Original subtitles

Spring?

Two more crocuses since yesterday.

Our German spring is a wonderful time.

Spring is always wonderful.

I remember only one bad spring.

1945. It was beautiful that year.

Exactly. The perfect weather meant the Allies would begin their final drive

along the Western Front.

Well, that year I...

cursed the birds as they sang in the trees and wished I could hold back the

blossoms with my hands.

But the snow melted and the tanks rumbled on.

They had to come.

Hitler was finished and all the people close to him, including the ones that we

knew at Heidelberg.

Do you remember, von Baden?

How could I forget?

I was with the White Corps.

I fought with them.

Drilled with them, drank with them.

Rudolf Cassan was president of the White Corps, wasn't he?

Yes. He was also a bully and a brute.

The most hated student in all Heidelberg.

Schlager hoch!

En garde!

And one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Schlager hoch!

You fought a duel for him, didn't you?

For Kassan, of all people.

None of us ever really heard the truth of that story, did we?

No.

I became president in my final year, but my record could never match Kassan's.

He fought ten times in his first year, although freshmen weren't obliged to

fight at all.

It was not until the end of your second year that you needed to have your scar.

He fought 30 times in his second year, and doubtless he would have fought many

more if his career hadn't ended so... so abruptly.

You know that curious English poem, The Jabberwock?

Struck down by a vorpal blade?

On guard!

He was a wizard with a blade.

And with women.

There was one woman he loved, but at least when he was with her, he seemed a

different person.

Eva. She worked below the bar in the beer hall.

He'd even spent a weekend with her on a raft down the river.

I knew it. Leave her alone.

She must pay the penalty.

No. What do you mean, no?

She must trip or be stripped.

Keep your hands to yourself or fight me now.

But it's the rule, Cassandra. Get out!

Come in.

The Red Corps is rubbish.

No!

So you were there that night, Lord Barton.

I was Catan's second, but I hadn't fought yet.

As for Ava, she was the only person who could bring out the tender, human side

of Catan's nature.

But she was also, let us say, generous with her favours.

This term's a fight, boy, you must.

That's our only purpose.

We didn't take you into the White Corps just to drink and have a good time. I'll

fight when I'm ready.

You're ready now, Fonvard.

You'll fight next week. It's time you tasted blood. You're old.

Not so soon. No.

I'm your president, boy. When I say fight, you fight on the White Corps.

What

is the

paper? While the cat's away, his mouse likes to play.

No, Gunnar. Stay where you are.

No, it doesn't mean anything.

Rudolph, I was waiting for you. Please. She waits for anyone in trouble.

Get up.

No.

We've never fought, Kassan.

I think perhaps it's time.

I wouldn't dirty my blade with you.

Young von Baden will uphold the honor of the White Corps Tuesday night.

Therefore, who's he, another of your mice?

I'll slice off his nose and I'll come after you, Cassan. You think so?

Any member of the White Corps can take you, Macca.

That will be the final indignity to see you grovel in defeat before this boy.

So you had three days to prepare to fight for your life.

And one, two, three, four, five.

At speed.

Free play.

Ah, you could have cut him there, von Baden. Continue.

Parry, cut. Parry, cut. Use the wrist, not the arm. Continue.

Macca will murder you, boy. You left yourself wide open.

Keep the arm up, protecting the right. Keep the point down at the parish.

Come at me.

Come on.

Stop! Dead boy, dead. I could have opened every vein in your head. I'm

The White Corps never apologises. The White Corps win.

The new boy's rubbish.

With Catan training him.

There isn't time to make anything of him. Today, tomorrow, Tuesday you fight.

You needn't lose any sleep, Gunner. I may.

I already have.

That isn't. But of course. Who else?

What do you mean? You like it here, Ava. You said so.

Sorry I interrupted.

No, we were just resting between rounds.

Spread the word, Joseph.

We'll meet again tomorrow morning at eight o 'clock.

Get to bed early.

And have an early breakfast, not later than seven, so that you have time to

digest it.

If you think you've sweated today, boy, just wait until tomorrow.

I did my best to obey him. I went to bed early.

I didn't sleep for hours.

When at last I did sleep, I dreamt...

I reported the whole business to the police, asked them to stop the duel.

But they laughed at me.

Said, oh, we know dueling is forbidden, but look at our eyes.

And I looked, and the police were blind.

It was always like that.

The law was never enforced.

No. I knew there was no getting out of the duel, not without disgrace.

But you were really going to fight for another man's honor, weren't you?

Yes.

Whether I liked it or not, Kassan's honor had now become mine, too.

But Kassan was a bully and a tyrant.

That was why I slept so badly.

Yes! Go, Batman!

Whoa!

You smelt the blood at last. Good.

Bring out the sword.

Take your sword, von Baden.

