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In Dubious Battle (2016)
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My pop always told me to watch the scales. Said the world will always find a way to cheat the working man. I met Mac McLeod in 1933, and I witnessed up close the price of real change. Gentlemen, ladies, come in, come in. Listen, please. Hear what I have to say, all right? This price cut pains me as much as it pains you. With the market as volatile as it is a fella should count himself fortunate to garner a respectable wage like I offer you. Right? Yeah, respectable like hell! - What? - Yeah! Man can't live on a dollar a day. You promised us three a day, and you know it. But unfortunately, good man, my hands are tied. What are we gonna do today? We gotta walk. We'll just go on over to the next field. Yeah! No, no, no. Unfortunately, that won't work either. That's the rate for every field for the Torgas valley. And now you can either take it as it is or leave. Leave? I can't leave. I spent nearly my last dimes just to try and get out here. Can't leave. I'm sorry. That's a pity. But you can either whine or go to work. Let's go. Let's go. Move out. All right, come on, folks. Let's do this. As they said in the great war, "it's daylight in de Banque, the son of a bitch is in the swamp. Hey, praise ye to the god almighty. "What are you gonna do, sleep all day?" Good people, good people. My people, my people. What do you want? Oh, hey, you must be the new recruit. You... hey, that means you met Harry. Harry says you're okay, you're okay. What is it? Jack? Uh, I'm Jim. Jim Nolan. Joy, let him in. You say Nolan. Nolan? Are you ray Nolan's kid? Yeah, yeah. Joy, where's your manners? Why don't you invite our new friend in here? Oh, I'm sorry, yeah. Here, nice to meet you, Jim. Ah. Name's Mac. Nice to meet you. All right. Uh, joy don't shake. Hurts too much. Busted his hands. Yeah, because I got beat real good. That's right, I been handcuffed to a bar and smacked across the skull. I gotten my hands stomped on by police horses. I been beat to hell, ain't I, Mac? Sure have, joy. All right, Jay. - Jim, sorry. - Come on, have a seat. Ray Nolan's kid, huh? Yeah. Heard he was the toughest mug in the whole county. Say he could lick five cops with his bare hands. Yeah. Too bad every time he went out, he managed to run into six. Well, let's hope you got more sense than that. Now, this here's Edith Malone. She's all right. Little too tough for her own good. Pfft. Go to hell, Mac. You can call me Edie. He's just sore because I been at this longer than he has, and I'm better at it too. Maybe, maybe, maybe so. Mm-hmm. You already met joy. Joy's an old vet, ain't you, joy? Damn right. And I ain't ever crawled. Did I ever... Did I ever break? Did I ever beg them to stop? Never. I kept on calling them sons of bitches right until they knocked me cold, every damn time. Well, maybe if you'd kept your trap shut, they wouldn't have knocked that head of yours around so much and you could keep straight the days of the week. All right, don't get him started. Yeah, well, they were sons of bitches and so I told them. You know, they may have rode me down, ground me into the dirt till the soil was red with my blood but I told them what they were! - You sure did, joy. - Yeah, damn right. Hey, let me get you some coffee. Just wait here. Man, I know what day of the week it is. All right, joy. Who produces the goods? Uh, the workers do. And who takes the profit? The bosses and the owner? By what right? They don't produce nothing. - What right do they have? - Joy! You sound like a two-bit preacher in a one-horse town. Will you just stop trying to convince our own people and leave the poor boy alone? Jim, come on. Joy, let him go. I'm with you, joy. All right. Okay, Jack. Just been smacked over the head one too many times. We take care of him, try to keep him out of trouble. Those the only clothes you got? Uh, yeah. Yeah, gonna have to get you a costume. What do you mean, a costume? Cig? No, thank you. You got good timing, Jim. Great, in fact. Tomorrow morning, I'm heading to the Torgas valley and you're coming with me. What's in Torgas? Apples. Fields of them. Succulent like you wouldn't believe. Thousands of boomers come out for the season to pick them. Poor bastards spend their every last dime getting out there. As soon as they're there, bosses slash the wages in half. Guys like that's gonna be mad, furious. There ain't nothing they can do about it. That's where you and me come in. We're gonna fix that job real quick. We're gonna start a strike. Well, look at that. Kid's got some brains to go with all that brawn. So, what do you say? You ready to pick some apples? I'm in. Jeez, man, my pops used to work those fields. He said no matter how bad the docks were, working there, way worse working the field, because if they catch you interfering in the field, they'll kill you. There's no one to stop them. Why do you think we're going out there? Change all that... One field at a time, if we have to. Real question is, have you ever jumped a train before? Have I ever what? Jumped a train? Yeah. You know, I never been out of the city before. Yeah. Damn, this ain't a sight. Is where we're going like this? Better. Better? Trees dripping with apples like red jewels. You think you'd died and found Eden. You want one? No, thank you. All right. What made you want to join a bunch of radicals? Did you know the industrial workers of the world are violent anarchists and dirty communists? According to most folk. Had a lot to do with my old man. Seeing that poor old bastard joy reminded me of my old man. He took so many beatings that he went punch drunk. One time, I found him walking in circles in the middle of the street. Got hit with a pair of brass knuckles by a scab real good. Never could steer straight after that. Where's he at now? He's gone. Finally took charge a buckshot to the chest from a cop's riot gun. Say he was dead before he even hit the ground. Damn. Yeah. You know, I had all this inside me. I never had anywhere to put it. I just fought. But now I have a chance to fight for something. I want to fight for something. I want that. That's all I want. I like the way you think, Jim Nolan. You and me's gonna make a pretty good team. You ever do anything like this before? Nope, never. The key is, they gotta think we're like any other pickers. Let's get to work. - Where you boys from? - Up north, sir. You two pick before? Yes, sir. Well, why don't you find an empty tree and get to work? All right. All right, I got a name. London. Find a tree, pick, talk to some folks, feel them out. See you after. Don't bruise them. Rot sets in a bruise. You hear me? Yeah, hear. You got a problem, kid? No, sir. Well, god, he's awful, huh? - Yeah. - It's not him, though. It's this whole setup that's