Last Rites of Ransom Pride, The (2009)

I was 11 years old
when general Batista
slaughtered half my village.
I watched him
torture my father
and butcher my mother.
The kids that survived,
I took to Juarez.
We roamed the streets
like wolves.
I came back the night
of the general's wedding.
Stole his straight razor.
The general awoke to the sound
of his own throat being cut.
While the general bled,
I sang to him.
"'Tis better to whisper
the sun is rising.
'Tis better to whisper
the sun is rising."
There's two kinds of people
in the world, fellas.
There's the wicked...
And the righteous.
And it's
the wicked man's job
to get
the righteous man's money.
This righteous tool here
is used by the wicked
to get that money.
Sure, they're old.
But they shoot true.
Now, in the hands of a man
such as Louie Chama, well...
it could bring great wealth.
- Huh?
You don't fuck
with Louie Chama.
- Amigo mio
The last thing Ransom Pride
said to me was,
''I was always a lover,
despite the killings.''
The body of Ransom Pride
belongs to me.
And I understand there's someone
here who believes otherwise.
Mescal?
You go on and tell
that broke-dick son of a bitch
he's mistaken.
I stick my dick in you.
Hmm.
Your Ransom...
he killed a priest.
This priest
was my brother by birth.
And although his faith
was misplaced,
he remains my brother
in death.
Therefore, the body
of Ransom Pride will be fed
to the devil's
black vultures,
for there must be
atonement.
He has a brother.
So this is your offer?
A woman willing to buy back
a man's soul...
With the blood
of his brother...
Is beyond salvation.
The puppies could be
coming out tonight.
Maybe I should think up
some names for 'em.
She's taken to me.
Maybe she thinks
I'm like him.
How is it you consider
yourself like Ransom?
I'm sorry, Pa.
I didn't mean
we're the very same.
I just...
- I just think that maybe-
- No, finish what you said.
I want to hear
how it is
you think
you're like your brother.
Whorin'?
Runnin', robbin'?
You're right, Pa,
we're nothing alike.
No, you're not alike.
And you should
get on your knees
and thank the Lord in heaven
you're not like him.
He's coming
to get me, Mama.
Hey, Mama.
I'm sorry.
She had them pups?
She's suffering, Pa.
She...
What's wrong
with you?
You like to watch
that suffering?
What?
Nothing's wrong.
Nothing's wrong.
Come here, sweetie.
Come here, sweetie.
- Pa, please, please.
- Come here. Come here.
You know,
what's wrong with you?
- Pa.
- Don't you let her suffer.
You don't let her
Come here, sweetie.
God damn you.
What's wrong with you?
Where are the dead?
I've often wondered.
The scripture tells us
where the dead are.
Well, see,
my wife...
The scripture tells us
what becomes of the dead.
all those who go
to their graves unsaved
shall know
the torment of hell.
Whore of Babylon.
Ransom's dead.
In Mexico.
Father, I've sinned.
I'm no longer worthy
to be called Thy son.
Proverbs 16:18.
Don't you dare
quote scripture to me, whore.
Ezekiel 33:33-32.
''And they come unto''-
Thessalonians 4:15-17.
Now, I swore
I'd bury Ransom
next to his mother.
We owe him.
You owe him, whore.
You listen to me, bitch.
You listen to me.
Ahh. Get off me.
Oh. Ow.
Oh, no.
No. I'm sorry.
I'll leave. I'll leave.
I'll get out of here.
Sorry about your ma.
How did he die?
He got shot.
A gun-runnin' deal.
Took the first bullet
in the back.
This walleyed bastard bitch
claimed the body.
There ain't nobody left
but me and you.
We'll do this for him.
How do we get him back?
I got that worked out.
Come on.
It's time
you got weaned.
This is my father's.
Ransom took him
when he left.
He should have taken
better care of this horse.
Belongs to you now.
See that you earn it.
Champ.
Come on.
Champ.
Champ.
Don't do that.
Well, well.
Welcome back,
Captain.
Or should I say
Reverend?
Ransom's whore got him killed
down in Mexico.
And now she come back
and took his brother.
The one who killed Edna
when he come out?
Graves...
you mention my wife again,
I swear to God,
I'll kill you
with that whore on your lap.
You're the one who put
the blame on him for that.
Whore got a name?
Yeah.
Juliette Flowers.
Goddamn, Captain.
I guess she's growing
a conscience.
