[gong sound]
[sound effect]
[music]
Who is she?
The mama-san, she runs things here with an iron fist.
Hmm.
So she's the GateKeeper.
Controls all the opium and the women in this club
Exactly, if you want to have good time
best to follow all her rules.
Yes.
I do want a good time.
[laughs]
[coughing]
Oh...
This smoke chokes you up.
Take it easy, you need to draw it in slowly.
I'm not a patient man.
Hey!
I got a better idea.
Gentlemen! No!
Come on darling, we just want a little taste of you.
Please stop!
Come on, girl, just give us some love.
Are you here to smoke? Oh cause trouble?
Oh, she's a feisty one.
Do you always fight during lovemaking?
Damn, she's a hot little bitch!
What's going on here?
It's fine.
Just a little passionate fun is all.
It's not, they are misbehaving.
Gentlemen, we have rules.
We pay you a lot of money to have fun evening.
Huh? A lot of money.
Do you want to give us a refund?
Let me find you another girl this evening.
We have many pretty ones. I'm sure you'll find one you like.
No, no, no... We want this one.
And we don't mind a little rough horse play.
I heard some commotion, is someone having a party here?
All be...
You're the two blokes that run the Ice House Factory?
Oh Mr. Chow! Oh, Mr. Chow!
It's so wonderful to see you here.
These two gentlemen I do big business with them.
Everyone
Everyone, needs ice in the tropics.
Business partners?
No, no...
Mr. Chow is our most important customer.
Yes, indeed.
I spend a small fortune at your factory.
Mama-san
I think I would like to smoke my opium.
With this young lady this evening.
Could that be arranged?
Oh, actually we were just about to leave.
We are meeting some friends at another club.
Yes. Yes.
Brilliant! Perfect timing on my part I guess.
Yes, perfect timing.
Did you really want her services?
What might your name be?
Siu Fong
Are you skilled into art of rolling a bowl of opium?
And not burning it?
Yes.
I am very skilled.
Ok
Siu Fong can roll my opium this evening.
Great, Mr. Chow. I will have a servant bring in the same batch.
The same amount like last time?
Definitely,
same amount as always.
Will do Mr. Chow. Will do.
Thank you for that.
Young men with money,
have no discipline.
Very bad manners at all.
Is this your first time inside the Battlebox?
Yes, first time.
You may be a bit disappointed by the decor, but I assure you we're rather safe here.
We're about 60 feet below ground, under Victoria Barracks.
This is the command center for all British forces in Hong Kong.
It really is the nerve center.
Communications, signals, telegraph,
and telephone exchange all located inside.
Your post will be the telephone switchboard. I assume you know how to operate one?
Yes, I worked the telephone switchboard at the Royal Hotel.
Very good, an expert.
Let me show you your post.
You do need a good set of ears to filter out the background noise.
I will be fine, sir.
That's the spirit.
Ah, you must be the new girl.
What do they call you?
Yu Mei Fong
Ah, welcome aboard, George Armstrong.
I was just giving Mei Fong a run down of this place.
Oh were you.
Well, don't listen to this chap.
He may have the fancy title of British spy chief,
but between you and me these intelligence boys really don't have very much in the way of...
Well, common sense.
Be careful what you hear down here Mei Fong.
It can be dangerous place.
Don't mind George.
He is all fire and brimstone.
Everything's solvable with a burst of artillery.
Don't worry Charles.
She will soon know all our little secrets.
Switchies know everything that happens in the Battlebox.
Who is talking to who,
late night escapades, that sort of thing.
Let's leave this poor girl alone.
We don't want to scare her on her first day.
Not on her first day, no.
I do have something I want to discuss with you though, Charles.
Any questions?
No sir.
[phone rings] Happy listening, your first call.
This is Mr. Chow.
Reports are coming in that he's working for the other side.
A fifth-columnist. I thought you should know.
I will look into it.
See that you do, Charles.
Honestly, we have a bit of a crisis on our hands.
The Japanese have been surprisingly effective at infiltrating a vast network of potential fifth-columnists in Hong Kong.
They've even got some of the bloody Triads on side, Charles.
There's no gentle way to put this.
Your intelligence operations are falling short.
You need to push back hard on these bastards.
Shoot them in the alleyways if you have too.
Outright executions!?
The problem with you scholar-warrior types,
You never learn to pull the trigger.
Provide me a written order authorizing such action,
then I will consider it.
Just get it done, Charles!
He really is a loose cannon.
You get all types here in the Battlebox.
Alright men make sure your weapons are clean.
A jammed rifle could cost you your damn life.
As a Rajput soldier in the Indian army, we must up hold the highest of standards.
And today, we will scout out the Northeast sector of the Gin Drinkers Line.
Recently there have been some reports
of some Japanese agents operating in the area.
So make sure you're ready. Let's go have a look-see.
