That's very kind of her, Herr General.
Not at all. She likes heroes.
Eight o' clock.
- You don't convince me, Colonel. - Do you envy the birds?
- It may surprise you to know... - Is that what makes men want to fly?
...that I am a serious student of military strategy.
- No, Baroness, I am not really surprised. - Jealousy of the birds? Yes.
Herr Leutnant, about the birds...
Thank you.
Good night.
Good night. A most successful party.
Pleasant evening.
Hans.
- What's that? - It sounds like a drum, Countess.
Good evening.
As this is my first opportunity of speaking to you tonight, I'll repeat it.
Good evening. And good evening to you, too, good and faithful family servant.
Good morning.
That late? I must have fallen asleep during your speech.
Hans, some wine for the musician.
White.
Well, I suppose I might as well say it.
Say what?
You're beautiful.
- So are you. - Hm.
And where is Herr General... your husband?
- Oh, he doesn't worry about me. - He doesn't?
Hm.
Well, he should.
By now he's with the Countess von Hoehlen.
On my right at dinner.
They play war games together.
Do these games go on until morning?
Sometimes.
My husband finds them very absorbing.
It's a very heavy responsibility being a general.
That depends how good you are at tactics...
Herr Leutnant.
- Your wine, Herr Leutnant. - Hm.
Thank you, Herr Leutnant.
It has been a long day.
- Hans. - Yes, Herr Leutnant.
I want you to go to your mistress and tell her I think I know what she means.
- Now, Herr Leutnant? - Now.
Come in.
I knew you would come. Darling, I am...
Tactics.
Oh, you fool.
There's a heap of letters in your room, Herr Leutnant, from all over Germany.
Any of them perfumed?
Yes, Herr Leutnant. There's one from Stuttgart.
- Towards the end she says... - Yes?
Herr Leutnant.
Ah!
Hello, Cobra. How was Berlin?
Hectic.
I brought you a present, Willi.
A souvenir.
Kind of you.
I doubt if our tastes coincide.
Oh, but they do.
Glasses?
Thank you.
Prost.
Excellent.
What year is this?
Uh...
1903.
We've tolerated you here because we've had to.
One of these days, Stachel...
or should I call you Bruno?
One of these days I'm going to shake you up... considerably.
It will give me pleasure, Willi.
I'll look forward to it.
I wonder if you're as good as you think you are...
in or out of bed.
Well, Otto?
Thousands of trucks carrying troops.
I flew over two miles of them.
And it's continuous, like the anti aircraft fire.
Um... the new replacements. They've just arrived. They're only half trained.
I want every man in the air tomorrow, including replacements.
To sum up, then, our offensive has come to a standstill.
A massive enemy counterattack is developing.
The Americans are pouring men into the battle area.
Our army is hard pressed.
We are outnumbered in the air,
and our observation planes are shot down before they can report.
High Command urgently wants information.
Today I shall lead the squadron on a decoy mission to divert British patrollers.
Meanwhile, an observation plane will attempt a photographic reconnaissance
of the area around Amiens.
I want two of you to provide close escort.
Stachel.
All right.
Rendezvous at 0800 hours over sector three.
You'll fly the two triplanes. Take care.
They are the last ones we are likely to get.
Questions?
All right, gentlemen.
Stachel?
Did you meet my wife at the hospital?
Yes, Herr Hauptmann.
Was she all right?
She is well, Herr Hauptmann.
Thank you. Good luck.
Where's Willi?
He's dead.
He was flying too low. He hit the trees.
- What happened? - He hit the trees!
I landed. There wasn't anything I could do.
He was a better man than you.
Well, he's dead.
- Is that your test? - Yes.
And that was his test too.
- What do you mean? - Herr Hauptmann.
Air Observation report two British planes down in sector nine.
Willi didn't die for nothing.
I'm glad of that, Karl.
We can tell the family.
They'll be proud of him.
What makes you think he shot them down?
You mean they're yours?
- Why do you think they're not? - Well, are they?
Willi killed himself trying to fly me into the ground and went in instead.
I'm asking you if those two planes are yours or Willi's.
All right. They're mine! They belong to me!
Stachel?
I just read your armourer's report.
Your guns were jammed. You only fired 40 rounds.
40 rounds?
Two three second bursts.
Is your marksmanship that good?
Yes.
I'm not confirming these two victories, Stachel.
But I will report your astonishing marksmanship to Air Headquarters.
Firing party, right wheel!
Firing party, halt!
Left turn.
Order arms.
Otto, the general has asked me to tell you he's seen the report to headquarters.
