Clips from "Mad Jack" (1970). World War I British poet Siegfried Sassoon, Military Cross for bravery, played by Michael Jayston in "Mad Jack" (1970), directed by Jack Gold - BAFTA nomination for Michael Jayston, Monte Carlo Festival award. The play is about Siegfried Sassoon's powerful, articulate protest against the madness of the war and the sacrifice of men's lives for no reason. Starring Michael Jayston, Michael Pennington, David Wood, Clive Swift, Charles Lewsen, Anna Barry, John Boxer, Jonathan Cecil, Donald Sumpter. Directed by Jack Gold.
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00:00I am making this statement as an act of willful defiance of military authority,
00:04because I believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.
00:14I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers.
00:21I believe that the war upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation
00:27has now become a war of aggression and conquest.
00:34I am not protesting against the conduct of the war,
00:38but against the political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.
00:47On behalf of those who are suffering now, I make this protest
00:52against the deception which is being practised on them.
01:05Odd thing, a funny thing to want to do.
01:10Serving soldier, officer with a reputation, kill Germans,
01:16card of thanks from the corps commander, engraved and guilt edged.
01:20MC, great men, important men, horseback riders, gold braided, scarlet tabs and hat bands.
01:31Soberly frock coated, top hatted, brave and responsible.
01:38A lifetime of responsibility and decision.
01:43Would they stop the war?
01:46Even if all that were read out in the houses of parliament.
01:52I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers.
02:03I am not afraid of being killed.
02:06I made up my mind a long time ago to die because in the circumstances there didn't seem anything else to do.
02:16It's the dead who are my friends.
02:27A soldier acting on behalf of dead soldiers.
02:35When I am asleep, dreaming and lulled and warm, they come.
02:40The homeless ones, the noiseless dead.
02:46When the dim charging breakers of the storm bellow and drone the rumble overhead,
02:52out of the gloom they gather about my bed.
02:55They whisper to my heart, their thoughts are mine.
02:59Why are you here with all your watches ended?
03:02From yeep to freeze we sought you in the line.
03:05In bitter safety I awake, unfriended.
03:09And while the dawn begins with slashing rain,
03:12I think of the battalion in the mud.
03:16When are you going out to them again?
03:19Are they not still your brothers through our blood?
03:30Look here, old chap, isn't it possible for you to reconsider your ultimatum?
03:36I'm afraid not, sir.
03:37Well, I dare say that I shan't understand.
03:41I mean, I haven't had to go through what you chaps have had to go through.
03:44I don't want to ask all sorts of damnable questions,
03:47but could you tell me what's behind it all?
03:50I mean, you're not a pacifist or a contrary, are you?
03:54No, sir.
03:56Well, God knows the war's turning into a pretty dud sort of show.
03:59Stalemate and all that.
04:01But what do you hope to achieve?
04:03I mean, if you could at least explain your ideas.
04:06Not for myself, I understand, but if it were necessary,
04:09and I sincerely hope that it won't be,
04:11so that one might pass it on, as it were, to others.
04:15I'll do my best, sir.
04:19Well, sir, when the war started,
04:21it seemed pretty clear what it was about.
04:24Well, it seemed to be.
04:26Difficult to explain to the dead,
04:28and impossible to explain to the living.
04:30And I was expecting that he'd be at the least abusive.
04:34If only I could have taken that cigar.
04:37Peace, it would have meant.
04:39Though not the peace I'm shouting about.
04:41A small, private peace.
04:44We could have puffed away and cursed the idiots in Whitehall,
04:47and he could have reported to the colonel.
04:50The point is that, however kind and sympathetic he is,
04:54he's still my enemy.
04:56And the more dangerous for being kind.
04:59Surely it was the duty of our politicians
05:01to look for some other way of settling our differences,
05:04besides condemning thousands upon thousands of men to die.
05:08Surely the Hun had to be punished, though.
05:11Well, the Hun punishes us, sir.
05:14The war as it's being fought, sir, can achieve nothing,
05:17except the slaughter of young men,
05:19of young Frenchmen, of young Germans, of young English,
05:22Austrians, Australians, Indians.
05:23There's no end to it.
05:25It's insane.
05:29God, I'm tired.
05:39Hell, what does it matter who shoots who?