Get going.
He's been so hard on us lately,
A bit paranoid I would say.
Yeah right.
We waste so much time on these stupid patrols.
It's the same old story.
We haven't had a day off and over three weeks.
I hope that the Japanese attack us by now so that we might have some action.
Is there anything you would like to share with us Sepoy?
No, sir.
Alright then, let's go.
Alright, follow me.
[music]
What has been disturbing you, Hari?
Its been a long time sir, away from India.
Four years out here marching up and down these hills.
I think I'm looking forward to going back to Lucknow.
You still have four more months, my friend.
You are still on duty,
and it's not over until you're on that ship heading back home.
Yes, sir. Understood sir.
I am trying, I'm doing my best.
My father often used to repeat an old Buddhist saying.
Learn this from water, loud splashes the river, but the ocean depths are calm.
I am looking for that calm, sir.
This is the Army, not a Buddhist retreat.
What is this Buddhist stuff you are believing in?
The same stuff that Japanese believe in.
Be like more of rest of us, you know?
I am like you guys.
Just a little different.
How the hell did I end up with a Buddhist monk in my platoon?
You better shape up.
[sound of airplanes]
[battle sounds]
And now the latest news from Washington.
Reports are coming that the Japanese have launched a surprise attack on Manila, Singapore and the British Colony of Hong Kong.
They said that these attacks is unknown at the moment,
but stay tuned as more updates will be arriving from our journalists in the Pacific.
On the European battlefront, a German submarine...
General Maltby, early this morning the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the American Naval Base on Pearl Harbor.
Also this morning, the Japanese bombed our Kai Tak Airfield inflicting major damage.
In addition. We are receiving numerous reports
of Japanese infantry crossing the border into Hong Kong.
Well, we're at War, there's no doubt about it.
Have we had any reports from the New Territories?
We have, sir. There are reports of Japanese troops heading south towards Tai Po.
They have light tanks, armored cars and dozens of mobile artillery pieces.
Alright, alright, alert the troops stationed on the Eastern side of the Gin Drinkers Line.
We'll have to send more reinforcements.
Yes sir.
It's the Royal Scots holding the line directly in front of the Japanese advance, sir.
With the Rajputs at their side along with the contingent of Punjabi's holding the line near the Shing Mun Redoubt.
Mmm, this frontal assault on the Kowloon Peninsula is probably just a diversion.
My guess is the main Japanese attack will still take place from the sea,
probably by amphibious units hitting the beaches of Repulse Bay and Deepwater Bay.
Have there been any sightings of the Japanese Fleet?
The bombing this morning at Kai Tak Airfield disabled or destroyed all of our aircraft.
So we have no eyes in the sky.
What we really need is a couple of battleships stationed here,
otherwise they will blockade the harbor and starve us to death.
Get an urgent cable out to Singapore requesting help from the Royal Navy.
Yes, sir.
We must maintain our ability to resupply from the sea.
Mrs. Ho, I hope you haven't been waiting for long?
No, not at all.
I had to visit a village anyway for picking up some supplies,
and plus had to pay you back for the cow.
12 silver dollars?
Yes, that was our agreed price.
Thank you.
How's your new job going?
Well...
hmm, though, there's not much I can say about it.
Sworn to secrecy so to speak.
Well, at least raid their pantry.
Keep your stomach full.
That British food is really fattening.
Nothing wrong with a little meat on your bones.
Mrs. Ho,
you are now married, I still have to find my husband!
Come, let's have some tea.
Mama-san
Why has the price jumped up by 20 percent?
If Japanese win the fight,
they will just shut you down.
Mr. Chang, I am not so sure the place will be closed.
Everybody likes to have a good time.
I just saying.
20% increase,
not fair to long-time customer.
Take it or leave it, that's our price.
I have not heard much about you. Where were you born?
Hmmm
You're not fully Chinese, are you?
I had a British father.
So you are Eurasian?
Yes
Well then,
you might like my gift that I prepare for you.
It's all the rage in Paris and New York.
Stockings! Silk stockings!
Yes indeed.
These are impossible to find.
Where did you get them?
That's my little secret.
These are so lovely.
And tempting too.
You are a little devil, caught you peeking.
It's in my nature.
Another pipe, Mr. Chow?
Ah...
I have to be very careful riding on that dragon.
You know, addiction can be very dangerous.
Oh, my, my...
Now you're turning into a worrisome old man.
We can't let that happen.
Okay.
I will take one more pipe.
Thank goodness.
A rich man like you should enjoy your life.
Why waste a good time.
Today we have a very high quality of opium from the Sichuan Province,
very smooth and refined.
It came in yesterday.
Smuggled across the Japanese lines?
I suppose so.
I heard a bit about the smuggling trade.
War can sometimes be very good for business.
You trade with the Japanese?
