Où est passé Tom? (1971) - full transcript

"FREEDOM" IS A WORD THAT
HAS NEVER MEANT THE SAME FOR EVERYONE

No, no, I'm not letting you go.
We won't hurt them.

It's just to see.

You've no sense of smell, poor dog.

You won't run anymore, Marguerite.

And the foxes? And the eagles?

They'll catch you, you love your food.

- Tom, are you going to the city?
- Yes.

With that disgusting van?

- I'm going to get it washed.
- Tom, my flowers!

My flowers, please!



Society for the Organised Release
of political prisoners.

Literary figures or actors.
Bankers or doctors.

Scholars or manufacturers.

Diamond dealers or editors.

Of different nationalities,
they were able to add money,

influences and time to deal with others.

Pacifists.

Buchenwald.

Mothers, fathers, brothers
and sisters killed by the Nazis.

Three sons lost in the war.

Auschwitz.

Survivor of Stalin prisons.

Head of the first campaign
of non-violence.

A conscientious objector.
Two years in prison.



Pacifist.
Founder of the current society.

Read this article, please.

His availability
and knowledge of languages

made him the society's secretary.

In this role he oversees their progress.

This initial contact

between the freed prisoner and those to
whom he owes his freedom.

- And be happy.
- Thank you for everything.

Please. Please.

Let me pass.

My torturer.

Sir. Sir, come, please.

Please, sir, move out of the way.

Please leave.

You don't respect anything.
He needs peace.

Peace? Only you can believe it.

There you go, the prisoners
in question live in this fortress.

The man in the middle is Ramon Zafra.

Former MP.

He was the leader
of the opposition for some time.

Zafra? I've already seen
some photos of him. But there, really.

Yes, you wouldn't recognise him at all.
Prison quickly changes a man.

And the source of these documents?

We need you too much,
so there's nothing to hide.

We managed to bribe a soldier.

There you go! Anton Caras.

Our embassy obtained
a written statement from him,

in which he denies the presence
of these political prisoners in his land.

And his government?

They back up Caras' statements.

We've knocked on all the usual doors.
Even those of the Vatican.

You know, we don't aim to free

the unfortunate people
who suffer under all regimes.

We control their existence at least.

And so the families
keep the right to hope.

Do you think that prevents the worst?

Ah, obviously.

If this guy was required
to formalise these prisoners,

one day he'd have to
own up to their deaths.

If death is involved, it's sobering.
It's anonymity that encourages crime.

Why don't you get major
newspapers on the case?

Too dangerous.

If Caras and his government stay in power,
they're capable of killing the prisoners

to destroy the evidence.

No, we need high power
to apply direct pressure.

They won't have fun
playing with high power.

I'll try to talk about it.

Think about the Burgos trial.
If the world hadn't interfered?

They will test the ground.
Reply in about a fortnight.

Can you put this back in the safe, please?

Miss Monclair. Do you think
that we'll have more by then?

Our man is terrorised.

I don't think he could give us any more.

I think a clearer photo of Ramon Zafra.
So that the UN recognises him.

Let's say
since the beginning of this case,

we've come up against
obvious bad intentions.

- You speak their language well, right?
- Yes.

Go for it. We can only strengthen our
positions with this soldier.

I don't want that. I don't want that.

I forbid you to go
to my sister's house.

I don't know your sister.

- He's talking to me.
- Okay.

Don't worry, there's no danger.
I promise.

No danger? Don't make fun of me.

My sister made a mistake
by getting into your games.

We aren't blackmailers. Think about it.

If you decide to continue,
no-one will stop you.

You and your sister mustn't be afraid.

- We're your friends.
- Okay, bye, false friends.

I think he's had enough.

You'll never change, really.

You'll notice that there is no agenda.

This meeting has been called
at Miss Monclair's request.

She'd like to let us know
her intentions and observations.

The Caras case is at a standstill.
There is no agenda.

Ramon Zafra, to name but one,
is neither dead nor missing,

but alive and well in Caras' prison.

