Mysterious Island (1961) Movie Script
All right, get down.
-Where's his papers?
-They're all here.
Don't worry, Sergeant.
You'll find them all in order.
All right. Get in there!
Is that necessary?
-All I want is a nice, dry prison cell.
-Get moving!
Is the balloon still there, Captain?
It's whipping around a bit,
but still waiting for us.
We'll need your blanket, Neb.
Captain?
I think the kid is scared.
Well, aren't you?
-You want a hand with that?
-No, sir.
I've got them both almost through.
Captain, do you think that balloon will fly
in a big wind like this without busting open?
That's not the problem, Herbert.
The problem is whether it'll fly at all.
Captain?
We've never seen more
than the top of it over the houses.
What if there's a whole
regiment guarding it?
We'll just have to fight
the whole regiment, Herbert.
Hey, Captain.
They're coming early.
Are we going through with it?
We've got no choice.
I see I shall have company.
How charming!
Won't you introduce me to
these gentlemen?
Come on, prisoner.
Get their clothes.
Here.
-Here are the keys.
-Now, you both know what to do.
Yes, sir.
Come on, get out of here.
Halt!
Hurry up!
Come on!
Wait!
Don't let me fall!
Lighten the basket. We've
got to gain height.
You all right?
Hey, Captain.
All right, let's get this
rebel out of here.
That's a mighty long drop.
You sure you know everything
about running this balloon?
Maybe this man could help us.
All right. Tie him up.
Now that we're up here, I suppose
we should introduce ourselves.
-Captain Cyrus Harding.
-Captain, look, food.
This is Neb. Union soldier.
-I'm Herbert Brown, Pennsylvania Infantry.
-Watch it!
Don't all crowd to one side.
I know what uniform that is.
You're a Union war correspondent.
Very observant, young man.
Gideon Spilett,
New York Herald.
How much food is in that box, Neb?
Enough for five days, maybe.
Four if Mr. Spilett decides to stay.
That all depends, of course,
on where you're headed.
Wherever the wind takes us,
Mr. Spilett.
Looks like your other
guest is coming around.
You're my prisoner.
What's your name and rank?
Sergeant Pencroft.
Regiment?
Confederate Army.
That's all you'll get out of me.
Now listen, soldier.
You ever seen a burial at sea?
Well, you're dressed for one.
Only we're not over the sea.
We're over land, and about a mile up.
It's a long way up, Sergeant.
What these warriors are
trying to say, Sergeant...
...is that if you know anything
about running this thing, you can stay.
Otherwise...
I can work it.
Do you mean you can bring this
thing down when you like?
I can bring you down,
but not necessarily alive.
The way this wind is running,
we'll smash to a pulp when we hit land.
You offering parole?
That's all, rebel.
All right, then. Now hear my terms.
This gale is blowing due west.
Now, maybe we could come down
in your lines, and maybe in mine.
Whichever it is, nobody is anybody's
prisoner when we touch land.
Do you understand?
We all go our own way,
and we don't discuss politics.
Otherwise, Yankees, you can just let
this gale blow you to kingdom come.
All right, cut him loose.
Congratulations, Captain.
This was just the beginning.
We escaped, but only into the clutches
of the greatest storm in American history.
Below us, when we could still see through
the patches of angry clouds...
...were smashed cities
and forests torn up by their roots.
Then finally,
the Earth disappeared from our view.
We were prisoners of the wind,
helpless in the storm's mighty grip.
And we wondered how much longer
would we remain aloft?
Would we ever set foot
on the Earth again?
Hey, Captain...
Westward, Neb, still westward.
It's been four days.
Hey, looks like water.
It could be a lake.
Well, it's too big to be a river.
It's too big for either.
Must be the ocean.
Pencroft, take us down
and we'll have a closer look.
It can't be the Pacific.
It can't be anything else.
You mean we've been carried
clear across America?
It looks like it.
Captain, aren't we coming
down awfully fast?
Pencroft, close the valve.
It's stuck!
We're going to hit
the water and drown!
Can't you do something?
Get your hands off that rope!
It's caught across the opening.
Someone's got to get up there!
-I'm going up.
-No! Lighten the balloon.
Chuck out the rest of the sandbags.
Hurry, Captain. Hurry!
The valve, Captain!
Turn that valve, Captain!
Harder!
No, not that way!
No!
Thank you, Pencroft.
I'm glad I decided to let you stay.
Not you, Captain.
It's this valve bar you broke off.
-Hey, we're not dropping anymore.
-No, I got it closed.
You closed it permanently.
We can't get down anymore.
This was the only control we had.
Captain, the balloon,
it's tearing open.
Everything! Throw out everything!
Throw out the food, too?
Food, clothes, everything loose.
We're still dropping, Mr. Spilett.
I suppose you'll want us to volunteer
to go over the side next.
Listen!
It sounds like waves
breaking on the shore.
Land!
Where?
Dead ahead, there.
We'll never stay up long
enough to get there.
Everybody up on the ring.
Cut the basket loose.
-What for?
-The man's right.
There might be enough gas in the balloon
to keep us afloat on the water.
Come on.
Get up there.
I can't.
Now look, you climb or you drown, soldier.
Now get up there!
All right. Now cut it off at these ropes.
Captain!
-I'm swimming in.
-You'd better not!
That's the way I'm going.
No!
Captain Harding! Captain Harding!
Captain Harding! It's me, Neb.
Did you see anything, Neb?
No. How about you?
Nothing. We went about a mile beyond
where he dropped off.
-Not a sign.
-Maybe he's a bit further up that way.
He'd have to be the best swimmer
in the world to get even this far.
-It won't hurt us to try.
-He's drowned.
You got no right to say that,
do you hear me?
Maybe Spilett's seen something
from the rocks.
Oysters, gentlemen?
How come you're not looking
for the Captain, Mr. Spilett?
Because I'm looking for food instead.
Boy, did you ever see oysters
that size before?
-It's almost supernatural, isn't it?
-Look at him.
He's interested in food
while the Captain is still missing.
Take it easy, Neb.
You won't find him. Not alive, anyway.
I tell you he's drowned.
All right, Sergeant. Help yourself.
There. Get your health back.
-What, just raw like that?
-Sure. Why not?
No, thanks.
Come on, boy. Eat up! Come on!
Hey! Smoke!
Come on.
Captain Harding!
-Hey, Captain, are you all right?
-Yeah.
I knew you were alive, Captain.
Hey, didn't I tell you?
Didn't I tell you?
Neb, Herbert, you're all safe. Good.
Good morning, Captain. We missed you.
We would have found you sooner, Captain,
if you hadn't hidden out in these rocks.
-Didn't you bring me here?
-No, sir. We saw your fire.
I wasn't capable of lighting a fire
even if I'd had any matches.
And I hadn't.
None of us had, either.
I don't remember anything
since I went under.
Obviously. Neb,
he needs some hot food.
Bring some of those coals,
and I'll cook up a giant oyster stew.
Where do you think this fire came from
if the Captain didn't light it?
Of course he lit it somehow.
He just doesn't remember,
that's all.
One giant oyster stew special,
coming up.
-It smells good.
-It is, son.
Don't touch that, Captain.
It's the seasoning.
-What is it?
-Seaweed.
Captain, any idea where we are?
No.
That wind must have taken us
thousands of miles.
-Fiji, maybe.
-Or New Zealand. Anywhere.
Anywhere? On the other hand,
could be nowhere. Eh, Captain?
Gentlemen, we're going to climb that.
What for, Captain, the exercise?
No, for survival, Mr. Spilett.
From up there, we might be able to see
where we are and how to escape.
Escape to where this time?
And on the way, we'll hunt and forage.
We need meat and vegetables.
And how will we kill the game?
You threw our only guns away.
-Herbert?
-Yes, sir?
-Have you still got your knife?
-Yes, sir.
Good. Then you and Neb
will be spear-makers.
Pencroft, you'll be the vegetable-finder.
I'm in the Confederate Army, not yours.
The arrangement was, once we landed,
I stopped being your prisoner.
The agreement was we'd go our own ways.
Either you come my way, under my command,
or you can fend for yourself.
All right.
-I'll find vegetables.
-Good.
And don't try and eat any of the food
you find until our cook has tasted it.
And who is ''our cook''?
You are.
I'm a civilian.
I don't have to take orders from you,
whatever army you're in.
That's legally correct, Mr. Spilett,
but I was under the impression...
