Way of War, The (2008) Movie Script

Was in Tora
Bora 2001,
...military missed him.
Plans of
clearing up this war in Iraq are...
Anything other than war is hell.
I'd say, "Yes, Bill,
it does mean something
to the soldlers injured
and killed and their families.
...and they're parading things in
to try to get
public opinion to shift against it.
The point is Iraq started
before Halliburton.
This goes back
to the Kissinger era,
and is just now bearing fruit
for a lot of these guys.
It's not just U. S.
military over there.
It's Black Water,
Triple Canopy,
in what thousands of speclal
ops we're never going to know.
Redesign of the conduct of the war.
This has been confirmed.
It is expected that...
We are convinced
that it was necessary
and rlghteous...
I'd like to begin
with an apology.
Obviously, we all have better
ways of bringing in the new year.
Well, everyone...
except you, Denise.
This time last week,
on Christmas Eve,
our Department received
intelligence reports
indicating the whereabouts
of the Ace of Spades.
Three brave
American soldiers
acted on that intelligence
and killed him.
Excuse me.
However, it is with great
sadness that I report to you
that the soldiers
involved in that operation
all lost their
lives in it.
Now I'm not at liberty to
release their names at this time,
but I ask every
American to please
keep these three heroes in
their prayers this evening.
Now this, this is not an
end to the war on terror.
We fear it may merely
be a new beginning.
As a result, we have raised the
threat level effective immediately.
Now the President and Vice President
will return from holiday on Tuesday.
They've asked your networks for one
hour on Thursday to brief the nation.
Any questions you have will
be answered at that time.
Now, as we... as we
enter the New Year,
let us pray that
this will be the year
that sees an end
to global tyranny,
and delivers
world peace.
I bid you all
a good night,
a Happy New Year,
and God bless the
United States of America.
Thank you.
Mr. Secretary!
As was stated,
the President gets
back on Tuesday,
and will address the
nation on Thursday.
Sir.
Sir!
He popped up.
Excuse me?
He popped up.
When?
About an hour ago.
Oh, Christ.
It came from Texas. We thought
it would affect your statement.
And?
They've washed
their hands, sir.
They've said it's time
for you to clean it.
Now why do you
look so pleased?
Where?
On a bus. From New
York to Washington.
Hm.
You believe
in him, don't you?
No, the luxury of
believing in any one man
has a price tag someone
like me cannot afford.
But...
I believe that we trained a
man without moral conviction,
devoid of reason.
Given that, it makes
it far more serious.
Question: What becomes of a
highly trained, motivated murderer
who sprouts
a conscience?
Infamy?
Mm, to
some, perhaps.
But perhaps he
becomes something else
to those in Texas,
to me, to his country,
with what he's seen, what he's
heard, what he thinks he knows,
he becomes
something far worse.
Which is?
A fire,
if you will,
that neither you
nor I can extinguish.
He becomes
a legend.
Who's on
the bus?
Seven and Eleven.
Oh, isn't
that cute.
Irony, sir. It's what
gets me through the day.
Phone Seven. Tell him to tag him.
Sir?
If he kills him, then what?
Right now, he's just
a whisper in the wind.
They die, his voice
can only get louder.
We have the luxury
of position and time.
He does not.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I
have your attention please.
Special Agent Robinson.
I don't mean to disturb you but
I'm conducting a test, a drill,
for the Department
of Homeland Security.
Now nothing is wrong.
This is simply a drill.
Now that we've arrived
in Washington D. C.,
I need to see how quickly
you can exit the bus.
The cost of your
tickets will be refunded.
My goal is to find out if
this was a real emergency,
how long
it would take.
It starts...
now.
Let's go, folks.
Sit.
... missed him.
In clearing up this war in Iraq...
Ace of Spades.
What'd you just say?
Ace of Spades.
Seeing is believing,
my friend.
Why is it
always him?
It's in
English, Sanchez.
Rastrero.
Northern Pakistan.
It's too obvious.
I don't like it.
Well, you don't
like anything.
Just give me
the odds.
