"We don't want your help." "Go away!" "We don't want you!" "How is she?" "Got her into hospital." "She's still in shock." "They're gonna keep her sedated for a few days." "What happened?" "I don't know." "Don't know." "Who was it?" "Charlie?" "She probably wouldn't tell us even if she could." "Now, that's the bloody trouble!" "I really like her." "It takes a long time to get any kind of trust between one of them and one of us." "I reckon I was really starting to get through to her." "How's she going to trust anyone now, eh?" "I don't know all about this talk about all this new nationalism." "The cultural cringe still flourishes." "I think Australians..." "I don't really agree lack a feeling of identity because they never see images of themselves." "There's no film industry, hardly any of our own theatre and music and everyone still goes off to London if they want to make a name." "It's true." "All we've got's our sporting heroes." "And old Bob." "Of course, we did have a film industry, flourishing film industry, in the '20s and '30s." "Remember the old 'Dad and Dave' movies?" "I remember listening to 'Dad and Dave' on the radio as a kid." "That and 'Blue Hills'." "I have an aunt who still never misses an episode." "I think it's the longest-running show in the history of the earth." "Do you remember me?" "How could I forget?" "Crossing swords in a Saigon bar." "Yes, and we never got a chance to finish." "I was enjoying it." "I had you on the run, I remember." "As I recall, I was about to deliver a coup de gréce." "What are you doing here?" "Oh, just a short holiday." "My old boss brought me along." "When do you go back?" "Next week, unfortunately." "Well, you'd think they'd let me stay for Christmas." "How are things over there?" "Getting worse." "On the surface, Ky's doing a good job patching things up but underneath it's as rotten as ever." "Militarily, things are stabilising, though." "I think it's beyond salvaging." "Well, there's no morale in the South." "No backbone." "It's shot to bits." "Are you talking about the army?" "The people." "You can't save a country that doesn't want to be saved." "It doesn't matter how many men the Yanks pour in." "Hello, Douglas, are you enjoying yourself?" "I think everyone's enjoying themselves, don't you?" "Yes, I think everyone's in very high spirits." "Prime Minister, do you know..." "Yes, we met a while ago." "That's why I came over, for a bit of glamour." "Get away from shop talk." "An attractive girl like you is wasted in that godforsaken Saigon." "Don't you think, Doug?" "Oh, you need a few odd bods to do the dirty work." "And what sort of dirty work are you talking about?" "Sounds intriguing." "Anyway, I can see that I'm trespassing here." "You two are obviously old friends." "I'll, uh..." "Best keep circulating, I suppose." "Is that typical?" "Oh, I think he's entitled to let his hair down a bit." "He's just won an election." "Did you enjoy yourself?" "Mmm!" "More than usual." "Though I wish you hadn't deserted and left me with that ghastly press secretary for so long." "Well, you know I have to do the rounds." "I'm sure I could feel him mentally undressing me." "Should have taken it as a compliment." "No, thank you." "I was only joking." "How is Monica Montgomery?" "Oh, she's fine." "Lively as ever." "She back for good?" "No, only for a couple of days." "I invited her to have dinner here with us but she's flat out." "On her back?" "What?" "Well, I imagine she has a fairly active life." "Why do you say that?" "A bit envious, I suppose." "Not of her amorous adventures." "More that she must have a very interesting job." "Oh." "Don't you think?" "Yes, well, the Saigon embassy would be about the hottest diplomatic posting around." "You certainly struck the right note with Gorton tonight, talking about film and theatre." "He's got this bee in his bonnet about Australia having its own film industry again." "He was quite impressed." "Don't sound so surprised." "Hi." "Laurie visited Le again in hospital." "She wanted to see you." "Maybe I could meet you there, in Vung Tau." "I only go for day." "Have to look after my sister's children." "There'll still be time for a couple of hours." "I know you don't like talking to me here." "I don't know." "I..." "How about Saturday?" "I've got some leave." "You never know." "I might actually turn out to be a nice bloke." "Please..." "I'm not gonna go until you say yes." "Alright." "I meet you." "You go now?" "It's hard to believe there's a war going on." "I see it in every face." "You're great at conversation, aren't you?" "Then why you keep wanting to see me?" "I'm trying to do my bit for international relations." "I'm going to show you what nice blokes we are." "Nice blokes?" "Yes." "Alright." "You are a nice bloke." "My sister marry fisherman." "The one who was killed?" "Do you have any other brothers and sisters?" "Brother." "Where's he?" "Saigon, maybe." "You don't know?" "Maybe better not to know." "Do you mind me touching you?" "Does