The Death of Stalin Page #11

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Khrustalyov! My car!

The other committee members look at each other for a beat,

then rush off after him. Suddenly everyone's in a hurry.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 55.

BULGANIN:

We need equilibrium. Soon.

MIKOYAN:

“Equilibrium”, bollocks. Give me

chaos every time. Got more meat on

it.

93 EXT./INT. DACHA - FRONT OF BUILDING/BERIA'S CAR - DAY 93

Beria arrives at his limo. Khrustalyov opens the door and he

gets in. An NKVD officer is in the driver seat, Khrustalyov

stays outside. He nods to his boss and heads into the dacha.

Inside the car, the young waitress Beria saw earlier is

cuffed to the car door. She's frightened. He smiles at her.

BERIA:

I know. Sad times.

The car starts but the courtyard’s a logjam of vehicles all

trying to get out. Other committee members hurry to their

vehicles, drivers holding open the doors for them. Svetlana

heads with an NKVD man to her limo. Horns start to blare.

Political manoeuvering. NKVD men trying futilely to direct.

Then, in the chaos, NKVD men emerge carrying a plain wooden

coffin. They load it onto the back of a truck and climb in.

Beria gets out of his car. Stands solemnly. The others are

obliged to get out and show their respect. The NKVD clear a

path for the truck and escorts. Beria’s car following. He’s

won the scramble.

The others start their cars. Horns blaring, cars jostling...

94 EXT. STALIN'S DACHA - FRONT OF BUILDING/ROAD - DAY 94

The last of the limos drive away. An empty road. Silence.

Then - a rumbling, getting nearer. A CONVOY of NKVD trucks

coming up the road, through the gates, into the courtyard.

Armed NKVD MEN pour out, occupying the house and grounds.

Kobulov barks into a loudhailer.

KOBULOV:

Comrades! We share your grief! You

will assemble in the courtyard for

further instructions!

95 INT. STALIN'S DACHA - VARIOUS LOCATIONS - DAY 95

Busts, portraits, furniture, files, are removed, and medical

equipment from the outhouse. Stalin's turntable, the record

still on it, is loaded into a box, nailed shut.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 56.

Some STAFF are already in a line in front of the house,

others are brought out by the NKVD, including the chef and

the doctors. Some have belongings, some nothing. A lot of

orders are being shouted. People are frightened, confused.

A supposedly dead Stalin, in a dressing gown and slippers, is

marched out. The chef turns to his confused neighbour.

CHEF:

His lookalike. I think his contract

just ran out.

The LOOKALIKE is taken round the corner to be shot. But the

SOLDIER executioner can’t do it. Looks like HIM. Someone

quickly throws a cloth over the lookalike’s head. Good. Bang.

A second lookalike is marched out. Another, third lookalike,

clearly a younger, fitter man, makes a break for it. Close up

of a young, fit Stalin running for his life away from the

dacha. But we cut away before any mine explosion. In fact,

the explosion doesn't come...

96 INT/EXT. STALIN'S DACHA - KITCHEN/FRONT - DAY 96

Delov and Two NKVD OFFICERS search the kitchen. They discover

Matryona, crouched between two gas stoves, her eyes shut.

DELOV:

Hey, you! On your feet!

Matryona is hauled up and dragged out the front door.

Now we hear and just about see a mine explode in the woods.

97 INT. STALIN'S DACHA - HALLWAY - DAY 97

The soldier and sergeant are asleep. Khrustalyov appears with

Pervak.

PERVAK:

Attention!

The soldiers dozily comes to attention.

KHRUSTALYOV:

At ease. You can stand down now.

There's food in the kitchen.

SERGEANT:

Thank you, sir.

They head down a long corridor with a kitchen at the end.

Then the sergeant comes back into view, collapsing to the

floor, unconscious. NKVD arms reach into the doorway framing

our view and drag him out.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 57.

The other soldier runs across the doorway followed by two

NKVD MEN. It's messy. The soldier may have gotten away into

the woods. We don’t know.

98 EXT. STALIN'S DACHA - FRONT OF BUILDING/GROUNDS - DAY 98

Loaded trucks pull out of the courtyard.

We are with Matryona as the truck moves off. From her pov we

see Khrustalyov join Kobulov in the courtyard. They get

smaller and smaller in the distance. Kobulov shoots

Khrustalyov in the head. Other landmines go off.

CUT TO:

99 INT. KHRUSHCHEV'S APARTMENT/MALENKOV'S APARTMENT - EARLY 99

EVENING:

Khrushchev is chopping vegetables. A tired Bulganin is sat at

the kitchen table.

KHRUSHCHEV:

So... Beria's introduced 'special

measures' to 'reduce the panic'?

Carrots.

He looks at Bulganin, meaningfully, as if sounding him out.

Bulganin passes him a couple of carrots.

KHRUSHCHEV (CONT’D)

It's good to prepare, get

everything ready.

He looks at Bulganin, meaningfully, as if sounding him out.

BULGANIN:

Are we talking about Beria or the

stroganoff?

Khrushchev goes over to his washing machine.

KHRUSHCHEV:

I built a big factory making these.

Khrushchev turns it on. It makes a terrifyingly loud noise.

BULGANIN:

(shouting over it)

If Russia was a noise, then that

would be it.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Not so good for washing clothes.

Very useful for

“conversations”..about Beria.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 58.

A pause.

BULGANIN:

Look, it's important someone takes

control.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Someone like Beria?

The conversation is suddenly significant. Bulganin comes up

to Khrushchev so they can talk quietly.

BULGANIN:

It should certainly be someone who

has the support of all parts of the

party.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Like Beria?

BULGANIN:

Well certainly one of us.

KHRUSHCHEV:

So... maybe not Beria?

BULGANIN:

You’re very good with that knife.

It’s ...

KHRUSHCHEV:

(interrupting)

I'm saying... maybe not be Beria...

We should get rid of him.

BULGANIN:

Yes. Yes! And soon! Punish him!

Stick him in a room with twelve big

hungry, horny Serbians!

Suddenly the washing machine comes to a juddery stop,

interrupting Bulganin. The men stare at one another in panic.

Khrushchev tastes a spoonful of food, not yet ready to eat.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Mmm. That is good. Delicious.

The machine starts again. Khrushchev spits out the food.

KHRUSHCHEV (CONT’D)

Feh! Raw!

BULGANIN:

We should take acting classes. If

Stalin hadn't killed all the

actors.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 59.

(MORE)

Look, I want to come on board, but

we don't have the numbers.

Suddenly the phone rings. Has someone been listening in?

Tentatively Bulganin answers as Khrushchev adds some of the

vegetables to a pot on the stove.

We see Malenkov, Mikoyan standing next to him, by the window

of his apartment.

MALENKOV (ON PHONE)

Are you being factional?

BULGANIN:

We're cooking some food.

Khrushchev grabs the phone.

MALENKOV:

I can see you, you know.

We cut to reveal the two apartment windows look on to each

other, very close in distance. We see Khrushchev in one

window, Malenkov in the other.

MALENKOV (CONT’D)

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