And we can't even get
his government to recognise him.

Zafra is not the issue.

They wouldn't look at the documents
you obtained about him.

No high power wants to take care of
that small country at the moment.

We must wait and stay loyal
to our guidelines.

We spend our time here
talking about our guidelines.

Yet Anton Caras was not around
20 or 25 years ago.

A time where some of you
would be in agony.

Not even 10 years ago I had the
misfortune of falling into their hands.

Anton Caras is alive and well right now.

And our debates about non-violence
won't change anything.

Where do you think you are?
At a terrorist gathering?

I believe I'm with people who
try to have a good conscience,

only in safety and comfort.

I'll look after him for a little bit,
I'll bring him back to you.

Don't pull that face.

He can't see you.
Or understand the usual pity.

Or shake your hands,
or love you, or hate you.

He's just a digestive tube.

Poor old man.

Old man? He's only 30.

He was rescued from a country so close
we should be embarrassed.

And if such a show can exist,

it's because men
like Caras are everywhere.

We don't know all the hideaways,
nor all the faces of these monsters.

But as soon as
we're lucky enough to track one down,

we only have one solution.

I reject it.
Non-violence has always worked for us.

For minor results.

Miss, do you aim to bring down

all the chains
and railings in the world?

Caras' death won't solve the problem.
It would be too simple.

Obviously, on the basis
of this principle we let

Duclerc live, instead of
killing him at the start.

We're better here, right?
I see you coming, do you want a coffee?

Come on!

What's wrong with you? Come on.
It's not the Wild West here, is it?

It isn't a shooting range either.
It's a calm place.

It's one of the last calm places left.

Do you know what that means? Silence.

Firstly, this is not your home.
This is Father Creton's house.

Father Creton's house.

You know?

Father Creton isn't easy-going.

Hello.

Hello. I'm not disturbing you, am I?

Oh, no. It's rather us
who have disturbed you.

No. You know, I?

I said that because of Father Creton.

Don't worry, we've just bought
the house and the land from him.

Ah right, has he sold it?

Why, were you interested too?

- Not at all. I've got something here.
- Really?

If you don't have plans,
stay and have lunch with us.

I'd like to.

I'm Alexandra Welson.

- Tom. Tom Coupar.
- Come!

- Your dog is beautiful.
- Yes?

Did you come from the city
with all these horses?

No, no, in a truck to the village below.

This is Tom Coupar.

A neighbour who's going to
have lunch with us.

- David and Fr?d?ric.
- Nice to meet you.

- We're very lucky.
- And if we finish the score?

- It's your turn, Alexandra.
- Okay. Excuse me.

- If you fancy it.
- No, thanks.

If noise annoys you, I recommend this.

Awful teacher.
But actually a European champion.

- He's also my ex-husband.
- He's a lot of things.

Ex? Well, nice to meet you.

Here, it's less violent.

You see with her, he agrees.

I don't want to watch a massacre.

- It's very delicate on the sight.
- The sight, yes.

The sight. Don't you ever get bored during
your military periods?

I've never held a rifle before.
I'm in the Corps of Signals.

I think that's amazing. Don't you, David?

Are you interested in virgins now?

First condition: love your rifle.

Don't think of it as a war weapon,
but as a sporting accessory

that is no better than a tennis racket.

Caress it. Its skin is as fresh as steel.

Warm like mahogany.
Precise like the sun.

You talk well about it.

It's my life.
I have a shooting range near Lausanne

and everyone here is part of the club.

I call the trigger a comma.

The gun's punctuation. A colon.

Place your finger, there you go.

Do you feel it?

A free lesson.
That's it, it's holding up.

Is it loaded?

Yes, but I've locked it, it won't shoot.

There. I've unlocked it.

Hold the rifle tightly
against your shoulder.

Hold it well with your right hand.
And your body weight on your left leg.

Look up high.
Right, it's down to you now. Shoot!

So? Barely healed and you want more?

