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2 German World War II veterans, Von Baden (Peter Cushing) & Winterluck
(John Bailey) discuss memories of their youth as students in Heidelberg, when
they belonged to the White Corps, & spent their time with heavy drinking
& heavy fencing, & a scar was regarded as an honour. They also remember
Cassan (Anthony Higgins), top fencer of the White Corps, but otherwise a
detestable bully, who was madly in love with pretty barmaid Eva (Kirstie
Pooley), while she had an affair with Gunnar (Andrew Bicknell) top fencer of
the Red Corps.
To defend his honour, Cassan of course challenges Gunnar to a duel, but it
is not him who will fight, but the then inexperienced Von Baden (in the
flashback played by Matthew Francis). However, as Von Baden is no proper
opponent for him, Gunnar mocks Cassan more & more, until, on the day of the
duel, Cassan does indeed interfere before the fight can begin, grabbing Von
Baden's sword & facing Gunnar himself. But the duel has hardly started when
Cassan's sword breaks, the blade accidently scratching his own face.
This doesn't stop Cassan of course, who - once given a new sword - fights
Gunnar with increasing fury & violence - until he breaks down, dead,
poisoned as it turns out ... & though it is never proven, everybody is
convinced Gunnar fought Cassan with a poisoned sword, & thus he was scorned
for the rest of his days in Heidelberg.
But was it really Gunnar who poisoned his sword, the old Von Baden asks
Winterluck. Why would he poison his sword as he thought he would fight an
inexperienced newcomer ? He did not, of course, it was Von Baden himself, who,
out of fear poisoned his own sword to at least have a small chance to defeat
his superior opponent - but Von Baden was replaced by Cassan in the last
moment, & it was Von Baden's sword that broke & scratched Cassan's
face.
"Isn't it ironic," Von Beden muses as the camera pans
backrevealing him & Winterluck to be inmates of a prison, "that I, a
convicted war criminal, committed my first crime out of fear ?"
Of course, the story of this Tales of the Unexpected-episode is quite
thought-provoking - even though some clues are given away too soon -, the twist
ending is quite nice, & Peter Cushing's presence immediately gives the
proceedings gravity - but unfortunately the flashback-scenes just fail to work
properly, as the actor's uniformly fail to have any charisma which would be
needed to elevate the story of the scorned lover fighting for his girl above
soap opera level, leaving the audience rather indifferent about the story as a
whole.
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