When I close my eyes and time stands still -
- I am a young girl again.
Even in front of the mirror.
But when I open them, time flies again. As the years roll by me -
- and I lose grip and fall through my life.
This huge gallery of people disappear.
They are all gradually forgotten -
- even those who were remembered.
Laust and I were still writing letters behind Peter's back.
And even today I feel guilt -
- that I may one day take to my grave.
All the lives that were wasted. And all the time.
For that year the politicians sent the country to war.
Which only made us all excited.
And like all young people in past and future generations -
- we thought we were immortal.
And smiled as we took death by the hand -
- and followed him into Hell to the sound of music.
When I went off to war, then I went off to war
my girl wanted to go, yes, my girl wanted to go.
You can not, my friend, I'll go away to war
and if I fall, I will probably come back home.
Yes, if there was no danger, then I would stay here with you
But all the Danish girls, they now rely on me.
And so I have become a brave soldier.
Hurrah, hurray, hurray!
My father and my mother, my father and my mother...
Damn!
Get an undertaker.
What... I just wondered, what will we say to the relatives?
- If there are any relatives? - What do we say?
Yes. Has he 'fallen in battle' or 'passed away peacefully'?
He is in uniform. He is armed and riding his horse on the way to battle.
- So he has 'fallen in battle'? - Find the undertaker.
- Who will be the new captain? - I don't know.
Was that a good start, or what?
Our captain dies of old age -
- and straight after, we march together into a backyard.
Let's drink to the dead captain. And to our new one.
Should we drink this?
Well!
- Drink. - Drink.
What about, Alfred?
- Cheers, Alfred. - Drink.
Well, then drink.
There aren't many of them. We will overpower them.
Prince Freidrich Karl.
How many battles have you actually been part of?
With the greatest respect Field marshal, you know very well.
And you should also know, I am thankful that this is my first as a general.
I remember Napoleon.
He was a general.
Definitely a beast as well, but a real general.
Devilish.
Unscrupulous. Clever.
Unfortunately, a Frenchman.
I learned all this as his opponent.
You see, my dear prince.
Experience is paramount.
But we are sticking to Moltke's plan?
Well, in all honesty...
..it's impossible to lead from behind a desk.
Moltke is in Berlin.
I will manage without him -
- to defeat the French monkey.
This is a Danish monkey, Field marshal.
Yes. That's what I said.
Why shouldn't we know as much as them? That's his point.
The people are a collective. It's the people who are the masses.
The proletariat must take their destiny into their own hands.
And overthrow those in power?
Why should one man decide for thousands?
Why should a few decide for millions?
Why are we at the mercy of their whims?
- What was his name again? - Marx. Karl Marx.
- And what does he get out of it? - Nothing. The man is an idealist.
The man is a thinker, Ludwig.
And you follow him, just like you follow these mad generals?
What are you doing, Heinz?
That's what I mean. Why are we here?
For the next three years, we will be forced to kill our Danish comrades.
The Danish are crazy.
I won't kill anyone.
Then I won't fight next to you.
I have nothing against my Danish comrades. They are victims like us.
You're talking nonsense, Heinz.
"Dearest Laust. I can't live with two faces.
I would rather just put an end to it all.
And break all ties with both of you.
Or be true to you and tell Peter everything.
But how?
Sometimes I wish we were all just characters in a novel -
- who disappeared when the book was closed -
- when it all gets too painful.
Why do we need to face reality?
What a shitty mess.
- She was in love. - She's crazy.
That's what I said. She was in love.
Mother...
I am pregnant.
Don't you have anything to say?
- She's pregnant. - Is it Didrich's?
What have you done, child ?
If it's Didrich's, then everything is ok. Look at me.
- Didrich? Do you think I'm mad? - Inge!
I'm having a child with someone I love. Laust.
- And what happens to young whores? - Good grief!
Maybe in your blinkered world, but it's a new time. Our time.
- Your time? - Love has its own way.
And what happens when Laust is killed in battle?
That day you'll be all alone in the pouring rain -
- with a child on your arm. Freezing and alone. Freezing.
Because you can't stay here. Here, the door will be closed.
And when you knock, you will be so weak that no one hears it.
Or maybe we'll hear someone out there scratching at the door -
- but refuse to believe that it's you, because we have no daughter.
She died long ago.
I have to go down there.
Sofia's father is leaving soon to go south. I'm going with them.
- Has everyone gone crazy? - I've decided.
That's what I'm doing.
I was young and stubborn. There was nothing else to do -
- than to prepare for the journey south.
Peter and Laust spent their days at Dannevirke.
It stood, like the consciousness of all Danes -
- as an impregnable fortress against the enemy to the south -
- but would prove to be dilapidated and totally unprepared for war.
