Streamers (1983) - full transcript

[humming
"Beautiful Dreamer"]

[bang]

[humming continues]

[bang]

[bang]

[bang]

[bang]

[bang]

[Men]
1, 2, 3, 4, hey!

[humming continues]

1, 2, 3, 4, hey!
[bang]



[bang]
Give me the detonator.

[Men continue
sounding off in distance]

What are we blowing up?

[laughs]
What difference does it make?

[laughing]

You ready
on the right?

Uh, Rooney,
don't blow your dick off.

[laughing]

Good idea.

Protect yourself
at all times.

Let's blow
that sucker up.

[bang]
[chuckling]

Pretty little thing,
isn't it?

Yeah. 4th of July.



Quite a little sparkler.

One thing about
the long fuse-- Yeah.

...is that you're
further away from it

when it goes off.

You remember that bridge?
[laughing] The bridge

where we used
3 miles of fuse?

[laughter]

We were sitting there
for four days.

[laughter continues]

It seemed like four days.

I took a nap.
You woke me up

so we could watch
the sucker go off.

We were way over
beyond the hill.

It was pretty
when it went off.

God, it was beautiful.

You did that great, Rooney.

It was fucking beautiful.

That was a masterpiece.

[Man humming
"Beautiful Dreamer"]

[humming continues]

Oh, hi, Martin.
How are you?

Getting shorter.
[pop]

[Man yells]
[laughter]

Oh, God. Those two nuts
are playing war again.

I bet he shit his pants.

[laughter continues]

What the hell are you
laughing at? Ten-hut!

Oh, my God, Martin.
What happened?

What's your name,
soldier? Bush, sir.

Put it down.
Drop it, Martin. Drop it.

No! Drop it!
Put it down!

Get some cold water--
Would you get away from me, please?

What's that sticking out
in front of your drawers, Bush?

Nothing, sir.
You're goddamn right it's nothing.

No!

[laughter]

[Rooney]
Did you shit your bed?

No, sir.
Well, you should have.

Stick it under there,
Martin.

I hate it.
Martin, I know.

Do you know how I hate it?
Yes, I know. Everybody hates it.

Don't you think
I hate it, Martin? I enlisted, though.

I enlisted, and I--
Yeah, I enlisted, too.

[Rooney]
I want it clean now! Sit down. Sit down.

Move!

[Martin crying]

[Rooney]
Come on in. [Man] It's still bleeding?

[Martin]
I vomit every morning.

I get the dry heaves
in the middle of every night.

You're just scared,
Martin.

It's just fear.
You can get over that.

Wrap this very tightly.
Wrap this and hold it there.

Hold it up in the air.
Do you throw up?

[panting]

Hold it there, Martin,
and don't do anything.

Just stay there
and hold this very tightly and keep it up.

All right?
Mm-hmm.

Where is that thing?

They're going to ask
some questions.

Um, uh, Roger
isn't here right now.

They told me a black boy
live in here.

Where's he at?

Yeah, I know.
That's what I'm saying.

Uh, he isn't here.
He'll be back later, though.

Uh, you can come back then.
His name is Roger.

They're all so mean.

They're all so awful.

I've got two years to go.

Just thinking about it
is gonna make me sick.

This is all fucked.

What are you doing?
Okay, this is good.

This is gonna hurt
just a little. [yells]

No, it's good.
It's good, it's good, it's good.

You know, I thought
it would be different.

I just wanted
to get out.

I might not have come in here.
I might not have found you.

I don't care.
I'd be out. Oh, shit.

[water running]

I slit my wrist!
Oh, Martin, Jesus!

I did.
He's just kidding. He's kidding.

I'm not kidding.
I'm not kidding.

I slit my wrist!

It's not gonna do any good
to bandage it up.

[Martin]
I'm getting out of here. I don't care...

What's going on?
I'm getting out of here.

Nothing, man.

Ain't no thing
but a chicken wing.

[chattering]

Hey, Richie, who was
that colored guy in here?

Uh, he came in here
looking for Roger. He didn't even know his name.

I cut my wrists, Billy.
For God's sake, Martin.

Huh?
I did.

You're disgusting.
No, it's the truth. I did. I am not disgusting.

It may not be disgusting,
but it certainly is disappointing.

What are you guys
talking about? I cut my wrists.

I slashed them,
and Richie is pretending I didn't do it.

I am not.
And you only cut one wrist, and you didn't slash it.

I can't stand
the Army anymore, Billy.

This is just between Martin
and me, all right? It's between me and the Army.

Let's just go outside.
Can I see? Did he really do it?

No.
Yes!

Aw, geez, Martin.
That's really awful.

Maybe you better go
to the infirmary.

No. I already washed it
with peroxide, Billy.

It isn't very deep.
Just let us be, please.

He needs to straighten out
his thinking a little bit.

Maybe I can help him.
Yeah, you just go do some pushups or something.

Hey, listen,
you're no doctor.

I wanna make sure
he doesn't have to go to the infirmary.

Then I'll
leave you alone. I know what Martin needs.

Yeah, I'll bet you do.

[Martin]
It's really deep!

[door opens, closes]

Hey, Rog.

Man, I want to get
out of here.

Out and free.
So go, man.

There's the door
Get out. Go on. Ain't you a bitch?

Why don't you
turn the lights on in this motherfucker?

Lights on!

Apples, apples all the way!
Apples, apples every day!

Apples, apples all the way!
Apples, apples every day!

To the left!
To the left! To the left!

To the left! To the left!
To the left! To the left! To the left!

Throw down!
Give me ten! Count off!

1! 2! 3!
3!

4! 5! 6!

7.

8. 9.

You and me
are more regular Army

than the goddamn sergeants
around this place.

You know that?
Yeah, if I was you, Billy boy,

I wouldn't be talking
so sacrilegious so loud.

[Rooney]
You smack them in the head...

Three laps around the pole.

To the left, motherfucker,
to the left!

To the left, motherfucker,
to the left!

To the left, motherfucker,
to the left!

Don't you think L.B.J.
wants some sergeants

in that Vietnam
in Disneyland, baby?

Lord have mercy
on the old son.

He's going over there
to be Mickey Mouse.

Do him a lot of good.
Make a man out of him. I can't hear you!

Make a man out of him!
That's right!

Calisthenics!
Count off!

1! 2!

3! 4!

You know what the old boy's
M.O.S. is?

His military
occupation specialty?

Demolition, baby.
Expert is his name.

[Billy] You mean that old
son of a bitch

who can't light his own
cigar for shaking

is supposed to go over there,
blowing up bridges and shit?

[Roger]
He could hardly blow up a bunk bed.

[exhales forcefully]

At least he ain't
cutting his fucking wrists.

I hear that.

Hey, Rog.
Yeah.

You ever ask yourself
if you'd rather fight in a war where it was freezing cold

or one where
there was snakes?

You ever ask
that question?

Can't say I ever did.

I used to ask it
all the time. All the time.

I mean, us kids sitting
out on the back porch

telling ghost stories
at night.

'Cause it was Korea time,
and the newspapers

were full of pictures
of soldiers in the snow

with these white frozen beards,
and they got--

they got rags
tied around their feet.

White frozen beards?

And snakes, man.

We hated snakes.

I mean, it's bad enough
to be crawling around

in a fucking jungle
ducking bullets.

Then you gotta crawl
right into a goddamn snake.

It's awful.

Yeah, it don't sound
none too cool.

When I got my draft notice,
this goddamn Vietnam didn't even exist.

I mean, it existed,
but not as in a war we might be in.

I started crawling around
on the floor in this house where I was staying,

going bang, bang,
bang, bang. [laughing]

Shooting just like
some fucking kid.

Hey, man,
my first goddamn formation in basic, Billy--

Man, there's some NCO
up there jamming away, man.

He's going--
[imitating bugle] [laughter]

He says, "All right.
Now, some of you men

are gonna be dying
in this war."

Right?
I'm saying, "What war?

Man, what is this crazy man
talking about?"

Right.
Now everybody's going.

Yeah, they're
cleaning house. [chatter in distance]

Don't seem possible.

I mean,
people shooting at you. [door opens]

Shooting at you
to kill you.

That's something.

Hey, Richie,
why do you always gotta be wearing that Navy hat, man?

This is the Army.
This is not a Navy hat.

It's an authentic
Greek fisherman's cap.

Yeah, what are you,
a Greek? [laughing]

[Richie]
No.

[laughter]

God damn!

How'd you get all
that blood on your shirt?

I simply did
a rather wonderful thing

for a friend of mine.

I helped him to see himself

in a clearer,
more hopeful light,

and I am very happy.

Yeah, well, what'd you do,
cut his throat?

[laughter]
[Richie] No.

Didn't, uh,
Billy tell you?

[Roger]
About what? About Martin.

No.

[Richie]
No?

No.

No?

What do I want to gossip
about Martin for?

Who's planning to gossip?

I mean, it did happen.
We can talk about it.

It really wasn't
anything, Roger,

except that, uh,
Martin made this rather

desperate, pathetic gesture
for attention

which seems to have
brought to the surface

Billy's more humane
and protective side.

I'm gonna have to
obliterate you.

Obliterate, did you say?
Oh, Billy.

You better say shit, ain't
and motherfucker real soon,

or we're all gonna know
just how far

beyond the fourth grade
you really went.

