PRODUCERS: Joel Silver
Arnold Schwartzenegger
SGT. ROCK
An Original Screenplay by
David Webb Peoples
based on the comic book character
created by Bob Kanigher
FIRST DRAFT
August, 1987
WARNER BROS. INC. O 1987
4000 Warner Boulevard WARNER BROS. INC.
Burbank, California 91522 All Rights Reserved
NOTE: Nazi rhymes with potsy...
Nazzey rhymes with snazzy...
Likewise the plurals...
A TINY VILLAGE/NIGHT
Moonlight illuminates a mountain village consisting merely of a cobble
street and a cluster of modest cottages. A jeep full of NAZI SOLDIERS
grinds through the deserted street as words appear SUPERED over the
scene...
ITALY, 1943
Peering from the cracks in shuttered windows frightened CHILDREN watch
shadowy NAZI SOLDIERS as they dismount from the Jeep.
MOMENTS LATER
The SOLDIERS move ominously from house to house while A NAZI OFFICER,
speaking in crude Italian, questions a PEASANT WOMAN in her doorway,
her CHILDREN clinging in terror to her skirts, their eyes on the
towering NAZI, whose face is lost in shadows...
NAZI OFFICER
(Italian, subtitled)
Americans? Where?
PEASANT WOMAN
(Italian, subtitled)
No, no. Not here.
NAZI OFFICER
(Italian, subtitled)
Where? How far? How many kilometers?
The CHILDREN cringe in horror as the NAZI OFFICER grabs the WOMAN
roughly by the arm, shaking her.
PEASANT WOMAN
(Italian, subtitled)
I don't know.
(pointing south)
That way, I think. Five kilometers
maybe.
NAZI OFFICER
(Italian, subtitled)
You're lying, you wop whore, I don't
believe you.
A VOICE (O.S.)
(German, subtitled)
Excuse me, sir.
The NAZI OFFICER turns to see a hulking NAZI CORPORAL approaching him
from the shadows, his face lost in the gloom.
NAZI OFFICER
(German, subtitled)
What is it, Corporal? You're supposed
to be watching the perimeter...
CORPORAL
(German, subtitled)
A message, sir, by courier...from the
Fuhrer himself.
NAZI OFFICER
(German, subtitled)
What? What are you talking about?
The CORPORAL moves closer, his face still shadowed, his voice
apologetic as the OFFICER glares suspiciously...
CORPORAL
(German, subtitled)
The Fuhrer says there's been a
mistake, we're not the master race!
He says we're a bunch of perverted
fools.
As the NAZI OFFICER stares in flabbergasted disbelief, the CORPORAL
embraces him fiercely, yanking a nine inch knife blade upward from the
NAZI OFFICER'S gut, ripping him open, spattering blood on the
astonished PEASANT WOMAN and her CHILDREN.
As the NAZI OFFICER slumps to the ground, the big NAZI CORPORAL turns
on the dumbfounded PEASANT WOMAN and shoves her and her CHILDREN inside
the house. His words are English this time...
CORPORAL
Inside! Presto! Hurry, inside!
As he turns his attention back to the street, we glimpse the CORPORAL'S
face for the first time...unshaven, scarred, tough and battle
worn...the face of war! This is SERGEANT ROCK, a thirty year old
American soldier of German descent disguised for the moment as a German
Corporal.
Twenty yards away, in the street, two NAZI SOLDIERS are just noticing
the shadowy body of the OFFICER slumped on the cobbles in front of the
darkened doorway...
ROCK opens up with an automatic weapon, a grease gun.
RATTA RATTA RATTA RATTA!
OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE
WILDMAN, a wild looking American Corporal, blond and bearded, erupts
from behind a rock on the craggy slope, rifle ready.
WILDMAN
That's it! Come on, let's go.
A lone GERMAN SENTRY, startled, raises his rifle to fire, but before
he can get off a shot, WILDMAN guns him down.
Seven more American Infantrymen burst from hiding and move toward the
village and the sound of gunfire. They are...
TONY PASCALANO, WHIPSNAKE JAMES, BEEF RILEY, TEXAS FLORES, GERONIMO
JONES, MIKE FARRACCI, MARTIN KLUZEWSKI, and TOM PARDEE.
STREET, VILLAGE
Still crouched in the doorway, ROCK fires on a jeep load of four GERMAN
SOLDIERS as they pull up close to the bodies of the men he fired on.
Bullets splatter around ROCK as the GERMANS, crouching behind their
halted jeep, blaze away at him furiously until they're suddenly
distracted by shots from their flank.
ROCK takes advantage of the distraction to hastily yank a grenade from
a D-ring on his chest, pull the pin, and toss it toward the jeep.
BOOOOOOOOOM! The grenade explodes.
ROCK starts to advance on the jeep, firing steadily.
CRACK! Somebody fires from behind him.
ROCK whirls and hits the ground rolling, seeing a dark figure emerging
from the shadows, firing on him.
DARK FIGURE
Given zee up, asshole!
ROCK
Hold your fire, it's me. Don't shoot.
The dark figure is WHIPSNAKE.
WHIPSNAKE
Shit, Sarge, you sure had me fooled.
VILLAGE STREET/LATER
Two GERMAN SOLDIERS are squatting with their hands on their heads,
while WHIPSNAKE covers them with an M-1.
Two more GERMAN SOLDIERS lie bleeding while GERONIMO and PARDEE bend
over them, tending to their injuries.
Four more GERMAN SOLDIERS are sprawled in the street, dead, while TEXAS
searches them and KLUZEWSKI examines the dead OFFICER.
ROCK is shedding his disguise, revealing the fatigues with the chevron
underneath the German uniform as BEEF approaches him...
BEEF
They didn't suspect ya, huh, Sarge?
Ya walked right up to them?
ROCK
Easy, no problem.
BEEF
No kidding. You didn't talk to 'em
did you? I mean, did you say anything
in kraut?
ROCK
Not much.
BEEF
(awed)
You talked to 'em? You actually
talked kraut with them and they
thought you were a nazzey? God damn!
Whadja talk about?
ROCK
Politics.
Nonplussed, BEEF watches ROCK, in American uniform now, turn his back
and start across the street.
Just then KLUZEWSKI approaches ROCK...
KLUZEWSKI
Hey, Sarge, there's an officer with
these deceased guys in a different
uniform. Like the ones at Kassarene...
ROCK reacts sharply as we...
CUT TO:
STREET/MOMENTS LATER
ROCK frowns as he stares at one of the dead bodies. The uniform is
indeed slightly different from the others. ROCK considers a ring on
the dead man's finger. Then he rips the collar patch from the jacket.
ACROSS THE STREET
FARRACCI is surrounded by the local PEASANTS, including the PEASANT
WOMAN. He's talking to them in Italian as ROCK crosses the street
toward him.
FARRACI
(Italian, subtitled)
A lotta Americans speak German and
Italian. Our parents come from over
here, we got roots in the old country.
My folks are from outside a Firenze,
they're always talkin' about old
Firenze...
Interrupting FARRACCI in English, ROCK looms over the awed PEASANTS,
holding up the collar patch from the Nazi uniform...
ROCK
Ask them if they've seen any more
krauts with outfits like this...
FARRACCI turns to the PEASANTS as we...
CUT TO
OUTSIDE VILLA MODESTO/MORNING
Several rifle companies are bivouaced in a confusion of tents outside
an elegant Italian villa perched on a steep slope in the mountains. As
GIs busy themselves waiting for more war, WHIPSNAKE, BEEF, PASCALANO,
and FARRACCI regale some of the other unshaven, war-weary men from Easy
Company with details of last night's patrol...
WHIPSNAKE
...so we're gonna sneak up on 'em
cause we don't know how many there
are or anything, and the Wildman's
s'posed to slit the sentry's throat
only he gets the dull edge of the
knife against the kraut's neck...
A listener named BIGELOW is horrified at the fuck-up.
BIGELOW
The dull edge!
BEEF
(triumphantly)
...so he strangles the guy instead...
WHIPSNAKE
...and Rock sees there's no blood on
the uniform...
BEEF
...and the kraut's about his size...
WHIPSNAKE
...so Rock puts on the kraut uniform...
BEEF
...and walks right in there with the
krauts...
WHIPSNAKE
...and talks to them in German!
BEEF
About politics for Christsake!
As jaded and weary as the listeners are, they're all at least mildly
impressed by ROCK'S exploits...except one, a grizzled old timer
(thirty-five) named RETREAD...
RETREAD
He's gonna get us killed. The man
takes risks...
A storm of protest...
FARRACCI
Careful risks!
PASCALANO
An' he takes 'em, Retread. He's not
like summa them officers, he don't ask
you to do somethin' he wouldn't do...
RETREAD shakes his head knowingly as if talking to children...
RETREAD
That might be true...but there isn't
anything that asshole wouldn't do!
So where's that leave ya?
RETREAD, his point proven, smiles triumphantly as we...
CUT TO
INSIDE THE VILLA
MAJOR PRITCHARD, battalion commander, frowns as he fingers the collar
patch ROCK tore from the Nazi while CAPTAIN WALTERS addresses him...
WALTERS
You don't want to discourage the men
from bringing in information, sir...
They're in the huge ballroom of the villa where furniture has been
pushed aside to create a ludicrously spartan Battalion Headquarters in
the midst of Italianate splendor.
PRITCHARD
Of course not! But I don't want them
playing genius and drawing conclusions
they're not qualified to draw
either...
WALTERS
He's an experienced man, not a new
recruit, he's served in North Africa,
he was decorated three times at
Kassarene...
PRITCHARD
For bravery, not for intelligence.
I admire brave men, Captain, but I've
observed that some of the bravest are
some of the stupidest. In fact the
qualities at times seem to be
complimentary. And stupidity loses,
Captain (almost always), where smart
wins (almost always)...
WALTERS
(coldly)
I guess courage is irrelevant, sir.
PRITCHARD
(a shrug)
We lost at Kassarene.
(then... )
Through no fault of the Sergeant's,
I'm sure. Send him in.
WALTERS, furious, moves to the door and calls into the foyer...
WALTERS
Sergeant Rock...
WALTERS stands aside as ROCK enters and salutes the MAJOR smartly. The
battered Sergeant looks particularly out of place in the villa.
PRITCHARD
At ease, Sergeant...
(then... )
That was a helluvan action last night,
impressive in every way. You
inflicted casualties on the enemy
without suffering any losses. Top
notch soldiering! You submit a list
of the men on that patrol to the
Captain and I'll see that every one
of them is decorated, yourself included.
ROCK'S eyes drift to the collar patch in PRITCHARD'S hands even as he
responds stiffly...
ROCK
I'm sure I speak for the men in
thanking you, sir. They'll be
grateful.
PRITCHARD has caught ROCK'S look and now he holds up the collar patch.
PRITCHARD
Captain Walters says you attach
considerable significance to this
patch, Sergeant.
ROCK
I've seen them before, sir. In North
Africa. Waffen SS, Panzer Division.
PRITCHARD
You're not going to see tanks up here,
Rock, not in this kind of country.
We tried some Shermans, five of them,
and we lost three in one week. Not
to the enemy, to the terrain.
ROCK
Well, sir, with or without tanks,
they're crack troops, they're not a
defensive outfit...
PRITCHARD
(cutting him off)
Sergeant, you're not qualified to
speculate. I'm going to forward this
patch along with your report, not your
conclusions, to Intelligence where
it'll be properly analyzed by
qualified people. In the meantime,
I don't want you gossiping around the
battalion...
ROCK'S eyes flash with suppressed anger, his jaw sets, his voice cold
and flat...
ROCK
"Gossiping," sir?
PRITCHARD
Starting rumors about an attack by
Nazi super-soldiers in tanks. That
kind of nonsense can be very
demoralizing to the men, especially
the Negroes. There's a colored outfit
in the battalion and those people can
get spooked by rumors and panic! Am
I clear?
ROCK stares stiffly ahead.
ROCK
Yes, sir.
PRITCHARD
(turning away)
Give those names to the Captain. You
did very good work. Dismissed.
As ROCK turns to go, WALTERS gives him a secret, rueful shrug, but ROCK
doesn't respond, exiting.
PRITCHARD
See what I mean? Guts up the giggy,
but no brains at all, he probably
can't fart and wipe his ass on the
same day, too complicated...
WALTERS
He's not bookish, Major, but that
doesn't mean...
PRITCHARD
(exploding)
They're not Indians, Captain! They're
not going to sneak up on us on tippy
toes, they're Germans! Nazis, the
Wehrmacht, a war machine! If they're
gonna attack this pass, they'll pound
the living shit out of us with
artillery, they'll hammer us with 88s
and screaming mimis, they'll bomb us
till we're grateful to be attacked,
for Chrissake! Now do you hear any
German planes? Do you hear any German
fucking artillery?
As if on cue, there's a whistling sound.
The two men stare at each other and PRITCHARD'S jaw sags as the
whistling gets louder, someone SHOUTS outside and then...
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! The whole place shudders, plaster falls as a shell
bursts outside, close to the villa.
OUTSIDE THE VTLLA
Chaos! Death! Blood! Screams!
RETREAD and BEEF are yelling for everyone to take cover...
RETREAD
Inside! Get in the cellar! Take
cover.
WHIPSNAKE is shouting for a Medic as WILDMAN and PASCALANO try to help
FARRACCI who's sprawled in a confusion of torn and twisted bodies
completed covered with blood. As they free him, another shell whistles
overhead and SOLDIERS dash frantically out of the way...
BAAAAAWHOOOOOOOM! A shell slams into the villa, partially collapsing
the roof.
WILDMAN is still holding FARRACCI, screaming for a Medic.
A red-haired youth, a medic named O'HARA, is helping an injured man
when WILDMAN grabs him and indicates the bloody FARRACCI.
O'HARA looks at FARRACCI and shakes his head.
O'HARA
He's gone, soldier. Better take
cover.
RETREAD and BEEF are helping men into the smoking villa as another
shell whistles overhead ominously...
RETREAD
Come on, you assholes! The cellar!
INSIDE THE VILLA
In the smoke and plaster dust PRITCHARD is digging in the debris of the
collapsed section of ceiling, uncovering CAPTAIN WALTERS, as the next
shell hits outside, shuddering the whole villa.
BEEF and RETREAD are herding men past PRITCHARD toward the cellar.
PRITCHARD
You! Give me a hand.
BEEF dutifully responds, lifting a board and revealing CAPTAIN WALTERS
face. WALTERS is weak, blood tricking from his mouth. He looks at
PRITCHARD and speaks weakly.
CAPTAIN WALTERS
Fucking Indians!
PRITCHARD watches horrified as WALTERS slips into unconsciousness and
BEEF takes his pulse...
BEEF
He's dead, Major. We better get in
the cellar.
OUTSIDE THE VILLA
WILDMAN, PARDEE, KLUZEWSKI, GERONIMO, and TEXAS are supporting or
carrying INJURED MEN into the damaged villa, heading for the cellar.
PARDEE reacts to something he sees.
O'HARA and another MEDIC are hunched over a body, the face so bloody as
to be unrecognizable...but the Sergeant's Chevrons are clearly visible
and the bulky arms and torso clearly belong to ROCK.
PARDEE
(shaken)
Oh, Jesus!
CUT TO
IN THE CELLAR/LATER
PRITCHARD is hovering over a RADIO OPERATOR who's trying to get the
radio equipment, newly moved to the cellar, to operate.
RADIOMAN
(into radio)
This is Dog Easy Baker Six calling
Blue King Six...
(to Pritchard)
I'm trying Regimental HQ, sir...
GIS are jammed in the crowded cellar, the familiar bunch from Easy
Clustered in one corner, arguing emotionally...
PASCALANO
No way! No way Rock's dead, you're
fulla shit. He's indestructible.
RETREAD
Nobody's indestructible, Pasky.
PARDEE
I'm just saying what I saw, that's all.
WILDMAN
An' you're sure it was him?
PARDEE
Yeah, I'm sure, and he looked like he
had a bad head wound...
PASCALANO
That doesn't mean anything, you wash
off the blood it could be superficial,
it could be...
PARDEE
(erupting)
Hey, I didn't take his pulse. I
didn't take Cameron's pulse that time
either. Remember Cameron? Huh? Is
Cameron dead or alive?
There's a momentary hush at that, then KLUZEWSKI speaks in a low voice.
KLUZEWSKI
I saw him too.
WILDMAN
Rock? You saw Rock?
PASCALANO
Was he dead or not?
KLUZEWSKI
(grimly)
He looked the way Cameron looked that
time.
Silence. Grim faces, as we...
CUT TO
A VISION/OUTSIDE
Out of focus, an unshaven youthful face looms full frame, crowned by
flaming hair. The bright blue eyes are full of fury, the mouth is
almost snarling the words...this is O'HARA...
O'HARA
COME ON, YOU BASTARD! SUCK IN!
SUCK IN, YOU SONOFABITCH, DON'T
QUIT, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT,
DO IT!
ROCK'S unfocussed eyes stare stupidly at the medic O'HARA moving over
him and pounding on his chest. There's blood all over ROCK'S face and
neck.
ROCK
Uh...uh...uh...
O'HARA'S face looms close again, unfocussed, as he works on ROCK...
O'HARA
COME ON, SERGEANT, DON'T GIVE IT ALL
AWAY, HANG ON, YOU BASTARD, THINK
ABOUT THE GIRLS, THINK ABOUT THE
STEAKS, THE KIDS, SUNNY DAYS, BREATHE,
YOU STUPID SONOFABITCH, BREATHE,
BREATHE, BREATHE, YOU FUCKING
CHICKENSHIT QUITTER, WHAT WOULD YOUR
MOTHER SAY? HOW ABOUT YOUR FATHER?
ROCK gurgles, his eyes vaguely alive now...with fear...while shells
thunder around them BOOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOOOOM and we...
CUT TO
KIDS/SNOWBALLS/AMERICAN STREET
KIDS, ten to twelve years old, are furiously hurling snowballs and
shouting insults. A SUPERED TITLE tells us where we are...
AKRON, OHIO
It's Akron a long time ago, almost suburban. The KIDS are snowballing
a dignified white haired gentleman, MR. VAN ROCKLIN, who's walking
along a neatly shovelled sidewalk toward a corner Grocery Store...
BOYS
Nazi Bastard! Kraut! Hey, jerry,
heil Hitler! Sig Heil!
VAN ROCKLIN, wiping snow from his face with as much dignity as he can
muster, addresses the boys in a thick German accent...
VAN ROCKLIN
Hitler you cannot kill with snow. I
am not Hitler, I am only myself, a
German.
The speech only inflames the KIDS who, while maintaining their
distance, rain a fury of snowballs on the elderly man as he enters the
Grocery Store...
INSIDE THE GROCERY STORE/MOMENTS LATER
A paper bag. The middle-aged CLERK is pulling it from under the
counter. With a quick glance around to make sure no one is looking, he
puts it on the counter in front of VAN ROCKLIN whose coat is still
dripping from the snowballs.
CLERK
Twelve dollars, that's the best I can
do.
VAN ROCKLIN
That much?
As the CLERK pulls a box out of the paper sack, he indicates a
newspaper lying on the counter, featuring a bold black headline: GERMAN
COUNTER ATTACK and a sub head HARD FIGHTING ON ITALIAN FRONT.
CLERK
There's a war on, Mister Van Rocklin,
in case you didn't notice. Guys are
dying. This stuff is rationed, it's
black market...
VAN ROCKLIN looks at the opened box. Partagas Cigars from Havana,
short, stubby coronas.
VAN ROCKLIN
Okay, yes, I pay, I understand.
CLERK
I wouldn't even do this if you weren't
referred by a regular customer...
CUT TO
SIDEWALK/MINUTES LATER
VAN ROCKLIN hurries off with the paper sack while the BOYS pelt him
mercilessly with snowballs and hurl anti-German insults at him and
we...
CUT TO
BERGAMO, ITALY/NIGHT
It's pouring rain in the darkened Bergamo, a town just large enough to
have two hotels and a cathedral, as a 4X4 U.S. Troop carrier grumbles
through the darkened streets...
INSIDE THE TROOP CARRIER
Instead of troops the rear of the vehicle is jammed with cooking
equipment and one fresh faced young officer, LIEUTENANT GORYL, who's
slumped on top of a field stove, peering out through a gap in the
canvas covering. Obviously unseasoned, GORYL is getting his closest
look at war so far from the slowly moving troop carrier.
GORYL sees a confusion of battle-weary FOOTSOLDIERS in dirty uniforms
hunkering in doorways out of the rain. Bergamo has been taken over as
Regimental HQ and now, although the town is blacked out, lights flash
now and again revealing nightmare glimpses of defeat. He sees into the
covered rear of a jeep where WOUNDED MEN are lying, wrapped in bloody
bandages, their eyes dull with horror, plasma-bottles feeding into
their arms.
Big guns are booming monotonously somewhere in the distance as the
carrier inches through the narrow main street jammed with muddy
battered vehicles and exhausted, beaten GIS, passing the local
Cathedral, now serving as a hospital. GORYL cringes at the sound of a
piteous VOICE crying out...
VOICE (O.S.)
WHERE AM I? WHERE THE FUCK AM I? I
CAN'T SEE! I CAN'T FUCKING SEE!
Looking out of the moving truck, GORYL glimpses a stretcher bearing a
BLIND SOLDIER, his eyes covered with a bloody bandage. It's he who's
crying out as the MEDICS carry him into the Cathedral Hospital.
Just then a bunch of COOKS rush the back of the troop carrier.
COOKS
Hey, stop! Goddamnit, that's our gear.
As the troop carrier lurches to a halt, COOKS swarm aboard, grabbing
equipment, ignoring GORYL who scrambles off the stove hastily.
Among the COOKS we see but do not notice a FACE that we'll see
later...a FACE that means nothing to us now and is in no way special
or noticeable.
As the COOKS unload their equipment, the CORPORAL/DRIVER of the carrier
moves into view and addresses GORYL...
CORPORAL/DRIVER
That's Regimental HQ right across the
street, Lieutenant.
GORYL follows the CORPORAL'S indication and sees the local Hotel with
GUARDS stationed at the door and lots of in and out traffic.
INSIDE THE CATHEDRAL/NIGHT
The ceiling is lost in a vaulted gloom dominated by shadows while the
damp walls reverberate with urgent VOICES, cries of pain, desperate
moans. Is this Hell? Is this a nightmare?
It's what ROCK is seeing as his eyes blink open and he stares stupidly,
obviously confused and disoriented while the BLIND MAN'S VOICE
(offscreen but close at hand) seems to express ROCK'S own confusion in
an urgent refrain...
BLIND SOLDIER'S VOICE (O.S.)
Where am I? Where the fuck am I?
Please, goddamnit, tell me? Where am
I?
ROCK is flat on his back on a cot. His skull has been partially shaven
and partly bandaged, his face has new scars, his neck is heavily
bandaged as well. He lifts his head cautiously and looks around.
MEDICS and DOCTORS are rushing about in lantern light, UNCONSCIOUS
SOLDIERS, plasma bottles plugged into them, bump urgently past on
stretchers hauled by more MEDICS.
BLIND SOLDIER'S VOICE (O.S.)
Can anybody hear me? Please.
