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The body of Christ our Lord.
You see, we've picked them at the same time...
We've dried them...
and now...
we stick them down.
The body of Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Philippe, when you get to Paris, be sure to watch out for your sister.
Of course, father.
Is the situation really that bad?
Just let's say...
that it's uncertain.
Any news from your husband??
In a letter ten days ago, he said everything was fine.
He even said barrack life was boring.
I've heard nothing since those last events.
But I'm not worried. He'll be back.
I'll be waiting at La Martilliere.
Anyway, come this summer!
The children would be delighted to have you!
I promise!
Anne!
My sweetie-pie!
Daddy!
My little pet...
Who wants more? Come on, Philippe.
- Thank you, mother. - Mr Leroux picked them.
Will you take him some eggs?
You should try clay poultices...
They relieve all the pain.
- With me, it's in the mornings. - Then take birch juice.
- Birch juice?! - Oh yes!
- It was lovely! - You've finally eaten everything.
- Can I go play? - No, wait until we're finished.
And the best is yet to come... you'll see!
Your examination still being held?
Yes, the Navy is in urgent need of new officers.
Don't be in a hurry.
My cousins are already fighting, I won't be a draft-dodger.
You won't be a draft-dodger when you're only 18.
He's always been a volunteer.
In the end, he'll do what he wants, like his father.
Like his mother...
Do you remember what Yvonne said, on seeing your son?
"It will be him and no one else."
Know that my niece was a very sought-after match.
She didn't lose on the exchange.
That's true.
Élisabeth?
It's not a good time...
...but we'll take advantage of your father's presence.
How nice!
Here...
I hope that you'll find great comfort in it.
"The twilights will never overcome the dawns."
"Let us astound the evenings, but live in the mornings."
If we go on, we can establish a connection to Laon...
...and from there, cut the road to Paris.
Your assumptions are correct, Colonel.
Non-stop attack.
If only we had air support.
We're advancing, Hettier, advancing...
as far as we can, with or without air support.
There'll be a German counter-offensive.
Yes!
The Germans will be destabilized for a few more hours.
We have to move fast.
I know our men have given a lot.
I'll demand reinforcements to form pincers from the north.
My goal is to organize a bridgehead from our breakthrough.
Think it'll work?
Yes, Hettier. We must exploit our minor victory.
To stand still is to accept defeat!
General, I'm going to need a thousand men, plus air cover.
Tomorrow I'll be throwing in around 50 tanks...
...preceded by an artillery barrage of unprecedented force...
...and if possible, a massive air attack.
- The Laon road... - No, we have to withdraw.
Withdraw? But we're gaining ground, General.
We're slowing the enemy advance.
I'm the one in charge of defense. That's an order.
Allow us to continue. We can win!
De Gaulle, the Germans are going to attack us on the Somme.
I have to hold that line, otherwise all will be lost.
What shall we do, Colonel?
These old generals still think as if it's 1914!
They go on the defensive! They never attack!
A victory is also in your mental attitude.
Your will to win.
If your faith's intact, you're indestructible!
I fear the there are some who don't have that faith.
Could you repeat these words, Colonel?
I'm not a parrot. Who are you?
Capitaine Surchamp...
...radio operator, responsible for propaganda.
These days, speaking of victory is out of the ordinary.
I could broadcast your words, to help overcome defeatism.
Believe me, radio is a powerful weapon.
Should I speak loudly, Captain?
Normally, Colonel.
It's mechanical warfare that started on May 10th.
In the air and on the ground...
...mechanical devices, planes or tanks...
...are the main elements of strength.
The enemy beat us with an initial advantage.
Their successes come from their armored divisions...
...and aerial bombardment.
Nothing else.
Our successes of tomorrow...
and our victory...
Yes, our victory...
...will come from our battleships and our dive-bombers.
That is what we need for victory.
Thanks to that, we've already had a frontline breakthrough.
Thanks to that...
...one day...
...we'll defeat their whole front line.
There... I've said it all.
If possible, we'll broadcast it tomorrow.
Captain, are you going back behind the lines?
My darling wife, the war has arrived.
The real war has started.
What we need is a way to grow aircraft,
and consequently need to take precautions.
For you, for the little one, for Miss Pottel.
Colombey would be a good place to stay,
if it wasn't on the Paris-Strasbourg road.
Be careful, during the day, to go home if there's an alert,
...and at night, make sure the lights are turned off.
It'd be better if you found a furnished apartment...
...until this crisis is over.
Preferably in Charente,
Dordogne, Haute-Vienne,
or Brittany.
I will send you 1,500 francs per month, from June 30.
Do keep writing to me...
...even if my replies are irregular.
Since May 15, I haven't slept three nights.
With Philippe in Paris,
he shouldn't try to be too smart if someone shoots at him.
A letter received from Elisabeth, enclosed.
I have great hopes for her matric.
