[ dog barks ]
I'm ready, Da.
And where are you going,
our Benjo?
I'm going with you.
You have to stay here.
But why?
You have your own chores,
Which I count on you
to do, ja?
Besides,
I need you here
To protect
your mother.
See you tonight.
Let's go inside,
Benjo.
Benjo.
[ sheep bleating ]
Come on.
Come on now.
Come here now.
come on.
[ cows mooing ]
Hey there.
Uh, good morning,
Mr., uh, Yoder, is it?
Ja. I'm Ben Yoder.
"ja." ha ha ha ha.
That just kills me, you know?
The way they say that.
Ja.
I'd thank you to mend
that fence you've just cut
My sheep will get out.
Well, see now, that's just
what we intended.
You got no right
to fence in open range.
This is not open range anymore.
It's my land -
- legally homesteaded.
Mr. Hunter knows that.
We ain't fixin' no fence.
Are you all right?
Get off my land.
My family has worked this land
for three generations.
Along come you strangers
with your fences
And your sheep
and a piece of paper...
You think you own it.
Maybe when hell
freezes over.
When it does, you will be
there to witness.
We'll make this easy.
I'm going to buy it
from you.
I won't sell.
No, I guess not.
[ horses approaching ]
But your widow will.
Benjo!
What is it?
I don't know!
[ screaming ]
[ hushed voices ]
Our Rebecca.
You can go back to town.
We take care
of our own.
Mrs. Yoder,
Take this.
She does not need your pills, Doctor.
She will pray.
Have it your way.
When will someone
stop this man?
You'll have to take that up
with the sheriff.
Tell us, have you arrested
Fergus Hunter
And his hired killers?
I've been over there
and I talked to them.
whey said they caught Ben Yoder
With Hunter cattle.
And I suppose Ben Yoder
cut his own fence, too.
No, they cut the fence, all right.
I told them
to fix it.
A man's dead...
And they will fix
the fence?
Hunter has witness.
Nothing I can do
So this is your justice.
Time and again,
Satan comes as a wolf
among lambs,
Slaughtering the innocent.
And yet, you --
You do nothing.
It pays to stay
on the winning side,
Don't it, getts?
I don't make the rules, Doc.
Oh.
You just work for the man
that does.
M-ma'am.
[ yells ]
Benjo, ride into town
and fetch Doc Henry.
Benjo, you have to
[ stuttering ]
If you can't say it to him,
Then you write it down
Okay?
This man is dying,
Benjo.
Now go.
[ gun fires ]
[ grunts ]
How much blood
do you have left?
[ hens clucking ]
Aah!
[ groaning ]
The bullet glanced
off his rib
And lodged right next to the liver.
Aah!
Is he going to die?
I've seen men punctured
with more holes
Than a pie,
and they still clung to life
Well, makes you wonder
why they bother.
Another one.
Do you think he's...
A shootist?
Yeah.
You still want
to save him?
He's god's creature.
it is god's decision.
Ha. If god had an ounce
of sense,
He'd send this one to hell
before the day is out.
But you will do your best
To prevent that.
Yes.
I'll try to save us
The trouble of burying him
Help me out here,
will ya?
Hmm.
Look at that.
Prison shackles, no doubt.
Yeah.
Okay.
Mm.
Somebody took a whip
to him, too.
Makes you wonder what kind
of marks were left on his soul
And if he'll thank you for saving him,
In the unlikely event that he lives.
Hold him down.
Aah!
Hold him down.
Hold him.
Okay.
I almost got it.
Aah!
[ groans ]
[ groaning ]
I'm going to leave you
this carbolic acid
To cleanse his wound.
You needn't fry his insides
with any more kerosene.
But I thought you were
taking him with you.
He's in no condition
to travel
Or to do you any harm.
M-ma'am, is he going
to shoot us?
We mean him no harm,
Benjo,
So why would he want
to hurt us, hmm?
Besides,
He'd need these.
Noah.
There's a man in our house.
The Doctor sewed him up.
I-I got to watch.
Is that so?
Well, our Rebecca.
Noah.
In your bed?
What was I to do,
Dump him in the corner like
a bundle of old gunnysacks?
Would I say such a thing?
Hmm.
Ahem.
The boy said you had the Doctor out.
He would've died otherwise.
