Green Mansions

Put this on.

What will you wear? I have this.

Are you from Caracas?

Why do you ask?

I thought you might have seen something of the revolution.

Yesterday, we heard the rebels were sacking the town

and assassinating many government officials.

Assassinating doesn't seem like quite the right word.

It's too dignified.

They shoot them in their beds

and then they burn their houses down.

We saw the glow in the sky.

It seemed as if the whole horizon had caught fire.

If you're running away, if you're looking for refuge...

No, I'm not running away, Father.

Yesterday I was, but today I'm not.

Today, I know where I'm going and what I must do.

And then I'll be back.

They'll see me again.

Good afternoon, Sir. Good afternoon.

Come in, come in, Sir. Don Panta at your service.

You're from Caracas, aren't you? I could smell the city on you.

What news of the revolution?

I'd like to go into the interior.

Certainly you do.

I didn't think you wanted to settle down in Manipuri.

Oh, my wives, Sir.

Not beautiful, perhaps, but serviceable.

How much are these? Patience, patience.

You will need much more than a poncho out there.

What's all this? For barter.

Barter with whom? The Indians.

That is, the corruptible ones.

What could I buy with this? Oh, many things.

Guidance, food, shelter.

A momentary reprieve from the headshrinker's primitive art.

And what happens if I run out?

Then you have nothing to tempt them with but your own courage.

Courage? They, uh, find that tempting, do they?

They worship courage.

They judge a man by his staying powers.

To stand as motionless as bronze.

To sit or lie still for half a day.

To endure pain without wincing.

To pour words out of your mouth like water

without taking a breath or stumbling over a word.

To do this is to prove yourself a man.

I suppose I can hire a guide over there where the canoes are.

Yes, but you'll need a map.

Not elegant, perhaps.

But serviceable, like my wives.

We found this on the body of an impetuous political refugee

who was foolish enough to listen to the natives

chatter about gold and a lost village. Tobacco?

We'll never know whether he saw the gold or the village.

It was his head he lost, poor fellow.

That reminds me. I'll need a razor.

Hmm, razor,

tobacco, soap.

Some dried beef till you've shot your first wild pig.

How much do I owe you?

How much have you got?

Not enough. It's all I've got.

Ah, it's terribly embarrassing, but I've noticed

my wives admiring the buttons on your jacket.

They are silver, aren't they?

Anything else? Go with God.

The man with the map, where was his body found?

On the bank of the Cuyuni River. It's marked on the map.

He felt the gold was around there someplace?

He was sure of it.

What is it? Why are we stopping?

No. What are you afraid of, a few red feathers?

Come on back here.

Lucky for me you happened to be here.

Or is it?

It's just presents.

Presents, for everybody.

Thank you.

I only wanted to open that

because I got some presents for you.

I've got some beads and some...

It's just some presents, that's all.

Well, what we do now?

I am here as a friend, do you understand?

Friend.

I hope you're not gonna kill me

because I'm not ready to die yet. I've got too much to do.

You don't understand anything I'm saying, do you?

I'm saying that I've got to live. I've got to outwit you,

so I can find the source of that gold

you're wearing around your neck.

I'm told you admire courage and fortitude.

Well, I'm gonna try to impress you with mine.

I'm not gonna move from this spot.

I'm gonna stand here and pour words until one of us drops.

Anything that comes to mind. Story of my life, if you'd like.

If you could understand it you'd know why I need this gold badly.

My name is Abel. Abel Guevez de Argensola.

I was born in the city of Caracas in the year 1872,

the son of the minister of war.

Correction, the late minister of war.

He was killed by a pack of savages.

Not your kind. Civilized ones,

with uniforms and honorable names...

He was betrayed

in the parliament, in the ministry.

Even on his own staff there were traitors.

I know who they are.

That's what keeps me standing here.

I can endure anything if I know I can see them again

just one more time.

He said that revenge is very expensive.

It will take a lot of gold

to buy the kind of revenge I want.

But the sun's going down and I've outlasted the sun.

I've outlasted the flies.

I've even... I've even outlasted your foul odor.

Right now, I'd...

I'd trade my immortal soul for one taste of cold water.

But don't look at it.

I'm not hungry.

Don't think about it. Think of something else.

I'm alright. I'm alright.

I'm still on my feet. I'm still talking.

Never give up. Never.

Until I've shown I'm stronger than you are.

You are not stronger but you are brave.

You understand me?

I am eight year with missionary when small.

Your people

aren't gonna kill me?

Only if my father say.

Your father? Father, chief.

His name called Runi.

Well, tell him I'm a friend.

Here.

Do you know what this is?

Give this to Runi. Tell him...

Tell him that this white man is his friend.

Tell him I would like to stay here and hunt with him.

My father has trust for you.

If you do no harm to us, we do none to you.

That's fair enough.

How much of this belongs to your tribe?

What the eye can see.

You must be very rich, all this land

and gold.

We have no gold. Only Runi has gold.

You mean there's no gold around here anywhere?

What about Runi's necklace?

Where did that come from? Only Runi know.

Is that where you hunt? That green forest over there?

No. Well, why not?

It looks like a perfect place.

Runi forbid it. Runi does?

I wonder why?

Runi forbid it. It is enough.

Runi, you old pirate,

what are you hiding over there?