I kiss you from the heart that loves you, my darling.
Nothing matters more than this...
France must be saved.
Anne, look.
Daddy's written to us. Look.
"For the little one from her daddy."
Thank you.
He thinks about you a lot, you know.
Daddy's coming back soon. Alright?
Don't get upset, he'll be home.
Daddy...
Don't worry.
That's the third time this morning.
You can't take any risks. We must leave this house!
Congratulations, de Gaulle.
A resounding victory, proving that everything is still possible.
We could have gone much further...
and even reversed the situation...
...if someone had listened to me.
Weygand has my full support.
Believe me he does what he can, despite British evasiveness.
You know the situation, it is dramatic.
I need men like you by my side...
General de Gaulle.
Yes, I've promoted you to Brigadier General.
- It's a provisional title. - I'm honored.
So, you'll carry more weight.
You'll join the government as Under- secretary of State for National Defense.
I shall need guaranties.
I want to be able to apply my views without interference.
Integrating with our policy will give you the authority to act.
I hope so.
I've also preserved Marshal Petain's position.
Better to have him in than out.
Change your mind. The marshal thinks we've already lost.
His defeatism can overwhelm everything.
Petain is like a banner. He's reassuring.
I've made Mandel Minister for the Interior.
He shares your points of view.
We have to face reality, Mr President.
Miracles apart, we've no chance of winning in metropolitan France.
- Is this you, saying that? - Yes.
Whatever we do, this war will be global.
Let's continue the fight elsewhere.
I will join you only if we agree on this essential point.
Of course. It's obvious.
We have a vast territory left, that's our empire...
...and it's totally intact.
That's why we mustn't leave the war under any pretext whatever.
And maintain our English agreements, despite our grievances with them.
You have my guarantee. Besides, you're going to London.
You'll see Mr Churchill, as my representative.
You can convince him that we want to hold on.
Gentlemen.
- Gentlemen. - Mr President.
Mr President, I happen to be the one man at this table...
...with the most German blood on his hands.
Don't take that admission as being conciliatory...
...to those that I've always fought against.
Rest assured, my dear Marshal, that nobody here...
...harbours the slightest doubt as to your patriotism.
Your victorious battles, in particular that of Verdun...
...give you an absolute and irrefutable legitimacy.
It is on the basis of that legitimacy that I propose...
...that we must accept our defeat... and silence the gunfire.
Gentlemen, if we are losing, it is because the enemy...
...is employing a tactic that I myself have always supported
...and that the High Command refuses to apply...
...pairing armored vehicles with aircraft...
I haven't finished!
Listen to me.
Based upon my experience, I've come to the conclusion today...
...that the war is lost.
I deplore the idea as much as you do...
...but rather than suffer the humiliation of being crushed even more severely...
...and the death of thousands of French people...
...I wish to encourage the country to accept an armistice.
This is the only way to come out with our heads held high...
...and to deal with Germany.
And to spare our soldiers and our people.
Eight million French people are fleeing.
The defense that I've constructed will not last for long.
It's odd to give up winning, while having the world's largest army.
De Gaulle... Enough of your sarcasm!
I know you well.
You have long served under my command.
I have great respect for you.
But we're faced with a crisis point in our history.
We've lost at least 60,000 men.
You hear me? Sixty thousand dead!
Thousands of French soldiers are already prisoners.
We must stop this massacre, that has gone too long already.
We must get along with Germany...
...and rebuild France, on new foundations.
Are we so lacking in courage as to accept this ignoble outcome?
This is after all FRANCE that we're talking about!
Let's pull ourselves together...
...and instill in our troops the desire to win.
Let's not indulge ourselves with this defeatist state of mind.
"indulge ourselves"?
You don't understand anything to the situation.
Let's agree, at least, to talk with Germany.
Mr Mandel, having been a minister for just a few hours...
...how can you have an opinion on the conduct of battles?
If you please, sir!
I'm not talking to you as a minister, Mr Weygand...
but as a Frenchman proud of his country, and aware of its history.
War is a matter for the armed forces.
No, the politics ordains.
The fight must go on and we have untouched territories...
...with fighting forces who await our orders.
We have to transport our army to North Africa.
- And resume the offensive. - That's unrealistic!
I totally agree!
Gentlemen, enough with the words...!
Here are the facts.
I said the Germans would attack across the Somme...
...and indeed they are
I can't stop this tragic event.
They're getting across.
And next?
Next, it's the Seine and the Marne.
And then?
Then it's all over.
What do mean, "all over"?
Finished, terminated. The Germans will be in Paris.
I know, but I'm very worried.
De Gaulle must be removed.
His woolly ideas are dangerous...
...but I know him well.
He's consumed by ambition and he loves war.
He'll do anything to climb the echelons of power.
Shouldn't Reynaud be ousted?
Reynaud is weak. He'll fold on his own.
You're wrong there.
