Beau Geste
Film opens on a column of french foreign legion troops marching through the dessert. They stop to observe outpost Zinderneuf (funny, the subtitles call it 'Internet'). The officer fires a signal into…
Beau Geste
Film opens on a column of french foreign legion troops marching through the dessert. They stop to observe outpost Zinderneuf (funny, the subtitles call it 'Internet'). The officer fires a signal into the air, and a shot is returned hitting the ground in front of him. Riders as dispatched to scout the fort, and discover that dead soldiers are been propped up at the parapets. As the scout makes his report another shot is heard in the fort. They enter the fort and discover one survivor - Beau Geste - who we next see recovering in the infirmary. In a flashback, we see the day he mustered into the Legion. At assembly, Sgt. Dagineau addresses several recruits, including Boldini, who is known to the Sergent from a prior enlistment. Dagineau reads from an unsigned letter which was found on his desk from someone who claims that he will shoot Dagineau in the back during a battle to settle a score. Dagineau suspects it is Beau, who he calls "Graves" initially. From the parade ground, the film cuts to Lieutenant De Ruse's office, where Dagineau and he speak about the letter. Dagineau believes it to be from an educated man who will reveal himself. The Lieutenant suggests it is unfair to punish all for the deed of one. Cut to the men in their barracks. Boldini, who is a stereotypical Italian "fast talker", suggests that someone should confess to writing the letter to make things easier on everyone. There is tension and Boldini becomes the target of suspicion, having previously been in the legion with Dagineau. Cut to a montage of grueling training and a scene where Dagineau has four men, including Beau and Boldinin, march blindfolded toward a cliff to demonstrate obeying orders. In another training set with bayonets, the Beau succeeds in disarming Dagineau. Cut to Dr Ruse's quarters, where he has summoned Beau. De Ruse reveals that he knows who Beau really is from a picture that appeared in a newspaper story about an American businessman who had disappeared after confessing to having embezzled money. We learn that several weeks later, his business partner confessed to being the person who actually embezzled the money and committed suicide, making Beau's gesture futile. He suggests that Beau adopt a new name, since "Graves" sounds like "Grave", and calls him Beau Geste. Cut to the men out on pass, watching a "belly dance" and drinking. Boldini approaches Beau and tries to get him to reveal his "secret" -- whether he wrote the letter. Other troopers intervene, making it known they do not trust Boldini. In return, Boldini reveals that he knows secrets about all of them. As they return to the barracks, Boldini gets an idea to get Dagineau off their back about the letter -- choose a scapegoat who is useless, cut his throat, and then tell Dagineau he confessed. The troopers agree and seize Boldini. As they are about to impale him with a bayonet, Dagineau breaks us the fight, and afterwards in Dagineau's quarters, Boldini agrees to be Dagineau's spy and find "Graves" weakness. At assembly the next day, Beau volunteers to be whipped for the riot in the barracks the prior evening. Afterwords, De Ruse discusses with Boldini whether his methods are appropriate. In the infirmary Beau's brother, Johnny is tending to the lacerations on his back. Johnny followed his brothers trail and has enlisted too. Johnny gives him a pocket watch that plays music when opened and has the picture of a girl Beau and his business partner both loved. Beau tells him not to let Sgt. Dagineau know that they know each other, but Boldini overhears and tells Dagineau that they are brothers. Half of the regiment is ordered to Zinderneuf to relieve the current squad there. In the barracks, Dagineau addresses Johnny for the first time, hitting him in the stomach and calling him soft. The troops head out to Zinderneuf, and make fortifications in the evening. Johnny and Beau talk and Dagineau puts them on watch. A raiding party strikes, and several troopers, including De Ruse, are wounded. They arrive at Zinderneuf and De Ruse insists on mounting his horse from the stretch to accept command in a dignified manner. Thereafter he falls off his horse and is taken to the infirmary. The men, including Johnny and Beau, dig graves outside the fort. Dagineau orders Johnny to tell him why Beau enlisted. Johnny says no one is supposed to ask about your past when you join the Legion. Dagineau beats him with a riding crop and Beau strikes down Dagineau. As punishment for striking an officer, Beau