A Farewell to Arms

The war had slowed down during the winter...

but the troops still marched with heavily loaded cartridge boxes...

bulging forward under their capes...

as though they were six months gone with child.

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

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

because they did not bombard it to destroy it...

but only a little, in a military way.

Lieutenant. Lieutenant.

Federico, we miss you.

- Hi, Bonello. - Look who's back. Signor Lieutenant.

Car's in good shape? How's this one?

Is okay. Okay number one.

- Been 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. - Yeah, I know how you feel.

Give me my hat. I go play with the girls.

Where? Show me the girls, and I go play.

I see nothing has changed.

How are you, Passini? And you, Aymo?

Still causing trouble?

I, Signor 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 too smart.

Not all of them maybe.

Think I'll check in. Looks like you get along better without me.

No, it's better to have an officer to complain about.

Here, take these things in Signor Lieutenant's quarters.

Come in.

Lieutenant Henry reporting back for duty, sir.

You will 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, and 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. - Oh!

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.

- Behold! - Hey!

The puppy returns.

Did you have a nice permission, Federico? You are looking very well.

Lying is a sin, Father. Lieutenant Henry looks terrible. One more kiss...

- No. - 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.

Hmm. By God's mercy.

Ah! A stubborn fellow.

Two years in the war, and he still pretends there is a God of mercy.

- A coffee? - No. No, thanks.

Did you see much of interest, Federico?

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

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

God is patient.

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

I, uh-

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

things came up in Naples and-

- Well. - We'll go together someday.

- Ah. - Perhaps Rini will go with us.

- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. - Yes.

Unbelievers are sometimes devout fishermen.

How are things at the hospital, Rini?

Since you went away, nothing Jaundice and pneumonia, a few 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?

Oh. Great.

- Many beautiful girls? - Ah, tut, tut, tut.

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

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

You are a good priest, Father Galli, but still a priest.

I shall be happy to beat you tomorrow.

Till tomorrow, Major. Federico.

So long, Father.

Now, where did you go and what did you do? Tell me everything it was.

I went everywhere. Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, Taormina.

You talk like a timetable. Tell me, where was the most beautiful adventure?

- Uh, Milan. - Ah. Maybe because it was first.

She played the piano- mmm - beautifully.

Ha! There is nothing like talent.

I remember in Verona once, a lady artist-

a contortionist-

Ah, shut up.

I bore my friend. Forgive me.

However, I have something of interest.

Here we have a big improvement in the war situation.

- Hmm? - Mm-hmm.

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 must 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?

- Mm-hmm. - Fifty lire?

In my wallet.

I must make on Miss Barkley 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 about Miss Barkley...

I will need this for the Villa Rosa.

Poor girls. They have missed me.

Mmm. You and 50 lire.

And you- Carmelina told me.

"If Federico 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, miss. - Good morning.

I would like-Excuse me.

Miss Barkley? Good morning.

Good morning, Major.

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

How do you do?

Hello.

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

It's not really the army. It's only the ambulance.

Oh, the ambulance is a very important service. It's...

It's very odd though. Why did you do it?

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

I didn't particularly 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. - For me-

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 very much to see you if you have the 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, and he was killed in the Somme. - Ah, it was a mean battle.

His mother sent me the little stick.

They returned it with his things.

- W ere 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 have been a shame.

I wanted to do something for him.

He could have had anything he wanted if I had known.

I would have married him or-or anything.

I didn't because 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.

Oh. I don't know.

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

It's very beautiful here.

Is it true they're going to have an offensive?

- So I've heard. - Then we'll have some work.

There's no work now.

You done nursing long?

Since the end of ' 1 5.

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 round his head.

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.

- W hat'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 at "X" hour, rain or shine, we advance.

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

Come, puppy. With this news, in half an hour...

it will be impossible to get into the Villa Rosa with a shoehorn.

You go on. 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 all my warnings.