He has that ability of politicians to always bounce back.
Look at that Jew, Mandel. We thought he was finished.
Here he is, Minister of the Interior, giving his opinion on everything.
It's unbearable!
These politicians led us to where we are, and they're still there.
We must be ready, Weygand!
Power doesn't like a vacuum, and very soon...
...we shall seize and sort out this republic of misfortune.
Minister, here is a report on our troops and our needs.
There are also notes on Churchill's cabinet.
Anthony Eden, Minister of War, is favorable to us.
Time will tell. The English can sometimes be unpredictable.
I have no doubt that Churchill will stick to our agreements.
It is in his best interest.
A last fitting, general?
Perfect, thank you.
Wait, don't forget...
Arrange an appointment with President Reynaud, for when I return from London.
We must remain very vigilant.
Petain and Weygand are making difficulties.
Keep an eye on them during my absence.
The members of your cabinet have yet to be validated.
Reliable people, dedicated to continuing the war.
- That they are. - What about you, Mr Laurent?
You run my staff. I need to know.
I serve the State.
And am at the service of the policy that you decide upon.
Good.
Would you bring my children in, please.
Trains are still running... Go to Aunt Suzanne's.
But I have the entrance exam at the Naval College.
And I've got my matric!
We can't leave.
Seeing the advance of the Germans, they'll be marking your test papers.
- All is not lost. - Not Paris.
The Germans won't invade the city.
Go to the train station and see what's possible.
I want to get involved!
You were already fighting at 24.
It's a totally different situation, Philippe.
- Is mother joining us? - As far as I know.
You must leave as quickly as possible.
For how long?
I don't know. Everything changes day by day.
That's all I can tell you.
Also a letter for your mother.
Don't hang around.
And be careful, kids.
Off you go.
Where's your mummy?
- There's Mummy. - Here I am darling.
There she is.
- Mama. - Mummy? Where is she?
I like that!
Yes, yes, yes!
Having fun, darling?
Come to Mummy..
Look at the birdies!
Careful! It's cold!
Anne's medication.
I feel like I'm 14 again.
We had to flee and abandon everything...
Wonder why my mother loaded all the tablecloths.
Mine stuffed our pockets with handkerchiefs.
As if they were the most important things.
When you come back, had the house been looted?
Looted, ravaged, destroyed...
That was where my childhood was swallowed up.
May God preserve this one.
I haven't seen Anne for a while.
Anne?
Help me to look! Find, good boy, find!
Sir, have you seen a young girl in a blue apron?
She's 12 years old. She's handicapped.
I only saw the Germans burn our village.
Don't stay here! Go! Run away!
I haven't seen your kid!
I'll go to the edge of the village.
You scared me to death, Anne!
Darling, I was so frightened for you, my pet!
I know you don't want to go, but it's dangerous here.
- We have to leave! - I say no!
I'm not kidding! We must leave!
- No, no, and no! - You don't decide.
You'll see Auntie Suzanne again, OK?
And the pony...
Cinders.
- You like Cinders, don't you? - Yes.
So you can play with Cinders, alright?
Winston Churchill will receive you at 9 a.m.
It will be necessary to be convincing. Courcel, are you fluent in English?
- It's the language of diplomats... - Who are only useful in fine weather.
As soon as it rains, they drown.
I hope to prove the opposite to you.
How's our staunch ally going?
The earth of France.
A mixture of ashes and blood.
But our government is determined to continue the fight, Prime Minister.
From our empire, if necessary.
But how are will you get yourselves there?
With what means?
With your help.
We require your air and naval forces to contain their breakthrough.
Mr Churchill considers...
...the English and French are totally united in events such as victories.
I quite understand.
But maybe you could base some of your planes south of the Loire.
The front will inevitably move in that direction.
I'll leave it to the war minister to answer you.
Mr Eden proposes...
But the Scottish division is no more than an illusion.
As for the Canadians, who can say when they will arrive?
With every minute, Germany is engulfing France..
We must be helped right now.
Will a single setback on the continent...
...be enough for England to turn its back on us?
England and French blood were mingled at Dunkirk!
Mr de Gaulle, I will not accept any doubts as to our loyalty.
If you don't support us, there are very active defeatists in France...
...who will not hesitate to seize power.
They will come to an agreement with Hitler.
Effectively, from that moment on, you'll be alone against the Reich.
Sir, could you give us guarantees on the future of the French fleet.
The fate of the fleet is linked to that of France.
It would be a disaster that we would not allow to happen.
So take action, Prime Minister.
Take action!
Go on!
Yes, those files too!
Hurry up!
Burn everything. Absolutely everything!
Come on, burn it all!
Hurry up!
You can't allow the enemy to invade Paris unopposed!
My first duty is to preserve French lives.
- We're leaving for Bordeaux. - Just like that, no resistance?
We ARE fighting! You know that!
And we're losing. All the barriers are broken.
