Rambo III (1988) - full transcript

John Rambo's former Vietnam superior, Colonel Samuel Trautman, has been assigned to lead a mission to help the Mujahedeen rebels who are fighting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but the Buddhist Rambo turns down Trautman's request that Rambo help out. When the mission goes belly up and Trautman is kidnapped and tortured by Russian Colonel Zaysen, Rambo launches a rescue effort and allies himself with the Mujahedeen rebels and gets their help in trying to rescue Trautman from Zaysen.

John!

Where's Rambo?

John!

John Rambo!

I don't believe it!

- Where've you come from?
- Washington.

- Good to see you.
- You too.

- Do you want to tell me about it?
- About what?

Your stick fighting yesterday.
In the warehouse in Bangkok.

- You saw that?
- Yes.

And today you're working in a monastery.



They let me live here
and I help them with repairs.

- And the stick fighting?
- Some extra money.

I saw you give it to those monks.

You see a lot.

- And who are they?
- They're the reason I'm here.

This is Robert Griggs,
from our embassy here.

John Rambo.

Pleased to meet you.

- You're hard to find.
- Are you keeping track of me?

What does the Colonel say?
Good men are hard to find.

Take a look at these pictures.

I don't know
what you know about Afghanistan.

Most people don't even know where it is.

But over two million civilians,



mainly peasant families,
have been killed by Russian troops.

Many newly developed weapons,

including chemical warfare,
were used to wipe them out.

With great success.

I guess you don't know about
the current state of affairs.

After nine years of fighting

Afghanistan is getting Stinger missiles
to defend against the air strikes.

Except for one region,
80 km behind the border.

The Soviet commander there
seems to be really brutal,

as the photos show.

He prevents
any outside help getting in.

And that's why we'd like to...

check out the problem firsthand.

And what have I got to do with it?

- I'm to go there.
- But you're not going to?

Sure. With you, John.

I put in my time.

What does that mean?

My war is over.

But you said he was a great soldier.

Alright!

It's long way down those stairs.

Don't hold it against him,
he's just obeying orders.

It's an important mission.

- And we can make a difference?
- That's why we're going.

- It didn't work before.
- Those were different times.

Come with me, John.

I don't know what you think,
but I like it here.

I like living and working here.
It's good to belong somewhere.

But you don't belong here.

- When are you coming full circle?
- What do you mean?

You say your war is over.
The war outside maybe,

but not the one inside you.

I know why you're here.
But it doesn't work like that.

You're trying to change yourself,
but you stay who you are.

- And what am I?
- A full-blooded fighter.

- I don't want to be that any more.
- But that's what you are.

Listen, John,

there was once a sculptor
who found a very special stone.

He carried it home and worked on it
for months, until it was finished.

Then he showed it to his friends.
They said: great statue!

But the sculptor said
the statue had always been there.

All he had done
was to knock away a few pieces.

We didn't make you
into a fighting machine.

We just knocked the rough edges off you.

You have to finally
come to terms with yourself!

Until you come full circle.

I guess I'm not ready yet.

I have to go.

Come and see me
when you're next in the States.

I promise.

Colonel!

I'm sorry.
But it has to end for me sometime.

I understand.

Take cover!

Drop your weapons and stand still!

You can't escape!

Drop your weapons!

There's no escape!

Drop your weapons!

At once!

Something went wrong.

- What happened?
- The Soviets intercepted the team.

Trautman and the others
were taken to the enemy camp.

And now?

I can't do anything.
I'm sorry.

I just thought you should know.

What about me?

- You?
- Can you get me in?

- You're not serious.
- Of course I am.

Officially it's not possible.
- Then unofficially.

You should know one thing.
If you get taken prisoner

or something leaks out,

we'll deny any knowledge of you.

I'm used to it.

You'll hear from me.

You want buy? Many guns!

No. I'm looking for Mousa Chanin.

