Cross of Iron Page #6

holds her tightly.

STEINER:

Were you going to turn on the light?

INGE:

Yes.

STEINER:

(feeling along her

arms)

You don't need any light, take my

word for it.

Pretending to struggle, she manipulates the nightgown off her

right shoulder, a maneuver not lost upon Steiner.

INGE:

Let me go. I'll scream. I will

scream.

STEINER:

Naturally, you'll scream.

She closes her arms tight around his shoulders. When she

tries to kiss him he turns his face aside. He picks her

up and as he carries her toward the bed:

DISSOLVE TO:

73. LONG SHOT - SUNRISE

framed in a window. CAMERA PULLS BACK to the interior of

Inge's bedroom. Inge is lying in bed. Steiner is sitting

on the edge of the bed, his back to Inge, looking out the

window.

STEINER:

Funny -- you boasted about your view

of the sunset. I prefer the sunrise.

Inge laughs. She sits up, throws her arms around his chest.

INGE:

You know -- never once last night did

you say my name.

(strokes his chest)

Don't you like my name?

STEINER:

Why shouldn't I like it?

STEINER:

Up to this moment I've never met a

girl named Inge. At least not in

bed.

Inge laughs. When Steiner makes a move to get up, she holds

him tighter.

INGE:

Where are you going?

He pulls himself loose, walks to where his shoes lying,

picks then up. Inge, blanket up under her chin, watches him.

He turns.

STEINER:

Goodnight.

INGE:

(angrily)

Aren't you at least going to kiss me?

He stoops and casually kisses her shoulder.

INGE:

Is that all?

STEINER:

Isn't it enough? Do you want to

get paid?

She starts up as though the pillow behind her had become a

hot iron. Then she throws herself face down on the bed,

begins to sob wildly. Steiner stands for a moment,

looking at her in embarrassment and some remorse.

STEINER:

(sadly)

Depend on me to say a few words

to many.

He walks slowly to the door, closes it behind him.

74. DELETED.

75. MED. SHOT - GERTRUD

who has just COME IN and is talking to a MAN at the bar.

76. MED. SHOT - STEINER

He sinks back into his seat, looks off at Gertrud. Then

he rises and, CAMERA TRUCKING with him, winds his way

across the floor to her. Her back is to him.

STEINER:

(quietly)

Gertrud --

She turns, flushes as she sees him, but doesn't say a word.

STEINER:

I wish -- I were meeting you for

the first time now.

GERTRUD:

(looks at him)

I suppose that's as close to an

apology as you, Can ever get --

If you'll excuse me....

He makes a gesture to stop her, but she brushes past him.

We hear Klaus' voice.

KLAUS' VOICE

Rolf --

Steiner turns to face Klaus.

KLAUS:

She's here --!

STEINER:

(Pre-occupied)

Who?

KLAUS:

You know -- Ilse -- the Iron Cross Tits --

STEINER:

Listen I don't want --

He has turned automatically to look toward the corner of

the bar. At the sight of the GIRL in the nurse's white

uniform, Steiner's speech stops; his eyes narrow.

77. CLOSE SHOT ILSE

She is looking toward Steiner, an expectant smile on her

face. She is very buxom and very pretty in a coarse way.

78.MED. SHOT. STEINER AND KLAUS

Steiner's face is expressionless. CAMERA TRUCKING with

him, he makes his way to the Waiting Ilse. En route he

passes Gertrud who, struck by the grimness of Steiner's

expression, keeps her eyes on him as he pushes toward Ilse.

79. MED. SHOT - ILSE

Her smile freezes as Steiner STEPS INTO the SCENE.

STEINER:

(steadily)

Good evening, Ilse.

She can only stare at him.

STEINER:

I can't blame you, Ilse. After all,

it's been -- how long --? More than

a year anyway. Yes, thirteen months --

ILSE:

(in a very low voice)

Rolf --

STEINER:

-- and the law of averages -- What

right have I to be alive -- Did

you count on that, Ilse?

Suddenly, Ilse lets out a sob, covers her face with her hands,

then turns and runs toward the exit. Klaus, who has stood a

few paces behind, comes up to Steiner.

KLAUS:

I must say -- it's a strange effect

you have upon women.

Steiner doesn't answer. Klaus shakes his head, goes after

Ilse.

80. MED. SHOT - GERTRUD

Whose eyes haven't left Steiner. She watches him now as he

sits down at an unoccupied table. From his inside pocket

he takes out a piece of paper. She sees him flag a passing

WAITER. A brief conversation ensues between them, and the

Waiter lends Steiner a pencil. As Steiner begins to write,

Gertrud moves slowly toward him.

81. MED. SHOT - STEINER AT TABLE WRITING

As Gertrud's shadow falls across the table he looks up

briefly, goes back to his writing. Without a word, Gertrud

slips into a chair across from Steiner. After a moment, he

finishes writing, looks at Gertrud.

STEINER:

I imagine you want to know what it's

all about?

GERTRUD:

No.

STEINER:

Be honest.

GERTRUD:

Yes, I do. Very much.

Pause.

STEINER:

It's not too pretty a story -- and it

isn't very chivalrous of me to tell

it. But, then, one of the first

casualties of the war was chivalry --

(looks at the slip of paper)

A year or so ago I was in a hospital.

In four years of war I have been in

four hospitals.

(harshlaugh)

Some day I must get around to rating

them. Anyway -- Ilse -- Miss Bauman --

decided she would be more than a

nurse to me. After three days and

three nights I told her to be more

than a nurse to somebody else.

(looks at Gertrud's face)

He is silent a moment, his face reflecting the humiliation.

STEINER:

She found a way to get even -- result --

Court martial -- degraded -- Six months

in a Penal Battalion --

(pause. Holds up the paper)

Now, I in tend to have Miss Bauman's

signed confession --

GERTRUD:

Please -- don't be brutal to her --

He gets up.

She looks at him in mute appeal. He shakes his head,

Starts out, Gertrud looking after him.

He gets up.

She looks at him in mute appeal. He shakes his head, starts

out, Gertrud looking after him.

82. MED. SHOT - BENCH ON BEACH - FACING THE WATER

On a corner of the bench, Ilse is huddled, still sobbing.

In the b.g. a figure looms. Then a flashlight, in the

hand of the figure is snapped on. Its beam ILLUMINATES

Ilse, who doesn't move. The figure, holding the flashlight,

moves closer, and we SEE that it is Steiner. Now he stands

beside Ilse, who does not look up.

ILSE:

Turn it out -- I can't see.

Steiner snaps off the light. She looks up at him, her face

a study in fury.

ILSE:

You Stinking louse.

STEINER:

(laughs grimly)

I that What I am?

ILSE:

(violently)

Yes. And you always were a louse.

You never knew how to treat a

woman.

STEINER:

How right you are. And now, let

me prove your point --

(takes Out the

Slip Of paper)

-- Sign this.

ILSE:

What is it?

STEINER:

Your confession.

ILSE:

Confession. What have I to confess?

STEINER:

Oh -- are we going to play games?

All right, I'll read it to you --

(snaps on the

flashlight,

starts to read)

On the night of May 12, 1943, I, Ilse

Bauman, a nurse at the 2nd Base

Hospital in Rostov, stole a wrist-

watch from the room of Corporal

Karl Wachtel, an amputee, and

furthermore, hid the watch among

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