it matter?" "Soldiers do not have to ask." "Lien!" "I'm sorry." "I like being with you too." "But it's so hard." "In war." "How did it go?" "Face it, mate, you're ugly." "I don't blame her, quite frankly." "Shut up, Ferret." "There's just this barrier." "Always there." "It's between us and the whole Vietnamese people." "How's Le?" "You went to the hospital?" "She's coming out of it, slowly." "At least she recognises me now." "But her eyes have got this... panic in them." "Bloody cheerful bastards, you two are." "A bloke could die laughing listening to the pair of you carrying on." "Get stuffed, Ferret." "Here, wear it with these." "Oh!" "Diana Rigg!" "Everyone looks so fabulous over there." "But wasn't it cold?" "Yeah, it was freezing." "It didn't matter, though." "All the girls still wore tiny minis." "They'd really be shivering." "Maybe they were keeping warm on drugs." "Mods do a lot of drugs." "We've got to do something about Ky." "How about this I smuggled in?" "'Lady Chatterley's Lover?" "Oh, I read that ages ago." "How come?" "My brother kept it hidden under his bed." "So I locked myself in the toilet one night and flicked through it." "It's pretty nothing, really." "I thought it was a bit tame." "Marshal Ky's coming." "Ros probably doesn't even know who he is." "I do so." "He's the President of South Vietnam." "Prime Minister!" "He's got a moustache." "Yeah, well, anyway, there's gonna be some demos when he comes, right?" "And I was thinking we could do that thing we did for the revue!" "The Prime Minister of South Vietnam, Air Vice-Marshal Ky, arrived in Canberra this morning at the start of a four-day visit." "Prime Minister Harold Holt was on hand to welcome the Marshal and his wife and declared that Australia's resolve was stronger than ever to see the Vietnam War through to a victorious conclusion." "Later in the day, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Calwell, addressed a small but noisy demonstration gathered outside Parliament House." "A trio of local schoolgirls added their own comments to the occasion." ""Now the Yanks Have a key in the door."" ""LBJ says they can now win the war."" ""Togetherness togetherness."" ""There should be more togetherness."" ""Warm and cosy."" ""The world's made rosy by togetherness."" ""Togetherness."" ""By togetherness!"" "I thought you might like to know that Phil will be coming home next week." "That's fantastic!" "I think it might be fairest to him if you don't mention your... recent activities." "But he'll be out of it now." "He's finished." "I don't believe he'd be particularly pleased to know that you've been marching on demonstrations, saying what he's been doing is a waste of time." "How are you today?" "A lot better." "I brought you some oranges." "And an Australian magazine." "There's lots of pictures in it, anyway." "It nice you visit me." "I look forward." "Yeah." "Something is wrong?" "Something is wrong?" "No." "No." "I'm fine." "Hello." "Hello." "I came to say goodbye." "So you leave Nui Dat?" "I leave Vietnam." "I've finished my tour." "Tour?" "I thought it mean 'holiday'." "It does, actually." "You happy to leave Vietnam, yes?" "Pleased to be back in Australia." "To your own home." "Things will be OK here soon." "Can I write to you?" "If you want." "Well, will you write back?" "I try." "I want you to take some pictures." "Just send me the film." "Don't worry about getting it developed." "I wish I could take you back to that fishing village." "Yes." "I wish too." "One, two, three!" "Another song." "Another song." "Another song." ""He's a piker, he's true blue..."" "Come on, mate." "Should be celebrating." "In 48 hours, we'll be home." "Terra Australis." ""He's a pisspot through and through..."" "Look at Ferret go!" ""He's a drunkard, so they say..."" ""Tried to get to heaven but he went the other way."" ""Tried to get to heaven..."" "How's Le?" "Couldn't tell her." "Couldn't tell her I was going home." "You didn't tell me it was gonna be twins!" "Phil!" "Hi!" "You look fantastic!" "I've never been fitter." "Look at you!" "You look like a model." "She's Australia's answer to Twiggy." "I've got bigger boobs than her." "Ros got it for me in Carnaby Street." "Your father sends his apologies." "He's working with the PM." "He'll be back for dinner, though." "We thought we'd take you down to the Opera House." "It's almost finished!" "We'll have lunch." "I'll bet you've never eaten Lebanese food before." "It's divine!" "You probably just want to go home, dear, get some sleep." "I will have an early night, but I could risk some Lebanese food." "I'm starving!" "Great!" "You'll adore it!" "Ohh!" "So, how is it over there?" "Different to here." "You're as bad as your letters." "Looks terrible on the news." "I am so pleased you're back." "It's hard writing it down." "When you know you could get knocked off at any moment of the day, makes you live a bit harder." "Though things have quietened down a lot since the Long Tan battle." "Politicians don't