- A Swedish diplomat travels to a civil war in a Latin American country. His mission is to mediate between the two extremist groups.
- Somewhere, in a desert straight road flanked by trees and shrubs, an official car escorted by three motorcyclists drives on. Meanwhile, in town, a handful of men in working clothes, under the vigilance of a helmeted policeman, are entering into the main building, carrying weapons and a portable stretcher.
On a wall by the road, a graffiti reads «death to the general». In the car, General Larrinaga (Miguel Franco) and his daughter Francisca (Rosette Graboi) do not show any sign of disturbance - possibly they are used to that. Answering his daughter, the General says, «Dogs that bark, don't bite.»
The car approaches the town, a set of small houses painted white, and the driver stops in front of the official building. Larrinaga leaves the car, walks inside, crosses an interior yard, and goes up a few steps. A man in a blue shirt (Kevork Malikyan) calls out, «General,» he looks back, and the man mows him down with machine-gun fire. Immediately, a police escort, Lieutenant Orbalo [Fernando Santos] draws his gun and shoots at the killer, who falls down, groaning in agony. Larrinaga is not moving, in a pool of blood.
A man in a beige suit watches the scene from a window, without showing a trace of emotion. The men in overalls and a handful of police officers take Larrinaga's body and the agonizing man away on stretchers. The killer manages to scream, «You promised...» The man on the window finally smiles.
Out of town, a senior policeman and an army captain are supervising the action of a firing squad that is putting an end to the killer's life, gagged and tied up, - fallen against a wall in a lonely ground. The man was tied up with ropes, even though he was so badly wounded that any escape attempt was unthinkable.
In Stockholm, the red brick low historical City Hall stands out from the snowy surroundings. Two men are walking in front of an official car in a deserted park - so that the driver would not over-listen them. Hammar (Palle Granditsky) is telling how the killing of Larrinaga by a leftist may endanger the economic interests of Sweden in that far country; the Minister of the Interior has agreed that it would be good to send in someone to mediate a truce between the guerrillas and the authorities. The Foreign Office minister, De Maré (Lauritz Falk), agrees to send Dalgren to continue the peace negotiations begun by General Larrinaga. He gives the last advice to Dalgren himself, in his limousine, taking the commercial attache through the highway to Stockholm Arlana airport: «Politics is a jungle where the stronger eat the weak. Unfortunately, industry depends on politics. It is important you keep a cool head, and do not compromise yourself with one side or the other...»
At the airport of his destination, Erik Dalgren is received by the Internal Affairs minister Zaforteza (David Swift) with more words of caution, and evokes that there may be even a risk for his physical safety. At the embassy, he presents him Ms. Rodriguez, who will be his secretary and knows the country well, then Zaforteza leaves in a haste. Left alone with the young woman and one of his three assigned bodyguards, Miguel Lopez ([Sten Johan Hedman]), this one tells him not to trust the local police and the military.
Dalgren (wearing a suit and tie) and Rodriguez (at her ease) travel by helicopter over a mountain and a river in a tight valley. Dalgren complains of the hot weather, and his secretary tells him that down there it's even more hot, as she had lived there years before. Only then does he ask what's her first name. It's Danica. Frankenheimer and Lieutenant Orbalo are waiting for them on a small field. Orbalo presents General Gami's excuses for not being there to welcome Dalgren.
He is driven to the small town by his third bodyguard Fernandez (Johan Clason), passing close to a slum area, and stop at the building where Larrinaga was murdered. Frankenheimer (Walter Gotell) escorts Dalgren to his accommodations, and shows him where exactly the general was killed.
Frankenheimer presents Miguel Lopez to Dalgren. Then he shows him the room that will be his office. There's still a Clerk (Sandor Elès) in there, who had been Larrinaga's deputy secretary but will leave the premises the next day. They pass to Dalgren's bedroom, and Frankenheimer tells of more security measures, and gives him a pistol, to be carried on him at all times. Frankenheimer beats Danica to attend the phone ringing in her office, and puts the receiver down without speaking. He tells Dalgren, «They say you should be shot.»