ROCK looks to his right. The BANDAGED MAN on the next cot, is
motionless and silent, clearly not the speaker. Searching for the
VOICE, ROCK looks down between the cots and sees the BLIND SOLDIER
lying on a stretcher on the floor. The BLIND SOLDIER is tugging at his
bandages, pulling them off his eyes.
BLIND SOLDIER
I can't see for Chrissake, I can't see
at all. Where am I?
ROCK speaks...with effort...his voice weak, tentative...
ROCK
A hospital. It's all right. It's...a
hospital.
More like a nightmare!
INSIDE "HOTEL HQ"/NIGHT
Maps, desks, squawking radios, jangling phones, typewriters, ENLISTED
STAFF, OFFICERS. Regimental HQ is chaotic, hysterical. GORYL hovers
nervously near CAPTAIN SLOAN'S desk as an enraged COLONEL CRONKITE
snaps at the beleaguered SLOAN...
COLONEL CRONKITE
Make it an order then! Henceforth no
line officer is to report that he's
"pinned down" by machinegun fire,
mortar fire, rocket fire, or any other
fucking fire! Is that clear?
SLOAN
But, sir, if they are pinned down,
don't we need accurate -- ?
CRONKITE
(waving reports)
It says "pinned down" in every goddamn
report from every goddamn company
commander, from every fucking platoon
leader...thank God the men don't
transmit individual fucking reports
because I'm sure they're all pinned
down! Now I'm going to assume
everybody's pinned down from now on,
okay? So don't tell me when you're
pinned down, tell me when you're not
pinned down. That's what I want to
hear...when you're not pinned down.
Looking worried, GORYL watches SLOAN nod wearily.
SLOAN
Yes, sir. No more "pinned down," only
"not pinned down."
CRONKITE turns away and SLOAN scribbles a note, then he turns back to
GORYL'S orders on his desk.
SLOAN
Easy Company's up on the line. You
can get a ride up there in the
morning. In the meantime bed down
anywhere you can.
GORYL
Thank your sir.
SLOAN is turning away. GORYL hesitates, then blurts...
GORYL
I guess it's pretty...pretty rough up
on the line.
For a moment SLOAN just stares at GORYL blankly as if GORYL spoke
Swahili...then he shakes his head slowly...
SLOAN
Oh, no, Lieutenant, no, no, not at
all. It's rough in here...up on the
line, it's just one big...one big...
party. Laughing and joking with the
goodhearted people of Germany who
happen to be visiting Italy like
ourselves.
SLOAN turns away abruptly and heads for another desk, leaving GORYL by
himself. Feeling foolish and green, GORYL heads for the door.
Meanwhile, SLOAN is addressing a PRIVATE at a desk.
SLOAN
Type up an order, Private. "The words
'pinned down' will not be used in
future transmission to HQ. It is only
acceptable to report 'not pinned
down.'" Colonel Cronkite will sign
it.
STREET/NIGHT
GORYL has paused for a moment in the dark street to look toward the
front where big guns thunder in the night.
On the distant slopes the flashes of fire as the shells explode are out
of sync with the sounds of the guns, lending an eerie, surrealistic
quality to the obscure battle ten miles away. It doesn't look
real...but it's scary.
GORYL turns away and enters a doorway...
INSIDE "QUARTERS"
In the gloom of a former restaurant the GIS are only shadows and
glowing cigarette butts...and VOICES...
VOICE/DARKNESS
We were gettin' all this shit from a
kraut fifty, so this kid, he works his
way to maybe 25 yards from 'em,
fucking courageous. He's gonna send
'em some pineapple, right? So he
pulls the pin. Booooom! Short fuse!
Right in the fucking face.
ANOTHER VOICE/DARKNESS
I seen ugly and I seen uglier, but a
short fuse is the ugliest.
VOICE/DARKNESS
Well, it didn't kill him, it blew his
fucking face off is all. He was
screaming, "I can't see, I can't see."
Massachusetts guy. Gimme a light.
A light flickers and GORYL'S face is briefly visible. GORYL looks
shaken as we...
CUT TO
HOSPITAL/NIGHT
The canvas over the stained glass has been partially pulled back to let
some of the weak winter light in.
A DOCTOR is speaking to the BLIND SOLDIER who's on a cot now, wearing
fresh bandages, somewhat cleaned up.
DOCTOR
We're going to do everything we can
for you, Private...everything! But
your sight is gone. We can't bring
that back, that's not something we can
change. Do you understand that?
BLIND SOLDIER
(bravely, desperate good
cheer)
Yes, sir.
ROCK is watching this painful scene from the next cot. And now the
DOCTOR turns to him, turning a page of his chart.
DOCTOR
Well, Sergeant...you're looking better
today. A lot better.
ROCK
I...don't remember...how I got here.
I don't remember...you.
DOCTOR
That's not unusual under the
circumstances, a mild antrograde
amnesia. It'll come back to you in
bits and pieces...in flashes. Your
prognosis is for complete recovery
from all your wounds...you're one of
the lucky ones.
(glances significantly
toward the Blind Soldier)
By tomorrow you'll be on your way to
England where you'll continue post-
op care for about a week, then back
to the States. It's gonna be rough,
soldier, very rough...clean sheets,
hot meals, pretty nurses. Think you
can handle it?
The DOCTOR is about to move on, but ROCK looks disturbed.
ROCK
How long have I been here?
DOCTOR
(a glance at the chart)
Two weeks.
ROCK
(stunned)
Two weeks!
DOCTOR
Twelve days, actually. You had a
close call, Sergeant, you're lucky.
A SUDDEN VISION, A FLASHBACK OF THE MEDIC O'HARA, OUT OF FOCUS SEEN
FROM ROCK'S POINT OF VIEW AS HE SCREAMS AT ROCK TO BREATHE! THEN
VISION IS GONE...
The DOCTOR is moving to the next bed. Shaken, ROCK calls out to him...
ROCK
I remember...
DOCTOR
(impatient)
Yes?
ROCK
A...a medic! He...saved me.
DOCTOR
They're good men. Brave men.
As the DOCTOR moves to the next cot where he starts to speak to the
SOLDIER virtually mummified in bandages, ROCK just lies there staring
at the ceiling. Then he hears muffled sobs. Turning, he sees the
BLIND SOLDIER, completely isolated in his dark world of misery, shaking
with the sobs he's trying to stifle.
ROCK struggles weakly to sit up. Looking around, he sees the bustle of
the hospital...stretchers with WOUNDED MEN groaning, MEDICS, scurrying
DOCTORS.
ROCK considers the bandages on his chest...then he pokes himself,
looking for pain.
Across the cot-cluttered nave, a CORPORAL on MAIL DUTY is shouting
aloud as he distributes mail to bedridden GIS...
MAIL DUTY CORPORAL
Awright, Dog! Any more Dog, last call
for Dog Company. Sing out (or bark)
if you're Dog.
A VOICE
Yo Dog! Dog here!
The MAIL DUTY CORPORAL heads for the DOG SOLDIER as ROCK swings his
legs over the side of the cot and rests for a moment. Then he
tentatively tries his feet on the floor.
ANGLE ON A MEDIC/SECONDS LATER
As the MEDIC moves along an aisle between the cots, hauling one end of
a stretcher, he comes face to face with ROCK who's wobbling unsteadily
among the cots.
ROCK
I'm looking...for a medic...
MEDIC
What's the problem, buddy?
ROCK
A medic with...red hair...
MEDIC
You better get back on your cot,
fella.
Maneuvering the stretcher around ROCK, the MEDIC and his PARTNER move
their patient, a BLACK SOLDIER, onto an empty cot.
ROCK pauses, observing the youthful face of the unconscious, blood
covered BLACK SOLDIER as the MEDIC quickly and efficiently hooks a
bottle of plasma to an IV stand beside the cot.
A piece of tape on the plasma bottle says "COLORED."
The MEDIC turns and glances toward ROCK.
MEDIC
Red hair. Around here that's O'Hara.
ROCK
Where can I find him?
The MEDIC is pillowing the head of the unconscious BLACK SOLDIER as he
shakes his own head.
MEDIC
Missing in Action. About a week.
Better get back in your bunk, okay?
MAIL DUTY CORPORAL'S VOICE (O.S.)
Easy Company! Anybody else from Easy?
Still dazed and weak, ROCK reacts as a SOLDIER in a cot twenty cots
away shouts...
SOLDIER
Hey, right here! I'm Easy.
There's a ripple of weak laughter and someone adds, "Aren't we all?"
ROCK starts to make his way unsteadily in that direction, passing
horribly WOUNDED MEN, nearly stepping on a BANDAGED SOLDIER lying on
stretcher on the floor.
Across the room, the soldier from Easy, GOINES, is opening the the
envelope the MAIL DUTY CORPORAL has handed him. He stares at the
contents in outrage and dismay...
GOINES
Jury duty! For Christ sake! I'm
supposed to serve on a jury in
Brattleboro, Vermont?
MAIL DUTY CORPORAL
No kidding? I just gave a guy from
Iowa a bill from his plumber, how do
ya like that?
ROCK'S VOICE (O.S.)
Goines!
GOINES turns and his eyes widen in amazement as he sees ROCK, still
unsteady on his feet, looming beside his cot.
GOINES
Holy...shit! Sarge! I...thought
...we all thought...we thought you
were...
ROCK
No. No, I...I made it.
MAIL DUTY CORPORAL
(to Rock)
You from Easy too, pal? What's your
name, maybe I got something for
you...?
ROCK
(to the Corporal)
Rock, John.
(to Goines)
What happened? They shelled us...
How many casualties...?
GOINES
Since then? Shit, Sarge, you don't
know?
ROCK
No. No, I've been...I don't
remember...
GOINES
(tears forming)
They ate us alive. First the arty,
then the krauts...bad ones...worse
than Kassarene...the Colonel assigned
us to the ass...everybody's falling
back, we're protecting the rear...
eighty per cent casualties.
ROCK
Eighty per cent!
MAIL DUTY CORPORAL
Here ya go! I knew I recognized the
name.
The CORPORAL has been digging through his big bag and now he produces
a neatly wrapped package which he hands to the stunned ROCK who barely
notices it as he accepts it. ROCK'S eyes are on GOINES' bed. Under
the sheets the shape of his legs ends above the knees where GOINES'
legs were amputated!
GOINES
More by now. Eighty per cent two days
ago. There was hardly anyone left
when they took me out. I'd be dead
if it wasn't for the medics...
MAIL DUTY CORPORAL
It's hell up there, we got orders,
hold the mail for Easy, Dog, and
Baker. Whyncha open the package,
see whatcha got?
Absent mindedly ROCK starts to unwrap the package as he speaks to
GOINES...
ROCK
What about the Wildman? What about
Flavin and Pascalano?
GOINES
Flavin didn't make it. Wildman was
okay. Pascalano too, and Beef. I
dunno about Mitchell or Texas. Like
I said, we all thought you were dead
too. What's in the package? My girl
sent me dry socks. Argyles! Ha ha.
ROCK looks numbly at the package in his hand. It's the box of cigars!
Coronas! There's a note on top of it.
ROCK stares at the crudely scrawled note...
"Dear son, I love you. Kill Hitler! Your father."
OUTSIDE/DAY
A lull in the rain. Leaden skies. The distant booms of the big guns
seem remote. On the bland, woodsy slopes twenty miles north occasional
flashes indicate exploding shells.
More ominous is the steady flow of FOOTSOLDIERS and MILITARY VEHICLES
crawling into the town from the north like blood from a wound. Troop
carriers overflowing with WOUNDED MEN, tired plodding FOOTSOLDIERS with
haggard faces and vacant eyes suggest the true horror of those remote
hills and distant sounds.
GORYL is in the street, arguing with a PFC who's sitting at the wheel of
an idling jeep.
GORYL
You just told me you had about sixty
miles of gas, Private. That's enough
to get me to the line and get you
back, so what's the problem?
PFC
I thought you wanted to go south, sir.
This gas is southerly gas, sir. It
don't go north, it's a matter of
internal combustion.
GORYL
I see. What do I need to get some
"northerly gas"...a written order from
the Colonel and threat of a court
martial?
PFC
(starting the jeep)
No, sir. What you need is a lotta
luck and a different driver.
RRRRRR. The PFC pulls away into the confusion of troop carriers,
jeeps, and trucks clogging the street.
GORYL is scowling in frustration when he hears an urgent shout.
Looking around he sees SOLDIERS pointing toward the north where three
specks are approaching low over the mountains...getting bigger.
Planes!
Suddenly SOLDIERS are shouting "Butcherbirds! Butcherbirds," running
every which way, jumping from trucks, taking cover.
GORYL hastily follows GIS into a doorway and crowds in as the three
BUTCHERBIRDS (Folke Wulfs) thunder in low, cannons firing into the
crowded street, machineguns rattling.
GORYL sees a running SOLDIER cut in half.
WHOOOOOOOOM! An explosion shakes the town as a bomb bursts. WHOOOM!
BAH-BOOOOOOOOM! KA-BLAAAAAAM! MORE BOMBS!
GORYL presses back among the GIS wedged like sardines in the doorway,
driven back by heat from flames. He's cowering there when he hears a
SERGEANT scream in rage and anguish...
SERGEANT
The bastards bombed the hospital!
They bombed the hospital!
The BUTCHERBIRDS are climbing off into the distance, their bombs and
ammo spent, as SOLDIERS rush to the hospital.
Smoke pours from a gaping wound in the giant red cross painted on the
stones of the cathedral. The ceiling and wall are partially collapsed.
GORYL stares in horror. He can hear screams from within the collapsed
walls.
INSIDE THE HOSPITAL
Smoke! Panic! Confusion! Chaos! Vague FIGURES move about, obscured
by smoke.
GOINES lies dead, crushed by debris across his chest.
As confusion reigns all around and MEDICS rush to and fro, a HAND
emerges from the debris near GOINES. Grasping, pulling, it's the hand
of someone pulling himself from the debris. WE DON'T HAVE TO SEE HIM
TO KNOW IT'S ROCK!
ANGLE ON CIGARS
The box of cigars, overturned, lies beside the note, covered with
mortar dust.
The HAND reaches for the box, scoops spilled cigars into the box, takes
the box and the note.
For a second ROCK looks down at GOINES' lifeless face. ROCK'S eyes are
like tiny diamonds...his face like cold stone.
A BOX OF UNIFORMS
In the midst of the smoky chaos THE HAND reaches into a jumble of
uniforms tossed in a crate in the corner of the nave. THE HAND is
sorting through the torn and sometimes bloody fatigues...
A BOX OF BOOTS
The same thing...THE HAND searching for the right boots...
BOOTS WALKING
Through the chaos and confusion of the hospital THE BOOTS move with
purposeful strides...stepping over the torn BODIES and the debris...
past the dead BLIND SOLDIER.
DEAD CORPORAL/DEBRIS/NAVE
In the confusion and debris the MAIL DUTY CORPORAL lies dead, sprawled
face down beside his spilled mail bag.
THE BOOTS start to step over him...then halt... A moment passes...
then HANDS reach into the spilled mail...searching...finding a bundle
marked COMPANY E...
THE STREET OUTSIDE
A MEDIC is squatting beside a BLOODY SOLDIER, applying a tourniquet.
The BOOTS appear close to the busy MEDIC...the HANDS reach down and
remove several grenades from the BLOODY SOLDIER'S chest...while the
MEDIC continues to work...
A DAMAGED JEEP
The DEAD DRIVER is slumped at the wheel. There's a pack beside him on
the seat and an M-1.
HANDS reach in, take the pack...open it..dump it out...stuff the box of
cigars and the bundle of mail inside...close the pack...take the M-1...
A DAMAGED BUILDING
A Browning Automatic Rifle lies unattended beside the smoldering debris
of a bomb damaged wall.
The BOOTS appear...the big HANDS scoop up the BAR...
Likewise a box of ammo...
THE ROAD INTO BERGAMO
The WOUNDED and the WEARY are still streaming into the bombed town,
clogging the road with one-way traffic.
But in the foreground appear the BOOTS! One man alone is going in the
other direction.
It's ROCK, laden with a full pack, an arsenal of weaponry, grenades
dangling from his chest, the stub of a cigar in his mouth, an angry
look in his eye.
Ahead of him, on the faraway hills, the big guns boom.
ROCK heads straight for them, carrying more than a man should carry as
we...
CUT TO
FARMHOUSE/SLOPE
MAJOR PRITCHARD, unshaven and haggard, is standing outside his new,
less grand Battalion HQ, a farmhouse which squats on a slope at the
southern end of a mountain pass. He's peering through binoculars at
the wooded slopes to the north above the pass. He can hear the patter
of rifle fire and the chatter of machineguns in the woods.
PRITCHARD
What the hell?
Standing beside PRITCHARD, a GI is watching a SECOND GI sprinting
toward them.
GI
Runner, sir.
PRITCHARD lowers the glasses as the SECOND GI, a runner, staggers up
them, totally winded.
PRITCHARD
Well?
SECOND GI
(gasping for breath)
Dog's...falling back, sir, like you
said for 'em to. Twenty-two
ambulatory...six non-ambulatory.
Their walkie talkie was busted, that's
why...
PRITCHARD
What about Easy?
SECOND GI
There...ain't no Easy, sir. Not to
speak of. Four guys from the third
platoon, six from the fourth. They're
dug in around the mouth of the pass
down there...
The SECOND GI is pointing at the wooded slopes with their secrets...
PRITCHARD
"Dug in"! Did you tell them to fall back?
SECOND GI
They can't move, sir. Krauts got two
fifties right on 'em. I got as close
as I could and shouted. I think they
heard me.
PRITCHARD
(disgusted)
All right, what about Baker? Where
the hell is Baker?
SECOND GI
Couldn't find any live ones, sir, but
I spotted four dead niggers near the
mouth of the pass on that side...
The SECOND GI is pointing to the opposite slope, the eastern slope...
PRITCHARD
"Negroes," soldier, not "niggers."
"Negroes!"
SECOND GI
Well, whatever they were, sir, they're
dead now, Major. They been gutted.
PRITCHARD
"Gutted"?
SECOND GI
Mutilated, sir. At least that's what
it looked like through my glasses, I
couldn't get near 'em. It looks like
the krauts killed 'em and ripped 'em
open.
PRITCHARD
Jesus! And there was no sign of the
rest of Baker?
SECOND GI
(indicating the slopes)
Sir, there's krauts all over down
there. Anybody down there is damn near
surrounded.
ROAD/MID DAY
Scraaatch! ROCK strikes a match without breaking his steady stride and
relights his cigar.
Traffic flows past ROCK in the opposite direction, retreating vehicles
and weary FOOTSOLDIERS, heads down, eyes unseeing. Ahead the shelling
has stopped, an apparent lull in the fury of the battle.
Suddenly a VOICE calls out close by...
VOICE (O.S.)
Say, Sergeant, can I give you a lift?
ROCK turns and finds himself staring at a fresh young officer at the
wheel of a jeep headed for the line...GORYL.
MOVING JEEP/MINUTES LATER
ROCK is behind the wheel now and GORYL is beside him in the passenger
seat. GORYL sneaks glances at ROCK, looking him over, noting the scar
on his face, glimpsing the partially shaved skull, the bandage on his
neck...
GORYL
I guess...I guess you...you've been
up on the line already, huh, Sergeant?
ROCK
Yes, sir.
GORYL
I guess you've heard of Easy Company...
ROCK
Easy Company, sir?
GORYL
You must have, they're supposed to be
the roughest outfit around, they were
in North Africa, the only company that
held ground when Rommel and the Afrika
Korps attacked the Kassarene Pass.
Of course I guess it wouldn't be
really the same outfit, there were
heavy casualties, a lotta them musta
been killed.
A 4X4 laden with bagged and unbagged bodies grinds past in the opposite
direction.
ROCK
(remembering)
Right...heavy casualties...
(then...)
Why are you interested in Easy,
Lieutenant?
GORYL
I'm their new C.O.
Deadpan, ROCK shifts the cigar between his teeth as he considers the
fresh faced youth at his side and we...
CUT TO
MOVING JEEP/SEVERAL MILES LATER
The jeep is alone now, the retreating army is behind them to the south
and the wooded slopes ahead are much closer. GORYL is chattering out
of nervousness...
GORYL
...so I hadda M.A. in psychology and
they were looking for guys like me
to work in the War Department. Psy-
war stuff, intelligence, desk jobs...
actually interesting work for
someone in my field...
ROCK
And you turned them down?
GORYL
Pretty stupid, huh? It was guilt.
This kid down the block, I used to
play ball with him, he lost both arms
over in North Africa. And this other
kid I didn't know so well got killed
in the Pacific...I already felt guilty
and I figured it was gonna get worse,
so here I am, headed for the line, the
C.O. I know everything...and I don't
know anything...and I'm in charge.
ROCK
(deadpan)
Cigar, sir?
GORYL looks startled as we...
CUT TO
WOODS/DAY
TEXAS is squirming on his belly through the rotting leaves, sweating
furiously, casting nervous glances to his right.
The woods to the right look bland...and ominous. The unseen enemy is
visible in TEXAS' fear, the way he hugs the ground and sweats as he
inches along.
Arriving at the lip of a foxhole he looks over the rim at the grim,
exhausted faces of RETREAD and PASCALANO who are crouched in their
muddy foxhole in several inches of water. They've been fighting 22
days straight and it shows.
TEXAS
We're gonna make a run for it.
PASCALANO
In daylight?
TEXAS
When Wildman gives the signal, Klu's
gonna give us some cover if they open
up...
RETREAD
Oh, they'll open up, you can count on
it.
TEXAS squirms off, leaving RETREAD and PASCALANO alone again in the
hole.
PASCALANO
Shit! You think that's a good idea?
RETREAD
Doesn't matter what I think, that's
the plan.
PASCALANO
Yeah, yeah, Wildman makes me nervous.
I wish Rock was here.
RETREAD
(sarcastic)
Oh, that'd be great, just great.
We're pinned down, you know what that
asshole would do?
PASCALANO
Get us outta here alive maybe?
RETREAD
Attack.
SECOND FOXHOLE/DAY
TEXAS is on his belly, looking into a second foxhole where BIGELOW and
GERONIMO are huddled miserably.
TEXAS
When he signals, head for that big
rock back there about a hundred yards,
take cover there. Got it?
BIGELOW and GERONIMO nod grimly and TEXAS crawls off, leaving them
alone. BIGELOW immediately burrows frantically in a pocket and pulls
out a half a pack of lifesavers. With trembling hands he examines the
lifesavers...hesitates...chooses a red one...then reconsiders
indecisively as GERONIMO watches...finally changes his selection and
pops a green one in his mouth.
BIGELOW
Green one.
GERONIMO
Yeah? That's good luck, a green one?
BIGELOW
You could have one, Ger, go ahead.
GERONIMO
Be a waste. I'm not superstitious.
BIGELOW
Sure ya are. Indians are religious,
you got Gods and stuff, I believe in
Lady Luck, it's the same thing.
GERONIMO
You believe in lifesavers, it's
different.
BIGELOW
I'm not dead, am I? Or maimed?
THIRD FOXHOLE/DAY
TEXAS is peering into the third foxhole at WHIPSNAKE and KLUZEWSKI as
KLUZEWSKI frowns a question...
KLUZEWSKI
So we provide cover, then what?
TEXAS
We'll cover you from the rock back
there. Just don't fire till they do.
They might not ever shoot.
WHIPSNAKE
(glumly)
Right.
