Voila! Finally, the Heaven's Gate
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the Michael Cimino movie. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Heaven's Gate. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
James!
She let you go, then?
... afraid of nobody.
I wish you could see into my heart,
and know that this very night...
... I am going to repent of all my sins.
James! James!
Where are we supposed to be?
My friends,...
if it be not a mere farce...
If it be not a mere farce you are enacting...
... in these sacred valedictory rites...
If you mean them, feel them,...
as I know you do,...
they have for you
a mandate of imperative duty.
It is not great wealth alone
that builds the library,...
founds the college...
... that is to diffuse a high learning
and culture among a people.
It is the contact of the cultivated
mind with the uncultivated.
If it be true that the constitution
of American society...
... is peculiarly hostile now...
... to all habits of thought and meditation,...
it doubly behoves us...
It doubly behoves us to look well
to the influence we may exert.
A high ideal.
The education of a nation.
Class of ' ...
friends, parents, relations
of the class of ' ...
I now introduce your class orator,
Mr William C Irvine.
James!
William.
Give 'em hell, Bill!
Class of ' !
Ladies and gentlemen,...
friends of the class of ' .
That's your friend.
There is a story told
by an ancient author...
... of a young man who, being noticed
by his friend to look dejected,...
was questioned by him concerning
the cause of his troubled appearance.
The youth used no concealment,
but told him that for three days...
... he had been vainly endeavouring
with his utmost efforts...
... to find an exordium for a subject
on which he had to write.
Whereupon his friend replied with a smile:
Do you wish to write better than you can?
And such, says the old author,
is the whole truth of the matter.
We must endeavour to speak
to the best of our ability,...
but we must speak
according to our ability.
He keeps looking at you.
Similar to the distress of this youth
was my own trouble...
... when, examining the old skeleton upon
which most college orations are hung,...
I considered how I might incarnate
that familiar framework.
Of course, I at once decided not to
attempt any profound or difficult matter,...
lest having given the dry bones
at best but a long tongue.
Puny strength.
And after much
careful and calm meditation,...
the class has refused
to advise alteration...
... on the usual law
that is called gravitation.
Though we thought at one time of having it stopped,
in order that some of us might not be dropped.
But the mind of mankind
perhaps will be gratified...
... to learn that at last
the law has been ratified.
And the common result
can be counted on still.
All rivers as usual flowing downhill.
The seasons in turn will continue to roll.
We shall ask for no change
in the North or South Pole.
The sun will continue to set in the west,
but the majority of us considered it best.
We disclaim all intention
of making a change...
... in what...
... we esteem...
... on the whole...
I don't know where to look.
... well-arranged.
Hey, James!
James!
Excuse me.
- God, you're beautiful.
- So are you.
Are you alone?
Yes.
Where is it?
Fuck you, bastards!
You fucker!
Gimme a hand up there!
Get me up!
James! James!
You got it, James!
You got it, James!
Let our friendships be for ever.
Let our love perish never.
When we're parted, stick together.
Heart to heart, bold and true.
Never fear, then, for ' .
My God, Billy.
Have you ever felt ready to die?
- Then, for ' !
- It's over.
James, d'you realise?
Forward, hearts, bold and true
It's over!
Three cheers for our dear old country!
- Hip, hip!
- Hooray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hooray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hooray!
Stupid.
Goddamn ignorant bastards.
Go back to where you came from!
Excuse me, ma'am.
Thank you very much.
Pardon me. If I could get by, please.
Thank you very much.
Try to keep movin', folks. Thank you.
Try and keep movin', folks.
Thank you very much.
Casper!
Move along, please.
- That you, Cully?
- Yes. Yes.
- Howdy, Jim.
- Howdy.
Well, I will be damned. What in the hell
are you doin' here in that rig?
There's hard times, Jim.
A citizen's gotta make a dollar
any way he can these days.
I thought you were still
up in Johnson County.
I am.
What are you doin' down here, then,
in this part of the world?
I brought an immigrant woman in for
hangin'. Federal penitentiary, St Louis.
The law hanging women now, are they?
She shot her husband six times
in the head and then the kids.
God of shit!
Maybe I'm overdue
for a new life meself, Cully.
So how is things in St Louis anyways?
- The bank just crashed.
- Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
- What's next?
- Time to get out, Cully.
- Head west.
- I already been there.
Well, you got yourself
a fit drivin' carriage here.
Takin' it back up to Johnson County,
are ya?
Tonight, if it doesn't snow.
They say another citizen was killed
up there a day afore yesterday.
Caught speed-butchering
a steer with a hatchet.
Michael... Michael Kovach,
I believe it was.
