Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990) - full transcript

For three years
the rain never came,

and the land dried up.

Bandits and soldiers
were everywhere.

Every day, more and more of
my family's sheep were dying.

When my father and I
look for the live ones,

I was so hungry
and my legs felt weak.

We had nothing.

One piece of dried meat and
a little milk two times a day.

As we got ready to move south
to look for rain and grass,

my father got
more and more silent.

But the thing I remember is,



until the soldiers came,

at least we had hope.

Shh.

Baba!

Baba!

Baba! Baba!

All ashore!

Kiss these mules goodbye
and live like a rich man.

You have to learn
to act like a demon here

if you want to go home rich.

Learn English, carry a gun,
start your own business,

and don't let
anyone push you around.

H-horse.

Trail.



Town. Town.

I live in the saloon.

I belong to Hong King.
Not for you.

Hey, Jim.
Where'd you find that?

Looks like you
got some competition.

China Polly.

Yeah, I heard
he was bringing one in.

Hey, look, there's
Hong King's Chinese girl.

Well, well.

Looky what we have here.

Oh, ho, ho, ho.

You better watch yourself,
Chinaman.

You don't want
to lose your tail.

- Git!
- You show him, Jonas!

Don't let him get
away with anything, Jonas.

That's what I heard.

Wouldn't have enough for that.

Where did Jim find
a girl like that?

Let's see those tiny feet.

Hey, Jonas,
did you get a good look

at her foot that time?

Li Po?

Li Po?

Boy, you're a lucky man, King.

Jim.

Hong King.

Mm-hmm.

Always a pleasure
to see you, Jim.

Howdy, Charlie.

Welcome to Warren's, ma'am.

Take her down off that horse.

Whoo-whee!

Hope I'll be seeing more of you.

Hello, Polly.

Go ahead.

That's nice.

Mmm.

Oh.

Oh!

He sure knows how
to show a girl a good time.

Oh!

Okay.

Uh-oh, come on, yeah.

Mmm.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mmm.

You getting one for the road?

No.

Sounds like someone
beat you to the punch, huh?

She's not the only whore around.

Okay.

Here we are.

Just like a China doll, huh?

Look at these hips.

Huh?

So what do you think?

I'll see you next trip, Jim.

Now where are you going?

Hey, you're supposed
to take her back to the saloon!

Ach.
These Mongolians.

Can never understand them.

I'll take her.

I bet you will.

Watch out for him, Polly.

He's a devil with the ladies.

Cold?

May I escort you home?

I mean, uh, your home.

Uh...

Hong King's?

I live at the saloon.

Yeah, yeah.

To the saloon.

Uh...

Yeah.

You don't have to walk
six paces behind me.

You save that for Hong King.

Hmm?

Oh, boy.

Uh, that's the general store
over there.

And, um, down that way
is Chinatown.

That's Chinatown.

It's not New York City, but, uh,

there's no gold
in New York City.

You know, you are the prettiest
woman I've seen in a long time.

I hope you will allow me
the pleasure of calling on you

from time to time, Miss Polly.

This looks pretty good.

No Polly.

Well, excuse me, ma'am.

What do you reckon
he's gonna want for her?

When do you think
she's coming out of there?

- Come on.
- Give me a shot.

- That's right.
- Mm-hmm.

My friends,

the moment I know
you've all been waiting for!

The celestial angel,

the pearl of the Orient.

Pearl of the Orient?

She is now prepared to show you

the pleasures of the East.

Now for the first $200.

Hey!

Anything less,
I keep her for myself, huh?

Go ahead, take a look!
We'll see if she's worth it.

$200, hell.

Nah.

Someone in this room
must have some gold, huh?

Well, come on!

Well, Polly!

Nice kitty.

I belong to Hong King!
Not for you!

Ahh!

Don't be shy.
Come to Parker.

Why, you little yellow bitch!

Oh!

Oh! Oh!

Okay, okay!

What were you doing?

What she say?

She loves only me.

A dead whore ain't
worth nothing, King.

Look, you keep
her for yourself, King.

Any fool can see
she'd make a lousy whore.

Who's to say?

She could make us
both a fortune.

50-50 on everything
the saloon takes in, right?

I don't want any slave money.

What?
She's Chinese!