...that you'd joined my command.
Joined? I was drafted.
Captain, why don't we turn this island
into a democracy and elect a leader?
One who won't keep escaping to places
which need escaping from.
Because all of us here are still at war,
and I happen to be the ranking officer.
Still at war! All right, I'll cook.
I thought you would, Mr. Spilett.
I'm the butcher man. I'll keep you busy.
Hey, take it easy.
The landscape everywhere was a mixture
of the strange and the beautiful.
Volcanoes surrounded by tropical palms
and sandy beaches.
A riot of wonderful
hues and fantastic colours.
And except for that fire we found
on the first day...
...there was no evidence
that man had ever set foot here before.
We saw birds, and many overgrown plants,
as if patches of nature had gone wild.
t was a rugged trek upwards.
Our physical condition
caused us to tire readily...
...and we were never
sure of our footing.
Then finally we came to the shore
of what must have been...
...the other side of the island.
So help me, whales.
Those aren't whales.
They're geysers.
Now we know where
we can get a hot bath.
All right, gentlemen,
we'll make this our rendezvous.
Now, Mr. Spilett, I'll take Neb.
You take Pencroft and Herbert.
Take them where, Captain?
To hunt for food.
Neb.
The animals will wait.
Let's take a swim.
Come on, Pencroft.
Help me! Help me!
Get down here!
You almost got him.
Don't let him get away!
Pencroft, the rope. Come on!
Come on!
Pull it!
I'll get him.
Here, get hold of this.
Don't let him get away!
Hang on, Pencroft!
Try and turn it over on its back.
Look after him, Spilett!
Try and get it over the edge!
Heave!
That's the best crab I ever cooked.
We'd be more impressed, Mr. Spilett,
if you'd put it in the pot by yourself.
Dance!
Scoot in there. That a boy.
That's a mighty big crab.
Captain, how do you suppose
it ever got that big?
-I'd like to know myself.
-From eating the giant oysters obviously.
-I guess I didn't help you much with it.
-You did all right, son.
No, I was scared.
It was the same with
getting in the balloon.
I couldn't move until I was shot at.
One shot,
and my mind was made up, too.
You don't understand.
I ran away from a battle.
I've been running ever since.
I got caught running away.
Son, your whole Union Army's
been running from mine...
...for the last three years.
Now we're running away from you.
You needn't feel special about it.
All right. We want to reach
that crater before nightfall.
Just once more around to the
top, Captain. Not too far.
Too far for me.
Oh, for the energy of youth.
Let's try a shortcut.
Give me the rope.
You mean you're
going to lasso that, Captain?
Mr. Harding, permit me.
With pleasure, Mr. Spilett.
Don't you think you ought to stick
to newspaper writing, Mr. Spilett?
Hey!
I'm surprised you're so handy
with a rope, Mr. Spilett.
Now, you just watch a good
balloonist climb one.
You just watch a gentleman.
Hey, he's doing it.
Good morning.
Look what we've got up here,
giant mice.
There are some more.
Come on, Spilett.
We're going to try and catch some goat.
Get up! Get up there!
We can build a corral
for these and keep them.
Yeah, there's nothing like cheese
made from goat milk.
-Would you like that, Captain?
-Very nice, Neb.
Hey, Captain,
can you see anything over there?
This is an island all right.
Nothing but water all around.
Hardly more than a volcano
pushed its way up out of the sea.
Harding!
-Harding!
-What?
Look out there. It's a small boat.
It must be.
-It seems to be only drifting.
-Maybe we could use it to get away.
She's beautiful.
Better than that, she's alive.
-How about this one, Captain?
-Yeah, she's alive, too.
Well, here's one that isn't.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
Thank you.
Will you have some of my soup, madam?
No, thank you.
Are you English?
No, ma'am. We're not English.
We're Americans.
It's made of shellfish.
A kind of French bouillabaisse.
There's only one kind of bouillabaisse.
-Auntie, you must have something.
-Leave me alone, child.
-Are you in charge?
-Yes, ma'am.
I take it that we're not in Marseilles...
...in spite of what the
gentleman offered us to eat.
No, ma'am.
We're somewhere in the Pacific.
On an island, to be exact.
But surely you weren't on our ship.
We came by balloon.
I beg your pardon?
I said, we came by-
Please don't talk nonsense.
I shall address myself to you.
But he's right, ma'am.
We were held in a Confederate prison and
escaped in one of their observation balloons.
Yes, I'm quite sure of it.
But we can't possibly stay here.
How soon may we leave?
I'm not quite sure, ma'am.
My name is Lady Mary Fairchild.
And this is my niece, Elena.
Ma'am. My name is Cyrus Harding.
Captain in the United States Army Engineers.
I take it you've met these others.
But where's the sailor
who was on our boat?
I'm sorry to have to tell
you, ma'am, that he's dead.
I see now.
Then how soon do you propose to leave?
Just as soon as we build a boat.
I hope it will be soon.
We were travelling home from Valparaiso.
My brother, who is Elena's father,
is British consul in Chile.
He didn't want her to make this voyage,
but I promised him she would be safe.
-How are you, my dear?
-I'm much better, thank you, Auntie.
But I think we're both
a little tired, don't you?
Yes, of course.
So if you will excuse us, gentlemen.
All right, gentlemen.
Gentlemen...
...we'll sleep out here.
Each of us will take a two-hour
watch on guard. I'll stand first.
-Neb, you next.
-Yes, sir.
Tomorrow we'll find timber for the boat.
One of us will stay here with the women.
I'll stay.
I thought you'd volunteer for that.
-Neb, you'll stay.
-Yes, sir.
This is magnificent country.
A man could write an inspired novel
in a place like this.
Looks like a good stand of
timber up there.
Supply of fresh water down here.
Pencroft, fill the cask.
Now look, I'm not...
Yes, sir.
Maybe we ought to move over to this side
of the island permanently, Captain.
You read my mind, Herbert.
I think we ought to take a look
down here on the beach first...
...to see if there's a good place
where we can build and launch the boat.
How do you expect to cut down
trees this size with a stone axe?
By putting our backs into it,
Mr. Spilett.
What a spooky place this is.
Looks like someone hung down ropes.
No, those are vine creepers.
They might have been hung there
all the same, to climb up.
-Who'd want to climb up there?
-Who saved the Captain? Who built his fire?
-Maybe it grew there naturally.
-Vines don't grow out of solid rock.
Feels strong enough to take a man's weight.
Now, you stay down here.
I'll take a look.
''And so I have decided that a life such
as this is no longer worth living.
''I therefore bequeath all
my worldly possessions to whosoever...
''...shall discover my remains.
''A curse upon the brigands who
have abandoned me to suffer and to die.''
Signed, ''Thomas Ayrton. August 13, 1862.''
I'd trade all his worldly possessions
for one good axe.
I wonder why he never drank this up.
Probably was a teetotaller.
It tastes.... It smells mighty good.
If you're looking for a story to write...
...there's a great one
in that diary for you, Mr. Spilett.
You know, Herbert, you're right.
Thomas Ayrton, honest seaman,
falls in with a gang of cutthroat pirates...
...and is cast away by them
on this mysterious island...
...with his tongue cut out
so he won't reveal their secrets.
Alone, he degenerates
into animal savagery...
...and finally, disgusted
with his bestiality...
...insane with hunger for
the human company-
Just a minute now, Mr. Spilett.
Isn't all that just a little flowery?
That's what the reading
public wants today.
He hangs himself from the rafters
of a prehistoric cave.
The death of an ex-pirate.
''Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!''
What's wrong with you?
Up the Jolly Roger!
''Fifteen men on a dead man's chest''
He's been swizzling this stuff.
This is our place,
and everything in it.
Says so in his diary.
That's quite true, Pencroft.
This is ideal.
Perfect shelter, perfect safety.
And a fine place from which to carry
out our boat building operations.
And, if I may say so, gentlemen...
...solid as a rock.
We called our new place
''The Granite House.''
And our proudest achievement was
the construction...
...of a homemade elevator.
A real engineering feat.
t made it easier for us to bring in
whatever provisions we could find.
We attempted to equip the place
with as many modern conveniences...
...as we knew how.
The women added a few welcomed,
feminine touches...
...which turned the
cave into a home...
...while we went off to
attend to the other work.
There was timber to cut,
and the boat which had to be built.
None of it was easy.
We lived like primitive men,
using primitive implements.