We don't need outsiders
all caught up in our lives.
We need to do kindness, our Noah.
You don't listen. you never did.
You reason things out
for yourself.
God gave us minds. He must have
meant us to reason.
For the head of the woman
is the man.
My man is dead
You set this food that was
meant for me at Bens place.
I have to believe --
I did it without thought.
It is no disloyalty to him
for you to turn to me.
I cannot think
about those things yet.
Ben is gone, Rebecca.
so is my Martha.
Now, we still have lives
to live -- plain lives,
With boys to raise
And more children to bear
for the glory of god
And the church.
The Zukes' barn was burned
to the ground last night.
Every week,
it's something else.
You need the protection
of a husband.
You will be running low
on firewood soon.
I'll send my boy over
in a few days with his ax.
That would be kind
If Mose doesn't mind.
He does what I tell him.
Everything comes
to be a part of the music,
Sooner or later.
And now you have, too.
I don't know
where it comes from.
Music is forbidden
in the plain life...
Except for singing
of the hymns.
So Ive never told anyone.
Where's my gun?
Where is it?
It's in the cabinet.
Well, go get it.
When you let go.
Where am I?
In a safe place.
There's no such thing.
[ raining ]
[ gasps ]
Aah!
What did you do to scare my boy?
Well, I might've said "bang."
Put that thing down.
It's just me. You don't have
a hell of a lot to worry about.
Hear me well.
I'll let you die
Before I let you harm my boy.
Ha ha ha ha.
Evening, Doc.
Mr. Hunter.
Sheriff.
Some sick people
out at the Yoder place
Concerned about your
neighbor's welfare, are you?
Recognize anyone?
Well, is that him?
Is that the man out there
with the Yoder widow?
Yeah,
I was up there looking
at the hole in his side.
Probably dead by now.
I'm thinking those
holy howlers have hired him.
I thought they relied on the lord
.
To fight their battles
Maybe they're getting sick
of losing 'em.
[ throws coin on counter ]
What the hell --
Are you some kind of a nun?
I'm a daughter
of the plain people.
This is a plain house.
We trust in our god
to take care of us.
Punishment for the wicked
Punishment?
Is that what you think
I'm offering you?
No. No, ma'am.
You have my gratitude.
Well, it seems a bit late
for a proper meeting,
Since you've already cursed me,
choked me,
And bled buckets all over
my best muslin sheets.
And you've stripped
me buck-naked.
I'm Rebecca Yoder.
Johnny Gault.
John said, "I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness..."
"make straight the way of the lord."
You know the scriptures.
I've had a few lessons.
Where's Mr. Yoder?
Benjo: "s"...
"c"...
"I"...
Concentrate.
"I"...
"s"...
Concentrate, Benjo.
Someone's coming.
Stay right there, Benjo.
Mose! Get in the shed!
Afternoon, ma'am.
Water the horses
if you want.
Then ride on, please.
Much obliged, ma'am.
No, that's not
what I want.
Mr. Hunter, my place
is not for sale.
Must be hard
for you and your boy.
Out here all alone
since your husband died.
Don't turn your back on me, woman.
Now, you listen,
and you listen carefully.
Well, well.
Johnny Gault, isn't it?
I believe I heard
you speaking unkindly
To this kind lady.
So?
So please don't do it again.
Ma'am.
Be seeing you again.
I hope so.
Hyah!
Mr. Gault.
Yeah.
This is not the way to spend a life.
Ma'am!
Mr. Gault.
The fever has settled in his chest.
Whoever it was said,
"only the good die young"
Never lived in Montana.
Laudanum.
It will ease his passing.
God knows,
where he's going,
There will be
suffering enough.
The lord may yet see fit
to save him.
He might,
Though I can't say I believe
He'd be doing the rest of us
much of a favor.
But how can we know
what someone's fate will be?
You have a care, Mrs. Yoder.
The powers of darkness
sometimes do prevail.
[ muttering ]
Lead us not into temptation...
Deliver us from evil...
Forever and ever...
[ muttering ]
Johnny.
It's okay.
It's okay.
Shh...
Shh...
[ labored breathing ]
[ harmonica playing ]
Ahem.
You mustn't play music in this house.
It was wrong of us to listen.