No. I came like this.
It's on my way.

Do you work here?

No, I build cable cars.
Well, my workers do.

And here, I try to think that
I still want to do archery.

But in all honesty,
it's hard to ignore her.

Of course.

Hello, Mr. Coupar.

What a surprise.

How nice of you to come
and see my facility.

Fr?d?ric, if you stay,
we'll all go out for lunch, okay?

Yeah. All together.

With that face, I'd be mad at my mother.

Looking like nobody isn't that bad.

Yes, Alexandra can have fun
with him for a few minutes.

Have you already met her horse?
Do you know its full name?

He hasn't either.
She hasn't had the time yet.

So he'll be the first of the two
who gets to meet it.

When I met her, she had another horse.

She'd introduced me to it.

Align the tip of the point
with the small yellow ball.

You breathe too much.
Breathe in and hold it.

That's better.
A little to the left. A little lower.

Of course, don't breathe anymore.

This time it's too low.

And too much to the left.
The vertical axis first.

Keep going. Stop, stop.

Now the lateral axis.

No, not to the left.

It isn't difficult. Don't breathe.

Tom, I've never had so much fun
training a student.

Now we'll do long distance shooting.

Ah.

What a mess.

Here, as a souvenir.
It'll help to track your progress.

Ah.

You'll get there one day.

I'll keep it as an example.

Miss Monclair has resigned.

So we'll start by reading her letter.

"I'm not judging anyone, but I refuse to
let softness and conformism

hinder my starting objectives
which were also yours."

"This will serve as a resignation."

I won't add anything else.
The Caras case could not succeed

thanks to our usual legal means

and is removed
from our immediate concerns.

But the Brazilian government
gave a favourable response

to our request concerning
the Belem prisoners.

We'll soon receive
permission to visit them,

and all aspects must be respected.

Soon, I won't have much more to teach you.

No, they always had money.
My grandparents did too.

It became a habit in the family.

Good chocolate
in all flavours. This is serious.

- Chocolatier's toast.
- Yeah, really serious.

In my club, you stumble across
bankers, old men, young people.

And I was hoping you were poor.

You don't choose your birth.

No, I said:
some guys have a hard time of it.

You try to take care of it.
This is the organisation I mentioned.

I meet the prisoners at the borders,

I keep the minutes of meetings, etc.

I was curious, but you intrigue me.

Now I know why you learnt to shoot.

Oh right?

Do you know?

Yes. You're a pacifist who fights
against his aggressive tendencies.

Everyone has them deep down.

Shooting is a release.

The noise of the weapons.
The contact, right?

The world upside down,
do you know what it is? It's amazing.

Tom, one of these days, I'll have to
introduce you to my horse.

Caras' death won't solve
the problem. That's it.

Hitler was allowed to live
thanks to these principles.

Instead of killing him at the start.

I phoned his house.
He told them he was going on holiday.

There's been no news since then.

Now I'm doing the worst.

It must be him.

Never seen a poacher in a red hat.

He can't go down the front.
He can't go up.

He can get out
from the left or from the right.

You go this way and we'll go that way.

Oh, beware, a poacher who doesn't take
his catch with him may be crazy.

Stop. Stop. You're surrounded.

We have your bag, come back.
You can't go that way. It's thin air.

There's no need to insist.

Hey, look. He's even trying.

It's unbelievable.

He'll kill himself.

- Good evening.
- Good evening.

Alexandra, I really need to talk to you.

If you have a minute.

Of course.

David, I can't ask you to wait for me.

I'm sorry. Have a nice night anyway.

I can't ask you to wait for me.

Say, I thought she'd introduce me
to her horse this evening.

I came to pay for it.
I don't know if I have enough on me.

- How much is it?
- There's no rush, Tom.

When I think that you could have
fallen instead of the gun.

That?

Not that.

I've been running in
the mountains since I was a kid.

What if I'd fallen with the gun?
What if I'd died?

Would it have done anything for you?