- Mike Kovach, you say?
- Every new citizen takes up land here,...
the big fellas blackball him.
A citizen steals to keep
his family from starvin',...
and they threaten him off or kill him.
I'll tell you somethin'. If the rich could
hire others to do their dyin' for 'em,...
the poor could make a wonderful livin'.
That Arab horse is yours, too, I see.
That's a fine-looking animal.
Take him on down to the stable.
Gettin' more crowded every day, isn't it?
Those poor sons of bitches sit around
weeks waitin' for claims verifications.
Do they know what's waitin' for 'em
out here? No, they don't. They do not.
They just sit here
in the asshole of creation,...
some of them starvin'
right in front of my eyes.
Babies too. Every damn day I swear
I'm not gonna give 'em another penny.
But I'm a poor citizen myself.
What can you do?
I'm as human as the next citizen.
I'm a human bein', ain't I?
I'm not ashamed of it.
I tell you, Jim.
I got so I can't stand this job already.
- There you go. It's on me this time.
- You don't have to do that.
What do you wanna go and do
a thing like that for?
Harness up the Studebaker for me,
will ya? I'll be back for it presently.
I'll put your grip in there for ya.
Set this up there on that carriage.
I don't wanna see a scratch on it!
Say, Jim! Jim!
Jim!
Just... watch yourself.
I mean, take care of yourself.
I... I don't know what I mean.
Thanks, Cully.
Don't let these citizens get to ya.
Well, you know that.
Bill, how you doin'?
Dudley, I do believe
I am finally workin' for a rich firm.
- George, we'll pick up the extra men.
- How many hands has he got?
- He's got five dozen.
- Hi. How you doin', George?
- Association?
- The name's Morrison.
Sign here.
I want a new suit of clothes.
And a Witte special -gauge shotgun.
Suits are over there in
the self-service rack. I'll get the other.
Association?
- No. Where is Zindel?
- Died. Apoplexy.
Well, you struck it rich here, friend.
Mister, I ain't got spit enough to pass
the time of day. What can I do for ya?
A Winchester . Brandy - B&B.
I think that's enough, friend.
I said you already won.
Says who, old man?
I can't believe you fixed
your mouth to say that, boy.
You people go back where you came
from! Go back where you came from!
Hey, Jim!
What's goin' on here, Cully?
Well, ya hear a lot of things around
the rail depot, Jim. Rumours mostly.
Listen, I... I...
I can't... I can't afford to get involved.
Dammit, I just got this job.
Hell!
I was over last night to the Stage Hotel,
having myself some Baltimore oysters.
And I met up with a couple of citizens -
Mr Morrison and Mr Budley.
That ain't right.
Dudley - that's what it was.
One of the biggest citizens I ever seen,
with two eyes in his head like a dead fish.
Well, I had a long drink
with this Morrison and Dudley.
And they said to me that
they was currently in the employ...
... of the Stockgrowers' Association,...
and that the association was hiring up
a big mob from all over the northwest.
But every citizen's business
is his own affair, not mine, dammit!
I believe I'll pay the association
a little call while I'm here.
- Watch my goods, Cully.
- Right, Jim. Right.
..displace us and our capital,
and years must pass...
... before the earth can be made to produce
the same wealth in any other form.
This is no longer a poor man's country.
These emigrants
only pretend to be farmers.
But we know many of them
to be thieves and anarchists...
... openly preying on our ranges.
No jury in Johnson County
will indict them,...
even in the face of evidence as
conclusive as any ever offered in a court.
They're an ignorant,
degraded gang of paupers.
Their only stock in trade consists of
having large numbers of ragged kids.
Out of indictments,
we have had one conviction in four years.
That man was caught with the hide
and bones of the stolen animal.
He was found guilty of stealing
the hide and the bones only,...
which were valued at $
making his crime petty larceny.
Jesus!
The jury took it for granted that the rest of
the animal was still roaming the range!
Unenforced law
is an invitation to anarchy.
Consequently, the Stockgrowers'
Association will publicly wipe out...
... these thieves and anarchists.
We are employing men
on the basis of $ a day...
... and $ for every
cattle thief shot or hung.
We will go to Johnson County,...
we will depose
the incompetent civil authority there,...
and we will keep possession of the town
until we can take charge of the courts.
We have placed names
on a death list.
I know that it is popular at present
to hamper justice for us.
Gentlemen,...
to kill people...
... all at one time...
Huh?
Well, that'll only further prejudice
public opinion against ourselves.
So I'm going to move that we stop.
Right here.
I had a very satisfactory talk
with the governor yesterday.
