The Death of Stalin Page #10

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Stalin's eyes are open. Beria moves the others out of the way

and takes pride of place right by Stalin's head.

BERIA (CONT’D)

That’s impossible! And wonderful!

Long live the Union!

Stalin meets Beria's eye. Then points at Khrushchev.

KAGANOVICH:

Maybe he's appointing a successor?

KHRUSHCHEV:

(a little bit pleased)

Do you think?

STALIN’S POV:
his finger passes across all the committee

members. The finger stops, points to Matryona.

KAGANOVICH:

Maybe not.

He points past her, to the wall. They all turn to look at a

painting of a young girl feeding a lamb through a bottle.

MALENKOV:

Maybe he's saying: "I am like this

lamb and you, my children, have

given me life."

20 May 2016 Draft 10 50.

KHRUSHCHEV:

No. Stalin’s the GIRL, nourishing

the Lamb - the Union - with Marxism-

Leninism.

SVETLANA:

My father is not a girl!

MALENKOV:

He’s the milk!

MIKOYAN:

YOU’RE the tit.

BULGANIN:

Maybe he just wants a drink...

Everyone agrees. Matryona offers him some water.

Stalin lowers his hand. Beria goes to Lukomsky, cowering at

the back. He shakes the doctor's hand but doesn't let it go.

BERIA:

You are a hero, Comrade Lukomsky.

LUKOMSKY:

(terrified)

I... Sometimes this happens...

And... I'm incredibly pleased.

BERIA:

I won't forget it.

Beria glares at him - it's a death sentence - then leaves.

86 INT. STALIN'S DACHA - HALLWAY - DAY 86

Beria paces. Agitated, defeated. For the first time, we see

him troubled.

BERIA:

(sotto, to self)

Live, or die. This is just...

dithering.

The original soldier and sergeant are still there, exhausted.

SOLDIER:

Sir, we have remained at our post

as you ordered. Might we

respectfully...

Beria turns round to look at them but..

MIKOYAN (O.S.)

He’s dead!

20 May 2016 Draft 10 51.

Beria’s brief smile. He notes the sergeant has spotted it.

Beria darts back inside.

CUT TO:

87 ARCHIVE MATERIAL 1. 87

Scenes of RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET EMPIRE IN MOURNING

CUT TO:

88 INT. STALIN'S DACHA - HALLWAY - DAY 88

We hear a loudspeaker voiceover as Beria walks.

ANNOUNCER (O.S)

The Presidium of the Supreme

Soviets of the USSR announce with

deep grief that on March 5th at

6.50pm Josef Vissarionovich

Stalin...

89 EXT. GULAG - PRISON YARD - TWILIGHT 89

A brutally cold, frozen, rugged environment. Low, stone

buildings.

PRISONERS listen, shocked; many upset. One of them is the

Nervous Man from the concert. NKVD GUARDS look to each other.

ANNOUNCER (O.S)

...Secretary of the Central

Committee of the Communist Party..

90 INT. KREMLIN - STALIN'S OFFICE - DAY 90

An NKVD man munching on a salami, burning papers in a bin.

91 EXT. RED SQUARE - SQUARE IN FRONT OF STALIN'S OFFICE - DAY 91

The same long shot as before. This time the light turns off.

ANNOUNCER (O.S.)

Chairman of the Council of

Ministers, has died after a serious

illness....

92 INT./EXT. STALIN'S DACHA - OUTHOUSE/SIDE OF DACHA - DAY 92

We see Stalin’s dead face, filling the screen.

A small medical saw is seen starting to cut into the skull.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 52.

Wide to see we’re in an outhouse near the dacha. A doctor

cutting into Stalin’s head with an intense grinding noise.

Laboratory and medical equipment surrounded by spare tyres,

car engine etc. Stalin's body is laid out. Lukomsky and the

doctors, NKVD OFFICERS and committee members are there.

MIKOYAN/MALENKOV/KAGANOVICH/KHRUSHCHEV

/BULGANIN

(wincing)

NOOO!/F*** my boots!/Whoa!...

MIKOYAN:

Sorry, boss! I wish I could take it

for you!

BERIA:

(to Malenkov)

We need to think about the

Presidium!

MALENKOV:

(reacting to the body)

Yes. God. Succession. The Committee

should. Oh. F***. Notify. No.

That’s his... must we see this?

BERIA:

Regrettable! But important this

happens quickly! Transparency!

The double doors at the front of the outhouse are hauled

open. It's Vasily, drunk.

VASILY:

What are you doing to my father,

you jackals!

The very young doctor is peeling back skin on Stalin's skull.

VASILY (CONT’D)

Murderers! You'll kill him!

Beria gestures to the others: he'll deal with this.

BERIA:

Vasily, your father is dead and...

Vasily draws his pistol.

VASILY:

Dividing the spoils? Leave his

brain alone! How old are you?

Beria nods at the NKVD. An NKVD man tries to grab Vasily's

gun but he fires it.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 53.

Everyone dives for cover. Malenkov runs out of the door and

pulls it shut. Bulganin and Khrushchev try to follow but

Malenkov's holding it shut from the other side. Khrushchev

crouches against the door. Mikoyan stands fearless.

NKVD men try to subdue Vasily. He struggles, firing his gun.

VASILY (CONT’D)

Here is your f***ing... harvest!

They drag him away from Stalin but he fires more shots. They

hit Stalin. His head rocks forward as if the shots have

jolted him into life for a moment.

The NKVD get his gun off him. We hear Svetlana's voice.

SVETLANA (O.S.)

Vasily! Vasily! Stop!...

She's come into the garage. Her voice stops him struggling.

VASILY:

Tiny child doctors are cutting up

Papasha! They're filling his brain

with American lies!

She grabs his face, looks right into his eyes.

SVETLANA:

(very quiet)

He’s gone, Vasya. Just you and me

now. Be careful. Remember what Papa

said. Wade gently across the river

because...

(rhythmically digging into

his face)

It. Is. Full. Of. Snakes. And.

Crocodiles.

Vasily nods. He's heard her. Svetlana looks at the NKVD men.

VASILY:

(trying to act normal)

Someone could have told me what to

expect. Next time, tell me.

Beria nods to the NKVD, who let him go.

Malenkov opens the door and comes back in.

BULGANIN:

(to Malenkov)

I understand wanting to leave. But

why hold the door shut? Who does

that?

VASILY:

Cover me, I’m getting Papa!

20 May 2016 Draft 10 54.

Suddenly, Vasily grabs for his gun. Malenkov immediately

closes himself outside again.

MIKOYAN:

(to Malenkov)

Off you go, kitten!

The NKVD men struggle with Vasily, force him to the ground

and sit on him. It's not dignified. Svetlana looks ashamed.

SVETLANA:

(close to Vasily)

Moron. I’m not part of your suicide

pact. You want to die? Shoot

yourself.

VASILY:

You will regret this! You are

sitting on fire! Fire!

BERIA:

He's distressed. We all are.

(to doctors)

Is it done?

One of the petrified doctors nods.

BERIA (CONT’D)

It is finished. Let's go. And

someone do something about all of

this –

(waves vaguely at Stalin)

– then take it to the Kremlin.

SVETLANA:

Where now for me? And my brother?

BERIA:

My men will bring you to Moscow.

KHRUSHCHEV:

I would be honoured to escort you.

Svetlana senses Beria’s antipathy to Khrushchev.

SVETLANA:

Thank you. But no, I’ll go with

Beria’s men.

Beria kisses her and marches out into the courtyard.

BERIA:

Our precious cargo.

(shouting)

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