Warhead (1977) - full transcript
A weapons expert is reluctantly sent on a mission to a middle-east warzone to locate a lost nuclear warhead and dismantle it before it falls into the wrong hands. But before he can complete his work, he is taken prisoner and thrust into the conflict, and finds himself looking out for more than just the warhead.
(mechanical rumble)
(teletype clicking)
(Middle Eastern-style music)
(men praying in Hebrew)
(car horn)
(suspenseful music)
(door slams)
- [Ray] Colonel Anthony Stevens?
- [Stevens] Yes.
- [Ray] I'm Agent William Ray, CIA.
Would you come with me, please?
- [Stevens] What's this all about?
- [Ray] I've been instructed by Washington
to locate you immediately
for a top-priority mission.
- [Stevens] Hey, listen, I'm on vacation.
Can't you find someone else?
- [Ray] No, Colonel.
You're the only one in this area
with the nuclear qualifications necessary
for this assignment.
- [Stevens] Okay, okay, fill me in.
- [Ray] Last night, one
of our nuclear warheads
was accidentally dropped
on the Jordanian desert
not too far from here.
- [Stevens] How in the
hell did that happen?
- [Ray] I'll fill you
in on that part later.
- [Stevens] Give me the
rest of the good news.
- [Ray] We have a plane waiting for you,
what gear you'll need, and
your coded instructions.
Because of the extreme
secrecy of this mission,
you'll have to parachute
in alone, find that bomb,
and destroy that detonator
before anyone else can
get their hands on it.
- [Stevens] It doesn't sound
like a one-man job to me.
- [Ray] Listen, Colonel,
knowing your reputation,
this should be an easy one.
(dramatic music)
- [Stevens] I know about easy missions.
I spent two years in a foreign
prison on the last one.
(parachute rustling)
(footsteps)
(Geiger counter clicks on)
(Geiger counter ticks)
(footsteps)
(children singing)
(bus engine hums)
(singing gets louder)
(children laughing)
(dramatic music)
(rocket blast)
(fire roars)
(suspenseful music)
(Liora gasps)
(machine gun fires)
(engine roars)
(children singing faintly)
(Liora gasps)
(sobbing)
- Sorry, Lieutenant, but I'm on patrol.
Haven't had a bath in a week.
- Are you sure?
- That I haven't had a bath?
- No, that it's only been a week?
(Ben-David laughs)
- [Major] Come with me, please.
(door hinge squeaks)
- Captain, I want you
to go in after Malouf.
- General, I--
- You'll find him in
the area of Jabal Ram,
across the border in Jordan.
- General, I just spent three
weeks looking for that man
at the other end of Israel.
- But now you know where he is.
You get Malouf, Captain.
That's an order.
Major, take over.
- You'll leave as soon as
you've picked your crew.
Ben-David, you'll be in charge.
Lieutenant Schulman, who
knows Malouf by sight,
will be your second in command.
That is all.
(footsteps)
(gunshots)
(footsteps)
(gunshots)
(observers gasp)
(instrumental flourish)
(woman laughs)
(dramatic music)
(drums beating)
- How much did you make this time?
- Ben-David!
This is a surprise.
(footsteps)
- Hello.
- You've come to try again?
- Oh, no, no, I learned
my lesson in the Olympics.
I can't afford to gamble with you.
Liora, this is Namoi.
- Shalom.
- Shalom.
- What Minnesota Fats is
to the American pool room,
Namoi is to the Israeli rifle range.
She hustles these officers
in shooting matches
for more money than I could ever earn.
- Enough already, you're making me blush.
- And I happen to know that
nothing makes her blush.
- Now how would you know?
You passed out.
- She's right.
I got a hangover, she got a gold medal.
Big deal.
- What's happening?
- I've been reassigned.
You've just volunteered.
You're working under me.
- Well, working under you
is not exactly a mitzvah.
- How would you know?
I passed out, remember?
- [Liora] Not bad, huh?
(Ben-David laughs)
(speaking Hebrew)
(percussive music)
(engines rumble)
(door slams)
(footsteps)
- This is like going from
Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem by the way
of Honolulu.
- Why didn't we cross
closer to the target?
- Closer to the target?
Do you know how many Bedouin
scouts our Malouf has up there?
If I wanted to announce
my plans for the guy
I'd have taken out an ad in the paper.
- He wouldn't them posted
this far north, would he?
- There's a man with a brain.
That's why we cross here.
- I might have a chance to get
some hash from the Bedouins.
- Those Bedouins are too busy
making love to their sheep
to do business with you.
(laughter)
- All right, all right.
Rony, climb up over
and scout around, okay.
The rest of you back to the
vehicle, start unloading.
(men laughing)
- Here's our minefield, right?
No, it's theirs.
- Theirs? Where'd you get it?
- How do you think I got it, Mario?
From a jar of pickled herring?
Go tell Daphne to get
headquarters on the radio, okay?
- Yes sir, Sahib.
(ominous music)
(footsteps)
- You get him?
- Uh huh.
- Shakits one, this is
Shiksa, do you read me?
The tour bus is about to leave.
We should be at the hotel by sun up.
We run out of money I'll give you a call.
Shiksa out.
We should be in Khalifa by sundown.
- See if you can get Trenton,
New Jersey on the phone.
- [Daphne] Trenton, New Jersey?
- Call my bookie, tell him
to cancel all my markers
if I'm not back in 48 hours.
- What?
- You know you're not too
bright, but I love you.
(suspenseful music)
(engines rumble)
(engines dies down)
(speaking Hebrew)
- Okay.
- Benny, come over here!
- What is it?
(footsteps)
They're very heavy tank tracks.
Don't worry about it,
they're four days old.
- Oh really, how do you know?
What are you, an Indian scout?
- No, intelligence told me a
Palestinian patrol crosses here
every seven days.
One thing about Arabs, they
never change their schedules.
- Oh really, that's just terrific.
What happens if he decides to come back
and catches you here in
the middle of the desert?
Then what do we do?
- We sacrifice.
- What do you mean, "we sacrifice"?
- We stay and entertain the Arabs.
We escape.
- That's funny.
That's really funny.
- [Liora] Everything okay?
