Go home.
You have waited one week. Please, wait a little longer.
[THUNDERING]
Thank you. Please, go home.
You will follow me.
Please, go home.
No, you may stay.
Why did you not drink?
After you, honorable sir.
Young man...
...where did you learn your manners?
My grandfather, sir.
He taught you well.
Tell me. What is your name?
Kwai Chang Caine.
Caine? Not a Chinese name.
My father was an American, venerable sir.
-Where are your parents now? -Both dead.
Your grandparents?
Dead. All dead.
In the Shaolin Temple...
...we have never accepted...
...anyone of other than full Chinese birth.
There is a first for everything.
Come here.
Quickly as you can, snatch the pebble from my hand.
When you can take the pebble from my hand...
...it will be time for you to leave.
Please, excuse me.
[BELL CHIMES]
[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]
Yeah?
Some water, if it's not too much trouble.
-Some what? -Water.
Water? That all you want? Water?
Oh, that's alright. Water's free around here.
Where'd you come from?
-Desert. -What?
-The desert. -The desert?
How'd you get across?
-Walked. -You walked?!
Liar. Did you hear what...?
Hey! You in the funny hat.
I don't like any slant-eyes in a white man's saloon.
[PEOPLE LAUGHING]
You know, I got a nose for Chinamen.
And you. Hey.
You.
You smell a little yellow to me.
No speaky the English?
Well, I don't speak Chinee.
If I did, I'd tell you to get out. Now, get out.
Oh, you want me to help you, huh?
Now, that's unfriendly.
[PEOPLE LAUGHING]
Chinaman...
...I'm gonna bust your head.
[PEOPLE LAUGHING]
I have never seen anything like what you did to that man.
I have heard.
I sought only to warn you of what might happen...
...realizing you were a stranger to this town.
And so brought trouble on yourself.
I am grateful.
My name is Han Fei. And yours?
I am Caine.
I am called many names.
But I've chosen Caine.
Have you work?
Here, everyone must have work.
I am waiting for the engineer...
...who supervises the railroad construction.
When he has finished his business...
...we will return to camp.
You may come along, if you wish. The railroad needs men.
You don't mind railroad, do you?
No.
How should I mind it?
What is a railroad?
Well, a railroad is--
You will see for yourself. Mr. McKay! Come.
-This is Caine, a friend. -How do you do?
He seeks your permission to ride with us.
-To the camp? -He needs work.
Does he know what he's getting into?
Can't you find anything else?
Alright, he's welcome.
Come.
-Thanks, Han Fei. -A pleasure.
Good luck.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Yeah?
Oh, McKay.
-Got a problem up ahead, sir. -Yeah, what's that?
Plans call for blasting a tunnel through these hills right here.
Apparently, nobody realized that they were a sandstone formation.
Just to be sure, I took a few samples...
...and sent them off to the lab for analysis.
And if it is a sandstone formation, what then?
It's what they call a balsa formation.
Perfect for trapped pockets of natural gas.
Cut into one of those pockets...
...the smallest spark could set it right off.
Fortunately, we're still four or five weeks away from there.
We'll have the results of the test samples before that.
What if it comes back like you said?
-Balsa formation? -Yeah.
You'll just have to call out the surveyors...
...and lay out an alternate route.
How long?
Two and a half, three months.
Mr. McKay, this railroad is getting $48,000...
...for every mile of track that we lay...
...and 20 miles of land on each side of the right of way.
How do you think they're gonna feel...
...about taking three months to re-route?
We're dealing with men's lives here.
You want that on your conscience?
You speak English?
Yes.
Say something more.
Yes, I speak English.
Pay is 75 cents a day and food. Put him to work.
Hey!
Behave yourself, we'll get along.
Fertile land.
A man could grow many things here.
Then grow us some food, farmer. My belly aches from what we eat.
Newcomer, why don't you speak?
A man without words is a man without brains.
If one's words are no better than silence...
...one should keep silent.
Supplies are in. Supplies are in.
-New men. -Why so many?
To make up for those whose bones line the right of way.
Alright, don't stand around here. Get them unloaded.
[INDISTINCT WHISPERING]
You are the new student.
Come closer.
You cannot see.
You think I cannot see.
Of all things...
...to live in darkness must be the worst.
Fear is the only darkness.
Take your broom and strike me with it.
Do as I tell you. Strike!
Again.
Here. Catch!
Never assume that because a man has no eyes he cannot see.
Close your eyes.
What do you hear?
I hear the water.
I hear the birds.
Do you hear your own heartbeat?
No.
Do you hear the grasshopper, which is at your feet?
Old man...
...how is it that you hear these things?
Young man...
...how is it that you do not?
It's plain he needs no company.
A Shaolin priest is at one with himself.
Why is he here?
What brings a Shaolin monk to this country...
...in clothes that conceal what he is?
Enough. You work on the roadbed.
Your clothes are not so different from his.
But I am no priest.
How long is it that you've been here?
