









                                     THE PIANIST

                                  by Ronald Harwood

                           based on the published memoir by
                                  Wladyslaw Szpilman




























                                                      Final Draft, 1998     

                

                

                

                

                

                

                

                

                

               Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all dialogue spoken by 
               Germans will be in the German language and subtitled.


               FADE IN:

               INT. WARSAW (ARCHIVE) - DAY

               Black and white. Street scene. People toing and froing.  A 
               man rattles by.

               SUPERIMPOSE CAPTION:

                                      WARSAW 1939

               INT. STUDIO, RADIO STATION, WARSAW - DAY

               WLADYSLAV SZPILMAN plays Chopin's Nocturne in C sharp minor, 
               Posthumous. He's twenty-eight years old, elegant and 
               handsome. 

               In the booth, separated from the studio by a glass screen, 
               an engineer, wearing collar and tie, monitors the broadcast. 
               Behind him, a window to the street with strips of paper 
               taped on it as protection against blast. 

               Without warning, a bomb drops nearby, then another and 
               another. The whole building shudders alarmingly and the 
               window in the booth shatters. 

               The engineer and Szpilman exchange a look as a man enters 
               the booth and talks urgently to the Engineer, then goes. 

               The engineer makes a 'cut-throat' gesture, but Szpilman 
               shakes his head, determined to play on. 

               He plays, then glances at the booth. The engineer has gone, 
               but through the shattered window he sees fires raging. 

               Very near, a loud, terrifying explosion. The reverberations 
               cause plaster to flake and dust to trickle down over his 
               face. 

               And then a bomb explodes even closer. The glass screen 
               separating booth from studio implodes, showering Szpilman 
               with glass. He stops, frozen.

               INT. STAIRS AND LOBBY, RADIO STATION - DAY

               Pandemonium. Chaos. People rushing in all directions, many 
               carrying files, boxes, papers, shouting, calling. Some of 
               the men in military uniform. The bombing continuous. 
               Szpilman fights his way down the stairs. He has a small 
               cut on his forehead and is dabbing it with his handkerchief. 
               He has a dazed look. Halfway down the stairs, A young woman, 
               DOROTA, tugs at his sleeve:

                                     DOROTA
                         Mr. Szpilman.

               He turns, to see an extremely pretty young woman gazing 
               adoringly at him while they're jostled and shoved. His 
               eyes light up.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Hello.

                                     DOROTA
                         I came specially to meet you today. 
                         I love your playing, but what a 
                         day to choose.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Who are you?

                                     DOROTA
                         My name's Dorota, I'm Jurek's 
                         sister. oh! You're bleeding.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         It's nothing.

               JUREK pushes in beside them and takes her arm.

                                     JUREK
                         C'mon, Dorota, you can write him a 
                         fan letter later, this isn't the 
                         best time, c'mon.

               Jurek, pulling Dorota, fights his way down the stairs.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (calling)
                         Jurek, why have you been hiding 
                         her?

               And he, too, is carried with the flow into the lobby. Debris 
               everywhere. Szpilman fights to get to the main door, when 
               another bomb explodes, filling the air with dust and debris, 
               obscuring him and everyone else.

               INT. WARSAW APARTMENT - DUSK

               The Szpilman family in panic: coming and going out of rooms, 
               packing clothes and belongings into open suitcases and a 
               trunk in a comfortable, tastefully furnished bourgeois 
               apartment, the living room lined with books, paintings and 
               boasting a boudoir grand, silver platters and candlesticks. 
               The family consist of MOTHER, in a state of great anxiety, 
               FATHER, REGINA, twenty-six, HALINA, twenty-two, and HENRYK, 
               twenty-four, the only one not in movement. He sits by the 
               radio set, ear to the speaker, trying to tune to a station. 
               No bombs now, just the distant sound of artillery fire. 
               Father, holding a silver-framed photograph, crosses to 
               Mother.

                                     FATHER
                         What you think, should I take Uncle 
                         Szymon's photograph?

                                     MOTHER
                         Take it, don't take it, take what 
                         you like. Can't you see I'm worried 
                         sick?

                                     FATHER
                         He'll come home, he'll be all right.

               He goes into his room. She can barely control her tears 
               and hurries into the kitchen just as the front door opens 
               and Szpilman enters, looks round bemused by the activity.