(engine ignites)
(agitated music)
(mechanical rumble)
- Hi baby. Behave.
(instrumental flourish)
- [Malouf] Now please
remove your hands slowly
and start backing away.
I am Abdel Malouf.
You may consider yourself a prisoner
of the Palestinian Liberation Army.
Please identify yourself.
- Colonel Anthony J. Stevens.
(engines roar)
(men shouting in Arabic)
- What do you think you're
going to do with that thing?
- Very simple. Use it.
- What in the hell does that mean?
- Eliminate the Zionist
military over Palestine.
Very simple.
One bomb.
No Jews.
- How are you going to get it there?
- I'm afraid your
American humor eludes me.
Aircraft will be available.
We at the Palestinian
Liberation have an understanding
with airlines.
(shouting in Arabic)
(tapping)
(wind whistling)
(dramatic music)
(music accelerates)
(footsteps)
(engines rumbling)
(footsteps)
- That's not Bedouin scouts.
He is wearing a uniform.
Malouf's camp is nowhere near here.
Why the sentry?
- I don't know.
Shit.
Sammy, go get Namoi, tell
her to bring up the silencer.
- Okay.
(footsteps)
- Namoi, get your silencer and come quick.
(gun clicking)
- Make sure he stays on that hill.
Wait.
Wait.
(gunshot)
Good girl.
Sammy, go replace that sentry.
- Okay.
Let's move. Come on.
(footsteps)
(shouting in Arabic)
- Major! Major!
Let me put it to you this way.
There's one hell of a punch
packed into that thing.
- We Arabs are not ignorant.
We understand nuclear power,
and the games that are played with it.
Possession of such a weapon will make
the Palestinian Liberation Army
a force to be reckoned with.
- You're missing the point, Major.
If that thing goes off, if you
don't let me de-activate it,
there will not be a Liberation Army.
(shouting in Arabic)
Aw, come on, Major, for God's sakes,
let me disarm the thing
before it goes off.
(thud)
(shouts in Arabic)
- Stupid guys.
- Most of them never had a pair of shoes
until they joined me.
But do not underestimate them.
What they lack in brains
they make up with courage.
Brain is of little significance.
- Major, you said that you
understand nuclear power.
If you don't let me deactivate that thing,
if it goes off--
- It will not go off.
I have read about the safeguards
that are built into such weapons.
- If the danger didn't
exist, I wouldn't be here.
Now if you don't let me deactivate it,
if it goes off, you can say goodbye
to most of the Middle East.
- What a joke.
Even the bombs you drop on Japanese?
- That was 28 years ago.
We've come a long way since then, baby.
Now if you don't care
about yourself, your men,
how about your family?
- My family is dead, thanks to the Jews.
- Thanks to the Jews.
(shouting in Arabic)
(thud)
(percussive music)
- Looks like they're loading
some kind of cylinder or tank.
- Let me see.
- Maybe they are putting up a gas station.
- [Ben-David] Sure, right
here in the middle of nowhere.
- Just like the Arabs.
They put up gas station,
forget to build the roads.
- There are plenty of roads there.
- Yeah, if you're a camel.
- Check it.
Well?
- It's very difficult to see their faces.
(ominous music)
- Just a minute.
It's him! That's Malouf!
- [Ben-David] Are you sure?
- I will never forget that bastard's face.
(shouting in Arabic)
(thud)
(mechanical hum)
(footsteps)
- I give you a chance to disarm it.
Any tricks, and I shoot.
- I'll need those papers.
(panel clicks)
(clicking)
(engines rumble)
(shouts in Arabic)
(gunfire)
(man cries out)
(engines roar)
(blast)
(gunfire)
(man cries out)
(gunfire)
(woman screams)
(man screams)
(blast)
(explosion)
(scream)
(scream)
(speaking in Hebrew)
(explosion)
(shout)
(gunfire)
(explosion)
(engine cuts out)
(gunfire)
(engine sputters)
(footsteps)
(suspenseful music)
(engine rumbles)
(poignant music)
- She doesn't need you any more.
Malouf got away.
Don't worry, we'll get him.
What have we got here?
- You can put that gun down.
I'm not going anywhere.
- You wouldn't get very far anyway.
- Is everything okay?
- [Stevens] How 'bout you?
You got any influence around here?
- Why do you want to know?
- Tell you girlfriend that
I'm not exactly the enemy.
The last time I heard, the
United States and Israel
were on fairly friendly terms.
- All right, you want to go tell Rabbi
to bury our dead, please?
Okay, who are you?
- Colonel Tony Stevens,
United States Air Force.
- I'm Captain Ben-David.
What are you doing here?
- The store sent me to fix the appliance.
- I'll repeat it, once.
What are you doing here?
- Actually, that bomb
was dropped accidentally
out of one of our aircraft.
They sent me here to disarm
it before it did any damage.
That's what I was trying to
do when the Arabs arrived.
Now that you people are here,
I'll just get on with my job, all right?
- Just stay where you are.
- Maybe I didn't make
myself clear, Captain.
That's a very dangerous thing back there.
You don't want to mess with it.
You'd be making a big mistake.
- You're making a mistake, Colonel.
That's no ordinary bomb.
As far as I can determine,
it's a nuclear weapon.
- Well, we don't like to advertise.
- Since we're both in enemy territory,
I'll take charge of it until we get back
to the proper authorities.
Until then, you can consider
yourself in my custody
until we hit the Israeli border.
Meshugi!
- Watch him.
If he makes a move toward
the bomb, shoot him.
Liora!
(gun clicks)
- You guys are as bad as the Arabs.
(footsteps)
Get headquarters on the radio.
Give them our exact location.
Tell them to send out the
largest helicopter they've got.
I want to fly that thing out of here.
- I'm afraid that's impossible.
- Why?
- The radio is completely
out of commission.
I just checked.
- Well, can't it be fixed?
- No way.
If you can make it down
to the Gulf of Eilat,
we should be able to raise
one of our detachments
with the walkie-talkies.
- What about the Arab vehicles?
Any radios in 'em?
- I'll check on it.
- Okay. Pupik!
Can you get that bomb on the truck?
- No, it took a couple of hits.
It's out of action.
- What are the possibilities
of getting it on the Jeep?
