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Blackthorn (2011)
Dear Ryan,
I reckon you're feeling lonely now that your mother is gone. You're too young for something like this. She must've told you about me, and I never stopped thinking about you. Even though I've never seen you, I bet my best memories I'd recognize you in the blackest night. These past years have been hard on us all. Very few of us are still around. The land where I live now is a good one, quiet people, peaceful for the most part. But it's not home. That's why it's time for me to come back... You'll burn this letter after you read it, like your mother would've done, and wait for me. Much love, your uncle. I can't come tomorrow. We need you to pay us for this week's work. And for the seeds too. You never paid for them. You know where the money is. Just take it. No. You're the boss. You have to give it to me. I can't take it. That would be wrong. I'm not your wife. Sure. You're right, Yana. You're right. I have rain gear. Mr. James, you're going away, aren't you? My mom says all gringos leave once they have lots of money. You're a gringo, but you don't have that much money. I'll have enough after selling the horses. Take care, Yana. I'll see you when I'm back from Potosi. Then I'll leave for good. There ain't no grave can hold my body down. There ain't no grave can hold my body down. When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna rise right out of the ground. Ain't no grave can hold my body down. Well, I look way down the river And what do you think I see? I see a band of angels And they're coming after me. There ain't no grave can hold my body down. There ain't no grave can hold my body down. Well, look down yonder, Gabriel, Put your feet on the land and see. But Gabriel, don't you blow your horn Until you hear from me. There ain't no grave can hold my body down. There ain't no grave can hold my body down. Take care of him. I'm withdrawing all mymoney. In dollars, please. Mr. Blackthorn, have we done anything to upset you? You know, there is just one thing. I can't remember ever being so well received in a bank before. Good day. Your whisky, sir. American. Here. Thanks. Americans are creatures of habit. They have excellent Scotch here, French cognac... But Mr. Blackthorn here likes to stick with his old gringo whisky. Yeah, it just seems to haunt me, you know. To a fine sale. Thank you. You have quite a talent for breeding horses. Those horses will be the envy of many men around here. But you'd think that here, in Bolivia, with so many bloody Indians, it would be simple to find good horses. Indians got nothing to do with it. The terrain's too rugged here for good horses. Too high. I was wondering if maybe you all would like to play a few rounds of cards. What you think? Yes, we're in. I miss a good card game out on the ranch. Ain't nothing but a goddamned bunch of Indians out there, you know. There's no civilized folk, like yourselves. Easy. Don't leave me now, Cinco. Easy, buddy. Easy, buddy. Don't move! Come here, horse. That's it. Goddamnit! - I'm out of bullets. - Get up. Please. I'm freezing. Are you Chilean? Spanish. Conquistador! I just came here to work. Are you going to kill me? So you speak English. You got any idea where in the world we are? We're in the middle of nowhere. My entire future ran off with that horse. Everything I've got. 6.000 dollars to get me back home. Horse alone's worth 500. Now I've got your miserable life on my hands... Ain't worth a nickel. I'm sorry. I thought you were after me. Please, I just want to live a little longer. You do, huh? Be my guest. Eat. Eat, you flea-ridden coward. It was just a little jump. "The best horses..." Filthy hag! I'll run you all the way from here to El Paso! Oh, shit. Come on. Fuck! What the hell are you doing, Butch? - Not the best place to rest. - It has a nice view. She's handy. You teach her? I don't think anybody ever taught her anything. And it's about time you learned her name. Kid, I think it's time for us to go. Don't worry, those were the last. You're not listening. I mean go as in leave. Go to South America. Now. Butch wants to leave. Go to South America. And he wants me to go with him. Why you tellin' me? I think it might be a good idea. The three of us. That's all. It's a great idea. You're pushing your luck, son. Please. They've been following me for days. I need your help. Alright, now you can be on your way. Taypi is only about 15 miles away down the tracks here, so you just follow it. Even if I make it, they'll catch me. And they'll kill me. Well, good for them, whoever they are. I'm not gonna repeat myself, you son of a bitch! Get up and get down the tracks! Please. Have pity