Magnetic Beats (2021) Movie Script
1
P4 - (French military slang):
discharged on mental health grounds.
(By extension):
idiotic, maladjusted.
That's two million more voters.
It shows voters are
far more likely to vote
when a close result is expected
and when the
outcome is decisive.
Look how beautiful it is.
It's my first time eating it.
He ought to say:
Love has the
Indo-European root "om".
Is that your chat-up line?
- No, listen...
The Indo-European root?
- You know what "om" means?
It means "to fertilise".
I'm not saying fertility
means greatness
because no one's great nowadays.
Not you, but some people are.
It means something wants to
escape, something may happen.
You talking about your sperm?
Let me interrupt.
This is Marianne.
Hi, Marianne.
Philou, you already know.
Shall we sit down?
So... Marianne, wasn't it?
Yes.
What are you doing here?
I'm doing a one-year
hairdressing apprenticeship.
You gonna cut his hair?
- No.
No one touches my hair.
Your daughter?
- Yes.
Well done, Jrme.
Two birds with one stone.
- I'm investing in my future.
Here it is!
In a few seconds you will know
who the next president will be.
Between two clowns, I'll
always choose the Communist.
Quiet.
- Love you too.
It's Sunday 10 May, 1981, the 2nd
round of the presidential election.
This is a decisive
moment for us all.
In every boardroom and every
household, people await the result.
Six, five, four,
three, two, one...
Franois Mitterrand has
been elected President.
Mitterrand!
Mitterrand! Mitterrand!
It started just
before the election,
which I didn't
really care about.
At the time, all I thought about
was what we'd be broadcasting.
Four, three,
two, one...
Radio Warsaw!
Welcome, everyone!
"Good evening", as
King John Peel would say.
You're listening to Radio Warsaw
and I, as always, am Jrme.
And, as always,
night follows day and
night means noise.
We love the noise
of our friends on acid
from Marquis de Sade,
which is one of the bands
we've got for you tonight.
We'll also have The Sonics,
and their anti-pop mates,
Iggy Pop and the Stooges,
Red Zebra from Belgium,
and a new gem
straight from England,
the four girls
from The Au Pairs,
considered as the
cousins of Gang of Four.
But before all that...
With the election coming up,
here's a little joy in
this world of division,
with Joy Division and
the voice of Ian Curtis.
My loves, my darlings,
my fools, my lost souls,
tonight we're sharing with you
a bootleg recording of Joy
Division's last concert on 2 May 1980,
in the greyness of the
University of Birmingham.
The last cry of this angel
who was called to heaven
and left us with the
feeling of having lost a god.
At the dawn of a decade
which should bring change
but will change nothing at all,
"Here are the young men,
the weight on their shoulders.
Here are the young men,
where have they been?"
I never could talk
into a microphone.
You were the voice.
I just pressed the buttons.
I was just your little brother,
and that suited me fine.
We were on the radio,
we were outlaws,
and I was so proud.
It's Jrme, as
always, on Radio...
Warsaw!
For glory! For glory!
"We knocked on the doors
of Hell's darker chamber.
Pushed to the limit..."
No, no, no!
Come down!
Stop!
MAGNETIC BEATS
Come on.
Thanks.
You're a good guy.
You're a nice guy.
You'd make a good soldier.
- Come on.
Open the door, man.
Shut up.
Quiet.
Keep quiet.
Don't worry.
Philippe?
Everything OK?
Yes.
I knocked down a
picture in the dark.
Where's your brother?
I don't know. Asleep?
I'm sick of this.
Yeah.
Look at you.
Go to bed.
Poor schmuck.
That's enough.
Stop.
"And God said to Noah..."
- Stop, Jrme.
"'This is the sign of the covenant
between me and all living creatures.'
Noah's sons who came out of the
ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth."
Quiet.
- "Ham was Canaan's father.
From the sons of Noah,
the earth was populated."
Enough!
"Noah started to till the
soil and planted a vineyard.
He drank its wine,
became drunk and lay uncovered..."
- That's enough!
"Ham,
Canaan's father, saw
his father's nakedness
and told his two
brothers outside."
Remember when we were kids, I
was the one who wouldn't shut up?
You were the mysterious one.
You always had
your nose in a book.
Mum loved that.
She said you got her genes.
But I never saw
her read anything.
Alright?
What are you doing?
I'm off.
Seriously?
You really don't give a shit.
It's three o'clock.
I'm going to see Marianne.
I got a date.
What time will you be back?
I don't know.
Can you look away?
What's the time?
Half past eight.
Shit, Annie didn't wake me.
She must've forgotten.
Very perceptive of you.
What's that?
I'm trying to make something
to put listeners on air.
Yeah?
To ask those exempted from
military service how they did it.
I got my assessment next week.
Sorry.
OK, then...
- Would you do me a favour?
While you're here,
we could try a jingle.
I've prepared something
but your voice is nicer.
OK, but quickly.
What do I say?
- OK...
Say, "P for peace".
"P for peace"?
Yeah.
P for peace, the letter P.
