He is now close enough to the beach to stand. He takes an
uncertain step or two to stand, then he falls, his face
down in the water. He makes no effort to rise -- allowing
himself to slide deeper and deeper into the water. Suddenly
Gertrud's hands come INTO THE SCENE, grip Steiner's feet,
pull him back.
Struggling for breath, he lies on the ground.
Steiner turns over on his back and looks at her. There is
rage and shame on his face. The blood starts streaming down
his face again. He tries to sit up. She tries to support
him and he knocks her arm back.
STEINER
If you don't leave me alone I'll
smash --
He stands up, takes a few steps to meet the incoming surf,
bends, scoops up a handful of water, washes the blood from
his face.
Then he turns and sees that Gertrud has retreated a few feet
up the beach, and stands watching him. The wind is blowing
her skirt close to her thighs.
He looks at her a moment, then, CAMERA TRUCKING with him, he
makes his way to her side. Gertrud looks at him steadily.
Suddenly he seizes her. She struggles, wordlessly. Steiner
forces her to the ground. With one swift movement he pulls
her blouse from off one shoulder.
She has stopped struggling. His face is close to hers.
There is no resistance in her expression, but neither is
there compliance. She looks steadily into his eyes as
if there is a battle of wills. Roughly Steiner grabs her
shoulders. Suddenly, he releases her, stands up. He
watches her as she slowly sits up, rearranging her clothing.
He stares at her without Speaking. Then --
STEINER
(in a low voice)
Why did you follow me?
She doesn't answer. He shakes his head slightly.
STEINER
Nurse Gertrud.
keep your humanitarian
paws off drunken men. It might be
misunderstood.
GERTRUD
(breathing heavily)
You're insane.
STEINER
(laughs harshly)
We are all insane.
(he makes a tiny,
mocking bow)
goodnight.
He walks toward the blackness of the garden. Gertrud turns
to watch him until He is no longer in sight.
DISSOLVE TO:
has just reached his bedroom door He is about to go in,
when he stops, hesitates. Then he walks slowly to the next
door, leans forward, listening. He glances up and down the
hall, then Slowly depresses the latch.
A streak of LIGHT coming through a space afforded by the
blowing curtains. As Steiner COMES IN, we SEE Inge's shape
sitting up in bed.
INGE
Who's there?
STEINER
(Closing the door
behind him)
Three guesses.
Inge, her long nightgown trailing around her ankles, approaches
him in the darkness.
INGE
Leave my room at once.
STEINER
Out of character, but very nicely
said. Don't worry; I just wanted to
ask you if you have any aspirin.
Inge comes two steps Closer, looks at him. She hesitates.
As she turns toward the door, he grips her shoulders and
holds her tightly.
STEINER
Were you going to turn on the light?
INGE
Yes.
STEINER
(feeling along her
arms)
You don't need any light, take my
word for it.
Pretending to struggle, she manipulates the nightgown off her
right shoulder, a maneuver not lost upon Steiner.
INGE
Let me go. I'll scream. I will
scream.
STEINER
Naturally, you'll scream.
She closes her arms tight around his shoulders. When she
tries to kiss him he turns his face aside. He picks her
up and as he carries her toward the bed:
DISSOLVE TO:
framed in a window. CAMERA PULLS BACK to the interior of
Inge's bedroom. Inge is lying in bed. Steiner is sitting
on the edge of the bed, his back to Inge, looking out the
window.
STEINER
Funny -- you boasted about your view
of the sunset. I prefer the sunrise.
Inge laughs. She sits up, throws her arms around his chest.
INGE
You know -- never once last night did
you say my name.
(strokes his chest)
Don't you like my name?
STEINER
Why shouldn't I like it?
STEINER
Up to this moment I've never met a
girl named Inge. At least not in
bed.
Inge laughs. When Steiner makes a move to get up, she holds
him tighter.
INGE
Where are you going?
He pulls himself loose, walks to where his shoes lying,
picks then up. Inge, blanket up under her chin, watches him.
He turns.
STEINER
Goodnight.
INGE
(angrily)
Aren't you at least going to kiss me?
He stoops and casually kisses her shoulder.
INGE
Is that all?
STEINER
Isn't it enough? Do you want to
get paid?
She starts up as though the pillow behind her had become a
hot iron. Then she throws herself face down on the bed,
begins to sob wildly. Steiner stands for a moment,
looking at her in embarrassment and some remorse.
STEINER
(sadly)
Depend on me to say a few words
to many.
He walks slowly to the door, closes it behind him.
who has just COME IN and is talking to a MAN at the bar.
He sinks back into his seat, looks off at Gertrud. Then
he rises and, CAMERA TRUCKING with him, winds his way
across the floor to her. Her back is to him.
STEINER
(quietly)
Gertrud --
She turns, flushes as she sees him, but doesn't say a word.
STEINER
I wish -- I were meeting you for
the first time now.
GERTRUD
(looks at him)
I suppose that's as close to an
apology as you, Can ever get --
If you'll excuse me....
He makes a gesture to stop her, but she brushes past him.
We hear Klaus' voice.
KLAUS' VOICE
Rolf --
Steiner turns to face Klaus.
KLAUS
She's here --!
STEINER
(Pre-occupied)
Who?
KLAUS
You know -- Ilse -- the Iron Cross Tits --
STEINER
Listen I don't want --
He has turned automatically to look toward the corner of
the bar. At the sight of the GIRL in the nurse's white
uniform, Steiner's speech stops; his eyes narrow.
