Episode 1 Birdsong

This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

This programme contains some scenes of a sexual nature

DISTANT VOICES SHOUTING

MUFFLED EXPLOSIONS

Ah! Monsieur Wraysford,

we had almost given up on you.

Your train was late?

A little.

You're certainly not the last.

Let me introduce you to Monsieur and Madame Berard...

Enchante.

Monsieur.

..Isabelle, my wife...

Pardonnez-moi, Rene.

..who came all the way from England.

She, I suspect, only from one of the more fashionable shopping parades in Amiens.

Enchante.

Gregoire, don't tease the dog, please.

We have dinner?

Oui.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

SINGING IN FRENCH

Bravo! Bravo!

Papa has such a beautiful voice!

An artist is nothing without his patron.

Do you sing, Mr Wraysford?

-Very badly.

-Pity. I have a particular fondness for the patriotic song.

You'll be staying with us long, Monsieur?

A month or more.

London is very keen to see how these new machines work.

They can do in a single day what 30 of my women manage in a week,

and for one third of the cost.

Monsieur? How old are you?

Gregoire.

I'm 20. How old are you?

Ten.

Remember, Lisette,

we are speaking in English tonight for the benefit of Mr Wraysford.

Madame?

Did I see you today walking along the Rue Saint Leu?

I might have walked that way.

I passed that...

..beautiful house near les jardins d'eau.

There was someone playing piano.

I couldn't recognise the melody.

I just stood in the garden,

trying to stop myself from walking right inside.

And did you?

Stop yourself?

It was one of those sentimental folk songs, I bet.

I cannot bear them!

Musicians of today are now satisfied with four notes

they can sell on the song sheet on the street corner.

Give me one of our great composers.

Now, Camille Saint-Saens... Ah!

Now, there is a composer.

Rene, forgive me.

I cannot shake this headache.

Perhaps Monsieur Wraysford can take my place at cards?

Of course.

And I had another little song

I was so looking forward to singing.

Another time?

Madame, Monsieur.

Good night.

ALL: Good night. Bonne nuit.

Poor Madame Azaire!

I hope she's not unwell?

My wife is of a nervous disposition.

MAN SHOUTING, WOMAN CRYING

SHOUTING AND CRYING CONTINUES

WOMAN SOBS

Ssh!

CLOCK CHIMES

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

THUNDER RUMBLES

APPROACHING PANTING

Sir. Captain Weir's taken two men underground.

How long have they been down there?

Six, seven hours, sir.

Who told Captain Weir he could take two of my men?

Captain Gray, sir.

THUNDER ROLLS

(Turner's heard something.)

(Turner's heard something.)

(Turner's heard something.)

(Just here.

(Vibrations.

(Could be Fritz laying a wire.

(Too far down.

(They'd blow their own boys up at the same time if it was.)

(Close the air feed off.)

Tyson!

Tyson!

Cut off the air feed.

Turner's heard something.

The air feed's off.

For God's sake, Firebrace! We're expiring down here.

I can't bloody breathe.

So shut up and save your breath, Tipper.

Shell fire.

I heard wrong.

Just shell fire.

RUMBLING, CRACKING

Get out!

-Get out, get out!

-Get back!

Jack!

I want my men out now.

We want everyone out, sir.

I can't get you out, Turner.

Can't get you out.

Hurry up!

Keep going forward! Come on!

Look at me! Keep looking at me, all right?

Look at me! Look at me, Turner.

Damn it, Weir! I will not allow you to take my soldiers and put them in danger.

Christ's sake! We're fighting this war, too!

Hurry up!

Tipper!

Breathe out sharp.

It makes it quicker.

Go on, go on!

SHOUTING

Tipper! Tipper!

Tipper! Tipper!

EXPLOSIONS

Tipper?

You all right?

Turner.

Tipper!

Tipper!

For God's sake! Do you want to get us all bloody killed?!

Don't you EVER let me see you do that again.

Do you hear me?

Sir.

I will not have you endanger the lives of the other men.

Get him to the MO.

Tyson, Shaw. Rest up.

Then I want you back down to start to pump out.

-Yes, Captain Weir.

-I'm on sentry duty in an hour, sir.

-Tunnelers don't do duty.

-They're short of men.

Firebrace, take his watch.

Yes, Captain.

Water table must be too high. It's all the rain.

So, how many men did you lose?

One.

Turner.

You talk to Gray. It was his idea.

I will.

Sir?

Did you order my men down with Captain Weir, sir?