He asserted in the most positive terms
his wholehearted support,...
as well as that of the Senate
and the House of Representatives...
... and the president of these United States.
If we fail,
the flag of the United States fails.
That's all l'm going to say
before we ask every one of you...
... to express your approval
of the general plan of campaign.
We'll call the roll and take a voice vote.
- Stratton.
- Yes.
- Vaughn.
- Yes.
- Hall.
- Yes.
- Ward.
- Yes.
- Cummings.
- Most definitely.
- Steel.
- Yes.
- Hardly.
- Yes.
- Weatherford.
- Yes.
- Miller.
- Yes.
- Tower.
- Yes.
- King.
- Yes.
- Thompson.
- Yes.
Holy God of the prophets!
James.
Hello, Billy.
We've just been debating...
... one of your county's
more infamous legal decisions.
Incidentally, does... anybody else
know that you're here?
Just you.
Why the hell did you come here?
Well, why do we do anything, Billy?
Yes, we ask but time to drift.
Drift and note the devious ways of man.
To drift...
... and scan the truths...
... that underlie the surface faiths
whereby men live and die.
WC Irvine, "Hasty Pudding",...
.
Billy, you're the only son of a bitch I ever
knew worth gettin' seriously drunk with.
It's true.
Yes, that's true. Hey, James,...
you snookered yourself again!
D'you know, James,...
one half of my drunkenness
can be accounted for...
... by the fact that this building
is so poorly ventilated.
Two rails, side pocket.
What's goin' on here, Billy?
Ugly rumours, James.
That's a gob of spit, Billy.
A hundred names,...
or thereabouts,...
on a list.
Just... some of these emigrants
that they're going to kill off.
Even they can't get away
with a thing like that.
Well,...
in principle,...
everything can be done.
In principle.
What'll you do, Billy?
I'm a victim of our class, James.
- Goodbye, Billy.
- James!
D'you remember the...
... good... gone days?
Clearer and better...
every day I get older.
You were blackballed
out of this club long ago, Averill.
You're trespassing.
We could have you shot here, legally.
Legally, you bastards have
a right to protect your own property.
But unless you got a signed, legal warrant
for every name on that... death list...
- ... stay out of my county.
- You offset every effort we make...
... to protect our property
and that of members of your own class.
You're not in my class, Canton.
You never will be.
You'd have to die first and be born again.
All right, Frank? Frank, are you all right?
Let's help him up.
All right! I'm all right!
What happened?
They came this way and killed him.
Well, what do you do out here now?
Work our land.
- Without a man?
- He paid $ for it.
We own it now.
I'll take you back.
I'll settle this. I promise you that.
We'll work our land.
Thank you.
Well, goodbye, then. And good luck.
Thank you.
Agh!
Whole damn country'll be nothin'
but widows and orphans soon.
The Stockgrowers' Association
is the largest of its kind in the world.
We plan to publicly wipe out thieves,
anarchists and outlaws.
I still need more experienced men...
... who want to make a lot of money.
What's it pay?
We are employing on the basis
of $ a day plus expenses,...
and $ for every thief
and anarchist shot or hung.
- Who's payin' it, mister?
- You don't worry about that.
Who's paying!
I'm paying.
Stand aside here.
Son of a bitch.
Even the goddamn kids now.
I ain't a kid. I'm married man.
Get outta here before
I blow your brains out, married man.
Don't do it, married man.
You're very lucky you're not dead already.
Take it easy now, mister, huh?
My family's starving. You know that.
That don't give you room to steal.
You look like one of us.
You work for them?
I'll decide what I am.
I'm not gonna kill a kid still pisses
in his pants. Now get on outta here.
Goddamn traitor!
Put it down.
Pay attention, will you?
If you're gonna do this job, do it right!
I'll give a dollar and cents.
I'll give it one time.
You got it.
Keep him back, Wiley!
Top him! Top him! Top him!
Top him!
Keep back, Schultz. Keep back, Schultz.
Keep him back, Wiley!
- Is he hurt?
- Speak English.
- He's hurt.
I can see that. All right.
That's it, baby.
All right, now keep his head wet.
Get ready!
Mornin', Jim.
So how's St Louis?
Thank you.
That's a fine piece.
- How's business?
- Good.
These people - you know 'em.
Don't have but a pot to piss in.
But people always get thirsty
after a funeral.
I'm not about to sit and watch the grass
grow when there's money to be made.
Yeah, well,
most of 'em can't even afford a funeral.
Let alone wives and kids.
Get 'em all the hell outta here
before the church opens.
Association's declared war, JB.
They wanna get rid of all this.
