Son of Saul Page #11

Shooting Draft April 25, 2014

57.

Saul stops and lets his comrades go past him and disappear

behind the crowd. New civilians keep coming. Other prisoners

from the Sonderkommando circle them.

Men, women, children start undressing. A low rumble of

terrorized voice fills the air.

A YOUNG WOMAN, who has been standing close to Saul, tries to

talk to him. She looks at Saul, waiting for some kind of

answer. She tries to catch his arm.

Saul pushes her back, and she stumbles. A FOREMAN pulls her

up brutally.

Saul sees the young woman as she pulls up her dress, glancing

around in a shy way.

In the background a KAPO organizes his men. +

He looks away and sees a middle-aged man with a big beard, a

RABBI, in the crowd. He is taking off his white shirt. +

Saul touches his arm. The rabbi and the few WOMEN around him

look at Saul in a strange way.

SAUL (CONT’D)

(in a mixture of Hungarian

and Yiddish, whispers)

You a rabbi? Come.

The rabbi does not seem to understand. A middle-aged woman

comes closer to Saul, shows the rabbi.

RABBI’S WIFE

Rebbe, rebbe.

Behind Saul, another man with a slight beard, has stopped

undressing and watches the scene. It is BRAUN, a tall man in +

his forties. Saul turns his back on him.

The strident sound of whistles can be heard, not far from

them. Some orders are shouted.

Braun catches Saul’s sleeve and tries to tell him something.

But Saul escapes from him and goes to two members of the

Sonderkommando who are busy collecting personal belongings on

the ground. Saul picks up a jacket.

All at once, the men of the Sonderkommando start pushing the

crowd further into the woods.

The civilians depart reluctantly, and Saul follows suit,

trying to get closer to the rabbi, who is bare-chested.

Landesman appears for an instant somewhere in the crowd. +

Shooting Draft April 25, 2014

58.

Saul now walks next to the rabbi, and touches his shoulder. +

He shows him the jacket he holds. He gives it to him.

A KAPO appears and goes to Saul.

KAPO IN THE WOODS

(in German)

You’re not talking to anybody, are

you?

Saul shakes his head.

Landesman sees Saul and tries to get closer. +

The whole group follows the path among the trees.

A light is reflected on the faces. +

Smoke rises up in the air. People who still have some fabric

or clothing in their hand cover their faces. The loud sound

of a gigantic fire burning and branches cracking overwhelms

the crying and the shouting of the people. Whistles can be

heard throughout the scene.

Saul concentrates on the rabbi. In the background, an

enormous trench with fire burning in it appears. SS OFFICERS +

come and go near the edge of the trench, they seem to hold

small weapons.

Saul takes the rabbi by his arm, and brings him to Schlojme,

who stands on the side. Shlojme is discreetly drinking from a

bottle.

SCHLOJME:

(in Yiddish)

You here?

SAUL:

(in broken Yiddish)

Strong man for Sonderkommando. +

Schlojme shrugs his shoulders.

SCHLOJME:

(in Yiddish)

You want to be replaced already?

In the background, near the trench, it is now obvious that

some people are brought to the officers. Gunshots are heard.

Busch comes and goes along the trench, with an excited look +

on his face, and hastens the men of the Sonderkommandos. The +

young woman disappears near the fire. +

Shooting Draft April 25, 2014

59.

BUSCH +

(in German, to the men of

the Sonderkommando)

Jews, that’s how you do it!

Moaning all around. On the faces of the prisoners of the

Sonderkommando, the horror.

Saul takes Schlojme’s arm and pushing the rabbi along, he

heads toward an SS OFFICER.

The officer turns to Schlojme.

OFFICER 4

(in German)

What?

SAUL:

(in broken Yiddish, to

Schlojme)

Tell. Strong man, for +

Sonderkommando... +

SCHLOJME:

(in Yiddish)

You lost your mind?

OFFICER 4

(in German)

What?

The SS sees something behind, and takes the rabbi’s arm,

pushes Saul to the side, who falls. Schlojme glances at him

and hurries away.

Saul sees a forest of naked legs around him. Some people wear

trousers, they run. Some yell.

Saul, still on the ground, sees as the rabbi is taken by the

officer to the trench and shot.

Saul sees Landesman, takes by Busch, furious. Landesman tries +

to explain something. Busch shots Landesman, he falls to the +

ground. +

Saul slowly tries to get up, but hears something from behind.

BRAUN:

Rabbi. Rabbi.

Saul undoes his Sonderkommando jacket and shirt, and gives

them to the man who peers out of the darkness. +

Saul, half naked, looks for the right clothes in the chaos.

Shooting Draft April 25, 2014

60.

Suddenly, an SS GUARD grabs his arm and pushes him into the

line of civilians aligned in front of the burning trench.

SAUL:

(in German)

Sonderkommando. Sonderkommando!

The guard does not even listen.

Saul looks around, helpless, as people disappear in front of

him into the trench.

At the end of the line an SS OFFICER with a revolver is

standing next to Mietek, who’s acting hectically.

Saul looks around at the faces of people waiting for their

death.

When it is his turn, the SS OFFICER raises his weapon.

Saul looks at Mietek, who looks at him, disgusted.

MIETEK:

(in German)

You are from a Kommando, you

vermin!

SAUL:

(in German)

B-7005, Sonderkommando!

Mietek takes Saul out of the line.

MIETEK:

(in German)

This time you’d better have two

bracelets.

Saul looks inside the shoes lying on the ground. Mietek

furiously hits him with his stick.

MIETEK (CONT’D)

(in German)

Hurry!

A voice shouts Mietek’s name. Mietek freezes and runs off.

Saul grabs a pair of trousers on the ground. He quickly

dresses up, and runs out, looking for the man he saved.

He finds him on the side. Then, he takes him when no guard is

watching to a few meters into the woods.

Shooting Draft April 25, 2014

61.

SAUL:

(in Hungarian, breathless)

You will help me bury my son.

Saul wraps Braun’s bearded face in a strip of clothe. He

wraps Braun’s arm as well, as if burned.

+

+

CUT TO:

36 EXT. KREMATORIUM GATES / COURTYARD - NIGHT

Prisoners of the Sonderkommando stand in front of the gates,

watched by a GUARD.

Braun stands next to Saul, quietly shivering. Braun looks

back at the woods behind.

+

+

Schlojme, the intoxicated kapo, counts the men.

67!

SCHLOJME:

(in German)

+

Schlojme starts talking to another Kapo, as if something was

wrong. An SS OFFICER comes to them.

SS OFFICER 4

(in German)

67? What’s going on, you filthy

scum?

+

+

The kapos talk to him, but their conversation cannot be

heard.

Saul and Braun look at the scene. Braun seems terrorized.

Schlojme, weary, comes toward them. He looks at the man, and

then at Saul.

SCHLOJME:

(in Yiddish, whispers)

Who the hell is this?

SAUL:

(in broken Yiddish)

He’s from Krema II. Biederman

expects him.

SCHLOJME:

(in Yiddish)

The hell I care!

The SS officer walks toward them.

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