Everything is collapsing, de Gaulle!
Everything is collapsing!
Paris will be declared an open city, in order to avoid a massacre.
Have you convinced Weygand and Petain?
I'm not under the influence of anyone.
Paul?
De Gaulle.
Paul, let's go, the driver is waiting for us.
- Let's hurry. - I know, Helene.
Mr President, you were looking for help from the English,
and I pledged the word of the State.
And now you run away?
The enemy has crossed the Seine. The guns are pointed at Paris.
But what do you want, de Gaulle?
That the city be razed, like Rotterdam and Warsaw?
That Paul bears the responsibility?
We must save what can still be saved.
This is not a flight. It's a departure.
In the military, it's called desertion.
I forbid you to use that word!
We have a common goal... to continue the war.
You told me the opposite last night.
I know, Helene.
That Marshal Petain understood everything.
We must listen to him!
All of this must stop.
Negotiate with the enemy... It's called diplomacy.
It allows you to have a future.
You're coming with us, de Gaulle.
We'll use the trip to discuss what can follow.
Charles, my great love,
Here we are in Loiret.
War seems far away.
Like in another country.
I don't know how long it will last
and I don't know if Elisabeth and Philippe will join us.
Anne is enjoying this moment of calm.
The trip was a terrible ordeal,
but she was brave.
Our little one is so strong and so fragile at the same time.
Anne?
Try to get up. Get up.
Come on, Anne. What is that?
Look.
Take it.
Come on, make an effort. Yes?
Anne? Anne?
Anne? Listen. Listen, Anne.
Anne?
Come on, Anne.
I'll give you all my strength, all my life.
Come on, Anne.
Lord, tell me everything's alright, I beg you.
My baby. Oh, my little baby.
Oh, my baby.
Your child presents symptoms of a disability...
...called "mongolism"...
...whose origin we do not understand very well.
- Anne will show... - But will she live?
Yes, many children reach adulthood.
She is not going to die?
No...
But she will have difficulties to move...
...to speak...
Will she suffer?
She could indicate cardiac or respiratory deficiencies.
Learning abilities are possible...
...but she is unlikely to become self-sufficient.
Why?
The reasons for this infirmity are still very poorly identified.
Is research being done?
Absolutely. I and my team are working on it.
We must think about the future. Anne will remain vulnerable...
...and unsuitable for our world.
Institutions exist, like here.
We aim to offer disabled children a reassuring medical framework...
...to be able to observe them, have their pathology monitored.
And then... it relieves the parents.
I'll leave you to think about it, but don't delay making up your mind.
Thank you, Doctor.
I was tired those 9 months. She must have felt it.
- You should have rested. - Rested?
With two children and your transfer to Germany?
Nothing forces you to do the same.
You always want to take on everything. We could have hired someone.
I just pray that she'll heal.
But you didn't understand. It will not heal! Ever!
What a panic...! The trains were taken by storm.
People squeezing into cattle wagons.
It was every man for himself.
Women yelling at each other over a place.
- Thank goodness you're alright. - Father gave me this for you.
Thank you.
It took us 15 hours to get to you.
You should see how the roads are blocked with people!
- But where are they going? - Just running away, Aunt Suzanne.
Paris has been bombed.
Hundreds killed.
Everyone was scared.
Do you know just where it was?
I believe it's to the west, towards Quai de Javel.
They were probably aiming at the Citroen factories.
Do you have family there?
Yes, an older sister.
We must leave quickly.
Why not stay here? We have everything in the garden.
But the Germans are less than 200 km. away.
Struggling on the roads is no safer.
The children are too small to go. And with Anne...
Yes, Anne needs rest... and to feel like she's home.
Aunt Richard is in Brittany, like every summer.
She'll welcome us.
You'll have to go without, whereas here...
Help yourself. There are plums too.
They're early this year.
You've always had a green thumb. Your apple trees are magnificent.
I can't imagine giving up everything.
- You understand? - You'll join us, little sis.
Difficult without a driver's licence.
Be careful!
Our armies have not done anything blameworthy.
They have fought valiantly...
But it's time, with neither shame nor dishonor...
to recognize our defeat.
And what do you propose? A ceasefire?
A cease-fire would no more than a break in the conflict.
- So surrender? - Out of the question.
That would attribute defeat to the armed forces.
Your administration is fighting the war.
Defeat is above all a matter of politics.
Caused by a series of government errors...
...that happened before, and that you were part of, Mandel!
You exaggerate.
Who cut the army budget?
Who cut back on armament orders?
Who gave in to the Fuhrer in Munich?
You, the politicians!
That's wrong, and you know it.
They've supported your strategy.
"Build a wall."
Result... The Nazis march through Paris.
It's you who underestimated the risks...
...cradled by your delusions.
Today, innocent people are paying for the consequences.
Let me remind you, Mr President...