want us losing that many casualties." "I don't even know if we should be over there." "This village we've relocated, that's a really important part of the whole thing - trying to get to know and understand the people." "Yeah, one of those pictures you sent back had a really pretty girl in it." "Lien." "How's your boyfriend?" "Serge?" "Hmm." "He's OK." "I think maybe I'm growing out of him, you know?" "Guess what?" "What?" "I'm on the pill." "You haven't been sleeping with that guy, have you?" "I might have been." "Megan, you're still at school!" "Oh, what about you and Annie Phelan?" "You were only in fifth form then!" "Yeah, well, that was all bullshit." "God, men are revolting!" "At least you haven't changed." "Westmoreland called it "the year of the offensive."" "It's all been a bit piecemeal up to now." "Waiting for the trouble spots to occur and then responding." "But surely the bombing, that's been fairly comprehensive." "It's hard to know how effective it is." "It doesn't seem to have stopped the flow of arms and supplies so far." "The most important thing we're doing is trying to win over the people." "How come they need winning over?" "A lot of them see us and the VC as just as bad as each other." "How do you get on with them, the Vietnamese you deal with personally?" "Some of them are lovely." "One especially." "And do you think we're winning?" "It's impossible to tell from where we are." "But the only way we will win is if the majority of the South Vietnamese want us to." "You going to have an early night?" "I've got my second wind." "Thought I might take Megan to the disco for old time's sake." "I'll be very good." "Phil!" "Phil!" "What's the matter?" "Think I might give it a miss for a moment." "Are you alright?" "Yeah, it's just..." "What?" "It's OK." "What's up, mate?" "Jet lag." "A beer will fix that up." "Rabbit..." "Scotch." "Same again, thanks, mate." "Gone off the amber?" "Whisky's quicker." "So, what are you gonna do now, Phil?" "Get drunk." "I'm going to Sydney in a couple of weeks." "Maybe we could share a place." "Looks like old Annie's still doing the rounds." "No, no." "That's her fiance." "He owns this place." "You're not still smitten by Annie Phelan, are you?" "Just catching up with the real world." "You'll lose touch with the real world altogether if you keep drinking at this rate." "Oh, here he comes." "The jet-propelled carrot." "This is what you need, mate - a shaggin' wagon." "Is that what this thing is?" "You've got no hope, Rabbit." "It's good to see you, Phil." "Thought you might turn up without a head or whatever." "I'll give you a ring." "See you, mate." " See you, Deb." " 'Bye!" "Can we go?" "I'll finish this." "I'll have to carry you home, the way you're going." "Whose car's that?" "Sweet dreams." "Hi, Phil." "I'm glad you got back OK." "I hear congratulations are in order." "Yeah." "This is Derrick." "Phil." "Nice to meet you..." "Derrick." "See you round, I hope." "You wouldn't dare." "Phil..." "What are you trying to do, murder me?" "Sorry." "Sorry." "It's not a good idea." "What are you doing here?" "How did you get in?" "Through the window." "You're drunk." "I'm back, though." "I'm engaged." "I know." "So what did you come round for?" "To say hello." "God, you've got a nerve." "Seemed like a good idea at the time." "I'll make us some coffee, I suppose." "Don't worry." "I'll go." "You might as well stay now." "Where I am?" "I don't think I'm in much danger." "I don't even know how I got here." "Nor do I. You smell like a distillery." " I feel like one." " Go back to sleep." "So when's the big day?" "You're supposed to be asleep." "That felt like you really needed it." "It's just for tonight, though, OK?" "I know." "Sort of for old time's sake." "Engagement present." "Very funny." "So... you're gonna get married." "Have some kids." "Buy a house in Queanbeyan." "Oh, I don't know." "I can't really see myself as a mum, can you?" "You really want to marry this guy?" "Seemed like a good idea at the time." "He's really nice." "I hope he is." "How about you?" "Did you get involved with someone while you were over there?" "I tried." "I'm really sorry it didn't work out for you." "Mmm." "Maybe it's not over yet." "Hi." "Just in time for dinner." "You stayed at Rabbit's, did you?" "I got a bit drunk." "I didn't want to drive the car home." "Yes." "It turned up this afternoon behind a tow truck." "It's in the garage." "Nice of Mrs Phelan to give them the address." "Morning." "Had any breakfast yet?" "I slept in because I was tired from the plane." "Oh!" "Till 4:00 in the afternoon?" "Allegations that South Vietnamese government forces have been involved in widespread torture and execution of Vietcong prisoners were given further impetus today in a newly released report by a British television crew." "The film appears to show South Vietnamese regular soldiers interrogating a suspect by repeatedly kicking and clubbing him with rifle butts." "Oh, my God." "A second incident shows the use