The Sisterhood (1988) - full transcript

- [Narrator] The final
war leveled the old world

to the ground, it also
demolished all form of order.

Warlords ruled with iron
fists and ravaged the land,

the strong prevailed, the
weak fell by the wayside.

Amidst this chaos and anarchy
a band of gifted women

roamed the outlands
pledged to the sacred duty

of restoring peace and equality.

They were called The Sisterhood.

(dramatic music)

(hooves clattering)
(dramatic music)

- Look out!



Riders!

(dramatic music)

- The Sisterhood.

Let's take 'em.

(dramatic music)

(sizzling)

(rocks thudding)

(swords clanging)
(rocks thudding)

- Enough!

We have nothing worth your dying for.

Go in peace.

(hooves clattering)

- I'll have your heads on my pike one day.

- The Sisterhood.



It can't be!

They were all killed or captured
at the battle of 12 trees.

Oh they won't get far
our men'll stop them.

- I'll take care of them.

Damn witches.

(gentle music)

- You really have to
stop getting hurt Alee.

I mean you're beginning to put
a severe drain on my powers.

- Ah yes my dear Vera

but then where would you be
without me to practice on?

- Come on lazy bones
we've got a long way to go

before we get.

- And the lights came from the sky

and the great God was very
angry with the people.

He destroyed the people
with the green fire.

All was laid to waste

and now we are living in
penance for their great sins.

- Sit Ster, Sit Ster, there's
raiders in the western hills.

- Patrols have seen no one.

- Lady Shree did.

They attacked travelers
at the Devil's Cut.

- There's no one out there, little witch.

- There were three
raiders and two travelers.

They got away, but Lady
Shree said that they--

- My men are scouting the entire area

for miles around in all directions.

They've seen no raiders.

- Lord Nufield told me to--

- Lord Nufield has better things to do

than listen to the
ravings of a little witch!

How the hell did you get him

to believe you talk with a bird?

- So, we bring this guy over

and we pow pow!

Hey!

Hey.

Go away witch!
- Come on man.

- Just warning her off, just warn her off.

- You don't need to--
- Go away!

- Oh come on man.
- Go away!

- [Man] Hey just warn her
off, just warning her off.

- [Man] You don't need to.

Hey, come on man.

(dramatic music)

(tweeting)

- Why do you even put up with him Marya?

He's an ugly bully,
why not chase him away?

- Because then I'd have
to answer to Lord Nufield

for disturbing a normal.

And after that, I'd have to
do penance to Father Jon.

Remember the pleasure he got

when I spent three days in the pit?

- That singer who was here?

He said he's never seen a
priest like Father Jon before.

He said where he comes--

- Isn't here.

We don't live in the
western kingdom anymore.

Only 'til tomorrow.

- Tomorrow?

- It's so stupid to
just sit here and wait.

Lady Shree saw the raiders out there.

When mom and dad were alive,
it was never like this.

- Let's run away.

Lady Shree would keep us safe.

- Where?

I'd only be enslaved by
the first man who saw me.

- [Boy] You could find the Sisterhood.

They wouldn't treat you the
same way you're treated here.

- The Sisterhood?

It's an old tale, something

those traveling singers invented.

Women who live free of men, ha.

- That singer said he saw the
warriors of the Sisterhood.

They fought in the western war.

- Well, little brother,

if I did that what would you do?

Now if we're going to believe that singer,

the Sisterhood is only for women.

- I could become a singer.

Wonderful songs about your
great quests and victories.

- Lord Nufield doesn't
believe I'm a witch.

He protects us from the
raiders, and we eat regularly.

Stop living in dreams.

No woman can travel the world

without a man to defend her.

Believe me, there are worse things

than just being called names.

Here, let's feed Lady Shree.

- I got a real bad feeling about this.

- I know what you mean.

Look at this bunch.

When they pay us
tomorrow, we'll have food,

we'll have gas, and maybe enough

left over for a three day drunk.

Everyone's so damn broke we'll
never enter this service.

- I don't know.

Fighting a battle to get
spare parts for his war wagon.

A waste of good soldiers.

- It's not even a very good war wagon.

(sighs)

By the great god if we find those two

we ran across today at that fort tomorrow.

- We'll stay clear of them.

We nearly got killed at 12
trees trying to capture sisters.

- Yeah, when I do I'll have
the key to where I want to go.

(sighs)

We'll show 'em, Jon.

We'll show 'em all.

- I tell you I can make this beauty run!

All I need are a couple more parts!

Look at it!

This marvelous war wagon

is perhaps the only one
left of the old world!

