The Red Baron

BIRDS TWEET, DUCK QUACKS

SOMEONE WALKING, GRASS CRUNCHES

-WHISPERING:

-There!

-Where?

-Next to the fallen beech tree.

DOG PANTS

Get down. Down!

GUN CLICKS

AIRCRAFT ENGINE

IT FLIES OVERHEAD

DOG BARKS

HORSE WHINNIES

AIRCRAFT ENGINE CONTINUES

CHURCH BELL TOLLS

Present arms!

AIRCRAFT ENGINES ROAR

It's a bomb!

HARMONICA PLAYING

ENGINES BUZZING

GUNFIRE

MORE GUNFIRE

DOG BARKS >

DOG WHINES

-Are you out of your bloody minds?!

-ALL: Yes, sir!

You risked the squadron's planes to attend an enemy funeral!

ALL: Yes, sir!

-Lehmann and Sternberg knew him, sir. Captain Winston Clyde Walker.

-Yes.

I mean sir.

My uncle, the Duke of Westchester, is his mother's brother-in-law.

Lehmann and I, we went to school with him. Eton, sir.

You're talking about a British pilot, for heaven's sake!

Pity he's not with us any more, sir.

DOG BARKS

Oh, what the hell!

Dismissed!

HE HUMS TO HIMSELF

Heard you got yourself some holes while paying your condolences, Richthofen.

I love these small gossipy airfields, Kirmaier.

Anyone want a cigarette?

French?

-De rien.

-Merci.

-Richthofen brought down a two-seater.

I suppose that's to make up for ignoring my orders?

No. It's adding to my score.

I just got the report.

A British RE8 crashed 12 kilometres from here.

Let's go find your brain. Let's get your kill confirmed.

ROCKS FALL

Help me. Help me!

Careful, all right?

One, two, three...

-CRIES OF PAIN

-I said careful!

Agh!

Hurry up, he's bloody heavy!

-He's losing a lot of blood.

-Agh!

You will be all right. You will be all right.

You can take him.

Pick him up.

Thank you. You saved this man's life.

No. I shot him down.

TOY TRAIN TOOTS

TOY TRAIN STOPS

The French send their condolences and claim the kill.

The service for Kirmaier will be held at 1600 hours.

The pilot who led the attack against us four days ago,

it was Hawker.

-What?!

-Major Lanoe Hawker?

The very man, sir.

I saw his face. Full beard.

Had the Grim Reaper painted on his fuselage.

Scary fellow. Downed nine of us. When they'd fly reconnaissance,

he latched a one-shot hunting rifle to his fuselage.

We almost touched wings. And I'll attempt to stay out of his way.

-You got that close? Why not attack?

-I only attack if I can win.

CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS

How badly do you want the Pour le Merite?

I'd kill for it.

I just received a cable from Supreme Headquarters and guess what?

-They badly want to give it to you.

-Why don't they, then?

You know the rules and not even Imperial Command

would bend them for you, so hurry up and shoot down that capture balloon.

I hunt aeroplanes, sir. Not objects that cannot move.

You're not a hunter, Lieutenant, you're a soldier,

and you will follow orders, especially ones straight from General von Hoeppner.

HARMONICA PLAYING

-What if I shoot down Hawker?

-Stay away from Hawker.

You're no match for him.

GUNFIRE

HE YELLS

YELLING CONTINUES

GUNFIRE CONTINUES

YELLING

TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS

Has anybody got a spanner?

I don't believe it.

So you finally did it? You bagged yourself a legend.

That'll make you a legend, too.

Oswald Boelcke, the first of the aces.

You're desperate to find someone to fill the gap he left?

You know what he once said to me when I asked how he manages his business?

"Well, it's quite simple.

"I fly close to my man, aim well and then of course he falls down."

Hey. Sterny and I drive to Arras.

Why don't you join us for a drink? We could look for the little nurse.

I mean, the sooner you have her,

the sooner you get her out of your system.

We can't have ties to the ground, can we?

Werner.

Hm?

I'll fill that gap. I'll be the first of the aces.

MUSIC PLAYS, BUZZ OF CONVERSATION

Sit down and have a drink with us.

Here.

-I'm married, you know.

-L'Chaim.

-L'Chaim.

NURSE: We need a bucket of water.

-Lieutenant.