FOURTH FOXHOLE/MOMENTS LATER
BEEF, one eye bandaged, and PARDEE, haggard and gaunt, are looking up
at TEXAS as he peers down at them into their foxhole.
PARDEE
In daylight? Why don't we wait till
it's dark?
TEXAS
'Cause they'll put up flares like they
did last night.
BEEF
Yeah, but daylight's worse!
TEXAS
Don't start that shit, just go when
he signals.
TEXAS turns and squirms away as we....
CUT TO
A MONTAGE/DIFFERENT FOXHOLES
RETREAD looks stoic, PASCALANO is chewing his lip nervously as they
crouch, all ready to move...
BIGELOW is choosing a yellow lifesaver with shaking hands while
GERONIMO watches deadpan...
KLUZEWSKI aims the BAR over the lip of the foxhole while WHIPSNAKE
prepares a pile of magazines.
BEEF and PARDEE are tense, ready to go...
TEXAS looks expectantly at WILDMAN who's coiled like a spring. WILDMAN
sticks his rifle up out of the foxhole in two quick thrusts, a signal...
WOODS/SECONDS LATER
They're running low, eight of them, zig-zagging among bare trees, the
only sound their feet in the leaves. It's spooky how quiet it is after
all the tension...
One second...
Two seconds...
Three seconds...
BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA! The German machinegun chatters
mindlessly, bullets sizzle in the air.
PARDEE lets out a sharp cry as he lurches forward, then crashes to the
ground.
The others dive down on their bellies.
CHATTA CHATTA CHATTA CHATTA. The BAR joins the cacophony, returning
fire.
BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA. The second German machinegun replies.
THIRD FOXHOLE
KLUZEWSKI is firing the BAR at the German position which is invisible
except for the nervous muzzle flashes of the first machinegun while,
beside him, WHIPSNAKE fires his M-1.
KLUZEWSKI
How far are they?
WHIPSNAKE
(looking back)
Not far enough, they're gonna have to
come back.
WOODS
As bullets whiz over him, BIGELOW hugs the ground and looks toward the
objective... a boulder barely visible through the trees sixty yards away
on slightly higher ground. BIGELOW turns and speaks to GERONIMO lying
three yards to his right...
BIGELOW
We can't make it, we gotta go back.
GERONIMO doesn't answer...and BIGELOW suddenly sees that GERONIMO'S
eyes are glassy and lifeless.
TEN YARDS AWAY
WILDMAN is calling out as he squirms back toward his foxhole twenty
yards behind...
WILDMAN
Back. Get back in the holes.
TEN YARDS FURTHER
PARDEE is on his back, moaning pitifully as BEEF bellies toward him...
BEEF
Where you hit? Pardee! Where'd you
get hit?
PARDEE
I dunno, I dunno. It hurts!
BEEF
Where? Where's it hurt?
BEEF is close now, trying to examine PARDEE.
PARDEE
I dunno. In my body!
(panic)
I can't move, I can't move.
BEEF sees blood all over PARDEE'S front. He digs in his first aid kit.
FIRST FOXHOLE
RETREAD and PASCALANO are scrambling back into their foxhole.
PASCALANO
Great plan, that was a great plan.
RETREAD
They got our positions again. We're
gonna get some mortar fire.
WHOOOSH! The sound of a mortar on cue.
KAH-BOOOM! The mortar shell explodes fifteen yards from the foxhole.
RETREAD
What'd I tell ya?
FIFTH FOXHOLE
WILDMAN and TEXAS are firing at the German woods from their foxhole when
BIGELOW crawls to the rim, tears in his eyes...
BIGELOW
They killed the Indian, they killed
Gerry!
TEXAS
Get in, you're drawing fire.
BIGELOW
Bastards won't even let us run. We
were running!
KA-BOOOOOOM. A mortar shell explodes ten yards from the foxhole.
TEXAS
We shouldn'ta shot those last two
mortar shells, we shoulda saved 'em...
WILDMAN
Shut up.
WOODS
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! PARDEE is screaming in agony as BEEF, crawling on
his belly, tries to drag PARDEE with him toward a foxhole.
KA-BOOOOM! A mortar shell hits twenty yards from them.
It isn't working. Besides PARDEE'S agony, they're not making any
progress...
BEEF
Listen, Pardee, I can't do anything
for you, okay? I'm gonna grab your
clips and go back to the hole. We'll
come back an' getcha when it's dark.
PARDEE
Right, yeah. Gimme another shot.
BEEF
(grabbing clips)
Too soon.
PARDEE
I'm not gonna make it, Beef, I'm not
gonna make it.
BEEF
(lying)
Yeah, yeah, you're gonna be okay.
We'll getcha tonight. It hurts,
right? That's good. It's when you
can't feel it, that's when you got a
problem.
KA-BLAAAAM! Another mortar shell hits fifteen yards away and BEEF
starts to crawl for the foxholes.
OUTSIDE THE FARMHOUSE/A MILE AWAY/LATE AFTERNOON
The mortar concussions and intermittent bursts of machinegun fire are
subdued by distance while the woods themselves, like a mask, reveal
nothing to MAJOR PRITCHARD as he peers through his binoculars from the
ridge in front of the farmhouse. There's simply nothing to see down
there in the pass. He's lowering the glasses when the FIRST GI
approaches him...
FIRST GI
Message from Regimental, sir.
PRITCHARD
Permission to withdraw?
FIRST GI
No, sir. A General from Division's
coming forward to survey the
situation. They --
PRITCHARD
(erupting)
A General! Up here! Great Christ
Almighty we can't protect a General!
We can't protect ourselves.
(heading for the farmhouse)
Did you tell them we've got men pinned
down and we can't pull 'em out?
FIRST GI
(on Pritchard's heels)
They won't accept "pinned down," sir.
PRITCHARD
What?
FIRST GI
Colonel's orders. All transmissions
must say "not pinned down."
PRITCHARD
"Not pinned down!" Jesus H. Christ.
PRITCHARD charges into the farmhouse as the FIRST GI follows him.
INSIDE THE FARMHOUSE
PRITCHARD looms over the RADIO OPERATOR.
PRITCHARD
Get Regimental! Tell them we can't
protect a General unless he brings an
armored division with him. Tell them
we want permission to withdraw, we're
suffering heavy casualties and we're
about to be overrun.
FIRST GI
Uh, also, sir...we have, er, some
replacements...
PRITCHARD
Replacements?
FIRST GI
Uh, Lieutenant Goryl and Sergeant
Rock, for Easy Company.
PRITCHARD turns and notices GORYL and ROCK for the first time. Both men
salute the astonished PRITCHARD who suddenly recognizes ROCK.
PRITCHARD
Right. Rock. You were injured.
ROCK
Fully recovered, sir.
PRITCHARD
Good. You were lucky, luckier than
your buddies anyway.
ROCK
Sir?
PRITCHARD
Decimated. We got the first and third
platoons out with fifty per cent
casualties. What's left of the Second
and Fourth are down in those woods,
trapped, along with what's left of
Baker.
ROCK
You're pulling out without them, sir?
PRITCHARD
Oh, God no, Sergeant. I've got the
whole HQ platoon here, almost thirty
men. What we're gonna do is attack,
all thirty of us.
We're gonna jump those Waffen SS (you
were right about that, Sergeant) and
kick their Nazi butts all the way to
Rome, bet yer ass. Fuck yes! We're
gonna save those poor bastards from
Easy and those Baker Negroes, yessir!
BOOOOOOOOM! A shell hits outside. ROCK is heading for the door.
ROCK
Western slope, is that right, sir?
PRITCHARD
Huh? Hold on, Sergeant, you're
reassigned to HQ, what -- ?
Bang! The door slams behind ROCK, leaving PRITCHARD with his mouth
open.
BOOOOOOOOM! Another shell hits outside as PRITCHARD steps to the
window. He sees ROCK walking steadily toward the slope into the pass.
PRITCHARD
Where the hell does he think he's
going?
The FIRST GI and GORYL look uneasy as PRITCHARD opens the door and
shouts at ROCK.
PRITCHARD
Sergeant! Sergeant Rock! Get your
ass back here! Pronto!
ROCK keeps walking.
PRITCHARD
(turning to Goryl)
Lieutenant! I want that man back
here. Get him back here on the
double!
GORYL
Right away, sir.
GORYL hastens out the door.
ON THE SLOPE
BOOOOOOOOM! A shell hits on the ridge as ROCK, fifty yards from the
farmhouse, starts down the slope into the woods.
GORYL pants after him, shouting...
GORYL
Sergeant! Hey, Sergeant!
ROCK keeps walking even as GORYL pants up to him and continues at his
side, breathlessly...
GORYL
Sergeant, the Major wants us back
there. He's ordering us back to HQ.
ROCK
(without breaking stride)
I can't hear him, sir. It's the
shells.
BOOOOOM! Another shell hits on the ridge as ROCK continues without
looking back, leaving GORYL to stare after him, flabbergasted.
WOODS/MOMENTS LATER
Fifty yards down the slope, ROCK is in the woods now, alert for signs
of the enemy, scanning the confusion of trees when footsteps behind him
cause him to turn. GORYL draws alongside him, rifle in hand.
GORYL
I couldn't hear him either.
CUT TO
THE ROAD FROM BERGAMO
A jeep is winding through the slopes, not yet in sight of the
Farmhouse/HQ. CAPTAIN SLOAN is at the wheel. All we see of the man
beside him is a helmet with three stars on it. The GENERAL'S face is
obscured in profile and the shadow of his helmet.
Shells are thundering into the woods just ahead of them.
SLOAN
(slowing down)
I think we're getting kind of close,
actually, sir.
WHOOM! As if to confirm the statement, a shell explodes only a couple
of hundred yards from the road. The GENERAL doesn't flinch. He speaks
sardonically, still in shadowy profile, his helmet more in evidence
than his face.
GENERAL
Don't like shooting, Captain?
SLOAN
(bristling)
No, sir, I don't like it and I don't
know anybody who does. Would the
General like to proceed with the
understanding that Major Pritchard
advises us he cannot guarantee the
General's safety...and that the men
are already demoralized without losing
a General, General?
GENERAL
Fair enough, Captain. I withdraw the
comment.
HONK! HONK! SLOAN and the GENERAL (his face still obscured) turn to
see a Troop Carrier looming behind them on the road, eager to pass.
INSIDE THE REAR OF THE TROOP CARRIER
MORGAN, a cook, is sitting on top of the same confusion of cooking
equipment GORYL rode in on, peering ahead around the canvas roof and
speaking to several other COOKS lost in the gloom in the back.
MORGAN
Christ almighty! The asshole's
honking a General off the road.
COOK'S VOICE (O.S.)
So fucking what? They're useless
bastards, Generals. You could have
all the wars you want without
Generals, but you can't have shit
without food. Generals are useless,
we ain't.
INSIDE THE JEEP
CAPTAIN SLOAN is pulling off the road to let the troop carrier by...
SLOAN
Cooks. They're gonna try and give 'em
a hot meal up on the line at Major
Pritchard's request.
The Troop Carrier is grinding by, the DRIVER saluting the CAPTAIN and
the GENERAL who's still obscured by the angle...
GENERAL
Let's get out of here. The men would
rather see a hot meal than a General
any...
SLOAN shouts as the sound of an incoming shell crescendos...
SLOAN
GENERAL! JUMP FOR IT!
BAAAAAAAAAAWHOPOOOOOOOOOOOM! THE SHELL HITS FULL FRAME, OBSCURING
THE JEEP AS THE TROOP CARRIER GRINDS PAST AND WE...
CUT TO
SKY/LATE AFTERNOON
The gloomy overcast sky is blackening, the first drops of rain are
falling...
FIRST FOXHOLE
RETREAD is taking in the socks he was drying on the rim of the foxhole
as the rain begins to sprinkle...
RETREAD
Didn't get dry.
BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA. A German machinegun opens up.
PASCALANO is looking off to his right. He can see WILDMAN slithering
along on his belly as the tracers whiz over him.
PASCALANO
It's Wildman.
RETREAD
Now what?
PASCALANO
Headed for Pardee.
THIRD FOXHOLE
WHIPSNAKE comes awake at the sound of the machinegun and sees KLUZEWSKI
looking out of the foxhole...
WHIPSNAKE
What's going on? They coming?
KLUZEWSKI
It's Wildman, he's covering up Pardee.
WHIPSNAKE
He's dead?
KLUZEWSKI
(watching)
From the rain. He's still alive, he
was yelling for medicine a couple a
minutes ago.
WHIPSNAKE
Take a turn, I'll watch.
KLUZEWSKI
(sarcastic)
Great. It's raining. You got a dry
sleep, I take a wet one.
WHIPSNAKE
Anytime you sleep it's gonna be wet,
Kluzewski, you're the horniest bastard
in Italy.
KLUZEWSKI
What's that mean, what're ya talking
about?
WHIPSNAKE
You think nobody notices you pounding
it? You think it's a big secret?
KLUZEWSKI
Horseshit! Who says?
WHIPSNAKE
Everybody says! Anytime you're off
the watch you're flogging it.
Pascalano warned me, he said, "He's
gonna flog it an' moan everytime he
shuts his eyes."
KLUZEWSKI
Aaaw, crap! I'm a restless sleeper,
I squirm around, maybe I make some
noises...I got gas is all. My wife
used to get on me about it.
WHIPSNAKE
You beat your meat in front of your
wife?
KLUZEWSKI
Fuck you!
FIFTH FOXHOLE
The rain is coming down fiercely now as TEXAS watches WILDMAN scramble
into their foxhole, machinegun bullets sizzling above them.
TEXAS
How is he?
WILDMAN
How do I know, am I a medic? He's
bad, I gave him a shot, he's all
chewed up, I don't know what to do for
him.
TEXAS
That was a great plan, making a run
for it in daylight...
WILDMAN
Shut the fuck up!
WILDMAN and TEXAS are glaring at each other as we...
CUT TO
MEADOW/DUSK
The rain is pouring down on a tiny hut, apparently abandoned, in a
meadow on the fringe of the woods as ROCK and GORYL appear, slogging
through the meadow toward the woods. A machinegun rattles in the wood
ahead and GORYL reacts nervously. That gun isn't too far away and he's
scared now.
ROCK
Kraut gun.
GORYL
H-how do you know?
ROCK
Faster rate of fire.
GORYL
Oh.
ROCK is considering the peasant hut. It looks deserted.
ROCK
If that place is empty, we could wait
in there till dark.
GORYL
Uh, right. Good idea.
INTERIOR/FARMHOUSE/NIGHT
PRITCHARD peeks out between the curtains that cover the window. He
can't see anything, rain is slashing at the window. He turns to the
weary looking FIRST GI slumped by the door.
PRITCHARD
Private, I want you to go out and
check our positions, make sure
everyone's on their toes...
The FIRST GI blinks in disbelief, then climbs reluctantly to his feet,
his tone almost openly hostile...
FIRST GI
Right, sir.
PRITCHARD
They've stopped shelling. That could
mean they're approaching, it could
mean...
RADIO OPERATOR'S VOICE (O.S.)
Sir! Orders from Battalion HQ, sir.
Colonel Cronkite.
PRITCHARD turns abruptly and heads for the radio where the RADIO
OPERATOR sits, wearing headphones.
PRITCHARD
Withdraw?
RADIO OPERATOR
Fall back to Bergamo, yes, sir.
PRITCHARD breathes a sigh of relief and turns toward the FIRST GI.
PRITCHARD
All right, we're gonna get the fuck
outta here! Notify everybody in...
WHAM! The door bursts open, interrupting PRITCHARD in midsentence.
PRITCHARD'S eyes bulge and his jaw sags at what he sees in the doorway.
Dripping wet in the doorway is an angry looking MAN of about fifty,
grizzled and graying...STARK NAKED EXCEPT FOR COMBAT BOOTS AND A HELMET.
Everybody in the room is staring in disbelief when PRITCHARD
suddenly notices that there are three stars on the NAKED MAN'S
helmet. PRITCHARD hesitates, then, still slack-jawed, tentatively
comes to attention and salutes like a man afraid not to.
The NAKED MAN brusquely returns the salute as we...
CUT TO
WOODS/NIGHT
It's pitch black, pouring rain when suddenly a flare whooshes and
bursts overhead, illuminating the woods in a spooky green light,
catching WILDMAN running low.
BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA, the German machineguns open up, spraying
bullets as WILDMAN dives flat on his belly and squirms and wriggles the
rest of the way toward the foxhole.
CHATTA CHATTA CHATTA CHATTA. The BAR responds, firing a burst at the
winking muzzle of the German machinegun as the flare fades overhead.
FIFTH FOXHOLE
TEXAS is firing his M-1 at the German guns as WILDMAN tumbles into the
watery foxhole.
WILDMAN
Don't waste rounds.
TEXAS
I was covering you.
WILDMAN
You can't see 'em, you can't hit 'em.
TEXAS
What about Pardee? Is he alive?
For a long moment WILDMAN doesn't answer. The guns have stopped firing
and there's no sound but the raging rain. Then he speaks in a low
voice...
WILDMAN
He's all bandaged.
TEXAS
Bandaged? Whaddaya mean "bandaged"?
WILDMAN
His chest, his gut, his wound, it's
all bandaged up. He says a medic did
it.
TEXAS
Medic! What medic? Where?
WILDMAN
He's crazy in the head, he must have
a fever..
TEXAS
So who bandaged him?
WILDMAN
(dubiously)
He musta done it himself. There
aren't any medics around here.
TEXAS
Can he move? Whadder we gonna do
about him?
WILDMAN
He's crawled about ten yards already,
he's resting up.
TEXAS
He's gonna crawl here? Okay, then
what? We were gonna get outta here
tonight. If he can't walk...
WILDMAN
We can't get outta here because
they'll put up a flare.
TEXAS
So why'd we go in daylight? We're
worse off now with him non-
ambulatory than if...
WILDMAN
It's called "pinned down," asshole!
TEXAS
I know what it's called, Wildman.
What the fuck are we gonna do about
it?
THIRD FOXHOLE/NIGHT
Barely visible in the rainy darkness, WHIPSNAKE is poking KLUZEWSKI
awake.
WHIPSNAKE
You awake, Klu? It's your watch.
KLUZEWSKI stirs, grunts, sits up in the darkness while WHIPSNAKE
shields a flashlight as he tries to make a bed for himself under a
poncho that half roofs the hole.
KLUZEWSKI
There oughtta be a flag you could wave
when you gotta take a crap. Like a
time out.
WHIPSNAKE
This is a war, not a basketball game,
Kluzewski.
KLUZEWSKI
There's rules in war just like in
basketball. They gotta crap, we gotta
crap. You want me to crap in the
foxhole?
WHIPSNAKE
(curling up, dousing the
light)
You crap in the foxhole, asshole, I'll
kill you before the jerries get you.
KLUZEWSKI
I don't have to crap anyway, I didn't
eat anything.
WHIPSNAKE
Shuddup and lemme sleep.
Silence.
Rain pours down.
A long moment, then... WHOOOSH! A flare bursts overhead, turning the
woods a spooky yellow, revealing KLUZEWSKI in the foxhole and WHIPSNAKE
beside him, already asleep under the poncho.
KLUZEWSKI stares at the brightly lit woods. Nothing moves. There's no
sound except the thrashing rain. It's very spooky, almost surreal.
Nervously, KLUZEWSKI whispers loud in the direction of the other
foxholes.
KLUZEWSKI
Sssssst! Wildman!
(no answer)
Retread? Hey, Retread!
Nothing! It's like KLUZEWSKI is all alone in the world as the light
from the flare diminishes but, instead of fading entirely, remains a
gloomy yellow, giving the woods a creepy glow.
KLUZEWSKI is uneasy as he sits back in the foxhole...and stiffens
suddenly as his hand touches something.
He looks. There's something in the wall of the foxhole, buried in the
mud.
Tentatively he touches it, wiping away mud, and sees...A HUMAN HAND.
For a moment KLUZEWSKI stares at it in horror. It's a small hand, as
if a woman or child were buried in the mud...not too long ago.
IT MOVES!
No! Impossible. It must be an illusion, something to do with the
continuing weird yellow afterglow of the flare.
IT REALLY MOVES! WRITHING, EXPOSING A DELICATE WRIST.
Without taking his eyes off the horrifying phenomenon, KLUZEWSKI hisses
urgently at WHIPSNAKE...
KLUZEWSKI
Whip! Whip, wake up! Whip!
WHIPSNAKE doesn't stir.
KLUZEWSKI forgets to say anything more as, hypnotized, he watches an
arm emerge from the mud and then a face, covered with mud. A WOMAN'S
FACE!
Bug-eyed, KLUZEWSKI sees the hand wipe mud from the face.
KLUZEWSKI
Angie! Jesus Christ!
ANGIE is squirming out of the muddy wall of the foxhole, a lithe young
woman of twenty-three, stark naked. She gives an apologetic little
laugh...
ANGIE
I been going crazy, Klu, ha ha.
KLUZEWSKI
Angie! Angie, this is fucking Italy.
We're at war.
ANGIE
I know, honey, but I got hot pants,
I'm going crazy.
KLUZEWSKI casts a frantic glance at WHIPSNAKE who's still sound
asleep...thank God.
KLUZEWSKI
Angie, we can't do nothing here. I
mean, there's guys around...Germans
for Christ sake! We're in a foxhole.
It's a small foxhole, there's nowhere to go. ANGIE has a hand on
KLUZEWSKI'S crotch. The rain is washing the mud off her, revealing her
firm breasts, her alabaster skin, her wet black hair. She's moving the
hand gently, speaking in a breathy, intimate voice...
ANGIE
Remember that time when the kids were
out back...when we did it on the
kitchen floor?
KLUZEWSKI
(sudden alarm)
The kids! Where are the kids?
ANGIE
(rubbing against him)
With your parents. Come ooooooon,
baby...
KLUZEWSKI'S gonna shit or go to heaven! His eyes are rolling, his
breath is heavy. She's kneading his crotch. He tongue kisses her,
puts a muddy hand on her firm breast. She moans hotly. Rain soaks
them.
FIFTH FOXHOLE/NIGHT
Darkness. Rain. TEXAS stiffens and kicks WILDMAN awake.
TEXAS
(whisper)
Sssssst. Someone moving.
WILDMAN
(whisper)
Don't shoot, it could be Pardee.
TEXAS
Whozzat?
PARDEE'S VOICE (O.S.)
Lana Turner.
TEXAS
(to Wildman)
Whatsa countersign?
WILDMAN
Big tits, stupid.
TEXAS
Big tits.
PARDEE appears and flops down painfully into the foxhole while WILDMAN
covers them with a poncho and flicks on his flashlight.
PARDEE
Tell me...tell me the truth.
WILDMAN
What truth?
PARDEE
I'm alive, right?
TEXAS
Yeah.
PARDEE
I thought maybe I was dead. You know
who I saw out there...three minutes
ago?
WILDMAN
Who?
PARDEE
Sergeant Rock! I seen Rock!
WILDMAN
Fuck you.
PARDEE
Sergeant Rock! I swear to God.
WILDMAN
He's dead, asshole.
PARDEE
That's what I'm talking about. He's
dead, but I see him, what's that make
me? He's out there, him and another
guy.
WILDMAN
(to Pascalano)
Give him a dose, he's fucked up from
the wound.
PASCALANO
You got a fever, Pardee...