I can make this fighting
machine come alive again!

To thunder across the wasteland

and make us rulers of this world!

I had a dream and in this dream
was the smell of gasoline.

The feel of lubricants.

The sight of nuts, bolts, bearings,

every part that our
beautiful war machine needs

to do its wonderful work.

That dream will come true!

Tomorrow we ride for Father Jev's compound

for there lies the booty,
there lies the dream!

Tomorrow we will have it!

We ride!

I will be watching every move you make!

Kill!

Pillage!

Rape!

Do what feels good!

But whatever you do, do not come back

without those parts I need!

(booming)

(gong crashing)

(shouting)

(booming)

(shouting)

(booming)

- Joe!

(booming)

(intense music)

Joe, Joe!
- Come on!

- [Marya] Joe!

Joe!

(swords clanging)

(groans)

(somber music)

(crying)

Joey!

Joe!

(crying)

- What's wrong with you?

- That warlord has us killing children.

- Pretty good wages.

Let's get the hell out of here.

- All right I'll see
you at Dynamite Willy's.

- Yo!

(somber music)

(upbeat music)

- Where to?

- How about that inn
over at the crossroads?

We have to be in Calcara in
a week, no time to dawdle.

- Not even time for a hot bath?

Here we are low on provisions.

My horse is going to die of asphyxiation

if she has to smell you another week.

- Better than the she you're
beginning to smell like.

(pleasant music)

- Lady Shree.

Find us a place to go.

(dramatic music)

- Find their tracks a lot
easier while it's daylight.

- Those two won't escape me this time.

They took that trail.

(engines revving)

(bubbling)

- Come on, let's go chow down.

- I almost feel human again.

- Yeah I think I could get used to this.

A hot bath, a nice dinner, little wine.

- [Vera] Yeah but we gotta go Alee.

- All right now you're talking.

(upbeat music)

(laughing)

- [Man] What's the matter
man, you smell bad?

(laughs)

(upbeat music)

(laughing)

(laughing)

- [Man] You little sucker!

- Count it, sucker.

(laughing)

- [Man] Draw!

- See that girl over there?

The one next to the wall.

She's a runaway for sure.

We can get a big reward
when the searchers come.

Meanwhile we can use some
free help in the kitchen.

- Got money money money!
(laughing)

- Hey!

Don't make me hurt you.

- [Man] Give me some green Scratchy!

(laughing)

- What are you doing?

- The searchers will pay
good money for you, sweetie.

- [Marya] Leave me alone!

- You have business with this girl?

- She's a runaway, fair game.

I acquire her.

- If she so chooses,

she may claim the protection
of the Sisterhood.

- You bitches get out of here.

You're nothing but a bunch of
damn trouble, get out of here!

- I, I claim protection of the Sisterhood!

- [Alee] Let her go!

(laughing)

(intense music)

- Jev, Alek!

- Stop it, stop that goddamn fighting!

It's against the contract, stop it!

Stop it I say!

Goddamn it I'm closing the place down!

(shouting)

Three days 'til you get
rid of this stuff, stop it!

Goddamn sons of bitches!

I'm going to blow this place up!

I'm going to blow this
place to smithereens!

All right now, I'm going to
blow this place to kingdom come!

Get out of my bar now, get out!

(laughs)

I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid!

(laughing)

(eerie music)

- It's true, we are the Sisterhood.

- I thought you were a myth.

Something told at night to scare children.

Something that wasn't even real.

- We're real enough.

- Too real for that one back there.

I'm Vera, this is Alee.

- I'm Marya.

I, I was a servant girl
in Lord Nufield's keep.

- And now you're a runaway?

- The raiders came.

That one in there?

He killed my brother.

I want to take my knife
and just slit his throat.

- He'd break you in little pieces.

Best get away now.

(eerie music)

- We should take that
road there to the north.

In the mountains the
villagers will take you in,

and they don't treat women
like you've been treated here.

- But I want to go with you.

I can care for your horses.

I'm real good with horses.

- [Alee] we have no
servants in Sisterhood,

and we can't take someone
like you where we're going.

(ethereal music)

- They're coming after us.

- You can speak with the hawk?

- I'm not a witch, I'm not.

Lady Shree can tell me what she sees.

I don't know how, it just happens.

- How old are you girl?

- 18.

- And how long have you
been able to do that?

- It started last summer.

Please, don't send me away.

- Now why on earth would we
send away someone with a gift?

- No one's ever called what
I can do a gift before.

- The priests of the new church

fear what they can't understand,

and hate what they cannot do.

