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Enemy Mine (film)

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Enemy Mine is a 1985 American fantasy science fiction film that tells the story of a human and alien soldier who become stranded together on an inhospitable planet and must overcome their mutual distrust in order to cooperate and survive.

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen. Written by Edward Khmara and produced by Stephen Friedman and Stanley O'Toole. Based on the novella by Barry Longyear.
Enemies because they were taught to be.
Allies because they had to be.
Brothers because they dared to be.

Willis E. Davidge

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  • By late in the 21st century the nations of the Earth were finally at peace, working together to explore and colonise the distant reaches of space. Unfortunately, we weren't alone out there. A race of nonhuman aliens called the Dracs were claiming squatters' rights to some of the richest star systems in the galaxy. Well, they weren't gonna get it without a fight. Space was the new battleground. For many of us, Earth became a precious memory light years away. Our only home was a fortress in space. As in any war, there were long periods with nothing to do but wait. And then...
  • It's funny, but I'd never actually seen a Drac. I knew they were completely inhuman. Not even male or female, but both, bundled together in a scaly, reptilian body.
  • Any chance is better than no chance.
  • What I'd been hearing at night was the scavenger ship. The scavengers were human all right. Barely human. They were outlaw miners who raped whole planets for precious ores. They hunted Dracs for slave labour, so we tolerated them.
  • Maybe we should open up a little place here. I could ruin the food. You could frighten the customers.
  • God, Jerry,... what am I supposed to do now, huh? You taught me all about the Talman and the line of Jeriba. But you didn't say nothin' about taking care of baby Dracs!
  • I guess he was an ugly little cuss,... but no uglier than the pictures of those other kids that were shown around the mess hall.

Narrator

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  • And so Davidge brought Zammis and the Dracs home. He fulfilled his vow and recited the line of Zammis' forfathers before the Holy Council on Dracon. And when, in the fullness of time, Zammis brought its own child before the Holy Council, the name of Willis Davidge was added to the line of Jeriba.

