Trench 11 (2017) - full transcript

What do you see?

Bag.

Geophone.

I don't hear anything.

It's seven days, Berton.
They're dead.

Get the water and the lights
ready. We're going in.

One noise, and the Germans
will blow the secondary charges.

It's a trap.

If there's a chance, we go.

You know that.

Let's get this over with.
Come on.



Go back to the auxiliary tunnel.
Wait for me there.

Get out of here.

Oh, fuck.

Aaah!

Shh.
The Germans are right above us.

Shh.

If they hear us,
they'll blow the charges.

Oh. Where in God's name is he?

Bloody war will be over
by the time he gets here.

As you were.

Give General Mackenzie
my apologies.

When I'm done with our friends
from intelligence here,

I'll be along immediately.

Gentlemen.



This is the front
as it stood two days ago.

In May of last year,

the Germans began constructing
an underground bunker here,

deep within the Argonne Forest,

almost 11 miles
behind their lines.

These spoil heaps indicate

that they've dug
three to four levels.

They've gone as deep
as a hundred feet, sir.

That doesn't make any sense.

The Germans go underground
to hide from our shells

or to drive tunnels beneath
our lines to plant explosives.

And they wouldn't need to do
either so far from the front,

would they, sir?

So, what the devil
are they doing there?

We don't know, but...

our sources
place Reiner at the compound

within the last 48 hours.

Reiner, that little bastard.

What do they call him,
the Prophet?

What do you make of this,
Doctor?

Reiner is a menace, sir.

The man has been instrumental
in weaponizing chemicals...

Phosgene, mustard gas.

We believe he's also attempted
to weaponize anthrax,

cholera, and the bubonic plague.

Beneath Trench 11 could be
the Wotan complex,

rumored to be
Reiner's base of operations.

If he has been
developing something in there,

we must go in and find out what.

Surely any evidence would have
been removed during the retreat.

No, sir.

When the German line fell
two days ago,

they did try to destroy
the base, but they failed.

They left with just
the clothes on their backs.

Whatever they were working on
is still there.

What will you need?

An escort
to get us through the Argonne.

It will have to be American,
I'm afraid.

Well, Colonel, surely something
can be arranged.

I mean, the Americans?

The Argonne belongs to them now,
and they paid dearly for it.

Colonel...

We are about to end this war,
Jennings.

Every other soldier
within 200 miles

is now gathering near Cambrai
for the final offensive.

Anything else, gentlemen?

A tunneler to get us down below.

Given our timeline,

I took the liberty
of checking with brigade.

Name's Berton.

Canadian.

What's the medal for?

He tried to save some tunnelers
in the salient in July.

Miracle he survived.

12 days underground?

My God.

It says here he's on furlough.
How will you find him?

Well, he's a tunneler on his
first leave in over a year.

We've a fairly good idea
where to look.

Veronique.

Oui.

Oui, oui. J'arrive.

Everything okay?

I wish you didn't drink as much.

Is that you
or your father talking?

Well, your drinking is
the one thing he can relate to.

Well, I guess he would.
He owns a tavern, after all.

He's been drinking a lot more
since I've met you.

Why is that?

Maybe because he doesn't like
that a foreigner from far away

has seduced his daughter.

I-I didn't seduce you.
You seduced me.

Uh-huh. I was drunk.

And... And I put
my arms around you, and...

Yes.
You put your arms around me.

Yeah, I put my arms around you,
and then you kissed me.

Just like that.

Oh, I can't wait for you
to meet my parents.

Your parents?

And you're gonna love Winnipeg.

Why?

Ohh.

It's even more romantic
than Paris.

I can't wait for this war
to be over.

That's the Argonne.
You ever been?

Hell of a place for a picnic.

I suggest we wait here.

Wait till this blows over,
then head in.

Negative. We need to push on.

With all due respect, sir,
we're six men.

We drove
most of them bastards out,

but God knows how many
are still hiding in there,

waiting to cut us down.

In this weather, we don't know
what we're walking into.

We wait here and observe.

