Taking Sides Page #15

STEVE:

He did?

RODE:

One of your people told me.

STEVE:

One of my people?

They start to walk away from the water.

RODE:

Yes. A corporal. US Army. A Jew.

He said he'd seen the telegram in

the Chancellery.

STEVE:

Son-of-a-gun. We'll find the

corporal and we'll find the

telegram.

He stops, takes out a cigarette, offers one to Rode, lights

them both, gives Rode the packet. They smoke for a moment.

STEVE:

But I need documentary proof. You

know of anything like that?

RODE:

No. But that's why we hated him.

We admired him as a conductor but

we all hated him too because he

didn't have to join the Party and

yet he had a better life than any

of us. He didn't have to go and

deliver a report after every trip

abroad. He got everything from

them, everything. He was filthier

than any of us Party members.

The sun is setting. Rode stops suddenly.

RODE:

There's a rumour... I don't know

if it's true or not... but ask him

about von der Null.

STEVE:

Never heard of him, who is he?

RODE:

Edwin von der Null. Music critic.

He gave Furtwängler terrible reviews

while he raved about Herbert von

Karajan.

STEVE:

Who's he?

RODE:

Also a conductor. Very brilliant.

Young. Von der Null called him

'The Miracle von Karajan'.

Furtwängler was outraged and they

say he had von der Null conscripted

into the army. The same thing

happened to another critic. True

or not, it's not such a bad idea.

Critics give you bad reviews, you

have them sent to the Russian front.

(Chuckks.)

But if you really want to get

Furtwängler, ask him about Herbert

von Karajan.

STEVE:

The Miracle Kid.

RODE:

Yes, yes you may notice that he

cannot even bring himself to utter

his name, he... he refers to him

as K.

Rode tries to make up his mind about something, then

decides. He reaches into an inside pocket and takes out a

small black notebook.

RODE:

And ask him about his private life.

STEVE:

His private life?

Rode hesitates, then he hands Steve the black book.

RODE:

Yes, it's all in here. His women.

INT. ARCHIVE ROOM - DAY

Steve going along the shelves filled with files. He's at

the H, then I, then J. He stops at the letter K. With his

forefinger, he runs down the files. He stops, pulls out a

fat file:

'KARAJAN,H.VON'

He opens the file.

INSERT:
- the file:

ID PHOTOGRAPHS of an energetic-looking young man and two

Nazi Party membership booklets.

INT. CAFETERIA - DAY

David makes his way from the counter. He carries a tray

with two cups of coffee. He goes to a table where CAPTAIN

MARTIN sits, papers and files spread before him. David

gives him his coffee, then sits across from him, blows his

nose.

Silence while they sugar and milk their coffee. David aware

of Martin's eyes on him.

MARTIN:

Where do you stand on all this?

DAVID:

On all what?

MARTIN:

On Furtwängler.

DAVID:

I don't know.

He breaks off.

MARTIN:

You represent the United States

now. We have a moral duty to be

just and we have to be seen to be

just.

DAVID:

Major Arnold believes he has a

moral duty, too.

MARTIN:

Our duty is to help Furtwängler

with his defence,

(carefully)

That's why I want you to look at

this...

(he selects papers

from the table.)

These are part of the transcripts

of the trial at Nuremberg. We can't

get them translated fast enough.

But I guess you understand German,

right?

Passes papers across to David.

MARTIN:

That's the evidence of a guy named

Dahlerus. He's a Swede. Friend of

Hermann Goering. I want you to

study it. And I want you to use

it.

David tries to sneeze but fails; he starts to read.

MARTIN:

We're going to find more stuff to

feed you. We'll have some other

suggestions. We need to build a

case for the defence - based not

on feelings, not on prejudice, but

on facts.

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