[SIGHS]
[EXHALES]
[SCREAMS]
[MOTORCYCLE STARTS]
[BIPLANE ENGINE REVS]
(CAPTAIN JACKSON) There are
three kinds of people in the world.
Those who make it happen,
those who watch it happen,
and those who spend their lives
asking, "What happened?"
[DRONE OF AIRCRAFT]
[DISTANT CHATTER]
[SIGHS]
I understand you arrived in
only this morning.
Yes, sir.
Well then, let me assure you
you will never get used to
the heat and the sand.
There really is no escaping it at all.
Ghastly stuff as you can see.
Although, around 5 p.m.
it does start to cool
this time of year.
You can feel it.
It's like clockwork.
One must simply learn to
live with it, unfortunately.
Nonetheless, here we are.
[CAR ENGINE CRANKS]
Where did you study?
At Oxford.
Ah, yes! Oxford.
Well, I dare say it's
a trifle greener than Cairo.
Not as many goats.
I do apologize for
notifying your superiors.
It's such short notice.
This situation came
about rather suddenly.
The timing of your arrival
is most fortunate indeed.
I appreciate this will not be
pleasant for you, my dear.
However, we'll get you out
of the ward for a few days.
And good experience in
the field never goes astray.
You will find his medical
records in the file.
He's German.
I thought we were looking
for one of our own.
We are, my dear.
Captain Josef Von Zimmermann
of the elite German Uberkanone,
has been working for us quite some time.
You'll note he does not
speak any English.
Frightful-looking chap.
Don't be alarmed.
Fortunately, he's one of us now.
[BIRD SQUAWKING]
[SCREAMS]
[GRUNTS]
One of our pilots spotted
a downed aircraft
in the desert about uh,
100 miles East this morning.
He is carrying sensitive information
smuggled out of Germany.
It is the highest priority that
we find him and bring him in.
Do we know if he's alive?
We're not even certain it is our man.
He has quite a record, I dare say.
Regrettably he's been responsible
for shooting down a number of our lads,
making him one of Germany's finest,
but such is war.
[CLICKING]
[GRUNTS]
[CLANGING]
[SLOSHING]
[SIGHS]
[SWEARING]
We tend to send out our grounded pilots
on these sorts of rescue operations.
Keeps them occupied until
they get back into the air.
The captain whom you
will be accompanying,
has been briefed.
He is a rather unorthodox chap.
[]
What was he grounded for?
Well, I'm sure you'll have
plenty of time
to ask him that yourself, my dear.
That's him?
Yes, my dear.
Don't be alarmed.
Captain.
Captain Jackson Cove.
I'd like you to meet Eleanor Morgan.
She will be accompanying you
on your mission.
[PLANES FLYING OVERHEAD]
I thought I was going alone.
(GENERAL GRAVES) Yes. Well,
we received orders from Christland
that someone with medical
training accompany you.
If our man is out there alive,
Eleanor here,
will be more than capable of
tending to his medical needs.
Great.
Eleanor is fluent in German,
so she will be acting
as your interpreter.
Yeah.
(MAN) We were very lucky
that she was available.
So be a nice chap and
take good care of her.
You drive?
Yes, sir.
Captain.
Eleanor.
Grab those, will you?
Surely you're not serious!
Captain.
[SIGHS]
Captain!
[RUSTLING OF PAPERS]
[COUGHS]
[GRUNTS]
[BIRD SQUAWKING]
[CAR RATTLING ALONG]
You're stopping?
[SIGHS]
Know anything about navigating?
No. Not much.
Not much or nothing at all?
Nothing.
All right. Look here.
- You see this?
- Uh-hm.
That's where we are.
You see this?
- Uh-hm.
- Okay.
That's where they think he is.
So, we're going to
drive in a straight line,
114 miles that way, North by Northeast.
You see this compass?
That's North by Northeast, okay?
And we also need to
keep track of our speed
and we need to watch our hours.
So it's 1900 right now,
and we're here, okay?
At 2000, we work out
distance equals speed over time.
You understand that?
- Yes, sir.
- Okay.
That's how we calculate our position,
and that's how...
That's how we find him.
And that's navigating, all right?
We watch our compass,
we keep track of our speed,
and we watch our time or we'll get lost.
If we get lost, we run out of water.
We run out of water, we die.
How do we know our speed?
This thing does 25 miles an hour.
- Is that fast?
- Yeah, it's pretty fast.
Is a mile longer or shorter
than a kilometer?
