The Plough and the Stars (1936) - full transcript

A husband clashes with his wife over his membership to the Irish citizen army.

Subtitles: Lu?s Filipe Bernardes

It was long before the shamrock
our green isle loved emblem

was crushed out in its beauty
neath the Saxon lion's paw.

I was called

by the colleens

around me assembled

The bold Phelam O'Brady,

the Bard of Armagh.

A penny for them, Jack.

They'd be of no interest to you.

You'd like more tea, perhaps.



I've had plenty, thank you.

Are you as anxious as that to be off
to the meeting in the Citizen Army, Jack?

I promised you I'd have no more to do with it.

Then let's forget about it.

How quiet the house is tonight.

We'll let the dishes go for a while.

Oh, so the honeymoon is over
and housework is getting dull.

Mrs. Clitheroe, that was supposed to set
such store by her home.

There are things more important than dishes.

What, for instance?

You.

And what's the matter with me?

Nothing.

As long as we're together like this.



Kiss me, Jack.

You haven't grown tired of me, Jack?

Tired of you?

No, Nora. We're a grand couple,
make no mistake about that.

Oh, hast thou forgotten

how soon we must sever?

Play it for me, Jack.

It may be for years

and it may be forever

Then, why art thou silent...

the voice of my heart?

It may be for years...

and it may be forever.

Then why art thou so silent,

Kathleen...

Mavourneen?

What's the matter?

Nothing.

Nothing.

Why did you do that?

Promise you'll never go away and leave me.

What's got into you, Nora?

I never saw you like this.

And where would I be going anyhow?

Pay no heed. They'll go away.

I'll just see...
No, we don't want to see anyone.

Clitheroe!

It's Brennan.
Oh, don't mind him.

Let's pretend we're not in.
Let's forget everything tonight but ourselves.

I have to see...
No, Jack, please don't open it, for my sake.

Oh, now, darling.

A dispatch.

From General Connally.

Come in, Brennan.

I don't understand.

Why does General Connally call me commandant?

The staff appointed you commandant.

And the general agreed with their selection.

When did this happen?

Two weeks ago.

How is it word was never sent to me?

But word was sent to you.

I myself brought it.

Who did you give it to, then?

I think I gave it to uh...

Mrs. Clitheroe there.

Nora.

Do you hear what he says?

Do you hear, Nora?

Captain Brennan says that he brought me a letter
and that he gave it to you.

Where is it?

It doesn't matter now.

You've got your message.

But I want to know, Nora.

I've a right to know.

I burned it.

Burned it.

How could you do such a thing when you know
how much it means to me?

Means to you?
And what does it mean to me?

That I'm to sit here wondering where you are,
whether you're alive or dead?

Jumping at every knock that comes on the door

for fear it's news of the rebellion
and that you've been called?

Do you think your being commandant is worth
all the agony we'll both live through?

That's no way to talk, Nora.

You should be proud your husband was selected.

Proud?

My mother was proud when she saw
my father go marching off to war.

But there was little pride in her weeping
when she knew he'd not come back.

Don't worry. I'll be back.

But don't wait up for me.

There may be maneuvers.
You can't go. You can't leave me like this.

All the things you said can't be forgotten so easily.
All your love for me can't die.

Did you marry me or the Citizen Army?

Oh, Nora, you talk like a child.

I have a duty. Ireland is my country
and when she calls I must go.

I'm your wife and you have a duty to me too.

And I'm asking you to stay.

I'm ashamed of you, Nora.

A man must fight.

Aye, you'll do the fighting.

But the weeping will be for the woman.

Can I come in, Mrs. Clitheroe?

Mother's gone on to the meeting.

I was feeling terribly lonely...

so I came up to see if you'd let me sit with you.

I do be terribly afraid I'll die sometime...

When I'm by meself.

I often envy you, Mrs. Clitheroe.

Seeing the health you have...

and the lovely place you have here...

and wondering if I'll ever be strong enough
to be keeping a home together for me man.