But ingenuity and hard work
were our most valuable tools...
...in our struggle to survive.
One tree down, but it took us days.
And whatever we did accomplish,
we still lacked many things...
...that would make life bearable.
And then, one afternoon,
Neb found something at the water's edge.
Captain, these knots
are tied sailor-fashion.
Hey!
-Look at that!
-Captain, rifles!
Breach loaders and ammunition!
Hey, Captain, what's in this box?
It's a compass, charts...
...and a sextant! We'll be able
to find out where we are.
There are hammers, saws, nails.
Hey, ladies, look at this.
Plenty of pots and pans.
Also a looking glass. And hairpins.
Hey, a telescope!
Man, there's nothing this chest ain't got.
Whoever packed this
certainly knew what we needed.
And exactly what we ought to read.
''The Life and Adventures of
Robinson Crusoe.''
Sorry.
It's mighty nice of you to do
this for me, Elena.
I intend to do it for all of you.
It's part of my job.
Captain Harding's order.
Front, please.
Mr. Spilett...
Thank you.
A few of the comforts of civilization
make life quite bearable.
That depends on how many comforts
one's been used to.
I'd say you'd never done
yourself badly, ma'am.
Why should I? But don't let
that mislead you.
I'm the best shot in the county,
and I think I could outride you at any time.
Probably outdrink you as well.
That's something we must put to
the test at a later date, ma'am.
At the moment,
my main comfort is your presence.
I'm not in much of a hurry
to leave this island now.
Well, I'm delighted to have
met you, Mr. Spilett.
I'd be even more delighted
if I knew where we were.
-Have you finished your calculations?
-Yes, ma'am. We're here.
How interesting.
Now I shall be able to say to my friends,
''Do you know Mr. Spilett?
''We ran into each other 36
degrees south, 150 degrees west.''
So much more intriguing
than the usual places.
And of course, this large body
of land is New Zealand.
New Zealand! How convenient.
I have a cousin twice removed,
he serves in the Colonial Office there.
Really?
In that case, ma'am, you'll be
delighted to know that you're only...
...one thousand eight hundred and...
...seventy-three miles away from him.
You work too hard, Captain.
Harder than any of us.
Don't you ever think of anything else?
I will, ma'am, as soon as we
get off this island.
Lady Mary, do you think that sea chest
could have come from your shipwreck?
I don't think so.
Nobody had any time to pack anything.
Captain, you seen this lettering?
''N-A-U....''
Nautilus!
Here, let me see that.
You're right. It must be from
the Nautilus.
-You mean the submarine?
-Captain Nemo's ship.
What a story that was.
-Do you remember, Lady Mary?
-No, I'm afraid I don't.
Possibly it was during
the hunting season.
It made the headlines in New York
and London for weeks.
This Nemo, with his...
...''submarine,'' did you call it?
Was he a man of some notoriety?
He was a monster, a devil.
What do you mean, he was a devil?
He was a genius.
Any man who could live under
water like a fish--
-Under what?
-Under water, ma'am.
This submarine was powered with some
incredible method he'd invented himself.
Nothing on the surface
could escape from it.
Precisely, Mr. Spilett.
And he used it to destroy
ships without warning.
Only warships, Captain.
He had a kink about war, Lady Mary.
A very sensible kink. He hated it.
Captain, what language is this?
It's Latin.
''Mihi libertas necessest.''
''I must have liberty.''
Did he find it, Mr. Spilett?
His submarine was reported lost
off the coast of Mexico...
...about eight years ago with all hands.
This chest has been floating in the sea
for eight years.
Do you really believe it has, Captain?
I'm tired.
At your age? Ridiculous!
I'm tired of working.
What do you want, a servant?
So do I.
If you find one, send her to me.
The next you can keep for yourself.
But in the meantime,
we'll go on working like the others.
Mr. Spilett thinks we've been
overworked, too. He's gone fishing.
He has?
We better hope that Captain Harding
doesn't find out.
Mary, run! Run!
Help!
Hey, Neb, hold it.
Come on, Pencroft!
-I'll get him.
-No, wait, not here! You'll hit Herbert.
Are you all right?
I wonder how many minutes it would
take to cook in a slow oven.
Boy, it cuts like butter.
It tastes delicious, too.
I guess yesterday this bird would have said
the same thing about you, Mr. Spilett.
What's the matter?
It might not have swallowed you, Mr. Spilett,
but it sure enough ate rocks.
-That doesn't look like a rock.
-No, it isn't.
That's a bullet.
None of us fired a shot at the bird.
No, I tried but the gun jammed.
This is what killed it, all the same.
-We'd have heard a shot, wouldn't we?
-Not necessarily.
It might've happened when the
bird crashed through the fence.
I might have figured it wasn't my knife.
It didn't feel right,
the way the bird fell under me.
You risked your life for me, Herbert,
and I'll never forget that.
Yes, that's right, Herbert.
Had it not been for you, Mr. Spilett
would still be on the inside...
...cutting out, instead of on
the outside cutting in, huh?
Lady Mary turned out to be quite handy
with a needle and thread.
She was able to make goatskins
into clothing for the men...
...and fashioned
a trim garment for Elena.
I don't know how I let you talk me into it.
Everyone's going to say it's far too short.
-Herbert won't.
-I'm certain he won't.
Come here.
I've decided to marry him.
And what has he decided?
Don't sound so surprised.
My mother was already married by my age.
That was on the Continent.
But don't you realise
that we may never get off this island?
Then you'll have time to wait.
-But Herbert doesn't want to wait.
-Doesn't he?
-And neither do I.
-I'm afraid you'll have to.
Go off and tend to your goats.
I'm going to ask
Captain Harding to marry us.
That'd be wonderful,
if he were only a minister, but he's not.
He's a captain, and captains
can marry people at sea.
He's a land captain, not a sea captain.
Well, we're on land, aren't we?
Herbert.
-What's the matter?
-I don't know.
It looks like honey.
It is honey.
Did you ever visit a beehive?
It's a honeycomb.
-It can't be. It's too big.
-It can't be anything else.
Let's go get some seashells,
and we'll take some back for the others.
Come on!
Get in the honeycomb!
What's it doing?
I don't know.
It's sealing us in.
-Hey, Captain. A sail!
-We're going to be saved!
They're right. Look.
Captain, shall we
light the signal fires now?
-Yeah, come on!
-Hold it!
We'll take a look at
it through the telescope first.
What's the matter, don't
you want to be saved?
It's coming this way, whatever
we do. Let's go!
Come on, get up to Granite House.
Hand me some more.
What for?
From the sea chest, remember?
I took these out.
It's heavily armed.
And it's flying the skull
and crossbones.
Do you think it's the same pirates
Ayrton wrote about in his diary?
It's the same ones who cut out
his tongue and left him to die.
We wouldn't get much mercy from them
if they find us.
You two get on the beach
and camouflage the boat.
When you come back,
get this inside and out of sight.
Spilett, stack the ammunition.
Elena's out there with Herbert.
We must get them back.
Don't worry. He's a soldier. If he sees a gang
of armed cutthroats, he'll take cover.
We're going to load and stack the rifles.
Elena!
Elena, are you all right?
What is it?
It's some kind of ship.
I've never seen anything like it before.
Come on, let's get on it.
Hello!
Is anybody there?
Come on.
Hello.
Anybody there?
Let's take a look.
-No, we'd better not.
-Come on.
Herbert, didn't Mr. Spilett say
the Nautilus was sunk eight years ago...
...off the coast of Mexico?
Yeah, he did.
Then what is it doing here?
I don't know.
Herbert! Don't!
Let's get out of here.
How do we get out?
Over there.
That wasn't there before.
Maybe the tide came out or something.
Let's swim for it.
Neb.
-How many are there?
-Only three.
They're taking out casks.
They must be going for water.
We can take them, Captain.
And bring all the rest of them ashore?
No, thanks.
We'll sit this one out quietly.
-What are they doing now?
-They're going towards the boat.
-Do you think they'll find it?
-I don't know.
Lady Mary, another rifle.
Yes, sir.
Hey, Captain, look! It's sinking.
-What do you suppose happened?
-I don't know.
Something must have blown up on her.
Come on! We better get back fast.
Run, Elena.
Put that down.
All right, we'll split up.
Spilett, you take the west side.
Neb, you go inland.
Very well, soldier.
Hang on to it if it gives you comfort.
