Original subtitles

LONDON, 1941

This woman is a spy.

Her name is Elga Kriel.

She works for the branch of the German secret service operating in England.

Her superiors summoned her to entrust her with a mission of extreme importance.

She is to smuggle this object into occupied France.

A harmless-looking tube of lipstick,

that conceals a microfilm

containing the photographs of the secret English coastal defence plans.

Here you go.

- Whom am I to give it to? - Lieutenant Lindorf.

Ever met him?

No, never.

Doesn't matter. You aren't likely to mistake him for anyone else.

The meeting will take place in an isolated cabin in the Norman countryside.

- Why all these precautions? - Those are the orders.

Last time, we had to pay dearly for the lack of caution on our pan.

Do you remember?

That's true.

Now, listen carefully.

Our submarine will bring you here.

Here, 10 km away, is La Gilardiére.

To avoid being seen you'll get there by your own means.

In La Gilardiére, behind the church,

there's a road going along the river.

The cabin is at the end of the road, approximately 2 km away.

It's the only building there, so any mistake is ruled out.

When do I leave?

The meeting will take place the day after tomorrow, at nightfall.

Now the important part.

In exchange for your documents,

Lieutenant Lindorf will give you the new instructions

concerning our activities in England.

Helmut's been briefed. He'll be expecting you.

He'll see you to the embarkation site.

BE CAREFUL WE ARE BEING LISTENED TO

Everything clear?

Absolutely.

"Lindorf". L, i, n, d, o, r, f.

Got it? "Lieutenant Lindorf."

OK. I'll repeat.

An isolated cabin.

2 km from La Gilardiére.

La Gilardiére, Normandy.

The road behind the church.

Yes, the church.

It's the only...

Hello? Hello!

Hello, Howard? Can you hear me?

Hello? Answer me, old chap! What's going on?

Hello? Hello?

Somethings happened to Howard.

- But what now? - Don't worry, the hotel is surrounded.

Lieutenant?

Immediately arrest the whole gang, except for the woman.

Let her escape but don't lose sight of her.

Very well, Colonel.

And now let's hope that Elga Kriel will bring us to this Herr Helmut.

- Are you ready to leave, Miss? - Yes, Colonel.

As soon as we know their embarkation site,

we'll take the German woman out of circulation

- and you'll take her place. - Very well.

Needless to say, you'll give Lieutenant Lindorf the false documents.

- Well? - It's done.

The men were apprehended while attempting to escape.

One of them was shot. Howard is dead.

And the woman?

- She got away. - How do you mean, "got away"?

They didn't see her leave the hotel. She must've known about the roundup.

Circulate her description, alert all personnel.

She needs to be found at all costs.

And if she isn't?

Then we'll have missed our shut.

It would've been a great opportunity for us to dupe the German secret service.

I'm afraid you underestimate the gravity of the situation, Colonel.

It's not about duping the Germans.

That woman has the plans of all our coastal defences. Don't forget that.

I'm not.

Then how do you plan to retrieve these documents?

By doubling our chances.

Lieutenant, send the following urgent message

to the "Victory" network operating in France:

"Your orders are to do your damnedest to apprehend Lieutenant Lindorf,

of the German secret service.

Send one of our agents to take his place

with a mission to retrieve the plans of extreme importance."

You'll find here the information concerning Lindorf

and Elga Kriel's mission.

Also inform them that we, on our part,

will still try to intercept Elga Kriel

and have one of our agents take her place.

We're not likely to succeed in this, but with a bit of luck...

Here.

As for you, Miss, be ready to leave. Just in case.

I'll let you know at once if there is any news.

Very well, Colonel.

Sir.

Now all that remains for us is to wait.

I think we've provided for every possible development.

Aren't you concerned that these parallel operations will contradict each other?

Two precautions are better than one.

But don't harbour any illusions.

However this goes, we don't have much chance to have our agent at this meeting.

If I understand correctly, there are three possible courses of events.

Oh?