rotten. What are we gonna do about it? I don't know but something's gotta be done. Yeah. Yeah. New guys, follow me. I'll show you your bunks. I seen his type before. Ten to one he's a training camp soldier. Spent his time in the war punching a bayonet into a sack of sawdust so he comes home without ever seeing a trench. Now he's Bolton's foreman. His lackey. He's always trying to prove how tough he is. Reminds me of a guy I used to know back in the day. Got his rocks off kicking dogs. No time for sightseeing here. Feel it down here. Just a little bit right here. I don't... right here. Let's see. Ooh, yeah. It's okay. Hey. That's the women's bunks. Men's are over here. Come on, come on. Sheets are available in the company store. You two cause trouble here, you're gone. Hey, careful up there, old-timer. Careful? Young punks like you have heart failure watching me work. Is that so? A dollar a day? Pretty steep cut. What do you think about that? What do I think about it? I think whining ain't gonna do no good. Yeah. How you doing? We gotta roam all over the country like hogs looking for work. And we get our ass beat by guys with clipboards. If we stuck together, we could really make some change. Hey, that sounds like hope. Only young'uns are good for hope. I gave it up. You can have it. Never done me no good. What if there was something we could do about it? Look, we hear what you're saying. We ain't interested in your politics. That's right. Politics, huh? I just want to do what's right. Well, look. Paying us less is better than paying nothing at all. Well, they gouge us because they know they can get away with it. We already said we ain't having this... Listen, mister, with all due respect, I don't know you. And I'm not having this conversation with you. Sir. Ah. Poor bastards. Already spending money they haven't earned just to get a meal. Nothing worse than your first paycheck and already owing the man money. Yeah, none of that doom and gloom, Jimmy. There's a lot to like here. You can feel the tension. It's like water simmering right before it boils over. I managed to get with London today. He don't miss much. He's sure sore as hell over the pay cut. He's our guy. We get him over on our side, he'll swing a bunch of the stiffs with him. They'll listen to him. Somebody sick? London's daughter-in-law. She's having a baby. There a doctor? Ain't nobody makes house calls out here. Come on. Huh? Yeah, you're opening up real good. You're shaking like a leaf. You sure you know what the hell you're doing? Yeah, yeah. Real good. Real good. What the hell you think you're doing here? We heard there was a girl having a baby. What, did you think you'd just come in and have a gander? We thought we might help, seeing as you don't have a doctor here. Well, you been around this before? Yes, sir. Thank god. So Vera here, she's delivered calves before, but she ain't no... no doctor, and this old bag here, I not sure she knows what she's doing either. Ma'am, you can step aside. Well, that's real kind of you, sir, but I can do this. You been drinking? No, I haven't been drinking. I just... My hands shake, that's all. And did you even bother to wash your hands? Just step aside. Let the man go to work here. Lisa, it's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay. Hey, Lisa, these guys know what they're doing. They've been around it before. - It's going to be okay. - It's okay. We've done this 100 times, Jim and I. I just need a little more help. Where's the father? He had an accident. Passed away three months ago. I see. Okay. All right, put that on my shoulders. It's okay she's crying like this? This is okay? - Uh, yeah. - She's okay. - Look out. - Okay. Lisa? Lisa? I'm Mac. This is Jim. Now, Lisa, when you feel it... When you feel a contraction, I need you to push, okay? - Help her out, Jim. - All right. Help her out, Jim. Lisa, you're gonna be just fine. Just look at me. We'll do it together. When you feel the contraction, I need you to push. Okay? Feel it? Yeah! Then push! And push! There you go! There you go. That's it, that's it. Come on! Come on! Come on! - Push hard now. - That's your, baby! Come on, Lisa. This is it. One more. One more. One more. One more. Push! Look at that, girl! Ah, there it is! There we go! There he is! There he is. Oh, ain't that nice? Hold him. Hold him. There you go. There you go. You did a good job, girl. You really did. Thank you, mister. You did a hell of a thing. Thank you. Welcome. You too. Thank you very much. Oh, thank you. Good job, Jim. It's a boy! Hey, Mac, come here. What? What? You ever done that before? Delivered a baby? I had some medical training in the army. I just figured we'd get it as clean as possible and then let nature take over. I guess it's a good thing that came through, or we'd be in a lot of trouble. You are a crazy son of a bitch. You're one crazy son of a bitch. I've been called worse. Ooh. Did a good thing tonight, Mac. Real good thing. Sure, I guess so. But what matters is we got those guys working together. And we've got an in with London. We delivered a baby tonight, Mac. That's gotta be worth something. Jim, listen, you gotta take every opportunity that you get. And we gotta remember what the stakes are. We're trying to change things for millions of people. Anyone who has to take a shit deal because the boss says so. Anyone who gets taken advantage of because they don't own something. That's who we're fighting for. It's not about Lisa, it's not about you and me. If anything, it's about Lisa's kid, and what kind of world he's gonna grow up in. And if we're thinking about ourselves or chasing glory, then we're not doing it right. All right, I get it. Baby came out, I almost passed out. I genuinely almost passed out. Hey, me too. Hey, Mac. Hey, there, Mac. Hey, buddy. How you doing? They talking strike out here yet? Oh, yeah. They're cautious, but they're talking about it. Well, that's a start. Some of these guys won't even say it. Like, "strike" is some kind cuss word, and their mother'll come wash their mouths out with soap. With people like this, you never know what'll set them off, what'll get the Boulder rolling. Just look at them. All they need's a little push. They were just sitting on the side of the road next to a big white house, I remember. Hey! No, I'm not. Hey! Hey, boys, this is Mac, and this here is Jim. These are the fellas I told you about. So these are the fellas that took care of your Lisa? That's right. Any of you would have done the same. It was nothing. Maybe, but not many people'd help a stranger. - So, London? - Hmm? Think any more on what we were saying yesterday? I think what you said makes sense. Making trouble never got me anywhere. Well, if you don't make trouble, then nothing's gonna change. - Yeah. - Easy for you to say. I got a family to feed. Yeah, a buddy back east got his skull