PARDEE
He said to me, "Ssssst! Pardee! You
okay?" I said, "I dunno, Sarge. I
thought you were dead." "Where's the
Wildman?" he says...
WILDMAN
Shut up, Pardee. Shut up and swallow.
PARDEE
..."Wildman's over there," I go, "dug
in." "What about the rest," he says,
"Who's left?"
PASCALANO
Hallucination.
PARDEE
Well, I told him...or it...the
hallucination, and the hallucination
crawled off with this other guy, this
other hallucination.
WILDMAN
(keeping watch)
Rock isn't out there, Pardee.
PARDEE
Maybe we're all dead.
FIRST FOXHOLE/NIGHT
The rain is diminishing, the moon appearing behind blowing clouds as
PASCALANO nervously alerts RETREAD.
PASCALANO
Hey, I see something.
RETREAD
Again?
PASCALANO
Over there...something moved.
SECOND FOXHOLE/NIGHT
BEEF and BIGELOW are both awake, peering into the shadowy darkness.
BIGELOW
Where?
BEEF
Over there. Watch.
BIGELOW
Might be Pardee.
WHOOOOOOSH! A flare bursts, the woods are suddenly bright green.
THIRD FOXHOLE/NIGHT
Oooooooooh! Uuuuuuuuuuuun! In a blaze of green light, her head thrown
back in wild abandon, ANGIE comes as KLUZEWSKI humps her furiously in
the brightly lit foxhole.
WHIPSNAKE'S VOICE (O.S.)
Kluzewski, you asshole, cut it out.
ANGIE'S face is distorted with the agony of the climax!
WHIPSNAKE'S hand clutches KLUZEWSKI'S shoulder as the German
machineguns start to rattle...
KLUZEWSKI looks up. WHIPSNAKE is shaking him.
WHIPSNAKE
Wake up, you dumb fuck!
KLUZEWSKI shakes his head clear and grabs his rifle. There is no
ANGIE, the flare is dying, the BAR is making dull sounds, rifles are
snapping.
KLUZEWSKI
What's goin' on?
WHIPSNAKE is firing over the lip of the foxhole...BANG! BANG!
WHIPSNAKE
You an' the krauts, you're both
coming!
SECOND FOXHOLE
The woods are moonlit again as BEEF looks frantically off and behind
them where a muzzle flashes a burst of automatic fire...
BEEF
Who's that? Who the fuck is that over
there?
BIGELOW fires a burst at the German machineguns as he answers.
BIGELOW
Dunno! Krauts?
FIRST FOXHOLE
RETREAD and PASCALANO are observing the same muzzle flashes as they
return German fire.
RETREAD
Not krauts.
PASCALANO
Who?
BAAAAAAAWHOOOOOOOOOM! A sudden explosion.
PASCALANO and RETREAD stare in amazement.
RETREAD
Jesus Christ!
SCREAMS fill the night. Words of agony...IN GERMAN!
PASCALANO
The bastards blew up.
RETREAD
It was a grenade.
PASCALANO
I thought nobody had any left!
A sudden burst of automatic fire and more screams.
THIRD FOXHOLE
WHIPSNAKE and KLUZEWSKI are equally confounded.
KLUZEWSKI
Who the fuck is shooting?
WHIPSNAKE
Must be Wildman. He musta gone after
'em.
More screams, more GERMAN words...
FIRST FOXHOLE
PASCALANO swings his rifle violently toward rapidly moving shadows to
the right.
VOICE/DARKNESS
DON'T SHOOT!
BANG! PASCALANO fires as a shadowy figure looms out of the darkness
above them and...leaps into the foxhole on top of PASCALANO and
RETREAD.
VOICE/DARKNESS
It's okay, you missed me.
RETREAD peers into a face partially visible in the silvery moonlight, a
fresh, young, non-combat kind of face...GORYL.
RETREAD
Who the fuck are you?
GORYL
Lieutenant Goryl, your new C.O.
RETREAD and PASCALANO are flabbergasted...
PASCALANO
Yer shitting me...uh, sir.
RETREAD
"Girl"?
GORYL
Gore-ill, Tom.
RETREAD
That was you over there with the BAR?
GORYL
Right. As soon as Sergeant Rock takes
out the second machinegun position,
we're gonna move out.
PASCALANO
(bug-eyed)
Rock!
FIFTH FOXHOLE/MINUTES LATER
WILDMAN, TEXAS and PARDEE are looking at PASCALANO in disbelief as
PASCALANO peers into the Fifth Foxhole...
TEXAS
Alive?
WILDMAN
You're sure?
A GERMAN VOICE is screaming in the darkness...pain.
PARDEE
I toldja.
PASCALANO
We're supposed to put Pardee on a
poncho and move out when Rock takes
out the second machinegun.
THTRD FOXHOLE/MOMENTS LATER
KLUZEWSKI and WHIPSNAKE are reacting to PASCALANO who's peering over
the lip of their foxhole as the GERMAN VOICE shouts in the
background...
WHIPSNAKE
Sergeant Rock! He's alive?
PASCALANO
He's gonna take out the other gun,
then we're supposed to go according
to Lieutenant Girl...
KLUZEWSKI
"Girl"!
PASCALANO
No such luck, pal. He's pretty, but
it's just a name.
SECOND FOXHOLE/SECONDS LATER
BEEF and BIGELOW are facing PASCALANO who's peering into their foxhole
from above as the GERMAN VOICE wails in the background...
BIGELOW
How's he gonna take out the machinegun?
PASCALANO
He got the first one, didn't he? You
hear that Kraut fucker crying? Ask
him.
BEEF
I like Rock. He's a sonofabitch, a
real goddamn leader.
GERMAN POSITION
The GERMAN SOLDIERS are crouched behind their machinegun, cold and
businesslike. As two GERMANS drag the wounded, screaming GERMAN
SOLDIER into their position, the CAPTAIN snaps an order. The GERMAN
SOLDIER is silenced immediately! These guys mean business!
PLOP! A grenade flops stupidly in front of them, a silly little
pineapple of iron.
The CAPTAIN looks at it, it registers in his mind...then it explodes.
BOOOOOOM!
TATTA TATTA TATTA TATTA...a grease gun opens up, bullets ripping into
the already ravaged GERMAN SOLDIERS as we...
CUT TO
MOONLIT WOODS/SECONDS LATER
Nine SHADOWS, stumbling, struggling through the darkness with the tent
man, PARDEE, in a poncho.
Stumbling.
Cursing.
WILDMAN
Where we going, huh?
GORYL
Up the pass. There's a hut, we meet
Rock there. In a meadow.
BEEF
(tripping)
Fuck.
KLUZEWSKI
(freezing)
Listen.
The rapid patter of the German machinegun.
WHIPSNAKE
That's the kraut gun.
WILDMAN is grim in the moonlight as BIGELOW says aloud what all of them
are thinking...
BIGELOW
He didn't get 'em, they got him.
GORYL is worried, but he forces himself to take charge.
GORYL
Come on, men, let's keep moving.
WILDMAN
Maybe a couple of us should go back.
Me and Retread.
GORYL
No. Keep moving. Let's go.
WILDMAN hesitates, his eyes meeting GORYL'S. GORYL looks away.
PASCALANO
Rock ain't dead. He's fucking
indestructible, can't be killed. We
just seen that, we thought he was
gone, we see him half dead, then he
shows up.
GORYL is moving ahead and the others are falling in behind him.
WILDMAN hesitates, then follows.
Behind them, the machinegun stutters again...
TEXAS
Who the fuck they shooting at?
BEEF
Colored guys. From Baker. They were
on the east slope.
PASCALANO
Bullshit! Not Baker. Fucking Rock
got the kraut gun and he's shooting
the goddamn huns with their own gun,
that's all.
GERMAN POSITION
The machinegun spatters bullets into the moonlit woods where GERMAN
VOICES exchange urgent shouts.
ROCK is behind the gun, blazing away, finishing off a belt. Beside him
in a pool of blood a badly INJURED GERMAN speaks to him.
INJURED GERMAN
(German, subtitled)
Give me more medicine. For the pain.
ROCK
(German, subtitled)
I gave you all I had.
Having failed to find another ammo belt, ROCK is hastily grabbing some
German grenades and other gear.
INJURED GERMAN
(German, subtitled)
How come you talk German without an
accent?
ROCK
(German, subtitled)
My parents came from the Ruhr.
INJURED GERMAN
(German, subtitled)
Too bad, they should've stayed. You
guys don't have a chance. We're like
a big machine, the Panzers are coming
now, tanks.
ROCK
(leaving)
We eat tanks, we piss on them, tanks
are nothing to us.
Laden with gear, ROCK slips off into the woods and, the instant he's
gone, the INJURED GERMAN shouts at the top of his lungs...
INJURED GERMAN
(German, subtitled)
THERE'S ONLY ONE, HE'S ALL ALONE! GET
HIM! WILLIE! CHRISTIAN! GET HIM!
CUT TO
MEADOW/LATER
TEXAS is moving cautiously back through the meadow to where GORYL and
the rest of Easy are waiting tensely...
TEXAS
No hut up there, sir.
Muttering among the men..."Christ!" "Lost." "Stupid kid."
Shaken, GORYL tries to hide his waning confidence...
GORYL
I must have got turned around. It's
that way. Let's go.
More grumbling. BEEF murmurs to RETREAD...
BEEF
We're fucking lost. I got no
confidence in this kid at all!
RIDGE/OUTSIDE THE FARMHOUSE/NIGHT
Crouched behind a machinegun outside the farmhouse, three weary GIS
are sharing a quick smoke, hiding the single cigarette in a helmet so
the glow won't give them away...
SECOND GI
Naked? Bare ass?
FIRST GI
Fucking aye! Bare fucking ass! Boots
and a helmet is all...
THIRD GI
A helmet with three stars!
FIRST GI
He says his jeep got shelled, gasoline
all over his uniform. Took it off so
he wouldn't catch fire.
THIRD GI
Poor bastard was out there in the
woods buck naked for about three
hours...
SECOND GI
"General Cook," huh? I never hearda
no General Cook.
FIRST GI
(imitating)
"Cook, Third Division, gimme that
uniform, private.'
SECOND GI
(incredulous)
He took your fucking uniform?
FIRST GI
Am I gonna say "Fuck you, General"?
SECOND GI
It makes you wonder sometimes if this
is a war or a comedy...
FIRST GI
Comedy, my ass! That bastard ain't
funny unless getting killed is ha-ha!
You know what he's doing, he's in
there telling Pritchard we're gonna
stick it out. The dumb shit wants
to attack, he's calling for support...
INSIDE THE FARMHOUSE
PRITCHARD looks agitated as GENERAL COOK, wearing an ill-fitted
private's uniform, harangues him...
COOK
You get your man to repeat the order.
I want at least a dozen howitzers, I
want Long Toms, I want air support,
and I want six rifle companies by...
PRITCHARD
General, I don't think you quite grasp
our situation here. By the time any
support arrives we'll already be --
COOK interrupts, leaping to his feet, waving his arms theatrically and
declaiming loudly...
COOK
"Then up spoke brave Horatius, the
Captain of the gate! 'To all the men
upon this earth, death cometh soon or
late! And how can man die better than
by facing fearful odds for the ashes
of his fathers and the temples of his
gods?"
Stunned, PRITCHARD can only stammer while everybody in the room stares
at the General, completely non-plussed...
PRITCHARD
I...uh, I beg your...pardon, General?
COOK
Tennyson! You didn't learn Tennyson
at The Point, Major? Goddamn pity.
(to the amazed GIs)
Of course we don't believe in all
that crap about ashes of fathers and
temples of gods, that's Greek stuff...
but we believe in our families, our
loved ones, our country, and Jesus
Christ...and our men down in that
pass.
PRITCHARD
General, that's very emotional stuff
about "fearful odds," but, as you
know, sir, wars are won with tactics
and...
COOK
"'Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul,
with all the speed ye may, and I with
two to help me will hold the foe at
bay!'"
(triumphantly)
"'For in yon straight path a thousand
may well be stopped by three, now who
will stand on either hand and fight
the foe with me?'"
(to everyone)
That's your tactics! It was a bridge,
see? Narrow like that pass down
there. The idea was three men could
stand off an army of thousands...and
they did! That's called "tactics mitt
balls," got that?
PRITCHARD
General, our situation is very serious
and I don't think we should discuss
this in front of...
COOK
What's that?
COOK has suddenly noticed some cans piled under a shelf in the corner
which he's pointing at...
RADIO OPERATOR
Looks like paint, sir.
COOK
(inspecting)
Paint! What kind of paint?
PRITCHARD
I imagine it's Italian paint, General,
it was here when we established HQ.
I wonder if we could continue our
discussion of tactics in private so
that...
COOK
It's white paint!
COOK has opened a can and dipped his finger in as we...
CUT TO
HUT, MEADOW/NIGHT
Squatting in a moonlit meadow, the little peasant hut looks ominous
to GORYL and the men of Easy who are eyeing it warily from a safe
distance. PASCALANO expresses almost universal sentiments as he
mutters under his breath...
PASCALANO
I was beginning to think it didn't
exist.
GORYL
(ignoring the remark
bravely)
The Sergeant and I checked it out this
afternoon. It's abandoned.
RETREAD
Yeah? I smell smoke.
BEEF
Me too.
GORYL
(decisively)
I'm gonna look it over. I need a
volunteer to go with me.
GORYL finds himself looking into battle-hardened faces, men who don't
volunteer...especially not for green lieutenants. No response.
Hiding his own fear, GORYL consider the tough faces one by one. Then
he points...
GORYL
You. Let's go.
Without waiting for WILDMAN to answer, GORYL starts toward the hut.
With a shrug, WILDMAN falls in behind him.
The others watch the two of them move stealthily toward the hut.
BEEF
I'll say this for the Lieutenant, he's
goin' himself, he didn't send two of
us.
RETREAD
That's 'cause he's so fucking green
he's more scared of us than the
krauts. He'll learn.
CLOSE TO THE HUT
WILDMAN moves cautiously to a window, then turns and hisses to
GORYL...
WILDMAN
Window's covered with something.
GORYL hides his trembling hands as he whispers.
GORYL
Cover me. I'm going in.
WILDMAN is actually impressed. He looks GORYL in the eye.
WILDMAN
I got more experience, sir. I could
go in.
GORYL
I need more experience. Cover me.
WILDMAN stands by the door as GORYL suddenly shoves it open.
INSIDE THE HUT
As GORYL drops in low, a gun muzzle touches his temple...
FORTY YARDS AWAY
BEEF, RETREAD, and the others watch breathlessly as WILDMAN follows
GORYL in through the door.
The men wait tensely for a shot or something...
Suddenly WILDMAN appears and approaches the anxious men somberly...
WILDMAN
Sergeant Rock is preparing a light
repast of hot K rations and he wonders
if we would care to dine with him.
PASCALANO
What'd I tell you? The bastard can't
die, he's superhuman!
MEADOW/DAWN
The hut is a glum silhouette against the weak light coming from the
east where the rising sun is obscured by clouds. BIGELOW'S breath
comes in puffs of steam as he stands watch outside the hut, holding his
hand out to collect the first flakes of snow that's beginning to fall
almost imperceptibly.
INSIDE THE HUT
The men of Easy, huddled on the floor, are just beginning to stir.
PASCALANO is seeing to PARDEE'S needs while ROCK passes out another
round of K rations from his pack.
TEXAS
That true what Whip said about the
hospital? The Krauts bombed it?
ROCK
(a grim shrug)
It coulda been an accident.
PARDEE
It killed Goines, right? Chopper was
probably there too, and Fortuna.
BEEF
Some accident.
RETREAD
Well, I guess we gotta stop being nice
to the Germans, right, fellas? No
more Mister Nice Guy.
WILDMAN
Fuck you, Retread.
KLUZEWSKI
(looking out the window)
It's snowing out.
BEEF
There you are, sunny Italy,
vacationland of Europe.
PASCALANO
Any country's gonna be shit when it's
winter an' people are shooting at you.
ROCK
Lieutenant, with your permission I'd
like to take a couple of men and scout
ahead to make sure they didn't get
behind us, make sure we got a clear
way to fall back.
Everybody looks at ROCK, then at GORYL like at a tennis match.
GORYL
Right. That's a good idea, Sergeant.
ROCK
While we're scouting, sir, you might
want to distribute the mail...
Everybody gasps as ROCK produces the bundle of letters from his pack
and we...
CUT TO
THE MEADOW/MOMENTS LATER
ROCK, RETREAD and WHIPSNAKE are moving across the meadow away from the
hut as snow flutters in the air, not yet sticking to the ground...
RETREAD
You picked us 'cause we didn't get no
mail, right?
ROCK
I didn't look. It's gonna be tough
hauling Pardee on the high ground.
Let's check the pass, see what we see.
RETREAD
You know I don't ever get mail. Whip
neither.
ROCK
It coulda got lost at Regimental.
Things are pretty fucked up back
there.
RETREAD
Just because nobody writes us is no
reason for us to pull extra duty,
Sergeant.
ROCK
We'll mark trees to make sure we can
find our way back.
INSIDE THE HUT
GORYL is pulling envelopes from the sack of mail.
GORYL
Jones, William...
An awkward silence, exchange of glances, then...
KLUZEWSKI
He...ain't with us no more.
GORYL
Oh. Uh, sorry. Uh...Blake, Thomas.
Another silence.
GORYL
Uh, absent?
TEXAS
Dead.
GORYL pulls out another letter.
GORYL
I can't pronounce this, it, uh, looks
Italian. Eff ay...are...are...ay...
PASCALANO
Farracci.
BEEF
Shit!
Another silence, then...
WILDMAN
Why don't you let me distribute 'em,
Lieutenant?
GORYL
Yes. Good idea, Corporal.
WILDMAN takes the stack of letters. He looks at the top one, then sets
it aside solemnly. Then the next. And the next.
It's a grim moment, the room is full of the ghosts of dead men.
Until...
WILDMAN
Here ya go, Klu.
As KLUZEWSKI takes the letter eagerly PASCALANO breathes a sigh of
relief.
PASCALANO
Thank Christ! I was thinking maybe
none of us were alive!
WOODS/SNOW
Snow is falling fast and furiously now, sticking to the bare branches,
several inches deep on the ground, obscuring everything, muffling
sound.
ROCK, RETREAD, and WHIPSNAKE appear plodding through the snow. ROCK is
peering around at the woods. The snow has cut his visibility to thirty
yards.
ROCK
We're not gonna learn anything more.
We better get back.
RETREAD
While we can. I hope you know the way.
RETREAD is considering the fresh blanket of snow behind them, the
mysterious woods.
CRACK! CRACK! Sharp snapping sounds in the distance. All three of
them stiffen. WHIPSNAKE looks puzzled.
WHIPSNAKE
Rifles?
RETREAD
Not M-1s. Maybe Italian rifles or
something.
ROCK frowns as he listens. He knows what they are...
ROCK
Trees!
WHIPSNAKE
Trees?
INSIDE THE HUT
Looking disturbed, KLUZEWSKI is studying the contents of his letter
with a frown when BEEF'S triumphant shout causes him to look up.
Everybody's looking at BEEF who's gleefully holding up a crude
ladderback chair and punching out the straw seat.
BEEF
Looka this, willya? Looka what I got?
A fucking toilet! I'm gonna take a
shit like a human being. I'm gonna
take a proper fucking crap!
WILDMAN
Seconds!
PASCALANO
Thirds!
TEXAS
Next!
BIGELOW
After Texas.
PASCALANO
Whatsa matter, Kluzewski, you
constipated or you got to like
squatting?
KLUZEWSKI is completely preoccupied with a photo enclosed with his
letter...a picture of his wife ANGIE and his two kids. Pretty ANGIE
smiles at him from the picture with love and innocence (in sharp
contrast to the horny slut from his dreams) as he answers absently...
KLUZEWSKI
Yeah, yeah, count me in.
PASCALANO
(to Goryl)
This is a democracy here on the line,
Lieutenant, no officers latrine.
GORYL
Fair enough, I'm last.
PARDEE
He oughtta go outside, he's gonna
stink up our luxury accommodation.
WILDMAN
Who could smell it? We all stink so
bad we can't smell anything but
ourselves.
TEXAS
(emotional)
Fucking aye! We're all disgusting!
Can you imagine if some woman walked
in here? What she'd think of us? A
buncha animals...
PASCALANO
Worse than animals! Animals clean
themselves.
PARDEE
That's what so great about women, you
know? How clean they are!
WILDMAN
That isn't all that's so great about
them, in case you forgot...
Nobody laughs at WILDMAN'S joke, they're serious...
TEXAS
Pasky's right. Even the dirty ones
are clean...
PARDEE
They smell like soap...
PASCALANO
Or clean sheets...
GORYL
Their hair especially...
Surprised looks. Nobody expected GORYL, "the stranger," to speak.
Then KLUZEWSKI looks up dreamily from "Mother Angie's" smile...
KLUZEWSKI
Yeah. Their hair...
Everybody's silent for a moment thinking clean thoughts...
BBBBRRRRRRAT! A loud farting noise from BEEF'S direction breaks the
mood.
WILDMAN
I believe we got artillery support
after all.
TANKS/WOODS
CRAAACK! SNAP! CRACK! Trees break like twigs as two tanks, Panzers,
ghostly in the snowy air, grind through the woods ominously.
ROCK, RETREAD, and WHIPSNAKE are crouched behind a tree twenty yards
away, watching the tanks.
ROCK is grim.
ROCK
Let's go.
The three men move from behind the rock and start hastily back through
the woods as the tanks continue through the trees.
Moving through the thickly falling snow, their vision obscured, they
weave among the trees...
ROCK is looking around with a frown.
ROCK
There! There's one of our marks.
ROCK is indicating a crude slash in one of the trees. He's about to
look for the next one when...
CRACK! SNAP! Directly in front of them, the sound of a tank coming,
still a ways off.
WHIPSNAKE
Aw shit!
ROCK
This way.
ROCK heads decisively in another direction as we...
CUT TO
SNOW/WOODS/MOMENTS LATER
Leading them in the other direction, ROCK suddenly hears the snarling
engine of a tank ahead of him...not too far. But he can't see the
tank...in fact he can't see more than ten feet in the thickly falling
snow. Hastily, the three men turn back, moving away from the snarl of
the engine.
But seconds later another engine growls even closer to them, forcing
them to change direction again.
The engines get louder...so loud the roaring seems to surround them.
WHIPSNAKE and RETREAD look to ROCK for guidance. Which way do they go?
ROCK doesn't know.
SUDDENLY A TANK APPEARS...A HUGE BLACK THING LOOMING OUT OF THE
OF SNOW ONLY FIFTEEN FEET AWAY.
All three men scramble out of the way as the huge tank grinds within a
few feet of them, apparently never seeing them.
But WHIPSNAKE is pointing in alarm.
Here comes another, ten yards from them. Its machinegun starts to
chatter.
ROCK
SPLIT UP!
ROCK dives out of the way to the left of the tank, WHIPSNAKE and
RETREAD sprawl in the other direction.
Half crawling, half running, ROCK scrambles away from the tank...
And scrambles almost under the treads of another as it suddenly appears
out of the whiteness.
Escaping the treads, ROCK sees the flash of machinegun fire from
another tanks invisible in the snow.
It must be shooting at RETREAD and WHIPSNAKE.
