There she is.
Bonjour, madame. How much for a reading?
Three francs, dear
and it's written on the door.
I'm sorry.
I cannot see.
We've got to go. We're late.
We'll miss the bus.
Thank you, madame.
What do you see?
I see your 34th year.
Shut up.
That's the porter.
He spotted me as I was making my getaway.
These are first- year rooms, aren't they?
They're very luxurious.
The ones at Yale are like monk's cells.
"Aristotle and Virtue." Oh, God, I'm sorry.
It doesn't matter.
Of course it does. I ruined them.
Wait.
It's getting heavier out there, huh?
Do you mind if I stay here till it eases off?
No. Of course you can.
I go out with one of the dons.
I know. Julian Ellsworth.
We just had an awful row.
I can't go back to his rooms.
I have to get out of these togs.
Excuse me.
Help.
It's completely stuck to me.
I don't mind if it tears.
Thanks.
Bless you.
I can't let you go out in this.
You can sleep in my bed.
But we haven't been introduced.
I'll sleep on the chair and keep watch.
That's very noble, but I wouldn't dream
of kidnapping your bed.
You're taking a terrible risk
having me here at all.
Sorry.
No. Don't apologise.
I'm flattered.
It doesn't normally...
I should hope it does.
I'm Gilda Bess.
I know who you are.
That sounds ominous.
You're famous around here.
Where are you from?
Dublin originally.
We moved up north after the Treaty.
Why was that?
My father was a policeman.
And he was killed during the Troubles.
So are you British or Irish?
On paper, I'm British.
But I don't believe in countries much.
Nor do I.
How did you end up here?
I got a scholarship.
Beauty, bravery, and brains.
What a catch.
You also have a nice willy
and I hope to dream about it.
Good night, Guy.
Good night.
We made it. I owe you my life.
You don't owe me anything. It was fun.
Everyone knew Gilda Bess.
Her father owned
one of the big French champagne houses.
Her mother was a rich American socialite.
The marriage hadn't lasted...
and Gilda had lived most of her life
in the United States.
She was quite notorious at Cambridge...
and last night
she had actually slept in my bed.
If anyone knew, I'd be a celebrity overnight.
Are you Guy Malyon?
Yeah.
Julian Ellsworth.
I'm incredibly grateful about the other night.
Gilda said you were a brick.
I really can't thank you enough.
You saved my bacon.
I'd have been dismissed and most likely
disinherited if they'd found her here.
Glad to have been of help.
Listen, we're having a bit of a beano
at the weekend.
Gilda wanted me to invite you.
Don't know
if you're much of a jitterbugger...
but the old man's away
I'll have the run of the place.
You need a girl, of course.
I can line one up.
When I was a freshman
I didn't know what girls were.
I'm afraid Mr. Ellsworth won't allow you in
unless you first drink one of these.
The password is"martini."
God, it tastes like paraffin!
One doesn't taste it, darling
one simply swallows.
New blood.
Hello, old boy.
You girls should want to dance with me
this evening...
because Gilda has got herself
stranded in Calais.
Poor Gilda.
Do come through.
Calais is such a dreadful place.
Hello, Guy.
Hi.
Glad you could make it.
You're the troubled boy...
whose girlfriend
Julian is planning to monster.
Are you sad?
I'm thrilled for her.
You don't mind if she gets debauched?
So long as the debaucher's from a
fucking good family, I couldn't care less.
Do you imagine you're being
incredibly daring using words like that?
You should try them sometime.
It's good for constipation.
I'm going to feel so wicked in the morning.
What are you writing?
An ode to your tummy button.
Gilda.
Sir Knight.
Don't go up there.
Why shouldn't I go upstairs?
There's an orgy going on.
Sounds promising.
My partner for the evening's
the main course.
Your partner isn't Molly Twelvetrees
by any chance, is she?
Yeah. She's in danger of catching a cold.
Julian's writing a poem on her stomach.
What a cad.
Don't you mind?
I feel sorry for Molly. He's a terrible poet.
You're very modern, aren't you?
I don't feel very comfortable here.
I feel guilty being around all this wealth.
It's just a game. Don't take it seriously.
It's not much of a game if you're out of work
and trying to feed a family.
Fortunately, I'm not.
And neither are you.
I only came here tonight to see you.
There, I've said it.
Good.
You look lovely.
You don't.
Your eyes are all red.
You look like a bloodhound.
You have excellent recuperative powers.
What if someone comes?
We were here first.
Oh, God!
Think Sunday School.
What?
Think Sunday School.