Instruments of music
are not allowed
In the plain and narrow life.
We believe they lead us
into sin.
[ plays harmonica ]
Do you never sin, Mrs. Yoder?
Well, I don't go out of my way
To do it.
[ plays harmonica ]
I do...
Far, far out of my way.
[ plays single note ]
Good girl.
Come on. Shoo, shoo.
Where's my shirt?
It was --
Let me get one
for you.
If you don't mind dressing
partly plain.
Looks good on you.
In my line of work.
You have to learn how to read eyes,
Or you don't live long.
I don't want to know
anything about that.
I will not have violence
around my son.
Give me your word.
You will not harm my boy.
My word.
What if I was a shootist
of some repute...
A gambler,
And a liar?
I think that you've been
all those things,
But...
If you give me your word...
I'll believe you.
Then you have it.
Benjo, you eat
those pickled beets first,
And use your napkin.
Yessum.
M-Mr. Gault?
Do you kill people?
Benjo Yoder, what a terrible
thing to say.
Now you apologize.
There's no need, ma'am.
[ sheep bleating ]
Oh. Excuse me.
Rebecca: shoo!
Off the porch.
Shoo!
I-is that what they
locked you up in prison for?
Prison?
I was never in --
[ Rebecca returning ]
Oh, yeah, prison. No.
That was because I didn't eat
all my pickled beets.
Rebecca: come on!
Come on.
Whoo! That's it.
Come on. That's it.
Come on, come on.
That's it. Whoo!
Ay! Come on! Ay!
Ay! Ay, ay!
Come back here!
Come on now!
That's it.
It appears to me
Them sheep got you running
every which way over there
Sometimes I think it would be easier
To move the farm to them.
Could you help me out
with something?
All our married men
have beards,
But my husband once had
a wound
That required him
to be clean-shaven,
And I undertook
to help him.
I sure hope you're not
riled at me, Mrs. Yoder.
Perhaps you should say
your prayers, Mr. Gault.
I hope this isn't your people's version.
Of the blindfold before the execution.
No, this is my version
of paying you back
For some of the anxious moments
you've caused me.
Why do you wear this?
A woman's hair
should be kept covered,
Except from her husband.
Seems like you people got a rule
for just about everything.
Why would god or any man breathing
Want to cover something so pretty?
How do I look?
What, am I bleeding?
No.
But your nose looks crooked.
Ha ha ha.
Now look close
I know I got to be
bleeding somewhere
You are not.
Noah, how nice of you
to come calling.
I broke a wagon wheel back on the road.
Oh.
Mr. Gault,
This is my good neighbor
And my particular friend
Noah weaver.
How do you do,
Mr. Weaver?
How do you do?
I came to ask Rebecca if your
ewes will be dropping soon,
Will you need my help?
Oh, thank you..
not just yet, I should think
And if they come
while Mr. Gault is still here,
We'll see if we can't make
a lamb licker out of him.
I sure hope that ain't
what it sounds like.
Have no fear, Mr. Gault.
You appear to be fit enough to
be moving on soon.
Oh, he's hardly ready
to ride a horse.
I have a spare wheel
in the barn,
If you like.
You want some help?
No thank you.
[ children playing ]
Look at that bird.
Benjo.
Come on.
Man: baah! Baah!
Ha ha ha!
Ha ha ha ha!
Ha ha ha ha!
Truly the light is sweet,
And a pleasant thing it is
for the eyes to behold the sun
Ecclesiastes.
What made you folks
settle way out here?
Back in Ohio, life was hard.
Someone always trying
to push us out.
My Da saw this very valley
in a dream.
He led us here.
We thought it would be
our promised land.
Sometimes, the will of the lord
is hard to understand.
Yeah, there's always trouble
When sheep come to cattle country.
Mr. Hunter kills our animals
and poisons our watering holes.
And he had his men
murder my Ben.
They hung him
for a cattle thief
Is what they did.
I'll kill 'em for
you if you want me to.
What?
Hunter and those men
that hung your husband
No.
It's just an offer
Figure I owe you
Benjo: ma'am!
Benjo.
Benjo, what is it?
They were going to hang me!
What, who?
What are you talking about?
Those men.
Let's shoot 'em!
C-can't we shoot 'em?
Benjo Yoder, what a terrible
thing to say.