Just don't throw it.
How do you do, Captain Harding?
I am Captain Nemo.
Nemo?
How did you know my name? Did you tell him?
It wasn't necessary.
I've known about you all for months, now,
from the day I carried you ashore.
You were the one who built the fire?
-The man who fired the mystery bullet.
-Someone had to kill that bird.
Her Ladyship's gun jammed.
Do join us, Lady Mary.
I'm not quite the ogre I appear.
Do you usually dress up like that
to frighten young ladies?
No, not to frighten young ladies.
To breathe under water.
You see, I do much of
my work out there.
So we've heard.
Like sinking ships and
drowning innocent men.
Surely you don't object to my
having placed an explosive charge...
...to that pirate ship
to drown them, do you?
See, Harding, I told you he
was a genius and not a devil.
Captain Nemo, I'm from the
New York Herald.
-I reported your story eight years ago--
-I know you.
I've read some of your dispatches.
You specialise in war news, don't you?
You supply the ink.
The soldiers supply the blood.
-I bet that was his place we just came from.
-Yes.
There's a big iron ship in a flooded grotto.
Elena and I were just aboard.
-The Nautilus? Here?
-What's left of it.
-That means we can get off--
-No, you can't.
If you hope to use my vessel to leave, don't,
because she can never take to sea again.
Why have you stayed hidden from us
all this time?
Because contact with my own species
has always disappointed me.
Solitude gives me freedom of mind
and independence of action.
Why have you picked this particular time
to interrupt this solitude?
I'll tell you.
Because your behaviour,
gentlemen, and ladies...
...in a struggle for survival,
has been quite admirable.
Now I am satisfied that I can use
your resourcefulness.
You see, that volcano is
on the verge of eruption.
A catastrophe of nature will
soon turn this island into cinders.
In short, Captain Harding,
I need your help...
...as much as you need mine.
Only you don't have much choice
if you want to live.
Now you listen to me. We won't do
anything because of your threats.
We have every intention of
going on living.
If, however, you'd care to
share the boat we're building...
...I think that might be arranged.
Thank you, but it wouldn't
be finished in time.
Also, it would be too small for my needs.
Fortunately, the ship that will carry us all
into safety is already waiting for us.
Out there.
My last bottle.
Another pressing reason
for moving out soon.
Captain Nemo, if we ever do get off this island,
I'd like to write your life story.
Yes. Whatever does a man do
on an island like this for eight years?
It depends on the man.
I did what I've always done...
...devoted my strength to
destroying the concept of warfare.
Your profession, Captain Harding.
Considering the ships and crews
that you've sunk without mercy...
...you can't disturb my conscience.
Can't I?
What I did was in the name of peace.
Your war, like all wars,
glories in devastation and death.
Well, my war will set men free.
That's a struggle that belongs
to all men, don't you think?
Just how have you been able
to carry out your crusade, Captain...
...without the
Nautilus in operation?
A good question, Mr. War Correspondent.
It will please Captain Harding to know
it did not entail the sinking of warships.
So instead, I've been conducting
experiments in horticultural physics.
Horti-what?
Experiments that will guarantee mankind
an inexhaustible food supply.
Yes. Surely you've seen the results.
-Hey, that crab!
-And the honeycomb!
The giant oysters you devoured.
The bird that almost devoured you.
With the Nautilus,
I was merely attacking the weapons of war.
But now I've conquered the causes:
famine and economic competition.
Imagine, wheat growing 40 feet high
and sheep the size of cattle.
When I've delivered my designs
and apparatus to the world...
...my work will be over.
That's what you meant when you said
our boat wouldn't be big enough.
-That is right.
-Now look.
You said that volcano was due to erupt
in the next few days.
Have we got time to just sit and talk?
Not really, but I should like
to if you don't mind.
I want to make it clear to you that
there is more than saving our lives...
...which interests me.
I must take the results of my work
back to civilization.
To do this, I realised I needed
a ship of size, like that pirate vessel.
And that's why you sent her to the bottom?
How would you dispose of
a crew of violent men in one stroke?
Do you actually believe
you can refloat a ship of that size?
I planted that charge to damage her
only in one small section.
I have the necessary
equipment to raise her.
And you all will supply the manpower.
To your very good health.
You will need it.
Now, Captain Harding...
...aren't you ready to dance
with the devil now?
You show me the pumps and the power
to raise that ship...
...and then you'll have
seven new waltz partners.
Very well.
Have a look.
This bottle, like a ship,
floats because it is filled with air.
Now, make a hole in either,
as I did in that pirate vessel...
...the air is displaced by water...
...and the bottle, like the ship,
sinks to the bottom.
Therefore, when we've set a patch
over the damaged section of the hull...
...we can pipe air into it...
...through the pipeline,
which we construct from bamboo.
The pressurised air entering here
drives the water out of the hold...
...which becomes afloat, and as it does so,
the ship will rise to the surface.
Fabricating the patch,
bolting it into place...
...making sure all sections of the hull
are airtight, including the hatchways...
...are the jobs you will
have to do under water.
I'll train you and equip you for it.
-Theoretically, it should work.
-Theoretically, we'll be dead if it doesn't.
Although Captain Nemo was confident,
was extremely doubtful.
Nevertheless, under his direction
we cut bamboo for the pipeline.
Nemo told us where there
were rubber trees...
...and the women gathered the sap
to seal the pipe connections.
And we laboriously manufactured
a large wooden patch...
...according to Nemo's
specifications.
We were to use it to repair the hull
of the damaged pirate ship.
Even Spilett worked hard on the raft
we would need.
Lady Mary and Elena arduously applied
the sealing substance...
...joining the lengths of bamboo...
...which had to be stretched
from the Nautilus' engine room...
...through tortuous rocky areas
to the water's edge and beyond.
Then Nemo gave us underwater gear
that he kept aboard his submarine.
The breathing apparatus had been
fabricated out of giant seashells.
We had to learn how to walk
with lead-weighted shoes on the seabed...
...and to withstand the pressures
of the water's depth.
Nemo then showed us the incredible
electric gun he had invented...
...for protection against
the dangers of the deep.
By learning to breathe
and walk on the seafloor...
...Nemo showed us the remains of
an ancient city and a forgotten civilization.
We could see
that once before a volcano had erupted...
...decreeing the death of all who are now
entombed in this weird, sunken citadel.
Herbert, these aren't finished here.
Well, we ought to be able
to fit the patch tomorrow morning.
Is that it? Is it starting now?
I was wrong. There won't be enough time.
Man, look at it. It's terrifying!
We've lost the race.
Still, there is always a small
chance it will subside.
I suggest we take cover in the
Nautilus and hope.
When the lava comes,
we'll just be trapped here, won't we?
How soon will that be?
Would it really help to know?
Two hours. Two hours, then.
Aren't we able to do anything
to save ourselves?
There's nothing that can be done.
Is this the infinitely resourceful
genius you told me about?
A man who says let yourself be trapped
and die without even lifting a finger.
I don't believe nothing can be done.
I don't believe it!
Lady Mary...
...I am a realist.
Captain Harding, is he right?
Have we worked so hard
and gone through all this...
...to be told there's no hope?
He is like you, a man of
faith, not of reason.
Captain.
Captain, come here, please.
I've got an idea.
Herbert, now look.
Say this is the envelope
of the balloon that brought us here.
It would only take
about half an hour to repair.
We attach it to the bamboo pipeline.
Then we place it inside the hull
of the sunken ship.
It would take, what, another hour.
Then with the pumps of the
Nautilus...
...we force air into the balloon cloth,
creating a huge air bubble...
...and floats to the surface bringing
the ship with it. It must work.
Just possible, if the fabric
will hold the pressure.
If there's a chance, we've got to try.
By heaven, it is a chance.
Captain Harding, get the
underwater equipment.
And you'd better take
the women with you.
I'll stay to operate the pump
and to assemble my equipment.
When this needle zeroes,
I'll know the ship is afloat.
Right, we'll be back for you.
Pencroft!
Neb, signal Nemo,
or none of us will get out of here.
The air's coming through, Captain.
Can you hear it?
She's up! We've done it, Captain!
All right, come on.
We've got to get the women on board
and get back for Nemo.
We deeply regretted we could not save
the life of the man who had saved ours.
A man who dedicated himself
to ending strife among men.
And when we returned to civilization,
we all pledged ourselves to working...
...for a peaceful and bountiful world,
as Captain Nemo would have it.