Dialogue

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Willis E. Davidge: Hey, you understand any English, toad face?
Jeriba Shigan: Kos son va?
Willis E. Davidge: What?
Jeriba Shigan: Kos son va, Irkmann?
Willis E. Davidge: Stick it.
Jeriba Shigan: Kos va son Jeriba Shigan. Shigan!
Willis E. Davidge: So your name's Jerry Shigan. So what?
Jeriba Shigan: Kos son va, Irkmann?
Willis E. Davidge: What? Do you wanna know my name? Willis E Davidge.
Jeriba Shigan: Da... Da... Da...
Jeriba Shigan: Kiz! Ox da kiz!
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah, you said it!
Jeriba Shigan: Irkmann, ta govertya verit ta. Ta tolki vyezhdi rozzo.
Willis E. Davidge: Exactly. I'm glad you agree.
Willis E. Davidge: Come on, shoot me! Go ahead and do it now! Shoot me! Cos whether we live or die, I don't love you and you don't love me! But we're stranded here, you understand? You get it or don't you gavey Engleesh, huh?
Jeriba Shigan: Irkmann, may ta ib phtuga!
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah, phtuga! Write and tell my mother, you big frog.
Jeriba Shigan: My left... foot. My right foot. This is my left foot. This is my right foot. And these are both my feet.
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah, great.
Jeriba Shigan: Yeah, great. This is my head.
Willis E. Davidge: That is your ugly head.
Jeriba Shigan: No, no. This is my head. That's is you head. You ugly head! Ha, ha. That is Davidge ugly head.
Willis E. Davidge: All right, that's enough! Keep that up and you can learn English alone because I won't be your teacher any more.
Jeriba Shigan: Sorry, Davidge.
Willis E. Davidge: That's better. You know, while you're having such a good time and doing nothing, I am trying to think of ways to improve our situation.
Jeriba Shigan: OK.
Willis E. Davidge: You know the old saying: if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Jeriba Shigan: Davidge, you learn this from great Drac teacher, Shizumaat?
Willis E. Davidge: No, from Mickey Mouse.
Jeriba Shigan: Who?
Willis E. Davidge: Mickey Mousssse.
Jeriba Shigan: Mickey Mouse. Is this great Irkmann teacher?
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah. Sort of.
Jeriba Shigan: Soon we picked up. One side or other side.
Willis E. Davidge: What, with the war going on? We got more chance of catching a Greyhound bus.
Jeriba Shigan: Humans. Easy you give up. Shizumaat teaches us "Intelligent life takes a stand".
Willis E. Davidge: Where'd you get that crap? Out of that book you're always readin'? I'm the one that's takin' a stand. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you sons of Shit-mat!
Jeriba Shigan: Shizumaat!
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah, whatever. Rrrrrr!
Jeriba Shigan: This war begun by you! By humans!
Willis E. Davidge: You know something, Jerry? Your great Shizumaat eats shit!
Jeriba Shigan: Irkmann, your Mickey Mouse is one big, stupid dope!
Willis E. Davidge: You saved my life. Why?
Jeriba Shigan: Maybe I need to look at another face, even as ugly as yours.
Willis E. Davidge: So you still think humans are ugly, huh?
Jeriba Shigan: Compared to a Drac, very ugly. But that thing out there, it's even more ugly than you.
Willis E. Davidge: Thank you.
Jeriba Shigan: You are welcome.
Willis E. Davidge: Jerry, old Drac, where would you be without me, huh?
Jeriba Shigan: Back home.
Willis E. Davidge: Don't you ever get tired of reading that book?
Jeriba Shigan: No.
Willis E. Davidge: Well, what's in it anyway?
Jeriba Shigan: Things.
Willis E. Davidge: Oh, for Christ's sake!
Jeriba Shigan: It is called Talman. It contains the words of our great teacher, Shizumaat.
Willis E. Davidge: I suppose you have to know the Drac language to read it, right?
Jeriba Shigan: It would help.
Willis E. Davidge: So teach me the Drac language.
Jeriba Shigan: It is not for you, Davidge.
Willis E. Davidge: Shizumaat is too good for us humans?
Jeriba Shigan: Not too good for humans, too good for you!
Willis E. Davidge: Now you're a judge of character!
Jeriba Shigan: Do you not remember what you say about Shizumaat?
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah, well, maybe you forgot about what you said about Mickey Mouse!
Jeriba Shigan: That was wrong. I... did not mean it.
Willis E. Davidge: I didn't mean what I said about Shizumaat either. Jerry, what are you...
Jeriba Shigan: This book must be given to the pupil. I then become the master. I am not worthy, but there is no one else here. Now read.
Willis E. Davidge: Yesli raz delo, raz va dzram da delo. Lubo da lubo.
Jeriba Shigan: Translate.
Willis E. Davidge: "If one receives evil from another, let one not do evil in return. Rather, let him extend love to the enemy, that love might unite them". I've heard all this before, in the human Talman.
Jeriba Shigan: Of course you have. Truth is truth. But what you have not yet learned is the way we Dracs express the truth. The words of Shizumaat must be sung.
Willis E. Davidge: We live like animals! And you get so fat you can barely move! You'll never conquer the universe like that.
Jeriba Shigan: We were here years before you!
Willis E. Davidge: Well, in case you haven't heard it, Dracface, we legally annexed this star system.
Jeriba Shigan: You invaded this star system!
Willis E. Davidge: Bullshit! You're the invaders!
Jeriba Shigan: No, we are explorers! We are founders of worlds!
Willis E. Davidge: What do you think we are, Dracface? Homebodies, huh? We settled twice as many worlds as you!
Jeriba Shigan: Exactly! You spread like a disease.
Willis E. Davidge: What the hell are you gonna do about it?
Jeriba Shigan: You see what we do about it. We fight!
Willis E. Davidge: You think we really are alone out here?
Jeriba Shigan: Of course... we are alone.
Willis E. Davidge: I don't know. I had that dream again. There's this big ship in my dream. It's so loud, I wake up. But then I can still hear it.