Don't you say such a thing.
What would become
of our souls, Mr. Gault?
It's not your souls Im worried about.
Benjo!
Benjo!
Benjo.
Come out, Benjo.
Teach me.
Do it for real.
Don't know if my arm can take
The kick of a gun yet.
But what if they come?
[ gunshots ]
Practice.
It's time to get sleep
in your own bed again.
I can move on.
I'll bunk in that wagon out
There in the yard.
That way,
if any trouble comes..
Whosoever shall smite thee
On thy right cheek,
Turn to him the other also.
God will protect us
Without the help
Of your guns.
[ dog barks ]
Rebecca: Mr. Gault,
I need your help.
[ Rebecca laughs ]
What are you intending to do
with those guns, Mr. Gault,
Aim them at some poor ewe's head
And demand that she push harder?
No, I was fixing
To point them at you
The first time you told
me to go lick something.
Just start by separating out
some of the ones
Who look like
they're going to drop.
All right.
Yep.
All right...
Who wants to go first?
There's a baby one here,
but I think it's dead.
Try to get her breathing.
What?
Grab her by the hind legs
and swing it around.
Swing it around.
Go on.
get her breathing.
Come on, girl.
[ lamb crying ]
[ Rebecca laughs ]
I've been thinking, Mr. Gault.
If you'd like to stay on
through summer,
I could pay you a dollar a day
I'm thinking, Mrs. Yoder,
That, uh,
I'd be bound to accept
such an offer.
Why do I get the feeling
I should've held out
For $2 a day?
Your gun.
Girl: hello, Benjo.
Levi.
This is my little brother,
Mr. Gault.
You're apt to catch yourself
a fly.
Good to meet you
My older brothers
and my father --
Brace yourself.
What are you thinking, Rebecca,
Bringing him here?
He's here to witness
the preaching.
[ scoffs ]
And you just now sounded
like a sick hog, our Samuel.
He's an outsider.
He does not belong here.
It's not
a forbidden thing,
And Ive hired him
to work my farm for summer.
Father.
[ grunts ]
Well, I must go.
We women sit separate from the men.
[ murmuring ]
[ singing hymn ]
[ all singing ]
[ man singing solo ]
When a man say, "I love god,"
And he hateth his brother,
Then he is a liar.
For this commandment
hath he given us,
That he who loveth god
Love his brother also.
Here you are, my Ben.
Something just for pretty.
That's what you used to say to me
When you'd bring me flowers.
We had us a nice crop
of fat lambs,
And the bone pile's been small.
You would've been so proud
of Benjo.
It's hard sometimes.
[ yelling ]
Benjo!
Benjo!
Move, Benjo!
Look out!
Everyone, quickly!
Into the barn!
No!
Hurry now.
Hurry.
He's all right.
Take your boy.
Go on back to the barn.
Look.
Stay inside.
You know
I like the sound of it.
Woodrow Wharton --
The man who shot
Johnny Gault.
More like...
Woodrow Wharton --
The coward who shot an unarmed man.
That ain't the way Ill tell it.
No.
A coward and a liar.
You know, you're beginning
to rile me, boy.
[ neighs ]
In spite of what you people
have done,
I figure it would pain
These kind folk
To see me
blow your sorry head off.
On the other hand...
It wouldn't bother
me one bit.
[ rifle shot ]
[ horse neighing ]
[ fires rifle ]
Enjoy your walk, Woodrow.
Benjo: Johnny!
You're a good man.
Outsiders sought to take
my grandson from me.
You, an outsider, gave him back.
This time,
But it ain't over.
Seems to me you should sell out
and move on.
They that trust in the lord
shall be as Mount Zion
Which cannot be removed.
Woe to them
that are at ease in Zion
And to them that are secure
in the mountain.
If you can't be removed
One way,
Like as not,
You'll be removed another.
God's will be done.
Rebecca, Abraham..
Levi, Samuel.
You make jokes
and deny the power of god,
But you would be dead.
if the horse had not spooked
That was god's doing.
Well, sure enough.
It must've been a miracle.
Come inside, everyone.
Boy,
You're going to get me
in trouble.
What happened back there..
With your father?
I promised that,
come shearing season,
I would marry,
and you would be gone.
After Im done with the Doc,
I'm going to go find a horse.