She'll do what I tell her to do!

Hey, you don't own her.

Now, you can't own a person.

It's against the law.
Those days are gone.

Relax, Charlie.
She'll settle down.

No, I'm not gonna have you
keep a slave in my saloon.

That's it.

You wouldn't have a pot
to piss in if it wasn't for me.

Come on.

Before you leased me this place,

you could barely get yourself
down here to open it up.

Now look at
all these customers, huh?

You want to ruin it
for both of us?

All right, you break the law,

you'll never get
your citizenship papers.

Come on, get out of here.

She cost me $1,500.

$1,500?

Hell, I ought
to raise your rent.

If she won't be a whore,

let her earn her keep
some other way, huh?

Come on.

Come on, come on, come on.

Come on, I'll buy you a drink.

How about giving my gold back?

You've had your fun.
Get out of here!

- Look at that.
- Drinks on me, boys!

Leave the tiger in her cage.

Payment soon enough.

Julep.

End of the line
for you, Charlie.

Oh, my luck's changing.

I can feel it.

Why don't you stake me
the saloon?

You can't own the saloon
without those papers.

That's why.

I'll see you,

and I'll raise you
next month's rent though.

Hmm, you're on.

Whoo-hoo.

Son of a bitch.

All right,
you're too old for her.

I got a big yen for you,
Chinagirl.

Let's go back to your room
and talk about it.

Get away from me, Bemis.

It's the lady I'd
like to dance with.

One, two, three.

You know, Polly,

I never seen anyone
beat Hong King but you.

One, two, three.
One, two, three.

You don't have
to be afraid of me.

Leave a little of that
for us, Bemis.

Uh...

Look.

You listen to me, Polly.

Those men get rough.

Rough.

You tell them
that you're not a whore.

Say it, "No whore."

Hey, what are you doing?
Don't tell her that.

Uh...

You.

You say it now.

"No whore."

No whore.

Yeah, yeah.

If anybody gives you trouble,

you tell them, "no whore."

Yeah.

And if that doesn't work...

you try this.

I'd say you know how to use it.

Yeah.

Don't mention it, Polly.

No whore.

Whoo-hoo!

Ah.

Ah.

Jesus Christ.

Li Ping, you gonna
jabber all day long?

Take these needles out of me.

Hello, Polly.

If you want to ruin
your liver with this drinking,

you'll have to take this needle.

Otherwise, you turn yellow.

They gonna run you out
of Idaho with the rest of us.

Come on, unscrew these things,
will you?

Excuse me.

All right.

Don't this man feed you?

It's okay.
It's okay.

Here.

You try it, huh?

Mmm.

How you make?

So you're speaking
English now, huh?

Come on, I will show you.

You pour two cups
of flour into the bowl.

Pour two cups
of flour into the bowl.

Uh-huh.

And then you add some lard.

Add some lard.

And then water.

Then water.
Water.

Water. And you work it
into the crust.

- Mm-hmm.
- You see?

Here, slice these apples.

Here, slice the apple.

Uh...

excuse me, ma'am.

I hope you allow me
the pleasure of calling on you.

Brrr!
Brrr!

No whore.

Yeah, no whore.

You're no whore.

You're just a prisoner.

I was in prison once.
It was during the war.

It was Andersonville.

I was just a boy.

18 years old, going south
to fight against slavery.

They were taking out a hundred
bodies a day by the end.

Them cards is
what kept me alive.

I used to...
used to win, you know?

A little...

crust of bread was high stakes.

And a blanket.

That could mean your life.

You probably don't understand
a word I say, do you, Polly?

My name is Lalu.

Lalu.

Howdy, ma'am.

I belong to Hong King.
Not for you.

I'd like a beer
if you got one cold.

Don't he pay you?

I don't know how much
English you understand,

but I'm gonna tell you something

that you ought to know.

You're making me tired.

Come on, Polly,
have a cup of tea with me.

You act like friend.
You're not my friend.

What?

"No whore."
Fine.

I'm Hong King's slave.
Now I hear "No slave."

I can leave this place anytime.

Who told you that?

Black demon.
Why you not tell me?

'Cause things
are just never that simple.

I'm free!

I can leave this place anytime!
That simple.

Yeah, and just
where would you go?