...that a capitulation would result in seizure of our arms and our navy.
...which would give the Germans absolute supremacy over the seas.
The only possible way is to ask for an armistice.
General Weygand, where is our army?
All units are on the front line.
Without rest, without sleep. The enemy pressure is incredible.
Unlike us, the Germans can relieve their troops every 2 days.
Why?
Transport problems.
We're running out of equipment.
We need more trucks, tanks, planes...
But where are they, these tanks and planes?
Still on the factory production lines.
Gentlemen... the old world is falling apart before our eyes.
What is Chancellor Hitler proposing?
A new Europe, with Germany at its centre.
We could be part of it!
Of the vanquished nations, we could become partners.
Let me remind you that we can't sign anything...
...without the English. That's our agreement.
So we scrap the agreement.
Mr Churchill is not helping us at all.
He wants to use France just to contain the enemy.
He wants to fight to the last man...
...so long as the last man is French..
Hello, Aunt Richard? Did Yvonne get there OK?
No, no one is here yet. I'm worried.
I expected them 3 days ago.
- Can you hear me, Charles? - Yes, I can hear you.
Things are difficult at the moment, but she's sure to turn up.
I sincerely hope so.
Come in!
- Where are you? - I'm about to leave Bordeaux.
I'll call you back as soon as possible. Love you. Goodbye.
There's talk that you're resigning?
It's not just talk.
My being in the government makes no sense.
It's self-defeating.
- I have to find my family. - Do you know where they are?
On the road somewhere, at the mercy of German bombs.
Listen to me, de Gaulle.
I believe like you that we must continue the war.
The survival of France is at stake.
The defeatists have won. Reynaud is with them.
Unless a man like you remains in place.
Reynaud is like a weather vane...
...and if you go, there'll be no more resistance.
Stay, so that we can act from the inside!
Our allies must know that not all of us give up.
What about you, Mandel? Couldn't you be that man?
You have the qualities plus the legitimacy.
The English know you well. And besides, they're betting on you.
I know that...
..but I've been in the politics of things so long.
I belong to that world that has much to answer for.
And then, as you well know...
I'm Jewish... which will complicate everything.
You have advantages over all of us.
A new man who is undamaged.
Don't resign.
Sir, the President has changed his mind again.
You're leaving for London.
You have an appointment with Churchill.
You see, de Gaulle... nothing is lost.
This is our last chance.
Take the D73 through Carantec to Brest.
The destroyer 'Milan' will leave Brest in the middle of the day.
I know, no need to remind me.
I hope to find my wife and children there.
What about you? Any news from your family?
My younger brother is at the Lille hospital.
- Go see him on your way back. - I'll try.
Anyone here?
Aunt Richard?
Dad!
Sweetie!
You OK?
I needed to see you.
If only for a moment.
The last days were very hard.
I never imagined what the country had come to.
I wish that I could protect you,
...not leave you to cope yourselves.
I sense helplessness everywhere.
That's unbearable to me.
You did what you could.
You're not responsible for the decisions.
I failed to convince them.
The fact is that nobody today wants to resist France's disappearance.
If what you say is right, it shouldn't be done.
I can't bring myself to that.
I'm going back to London to seek Churchill's support.
Even if it's a lost cause.
Determination is the best of weapons.
But we have to accept the realities of our situation.
Only if we let them dominate us..
Remember "The Edge of the Sword".
You were talking about Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon.
They faced events that should have overwhelmed them.
And the course of history was changed.
You know my writings by heart.
It's you I know by heart.
Those men were exceptional.
They made history, not the reverse.
Well maybe. I stress 'maybe' it's...
...that you too can take advantage of events.
You don't have a choice, you have to go on.
Anne did this for you.
Give our little girl a big kiss from me.
- She gives me a lot of strength. - Yes I know.
I hate to leave you.
- I'll meet you in Bordeaux. - No!
I'd rather not know that you were out on the roads.
I may have to go to Algiers.
The government may move there. Nothing is decided yet.
I'll try to call you when I get back from England.
Take good care of yourself.
Since you refuse to help setting up our army in North Africa...
...the ambassador has a proposal that's the brainchild of our diplomats.
France dissolved into England.
After despair, humiliation!
This merger would only last until victory.
...to give President Reynaud...
...a little hope and time.
This project would allow the continuation of the war.
I demanded this very morning, that "The Pastor'...
...one of our ships loaded with field cannons...
...be diverted to England, so as not to fall into Nazi hands.
She's like our sister.
She is a part of us...
...and we are part of her.
Mr President.
Thanks to Mr Churchill, the fusion project of our countries has been approved.
What a dramatic turn of events!. Congratulations, de Gaulle!
You can rest assured, the war will go on.
How is it going to get organized?
You have a meeting tomorrow with Mr Churchill to sign this historic union.
- Tomorrow? - Yes, we must act quickly.
From there, our armies will merge and our forces increased tenfold.