Hello, Fluther, me boy.
Hello.

Halt!

Left! Face!

One!

Two!

Comrade soldiers of the Irish volunteers

and of the Citizen Army.

In the hearts and minds of those who stand here

Ireland has this night become a nation.

taking her rightful place
among the other nations of the world.

We are a sovereign people

and this night you have told it to the world.

You have shouted it from the house tops

and in the hearts of our men

that flowered the seeds planted
by all those men of other generations

who died in the hope that one day
Ireland might be free.

And Ireland will be free!

We will no longer be denied.

It is a sacred heritage

that has been handed down to you,
my comrades.

A heritage that has been handed down to you,
my comrades.

And you must not be found wanting.

From the graves of our dead

comes forth a cry to you!

Fight on!
We must not have died in vain!

Comrades...

how will you answer that?

Hooray!

Hooray!

Hooray!

Attention!

You won't have long to wait now.

The time is rotten ripe for action.

You have a mother, Langon.
Ireland is greater than a mother.

And you have a wife, Clitheroe.
Ireland is greater than a wife.

I love to hear them speeches, Tommy.
It's a sacred truth they've been saying.

Ay, and if I was a little younger,
I'd be plunging mad into the middle of it meself.

Give me a pint, Tommy.

Great meeting outside.

Aye.

Well, it's up to us all anyway
to fight for our freedom.

Freedom? What's the use of freedom
if it's not economic freedom?

I used them very words meself
just before you come in.

A lot of tricksters, says I.

They wouldn't know what freedom was
if they got it from their mother.

Didn't I, Tommy?

I don't remember.

Sl?inte na bhfear agus!

There's the men marching off into the
dread dimness of danger.

Like me own boy.

While the vermin are crawling about.
Drinking and feeding on the peasants of the land.

Pay no attention to her.
She has a drop taken.

Well, that was a grand meeting,
a grand meeting.

The memory of all the things that was done

and all the things that was suffered
by the Irish people

was booming in me brains.

You know, every nerve in me body

was quivering to do something desperate.

Listening to the speeches spattering
on the people's heads

like rain falling on the corn,

every derogatory thought rose up to me mind

and I said to meself,
you can die now, Fluther.

Here!

You see the veins?

Well, the blood was boiling in 'em.

I can't for the life of me understand
how they can call themselves patriotic

and they won't lift a finger
to help poor little Belgium.

What about poor little Ireland?

You mind your own business, mam,
and stupefy your foolishness by getting drunk.

Sit down, calm yourself.
Let me go!

Don't go starting a row with that one.

There's a storm of anger tossing in me heart

thinking of all the poor tommies,
and with them me own son...

drenched in water and soaked in blood

groping their way into to a shattering death
and a shower of shells.

Ah, to look at some of the women
talking about now.

it's enough to make a body sigh.

A woman on her own drinking with a crowd of men
is hardly an example to our sex.

Giddy Gogan is a woman living
for nigh on twenty-five years

in her own room.

And beyond bidding the time of day
to her neighbors

never yet as much as a nodded her head...

in the direction of other people's business.

Bessie Burgess doesn't pull up to no notch
never having a swagger in mind.

But there are some she knows decorating
her finger with a well-polished wedding ring

would be hard put if she were to show
the wedding license.

Why, you blasphemous...

I'll not mention that I was born between
the borders of the ten commandments!

Let me after her...

Let me after her!

Let me go!
Mrs. Gogan!

Where is she?

Get out and stay out!

That's all right, boys.
There'll be no more trouble.

This was left here by a party.

Know which one?
Get out, get out and stay out?

Mollser, oh, missy Mollser!

Mollser, where's your mother?

Please, Mr. Flynn, I'll take the baby.

Oh, take her, and call her down.

I wish Mother would come home.

Go to bed, Mollser.

It's too late for you to be up.

I'll wait up for your mother.

And you'll not be tired yourself?

I shan't go until Jack comes home.

Good night.