In one hour, we move.

Understood?

Fucking limeys.

Just my luck, I get
the one war in a hundred years

where those pricks
are on our fucking side.

- Yeah.
- What's the word on them?

Nothing good.

I heard the major
is real ambitious.

Oh, fuck. That's just perfect.

Spent most of the war
riding a desk.

Now he'll do anything
to get a promotion

before the show's over.

Well, what's your professional
opinion of our American escort?

They've been in constant
combat for months on end.

That starts to take its toll.

My advice, sir, would be
not to push them too hard.

Hit me, Pronger.

Fuck off, Private. Get your own.

No wonder they've been fighting
over the same fields

for four years.

They're all drunk.
This guy has been at it all day.

He's killed more Germans
than any of us.

More than Pronger?

Okay, nobody's killed more
fucking Germans than Pronger.

Okay, so then who the fuck
is this guy?

A tunneler.

Fuck, I wouldn't mind
being underground

when the war is going on above.

No fucking way.

When the lines formed,

Germans started digging
beneath no-man's-land.

Guys like him
are sent underground

to stop the German tunnelers

and to plant bombs of their own
under Fritz's line.

Three months ago,
he gets trapped 80 feet down.

Nobody comes for him.
So, what does he do?

That crazy bastard
digs himself out.

By the time he finally gets out,

his family has already
thrown his funeral.

Yes, that's it, all right.

Any movement?

Nothing but the rats.

You ever eat rat, Major?

Move in and take a look.

You heard the major.
Pronger, we're up.

What is it they keep chewing?

Seems they live on it.

Forced March, sir.

Cocaine. A stimulant.

Seems they hand it out
with rations these days.

Apparently rather effective.

Let's go. Let's go.

I don't think
we pushed this far.

We didn't.
These are German shells.

Why are they killing
their own guys?

There's something you need
to see, Major.

Two main entrances
were blown in,

but for some reason
this one was spared.

And, uh, here...

as you can see,
there used to be a ladder.

Whoever got rid of it
did it in a hurry.

You care to tell us
what we're here for?

This is
a reconnaissance mission.

Observe and report.

This base is abandoned, so we
don't expect any resistance.

What a shame.

Once we're in, the doctor and I

will collect
any relevant evidence,

and we'll be on our way.

- Simple enough.
- How do we know it's abandoned?

I heard entire divisions got
left behind when the line fell.

Shut it, Kelly.

We don't got the numbers
for a raiding party.

If we run into more than
a couple of these guys,

we're in some serious trou...

This mission was approved
by my superiors.

Risks were assessed
and appropriate measures taken.

We are wasting valuable time.

Captain Cooper.

Yes, sir?

Control your men.

Or I will.

- All right, the tunneler...
- Berton, sir.

Will take the lead.

Sausage eater
is a tricky bastard, all right?

When he pulls out of
places like this,

he likes to leave
little presents

for stupid farm boys
looking for trophies.

So for all our sakes,
don't touch anything

unless I fucking say so.

All right, Berton. Let's go.

Let's move. Cooper, you're up.

I smell the bastard
from six feet...

Quiet!

Sneak up on me.
Smelled like sauerkraut.

Berton, check the door.

- Oh!
- Watch your step, Doc.

Hey, shut up!

He's fucking dead.

Shh! Quiet, for God sakes.

It's all quiet.
We're good to go.

Sir.

I think he tried to climb out.

Do you guys speak German?

He's saying,
"Don't open the door."

Okay, what the fuck
is he saying now?

Spit it out, Doc.

He says if we open the door,
we're all gonna die.

Did I tell you to stop?

Come on!

- Nein, nein, nein!
- Shut that idiot up, Captain.

What do you want me to do,
shoot him? He's fucking C3.

Find out if he's got
friends down here.

Maybe we should
listen to him, sir.

We don't know
what's behind that.

Shut up! Come on!

Hey!

Doc, you tell this asshole
if he takes another step,

I will shoot.

Shoot? Shoot, ja. Ja!

