"The Red Baron" on DVD described. Part 1.

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Like many other members of this forum, I was disappointed when Der Rote Baron did not make it to theaters on this side of the Atlantic. So when the DVD became available through Amazon.de on August 22 I immediately ordered a copy. It is now on my shelf, sandwiched between Von Richthofen and Brown and the Discovery Channel’s Death of the Red Baron. Now that I have viewed the film I thought I might share a description of it with those who are curious.
First of all, the DVD is in PAL format and only includes the German version of the feature film. No English subtitles are available. Curiously though, the deleted scenes and outtakes in the Special Features section are all from the English version of the film. Also, all the credits are in English.
The film opens in the year 1906. The young Manfred is in some woods hunting with a couple of companions. Just as he is taking aim at a deer there is the sound of an aircraft engine. Manfred dashes to a clearing where his horse is waiting. Once astride his mount he chases towards the dim (CGI) image of a monoplane (it looks like a 1909 Blériot) with arms outspread like the wings of an airplane.
The scene fades and transitions to a funeral scene in which a coffin covered by a Union Jack is being lowered into a grave. A caption states that it is in “Northern France, Allied Territory, 1916 (Ten Years Later).” Some Australian soldiers are standing nearby with their characteristic hats as well as a couple of red-capped Senegalese soldiers.
The proceedings are interrupted by the low approach of four Albatros DIII fighters, all with clear-varnished fuselages, olive green vertical stabilizers, and white rudders with somewhat oversized Albatros logos (one later sees on one of them the stencil “O.A.W. D.I.”) They have the olive green/mauve camouflage on the upper wing surfaces and light blue underneath. One of them has a red spinner, which turns out to be the aircraft of Manfred von Richthofen (the red color a coincidence at this point). There are fleeting close-ups of the fuselage markings on the other three Albatros fighters: an Edelweiss (of a Leutnant Lehmann), a white heart outline (Werner Voss), and a Star of David. The last-mentioned is the personal marking of the fictional character Friedrich Sternberg, who, as mentioned at the end of the film, is intended to represent all the Jewish fighter pilots who fought for the Fatherland in the war.
Von Richthofen throws down a wreath which, with stunning accuracy, lands directly in the open grave. It bears a ribbon with the inscription: “To Our Friend and Enemy Capt. Clyde Walker.”
On the way back to their airfield the four Albatros fighters are jumped by an entire squadron of SE5a fighters. They are led by an SE with a grim reaper symbol (reminiscent of the U.S. 13th Aero Squadron marking), serial no. 3511, piloted by a fellow with a beard. He is later identified as Lanoe Hawker (Richthofen says he recognized him from the beard). An enterprising RE8 also jumps into the fray. It has the serial number 3556 and a white heart embossed with a Canadian maple leaf emblem and pierced by an arrow. The pilot, sporting fashionable round wire-rimmed sunglasses (John Lennon might have worn such a pair), is none other than Roy Brown. A burst from Richthofen’s guns kills the observer and sends the RE down smoking.
The four pilots return to their field and a dressing-down by an unnamed Prussian Leutnant for endangering their aircraft on such a frivolous flight. After hearing that the RE came down not far away, they visit the crash site. Richthofen takes the lead in extracting the wounded pilot (a broken spar through the leg) out of the wrecked aircraft. Also on the scene is one nurse named Käte Otersdorf, who is stationed at a nearby hospital. She thanks Richthofen for his assistance, stating that he saved the pilot’s life. The Rittmeister replies, “I shot him down.”
The German pilots retire that evening to a local bordello for a bit of drinking and mild carousing. When Richthofen steps outside he runs into Käte. He introduces himself, but she doesn’t reply in kind. Rather, she tells him the identity of the pilot he shot down. Richthofen inquires as to his well-being. The self-righteous nurse asks him whether he is merely curious or actually cares. Richthofen honestly replies that he is simply curious. Here is illustrated the basic tension between von Richthofen and Käte Otersdorf. Richthofen is the heedless ambitious fighter pilot who considers war a sportsman-like affair and speaks of flying with poetic ardor. Käte Otersdorf is the down-to-earth nurse whose role in the film is not merely that of a romantic interest, but rather she also educates Richthofen about the true nature of war in all its horror. At one point she informs the naïve fighter pilot (who also happened to have had combat experience on the ground): “It’s not a game!”
The following scene is a sobering one for von Richthofen et compagnie. It opens with a view of the wingless fuselage of Kirmaier’s Albatros (he is previously seen painting a white “K” on the fuselage) loaded on some sort of trolley near the airfield. At lunch there is a discussion of Kirmaier, who, they are informed, is confirmed as dead. At the funeral a pack of Gitane cigarettes is placed in Kirmaier’s coffin. This is an example of “product placement” in the film. Richthofen is seen smoking them and later tells General von Hindenburg that they are the very best cigarettes. Indeed, they’re still quite popular today. I recall seeing many of the characteristic light blue packages littering the country roadways as I hiked on my way to preserved WWI battlefields.
At this point the subject of the Pour le mérite comes up. Richthofen is asked how badly he desires this highest of decorations, to which he replies that he’d be willing to kill for it. The Prussian Leutnant who asked the question reminds him that in order to get the Blue Max he must shoot down a balloon. “You know the rules!” he shouts. The Rittmeister replies that he only hunts after airplanes. He has no interest in things that don’t move. The Prussian states that von Hoeppner insists upon the downing of a balloon before he’ll grant the award. Richthofen suggests as an alternative the downing of Lanoe Hawker. The Leutnant maintains that he’s not up to the task.
In the very next scene one sees Hawker’s SE with its grim reaper symbol crashed near some railway tracks. The bearded corpse lies nearby. Richthofen removes the Lewis gun as a souvenir. Next we see Richthofen in his quarters, a sort of barn made with cinder blocks. The walls are decorated with pieces of fabric from his victims’ aircraft (A/1106, 1461, 6721, cockades, SPAD rudder). To this Richthofen adds the grim reaper cut from Hawker’s aircraft. Voss stops by and tells Richthofen that by downing a legend he himself has become a legend. Regarding a framed portrait of Boelcke nearby, Richthofen recalls the pioneer ace’s credo of getting in as close as possible before opening fire and the opponent’s inevitable fall. Voss observes that the high command desperately needs someone to fill the fallen ace’s shoes, at which point Richthofen voices his ambition to do just that and become the ace of aces.

