Cross of Iron Page #18

glasses which are lying by his side. He inspects them;

they are broken. He shakes his head in anger. He presses

his mouth to the crack again, breathes. The neat is

intense. He wipes the Perspiration from his face. Finally

he opens the buttons of his shirt, pulls down his trousers

and turns over on his back. He lies still and quiet for

a few moments, then an expression of great fear comes

into his face. He calls out!

ZOLL:

Steiner -- ! Steiner -- Kruger -- !

Schnurrbart! I'm in here -- !

There isn't a sound, and Zoll's fear grows.

ZOLL:

(yelling)

Steiner -- do you hear me! Let me

out! Schnurrbart -- it's Zoll, I'm

in here -- !

His shouting has become frantic. He pounds on the door.

He crooks his body and beats his heels against the bottom

of the wardrobe. He digs his hands into the crack of the

door and pulls until his fingers are bleeding. At last,

he lies still, punting for air. Then, his expression

freezes. There is the SOUND of softly advancing FOOTSTEPS.

The wardrobe begins to move. Twice, Zoll is jolted against

the wood -- and suddenly there is DAYLIGHT.

182. EXT. WARDROBE - THE CROWD OF WOMEN

are grouped around the wardrobe, the door of which has

been smashed open.

183. MED. SHOT - ZOLL - ON FLOOR OF WARDROBE

Stunned, he pulls himself up to a half-sitting position

and blinks in speechless terror at the crowd of mocking

faces that are bending over him, at rows of breasts

bulging out of dirty underwear. Suddenly, dozens of

hands reach into the wardrobe, grip his hair, his clothes,

his limbs, pull him up and hurl him to the floor of the

room. As he starts to defend himself, his arms and legs

are pinioned, his clothes torn off, and a rain of merciless

blows beat down upon him. Russian CURSES fill the air.

184. CLOSE SHOT - ZOLL'S FACE

as the blows rain on him. Just above him is the face of

the young Russian girl he has raped. Her hair hangs in

tangled strands over her forehead, her eyes gleam like

green glass lighted from within. She does not strike him

or curse him as the others are doing. She only stands

stooped above him, staring at him in silence. And as

Zoll looks into her face, the blood runs down his fore-

head, bubbles out of his nose and mouth. He jerks and

writhes under the kicks and punches.

185. FULL SHOT - WOMEN

as they beat Zoll, who is hidden from the CAMERA.

Suddenly, there breaks from him a SCREAM that no longer

resembles anything human. The scream paralyzes the women.

For a moment, they stop the beating. Several hold their

hands to their ears. Then, one woman shakes off the

paralysis. with both feet at once, she jumps on the

bellowing, twitching, bleeding body. The others spring

on him, too, stamping, screaming and kicking.

186. CLOSE SHOT - DOZENS OF BOOTS

as they jump up and down mercilessly on Zoll's body.

187. LONG SHOT - FROM HALL - THROUGH OPEN DOOR

at the spectacle. Gradually, the kicking and jumping

stop. The women turn, file slowly OUT of the room. Two

of them have their arms around the softly weeping young

girl. When the last have walked PAST the CAMERA, it

STARTS to MOVE SLOWLY TOWARD the battered body in the

center of the room.

188. CLOSE SHOT- ZOLL'S FEET

lying quietly on the floor. A ray of SUNLIGHT is coming

through the window -- and we see the feet lying in a pool

of flickering LIGHT.

189. INT. DARK ROOM

dimly LIT by one candle. At the window, his back to CAMERA

stands a half-dressed man. Evidently, he has been roused

from bed. O.S. we HEAR another man's VOICE.

MAN'S VOICE

--They'll be coming through at

Hill 124 at 0400. Sergeant

Steiner and what's left of his

platoon. Their signal will be

two flares in quick succession.

then a count of four and a third

flare. We are to hold our fire.

The man at the window turns and we SEE that it is Captain

Stransky. His lips are set tight. The CAMERA PULLS BACK

to reveal the scene as Stransky's bedroom. The man who

has been speaking is Lieutenant Triebig.

STRANSKY:

(after a moment)

I see. Who received this message?

TRIEBIG:

Corporal Stemple.

STRANSKY:

was there anybody with Stemple?

TRIEBIG:

No,sir.

Pause.

STRANSKY:

How well do you know Stemple?

TRIEBIG:

(a split second's

hesitation)

Very well, sir.

STRANSKY:

He's a very good -- ah -- "friend"

of yours?

TRIEBIG:

(not looking at

him)

Yes, sir.

Stransky looks at him closely.

TRIEBIG:

He knows how I feel about Sergeant

Steiner.

A look passes between the two men.

STRANSKY:

Then I take it that only you, I

and this Stemple know about this

message.

TRIEBIG:

That's right, sir.

Pause. Stransky indicates two packed bags on the floor.

STRANSKY:

You know, of course, that I'm

leaving for Paris?

TRIEBIG:

Of course, sir.

STRANSKY:

(evenly)

I could arrange to have you sent

for. Or would you have some

objection to continuing on as my

adjutant in Paris?

For a moment, Triebig merely gasps.

TRIEBIG:

(stammering)

You don't know how grateful I

would be to you for that.

STRANSKY:

(after a moment)

If I sent you out on a patrol --

just four men -- two machine-gunners --

If, in the dark, you saw half a

dozen men in Russian uniforms

advancing on you, could anyone

blame you if you opened fire?

Triebig blinks. Stransky's voice changes. It rings like

steel.

STRANSKY:

Get that creature Steiner off my

neck and I guarantee that you will

survive this war. He must not come

back even if you have to kill him

with your bare hands.

Triebig stands stunned, incapable of speech.

STRANSKY:

I know from reliable sources that

the men in this bridgehead have

been written off. Everyone south

of Perekop will suffer the same

fate as the sixth Army at Stalingrad.

Do you want to be here then?

TRIEBIG:

(a hoarse whisper)

No.

STRANSKY:

within five days after I reach Paris,

you'll have your orders to join me.

You know my connections. What do

you say, Triebig?

TRIEBIG:

(stares up at Stransky's

flushed face, swallows

hard)

I -- don't know.

STRANSKY:

You have the choice. You can rot

here in a grave, or guzzle champagne

in France. Which do you prefer?

Pause.

TRIEBIG:

May I know one thing?

STRANSKY:

What is that?

Their eyes lock.

TRIEBIG:

Why is it so important to you?

If you are leaving here in a few

hours, it shouldn't matter to you

what happens to Steiner.

Stransky steps over to the window to stare out into the

darkness. Finally:

STRANSKY:

(in measured tones)

What happens to Steiner is more

important to me than whether we

win or lose the war.

(turns)

But you will not understand that.

It's my personal affair, Triebig.

(pause)

Are you going through with it or

not?

The CAMERA MOVES UP to a CLOSE SHOT of Triebig's face as

he stands, indecisive.

190. CLOSE SHOT-KRUGER'S FACE

The CAMERA PULLS BACK to SHOW that he is looking at the

outstretched figure of Kern who is covered by a blanket

up to his chin. The SCENE is an open field. It is quite

dark. Schnurrbart comes RUNNING IN.

KRUGER:

Do you honestly think we can slip

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