No
Not exactly, but sometimes in order to be successful in business.
I do have to work all sides of the deal.
I see.
Do you have brother or sisters?
One sister.
Oh, in Hong Kong?
Yeah, she works as a switchboard operator at some government office.
She probably gets to learn a lot of secrets.
How is the opium?
Very good.
Come on.
Have a puff.
So the Royal Scots are now dug in on the Western sector of the Gin Drinkers Line.
They still have the Punjabis and Rajputs at the flanks.
But heavy fighting is just broken out on Golden Hill, sir.
The Royal Scots must hold Golden Hill.
Otherwise the Japs will flood into Sham Shui Po,
and then the rest of the Kowloon Peninsula.
Yes sir, although we are having difficulties reaching the frontline troops, sir.
Our telegraph wires keep getting cut.
Damn, fifth-columnists!
Can it be stopped?
It's hard to know who's who, sir.
Even the Triads are involved and they work for whomever pays the most.
Which is why we need to be operating firing squads, sir. Cut down these traitors at the knees.
Operationally impossible.
We just don't have the resources to track them all down.
Damn it Charles! Your boys need to pull their bloody fingers out and get on top of this.
All right, gentlemen.
This is war, chaos.
I know it's stressful, but we must keep our focus of defending the Gin Drinkers Line.
If that goes down the rest of the Kowloon Peninsula goes with it.
Continue, Mr. Armstrong.
Yes, sir.
Our forces are being pounded in Shatin, sir,
and the enemy has a column of light tanks crossing at Lo Wu to support.
This is looking like a full frontal assault, sir.
Bollocks!
We need to keep a step ahead of this, Gents.
I spoke with Governor Young,
and he agreed with the proposal of destroying any supplies located in
the Kowloon warehouses that might be useful to the Japanese.
Understood sir. I'll have the Service Corps draw up a list.
We'll destroy everything we can in the next 24 hours.
Is that to include the port facility, sir?
Yes, get ready to blow up the docks.
Yes, sir.
Nice and easy, let the opium roll into your body.
Being here makes me forget the world's problems.
Yes.
This club is like a pond of tranquility.
Yeah.
But I really should have left Hong Kong.
I just didn't think the Japanese would attack.
Oh, well, there's no escaping it now.
Should I continue?
Yes, maybe one more?
This is my only escape now.
What are those?
The latest fashions from Paris and New York.
Really? Looks like fishing nets for tadpoles.
You're such a village girl, Mei Fong.
I mean, look at you.
Well, thank goodness mother isn't alive to see you here,
with male strangers and all.
Well, our mother wasn't as tightly wound up as you.
She might have liked these.
Is he your latest catch?
Why do you care?
I have seen him before.
Mr. Chow, he's one of the richest bachelors in Hong Kong.
Mr Chow?
Seriously sister, you need to get out more often, expand your horizons.
Any young men in uniform caught your fancy yet?
No!
I need to help you with your wardrobe.
The village girl look comes across a bit old-fashioned.
I don't need stockings to make my legs look good.
Okay, okay, I'll drop it.
Look, I came here to tell you that I had to sell the cow.
With food prices rising so fast, it would soon have been stolen.
Here's your share.
Thanks.
You have been taking care of that cow for the past two years,
So really, it is yours.
Alright
Thank you.
This Thursday is your birthday.
How about I come over?
That would be fun.
You know, this year,
it's the year of the snake.
Oh, hopefully we won't see any of those.
(laughing quietly)
Shit, the Japs have tanks.
Bloody bastards, they do.
Sargent, Hari is hurt.
What happened?
Vihann is dead.
And we saw a column of tanks on Castle Peak Road.
Call it in! Call it in!
Yes, sir.
Japanese tanks have been spotted on Castle Peak Road.
Better warn the troops holding the forward positions...
I feel really dizzy.
You will be fine.
You will be fine man, come on!
You got this far, you got it.
I can't think straight, I can't think straight...
(coughing)
Are you ok?
Give it to my mother.
I will.
With the Gin Drinkers Line broken, we're going to have to shore up our defensive postures along the beaches of Hong Kong Island.
It's only a matter of time before the Japanese make a run at it.
How about the Lye Mun passage, sir?
It's the narrowest waterway between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Not where my focus would be, sir.
Our coastal gun batteries have it covered.
If the Japanese occupy the Kowloon shore,
they'll simply shell Hong Kong Island to smitheries.
Maybe sir.
But my instinct tells me the Japanese will try to preserve Victoria, the city, at least the main buildings.
Did you forgot what they did in Nanking?
You are supposed to be the Japanese expert, by here by God.
Get up to speed, old boy.
I know full well their history.
But in addition to looking at the historical context, we need to consider this from a strategic point of view.
Nanking was not a port city.
If I were an admiral in the Japanese Navy,
my objective would be to keep the city intact.