                                     REGINA
                         Mama, Wladek's home.

               Mother dashes out of the kitchen.

                                     MOTHER
                         Thank God - Wladek! You're wounded.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         It's a little cut, nothing.

                                     MOTHER
                         I've been worried sick.

                                     HENRYK
                         I told her not to worry. You had 
                         your papers on you. If you'd been 
                         hit by a bomb, they'd have known 
                         where to take you.

               The girls suppress smiles.

                                     MOTHER
                         Henryk, don't say things like that, 
                         God forbid, God forbid.

                                     HALINA
                              (calling through a 
                              door)
                         Papa, Wladek's home.

               Father appears in the doorway, beaming, clutching a violin 
               case.

                                     FATHER
                         What did I tell you?

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (looking around the 
                              room, bemused)
                         What are you doing?

                                     REGINA
                         What's it look like we're doing?

               The toing and froing continues non-stop.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (to Henryk)
                         They bombed us, we're off the air.

                                     HENRYK
                         Warsaw's not the only radio station.

                                     MOTHER
                         Pack, darling, get your things, 
                         pack.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Where are we going? 

                                     MOTHER
                         Out of Warsaw.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Out of Warsaw. Where?

                                     REGINA
                         You haven't heard?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Heard what?

                                     REGINA
                         Haven't you seen the paper? Where's 
                         the paper?

               She starts to look. The others continue to bustle and pack.

                                     HALINA
                         I used it for packing.

                                     REGINA
                              (exasperated)
                         She used it for packing.

                                     FATHER
                         The government's moved to Lublin.

                                     HALINA
                         All able-bodied men must leave the 
                         city, go across the river and set 
                         up a new line of defence, that's 
                         what it said.

                                     FATHER
                         There's hardly anybody left in 
                         this building, only women, the men 
                         have gone.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         And what do you think you'll do 
                         while you're setting up a new line 
                         of defence? Wander round lugging 
                         your suitcases?

                                     MOTHER
                         Pack, Wladek, there's no time.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I'm not going anywhere.

                                     HALINA
                         Good! I'm not going anywhere either!

                                     MOTHER
                         Don't be ridiculous, we've got to 
                         keep together.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         No, no, no, I'm staying put. If 
                         I'm going to die, I prefer to die 
                         at home.

                                     MOTHER
                         God forbid!

                                     HENRYK
                         Sssh!

               Crackles, whistles and static from the radio.

                                     HENRYK
                         Ssh! I've got something, listen...

               They gather round.

                                     RADIO ANNOUNCER
                         ... an important announcement. 
                         News has just been received through 
                         the BBC that Great Britain, having 
                         had no reply...
                              (static)
                         ...and therefore has declared war 
                         on Nazi Germany...
                              (a collective gasp)
                         ... next few hours... awaiting 
                         latest news...

               Henryk hits the set.

                                     RADIO ANNOUNCER
                         ... but France is expected to make 
                         a similar announcement...
                              (static)
                         ... Poland is no longer alone.

               The Polish national anthem plays. All are still.

               INT. WARSAW APARTMENT - NIGHT

               Father pours liqueur into glasses.

               The family are seated around the dining table, having just 
               finished a meal. The table groans with the remains of the 
               dinner. Szpilman has a plaster over his cut.

                                     HENRYK
                              (lighting up a 
                              cigarette)
                         Mama, that was a great dinner.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         It certainly was.

                                     MOTHER
                         When there's something to celebrate, 
                         you've got to make an effort.

               The glasses are handed round.

                                     FATHER
                         Here's to Great Britain and France.

               They all clink glasses and drink.

                                     FATHER
                         I told you. Didn't I tell you? All 
                         will be well.

               EXT. RUINED WARSAW STREET - DAY

               A column of German Soldiers, led by an officer on horseback, 
               march into view. 

               On the sidewalk of the street, with its buildings in ruins, 
               smoke still rising, stand onlookers, including Szpilman 
               and Henryk, and a little behind them, Father, craning to 
               see. They watch, expressionless, as the Germans march past.

               INT. WARSAW APARTMENT - DAY

               Regina is opening and closing the window, examining the 
               frame with her fingers. Halina is on a box, removing and 
               replacing books. Mother sits at one end of the table, 
               polishing a man's watch and chain. At the other end, Father 
               sits counting a small stack of notes and coins. Henryk is 
               deep in thought and Szpilman is fiddling with his father's 
               violin. The apartment has less furniture now and the silver 
               has gone.