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The next scene takes place at the headquarters of the Oberste Heeresleitung in Lille in January 1917. Oddly, there is a row of German captive balloons hanging above the town and a column of soldiers wearing Pickelhauben marching down the street. Richthofen drives up with a few of his comrades before the château. He enters to find General von Hoeppner casually attired in white shirt and gray trousers (with suspenders) gazing at a map. The general nonchalantly loops the ribbon of the Pour le mérite around Richthofen’s neck remarking that Boelcke was the first to receive such an award (he seems to have forgotten Immelmann). Richthofen brazenly mentions that he had to down twice the number Boelcke did before receiving it. Hoeppner counters that they made an exception in his case and that he still owes them a balloon. Then he adds that he is to receive command of Jasta 11, which is to be stationed at La Brayelle, northwest of Douai. Here the propaganda theme of the film is firmly introduced as the general tells Richthofen that he is a symbol of Germany’s superiority and is important for the morale of the troops. He states that “pilots are like gods” and meaningfully emphasizes “Gods don’t die, do you understand?”
The next scene is at the house of Richthofen’s parents in Schweidnitz (it is not the actual house), where there is a gathering of friends and family to celebrate the supreme award (complete with a Pour le mérite cake). Here we see an actual airplane. It is a Curtiss Jenny, I believe 7/8 scale, with iron crosses and a visibly over-painted British cockade. One would assume that it was intended as a squadron “hack” which Richthofen flew over. The as-yet untrained Lothar is taxying the aircraft around on the meadow adjoining the house and runs into a haystack. One of the trailers I saw showed Richthofen taking Käte for a joy ride in this plane, but this is not in the main feature or the deleted scenes.
Next we see the airfield of Jasta 11 at Douai. There are two huge hangars with curved metal arches extending above the roofs and corrugated metal sides (seen in a trailer with an Albatros chasing a Sopwith). When viewed on the ground one can see though an open door painted on the back wall of one of the hangars in huge Fraktur (Gothic) letters: “Jasta 11.” The pilots of the Jasta (all 25 of them) are lined up before the hangars and are being lectured by the Rittmeister on the conduct expected in his unit. Richthofen tells them that they are to aim at the enemy machine, not the occupants (I seem to recall Richthofen saying just the opposite). He shouts, “We are sportsmen, not butchers!” Then he adds that anyone who doesn’t bring down an opponent in the next four weeks will be fired.
The following scene takes place the next day at the German field hospital at St. Nicolas in Belgium. Richthofen arrives to examine the body of one of his dead pilots. He does however have an ulterior motive in that he was hoping to run across Käte. This he does. After lighting up a Gitane with the comment “I love these cigarettes” he expresses his interest in the nurse and asks if she would wear his scarf. Upon her refusal the rebuffed baron asks, “Have I done you some wrong or do you hate all men?” “Hassen ist Männersache,” she replies. That is, hatred is a “man-thing.” She adds that she doesn’t hate him, but rather, “I pity you.”
Directly afterwards, back at Douai, Richthofen has a mechanic paint his Albatros red. Sternberg advises against it, stating that the enemy will see him from far away and it will negate the chance of surprise. Richthofen responds, “I don’t want to surprise them. I want them to fear me.” A newcomer in the person of Kurt Wolff arrives. He is wearing a stocking cap, which, he explains, is a good-luck charm. Richthofen admits that he always wears his old leather jacket to bring him luck.
Six weeks later Hoeppner arrives at Douai for a visit. He brings along Lothar von Richthofen, informing the Rittmeister that the two Richthofen brothers flying together will make for good propaganda. This explains the cadre of photographers accompanying him who duly capture the moment. Hoeppner mentions that he’s heard of Richthofen’s nicknames, “le diable rouge” and “der rote Baron,” and asks why they call him that. The Rittmeister indicates to the general his bright red Albatros DV (serial number D4693/17, complete with head rest). The general nods and voices his approval. Incidentally, in the background one sees an Albatros DV with Jacobs’ “Kobes” marking on the side. Sternberg’s Albatros DV has, in addition to the Star of David, a starry sky motif on the rear portion of the fuselage. The upper wing surfaces of the top wing are similarly decorated. The rudder is covered in “lozenge” fabric.
Lothar soon reveals himself to be of different temperament than Manfred. Perhaps this has something to do with the latter’s characterization of him as a “shooter.” In a scene harkening back somewhat to “The Blue Max,” Lothar shoots a Sopwith Camel to pieces right over the airfield. Manfred is angered, as he thought the damaged aircraft was about to land and he shouts at Lothar. His brother yells back at him that it’s not a game, but war.