A very long time, sir.
How long?
Not very long.
Soon you will learn.
To hit a target in this manner
is to exercise the inner strength.
Indeed, there are two kinds of strength.
The outer strength is obvious.
It fades with age and succumbs to sickness.
Then there is the chi, the inner strength.
Everyone possesses it too.
But it is indeed much more difficult to develop.
The inner strength lasts...
...through every heat and every cold...
...through old age and beyond.
Walk the rice paper softly as you can.
Be careful not to tear it.
Turn around.
Look at the paper.
When you can walk the rice paper without tearing it...
...then your steps will not be heard.
For every man, there is a proper place.
But you, a man like yourself should do what is his calling.
Pardon my rudeness.
Perhaps I was wrong in bringing you here.
What happens in a man's life is already written.
Man must move through life as his destiny wills.
Yes, yet each man is free to live as he chooses.
Though they seem opposite, both are true.
I do not understand it.
You have taken in much, old man...
...like the waters of the Tao.
First thing the young cast aside is manners.
You value manners, old man. We value other things.
Would you acknowledge the worth of the priest?
[SPITS]
Yes, if he will get us decent food to eat...
...provide us with a way to stay warm.
Or will he sit there with his good manners and polite smile...
...while we starve and the old ones die of cold?
In the Shaolin Temple, there are three kinds of men:
Students, disciples and masters.
Development of the mind can be achieved...
...only when the body has been disciplined.
To accomplish this...
...the ancients have taught us to imitate God's creatures.
This is Sun, master of the white crane system.
From the crane...
...we learn grace and self-control.
The snake teaches us suppleness and rhythmic endurance.
The praying mantis teaches us speed and patience.
And from the tiger we learn tenacity...
...and power.
And from the dragon, we learn to ride the wind.
All creatures, the low and the high...
...are one with nature.
If we have the wisdom to learn...
...all may teach us their virtues.
Between the fragile beauty of the praying mantis...
...and the fire and passion of the winged dragon...
...there is no discord.
Between the supple silence of the snake...
...and the eagle's claws...
...there is only harmony.
As no two elements of nature are in conflict.
So when we perceive the ways of nature...
...we remove conflict within ourselves...
...and discover a harmony of body and mind...
...in accord with the flow of the universe.
It may take half a lifetime to master one system.
Can it be true?
I heard the story from two men...
...one whose cousin had lately come from China.
If it is true, it is not to say this priest is the same man.
It is he.
Why would he come here?
Man runs a long way with a price on his head...
...for murder.
If that is so, he is worth much more...
...than any of us will ever see.
Only to one who could kill him.
-Not many can do that. -Another with the same skills?
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Yeah, come in.
Why, here's that boy I was telling you about.
Come on in, come on in.
Help yourself.
No reason why anyone doing us a favor has to go hungry.
Go on, go on, go on. Plenty more where that came from.
That is, if what you have to say is worth anything.
[EXPLOSION]
Dillon!
You've got men blasting in the hills up here!
Plans call for putting a tunnel through.
We want it through and ready for track...
...by the time these men reach it.
That sandstone formation is sure to be filled with methane.
You've got my report.
What report?
Whatever you did with yours, I still have two copies.
One is going out to the head office in San Francisco...
...and the other to the adjutant general in Washington.
If you dig that tunnel and anything happens...
...I'm gonna see you hung up to dry.
-Master Teh. -Yes, student Caine.
What is the best way to deal with force?
As we prize peace and quiet above victory...
...there is a simple and preferred method.
What is that, sir?
Run away.
Perceive the way of nature...
...and no force of man can harm you.
Do not meet a wave head-on. Avoid it.
You do not have to stop force.
It is easier to redirect it.
Learn more ways to preserve rather than destroy.
Avoid rather than check.
Check rather than hurt.
Hurt rather than maim.
Maim rather than kill.
For all life is precious, nor can any be replaced.
Accident.
Bury him.
Get some shovels.
Well, maybe you'd like to say a few words, priest.
You are a priest, ain't you?
You bother me, Chinaman.
I get the feeling that you think...
...you're better than the rest of them.
Maybe you can lay ties around the clock.
Maybe you don't feel the cold the way they do.
But I'm gonna show you you can bleed the way they do.
[EXPLOSIONS]
The tunnel through the hills.
The engineer warned them.
I wonder how many of our people are in there.
This is our own doing.
We showed them only weakness.
The weak will always be abused.
Only when a man is strong and feared is he safe!
Dangerous talk.
You talk of danger, old man?
Tomorrow they will order us...
...to clear the entrance to the tunnel...
...and when that is done, more of us will be sent in to die!
He's right.
Because we are not white, they consider us worthless.
We are many, they are few.
If we fight, at least we choose the manner of our deaths!
Wait, wait.
How will you fight? And what will you use against their guns?
Rocks! Our hands!
You will lead these people to be slaughtered like sheep.
Should we stay and dig our own graves? Are they right?