I said, there are three possible courses.

This cabin will be the meeting place of either two German agents,

or two English agents,

or one English and one German agent.

Exactly.

I say, wouldn't it be wiser to go to a bomb shelter?

DOUBLE AGENTS

Elga Kriel.

Lieutenant Lindorf.

Nice to meet you.

Terrible weather, don't you agree?

Did you have a nice trip?

Very nice, thank you.

- And you? - Oh, you know...

What a beautiful fire.

I could stand here and watch the flames for hours. And you?

By the way, how fare our friends in London?

Klaast and Miiller have been arrested.

Manfred is dead.

Yes, it always ends the same way.

We've chosen a strange occupation.

It's nice here, don't you agree?

That old clock...

It's strange, this feeling of security.

It's like being home.

Come to think of it, you're the only one who managed to escape.

- I was very lucky. - Ah, luck.

- Have you been here long? - Just a few hours.

Tomorrow morning I'm going back to London.

In any case, we surely won't be famished.

I see they thought of everything.

- What did actually happen to them? - What do you mean?

You know what I mean. Klaast and others.

There was nothing we could do. The hotel had been surrounded.

But you still managed to escape.

My congratulations. Great job.

I had been warned. I was careful.

Good for you. One can't be too careful. Excuse me.

The lack of prudence is what fails us, the others.

You are very beautiful. Yes, you are.

I would've been sorry not to have met you.

- Are you scared? - No, it's nothing.

It's the nerves, isn't it? I understand.

But don't worry. You're not risking anything here.

You're not in England any more. You're in France. It's our home now.

By the way, have you got the documents?

Of course.

Perhaps you should hand them over to me.

We have the whole night for it, don't we?

I'm starving.

Excuse me.

It completely slipped my mind. I'm a terrible host.

You can have whatever you like. There's a real grocery store here.

Do you like orange jam?

I love it.

By the way, I thought I'd never taste it again.

- Would you like to know why? - Of course.

Because this morning somebody tried to kill me.

What did you say?

I said that somebody had tried to off me.

Don't worry, they didn't succeed.

As you can see.

I don't understand.

But it's very simple.

I have a strange feeling you're wary of me.

- Not at all. Why... - Come now, it's obvious.

You're afraid of me.

- It's ridiculous. - Look at your hands.

It doesn't mean anything. It's because of the thunderstorm.

This charade has been going on long enough.

- What charade? - You know perfectly what I mean.

You're not...

So you were warned, eh? Tell me, who warned you?

- How did you know that I'm English? - English?

That's right, English.

Me too. Me too...

- What? - I'm English.

What the...

I thought you were Lindorf. That's why I took a shot at you.

I can't believe it. You're not Elga Kriel.

My name is Helen,

Helen Bird, of the intelligence service.

Well, I say!

But that means...

we've succeeded.

Yes.

Succeeded! Don't you understand?

- Did I hurl you? - Not, I'm all right.

I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me.

Just to think that I could have...

Weren't you warned?

I was, but when I saw you in that uniform,

and with all those questions,

I was frightened.

- You looked so sure of yourself. - I swear I wasn't.

Are you still hungry?

- And you? - As a wolf.

Sit down, I'll lay the table.

- Do you want me to help you? - No, let me do this.

What's going on?

Look what I've found.

Champagne.

Oh, those Germans.

They sure know how to hold a reception.

- Here, make yourself useful. - With pleasure.

Dinner's ready.

- Here. - No, no, help yourself.

Excuse me.

You aren't eating?

- No. - You should. It's excellent.

What's wrong?

It's nothing. It'll pass.

May I come in?

Allow me to introduce myself.

Philip Davis.

Are you free this evening?

I would very much like to invite you to dinner.

Do you accept?

Thank you.

Let me point out that I've arrived on time.

What a beautiful dress.

You are charming.

Your hand, please.

As you see, I've reserved the best table for us.

May I?

Champagne!

- Feeling better now? - Yes, thank you.