- What's your name?
- John Rambo.

Wait here.

They sell well here.

Because of the landmines.

Everywhere landmines.

- I am Mousa Chanin. What do you want?
- Griggs sent me.

You don't look like the guys
he usually sends. Soldiers.

- I'm not a soldier.
- Then what? A mercenary?

- No.
- A tourist that lost his way?

I'm not a tourist.

- Sorry.
- Do you know where the American is?

In a Soviet fort.

Near Khost, 30 miles from the border.

Mr. Griggs sent
the supplies you wanted.

- Do you want to see?
- Yes.

- Did you order these?
- Yes.

I've never seen anything like it before.
What are these?

- Detonators.
- And this?

What is this?

- A blue light.
- What does it do?

- Turns blue.
- I see.

How many men will come with us?

I'm the rescue team.

That's crazy. One isn't enough.
We need more people.

Griggs said you'd take me there.
So do it!

I have to take medicine with me;
if not, many people will die.

Do you understand?

I don't know you,

but from the way you look
you have no experience of war.

Or do you?

I've fired a gun before.

Fired a gun before?

Maybe you should go home again
and think things over.

Very long.

I've done that.

Oh really?

OK, if that's what you want.

But you can't get
that American out alone.

If it doesn't work don't blame me.

I'm not taking the responsibility.

Sounds familiar.

I am Colonel Zaysen,
Regional Commander of this sector.

You're the first American
to be captured in Afghanistan.

Congratulations.

I believe you plan
to supply the enemy rebels

with Stinger missiles
to destroy Soviet aircraft.

I'll only answer to your superiors.

Out here I have no superiors.

I am in full command.

You're on your own,

abandoned by your government.

- What do you want?
- Cooperation.

This sector has been controlled by us
for five years.

There's not much left for me to do.

There is, so to speak,
no challenge any more.

If you give me information
about the planned Stinger deliveries,

we could both get out of here.

After all, that is what we all want:

peace.

In the Kremlin
they really have a sense of humor.

Explain.

To the world you talk about peace,
and here you butcher a whole people.

We're not butchering anyone.

You're too intelligent
to believe that propaganda!

Again: where are the missiles?

- I don't know anything about missiles!
- Of course!

But you don't understand
that I can get us out of here.

Do you want sympathy?

After all, you started this war!

It's just a question of time
until we have total victory.

There won't be any victory.
You're losing ground every day

to badly equipped freedom-fighters!

You simply underestimated
the competition.

Didn't you take history at school?
This region was always independent!

They prefer to die rather than
become slaves to occupying forces.

You can't conquer a people like that.

We tried it.
We had our Vietnam!

- Now you've got yours!
- Oh, I see.

You want to test me.
Good.

This is Afghanistan.

Alexander the Great
tried to conquer it,

then Ghenghis Khan,
the English and now the Russians.

But the Afghan people
can't be conquered.

An old enemy wrote a prayer about us.
Do you want to hear it?

Very well. It goes like this:

"May God deliver us
from the cobra's venom,

from the tiger's teeth,
and the Afghan's vengeance."

Do you understand that?

That you don't take any shit.

Something like this.

Go on!

In the north there are lots of caves
that we can use.

It'll be safer. Let's go!

This cave leads
to the "Valley of the Five Lions".

The Afghan king was supposed
to send 500 warriors into battle.

He only sent five.

The five best,
and they won.

He said,
better five lions than 500 sheep.

- What d'you think of that?
- The king was lucky.

- How much longer till the village?
- About two hours.

Where in my sector
are the missiles being delivered?

I don't know.

You're lying.

Where?

Where?

OK, I'll tell you.

I knew you were lying.

So, where are the missiles?

Real close.

How close?

In your ass.

You've tested
my patience long enough.

Up till now
I've behaved in a civilized way.

The name John Rambo,

have you heard it before?

No?

He says a rescue attempt
is being planned with rebel help.

