Eichmann Page #23

Off Almirón, who drops his gun. Hangs his head in defeat.

234 INT. FIRST-CLASS. EL-AL BRITTANIA. MOMENTS LATER

They are soaring now, up, up through the clouds.

GRINS pass between Yaakov, Ephraim and Hanna. A muted butdefinite sense of relief amongst them.

Yosef Klein comes in from the cockpit. He shakes each of

their hands, though his eyes never leave Eichmann.

YOSEF KLEIN:

I can’t believe it.

Several of the El-Al stewards are staring too. All at the

sleeping form of EICHMANN, whose fake nose has fallen offcompletely now.

One lumbering STEWARD appears particularly affected. Wefollow him, just for a moment, as he retreats

-to the kitchenette area. Breathes deeply. SHAKING AS HE

GRIPS THE COUNTER.

A tear slips from his eye. Another. Another. Splashing down-

by his hand. His wrist. On which we see a tattoo, messilyscrawled: A-14534. Auschwitz.

Back to Malkin, who doesn’t share in the whispered JOY andrelief. Instead, he stares out of the window. Argentina growssmaller and smaller beneath them.

125.

After a moment, Hanna comes and joins him. He doesn’t turn toher. Just continues to stare.

HANNA:

Hey. We did it. We’re going home.

He turns to her. Looks deep into her eyes. And there he seesthat the lust is gone. Instead, a sadness. Pity, even.

He holds out his hand. She hesitates. Takes it.

Malkin CLINGS to her hand. Turns back to the window. Watches

as the coast of Argentina recedes into the horizon.

FADE TO BLACK:

235 INT. MALKIN’S APARTMENT. MORNING (ONE YEAR LATER)

Malkin, looking older and worn, stares at the photos of theNazis on his bedroom wall. Adolf Eichmann’s picture now has a

big, firm X through it.

But Malkin’s looking at all the other pictures that don’t.

236 EXT. BEIT HA’AM. JERUSALEM. DAY

All along a busy road, CROWDS BUSTLE TOWARDS A BARBED WIREPERIMETER circling a sun-blushed stone building.

SHIN-BET and POLICE, carrying sub-machine guns, patrol.

GIDEON HAUSNER (V.O.)

When I stand before you here,

Judges of Israel, to lead theprosecution of Adolf Eichmann, I am

not standing alone.

Every single person entering is searched thoroughly... Apartfrom Malkin. He flashes the GUARDS an ID card, and enters.

237 INT. COURT-ROOM. DAY

Packed to the rafters. From BUSINESS MEN, to RABBIS, to SHOPKEEPS,

there’s a huge range of people here.

Finding a seat, Malkin stares across the vast courtroom tothe striking figure of ATTORNEY GENERAL GIDEON HAUSNER.

Eichmann sits behind inches of BULLET-PROOF glass, listeningintently on a set of headphones. Books surround him. Glassesback on, hair-receding, he looks like he wants to look weak.

126.

GIDEON HAUSNER (CONT’D)

With me are six million accusers.

But they cannot rise to their feet

and point towards him who sits in

the dock and cry out “J’accuse!”

Malkin eyes roam, scanning the room, the gathered watchers-

-he spots HANNA, in amongst them. She’s with a HANDSOME MAN.

Hand on his leg. She’s not smiling, but she seems happy.

Malkin takes this in. Eventually turns his attention back tothe trial, when he realises-

-that EICHMANN IS STARING RIGHT AT HIM.

For a moment, the two lock eyes. Stare for an eternity.

GIDEON HAUSNER (CONT’D)

For their ashes are piled up on the

hills of Auschwitz and the fields

of Treblinka.

Finally, Eichmann breaks it. Nods towards where Hanna issitting with this new man. Pulls a faux-sympathetic face atMalkin. For just a heartbeat, WE SEE THE REAL EICHMANN

-before he returns to looking meek. Turns back to Hausner.