$ for every citizen on the list,
shot or hung.
Tell me when you wanna get serious.
I am serious.
There's names on a death list.
My God.
That's almost everybody in the county.
How can people declare war
on a whole county?
I guess, on principle,
everything can be done.
Goddamn.
It's gettin' dangerous
to be poor in this country.
- Isn't it?
- It always was.
Have you told anybody else yet?
No, not yet.
No. Let 'em have their Sunday.
Tomorrow morning'll be time enough.
- /speaks Russian')
- /speaks Ukrainian')
- I told that black-bearded...
He put feet on my land one more time,
I'll kill him!
What happened to your head?
Why don't you ask him something?
Goddammit! Shut up!
One of you tell me what's happenin'.
The rest of you shut up.
Please... please,
it's not me who is making complaint.
- He come to me and wife...
- I kill you! I kill you!
He come to me and my wife and using...
... very bad words before wife.
And he never stop,
listen what I have to say.
What did you have to say?
I say I am truly sorry but, uh,
my property line crosses here.
- I want that son of a bitch pulled and...
- Albert, you put off yellin' in here!
OK, then what happened?
What the hell difference make? He
already admitting he's crossing my lines.
He, uh, knock me down and, uh,...
I take him by foot...
... and my wife hit him on head with rock.
That's lie! That's lie!
That's lie!
And...
... I held him and...
... my wife tie him up good.
So that he was there last time
when I see him until now.
That's another lie!
Remember - out before church opens!
- Good morning, Mr Averill.
- Morning, George. Mrs Eggleston.
I missed you.
- What the hell is that?
- I didn't have any breakfast yet.
Is that all that's stopping you?
Come on.
- Pie?
- I think it's the best one I ever did.
It's beautiful.
It belongs in a museum.
It's great.
It's delicious.
You eat the pie first. It took me a whole
day to make it for you, so you eat all of it.
Tell me somethin'. How do you
manage to take care of business...
... and make pies at the same time?
Help me.
I brought your birthday present.
Yes?
Yeah?
Really? It's very expensive, no?
What else have I got
to spend my money on?
Where is it? Is it here?
Where is it?
Tell me, please!
- Tell me. I can't stand it.
- Here.
No! I want to see.
Bye-bye!
I'm afraid to look.
- Silly, isn't it?
- I'll bring it out to you.
How do you like 'em?
It's so beautiful!
Oh!
I can't stop crying. I don't know
what the hell's the matter with me.
I feel I finally got somewhere.
- I'm so happy I could burst.
- What's stoppin' ya?
Waah!
What the fuck is goin' on?
We just got to sleep around here.
Howdy, Nell. Ladies.
You just drag your tired old asses
down here and come see for yourself!
Boy, you got everything
under control here?
Well, it ain't easy, Mr Averill.
Whoo!
Come on!
D'you have any idea
what one of these costs?
Come on, Bessie!
Watch out!
If you can... If you can see
daylight between the trees, it's OK!
Slow down, Ella!
Turn off before you get to town.
I don't want anybody to see me.
I want them to see me.
What good is it if nobody sees me?
Hello!
I'll be damned. We're just in time!
Look! Even the mayor is here!
Hello!
One more time!
Ride that son of a bitch, Ella!
The water was real good.
Driving like that sure heats me up.
He's a man's horse. He is not timid.
James... am I really pretty?
You never answer anything personal.
How anyone can think so much
is beyond me.
Now I'm doing it.
- What?
- Thinking.
- How do you like it?
- I don't.
You once said you liked me
because I didn't.
- Didn't what?
- Think so much. Jesus!
When did I say that?
I don't remember the time of day.
But you said it all right.
Well, what do you think?
About what?
- Leaving.
- Here?
Wyoming.
Wyoming?
Yeah.
You son of a bitch.
Is that what the present was for?
I think you ought to stop fucking me
around and tell me what's on your mind.
The state's gonna declare war.
Would you go?
Alone?
No, of course I won't.
What the hell would you
think I would say?
Goddammit, it's different this time.
Maybe it ain't things are different, Jim.
Maybe it's you.
I'm gettin' old.
You think everything stops
because you're getting old?
Maybe it does.
Two, three, four!
Barbed wire and women are the two
greatest civilising agents in the world!
Are you OK?
Whoo!
I can cut a steer, I can put
my red-hot monogram on a maverick...
... in the darkest night that ever blew,
but I am poorly put up...
... to paralyse a beautiful young thing
like you with matchless eloquence.
Oh, Jesus!
I don't understand you.
I never did.
I'm askin' you to leave, Ella.
Late for local business, isn't it?