You ain't worth shit,
motherfucker. [laughter]

[Roger]
All right! Uh, no, no, no, Billy.

Wit is my domain.

You're in charge of sweat
and running around the block.

Hey, Billy, you wanna
go to a movie tonight?

I don't know.
What's playing?

I don't know.
What's the difference?

You wanna go, Rog?
Don't ask Roger.

How are we going to kiss
and hug and stuff like that

if he's around?

[whispers]
Faggot.

[Roger laughing]

[Billy laughs]

Imagine being in combat
with Richie.

People blasting away at you.

Probably wanna hold your hand
or something.

[laughs]

[Roger]
Yeah, he's something, man.

He's all right.

I think we ought
to do this area.

I think we should mop
and buff this floor.

1, 2, 3, 4!
1, 2, 3, 4! 1, 2, 3, 4!

1, 2, 3, 4!
1, 2, 3, 4! 1, 2, 3, 4!

This area
ain't standing tall!

This area's a mess!
You put it up to an area standing tall!

That's good talk, lad.
This area is a midget.

You put it next to
an area standing tall.

You don't think
he means that shit he's always talking, do you?

What? Him? No.

I'd put money on it, Rog,
and I ain't got much money.

No, you listen to the old Rog.

Now, you seen that picture
of that cute little dolly he's got in his locker?

Man, he's not swish!

No way, man.
No fucking way.

I don't know, man.
Since people started getting shipped out,

he's been acting
real strange.

Yeah, well,
who ain't nervous?

You ever talk
to any of these guys?

Queers, I mean.

Hell, no, man.

What do I want
to do that for?

Shit, no.

I mean, some of them
are okay guys.

Then there's
these bitches, man.

They're so crazy,
they can't see nothing but themselves

and these goddamn games
they're always playing.

Man, you can be decent
about anything.

You see what
I'm saying, Rog?

I mean, I just think
we all ought to be honest with each others.

You understand me
or what? No, I don't understand you.

One stupid fucking nigger
like me.

Now, how's that
supposed to be?

That's right, man.
Mock me.

That's just what I need.
Hey, where you going?

It's Saturday.
I'm supposed to call.

Say, boy,

whose locker is that
you're looking into there, huh?

Hey, what's happening, baby?
That ain't your locker

is what I'm asking you,
nigger.

I mean, you ain't got
the body of no white goddamn woman

hanging on your wall
now, does you?

No.
No, no, no.

You don't wanna be lying
to me now, bean breath.

I got to turn you in
if you're lying.

And you do got the body
of some white hot-thing woman

hanging on your wall now,
don't you, for you to peek at?

Ain't nobody else around here
but you, huh?

You could be thinking about
that sweet,

wet, white poontang
little pussy, huh?

[chuckles]

Yeah, I could be
thinking all that,

except I know
the penalty for lying.

Thank God for that.

My man.

Man, check it out.
Now, this here

is the locker
of a faggot.

Of course it is, man.
I can see that, man.

Any damn fool
could see that, man.

Yo, man.
Hey, you want a shot? No, man.

Hey, brother Rog,
you don't wanna take my bottle, man.

I think you're a Tom now.

Oh, shit.

Yeah, that's right.
That's right.

Go on.
How the fuck do I know, huh?

I just got in, right?
New boy in town.

Somewhere over there, man.
I don't know, man.

They just dumped me in here

with a bunch of pale-born
motherfuckers, man.

I just got in, man.
P Company and shit, man.

I walk all around
this motherfucker, man.

This outfit look like
it's a little short on soul.

You know what I mean?

You got few brothers,
what I'm trying to say and shit.

Now, go on, man.

Take yourself a real taste.

Yeah.
[chuckles]

Man, it ain't that bad.

What about
the white boys, huh?

They give you any shit, man?

It's good business, man.
What's the situation, you know?

'Cause, like,
I'm one of them dudes that like to know

what's going on
within the situation

before the situation
get a chance to be closing in on me--

Man, it ain't that bad.

They just pale,
most of them,

but they can't help it.

Now, how they
gonna help it?

Some of them got
a little bit of soul.

We got a couple
real good boys around here.

You give them
a little Coppertone, they'd be straight, man.

Yeah.
What about the NCOs?

We got any brother NCOs
looking out for us?

Are they all white?

Like I goddamn well know
all the fucking officers are white.

The fucking officers
are always white, man.

Fucking snow cones in bars
everywhere you look and shit.

The first sergeant's
a black man.

Oh, yeah?
That's good news, blood.

I heard Hitler
was a Jew, too.

Yo, man, you wanna go over
to the club with me and shit?

You know, the bowling alley.

There's a nice bowling alley
down there, man.

They got some
sweet hos over there. Let's cut out.

No, man. No.

Aw, come on, baby, man.
No. Some other time.

I gotta get
my area straight.

Me and the guy
who lives in here, too--

we're gonna straighten up
a little bit. Oh.

Oh, yeah. Right.

You got your
sweet deal here, right?

You don't wanna
fuck it up, huh?

Let me ask you
something, man.

How the fuck you rate
this whole joint, huh,

all to yourself,

and I'm fucking jammed up
over in P Company

like we're fucking fleas
in a bum's ass--

Man, we ain't got
this whole place.

You think you're talking
to a fool or something, man?

I can see who's here
and who ain't here, man.

You got this whole fucking joint
to make your home, man.

You and a fucking couple
of bunch of dickhead white boys and shit, man.

I'm fucking jammed up in
P Company with the rest of the-- No.

We're here because
all three of us are Spec 4.

What? You Spec 4?

What the fuck is Spec 4, huh?

T-5, NCO, PFC.

Nigger, you're Spec shit!

[pounding]
This is the fucking Army, man!

They gonna be
kicking and stomping

everybody's motherfucking ass
in this place, man.

Maybe one week
before getting shipped out

to get their same ass
blown away, man!

And what they doing?
They doing what they told,

like you.

I'm getting hat jacked,
you know.

I'm gonna make it on
out of here

where it is sweet

and the peoples is living.

'Cause I can't
cut this shit here, you understand?

I can't cut it.

This your area mate, man?

Yeah, that's one of them.

Uh, hey, Rich--

Yo, man.
My name's Carlyle.

You Richie?
Yes.

He just came over
from P Company.

Yo, uh, what happened
to that-- you know, that cute little Martin?

You know, cut himself?

Martin's gone now.
You're cute, too, you know, Rich?

I say, my man,
you forgot your bottle.

So, uh, okay, man.

You ain't gonna make it
with me?

No. You go on.
I'll catch you later.

Aw, man, that's a shame.
[scoffs]

Make me wanna cry
in my heart, you know.

You go and get
your head smoking and stop on back.

All right, man.

Guess I got to be one man
one more time, huh?

Easy, boss.

Yeah, you go on home, man.
Go on home, nigger.

You gonna be hearing
from me, too.

Yeah, I can
and do believe that.

[sighs]

God damn!

Who was that?

[Roger]
The man's new, Rich.

I don't know his name
more than that Carlyle.

He's new.
He just got out of basic. New?

He looks
pretty used to me.

What doesn't?

Hey, Billy,
how's your old man doing?

There wasn't anybody home.

Oh, man, that's too bad.

[Richie]
Billy, are we going to the movies tonight or not?

I ain't going nowhere.

[patting]

[Billy]
What are you doing?

What is this?
[laughing]

Baby powder?

You got enough jazz in there
for an entire beauty parlor.

I get rashes, okay?
So what?

They got powder for rashes
that ain't baby powder.

It doesn't work as well.
I've tried it.

Have you tried it?

At least
get yourself straight!

What do you
want me to do?

Get inside your locker
and shut the door.

Don't holler for help.
Nobody will know you're in there.

But I'm so pretty.

Tell that man you mean
what you're saying, Rich!

Mean what?
That you think you're pretty!

Of course I do. I am.

Don't you think
I'm pretty, Roger?

Yeah, I told you,
you're full of shit,

and you're cute.

Carlyle told you
you were cute, too.

Like I told you, Rog.

What did you tell Rog?

That you go down.

That you go up and down
like a yo-yo,

and you go blowing
all the trees like the wind!

[sighs]

What in the hell made you
tell Roger I've been down?

It's in your eyes.
I've seen it.

What?

You.

What is it, Billy,
you think you're trying to say?

You with all your wit
and intelligence,

your humanity.

I said it, Rich. I said
what I was trying to say.

Did you?

I think I did.

Do you?

Loud and clear.

[Roger]
They got to put me in with the weirdos.

Now, why is that?

Why the Army hate me
to do this shit to me?

Huh?

[Richie]
Roger, sometimes I think you're so naive.

[sighs]

I mean, it really isn't
such a bad thing after all.

Is it, Billy?

How would I know?

Oh, go fuck yourself!

Can I think of you as I do?

God damn it, that's it! It!

Now, I'm gonna level
with you, Rich!

You're gonna hear
what I'm saying

and not what you think
I'm saying?

Don't get cute.
Don't turn away cute.

I wanna say something
straight at you, and I want you to hear it.

This is level, Rich.

This is straight talk.
No BS, no tricks.

What you do on the side,
that's your business, and I don't care about it.

But if you don't cut
this cute shit with me, I'm gonna turn you off.

You understand?
You ain't gonna get a "good morning" out of me.

'Cause it's getting
bad around here, Rich.