05:42What does it matter?
05:49Does it matter?
05:50Does it matter?
05:52Losing your legs.
05:54For people will always be kind,
05:56and you need not show that you mind
05:58when the others come in after hunting
06:00to gobble their muffins and eggs.
06:02Does it matter?
06:04Losing your sight.
06:06There's such splendid work for the blind.
06:08And people will always be kind
06:10as you sit on the terrace remembering
06:12and turning your face to the light.
06:15Do they matter, those dreams from the pit?
06:18You can drink and forget
06:20when you're mad,
06:22and people won't say that you're mad,
06:24for they'll know you fought for your country,
06:26and no one will worry a bit.
06:3421, 22, 23.
06:36Odd number for a letter.
06:38What's this?
06:40Even number for a letter.
06:42Odd number for no letter.
06:4424, 25, 26.
06:51From Geoffrey?
06:53Ottolid.
06:56From the MP, Lee Smith.
06:59From Lee Smith,
07:01saying he's read out my statement in Parliament,
07:04and peace has been declared.
07:07I'm afraid I'm afraid.
07:09I'm afraid I'm afraid.
07:11I'm afraid I'm afraid.
07:13I'm afraid I'm afraid.
07:15I'm afraid I'm afraid.
07:17I'm afraid I'm afraid.
07:19Nothing for you, sir.
07:27There's nothing for you, sir.
07:40The statement was made to his commanding officer
07:43by Second Lieutenant S.L. Sassoon, Military Cross,
07:45as explaining his grounds
07:47for refusing to serve further in the army.
08:16Geoffrey, when I drowse tonight,
08:19skirting lawns of sleep to chase,
08:22shifting dreams in mazy light,
08:25somewhere then I'll see your face,
08:28turning back to bid me follow.
08:45I'm afraid I'm afraid.
09:15I'm afraid I'm afraid.
09:45I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:16I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:18I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:20I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:22I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:24I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:26I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:28I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:30I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:32I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:34I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:36I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:38I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:40I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:42I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:44I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:46I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:48I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:50I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:52I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:54I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:56I'm afraid I'm afraid.
10:58I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:00I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:02I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:04I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:06I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:08I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:10I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:11I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:21I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:42I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:44I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:46I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:48I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:50I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:52I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:54I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:56I'm afraid I'm afraid.
11:58I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:00I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:02I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:04I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:06I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:08I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:09I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:11I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:13I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:15I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:17I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:19I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:21I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:23I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:25I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:27I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:29I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:31I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:33I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:35I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:37I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:39I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:41I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:43I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:45I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:47I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:49I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:51I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:53I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:55I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:57I'm afraid I'm afraid.
12:59I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:01I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:03I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:05I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:07I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:09I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:11I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:13I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:15I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:17I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:19I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:21I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:23I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:25I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:27I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:29I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:31I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:33I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:35I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:37I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:39I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:41I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:43I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:45I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:47I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:49I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:51I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:53I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:55I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:57I'm afraid I'm afraid.
13:59I'm afraid I'm afraid.
14:01I'm afraid I'm afraid.
14:03I'm afraid I'm afraid.
14:05I'm afraid I'm afraid.
14:07I'm afraid I'm afraid.
14:09I hope to raise the matter of your statement.
14:12I do hope you're keeping in good health and spirits,
14:15and that the military authorities are not treating you too harshly.
14:18Yours sincerely,
14:20Ernest Lee Smith.
14:23A gentleman to see you, sir.
14:25Colonel Jones Williams.
14:30Gosh, the C.O.?
14:32In the smoking room, sir.
14:34Really?
14:37This is a very serious matter, very serious indeed.
14:41I refer to you cutting that medical board.
14:43That board, I may tell you, was specially arranged for you by higher quarters.
14:46I'm sorry, sir, but I felt...
14:48You realize that an R.A.M.C. colonel came all the way from London for it?
14:52I don't want to cause you any trouble, sir,
14:54but I felt it wouldn't be consistent with the steps I've already taken
14:57if I were to attend that board.
14:59Good God, sir!
15:01So soon you must realize that you might be wrong
15:04if you set your opinion against the practically unanimous feeling
15:07of the entire British Empire?
15:11I've done all I can for you.
