Original subtitles

I'm no killjoy, Peter. I'm older.

That's right. You're probably too old to understand.

They always settle things for our kind later.

Always. You can count on that.

What do you mean? Tell us what it is you mean.

I already said. Wait and see.

Wait and see. Wait and see.

Smart-aleck remarks. That's all it is.

Production needs the tools by a deadline that's as good as impossible to meet.

But we manage it, and they pay us a bonus.

Naturally.

And Jochen has made it possible for us to actually manage it

without having to slave till we spit up a lung.

All he did was help us all.

I don't know. Franz is right.

They always settle things for our kind later.

That's just how it is.

Just let them try and do that.

Another round.

On my bill.

I'm going to dance.

Just let them try and do that.

- Hey, can that really happen? - Wait and see.

Maybe. - Maybe. We must have some rights.

- Rights? How old are you? - Twenty-eight.

Maybe it's still okay to think that at that age.

- Oh, Fritz. - I'll keep quiet, Maria.

Man, now I'm really starting to think I'm losing it.

- Do you think that'll happen? - No.

I mean -

Nothing will happen.

You, dance?

I don't dance with men.

In Greece, it makes no difference.

This isn't Greece.

This is a far cry from Greece.

I love you.

Morning.

Well!

Who's in there now? - Me.

-“Me.” Who is “me”? - Jochen.

- Sorry. - For what?

For standing in your way.

It doesn't matter. It's all right.

- Morning. - A lovely morning to you.

- A lovely morning to you. - That's just what you say.

And a lovely morning to you all.

Just look at you.

- Why's that? - Well, tie and all.

You said it.

Now that was mean.

Kéthe?

Kéthe! - What is it?

Kathe, come over here right now.

I'm making sandwiches. What is it now?

Kathe, now listen, I've been waiting ten minutes for the bathroom.

Your husband, who didn't wait at all, comes and slips in past me.

- Then talk to him about it. - You always stick by him.

- I don't have to do anything. - Oh, yes, you do.

Quiet!

Turn that thing down. - I can't hear you.

I said you should turn down the music.

- So that was it. - Yes, that was it.

Who's in there now? Grandma?

Let me back in, Grandma. I have cream all over my face.

No.

Yes, it's bad for my skin.

Now open the door, Grandma.

I'll kick the door down. Really!

Did you see that?

While I ran to turn down the music,

which your son has on loud enough to pop your eardrums,

your mother went in there and won't let me in.

Although my face is full of shaving cream. - Talk to her about it.

You always stick by your mother. Fine, do as you please.

- All yours. - Thanks.

And, furthermore, I have to inform you that it's high time I moved out.

High time indeed.

Good morning.

Grandma.

Jochen.

Goal.

Goal.

Want to bet that she wins?

Goal.

Shall we play again?

No. That's enough.

Come on. - Too bad.

Bye. See you soon.

- Something wrong? - No.

Why?

You're acting strange.

You're not talking at all.

So?

Do I have to yak nonstop?

No, of course not.

Come on.

Tell me what's wrong with you.

- Was that little boy your son? - What little boy?

I mean that little boy who was there.

- Oh, you mean that little boy. - Yes, I mean him.

Was he your son?

- And if so? - What do you mean “And if so?”

And if he is my son?

I don't know. Then -

Yes, and then?

- I don't know. - Would you cast me aside?

“Cast you aside.” You sure have a way with words.

Would you?

No.

Okay, he's my brother.

- Really? - Really.

- Definitely? - Yes.

Why haven't you ever told me about him?

Because I love you.

I love you too, Marion.

But... that's no reason.

I have to take care of Manni - both now and later on.

I'm responsible for him.

And because I hoped that it would turn into something serious between us...

I was afraid you'd run off, you know, because of the responsibility.

- Won't your mother get better? - Maybe, maybe not.

Hey.

Yes?

Is it really bad?

- What? - The fact that I have a brother.

I can't say until I get to know him.

Who knows?

Manni.

This is Jochen.

I like him much better than the last guy.

Come and look at my castle.

Well?

Yes. Pretty nice.

It isn't quite finished. The moat is missing.

And quite a few other things too.

Do we want to sleep together tonight?

We have to do it at some point.

Thank God, right?

So, I think he's finally asleep.

It was about time.

Manni is a light sleeper.

I have to go to the toilet.

- Should I - I'll go - - No.

Stay there.

- I can't sleep, Marion. Come. - Come on.

- I want to stay with you. - No, maybe another time.

