Torn Apart (1990) - full transcript

[singing]

[birds chirping]

Dear Laila, I feel like today
is the last day of my life.

Writing to you now, I
remember many years ago

when I first saw you,
the day your family

moved into the
house next to ours,

Arabs coming to live with Jews.

I was confused,
Laila, and afraid.

[music playing]

[non-english speech]

[sheep bleating]



I tried everything I could
to get your attention.

Finally, you noticed.

My head hurt for a week,
but we were friends.

I'll never forget those days.

We thought they
would last forever.

I realize now how wrong I was.

Shalom.

CROWD: Shalom.

On behalf of the Jewish
Agency, welcome to Israel.

Once, I stood where
you are now, so I can

guess what's in your hearts.

Many of you have
suffered and struggled.

You've been persecuted
for your beliefs.

But now, at long last, you've
reached the promised land.



This I promise.

You will be equal
citizens, and your children

and your children's
children will

find brotherhood and
acceptance in your homeland.

[musicians performing]

Friend, where are you going?

To the movies.

So early?

In Jerusalem, I got
a lift with Ze'ev.

You mean you're leaving
me to handle this myself?

I trust you.

Go.

Go.

I wondered if you were coming.

Coming on.

Come on, you [inaudible].

Oh, oh, oh.
-Enough play.

Come on.

Let's go.

[radio playing]

BROADCASTER (ON RADIO):
This is the BBC.

In the south, Egyptian
troops have begun to mass.

In response, Israeli forces
have been put on full alert,

and as mobilization
continues, citizens

have been cautioned to prepare
for an attack, which officials

fear may occur at any moment.

[horses and gunfire from film]

Everything OK?

Fine.

No problems?

No.

Your parents
didn't say anything?

No.

All soldiers, report
to your units, quickly.

I'll meet you later.

So long, shalom.

Laila, where have you been?

Your cousin, Moustapha,
has come from Jordan.

Hello.

Hello.

Laila, cousin, do you
think our fathers will make

a contract for our marriage?

No, I don't think
so, Moustapha.

Mother says I must
complete my education.

Nothing is more important.

We can leave here
the guns with you.

Fawzi--

Just for a while.

I am not a fanatic.

Neither am I.

What sort of a man
blows up a school bus?

A normal man murders farmers
and cuts off their ears?

My father was killed by Jews.

My land, your land,
was taken by Jews.

How you can sit here in Israel
and-- and write about peace?

What peace?

I'm worried, Laila.

We have to promise.

Promise?

Promise what?

That we'll stay
together no matter what.

I can't make such a promise.

It wouldn't be fair, but
we'll always be friends.

[jets whooshing]

[choppers flying]

[gunfire]

Papa, please come with us.

You better take
care of your mother.

I'll write you
when it's safe, OK?

[gunfire]

[non-english speech].

I regret to inform you--

Ze'ev?

[sobbing]

Now, Laila, my father has
been transferred to America.

My sister is staying, but
I must go with my parents.

I don't want to go, but
there's nothing I can do.

I don't know when you're coming
back, but when you find this,

I know you'll understand.

And maybe you won't
be angry with me.

I wish we could have seen
each other one last time.

Maybe this is the best
way to say goodbye.

Shalom, Ben.

I'll miss you.

[non-english speech]

-Hi.
-Hello.

Hi.

Shalom, I'm looking for
my sister, Ilana Arnon.

Ilana Arnon?

Yes.

OK, you follow this
road here till you

get to the [inaudible].

[mooing]

Ilana.

Look at you.

[laughter]

It's not like Jerusalem, is it?

You'll get used to it.

I'm glad you're happy.

You will be, too.

You'll see.

You're home now.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Like this they do in America?

It's good you got drafted,
[non-english speech].

[chanting]

[non-english speech]

[laughter]

Arnon, Leonid, come on.

We're moving.

You are moving.

No jokes, Leonid.
We are moving.

We've got trouble.

