Posse (1993) Movie Script
1
Colt 45, single shot.
You had to cock it every time you shot.
It was called a peacemaker, but I haven't
seen much peace that it brought.
No, you guys today
have that full automatic.
Pull the trigger and spray.
History's a funny thing.
They said Columbus discovered America
and the Indians were already here.
That's like me telling you
that I discovered your car.
They call them evil red savages because
they didn't give up the car soon enough.
One thing about time.
No matter how much or how little passes,
it changes things.
People forget their past.
They forget the truth.
But pictures don't lie.
Forgotten gunslingers like Nat Love,
Ison Dart, Cherokee Bill.
And troops too,
like the Ninth and the Tenth.
See, people forget that almost one
out of every three cowboys was black.
Cos when the slaves were freed,
a lot of them headed out west.
Built their own towns.
Shit. They didn't have much choice.
In fact, over half the original settlers
of Los Angeles were black.
But for some reason,
we never hear their stories.
Stories like Jessie Lee and his posse.
That was the gambler, Father Time.
This here was crazy Little J.
The big man was Obobo.
He was Jessie's enforcer.
And then there was Weezie and Angel.
And then of course there was the leader.
Jessie Lee.
Yeah, man,
these cats was the original posse.
I'm gonna tell you...
It all started in the Spanish-American war,
on the front line.
(gunfire and shouting)
- Can it get worse?
- It's going to get worse.
I can't take too much more!
Jessie, we're almost out of ammunition.
Jessie!
Goddammit, let me go!
Get them off of me, Jessie Lee!
They got a fucking Gatling gun out there!
- Obobo, stay calm.
- Retreat!
Look at me. I want you to stay calm.
I'm calm. All right.
All right. I'm calm.
Is that Jessie? Let him through, boys.
Jessie. Still alive.
I would expect nothing less.
I set my clock to you. Come in.
Jessie, they say you can tell
a lot about a man by his profile.
A certain strength of character,
or lack thereof.
Now, yours, it's scarred, isn't it?
It's very, very scarred.
No doubt you heard the call for retreat.
Awful word, isn't it? Terrible.
Don't you think a good soldier would
rather die than run? I know I would.
Yet now you come to me
with the bullets flying
and you want to know
where and how to run.
And the real question is
if I'm gonna let the Tenth Cavalry retreat
or if I'm gonna let them stay right here.
(man shouts)
- Weezie!
- Yes, Colonel Graham, sir.
- Go and get me that man.
- What man?
- From the stockade...
- Durning and Walker?
Jessie, you volunteer to stay behind.
(laughs)
I'm gonna have to raise you, Durning.
Raise me?
I reckon you got some good cards.
Or... you're bluffing.
I got the cards. I got the cards.
I'll call you anyway.
I got a full house. What you got?
- You damn snaggle-tooth!
- Damn shame we ain't playing for money.
Private Durning, sir?
Weezie, your nose is brown enough.
What do you want?
Oh, it's my pleasure to tell you the colonel
wants you and Walker to come with me.
How you like them apples?
Come on, let's see them feet.
All right, now. If the colonel says we
should get going, we'll be hoppin' along.
Thank you, Weezie.
Rewards and retributions.
Rewards and retributions.
Mr Walker!
Judging by your recent desertion,
would you say you no longer desire
to serve in this army?
Yes, sir.
Walker, you are discharged.
Go on. See you. Godspeed. Run!
Thank you. Turn profile, please.
Turn profile and hold it right there.
Thank you. Shoot him.
Come on, Jessie. Man's a coward,
says killing's against God.
You realise I'm giving you a chance
to shoot a white man?
Do it.
Do it. Do it or the Tenth stays right here.
Do it!
Rewards and retributions.
And Private Durning.
Durning, you're a gambling man.
Take your chances at 30 paces
or take command of the Tenth.
Jessie no longer desires the position.
I guess I'll take command of the Tenth, sir.
Smarter than he looks.
Durning, you and your soldier report
to my office at 2100 hours. Thank you.
- Retreat!
- We're pulling out!
Thank you, Weezie.
Jessie, did you know this man is the last
surviving member of the Motisa tribe?
Yes, the Motisa tribe. I'll show you.
- Mo tea, sir?
- I didn't hear you.
Mo tea, sir?
No, thank you. You boys come with me.
Jessie, you disappoint me.
You've never let me down before.
They had a Gatling gun.
- We were outnumbered, outmanned...
- And out of excuses.
What's on your mind?
There's a Spanish
supply convoy tomorrow.
For delicate reasons
we cannot attack it openly.
Due to my political aspirations,
a scandal would be unwise.
I'd like the Tenth to slip behind
enemy lines, eliminate the enemy,
take those supplies, and bring whatever
you find - guns, ammunition - back to me.
Behind enemy lines?
Why don't you use your golden boys?
This mission isn't suitable for their skills.
- Suppose we say no, sir?
- Suppose I tell you you disappoint me?
Neither of you are in a position
to decline this opportunity.
Durning, I can throw you in the stockade
forever and then some.
What of your sterling career, Jessie?
Tried to desert in Manila.
Assaulted an officer.
Three escape attempts here in Cuba.
That's a very poor record, isn't it?
Of course, due to sentence deferment for
military service, we end up with you here.
You were sentenced to hang
but ended up with life in the army.
I can strip you of that deferment
if you wish,
but that leaves you
standing at the gallows.
Either we go on your mission
or he gets life imprisonment and I'm dead.
If that's how you see it, so be it.
Weezie.
Civvies? I don't understand.
Let's just say for this mission
uniforms would be inappropriate.
Dismissed.
Evening, Jessie.
(Colonel) Weezie!
Jessie Lee, what did you do in the States
the colonel liked you so much?
- What the hell is this?
- What is that?
Damn! Who turned out the lights?
Just a little humour.
You have to admit I'm funny, ain't I?
After serious evaluation of this situation,
I figured we should go by the book.
We will go infantry first
and sharpshooters to follow.
Sharpshooters all dead except Jessie.
Infantry... we it. Ain't nobody else.
- Sounds like you're questioning orders.
- No, sir.
This is horseshit.
Maybe we should forget about infantry.
Maybe you should just attack.
They don't even know we're here.
And they got a lot of guns.
- That's bad.
- It makes no sense to wake them up.
We'll go in there and use our hands,
our knives, and no guns. You got it, sir?
- Sounds like a motherfucking plan to me.
- Let's do it.
Yanquis! Yanquis!
Guns, ammo, anything you can find.
De oro.
I ain't no "de oro".
Lookie what we got here.
Got a case of rifles here.
Jessie.
Jessie!
Come here, Jessie!
Look, Jessie!
- We in trouble.
- Jesus, Jessie!
We found a crate of gold, you don't like it.
I'm never gonna figure you, Jessie.
Pack it up. We gotta go.
Good morning, gentlemen.
Lost our way home, have we?
Out of uniform and AWOL
is no way to end a career, Jessie.
The record will show you all died heroes.
(soldiers laugh)
What about the gold?
Hm. I believe the answer
to that one is "What gold?"
Ha!
(gunshot)
Nice shot, Jessie!
Come on!
Get 'em, Jessie!
Shit! Ain't nothing wrong
with getting some free booty!
Yahoo!
- (Jessie) Put the gold in the saddlebags.
- This is amazing!
Just what we need,
an admiration society, Jessie Lee.
You never know, Graham may need
his little houseboy in hell.
(Weezie) Hold on. I'm on your side.
I saved your lives.
You should be thanking me.
- Save the bullet. I can get us out of here.
- You'll have more company soon.
- Out of where?
- Here. Cuba.
I can get you out tomorrow.
Leave everything to me.
Meet the boat that takes the dead bodies
back to the States.
Dead bodies?
Yes. They take them back to the States.
Every fortnight -
that's two weeks - I meet the boat.
You meet the boat, get on the boat
and you're home. Does that sound good?
Now, I'll need a sizeable amount of that
gold to make sure it all runs smoothly.
Jessie, we got to get up outta here.
Maybe not so sizeable.
One, two, three.
(explosions)
He got greedy
but I took care of everything.
Only the purser knows
you're going to be on board.
- Where's the money?
- I changed the gold into cash.
I want all the money.
You piece-of-shit weasel.
Wait. You can't just go
meandering out there.
The only live people on this ship
is the captain and me.
Which means everyone else
has to go as cargo.
Cargo?
- You mean dead cargo?
- Did I fail to mention that before?
No, you didn't mention that,
you crazy son of a bitch.
We ain't got much choice. Either way,
we're going out in one of these boxes.
The choice is if we go out alive
or like our friend Walker here.
- We're gonna do it.
- Hell, no, Jessie. I'd rather swim.
Are you telling me that this big, strong
country ox is claustrophobic?
I don't like tight spaces.
It's nice in here, Obobo.
Real comfortable.
- Can we get the hell outta here?
- Obobo, look here.
See this here? My daddy gave me
this book when I was young.
- I can't read.
- No. Look in the reflection.
He told me if I could see my reflection
in that book, I'd be safe.
- It's not working.
- You keep looking.
In an hour from now you'll be right there.
- It ain't working.
- It's gonna work, Obobo.
(groans)
Seems like
all this war brings home is corpses.
Just let it slip through
your fingers. You try.
That means you're doing it wrong.
"Nicodemus was a slave of African birth."
"He was bought for a bagful of gold."
"He was reckoned
a part of the salt of the earth,
but he died years ago, very old."
"Nicodemus was a prophet,
at least, he was wise,
for he told of battles to come."
"How we trembled with fear
as he turned up his eyes,
and we heeded the shake of his thumb."
"...bought for a bagful of gold."
Remember that.
"He was reckoned
a part of the salt of the earth,
but he died years ago, very old."
"Nicodemus was a prophet,
at least, he was wise,
for he told of battles to come."
"How we trembled with fear
when he rolled up his eyes,
and we heeded the shake of his thumb."
(cheering)
(? "One Night Of Freedom"
by B.B.O. T.I. (Badd Boyz of the Industry))
? God only knows what tomorrow brings
? All I need is one night of freedom
? Gotta let the fun take control of me
? Now it's time for us to come together
? I wish this night would last forever
Oh, yeah, baby!
I got paid. A couple of days ago the man
was gonna kill me, now he pays me.
Jessie Lee, this pocket change is for shit.
What about the rest of that there gold?
Spending will attract attention.
I'll give it to you in the morning.
- Hold on just one minute.
- I'll give it to you in the morning.
Can't I hang onto
a couple of them satchels of gold?
You know you can trust me.
I won't spend it until you give me
the word. Let me hang onto them.
In the morning.
Then I'm going out west.
- Where you going?
- I got some unfinished business.
Jessie, you can't do that. We're a posse.
All for one, one for all.
When did you last have a woman?
I know a couple with behinds like...
Jessie, I'm coming with you. Jessie...
- Obobo, listen.
- Let me come with you.
You deserve more than I got to offer.
Take this book. Take the book.
This is good luck.
I want you to hold onto it.
The next time I see you,
I want you to know how to read it. OK?
(whooping and cheering)
(singing)
Mm. Yeah!
(shouting and cheering)
Weezie, they're naked!
Oh, my God! Make me think I've been
in the wrong saddle all these years!
That's Abdul. Hey, Abdul! Beautiful!
You guys need me! This is the one I love.
Hello! Hey, sweetheart!
I told you guys you needed...