- Okay, good night. - Good night.

Right. Now he won't bother us anymore.

Come on.

I love you.

Mann“.!

- Bye. Maybe another time. - Be quiet!

- Watch out, you idiot. - What?

Boy, oh, boy. ls something up?

- Like what? - You're dozing off.

- Sorry. - Too much screwing?

- No. - Too little?

So she didn't let you?

She didn't let him!

- Assholes. - I get it.

The gent's in love.

Correction.

He didn't want to.

Because he loves her.

Nasty rumors. Very nasty.

- What is it? - Out with it.

Yeah, they want -

Everyone come here.

Let's go.

All right.

Colleagues - - Oh, boy.

Him saying “colleagues” makes me uneasy.

And there's good reason.

Come on, tell us what's up.

All right, I have to tell you anyway.

Well then, the performance bonus has been scrapped as of now.

But why? Why?

Jochen's upgrade made it possible to do the job on time

without any special effort.

That's it.

They can't scrap it. I was counting on it. They can't do that to us!

- Let go, and stop shouting. - I'll shout all I want.

They can't take away what was promised.

They can. You know that they can.

- I warned you, Rudiger. - Warned us? Bullshit.

That's bullshit! - Listen, would you? I -

It's your fault. You had to be a goddamn show-off.

Why meddle in things that don't concern you?

You son of a bitch! You son of a bitch!

I was counting on that money.

What an idiot.

Really, it's a great invention.

He helped the whole firm. He's sure to be a foreman soon.

Do you really love him, Marion?

I mean, strictly speaking, he's just a worker. Right?

So?

Are you better than him? If you're better, say so.

Better than him?

At least I don't get my hands dirty at work.

Are the millions who do get their hands dirty subhuman?

I didn't say a single disparaging word, Marion.

Of course they aren't subhuman. Of course not.

But they are a different kind of people. They live differently.

They get their hands dirty, right?

Boy, you're stupid.

Don't you do your work for other people? Do you do your work?

Me?

Of course I do my work. Whose work would I do otherwise?

- You can't be helped. - No, I can't be helped.

I'm simply far too normal for that.

- I wanted to - - Going to the game, Jurgen?

No. Who are they playing?

- VfL Bochum. - Sounds boring anyway.

- I get that you're mad - - Was it the engine, Franz?

No, it was just the carburetor. Nothing bad.

If it had been the engine, oh, boy.

- Thank God. You got lucky again. - You can say that again.

- What would a new engine cost? - I don't know. About 1,200.

Quite a lot.

There has to be a way to talk about a problem like this, right?

Marion isn't here yet.

Will you let me in?

I don't know. Okay, come in.

- Are you angry? - No.

- Why? - Because you look it.

- I've got troubles. - Something bad?

Well, yeah, pretty bad.

- Tell me. - Should I really?

Okay.

All right, in our factory,

seven guys always work in a team to make something.

What?

Parts that get fitted into machines so they can perform a task.

You understand? - Yes.

Good.

And so that we don't dawdle, work slowly, take breaks,

smoke cigarettes and so on,

someone works out how long we should need to make a certain pan.

Sometimes it's a week, sometimes three days, sometimes three months.

But for the last job, they gave us a very tight deadline.

But they said if we managed it, we'd get 1,400 marks extra.

But we still wouldn't have managed. - Is that bad?

Bad, well -

It's definitely not good, that's clear. Now listen carefully.

So that we could finish the job on schedule after all, well -

I put my head to work and I came up with an idea.

- An idea? - Yes, I changed something.

Suddenly the job went faster and easier.

- Great. Everyone must've been very happy. - Of course. At first they were.

But today, well -

Today the foreman came and said that,

because the job was done so quickly and so easily,

we no longer get a work bonus.

- The 1,400 marks? - That's right.

Precisely those 1,400 marks.

And I'm to blame.

That's pretty mean.

You invent something good and they take something away because of it.

There are some rights nowadays. You're not entirely unprotected.

Where are they then? Where do you see such rights or protection?

You have a works council.

Go on.

It's on your side, right?

To a degree.

As much as it can be.

So you go there and tell them how things are.

They promised you a specific bonus to do a specific job by a specific time.

You managed the job by that time and they just scrapped the bonus.

That's just -

You know what that is? It's simply immoral.

Go there and say that it's immoral.

“Immoral” is a pretty severe word, don't you think?

But the right one.

All right.

I go to the works council.

It reviews the case and concludes management is right.