The two victories claimed by Stachel are to be confirmed.
The general feels you are inclined to be prejudiced against this officer.
Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel
quia visitavit et fecit redemptionem plebis suae.
In domo David, pueri sui.
Sicut locutus est per os sanctorum, qui a saeculo sunt, prophetarum eius.
Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei.
Requiescat in pace.
In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.
Firing party, load!
Present.
Fire.
Reload.
Present.
Fire.
Reload.
Present.
Fire.
I hope the owner of this place is as discreet as he looks, darling.
He should be. I paid him enough.
What's the matter?
Nothing.
It's that bad, is it?
You'll have to decide which you prefer, this or women.
Why can't I have both?
You're soaked through.
You should take better care of yourself.
Are you interested?
Yes.
Don't you believe that?
Certainly.
But you were interested in Willi, too.
Tell me...
how did you feel today at the funeral?
You know... he never did accept me as his equal.
In or out of bed.
You're deliciously crude, darling.
You amuse me.
- I? - People like you.
The count. Willi.
Amuse or shock?
I said amuse.
I adore your innocence.
You really believe your betters should behave better, don't you?
Don't patronise me.
Not if it offends you.
Darling? My feelings for you have nothing to do with the death of Willi.
You and I are alike, Bruno.
You're good for me.
Willi was a fool.
He didn't die in battle.
He died trying to prove he could fly better than I can.
- What? - We played a game.
In and out of the trees. He lost.
But I was the bigger fool.
I claimed two planes he shot down.
I shouldn't have done that.
I can get 20 victories without anyone's help.
That game, whatever it was, it was about me, wasn't it?
In a way, yes.
I find that exciting.
Would you die for me like Willi did?
No.
Are you sure?
It lasted about ten minutes. They came in low. Sopwiths.
They hit the fuel dumps. We are being blasted out of the skies.
I tell you, the fuel dumps have gone!
Now, Ziegel, let's get this mess cleared up.
I want to be airborne again by tomorrow.
Come on, Ziegel.
All squadrons have now been ordered to concentrate on the Marmont sector.
The enemy have just achieved a major breakthrough.
12 enemy divisions are moving up on the Marmont road.
They are our target. There is to be no air combat.
No air combat. Understood?
Yes, Herr Hauptmann.
Our army's in retreat so we must do the same. Understood, Herr Hauptmann.
Stachel!
Your personal ambitions take second place to the war.
Hurry up! They're closing in!
Fire!
Five... six...
seven.
Come on. All of you.
Otto, are you allright?
You have cost nearly half the squadron.
We shot down seven planes.
Three of them were mine.
Now you have got 22.
You and I know that 20 wasn't enough for you.
The Blue Max is more than a medal to you. It's a badge.
Something to show you are as good as Willi.
Not just Willi.
I'll see you never wear that medal.
You disobeyed my orders.
I'm going to have you court martialled. Kettering?
Sir?
Escort the Leutnant to his quarters.
Your nerve's gone. You've had enough.
Stachel!
Why don't you do what your wife wants?
- Get a deskjob in Berlin. - Come on, Stachel.
Stachel?
You've been ordered to Berlin.
Here he is.
- Goodbye. - Herr Hauptmann.
Millions have been slaughtered.
For what reason? For nothing!
I say "Down with the Kaiser and his generals."
The time has come now for revolution!
Long live the revolution!
Look out!
- My dear Otto. - Herr General.
- Sit down. - Thank you.
- Did you have a good journey? - Yes, thank you.
Sit down.
Otto, tomorrow Leutnant Stachel is going to receive the Blue Max.
So you do not accept my report?
He is young, vigourous, ruthless, a born leader at a time when we need his kind.
I believe Stachel should be court martialled for the good military reasons I set out.
Military reasons are sometimes not enough.
They are for me.
Otto, you and I have a greater loyalty than to the book of rules.
To Germany.
- We are Germany. - Exactly.
Take a look outside.
You see that?
Revolution is just beneath the surface.
If that happens, everything we stand for will be destroyed
unless the German Officer Corps stands like a rock, intact
and what is more important, untarnished.
I made this Stachel into a national hero for good military reasons.
If I court martial him now it will reflect on the integrity of the whole Officer Corps.
Herr General,
I see now I have notions of honour... which are outdated.
They're not outdated.
Stored with care...
and love...
for better times.
Here's your report, Otto.
I ask you to withdraw it.
- I won't do that. - I know that.
If you insist on this course, Herr General, I must resign my command.
I do insist.
In that case, I should like an appointment with the staff here in Berlin.