- Hmm?
- Go home, China.

How would you get there?

How would you pay for it?

See, you try to leave,

Hong King would trump up
some charge against you

and have you arrested, arrested.

So you tell sheriff,
Hong King make me slave.

No, it just doesn't
work that way out here.

Now, just... just earn your
money, Polly, and pay him back.

Maybe then he'll let you go.

Look...

things aren't so bad for you.

You got food and your clothes,
a place to sleep.

And don't cut me
with those eyes.

You just got to make your
peace with the devil, Polly.

It's the only way
to get along in this world.

Polly?

Come upstairs.

Ugh!

Lalu?

I thought of you, Lalu.

All the way over the mountains,

every time I saw the night sky.

Do I need to pay
Hong King to talk to you?

You want to be my customer?

You knew.

You say you bring me to husband.

You leave me to be whore
for ghosts.

Piece of wood has
more feeling than you.

He paid for you.
There was nothing I could do.

You could help me.
Charlie helped me.

Don't you think
I wanted to kill those men?

I wanted to shoot
every last one of them.

I never go with demon men, Jim.

Only Hong King.

Lalu.

There's a silver river
between us.

But the magpies have built
a bridge for us to cross over.

We're together now.

I'll speak to Hong King.

"Citizen of the
United States of America."

To gold mountain, huh?

To the new citizen of
the flowery flag nation, huh?

Mmm.

I've waited ten years for this.

You've done very well, Jim.

I will recommend you
in the company.

Pretty soon,
I will own this town.

We come a long way since
we work on the railroad, huh?

- Indeed.
- Hey.

Ah.

Hey, you bake yourself?

Looks very good.

Hmm.

Hong King,
there's something you have

that I would like to buy.

Hmm?

I would like to buy Lalu.

Polly.

Come on, huh?

If you will not sell her,

I cannot be responsible
for what happens.

You do not want
to steal from me.

Huh?

Besides, you will be a fugitive
for the rest of your life.

Come on, if you stay in the
company, you'll do very well.

I will own the saloon,
the mines,

and I will need a good man
to work for me.

Don't throw it
all away on a woman.

How much do you want for her?

She cost me a lot of money, Jim.

And she's a tiger in bed.

But you could have her
for $3,000.

- I'll have it next trip.
- Very well.

I'll be back soon, Lalu.

Next time you're coming with me.

I wait for you, Li Po.

Uh...

For mail boat in San Francisco.

Watch out for her,
will you, Charlie?

Sure.

Do you think
you can hide your thefts?

Huh? You know the gold
on the floor belongs to me!

Ugh!

I have taken nothing from you!

Northern imbeciles, both of you!

- You whore!
- I am not a whore!

I won't be a whore!

You made your own choice, huh?

I should have done
this a long time ago.

You can't own me!
I am not your slave!

Listen up!

$5 puts you in line.

Lucky winner
gets first poke, huh?

Poke for a poke.

Hey, Charlie!

You've been waiting
a long time for this.

Come on in and buy a ticket.

Huh?

Bring back more gold!
Buy a lot of tickets!

I am holding an evening
of pleasure in my hand, huh?

Silence!

Can I borrow
your funny hat, huh?

How many do you want?

Let's play cards, King.

This weakness for one woman
does not become you, Charlie.

Draw the winner.

I'll tell you what.

You clean me out,
I'll wager the deed.

Don't worry, boys.
Only a slight delay.

Hold on here.
You can't be doing that now.

- Nick? Cards!
- That's our money.

You cannot do that
with our money like that.

Cards!

- You understand what I'm...
- Cards!

You cannot be doing that
with our money.

Bring me the poke!

Boys, boys,
how 'bout some side bets?

One card.

I'll take one.

Five score.

- Whoa.
- Look at that.

- Whoa!
- I cannot believe that money.

- Look at that.
- Whoa.

All right.

I'll stake you the girl
against your five score.

Now, wait just
a cotton-pickin' minute, King.

You can't be bettin' our
ticket money and the girl, too.

Forever?

One night only.

No!
That's forever.

All right.

Put up your deed.

All right, King.

You want to lose it all,
far be it from me to stop you.

Full house.

Bemis didn't
have a Chinaman's chance.

Give his money back.

