River Queen

See, the thing is, a bullet makes a small hole going in...

and a bigger hole going out. Do you see that?

Aye.

They say it hurts forever. Is that true, dad?

Hold the Wound open With a spoon...

and I'll clean it out.

- Good girl, that's it. - I know you learned from horses, dad...

but be gentle, he's in pain.

Bring her in.

Rotten rye seed is a sure Way to make a Woman bleed.

Will she die if you don't abort her baby?

Those stupid Maoris are always getting themselves shot.

They don't go around shooting themselves, dad.

In this remote land it was difficult to see the enemy.

All those times I Were very sad, I thought I might despair.

There Were no traveling priest nor church to pray.

A soldier, my one friend, Private Doyle.

Sometimes I Would confess to him my thoughts.

He told me it often helped to Write down your troubles...

and though I Would never show him my scribbling...

he might not even read it.

Most likely he Would burn it or fling it to the Waves.

The point of it being it Would free yourself alone...

and having Writ it down...

you might better understand the Way that things had gone.

The story of your life.

We lived on the frontier to a Wilderness even God himself forgot.

For everyone else, it Was the furthest military outpost on the map.

There Was a clear line between us and them.

That line did not exist for me.

And so I fell in love With a Maori boy.

His name Was Tommy.

- Corporal. - Yes, sir.

Sergeant, we need to...

We Was always on the edge of the troubles.

But still the Maori kids Would come down river.

And When We Was at school, during the peaceful time...

We Would ride the track that took us over the hill.

On this one day, We Were game to cross the river.

We fell in love.

This Was the last time that I saw my Tommy boy.

The choking sickness came...

and just Wiped him and his village off the face of the earth.

My Tommy boy Was dead.

But he left me With his child.

You dirty bitch! Making a disgrace for me!

I Was keeping Tommy's baby, no matter What Da said.

- You will not Kill my baby! - You and your sluttish ways!

I would rather die than let you Kill my baby.

You'll be the death of me, you rabbit-faced harlot!

Done with you. No daughter of mine. At least lover boy is dead.

But, for all that butcher surgeon that he Was...

he delivered the baby himself.

From him, I learned to stitch horse or man.

With Boy there, I knew my place in the World.

And for the next six years, me and him Were happy.

Inseparable.

Here!

Oh, my...

What have you done?

It's all right. Let me see.

Come on, Let's go and stitch it up.

Do one of your funny accents.

Advance, you bastards!

Fix bayonets!

Hey, O'Brian!

Francis!

While Boy and I Were as free as birds...

the Army set Private Doyle and Da to clear some land.

This here is sacred ground.

- We shouldn't be here. - It's Army orders.

- Will it make a scar? - Aye.

A fine scar, like a pirate.

One more.

There. Good boy.

Brave boy.

There we go.

Let me see you stand.

My brave boy.

- Hide and seek? - Not this...

- No... - You can't catch me.

You've hurt your Knee, come on.

Pull.

Pull.

Pull.

Pull.

Pull.

It's the tattooist, Rangi.

What the hell do you think he's doing down here?

Back to see your Sarah's boy again.

Our warriors died here...

and you steal this land even from our dead.

If Jesus Christ himself was buried here...

I'd still clear this land.

If you carry on like this, things will happen to you.

What?

Dad, Army Private Doyle, my sister and me...

We had trouble With Old Rangi from the start.

Old Rangi Were my boy's grandfather.

Boy?

Do you see me?

I Know you're hiding.

I Know you're hiding from me.

Do you Want some?

Boy, I don't like this.

Where are you?

Boy? Boy?

Barry, have you seen my boy?

We were playing hide and seek and he was here.

He was here a minute ago. I saw him, he was here.

Boy!

Sarah!

Dad!

Dad!

Dad, dad, it's boy.

- He's gone. - He's probably just hiding.

- He's gone. boy has gone. - He was always hiding.

- He's gone. boy has gone. - Theresa, darling, where's your sister?

What's happening to our family?

Sarah!

Sarah!

Little boy, been taken by his grandfather Rangi.

Boy!

Private Doyle will find them.

Boy!

Sarah!

No!

No!

Sarah!

No!

No!

Momma!

Momma!

Sarah!

No! boy! No!

Sarah!

My father had a gutful and decided to quit.

And by leaving me that medical bag he gave me a future.

My heart Will ne'er be free

To push aside the longings I still feel

My eyes Will never forget

The fields of patchwork green

Soft rain so real

- In my dreams I keep searching - Sarah!

For those paths I never find

I Was never to see my Da and my sister again.

We'd never meant to stay up river all this time.

And now it Was I Who couldn't leave.

In all the years I served with your father...

he always meant well, Sarah.

A soldier fights long enough...

it's like he's breathing. He doesn't even Know what he's fighting for.

Then he sees something he doesn't have...

like the love you have for that boy.

Suddenly there's something worth fighting for.

You've to fight for what's in your heart, Sarah.

Poor Private Doyle.

There Was only room in my heart for Boy.

Lost.

Lost to me my boy Was.

I Was.

I don't know Where they took him.

For seven years I trailed them.

Boy's grandfather, Old Rangi, Were the only tattooists around.

I thought if I could find people he'd tattooed recent...

I'd be sure to find him.

And if I found him...

I'd find my boy.

I traveled...

I searched...

always I saw my boy.

And always he Was never there.

The soldiers, most of Who had known my Da...

Were only meant to clear the natives off the land.

Major?

Permission to call the troops off?

Permission denied.

- Major. - These aren't your people, Wiremu.

- This is not your tribe. - We're not at war.

Our job is to Keep them off the land.

We're not at war with these people, Major.

Let it burn, Wiremu. Let's go.

- There will be hell to pay for this one. - Do what you have to.

Get this place cleaned up.

It'll come back on us.

Help them.

Excuse me?

Stop.

You fool.

Our people bleed, while you plunder our land.

Where is Rangi?

Where is he?

He made that tattoo.

Rangi?

Rangi!

My boy, where is he?

Your father broke our ancient laws.

By cutting his road through battleground.

My boy! Where?

He broke our ancient laws.