Alone with the Clerk, Dalgren asks what was the general doing before he was shot. The Clerk says that he was working on his Proclamation - a statement about the crisis. His papers were taken away after the murder. The Ckerk suspects there was a copy somewhere else.
They are interrupted by Danica: Captain Bahounek, the chief of Police, is calling Dalgren on the phone. He regrets not being present to greet him at the airport, and invites him to attend a party offered by Roberto Bidara, adding for Dalgren to attend with his secretary. It will be a good occasion to meet people. Dalgren complains of the death menace received, and the captain just says noncommittally, «Yes, I know.»
Dalgren goes to Danica's office, complains of the hot weather and is about to open the window when Frankenheimer pulls him back and puts the blinds down with caution. Then, a piece of rock shatters the glass and hit the blinds. Dalgren was astonished.
That evening, at the luxurious villa of the industrialist Bidara, Captain Bahounek informs Dalgren that the person who had menaced him on the phone had been arrested - ten minutes later. «It was a woman,» the Captain adds, as a way to change the subject to Dalgren's secretary who, he says, is a pretty woman. Dalgren prompts the Captain to tell him whom Bidara is. A chemist that found a way of producing drugs out of plants that the natives collected for him. «A lucrative business. C'est la vie.» (He says in French.) Dalgren asks bluntly, «Some say that he is a member of the Citizen's Committee, may be even it's leader. Why don't you arrest him? It's an illegal organization.» Bahounek: «You're a funny man. I'd have to arrest one hundred thousand people.»
A Bald-head Guest (Steve Jansson) arrives at the party with a beautiful lady with a pearl necklace, and comments loud enough to be heard, «Look, the man who is going to save our country,» looking pointedly at Dalgren. Dalgren is displeased, but Bidara (Fernando Rey) is calling him aside. (Bidara was the man in the window, when Larrinaga was shot.) Dalgren tells him that he knows he is not cherished by Bidara's organization. «I do not like one calling it my organization. I identified myself with the National Guard... If you lived here for 30 years, working hard to make a living, you'd understand why." He explains that strong actions must be taken to preserve peace: «In the last fourteen months, 400 people were killed. Teachers, technicians, farmers, they were all killed. Who ere the murderers? The so called Liberation Front - a barbarous mob incited by foreigners." Dalgren suggests may be they just want a fair part of their work. Bidara's won't listen, obsessed with their methods of exploding bridges and cutting telephone lines.
Dalgren says his good-bye to Erica, who seems to be flirting with a tall man with whom she had been dancing. He is driven back home by Miguel Lopez, and they are stopped by a Policeman at a Road Block (George Bisset). Dalgren shows his diplomatic passport. The Policeman is not worried by the explosions that occur during their short stop. «They're usual around here.»
Next morning, he inquires if Danica stayed much longer at the Party. She says the party ended at 2 o'clock, but she had not drank much. He makes a phone call to Francisca Larrinaga, offers his condolences over her father's death, and asks for a meeting.
Meanwhile, Behounek enters his office - bypassing Erica, who had orders not to disturb Dalgren while he was on the phone. The police captain overhears the end of his conversation, accepting a meeting at 4 p.m. Dalgren asks who declared the state of emergency, and why. «General Gami. The natives are not allowed in the center of town.» The captain says it is a good arrangement to protect both sides - the others can't go into the natives quarters, either... Their crisp conversation is interrupted by another menacing phone call to Dalgren.
As the phone lines are cut, Dalgren dictates a telegram for Erica to send: «To the Minister of Interior. Situation is satisfactory. Stop. Order Military Command to cancel state of emergency. Stop. Dalgren.» The captain leaves, and the animosity between the two men is palpable.
