Cross of Iron Page #11

without the likes of Steiner and

his cronies.

The two men stand looking at each other without speaking.

Then Stransky takes the telephone wire in his two hands

and yanks it out of the wall. He doesn't look at Triebig

as he strides from the bunker. Triebig follows.

DISSOLVE TO:

110. EXT. BUNKER

All the men, with the exception of Steiner, are present.

They are busy packing ammunition boxes.

ANSELM:

Damn it. I hate to leave this

place. We worked weeks fixing

this place up -- this damn army.

ZOLL:

The trouble with you is -- you're

scared stiff.

ANSELM:

(looks at him)

You don't know how grateful we are

that you were sent to us. It's

nice to have one brave man in the

platoon.

111. MED. SHOT - AT DOOR

as it opens, and Steiner, his uniform wringing wet, COMES

IN.

STEINER:

Well -- are we all still here?

KERN:

What do you mean "still here"?

STEINER:

(pretending surprise)

No deserters?

(walking to table)

All right, then, let's have a look

at the map before we start.

He looks at map. The men gather around him.

KERN:

How far is it to Krimskaya?

STEINER:

About twenty miles.

(staring thought-

fully at the map)

The stuff between is regular

wilderness. And a stream

running through.

(MORE)

STEINER (CONT'D)

How big a stream? Suppose there's

no bridge? And the whole region

is marshy. The big question is

whether we can get through.

KRUGER:

Then let's use the highway.

Steiner just looks at him.

KERN:

(anxiously)

What does that look mean? Did

you see any Russians on the high-

way?

STEINER:

Infantry, trucks, tanks, the whole

damn Russian army.

There is a moment's silence.

KERN:

On the highway?

STEINER:

Not in the air, take my word for

it.

ANSELM:

(strapping on ammuni-

tion box)

How are we going to cross the highway

with the Russians on it?

STEINER:

It's dark, it's raining--and there

are bound to be a few gaps in the

procession. We'll wait for the

right moment and scoot across.

KERN:

It's hopeless. It's just plain

suicide.

ZOLL:

(slinging his tommy

gun over his shoulder)

We're eight self-reliant, resource-

ful Germans. We'll make it.

STEINER:

(sardonically to Kern)

There! Do you feel better?

KERN:

Suppose we do make it. The Russians

will be in Krimskaya before us.

That means to get to our lines,

we'll have to cross theirs. How?

How, I'm asking?

STEINER:

(his boxes are

strapped to him)

We can tunnel beneath the Russians

-- or we can pole vault over them.

Are we all ready?

KERN:

(groaning)

You can joke, but we're finished.

Finished.

STEINER:

Of course we are. No doubt about

it. And because you have so

brilliantly pointed that out,

you may lead the way.

He flings the door open I motions for Kern to start the

exodus. Kern looks sour, but leads the way. The others

squeeze past Steiner at the door. When they are GONE,

Steiner kicks the stove so that it falls over, spilling

its golden embers on the floor. Then he GOES OUT, closing

the door behind him.

112. FULL SHOT - THE PLATOON

huddled together in the rain, waiting for Steiner. After

a moment, he comes INTO the SCENE. He jerks his head

in the direction he wishes them to take. Then he starts

off. The men exchange glances, but no one says a word.

They trudge off.

DISSOLVE TO:

113. OPEN PLOWLANO - NIGHT

It is still dark, but in the east the sky is beginning to

lighten. In the distance WE SEE the line of men walking

slowly, their heads bent against the rain.

114. MED. SHOT - THE MEN WALKING

The ANGLE FAVORS Zoll and Kern. They are panting under the

burden of their machine-guns and boxes of ammunition.

They are cursing under their breaths. The CAMERA PANS

DOWN to their boots. They are caked with great lumps of

muddy soil.

115. MED. SHOT - STEINER - AT HEAD OF LINE

His face expressionless, he is walking steadily on. Ahead

of him the terrain begins to slope upward. Suddenly,

Steiner stops in his tracks r holds his hands up for the

men to stop.

116. MED. SHOT - KERN, KRUGER, ZOLL AND SCHNURRBART

KRUGER:

What the devil's the matter now?

No one answers. Schnurrbart motions for them to listen.

After a moment, the low DRONE of big MOTORS, the CREAKING

of heavily laden TRUCKS is HEARD. Also an occasional

windblown SHOUT is HEARD.

ZOLL:

(whispering)

Russians.

KERN:

(nervously)

A whole army.

With quivering fingers he unthinkingly reaches for his

cigarettes and thrusts one between his lips. As he strikes

a match, Steiner suddenly APPEARS in front of him. There

is a sharp SLAPPING SOUND, followed by a RAIN of SPARKS

from the crushed cigarette. Kern utters a whimpering

sound and presses both hands against his mouth.

STEINER:

(voice thick with

rage)

You idiot!

The men look at him in alarm, but he whirls around and

runs forward, signaling for the men to follow.

117. MED. SHOT - KERN

as he walks along. There is a burn on his upper lip

which he pats tenderly. His face is clouded with resent-

ment. The VOICES ahead become increasingly distinct. The

crisp TREAD of nailed boots is very marked -- grows even

louder.

118. MED. SHOT - STEINER

signaling for the men to halt. He walks back to the

group.

STEINER:

(to Schnurrbart and

Anselm)

You come with me. The rest will

wait here.

Steiner, Anselm and Schnurrbart run off. The men watch them

as, bent low, they DISAPPEAR into the darkness. Then,

one by one, the men sink down onto the wet ground. For a

few moments no one has the strength or the inclination to

speak. Then --

ZOLL:

He shouldn't have hit you.

KRUGER:

Why not?

ZOLL:

What's more important than the

treatment of one German soldier by

another -- I'd like to know.

KRUGER:

I'll tell you what's more important --

(MORE)

KRUGER (CONT'D)

(brings his face

close to Zoll's)

It's more important that we have to

get out of here. And you know why?

I'll tell you --

He pokes his finger into Zoll's chest. Zoll moves indignantly

back.

KRUGER:

We have to get out so that we'll

be on time to get into the next

mess. Out of one mess into the

next. That's been going on for

three years, and it'll go on until

we get into one mess good and deep

and don't come out of it --

He has worked himself into such a rage that he can't go on.

There is another morose silence. Zoll sits up on one

elbow, listens.

SCHNURRBART:

I think all that activity on the

highway is slackening.

KERN:

Don't worry. We'll never get

across.

He stops, for everyone is listening intently. He listens

too. There isn't a sound from the direction of the highway.

KERN:

(whispering)

I don't hear a thing....

KRUGER:

Here comes somebody --

Every head turns.

119. LONG SHOT - A FIGURE COMING OUT OF THE MIST

From the group's P.O.V. The figure stops.

120. FULL SHOT - GROUP

SCHNURRBART:

It's Anselm.

Anselm stops, waves his fist in the air.

KRUGER:

Let's go.

They snatch their guns, run up the slope, DISAPPEAR into

the mist.

121. CROWN OF HILL

Beneath it lies the highway in the gray dawn LIGHT.

Deserted. In the b.g. WE SEE the platoon slipping down

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