Why?
Because this is a team sport.
Thank you, Unwin.
I thought it might be prudent to- -
Good idea.
Good morning, Unwin.
I thought we might have breakfast
on the terrace this morning.
Gilda!
What on earth are you doing down here?
Happy birthday, darling.
Who's that?
My friend, Guy.
You really had your hands full when I got in.
Gilda, he's a virtual primitive.
I know. He's the Piltdown man.
I'm planning to exhibit him.
Julian, nothing happened.
I don't for a moment think anything did.
Apart from us writing sonnets
all over each other.
All right. Do you mind getting up, please
before anyone else sees you?
Be a darling and lend me
your dressing gown, would you?
Gilda, what have you got on under there?
Well, seeing it's your big day...
I'm wearing my birthday suit in your honour.
I thought for certain I would hear
that Gilda and Julian had broken up...
but nothing seemed
to have changed between them.
A few weeks passed...
and just when I'd resigned myself
to never being with her again...
something unexpected happened.
The divorce was at least 12 years ago.
Yeah, she must be devastated.
Can I join?
That's five shillings annual membership fee.
I read about your mother.
It must have been awful.
She was a stranger to me, really.
But how have you been?
Practicing my billiards.
I wanted to see you
to tell you that I'm leaving England.
Why?
The wanderlust has got me. I want to travel.
Where will you go?
I loved the Arabian Nights
when I was younger.
Maybe I'll start there.
Would you like a traveling companion?
You have to finish your degree.
Does Julian know?
I'll leave him a nice letter.
You're the one friend from this chapter
I'd like to keep.
Three weeks later, Gilda left England.
And so began
our one- sided correspondence.
For she was never in one place long enough
for my letters to catch up with her.
After a year, she stopped writing.
By the time I graduated and began teaching
in the East End of London...
I'd managed to finally put her behind me.
Civil war had broken out in Spain...
and I was campaigning
for the Republican side...
in its increasingly desperate fight
against the Fascists.
Tiberius is in a bad mood!
Where are those slaves?
We'll see how brave you are
in the Coliseum.
Take away their drinking water.
I hadn't had a letter from her
for almost a year.
But Gilda always
had an uncanny sense of timing.
She was back in Paris...
telling me a whole new chapter of her life
was beginning...
and demanding I visit her.
Once more, nothing else in the world
existed for me.
Miss Bess?
Bonjour.
I'm looking for Miss Bess.
Guy! You came! And so soon!
Well, you finally sent me an address.
Look at you. Suddenly you're a man.
I even shave now.
How long can you stay?
Only till tomorrow. I have to work.
That's ridiculous.
You have to stay for at least a month.
We'd better get ready for tonight.
You're a great bunch of robots!
Don't be late!
You'll be able to see my show.
What sort of show?
You'll see tonight.
I saw you in a film as a slave
in ancient Rome.
Wasn't it ludicrous?
How did you get the part?
I met an American cameraman
and went back to Hollywood with him.
At first I wanted to be an actress...
but then I got more interested in cameras.
I'd pick his brains in bed every night.
Are you married yet?
Not quite.
Good.
I'm sure you have a menagerie of admirers.
So what do you do after work?
I raise money for Republican Spain.
I forgot you had a conscience.
Max! This is Guy.
He just arrived from London.
Welcome to Paris.
Are you here for the opening?
He doesn't know anything about it
so he'll be completely objective.
Right.
Where are you staying?
There's a hotel my friends like
just around the corner.
He's staying here.
He and Mia can sing each other to sleep.
Good.
This is going to be incredibly glamorous
isn't it?
And I'm going to be incredibly dowdy.
You're British. People expect it.
Do you mind?
So Max is a lover?
He owns the gallery.
Actually, he's good company...
but he's become
extremely proprietorial lately.
He's on very thin ice.
Then I hope it melts.
Don't sulk.
I didn't know you were coming so soon.
And anyway...
I'm sure you're not sleeping alone
in London every night.
Moments of yearning. Lust, vanity, and joy.
Loves won and lost.
It's an honour to be the first to host
the work...
of this gifted new photographer.
Finally, as a bonus
may I present a living sculpture...
created especially for tonight?
Ladies and gentlemen...
"The Tyranny of Youth!"
The pictures were good of their kind.
But the sculptures were something else.
The trouble is we're never going
to see them again.
You should film them, Gilda.
Record them for posterity.
They need to be live
so people can lean over...
and smell the skin of the models.
Does that worry you, Mia?
Having people sniffing around you
like dogs?