- Hey, hey!
- Shoot, ja! Ja! Bitte!

- Shoot, shoot.
- Hey!

Come on. On three.

One, two, three!

You understand what I'm saying?

- Bitte! Bitte!
- Doc?

- Shooting me.
- I swear to God.

He keeps moving, I will shoot.

Do you understand
what I'm saying?

- I'm ordering you to get back!
- Bitte.

Hey, Captain...

All right, Berton.
You take the lead.

There's someone in here.

Hold your fire!

Hold your fire.

I can't fucking see anything!

Where is he? Where did he go?

Aah!

Aaagh!

Grenade!

Grenade!

Take cover!

Everybody okay?

- Yeah.
- You okay, Kelly?

Yeah, I'm fine, Captain.

Abandoned, my ass.
Who the fuck was that?

Can it be cleared?

My guess is
the entire tunnel collapsed.

Can it be cleared?

Best we search
for another way out.

Are you saying
we're stuck down here?

This room's
not gonna hold much longer.

- We need to move.
- How are we gonna breathe?

- We're 50 feet deep.
- Shut up, Kelly.

We're gonna fucking suffocate.

Shut up! Save your breath.

Let's go.

We ain't alone down here.

Look sharp.

Watch the corners.

The air is moving.

Fritz left
a door open somewhere.

Yes? And?

We go down.

Sit tight while I scout ahead.

That German back there,
was that shell shock?

Shell shock?

You've really never been on
a battlefield, have you, Major?

That Hun was sick.
He ain't the first one, either.

We've been finding them
all through the Argonne.

There have been reports that the
German line was recently struck

by a particularly lethal form
of influenza.

Is that why we're here?

Maybe that's why
they sealed the base.

That guy just
hacked all over me.

This place is a maze.
Best you just come with me.

No.

Captain Cooper will escort you.
Help him find an exit.

The rest of us will continue
our sweep and meet back here.

Sweep? We've got no idea
how big this place is.

You go sightseeing,
you'll get lost.

No, he's right. How are we gonna
get back without him?

We'll lay markers.

Okay, sir, with all respect,
six men are stronger than four.

You are under my direct command.

I'm not asking you.
I'm telling you.

Captain, this is bullshit.

Not my call.

Without that tunneler, sir,
we're dead.

Like the major said,

lay markers,
trace your way back.

Yeah, this is crazy, though.

Hey! I'll come back for you.

Yeah, and I'm not
dying down here, sir.

Gentlemen!

I understand your concerns,

but we have prepared
for this contingency.

As we speak, a team of
Royal Engineers is en route

and will check in on us.

If our tunneler
can't find an exit,

and if we fail to check in
by 0900 tomorrow,

efforts to extract us
will begin.

Now, in the meantime...

we are here to complete
a vitally important mission,

and, by God, I intend
to see that it's done.

Lieutenant Berton,
find that exit

and be back here in three hours.

Yeah. You got three hours.

Three hours to find whatever
it is you came down here for,

but don't expect me to find you
if you're not back.

I expect that you
and every other man in this unit

will do his duty.

Do I make myself clear?

Good luck.

It's a bad idea, Captain.

What kind of place is this?

Some kind of command center?

12 miles behind enemy lines?

What about that metal door
we found?

- What about it?
- It locked from the outside.

Place wasn't built
to keep people out.

It was built to keep people in.

You think you can
get us out of here?

I mean, you've gotten
out of worse, haven't you?

A place this size should have
two or three emergency shafts.

We find the outside wall,
we'll find a way out.

Pronger, Kelly.

What's a hospital
doing down here?

Major, you should see this.

- Over there.
- Pronger, stand down.

Doctor, with me.

My fucking light.

Shh.

Damn.

Quiet!

Oh, shit!

Let's go. Come on.

Out of the way.

Behind you!

Berton!

Let's go.

Oh, bloody hell.

Reiner's built
an entire city down here.

The Wotan rumors were true.

"Laboratorium." Labs.

You were right.
We have to go down there.

What about the tunneler?
How long has it been?

