The war will be over for the French when they can see this wonderful movie.
I heard Felix was arrested today.
Free France
I still had many things to do in London,
but I decided to go back to France that same day.
Have you ever parachuted before?
Never.
When your feet hit the ground,
don't try to stay upright. Bend your knees and fall, understood?
I think so.
Matilda moved to Lyon during my absence.
She's a great leader. I made her my assistant.
The boss already told me how wonderful she was.
But I'm still surprised by her skill in giving and receiving orders.
She studied the map of Gestapo headquarters for hours.
She finally discovered where Felix was imprisoned.
A jail for prisoners that they absolutely need information from.
At first, she wanted to use a bomb.
Then she made another plan, which required a disguise.
She arranged for me a new place for my headquaters.
No place is more secure or pleasant.
My host is now the Baron de Ferte, an ex-cavalry officer.
Before the war,
the Republic was my enemy.
With my tenant farmer, and my servant,
I had created a little army equipped with guns and pikes...
to assault the prefecture
on horseback
in the case of royalist insurrection.
This militia still exists, and is used to protect me now.
The Baron himself suggested use of his field for landing and dropping.
We did as he wished and even more.
Strange carousel...
While the first airplane is landing...
the second one keeps on flying at low altitude...
to cover up the sound of the first plane's landing and take-off.
And then they switch.
This night, four men left for London, and four men arrived from there.
Bison, Le Masque, Jean-Francois et Matilda were supervising.
Does your husband know about your activities?
No he doesn't.
Nor does my daughter.
Here she is. 17 years old.
Don't keep it with you.
You're right. I won't.
Before anything else,
we must talk about Felix.
I know Felix doesn't have prussic acid pills.
I'm not afraid of him talking, but he has no way to escape torture.
The Gestapo will not give in.
And he will suffer for days, maybe weeks...
I know that.
There aren't many possibilities.
Did you find one?
Yes. Enter the Gestapo and leave with Felix.
Matilda, I want to rescue Felix. But not at any cost.
I cannot sacrifice anyone.
I don't need many men.
With Le Masque, Jean-Francois, Bison and me, I can make it.
No problem.
What is your plan?
Bison, can you get three german officer's uniforms?
Of course.
Do it then.
The problem is how to contact and inform Felix.
I haven't figured it out yet, but I will.
Because he must be ready when we will come.
I have tried to contact him for a week now.
But that building is very strictly guarded.
Yes, not so easy to enter.
- Careful it's warm. - Thanks.
Mr. Gerbier
I don't have the courage of Le Masque nor the strength of Bison.
Nor the skills of Matilda.
I will not participate in this escape plan
But I'm sure that my comrades will succeed.
Don't try to find out what happened to me.
Mr. Dupont knows much of the resistance movement.
How did you make it?
Well...
We will use only two uniforms.
I know, Mrs. Matilda.
I won't let you do it without me.
And I won't let you go with us!
Remember what you said,
"I cannot sacrifice anyone."
Especially if "anyone" is you.
But Matilda, why you instead of me?
Listen.
Two men won't be noticed. But three men would.
When Jean-François was still there, you asked for three uniforms.
But at least, I would have taken only Le Masque and Le Bison.
Jean-Francois...
I trusted him.
Me too, that's not what I meant.
But... I could never imagine he would leave us this way.
Who's that man?
He was denounced by an anonymous letter.
You can enter.
Naturally, is Dupont your real name?
Of course.
Which organization do you belong?
I don't know what you mean.
Do you understand the consequences?
You will be shot under this name and no one will know what happened to you.
I decided to leave this place. Perhaps a premonition?
Three days after, Baron de Ferte and his men were arrested and shot.
We must take a man named Felix Lepercq to Paris...
to the headquarters of Oberstufuhrer Bolmerburg.
- Felix Lepercq? - Yes, a terrorist.
Hurry up, it's urgent.
Get down.
One moment, please.
An ambulance from Paris Gestapo...
wants to take terrorist Felix Lepercq.
Make an on-duty Doctor come and give the transfer authorization.
Felix.
Felix can you hear me?
Matilda, Le Bison and Le Masque are here.
I will help you. Are you in a lot of pain?
It's not possible.
He will suffer a lot,
until he dies.
Impossible. I can't let you transfer a dying man. Sorry.
Okay, I will report this.
Felix.
I have several prussic acid pills.
Do you want one?
We could have saved Felix.
No.
No one and nothing could.
Not even you.
Besides, every policeman is looking for you.
You should disappear for awhile.
The next airplane is yours.
You're not serious?
Resistance organizations are rising from everywhere.
We must unite them, train them, supply them.
There's nobody to replace me now.
If you get arrested, we will replace you however we can.
Police!
So, is the food good here?
You have meat at every meal, and without tickets?
We will check all papers.
Hurry up, let's go.
I'll keep it, for later.
He says "Finish your smoke. They're coming and I don't want trouble."
Everyone has his own troubles.
This time is the last one.
The word "Love" makes sense to me only when I think of the boss.
He's more important to me than anything.
More than everything. But not more than life.
If Luc Jardie would die, I would still like to live.
And I'm going to die.
