The Pianist Page #13

The sounds of trains not far off.

They carry the stuff into the warehouse.

INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY

Szpilman and the others bring their piles of things into

the warehouse, which is crammed with similar objects, an

Aladdin's cave.

The activity continuous.

INT. SLEEPING QUARTERS, ABOVE WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

semi-darkness. A large room with an improvised partition

of blankets to separate the men from the women. Three-tiered

bunks.

On the men's side, Father is on the upper bunk, Henryk on

the lower. Szpilman, stripping down to his underwear, is

preparing to climb into the middle bunk.

FATHER:

At least we've got work in the

ghetto. At least we're still

together.

Szpilman nods, climbs into his bunk, settles down. Somewhere

near, the sound of a train.

Then a volley of shots, German voices shouting.

Szpilman slips off his bunk, hurries to the door, opens it

and comes face to face with a German NCO and soldiers.

NCO:

Out! Assemble in the yard!

SZPILMAN:

We're employed here, we've got

certificates -

The NCO cracks Szpilman across the face, turns and goes.

Szpilman retreats into the room, his nose bleeding. The

women are watching from behind the blankets, but Mother

hurries towards Szpilman. She wipes his nose.

Shots, shouts, a scream.

EXT. WAREHOUSE YARD - DAWN

Still quite dark. The Szpilmans and about twenty others

lined up under lights shining on them from a couple of

German vehicles.

The NCO goes along the line, making a selection, using his

pistol to prod people into moving. When he gets to the

Szpilmans he selects Henryk and Halina. Then, he turns to

those who are left:

NCO:

The rest of you get dressed then

report back here. Bring your

belongings. Fifteen kilos only.

A YOUNG WOMAN:

Where are you taking us?

The NCO turns his pistol on the young woman and shoots her

through the head. He marches off while she lies on the

ground with blood spurting out of her.

INT. SZPILMAN ROOMS, WAREHOUSE - DAWN

The partition has been pulled aside. People, including the

Szpilmans, are dressing or dressed, packing up their

belongings.

SZPILMAN:

I'm sorry, I did my best, I thought

the certificates would save us

all.

MOTHER:

Stop it, Wladek.

REGINA:

Let's just hope that Henryk and

Halina will be better off -

Sounds of shots, screams, shouts, a piercing whistle.

EXT. STREET LEADING TO UMSCHLAGPLATZ - MORNING

Hot, fine summer's day. Jews, among them Szpilman, Mother,

Regina and father, clutching their meagre belongings, walk

towards wooden gates and come to a halt. Jewish policemen

approach and order the people about, pushing and shoving

them into line.

REGINA:

(to a Jewish

policeman)

Where will we be going?

JEWISH POLICEMAN #1

You're going to work. You'll be

much better off than in this

stinking ghetto. The gates are

The gates are opened.

JEWISH POLICEMAN #2

Move!

They shuffle forward.

EXT. UMSCHLAGPLATZ - DAY

Szpilman, Mother, Regina and Father, with others, enter

through one of the gates, which closes on them. They pause

for a moment to take in their new surroundings.

The Szpilmans and their POV:

Their first sight of the large rectangle, walled on two

sides and overlooked by buildings. Several hundred people.

People walk up and down.

SZPILMAN:

Let's sit over there.

But he stops again, and so do the others. Something they

see causes them to stand stock still, expressionless.

THE SZPILMANS' POV:

An unoccupied space at the edge of the compound where

bloated, decaying bodies lie near to a wall. The wall itself

is spattered with blood. Large flies walk over the dead.

Nobody goes near.

THE SZPILMANS:

Szpilman turns away and leads the others to another space.

Later:

Glaring sun. The Szpilmans have settled down on the kerb

of a pavement and are waiting. Szpilman stands, observing

the scene.

Mother sits on a bundle of things, staring vacantly, her

hair hanging down in strands. Regina, beside her, has her

hands over her face and is weeping, the tears running

through her fingers.

Father walks nervously up and down, hands behind his back,

four steps one way, four steps back. Near them, a YOUNG

WOMAN begins to wail.

THE YOUNG WOMAN:

Why did I do it? Why did I do it?

A young man, beside her, whispers to her, but she does not

seem to take in what he's saying. Her cries continue at

intervals.

THE YOUNG WOMAN:

Why did I do it? Why did I do it?

The sound of trucks. Everyone looks towards the gates.

More Jews are being unloaded from trucks and are marched

through the gates. Mothers, children, old people, begging,

most of them holding papers. Pandemonium.

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