[crowd chanting]

Let's go.

Move it.

[interposing voices]

[gunfire]

Back up.

Move on.

[non-english speech]

Dov, look out.

Dov.
-Come back, you son of a bitch.

Wait.

[gunfire]

Dov.

Dov.

Dov, Dov.

That's enough.

Come on.

Come on.

Let him go.

That's enough.

I said stop.

That's enough.

Dov, he's just a kid.

So what?

What am I?

[non-english speech]

[non-english speech]

[non-english speech]

What's the hold up, Arnon?

[non-english speech]

[singing]

[inaudible]

That's very good, [inaudible].

Nice.

And now we are keep working.

It's so nice here.

You want to tell me
what you are doing here?

Lunch time.

[children singing]

Leonid, Leonid, hey,
cover for me at the base.

So are you excited, cousin?

If I don't please him--

He is marrying you.

He liked my picture.

Did you like his picture?

He's not bad.

What does your mother say?

That he's an engineer
who has a Cadillac.

Moustapha.

Look at you.

Forgive me.

It's not right for
what I've come to ask.

Laila doesn't mind.

Do you?

Of course not, but
this is not the place.

When, Laila?

At the wedding, her
father will be there.

Sister.

Let's go to the shouk.

No, I like Moustapha.

I just don't understand.

Is it because his politics?

No, I do not
agree to terrorism,

but I understand his position.

He is very clever.

If you would sit with him, you'd
see how much he understands--

Jamilah, I very
much respect him.

So?

But he is not my preference.

If the families agree,
isn't that more important?

But they don't.

Laila.

Laila.

Laila.

Laila.

Laila!

Hey.

Laila.

Wait.

Laila, wait.

What's wrong with you?

Why do you come?

To apologize.

For what?

You think I haven't been
harassed by a soldier before?

Huh?

You never got my letter.

I left it there when we moved.

Moved, where?

To New York, look.

I'm sorry about the checkpoint.

That's just the way it is.

I can't believe this.

Laila, wait.

How's your father?

Is that why you teach?

I remember what he said, that
education holds the future

for the Arab world, right?

Think he'll remember me?

This is not America.
You forget where you are.

I don't forget.

I know exactly where
I am, and I also know

that we used to be friends.
-Shh.

And we can be again.

I could be killed for
just speaking to you.

Hey, look.

I'll leave you now.

Just promise to meet
me tomorrow, Jasmine

Tower, 3 o'clock after school.

Promise!

Promise.

[musicians performing]

Will you dance with me, Laila?

In a while and--

Aw, leave her alone.

The princess needs her rest.

Laila, your cousin asked.

Laila is very
independent, but truly

she seeks her father's counsel.

She's not bound by it.

What about tradition?

I have taught her
what I know, Fawzi.

She answers now to herself.

Perhaps she should
answer to a husband.

I think it's her
wealth that interests

you, Fawzi, not tradition.

With respect, uncle,
in the West Bank,

we are more concerned with
freedom than with money.

Don't talk to
Mahmoud about freedom.

He has been bought like
[inaudible] in Israel.

The Jews improved
our lives, Fawzi.

We cannot escape from that.

Baba, they wanted your vote.

Still, it was progress.

For you.

For me, it is history.

I cannot be happy with
what you got in '48.

A Jewish girl my age,
she makes good money

for the work she does.

She has no curfew to
go home for at night.

She is not treated with
disrespect in her own country.

Why should I be?

Perhaps Laila has recovered
sufficiently for dance.

You have insulted him.

I did not mean to.

He knows that.

Maybe it is time.

For what?

To leave your father's house.

Go.

Can I ask you a question?

Sure, anything.

Humiliating us,
do you enjoy it?

What?

How can you serve
in an occupying army?

I don't believe this.

You don't know a thing about me.

I know what you are.

No, you don't.

You know what I do, but not how
I feel, not how any of us feel.

Look, maybe I was wrong.
I'm sorry.

I made a mistake.