You're right.
I'll put it to the State Council. They're waiting for me.
See you this evening, de Gaulle.
It's a disaster! Paul Reynaud has resigned!
- What?! - He was outvoted.
The work of Petain?
Not alone, but he's introduced himself as successor.
Petain as head of government!
Baudoin... Foreign Affairs. Weygand... Defense.
- You've been sacked. - The naysayers have taken power.
You might have reason to be worried.
For wanting to save the country?
Your diversion of the destroyer 'Pasteur'...
...is considered serious misconduct.
Weygand was very vocal against you.
There's talk of imprisonment.
What do you want to do, general?
I never want to see these politicians again.
I thought by jeering at the pacifists, Paul would make his mark.
But they betrayed him and now Paul is nothing.
Nothing! I never want to see them again.
We understand your dismay.
They maneuvered behind the scenes.
What about our agreements?
And Churchill's visit?
Petain spoke of a marriage with a corpse...
...because he's convinced of Hitler's total victory.
Peace is nothing more than a word that's thrown around.
We've lost everything!
And above all, our credibility with Churchill.
How could you imagine us becoming a British dominion?!
You don't know the French at all.
I haven't said my last word.
No, Paul, that's enough.
Let's go somewhere far away.
- They don't deserve you. - You're right, Helene.
The conditions for the armistice will be so heavy that it will be rejected.
And once again, they'll be calling on me.
And we can impose our views.
Tomorrow we'll be on the Riviera.
I'm well aware of Marshal Petain's insatiable appetite for power.
Once in the position, he'll never give it up!
It won't be our problem any longer.
Young man, would you like to help me?
Well, the situation is crystal clear, the armistice will be signed...
...and this is the end of our country.
It's a disaster.
I shall have tried everything.
What are you planning to do?
More to the point... what are YOU planning to do?
You could lead a government in exile from London.
Make up a story that I accept, and that I'm remaining in Bordeaux.
Organize me one appointment per hour.
Arrange a lunch for me, and a dinner tomorrow night...
I'm leaving for London.
I have a pad in London.
Here's the address. You never know.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
Here's 100,000 francs.
Part of our secret funds. It may be of use to you.
You're well aware of the risks you're taking?
Farewell, Courcel.
No one knows what tomorrow will hold. Good luck!
I am going with you, General!
Charles my darling, love of my life...
I don't know where you are and I don't know where I'm going.
I need so much to talk to you...
...and I hope these words will find you.
There you are.
Right!
For the first time in 20 years...
...we find ourselves lost...
..in the total uncertainty of seeing each other again some day.
Charles, where are you?
When we are together, I feel so strong...
...so sure, so certain of the path to follow.
Who could imagine this situation?
Here I am alone, with nothing
...at the head of this poor cohort who can do nothing either...
...facing the conflagration that surrounds us.
[Speaking German]
Come on!
I always knew how to find strength...
...and joy, in the trials that we've had to face.
And I'm not just talking of the war...
...and the haunting, permanent fear of losing you.
I'm also talking about our little Anne, who we love so much.
Come on, Anne.
Today, viewing at a country which seems to be disappearing...
...without you by my side...
...I feel helpless.
I am in the situation of a mother who must protect her children...
...and who'll take risks which could lead them to death.
[German]
You have a very beautiful home, Madame.
Do you want to go to Brest?
It's dangerous. The port was bombed.
I'm not even sure that a boat can be found.
- To go where? - To Algeria or England.
The roads are impassable. There are soldiers everywhere.
I need you to come.
Don't count on it. I don't want to leave 2 orphans.
It would be best to wait.
If you allow me, madam,
I'd like to come with you.
I've been with you 10 years, and don't want to leave you.
Unpredictable and as stubborn as a mule...
That's the way you've always been.
Take this... you're going to need it.
Take care, with yourself and the children.
Thanks.
The French living in London and can work in shifts.
And their intentions?
They'd vary with their interests.
You mean they'll line up with the new power?
Some of them hate the idea of defeat.
You can meet them, see if they can help.
We'll need commitments...
...and above all, means.
Were you able to speak to your wife?
No, she doesn't know that I am in London.
Here is a childhood friend, Elisabeth de Miribel.
- Hello. - Pleased to meet you.
She got us these lists.
What do you know about these people? What are they doing in London?
There are businessmen...
...performing artists... 3,000 French live in London.
And you?
I work with the economic mission. So I was able to get these lists.
We'll need to contact them, to see whose side they're on.
Very good, General.
If I can help you...
Can you use a typewriter?
- I can try. - Then you're welcome.
The marshal is going to speak on the radio.
He will not have wasted time.
This is French National Radio
Marshal Petain,
President of the Council of Ministers, will speak to you.
People of France!
This is the President of the Republic speaking to you..
I assume from today...
...the leadership of the government of France.
Sure of the affection of our admirable army...