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Yet more pretty Albatros mock-ups are appearing. The colors of Voss’ Albatros DIII are a little more elaborate. The fuselage has an overall grayish purple color and red hearts outlined in white are painted on the sides and top. The tail is white. Wolff has a black Albatros with the white silhouette of a head with a stocking cap with a pair of hands thumbing the nose (like the 96th Aero Squadron’s red devil) and the slogan “Kriegst mich nicht!” That means “You won’t get me!” One might guess that it was inspired by Udet’s “Du doch nicht!” The wings are covered in lozenge fabric and the wheel covers have black and white quartering.
The propaganda element gains greater momentum in the following scene, which takes place in Berlin in May 1917. Richthofen has an audience with the Kaiser, who began asking about him after his 29th kill was announced. Hindenburg and Hoeppner are also present. Hoeppner ceremoniously drapes the Pour le mérite around the Baron’s neck for the still and motion picture cameras—quite a contrast to the way he carelessly hung it on him before.
Käte is also a witness to the Rittmeister’s growing fame. At the “Douai military railway station” she removes a Sanke postcard of Richthofen from the lifeless grip of a soldier near the hospital (apparently his dying thoughts were of the famous flying ace). She looks up to see Richthofen in fine uniform with the Geschwaderstock in hand, entering an automobile bearing the imperial eagle along with his brother Lothar. Some French POWs recognize the Baron and cluster around the car seeking his autograph. Lothar (the shooter) pulls out a pistol, but Manfred makes him put it away and obliges the poilus shoving various scraps of paper at him.
Richthofen arrives back at the airfield where Voss is engaged in some target practice. The Rittmeister hands Sternberg a harmonica he picked up for him in Berlin. It’s a C.A. Seydel harmonica, which, as I’ve recently discovered, have been hand-made in Klingenthal, Germany since 1847. There was an eye-catching ad for these instruments (specifically, the “Hurra” model) on the side of a truck in Berlin. Richthofen explains, “because you lost yours.” That’s not surprising, because Sternberg (or “Sterni,” as Manfred calls him) is previously seen playing it in flight (very loudly—one can hear it!). One can easily imagine him dropping it overboard. Bodenschatz also arrives on the scene.
Now things begin to heat up a bit with “The British Push Near Ypres, Belgium.” There follows an intense aerial combat sequence which lasts five minutes. An artillery barrage creeps across the battlefield while a fleet of Handley Page bombers roars overhead with its Sopwith Camel and SPAD escorts. A swarm of Albatros fighters drops down vertically out of the cloudy gray sky. A reverse view from behind the German fighters looks directly down upon the cratered and trench-scarred landscape, which looks as though it were scanned directly from an original black and white photo. A few of the German pilots are shown in turn, each gazing over the rocking valve-lifters of the Mercedes engines.
Sternberg is the first to score as he sets one of the bombers’ engines on fire and snap-rolls past him. He then pulls up and glances over his shoulder to see the smoking green giant crumple in a flaming heap upon the battlefield. A Sopwith Camel next falls victim to Lothar’s red-nosed and yellow-tailed Albatros, dropping away as orange flames erupt around the spinning cylinders of the rotary engine. Wolff then gets a bead on another Sopwith Camel and hammers away. The red-nosed Sopwith rolls over and while inverted its left planes break off and flutter away. It is seen to tumble erratically like a falling leaf towards the earth below.