Sure...
And "P for" is P4. You see?
I see.
OK, say when.
OK.
Could you say it a bit
more gently, please?
OK.
Really good.
I'm just gonna
ask one last thing.
Can you just
make it a bit more...
like you're whispering?
Perfect.
Perfect.
I'm 48 years old.
It's always difficult
to talk about oneself.
But it must be done.
Those tapes...
I can't hear you.
They're... sounds that I record.
Dogs barking, waves,
bells, all sorts of things.
Then I put them on tapes,
with infinite loops and...
Things like this.
I cut them and splice them
in to make infinite loops...
OK.
It's great.
Great.
I've got her things ready.
Her cuddly toy, everything.
And her exercise book.
Yes?
Thanks. I'm not quite with it.
Bye, Rita!
- Bye!
What do we tell Yvette?
That we were at the carousel.
- That's it.
And you're away.
You're on air.
Captain Jrme.
How are things with Marianne?
Not bad.
Franois Mitterrand has
been elected President.
We won!
We won!
Mitterrand President!
You OK?
Aren't you pleased?
Giscard in the bin!
I was for Giscard.
Giscard in the bin!
Giscard in the bin!
We won, man.
It's not the Bastille,
but it ain't bad, huh?
Bye!
- Bye, Francis!
Right.
Bye, guys.
The day after Mitterrand's victory,
we heard Bob Marley had died.
I remember what you said to me.
"It's a bad omen, Philou."
Gentlemen,
on behalf of Colonel Clerc,
welcome to your
orientation and selection day.
It's a great experience.
Don't miss out.
You're all wondering
the same thing.
Am I fit to do national service?
Neither you nor I
have the answer.
It will depend on tests...
You were all exempted.
Jean-Jacques, Kader,
and you, of course.
You said it was a formality.
You act like a moron.
Bichon!
- You talk nonsense.
Tell them you can't
stand living in a group,
that you have dark thoughts.
Bichon, Philippe.
- I told you I couldn't do it.
Don't be scared. Hurry up.
Then you gave me Dad's cardigan.
"Wear that and act
the same as usual.
Keep quiet. Never
open your mouth."
You said I just
needed to be myself.
I was already a P4.
Left eye, first line.
The first line. Out loud.
Can you read?
Point out the first
letter on the first line.
Here you go.
Next.
PSYCHIATRIST 1
What's the matter?
There's no need to cry.
You can talk to me.
Have you lost a loved one?
Is it me?
Do I have an illness?
A serious illness?
Thank you, miss.
I see it says mutism.
Pathological or deliberate.
So what should we put?
You seemed OK just then.
Sorry about our methods.
Just playing the cards we have.
I think I'm in love.
Oh, you're in love.
Yes.
Is it pathological or...
deliberate?
Welcome to the French
Army, Philippe Bichon.
Come on, it's not
a death sentence.
There we go.
"Fit".
Why did you do it?
You laughed when I said
I was being sent to Berlin.
Like you didn't give a shit.
At least you'll get
to visit Germany.
I was terrified.
Hello.
- Hello!
There we go.
- It's perfect. Thank you.
Yvette! Let's go!
OK, wait.
Don't cross the road.
Wait for me.
How's it going here?
I'm sick of the old lady.
Luckily it's only a year.
What will you do afterwards?
Go back to Paris.
The first move
I'd like her to
make the first move
I know
Head forward.
It's not the done thing
But I would like
For her to come to me
Because, you see
I don't dare
Why are you laughing?
At the foot of the stairs
Then, like every day
She'll say to me...
- Hello.
Hello
Only this time
She'll take my arm
See you tonight.
Marianne?
Yes?
Military service lasts a year.
I just wanted to say...
meeting you was
really something.
See you later.
You organised a party,
officially my leaving party.
But it was like no
one was there for me.
They came for you.
For Marianne.
For everyone who was staying.
Come here!
I'm gonna miss you, Philou.
Gonna miss you,
my little shitty bro.
Is that you in the
photo with your mom?
No. It's Jrme.
Do you hate her too?
No.
But she's dating a prick.
Did you get some sleep?
I made some tapes for you.
I found you some German
bands. Nina Hagen,
Malaria.
They're great,
I love them.
And some others.
Thanks.
Right.
I'm off to work.
Attention!
You're ready.
The invoices are in the drawer.
Mr Barbais's quotation
is in the blue folder.
The light blue one.
Dark blue is for the insurance.
Yeah.
We'll manage fine without
you. Don't kid yourself.
Have a good time.
I wasn't unhappy about
being different from you.
About not being able
to be the alpha male.
Alpha males are stupid.
But never mind.
They're resilient.
All the way!
Shut up, I can't concentrate.
Stop it!
Yes!
- Piss off!
We never talked about the army.
Never.
As if you didn't want to know.
As if it was too
pathetic for you.
I was assigned to the 46th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Company, 2nd Section.
A real French town
by the Berlin Wall.
Right in the middle
of the Cold War.
I thought, "Why not?"
Apparently that's how
you become a man.