-Where's his papers?
-They're all here.
Don't worry, Sergeant.
You'll find them all in order.
All right. Get in there!
Is that necessary?
-All I want is a nice, dry prison cell.
-Get moving!
Is the balloon still there, Captain?
It's whipping around a bit,
but still waiting for us.
We'll need your blanket, Neb.
Captain?
I think the kid is scared.
Well, aren't you?
-You want a hand with that?
-No, sir.
I've got them both almost through.
Captain, do you think that balloon will fly
in a big wind like this without busting open?
That's not the problem, Herbert.
The problem is whether it'll fly at all.
Captain?
We've never seen more
than the top of it over the houses.
What if there's a whole
regiment guarding it?
We'll just have to fight
the whole regiment, Herbert.
Hey, Captain.
They're coming early.
Are we going through with it?
We've got no choice.
I see I shall have company.
How charming!
Won't you introduce me to
these gentlemen?
Come on, prisoner.
Get their clothes.
Here.
-Here are the keys.
-Now, you both know what to do.
Yes, sir.
Come on, get out of here.
Halt!
Hurry up!
Come on!
Wait!
Don't let me fall!
Lighten the basket. We've
got to gain height.
You all right?
Hey, Captain.
All right, let's get this
rebel out of here.
That's a mighty long drop.
You sure you know everything
about running this balloon?
Maybe this man could help us.
All right. Tie him up.
Now that we're up here, I suppose
we should introduce ourselves.
-Captain Cyrus Harding.
-Captain, look, food.
This is Neb. Union soldier.
-I'm Herbert Brown, Pennsylvania Infantry.
-Watch it!
Don't all crowd to one side.
I know what uniform that is.
You're a Union war correspondent.
Very observant, young man.
Gideon Spilett,
New York Herald.
How much food is in that box, Neb?
Enough for five days, maybe.
Four if Mr. Spilett decides to stay.
That all depends, of course,
on where you're headed.
Wherever the wind takes us,
Mr. Spilett.
Looks like your other
guest is coming around.
You're my prisoner.
What's your name and rank?
Sergeant Pencroft.
Regiment?
Confederate Army.
That's all you'll get out of me.
Now listen, soldier.
You ever seen a burial at sea?
Well, you're dressed for one.
Only we're not over the sea.
We're over land, and about a mile up.
It's a long way up, Sergeant.
What these warriors are
trying to say, Sergeant...
...is that if you know anything
about running this thing, you can stay.
Otherwise...
I can work it.
Do you mean you can bring this
thing down when you like?
I can bring you down,
but not necessarily alive.
The way this wind is running,
we'll smash to a pulp when we hit land.
You offering parole?
That's all, rebel.
All right, then. Now hear my terms.
This gale is blowing due west.
Now, maybe we could come down
in your lines, and maybe in mine.
Whichever it is, nobody is anybody's
prisoner when we touch land.
Do you understand?
We all go our own way,
and we don't discuss politics.
Otherwise, Yankees, you can just let
this gale blow you to kingdom come.
All right, cut him loose.
Congratulations, Captain.
This was just the beginning.
We escaped, but only into the clutches
of the greatest storm in American history.
Below us, when we could still see through
the patches of angry clouds...
...were smashed cities
and forests torn up by their roots.
Then finally,
the Earth disappeared from our view.
We were prisoners of the wind,
helpless in the storm's mighty grip.
And we wondered how much longer
would we remain aloft?
Would we ever set foot
on the Earth again?
Hey, Captain...
Westward, Neb, still westward.
It's been four days.
Hey, looks like water.
It could be a lake.
Well, it's too big to be a river.
It's too big for either.
Must be the ocean.
Pencroft, take us down
and we'll have a closer look.
It can't be the Pacific.
It can't be anything else.
You mean we've been carried
clear across America?
It looks like it.
Captain, aren't we coming
down awfully fast?
Pencroft, close the valve.
It's stuck!
We're going to hit
the water and drown!
Can't you do something?
Get your hands off that rope!
It's caught across the opening.
Someone's got to get up there!
-I'm going up.
-No! Lighten the balloon.
Chuck out the rest of the sandbags.
Hurry, Captain. Hurry!
The valve, Captain!
Turn that valve, Captain!
Harder!
No, not that way!
No!
Thank you, Pencroft.
I'm glad I decided to let you stay.
Not you, Captain.
It's this valve bar you broke off.
-Hey, we're not dropping anymore.
-No, I got it closed.
You closed it permanently.
We can't get down anymore.
This was the only control we had.
Captain, the balloon,
it's tearing open.
Everything! Throw out everything!
Throw out the food, too?
Food, clothes, everything loose.
We're still dropping, Mr. Spilett.
I suppose you'll want us to volunteer
to go over the side next.
Listen!
It sounds like waves
breaking on the shore.
Land!
Where?
Dead ahead, there.
We'll never stay up long
enough to get there.
Everybody up on the ring.
Cut the basket loose.
-What for?
-The man's right.
There might be enough gas in the balloon
to keep us afloat on the water.
Come on.
Get up there.
I can't.
Now look, you climb or you drown, soldier.
Now get up there!
All right. Now cut it off at these ropes.
Captain!
-I'm swimming in.
-You'd better not!
That's the way I'm going.
No!
Captain Harding! Captain Harding!
Captain Harding! It's me, Neb.
Did you see anything, Neb?
No. How about you?
Nothing. We went about a mile beyond
where he dropped off.
-Not a sign.
-Maybe he's a bit further up that way.
He'd have to be the best swimmer
in the world to get even this far.
-It won't hurt us to try.
-He's drowned.
You got no right to say that,
do you hear me?
Maybe Spilett's seen something
from the rocks.
Oysters, gentlemen?
How come you're not looking
for the Captain, Mr. Spilett?
Because I'm looking for food instead.
Boy, did you ever see oysters
that size before?
-It's almost supernatural, isn't it?
-Look at him.
He's interested in food
while the Captain is still missing.
Take it easy, Neb.
You won't find him. Not alive, anyway.
I tell you he's drowned.
All right, Sergeant. Help yourself.
There. Get your health back.
-What, just raw like that?
-Sure. Why not?
No, thanks.
Come on, boy. Eat up! Come on!
Hey! Smoke!
Come on.
Captain Harding!
-Hey, Captain, are you all right?
-Yeah.
I knew you were alive, Captain.
Hey, didn't I tell you?
Didn't I tell you?
Neb, Herbert, you're all safe. Good.
Good morning, Captain. We missed you.
We would have found you sooner, Captain,
if you hadn't hidden out in these rocks.
-Didn't you bring me here?
-No, sir. We saw your fire.
I wasn't capable of lighting a fire
even if I'd had any matches.
And I hadn't.
None of us had, either.
I don't remember anything
since I went under.
Obviously. Neb,
he needs some hot food.
Bring some of those coals,
and I'll cook up a giant oyster stew.
Where do you think this fire came from
if the Captain didn't light it?
Of course he lit it somehow.
He just doesn't remember,
that's all.
One giant oyster stew special,
coming up.
-It smells good.
-It is, son.
Don't touch that, Captain.
It's the seasoning.
-What is it?
-Seaweed.
Captain, any idea where we are?
No.
That wind must have taken us
thousands of miles.
-Fiji, maybe.
-Or New Zealand. Anywhere.
Anywhere? On the other hand,
could be nowhere. Eh, Captain?
Gentlemen, we're going to climb that.
What for, Captain, the exercise?
No, for survival, Mr. Spilett.
From up there, we might be able to see
where we are and how to escape.
Escape to where this time?
And on the way, we'll hunt and forage.
We need meat and vegetables.
And how will we kill the game?
You threw our only guns away.
-Herbert?
-Yes, sir?
-Have you still got your knife?
-Yes, sir.
Good. Then you and Neb
will be spear-makers.
Pencroft, you'll be the vegetable-finder.
I'm in the Confederate Army, not yours.
The arrangement was, once we landed,
I stopped being your prisoner.
The agreement was we'd go our own ways.
Either you come my way, under my command,
or you can fend for yourself.
All right.
-I'll find vegetables.
-Good.
And don't try and eat any of the food
you find until our cook has tasted it.
And who is ''our cook''?
You are.
I'm a civilian.
I don't have to take orders from you,
whatever army you're in.
That's legally correct, Mr. Spilett,
but I was under the impression...