Good night, Mrs. Clitheroe.

Mrs. Clitheroe.

Yes?

Does it make you feel so sad

just because Mr. Clitheroe is going over
to the Citizen Army?

Then I think I'll change my mind.

I don't think I will marry when I grow up.

Except I'm awful fond of babies.

But then, there's always some neighbor

who wants to leave their baby
with you for a while.

But I don't suppose that's quite the same, is it?

As having one of your own.

You'll want a man by you, Mollser.

Will I, Mrs. Clitheroe?
But why?

If all they do is make you unhappy?

Make no mistake, child.

No woman is ever happy
unless she has a man beside her.

It's a woman's nature to love.

Just as it's a man's nature to fight.

And neither one can help it more than the other.

It's only waste of time talking to you, comrade.

Oh, oh, don't be comrading me, mate.

I was to be on my last legs
if I wanted you for a comrade.

It's highly ridiculous for a red flag socialist

to be unctuously trying with heavy words
to down a man like Mr. Fluther here,

that's well flavored in the knowledge
of the world he's living in.

Nobody's asking you to be butting in.

It'll be a long time before the Covey'll take
any instructions

or reprimanding from a common floozy.

You little wriggling motherless...

If I was a man...

Quiet down, quiet down.

I'm not going to let you degrade yourself
by talking to a speech-making loafer.

Now, if you've anything to say,
say it to Fluther.

And let me tell you
that you're not going to be tart

to any lady in my company.

Now easy with them hands,
easy with them hands!

You're taking a bit of a risk
when you start to paw the Covey.

Come on, then, lad...

Get out of here, you...

Oh, no, you don't, young Covey.

You're the devil himself for fighting, Fluther.

Says I to myself, men like Fluther, says I,
is getting scarce nowadays.

The second time I hit him
I thought I'd killed him.

Get me me hat.

Irishmen and Irishwomen,

We hereby proclaim the Irish Republic

as a sovereign, independent State,

and we pledge our lives
and the lives of our comrades in arms

to the cause of its freedom,

of its welfare,

and of the exaltation among the nations.

Where are we going?

We're going to the park.

Remember?

You promised.

Well, if Mrs. Clitheroe wants to parade
through the park and show off her finery,

Come on, come on.

Don't be doing that.
You're worse than the children.

It's Easter Sunday. Beat it!

Jeff, what happened last night?

We had a meeting.

And what was decided?

By unanimous votes, the boys agreed their commandant

has the prettiest wife in all of Dublin.

Oh, Jack, this is no time for pretty speeches.

Nora, did you not learn your lesson last night?

I learned what it was like to sit waiting...

wondering.

You should have learned how silly you are.

I came home, didn't I?

None the worse than when I went.

But what's to happen now, Jack?

Well, we'll go home and have our dinner.

And then I may...
Mind you, now, I only said I may,

help you with the dishes.

Then we might go listen to the concert

Then a bite of supper...
Oh, Jack.

You're such a child.

For all your being commandant...

you're like a little boy...

at play.

A child is it?

I'll show you what a child...
No, don't.

Someone might see us.

Let them see, then.

Is there any shame in a man
kissing his own wife?

Hey, Clitheroe!

I went to your house.
You weren't there.

This is urgent.

I'm sorry, darling,
you'll have to walk home alone.

Where are you going?
Liberty Hall.

Jack!
Don't worry, darling, I'll be home before long.

Comrades, the time has come.

Our men are mobilized and ready to strike.

You all have your instructions.

Headquarters will be established at the Post Office.

Once word of what we are doing spreads,
the English troops will be upon us.

However, because we are taking
our positions by surprise,

we will have a brief advantage.

I do not know whether we will win or lose,

but I do know that we are firm in our cause.

Commandant Clitheroe,

Form your men...

Commandant Clitheroe,

form your men.

We march on the Post Office in the morning.

At your posts, men. Double rank.

Get out quick. This is no place for you.
Why?

Rebellion!

