Crossbow

You give me a choice between war and Gessler,

and I'll take Gessler every time.

I gave them all a fair chance. They didn't take it.

Something that is going to change our world.

Fear and suppression,

the twin cornerstones of good government.

The only way to oppose tyrants like Gessler

and the Emperor is by force.

In every village, there are men armed

and ready to rid us of our oppressors.

Now they're waiting for the right time.

And I'm here to tell you, that time has come.

And I'm here to tell you, you're late for lunch.

Sorry for the interruption.

Written a letter to the Bishop of Arnaud

telling him of Gessler's injustices.

It's a man named Roland.

He's been hiding out in the village.

-I know him. He has a farm in Unterwald. -Had a farm.

The Governor decided the land was too good for peasants

so he took it for himself.

He gave Roland and his family

a shack at the edge of the property.

How do you know about this?

I heard him talking at the tavern.

The tavern?

He hit one of the soldiers, so they arrested him.

They would have hung him, too, but he escaped.

And now he's a fugitive.

If he'd taken the shack, he'd still have a home and his family.

That's not the point, my child.

Father, you would have fought them.

You were a soldier.

No, Matthew, I was a mercenary. Nothing to be proud of.

Oh, when a mercenary kills for money,

that's a sin, it's true.

But when a man sits idly by

as these evil princes, potentates,

these governors, they steal the land that God gave them

-they plunder the fruits of his labors. -Of his labors.

-Tax him to the utter limit-- -Tax him to the utter limit of his endurance,

squeeze him like a lemon grown expressly for his own use,

that's an even greater sin. You know?

As the Holy Book says, "Every man dealeth falsely,

saying "Peace, peace! When there is no peace!"

The Holy Book also says we should render unto Caesar what is Caesars...

beat our swords into ploughshares

and learn to turn the other cheek.

You get that in the letter?

You mark my words.

God will send a spark to fire the flames of rebellion.

To burn what? Innocent children?

No, you're right. You don't know anything about war.

That's why you're so eager to push us into it.

But I've seen whole villages in flames and 15 years later,

I can still smell the stink of burning flesh.

And we still need a leader, William.

You give me a choice between war and Gessler,

I'll take Gessler every time. That's enough-- eat your food. It's getting cold.

By holy Saint Jude. You put me off my appetite!

"By order of his honor, Hermann Gessler,

Governor of this province,

by appointment of his most holy majesty, Frederick,

Prince of the Realm, son of the Emperor,

Ruler of the most sacred Empire."

They've got enough titles to choke a mule.

This hat, symbol of the Empire,

will be placed at the central point

of each village.

Whoever passes the hat must bow

and show it every appropriate sign of respect.

This is the law.

The penalty for disobedience is death.

You there!

Priest!

Kneel!

Kneel.

I kneel only to God.

I said kneel.

Show respect to the hat, priest.

You're not above the law.

Defy these evil men! Kneel only to God.

All of you, pay homage.

Gregory's wrong.

He said our freedom was at stake.

Gregory's a paper soldier, son.

He does all his fighting with a quill and ink.

He's never seen what a broadsword will do to a man.

-Maybe you're right. -(clanking)

But it just doesn't seem fair when Gessler can ride by

and take away your home, take away your honor.

Take away your honor? Where did you get that?

Gregory.

Well, your honor's not something

that can be taken away from you, son.

Give me some heat. You can lose it,

but if you do, fighting a war's not going to bring it back.

Work, your home, family...

that's what's important.

Because you can build with one of these.

You can't build anything with a crossbow.

I should still know how to use it.

Learning how to use a weapon isn't difficult.

It's just a matter of repetition until it becomes second nature.

But that's not the second nature you want.

-Why not? -Help your mother.

Baumgart, the tax assessor, his horse threw a shoe.

He went to dry off at the inn

and he wants you to fix the shoe right now.

Don't do it, father. He works for Gessler.

He may have to wait till after Festival.

Oh, my God, Brother Gregory, what happened?

They've put Gessler's hat on top of the harvest pole.

Everyone who passes, they must bow to the hat and kneel.

It's the law.

The penalty for disobedience is death.

-Dreadful. -I can't believe it!