Two to four.
Keep reading.
So Junior says fifty
fifty, my hombre.
You know, a wise man once said,
"Knowing oneself and
knowing the enemy,
"in every battle,
certain victory.
"Knowing oneself,
not knowing the enemy,
"one victory
for one loss.
"But not
knowing oneself,
"and not knowing
the enemy,
in every battle,
certain defeat. "
Who was it?
Sun Tzu,
The Art of War.
These days
I say fifty fifty.
An eye for an eye.
It's about as good
as it's gonna get.
The call came out
for heroes, boys.
The three wise
men on high,
smelled, touched, saw,
and came to the conclusion
of whom they should call.
I say we send
out a message telling
the children to
cover their eyes,
the women to
shut their legs,
and the men to put
up their fists,
because a war
machine is coming.
We roll in 55
minutes, gentlemen.
Let's burn
this shit hole down.
Merry fucking Christmas.
Plans for carrying out this war in Iraq...
Look, we're just
doing our job, alright?
I don't know what you
did, I don't care.
No, not yet.
Now if you want to live,
then stay off the grid.
Where's my cash?
Just give me the location
of my box and then I go away.
Choice one:
what's done is done.
If I were you,
I'd make like a tree.
If not, go through door number
two and open the envelope.
Either road you choose,
I'd find a way to stay lost.
Hey.
Good evening.
Hey, Samir, a little
heat back here?
It depends.
Good tip?
Where to?
Two stops.
First, the Mayflower.
Hey, I'm hip.
Have fun.
Take your time.
They have the best girls in town.
I say nothing.
Take the access road
and park in the alley.
Keep it running.
Don't kill the lights.
In 10 minutes, pull the car around front.
Please don't
take another fare.
Just a quickie?
Club soda.
Dry.
But the point
is Iraq started before Halliburton.
This goes back to
the Kissinger era,
and is just now bearing fruit
for a lot of these guys.
It's not just
U. S. military over there.
It's Black Water,
Triple Canopy,
in what thousands of speclal ops
What can
I get you?
I'll have a
club soda. Dry.
A Club Soda, no... no vodka, or...
I can't help
you with that.
Those are the rules, cowboy. If you have
a problem with it, you can talk to him.
I'll have a bourbon on the rocks.
That I can do.
Weird, don't
you think?
He sat there the whole
night watching you,
doesn't order anything.
And then at closing time he comes up,
orders one drink
and leaves.
Looks like you may have
your first male crush.
I don't get you.
How come?
Well, you sat there all
night with some creepy gay guy
clearly watching you,
you don't say a word,
you don't look
at the stage,
and worst of all, you
haven't even looked at me.
I'm looking
at you now.
Buy me another?
Of course.
Last call!
I'm a-goin' down to the
cellar. You want the box on?
Now you
be good.
What's in
the cellar?
You don't
wanna know.
Hey, Crush, it's
time to go home.
Thank you.
Ooh.
So.
So.
What's your
story, cowboy?
You don't
wanna know.
Don't move.
Don't move.
For the next 15 minutes,
I'm gonna call you lollipop.
Any issues?
Okay, lollipop, I have
a very simple question.
I'm pretty sure
you know what it is.
Where is my cash?
That's it, that's it,
scream all you want.
You and I both know no one
can hear you in this room.
And from the
looks of things,
I'm sure all I have
left in life is time
and the pleasure
of your voice.
Oh, come on!
I got two kids, man.
I'll never have any.
Now where did
they hide my box?
They were wrong.
Now ask me
how come.
How come.
It's doesn't
take three licks
to get to the center
of a Tootsie Pop.
Now please, tell
me where my cash is.
Six... 66 Benning
Road, man.
They said
you'd know where.
Look me in the eye
and say that again.
Sixty-six Benning Road.
That's all they told me.
Bring your mouth
to the hole.
Bring your mouth
to the hole!!
I can't. It'll
kill me!!
Soda water
doesn't kill people.
I kill people.
Why?
I had a friend once.
She used to
call me Lobo.
How was she?
