clean and pure inside.

He had done the one thing
a man should do in battle.

Now, he just needs some time

to sort things out.

- Son, you smoke lots in battle?



You seem to do it naturally.

- Not really.

I just picked it up.

- Did you actually
smoke in the war, Har?

Didn't they see you lighting up?

The Germans?

- We smoked mostly
when we were bored.

- Bored?

Little chance you
had to be bored.

- We were.

I was.

A lot of the time.

- Well, you must
be tired, Harold.

All that traveling and

we've asked you
so many questions.

- I'm fine.

- Well, it's getting late.

I've got to go out
to County tomorrow.

We'll get to talk about
what you want to be doing.

Plenty of time.

- Yes.

I'll need a week or so.

- Of course.

Let's just be thankful
you're home safe.

Let's all give thanks
to our dear Lord

that you're back home.

Oh, Harold.

We did pray for you
and every Sunday,

Reverend Nelson made
a special point--

- Folks, I've got to go on up.

Welcome home, Harold.

- Goodnight, Dad.

It was a fine dinner.

I guess I'll go on up, too.

- Son?

Margie and I can fix
you a special breakfast

and serve it to you in bed.

You remember when
you used to have

those awful winter coughs and

I used to bring you up
a bowl of hot oatmeal?

- Not tomorrow, Mom.

I want to get up early.

- Harold?

You sleep well.

- I will.

Thanks,

for everything.

(soft sentimental music)

(jaunty ragtime music)

(train whistle blowing)

- Morning, young Krebs.

Welcome home.

How long are you back now?

- [Harold] Two weeks today.

- Your folks tell me you had

a mighty difficult
time over there.

- No, not that bad.

- Oh.

Well, anyhow, you must
be glad to be home.

Planning to go back
to school soon?

- No.

- Oh, you're going to
be selling farm land

with your dad at the bank?

It's always a blessing
when a father and son--

- Excuse me.

- You'd think he'd
killed the Kaiser.

That young boy,

always more uppity than
anyone else in town.

(upbeat ragtime music)

(car horn honking)

- Krebs?

Are you Harold Krebs?

- Yes, that's me.

- Do you remember me?

I'm Mr. Phillips.

I was your youth group advisor

in the lower grades.

- Sorry, I was involved
with these books.

- Are you an avid reader?

Have you tried the
new Booth Tarkington?

I try to encourage good reading.

My heavens, all these
books are about the war.

I would have thought
you'd want to forget.

- It helps to make sense out
of the things that happened.

Maps give me a better
idea of the campaign.

- Weren't you in the Argonne?

My Lord, the reports we had were

absolutely horrible.

- Thanks.

I'd like them for
two weeks, or longer.

Two weeks, that's
all that's allowed.

Krebs?

Krebs, you might want to check

the social calendar on your
way out of the building.

We have socials and
dances for the young vets

so they can catch up with
the community activities.

This Friday we have--

- Thanks.

I'll take a look.

- [Mother] You recognize some
of these pictures, Harold?

- Not specifically, but I'm
beginning to get an idea

of where I was in the campaign.

- Is that your map from the war?

- Here's where
our trenches were,

and here's where we had
our heaviest losses.

- Oh, the McDonald boy
was killed over there.

I had a talk with your
father last night, Harold,

and he's willing for you to
take the car out in the evening.

- Yeah?

Take the car out?

(laughing)

- Yeah.

Your father's felt
for some time that

you should be able
to take the car out

in the evenings
whenever you wish,

but we just talked
it over this evening.

- I'll bet you made him.

- Well, he suggested
that we talk it over.

We're going to have dinner
a little early this evening.

- All right.

I think I'll walk a little.

- Now, don't be late.

I've made your favorite roast.

- All right.

- [Tom] Six ball, Brian.

Harold?

- What's going on, Tom?

- Harold?

Army beefed you up some.

145 pounds, huh?

- Excuse me.

- Looking a little
beefy yourself.