Three more Albatros fighters appear out of the bright gray vapors and angle towards the fight. One is Voss in his DV. His two companions are in DIIIs—one with a black and white striped aft fuselage, yellow ochre vertical stabilizer, and green rudder. The other has a brick-red aft fuselage with a yellow Scandinavian-style cross.
As they turn about, we get a dramatic sweeping view from cockpit level behind Voss’ Albatros. Between his starboard wings one sees the end of a fight between two Sopwiths and an Albatros which leaves the German plane descending with a trail of smoke. Voss indicates to the other two with a hand-gesture that they are to dive upon the victorious Sopwiths.
In the meantime, another Sopwith, piloted by Roy Brown, gets the drop on Voss. Richthofen chases him away. Voss circles around and smiles with satisfaction as he sees the Rittmeister go to work. Richthofen chases Brown into the clouds and is surprised when the latter doubles back on him, causing him to swing aside. The Sopwith goes into a near-vertical climb, sideslips, and then swings back onto Richthofen’s tail. He peers over his sunglasses as his Vickers hammer away. Richthofen doesn’t make his aim easy, slipping from side to side before diving vertically through a hole in the clouds with Brown in hot pursuit.
Richthofen peers over his shoulder to see whether he has shaken him. Seeing the Camel hanging tenaciously onto his tail, he throws his red Albatros into another series of wild maneuvers. The Baron loses him in the clouds and again swings onto the Canadian’s tail. A burst from the Albatros rips through the Camel’s rudder. Brown goes into a steep wide bank and disappears once more into the white mist.
Now we see a close-up of a Handley Page gunner’s cockpit (the fuselage side bears the marking “Royal Mail”). The gunner spots a Camel (with Naval 10 markings—white nose with horizontal red stripes) chasing an Albatros from behind the bomber and swings his Lewis around in time to get in a well-aimed burst. The German fighter goes down smoking. The plucky gunner continues to snap off bursts at other enemy fighters whizzing past. He does not however get to revel in his one triumph for long. An Albatros heads directly at him from the side while his Lewis gun is depressed. The British pilot spots him and instinctively ducks into his cockpit while the gunner catches a burst full in the chest which exits through his back.
Meanwhile Sternberg has set his sights on another Handley Page. Voss sees his diminutive Albatros approaching the bomber as a trio of British aircraft (a Camel, a SPAD, and yet another aggressive RE8) sneak up from behind. Voss signals to Lothar to go to his aid. The SPAD’s first burst rips into Sternberg’s elevator, which is covered with Hebrew writing.
Lothar engages the RE. The observer’s return fire hits his engine, sending up a shower of sparks and piercing his oil tank. Despite the oil spraying in his face, Lothar manages to get off another burst which sends the RE down smoking.
Sternberg continues to be harried by his pursuers and jerks his control column from side to side. Voss gets in a telling burst on the Camel which, in German pilots’ jargon, begins to “stink.”
However, Sternberg still has one dogged pursuer—the clear-doped SPAD with British cockades and a stork emblem on the fuselage side. His crate is set on fire and Sternberg clambers out of the fiery cockpit (shouting, perhaps cursing, in Yiddish) and begins crawling back along the fuselage. Voss and Lothar helplessly accompany the doomed aircraft as it plunges into the depths.