(CAPTAIN JACKSON)
You gotta be fucking kidding me.
Jesus Christ!
[SIGHS]
You should try and
get some sleep, all right?
We'll stop just before sun-up.
(ELEANOR) Yes, sir.
[GRUNTS]
[GUNSHOTS]
Oh my God, Cove.
[GUNSHOTS]
[SIGHS]
Captain!
[GRUNTS]
Oh! Ouch!
[CHUCKLES]
You're drunk!
Maybe a little.
[SIGHS] I though we were under attack.
I thought you were shot.
What is wrong with you?
Oh, come on!
You frightened the life out of me!
[SIGHS]
[GRUNTS]
[GROANS]
It's just a little desert trap shooting.
Oh, that's just bloody wonderful!
It's a disgrace!
[SIGHS] No wonder
they wouldn't let you fly!
Hey, my flying has got
nothing to do with my drinking.
Give me that before you kill somebody.
You want to be careful.
It's loaded.
Oh, thank you very much, Captain,
for pointing out the blooming obvious.
I'm driving.
It doesn't count if you're sober.
[GUNSHOTS]
Bastard!
That was a nice shot.
[GRUNTS] I'm good.
[GROANS] I'm good.
Shouldn't take yourself
so seriously, Oxford.
[GROANS]
[SIGHS]
[INHALES AND EXHALES DEEPLY]
Time.
Needle.
Speed.
Bastard!
[DRUNKEN SINGING]
[DRUNKEN SINGING]
Make her drive the truck I tell ya
Make her drive the truck
through the desert
Make her drive the truck
through the desert
Early in the morning
Ooh rise up she's rising
early in the morning
[]
Captain.
[SIGHS]
Uh, Captain!
"Oh, Captain, my captain."
Hey, Eleanor.
R-uh-uh-uh-uhn!
Women...
The other way!
[GRUNTS]
You all right?
I think so.
Where you going?
Stay down!
What are you doing?
[SIGHS] Have a little fun, boys.
Oh God!
I'm going to need your help.
- What is it?
- It's a scotch bomb.
It didn't detonate.
Will he come back?
Uh, I doubt it.
It's probably just a leftover.
What's a leftover?
Ah, you always keep one
just in case you see
a sitting duck you can pick off
on the way back.
Well, will it explode?
Uh, they usually do.
Oh God!
Well, we can't just leave it.
Oh, no, and the slightest vibration
is going to trigger it.
We are going to have to defuse it.
And that is a two-man job.
Well, I'm not a bomb expert.
[CHUCKLES] Don't worry.
Neither am I.
Oh God!
[]
[SCREAMS]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
[GROANS]
[GRUNTS]
Please tell me you know
what you're doing.
[SIGHS]
I've seen a bomb like this once before.
- (ELEANOR) Once?
- Once was enough.
The guy defusing it ended up legless.
Oh my God!
Don't worry.
Supposedly there's
instructions on the inside
that tell us how to disarm it.
Can we not use the term
"disarm," please?
We're going to need to crack it open.
Hand me the pliers.
[DEEP BREATH]
Probably just like operating
on a patient, right?
You know, only difference here
is you make a mistake,
the patient doesn't die... you do.
[]
[CLIPPING WIRES]
There we go.
All right.
I'm going to need you
to hold the base of this.
- Oh!
- Go on, hold it.
Right at the bottom.
Just grab it.
Get in here.
Get a good grip on it.
Nice and tight.
Yeah.
Firm.
Just like that.
Here we go.
[SIGHS] Hey, Eleanor?
Uh-hm.
You can let go now.
Read these.
One, remove liquid container.
Two, release the cap.
Three, drain liquid.
Ah!
[LAUGHTER]
Scotch bomb!
What the hell is wrong with you?
Have you been out here so bloody long
you've got sand between your ears?
God!
There's a man lying out there somewhere,
possibly dying, and you're
buggerising around
thinking about only yourself
and your addiction.
God! You are nothing but
a washed-up drunk!
I just hope we're not
two minutes too late to save him
because it's you who's
going to be looking back
at this time that you've wasted
that could have been better spent
saving a life rather than
drinking it away!
You know whose life it is
we're out here supposedly saving?
(ELEANOR) Yes.
Do you?
- Yes.
- [JACKSON YELLING] Do you?
- Yes!
- [YELLING] Do you really?
Josef von Zimmermann.
Captain Josef von Zimmermann,
the... [indistinct]
Germany's top ace.