Dalgren visits the place where Erica was born. She tells him the houses are still the same, and there was a church, in which the priest robbed from the people. He conveniently forgot to light the candles the people offered, so he could resell them the next day. She takes him to her friend Sixto, a man in a doctor's gown, is consulting a handful of natives in a crowded room. The doctor gives Dalgren some terrific statistics on the sanitary situation.
On the way back, they have a meal at a roadside snack. She puts several questions to him: why Larrinaga's murderer did not shoot at the Lieutenant that was there at his side; how did the ambulance arrive, two minutes after the shooting; why was the assassin gagged; and why was he shot by the firing squad five minutes after the murder, on a written order signed by General Gami... Dalgren answers with a question: «How come you know so much?» Erica: «People tell me things.»
During the night, a building goes up in flames after a big explosion. It was a water pumping station, so now the water distribution is out of service. There are confrontations between the peasants and the police. Dalgren demands to see what is going on, and Bahounek accepts to take him there. Bahounek takes the diplomat in his car, alone, because «there is no place for the bodyguards». From a high viewpoint, they watch the gunfight going on the streets, using the captain's binoculars.
On his return, Dalgren makes sure he is taking the pistol under his jacket. Danika reads him a telegram: «Please concentrate on the essential getting cease fire between the Citizen's Guard and the Liberation Front. Police and Army will be informed separately. Recommend cooperation with Bahounek who is under your authority until new order. Zaforteza.»
New meeting with the Captain, who tells him that everything is under control. Dalgren wants to know how many people were killed, and then wanders why no one has been arrested for the 25 killings. Bahounek does not accept the remonstrance. «Do you think there is time to investigate who killed whom in the middle of a revolution?» Dalgren demands the arrest of Bidara, as the responsible for the citizens' militia. The two end up shouting at each other, both accusing the other of doing nothing.
Walking around the lake of Larrinaga's estate, Dalgren tells Francesca that he is there working for peace in the same spirit her father was, and she ends up by telling him she had found a copy of Larrinaga's Proclamation. She asks him what he would do with it. Dalgren says he would publish it. She tells him he will know her decision in a few days, and dismisses him.
Back in town, Dalgren sees there are trucks distributing fresh water door to door. Dalgren's invites Danica for dinner, but she refuses. He takes a pill before going to bed.
Next morning, Dalgren receives a deputation of peasants led by Ramon, who complain that the light had been cut during the night, and their wells had been poisoned. Dalgren says he can't do nothing about it, but there are already water trunks distributing water. Ramon counters that the people on the hill uses the tanker trucks to water the flowers and trees. Next, Dalgren complains to the Captain, who simply says he can't do not about it, because the water tanks belonged to private citizens. «You mean they belong to Bidara? Take them!» «You don't know what you say. Bidara will not like this.» As Dalgren insists, he goes away, demanding a written order. Dalgren says it will follow in a minute.
On a sudden change of mind, Bahounek invites him to get in his car, as he wants to show him something. He takes him to the Perez family home, where two bodies lay dead in pools of blood, massacred. Then he takes him to police headquarters, to show him three men in a dark cell. They are miners, who payed a visit to the Perez family early in the morning. Dalgren asks the man who seems to be their leader: «What do you think they will do to you?» Liberation Front Guerrilla (João Abel Aboim): «Kill me.» Escorting Dalgren out, Bahounek makes his point: «They're all our people. You see what we've to deal with here?»
Dalgren visits Bidara, alone. Bidara seems joyful for having lent the trucks for the water distribution - nevertheless, he advises the diplomat to make his luggage and leave. Dalgren simply informs the rich man that he is organizing a meeting between the Citizen's Council and the Liberation Front, and he expects him to ensure everybody's safety. Bidara replies: «That meeting is useless - but I'll take that proposal to them... to the executive committee. You'll have my news later.»
Alone with the Captain, Bidara tells him that Dalgren is dangerous, and he has already seen Francesca Larrinaga.