of water torture." "A victim is held down, a towel placed over his face and water poured over the towel, slowly suffocating him." "It's a dirty war." "The release of the film in London has caused outrage amongst human rights activists." "Hello." "Just thought I'd drop in." "Theresa well?" "Look, that was just..." "Her boyfriend's back now, anyway." "How are things down here?" "Mmm... pretty normal." "Hectic social life." "Phil's back." "Um... do you feel like coming for a ride?" "Yeah." "Alright." "I got called up." "No!" "I can finish my course, at least." "Maybe it'll be over by then." "Well, you're not going over there." "Phil got through alright." "I don't feel that I even know Phil anymore." "Last night on television they were showing torture victims." "Phil was just so cold about it, like he just didn't even care." "Because that's where he's been." "He's been seeing all that." "The only way you could stay sane with that kind of thing going on around you would be to switch off." "That's what he's done." "I haven't worked three jobs to get through uni and get my head blown off." "You're not gonna go." "That's not what I meant." "I'm free now." "I always was." "Serge, we're talking about the war." "I went on a couple of demos and well, it was sort of for fun." "A game." "Now I've decided I really want to start getting involved with trying to stop it." "You should want to become part of it too because otherwise you're gonna wake up one day and you'll be there." "Something from Vietnam." "You're going back, aren't you?" "...some people running along the dykes." "They have on black uniforms and I estimate are approximately three zero." "They have been sighted, over." "This is 230, roger." "We have them in sight." "We're engaged at the present time." "Roger." "I saw you splatter one right in the back with a rocket." "Got lucky, I guess." " We have to move now." " LB"s level?" "It's a personal request." "Another battalion shows we still mean business." "With McNamara suddenly joining the doves, Johnson needs it." "He's convinced the only way we can lose is through a failure of nerve." "That's right." "Any sign of weakness and the North's going to think they're in there with a chance." "Doug?" "We have to draw a line at some point." "Any uncertainty between us and Washington and Hanoi's gonna pounce on it." "We're almost there." "I'd like to believe that." "It's hard to be sure that Westmoreland isn't just making the right noises, telling LBJ what he wants to hear." "One thing the American public isn't going to accept is an endless war of attrition." "They won't have to." "It's only a matter of months." "Shall I get onto Andrew?" "Yes." "You're not convinced, are you?" "No." "Though I haven't got anything to base that on." "All the signs look good." "It certainly is quiet over there." "The firepower the Americans have got is staggering." "They're dropping the equivalent of the whole World War II Allied bombing of Germany every month." "The North's punch-drunk." "How's your son?" "Thankful to be home in one piece, eh?" "What's he gonna do?" "He's going back... as a regular." "I see." "You, uh... you don't think that this personal involvement colours your objectivity at all?" "Not as far as I can tell." "We don't want you doing a McNamara on us." "I suppose it does make you question yourself just that little bit harder when you've got a personal involvement right in the front line." "It's a formidable conscience mechanism." "Every politician should have one." "Oh, well, um, we live about three hours away, so.." "They're quite in demand, those two." "Megan's lost interest in that Serge character." "Hopefully." "You think it's strange, don't you, me going back." "After two years in the services, I'd had quite enough." "That was 1945." "The war had ended." "Well, seeing you are staying in," "I don't see why you don't take out a commission." "I'm not doing it as a career." "Soon as we're finished over there, I'll be out." "I'd have thought you'd approve, seeing as you're one of the blokes that put us in there in the first place." "Get him!" "Quick!" "Hey!" "Get out!" "What are you doing?" "You're next, Mr Goddard." "Private Goddard..." "No, just kidding." "Corporal Goddard, I'd like you to meet my wife." "How do you do?" "Phil, this is my mum." "How do you do?" "All back together again, hmm?" "Yeah." "All back together." "I'd better check up on my parents." "Righto, mate." "You think I'm mad, don't you?" "Yes." "How about you, Mum?" "If you believe in what you're doing, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks." "Even the old man still can't believe it." "Now, you take care of yourself." "And don't give Megan too much of a hard time." "Oh, I've got a present for you." "Oh!" "Just arrived in, apparently." "First shipment." "They reckon it's far-out." "I'll write and tell you what I think." "Oh, I'm always a bit of a sook." "Don't take any notice." "I'll be back." "It's like we're in the belly of some great beast."