                                     FATHER
                              (finishing the 
                              counting)
                         Five thousand and three.

                                     MOTHER
                         Is that all?

                                     FATHER
                         Yes, five thousand and three zlotys, 
                         that's all we've got left.

                                     REGINA
                         It's three thousand and three zlotys 
                         too much,
                              (reading from 
                              newspaper)
                         'Re: Further restrictions regarding 
                         liquid assets: Jews will be allowed 
                         to keep a maximum of two thousand 
                         zlotys in their homes.'

                                     MOTHER
                         What are we supposed to do with 
                         the rest?

                                     HALINA
                         Deposit it in a bank. Blocked 
                         account.

                                     HENRYK
                         Banks? Who'd be stupid enough to 
                         deposit money in a German bank?

                                     REGINA
                         We could hide the money here in 
                         the window frame.

                                     FATHER
                         No, no, no. I'll tell you what 
                         we'll do. We'll use tried and tested 
                         methods. You know what we did in 
                         the last war? We made a hole in 
                         the table leg and we hid the money 
                         in there.

                                     HENRYK
                         And suppose they take the table 
                         away?

                                     MOTHER
                         What d'you mean, take the table 
                         away?

                                     HENRYK
                         The Germans go into Jewish homes 
                         and they just take what they want, 
                         furniture, valuables, anything.

                                     MOTHER
                         Do they?

                                     FATHER
                         Idiot! What would they want with a 
                         table?

               All look at the table: it's covered in stains and the veneer 
               is coming away at one end. A table like this?

               He pokes his finger under the veneer. It snaps, revealing 
               bare wood beneath.

                                     MOTHER
                         What on earth are you doing?

                                     HALINA
                         There's a good place under the 
                         cupboard.

                                     HENRYK
                         No, no. Listen, I've been thinking --

                                     SZPILMAN
                         That makes a change.

                                     HENRYK
                         You know what we do? We use 
                         psychology.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         We use what?

                                     HENRYK
                         We leave the money and the watch 
                         on the table. And we cover it like 
                         this.
                              (covers it with the 
                              newspaper)
                         In full view. The Germans will 
                         search high and low, I promise 
                         you, they'll never notice it.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Of course they'll notice it. But 
                         look--
                              (lifts the violin 
                              fingerboard.)
                         This is a good place for something.

                                     HENRYK
                         A good place for what?
                              (to the others')
                         He's insane!

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Just shut up.

                                     FATHER
                              (overlapping)
                         My violin?

               They all talk at once.

                                     REGINA
                         Quiet! Quiet! Order, please, order!

                                     HALINA
                         She's a lawyer, she likes order.

                                     REGINA
                         Listen, just listen. Let's come to 
                         an agreement. We jam the money in 
                         the window frame. The watch we 
                         hide under the cupboard. And the 
                         chain we put in the violin.

               A brief silence.

                                     FATHER
                         Will I still be able to play?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Let's find out.

               They start to hide the things.

               INT. WARSAW PHARMACY - DAY

               Szpilman is on the public telephone, waiting for someone 
               to answer his call. Then:

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Jurek? Wladek Szpilman.

                                     JUREK
                              (filtered)
                         Wladek! How are you?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Fine, we're fine, thank you, and 
                         you?

                                     JUREK
                              (filtered)
                         Fine, we're fine in the 
                         circumstances. But I can guess 
                         what you've called about. There's 
                         nothing we can do; they won't reopen 
                         the station--

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (trying to interrupt)
                         Yes, I know, but Jurek, Jurek...

                                     JUREK
                              (filtered)
                         ...not even music, nothing, no 
                         radios for the Poles. But I'm sure 
                         you'll find work, Wladek, a pianist 
                         like you.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Maybe, maybe not, but, Jurek, don't 
                         be offended, I didn't call to 
                         discuss my future career.

               EXT. WARSAW STREET AND CAFE PARADISO - DAY

               Szpilman and Dorota stroll along a tree-lined street with 
               bombed-out buildings and rubble. She flicks admiring, almost 
               loving glances at him as they walk and talk. And he is 
               smiling, touched by her.

