Schindler's List Page #16

SCHINDLER:

Oh, good, yeah.

Schindler clearly doesn't care, but nods as though he did.

He drinks. Goeth just watches him with what seems to be

growing amusement. He nods to Hujar to continue.

HUJAR:

Since your labor is housed on-site,

it's available to you at all times.

You can work them all night if you

want. Your factory policies, whatever

they've been in the past, they'll

continue to be, they'll be respected --

Schindler laughs out loud, cutting Hujar off. Hujar glances

over to Goeth nonplussed.

SCHINDLER:

I'm sorry.

He's not sorry at all, and starts in on the plate of food

that's set down in front of him.

GOETH:

You know, they told me you were going

to be trouble -- Czurda and Scherner.

SCHINDLER:

You're kidding.

Goeth slowly shakes his head no... then smiles.

GOETH:

He looks great, though, doesn't he?

I have to know -- where do you get a

suit like that? what is that, silk?

(Schindler nods)

It's great.

SCHINDLER:

I'd say I'd get you one but the guy

who made it, he's probably dead, I

don't know.

He shrugs like, those are the breaks, too bad. Goeth just

smiles. The others watch the two of them, unsure how they're

supposed to react.

INT. GOETH'S OFFICE - PLASZOW - LATER - DAY

The others have gone. It's just Goeth and Schindler now.

Goeth pours glasses of cognac.

GOETH:

Something wonderful's happened, do

you know what it is? Without planning

it, we've reached that happy point

in our careers where duty and

financial opportunity meet.

Schindler nods pensively, perhaps in agreement, perhaps at

some other thought. There's a silence, broken finally by --

SCHINDLER:

I go to work the other day, there's

nobody there. Nobody tells me about

this, I have to find out, I have to

go in, everybody's gone --

GOETH:

They're not gone, they're here.

SCHINDLER:

They're mine!

His voice echoes into silence. An acquiescent shrug from

Goeth finally. And a nod; Schindler's right.

SCHINDLER:

Every day that goes by, I'm losing

money. Every worker that is shot,

costs me money -- I have to get

somebody else, I have to train them --

GOETH:

We're going to be making so much

money, none of this is going to matter --

SCHINDLER:

(cutting him off)

It's bad business.

GOETH:

(shrugs)

Some of the boys went crazy, what're

you going to do? You're right, it's

bad business, but it's over with,

it's done.

(pause)

Occasionally, sure, okay, you got to

make an example. But that's good

business.

Schindler pours himself another shot from the bottle, nurses

it. He's in a foul mood. They study each other, trying to

determine perhaps who's more powerful. Eventually --

GOETH:

Scherner told me something else about

you.

SCHINDLER:

Yeah, what's that?

GOETH:

That you know the meaning of the

word gratitude. That it's not some

vague thing with you like with some

guys.

SCHINDLER:

True.

Goeth tries to put the situation in perspective:

GOETH:

You want to stay where you are. You

got things going on the side, things

are good, you don't want anybody

telling you what to do -- I can

understand all that.

(pause)

What you want is your own sub-camp.

Schindler admits it by not disagreeing. Goeth thinks about

it, nods to himself again, then frowns.

GOETH:

Do you have any idea what's involved?

The paperwork alone? Forget you got

to build it all, getting the f***ing

permits, that's enough to drive you

crazy. Then the engineers show up.

They stand around and they argue

about drainage -- I'm telling you,

you'll want to shoot somebody, I've

been through it, I know.

SCHINDLER:

Well, you've been through it. You

know. You could make things easier

for me.

Goeth mulls it over, his shrug saying "maybe, maybe not." A

silence before --

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