Jeriba Shigan: It was a dream.
Willis E. Davidge: I don't know. Maybe. But I do know if we stay here, we die. Sooner or later we'll die. If this planet don't kill us, we're gonna kill each other.
Willis E. Davidge: Hey, Jerry, what's wrong?
Jeriba Shigan: I could not go with you. It is no longer my life that matters. I am not fat. I am not lazy. Davidge. I await... a new... life.
Willis E. Davidge: A new life? From where? Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Are you telling me you're pregnant? What, you're gonna have a baby? What, a little Drac?! What? But how'd... Well, don't look at me! Jerry, Jerry, you can't do this to me!
Jeriba Shigan: With you humans,... birth is a matter of choice. With us Dracs,... it happens. When the time comes,... it just happens. That is why I could not go with you. My child... is all I have now.
Willis E. Davidge: Tell me about Zammis.
Jeriba Shigan: Zammis?
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah. What kind of a name is Zammis?
Jeriba Shigan: There are five names in a Drac lineage. I am Shigan. Before me was Gothig, and before Gothig was Haesni.
Willis E. Davidge: Come on! Keep talking!
Jeriba Shigan: Before Haesni was Ty. Before Ty was Zammis. [...] One day I must stand with Zammis before the Holy Council on Dracon and recite our lineage, so that Zammis may join the society of all Dracs.
Jeriba Shigan: Davidge. I will teach you the Jeriba line.
Willis E. Davidge: Before or after breakfast?
Jeriba Shigan: It is an honour I offer you.
Willis E. Davidge: I'm sorry. Right now just stayin' alive's honour enough, huh?
Jeriba Shigan: All right. I will learn your lineage. Let us begin... with your parents. Who were they?
Willis E. Davidge: My dad's name's Carl. My mom's name's, uh, Dolores.
Jeriba Shigan: And their deeds?
Willis E. Davidge: My dad works for a company that makes computers. And my mom, she used to be a waitress.
Jeriba Shigan: Waitress?
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah, before they got married.
Jeriba Shigan: And their parents?
Willis E. Davidge: We used to visit my grandpa’ when I was just a kid. He had this place out in the country. I think he was a farmer. And, uh, Grandma was just a good cook.
Jeriba Shigan: Oh. That is your lineage. Here stands before you... Willis E Davidge. Fighter pilot, son of Dolores,... who used to be a waitress,... and Carl, maker of computers,... who in their time were born of Grandpa’, possibly a farmer,... and Grandma, good cook.
Willis E. Davidge: You make it sound pretty thin.
Jeriba Shigan: It is thin. But I am honoured that you entrusted it to me. My own lineage is very rich, Davidge. Learn it from me. Allow me to do you this honour. It will be like a gift between us. Son ich stayu | Kos va Shigan || Son ich stayu | Kos va Gan || Son ich stayu | Kos va Zammis
Willis E. Davidge: What's wrong?
Jeriba Shigan: Zammis... is coming.
Willis E. Davidge: Oh, God. God... What do I do?
Jeriba Shigan: I don't know. Something... is wrong.
Willis E. Davidge: Oh, no. No, no. No, no, no. No. You're gonna be all right. Women always get nervous before labour.
Jeriba Shigan: I am not a woman!
Willis E. Davidge: But pregnant people... things... get nervous. Everybody gets nervous before labour! Besides, if anything happened to you, I'd be left here all alone. Huh? Just because business has been slow lately, you expect me to run the whole place alone?
Jeriba Shigan: You... are alone. Within yourself,... you are alone. That is why you humans... have separated your sexes into two separate halves. For the joy of that... brief union.
Jeriba Shigan: Davidge. Listen to me. You... must be a parent... for Zammis.
Willis E. Davidge: Don't kid around, Jerry. What do we do now?
Jeriba Shigan: You... must take my place. When the time comes,... you must find a way... to take Zammis... back home. You must stand beside Zammis before the Holy Council... on Dracon... and recite its lineage. You must, Davidge. Swear this to me.
Willis E. Davidge: Shut up. Keep pushing. Do whatever you do.
Jeriba Shigan: You must... take Zammis to Dracon. Swear.
Willis E. Davidge: No!
Jeriba Shigan: Swear. Swear.
Willis E. Davidge: All right. All right. I swear it. I swear it. Just don't die on me.
Jeriba Shigan: Now... you must open me. Here. This place. Don't be afraid, my friend.
Willis E. Davidge: I can't!
Jeriba Shigan: Damn you,... Irkmann. You have sworn.
Willis E. Davidge: Don't spread your fingers.
Zammis: Fingers?
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah. Yeah, these. Fingers. Kutta - fingers.
Zammis: Not the same.
Willis E. Davidge: Well, of course they're not the same. I mean, you're a Drac. I'm a human. Look. You have three fingers. One, two, three. I have five fingers. One, two, three,... four, five.
Zammis: Zammis get four, five?
Willis E. Davidge: No. You're a Drac. And I'm a human.
Zammis: Human?
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah. Um,... human is me. Drac is you. Now, I'm a human because my parents were human. And... your parent was a Drac. So you are a Drac. Got it?
Zammis: I have never seen a Drac. Only my own face in the water. I wish I was not a Drac. I wish I had your face.
Willis E. Davidge: Oh, Zammis.
Zammis: I wish I had five fingers.
Willis E. Davidge: Oh, Zammis. Zammis. Listen to me. Listen to me. Now, as Dracs go, you are a great-looking kid. You are a great-looking kid.
Zammis: Yeah?
Willis E. Davidge: Yeah. It's just that... you've never seen your own kind. Now, someday you're gonna go home... and you're gonna forget all about this God-awful planet and all about me.
Zammis: I will never forget you, Uncle.
Willis E. Davidge: No, I guess you won't. I won't forget you either.
Zammis: Uncle? What was my parent like?
Willis E. Davidge: Zammis,... your parent... was my friend.

