The Pianist Page #19

SZPILMAN:

It's only potatoes and bread.

SS LIEUTENANT:

F*** that, you're lying, I can

smell it. Open it.

Szpilman tries to untie the string, but he's too terrified

and can't manage it. The SS Lieutenant shoves him out of

the way, then takes from his belt a dagger and cuts the

string.

The SS Lieutenant reaches in and withdraws a handful of

long yellow beans. He glowers at Szpilman, reaches in again,

produces a handful of oatmeal.

SS LIEUTENANT:

You're all the same. Give a Jew a

little finger, he takes the whole

hand.

He throws the oatmeal in Szpilman's face.

SS LIEUTENANT:

You lie to me again and I'll shoot

you personally.

He kicks Szpilman viciously and marches away. Szpilman

catches his breath, then quickly reaches into the bottom

of the sack and finds a pistol and ammunition. He hides

them under his clothes.

EXT. STREET LEADING TO GHETTO - NIGHT

Freezing cold. The Jewish workers, with their bundles of

potatoes and bread, march back towards the ghetto gates

escorted by the two Polish policemen. In the column,

Szpilman, near the policeman with the moustache, and a

little behind them, Majorek. Distant sounds of gunfire.

Majorek falls in beside Szpilman.

MAJOREK:

I tried your friends. They're not

at that address any more. But.

SZPILMAN:

You made contact?

MAJOREK:

Be ready to leave in two days'

time. Same place as last night.

Sudden, frantic cries from the head of the column, which

comes to a stop.

Two SS men, blind drunk, drinking vodka from bottles, are

lashing the column with whips. One of them is Zikk-Zack, .

SZPILMAN:

Oh, sh*t!

As the SS men advance on Szpilman and Majorek's section,

Majorek slips back to his place in the column. Szpilman

hides his package inside his coat.

Zick-Zack lashes out at the workers blindly.

ZICK-ZACK

Und-zick! Und-zack!

He takes a swig of vodka and comes face to face with

Szpilman.

ZICK-ZACK

(shouting")

I'll soon teach you discipline!

Jew pigs!

He is staring directly at Szpilman with glassy eyes.

Szpilman is terrified, trying as surreptitiously as possible

to cover his hidden package with his hands. A moment of

danger. Zick-Zack grabs Szpilman by the cottar.

ZICK-ZACK

Know why we beat you?

No response; shaking him.

ZICK-ZACK

Know why we beat you?

SZPILMAN:

(tentatively, in

German)

No. Why?

ZICK-ZACK

To celebrate New Year's Eve!

He and his comrade find this hilarious; recovering from

his laughter.

ZICK-ZACK

Now, march! Go on, march!

The column starts to march. ....

ZICK-ZACK

And sing!

(he belches.)

Sing something cheerful!

(laughs.)

And sing it good and loud!

A brief silence, then from the back, a solo voice starts

to sing, 'Children of Warsaw will go to fight!'

Szpilman glances back, sees that it's Majorek singing.

Szpilman smiles, Majorek nods. Szpilman joins in. Now, so

do the others.

They march on, singing lustily.

ALL WORKERS:

(singing)

Hey, ranks unite

And follow the White Eagle!

Stand up and fight

Our mortal enemy.

Riflemen, hey!

Let's give them fire and brimstone.

We'll blow away

The yoke of slavery.

Punish and rout

The rapists of our nation.

We'll smash the knout

To save our dignity.

Soon we'll be proud

Of our liberation -

Hey, take your sights!

Aim sharply at the heart.

Hey, load! Hey, shoot!

Hey, load! Hey, shoot!

Give 'em a bloody start!

Hey, load! Hey, shoot!

Aim sharply at the heart.

The column reaches the lamp posts near the ghetto gates.

Szpilman his package over the wall. So does Majorek.

INT./EXT. STORES AND BUILDING SITE - EVENING

The Jewish workers lined up to get their potatoes and bread.

Szpilman and two others weigh the potatoes.

GERMAN VOICES:

Get on with it and fall in! Fall

in!

Calmly, Szpilman leaves the table with the scales, walks

past Majorek and the others, who, having got their potatoes,

are assembling in a column, preparing to march back into

the ghetto. The Polish workers have packed up their tools

and are talking among themselves, also about to leave the

site but in a casual way.

The SS guards shout orders for the Jewish column to move

off. Szpilman seems as if he's going to join them, but at

the last moment turns and falls in with the Polish workers,

beside Barczak, who just glances at him then moves so that

Szpilman is in the middle of the group.

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