And what's that?

Nothing.

Come on.

What did you bring?

Hummus, [inaudible].

You went to trouble.

No, I didn't, no
trouble, really.

You picked these?

So I picked them.

So I like them.

So good.

I mean, I picked them for you.

Thank you.

Come here.

Sit.

It is for me to do that.

No, no, no, today, you relax.

Don't do a thing.

I'm not sure I approve of that.

You're not married yet.

So you don't want a family?

I want many things.

Like what?

To study, travel,
teach university.

That's all?

Ben, I don't need a husband.

So what about that?

What?

About everybody
else being married.

Is it a crime?

No, it's just that by your age,
most Arab-- most girls marry.

I know.

I've insulted you.

No, I'm just tired
of the question.

Ben, be careful up there.

Yeah, [inaudible].

This?

Ben, be careful.

Oh.

Ben.

Ben.

Ben.

Ben.

You don't have
to scream so loud.

Are you all right?

You were angry, weren't you?

Yes, because you scared me.

No, I mean, when we
moved away, when we left.

Did you think the war
turned us against you?

I was hurt.

Our household was so serious.

To enjoy life just
was not acceptable.

The only happy times I remember
are the ones I had with you,

and then you were gone.

Well, you know, all the
time that I was gone,

it was I was just--
like I was waiting.

When I got my army
notice, I had a big party,

and all my friends
thought I was crazy.

I mean, to them, I
was joining the army,

and for me, it was coming home.

I'm glad for you, Ben.

It's more than that.

When I came back, I felt that
everything had changed so much.

It was so different.

I felt something was wrong
until the checkpoint.

I realized that what I missed
most about being home was you.

Ben.

I know.

No, you don't.

There is someone I
want you to meet.

Come.

Laila, Laila.

[non-english speech]

Laila.

Are we disturbing you?

Yes, of course.

[chuckling]

Laila.

Professor Mansour,
this is Ben--

Franklin, Franklin, Ben
Franklin, nice to meet you.

Please-- please come in.

Who is this man?

My name is Arnon.

I'm a soldier.

So this is official?

Ben has been away
since the war.

Would you give him
some of your time?

He is my friend.

Oh, your friend, Mr. Arnon,
I will assume that you are

who you now say you are
and that Laila knows what

she is doing, as
she does, usually,

but I must ask you to leave.

We just want to ask you
some questions, please.

This is trouble I don't
need and neither, may I say,

does he.

So there is the door.

Take my apologies,
and go through it.

Professor Mansour, if
a Jew wants to listen,

shouldn't you be
willing to talk?

That is my decision.

And I respect that.

I only mean, how often
does one of us come along?

You see, the Jew says, this
land was ours 2,000 years ago.

And the Arab says, true,
but while you were away,

we were living here.

And the Jew says, but you
did nothing with the land.

We came back her to a
desert, and in 30 years,

we made it bloom.

And the Arab says,
it's very nice.

It's blooming, but we
are desert culture.

We like a little
sand here and there.

Look, what does that
represent to you?

Those metal rods?

It looks like bad construction.

When this man's
children are grown

and they want to start
their own family,

he will build for
them another floor

so they will all be together.

To a Jew, it's bad construction.

To an Arab, it is the future.

[singing]

Stay.

Please, Laila.

Lake.

It's not your-- it's trouble,
the way she spoils me.

Cigarette?

Please.

It's good coffee, though.

Arab coffee.

Arab coffee?

My mother makes this.

You've no doubt noticed
other such Arabic influence

on Jewish culture--
the architecture,

the food, the music.

More important, however, are
the personal similarities.

You see, the Palestinians
are a small race

of education-mad, arrogant,
ambitious, financially-astute

nomads.

Sound familiar?

We are engaged here in a
balancing act, my friend,

to keep hold of our identity,
to live beside the Jews.

Now, if we fail, we
are lost, both of us.

Colonel Arnon.

Ben.

[non-english speech]

How are you?