- For sure, yeah.
- All right.

Is that so?

Bemis got straight flush.

Well, I'll be damned.

Hah! Whoo!

Pay up, full house!

Go ahead.

Take her out now.

You're damn lucky, Bemis.

But your luck is running out.

All right, it's over now, Polly.

Let's go home, huh?

Get out of here, Bemis!
Don't come back too soon.

Don't come back.

I hope you catch
a disease, Bemis!

That's right.

Hey, Charles, my friend.

Tell us which way
it goes in the morning.

Take care of that
little Mongolian bitch.

Let's go, sweet chariot!
Hyah!

I'll be up in the morning
to try it out.

Ever had a night like this?

Huh? Huh? Huh?

Ohh!

Oh, we beat him, Polly!

I won!

Oh, it has been such a long,
long time since I won.

Come on, what's wrong?

What's wrong?

You're not scared of me,
are you?

Huh?

No, no.

Maybe you'd like a...
like a drink, huh?

No?

Come on.

Just a little one, huh?

- Look, I am no Hong King.
- You...

You got nothing to be afraid of!

You're just like them.

Look, I staked everything
I owned on you.

I'd like a little appreciation.

Hmm?

You want money for it?
Is that what you want?

I not a whore!

I ruined a man for you.

I thought you'd be happy.

Look, if I hadn't won,

there'd have been a hundred men.

Then I'd die
and leave this place.

Polly, you're with me now!

You win me from Hong King.

Then you gamble me to somebody
else like cow, like sheep!

No, you don't know
what you're saying.

You want Chinese slave girl?

That what you want?

No.

No, I don't want
a Chinese slave girl.

Here, just go to sleep.

I won't even come near you.

I'm too tired, anyway.

What are you doing here?

Cooking breakfast for you.

Ohh.

Go on.

Go on, I'll make it.

Go on.

Mmm.

Now, go on.

Have some.
You must be hungry.

You...

hold it like this.

Here, have some coffee, huh?

Oh, what are we
gonna do with you?

Look, I don't own you, Polly.

You can... you can
stay here until you decide.

I'm free?

You're free as anyone.

Uh, laundry, one-half ounce.

Is that money
for you or your boss?

No boss.

Okay, come on by tomorrow.

Okay.

Ahh.

- Mmm.
- Okay?

Okay.

Yeah.

Good.

Yes, that's it.

Thank you, Charlie.

Yeah.

- How about dinner?
- Okay.

Li Po.

Where is your horse?

Right here,
along with most of the mules.

$3,000 in yellow eagles.

Where is she?

Where's Polly?

Ask your friend Charlie.

Now that's called
"The Irish Washerwoman."

Yeah?

What that?

And that is me when I'm drunk.

Do me!

No, no.

- Please.
- No.

You're a little difficult.

Yeah?

That's Li Ping on a good day.

What?

Where'd you find that?

Paradise Alley.

Ay, yeah, Charlie.

This yours, too?
Huh?

Don't tell me you're jealous!

- Hey, howdy, Jim!
- What's she doing here?

Uh...

she lives here.

Li Po.

I'll see you two later.

Li Po?

Li Po?

Polly.

Come.
We have some coffee.

So...

what happens with you?

Hmm?

You look terrible.

Did your father
sell you, Berthe?

Probably would have if he could.

No, there was a man,
a dairyman in Germany

who wanted to marry me.

But I made an indenture
and left.

Ehh, just farmer.
He smell like a cow, anyway.

That farmer, what would
he think of you now?

I think probably he thinks
he was lucky to have lost me.

Jim would have been happier
if I died.

Oh, Polly.
You take this so hard.

You go home to Charlie now.

I can't stay with Charlie now.

Why do you have to make
everything so complicated?

He gives you a home.
Take it.

It's not good for Charlie
or for me.

But where else can I go?

I don't have enough gold
for home yet.

Soon the pass will be closed
until spring.

Well, you could move
into the alley,

become an independent woman
like me.

It's not a bad life.

Nobody tells you what to do,
and there's no boss.

I have another job now.

How many do you need?

I leased Sam's boardinghouse.

Is that so?

I'm the new manager.
I live there now.

Save my gold, find a way
to go home in springtime.

Well, I thought you
were doing a pretty good job

of making this place your home.

