A Time to Love and a Time to Die Page #2

Oh, it's you! I was all set for a battle

with the crocodile!

Nah! The January ones melted out

a long time ago, the wolves ate them.

Ha ha! She's gone to a meeting

with other crocodiles.

I bet you this is one

of the November dead.

Come in.

-January.

-November.

I'm sorry about

the way I acted last night.

-Oh, don't...

-There is no excuse for it.

I have such a terrible temper.

I try to control it, but...

(Explosions in distance)

He's from our regiment.

Why didn't you just kick me?

Get Captain Rahe.

I would have, if I hadn't of thought

you'd enjoy it.

Careful there, it's a German officer!

Even that he won't feel anymore.

You're early.

I at least hoped to comb my hair

or change my blouse before you came.

It's Reike!

-I could go and come back later?

-No, no. Please.

Sit down, won't you.

I'll be just a minute.

Did you learn anything about

your parents today?

No. But I had one good break.

Bumped into an old friend of mine.

He looks like he's crying.

Party District Leader, no less.

-He promised to do...

-The District Leader is your friend?

His eyeballs are frozen.

He was a class mate of mine.

They're thawing now.

The milkman Binding's boy.

He offered to do anything he could

to help me find my parents.

What was I supposed to say? No?

It's Lieutenant Reike, sir.

Not only that, Elisabeth.

He kept asking what else he can do.

Bury him in the church courtyard.

Make a cross.

I thought if I handle him right l...

Yes, sir.

I might be able to find out something

about your father.

Send his personal belongings home.

That should be easy for him.

All he has to do is ask the Gestapo.

Four captured guerrillas

have been sent here to be shot.

Or maybe he's one of them.

I'll need volunteers.

All I know is he's the person I've seen

since coming home who's willing to help.

Very well, sir.

Volunteers! Step forward.

Murderers are never murderers

24 hours a day.

(Wind whistles)

(Coughs)

Some adore their mothers,

some cry when their dogs are dying.

But it's enough when they are murderers

for one minute a day.

I volunteer, sir.

At least for the people who are

in their hands at the time.

Choose the others. You're in command,

we have no officers left.

What happened to you, Ernst?

Are you blind?

Or don't you want to see?

All right, the rest

of the firing squad detail.

It's nearly as dangerous to talk to you

as it is to walk through a minefield.

Immerman! Sauer! Hirschland!

Weiber! Gr?ber!

Now, this came from Binding.

Shall we call it loot from the enemy?

(Explosions

and rumble of collapsing buildings)

Or shall I pour it down the sink?

We'll drink it.

I must have a corkscrew some place,

but where?

I'll show you how we do it in the Army.

That's one way to avoid a hangover

I guess!

Make the grave bigger, Grandpa,

she'd like to be comfortable.

You should laugh more often.

Or does it only happen when

a bottle of brandy is smashed?

I thought I was smelling brandy,

but it isn't, it's lilac.

I think they loathe us.

We're soldiers. Why should we be

called on to shoot civilians?

But it can't be,

it's too early in the year.

Let's go for a walk, Elisabeth.

Oh, you can always say no.

Get shot yourself instead.

It must be spring somewhere.

No one knows for sure

that they are guerrillas...

Not our worry. We didn't sentence it,

so we're not to blame.

I know just the place.

We can get a drink and sit a while.

That's the excuse for everything we do.

Or have you been out all day?

No matter how rotten it is

we can always blame it on...

I've been sitting behind a machine

in a sticky room with 50 other women.

Line up!

We make Army overcoats.

The Labour Service asked me what

I could do, I said, "l play the piano."

So they put you to work

as a seamstress?

Yes, they must have heard me play!

Look alive!

There will be no more grumbling.

You are given orders

and you will obey.

Without question.

Without complaint.

-Closed.

-Oh.

I used to come here with my father.

(Explosions continue)

He'd drink beer and talk with his friends

while I went wading in the river.

I remember the boats going by,

and the music playing...

Oh, please, Ernst.

No "l remember when" talk.

(Sniffs)

(In Russian) Oh Lord and master

of my life, keep from me the spirit of...

This is where the lilacs must be.

Smell it?

I'm gonna shoot over their heads.

Must be an early blooming variety.

That warm spell we had last...

You won't be doing them a favour.

We've all tried that.

Just had to do it again.

I'm the only variety that's blooming early.

It isn't every day a district leader

drowns you in his bath salts.

It's like executing them twice.

(Praying tearfully)

Oh, sovereign Lord, let me see

I think I'll volunteer

to be shot to the moon.

my own sins and transgressions

Let's go down to the river.

and not judge my brother...

Leave the cow for me, will you?

(Russian woman) Murderers!

The first star.

God will punish you and all Germans!

What did you wish?

That it wouldn't be an enemy bomber.

What have you done?

-lt isn't.

-No, it's a star.

I pray to God that He will grant

that your children will meet my sons.

My curse be upon all of you.

Is something wrong?

They will shoot them down

just as you are shooting us down.

No, nothing.

I just thought...

Ask her what she wants.

She's cursing you and all Germans

for standing on Russia's soil.

Oh, it's crazy!

I'm just not myself at all.

For every Russian that you kill,

they will kill ten Germans.

Well, whoever you are,

I'm glad you're here with me

For every h ome you destroy,

we will destroy ten cities.

and smiling.

-For each insignificant life...

-Shut up! Shut up, you lunatic!

Don't stop.

It's the nicest thing I've seen in years.

Kill us wh ile you still can!

Ernst, look. The tree!

Kill us!

But soon we will annih ilate you!

Ready!

Up!

Hirschland! Hold that rifle steady.

It's blooming!

Long before it should be.

None of the others are.

Take aim!

That boat house took a bomb.

The heat of the fire

must have forced it to bloom.

Fire!

Half the tree's gone but it blossoms

as if nothing had happened!

(Shouting ceases)

If only we could do

what this tree is doing, Elisabeth.

Just trust life and go on.

If only we could do that.

-I tried to have courage but suddenly...

-You have courage enough.

I don't.

I only pretend to have.

That's what we all do.

Hey! Vodka!

Sergeant Muecke rounded it up!

All right, so she's been unfaithful.

It's a reward for the firing squad.

What do you expect,

you've been away for three years.

And so what? She's not made

out of soap, she won't wear out.

I've made up my mind.

She'll have to give me a divorce.

Why should she be so stupid?

As long as she's the wife of a soldier

she gets 200 marks a month.

And a very nice death benefit when

your ash can gets punctured.

Nasick, why don't you do

the whole town a favour,

buy a fireman's hat and go home so

the Fire Department can go back to work!

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