The Return of Ringo (Il Ritorno di Ringo)

THE RETURN OF RINGO

THE U.S. CIVIL WAR ENDED TWO MONTHS AGO.

DEFEAT, HATE AND REVENGE RULE THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES...

IN THE FERTILE BORDER AREAS, NOBODY IS ABLE TO ENFORCE THE LAW...

Jeremiah... Jeremiah Pitt!

Hello, Captain, what can I do for you?

What's the matter? Something wrong with your memory?

- Don't you recognize me...? - Yes, of course.

We met in El Paso, seven or eight years ago.

If I'm not mistaken.

Much has happened since then, you know.

Who can remember everything and everybody?

How about a drink or two, Captain?

Are you going back to Mexico?

I'm heading south.

Is there a town around here where I can sleep tonight?

There is Membres. It's about the closest place.

Though they don't have much of an hotel there.

Membres?

I used to know someone who lived in Membres.

I think his name was Brown. Montgomery Brown.

But they called him Ringo. Maybe you know him?

Montgomery Brown? Of course I do.

But he's been gone a long time now.

As soon as the war broke out, he enlisted and went away.

No one knows what happened to him.

He never came back?

He was married, if I recall correctly.

Maybe his wife would like to talk with someone who remembers her husband.

She might even know of a place when I can spend the night,

if I can't find a hotel room somewhere.

Mrs Brown's name is Hally, isn't it?

Who were these two and what did they have against me?

They worked for Paco Fuentes.

He and his brother took over the town, when gold was discovered around here.

They say it's Mexican territory,

and no one wants to tell them any different.

What happened to Hally?

Peace.

I need some herbs for a sick friend.

You said it was for a friend. Keep your money.

There's somebody lying out in the street. Looks like he needs help.

The only help he needs now is a pine box.

Hey, you! Where are you from?

From the mountains, sir.

- Looking for a job? - Not today. I've already eaten.

What are you, anyway? Gringo, Indian or Mexican?

That's his trouble with all those men tramping in and out of his house.

Probably his own mother couldn't tell you!

Welcome to Membres, my friend!

What kind of a job did you want?

Anything that's not too hard.

Then just ask for Fuentes.

They're out at the old Brown place. Now they give the orders out here.

If you know how to kill, they'll hire you right away.

But I don't know anything about guns, Sheriff.

Well, it's time you learned.

And you'd better start carrying a gun, if you want to live long around here.

Take my word for it.

You look healthy enough. How come you never packed a gun?

In my case it's different. I'm not a Mexican, I am an American.

An inferior race.

And when you are inferior,

you live much longer in Membres without a gun.

- What do you want? - Work.

The sheriff seemed to think I'll find a job with the Fuentes.

A job? You've changed your mind already.

No, I haven't, but now I'm hungry.

You're hungry?

Then, eat.

Eat it. Come on!

All right. Now get out. I don't like beggars around my place.

Although it may seem odd, to my friends my name is Myosotis.

Yesterday the flowers weren't at all well, so I sat up with them all night.

Well, they're better. Now they're responding.

Do you like flowers? Let me show you this variety I bred.

It's named Brown for the leading family in town.

I owe all this to them. Especially to Miss Hally.

Are you just passing through?

Yes, I was, but now I've changed my plans.

You're staying here in Membres.

You like flowers, you don't carry a gun, and you want to stay in Membres?

You must be crazy!

Where are you going to live?

You can stay with me if you can't find anything better.

Thanks, that's mighty nice of you, Myosotis.

You can give me a hand, there's plenty of work to do.

Say, somehow I feel I know you.

That's because I'm so ordinary. I always remind people of someone.

Look at those flowers.

I left them for just a few minutes. They must be lonesome.

- Hello, Myosotis. - Good afternoon, Rosita.

Here's your rose, waiting for you.

What a handsome man.

Who are you? I don't remember seeing you before.

That's cos I've just arrived here. I'm a distant cousin of Myosotis.

Come and see me. I'll tell you what the cards say.

I can see what lies ahead.

What more do you want out of life?

Now I remember! Indeed!

My uncle Alfonso. Remarkable family resemblance.

But exactly how are we related?

Let's go inside, I'll explain afterwards. Sorry...

I'm sorry for you, but it can't be helped.

I've got to make a few more wreaths for poor Judge Barnes

who got killed yesterday or he'll be completely forgotten.

Goodnight.

You can help me arrange an important wreath for an important man,

killed by people who want to be important.

OK, boss.

A splendid wreath!

Only, it has no inscription on it.

Put it over there.

I hear you've got a job now.

You'd have been better off with the Fuentes.

But you seem to prefer picking posies with Myosotis.

Doesn't show much ambition on your part, does it?

I'm still new around here and I'm entitled to make a few mistakes.

Nobody wants to die, Sheriff.

But to be afraid means dying a little every day.

A man who isn't afraid can only die once.

I don't have a gun. Would you shoot an unarmed men?

How has it all started?

Gold was discovered, that's what. Didn't take long for word to get around.

Once there's talk of a big gold strike, it brings men from afar.

It was very easy for the Fuentes brothers to come here. Mexico is next door.

Why hasn't someone tried to stop them?

They're afraid. You sense the fear?

Sure, they're afraid now.

But I mean when they first came to town. Why weren't they stopped, then?

There was nobody here. The young men were away fighting.

When the war ended, a few of them returned,

but one by one they were murdered,

even before they got chance to get back to town.

After that, there wasn't much point in resisting.

The Fuentes left no one alive but a few old men.

Some of them tried to fight back.

First of the brave ones was Senator Brown.

The last one was the Judge, and you saw what happened to him.

And did they kill Senator Brown?

Some say he died of a broken heart. Ah, it was broken alright.

They fired several lead bullets right into it.

He was brave, the Senator. Too bad his son never returned.

On the other hand, it's just as well this way.

- It's all for the best. - What do you mean?

There'd have been trouble. His wife wasn't exactly lonely.

Goodnight.

Goodnight and sweet dreams.

My love, I told you to stay close to the carriage.

Yes, Mommy.

Whose buying the drinks?

Don't you like women?

Or am I making it too easy for you?

When a man refuses a woman,

he isn't a man or he's thinking of someone else.

Sometimes it's better not to keep secrets.

The cards will give you away. They always tell the truth.

Esteban. I've just been insulted.

Please, wait a moment before you kill a man, Esteban.

A dead man won't be very amusing.

You can only kill a man once.

When we could have fun with him all day long.

The sheriff helped me to carry you up to my room.

Myosotis would probably have fainted if he saw you in this condition.

I can't quite figure you out.

Esteban was about to kill you. And yet obviously you weren't afraid.

You know, at first I thought it was on act,

since most men are afraid.

I'm not sure I like such bravery.

You were badly outnumbered and yet you kept on.

You might have used the gun you keep under your shirt.

Let's find out what the cards say.

Your gun is in the top drawer. You may take it, if you want to.

But it will be alright where it is until the morning.

We don't have to make love, you know.

Here you are at last!

Where did you sleep last night?

What, in there?

- Explain that. - I'll explain afterwards.

Has someone else been killed?

Brown. A terrible loss. Montgomery Brown.

Ringo, the Senator's son. He came back.

Well, we've got work to do.

Paco Fuentes has ordered tons of flowers for the funeral.

Montgomery Brown is dead. We won't see him again.

May he rest in peace as we live in peace.