cracked when they tried to organize. All right! Get to picking them apples. All right, let's go. Time to go pick them apples. Let's move. Let's do it. Come on! London? Yep. Where you going once the apples get picked? East, cotton fields. Well, you know for damn sure that if they cut you here, they're gonna cut even deeper in the cotton field. Mm. Maybe he's right. Yeah, you know he's right. Jim here is an expert on agricultural economics. Honest to god, he knows more than anyone I know about the way the farm business goes. Mm. I just think that we need to talk about this a little bit more. All right. London, they are gonna cut and cut until we do something about it. Mm. Hey, Mac. I ain't know nothing about agriculture economics. I thought you did. - Morning, Dan. - Hey, how you doing, kid? I'm all right. How you doing? Good. Did you get here early today? Yeah, I got here real early. Yeah, good for you. Yeah. Oh, shit. Hey, Dan, what is it, your leg? Is your leg broke? - Son of a bitch. - Which leg is it? - Damn! - What leg is it? - Busted ladder, look! - Jesus Christ! Move, out of the way, move. Move! Bullshit! Help me up! There ain't nothing to see here. It was a broken ladder. It's all his goddamn fault. You listen, boy. No, you listen. Get him! Get him! Come on! Hey, break it up! Hey, get off him! You're gonna kill him, for Christ's sake. You're gonna kill him! You on their side or something? No, I'm not on their side, goddamn it. All right? This isn't gonna help. Make way! Make way, back up. Come on, frank. Get up. Get up, boy. You're done. Not now. Uh-uh. Back to work! Y'all back to work! Tell you one thing's for sure, I ain't working for these bastards. Not one more second! You goddamn right we're not. London, London. It's starting now. Just what sort of nonsense you been putting in my father's head? He don't need your trouble. Ma'am, I understand your concern. Don't you "ma'am" me. Come on, dad, ask him. It is now or never. London. We've all met guys that have done good deeds for other people. We never met someone that didn't want something in return. We just need to know what your angle is. My old man worked these fields. Years ago. He went to the city when he couldn't take being jerked around any more. He worked the factories up until the day they shot him with a load of buckshot right in the chest. You wanna know why they killed him? Because he had the nerve to stand up and say they weren't treating him right. And for that, they shot him like a dog. And that's how it's always been for guys like you and me. So who are we? We're the guys who are gonna change all that. And we're gonna do it one goddamn apple field at a time if we have to. All right, now if we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this right, which means we gotta get organized quick before Bolton can run in scabs. But we still need somebody to run this thing. So who wants to nominate somebody? I nominate London. Okay. - Anyone second that? - London! All right, do we have any other nominations? No. All right, I guess we have our leader. Okay, then, I guess I'm thinking the same thing you all are thinking, probably. So we live here now. If this thing happens, where are we gonna go? You're right. We'll all need a place to stay. You leave that to us. What the hell was that about? Sorry, I used your old man's story. It's a good story. I think it's what London and all them... They had to hear at that point. If you got no money, you can have a cup of coffee on the house, but don't go ordering food you can't pay for, think you can run out on the bill. You'd be the third pickers this week to try that. We were sent here from the city on business. We heard you been good to our people in the past, and we don't forget things like that. I knew you fellas had a look about you. I bet you haven't eaten all day. Can I put something on for you? That sounds... Great. Yeah. Okay. I'll be right back. So I hear your pops has a farm of his own. Yeah, my old man's got some land and a bit of an orchard. Well, we'd like to talk to him. I can take you over there but I gotta warn you, he is a tough old git. He's got no sympathy for causes. Hey, pops, these fellas want to talk to you. Ain't seen pointers like that in a long time. Likely you ain't seen pointers like this ever. Yeah. You bird them? Every season. Yeah. Lots of fools use a setter. Setter's a net dog. Pointer's a gun dog. Is that right? You know dogs? I do. I like this one. I like the look of her. Yeah, that's Mary. She's hell-bent for leather in the field. Never seen a dog cover ground like her. I believe it. My name's McLeod. Anderson. Mcleod. You selling something? Not selling anything. Now what can I do for you, McLeod? I'm going to lay it out for you straight. A couple of hundred apple pickers will be on strike by this time tomorrow. As soon as they strike, the owners are gonna kick them off their land for trespassing. Well, for a man telling it straight, you sure take a long time to get to the point. Okay. Al here says you have five acres of plowing land. That's private property you that can do with as you please. Let us make camp on your land. We'll pick your apples for free. Yours'll be the only crop in the entire county at market. You'll make a killing. I gotta get along with my neighbors. They'd give me hell, I did a thing like that. You own this land? I do. Is it clear? Well, hell, no, it's not clear. I got a mortgage. With whom? Torgas finance. And who owns Torgas finance? I'll tell you, Martin, hunter, Bolton. Same three bastards own 90 percent of the farming land in this valley. They been squeezing you? How long till they squeeze you out? A year? Now, suppose you sell your whole crop in a rising market. A crop you paid nothing to have picked. It might get you out of that mortgage. And then they couldn't touch you. Well, I'm not sure I can trust a couple of reds. You tried trusting Torgas finance. How'd that work out for you? Consider it this way. When else are you gonna get a chance to stick it to Chris Bolton? I like him. He's a grumpy old bastard but I like him. Don't you go liking people, Jim. We can't afford to waste time liking people. I know you think that's cold but I'm just being practical. All right, I get it. So speaking practically, how do you always know what to say to guys like that? It's not hard. You just tell them what they want to hear. Sure, but how do you know what they wanna hear? Well, see, guys like that... They think they want wealth or power or security. None of that matters. They just want to feel like their lives matter. Like they matter. They want to think that they have some control over their lives. That's it? Lisa, I'm just saying, we can't trust these guys. We don't know who they are, okay? You have to be careful. Vinnie, I'm trying to feed the baby. Can you please leave? Hi. Hi. Hey, I don't