GIDEON HAUSNER (CONT’D)

Their blood cries out, but their

voice is not heard.

Malkin stands. Reaches to his wrist-

SNAPS OFF FRUMA’S BRACELET. Leaves.

Hanna looks up, just in time to see the back of Malkin go.

She watches, but doesn’t follow him.

GIDEON HAUSNER (CONT’D)

Therefore, I will be their

spokesman.

RAFI, sat with HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN, also sees Malkin go.

238 EXT. FIRST CEMETERY. DAY

Lush and green, cut off from the hustle and bustle of thebusy metropolis. Here, the dead sleep in peace.

Alone amongst them stands Malkin. Staring. Thinking. In hishand, the remains of Fruma’s bracelet.

127.

RAFI (O.S.)

You know they say all Eichmann willtalk about-

From behind Malkin, Rafi approaches.

RAFI (CONT’D)

Is what the title cover of his autobiography

is going to look like.

MALKIN:

You chosen yours yet?

RAFI:

Ha! You think my wife would let memake a decision like that? Please.

Rafi comes and stands beside him. Silence.

MALKIN:

I didn’t see you in there.

RAFI:

I was with Miriam. The kids.

MALKIN:

You never said how they took it.

When you didn’t bring back anypenguins. Your boys, I mean.

RAFI:

Oh. They cried. Like children do.

Jacob the most, actually.

MALKIN:

Hmm.

A moment passes.

RAFI:

Thing is, Peter. They won’t know ityet. They might not for years tocome. But we brought them backsomething better.

MALKIN:

Yeah?

RAFI:

Yeah. We did.

Malkin processes this.

128.

MALKIN:

It’s just, uh. I’d really like tohave seen them, Raf. The penguins.

Just once. It would’ve helped.

RAFI:

Maybe. Maybe.

(beat)

But what you got instead- and Iknow you might never believe this-

what you got instead is wortheverything. You caught him, Peter.

You did. So even if it’s just for asecond. It’s OK to be OK.

A pause. Malkin struggles to hold it all in.

MALKIN:

She’s always there, Raf. At my

shoulder. My task-master, my reasonfor waking. She keeps me thinking.

Every day, I think of the quiet, ofthe home I can’t have. I thoughtafter we caught him. I thought Iwould be different now. But, uh.

RAFI:

Maybe it won’t ever be, Peter.

Maybe. But for someone out there...

you’ll be enough. Trust me, habibi.

(then)

She’ll never leave you, Peter.

Fruma, I mean. But she won’t hate

you for being happy, either.

With a final pat on the shoulder, Rafi turns to walk away.

Malkin turns and shouts after him-

MALKIN:

You know it wasn’t just me thatcaught him, Raf.

RAFI:

Blah! History only remembers thetall people.

MALKIN:

What about Napoleon?

RAFI:

(almost gone)

Who?

129.

Malkin chuckles. Watches Rafi disappear from the park.

Finally, he turns back to the graveyard.

It’s still empty. He’s still alone. But now... he looks calm.

He approaches a gravestone. Places Fruma’s bracelet on top.

MALKIN:

Yit’gadal v’yit’kadash sh’mei raba.

A final, gentle whisper of Mourner’s Kaddish. For Fruma.

He straightens. Gazes at his surroundings. And, as the middaysun glistens through the swaying foliage-

SUPER:

“On May 31st, 1962 Adolf Eichmann was hung to death, having

been found guilty of all 15 charges brought against him.”

INTERCUT WITH:

EICHMANN, in a SMALL, NONDESCRIPT ROOM, being led up to thegallows. A NOOSE is placed over his head.

He says his last words. We don’t hear them.

Somewhere, a LEVER IS PULLED- A NECK IS BROKEN- the body of a

war criminal sways from side to side.

“He was cremated, and his ashes spread in the Mediterranean,

so that he might have no place of final rest on this earth.”

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