Sixty-six Benning Road.
My friend,
I'm from Libya.
We play football
with our feet.
I coach team.
Win six games.
How many quarterbacks
do you need?
You're not
from here.
Everyone from here,
even gay, love Redskins.
Oh. You're
a cowboy.
Hey, fuck you,
3. 95, you walk.
You're like me
with my wife.
That's why I talk
so much at work.
Crazy bitch.
Nobody can get a
word in edgewise.
Hey, man,
I go to the movies.
I'm hip, I'm
cool, I'm down.
I'll be your
homeboy tonight.
Let me guess. You're a
drug dealer from New York.
And that
duffel bag is full of rocks.
You're going to sell
to M13. It's cool.
Who?
Ah! He speaks.
You know, M13. The,
how you say, gang.
The thugs.
It's beautiful tonight.
World War II memorial.
They haven't finished it.
There's only one way
for a war memorial to truly be finished.
Everyone dies.
When they were
planning to build,
the people, they
flight constantly.
"It's gonna destroy them all. "
"Put it next to Vietnam
or over by RFK."
How soon we forget
to honor the good and punish the wrong.
Don't you think?
Pull over here
on the bridge.
Right here.
For some,
It's hard to believe.
What's that?
That the people back there,
they have too much.
And the people, right
here, one mile away,
they have
not enough.
Pull over right here on the bridge.
I promised you
a good tip.
You better go.
Padre Nuestro, que
ests en el cielo...
santificado sea
Tu nombre...
I think we're all
prayed out, Sanchez.
Hey!
It'd be sweet
without the sour.
Nah. It wouldn't
be sour without the sweet.
You still ain't
figured it out yet, kid.
What's that?
You're still young.
You got time.
More fun figuring
it out on your own.
Yes and no.
Here we are,
in the middle of the biggest gang
war in the history of the world.
So I guess it wasn't about
defending Lady Liberty?
In the beginning.
You and I
both know, sir,
we gave up defending Lady
Liberty a long time ago.
You know, when we pull this
off, you guys have an out.
Why do you think I was so smiley
when we played shoot 'n tell earlier?
Right, then what?
Then back
to the D. C.
To the devil I know.
At least there,
on those streets,
I think I know who
the bad guys are.
What about you?
I don't know.
No!
May I help you?
Have you seen
those men before?
Is that
your daughter?
What can
I do for you?
I need you to get
under the counter.
So,
a great general is killed after a
long battle, by his enemy's sword,
he gets to the
gates of heaven,
he looks through and he sees
former presidents, kings and queens,
his parents, seated
at this long table.
Saint Peter approaches,
introduces himself,
the general asks him,
" How do I get in?
How do I walk through those gates?"
Saint Peter says, "Well,
you have to spell a word. "
The general asks,
"What is the word?"
St. Peter says,
"The word is 'love. "'
The general spells it and St. Peter
welcomes him in.
About a year later, St. Peter
comes up to the general and says,
"I need you to watch
the gates for me today. "
A little while later, sure
enough, he sees a man approaching,
he walks toward the gate,
so he recognizes his enemy,
the man who
killed him.
They talk for a minute,
his enemy apologizes,
and then he asks,
"How do I get in?"
The general thinks for
just a second, he says,
"You have to
spell a word. "
So the enemy asks,
"What is the word?"
The general says
'Czechoslovakia. '
Let's go.
I thought you'd
be bigger.
But I guess that's
the way it is with legends.
Reality's always less.
Who did it?
What difference
does it make?
Who did it?
The United States
government owes me that much.
We're soldiers.
We follow orders.
Hey.
Stay.
What are
you doing?
Stay!!
What do you
think I'm doing?
Trying to find a short-term
answer to a long-term problem.
You make that
call, you're dead.
Everybody you've ever
known, loved or talked to is dead.
I just saved
your life!
Yes, but you just
ended yours.
Those two men you
just shot are Feds.
I need bolt cutters.
Do you have bolt cutters?
And something flammable.
I need your help.
Alright, douse them.