Waiting for time to
pass, a rifle in your hand.
Dressed up as soldiers,
like our fathers before us.
Sorry. You OK?
Philippe.
I can't sleep.
I smoked all my cigarettes.
I hope you like my tape.
I don't know much about music.
I like you.
I really like you.
I'm sending you a kiss.
On your neck.
Is that allowed?
OK.
Send me a message.
AN EYE FOR AN EYE,
A TAPE FOR A TAPE
Marianne.
Marianne.
I read somewhere
that the disease of youth
isn't knowing what we want,
but wanting it at all costs.
I know what I want.
I hated my voice.
This is impossible.
It was everything inside me.
Shit.
What I wanted to hide.
Marianne.
Oh, Ma...
You alright?
Sorry, I...
It's not...
Don't worry, I'm a private too.
No one was here, I thought I...
You're new.
Aren't you?
- No.
I've been rotting away for
months in the land of muscles.
So I squat here. It's quieter.
What were you doing?
I wanted to record a tape.
For a girl.
Marianne, I presume?
- Yeah.
Carry on, don't mind me.
It's OK...
I'll finish it later.
Do you present the radio club?
"Present" is overstating it.
But it got me a job with the BFBS
and out of a year's worth of push-ups.
The what?
The British Forces
Broadcasting Service,
the radio station
in the British sector.
Really?
You interested?
- You bet.
I should've mentioned douard.
Besides your friends,
douard was my first real friend.
Can you lend me your razor?
You're welcome.
THE LITTLE PRINCE
Not very chatty, are you?
You do speak English, right?
Sure.
OK.
I'll introduce you to
Danny. That's him speaking.
- This is the army radio station?
- Officially, yes.
It's for the troops and expats.
Unofficially,
the war's still on,
and it's going on on the air.
If they enjoy English pop over
there, it's like the wall's already down.
So it's propaganda?
They're not encouraged
to listen to us.
Here's Danny.
How's it going?
Here you are, in the
service of Her Majesty.
I embarrassed you.
No, you didn't embarrass me.
But the idea of the listener
requesting a song for his girl,
I wasn't expecting that.
This is lyse Hairdressing.
The salon is open
Tuesday to Friday,
from 9am to midday
and from 4pm to 7pm.
Please leave a
message after the tone.
Goodbye and thank you.
Hello, Madame Ponsard.
This is Philippe Bichon.
Could you pass on a
message to Marianne?
It's very important.
Could you tell her to listen to
the radio tomorrow at 5.30pm
on 237 kilohertz, not megahertz,
because it's on long wave.
So, 237 kilohertz on
long wave tomorrow.
That's all.
Thank you for passing on the
message. Have a nice evening.
Thank you again.
THE FIRST MOVE
That's all I had to say.
But it seemed ridiculous.
Marianne served
like Chris Evert.
Now for a Bjrn
Borg-like return.
The first move of love
In her bed day after day
She will reveal her body to me
And make me regret forever
That I didn't say before
The first...
word
I can't sleep.
I smoked all my cigarettes.
I like you.
I really like you.
Send me a message.
Send me a message.
Philippe, we're 20 years old.
Sorry, but we're too
young for love stories.
You read "Letters to a
Young Poet" by Rilke?
No.
- You should.
It's like a roadmap
for 15-25-year-olds.
He writes: "Young people
are not yet capable of
love: they must learn."
Then comes the amazing part:
"All learning is a time of
seclusion, and therefore loving,
for a long time ahead and
far on into life, is solitude,
a heightened and
deepened solitude."
Wow. That's cheerful.
You want some ecstasy?
Here's yours.
So this is your thing?
Well...
Will you do your radio
again after the army?
Yeah, I think so.
Why?
Because we could do things.
- Sure.
With the
deregulation of radio...
No, it's more than that.
The sadness of the
1970s, utopian dreams,
it's all over.
The crisis has thrown us
back to reality.
Everyone needs action today.
For the first time, everyone's
speaking the same language.
The guy in a suit wants
long hair and vice versa.
Politics won't change the world.
What's going to change the world
is music, brands, art, adventure.
It's everyday life.
You got a talent.
Use it.
When you get back to
France, come to Paris.
My family has assets.
I don't want all that
money to sit in the bank.
I want to set up a record
label, a radio station,
a magazine.
Let's do it together.
Guys, we're about
to enter the East.
Checkpoint Charlie.
I need your passports.
Your passports.
I always get nervous.
Hand over your papers.
Papers, please.
I love the waiting part.
Welcome to the East.
East Berlin.
You'd have given a kidney
and your records to see that.
All the muses of Radio
Warsaw were there.
Behind the wall, with
no past and no future.
An inferno of
sound and partying.
I'd have loved you
to be there with me.
"Did you see that,
Philou? You see that?"
Wait.
I feel weird.
Are you feeling bad?
No. That's the point.
Tease!
Everything's fine.
The BFBS agreement got
me a late pass till midnight.
But not to return
wasted in the early hours.
I got two days in jail.
Two days I couldn't
call Marianne.