I know how you think,

how you keep looking out at me
and seeing yourself.

That's what I'm trying
to tell you, because that's all that's happening.

That's all there is to it
when you look out at me

and think there's some kind
of approval or whatever you see in my eyes.

You're just seeing yourself.

How else do you
want me to be?

That ain't any part
of it, Rich.

I don't come from
the same kind of world as you do.

[Billy]
Damn, Richie. You think Roger and I came off the same street?

Bullshit.

All right. Okay.

I've just done
what I wanted to all my life.

If I wanted to do something,
I just did it, really.

I've never had to work
or anything like that.

I've always
had nice clothing,

money for cab fare,

money for whatever
I wanted, really.

I'm just not like you are.

But you ain't really
done that stuff.

What?

That fag stuff.

[click]

[Billy]
How long you think we got?

Before what?

They ship us out, man.

What, to the war?

To Disneyland, baby?

[chuckles]
Shit. I don't know.

That's up
to them IBMs, man.

Machines running this shit.

Maybe next week.

Maybe tomorrow. Maybe never.

You know, I was reading

they're planning
to build it up

to over 500,000 men
over there--

Americans-- and that they're
gonna leave it that way

until we can win it.

It'd be a great place
to come back from.

I keep thinking
about that, you know?

To have gone there,
to have been there,

and seen it, and lived.

[chuckles]

[Roger]
I don't know what I think about this war.

I tell you, I've been
doing a lot of reading,

and I think
it's right we go.

I mean, it's just like

when North Korea
invaded South Korea,

or when Hitler invaded Poland
and all them other countries.

He just kept
testing everybody,

and when nobody
stood up against him

and tried to stop him,

he got so committed
that he couldn't back out.

And that's what I figure
this Ho Chi Minh is doing

and all them other Communists.

If we let them know

somebody's gonna
stand up against them,

they'll back out
just like Hitler would've.

Yeah, well, you know,
there's people saying

that L.B.J. is a Hitler,
not a Ho Chi Minh at all.

[Richie]
Well, I don't know anything about all that.

But what I do know
is I'm certain

I don't want to go there,
no matter what is going on.

I mean, those Viet Cong,

they don't just shoot you
and blow you up, you know.

They got these other
horrible things they do,

like these caves
that they hide in.

Like, you know,
you go inside-- you follow them inside--

and they have these snakes
that they've tied

from their tails
to the ceiling.

And you go in after them.
It's dark,

and the snake is furious

from having been tied
by its tail.

And you crawl
right into the snake.

They do not.

That's awful, Richie.

That's probably
the most disgusting thing I ever heard of.

I mean, I don't
want to go anyplace

where that kind
of shit is going on.

I mean,
old L.B.J. is Hitler.

Suddenly, I see it all
very clearly.

I mean, any person who would
hang a snake by its tail

in the hope
that some other person

might crawl into it
and get bitten to death--

that first person is somebody
who ought to be shot.

And I hope
the 500,000 other soldiers that get shipped over there

kill them all--
all them gooks--

get them driven back into
Germany where they belong.

[laughter]

♪ Beautiful dreamer ♪

Hey, Richie, you want
a shot of some Beam, man? Oh, yeah.

I want a shot
of some Beam, man.

Why didn't you ask me
if I want a shot? All right. It's in my locker.

Oh.
[laughter continues]

Oh, man, not that locker.
The liquor locker.

[men laughing]
Sons of bitches, man. That ain't funny!

What you laughing at?
Fucking dicks, man.

Look at him at attention.

How come you all take
this stuff so seriously?

[Roger] What?

[Richie]
This army nonsense.

I mean, you're always
polishing your brass,

keeping
your footlocker neat.

Your locker's so neat.

I mean, there isn't
any point to it.

[Roger]
Well, we're here, ain't we?

I mean, we're in the Army.

Rules, Rich.
Me and Rog obey the rules.

You probably
don't understand rules.

Yeah, that's right.

It just so happens
that me and Billy

agree on a lot of things, man.

I mean, the Army
ought to be serious,

even though
it sometimes ain't.

Am I right?
[Billy] That's right, brother. [slaps Roger's hand]

[Richie]
You're lucky, you know,

the two of you having
each other for friends the way you do.

I never had a friend
like that...ever,

not even when I was little.

[Rooney] There ain't been
no soldiers in this camp but me.

[Richie] Oh, boy.
[Roger] Guess who.

[Rooney]
I've been the only one. I've been the only me.

Fucking Rooney.

For so long, I've been
the only goddamn one.

Haah!
Haah!

[laughing]

[Rooney]
What kind of platoon I got here?

You bunch of shit sacks.

Everybody look sharp!
Up and armed!

Up and armed!

Hey, what's happening,
Sarge?

[Rooney] Shut up, Hicks.
Want a belt?

How can I say no?

My name is Cokes.

How about me, too?

You wait your turn.

Don't you see what I got here?

Everybody, ten-hut!

This here is my friend,

who in addition
just came back from the war.

This man's a fucking hero.

He's always been
a fucking hero.

Aww.

Show him your boots.

Cokesy, show them--
show them your jungle boots.

Look at that boot!

Get over here
and look at that boot!

Move! You, too, Douglas.

That ain't no
regular goddamn army boot.

That is a goddamn
jungle boot.

That green canvas
is a jungle boot because of the heat,

and them--
look at them little holes in the bottom.

You see that?

That is air
for when you've been walking in water,

like a lot of water,
like maybe in a jungle swamp.

The Army
ain't no goddamn fool.

You see a man wearing
a pair of boots like that,

you know he been to the war,

and you might as well see
he got a chest full of medals!

He ain't going to have
no boots like that

if he ain't been to the war,
which is where I'm going,

and all you slap-happy
motherfuckers are going, too.

Got to go kill some gooks!
That's right.

Going to piss on them.

Old booze. That's what I did,
piss in the rivers.

Goddamn G.I.'s secret weapon!

Old booze, and he's pissing it
in all their running water.

Makes them yellow!

Me and Cokes have been
in so much shit together, we ought to be brown.

Don't take no offense
to that, Hicks.

We've been swimming in it,
101st Airborne together.

101 Screaming
goddamn Eagles!

Aah!
Aah!

This ain't the Army.
You punks ain't in the Army.

You ain't even seen the Army.

The Army is airborne!
Airborne all the way!

Airborne! Airborne, all the--
Sergeant. Sergeant!

Can I have a drink, too?

[Cokes chuckles]

What?
He's kidding me.

Ain't you? You've got
to be kidding me.

Ain't he kidding me?
Hicks?

Uh-huh.
He's kidding me there, Cokesy.

[Cokes]
Don't you know

you're trying to take
the booze out of the hand

of the next goddamn

Congressional water
medal winner award?

Old Rooney.

Old Rooney--
he almost done it already.

[chuckles]

You think we ought to show
these shit sacks

how men are men
jumping out of planes?

Yeah. Hold this.

Don't drink it!

[Rooney]
A plane full of screaming, stomping men!

[yelling]

Stand up!

Stand up!

Hook up!

Hook up!

Check static line!

Check static line!

Check equipment!

Check equipment!

Sound off!
Equipment check!

Check!
Check!

Stand in the door!
Stand in the door!

Jump!
Jump!

Geronimo!

Geronimo!

[imitating wind blowing]

What a feeling.

Beautiful feeling.

You remember that one guy--
O'Flannigan?

[laughs]
O'Flannigan.

Ah! he was this one guy,
O'Flannigan.

We was testing these chutes

where you could just pull
a lever by your ribs here

when you hit the ground, see,

and the chute
will come off you.

Because it was after--

after a whole bunch of guys
had been dragged to death

in an unexpected and terrible
wind at Fort Bragg.

And they wanted you to be
able to release the chute

when you hit-- if there was
a bad wind when you hit.

So O'Flannigan--

he was this kind of joker

who had the goddamn sense
of humor of a clown

and nerves, I tell you,
of steel.

And he says he's going
to release the lever mid-air

and reach up and grab the lines
and float on down hanging.

I seen him pull
the lever at 500 feet,

and he reaches up
to two fistfuls of air.

The chute's
20 feet above him.

He went into the ground
like a knife.

[Billy]
Jesus.

Didn't get to sing the song,
I'll bet.

What song is that,
Sergeant Rooney?

Shit sack, shit sack!

What song?

"Beautiful Streamer,"
shit sack.

There was this one guy

with his chute going up
above him in a streamer,

like a tulip--

only white, you know,

all twisted,
never going to open.

Like a big icicle sticking up
right up above him.

He went right by me.

We met eyes, sort of.

He was looking real puzzled.

And he-- he looks right at me

and then up in the air
at the chute

and down at the ground.

Was he singing it?

No, he didn't sing it.

He was going like this,

like he was going
to climb right up the air.

Cokes gets
the Silver Star in Korea

for rolling a barrel
of oil down a hill

into 47 chinky-dinky
Chinese gooks

who were climbing
up the hill,

and when he shot into it
with his machine gun,

it blew them all
to grape jelly.

♪ Beautiful streamer ♪

[laughing]

♪ Open for me ♪

But the one I remember

is this little guy
in a spider hole,

which is a hole in the ground
with a lid on it,

and he shot me in the ass
as I was running by.

A bullet knocked me so hard,
it knocked me into a ditch.

I got crawling behind him.

Crawling, crawling behind him.

