Kurt Hoffmann′s satire concerning Germany′s development during the first half of the 20th century tells the story of two schoolmates - Hans and Bruno. They could not be more different. While Hans is ambitious and must always work hard for his career, it seems that the happy go lucky Bruno is carefree.

A story about slave hunting, colonialism, revenge and love.

Director Wolfgang Staudte who left East Germany in 1953 to make movies in West Germany, takes a few swipes at the West German judicial system in this fairly effective courtroom drama about the murder of a four-month-old baby. Police almost immediately arrest the mother Ingrid who is the mistress of the father, a rich business VIP married to another woman. His position and wealth keep him insulated from suspicion. A hot-shot lawyer has to overcome the unaccountably biased perceptions of the police, the judge, the prosecutor and almost everyone else in the judicial system. The defence lawyer, driven to an extreme, knows he has to find the real killer or his client will be convicted.

Old Dag and his two sons Tore and Dag Junior live on Björndal in the Nordic forests. The clan is constantly at odds with the noble landowner Lord von Gall, who lives on his sprawling estate with his daughter Elisabeth. During a dance, Tore snatches the distinguished young lady and sweeps her across the dance floor. Enraged by this audacity, she sets her admirer, Lieutenant Margas, on the temperamental young farmer. Tore loses his life in the fight, and catastrophe ensues.

The owner of a hotel at the river of a lake lives deeply embittered since his girlfriend disappeared in mysterious circumstances more than 20 years ago. But when one day he sees on television a young woman with a remarkable resemblance to her, he decides to hire her. Her presence increases his sick obsession to recover his lost love.

Hubert and Staller find the first body in the forest, the second practically falls into their laps. The trail leads to a retirement home, of all places. The old men finance their retirement by growing cannabis, and they have also been blackmailed, but that doesn't make them murderers. Or does it? Meanwhile, precinct manager Girwidz is hoping for a promotion: his old boss has announced his arrival. However, the police director is in Upper Bavaria for a completely different reason.