I'm a sculpture, so I ignore them.
What about you, Guy?
Have you seen anything like that
in England?
No, I haven't.
Guy thinks art should be political.
In London, he spends most of his time
campaigning for Republican Spain.
German artists spent the last 15 years
lampooning the Nazis...
and had no effect at all.
At least they tried.
Rather pointless if all they achieve
is a ticket to one of those camps.
And the satisfaction of knowing
they had the courage of their convictions.
Here's to judicious cowardice.
No. Here's to Mia
whose beauty inspired us all.
You should model for Coco Chanel.
I could introduce you.
Mia's training to be a nurse.
She only models in her spare time
and I have an exclusive contract.
But I do feel I've seen you before.
I never forget a face.
Perhaps you saw me at Le Grand Jeu.
So how do you carry on
your crusade for Spain?
Do you sit on a committee
and hand out pamphlets in the street?
And if you really feel so strongly...
why don't you enlist
in the International Brigades?
I plan to at the end of school term.
Are you serious?
Yeah, I am.
Well, the line must be drawn.
Fascism must be stopped
before it engulfs us all.
Good night.
You've become so serious.
The world has become serious.
We'll all die of gravity.
I'm sorry I can't be with you tonight.
Do you even like him?
Occasionally.
But I admit
he's trying a little too hard at the moment.
Mia, get out of the bath!
You'll turn into a prune!
I take it Le Grand Jeu is a cabaret?
Burlesque. Striptease.
She came here with nothing.
She's my protg.
I want the three of us to be friends.
Gilda, are you coming?
I'll see you in the morning.
This one's comfortable.
I used to sleep here when I first came.
How long have you been here?
Half a year.
Whereabouts in Spain are you from?
Asturias. In the north.
Don't be jealous. He's not special to her.
None of them are.
He wants you to hear.
He's afraid of her feelings for you.
Yeah, well, I'm afraid of mine for her.
Who is it?
It's me.
How dare you be so pathetically
melodramatic walking out on me like that?
What's there to drink? I'm bone dry.
Hello.
This is Linda.
Hello, Gilda.
I'm sorry I woke you.
I got seasick on the boat...
and then I tried to eat something
to settle my stomach...
but the food in this country is awful.
Is this a bad time?
What do you think?
Does Max know you're here?
Max was being very boring about you
so I expelled him.
I'm not going to let you go
and get yourself killed.
You'd probably come back
with your brain shot out.
Conversations would be
incredibly one- sided.
Now, get me a blanket
and you can go back to bed.
What are you doing?
I'm going.
She's sleeping in there.
I'm just getting her some bedclothes.
Guy, I was with you at the cinema.
After you saw her
you hardly spoke the rest of the day.
And when you got her letter
you couldn't get on a train fast enough.
I'm off.
There's no need.
I've got an early start in the morning.
And besides, I think I'm a bit in the way.
You didn't ask her to leave, did you?
No.
Seeing as she has
I suppose I don't have to sleep rough.
You've no idea
how I adored you at Cambridge.
And when I arrived here
nothing had changed.
It was miraculous.
So how did you and Mia meet?
I saw her on the street.
Followed her to a caf.
You choose people, don't you?
"Come into my life."
Sometimes you see complete strangers
but there's something special about them...
and you think
"I should really try and talk to them...
"because I'll never see them again"
but you don't...
because it's not done.
But it's all fated, anyway.
It had to be your room
I came into that night in Cambridge.
What do you mean?
The whole room was familiar.
I'd seen it before in dreams.
It probably reminded you of some place
you've been before.
We just think we've dreamt things.
You're so complacent!
The mind isn't a physical thing
like the rest of the body.
Maybe it can jump forward in dreams.
Maybe it doesn't have to obey physical laws.
But if my room was already there...
then that would mean
everything was fixed in advance.
You think I was being spontaneous...
but I was always going to do that.
Just as I was always
going to win this argument.
That's what I learned at school.
I've got to work out what I'm going to do.
Resign from your teaching for a start.
And what do I live on?
I'll give you a job as my assistant.
How's the pay?
Good bonuses.
I listen to them every night.
Do we keep you awake?
She can sleep through anything.
She has amazing conversations in her
sleep. Three or four people.
Sometimes speaking different languages.
So, do you accept?
Put it away!
Mama!
How long will it take?
Only an hour.
I want to play!
Stand closer to Auntie.
You odious little boy. How's that?
Now the horrible little girl
has turned around.
Hold your hands like this.
Big smile!
That one's good.
Who's she?