The Post Office is taken, sir.

Hold your fire.
Have you got enough ammunition?

Yes, sir. I have two in me bag
and one in the spot.

Excuse me.

I thought I heard you was moving about.

You'd never know with the dimness here
that the rising sun was a-dazzling in the sky.

Many was a time I sat up all night
waiting for me husband, heaven rest his soul.

Slip your coat off, dear.

I'll fix you up a nice cup of tea
before Mr. Clitheroe comes in.

Why doesn't come home?

What's happening?

I wouldn't fret me mind, Mrs. Clitheroe.

Oh, I couldn't gather me
a wink of sleep last night.

Mossler coughing with a cold on her chest.

And meself,

in dread every minute
I'd have to run for the doctor.

It's come.

At ease, men, at ease!

Hold your fire, hold your fire.

In this state of affairs

having a man risking life in him
for a drop of milk.

I'll not defy any shot and shells
in the streets from now on.

And how are you feeling now, love?

Better, Ma, better.

If only this horrible sinking feeling would go,
I'd be all right.

And is the poor breathing any better,
do you think?

Yes, Ma, a lot better.

I thought I heard you coughing in the night now
a lot more than usual

Did you see him, Fluther?
Did you see Jack?

Not a sight of him, Mrs. Clitheroe.

Is it a derogatory thing to be out in it at all?

You'll find he'll come home safe enough,
Mrs. Clitheroe.

After all, there's a power of women

that's given over to sons and husbands

to take a run and risk in the fight they're waging.

Well, how are you today, Mollser?

Grand, Fluther, grand.

Well, this turn-up has done one good thing anyway.

You can't get a drink anywhere
for the love of money.

And if it lasts for a week, I'll be so used to it
I won't think of a drop.

What was that?

Sounded like the boom of a big gun.

Heavens above, they're not going
to use artillery on us.

Not going?
They're going to use anything on us, man.

That's a little bit shrewd, I'll say.
But that's not cricket.

That was deliberate.

You and your leaders
and those sham battle soldiers

has just landed a body in a nice way.

having to go out for a bit of bread
heaven knows where.

If you's a man, why aren't you in the Post Office?

Paler and paler you's all getting.

A lot of vipers, that's what you are.

Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves...

Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.

Pearse's shot!

Get back, mam, don't be a fool!

Jack!

Jack Clitheroe!

Don't be shaming your husband now.

And don't be shaming the women of Ireland
by carrying on as you are.

The women of Ireland must learn
to be brave and not cowardly.

But he'll be killed!

He's braver than you are, then.
No, he's a coward, a coward!

Don't be calling them cowards, woman.

They're all cowards!
All afraid to say they're afraid!

That's why they keep on fighting!

Fools! Do you think they want to die?

I couldn't find him.

They've driven away the only happiness I had.

He's gone from me forever.

Forever.

Hey, look!

They're breaking into the shops.
They're breaking into the shops.

Smashing the windows and battering down the doors.

They're taking away everything.

And the volunteers are firing on them.

The selfishness of that old one!

Waiting until she can get all she can carry
before she come and tell anyone else.

Hey, Bessie!

Did you hear of any bars getting a shake off?

I didn't hear of none.
Well, you're going to hear of one now.

Hey, hey!

You're not going to leave me here alone.

Didn't you hear her say
they were firing on them?

Hey, Fluther, Covey,
you might have the decency...

Here, where are you going with that, mam?

Something's telling me that the running hurry
of an interest that you are taking in it now

is a sudden ambition to use the perambulator

for a purpose that a loyal woman of law and order
would stagger away from.

As for law and order,
putting aside the harp and the shamrock,

Bessie Burgess'll have as much respect as she wants
for the lion and the unicorn.

Don't you be thinking to pinch everything driven astray
in the confusion of the battle

that our boys is waging
for the freedom of their country.

Heaven forbid that anything should happen to you.

But it'd serve you right if your necks was cut off

in your mad endeavors to plunder and destroy.