Weezie, you little sneaky boy!
You all right with me!
So these are your war hero troops,
Weezie?
Tell me, is he as good a commander
as he is a charmer?
Uh, yes, ma'am. You could say
he's a charming commander.
And mighty good to us too, ma'am.
So he tells us. Come on in
and show us that heavy artillery.
Don't fret. The only colour we care about
is the green of your dollars.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Just what you want.
- (woman shrieks)
- Ooh!
Excuse me, ma'am.
Did I hear you say green?
Yeah, honey. We got lots of green
upstairs. Just follow Big Kate.
We have a special guest tonight.
One of Colonel Graham's boys.
Evening. My name's Jimmy J Teeters.
My friends all call me Little J
on account of I was the youngest.
This is Dimples, Louisiana Slim,
Father Time and Jimmy Love.
Boys, this is a war hero, so take it easy.
Come on in. We like a man
who puts his money where his mouth is.
Thank you, sir. Thank you.
Let me see if I got all these names right.
We got Louisiana Slim,
Dimples, Jimmy Love and Father Time.
How come they call you that?
We could sit here for eternity and a day
and nobody gonna beat Father Time.
- Ain't that right?
- That's right.
Isn't that something? We're gonna
have to see about that, ain't we, boys?
Put your money out there, Little J.
We fought our way up the San Juan Hill
and then fought our way down.
Then up.
They chased us down the other side.
Agh! Angel! It's a man!
Angel, let's get outta here!
What you oughta do is put that milk down
and get you some of that liquor,
and get one of these pretty things
before you end up with that ding-a-ling.
I haven't had a good hand yet.
Your hand looked low, red man,
but I'll take the deed to your teepee.
Try that and I'll scalp your black ass.
I don't know what kinda mojo
you got working on these cards,
but it sure is working.
The game is five-card stud, Mr Teeters.
I'm glad you're close, so I won't
have to reach out for your money.
(Louisiana Slim)
Let's go. Give me some cards.
Deal me in, Father Time.
It's natural progress.
Got to happen sooner or later.
Cutterstown folk won't let us have no land
- even reservation land - without a fight.
Better to wait forever than to fight.
When you start killing for a dream,
you usually end up killing the dream too.
That's what hell is,
watching your dreams die.
Your education will set you free.
(Little J laughs)
Triplet queens and the one-eyed jack,
boys. Blind as justice.
Ain't no justice at this table.
Sure there is, Jimmy Love,
just to you justice ain't been served.
Well, well, well. Looks like
Father Time ran out of time.
Lady Luck sure ain't with me.
Guess it's your deal.
With pleasure.
Go on, now, Time!
Go, go, go! Look out below!
Out of the way! Out of the way!
Your ass is mine! I'm coming through!
Obobo, I hate to say it,
but your friend Jessie is very strange.
He's weird. He don't talk much.
I never trust a man who don't talk much.
- Am I right, Angel? Am I right?
- Shit!
Let me tell you something about that boy.
I seen him shoot a man, put his gun away,
shoot another man three times,
walk out the door before he hits the floor!
That doesn't make a difference.
The man is weird.
We came all this way together
and then he just takes off.
He's got something twistin' in his mind.
I don't know what.
He'd ride to hell and back
and gun down the devil if it'd fix it.
Fix it? You wanna fix something?
Fix that bad eye of yours.
(shouts)
- Hey!
- He's talking about my eye!
- So what?
- He's talking about my eye!
You tough
when it comes to shooting a man.
But when it comes to shooting a woman
between the legs, it's another story!
This here's Father Time.
If anyone asks, you ain't seen us.
Give me some more of that gold
and I'll tell them I ain't seen you before.
Angel, who's that?
Candyman! You're looking
sharp as a mail catalogue on foot!
- Shining and gleaming and everything!
- Your breath stinks.
If your wife took more time to douche,
I might not have that problem.
Little J, Jessie left this for you.
Thank you, Obobo.
- Father Time?
- What's up?
You're pretty damn good with them cards.
Getting caught back there was stupid.
- Hazard of the occupation.
- Hazard?
A hazard you're lucky to live through.
Let me tell you a story.
I had a partner once named Silas.
Black man, like you. Could he cook!
- You cook?
- (grunts)
Me and Silas used to run a card game
back in Abilene
till one time old Silas got caught cheating.
Let me tell you,
they peeled his black ass like a grape.
Me, I figured the army
was a good way to let things cool off.
Spare my black ass the nostalgia, soldier.
That why you helped me?
You getting misty-eyed?
Oh, no, no, no.
As far as partners go,
I ain't so sure you'd make a good one.
I figure any man with your skill, getting
caught back there like that by fools,
he might need
some more schooling himself.
No, I got in it back there just for the fun.
See, I ain't much on people, Time.
Money's great. Booze is all right.
But for me, most of all, it's the thrill.
You know that thrill of knowing
you could win it all or lose it all
in the blink of an eye?
You sure is the kind
that would fart in the bathtub
and turn round and bite the bubble.
Maybe after you teach me a thing or two
we can try it again in, say, Texas.
See there? You're learning already.
I'd like to propose a toast.
(talking in next room)
To Texas.
(Angel) We're having so much fun!
Candyman, check it out. Little J.
I had this one little girl...
- Who in the fuck is you?
- I got no problem with you.
If you ain't got no troubles,
why don't you and that tired-ass Sioux
- get your troublesome ass out of here?
- Don't make me change my mind.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
Piece of shit!
Take all of us to hell, then.
Weezie, you disappoint me.
Brigade!
- Weezie!
- Fire!
I can't dodge the bullets!
We've got to jump, Weezie.
You jump first. You're the longest.
Come on, Weezie! Jump!
Colonel Graham, sir? These men
took me hostage. It was awful, sir.
- Come on, Weezie!
- Shit!
(yells)
- Come on, Weezie! Come on!
- Where are you?
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go!
- We gotta catch up the others. Hold on!
- (Weezie) I'm holding!
Obobo! Weezie!
- Reckon they give up?
- They ain't ever gonna give up.
- Look here, Little J.
- Damn!
- What are we gonna do, Little J?
- Hell if I know.
We'd best warn Jessie. Let's go.
(Weezie) I got to get me a fresh horse.
(Weezie) This makes no sense to me.
How long have we been going now?
None of this stuff was in
any of the books or magazines I read.
I'm riding like two grizzly bears
trying to fuck a racoon. My ass hurts.
Shut up before I really make it hurt.
Shit, ain't no percentage in this.
(gunshot)
(Obobo) Jessie?
It's gotta be. Jessie? That you?
- We got trouble.
- Jessie.
They killed Angel.
(Little J whoops)
Ain't this pretty, boys?
I tell you, I still cannot believe that shot
that Jessie knocked the colonel's
Motisa brain out of his eye socket with.
Can't wait to see his next portrait.
Right, Obobo?
- You said it.
- (Weezie) It's like I always said.
Nothing bonds men closer together
than having a common enemy.
With Colonel Graham and his brigade
on our asses and after that gold,
we are bonded together for life,
if you get my meaning.
How long is this life for?
These Spanish gold coins
are mighty pretty. Mighty rare too.
But if you spend them,
you'll leave a trail for that colonel.
- You trying to say I'm poor and I'm dead?
- Shit, yeah.
After I've finished my business out west,
I'm gonna go up to Canada and the
Dakota territories and let things cool off.
Y'all wanna ride with me, that's OK.
Don't ask no questions that need
answering. And don't get in my way.
- (Obobo) I'm with you, Jessie.
- (Weezie) I'm definitely with you.
(Little J) I've come this far, what the hell.
What about you, Mr Well-Dressed?
Why you wanna ride with outlaws?
I got a good feeling about you boys
and I always plays my hunches.
Everything's got its price.
Hell, a man's gotta give the devil his due.
I'm telling you, that stack of yours
works better with a partner.
Spreads the take around,
makes it less noticeable. It's perfect.
- How come you're with these boys?
- That's a long story.
You got time to tell me
why you take his orders?
Or why you wanna throw in with me?
Seems to me the only problem
the white man has with the coloured man
is that he's afraid.
You know how people are always afraid
of what they don't know
or what they don't understand?
Me, I ain't afraid of much.
Except boredom.
Believe you me, riding with Jessie Lee,
you ain't never gonna be bored.
Most people would notice
if we were partners.
No. It's the friend and the stranger scam.
I'm telling you, it is perfect.
(rustling)
Man can't find rest in his sleep.
Damn!
(animal growls)
Mama, who are those men?
They got guns.
Oh, my!
Hell we doing here?
I think I've found a way
to make this gold a little less hot.
Lookie here.
Melt 'em down into 20-ounce bars.
No questions asked.
Do a good job and I'll give you one.
My little friend here's gonna stick around,
make sure you do it right.
And there's just one more little
special thing I need you to do for me.
What's that?
- You done, smithy?
- As soon as this batch cools.
You make that special order he asked for?
I had to plate the cartridge,
but that slug's pure.
It's gonna make a nasty hole
in something, gold being so soft.
- I can't figure out...
- Just pack it up.
Come on, now, Obobo, give me a hand.
Father Time.
Sometimes it's important
to be able to trust a man, isn't it?
- I was just looking at this...
- No.
Not you. Him.
What's the odds we can trust him?
- Not good, I guess.
- No.
- You always play your hunches, right?
- Mm-hm.
(Little J and Obobo laughing)
- Go ahead and shoot him.
- Huh?
Go ahead and shoot him.
You're joking, right?
Call me out, huh?
OK.
Mister, I don't know you.
But when I get through with you,
won't nobody know you.
Wait a minute, mister.
I didn't do nothing to you.
- It's you!
- You shouldn't give a rat's ass who he is.
I'm gonna kill you.
You gonna shoot, shoot.
Save the bluffing for games.
- Jessie, you killed the blacksmith.
- We gotta get out of here.
Let's go!
I want you to take this little package
over to a man named...
When he shows up, give it to him.
It's real important. OK?
OK.
What the shit is going on?
Take off your hat when you talk to a lady.
- Crazy son of a bitch.
- (Little J) Watch that, now, Time.
See that bad man right there?
That's Father Time.
We the outlaw posse.
You run down there and tell the sheriff
that Father Time and the outlaw posse's
in a killing mood.
- Move.
- Jessie, what are you doing?
I said everything's got its price.
Now so will you. Just like the rest of us.
(Little J) You always play your hunches.
Ain't that right?
Hey, boy!
Hey, boy!
Afternoon, Watt.
Hey, Jessie,
you wouldn't shoot a lawman, would you?
Jessie, I'm unarmed. I'm unarmed.
Jessie, you wouldn't shoot. Please, Jessie.
You wouldn't shoot an unarmed...
(train whistle)
Jessie!
Jessie!
They were just here.
- Excuse me. Is yous Colonel Graham?
- Yes, darling, I am.
One of them left something.
Said to give it to Colonel Graham.
It has not been long.
We can still get them.
In time.
That crazy fool better know who he's
messing with. I ain't going to jail for him.
We all better know who
we're messing with. They're all killers.
The colonel likes
getting prisoners on military deferment.
Like Jessie. He was supposed to hang.
I don't know what demons Jessie has,
but I know he definitely has a past.
That's what the gold bullets are for.
Gold's timeless.
The hoodoo ladies in New Orleans
believe the only way to put demons to rest
is to kill them with gold.
Hold on! Y'all are talking craziness.