They're going to need a good base in this area for their upcoming war with the Americans.
Well, that's a major reason why we would be blowing up much of the port facilities.
Regardless, It's the Japanese Army that's currently conducting the fight.
The Japanese Army and Navy don't often see eye to eye.
There's a lot of infighting in Tokyo's military command.
Charles, I understand your knowledge of the Japanese is second to none.
Are you perhaps giving them more credit than they deserve?
I mean they have mishandled China for years.
Why would they be more enlightened now?
Charles, the Japanese have proven to be consistently inflexible in their military strategy.
Again and again, they've shown they prefer to use the sledgehammer to the scalpel.
Gentlemen, Pearl Harbor happened just five days ago!
An outlier, Charles.
We can't adapt our entire Japanese strategy because of one lucky strike against an enemy with their pants down.
That operation was led by the Japanese Navy,
After such a smashing success, I'd wager they had the upper hand in Tokyo now.
Point taken.
But it's the Japanese Army we are currently fighting against.
Sir, the Japanese have sunk HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales.
Both ships?
Aye, sir. We just received word from Singapore,
Japanese aircraft caught them off the coast of Malaya.
Both vessels lost.
Thank you, James.
Goddammit man!
If an aircraft can sink a top of the line British battleship,
what next?
Without those ships, how are we going to resupply from the sea?
It will be impossible, sir.
It's a bloody disaster.
Sir.
If I may...
We are on a razor's edge regards to morale in this city.
In many ways we're fighting a multi-front battle.
The land battle,
the sea battle,
and also, a psychological battle.
We need to be careful how this news is released to the public.
The last thing we want is panic in the streets.
Alright.
I want you to tell Governor Young,
about the loss of the battleships.
He'll understand the implications.
And caution him on how the news should be released.
Sir, I will send a full report.
Also update Brigadiers Wallis and Lawson.
Yes, sir.
Charles, we're going to need an up-to-date inventory on all food and supplies on the island.
We're gonna have to make some painful calculations on how long we can hold out here.
Yes, sir. I will get right on it.
What a cockup!
It changes everything.
Bloody Japs!
You're turning 25 now.
Maybe it's time to find you a husband?
Oh, sis, I don't want one of your connections.
I didn't mean that silly, not from the club.
I was thinking of maybe someone from the village.
A pig farmer!
Sis, I am going to take my time on this one.
I want someone reliable.
Goodness,
Good luck with that, men...
Well, men they often go astray.
Which reminds me.
That man from the club, that Mr Chow.
What about him?
He is a collaborator.
A what?
He works for the Japanese.
Oh Jesus, give it a break.
You really have an overactive imagination,
besides, how would you know who he is?
I saw his photo at work.
You have to be careful.
I can't give you any details, nor should I be telling you this.
Just...
keep your distance.
That's all you have? A hunch?
He is a Japanese collaborator, get it, and you're sleeping with the enemy!
Jesus, give it a break!
Don't give me that bloody nonsense, not from you.
Opium, prostitution, that club has a reputation.
My job,
pay for this house.
So you're benefiting from my work.
Don't be such a lily-white righteous bitch.
My fucking job allows you for your holier-than-thou lifestyle.
Really? Is that how you see it?
I was the one who took care of mother.
You left!
Because we are fucking dirt poor.
No rice, no pigs.
No income!
Someone in our family has to make a living.
That's not how it is.
You detest village life, you found the city more glamorous.
You never liked it here.
Have you finished preaching?
I'm sorry.
But this war...
This war is making the city more dangerous.
And...
if you ever want to come back.
Stay here.
You're always welcome.
You think Hong Kong will fall to the Japanese?
Hong Kong is a fortress.
We are surrounded by the water, the sea just like England.
If the Germans failed to invade Britain,
then the Japanese most certainly will fail attacking this island.
That is not what I'm hearing from inside the Battlebox.
Things are not as rosy as you may see.
As you may read in the papers.
We are on our own Mei Fong.
There's no backup plan for us.
Our British father abandoned us as kids.
Our Chinese mother died of overwork.
We are just a couple of Eurasian kids stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Nowhere!
We don't have many choice.
Just be careful of Mr. Chow.
He is working for the wrong side.
And...
I'm just saying.
At the end, at the end of all this...
You have to choose a side, we all do.
There is no middle ground.
According to this communication we received four days ago.
There are 50,000 KMT troops heading directly for us across the Canton Province.
Ah, that would be a God-send.
Really smash up the rear guard of the Japanese forces,
put their heads in a vice, knock the stuffing out of them.
Yes sir, we're expecting them in seven days.
Charles, any confirmation on these troop movements?
Unfortunately not, sir.
We have agents all over Canton Province,
but no verifiable reports of any large KMT units operating in the area.