Two days when I
only thought of her.
lyse Hairdressing.
Hello, Madame Ponsard.
It's Philippe Bichon.
Could I speak to
Marianne, please?
Hello.
Hello. Hi.
I couldn't call you
before. How are you?
Did you get my message?
Did you hear it? Did you listen?
Yeah.
It was a bit weird maybe.
It was amazing.
There wasn't too
much interference?
No, really, it was fine.
You're talented, Philippe.
I listened to your tape.
Philippe.
You're in Berlin.
You're doing radio.
You're exactly
where you should be.
So don't complicate things.
You're a fool, my dear.
Thanks. Have a good one.
What are you doing here?
I got leave.
So you decided to
spend it in this shithole?
Can I have one?
Help yourself.
This is good.
Are you OK?
How's the garage?
What do you care?
I'm just asking.
You haven't asked since leaving.
Neither have you.
No need to justify yourself.
Recently, all your
brother does is piss us off.
Not for much longer.
I'm leaving too.
No reason to stay.
Jrme is all
principles and promises.
Until it comes to a
free room and board.
That's what I think of
your room and board.
Jrme, come back!
Come back now!
Come back!
You know where he's going?
You're handsome.
Coming?
Let's smoke a little joint.
Yeah.
Faster!
- Piss off!
Fuck you, soldier!
Faster!
Come on, Philou!
Hey! Stop!
Jrme, let go! Jrme...
Fuck! Can't you hear?
I won.
You idiot.
Stop it.
You OK?
You should've stayed in Berlin.
Wait.
He's not on leave.
He's a deserter.
The Russians are always jamming.
We don't jam anything.
Ever listened to
any Russki stuff?
Peace and Progress,
that sort of thing?
No one cares about their stuff.
Yet they adore our
music. What can you do?
When you say "our music",
"we", what do you mean?
We, the West.
The free market.
Philippe.
How do I look?
Nice little fur coat?
Look at this.
It's not bad.
How old is Marianne, 80?
Stop it. It's pretty...
You're not shy,
you're old-fashioned.
Taxi!
Right, man. This is it.
Don't look like that.
You'll be done soon too.
Yeah...
You'll be fine.
Don't hide away with
your girl. Visit me in Paris.
I'm not sure she's my girl.
"I'm not sure she's my girl."
OK, Frog.
Take care.
French sector, please.
Bichon.
At ease.
Come with me.
Captain?
Where are you taking me?
Your father's on the phone.
Dad?
I kept hearing Dad on the
phone, crying and repeating,
"He's been killed, Philippe.
He's been killed."
You left for Spain.
In Marianne's car.
Without her.
Without me.
You were smashed.
3.7 grams of
alcohol in your blood.
You never made
it out of the region.
Good as new.
Thank you.
You got more upstairs?
No, this is everything.
Yvette isn't here?
No.
Yvette doesn't like goodbyes.
I'm going to pick up Rita.
- I'll come with you.
Philippe.
You're here but don't talk.
Ever since you got back.
You're here but don't talk.
I'm sure you'll still
be here in 20 years.
I'll see.
You'll see nothing
if you stay here.
Mummy!
Bye.
- Bye, Jean-Jacques.
Bye, little one.
Thank you.
I'll come with you.
Want me to drop you off?
No, Jacquot will take me home.
I'm gonna miss you.
You're a wonderful girl.
Jrme...
I don't know what to say to you,
but I have to talk to you.
I have to tell you.
It started just before the election,
which I didn't really care about.
At the time, all I
was thinking about
was what we were
going to broadcast.
I never could talk
into a microphone.
You were the voice.
I just pressed the buttons.
I was your little brother.
That suited me just fine.
We were on the radio,
we were outlaws,
and I was so proud.
The day after Mitterrand's victory,
we heard Bob Marley had died.
"It's a bad omen, Philou."
I hope you like my tape.
Hello.
I think I'm in love.
I like you.
I really like you.
I don't know...
East Berlin.
I'm sending you a kiss.
You're in Berlin.
You're doing radio.
You're exactly
where you should be.
"He's been killed, Philippe."
You left for Spain.
In Marianne's car.
Without her.
Without me.
You never made
it out of the region.
The day after your funeral
I went to Marianne's car.
There wasn't much left.
I wondered if I'd find
something of yours.
I saw blood on the seat.
I'll never forget that blood.
There was a tape
in the car radio.
It stopped when the car did.
And your heart.
I stopped too.
When you stop, you sink.
And I'm sinking, Jrme.
I'm drowning.
You're limping.
But, you see,
I'm speaking.
I can feel this voice in my gut,
this heat.
And I hear you.
"Don't let sadness win.
Protect this fire.
Get away."
I promise you, Jrme, I'll try.
I'll try.
I'll try
to keep a tight
grip on this line
that you're feeding me.
I don't know what's coming.
I'm sure there are
walls behind the walls.
But I really want to go and see.
Because even if it's cold,
even if the party seems over,
and the embers of the
fire have been scattered,
I'm sure of one thing.