With 500 dollars on each of our heads, we
all got plenty of our own demons after us.
We have had pretty good luck up till now.
Maybe it's better if we go our own ways.
Split up.
You can split up if you want to. But if
anybody can get us there, Jessie can.
Dead or alive.
(plays haunting tune)
(woman) Jessie! Jessie!
Stop!
Jessie, stop it.
Jessie Lee, we hereby sentence you
to life in the military.
(? "Let That Hammer Fall"
by The Neville Brothers)
? Let that hammer fall
? But I didn't get very far
? Let that hammer fall
? I was riding out with my gang
? Let that hammer fall
? Oh, I'm lucky that it wasn't a man
? Let that hammer fall
? These railroad tracks
gonna break my back
? Let that hammer fall
? If I wipe my brow
I hear the bullwhip crack
? Let that hammer fall
? See the big white man
on his big white horse...
Cutterstown. Look at that.
We're still a long way off.
Not if we go through Diablo Pass.
That's Sioux territory, Jessie.
We won't have help from soldiers
if we get into trouble.
The red man ain't got no problem
with the black man.
As for you, white boy,
that's a whole different story.
First you enslave the black man,
exploit the yellow man,
then you kill the red man so you can use
his land for railroads. Can I get a witness?
Amen!
If I may approach the bench, Your Honour,
I ain't never personally enslaved nobody,
so, Time, you can kiss my white ass.
If there was a train on these tracks
right now, we'd both be on it.
But I'd be gambling and you'd be
fetching my chips like a little houseboy.
You can't even cheat right.
Can I get a witness?
Amen!
- Jessie, can I kill the cracker?
- Let the Indians get him.
Let's move out.
Come on, Jessie, let's have some fun.
? Ain't no man can put a chain on me
? Let that hammer fall
? Oh, sometime I think about the red man
? With the feathers in his hair
? Took me in his home
? And together we grow grain
? He was my friend
? That old Indian...
(Obobo) I told you, Weezie.
Jessie Lee will show us the way.
- (Weezie) When you're right, you're right.
- Don't fall in.
(laughter)
Hillbilly, I knows you ain't crazy.
Dilapidated motherfucker.
What's that old saying, Jessie?
Time sure flies when you're having fun!
Kiss my... Argh!
Give your soul to heaven
cos your ass is mine!
Yeah? Well, get ready, cos here it comes!
You're gonna need
a mouthful of gold teeth.
- Look at that!
- I'm taking a piss.
- Look at the size of your dick!
- Jessie! Jessie!
Look at his dick!
The coloured dicks are coming!
(Weezie) Fuck. Fuck, I say. Fuck.
Fuck this monotonous cowboy bullshit!
What is "monotonous"?
It means I can't take it no more.
- Shut up!
- We got company, Jessie.
I'm talking about revolution
without bullets.
Revolution without violence or bloodshed.
It's easier to shoot a gun
than it is to read a book.
It's easier to take a man's life than it is
to educate him and teach him about life.
It's easier to hate than it is to love.
The revolution I'm talking about
is a revolution of the mind and the spirit.
And education, that's the key.
Education leads to freedom.
Education is freedom.
Education will teach you
how to do it yourself
as opposed to asking
someone else to do it for you.
And around it...
our own town...
Freemanville!
And a dream like Freemanville,
it's worth it.
You want education? How's this?
(child coughs)
(gunshot)
Little early for rewards, boys.
- They went through Sioux country.
- We're not. Mount up.
Sooner or later Jessie's gonna show up in
Cutterstown. We'll be there to greet him.
Jessie Lee, you sure Freemanville's
a good idea with the colonel on our tails?
We's only gonna stay one night. The rest
of you boys can decide for yourselves.
It sounds like a right good idea.
I could freshen up
and maybe I'll join you later, stranger.
(King David) Education leads to freedom.
Education is freedom.
(all sing)
Whoo-hoo!
(Weezie) Hello, ladies!
Mm-hm! Howdy, ma'am!
(? "Freemanville (Homecoming)"
By The Sounds of Blackness)
- ? So ride on, ride on
- ? In Freemanville
- ? That's where you belong
- ? In Freemanville
? But you gotta be strong
Come on
- ? Come on home to Freemanville
- ? We're coming home
? Home, coming home,
coming home to freedom...
? Coming home, yeah
? In Freemanville
My, my, my! Stop right there, girl!
You look better than "Lord, have mercy"
wrapped in "Save me, Jesus"!
Mm-mm-mm!
Drinks for my friends.
Milk for the big man.
And I want the finest set of rooms
you got here in this joint.
We ain't got no open rooms.
Now, see here, boy, I ain't in...
Jessie?
Boy, you're still alive. Come on, here.
Go and get these boys a drink.
Might as well get you a drink.
(? "Ride Of Your Life" by Vesta)
? Take a comfy seat, baby
? And take a ride with me
The ride of your life
(Little J) They play cards in here?
? You know the score
? What you're really searching for
? I got to give, and a whole lot more
I ain't through paying for this place.
- As long as you stay calm and don't...
- Don't shoot up nothing.
Yeah. (laughs)
Jessie, I'm real glad to see you.
- People around here are scared.
- Hey, boy!
- Come here, girl!
- The prodigal son has returned.
Hey, partner, look around.
We built it.
- Built your daddy's dream.
- You the sheriff now?
That's right. You touch Lana,
I'll throw your black ass in jail.
Yeah, that's right, I'm the sheriff.
How about you, partner?
- You running from the army?
- I reckon you could say that.
- You're running from the law.
- It depends whose law.
The law they got for them
or the law they got for us?
You ain't changed, boy, but the world has.
Ain't that black and white no more.
Soon the west is going to be settled.
Ain't gonna be no more
new frontier or frontiersmen.
It's gonna be about business
and businessmen.
See? Listen. There, now, Jessie.
Once all the land is full up...
Listen to me.
Once it's full up, the only thing
that can change is who's got the land.
- The only colours will be rich and poor.
- Carver.
Carver, you talks more shit
than a phonograph record.
Jessie, you ain't here
for all that revenge shit, are you?
I tell you what.
Let's be two old friends having a drink.
See? No past, no future.
Just this drink, right here, right now.
Here's to here and now.
This here's a good Indian.
He does nice work on my office.
I believe in this town's future.
That Indian lady, she had a fair trial.
Now she's gonna hang for trespassing.
To that woman,
fences are just steel wire.
She doesn't understand her people don't
own that property. She can't hang for that.
You remind me of the people of this town.
They all want a Thanksgiving turkey
but won't wring its neck.
They hire me to get my hands bloody.
I keep the turkeys in a coop.
When one of 'em gets loose,
I wring its neck.
If you'll excuse me, I've got work to do.
Hi, honey. Hello, baby.
Come on. Go watch the hanging.
What are you doing here in daylight?
- Jessie's back.
- What?
Jessie Lee's in Freemanville.
Don't ask me how, but he is. I swear.
Good people of Cutterstown,
welcome to this demonstration of justice.
God watches over all of us and shows us
the right way - to obey the laws.
And have the moral strength
to punish them that don't,
even if it seems cruel.
Without laws, we got anarchy!
And then we all revert to savages.
- ? The Lord knows
- ? He sees what we do
- ? Punish the savages
- ? And heathens too
What do we got here, Alex?
I can't take it no more, Carver. The KKK
come around here in them white sheets.
One said he'd take my wife next time.
That's why I left Alabama.
There ain't no place for us
in this here country.
I know this bishop named Turner. He's
taking folks back to Africa and we going.
You sure?
I'm sure.
I'll buy... I mean, the Land Office will buy
your deed and sell it to some poor folk.
Seeing as you ain't gonna have
any use for it if you're leaving.
Sure mighty nice of you, Carver.
Boy, what you doing stealing my apples?
I've a good mind to...
Oh, what the hell. Go on, take it.
Get on outta here. Behave, now.
- Ain't that King David's son?
- Reverend say he got the devil in him.
Well, anyway... My!
What we gonna do about your hair, child?
Getting a little sloppy, Jessie.
Don't you remember nothing I taught you?
I'm gonna use all of it, old man.
You still carving and carrying on?
- What are these ones here?
- Ku Klux Klan's heads.
- Let's shoot a couple for old times' sake.
- It's kinda big for targets.
Not if you shoot 'em in the nuts like I do.
Papa Joe, I didn't come out here
to be shooting guns right now.
Lana got your nose open, ain't she, boy?
Don't bullshit me. I was your age.
You ain't never been mine.
She's my daughter,
but she's a woman first.
I hear you come into town
with some roughnecks and a cracker.
- You got any money?
- I tell you what.
You leave me alone with your daughter,
you got plenty money.
Deal.
One more thing.
He's running "friend and a stranger".
The stranger's called Father Time.
Sunday school face,
Saturday night figure.
You boys mind if I put these
weary old feet under your table?
(? "Tell Me" by Vesta)
? I wanna know, pretty baby
? Tell me
? If the loving is strong
? Tell me if the loving is strong
? Tell me that you love me again...
A lot of things have changed. They got
a new law, the Grandfather Clause.
If your grandaddy was a slave and didn't
have a vote, you don't. Nothing but hopes.
Now we got the KKK coming in
trying to destroy even that.
Jessie, you come into town
gunning for Sheriff Bates,
you're gonna be the one
to destroy your daddy's dream for sure.
Good book says turn the other cheek.
Your daddy was a preacher.
You should know that.
Ain't the good book or any other book
I got problems with.
It's how folks interpret it.
As far as I can see, good book got
a lot of coloured people on their knees
praying for pie in the sky.
Sheriff Bates
is gonna get whatever he's gonna get.
You still angry.
Jessie...
you never wrote.
I thought you was dead.
So did I.
Maybe it was for the best.
Carver's asked me to marry him.
Do you love him?
You know, maybe...
Maybe you deserve more than...
than I got to give, lady.
- You don't want me to touch you, I won't.
- I don't, so don't.
Bye, Jessie Lee.
? Tell me that you want me again
? Ooh, ooh
Why you been staring at me
all night, big man?
I never heard a woman
sing pretty as a bird before, ma'am.
What's that in your pocket, music lover?
Shucks, ma'am. It's nothing but my harp.
Play for me. Go ahead.
Better yet, why don't you play on these?
(giggling)
Go ahead! Get! Play on it.
Get, get, get, get, get!
(whooping)
(man) Freedom!
I came to apologise.
You OK?
Hey.
Come with me.
You remember this when we were kids?
You remember this?
(laughs)
Woman, you crazy!
(screams)
You know what your problem is?
You think about death too much.
You need to start thinking
about what's still alive.
(laughter)
Looks like you boys are outta money.
You have to pay to see these.
Hold on there, Papa Joe.
I... am in.
I sure hopes you work on credit.
You know how to cheat Mr Death?
By making love. Cos every time
you make love, you can make another life.
And that makes Mr Death mad as hell.
(cheering)
Hi, honey. He's an animal, girl!
Evening, gentlemen.
Sorry to bother you, but certain matters
have come to my attention.
Seems that we have some undesirable
elements in our society, like him.
And... like him.
Do it.
My, my, you do stick out in this crowd.
Sheriff, you can't just come in
and drag people out of here.
I'm gonna ask you nice, just once.
- Where's Jessie Lee?
- I don't know what you talking about.
All right, let's see who's next.
Hey, boy.
You hear me, boy?
You telling me you risk a beating
to protect that outlaw?