mean to bother you. I know, um... I brought you some soup. That's sweet of you. You can put it here. I'm gonna put it here. Why don't you sit down? You want me to sit? Yeah, sure. So... Oh, sorry about that. You don't have to do that. Figured you've already seen more than this anyway. How are you feeling? I'm tired. Considering I pushed this one out of me. That makes sense. How's he doing? You wanna hold him? Do I want to hold the baby? Here, try. Oh, all right. By the head. Okay. Just, uh... Oh, man. I named him Josiah. How you doing, lad? He's beautiful. I'm sorry about the father. There was no accident. The coward ran off when he found out I was pregnant. God, I don't even know why I told you. I don't tell anyone. I won't tell anyone. London's more ashamed than I am. Well, I won't tell anyone. You're a good man, aren't you, Jim? I try to be. Bolton knows we walked off the job. And Edie says he's bringing in scabs today to replace us. So we gotta convince the scabs to join us or the strike will be over before it even begins. Hang back. Do you know something I don't? These cops are gonna be looking to see who the leader is. I don't want to call any attention to ourselves. Never mind them. We're all on the same side here. Our fight is not with you. You gotta join us and together we'll get them to pay what they owe us. Yeah, yeah! This man's right, by god! Why should we work for a man who think they own us? Come on. Hold back. We gotta stop them. They think you're dirt. They think you're trash. They think they can just chew you up, spit you out, take the profits from the work that you do with your sweat and your blood. And these cops, these pigs, you know what they do when you try to exercise your rights as a free American? They bash you in the skull, they knock out your teeth, they kick in the ribs, call you a piece of shit. And now we're supposed to work for them? They're sons of bitches, I tell you. And you know what we do with sons of bitches where I come from? Joy! Joy! Get back! He's dead. - He's dead. - He's dead! You can all go to hell! All you folks, you elected me to be chairman of this here group. I guess that means I'm supposed to say something on behalf of this poor man here. Well, I'm not good at speeches. But you saw what happened to him. He wasn't trying to harm nobody. He just came to stand with us. There's a man here, Mac, who knew him. Go ahead up there, Mac. Ahem. Yeah, I knew him. He was my friend. His name is joy. He was a radical. You heard me. He was a true radical. He was a radical because he wanted people like you and me to have enough to eat and a place to sleep. He didn't want nothing for himself. He didn't want a goddamn thing. He was a radical! A dirty bastard, a danger to the government because he wanted all of us to have a fair shot. So the cops beat him to pieces. They broke his hands so many times he couldn't make a fist. They busted his jaw so he couldn't eat right. And now they shot him, right at our feet. What are you going to do about it? You gonna dump him in a mud hole, put some slush over him and forget it? No! He was fighting for you! - You going to forget about him? - No! Are you gonna lie down and just take it? No! Are you going to let them get away? No! He was one of us. So, what are you gonna do about it? Fight! - What? - Fight! You gonna fight? That's right. We're going to fight for him. And we're going to fight for us. But we can't fight them with guns. We can't fight them with knives. So, what are we do? - Strike! Strike! - That's right! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! We'll run a clean camp, organized. No booze. We got a woman by the name of Edie, who's bringing in supplies by the truckload. And we got a doc in charge of health and sanitation. My people know what they're doing and we'll have your entire orchard picked in no time, for free. That does it. All right. Three bucks a day and we won't walk away! Three bucks a day and we won't walk away! Three bucks away and we won't walk away! Three bucks a day and we won't walk away! This is really happening. Look at them. It's like they're waking up from a long sleep. All I see is danger. Oh, come on. Not danger. This is possibility, look. Look at everyone. If they all keep working together like this, there's nothing we can't do. I know these men. It can't last. You should have more faith in your fellow man. They'll get itchy and they'll start fighting. We'll help them stay on the right path. We'll whip them into shape. Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah. I hope you can. I just hope you know what you're doing. Say, ain't that the lady you had your eye on? Sure is. Well, that's a shame about her man dying. Someone's gonna have to help raise that baby. Say, what do you think of that Jim Nolan guy, anyway? He ain't nothing special. I think he's all right. Hey, wait up. Mac? Yeah. I'm gonna head to see the doc. What the hell are you telling me for? Well, you told me not to do nothing - without letting you know, so... - Jesus Christ. You sure follow directions. Just go on. I'll be there in a bit. Yeah, I was just telling you. Jesus. Now, no, sir, I don't want any of that nonsense, but, no, this... Doc? Doc, sorry. What can I do for you, Jim? Well, I just wanted to see if you needed any help and, uh, Edie says that she has the, uh... What do you call it? Disinfectant. Ah. That woman is wonderful, fabulous, yeah. Help, yeah, always. Come. Well, Mac and Edie certainly got this one up and running pretty quickly. Lucky for them that poor old sot took the fall that he did when he did. Yeah, the men weren't really committed, were they? Not until old joy put up his last stand. What are you talking about? Nothing. Just making a remark about this serendipitous timing. Mac says that you're not committed to our cause but you help us anyway. Ah, you don't want to be talking about my political theories, at least not now. You're new to this, huh? What do you make of your new comrades? Do you find them inspiring? Uh, yeah, I do. Yeah? I do, honest to god. I really do find them inspiring. - Good. - Bolton's here. London, I presume. I've been told you're the man in charge of this - uh, this gathering. - That's right. - My name's Bolton. - I know who you are. I was hoping we could talk. All right. Okay? Sure. Why don't you skedaddle for a bit. Go ahead. Come on, let's go, let's go. Mr. Bolton, why don't you just sit right in my office? Right here. I'm the only one sitting, huh? Yeah. The old man. You really think you need that for a friendly talk? It's all right, Vera. Let the man have his gun. Now, this is my daughter, Alice. As the heir to my business, I think it is important that she sees firsthand the men and the women who will be working for her. They don't belong here. Get rid of them. We don't need them. Uh, your men stay, my men