- No problem, all I need is a cable.
- There's one on the march.
Mario, give him a hand.
I want to get out of
here as soon as possible.
- Okay, big mouth, help
me load that mother
on top of the truck
without getting a hernia.
- A what?
- A 'killa.'
- Oh, Mario, you have no faith.
We take the shovel, we dig
a hole under the tail end
of the bomb, we lift it up with the cable.
That's all.
- Ah, very good.
Dig the hole for me for
when the bomb goes off.
- Put it down here.
(rattling)
Sammy, take it up.
- Ah, they may be able to repair this.
Better blow it.
Try a delayed charge.
- Yes, sir.
- Pull, pull.
(engine roars)
Pupik!
Stop, get away.
- All right.
Come on, more.
(chanting in Hebrew)
(pensive music)
- We'll be back for you.
(drums beating)
(engines roar)
(blast)
(speaking in Arabic)
- They will pass right
through this canyon.
I think we should send some
Bedouin to cut them off.
We shall attack from behind.
If we catch them in the ravine,
they will be trapped.
- What if they go right and
do not enter the ravine?
- Fool!
The right is the sea, and to
the left is the minefield.
And, with the bomb in front of them,
they can only go slowly.
So we shall have the time
to circle around them.
(rhythmic music)
- Sammy, check out the canyon.
(gun clicks)
(Meshugi mumbles)
The rest of the canyon's well protected.
- I give you this, you got
it further than the Arabs.
- No comprendo inglese.
- You Italian?
- No, only on my mother's side.
(footsteps)
- Hey, where are you from?
- Israel. I'm a Sabra.
- What's that mean?
- Just people who were born in Israel,
and would die for Israel.
Like Daphne and Chaim.
- Pupik.
- Yeah.
- Get off the bomb.
- Why?
- Because it's a bomb, that's why!
- Bomb, schmomb.
What the hell are we
doing here now, Mario?
We could be now in Jerusalem.
- If the bomb goes off,
we will be Jerusalem.
And Haifa, and Tel Aviv.
- That's not funny.
- Get off the bomb, Pupik.
- What do you think of our chances?
- Well, Malouf definitely
has the advantage.
I'd say 50-50.
- I hope so.
- So do I.
- It's clear.
- Okay, let's go!
(rhythmic music)
(door slams)
(engines ignite)
(horn honks)
(wheels strain)
All right, give him a hand.
Come on, let's get out of here.
(shouting)
(quick, suspenseful music)
He's too smart to follow us in here.
- Yeah, but...
- Sabra command to headquarters,
Sabra command to headquarters.
Come in, please.
(door hinge squeaks)
Sabra command to headquarters,
Sabra command to headquarters,
come in, please.
- Any luck?
- No.
It could be the canyon walls.
We're in too far.
Try again once we're clear.
All right, let's get ready to move out.
(gunshot)
(gunfire)
Medic!
Medic!
Where the hell is Shoshanna?
- I don't know.
She wandered off before
the shooting started.
- Forget it.
She's dead.
(poignant music)
Meshugi!
Go after Shoshanna.
Try to find her.
(gunfire)
- Why couldn't it have been him?
- Don't waste your breath on him.
His only purpose for
being here is to make sure
no one sees what's inside that bomb.
Isn't that right, Colonel.
- That's right, Captain.
It's none of your
business what's inside it.
- Maybe you would like to see
those Palestinian bastards
get hold of it, like they
did with the airline?
Is that it, Mr. Stevens?
- No, lady, that's not it.
The nuclear club is a fairly
exclusive organization, now,
we'd like to keep it that way.
- (scoffs) Another private club.
He needs it.
They don't want us to have it.
- As far as I'm concerned,
they can keep it.
- (scoffs) We can't just
leave it here for Malouf.
We've gotta get it back.
Well?
- Only the hat.
- How did those bastards
get their hands on her?
- She knew the risk.
All right, let's move.
Colonel.
- You're just going to leave her out here?
- The mission is more important.
- Aw, hell, Captain, what mission?
To get a bomb you know
nothing about and can't use
back to a country that shouldn't
have it in the first place?
- Get in the Jeep, Colonel.
(agitated music)
(engines rumble)
(spits)
- So, you are not hungry,
little Israeli, huh?
Hassan!
Bring me more coffee!
(slurps)
(speaking Arabic)
- Shh, speak English.
I don't want to be overheard.
- Do you think they will come for her?
- Of course.
If it were not for the bomb.
- They will make a trade for her?
- Would you?
- Such a bomb is worth a hundred of her.
With maybe even a goat or two, baksheesh.
- She is worth nothing,
except for an idiot like you.
(shouts)
(ripping)
- Bastard.
- Ha, you see, Hassan.
She finally found her tongue.
Tell me, little soldier.
Where is your captain?
What assistance does he expect?
- The assistance of the
entire Israeli army,
that's who.
- There, Hassan, if they
were expecting help,
she would have denied it.
- She may be lying on purpose.
- Hmm, trust me, Hassan, agent Malouf
will get back the bomb, for our people.
- Even if you did, you would
never be able to use it.
- That is where you are wrong.
With this, I fix the thing.
Hassan!
- Huh?
- You are my true friend.
I will leave the Jew for your pleasure.
But remember, share her with your friends.
- Please don't.
Don't.
Please don't.
No! (screams)
- [Ben-David] Mario, Pupik.
Grab on.
Rony, check the rear.
Take a little walk?
- Now, somebody once
told me that the Israeli
was basically warm and friendly.
- What do you want us to do?
Dance a hora for you?
- No, but how about a simple shalom.
- We just buried some friends, Colonel.
And a bus full of children
would still be alive
if it wasn't for Malouf.
- I had nothing to do with that.
- But you think you can
fly your bombs in the sky
and everybody down below
behaves without fear?
I'm afraid it doesn't work that way.
- I'm afraid you're oversimplfying.
- Oh really?
Then what is this doing here?
- I told you, it was an accident.
- I cannot concern myself with problems
over which I have no control.
All I care about in the moment is Malouf.
- There's more at stake here
than the life of one man.
Now why am I having such
problems getting that through
to you people?
- Because we put higher
value on our lives.