...that you'd joined my command.
Joined? I was drafted.
Captain, why don't we turn this island
into a democracy and elect a leader?
One who won't keep escaping to places
which need escaping from.
Because all of us here are still at war,
and I happen to be the ranking officer.
Still at war! All right, I'll cook.
I thought you would, Mr. Spilett.
I'm the butcher man. I'll keep you busy.
Hey, take it easy.
The landscape everywhere was a mixture
of the strange and the beautiful.
Volcanoes surrounded by tropical palms
and sandy beaches.
A riot of wonderful
hues and fantastic colours.
And except for that fire we found
on the first day...
...there was no evidence
that man had ever set foot here before.
We saw birds, and many overgrown plants,
as if patches of nature had gone wild.
t was a rugged trek upwards.
Our physical condition
caused us to tire readily...
...and we were never
sure of our footing.
Then finally we came to the shore
of what must have been...
...the other side of the island.
So help me, whales.
Those aren't whales.
They're geysers.
Now we know where
we can get a hot bath.
All right, gentlemen,
we'll make this our rendezvous.
Now, Mr. Spilett, I'll take Neb.
You take Pencroft and Herbert.
Take them where, Captain?
To hunt for food.
Neb.
The animals will wait.
Let's take a swim.
Come on, Pencroft.
Help me! Help me!
Get down here!
You almost got him.
Don't let him get away!
Pencroft, the rope. Come on!
Come on!
Pull it!
I'll get him.
Here, get hold of this.
Don't let him get away!
Hang on, Pencroft!
Try and turn it over on its back.
Look after him, Spilett!
Try and get it over the edge!
Heave!
That's the best crab I ever cooked.
We'd be more impressed, Mr. Spilett,
if you'd put it in the pot by yourself.
Dance!
Scoot in there. That a boy.
That's a mighty big crab.
Captain, how do you suppose
it ever got that big?
-I'd like to know myself.
-From eating the giant oysters obviously.
-I guess I didn't help you much with it.
-You did all right, son.
No, I was scared.
It was the same with
getting in the balloon.
I couldn't move until I was shot at.
One shot,
and my mind was made up, too.
You don't understand.
I ran away from a battle.
I've been running ever since.
I got caught running away.
Son, your whole Union Army's
been running from mine...
...for the last three years.
Now we're running away from you.
You needn't feel special about it.
All right. We want to reach
that crater before nightfall.
Just once more around to the
top, Captain. Not too far.
Too far for me.
Oh, for the energy of youth.
Let's try a shortcut.
Give me the rope.
You mean you're
going to lasso that, Captain?
Mr. Harding, permit me.
With pleasure, Mr. Spilett.
Don't you think you ought to stick
to newspaper writing, Mr. Spilett?
Hey!
I'm surprised you're so handy
with a rope, Mr. Spilett.
Now, you just watch a good
balloonist climb one.
You just watch a gentleman.
Hey, he's doing it.
Good morning.
Look what we've got up here,
giant mice.
There are some more.
Come on, Spilett.
We're going to try and catch some goat.
Get up! Get up there!
We can build a corral
for these and keep them.
Yeah, there's nothing like cheese
made from goat milk.
-Would you like that, Captain?
-Very nice, Neb.
Hey, Captain,
can you see anything over there?
This is an island all right.
Nothing but water all around.
Hardly more than a volcano
pushed its way up out of the sea.
Harding!
-Harding!
-What?
Look out there. It's a small boat.
It must be.
-It seems to be only drifting.
-Maybe we could use it to get away.
She's beautiful.
Better than that, she's alive.
-How about this one, Captain?
-Yeah, she's alive, too.
Well, here's one that isn't.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
Thank you.
Will you have some of my soup, madam?
No, thank you.
Are you English?
No, ma'am. We're not English.
We're Americans.
It's made of shellfish.
A kind of French bouillabaisse.
There's only one kind of bouillabaisse.
-Auntie, you must have something.
-Leave me alone, child.
-Are you in charge?
-Yes, ma'am.
I take it that we're not in Marseilles...
...in spite of what the
gentleman offered us to eat.
No, ma'am.
We're somewhere in the Pacific.
On an island, to be exact.
But surely you weren't on our ship.
We came by balloon.
I beg your pardon?
I said, we came by-
Please don't talk nonsense.
I shall address myself to you.
But he's right, ma'am.
We were held in a Confederate prison and
escaped in one of their observation balloons.
Yes, I'm quite sure of it.
But we can't possibly stay here.
How soon may we leave?
I'm not quite sure, ma'am.
My name is Lady Mary Fairchild.
And this is my niece, Elena.
Ma'am. My name is Cyrus Harding.
Captain in the United States Army Engineers.
I take it you've met these others.
But where's the sailor
who was on our boat?
I'm sorry to have to tell
you, ma'am, that he's dead.
I see now.
Then how soon do you propose to leave?
Just as soon as we build a boat.
I hope it will be soon.
We were travelling home from Valparaiso.
My brother, who is Elena's father,
is British consul in Chile.
He didn't want her to make this voyage,
but I promised him she would be safe.
-How are you, my dear?
-I'm much better, thank you, Auntie.
But I think we're both
a little tired, don't you?
Yes, of course.
So if you will excuse us, gentlemen.
All right, gentlemen.
Gentlemen...
...we'll sleep out here.
Each of us will take a two-hour
watch on guard. I'll stand first.
-Neb, you next.
-Yes, sir.
Tomorrow we'll find timber for the boat.
One of us will stay here with the women.
I'll stay.
I thought you'd volunteer for that.
-Neb, you'll stay.
-Yes, sir.
This is magnificent country.
A man could write an inspired novel
in a place like this.
Looks like a good stand of
timber up there.
Supply of fresh water down here.
Pencroft, fill the cask.
Now look, I'm not...
Yes, sir.
Maybe we ought to move over to this side
of the island permanently, Captain.
You read my mind, Herbert.
I think we ought to take a look
down here on the beach first...
...to see if there's a good place
where we can build and launch the boat.
How do you expect to cut down
trees this size with a stone axe?
By putting our backs into it,
Mr. Spilett.
What a spooky place this is.
Looks like someone hung down ropes.
No, those are vine creepers.
They might have been hung there
all the same, to climb up.
-Who'd want to climb up there?
-Who saved the Captain? Who built his fire?
-Maybe it grew there naturally.
-Vines don't grow out of solid rock.
Feels strong enough to take a man's weight.
Now, you stay down here.
I'll take a look.
''And so I have decided that a life such
as this is no longer worth living.
''I therefore bequeath all
my worldly possessions to whosoever...
''...shall discover my remains.
''A curse upon the brigands who
have abandoned me to suffer and to die.''
Signed, ''Thomas Ayrton. August 13, 1862.''
I'd trade all his worldly possessions
for one good axe.
I wonder why he never drank this up.
Probably was a teetotaller.
It tastes.... It smells mighty good.
If you're looking for a story to write...
...there's a great one
in that diary for you, Mr. Spilett.
You know, Herbert, you're right.
Thomas Ayrton, honest seaman,
falls in with a gang of cutthroat pirates...
...and is cast away by them
on this mysterious island...
...with his tongue cut out
so he won't reveal their secrets.
Alone, he degenerates
into animal savagery...
...and finally, disgusted
with his bestiality...
...insane with hunger for
the human company-
Just a minute now, Mr. Spilett.
Isn't all that just a little flowery?
That's what the reading
public wants today.
He hangs himself from the rafters
of a prehistoric cave.
The death of an ex-pirate.
''Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!''
What's wrong with you?
Up the Jolly Roger!
''Fifteen men on a dead man's chest''
He's been swizzling this stuff.
This is our place,
and everything in it.
Says so in his diary.
That's quite true, Pencroft.
This is ideal.
Perfect shelter, perfect safety.
And a fine place from which to carry
out our boat building operations.
And, if I may say so, gentlemen...
...solid as a rock.
We called our new place
''The Granite House.''
And our proudest achievement was
the construction...
...of a homemade elevator.
A real engineering feat.
t made it easier for us to bring in
whatever provisions we could find.
We attempted to equip the place
with as many modern conveniences...
...as we knew how.
The women added a few welcomed,
feminine touches...
...which turned the
cave into a home...
...while we went off to
attend to the other work.
There was timber to cut,
and the boat which had to be built.
None of it was easy.
We lived like primitive men,
using primitive implements.