I threw a grenade
into his hole,

and then I sat on the lid.

I could feel him bouncing
and yelling under me.

Bouncing and yelling
under the lid.

I could hear him.
I could feel him.

I just sat there.

I bet he was singing it.

I think so.

You think we ought
to let them hear it?

I don't care who hears it.
I just want to be singing it.

[Rooney]
All right, you listen up.

You better be listening good.

This is a song a man sings--

he's going down
through the air, his chute don't open.

♪ Beautiful streamer ♪

♪ Open for me ♪

♪ The sky is above me ♪

♪ But no canopy ♪

♪ Counted 10,000,
pulled on the cord ♪

♪ My chute didn't open ♪

♪ I shouted "Dear Lord" ♪

♪ Beautiful streamer ♪

♪ This looks like the end ♪

♪ The earth is below me ♪

♪ My body won't mend ♪

♪ Just like a mother ♪

♪ Watching o'er me ♪

♪ Beautiful streamer ♪

♪ Open ♪

♪ For ♪

♪ Me ♪

[cup clatters]

Coke! Coke! Coke!

Coke.

Coke.

[groans]

Coke. Coke.

[grunting]

Coke.
[whispers]

Easy, Coke.

I've been doing that.
Don't mean nothing.

No.

I told him when they
wanted to send me back,

I ain't got no leukemia.

They want to check it.

They think I got it.

No.
I don't think I got it.

No.
Rooney.

Rooney, my mother had it.

She had it.

Just as she had it,
I've been falling down.

That don't mean nothing.

I've been falling down
because I'm drunk.

I'm drunk all the time.

All I know is

you and me are going back
over there together.

Cokey, that's all I know.

Me and Cokes are going
back to the war zone where we belong.

Gonna blow it to shit.

You better be reading
the papers.

Cokes and Rooney
doing daring, brave deeds

because we're old hands at it,

making shit disappear.

Goddamn whoosh!
Whoosh!

Them noises--

that's what me and--
me and Co--

No, no, no, no.

Well, you're cool
with the dynamite.

That's what you're trying
to say, right?

Shut the fuck up.
That's what you can do.

And go to goddamn bed.

[Cokes]
Just go to sleep is what you can do

because me and Rooney,
we fought it for two wars already,

and we're going to make it
through this one,

and leukemia that comes
or doesn't come--

who gives a shit?

Not guys like us.

[screaming]

We're going
just as pretty as pie.

It's lights-out time,
ain't it, Rooney?

[Rooney]
Christ to God damn it.

Just flick out
the old light, Sarge. That's what we say.

[Roger] Yeah, do it.
[Cokes] Shut up! That's an order!

Well, Lordy have mercy,
if that ain't a pair.

[men laughing]
If that ain't a pair.

[Richie]
They're something, ain't they?

[Roger]
Yeah, too much.

[Billy]
What time is it?

[Roger]
Sleep time, man.

[Roger] Richie.

Richie.

Hmm?

Hey, man, you ain't really
into that stuff, are you, man?

What stuff is that, Roger?

Man, that fag stuff.

You just got caught up
with the wrong group, man.

That's what I think happened.

Am I right?

You got caught
with a bad bunch.

That's what happened, man,
and it happens.

Hey, I bet
you never had a chance

to really run
with the boys, right?

No, man, I'm talking
about really normal guys like me and Billy.

Man, do some pushups
or something, man.

It'll straighten you out.

I know that thing, man.
That I know.

Works.

Rog.

Hmm?

[Billy]
Had a buddy, you know,

this kid I grew up with,

played ball with him
in high school.

He was a real bad man
sometimes, you know?

Used to have gangster pictures
up in his room.

Anyway, we got into this deal

where we'd drive on down
to the big city, man,

you know,
hit some bad spots,

let some queer pick us up

long enough to let him
buy us some good stuff.

And pretty soon they'd ask us,

do we want to go
over to their place, you know?

"Sure," we'd say,
and order up one more drink.

Then when we hit the street,
we'd tell them to kiss off,

call them a fag and a queer
and jazz like that

and tell them to kiss off.

That kind of jazz went
on and on for sort of a long time,

and it was a good deal
if you were low on cash and needed a laugh.

It went on for a while.

Then one day Frank
comes up to me and he says,

"Going home with the guys,
but--"

he said,
why don't I tag along?

"What the hell?" he says.

What does it matter
who does it to you?

Some guy or some old broad,
you close your eyes, a mouth's a mouth.

It don't matter.
Know what I'm saying?

Tried to talk him out of it,

but he wasn't hearing
anything I was saying.

He had this nice little girl

he was going out with
at the time.

You know the way a real bad cat
can sometimes do that,

have a nice little girl
who's crazy about him

and he is for her, too,
and he's a different cat when he's around her?

[Roger] Uh-huh.

[Billy] Yeah.
That was him and Linda.

Then one day
he just dropped her, let her loose.

He was hooked.

He was into it
with no way he knew out.

[Roger] Damn.

You understand
what I'm saying?

He was hooked.
Never thought he would.

Then one day he just woke up,
and he was on it.

Rich.

Man, do you hear
what he's saying, man?

He's a storyteller.
What?

I mean he's a storyteller.
He tells stories all right.

[Roger]
What are we into now?

Huh?

[knock on window]

[bangs]

[door opens]

Who's that?

[grunts]

[Roger] What's happening?

Who's that?

[Roger]
Damn, brother.

What, are you attacking
or retreating?

[grunting]

[Carlyle] You all
don't give a fuck, man,

because you got it made.

You got friends...

people to talk to,

and I ain't got nothing.

[laughing]

I ain't got shit.

You got your job.

Yeah.

You got jobs so motherfucking
important, man,

they probably ain't never
going to ship you out,

you got jobs
so fucking important.

I ain't got no fucking job.

Ain't nobody will give me
a fucking job, man!

They gonna kill me.

They gonna send
my fucking ass out there

to fucking Vietnam
and kill me.

God damn it, man. Damn it.

[retching]

[Roger]
Hey, man, what you doing?

Hey, man,
what you doing, man?

[continues retching]

Say, brother, what you doing
on my freshly mopped floor, my man?

[Carlyle, mumbling]
Sorry, man.

I'll go--

I'll go to sleep.
Okay, man?

It's all right?
Yeah, man.

Hey, look, why don't you go
where your bed is at, man?

Don't you like beds?

[Carlyle coughing]

I can't find it, man.

Come on, man.

[crying]

Oh, goddamn
motherfucking man,

I looked all over
this motherfuck-- I can't find it.

Well, just get one
of them beds, man.

Sleep in one
of these beds, man.

We got beds here.

I can't find my own bed,
God damn, not anywhere.

Lay down on this,
man.

Guy's hurtin', Rog.

[Roger]
Yeah, I know.

[whimpering]

I had such a sweet time,
you know.

It's so pretty, man.
It's so fucking pretty, man.

They going dancing and shit,
make you want to fucking cry.

Make you want to cry, bro.

So sweet, though.

Why I got to be here?

Why I got to be here, bro?
I don't know, Jim.

I know why he's
got to be here, Rog.

Jive, man.

Well, I know.
Why don't you ask me?

All right, you tell me.
Why the fuck does he have to be here?

Freedom's frontier, man.
That's why.

Freedom's frontier.

What are you doing?

Why do you always got to be
doing that shit, man?

[Roger] You don't know
why he's doing it. Do you?

[whispers]
It's our dances.

♪ [rhythmic beat]

♪ I remember yesterday ♪

♪ It doesn't seem
so far away ♪

♪ The crazy things
we used to do ♪ [chattering]

♪ I can still remember ♪

♪ All the boys
on Friday night ♪

♪ We had to keep them
out of sight ♪

♪ So we could have
our secret ♪

♪ Rendezvous ♪

♪ I remember the danger ♪

♪ I remember the sign ♪

♪ We were flashing
the lights ♪

♪ 'Cause we were ready ♪

♪ We were ready
for the boys ♪

Rog, you think I'm a busybody?

Hey, man, I think
we should play some ball.

That's what I think.

Yeah. I just don't feel
like it.

I don't know what it is.
I'm feeling sick-like. I don't know why.

Be good for you.
Yo. Come on, man.

I mean, like, a lot of people
thought I didn't know

how to behave in a simple way
back home, you know?

That I overcomplicated
everything?

I didn't think so.

I just thought I was seeing
complications that were there

but nobody else saw.

Wisconsin's
a funny place, man.

All them clear-eyed people
looking at you,

saying "Hello"
and "How are you?"

Then all of a sudden, some
neighbor goes mad as a hatter.

Yeah, well, man,
I'm going to be madder than that

if you don't hurry up

and start shooting
this rock, man. Come on.

This one time,
I had this neighbor.

One morning
he comes out of his house,

and he's got axes
in both of his hands,

and he starts attacking
all the cars

that are driving up and down
in front of his house.

Made me want to be a priest.

I was 16, man.

Priests could help people,
you know?

Thought I wanted that.

Same game,
another buck.

Think that's mine.
You owe me 20.

There you go.
[laughs]

♪ Boys in the attic ♪

♪ Boys ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

[dribbling ball]
Come on, man.

Can't fucking do it.
It ain't my game.

I mean, like that bar
we go to, you know?

Think I can get a job there
bartending, maybe?

[Roger] You don't want
a fucking job.