You Americans have let computers
do your thinking for you
for such a long time, you
have forgotten how to feel.
Death is just a number on a report to you.
It does not have any meaning at all.
- That's how you see us.
- No, that's how you see yourself.
But someday, someday death is
going to touch you personally.
And you will feel the pain.
And maybe then you
become involved with life
instead of just observing
it from behind a computer.
Shalom.
(poignant music)
(footsteps)
(rhythmic music)
(bomb hums)
- Oof!
(gun clicks)
- [Ben-David] One more time, Colonel.
- Well you better shoot me now, then,
because I'm going to
try every chance I get.
Nothing personal.
- You all right, Sammy?
- Yes.
- All right, Colonel, why
don't you get in the rear Jeep.
I'm sure Sammy will enjoy
keeping an eye on you.
(gun clicks)
Meshugi!
Get the rear Jeep!
Send Rabbi up to me!
(engine ignites)
- It looks like you're gonna make it.
- Damn right we will.
- You're both Sabras, right?
- So?
- You were born in Israel,
you care about Israel.
- What are you trying to say?
- Just trying to make a little sense.
You don't want that thing up there.
So long as you don't have it,
you're the little guy in the neighborhood
being picked on by the
big Arab boys, versteht?
- He speaks Yiddish.
- I'm just trying to get a little sense
through those thick
Israeli skulls of yours.
If you don't possess that
bomb, you're the underdog
that needs help from my country.
Come marching in there with big Bertha,
you're going to be cast
in the role of the heavy.
Nobody's going to help you.
- One of these days, we're not
going to need your help, men,
so save your little speeches.
(laughs)
- That's funny.
- Man, our people, we
just don't dig your music.
They're only soldiers, man.
They follow orders.
Me, I'm all for love and peace.
And for sure there is
no love in that thing.
(rhythmic music)
- Sammy!
Check it out.
Be careful.
(suspenseful music)
(grunts)
He's been gone too long.
- What are you going to do?
- All right, everybody up here.
Bring the Colonel!
Now let's move.
(sigh)
Now you're all aware of the situation.
There's only one defendable
area between here and our lines,
the abandoned fort.
Unfortunately, it's all open
ground between here and there.
We're going to have to make a run for it.
Now Colonel, you have a choice.
You can stay here and take
your chances with the Arabs.
Or you can come with us and fight.
- A hell of a choice.
- I'm sorry, it's the only one you've got.
- I go where the bomb goes.
- Good.
Rabbi, rear Jeep.
Colonel, Liora, you drive.
Good luck!
(engine turns)
(rhythmic music)
What the hell is that?
- I don't know.
It's Sammy.
(dramatic music)
(shouting)
- Okay, don't stop for anything!
(engines roar)
(rhythmic music)
(gunfire)
(shouting)
(Ben-David shouts)
- David! No!
(explosion)
(explosion)
(engines rumble)
- Filthy cowards.
We must go after them!
- But Malouf, we have
lost so many soldiers.
It would be dark before
we could attack that fort.
- And how many cursed Jews are there?
Less than the soles of your dirty feet.
Perhaps you are right.
Send for all the men you can get.
Will attack at first light.
(engines rumble)
(tires squeal)
(crashing)
(thud)
(footsteps)
- Mario, get the Colonel.
- Colonel.
- How bad is it?
- I don't know, I'm not a doctor.
- Can we count on help?
- Maybe.
If we can contact the border patrol,
and you take command.
- Command of what, six men and one woman
against 30 or 40 Arabs?
- Those are good Israeli odds, Colonel.
How about it?
- You don't leave a man a hell
of a lot of choices, Captain.
All right, Mario, get him over here.
- Meshugi!
Pupik!
Rony!
- Colonel's in command.
That's an order.
Colonel.
- There'll be six or seven
of them to every one of us.
But the Captain tells me
that that's just right
for you people.
- I'll have eight.
- All right, Meshugi, you hide the Jeeps.
Rabbi, you get the Captain out of sight.
Give him a gun.
Mario, Rony, Pupik,
get that bomb unloaded,
leave it right where it is,
so that Arab can see it.
- What do you want me to do?
- You know, I can't get over the feeling
that you should be at
home with a couple of kids
waiting for your husband to come in.
- But that's why we fight.
- Yeah.
All right, you stick with Ben-David.
Tell the Rabbi to go over and
help the boys with the bomb.
I'm going to think up a few surprises
for our friend Malouf.
- Colonel?
Why are you doing this?
- Ah, for one thing, I don't
think I can disarm that bomb
without those papers the Arab took.
- Is that the only reason?
- No.
- Shalom, Tony.
(engines rumble)
(ominous music)
(footsteps)
- I don't understand it.
The bomb is there, but no Jews.
Look for yourself.
- (grunts) You're right.
Nobody there.
But maybe they are sleeping.
- No.
I want to be sure.
Let's wake them up with some mortars.
(blast)
(blast)
Again!
(blast)
(blast)
Another one, but this time closer.
(blast)
(blast)
Either those Jews are heavy sleeper, or...
maybe they run away?
- Why they should leave the bomb?
- That's what I want you
to find out, my friend.
- But how?
- I want you to go down
there and check the place
very carefully.
- Okay.
I take a man and go--
- No, no, no, no.
You are the only one I can trust.
You will go alone.
If everything is okay,
you will give me a sign
with my scarf.
(mechanical humming)
(gunfire)
(dramatic music)
(footsteps)
(rhythmic music)
(shouting in Arabic)
(engines rumble)
(mechanical ticking)
(dramatic music)
(engine ignites)
(crash)
(blast)
(gunfire)
(shouting)
(explosion)
(gunfire)
(shouting)
(blast)
(gunshots)
(blast)
(gunfire)
(blast)
(shouting)
(shouting)
(blast)
(faint gunfire)
(sobbing)
- Come on, Pupik! (sobbing)
Come on, Pupik.
I'm going to take you home, Pupik.
(gunshots)
(Mario shouts)
Pupik! (sobbing)
Pupik.
(gunfire)
(poignant music)
(mechanical whir)
(gunshot)
(Liora cries out)
(gunfire)
(Malouf gasps)
- Take me home.