That request is granted.
Otto.
I have managed to persuade the crown prince to make the presentation himself.
Afterwards, Stachel will test fly the new monoplane.
It would be better if you were there.
I understand, Herr General.
The keys to Leutnant Stachel's room, please.
Thank you.
Excuse me, please.
Stachel, come on.
This way, Stachel.
I trust you will be comfortable.
A lot more comfortable than I'd expected.
I thought the press reception went rather well.
I'll take your word for that.
The bathroom is through there.
How do you like your bedroom?
Oh, if there's anything you want
and I mean anything, just call reception.
- Do you understand? - I think so.
Good.
I'll call in the morning to take you to the airfield.
Pleasant dreams.
Reception, please.
Reception? This is Leutnant Bruno Stachel.
I don't want anything.
- Have I come to the right room this time? - Yes.
- Countess. - Herr Leutnant.
- May I offer my congratulations? - You may.
- Can I get you a drink? - Please.
I hope you'll be able to be there tomorrow.
Of course. I want to...
Mmm.
No, I want to...
No, please. I want to talk to you.
- Talk? - Please.
All right.
Talk.
I'm going away tomorrow.
Where?
To Switzerland.
- Why? - Germany's finished.
The war will soon be over and I don't want to be here when it happens.
Is the general going with you?
No.
- I want you to come with me. - Me?
I know you get your Blue Max tomorrow
but we wouldn't leave till after the presentation.
I see.
- Go on. - You will still have your medal, darling.
As a piece of scrap, it's worth exactly five marks.
You'll never need to pawn it. I've got plenty of money in Zurich.
Don't you understand what this means to me?
In a few months from now, you will be ashamed to wear a uniform.
You're very stubborn, Bruno. But if you want to see the war out to the end,
I can get you transferred to a post near the Swiss frontier.
Field Marshal von Lenndorf is a friend.
How dramatic you look.
You can get me transferred, can you?
Do you think I came all this way to run off to Switzerland with you?
You gambled your life for me once, with Willi.
That was about flying, Kaeti. Not about you.
Run off to Switzerland and become one of your lapdogs.
There's nothing I want to run away from, Kaeti.
Not even myself.
Come on, now. Don't be angry.
Where's that aristocratic poise I like so much?
Don't you dare talk to me like that.
Now, Countess, I'll get you that drink.
Serve it to someone else!
The fatherland is grateful, Herr Leutnant.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Yes?
The field marshal said what?
I can't stop the proceedings now. It's too late.
All right, but where is the field marshal?
Ask him to telephone me as soon as he returns.
Get hold of Stachel. Take him somewhere. Anywhere.
Just... keep him out of sight.
And, Holbach...
send Heidemann to me.
Yes, Herr General.
- Herr General? - Otto, I want you to fly the monoplane.
And Stachel?
There has been a little misunderstanding. It will be cleared up soon.
Without a court martial, I hope, Herr General.
Will you take the machine up?
- That is an order? - Yes.
Very well, Herr General.
Herr Stachel?
Thank you.
Someone else is gonna fly it.
- You said there was a technical hold up. - I think there are other difficulties.
While the general irons them out, he thought it best not to disappoint the public.
What difficulties?
I'm afraid I don't know.
- Well, who's gonna fly it? - Herr Heidemann, I believe.
Frau Heidemann, how are you?
What's happening? I thought you were going to fly it.
So did I.
I never wanted him to fly again.
Yes? Ah, yes.
I will hold on.
You're late, darling.
Ah.
Yes, Herr Field Marshal.
May I ask how you came by that information, Herr Field Marshal?
You told the field marshal that Stachel had claimed two planes shot down by Willi. Why?
Why?
Where did you get the information?
He told me himself.
He's an upstart. He insulted me.
So this time you really lost your head.
The field martial is insisting on a court of enquiry.
They're going to disgrace him, an officer with the highest decoration Germany can give!
All because of your stupid little anger! Do you understand?
Do you?
When they do that, they disgrace the whole German Officer Corps.
Yes, Otto?
What is it, Otto?
Herr General, that machine is a deathtrap.
The struts are too weak for the wing loading under stress.
I was lucky to get down alive.
Thank you, Otto.
Flight Office, please.
Holbach, I want to speak to Stachel.
Stachel, everything's in order now. You can take her up.
And let's see some real flying.
Sit down!
Sit down.
Control yourself.
Switches on.
Holbach.
Give this to the field marshal.
It is the personal file of a German officer...
and a hero.
Yes, Herr General.
Stand up, Kaeti.
We'll be late for lunch.