Then we need more agents on the ground, find out what's happening.
We can't have another military cockup.
I'm just saying, there's no confirmation of these troops.
It's right here on this piece of paper, Charles.
50,000 troops.
It's right here!
That message proves nothing!
First we lose the battleships.
Then the Gin Drinkers Line fails,
and now we don't know whether 50,000 KMT troops might be nothing but a mirage.
How could things get so messed up?
Sir.
I'm only saying this message makes no sense.
The KMT lacked the resources to move their troops quickly.
I would estimate if the information is true, the likely arrival date would be mid-January.
We can't wait until mid-January, sir.
We can barely hold out until next week.
Get an urgent word out to Chiang Kai-shek on the urgent need for his troops.
Surely, he'll understand the importance of maintaining a British presence here in Hong Kong.
Yes sir.
I'll send another cable.
[explosion]
What is that?
Captain Singh, go see what that's about?
Yes, sir.
General, I would caution,
If the KMT confirmed troops are on the way,
they frequently say one thing then do another.
Understood.
But we're walking a tightrope here.
The KMT's imminent arrival has boosted morale here in Hong Kong.
If the news turns out to be false,
Well...
It might be best to keep things quiet.
There's no doubt the Japanese noose is tightening.
Maybe it's better to have people think help is on its way.
Otherwise we'll have trouble holding the Colony together.
Sir, it is the damn sentry relief, sir.
One of them dropped his Bren Gun.
Negligent discharge. Sepoy Ghulam Rasul is shot in the stomach.
Calm down, Captain, pull yourself together.
Calm?
This is an amateur stupidity.
You would not ask me to calm if it was one of the British soldiers.
I know when we are retreating from Kowloon,
Indians are going to be the last ones, always the last.
Right?
You'll get the Scots out first, and we are going to be the cannon fodder again.
Stand aside, Captain, that will be Brigadier Wallis's decision.
He'll do what's best.
Yes, sir.
[battle gunfire and explosions]
[gunfire]
Over there!
Over there, over there!
Behind the tree!
There is so many of them!
We are being surrounded.
Behind the tree!
Got him.
They are circling us, they are circling us everywhere.
There must be over 20 Japs out there!
They are shredding us apart.
Cover our flanks!
They are coming in.
I am running low on ammunition.
How much you have?
Four more rounds, sir.
Make it count!
Fucking Japs!
I'm out, I'm out!
I'm done, sir!
On your knees!
[thunderstorm]
I thought you would leave by now.
Where would I go? Singapore, Manila?
The whole World is blown to bits.
One of my friends went to Macau.
All the refugees are going to Macau.
Who's gonna feed them all?
I guess here is better than.
Ah, you never know what's gonna happen tomorrow, though.
At times of War,
everything is unexpected.
Another pipe?
Maybe I can smoke my way to Macau.
Ladies...
be careful cooking the opium tonight. It's getting very expensive.
Even the more experienced smugglers are having problems bringing opium into the city.
With all the fighting going on, I suppose, our business will go down.
Don't be so sure. We have a very compelling product.
Our women?
Opium, our clients need their daily fix.
You know before working at the Pearl Club, I used to work at a club in Canton.
Mostly Japanese customers, wealthy merchants, top brass.
It was one of the best clubs in all of South China.
Good money?
Very good, very profitable, too.
But, you know, sometimes a bad customer.
You know the type.
Yeah, always try to avoid those guys.
I noticed you are spending a lot of time with Mr. Chow.
Do you like him?
Mr. Chow, he's very generous.
Treat me with good respect.
I noticed he was at the Canton Club a few times.
Always with high ranking Japanese officials.
Yes, he smuggled goods throughout all of China, even to the Japanese.
Yeah, well, they were mostly military officials and they paid for everything,
the best opium, the best girls.
Mr. Chow did not pay?
That was the funny part.
Mostly the wealthy merchants who hosted the Japanese to gain favorites and such.
But not Mr. Chow. It worked the other way for him.
The Japanese treated Mr. Chow, very, very well.
Hmm, I see.
Anyways, just be careful.
The tricky men can seem the most kind
It's not like I'm about to marry him.
You know, he was married once.
His wife died in a bombing in Shanghai a few years ago.
Probably gang related.
But at least that's what I heard from one of the girls at the club.
It's hard to know who is fighting who in China.
Japanese, KMT, Triads,
Communists...
The lines keep shifting.
And the money keeps rolling in.
I suppose,
it's all about the money.
We are all slaves to it.
Sir.
We couldn't reach some of the Rajput units in time.
They were scattered during the fighting.
Some of them may not received orders to fall back to Hong Kong Island when we evacuated.
If they didn't make it back,
nothing we can do for them now.
The Island is all we have now boys.
And the Japs aren't going to stand for that for much longer.
Chin up, lads...
We're not dead yet.