[non-english speech]

Look at you.

Turn around.

Pass inspection?

I wouldn't change a thing.

[non-english speech]

You son?

Yes, Ben, my son.

Shalom.

Shalom, shalom.

[non-english speech]

Six months ago we
brought him here.

He is already making buildings.

Terrific.

Come.

Let me show you around.

Bennie.

Home at last, huh?

This time for good.

I spoke with Moishe.

He is taking two
soldiers from your unit

for officer's training.

Guess who is one of them.

Ben, it's an honor.

I know.

So why the face?

Dad, right now, I feel like
more like a cop than a soldier,

so maybe it's not such an honor.

Do you know what we're doing
in there, in the territories?

Defending the country.

No, no, we're
searching fruit baskets.

Yes, for bombs.

Bombs?

Hell, it's all
women and children.

Look, you see there?

I was there in '48.

I was frightened and
confused, as you.

I never knew which one of
these innocent-looking Arabian

had dynamite in his donkey cart.

Yeah, but you knew
who you were fighting.

Yes, but it's the same.

No, it's not the same.

It's different.

Oh, it's different
but the same.

I mean, one is a-- one is a
war, and the other is a-- a war.

It is.

Dad, these Arabs in the
territories, you know,

they're suffering.

They're suffering.

They're suffering at our hands.

They're suffering at my hands.

How do you-- how
do you-- how do you

expect me to live with that?

You have to remember where
you live and what you are.

Nobody wants this, but
we don't have a choice.

Don't we?

No, the Arabs can lose a
hundred, a thousand wars,

and they will still be there.

But we lose one-- one--
our dream is over.

This kind of thinking, the
army is no place for it.

You hear what I said?

Huh?

Yeah, yeah, I hear you, Dad.

Look, I'll see you
on Shabbat, OK?

Say hi to Mom for me.

Everybody, all the way down.

Liana.

[non-english speech]

How are you?

What are you doing here?

I live here, right?

You want to work?

Sure do.

OK.

I brought a friend.

Laila?

Hello, Ilana.

I would like to work.

Yeah.

Laila, catch.

Here, give me it.

[non-english speech]

So here, here, bite.

Want more?

Ben, look, a checkpoint.

What do I do?

Take this.

Take it.

Cut us a mango.

Go on.

[horn honking]

Here, the Arab
woman, the resident

of the occupied
territories have a very

special sensitivity
to the behavior

of others towards their women.

And so you must observe
the following rules.

A, you are forbidden to
touch the body of the woman.

B, you must refrain from any
connection, overt or covert,

with Arab women.

It is not funny, all right?

You're telling me?

[non-english speech]

There is no room for
what you are doing here.

Just be my friend, all right?

I'm more than a friend.

I am a soldier, and so are you.

[alarmed speech]

I'm calling for a helicopter.

I'm gonna get one, all right?

Leo, Leonid?

OK, all right, OK,
OK, I'm going in.

[crowd celebrating]

Hey, hey, where's the gun?

Where is the gun?

Where is the gun, huh?

Look, where's the gun?

Where is the gun, huh, the gun?

Yeah, we have the
suspects lined up.

We're waiting for the
local police to arrive.

I said, we're waiting for
the local police to arrive.

Hey.

What?

I found out who took the gun.

What?

I know who took the gun.

Well, who's your source?

I can't tell you.

I promised--

What do you mean,
you can't tell me?

Why did he talk?

He's a friend of
the kid I saved.

Hey, hey, nice job, huh?

Shut up and get out of here.

Cut it out.

Cut it out.

Right now, Arnon, I
trust you about as much

as I like you, OK?

Look, I'm sorry, all right?

If you have a better idea,
I'm willing to hear it.

Now, come on.

Let's go.

Let me ride with you.

Come on.

All right.

Come on, up, up.

[non-english speech]

We are looking for
a boy, a boy, a boy.

We're looking for a little boy.

A little boy!

A little boy!

You saved his friend, eh?