-The name is von Richthofen.

Please to meet you again, mademoiselle.

-I know your name.

-Well?

The pilot you shot down told me who you were.

Did he survive?

Do you really care?

-Or are you just curious?

-The latter.

At least you are honest.

It's a start, isn't it?

Can you be caring without being curious in the first place? So, what's your name?

His name is Captain Roy Brown and he's alive, no thanks to you.

He told me you are a supreme profession...and a tricky rascal.

Well, tell him that I'm honoured by his compliments and, er,

hope I never have to meet him in the skies again.

He might get the better of me,

and I might not be lucky enough to have...

such a gorgeous attendant.

Unbelievable!

Enjoy your evening.

Do you happen to know what became of my scarf?

-I'll have it sent to you.

-No. Keep it. It'll bring you luck.

Stop! In we go!

-I'm starving.

-Yeah, me, too.

Prussians don't whine, gentlemen.

'Prussia's highest bravery award - the order Pour le Merite.'

High Command is giving you a tremendous responsibility, young man, going far beyond this medal.

You're promoted to lead not only the men I've just placed under your command,

you've been chosen as a leader of all fighting men.

A symbol of courage, bravery and boldness and determination.

A symbol of Germany's superiority.

Pilots are like gods, Richthofen.

When we lost Boelcke, our troops lost a hero

and if our enemy can kill a god, what chance does the poor farmhand

dug deep into the trenches think he has, hmm?

Gods don't die. Do you understand?

Yes, sir.

Fine.

You're dismissed, gentlemen.

PEOPLE CHATTER

-Hold tight.

-I know!

-Keep the rudder straight. Go over there.

-Stop now!

Go straight. I said straight. You're not going straight!

I can't concentrate!

Everybody comes to honour our son and all they do is play with that plane.

It's like little boys. As if my brothers would ever grow up.

Handsome little boys.

Take a left now. Slow down.

Let them enjoy their youth... whilst they can.

-I know, my friend! Would you please shut up?

->

Go over there.

OK, I'll go faster now.

WOMEN SCREAM

Watch out!

-Watch the haystack!

-I know!

Keep the sun on your back. Don't fire too soon.

It just warns your opponent and has no other effect.

Best range for shooting is 50 metres. Not more.

But remember, our task is to bring down aeroplanes, not men.

So stop firing when your opponent's falling.

Gentlemen, we're sportsmen,

not butchers.

-Merci.

-De rien.

Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet my chief mechanic Sergeant Rouber.

WHISTLING

Dismissed.

-HEELS CLICK

-Sir!

Stop clicking your heels, Menzke.

-Yes, sir.

-HEELS CLICK AGAIN

Hello.

Oh, I almost forgot. If each of you

hasn't shot down at least one in the next four weeks, you're fired.

GUNFIRE IN THE DISTANCE

Lieutenant, this is a hospital. Who do you think you are?

I'm sorry. You knew him well?

I still don't know your name.

Kate...Otersdorf.

Allemand? German name?

-Mon pere est Allemand et ma mere est Belge.

-Ah, a German father. I see.

Love these fine cigarettes.

LIGHTER CLICKS REPEATEDLY

You're a...very beautiful woman.

I was hoping to see you again.

-I thought maybe you might be wearing my scarf.

-I'll get it for you.

I couldn't get all the stains out.

Mademoiselle, have I done something wrong?

-Am I not worth an answer or is it just that you hate all men?

-Hate?

I don't hate you. It's a male domain.

But you're angry, aren't you?

There's another man's blood on it and you do not seem to care.

Men like you scare me, because I do not understand why you do what you do.

And being scared makes me angry.

Now please...

leave me alone.

Wait. Wait!

Imagine you're up there, like a hawk looking down.

The wind blows around you. The smell of the engine.

The draught of the propeller.

Up there you can let yourself fall. You can climb and turn and spin.

Freedom. It's what men have always dreamt of.

I have dreamt of it since I was a little boy.

But the best part is the chase. The fight.

The hunt. Sometimes, you see your enemy up close

and you know he's like you, that he thinks the same thoughts with the same excitement.

It's like a match.

A joust. It's like a sport.

Tennis does not kill you.

It's childhood dreams that got your friend killed.

No, I don't hate you, Baron.

I pity you.

Gentlemen, please!