(dramatic music)
(thud)
(footsteps)
(poignant music)
- Someday death is going
to touch you personally,
and you will feel the pain.
Shalom, Tony.
(orchestral music swells)
(teletype clicking)
(Middle Eastern-style music)
(men praying in Hebrew)
(car horn)
(suspenseful music)
(door slams)
- [Ray] Colonel Anthony Stevens?
- [Stevens] Yes.
- [Ray] I'm Agent William Ray, CIA.
Would you come with me, please?
- [Stevens] What's this all about?
- [Ray] I've been instructed by Washington
to locate you immediately
for a top-priority mission.
- [Stevens] Hey, listen, I'm on vacation.
Can't you find someone else?
- [Ray] No, Colonel.
You're the only one in this area
with the nuclear qualifications necessary
for this assignment.
- [Stevens] Okay, okay, fill me in.
- [Ray] Last night, one
of our nuclear warheads
was accidentally dropped
on the Jordanian desert
not too far from here.
- [Stevens] How in the
hell did that happen?
- [Ray] I'll fill you
in on that part later.
- [Stevens] Give me the
rest of the good news.
- [Ray] We have a plane waiting for you,
what gear you'll need, and
your coded instructions.
Because of the extreme
secrecy of this mission,
you'll have to parachute
in alone, find that bomb,
and destroy that detonator
before anyone else can
get their hands on it.
- [Stevens] It doesn't sound
like a one-man job to me.
- [Ray] Listen, Colonel,
knowing your reputation,
this should be an easy one.
(dramatic music)
- [Stevens] I know about easy missions.
I spent two years in a foreign
prison on the last one.
(parachute rustling)
(footsteps)
(Geiger counter clicks on)
(Geiger counter ticks)
(footsteps)
(children singing)
(bus engine hums)
(singing gets louder)
(children laughing)
(dramatic music)
(rocket blast)
(fire roars)
(suspenseful music)
(Liora gasps)
(machine gun fires)
(engine roars)
(children singing faintly)
(Liora gasps)
(sobbing)
- Sorry, Lieutenant, but I'm on patrol.
Haven't had a bath in a week.
- Are you sure?
- That I haven't had a bath?
- No, that it's only been a week?
(Ben-David laughs)
- [Major] Come with me, please.
(door hinge squeaks)
- Captain, I want you
to go in after Malouf.
- General, I--
- You'll find him in
the area of Jabal Ram,
across the border in Jordan.
- General, I just spent three
weeks looking for that man
at the other end of Israel.
- But now you know where he is.
You get Malouf, Captain.
That's an order.
Major, take over.
- You'll leave as soon as
you've picked your crew.
Ben-David, you'll be in charge.
Lieutenant Schulman, who
knows Malouf by sight,
will be your second in command.
That is all.
(footsteps)
(gunshots)
(footsteps)
(gunshots)
(observers gasp)
(instrumental flourish)
(woman laughs)
(dramatic music)
(drums beating)
- How much did you make this time?
- Ben-David!
This is a surprise.
(footsteps)
- Hello.
- You've come to try again?
- Oh, no, no, I learned
my lesson in the Olympics.
I can't afford to gamble with you.
Liora, this is Namoi.
- Shalom.
- Shalom.
- What Minnesota Fats is
to the American pool room,
Namoi is to the Israeli rifle range.
She hustles these officers
in shooting matches
for more money than I could ever earn.
- Enough already, you're making me blush.
- And I happen to know that
nothing makes her blush.
- Now how would you know?
You passed out.
- She's right.
I got a hangover, she got a gold medal.
Big deal.
- What's happening?
- I've been reassigned.
You've just volunteered.
You're working under me.
- Well, working under you
is not exactly a mitzvah.
- How would you know?
I passed out, remember?
- [Liora] Not bad, huh?
(Ben-David laughs)
(speaking Hebrew)
(percussive music)
(engines rumble)
(door slams)
(footsteps)
- This is like going from
Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem by the way
of Honolulu.
- Why didn't we cross
closer to the target?
- Closer to the target?
Do you know how many Bedouin
scouts our Malouf has up there?
If I wanted to announce
my plans for the guy
I'd have taken out an ad in the paper.
- He wouldn't them posted
this far north, would he?
- There's a man with a brain.
That's why we cross here.
- I might have a chance to get
some hash from the Bedouins.
- Those Bedouins are too busy
making love to their sheep
to do business with you.
(laughter)
- All right, all right.
Rony, climb up over
and scout around, okay.
The rest of you back to the
vehicle, start unloading.
(men laughing)
- Here's our minefield, right?
No, it's theirs.
- Theirs? Where'd you get it?
- How do you think I got it, Mario?
From a jar of pickled herring?
Go tell Daphne to get
headquarters on the radio, okay?
- Yes sir, Sahib.
(ominous music)
(footsteps)
- You get him?
- Uh huh.
- Shakits one, this is
Shiksa, do you read me?
The tour bus is about to leave.
We should be at the hotel by sun up.
We run out of money I'll give you a call.
Shiksa out.
We should be in Khalifa by sundown.
- See if you can get Trenton,
New Jersey on the phone.
- [Daphne] Trenton, New Jersey?
- Call my bookie, tell him
to cancel all my markers
if I'm not back in 48 hours.
- What?
- You know you're not too
bright, but I love you.
(suspenseful music)
(engines rumble)
(engines dies down)
(speaking Hebrew)
- Okay.
- Benny, come over here!
- What is it?
(footsteps)
They're very heavy tank tracks.
Don't worry about it,
they're four days old.
- Oh really, how do you know?
What are you, an Indian scout?
- No, intelligence told me a
Palestinian patrol crosses here
every seven days.
One thing about Arabs, they
never change their schedules.
- Oh really, that's just terrific.
What happens if he decides to come back
and catches you here in
the middle of the desert?
Then what do we do?
- We sacrifice.
- What do you mean, "we sacrifice"?
- We stay and entertain the Arabs.
We escape.
- That's funny.
That's really funny.
- [Liora] Everything okay?
(engine ignites)
(agitated music)
(mechanical rumble)
- Hi baby. Behave.
(instrumental flourish)
- [Malouf] Now please
remove your hands slowly
and start backing away.
