The Night of the Generals Page #12

Yes, I suppose not.

And now... And now, General, I...

He wants to talk to Ulrike.

Yes.

My daughter lives in the country.

She never comes here.

No, thank you.

Young people are so different

nowadays, aren't they?

Yes. But where does she...?

Not like us.

Our generation believed

in being happy, didn't we?

Oh, yes, yes. Happy.

I do wish we could help you,

but... well, how can we?

She's not here.

So nice to have met you.

Good day, inspector.

I'll show you out.

At present, I'm describing

the July plot to kill Hitler.

So difficult to tell

what really happened.

Hilda!

Lately there's been a tendency

to make excuses for Hitler,

which means I shall

have to be somewhat cautious.

We don't want to open

old wounds, do we?

Of course not.

Particularly now that so many

of the war criminals are at liberty.

Like General Tanz?

Exactly.

A 20-year sentence is

a bit much for a soldier

who simply obeyed orders,

like the rest of us, but politically,

he was inclined to be rather extreme.

If you know what I mean.

Yes, I do.

Fortunately, he seems

to be leading a quiet life.

Oh, quite the contrary. Next week

will be the 25th anniversary

of the Nibelungen Division.

Tanz is coming out of retirement

to be their guest of honor

and spokesman.

Like our government,

I take a most dim view of that.

This way, please.

You must have noticed,

my daughter and my wife

are not on good terms.

In fact, they haven't spoken

to one another since the war.

That's sad.

I myself only see my daughter

once or twice a year.

And very briefly at that.

She lives on a farm near Munich.

We meet in a railway station,

with her child.

It's the only way I can

get to see my grandson.

Your daughter is married?

Yes.

To a farmer named Luckner.

She was never the same

after the war, poor girl.

Something happened to her,

I don't know what.

It's hard to help children, isn't it?

Particularly if one's wife...

Well, it was impossible

after Paris.

Anyway, that's all I see of her.

But why do you wish to see her?

In Paris, many years ago,

she knew a young man.

I told you, I haven't seen

Hartmann since the war.

Mrs. Luckner, you are

the only person who can tell us.

I don't know if Hartmann

is still alive, but if he is,

for his sake, for everyone's sake,

I implore you, help me.

I'm sorry, I don't know

where he is.

Too bad. Particularly

for Hartmann.

Goodbye, madam.

Monsieur Morand!

Wait a moment.

It's good to see you here, general.

This way, please.

Officers! Ladies.

Quiet, please, quiet.

Of course, it's only natural

for all of us to be happy

to see General Tanz.

Free again!

And to know

that our leader in war

is with us again on this...

On this wonderful occasion!

Now, let me welcome

you all to this reunion.

An occasion for us all to think back

to those extraordinary years,

when we were young

and had a cause to live for!

And if necessary,

to die for!

Now, before continuing,

I'm sure you all remember

our old marching song.

Excuse me, sir.

On the night of May the 12th,

someone left the Blue Harbor Bar

in Hamburg with Erika Mueller,

a prostitute.

At 11:
45, he took her

to the St. Pauli Hotel,

where he murdered her.

Identification.

Inspector Hauser,

Hamburg Police.

While Chief Inspector Morand

is with Interpol.

On the night of December

the 12th, 1942, in Warsaw,

the same man murdered

another prostitute, Maria Kupiecka.

Evidence of his guilt

was first assembled

by Colonel Grau.

Does the name ring a bell?

A remarkable man.

He was obsessed

with a strange craving

for absolute justice.

I am unable to share

your enthusiasm.

He was a traitor.

Is that why you shot him?

You are wasting my time.

On the night of July 19, 1944 in Paris,

I was involved in the investigation

of the murder of a prostitute.

In the Rue Leandre.

What has any of this to do with me?

Warsaw, Paris, Hamburg.

You were in all three places.

Need I say more?

No, you've said quite enough.

These are theories,

and theories are not evidence.

I agree with you there.

Nothing I have said so far

is capable of proof.

Precisely.

Except that in Paris,

there was a witness.

Bring in Luckner!

- Bring in Luckner!

- Luckner!

You should have

killed me, general.

This man will testify

at your trial. A public trial.

I'm sure you know

what that means, Tanz.

I should think that even

your most devoted admirers

will be quite shocked.

Give me your gun.

Twenty-five years ago,

our division was created

as Thor's hammer, to strike

the enemies of the Reich

and the youngest of Germany's

generals was chosen to lead us.

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