And as with everything else, the fantasy of our strength -
- was greater than the real decay.
- Welcome to the dormitories. - Dormitories?
- Are we sleeping here? - Yes.
- But there is nothing here. - Precisely!
And nothing is always a challenge.
What we have here, it's the edge of the Danish foundation.
Dannevirke. Thyra's fortification. Dane's labour.
For centuries it has kept the bastards from south away from our country.
- Is that clear? - Yes, Sir. Lieutenant.
Shut up, you look like shit, but that will have to wait.
First we set up camp, then take care of you.
Your Captain. Attention!
- Dinesen, look at your men. - Yes, Sir. Captain.
Look at them!
They look like shit. You don't meet the enemy as vagrants.
You meet the enemy as men, looking respectable.
Clean, upright men, who command respect.
Haven't we met before?
Answer me.
The men will look respectable within an hour.
It's much easier, when we have no hot water.
- Dinesen! - Attention!
- Pissing on your boots? - We were told to clean them.
- So we are pissing on them, Major. - Prioritize the men's accommodation.
- You're right. This is insane. - Get the men accommodated.
- The Prussians are heading to Mysunde. - Are we going to fight?
No. The troops are resting in Mysunde.
We're not tired. The men are bored. We would like to start.
We can always use an extra company.
- Move them out before sunrise. - Yes, sir.
Where are the Danes?
They've left their post.
They fled like cowards.
Excellent. We must follow them -
- so we can chase them down and slaughter them.
We don't know their number or position. The mist makes it impossible.
- Where are we? - South of Mysunde.
That's the most likely position.
They're entrenched at Mysunde. But it's too hard to see.
The fog's like soup. But you can hear them.
We can't just attack blindly. It would be too risky.
Are you unsure? Are you saying that you're unsure?
What will you do, General?
The men await your orders. Thousands of them.
We can't set up camp in no man's land.
- And withdrawal is out of the question. - We can't see anything, General.
What do you suggest? That we just sit here -
- and pray to God for better weather.
Or should we march on like real soldiers?
We attack.
What did you say?
I'm sorry. I'm not so young anymore. My hearing...
We attack!
This is a great place.
We can see everything from here.
If we're attacked, we're the last wall before Mysunde.
Yes, Sir. Captain.
They say they have 10,000 out there, and we have under 2000?
Pity those that are outnumbered.
That's the vanguard.
Their scouts are out there. The exciting part comes a bit later.
And so it begins.
Down!
Holy shit!
Come, come, come.
Fucking hell.
They're falling like flies.
We stood firm.
Their gunners were aiming for our artillery. A lot of them fell.
But they were immediately replaced by more.
We stood firm.
We waited until the marsh was full of Prussians again.
Waiting for... we could almost see the whites of their eyes.
Waiting, waiting.
Waiting.
And then again: Fire!
And we showered them with shells.
And almost...
Almost... almost ripped their bodies apart.
And then suddenly, silence.
Then it stopped.
The German trumpets called them back.
So quiet.
Except...
Except what my son?
Screams.
The screams of the wounded. It...
Victory.
I said it. I told you.
Viggo?
Viggo Monrad? You make us proud to be Danish.
It was a fine tale, but I don't understand it.
Falling like flies? Why do all those young men rush towards death?
Well it's what they do, dear Andersen. We all have our fate.
The poet writes poetry. Soldiers battle soldiers.
They slaughtered us.
Did you see? They were just standing in front of us.
Yes... yes, I saw.
One moment they were people.
The next they were nothing.... minced.
Meat.
And it was your Danish comrades, Heinz.
Your friends.
Come.
I still don't understand what the war was about.
Wars can be both useful and inevitable.
This was neither.
No. Thousands of young Danish men sacrificed in vain.
Why did they listen to those nationalist idiots?
Everyone wanted it. They were excited. Danish unity flourished.
But really, it was a different time. People had manners then.
Your parents must have said so.
Not like the young people today, who think they are their own generals.
Back then, the youth were healthy. Full of gumption and chest hair.
Not like the cry babies, you see today. You just fronted up -
- and took a beating, if you deserved it.
But the war was much more noble than the crap you see nowadays.
Good grief! Men were fighting each other -
- looking each other in the eyes, until blood flowed.
It was an honourable war. Yes.
Not like today, where you just press a button -
- and send a robot to the enemy, ten kilometres away.
And when it's all over, go back to base and watch a movie.
And they're sent home if they get a small scratch.
For some psychotherapy and champagne. Young people today aren't at war.
They're a bunch of wimps on a Sunday school picnic.
- Fuck you, you old fool! - What?
What's happening? Hello?