But ingenuity and hard work
were our most valuable tools...
...in our struggle to survive.
One tree down, but it took us days.
And whatever we did accomplish,
we still lacked many things...
...that would make life bearable.
And then, one afternoon,
Neb found something at the water's edge.
Captain, these knots
are tied sailor-fashion.
Hey!
-Look at that!
-Captain, rifles!
Breach loaders and ammunition!
Hey, Captain, what's in this box?
It's a compass, charts...
...and a sextant! We'll be able
to find out where we are.
There are hammers, saws, nails.
Hey, ladies, look at this.
Plenty of pots and pans.
Also a looking glass. And hairpins.
Hey, a telescope!
Man, there's nothing this chest ain't got.
Whoever packed this
certainly knew what we needed.
And exactly what we ought to read.
''The Life and Adventures of
Robinson Crusoe.''
Sorry.
It's mighty nice of you to do
this for me, Elena.
I intend to do it for all of you.
It's part of my job.
Captain Harding's order.
Front, please.
Mr. Spilett...
Thank you.
A few of the comforts of civilization
make life quite bearable.
That depends on how many comforts
one's been used to.
I'd say you'd never done
yourself badly, ma'am.
Why should I? But don't let
that mislead you.
I'm the best shot in the county,
and I think I could outride you at any time.
Probably outdrink you as well.
That's something we must put to
the test at a later date, ma'am.
At the moment,
my main comfort is your presence.
I'm not in much of a hurry
to leave this island now.
Well, I'm delighted to have
met you, Mr. Spilett.
I'd be even more delighted
if I knew where we were.
-Have you finished your calculations?
-Yes, ma'am. We're here.
How interesting.
Now I shall be able to say to my friends,
''Do you know Mr. Spilett?
''We ran into each other 36
degrees south, 150 degrees west.''
So much more intriguing
than the usual places.
And of course, this large body
of land is New Zealand.
New Zealand! How convenient.
I have a cousin twice removed,
he serves in the Colonial Office there.
Really?
In that case, ma'am, you'll be
delighted to know that you're only...
...one thousand eight hundred and...
...seventy-three miles away from him.
You work too hard, Captain.
Harder than any of us.
Don't you ever think of anything else?
I will, ma'am, as soon as we
get off this island.
Lady Mary, do you think that sea chest
could have come from your shipwreck?
I don't think so.
Nobody had any time to pack anything.
Captain, you seen this lettering?
''N-A-U....''
Nautilus!
Here, let me see that.
You're right. It must be from
the Nautilus.
-You mean the submarine?
-Captain Nemo's ship.
What a story that was.
-Do you remember, Lady Mary?
-No, I'm afraid I don't.
Possibly it was during
the hunting season.
It made the headlines in New York
and London for weeks.
This Nemo, with his...
...''submarine,'' did you call it?
Was he a man of some notoriety?
He was a monster, a devil.
What do you mean, he was a devil?
He was a genius.
Any man who could live under
water like a fish--
-Under what?
-Under water, ma'am.
This submarine was powered with some
incredible method he'd invented himself.
Nothing on the surface
could escape from it.
Precisely, Mr. Spilett.
And he used it to destroy
ships without warning.
Only warships, Captain.
He had a kink about war, Lady Mary.
A very sensible kink. He hated it.
Captain, what language is this?
It's Latin.
''Mihi libertas necessest.''
''I must have liberty.''
Did he find it, Mr. Spilett?
His submarine was reported lost
off the coast of Mexico...
...about eight years ago with all hands.
This chest has been floating in the sea
for eight years.
Do you really believe it has, Captain?
I'm tired.
At your age? Ridiculous!
I'm tired of working.
What do you want, a servant?
So do I.
If you find one, send her to me.
The next you can keep for yourself.
But in the meantime,
we'll go on working like the others.
Mr. Spilett thinks we've been
overworked, too. He's gone fishing.
He has?
We better hope that Captain Harding
doesn't find out.
Mary, run! Run!
Help!
Hey, Neb, hold it.
Come on, Pencroft!
-I'll get him.
-No, wait, not here! You'll hit Herbert.
Are you all right?
I wonder how many minutes it would
take to cook in a slow oven.
Boy, it cuts like butter.
It tastes delicious, too.
I guess yesterday this bird would have said
the same thing about you, Mr. Spilett.
What's the matter?
It might not have swallowed you, Mr. Spilett,
but it sure enough ate rocks.
-That doesn't look like a rock.
-No, it isn't.
That's a bullet.
None of us fired a shot at the bird.
No, I tried but the gun jammed.
This is what killed it, all the same.
-We'd have heard a shot, wouldn't we?
-Not necessarily.
It might've happened when the
bird crashed through the fence.
I might have figured it wasn't my knife.
It didn't feel right,
the way the bird fell under me.
You risked your life for me, Herbert,
and I'll never forget that.
Yes, that's right, Herbert.
Had it not been for you, Mr. Spilett
would still be on the inside...
...cutting out, instead of on
the outside cutting in, huh?
Lady Mary turned out to be quite handy
with a needle and thread.
She was able to make goatskins
into clothing for the men...
...and fashioned
a trim garment for Elena.
I don't know how I let you talk me into it.
Everyone's going to say it's far too short.
-Herbert won't.
-I'm certain he won't.
Come here.
I've decided to marry him.
And what has he decided?
Don't sound so surprised.
My mother was already married by my age.
That was on the Continent.
But don't you realise
that we may never get off this island?
Then you'll have time to wait.
-But Herbert doesn't want to wait.
-Doesn't he?
-And neither do I.
-I'm afraid you'll have to.
Go off and tend to your goats.
I'm going to ask
Captain Harding to marry us.
That'd be wonderful,
if he were only a minister, but he's not.
He's a captain, and captains
can marry people at sea.
He's a land captain, not a sea captain.
Well, we're on land, aren't we?
Herbert.
-What's the matter?
-I don't know.
It looks like honey.
It is honey.
Did you ever visit a beehive?
It's a honeycomb.
-It can't be. It's too big.
-It can't be anything else.
Let's go get some seashells,
and we'll take some back for the others.
Come on!
Get in the honeycomb!
What's it doing?
I don't know.
It's sealing us in.
-Hey, Captain. A sail!
-We're going to be saved!
They're right. Look.
Captain, shall we
light the signal fires now?
-Yeah, come on!
-Hold it!
We'll take a look at
it through the telescope first.
What's the matter, don't
you want to be saved?
It's coming this way, whatever
we do. Let's go!
Come on, get up to Granite House.
Hand me some more.
What for?
From the sea chest, remember?
I took these out.
It's heavily armed.
And it's flying the skull
and crossbones.
Do you think it's the same pirates
Ayrton wrote about in his diary?
It's the same ones who cut out
his tongue and left him to die.
We wouldn't get much mercy from them
if they find us.
You two get on the beach
and camouflage the boat.
When you come back,
get this inside and out of sight.
Spilett, stack the ammunition.
Elena's out there with Herbert.
We must get them back.
Don't worry. He's a soldier. If he sees a gang
of armed cutthroats, he'll take cover.
We're going to load and stack the rifles.
Elena!
Elena, are you all right?
What is it?
It's some kind of ship.
I've never seen anything like it before.
Come on, let's get on it.
Hello!
Is anybody there?
Come on.
Hello.
Anybody there?
Let's take a look.
-No, we'd better not.
-Come on.
Herbert, didn't Mr. Spilett say
the Nautilus was sunk eight years ago...
...off the coast of Mexico?
Yeah, he did.
Then what is it doing here?
I don't know.
Herbert! Don't!
Let's get out of here.
How do we get out?
Over there.
That wasn't there before.
Maybe the tide came out or something.
Let's swim for it.
Neb.
-How many are there?
-Only three.
They're taking out casks.
They must be going for water.
We can take them, Captain.
And bring all the rest of them ashore?
No, thanks.
We'll sit this one out quietly.
-What are they doing now?
-They're going towards the boat.
-Do you think they'll find it?
-I don't know.
Lady Mary, another rifle.
Yes, sir.
Hey, Captain, look! It's sinking.
-What do you suppose happened?
-I don't know.
Something must have blown up on her.
Come on! We better get back fast.
Run, Elena.
Put that down.
All right, we'll split up.
Spilett, you take the west side.
Neb, you go inland.
Very well, soldier.
Hang on to it if it gives you comfort.
Just don't throw it.
