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As allied POWs prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team's escape.
Capt. John Colby - The Players: England: What's the verdict on Williams? Major Karl Von Steiner - The Germans: A regrettable mistake. Capt. John Colby - The Players: England: The whole bloody war's a regrettable mistake. Major Karl Von Steiner - The Germans: I agree.
Lang - The Germans: We will win? Major Karl Von Steiner - The Germans: We should. We are very strong, but... players can get injured. The referee can make mistakes. Lang - The Germans: [knowingly] Oh, this referee is very good. He will make no mistakes. Major Karl Von Steiner - The Germans: We can't do that. I have given my word. Lang - The Germans: Karl, we cannot afford to take a chance. We must win.
[Eastern European players have been brought from labor camps to play on the team] Capt. John Colby - The Players: England: They're all great players. Colonel Waldron - The English: They WERE. [the camera focuses on the five men, frail and starved, dressed in filthy rags] Colonel Waldron - The English: [angrily] You are a naive fool, Colby. Insisting on great players? Von Steiner has sent you five skeletons. Guarantees that you'll turn up in Paris for his propaganda victory. Capt. John Colby - The Players: England: Colonel, I... Colonel Waldron - The English: The Germans are doing their job very well. London knows. We heard it on the news. It's in all the papers. They're calling it another German lie. London is saying that no British officer would ever be involved in such a game. Capt. John Colby - The Players: England: London is saying, Colonel? What about those poor bastards there? Do we send them back to the labor camps? Colonel Waldron - The English: That's a very good question, Colby.
[the Germans have scored their first goal] German - The Commentators: And listen to that applause! [the lead commentator turns on an electronic 'canned applause' device, turning it up to maximum] German - The Commentators: The crowd is going wild! [the camera pans through the audience, showing they're completely silent]
[Hatch has been told he has to return to the prison camp] Hatch: What am I supposed to do, break back into the camp? André - The French: No. You get captured. Hatch: Get captured. All right, suppose I get captured? And then they send me to the wrong prisoner camp. What about that? André - The French: No, no. Hatch: Now, what about that? André - The French: [tsks and shakes his head] The Germans will take you to the same place again to show the other prisoners you are not a success.
French Audience: [chanting] Victoire! Victoire!
[just before the football match] Hatch: Where do I stand for a corner kick? Capt. John Colby - The Players: England: At the far post, facing the ball. Hatch: Thanks. For a while there I thought you were keeping it a secret.
Renée - The French: [Hatch has asked how she feels about sheltering him] How do I feel? I feel responsible. Hopeful. When I get word that someone I sheltered is safe, then I'm happy. I can forget them. But when I hear that they've been caught or killed, then I remember everything. I remember their face, their voices, what they said about their parents, their child, their pets, and I mourn for them. I don't want to mourn for you. Hatch: Well, you're safe with me, Renée. Renée - The French: How? Hatch: Well, I'm, uh... an orphan, a bastard. I have no parents, no money, no wife, no children. I don't even have a pet. Anything I say in my sleep to the contrary can't be held against me. [Renée smiles]