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

1944: Summer war

... and our Fuhrer Adolf Hitler will be grateful for what you've done.

I speak here in his name.

"Operation harvest" is a great service to the people and to the soldiers.

Your sense of duty is the very cornerstone of our society.

Furthermore, it sets a great example for generations to come.

Girls,

daughters of the city of Hamburg, stricken with grief and yet so proud,

on behalf of our leader and of the country's peasantry,

I hereby thank you for volunteering.

As I'm in charge of "Operation Harvest" among the NSDAP's youth movement

in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein,

It's my duty to urge you...

to urge you: keep it up!

To our great Fuhrer Adolf Hitler. Sieg Heil!

That's for the official part.

And now I have a little surprise. How many are they? 32?

31. One of them got sick.

It's only a matter of good will and dedication.

Since you helped with the harvest, your comrades

have expressed their gratitude by donating

a pound of hard wheat and a pound of rye wheat.

Silence!

And now, let me hand you a small token of my appreciation.

Here.

A cornflower to each and every one of you.

Germany's harvest flower.

The flower of our great queen Louise.

The flower of loyalty.

- What's your name? - Henny Jansen.

- Do you have a boyfriend? - No.

- I've seen you working without letup! - Sure.

She also ate her heart out!

And she was right to do so.

Who works well has the right to eat well.

I knew a carver who liked to work with models built like you.

Anyways...

- Hertha Von Pfeil. - Is your father a general?

No, insurance sales agent.

Well...

- How old are you? - I'm almost 16.

Golly! That's impressive! What about your father?

Johannes Kopp, born Tressler. It's my mother, errr, my father...

Don't be overawed. I don't bite.

Quite the contrary.

Let's cut to the heart and get to your comrades' offering.

A pound of hard wheat, and a pound of rye wheat.

Come and get it.

I have a few pennants spare to brighten your farewell party.

They're in my car. Don't push around.

Madam.

Same thing here. Cold potatoes and sauerkraut.

What? Potatoes and sauerkraut again?

You sure got some nerve!

A portion of potatoes and sauerkraut!

My comrade got his call-up.

Let me buy you a drink.

That's on me.

What's your name?

Back off, ship boy!

- Where's Lucy? - Upstairs.

Ouch! Are you mad?

Willi! Serves you right!

I don't like to be groped like that. Where were you?

Look, it bleeds!

Such a crybaby! It's just a little scratch.

I feared it might be the old man. With his crone being on a trip and all.

- Are you finished? - Not here. If the boss...

- Trude will soon be on duty. - I have a nice present for you.

All right! I'll come Afterwards. But don't make any noise.

- Check. - That's 2, 80 marks.

90, three, four...

- Where could I make a phone call? - Across the street, at the baker's.

And five. How was the food?

You call that a tip?

Are you outta your mind?

You want to pay for this bottle?

We're in short supply these days.

24, 25,

26, 27...

31.

Alarm.

There should be 32 in all.

Why all the bits and pieces? Why didn't they give you just a slice?

Bacon's bacon, no matter what.

Here's looking to you: 32 proofs of gratitude.

Willi Keun, he's not just anyone.

All for one...

Lucy...

If I still had my left thumb,

I'd go on the front as soon as tomorrow.

You? Thanks for the good laugh!

Do you remember Klaus, the guy who worked at the counter?

Yes, that's my friend, Klaus Schmides. I envy him.

That's what I call a real soldier.

He was. He's dead now.

He's fallen on the battlefield. What do you say about that, huh!?

Fallen? Maybe...

But for the Fuhrer and the people's sake.

"Our grief shall be pride, Emmi. " You gotta be out of your mind, Willi.

How are we supposed to go on like this without supplies, without income?

I didn't get any tips today.

Tips!

North to south and east to west

soldiers fight for the Reich's survival and...

And you're right in the middle of it, including 32 slices of bacon!

Don't tell me fibs. You shouldn't show off like that.

What? Why me?

You're not complying with the Nazis. A family, for instance?

"The family is the nation's rampart", so said Adolf Hitler.

All right...

I'm married, but...

We already discussed this, Lucy...

My wife, she can't bear children of her own.

That's crazy! You want me to bear your children instead of her?

Great sense of humor!

That's not what I meant. After all, we've been only together for a day.

- My sweet little whale. - My goodness!

All that fancy talking of yours, makes me feel sick.

- Take a schnaps. - No!

I'm dying for something sweet.

Fruit cans.

Excuse-me for a moment.

There are some spare mason jars with cherries hidden in the stroller.

In the stroller?

I had to! The city block's captain is nothing but a low-down thief.

I hid all my sweets in my old stroller,

right under the stairs to the cellar. No one will take 'em away from me.

We fight for the Reich's survival

and this girl stuffs herself with morello cherries!

Alarm!

Alarm!

Lucy, what the hell are you up to?

Are you done with your cherries now?

- We're not taking this porcelain tiger! - Yes, we are!

Get a grip! It's just like every other night.

- They're just above our heads. - Speed up! Alarm!

Quick! Hurry up!

Run to the cellar! Alarm!

Mrs. Hansen! Quick, to the cellar, there's...

They're coming down on us, captain.

A Gestapo hot shot is there. Sparks will fly.

Come in.

Am I interrupting anything?

Far from that. I was just expecting someone from the Gestapo.

Come!

I'm delighted. Take a seat, Kersten.

Let's hope it won't cave in.

Let's hope so.

How's your leg?

I can't complain.

I still need to get treatment.

It's quite convenient to have a shrapnel in the knee!

You seem to have fulfilled your hunger for heroic deeds.

Most of all, I'm not too keen on seeing our Russian "brothers" again.

The Russians, they're tough as nails.

Obviously!

I agreed on your transfer to my department.

I'm very grateful for that.

You're quite happy to be back in Berlin, huh?

I've seen way too many horrible things on the eastern front.

Besides, the Homicide Department seems to be a peaceful place.

My motto now is duck and kowtow.

I can't blame you for that. Kersten, you have no idea.

This world's a pitiful and absurd one.

Every day, thousands of soldiers die on the front and I'm heading

a huge bureaucratic hellhole, investigating only a few criminal cases.

For instance, a certain Willi Keun

has strangled a waitress in Hamburg. It's all over the papers.

But when thousands of soldiers

get killed on the front, the headlines say:

"Our losses are insignificant. "

This guy must have an iron fist.

There was a similar case 2 or 3 years ago. Unsolved if memory serves me right.

That could be a case for you!

For me?

Certainly not! Our colleagues in Hamburg should deal with it.

Inspector, you seem to have overlooked a few details.

Let's fix it fast and let's avoid the Gruppenfuhrer's wrath.

You're quite a joker.

How dare you drag a SS in front of your shitty civil court!

This man committed a crime...

A crime? Give me a break!

Besides we're the only ones to have the power to judge this case.

The guy got drunk and didn't behave himself, I agree.

But he was on the front.

And he came back with all honors.

The court will take that into account.

And he almost killed a man. The wounded survived...

So what! A foreigner anyhow!

They think they can get away with everything.

You don't understand our times.

But I'm a member of the party.

He improved himself a lot.

Who are you? Don't mind me by the way!

I wasn't going to stand up.

This is inspector Kersten. He's been discharged from the military hospital.

He served as a Battalion Commander.

No, I only served as a Company Commander.

Why the "only"?