Please excuse that spell of mine.

- I don't know what came over me. - Don't think about it.

- Would you like some foie gras? - No, thank you.

Let me do it for you.

That's more like it.

Is it good?

The thunderstorm has calmed down.

It really has.

It'll be raining all night for sure.

You think so?

Are you cold?

No.

On the contrary, I feel very good now.

I too feel good.

Would you like some more champagne?

You're leaving tomorrow?

I must be in Boulogne at noon.

Has the ferryman been warned?

If all goes well, I'll depart during the night and be in London on Sunday.

What about you?

I'll keep you company, if you don't mind.

It's not safe to travel during the night because of the patrols.

And my uniform might come in handy.

- Yes, I see. - We'll settle in for the night very nicely.

I suggest you take the bed.

- And I'll sleep on the chest. - OK.

- Did you hear it? - Don't move.

What's going on?

I don't know.

Hans! Hans!

Poor bastards, I've spoilt their party.

That's all you can say?

You think I should have invited them?

Please stop joking.

- We can't stay here. - Why not?

- If there are others... - So what?

We'd make it clear to them that we want to be left alone.

Calm down.

Until proven otherwise, I'm still Lieutenant Lindorf

and you are Elga Kriel. Don't forget that.

- You're right, of course. - While we're on this topic...

- Yes? - I'll give you the papers we found on Lindorf's body.

Here. These are the instructions he was supposed to give to Elga Kriel.

Yes, I know about them.

Then there's no need to tell you about their importance.

You can rely on me. As soon as I'm in London, I'll do what's necessary.

Your turn now.

MY turn?

Don't you have any documents for me?

But they're not for you, they're for Lieutenant Lindorf.

We are the same person.

How do you mean, the same person?

You are either Lindorf, or Philip Davis.

I obviously can't be both at the same time.

Well, make up your mind.

Upon reflection,

I prefer to be Philip Davis.

In that case, these documents won't be of any use to you.

Neither would they have been of use to Lindorf.

They are false.

False?

Of course, I should have guessed it.

As you see, we thought of everything.

I see.

Good night.

Are you angry?

Nut at all.

Are you asleep?

No, I'm smoking.

Come to think of it, you are right.

It's nice here.

Yes. It's calm.

One can almost forget there's a war on.

Yes, almost.

What are you thinking about?

Lieutenant Lindorf.

Yes.

Poor Lindorf.

You killed him, didn't you?

Yes, I did.

Don't think about it.

Good night.

Good night.

Would you like a cup of tea?

No. Don't worry about me.

Go to sleep.

I'm not sleepy any more.

Sit at the table. I'll make some tea.

Do you hear it?

The rain.

Yes.

Look...

No, not yet.

It's nice here.

What time is it?

Hold on.

Half past four.

Already?

Yes, but I think my watch runs fast.

5 minutes fast at most.

You know, we still have...

How long?

Two hours, two hours and a half?

More or less, yes.

Just enough time to gel to know each other and say goodbye.

Come to think of it, I don't know anything about you.

Oh, no, I do.

You love orange jam.

It's not that important, of course.

Are you married?

I was.

What did you do before the war?

I was in the army.

I was an intelligence officer.

I served in India, Egypt, the Middle East.

White gloves and bagpipes. The whole era.

We've progressed since then. We've changed our methods.

However, there is nothing to be proud of.

- We fight like everyone else. - No, not like everyone else.

When we kill, it's a knife in the back.

Please don't think about it.

We have so little time left.

You're right. Let's not waste it.

It's been so long since I've felt happy.

Me too.

I...

I don't want to let you go.

You know it's impossible.

Then I would prefer never to have met you.

Why do you say this?

What happened to us is wonderful.

It's true.

You know, I can very well understand how you feel.

It's the same fur me.

Do you think...

What?

That it's enough to fall in love?

Yes.

So you love me?

I think I do.

And if I were German,

would you still love me?

Who knows? Maybe you are German.

Don't be silly.

