The Officers' Ward (La Chambre des officiers)

Lieutenant Patrick Durand, on behalf of the President

and by the powers vested in us,

we award you the Legion of Honour.

Lieutenant Christophe Marillier, on behalf of the President

and by the powers vested in us,

we award you the Legion of Honour.

Lieutenant Adrien Fournier, on behalf of the President

and by the powers vested in us,

we award you the Legion of Honour.

THE OFFICERS WARD

There's no room!

He'll soon be back.

Do you think so?

Is he your husband?

Which branch is he in?

Infantry. And you?

Engineers, the smart lot.

Can't you tell?

Excuse me...

Forgive me for insisting but I'd like to buy you a drink.

My last before the war...

Not all of us have a pretty woman to see us off.

Don't you have a friend?

Well?

Shall we move on?

Aren't you singing?

You like war?

- You're going to shoot at strangers? - Want to sing with the Krauts?

- Why don't you like peace? - We're at war!

The Krauts are knocking at our door!

Fighting won't bring us peace.

Doesn't your country mean anything?

What did you learn at school?

Why's the lieutenant so quiet?

He doesn't like war either. He's scared.

Let's go.

Go off and fight!

Go, prove you're a real man!

I don't understand.

Look at them run.

It's absurd!

Go on, catch your train. Leave me now.

Your eyes contain no hate...

You're young...

- I don't even know your name. - Clémence.

No clemency in wartime...

What's going on?

A spooked stallion, sir.

Who requisitioned a stallion? Geld the animal!

What happened?

A stallion, sir. A kick in the gut.

What should I do?

Fetch the chaplain.

Lieutenant Fournier reporting, sir.

At ease...

I see in your file that you've studied engineering...

Yes, sir.

I need a bridge built.

Take a detachment and find a suitable spot near Chaumont.

By the way, you don't happen to be related

to Colonel Fournier at headquarters?

Your father, perhaps?

My father's dead.

How are your men?

A little edgy, sir.

The Germans won't be here for a day or two.

Fancy a glass, lieutenant?

It shouldn't last too long.

What do you think?

He arrived this morning.

No one has dared touch him. Found six days ago...

His lingual artery has been clogged by mud.

He'd have bled to death otherwise.

A pity he didn't...

Is that him stinking like that?

Get him a medal while there's still time.

What does he want?

Do you think he can hear?

You want to say something?

Can you hear me?

I don't think he can hear.

I can hear you!

You're alive, old chap.

You're alive!

Where am I?

The face is split open from the chin to halfway up the nose,

with destruction of upper right jawbone and palate.

Partial destruction of the tongue,

organs at the rear of the throat unprotected...

Am I making that noise?

Clean him and move him to the rear.

I can't do anything here.

I can't speak anymore.

I can't speak anymore!

Calm down.

Let's see...

I can move my feet...

Both of them.

My hands...

My hands are tied.

I can't find my teeth...

I can't feel my teeth anymore!

My teeth have gone...

My palate too...

God, what has happened to me?

It hurts...

I hate that noise.

Has the war started?

Are you all right?

Bit hot, isn't it?

Get rid of these two, they're dead.

We've got two others for you.

Don't worry...

We'll clean you up.

Give them water, they're bloody suffocating!

God, what a stink!

Here, drink this.

How can I make this one drink?

He'll be all right till evening.

Are you in pain?

We've run out of morphine, and all the rest.

Hang on! You'll be in Paris by morning.

The war's over for you.

You'd rather have the rain?

Which one's the officer?

This one, I think.

Are you an officer?

- Shelter him. - He wants the rain, he's feverish.

Take him to the officers' ward.

Are you awake?

You mustn't sleep all the time.

It's midday.

Aren't you hungry?

Let me help you to sit up.

Is he awake?

Good day, lieutenant.

Can you hear me?

Not too lonely?

That'll soon change, I fear.

Are you in pain?

You're not the kind to complain.

This is the plan:

We'll feed you to build you back up.

I'll operate in a few days, to tidy you up.

Then a long rest before we move onto serious things.

You're in no hurry to fight again?

Does that hurt?

Arms or legs are easy, we just lop them off.

A jawbone is different.

A bone graft may well take. It's fascinating work.

More for me than for you, of course.

Concentrate on two things: breathe well and eat well.

I'll see to the rest.

In a few months, you'll be as right as rain.

I'll be in to see you every morning.

Give him morphine if he's in pain.

But don't let him get used to it.

It's in short supply.

Good-bye, lieutenant.

If you want to say something, write it down.

Oh, I'm sorry.

It's not too hot?

That's good.

Let's take a little break.

Is it good?

You can't tell.

Thank you

Anais.

And you're Adrien.

I have a son a bit younger than you.

He's on the Belgian Front.

The news isn't good.

It's quiet up here.

Downstairs, we're running out of space.

I've brought you paper to write home.

To set your mother's mind at rest.

I don't want my mother to see me like this.

Nor anyone else either.

Thank God they're far away.

"Stay where you are.

I'll visit as soon as I can.

Things are chaotic here with all the wounded.

Visitors aren't allowed.

My war's over. I've done my duty.

That's what matters.

No vital parts have been hit, not my eyes, legs or arms.

Just a fractured collarbone.

I'll write as often as I can.

I'm perfectly safe here. Adrien."

"No vital parts have been hit."

The collarbone...

The collarbone's nothing!

Do you think it will last long?

What's all that noise?

They've tied me down again.

Why can't I see anything?

What's that I feel?

Heb operated on me.

He can't have done much, it's still as empty.

And that noise...