stay. Okay. You know what you're getting into? I know about these rabble-rousers. They don't give a damn about you. Look, just say your piece, boss man. Okay, so be it. So be it. We're both busy men, I'll get right to the point. You bring these men back to work, I'll make you assistant superintendent. Steady job. Five dollars a day. Oh, really? Yeah. You're gonna buy me off? No, no, no. A chance to lick your boots? Please. You're lucky I don't cold-cock your ass right here. Just easy. Take it easy. Okay. Now, I find in any dispute, if the two parties sit down at the table they can work things out. Well, we ain't got no table. Well, this mess isn't good business for anyone, all right? Now, come back to work. You'll get your wages, we'll get our apples picked. All right? Everybody will be happy, happy, happy. No repercussions, no grudges. What's the offer? Well, that is the offer. Come back to work. Yeah, but at what rate? The rate we discussed. A dollar a day. Jesus, are you dense? I mean, what do you... What the do you think we're striking about here? A dollar twenty. No questions no grudges. That's as high as I can go. $1.20. Bob, put your damn hand down. That's less than half of what you promised. Think of the womenfolk. Think of them, all right? These fine ladies here need to be taken care of like the queens they are. Mr. Bolton, the way I see it is I think it's pretty clear without us, your apples don't get picked. And we're not picking any apples until we get the wages that we were promised. Turn your cards over, Bolton. We see you already hired one of these Pinkerton bastards. So, what's the "or else"? We come back to work for you or else you're gonna let out the vigilantes? Vigilantes? I can assure you I have no idea what you're talking about. But if outraged citizens band together to keep the peace, that's their god-given right. And if you keep on with the strike, we'll be forced to petition the governor for troops. We're on private land here. You got no right to push us off. Oh, yeah? Well, we'll see about that. I had hoped you would listen to reason. I really did. But you're forcing my hand. And if you continue with this foolishness, know that I will crush this strike and bury each and every one of you. That's a promise. Bolton, you rough up Anderson, you touch his property, you touch one goddamn apple tree, we will burn down every house and barn on every ranch in this valley. Make way, people. Make way. Make way. Lisa. Bolton will start cracking down now. It'll get ugly. Oh, come on, doc. The men will be able to handle it. They know how important this is. They'll fight, they won't break. I wish I could see it with your clarity, Jim. Hmm. Man, he's met and he's defeated every obstacle, every enemy but one. He just can't win against himself. Mankind hates itself. We don't hate mankind. We hate the system that oppresses working people. The system that stacks the deck so a few people have everything and the rest of us have to fight over the scraps. That's what we hate. The other side is made up of men too, Jim, men like you. What do you think about all this? What's your assessment of this situation? All I want is just a simple, clean life. A farm and a house, a family. Somebody to help raise Josiah with. All the rest just feels like needless complication. Lisa, don't you see? That's why I'm doing this. I'm doing this for you and for people like you, so they have a shot at that life. But that Mac, telling everyone what to do, he just seems so cold. No, Mac isn't cold. All those smiles, it's like we're pieces on a puzzle board. That place in him that's supposed to be warm is just gone. If that's the cost of all this it ain't right, is it? Hey, doc? Hmm? You think I'd be a good father? Yeah, I think you'd be a good father. Hey. Jesus Christ, where you been? The supplies are so dry, I'm spitting cotton. Look at this. Jesus Christ. What is it? "County votes to feed strikers. "At a public meeting last night, the board of supervisors "unanimously voted to feed the men now striking against the apple growers." Well, if they want to give us food... No, dummy. It's an old trick. I have sympathizers lined up, ready to give us food and blankets and money, then this comes out and they say, "why am I feeding you anything? County's been feeding you. I saw it in the paper." But you be ready. Things are gonna get bad. Bolton's gonna start cracking down and the men's resolve will start to weaken. You losing faith, Edie? I'm a realist, always have been, always will be. She's right. It's gonna get ugly. But that's good for us. The worse it gets, the bigger the story, the more sympathy for the cause. Just have to make sure the strike keeps going. The guys'll stay strong. You just watch. I promise. Come on. Huh? Where are we going? Gotta get into town. Right now? Yeah. Oh, shit. That's it? Just send some letters? That's right. Now we gotta wait. Hopefully my guys'll have some ideas on how to push back against Bolton. Evening, fellas. Evening. Just out for a little stroll. It's a public road, all right? We're allowed to walk on it. Then walk. Walk. You got no cause. You want us to go with you, you gotta arrest us. And then you're gonna have to talk to our lawyers. Who said anything about police? I said walk. All right. Move. Call you frank, right? Yeah, you got something to say, buddy? Say it. Open your mouth. Yeah. Guys like you are the dirtiest bastards in any town. You're the ones who like to beat on hobos and lynch negroes. You can dress it up, call it keeping the peace, but you just like to be cruel. Like to beat on a guy if he's tied up or if he's outnumbered 10 to one, but you'd never face him man to man. Oh, yeah? You mean like this? Yeah. Run! Run! Run! Shoot him! Shoot him! Shoot him, shoot him, shoot him! Goddamn it, shoot him! Goddamn it! Let them go. We got nothing but time. Oh, you're gonna be seeing us again! And we know your dirty friends, and we're gonna pay each of them a visit! What the hell was that? That was a taste of who we're dealing with. Can they do that? We didn't break any laws. They can do whatever they want. No one stops them. Come on out! They're gonna keep coming after us. Come on, let's get back to camp, let them know that they're out there, all right? Oh, god! - All right? - Yeah. Hey. You bastards are supposed to protect us. What's the matter? What's the matter? Bunch of men burned Al's lunch wagon clear to the ground. That's what's the matter. The whole goddamn thing. Ah. Hey, al. Hope you're happy now. See what comes of it? Look at him laying there. We put $1800 into that diner. For Christ's sake, dad, don't start. Hey, we feel awful bad. All right, let him get some rest, Mac. All right. This is gonna hurt, al. We'll put extra guards... Get out. Yes, sir. Where are the guards? Goddamn it. What the hell? Relax, man. Ain't nobody around. This