Was a time she'd have
murdered y'all in your sleep.
Yeah, in certain parts
of Mexico,
they sing corridos
about that half-breed girl.
Yeah.
Ain't no place in the world
my father hates more
than Mexico.
Quantrill and bloody Bill said
leave him for dead in Kansas.
He was shot up
too bad to ride.
What'd I do?
Did I leave you, Graves?
No.
I didn't leave you.
Stayed right there
with you.
There's a debt here
I guess I come to collect.
Asking for help...
oh, that's
a hard thing to do.
I guess you could ask God
to help you.
And maybe
the Christ Jesus.
I don't need God's help
for this, Graves.
I need a son of a bitch.
Mr. Graves
wants to see you.
Your uncle
has a job for you.
Captain, behold
the answer to your prayers.
How is it you're
still living, Matthew?
You know, you ain't
the only one that Jesus saves.
Matthew was the toughest
son of a bitch.
But the meanest
was Early Pride.
He had no conscience
whatsoever.
God damn it,
you fucking whore.
- Who in the hell are you?
- That's my sister's boy.
Been here since she passed.
Well, he's disturbing.
I don't like the looks of him.
No, neither do I.
Son of a bitch is uglier
than a three-peckered goat.
But he don't mind
getting his hands bloody
when a man needs killing.
Or a woman.
A half-breed bitch
name of Juliette Flowers
took my boy to Mexico.
I-I know her.
I know who that is.
That's that
Juliette Flowers.
She-she-she's that girl
This is kin to you?
I don't care
what you do to her.
hell, you can stammer her
to death if you want.
But you just make sure
she ain't breathing
when you finish.
Now, get away from me.
I heard
he was barely 15 years old
when he and my uncle rode
into Northfield with McCluskey.
- What, you heard?
- Yeah.
Hell, me and Early was barely
weaned from the tit
when we got recruited
by Quantrill.
Back then, Shepherd,
he seemed like a man,
but looking at it now, hell,
he wasn't much more
than a boy himself.
Well, we killed every man,
and we killed every chlid,
and we killed
every goddamn dog,
and we rode all the women.
And when they
couldn't ride no more,
we killed them.
Reverend's gonna ride down
on us like some kind of hell.
He'll put a strap to me,
but he'll kill you.
I doubt it.
It felt like
he always hated me.
'Cause of your mama?
It was like I was to blame.
Ransom said
it wasn't my fault.
The old man
would get whiskey-ed up
and start cussin' me.
Ransom would never let him
lay a hand on me.
After he'd pass out,
Ransom would always say,
''It ain't your fault.''
Somebody here to see you.
Have 'em wait.
I'm doing this.
You'll want
to hear this.
Now.
Yeah?
This man tells me that...
Ransom killed a priest
before he died.
What?
That priest
was the younger brother
of a woman they call
Maria la Morena.
She kept Ransom's body
in recompense.
Apparently,
Juliette Flowers
aims to swap out your live boy
for the dead one.
Buenos dias, nia.
She's deaf.
She's pretty too.
Dice que es bonita tambin.
I'll bet
you didn't know,
first time they laid eyes
on each other,
when Ransom got throwed
in the same Mexican jall
where they was holding
Juliette Flowers.
They was fixing
to hang her
for gut-stabbing that man
beat that whore
to death in Juarez.
And Ransom,
Well, he got arrested
for being drunk
and pissing
on the statue of some saint.
Hey, when we catch her,
don't kill her right away.
Make sure she can't hurt us,
but don't kill her right away.
Just...just tie her up.
Tie her up
so she can't do nothing.
Why weren't you with him?
What the hell of a difference
does that make?
He was gonna come back
for you, you know.
Yeah, well, he never did.
He's supposed to be
looking out for me.
Instead, he was running
around Mexico with you.
Not now, Ransom.
Show some patience.
Patience is a virtue
I do not possess.
Yeah, well, you ain't much for
wisdom or temperance, neither.
I feel like I'm back in Glory
finishing up his chores.
For whatever reason,
he honestly believed
certain tasks were beneath him.
''A man with vision
can't be bothered
by pissant detalls.''
How many times
I hear that?
That goddamn ranch
in Michoacn.
Never even been there,
but he'd get it in his head
we were gonna get it.
When we got it,
he was gonna get you
and bring you down here.
His pride
wouldn't let him get you
when he was hiding out,
sleeping in caves.