He says he knows
where this man is heading.

We will welcome him.

It's the last village in the valley.
100 people live here.

- Lots of kids.
- Yes, they are good fighters, too.

I'll tell the leaders
we want to talk to them.

They've never seen
a man like you here before.

They're Mujahedin horsemen.
At the border there are 10,000 more.

They are waiting there for weapons,
then they'll come and fight here.

Let's go to the hospital.

He is the only doctor
for 500 km.

The first medication
for two months.

More gifts from the Soviets: mines.
They look like toys.

Some children learn too late
that they're not.

Who's that?

That's Uri. He's Russian.

A deserter?

A defector.
There are lots of them.

He can help us best;
he knows the inside of the fort.

We'd better leave now.

This is where the mines start:
one meter here, then two meters there,

then round here.

There are four watchtowers
with four guards,

here, here, here and here.

- Where are the prisoners?
- Here.

Once we're in,
is there another way out?

Underground,
where the dirty water is.

I don't know the right word.

He means the sewer.
Where is it?

Here. It comes out here.
There are guards patrolling.

Better not to go that way.

Then we'll go through the minefield.

That's impossible.
It's full of Spetnaz commandos.

We're just a few,
we've lost many men already.

- We'll lose more that way.
- I don't need many men.

What's your plan?

Two men for the minefield,
two for the rescue.

The Soviets will come back again

- and more people will die.
- I can't wait.

You have to wait for help like us.

- Then I'll go alone.
- You will die!

Then I'll die.

Wait!

Please don't go.

My name is Masoud.

Let me explain
why we can't help you.

Most Afghans are very strong

and we don't want to be
driven out of our country.

Our children are dying
of disease, mines, poison gas.

Our women are being raped and killed.

Last year, in the Legman valley,
the next valley,

6,000 Afghans were killed.

Pregnant women were bayoneted

and their babies thrown in the fire.

They do that so that there can be
no new generation of Afghans.

But nobody sees it and
the papers don't report it.

The men you see here

are Mujahedin,

holy warriors.

This war is a holy war for us.

For a Mujahedin there is no death,
because we have already

made our peace with God
and consider ourselves dead.

For us, dying for our country
and for God is an honor.

That, my friend, is why

we must stop the murder of our families.

If we succeed in freeing the man

and he tells the free world
that our war here is necessary,

then of course we will help.

Let us now discuss amongst ourselves

how we can best free the man.

- Thank you.
- We thank you.

Don't worry,
they'll soon make a decision.

- We have to leave this evening.
- What's your name?

This boy is very hard inside.

His parents were killed last year.

His brother died in the fort
where the American is.

He looks like a boy,
but he fights like a man.

- What's your name?
- Rambo.

- Where do you come from?
- Arizona.

- Arizona? How many days' walk from here?
- Two years.

Two years...

- Are you a soldier?
- No, not any more.

I am a soldier.
Are you here to fight?

- No.
- Are you scared?

What's this?

- A knife.
- Can I see? - Sure.

Very good. Can I have it?

No.

- What's this?
- You want everything.

- It brings luck.
- What is luck?

Luck is...

- Can I have it? I need luck.
- Me too.

What a child! He's always like that.

Look! Our national sport.

An old, insane game,
maybe 3,000 years old.

They play non-stop.

War or not, it doesn't matter.

- Do you like it?
- I prefer football.

What is football?
Do you play it with your feet?

Not really.

Let's

- What are they saying?
- They want you to try it.

It's a way of welcoming you.
Try it if you want,

but I'm not taking the responsibility.

- I'll try it.
- Yes?

- How does it go?
- The sheep has to be carried round once

and then thrown in the circle.

- Why?
- Because there is a circle there.

- And that's all?
- Very simple.

- Like football.
- God must love crazy people!

- Why?
- He made so many of them!

That's how it is here.

In every war there's supposed
to be a kind of honor.