Madame de Crussol -
she flashes her tits all over Paris.
It's propaganda!
Hello. We're just off to the pictures.
Yes, the new Chaplin.
Hello, Gilda.
So, Guy...
you have forsaken London
for the City of Light?
It seems so.
Mia!
Change in here.
Why?
He came to the exhibition.
He won't be seeing anything
he hasn't seen before.
You were part of my sculpture.
You're flesh and blood now.
What are you doing
going out with him, anyway?
I'm curious.
You know what they say about him.
You should hear what they say about you.
Your dresser has excelled herself.
So you're having dinner afterwards?
We haven't decided.
What time should I bring her back?
Shut up.
See you both later.
Bonsoir.
You're a very lucky man
living with two beautiful women.
But Gilda still doesn't approve of me.
Sometimes I think she's jealous.
You seem to have a calming influence
on her.
She used to move in wild circles
but I'm sure you know that.
And you don't care.
No, I don't.
Very commendable.
The past and the future are irrelevant.
The moment is everything.
You know, at first I thought
you were an idealist, a bore.
But you're one of us, after all.
Tell me, as one man to another...
what does Gilda like in bed?
As one man to another?
That's none of your business.
Come on, Mia. Dance for us.
Please?
It's Christmas.
Come on.
All right.
Why not?
Ladies and gentlemen
from the Grand Jeu club...
at the Brasserie Lipp!
The one with the terrible breath?
Mine had clammy hands!
He'd squeeze my wrist each time
he told a joke, hoping I'd laugh!
What are you two talking about?
You.
And what are you saying?
What are you saying?
It's past 4:00.
We've almost lost Christmas Day. Come on.
I'm starving.
An American turkey made an ill- starred
bid for freedom at Whipsnade Zoo today...
only to touch down in the
arctic fox enclosure with mixed results.
A happy ending for the fox
less so for the turkey.
The weather in...
I'm sorry. I don't understand a word.
You don't need to.
If an animal made those sounds
you'd know it was evil.
All he's saying is that
when Greater Germany is restored...
he'll have no other territorial claims.
And you believe him?
I used to paint pictures of all these places
when I was home from boarding school.
Can I see them?
I threw them all away.
I had no talent of my own.
I just wanted to be van Gogh.
Bonjour, Franoise.
Bonjour, mademoiselle.
What are you doing, Father?
I am saving the lives of insects.
I've never seen you so compassionate.
I don't like the popping sounds they make.
Why are you wearing your uniform?
There was a rally in Rheims
the Croix- de- Feu.
Our Popular Front is not
quite so popular here in the country.
The world is veering towards Moscow...
which is a little worrying
for us minor landowners.
But politics has never been
one of my daughter's stronger points.
Take your feet off the couch.
Charles Bess.
Guy Malyon.
You'll be joining us for dinner?
Franoise, two more settings.
Guy recently moved here from England.
So, how's the acting?
I only did that one film.
It was never going to be a career.
Whatever next? I can't keep up with her.
First it was dance
and her room was full of ballet.
Then she discovers Stendhal, and
of course, she wants to be a great novelist.
And then there was what, painting?
One thing I learned from you, Father
was never to dwell on one's mistakes.
Where's my stepmother?
She's probably out walking the dogs.
What happened to that Max fellow?
A light of other days.
I sired a dilettante
in every aspect of her life.
That's why I resent you
for bequeathing me such superficial genes.
It's the 1930 vintage.
No, the '28.
It's silkier.
Less tannin.
They say a winemaker's taste
is the last of his senses to desert him.
But Gilda tells me
that you're not much interested in wine.
I was brought up on Guinness.
We drink Guinness in France.
Very good for an upset stomach.
The old hair of the dog.
Indeed.
Why, Gilda
you're looking very fetching tonight.
She likes to startle me
by wearing her mother's things.
I think she intends to make me feel guilty.
You see
she blames me for her mother's death.
I don't blame you, Father.
Fate deals some people a rotten hand
that's all.
Fate is an excuse for people
who suffer a failure of nerve.
So it was her fault, was it?
No, not at all.
It's absolutely and completely my fault.
I am an insensitive brute.
You see, darling? You married a beast.
I married a beast because I'm a huntress.
And if I can't tame you, I'll shoot you.
Then I must mend my ways.
Isn't your birthday coming up soon, dear?
Now, we must do something
to celebrate this year.
You know I never celebrate my birthdays.
If you're afraid of birthdays already
you'll be a wreck when you're my age.
I can't imagine ever being that old.
Thank you, Gilda.