You heard of him?
- Well!
- Well?
[YELLING] Did you hear that
Captain Josef Von Zimmermann
has singlehandedly
shot down 27 Allied planes
and has 23 confirmed kills,
and did you hear
that one of those 23
confirmed kills was my brother?
[YELLING] Yeah? Well,
how many have you killed?
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
So I'm sorry if I'm not
in any rush to find him.
I didn't know.
I know you didn't know.
Oh, no thanks.
I don't smoke.
How long has it been?
Six months.
Older brother?
Younger.
He shouldn't have been out here.
Ace?
Almost.
Were you close?
As close as brothers are.
[SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
You know, just because von Zimmermann's
a switch-hitting batter
for both sides
doesn't change anything.
He doesn't deserve to live.
You're... you're not thinking about...
You're not thinking you're going to...
Kill him?
I've seen so many men die in hospitals.
I guess we're just
simply taught to care.
I don't see anyone as good or bad.
I just see them as men...
brothers...
with children, families.
We just do our best to aid them.
Is this why you were grounded?
No.
Come on.
Share.
I crashed too many planes.
What?
I crashed too many planes!
What do you mean
"you crashed too many planes"?
I mean, pilots crash all the time.
(CAPTAIN JACKSON)
Yeah, not when they're drunk.
All right. Well... well,
how many are we talking?
Enough to get me grounded.
Why do you do it?
What? Drink?
Fly.
I don't know.
I guess it's that thing
da Vinci said, you know,
"Once you've tasted flight,
you'll forever walk the earth"
with your eyes turned skyward
because there you've been
"and there you will always
long to return."
That's beautiful.
I never heard anything like that.
Ah, come on, Oxford.
I thought you were educated.
[CHUCKLES] I am, thank you very much.
I know who da Vinci is.
That's good.
What about you?
- Educated?
- No! No! Nope.
I left school when I was 13.
Injury ended my baseball career,
so, military was all
that was left really.
If it wasn't for flying,
I don't know what I'd do.
Do you think it has a future?
Pilots don't think much
about their future.
Yeah, I guess not many
of us do these days.
And you?
Me? Oh, I don't know.
I just like helping people.
At least what you do is exciting.
[CHUCKLES] Yeah, well,
the girls love it.
Oh.
[GIGGLES]
Aw, come on.
You think we just fly up there
risking our lives every day
for fun, huh?
[CHUCKLES] No.
Ninety-nine percent of us
are just pilots
to get the girls.
[LAUGHTER] Oh yeah,
and you're in the 99%, are you?
- Maybe.
- Uh-huh.
Maybe I am.
Maybe I'm a one-percenter.
Oh, wow.
If you figure that out,
perhaps you'll let me know.
[SCREAMS]
[GARGLING]
[LAUGHS]
[SCREAMS]
[CRIES]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
We used to drop them down
on the boys in the western front.
Those scotch bombs.
After a mission, whoever of us was left
would drop one down to
the boys in the trenches.
It became kind of a tradition.
You know, sort of a good luck thing
to let those boys know
we were thinking about them.
We fly back to the base
every night, get drunk,
sleep in a bed if we want.
Those boys down there,
they didn't have that.
They were just in those sewers fighting,
day in and day out.
So those scotch bombs
became a way for us pilots
to recognize that, you know,
and lay away some of the guilt, I guess.
They would love it.
You could hear the cheers
sometimes after we dropped them.
It certainly helped
keep their spirits up.
Is that an American attempt at humor?
What? I don't know
what you're talking about.
"Keeping their spirits up"?
Aw, come on. Even you got to
admit that was kind of funny.
That was kind of funny.
There you go.
I can be funny.
Yeah.
I've never seen a woman
handle a pistol as good as you.
Where the hell did you learn to shoot?
My father.
He was a gun-maker.
He still around?
Dead.
That's why I hate guns.
- Yours?
- Ah, he's dead, too.
That's why I lo-v-v-ve flying.
Two of a kind.
Nah. He was a drunk.
[]
[SLURPS]
It's 114 miles according
to your calculations.
(CAPTAIN JACKSON) Mark it.
Here.
Nah, still too hot.
We're going to have to wait
until the heat haze clears.
I hope we didn't come
all this way for nothing.
We'll find him.
[]
[COCKS GUN]
Captain!
I think I sight something.
That could be it.
Let's go.
[GULPING]
What do you think?
Let's get a little closer.
[COCKS GUN]
Anything?