Weir? Captain Weir?

Yes. He's an engineer, isn't he?

Yes, and we're infantry, sir.

-We're not claykickers.

-Those claykickers are doing their bit.

You'll find you'll like them when they blow Fritz sky high from underneath.

-My men nearly drowned.

-Yes, I know.

Water table's up. There's nothing we can do, unfortunately.

Sir, we are infantry. We do not go underground.

Wraysford, they are laying mines under Fritz's trenches.

If the Boche hear them, they will dig down and break through.

-They need protecting.

-Try telling that to my men when they're on a shilling a day, sir.

Try leading by example and go down with them.

Are you frightened, Lieutenant?

No, sir.

Refresh those sewer rats in the basics of combat,

and then maybe I'll reconsider.

They may have been taught how to hold a rifle,

but I'm not convinced they'll be able to fire it if the Boche break through into our tunnels.

Yes. Yes.

FRENCH SONG PLAYS ON RADIO

-Thank you, Riley.

-Sir.

Rumour has it we'll get some rest tomorrow.

Then who will keep the French company?

I don't know what's worse -

being underground, or coming up and being under this.

You'd better get used to it.

Big guns take at least a week to dig in.

They're not going anywhere now.

Aren't you going to open that?

It's been lying there all day.

Christ!

Mother has surpassed herself.

At least I GET post!

If only from my wretched mother.

I've never even seen you get so much as a bar of chocolate.

Even the Red Cross send socks.

RUMBLING

You ought to get yourself a sweetheart, Lieutenant.

Riley! Bowl!

Are you lost, Monsieur Wraysford?

No, I'm...

Yes, I am.

I meant to turn left, but...

There IS a quicker route,

but then one would miss the roses.

Ah!

Are you...

settling in well?

Quite well, thank you.

Sorry that you're joining us at such a difficult time.

I fear the situation at the factory will grow worse before it is better.

Gregoire is a fine boy.

Yes.

And Lisette, she's...

They're my stepchildren.

Rene's first wife died eight years ago.

We married two years after.

I saw you today.

Near the Rue de la Gare.

There's very fine cafe there.

I know it well.

You were visiting a friend?

A friend? No.

I have very few of those.

'On the command, load,'

safety catches off, and open the bolt.

-I've forgotten how you hold it.

-Like you hold your sweetheart.

Quiet!

Take the charger clip of five rounds and place it in the breech.

Push the rounds firmly into the magazine.

Open the bolt.

Close the bolt.

Safety catches on.

Check the safety catches, boys.

Good.

The weapon is now loaded.

Fire!

GUNSHOTS

Miles away!

My finger's too fat for the trigger.

Hope you don't have that problem anywhere else, Mr Shaw!

Don't hold it like you're in a penny arcade.

Tuck it under your shoulder.

No, tuck it UNDER.

Tuck it in.

Fire!

Good man!

Not bad!

It's all muscle from that hard digging we do

while you boys are nancying around upstairs that does it!

-Anytime you want to swap places, mate?

-No, thanks.

-At least we get some peace down there.

-Unload.

Close the action,

safety catches on,

and rest your rifles.

Douglas, check the targets.

That's not much cop if that's all we get to practise,

shooting at Fritz in the tunnels!

Suits me.

I came to dig, not hold a gun.

You'll do what I say if it's needed.

Sir.

He is a cold bastard.

He's a queer one, all right.

He's just trying to get through this war, like the rest of us.

I'd rather him than Florence back there.

Captain Weir's all right.

Jesus Christ!

Don't Fritz ever stop for tea?

Nor for breakfast, nor dinner.

Move out!

Douglas, look at me.

I'm here, Douglas.

Hold onto my arm.

Grip harder.

Harder, Douglas!

There you are.

Do you have a sweetheart, Douglas?

Morphine!

You do? What's her name?

Iris.

Iris.

I want you to think of her...

I want you to think of the last time that you saw her,

and I want you to think of the first things you will say to her when you see her again.

Think of her...

FOR GOD'S SAKE, MORPHINE!

Keep thinking of her. Keep thinking.

Keep gripping. Keep thinking of her.

Keep gripping my arm.

Get him out of here.

Bad luck...

today.

This war provides daily lessons

in the extraordinary simplicity of the human anatomy.

See this muscle here?

I never knew that there was another one...

here, inside the sartorius.

Not until I saw it.

You're drunk.

Not nearly enough.

Who's she?

Someone I once knew.

