The Death of Stalin Page #13

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BERIA (CONT’D)

Mm. Everything at room temperature.

Oh, lighten up. It could be worse.

Be warned.

109 INT. APARTMENT BLOCK - KHRUSHCHEV'S FLAT - NIGHT 109

A miserable Khrushchev eats the stroganoff, occasionally

looking out across the courtyard at the Molotovs, arm in arm.

Nina has a mouthful. Grim. Khrushchev sees her disgust,

silently picks up both plates, scrapes them into a bin.

110 EXT./INT. LUBYANKA ENTRANCE ONTO STREET - NIGHT 110

The waitress' frightened PARENTS wait. She appears -

distraught, stoical. An NKVD GUARD hands the parents Beria’s

bouquet. They hurry off.

111 ARCHIVE MATERIAL 2. 111

RUSSIA IN MOURNING. A red flag with black border flies above

the walls of the Kremlin. Beyond it: Moscow, with more redand-

black flags.

112 EXT. KREMLIN/MOSCOW STREET - DAY 112

Our footage:
NKVD ARRIVING IN VEHICLES, TAKING UP

POSTS/MAKING ROADBLOCKS ON MOSCOW STREETS.

MUSIC ENDS.

113 EXT. KREMLIN - STREET - DAY 113

A Zis limousine arrives at the Kremlin.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 66.

114 INT. KREMLIN - ROW OF 3 INTERCONNECTING ROOMS - DAY 114

Beria walks jauntily through connecting doorways from the far

end.

115 INT. KREMLIN - NEAR END OF INTERCONNECTING ROOMS - DAY 115

Malenkov being made up to look like a leader. He’s

uncomfortable under studio lights as the PHOTOGRAPHER snaps

away and STAFFERS bustle in and out with business. Two MAKEUP

ARTISTS blotting and repairing his make-up.

PERVAK:

Comrade, I’ve scheduled telephone

calls later with...

MALENKOV:

Then tell me LATER.

Beria arrives, looks at Malenkov and laughs.

BERIA:

Almost perfect. Perhaps... an apple

just here, in the mouth?

Chuckling, Malenkov wipes his face with a towel.

MALENKOV:

I have something to tell you.

(over shoulder)

I’ll be back shortly!

A smiling Malenkov grabs Beria and walks stiffly with him

into the middle room. He drops the smile to show his fury.

MALENKOV (CONT’D)

Don’t you ever, EVER, do that

again. Humiliate me in front

of...I’m the General Secretary!

BERIA:

(deferential)

I’m mortified. Genuinely.

MALENKOV:

Looking my best for the People is a

duty.

Malenkov walks through the middle room and into the third

room. His walks still seems a little stiff.

BERIA:

Of course. Shall we...

MALENKOV:

(spotting Pervak)

What now?

20 May 2016 Draft 10 67.

PERVAK:

Apologies. The seating plan for...

MALENKOV:

Give it to Blavatsky. He’s an

expert at sitting on his ass.

BERIA:

Shall we get onto..

MALENKOV:

Yes, the committee meeting. Item

One. The lists. These arrests and

“interrogations”. Do we just take

them down a gear, or....

BERIA:

Hold off altogether?

MALENKOV:

What, “freeze” them?

BERIA:

“Freeze”? Excellent thought. Yes,

we could freeze arrests, maybe even

release some low-level prisoners?

MALENKOV:

Oh, f*** me. Really? Is this what

the old man would have wanted?

BERIA:

Stalin was radical and popular.

MALENKOV:

Liberalisation WOULD be radical.

Now Delov has edged a little way into the room.

MALENKOV (CONT’D)

I WILL ADDRESS WHATEVER HORSESHIT

YOU HAVE, PRESENTLY!

BERIA:

No, this is something I wanted to

show you.

Beria walks stiffly to the third room. Malenkov follows, as

if he was going to do anyway.

Delov produces on a stand an iconic photograph of Stalin

hugging a young girl on a balcony.

