The Red Tent (Красная палатка)

General Umberto Nobile returned a hero to Italy.

To his Roman triumph, led by Benito Mussolini.

Nobile's journey over the North Pole with Roald Amundsen...

had thrilled the world in the year of 1926.

But the laurels won by the handsome hero did not give him rest.

He had seen the north, the vast, silent, frozen sea...

unendurable, uninhabitable.

Yet, for more than 2,000 years...

explorers have been drawn north into this mysterious whiteness...

where man literally walks on water.

Men with such names as Makarov, Nansen, Amundsen.

At last, in 1909, Robert E. Peary...

the great American explorer, made a brilliant dash with dogs.

Peary conquered the North Pole.

There was a pause in Arctic exploration.

The restless men turned to the Antarctic.

Roald Amundsen conquered the South Pole...

December 14, 1911.

Then came aircraft, and the excitement stirred again.

This was Nobile's moment.

Already an internationally known designer and flyer of airships...

he planned the most dangerous of all air expeditions...

to fly to the fury of the North Pole and to land there.

Why? For reasons of science, certainly.

But there was also the explorers' age-old reason or vanity...

the desire to be first.

General Nobile, has it been decided yet...

which of your crew will be the first to land...

I mean put a foot on the North Pole?

It has been decided.

The first man to land from the air at the North Pole will be myself.

I will be the first man.

The Italian Navy provided Nobile with a support ship, The City of Milan...

under the command of a reliable career officer...

Captain Romagna.

Captain Romagna took up station at the small mining town of Kingsbay...

the jumping-off point of the expedition.

In an expedition that was to become so famous...

for its failure...

the questions must still be asked.

Was it justified? Should it have been undertaken?

Was Umberto Nobile a fit leader?

At the time, if there was doubt, Amundsen, in an interview in Oslo...

very generously dispelled the doubt.

Dr. Amundsen, of what scientific value...

will General Nobile's expedition be, if it is successful?

Of the utmost value.

The Arctic is an enormous territory, quite unexplored.

General Nobile and I made a start in the Norge expedition.

Now he is continuing that work with the Italia expedition.

Dr. Amundsen, why aren't you leading the expedition this time?

My expedition days are over.

Also, I wasn't asked this time.

General Nobile is not an expert Arctic explorer, is he?

He has experts with him.

I know some of the men. They're excellent men.

And I know General Nobile. He is an excellent leader. Excellent.

On May 23, at 4:00 in the afternoon...

the dirigible Italia left Kingsbay for the North Pole.

Tragic death toll.

I know General Nobile. He is an excellent leader.

Official investigation.

- An excellent leader. - Resignation of commission.

- Excellent. - Reduction in rank.

In view of your extraordinary conduct...

I never lost a ship. I never lost a man.

An excellent leader.

Why did you allow them to leave?

25 degrees, 18 minutes, Longitude east.

Demote him.

The investigating commission agrees...

that General Nobile's actions are contrary...

to the traditions of military honor and the code of military law...

and it finds no plausible justification...

for what can only be explained, but not justified...

by his physical and moral depression at the time.

Lundborg?

Where are you?

Pleasant dreams, General?

Lundborg, you're late.

Lundborg.

Where are you?

Wherever you want me to be.

Another one of those sleepless nights, Nobile?

Be civil.

One thing about being dead for a few years...

I don't have to be civil.

- So, we are at it again? - Yes.

You're getting worse, you know it?

It's only 10 days since you had us here the last time.

"A new book about Nobile, Fresh Light on an Old Scandal."

- That today's? - It is.

Jesus Christ, it's 40 years ago, and they still think it's interesting.

Very interesting.

- Court in session, then? - Apparently.

- Are you bringing Valeria in? - Yes.

Come in, Valeria.

Valeria!

You look great.

General, your imagination is working well tonight.

She looks great.

Valeria.

When will you stop walking the night, General?

It has been 40 years.

Court in session?

God, it's a bore.

Not altogether.

Who are you looking for?

You, old man! She's looking for Malmgren.

Malmgren the Immaculate. Will your imagination stretch to that?

Don't call me old, Lieutenant.

Boy, it would stretch to anything.

Take your feet off my table.

Yes, Valeria.

Dr. Malmgren is arriving now.

Lovely.

We've got Saint Sebastian in his working clothes tonight.

I'm cold, Nurse.

That's funny, Mr. Rindborg, because I'm quite warm.

So they say. You wouldn't care to...

No, I wouldn't.

My temperature is rising, Nurse.

You're all such tigers when you're safe in here.

Excuse me, Nurse.

I've just arrived here, l...

Wait in the dispensary, please.

Some people won't even knock on a door.

- My name is Finn Malmgren. - Do sit down.

- I'd like to borrow... - Name?

Finn Malmgren.

- Nationality. - Swedish.

Surface worker or below ground?

I'm not employed by the mining company, Nurse.

I'm a member of General Nobile's expedition.

Are you the famous explorer Malmgren?

I'm the only Malmgren on the expedition.

- I beg your pardon. - There is no need to apologize.

- What do you want? - Someone dropped the iodine bottle.

I wondered if you could spare some.

You seem to be very popular with your patients, Nurse.

Will that do?

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

- When do you leave? - Quite soon now...

but the pity is that we shall be without Amundsen this time.

What is this Amundsen?

He's a leader.

And General Nobile, is he a leader?

A general is a leader by profession.

I like him a lot.

He has a terrible appetite for anything splendid.

He wants to go to the North Pole to see if he's as good as Amundsen.

Isn't that a bit silly?

To measure yourself against Amundsen?

Ambitious, not silly.

Is that why you're going?

No.

Why, then?

I don't even know your name.

Valeria.

I want to go because...

it has something to do with...

emptiness, loneliness...

beauty, and...

purity.

Is that all you're going to do with her, hold hands?

My God, Malmgren. You were a ghost when you were still alive.

- I've had it. I'm gone. - On the contrary, Lieutenant.

You are tonight's prosecutor.

- Me? - Yes.

Look, Nobile, if I prosecute...

I'll reach a conclusion.

- Exactly. - Will Amundsen be coming?

You'll never reach a conclusion without Amundsen.

Oh, boy.

There's your prosecutor.

He's pure in heart, is Dr. Malmgren, and he'd skin you alive to prove it.

No, you are my prosecutor.

All right.

Well, then...

in the absence of the great, good Amundsen...

I'll have Biagi.

Biagi. I'd almost forgotten Biagi.

I bet Biagi hasn't forgotten about you.

- No, sir. - Biagi.

General.

Captain Zappi.

At ease, Sergeant.

Anyone else?

Nope.

Ready for takeoff.

It was Kingsbay, Spitzbergen.

4:00 on Wednesday, May 23...

1928.

- Visibility? - 50 miles.

Well?

Over 20 knots.

We should be picking up the winds coming off the high-pressure area.

In this position. Here.