Tenderness of the Wolves (1973) - full transcript

Herr Haarmann?

Will I get some tomorrow?

What do you want?

Some of your meat.

No, not tomorrow.

There's not enough. Maybe bones.

"I am happy to give my death and my blood
for atonement into God's arms and justice"

THE TENDERNESS
OF THE WOLVES

Found near the canal.

Age, 18 to 20 years.

Severed from the body with a sharp scalpel.



No remaining meat.

It was determined that the scalp

had been severed neatly.

Okay, Okay.

And the preliminary results
of the investigation by the German police?

Preliminary?

Well,

they are skulls from
the Institute of Anatomy in G?tttingen.

And from grave desecrations.

No suspicion of murder?

No, there are no signs.

We have checked all missing person reports.

Okay, Okay.

You may go.



Bye.

What difference do a few bodies make?

Get up.

Get dressed.

He!

He needs to get dressed, as well.

What is that?

Nothing, Inspector.

Just old rubbish.

I see. Hurry up.

Take them away.

- I'm ready, Inspector.
- Let's go.

Is that all?

That's all, yes.

- Your record.
-17, right?

Or more?

Sexual offense, theft, fencing,

seduction of minors.

Mendicancy, vagrancy,

assault, fraud, forgery.

And now the relapse.

Jail and preventive detention.

Sit down.

We'll let you go.

Under one condition.

- You'll work for us.
- Do you understand?

You will spy for us.

With your connections...

You want me to snitch on my friends?

You are useless to us in jail.

Remember that.

Hey, Fritz.

Wait. Times are hard.

Even for cops.

Remember that.

And get an ID.

Police headquarters, please.

Yes, please. Inspector Braun.

Good evening. Your ID, please.

Here you go.

- Is that your daughter?
- Yes.

Thank you.

- Good evening, Inspector.
- Your ID.

Thank you.

PLATFORM 1-4

Police. Your ID.

Come with me.

I'm going to the harbor.
I want to go to sea.

Onto a big ship.

Do you have money?

I only had enough to get here.

I accommodate young people like you here,

that have run away from home.

At least at the beginning.

I was supposed
to bring you to the police station.

They would've locked you up.

But I don't want that for people like you.

This is a better place for you.

I will get you a job and a home-.

Because first of all, you need money.

If you want to go to sea.

Then we'll see.

It was really noisy again last night.

Yes.

I'm in a hurry. Excuse me.

Intolerable!

This constant noise.

With that vermin!

He's part of the Midnight Mission.

He's a good man.

He helps the unemployed.

He gives them food.

He's a good man.

Believe me.

I don't know.

It seems strange to me.

Mama!

Morning.

What do we have today?

Fresh meat from Butcher Karl.
Eight and a half pounds of pork, little angel.

How much?

One hundred.

Okay.

I'll take it.

Tomorrow I'll make meat jelly for us.

And a platter with cold cuts and ham.

And wine and cognac.

Maybe I can return the favour one day.

Yes.

- Do you want some, little angel?
- Yes, please.

Do you want some more, Dora?

- This is so yummy!
- Thank you.

Yes.

Yummy.

This is so good, right?

Yes, this is good for me. Yes, yes.

I think there's nothing like
a good meal. Wonderful.

May I sit next to you?

- Let's drink.
- Cheers.

I'm gonna gain weight today.

I won't be able to eat...

And Fritz will take...

Look at those two.

They'd make a nice couple, Fritz and Dora.

She goes out on the streets,

and he keeps the house.

Little Fritz is the ideal housewife.

He can mend, darn, cook,

iron and clean.

And he even has his own loo. A portable one.

Come on, Dora.

But...

He only wants to kiss his little boys.

Luise, please sing us the song.

- The new song? Yes.
- Yes.

Yes, yes, madame, ah, with pleasure

How nice of you

And the music plays

Yes, yes, madame, oh, you are too nice

Stop eating!

How nice of you

And the music plays

We are posh

I know a prisoner. At the station.

He pays well.

Sometimes 20 marks or more.

I have seen him frequently.

We drink cognac and smoke cigarettes.

It's merry.

He even helps you
when you get into trouble with the police.

He patrols the station every night.

I have saved you.

I keep you like a son.

What are you?

What are you without me?

A dirty little pimp, that's what you are.

You let those women keep you.

I've shared everything with you.

I have given you everything you wanted.

And this is how you thank me.

You mock me.

You mock me in front of your women.

Go.

Get out.

Go.

Now.

You rascal, you swine, you bastard.

You'll see how far you get without me.

Murderer.

I'm going.

Hans.

Come back in.

Come.

Silly August.

You love me.

What would you be without me?

Let's see if that's you.

- You look like...
- Come on.

- Come on. Calm down.
- Come on.

Born on July 2nd...

Come on.

Come on, calm down.

Can I talk to you?

Yes.

I know you.

I saw you at the Cafe' K?ppe.

I come from Karl Meier,

- you know.
- One moment.

This is enough.
You can't sit around here the whole time.

Chop-chop. And give me that bottle.

Come on outside.

I need money.