There's something about that house
that turns me into a monster.
I didn't like his politics
but I enjoyed the repartee.
He ends up humiliating all his women.
You saw her, how hard she was trying.
All he wants her for
is to show her off to his shooting friends.
Mia, we're back.
Close the door. Please!
That bastard.
You don't have to go to work today.
I'm all right.
I'm all right.
Should we tell the police?
She was a striptease dancer.
They'd say she asked for it.
Then I'll go round and see him myself.
And end up in a cell?
He has powerful friends.
Lucien? Gilda Bess.
Mia doesn't know I'm calling.
She got a little carried away the other night.
Yes, that's right.
I like it the way you do.
And I'm stronger than she is.
I thought we should meet.
I see.
Guy?
Yeah?
Max wants to have lunch today.
He wants to talk about another exhibition.
Do you mind?
No, of course not.
You should take Mia to a film or something.
She needs to get out.
That's a good idea.
Maybe a comedy.
Meanwhile in Spain
the Civil War rages
out of control.
Artillery fire and incendiary bombs
rain down on Madrid
as the fighting intensifies.
The British embassy is hit.
These are the daily scenes
in the bombed- out neighborhoods.
The civilian population
is fleeing the city in droves.
In Paris, Lucille Par
presents her latest creations...
I thought you might change your mind.
My English friend tells me
I'm very stubborn.
I assume he doesn't know where you are?
No one does.
Perhaps I should lock the door.
Why did you decide to become a nurse?
I wanted to be a dancer.
My father was a coal miner. An anarchist.
Our house was full of politics all the time...
but I would always be running away
to dance.
Two years ago, they declared
a Socialist Republic in Asturias.
A house in our street became a hospital.
I tried to help, but I didn't know anything.
And people were...
dying in my arms.
And then the soldiers came.
I tried to stop them from taking my brother
and that's when they hurt my leg.
After that, I knew I couldn't be a dancer.
And I wanted to help people.
So that's why I am becoming a nurse...
and why I need to go back to my country.
Hello.
How did it go?
It was fine.
You're doing another exhibition?
We played around with a few different ideas.
I did most of the talking.
Why are you two looking so miserable?
Trois cognacs.
We saw a newsreel on Spain.
You were supposed to be cheering her up.
It was my idea.
We wanted to see what else was going on
in the world.
There will always be wars...
while there are people dying to be martyrs.
Go on. Say how guilty you feel.
Afterwards, we sat out in the gardens.
I'm serious.
You need to get it out of your system.
Because you feel guilty
that life is good here...
while terrible things are happening there.
After you've talked about it, you'll feel
better because you've shown you care.
To you...
for getting rid of that vile man.
And you...
for getting rid of your guilt.
To us.
To us.
You live in a cocoon.
You don't think about the world outside.
I give my allegiance to those around me.
We share the world
whether we like it or not.
You can share my bed as long as you don't
bring your newsreels or newspapers into it.
Marry me.
What?
I'm serious.
If I woke one morning
and you'd turned into a husband, I'd flee.
How would it be any different?
Once people get married, they stop trying.
Anyway, you would want to have children.
One day.
You should have one with Mia.
He'd be beautiful.
Sometimes you say the first thing
that comes into your head.
Should I censor what I say?
If I had a child, I'd have it with you.
My mother was mad. You've met my father.
I have doomed genes.
You talk such nonsense.
Lift your head.
Raise the backlight.
It's alright, Guy can do it.
What's wrong?
Things are getting worse in Spain.
There are friends of mine there now.
And you want to go get yourself killed, too
in someone else's war?
It's not someone else's war.
It's as much ours
as if it was happening here.
We all share the same world.
Any trained nurses they'll take at once.
I've got an address for you to go to.
Who'll take any trained nurses at once?
I'm going to Spain.
I didn't want to say anything
until it was definite.
And it's time for me to go back, too.
They need nurses there.
We've been living together for a year.
Am I such an ogre that you can't even
discuss your plans with me?
I didn't see much point.
You didn't see much point in talking about
throwing away your life?
And taking Mia with you?
I was always going to go back
once I became a nurse.
You would just never listen.
Of course. I should have seen it coming.
You feed each other's guilt.
It's like a disease.
Thank God it hasn't infected me.
Gilda's father was traveling in America...
and as a kind of farewell
we spent the last week at the Chateau.
The sense of our departure
hung over every moment...
though it was never mentioned again
until the last day.
I can't drink any more.
Yes, you can.
We're drinking for all those times...
we won't be able to drink together again.