Hey, these guys, they shoot
first and ask questions later.
In 10 minutes, we're
gonna look just like that.
Give it here.
Okay.
Okay.
C-
Z-
C-
H-
O-
S- L-O-
V- A-K-I-A.
Bodies?
Burning.
Well, I guess
that ends that.
For your sake,
I hope that's true.
I'm going to
make a call now.
Make him wait.
It's not my life
we're playing with.
He's asleep.
You wanna be the one
that wakes him up?
And by the
way... Johnny!...
you still answer
to me as well.
Taking in a flight this evening, sir?
Why not?
Yes, sir.
I need to get
out up there.
It's New
Year's Eve.
Some of us have people we
wanted to see at midnight.
We could, uh, we
could give you a lift.
Maybe in
another life. Sir.
Let's go, Johnny.
It's not too deep.
I'm gonna need you
to take this thing out.
If I do this...
I'll do everything in my
power to wash your hands.
Okay now, clear that table.
Clear that table!
Oh!
Lay down.
Hey, hey wait,
wait, wait.
Once you get it out, it's easy,
it's just like sewing a
patch on a pair of pants.
Yeah, right.
Hey! Hey! Hey.
Hey, oh, hey!
Whoa, what is that?
What is this?
Barrington's.
How old
is this?
I think 15 years.
Yeah, 15 years.
January 15, 1991.
Last time the Skins
won the Superbowl.
Hey, you better take a
swig to ease your nerves.
I haven't steadied
my nerves since 1991.
What color?
Gold.
I just realized, I
never got your name.
Sometimes they call me Mac.
What's yours?
Nice to meet you.
There.
Yeah.
Happy New Year.
I love you.
I love you.
Keep me close
in your heart.
You are leaving.
Listen to me.
The worst part of
my day is right now.
When I have
to leave you.
Then don't!
When will
you come back?
After the holidays.
Me vas a dejar
por las navidades, hijo de puta!
Excuse me.
Vete.
Vete! Djame!
Leave me!
Whoa, whoa!
I will.
I didn't ask
you anything.
I haven't asked
you anything yet.
Sorry.
Can I be
your husband?
Huh?
And I'll be
your wife.
That's good.
"Don't you
want to know,
who was on the other
end of the phone?"
"Carpe diem. "
"Carpe diem. "
Who is the greatest
quarterback of all time?
Sonny Jurgensen.
And why was he the
greatest quarterback of all time?
Because he could
make something out of nothing.
And who was the moron coach
who didn't want him to play?
George Allen.
And who was the coach
that saved the Redskins?
Joe Glbbs.
And when you grow
up, what are you gonna do?
Announce the games with
Sonny, Sam and Frank on the radio.
And why do we
know all of this?
Because we love
each other.
# Hall to the Redskins Hall Vic-tor-y #
# Braves on the Warpath
Fight for old D. C. ##
That's for
both of us.
Happy New Year.
Let me guess.
You're about to tell
me that my... problem...
has taken a turn for the worse.
You found this,
in a wall at
the Mayflower.
They think
he's still alive.
How about you?
I'm not paid
to think, sir.
Why would
they think that?
He's an
extraordinarily dangerous,
and confused man
with an ax to grind.
You said it yourself, those
are the hardest to put down.
Carpe diem.
Excuse me?
Seize the day.
I know what it means, sir,
I just...
After Vietnam, the City developed
this program for lost veterans.
Putting them to work, rebuilding
the rail yards around Union station.
And on every rail spike, they
inscribed the words "Carpe diem. "
Seize the day.
Honor is just... gone.
I can't remember anything
anymore, anyway, someone once said,
"He who has 100 victories in 100
battles, is not the most skillful,
"but rather he
who subdues the other's military
without battle is
the most skillful. "
Sun Tzu.
People look at these men or soldiers,
and they think
to themselves,
They must
love to flight.
But they've got it, they've
got it slightly twisted.
You see, the good
ones love to win.
But they respect the
dangers of the fight.