15:13I've told Mersey defences you missed that board through a misunderstanding,
15:17but I'm afraid the affair will soon go beyond my control.
15:20Court-martialed, you understand?
15:22Court-martialed in disgrace.
15:26Try to reconsider your refusal before tomorrow,
15:29and let me know immediately if you do.
15:34Good night.
15:45David!
15:47David, old chap!
15:57Why do you lie with your legs ungainly huddled
16:00and your arm bent across your sullen, cold, exhausted face?
16:04It hurts my heart to watch you,
16:06deep-shadowed from the candles guttering gold.
16:12And you wonder why I shake you by the shoulder.
16:15Drowsy, you mumble and sigh and turn your head.
16:19You are too young to fall asleep forever.
16:22And when you sleep, you remind me of the dead.
17:00MUSIC PLAYS
17:18I chucked my MC ribbon away.
17:20Look here, Siegfried.
17:22I've come up here to tell you
17:24you've got to drop all this anti-war business.
17:27I can't drop it, you ass.
17:30Don't you realise I'm a man with a message?
17:32I've got all sorts of people behind me,
17:34Osselin and Bertrand Russell,
17:36and I had a letter from Lee Smith the other day saying...
17:39I thought you'd come to see me through the court-martial
17:42as a sort of prisoner's friend.
17:44It might be different if you could achieve something, but you can't.
17:47You're in rotten shape and you'll just end up knocking yourself out.
17:50And if you're banking on that backbench MP of yours,
17:53I might as well tell you now that I've had a word with one or two people
17:56and you'll find he doesn't do you as much good as you think.
17:59What people? That doesn't matter.
18:01The point is they'll court-martial you for refusing to attend the medical board.
18:05Your statement won't come into it.
18:07It doesn't matter what they say they're court-martialing me for.
18:09Massingham and Russell and Lee Smith will see that the real truth comes out.
18:12They'll be taken care of. Don't you worry.
18:14You have Lloyd George's word for it, I suppose.
18:16Good Lord, I've been doing my damnedest to try to keep you out of prison.
18:19I should think you'd be grateful.
18:21You've got a damned cheek, Geoffrey!
18:23I might have known you'd interfere.
18:25Never mind, go ahead.
18:27And if you're exercising your usual tact,
18:29you'll get me ten years' hard labour for certain.
18:31And with any luck, they'll end up shooting me as some sort of deserter.
18:37Why? I'll tell you why.
18:39Because we're both soldiers.
18:41And I'm doing it for soldiers, not abstract principles.
18:43And I'll tell you what your precious soldiers will say about it.
18:47They'll say you refused the board
18:49because you didn't want to go on another tour of trenches.
18:51They'll say you've got cold feet.
18:54I can just hear that ass Barton holding forth about it now.
18:57Do you think I care about that?
18:59If I back out now, I'll be betraying my...
19:02Isn't that worse cowardice than being thought cold-footed by officers
19:06who refuse to think about anything
19:08except the gentlemanly traditions of the regiment?
19:11I happen to think something of those traditions myself.
19:15Come on, Geoffrey.
19:17You're beginning to sound more fatuous every minute.
19:20Reserve officer, temporary captain.
19:23When this is over, you'll be out of it like a flash.
19:27Soldiers, I think you said.
19:30You're doing it for soldiers.
19:32The regiment doesn't mean just the officers,
19:35reserve, temporary or otherwise.
19:37I seem to remember a conversation
19:39in which we agreed that it was our duty to do our best to protect our chaps,
19:43that the only thing we could do
19:45was to see that they were decently treated and looked after.
19:48It's not the only thing I can do.
19:50What, you can try and make a martyr of yourself?
19:52Why do you care whether I martyr myself for what I believe in?
19:56Why?
19:59Because I know what's behind it.
20:01What do you mean by that?
20:03You know damn well what I mean.
20:05No, I don't.
20:07What hint? Tell me.
20:09You're doing it for personal reasons, that's what I mean.
20:14Of course, my beliefs are personal, sir.
20:17Beliefs. Emotions.
20:21You're in love, that's what you are.
20:23You're in love with death and bloody martyrdom and crucifixion.
20:27That's not true. Of course it's true.
20:29What happened when young David Orman was killed?