(chuckling)

Looking good, Harold.

- Hey, Harold?

Run 'em all.

One, two, three,
the way you used to.

(pool balls cracking)

- Hey, Harold,

bet you didn't have no time
for pool in France, huh?

Did you?

- Nope.

Not much time for pool.

- Hey, Harold,

is it true you came
home last because

they kept the best
soldiers around?

You know, to keep
the Krauts in line?

(pool balls rumbling)

- Harold?

Did you really kill Germans?

Face to face?

Honest?

God.

With bayonets?

- That's what we went there for.

Not to see the Eiffel Tower.

(jaunty upbeat music)

- Sorry.

- Oh, sorry, I wasn't looking--

Krebs? Harold Krebs?

When did you get back?

- Just two weeks now.

- Well, you look
fine, just fine.

- Thanks.

- You working for
your dad at the bank?

- Not yet.

- You interested in a
permanent line of work?

- I might be.

- I'm doing fine
selling insurance.

The vets are interested
and need the security.

They know the future.

- Makes sense.

- [Charlie] Think
you'd be interested?

- Buying some?

- [Charlie] Well,
naturally that,

and maybe working with
me on the selling part.

- I'll think about it.

I'm late for dinner.

- Hey, did you hear
I'm married now?

Remember Edith Hayes?

She was our class secretary.

- Good luck, Charlie.

- And the prettiest
girl in town.

(sentimental piano music)

(knocking)

- Come on.

- Krebs? Harold Krebs.

Remember me?

Bill Kenner?

A fellow sufferer in
geometry and Latin.

- Sure, Bill Kenner.

I remember you.

- Come here, my lovelies.

- You all right?

- Yeah, sure.

Using a part of your knee
on a mine is all right.

I'm just fine.

- That's too bad.

You seem to be
doing well, though.

- Well, lovelies like these?

(speaking French)

Know what I mean?

- I guess.

- You guess.

(chuckling)

Say, we're lucky to be alive.

You know this little
town had three killed?

Lots injured.

Why, in our
graduating class alone

there were seven casualties.

This lovely
mademoiselle a Krebs?

(chuckling)

May I introduce myself?

- Let's go, Har.

- Well.

Bye, Bill.

- Is that your car?

- My Dad's.

Splendid work of art.

- Thanks.

- Can you get it nights?

- [Margie] Harold?

- [Harold] I guess so.

Why?

- You busy Friday?

- [Harold] I'm not sure.

Let me think about it.

- Think about it?

About what?

Look, let's you and I
live it up, my friend.

There's a dance at the Y.

I might even get us
some genuine cognac.

Pick me up at eight.

- All right, I'll try.

- I'll expect you.

Bye now.

Bye, lovely.

See you on the Champs Elysee.

(upbeat jazzy music)

- Harold? Harold Krebs?

- That's me.

I'm Roselle.

Roselle Simmons.

- Charlie Simmons'
sister, right?

- My heavens.

Have I changed all
that much in two years?

- Three years, actually.

- Well, you don't seem to be

having much fun at all.

You haven't danced once.

I've been spying on you.

- I'm not up to the steps.

All the chatter.

- You need to be taught.

Didn't your little
sister, Marge, ever try?

There are lots of new steps.

I could teach you.

It's my War Effort.

Trade for a smoke?

- It's a waste of time.

I never could get
my feet straight.

- Silly.

The feet are the easy part.

It's the rest of your body,

the way you hold your partner.

The way you lead.

I bet you like to
command a girl.

- Command a girl? Why?

- Command me, Mr. Harold Krebs.

Wait for the beat.

One, two. One, two.

(chuckling)

Okay, go the other way now.

Cross over your leg.

Ready? Go.

Front, back, front, hold,

together.

Did you ever dance like this
with those foreign women?

Front, back, front, hold,

together.

Don't.

I've got to freshen up.

I won't be long, all right?

Wait for me here.

Don't.

- Hey, where are you going?