He'll bring trouble
to this pretty little coloured town.
Don't touch my woman!
Where is he?
Weezie ain't never done nothing.
Son, you are about to learn
a very valuable lesson.
(groaning and screaming)
(bell ringing)
We got him good, huh?
He asked for it.
What in hell are you looking at?
You ain't seen nothing.
Get back inside!
You heard me!
- Bates! Bates!
- Carver, they got Papa Joe!
What the hell you think you're doing?
You let that man go.
Ain't no darky gonna give me orders. Ever!
Do it, Carver.
Do it.
Do it.
I'm coming back tomorrow with more
men and more guns than you ever seen.
And I want Jessie Lee right here.
Right here!
Dead or alive.
And as for those other two - Papa Joe and
that boy - don't worry about them none.
They're gonna get a fair trial.
Just like Jessie Lee.
- Hey, hey!
- Give me that! Eli!
Settle down.
Get those ladies inside!
Let's break it up! Break it up.
Move!
He tried to save me. That's the first time
anybody tried to save me.
Ain't no profit in trying to save nobody.
You only end up...
You only end up dead.
Jessie, don't you go and do nothing crazy.
- This here's a peaceful town.
- This here ain't peaceful.
Partner, nobody wanted this to happen.
It happened, and you the lawman, so you
better think about what you want to do.
Yeah.
(Lana) Where's Daddy? Daddy!
Lana. Lana.
Sheriff Bates done gone
and took your daddy to Cutterstown
for one of his so-called fair trials.
Jessie.
You know Papa Joe and the other man
won't get no fair trial.
KKK gonna be on 'em before sunrise.
- Let me out! Let me out!
- Pipe down.
You boys will get a fair trial
as God is my witness.
Is that the same God that witnessed you
putting black folks into slavery
and stealing Indians' land?
You ought to be working on
saving your black soul.
Shit. I'm working on saving my black ass.
You boys don't worry.
You'll get your fair trial or my name ain't...
- My name...
- Shut up, Tom.
Right. Thank you, Mayor. Tom.
You boys back off.
I can't let you vigilantes come in here
and take these free negroville citizens
and do what you got to do.
For God's sake,
stand up for yourself, Tom!
I'm sorry, Mayor, but they got guns.
Jessie. The real white sheets is coming.
Let's get outta here.
Jessie Lee was here.
He left. He took them with him.
Shit fire! You've just shot the mayor!
No, Errol.
Jessie Lee just shot the mayor.
I think the wonderful citizens of
Cutterstown will want me as the new one.
Who are you?
Won't the townspeople be surprised
by the demise of their mayor?
What do you want?
There's no need for animosity.
Any friend of Jessie's is a friend of mine.
- Jessie, are they still following us?
- Hell, yeah. It's like white on rice.
Once the sheriff gets a head of steam up,
he's like a locomotive on a track.
- What did you say?
- I said he's like a locomotive.
Jessie, what is it?
Railroad.
You son of a bitch.
Boys, this is where
we're gonna part company.
What? What are you saying? You know
what happens when we split up.
- After all we've done, we are a posse.
- Jessie, them deputies killed Little J.
Obobo, I've been fighting over
what's dead for a long time.
It's time I start fighting for what's alive.
You know, Jessie Lee,
besides the fact of you having
something against me keeping my hat on,
I always figured you for an OK guy.
I even thought at the end of this
there'd be some gold.
I reckon I was wrong.
But one thing I do know
is there ain't no profit in dying.
If you go back, you face certain death
from that sheriff or that colonel.
Whichever one it may be, these town
people won't be here when you need 'em.
(Obobo) What if he's right, Jessie?
We shouldn't split up.
(angry shouting)
I know you're angry.
You're ready to destroy, ain't you?
Take matters into your own hands.
That's anger talking. The only thing
anger ever did was tear things down.
- People, we done built something here.
- That's right.
Something good.
Something that's ours.
But we know Sheriff Bates. You think he's
gonna think twice about burning all this?
Jessie should give himself up,
turn himself in.
Cos we have been keeping the peace
and nothing like this happened before.
That white man, he was not one of us.
- No, but Papa Joe is.
- Papa Joe? Hey.
Can I ask y'all a question?
If Bates can ride up into this town,
beat a man to death and get away with it,
what does that mean he can do to you?
We all know what this is really about.
This is about King David.
We loved King David, but he is dead. This
is between you and Sheriff Bates, not us.
Jessie Lee
ain't what Bates wants no more.
What he wants is your town.
Because he knows the iron railroad
is coming through Freemanville,
and whoever owns this property
when the railroad comes is gonna be rich.
Right over on Diablo Plains
they pushing the red man off his land
to make way for that iron railroad.
The same thing they did to that red man,
they gonna do to you.
Jessie's right. I've been through it.
Why do you think Bates is fixing up
his office like that and carrying on?
He got big plans for Cutterstown.
They want this land.
And the only way y'all is gonna keep
this land is to stand up and fight.
No justice, no peace!
(angry shouting)
You talking about a black KK raid
on a white town?
That's crazy.
They ain't soldiers. We ain't in Cuba.
I do believe this boy done got sunstroke.
He about to start a damn war.
Even if we wanted to,
we ain't got enough guns for that.
- Jessie. I'm with them on this.
- All right.
I'm gonna leave.
Y'all think you can sit safe.
You think that railroad's gonna
take a nice little turn and miss this town.
I seen my daddy's dream come true.
I'm done.
But I'm gonna guarantee you something.
The next time I come back to this town,
ain't gonna be one black face here
unless he's polishing shoes
at Bates's railroad station.
(shouting and arguing)
(man) Jessie.
Now, boy, you know me.
You know I ain't never asked nobody
for nothing. But now we need you.
We found out the sheriff
is going to attack us tomorrow noon
and he's blaming you
for killing the mayor.
You was right and we was wrong. But we
got no time to kiss your fuzzy behind.
(Papa Joe) Once upon a time you came
and begged me to teach you how to fight.
Now you gotta teach us how to fight,
so we can defend ourselves.
After what you said, me and Papa Joe
broke into his strongbox.
Found a whole mess of blueprints.
This here's one of 'em.
That's a railroad station
in the middle of this "Bates Town".
If you ask me,
it looks a lot like Freemanville.
That goddamn Bates
gonna wipe us right off the map.
I done bought myself out of slavery.
Twice.
That's my inn down there.
I'm gonna fight.
You're talking right, Jessie.
I'm gonna fight too.
Jessie Lee!
Jessie Lee!
Jessie Lee, you should have stayed gone.
Between me and you, Bates.
Nobody needs to get hurt.
- Why don't you let the town be?
- Jessie Lee, Jessie Lee.
You ain't looking at the big picture.
But then, neither did your daddy.
Like father, like son.
You ain't gonna hide
behind that badge today, Sheriff.
I guarantee, Freemanville burn,
Cutterstown gonna burn too.
He's bluffing!
We gonna start with
that nice little office of yours.
Why don't you ask your hard-working man
Two Bears up there?
You know he don't bluff.
That was your office! He wasn't bluffing!
Shut up!
Jessie Lee, you're a dead man!
Here they comes, boys.
Dismount!
- You got it?
- Last one.
Can't we all get along?
Hot damn!
I'll cover.
(gunshot)
Go, Jessie!
Man the Gatling gun!
Move!
Deserter!
(Obobo) Jessie! Jessie!
Jessie!
Cover me.
Shit!
You bitch!
You saved my life!
Yeah, but I should have saved mine and
kept riding. Cos Lady Luck ain't with me.
There won't be no town when this is over.
Damn the town! It don't matter.
I still got the deeds.
Town or not, the land's worth something
when the rail comes.
- I got a wife and kids. I'm outta here.
- Hey!
Look, Jessie didn't kill the mayor.
Bates did. I was there.
I'm getting outta here.
- Carver?
- Lana.
I thought about what Jessie said.
Whoever owns this land will be rich
by selling to Bates or the railroad.
All the deeds are in your name.
You insisted on that.
Baby girl, there's a lot going on here
you don't understand.
So I see.
Lana, white folks in this country
got the power. We gonna lose this town.
Why shouldn't one of us
turn a profit in the process?
Woman, why can't you see?
It's for us, Lana. For you and me.
I'm sick of watching you trying to teach
them poor raggedy kids how to read.
Listen.
I know you was with Jessie last night.
I know how this looks and I know you
confused about a whole lot of things, but...
you gotta trust me...
cos I love you, you see.
Now I can finally do for you like I want.
- Carver, let go of me, please.
- Baby, I can't do that.
Sideburns blocking your hearing, boy?
She said let her go.
Kids! Goddammit!
(screaming)
Get out of here now!
Counting up the goodies?
As I recall, our deal was 50/50...
Our deal didn't say a thing
about last night.
Or about blowing Freemanville to hell.
Sorry I hit you. But as for the town, you
mustn't fret it. It was a dead man's dream.
Sooner or later, people gotta wake up.
King David and Jessie dreamed too much.
Jessie don't understand
about straight business. I do.
Why don't you teach me?
Go ahead, Jessie. Kill him.
Very clever, Jessie Lee.
Come on out.
We all got to go to hell someday.
When you get there,
tell 'em Jessie Lee sent you.
I wouldn't be too hasty.
Put your gun away,
go get my gold and come on over.
Hurry up. Things could get hot.
Jessie Lee, so good of you to come.
You got the gold.
Why don't you let the lady go?
Right, I've got my reward.
But there's a question...
of retribution.
You know... an eye for an eye.
She's got such lovely eyes.
This is between you and me, Graham.
Let the girl go.
Wrong! That's where you're wrong!
You're in no position to question
my strategic command!
Your strategic command was a joke.
Even old walrus here knew that.
Now you talk about being a coward.
You're shooting at an unarmed woman.
You told me once
you could tell a man by his profile.
See, your profile look like
you from the Mo Scar Sir tribe.
No.
(click)
She's such a lucky girl.
You're too late, Jessie.
The place is gonna blow.
(Bates) Come on, Jessie Lee!
(Lana) Jessie, it's gonna explode!
Jessie! Jessie!
(Lana coughs and splutters)
Jessie, your good luck book
stopped the bullet.
Jessie, the book's not hurt.
No way. Not inside.
Don't you worry about that, big brother.
You're gonna be just fine.
(mouths)
What about the town?
Obobo, with all the gold we got, we could
rebuild Freemanville better than ever.
And that's what we're gonna do.
Read to me, Jess.
(Obobo coughs)
OK, listen.
"Nicodemus was a slave of African birth."
"He was bought for a bagful of gold."
"He was reckoned
a part of the salt of the earth,
but he died years ago, very old."
That sounds so pretty, Jess.
Say right there.
"Nicodemus was a prophet,
at least, he was wise,
for he told of battles to come."
"How we trembled with fear
when he rolled up his eyes,
and we heeded the shake of his thumb."
"Good time coming. Good time coming."
"Long, long time on the way."
"Run, tell Elijah to hurry up Pomp
to meet us under the cottonwood tree..."
"...cottonwood tree in the Great Solomon
Valley at the first break of day."
(click)
Hey, the machine stopped.
So, you were the kid?
Thank you very much, sir.
I think we got it.
Hey!
Not everything.
(? "The Posse (Shoot 'Em Up)"
By Intelligent Hoodlum)
(? "I Think To Myself"
by Top Choice Clique)
(? "Posse Love" by Tone Loc)
Colt 45, single shot.
