Schindler's List Page #9

INVESTOR:

I gave you money.

-- but Schindler and Pfefferberg are already gone, coming

through the front office and out the front door --

EXT. STOREFRONT - CONTINUOUS - DAY

-- to the street. Pfefferberg looks a little shaken from the

experience. Schindler straightens his friend's clothes.

SCHINDLER:

How you feeling, all right?

PFEFFERBERG:

Yeah.

SCHINDLER:

What's the matter, everything all

right at home?

(Pfefferberg nods)

Mila's okay?

PFEFFERBERG:

She's good.

Well, then, Schindler can't imagine what could be wrong. He

pats Pfefferberg on the shoulder and leads him away.

SCHINDLER:

Good.

INT. FACTORY FLOOR - DAY

The long tables accommodate most of workers. The rest eat

their lunch on the floor. Soup and bread.

INT. SCHINDLER'S OFFICE - SAME TIME - DAY

An elegant place setting for one. Meat, vegetables, glass of

wine, all untouched. Schindler leafing through pages of a

report Stern has prepared for him.

SCHINDLER:

I could try to read this or I could

eat my lunch while it's till hot.

We're doing well?

STERN:

Yes.

SCHINDLER:

Better this month than last?

STERN:

Yes.

SCHINDLER:

Any reason to think next month will

be worse?

STERN:

The war could end.

No chance of that. Satisfied, Schindler returns the report

to his accountant and starts to eat. Stern knows he is

excused, but looks like he wants to say something more; he

just doesn't know how to say it.

SCHINDLER:

(impatient)

What?

STERN:

(pause)

There's a machinist outside who'd

like to thank you personally for

giving him a job.

Schindler gives his accountant a long-suffering look.

STERN:

He asks every day. It'll just take a

minute. He's very grateful.

Schindler's silence says, Is this really necessary? Stern

pretends it's a tacit okay, goes to the door and pokes his

head out.

STERN:

Mr. Lowenstein?

An old man with one arm appears in the doorway and Schindler

glances to the ceiling, to heaven. As the man slowly makes

his way into the room, Schindler sees the bruises on his

face. And when he speaks, only half his mouth moves; the

other half is paralyzed.

LOWENSTEIN:

I want to thank you, sir, for giving

me the opportunity to work.

SCHINDLER:

You're welcome, I'm sure you're doing

a great job.

Schindler shakes the man's hand perfunctorily and tells Stern

with a look, okay, that's enough, get him out of here.

LOWENSTEIN:

The SS beat me up. They would have

killed me, but I'm essential to the

war effort, thanks to you.

SCHINDLER:

That's great.

LOWENSTEIN:

I work hard for you. I'll continue

to work hard for you.

SCHINDLER:

That's great, thanks.

LOWENSTEIN:

God bless you, sir.

SCHINDLER:

Yeah, okay.

LOWENSTEIN:

You're a good man.

Schindler is dying, and telling Stern with his eyes, Get

this guy out of here. Stern takes the man's arm.

STERN:

Okay, Mr. Lowenstein.

LOWENSTEIN:

He saved my life.

STERN:

Yes, he did.

LOWENSTEIN:

God bless him.

STERN:

Yes.

They disappear out the door. Schindler sits down to his meal.

And tries to eat it.

EXT. FACTORY - DAY

Stern and Schindler emerge from the rear of the factory. The

Mercedes is waiting, the back door held open by a driver.

Climbing in --

SCHINDLER:

Don't ever do that to me again.

STERN:

Do what?

Stern knows what he means. And Schindler knows he knows.

SCHINDLER:

Close the door.

The driver closes the door.

EXT. GHETTO GATE - DAY

Snow on the ground and more coming down. A hundred of

Schindler's workers marching past the ghetto gate, as is the

custom, under armed guard. Turning onto Zablocie Street,

they're halted by an SS unit standing around some trucks.

EXT. ZABLOCIE STREET - DAY

Shovels scraping at snow. The marchers working to clear it

from the street. A dialog between one of the guards and an

SS officer is interrupted by a shot -- and the face of the

one-armed machinist falls into the frame.

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