Do you know this man?
No, not really.
What do you mean, not really?
I heard you speak about him briefly.
And?
And he may be a bad person from what I have heard.
Any other connection with this man?
No.
You have a sister named Yu Siu Fong, do you not?
Yes, I do.
Did you break security protocol and reveal anything to your sister about Mr. Chow?
You did, didn't you?
Yes a little bit, but just to protect her.
Do you remember your first day here?
Do you remember the conversation I had with the Colonel about Mr. Chow when I put his photo down on your desk?
Yes, I remember.
You see Mei Fong, that was a test.
We wanted to see if you would spill the beans.
Here inside the Battlebox, secrecy is of the utmost importance.
If we have people working here revealing details of our operations,
Then effectively we have a leak.
And guess who's in charge of fixing those leaks?
I suppose you are.
Quite right.
[distant gunfire]
Where are the others? Answer!
We don't know, sir.
Where are the other soldiers?
Talk!
I don't know, sir.
Search them.
What have you got? - Nothing, sir.
Maps?
Documents?
Money?
I have some in my left pocket.
What else?
I have nothing more, sir. I have nothing more.
You find anything?
Watch, coins, nothing else.
I guess the British don't pay you much.
Is this worth your life?
[large explosion]
Soldier! Execute them!
Follow me, we are going back.
No, please don't kill me! No!
Don't kill me!
No, no...
[Rifle shot]
No!
Have mercy.
Have mercy!
Don't do this!
No, don't do this.
Don't do this. No.
[Rifle shot]
No.
[crying]
Buddhist charm?
Yes it is.
Buddhist charm, it's a Buddhist charm.
Sir.
We have received communication from Sai Wan Ho
that the Japanese have landed a sizable force
on the eastern part of Hong Kong Island.
Where exactly?
The Lye Mun Passage, sir.
It's probably just a diversion.
That sector doesn't have a good landing sites for a large Japanese force.
How could they land their armor or artillery pieces?
Let's not take the bait.
The beaches of Deepwater Bay, Repulse Bay,
or a direct amphibious assault from Tsim Sha Tsui to Victoria
are still the most likely points for a Japanese entry.
The Lye Mun Passage is probably just a diversion.
Sir.
While the southern beaches would make better landing zones.
The Lye Man Passage is the narrowest waterway, only a few hundred yards.
Japanese troops could actually swim across.
Swim across, really Charles? With all their equipment?
Are there any reports of how many boats the Japanese are using?
It's pitch black outside, sir.
It's difficult for our spotters to get an estimate,
but the reports seem to indicate a few small fishing vessels.
You can't land an Army on a few fishing boats.
Remember Dunkirk?
They're over 800 vessels at Dunkirk.
The Japanese will be lucky to find 20 or 30 fishing boats. We sank everything else.
They could still swim across in 20 minutes.
It's darker than the devil's asshole out there, Charles!
No one's swimming anywhere!
Colonel, I agree it would be a bold move,
but not impossible to move thousands of troops by swimming across the channel.
Even if by some miracle they managed to swim to the other side,
their rifles would be sopping wet, Charles.
Be about as useful as a soggy crumpet.
On the surface, yes, it would seem foolhardy.
But Pearl Harbor was also a bold move that paid off brilliantly.
Can we get any confirmation on the size of the Japanese landings?
Yes, sir.
Sir, I know we're flying blind here.
But by the time that report gets back to us, it may be too late.
It's only a 20 minute swim.
In an hour or two, there could be thousands of Japanese troops on Hong Kong Island.
[distant gunfire]
Hello, operator?
Yes.
Please can you patch me through to the Pearl Club?
Yes, thank you.
Hello, mama-san?
It's me, Mei Fong, Siu Fong's sister.
Please may I speak to her?
Yes, it is urgent.
Siu Fong, it's me.
Listen, I have something important to give you.
Please can you come round in person?
No, I can't explain to you on the phone... No...
Alright.
Okay, I will see you in a few hours.
Bye.
Everybody out!
Everyone out!
Everybody out!
[distant gunfire]
[air raid siren]
The Japanese
The Japanese...
What happened to you?
Most of the island has fallen to the Japanese.
The roads are blocked, and I just came back from Sheung Wan District.
Is it still under the British control?
Yes, but the Japanese have taken over Queen Mary Hospital.
They're attacking the villages in the area.
Puk Fu Lam?
Yes, probably.
The city is collapsing.
Alright, ladies.
Ladies...
It's just a little bump in the road.
In reality, in desperate times,
a little opium will sooth many ills of the world.
Our business can survive a war.
Maybe different customers, different uniforms.
But at the end, there's always a human need to have a good time.
Besides, I will double your wages at the end of the month.
Mama-san, I need to go to see my sister.
I see, alright, be careful, it's dangerous outside.