I'll hide the horses.
You got any whiskey?
You got any whiskey?
I-I-I tell ya-
I'll tell ya
one thing, Matthew.
That Ransom Pride
was a lucky son of a bitch.
He killed a federal judge
back in Tyler.
He jumped out
a second-story window,
didn't even break his foot.
He was a lucky
son of a bitch.
Luck had nothing
to do with it.
Serves him right
for trying to do
a gun-running deal
by hisself.
Shouldn't go and do
something like that.
Whoa.
What?
You think they've been here?
They've been here, haven't they?
Hyah, hyah, hyah.
Wherever you are,
good enough place as any
to start over.
I'm ready to start over.
Now, how are you
gonna start over?
You ain't even
begun to start.
This is as good
a time as any.
If you're gonna
start something,
by God, you ought to...
You ought to finish it.
And whatever you do,
it better goddamn
be worth it.
'Cause when you-
when you make an investment,
a commitment...
You follow through.
You know the difference
between an investment
and a commitment?
Hmm? Yeah.
You take a plate
of ham and eggs.
Now, the chicken...
is invested.
The pig...
is committed.
If I had my life
to live over,
I would live very, very little
of it the same.
When you hear folks say
that they wouldn't change
their life,
I think they're either
liars or fools.
Life is about learning.
And if you respect life
and you learn from it,
you would, of course,
not do things the same way.
To start with,
if I had my life
to live over,
I would never say no
to a woman.
And I would do nothing
purely for money.
If we were to sell
them pistols in Tres Piedras...
How dare you heat me up
for the sole purpose
of selling
some shitty old gun?
We won't be in Tres Piedras
more than a couple of hours.
Oh, I ain't going.
Ride in.
We do the deal.
Then we ride out.
I ain't going.
Well, I gave him my word.
Yeah, you gave your word
to Louie Chama.
You gave him your word
before talking to me.
What'd he say?
He wasn't talking to you.
Hola, chiquita.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Huh?
Have you seen
Juliette Flowers?
Oh, you're a pretty girl.
Yeah, I know you have,
you little fucking whore.
Huh?
You seen her,
you fucking whore?
We don't have time
for you to go
wetting your pecker.
You gonna kill somebody,
you show some goddamn respect.
Put your little
pig sticker
back in your britches
and remount.
Remount.
Hang on, son.
- Hold still.
- What are you doing?
Here.
What the hell
are you doing?
His windpipe's
crushed.
Got to stick this tube
down his throat,
or he'll choke to death
on his own blood.
Hold his head.
Easy, son.
Hang on, son.
Hang on.
An hour southwest of here,
there's a man.
Now, he ain't exactly
a surgeon,
but he can keep
a rooster allve.
Son, you're gonna
be okay.
You're gonna be
just fine.
Now, I need you
to get to your feet.
Come on.
Let's stand.
Stand up.
Come on.
You can do it, son.
I'll get the horses.
What the hell you doing?
What the hell you want
with that for?
Because I want it.
And when we kill that whore,
I'm gonna cut
something off of her too.
Like hell you will.
He said kill her,
that's all.
Didn't say nothin'
about cutting her.
You want to make a black ass
fool out of yourself,
you go right ahead.
If you shame me,
I will kill you.
This ain't it,
but we got to chance it.
The boy's hurtin'.
We got a boy out here
tore up bad.
He's in a lot of pain.
We have something
for pain.
My name is Cerce.
And this
is my brother Solomon.
He's dying.
Now, do you mind
if I inquire
if y'all got
any particular destination,
or y'all just wanderin' around
out here?
- Tres Piedras.
Every equinox, we are obligated
to make a pilgrimage
to this festering parcel
of land,
where we perform
for illiterate imbeciles
and pathetic whores,
and they mock us.
Why?
Four 6s beats
Jacks over Queens.
You mean somebody won you
in a card game?
Maria la Morena.
There's a vicious,
hungry evil
feeding on Solomon's poor,
wretched bones.
He'll expire first.
Then I will pass away.
And in those last few moments
before I die...
For the first time
in my life,
I shall be alone.
After she died, something dark
and vicious come on him.
The old man, he just up
and cracked in two.
Son of a bitch
used to take us
to this old prairie dog town
north of Glory
with a couple .22 rifles.
Now, I didn't mind killing
the little critters,
but Champ...
tore them up
something fierce.