Have a glass of malt, Fluther, Fluther...

Fluther's home.

No, Covey, get away from there.
Watch your deportment!

No, they have no personal delusions!

Give me back my things,
you little pests of nature!

Give me back me...

Is there no policeman about
to protect a poor woman's property?

Fluther's a jolly good fellow

Fluther's a jolly good fellow

Fluther's a jolly good fellow

which nobody can deny.

Which...

Up the rebels!

The whole city can topple to cinders...

Fluther's a jolly good fellow

Stop that noise.

They've cut our communications.

That means we're isolated.

And if we don't get through...
We're lost.

I want three volunteers
to try to reach our other positions.

That's I, sir.

And I, sir.
And I, sir.

Grand.

Tell the commandants in each position
that we'll hold headquarters here.

As long as the building lasts.

And... good luck!

Excuse me, sir. Machine guns.

Stay down, stay down.

Jack!

Nora, darling.

Oh, Jack, thank heaven you're safe.

Are you mad being out here?

Get in the house where you belong.
The streets aren't safe.

I belong with you.
Come with me, Jack.

I can't. Would you want me
to desert my comrades?

You've got to listen.
Come home with me where you'll be safe.

There's nothing to stop you.

Nora, for heaven's sake.
Please don't make a scene.

Jack, come on.
We've got to get help for Jim here.

Loosen me, darling. Let me go!

No, no, I won't.
I should never have let you go.

Are you coming, man? Are you going to make
arrangements for another honeymoon?

If you want to act a renegade,
say so and we'll be off.

Don't mind them.
You've done enough already.

Come home with me. Nothing matters but us.

There are things more important than us, Nora.

I learned that watching my comrades die.

Don't mind them.
You've done enough already.

Come home with me. Nothing matters but us.

There are things more important than us, Nora.

I learned that watching my comrades die.

Can't you see? It's too late.

It's beyond you and me.

I've started and there's no turning back.

Deal me a hand there.

Give the cards a good shuffle.

Hey, Fluther, keep away from that window.

Ambulance! Ambulance!

Did that sniper get another one?
Yeah.

Hey! Quiet!

What's the good of sniping?
We've lost the fight.

We?

Well, some people have no right
to be breathing the air of Ireland.

Do you have no understanding?

I understand this.

The British is out to landing
40,000 troops in Ireland.

You want to waking her again on me
when she's just off to going to sleep?

Do you know no better than to be shouting

and poor Mrs. Clitheroe asleep?

Fluther, will you spread that out
and try to keep up some for tomorrow?

Spread it out?

Keep it up for tomorrow?

And how does a fellow know
there'll be any tomorrow?

If I'm to be whiffed away, let me be whiffed away

when it's empty and not when it's half full.

Please, may I come in?

May I come in?

What a flock of men!
Where's my wife? Where's Nora?

Now you're apt to waking her up
with all your...

Mr. Clitheroe.

Little red-lipped Nora.

Oh, Jack.

Jack...

You've come back to me.

And I thought I'd lost you forever.

and we're together again.

They're following me over the roofs.

Jack, if they find you here,
they'll shoot us all.

They've spotted me.
I have to make a run for it.

No, Jack, no.
Don't be afraid, darling. I can't stay here.

I'll shoot at them when I'm on the stairs.
Jack, no!

It's too late, Jack, too late.
They're coming up the stairs.

Your belt, Jack, your belt.

It's no use, Nora.
They'll make a search.

Keep away from that window.

The snipers.

It's the only place, Mrs. Gogan.
Surely they won't open it.

I'm sure she'd want to do it for you.

Give me the rifle.

To the card game. On the floor, Jack.

The baby.

Open up, there!

Jack! Jack!
Come on, come on.

Hello, hello!
Kinda taking your time, ain't you?

He's in there, all right.

Come on, open up!

We know you're in there!

We saw you down there.

We're coming in after you.

Open up, down there!
Well, why don't you open up?