We cannot surrender, Charles.
We have orders direct from Prime Minister Churchill that we're to fight to the last man.
Colonel, our men have done their duty,
thousands dead on the battlefield, thousands more badly injured and dying.
You expect the Japanese to honor any sort of surrender agreement?
The second we put our guns down, we're as good as dead.
We've lost control. Our troops are scattered. They're operating blind.
Then we fight blind, Charles!
We have our orders!
But at a certain point is becomes pointless!
We can't resupply them with ammunition, much less food.
Sir.
We just received reports the Japanese have taken over Tai Tam water reservoir.
Nonsense, I was just talking to Jack Flegg.
Get him on the blower now!
Sir.
Hello
Sir, it sounds like they're speaking Japanese.
Put it on speaker.
Yes, sir.
Hello, Tommy...
Hello, Tommy?
[laughing menacingly]
[We are coming for you British bastards!]
[You will all be dead soon!]
[laughing menacingly]
Yes...
[Yes, we know]
What did they say?
They're coming for us.
Like bullocks, they are.
They shut off water to the city.
The Japanese are forcing our hand, our troops can't fight without water.
We are in the bloody tropics, Charles! There is water everywhere.
Our boys still have a few days in the tank yet.
What about the local population?
There are always casualties, Charles!
[distant gunfire]
Mei Fong
Mei Fong, listen to me.
Who did this to you?
Oh...
Now listen to me, Mei Fong.
Mei Fong!!!
I love you!
(crying)
Who did that to you?
[distant gunfire]
It's Lieutenant Colonel Stewart, sir, in Wan Chai.
He says they can't hold the line much longer.
Alright, put him on the speaker.
Hello?
Stuart, Maltby here.
Maltby...? Is that you?
Yes, it's General Maltby. What's your status?
The line is breaking, sir. We can't hold out much longer!
Any reserves? Anything that can plug up the gap?
No one sir. We have no reserves. Everyone is on the line already.
[gunfire]
Hello, Stuart... Stuart!
We have Japs inside!
Godamnit! The doorway...
[speaker static]
Stuart
Are you there?
Stuart!!!
[speaker static]
Can you reconnect?
No, sir, the line is down.
I think it's time.
With all due respect, sir, a surrender here will tarnish our reputation across Asia.
Yes, and so would a civilian massacre if we continue to resist.
Sir, the Japanese cannot be trusted,
think of Nanking, 300,000 dead.
With the city's water supply shut off, we are already at the Japs mercy.
Please, sir.
The men can fight on.
One final fight.
Make them pay a bloody toll for every street, every building in the city.
The civilian population would be caught up in the crossfire, thousands dead.
Being taken prisoner by the Japanese would be worse than death, sir.
They will break us,
and they will butcher us,
one by one.
It will test our resolve, no doubt.
But to save this city, that's a sacrifice we're going to have to make.
Our men have paid a heavier price.
And your legacy, sir?
How will you be remembered?
Good night, gentlemen.
16 pipes, Mr. Chow.
Do you still desire another?
What is my devilish reward if I continue?
You already spent a small fortune, Mr. Chow.
Do you still have enough silver coin for the evening?
Is that enough for you?
For for a pipe, yes, for a pipe.
I want the special treatment.
The aroma of companionship.
Have you heard of riding the purple mist?
Do my handful of silver allow me entrance into this enchanted land?
Are you seeing colors, Mr. Chow?
Many colors, more than the shades of any rainbow.
Mr Chow
Long time no see.
What game are you playing this evening?
It's...
Riding mists, purple clouds, and double rainbows.
Something like that.
I have heard of that one.
Very, very decadent of you, Mr. Chow.
With the world collapsing, why not?
Hmm, I see. Well then...
Let me suggest you a very special delight.
Something not normally permitted inside this club.
Oh, really?
Yes, an extension on an ongoing theme.
A double delicacy, riding two purple mists.
I will be in heaven then.
[laughing]
Yes, you will be receiving the sweet taste of heaven tonight.
Your tea is ready.
Mr. Chow, drink it.
[loud coughing]
Maybe best if you get dressed and leave.
[loud coughing]
[gasping for breath]
Addiction can be deadly, Mr. Chow.
Maybe you picked the wrong side.
Sir, we've lost all contact with Mount Davis.
What about the Winnipeg Grenadiers in Wan Chai gap?
Those communication lines are also down.
Can we send a messenger?
Sir, the Japanese are only a thousand yards away.
It's unlikely we will reach anyone outside our sector, sir.
Any word from Governor Young?
He wants us to continue fighting, no surrender.
Good man, Young.
Finally, some sense!
We can't give them Christmas boys.
Gents, the Hong Kong Fortress was supposed to hold out for at least three months.
At least that was the plan.
Churchill did realize this outpost was just that, an outpost.