There'll be periods of leave
when I can come back to Paris.
I wouldn't want to see you
if you came back with some hideous injury.
Come on, we're still drinking.
You're not going to sleep.
Wake up.
I'm tired.
Gilda, you're drunk.
Why do you have to go as well?
Traitor.
Wait.
Fire!
Forward.
Poor bastards. They didn't stand a chance.
They've been posing for over half an hour.
My dear Gilda...
yesterday, in an ambush
behind the enemy lines...
I killed a young Nationalist soldier.
How inadequate those words seem.
He was clutching a locket when he died...
with a photograph of a young woman.
I suppose, as I write this
she's waiting for news of him...
hoping against hope he is safe.
Dearest Gilda...
still no word from you
which breaks my heart.
I know that to you all wars are useless...
and for us to risk our lives is a betrayal...
of ourselves and of you.
But my country's a part of me.
And if I was not here
I would be betraying myself...
and even more, my brother.
Believe me...
my being here does not mean
I love you any less.
Forgive me if you can...
and know that I think of you all the time.
I wonder if you are writing to either of us.
But I do beg you, at least, to write to Guy.
His unit is at Teruel...
where the fighting is especially bitter...
and made worse by the intense cold.
I can't stay.
We're operating in a few moments.
I know.
We treated men from your unit
a few days ago.
That's how I knew you were here.
I asked about you.
They said you have no nerves.
You're always the quiet one
in the centre of the storm.
If I am, it's because I'm too tired
to be frightened.
When do you finish your shift?
We never know. Where are you tonight?
Not far from here. It's an old tannery.
I know it.
If I can, I'll come.
You must be dead on your feet.
No. I have a secret weapon.
It's strong enough to help you forget
what you've seen during the day.
Have you heard from her?
I've had other letters, but none from her.
And you?
No.
Why won't she write?
She loves you more than she'll ever admit.
And one day you'll be together again
I know it.
These last few days, I've been asking
myself if any of this is worth it.
Perhaps she was right.
The world should be left to look after itself.
You know you don't believe that.
But what are we achieving?
With the Germans and the Italians
on their side, it's only a matter of time.
In that time, maybe the rest of the world
will begin to realise what's happening.
You were always the sensible one.
Was I?
Not in my choice of men, remember?
We should try to sleep.
You know, Gilda once said
we two should have a child.
You know she and I were lovers?
I knew underneath.
I wanted to tell you
but she always said you were too British.
She was probably right.
Those were the happiest times of my life...
the three of us together.
And you and I came here.
We had no choice.
How can I be so tired...
and still feel jealous?
I was jealous of you all the time.
She'd be pleased.
Everything needs her blessing.
Here's your lift.
My doctor friend.
He's convinced I'm some kind of saint
because I never go with anyone.
He was so relieved when I said
I wanted to come and see you.
He insisted on giving me a lift himself.
I finally got rid of my halo.
There is no second sight.
We grope towards our future blind.
It's kinder that way.
On the morning of her final day
she came to her death clear- eyed...
brave, unknowing.
And when the snow melts, spring has come.
There is an end to war.
One small flower...
blessed, unique...
will flower no more.
Gilda...
I have to tell you
that our dear friend is dead.
I saw her just before it happened.
She was so beautiful...
and had become so wise.
Far stronger than me.
A few months later, as the forces
of the Republic began to disintegrate...
I crossed back into France
with the remnants of my unit.
All our efforts had come to nothing.
The war in Spain was lost.
I am speaking to you
from the Cabinet Room...
at 10 Downing Street.
This morning
the British Ambassador in Berlin...
handed the German government
a final note...
stating that unless we heard from them
by 11:00...
that they were prepared at once
to withdraw their troops from Poland...
a state of war would exist between us.
I have to tell you now...
that no such undertaking
has been received...
and that consequently...
this country is at war with Germany.
The war against the Fascists in Spain
was only a rehearsal.
The greater struggle was about to begin.
Less than a year later...
Poland, Norway, Holland, Belgium
and France were overrun...
and the Germans entered Paris.
I doubted I would ever see her again.
My war was in the field of intelligence.
And early in 1944...
I was sent to establish links
with Resistance fighters...
based in the countryside near La Manche.
In the late spring, I was transferred to Paris.
Six long years had passed
since I was last there.
My cover was as an official working
for a firm manufacturing rolling stock...
for the hard- pressed French railways.
And some time after I arrived
I was waiting for a rendezvous.
Thank you, darling.
How's your mother?
She's back on her feet.
Thank you. A pastis.