Would you believe it if I said I've never been with a woman?

Never?

How old are you, Weir?

Old enough.

HE LAUGHS

BOTH LAUGH

The next village.

We don't want you to die curious.

Your family are close, Monsieur?

No. No, I have no family.

No parents?

No. No parents.

My, um...

My father before I was born,

and my mother when I was four.

Then you must have children, Monsieur.

They are the greatest gift.

People say that.

Gregoire, how many is that now?

Five, but one is a fat one.

I promised him a centime for each one that he caught.

Then you're more foolish than I thought.

It's too hot.

It's beautiful.

Maman?

Do we know her, Stephen?

You mean Monsieur Wraysford, Lisette?

Gregoire, attention!

Gregoire, you will bankrupt me!

They're all asleep.

(It's very beautiful here.)

Yes.

Yet, all around, there's such decay.

I take bread to the workers.

That's where I was going when you saw me in the Rue de la Place.

The children are starving.

My husband would not approve.

Madame, forgive me, but I cannot stay silent.

At night, I hear you crying.

Maman! >

Regardes, Maman, ce que Papa a attrape. >

Everyone!

Un souvenir, if you please.

Attention!

Un...

deux...

trois...

Perfect!

Were you asleep?

I don't know.

Yes, sir.

What's your name?

Firebrace.

Pick that up, Firebrace.

Some of my men think you tunnelers don't work fast enough,

that you don't hear the noise of the enemy,

so they're terrified of being blown up from underneath.

And now they must escort you underground

as well as fight a war above it.

And in return...

..you fall asleep on your watch,

just 50 yards from the German front line.

You know the punishment for falling asleep on sentry duty, Firebrace?

Court-martial.

Sergeant Major Price will bring you down in the morning.

Eyes skinned, Brennan.

Yes, sir.

Byrne, bail out some of this water if you don't want your feet to rot.

Sir.

Smarten yourself up, lad.

Cap on straight.

Firebrace?

Is there something wrong?

Lieutenant Wraysford asked to see me, sir.

He was asleep on sentry duty. It's punishable by firing squad.

For Christ's sake, Lieutenant! You can't be serious!

He's the best tunneler I've got.

Sit down, Firebrace. Have a drink.

No.

Thank you, Captain.

Sit down.

My son's not well.

My...

wife...

she says it's worse this week.

Diphtheria.

You turn it over in your mind.

Funny, you know.

Your head's here, but your heart's always somewhere else.

Do you have children, sir?

No.

No, I don't.

I've not been sleeping properly...

I have two men on guard in a shell hole in no man's land

for three days with their feet rotting in their boots.

What happens if one of them falls asleep?

Each one of them is someone's son.

Yes...

sir.

You a gambling man, Firebrace?

No, Sir. I don't believe in chance.

Tap that top card.

(Tap it.)

For Christ's sake, Lieutenant!

You don't have the authority to have this man shot.

Seems like the man upstairs is on your side today, Firebrace.

The ace...

..power and stability.

No further charge.

You may go, Firebrace.

Yes, Captain.

MEN MUTTER

I should fire every one of them and let them go hungry.

One cannot deny progress, Monsieur.

When the world is demanding more and we must supply them with what they need.

But they do not understand commerce.

One must be fearless, if one is to survive.

WORKERS CHANT OUTSIDE

Big order.

French military.

WORKERS CONTINUE TO CHANT

PIANO PLAYS

Uh...

Jeanne?

This is my darling sister, Jeanne.

Jeanne. Enchante.

And this is Monsieur Wraysford, our visitor from abroad.

(MIMICKING) Monsieur! Monsieur! Raoul!

-C'est pas tres convaincant?

-Non, pas du tout.

Quoi! C'est pas bien? Je prie pour ma belle soeur.

C'est mieux, quand meme, hein?

Ah!

My sister was just reminding me that as children we used to say

that I would open a shop in Paris

and she would live in the jungle and be a missionary.

But only after your lover had rejected you.

Maman!

What about you, Monsieur? What did you imagine as a little boy?

The usual, I suspect.

And what was that?

A life of sorts.

No adventures at all?

Every child should wish for adventure, Monsieur.

Lisette...

That's the way all the young ladies are wearing it.

Do you not think it should be a little higher, Monsieur?

Er...

..maybe a little higher?

Lisette.

Gregoire!

-You bat. I'll bowl.

-D'accord.

THEY CHUCKLE

THEY WHISPER

TUNING FORK CHIMES

MAN SINGS IN FRENCH

You must think we are silly, Monsieur.