It shouldn't be that hard to paint a plane, should it?

Just do it, Rouber!

Manfred, what's wrong with you?

What is this crazy paint job all about?

Manfred, you know damn well OCA will crucify you for this.

I don't care about what the office in charge of aviation does

and you'd better not question my orders!

I just think you're making a mistake. They'll spot you from a long way off.

We'd completely lose the advantage of surprise.

I don't want them to be surprised.

I want them to be scared.

HEELS CLICK

Lieutenant Kurt Wolff reporting for duty, sir.

Planning to take your nap up there, Lieutenant?

Never fly without it, sir. You know, for luck.

Superstitious, huh?

Like me.

My mother keeps ordering new coats from our tailor.

I never pick them up.

See you around.

Sir!

-General!

-General von Hoeppner.

Over here, sir!

You've become quite a celebrity, Baron. You're making headlines.

The Emperor himself mentioned your name after hearing about your 29th victory.

So...I've brought a little surprise for you.

Didn't they run out of medals to give me?

Well, it isn't exactly a medal.

Sir!

-This wasn't my idea.

-It is certainly good propaganda -

the Richthofen brothers flying together.

Welcome.

Your brother's a nice chap. He really has the spirit our Fatherland needs right now.

So tell me, they come up with these strange new names for you.

The Diablo Rouge, or the Red Baron.

Why is that?

I see.

-<

-So much about army rules and regulations.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Try to keep the sun on your back. Watch out for the winds.

And never forget, a pilot's greatest virtue is to know when to run.

-What's this, a joke?

-Just do what it helps you to do, Lothar.

-Run away from a fight?!

-Yes. If you cannot win, you fly away.

-Fast.

-It's a thin line between cowardice and cleverness.

It's true. All right! Morning, gentlemen.

That's a great idea.

I already heard rumours the French think this paint is bullet proof.

I wouldn't take this with me. Could get in the way up there.

This looks much better.

The crop stays here.

-Scared them off, didn't we?

-For now. It's getting busy up there.

Damn French know how to protect their observation balloons.

I'm all right.

That was fun, wasn't it? Can I stay at your quarters tonight?

-Already feeling lonely?

-Yeah.

Did you have him transferred?

-Who?

-Brother Lothar.

Where is he? Do you see him?

He was right behind me. You'd better keep an eye on your little brother.

He has a hell of a dangerous attitude.

ENGINES ROAR, GUNFIRE RATTLES

What the hell's going on?

GUNFIRE CONTINUES

For God's sake, let the poor fellow land!

-What's he doing?

-The man's trying an emergency landing!

GUNFIRE CONTINUES

'For Christ's sake, Lothar! You shot this poor bastard to pieces!

'You want to win a war without killing anyone, huh?!'

This is not a polo game! We're not boys any more!

We're grown men fighting a bloody war!

I'm quite aware of that.

I'm quite aware of that!

But still, we can fight it with grace!

What?

-You were listening?

-They must have heard you in Paris, and Berlin.

-He's just ambitious.

-Then help him contain it.

I, for one, don't want to get killed because of his ambition.

I'd hate to see you get killed either.

CAR HORNS BEEP

HORSE WHINNIES

BUZZ OF CONVERSATION

MAN: Why have you stopped?

Morning, my dear Hindenburg.

And my dear friend, von Hoeppner.

Welcome to Berlin, General.

The young man already seems to be more famous than, er... what was his name?

-Oswald Boelcke, Your Majesty.

-Yes, yes. We need men like him.

I suppose we'll have to give you another promotion, Richthofen.

You are a real hero.

I take it... the ladies are all over you?

There aren't many ladies at 10,000 feet, Your Majesty.

HE LAUGHS, HIS COURTIERS COPY

Attention!

Well, are you ready, gentlemen?

Move on! Don't fall asleep.

Look out!

SOLDIERS SHOUT INSTRUCTIONS IN FRENCH

-What shall we do, sir?

-I could run them over.

-Put the pistol away.

-MAN ASKS A QUESTION IN FRENCH

-What did he say?

-He wants my captain's autograph.

GUNSHOT

-Ready?

-Go!

-<

-Ready!

-Go!

-GUNSHOT

How'd you know?

I saw you lose it.

HE PLAYS A MELANCHOLY TUNE

Oh, no.