and help me. I can give you your money back. I have the money, but it's hidden. That's why they're after me. You'd better not be playing me, you bastard! It's two or three days on horseback from here. An abandoned mine. I'm an engineer. I worked at the tin mines. That's why I came over from Spain. When we get there, I'll give you your money back. I promise. That's not good enough. I stole from the mine I was working in, in Oruro. Those mines are well-guarded. Patio owns all that. Yeah. You stole from Simn Patio? You're planting high cotton, boy. Can I have a drink? Patio, huh? Yes. I robbed the Suyana Mine. Patio... You know him? I know snakes, no matter what hole they crawl out of. - How many's following you? - I don't know. A dozen maybe, I'm not sure. How far back are they? A day or two. Not anymore. Who are you? My name is Eduardo. How much money did you steal, Eduardo? Not much. Just enough to... Nobody steals "not much" from the richest man on the continent. How much did you steal? 10,000 pounds sterling. 50,000 American dollars, more or less. Well, that's 25,000 for me, then. But you said 6,000. Look, the only reason that you're alive is that you might have some money. Now you owe me half! You owe me for every step I take without a horse, every hour I go without water and you also owe me for not shooting your sorry ass the first time I saw you! - Do you understand? - Yeah. Now shut the fuck up and just follow me. Fuck! Four days without a hat. This plateau sun is killing me. Meet me at the cantina. Keeper. We only have chicha. No. I want a pitcher of water. There's only chicha. Yeah... Two Bolivianos. Give me a drink. And I want two boxes of ammunition too. The same as yours. - I only have one. - Okay. Thanks. I bought us a couple of mules. That's all there is around here. At least buy me a drink. You'll soon be rich. Nice pistol. I should thank you. I could have died. The plateau is like hell. You got no business judging this land. And I'm not helping you either. I'm just trying to get back what's mine. Okay. - So, what do we do now? - Drink. - Okay. We agree on something. - In silence. Will you get your ass up! I've got a couple mules here. Let's get mounted. Come on! I'm ready when you are. Thank you. If that money doesn't exist, I'm going to kill you. And take my sweet time doing it too. Shouldn't we move faster? Last time you moved faster you killed your horse, don't you remember? I wouldn't say I killed my horse. You wouldn't, huh? What would you say? Hey, who do you think you are? We could get shot any minute now and you're acting like... What? Come on. Enough already! Go to hell, man! Go to fucking hell! The last miner left 8 years ago. There were 10,000 people living here at one point. Patio was convinced he could bleed a little more out of it. So, when I came over from Spain, he sent me here and had me searching six months. For nothing. I know this mine like I dug it myself. You'd better. Are you going to kill me when you get the money? Come on, let's get this over with. Wait. I have no reason to trust you either. There's a lot of money at stake. Where did you get that antique? I'm not so bad with Bolivian women. So, are you going to shoot me now? No, I don't want to. We've been together for days and I don't even know your name. I can't trust someone with no name. Well, you ought to trust me. I saved your life a couple of times, didn't I? Besides, I'm not your problem. That's your problem over there. What? That dust. Those could be several of your friends at full gallop. You're empty, son. You're a son of a bitch. Yeah. You should hear what they called me back in Wyoming. We're close. Next gallery to the left. Watch your head. When did you find out I had the other revolver? About ten minutes ago. Giddy up, son! Bring the light! I'm not a goddamn mole! It's all here. I'm willing to split it now. - What's to split? - Sorry? There's nothing to split. It's useless in here. I mean, if you make it out of here alive, it might be worth something. But right now all you got is your stupid gun and your lamp. How the hell do we get out of here? - Just follow me. - Yeah, that's what I've been doing. Come on! The mine has lots of ways out to the mountain. Now what, Mr. Engineer? Shoot the lights! Leave them blind! Okay, here's your gun back. - Ready? - Ready. Goddamned Spaniard! You call this a way out? I could find my way out of Hell easier than this. Thanks to this way out, it'll be impossible for them to pick up our trail again, old man. Where the hell are we? - We're safe. - Safe? You stole 50,000 dollars. You ain't gonna be safe for long. Well, I guess I'll have to live with that. But I feel good. I feel better than ever. My name's James