But we see each other so little.

Then when we are together...

Not at all. She seems very happy now that you are here.

No.

I don't think it is MY visit, Monsieur Wraysford.

At last she has someone under 40 to keep her company.

-You never married, Madame?

-No.

I resisted my father's choice for me.

And Isabelle did not?

Be careful, Monsieur.

My sister is very dear,

but I am afraid you will be the one who is hurt.

APPLAUSE

MAN: Merci beaucoup, merci.

-Have you read it - Freud?

-No, sir.

Pity.

-Captain Weir said you wished to see me.

-Yes.

We are sure Fritz is going to break through any day now,

but we need to keep laying charges.

I need you down with those tunnellers.

It's not natural to be buried alive, I know, but, er,

we need a regular rota going down with them

if we are ever to mobilize near Amiens...

Where, sir?

Amiens. In around six weeks.

Yes. You know it?

I spent a summer there before the war.

I will not... I will not go down that tunnel, sir.

I did what you asked, I went over their basic training with them. For God's sake, is that not enough?

You're curious to me, Wraysford.

I've seen all that rubbish in your dugout.

Your carved figures and bits of candlestick.

You're quite superstitious.

-Aren't we all?

-No. An officer can't afford to be superstitious.

Our lives depend on strategy and tactics,

-not matchsticks or card games.

-It passes the time.

You'll go down with them.

All right. Dismissed.

Armitage, Byrne and Tipper.

Here, give us that. You do my watch tonight.

Cheers.

Oi, what about me?

Give over, will you?

-Cigarettes out.

-Wraysford, you joining us today?

It would seem so.

You keep that pump working.

-Brennan, you go first.

-Yes, sir.

There better be no crawling.

Just shut up, Byrne.

(Down here.)

Fighting tunnel.

Fighting.

Listen - we've heard Fritz just been,

so if they break free, move back yourself.

We stick together and talk only when I do.

Firebrace?

You sure this will hold?

It's not up to London Underground standards, sir,

but I reckon you could run a train through it good enough.

Brennan, you first, then Byrne.

I can't! I can't!

I can't!

No, sir.

I'm infantry.

I'm not supposed to be down here.

I'll take my chance in a trench, but not in a bloody hole.

None of us signed up for this, Byrne. But if the sewer rats can do it, so can you.

You will go down that tunnel. Or I'll send you on every patrol until you've cut the wire

from here to Switzerland.

MUFFLED GERMAN VOICES

GERMAN VOICES GET LOUDER

OCCASIONAL FOOTSTEPS

Back! Get back, back!

RUMBLE AND CRASH

CLEAR GERMAN VOICES

Sir. Sir.

GUNSHOT

Sir...

Sir?

HE GRUNTS

GUNFIRE CONTINUES

-You're leaving already?

-Yes. I must leave on business. I will not be back until tomorrow.

I leave you in charge of the factory, Monsieur..

-Jeanne, are you ready?

-Oui.

Tell her, Rene. Tell her to stay.

I will not let you leave today.

Do not be silly, your sister cannot visit for ever.

You are shaking. Have you a chill?

No.

Marches avec moi.

Au revoir.

I am so sleepy.

-Merci.

-A walk in the garden and then a little nap, I think.

-A walk is a good idea.

Do you want to go into town?

No, I think just a nap.

Wake me if I am not up by five, please.

Excuse me.

SHE SIGHS

FOOTSTEPS

FIREBRACE GRUNTS

HE GRUNTS AND STRAINS

We got him. We got him.

SHOUTING

EXPLOSION AND SHOUTING

Get him out! Get him out!

Move!

EXPLOSIONS CONTINUE

CONFUSED SHOUTS

EXXPLOSIONS IN DISTANCE

VOICES OUTSIDE

Papa! Papa est arrive.

I can't look at you. I am going to give myself away.

Rene.

All's well?

Bonjour.

Bonjour.

WORKERS CHANT: Nous avons des droits!

Nous avons des droits!

Nous avons des droits!

This malevolence has spread to the other workers.

"Nous devons rester unis dans ce combat ou nous tomberons tous."

We must stand together in this matter or we will all fall.

CHANTING CONTINUES

Does she seem preoccupied to you?

My wife?

Um...

I am sorry. I'm sorry.

No, not at all.

-But she doesn't.

-I'm sorry. You're right, you're right.

You are very good for us, Monsieur.

Morphine.

