The Death of Stalin Page #7

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The committee members except Malenkov and Khrushchev stand

round a drinks cabinet stuffed with bottles - too many of

them. Bulganin struggles to pull out a bottle of vodka.

Khrushchev walks in, placing his folded pyjamas down on the

table.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 33.

BULGANIN:

I feel like a midwife, ha ha!

(pulls one out)

MIKOYAN:

It’s a boy!

Bulganin is filling glasses.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Remember? He made us all guess the

air temperature outside? Loser sat

in the snow, bare ass. Molotov...

They all laugh.

KAGANOVICH:

(little girl voice)

“I’m the Foreign Secretary. Not an

Emperor Penguin”.

MIKOYAN:

(little girl voice)

“My cock will snap!”

KHRUSHCHEV:

(re Beria)

Careful. All these little girl

voices...

BULGANIN:

Where is Molotov, by the way?

BERIA:

He's on a list. The latest list...

The laughter stops. It's a big name to be on a list.

KAGANOVICH:

What about Svetlana and Vasily?

They’ll want to see their father.

BERIA:

No. I don’t want them contacted

until we have a plan. We...

KHRUSHCHEV:

(interrupting)

We stand strong. We burn bright.

Because if....if our Great Beacon

is extinguished, if the Great

Helmsman dies...

BERIA:

(interrupting back)

Stalin is not dying! Do you hear

me? Stalin will never die!

20 May 2016 Draft 10 34.

(MORE)

That remnant of a man there, that

pathetic old lump of flesh in his

piss-stained jodpers – that is not

Stalin! Stalin is the Union! The

Party! YOU are Stalin. I am Stalin.

Understand? I am Stalin. The people

are Stalin. And they will see this

when we tell them. WHEN we tell

them. So, don't any of you f***ing

say Stalin is dying! He lives!

Silence. The tension's broken by Malenkov coming in.

MALENKOV:

Timashuk’s organising the doctors.

(innocently)

What did I miss?

67 EXT. MOSCOW PARK - DAY 67

MONTAGE of Moscow park exteriors: fountains.

An old man, LUKOMSKY, with his small dog on a lead.

A black maria stops. Lukomsky realises it's for him. He

starts to run as best he can. Heading past the fountains.

Some NKVD MEN, including Delov run to catch him. He abandons

the dog.

LUKOMSKY:

Please... I've done nothing wrong!

They catch him. An NKVD OFFICER is waiting with a doctor's

white coat, a stethoscope and a doctor's bag.

DELOV:

Put this on.

LUKOMSKY:

I retired 6 years ago.

DELOV:

Put it on!...

LUKOMSKY:

I can give you names?

The NKVD men put the coat on him and open the van doors.

Inside are other terrified DOCTORS, including a WEIRD-LOOKING

TALL DOCTOR. LIDIYA TIMASHUK, an attractive woman of about 40

gets out the front and she and an NKVD officer chase the dog.

We cut before we find out if they caught it or not.

20 May 2016 Draft 10 35.

BERIA (CONT'D)

68 EXT. STALIN'S DACHA - FRONT OF BUILDING/GROUNDS - DAY 68

RED ARMY SOLDIERS with dogs patrol. Others are around, and

some NKVD visible in the background.

Khrushchev and Kaganovich walk along a path.

KAGANOVICH:

Poor Molotov. He loves Stalin.

Stalin kills his wife. He still

loves Stalin. Stalin arrests him.

KHRUSHCHEV:

Stalin told me it would be Bulganin

next.

KAGANOVICH:

Really? I heard Mikoyan. God he was

good.

KHRUSHCHEV:

(testing Kaganovich)

No, he was paranoid. I think he was

on the point of arresting his own

reflection.

Kaganovich doesn't respond. They walk in silence. Khrushchev

tries again.

KHRUSHCHEV (CONT’D)

So. Who’ll be on the next list?