There's something out there.
Nah, it's too hard to make out.
Get out of the way.
Sure doesn't look like
much of an aircraft down there if it is.
Doesn't look like anybody
could have survived.
You sure?
I've crashed enough airplanes to know.
No, I just don't want to get down there
and find out it's nothing.
(ELEANOR) We have to look.
Yeah, we do.
You get your gear ready
while we still got light.
[CAR RATTLING ALONG]
I'll be damned!
Watch yourself.
(ELEANOR) Yes, sir.
[FOOTSTEPS]
[COCKS GUN]
Stay behind me.
Just stay behind me!
[SIGHS] Yes, sir.
[HEAVY BREATHING]
Can you see anything?
Not yet.
- That's him!
- Wait a minute!
Is he dead?
I don't know.
[SCREAMS]
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait, wait! Drop it!
Drop the gun!
All right! All right!
All right!
[SOBS]
What's he saying?
Your pistol.
- [GUNSHOTS]
- [SCREAMS]
[BIRD SQUAWKING]
[GROANS]
[GRUNTS]
Fuck!
[GROANS]
[CLANG OF METAL]
Fuck!
[HEAVY BREATHING]
Fuck!
[HEAVY BREATHING]
[GROANS]
[GRUNTS]
[CLANGING]
[GASPS]
[GROANS]
[GROANS]
[GRUNTS]
[SIGHS]
[CHUCKLES]
[GASPS]
[SNIFFS] Think, think, think.
[]
Where are they going?
I hate Egypt!
[METAL CLANGING]
[COUGHING]
[SPITTING]
[METAL CLANGING]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
That is...
one mile!
[WIND WHISTLING]
[]
Josef!
[GROANS]
[SCREAMS]
I wonder who's looking into her eyes
Breathing sighs telling lies
[SIGHS]
There you go. Sleep now.
I wonder if she ever tells him of me
I wonder who's kissing her now
[SPITTING]
[GASPING FOR AIR]
[GROANS]
[BIRD CHIRPING]
Helluva storm, eh, little man?
[BIRD CHIRPS]
Well, make yourself comfortable.
I think we're going to be here a while.
[SCREAMS]
[GRUNTS]
[GROANS]
[GASPS]
[YELLING]
Don't get thirsty!
We're not doing too well here,
are we little man?
[BIRD CHIRPING]
Me and you, we're going to be lucky
to make it to tomorrow.
Nine crashes.
[CHUCKLES]
This ain't really the heroic end
I had in mind.
I always imagined
I'd be shot out of the sky...
Splattered all over the ground.
[SNICKER] It may have been
on your list, little man,
but killing a Sunday roast
certainly wasn't on my list
of good ways to die.
[FLICKING LIGHTER]
(GENERAL GRAVES) You will never
get used to the heat and sand.
There really is no escaping it at all.
Ghastly stuff as you can see,
although around 5 p.m.
it does start to cool this time of year.
You wouldn't know
a good way out of here,
would you, little man?
[BIRD CHIRPS]
You're a genius, little man.
Batter up.
[LAUGHTER]
Who said we needed
wings to fly, huh, little man?
[GROANS]
[GRUNTS]
[STRIKING A MATCH]
Wherever we've been,
it won't be long to return.
We're not dying
in this dust-bowl, little man.
No way.
[BEATING ON METAL]
[]
[GRUNTS]
[LAUGHTER]
I don't know about you,
little man, but I feel better.
[CRANKING ENGINE]
[CRANKING ENGINE]
[CRANKING ENGINE]
All right.
Throttle.
Stick.
Good.
Fuel.
Oil pressure.
Guns.
And a broken compass.
Perfect.
[ENGINE STARTS/STALLS]
All right. I've checked everything.
What have I missed?
What have I missed in here, huh?
German engineering, huh, little man?
Who knows?
All right. Throttle, and here we go.
All right.
[GRUNTS] There.
Come on now!
Here we go!
[GRUNTS]
Here we go. Come on!
[GRUNTS]
[ENGINE STALLS]
Come on!
Come on!
[ENGINE STARTS]
Yeah!
Yeah! Whoa!
We got it, little man!
Yeah!
Whoa, whoa!
[GRUNTS]
[]
[ENGINE STALLS]
[ENGINE STARTS]
[GRUNTS]
Yeah!
Yeah!
Faint-hearted never
fucked a fair maiden!
Woo!