It's that black girl,
the waitress, you really want.

[Billy]
No, man, not really.

Hey, come on, man.
She's cute. I'd fuck her.

I mean, not the way
you're saying is all.

[Roger] Damn!
Sure, there's something about her.

I don't know what.
I ain't even spoke to her yet.

I mean, when she's doing it,
when she's dancing.

[Roger] Ow!

Sometimes I think she's--
she's degrading herself.

You think she is?
Thanks a lot.

Man, you don't even
know that bitch.

She's working.
I'd like to talk to her.

Tell her stuff,
that she's cute, and she's got a nice ass.

I'd drive her to Brooklyn.

I think she's smart, too.

Hey, Martin,
how you doing, man?

Hey, Martin.
Looking pretty good.

[card player mutters]

[Roger] You make a basket?

Remember when we met
in P Company,

both of us brand new,
you started talking to me and stuff?

Yeah.

Did you see something in me

that made you want
to talk to me?

Man, I was talking
to everybody

the whole day, man--
two whole days.

Just the first person
to talk back is all.

The first white person,
you mean?

Anybody here, man?

Hi, Carlyle.
How are you feeling?

Fine, man.

Where-- Where's my man, man?
He ain't here?

Nobody here?

Who do you want?

Where's, uh--

Where's the black boy?

Roger?

God, why do you
keep calling him that?

Don't you even know
his name yet?

His name is Roger.

Ro-ger.

Yeah.

Where's he at?

I'm not his keeper, you know.

I'm not his private secretary,
you know.

[mocking] No.

No, I don't know, okay?

[normal voice]
I mean, uh--

old Carlyle made a fool
out of himself, you know, the other night,

coming here talking
on and on and shit,

crying and shit,
laying on the floor like he did.

Remember that?
Yeah.

Yeah, you remember that?

That's all one night,
man, okay?

That ain't the real Carlyle
who's in here, okay?

This here the real Carlyle.

Who the real Richie?

The real Richie has gone
home to Manhattan.

I, however, am about
to read this book.

[sighs]
There's a chill in here.

It comes down from the hall.

Think I am getting
a little cold.

Listen, do you want
a cigarette?

Oh, don't you smoke?

Do you have to go right now?

See, I been looking at you
real close, man,

It's just a way I got about me.

And I bet

if I was to hang my boy
at you--

my big boy, man--

you'll start
wanting to touch it.

Yeah, you'd be begging
and talking real sweet to old Carlyle.

Am I right or wrong?

What do you say?

Pardon?

You heard me.

Hey, Richie,
Richie, Richie, Richie,

how long you been a punk?

How long you been
a punk, Rich?

Can you hear me?

Am I clear?

Or do I talk funny?

Can you smell the gin
on my mouth?

If you really did come here
looking for Roger,

he and Billy
are right out there playing basketball.

Or there's a poker game
going on

at the end of the barracks
if you want to join them.

I got no athletic abilities.

No moves, man, you know?

I got none, man.

Hey, Richie.

I got this question
I asked you, man.

I got no answer.

"How long you been a punk?"
is the question I asked you.

Can I get a reply?

Not to that question.

Well, who do
if you don't, huh?

I mean, hey, baby,
how am I going to know if--

Oh, listen. Don't you
want to talk to me?

Don't you want to talk
to old Carlyle?

Not at the moment.

Well, I want
to talk to you, man.

Play ball, man.

Fuck you, man.

When's the last time
you had KP, huh?

When's the last time
you pulled KP, huh?

I'm E.D.

You're what?

E.D.? E.D., huh?

Ain't fucking asked you
what your friends call you, man.

I asked you when's
the last time you had KP.

[radio buzzes]

E.D. is exempt from duty.

What?

You ain't got no duties?

What the shit are you
talking about, huh?

Man, what the fuck
you talking about, man?

Everybody in the Army
got duties, man.

If you ain't got
no goddamn duties, man,

who got them, huh? Me?

Carlyle, it's just
because of my job.

I have a very special job.

And my friends
don't call me E.D.

They call me Irie.

[lisping]
So what you're saying

is that you kissed ass
with somebody, right?

How come you talk so much?

Goddamn fucking
little fuck-face queer.

Carlyle,
what is wrong with you?

You, man.
You're fucking ugly.

You got a nice mouth.

Oh, yeah. Got a nice mouth?

You got
a fucking weird mouth,

and you like to fucking
suck joints, man, huh?

Hey, what? You're
just going to run away from me, man?

You come back now,
you hear?

You'd best.

You come on back, Richie,
and I'll tell you a good story.

Make you laugh
and make you cry, baby.

That's right.

Fuck you, man. I don't
want to play no more.

Yeah.

[Carlyle laughs]

[Carlyle]
Mm.

Hey, what's happening, baby?

Where's Richie?
What are you doing on his bed?

Taking up space.

[Carlyle]
Hey, man.

You know, they send me over
to that Vietnam and shit, man,

I'll be cool, you know?

Know why?

'Cause I've been dodging
bullets and shit, man,

ever since I was old enough
to get on pussy

and make it happy to know me.

I'll get old, baby.

I could do my job.

I was just laying here,
you know, thinking that,

and you come in,
and out it came.

Words to say my feelings.

That's my problem.

Maybe that's the black man's
problem altogether.

You ever consider that?

Too much feeling.

I mean, it's like
he too close to everything.

You know, too close
to his body, his blood.

Man, it ain't like he got
no good mind or nothing.

It's just that he
believes in his body.

Hey, Richie the only punk
in here, or is there more?

Punk, man.
Is he the only punk?

He's all right.

Hey, man,
I ain't asked you about the quality of his talent.

Is he the only punk
is what I'm asking.

You get orders yet?

For what?
[shower sprays]

Tell you where you work,
idiot.

I'm P company, all right?

I do KP.

That's all, all right?
Don't deserve no more.

You know, I been in this army
for three months and ten days,

and everybody is still
doing the same shit,

saying the same shit,

wearing the same shitty-assed
green clothes.

I ain't been happy
one day, mister,

and that's a lot of misery
back to back in this old boy.

Hey, Richie a good punk,
right?

He take care
of you and Roger, right?

That's how come
all three of y'all are snuggled up

in the corner of this room
like that, huh?

[Billy]
What?

Richie. You and Roger
hitting on Richie, right?

He's not a queer,
if that's what you're saying.

Maybe a little bit effeminate,

but that's all, if that's
what you're saying.

I'd like to get
some of him myself

if he's a good punk
is what I'm saying.

That's what I'm saying.

Damn, man, ain't you got
no fucking understanding

of how a man could be
a little diplomatic

about what he's saying,
sort of sideways? Shit.

We don't do that stuff.
What stuff?

Listen, I don't feel too good.
If you don't mind--

What stuff, Billy boy?

What stuff?

What you're thinking.

What am I thinking?

You know what you're thinking.

Yeah, I know. I know
because it's in my head, man,

but how the fuck
do you know, huh?

Hey, I can see
your heart, Billy boy,

but you can't see mine.

You just talk fast
and keep moving, don't you?

You don't ever stay still.

Words to say
my feelings, Billy boy.

Words to say my feelings.

Hey, there he is.
There he be. Thar she blows.

He's one of them who hasn't
come far down out of the trees yet, Billy. Believe me.

Oh, Richie, Richie.

You got rudeness
in your voice.

You got meanness
for old Carlyle.

You trying to say
I ought to leave?

You don't want me here?

You came in here
looking for Roger, who isn't here, right?

Man, you must have
important matters

to take care of
all over the quad.

I can't imagine a man like you

not having extremely
important things to do

all over the world,
as a matter of fact, Carlyle.

Hey, man, don't mind
all that shit I say, all right?

I just talk bad, okay?
I don't do bad.

I'm just so bored
and restless, you know?

Taking it out on you all,
too, you know?

I mean, I know Richie here

ain't really no punk,
you know?

Not really.

Just jiving, you know.
Entertaining my own self.

Y'all don't take me
serious, okay?

Not ever.

Okay, I'm going to be
cutting out, all right?

You all be cool.

Man don't do the jive,

and he the one getting
jived, you know?

That's what
my little brother Mel

used to tell me
all the time.

Easy, y'all.

Hey, baby. Y'all playing
with 51 cards, man.

The red queen is down there.

[laughing]

Oh, my man.
What's happening, baby?

What's happening?

Man, I am going to have to
move myself out of here

if Roger decides to adopt
that son of a bitch.

[Richie]
He's an animal.

Hey, Billy.
What?

Remember that story
you told last night,

after we were in bed?

What story?

You know, that story
about you and your friend.

What was his name?
Frankie guy?

[Billy]
What about it?

Anybody got a couple
bucks I can borrow, man?

Rog, where you been, man?
That asshole friend of yours was here again.

Man, come on. I need $5.00.

[Richie]
I got 5. I got 10. You want 10?

Yeah.

We got to talk
about him, man.

We got to talk about him.

Hey, man, I just talked to him.

We're going downtown, man.

He felt real bad
about the way he acted

and how y'all guys
done him and stuff, man.

He was falling down
apologizing all over the place.

He's got a lot
of weird ideas

about us, Roger,
I'm telling you.

Well, he's a little fucked up
in his head, man,

but he ain't no trouble.

Well, who needs him, man?

I mean, we don't need him.

I think you're getting
a little too nervous.

