Flag, The (1949)

[bunniefuu]

THE FLAG

You're not ready yet? - We still have the
time. - Help me zip this.

I'm so nervous.
- You have your debut tonight.

It's not my first performance, but
even then, I still get nervous.

Fear that something embarrassing
will happen to me.

That I'll trip and fell on the stage.

I'm nervous because I have to get out there.
- I can't wait to get on the stage.

Only then, when I'm on the stage in front
of the audience, I know I'm really living.

Everything else... - Everything else?
- Everything else is not real life.

I think that actors and dancers live only
when they're on the scene.

You think that an artist doesn't have to live
with things around him? Outside the stage?

You're wrong.

A Real artist takes initiatives from
his own life.

And only like that one can create
permanent and valuable things.

You see.. I wasn't on the stage
for three years.

Is that mean that I wasn't alive
during that time?

Marija, tell us about that.

To tell you?
- Yes, you promised us.

In 1942. we had some kind of
ballet performance.

The Show was near the end.

Oh, little girl! How was it?
- Divinely stupid, as always.

Miss, miss! Be careful! Take care
of your costumes!

What do you say children? Our star got
roses again! - Red ones!

Red rose means that the red color
interpreter itself.

I love roses, but not fake ones.

Not the ones that smell like moth ba*ls.
- Of course, only natural!

Those are too expensive.
- But herr general is paying for them.

Yes, but she does too. - I'd sell them back
to the flower shop. - And buy stockings! Silk one.

I'd rather eat good, for once.

Complete menu, a la carte. What do
you say? - You cow!

Baked chicken with salad! - No, soup first.
Then roast, and it should be goose!

That's right, goose!
- Then cream, and black coffee.

And cake?
- Chocolate one. - I think that'd be enough.

You'd eat all that? - I would.
- Without general? - Without knight too?

Of course, without knight too.

Tonight I'm celebrating a victory.
- What victory? - In combat on Kalnik.

Will you celebrate with me? - I don't
celebrate victories.

If I ask you nicely? - Not even then.
I'm going to see my mother tomorrow.

Say hi to her from me. Can I drive you
home. - Thanks, please don't bother me.

Your papers!

Thank God, you came home!
- Good evening ma'am! - Good evening.

What would your mother say if she knew
in what time are coming home?

Aren't you afraid?

And how can you perform so late
during w*r?

Don't get angry, w*r is far away from us.
- Who knows, maybe it's not.

Hello? - Can you hear me?
- I do. - Is Mary there?

Miss Mary, it's for you.

Hello? - Would join us after all?
Should I pick you up?

Who does he think he is?
- Hello? Mary? Mary?

What the hell is wrong with this phone?
- Excuse us.

In five minutes, they'll transport
dead comrades.

Is everything clear? - It is.
- I'm sh**ting first. - Yes.

But listen, b*llet, then get the flag!

If everything goes well, I'm going
back to Kalnik.

Martin, you go to that old peasant
in Podravina.

As soon as you arrive, get in
touch with the committee.

Hello, Martin. - Hello.
- What is happening outside?

You arrived just now?
- Yes.

Your mother is sick.
- Sick?

Who is that?
- Marija Plemencic, ballerina.

Let's go, comrades.

Mother!
- My child!

My dear child. I knew that you'll come.

My heart was telling me.

You're sick? Why didn't you tell me?
- That's nothing, it'll go away.

I feel better the moment I see you.

You brought me flowers? - I forgot, happy
birthday, I wish you all the best!

I wish you to live many years, peacefully
and happy.

What happened? Marija, speak!

What is it? What happened? Tell me!

No, please stay still, stay in bed.
- What happened? - Nothing.

Run away! Ustashas are coming!
They're kicking people out!

Come out to see your liberators
and their flag!

Check is there anyone upstairs.

Is there anyone else up there?
- No, there's no one.

Come on! Get down!

Run, Martin! Go!

Keep it safe! Run away!

They're burning villages!

Commandant got k*lled, squad is broken,
they took our flag too!

We started too soon.
- Who started too soon can go back home!

We don't need cowards! Nor traitors!
- Stop!

Who goes? Pass!

Where is the flag? - Martin saved the flag,
but he got shot while running away.

We don't know anything about him.
Comrades, I brought some new fighters.

Why are you sad? You're watching them
burn everything!

Enemy is saying that he destroyed you.
That he cleansed forests of Kalnik of partisans.

