Warmth on the battlefield

Le Major: Everyone to their posts!

Gordon: [a moment of indecision] Every man to his post!

Le Major: Quickly!

[the Scottish soldiers get in position along the trench wall]

German Soldiers: [Someone in the German trench stands up and walks into No Man's Land] No, stay here! What're you doing? Come back!

Le Major: Well, what the hell are you doing! Shoot the bloody Kraut!

[the Scottish soldiers look at each other; they don't fire]

Le Major: What are you waiting for? Shoot him, God damn it! Holidays are over!

[the soldiers shoot in the air to warn the man in No Man's Land, who begins to run toward the French trench]

Le Major: What the hell do you think you're playing at? Shoot him!

[Again the soldiers look at each other, shake their heads, and don't fire]

Le Major: Shoot him!

[Jonathan shoots the man, who falls midway between the French and German trenches]

Le Major: Stand down from your posts.

[They do]

Le Major: Shame on you, Gordon. Shame on you.

[Ponchel's alarm clock rings in No Man's Land. Gordon looks out to see Lieutenant Audebert running to help the man Jonathan shot - Ponchel in a German uniform]

Ponchel: Be silly to die disguised as a German, eh?

Lieutenant Audebert: What the devil were you doing?

Ponchel: I had a German help me. I saw my mother. We drank a coffee, just like before... You have a son.

[Lieutenant Audebert can no longer keep from crying]

Ponchel: His name is Henri.

[Ponchel dies, and Lieutenant Audebert sobs even harder. Gordon and the Major look on from their trench, Gordon grave, the Major baffled]

[the Lieutenant lights a lamp, revealing the General seated in a corner. The Lieutenant notices him, resigns himself]

General Audebert: How did you let yourself...

Lieutenant Audebert: If you came to preach, leave now!

General Audebert: Don't you realize the gravity of this? It's high treason! Punishable by death.

[the Lieutenant just looks at him for a moment, continues with his business]

General Audebert: Only we can't execture 200 men. That's all that saves you. Not counting all the other cases of fraternization reported since. If public opinion hears of this...

Lieutenant Audebert: Have no fear, no one here will tell.

General Audebert: I hope not! Who'd want to?

Lieutenant Audebert: Want to? The men involved feel no shame. If they won't tell, it's because no one would believe or understand.

General Audebert: I don't understand you. Carousing with the enemy while the country's partly occupied!

Lieutenant Audebert: The country? What does it know of what we suffer here? Of what we do without complaint? Let me tell you, I felt closer to the Germans than those who cry, "Kill the Krauts!" before their stuffed turkey!

General Audebert: You're talking nonsense.

Lieutenant Audebert: No, you're just not living the same war as me. Or as those on the other side.

General Audebert: You and your men will rejoin the Verdun sector. You're right about one thing. I don't understand this war. My corps was the cavalry. You should have made a career of it, like I said. Today, I'm asked to fight a way where the shovel outweighs the rifle. In which people swap addresses with the enemy to meet when it's all over. Plus the cat we found with a note from the Germans, "Good luck, comrades!" I was ordered to arrest the cat for high treason... until further notice.

[He turns to leave]

Lieutenant Audebert: You're a grandfather, Dad.

[the General stops and looks at him. The Lieutenant tries not to cry]

Lieutenant Audebert: His name is Henri.

[He grins through his tears]

General Audebert: What are you on about? How do you know that?

Lieutenant Audebert: You wouldn't understand.

General Audebert: Henri? Not bad. Henri Audebert. Let's try and survive this war for him.