I am Abdel Malouf.
You may consider yourself a prisoner
of the Palestinian Liberation Army.
Please identify yourself.
- Colonel Anthony J. Stevens.
(engines roar)
(men shouting in Arabic)
- What do you think you're
going to do with that thing?
- Very simple. Use it.
- What in the hell does that mean?
- Eliminate the Zionist
military over Palestine.
Very simple.
One bomb.
No Jews.
- How are you going to get it there?
- I'm afraid your
American humor eludes me.
Aircraft will be available.
We at the Palestinian
Liberation have an understanding
with airlines.
(shouting in Arabic)
(tapping)
(wind whistling)
(dramatic music)
(music accelerates)
(footsteps)
(engines rumbling)
(footsteps)
- That's not Bedouin scouts.
He is wearing a uniform.
Malouf's camp is nowhere near here.
Why the sentry?
- I don't know.
Shit.
Sammy, go get Namoi, tell
her to bring up the silencer.
- Okay.
(footsteps)
- Namoi, get your silencer and come quick.
(gun clicking)
- Make sure he stays on that hill.
Wait.
Wait.
(gunshot)
Good girl.
Sammy, go replace that sentry.
- Okay.
Let's move. Come on.
(footsteps)
(shouting in Arabic)
- Major! Major!
Let me put it to you this way.
There's one hell of a punch
packed into that thing.
- We Arabs are not ignorant.
We understand nuclear power,
and the games that are played with it.
Possession of such a weapon will make
the Palestinian Liberation Army
a force to be reckoned with.
- You're missing the point, Major.
If that thing goes off, if you
don't let me de-activate it,
there will not be a Liberation Army.
(shouting in Arabic)
Aw, come on, Major, for God's sakes,
let me disarm the thing
before it goes off.
(thud)
(shouts in Arabic)
- Stupid guys.
- Most of them never had a pair of shoes
until they joined me.
But do not underestimate them.
What they lack in brains
they make up with courage.
Brain is of little significance.
- Major, you said that you
understand nuclear power.
If you don't let me deactivate that thing,
if it goes off--
- It will not go off.
I have read about the safeguards
that are built into such weapons.
- If the danger didn't
exist, I wouldn't be here.
Now if you don't let me deactivate it,
if it goes off, you can say goodbye
to most of the Middle East.
- What a joke.
Even the bombs you drop on Japanese?
- That was 28 years ago.
We've come a long way since then, baby.
Now if you don't care
about yourself, your men,
how about your family?
- My family is dead, thanks to the Jews.
- Thanks to the Jews.
(shouting in Arabic)
(thud)
(percussive music)
- Looks like they're loading
some kind of cylinder or tank.
- Let me see.
- Maybe they are putting up a gas station.
- [Ben-David] Sure, right
here in the middle of nowhere.
- Just like the Arabs.
They put up gas station,
forget to build the roads.
- There are plenty of roads there.
- Yeah, if you're a camel.
- Check it.
Well?
- It's very difficult to see their faces.
(ominous music)
- Just a minute.
It's him! That's Malouf!
- [Ben-David] Are you sure?
- I will never forget that bastard's face.
(shouting in Arabic)
(thud)
(mechanical hum)
(footsteps)
- I give you a chance to disarm it.
Any tricks, and I shoot.
- I'll need those papers.
(panel clicks)
(clicking)
(engines rumble)
(shouts in Arabic)
(gunfire)
(man cries out)
(engines roar)
(blast)
(gunfire)
(man cries out)
(gunfire)
(woman screams)
(man screams)
(blast)
(explosion)
(scream)
(scream)
(speaking in Hebrew)
(explosion)
(shout)
(gunfire)
(explosion)
(engine cuts out)
(gunfire)
(engine sputters)
(footsteps)
(suspenseful music)
(engine rumbles)
(poignant music)
- She doesn't need you any more.
Malouf got away.
Don't worry, we'll get him.
What have we got here?
- You can put that gun down.
I'm not going anywhere.
- You wouldn't get very far anyway.
- Is everything okay?
- [Stevens] How 'bout you?
You got any influence around here?
- Why do you want to know?
- Tell you girlfriend that
I'm not exactly the enemy.
The last time I heard, the
United States and Israel
were on fairly friendly terms.
- All right, you want to go tell Rabbi
to bury our dead, please?
Okay, who are you?
- Colonel Tony Stevens,
United States Air Force.
- I'm Captain Ben-David.
What are you doing here?
- The store sent me to fix the appliance.
- I'll repeat it, once.
What are you doing here?
- Actually, that bomb
was dropped accidentally
out of one of our aircraft.
They sent me here to disarm
it before it did any damage.
That's what I was trying to
do when the Arabs arrived.
Now that you people are here,
I'll just get on with my job, all right?
- Just stay where you are.
- Maybe I didn't make
myself clear, Captain.
That's a very dangerous thing back there.
You don't want to mess with it.
You'd be making a big mistake.
- You're making a mistake, Colonel.
That's no ordinary bomb.
As far as I can determine,
it's a nuclear weapon.
- Well, we don't like to advertise.
- Since we're both in enemy territory,
I'll take charge of it until we get back
to the proper authorities.
Until then, you can consider
yourself in my custody
until we hit the Israeli border.
Meshugi!
- Watch him.
If he makes a move toward
the bomb, shoot him.
Liora!
(gun clicks)
- You guys are as bad as the Arabs.
(footsteps)
Get headquarters on the radio.
Give them our exact location.
Tell them to send out the
largest helicopter they've got.
I want to fly that thing out of here.
- I'm afraid that's impossible.
- Why?
- The radio is completely
out of commission.
I just checked.
- Well, can't it be fixed?
- No way.
If you can make it down
to the Gulf of Eilat,
we should be able to raise
one of our detachments
with the walkie-talkies.
- What about the Arab vehicles?
Any radios in 'em?
- I'll check on it.
- Okay. Pupik!
Can you get that bomb on the truck?
- No, it took a couple of hits.
It's out of action.
- What are the possibilities
of getting it on the Jeep?
- No problem, all I need is a cable.
- There's one on the march.
Mario, give him a hand.
I want to get out of
here as soon as possible.