is buried up to his neck in the desert. In the evening when he is dug up, the troopers discuss mutiny in the barracks. Boldini enters first questions them and then tries to reason with them. He says Dagineau knows what they are planning. He is stabbed in the back by one of the troopers. Everyone but Beau and Johnny rush out to overpower Dagineau, but he has set up a machine gun and mows them down. Johnny and Beau drop from the wall behind his position and Dagineau is knocked down and strung up by his boots. At this moment a tribe attacks the fort. The men untie Dagineau and rally to repel the assault. The leader of the mutiny is sent to man the watch tower. Beau speaks with De Ruse in his quarters, where De Ruse reveals that he wrote the letter because he was jealous of Dagineau and wanted to infect him with fear but it backfired and made him stronger and harder on the men. De Ruse then dies. The Arabs make another assault on the fort and are repelled at great loss of life. After they retreat, another mutineer is ordered up to the tower. At night Beau and Johnny discuss their plans of having a Viking funeral. In the morning, the Arabs assault the fort again with incendiary missiles. They retreat unexpectedly. Only Beau, Johnny and Dagineau are alive. Dagineau explains that they must know reinforcements are close by. He orders Johnny up the tower. A wounded Arab shoots him in the back as he climbs the ladder. Dagineau shoots the Arab with his pistol. Beau carries Johnny's dead body into the burning barracks. He says to Dagineau "If you touch him I'll kill you". When Beau comes out from the barracks, Dagineau tells him the reinforcements are outside, and he fired a shot at them to buy some time to talk. He says that all the dead men are hero's and the report has to reflect the honor of the Legion. Beau says that will depend on who tells the story. They fight, and Beau kills Dagineau with the pistol. Flash forward to Beau in the infirmary from the beginning of the film. The commander ask for his report. He says everyone died defending the fort to the last man under the fine command of Sgt. Dagineau. The commander says he expected to hear that, and that Zinderneuf is to be abandoned because the cost of holding it is too high. Troopers depart on horseback through graveyard. Credits roll.
Beau Geste
Action,Adventure,Drama
Film Details
Film opens on a column of french foreign legion troops marching through the dessert. They stop to observe outpost Zinderneuf (funny, the subtitles call it 'Internet'). The officer fires a signal into the air, and a shot is returned hitting the ground in front of him.
Riders as dispatched to scout the fort, and discover that dead soldiers are been propped up at the parapets. As the scout makes his report another shot is heard in the fort. They enter the fort and discover one survivor - Beau Geste - who we next see recovering in the infirmary.
In a flashback, we see the day he mustered into the Legion. At assembly, Sgt. Dagineau addresses several recruits, including Boldini, who is known to the Sergent from a prior enlistment.
Dagineau reads from an unsigned letter which was found on his desk from someone who claims that he will shoot Dagineau in the back during a battle to settle a score. Dagineau suspects it is Beau, who he calls "Graves" initially. From the parade ground, the film cuts to Lieutenant De Ruse's office, where Dagineau and he speak about the letter.
Dagineau believes it to be from an educated man who will reveal himself. The Lieutenant suggests it is unfair to punish all for the deed of one. Cut to the men in their barracks.
Boldini, who is a stereotypical Italian "fast talker", suggests that someone should confess to writing the letter to make things easier on everyone. There is tension and Boldini becomes the target of suspicion, having previously been in the legion with Dagineau. Cut to a montage of grueling training and a scene where Dagineau has four men, including Beau and Boldinin, march blindfolded toward a cliff to demonstrate obeying orders.
In another training set with bayonets, the Beau succeeds in disarming Dagineau. Cut to Dr Ruse's quarters, where he has summoned Beau. De Ruse reveals that he knows who Beau really is from a picture that appeared in a newspaper story about an American businessman who had disappeared after confessing to having embezzled money.
We learn that several weeks later, his business partner confessed to being the person who actually embezzled the money and committed suicide, making Beau's gesture futile. He suggests that Beau adopt a new name, since "Graves" sounds like "Grave", and calls him Beau Geste. Cut to the men out on pass, watching a "belly dance" and drinking.