                                     DOROTA
                         I nagged Jurek for weeks and weeks. 
                         And at last he gave in and said, 
                         'All right, come with me tomorrow,' 
                         and so I came and they bombed the 
                         station.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         You know something? Meeting you 
                         like that was absolutely wonderful.

                                     DOROTA
                         Really?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Yes!
                              (he looks at her, 
                              smiles)
                         It was...it was unforgettable.

               She's embarrassed.

                                     DOROTA
                         I've always loved your playing, 
                         Mr. Szpilman.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Wladek, please.

                                     DOROTA
                         No one plays Chopin like you.

               She begins to laugh.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I could accompany you, me on the 
                         piano, you on the cello.

               They become almost helpless, holding on to each other.

                                     DOROTA
                         Oh, Mr Szpilman, you're quite... 
                         quite wonderful.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Wladek, please.

               Amidst their laughter, he takes her hand and kisses it.

               INT. WARSAW APARTMENT - NIGHT

               The family are gathered around the table, listening to 
               Father reading from the newspaper.

               The apartment has even less furniture now. The paintings 
               are gone.

                                     FATHER
                              (reading)
                         'Re: emblems for Jews in the Warsaw 
                         District. I hereby order that all 
                         Jews in the Warsaw District will 
                         wear visible emblems when out of 
                         doors. This decree will come into 
                         force on the 1st December 1939 and 
                         applies to all Jews over twelve 
                         years of age. The emblem will 
                         be worn on the right sleeve and 
                         will represent a blue Star of David 
                         on a white background. The 
                         background must be sufficiently 
                         large for the Star to measure eight 
                         centimetres from point to point. 
                         The width of the arms of the Star
                              (reading)
                         must be one centimetre. Jews who 
                         do not respect this decree will be 
                         severely punished. Governor of 
                         Warsaw District, Dr. Fischer.'

               Silence. Then:

                                     HENRYK
                         I won't wear it.

                                     REGINA
                         won't wear it. I'm not going to be 
                         branded.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (grabbing the 
                              newspaper)
                         Let me see this.

                                     FATHER
                         Doesn't it say we have to provide 
                         these armbands ourselves? Where 
                         will we get them?

                                     HENRYK
                         We're not going to get them. We're 
                         not going to wear them!

               Silence, each locked in their own thoughts.

               EXT. WARSAW STREET - DAY

               Father, wearing the Star of David armband, walks slowly 
               along, carrying a string bag containing potatoes and 
               carrots, his eyes fixed on the pavement as if his thoughts 
               are a million miles away.

               He passes two GERMAN OFFICERS. They stop.

                                     GERMAN OFFICER
                              (a harsh shout)
                         You!

               Father stops, turns fearfully and approaches the Germans.

                                     GERMAN OFFICER
                         Why didn't you bow?

                                     FATHER
                              (removing his hat)
                         I'm sorry I...

               I German Officer cracks him hard across the face, catching 
               his ear. Father reels, collects himself as best he can and 
               starts to shuffle on -

                                     GERMAN OFFICER
                              (calling after him)
                         You are forbidden to walk on the 
                         pavement. Walk in the gutter!

               Father steps off the pavement and walks in the gutter. The 
               German turn and go. Father walks on.

               INT. WARSAW APARTMENT - EVENING

               Szpilman composing at the piano. He plays, makes adjustments 
               with a pencil to the manuscript, plays again. The flat is 
               almost bare. Halina, enters with a newspaper.

                                     HALINA
                         Have you seen this?

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (irritated)
                         What, I'm working, what?

               She hands him the paper. He looks at it. His expression 
               darkens.

               INSERT:

               the newspaper. A map of the proposed Jewish area: two 
               distinct districts, one large, one smaller.

                                     SZPILMAN'S VOICE
                         What is it?

                                     HALINA'S VOICE
                         That's where they're going to put 
                         us.

                                     SZPILMAN'S VOICE
                         What d'you mean, put us?

               THE APARTMENT: 

               She looks over his shoulder and reads. As she does so, the 
               door of Henryk's room opens and he stands leaning in the 
               doorway, watching, as if amused.

