Die Halbstarken (1996)

In the 1950s, the gang of young toughs led by Freddy meets at an outdoor swimming pool in Cologne. There, Freddy happens to run into his younger brother Jan, whom he has not seen for a long time, and introduces him to the gang. Delighted to see him again, Freddy gives him his gold wristwatch. When a swimmer spots a radio that Kudde has stolen and asks for it back, a fight breaks out, and the group hurriedly leaves the pool. As they try to sell the radio at a pawnshop, gang member Wölfi happens to find the shop key, which the owner lost while closing up for the day. Wölfi gives the key to Freddy. Freddy sees this as a chance to get the engagement ring he promised his girlfriend, and he also needs a present for his parents. Jan had suggested a visit to make peace, and Freddy had agreed. So Freddy and his girlfriend Sissy break into the pawnshop and steal a ring and a pocket watch as a present for his father. The visit to his parents goes well at first, until Freddy gives his father the watch and his father recognizes it as his own—the very watch he had just sold at the pawnshop. Enraged, his father beats Freddy out of the house. The next day, at Garezzo’s espresso bar, the gang plans to rob the post office, where Freddy worked for four years. Freddy says the proceeds from the local department store arrive there every Monday. Jan unexpectedly turns up too. He tells Freddy that after Freddy was thrown out of their former family home the previous day, their father also kicked him out. He says that their father has made their mother’s life a living hell ever since returning from the war. The family has also run up a pile of debts because their father lost his job due to his war injury. A new job as a sales representative for cosmetics has gone badly, and they now owe 5,000 marks. Against Sissy’s wishes, Freddy offers Jan a place to stay for a few days, which his brother gratefully accepts. Jan soon realizes that Freddy’s job at a gas station cannot be enough to pay for his lifestyle, and accuses him of stealing. Freddy makes excuses, justifying his actions by saying that even his own brother comes to him for money. He has no intention of working hard all his life only to be fobbed off with a silver watch from his employer on his 60th birthday. Finally, he tells Jan about the planned robbery. Jan now has little choice but to take part. Freddy gets a loaded pistol from the shady Brillinger. It quickly becomes clear, however, that even Jan is a better shot than Freddy. Jan tries in vain to stop his brother from buying the gun. Meanwhile, gang member Klaus refuses to take part. He is afraid of losing his job as a waiter at the espresso bar. Freddy eventually forces him to join in by threatening him with the newly acquired pistol. Freddy, Mario, Willi, and Günther wait in a car for the post van to set off, then overtake it so they can alert the others waiting in a second vehicle at the crossroads. Klaus, however, has already fled. So Jan and Kudde set up the roadblock on their own, using roadwork signs they had obtained earlier. The approaching post van has to take a different route. Jan remains alone at the crossroads. The gang stages a bicycle accident to stop the van. When the drivers get out, a fight breaks out, during which one of the drivers rips the mask from Günther’s face. Freddy intervenes when Günther nearly beats the postal worker to death, furious and afraid that the police can now identify him. But, as Günther demands, Freddy cannot bring himself to shoot the man. Meanwhile, the others have transferred the contents of the post van, and the gang flees. The two postal workers are left seriously injured. Freddy picks up Jan and meets his boys and the girls at the agreed meeting place, an old boathouse. But the stolen box contains only money orders, no cash. When everyone blames Freddy for the failed plan, Sissy stands up for him. Freddy eventually suggests robbing Garezzo, the owner of the espresso bar, who had once bragged that he kept his cash at home. None of the young toughs except Sissy is willing to take part. Freddy and Sissy break into Garezzo’s apartment, where they encounter his father. Meanwhile, Jan is overcome with guilt and gets Kudde to drive him to Freddy. With the help of the sick father, Freddy has found the hidden safe containing money and jewelry. When the father seizes an opportunity to call the police, Jan enters the apartment just in time to stop Freddy from shooting him by knocking the gun out of his hand. Sissy picks up the gun from the floor and shoots the old man as he reports the break-in over the phone. Freddy is horrified and tries to take the gun from Sissy. When she refuses, they struggle, and another shot goes off, accidentally fatally wounding Sissy. In retrospect, Freddy says that on his 60th birthday he received a silver watch from his employer, the post office. He got that job after his release from prison through a referral from his probation officer.