You had to cock it every time you shot.
It was called a peacemaker, but I haven't
seen much peace that it brought.
No, you guys today
have that full automatic.
Pull the trigger and spray.
History's a funny thing.
They said Columbus discovered America
and the Indians were already here.
That's like me telling you
that I discovered your car.
They call them evil red savages because
they didn't give up the car soon enough.
One thing about time.
No matter how much or how little passes,
it changes things.
People forget their past.
They forget the truth.
But pictures don't lie.
Forgotten gunslingers like Nat Love,
Ison Dart, Cherokee Bill.
And troops too,
like the Ninth and the Tenth.
See, people forget that almost one
out of every three cowboys was black.
Cos when the slaves were freed,
a lot of them headed out west.
Built their own towns.
Shit. They didn't have much choice.
In fact, over half the original settlers
of Los Angeles were black.
But for some reason,
we never hear their stories.
Stories like Jessie Lee and his posse.
That was the gambler, Father Time.
This here was crazy Little J.
The big man was Obobo.
He was Jessie's enforcer.
And then there was Weezie and Angel.
And then of course there was the leader.
Jessie Lee.
Yeah, man,
these cats was the original posse.
I'm gonna tell you...
It all started in the Spanish-American war,
on the front line.
(gunfire and shouting)
- Can it get worse?
- It's going to get worse.
I can't take too much more!
Jessie, we're almost out of ammunition.
Jessie!
Goddammit, let me go!
Get them off of me, Jessie Lee!
They got a fucking Gatling gun out there!
- Obobo, stay calm.
- Retreat!
Look at me. I want you to stay calm.
I'm calm. All right.
All right. I'm calm.
Is that Jessie? Let him through, boys.
Jessie. Still alive.
I would expect nothing less.
I set my clock to you. Come in.
Jessie, they say you can tell
a lot about a man by his profile.
A certain strength of character,
or lack thereof.
Now, yours, it's scarred, isn't it?
It's very, very scarred.
No doubt you heard the call for retreat.
Awful word, isn't it? Terrible.
Don't you think a good soldier would
rather die than run? I know I would.
Yet now you come to me
with the bullets flying
and you want to know
where and how to run.
And the real question is
if I'm gonna let the Tenth Cavalry retreat
or if I'm gonna let them stay right here.
(man shouts)
- Weezie!
- Yes, Colonel Graham, sir.
- Go and get me that man.
- What man?
- From the stockade...
- Durning and Walker?
Jessie, you volunteer to stay behind.
(laughs)
I'm gonna have to raise you, Durning.
Raise me?
I reckon you got some good cards.
Or... you're bluffing.
I got the cards. I got the cards.
I'll call you anyway.
I got a full house. What you got?
- You damn snaggle-tooth!
- Damn shame we ain't playing for money.
Private Durning, sir?
Weezie, your nose is brown enough.
What do you want?
Oh, it's my pleasure to tell you the colonel
wants you and Walker to come with me.
How you like them apples?
Come on, let's see them feet.
All right, now. If the colonel says we
should get going, we'll be hoppin' along.
Thank you, Weezie.
Rewards and retributions.
Rewards and retributions.
Mr Walker!
Judging by your recent desertion,
would you say you no longer desire
to serve in this army?
Yes, sir.
Walker, you are discharged.
Go on. See you. Godspeed. Run!
Thank you. Turn profile, please.
Turn profile and hold it right there.
Thank you. Shoot him.
Come on, Jessie. Man's a coward,
says killing's against God.
You realise I'm giving you a chance
to shoot a white man?
Do it.
Do it. Do it or the Tenth stays right here.
Do it!
Rewards and retributions.
And Private Durning.
Durning, you're a gambling man.
Take your chances at 30 paces
or take command of the Tenth.
Jessie no longer desires the position.
I guess I'll take command of the Tenth, sir.
Smarter than he looks.
Durning, you and your soldier report
to my office at 2100 hours. Thank you.
- Retreat!
- We're pulling out!
Thank you, Weezie.
Jessie, did you know this man is the last
surviving member of the Motisa tribe?
Yes, the Motisa tribe. I'll show you.
- Mo tea, sir?
- I didn't hear you.
Mo tea, sir?
No, thank you. You boys come with me.
Jessie, you disappoint me.
You've never let me down before.
They had a Gatling gun.
- We were outnumbered, outmanned...
- And out of excuses.
What's on your mind?
There's a Spanish
supply convoy tomorrow.
For delicate reasons
we cannot attack it openly.
Due to my political aspirations,
a scandal would be unwise.
I'd like the Tenth to slip behind
enemy lines, eliminate the enemy,
take those supplies, and bring whatever
you find - guns, ammunition - back to me.
Behind enemy lines?
Why don't you use your golden boys?
This mission isn't suitable for their skills.
- Suppose we say no, sir?
- Suppose I tell you you disappoint me?
Neither of you are in a position
to decline this opportunity.
Durning, I can throw you in the stockade
forever and then some.
What of your sterling career, Jessie?
Tried to desert in Manila.
Assaulted an officer.
Three escape attempts here in Cuba.
That's a very poor record, isn't it?
Of course, due to sentence deferment for
military service, we end up with you here.
You were sentenced to hang
but ended up with life in the army.
I can strip you of that deferment
if you wish,
but that leaves you
standing at the gallows.
Either we go on your mission
or he gets life imprisonment and I'm dead.
If that's how you see it, so be it.
Weezie.
Civvies? I don't understand.
Let's just say for this mission
uniforms would be inappropriate.
Dismissed.
Evening, Jessie.
(Colonel) Weezie!
Jessie Lee, what did you do in the States
the colonel liked you so much?
- What the hell is this?
- What is that?
Damn! Who turned out the lights?
Just a little humour.
You have to admit I'm funny, ain't I?
After serious evaluation of this situation,
I figured we should go by the book.
We will go infantry first
and sharpshooters to follow.
Sharpshooters all dead except Jessie.
Infantry... we it. Ain't nobody else.
- Sounds like you're questioning orders.
- No, sir.
This is horseshit.
Maybe we should forget about infantry.
Maybe you should just attack.
They don't even know we're here.
And they got a lot of guns.
- That's bad.
- It makes no sense to wake them up.
We'll go in there and use our hands,
our knives, and no guns. You got it, sir?
- Sounds like a motherfucking plan to me.
- Let's do it.
Yanquis! Yanquis!
Guns, ammo, anything you can find.
De oro.
I ain't no "de oro".
Lookie what we got here.
Got a case of rifles here.
Jessie.
Jessie!
Come here, Jessie!
Look, Jessie!
- We in trouble.
- Jesus, Jessie!
We found a crate of gold, you don't like it.
I'm never gonna figure you, Jessie.
Pack it up. We gotta go.
Good morning, gentlemen.
Lost our way home, have we?
Out of uniform and AWOL
is no way to end a career, Jessie.
The record will show you all died heroes.
(soldiers laugh)
What about the gold?
Hm. I believe the answer
to that one is "What gold?"
Ha!
(gunshot)
Nice shot, Jessie!
Come on!
Get 'em, Jessie!
Shit! Ain't nothing wrong
with getting some free booty!
Yahoo!
- (Jessie) Put the gold in the saddlebags.
- This is amazing!
Just what we need,
an admiration society, Jessie Lee.
You never know, Graham may need
his little houseboy in hell.
(Weezie) Hold on. I'm on your side.
I saved your lives.
You should be thanking me.
- Save the bullet. I can get us out of here.
- You'll have more company soon.
- Out of where?
- Here. Cuba.
I can get you out tomorrow.
Leave everything to me.
Meet the boat that takes the dead bodies
back to the States.
Dead bodies?
Yes. They take them back to the States.
Every fortnight -
that's two weeks - I meet the boat.
You meet the boat, get on the boat
and you're home. Does that sound good?
Now, I'll need a sizeable amount of that
gold to make sure it all runs smoothly.
Jessie, we got to get up outta here.
Maybe not so sizeable.
One, two, three.
(explosions)
He got greedy
but I took care of everything.
Only the purser knows
you're going to be on board.
- Where's the money?
- I changed the gold into cash.
I want all the money.
You piece-of-shit weasel.
Wait. You can't just go
meandering out there.
The only live people on this ship
is the captain and me.
Which means everyone else
has to go as cargo.
Cargo?
- You mean dead cargo?
- Did I fail to mention that before?
No, you didn't mention that,
you crazy son of a bitch.
We ain't got much choice. Either way,
we're going out in one of these boxes.
The choice is if we go out alive
or like our friend Walker here.
- We're gonna do it.
- Hell, no, Jessie. I'd rather swim.
Are you telling me that this big, strong
country ox is claustrophobic?
I don't like tight spaces.
It's nice in here, Obobo.
Real comfortable.
- Can we get the hell outta here?
- Obobo, look here.
See this here? My daddy gave me
this book when I was young.
- I can't read.
- No. Look in the reflection.
He told me if I could see my reflection
in that book, I'd be safe.
- It's not working.
- You keep looking.
In an hour from now you'll be right there.
- It ain't working.
- It's gonna work, Obobo.
(groans)
Seems like
all this war brings home is corpses.
Just let it slip through
your fingers. You try.
That means you're doing it wrong.
"Nicodemus was a slave of African birth."
"He was bought for a bagful of gold."
"He was reckoned
a part of the salt of the earth,
but he died years ago, very old."
"Nicodemus was a prophet,
at least, he was wise,
for he told of battles to come."
"How we trembled with fear
as he turned up his eyes,
and we heeded the shake of his thumb."
"...bought for a bagful of gold."
Remember that.
"He was reckoned
a part of the salt of the earth,
but he died years ago, very old."
"Nicodemus was a prophet,
at least, he was wise,
for he told of battles to come."
"How we trembled with fear
when he rolled up his eyes,
and we heeded the shake of his thumb."
(cheering)
(? "One Night Of Freedom"
by B.B.O. T.I. (Badd Boyz of the Industry))
? God only knows what tomorrow brings
? All I need is one night of freedom
? Gotta let the fun take control of me
? Now it's time for us to come together
? I wish this night would last forever
Oh, yeah, baby!
I got paid. A couple of days ago the man
was gonna kill me, now he pays me.
Jessie Lee, this pocket change is for shit.
What about the rest of that there gold?
Spending will attract attention.
I'll give it to you in the morning.
- Hold on just one minute.
- I'll give it to you in the morning.
Can't I hang onto
a couple of them satchels of gold?
You know you can trust me.
I won't spend it until you give me
the word. Let me hang onto them.
In the morning.
Then I'm going out west.
- Where you going?
- I got some unfinished business.
Jessie, you can't do that. We're a posse.
All for one, one for all.
When did you last have a woman?
I know a couple with behinds like...
Jessie, I'm coming with you. Jessie...
- Obobo, listen.
- Let me come with you.
You deserve more than I got to offer.
Take this book. Take the book.
This is good luck.
I want you to hold onto it.
The next time I see you,
I want you to know how to read it. OK?
(whooping and cheering)
(singing)
Mm. Yeah!
(shouting and cheering)
Weezie, they're naked!
Oh, my God! Make me think I've been
in the wrong saddle all these years!
That's Abdul. Hey, Abdul! Beautiful!
You guys need me! This is the one I love.
Hello! Hey, sweetheart!
I told you guys you needed...
Weezie, you little sneaky boy!