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The next scene, “seven kilometers to the south, no man’s land,” shows Brown’s apparently stricken Camel in a field. It has white fuselage stripes, a red chevron on the upper deck, and on the vertical stabilizer a white heart with a red maple leaf superimposed and crossed by a blue lightning bolt. Richthofen lands nearby and tips over onto his nose. The Sopwith pilot introduces himself: “Captain Brown, Royal Canadian Flying Corps.” The German pilot is of course surprised to see him and Brown indicates that he escaped from the POW camp. The two philosophize a bit on the absurdity of war. Brown then tells Richthofen that Käte has fallen for him. How did he know? Because he heard her cursing him for a week. The two shake hands there in no man’s land and go their separate ways.
As Richthofen is being transported back in a truck he spots Sternberg’s crashed Albatros and yells for the driver to stop. He runs to the crash scene and rushes to Sternberg’s side. In this scene the Jewish pilot’s Pour le mérite is highly visible. Lothar and Voss are already standing nearby. Then the following lines are uttered:

Manfred: “He needs a doctor!”
Lothar: “He needs a priest.”
Voss: “A rabbi.”
Lothar: “Oh, really?”

Realizing his friend is dead, Richthofen clasps the lifeless body and grieves.
The next scene occurs four days later at “Richthofen’s Jagdgeschwader 1, Marcke, Belgium.” On the field is an Albatros DV with a chevron marking on the fuselage based on Ulrich Neckel’s Jasta 12 aircraft. However, it’s superimposed on a green background which is trailed by a black band. Lothar von Richthofen, with a new Pour le mérite dangling at his neck, enters a room in which the furniture is covered with drop cloths (Sterni’s room?). There sits Manfred, who seems to pay little attention to his proudly posturing brother. Lothar, angered at his older brother’s lack of acknowledgment of his achievement begins to rail at him for grieving too much and neglecting his responsibility to his men and his nation. He concludes with their father’s words: “It is forbidden for an officer to grieve!”
Next we see a field where French children are at play in a haystack. They see Richthofen’s red Albatros land on the field. Running over to it, they find the German aviator in the cockpit with a severely bleeding head.
There is a transition to the German hospital at St. Nicholas. The date is given as July 1917. Käte is tending to Manfred, who is lying in bed not only with a bandaged head but also with large braces patterned on those worn by Lothar von Richthofen in a well-known photograph taken after his crash in March 1918. When Manfred returns to JG 1 he is accompanied by Käte. He explains to her the Staffel colors: Jasta 11 red, Jasta 10 yellow, Jasta 6 “zebras,” Jasta four black. There are now two triplanes on hand with plain fabric covered in brownish green streaks. One of them is being painted red. Richthofen and Voss converse nearby. Voss says that Manfred should give up flying for a while. The Rittmeister balks at the suggestion.
The next scene takes place in Lille, where von Richthofen is dining for the first time with Käte, in a posh restaurant. The nurse convinces the reluctant war hero to dance with her. Afterwards Richthofen speaks of the advantage of having a hole in his head, as it allows him to spend time with her. Käte considers this a frivolous comment and takes him into a field hospital filled with wounded men to show him the true horrors of war. There she chides him, pointing out the advantages he has because of his background which the poor groaning wounded arrayed in the tent do not have. She then leaves Richthofen alone with them to gaze upon the misery and reflect.
That same evening Richthofen pays a visit to Käte’s room, asking if she has something for a headache. Perhaps the nurse senses that he is suitably chastised and she relents. A brief romantic moment following is interrupted by an air raid. The target is the JG 1 airfield. As Richthofen dashes out the door, he answers Käte’s question, no they don’t fly at night. But apparently that is nevertheless the plan.