It's pretty obvious. I mean -

If they do something like that, then they'll be right - legally and all.

What do I do then?

- Yeah, what do you do then? - Yes.

- What do I do then? - Then -

Then take the law into your own hands. - What?

Never heard of taking the law into your own hands?

Yes, but -

You'll have to go on strike.

If that doesn't work - - I won't make anyone strike for us.

That's out of the question.

Why don't you stick together?

What do you mean by that?

We do stick together when it really matters.

Everyone, not just a few little men.

No. Nothing doing.

Then those few little men will have to come up with something.

Just giving UP -

I think just giving up is the worst thing you can do.

- What's the deal? Did you get an answer? - Yes.

The works council says management's in the right, as it stands.

- No. - Yep.

- As it stands? What's that mean? - It means they have more leverage.

- The workers always get a raw deal. - Boy. Always the smart guy.

Shut up. If we argue, it only benefits them.

What wouldn't benefit them?

We have a chance if we stick together.

“Stick together.” Boy, you guys have bright ideas.

- Be quiet and listen. - All right then.

What do we want from management? That they pay our bonus.

Do you want us all to try praying?

I'll continue.

We want something from them, but they want something from us too.

And urgently at that. The devices.

You mean...

I mean...

we have the leverage when it comes to that.

Oh, man.

I think I get it.

Are you in?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes, there are a few things we can try.

If you're all for it, then I'm in too.

I do everything... with the majority.

“And You? - Me?

Since you're asking, I'm fine with it.

Okay.

The majority is for it, and I'm going to start.

Are you all totally crazy? You can't do that!

If nothing else can convince you, maybe that did.

You're all crazy.

Boss!

Boss. - Yes?

I turned it into scrap.

So, you turned it into scrap?

Yes. Yes, I turned it into scrap.

- That costs us pretty dearly. - Yes, scrap is pretty costly.

Yes, scrap is always quite costly.

You must have an excuse.

Yes, well,

as I bent over the machine and positioned the drill,

I heard a weird noise behind me.

I turned around, because you never know.

And when I turned back around, well, the tap drill turned into scrap.

- Thank you. - Wohlgemuth is very reliable.

- Very. - Never made scrap of anything.

- Never. - This is his first real mistake.

- Yes, my first. - Stop parroting him!

You shouted at me.

- Surely not. - Oh, God. Yes, I shouted at you.

I'm sorry. I'm quite tense.

- Quite. - You.

Yes?

You can go.

We don't have to get married. That's very outmoded nowadays anyway.

- Yes? - Very outmoded.

Today people have “free unions.”

Sounds so romantic, doesn't it? “Free union.”

- Very romantic indeed. - And we'd have my 365 marks pension.

Sounds romantic too, doesn't it? Come on, let's sit down there.

Miss? Miss.

- Yes. The usual? - Yes, please.

Right.

Firstly, we'll have to get an apartment, won't we?

Oh, that's extremely difficult. It's -

Not difficult for us, Gregor, my dear. Not for us.

You know, Jochen's girlfriend works in an office where they take classified ads.

- What of it? - What of it? Do you know what?

Sometimes you sure do pretend to be a lot stupider than you are, my dear.

- But so do you. So do you. - I do too.

That was far too loud. Now listen.

She can always let us know right away if a suitable ad is placed,

before it even goes in the paper.

Well? Do you see now? You get it?

Oh, yes. Of course.

- Right. - Cheers.

- And the coffee? - It's on its way.

First she says, “The usual?” then forgets half of it. Oh, well.

To you staying healthy.

To you going on living and knowing how.

Knock on wood.

- That's good. - Feels good, doesn't it?

Very well, then we have the apartment sorted.

What we're missing now...

is a mission.

Oh, dear! - Yes, it was the coffee.

But you mustn't drink so hastily. No one's taking your coffee.

Come now. - Yes, thank you.

- Should I put schnapps in to cool it? - No, it was the coffee.

Right, the mission. - Yes, the mission.

We do need a mission now, don't we?

A free union alone won't suffice. - Of course. Yes.

- Drink slowly. - Yes, you too.

I'll wait a bit.

Good? - Yes, it's better now. Some milk.

We're already a bit tipsy.

No, I don't like milk.

The second scrapped piece today.

It happens now and again, especially when you're tense.

- You said you were tense? - Yes.

Tense. A bit anxious, you know?

- What do you mean? - What?

What? What? What? Get back to work. We'll speak again.

What is it? Why are you still there?

You shouted.

Pardon me, but -

you shouldn't shout at people.

