The Death of Stalin Page #20

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The soldiers take aim. One of them shoots in panic.

Panic in the crowds.

ENTIN (CONT’D)

I have not given the command!

Shrieking. Bodies being lifted. Some pick up rocks and stones

from the street.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 106.

ENTIN (CONT’D)

Disperse! Go back!...

The crowd begin to advance. Entin draws his revolver.

People start throwing rocks. One hits Entin. He staggers

back, bleeding. The crowd is almost upon them.

ENTIN (CONT’D)

FIRE!

The soldiers and machine guns fire. The soldiers reload and

keep firing, panicking.

The screams of the crowd mix with the terrifying gunshots.

ENTIN (CONT’D)

CEASE FIRE! CEASE FIRE!

It stops. Entin stares out, horrified. His POV: piles of

bodies, mostly dead, some wounded: men, women, children.

CUT TO:

151 INT. KREMLIN RECEPTION/STAIRCASE - MAIN ROOM - NIGHT 151

NOTE:
THROUGH THIS SCENE, AS NEWS OF THE STREET DISTURBANCES

SPREAD, THE ROOM GRADUALLY EMPTIES AS OFFICIALS ARE SEEN

BEING INSTRUCTED TO HANDLE THE SITUATION.

Beria approaches Malenkov, followed closely by Khrushchev.

Malenkov is practicing for the photo, holding the girl up.

MALENKOV:

What's going on?

BERIA:

(through smile)

That moron put the trains back on.

Rioting crowds. Fifteen hundred

dead.

MALENKOV:

(putting the girl down)

No, you're too heavy.

She’s put down and taken away.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Beria’s men fired on the crowds.

He’s out of control, Georgy, I...

BERIA:

(to Khrushchev)

What’s between your ears? Sausage?

20 May 2016 Draft 10 107.

MALENKOV:

Oh, I think I know who the people

will blame.

(indicates self)

The poor old shitsack in charge...

KHRUSHCHEV:

Georgy, look...

MALENKOV:

Delov, bring the girl back. I need

to make an appearance.

BULGANIN:

Perhaps the army should be in

charge of the railway stations.

Delov brings the girl back as Zhukhov arrives.

ZHUKHOV:

Bit late now, eh Beria?

BERIA:

They were outside Moscow, on his

orders!

MALENKOV:

My orders? They were...

(points with girl’s hand)

...your orders!

And starting the trains...

(pointing at Khrushchev)

...were his orders!

KAGANOVICH:

So, what are YOU going to do?

MIKOYAN:

(to girl)

What do you think, darling? You’re

the only one making any sense.

They all gradually edge out the room to a quieter spot by the

staircase.

MALENKOV:

Someone is going to have to be the

face of this f***ing travesty.

BERIA:

That's easy:
Khrushchev.

KHRUSHCHEV:

No!

BERIA:

You ordered the trains!

20 May 2016 Draft 10 108.

KHRUSHCHEV:

And your men shot the people

getting off them.

MALENKOV:

He does have a point.

BERIA:

No he doesn’t. There is no point to

Nikita Khrushchev.

Malenkov signals - The girl is taken away again.

MALENKOV:

We should blame the security

forces. Hothead officers on the

ground...

BERIA:

(to Malenkov)

God Almighty, can you THINK? Or can

you only pose for portraits? I. Am.

Security. You...

(mimicking Malenkov’s openmouthed

surprise)

...baked cod in a haircut.

MIKOYAN:

Oh, says the f***ing jellied eel...

BULGANIN:

Let’s all calm down.

(to Malenkov)

Even if you DO get blamed. We close

ranks. We rehabilitate you, we...

KHRUSHCHEV:

Yes, it's the new Soviet Union

now...

MALENKOV:

For the good of the party I ask...

BERIA:

You spineless rat! F*** you! You’re

just a bloated corpse we propped up

and stuck in a fancy uniform.