How do you do, Captain Harding?
I am Captain Nemo.
Nemo?
How did you know my name? Did you tell him?
It wasn't necessary.
I've known about you all for months, now,
from the day I carried you ashore.
You were the one who built the fire?
-The man who fired the mystery bullet.
-Someone had to kill that bird.
Her Ladyship's gun jammed.
Do join us, Lady Mary.
I'm not quite the ogre I appear.
Do you usually dress up like that
to frighten young ladies?
No, not to frighten young ladies.
To breathe under water.
You see, I do much of
my work out there.
So we've heard.
Like sinking ships and
drowning innocent men.
Surely you don't object to my
having placed an explosive charge...
...to that pirate ship
to drown them, do you?
See, Harding, I told you he
was a genius and not a devil.
Captain Nemo, I'm from the
New York Herald.
-I reported your story eight years ago--
-I know you.
I've read some of your dispatches.
You specialise in war news, don't you?
You supply the ink.
The soldiers supply the blood.
-I bet that was his place we just came from.
-Yes.
There's a big iron ship in a flooded grotto.
Elena and I were just aboard.
-The Nautilus? Here?
-What's left of it.
-That means we can get off--
-No, you can't.
If you hope to use my vessel to leave, don't,
because she can never take to sea again.
Why have you stayed hidden from us
all this time?
Because contact with my own species
has always disappointed me.
Solitude gives me freedom of mind
and independence of action.
Why have you picked this particular time
to interrupt this solitude?
I'll tell you.
Because your behaviour,
gentlemen, and ladies...
...in a struggle for survival,
has been quite admirable.
Now I am satisfied that I can use
your resourcefulness.
You see, that volcano is
on the verge of eruption.
A catastrophe of nature will
soon turn this island into cinders.
In short, Captain Harding,
I need your help...
...as much as you need mine.
Only you don't have much choice
if you want to live.
Now you listen to me. We won't do
anything because of your threats.
We have every intention of
going on living.
If, however, you'd care to
share the boat we're building...
...I think that might be arranged.
Thank you, but it wouldn't
be finished in time.
Also, it would be too small for my needs.
Fortunately, the ship that will carry us all
into safety is already waiting for us.
Out there.
My last bottle.
Another pressing reason
for moving out soon.
Captain Nemo, if we ever do get off this island,
I'd like to write your life story.
Yes. Whatever does a man do
on an island like this for eight years?
It depends on the man.
I did what I've always done...
...devoted my strength to
destroying the concept of warfare.
Your profession, Captain Harding.
Considering the ships and crews
that you've sunk without mercy...
...you can't disturb my conscience.
Can't I?
What I did was in the name of peace.
Your war, like all wars,
glories in devastation and death.
Well, my war will set men free.
That's a struggle that belongs
to all men, don't you think?
Just how have you been able
to carry out your crusade, Captain...
...without the
Nautilus in operation?
A good question, Mr. War Correspondent.
It will please Captain Harding to know
it did not entail the sinking of warships.
So instead, I've been conducting
experiments in horticultural physics.
Horti-what?
Experiments that will guarantee mankind
an inexhaustible food supply.
Yes. Surely you've seen the results.
-Hey, that crab!
-And the honeycomb!
The giant oysters you devoured.
The bird that almost devoured you.
With the Nautilus,
I was merely attacking the weapons of war.
But now I've conquered the causes:
famine and economic competition.
Imagine, wheat growing 40 feet high
and sheep the size of cattle.
When I've delivered my designs
and apparatus to the world...
...my work will be over.
That's what you meant when you said
our boat wouldn't be big enough.
-That is right.
-Now look.
You said that volcano was due to erupt
in the next few days.
Have we got time to just sit and talk?
Not really, but I should like
to if you don't mind.
I want to make it clear to you that
there is more than saving our lives...
...which interests me.
I must take the results of my work
back to civilization.
To do this, I realised I needed
a ship of size, like that pirate vessel.
And that's why you sent her to the bottom?
How would you dispose of
a crew of violent men in one stroke?
Do you actually believe
you can refloat a ship of that size?
I planted that charge to damage her
only in one small section.
I have the necessary
equipment to raise her.
And you all will supply the manpower.
To your very good health.
You will need it.
Now, Captain Harding...
...aren't you ready to dance
with the devil now?
You show me the pumps and the power
to raise that ship...
...and then you'll have
seven new waltz partners.
Very well.
Have a look.
This bottle, like a ship,
floats because it is filled with air.
Now, make a hole in either,
as I did in that pirate vessel...
...the air is displaced by water...
...and the bottle, like the ship,
sinks to the bottom.
Therefore, when we've set a patch
over the damaged section of the hull...
...we can pipe air into it...
...through the pipeline,
which we construct from bamboo.
The pressurised air entering here
drives the water out of the hold...
...which becomes afloat, and as it does so,
the ship will rise to the surface.
Fabricating the patch,
bolting it into place...
...making sure all sections of the hull
are airtight, including the hatchways...
...are the jobs you will
have to do under water.
I'll train you and equip you for it.
-Theoretically, it should work.
-Theoretically, we'll be dead if it doesn't.
Although Captain Nemo was confident,
was extremely doubtful.
Nevertheless, under his direction
we cut bamboo for the pipeline.
Nemo told us where there
were rubber trees...
...and the women gathered the sap
to seal the pipe connections.
And we laboriously manufactured
a large wooden patch...
...according to Nemo's
specifications.
We were to use it to repair the hull
of the damaged pirate ship.
Even Spilett worked hard on the raft
we would need.
Lady Mary and Elena arduously applied
the sealing substance...
...joining the lengths of bamboo...
...which had to be stretched
from the Nautilus' engine room...
...through tortuous rocky areas
to the water's edge and beyond.
Then Nemo gave us underwater gear
that he kept aboard his submarine.
The breathing apparatus had been
fabricated out of giant seashells.
We had to learn how to walk
with lead-weighted shoes on the seabed...
...and to withstand the pressures
of the water's depth.
Nemo then showed us the incredible
electric gun he had invented...
...for protection against
the dangers of the deep.
By learning to breathe
and walk on the seafloor...
...Nemo showed us the remains of
an ancient city and a forgotten civilization.
We could see
that once before a volcano had erupted...
...decreeing the death of all who are now
entombed in this weird, sunken citadel.
Herbert, these aren't finished here.
Well, we ought to be able
to fit the patch tomorrow morning.
Is that it? Is it starting now?
I was wrong. There won't be enough time.
Man, look at it. It's terrifying!
We've lost the race.
Still, there is always a small
chance it will subside.
I suggest we take cover in the
Nautilus and hope.
When the lava comes,
we'll just be trapped here, won't we?
How soon will that be?
Would it really help to know?
Two hours. Two hours, then.
Aren't we able to do anything
to save ourselves?
There's nothing that can be done.
Is this the infinitely resourceful
genius you told me about?
A man who says let yourself be trapped
and die without even lifting a finger.
I don't believe nothing can be done.
I don't believe it!
Lady Mary...
...I am a realist.
Captain Harding, is he right?
Have we worked so hard
and gone through all this...
...to be told there's no hope?
He is like you, a man of
faith, not of reason.
Captain.
Captain, come here, please.
I've got an idea.
Herbert, now look.
Say this is the envelope
of the balloon that brought us here.
It would only take
about half an hour to repair.
We attach it to the bamboo pipeline.
Then we place it inside the hull
of the sunken ship.
It would take, what, another hour.
Then with the pumps of the
Nautilus...
...we force air into the balloon cloth,
creating a huge air bubble...
...and floats to the surface bringing
the ship with it. It must work.
Just possible, if the fabric
will hold the pressure.
If there's a chance, we've got to try.
By heaven, it is a chance.
Captain Harding, get the
underwater equipment.
And you'd better take
the women with you.
I'll stay to operate the pump
and to assemble my equipment.
When this needle zeroes,
I'll know the ship is afloat.
Right, we'll be back for you.
Pencroft!
Neb, signal Nemo,
or none of us will get out of here.
The air's coming through, Captain.
Can you hear it?
She's up! We've done it, Captain!
All right, come on.
We've got to get the women on board
and get back for Nemo.
We deeply regretted we could not save
the life of the man who had saved ours.
A man who dedicated himself
to ending strife among men.
And when we returned to civilization,
we all pledged ourselves to working...
...for a peaceful and bountiful world,
as Captain Nemo would have it.