Morphine.

No, he's gone. Name, tag him and lay him out.

No, no, a moment longer.

Rene will be home really soon.

(Do you feel guilty?)

No.

Is that terrible?

I don't know why, but no...

..no, I don't believe it is.

Perhaps I should.

You must want more.

Than what?

Than picnics...

..and endless dinners, the numbing hours with him.

Let us not talk of this, Stephen.

-I could take care of you.

-Please!

(I could take care of you.)

So that he won't hurt you any more.

He doesn't mean to hurt me.

Then why does he do it?

He grows frustrated.

He can't...

..for some reason, with me...

He is unable to.

My boy...

So serious.

Now that you are here, he can't hurt me at all.

How does this fasten?

How does...? Is it...?

SHE LAUGHS

Mademoiselle.

The trees are too close together.

Or perhaps you are trying to sketch Maman?

Isabelle.

Isabelle.

-What do you mean?

-I have seen you

when you think we are all asleep.

Do you not want me?

Do you not want to do those things to me?

She is not even my mother.

She need only say a word.

She won't.

Leave.

This is madness.

Did you want her?

She's a child.

Did you?

I want you.

DOOR OPENS

FOOTSTEPS AND RENE'S VOICE

STEPS RUNNING UP STAIRS

SERVANTS' VOICES

FOOTSTEPS AND RENE'S VOICE APPROACHING

Morning, beautiful.

Fancy a bit of that, Jack?

Too early for me.

Oi, I'm starving.

Put 'em away. You're putting me off me eggs.

-Who's the new brass?

-Must be Wraysford's replacement.

Do you know where they put him?

Over with the rest of them.

Might be a brass but we're all the same when we're dead.

Sir.

Lieutenant Cartwright.

He'll be taking over from Lieutenant Wraysford.

Yes, sir.

Sir, has Lieutenant Wraysford got a family?

I don't know...

I really don't know.

Someone should write to his family, sir.

Send his badge.

Yes...

Would you like me to go, sir?

Say a prayer?

Yes, Firebrace.

That would be very...

..kind. Yes, if you wouldn't mind.

Captain.

-Get me a souvenir?

-Get it yourself.

-You're going soft, Jack. You'll miss breakfast.

-Save us some.

Another order in today.

2,000 more coats for the military.

The promise of five francs extra in their pay and they just look at me.

Where's their sense of national duty?!

We'll break the strikers yet.

The strangest thing, I heard today.

Someone has been taking parcels of food to their families.

Well, they...

They do have some supporters, sir.

One or two sympathetic men.

No.

This is the oddest part. It was a woman.

Apparently of some rank.

Now, isn't that the strangest thing?

The children were hungry.

I saw them going through the dustbins in Saint-Leu.

Don't ask me to stop, because I'll do it again.

-Isabelle...

-Punish the men, not their families.

Leave the room.

Lisette, I said leave the room.

-It is all your fault.

-Lisette!

-We were happy before you came.

-Your father is right. Leave the room.

-I discounted these rumours, even though it was your name attached to them.

-Rene...

-Be quiet.

Monsieur, if you please, I would like to be alone with my wife.

-Sir?

-No.

Let him stay.

I want him to stay.

There was another piece of idle talk. I chose to ignore it.

I'm so sorry...

I meant you no harm.

This boy...

This English boy!

In which room?

In my own house! Which room?

-I pursued your wife, sir. I seduced her.

-You have never taken the trouble to know me, Rene.

-Forgive me(!)

-Yes, I forgive you.

I forgive you any wrong you have done me...

-..and I ask you to forgive me for all the wrong I have done to you.

-You will leave my house, now.

(Then I will go with him.)

You think you will be able to keep her?

RENE SHOUTS

DOOR SLAMS

RENE SHOUTS

Isabelle. We must leave now, come.

RENE SHOUTS

J'enverrai quelqu'un pour prendre le reste de mes affaires.

Wraysford...

Wraysford.

Maman!

Maman!

Maman!

Isabelle!

If you go with him,

you go to hell.

WRAYSFORD GROANS

HE MUTTERS

Help.

Help.

Get me up.

FIREBRACE GRUNTS

Isabelle.

I know that many of you

will be relieved that we are going to attack.

GUNFIRE AND SHELLFIRE

How do we look?

Happy.

No, no let's raise a glass to all those already forgotten.

BLOWS WHISTLE

You're as bad as Weir. Always trying to get me underground with you sewer rats.

This is for the next time we meet.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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