Cross of Iron Page #15

Well, what do we do with them?

STEINER:

What do you do with armed guerrillas,

male or female?

SCHNURRBART:

These are not guerrillas. They're

regular uniformed troops. Besides

-- they had no arms.

STEINER:

If they're regular troops, we'll

treat them as we must treat all

prisoners in our situation.

SCHNURRBART:

(gasping)

You mean, shoot them?

STEINER:

Do you see any other way? If

one of them escapes and gets to

the Russian lines before us, we're

done for.

ZOLL:

Steiner is right. The women must

be killed.

STEINER:

(looks at Zoll)

Despite the fact that you agree

with me, I still feel I'm right.

His glance falls on the wounded woman. She is looking at

him with an expression of wild horror. An older WOMAN

beside her speaks in Russian.

STEINER:

What did she say, Kruger?

KRUGER:

She says there's a kettle of hot

water in the room across the

hall. Please help the girl, she

says.

STEINER:

Anselm, get the water. We'll clean

the wound.

ANSELM:

(bewildered)

What's the sense of fixing her up,

if you're going to shoot her?

STEINER:

(sharply)

Get the water.

Anselm shrugs, GOES OUT.

STEINER:

(to Kruger)

Ask them where they come from

and where they were going. Tell

them if they lie to us we'll throw

them in the creek.

Kruger talks in Russian, the older Woman, who appears to

be an officer, replies.

KRUGER:

(to Steiner)

They belong to the B d th Women's

Mortar Battalion and are on their

way from Maihop to Krimskaya. I

think she's telling the truth.

Steiner looks grim. Anselm COMES IN with a bowl of hot

water, sets it on the floor.

148. MED. SHOT - STEINER AND WOUNDED WOMAN

as he bends down beside her. She tries to roll back

against the wall.

STEINER:

Take it easy. What do you think

I want to do?

He lifts the bandage. We do not see the wound, but from

Steiner's face, we know that it is a serious one.

STEINER:

(opening his first

aid kit)

Are you in pain?

The woman understands, nods.

STEINER:

(enigmatically)

The pain will be over soon.

He starts to wash the wound. In the b.g., we CAN SEE that

the other women have not changed their posture. They

are still huddled together against the wall, fearfully

watching his movements.

Steiner lays a compress on the wound.

KRUGER:

This is ridiculous. A nice clean

bandage -- then a bullet.

Before Steiner can reply there is a NOISE at the door.

149. MED. SHOT - KERN AND OLD RUSSIAN

Kern has his gun in the Russian's back. The Russian is

squat and stocky and despite his age looks powerful.

KERN:

(grinning proudly)

He practically walked into our

arms --

OLD RUSSIAN:

(to Steiner, raising

his hand pleadingly)

Captain --

Steiner pushes him in the direction of the women, motions

for him to lie down. As the old man reels, several of

the women SCREAM.

KERN:

I had a look at the wagons, Sergeant

-- there's plenty of food. Canned.

stuff.

STEINER:

Good. Zoll, you stay here. If

any of the women starts anything,

shoot her at once.

ZOLL:

(as they walk off)

When do I get to eat?

STEINER:

Don't be in such a hurry. Who

wants to eat?

He starts OUT.

150. CLOSE SHOT - PAIR OF HIGHLY POLISHED OFFICER'S BOOTS

CAMERA PANS UP to a MED. SHOT of Colonel Brandt on the

telephone. The scene is obviously his new headquarters

in Krimskaya, the second floor of a Russian building.

Captain Kiesel stands near the window, listening.

BRANDT:

Yes, General.... Yes, General,

we're so solidly dug in, it seems

almost a shame --

(smiles ironically

at Kiesel)

I say that, General, because in

four or five days -- we'll be driven

out of these beautifully dug-in

positions.

(another smile

to Kiesel)

Certainly, General. I know about

German valor. without that valor,

I wouldn't give us more than two

days -- Yes, General. I will, sir.

(hangs up, shrugs

in Kiesel'S

direction)

The General was short with me; but

he knows the truth as well as I do.

KIESEL:

Of course. It's always he who

orders us to fall back, isn't it?

There is a KNOCK at the door.

BRANDT:

Come in.

An ORDERLY opens the door for a CAPTAIN.

CAPTAIN KILIUS:

Captain Kilius reporting, sir.

BRANDT:

Oh, yes. You have your orders?

KILIUS:

Yes, sir. And a letter for you.

BRANDT:

(as he opens the

envelope)

This is Captain Kiesel--

Kiesel and Kilius shake hands.

BRANDT:

Captain Kilius comes to us from

the Western Front.

KIESEL:

Really? Whatever induced you to

leave, Captain?

Kilius smiles wanly. Brandt, reading the letter, snorts

loudly.

BRANDT:

Didn't you once mention Captain

Stransky's good connections?

KIESEL:

There is a Major General Stransky

attached to Army High Command,

South. He is, I think, a cousin

of Captain Stransky's.

BRANDT:

I see.

(tosses letter on

table as if it

were filth)

You can guess what that is, can't

you?

KIESEL:

His transfer, of course.

BRANDT:

(grimly)

Exactly. Herr Stransky is to report

to Paris within a week.

There's a silence in the room as if both men had forgotten

the presence of Kilius. Then Brandt recovers. He turns

to Kilius.

BRANDT:

Please excuse me' Captain. My

orderly will arrange for your

billeting.

KIESEL:

Don't unpack too thoroughly.

We'll be on the move soon.

KILIUS:

(smiles)

Thank you, Colonel Brandt.

Se salutes, LEAVES.

KIESEL:

He's so new here, he didn't even

ask in which direction.

BRANDT:

That bastard, Stransky!

(shrugs)

without Steiner to contradict him,

he'll get his Iron Cross and strut

all over Paris. That arrogant

bastard!

(pause)

So Stransky will be in Paris, while

Steiner --

(looks glumly out

the window)

God knows where he is --

151. CLOSE SHOT - STEINER

stuffing food into his mouth. The CAMERA PULLS BACK to

show the scene as the exterior of the house, at one of the

wagons.

The other men are eating greedily too. Steiner turns,

looks toward the window of the house.

152. CLOSE SHOT - ZOLL'S FACE - AT WINDOW

The CAMERA PULLS BACK to take in the Russian female prisoners

and the old man. The women are still huddled close together

as close to the wall as they can get. They are asleep or

pretending to be asleep. The wounded woman lies with her

head on another woman's lap. Her eyes are closed and she

MOANS softly in her sleep.

153. MED. SHOT - OLD MAN AND YOUNG GIRL

They are sitting in the forefront, and are the only ones

not asleep. Their heads are together and they are

whispering. The girl is no more than twenty and very

pretty. The old man's expression is very worried.

154. MED. SHOT - ZOLL

as he turns from the window. He sees the old man and the

young girl whispering.

ZOLL:

Shut up, you two!

The old man and young girl draw slightly apart. The girl

looks at Zoll and her expression is frightened.

155. CLOSE SHOT - ZOLL

as he looks at the girl. His eyes glide searchingly over

her figure. It is very evident what he is thinking.

He looks at her quite a while, then, with an effort, turns

away, walks to the door, stands with his back to it, tries

not to look at the girl.

156. MED. SHOT - GIRL AND OLD MAN

The old man has moved closer to her, and has cautiously

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