...which battles with a heroism...
...steeped in our long military tradition...
...against an enemy, superior in size and in arms...
...sure of trust of the whole nation...
...I present to France...
...the gift of my person...
to alleviate her misfortune.
In these painful hours...
...my thoughts are with the unfortunate refugees...
...who, in a state of destitution...
...crisscross our roads.
I express my compassion to them and my concern.
It is with a heavy heart...
...that I tell you today that we must stop the fight.
I addressed myself this night...
...to our adversary...
...to ask him if he is ready...
...to search with me, soldier to soldier...
...after the fight, and with honour...
...for the way to end...
...these hostilities.
That every French person supports the government I chair...
Let's wait.
The victor of Verdun can he be so wrong?
...to listen only to their faith in the fate of the motherland.
Can you believe it? What humiliation!
Once again we can not rely only on ourselves.
We've lost because of lounge-lizard officers like you.
With the cushy jobs!
You should be fighting!
Fighting? In the war we don't want any more?
I left Arras 2 weeks ago. I lost everything!
My house was bombed, my husband is a prisoner.
And all the bodies on the roads...!
No one protected us.
Nobody!
Neither the soldiers nor the politicians!
I don't want this war any more, I can not stand it any more!
I wish I could go home and the blood would stop flowing.
Why does he give up so quickly?
Marshal Petain has always dreamed of bringing down the Republic.
So today, wearing a halo from his past...
...he arises there, as a savior.
You know him well. You served under him.
I lived in barracks with him.
I even wrote strategies that he claimed as his own.
I admired the man of action.
In my dedication, I praised his fame.
He's betraying France!
That is why we need another voice.
And of course that voice...
...is you?
Yes.
My message of resistance must be relayed and repeated.
It is the only way to save France and oppose the Nazis.
What I like about you...
...is that you see the big picture.
But I still wonder about you.
Are you a lunatic... or a genius?
I'm a minor brigadier-general...
...without troops, without any legitimacy...
...and most of all, without any means.
Why should I put any trust in you?
Because I won't bow to Hitler.
Because I am here.
Because I'm the only one.
Not a soldier...
...not a rifle, not a ship.
Mr Churchill...
...you know the power of words...
...the strength of language.
Words are the only weapons that I have left.
But your voicing of your opinions...
...politically, would be a bomb!
Dialogue with the vanquished... if that's in your immediate interest.
But don't turn your back on the one who refuses defeat.
In fact, you are neither a lunatic nor a genius...
You're a man full of pride.
I'm mostly a man who left everything...
...his country, his function, his career.
And who left his family in a land of fire and blood.
The...
Reprisals will be immediate, upon your family.
They are in Brittany, I've been told.
As far as I know, but...
I have no news.
I will send a plane...
...to bring them here to you.
It would be a huge relief. Yes.
Philippe, are you coming! Philippe!
I'll answer you.
Stay close behind me! Philippe!
Follow us, Philippe!
Go home!
You can't stay here. It's dangerous!
You can't stay here!
It's dangerous!
There is more room on any boat!
I can't do anything for you.
There is more room on any boat.
You have to go home! It's too dangerous!
- Go home! - Where is she? Anne!
Anne? Anne?
Anne!
Anne?
Oh my dear girl.
Mummy!
Sir, you know if there is still a boat leaving?
At the end of the south quay. A Dutch boat. The last.
- Thank you. - It's at your own risk.
The one before went down, torpedoed by the sluice.
Quickly!
Where is this boat going? Where to? The destination?
Where God wants to take us.
Are you okay sweetie?
I know that we mustn't complain. But it's hard...
We don't even know where we're going.
Don't worry, we have a chance to be together and alive.
That's all that matters.
The lines are cut in France.
These are the tanks, the planes...
The German tactics that surprised our leaders.
I'm speaking to you as one who knows the reasons...
And tell you that all is not lost for France.
All is not lost for France...
But has the last word been said?
Defeat...
Is that final?
The war was not concluded by the battle of France.
This war...
...is a world war.
It's open!
Hello, General.
We have plenty to work on.
Courcel, type that for me asap.
Right away, General.
- I would like to read it quickly. - Of course.
- Hello, General. - Hello.
Alright?
A bit strained. Did you find a ribbon?
It's illegible writing.
This government, comma, alleging defeat...
Wait...
This government, comma...
...alleging defeat...
...of our armies...
comma,
...made contact with the Germans...
No!
Replace "Germans" with "the enemy".
...made contact with the enemy...
...to ask them for a cessation of combat...
Full stop.
...of combat.
Thank you.
The war cabinet validated your request.
You will have 4 minutes of airtime this evening.
I never doubted it.
They are waiting for your speech this morning.
What? Have my copy proofread? But who do they think they are?
The voice of France doesn't depend on the mood of British politicians.
You tell them I said no.
We aren't in a position to engage in power games.