Looks like Ella's been real busy.
Hello.
Come in.
Good evening.
You pay in advance here.
Cash or cattle.
- Dozen head of long twos enough?
- You can stay a whole damn year on that!
Is that you, George?
Yeah. Howdy, Nate.
You boys pay your tally
here in cash money?
- For sure, Nate.
- Sure.
It's getting cold in here.
Bye.
Who's the photographer?
Just an ordinary photographer.
Passing through from St Louis.
It's always the little skinny guys
that surprise you.
- I might do a little surprisin' myself.
- Oh, yes?
The situation out back's
lookin' very prosperous.
You're gettin' too greedy, Ella.
You never waste time, do you?
I'd awfully appreciate it if you'd stop
taking steers for pay from these people.
Just like that?
Yes, ma'am.
I saw the new rig out in the barn.
Nice, isn't it?
Jim back, is he?
This morning.
I'll take you for a ride tomorrow,...
- ... if you want to.
- He's here now, is he?
Mm-hm.
Upstairs.
I knew.
I felt it.
Please... Nate.
You want to stay here tonight?
So you have to take him back.
He has a claims court tomorrow.
Goddamn.
Thank you, Nate.
You got style, Jim.
I'll give you that.
He ain't young any more.
I'll take care of him,
Mr Champion. Thank you.
Mr Averill is lucky
to have a friend like you.
Where are you goin' in such a rush, Nell?
Shit!
I'm gonna have me picture taken.
These goddamn son of a bitchin' cows!
Jesus Christ!
You can't even take a shit
around here without steppin' in it.
Look at this!
I'm up to me ass in shit! Goddammit!
Don't get nervous, Nate. I'm goin'
right back to watch the place now.
Entre.
I like to watch you write figures.
Why?
I don't know.
It just pleases me.
I thought you were gettin' to like me.
I do.
But I like money.
Why don't you quit this business?
I have enough money for both of us now.
That sounded close to a proposal.
Jim asked me to go away with him.
What?
I said, Jim asked me to go away with him.
What did you say?
I said I would think about it.
Goddamn!
There's another man been shot by the
association's foreman Nate Champion.
- It was him shot Mike Kovach.
- I know that, George.
Jim...
I don't think
you wanna finish that, George.
I haven't had my coffee yet.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, boys.
You sure look like hell.
I really live it up when you're away.
You're a friend, Nate,
so I'll come straight to it.
It's gettin' dangerous here
and I want Ella to leave.
Good morning to you, too.
What makes you think she wants to go?
- Let me put it this way. I'm not askin' her.
- What about me?
What about you?
What do you want, Nate?
Want? How the hell do I know?
Get rich... like you.
- What am I supposed to want?
- That's not a bad answer.
I don't understand you.
I do not understand you.
There's a lot of things
you don't understand.
You're beginnin' to sound like a man
with a paper asshole, Jim.
I guess you've stretched your legs
under my table long enough, Nate.
A man don't take on what he can't finish.
Son of a bitch.
- Where are the others?
- Nick's got 'em watched.
I had a year of this.
Dusk till dawn. Dusk till dawn.
There's gettin' to be too many of 'em.
Too many people and not enough cattle.
We break our backs out here.
And Ella breaks her back
on these hunky mudfuckers.
- What the hell was that for?
- You just shut your big mouth, shitpoke.
Well, kiss my ass.
Son of a bitch. You get on outta here.
Right now.
Ella ain't your friend.
She ain't nobody's friend!
I got it! I got it! I got it!
Goddamn, you dumb-ass son of a bitch!
What's the matter with you?
- Captain Menardi here, boy?
- Goddamn ball went right in the swamp.
You see that disaster out there?
Private told me to tell you
it was the swamp, Frank.
You dumb son of a bitch!
All he can do is shoot.
An army of mercenaries
is about to invade Johnson County.
As president of the chamber
of commerce, I demand you put...
- Mr Eggleston.
- ... the National Guard on alert.
I have a standing order
to resist all commands...
... other than those directly
from the governor himself.
- How long you had that, Frank?
- A week's time now.
- A week?
- I've been expecting you.
You know, Frank,
those men are gobblin' up the whole state.
I still can't help you, Jim.
It's not me. You understand?
It's the rules.
Do you have the death list?
It seems balls are gettin'
scarce as hens' teeth in the army.
You know what I really
dislike about you, Jim?
You're a rich man, with a good name.
You only pretend to be poor.
This is damn near everyone in the county.
Ella Watson.
What the hell's she doin' on this thing?
It...
... says she takes stolen cattle
in payment for carnal pleasures.
