The Devil Strikes at Night (Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam)

THE DEVIL STRIKES AT NIGHT

WARTIME GERMANY – SUMMER 1944

Our great Führer, Adolf Hitler, is very grateful to you,

and I’m here to thank you on his behalf.

Harvesting is a service to the nation, and to our fighting men.

Your generous contribution to our great work

will be a shining example for future generations.

Girls,

daughters of proudly suffering Hamburg,

on behalf of the municipality of Ratzeburg,

I wish to thank you for your voluntary help.

As director of the School-Youth Harvest Program of the NSDAP

in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein,

I say to you...

carry on the good work.

To our great Führer, Adolf Hitler: Sieg Heil!

Well, this concludes our official business.

And now a pleasant surprise.

- There are 32 girls. - Thirty-one. One has taken ill.

She was willing, though, and wanted to volunteer.

The good people you’ve helped out

have donated two pounds of flour to each of you.

Be quiet!

And now a personal gift from me.

If you please.

I have a cornflower for each of you. It’s the German harvest flower.

It’s the flower of the great Queen Louise and symbolizes devotion.

- Name? - Henne Janssen.

- Got a boyfriend? - No.

- You did the work of three? - Of course.

She ate for three.

Don’t get upset. She needs to.

Who works well must eat well.

I know a sculptor who likes models with your build.

Well, forget it.

- Hertha von Pfeil. - Father a general?

No. He’s an insurance agent, not a general.

Here.

- How old are you? - Sixteen, next week.

You sure are built.

- Father? - Yes, Johannes Kropp, born Tressler--

Well, that’s my mother-- my father--

Don’t be nervous. I won’t bite you.

On the contrary.

And now, the gifts from our comrades:

one pound of wheat, one pound of rye.

Come and get it.

And now a few trimmings for the harvest celebration.

Let’s go to my car.

Miss.

Another order of potatoes and sauerkraut.

More potatoes and sauerkraut?

Some nerve.

One order of potatoes and sauerkraut.

Buddy of mine wants to buy me another drink. Understood?

He’s picking up the tab.

- What’s your name? - Beat it, sailor!

- Where’s Lucy? - Must be upstairs.

Are you crazy?

Serves you right.

A person wants to know who’s handling the goods.

Where have you been?

Look what you did. It’s bleeding.

Don’t cry about a scratch.

I thought it was the old man getting fresh.

- Got time for me? - Not here. The boss might come in.

Trudy will take over in a minute.

I brought a gift. Your eyes will pop.

All right. Go up to my room, but be quiet.

Check, please.

That’ll be 2.80.

Ninety, three, four--

- Miss, where’s the phone? - The bakery across the street.

Five.

Did you enjoy the food?

That one was easy.

Have you gone off your rocker?

Want to pay for all these bottles?

Don’t you know there’s a shortage?

...24, 25,

26, 27,

28, 29,

30, 31.

Air raid warning.

There must be 32 slices.

Didn’t they have it in one piece?

Bacon is bacon.

Thirty-two tokens of the people’s gratitude.

Willi Keun is somebody.

“All for one. One--”

Lucy.

Lucy.

If I had my left thumb,

I’d be at the front right now. Yes, sir.

You of all people.

Remember that fellow Klaus who worked in our place?

Sure, Klaus Schmedes, my pal.

I envy him.

He is a soldier. Yes.

He was a soldier. He’s dead now.

Killed. What do you say now?

Killed?

He died on the battlefield for his Führer and his people.

“In deep mourning, yours truly.”

You haven’t got all your marbles, Willi.

This can’t last.

No goods, no trade,

I didn’t get any tips at all today.

Tips, tips...

The German soldier stands fast on all four sides of the Reich and--

Yeah, and you stand in the middle of bacon.

Stop clowning.

You’d better shut up.

Why?

How do you stand on principles? Family and such.

“The family is the backbone of the nation.” Adolf Hitler.

Well, yes. I am married.

But Lucy,

you know that my wife can’t bear me children.

You’re nuts. You want me to bear you children?

You really have a sense of humor.

Don’t get me wrong. We know each other from way back.

But, Lucy,

sweet pea.

I get sick to my stomach when I hear you talk like that.

Come, have some schnapps.

No.

I need something sweet.

Some fruit, canned fruit.

Excuse me.

I have a few jars of cherries hidden in the baby carriage.

- Baby carriage? - Sure.

The air raid warden has sticky fingers.

So I stashed away some delicacies in a baby carriage under the stairs.

Nobody goes there.

The Reich fights for its life

and this one eats cherries.

Air raid alarm!

Air raid alarm!

Lucy! Damn it, where are you?

Lucy!

You’d better forget your damned cherries!

- You are not bringing the china statue! - Yes, I am!

Alarm!

Easy. It’s the same every night.

But listen. They’re right above us!

Come on, let’s go! Hurry up!

Come on, now.

Everybody out! Alarm!

Mrs. Hansen! Let’s go down to the cellar--

Watch out for falling bricks, Commissioner.

A top dog from the Gestapo is here.

Trouble is brewing.

Please, come in.

Am I intruding?

On the contrary.

I was expecting someone from the Gestapo.

Come in.

Glad to see you.

Sit down.

I hope it won’t fall down.

I hope so too.

How’s your leg?

Can’t complain, thank you.

I’ll need treatment for a while.

Very useful, a shell splinter in the knee.

You seem to have had your full share of heroism.

I’d hate to meet our brethren from across the border again.

Mean bunch, those Russians.

Indeed.

Your application for assignment to my department was granted.

I’m very grateful.

Glad to be back in Berlin?

Oh, yes. I’ve had enough of the Eastern Front.

The homicide division seems like a cozy corner.

My motto: “Lie low till it blows over.”

I’d agree with you.

It’s all so incongruous, senseless.

Homicide division.

Thousands slain daily at the front

and I run a giant department for a few murder cases.

Here’s one:

Willi Keun strangled a waitress in Hamburg.

This makes headlines,

but thousands and thousands slain at the front

rates a single line:

“Our losses were insignificant.”

That fellow must have powerful claws.

There was a similar case a few years ago. Unsolved, I believe.

This is made for you.

For me? I’d rather leave it to the boys in Hamburg.

Say, Commissioner, there’s a slight mistake here.

Let’s settle it quickly to save you personal embarrassment.

You’re funny, harassing an SS member in a lousy civilian court.

Sir, the man admitted--

Admitted? That’s a good one.

Besides, this should be left to the Gestapo.

So the guy had a few drinks and got out of hand.

But he’s a war hero. He has a Purple Heart.

The court will consider all this,