Dalgren has difficulty in falling asleep, with the pistol in his left hand. Something makes him open his eyes, and The Bald-head Man he had seen at Bidara's party is in front of him, aiming to shoot. He shoots first. Miguel Lopez enters running, puts the lights on, and asks what happened. Dalgren's had had a nightmare.
That night, the police is breaking in in some houses, and beating up the people, including women and children. As they run away into the street, they are summarily shot. Dalgren calls Bahounek to complain about the massacre of 40 people at Santa Rosa district.
In the afternoon, Francesca pays him a visit to hand him the copy of the Proclamation, and to inform him that she had been visited by two persons: Bidara, and Bahounek.
Dalgren reads himself Larrinaga's Proclamation in a live radio broadcast, in which, among other things, is the recognition that the Liberation Front is right about that every citizen has the right to an education, a right to work, the right to decent living conditions.» The proclamation arrives by high speakers at the slums as well as restaurants. Dalgren is interrupted by a Radio Technician (Stefan Böhm): the broadcast had been cut.
Next, he receives a phone call from Bidara: «I no longer have power to protect you.» Another phone call, from an unknown female voice: «Mr. Dalgren, we're going to kill you.»
Dalgren receives the visit of Bahounek. He says he placed two patrols outside for protection of Dalgren. «Your name is painted in red on the walls, Viva Dalgren...» he says. He wants Dalgren to resign, or ask for police protection. Dalgren wants only to get to the meeting between the two parties. Bahounek says he is living in a town where 20,000 people want to kill him. He calls the diplomat a fool, but makes a long list of precautions Dalgren has to keep day and night if he wants to be alive. The captain leaves. Shouts from the street: «You communist, we don't need you!» and «Go away, scum!»
Next day, the secretary informs Dalgren that the Liberation Front wants to meet with him. Since they can not come to his residence, Dalgren decides to meet with them at a hide-out, in the middle of the night. Only on their way to meet with Sixto, does Danica Rodriguez admit being closely linked with the Liberation Front. Dalgren demands from Sixto that all fighting must stop and the fanatics be restrained, before he meets the delegation from the Front. Sixto replies: «We have restrained 250,000 people in the province for a year and a half to prevent them being slaughtered by the police and the army.» Dalgren objects that the army has been gone 3 days ago. Sixto counters: «Three days ago, 42 people were killed, mostly unarmed, by the Police and the Citizens' Guard. Do you think it was the police who stopped the riot the other day? No, it was our people...
Back home, Dalgren is not feeling well. Erica tries to calm him. Before leaving, she asks him if he wants her to stay with him. (Fusion in black.)
Dalgren and Erica are talking on his bed, nude, by the light of the bedside table lamp. He says he did not know his reading of the proclamation would have such a strong impact, but at least now he knew why the general was killed. Erica tells him she knew it was not the Liberation Front that had killed Larrinaga. Sixto, her brother, had told her so. Erica: «Would you give your life for something in which you believed?» Dalgren: «No, I don't think so. Would you?» Erica: «Yes, sometimes it is to be expected.» But she wants to change the trend of the conversation, to speak about them together...
Next morning, the phone rings at Erica's desk. No one is on the line. Dalgren comments, «Someone who wanted to hear my voice. Call captain Bahounek, please.» Dalgren complains about the menacing phone calls, and Behounek, who is with Bidara in his office, shouts at him that there is nothing he can do about it. Erica has good news, the water has been linked again, and Dalgren takes the opportunity to get in the shower.
After getting dressed, he goes into Erica's bedroom - and gets face to face with a young man, pointing a gun at him. Both men shoot and miss. Miguel Lopez and Frankenheimer arrive, guns in hand, and Frankenheimer shoots the intruder.
Dalgren wakes up on a bed, with Bahounek asking him if he had shot the young man with a cannon. It was only a .45 caliber gun but the shot was on the throat. Erica is OK, she had been hit on the head with the pistol grip, and the attempted killer was Pedro Gami (Uncredited), 16, the son of General Gami. A Doctor (Brian Hawksley) administers him an injection, on Bahounek's orders.