isn't a joke, okay? We owe Mr. Anderson. We're exhausted. We been picketing all day. Jesus, enough with the excuses. You two can't do it? Find someone who can! - You ain't our boss. - No, I ain't. But what do you think London's gonna do when he finds out you two ain't pulling your weight? London ain't our boss neither. You're right. But he can tear you limb from limb with his bare hands. Now, get out of here. I don't want you two guarding the barn. Damn if I don't feel like we did that to poor al. I mean, that lunch wagon, that was his whole life. Don't go thinking that way. You didn't bust Al's ribs. Them bastards work for Bolton did. All right, but I can't help... I can't help feeling like... I mean, did you see the look in Mr. Anderson's eyes? I ain't gonna lie to you, hating's the hardest part. You do what we do, everyone hates you, the enemy, our side both. That's their whole plan. They're gonna divide us a bit at a time until the whole thing falls apart. But we ain't gonna let them. I can't stop thinking about joy, just shot to hell. Me too, Jim. Me too. It's worth it. Get something to eat. Whoa, hey. Hey! Hey! Get them, Vinnie. Whoa! Whoo! Get them! What are you doing? Hey, stop it! Stop it! Stop! Hey, stop. - What are you guys doing? - Hey, hey, hey. Hey, we're just doing what Mac told us to do. Mac told you to do this? Come on, let's go. Go, go, go! Come on, shit. Run! Run! Hey, fellas! Aren't you gonna come get your comrade? What, you backing out now? I don't know, just... I just didn't think anybody would get hurt. Well, what exactly did you think would happen when you cross a man like Bolton? You think he'd just roll over and give us what we wanted? I'd known Billy his whole life. Now, this is just too much. Mm-mm, mister, you can't back out now. You made that call, and now we're in it. If Bolton wants a fight, you better get your boys ready to fight. Well, more people are gonna get hurt. You listen to your daughter, London. She knows what she's talking about. Shit. They got us sitting around here not doing a goddamn thing. Yeah, Bolton may have treated us like dogs but at least he paid us. Psst. Psst. Hmm? Come here. You wanna have a go round? What? I'll let you do anything you want for a can of sardines. It's the hardest part of any strike, when both sides are dug in and neither side's gonna budge. It's the waiting that wears on you. Morale's gonna drop guys are gonna want to leave. We're gonna need your help. Keep your eyes open. One false step and the whole damn thing will fall apart. I can't keep feeding my girl nothing but beans. Mommy, I'm hungry, mommy. There ain't enough blankets now that there's all these people in camp. I understand. We got more food, blankets, and supplies on the way. Don't worry. Keep this quiet, but I was in town, I heard a few fellas talking. They said there's more scabs coming in by the truckload. And these guys all got guns and tear gas bombs in their pockets. They always start rumors like that to stir up trouble. What else you heard? I heard we got reds in this camp. Communists. Who you hear's a red? What do we really know about the guys running this thing? All right, you're a real paranoid fella, aren't you? You know what really sticks in my craw? That meeting London took, okay? Now, you watch, this strike's gonna settle and old London'll be driving a new car. All right, boy, you shut your mouth, all right? London ain't a rat and any of you who says otherwise has to deal with me. Hey, get your hands off me, I'll bash your head in. I will bash your head in. Get out of our camp! Right now! Get out of our camp! I don't want to see your face. This meeting's over. Go! Just go. Can I ask you something? Shoot. Did you rig that ladder so Dan would fall? I think you know the answer. I want to hear you say it. Fine. I sabotaged that ladder. Damn you. Damn you straight to hell, Mac. That poor old bastard. These guys get the screws put to them every day of their lives. They don't do nothing about it. But as soon as some old guy falls off a crap ladder, they're willing to take on the world. You wanted in. This is the job. This is the job. What about joy? Joy was my friend. I didn't set him up. But someone else may have, someone on our side. Maybe. I don't know. It better... it better all be worth it, Mac. It better all be worth it. It better be. No. Just no. That's a terrible idea. Absolutely not. Face the facts, Mac. One, Bolton's men have ID'd you and Jim as ringleaders of this thing. We already know we've got rats in the camp. Two, the men are fading. London may not have the stomach for this when things get serious. We need something to keep things going. So you want Jim to take the fall? He's more valuable than everyone in this camp combined. This ain't your first rodeo. You know that sooner or later they're gonna come after the two of you. Then, when that happens, we can turn it in our favor. Why are you acting like this? You're the one who's always saying this isn't about any one of us. Was that all talk? Hey, brought you some soup. Oh. You look sad. I think I'm just tired. Remember that time you were telling me about that place? You know, that farm you wanted to live on? Remember? Can you tell me again? Please? Hmm, well, let's see. I'd have a goat and a cow. Yeah? But just one of each, or else they're too much trouble. And I'd have... I'd have a stone fence along the drive, a Willow tree in the front yard, two of them. I never know how many kids I wanted... So I guess I'll find out. If you work half as hard at doing your job as you do at stabbing your friends in the back, we wouldn't even be in this situation. Hey, Mac! The bastard shut the whole damn road down. London's down there. What's going on? Everyone to the road. - Oh. - London needs us! Ahem. Come on! Let's go. Lisa, I gotta go. I'm sorry. Shh. Cover yourselves up! Keep going! Keep going! Stand your ground! Come on! Keep going! Go back to camp! Let's go! Let's go! There is only one way to get through a barricade. - We all go at it at once. - That's right. The whole bunch of us and then they can't stop us. Right? They'll knock one or two of us, but we'll get through for sure. We got nothing. They got gas, clubs, guns. We can't fight that with our bare hands. You let them rob you, you let them beat you, you let them shoot you, now they got you trapped like rats and you still won't fight? I will go back there right now! Right now! Now, who's with me? None of you? I try to help you! I give you so goddamn much! Calm down, Mac. Come on, Mac. - You just sit there! - All right. Move! Move! Move! All right, all right, Mac. Mac! Mac! Mac! Move! Move! Goddamn it, let's go. Move! Move! Move! Let's go. Calm the hell down. Come on. Goddamn it. All right, I lost my head back there. I'm just so goddamn tired. Well, you gotta get some rest, Mac. - You haven't slept in