Of course. What a question.

But less than if it had been your horse.

So how much is it for the gun?

Tom, do me a favour.
Don't worry about the gun.

I don't know the price.
We'll see about it when you come back.

Exactly, maybe I won't come back.

But? Are you annoyed because I laughed?

I'm happy with you, Tom,
it's because I feel good.

No. I'm not annoyed.
I couldn't be with you.

But I have to kill a man.

Kill a man?

There you go, I told you.

You're joking.

Tom, killing someone is really serious.

- You don't realise.
- Yes.

But I'm ready.

It isn't about a woman, is it?

No.

It's to save a lot of people.

I don't really have
a choice anymore. I'm?

How do you say it?

Chosen?

By your organisation?

Watch out, in politics, it's always
the same people who act and who talk.

They aren't involved in it,
neither are politics.

It's bigger than that. I've had dreams.

Haven't you ever felt chosen to do
something important?

You're too sensitive, Tom.

You're a victim of a temporary emotion.

Who is this man you want to?

A budding dictator.
A principle that must be cut at the root.

Come on, there'll always be another one.

Maybe. But this will make a lot of noise.

It'll shed light on the dungeons
and the guys who are dying down inside.

And to think I taught you to shoot.
I could have guessed.

Now I feel responsible.

But think about it, Tom.
At least do it for me.

- Is it a stranger?
- Obviously.

- You'll get killed.
- It depends.

I know the mountains.

- There are many and you'll be alone.
- I've always been alone.

With my mouth.

What about it?

What?

What about it?

It's all crooked.

Don't go there, Tom.

Oh, I beg you, don't go there.

Equals C. Everything is under control.

And raised to 4, how did you get it?

Dear Cazal, your case is hopeless.

You! Go towards the door!

Everyone else! Move away from the door.

Come in.

- Number seven is here.
- Let him in and leave us alone.

Hello, Zafra. Come in.

So to re-do the whole demonstration,
I choose Cazal?

Ribeira and Roros.

No thanks.
I never have liquor after coffee.

Does your mother tongue
still disgust you?

With you and your fellows, I prefer to
speak the language of a free country.

Let's say it's
a diplomatic language above all.

There's no such thing as complete freedom.

Anyway, we'd make do
with the one that is in France.

Here, the people even had the advantage.

They used it to sell fish in churches,
and tarred the nuns.

History seen through a spyglass lens
has never interested me.

You see, that's the
whole history of this country.

A long job.
I brought it back from the capital.

It's safer here.

This one concerns me.

There's one about everyone.
Even about my employers.

All your addresses,
your measly hiding places, your moves,

from your grimaces while shaving,

to your habit of shaking the
salt shaker over your shoulder.

Not forgetting the violets
you give to ladies.

Your type of lady: big, a bit heavy.

The last one screamed while making love.

As for Mr. Cazal?

your brother in blood and arms

your life-long companion.

He kept on betraying you.

I forbid you.

Fourth book on the left,
on the second row.

You'll find the written letters

addressed against you,
to your party's headquarters.

- Photocopied, of course.
- Liar.

A free claim.

A little courage.

Fourth book on the left.
On the second row.

No.

Go on, look at them, look at them.

They scare you, don't they?

You see that the lens
of my spyglass isn't so insignificant.

It lets us see the enemies of a regime.

If you take power one day,

you'll be more interested
in your enemies.

And in this circumstance,
I'll be irreplaceable.

Revolutions pass,
the police and the army remain.

With my comrades, yesterday I found out
that you'd talked about my death.

- Ah, you found out?
- Does that surprise you?

No, but are there microphones?

Let's just say that some men
are weaker than others.

I prefer to think about microphones.

I understand you, it's not as sad.

So, do you really think
that my death would solve your problems?

But our problems are those
of the progression of the people.

So they don't depend on
a single man. Or a single idea.

Well done.

I'm also against political assassination.

The proof is that all of you,
enemies of the regime,

are all alive.