- Young Miss? - Fuck off!
That was very inappropriate behaviour.
Inappropriate! Inappropriater behavior!
What the hell kind of language, are you talking, man?!
Speak proper fucking Danish!
I am sorry, if I in any way...
Oh, now I remember.
You had some family members.
A brother.
Oh no.
Oh, fuck!
Du Plat, how would you take Dannevirke?
Not without great loss. We have a strong defense system.
Yes, sir. Are we talking about the mythical Dannevirke or the real-Dannevirke?
Dannevirke is in principle, impregnable.
Yes, if I were the enemy, I would simply bypass the post.
Dannevirke is secured on the flanks by water.
Colonel Miller, how long have we had freezing temperatures?
One and a half months.
Prepare a retreat plan for the evacuation of Dannevirke.
Dannevirke is a symbol of Denmark's sovereignty and strength.
It will be perceived as a moral disaster.
We are not making decisions for the sake of the audience's applause.
To the south is the enemy, and numbers about 60,000 men.
The Danish army numbers about 30,000 men.
The east is frozen. As are the wetlands to the west.
The flanks are vulnerable. The enemy can surround the post -
- and Dannevirke will no longer be a fortress.
- We'll fight then. - I beg your pardon?
Yes. Whatever pressure -
- I mean enough that we should be prepared -
- to lose a third of the army if necessary.
Sorry, Mr. President of the Council of Ministers, Do you really think that...
- They believe that we must sacrifice...? - Precisely.
- 10,000 men? - Yes.
Yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes.
That would be a fatal reduction of the Army's combat power -
- and Denmark would be exposed.
Yes. Yes, yes. Well that's no good.
It was also... It was more of a... a euphemism.
A picture of the degree of sacrifice, we should be willing to make.
I have complete confidence that you know what is necessary.
Thank you. Well then, I recommend that we broach Dannevirke.
We make a strategic retreat to Dybbøl.
The enemy will expect the battle to be here. We will be gone.
It will give them a moral defeat, and we buy some time.
Then we can hopefully meet them with greater strength at Dybbøl.
Just my thoughts. Let's give them a moral defeat -
- and then a sound beating at Dybbøl.
Your Majesty! There is something I must talk to you about.
If I could have your attention a moment...
They know I have a son at the front.
He's a good boy. Viggo. Lieutenant.
My wife and I are very proud of him. And he is proud.
Ready to give his life for Denmark like any other young Danish man. Yes.
My wife is crying, but deep down, she understands.
I could have got him a desk job at home in Copenhagen.
No. Viggo is going, even though it may cost him...
Yes. It is his duty, and it is our duty to sacrifice our own children.
What are we talking about, Monrad?
You have a middle aged son.
If the king shows that he is ready to sacrifice his own son...
It would boost morale. The King gives his son.
It would be Danish.
No one will doubt your commitment.
Abraham, Isaac.
Do you understand?
Not that anyone wants anything bad to happen. Not so.
But it shows that you are willing to sacrifice him.
Do you understand?
- I'll have to think about it, Monrad. - Thank you, Your Majesty.
Evil, disgusting Prussian.
A great bunch of lads.
As you can see, he has a large, vicious, sharp bayonet -
- that he will rip you up with.
Unless of course, you don't let him. Come on.
- Come on, Peter. - Are you ready?
Start as if you've just fired a shot.
Come on, Peter.
Bang!
It should read well. Not too formal.
Just neat and tidy.
If you think what I say is clumsy, then just tidy it up.
Dearest sweetheart.
"Dearest ravishing Lisbet."
'Ravishing' is better.
I sleep badly without you.
"The nights are sleepless and empty without you."
When I can not squeeze myself into -
- your big, lovely, fat, white body.
"When I can not lie by your brave soft body."
It's simply crap to sleep alone.
"The nights are so painful alone."
A big kiss for you, everywhere.
And a smack on your rear from your hubby Erasmus.
"Many kisses and caresses -
- and a smack on your rear from your hubby Erasmus."
What about the smack... It's not too much, is it?
A smack is perfect.
I wish I could write, but I can only lift a corn sack.
- Without grain we would die. - Post!
Christensen? Nielsen?
- Thank you. - Christensen? Skagen?
- Jensen? Oerbaek? - That's me.
It's from Inge.
- Which Jensen was it? - Laust. Laust Jensen.
"Dearest beloved Laust, thanks for your wonderful letters.
I share every dream with you, but miss you in reality.
Not just your spirit, but your body.
Right here. Your flesh and mine.
Like the night, when you made me yours forever.
But what should we do with Peter?
We need to tell him.
But when?
He's so sensitive and fragile.
And I'm worried whether he can handle it."