- Well, he'll have to wait.
- What if he doesn't?

Cooper said
he'd come back for you, yes?

He wouldn't leave us behind.

Then he'll bring Berton
with him.

Focus on the task at hand.

We'll be done before you know it
now that we have the map.

For all we know,
thatcould be a shaft.

Or that.

And what if these exits
are blocked in?

We'll deal with it then!

Scheisse! Scheisse!
Scheisse! Scheisse!

Wait, Doc, Doc, Doc.
Doc, look. His stomach.

I spring a leak, you can start
to worry about me, okay?

This place
is crawling with Germans.

You ever see anything like that?

I've seen
some ugly fucking Huns before.

Never quite that ugly.

And I've never seen them
kill each other.

You know something about this
place you're not telling me?

Huh? Jennings tell you anything?

Nothing.

My CO gave me my orders...

Get Jennings in and out
without so much of a scratch.

And your CO
didn't tell you anything?

- Didn't know.
- Didn't tell you.

Didn't know.

But whatever
Jennings is doing down here

is important enough
to secure the full cooperation

of the American army.

How else could he get

a whole division down here
to help us out?

Let me tell you something else
you don't know.

Nobody is fucking coming for us.

Jennings is a fucking liar.

What is a scheisse, anyway?

You be quiet, please.
Give me some light.

- What are you looking for?
- Answers.

If I could see anything.
Light, please.

Ugh.

Major, open up
this side, please.

Hold the table, you two.

- Oh!
- Oh!

Light, please.

What is it?

I think it's a type
of Dirofilaria.

American, Doc.

Parasitic worm.

Like you would see
in cats or dogs.

A heartworm.

But humans can't contract
these worms.

Not in this quantity or size.

Well, this is truly...

extraordinary.

Oh!

They've, uh...

They've occupied
his orbital cavities,

the sinuses,
the prefrontal cortex.

What?

Well, the frontal lobe
governs our personalities.

It's how we tell
right from wrong.

The tiniest lesions there
can cause dementia.

This is not
a natural phenomenon.

This disease was engineered.

Achtung.

You ever get scared
down here, places like this?

They say you're only scared
when you got something to lose.

You got something to lose?

I'm scared all the time.

Yeah. What's her name?

Veronique.

Veronique. That's a nice name.

We're close.

Right. Let's go.

I said, "Let's go."

I don't think so.

We're gonna find that tunneler,
and then we leave.

All right.
This has gone far enough.

I gave you a direct order!

You're heading down a very
hazardous path, Sergeant.

More hazardous than following
your sorry ass around?

Not one more step.

Drop it.

This is mutiny.

You'll hang.

We live long enough
to get out of here,

and we'll worry about that.

Drop your weapon.

I'm warning you!

Gentlemen.

We're on the same side.
Everybody...

Everybody lower
your weapons now.

I ain't dying down here
so this prick can make colonel.

Listen to me.
Listen to me, gentlemen.

Men of the 49th Infantry are
mustering above us right now.

If you drop your weapons,
I will see to it...

Oh, cut the shit, Jennings.

Drop it or I fire!

I'm warning you!

This is your last chance!

Ohh.

Okay.

Let's go back for the others.

Hey, you're in no shape
to go hunting for your men.

I say we send a team to come
back looking for them, okay?

Come on, let's go.

Look, I promised
I would go back for them.

This place is a maze.
We're outnumbered.

We're lucky to be alive.

Even if we make it back
to the meeting point,

there's no guarantee
they'll be there.

Listen, I tested fate
once before.

Yeah, you lived.

I was lucky.

Look, I'm sorry
nobody came back for you.

But if there's a chance...

we go.

You are men of action,
so I will be brief.

We have come to
destroy the compound,

and we need your tunneler.

Cooperate, and your lives
will be spared.

No.

Until we know what
spreads this disease,

no attempt should be made
to leave this base.

If you wish to be in
this place when it is destroyed,

you may be my guest.

Does he speak for all of you?

Good.

Then who among you
is the tunneler?

