still lying flat on their stomachs. They turn their faces
to look at each other questioningly.
ZOLL
(hopefully)
Maybe there's nobody in the house.
STEINER
Don't worry, there is.
ZOLL
Well, it can't be too large a
force.
KERN
Enough to give us a hero's death.
SCHNURRBART
(to Steiner)
What do you make of it?
KERN
(excitedly)
Look -- !
A figure is rushing toward them.
STEINER
Don't shoot -- it's Kruger!
Kruger comes RUNNING IN, out of breath.
KRUGER
Rolf --
STEINER
(sharply)
Why did you leave your post?
Anselm can't handle them alone.
KRUGER
Anselm is in the house.
STEINER
What?
KRUGER
Didn't you hear the screaming?
STEINER
Screaming?
(looks at the men
for confirmation)
KRUGER
Women's screams, then moans. So
Anselm went in.
KERN
(bitterly)
Naturally. If it's anything to
do with women --
STEINER
What do you mean, women?
KRUGER
I mean women! Anselm says to come
over.
STEINER
Well, it's nice of him to invite
us. Kern, you stay outside. Fire.
one shot if you see anyone coming.
He gets up, runs toward the house, the men following.
as Steiner comes INTO the SCENE, kicks open the front door.
It is a narrow hall, which separates two rooms. From the
left room comes a weird MOAN. The men look at each other.
Steiner walks to the room.
The entire long wall of the room is taken up by a heap of
straw covered with blankets. Crowded together in the rear
half of the room, faces half-defiant, half-terrified, are
about a dozen and a half WOMEN in Russian uniforms. They
carry no weapons. Most of them are big breasted, stocky
women. Their full blouses, reaching down over their hips,
are gathered at the waist by broad belts. One or two
are fairly young and attractive, and there is one exceed-
ingly pretty GIRL. At the women's feet, bedded down on
the straw, lies a young WOMAN, the clothing stripped away
from the upper part of her body, a blood-soaked bandage
Covering her right breast. Her eyes are closed, she emits
the weird MOAN.
Anselm is guarding them. Steiner and the men stop in their
tracks as they see the women.
ANSELM
(grinning broadly)
I hope you put me in for the Iron
Cross, Sergeant. I took them
single-handed.
KRUGER
Well, what do we do with them?
STEINER
What do you do with armed guerrillas,
male or female?
SCHNURRBART
These are not guerrillas. They're
regular uniformed troops. Besides
-- they had no arms.
STEINER
If they're regular troops, we'll
treat them as we must treat all
prisoners in our situation.
SCHNURRBART
(gasping)
You mean, shoot them?
STEINER
Do you see any other way? If
one of them escapes and gets to
the Russian lines before us, we're
done for.
ZOLL
Steiner is right. The women must
be killed.
STEINER
(looks at Zoll)
Despite the fact that you agree
with me, I still feel I'm right.
His glance falls on the wounded woman. She is looking at
him with an expression of wild horror. An older WOMAN
beside her speaks in Russian.
STEINER
What did she say, Kruger?
KRUGER
She says there's a kettle of hot
water in the room across the
hall. Please help the girl, she
says.
STEINER
Anselm, get the water. We'll clean
the wound.
ANSELM
(bewildered)
What's the sense of fixing her up,
if you're going to shoot her?
STEINER
(sharply)
Get the water.
Anselm shrugs, GOES OUT.
STEINER
(to Kruger)
Ask them where they come from
and where they were going. Tell
them if they lie to us we'll throw
them in the creek.
Kruger talks in Russian, the older Woman, who appears to
be an officer, replies.
KRUGER
(to Steiner)
They belong to the B d th Women's
Mortar Battalion and are on their
way from Maihop to Krimskaya. I
think she's telling the truth.
Steiner looks grim. Anselm COMES IN with a bowl of hot
water, sets it on the floor.
as he bends down beside her. She tries to roll back
against the wall.
STEINER
Take it easy. What do you think
I want to do?
He lifts the bandage. We do not see the wound, but from
Steiner's face, we know that it is a serious one.
STEINER
(opening his first
aid kit)
Are you in pain?
The woman understands, nods.
STEINER
(enigmatically)
The pain will be over soon.
He starts to wash the wound. In the b.g., we CAN SEE that
the other women have not changed their posture. They
are still huddled together against the wall, fearfully
watching his movements.
Steiner lays a compress on the wound.
KRUGER
This is ridiculous. A nice clean
bandage -- then a bullet.
Before Steiner can reply there is a NOISE at the door.
Kern has his gun in the Russian's back. The Russian is
squat and stocky and despite his age looks powerful.
KERN
(grinning proudly)
He practically walked into our
arms --
OLD RUSSIAN
(to Steiner, raising
his hand pleadingly)
Captain --
Steiner pushes him in the direction of the women, motions
for him to lie down. As the old man reels, several of
the women SCREAM.
KERN
I had a look at the wagons, Sergeant
-- there's plenty of food. Canned.
stuff.
STEINER
Good. Zoll, you stay here. If
any of the women starts anything,
shoot her at once.
ZOLL
(as they walk off)
When do I get to eat?
STEINER
Don't be in such a hurry. Who
wants to eat?
He starts OUT.
CAMERA PANS UP to a MED. SHOT of Colonel Brandt on the
telephone. The scene is obviously his new headquarters
in Krimskaya, the second floor of a Russian building.
Captain Kiesel stands near the window, listening.
BRANDT
Yes, General.... Yes, General,
we're so solidly dug in, it seems
almost a shame --
(smiles ironically
at Kiesel)
I say that, General, because in
four or five days -- we'll be driven
out of these beautifully dug-in
positions.
(another smile
to Kiesel)
Certainly, General. I know about
German valor. without that valor,
I wouldn't give us more than two
days -- Yes, General. I will, sir.