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Richthofen arrives back at the field, which is illuminated by flames. In the background one sees two triplanes. One of them is red in front and white in the rear. The other one has a red upper wing, fuselage decking, and tail, but is otherwise streaked.
Next we see a close-up of the forward cockpits of one of the bombers, viewed from above, as it drifts onto the screen. The side is adorned with “Handley Page” in fancy script. There are at least ten such aircraft with Sopwith Camel escorts venturing in the night towards the airfield glowing in the distance. A mixture of triplanes and Albatros fighters flies to meet them. Richthofen opens fire on one of the Handleys, which staggers downwards with its starboard engine ablaze. A second HP is soon knocked down. Screams are heard.
Voss notices that Richthofen’s triplane is beginning to fly erratically. A cockpit shot reveals that he is bleeding from his headwound as he fires wildly. A Sopwith swerves to avoid him and collides with another. A triplane in Arthur Rahn’s markings (Jasta 19, bordered band of diamonds around fuselage) catches fire and descends. A second triplane flown by Wolff, with a picture of a man chasing his cap blown off by the wind, also goes down in flames with the wings breaking off. With blood streaming down his face, Richthofen roars with rage at the sight and hurls himself at yet another HP. The end result is not seen.
It is daylight. In the foreground is an Albatros DV with a very artistically rendered witch on a broom (in recent jargon, one might say it is “wicked”). At the end of the broomstick is a gun sight. Richthofen has just arrived back and he collapses upon the ground. He says to Voss: “Bring me to her.” He is concerned for the nurse’s safety after the bombing raid. In the background is a Fokker triplane, red in front and white in back with a white raven against the red (August Raben of Jasta 18). At the hospital Käte comes running over to the Baron. For some reason, he just tells her about Fokker’s triplane, which “turns like the devil and climbs like a monkey.”
Afterwards we see the two of them in a hangar with a Fokker triplane (light blue with green streaking). Richthofen is holding Wolff’s cap and explains to Käte that he forgot it on his last flight. Käte asks him to take her out again sometime and to never forget to wear his lucky jacket.
The next scene takes place in November 1917 in a concrete fort in the Siegfried Line. The two Richthofen brothers were invited by the Kaiser to visit him there. The Kaiser, Hindenburg, and Hoeppner show up. In response to the Kaiser’s inquiry as to his well-being, Manfred says something about his ill feelings regarding the killing of human beings. To this His Majesty angrily replies, “My soldiers do not kill human beings, they destroy the enemy!”
There follows an aerial view of “Richthofen’s Jagdgeschwader 1, Avesnes-le-Sec, France.” Käte comes to visit with the suggestion that they should celebrate the publication of his book (which she had earlier seen him writing and was glad to find contained descriptions of war, but no patriotism). The restaurant had been bombed, so they dine in the tent by candle light. Richthofen tells her that the high command wants to keep him earthbound and put him in charge of the “Luftwaffe.” She is gladdened by the news and afterwards they dance in the night (to the film score) amidst gently falling snow flakes.
Afterwards Richthofen walks alone past soldiers standing guard by Gotha bombers. He sees Voss (who is supposed to have died about two months earlier) near his Fokker triplane F.103/17 (adorned with the usual red hearts). Voss is tinkering with a captured Bentley, which he plans to put in his triplane. They discuss the OHL’s offer. Richthofen asks Voss if he would accept such an offer and give up flying. Voss replies “never,” but suggests that Manfred should do so. The latter replies that he’ll give up flying when Voss does.