You all right with me!
So these are your war hero troops,
Weezie?
Tell me, is he as good a commander
as he is a charmer?
Uh, yes, ma'am. You could say
he's a charming commander.
And mighty good to us too, ma'am.
So he tells us. Come on in
and show us that heavy artillery.
Don't fret. The only colour we care about
is the green of your dollars.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Just what you want.
- (woman shrieks)
- Ooh!
Excuse me, ma'am.
Did I hear you say green?
Yeah, honey. We got lots of green
upstairs. Just follow Big Kate.
We have a special guest tonight.
One of Colonel Graham's boys.
Evening. My name's Jimmy J Teeters.
My friends all call me Little J
on account of I was the youngest.
This is Dimples, Louisiana Slim,
Father Time and Jimmy Love.
Boys, this is a war hero, so take it easy.
Come on in. We like a man
who puts his money where his mouth is.
Thank you, sir. Thank you.
Let me see if I got all these names right.
We got Louisiana Slim,
Dimples, Jimmy Love and Father Time.
How come they call you that?
We could sit here for eternity and a day
and nobody gonna beat Father Time.
- Ain't that right?
- That's right.
Isn't that something? We're gonna
have to see about that, ain't we, boys?
Put your money out there, Little J.
We fought our way up the San Juan Hill
and then fought our way down.
Then up.
They chased us down the other side.
Agh! Angel! It's a man!
Angel, let's get outta here!
What you oughta do is put that milk down
and get you some of that liquor,
and get one of these pretty things
before you end up with that ding-a-ling.
I haven't had a good hand yet.
Your hand looked low, red man,
but I'll take the deed to your teepee.
Try that and I'll scalp your black ass.
I don't know what kinda mojo
you got working on these cards,
but it sure is working.
The game is five-card stud, Mr Teeters.
I'm glad you're close, so I won't
have to reach out for your money.
(Louisiana Slim)
Let's go. Give me some cards.
Deal me in, Father Time.
It's natural progress.
Got to happen sooner or later.
Cutterstown folk won't let us have no land
- even reservation land - without a fight.
Better to wait forever than to fight.
When you start killing for a dream,
you usually end up killing the dream too.
That's what hell is,
watching your dreams die.
Your education will set you free.
(Little J laughs)
Triplet queens and the one-eyed jack,
boys. Blind as justice.
Ain't no justice at this table.
Sure there is, Jimmy Love,
just to you justice ain't been served.
Well, well, well. Looks like
Father Time ran out of time.
Lady Luck sure ain't with me.
Guess it's your deal.
With pleasure.
Go on, now, Time!
Go, go, go! Look out below!
Out of the way! Out of the way!
Your ass is mine! I'm coming through!
Obobo, I hate to say it,
but your friend Jessie is very strange.
He's weird. He don't talk much.
I never trust a man who don't talk much.
- Am I right, Angel? Am I right?
- Shit!
Let me tell you something about that boy.
I seen him shoot a man, put his gun away,
shoot another man three times,
walk out the door before he hits the floor!
That doesn't make a difference.
The man is weird.
We came all this way together
and then he just takes off.
He's got something twistin' in his mind.
I don't know what.
He'd ride to hell and back
and gun down the devil if it'd fix it.
Fix it? You wanna fix something?
Fix that bad eye of yours.
(shouts)
- Hey!
- He's talking about my eye!
- So what?
- He's talking about my eye!
You tough
when it comes to shooting a man.
But when it comes to shooting a woman
between the legs, it's another story!
This here's Father Time.
If anyone asks, you ain't seen us.
Give me some more of that gold
and I'll tell them I ain't seen you before.
Angel, who's that?
Candyman! You're looking
sharp as a mail catalogue on foot!
- Shining and gleaming and everything!
- Your breath stinks.
If your wife took more time to douche,
I might not have that problem.
Little J, Jessie left this for you.
Thank you, Obobo.
- Father Time?
- What's up?
You're pretty damn good with them cards.
Getting caught back there was stupid.
- Hazard of the occupation.
- Hazard?
A hazard you're lucky to live through.
Let me tell you a story.
I had a partner once named Silas.
Black man, like you. Could he cook!
- You cook?
- (grunts)
Me and Silas used to run a card game
back in Abilene
till one time old Silas got caught cheating.
Let me tell you,
they peeled his black ass like a grape.
Me, I figured the army
was a good way to let things cool off.
Spare my black ass the nostalgia, soldier.
That why you helped me?
You getting misty-eyed?
Oh, no, no, no.
As far as partners go,
I ain't so sure you'd make a good one.
I figure any man with your skill, getting
caught back there like that by fools,
he might need
some more schooling himself.
No, I got in it back there just for the fun.
See, I ain't much on people, Time.
Money's great. Booze is all right.
But for me, most of all, it's the thrill.
You know that thrill of knowing
you could win it all or lose it all
in the blink of an eye?
You sure is the kind
that would fart in the bathtub
and turn round and bite the bubble.
Maybe after you teach me a thing or two
we can try it again in, say, Texas.
See there? You're learning already.
I'd like to propose a toast.
(talking in next room)
To Texas.
(Angel) We're having so much fun!
Candyman, check it out. Little J.
I had this one little girl...
- Who in the fuck is you?
- I got no problem with you.
If you ain't got no troubles,
why don't you and that tired-ass Sioux
- get your troublesome ass out of here?
- Don't make me change my mind.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
Piece of shit!
Take all of us to hell, then.
Weezie, you disappoint me.
Brigade!
- Weezie!
- Fire!
I can't dodge the bullets!
We've got to jump, Weezie.
You jump first. You're the longest.
Come on, Weezie! Jump!
Colonel Graham, sir? These men
took me hostage. It was awful, sir.
- Come on, Weezie!
- Shit!
(yells)
- Come on, Weezie! Come on!
- Where are you?
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go!
- We gotta catch up the others. Hold on!
- (Weezie) I'm holding!
Obobo! Weezie!
- Reckon they give up?
- They ain't ever gonna give up.
- Look here, Little J.
- Damn!
- What are we gonna do, Little J?
- Hell if I know.
We'd best warn Jessie. Let's go.
(Weezie) I got to get me a fresh horse.
(Weezie) This makes no sense to me.
How long have we been going now?
None of this stuff was in
any of the books or magazines I read.
I'm riding like two grizzly bears
trying to fuck a racoon. My ass hurts.
Shut up before I really make it hurt.
Shit, ain't no percentage in this.
(gunshot)
(Obobo) Jessie?
It's gotta be. Jessie? That you?
- We got trouble.
- Jessie.
They killed Angel.
(Little J whoops)
Ain't this pretty, boys?
I tell you, I still cannot believe that shot
that Jessie knocked the colonel's
Motisa brain out of his eye socket with.
Can't wait to see his next portrait.
Right, Obobo?
- You said it.
- (Weezie) It's like I always said.
Nothing bonds men closer together
than having a common enemy.
With Colonel Graham and his brigade
on our asses and after that gold,
we are bonded together for life,
if you get my meaning.
How long is this life for?
These Spanish gold coins
are mighty pretty. Mighty rare too.
But if you spend them,
you'll leave a trail for that colonel.
- You trying to say I'm poor and I'm dead?
- Shit, yeah.
After I've finished my business out west,
I'm gonna go up to Canada and the
Dakota territories and let things cool off.
Y'all wanna ride with me, that's OK.
Don't ask no questions that need
answering. And don't get in my way.
- (Obobo) I'm with you, Jessie.
- (Weezie) I'm definitely with you.
(Little J) I've come this far, what the hell.
What about you, Mr Well-Dressed?
Why you wanna ride with outlaws?
I got a good feeling about you boys
and I always plays my hunches.
Everything's got its price.
Hell, a man's gotta give the devil his due.
I'm telling you, that stack of yours
works better with a partner.
Spreads the take around,
makes it less noticeable. It's perfect.
- How come you're with these boys?
- That's a long story.
You got time to tell me
why you take his orders?
Or why you wanna throw in with me?
Seems to me the only problem
the white man has with the coloured man
is that he's afraid.
You know how people are always afraid
of what they don't know
or what they don't understand?
Me, I ain't afraid of much.
Except boredom.
Believe you me, riding with Jessie Lee,
you ain't never gonna be bored.
Most people would notice
if we were partners.
No. It's the friend and the stranger scam.
I'm telling you, it is perfect.
(rustling)
Man can't find rest in his sleep.
Damn!
(animal growls)
Mama, who are those men?
They got guns.
Oh, my!
Hell we doing here?
I think I've found a way
to make this gold a little less hot.
Lookie here.
Melt 'em down into 20-ounce bars.
No questions asked.
Do a good job and I'll give you one.
My little friend here's gonna stick around,
make sure you do it right.
And there's just one more little
special thing I need you to do for me.
What's that?
- You done, smithy?
- As soon as this batch cools.
You make that special order he asked for?
I had to plate the cartridge,
but that slug's pure.
It's gonna make a nasty hole
in something, gold being so soft.
- I can't figure out...
- Just pack it up.
Come on, now, Obobo, give me a hand.
Father Time.
Sometimes it's important
to be able to trust a man, isn't it?
- I was just looking at this...
- No.
Not you. Him.
What's the odds we can trust him?
- Not good, I guess.
- No.
- You always play your hunches, right?
- Mm-hm.
(Little J and Obobo laughing)
- Go ahead and shoot him.
- Huh?
Go ahead and shoot him.
You're joking, right?
Call me out, huh?
OK.
Mister, I don't know you.
But when I get through with you,
won't nobody know you.
Wait a minute, mister.
I didn't do nothing to you.
- It's you!
- You shouldn't give a rat's ass who he is.
I'm gonna kill you.
You gonna shoot, shoot.
Save the bluffing for games.
- Jessie, you killed the blacksmith.
- We gotta get out of here.
Let's go!
I want you to take this little package
over to a man named...
When he shows up, give it to him.
It's real important. OK?
OK.
What the shit is going on?
Take off your hat when you talk to a lady.
- Crazy son of a bitch.
- (Little J) Watch that, now, Time.
See that bad man right there?
That's Father Time.
We the outlaw posse.
You run down there and tell the sheriff
that Father Time and the outlaw posse's
in a killing mood.
- Move.
- Jessie, what are you doing?
I said everything's got its price.
Now so will you. Just like the rest of us.
(Little J) You always play your hunches.
Ain't that right?
Hey, boy!
Hey, boy!
Afternoon, Watt.
Hey, Jessie,
you wouldn't shoot a lawman, would you?
Jessie, I'm unarmed. I'm unarmed.
Jessie, you wouldn't shoot. Please, Jessie.
You wouldn't shoot an unarmed...
(train whistle)
Jessie!
Jessie!
They were just here.
- Excuse me. Is yous Colonel Graham?
- Yes, darling, I am.
One of them left something.
Said to give it to Colonel Graham.
It has not been long.
We can still get them.
In time.
That crazy fool better know who he's
messing with. I ain't going to jail for him.
We all better know who
we're messing with. They're all killers.
The colonel likes
getting prisoners on military deferment.
Like Jessie. He was supposed to hang.
I don't know what demons Jessie has,
but I know he definitely has a past.
That's what the gold bullets are for.
Gold's timeless.
The hoodoo ladies in New Orleans
believe the only way to put demons to rest
is to kill them with gold.
Hold on! Y'all are talking craziness.