                                     HALINA
                         'By order of the Governor of the 
                         Warsaw District, Dr. Fischer, 
                         concerning the establishment of 
                         the Jewish District in Warsaw. 
                         There will be created a Jewish 
                         District in which all Jews living 
                         in Warsaw or moving to Warsaw will 
                         have to reside."  And look here: 
                         'Jews living outside of the 
                         prescribed area will have to move 
                         to the Jewish district by 31st of 
                         October 1940.'

               Szpilman gazes at the map, horrified.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         But...they won't get all of us... 
                         we'll...it's too small...there's 
                         four hundred thousand of us in 
                         Warsaw!

                                     HENRYK
                         No. Three hundred and sixty 
                         thousand, so it'll be easy.

               He laughs but they're disturbed by a sound from another 
               room, the sound of crying. They look at each other puzzled, 
               then Halina opens a door and looks in. Szpilman and Henryk 
               join her. 

               BEDROOM:

               Father is asleep but Mother is sitting on the bed, holding 
               a purse, crying. Halina sits beside her, puts an arm round 
               her.

                                     HALINA
                         Mama, what is it?

               Mother opens the purse to reveal a crumpled note.

                                     MOTHER
                         Twenty zlotys. That's all we've 
                         got left. What can I buy with twenty 
                         zlotys?
                              (breaking down)
                         I'm sick of cooking potatoes, 
                         potatoes, potatoes.

               She weeps. Halina tries to comfort her. Szpilman and Henryk 
               watch.

               INT. SZPILMAN APARTMENT, SLISKA STREET - NIGHT

               Hands on the piano keyboard. Podgy, hairy hands with dirty 
               nails. They play an octave, harsh, toneless, with straight 
               fingers.

               The hands belong to Mr Lipa, a dealer, early fifties. He 
               sits at the piano, now examining the lacquer. Regina stands 
               in the bow, watching him. Henryk is at the table, also 
               watching intently.

               Szpilman sits apart, aloof, his back to the piano and to 
               Mr Lipa.

                                     MR LIPA
                         That's the price. That's what I'm 
                         offering. And my advice is to 
                         accept. You won't get more from 
                         anyone else.

                                     REGINA
                         But...but it's a Steinway, Mr 
                         Lipa...

                                     MR LIPA
                         Two thousand. My advice is to take 
                         it. What you going to do when you're 
                         hungry? Eat the piano?

               Henryk suddenly makes a lunge for him, grabs hold of him, 
               a rough struggle takes place and during it Mother and Father 
               appear at their bedroom door to watch, appalled.

                                     HENRYK
                         Get out! You're a thieving bastard, 
                         we don't want your money, get out! 
                         We'd rather give it away! Get out!

               Regina tries physically to restrain him.

                                     MR LIPA
                              (overlapping, warding 
                              off Henryk)
                         Hey! Hey! What's the matter with 
                         you? Haven't you eaten today, what 
                         you suffering from? Hey!

                                     REGINA
                              (overlapping)
                         Henryk, stop it, leave him alone.

                                     MR LIPA
                              (recovering, catching 
                              his breath, 
                              overlapping)
                         You people are crazy! I'm doing 
                         you a favour, two thousand, and 
                         I'm paying for the removal, I'm 
                         not even charging for the removal.

               Henryk subsides, glowering at him.

                                     MR LIPA
                         You haven't eaten today, you're 
                         crazy...

               Suddenly:

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (turning to them, 
                              severe)
                         Take it.

               EXT. STREET LEADING TO GHETTO - DAY AUTUMN

               A great column of Jews of all ages make their way towards 
               the area that will become the ghetto. On foot, on bicycles, 
               on horse-drawn platforms, some pushing prams loaded with 
               belongings. A great moving mass of humanity.

               They're watched on either side of the street by Poles. 

               On a horse-drawn platform, the Szpilmans with their 
               belongings.  All wear armbands. 

               Szpilman, Halina and Henryk walk beside the platform with 
               Mother, Father and Regina seated on it. 

               Szpilman catches sight of someone among the onlookers, 
               smiles and pushes through the crowd to Dorota, close to 
               tears.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Dorota!

                                     DOROTA
                         I didn't want to come, I didn't 
                         want to see all this, but I couldn't 
                         stop myself.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         How are you doing?

                                     DOROTA
                         Fine, no, not really, they arrested 
                         my cousin, but Jurek says they'll 
                         let him out.
                              (stops, tears in 
                              her eyes.)
                         This is disgraceful.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Don't worry, it won't last long.