It's burning.
It's still burning.
P4 - (French military slang):
discharged on mental health grounds.
(By extension):
idiotic, maladjusted.
That's two million more voters.
It shows voters are
far more likely to vote
when a close result is expected
and when the
outcome is decisive.
Look how beautiful it is.
It's my first time eating it.
He ought to say:
Love has the
Indo-European root "om".
Is that your chat-up line?
- No, listen...
The Indo-European root?
- You know what "om" means?
It means "to fertilise".
I'm not saying fertility
means greatness
because no one's great nowadays.
Not you, but some people are.
It means something wants to
escape, something may happen.
You talking about your sperm?
Let me interrupt.
This is Marianne.
Hi, Marianne.
Philou, you already know.
Shall we sit down?
So... Marianne, wasn't it?
Yes.
What are you doing here?
I'm doing a one-year
hairdressing apprenticeship.
You gonna cut his hair?
- No.
No one touches my hair.
Your daughter?
- Yes.
Well done, Jrme.
Two birds with one stone.
- I'm investing in my future.
Here it is!
In a few seconds you will know
who the next president will be.
Between two clowns, I'll
always choose the Communist.
Quiet.
- Love you too.
It's Sunday 10 May, 1981, the 2nd
round of the presidential election.
This is a decisive
moment for us all.
In every boardroom and every
household, people await the result.
Six, five, four,
three, two, one...
Franois Mitterrand has
been elected President.
Mitterrand!
Mitterrand! Mitterrand!
It started just
before the election,
which I didn't
really care about.
At the time, all I thought about
was what we'd be broadcasting.
Four, three,
two, one...
Radio Warsaw!
Welcome, everyone!
"Good evening", as
King John Peel would say.
You're listening to Radio Warsaw
and I, as always, am Jrme.
And, as always,
night follows day and
night means noise.
We love the noise
of our friends on acid
from Marquis de Sade,
which is one of the bands
we've got for you tonight.
We'll also have The Sonics,
and their anti-pop mates,
Iggy Pop and the Stooges,
Red Zebra from Belgium,
and a new gem
straight from England,
the four girls
from The Au Pairs,
considered as the
cousins of Gang of Four.
But before all that...
With the election coming up,
here's a little joy in
this world of division,
with Joy Division and
the voice of Ian Curtis.
My loves, my darlings,
my fools, my lost souls,
tonight we're sharing with you
a bootleg recording of Joy
Division's last concert on 2 May 1980,
in the greyness of the
University of Birmingham.
The last cry of this angel
who was called to heaven
and left us with the
feeling of having lost a god.
At the dawn of a decade
which should bring change
but will change nothing at all,
"Here are the young men,
the weight on their shoulders.
Here are the young men,
where have they been?"
I never could talk
into a microphone.
You were the voice.
I just pressed the buttons.
I was just your little brother,
and that suited me fine.
We were on the radio,
we were outlaws,
and I was so proud.
It's Jrme, as
always, on Radio...
Warsaw!
For glory! For glory!
"We knocked on the doors
of Hell's darker chamber.
Pushed to the limit..."
No, no, no!
Come down!
Stop!
MAGNETIC BEATS
Come on.
Thanks.
You're a good guy.
You're a nice guy.
You'd make a good soldier.
- Come on.
Open the door, man.
Shut up.
Quiet.
Keep quiet.
Don't worry.
Philippe?
Everything OK?
Yes.
I knocked down a
picture in the dark.
Where's your brother?
I don't know. Asleep?
I'm sick of this.
Yeah.
Look at you.
Go to bed.
Poor schmuck.
That's enough.
Stop.
"And God said to Noah..."
- Stop, Jrme.
"'This is the sign of the covenant
between me and all living creatures.'
Noah's sons who came out of the
ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth."
Quiet.
- "Ham was Canaan's father.
From the sons of Noah,
the earth was populated."
Enough!
"Noah started to till the
soil and planted a vineyard.
He drank its wine,
became drunk and lay uncovered..."
- That's enough!
"Ham,
Canaan's father, saw
his father's nakedness
and told his two
brothers outside."
Remember when we were kids, I
was the one who wouldn't shut up?
You were the mysterious one.
You always had
your nose in a book.
Mum loved that.
She said you got her genes.
But I never saw
her read anything.
Alright?
What are you doing?
I'm off.
Seriously?
You really don't give a shit.
It's three o'clock.
I'm going to see Marianne.
I got a date.
What time will you be back?
I don't know.
Can you look away?
What's the time?
Half past eight.
Shit, Annie didn't wake me.
She must've forgotten.
Very perceptive of you.
What's that?
I'm trying to make something
to put listeners on air.
Yeah?
To ask those exempted from
military service how they did it.
I got my assessment next week.
Sorry.
OK, then...
- Would you do me a favour?
While you're here,
we could try a jingle.
I've prepared something
but your voice is nicer.
OK, but quickly.
What do I say?
- OK...
Say, "P for peace".
"P for peace"?
Yeah.
P for peace, the letter P.
Sure...