Want to help me pick one out?
A horse?
You're the one that promised
I was going to be gone.
I ain't walking.
How about if I buy us
horse traders
a couple sarsaparillas?
Yeah.
You better wait out here,
Or your ma will have
both our hides.
Two sarsaparillas.
Enjoy your walk, Woodrow?
Aah!
Mister, you are looking to get dead.
Next time,
I will accommodate you.
Looks like Ill need another.
Ma'am --
Benjo, I told you,
I don't want to hear it.
But, ma'am --
It wasn't Johnnys fault.
He just went in to get us
a couple of sarsaparillas.
And then those men came in --
The ones who killed Doc.
Johnny.
Johnny?
It's a beautiful morning.
The sky is so big.
I should be moving on.
You promised to stay
through summer.
[ birds chirping ]
Do you hear that,
Johnny?
The music
the earth makes.
Do you hear that?
I hear all the sounds
in my head,
And it comes together...
Into music.
And I know it's wicked, but --
You can never be wicked.
What do you want, Rebecca?
You ask too much
Johnny?
Johnny?
Johnny?
Where is he?
Johnny?
Johnny!
Johnny: you kick me again
And I will leave you here
to die, I swear!
Hell of a --
Lascivious...
Daughter of a mischievous bitch!
You deserve to drown.
You gonna come down
and wallow in the mud
With the rest
of us sinners
Or cling
to your high ground?
I believe Ill cling.
Grab the other side there
and help me, Benjo.
That was such fun!
You got me all wet
Benjo: I did not.
Now you're all wet.
But you're not..
Yet.
Ha ha!
[ both laughing ]
[ owl hoots ]
Johnny...
When I was about Benjo's age,
I lived in an orphanage
near Fort McKavett
Down in Texas.
Every year, come spring,
-
They'd get us all spruced up -
A bath, clean clothes,
a real haircut --
Take us down to the church
We all thought it was
so somebody could adopt us
So we're all thinking,
"pick me, pick me, pick me."
Of course,
What those kind folks were really doing
Was just renting us out as cheap labor.
Then one year, a hog farmer named Cowper
Did pick me,
And he put me right to work.
If I did
the smallest thing wrong
He beat the living hell out of me.
So the first chance I got, I ran away.
But he got the dogs after me,
And he dragged me back
He chained me up
to a post in the barn
Next to the scalding box
Right underneath
the big carcass hook
And then he hauled
up a live hog
Right there over my head,
And he took out
his curved skinning knife
And he stuck that hog
And he left it there,
squealing and bleeding
While he read to me
from the scriptures.
And it took that hog
A considerable time to die.
Well, then old Cowper, he gutted it,
Told me he'd do the same thing to me
If I ever ran away again
After that, when I wasn't working
He kept me shackled.
Took me...
Two years to weaken a link in that chain.
But one night, I finally got loose,
And I snuck into his house
And I stood over him
in his bed,
And I said to him, nice as could be,
"Pardon me, Mr. Cowper,"
And when he opened his eyes --
No. You let me finish
Let me finish.
When he opened his eyes,
I ran a pitchfork
right through his neck
And Ive been running and
killing ever since
And I am good at it.
I got eyes
in the back of my head
I don't trust nobody.
I don't belong anywhere.
I don't deserve god's forgiveness.
And, uh...
No.
I don't deserve you.
Just let me go, Rebecca.
Just let me leave.
Johnny.
Mose and Benjo, they came up
to take the herd early.
I know.
I asked them to.
Why'd you do that?
Rebecca.
[ Rebecca gasps ]
Samuel,
He has already brought your
sister down to his level.
Do you want
to sink that low?
Rebecca?
I cannot give up my family and my god.
It's too much to ask.
What'll they do to you?
They'll make me go on my knees
Before the church and confess my sins.
I will beg to be absolved
And I will vow never to sin in
that way again,
And it will nevermore
be spoken of by any of us...
And you will leave here,
never to return.
Well, that's what they want.
What do you want?
It doesn't matter
what I want.
Yes, it does, Rebecca.
That's all that matters.
That's not true.
Marry me.
A plain woman
must marry plain.
Why?
Why can't you do what you want?
I can't.
I had another brother, Johnny,
And he had strayed from the plain way
He was placed under the ban.