Blackthorn. Utah, United States. Eduardo Apodaca. From Madrid, Spain. Rosario is not too far from here. We can buy some cheap horses over there. I got me a little ranch somewhere around here. We can get some rest up there. Sometimes it's beautiful... It is that. You kept me waiting for an hour for that? You in a hurry? Sometimes, this is like having a little friend along with you. - Maybe even better. - Yeah. Well, my name it is Sam Hall, Sam Hall My name it is Sam Hall, Sam Hall My name it is Sam Hall and I hate you, one and all And I hate you, one and all Damn your eyes! To the gallows I must go, I must go To the gallows I must go, I must go To the gallows I must go, while you critters down below Yell out: "Sam, I told you so" Well, damn your eyes! Now the preacher he did come, he did come Yes, the preacher he did come, he did come The preacher he did come and he preached till Kingdom come Well, you can kiss my bloody bum Damn his eyes! My name is Samu-el, Samu-el My name is Samu-el, Samu-el My name is Samu-el, I'll see you all in Hell An' I'll see you all in Hell Damn your eyes... You're rich, right? I mean, your family. Well, I guess it depends on whom you compare me to. Poor people. In that case, I reckon you could say I grew up comfortably. Never rode with a gentleman before. Never thought I would. Friendship is the most valuable thing a man can have. It's worth more than money, land, horses or cattle. It might be the only thing you never forget. And it lasts forever. Your father believed that. Your mother did too. You just have to hold the cards steady. Rattlesnake bites are your thing, not mosquitoes. Etta bought these suits so we could wear them, Butch. Now get up off your sorry ass and come downstairs with us. Argentinians know plenty, but not about poker. Not about poker, my friend. You two are... you're quite a sight. All the more reason for you to join us. Go on, get out of here, damn it. I need some sleep. Bring me up someting to drink. And watch yourselves. Come on, Butch... Ain't nobody been chasing us for a long time. "Ain't nobody been chasing us for a long time." - Damn your eyes. - Shut up. We'd have been long gone three days ago if it hadn't been for your mosquito bite. I can't even pronounce the name of this damn place. San Juan. Anyways... And why the hell haven't they put cuffs on us? They probably don't have any handcuffs. This is humiliating. You don't say. Right, here we go. Sir, there's your gringo bandits. One's sick. Sorry to hear you've not been too well. It's just an insect bite, Mr. MacKinley. Nothing serious. Yes, these places... You never know what'll be the next damn insect or vermin to rip a piece off of you. Look. Snake bite, two years ago at Chaco. There's a saying around here: "Dos pasitos". "Two steps". They say that by the third step you're dead. I got lucky. This one was last winter in Atacama. A scorpion the size of a clock. I could hardly walk for two months. Then I was left with this lump. But I'm sure I'm not telling you a damn thing you don't know yourselves. We've all been in the same places. It was about time we met face to face. - Finally. - Go to hell, MacKinley. Let's get it over with. I can't wait. Open. It's the sheriff. Mr. Albion MacKinley, may I introduce Miss Etta Place. Well, well, MacKinley. You're a gentleman. I thought all Pinkerton men were bloodthirsty thugs sold to the highest bidder. - You gonna run in your underwear? - What? I have a gift for you. It's a gringo machine. Silver is best used for other things. I don't understand that time. Yeah, me neither. Don't do that! It's mine! Keep it. It's something to remember me by. Cheers. Cheers. To the two of you. I'm going to go. It's dark out. Yana, you know I'm going back to my country tomorrow. For good. Spend the night here, please. I can't. My family's waiting for me. It's dark out. Sure. I have rain gear. - No? - No. Goodbye, Mr. James. Take care of yourself. What about all this? This? It's just a place. Yana and her family'll make good use of it. They live off the land. More? About two months ago I got a letter from San Francisco. A woman I'd loved very much died of tuberculosis. Left an only kid, a son I've never seen before. So I figured now might be a good time to go back and pay him a visit. Keep each other company. Sometimes I think there's only two moments in a man's life. One's when he leaves home. The other one's when he returns. Everything else is just in the middle. Well, it looks like we'll be headed in different directions, won't we? Mr. James? Yana? Good morning. What do you want? We found your horse in the desert four days ago. Where is he? He's dead. But we have your blankets and your money. So? Where's your