Rommel

"WE ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OBEDIENCE!"

HANNAH AREND THIS FILM COVERS THE FINAL SEVEN MONTHS

OF FIELD MARSHAL ERWIN ROMMEL'S LIFE

Herrlingen near Ulm

October 14th, 1944

I'll get it.

Heil Hitler!

We are to be announced.

The Field Marshal is expecting us.

- Your coats?

- We will not be staying long.

- Will you take us to the General Field Marshal?

- Of course.

Heil Hitler.

- General.

- Field Marshal.

Madam.

- I hope you will stay for lunch.

- No, thank you.

This is an official visit.

Can I ask you to let us meet in private

with the Field Marshal?

Come.

I'll call if we need anything.

Aldinger, unpack the files on Normandy.

Are you still looking for a scapegoat ...

for the collapse of the Western Front?

General-Field Marshal, you are accused of being involved

with the assassination attempt on the Fuhrer.

What?

"THE GERMAN WEEKLY REVIEW"

The desert fox.

The victor of El Agheila ...

the hero of Tobruk, and

conqueror of North Africa.

General-Field Marshal Rommel

is inspecting the Atlantic.

From the North Cape to the Pyrenees ...

runs the world's largest

and most modern fortifications.

Numerous Wehrmacht divisions, with hundreds

of thousands of hardened soldiers ...

on the Western Front stand by ...

to beat the expected

invasion of the enemy.

These are the soldiers who are protecting

the freedom and culture of Europe.

They have the latest weapons.

And this is their commander.

Experienced by many battles ...

awaiting calmly, and confidently, for the big confrontation.

Thanks to Rommel,

Germany can sleep peacefully.

Thank you, Marshal. We'll now

come up for close-ups.

Very well, if you postpone

the invasion for a week.

Field Marshal, the

adjutant of the Fuhrer's.

I need your support.

German officers who were

captured at Stalingrad ...

sent our command letters.

- They call for the fighting to stop.

- That Stalin himself, has wrote.

Unfortunately not. It is certain that

the letters are not forgeries.

- Have you also gotten them?

- No, otherwise I would have torn them up.

Now as the battle hardens, we

need to give the Fuhrer the assurance...

that this betrayal is an incident, and

his field marshals are loyal to him.

- The Fuhrer knows I'm faithful to him.

- Enemy planes!

Aldinger, give me those.

They have not seen us yet.

Daniel, drive to the forest.

They have detected us.

- Do you prefer standing?

- Daniel, hit the gas.

Faster.

Do you see what our problem is?

With no German planes in sight.

We are easy prey.

Stop.

Over there. Forward. Forget it,

you'll never hit him.

Over there, hurry!

Damn.

Anyone shot?

Obersalzberg - March 15th 1944.

We express on behalf of

the entire armed forces ...

our unswerving loyalty to the Fuhrer...

and National Socialism.

We will do everything to ensure ...

that each soldier will fight fanatically ...

for the national-socialist future of our people.

My aide was impressed

with the Atlantic Wall.

I am looking forward to your report.

These recordings were made two

weeks ago in Plymouth.

The enemy is preparing for

a major landing operation.

They bring to the English Channel coast

at least fifty divisions altogether.

- This should only take a few more weeks.

- If it continues.

They are doing a lot of training

on air landings.

It stands to reason that the

landings will take place.

I am even looking forward to it.

Where do you think they will try to land?

Probably here at Calais, or Normandy.

Both peninsulas are ideally

suited for a beachhead.

And how will the enemy attack?

First they'll bombarded our positions.

Then attack boats

and armored landing vehicles...

under the cover of ship artillery.

Paratroopers will be

placed behind the front.

What is your counter-move?

The enemy must be

destroyed immediately.

The beach is the battle line.

Empty talk, Herr Rommel.

How with a coastline of more

than 2000 km to defend?

We lack forces.

We place all armored divisions

to the coast. I'll show you.

Within three months, it will look like this

everywhere on the Atlantic Wall.

Barriers for hindering the landing crafts.

Artillery shells them

directly at the landing.

And where we have no artillery in place,

our tanks fulfill that role.

If the enemy breaks through our

lines at one point ...

the Reich is defenseless.

Then, the enemy will be marching to Berlin ...

Our tanks would only be able to follow.

Our tanks can destroy them within 48 hours

on every conceivable landing.

Before they can get a chance ...

enemy planes will be blowing them apart.

My Fuhrer, I ask that the tanks be

placed under my command.

Only then can we impede the invasion.

If we put them all on the front,

we will have no more reserves.

I can not take that responsibility.

You are responsible for any

deficiencies in the Atlantic Wall.

While Herr Rommel within a short time

has achieved great successes.

The invasion must not succeed.

If the landing operation fails,

they will not try to do it again.

Then, we can use the troops

for the Eastern Front.

All 45 divisions.

The outcome of the war depends

on you and your soldiers,

and thus the fate of the Reich,

and the entire nation.

- Are you aware of that, Field Marshal?

- Yes, my Fuhrer.

Can you not wait for Manfred?

He will be so disappointed.

Greet him for me. Tell him we have very

little time before the enemy attacks

There is still much to do.

- You will succeed.

- I must.

The Fuhrer is expecting me

to save the Reich.

It's nice he trusts you again.

France - April 15, 1944

Rommel's Headquarters

There you are at last, General.

We were expecting you earlier.

We were attacked twice

by enemy aircraft.

Yes, their air superiority is

our biggest problem.

- Captain Aldinger, my adjutant.

- Delighted.

- Take the general's baggage.

- You will get to meet my staff, Speidel .

What is the situation in the East?

The Russian offensive

can not be stopped.

The orders from the Fuhrer are a disaster.

They claim too many victims,

and prevent sensible maneuvers.

We must retreat.

Then negotiate with the enemy.

- Do you want a second Versailles?

- Of course not.

We will prevent the invasion.

Only then can the Fuhrer negotiate with the

British and Americans from a strong position.

Gentlemen, here is our new

Chief of Staff, General Speidel.

Nice to meet you.

This is Countess La Rochefoucauld,

this castle was her uncle's.

- Bonjour.

- Comtesse. Bonjour.

Her German is excellent.

She translates for us.

Is that your famous ancestor, the author?

(In French)- " La jeunesse

est une Ivresse continuelle . "

"C'est la fievre de la raison ."

What did he say?

"Youth is a state of continuous intoxication,

it is a fever of the mind."

To whom are you referring to, Speidel?

The only one here that is in her youth,

is the Countess.

It just suddenly came to me.

You need to be a little more polite

in the presence of the Countess.

- Are you sure?

- Why, aren't you?

Messieurs, have a nice evening.

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