I shouldn't shout, but I can let people keep making scrap?

Shouting puts you in the wrong.

Who made the scrap here - you or me? That takes the cake.

Shouting in no way puts me in the wrong.

- Well, I don't shout. - You make scrap instead.

All right then. Would you please go back to work, Mr. Graf?

If that's your wish, with pleasure.

See you.

Hopefully not too soon. Sit down, Kretzschmer.

Yes?

This is no accident.

Two scrapped pieces in one day from the same team.

That's possible.

What can one do to counteract it?

You know the men.

Maybe it's psychological.

They feel something that's rightfully theirs has been taken away.

No one does good work when they feel they've been cheated.

You know that's blackmail.

Scheming, cleverly designed blackmail.

Things come out scrap. There's nothing you can do.

Yes, there is, Kretzschmer.

Yes, there is.

I'll make you responsible for it. That's right, you.

You'll make sure we don't get any more scrap, won't you?

Or you'll see just what I'm capable of.

Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Gross.

We shall see. Miss Muller, take a memo.

- The scrapped pieces were no accident. - Want to prove they weren't?

- You want to fight the bonus cut? - There was enough reason to fight already.

Yes, I'd say so.

They will make you accountable for it.

Possibly.

I've already considered that, but - - You mean me?

No need to be considerate of me.

Oh, well, maybe you're right.

They always put the blame on someone.

You're kind of stuck in the middle. - Yes, stuck in the middle.

Look, if we take you into consideration, then...

we'll never get our due. - Probably.

You know we like you.

You do know that we trust you? - Oh, yes.

The others are banking on that too.

They think, “They won't screw their foreman.”

It's possible they think that.

And if we have consideration for you, then we're the chumps.

And no one likes to be a chump. - No, you're right. Basically you're right.

But you can only be right at someone else's expense.

That's just how it is. - Yeah.

Hey!

Kretzschmer's dead! - Dead? Kretzschmer?

Call just came in. Heart attack, died instantly.

Bye.

- Man, oh, man. - Dead? The foreman?

You and your scrap. That was the final blow.

- Someone always has to pay. - He was probably already sick.

- It's easy to get sick. - You tell yourselves that.

Shut your mouth. Just shut your mouth.

Yesterday.

I had a long talk with him yesterday.

And?

He said we should keep it up.

He understood us.

- He had a good heart. - A sick heart, but a good heart.

Maybe all good hearts are sick.

Now we really have to.

We really have to now.

For our foreman.

So.

So this time it was you who turned something into scrap?

Yes.

This time, it was me.

And you're not sorry?

Oh, yes. I'm very sorry.

We have to make the whole piece over. - Precisely.

Yes.

Very time consuming. And who likes doing things twice?

This puts us at least a week behind. You know we have a deadline.

Yes, we know you have a deadline.

It is your deadline. - Yes.

And it was my improvement.

The managers are still happy with my improvement, aren't they?

Aren't they?

Yes, they are still happy with your improvement.

I'm pleased.

Truly.

- Listen here, I - - Yes?

I'm listening. - Yes, you're listening. I know.

Well, I can imagine that factory management

might rescind the cancellation of the performance bonus.

Oh, yeah?

How nice. - Yes. Yes, I can imagine that.

Lovely.

I'll pass that on to my workmates. They'll be very happy.

- Oh, yes, pass that on to them. - But we can expect that in writing.

Because this discussion - - Of course.

Of course you don't trust me.

Why should you? - Exactly.

Why should I?

There's many a slip twixt cup and lip.

True, there is many a slip twixt cup and lip.

We have a victory to celebrate.

And the loss of a friend to mourn.

How do we do that?

By getting hammered.

Then I'm right on it.

I'm headed the right way.

Why did our foreman die?

He was happily married.

Even the happiest marriage can't guarantee eternal life.

No.

No, that it can't.

His wife really is nice.

You're nice too.

She's nice too.

Right?

Yes.

She's nice too.

And, nonetheless, one fine day, I'll die.

But you'll be our foreman, Franz.

Leave it.

Don't tempt fate like that.

It's true. You'll be foreman.

You and no one else.

That's what we want.

Exactly. That's what we want.

And what we want, we want.

Now, of all times.

After the scrap business. - Scrap?

I keep hearing “scrap.”

That wasn't scrap.

It was war. - Precisely.

War is worse.

But we want you to be the foreman.

Are we nobodies?

Do you think we're nobodies?

No, Jochen. Everyone's somebody.