(hangs up, shrugs
in Kiesel'S
direction)
The General was short with me; but
he knows the truth as well as I do.
KIESEL
Of course. It's always he who
orders us to fall back, isn't it?
There is a KNOCK at the door.
BRANDT
Come in.
An ORDERLY opens the door for a CAPTAIN.
CAPTAIN KILIUS
Captain Kilius reporting, sir.
BRANDT
Oh, yes. You have your orders?
KILIUS
Yes, sir. And a letter for you.
BRANDT
(as he opens the
envelope)
This is Captain Kiesel--
Kiesel and Kilius shake hands.
BRANDT
Captain Kilius comes to us from
the Western Front.
KIESEL
Really? Whatever induced you to
leave, Captain?
Kilius smiles wanly. Brandt, reading the letter, snorts
loudly.
BRANDT
Didn't you once mention Captain
Stransky's good connections?
KIESEL
There is a Major General Stransky
attached to Army High Command,
South. He is, I think, a cousin
of Captain Stransky's.
BRANDT
I see.
(tosses letter on
table as if it
were filth)
You can guess what that is, can't
you?
KIESEL
His transfer, of course.
BRANDT
(grimly)
Exactly. Herr Stransky is to report
to Paris within a week.
There's a silence in the room as if both men had forgotten
the presence of Kilius. Then Brandt recovers. He turns
to Kilius.
BRANDT
Please excuse me' Captain. My
orderly will arrange for your
billeting.
KIESEL
Don't unpack too thoroughly.
We'll be on the move soon.
KILIUS
(smiles)
Thank you, Colonel Brandt.
Se salutes, LEAVES.
KIESEL
He's so new here, he didn't even
ask in which direction.
BRANDT
That bastard, Stransky!
(shrugs)
without Steiner to contradict him,
he'll get his Iron Cross and strut
all over Paris. That arrogant
bastard!
(pause)
So Stransky will be in Paris, while
Steiner --
(looks glumly out
the window)
God knows where he is --
stuffing food into his mouth. The CAMERA PULLS BACK to
show the scene as the exterior of the house, at one of the
wagons.
The other men are eating greedily too. Steiner turns,
looks toward the window of the house.
The CAMERA PULLS BACK to take in the Russian female prisoners
and the old man. The women are still huddled close together
as close to the wall as they can get. They are asleep or
pretending to be asleep. The wounded woman lies with her
head on another woman's lap. Her eyes are closed and she
MOANS softly in her sleep.
They are sitting in the forefront, and are the only ones
not asleep. Their heads are together and they are
whispering. The girl is no more than twenty and very
pretty. The old man's expression is very worried.
as he turns from the window. He sees the old man and the
young girl whispering.
ZOLL
Shut up, you two!
The old man and young girl draw slightly apart. The girl
looks at Zoll and her expression is frightened.
as he looks at the girl. His eyes glide searchingly over
her figure. It is very evident what he is thinking.
He looks at her quite a while, then, with an effort, turns
away, walks to the door, stands with his back to it, tries
not to look at the girl.
The old man has moved closer to her, and has cautiously
resumed his whispering. The girl's expression is still
tense. She draws back in fright as Zoll suddenly comes
INTO the SCENE.
ZOLL
I told you to be quiet, didn't
I?
He lifts his foot and, kicking his boot against the old
man's shoulder, sends him sprawling on his back. The old
man looks up at him, then, as if resigned, turns over on
his side. Zoll looks at the girl. It is some time before
he takes his gaze away. Then, he walks to the window,
looks out again. In the b.g., we SEE the men grouped
around the fire, evidently eating. After a moment, Zoll
turns away from the window. The CAMERA is CLOSE on his
FACE and we SEE him gape and stand rooted to the spot.
The CAMERA PULLS BACK to take in Zoll and the young girl.
Her head is bowed and she is fingering her blouse. The
top button is already open. She doesn't look at Zoll and
she slowly unfastens the second button. Zoll gulps, then
looks at the old man who is lying on his side, eyes closed.
Zoll's eyes take in the rest of the room, the CAMERA PANNING
with his gaze. Most of the women seem to be asleep, or are
sitting with heads drooping, staring at the floor. Then,
the CAMERA comes to rest on the young girl again. She is
looking steadily toward Zoll who watches her in fascination.
She unfastens another button. Then she closes one eye in
a slow wink and smiles at Zoll.
He holds his breath. He is perspiring slightly.
The door to the hall is in the b.g. The girl has now
unbuttoned the last button and is looking smilingly at
Zoll, who stands hesitant. 'But now, the tread of heavy
BOOTS is HEARD in the hall. Zoll hurriedly jumps to the
wall and comes to an attitude of strict attention. The
door opens and Schnurrbart APPEARS.
SCHNURRBART
Everything all right?
Zoll manages to nod indifferently. Out of the corner of
his eye he looks toward the girl. She is holding her
blouse closed and staring vacantly at the floor.
SCHNURRBART
As soon as Kern has finished eating
he'll take over so you can eat.
(his eyes rove over
the prisoners)
They asleep?
ZOLL
(curtly)
They seem to be.
He is anxious for Schnurrbart to leave, but Schnurrbart
takes his time. He comes all the way into the room, his
eyes on the prisoners.
ZOLL
(impatiently)
What do you want? Everything
is all right.
SCHNURRBART
Doesn't it seem funny to you that
they're all asleep?
ZOLL
Why is it so funny?
Schnurrbart shrugs, goes OUT. Zoll kicks the door shut,
quickly turns to look at the girl.
She has opened her eyes and is looking encouragingly at
Zoll. When he doesn't stir, she spreads her blouse open,
puts her hand under her undershirt. with her other hand
she beckons to Zoll.