Quotes about Enemy Mine

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Alphabetized by author
  • After we'd been shooting for about a month, the studio wasn't happy with what they were seeing, so they hired Wolfgang Petersen as the new director. ... We reset and resculpted with a new design concept, although it wasn't all that different from Drac's original look, which I always thought was cool. He looked more like an iguana, and dark grey, peppered with small, iridescent patches.
    • Blair Clark, as quoted in Berger, H. & Marshall, J. (2002), Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic, Wellbeck Publishing, p. 138, ISBN 978-1-80279-001-6
  • Before we wrote the screenplay, we tried to get the studios interested in the story. It was turned down everywhere. But again, after the screenplay was done, there was quite a bit of studio interest. We finally went with 20th Century Fox. Then they started having trouble finding a director. Either the ones they wanted weren't available, or wanted to go in such a different direction with the story that they were unacceptable. Finally, Richard Loncrane was hired.
    The first draft of my screenplay took ten months, which is a very long time. When I started working with Richard, I would fly to London or he would fly here. He had a wonderful, very exciting vision of the film, but at the same time, it might have exceeded what was possible. What you see on the screen today is maybe 75 script pages. The script Loncrane and I started shooting with in Iceland was 140 pages long.
  • The problem ... was that the original novella was not structured for film. It has big gaps in time and essentially starts another story two-thirds of the way through. This is when Davidge takes the young Drac back to Dracon and has to deal with their prejudice against him. We just didn't have the money for that. I had to create a new ending where Zammis is kidnapped by gypsy miners who use Dracs for slave labor. Davidge has to rescue him, and this leads to a new understanding between the two races. There was a good line in the film that got cut out, where Davidge's friends come to help him and run into a party of armed Dracs. The Drac who knows about Davidge and Zammis is about to shoot the friends when one holds his hands up and says "Hold it! I don't understand it completely either, but we're on the same side now!" I also wanted to have a scene at the end where Davidge is shown on Dracon at Zammis' acceptance ceremony. To be officially accepted into Dracon society and become head of your family line, you have to stand before the Council of Elders with your father. He introduces you by reciting your line's entire heritage. That's from the book and I wanted to make that a big scene, but it wound up as a matte painting because that's all there was money for. That's as close to the Drac culture as we could afford to come.
  • The space burial sequence now two-thirds of the way into the film was actually menat to be the first scene of the movie. Davidge is found after three years on Fyrine IV, but doesn't initially answer what he did there or how he survived. The story is initially told through flashback because I wanted to set up suspense by slowly uncovering what had happened to him. After the first public testing, Wolfgang decided that it wasn't right. I can see some of it, but I still think that's the best structure for the story. Plus I think they cut more out of the film than they should have. There's some stuff showing his relationship with his three friends aboard the battle station that I wish they would have kept in. I think it created a feeling in the first of the film that carried over to the ending. But I do think that the film has an epic grandeur and enormous emotional intensity to the two characters. That's what I wanted to do most and I think that got to the screen.
  • ... this is the first science fiction film I know of that's based on character rather than hardware. I read the story on a plane from New York to LA and, at a critical point, I had to throw the script down. I was in tears... it touched me that much. It's such a wonderful story. Here's two guys who are enemies. One happens to be an alien. They could easily be an American and a Russian.
  • The way I look at it, I am the alien! I'm the one devoid of human values. Drac has them. Not me. Not Davidge, the spaceman. For me, the film is the discovering of the human side of myself. You know – How to be human!
  • It's the biggest, most satisfying role I've ever had. Davidge is a human being who gets to know a lot of sides to himself. Wolfgang thought he was a bit too Han Solo, at first. Now, Davidge really evolves through everything in the story: humour, anguish, tears, hate, pride, love, pain, action. There's no end to the action! I'm trying to do most of it, myself. So, it's also, physically, a very gruelling experience.

Cast

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