Taking Sides Page #6

Dymshitz, small, intelligent face, cunning eyes.

DAVID'S VOICE

art historian, head of the famous

Leningrad Museum of Art. He is an

expert on German culture.

Green, correct, formal, precise, immaculate. Richards,

bespectacled and nondescript. Vernay, upright, proud.

VERNAY:

(suddenly raising

his voice)

Je suis navré, Colonel, cette

peinture n'est pas la propriété de

I'union soviétique mats bien cette

de la France.

GREEN:

What's he saying? Henri, what is

you saying?

AMERICAN AIDE:

He's saying that picture is the

property of France

VERNAY:

C'est un Braque qui avec Picasso

était un des pionniers du cubisme.

DYMSHITZ:

(in French)

I know who Georges Braque is,

Captain.

AMERICAN AIDE:

(almost

simultaneously)

It's a Barque.

FRENCH AIDE:

We can produce the provenance of

this Braque, you say provenance?

INT./EXT. SALON OFF THE BALLROOM AND TERRACE - DAY

Outside the club room for the participants. Buzz of

conversation, clink of glasses, cups. The terrace is

deserted.

A waiter carries a tray with various refreshments to a

quiet corner where Dymshitz, Green, Vernay, his aide

LIEUTENANT SIMON, Steve and David sit in comfortable

armchairs. The waiter serves them. During this:

DYMSHITZ:

Hello, Major, my name is Dymshitz.

I'm glad to see you.

STEVE:

Colonel. Pleasure.

DYMSHITZ:

So, Major, tell me, have you

questioned Dr. Furtwängler?

STEVE:

Not yet.

DYMSHITZ:

I've had two meetings with him.

He's a great musician. Maybe the

greatest conductor in the world.

His Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert -

unequalled.

Steve makes a non-committal gesture.

DYMSHITZ:

I'll come straight to point. I've

offered him a very attractive

position. Conductor of the

Staatsoper Unten den Linden. He

refused. But I want him. I want

him badly. And I want your help.

GREEN:

Hey, just a moment, you should

have discussed this with me first.

DYMSHITZ:

I'm discussing it with you now.

Major, I want you to drop your

investigation, save everybody time

and trouble.

GREEN:

We can't drop a case just like

that.

DYMSHITZ:

I'll give you another conductor in

exchange or writer, musician, actor

what...what do you care? But I

like Furtwängler. He's my favourite

conductor.

(chuckles.)

Mine and Hitler's. He's our

favourite conductor.

INT. WAITING ROOM - DAY

Rode is seated, waiting. Nervous, tense. The sound of

laughter, David's laughter from the office. It makes him

even more uncomfortable.

INT. STEVE'S OFFICE SUITE - DAY

Emmi and David laughing.

DAVID:

I clicked my heels, saluted and

bowed at the same time.

He demonstrates. She laughs again.

EMMI:

That's because you had a proper

upbringing.

DAVID:

That's right. I was raised very

strictly. So don't speak before

you are spoken to!

EMMI:

Oh! And don't wave your hands about!

DAVID:

Respect your elders and your

betters!

EMMI:

And no elbows on the table!

DAVID:

Eating is eating... and...

EMMI:

And talking is talking! Well, I

think we better get on.

DAVID:

Right. So, this is going to be

very formal, too, now. Lieutenant

David Wills requests die pleasure

of die company of Fraulein Emmi

Straube at dinner any night she

cares.

She smiles just as Steve bursts in. He's in a bright,

cheerful, energetic mood.

David draws back guiltily. Emmi, embarrassed, hesitates

then turns to the typewriter and types furiously. Seeing

this, Steve stops, but just for a brief moment. Then, as

he goes to his desk:

STEVE:

David, need to ask you something.

You heard this rumour the British

found something called the Hinkel

Archive?

DAVID:

Yes.

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