I'm cold.

You didn't answer.

Would that change anything?

It wouldn't make any difference for me if you were German.

The only thing I wouldn't be able to forgive you

is if you made me believe that you loved me

when you didn't love me at all.

Look at me.

What a nightmare it is, this war.

Do you think we'll see each other again?

I'm sure we will.

When all this is over.

But where will we be?

Oh, dear god, I...

Why didn't I meet you before?

I would have liked to be an ordinary woman...

courted by men...

Offered flowers.

You would have taken me to little restaurants...

To theatres...

To the countryside.

We would have gone dancing.

Every Saturday night.

No.

Every night.

That's a German song.

- Don't you like it? - Where did you learn it?

At school.

In Berlin.

In Berlin?

I was born there.

My mother was German.

Was she really?

But my father was English.

They met in Germany during the last war.

My father was a prisoner of war.

After the armistice they married and stayed in Germany.

What did your father do?

He was a reporter at a news agency.

- Which agency? - Reuters.

Do your parents still live in Berlin?

My parents are...

- Did you hear it? - What?

- The noise from upstairs. - What are you talking about?

There was a noise. Listen.

Wait here. I'll go and have a look.

What are you looking for?

Cigarettes.

Well, what was it upstairs?

You didn't answer me.

Do your parents still live in Berlin?

They are dead.

They were killed in London.

- In London? - Yes.

During an air raid.

When did you leave Germany?

In 1933, when Hitler rose to power.

How did you start working for the secret service?

After my parents died I became an army interpreter.

One day I was summoned to the Intelligence Office.

They knew my dossier.

They offered me this job and I accepted. That's it.

Are you satisfied?

Is the interrogation over?

The interrogation? I don't understand.

Oh, come now. If you think I didn't get what you...

- That's absurd. What are you driving at? - It's me who should be asking this.

What do you really want to know?

I was just trying to get to know you a little closer.

But you are right.

It's of no use.

In any case, we will part.

No, be quiet. Please forgive me.

It was stupid of me.

I was frightened.

Frightened? By what, for god's sake?

I don't know. All of a sudden I felt that you became different,

that you didn't trust me.

You're crazy.

Oh, I know.

But I need you to trust me so much.

Come now, darling, why wouldn't I trust you?

Why?

There's no reason for me not to.

Are you hiding something from me?

Of course not.

Because, you know,

you can tell me everything now.

Now?

After all that's happened between us.

So that was it?

What was?

- Let go of me. - What's wrong?

- I said, let go of me. - Tell me what's going on with you?

Just to think that I believed you.

It's disgusting.

Too disgusting.

Look.

I know that you think I'm a bastard.

But let me tell you something.

I love you and the rest is of no importance whatsoever.

I love you, do you hear?

Even if you are Elga Kriel.

Yes, you guessed right.

I'm Elga Kriel. Happy now?

No, don't move!

Well, do you still love me?

Answer me.

Yes, I love you.

This word is never off your lips, is it?

You'll love anyone to save your skin.

But it's too late.

You see, one can't be careful enough.

- You Englishmen... - Are you sure I'm English?

Unfortunately for you, yes.

And if I were Lindorf?

This won't work.

Goodbye, Philip.

Be careful. I too could be lying.

Are you quite sure whom you are going to shoot?

Yes, I am.

You should see your face.

Admit that I got you.

Who knows?

Maybe it's me who got you.

Now tell me,

whom were you afraid to kill?

Davis or Lindorf?

- Here you go again. - Answer me!

Neither one nor the other.

I only wanted...

Whatever I say, you won't believe me.

Look.

What if we told each other about ourselves once and for all?

- Hasn't it done us enough harm already? - It has.

But I see no other solution.

We aren't going to part like this.

- It would be too silly. - Yes.

And too sad.

Well?

- If you think it might help. - I'm sure it will.

Sit down.

So it's agreed?

We hide nothing from each other.

We'll try to be honest even if it's difficult.