BERIA (CONT’D)

I thought, a photo of you and the

girl. Continuity?

20 May 2016 Draft 10 68.

MALENKOV:

(delighted)

Good idea. We show how we’re taking

Stalin’s humanity forward...

BERIA:

(to Delov)

Find this girl.

They leave the room.

116 INT. WEIRD-LOOKING KREMLIN ROOM OR CORRIDOR - DAY 116

Moments later. Malenkov and Beria walking to the meeting.

MALENKOV:

My chief concern is admitting we

were wrong. All those arrests. And

deaths...

BERIA:

We were being loyal. I promoted

Stalin’s truth without question. I

can promote a new truth without

blinking.

An unblinking beat.

BERIA (CONT’D)

So, I’ll push on with the releases?

MALENKOV:

Alright, but proceed carefully.

BERIA:

Of course.

MALENKOV:

F*** this up and I’ll have you

shot.

Beria says nothing.

MALENKOV (CONT’D)

Just joking. I was testing you.

BERIA:

Is that a corset?

ANGLE on Malenkov’s body. A GIRDLE is apparent.

MALENKOV:

It's a girdle. Different thing

altogether.

BERIA:

You wear it well.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 69.

MALENKOV:

But not worth raising with the

Committee.

117 EXT. KREMLIN - STREET - DAY 117

Several more Zis limousines arrive at the Kremlin.

118 INT. KREMLIN - MEETING ROOM N°1 - DAY 118

The committee sit at a table in an impressive, high-ceilinged

room. Malenkov is at the head of the table with his new

hairdo and a smart new outfit. The room is dominated by a

giant portrait of Stalin.

BERIA:

So, in accordance with...

(re portrait)

...his will, I propose Comrade

Malenkov be named Chairman of the

Council of Ministers. And General

Secretary of the Party.

MALENKOV:

(pompous nod)

And I propose Comrade Beria for

First Vice-Chairman, Council of

Ministers. Those in favour.

Beria, Malenkov and Mikoyan instantly put their hands up.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Wait. Those are two separate

proposals. Comrade Beria is

incredibly busy combining his roles

as Minister for both the Interior

and Security. It would perhaps be

kinder for someone else to carry

the happy burden of Vice-Chairman.

BERIA:

I thank Comrade Khrushchev for his

concern but I can assure you that

I'm capable of doing two things at

once.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Well, it would actually be three

things.

MALENKOV:

Let's move to a vote.

(to Beria)

On both proposals?

Beria gesticulates as if to say 'Up to you'.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 70.

MALENKOV (CONT’D)

Yes, on both. Me as General

Secretary and Comrade Beria as Vice-

Chairman. All those in favour?

Malenkov, Beria and Mikoyan raise their hands. Molotov joins

them, then Bulganin and Kaganovich.

MALENKOV (CONT’D)

Carried...

Grudgingly, Khrushchev raises his hand.

MALENKOV (CONT’D)

...unanimously. Next...

BERIA:

(interrupting)

We need someone to take charge of

the funeral.

MOLOTOV:

What about Comrade Khrushchev?

KHRUSHCHEV:

(looking at Beria)

Where’s this come from?

MALENKOV:

Yes, good thought.

BERIA:

I formally propose that Comrade

Khrushchev be given the honour of

organising the funeral.

KHRUSHCHEV:

(to Beria)

But that will tie up all of my

time, won’t it?

BERIA:

If I can do three jobs at once, you

can at least do two.

KHRUSHCHEV:

But I need to be...

MOLOTOV:

(interrupting)

You wanted to honour his legacy.

You told me last night, in the

bathroom.

Molotov winks at Khrushchev: he's doing him a great favour.

MALENKOV/BERIA

All those in favour..

20 May 2016 Draft 10 71.

Again, Molotov, Beria, Malenkov and Mikoyan raise their

hands. Kaganovich decides to raise his hand.

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