How much?

100 marks.

All right.

Because I like you.

Very much so.

Good day.

We are unemployed.

We have been for a long time.

My good old father will be happy.

I hope I have helped you a little bit.

There are still good people.

Excuse us.

You surely have a heart
for those who are in need.

In this time of confusion and rootlessness,

we call upon your altruism,

upon your benevolence,

upon your communal spirit.

We collect for very needy people,

for people who can't help themselves.

Old, shabby clothes, shoes, linen.

We ask, in the name of God, for things

that are no longer of any use to you.

Wait. I think I have something for you.

Bring me the boots,
the coat and the trousers.

They belonged to my son.

I won't need them any more.

We, my colleague and I,
we are with the Catholic charities,

shelter for the blissful home.

He's not coming back anyway.

"Truly, I say to you, what you have done
to my brother, you have done to me. "

John 7:24.

The Lord bless you, my daughter.

Thank you, Reverend, thank you.

Did anybody see us?

I don't think so.

New things!

Not good, business bad.

How many?

Ten.

Good man, why don't you come
to Tunis, Algiers, as a Foreign Legionnaire?

Beautiful country,
beautiful women and beautiful men.

Lots of love, day and night.

All day long, all night long.

Germany, kaput.

Nothing to eat. Nothing to drink.

It's very nice here for me.

Business wasn't good at all today.

Barter was bad.

We must think of something else.
A new scam, don't you think?

I want you to apologise
for the incident this morning.

I will not put up
with things like that any more.

This callow man.

I can't tolerate language like that
towards my employees.

Then tell them

how they should behave
towards decent people.

Stay out of my business.

You are getting on my nerves
with your constant squabbling.

You are a feisty, spiteful person.

Well, may I introduce?

Frau Lindner, my neighbour.

Herr Grans,
my long-time and loyal colleague.

That's good, isn't it?

I have something for you.

What is it?

Wait a second. Sit down.

So, do you want it or not?

I have to think about it.

Stolen, my son.

I have to confiscate it.

And now hurry up, son. Before I arrest you.

Fritz!

That was really something.

Yes?

For you. It was delivered downstairs.

Yes.

Thank you.

"I hope you will look at me favorably.
Yours sincerely, F.H."

Herr Haarmann!

Hey, Fritz!

Uncle Fritz, Uncle Fritz!

Fritz, Fritz, let's go
Fritz, Fritz, take me away

Fritz, Fritz, how much do you pay?

Does Fritz live here?

Go home.

That man...

He's no good.

Hey, you.

Who wants the hat? Come.

I took it from a naughty boy.

My man is always jealous
when I come to see you.

Herr Haarmann.

He beats me up and yells at me.

And I tell him,
"He's harmless. He has his boys.

"And he lives off the interests as a cop. "

Little Dora, I think you are
the best after all.

I'll marry you one day, yes?

Listen to you.

You are just making fun of me.

Unfortunately, I have to go.

To an important meeting.
To the police headquarters.

- Okay.
- See you soon.

See you soon.

...and we played pool.
He had the striped balls.

I was just winning when Fritz entered.

And when he saw Wittowski,
he became furious

and slammed the door shut.
At that point, the fun was over.

He'll be trampled tonight.

Let us pray.

Ave Maria, gratia plena,

Dominus tecum.

Benedicta ma muheflbus,

benedictus (ruckus vemfls tui, Jesus.

Sancta Mafia, era pro nobis,

nunc get in hora mortis nostrae. Amen!

Hans, Hans.

I wake up, and he lies blue
and cold and stiff.

What am I supposed to do? Help me.

Hans, you are my only one.

I am at your mercy.

I am completely yours now.

When do you want me to come back?

- Who is it?
- It's me, Dora.

What's wrong with him?

He is tired.

He wants to sleep.

Go.

Something for Theodore. It's his size.

A present.

Thank you very much!
I scratch your back, and you scratch mine.

Where is the guy from Berlin?

He left. For Hamburg.

But those are his clothes.

Where is he?

He wanted a different outfit.

I exchanged it and had to pay extra.

Be quiet, Dora.

Didn't you hear? He is gone.

Do you think it smells badly here?

I have some boots to be altered.

My, oh, my! It's busy over there.

All these young people.

Do you run a placement service?

A friend of mine just walked by.

There was a valet.

I'm just coming from the country fair.

This guy starts talking to me.

He says, "Were you at the country fair?"

I'm thinking he is a school teacher.

He says, "Why don't you come to my place?"

He stops at the Kranz distillery

and says, "This is where I live. "

I go upstairs with him.

He makes coffee.

All of a sudden, he kisses me. I'm shy.

It's past midnight.

He says, "It's so late.

"Why don't you sleep here?"

So I did.

Suddenly I got frightened.

I peed all over his bed.

I'm going to dance.

Can I borrow 20 marks?

Go away! Go away!

Hey. Come here.

Thank you.

There's something strange going on,
Herr Klobis.

All those young folks.

I think he asks them in.

But they don't come back out.

Do you know what I think?

He sells the boys to Africa.

To the Foreign Legion.