And "P for" is P4. You see?
I see.
OK, say when.
OK.
Could you say it a bit
more gently, please?
OK.
Really good.
I'm just gonna
ask one last thing.
Can you just
make it a bit more...
like you're whispering?
Perfect.
Perfect.
I'm 48 years old.
It's always difficult
to talk about oneself.
But it must be done.
Those tapes...
I can't hear you.
They're... sounds that I record.
Dogs barking, waves,
bells, all sorts of things.
Then I put them on tapes,
with infinite loops and...
Things like this.
I cut them and splice them
in to make infinite loops...
OK.
It's great.
Great.
I've got her things ready.
Her cuddly toy, everything.
And her exercise book.
Yes?
Thanks. I'm not quite with it.
Bye, Rita!
- Bye!
What do we tell Yvette?
That we were at the carousel.
- That's it.
And you're away.
You're on air.
Captain Jrme.
How are things with Marianne?
Not bad.
Franois Mitterrand has
been elected President.
We won!
We won!
Mitterrand President!
You OK?
Aren't you pleased?
Giscard in the bin!
I was for Giscard.
Giscard in the bin!
Giscard in the bin!
We won, man.
It's not the Bastille,
but it ain't bad, huh?
Bye!
- Bye, Francis!
Right.
Bye, guys.
The day after Mitterrand's victory,
we heard Bob Marley had died.
I remember what you said to me.
"It's a bad omen, Philou."
Gentlemen,
on behalf of Colonel Clerc,
welcome to your
orientation and selection day.
It's a great experience.
Don't miss out.
You're all wondering
the same thing.
Am I fit to do national service?
Neither you nor I
have the answer.
It will depend on tests...
You were all exempted.
Jean-Jacques, Kader,
and you, of course.
You said it was a formality.
You act like a moron.
Bichon!
- You talk nonsense.
Tell them you can't
stand living in a group,
that you have dark thoughts.
Bichon, Philippe.
- I told you I couldn't do it.
Don't be scared. Hurry up.
Then you gave me Dad's cardigan.
"Wear that and act
the same as usual.
Keep quiet. Never
open your mouth."
You said I just
needed to be myself.
I was already a P4.
Left eye, first line.
The first line. Out loud.
Can you read?
Point out the first
letter on the first line.
Here you go.
Next.
PSYCHIATRIST 1
What's the matter?
There's no need to cry.
You can talk to me.
Have you lost a loved one?
Is it me?
Do I have an illness?
A serious illness?
Thank you, miss.
I see it says mutism.
Pathological or deliberate.
So what should we put?
You seemed OK just then.
Sorry about our methods.
Just playing the cards we have.
I think I'm in love.
Oh, you're in love.
Yes.
Is it pathological or...
deliberate?
Welcome to the French
Army, Philippe Bichon.
Come on, it's not
a death sentence.
There we go.
"Fit".
Why did you do it?
You laughed when I said
I was being sent to Berlin.
Like you didn't give a shit.
At least you'll get
to visit Germany.
I was terrified.
Hello.
- Hello!
There we go.
- It's perfect. Thank you.
Yvette! Let's go!
OK, wait.
Don't cross the road.
Wait for me.
How's it going here?
I'm sick of the old lady.
Luckily it's only a year.
What will you do afterwards?
Go back to Paris.
The first move
I'd like her to
make the first move
I know
Head forward.
It's not the done thing
But I would like
For her to come to me
Because, you see
I don't dare
Why are you laughing?
At the foot of the stairs
Then, like every day
She'll say to me...
- Hello.
Hello
Only this time
She'll take my arm
See you tonight.
Marianne?
Yes?
Military service lasts a year.
I just wanted to say...
meeting you was
really something.
See you later.
You organised a party,
officially my leaving party.
But it was like no
one was there for me.
They came for you.
For Marianne.
For everyone who was staying.
Come here!
I'm gonna miss you, Philou.
Gonna miss you,
my little shitty bro.
Is that you in the
photo with your mom?
No. It's Jrme.
Do you hate her too?
No.
But she's dating a prick.
Did you get some sleep?
I made some tapes for you.
I found you some German
bands. Nina Hagen,
Malaria.
They're great,
I love them.
And some others.
Thanks.
Right.
I'm off to work.
Attention!
You're ready.
The invoices are in the drawer.
Mr Barbais's quotation
is in the blue folder.
The light blue one.
Dark blue is for the insurance.
Yeah.
We'll manage fine without
you. Don't kid yourself.
Have a good time.
I wasn't unhappy about
being different from you.
About not being able
to be the alpha male.
Alpha males are stupid.
But never mind.
They're resilient.
All the way!
Shut up, I can't concentrate.
Stop it!
Yes!
- Piss off!
We never talked about the army.
Never.
As if you didn't want to know.
As if it was too
pathetic for you.
I was assigned to the 46th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Company, 2nd Section.
A real French town
by the Berlin Wall.
Right in the middle
of the Cold War.
I thought, "Why not?"
Apparently that's how
you become a man.
Waiting for time to
pass, a rifle in your hand.