But nine times out of ten,
a fight, a war, a battle,
is won without the
first punch being thrown,
the first shot being fired, the
palace captured,
and that, that is when
you have honor!
When you can capture a man's mind!
Then his heart, his fists,
they're sure to follow.
Didn't you have another life
to be lived this evening?
How did you
do it, sir?
Balance the two,
live both lives?
What's the question?
What is the same question,
that you ask
yourself every day?
What price do I pay to make
America a safer place today?
A "safer place?"
See, I think
it's more like,
"What price did I pay today to
defend the tenets of democracy?"
You, of all people,
should know the difference.
Is his...
cash missing?
I know I shouldn't
ask this, but, um,
where did
you hide it?
Well, did he pick it up
before or after we got the tag?
Not sure.
Do you know why we started
using those cash boxes?
Leverage.
No, no. Balance.
So you wouldn't
forget who you were.
And for the lucky ones, so you
could forget what you've become.
You do whatever you
need to do there, sport.
It's not up
to me anymore.
Looks like he came
back from the dead.
I would say you've
got 24 hours, sir.
But I guess that's
irrelevant now.
(man in cap]
[indistinct] [scattered applause]
How long have I been out?
How long have
I been out!
It's 11 o'clock.
About 23 hours.
You did a
good job.
How do you
take your coffee?
Not at all, thank you very much.
What'd I miss?
Nothing, really.
They caught the Ace of Spades.
What?
They caught
the Ace of Spades.
When?
About a week ago.
It doesn't say
who caught him.
I know you're
not a criminal,
I don't know what's going
on, and I don't wanna know.
I just wanna know how I get out.
I want this over.
You don't want to know
how these guys are, Mac.
I don't know your name,
and I'm not gonna ask.
But please, tell me.
Workin' on it, Mac.
Do you know
where he is?
You can handle
yourself, right?
I do okay.
But can you fight
with that wound?
How much time
do we have?
About a day before they find us.
Follow me.
Where you
goin', Mac?
This is the smallest
big city in the world.
Kill the lights.
You drive
a hearse?
Get in!
He drives
a hearse.
Where we goin'?
Where we going?
Have you ever been to
the Underground before?
Yeah, once or twice.
After my acc...
I am Sophia.
My doctor used to talk to me
a lot
about vision.
He said some people think that
vision is that which is there.
But to him, vision is
seeing that which could be.
When we get inside,
you stay close to me.
Don't speak. When the
bluesman comes to the table,
I'll set you up.
After that, it's up to you.
I don't need
a weapon.
That's good.
'Cause it's not for you.
When the bluesman is done,
I need to
talk to him.
When the old man
finishes his set,
he's gonna come over and sit down.
Now you
follow my lead.
In the car you said
you were in an accident,
what happened?
'91.
The Skins had beat the
Bulls in the Superbowl.
I was going to a friend's
house to pick up my daughter.
I'd had too
much to drink.
But in my mind,
it wasn't enough.
So I stopped,
picked up a couple of
bottles of Barrington's vodka.
At that store
where we met.
I had finished
about a half of one,
on the way to Katie's.
I was so drunk I didn't
even go to the door.
For some reason, I made
her sit in the back.
Only the devil can
answer that for me now.
The last thing
I remember,
is waking up two days
later in the hospital,
handcuffed to a bed with a
ruptured spleen and a dead daughter.
Yeah. I've been
in an accident.
Not yet.
Tell me
about the police.
Long time.
Mac.
Too long.
Meat Truck come
to the stage,
telling me you in here
claiming you got a fighter.
Something like that.
This him?
Let me get
a look at you.
I never forget a
face. I know you, yes?
I want for you to
get him in the cellar.
See if he
really wants it.
What are you saying?
You want him
to watch?
Something like that.
There's only one
way into that room.
Give me a fight.
I'll do it for free.
It doesn't really matter
who, just give me one tonight.
How much you
weigh... cowboy?
A buck 85,
give or take.
Sorry, champ, no middleweights
are fightin' tonight.
Only the big boys
are gonna bang.
The bigger,
the better.
We got a deal?