In any case, we've got nothing to lose.

Let's begin.

- Well, go on. - Why me?

You begin.

- You're afraid. - No, there's no reason for me to be afraid.

Very well.

My name is Helen Bird. I'm English.

I joined the intelligence service on December 10, 1940.

I'm sorry, but I don't believe you.

- I swear I'm telling you the truth. - Prove it.

But you know I can't because I have no evidence.

That doesn't interest me.

If you don't trust me, I'll never be able to convince you.

I don't trust you because you're not saying...

what you want to hear. Admit it.

- What should I admit? - You think I don't get it?

You'd be glad if I were German, wouldn't you?

You are completely mad! Why would I be glad about it?

How should I know? You want it to be true so bad I'll end up believing you are him.

- What are you saying? - You heard me. There's no proof that you aren't Lindorf.

- Lindorf? - You told me just now yourself, remember?

- You know I had no other choice. - I'm nut sure. I'm like you, I want proof.

- I've given you proof! - What proof?

Look,

we'll get nowhere if we go on like this.

I knew it would be useless.

But there has to be a way.

What way?

We've tried everything.

You're right.

We'll never have this sorted out.

- What are you doing? - I'm leaving.

What's wrong?

- I can't slay here any more. - Why?

As if you didn't know.

Listen,

I promise we won't talk about anything.

Please don't leave.

What are you afraid of?

And you?

That's how we spent this night.

When I think about what we were doing and what we could have been doing...

And whose fault is it?

Please don't start again.

And the worst part is that I love you.

Do you even know what it means, to love?

You dare ask me that?

You, who's been putting up a show for me all night.

- What did you say? - You heard me.

It can't be much fun to make love on order.

The documents.

What documents?

You know very well: The false ones.

The documents you were supposed to give to Lindorf.

- What about them? - Hand them over to me.

- What are you going to do with them? - That's my business.

But they are false.

You never know.

Go on, give them to me.

Then I'll let you go.

- You disgust me. - I know.

Well, the documents?

Never.

Where did you hide them?

Answer!

You don't want to tell me?

How about now?

Here. You can have your documents.

But the question remains:

Are they genuine or false?

You'd like to know this, wouldn't you?

Look,

there is a solution.

If you're not fooling me, come with me.

- Where? - We'll get in touch with my network.

Then we'll send a message to London to have you identified.

- No, I won't. - Why?

How can I be sure your network won't turn out to be a Kommandantur?

You really are smart.

I suggest something else.

Tonight I'll reach Boulogne.

Come with me. Tomorrow we'll be in London.

Or in prison in Berlin.

Here. I'll make it easier for you.

Very well...

I'm Elga Kriel.

Is that what you wanted?

What are you waiting for?

- What are you doing? Are you mad? - I'm doing this for you.

- For me? - Yes, for you.

For us.

It's the only way to get us out of this.

Now there's nothing standing between us.

- You had no right. - Why?

We haven't done anything to reproach ourselves for.

Nobody will benefit from this information.

Everyone will think we didn't make it to our rendezvous.

Everyone,

but us.

Yes.

We've succeeded.

I love you.

I want to ask you something.

Yes?

- You're going to make fun of me. - Of course not.

Well?

On the first Sunday after the war...

- Yes. - If you are free...

Well?

I'd like us to meet here. Would you?

I promise I'll be here.

Don't forget.

The first Sunday after the war.

I won't forget.

Now I have to be on my way.

May the Lord protect you.

See you on Sunday.

Elga!

Elga!

Elga, I swear I didn't want this.

Elga...

Elga...

I'm English.

I couldn't do otherwise.

Elga...

I see we arrive too late.

Lieutenant Lindorf,

my congratulations. You've done a great job.

Allow me to introduce myself.

Captain Volmer.

Our friends in London notified the Abwehr in Paris.

I was ordered to apprehend this woman.

She was an English spy posing as Elga Kriel.

- Actually... - Don't forget.

The first Sunday after the war.