In the skies of France during the Great War, a red-painted fighter is chasing a British SPAD. The relentless German pilot eventually mortally wounds his opponent, and lands near the crashed British flyer to watch him die, confessing his delight in war and victory. Ten years earlier, a young Manfred Von Richthofen is attending a military academy in Berlin when, during an incident with classmates, he comes to realise he has an unnatural gift.