Goddamn,
Champ could shoot.
Ahh.
So, uh,
what's it like?
What?
Mm, being a...
uh...
It's great.
What's it like
being a...
You ever been to Mardi Gras
down in New Orleans?
As a matter of fact,
I have.
- It's like that?
- Oh, yes.
I once ate pussy
standing up.
I come here for a piece
of Juliette Flowers.
Which one of you
sorry motherfuckers
wants breakfast in hell first?
Come on,
you fuckin' whore.
Oh, sweet Jesus.
Oh, I'm punctured.
Oh, I'm shot.
Mama, don't let me die.
Come on, you little
black ass bastard.
Do it.
I was born dead.
Oh, my God.
There's nothing
we can do.
You could get me
a whiskey.
We'll bury him.
If we should meet
in Tres Piedras,
it'll be as strangers.
After they shoot me dead,
you take me back
to Glory.
You swear it.
Juliette,
you swear it now.
I swear I'll take you
back to Glory
and bury you
next to your mother.
# Fly away
on them ole wings #
# Black as they may be #
# Believin'
what you leave behind #
# Is burned up
and junk debris #
# As you die
like a saint on high #
# Alongside gamblers
and thieves #
# So fly away
on them ole wins, now #
# Black as they may be #
# Black as they may be #
That's first time
I seen it.
What?
Somebody die.
Ain't pretty, is it?
No.
It's worse you're the one
pulled the trigger.
We need to change
your bandages.
- They're all right.
- We're gonna change 'em.
How are we gonna
get him back?
We're gonna trade
for him.
What are we gonna trade?
Whatever she wants.
What do we got?
You.
What'd you say?
Come here.
Now, I'm tired of trying
to talk Mexican to you.
The woman
that killed these men.
When did she leave?
No woman, huh?
Is that what you said?
You listen to me.
I want you to ride up
to Bandera, Texas,
and you find a man
named Shepherd Graves.
And you give him this.
Comprende?
Si.
Yeah. I bet si.
You sure
you can do this?
If it was
the other way around,
my brother would do it
for me.
One shot.
Square in the head.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Ah.
A young life...
fliled with sorrow.
There is...love.
But it is stained
with blood.
There is fortune,
yet...
there is misfortune.
You just cost me $500.
This is a better trade.
No.
Get your ass outside.
$500...
$500 to buy
your brother's body back
from a bunch
of voodoo Mexicans
and wet-nurse your ass
up to Glory.
What were you thinking,
huh?
You think
you were gonna do,
shoot her, kill them,
put Ransom on a horse,
and ride out of there?
How does that woman
have this kind of power
over my offspring?
The only thing
more ignorant than a boy
is a boy who thinks
he's a damn man.
Get that off your head.
You're not a damn Apache.
$11 .
sliver dollars.
You know what I did back there
was right, Champ.
I know you hate me for it.
I know you hate me
for a lot.
I try every day
not to hate you, Champ.
'Cause I loved
your mother.
I know she's a part of you.
But it's hard,
'cause she's gone...
'cause of you.
I'm willing to have
a truce between us,
if you're willing.
Let's do that
for your mother.
Yeah.
Are we agreed, Champ?
Champ. Champ.
God damn you, boy.
I'll come and-
Champ.
Champ.
I'm glad we could agree
on a price.
I've waited
my whole life
to get fucked
by a pig.
- Ugh.
We've decided
to stay.
Three years ago,
someone made a terrible wager.
Four 6s beats
Jacks over Queens.
We cannot allow
this precious time we have
to be stained
with ridicule.
The motorcycle.
So why not
a quick death?
With dignity.
Hyah.
Son of a bitch.
Where's-
Cocksucking-
Ugh. Aah.
Whoa. Wait.
- Come on.
- Aah.
When my pa stepped on,
I should have went ahead
and pulled the trigger.
Well, who in the hell
would have known
that son of a bitch
would show up in Mexico?
Ransom wouldn't even
have blinked.
He'd have shot her
and said, ''Hello, Pa.''
Well, you ain't ever
gonna be Ransom.
I don't want you
to be.
Whoa.
Matthew...
I never saw you back down
or break your word.
Couldn't have been
no more than 13
when I give him
this medal.
The war was over.
These two Yankee sons of bitches
come up on our cabin.
Me and Early Pride
hid under the floorboards,
but they got Matthew.