days. - Yeah, I know, but that's not gonna help, all right? These guys won't even fight for themselves. I saw guys just like that in the war go through a machine gun nest with their bare hands. These guys won't even take on a few green deputies. Mac, take a blow. You'll feel better when you wake up. No, I won't feel better because I'll wake up in the same goddamn mess. The strike won't hold if we don't get supplies down that road, Mac. You think I don't know that? Why doesn't somebody else come up with a plan! How about that? So, what do you say? Hmm? You do it? Is he gonna do it? Yeah, he'll do it. Right, Vinnie? Yeah, I'll do it, but I just don't want to see anybody get hurt. What do you care about those red bastards? Yeah, you're right. They talked a big game in the beginning, but I came here to work, not play politics. Hey, Vinnie, I don't... I don't think this is such a good idea. Hey. It's all right. Hey, look, I know a guy. He can get you a job, and it's a good job. But first you gotta put our money where your mouth is. Well, you said you'd do anything for me. Didn't you? I don't know about you guys, when I signed up for this, I thought we was gonna have some results! Not just camping out here, starving to death like a bunch of prisoners! I'm goddamn sick of it! Anybody else goddamn sick of this? Yeah! Look at that guy down there. That's the guy that started all this, - am I right? - Yeah. What's going on here? He forced us to strike and then sat in his tent and ate canned peaches while we got wet and lived off garbage a pig wouldn't touch. What the hell you talking about, Burke? We all know about the deal you made. Don't try to deny it. We know you'd just do whatever that little girl of yours says. She's got you wrapped around her little finger so tight... Anybody else? Well, come on, then! Hey! Go ahead! Who else wants to say I double crossed them? Well, go ahead! It ain't right. Anybody else want to say something about my family? That ain't right. That ain't right. That ain't right! What you doing about it? Hey, you ain't happy - with how this strike is going? - No! - You want to change that? - Yes! You have to fight for that, goddamn it. All right, because men like that, they're trying to tear us apart. They're trying to hold us back. - No more. - No more! - No more! - No more! - The time for waiting is done! - Yeah! They think they can just pen us in like little pigs. - Are we pigs? - No! No! You're angry at this man, London? Well, he's gonna go smash those barricades with his bare hands, if necessary. You're damn right. We're gonna get that truck and we're gonna drive it right through them! Yeah, you wanna drive that truck right through? Yeah! - Are we pigs? - No! - Are we pigs? - No! - Are we pigs? - No! - Are we pigs? - No! - Are we gonna fight? - Yeah! Frank, take out the driver. Take out the driver, frank! Take him out! Take him out! We said we were gonna come through that barricade, and what did we do? We went through that barricade! Everyone left to get shot at the barricade. Yeah. He won't stop crying. Hey. My grandma used to do this. Ahem, here. There you go. He's gonna need a father. I was gonna ask Jim to build a house with me when this is all over with. I thought he'd make a good father. Well... That ain't gonna happen. Kid's got the fever now. He's gonna stay at this thing until he's arrested or shot, isn't he? He's a tough kid. He'll be all right. Are you gonna turn him cold like you? Lisa. Jim. Shit. Hey, Jimmy! Let's do it! Let's do it! Jim! Jim. Sorry. I knew you were sweet on her. It's not her, it's me. Just so goddamn lonely, I thought a little warmth would help. It's okay, she's not my girl. It's not okay. I'm a selfish son of a bitch, and I know it. Mac, it's okay. I appreciate the lesson. Thank you. Lesson? What lesson? Well, you always told me that there's no time or place for liking people, and thank you for helping me see that. She's just a girl. She's not important. The job's what matters. Okay. Now I got work to do. Turning into a proper son of a bitch, ain't you? Just like you taught me. Jim? Don't you know I care about you? Yeah. Funny way of showing it. I'm sorry. I was scared. What were you scared of? Of all of this. I was scared I was gonna lose you too. You never had me. I'm here for the cause. Hush, keep your voices down. Show me what you got, country boy. It's just this one thing. Vinnie, I really don't want to do this. Time's wasting. Let's go. What about the guard? Don't you worry about him. That's my girl. Hey. Uh, I was supposed to tell you, the big guy, uh, London? He wants you back at camp. Nah, he asked me to stay on all night. That's what he told me. Vinnie, I really don't want to do this. Quiet. Take this. Just in case. What? You don't have to use it. Just keep an eye out. Go on. Shit, shit. Stay down. Vinnie, Vinnie, we really shouldn't be doing this. You keep watch, all right? Come on, come on. Aw, Jesus god. Oh, those bastards. Aw, Christ! Run, you stupid farm boy! Fire! Fire! Somebody! Fire! Keller, you rat! London, no, London! Where were you, boy? I was here, I was here, I was here, but then you sent that girl to come and get me. Girl? What girl? What girl? I don't know who she was. She was just some girl. By the time I had got here, it already had started. Aw, Jesus! You get some men and you flush out them woods, you sweep the camp, you find out who did this. - Go do it now, boy! - Okay. Anderson. Anderson. It's on us, Mac. This is on us. That day, when that suit came, what did you tell them if they touch that old man? If Anderson gives the word, we'll be officially trespassing. They'll have grounds to call in the national guard. You're all just gonna sit here and wait for whatever they have to bring down on us. Coward, coward, coward, coward. Fine. Where the hell do you think you're going? I can't stand being cooped up in here with you cowards. I'd like to burn that whole goddamn valley down. Vera, come on. London? What is it? We caught a guy sneaking around behind the barn and the camp. He had a gun. Bring him in here. Get in here. Get in. Did good bringing him in here. Sure thing, Mac. I got it. We let you out there, they're gonna kill you. You know that? Now, who sent you? Nobody. Who sent you? I don't know, some kid from the village sent me out. Who? I don't know, please. This is too... I'm sorry, I can't be part of this. Please. I can't. I'll do it. Please. Please, no. Please. Please. Oh, my baby! Please! Mommy! Hey. I went into town and turned you in. Sheriff's gonna kick the whole lot of you off my land. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. We didn't want this to happen. You know what your problem is? You never own anything. You never planted any trees, watched them grow, touched them with your own hands. You bastards never owned anything. You never put your hands in your own dirt. With respect, we never had a chance to own nothing. Yeah, I listened to all your promises. Now the whole crop's burnt up, just a matter of time before the bank takes it all. The pointers? Are the dogs all right? What do you think? Kennel was slap in the middle of the barn. We have received a trespassing complaint from the owner of this land. The governor has been left with no recourse but to call in the national guard. We will be coming through this camp at sunrise tomorrow. With 200 guns and 10 more trucks just like this one. Anyone remaining will be forcibly removed. Any resistance will be met with swift and permanent force. Just slow down, slow down. All y'all, just slow down with them guns. Just because you have a trespassing charge don't give none of you the right to be shooting guys. - Right. - Yeah. Well, now you're right about that. But incitement of violence, destruction of private property, vandalism, rioting, resisting arrest, and murder? Well, now, that's another question entirely. Murder? Only murdering done here is by Bolton and his guys. Oh! Not us! Not us! Last night, a man's home was burned to the ground. His son died in that fire. You turn in the man responsible for this atrocity, otherwise, we will consider each and every one of you to be an accomplice to this crime. You got no proof that any of us had anything to do with that. You ungrateful little shitheels! We gave you work, you threw it in our face. We let you play at politics, parleyed with you like businessmen, and how do you respond? Unprovoked, wanton destruction! - Bolton, that's a lie! - No, shut up! - That's a goddamn lie! - Shut up! This game is over. Get out. Daybreak, gentlemen. All right, come on. Let's go. Oh, come on, London. He's bluffing, can't you see that? That line about the kid getting burned. That's just a bunch of bull to shake us. I can't believe one word that sheriff said. I mean, that kid really got killed, it would've been in all the papers. Vera? It was dark. It's hard to see much of anything. And they keep talking about all those guns and trucks they have. If they had all those guns and trucks, they wouldn't talk about them, they'd just roll right in. That sheriff's just trying to get us to scatter so we don't put up a fight. Is he telling it straight, Mac? He knows what he's talking about. If we fold right now, without a scrap, everything we've been through been for nothing. I know that's a hell of a responsibility, London, but come on. If they find out that Vera burned down that house... We didn't tell her to do anything. Don't use me as an excuse. I knew full well what I was doing. This is my decision. Not yours, mine. Should we fight it out? Should we? It's up to you, London. You know what Mac and I think. London, you're the boss man, so if you want to put it to a vote... Put it to a vote. I'll talk to the boys. We'll vote tonight. Get what you're saying. We didn't know it was gonna be like this. We got women. We got old men. We aren't an army. We can't win this fight. It's over. This valley is too organized. All the property's owned by three men. They own the banks, they control the courts. What'd you tell me once? Every time a guardsman jabs a fruit tramp with a bayonet, a thousand men come on our side? If we fight this out... The whole country will know about it. We can make some real change. I want you to get out of here. Tonight. Take Lisa and the baby and go. Save yourself for another fight. Do you understand? People that want a vote go on out! We need a vote. Let's get a vote in. I want to vote! How's it that you're always so warm? Maybe you're just so cold. I deserve that. I don't know what's gonna happen tonight, I just want to say that... Then don't. I'm not gonna try and argue out of fighting. Because I know you won't listen. So in that case, don't say anything. I've already lost one man this year. I can't do it again. I just don't want to leave things between us this way. Shh. Can I hold him? Shh. Shh. Shh, don't cry. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. He stopped crying. Hey, hey. Remember that farm with the dog, cow, and the goats? Is there a spot for me there? Yes, in another life. - Jim! - Yeah? There's some guy over in the orchard lying in a ditch. He's hurt real bad. I think it's the doctor. Who? Doc Burton? Yeah. He said he needs you. Hey, Mac? Mac, the doc's still here, but he's hurt real bad. According to who? Some kid told me. He's over in the orchard. Come on, let's go. All right, I'll... I'll go, all right? You stay here. No, what are you talking about? We're both going. Edie needs you right now. Edie needs me? What are you talk... Jim! Will you just listen to me, for Christ's sake? Just go see her, okay? Will you just listen to me? Fine, I'll go get Edie. You go get doc, all right? Yeah. Edie? Jim. Mac said you need me. Oh-uh, he did. Yeah, of course. Where is he? Well, some kid came in and said the doc was hurt, in the orchard. And I was gonna go get him, but then Mac said that you needed me, so then he went to find him. Goddamn it. It's a setup. Listen, Jim. It was meant for me. Jim? Jim! Jim, leave them be! Mac! Mac! A dollar a day is better than getting these people killed. You can't live on a dollar a day. Mac! Mac! You saw what was down there today. Don't just sit here and argue with each other. I understand... I say 3 dollars a day! You saw what happened! I don't know, maybe that's right. Listen, folks, don't just sit here and argue with each other. I understand... - We've got to fight! - We can't win this thing! Hey! Hey! Hey! Boys, hang on a second. That's Jim! They shot him! He's dead. He's dead. He's dead. Oh, Mac. Mac. His name... Was Macleod. You all knew him as "Mac." Mac! Mac! He was one of you. He fought, and he fought for you. And he never wanted anything in return. He gave his life for you. And he gave his life for a cause bigger than you. For an idea. The idea... That guys like you, and guys like me... Deserve dignity, and deserve respect, and deserve a fair share of what we make with our bare hands. Mac! Mac! And those bastards... They shot him. Mac! Mac! Mac! They shot him... For believing in something bigger than himself. And they shot him, because now, they think... That we'll all shrivel up and go home like a bunch of meek dogs. But we ain't gonna do that. - No. Are we pigs? - No. - Are we pigs? - No! It's up to you. Do we give up? No! - Do we let them win? - No! Or do we stand here, and fight? Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight... Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight... Fight! People think they want wealth or power, but that ain't it. People just wanna know their lives matter. That they matter. Having some control over your own life. That's worth fighting for, no matter the cost. |
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