The Death of Stalin Page #15

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MARIA:

Oh, I can’t TELL you... the

intensity of emotion when I heard.

General ZHUKHOV - 57, imposing, covered in medals - strides

to the coffin, booming greetings to officers in the hall.

He's followed by some of his ENTOURAGE.

ZHUKHOV:

If it wasn’t for this man, I

wouldn’t be here today. - He lent

me his driver! Hah!

(to Pervak)

Pervak! Handsome as ever! Put you

in a frock, I’d marry you myself!

BERIA:

(returning)

Ah, the generalissimo.

ZHUKHOV:

So, what does a war hero have to do

to get some lubrication round here?

(grabs one out of Delov's

hand)

Christ! Where’s this from, a Polish

flamethrower? Tastes like PISS...

Slow-mo on Zhukhov as he drawls out 'Piss' with the caption:

20 May 2016 Draft 10 77.

"FIELD MARSHAL ZHUKHOV, HEAD OF THE SOVIET ARMY".

BACK TO NORMAL:

SPEED:

As the others talk, Mezhnikov shows Malenkov a choice of two

portraits of him on boards to pick from.

Zhukhov reaches the others.

ZHUKHOV (CONT’D)

Nikita! Sorry to hear about your

wife’s affair!

(off his reaction)

She hasn’t had one yet but God, I

like the look of her. Hah!

KHRUSHCHEV:

Yes, she is... pretty.

BERIA:

Zhukhov. So rare to see you away

from a mirror.

ZHUKHOV:

Beria. Must be such a...

(re coffin)

...difficult time for you, hiding

your happiness at a promotion.

(to Khrushchev)

Who stood down the army? Why have

my men been sent back to their

barracks? I’m smiling but I’m very

f***ing furious.

BERIA:

(notices Maria)

Perhaps Comrade Yudina should

prepare those precious hands.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Maria, I am mortified I cannot

escort you, but...

He kisses her hand.

BERIA:

How very friendly. You never kiss

my hand anymore.

MARIA:

So lovely to see you again, Comrade

Khrushchev.

BERIA:

Again?

20 May 2016 Draft 10 78.

MARIA:

I taught his wife’s niece to play.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Katya! Yes, we were both at the

salon recital...

BERIA:

Oh, I LOVE the idea of you at a

“salon”. You have a party trick?

Burping the alphabet?

She sets off, passing Beria who whispers at her.

BERIA (CONT’D)

So many...

(mimes piano-playing)

...notes. Like your one to Stalin.

Which I have.

She looks back as she walks away, rattled.

ZHUKHOV:

So who confined the army to

barracks?

KHRUSHCHEV:

That nonsense was NOT signed off by

the whole committee.

ZHUKHOV:

Ah, so it was only one idiot, not

the full set.

Malenkov has chosen the portrait he likes. He joins them.

MALENKOV:

What's going on?

ZHUKHOV:

Talk of the devil.

BERIA:

(to Zhukhov)

The decision was mine supported by

Comrade Malenkov...

MALENKOV:

(not sure what they’re

discussing)

We took a view. And made a

decision...

BERIA:

We’re discussing the city security.

MALENKOV:

I know.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 79.

ZHUKHOV:

(about Malenkov’s hair)

Christ, did Coco Chanel sh*t on

your head?

(to Beria)

Moscow will be boiling with people.

Your pansy torturers won't cope,

you know. That’s a job for MEN.

BERIA:

Oh, I have PLENTY. NKVD AND the...

MALENKOV:

Interior troops. Merged now, into

this “KGB”...

ZHUKHOV:

(kissy lips)

“KGB”. Even SOUNDS like a bunch of

nancies.

BERIA:

We’re controlling the crowd at

source. All trains inbound to

Moscow have been cancelled...

KHRUSHCHEV:

(interrupts)

But... I'm the trains! I'm the

f***ing funeral, I... I should have

been asked.