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Manfred and Lothar then visit Anthony Fokker at his factory in Schwerin on an unspecified date. The Dutch aircraft manufacturer mentions a British report of one of his triplanes coming down on their side of the lines with a Bentley engine. Suspecting this meant the end of his friend Voss, Richthofen insists on seeing the report. Directly thereafter he is seen with the report in hand and a tear trickling down his cheek.
The next scene takes place at the Richthofen house in Schwerin. With all the recent losses the mood is a bit morose. Manfred’s cousin Wolfram is however there, announcing that he is to join his unit in three weeks. He is looking forward to fighting alongside them in the coming “Operation Michael.” Wolfram asks whether this offensive will finally bring the war to a successful conclusion. Manfred is silent, but Lothar says without particular conviction that they will succeed.
Manfred is next seen in a visit with Hindenburg and Hoeppner at the front. More photos are taken for propaganda purposes. Manfred expresses his doubts about the supremacy of German ideals and his admiration of the countries they are fighting against. Hindenburg angrily demands that he be put back in an aircraft.
Back at Avesnes-le-Sec (March 1918) one sees a row of Nissen huts on one side and a row of canvas tents on the other. In front are a pair of Fokker DrIs. One has two pairs of black and white bands. The other is Udet’s black and white striped triplane with its red “LO!” on the fuselage. Richthofen is with some of his pilots (including Ernst Udet) in a Nissen hut reviewing a map and discussing “Operation Michael.” On the wall are souvenirs of downed aircraft: a stork insignia, a white “Z” (as seen on Elliot White Springs’ SE5a), a rudder with the number 3584, A638, and “WONGA BONGA” from a Sopwith Camel of the RNAS War School at Manston which downed a Gotha bomber.
After the scene in the Nissen hut we see the Western Front cloaked in darkness. A white signal flare illuminates the battlefield. Large numbers of balloons are hanging at a very low height and one of them for some reason is fixed in the beams of a pair of searchlights. Lothar is seen dozing in the mess. He is awakened by one of the non-coms taking down a portrait of Manfred. The NCO explains that the Rittmeister has ordered that all pictures of him be taken down.
German soldiers are then seen ascending from deep concrete bunkers and marching into the dawn, accompanied by a persistent melancholy cello and strings. A single sentry in his greatcoat is dramatically silhouetted against the cloudy morning sky. Everywhere German infantrymen and artillerists are busily preparing for the coming storm. One infantryman eating breakfast next to a surprised-looking corpse still insists on wearing a Pickelhaube.
Then fog appears with historical accuracy and sweeps across the airfield. We get to see more pretty mock-ups. There is Josef Jacobs’ black triplane with the wind god motif. Then there is an Albatros DIII with the black and white horizontal stripe of Jasta 14 running the length of the fuselage. In addition, it is emblazoned with a swan emblem familiar from a photo of a French Breguet. An Albatros DV is painted with a dramatic red fire-breathing dragon with outspread wings. Below it is the inscription “HERMANN.” The vertical stabilizer is red and the rudder yellow. Behind that is a white-nosed Fokker triplane with streaked camouflage. Zigzagging along the side is the lightning bolt/arrow marking of Hans Körner (Jasta 19). Here we see the very nice shot of the propeller being thrown on Udet’s triplane. The engine comes to life with the rotating cylinders turning into a blur. To me this appears to be a genuine replica aircraft.