See that guy over there?
That's Meat Truck.
He's new. But he'll come get you in
about an hour or so for your fight.
One last thing.
How shall I
introduce you?
Go into that cellar and tell
the children to close their eyes.
Tell the women to shut their legs,
and the men to put up their fists
'cause there's a
war machine comin'.
Bet it's
alright, man.
Maybe not.
But the three wise men
don't like to be made wrong.
Ready? One,
two, three!
What the hell
is this?
I don't know.
Nor do I want to.
Hey, what
is that?
You don't wanna know, kid.
Let's go.
Capturing the Ace isn't
our objective, is it?
Hey!! Capturing the Ace isn't
our primary objective, is it?
Is it!!??
No.
What the fuck
is going on?
Told you I didn't
like this mission.
You were always right.
When I'm gone,
finish it.
They're ready
for yah.
This is anything goes.
You know that, dontcha?
I bet that hurt.
And in this corner,
weighing in
at 185 pounds,
the War Machine!
Yeah, you're right.
It was you,
wasn't it?
The voice on the
other end of the phone.
I have no idea what
you're talkin' about.
It's not my blood you
want on your hands.
But you had to be
sure, didn't you?
Loyal to the end,
that's my David.
I'm not
him anymore.
You took that
away from me.
Nothing you weren't
willing to give.
I wasn't willing
to give up Sophia.
Look, you should know,
David, that tonight,
I traded...
my life for yours.
So that you
could continue to live,
and do what needs
to be done.
Right the wrong.
Maybe in
another life.
Oh, God!
I could be bound
in a nutshell,
and count myself a king of infinite
space, if it had not bad dreams.
But you, you never struck me
as the nutshell type, David.
In a few moments, I'm
gonna walk out that door,
A gray Sedan,
that's been circling the
block for the last four hours
will just happen to
be passing by the club.
And as luck would
have it, a young Hispanic male,
will fire two
shots, both in my direction.
And I will die
a coward's death.
Alone, on a cold
and empty street,
so that you can become
what you were born to be.
And already are.
A hero, David!
A hero.
When you saved my life,
you asked for no explanation.
Given what you will soon
or already have read,
I feel I owe
you that much.
Ten days ago,
Who is this?
Why were we asked
to bring this to you?
I assume you're not Mitchell.
He's dead.
So many people
think this war
is about countries,
about land.
Your friends probably
believe they died for liberty,
for truth,
for justice.
And in a way, they would
be right, wouldn't they?
By the look
on your face,
and what you
just heard,
you might be thinking
they died for money, for greed.
And in a way, you may be correct.
Why is it we become those we
fight so hard to exterminate?
My advice?
Keep running.
And pray the sins
of these old men
never catch up
with you.
When I was a boy,
a very powerful
American and his son
came to visit
my country.
When I was running
into the house,
I heard the American
ask my father a strange question,
that I now
ask of you.
Without villains,
can there be heroes?
You must
ask yourself,
why your country
birthed a villain,
in a land of
sand and stone.
Why they wouldn't need
so badly to have the power
that only a hero
can possess.
And you'll, you'll
understand the Tao,
the truth, or as you
people in the West call it,
the Way of War.
That is my truth.
That is my way.
Ten days ago my name
was David Wolfe.
I was a son to father,
a soldier to country,
a lover to woman.
I lived two lives,
I carried two names.
Ten days later, I
have a single mission,
a single hunt,
a single life, a single name.
I am the Wolf.
What have I done?
Were you able to
see the paper this morning, sir?
It's horrible.
It's tragic.
We will honor him with
a moment of silence,
before I address the nation
on that other matter.
By the way,
how do we stand on that?
I have it contained.
Good.
Oh, I want to thank
you for the present
you left on my desk this
morning with the paper.
You should know I plan on incorporating
its message into my address.
But I...
Ah, don't be silly.
It's an important concept,
in the wake of
a grave tragedy.
Carpe diem. Seize the day.
Must always look forward
in times like these.
Never backwards.
I didn't put that
on your desk, sir.
Then who did?