Come on back here, Roselle.

- You shouldn't have left.

It would have gotten better.

- You should have stayed.

- I thought Roselle
was really something.

What would we do with
girls like that in France?

Christ, what do you want to do?

Just mope around forever?

I can't figure you.

Whenever I want to
forget about things,

I just drink.

Drink for a new one.

- I want to remember.

The good things.

- Like being over there?

Scared to death watching--

watching guys screaming
and bleeding to death?

- I wasn't scared.

Not like you, Kenner.

- Damn.

Everybody was.

You ever wake up in
the sweats and shivers?

I used to stuff my
blanket in my mouth

so I wouldn't--

I was scared.

Everybody was.

- That's a lie.

- Everybody was.

Only one thing worth
remembering over there,

those damn women.

No names, no faces.

Just those white
bodies smelling like

sweet apricots in
those warm hotel rooms.

- That isn't worth remembering.

- All right.

So, what is worth remembeing?

- Being a good soldier,

doing what you had to do.

- Being a good soldier?

You're crazy, Krebs,
you really are.

- You lie, Kenner.

About everything.

- Don't call me a liar.

- It's not worth it.

- Shut up.

- Hey, you all right?

- Crazy bastard.

You stay away from me.

I don't need a friend like you.

- Hey, wait.

Oh, go on.

Go on, Kenner.

(echoing)

- Would you put the
paper down, Harold?

I'd like to speak to you.

Your behavior was
terrible last night.

The whole neighborhood
could hear you.

- Sorry.

- Why?.

You have so much.

Our love, you have a fine
mind and a strong body.

Have you decided what you're
going to do yet, Harold?

- No.

- Don't you think
it's about time?

- I hadn't thought about it.

- Well, God has something
for everyone to do.

There can be no idle
hands in His Kingdom.

Charlie Simmons
is just your age.

He has a job already
and he's married.

All the boys are settling down.

They're all determined
to get somewhere.

Boys like Charlie
Simmons are on their way

to being a real credit to
the community, all of them.

Oh, Harold, please
don't look like that.

You know how much we love you.

I just want to tell you
this for your own good.

Your father doesn't want
to hamper your freedom.

He thinks that you should
be allowed to drive the car

and if you wanna take some
young girls out for a drive,

that's fine with us.

We want you to enjoy yourself,

but you're going
to have to begin

to settle down to work, Harold.

Your father doesn't mind
what you start out at.

All work's honorable,
as he says.

But, you're going to have
to start at something.

- Is that all?

- Yeah.

Don't you love your
mother, dear boy?

- No.

I don't love anybody.

(sobbing softly)

I didn't mean it.

I was just angry at something.

I didn't mean that
I didn't love you.

Can't you believe me, Mother?

Please? Please, Mother?

- It's all right, Harold.

(sobbing)

I'm your Mother.

I held you next to my heart

when you were a tiny baby.

- I know, Mommy.

I'll try and be a
good boy for you.

- Harold? Harold?

Would you kneel and
pray with me now?

Dear Heavenly Father,

we thank thee for thy
watch care and guidance

over our son and
your son, Harold.

We thank thee especially
for thy care of him

on the foreign fields
of battle and we are

grateful to you for
having brought him

home to us safe and sound.

Now, you pray, Harold.

- I can't.

- Harold, try.

- I can't.

- Do you want me
to pray for you?

- Yes.

- [Mother] We pray now
that you will continue

to guide and direct
him as he decides

what use to make of his life.

Please help him, dear Father,

to find the right path as
he learns to settle down.

Please, dear
Father, be with him.

- [Voiceover] He had
tried to keep his life

from being complicated.

He had felt sorry
for his mother and

she had made him lie.

Still, none of it
had touched him.

He would go to Kansas
City and get a job

and she would feel
all right about it.

He wanted his life
to go smoothly.

It had just gotten
going that way.

Well, that was all
over now, anyway.

(slow sad orchestral music)