Schindler's List Page #11

A hand slaps a blue sticker on a work card. Slap, another.

And another. And another.

INT. D.E.F. FRONT OFFICE - DAY

Christmas decorations. Klonowska at her desk, her eyes closed

tight.

SCHINDLER:

All right.

She opens her eyes and smiles. Schindler is holding a poodle

in his arms. She comes around to kiss him. He sets the dog

on the desk. Stern, across the room, watches blank-faced.

GESTAPO (O.S.)

Oskar Schindler?

Schindler, Stern and Klonowska turn to the voice. Two Gestapo

men have entered unannounced.

GESTAPO:

We have a warrant to take your

company's business records with us.

And another to take you.

Schindler stares at them in disbelief. Stern quietly slips

one of the ledgers on his desk into a drawer.

SCHINDLER:

Am I permitted to have my secretary

cancel my appointments for the day?

He doesn't wait for their approval. He scribbles down some

names -- Toffel, Czurda, Reeder, Scherner. Underlining

Scherner, he glances to Klonowska. She understands.

INT. OFFICE, SS HEADQUARTERS, CRACOW - DAY

A humorless middle-level bureaucrat sits behind a desk and

D.E.F.'s ledgers and cashbooks.

GESTAPO CLERK:

You live very well.

The man slowly shakes his head 'no' to Schindler's offer of

a cigarette. Schindler tamps it against the crystal of his

gold watch.

GESTAPO CLERK:

This standard of living comes entirely

from legitimate sources, I take it?

Schindler lights the cigarette and drags on it, all but

ignoring the man.

GESTAPO CLERK:

As an SS supplier, you have a moral

obligation to desist from blackmarket

dealings. You're in business to

support the war effort, not to fatten --

SCHINDLER:

(interrupting)

You know? When my friends ask, I'd

love to be able to tell them you

treated me with the utmost courtesy

and respect.

The quiet matter-of-fact tone, more than the comment itself,

throws the bureaucrat off his rhythm. His eyes narrow

slightly. There's a long silence.

INT. HALLWAY/ROOM - SS HEADQUARTERS - DAY

The two who arrested him lead Schindler down a long hallway.

They reach a door, have him step inside and close the door

after him.

INT. SS "CELL" - EVENING

Schindler knocks on the inside of the door. A Waffen SS man

opens it. The "prisoner" peels several bills from a thick

wad.

SCHINDLER:

Chances of getting a bottle of vodka

pretty good?

He hands the young guard five times the going price.

WAFFEN GUARD:

Yes, sir.

The guard turns to leave.

SCHINDLER:

Wait a minute.

He peels off several more bills and hands them over.

SCHINDLER:

Pajamas.

INT. SS "CELL" - MORNING

Perched on the side of the bed in pajamas, Schindler works

on a breakfast of herring and eggs, cheeses, rolls and coffee.

Someone has also brought him a newspaper. There's an

apologetic knock on the door before it opens.

GUARD:

I'm sorry to disturb you, sir.

Whenever you're ready, you're free

to leave.

INT. FOYER, SS HEADQUARTERS - MORNING

Schindler, the Gestapo clerk and one of the arresting officers

cross the foyer.

GESTAPO CLERK:

I'd advise you not to get too

comfortable. Sooner or later, law

prevails. No matter who your friends

are.

Schindler ignores the man completely. Reaching the front

doors, the clerk turns over the D.E.F. records to their owner

and offers his hand. Schindler lets it hang there.

SCHINDLER:

You expect me to walk home, or what?

GESTAPO CLERK:

(tightly)

Bring a car around for Mr. Schindler.

EXT. D.E.F. FACTORY - DAY

A Gestapo limousine pulls in through the gates of the factory,

parks near the loading docks. The driver, the same SS officer,

waits for Schindler to climb out, but he doesn't; he waits

for the SS man to come around and open the door for him.

SCHINDLER:

If you'd return the ledgers to my

office I'd appreciate it.

There are no less than forty able-bodied Jewish laborers

working on the docks, any one of which would be better suited

to the task. The Gestapo man calls to one of them.

SCHINDLER:

Excuse me -- hey --

(the guy turns)

They're working.

The guy just stares. Finally he heads off with the ledgers.

The poodle bounds out past him and over to Schindler. He

gives the dog a pat on the head.

EXT. SCHINDLER'S BUILDING - EVENING

Elegantly dressed for a night out, Schindler and Klonowska

emerge from the building. As they're escorted to the waiting

car, Schindler hesitates. A nervous figure in the shadows of

an alcove is gesturing to him, beckoning him.

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