Yes, in a dungeon.

Yes, I'll give you that,
I rule over this dungeon region,

like a spider in its web.

Don't brag.

More like a miserable guard in a cemetery.

Wrong.

Dungeons were
the privilege of kings and princes.

A dead man cannot change his mind.

Whereas in time, a prisoner

sees his hatred turn into love.

Proclaiming loudly that he was wrong.

- What a resurrection for you all.
- And what comfort for you.

We prefer to leave you in doubt.
It's our last luxury.

Tell it to the minister
when you leave.

About your friend Cazal,
you're scared to confirm my accusations.

Your block is cracked. We'll wait.

We don't want to carry out petty crimes.

Please. No attacks of conscience.

- It's in order.
- I'm overwhelmed.

You have the upper hand.

Zafra?

My father has just died.

I wanted to talk to someone.

Any news?

Nothing in particular.

Ah, I prefer that.

They still think we'll abandon our ideas.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

This fortress seems to interest you.

Yes.

The walls make you want
to see what's inside.

But it's occupied by the army.

Ah, yes. Maybe prisoners are kept there.

No. Not nowadays.

Can we visit it?

No. It's impossible.

Jesus Christ,
what the hell is she doing here?

Is he still there?

Tom!

What are you doing?

Who did it? Who?

Block the road to the mountain.

We need him alive to know who he is.

Yes.

Quickly, get in.

Tom, it's you, it's really you.

I saw you when you shot.
Have you killed him? Really?

Yes. And what are you doing in this mess?

The same thing,
but I wasn't lucky enough.

Not lucky enough?

Who have you spoken to
in this country since you arrived?

To nobody.

Only to a tourist guide
about the fortress.

He reported you.

Careful, over there.

The border on foot through the mountains.

Tom. And if we stay
in the country to see the result?

Angry people and the tyrant released to
the public opinion by the world press.

Everyone will want to meet you.

You're a hero.

The hero will make do with going home.

Tom, you don't realise what you've done.

Yes.

I hope it helps these prisoners.

I did it because I couldn't live any
longer without doing it.

It was bigger than me.

Do you remember one day?

A woman who pushed
an injured man in a wheelchair.

In front of those passive guys.

Yes, I remember.

You see, I didn't do that
to be on television.

I want to stay in the country.

That's your business.

Continue.

He could crash his car.
I want him alive.

What are you doing?

You have to hold on.

Jump, come on, jump!

Look, he's moving.

Turn yourself in! Don't be stupid!

I'm going to kill you, bunch of dogs.

Shoot. Go on, shoot.

He's in France.

Tom's wife was there.

What a story.

He'll end up talking.

The workers say that
she speaks the language well.

He's as hard as stone.

Bring him here.

Sit down.

Here.

Ah, I've got some disappointment for you.

Here, the papers.

French, English, American, German.

Without forgetting ours.

Not a line about your achievement.

Look at the dates. The day of the murder.

And the following two days.

No, no, not a word.

So?

A high commissioner is killed in front of
a crowd. It doesn't go further than that.

Yes, here, nothing goes further.

You neither, you won't go any further.

We only know your first name, Tom.

It's not much, but it's enough.

I imagine your family and friends
somewhere in the world.

They'll be thinking for a long time,
but? Where did Tom go?

And then they'll forget you.

The whole world will forget you.

He's yours. He'll come back if he talks.

They've caught someone.

They say he's foreign. French.

French? Who sent him?

That's all we know.

They say Caras has been replaced.

Of course.

Tell the others.

Another Frenchman
who'll never see the light again.

Aren't you worried?

About Caras' replacement?

No, I don't think so.

Hey, you! Watch out.
We have a new guy here.

Is it you who killed Caras?

Yes.

- Are you French?
- Swiss.

Are you French?

No, but I lived in France for a long time.

- And are you Swiss?
- Yes.

Who sent you?

Nobody.

Bring him down here to me.

If you don't do it, you'll be next.

Hurry up.