friend the Spaniard? What friend? Fucking gringo! That's enough. All right, let's get this over with. Go. Shit! Here, you might need to use this. Thanks for that. They're smart. Someone must have told them we were together, so they sent two women so we wouldn't suspect. When they realize they are not coming back, they will come after us. He's waiting outside? Yeah. It's a long trip. If I made it here, I can make it back. We all can. He'll forgive you. You know what he's like. Nothing to forgive, Butch. I'm not walking out on you. I'm just defending what's ours. Come with me. Come on. You're not young anymore. Truth be told, we're still losing. You'd never have any peace. I love you both. Tell him. Wait! What will you name it? Ryan. She'll come back. I know it. Of course. Who could stay away from all this? If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold, And you have to get along with meager fare, Just remember, in His Word, how He feeds the little bird; Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. Leave it there, oh, leave it there. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. The Uyuni Salt Flats. There's nothing more beautiful. It's like a sweet death. It's gonna be tough, but it's the only way over those mountains. On the other side, I can catch me a boat back home from Chile or Peru. Come on over here, son. Get down. Drop your pants. Are you nuts? If we don't heal those saddle wounds, you can't ride. You're gonna die out here. Come on, turn around. You ready? This might sting a little bit. There you go. Fuck! Your ass is softer than a bookkeeper's. Are you okay? Yeah. It's been a long time since I've been out here. I like these places. They can't be used. They got no owners. But they will. That's how life works. I hope I'm dead when that day comes. James. I wanted to say... All that happened about Yana and... I knew the risks as well as you, going in. There's nothing to say. Maybe we should shelter up down there. It's gonna freeze tonight. These horses aren't gonna last long at this altitude. No air, no water... What did you do in your country? I think you got a pretty good idea, don't you? We covered more than six states, back in the day. Some of 'em bigger than this whole country. Of course things were different back then. There was room for everybody. Then the railroad came in, and big ranchers. Everything changed. It turned into a kind of a war. We ended up on the losing end of the stick. And why Bolivia? It was far, far away. - Far away from what? - Everything. See, one day... I woke up and... found myself alone. Seemed like everybody I knew was either dead or in jail. They thought I was dead too. So I just... did what any good dead person would do. I went off and raised me some horses. Twenty years! That's a big change. Quiet times. I am too long in the tooth to go off and be what I used to be, just an ordinary old bandit. You should have become a rancher, too. You'd be rich now, instead of being here with me. Rich? I've been my own man. Ain't nothing richer than that. Had some good friends, too. They don't sleep. Sure you killed a few not so friendly in those days, huh? Me? I've never had to kill nobody. So far. Come on, let's get these horses saddled up. They must be very well paid. I've never seen anybody take so much punishment. We should never have tried to cross the salt flats. It's the only way. Otherwise they'd have surrounded us and we wouldn't even see it coming. This way, all they can do is track us and see whose horses die first. Get the rifle and water. Come on! Mount up! Come on! Let's go! Three men on horseback. We still have a few minutes. - We stand a chance here, right? - I don't know. James. I'm glad I'm with you. You know, before I met you, damn the day, I thought if I was gonna die of old age, I might as well go back home to do it. But, Hell, this seems like as good a day as any to die. - We're not gonna die, old man. - Of course not, son. Nobody ever does. Just in case, we ought to bury this money before Patio gets his hands on it again. It is too late. They're too close. They're gonna surround us. They know we're here. Oh my God. What are we gonna do? All right, look. You take the good horse, and the money. Head South-East, you follow that mountain range. If you're lucky, you'll wind up in Tupiza. What? I'm gonna take the other horse and head South-West. Their horses have to be wiped out by now. I'll meet you down there. - But... - It's the only way to do it, splitting up. - They'll kill us! - This desert'll kill you before they do. I don't want to be by myself. Your horse'll make it, don't worry. Just remember: Southeast. And don't buy one of those goddam mansions full of flowers, all