It's already been a miracle, to get to talk to the BBC.
What do we have to fear?
Above all, what do we have to lose?
Alright, pass it on to them.
But they can't change as much as a comma.
Hello, Suzanne?
It's Charles. How are you?
Glad to hear you. I'm fine.
- Can I speak to Yvonne? - She left with the children.
I accompanied her to Brest.
She left? Was she able to get on board? For where?
I don't know. I think she mentioned Algiers.
Algiers... Was she able to get on a ship?
I don't know. It was total panic there.
I was made to leave. I'd left the children.
Take very good care of yourself. I'll leave you to it.
I kiss you. Goodbye.
Find what you can on departures out of the port of Brest.
A problem?
My wife and children sought to embark from there.
Sure. I'll get right on it.
Ah, de Gaulle! There you are.
- We'll have to wait. - Wait?
It's urgent.
The war cabinet has backtracked.
Good Lord!
Stay calm.
Can we do a voice test?
France...
Louder.
France...
Thank you, that's perfect.
Good evening. This is London.
The BBC speaks to France.
Welcome to "The French Quarter Hour".
Tonight we'll have the pleasure of listening to Lucienne Delyle.
But for now, a French general wishes to speak to you. General...
Charles de Gaulle.
The leader, who for many years,
...has been at the head French armies...
...has formed a government.
This government, alleging defeat of our armies...
...made contact with the enemy...
...for a cessation of combat.
Certainly we have been...
...and still are, overwhelmed by the enemy's mechanical forces...
...both on the ground and in the air.
Infinitely more than their sheer numbers...
...it is the German tank and plane tactics...
...that have forced us to back down..
It is the German tank and plane tactics...
...that have surprised our leaders to the point of bringing them...
...to where they stand today.
But has the final word been spoken?
Must all hope disappear?
Is this the final defeat?
No!
Believe me!
I speak as one who knows the reasons...
...and I tell you that nothing is lost for France.
The same means that defeated us...
..can one day bring us victory.
Because France is not alone.
She is not alone!
She has a vast empire behind her.
She can combine with the British Empire...
...that still rules the waves... and is continuing the struggle.
She can, like England...
...use without limits, the immense industry of the United States.
This war is not limited...
...to the unhappy land that is our country.
This war is not concluded by the battle of France.
This war is a world war.
All the mistakes...
...all the delays, all the suffering...
...do not alter the fact that there is in this world...
...all the necessary means to crush our enemies one day.
Struck down today by mechanical force...
...we can win in the future, by superior mechanical force.
The fate of the world is here.
I...
...General de Gaulle, presently in London...
...invite French officers and soldiers...
..who are in British territory...
...or who might come to find themselves there...
with or without their weapons...
I invite the engineers...
...and specialist workers in the armaments industries...
...who are in British territory...
...or who might come to find themselves there...
...to get in touch with me.
Whatever happens...
...the flame of French resistance...
...must not go out now, nor in the future.
Tomorrow, like today...
...I will speak on London radio.
Well now, as promised, let's listen to Lucienne Delyle.
The French government condemns you for treason...
...threat to State security, desertion...
...in times of war. You are stripped of your rank...
...and of your French citizenship.
All your property is confiscated.
You are ordered to return to France immediately.
I just got Spears.
The Germans have reached Saint-Nazaire and Brest.
They're destroying everything.
Boats that have left?
Out of the 3 that left yesterday, 2 were sunk.
There's no way of knowing if your family was on board.
I understand.
I'll see how long this will all last.
Sit there! Anne!
- Come on, my dear. - Next to Marguerite.
- Hold her back. - I've got her.
Mummy!
Look.
I've something to show you.
You can stroke him.
He's nice.
His name's Pacha.
You can stroke him if you want.
Excuse me.
Sorry.
It may be a long time.
Are they sending us away?
No. Well I hope...
The hardest part will be finding accommodation. The hotels are full.
It doesn't matter for us, but I'm worried about Anne.
The locals are renting rooms.
There are ads in the local papers.
- Thank you, madam. - My pleasure.
Well then...! With a bit of luck...
Keep an eye on the cost.
Mother!
Mother, look!
Hello?
Yes.
I've been so frightened!
So frightened...
By embodying The Resistance,
he allowed France to sit at the victors' table in 1945.
Honour, common sense...
the best interests of the motherland...
...command all free French...
...to continue the fight...
...wherever they are and how best they can.
I, General de Gaulle...
...undertake here, in England...
...this national task.
I invite the leaders...
...the soldiers, the sailors, the airmen of the French forces...
[Anne died at 20 in her parents' arms]
on land, at sea and in the air...
...wherever they may find themselves...
...to get in touch with me.
I invite all the French...
...who want to stay free, to listen to me and follow me.
[After the war, Yvonne de Gaulle started an institute for fostering mentally-handicapped girls.]
Subtitles by FatPlank for KG