Good morning, gentlemen.

Bodenschatz, welcome! My new adjutant.

-Kurt Wolff, welcome.

-I've heard a lot about you.

Thanks.

Orders, Sternberg, orders. My new commanding officer is the man I commanded not too long ago.

I heard you chaps ran into some massive Allied aerial activity?

-More than massive.

-When Germany produces ten planes, you bet hundreds unloaded on the French coast.

Let them come. We'll shoot them out of the skies by the hundreds.

Meet brother Lothar.

AIRCRAFT ENGINE WHINES

GUNFIRE

ENGINE WHINES

-<

-Damn!

Damn gophers.

It's pure luck I didn't run on one of those damned holes myself.

Thank you for being so tactful after embarrassing me by landing safely with a shredded fin.

I've come to have a look. Sopwith? Brand new, isn't it?

Was. Captain Brown.

Royal Canadian Flying Corps. The notorious Red Baron, I presume?

Didn't I shoot you down a year ago?

Indeed you did.

Why are you still flying around, then?

Your prison camps are quite fancy. However, they don't have airfields.

Thanks for pulling me out of that wreck. For saving my life.

Pulling you from that wreck didn't save your life.

True. Without her help, I probably wouldn't have made it back into a plane.

She sure is a great girl.

She nursed me for weeks. Did you ever get back your scarf?

-What now?

-Guess we could try killing each other with our pistols.

-Killing you would make me famous too.

-Sorry, I didn't bring mine.

But you might want to button up your holster before you lose yours.

GUNFIRE

GUNFIRE

HE SPEAKS TO HIMSELF IN GERMAN

THUNDER RUMBLES

How long have you been stationed in Europe?

Ever since Mother England called the kids for help.

Meaning us, the Commonwealth's colonies.

You're right. The entire war seems to be a family affair.

Family ties is what you aristocrats are all about.

The Russian Tsar, royal families of Britain, France, Austria, Germany.

HE SIGHS

Everyone is someone's nephew, uncle, brother. Man, your love life sure ignores all them borders.

But to protect those borders, we kill each other off anyway.

And we always manage to find good enough reasons, don't we?

You thought about killing me.

Isn't killing each other the reason why we're here?

Yes.

Be seeing you.

Don't get me wrong, but I hope not.

Yes.

So long, then. Good luck.

Talking family,

sooner or later, this war will be over.

You should hook up with that nurse.

I think she's got the hots for you.

What makes you say that?

She kept bitching about you for weeks.

Stop the truck.

Stop the truck!

There you are. We just found him.

Sterny?

-Get a doctor here!

-He doesn't need a doctor, he needs a priest.

A rabbi.

HE CRIES OUT IN GRIEF

HE WAILS

He's dead, Manfred.

MEN CHATTER

Catching up, brother.

It's days now since we buried him.

Why is it you can't enjoy the fact I've been promoted? I'm your brother.

He was a friend of yours, I know.

But he was a fighter pilot too and knew the risks he took.

A risk all soldiers proudly take.

But you are more than a soldier, you're a superior officer!

You have a responsibility toward the men out there!

Towards your country, and your people!

DOOR SLAMS

GUNFIRE

GUNFIRE

GUNFIRE CONTINUES

CHILDREN GIGGLE

Arretes! Ca suffit!

Regardes, c'est un avion!

Le rouge!

-C'est le rouge!

-Attention, Louis!

-Allez, on y va!

-Depeche-toi, Sophie.

You smell nice.

SHE GASPS

Much better than all the flowers.

You are still a little boy playing silly games.

You haven't changed.

I'm not so sure about that.

A while ago, I wouldn't have let myself get shot down.

Turn over.

Ow! Ah!

So much for Germany's bravest!

I'm sick of Menzke bringing me these reports of our lack of success every damned day.

-I'm just trying to fill your seat...

-You send up single squadrons, Doring.

They're in no position to battle successfully against enemy formations.

Captain Doring has his orders.

The office in charge of aviation arranges us on a timetable, sir.

They're a bunch of idiots,

condemning us to routine barrier flights. We need to be flexible.

Loose! Hit the enemy where it actually is.

The British and French rule our airspace wherever and whenever they like. Yes.

We hardly ever down their damn planes!

I order you to ignore OCA's orders, Doring.