- Okay, big mouth, help
me load that mother
on top of the truck
without getting a hernia.
- A what?
- A 'killa.'
- Oh, Mario, you have no faith.
We take the shovel, we dig
a hole under the tail end
of the bomb, we lift it up with the cable.
That's all.
- Ah, very good.
Dig the hole for me for
when the bomb goes off.
- Put it down here.
(rattling)
Sammy, take it up.
- Ah, they may be able to repair this.
Better blow it.
Try a delayed charge.
- Yes, sir.
- Pull, pull.
(engine roars)
Pupik!
Stop, get away.
- All right.
Come on, more.
(chanting in Hebrew)
(pensive music)
- We'll be back for you.
(drums beating)
(engines roar)
(blast)
(speaking in Arabic)
- They will pass right
through this canyon.
I think we should send some
Bedouin to cut them off.
We shall attack from behind.
If we catch them in the ravine,
they will be trapped.
- What if they go right and
do not enter the ravine?
- Fool!
The right is the sea, and to
the left is the minefield.
And, with the bomb in front of them,
they can only go slowly.
So we shall have the time
to circle around them.
(rhythmic music)
- Sammy, check out the canyon.
(gun clicks)
(Meshugi mumbles)
The rest of the canyon's well protected.
- I give you this, you got
it further than the Arabs.
- No comprendo inglese.
- You Italian?
- No, only on my mother's side.
(footsteps)
- Hey, where are you from?
- Israel. I'm a Sabra.
- What's that mean?
- Just people who were born in Israel,
and would die for Israel.
Like Daphne and Chaim.
- Pupik.
- Yeah.
- Get off the bomb.
- Why?
- Because it's a bomb, that's why!
- Bomb, schmomb.
What the hell are we
doing here now, Mario?
We could be now in Jerusalem.
- If the bomb goes off,
we will be Jerusalem.
And Haifa, and Tel Aviv.
- That's not funny.
- Get off the bomb, Pupik.
- What do you think of our chances?
- Well, Malouf definitely
has the advantage.
I'd say 50-50.
- I hope so.
- So do I.
- It's clear.
- Okay, let's go!
(rhythmic music)
(door slams)
(engines ignite)
(horn honks)
(wheels strain)
All right, give him a hand.
Come on, let's get out of here.
(shouting)
(quick, suspenseful music)
He's too smart to follow us in here.
- Yeah, but...
- Sabra command to headquarters,
Sabra command to headquarters.
Come in, please.
(door hinge squeaks)
Sabra command to headquarters,
Sabra command to headquarters,
come in, please.
- Any luck?
- No.
It could be the canyon walls.
We're in too far.
Try again once we're clear.
All right, let's get ready to move out.
(gunshot)
(gunfire)
Medic!
Medic!
Where the hell is Shoshanna?
- I don't know.
She wandered off before
the shooting started.
- Forget it.
She's dead.
(poignant music)
Meshugi!
Go after Shoshanna.
Try to find her.
(gunfire)
- Why couldn't it have been him?
- Don't waste your breath on him.
His only purpose for
being here is to make sure
no one sees what's inside that bomb.
Isn't that right, Colonel.
- That's right, Captain.
It's none of your
business what's inside it.
- Maybe you would like to see
those Palestinian bastards
get hold of it, like they
did with the airline?
Is that it, Mr. Stevens?
- No, lady, that's not it.
The nuclear club is a fairly
exclusive organization, now,
we'd like to keep it that way.
- (scoffs) Another private club.
He needs it.
They don't want us to have it.
- As far as I'm concerned,
they can keep it.
- (scoffs) We can't just
leave it here for Malouf.
We've gotta get it back.
Well?
- Only the hat.
- How did those bastards
get their hands on her?
- She knew the risk.
All right, let's move.
Colonel.
- You're just going to leave her out here?
- The mission is more important.
- Aw, hell, Captain, what mission?
To get a bomb you know
nothing about and can't use
back to a country that shouldn't
have it in the first place?
- Get in the Jeep, Colonel.
(agitated music)
(engines rumble)
(spits)
- So, you are not hungry,
little Israeli, huh?
Hassan!
Bring me more coffee!
(slurps)
(speaking Arabic)
- Shh, speak English.
I don't want to be overheard.
- Do you think they will come for her?
- Of course.
If it were not for the bomb.
- They will make a trade for her?
- Would you?
- Such a bomb is worth a hundred of her.
With maybe even a goat or two, baksheesh.
- She is worth nothing,
except for an idiot like you.
(shouts)
(ripping)
- Bastard.
- Ha, you see, Hassan.
She finally found her tongue.
Tell me, little soldier.
Where is your captain?
What assistance does he expect?
- The assistance of the
entire Israeli army,
that's who.
- There, Hassan, if they
were expecting help,
she would have denied it.
- She may be lying on purpose.
- Hmm, trust me, Hassan, agent Malouf
will get back the bomb, for our people.
- Even if you did, you would
never be able to use it.
- That is where you are wrong.
With this, I fix the thing.
Hassan!
- Huh?
- You are my true friend.
I will leave the Jew for your pleasure.
But remember, share her with your friends.
- Please don't.
Don't.
Please don't.
No! (screams)
- [Ben-David] Mario, Pupik.
Grab on.
Rony, check the rear.
Take a little walk?
- Now, somebody once
told me that the Israeli
was basically warm and friendly.
- What do you want us to do?
Dance a hora for you?
- No, but how about a simple shalom.
- We just buried some friends, Colonel.
And a bus full of children
would still be alive
if it wasn't for Malouf.
- I had nothing to do with that.
- But you think you can
fly your bombs in the sky
and everybody down below
behaves without fear?
I'm afraid it doesn't work that way.
- I'm afraid you're oversimplfying.
- Oh really?
Then what is this doing here?
- I told you, it was an accident.
- I cannot concern myself with problems
over which I have no control.
All I care about in the moment is Malouf.
- There's more at stake here
than the life of one man.
Now why am I having such
problems getting that through
to you people?
- Because we put higher
value on our lives.
You Americans have let computers
do your thinking for you
for such a long time, you
have forgotten how to feel.
Death is just a number on a report to you.
It does not have any meaning at all.
