A Farewell to Arms

When I came back from leave, everything looked the same...

...except the countryside was already green.

I saw the old church in a cup in the hills...

...and the mountains beyond, brown mountains with green on their slopes.

The war slowed down during the winter...

...but the troops still marched with heavy cartridge boxes...

...bulging under their capes...

...as though they were six months gone with child.

Our unit was stationed in the town where we had been since autumn.

I was glad the Austrians seemed to want to come back.

They did not bombard it to destroy it...

...but only a little, in a military way.

Lieutenant!

Frederico! We miss you.

- Hi, Bonello. - Look who's back. Signore lieutenant.

- Car's in good shape? How's this one? - It's okay.

- Okay, number one. - Having any trouble with the war?

No. Here in Orsino, the ambulance company has no trouble with the war.

But up there, the war is bad. Always bad.

I know how you feel.

Give me my hat to go play with the girls.

Show me the girls and I go play.

I see nothing's changed. How are you, Passini?

And you, Aymo. Still causing trouble?

I, signore lieutenant? It is Passini who keeps moaning.

You know what he told me about you yesterday? He said:

"The lieutenant, he don't come back."

He's wrong. I said you don't come back...

...because Americans, they're too smart.

Not all of them, maybe. Think I'll check in.

Looks like you get along better without me.

It's better to have an officer to complain about.

Here, take these things in signore lieutenant's quarters.

Come in.

Lieutenant Henry reporting for duty, sir.

You'll never learn. It's not like this. Like this.

You're back in good time.

We expect to get a road through the snow in a few weeks.

Then we move. Glad you're back, lieutenant.

Thank you, Major Stampi.

Your chess has improved, doctor.

God must have heard my prayers for you.

Check.

What do you say, Father, if after you die you find out there is no God?

I shall keep the bad news to myself, major.

The papi returns.

Did you have a nice permission? You're looking well.

Lying is a sin, Father. Lieutenant Henry looks terrible.

One more kiss and he'd fall apart.

What's new? I hear from Major Stampi we're almost ready to go.

Yes. Soon we march up the Alps, down the Alps...

...capture Austria and finish the war.

By God's mercy.

A stubborn fellow. Two years in war...

...and he still pretends there is a God of mercy. Coffee?

- No, thanks. - Did you see much of interest?

- Well, I saw some fine churches. - From the outside, I hope.

Perhaps someday when you have the time, you'll enter one.

God is patient.

Tell me, did you go fishing in Abruzzi? And did you see my family?

I'm sorry, Father. I meant to go to the Abruzzi...

...but things came up in Naples and...

We'll go together someday. Perhaps Rini will go with us.

Yes. Unbelievers are sometimes devout fishermen.

- How are things at the hospital? - Since you went away, nothing.

Jaundice, pneumonia, self-inflicted wounds.

And of course, venereal diseases.

Always harder to evade than enemy bullets.

But tell me, I can wait no longer.

What kind of a time did you have?

- Great. - Many beautiful girls?

- Enough. - At your age, I never spoke that word.

I think perhaps we should finish our game tomorrow, major.

You are a good priest, but still a priest.

- I shall be happy to beat you tomorrow. - See you tomorrow.

- Frederico. - So long, Father.

Now, where did you go and what did you do?

- Tell me everything at once. - I went everywhere.

Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, Taormina.

You talk like a timetable. Where was the most beautiful adventure?

- Milan. - Maybe because it was first.

She played the piano beautifully.

There is nothing like talent.

I remember in Verona once, a lady artist, a contortionist...

Oh, shut up.

I bore my friend, forgive me. However, I have something of interest.

Here we have a big improvement in the war situation.

- We have beautiful English girls. - Wonderful.

Yes, the British have opened a new hospital near Orsino.

I am now in love with one of the nurses, Miss Barkley.

I have even thought of marrying Miss Barkley...

...but I best confess, she has one drawback:

Her attitude is uncooperative.

You must be slipping.

No, but she is very strange, very moody.

Who knows, she might even prefer you to me.