Mademoiselle Otersdorf? What are you doing?

I'm just following orders, Baron.

Welcome back, sir.

Welcome back.

It's the most successful fighter squadron of the war. These men are the best pilots in the skies.

DOG BARKS THEN WHINES

-I thought it would never happen.

-What?

I'd see you smile.

The nurse is a very good looking girl.

I've got a hole in my head, but I'm not blind.

Take her to the Metropole.

Good food, romantic atmosphere,

nice rooms.

Don't tell me you're afraid to ask her out?

Shall I ask for you?

What are you trying to do, get me married?

Why not?

What are you writing?

A book...about flying.

What are you reading? I never see you without a book.

Right now?

Oscar Wilde.

Have you ever read Wilde?

No. I can't see any British literature in there.

Hmm.

Try this.

There must be Shakespeare in there somewhere.

My father read his plays to us. Lear, Comedy of Errors.

You might find a couple of songs too, and a lot of playing billiards.

Hunting, flying, riding...

Ahem! ..and flirting.

A hole in the head makes reading someone's mind pretty easy, Baron.

So...just ask.

-Would you...?

-HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

Would you join me for dinner?

Yes.

WALTZ MUSIC PLAYS

So?

Different from what I thought it would be.

-Different?

-Your writing.

It's, er...entertaining.

-You thought it'd be blunt, boring and deadly serious?

-No.

But you write about war.

-I thought I would find at least some patriotism.

-Patriotism?

Hmm.

"The virtue of the vicious."

-You did read Wilde.

-Even a little Dante.

It's helpful right now.

To know a little about infernos, isn't it?

-Dance with me.

-No.

Better not, no. I am an infernally miserable dancer.

Imagine you are flying.

Great.

To have a hole in my head.

Without it, I wouldn't be sitting here next to you, would I?

Menzke?

Can you turn the car around?

MEN COUGHING

There are so many hospitals now, they have to give them numbers.

This is Number 76.

It has 500 patients.

Most of these men will die.

Those that don't will never walk again, see again,

taste again, love again.

No, it's not great to have a hole in your head.

You are lucky to be still alive.

Being born of nobility, you have advantages these men here do not.

They don't have choices.

It's not a game.

This is the lowest we will ever get.

It never gets darker.

KNOCK ON DOOR

KNOCKING CONTINUES

Come in.

Can you give me something for my head?

SHE LAUGHS

AIRCRAFT APPROACHES

Go to the cellar, now.

They fly at night?

Get yourself a gas mask.

Do you fly at night?

No, we don't.

MAN OUTSIDE: Those British bombers... >

-Lights out.

-Everybody turn off the lights!

-Give it to me.

It's OCA, sir.

This is one chance! Turn off all the lights!

-Night bombers!

-Order, Captain! Four already passing. Four more coming.

Just eight in all, it could be worse, sir.

It's not as if they just happened to fly past, Doring.

They know about this field and there will be more than eight, lots more.

GUNFIRE

A HORSE WHINNIES

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Morning, sir.

-Wolff, are you all right?

-Can't find my cap.

All machine gun posts are manned. There's nothing more we can do to protect the planes on the ground.

Menzke, get my gear! Ready my plane.

You're injured!

-You can not fly...

-I'm not going to be a sitting duck. I've got wings.

MEN YELL >

Agh!

Oh-ah-argh!

HE GRUNTS IN PAIN

You flew right in between them, are you out of your mind?

Take me to her.

You have to lie still.

Go and find her. I just need to know she's not hurt.

DOG BARKS

You look splendid.

I know you are angry with me.

I've been ordered back to the hospital.

I know.

I'm sorry about Kurt Wolff.

He was a charming young man.

He forgot his night cap, you know.

His lucky night cap.

Baron.

-Yes?

-Take me to dinner again, will you, some time?

And promise to always wear this lucky jacket of yours.

GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS IN THE DISTANCE

We're not late, are we?

No, we're not.

HEELS CLICK

-The lavatory?

-Down the stairs to the right, sir.

Back in a minute.

-<

-Attention!

-HEELS CLICK

-Everything goes according to plan.

-Yes.

-I'm very satisfied.

-Yes.

Ah.

Our famous flying ace visiting our frontlines!

Thank you for answering my invitation.

Quite a glorious sight from down here, isn't it, Richthofen?

