Barry Lindon

Roderick and Galgenstein riding together.

Dialogue under voice over.

RODERICK (V.O.)

My companion treated me with great civility, and asked me a thousand questions about England, which I answered as best I might. But this best, I am bound to say, was bad enough. I knew nothing about England, and I invented a thousand stories which I told him; described the king and the ministers to him, said the British ambassador in Berlin was my uncle, and promised my acquaintance a letter of recommendation to him.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

What is your uncle's name?

RODERICK

(slowly)

O'Grady.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

(with a laugh)

Oh, yes, of course, Ambassador O'Grady...

EXT. DESOLATE GERMAN ROAD - DAY

Roderick and Captain Galgenstein. Their horses' heads together, jogging on.

They pass a party of recruits under the armed guard of a red-coated Hanoverian sergeant.

He exchanges signs of recognition with Captain Galgenstein.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

It hurts my feelings to be obliged to commune with such wretches, but the stern necessities of war demand men continually, and hence these recruiters whom you see market in human flesh. They get five-and-twenty thaler a man from our government for every man they bring in. For fine men -- for men like you.

(he adds laughing)

They would go as high as hundred.

EXT. DESOLATE GERMAN INN - LATE AFTERNOON

Roderick and Captain Galgenstein approach a very lonely-looking place.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

This is a very good inn. Shall we stop for dinner?

RODERICK

This may be a very good inn for Germany, but it would not pass in old Ireland. Corbach is only a league off, let us push on for Corbach.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

Do you want to see the loveliest woman in Europe?

Roderick smiles.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

Ah! You sly rogue, I see that will influence you.

RODERICK

The place seems more a farm than an inn-yard.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

The people are great farmers, as well as inn-keepers.

They enter by a great gate into a court, walled round, and at on end of which is the building, a dingy ruinous place.

A couple of covered wagons are in the courtyard; their horses are littered under a shed hard by.

Lounging about the place are some men, and a pair of sergeants in the Prussian uniform, who both touch their hats to the captain.

The inn has something foreboding about it, and the men shut the great yard-gates as soon as they enter.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

(explaining the gate)

Parties of French horsemen are about the country, and one cannot take too many precautions against such villains.

The two sergeant take charge of the horses; the captain orders one of them to take Roderick's valise to his bedroom.

Roderick promises the sergeant a glass of schnapps for his pains.

They enter into supper.

INT. GERMAN INN - LATE AFTERNOON

A dish of fried eggs and bacon is ordered from a hideous old wench that comes to serve them, in place of the lovely creature which had been expected; and the captain, laughing, says:

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

Well, our meal is a frugal one, but a soldier has many a time a worse.

Taking off his hat, sword-belt, and gloves, with great ceremony, Galgenstein sits down to eat. Roderick puts his weapons securely on the old chest of drawers where the captain's is laid.

The hideous old woman brings in a pot of very sour wine, at which, and at her ugliness, Roderick feels a considerable ill-humor.

RODERICK

(when she leaves)

Where's the beauty you promised me?

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

(laughing and looking hard at Roderick)

It was my joke. I was tired, and did not care to go farther. There's not prettier woman here than that. If she won't suit your fancy, my friend, then you must wait awhile.

This increases Roderick's ill-humor.

RODERICK

(sternly)

Upon my word, sir, I think you have acted very coolly.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

I have acted as I think fit. Sir, I'm a British officer.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

It's a lie! You're a deserter! You're an impostor, sir; Your lies and folly have confirmed this to me. You pretend to carry dispatches to a general who has been dead these ten months; you have an uncle who is an ambassador and whose name you don't know. Will you join and take the bounty, sir, or will you be given up?

RODERICK

Neither! Springing at him like a tiger.

But, agile as he is, Galgenstein is equally on his guard. He takes two pistols out of his pockets, fires one off, and says, from the other end of the table where he stands dodging Roderick, as it were.

CAPTAIN GALGENSTEIN

Advance a step, and I send this bullet into your brains!

The door is flung open, and the two sergeants enter, armed with musket and bayonet to aid their captain.

The game is up. Roderick flings down a knife with which he had armed himself, for the old hag, on bringing in the wine, had removed his sword.

RODERICK

I volunteer.

EXT. A ROAD - DAY

Prussian troops on the march. Roderick is now one of them.

Captain Galgenstein rides by.

RODERICK (V.O.)

At the close of the Seven Years' War, the Prussian army, so renowned for its disciplined valor, was officered and under-officered by native Prussians, it is true, but was composed for the most part of men hired or stolen, like myself, from almost every nation in Europe. The deserting to and fro was prodigious.

EXT. A FIELD - DAY

Prussian punishment gauntlet.

RODERICK (V.O.)

The life the private soldier led was a frightful one to any but the men of iron courage and endurance. The punishment was incessant.

EXT. VARIOUS RURAL LOCATIONS - DAY

RODERICK (V.O.)

I was not near so unhappy, in spite of all, as I had been on my first enlisting in Ireland. At least, there will be no one of my acquaintance who will witness my shame, and that is the point which I have always cared for most.

Rape, pillage and burn.

Brief thematic repeat of British army version.

RODERICK (V.O.)

I reasoned with myself thus: 'Now you are caught, there is no use in repining -- make the best of your situation, and get all the pleasure you can out of it. There are a thousand opportunities of