In fact, you seemed
to have just about taken over.

All you care about
is making money.

Charlie, it's no good
for me to live here

with you like this.

It suited you just fine
when you needed it.

I'll leave tonight.

Well, that's just fine then.

And good riddance!

Don't come whining back either,
'cause I won't be here.

Yeah, I'm leaving, too.

You still want this place?

I'll give you...

give you a good deal on it.

I'm thinking of moving on.

What for?

There'll be another
strike in the spring.

Gold will be flowing down those
mountains right into my safe.

Now that's the spirit.

Can't keep a good man down.

Look, I got my eye
on a piece of land

down by the River of No Return,

and I'll be gone before
the snows lock us in up here.

Are you taking her with you?

I don't think she'd come.

Sell her to me, then.
I'll buy her and the saloon.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.

She's making a fool out of you.

Maybe.

Holy...

Jesus Christ.

Well, wonder what we're
gonna have for breakfast.

- Where's your dog, Jonas?
- What?

You got a dog?

Dixie?

Dixie?

Dixie?

Come out of the kitchen there.

I don't want you around
no China people.

Come over here and sit down.

Yeah, that's a good girl.

You a horse's ass.

You're the horse's ass,

leasing your claim to a chink.

I'll get it back.

What'd you do, sit on them?

You don't like my pancakes?

They're simply delicious, ma'am.

Delicious.

Over here.
Listen to me.

We all came here to get rich.
We don't look rich.

Those chinks
are taking out your gold

and sending it back home.

- That's right!
- That's right!

Our league has a better idea,

send them back instead!

Send them back tomorrow!

It's not the Chinaman's
fault the gold's played out.

You worked as hard as them,
maybe you'd find some.

Never seen you work
a day in your life, Bemis.

Don't you boys send
your gold home just like them?

They're not your problem,
so leave them alone!

Y'all don't listen to him, now.

He ain't nothing
but China-lovin' Yankee scum.

She left you, though,
didn't she?

Hey.

You can't sink
much lower, Bemis.

- Don't you want to go home?
- They're not American.

- They should go home!
- Yeah!

- Now sign up right here...
- I'll sign it.

I got it right here.

Join the league.
Make your mark.

What are you doing here?

You leave something behind?

Oh, I suppose you found it.

Say...

how's the boardinghouse?

Okay.
I cook like you.

That's a good idea.

I don't think they'd go
for fermented milk.

Hmm.

Mail!

Mail's come in.

Christmas sure do
come late around here.

Yeah, well, it's only February.

Last year we never got
the Christmas mail until April.

All right, let's see,
"Mr. Henry Sykes from Georgia."

"Mr. Toby Clark."
That's you, Ohio.

And "Mr. John Mecham,"
one from Texas.

This one is from my brother.

And, uh, well, I got two for me.

The mail's good.

What does your family say?

She says,
"Come home rich or poor."

Well, don't you look pretty,
Miss Polly.

Are you going
to that Chinese wingding?

- Yes.
- Ain't nobody going home rich,

what with them chinks
taking it all.

Please, Jonas.
Spare us.

I am not talking
about Polly, now.

I'm talking about
them yellow miners...

Working for nothing so's we
can't even get a job no more.

Well, the league's gonna turn
that around for us right soon.

Ain't that right?

Charlie.

Well, well,
look what the cat drug in.

Mr. Bemis.

Hello, boys.

It's not bad, Polly.

Not bad yourself, Charlie.

Yeah.

Happy new year.

It's the year of the horse,
I think.

Go ahead, open it up.

It's for those
long winter nights.

Oh, Charlie.

Li Ping said he'd be glad
to teach you.

Thank you.

Um...

I came by to see if I might,
uh, escort you to the festival.

Uh...

I'm going alone.
It's better.

Better than riding in my buggy?

Hmm?

Charlie.

Yeah?

Last year, they had fireworks

that lit up the whole sky.

They're trying to keep
it a little quiet this time,

I guess.

Moved it outside of town.

What did you used
to do at new year's?

We always have lots
of fireworks.

We go to the high hill,
and we light them.

Girls are not supposed to play
with firecrackers, but not me.

I always helped my father.

When I go back home,

I buy a fast horse
and a hundred sheep,

and I drive them
to my father's house.