Your Majesty.

-Your Majesty!

-Aha. The little brother.

You look indisposed, my dear baron.

Yes, Your Majesty. I'm fine.

I always am.

Sometimes even irritably so.

How can you be "irritably fine"?

It happens out here.

We kill a couple of men.

And while they fall down in flames, we feel just fine.

I find this irritating.

My soldiers do not kill people.

They simply destroy the enemy.

Well...the effect seems to be the same.

We've run out of fuel.

We've run out of ammunition.

We've run out of planes.

And we've run out of pilots.

We've run out of lives.

So, don't waste yours.

Never put yourself in all-or-nothing situations.

Stay out of fights you cannot win.

Watch out for the winds, they tend to carry you over the lines.

Cut your losses and take your lives into your own hands and keep them.

Please let us not lose more of our friends.

HEELS CLICK

-Yes, Menzke?

-You have a visitor, sir.

I thought you might want to celebrate.

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

They published your book!

The whole of Europe is reading it.

So...how about dinner?

Maybe a dance?

-They shut down the Metropole.

-Yes, I know.

A British bomb hit the kitchen.

DOG BARKS

They don't want me to fly any more.

They're doing everything they can to nail me safely to the ground.

Really?

They want me to command the entire Air Force. The Emperor himself.

That's so wonderful.

So many times I woke up in the middle of the night

and read the lists of missing pilots.

It is so good to have you down here.

It's safe.

SAWING >

-Evening, men.

-Sir.

-Bloody freezing, isn't it?

Too true, sir.

A brand-new Bentley.

Where did you get it? Bentleys don't fall out of the skies.

Trust me, I had to argue a little bit with the chap.

You always wanted to be first of the aces.

-Now they offer it to you and you hesitate.

-Yes.

I always wanted to be like him.

Werner?

Could you ever give up flying?

I don't think so.

But if you ask my advice, you should grab your chance.

You only want me to stop, so you can be first.

How did you find out?

All right. All right.

I'll stop...

if you'll stop first.

I don't think so. I'm married to my plane.

This is how I spend my spare time.

These are fine planes you're building us, Fokker. The best.

Yes, thank you.

And yet, somehow, our own pilots seem to think they can do better.

Oh, well...we sometimes modify the planes a little,

-here and there.

-Modification is one thing,

-but replacing our engines with those from enemy planes...

-How did you hear of this?

Early this morning, we received a report of the recovery of a new triplane.

Well, the Brits were less than amused to find

one of their own Bentley engines in a Fokker they shot down.

-I need to see it.

-Of course.

-I need to see it at once.

Get me the damn report, now!

Just three more weeks, Manfred.

I already have my marching orders. I'm going to join your combat wing.

What's become of him?

Fallen in combat.

-And him? His name's Voss, right?

-HE GRABS THE PHOTOS

They're all dead.

I will fight with you and Lothar.

I will make offensives in full preparation. They call it Operation Michael.

-We will win this war, won't we?

-Wolfram, please.

-It's all right, Father.

-Of course we'll win.

The Allies don't have a clue about what's coming at them.

-This offensive is going to push them back into the Channel.

->

BOMBS WHISTLE, GUNFIRE RATTLES

Sir!

Morning, sir!

Please, follow us, sir!

BOMB WHISTLES NEARBY

Down!

CRIES OF PAIN ABOVE, MAN SHOUTS

GUNFIRE RICOCHETS

-Go, go, go!

-EXPLOSIONS CONTINUE

Fire!

Reload!

What an unexpected surprise!

You came to visit another British defeat, Captain?

EXPLOSION OUTSIDE, MAN CRIES IN PAIN

Lieutenant, go and see if you can find somebody with a camera.

It is excellent propaganda and makes a very good picture.

To have our flying ace down here with us on this victorious day.

Your Excellency, we need to talk.

You don't want me down here.

If you give me the power to make strategic decisions, you will not like them.

Why wouldn't we?

We very much trust your abilities, Baron.

I'd suggest we surrender.

Hah! What arrogance! What a bumptious child you are!

I was victor in 63 aerial battles.

You know how I did it?

When I faced a battle I couldn't win, I flew away.

What makes you think we cannot win this war, Baron?

What about our boys? Our holy course?

French.

Great cigarettes.