I guess some of these new citizens'd
rather get laid than feed their families.
It's all gonna be legalised, Jim.
What'll you do?
My job.
You knew what you were
gettin' yourself into.
You can't... force salvation on people, Jim.
It doesn't work.
I don't appreciate your job any more, kid.
Arręte!
Arręte! Arręte!
- Stop it!
- Come on!
He doesn't give a damn about you.
He didn't see fit to even tell you himself.
Tell me what?
The association's got a death list.
And your name's on it.
My father was killed that way.
Get up, Nate. I'm gonna whip your ass.
- Stop.
- I ain't through with you yet.
Please, James, stop it.
- Nate, is it true?
- I swear to Christ, Ella,...
I don't even know what he's talkin' about.
What's going to happen to me, Nate?
I asked you to be my wife, Ella.
Where are you going?
You know, I'm not gonna let anythin'
happen to you. I never have before.
You buy me things.
He asked me to marry him.
Maybe it was always in my mind to.
That's not good enough.
Hurting now?
He's just lucky we stopped
before he got into real trouble.
Yes.
When will you decide?
I don't know.
I suppose if...
if I were you, I'd say no.
- You know?
- You would?
No question in my mind.
- Why?
- I don't know. There just isn't any.
You could be very wrong, you know.
Jim ain't your friend, Ella.
He ain't nobody's friend.
He'll quit anybody if it suits him.
Whoa!
Tie him.
Hey, Nate. Hello, Ella.
That sure is a fine-looking
rig you got here, ain't it?
An old boy huntin' wolves come by and
I told him he could spend the night here.
Why don't you come in for a while?
You haven't been here for a long time.
I fixed the place up inside.
What have you done to it?
- Wallpaper.
- Wallpaper?
Where did you find wallpaper?
Everybody, that's Fred. Say howdy, Fred.
That's Ella Watson and... that's
John DeCory hangin' in the back there.
- You ready?
- Mm-hm.
Wallpaper?
Yeah, well, it...
... civilises the wilderness.
If you know what I mean.
It's beautiful.
Um...
That don't appear to be right at all.
Where in the hell are you goin'?
What the hell do you think you're doin'?
Jesus!
Dammit.
Stopped?
It can't have stopped.
It can't have gone that far yet.
I never could stand this job anyways.
- You're late!
- The governor came to see us off, Frank.
- How much time do you estimate here?
- minutes.
Telegraph!
Have the proper warrants been issued?
The president himself
asked for these men to go, Billy.
- Escort dismissed!
- Columns of two!
Armour made the knight...
a crown, a king.
What are we?
Good morning to ya.
You have a nice sleep out here?
Say, who's mindin' the train station?
How you doin'?
Another citizen.
Headin' over to Johnson County, are ya?
Yes.
Yeah, I'm headin' over there meself.
D'you mind if I ride along?
You can... you can suit yourself, citizen.
What do you think of my new suit here?
I paid $ on credit for it.
More than likely pay it off real soon,
though.
No!
Jesus! They're comin'!
And ever since then...
... I have never been hit... by a bullet.
I've been shot at many times,
but I've never been hit.
On the other hand, now,...
catchin' wolves is babies' work.
I can catch wolves with my bare hands.
That's impossible.
- It is?
- Well, how do you do that?
Well,...
first of all... you let the critter attack you.
- You let him attack?
- That's right.
You don't do a damn thing
and you just stand there and... real calm.
Yeah, well, then what?
What do you mean, then what? Then,...
when that son of a bitch opens his...
opens his jaws, bites your head off,...
you reach your hand down like lightning
and... whoo! You grab hold of his tongue.
What the hell good's that gonna do ya?
He can't bite you
if you got a hold of his tongue.
I don't see that at all.
Well, try it.
Try it. Stick out your tongue.
Come on, Nick.
Show us what you got in there.
Stick out your tongue.
Go on.
Hell. Here.
- Now bite me.
- Bite him, Nick!
See that? He can't do a damn thing.
Look at this, miss. I got a hold of him.
- He can't bite.
- Bite him, Nick! Come on! Bite him!
What do you bet he bites?
Maybe I oughta just cut it off.
- Cut it off.
- Should I cut it out?
Son of a bitch! He was right.
- Now what happens when you let go?
- He kills you.
You gotta hang on till help comes.
Why don't you stay for supper?
I have things to settle with Jim.
You feel better?
Bye-bye, Nick.
Keep your tongue in your head.
You know I will.
Bye-bye.
Will I be seein' you any more, then?
Maybe.
I'm glad I made up my mind, Nate.
Don't scratch that fancy paint none, Ella!