- That's how you see us.
- No, that's how you see yourself.
But someday, someday death is
going to touch you personally.
And you will feel the pain.
And maybe then you
become involved with life
instead of just observing
it from behind a computer.
Shalom.
(poignant music)
(footsteps)
(rhythmic music)
(bomb hums)
- Oof!
(gun clicks)
- [Ben-David] One more time, Colonel.
- Well you better shoot me now, then,
because I'm going to
try every chance I get.
Nothing personal.
- You all right, Sammy?
- Yes.
- All right, Colonel, why
don't you get in the rear Jeep.
I'm sure Sammy will enjoy
keeping an eye on you.
(gun clicks)
Meshugi!
Get the rear Jeep!
Send Rabbi up to me!
(engine ignites)
- It looks like you're gonna make it.
- Damn right we will.
- You're both Sabras, right?
- So?
- You were born in Israel,
you care about Israel.
- What are you trying to say?
- Just trying to make a little sense.
You don't want that thing up there.
So long as you don't have it,
you're the little guy in the neighborhood
being picked on by the
big Arab boys, versteht?
- He speaks Yiddish.
- I'm just trying to get a little sense
through those thick
Israeli skulls of yours.
If you don't possess that
bomb, you're the underdog
that needs help from my country.
Come marching in there with big Bertha,
you're going to be cast
in the role of the heavy.
Nobody's going to help you.
- One of these days, we're not
going to need your help, men,
so save your little speeches.
(laughs)
- That's funny.
- Man, our people, we
just don't dig your music.
They're only soldiers, man.
They follow orders.
Me, I'm all for love and peace.
And for sure there is
no love in that thing.
(rhythmic music)
- Sammy!
Check it out.
Be careful.
(suspenseful music)
(grunts)
He's been gone too long.
- What are you going to do?
- All right, everybody up here.
Bring the Colonel!
Now let's move.
(sigh)
Now you're all aware of the situation.
There's only one defendable
area between here and our lines,
the abandoned fort.
Unfortunately, it's all open
ground between here and there.
We're going to have to make a run for it.
Now Colonel, you have a choice.
You can stay here and take
your chances with the Arabs.
Or you can come with us and fight.
- A hell of a choice.
- I'm sorry, it's the only one you've got.
- I go where the bomb goes.
- Good.
Rabbi, rear Jeep.
Colonel, Liora, you drive.
Good luck!
(engine turns)
(rhythmic music)
What the hell is that?
- I don't know.
It's Sammy.
(dramatic music)
(shouting)
- Okay, don't stop for anything!
(engines roar)
(rhythmic music)
(gunfire)
(shouting)
(Ben-David shouts)
- David! No!
(explosion)
(explosion)
(engines rumble)
- Filthy cowards.
We must go after them!
- But Malouf, we have
lost so many soldiers.
It would be dark before
we could attack that fort.
- And how many cursed Jews are there?
Less than the soles of your dirty feet.
Perhaps you are right.
Send for all the men you can get.
Will attack at first light.
(engines rumble)
(tires squeal)
(crashing)
(thud)
(footsteps)
- Mario, get the Colonel.
- Colonel.
- How bad is it?
- I don't know, I'm not a doctor.
- Can we count on help?
- Maybe.
If we can contact the border patrol,
and you take command.
- Command of what, six men and one woman
against 30 or 40 Arabs?
- Those are good Israeli odds, Colonel.
How about it?
- You don't leave a man a hell
of a lot of choices, Captain.
All right, Mario, get him over here.
- Meshugi!
Pupik!
Rony!
- Colonel's in command.
That's an order.
Colonel.
- There'll be six or seven
of them to every one of us.
But the Captain tells me
that that's just right
for you people.
- I'll have eight.
- All right, Meshugi, you hide the Jeeps.
Rabbi, you get the Captain out of sight.
Give him a gun.
Mario, Rony, Pupik,
get that bomb unloaded,
leave it right where it is,
so that Arab can see it.
- What do you want me to do?
- You know, I can't get over the feeling
that you should be at
home with a couple of kids
waiting for your husband to come in.
- But that's why we fight.
- Yeah.
All right, you stick with Ben-David.
Tell the Rabbi to go over and
help the boys with the bomb.
I'm going to think up a few surprises
for our friend Malouf.
- Colonel?
Why are you doing this?
- Ah, for one thing, I don't
think I can disarm that bomb
without those papers the Arab took.
- Is that the only reason?
- No.
- Shalom, Tony.
(engines rumble)
(ominous music)
(footsteps)
- I don't understand it.
The bomb is there, but no Jews.
Look for yourself.
- (grunts) You're right.
Nobody there.
But maybe they are sleeping.
- No.
I want to be sure.
Let's wake them up with some mortars.
(blast)
(blast)
Again!
(blast)
(blast)
Another one, but this time closer.
(blast)
(blast)
Either those Jews are heavy sleeper, or...
maybe they run away?
- Why they should leave the bomb?
- That's what I want you
to find out, my friend.
- But how?
- I want you to go down
there and check the place
very carefully.
- Okay.
I take a man and go--
- No, no, no, no.
You are the only one I can trust.
You will go alone.
If everything is okay,
you will give me a sign
with my scarf.
(mechanical humming)
(gunfire)
(dramatic music)
(footsteps)
(rhythmic music)
(shouting in Arabic)
(engines rumble)
(mechanical ticking)
(dramatic music)
(engine ignites)
(crash)
(blast)
(gunfire)
(shouting)
(explosion)
(gunfire)
(shouting)
(blast)
(gunshots)
(blast)
(gunfire)
(blast)
(shouting)
(shouting)
(blast)
(faint gunfire)
(sobbing)
- Come on, Pupik! (sobbing)
Come on, Pupik.
I'm going to take you home, Pupik.
(gunshots)
(Mario shouts)
Pupik! (sobbing)
Pupik.
(gunfire)
(poignant music)
(mechanical whir)
(gunshot)
(Liora cries out)
(gunfire)
(Malouf gasps)
- Take me home.
(dramatic music)
(thud)
(footsteps)
(poignant music)
- Someday death is going
to touch you personally,
and you will feel the pain.
Shalom, Tony.
(orchestral music swells)