Pleased to meet you.
There's a delay.
He'll come at two.
I'll stay, since he knows me.
So let's have lunch.
Good idea.
Monsieur?
Red wine and a coffee.
What's wrong?
It's alright.
I'm starving.
Did she see me? I wasn't sure.
But after the initial shock
how could I be surprised?
Gilda didn't see the world as others did.
She was looking after herself...
making sure she could live
in the style she was accustomed to.
Please listen to these
personal messages.
Important message for the Stork.
We've had no news from the Stork.
...immediately.
Message for Jupiter.
I repeat, message for Jupiter.
Clarisse has blue eyes.
It's been a long time, Monsieur.
It has.
Do you still see Miss Bess?
She still lives there.
When she's not with her Nazi.
He's not her first.
And he won't be her last.
I'm tired of rabbit!
Rabbit's alright, it's horse I can't stand.
Another of the '34?
It was their last bottle.
They always put a few aside...
for special occasions.
Another '34, please.
I'll see what I can do, sir.
Bravo.
I'm going for a walk by the river.
Take a fishing rod.
Slut!
The whole army's going up there.
Stop!
Three mornings I sat across the road
waiting for you.
You mustn't come again.
He could come here at any time
and everyone watches.
They'll have seen you
come into the building...
the patron and his wife from the caf.
Yeah, well, they don't think
much of you there.
Of course not.
And you don't care?
Did I ever care what people thought of me?
I'd like to believe that
once you cared what I thought.
Why, Gilda? Why this?
I never much liked my own company
you know that.
Yeah, but with one of them?
It's just a game.
Not now.
I'm glad you're alive.
You know about Mia?
She loved you, you know?
As much as I did.
You should go.
We could leave Paris.
Make our way to the coast.
I have the papers.
Don't be absurd.
Are you in love with him? This German?
Or is it just a convenience?
A business arrangement, like with Max?
For the duration of the exhibition?
The duration of the war?
Go out the back way.
When we were making love just then
you felt it as strongly as I did.
Yes.
Our bodies were always good together.
Forget about me, Guy...
as I have you.
You're out of my life now.
Hello, sir.
When they told me you'd been sitting
at a caf three mornings in a row...
I didn't believe them.
Now I find it's because
you were waiting to see an old girlfriend.
A girlfriend who happens to be
hobnobbing with a German officer.
Do you realise the risk you're taking?
The risk you're taking with all of us here?
You're lucky you didn't
wake up with your throat cut.
Did you know she was involved
with a German?
Yes, sir.
And yet you still went to see her?
I've known her a long time.
I've a good mind
to have London pull you out.
They won't have it, because there's no one
with your credentials...
can come in at this short notice.
I won't be seeing her again.
If you do, I'll kill you myself.
Do you still trust him?
Do we have a choice?
Can you stay?
Just for an hour.
You're so beautiful.
It was the right size, yes?
I feel very special.
One day, I will get you stockings.
When the war is over.
When the war is over.
I understand.
Keep me informed.
I want to speak your language.
You promised you'd teach me.
But we have our own private language
you and I.
And when the Allies win the war...
we'll all be speaking English in our sleep.
To think, if I had been at Cambridge
one year later...
we might have met then.
Here we go again.
You seem a little far away tonight.
I'm here.
As you can see
we are focusing our attacks
on their lines of communication.
And we have a few surprises for them.
Looks like shit.
Smear it with shit, and it smells like it too.
But each one's powerful enough
to blow up a tank.
I wonder who's getting it tonight.
You were good at the meeting.
You got it just right.
I'm sorry I followed you that day.
No, you had every reason.
I know what it's like to love someone.
Thank you.
German whore!
What was that?
Please, Frans!
I didn't hear anything.
Why do you let them insult you?
If our roles were reversed
and this was Berlin...
you'd find yourself doing the same.
And expect to be punished.
I'm angry because- -
I don't want anything to spoil tonight
of all nights.
Why tonight?
Because...
Because it's your birthday.
You've always refused to tell me
my darling.
And I know it's a woman's prerogative...
but I wanted to know so we could celebrate.
Forgive me, I checked your papers.
My puppet, you're upset?
But why? Thirty- three.
I thought 28 at most.
Open it. Please?
I repeat, the barn owl has laid its eggs.
The long sobbings of autumn's violins.
I repeat, the long sobbings
of autumn's violins.
So we're on standby.
What did you find out?
Codename Bisquet.
He's coming here for a meeting.
Did you get a description?
No, he passed out.
We're trying to revive him.