And let the snipers in and be shot for it?

Come on, open up, open up.

Come on, we know he's down here.

Come on, open up!

Where did he go, corporal?

Who?
The sniper.

We searched him over the roofs
and followed him down here.

Is anyone hiding in here?

Now wouldn't it be nice derogative misery
if there was?

You know what will happen
if I find a gun in here.

I know what'd happen if I got me hands on it.

Make a search.

Watch out for the snipers!

Shut up, shut up.

Find anything?
No.

Corporal, he looks like the one we chased in.

Stand up!

What's your name?

Clitheroe.

Do you live here?

I do.

How many men is in this house?

How many men is in this house?

Don't you see them?

Is that all?

All that's left, yes.

If I had my way, I'd have you all join up
and do your bit.

But I suppose you're all Shinners.

Bessie Burgess is no Shinner.

I never had no thrup with anything spotted
with the fingers of a Feinians.

All right. Search him.

Who's the stiff?
Mollser. Mrs. Gogan's child.

Was she plugged?
No, consumption.

Do you know, comrades? There's more
die of consumption than are killed in the war.

It's all because of the system
we're living under.

I know, I know.
I'm a socialist myself.

But I have to do my duty.

Duty? Don't you find the duty of a socialist
is the emancipation of the working class?

A man's a man and he has to fight for his country,
hasn't he?

Fight for his country.

You're not fighting
for your country over here, are you?

No, no, Fluther, none of that.
None of that.

Oh, cheese it, buddy, cheese it.

Will we take a look in that?

No, report to Sargent Tinley.
Tell him I'll stay here till he comes.

And he'll open it.

Fight for your country.

How's things in the town, tommy?

It's only a bit of a dog fight.
They'll soon be shoving up the white flag.

Only a bit of a dog fight.

Come on, come on to the cards, boys.
Never mind him.

You deal, Peter.

Only a bit of a dog fight.

Give us a good hand.

Good morning, sir.

Good morning.

It's time.

Oh.

Thanks.

What sort of a morning is it?

Lovely, sir. The sun's shining.

Do you forgive these men, my son?

I forgive all brave men who do their duty.

Ready.

Fire!

Order arms!

Hi!

These four all that's here?

That's all, Sergeant.

I heard the ambulance pass again.
Any of our men in it?

Private Taylor.
Got it right through the chest, he did.

Gang of assassins.

Popping at us from the Ireland roofs.

Assassins. Who turned the artillery on us?

It's nothing like playing a game.

Why don't they come out in the open
and fight fair?

Fight fair?
Fight fair?

A couple of hundred scores of fellas

with rolls and shotguns

against a hundred thousand armed men

with horse, foot and artillery.

and he wants us to come out and play fair.

Do you want us to come out in our bare skins
and throw stones?

No!
Go on, get out!

If another one of our men goes to waste,
you go with him.

Hey! Who are you shoving, eh?

Get out, you blighter.
Who are you calling a blighter?

I'm a Dublin man
born and bred in the city, you see?

I don't care if you're a Brian Boru.
Get out.

You and your guns.

Put them down there and I'll beat
you two with my hands.

Let me go. Let me just get this boy!

Let me hit him once.

No, you don't!
Please, as a favor.

All clear! All clear!

All clear, Sergeant.

So this is the stiff, eh?

It's her kid.
She wants to take it to the church.

Shall I open it?

No, never mind.

Take it along.

Take it down.

Take it down, out in the street with it.

Get a move on you.

The rising is over.

And thousands are dead.

What was it all for?

What they said with their blood
won't die, Nora.

This is only the beginning.

The beginning?

Beginning of what?

Of more men lying dead?

Of more women sorrowing and grieving?

Is that all that this means?

Must the fighting go on, and on, and on?

Is there no end to it?

Yes, Nora, there is an end.

We'll live to see Ireland free.

And go on fighting till we do.

Aye...

then we'll go on weeping.

Subtitles: Lu?s Filipe Bernardes