The Pianist Page #18

A glance between Szpilman and Majorek.

SS CAPTAIN:

(in English)

I want to assure you personally

that no such measures will be taken

now or in the future. Posters will

be going up also to this effect.

As proof of our good will, we want

you to select a delegate, who will

be permitted to go into town once

a day to buy, on each worker's

behalf, five kilos of potatoes and

one loaf of bread, which you will

be allowed to take back into the

ghetto. Now, why would we do that

j if we meant to resettle you?

He beams; no reaction from the workers.

SS CAPTAIN:

(in English)

You can do good business on what

you don't eat. Isn't that what you

Jews are best at? Making 'geld'?

Rubs thumb and forefinger and leers; still no reaction;

his smile vanishes.

SS CAPTAIN:

(in English)

Carry on.

EXT. BUILDING SITE - DAY

Snow. Majorek pulls a barrow by a rope attached to its

shaft across the site. On the barrow, five sacks. The Jewish

workers are phased to see him.

Majorek pulls the barrow to where Szpilman waits.

MAJOREK:

(under his breath)

The smaller one. At the bottom.

Szpilman nods and starts unloading the sacks as Majorek

moves away.

INT. STORES - DAY

Szpilman has unpacked the sacks and laid them in the corner.

He kneels before the smallest of the sacks and unties the

string around its neck.

He puts his hand inside the sack and potatoes tumble out.

He reaches to the bottom and is still as his hand finds

something. Carefully, he removes a pistol, then another,

both wrapped in oil cloths. He hides them under his jacket.

INT./EXT. STORES AND BUILDING SITE - NIGHT

Szpilman and a Jewish worker distribute the potatoes to

the other Jewish workers lined up with empty containers of

various kinds. There are scales on the table, and they

weigh out five kilos of potatoes, pour them into the men's

containers and drop in a loaf of bread.

EXT. STREET LEADING TO GHETTO - NIGHT

The Jewish workers, all carrying their parcels of potatoes

and bread, march back towards the ghetto gates escorted by

two Polish policemen. Szpilman walks beside them. Ahead of

him, Majorek near the front of the column.

As the column nears the ghetto gates, Majorek tosses his

package over the wall and when Szpilman reaches the same

spot, he throws a similar package. The column marches on.

INT. JEWISH BARRACKS - NIGHT

A small room with several three-tiered bunk beds. The sound

of men's heavy breathing and snoring.

Szpilman lies awake, staring at the ceiling. He reaches

inside his jacket, finds a scrap of paper and a pencil,

writes something.

He slips off his bunk and crosses to another set of bunks,

crouches down at the bottom one, where Majorek sleeps.

SZPILMAN:

(whispered)

Majorek!

Majorek is instantly awake.

SZPILMAN:

Have a favour to ask. I want to

get out of here.

MAJOREK:

It's easy to get out, it's how you

survive on the other side that's

hard.

SZPILMAN:

I know. But last summer, I worked

for a day in Zelazna Brama Square.

I saw someone I knew. A singer.

Her husband's an actor. They're

old friends. (

(He holds out the "

piece of paper.)

I've written their names down. And

their address. If they're still

there. Janina Godlewska and Andrzej

Bogucki. Good people. Majorek, you

go into the town every day. Would

you try and make contact? Ask them

if they'd help me get out of here?

Majorek takes the paper but says nothing. He turns over

and goes back to sleep. Szpilman returns to his bunk.

INT. STORES - DAY

Szpilman has unloaded the sacks of potatoes into the corner

and is kneeling, about to untie the string on the smallest

sack. A sound alerts him. He looks round.

An SS Lieutenant has entered the stores, sucking his finger,

which is bleeding.

SS LIEUTENANT:

Any f***ing plaster?

Szpilman immediately hurries to a cupboard, finds a First

Aid tin, removes a plaster and gives it to the SS

Lieutenant.

SS LIEUTENANT'S VOICE

(while he applies

the plaster to his

finger)

What were you up to?

Nothing from Szpilman.

SS LIEUTENANT'S VOICE

What the f*** are those?

He indicates the sacks with his chin.

SZPILMAN:

(in German)

We're allowed to take food into

the ghetto. Five kilos of potatoes

and a...

The SS Lieutenant walks over to the sacks and kicks the

smallest one.

SS LIEUTENANT:

Open it.

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