She is looking toward Steiner, an expectant smile on her
face. She is very buxom and very pretty in a coarse way.
Steiner's face is expressionless. CAMERA TRUCKING with
him, he makes his way to the Waiting Ilse. En route he
passes Gertrud who, struck by the grimness of Steiner's
expression, keeps her eyes on him as he pushes toward Ilse.
Her smile freezes as Steiner STEPS INTO the SCENE.
STEINER
(steadily)
Good evening, Ilse.
She can only stare at him.
STEINER
I can't blame you, Ilse. After all,
it's been -- how long --? More than
a year anyway. Yes, thirteen months --
ILSE
(in a very low voice)
Rolf --
STEINER
-- and the law of averages -- What
right have I to be alive -- Did
you count on that, Ilse?
Suddenly, Ilse lets out a sob, covers her face with her hands,
then turns and runs toward the exit. Klaus, who has stood a
few paces behind, comes up to Steiner.
KLAUS
I must say -- it's a strange effect
you have upon women.
Steiner doesn't answer. Klaus shakes his head, goes after
Ilse.
Whose eyes haven't left Steiner. She watches him now as he
sits down at an unoccupied table. From his inside pocket
he takes out a piece of paper. She sees him flag a passing
WAITER. A brief conversation ensues between them, and the
Waiter lends Steiner a pencil. As Steiner begins to write,
Gertrud moves slowly toward him.
As Gertrud's shadow falls across the table he looks up
briefly, goes back to his writing. Without a word, Gertrud
slips into a chair across from Steiner. After a moment, he
finishes writing, looks at Gertrud.
STEINER
I imagine you want to know what it's
all about?
GERTRUD
No.
STEINER
Be honest.
GERTRUD
Yes, I do. Very much.
Pause.
STEINER
It's not too pretty a story -- and it
isn't very chivalrous of me to tell
it. But, then, one of the first
casualties of the war was chivalry --
(looks at the slip of paper)
A year or so ago I was in a hospital.
In four years of war I have been in
four hospitals.
(harsh laugh)
Some day I must get around to rating
them. Anyway -- Ilse -- Miss Bauman --
decided she would be more than a
nurse to me. After three days and
three nights I told her to be more
than a nurse to somebody else.
(looks at Gertrud's face)
He is silent a moment, his face reflecting the humiliation.
STEINER
She found a way to get even -- result --
Court martial -- degraded -- Six months
in a Penal Battalion --
(pause. Holds up the paper)
Now, I in tend to have Miss Bauman's
signed confession --
GERTRUD
Please -- don't be brutal to her --
He gets up.
She looks at him in mute appeal. He shakes his head,
Starts out, Gertrud looking after him.
He gets up.
She looks at him in mute appeal. He shakes his head, starts
out, Gertrud looking after him.
On a corner of the bench, Ilse is huddled, still sobbing.
In the b.g. a figure looms. Then a flashlight, in the
hand of the figure is snapped on. Its beam ILLUMINATES
Ilse, who doesn't move. The figure, holding the flashlight,
moves closer, and we SEE that it is Steiner. Now he stands
beside Ilse, who does not look up.
ILSE
Turn it out -- I can't see.
Steiner snaps off the light. She looks up at him, her face
a study in fury.
ILSE
You Stinking louse.
STEINER
(laughs grimly)
I that What I am?
ILSE
(violently)
Yes. And you always were a louse.
You never knew how to treat a
woman.
STEINER
How right you are. And now, let
me prove your point --
(takes Out the
Slip Of paper)
-- Sign this.
ILSE
What is it?
STEINER
Your confession.
ILSE
Confession. What have I to confess?
STEINER
Oh -- are we going to play games?
All right, I'll read it to you --
(snaps on the
flashlight,
starts to read)
On the night of May 12, 1943, I, Ilse
Bauman, a nurse at the 2nd Base
Hospital in Rostov, stole a wrist-
watch from the room of Corporal
Karl Wachtel, an amputee, and
furthermore, hid the watch among
the belongings of -- Sgt. Rolf Steiner.
Suddenly, Ilse jumps to her feet, starts to run, knocking
the flashlight from Steiner's hands. But Steiner catches
her in two strides. She kicks him and pummels him with her
fists. Steiner drags her down to the water, wades in knee
deep and thrusts her head under.
holding Ilse's head under water. Then he pulls her up by
the hair.
STEINER
Will you sign now?
She coughs and struggles for breath. He picks her up in his
arms, carries her back to the bench, dumps her on it uncere-
moniously. He picks up the pencil and paper and the flash-
light. He flashes the LIGHT on her face. Water is dripping
from her hair down her forehead and onto her hands.
STEINER
Maybe in bed you could cry your way
out, but not here.
He thrusts the pencil into her hand. He flashes the LIGHT
on the bench so that Ilse can see. With trembling hands,
she signs the paper. Steiner switches off the flashlight.
STEINER
(looking at paper)
All right -- you may go now.
She doesn't stir.
STEINER
(repeats sharply)
You may go now.
Unsteadily, she gets to her feet, looks at him.
ILSE
(tonelessly)
You're going to report me.
He nods grimly.
ILSE
Oh, God. Oh, God, what am I going
to do?
He shrugs. Slowly she walks away, her wet skirt clinging
to her legs, head bowed, shoulders twitching.