Tall, Holler.

Arnswaldtstra?e 32.

Dark blond.

Sturdy.

16 years.

Leather suitcase, winter coat.

Pattern, salt and pepper.

Okay.

I can't promise anything.
It's not our department.

This is what you use my money for.

You leech.

For your whores and for this one.

You'll all kick the bucket.

Continue playing, darling. Come on.

That's quite good, isn't it?

You understand

that I can't alarm the whole department

because a little boy has run away.

- What if a crime...
- Well, let's not fear the worst.

Considering his longing
for faraway countries,

he might be on a ship to America.

- If you think...
- You'll see, he'll be back soon.

There are so many rumors
about traps for people in the old town,

children disappearing in cellars,

little boys being dumped into the river.

There is talk of a werewolf.

You are always after me.

You have offered your love
hundreds of times.

But I didn't want you. You're bad for me.

And now you want to tear us apart.

You want to alienate him from me.

But I will make you disappear.

I only love women.

- Thank you and all the best.
- It's all right.

Do me a favour.
There is a young man outside,

without a job.

Through no fault of his own,
in a dire situation.

Be nice and buy the bicycle from him.

Fritz is a cop.

He often goes to the bar
by the Goethe Bridge.

That's where we got to know him quite well.
Wilhelm hangs out with him.

Yesterday I met Fritz
and asked him about Wilhelm. He said,

"Yes, him. I arrested him
and took him to the police headquarters. "

Has Wilhelm done something wrong?

His father asked for him at the
headquarters, but he's not there.

I don't understand.

Wilhelm is a cute boy and clever.

His father wants to report him missing.

Do you know what? I will take care of it.

I have a meeting tomorrow.

I'm well known with the police.

I will check with them.

I know him.

Open up, Haarmann!

Do you have a warrant?

Don't make a fuss.

Do you know Article 106?

Come back tomorrow morning at 6:00.

I have

found an apron with blood stains.

Hidden under a hatch.

I have seen him

throw bags into the Ruhr at night.

He often leaves the house with big packages.

But he never goes in with any.

I hear him work at night
upstairs in his room.

He pounds and chops.

For hours.

We know he is a blacketeer.

He deals with meat.

We also know about other things.

You are jumping to conclusions,
Frau Lindner.

However...

We will look into the matter.

I have arrested another one.

The others

want to hide the stuff at my place.

Okay. I'll bring him in.

A carton.

And a few packets.

Where can we put the stuff?

Back there in the trunk.

anything else?

Chocolate and...

All right, friends, closing time.

- Cops!
- Show me your hands!

Calm down.

Don't make a fuss!

- Let's go!
- Don't cause any trouble.

- Hey...
- Come on!

Come on!

What are you waiting for? Come on!

Good job, Haarmann.

You're reliable and a valuable aide.

But there's something else.

This was found at your place.

He was at my place.

For one night.

I had him arrested the next morning.

This...

He left at my place.

This one. I see.

In our military district and beyond,

bad rumors are going around
amongst the population.

Faith in the German police force

is shaken, gentlemen.

High up in the military government,
there are rumors

that the German police works hand in hand

with dark elements

from the Nazi period.

It's about time that you show results.

Every day there are finds.

Bodily remains of at least 22 people,

between 13 and 20 years of age.

Time is of the essence.

You are being watched.

Thank you, gentlemen.

There's something else, Major.

Yes, what else, Braun?

I have a big lead, Major.

He seems to be a single perpetrator.

An expert
with precise anatomical knowledge.

We'll know more soon.

All right, Braun.

I have an idea.

We'll spring the trap.

I know of a good job for you in the country.

No board to pay.

You can save up money.

And one day,

you'll go to America

to see your mother.

Look.

- Isn't it great? Look.
- No.

No.

Come back to me.

I need you.

You know I'm obsessed with you.

You need to support me when I'm old.

- Or this one?
- No.

- It's great! Look.
- No watch.

Me no watch, no- No.

It was getting a bit too risky with him.

- What do you say?
- No.

Can you tell me

what time it is?

All these years Grans has betrayed me
and stolen from me.

But I can't stay away from him.

I have no one else in the world.

I could have saved up a little fortune

if Grans hadn't taken everything.

His drinking and whoring,

he was milking me like a cow.

What I do to these young people...

Grans doesn't suspect anything
due to his loose living.

Grans has no clue at all.

He only knows
that I harmonize with the young.

- Where is Stefan?
- Here.

- I'm going.
- Where?

Are you Nice Abelin?

I know your father well.

I have taken your brother

to the country fair.

Tell your parents I said hello.

Come.

They're coming.

- Come on! I got him!
- Careful! Hold him!

Come on!

Come on.

Take him to the car.

Take my little life.

I am not afraid of death
through the axe of the hangman.

It is my salvation.

I am happy to give my death and my blood
for atonement into God's arms and justice.

It could've been 30,

but also 40. I don't know.

There are victims that you don't know about.

But they are not the
ones you're thinking of.

They were the most beautiful ones I had.

FRITZ HAARMANN
executed in the spring of 1925