OK, let's go.

Hey, Shlomo, you haven't
even searched the house.

[gunfire]

Medic.

[non-english speech]

[gunfire]

Oh.

[non-english speech]

Ze'ev, wait.

[non-english speech]

Sir, the boy was drowning.

I had no cho--

He was drowning, so you desert
your post, abandon your weapon.

What possible reason could
there be for such wildness, huh?

I don't know, sir.

I want to know now.

Who is the girl?

I understand.

You are confused, maybe upset.

You meet someone, seems
like a coincidence.

You talk.

She understands.

What's her
background, this girl?

[inaudible] maybe?

You don't understand.
She's just a friend.

That's all.

Two men [inaudible], a
boy dead by your own hands,

and still, your eyes are closed.

You are more than
a disgrace, boy.

You are a fool.

You are confined to
base until the hearing.

Yes, sir.

Dismissed.

Thank you, sir.

[clock ticking]

[door opening]

Laila, sit down.

Have you been with
an Israeli soldier?

I was stopped by a soldier.

He recognized me.

Recognized you, who?

It was Ben Arnon.

You've taken up
your friendship?

I have asked you a question.

Listen, Laila, I am
not a conventional man.

You know that.

But Ben is not what you--

Did I make a contract for you?

Did I?

Of course not.

How could I?

When you were 13, I had
many offers for you.

Have I restricted you?

No.

Kept you at home?

Baba, please--

Listen to me.

In our society,
everything-- everything--

is against such a situation.

The difference between
us, Arab and Jew,

were not so easy to turn
away, not even from you.

I have addressed
you as an equal.

I speak now as a parent.

I forbid you to see him again.

Do you hear?

My Laila, your heart moves
faster than your head.

Are you sorry, Baba?

For what?

That you did not
make a contract?

Laila, please.

I never believed in--

Baba, I believed in what you
and your work have stood for.

Then you must trust me now.

How can I?

All my life, you have
spoken to me about peace,

about faith, about the future.

I lived on those words.

Now that I have a chance
to make them real,

you-- you are ashamed of me.

No, afraid.

I am not afraid.

Where are you going?

You are wrong, Baba.

You are a conventional man.

S'ad, stop her.

Laila, you come back.

No!

Come back.

Come on.

Laila, come.

You come back.

Let me go.

No, you come back home.

No.

You come back home.

Mama, I love him.

Oh.

Fawzi came with his son.

They will kill the soldier.

You and your father,
so smart, come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on. [inaudible] come on.

[sobbing]

Mama.

Shalom.

I, uh, sat down with
Moishe, and he's agreed

to speak at your hearing.

Ben, don't push me away.

It's not the time.

I understand.

You were trying to save a life.

What would you have done?

In your situation?

Yeah.

I'd have let the boy drown.

Great.

That's right, and I say it
as a man with two children.

I'm a human being.

First, you're a soldier.

You don't leave your
God-damn gun for the Arabs

to shoot your friends with.

This isn't like you.

What do you mean?

You know God-damn
well what I mean.

You're out of control.

What is it?

Are you gonna trust me?

Laila.

What?

It's Laila, Laila Malek.

What's she got to do with this?

Oh, God.

--[inaudible], I never thought
it would get this far.

I never--

Don't you know what the
family's going to do to you?

They'll kill-- they'll
kill both of you.

Don't you understand?

Answer me.

Answer me.

I never wanted to hurt you.

You taught me to care.

All I ever wanted
was to be like you.

And the only way I can do that
is by being honest with myself.

I love Laila.

I know the danger,
and she does, too.

Laila?

Please, I need you.

Now, you need me?

You didn't think
of your country?

You didn't think of me?
-I couldn't.

There was no--

You couldn't what?

You are a child,
couldn't help yourself?

You lose your-- your weapon.

You love an Arab girl,
and we can all go hang.

We can all go hang.

You know what?

Now, you go hang.

You want to be a man?

Be one.