right? You spend that money quick. But... Shit! Don't move. Don't move! Drop the gun, you son of a bitch. How many times did we go out hunting together, myfriend? Fucking Spaniard! Get on, Sundance. Ain't nobody following us. They think we're back at the corral. The bullet's still inside. You think the Chilean and the Yankee will make it? Or when they find their bodies, they'll think they're us. Then, we're free. I like being dead. Hell, if I had only known sooner... Give me your hand, Sundance. I should've gone with Etta and the boy. A son. That's more than a lot of people have to say for themselves, don't you think? What makes you think he's yours, you desert dog? It doesn't matter. He'll still be my son. Let's head for the mountains, Butch. We'll cross those mountains and go home. Damn Bolivian Army. Worst aim I've ever seen. Goddamn little doctor! I told you I'll pay you. I was just fine in the bar! That's not why I called for you. Mr. Mackinley, come in, come in. When you worked for the Pinkertons, you came here to Bolivia chasing bandits, right? Well, that's excellent! I found my memory! And it turns out it's a goddamn Bolivian quack. If I remember right, you always said the men they killed in San Vicente weren't your bandits. Well, you might have been right. But... You're not too drunk, are you? Fuck off. Well, now we're going to see if you were right or not. Look. Sweet Jesus. Sweet suffering Jesus, it's him. It's him, isn't it? Yes. Robert Leroy Parker. Butch Cassidy. All of them will apologize to me. All those bastards. What's he got? A bullet wound, dehydration and fatigue. He just needs to rest. Rest... Here we are. You and me. Water! You're in poor shape. Even worse than the last time we saw each other. What the fuck are you doing in Bolivia? Haven't you got anything better to do? And where is my pistol? What should I call you? I've been going under Blackthorn. Does it matter? It matters. Of course it does. I never believed that you were dead, you know. Strange world. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Blackthorn? I'm what they call an honorary consul. 89 dollars a month. A one-bedroom house with a bed too small for my taste. I just greet the few North Americans that show up around here. Gold diggers, people buying wool, drunkards, an occasional runaway. Not many people. The last one came by... two winters past. I spend the rest of time looking out the window. Sad story. Not much of a life. No, it's not. But I couldn't aspire to much more... Until today. Last night I thought everything could change for me. I could even buy a huge bed and travel home on it, smiling and waving as I passed. But, Mr. Blackthorn, these past few hours at your side have reminded me of many things. The fatigue. The years of pursuit... Carrying out one's duty is, believe me, exhausting. Here, in this godforsaken village, I finally found some rest. A stupid, but well deserved rest. Yeah. I guess we can't be blamed for growing older. We're too old to keep on playing. Never was a game with me. Of course it was. An absurd, deadly game. You never understood. Doesn't matter. Of course I understood. I was part of the game. But this time... There's no handcuffs either. This time you're on your own. No one will come to the rescue. Do whatever you need to do. Take it. Consider it a way to continue resting. An Army battalion is on its way here. I sent for them. This is the most important thing to have happened around here since... Well, since your death. I'll get you to a safe place. You'll leave and you'll never come back. Things will still be the same. You're a right pain in the ass, Cassidy. A right fucking pain in the ass! We're here. There's food and chicha in here. Thanks. I know what you are, sir. Please, don't steal from me. Ivn... You won't say anything, will you? No, sir. You're my guest. Dear Ryan, I have enough money now for us to start a brand new life. Maybe horses, ranching... I've met an old friend of your father and mother's, he remembers them often. They were one of a kind. There's not much blood like yours left. I'm on my way back. I don't know how long it will take, not more than two months. With love, your Uncle Butch. I was just writing about you. I should have left you at the damn clinic. Eduardo Apodaca - is a friend of yours? - Have you seen him? Where is he? He's heading West through the canyons. He was in Tupiza, but made himself scarce when he saw the uproar caused by your resurrection. I haven't betrayed you, but my help stops here. What the hell are you talking about? Damn chicha. Is it money you're after? You can stick your dirty money where it fits. You were better off dead, Cassidy. And I hope you soon will be. I'll