- Lord Nufield didn't
understand it either.

But he's glad I could do it.

I couldn't give him enough warning though.

- [Alee] Gave all the warning you could.

- The hawk told the truth, we must go.

- Come.

(dramatic music)

She seems quick-witted enough.

- Where are we going?

- To Calcara to join the
Sisterhood in battle.

- Can you tell me about the Sisterhood?

- The Sisterhood is descended by women

who won't be ruled by men.

- [Alee] Before the great war,
women were the equals of men.

Did you know that?

- But who are you?

- I was once just like you.

Shunned by my people for my gift.

- You can talk to a hawk?

- No.

There are many kinds of gifts.

Every woman in the Sisterhood has one.

It's not something that happens to men.

Mine is the ability to move

small things without touching them.

The reverend mother says
that this is something

that people from the time
before work to create.

- But how do you know that?

- Not all knowledge from the
time before has been lost.

The reverend mothers have
complete control of their gifts.

They're very strong.

- The songs say that
you can travel the world

as you please and go where you wish.

But how can you do that?

No man allows a woman to
come and go as she pleases.

- Men have nothing to
say about what we do.

Well, almost nothing.

There is a rule about us not being able

to carry weapons inside
places like the inn.

But there's nothing in those rules

about our being weapons.

- If her gift is to move
things, what's yours?

- Mine is the gift of healing.

- [Marya] Why did you ask how old I am?

- [Alee] Because we had to be sure.

There are wild mutations

from the radiation made by the great war,

but a true gift comes to a woman

when she passes from girlhood.

(upbeat music)

(intense music)

- Maybe three hours ago.

- All three of them still together.

- Good, with three of them the Sisterhood

will have to deal with me
tonight, maybe tomorrow morning.

They'll wish they'd never crossed me.

(ominous music)

- Scared?

- Yeah.

- Good.

Never trust anyone who tells
you they don't get scared.

- Were you on quest
when we met at the inn?

- We'd been fighting the
duke of the western kingdom.

We won every battle but the last.

Some of our sisters were
killed, some were captured.

We discovered they're taking
the prisoners to Calcara.

- My brother and I were
born in the western kingdom.

In a little village.

The raiders destroyed it.

Mom and Dad brought us
across the desert wastes

and Dad entered Lord Nufield's service.

- They died back there?

- Dad died in a fight.

Mom died a year ago giving birth.

And Gil...

- The time will come when

you can settle that
score, if you choose to.

(suspenseful music)

- Alee!

- Get the horse!

Let's go, we got the one.

You're my key to the
whole of the Sisterhood.

(intense music)

A caravan!

- [Man] They can always
use another guard or two.

- It's a free pass to Calcara.

(hawk tweeting)

- It's that way.

(upbeat music)

- Food and water.

Four pounds for the horses.

10 pounds for each man,

assuming he reaches Calcara.

30 pounds here and now for the woman.

- It's all fine Lord Barak
but the woman's not for sale.

I have other use for her.

- Pity.

She would have brought a marvelous price

from the connoisseurs.

- When I'm through with those damn witches

they won't be so high and mighty.

We'll know them for what they really are.

- Hey can we get a piece of this one?

- Sisterhood huh?

She doesn't look so tough to me.

- Go ahead, touch her.

She can't do anything.

- Hey she is a woman,
look at these, nice ones!

You like it rough huh?

Come here.

Hey she bit me!

Get over here you...

(laughing)

(swords clanging)

- Enough.

- Barak, you have a pack of beasts here.

- I've got a small matter to attend to.

When I come out, if you're still here,

you're fair game.

- Fine!

Fine.

I didn't like that
one-eyed scumbag anyway.

Hang it up boys.

We're moving out.

(suspenseful music)

- Too well guarded, at least for now.

We'll try tomorrow just before dawn.

They'll be sleepier then.

- How can we?

It's just the two of us.

And what chance do we have?

- We make a chance.

Let's split up, you go that way.

(dramatic music)

(intense music)

(booming)

- Barak, got one!

(screaming)

- Up there!

Whoever you are!

We have no quarrel with you!

Show yourself or the girl dies!

- Touch her, and you have

the undying wrath of the
Sisterhood on your head.

You also hold one of my comrades prisoner.

Release her, or your entire company dies!

- [Barak] She's not here!

I sent them away last night.

- If you have no fight with us,

why are you threatening the girl?

- This is a valuable caravan.

It is my duty to protect it.

- Lord, they could destroy
us with a nod of their head.

- If we release the girl, will you leave?

- Where did the others go, and when?

- Just after midnight.

They went south.