He was shunned
I couldn't speak to him
Or acknowledge him.
It was supposed to make him
turn back to us
Because no one
can live without family.
But he held out,
And so did we,
Until one night he came into
my father's barn
And he threw a rope over a rafter...
It killed him.
It killed him.
[ sobbing ]
Stay with me, Johnny.
Stay with me until
tey do what they will do.
Rebecca Yoder,
If you can face
Almighty god
With a penitent heart
And confess
to your sins now,
Then ye shall be forgiven
of them.
I confess that I failed
to keep myself separate,
That I took the outsider
Johnny Gault
Into my house,
Allowing myself and my son
To be touched
by his worldly ways
And corrupting influences.
I confess to having fallen
into the sin of fornication
With the outsider
Johnny Gault.
I confess to having
fallen in love
With the outsider
Johnny Gault.
The love I have for him
That comes over me
And over me
Is like the music,
Only it doesn't stop.
It just goes on and on.
And I think to myself...
If god loves all his creatures,
even the unbelievers...
Would he demand
That I deny the love I bear
for this one man?
Rebecca.
I looked into my heart
For the shame I must feel
for what Ive done,
But it isn't there.
I cannot lie to you
Or to god
Or to myself.
I cannot pretend
to believe what I do not,
And I do not believe
that my love for Johnny
Is wrong.
I am so sorry...
My brothers and my sisters
I am so sorry.
Johnny!
Rebecca Yoder...
Rebecca Gault,
You have been placed
under the ban
By all members of the church.
We will not share
a table with you
Or have discourse
of any kind with you.
Never will we speak
your name.
From this day forth,
until such time as you repent,
To us you are dead.
I don't know
why you've done this --
To seduce a plain woman
from her family and her church.
Why have you chosen
to become her damnation?
Noah...
You know this woman.
She isn't damned
What?
What is it?
Tell me.
My music.
Yeah?
It's gone.
It'll come back.
Don't worry.
It was the voice of God.
It won't come back
You two be careful
up there.
[ whistles ]
Boys.
Got your sling, little David?
How -- how come you can
t-talk to me
But not her?
You're not being shunned.
I'm not even supposed to
talk about her.
I'm sorry, Benjo.
There was a bear up here
two nights ago --
A nice big one.
killed a couple of sheep.
I figure it'll be back.
Bears like their meat
kind of spoiled.
I'll be ready.
[ twigs snapping ]
[ sheep bleating ]
[ men yelling and laughing ]
Mose: hey! Stop!
Aah!
Mose!
Mose!
Man: goddamn sheep.
Fergus: put it down.
You tell Mr. Gault
what happened here
And who did it.
You tell him
if he doesn't like it,
He knows
Where to find me.
Uh, I --
I'll take that to mean
that you'll do as I say.
Yaah! Yaah!
I had to take
the Weaver boy's arm off
I've come for my boy.
He shouldn't be moved.
He's lost a lot of blood.
Oh, god!
Johnny.
What are you going to do?
I'll tell you
what I will not do
I will not
turn the other cheek again
And watch
one of my family get killed.
Johnny: is this the only one
who'd stand up with you?
Ray wanted
to have a shot at you...
But that brat
gave him a headache.
[ woman screams ]
Get down.
Stay right there
Mr. Gault,
What you don't seem
to understand
Is that I always win.
Look out!
Hear guns --
I hear guns.
No.
Ma'am!
Why aren't you doing anything?
Because she has a .44 caliber bullet
Lodged next to her pulmonary artery.
You get that bullet out.
Boy, either way, she's going to die
You save her, Goddamn it!
Wh-- wh--
[ whispering ]
Don't go.
Take me.
Please let me die for her.
Let me die for her.
Let me die for her
Please.
Let me die for her
God, let me die for her, please.
God.
[ birds chirping ]
I can hear it...
The music.
I can hear it.
Tell me, Rebecca.
Tell me about the music.
I can hear the stream...
And the wind..
And the birds...
And...
I can hear the rain.
On our roof.
I love you, Rebecca.
Oh, Johnny.
My Johnny.
Benjo: ma'am?
Ma'am!
Thanks, Doc...
For everything
You mind those ruts, now.
Don't you worry.
I'll take it nice and slow
Let's go home.