Dressed up as soldiers,
like our fathers before us.
Sorry. You OK?
Philippe.
I can't sleep.
I smoked all my cigarettes.
I hope you like my tape.
I don't know much about music.
I like you.
I really like you.
I'm sending you a kiss.
On your neck.
Is that allowed?
OK.
Send me a message.
AN EYE FOR AN EYE,
A TAPE FOR A TAPE
Marianne.
Marianne.
I read somewhere
that the disease of youth
isn't knowing what we want,
but wanting it at all costs.
I know what I want.
I hated my voice.
This is impossible.
It was everything inside me.
Shit.
What I wanted to hide.
Marianne.
Oh, Ma...
You alright?
Sorry, I...
It's not...
Don't worry, I'm a private too.
No one was here, I thought I...
You're new.
Aren't you?
- No.
I've been rotting away for
months in the land of muscles.
So I squat here. It's quieter.
What were you doing?
I wanted to record a tape.
For a girl.
Marianne, I presume?
- Yeah.
Carry on, don't mind me.
It's OK...
I'll finish it later.
Do you present the radio club?
"Present" is overstating it.
But it got me a job with the BFBS
and out of a year's worth of push-ups.
The what?
The British Forces
Broadcasting Service,
the radio station
in the British sector.
Really?
You interested?
- You bet.
I should've mentioned douard.
Besides your friends,
douard was my first real friend.
Can you lend me your razor?
You're welcome.
THE LITTLE PRINCE
Not very chatty, are you?
You do speak English, right?
Sure.
OK.
I'll introduce you to
Danny. That's him speaking.
- This is the army radio station?
- Officially, yes.
It's for the troops and expats.
Unofficially,
the war's still on,
and it's going on on the air.
If they enjoy English pop over
there, it's like the wall's already down.
So it's propaganda?
They're not encouraged
to listen to us.
Here's Danny.
How's it going?
Here you are, in the
service of Her Majesty.
I embarrassed you.
No, you didn't embarrass me.
But the idea of the listener
requesting a song for his girl,
I wasn't expecting that.
This is lyse Hairdressing.
The salon is open
Tuesday to Friday,
from 9am to midday
and from 4pm to 7pm.
Please leave a
message after the tone.
Goodbye and thank you.
Hello, Madame Ponsard.
This is Philippe Bichon.
Could you pass on a
message to Marianne?
It's very important.
Could you tell her to listen to
the radio tomorrow at 5.30pm
on 237 kilohertz, not megahertz,
because it's on long wave.
So, 237 kilohertz on
long wave tomorrow.
That's all.
Thank you for passing on the
message. Have a nice evening.
Thank you again.
THE FIRST MOVE
That's all I had to say.
But it seemed ridiculous.
Marianne served
like Chris Evert.
Now for a Bjrn
Borg-like return.
The first move of love
In her bed day after day
She will reveal her body to me
And make me regret forever
That I didn't say before
The first...
word
I can't sleep.
I smoked all my cigarettes.
I like you.
I really like you.
Send me a message.
Send me a message.
Philippe, we're 20 years old.
Sorry, but we're too
young for love stories.
You read "Letters to a
Young Poet" by Rilke?
No.
- You should.
It's like a roadmap
for 15-25-year-olds.
He writes: "Young people
are not yet capable of
love: they must learn."
Then comes the amazing part:
"All learning is a time of
seclusion, and therefore loving,
for a long time ahead and
far on into life, is solitude,
a heightened and
deepened solitude."
Wow. That's cheerful.
You want some ecstasy?
Here's yours.
So this is your thing?
Well...
Will you do your radio
again after the army?
Yeah, I think so.
Why?
Because we could do things.
- Sure.
With the
deregulation of radio...
No, it's more than that.
The sadness of the
1970s, utopian dreams,
it's all over.
The crisis has thrown us
back to reality.
Everyone needs action today.
For the first time, everyone's
speaking the same language.
The guy in a suit wants
long hair and vice versa.
Politics won't change the world.
What's going to change the world
is music, brands, art, adventure.
It's everyday life.
You got a talent.
Use it.
When you get back to
France, come to Paris.
My family has assets.
I don't want all that
money to sit in the bank.
I want to set up a record
label, a radio station,
a magazine.
Let's do it together.
Guys, we're about
to enter the East.
Checkpoint Charlie.
I need your passports.
Your passports.
I always get nervous.
Hand over your papers.
Papers, please.
I love the waiting part.
Welcome to the East.
East Berlin.
You'd have given a kidney
and your records to see that.
All the muses of Radio
Warsaw were there.
Behind the wall, with
no past and no future.
An inferno of
sound and partying.
I'd have loved you
to be there with me.
"Did you see that,
Philou? You see that?"
Wait.
I feel weird.
Are you feeling bad?
No. That's the point.
Tease!
Everything's fine.
The BFBS agreement got
me a late pass till midnight.
But not to return
wasted in the early hours.
I got two days in jail.
Two days I couldn't
call Marianne.