With 500 dollars on each of our heads, we
all got plenty of our own demons after us.
We have had pretty good luck up till now.
Maybe it's better if we go our own ways.
Split up.
You can split up if you want to. But if
anybody can get us there, Jessie can.
Dead or alive.
(plays haunting tune)
(woman) Jessie! Jessie!
Stop!
Jessie, stop it.
Jessie Lee, we hereby sentence you
to life in the military.
(? "Let That Hammer Fall"
by The Neville Brothers)
? Let that hammer fall
? But I didn't get very far
? Let that hammer fall
? I was riding out with my gang
? Let that hammer fall
? Oh, I'm lucky that it wasn't a man
? Let that hammer fall
? These railroad tracks
gonna break my back
? Let that hammer fall
? If I wipe my brow
I hear the bullwhip crack
? Let that hammer fall
? See the big white man
on his big white horse...
Cutterstown. Look at that.
We're still a long way off.
Not if we go through Diablo Pass.
That's Sioux territory, Jessie.
We won't have help from soldiers
if we get into trouble.
The red man ain't got no problem
with the black man.
As for you, white boy,
that's a whole different story.
First you enslave the black man,
exploit the yellow man,
then you kill the red man so you can use
his land for railroads. Can I get a witness?
Amen!
If I may approach the bench, Your Honour,
I ain't never personally enslaved nobody,
so, Time, you can kiss my white ass.
If there was a train on these tracks
right now, we'd both be on it.
But I'd be gambling and you'd be
fetching my chips like a little houseboy.
You can't even cheat right.
Can I get a witness?
Amen!
- Jessie, can I kill the cracker?
- Let the Indians get him.
Let's move out.
Come on, Jessie, let's have some fun.
? Ain't no man can put a chain on me
? Let that hammer fall
? Oh, sometime I think about the red man
? With the feathers in his hair
? Took me in his home
? And together we grow grain
? He was my friend
? That old Indian...
(Obobo) I told you, Weezie.
Jessie Lee will show us the way.
- (Weezie) When you're right, you're right.
- Don't fall in.
(laughter)
Hillbilly, I knows you ain't crazy.
Dilapidated motherfucker.
What's that old saying, Jessie?
Time sure flies when you're having fun!
Kiss my... Argh!
Give your soul to heaven
cos your ass is mine!
Yeah? Well, get ready, cos here it comes!
You're gonna need
a mouthful of gold teeth.
- Look at that!
- I'm taking a piss.
- Look at the size of your dick!
- Jessie! Jessie!
Look at his dick!
The coloured dicks are coming!
(Weezie) Fuck. Fuck, I say. Fuck.
Fuck this monotonous cowboy bullshit!
What is "monotonous"?
It means I can't take it no more.
- Shut up!
- We got company, Jessie.
I'm talking about revolution
without bullets.
Revolution without violence or bloodshed.
It's easier to shoot a gun
than it is to read a book.
It's easier to take a man's life than it is
to educate him and teach him about life.
It's easier to hate than it is to love.
The revolution I'm talking about
is a revolution of the mind and the spirit.
And education, that's the key.
Education leads to freedom.
Education is freedom.
Education will teach you
how to do it yourself
as opposed to asking
someone else to do it for you.
And around it...
our own town...
Freemanville!
And a dream like Freemanville,
it's worth it.
You want education? How's this?
(child coughs)
(gunshot)
Little early for rewards, boys.
- They went through Sioux country.
- We're not. Mount up.
Sooner or later Jessie's gonna show up in
Cutterstown. We'll be there to greet him.
Jessie Lee, you sure Freemanville's
a good idea with the colonel on our tails?
We's only gonna stay one night. The rest
of you boys can decide for yourselves.
It sounds like a right good idea.
I could freshen up
and maybe I'll join you later, stranger.
(King David) Education leads to freedom.
Education is freedom.
(all sing)
Whoo-hoo!
(Weezie) Hello, ladies!
Mm-hm! Howdy, ma'am!
(? "Freemanville (Homecoming)"
By The Sounds of Blackness)
- ? So ride on, ride on
- ? In Freemanville
- ? That's where you belong
- ? In Freemanville
? But you gotta be strong
Come on
- ? Come on home to Freemanville
- ? We're coming home
? Home, coming home,
coming home to freedom...
? Coming home, yeah
? In Freemanville
My, my, my! Stop right there, girl!
You look better than "Lord, have mercy"
wrapped in "Save me, Jesus"!
Mm-mm-mm!
Drinks for my friends.
Milk for the big man.
And I want the finest set of rooms
you got here in this joint.
We ain't got no open rooms.
Now, see here, boy, I ain't in...
Jessie?
Boy, you're still alive. Come on, here.
Go and get these boys a drink.
Might as well get you a drink.
(? "Ride Of Your Life" by Vesta)
? Take a comfy seat, baby
? And take a ride with me
The ride of your life
(Little J) They play cards in here?
? You know the score
? What you're really searching for
? I got to give, and a whole lot more
I ain't through paying for this place.
- As long as you stay calm and don't...
- Don't shoot up nothing.
Yeah. (laughs)
Jessie, I'm real glad to see you.
- People around here are scared.
- Hey, boy!
- Come here, girl!
- The prodigal son has returned.
Hey, partner, look around.
We built it.
- Built your daddy's dream.
- You the sheriff now?
That's right. You touch Lana,
I'll throw your black ass in jail.
Yeah, that's right, I'm the sheriff.
How about you, partner?
- You running from the army?
- I reckon you could say that.
- You're running from the law.
- It depends whose law.
The law they got for them
or the law they got for us?
You ain't changed, boy, but the world has.
Ain't that black and white no more.
Soon the west is going to be settled.
Ain't gonna be no more
new frontier or frontiersmen.
It's gonna be about business
and businessmen.
See? Listen. There, now, Jessie.
Once all the land is full up...
Listen to me.
Once it's full up, the only thing
that can change is who's got the land.
- The only colours will be rich and poor.
- Carver.
Carver, you talks more shit
than a phonograph record.
Jessie, you ain't here
for all that revenge shit, are you?
I tell you what.
Let's be two old friends having a drink.
See? No past, no future.
Just this drink, right here, right now.
Here's to here and now.
This here's a good Indian.
He does nice work on my office.
I believe in this town's future.
That Indian lady, she had a fair trial.
Now she's gonna hang for trespassing.
To that woman,
fences are just steel wire.
She doesn't understand her people don't
own that property. She can't hang for that.
You remind me of the people of this town.
They all want a Thanksgiving turkey
but won't wring its neck.
They hire me to get my hands bloody.
I keep the turkeys in a coop.
When one of 'em gets loose,
I wring its neck.
If you'll excuse me, I've got work to do.
Hi, honey. Hello, baby.
Come on. Go watch the hanging.
What are you doing here in daylight?
- Jessie's back.
- What?
Jessie Lee's in Freemanville.
Don't ask me how, but he is. I swear.
Good people of Cutterstown,
welcome to this demonstration of justice.
God watches over all of us and shows us
the right way - to obey the laws.
And have the moral strength
to punish them that don't,
even if it seems cruel.
Without laws, we got anarchy!
And then we all revert to savages.
- ? The Lord knows
- ? He sees what we do
- ? Punish the savages
- ? And heathens too
What do we got here, Alex?
I can't take it no more, Carver. The KKK
come around here in them white sheets.
One said he'd take my wife next time.
That's why I left Alabama.
There ain't no place for us
in this here country.
I know this bishop named Turner. He's
taking folks back to Africa and we going.
You sure?
I'm sure.
I'll buy... I mean, the Land Office will buy
your deed and sell it to some poor folk.
Seeing as you ain't gonna have
any use for it if you're leaving.
Sure mighty nice of you, Carver.
Boy, what you doing stealing my apples?
I've a good mind to...
Oh, what the hell. Go on, take it.
Get on outta here. Behave, now.
- Ain't that King David's son?
- Reverend say he got the devil in him.
Well, anyway... My!
What we gonna do about your hair, child?
Getting a little sloppy, Jessie.
Don't you remember nothing I taught you?
I'm gonna use all of it, old man.
You still carving and carrying on?
- What are these ones here?
- Ku Klux Klan's heads.
- Let's shoot a couple for old times' sake.
- It's kinda big for targets.
Not if you shoot 'em in the nuts like I do.
Papa Joe, I didn't come out here
to be shooting guns right now.
Lana got your nose open, ain't she, boy?
Don't bullshit me. I was your age.
You ain't never been mine.
She's my daughter,
but she's a woman first.
I hear you come into town
with some roughnecks and a cracker.
- You got any money?
- I tell you what.
You leave me alone with your daughter,
you got plenty money.
Deal.
One more thing.
He's running "friend and a stranger".
The stranger's called Father Time.
Sunday school face,
Saturday night figure.
You boys mind if I put these
weary old feet under your table?
(? "Tell Me" by Vesta)
? I wanna know, pretty baby
? Tell me
? If the loving is strong
? Tell me if the loving is strong
? Tell me that you love me again...
A lot of things have changed. They got
a new law, the Grandfather Clause.
If your grandaddy was a slave and didn't
have a vote, you don't. Nothing but hopes.
Now we got the KKK coming in
trying to destroy even that.
Jessie, you come into town
gunning for Sheriff Bates,
you're gonna be the one
to destroy your daddy's dream for sure.
Good book says turn the other cheek.
Your daddy was a preacher.
You should know that.
Ain't the good book or any other book
I got problems with.
It's how folks interpret it.
As far as I can see, good book got
a lot of coloured people on their knees
praying for pie in the sky.
Sheriff Bates
is gonna get whatever he's gonna get.
You still angry.
Jessie...
you never wrote.
I thought you was dead.
So did I.
Maybe it was for the best.
Carver's asked me to marry him.
Do you love him?
You know, maybe...
Maybe you deserve more than...
than I got to give, lady.
- You don't want me to touch you, I won't.
- I don't, so don't.
Bye, Jessie Lee.
? Tell me that you want me again
? Ooh, ooh
Why you been staring at me
all night, big man?
I never heard a woman
sing pretty as a bird before, ma'am.
What's that in your pocket, music lover?
Shucks, ma'am. It's nothing but my harp.
Play for me. Go ahead.
Better yet, why don't you play on these?
(giggling)
Go ahead! Get! Play on it.
Get, get, get, get, get!
(whooping)
(man) Freedom!
I came to apologise.
You OK?
Hey.
Come with me.
You remember this when we were kids?
You remember this?
(laughs)
Woman, you crazy!
(screams)
You know what your problem is?
You think about death too much.
You need to start thinking
about what's still alive.
(laughter)
Looks like you boys are outta money.
You have to pay to see these.
Hold on there, Papa Joe.
I... am in.
I sure hopes you work on credit.
You know how to cheat Mr Death?
By making love. Cos every time
you make love, you can make another life.
And that makes Mr Death mad as hell.
(cheering)
Hi, honey. He's an animal, girl!
Evening, gentlemen.
Sorry to bother you, but certain matters
have come to my attention.
Seems that we have some undesirable
elements in our society, like him.
And... like him.
Do it.
My, my, you do stick out in this crowd.
Sheriff, you can't just come in
and drag people out of here.
I'm gonna ask you nice, just once.
- Where's Jessie Lee?
- I don't know what you talking about.
All right, let's see who's next.
Hey, boy.
You hear me, boy?
You telling me you risk a beating
to protect that outlaw?