(to the room)

You want to blame me? It's time all

of you realised who kept the

daggers out of your f***ing backs!

Show some f***ing respect! I have

documents on all of you. ALL OF

YOU!

(to Khrushchev)

13th March, 1937. Zolotov trials.

42 dead, 173 exiled. Your

signature. 5th October 1946.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 109.

(MORE)

Katzenelson. 63 executed, 219

exiled. Your signature...

KAGANOVICH:

Beria. Enough.

BERIA:

(to Kaganovich)

Radek, Skrypny, your own brother.

Your signature...

He gestures at Khrushchev, Kaganovich, Bulganin and Mikoyan.

Malenkov is stood behind him.

BERIA (CONT’D)

All of you! I've seen what you've

done. It’s a very! F***ing! Long!

List!

He scatters some papers on the floor. Silence. The committee

stare at the papers.

BULGANIN:

(heading off)

I think I saw some brandy out

here...

KHRUSHCHEV:

Lavrentiy. We can put this right.

BERIA:

(calming down)

We'll meet straight after the

funeral tomorrow. We will find out

who's properly to blame for this.

Arraign the officers who fired.

Yes?

KHRUSHCHEV:

Of course.

Beria heads down the stairs.

The others stand there, still stunned from Beria's outburst.

KHRUSHCHEV (CONT’D)

We can just demote him. Make him

Minister Responsible for Fisheries

or something.

MALENKOV:

Do you know what you’re saying?

KHRUSHCHEV:

He's using you, Georgy. He'll use

you and then he'll kill you. You

saw those papers.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 110.

BERIA (CONT'D)

MALENKOV:

He pointed at you, not me.

KHRUSHCHEV:

He said “all of you”.

MALENKOV:

I was behind him. He went

(gestures)

“all of you”.

KHRUSHCHEV:

"All of you".

MALENKOV:

No. "All of you".

KAGANOVICH:

(demonstrates)

He said:
"All of you".

MALENKOV:

All of YOU can kiss MY arse! Get

nme the girl, I’m going onto the

balcony.

152 EXT. KREMLIN - BALCONY - NIGHT 152

Malenkov steps onto a balcony with the girl. Because he

doesn’t lift her up, we can hardly see her.

CUT TO:

153 EXT./INT. OPEN SPACE SURROUNDED BY WOODLAND/CAR - EARLY 153

MORNING:

Two cars parked, with their drivers some distance away.

Kaganovich and Khrushchev lean against one of the cars.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Who will the people blame? Me or

Beria? Who looks like he’s got

blood on his boots?

KAGANOVICH:

(you?)

Oh, Beria. People will definitely

blame Beria.

MOLOTOV:

MURDERER!

Molotov approaches on foot, with a small dog.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 111.

MOLOTOV (CONT’D)

You’ve killed hundreds, Nicky! You

certainly got your big funeral!

KHRUSHCHEV:

I regret this already..

MOLOTOV:

(interrupts)

Get in the car.

KHRUSHCHEV:

What?

MOLOTOV:

Can’t talk. Get in the car.

Khrushchev and Kaganovich share a look – then get in.

Molotov pulls his dog in too.

KAGANOVICH:

(RE dog)

I see she moults.

Molotov takes out a cuddly toy. The dog starts barking -

loud, irritating - and jumping up, trying to grab it.

MOLOTOV:

This–

(waves the cuddly toy

again, to more barks)

–is for any hungry ears...

KHRUSHCHEV:

The car isn’t bugged. We’d see

wires stretching to Moscow.

MOLOTOV:

(looks out)

The drivers. So...

(close, menacing)

Let’s do him in.

KHRUSHCHEV:

What?

MOLOTOV:

(vigorously shakes the

toy)

Beria. The treacherous snake

brought back the Bishops. And he

brought back Polina. He expressly

ignored Stalin’s orders. The man

has no soul. He ordered his men to

open fire. Genius, Nicky.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 112.

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