Don't worry. We'll help you down.

You know, we don't see
the light of day either.

Jesus Christ, why did you do it?

For you, I did it for you all.

But what could he have imagined?

There's no denying it, it was beautiful.

Don't touch.

You know, over time,
I'm starting to like your shirt.

That's it, take good care of it.

My word, he stole his clothes.

When there's no blood brother,
they have a race brother.

Here.

- And him?
- You know who he is.

You can't die here.

If you have something to say,
knock on the door.

One of you must stay here for an hour.

I'll stay.

Listen.

Listen.

Do you understand me?

Is there someone here? Can you??

Can you??

Please?

Hello.

Be careful, Tom, don't go there.

Bastard.

Then you squeeze really tightly.

I swear.

The captain's in the tunnel,
use the main door.

That's what you're saying.

How many soldiers are there?

There are two. Two times two.

Two times two is four, there's a tally.

If I hear noise, I'll kill you.

CAPTAIN FUENTES

- Yes? What is it?
- Captain, the prisoner wants to talk.

Gentlemen, the captain is here.

Straight body, with a confident walk.

At ease.

Tell them to move back.

Move back.

Put your hands behind your head.

Put your hands behind your head.

You, the first one! Come here.

- Throw the weapons out of the window.
- Throw them all out!

You! Take the weapons.

Quicker!

Keep moving back.

Quickly, get up. Quickly, quickly.

Quickly, get up.
Hurry up. You're free.

Get dressed, get dressed.
Come on, get up, you're free.

Come on, get up. You're free!

Free, free, free!

Quickly, quickly, quickly!

Quickly! Come on, out!
Everyone out! You're free!

You're free!

Come on, quickly.

It's me.

Don't you recognise me?

- It looks like he owns the place.
- That's not the point.

I'll speak to him.

- It looks like a hoax.
- That's your opinion.

Yes, okay, I believe you,

but this freedom doesn't interest us.

But this is happiness, it's Hell in here.

We have no choice, we're an example.

To whom? No one knows you're here.

You all knew well.

But wake up, look at me.

Look at me and look at them, the numbers,
in the corruption.

With freedom, you'll take back the fight.

You'll get revenge.

But we don't want to get revenge.

I'll still pass on
your proposal to the others.

They'll choose.

They'll come.

- They don't want to come.
- They're crazy.

They're all completely crazy.

But I've just opened, you know.
And we have weapons and guns.

- You won't have 50 chances.
- Without a doubt.

You can't throw the people into a revolt.

Why? Aren't you revolutionaries?

It must be the right time.

You're free to choose now.

Where?

On the banks of Lake Geneva?
On Sunday. Angling.

And working for the rest of the week.
See the picture?

What about our families?

And the victims of repression
who'd take our place here?

Your families?

Maybe you're right.

I did this for nothing.

No. You killed Caras.

- And then you're going to take this.
- What is it?

It's the logbook.
It might be interesting for the UN.

- If I get there.
- You'll get there. Here.

Hey, wait!

I no longer believe
in anything, except for the sun.

And in this well-shaped courtyard.

He never comes, you know. Never.

I was raised in the sun.

And I want to see the sun again.

Jean. I only have this idea left.

To be honest?

we were fed up with your maths lessons.

You see? Freedom.

It doesn't mean the same for everyone.

There are still two or three
soldiers near the car park.

I've never been very good at it myself.

Me neither.

Listen.

Once I had my doubts about you
and I reported you to the police. There.

Personal power.

You know me, crowns, apart from the
king's cake with my daughter?

You don't understand. I'd reported you.

Well, for your trouble,
if you die before me,

you'll leave me your shirt.

With this crap, you always lose your mind.

Give it.

- I still have a friend by the sea.
- Here.

When I think that
I killed marmots and chamois.

A vegetarian who kills animals.
They're a criminal.

I've become a criminal.

- To whom?
- To myself.

Let's put this over your eyes.

Subtitle translation by: Katie Wright