Two days when I
only thought of her.
lyse Hairdressing.
Hello, Madame Ponsard.
It's Philippe Bichon.
Could I speak to
Marianne, please?
Hello.
Hello. Hi.
I couldn't call you
before. How are you?
Did you get my message?
Did you hear it? Did you listen?
Yeah.
It was a bit weird maybe.
It was amazing.
There wasn't too
much interference?
No, really, it was fine.
You're talented, Philippe.
I listened to your tape.
Philippe.
You're in Berlin.
You're doing radio.
You're exactly
where you should be.
So don't complicate things.
You're a fool, my dear.
Thanks. Have a good one.
What are you doing here?
I got leave.
So you decided to
spend it in this shithole?
Can I have one?
Help yourself.
This is good.
Are you OK?
How's the garage?
What do you care?
I'm just asking.
You haven't asked since leaving.
Neither have you.
No need to justify yourself.
Recently, all your
brother does is piss us off.
Not for much longer.
I'm leaving too.
No reason to stay.
Jrme is all
principles and promises.
Until it comes to a
free room and board.
That's what I think of
your room and board.
Jrme, come back!
Come back now!
Come back!
You know where he's going?
You're handsome.
Coming?
Let's smoke a little joint.
Yeah.
Faster!
- Piss off!
Fuck you, soldier!
Faster!
Come on, Philou!
Hey! Stop!
Jrme, let go! Jrme...
Fuck! Can't you hear?
I won.
You idiot.
Stop it.
You OK?
You should've stayed in Berlin.
Wait.
He's not on leave.
He's a deserter.
The Russians are always jamming.
We don't jam anything.
Ever listened to
any Russki stuff?
Peace and Progress,
that sort of thing?
No one cares about their stuff.
Yet they adore our
music. What can you do?
When you say "our music",
"we", what do you mean?
We, the West.
The free market.
Philippe.
How do I look?
Nice little fur coat?
Look at this.
It's not bad.
How old is Marianne, 80?
Stop it. It's pretty...
You're not shy,
you're old-fashioned.
Taxi!
Right, man. This is it.
Don't look like that.
You'll be done soon too.
Yeah...
You'll be fine.
Don't hide away with
your girl. Visit me in Paris.
I'm not sure she's my girl.
"I'm not sure she's my girl."
OK, Frog.
Take care.
French sector, please.
Bichon.
At ease.
Come with me.
Captain?
Where are you taking me?
Your father's on the phone.
Dad?
I kept hearing Dad on the
phone, crying and repeating,
"He's been killed, Philippe.
He's been killed."
You left for Spain.
In Marianne's car.
Without her.
Without me.
You were smashed.
3.7 grams of
alcohol in your blood.
You never made
it out of the region.
Good as new.
Thank you.
You got more upstairs?
No, this is everything.
Yvette isn't here?
No.
Yvette doesn't like goodbyes.
I'm going to pick up Rita.
- I'll come with you.
Philippe.
You're here but don't talk.
Ever since you got back.
You're here but don't talk.
I'm sure you'll still
be here in 20 years.
I'll see.
You'll see nothing
if you stay here.
Mummy!
Bye.
- Bye, Jean-Jacques.
Bye, little one.
Thank you.
I'll come with you.
Want me to drop you off?
No, Jacquot will take me home.
I'm gonna miss you.
You're a wonderful girl.
Jrme...
I don't know what to say to you,
but I have to talk to you.
I have to tell you.
It started just before the election,
which I didn't really care about.
At the time, all I
was thinking about
was what we were
going to broadcast.
I never could talk
into a microphone.
You were the voice.
I just pressed the buttons.
I was your little brother.
That suited me just fine.
We were on the radio,
we were outlaws,
and I was so proud.
The day after Mitterrand's victory,
we heard Bob Marley had died.
"It's a bad omen, Philou."
I hope you like my tape.
Hello.
I think I'm in love.
I like you.
I really like you.
I don't know...
East Berlin.
I'm sending you a kiss.
You're in Berlin.
You're doing radio.
You're exactly
where you should be.
"He's been killed, Philippe."
You left for Spain.
In Marianne's car.
Without her.
Without me.
You never made
it out of the region.
The day after your funeral
I went to Marianne's car.
There wasn't much left.
I wondered if I'd find
something of yours.
I saw blood on the seat.
I'll never forget that blood.
There was a tape
in the car radio.
It stopped when the car did.
And your heart.
I stopped too.
When you stop, you sink.
And I'm sinking, Jrme.
I'm drowning.
You're limping.
But, you see,
I'm speaking.
I can feel this voice in my gut,
this heat.
And I hear you.
"Don't let sadness win.
Protect this fire.
Get away."
I promise you, Jrme, I'll try.
I'll try.
I'll try
to keep a tight
grip on this line
that you're feeding me.
I don't know what's coming.
I'm sure there are
walls behind the walls.
But I really want to go and see.
Because even if it's cold,
even if the party seems over,
and the embers of the
fire have been scattered,
I'm sure of one thing.
It's burning.
It's still burning.