And you show them, comrades, that you still
exist! That you're alive and fighting!

You're the only hope for the people
in this area.

Our party has great trust in you.
- Comrade Petar, you be our commandant.

I can't comrades. Comrade Tito is sending
a few battalions to help us.

My mission is to meet them. Comrades are
coming from Slavonija, Kordun and Banija.

Here, read this!

Main headquarters of the partisans g*ng in
Croatia is sending reinforcements to Kalnik!

People from Kordun and Banovci.
- Nice g*ng.

Yes, but that g*ng got trough our position,
and it's already in these sectors.

And do you know, my gentlemen, what
Kalnik means to us?

And for you too! And for you too!

We cannot endure sh**ting everywhere.
We need peace.

Here at least. Here at least!

Zagorje should be cleansed, no matter what!

Sir Colonel, we'll do everything we can,

but if we can only get more weapons.
- Weapons?

We gave more weapons to Croatian army
than our own forces on the front.

And where are those weapons today?
Partisans have it!

And you were showing off that you
destroyed Kalnik group.

Herr Major Vuksan, not only you didn't
destroy partisans, they even took the flag!

In brought day light, in the middle of
the occupied city! Scandal!

What do you have to say about that?
- We already made investigation. - And?

We removed fifty hostages.
- That's nothing! Thousand if necessary!

Arrest them, sh**t them!

Death by sh**ting! Death by hanging!
Death! Death!

Pull yourself together. Those are nerves.
- But I can't take it anymore.

That's all a lie! Powdered faces, masks!
- Calm down, please!

I am Marija, just Marija. I'm sick
of everything.

You're upset. - I can't take it anymore.
- Quiet, that happens everywhere. w*r is w*r.

That's not true! That's barbaric!

Beating on the streets. People were
forced to watch that.

Criminals!
- Come down, dear.

Our scene is coming up.
- I can't take it anymore!

I can't sleep for nights.

I keep dreaming dead people, the flag.

And he, he was bragging to me.
He was celebrating victory.

I can't even breathe anymore in this town.

Tell me, what should I do?

You told me once, when I can't live like
this anymore, that I should come to you.

You promised me that you'll show me
the way into the new life.

How can they laugh now?

Masks! Feasts!

And they're k*lling people out there.

I was watching all that with my own
eyes. And I was able to see!

And how can I dance in front of criminals
and murderers? I can't and I won't.

I beg you, help me leave that hell.

I feel, I know that you can do that.

Transfer me across, I'll deliver the
flag to them.

Yes, I will help you.

Your papers.

Ivanka Kapic, teacher.

Your traveling passport?

You're traveling to Brezovac, right?
- I'm transferred.

Why should we tire our fighters? We have
five more days until we reach Kalnik.

Let's exchange our hats, so they can guess
who's Home Guard soldier and who's partisan!

How much security do they have?
- One squad, often train goes without it.

They don't expect partisans. - Well?
- I'm in. - Me too. - Get ready to move.

Comrades, let's hurry up.

Telephone and telegraph.

Come on pops, make some room.

How's it going pops?
- Ah well... It's fine.

Aren't you afraid to travel like this, pops?
- Afraid of who?

You're not scared of partisans? - Partisans?
They aren't afraid of me, or me of them.

What would you do if partisans come here now?

I don't know... It would be a total chaos.

Tickets, please!

Hands up! Hands up!

My God, there's no army like this in the world!

You're already here.
- It's a nice view from up here.

Come on, play it!
- Let's go.

And so... You're saying that you came
to join the partisans.

And we shortened your trip.

Alright. And why didn't you bring the flag?

I told you, before my departure I had to
give it away. - To whom?

I don't know, I never saw that man before.

And who sent him to you?

Old man, prop supplier in theater.

You haven't slept for a few nights.

Courier is waiting outside, he'll
take you to get some sleep.

Good night.
- Good night.

So, what do you say?

I don't believe her much.
- But the flag is saved after all.

Saved.

Yes, it's a bit unbelievable, but
he should check.

I'd send her to the squad, to smell some
g*n powder. - Let's not be hasty.

We'll talk about it, now let's go to sleep.

It's late. - I'll check guards again.
- Alright, please turn off the lights.

Good night, comrade commissioner.
- Good night.

How are you Miso? - Good, comrade commandant.
- Bye, and be careful. - I will, commandant.

