Cross of Iron Page #13

road.

KERN:

How far is that?

STEINER:

About thirty miles.

KRUGER:

Thirty miles! It's crazy! This

way we're no more than eight miles

from Krimskaya!

STEINER:

Sure. If we could cross that

swamp, and we can't!

KRUGER:

Before I march thirty miles I need

something to eat.

STEINER:

If you've got to have something

to eat, try tree bark. Boiled in

soft water it's supposed to be

edible. Damn it all, don't act

like a bunch of children.

They look shame-faced, but Kruger growls...

KRUGER:

You've seen what the water looks

like. Like a hundred cows have

been scheissing in it.

STEINER:

Then boil it and skim it. You

won't mind the filth -- you've got

a pig's stomach anyway.

The men grin.

STEINER:

We'll make a soup. Put the meat

and bread right in it. Kruger

and Schnurrbart fetch water. But

don't anybody try drinking the

muck before it's boiled. The rest

of us can gather wood.

The men make a movement to start.

STEINER:

Wait a minute -- we may as well

settle this now. We'll need a

volunteer for sentry duty tonight.

At least to start it off --

Nobody answers. The men don't look at each other.

STEINER:

I know you're all tired, but --

KERN:

Sergeant, I --

At this moment, a NOISE in the brush causes all heads to

turn. An exhausted Zoll, lugging the ammunition boxes'

struggles INTO the SCENE. Steiner looks at him, then turns

to Kern.

STEINER:

That's all right. The problem is

solved.

The men laugh, start off. Zoll looks puzzled by the laughter.

DISSOLVE TO:

131. CLOSE SHOT - SMALL SMOLDERING CAMP FIRE

The CAMERA PULLS BACK to REVEAL Kruger, Schnurrbart, Kern

and Anselm asleep on the ground in various uncomfortable

postures. Pawn is breaking in the sky. The air is filled

with the croaking SOUND of FROGS.

132. MED. SHOT - KRUGER

as he slowly awakens. It is a moment before he is fully

awake. He reaches out and nudges Kern awake.

KERN:

Huh? -- What? -- Oh -- what's up?

KRUGER:

Where's Steiner, do you know?

KERN:

He just got up sometime ago and

went off somewhere.

KRUGER:

Did he say where?

By this time the conversation has awakened the other men.

KERN:

I asked him, but you know Steiner

-- he just gave me a look and off

he went. I got the shits.

SCHNURRBART:

(grimly)

Steiner goes -- and you get scared'

huh?

KRUGER:

(looks around at all

the faces)

We're all scared the minute Rolf's

not around to hold our hands.

SCHNURRBART:

(tosses a branch into

the fire, sending up

a shower of sparks)

He'll be back. Anselm, relieve Zoll.

ANSELM:

(rebelliously)

Why me?

KRUGER:

Hurry up and relieve Zoll. On the

double.

ANSELM:

You and Schnurrbart -- big shots!

Lousy noncoms! You're all alike.

Rank goes right to your heads. It

stinks. The whole damned army

stinks. And you, Kruger, stink

worst of all!

Kruger picks up a dry stick of wood which is only partially

in the fire and tosses it at Anselm, who barely throws his

hand up in time. Then, with a cry of rage, he jumps across

the firs and onto Kruger's neck. The two men struggle on

the ground.

KERN, SCHNURRBART

(simultaneously)

Come on, now - stop it. Kruger!

Anselm!

Zoll comes running IN from his sentry post.

ZOLL:

What's going on here?

Zoll, assisted by Kern, tries to separate the two men who

are locked together on the ground.

KERN:

Watch out -- somebody's going to get

burned in the fire!

Suddenly, Steiner's voice is heard.

STEINER'S VOICE

Zoll -- Kern! Let them fight it out.

133. MED. SHOT - STEINER

His gun is in the back of an elderly RUSSIAN. The others

are in the b.g.

STEINER:

Why shouldn't they kill each

other? Why should the Russians

have to do it?

SCHNURRBART:

Who the hell is that?

The old man sinks to the ground.

STEINER:

It's my guess he's a very old

Russian -- what's yours?

KRUGER:

Where did you find him, Rolf?

STEINER:

There's a dirt road about four

miles from here. The road leads

to a bridge. He was guarding it.

ZOLL:

A bridge! A bridge that crosses

the swamp, you mean?

SCHNURRBART:

Eureka, that means we don't have

to march thirty miles to the

highway, doesn't it?

KERN'S VOICE

Not to mention the forty more to

Krimskaya.

ANSELM:

(feeling his

throat)

Doesn't anybody care that my neck

is broken?

STEINER:

Not so fast. On the other side

of the bridge there's a house. and

there are Russians in the house.

Pause.

KRUGER:

How do you know -- did you see any?

STEINER:

No, but there was smoke coming out

of the chimney. You ask him how

many there are.

Kruger talks in Russian to the old man, who replies. Then!

KRUGER:

He says there's two wagons and

two horses.

STEINER:

To hell with that. Ask him how

many men there are in that house.

Kruger speaks in Russian, but the old man just shakes his

head.

STEINER:

How many men are there in the

house?

Kruger speaks to the old man who closes his eyes and turns

his head aside.

KRUGER:

He won't say.

STEINER:

(putting the muzzle

of his gun against

the old man's head)

He has to. Ask him again.

Kruger expostulates with the Russian, illustrating his words

with unmistakable gestures. The Russian slowly opens his

eyes. Steiner is regarding him without expression. A

brief smile passes over the Russian's wrinkled, parchment-

like face, and he says a few words.

STEINER:

What is he saying?

KRUGER:

He says he is an old man.

STEINER:

(calmly)

We can see that. I admire him, but

I'm going to have to shoot him.

SCHNURRBART:

Isn't it dangerous, firing a shot?

There may be some of them around,

looking for him.

STEINER:

You may be right. On the other

hand, we can't waste time hanging

him.

Pause.

ANSELM:

Well, let's see -- there's strangu-

lation, drowning, stoning --

STEINER:

If we had the time we'd let you

talk him to death.

Pause. Steiner takes a knife from his scabbard. The men

are very silent.

STEINER:

Any volunteers?

ANSELM:

(after a moment)

How about you, Zoll? You were a

butcher in civilian life, weren't

you?

The joke falls flat, even with Anselm.

ZOLL:

(after a moment)

If everybody's scared, I might

have a try at it.

STEINER:

No. I'll make it quick and clean.

(lifts the Russian

to his feet, to

Kruger)

We'll give him one more chance.

Tell him what I'm going to do.

Kruger speaks to the Russian who says nothing, doesn't

even shake his head.

STEINER:

All right, then --

He pushes the Russian ahead of him toward a grove of small

trees, CAMERA TRUCKING with them.

134. FULL SHOT - GROUP

They stand around in silence. A low GASP is HEARD O.S.

The men tense. Anselm ventures to look off.

135. LONG SHOT - ANSELM'S POV

Steiner is seen bent over, leaning against a tree.

136. FULL SHOT - GROUP

ANSELM:

I'll say this for Steiner. At

least he's throwing up.

All eyes are fixed o.s. After a few moments, Steiner

comes back IN. His knife and scabbard are both gone.

STEINER:

All right, get your things together.

SCHNURRBART:

I wonder how many Russians there

are in that house.

STEINER:

Since we've got to cross that bridge,

it doesn't matter how many there are.

Rate this script:3.0 / 4 votes