The Pianist Page #22

Unseen marksmen fire down on the Germans from the buildings.

As the German soldiers dismount from their vehicles one of

them is hit and falls. The others rush for cover.

EXT. INSIDE THE GHETTO - MINUTES LATER - EARLY MORNING

The German Commander and two officers alight from the car

and take cover.

The Commander orders the field gun to be trained on the

buildings. Spasmodic firing continues.

He gives the order to fire.

The gun roars. The shell tears into the building. At once

the German soldiers open fire with their rifles and lob

grenades into the building. The gun fires again.

The building begins to burn. Flames and smoke.

German soldiers with flame-throwers advance carefully then

unleash their fire into doorways and windows, and quickly

retreat.

At ground level, Jewish fighters try to fight their way

out and are mowed down.

The fire spreads quickly through the building. Smoke begins

to pour from the upper floors.

The Germans, less cautious now, stand and watch.

A woman struggles out on to her narrow third-floor balcony.

She climbs over, holds on to the wrought-iron railings and

hangs on for dear life. Shots ring out and she drops like

a stone.

From inside the building, screams and shouts.

From another upper window, a man in flames jumps and falls

to his death on the pavement below.

The Germans have stopped firing. They stand, spectators,

watching the building burn.

INT./EXT. 1ST APARTMENT - LATER - DAY

Szpilman at the window, watching, his mood downcast.

The noise of a key in the door.

He turns to see the door of the flat open. Janina enters

with a parcel of food. She kisses Szpilman on the cheek.

JANINA:

wanted to come earlier but...

She hands him the parcel.

SZPILMAN:

Thank you.

He goes into the small kitchen and unpacks the contents

while Janina gazes out of the window.

JANINA:

No one thought they'd hold out so

long.

SZPILMAN:

should never have come out. I

should've stayed there, fought

with them.

JANINA:

(turning to him)

Wladek, stop that. It's over now.

Just be proud it happened. My God,

did they put up a fight.

SZPILMAN:

Yes, so did the Germans.

JANINA:

They're in shock. They didn't expect

it. Nobody expected it. Jews

fighting back? Who'd have thought?

SZPILMAN:

Yes, but what good did it do?

JANINA:

(passionate)

What good? Wladek, I'm surprised

at you. They died with dignity,

that's what good it did. And you

know something else? Now the Poles

will rise. We're ready. We'll fight,

too. You'll see.

she turns to look again out of the window.

EXT. INSIDE THE GHETTO - EVENING

The building burning. Corpses lie scattered on the pavement.

The Germans stand about chatting and laughing.

A handful of Jewish fighters are lined up and shot.

Satisfied, the Commander returns to his car. Another officer

confers with him before the engine starts up and he is

driven away. The building burns.

EXT. 1ST APARTMENT, SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

Blazing sun. The ghetto buildings now burned-out shells,

the street empty.

EXT. 1ST APARTMENT - SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

Autumn leaves falling and gusting in the wind. Szpilman

gazes out.

EXT./INT. 1ST APARTMENT - DAY

Snow. Ice on the windows.

The sound of the key in the door.

Szpilman turns as the door opens and Gebczynski enters,

distraught. Whispered, at speed:

GEBCZYNSKI:

Get your things together, you have

to leave!

SZPILMAN:

What's happened?

Gebczynski takes out a cigarette and lights it. While he

does so:

GEBCZYNSKI:

I'm on the run!

SZPILMAN:

What's happened?

GEBCZYNSKI:

The Gestapo found our weapons.

They've arrested Janina and Andrzej.

They're bound to find out about

this place, too - you must get

away at once.

SZPILMAN:

Where do you want me to go? Look

at me. No, no, I'm not leaving.

Can't I take my chances here?

GEBCZYNSKI:

That's your decision.

(Stubs out cigarette.)

But when they storm the flat, throw

yourself out of die window - don't

let them get you alive. I have

poison on me, they won't get me

alive either!

And he goes. Szpilman listens to his footsteps clattering

down the stairs.

He sees the cigarette stub, takes it, lights it, coughs,

smokes awkwardly.

Later:

Szpilman hears a car engine and the screech of brakes. He

tenses. German voices shouting and their heavy footsteps

on the stairs.

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