ROCK pulls a grenade and moves through the blinding snow, deafened by
roaring engines.
Suddenly he's ten feet from the profile of a tank as it grinds forward
firing.
ROCK flips the grenade into the treads and dives flat on his face.
KA-BLAAAAAM! The grenade explodes.
ROCK looks up. The tank rumbles ahead, apparently oblivious.
And suddenly another tank rumbles out of the snow only a few feet away,
about to run over him.
ROCK scrambles to his feet and sprints off into the snow as the
machineguns chatter behind him.
Gasping for air he keeps running, putting distance between the
throbbing engines and himself as we...
CUT TO
ROCK/MINUTES LATER
Still staggering forwards sucking wind, ROCK looks back. He can't see
anything through the snow, but he can still hear the tanks grumbling
toward him a quarter mile back.
WHAM! ROCK slams into something directly in front of him. A wall.
Shaking his head clear, ROCK finds himself looking at the muzzle of
TEXAS' rifle.
TEXAS
Sarge! You okay? What's going on?
Those tanks are trucks or what?
ROCK
Tanks. Get inside.
As ROCK and TEXAS disappear into the hut, wind blows the curtain of
snow momentarily clear, revealing four tanks only a hundred yards away,
grinding slowly toward the hut with GERMAN FOOTSOLDIERS moving behind
them.
INSIDE THE HUT
TEXAS is peeking out the side window.
TEXAS
Shit! It's letting up, the wind's
blowing the snow away.
GORYL
We can't fight tanks...
ROCK
I think we should sit tight, there's
a chance they'll go right past us.
The engines are getting louder.
GORYL
Good idea, Sergeant. I --
TEXAS
No, it ain't! Hit the deck!
TEXAS, who's been peering through the window, dives for the floor and
everybody else follows suit.
TANK TURRET
From behind the turning tank turret we see the big gun on the lead tank
line up with the hut a hundred yards ahead...aiming...
KA BLAAAAAM! The big gun blasts. A direct hit demolishes the hut.
The tank continues to rumble toward the crumpled hut.
INSIDE THE RUBBLE
ROCK pokes his head out of the clutter of debris, spots the tank coming
toward the hut, now only 70 yards away, and starts to struggle free.
GORYL, TEXAS, WILDMAN, KLUZEWSKI and PASCALANO are scrambling to their
feet, covered with cuts and bruises, as ROCK starts digging in the
debris.
ROCK
Where's Pardee? Where's Beef?
WILDMAN
Where's my rifle?
TEXAS
Fuck your rifle.
TEXAS is seeing the tank grinding right at them.
BIGELOW
Help! I'm caught! Me and Beef.
BIGELOW and BEEF are underneath a collapsed wall and GORYL, KLUZEWSKI,
PASCALANO and TEXAS start digging them out as ROCK pulls aside debris
desperately looking for PARDEE.
The tank is closer...much closer... Machineguns rattle, bullets sizzle
in the debris.
ROCK and GORYL pull a heavy board aside and react...underneath is
PARDEE, clearly dead.
CRACK! Ping! CRACK! Ping! WILDMAN fires his M-1 at the tank, now only
thirty-five yards away, and the bullets ping off the armored surface as
machinegun bullets sizzle around WILDMAN.
BEEF is clear, his arm broken, but BIGELOW is still trapped as GORYL
and ROCK join the others trying to free him.
Pinned, BIGELOW is able to maneuver enough to get one hand on his
lifesavers. Frantic, he spills two before he manages to get a hand to
his mouth with a red one.
GORYL
I got him! You guys take off!
GORYL is still digging frantically as TEXAS turns and sees the tank
twenty yards away and coming...coming...coming...
ROCK sees it too as he hurls aside debris, freeing BIGELOW at last...
but the tank is on them, looming over them, five yards away, too late
to run, too late to...
KAAAABAAAAM! A sudden explosion shudders the tank, causing it to grind
to a violent stop, canted part way up the heap of debris, its menacing
treads only three feet from RDCK who stares in amazement.
KAAAA-BOOOM! A second bazooka shell slams into the immobilized tank's
turret penetrating heavy armor. Smoke pours from the badly damaged
tank and someone screams from inside.
As the others stare in dumbfounded amazement, ROCK, looking left, spots
several phantom SOLDIERS barely visible a hundred and fifty yards away
at the edge of the woods. Ghostly figures in the falling snow, they
seem to be wearing dark masks and one of them has a bazooka. Then,
like apparitions, they disappear into the woods.
ROCK
Everybody down, the krauts don't see
us.
Crouched behind the debris and the burning tank, ROCK, GORYL and the
others watch the other tanks turn abruptly toward the woods to the
left, machineguns rattling as they pursue the PHANTOM SOLDIERS.
TEXAS
Sonofabitch!
WILDMAN
Bazooka!
BIGELOW
Helluva shot!
GORYL
(to Rock)
Who...?
ROCK
I dunno, sir.
ROCK'S thoughtful eyes follow the tanks as they grind into the woods
with GERMAN FOOTSOLDIERS in their wake.
CUT TO
WOODS/LATER
It's still snowing, piling up on the ground and covering the tree
branches as WILDMAN moves cautiously among the trees, rifle ready.
He's the point man, about thirty yards ahead of the rest of the ragged
band.
GORYL and PASCALANO are next, then BEEF who's wearing his left arm in
sling, then ROCK carrying the BAR followed by TEXAS and finally
KLUZEWSKI who's bringing up the rear.
Ahead, in the distance, a machinegun rattles, then rifles crack and the
deep thud of a flat trajectory gun sounds.
GORYL drops back to be close to ROCK.
GORYL
That machinegun...it's slower...
ROCK
One of ours.
GORYL
You don't think maybe we're getting
support?
ROCK
(dubious)
That Major said there was another
outfit, Baker, in the area. It was
probably them with the bazooka.
UP AHEAD
WILDMAN is scanning the woods, back and forth, back and forth, panning
his rifle, moving cautiously.
To the right...trees...trees...trees...
To the left...trees...and more trees...
It's spooky how peaceful the woods appear when every tree could conceal
a sniper and sudden death!
To the right...trees...trees...trees...
To the left...A MOVEMENT!
WILDMAN
HIT IT!
WILDMAN dives flat into the snow behind a tree, aims at a blur of
movement between two trees...CRACK! he fires.
WILDMAN
On the left, ten o'clock.
Everybody's down in the snow looking for a target, sweating in the
cold. All they can see are trees.
BIGELOW is trying to keep an eye on the woods, a hand on his rifle and
still get a lifesaver with his other hand. He drops the lifesavers in
the snow. Panic!
WILDMAN pans his rifle from a prone position, looking for a target...
Nothing. Then...
RETREAD'S VOICE/WOODS
Hey, Rock, that you?
ROCK breathes a sigh of relief and grins at GORYL, then he calls out...
ROCK
Who's got good legs?
RETREAD'S VOICE/WOODS
Betty Grable. Who got the big tits?
KLUZEWSKI, TEXAS, WILDMAN
Lana Turner!
WHIPSNAKE'S VOICE (O.S.)
Who's a big asshole?
EVERYBODY
Adolph Hitler!
RETREAD and WHIPSNAKE are appearing from the trees fifty yards away as
we...
CUT TO
WOOD/MINUTES LATER
RETREAD and WHIPSNAKE are reporting to ROCK and GORYL while BIGELOW and
TEXAS keep watch and the others listen...
RETREAD
...so we can't see shit in the snow,
can't find Rock, can't find our marks,
an' all of a sudden we're surrounded...
WHIPSNAKE
...Not by krauts, by colored guys...
RETREAD
Baker Company, about ten of 'em...
WHIPSNAKE
That's all that's left of their first
platoon...
RETREAD
They're as beat up as us...they got
this sergeant...
WHIPSNAKE
As big as Sergeant Rock an' black as
coal...
RETREAD
(imitating Southern black
dialect)
"You gennlemen see any nazzies? We
lookin' for nazzies."
WHIPSNAKE
"Bet your ass," we say. "About eight
tanks."
RETREAD
This Sergeant just grins like he likes
tanks...
WHIPSNAKE
They got a bazooka and a light
machinegun...
RETREAD
So we hear the engines, then we see
the tanks going after you guys...
WHIPSNAKE
They're almost on top of you! "That's
our outfit," we say...
RETREAD
This sergeant goes, "Siiiilk."
WHIPSNAKE
That's the name of his bazooka
man...Silk!
RETREAD
He takes his time, he aims, he aims,
he aims...
WHIPSNAKE
BAM! Two hundred yards! Bullseye!
RETREAD
Right in the treads! Coolest
sonofabitch I ever seen! Impossible
shot!
WHIPSNAKE
...Silk says "Lightning..."
RETREAD
...that's his loader's name,
"Lightning!"...
WHIPSNAKE
...smoothest loader you ever saw, and
fastest...
RETREAD
...just like lightning...
WHIPSNAKE
...and BAM! Another bullseye, right
in the turret this time.
ROCK
We were there.
WHIPSNAKE
So when the krauts turn...and start
at the colored guys, the colored guys
fall back.
RETREAD
This Sergeant says, "We ain't gonna
fight 'em here, we gonna fight 'em in
de pass."
WHIPSNAKE
Me an' Retread hid out under a log...
KLUZEWSKI
"Fight 'em." Ten guys are gonna
"fight" a buncha tanks?
In the distance comes the rattle of a machinegun and the dull thud of
flat trajectory shells...
WHIPSNAKE
(suddenly)
Hey! Where's Pardee?
Everybody looks grim, nobody answers and we...
CUT TO
WOODS/LATER
The snow has stopped falling. The ten men of Easy are moving single
file through the snowy woods, RETREAD in front, WILDMAN watching the
rear, walking backward much of the time.
BEEF
(to Whipsnake)
The thing about the colored is they're
quitters, when things get tough they
run.
WHIPSNAKE
Well, at least they didn't quit before
they saved your ass, huh, Beef?
BEEF
I'm just saying what I heard is all.
I never met no colored people.
ROCK, just ahead of the Lieutenant, is scanning the terrain to the
right and left. He spots something and, looking back, indicates what
he sees to GORYL.
GORYL follows the look and sees broken trees fifty yards to the left.
ROCK
They're going to the pass. We should
move up on the slope to avoid them.
GORYL is nodding agreement when ROCK stiffens. Up ahead, RETREAD is
signalling.
Everybody halts.
RETREAD makes a hand signal, indicating for ROCK to come forward as
we...
CUT TO
A RAVINE/SECONDS LATER
An overturned Panzer lies blackened and smoldering in the ravine.
Several GERMAN SOLDIERS lie face down in the snow.
ROCK, GORYL, and RETREAD are on the lip of the ravine, looking down at
the ruined tank in awe.
RETREAD
(a black voice)
"Siiiilk"...
ROCK looks impressed as we...
CUT TO
FARMHOUSE/RIDGE
Huge white letters on the wall of the farmhouse say...
KRAUTS LIKE WEINIES
USA ALL THE WAY
and incomplete...
EAT SHIT, ADOL...
The FIRST, SECOND, and THIRD GIS are working on the P and H for Adolph,
buckets of white paint at hand.
FIRST GI
This is nuts!
SECOND GI
You're telling me it's nuts?
A shell screams overhead and explodes 500 yards beyond.
FIRST GI
If it was just the Major, I'd tell him
to blow it out his ass...
THIRD GI
Suuuure you would.
FIRST GI
...but that fucking General! I'm not
crossing that General.
THIRD GI
General Bare Ass!
Thirty yards away COOK lowers the binoculars and starts back to the
farmhouse as another shell explodes a thousand yards away.
The GIS are considering the completed "EAT SHIT ADOLPH" as COOK strides
past.
COOK
Looks good, men.
FIRST GI
Uh, what should we write next, sir?
COOK
Think of a good one. How about
"Mussolini is a cocksucker"?
As COOK continues to the farmhouse door, the three GIS exchange
glances...
FIRST GI
Who can spell "Mussolini"?
SECOND GI
Who can spell "cocksucker"?
INSIDE THE FARMHOUSE
PRITCHARD and the RADIO OPERATOR, hovering over the radio, look up as
COOK enters, scowling...
COOK
Tanks.
PRITCHARD
(alarmed)
Tanks!
COOK
I saw at least two of them, just
glimpsed them...
PRITCHARD
We can't fight tanks, General...
COOK
There was some kind of skirmish, the
men must be taking them on...
PRITCHARD
General! It's just a handful of
colored boys and what's left of Easy.
They can't --
COOK
Brave bastards! Real fighters! Did
you request artillery?
PRITCHARD
Yessir...
COOK
You said "General Cook wants full air
support, General Cook wants arty
including twenty howitzers and Long
Toms, General Cook wants -- "
PRITCHARD
-- six rifle companies and armored
support. I requested everything per
your instructions, but, General...even
if they come through with the support,
it'll be too late, we'll be overrun by --
COOK looms very close to PRITCHARD, cutting him off in a heavy
whisper...
COOK
Shut up, Pritchard, you'll rattle the
men.
With a meaningful glance, COOK indicates the RADIO OPERATOR to
PRITCHARD, then he turns and starts for the door, grabbing a bucket of
paint from the floor and pointing out a second bucket to PRITCHARD...
COOK
Come on, Major, let's help with the
painting.
PRITCHARD hoists the bucket of paint and starts after COOK,
complaining...
PRITCHARD
I don't understand the point of the
painting, General...
COOK
(exiting)
Morale, Major. It's not good to sit
around on your ass, thinking about
dying. Much better to be standing on
your feet, saying "Fuck you!"
Paint bucket in hand, PRITCHARD follows COOK out the door with a weary
"Right, sir, of course" as another shell hits in the woods, shaking the
farmhouse...
SLOPING WOODS/DAY
ROCK and the men from Easy are warily making their way through woods
that slope steeply forming part of the west wall of the pass.
Exhausted, they move cautiously, haunted by the threat of demon
snipers.
POP! POP! Everybody stiffens at the sound of distant shots.
The sounds come from below in the pass. The men move lower on the
slope where the woods give way to steep boulder walls that line the
pass the to the floor.
Looking down from the steep rocky slope, ROCK and GORYL see six tanks
growling into the throat of the pass below with fifty GERMAM
FOOTSOLDIERS moving in their wake...
BLAAAAAM! The lead tank fires its cannon and its machineguns clatter.
GORYL
Who're they shooting at?
ROCK spots an AMERICAN SOLDIER, far below, scampering among the rocks
near the foot of the slope ahead of the tank. Then ANOTHER SOLDIER
appears and disappears just as quickly between boulders.
RETREAD, BEEF, and the others are gathered behind ROCK and GORYL,
watching. Nobody says anything, nobody answers GORYL as the drama
below unfolds.
BLAAAM! The lead tank fires another round as it growls toward the edge
of the slope where ROCK glimpsed the two GIS.
WHOOOOOOMP! The moving tank suddenly shudders and grinds to a halt.
RETREAD
Yeah! Siiiiilk!
BEEF
(impressed)
Sonofabitch!
WHOOOOOMP! A second bazooka shell slams into the Panzer and smoke
pours from the wounded, immobilized beast.
CHATTA CHATTA CHATTA. The patter of a machinegun sends GERMAN
FOOTSOLDIERS diving for cover.
TEXAS
What the fuck are they doing?
GORYL
(to Rock)
It's Baker? The same men?
ROCK
Yeah. It must be.
ROCK'S eyes never leave the action below. He's impressed.
CHATTA CHATTA CHATTA. The GERMANS are pinned down, but they're up to
something.
ROCK watches two squads of GERMAN SOLDIERS assembling out of sight of
the BAKER SOLDIERS.
A sudden huge noise focusses everybody's attention on the opposite wall
of the pass where a landslide of massive boulders surges down the
slope. ROCK and the others watch in astonishment as the big rocks,
together with the ruined tank, form a "string of beads" across the
throat of the pass, making the pass impassable for the other tanks.
TEXAS
They blocked it! They blocked the
pass.
BIGELOW
Sonofabitch!
ROCK'S jaw is set like stone, his eyes glowing with admiration as all
around him his comrades speak in awed tones...
WILDMAN
Those sonofabitches!
KLUZEWSKI
God damn!
RETREAD
Tough outfit. I could see that.
BEEF
The krauts'll just blow those rocks
out with some charges.
WHIPSNAKE
Maybe so, but those colored took out
three tanks so far and they're slowing
'em down to put charges in. All we're
doin' is runnin'.
TEXAS sees what ROCK sees, two SQUADS of GERMAN SOLDIERS moving up the
rocky slope of the pass to get above and behind the BAKER SOLDIERS who
are low on the slope in the neck of the pass.
TEXAS
They better start runnin' pretty
quick.
ROCK hesitates, then makes up his mind and makes a head movement
indicating he wants to talk to GORYL privately.
As the two men move away, RETREAD sees them go and shakes his head
sardonically...
RETREAD
Christ Almighty! Whaddaya wanna bet
Rock's talking the Lieutenant "Girl"
into taking a couple volunteers and
shooting up that kraut ambush unit?
It's hero time again.
TEXAS
(looking down)
Shit, they gotta be crazy, they ain't
backin' up.
TEN YARDS AWAY
ROCK and GORYL are deep in conversation...
GORYL
We're supposed to be pulling back,
we're heavily outnumbered...
ROCK
Myself and two men only at risk. We
slip fifty yards down the slope, snipe
at that outfit, make 'em dig in and
hide. Maybe we wound a couple, slow
them down. That alerts Baker and
gives them some time to get the hell
out.
GORYL
(struggling)
Sergeant, you and I have a
responsibility to get our men out of
here. These colored guys are being
very...heroic. Maybe foolhardy.
Maybe foolishly heroic.
ROCK
So let's give them a chance to save
their ass, like they did for us. Give
them some running room. Three of us,
sir.
BACK TO THE OTHERS
BEEF and WHIPSNAKE are heavily into a dialogue.
WHIPSNAKE
Bullshit!
BEEF
It happened to a guy. He was in this
car accident, they take him to the
hospital, they give him colored blood
by accident...
KLUZEWSKI
An' his kids come out colored?
WHIPSNAKE
How do ya know it was from the blood?
BEEF
How else is he gonna get a colored
kid?
The question is so profoundly stupid everybody's too dumbfounded to
answer. And then GORYL appears...
GORYL
The Sergeant wants volunteers...
RETREAD
What'd I tell ya?
GORYL
He wants to attack the Germans below
us and withdraw immediately.
WILDMAN
(a shrug)
I'm on.
KLUZEWSKI
(ultra casual)
I'll go.
PASCALANO
Me too.
CUT TO
THE STEEP SLOPE/MOMENTS LATER
ROCK is in the lead, WILDMAN behind him, then KLUZEWSKI and PASCALANO,
all of them struggling among boulders, trying not to dislodge loose
rocks that could tip off the GERMANS below and to their left...
KLUZEWSKI
How come? I thought you were against
this?
PASCALANO
I am. I just figure I'm better off
attackin' Rome with Rock than walking
through the fucking woods with
Wonder-Goryl.
ROCK stops.
ROCK
Hold it. Right here. They'll pass
between those two boulders down there,
see? When I say fire, we open up, we
might hit as many as four men.
WILDMAN
Then what?
ROCK
We fire a few rounds, keep 'em honest,
then we withdraw.
ABOVE, THE RIM
GORYL and the others are looking down. They can just barely see ROCK's
position...and they can catch brief glimpses of GERMANS scrambling
between boulders, intent on encircling BAKER, unaware they're moving
into an ambush themselves.
Gunfire from the pass below and to the right causes them to look and
see a GERMAN SOLDIER, tiny in the distance, sprawled face down while
two other tiny GERMANS scurry for cover.
RETREAD
Demolition team, trying to get to the
rocks and blow 'em up...
TEXAS
And Baker ain't lettin' 'em do it.
BIGELOW
Those bastards, they really hang
tough.
WHIPSNAKE
That's how we were at Kassarene.
BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA! Sudden fire right below them. They all look
down and see GERMAN SOLDIERS being cut down between two boulders.
AMONG THE BOULDERS BELOW
ROCK, PASCALANO, WILDMAN, and KLUZEWSKI are firing in a fury as GERMAN
SOLDIERS scream and dive bloodily for cover. One bloody GERMAN is
facing down and motionless, another is crawling desperately to get
behind a boulder. Another, out of view, is screaming.
ROCK
We hit three for sure.
WILDMAN
Five I think.
CRACK! KLUZEWSKI fires a single shot into the crawling GERMAN.
KLUZEWSKI
For Pardee, ya kraut pig!
Below them, GERMAN VOICES are shouting urgently. Someone cries out in
pain.
PASCALANO
What're they saying, Sarge?
ROCK
(deadpan)
They're unhappy.
KLUZEWSKI
No shit.
More urgent GERMAN VOICES below...
ROCK
They don't like us...
PASCALANO
Aaaawwww...
ROCK
(still deadpan)
Or our mothers.
PASCALANO
Shit! Our mothers! Really, they
said...?
A sudden angry profane burst of GERMAN below directed right at Easy.
Everybody looks at ROCK...
ROCK
(again deadpan)
Or our nigger Jew friends.
A moment of silence, then WILDMAN points to a slab of rock ten yards
below jutting out of the steep face of the slope.
WILDMAN
Listen, Sarge...see that rock over
there...jutting out? If someone got
out there, they could drop a grenade
right on top of those guys.
ROCK
"Someone"...?
WILDMAN grins, then indicates the pass off to the right.
WILDMAN
Baker's still taking 'em on...
ROCK
Go ahead. Here.
ROCK hands WILDMAN a grenade.
WILDMAN
Mama...pleeeeease. Could I have two
cookies, mama?
ABOVE, THE RIM/MOMENTS LATER
GORYL frowns as he and the others see WILDMAN slipping among the
boulders...
TEXAS
Wildman. Where's he goin'?
WILDMAN reaches the flat rock that juts out a little like a very wide
and long diving board. They watch him go down on his belly and squirm
out toward the lip...
WHIPSNAKE
Gonna deliver some fruit...
BEEF
That well known dessert, pineapple
pie!
They all watch tensely as WILDMAN squirms out on the rock.
WILDMAN/THE OVERHANGING ROCK
WILDMAN holds a grenade in his hand and peeks over the lip of the rock.
FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW, WILDMAN sees GERMANS directly below him in
disarray. Some are trying to squirm into position to return ROCK'S
fire, another is setting up a machinegun, others attend two very badly
WOUNDED SOLDIERS, and an OFFICER and RADIOMAN are huddled over a
portable radio, speaking excitedly.
WILDMAN pulls the pin on the grenade, looks up, and shouts toward the
sky...
WILDMAN
HEY, FARRACCI, YOU WOP BASTARD!
FARRACCI, UP IN HEAVEN, WATCH THIS!
WILDMAN looks down now at the startled faces of GERMANS below looking
up at him...and drops the grenade among them.
WILDMAN
THAT'S FOR FARRACCI, YOU DIRTY HUNS,
THAT'S FOR THE DARING DAGO, EAT IT,
YOU NAZZEY ASSHOLES!
BOOOOOOOOOM!
ABOVE, ON THE RIM
The blast and the screams drift upward as GORYL'S attention is diverted
by RETREAD who taps his arm and points off to the left.
Following RETREAD'S look, GORYL spots movement among the boulders far
to the left. Some members of the GERMAN SQUAD are moving to outflank
ROCK'S position.