drink until I forget this. But for you, all the liquor in this shitty world wouldn't be enough. In my day, the outlaws would have robbed banks! And the Union Pacific! They would never have stolen from the mining families, no sir! Mining families? You better get off the bottle, MacKinley! - You're losing your Irish mind. - Go to Hell! He never stole from the miner families. It's Patio, the Suyana Mine. You believe that? He tricked you and into believing that? Jesus, I almost pity you. Your Spanish friend didn't work for Patio. He worked for the miners. The mine is theirs. They took it from Patio two years ago. What rock were you hiding under? The whole country was talking about it! The miners rebelled against the owners. Overdue wages, murders... The usual. There was a huge battle. A lot of miners got killed. Then Justice stepped in and, this country is full of surprises, they decided in favor of the miners. They awarded ownership of the mine to the surviving families. This is no coincidence, of course. The mine was almost empty. Even the Spanish engineer who worked for Patio stood up for them. Poor fools, they trusted a Spaniard! There are times when you'd prefer to be dead, don't you agree? Goodbye and good riddance, Mr. Blackthorn. Here you go, sir. We'll catch him. He can't be far away. Or what do you think, Mackinley? No. It's not him. It's not the one who escaped from the clinic. Cassidy died years ago. Are you crazy, Mackinley? You recognized him yourself! It wasn't him. Of course it's him! This is the man I left in my clinic, with you. You're a fucking sentimentalist. Mackinley. We're going to see if you're right or not. We'll leave at dawn. And you're coming with us. Come on. Let's go, Kid. Shit. - You'll get my suit dirty. - It'll help keep you warm. Everybody will think we're dead, and look at us! Strong as trees. Snow covered trees. Bolivia... Goddamnit, Bolivia. I always knew you'd be the last. Everybody's dead and you... You're all alone now. So far from home. My poor friend. Okay... Do it. Now is a good time. Do it. James. Or should I say Butch? Mr. Butch Cassidy, himself! I knew it. That explains so many things. You know what? In Tupiza everyone was shouting that the famous gringo outlaw was alive. And me buying new clothes! Can you imagine? Take it easy. They must have lost a lot of time. So... Here we are. Just a few hours from freedom and the good life. Are you okay? You can't think I abandoned you, right? I just couldn't stay there with so much going on. And I knew you'd turn up. That mine didn't belong to Patio. And your name is not James Blackthorn. Well, we all have our secrets. But now all the cards are on the table. No, you're right. It wasn't his any longer. So what? It had different owners. Owners, anyway. 50,000 dollars, James. That's no lie. Come on! Let's go! Look, there are your mountains. We're almost there. I'll be your gang now. You and me, James... You and me! You said it yourself: You were dead, breeding horses in that old house. Now you have money and you have it all. Your name. Your life! You're a damn legend and here you are. Here you are! Here I am. Have you gone crazy? Motherfucker! They'll be here shortly. - This time they've got the Army with them. - But you shoot me! Son of a bitch! Is it the money? How can you, bastard! You never did see the difference, did you? For the Indians? For a bunch of miners? For them? And what about me? I'm your friend! I gave you everything! Everything! I saved your life! I gave you your name back! I did! Difference? What's the fucking difference? What's the fucking difference? Are you going to leave me like this, you son of a bitch? Are you? Okay. Okay! Give the money back to them. Give the money back to them, but don't leave me here, please. Please. Damn you, Butch Cassidy! Damn you! I could have killed you! I could have killed you and I didn't. But they'll do it for me! They'll track you down and kill you like a dog! Don't leave me here, please. To the gallows I must go, I must go. To the gallows I must go. To the gallows I must go. Bolivia. Damnit! Bolivia. I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger, While traveling through this world below. Yet there's no sickness, no toil, nor danger, In that bright land to which I go. We're not done yet. We'll continue. I'm going there to see my father, I'm goin' there no more to roam. I'm just going over Jordan. I'm just going over home. I'm just going over Jordan. I'm just going over home. You know what, Mackinley? This place is famous for how easy it is to get lost. You helped the gringo. We'll take your horse. So pray the God of the Mountains spares your life. |
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