The captain said the National Guard can't
do anything. I'm sure you already know.
Ruhe! Ruhe!
Goddammit, quiet!
There's an armed mob of paid men
about to... invade your county.
With the open threat to destroy
the lives and property of your friends.
Ruhe!
The Stockgrowers' Association...
... has the names of some
of you people on a list.
names.
What are the names on the list?
Kormanik, V.
Kormanik, I.
Shh!
Kopestonsky, G.
Schultz, DB.
Kaiser, A.
Albert!
Glover Junior, B.
Shermerhorn, WR.
Guthrie, W.
Watson, E.
Hastings, B!
Kurz, D.
Szarabajka, C.
Widman, T.
Fraleigh, T.
Koppelman, H.
Fritz, D.
Swann, S.
Grob, P.
Everyone! You say everyone!
Now, John, you go and get Mr Averill and
tell him to come here as fast as he can. Alright?
Whoa, Taffy!
- Whose horses are those?
- Those are the association's horses.
Hurry up!
Hello.
Help yourself.
There is enough whisky for all of you.
This is enough here to take a bath.
Enjoy yourselves. I'll go and get the girls.
If you don't stop, I'll bend
that iron around your head.
It's all right, ain't it, Morrison?
I believe it's you the boys want.
- All of them.
- OK. You pay in advance here.
- Cash.
- Or cattle.
I believe you have enough of the
association's cattle to pay for all of us,...
without comin' up for air...
... the whole month of July.
No! No! No!
No! No! No!
No!
No! No!
Stay with me.
Maybe you understand better
the kind of people you're workin' for now.
The tragedy, Nate... is you people
were in the right... legally.
But they just threw that away.
Oh, my God!
- What's goin' on?
- Firin' squad.
- Who gave that order?
- Canton.
Before I could get to my feet,...
she hit on me with a log,
bitin' and stompin'.
Grabbed the little bitch around the neck.
This time I had my knife.
I didn't stop cuttin'
till I felt the blood runnin'.
Not in here!
I have nothing to say to you.
You better have a guaranteed warrant
for every name on that list.
Show me one for the man outside,
right now.
Major?
When the fix is equal,
then justice must prevail.
Shut up, Billy.
You people make me sick.
Let's not have
any last-minute sentimentalism...
... about killing a few
thieves and anarchists.
You ever kill a man yourself, Canton?
Mr Champion,...
my grandfather was
the secretary of war to Harrison.
His brother was a governor
of the state of New York.
My brother-in-law is the secretary of state.
And, to you,
I represent the full authority...
... of the government of
the United States and the president.
Fuck him, too.
Bravo, sir!
I've had about enough
of your shit too, Billy.
You silly son of a bitch!
You were hired to enforce the law.
We are the law.
"Son of a bitch" has always been
a favourite expression in this country.
Is that supposed to mean
you're goin' to Nate?
Ella?
Do you think a woman
can't love two men?
Sure you can. Why not?
Or three.
But it sure as hell isn't convenient.
I can manage it.
Can you? Even after today?
Today was just the beginnin'.
Do you think they'd have tried
what they did if it wasn't?
If somethin' bigger wasn't comin'?
Everything I have in the world is here.
I can't just walk out and leave it.
This?
This junk?
Jesus Christ, Ella. These are just things!
The world's full of things.
I can buy you all the things you want.
You'll never understand.
Spare me that, will ya?
Christ, the piety of a whore.
- What does piety mean?
- A dumb whore.
- Those are my books.
- I can see what they are.
- Balanced to the penny.
- I don't care about that now.
I do.
I never cheated on you.
I always made Nate pay.
That was all a nice game, Ella.
But it's over.
He asked me to marry him.
Ella, I'm askin' you again to leave.
I'm beggin' you.
I do care for you.
I'm grateful to you, Jim, for everything.
And I love you...
... for it.
Try to believe my feeling for you...
... and my debt to you for the...
protection...
... in the beginning and now
remains unchanged.
What else can I tell you?
It is Nate, isn't it?
You're a hard man to compliment.
Well, you take it all. Both of you.
It's more your country than mine anyway.
Goodbye, Ella.
I'm gonna miss you.
JB.
Have a last drink with me.
I hate gettin' old.
Why, make yourself at home.
Is everybody here?
Yeah, all except for
the idiots who want to fight.
We are not all... anarchists and...
criminals here, Averill.
We're... We're storekeepers.
Merchants.
Why'd you come here?
We want you to talk to them.
To offer to help turn in
the people on the list.
They have the law on their side.
Even the National Guard can't help us.
The law is the law.