I'm the tunneler.

You?

You're very tall for a tunneler.

That's what my mother said.

Oh, yeah. Yes.

All right, the rest of you
will assist him.

Berton, nobody should leave here

until we get some
bloody answers.

Fine.
You may remain here under guard.

Gentlemen, this base
has been sealed for a reason.

There has been an outbreak here
the likes of which

I've never seen
in my years of medicine.

And you can't stop it, can you?

Can you?

- Come.
- Danke schoen.

Follow me.

We're going to descend
two levels

to where the main charge
failed to detonate.

The tunneler will fix them.

Any explosives that need to be
carried, you will help him.

How are we supposed
to defend ourselves

if we run into
any more of your pals?

You do your job,
and I will see to your safety.

Come.

Mmm.

There's so much joy
in the food the French make.

They are a disgrace
on the battlefield,

but they certainly
have their talents.

Ahh.

Do you know how much joy
is in German food?

It has been quite the week
for the democracies, no?

The Hindenburg Line smashed.
The Fritz on the run.

How exciting.

But I'm wondering
what you will do next.

Consolidate your gains
in the Argonne,

or exploit your breakthrough
at Cambrai?

I vote for Cambrai.

The mustering point
of the next Allied attack.

What about it?

Where is it?

Well, I'm a doctor.

You're asking the wrong man.

You...

You are obviously
a medical officer

attached to
British intelligence.

Where is it?

I couldn't tell you,
Herr Reiner.

Johann.

Let's forget...

for a moment
that we are enemies.

After all, we are friends
in science, aren't we?

So, what did you find

on your little expedition?

That you and I don't practice
the same science.

Of course we do.

When a person falls ill,
do you heal them with words,

or do you cut them open
and rearrange their insides?

- I do what I have to do.
- Exactly.

This is the only criterion

under which
science should be judged...

Its effectiveness.

You think...

You think cutting a man open
with a scalpel

is not an act of aggression?

Because to fix him, you have
to inflict a violence upon him.

An educated violence.

A violence
you went to school for.

And what you're doing here
has nothing to do with science.

It's a perversion...

Now, we know that
you've engineered

some sort of parasite,

presumably designed to devastate
Allied livestock.

So I think that you've had
a little accident,

and your strain
has jumped species,

and you've tried to seal
this base to stop it spreading.

No one was more surprised
than myself once it jumped.

But I started breeding a more
virulent strain of the parasite,

and within months
I had created one

that could overwhelm its host
in a matter of hours.

Even before it migrates
to the brain,

the fever caused
by the infestation

can radically alter
the personality.

But once it reaches
the cerebral tissue,

the results are,
well, spectacular.

Some like to fornicate.

Others drink.

But most...

they just want to kill.

Quite liberating,
I should think, no?

Let's go.
It's time to get moving.

Let's go.
We don't have time for this!

Hey, easy, Fritz.

You know, I'm pretty good
with those maps.

Kelly, hey.

I can help you find your way.
You got to show me the map.

Got to move, okay?

Come on. Kelly? Kelly?

Aah!

Aah! No! No! Oh!

No! My nose!

Aah!

- Give me the map.
- No.

Don't make me shoot you.
Give me the map.

You're the only who knows
how the wire the explosives.

This is an outbreak,
and we can't control it.

Look at your friends.

Look at them.

Germany has lost the war,

but there will be no peace
if this gets out.

Don't do this for me.

Think of the lives you can save.

Thank you.

Like you said,
I'm not doing this for you.

Which way?

Down and to the left.

You think
an outbreak in our lines

would allow you
to counterattack?

This awful war is finished.
It's over.

Think about
the civilian casualties.

And what about your blockade?

This euphemism for
the premeditated starvation

of thousands of innocent lives?

You, sir, are in no position
to lecture me about morality.

Agreed. Then think about
your own people.

This monstrosity
won't recognize any flag.

So be it.

Consider it a radical surgery
to save the host.

If Germany loses this war,

it will fall to the democrats
or the communists...