Nobody said anything
about needing anybody.

Damn, man, I been
on the street all my life.

I mean, he just
brings back home is all, man.

Look, I played me
a little bit of ball.

I'm feeling good.
I'm about to take me a shower.

I'm telling you, Rog,
there's something's wrong with him, though.

Hey, man, every black man
in the world ain't like me.

Get used to the idea, man.

Once you get to know him,
you're going to like him.

You'll be laughing when
he talks his shit, man, just like me.

But you got to relax, man.

Take a shower.

I took one!

Hoo hoo!

I'm gonna be
a devil maker.

People like
a chicken dinner

from the shack.

Well?

Well, what?

That story you told
about your friend.

What about it?

Was it really about you?

Were you Frankie?

You son of a bitch.

You are really sick,
you know that? I'm just asking.

Your brain is really,
truly rancid.

You know there's
a theory now it's genetic,

that it's all a matter
of genes and shit like that?

Everything is not
so ungodly cryptic, Billy.

You, man. You and the rot
that's making out of your feeble fucking mind.

[Roger]
Watch a brother.

Sex, drugs, danger,
danger, ah.

Rog, you ain't really
going into town with that guy, are you?

Oh, man, you bet
your ass I'm going.

He's got a good head,
he's got wheels,

and if you
had got any sense, you'd be going with us.

What are you talking about,
go with you?

I just told you,
the man's crazy.

And I just told you
you're wrong.

[Richie]
We weren't invited.

All right, I'm inviting you.

Well, I'm not going.

Oh, come on, Richie.
You sure?

No, I'm afraid not.

Billy.

Come on, man.

Hey, he's got wheels.

We're going drinking.

See if getting
your head real bad

don't make you
feel real good.

Man, you know
what I'm talking about.

I told you, you got him
all wrong. I got him right.

But what if I'm right?

Oh, Billy, Billy.
He's waiting on us.

You know you want to.

Jesus, man. Bad cat like that
got to know the way.

I mean, he's been
to D.C. before, man.

He's got cousins there.

He got the wheels
for the weekend.

You always talk about
not doing nothing,

but you just talk.

Relax, man.
Tonight, be doing it.

Cruise down the strip,
bad as we want to.

Take a cigarette butt and
flick it out the window, man,

and watch it bounce.

Pick up some
cute little bitches,

and if we don't,

he knows a cat house
that's full of cats.

You serious?

You mean you're going
to a whorehouse?

[Richie]
That's disgusting.

Listen to who's talking.

What do you want me to do,
stay here with you?

We could go to
a movie or something.

I'm sick of all this talk,
man.

Are you guys going to go
or you going to stay?

[Billy]
I don't know.

Billy.

All right, I'm going.

All right. Yeah.

Billy, you'll
be scared to death

in a cat house,
and you know it.

Bullshit.

Hey, Billy's got a lion tamer
between his legs.

Yo, dude, man.
Hey, my man.

All right.

Yeah, man, like I been waiting
all my motherfucking life.

Let's book.
All right.

Billy's coming too, man.
He just got to change.

That's working it.
That's beautiful, man.

Didn't I tell you?

Yeah, we all going
to be friends. I can see that.

Richie. $10, please.

Pretty please?

All right, my man.
Come on, baby.

All right, all right,
all right.

Let's just say 15.

All right, all right. 20?

20 is what we're going
to make it, my man,

because that's what I'm
going to get back to you.

The hos
ain't going to wait. All right.

All right.

Man, come on. Hurry up.

Let's go, man.

♪ I'm gonna make you mine ♪

♪ You and I, yeah ♪

♪ I'm gonna make you mine ♪

♪ So come on home ♪

♪ I'm gonna make you mine ♪

♪ I'm gonna make you,
baby ♪

♪ I'm gonna make you mine ♪

♪ I'm gonna make you ♪

♪ I'm gonna make you mine ♪

♪ Mine ♪

♪ I'm gonna make you mine ♪

♪ I'm gonna make you mine ♪

Right here.
♪ So come on home ♪

♪ I'm gonna make you mine ♪

[thunder rumbles]

You hide, and I'll find you.

Okay, close your eyes.

[mumbling]

[Richie]
I don't know where it was.

It wasn't here.

And we were all in it.

That's what it felt like,

except we all had
different faces.

After you guys left, I only
dozed off for a couple minutes,

so it couldn't
have been very long.

Roger laughed a lot.

Billy was taller.

I don't remember
all the details, exactly,

except that even though
we were the ones in it,

I know it was about my father.

He was a big man.

I was 6.

He was a very big man
when I was 6 and he went away.

But I do remember him.

We had money
from Mom's family,

so he was just always home.

I remember coming back from,
I think, kindergarten,

and, as I came
up the front walk,

he was coming out
the front door,

and he had these suitcases
in his hands.

He was leaving, you see.

Sneaking out.

And we just
looked at each other,

and I knew.

I started crying.

"Don't you cry.

Don't you start crying,"
he said.

I tried to grab him.

He pushed me
down on the grass,

and then he was G-O-N-E.

I can't get this thing.
Does somebody have an opener?

Hey. Old Carlyle'll
get that for you.

[Billy]
That was it?

[Richie]
I remember hiding my eyes

and lying in the grass,
waiting.

And that was it.

Thank you.

He never came back?

No.

Ain't that some shit?

Now here I am, right?

Jive-time street nigger,

and I knew where
my old man was all along.

He were working up at
this butcher shop, you know?

Two blocks up the street.

My old ma,
she used to point him out.

She'd say, "There he is.

"There he go.
That's your daddy.

There he is, boy."

One day, he come up to me.
We're all playing...

stickball or something,
me and a bunch of friends.

He come up to me
and he said, "Boy."

Man, my daddy
want to talk to me.

I was happy
as a pig in shit, man.

He said, "Boy."

"Boy, I ain't your daddy.

"I ain't. Your mama,
she's crazy.

"She don't know what the hell
she talking about, boy,

but I ain't your daddy."

I looked at him, and I said,

"Don't you be calling
my mama crazy, you hear?

Don't you call
my mama crazy, Daddy."

He didn't know
what the fuck to do.

Yeah. You know,
when Richie first saw me,

you know, he didn't
like me much no how.

But he done thought
about it now, you know?

Changed his way of thinking.
I can see that clear now.

We're going to be one
big happy family, right?

Carlyle likes me, Billy.

He thinks I'm pretty.

Mm, mm, mm.
Now wait a minute.

I ain't say you was pretty.

I said you was cute.

You see, a broad is pretty,

but a punk,
if he good-looking-- Then he's cute.

You're cute.

[Carlyle laughs]

Oh, he's going to steal me
right away, Billy.

You're so slow.

I prefer a man
who's decisive.

[Billy]
Just keep it up.

You're going to have us
all believing

you are just what
you say you are.

Which is more
than we can say for you.

Jive, jive.

You are arrogant, Billy.

So arrogant.

Well, what are you?
On the rag?

Wouldn't it just bang
your little balls if I were?

[Roger]
Man, what is with you?

Stupidity offends me.

Lies and ignorance
offend me.

[Billy]
Know where we was, the three of us earlier on?

All three of us?

To the wrong side
of the tracks, Richard.

One good black
upside-down whorehouse,

where you get what you buy,
no jive along with it.

So if it's a lay you want
and a lay you need, you go.

Or don't they have
faggot whorehouses?

Man, if y'all
don't stop this shit,

I'm going to have to go
upside someone's head.

[Richie]
"Where we was."

"Where we was."
Listen to him.

Oh, God. Carlyle,
he has more schooling

than you've got
fingers and toes.

It's this pseudo-earthy
quality he feigns.

Inside, he's pure cashmere.

That's a lie.

I'm polyester,
worsted, and mohair.

You have a lot
of school, Billy, and don't say you don't.

You said fingers and toes.
You didn't say "a lot."

[Carlyle]
I think people get dumber,

the more they park their ass
in some schoolhouse door.

Well, that just depends

on what the hell
you're talking about.

Yeah, well.

I used to know cats
back on the block

who really knew
what was shaking.

Then they go away
to some school,

and they come back,
and they ain't know

what the fuck was happening.

[Richie]
Billy,

why don't you and Roger
go out for a walk?

What?

Roger asked you
to go downtown.

You went. You had fun.

I asked you to go, too.

You asked me.

You begged Billy.

You took my $20.

You begged Billy.

I'm asking you a favor now.

Go for a walk and let me
and Carlyle have some time.

Man, that's how
you all work it?

[Roger]
Work what?

Whose ever turn it be.

No, no, that ain't
the way we work it

because we don't work it.

See, there it is.

That goddamn fucking education
showing through again, man.

All them years in school.

Didn't we have a good time
tonight, man?

Huh? I let you ride
in my car, right?

Show you some good cat houses,
all that sweet black pussy.

Ain't we friends?

How come you don't
like me, man?

Richie likes me, man.
How come you don't like me?

If you're really doing
what I think you're doing, you're a fucking animal.

Hey, Billy, no, man.

What, man?

Just relax. No point.

Man, I told you,
this ain't going on here.

We both told you
it ain't going on.

Don't jive me, nigger.

I know what the fuck
is happening.

Are you going
for a fucking walk like I'm asking, or what?

Because I'm going to get
this shit straight.

[Roger]
We live here.

[Richie]
I live here too, Roger.