And I'm not afraid.
How is that possible?
It's because I'm too narrow-minded to believe it.
And if I don't believe it until the last moment,
I will never die.
What a discovery! The boss would like the idea.
I must explore this discovery.
I must...
You will turn your back to the machine-gun and face the wall.
And then you will run as fast as you can.
We will not shoot immediately.
We will give you a chance.
If you get to the wall, you'll be shot in the next round instead.
We can try anyway.
Nothing to lose.
He knows about my legs. He's waiting for the show.
And I feel more tied by his certainty than by my chains.
Go!
I don't want to run.
I won't.
The most important thing was to time it precisely. Matilda did.
Oh, it was easy with all the information we had.
And if I didn't run?
Something wrong? Thinking about those who didn't run?
No, thinking about this officer, was what convinced me to run.
Like a rabbit in panic!
Go on.
It's good to be safe.
Enough for one month.
There is drinking water, but I'll try to bring you some wine.
No way, see you in a month.
All right.
I'm gonna leave. Somebody could spot the car.
Okay.
Treat your arm and your leg. It might get infected.
I put a shaver on the table.
I'm by myself for three weeks, like a timid animal.
I write a long report for London, and try to believe I'm still useful.
I haven't seen Matilda or anyone since.
I read the five books Luc Jardie wrote before the war.
They keep me company.
At night, Jean-Francois' disappearance haunts me.
Le Bison or Le Masque?
But it's ... you!
I have to talk to you.
When did you come back?
Four days ago. Since Matilda was arrested.
Matilda?
We have to talk about her tonight.
We have to, Philippe.
They didn't hurt her.
She got in touch with us.
Gestapo found her real name very quickly,
and where her family was living.
She had her daughter's picture,
and you can guess what happened...
That picture?
This was her only mistake.
The Germans quickly found her weakness.
Why did she keep the picture?
I told her!
Listen to this,
She begged the Germans to give her the picture back.
What do you mean?
Matilda sent us an S.O.S. The Germans gave her two choices.
Tell everything she knows about the organization,
or they will send her daughter to Poland as a prostitute.
Now you know everything.
We have to find a solution.
Could she escape?
No, she can't escape, nor commit suicide.
Matilda will never give up her daughter to the gestapo.
Can she stall time?
Until when?
It's not a solution.
Here comes Le Bison.
Don't tell him I'm here.
Go in that room.
Here are some new glasses.
Thanks.
Any news from Matilda?
What's going on?
I know nothing.
What?
I don't. Here's a letter.
Matilda was released yesterday. And two comrades were arrested today.
Is it so?
If they say it is.
Le Masque, you knew this?
I'm not in charge of this report.
Matilda is to be killed immediately.
I can't believe it.
I will never hurt Mrs. Matilda.
I have been working with her.
She saved me once.
This is a great woman!
Men...as many as you want...
But Mrs. Matilda, never!
We will not discuss about it.
She must disappear and she will.
You won't do it!
We have other killers. If necessary, I will do it.
You won't. You don't have the right.
You could have run as a champion...
you would be dead already if not for Mrs. Matilda.
You won't do it.
She can give me to the Gestapo, she protected me, and you,
and now, she's protecting her daughter.
Can we blame her?
Enough! The decision is made.
If you're as cowardly as that, I'll kill you first!
Stop it!
Shut your mouth! You were still a child when I started commanding men...
What do you think?
Would I let you do that? Have you gone crazy?
You, get out! Or I'll kill you both!
You need a few cooler heads in this room.
My friend, sit down.
Calm down and have a cigarette.
Don't you think, Gerbier?
You heard everything.
Yes, Matilda is truly a great woman. Even more than you know.
But we're going to kill her.
I can't believe you.
You will, listen my friend.
We will kill Matilda, because she asked us to.
She told you that?
No, but it's not difficult to guess. Think of it like this,
If Matilda only wanted to save her daughter,
she just had to give names and addresses.
In spite of this, Matilda told them we change our address every day,
she must contact some people... whatever...
So that they set her free. Clear, isn't it?
Imagine you were in her position. Forced to betray comrades.
And suicide is not allowed.
I would like to be killed.
Do you find yourself braver or better than Matilda?
Please excuse me.
Take a german car. Le Masque will drive. I'll come with you.
Are you mad?
I'm sure Matilda would like to see me.
Please, this is not your place.
This is an order.
You didn't have to do that, boss.
Do you really believe what you said?
I don't know.
Maybe this hypothesis is right.
Maybe she just wanted to see her daughter again,
and now is finding it harder to give it all up.
That's what I want to find out.
I had to come back to you for the hardest job.
You, in this car, with killers!
Nothing's sacred now in this world.
February 23rd, 1943, Sunday.
Go.
Nov the 8th, 1943. Le Masque had just time to take his prussic acid pill.
Dec the 16th, 1943. Le Bison was beheaded with an axe in a German jail.
Jan the 22nd, 1944. Luc Jardie died under torture, after giving one name: his own.
Jan the 13rd, 1944. Gerbier decided not to run this time...
André Dewavrin himself. - Alias Colonel Passy.
From Joseph Kessel's book "L'armée des ombres"