The herd or the Jews...

And I will not allow
either to happen.

So you're gonna drag it
all down with you,

hmm, like some petulant demigod

in one of your
fucking Wagner operas?

Perhaps I will drag it down.
And why not?!

Europe is a perfumed corpse
waiting to be set ablaze.

And if Germany is strong enough,
brave enough,

then it will emerge purified

while the rest of
this dung heap burns!

And if it perish, so be it.

It wasn't up to the task.

The mustering point.

- Gramophone?
- Of course.

Huh!

My God.

What did you think
I was going to do?

I rather thought you were
going to torture me.

But I am.

When the line broke,

the order was given
to destroy this compound.

They were able to
contain the infected,

but this main charge never went.

How do I know I'm not infected?

We were told it only transmits
through bodily fluids,

through blood, through saliva.

- Well, what are the symptoms?
- Begins with a fever.

You become increasingly violent.
How do youfeel?

I feel like
blowing something up.

That is a symptom.

Can you salvage the explosives?

Oh, the explosives are fine.
Detonators are fine.

Then what's the problem?

They weren't connected.

Somebody wasn't ready
to say goodbye.

I found more det cord.

How much longer?

Finish wiring the explosives,

bring it up to the charges
on the second floor,

then up to the surface.

Good.

I found these in the guard room.

Thank you.

Prost.

- Prost.
- Prost.

Cheers.

German beer. You like?

I like.

To the end of the war.

I'll drink to that.

You know, they say that
this disease drives men insane.

But I believe
after the last four years,

both sides
have already been infected.

I was on the Somme,

and we were shelled
for seven days straight.

Even deep down in the dugout,
the sound was deafening.

After 72 hours, some of the men
began to kill themselves.

One of my men...

put a grenade in his mouth,

and I spent the next day
picking his teeth out of my arm,

And after five days,
I crawled up to the top,

out of the dugout...

and I think I wanted to die.

And there I watched
the fields rise and fall,

remade and destroyed again
with each new salvo.

And for what?

To kill a handful of Germans
cowering in a little hole?

Yeah, well, maybe...

Maybe after what
both sides have done,

we all deserve to be wiped out.

Just not today.

Not today.

Gas! Gas!

Come! Down this way!

Up!

Okay.
Let's go through this again.

Which way did you enter?

We came down here
through the emergency exit.

That's going to
be filled with gas

just like the other exits,
so that's not gonna work either.

There.

Thank God
for German engineering.

- What is that?
- It's an auxiliary shaft.

They use it to bring mining cars
up they've filled with spoils,

keep the main tunnels clear
when they're digging.

That will take us up
to the next level.

Yeah, but what about
the explosives?

How do we detonate?

- What's that? Sleeping quarters?
- Yeah.

Personal belongings.
Let me go through them.

In case they stop us,

I'm setting the detonation
from here.

How much time will we have?

I'm giving us 45 minutes.

But this is not gonna be enough
to finish the job.

We got to run the det cord
up to the next level.

Whatever survives the blast
will be engulfed in flames.

At least the labs
will be destroyed.

Let this be the last.

- Your back!
- Aah!

Oh!

Can you fix this?

I'll rig something else up.

Yeah?

And how about my leg?

Well, you're not gonna waltz
for a while, but you'll live.

Just show me how to do it.

Show you how to do what?

You and I both know
what needs to happen.

Just show me.

You bring the two together.
Electricity will do the rest.

Just touch them?

And how much time do you need?

I need 20 minutes
to make it to the next level,

five minutes
to rig the explosives.

30 minutes to be sure.

I give you till 7:00.

Aah!

Good God.
One of those colonials.

What are you even doing here?
This is not your war.

Aaah!

On your knees.

On your knees!

And now raise your hands.

Put your hands up!

Yeah.

Aaah!

You stupid Canadian.

You are going to die
underneath a French field

thousands of miles from home,

and you're smiling.

Why are you smiling?

I know they call you
the Prophet, but...

I know something you don't.

What might that be?

I know how this ends.