Stop! - I stopped. - Who goes?
- Commandant. - Forward.

Anything new? - No.
- Everything alright? - Yes.

Goodbye.
- Goodbye.

What's the matter with you?

Don't cry.

Good night.

Hello, Mitra!
- Hello, comrade commandant.

What are you doing?
- I'm rewriting an article.

Do you have many left?
- Pretty much. - Listen...

It'd be good that you go next door.
Help that girl there.

She's crying. Take her with you.
- I will.

Is it good? And now some partisan shower.

Comradess, comrade commissioner
is calling you.

Comrades, where are our diversionists?
- In headquarters.

Come on comradess.

Finally we have one real actress.
- You're an actress?

What parts did you play? - That doesn't
matter. - Here you can play anything!

But I'm not actress. - Then what?
- A dancer. - Oh, a dancer.

We don't have parts for that.
- But I do!

So, it's like that.

What's bothering you?
- Please understand me.

I'm sick of theater, stage, acting.
I'm sick of lies.

Anyway, I'm not actress.
- You're a dancer. - I am.

And you love your art?
- Yes, I loved it.

Once, dance was everything to me.

For so long, until something broke
inside me.

What can I tell you, I can't take it anymore.
I hate it. - It's possible.

But you'll start to love it again,
here among us.

We're not just cleansing the country
of the enemies,

in that fight, we're cleansing
ourselves too.

We're becoming better, more noble,

and something else. Happier.

Let's drop that. We'll talk about
that some other time.

For now it can be as you wish.
You may go.

And another remark. It's custom here
that we address each other as friends.

After all, we're all comrades.

Well? What's new? - Partisan radio is
reporting about offensive of Bosnian units.

Duvno, Livno, Glamok are taken. - I know!
Drvar, Bihac and... - I know that too!

Slavonian units have taken...
- I know, I know!

Don't report me old and known things.
- Partisan squad on Kalnik have captured train,

and transported their army towards
their goal. - What?!

They're riding trains now?! - After that,
they disarmed our men in Zavrsje,

blow up the mine in Kuzmince, destroyed
ustasha group at Lepince,

they attacked the police station in
Bogovce, and they moved on.

Nice country. That is a scandal!

Kalnik. What is drawing our fighters
to that mountain

that maybe they never saw in their lives.
- Wish to complete their mission.

Alright. But no one is sending me, I
came by myself.

But I too feel, that my heart is drawing me
further with you, on Kalnik.

I don't know what is that.

Maybe I'm hoping to find that boy there,
who threw a flag to me, Martin.

Maybe he stayed alive.
- Maybe he's fallen.

So many nice comrades around us. They'd
gave their lives for every inch of this country.

And you? You came to partisans,

but when you became odious because of
ours accidental roughness, you almost left.

You're living with us, seeing so much
crimes from fascists,

and you're blaming us for burning trains,
blowing up mines, and cutting communications.

You say "We'll need it". Well, the
occupants needs it today!

And tomorrow, when we need it, we'll built
it even better and prettier.

Just for one child, for one woman
that fascists slaughtered her.

Or throwing her alive in the fire,
who demolished

all roads and bridges, and burned
everything that served them!

And you see, that's not about life of one
woman, child or an old man,

it's about life of whole our people.

Comrade commandant, comrade
commissioner is calling you.

Hello, comrade commissioner.
- Hello Petar, sit down.

How's Marija doing?
- She's slowly adjusting.

We still have the road... And the railway.

And when we get across, we're on Kalnik.
- Yes.

Kalnik. No one felt so much joy because of
it, like our squad commandant.

But he won't see it.

He got k*lled while we were
crossing Sava.

Then the curtain goes up, and we're
waiting behind the backdrops.

Then the stage manager is coming,
he's the man who's sending us on stage.

And we just fly off, and we're
already dancing.

You'd fall down a lot if you were
dancing in these boots.

Back then I had small ballet
shoes. This small.

And I was wearing a little silk dress,
I was in the court pageboy clothes,

and I was a flower too, and a butterfly.

And now... It's like I'm dreaming.

That was all false and without value.
I know that.

What would I dance here?

I don't know.

Comrade commissar, courier from central
committee has arrived. - Petar!

You're alive!
- Of course I am!

Hello comrade! - Hello! - Comrades,
Zagreb party organization is sending

a flag of the Kalnik squad!

Russia! I was there, you know.

They're saying, there's a land over
there. Siberia.