They knew full well in London we were destined to fail.
Yes, well, here we are at the edge, still fighting.
But for how long?
George
I'd like to have a word with all the men and women stationed here in the Battlebox.
Go and gather everyone into the room.
Yes, sir.
[air raid siren / gunfire]
What happened?
I don't know. 20-30 pipes maybe. A rich man with too much opium.
His heart has stopped.
He was turning purple, then collapsed.
We need to put a lid on this.
Blame it on heart attack, natural cause, less fuss.
Yes, that's probably the best.
Okay, okay, God damn it.
Such a rich man, we could have made a fortune,
had he stayed alive a few more years.
What are tragedy.
A big loss all around.
I have to now go file a police report and someone has informed his daughter.
His daughter?
Yes, poor girl.
She lost her mother a few years ago and now this.
Do you like kids?
Yeah.
Maybe you can go, you know, see the daughter.
I don't know.
I just... don't know.
What a God damn mess.
Sir, the ladies and gentlemen of your General Staff are present, sir.
For 17 long days,
we've done our best to defend this small outpost of the British Empire.
I have no idea how history will judge us.
For 100 years, British Hong Kong has been a successful trading post on the far end of Asia.
For years, it's been known as the Eastern Fortress.
A rock of fortitude in a troubled region.
We all know,
that war is a nasty business.
We've lost many good men during this battle.
May God rest their souls.
Their sacrifice must never be forgotten.
They have fought with determination, with bravery,
with a united front.
No British general could have hoped for more.
Well, now we're at a crossroads and difficult decisions lie ahead.
I know, that many may disagree with what I have to say next.
But please bear with me in this desperate hour.
I have decided that we shall offer our surrender to the Japanese forces.
It's a God awful choice.
But as commander of the British forces here in Hong Kong.
I have come to the conclusion,
that it's only right decision,
for the future of the city,
for its people,
and for our exhausted soldiers
who are run out of supplies and ammunition
to carry on the fight.
And so...
My last mission today will be to meet Governor Young,
to provide a full assessment of our grim situation.
If he agrees that coming to terms with the Japanese as our only viable option.
Then our formal surrender will probably take place later this afternoon.
Well...
Thank you all for your steadfast service.
I stand before you now, defeated but resolute.
No British general can ever prepare for a day like this.
But...
remember,
no Empire lasts forever.
We might have lost the battle,
but we have not lost the war.
And with America's recent entry into the conflict,
I believe, the tide of War will change.
And with grit and determination,
our future destiny is yet to be written.
Hong Kong will be reborn again.
Well, take care.
And...
May God save the King.
[clapping]
[distant gunfire]
Ahh...
Help!
You okay?
Do you have water?
Yeah.
Yes, of course.
What's going on out there?
The British surrendered today. - What?
What day is it?
25th of December.
That's the British Christmas Day.
That's a weird day to surrender.
Yeah, actually, I'm looking for a village called Shek O.
Do you know of it?
It's up that way.
Thank you for the water.
Oh, no, no, no...
Keep it, there is food inside. You will need it.
Thank you so much.
[distant gunfire]
Nina, give us the room, please.
You have some explaining to do, Charles.
Our agent, Mr. Chow is dead.
Good God.
Assassinated?
Look familiar?
Poisoned...
You tell me, that is your handwriting, isn't it?
Yes, that's my note.
This poison was to be given to Mr. Chow.
He was to use it on an operation against some fifith-columnists.
For fucks sake, Charles.
Do they let just anyone in the Intelligence Corps these days?
Someone has to hang for this and you better hope it's not you!
I gave this poison to Mei Fong.
Mei Fong?
She was to deliver it to her sister who knows Mr. Chow.
The instructions were very clear.
The poison was to be handed to Mr. Chow.
Why would Mei Fong get this job?
Because our soldiers are either dead, injured or fighting the Japs!
I can't spare men running deliveries around this city.
Jesus!
You've lost your touch, Charles.
So...
Was she a Japanese spy?
I don't...
I don't know what to believe anymore.
He was our man, Charles.
He'd infiltrated Japanese High Command.
He was going to keep funneling information to London while we rot away in some POW Camp.
Years of work, Charles.
Years!!!
Down the fucking drain!
Well, I hope you're proud of yourself.
You absolute,
fucking imbecile!
[cricket chirping]
[gasp]
[cricket chirping]
I...
I am sorry.
[telephone rings]
This is Charles Fisher at the Battlebox.
I am calling to check on his daughter.
Make sure someone is looking after her.
Is she alright?
Yes.
She is.
I'm sure the news of his death was a big shock.
It certainly was for us here.
Probably killed by a fifth-columnist.
If there's anything she needs, anything at all, please let know.
Of course. Yeah.
Yeah...
[cricket chirping]
[crying]
[music]
[English subtitles by Craig McCourry]