[]
[GUNSHOT]
[GUNSHOT]
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
[CHUCKLES]
[GUNSHOTS]
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
Eleanor!
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
[GROANS]
[GRUNTS]
Oh shit!
[EXPLOSION]
[GUNSHOT]
Damn it!
[GROANS] [YELLING] Eleanor!
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
Cove?
You have nothing also.
[YELLING] Eleanor, stay down.
He's got a clean shot at you.
[YELLING] I'm all right!
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
[COVE YELLING] Oxford!
[YELLING] I'm all right!
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
[GROANS]
[SIGHS]
You have this.
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
Just stay right where you are.
[SIGHS]
Two birds, one stone.
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
Oh, don't worry, I feel right at home.
We'll see about that.
[YELLING] Nor!
What are you shooting at?
[YELLING] Can you free yourself?
[YELLING] I need time.
[YELLING] You don't have any!
[YELLING]
Eleanor, stay down. Stay down!
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
[YELLING] Eleanor!
[YELLING] Oxford!
- Oxford...
- [LAUGHTER]
[YELLING] Eleanor!
[HEAVY BREATHING]
[GROANS]
[GRUNTS]
Boom!
Oh, I'm going to kill him!
I'm going to kill him!
[GRUNTS]
[GROANS]
So much for switching sides.
Oh, come on!
[HEAVY BREATHING]
Good-bye, Captain.
[SNICKER]
[SCREAM]
[GROANS]
[]
[COUGHING]
[]
[GROANS]
[SCREAMS]
[GROANS]
[SPITS]
[GROANS]
For an ace, you should know better.
That's twice now you didn't
check on your kill.
[GROANS]
[GRUNTS]
[COUGHING]
[CHOKING]
You stay with me, Eleanor.
Stay with me now.
Who did you signal for?
Nor, who was the flare for?
[COUGHING]
He wants your clothes.
Do as he says.
It's over!
They're coming.
Who?
The Germans.
Tell him it's not too late.
Tell him we could still
get him to Cairo.
I thought we were on
the same team, for God's sake.
- Tell him!
- I have!
Tell him again!
It's not too late.
Come on!
[SNICKER] He says
he'll never betray his country.
Which one?
This is nuts!
[FLICKING LIGHTER]
[BIPLANE FLIES OVERHEAD]
A DR-1 single-seater.
[COUGHING]
Looks like he's not planning
on taking back any passengers.
[]
[GUNSHOTS]
[COUGHING]
[GROANS]
[GRUNTS]
I can get us out of here.
Come on.
Oh, come on, Eleanor.
You've got to help me.
Get up. Get up!
Eleanor!
[SOBS] It's over.
No, no. Come on.
We're getting you back to Cairo.
Come on.
Come on now.
No! No!
No!
No!
[HEAVY BREATHING]
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
Big cannon, my ass!
[MACHINE GUN FIRE]
[GROANS] That worked!
There are three kinds
of people in this world.
Those that make it happen,
[GRUNTS]
Those that watch it happen...
And those that go,
"What happened?"
(GENERAL GRAVES) Captain.
Sir.
Well, don't get up.
I wasn't planning on it.
I gather...
You're recovering well.
Yeah, I'm doing okay.
That bunker you destroyed
was a strategic installation
being prepared for
aerial assaults on Cairo.
The fueling station they constructed,
put German aircraft within
easy reach of our forces here.
More importantly,
the information you discovered
was of extreme value.
Was it now?
In fact it was.
It was a detailed list
identifying all German operatives
working across Europe.
I understand you may have
actually known one of them.
Eleanor Morgan.
Oxford?
Born Margrit Almajaeger,
in Germany, in 1889.
She had been sent to Cairo
specifically to intercept and
substitute the information
that Captain von Zimmermann
was carrying.
Most likely when he came in
for medical treatment.
Quite a clever plan,
when you think about it.
Of course, it all changed
when we sent you out there.
Your efforts have been
noted in my reports.
I have made commendations for you.
Excuse me, sir.
Yes, yes, of course.
Carry on.
Is that more comfortable, Captain?
Yeah, thanks.
I trust our fine medical staff
are looking after you well.
We need you in tip-top condition
as soon as possible.
Headquarters have reinstated
you to active flying duty.
Recover well, Captain.
Yes, sir.
Very good.
I know, I know, little man.
[BIRD CHIRPS]
Batter up.
You don't speak any German, do you?
[SIGHS] No, sir.
Perfect.
[]
[MUSIC FADES OUT]