So far it's been child's play, hasn't it?

Right, on guard.

On guard.

Pack.

I could have opened the flap on your cheek there, boy.

So could Macca.

Right. Get him dressed.

All that day we practiced with the swords.

And on Tuesday... Did you sleep better that Monday night? Oh, much better.

You see, I had obtained some chloral hydrate, which I mixed with a glass of

schnapps. An old -fashioned cure for insomnia.

Those days were old -fashioned.

The first duel tonight is between Carl von Baden, upholding the honour of the

White Corps, and Gunnar Macker of the Red Corps.

Which, as we all know, is totally lacking in honour, and therefore

represented by Macker.

Come here.

No. Come here.

Gentlemen of the White Corps, we have an intruder.

Shall she pay the penalty? Ascend. No.

When she was yours, Kassan, you spared her. Now she's mine.

And you spare her?

You? She'll watch me win, Kassan.

No, Maka.

No.

Ava shall watch you lose.

Sit down.

No one touch him!

Von Baden, get out of that suit.

I'll fight Macca myself.

You cannot, Cassatt. It's against our code. Von Baden fights.

Now who's sweat?

Gentlemen.

Even so. It's a scratch. Bring me another sword.

That's enough, Doctor. It's not his blade. His blade hasn't touched me yet.

Right. On guard.

Distance, gentlemen.

On guard.

He's dead.

And that was all?

All?

Isn't that enough?

No.

From your account, Kassan lost in a fair fight.

Yet he was the best, far superior to Makka.

And there were stories, rumors, were there not?

Some even claimed that Makka killed him with a poison sword.

That that was the only way it could have happened.

Yes.

Some said that.

I heard the stories too. We all did.

Murderer. No, Ava.

Don't.

Don't. But it's true.

True.

He poisoned him.

The post -mortem said.

The coroner said.

Murderer.

Come on.

Come away.

I beg you.

You inherited Ava.

Ours was a sad love.

But yes, Catherine was poisoned. That much was proven.

But by that time, it was too late to check Macca's sword.

It

must

have poisoned him, sir.

No sense of honour at all.

I shouldn't care to have his conscience.

I'd like some service, please.

For the rest of his college days, he lived in disgrace.

Shortly after he left Heidelberg, he was killed by a train.

So he was guilty.

Now think it through.

Would a man who had poisoned the blade of his sword before a duel lose much

sleep about it afterwards?

He would have had to think it out, plan it.

Poisoning is a premeditated crime.

Yes.

And, of course, until the last moment, Makar thought he was fighting you.

Exactly. Surely the best evidence of all for his innocence.

And after Kazan stepped in and took my place, Makar never left the centre of

room.

He had no chance to poison the blade.

Could the swords have been switched when they were dropped? Impossible.

The hilts were white and red, the core colours.

So no one could have poisoned Maka's sword after Kassan entered the duel? Not

with all those eyes watching.

The woman, Eva?

How? When?

No.

The poison was meant for you?

For me?

Maka had nothing to fear from me.

Then who?

Of course I should have realized.

The doctor.

He applied the poison while he swabbed the wounds on Cassandre's face?

No.

He had no motive. He was really Ava's father avenging his

daughter's honor. He wasn't Ava's father. And I'm sure the doctor, he

chosen a far safer and less spectacular method of murder if that had been his

intent, or at the very least, a slower acting poison.

No.

Not a doctor. Then where are we left?

You.

Fear can be a terrible thing.

But how?

How did you poison Macassar? I didn't.

Then what?

It'll be a pleasure to tell the truth now, after so many years, the truth.

Eventually, I did fight. I fought bravely and well for the White Corps and

Hitler. I collected my medals and my ribbons.

Men killed for love, for revenge, and in anger. But fear, fear, my dear Vince,

look, is the greatest motive for murder.

Well, at least I think so, after all.

Wasn't it fear that drove us?

We acted under orders, von Wagner. You mean we feared to disobey them? No.

Oh, yes.

Now, listen.

I was afraid to fight murder.

Afraid for my face, my life, my honor.

Afraid? I was terrified.

I coated the blade of my sword with poison.

Got from the chemistry laboratory at the same time as I took the chloral hydrate

I needed to make me sleep. I knew that...

I could never beat Marker in fair fight.

I had to kill him or at least sicken him so that I could win. And then Kassan

took my sword and in the first exchange it broke.

And the end flew back and scratched his forehead.

He said it was nothing.

But it killed him.

Oh, my God.

A foolish thing.

A senseless thing.

Like I said, a vorpal blade.

Exercise is over.

I shall be glad to be alone in my cell.

It is ironic.

We are here because they call us war criminals.

We are not.

We are here because we lost.

Think of their crimes. Let us face the truth at last. We are war criminals.

And yet... And yet I killed this man because I was

afraid to fight.