Are we less than men?
Men do not beat drums before they hunt for tigers.
What would you have us do, priest?
-Wait. -For what?
Starvation? The tunnel?
Will our deaths be any less certain?
The time to fight is now! Come!
[GUNSHOT]
To fight for yourselves is right.
To die vainly without hope of winning...
...is the act of stupid men.
Let one death be enough.
They owe you a lot.
Dig another grave.
Caine.
I got a telegram here. Chinese legation in Washington.
It's in answer to one we sent.
They say you're wanted for murder in China.
They ask us to take you into custody.
Hands behind your back.
Nobody.
Nobody comes in here to see him. You got that?
Right.
Good afternoon, grasshopper.
I have learned many things, old man.
You have learned discipline and acquired many new abilities.
However, never forget that a priest's life is a simple one...
...and must remain free of ambition.
Have you no ambition, Master Po?
Only one.
Five years hence, it is my wish...
...to make a pilgrimage to the Forbidden City.
It is a place where even priests receive no special status.
There, in the Temple of Heaven, will be a festival.
The full moon of May.
It will be the 13th day of the fifth month...
...of the Year of the Dog.
That is not such a great ambition.
But it is ambition nonetheless.
Who among us is without flaw?
-Raif, I swear-- -Shut up!
We didn't turn our backs on him for a minute!
-Didn't he take anything? -Nothing!
He's afoot and he's hungry!
Hate to lose him. He's worth money.
I sent men in to cover town.
If he's headed that way, they'll pick him up.
-And if he's not? -If he's not?
Well, you know this country.
Wind, cold, desert.
Without a horse, without food...
...he's good for two days, three days.
Alright, you give him four. Then send out a search party.
Pick up what's left of him.
Maybe he's worth something to them dead.
Time for you to leave.
Remember always...
...that a wise man walks with his head bowed...
...humble, like the dust.
Goodbye, old man. My master.
What do you hear?
I hear the grasshopper.
Raif, where do you want us to park this dynamite?
Way over there.
It's here.
Wanna start blasting again tomorrow?
There's a crew up there bringing out what's left of the bodies.
What is it, you think there's any more gas in that tunnel?
We'll find out tomorrow.
Go over and get yourselves some grub...
...and then get that stuff over to the blasting--
[EXPLOSIONS]
Well?
Let me go after him.
You're not afraid of him?
A Chinaman?
He's a very special kind of Chinaman.
He walks through walls.
You won't hear him, see him or touch him.
I'll touch him with this.
-You sure? -Let me take two men.
Go ahead.
[DOG BARKING]
Pray, Chinaman.
[GUNSHOTS]
Caine!
This is Dillon.
They tell me you'll be able to hear me.
I wanna talk to you, Caine, face to face!
I want it to happen while it's still daylight...
...while I still got an even chance.
In case you have any doubts, I ought to tell you...
...the boys have staked out a friend of yours.
Han Fei, the old man.
If you're not back in camp before sundown...
...I might not be able to stop them.
They wanna nail him to a railroad tie!
Let the old one go.
I need insurance.
If he makes a move, any kind of a move, kill both of them.
Grasshopper! Did you think you could fool me?
It would take more than years for me...
...to forget the footsteps of my favorite pupil.
How have you been, old man?
Well. And you?
Good.
The years have been good.
Quiet and measured.
Flowing slowly...
...like water.
And what brings you to the road leading to the Temple of Heaven?
I come to celebrate your life ambition.
The full moon of May.
Thirteenth day...
-Move back! -...of the fifth month...
-Move! -...the Year of the Dog.
Make way for the royal nephew.
Out of the way. Get out of the way.
You dare to touch an escort of the imperial house?
Humble apologies. I meant no harm.
-Who are you? -I am Po.
Lowly priest from Hunan province.
-And you? -I am Kwai Chang.
Also priest of Hunan.
Even one of the royal house...
...should not punish an old, blind man twice...
...for the same offense.
[GUN COCKS]
[GUNSHOTS]
He's just killed the royal nephew! Get the guards!
-He's still breathing. -Let's get these ropes off him.
Did you...? Did you kill him?
Yes, my master.
After all your teaching, I have disgraced myself.
No. Sometimes one must cut off a finger to save a hand.
There will be a price on your head. No place to hide.
You must leave the country.
If I had a son...
...all I could offer him is contained in this pouch.
Please, take it.
They have all gone.
Yes.
You are alone.
[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]
You are Caine.
And you?
For money.
A Shaolin monk...
...does not sell himself for a handful of rice.
You are more than a handful of rice.
I have spent many weeks searching for you.
It's long been known that you have escaped to this country.
And so...
...you have found me.
People will remember what was done here.
They will think of it with respect.
The taking of a life does no one honor.
What will you do?
Work.
Wander.
Rest when I can.
He will never let you rest, the emperor.
He sent this man after you. He will send others.
They all know you are here in America.
They will search you out.
Then let them find me.