Do you have a light, Monsieur?
Yes.
Go down to the lavatories
and put on the clothes there...
my love.
They picked up the man
you were meeting, Bisquet.
How did you- -
There's a bicycle outside.
You have about two minutes.
Remember Cambridge? The next morning?
How I dressed like a boy?
Gilda.
I had no idea it would be you.
Give me 30 seconds.
That must be him!
Bring them in.
Every week we get eggs from the farm.
Maybe you could make us an omelet!
The second man?
He went down to the toilets.
And the woman?
So did she.
Listen!
What happened?
Bisquet was picked up last night.
We just found out.
Who tipped you off?
The woman I went to see.
Straight from Gestapo HQ.
Back to his whore.
Blackout!
Bastard!
Shut up!
This is a surprise.
I thought you were on alert.
We've been stood down.
There's a storm in the Channel.
No invasion in this weather.
How was your day?
Puzzling. Frustrating.
But not anymore.
I was elated. In some way, somehow
she was on our side.
Before I could even think
of finding a way to see her...
events on a greater stage overtook us:
D- day.
Patrol!
What's wrong?
My knee!
Hide!
Let's go!
Take my hand.
I'll cover you!
Leave me here!
Go!
Get on!
That's enough.
Who do you work for?
Let me live.
Please.
For a few days I was looked after
by the priest.
And then I was flown back
to hospital in England.
I still had no clear idea
of Gilda's involvement in the Resistance.
All I knew was that in spite of everything...
when the war was over
we would be together again...
as Mia had foretold.
The Major will see you now, sir.
Just wait here for a moment, please.
Long time, Guy.
It is, sir.
The first contact didn't come from our side.
She approached us.
In fact, it was more than a year
before I discovered who she was.
When I realised it was Gilda...
I was as surprised as I'm sure you were.
Although I suppose you knew her
better than I ever did.
Her first lover
worked in Stlpnagel's offices.
She copied documents from his briefcase
with a miniature camera.
She's good with cameras.
Then passed them on through her contact
in a beauty salon.
The intelligence officer she's with now
is much more circumspect.
But one tip- off she gave us...
saved an entire escape line from infiltration.
And when you went to see her
you were putting all that at risk.
Why didn't she tell me?
You know why.
If you were caught and tortured...
It wasn't just for your own good.
Paris is in chaos.
The Resistance is trying
to liberate the city themselves...
and there's no possible justification
for sending you back there.
But she is very resourceful
as we both know.
I wouldn't worry about her too much.
It's not the Germans I'm worried about.
Of course, if you were to go
of your own accord...
I wouldn't do anything to stop you.
Look who's here!
Have you seen Miss Debrett?
Not for two days.
What's wrong?
Worried about your lover?
He's gone home to Hilde!
Why don't you ask the Gestapo?
The nerve!
You got my message?
I'm not coming with you.
Have you seen the people out there?
I'll be all right if I stay here.
When the Allies come- -
Why will you not come with me?
I can take you to Germany.
I know it won't be easy
but at least you'll be safe.
I don't love you, Frans.
Oh, God!
No!
One last kiss?
I got through! I spoke to my mother.
First time in 4 years!
That's great!
Tomorrow's my son's birthday. He'll be 6.
I just hope I recognize him.
Thanks for the lift.
You're pushing on?
We'll be in Paris tomorrow.
I know.
Will one day make a difference?
Well, my love
I'm trying to make sense of things...
of how I was, and how I am now.
Two whores together!
I only went with ordinary soldiers.
I never informed on anyone!
It's because of you!
You had an officer!
You passed on secrets!
They'll kill me because of you!
Take her out!
Where?
Get going!
Beat it!
Your lover
tortured my sister...
to death!
And many others.
All that time
you continued to sleep with him.
You don't understand...
Three days it took her to die.
Three days!
Compared to her
you'll be lucky.
Well, my love
I'm trying to make sense of things...
of how I was, and how I am now.
I have always believed
our first duty is to ourselves...
to live life to the full.
But I have also been haunted
by another conviction...
that everything is preordained
lying in wait...
and time is running out.
I seem to have charged through my life
in a kind of panic.
And looking back...
I feel I have achieved little of worth
beyond our friendship:
yours and mine, and Mia's.
Then one day I woke...
and found I had lost
the two people I cared for most.
Only then did I begin to realise that
we cannot live alone, aloof from the world...
and that to believe we cannot fight
against fate is an act of surrender.
You were right when you said that
once I cared for your opinion of me...
but wrong in thinking I ever stopped caring.
I love you.