Peter...
Shit!
Hi Peter.
What is it?
Is it mother?
Liar! You fucking, lying pig!
I hope you die a hideous death! You fucking traitor!
I'm sorry, Peter.
Hit me just. Hit me!
Hit me I said! Go on.
Again. Come on, Peter. Again!
Come on, again. Hit me!
No!
Peter, we are brothers.
Not any more.
Isn't that what they say? The smallest drama is always the greatest.
Dinesen... We've got some more people, so we'll form an extra division.
Promote '222' Johan Larsen to sergeant, and put Laust Jensen in his old position
We will create reconnaissance corps. You must go behind enemy liness.
Du Plat wants us to call them 'hunters'.
Take his brother with you. So they are separated.
The Yorckscher March.
I love it. The enemy will shake in their boots.
Piefke. Excellent!
- Field marshal? - Not now!
Yes. Now.
How dare you! Who are you, actually?
Field marshal Moltke.
There is only one Field marshal here.
That's true.
We have wasted too much time.
We should have attacked Dannevirke long ago.
Prince Karl Friedrich takes over command from today.
It is a great honour -
- to meet with you on the battlefield. Field marshal.
Berlin thanks you. You are hereby released from duty.
If you want to leave everything...
...in inexperienced hands...
...go right ahead.
But I am warning you.
I am warning you!
You can't defeat Napoleon -
- by running straight at him.
You have to exhaust him.
- Is that right? - Yes
I am the only one here -
- who has faced the French.
The Danes, Field marshal.
- What about them. - The Danes, not the French.
Does it really matter -
- where they come from?
An enemy is an enemy!
Who votes for a retreat?
- We'll get hell from Copenhagen. - Monrad will support our decision.
Monrad is an idiot.
You should be smart enough to to keep the truth to yourself.
Colonel Moller, you will give Copenhagen our decision.
Make sure that neither Monrad or Lundbye give counter-orders.
- Yes, sir. - Gentlemen... Leave us.
Now!
High Command has decided to save lives and equipment -
- on the basis that defense of Dannevirke is hopeless -
- Hopeless... and that Dybbol is a much safer position -
- for the Danish military. Done?
- Have you sent it? - Yes.
What ?!
So we must insist that this decision is unacceptable.
- The government wants... - I'm sorry.
- What is it now? - They have just...
What are you saying, little man?
Disconnected.
It's a damned situation.
We must arm ourselves with patience, before we go into battle.
Sorry.
The generals have made their decision.
We need volunteers to stay and destroy the guns, we can't take with us.
It could be certain death.
- As soon as the Prussians realize... - I'm in!
As soon as the Prussians realize that we have gone, they will do anything -
- to find and slaughter the remaining troops.
I volunteer.
No. No!
We'll be fine. Any more men?
Yes, Sir. Lieutenant!
Let's get started!
Peter... Peter! Peter!
Well, what do you see?
Danish pigs.
Heinz... I am afraid.
Before Mysunde, I thought it was just a tour.
I don't want to be here any more.
There is only one way, and that is forward.
- But I have a wife and children. - Keep your mouth shut!
Everyone here has family. Everyone!
I can't handle it. I thought I was stronger...
You have to see it to believe it.
I thought you were against the leaders that have forced us into this?
I have no idea, what this war is all about.
It's about the fact that they have to die, if you want to survive.
So pray to God and your gun, and pull yourself together!
Why would they want a ceasefire?
- Why should we recognize it? - And give them time?
We'll send a negotiator -
- to negotiate the terms.
So we can see their position. What do you think, Manteuffel?
You'll be all right, Peter.
Everyone knows you're crazy, Johan.
I wish they would just come.
Don't think that. You have obligations.
- To whom? - To all those who follow after you.
- Those who follow me? - Your kids. Their children.
Thank you, Messiah, but I have stopped believing in you.
Hi.
Have you got a drink?
What's up, little girl?
Have you run away from home?
Aren't you a little young to be in a place like this, all alone?
I prefer to be alone.
You look like someone with social problems.
I don't think I have very many social problems.
Just tell us if we can help you with something.
How about you jerk us off, out back?
You get 200 for it.
What if I'd rather suck it for a thousand?
500.
No, no, no. Come here. Come on.
Hey! Where the hell are you going?
What the fuck were you thinking?
You stupid little slut!
"Dear young mistress Claudia.
I'm sorry but I do not know your last name. I'm sorry -
- I insulted you late this afternoon.
It was not my intention.
I know how hard it is to bear the loss of one -
- who is close to your heart.
And my behavior was both stupid and clumsy.
I ask you to accept my apology -
- and hope that you can forgive me my... "
Riders! They're coming!