GIRL:

(to Khrushchev)

Please, Sir. I need to go...

MALENKOV:

I think she needs the toilet.

ZHUKHOV:

(to Malenkov)

You need the army here. Not Beria’s

Keystone Cops.

BERIA:

Maybe we should see who can

mobilise first. Oh. It seems to be

me...

He heads off before Zhukhov can answer.

MALENKOV:

(to Zhukhov)

We've got this under control.

(to Khrushchev)

You:
find me the right girl.

(to little girl)

20 May 2016 Draft 10 80.

(MORE)

And you:
go to that lady over there

and she'll take you to the toilet.

He sets off after Beria. Delov heads off with the girls.

ZHUKHOV:

I need to punch someone.

KHRUSHCHEV:

May I suggest...

Khrushchev nods at a stack of boards with a portrait of a

very airbrushed Malenkov being carried past.

ZHUKHOV:

He looks like my auntie after two

peach brandies.

MEZHNIKOV:

(calls from by the doors)

We're opening the doors!

A line of MEN IN COLOURFUL AIR FORCE/NAVY UNIFORMS take

position at intervals from the door to the coffin and beyond.

We hear a large CROWD coming up the stairs. They pour in

through the doors, a tidal wave of grieving humanity.

CUT TO:

121 EXT. HALL OF COLUMNS - DAY 121

Our footage of queues outside the Hall of Columns.

MIXED INTO:

122 ARCHIVE MATERIAL 3. 122

Footage of crowds gathering all over Russia.

123 EXT. DINGY COURTYARD OUTSIDE MOSCOW - DAY 123

Our Kiev footage of people leaving their houses, traipsing

down Moscow streets. We focus on a FAMILY; a mother, father

and their two young children.

124 EXT. RAILWAY TRACKS - DAY 124

Poor people, many in tears, walk along tracks, towards a

barrier. NKVD MEN with machine guns stand by. Their senior

officer is FEDIN.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 81.

MALENKOV (CONT'D)

FEDIN:

No trains to Moscow! No... go... go

back to your homes...

The crowd of people turn around and trudge purposefully along

the railway track. Among them is the family we saw in sc123.

125 EXT. HOUSE OF THE TRADE UNIONS - DAY 125

Our shots of crowds growing outside.

MIXED WITH:

126 ARCHIVE MATERIAL 4. 126

FOOTAGE OF HUGE CROWDS SNAKING UP THE STAIRS.

MIXED WITH:

127 INT. HOUSE OF THE TRADE UNIONS - DAY 127

Our footage of the queue filing past Stalin.

128 INT. HALL OF COLUMNS - BALCONY - DAY 128

Svetlana chatting to Bulganin and Mikoyan, who clearly have

to be somewhere else but feel obliged to talk to her.

SVETLANA:

...Papa always spoke with great

fondness of you two. “My hammer and

sickle” he always used to say,

although I was never sure which...

BULGANIN:

Never heard that before.

How...gratifying.

MIKOYAN:

I’d be the sickle. Sharp. Poor

Comrade Bulganin here...well, see

he even has a head like the blunt

end of a ball hammer...

SVETLANA:

(off polite laughter)

My father always used to say go to

you two when I need advice.

BULGANIN:

Oh.

SVETLANA:

..or help...

20 May 2016 Draft 10 82.

MIKOYAN:

Ah.

SVETLANA:

(a hand on each)

“They are true and loyal men.”

MIKOYAN:

Any time. Any time at all. Sorry,

we have to take our places.

Svetlana alone. She leans over a balustrade, watching the

grieving crowd. Beria joins her.

SVETLANA:

This is... real. Nobody’s making

them do this.

In the crowd below: grandmothers sob; a sailor removes his

hat out of respect but drops it. The crowd keep moving and he

scrabbles his way back to try and get his hat.

BERIA:

I don't suppose you want a chair?

Beria signals to an NKVD man who approaches with a chair.

SVETLANA:

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