Big Union sergeant
held his hand down on the table.
Lieutenant pulled out
a hatchet.
Said, ''I'm gonna start
cutting things off
''untli you tell us
where them other
little rebel bastards
is hid at.''
They chopped
his finger off.
They was laughing.
Cut off another finger.
blood dripped off the table
through the cracks onto me.
And I hollered out,
''We're down here.''
When they looked down,
Matthew grabbed the hatchet,
swung it at that Yankee,
and damn near chopped
his head clean off.
The other one
run for the door.
Matthew buried it
in his back.
I won't rest
untli I see her dead.
You will witness
her death.
But it will be
by my hand.
Come out there
where I can sight you.
Whoa.
- Stop.
- Get out of my way, boy.
- Please.
- Get out of my way, boy.
- Stop. Pa.
Don't you dare
try to steal her from me.
My deepest regret
is letting you live
at Tres Piedras.
And unlike Lazarus,
you'll not rise
from the dead.
Gospel of John 11:35.
- Jesus wept.
I won't.
I'm gonna kill you now.
But it's gonna take
some time.
First, I'm gonna shoot you
in the stomach.
And you're gonna
holler out
for the Lord Jesus Christ
to save your soul.
But He's not gonna hear
a word you say
through
those whore lips.
They've had their last dalliance
with my offspring.
There is a God
above your God
who you will stand before
and answer to
for your cowardice
and hypocrisy.
Maybe.
It's all right.
You're all right.
Where is he?
He's dead.
I'm gonna go
bury my brother.
# The time is near #
# For the great tribulation #
# This young man #
# Would have been aware
of this #
# For it is written #
# In a Christian Bible #
# Of the four horsemen #
# Of the apocalypse #
Sweet Ransom.
The woman you loved in life
has now betrayed you
in death.
You must suffer dearly,
knowing that she has lain
with your brother.
Be assured,
the day of reckoning is at hand,
for before the sun sets,
her flesh will nourish
a few black vultures
while your bones
shall rest at the altar
of Santa Muerte.
This very morning,
Ransom,
Juliette Flowers
will awaken to the sound
of her own throat
being cut.
It's all right.
I'll be right back.
The night of her wedding,
a young bride
wept in the garden.
The general lay asleep
in his bed
while a chlid climbed
the walls of the hacienda,
slipped his straight razor
from its case.
The general awoke...
...to the sound
of his throat being cut.
As he lay there, dying,
this little chlid sang.
I waited
in my wedding dress
while my general bled.
And it was your voice
I heard singing.
Aah.
I buried your father
on this side
of that goddamn river.
You killed your father.
You killed your mother.
Ow.
What's that feel like?
Aah.
Aah.
What's that feel like?
After Ransom was laid to rest
next to his mother,
Champ and I set out
for Tulsa.
Then we drifted west
to New Mexico.
July of '39,
Champ died of malaria
at the Mesilla Valley Hospital
in Las Cruces.
I attended the burial
with our only son,
Jackson Pride.
Champ's headstone
bears a quotation
from his brother, Ransom.
"I was always a lover,
despite the killings."
# Tarnished and disgraced,
I lay down #
# A black sparrow
come to me in a dream #
# He whispered,
A, enlightenment #
# B, endarkenment #
# Hint, there is no C #
# A, enlightenment,
B, endarkenment #
# Hint, there is no C #
# A, enlightenment,
B, endarkenment #
# Hint, there is no C #
# And heaven pours down rain
and lightning bolts #
# And heaven pours down rain
and lightning bolts #
# Tremblin' and a-shakin',
I looked down #
# A black sparrow
was tattooed on my hand #
# He whispered,
A, enlightenment #
# B, endarkenment #
# Hint, there is no C #
# A, enlightenment,
B, endarkenment #
# Hint, there is no C #
# A, enlightenment,
B, endarkenment #
# Hint, there is no C #
# And heaven pours down rain
and lightning bolts #
# And heaven pours down rain
and lightning bolts #
# Oh, A, enlightenment,
B, endarkenment #
# Hint, there is no C #
# A, enlightenment,
B, endarkenment #
# Hint, there is no C #
# A, enlightenment,
B, endarkenment #
# Hint, there is no C #
# And heaven pours down rain
and lightning bolts #
# And heaven pours down rain
and lightning bolts #
# Oh, come on #
# Oh, ah #
# Ahh #
# Ahh #
# Ahh #