You will meet her tomorrow.

Have you any money?

- Fifty lire? - In my wallet.

I must make the impression of a man of sufficient wealth.

You are my great and good friend, and financial protector.

- Don't overdo it. - In case I change my mind...

...I will need this for the Villa Rosa.

Poor girls, they have missed me.

- You and 50 lire. - And you...

Carmelina told me, "If Frederico does not come back soon...

...we hang the Villa Rosa in black bunting."

Oh, shut up about dames.

I can see you had a successful vacation.

Two new ones.

England is a great country.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

I would like... Excuse me.

- Miss Barkley? Good morning. - Good morning, major.

May I present my young American friend, Lieutenant Frederick Henry.

How do you do?

Hello.

Isn't it odd for an American to be in the Italian army?

It's not the army, only the ambulance.

- The ambulance is important service... - It's very odd, though.

Why did you do it?

Oh, I missed out on a job as war correspondent.

I didn't want to kill anybody, so I tried the Red Cross, to have a look.

- To have a look? - Yes, I may want to do some writing.

They assigned me to the auto ambulance.

- End of story. - With me, it's a different story.

I am a lover of mankind...

- Major Rinaldi? - Yes.

Dr. Gates would like to see you, if you have time.

Yes, I have time. Will you pardon me?

Will you follow me please, doctor?

With pleasure.

What's the stick?

It belonged to a boy who was killed last year.

Oh, I'm sorry. I...

He was a very nice boy. He was going to marry me.

- He was killed in the Somme. - That was a mean battle.

His mother sent me the little stick.

They returned it with his things.

- Were you engaged long? - Eight years.

- We grew up together. - Why didn't you marry him?

I don't know. I was a fool not to.

Have you ever loved anyone?

Off and on.

You have beautiful hair.

I was going to cut it all off when he died.

That would've been a shame.

I wanted to do something for him.

He could've had anything he wanted if I had known.

I would have married him, or anything.

I thought it would be worse for him to go to war if we were lovers.

Then, of course, he was killed. That was the end of it.

I don't know.

Oh, yes. That's the end of it.

It's very beautiful here.

- Is it true they'll have an offensive? - So I've heard.

Then we'll have some work. There's no work now.

- Done nursing long? - Since the end of ' 15.

I started when he did.

I remember having a silly idea he might come to the hospital where I was.

With a saber cut, I suppose, and a bandage around his head.

- It doesn't happen like that. - No, he didn't have a saber cut.

They blew him all to bits.

- Do you suppose it will always go on? - No.

- What's to stop it? - It'll crack somewhere.

It really doesn't matter. We die anyway.

It takes a while.

You think so?

Will you excuse me? I have to go now.

Miss Barkley...

I have been thinking about Miss Barkley.

She has beauty and mystery, but she is not for us.

Miss Barkley is not only a woman, she is a problem.

- It is not a good mixture. - Your lectures throw me off.

Well, gentlemen, I have news.

Tomorrow morning, rain or shine, we advance.

We advance in the morning, and I am wasting time with a billiard ball.

With this news, it will be impossible...

...to get into Villa Rosa with a shoehorn.

You go. I'm not in the mood.

This is madness. Tomorrow night, you will be in the Alps, freezing.

You'll need a few warm memories.

I am stupid. The British.

You are going to call on Miss Barkley in spite of my warnings.

- Father Galli, I need your help. - Yes, major.

Tell our friend if he sees Miss Barkley three times, he'll have to marry her.

Tell him. It is a British law.

And that is not all. After marriage, children.

There is no end to the disasters the British can bring down on Frederico.

I am hardly in a position to discourage marriage.

Are you coming, papi? I offer you a last reprieve.

I'll see you tomorrow in the parade.

All right.

But if all does not go well...

...you know where I am. Good night, gentlemen.

- Good night, major. - Good night, major.

- Miss Barkley will be down directly. - Thank you very much.

- They look like a mausoleum. - What did you say?

I said these busts look like a cemetery.

- Bad for the patients, I should think. - I think the busts are rather handsome.