20:32You went out and did your damnedest to get done in too, didn't you?
20:36And now it's the same thing.
20:40How can it be the same thing?
20:42I'm not trying to kill anyone, I'm trying to stop them being killed.
20:46You can never muck in like the rest of us, can you?
20:49You've got to be bloody extraordinary.
20:51You can't just get on with it and keep your mouth shut.
20:54You've got to play Jesus bloody Christ all the time.
20:57The war's wrong. It's got to be stopped.
20:59While we're talking, men are being killed.
21:01You think I wouldn't go through a court-martial to try and stop that?
21:05All right.
21:07You've asked for it.
21:09I happen to know that they won't court-martial you at all.
21:14You don't expect me to believe that, do you?
21:17It happens to be true.
21:19You just thought of that, haven't you? One of your brilliant improvisations.
21:22You really think they don't know what you're up to?
21:26If you go on refusing to turn up to their board,
21:30they'll say you're shell-shocked
21:33and lock you away in a loony bin for the rest of the war.
21:38Why didn't you tell me this before?
21:42I didn't want to upset you.
21:45Here's the secret.
21:47You can't do anything if you're locked away, can you?
21:50They're not asking to withdraw your statement or anything,
21:53not at this stage at any rate.
21:55All you've got to do is to agree to their wretched board.
21:58Then nobody can say that you've got cold feet.
22:00It'll even make your protest more effective.
22:03If I'm back with a battalion? Yes.
22:06Will you swear on the Bible that what you've just told me is true?
22:11If you want me to. I do.
22:14Don't be dotty. I haven't got a Bible.
22:16Say the words. Say, I swear on the Bible. Go on.
22:19I swear on the Bible that they won't court martial me.
22:23Go on.
22:25And that if you refuse to turn up to another medical board,
22:28they'll declare you insane.
22:30That's all you've said before. You said they'd shut me up in a loony bin.
22:33For God's sake, what do they usually do if people are declared insane?
22:37If I do agree to go before the board, they won't declare me insane.
22:40Of course not.
22:42Or stop Lee Smith reading my statement.
22:44How can they? He's a private member, isn't he?
22:47Is that the truth?
22:49Of course it is.
22:51It's all fixed, I tell you.
22:54Just agree to the board.
23:03All right.
23:08I'm not protesting against the conduct of the war,
23:11but against the political errors and insincerities
23:14for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.
23:18On behalf of those who are suffering now,
23:21I make this protest against the deception
23:24which is being practised on them.
23:27And that, Mr Speaker,
23:29the statement of a serving officer, twice wounded,
23:32And that, Mr Speaker,
23:34the statement of a serving officer, twice wounded,
23:37and decorated for gallantry in the field,
23:40Second Lieutenant S.L. Sassoon, M.C.,
23:43should answer my right honourable friend,
23:46who dares suggest that our fighting troops
23:49support this unholy slaughter of their fellow men.
23:58In reply to the honourable gentleman,
24:00I would inform the House
24:02that the officer responsible for the statement just read out
24:06was examined by an army medical board,
24:09and on evidence adduced, both by medical experts
24:12and by a brother officer in his regiment,
24:15was found to be suffering from a nervous breakdown.
24:18He is at present, uh...
24:21in Craig Lockhart Hospital for shelter officers.
24:26Have you forgotten yet?
24:28For the world's events have rumbled on since those gag days,
24:32like traffic checked while at the crossing of city ways.
24:35And the haunted gap in your mind
24:37has filled with thoughts that flow like clouds
24:40in the lit heaven of life.
24:42And you're a man reprieved to go,
24:44taking your peaceful share of time with joy to spare.
24:48But the past is just the same, and war's a bloody game.
24:52Have you forgotten yet?
24:54Look down and swear by the slain of the war
24:57that you'll never forget.
24:59Do you remember that hour of din before the attack,
25:02and the anger, the blind compassion
25:04that seized and shook you then
25:06as you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men?
25:10Do you remember the stretcher cases lurching back
25:13with dying eyes and lolling heads?
25:15Those ashen-grey masks of the lads
25:18who once were keyed to the battle.
25:21Who once were keen and kind and gay.
25:25Have you forgotten yet?
25:27Look up and swear by the green of the spring
25:31that you'll never forget.