(indicates “me and you”)

KAGANOVICH:

Look, nobody wants the future of

the Union to be Beria and Malenkov

staring at each other across a

f***ing graveyard. But what...

KHRUSHCHEV:

Reform. Change. We really want

millions in camps? Look, we’re not

the only ones worried about Beria.

We should sound out Mikoyan and...

KAGANOVICH:

That’s factionalist talk, Nikita.

They stop. In the distance, Malenkov is pissing against a

tree, with Beria very close to him.

KHRUSHCHEV:

You want factionalism?

(points across)

Beria’s playing Melanie like a

f***ing musical saw...

CUT TO:

20 May 2016 Draft 10 36.

We join Malenkov and Beria by the tree. Malenkov’s pissing.

MALENKOV:

When I piss, I try to make eye

contact with an officer. Ruins

their day!

BERIA:

We need more security in Moscow.

Did you hear that pinhead

Khrushchev undermining you about

the doctors? Remember: Stalin chose

YOU.

MALENKOV:

Khrushchev. Talking goat. Don’t

worry, Lavrentiy. “Mother Russia”

is safe in my hands...

BERIA:

You call it “Mother Russia”?

Beria indicates his penis. Malenkov laughs.

We're back with Kaganovich and Khrushchev. They walk on.

KHRUSHCHEV:

I’m pulling Stalin’s children in.

Now. Keep them close.

KAGANOVICH:

Vasily will be lying face down in a

ditch full of vodka. But Svetlana..

KHRUSHCHEV:

The people LOVE her. I’m getting

her...

KAGANOVICH:

You heard Beria. We don’t get them

on board until there’s a plan...

KHRUSHCHEV:

I just TOLD you what my...

There's a shout from the courtyard outside the house.

PERVAK (OOV)

Comrade Ministers! Svetlana

Alliluyeva is here!

They look up to the house. Stalin's daughter, SVETLANA

ALLILUYEVA (30), is at the top of the slope next to PERVAK.

SVETLANA:

(to NKVD Officer)

Where is he? Is he OK? Who got here

first? Who’s in charge here?

20 May 2016 Draft 10 37.

All four committee members start cutting across the woods.

Malenkov and Beria spot Khrushchev and Kaganovich.

KHRUSHCHEV:

(shouting)

Svetlana! Hello!

BERIA:

(running)

Svetlana!

(to Malenkov)

They’re trying to cut you off!

MALENKOV:

(running)

What? Those bastards!

KHRUSHCHEV:

(running)

Sh*t, the race has started.

F***er’s halfway round the track

before they've fired the pistol.

(shouts)

Hello!

Malenkov trips a little and has to stop running.

Beria's the first to reach Svetlana. She's been crying.

SVETLANA:

Has he said anything? Is he... is

he able to speak?

Beria catching his breath, doubled over. Svetlana consoling.

SVETLANA (CONT’D)

It’s a shock for all of us. Is

Vasily on his way?

(to everyone)

Has my brother been told?

Beria sees Khrushchev is close.

BERIA:

(panting)

Svetulya... I'll take you to him..

Beria puts a proprietorial arm around her. They head to the

house as Khrushchev and Kaganovich arrive, breathless.

KHRUSHCHEV:

I'm so sorry, Svetlana...

He tries to take her hand, but Beria shepherds her inside.

SVETLANA:

Someone contact Vasily! He must be

here!

20 May 2016 Draft 10 38.

KHRUSHCHEV:

(shouting after her)

I’ll do it! I’ll get him! Don’t

worry... darling!

(f*** no, not that)

Svetlana!

BERIA:

(tetchy)

Yes, see to that could you, Comrade

Khrushchev?

69 INT. ICE HOCKEY RINK - DAY 69

A training match. The players are clearly second-rate. One of

them - BOBROV - is terrified. All up at one end, with three

trainers lobbing at them.

Watching them, drunk and angry - VASILY DZHUGASHVILI (30),

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