This is my house, too.

[Roger]
Don't you think I know that?

Did I say something
to make you think I don't know that?

Carlyle is my guest.

All right, fine.

He's your friend,
this is your home,

so that means he can stay.

But this don't mean
I got to leave.

I'll catch you all
in the morning.

[Billy]
Roger, what the hell are you doing?

I'm doing what you should
be doing, man.

It's late,
and I'm going to bed. What?

Just get in the fucking bed.

All you got to do
is climb in your rack,

put your head
on the pillow and sleep.

Give me my goddamn pillow.

You've got to be kidding!
What?

No, man. No.
Give me my pillow.

You mean just go to bed?

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

Man, this shit has been
happening so long,

ain't nothing you can do
to stop it.

[Carlyle]
I don't believe this shit.

You ain't serious, huh?

What the fuck
am I supposed to do, huh?

Ain't you got no feelings,
huh, for a man?

Ain't you got no feelings
for how a man feel, man?

You's a pair
of motherfuckers.

That's it, right?

You's a pair
of motherfuckers, right?

You're snits!
Don't you hear me, man?

Understand
the situation here, man.

I thought we had a deal.

All right, all right.

You get on your knees, punk,

and I mean now,

and you going to be
on my joint fast

or you going to be
one busted-ass punk.

[Billy]
Roger, I ain't going to have this going on here. I can't.

Jealous, Billy?

Just go out that door!

[glass crunches]
God damn it!

Just go out that
fucking door, both of you!

Go out in the bushes
or some field, man.

See if I care.

But it ain't going on here.

It ain't going on
in my house.

You understand?

I ain't got much
in this goddamn army,

but here is mine.

I want my fucking nut!

I want my nut, man!

The fuck you so
uptight for, huh?

He wants me.
This boy here wants me.

Richie wants me, man.

Who the fuck are you
to stop it?

Yeah, that's right.
That's right, Billy.

Richie one of them white boys

want to get fucked
by a nigger.

Ain't that right, Rich?

This may be his dream
come true.

Make it in the real world
how a nigger's an animal. You hear me, Carlyle?

Hey, I don't give a fuck
what he's trying to prove,

long as I get my nut.

Besides, man, I know
I ain't no fucking animal.

I ain't got to prove it.

Lesson number 1, school boy.

You don't see so well
what you see in the dark, motherfucker.

[Billy]
Who said the lights go out?

Nobody goddamn asked me
if the lights go out!

[Carlyle]
I do, motherfucker. I say so, God damn it.

Can't you just fucking
let people be, man?

I'm going to cut
your fucking ass, boy,

just so you can see
how it feel, right?

And cutting can happen, boy.
This knife is true, sucker.

[Richie]
No, come on, Carlyle. Rog.

Shut up.

[Billy]
Come on.

[Carlyle]
Put your hand out, boy. Put it out.

Don't hurt him, Carlyle.

Motherfucker threw
a shoe at me, man.

Come on, man.
You don't go through life clean, man,

thinking you can
throw another one.

Put your hand out. Come on.
Hold your hand out, boy.

Do the fucking thing I say.

Motherfucker!

[Carlyle]
Yeah, boy. That's your blood, boy.

The blood inside you.

You don't ever see it.

Take a good look
at how it come out, boy.

Enough of it come out, boy,

and you're in the worst
goddamn trouble

you ever seen in your life.

And know I'm the man that can
deal that trouble, boy,

as easy as I smile.

And I smile easy.

[Carlyle]
Bastard.

Bastard.

Bastard ruined
my mood, Richie.

He ruined my mood, man.

Fighting and loving different
in the feelings I got.

I see blood come out
of somebody like that, man,

it don't make me feel good.

Hurt me, man.

Hurt me, man,
put the hurt on somebody

I thought was supposed
to be my friend.

Everything was getting
so sweet, too.

One big family.

Shit. I ain't
supposed to know, right?

One dumb stupid nigger.

No mind, he thinks.

No heart, no feelings
or gentleness.

You see how that
ain't true, Richie, right?

You see, right?

Bastard.

Bastard threw
a fucking shoe at me, man.

Fucking shoe.

Somebody else would have
cut his fucking heart out for less.

But I got to let him know.

I let him know, man.

He throws shit, he gets shit.

I ain't hurt him bad.

You see that, right?
I ain't hurt him bad.

Jesus H. Christ.

You know what I'm doing?

You know what I'm
standing here doing?

I'm a 24-year-old
college graduate--

goddamn intellectual type,

and I got a knife in my hand,

thinking about coming up
behind one black human being,

and I'm thinking
nigger this and nigger that.

I want to cut his throat.

That is ridiculous, man.

I never faced
anybody in my life

with anything to kill them.

You understand me?

I don't have a goddamn thing
on the line here.

Look at me, Roger.

Look at me.
I got a cut on my palm. I don't know what happened.

Jesus Christ, man,
I get sweat all over me

when I think of what
I was near doing.

I mean, you think I need
a reputation as a killer?

A bad man with a knife?

Bullshit, man. I need shit.

I got sweat all over me, man.

I got the mile record
in my hometown.

I did the mile in 4:42,

and that's the goddamn record
in Windsor County, man.

I don't need approval
from either one of you.

You want to be a faggot?

A goddamn swish, sucking cocks
and taking it in the ass?

The thing of which you dream?

Go.

And you.

You want to be
a bad-ass animal, man?

Get it on. Go.

But I wash my hands, man.

I'm not human as you are.

I put you down.
I put you down.

You gay little
piece of shit cake.

Shit cake!

Fuck you, Billy.

And you.

You're your own
goddamn fault, Sambo!

Samb-

[yells]

Out of my way.

Get out of my way.

Hey, man, what's
the matter with you?

[Carlyle]
Nobody talk that weird shit to me, man.

You understand?

[Richie]
Rog,

I think he stabbed him.

He just cut my hand.
That's all.

It just knocked
the wind out of me.

Just scared me. That's all.

Man, are you all right?

[coughs]

Are you all right, man?

Did he slit you?

Come on, man. Come on.
Let's get up on the bed.

I am on the bed.

No, Billy,
you're not. You're not.

Shut up, man.

You're on the floor, man.

We're on the bed, man.
I'm on the bed.

Hey, come on. Come on.
Are you all right, man?

Let me just see
where he got you.

No! Nigger, leave me alone!

What did you do, man? Damn.

Did you slit him or stick him?
Huh? You nigger.

Shut up!

Oh, man, let me see
where he got you.

Ow.

Fuck it, man.
I stuck him, all right?

I stuck it in, man.
I fucking turned it, okay?

[coughs]

This fucking army break
my fucking heart, man.

If I can't be
where there's pretty men,

I don't want to live.

[Carlyle]
Wash me down, shit face!

[sobs]

[whispers]
Shut up.

All right, just shut up.
Shut up.

Shut up, Richie.
Just go get help. Go.

Just go, Richie. Just go.
Go get somebody.

Wh-Who? I'll go.

Get the sergeant, the OD,
get anybody.

I forgot my shoes, Roger.

Get the fuck out of here.

Roger, I taste my blood.
What does that mean?

I taste my blood.

What does that mean?

I'm cold.

It's cold, Roger. I'm cold.

He woke me.

Olly olly oxen free.

I won't talk bad,
okay, Carlyle?

Don't cut me anymore.

I couldn't take it, okay?

Oh, it was you, assholes.

Everybody drunk, huh?

Sergeant--
I don't blame you.

I lost my rent.

[Billy]
Where's Roger?

Cokes!
Roger!

Sergeant.
Rog--

[Rooney]
Cokes!

Sergeant Rooney?

Carlyle stabbed Billy.

What?

Carlyle stabbed him.

Wha-- Who--

Who's Carlyle?

Him.

Who are you, soldier?

[Billy coughs]

You Carlyle?

What you got there?

You got a knife there?

That's Cokes' knife!

That's Cokes' trench knife.

What-- Where's Cokes?

What is going on here?

Leave me alone, Carlyle.

You better watch your step.

You see what I got here?

You watch your step,
motherfucker.

Now, I'm just trying to
find out what's going on here.

Now you relax!

Motherfucker.

Motherfucker!

[yells]

Yaah!

You, God damn it,

I'm going to cut you good.

Aah.

I cut my hand.

I hurt myself. I cut my hand.

I hurt myself. Aah!

I hurt my hand, God damn it!

Billy! Help!

[coughs]

Billy!

[gurgles]

Don't tell nobody on me, okay?

Don't tell nobody on me,
and I'll let you go.

I'll let you go.

I'll let you go.

Shit, baby.

Oh, Mommy.

How the fuck am I going to get
back to the world now, man,

making all this fucking mess?

Wh-What happened?

Don't do it.
Don't tell on me, all right?

I don't--

Shut up, nigger.

Don't you go talking
the weird shit, too, all right?

Don't you go talking
that weird shit, too!

You hear me?

No, I won't, no.

Oh, man. Oh, baby, Carlyle.

I'm Carlyle, man.

You know me, man.

You know me.

You know me, man!

Shit.

Sergeant Rooney?

Oh, Jesus. God,
what the fuck is going on?

[Roger] No, no.
Get up against the bunk.

Get up there.
Call the MP, man.

Get up there!
Call the MPs , man!

Call the fucking hospital,
all right! Get up there!