RETREAD
Getting behind Rock.
GORYL looks back toward ROCK'S position in time to see WILDMAN yanking
the pin on the next grenade as he shouts...
WILDMAN
YOU ASSHOLES DON'T LIKE COLORED GUYS,
HUH? HERE'S ONE FOR THE COLORED G...
BAWHOOOOOOOM! GORYL and the others are horrified to see WILDMAN
suddenly rolling and writhing, covered with blood, his hands to his
face...
WILDMAN
OH, GOD! OH, CHRIST! OH MY GOD,
CHRIST ALMIGHTY, I'M HIT, OH SHIT!
I'M HIT BAD, OH CHRIST!
GORYL
(stunned)
Wha...what...?
RETREAD
Goddamn short fuse! Fuck!
GORYL can see WILDMAN in agony on the promontory while ROCK and
PASCALANO move hastily toward him. GORYL then quickly looks to the
left where again he spots UNIFORMS moving among the boulders out of
ROCK'S sight, encircling ROCK'S position.
GORYL is in an agony of indecision realizing the mess they're suddenly
in...
THE PROMONTORY BELOW
WILDMAN is screaming as ROCK and PASCALANO try to move him back off the
promontory. GERMANS shout swearwords from below in response to
WILDMAN'S screams.
ABOVE ON THE RIM
As WILDMAN screams below, RETREAD is looking to GORYL who's watching
the boulders where GERMAN SOLDIERS are moving up the slope out of
ROCK'S sight.
RETREAD
We better warn Rock, Lieutenant.
GORYL looks to RETREAD and finds all of them looking at him. They've
all seen the GERMANS.
GORYL
No.
Stone faces watch GORYL who's trembling, sweating...
GORYL
If we warn him, we give away our
position and we leave Rock surrounded
anyway.
BEEF
(hostile)
Yeah? So whadda we gonna do,
Lieutenant?
GORYL doesn't even try to hide the fact that he's scared.
GORYL
We m-move down, w-we get p-position
on the krauts and wh-when they t-try
to ambush R-rock, we b-beat the shit
outta them. Let's go, Retread,
take the rear...f-f-follow me, fellas.
Turning his back on them to avoid any challenge to his authority, GORYL
moves immediately.
BEEF rolls his eyes as he starts to follow.
BEEF
If this is what it's like to "fall
back," I don't wanna know what's an
attack.
RETREAD
The bullshit is, Rock gets us into
this, then if we get out alive,
Pascalano's gonna tell me how Rock
saved our ass an' as long as we
soldier with Rock we live forever, we
got charmed lives.
WHIPSNAKE
I got serious doubts about living
forever, Retread. Serious doubts.
GORYL
(a loud whisper)
Sssssssst. Keep quiet.
They're all moving cautiously down the steep slope among boulders now,
all of them scared as shells boom in the distance and WILDMAN screams
not very far away.
AMONG THE BOULDERS
WILDMAN is sedated, in shock. ROCK is bandaging him.
KLUZEWSKI
How the fuck do we get him back up,
Sarge?
ROCK
Carry him. Gimme another bandage.
PASCALANO is the lookout, he's looking down where GERMANS are hidden
below, catches sight of a flash of uniform and squeezes off a single
shot.
CRACK! CRACK! Ping! The GERMANS answer from below with two shots that
spang harmlessly off the boulders.
ROCK
Okay, let's go. Klu, you give me a
hand with Wildman...Pascalano, watch
our ass,
ROCK shoulders WILDMAN while KLUZEWSKI helps balance the load. Then
they start to struggle up the slope, PASCALANO keeping an eye on the
rear.
Suddenly KLUZEWSKI glimpses movement ahead. He shouts and shoves ROCK
violently forward.
KLUZEWSKI
Hit it, Sarge, they're above us.
RATTA RATTA RATTA TATTA TATTAA...automatic fire splatters around them
from above.
ROCK shoves WILDMAN against the face of a boulder and squeezes against
him, trying to "melt" the two of them right into the stone.
KLUZEWSKI is pressed under an overhang with about an inch of cover to
spare, like ROCK.
And PASCALANO is similarly pinned as bullets zing off the stone
surfaces inches away.
ROCK
Klu! You okay?
KLUZEWSKI is squeezing his body away from bullets...
KLUZEWSKI
S-so far.
ROCK
Pascalano?
PASCALANO
I'm o...
PASCALANO is replying when a German grenade, the potato masher style,
plops among the boulders two feet away. For a quarter second he stares
at certain death...then his foot shoots out and he kicks the grenade
down the slope.
BOOOOOOOOM!
PASCALANO
(shaking)
...kay, S-sergeant.
KLUZEWSKI
What the hell are we gonna do, Sarge?
I can't move, I'm pinned.
ROCK
Hang tight, the Lieutenant'll support
us.
KLUZEWSKI
He's a kid, he'll shit his pants.
BRATTA BRATTA BRATTA! A sudden increase in fire. GERMAN shouts.
ROCK
That's him now.
UP THE SLOPE
Nestled among the boulders, GORYL is flipping a grenade down on
startled GERMAN SOLDIERS while RETREAD fires the second BAR and BIGELOW
hands him magazines. WHIPSNAKE and TEXAS are blazing away with their
rifles, ambushing the shit out of the six GERMAN SOLDIERS.
BAWHOOOOM! GORYL'S grenade goes off and GORYL picks up his rifle and
aims at a WOUNDED GERMAN staggering for cover.
CRACK! THE WOUNDED GERMAN goes down and lies motionless.
GORYL
Hold your fire, I think we got 'em.
GORYL looks down among the boulders.
He can see parts of three different GERMAN UNIFORMS...motionless.
GORYL turns to RETREAD.
GORYL
Cover me, Retread.
GORYL has his pistol out and he's crawling cautiously down to where the
GERMAN BODIES lie.
FURTHER DOWN THE SLOPE
ROCK is checking WILDMAN who's unconscious now as PASCALANO and
KLUZEWSKI crouch around him among the boulders.
PASCALANO
How'd joo know, Sarge? About the
Lieutenant...
ROCK
You remember that time in Kassarene
with that armored car?
PASCALANO
"Remember"! I shit my pants!
ROCK
Yeah, but after you shit your pants,
you took out the armored car, you
remember that?
PASCALANO
And you knew I would?
ROCK
Keep those guys pinned down.
AMONG THE BOULDERS
GORYL is creeping down to where the ambushed GERMANS were. Six feet
ahead of him is a motionless leg. The rest of the GERMAN'S body is
hidden from view behind the boulder. And anything else that might be
waiting. A wounded German with a pistol perhaps...
Terrified, GORYL sweats like a pig as he creeps around a boulder,
pistol in hand.
Then he pauses. His hand feels wet.
Looking at the hand, he sees it's soaked with blood.
A pool of blood lies on the rock.
GORYL, scarcely breathing, moves around the boulder.
A GERMAN lies face down only two feet in front of him.
GORYL gulps.
Putting the gun to the GERMAN'S head he pushes the limp body, exposing
the face.
Lifeless. Blonde. Dead. Young.
GORYL crawls over the body and around the next boulder.
A GERMAN sits slumped against a rock, his chest soaked with blood, his
eyes staring lifelessly at nothing.
A few feet away another GERMAN is face down in a pool of blood.
Pointing the pistol, GORYL crawls cautiously toward him and moves his
head.
The man's features are gone, his face a mass of bloody pulp.
GORYL is gagging when he hears RETREAD'S VOICE calling out.
RETREAD'S VOICE (O.S.)
Lieutenant? You okay?
GORYL
(recovering)
Yeah.
CUT TO
BOULDERS/MOMENTS LATER
They're all together among the boulders, PASCALANO and BIGELOW
watching, the others bunched around ROCK and WILDMAN.
WILDMAN looks bad.
BEEF
It's bad enough when the krauts get
you...but when your own fucking weapon
gets you...
ROCK
Where's the Lieutenant?
BEHIND A BOULDER
GORYL is separated from the others behind a boulder, squirming
around, half in and half out of his pants, when he looks up and
sees RETREAD crawl around the rock. GORYL looks embarrassed.
GORYL
Uh, I, uh...taking, uh, a crap.
RETREAD
(knowingly)
Want some clean underwear? I got one
pair.
GORYL
(very embarrassed)
Yeah?
RETREAD
We all done it. It don't matter.
(pulling underwear from
pack)
Listen, it ain't the load in your
pants that matters, Lieutenant...
It's how you carry the load.
GORYL
Oh.
RETREAD
(handing over the pants)
You didn't smell too bad there, sir.
AMONG THE BOULDERS
WILDMAN is moaning, semi-conscious, as ROCK tends to him while
PASCALANO and KLUZEWSKI look on.
PASCALANO
Christ, he looks bad, Sarge.
ROCK
Shock. He needs blood, he needs a
medic.
KLUZEWSKI
More like he needs a miracle!
ROCK glares at KLUZEWSKI who drops his eyes hastily...
TEN YARDS AWAY
Crouched among the boulders, BIGELOW, TEXAS, WHIPSNAKE, and BEEF are
looking down into the valley as RETREAD joins them.
Below, in the pass, tiny figures, GERMAN SOLDIERS are hovering beside
a six foot boulder, one of many blocking the pass.
The GERMAN SOLDIERS suddenly sprint away.
BA WHOOOOOM! The boulder explodes.
RETREAD
Demolition team. They're gonna clear
the pass.
BEEF looks along the barrel of his rifle as he watches the two GERMAN
SOLDIERS hurrying toward another boulder.
BEEF
Wish I had the range...
RETREAD
Don't waste a round.
POP! A rifle shot in the distance. One of the GERMAN SOLDIERS goes
down. The other hesitates. POP! POP! The other GERMAN SOLDIER
sprints for cover. POP! POP! He almost makes it before he goes down.
For a moment BEEF and the others just stare in stunned silence.
Then...
TEXAS
The colored guys are still there!
BEEF
The bastards didn't get out...
POP! POP! More shots in the pass.
RETREAD
(impressed)
They're not gonna let the krauts clear
the pass.
BEEF
They're crazy! We gave 'em a goddamn
chance to get out. They're nuts!
They're stupid!
TEXAS
All a that. And balls of pure steel!
CUT TO
AMONG THE BOULDERS
GORYL and ROCK are huddled together hear the unconscious WILDMAN. ROCK
indicates the pale winter sun smearing the western horizon.
ROCK
Be dark soon, sir. We could slip out
then.
GORYL
(nodding)
That must be what Baker's gonna do
too. Wait for dark.
ROCK glances at WILDMAN, then he looks at GORYL, struggling with
something, something that's hard to say...
ROCK
Listen, sir, I know this is my
fault. It was my idea to --
GORYL
(sharply)
It was your idea, but it was my
decision. I'm the officer,
Sergeant...
ROCK
Yes, sir, but I kind of talked you
into --
GORYL
(looking him hard in the
eye)
I could have said "no," Sergeant.
ROCK finds GORYL looking him right in the eye. GORYL'S face is
stubbled, he looks older. He's a peer now.
ROCK
Right, sir.
VAN ROCKLIN HOUSE/AKRON/DAY
The MAILMAN puts the mail in the box, then hurries off down the
sidewalk as VAN ROCKLIN opens the door.
MAILMAN
(nervous)
Somethin' from the Government, Mister
Van Rocklin.
VAN ROCKLIN frowns as he opens the mailbox.
MAILMAN
Hope it ain't bad news or anythin'.
VAN ROCKLIN stares at the envelope addressed to him from the War
Department. His fingers tremble as he starts to open it.
INSIDE THE HOUSE
MRS. VAN ROCKLIN, a white haired woman in her sixties, looks with alarm
as VAN ROCKLIN enters, completely absorbed in the letter.
MRS. VAN ROCKLIN
Fritz...what is it?
(he's reading, he doesn't
respond)
Fritz!
VAN ROCKLIN looks like a ghost, pale and shaken, but he breathes a sigh
of relief.
VAN ROCKLIN
It's all right. He was injured, but
he's all right.
MRS. VAN ROCKLIN
(horrified)
Injured!
VAN ROCKLIN
But it's all right now. It's not
serious anymore. He's in a hospital,
they're going to send him home.
MRS. VAN ROCKLIN collapses in his comforting arms and they hold each
other.
MRS. VAN ROCKLIN
Oh my God! I was so afraid...the way
you looked. I thought...I thought...
VAN ROCKLIN
Hush now, it's all right. He's safe.
CUT TO
AMONG THE BOULDERS/NIGHT
It's pitch black as Easy prepares to move out. Invisible in the
darkness, they are sounds...shoes scuffing...harsh grunts...urgent
whispering...
VOICES/DARKNESS
Ready? Go ahead. You got him? Lift.
Unnnhh. Okay, let's go. Ready,
Sergeant? All set, sir. Texas,
point. Retread, rear. Retread?
Retread?
MOON, CLOUDS/NIGHT
The clouds clear the moon, illuminating the night.
AMONG THE BOULDERS
Moonlight reveals RETREAD as he looks upward, listening intently. A
very faint droning sound comes from above the cloud cover.
Something crosses the moon, glimpsed briefly, the silhouette of a
PARATROOPER. Then the clouds cover the moon and all is blackness
again.
RETREAD'S VOICE/DARKNESS
Aw shit. Sarge! Sssssst, Sarge.
TEN YARDS AWAY/MOMENTS LATER
ROCK and GORYL are having an urgent conversation in the darkness...
GORYL
If he only saw one man...
ROCK
He heard two planes. That means at
least two squads. It could be a whole
company.
GORYL
Then we're...surrounded. Cut off.
They're behind us.
ROCK
The question is...do we proceed or do
we stay put?
GORYL
If we proceed, we'll run into them up
there in the woods...
ROCK
...and they'll have the advantage,
they're hunting us, we've got a
wounded man...
GORYL
If we stay, we've got a solid
defensive position, they'll have a
tough time getting at us, but...
ROCK
...but we'll be stuck here in the
morning. Probably pinned down.
GORYL
Between the devil and the deep blue
sea.
ROCK
Between the rock and the hard place...
There isn't any right answer,
Lieutenant...
GORYL
But there's probably a wrong one...
ROCK
I'm not gonna second guess you no
matter how it turns out...
GORYL
(making up his mind)
We'll dig in. Position the men in
twos, take turns awake, tell them to
be very alert...It might not be
mortars and machineguns...these could
be commandos.
ROCK
Right, sir.
ROCK starts to move off, but GORYL stops him.
GORYL
Also, Sergeant...
ROCK stops and looks back.
GORYL
(continuing)
Send a man off on the flank about
fifty yards...
ROCK
(confounded)
Sir?
GORYL
So he doesn't give our position away.
I want him to yell a warning to Baker.
About the paratroopers. They may not
have seen them.
ROCK
(impressed)
Good idea, sir.
CUT TO
ALONG THE SLOPE/MINUTES LATER
WHIPSNAKE stands among the boulders and shouts at the top of his
lungs...
WHIPSNAKE
HEY, BAKER! HEY, BAKER, THIS IS EASY!
THE DEGENERATE MINDLESS PIG GERMANS
DROPPED AN AIRBORNE COMPANY BEHIND US.
WATCH YOUR AMERICAN ASS! WATCH --
BANG! BANG! Ping! Ping! WHIPSNAKE breaks off as bullets pierce the
night, singing off the rocks around him...
AMONG THE BOULDERS
Barely visible in the moonlight ROCK crouches with the others,
listening as the shots cease and a sudden eerie silence begins.
BEEF
Nothing. No acknowledgement.
ROCK
They're not gonna give their position
away.
TEXAS
Could be they fell back already, got
away...
BEEF
Or maybe the paratroopers already got
'em...cut their throats...
ROCK
All right, knock it off. Split up in
twos, take turns watching, stay
alert...
BEEF
We're fucked, you know that? Stuck
here! We really got our tit in a
ringer this --
ROCK
(sharply)
That's enough, Beef. Listen up, all
of you. Beef's right, we're in a pile
of shit. it's my fault, I got us into
this because I thought we should back
up Baker...
In the moonlight, hardened faces look solemnly at ROCK, listening to
his apology. But ROCK'S voice is suddenly a cold snarl, his eyes are
like flint...
ROCK
(continuing)
Well, that's tough, ladies...this is
a war, we're supposed to fight.
BEEF, WHIPSNAKE, and the others gasp at the word "ladies"...
ROCK
(continuing)
Now those guys in Baker, they might
have a little more ammo than us, they
might have a bazooka...but there's
about ten of them and about ten of
us. They're just as beat up as us,
just as tired as us, and they're not
getting pussy any more than we are.
In fact the krauts are pounding them
a lot worse than us. And every time
the krauts give those colored guys
some shit, those colored guys dish
some shit out. They wrecked three
tanks today and they've held up a
German column more than six hours.
You think they fell back? You think
they're dead? Or you think they got
pissed off and they're on their way
to Berlin, all ragged ass ten of 'em,
gonna string up the Fuhrer by his
dick?
(he pauses, glaring,
then... )
All right, take your positions and
let's hope we acquit ourselves half
as good as those guys.
Before anyone can move, there's a popping sound from below in the pass.
Peering over a boulder, RETREAD sees a bright flare hanging over the
blocked pass...and GERMAN SOLDIERS hastily dashing for cover.
RETREAD
I don't think the colored guys left
for Berlin yet, Sergeant.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! The GERMAN SOLDIERS are shot down as the flare
fades.
AMONG THE BOULDERS/LATER
PASCALANO is alert, weapon ready behind a boulder while close by TEXAS
is settling down to sleep, still shaking his head in disbelief...
TEXAS
He never called us nothin' like that
before..."ladies"...!
PASCALANO
I never seen him so upset...this is
the worst...worse than when Weller
fell asleep that time...
BEEF
It's causa the Wildman. They go way
back...an' he knows Wildman ain't
gonna make it.
TEN YARDS AWAY/BOULDERS
It's spooky quiet now as BIGELOW peers into the darkness while TEXAS
sleeps curled up behind him against a boulder.
Something touches BIGELOW'S hand. He considers it. Then he feels it
on his face.
Snow. It's drifting down silently as the moon shines intermittently
through the clouds and we...
CUT TO
A MONTAGE
Snow falling on the moonlit "duos."
PASCALANO watching, BEEF sleeping...
ROCK watching, turns and checks the unconscious WILDMAN, wipes snow
from his face.
KLUZEWSKI watches while WHIPSNAKE stirs in his sleep...
GORYL watches while RETREAD sleeps and we...
CUT TO
BOULDERS/MUCH LATER
The snow has stopped falling and the spooky silence continues. TEXAS,
his helmet covered with snow, is watching the darkness while BIGELOW,
his blanket covered with three hours of snow, is sleeping.
Studying the darkness intently, TEXAS adjusts his hands on his rifle,
stiffens. Did he hear something? Without taking his eyes off the
darkness he kicks BIGELOW awake.
TEXAS
(a whisper)
I think there's someone out there.
BIGELOW searches desperately for his lifesavers as he looks into the
darkness too.
TEN YARDS AWAY
It's KLUZEWSKI'S turn to sleep. He's curled up in his blanket, also
covered with snow.
A grunt in the darkness! Violent! Urgent!
KLUZEWSKI stirs slightly.
A moan, like somebody had their throat slit and they're dying quietly.
KLUZEWSKI stirs.
Unnnnnh. Another groan.
KLUSEWSKI'S eyes open.
Silhouetted in the gloom three feet away WHIPSNAKE is struggling
desperately with a shadowy figure. A strangled grunt of effort and the
scuffling of clothes on the rock surface are the only sounds in the
spooky moonlit darkness.
Pulling his knife, KLUZEWSKI lunges and grabs the GERMAN from behind.
He's just about to plunge his knife deep in the enemy soldier when he
freezes mid-motion and stares in stunned disbelief...The GERMAN
SOLDIER'S helmet has fallen off...and the GERMAN SOLDIER is ANGIE
dressed in a Nazi uniform that's too big for her. Her face is smudged
with dirt, her eyes glazed with lust, her fatigues open, exposing firm
breasts, one leg of her pants off as she frantically humps WHIPSNAKE
while speaking to the amazed KLUZEWSKI...
ANGIE
Klu...honey...please, not now, I
unnnh I unnnh I'm gonna come...
don't...please...unnnnhh...unnnhh...
KLUZEWSKI recovers and struggles to separate the two of them...
KLUZEWSKI
Angie, you fucking bitch, that's my
partner. You're fucking my partner,
you whore...
ANGIE
Klu...I couldn't find you...I got hot
pants, Klu...it was you I wanted...
A shocked WHIPSNAKE pulls away, hastily buttoning his pants as he looks
from one to the other of them, amazed and apologetic...
WHIPSNAKE
Jesus, Klu, she's your wife?...Hey,
I'm sorry, I didn't know she was your
wife, I --
KLUZEWSKI
Who the fuck did you think she was,
you stupid shit?
WHIPSNAKE
I dunno. I was asleep, I was thinking
about my...girlfriend. All of a
sudden I'm getting a blow job. My
girlfriend never did that, she
wouldn't --
KLUZEWSKI
(turning on Angie,
incredulous)
You gave him a blow job?
ANGIE
Klu, I told you, I got hot pants, I
wanted a man, I looked for you, but
I couldn't find --
WHIPSNAKE
Hey, Klu, take it easy, don't be so
hard on her, she's no different than
us, she gets horny and...
KLUZEWSKI
She gets horny and she fucks anything
that moves. We don't got no women,
but she's around men. How about it,
Ange, how many times you had the
postman, huh?
ANGIE
Once! Only one time, Klu...
KLUZEWSKI
(leaping up)
YOU FUCKED THE POSTMAN!
WHIPSNAKE
Klu, easy, buddy, there's Nazis all
over, keep it down.
KLUZEWSKI
(bellowing)
FUCK THE NAZIS! DID YOU HEAR WHAT SHE
SAID, YOU ASSHOLE? SHE FUCKED THE
POSTMAN! PROBABLY WHILE THE KIDS WERE
WATCHING! WERE THE KIDS WATCHING, YOU
B...?
KLUZEWSKI is turning to ANGIE, but WHIPSNAKE grabs him...
WHIPSNAKE
Goddamnit, Klu, pull yourself together.
KLUZEWSKI
WHIP! IT'S NAZIS! FUCKIN' NAZIS!
WHIPSNAKE turns and sees what KLUZEWSKI'S seeing...
Four very blonde, very Aryan GERMAN SOLDIERS are looming in the
moonlight. Their cruel and youthful faces smirk with self assurance
as ANGIE, naked now, kneels in front of the one named HANS and unzips
his pants. HANS unholsters his luger and puts the muzzle close to
ANGIE'S face, his finger on the trigger...
KLUZEWSKI
NO!
ANGIE leers and takes the barrel in her mouth, mouthing it
lasciviously, licking, sucking, licking, as BANS gives KLUZEWSKI a
smile and a wink.
KLUZEWSKI suddenly realizes another German, FRITZ, is kneeling behind
her, humping like a dog as she responds.
KLUZEWSKI
ANGIE! YOU GODDAMN SLUT!
ANGIE
But, honey, you just said "fuck the
Nazis"...oooooooh...uuunnh!
WHIPSNAKE'S VOICE (O.S.)
(urgent)
Klu! Help me! Klu!