Dalgren wakes up again, in a hospital room. The door is locked. Bahounek pays him a visit, to give him the news: it's Sunday, he has been asleep for three days, the bodyguards have been dismissed, Danica is at the military hospital, and wrote him a letter. Bahounek starts reading it out loud, and Dalgren when Dalgren tries to take the letter from his hands, he punches him on the stomach. «Dear Eric, thank god you're alright. I don't remember anything, but my head seems to be alright. I've got a little headache and a huge bandage. I like you. You could come in here. Kisses, Danica.» The captain continues: «You also received a telegram. (Reads it.) "Congratulations. A daring and courageous move. Be careful during the next few days. If necessary, seek protection with Bahounek. Zaforteza, Minister of the Interior."»
Erik pays a visit to General Gami (Gabor Vernon). Gami speaks, turning his back on him. He is grieving his only son's death, and apologizes on his behalf.
Next, Eric visits Danica in hospital. She no longer has an headache, but she wants to tell him she has a wrong feeling about the events, everything was too easy, and the right wing extremists never wanted to negotiate before... She thinks the conference is a trap. Dalgren believes in the written guarantees given by the President and the Government, but she doesn't.
On his way out, Dalgren asks from Bahounek, «Is the conference a trap?» «Yes, you can call it that, a trap to catch all those that are a menace to the country. They'll be arrested by the Federal Police.» «I'll not allow that,» Dalgren says. Bahounek jests about it. He seems to have everything in hand: «There is no President - he has left the country in the morning - and the Government will be dissolved the next day at 6 p.m.» Bahounek will arrest all the Liberation Front delegates, on the written order signed by General Gami. «Who will be president?» «You have achieved your mission very well,» it's Bahounek's non-reply. Still, he bargains Danica's freedom for Dalgren's not contacting anyone by phone.
Dalgren meets with Bidara in the presence of a couple of other Citizens Guard members. The Liberation Front delegates arrive for the conference, and shake hands with Bidara and the others. Bahounek enters the room, and invites the Front delegates to follow him outside.
Over the radio, General Gami makes a proclamation, announcing that at 6 p.m. the Army has taken responsibility for the government, and is controlling the press, radio, and television. In the South Province, law and order have been reestablished, and the criminals who have been responsible for the deaths of thousands people in the last years, have been eliminated.
Line-up of the Front Liberation delegates with hands attached over their heads: Luís Filipe Rocha, Henrique Espírito Santo, Sixto Per Oscarsson and Danica Rodriguez Carolyn Seymour), and the peasant's leader Ramon (Sérgio Godinho). Bahounek (Christopher Plummer) announces: «You've been condemned to death. The execution is to be carried out by firing squad without military honors, at 9:30 a.m. that is, exactly in 25 minutes. The formal charges will be read to you immediately before the executions.
Bahounek picks up a metal bar from the floor, and kills Sixto with it, by smashing his skull - thus, betraying his own words about a formal execution. Then, Bahounek rips Danica's dress, exposing her breasts, and leaves, telling the police guards, «You've exactly 19 minutes to do with her what you want,» - thus betraying his deal with Dalgren about Danica's safety.
Outside, Bahounek says his good-byes to Dalgren (Thomas Hellberg): «If Frankenheimer had not been so quick on the draw, now you'd be a hero and a martyr in this province, for years to come. (...) You can't love, you can not sleep with a woman, you can't get drunk as you did before. Of course you'll do all these things, but only in a technical sense, you can't feel nothing, you just go through the motion. (...) Have you killed anyone, Dalgren?» And against Dalgren's silence, he adds, «Then you've something to thank for.» He enters his car, as the fire squad shots are heard inside the military barracks. «Ah, before you leave, your excellency, let's have dinner!»
NOTE - This synopsis is established for the English version, 6 minutes shorter than the Swedish version. Mrs. Dalgren (Monica Nielsen) and Ortega (Stefan Gryff) are not in it.
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