Hmm.

Well, that'd be
a hell of a surprise.

Hmm.

You know, I went home
for a while after the war.

Sometimes you... you just can't
go back to the way you were.

Beautiful country
right here, Polly.

You can't beat it.

You think we're
all still demons?

Well, maybe you're right.

Maybe we are.

But some of us,

we just need an angel like you
to save us from ourselves.

Giddap.

Look at those crazy Mongols.

What do you think they're doing?

I don't know what the hell
they're doing,

but they sure look funny,
don't they?

Gung hay fat choy.

Gung hay fat choy.
Gung hay fat choy.

Gung hay fat choy.

You see?

Oh, Li Ping.

Thank you.
Xie xie.

Do you know the constellations?

- Mmm.
- All right.

Right over there, there's
Orion, see him, with a sword?

Yes, I know them.
Oh, look!

You know,
when I was a little girl,

I thought you could ride
this dragon

all the way to heaven
and you could see your life

spread out below just
like a pattern of fields.

- Yes?
- Yes.

- Aah!
- Stay down!

Charlie?
Charlie?

Charlie?

Damn you, I told you
to shoot up in the air.

Let's get out of here.

Ah!
Charlie! Charlie!!

Oh, Charlie.

Please.

Take the bullet out now.

I have done what I can.

Wrap... wrap his feet.

- Wrap his feet.
- Shh.

Wrap his feet.

Charlie, you're all right.

Shh.

It's all right.

I do it.

Miles, we...
we need your help.

Miles, you hold him.

I'll give him some whiskey, huh?

Hold on, Charlie.
Hold on.

Yeah.

You got it, Polly.

Now you get well, my friend.

Charlie.

I found dinner.

- Charlie?
- Yeah?

I found dinner.

You did?
Ugh!

Ohh.

Come here.

Li Ping?

Come on.
Giddap!

Let's go!

Come on out, Mr. King!

I can't control
these boys much longer!

Come on out or they're
gonna burn you out.

This is my saloon, goddamn it!

Trespassers will be prosecuted!

You're Chinese!

You got to go just
like everybody else,

one way or another.

Time for you to leave!

No, god dang it.

King, I think it's time
you think about leaving.

You're no longer
wanted here, King!

This is my place.

- Look, if I were you...
- King!

I would quit while
I was ahead this time.

Just cut your losses
and go home, huh?

This is my home.

King! Get out!

Look, it's a big country.

Why don't you
go to San Francisco?

You can make another
fortune down there, huh?

They deport us everywhere.

They're not gonna ship out

every Chinaman in San Francisco!

Come on.
Come on!

Take my horse.

And ride him up
to the front of the line.

- How about the buggy?
- Oh, don't push your luck.

Thought I'd ask.

Stay away
from the gambling tables!

You're a fine one to talk!

That's
in the middle of nowhere.

Now, how can you possibly
get there alone?

First, I take a boat
to Shanghai.

From there, I find a merchant.
I go north to Zizhiqu.

Well, what if they haven't
come back when you get there?

I mean, you may not even
get as far as San Francisco!

I'm safe with Li Ping.

Just stay with me, Polly.

They would make our life
another hell.

No, they wouldn't.

We'd move down by the river.

Build ourselves a cabin.

We'd have our own homestead.

Nobody else for miles around.

Maybe you'd even decide
that you could love me, hmm?

I've already decided.

Goodbye, Charlie.

Eh, goddamn it!

Y'all have a nice trip,
you hear.

Sayonara, Chinaman.

Get out now!

Come on.
Let 'em go.

- Let 'em go.
- Don't block them.

Settle down, boys!

At home, we often went away,
but we always came back.

Lalu, have they ever
answered your letters

or replied to the gold you sent?

Sometimes it is better to drink
the soup of forgetfulness,

to cross the river
to be reborn on the other side.

Glad to see we'll be
travelling together, Polly.

I'm not with you.

Well, there's a lot of money
to be made in San Francisco.

We can go
into business together,

make a fortune
on the Barbary Coast.

You think I want
that kind of life?

You think you got a choice?

You're a dead ghost, Hong King.

Lalu, in this country,
we are all dead ghosts.

Where are you going?

Home.

Giddap.