WHIPSNAKE'S VOICE is very present and urgent, very real, unlike the
dreamy events transpiring in the moonlight.
BUT KLUZEWSKI IGNORES WHIPSNAKE'S REPEATED, DESPERATE PLEAS AS HE
LUNGES AT THE SMIRKING NAZIS...
KLUZEWSKI
DIRTY KRAUT BASTARD, I'LL KILL YOU,
YOU PIG!
WHIPSNAKE'S VOICE (O.S.)
(strangled)
Ughhhh. KLU! HELP!
ANGIE looks startled as KLUZEWSKI hurls FRITZ aside and grapples
furiously with HANS. The sounds of the violent struggle are very
real...
ROCK/BOULDERS
ROCK has his weapon ready as he listens to cursing in the darkness and
the sound of a struggle...
RETREAD AND GORYL/BOULDERS
GORYL is shaking himself awake, seeing RETREAD crouched tensely, weapon
ready...
GORYL
What...
RETREAD
Ssshhh. I dunno.
BEEF AND PASCALANO/BOULDERS
Peering nervously into the darkness, BEEF and PASCALANO listen to
grunts and scuffling sounds twenty yards away.
TEXAS AND BIGELOW/BOULDERS
TEXAS is listening to the scuffling, his rifle raised and ready as he
peers into the darkness while, behind him, BIGELOW is muttering and
shifting.
TEXAS
(whisper)
What the fuck're you doing?
BIGELOW
Can't find my lifesavers.
SERGEANT ROCK/BOULDERS
ROCK swings the muzzle of his gun around urgently aiming at a sound in
the darkness.
ROCK
Who is it?
VOICE
Max Schmelling.
ROCK
(relaxing)
Joe Louis. Come in.
Moonlight illuminates WHIPSNAKE as he crawls around a boulder into
view, his nose bloody, his fatigues soaked with blood. His voice is
trembling from exertion and fear...
WHIPSNAKE
Couple of krauts jumped us, tried to
kill us quietly, slit our throats...
ROCK
Is Kluzewski okay?
WHIPSNAKE
(nodding)
He killed both guys with his bare
fucking hands. This guy was choking
me, trying to cut my throat, Klu
grabbed him, beat his head against a
rock...
(shaken, he indicates his
shirt)
Th-these...these are...brains all over
my shirt. A German guy's brains...
ROCK
Pull yourself together and go back to
your position.
WHIPSNAKE
I should tell the Lieutenant. I was
looking...
ROCK
I'll tell the Lieutenant, I'll alert
everyone, go back.
WHIPSNAKE
Right. Thanks, Sarge.
BOULDERS/TWENTY YARDS AWAY
HANS' remaining eye stares sightlessly at the moon, his skull horribly
crushed. FRITZ'S corpse next to him doesn't look much better.
KLUZEWSKI is crouched close by, glaring into the darkness, panning his
rifle, still fuming under his breath...
KLUZEWSKI
Fucking perverts...
Suddenly a sound behind him causes KLUZEWSKI to whirl, pointing his
rifle into the shadows beyond the boulder...
VOICE/DARKNESS
Max Schmelling.
KLUZEWSKI
Joe Fucking Lewis. That you, Whip?
WHIPSNAKE crawls around the boulder.
WHIPSNAKE
I told Rock.
(then...)
I see you're playing with your rifle
instead of your dick for a change.
KLUZEWSKI
Fuck you.
FIFTEEN YARDS AWAY
RETREAD stiffens, points his rifle into the moonlit shadows as GORYL
raises his weapon too...
RETREAD
Spit it out.
VOICE (O.S.)
Max Schmelling.
RETREAD
Joe Louis.
RETREAD lowers the weapon and ROCK appears.
ROCK
They're trying to commando us, take
us in twos. I'm gonna alert the men.
BOULDERS/ANOTHER FIFTEEN YARDS AWAY
TEXAS hears something and nudges BIGELOW as he points his rifle...
TEXAS
You hear that?
BIGELOW listens, raising his own rifle.
There's a scuffling noise in the darkness, somebody moving, then a
VOICE muttering...
VOICE/DARKNESS
Oh, fuck!
TEXAS
Whozzat? Spit it out.
VOICE/DARKNESS
Ow, goddamnit.
BIGELOW
Izzat you, Retread?
Silence. Then movement again. BIGELOW points his rifle, trembling.
BIGELOW
Say it! Say "Schmelling," you
asshole!
TEXAS does a take, looking at BIGELOW in amazement.
VOICE/DARKNESS
Fuck.
BIGELOW
Say it!
VOICE/DARKNESS
Schmelling.
BIGELOW relaxes and lowers his rifle.
BIGELOW
Joe Louis. Is that you, Re...urrrgh!
The GERMAN SOLDIER comes around the boulder so fast he slits BIGELOW'S
throat before TEXAS can raise his rifle and fire. Even as TEXAS aims,
a SECOND GERMAN gets TEXAS from behind and slits hit throat.
Three more GERMANS crawl into view as the FIRST GERMAN crouches over
BIGELOW, cupping a lit match in one hand while he fishes BIGELOW'S dog
tag from the blood at BIGELOW'S neck and wipes it off.
FIRST GERMAN
(reading)
Biggle-oww. Bigga-low. Bigelow.
Fuck.
SECOND GERMAN
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The dying light of the match the FIRST GERMAN notices a half pack of
lifesavers in the snow beside BIGELOW'S body. Picking them up he eats
a couple and offers the rest to the SECOND GERMAN.
FIRST GERMAN
Sussigkeiten.
The SECOND GERMAN accepts the "sweets" and gulps them down.
SECOND GERMAN
Fuck. Shit.
BOULDERS/TEN YARDS AWAY
BEEF and PASCALANO are staring at the darkness alertly when someone
hisses among the boulders...
VOICE/DARKNESS
Ssssssst.
Both men point their rifles...
BEEF
Who goes?
VOICE/DARKNESS
Schmelling, who's that?
BEEF
(relaxing)
Joe Louis. That you, Sarge?
ROCK scrambles around the boulder.
PASCALANO
What happened, Sarge, what's going on?
GORYL AND RETREAD/BOULDERS
RETREAD looks down into the pass where explosions blossom in the night
like flowers of fire.
RETREAD
The krauts are blowing up all those
boulders, clearing the pass.
GORYL
Helluvan outfit, those colored guys.
RETREAD
Yeah, but the tanks are gonna go
through. They're heroes, but it don't
mean anything. They're like the
Sergeant...
GORYL
Why do you hate Rock?
RETREAD
I don't hate him, he's okay...for an
asshole. It's just his style pisses
me off, he's too much of a hero.
GORYL
Meaning he takes risks?
RETREAD
For nothing. Soldiers don't win wars.
Planes win, big guns win, ships.
Soldiers are so much fodder. You
think we wanted this pass? If we
wanted this pass, they woulda put in
an armored outfit with air support,
heavy artillery, long toms...
GORYL
Sssssh!
GORYL is raising his rifle, looking into the darkness. RETREAD follows
suit and for a long moment both men are silent, listening. Then...
VOICE/DARKNESS
Fuck.
GORYL
Identify yourself.
VOICE/DARKNESS
Shit.
GORYL
Say the password or I shoot.
VOICE/DARKNESS
Schmelling. Fuck.
RETREAD frowns suspicious as GORYL lowers his rifle.
RETREAD
Joe Lewis. Who is it?
VOICE/DARKNESS
Bigelow.
That does it. RETREAD relaxes too and suddenly...
CHATTA CHATTA CHATTA CEATTA CHATTA CHATTA...
The night is alive with muzzle flashes and the furious stutter of
automatic fire as men SCREAM in the dark and the weapon pans burst
after burst into the agony.
Sudden silence.
Clutching their rifles and staring stupidly into the night, GORYL and
RETREAD see ROCK loom from behind a boulder, cradling the BAR...
ROCK
They got Texas and Bigelow, I found
them with their throats cut.
GORYL and RETREAD stand up and see five GERMANS sprawled among the
boulders, their blood staining the snow. One of them groans.
GORYL
They...they knew the password. One
of them said "Bigelow."
CRACK! ROCK squeezes off a single shot, silencing the groaning man...
ROCK
They won't use it anymore. Better
collect their potato mashers, Retread.
I'm gonna see to the Wildman. I left
him alone.
ROCK disappears, leaving GORYL still amazed and RETREAD grimly
considering the carnage.
RETREAD
I said he was an asshole...I didn't
say he wasn't a good soldier.
RIDGE/OUTSIDE FARMHOUSE/MOONLIGHT
Walking the perimeter on watch, the three GIS are again sharing a
cigarette and hiding the glow in a helmet. Below in the pass
there's a sudden lonely burst of automatic weapons fire, then
silence.
FIRST GI
What the fuck's goin' on down there?
SECOND GI
The krauts are taking a long time to
get through fifteen or twenty guys...
THIRD GI
I heard that Easy outfit was tough,
they were at Kassarene, they got that
big Sergeant...
FIRST GI
The one with the medals...
SECOND GI
Baker's down there too, colored
guys...
THIRD GI
Colored guys aren't gonna fight like
that, not when they're outnumbered,
colored guys are quitters.
FIRST GI
Horseshit! What about Joe Louis?
THIRD GI
Hey, this ain't a boxing match, this
is a fucking war. I got nothing
against Negroes, but they're scareda guns.
SECOND GI
Me too. I'm scareda guns.
FIRST GI
Yeah, now that you mention it...
FIRST GI
Uh-oh.
The FIRST GI is seeing GENERAL COOK emerge from the farmhouse in the
moonlight, carrying a pail.
COOK
Sign and countersign, soldier, you
have to challenge everyone.
FIRST GI
Right, sir...spit it out, General.
COOK
Red Grange.
FIRST GI
Number seventy-seven.
They all watch as COOK hurries past them with the pail and heads over
the ridge down into the woods.
SECOND GI
Where the hell is he going?
FIRST GI
Must be gonna take a crap.
THIRD GI
And bring it back in a bucket?
PRITCHARD'S VOICE (O.S.)
At ease!
The three GIS turn in horror to find PRITCHARD looming behind them.
FIRST GI
Uh, sorry, sir, we, uh, didn't see
you...
PRITCHARD
Where did the General go?
SECOND GI
(pointing)
Down there, sir.
PRITCHARD
Stick with him, all three of you.
I'll post a new watch.
FIRST GI
Uh, "stick with him," sir?
PRITCHARD
Protect your fucking pants.
PRITCHARD turns on his heels and heads for the farmhouse as we...
CUT TO
CATHEDRAL HOSPITAL/NIGHT
In the confusion of suffering and misery a gaunt looking man with a
heavily bandaged head lies in a cot, listening to the DOCTOR standing
over him.
DOCTOR
Some confusion, even some memory loss,
is normal with a concussion, General.
You're very lucky that's all you
suffered under the circumstances.
The man in the cot is GENERAL DUGAN. We recognize his voice...
DUGAN
There was a Captain Sloan with me.
Is he...did he...?
DOCTOR
Sloan was killed in the explosion, you
were thrown clear. Apparently a shell
hit a truck close to you...
DUGAN
(shaken, remembering)
A truck, yeah, I remember. Cooks.
They were killed too?
DOCTOR
Two were killed, one seriously
injured, another is missing. Listen,
General, Colonel Cronkite wondered if
you were feeling well enough to talk
with him...?
CRONKITE pushes forward on cue, usurping the DOCTOR'S place.
CRONKITE
Hullo, General. We're all glad you
made it.
DUGAN
Hell of a thing about Captain Sloan.
And the others. Sonofabitch! I
assume we've pulled back, I assume
you...
CRONKITE
(uncomfortable)
Uh, not...exactly, sir. The krauts
seemed to have, uh, launched an
armored assault and, uh, we, uh, seem
to be...seem to be...holding them,
sir.
DUGAN
"Holding them"! With what? How?
CRONKITE
I can't explain it, sir. It's all
very confused, we've lost radio
contact with Battalion HQ. But our
spotter plane reported a dozen Panzers
tied up in the throat of the pass...
DUGAN
A dozen Panzers! We gotta get the
hell outta there, you can't fight
Panzers with a rear guard...
CRONKITE
Well, uh, General, before we lost
communication with Battalion, we
relayed a message from General Cook
to Regimental requesting air and
artillery support for --
DUGAN
(sitting up)
General Cook! Who the fuck is General
Cook?
CRONKITE looks harassed and worried as DUGAN glares at him indignantly
and we...
CUT TO
PAINTED WORDS/ROCK FACE/DAWN
Huge letters in white paint are smeared on a rock face overlooking the
pass. They spell out loud and clear...
FUCK HITLER
WOODS/DAWN
A head appears from behind a tree. It's WHIPSNAKE staring in wide-eyed
wonder at the words on the rock. What the fuck, he can't believe it.
Shaking his head, he looks around furtively, then moves cautiously off
through the woods, apparently alone.
BOULDERS/SLOPE/LATER
ROCK and GORYL are crouched among the boulders facing WHIPSNAKE while
RETREAD keeps watch behind them and WILDMAN lies unconscious.
GORYL
"Fuck Hitler"?
WHIPSNAKE
That's what it said. Huge letters.
GORYL looks to ROCK who shrugs. Behind them RETREAD speaks up...
RETREAD
Baker maybe. They musta done it,
those guys are crazy.
GORYL
But no Germans?
WHIPSNAKE
No, sir. Didn't see any an' I went
about half a mile into the woods.
GORYL looks to ROCK.
ROCK
Baker musta taken the heat for us
again. Seven guys on us, Baker gets
the rest.
BOOOOOM! Another explosion in the pass. RETREAD is watching the
action below.
RETREAD
That's it, they got it cleared.
The others join RETREAD peering down into the pass where they see the
column of eight tanks begin to wind through the debris of boulders in
the pass, squeezing past the disabled tank still partially blocking the
narrowest section.
ROCK, GORYL, and the others watch grimly, their faces gaunt and weary,
their eyes dull with defeat.
RETREAD
Bastards.
KLUZEWSKI
We're officially behind enemy lines
now I guess.
BOOOOOOM! Another explosion.
ROCK frowns. They're all looking at the lead tank, suddenly canted at
an angle, motionless. The column of tanks behind grinds to an abrupt
halt.
RETREAD
A mine! They musta mined it.
Rrrrrrr. The lead tank engines grind as the wounded machine tries to
move out of the way, then...
KA-BLAM! The whole tank shudders from a bazooka shell and smoke pours
from torn armor.
WHIPSNAKE
(incredulous)
They're there! They're still fucking
there!
ROCK is staring in disbelief as he watches the second tank moving
forward, turret turning, attacking the bazooka position, firing. KA
BOOOOOM! The shell explodes against the boulders.
KA-BLAM! The second tank takes a bazooka hit in the turret that
crumples armor and slams the gun aside, bent at a useless angle...
RETREAD
(jubilant)
Siiiiiiilk!
KLUZEWSKI
(awed)
Those bastards. God damn!
ROCK is stunned, shaken. He can't believe what he's seeing..
GORYL
I guess we better move. Baker's
giving us another chance.
CUT TO
BOULDERS/MINUTES LATER
KLUZEWSKI and WHIPSNAKE are carrying WILDMAN up the slope in a poncho
while RETREAD walks point and ROCK brings up the rear. ROCK glances
back down at the pass.
Far below he can see the tanks stalled in a line while tiny GERMAN
FOOTSOLDIERS slink among the boulders, trying to get position.
Chatta chatta chatta. The sound of machinegun fire drifts upward from
the firefight.
ROCK is turning back to the climb when something catches his eye to the
north.
Five "birds" are clearing the mountains to the north, tiny silhouettes
in the dawn sky.
For a moment ROCK stares as dawn sunlight suddenly gleams off a
"bird's" wing. Then he gives a sharp command...
ROCK
Planes! Let's go for the woods, sir!
PILOT'S POINT OF VIEW/COCKPIT
It's a beautiful dawn seen from the Stuka cockpit as sun glitters off
the snowy slopes and the PILOT watches the valley unfold before him
while his radio crackles with urgent German voices. Ahead and below
he can see the narrow pass and the column of stalled tanks and a rock
face featuring "FUCK HITLER" in big white letters.
Responding to radio commands, the PILOT veers to the right and the sky
pans by in a blur of blue as he separates from his companions and aims
his nose at the rocky slope on the west wall of the pass.
Far below he can see tiny GERMAN SOLDIERS waving and pointing up the
slope.
Near the top of the slope he can just glimpse tiny figures, the EASY
SOLDIERS scrambling up the slope and into the woods at the top.
Now he's diving at the woods, his dive-activated sirens coming rapidly
up to full scream as the woods loom larger in the windscreen and tiny
figures disappear among the trees.
Now his wing-mounted machineguns begin to chatter mercilessly...
IN THE WOODS
ROCK is helping haul WILDMAN behind a tree as the Stuka bears down on
them. The thunder of the engines is deafening, bullets chew up trees.
KLUZEWSKI hugs the earth...
WHIPSNAKE presses against a tree...
Just as the sound reaches unbearable volume it suddenly drops off as
the Stuka pulls abruptly out of its dive and climbs up again into the
sky.
ROCK peers out and spots the underwing load.
ROCK
Stay down. He's got bombs, he's
coming back.
Fear. It shows in their faces as they crouch or lie in their
positions, waiting.
The Stuka comes screaming down out of the sky again, cannons flashing,
machineguns nattering. Wood chips fly as bullets tear into trees and
the screaming engines get louder and louder and louder and...
BOOOOOOOM! BAH-DOOOOOODOM! The woods shake with the thunder of the
bombs, heat and fire fill the air.
There's a moment of quiet then, followed by KLUZEWSKI'S shout of
enthusiasm...
KLUZEWSKI
Missed us! Dumb bastard missed us!
Fuck you, kraut!
Shaking like a leaf, GORYL watches the plane climbing back into the
sky.
ROCK is looking off into the pass beyond the fringe of woods.
The other four Stukas are wheeling in the sky like angry hornets,
taking turns diving at Baker's position.
KLUZEWSKI'S watching too. Suddenly he sees a figure dart out from
among the boulders in the pass and scamper toward a new position.
KLUZEWSKI
No! No! No! Don't show yourself,
idiot! No!
ROCK, RETREAD, and the others are all watching now, seeing a diving
STUKA adjust its dive, heading right for the boulders where the figure
disappeared, machineguns firing.
KLUZEWSKI
He gave away their position, he...
WHUMP! At the bottom of its dive the STUKA suddenly shudders in the
air, smoke pours from the fuselage. The plane struggles out of its
dive, wobbles along at low altitude billowing smoke, then plunges into
the rocky wall of the pass and explodes.
WHIPSNAKE
No! No, they couldn't...
RETREAD
(jumping up)
AWRIGHT, SILK! YEAH LIGHTNING! YEAH
BAKER! STUKA BAZOOKA!
CRACK! Retread is dropped by a rifle shot.
ROCK spins, spots movement, and opens up with the BAR.
Everybody's covering up again...bullets are flying.
Wriggling on his stomach, WHIPSNAKE is the first one to reach RETREAD
who's thrashing around in agony in the bloody snow.
RETREAD
Aaaaaah! Aaaah, shit! Stay away from
me, it's nothin', goddamnit, a fucking
scratch, what a dumb bastard, I was
cheering for Chrissake, I deserve it,
aaaaahhhh...Stay the fuck away, stay away...
RETREAD slaps at WHIPSNAKE who's crouching over him.
WHIPSNAKE
Where you hit, Retread? Wh...?
RETREAD
I dunno, it hurts, it's okay, lee me
alone, I'm just winded, aaaah, it
knocked the w-wind...wind outta me
aaaaaah.
CRACK! CRACK! KLUZEWSKI is firing at GERMAN SOLDIERS he can only
glimpse among the trees fifty yards away.
CRACK! CRACK! "Invisible" GERMANS fire back.
BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA! ROCK squeezes off a burst from the BAR.
WHIPSNAKE
Just lemme see where...
RETREAD suddenly stiffens, his eyes bulge sightlessly, he's convulsing
and choking on his tongue.
WHIPSNAKE tries to hold the thrashing RETREAD down and clear his tongue
from his throat.
GORYL pauses to watch RETREAD thrashing and convulsing for half a
second before he moves into position close to ROCK and points his rifle
at the "invisible" GERMANS.
RETREAD stiffens mid convulsion, then sags limply in the snow, his eyes
open and blind.
WHIPSNAKE
No, goddamnit, hang on.
WHIPSNAKE is trying to get RETREAD to breathe, but RETREAD is gone.
Sprawled beside ROCK behind a tree trunk, GORYL is looking for a good
shot as he confers with ROCK...
GORYL
How many?
ROCK
At least six. Probably more.
GORYL
We're pretty low on ammo.
WHIPSNAKE wriggles close to them as a couple of shots whistle close by.
WHIPSNAKE
Retread is dead.
ROCK
How about if I cover the rear, sir,
while you and the men fall back?
GORYL looks at ROCK, but ROCK doesn't meet the look, he's looking down
the sights, looking for GERMANS... GORYL hesitates for a moment, then
he makes up his mind...
GORYL
Okay, give us ten minutes, then
follow.
ROCK reaches in his pack and pulls out a cigar, placing it unlit
between his teeth...
ROCK
Right, sir.
ROCK mouthes the cigar and peers into the woods, looking for a target,
but the enemy is virtually invisible...
TEN YARDS AWAY
GORYL accepts a handful of clips collected by BEEF. He's turning to
take them to ROCK when he sees WILDMAN.
WILDMAN'S eyes are unfocussed, his mouth open, his jaw slack, his skin
grey and waxy. GORYL feels WILDMAN'S wrist, searching for a pulse.
ROCK/BEHIND A TREE
ROCK fires a short burst as a GERMAN scrambles from one tree to
another, advancing. The GERMAN yells a pained oath, wounded.
GORYL creeps close to ROCK and puts the clips beside him...
GORYL
We gotcha another thirty rounds.
ROCK
Thanks.
GORYL
(with difficulty)
Sergeant...we're not taking Wildman.
ROCK gives GORYL a sharp look...
GORYL
He's not gonna make it.
Rock is looking back at the woods, aiming.
ROCK
Yes, sir. I know.
GORYL
And, Sergeant, don't even try to carry
him, that's an order. You're a
soldier, not a hero. We'll wait for
you at --
ROCK
Don't wait, sir. I won't play hero,
you don't play hero. If I don't catch
up, it's 'cause they got me.
ROCK isn't looking at GORYL, he's firing into the woods.
BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA...Two GERMAN SOLDIERS dive for cover.
For a moment GORYL watches ROCK defend his position, then he moves
off...
GORYL
All right, Sergeant, we're gone.
OUTSIDE THE FARMHOUSE/DAY
COOK'S face is pale and dead. He's lying in the poncho the GIS brought
him back in while PRITCHARD stares down at the body in dismay and the
GIS stand by.
PRITCHARD
"Fell"? Fell how?
The GIS exchange uneasy glances between answers...
FIRST GI
Off a sorta cliff...
THIRD GI
We were painting this sign...at least
he was...
SECOND GI
We were helping... holding the paint
and...
PRITCHARD
(disbelief)
Painting...a...sign?
FIRST GI
"Fuck Hitler."
PRITCHARD
(sharply)
What? I beg your pardon...
SECOND GI
In big letters...
THIRD GI
Huge letters!