You're on your own.

[singing]

LAILA (VOICEOVER): Ben,
it is impossible for us

to see each other again.

Please do not try to contact me.

I am glad we got to spend some
time, salaam shalom, Laila.

[siren blaring]

[non-english speech]

That hill, let's go, boys.

Let's go.

Colonel, you sent for me, sir.

At ease.

Thank you, sir.

There is no way to say
it except to say it.

Your father was killed by
a mine on the [inaudible].

We just heard.

I am very sorry, Ben.

[non-english speech]

There is a whole population
of dead men in Israel.

But in some way,
they seem to live on

in the memory of the
survivors and the influx

of new immigrants and the
flowering of the land, itself.

Every Jew who has fallen
in defense of Israel

clings defiantly to life because
it was for life that he died.

How one dies makes a difference.

Life has a way of recognizing
those who loved it.

[non-english speech]

[music playing]

Hello, may I invite the
beautiful lady to dance?

Well, I appreciate the
compliment, but thank you, no.

It would make me very happy.

Dance with me.

Good luck.

[inaudible]

Drink up, handsome.

Come on.

I want to dance.

Drink up.

For you, huh?

Mm, come on.

Come.

You're sweating.

Where are you going?

[thunder rolling]

Laila.

What?

It's gonna rain.

Ben, take me home.

What am I going to do?

Come away with me.

Where?

New York, from Cyprus,
we can take a boat--

Ben.

If we got married there--

It isn't fair.

Isn't fair to who?

Ben, this is my home.

Yes, it's my home, too,
but it's not our home.

And it never can be.

I love you, Laila,
and I always have.

I love you, too.

I will tell my family.

You don't want me to come?

No.

Are you sure?

Everything is gonna be OK.

It's gonna be all right.

Meet me at the clock
tower, OK, in an hour.

It's gonna be OK.

Go on.

Go.

I will not believe
this, nor will I judge,

until I hear from
her lips, not yours.

My daughter is telling
you of this incident.

I am warning you, Mahmoud.

Our family's honor cannot go--

Nothing has been proven, Fawzi.

She went with the soldier, and
I am less concerned with honor

than collaboration, uncle.

If we find that she told him--

[clanging]

Laila, run.

Mansour.

Ibrahim.

[inaudible]

Inside.

Arnon, telephone.

[non-english speech]

Hey!

Get in the back.

Are you gonna be all right?

You go south.

It's the safest way.

Thanks, Professor.

Take care, bye.

Stay down.

Hey, hey, hey, hold it.

Hold it.

Hey, hey, hey.

Is something wrong?

I'm afraid so, Lieutenant.

Gas cap's off.

You are spilling fuel.

Funny.

No, no, no, stay there.

[non-english speech]

Good evening, Professor.

All set.

[non-english speech]

Hey, hey.

[non-english speech]

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

What you have done is obscene,
but you will redeem yourself.

Perhaps you will
even die a hero.

Now, where has he taken her?

Picnic.

[inaudible]

Army, open up.

[gunshot]

[non-english speech]

Come on.

Get out.

[non-english speech]

Lieutenant Arnon, I'm
sorry, your weapon, please.

[crowd chanting]

The goat, the one in the
yard, what happened to it?

Boris?

That was his name?

He-- he had a Russian bear,
and Baba called him Boris.

What's going on?

A funeral, some article
on the professor.

Let me go.

Laila.

Laila.

Baba.

Wait.

Laila!

No.

[gunshot]

[crowd silences]

Ben.

[sobbing]

[shouting]

Baba.

BEN (VOICEOVER): Maybe this is
the best way to say goodbye,

but my father promises
that we're coming back.

And I know there will
be peace someday,

too, because our
families did what

everyone says can't be done.

We shared the land.

So goodbye, Laila.

I don't know if we'll
ever see each other again.

I only know one thing.

You will always be my friend.

Whenever I think of
home, I'll think of you.

Salaam shalom, Ben.

[music playing]