See, whatever it is, it is.
It's your job!
You look like a man
about to shit a pumpkin, Charlie.
I don't have to take that, Averill.
I'm the mayor here.
You're out now. You're fired.
They're men, Charlie.
Together, you're .
Your hopes are exaggerated.
In the end, they will get it all anyway.
And if it takes years...
but they will get it!
But what about right now, Charlie?
Right here.
Sorry. I... I'm afraid you've misjudged us.
You can't fire me, Charlie.
But I just quit.
Good morning!
Good mornin'.
I was just gonna take a bath.
Are you takin' a bath too?
Oh, shit.
- You know him?
- Never seen him before.
How many are in there?
Nate Champion?
We're wastin' time here.
- These two don't matter any more.
- They're resting the horses anyway.
It'll be good for discipline. You oughta
understand that better than anyone else.
You're the professional army man.
I'm the amateur.
You go in there... and tell them
they're completely surrounded...
... and they must surrender immediately.
If you come back out,
we'll hold our fire till you're clear.
You have one minute.
Aaaagh!
It's comin' in like hail!
Jesus Christ! Ella!
I got it!
Jesus Christ!
Nate!
I got that loud...
... son of a bitch!
I reckon that man has killed himself.
Goddamn you!
Christ!
We should have gone right into town.
We all wanna hold together.
To push ourselves ahead,
to protect what we have.
There's no use in either
lyin' down or givin' up.
He says that...
... he quit this morning...
... the employment of Averill.
Jim Averill came here
to protect people's rights.
Averill is still his friend.
There is only one crime in this country,
and that is to get caught!
No!
They are opposed...
... to anything that would settle
and improve things in this country.
Or try to make it something more than...
- Cow pasture.
- Cow pasture... for... for...
... Eastern speculators.
They...
advanced the idea that poor people...
... have nothing to say
in the affairs of this country.
They're here!
They're here.
They're already here!
We're going to shoot
all the sons of bitches!
And even the army won't save them!
He's dead!
Say something, goddammit.
What? I told you so?
Well, I told you so.
He loved you.
He thought you were his friend.
I'm not responsible.
He knew what was comin'
and he made his own decision.
And so did you.
- They just voted against you, Charlie!
- Your fears are unfounded!
Somebody, please! We need a physician!
Ella!
You're goin' the wrong way! This way!
Ella... Go home!
Mount up!
Boy!
They're comin'! They're comin'!
What the hell's goin' on?
Stay together! Keep on!
Get that wagon over here!
We need a position over here!
Dismount!
Dismount!
Get your horses in here!
Dismount! Come on!
- You son of a bitch!
- Get that wagon over here!
- We need a position over here!
- Get the hell outta here!
Get in position!
Fire!
Stay down, goddammit!
Get the hell outta here!
Get down!
Stay down, Billy!
I sometimes wonder why
in the hell you're here at all.
There's too many of them, Wolcott.
It's not like the Indians.
You can't just kill them all.
Finally hit us some pay dirt here.
Get down!
This time last year I was in Paris.
I love Paris.
Get off the wagons!
Oh, God, do I love Paris!
Get down!
Get down!
All flesh is grass.
Sad...
Sad thing.
Come with me.
Wolcott!
I'm going for help.
I'll be back!
Take cover!
Pull back across the river!
Take cover!
I...
... just want to live.
"It don't look as if there's
much chance of my getting away."
"I hope they did not hurt Ella."
"The house is all fired."
"Goodbye, Ella and Jim,
if I never see you again."
"Nathan D Champion."
Are you all right, Ella?
Wait for me at your place.
Is really good work.
Where did you get the idea for this?
Romans used 'em
somethin' like years ago...
... on terrain just about like this.
Go!
Those goddamn Romans.
Go!
Averill, you son of a bitch,
we're gonna hang ya.
Go!
Keep goin'!
Deborah, stay down!
Everyone together!
I think my legs are broken!
These men are under arrest
by military authority!
You can all go home now!
Frank... you know these men are under
the jurisdiction of civil authorities.
Well,...
I have here a telegram
from the governor...
... stating in the most positive terms...
... that only immediate and drastic action...
... on the part of authorities
outside and above county officials...
... can reduce the current state
of almost anarchy in Johnson County.
Almost anarchy?
Let me take them outta here peacefully,
or you'll be shot for insurrection.
Rescuin' was what you're doin'.
I told you, Jim, it's not me
that's doin' it to you. It's the rules.
Company, move out! Follow about!
Damn you!
Ella!
Ella.
Oh, Ella, don't die.
Oh, Ella.
God!
I'd like a cigarette.