Yes, Siberia. There was a prince there.

He planted when in the morning, and in the
evening, it was this high! - Not that high.

It is, sonny, I'm telling you.
- Good land!

And Krauts wanted it!
- But the Russian won't give!

He wanted ours too, but partisan won't
give! - I won't give it either!

What is it, comrades?

Don't get angry, we brought you something.

So you have it for your butterflies
and ferries.

You know, for your parts that you were
telling us about.

How could I ever thank you, comrades?
- You can dance!

Partisan squads that are acting in
the Kalnik area,

on the railway during the night,
or early in the morning.

On the places where their crossing can
be expected, set up ambushes.

Partisans should be surrounded tomorrow,
and destroyed by 19:00!

First squad with two platoons,
to the security.

Second squad, to the vanguard.

Wounded and heavy machine g*n section,
between third and fourth squad.

Take cover!

We have to retreat!

I was watching them from 10 meters away!
They were crawling!

Like maggots! And then!

They want to go to Kalnik. And what am I?

But they keep forgetting that the ustasha
Major is there!

Were you faithful to me while I was away?
- As always.

Wait, you can't do it like that! Kneel,
and I'll confess you!

Let me hear what did you do, you scum!
- You're not a priest so I confess to you!

You want a priest?

I have that too. I have a holy man!

Bring me that old man! - And a young
one, for me! - Both of them!

Come closer! Why are you standing there,
like wooden saints!

Do you believe in God, old man?

I do.

And you?
- I do not!

Since you knew how to
keep partisans safe,

I guess you'll know how to keep
confessed secrets.

Kneel! Kneel, and confess her!

But listen, like a real priest!

And out loud! So everyone can hear it!

I told you to kneel!

On your knees, old man!

Come closer, sonny.

Where is the flag?

Speak!
- Here!

It's true, we weren't careful enough.

Our fighters are exhausted, wounded ones
without proper care.

But is that a reason, comrades, to
give up on our mission?

We should rest first.
- No.

Fighters don't need rest, they need victory!

They want to reach Kalnik, and that
is our mission.

Not at dawn or night, we'll go across in
daylight, surprise and destroy the enemy,

and bolster our flag at the top of Kalnik.

It's a nice song.
- From the old days.

For rebellion.

Insubordination of our people is
expressed in it.

It's persistent fight for justice and freedom.

What are you thinking about?

It often comes to me. I feel something,
and I'd like to express it with words,

but I can't.

When I listen the song of our fighters,
when I look in the faces of our fighters,

in you.

When I remember everything I've been trough
with you, I want to cry.

I don't know is it because of sorrow,
or because of joy.

The best thing with you is that the
man can discover itself.

Discovers the purpose of its being.
And artist... Artist...

No, I can't express that.

Tomorrow we will fight,

maybe I'll die. But until I exist,
I'll breathe with these forests,

with comrades, and with our squad.
And if I survive,

one day I'll express everything I feel
now with dancing.

You'll be next to me again.

Where is Marija?

In the woods.

She became a partisan sl*t!

My child is not a sl*t.

I raised her!

She'll pay for that.

Who carried the flag to the partisans?

Just wait, you'll talk!

List of old men!

I'll show them... Their Kalnik!

Faster, faster!

This one, this one too.

And this one!
- Who is that?

Father of the one who ran in the woods.
- That one too.

To hell, all of them! There.

Write down that old hag, too!

Wait! Give me, I'll do it myself.

Ready.

Partisans forces got across the railway
and reach Kalnik. - What?!

To the post, every single one!

If partisans get trough, I'll slaughter
all of you!

What about these?
- Eliminate them!

Inform everyone, Kalnik on sight!

Downhill and loosely ground.

No one got trough there yet.

But partisans will!

Try not to be spotted until the last minute.

Goodbye, Petar. And good luck.
- Goodbye, comrade commissioner.

And we'll see each other on top of Kalnik.

Listen, we'll start in 15 minutes.
- Yes, comrade commissioner!

Don't worry, I'll eliminate them all!

On your posts!

That's what happened. - Where is he?
- Petar?

He got k*lled one year before the liberation.
- He got k*lled?

You know why I told you all this? Never
separate art from life.

The dance that I will perform tonight,
will be just a modest attempt

to express what I've experienced,
trough dancing.

Comradess Marija, these flowers are for you.

Comradess Marija, fighters and leaders
of the Kalnik squad.