Guernica (1951) Movie Script
.
This film is based on paintings,
drawings and sculptures
made by Picasso between
the y ears 1902 and 1949.
''Guernica,'' painted
during the Spanish Civil War,
provided the main focus
of this film.
We would like to thank...
...as well as the Museum of Modern
Art and the Louis eLeiris Gallery
for providing us with
all the necessary documents.
Guernica...
is a small town
in the Bis caye region,
the traditional capital
of the Basque Country.
That's where the oak tree
be came the sacreds ymbol
of Basque freedom
and traditions.
Guernica's relevance is mainly
historic and s entimental.
On April 26th, 1 93 7,
in the early afternoon hours,
a s eries of Nazi planes
incessantly bombed Guernica
for three
and a half hours.
The city was burnt
to the ground.
2,000 people died--
all civilians.
The bombing was part
of an experiment
to determine the combined effects
of incendiary and explosive bombs
on civilian populations.
Friendly faces by the fire,
friendly faces in the cold
Oppressed, humiliated,
beaten, kept in the dark,
Friendly faces
faced with nothing
Poor faces, sacrificed
Your death will be
a warning to all
Death,
an overthrown heart
The y made you pay for bread
with your life
They made you pay
for the sky, the earth,
Water and sleep,
with your life
They made you pay
for misery
Sweet actors,
So sad but so sweet,
Actors in perpetual drama,
You weren't expecting death.
The fear and courage
to live and die
Death, so difficult
and simple
Women and children have
the same treasure in their eyes
Men safeguard it
the way they can.
People in Guernica
are simple people.
We've read it in the paper,
over a cup of coffee:
somewhere in Europe, an army of
killers is marching ov er humanity.
Somewhere in Europe...
at our doorstep.
Bullets finish off
the dying.
Bullets play with children,
better than the wind...
Women and children have
the same red roses in their eyes.
Their blood
for all to see
Odd to think we were scared
of lightning, scared of thunder.
How naive. Thunder's an angel
and lighting its wings.
We'd never been to the basement,
for fear of seeing nature's horrors.
Wearing helmets and boots--
polite and handsome men--
aviators drop their bombs.
With such care.
Down on the ground, chaos.
Blood on the men.
Blood on the beast
A harvest, repugnant
and more disgusting
Than the butchers,
so pure and clean.
Try to control a beast
feeling impending death.
Try to tell the mother
why her child died.
Try to bring comfort
in destruction.
One night remains,
that of war,
Sister of destitution and daughter
of death, repugnant, frightening.
Monuments of distress
Beautiful ruins
Mines and fields
Brothers,
here you are, rotting
And broken bones.
The earth turns
in your orbits
You, rotting desolation
Death interrupted
the comfort of time
You are now left
to worms and ravens
When you were our most
vibrant promise.
U nder the dead
oak tree in Guernica,
to the ruins of Guernica,
under Guernica's
pure skies,
a man came back,
holding a bleating lamb
and a dove
in his heart.
For all men, he's singing
the pure song of rebellion,
grateful for love,
rejecting oppression.
A man is singing.
The wasps of his pain rush
into the broken horizon.
The bees of his songs made their
nests in the heart of humanity.
Guernica
Innocence will overcome
destruction.
Guernica.
THE E D
This film is based on paintings,
drawings and sculptures
made by Picasso between
the y ears 1902 and 1949.
''Guernica,'' painted
during the Spanish Civil War,
provided the main focus
of this film.
We would like to thank...
...as well as the Museum of Modern
Art and the Louis eLeiris Gallery
for providing us with
all the necessary documents.
Guernica...
is a small town
in the Bis caye region,
the traditional capital
of the Basque Country.
That's where the oak tree
be came the sacreds ymbol
of Basque freedom
and traditions.
Guernica's relevance is mainly
historic and s entimental.
On April 26th, 1 93 7,
in the early afternoon hours,
a s eries of Nazi planes
incessantly bombed Guernica
for three
and a half hours.
The city was burnt
to the ground.
2,000 people died--
all civilians.
The bombing was part
of an experiment
to determine the combined effects
of incendiary and explosive bombs
on civilian populations.
Friendly faces by the fire,
friendly faces in the cold
Oppressed, humiliated,
beaten, kept in the dark,
Friendly faces
faced with nothing
Poor faces, sacrificed
Your death will be
a warning to all
Death,
an overthrown heart
The y made you pay for bread
with your life
They made you pay
for the sky, the earth,
Water and sleep,
with your life
They made you pay
for misery
Sweet actors,
So sad but so sweet,
Actors in perpetual drama,
You weren't expecting death.
The fear and courage
to live and die
Death, so difficult
and simple
Women and children have
the same treasure in their eyes
Men safeguard it
the way they can.
People in Guernica
are simple people.
We've read it in the paper,
over a cup of coffee:
somewhere in Europe, an army of
killers is marching ov er humanity.
Somewhere in Europe...
at our doorstep.
Bullets finish off
the dying.
Bullets play with children,
better than the wind...
Women and children have
the same red roses in their eyes.
Their blood
for all to see
Odd to think we were scared
of lightning, scared of thunder.
How naive. Thunder's an angel
and lighting its wings.
We'd never been to the basement,
for fear of seeing nature's horrors.
Wearing helmets and boots--
polite and handsome men--
aviators drop their bombs.
With such care.
Down on the ground, chaos.
Blood on the men.
Blood on the beast
A harvest, repugnant
and more disgusting
Than the butchers,
so pure and clean.
Try to control a beast
feeling impending death.
Try to tell the mother
why her child died.
Try to bring comfort
in destruction.
One night remains,
that of war,
Sister of destitution and daughter
of death, repugnant, frightening.
Monuments of distress
Beautiful ruins
Mines and fields
Brothers,
here you are, rotting
And broken bones.
The earth turns
in your orbits
You, rotting desolation
Death interrupted
the comfort of time
You are now left
to worms and ravens
When you were our most
vibrant promise.
U nder the dead
oak tree in Guernica,
to the ruins of Guernica,
under Guernica's
pure skies,
a man came back,
holding a bleating lamb
and a dove
in his heart.
For all men, he's singing
the pure song of rebellion,
grateful for love,
rejecting oppression.
A man is singing.
The wasps of his pain rush
into the broken horizon.
The bees of his songs made their
nests in the heart of humanity.
Guernica
Innocence will overcome
destruction.
Guernica.
THE E D