Where is the honor here? Where?

We're taking the survivors
to the border. Are you coming?

I'm going to the fort.

Haven't you seen enough death?

Go away while you still can.
This is not your war.

Now it is.

Then so be it.

We are friends.

I'll stay and show you the way.

I'm coming too.

No.

Yes I am. My family is dead.
I want to fight!

Not with me. Go away!

Go on.

Why are you doing this?

Because he would do it for me.

Are you finally going to talk?

No?

Alright.

If that's the way you want it.

- Go back!
- No!

Go!

Go on!

- Stay here!
- I know the place. You need me.

But not dead. Go back.
Understand?

American?

American?

Colonel? Colonel?

John! How did you get in here?

- Can you move?
- And how.

Let's

Behind you!

Run!

John, get out of here!

Over here!

Go on!

Help me!

Take him!

Come on!

The boy!

Run!

Come on!

Take the boy!

Jump down!

The troops are ready,

Colonel.

Trace them.

Give me the boy!

Who is this terrorist?
What makes you so valuable to him?

He wanted to destroy me.
But he failed!

I'll get him at sunrise
and hang his skin on the wall!

- You don't have to hunt him.
- What?

He'll find you.

Are you insane?

One man against a whole trained force?

Who do you think this man is?
God?

No. God would have mercy. He won't.

- Everything's OK. There's no-one here.
- Good.

This will hold a while.
What's the fastest way out of here?

Northwest there's a mountain trail,

about three kilometers from here.
A very difficult path.

- You take the boy and go.
- I want to stay here.

You can't.

You can't go back.
We must all go to Pakistan.

- No, I have to go back.
- I know he's your friend.

- But you'll both die. For what?
- Do as I say.

Give me your gun.

Let's go. Come on!

Will I see you again?

Sure.

Sweep the area.

At your command.

No sign of him, Colonel.

Keep on searching.
I need to refuel.

Come on, let's go!

- Can you fly that thing?
- We'll see.

Let's go.

Hold on!

Over there!

There!

Hold on!

Pull him in!

Take my hand!

We're going down!

Hold on!

Take what you can!

- Move! Fast!
- Come on!

- We have to get to the border.
- We'll stay here.

We know the area.

- Which direction?
- Northeast.

All troops should get ready!

They shouldn't reach the border.

Hold it, John!

I have to rest.

- How's your wound?
- You taught me to ignore pain.

- And does it work?
- Not really.

Don't take it personally.

Thanks.

Go on ahead and see
if you can find some cover.

That was close! How are you?

Well done.

We shouldn't make it too easy for them.
Let's separate!

I'm sorry
I got you into this.

No, you're not.

Spetnaz, report!

- Are you listening?
- Who are you?

Your worst nightmare.

Kourov, what happened?

- Good timing!
- What are friends for?

Go back to the hole.
I'll cover you.

Yankov, go back to the base!

Beyond the valley is the border.

We did it, John.

Wait a minute!

What the hell is that?

That son of a bitch!

Don't try to escape!

You can't escape.

We will only attack if you run away!

We don't want to harm you!

Somehow I don't believe him.

Come forward
and you will get a fair trial.

Drop your weapons and stay put!

Any suggestions?

Drop your weapons!

Surrounding them's out.

Helluva time for humor.

Drop your weapons! At once!

You cannot escape.

Come forward!
I want you alive.

This is your last warning!

It's your choice.

What do you say?

Fuck 'em!

If we're going to go,
that bastard should go with us!

What's that?

The rebels!

Come on!

Get out of there, John!

Don't you want to stay?
You fight well for a tourist.

Maybe next time.

Do you want it back?

No. Keep it.

Can't you stay here?

I have to go.

Goodbye.

- Hard to believe, John.
- What, sir?

I hate to admit it,
but we seem to be getting soft.

Just a little, sir.

Subtitles: Katy Jordans

Subtitling: C.M.C.