Get down from that bunk,
soldier!

What the hell's
going on here?

I was asleep.
Get up on the bunk.

Put your hands together.

What's this building
number?

What the fuck's
this building number?

[Richie]
Number 320-- 362.

What's happened in here?

The sergeant first class
is cut to shit, sir.

Call the ambulance.
Yes, sir.

I've already called
an ambulance, sir.

Bring that man down here.

Okay, you watch him.
Move it.

Oh, now, that isn't Carlyle.

Get up against the locker.
Move.

What's your name,
soldier?

Hicks, Roger.

You the officer of the day?

Yes, sir.
Lieutenant Townsend, sir.

Yeah, yeah, well,
put your gun away before you hurt somebody.

Yes, sir.

You stab these men, son?

No, that's Roger.
That's not Carlyle.

That man over there said

some nigger went crazy
with a knife.

I didn't say that word.

Lieutenant,
the medics are here.

[MP]
You the doctor?

Uh, no, sir,
I'm just the orderly.

Dr. Banes is coming.

I'm Dr. Banes.

Check these men.
I think they're dead.

Hey! Put your hands up
against the locker!

This man's dead.
You can take him away.

Hey, hey--

Sarge, we got this guy
on the street.

He was running
like a streak of shit.

[Richie]
That's him. He did it.

Hey, officer,
what's going on here? Huh?

He's got blood
all over himself.

What about a knife?
Did you find a knife?

You find a weapon on him?

I found a switch blade
on him.

I found this
in the bushes nearby.

Jesus Christ!
[Carlyle] See now--

Oh, no, no, you're not as smart
as you think, officer.

Jesus, God Almighty.

Chicken blood. Chicken blood
and chicken heart

and livers and all that.

See, I was walking along
on my way, you know,

and these dudes they jumped out
of these bushes, you know,

and they threw it all over me.

Chicken bloods
and chicken heart, ain't it ridiculous?

All right, sit him down there.
Sit him down and shut him up.

You don't understand, you see--
I said to shut him up.

Shut up!
Do what he says.

Could you be so kind
as to remove these cuffs?

All right, all right.
But I'm going to be thinking over here.

Make no mistake about that.

I'm going to be thinking
it all over.

I got big planning to do.

I'm going to be thinking
over here in my quietness.

[MP] What's your name,
soldier?

Douglas, sir. Richard Douglas.

Do you sleep here?

Yes, I do, sir.

And Roger sleeps here,
and Billy slept here.

That's Sergeant Rooney.
He's our platoon sergeant.

That's Carlyle.
He's a transient, sir.

A sub-transient
from P Company.

And you had nothing
to do with this?

No, I had nothing to--

Did he have anything
to do with this? No, he didn't, sir.

And I didn't, either.

It was Carlyle who just got
into a fight with Billy.

He went crazy. I don't know
what they were fighting about.

How-- How did
the sergeant first class get involved?

I don't know, sir.

I wasn't here.
I was going to get you.

Sergeant Rooney came back.
I don't know why.

Carlyle just attacked him.

Okay, Billy
was already stabbed.

All right, all right,
all right.

Look, I've had enough of this.

Listen, all you guys
are going to have be going now, all right?

Seriously.

Now, if you just kindly remove
these cuffs from my hands.

Get me a bus ticket home.
I've quit the Army.

You are doing what?

Sir, I'm not going to be quiet.

I have quit the Army.

You shut the hell up, soldier.

Look, sir, I don't
understand you people.

Don't you people understand

when a man is talking English
to speak his mind?

I have quit the Army.

Get him out of here.

Hey, look. Oh, no.

You guys are not going to be
doing this to me no more, all right?

Look, just leave me alone.
Take these cuffs off of me.

I'm staying here. This is
my place. It's not yours.

Just take these cuffs
off of me, please.

My-- My little sister Lynn Sue,
she knew all about this.

She told me--
Get these fucking cuffs off me!

[MP]
Where's your bunk, Douglas?

Right there.
Get in it.

And you, uh--
Hicks. Right here.

Get in bed.

Look, do we really have
to sleep here tonight?

Where else you going to sleep?

All right, this barracks
is sealed off.

Nobody goes in or out.

McCarthy,
secure the back door.

Come on. Let's get out of here.
We got to write this up.

All right, did you hear him?

This barracks is sealed off.
No one in or out.

How come you made me
waste all that time

talking shit to you

and all that time
you was a faggot?

I mean, you really was, man.

You could've
just told old Rog.

I've been telling you.

Oh, man.
Jive, man, jive.

All you did is bullshit
all over us,

just bullshit.

I just wanted
to hold Billy's hand.

He didn't want to.

Ah-ha-ha!

Hey, hey,
what a day, gentlemen.

How you all doing?

[chuckles]

We had a hell of a day,
old Rooney and me.

We've been playing
hide and go seek,

and I was hiding,

and now I think
he started hiding

without telling me
he was going to.

I can't find him.

I thought maybe he was
hiding over here, huh?

Sergeant--

[Roger]
Uh, no, no.

He ain't here,
Sergeant.

I got to find him.

He knows how to react
in a tough situation!

He didn't come up
here looking for me?

[Roger]
Well, you know, we was going to go to sleep, Sarge.

Got to get up early.

You know how
this mother Army is.

You don't mind I sit here
a little, wait on him, huh?

You can have a little wine.
You can have some.

We can go back into the area.
We've been downtown.

Sergeant Cokes--

Let him rest, Rich.

[Cokes]
Hmm, we went to D.C.

to this private club I know.

Had ten or more snorts,

and we decided
to come back here

after playing some snooker.

[chuckles]

Yeah, that was fun.

On the way,
we picked up this kid

from the engineering unit
hitchhiking.

I saw-- I'm coming
around this corner.

All of the sudden,
there's this car stopped dead in front of me, man.

I slam on the brakes,

but it's like pudding
the way I slide into him.

He wasn't blinking
or nothing like that, you know?

There's just a big bang,
and then we yell.

Rooney starts laughing
like crazy.

[chuckles]

The kid jumps out of the back.

Says he's going to take
a fucking bus.

[laughs]

This guy, uh,
from the other car,

he's swearing at me.

My car's still running fine,

so I move it off to the side
of the road, you know.

I tell him to do the same

while we're waiting
for the cops.

He says his car's going
to stay right where it is

because he had
the right of way

because he was making
a legal turn.

So we're waiting for the cops.

Some cars go by.

This guy's car

was this big fucking Buick.

And around the corner comes
this little red Triumph.

The driver's this blond kid,

got a little blond
sitting next to him.

You can see
what's going to happen.

There's this goddamn car

in the middle of the road
with nobody in it.

So the Triumph goes crashing

into the back of the fucking
Buick with nobody in it.

Bip, bang, boom!

Everything stops!

It's all still.

Everybody's staring.
It's all still.

The fucking Buick
kind of shudders.

It starts to move

with nobody in it.

It starts to roll
from the impact,

and it just rolls
just far enough

to where the road
starts a downgrade.

And it's drifting
over to the side of the curb

and then over it
and then onto this hill,

and it's starting
to pick up speed

because the hill
is real steep.

And it just disappears
over the side,

rolling into the dark.

Just rolling real quiet.

Rooney, Rooney, Rooney--

Rooney falls over.
He's laughing so hard.

[laughs]

I didn't know what to do.

So in a minute, the cops come.

In another minute, some guy
comes running up over the hill.

Says some guy's got run over
by this car with nobody in it.

We didn't know what to think.

This was
fucking unbelievable to us.

Rooney is screaming
at me how we got into

four goddamn accident fights
and got out clean.

And now I can't find him.

I'll just sit here
a little, I mean--

[sobbing]

Hey.

What's up?

Why are you crying, soldier?

Hey.

Why is he crying?

He's crying
because he's a queer.

You a queer, boy?

Yes, Sergeant.

How long you been a queer?

I don't know.

All of his fucking life.

Don't be talking mean at him.

Ain't two months ago,
maybe even yesterday,

I called a kid who was a queer
a lot of awful names.

Now I just want
to be figuring things out.

I don't know
what's hurting in me.

I don't know
what's hurting in me.

Oh, no, no, boy.

You listen to me.

You're going to be okay.

There's a lot of worse things

than being a queer
in this world.

I mean,
you could have leukemia.

That's worse.

I keep thinking if there was
something I could've done

if it was different--

If I'd have killed more gooks

or more krauts

or more dinks--

Or if I had a wife,
I had kids--

I never had any.

My mother did.
She died of it anyway.

That if I let that little gook
out of that spider hole

he was in I was sitting on--

I'd let him out now
if he was in there.

But he ain't.

How am I ever going
to forget it?

That funny little guy.

I can feel him
in there, though...

bouncing and yelling under me.

Just begging for me
to let him out.

Just like a goddamn
Charlie Chaplin movie--

everybody falling down
and clumsy

and him banging and yelling
away under there

and me just sitting there
looking around.

And he was Charlie Chaplin.

And then he blew up.

Maybe you was Charlie Chaplin,
too, Sarge.

Nah.

I don't know who I was.

[mumbling]

And then he blew up!

Do you think
he was singing it?

[Cokes]
What?

Do you think
he was singing it?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah,
he was singing it.

[singing "Beautiful Dreamer"
in Korean]

Closed-Captioned By
J.R. Media Services, Inc. Burbank, CA