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There is a brief shot of the artillery barrage at the front and then the swarm of colorful triplanes and Albatros fighters of the Circus are seen speeding above the blanket of clouds. Then they break into the clear with the panorama of the battlefield spread before them, above which hangs a vast array of observation balloons. A number of triplanes roar past their own balloon lines and then head for the British gas bags. One of the tripes has “MÜLLER” painted across the top wing. Udet’s and Müller’s triplanes fasten upon a British SPAD with blue aft fuselage. One of them (I believe Udet) sets the rocking SPAD ablaze. A yellow-fuselaged tripe attacking a balloon is hit by anti-aircraft fire and goes down trailing smoke.
Richthofen is forced to bank away as a smoking, rolling SPAD shoots past him. Its cowling is striped red and yellow, the vertical stabilizer has a black and white checkerboard pattern, and it appears to have “GARROS” painted on the side of the fuselage. It collides with the left wings of an Albatros with a yellow nose and a black and white striped fuselage, which likewise tumbles earthwards.
Next an Albatros DV in the colors of Kurt Monington of Jasta 15 (irregular green and gray camouflage and skull and crossbones on a white band) with the additional Fraktur inscription “Tod von oben!” (“Death from above!”) hoves into view. It blazes away at one of the British balloons, apparently without result. As the German pilot circles around he fires a signal flare at it which has the desired effect. The balloon collapses as smoke and flames erupt from the gray envelope. There are further scenes of the ground battle below. The Richthofen brothers fly side-by-side (Lothar in a yellow triplane with the imperial eagle) and the scene ends with the two exchanging determined glances.
Next we see a hospital filled with screaming wounded soldiers. A weary and blood-covered Käte plops onto a stool and glances at a table where she sees a copy of “The Times,” which announces in English “German Air Force Gloriously Triumphs Over St. Quentin—Richthofen Downs Three!” Judging by the tone of this enthusiastic announcement, it appears to me that this was probably supposed to have been a German newspaper and that the English version of this shot was somehow slipped into the German version by mistake. A nearby soldier tells the nurse how Richthofen’s Circus swept the British from the sky and that he waved at them.
Meanwhile, back at Cappy Richthofen tells his men that the high command thanks them for their efforts and adds his own words of appreciation. A little later as the men lounge about, Richthofen sees Udet sleeping in a hammock and dumps him out in a playful way. There is a bit of horseplay accompanied by laughter all around. A scene clearly based on a passage from Wenzl’s book. We see a couple of new aircraft: a Fokker triplane with a yellow fuselage and a white stylized “N” such as that seen on Claus von Waldow’s Jasta 15 triplane and an Albatros DIII with a white man-in-the-moon on a burgundy fuselage band.
Käte then shows up and the two go for a horseback ride through the woods. She angrily confronts the Baron on his decision to keep flying. Richthofen replies that he has always been known for having an eagle eye and says he thought he would be able to see everything from above. And yet, he confesses, he was blind till he met Käte. She opened his eyes. Richthofen tells her, “You showed me what I didn’t want to see.” He continues, stating that they’ve turned the world into a slaughterhouse and he has contributed much too much to this. He regrets how his image has been misused. And now, he feels, he cannot leave the others in the lurch. He concludes with the words: “You are my greatest victory.”
It is April 21, 1918 at Cappy. Richthofen is wakened with the report of a British formation approaching the front. He has a brief talk with his pilots and tells Wolfram not to get involved in combat. Meanwhile, Käte emerges from Richthofen’s tent in a robe. Do I need to say it? The Baron had scored one last time.
Meanwhile the pilots are all swiftly assembling. One of them with a Pour le mérite at his throat had apparently been in too much of a hurry. Instead of his pilot’s badge he had accidentally put on an observer’s badge.
There is a melancholy score as Richthofen climbs into his cockpit. He exchanges a sad smile with Käte.
Fade to black.
The final scene, two weeks later, shows a car pulling up near Bertangles (town not mentioned) cemetery. The driver is Roy Brown. His passenger is Käte Otersdorf. Käte stands by Richthofen’s grave and explains that she had wanted to come sooner, but it was not easy to do so in Allied territory. She adds that “a friend of ours helped.” She tells him she loves him and then glances at a ribbon with the words: “To our friend and enemy Manfred von Richthofen.” The camera pans towards the sky through the golden leaves of surrounding trees.
Fade to white.

[JG1Hautzmayer]

Wow, what a spolier. I thought you were going to review the film...

Paul

[FliegerJG1]

It is doubtful that I will be able to see the movie DVD so I greatly appreciate this thorough summary! I enjoyed this written version as I imagined my own video. This treatment of MvR has a Hollywood feel to it and does not reflect the actual person, in my opinion, but the story in entertaining.

FliegerJG1

[Epee]

Thanks so much for your effort in relaying the movie to us. I would very much like to have a copy but at the current price I imagine I'll wait a while longer and hope that an English version shows up.