PRITCHARD
General Cook...was painting "Fuck
Hitler" in enemy territory...?
FIRST GI
A cook, sir...but not a General...
SECOND GI
His name was Cummings...
THIRD GI
He was a cook with the Thlrd
Infantry...
PRITCHARD'S jaw is sagging, he's too stunned to speak.
FIRST GI
He was conscious for a while after he
fell...
SECOND GI
He told us everything...
THIRD GI
They were on their way up here to give
us a "hot," him anna buncha cooks in
a four by four...
FIRST GI
Booom! German shell...
SECOND GI
Killed his buddies...
THIRD GI
And turned over this jeep with a
Captain and a General...
FIRST GI
He takes this helmet...a General's
helmet...
SECOND GI
He was pretty confused, he said...
THIRD GI
"Crazed."
FIRST GI
He wanted us to win the war.
SECOND GI
He said the, er, leadership is...weak.
THIRD GI
The part about his clothes being
soaked with gasoline was true...
PRITCHARD isn't listening anymore. He's staring at COOK/CUMMINGS' body
and shaking his head in horror...
PRITCHARD
A cook! He ordered up six rifle
companies!
WOODS
GORYL is leading his weary ragtag group through the woods that rise
above the steep walls of the pass. The men look exhausted, defeated,
as they plod hurriedly through the snow, hearing far behind them the
brief bursts of gunfire indicating the continuing battle between the
Germans and Rock. In the sky to their left the four remaining STUKAS
snarl as they regroup and turn back to the north...
KLUZEWSKI
Outta ammo. There they go.
WHIPSNAKE is listening to the patter of the BAR far behind them.
WHIPSNAKE
Rock shoulda backed off by now.
BEEF
More planes. Poor Baker.
They all look and see six dread Messerschmitt ME 109s replacing the
STUKAS in the sky over the pass.
GORYL looks grimly over his shoulder at them as he walks. The men keep
plodding as the thunder of the planes grows louder. It seems as if
there is nothing for them but defeat, defeat, and more defeat as they
continue their ignominious retreat.
Then a ME 109 rages over the woods, as if to pass over them.
GORYL
Okay, men, let's take cover, lets...
Looking up, GORYL breaks off mid-sentence at the sight of a blur of
silver above and the sudden bluster of angry cannons and machineguns.
In half a second the ME 109 is streaming smoke, plummeting into the
slope, and exploding like a bomb.
The swooping blur of silver banks hard and climbs back up, a Republic
P-47 Thunderbolt looking for prey, Donald Duck in paint glaring from
the silver fuselage.
The stunned men of Easy stare at the sky where four more THUNDERBOLTS
are taking on the ME 109s in a fury of speed and gunfire.
KLUZEWSKI falls to his knees as if in church as another ME 109 tumbles
out of the sky, smoking.
Tears flow unabashedly down WHIPSNAKE'S dirty unshaven cheeks as he
sings to himself, privately, in a low voice, out of tune...
WHIPSNAKE
(to himself, a song)
Oh, beautiful, for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain...
Another ME 109 explodes in mid-air as a THUNDERBOLT rakes it
mercilessly with machinegun fire... They rule the sky, the
THUNDERBOLTS, taking no prisoners, dealing out swift sure death to the
outclassed ME 109s.
BEEF is hugging GORYL, KLUZEWSKI is cheering!
WHIPSNAKE
(continuing, very low)
For purple mountains' majesty
above the fruited plain...
WOODS/A MILE AWAY
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! Rifle fire.
ROCK is in trouble, running low through trees, heading for cover behind
a modest formation of boulders in the middle of the woods.
Spang, spang, spang! Bullets splinter off the boulders as he dives for
cover. Hastily he raises the BAR and runs off a burst at his pursuers.
BUDDA BUDDA BUDDA...
Several GERMAN SOLDIERS dive for cover on the ground.
The magazine is empty, no more ammo! ROCK pushes the BAR aside, and
unslings an M-1.
CRACK! SPANG! CRACK! SPANG! Bullets ricochet close to his head,
somebody firing from the side. They've almost got ROCK surrounded.
CRACK! CRACK! ROCK returns the fire at just a glimpse of uniform fifty
yards away.
CRACK! A shot from the other side. They're flanking him, almost but
not quite surrounding him.
This is bad. They already know where he is, so he relights the stub of
cigar clenched between his teeth and scans the woods carefully for a
target. He hears a GERMAN VOICE...
GERMAN VOICE/WOODS
(German, subtitled)
Hans! I think it's only one man.
Alone!
Suddenly a GERMAN SOLDIER rears up only twenty yards away, arm cocked,
grenade in hand...
CRACK! ROCK pans and fires without hesitation...
The GERMAN SOLDIER goes down before he can throw the grenade...
GERMAN VOICE/WOODS
(German, subtitled)
Peter! Throw it!
Too late! The grenade goes off un-thrown. BOOOOM!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! Two GERMANS pop up and sprint low between trees
and ROCK squeezes off three shots.
A silence engulfs the woods then. ROCK, sweating, loads his last clip.
To his right, movement, a blur of uniforms among the trees.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! He fires, sending one man sprawling.
BANG! BANG! BANG! A GERMAN SOLDIER jumps up, firing only twenty yards
away, bullets whiz at ROCK, ROCK swings the rifle, CRACK! CRACK! The
GERMAN SOLDIER staggers forward, dead, ten yards on the other side of
the boulder.
ROCK glances at his shoulder where a bullet has torn his uniform and
his flesh. He's going to bandage it, but sudden movement again on the
right...
CRACK! CRACK! ROCK fires twice, and a blur of uniforms disappears
among the trees. ROCK'S clip is empty, no more ammo. He hastily
inspects his wound and relights his cigar.
The woods are suddenly very quiet. A VOICE snarls from somewhere
straight ahead, disturbingly close but unseen, speaking in heavily
accented English...
GERMAN VOICE/WOODS
(in accented English)
You! Asshole! You hear me, nigger
Jew? Dead! Cut your balls off!
ROCK is relighting his cigar, his eyes busy surveying the woods, as he
responds in a cheery burst of German...
ROCK
(German, subtitled)
Hans! Your mother's here! Your
darling mother! Great tits! What a
woman!
ANGLE ON TWO GERMANS
Outside of ROCK'S line of vision, two GERMAN SOLDIERS are flanking
ROCK, almost behind him. They can't see him, but they can hear his
voice...and they can see a curl of smoke from his cigar coiling above
the boulder he's crouched behind.
ROCK'S VOICE (O.S.)
(continuing)
Shit, Hans! Your mother's taking off
her pants. What an ass! You must
love her a lot!
The two GERMAN SOLDIERS continue their stealthy approach as a GERMAN
VOICE responds to ROCK, this time in German...
GERMAN VOICE (O.S)
(German, subtitled)
Hey, American, you got a good accent.
Why don't you surrender? Huh? We'll
treat you good. Very nice. Asshole!
The two GERMAN SOLDIERS don't give ROCK a chance to reply. They're
only six feet from the boulder where he's hidden, they can smell the
smoke curling from his cigar, they charge forward, firing point
blank...
RATTA TATTA TATTA, CRACK, CRACK, RATTA TATTA...
The GERMAN SOLDIERS stop firing abruptly when they see what they're
shooting at.
ROCK'S pack is there on the ground, they've shot the shit out of it,
but ROCK'S not there! Though his cigar butt is smoldering in a
crease in the boulder.
And just then...PLOP! A grenade lands right at their feet.
Both GERMAN SOLDIERS stare at it in horror for a quarter second...then
they dive aside, flat on their bellies, covering their faces...
BEHIND A TREE/FIVE YARDS AWAY
ROCK is pressed against a tree, waiting for the grenade to go off...
but nothing happens.
Puzzled, ROCK peers out from behind the tree.
He sees the grenade lying there...and FREIDRICH and HORST lying on
their faces.
ROCK'S rueful look says it's a dud. Now what?
A VOICE calls in German from the woods.
GERMAN VOICE (O.S.)
(German, subtitled)
Horst! Freidrich! Did you get the
fucker?
ANGLE ON FREIDRICH AND HORST
FREIDRICH looks up, peeks at the grenade.
It just lies there.
FREIDRICH
(in German)
A dud!
He's scrambling to his feet, grabbing his rifle.
So is HORST...when suddenly ROCK lunges from behind the tree, knife in
hand...
ROCK
BOOOOOOOOM!
Sinking his knife deep into the astonished FREIDRICH'S rib cage, he
shoves him back into HORST who's trying to raise his rifle.
FREIDRICH goes down, coughing blood, done for, and HORST stumbles
backward, tries to raise his rifle only to find himself wrestling with
the powerful ROCK.
But HORST is no slouch. A big, muscular man himself, he manages to
club ROCK in the face with a rifle butt.
WOODS/OTHER SIDE OF BOULDER
A GERMAN SERGEANT is cautiously leading the remaining two GERMAN
SOLDIERS toward the boulder. He calls out...
GERMAN SERGEANT
Horst?
HORST'S VOICE (O.S.)
(German, subtitled)
Help!
The GERMAN SERGEANT and the two SOLDIERS respond to the strangled cry,
rushing toward the boulder, guns ready...
BEHIND THE BOULDER
Coming around the boulder, weapons raised, the GERMAN SERGEANT and the
two SOLDIERS find FREIDRICH sitting down bleeding to death.
Fifteen yards away HORST and ROCK are staggering among the trees,
grappling furiously, slamming against trunks, engaged in an awkward
life or death struggle.
What the GERMAN SERGEANT and the two SOLDIERS don't see is the dud
grenade lying on the ground, almost at their feet.
BA-WHOOOOOOOOOOM! Just as the GERMAN SERGEANT'S steps place him
within a foot of the grenade all three of them are ravaged with
shrapnel...
WOODS/THIRTY YARDS AWAY
Bloody and torn, ROCK and HORST are struggling to the death and it's
not pretty, it's not Hollywood punches, it's biting, kicking, kneeing,
butting, and biting some more, rolling in the snow, battling to their
feet, careening into tree trunks...
ROCK drives HORST back into a tree, HORST knees ROCK in the groin,
they roll on the ground, locked in an embrace while HORST sinks his
teeth deeply into ROCK'S cheek and blood flows. Rolling, they come
to a stone protruding from the ground and it's there that ROCK,
with a supreme effort, manages to smash HORST'S head against the
stone until HORST suddenly goes limp and his eyes roll back in his
head.
For a second all ROCK can do is suck air into his lungs. Then he
collapses, rolling off HORST'S body into the snow until his cheek
rests against...A COMBAT BOOT!
For a second ROCK just stares at the leather of the boot close-up.
Then he slowly looks up the boot to the leg and follows the leg upward
with his eyes.
Looming over him is a tough looking, battle-scarred American SERGEANT,
six-four, muscular...and black as coal. The big man reaches a huge
black hand down to ROCK...
STEELE
Steele. Baker Company.
ROCK takes the hand and lets the big man hoist him to his feet.
ROCK
Rock. Easy.
STEELE
(impressed)
You all alone, Rock?
ROCK
Rear guard. There's krauts all over,
they...
ROCK is looking around with alarm, but STEELE interrupts him, producing
bandages...
STEELE
Not no more, Rock. There's dead bodies
all over the damn woods! You left a
helluva trail, Hitler gonna be mad
with you, I swear! You really raised
some hell.
STEELE keeps talking as he bandages the numerous tears in ROCK'S flesh,
his huge black hands very gentle in contradiction to his brutal
appearance...
STEELE
(continuing)
When I come up on you, it was just
you and him...
(indicates Horst's body)
...and I says to myself, "Big
Willie, if you interfere now, you
an' that white Sergeant gonna have
yourselves a prisoner." An' then
I ax myself, "Do you an' that white
Sergeant really want a prisoner?"
An' I seen you handle yourself with
a certain determination, not
unlike myself, an I says to myself
again, "I believe that white
Sergeant gonna prevail over that
kraut bastard," so I didn't
interfere...
ROCK
We saw you and your men down in the
pass...
STEELE
(bandaging, pleased)
Yeah, we did some good soldier-work
ourselves, didn't we...for a buncha
country colored boys. We're a Negro
outfit.
Bandaged now, ROCK considers the proud STEELE'S coal black face...
ROCK
That's not an Italian suntan, then?
STEELE
Ha ha, where you from, Rock?
ROCK is heading back toward the boulders and his pack.
ROCK
Akron, Ohio. Where are your men?
STEELE
(walking with him)
Akron, mmmmm. Thought I recognized
the accent. My men been thinned out
some, like yours. What's left of 'em
fell back, just like yours. It's juss
you an' me, the rear guard. Think we
oughtta attack or what, heh heh?
STEELE glances up where P-47s snarl overhead, ruling the sky.
ROCK'S PACK/MOMENTS LATER
ROCK considers his pack lying on the ground near the GERMAN CORPSES.
It's shot full of holes from FREIDRICH and HORST'S attack. He lifts
it gingerly and opens it while STEELE goes over the corpses.
STEELE
I love these German binoculars.
Zeiss. I juss keep upgrading my
collection.
ROCK is reaching in the pack and finding his bullet riddled box of
cigars.
STEELE
Kinda like the lugers too.
(pocketing one)
They say if you surrender an' the
krauts find a luger on you, they
torture you and kill you.
Opening the box ROCK finds a dismal collection of mutilated cigars and
loose tobacco.
ROCK
Not planning on surrendering, huh?
STEELE
(suddenly serious)
The black man don't surrender,
Sergeant. The krauts figure all men
of color got lugers. They...cut
up...summa my men a couple days ago.
For a moment their eyes meet and nothing is said. Then ROCK speaks
soberly...
ROCK
I got a man back there half a mile.
I gotta get his tags.
STEELE
I'll walk witcha.
WOODS/SECONDS LATER
Walking back through the woods, STEELE keeps a wary eye on the woods
while ROCK continues to fish in the cigar box. He finally finds a
cigar and shoves it in his mouth, lights it.
ROCK
Wanna cigar?
STEELE
Yeah. You got an extra?
ROCK reaches in the box and fishes out one more intact cigar, hands it
to STEELE who hesitates...
STEELE
I wouldn't take a man's last smoke.
ROCK
Plenty more.
ROCK closes the box on nothing but loose tobacco, no more cigars.
As STEELE lights his cigar, they walk past GERMAN SOLDIERS sprawled in
the bloody snow and slumped against trees. ROCK is scanning the woods
for landmarks.
ROCK
Over there.
ROCK points as we...
CUT TO
WILDMAN/SECONDS LATER
Propped against a tree, WILDMAN grins weakly from a ghostly pale
face...
WILDMAN
Hiya, Sarge. Gonna save my ass again?
ROCK is staring at WILDMAN. He didn't expect this. Neither did
STEELE...
STEELE
Thought you said he was...
ROCK
Guess I was premature.
WILDMAN
Dead? You thought I was dead? Me
too.
ROCK sees something in the snow close to WILDMAN. Reaching down, he
picks up one of the two empty bottles and considers it. It's a plasma
bottle.
WILDMAN
(continuing, weakly)
I wake up, I dunno where I am, hurt
like hell, all I see is this red-
haired guy over me, didn't know if
he was a nazzey throat cutter or an
angel of the Lord in heaven. Then I
see he's shooting blood in me...
ROCK
(sharply)
Red hair?
WILDMAN
He was a goddamn medic. He gives me
medicine, says, "Hang on, soldier, you
doan wanna die, think about your
girlfriend." Says he can't carry me
himself, but somebody'll come for me,
and off he goes, disappears.
ROCK is staring at a double set of footprints in the snow, coming and
going. He follows the footprints with his eyes, sees them disappear
into the ominous woods...in the direction of battle. Whatever the
redhead's doing, he isn't retreating!
ROCK
(turning back to Wildman)
Well, I guess you thought about your
girlfriend, huh?
WILDMAN
I'm savin' myself for her. I guess
I'm gonna ride that bus again, the one
with no springs...?
ROCK glances at STEELE who shrugs glumly as we...
CUT TO
RIDGE/OUTSIDE FARMHOUSE
There's an air of confusion as truckloads of fresh troops arrive and
unload, creating a chaotic atmosphere. Big guns are being pulled into
position, SARGEANTS are assembling the replacements. Frightened eyes,
young faces, clean uniforms...
Frowning, PRITCHARD hurries through the turmoil and enters the
farmhouse...
INSIDE THE FARMHOUSE
Lounging on the floor and slumped up against the walls of the
farmhouse, the weary men of Easy look up as as PRITCHARD enters.
PRITCHARD
At ease, men. Uh, there's some bad
news and I wanted...
GORYL
(alarmed)
Rock? The Sergeant?
PRITCHARD
No, no, we haven't located Sergeant
Rock, nothing like that. It's just
a little...problem. I know I promised
you men the next truck out...you
certainly deserve it...but there was
a little snafu and somebody let a
bunch of colored fellows from Baker,
Negroes, into the truck...
Impassive faces of Easy stare uncomprehendingly at PRITCHARD who goes
rattling on...
PRITCHARD
I could kick them out...but I kind of
hate to do that, they fought like hell
and they're as beat up as you. I
mean, there's room in the truck, but
you guys'd probably rather wait for
the next one...
The men of Easy look at each other as though PRITCHARD had just
finished a speech in Greek or classical Latin as we...
CUT TO
INSIDE A FOUR BY FOUR/MOMENTS LATER
Eight bone weary BLACK SOLDIERS are sprawled in the rear of the 4X4
troop carrier as the men from Easy start to climb in.
TIGER COLE, a tough looking Corporal from Baker, is quick to spot GORYL
and he snaps at LIGHTNING MULLINS lounging on the right hand bench.
TIGER
Lightning! Officer on board, move
your ass.
GORYL
At ease, men.
GORYL scrambles in. The black men are all moving to the left bench,
bunching up, facing the men from Easy who are taking places on the
opposite bench facing them. There's an awkwardness, everybody's
exhausted, weary nods are exchanged. The black soldiers are as
bandaged, as gaunt, as unshaven, as young, and as tired as the men from
Easy, their uniforms filthy and torn.
LIGHTNING
Say, Lieutenant, you didn't see no
great big staff sergeant walkin' round
out there, didja?
GORYL and all the men from Easy look up sharply at LIGHTNING...
LIGHTNING
Colored man? Sorta lame?
GORYL
No, I'm afraid not.
TIGER speaks softly to LIGHTNING, reassuring him as the truck lurches
forward...
TIGER
He be along. Ain't no nazzies gonna
hurt Big Willie, he indestructible.
The truck is bouncing along now and the two rows of soldiers face each
other uncomfortably, a certain tension in the air between them. BEEF
suddenly breaks the silence with a voice full of outrage....
BEEF
Hey, Lieutenant...
The atmosphere is electric as GORYL turns to BEEF and everybody follows
the look to see what put the edge in BEEF'S voice. They see BEEF
glaring indignantly at the brown skinned Negro directly across from him
who wears a bandage over his left eye (so does Beef) and a sling on his
right arm (so does Beef).
GORYL
(uneasy)
What's up, Beef?
BEEF
(pointing)
This guy's got my wound!
Everybody looks. TIGER breaks the amazed silence...
TIGER
Aaaaw shit, Silk! You got the man's
wound.
SILK considers his wounded arm soberly.
SILK
Thought it was mine, it hurts like
hell!
BEEF
That's it! That's the one, "hurts
like hell," that proves it's mine!
SILK
Well, shit, I ain't gonna argue with
you, I ain't that partial to it
anyhow, you could have it.
Now BEEF shakes his head, suddenly shifting gears...
BEEF
Well, what the hell, we're all
fightin' the same war, we got a common
enemy. I ain't gonna be an asshole
about it even if it is mine. I'm
gonna share it with you.
SILK
(ruefully)
Well, I sure do appreciate the
generosity.
Grins and low chuckles. The ice is broken, the atmosphere is relaxed
now as the truck bounces along the road.
Another black soldier, COLLINS, speaks up now...
COLLINS
Say, anybody here know if we winning
or losing this war?
OUTSIDE THE FARMHOUSE
American guns are thundering from the ridge, hurling shells into the
woods to the north as GENERAL DUGAN, COLONEL CRONKITE, AND MAJOR
PRITCHARD face a semicircle of WAR CORRESPONDENTS and PHOTOGRAPHERS
from Life and Look, all wearing fatigues and helmets...
DUGAN
You will hear a lot from the Germans
about "will" and (pardon my French)
all that kind of shit. Well, lemme
tell you fellas something about
"will." The Germans counterattacked
down there, they overwhelmed our boys,
outnumbered 'em, outgunned 'em, cost
them seventy, eighty per cent
casualties.
They opened the pass and started
marching through with an armored
column, a couple of rifle companies,
air support, heavy artillery barrages,
and there wasn't anything we could do
about it. All our fire power at that
time was committed east of here, we
were spread too thin to hold the pass.
But Major Pritchard here and his very
brave men decided they were gonna hold
anyway and they were gonna test their
will against some Nazzey steel.
(a beat)
And you don't see any nazzies on this
side of the pass, do you?
Flashbulbs pop as PRITCHARD beams modestly and we...
CUT TO
WOODED SLOPE/THE PASS
As they make their weary way along the slope, carrying WILDMAN between
them in a poncho, STEELE and ROCK soberly consider the pass far below
where scorched and blackened Panzers, immobile and still smoking,
attest to the fury of American air power.
STEELE shakes his head at the sight.
STEELE
Daaaaamn! We fight an' fight, day an'
night, couple weeks right on the
line...an' we doan do half the damage
them flyboys do in five minutes.
ROCK
Yeah, that's how it is in love and
war.
STEELE
Ain't it true. But I will say, when
I come over here to sunny Italy an'
I seen those nazzies, I about shit in
my pants. I says to myself, "Big
Willie, you gonna get killed bad.
Those nazzies are soldiers, they
raised to kill, they be fighting
machines! Your boys ain't nothin' but
farm boys and grocery clerks, you
ain't but a damn truckdriver your
ownself." Probably the same with you,
huh, Rock? What you do?
ROCK
Ironworker.
STEELE
An' your boys be postmen an'
cabdrivers an' delivery boys an'
plumbers an' carpenters.
ROCK
The Wildman here's a piano teacher.
STEELE
A piano teacher! Well, that's what
I mean, I figured those nazzies was
real soldiers, I figured they was
gonna fight real good...and I wasn't
wrong, was I?
ROCK
Nope.
STEELE
What I didn't know then was how good
a buncha farm boys an' ironworkers an'
such could fight.
ROCK isn't listening. He's seen something on the next ridge where
smoke is blowing from a big gun.
Silhouetted in the smoke is a LONE FIGURE heading north into enemy
territory, his torso draped with plasma bottles, a red cross on his
arm. His helmet is cocked back on his head and backlight shines
through the shock of red hair spilling onto his forehead.
Almost immediately he's lost in the smoke.
ROCK keeps moving forward without taking his eyes off the spot where
O'HARA disappeared as STEELE continues...
STEELE
I mean, if I was a nazzey an' I hadda
go up against my men or your men, I'd
be scared, you know?
ROCK
Yeah.
ROCK'S attention is on the ridge.
The smoke clears...but O'HARA is gone.
BOOOOOM! The big gun thunders again, belching smoke, hurling furious
steel north at the German positions.
STEELE
You think we gonna win it, Rock?
BEGIN CLOSING CREDITS