He'll bring trouble
to this pretty little coloured town.
Don't touch my woman!
Where is he?
Weezie ain't never done nothing.
Son, you are about to learn
a very valuable lesson.
(groaning and screaming)
(bell ringing)
We got him good, huh?
He asked for it.
What in hell are you looking at?
You ain't seen nothing.
Get back inside!
You heard me!
- Bates! Bates!
- Carver, they got Papa Joe!
What the hell you think you're doing?
You let that man go.
Ain't no darky gonna give me orders. Ever!
Do it, Carver.
Do it.
Do it.
I'm coming back tomorrow with more
men and more guns than you ever seen.
And I want Jessie Lee right here.
Right here!
Dead or alive.
And as for those other two - Papa Joe and
that boy - don't worry about them none.
They're gonna get a fair trial.
Just like Jessie Lee.
- Hey, hey!
- Give me that! Eli!
Settle down.
Get those ladies inside!
Let's break it up! Break it up.
Move!
He tried to save me. That's the first time
anybody tried to save me.
Ain't no profit in trying to save nobody.
You only end up...
You only end up dead.
Jessie, don't you go and do nothing crazy.
- This here's a peaceful town.
- This here ain't peaceful.
Partner, nobody wanted this to happen.
It happened, and you the lawman, so you
better think about what you want to do.
Yeah.
(Lana) Where's Daddy? Daddy!
Lana. Lana.
Sheriff Bates done gone
and took your daddy to Cutterstown
for one of his so-called fair trials.
Jessie.
You know Papa Joe and the other man
won't get no fair trial.
KKK gonna be on 'em before sunrise.
- Let me out! Let me out!
- Pipe down.
You boys will get a fair trial
as God is my witness.
Is that the same God that witnessed you
putting black folks into slavery
and stealing Indians' land?
You ought to be working on
saving your black soul.
Shit. I'm working on saving my black ass.
You boys don't worry.
You'll get your fair trial or my name ain't...
- My name...
- Shut up, Tom.
Right. Thank you, Mayor. Tom.
You boys back off.
I can't let you vigilantes come in here
and take these free negroville citizens
and do what you got to do.
For God's sake,
stand up for yourself, Tom!
I'm sorry, Mayor, but they got guns.
Jessie. The real white sheets is coming.
Let's get outta here.
Jessie Lee was here.
He left. He took them with him.
Shit fire! You've just shot the mayor!
No, Errol.
Jessie Lee just shot the mayor.
I think the wonderful citizens of
Cutterstown will want me as the new one.
Who are you?
Won't the townspeople be surprised
by the demise of their mayor?
What do you want?
There's no need for animosity.
Any friend of Jessie's is a friend of mine.
- Jessie, are they still following us?
- Hell, yeah. It's like white on rice.
Once the sheriff gets a head of steam up,
he's like a locomotive on a track.
- What did you say?
- I said he's like a locomotive.
Jessie, what is it?
Railroad.
You son of a bitch.
Boys, this is where
we're gonna part company.
What? What are you saying? You know
what happens when we split up.
- After all we've done, we are a posse.
- Jessie, them deputies killed Little J.
Obobo, I've been fighting over
what's dead for a long time.
It's time I start fighting for what's alive.
You know, Jessie Lee,
besides the fact of you having
something against me keeping my hat on,
I always figured you for an OK guy.
I even thought at the end of this
there'd be some gold.
I reckon I was wrong.
But one thing I do know
is there ain't no profit in dying.
If you go back, you face certain death
from that sheriff or that colonel.
Whichever one it may be, these town
people won't be here when you need 'em.
(Obobo) What if he's right, Jessie?
We shouldn't split up.
(angry shouting)
I know you're angry.
You're ready to destroy, ain't you?
Take matters into your own hands.
That's anger talking. The only thing
anger ever did was tear things down.
- People, we done built something here.
- That's right.
Something good.
Something that's ours.
But we know Sheriff Bates. You think he's
gonna think twice about burning all this?
Jessie should give himself up,
turn himself in.
Cos we have been keeping the peace
and nothing like this happened before.
That white man, he was not one of us.
- No, but Papa Joe is.
- Papa Joe? Hey.
Can I ask y'all a question?
If Bates can ride up into this town,
beat a man to death and get away with it,
what does that mean he can do to you?
We all know what this is really about.
This is about King David.
We loved King David, but he is dead. This
is between you and Sheriff Bates, not us.
Jessie Lee
ain't what Bates wants no more.
What he wants is your town.
Because he knows the iron railroad
is coming through Freemanville,
and whoever owns this property
when the railroad comes is gonna be rich.
Right over on Diablo Plains
they pushing the red man off his land
to make way for that iron railroad.
The same thing they did to that red man,
they gonna do to you.
Jessie's right. I've been through it.
Why do you think Bates is fixing up
his office like that and carrying on?
He got big plans for Cutterstown.
They want this land.
And the only way y'all is gonna keep
this land is to stand up and fight.
No justice, no peace!
(angry shouting)
You talking about a black KK raid
on a white town?
That's crazy.
They ain't soldiers. We ain't in Cuba.
I do believe this boy done got sunstroke.
He about to start a damn war.
Even if we wanted to,
we ain't got enough guns for that.
- Jessie. I'm with them on this.
- All right.
I'm gonna leave.
Y'all think you can sit safe.
You think that railroad's gonna
take a nice little turn and miss this town.
I seen my daddy's dream come true.
I'm done.
But I'm gonna guarantee you something.
The next time I come back to this town,
ain't gonna be one black face here
unless he's polishing shoes
at Bates's railroad station.
(shouting and arguing)
(man) Jessie.
Now, boy, you know me.
You know I ain't never asked nobody
for nothing. But now we need you.
We found out the sheriff
is going to attack us tomorrow noon
and he's blaming you
for killing the mayor.
You was right and we was wrong. But we
got no time to kiss your fuzzy behind.
(Papa Joe) Once upon a time you came
and begged me to teach you how to fight.
Now you gotta teach us how to fight,
so we can defend ourselves.
After what you said, me and Papa Joe
broke into his strongbox.
Found a whole mess of blueprints.
This here's one of 'em.
That's a railroad station
in the middle of this "Bates Town".
If you ask me,
it looks a lot like Freemanville.
That goddamn Bates
gonna wipe us right off the map.
I done bought myself out of slavery.
Twice.
That's my inn down there.
I'm gonna fight.
You're talking right, Jessie.
I'm gonna fight too.
Jessie Lee!
Jessie Lee!
Jessie Lee, you should have stayed gone.
Between me and you, Bates.
Nobody needs to get hurt.
- Why don't you let the town be?
- Jessie Lee, Jessie Lee.
You ain't looking at the big picture.
But then, neither did your daddy.
Like father, like son.
You ain't gonna hide
behind that badge today, Sheriff.
I guarantee, Freemanville burn,
Cutterstown gonna burn too.
He's bluffing!
We gonna start with
that nice little office of yours.
Why don't you ask your hard-working man
Two Bears up there?
You know he don't bluff.
That was your office! He wasn't bluffing!
Shut up!
Jessie Lee, you're a dead man!
Here they comes, boys.
Dismount!
- You got it?
- Last one.
Can't we all get along?
Hot damn!
I'll cover.
(gunshot)
Go, Jessie!
Man the Gatling gun!
Move!
Deserter!
(Obobo) Jessie! Jessie!
Jessie!
Cover me.
Shit!
You bitch!
You saved my life!
Yeah, but I should have saved mine and
kept riding. Cos Lady Luck ain't with me.
There won't be no town when this is over.
Damn the town! It don't matter.
I still got the deeds.
Town or not, the land's worth something
when the rail comes.
- I got a wife and kids. I'm outta here.
- Hey!
Look, Jessie didn't kill the mayor.
Bates did. I was there.
I'm getting outta here.
- Carver?
- Lana.
I thought about what Jessie said.
Whoever owns this land will be rich
by selling to Bates or the railroad.
All the deeds are in your name.
You insisted on that.
Baby girl, there's a lot going on here
you don't understand.
So I see.
Lana, white folks in this country
got the power. We gonna lose this town.
Why shouldn't one of us
turn a profit in the process?
Woman, why can't you see?
It's for us, Lana. For you and me.
I'm sick of watching you trying to teach
them poor raggedy kids how to read.
Listen.
I know you was with Jessie last night.
I know how this looks and I know you
confused about a whole lot of things, but...
you gotta trust me...
cos I love you, you see.
Now I can finally do for you like I want.
- Carver, let go of me, please.
- Baby, I can't do that.
Sideburns blocking your hearing, boy?
She said let her go.
Kids! Goddammit!
(screaming)
Get out of here now!
Counting up the goodies?
As I recall, our deal was 50/50...
Our deal didn't say a thing
about last night.
Or about blowing Freemanville to hell.
Sorry I hit you. But as for the town, you
mustn't fret it. It was a dead man's dream.
Sooner or later, people gotta wake up.
King David and Jessie dreamed too much.
Jessie don't understand
about straight business. I do.
Why don't you teach me?
Go ahead, Jessie. Kill him.
Very clever, Jessie Lee.
Come on out.
We all got to go to hell someday.
When you get there,
tell 'em Jessie Lee sent you.
I wouldn't be too hasty.
Put your gun away,
go get my gold and come on over.
Hurry up. Things could get hot.
Jessie Lee, so good of you to come.
You got the gold.
Why don't you let the lady go?
Right, I've got my reward.
But there's a question...
of retribution.
You know... an eye for an eye.
She's got such lovely eyes.
This is between you and me, Graham.
Let the girl go.
Wrong! That's where you're wrong!
You're in no position to question
my strategic command!
Your strategic command was a joke.
Even old walrus here knew that.
Now you talk about being a coward.
You're shooting at an unarmed woman.
You told me once
you could tell a man by his profile.
See, your profile look like
you from the Mo Scar Sir tribe.
No.
(click)
She's such a lucky girl.
You're too late, Jessie.
The place is gonna blow.
(Bates) Come on, Jessie Lee!
(Lana) Jessie, it's gonna explode!
Jessie! Jessie!
(Lana coughs and splutters)
Jessie, your good luck book
stopped the bullet.
Jessie, the book's not hurt.
No way. Not inside.
Don't you worry about that, big brother.
You're gonna be just fine.
(mouths)
What about the town?
Obobo, with all the gold we got, we could
rebuild Freemanville better than ever.
And that's what we're gonna do.
Read to me, Jess.
(Obobo coughs)
OK, listen.
"Nicodemus was a slave of African birth."
"He was bought for a bagful of gold."
"He was reckoned
a part of the salt of the earth,
but he died years ago, very old."
That sounds so pretty, Jess.
Say right there.
"Nicodemus was a prophet,
at least, he was wise,
for he told of battles to come."
"How we trembled with fear
when he rolled up his eyes,
and we heeded the shake of his thumb."
"Good time coming. Good time coming."
"Long, long time on the way."
"Run, tell Elijah to hurry up Pomp
to meet us under the cottonwood tree..."
"...cottonwood tree in the Great Solomon
Valley at the first break of day."
(click)
Hey, the machine stopped.
So, you were the kid?
Thank you very much, sir.
I think we got it.
Hey!
Not everything.
(? "The Posse (Shoot 'Em Up)"
By Intelligent Hoodlum)
(? "I Think To Myself"
by Top Choice Clique)
(? "Posse Love" by Tone Loc)