The Train (1964)
Paul Bonifas: Spinet - Resistance Leader
Photos
Quotes
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Spinet : London agrees the art is important. Anything we can do to save it... but they leave it up to us.
Labiche : Why not? What can they lose? This morning we had four men left in this group. Now we have three. One, two, three.
Pesquet : Bernard?
Labiche : We started with eighteen. Like your paintings, mademoiselle, we couldn't replace them. For certain things we take the risk, but I won't waste lives on paintings.
Mlle. Villard : They wouldn't be wasted! Excuse me, I know that's a terrible thing to say. But those paintings are part of France. The Germans want to take them away. They've taken our land, our food, they live in our houses, and now they're trying to take our art. This beauty, this vision of life, born out of France, our special vision, our trust... we hold it in trust, don't you see, for everyone? This is our pride, what we create and hold for the world. There are worse things to risk your life for than that.
Labiche : I'm sorry, mademoiselle, we can't help you.
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Spinet : Right after dawn, all switching tracks and trains in the area will be bombed. The art train is not to be destroyed. Orders are to mark it so that the planes will pass it up.
Labiche : Mark it!
Spinet : White paint, on the top of the first three cars. London has decided the paintings must not be damaged.
Labiche : Paint it? For von Waldheim - make him a present? To hell with London! We started this whole thing for one reason: to stop the train, because the Allies were going to be here! Well, where are they? Every day they've been due, and every day a man has been killed for thinking they were just over the next hill. I say to hell with them. Now they want us to paint the train? Let 'em blow it up!
Didont : Paul, it'd be too bad, if it got blown up... that is, if it could be saved. Papa Boule, Pesquet, the others... they wanted it saved.
Labiche : And they're dead. And they'll never know!
Didont : But we will.
