Plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment
(Pleasure of love lasts only for a moment)
Chagrin d’amour dure toute la vie
(Pain of love lasts a lifetime)
These lyrics are from the 1784 French love song "Plaisir d'amour". A song about longing, pain, and an impossible love. And in 1961, singer Elvis Presley made a cover of this song, at least the melody, calling it "Can't Help Falling in Love", which was popularized in modern culture.
This song, in other media, and at least the original version, was used in different romantic scenes in movies and TV shows...
And this is the song sung by the choir in the Rachamps convent at the end of Episode 7, The Breaking Point.
The first time Easy Company was indoors in months, the scene where Carwood Lipton and Ronald Speirs opened up to each other, talked, shared their impressions of each other's leadership skills, and smiled and admired each other.
Making the scene and the honest interaction between them, the orange and warm glow around them, and the glances they exchanged, it was a sort of romantic scene. I dare to say that any person who sees the scenes without knowing the full context will think they're seeing a gay love scene.
And it won't be surprising because the atmosphere, the photography, the soft dialogue, and even the small silences, make it feel special, intimate, and human. We're seeing Speirs smiling genuinely for the first time; to see him behaving in a way we didn't expect from someone who considered himself a dead man, showing. The legend himself, who cast fear and rumors about himself and made Easy soldiers flinch at his presence, suddenly smiled in an adoring way at someone who should be vastly different. But Lipton isn't so different from Speirs. We know Lipton is a caring, luminous and responsible soldier for the men around him, but he had his own darkness: he laughed at bombs, he's thrilled at danger, exposed himself on top of a tree to shoot German soldiers, and he won't hesitate to participate in a mutiny against their commander (first Sobel) and shouting in anger at another (Dike) for a deadly incompetence. Giving him enough time, and maybe Lipton could have killed Dike on the spot if that meant saving the whole company trapped outside Foy.
And overall, he had the skills of an extraordinary leader... though he always saw himself just part of the company and not someone special. It couldn't be a surprise that Speirs heard about his performance during their time trapped in these woods, or before Bastogne. Despite his own fearsome reputation, Speirs cares about his men (albeit in his own way), and he deeply respects those who are worthy to be considered as leaders. But he saw Lipton not in a way he usually saw others, like Winters and Colonel Sink; he saw him as a caring and humble man, someone who smiled even at the darkest times, lifting up everyone's spirits when they were at their lowest. For Speirs, Lipton was a man full of light and selfless love to share, someone so pure and honest that it wouldn't be surprising that Speirs felt for him. He was the light in his own world full of darkness.
And Lipton also felt for Speirs. During the assault on Foy, Speirs came when Easy needed the most, relieving Dike and taking charge. Lipton already knew of Speirs, met him before (in some books related to this event, Speirs and Dike were discussing positions and how Easy was in Dog's position, and Lipton was present, admired Speirs for taking on his ground against Dike and being in the right that Easy had to move somewhere else), he knew about the rumors but unlike the others, Lipton never feared him. When he mentioned him in the middle of the episode, he said:
"Lieutenant Ronald Speirs is one of the platoon leaders of D Company. He was already a legend."
He didn't say anything about the rumors, whether he actually committed war crimes (confirmed) or cared if these were true, Lipton saw Speirs as a legend. Someone important, mindlessly putting him on a pedestal. A sort of view full of awe and admiration. And Lipton, enjoying danger for years, was unknowingly attracted to him.
Then Foy happens. Speirs is taking charge, going up front without fear, like a one-man army without any consideration for himself and his life. He was a man on a mission. And Lipton was in awe of such extraordinary and insane courage. When Speirs made the impossible and came back after contacting Idle Company on the other side, Lipton was trapped by him. Saw him as a competent leader, as danger incarnate, an explosive man who does what needs to be done. He smiled, and we could imagine that it was the moment when Lipton also felt for him.
Something that finally was acknowledged in that church, with a love song in the background as they talked about the rumors, about Roman legion legends... and their smiles. Lipton is grateful for having Speirs as a good leader; he said about everyone not caring about the rumors, but glad Speirs became their CO, when in reality, Lipton spoke of everyone when he meant about his own feelings about him, but we know he was always a humble man. And then Speirs said that he had always been told about a great leader Easy had in these dire times, but we can imagine Speirs actively asked about Lipton. And once Lipton doesn't know who he was talking about:
"Hell, it was you, First Sergeant!"
Speirs said that Lipton was the leader Easy always had, with a genuine smile full of love and admiration. The fearsome Speirs, smiling at Lipton and maybe looking like he was struggling to not kiss him at that moment. But continued with his praises, and Lipton, not used to being praised like that, was speechless. Maybe blushing? Then Speirs slowly delivered the news that soon Lipton was going to have a battlefield commission. Something he fully deserved after everything he did to save Easy.
"Congratulations, Lieutenant."
Ronald Speirs, calling Lipton a lieutenant. He, and no other officer. It shows the intense admiration, devotion, and love the Dog officer had for the Easy sergeant. The humble and little smile Lipton gave in return, and Speirs, leaving, gave him a smile. A smile that said everything he felt about him. And Lipton, in silence and contemplation, feeling that in a way, his heart had someone special.
Or at least that's my impression of the church scene of The Breaking Point. An episode where Easy fell apart slowly, with devastating losses, Dike's incompetence and absence costing their integrity, and how Speirs and Lipton's leadership shone the brightest. With a long song in the background, they bonded with soft and intimate glances and smiles. As if they had fallen in love with each other at the same time, they praised their leadership and Lipton's promotion. Speirs opened his heart to Carwood Lipton and we felt it.
A love between them was inevitable, as they were soulmates. Kindred spirits who thought about the same goals of leading the company to victory, the same principles of how to be a leader, and making sure their men survive another day. Just that they have different approaches to how to show it.
So, you have a love song usually used in romantic scenes in other media, used in this scene where Speirs and Lipton had an honest and intimate conversation, almost making it a sort of love scene in Band of Brothers. And the song in question it could be their main love song.
I heard some versions, and this one is my favorite as it combines English and French, and if I could ask for a Speirton video, this could be the song I'll love to hear with the scenes. Only the song, not the need for the dialogues (maybe just inscriptions) and let the music to express what the Speirton ship expresses to me.
A long about longing, devotion, caring, and intimacy, in both languages.
Also, the pain of love that could last a lifetime. Like the first phrases of the song.
Plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment
(Pleasure of love lasts only for a moment)
Chagrin d’amour dure toute la vie
(Pain of love lasts a lifetime)
After the war, Lipton and Speirs had to go back to normalcy, to be what society expects them to be. And if they had fallen in love with each other during the conflict and exchanged so much, either emotionally and physically, after the war, they wouldn't be able to express their love openly and expect society to accept it (especially in the late 40s and 50s). Their love will be eternal and true, yet also painful and unfair if they are not able to stay together. But they endured the worst of humankind and saw true cruelty; they were tough soldiers, even separated and longing for each other, love will still be there in their hearts until the end.
