Die Mörder sind unter uns

Plot synopsis:
In 1945 after the surrender of Germany to the Allied forces, Berlin lies in ruins. A man walks through the ruins and watches children playing in the rubble of the once great city. The man is Doctor Hans Mertens who is returning from the war only to find his home destroyed like the rest of the city.Meanwhile, a train arrives in the destroyed Berlin Central Station carrying a number of civilians. Among them is Susanne Wallner who also has returned to her home in Berlin after having spent the majority of the war in a concentration camp.Hans returns to his apartment, walking past the neighbors who complain about his habitual drunkenness.The lady enters a glasses repair shop owned by an elderly man, Herr Mondschein. The two apparently know one another and she relays her story about how she was taken into a concentration camp in 1942 and has not been home since. Its difficult to forget the past, she says, but she is determined to start anew. Herr Mondschein warns her than someone is living in her apartment.That someone is, in fact, Hans who has settled into Susannes old apartment, which is dirty with rubble and debris. She knocks on the door and explains to him that she is the former tenant, to which Hans replies that he is the current tenant and that her former contract no longer holds any value. Nevertheless, she moves back in to the apartment and offers to let Hans stay for a while as his roommate until he can find another place. She mentions to him that she hopes they get along.Meanwhile, Hans goes out to the cabaret and once again becomes very drunk. Still in an intoxicated state, he plays chess with one of the women in the cabaret and vents his frustration on the people there.Hans walks through the ruins and visits Herr Mondscheins store. He tells hans that he is waiting for his son, who has not yet returned from the war.Back in the apartment, Susanne is cleaning up the rubble. Hans returns and the two share a conversation about Hans old profession. He tells her that he was a doctor who also cannot stand the sight of blood. He tells her of her bitterness towards mankind, and believes that since the war, mankind has no longer been worth saving.Herr Mondschein visits Herr Timm, a man who claims to be a psychic and has the ability to see what others cannot. Herr Mondschein reads his last letter from his son after which Herr Timm relays a vision he claimed to have been experiencing. In the vision, Herr Timm sees a bridge connecting two continents. Herr Mondscheins sun is standing on one side waving back to his father. Herr Mondschein is overjoyed and once again regains his hope that his son will come back. Herr Mondschein gives Herr Timm 10 Marks for his services, to which Herr Timm declares how easy it was, to bring joy to people.In the apartment, Susanne encounters a letter addressed to a Frau Brückner. The bottom of the letter provides instructions from the sender, Hauptmann Brückner, to give to his wife in case of his death. She keeps the letter and later asks Hans about it, who comes home drunk once again. Hans becomes upset and tells her to stop her snooping around. He storms off, but quickly has a change of heart, and starts to realize that he may in fact be developing feelings for Susanne. On a walk through the ruins, Hans confesses that he does indeed love Susanne.Susanne delivers the letter to Frau Brückner who is surprised yet unconcerned. She calls to his husband, who turns out to be alive and well. Herr Brückner is also surprised to see the letter turn up and tells Susanne that he indeed knows Dr. Mertens quite well, as they had been comrades in the war.At a hospital, Hans suffers from war trauma and experiences flashbacks. He calls out about visions of women and children being murdered. He returns back to the apartment where he encounters Susanne. Hans is visibly shaken as Brückners name is mentioned. He asks her about Brückner and she tells him that he owns a successful factory that makes pots and pans from old army helmets.Hans goes to see Brückner, who is delighted to see him and invites him over to his house for dinner. At his house, Brückner tells the story to his family, of how Hans had stayed with him during the war, when they were attacked by the enemy, and gave him a pistol with which to kill himself rather than surrender. Brückner returns the gun to Hans, who after leaving, experiences yet another war flashback. Upset, he goes off to drink.Herr Mondschein and Susanne talk about his son once again. Herr Mondschein is starting to lose hope that his son will come back again. He feels that he is running out of time, but Susanne reassures him nonetheless. The two of them talk about Hans and his mental injuries suffered from the war. She confesses to Herr Mondschein that she loves Hans. Hans returns to the apartment drunk once again.Hans later visits Brückner, who had just glanced over a newspaper telling of the Nazi atrocities in Auschwitz and the millions of people who were gassed there. Brückner suggests going to find a bar where there are nice girls and Hans tells him that he indeed knows of such a place. His tone of voice, however, suggests that he has other intentions. Hans leads Brückner to a deserted area in the rubbles of Berlin. As Brückners back is turned, Hans reaches for the gun in his pocket to kill him. At the very last minute, a woman emerges from the ruins begging for help. Her child is choking to death and she needs a doctor. Brückner says that Hans is a Doctor and recommends him. After some hesitance, Hans agrees to go to the dying child, while Brückner continues on to a bar.The woman leads Hans to her daughter, who is dying of suffocation. Hans creates a makeshift operating table and looks around the ruined apartment for suitable equipment. He performs surgery on her throat, his first since the war. The operation is a success, and Hans manages to save the girl. The mother is overjoyed and thankful and Hans replies that he is glad to have saved her.Hans returns home to the apartment. It is the first time that he has done so without being drunk and he once again professes his love for Susanne.Meanwhile, Herr Mondschein passes away, never having the opportunity to see his son one last time.Some time passes by and Hans and Susanne celebrate Christmas together in their apartment. The windows are covered with old X-rays and Hans is now comfortable telling Susanne the stories about his background as a surgeon. Hans still has something on his mind, however, and he puts his gun into his pocket. He leaves Susanne and tells her that he has important business to do.At Brückners factory, employees are gathered around singing Christmas carols. Herr Brückner gives them a Christmas speech and talks of a peaceful Germany, while Hans watches in the background.The story shifts back to Christmas day during the war. Hans is an officer serving under Brückner, who orders the execution of a number of civilians in retaliation for an attack on German soldiers. Hans protests the execution and begs Brückner to reconsider his decision, as it is Christmas day. Brückner is far more concerned that there is no star on the Christmas tree than the innocent civilians who are about to be executed outside.The civilians are lined up against a wall and executed and the reasons for Hans hatred towards Brückner is revealed. Distraught, Hans drops the star in the snow. Brückners troops fall under enemy attack and he is injured. Hans gives the gun to Brückner and takes his letter to deliver to his wife.In the present, Susanne reads a journal entry by Hans, in which he has written, The murderers are among us.Hans finds Brückner alone in a dark room. Brückner is initially happy to see him, but Hans intentions become very clear. He demands justice for the murders of innocent men, women, and children. Brückner begins to panic as Hans reveals his intention to kill him. He defends himself by saying that they were casualties of war. Just as Hans is about to fire, Susanne appears and stops the execution. She tells him that they have no right to pass sentence on anyone, but they must seek out justice.Brückner is arrested and imprisoned, repeatedly professing his innocence.

Tags: revenge, cruelty, murder, romantic, flashback

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