- Give us back our horses, some food,

and we'll go.

- Agreed.

(intense music)

- Lord Jak's flag.

- [Mikal] Where is your leader?

- I'm Lord Jak, who are you?

- We're headed to the high
mountains, same as you.

We seek the safety in numbers there.

Can you use four good fighting men?

- And your name?

- I am Mikal.

My friends and I are returning

from the war in the western kingdom.

- What have you got here?

- A little witch.

One of the Sisterhood.

- You captured a member of the Sisterhood?

We can use good fighting men like you.

- Consider us in your service, Lord Jak.

(intense music)

(dramatic music)

Looks like the mechanic's
guild is holding that one

together with wire and a prayer, Lord Jak.

- Yeah but you know, it's
getting harder and harder

to find spare parts and
keep the junk running.

In fact just last week I fought a battle

over just spare tires.

I lost an extra one in the process.

- No.

- And on top of that, the damn guild men

tried to hit me for double
pay before they would fight.

- Well you know the guild.

They like to play with their toys,

but they got no guts.

(laughs)

- The tracks are still fresh.

Looks like they went that way.

- We'll cut through the forbidden zone.

But be careful, that's
where the things live.

- What things?

- The time before wasn't
totally a golden age.

They performed terrible experiments,

and then after the great war the radiation

made the mutations even worse.

If anything happens, ride like hell

and don't stop for anything.

Remember what I said, ride!

(thunder booms)

(intense music)

(growling, hissing)

- Give me this!
- Hurry!

(intense music)

(growling, moaning)

- Marya where are you?

- [Marya] Down here!

- Are you all right?

Marya!

- Hey I found a place.

- What's down there?

- Looks like a cave.

- How deep is it?
- Not that deep.

Come on, I'll help you in.

- I'm coming.
- Hurry.

You gotta see this.

I think we're in big trouble.

Look at this light.

- We're lucky the light's
only from the plants.

- Yeah but that's green light.

It's radiation isn't it?

- No, it would only be radiation

if it were coming from the rocks.

- All right.

- The green death isn't
as strong as it once was.

No one I know has ever found it

the way it is in the old tales.

(growling, moaning)
Come on.

A door to the underground.

- What do you mean?

- The ones from the time before

built whole villages underground.

- You don't think they're
still on the other side?

- That was in the time of
the great great grandmothers.

No one could live that long.

- So get it open!

(growling, moaning)

(beeping)

- Let's go!

(growling, moaning)

- [Intercom] Identify yourself please.

Identify yourself please.

Intruders at door three.

Intruders at door three.

Security bolts.

(booming)

(distorted speaking)

(eerie music)

- More people lived in each one of those

than in all three kingdoms of our world.

- I don't believe you.

- It's true!

And once, the three kingdoms

and the lands of the east
were all one kingdom.

It was called the USA
and it was very great.

Pick that up.

And the reverend mother says that

there was another great
kingdom called Russia.

And the USA and the Russia
fought the terrible war.

- And the great god was very angry,

and the lights came from the sky

and he destroyed the
people with the green fire.

All was laid waste, and we now
live in penance for our sins.

- That's right.

But, the reverend mother says

it wasn't all great bombs and green fire.

Sometimes the ones from
before fought as we do,

facing each other,

but with very powerful
weapons like machines.

That's it.

- What?

- There must be something here
we can use to rescue Vera,

come on let's look around!

Would you look at these?

Just like reverend mother said.

- [Marya] We don't even
know how to use 'em.

- Well I can figure it out.

And what I can't I'm sure
is in these books somewhere.

There's gotta be a
manual here of some sort.

- Hey you gotta see this.

(synth music)

- It's music.

- Yeah, but it comes out of a box.

- The old ones could make music
without using instruments.

That's what reverend
mother always told us.

Of course I never believed her but--

- It's beautiful!

Like this belt?

- Marya we've got a job to do.

Will you stop fooling around?

- Say Alee, mind if I fool
around in this war wagon?

- War wagon?

Really?

I think you just found what
we've been looking for.

- Right, but how do we get it out of here?

- Well...

Try that switch right by your head.

Come on.

(dramatic music)

We could sure use Lady
Shree's help right about now.

- Okay.

Lady Shree.

Lady Shree, come.

(dramatic music)

Lady Shree?

Find Vera for us, all right?

Find Vera for us.

- Why did you keep her?

- She's bad luck, man.

- Untie her hands.

You okay?

So, little sister.

What power do you have?

I know each of you has some special power.

The fools call it witchcraft.

I know it isn't that.

- How do you know that?