Most people just don't know it. - Exactly.

Most people just don't know it.

And I say that our foreman was already ill.

That man had too much agitation at the plant.

You are murderers. That's what I say.

Assassins.

Okay, we're assassins.

But you're an asshole.

That's right. I'm an asshole.

I'm no asshole. Take it back.

I take it back. Please forgive me.

He had a weak heart.

That was it.

You don't even have to have a weak heart... with this kind of life.

Listen, Mitzi, you're such a nice fellow.

But when you make such a mess, it really gets on my nerves.

- I'm no good at organizing festivities? - That's right.

That you can't sense how lovely it is.

No. No, thanks, if you'Re going tO turn my place upside down.

Here, look. Should I show you how I did it?

I folded it three times

then cut it three times from the right and from the left.

And did the tassels from below. Then you open it up and look at it.

He has no sense of poetry.

I am very fond of poetry,

but not if I have to tidy it up the next morning.

But Kristina and I will come back tomorrow and clean it all up.

The time has nearly come.

For what, Mother?

For what?

What have I been talking about the whole time?

Time for me to get my own place.

Yes, I know. You're going to surprise us.

You bet I will.

I'll surprise you. - Quiet, Grandma. I want to watch.

Kéthe?

I already feel sorry for you.

Having to be alone with that man.

He's a good man.

Well, Kathe -

In any case, I never patronized you. Right?

I never did that.

That was very nice of you, Mother. Thanks.

I'm glad that you know to appreciate that.

Yeah.

At least you know to appreciate that.

A lovely evening, everyone.

A most... lovely evening.

You're drunk. Wolf, Jochen is drunk.

Well, so what?

Hello, my little one.

- Good evening, Dad, Mama. - Good evening.

Trouble in the air?

- No more than usual. - Grandma is moving out again.

Move out, Grandma.

Move out.

Go out on your own. It's the best thing for you.

You see? At least one person understands me.

Right there. Let him be an example to you.

Our foreman died.

Old man Kretzschmer.

Gone, just like that. - Old man Kretzschmer?

- Of what? - Just like that. His heart.

Just like that.

Yeah, yeah.

That awaits us all.

- Don't drink any more. - Just let him.

Let him get sloshed.

Get sloshed yourself.

It helps tremendously.

Believe me.

Wolf, please.

You see? That's what people die of -

of not being able to do what they want to do.

“'But I send you forth into my vineyards as laborers.

Go and do what I have instructed you to do.

You shall then receive your wages.”'

The Apostle Paul proclaimed,

in his First Epistle to Timothy,

that the laborer is worthy of his wage.

Considering that it is our duty

to perform our work in the station to which God has assigned us

in the best way possible,

the much-beloved deceased

was a shining example for us.

As dutiful and hardworking

and honest and conscientious as he was,

he managed to climb the ranks from simple laborer

to responsible foreman.

He was a delight to his superiors

and a splendid role model for his subordinates.

Therefore, we would now like to pray to the Lord.

“Lord, our God,

give him eternal peace

and let eternal light shine upon him.

Let him rest in your peace.”

Amen.

“May God's blessing fill your soul.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

May the Lord eternal bring joy to your heart and grant you peace.

You are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Through the Lord, you shall rise to eternal life.

Be marked with the sign of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Under this sign he has delivered you.” Amen.

An apartment?

Yes, I need an apartment urgently.

I'm leaving home. - Why are you doing that?

- I have a boyfriend. - What? You - You have a boyfriend?

Can you help me?

Okay. I'll tell you if I hear of something.

Thanks.

- Do you want something to drink? - No.

Beer?

No, thanks.

Your grandma's looking for a place and wants me to help her.

Is she really looking for one?

That's good.

It's the best thing for her. - She has a boyfriend.

- What does she have? A boyfriend? - That's what she said.

Yeah, I wouldn't put it past her.

She's great. - Yes, she is.

You're really terrific.

How?

Well...

in bed.

Have you had lots of women before me?

It's not bad. Not too many.

And you?

Two.

- I love you. - I love you more.

How much?

This much.

And I love you from

here to the North Pole.

JOCHEN AND MARION

EIGHT HOURS DON'T MAKE A DAY

A FAMILY SERIES FROM WDR

“Eight Hours Don't Make a Day” was shot in 1:1.37 format for WDR TV

between April and August 1972.

Digital restoration and color timing of the film

was made by scanning the preserved 16-mm original reversal film in 2k resolution

and digitizing the 16-mm original-mix audio tapes.