Boldini approaches Beau and tries to get him to reveal his "secret" -- whether he wrote the letter. Other troopers intervene, making it known they do not trust Boldini. In return, Boldini reveals that he knows secrets about all of them.
As they return to the barracks, Boldini gets an idea to get Dagineau off their back about the letter -- choose a scapegoat who is useless, cut his throat, and then tell Dagineau he confessed. The troopers agree and seize Boldini. As they are about to impale him with a bayonet, Dagineau breaks us the fight, and afterwards in Dagineau's quarters, Boldini agrees to be Dagineau's spy and find "Graves" weakness.
At assembly the next day, Beau volunteers to be whipped for the riot in the barracks the prior evening. Afterwords, De Ruse discusses with Boldini whether his methods are appropriate. In the infirmary Beau's brother, Johnny is tending to the lacerations on his back.
Johnny followed his brothers trail and has enlisted too. Johnny gives him a pocket watch that plays music when opened and has the picture of a girl Beau and his business partner both loved. Beau tells him not to let Sgt.
Dagineau know that they know each other, but Boldini overhears and tells Dagineau that they are brothers. Half of the regiment is ordered to Zinderneuf to relieve the current squad there. In the barracks, Dagineau addresses Johnny for the first time, hitting him in the stomach and calling him soft.
The troops head out to Zinderneuf, and make fortifications in the evening. Johnny and Beau talk and Dagineau puts them on watch. A raiding party strikes, and several troopers, including De Ruse, are wounded.
They arrive at Zinderneuf and De Ruse insists on mounting his horse from the stretch to accept command in a dignified manner. Thereafter he falls off his horse and is taken to the infirmary. The men, including Johnny and Beau, dig graves outside the fort.
Dagineau orders Johnny to tell him why Beau enlisted. Johnny says no one is supposed to ask about your past when you join the Legion. Dagineau beats him with a riding crop and Beau strikes down Dagineau.
As punishment for striking an officer, Beau is buried up to his neck in the desert. In the evening when he is dug up, the troopers discuss mutiny in the barracks. Boldini enters first questions them and then tries to reason with them.
He says Dagineau knows what they are planning. He is stabbed in the back by one of the troopers. Everyone but Beau and Johnny rush out to overpower Dagineau, but he has set up a machine gun and mows them down.
Johnny and Beau drop from the wall behind his position and Dagineau is knocked down and strung up by his boots. At this moment a tribe attacks the fort. The men untie Dagineau and rally to repel the assault.
The leader of the mutiny is sent to man the watch tower. Beau speaks with De Ruse in his quarters, where De Ruse reveals that he wrote the letter because he was jealous of Dagineau and wanted to infect him with fear but it backfired and made him stronger and harder on the men. De Ruse then dies.
The Arabs make another assault on the fort and are repelled at great loss of life. After they retreat, another mutineer is ordered up to the tower. At night Beau and Johnny discuss their plans of having a Viking funeral.
In the morning, the Arabs assault the fort again with incendiary missiles. They retreat unexpectedly. Only Beau, Johnny and Dagineau are alive.
Dagineau explains that they must know reinforcements are close by. He orders Johnny up the tower. A wounded Arab shoots him in the back as he climbs the ladder.
Dagineau shoots the Arab with his pistol. Beau carries Johnny's dead body into the burning barracks. He says to Dagineau "If you touch him I'll kill you".
When Beau comes out from the barracks, Dagineau tells him the reinforcements are outside, and he fired a shot at them to buy some time to talk. He says that all the dead men are hero's and the report has to reflect the honor of the Legion. Beau says that will depend on who tells the story.
They fight, and Beau kills Dagineau with the pistol. Flash forward to Beau in the infirmary from the beginning of the film. The commander ask for his report.
He says everyone died defending the fort to the last man under the fine command of Sgt. Dagineau. The commander says he expected to hear that, and that Zinderneuf is to be abandoned because the cost of holding it is too high.
Troopers depart on horseback through graveyard. Credits roll..