- I had a sister.

She was older than me.

When she became a woman, she found

she was able to do things others couldn't.

Move things, see things.

The others in our village
called her a witch.

Only never to my face, but...

The priest.

(sighs)

She ran away.

She ran away to you people.

Oh I tried to follow.

Those she was with
wouldn't let me see her.

You people stole her from me,

and I swore I'd make you pay.

And I will.

- [Marya] She's in there.

- [Alee] Is she all right?

- Sort of.

(sighs)

- You know, reverend
mother would never approve

of using this war wagon.

But we have no choice.

- You know, I've been meaning to ask you

who is reverend mother?

- All of us in the Sisterhood
aspire to be like her.

Unlike Vera or me, she has many gifts.

She's the most powerful one of us all.

(yells)

(gunfire)

- I think we got 'em all!

- Let's get out of here.

- Hurry.

- Stinks.

- We should have never traveled

this close to the forbidden zone.

- Why did you ever bring that witch here?

- Why don't you shut up, kid?

What the fuck do you know?

- Don't you ever tell me what
to do in my own camp, boy.

- Oh yeah?

I'm telling you man, that
witch is bad news, you hear me?

Bad news!

- [Man] Dry up.

(suspenseful music)

(hawk tweeting)

- The witch.
- You know the legend.

She's a member of the Sisterhood.

She's a witch.

Besides--
- Look.

Tell the men we're moving out.

- Saddle up guys, we're moving out!

Mikal.

We've got a problem.

That witch of yours is causing
too much unrest in my camp.

- Relax Lord Jak, we're
moving out this morning too.

Of course your men will
be welcome to join us,

but they're probably too scared.

See, we're taking that one to
the hall of the Sisterhood.

We're going to confront
those witches face to face.

- Not with four men you're not.

- Ha, look I'm not afraid
of their so-called magic.

I know what it is.

See they use our fear to defeat us.

They can't stop men with no fear.

(intense music)

- [Jak] What's that?

- It's a war wagon of some sort.

It's a nice one, but
it's just a war wagon.

- The Sisterhood.

They've come for the witch.

Give her to them!

- Are you out of your mind?

(booming)

(intense music)

(booming)

Look out!

(booming)

- [Man] Damn it she got away!

(gunfire)

- Come on hurry!

(booming)

- Welcome back, fearless.

Calcara.

(ominous music)

- We can't bring this in there.

- We wait 'til dark, then we go down.

- I knew that witch was trouble

from the first moment she
was brought to the camp!

- It was that damn moron.

If he hadn't fired the first shot,

they would've never followed us this far.

- She was all they wanted.

We should have given her up.

- What'll we do now?

- We can't go back that way.

That war wagon was more than I counted on.

But hey, we got as much
right to be here as they do.

Enjoy yourselves, boys.

This is Calcara.

- Lord Kragg, I'm at your disposal

but I'm bound to warn you.

There's a war wagon at your
gate with three witches in it.

They followed us all the way here.

- Witches?

Three witches?

(laughs)

Witches!

This reckless bunch?

This is what you're afraid of?

- It's not a matter of fear.

They're evil!

- I captured all these at
the battle of 12 trees.

Since then I've had nothing but good luck.

All you have to do is take
them to the western kingdom.

Do you want the job or not?

- I've never let you down before.

I'm not going to let you down now.

- We'll see, come.

(laughs)

Strip her.

(laughs)

You'll do.

- We still have that problem
sitting outside, the war wagon.

What the hell are we gonna do with it?

(ominous music)

- Marya, you stay here.
- Right.

- Vera, come on.

(intense music)

(laughing)

- Welcome to Calcara,
city of ultimate pleasure.

I hope you enjoy your stay here,

however brief it might be.

(gunfire)

(gunfire)

(grunting)

(gunfire)

- Vera, come on!

(yelling)

(gunfire)

(intense music)

(yelling)

(gunfire)

- Bar the door!

(yelling)

- What shall we do now?

(ethereal music)

(yelling)

- Sisters, have you lost faith?

Why do you resort to the
old ways and take up arms?

Do you no longer trust in me?

(yelling)

Have I not seen you
through the worst times?

Through the worst dangers?

Cast those weapons down.

You do not need them at all.

Use your latent gifts.

Use your faith.

(yelling)

Trust in me, and I will
deliver you from all this.

Rise sisters, you are free.

(yelling)

(intense music)

(booming)

(somber music)

- I had found my sister.

And I'm beginning to understand,

their magic is real.

They're the hope for the future.

(sighs)

And I wish them well.

(soothing music)