What makes us think our course is better than the French

or the British or the American?

It isn't.

It's not even different from theirs.

We just need an excuse for what we do, because, without it,

we would see who we really are.

Put this fool back into his aeroplane...

..and give him a parachute!

I can't afford to lose another idealistic hero.

-What the hell are you doing?

-Sorry for having bothered you, sir.

What are you doing with my brother's picture?

He ordered me to take them down.

All of them. Sir.

'Operation Michael.'

Our ground forces attack on both sides at St Quentin, from here and from here.

That's a 70 kilometre battle line.

Right. Our task is to gain control of the entire airspace and keep it, my friends.

Shouldn't be a problem, should it, Bodenschatz?

Our planes are outnumbered four to one, Udet.

We've lived with that for months, haven't we?

It'll be worse than ever.

MAN COUGHING

A SOLDIER SAYS THE LORD'S PRAYER

Quickly!

MAN SHOUTING

May God be with us.

Gentlemen!

Let's go!

-Contact!

-Contact!

-ENGINES START

-Contact!

-Contact!

-Contact!

-ENGINES START

SOLDIERS SHOUT

EXPLOSIONS IN THE DISTANCE

AIRCRAFT ENGINE BUZZES

RATTLE OF GUNFIRE

GUNFIRE

RATTLE OF GUNFIRE

CRIES OF PAIN ON THE GROUND

CRIES OF PAIN FILL THE TENT

He's really back, isn't he?

His flying circus has swept the British from the skies!

I saw him fly past,

waving at us.

-HEELS CLICK

-Sir.

Gentlemen!

High Command of the northern sector thanks us for our accomplishments.

I want to add my thanks.

You showed me some splendid flying. Thank you.

-Bravo!

-Thank you, sir.

-Hear, hear!

LAUGHTER

LAUGHTER CONTINUES

GALLOPING HOOVES

Is it one of yours?

I can't tell any more.

You're flying again, aren't you?

Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie to me again?

HORSE WHINNIES

I didn't want to scare you. I wanted you to be happy.

Kate, I just cannot do what they ask of me.

They offered you safety.

Your life.

When I was a little boy,

I could hit all the targets with my father's rifle.

Targets so far away the others couldn't even see them.

I dreamt of seeing everything, dreamt of being like a bird.

Hawk's eyes.

Eagle's Eye, I was called.

When I became a pilot...

I truly thought I'd see everything from up there.

I saw nothing.

I was blind before I met you.

You opened my eyes. You taught me to see what I didn't want to see.

We all chose to fly.

Voss, Sternberg, Lehmann, Wolff, Hawker.

On whatever side we fought, we all knew the risks we took.

I wanted to be the best. I wanted to win, and I thought I'd won.

But I can see now, Kate. I see that we've turned the world into a damned slaughterhouse.

And I'm already too big a part of it.

They use my photograph to give hope where there is none.

They use my name to feign immortality

whereas the reality is annihilation.

You said it yourself.

The men dying out there have no choice. I have.

I cannot order them into battle.

I can perhaps lead them, help them, die with them.

But I will not betray them nor keep the truth from them

by remaining the immortal god Berlin wants me to be.

You are my greatest victory.

Sir?

Excuse me, sir.

Sir.

Sir, British aeroplanes are approaching the front, sir.

-Thank you.

-Sir.

Yes, thank you.

They were last reported at Lagnicourt.

So...they're coming in from the north west.

Thank you.

Brother, you don't mind if I lead Number 11 and you fly on my right?

-Be my guest.

-Wolfram?

Stay clear of any involvement. Keep close to Lothar.

If you're attacked, break off and fly home fast.

It's a thin line between cowardice and cleverness.

A great day to fly.

You're a brave man, Baron.

A very brave man.

Thank you.

-If it gets bad, fly back.

-Sir.

-All right?

-Sir.

< Contact! ENGINE ROARS

OTHER ENGINES START

Contact! ENGINE STARTS >

Contact! ENGINE STARTS >

ENGINE ROARS AS AIRCRAFT CLIMBS

Thank you. DOG BARKS

Miss.

I could not come sooner.

It is not so easy to cross the lines into British territory.

Finally, a friend of ours helped me.

He asked me why it was important for me to come here.

I told him, I love you.

Did I ever tell you?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd