The Eye of the Monocle (L'Œil du Monocle)

Any resemblance between characters in this film...

and people who really existed, is purely due to fatal coincidence.

Italy had given up the fight. It was not yet a defeat...

but no longer a victory either.

Just before the Allies landed...

communication was difficult. A frogmen commando...

of the German army was ordered to hide a treasure...

to hide in an underwater cave.

Upon return the commando was destroyed on orders from above.

There could be no witnesses of this expedition.

No, there could be no witnesses.

Your order was carried out, colonel.

The boxes are 40 meters deep in a cave. The cave is marked on the map.

There are no witnesses left.

Heil Hitler!

Not a single witness.

The Allies knew the last traces.

The colonel dead, the map destroyed: nobody could find the treasure anymore.

All the witnesses were dead.

Everyone, except me: Hector Schlumpf.

The eye of monocle -

Eighteen years persecuted, sought, always on the run.

I waited and sought a way to retrieve the treasure.

And today I finally approached my goal.

I am coming to collect what belongs to me.

To the health of Herr Schlumpf!

For our friend Schlumpf.

For our friend Schlumpf

For our friend Schlumpf

"When such dead rest in their tomb..."

oblivion, dark night where all the fallen go...

passes in vain their grave where we bow...

every day, for them alone, rises ever more faithfully...

the glory, the ever new dawn...

"...makes the memory of them shine and their name shine again".

Our wreath is certainly the most beautiful.

You were not mistaken, everyone is here.

Ah, the English.

We even have Major "Searing" of the Intelligence Service.

Poor Schlumpf. He always chose the wrong friends.

And then the bad luck to die in such a hole.

Another victim of the travel agencies.

And there is the delegation of the Soviet-Union.

With cultural advisor, commissioner Matlov.

That, Poussin, does not displease me.

That the Englishman has come, I expected,

but that sly fox Matlov also fell for it...

I am very satisfied.

He is dangerous, that Matlov.

And yet when you see him like this, he seems innocent as a lamb of Lenin.

- Oh, and that one there? - Unknown to the battalion.

Never seen, Very strange figure, that guy.

- What? - A nasty face. Isn't it?

How pleasant to meet you again, commissioner Matlov.

The pleasure is mine.

You liked Schlumpf, didn't you?

- Pure curiosity. And you? - Pure routine.

My mag saw Dromard shoot and Schlumpf fall.

He did not check whether he was dead.

You know the lower personnel. Always negligent.

We must always check everything.

"Happy are those who believe without seeing".

I am a materialist.

And I, British subject.

Schlumpf lives and logic is saved.

Dromard had no reason to kill Schlumpf.

It is very inappropriate to mock death.

Especially because death does not mock.

Come on, Matlov. We have no reason to kill each other...

- before Schlumpf is found. - Logical! I love logic!

- Long live Major Searing! - Thank you!

My dear Dromard, your shot was almost too perfect.

By a hair I would really have been dead.

I must say that you were a very convincing corpse.

And then your funeral, what a success!

- Many people. - Only friends.

You should have seen their grief.

They have been flattering me for years, those scoundrels.

Imagine their situation.

With your death their life suddenly has no meaning anymore.

You left, and took your secret into the grave with you.

What peace all of a sudden.

Only I know it now.

Me and Monsieur Poussin. Poussin!

That is good.

Dromard, you have no trust.

Schlumpf! How can you think such a thing?

Dromard, you know very well that only you can help me.

Only you and your government.

I could not gather the necessary means.

Diving down to forty meters deep, blowing up an armored door,

- bringing the crates up. - Go ahead.

- Hitler was very careful. - How concerned.

- In September 1943? - That is so.

It is a big job.

Yes, but very profitable for your government.

Think. The archives of the southern front,

brought here after the breakthrough of the front in Italy.

The correspondence between our Führer and Mussolini.

The proof of conversations between our government...

and that of Her Britannic Majesty without the Russians.

The proof of talks between our government...

and that of Mr Stalin without the English.

Enough to throw the whole thing into turmoil.

I admit that that can interest a few jokers.

And without excessive expense for you.

For myself I ask only the gold that is in the crates.

Which comes to? Detail...

At the rate of the day before yesterday...

Here it is: 2,787,354 dollars.

Which comes to about 1 billion of your old French francs.

That is not bad. For you alone?

After all, I am the only one who knows the secret hiding place.

And who is still alive. That is why I am, of course, expensive.

And besides, you see, Dromard, I am reaching an age...

at which you long for pleasures that only money can provide.

I have met an interesting person.

Amusing. But do not dream too soon.

We must take some precautions.

You should not have come back here.

You must disappear until the material from Toulon is here.

And only then may you show yourself again.

I am here on holiday. Poussin keeps the connection.

A little patience and you can meet all the people...

Interesting people!

Whichever ones you want. But let us not underestimate our opponents,

and wait for the French Navy.

- Must I go to Corsica now? - Yes.

- With these passengers? - Yes.

- I work here in the summer. - Oh, yes?

- I am not free. - You are.

From this moment. And that is an order.

- I got married two days ago. - Congratulations.

On arrival, Dromard will get in touch. You keep in contact with him.

Dromard! That was all we needed.

These are your orders.

You leave as soon as you are ready. And everyone gets aboard.

Good heavens. The things you do for your fatherland.

Our boat is finally here.

You can go get Schlumpf.

Very well, commander.

Ready to dock.

Soldiers of France, soldiers of the land.

We are going back to the battle lines.

O legionnaires.

The battle that begins...

I took Schlumpf to town,

but he refuses to board.

He is getting drunk in a pub.

Are you being led around by a retired SS man?

Do you have a light, please?

- Thanks. - Don't mention it.

You have people who cannot handle drink.

Come on.

Hey, watch it a bit!

Before us, the vast plain of Ukraine.

The wind, the cold, the rain, always that rain.

I know that. I lived in Lyon.

And then the counterattack began.

Obergruppenführer Gille gave the order.

And all those who could still walk stood up at once.

Stay seated, mate.

He understands me.

Miss.

This young lady nevertheless seems interesting to me.

Very interesting!

Sensational!

Hey, Mario!

Wait for me.

Ah, Dromard. Youth...

Come on, soon you will be rich.

If you stop to draw attention to yourself foolishly.

We had better leave quickly.

Is there a better hiding place than the crowd?

Herr major, exactly twenty years ago to the day.

On 14 July 1942,

I was on the Tagenrog-Rostov line,

with the 5th division of SS Wiking.

The fourth grenadier-company.

My company was surrounded.

We got out of it, but with a loss of 90 percent.

Since then, every year...

I had a comrade...

Those were the good old days.

In July 1942 I tasted the desert dust...

opposite Rommel's army, between Bir Hakeim and El-Alamein.

Dromard, my brother, I will give you a few hundred million francs.

- I do not accept it. - As a reminder of the past.

Come with me. First be discreet and careful now.

I was here in 1944.

The setting was the same, but the uniforms were different.

Have you never seen me in uniform?

No, sorry. There were so many of you.

Funny how crazy people are about photographs in the army.

That must be the idea of the "group trip".

My amulet. I always have it with me. Here.

Good. Waiter! What champagne do you have in stock?

For us, 14 July is also a holiday, you know.

Then there must be dancing!

Unnecessary, commander. This battle is ours.