                                     DOROTA
                         That's what I said, it's so - it's 
                         too absurd!

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I'll see you...soon.

               He smiles and runs to catch up with his family. He looks 
               back, but Dorota is lost to sight and the procession 
               continues on its way.

               INT./EXT. GHETTO APARTMENT AND STREET - DAY

               Two rooms on the third floor: a living room and a kitchen. 
               The Szpilmans are unpacking their belongings in silence. 
               Father pauses for a moment to take stock.

                                     FATHER
                         To tell you the truth, I thought 
                         it would be worse.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         How will we sleep?

                                     MOTHER
                         I'll sleep with the girls in the 
                         kitchen. You, Henrykc and Papa in 
                         here.

                                     HALINA
                              (at a window)
                         Look! Come and look!

               They all go to the window and look out. 

               Their POV - the street. 

               Further along, men are building a wall across the street.

               EXT. GHETTO WALL - DAY

               A SERIES OF SHOTS: 

               THE WALL. THE WALL. THE WALL.

               EXT. MARKET AREA, GHETTO - DAY

               Winter. Cold, freezing day. Slush underfoot. Great activity. 
               People selling shoes, clothes, carpets, curtains, food. A 
               woman offers cakes under a barbed-wire cover. Noise, bustle, 
               restless wing and froing.  

               Among the traders, Henryk, slightly shabbier now, and at 
               his feet a basket with books. He holds a couple of volumes 
               in his hands, trying to interest passers-by. 

               Szpilman, also a little shabbier, wends his way through 
               the setters and buyers, the beggars, the passers-by, and 
               reaches Henryk.

               Henryk drops the two volumes into the basket, takes a handle 
               one side of the basket, Szpilman the other. They set off. 

               As they walk, carrying the basket between them, passing 
               beggars and children asking for food:

                                     SZPILMAN
                         You sell anything?

                                     HENRYK
                         Just one. Dostoevsky. The Idiot. 
                         Three zlotys.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         That's better than yesterday.

                                     HENRYK
                         Three lousy zlotys. And there are 
                         people here making millions.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I know.

                                     HENRYK
                         You don't know, believe me. They 
                         bribe the guards. The guards turn 
                         a blind eye. They're bringing in 
                         cartloads, food, tobacco, liquor, 
                         French cosmetics, and the poor are 
                         dying all around them and they 
                         don't give a damn.

               Suddenly, a WOMAN appears in front of them, barring their 
               way. She's brightly rouged with thickly painted eyebrows, 
               dressed in an old green velvet curtain with an unsteady 
               mauve ostrich feather rising from her straw hat.

                                     THE FEATHER WOMAN
                         Excuse me, but have you by any 
                         chance seen my husband Izaak 
                         Szerman?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I'm afraid not.

                                     THE FEATHER WOMAN
                         A tall handsome man with a little 
                         grey beard?

                They shake their heads.

                                     THE FEATHER WOMAN
                         No?
                              (she is near to 
                              tears, then smiles 
                              artificially.)
                         Oh, do forgive me.
                              (as she goes)
                         Goodbye, sleep well, if you see 
                         him, please do write, Izaak 
                         Szerman's his name...

               She wanders on. Szpilman and Henryk, too, continue on their 
               way. And as they go:

                                     HENRYK
                         Sometimes I wish I could go mad.

               EXT. CHLODNA STREET - DAY

               A stream of cars and trams. Jewish policemen and German 
               soldiers much in evidence.

               Szpilman and Henryk join a large crowd of Jews waiting at 
               a barrier to cross the intersection. The crowd is agitated, 
               impatient for a policeman to stop the traffic and let them 
               through.

               A MAN next to Szpilman and Henryk is becoming more and 
               more distraught, shifting his weight from foot to foot, 
               taking off and putting on his hat.

                                     THE NERVOUS MAN
                         This is totally insane; why do we 
                         have to have a gentile street 
                         running through our area? Can't 
                         they go around?

                                     HENRYK
                         Don't worry about it, they're about 
                         to build a bridge, haven't you 
                         heard?

                                     THE NERVOUS MAN
                         A bridge, a schmidge, and the 
                         Germans claim to be intelligent. 
                         You know what I think?  I think 
                         they're totally stupid. I've got a 
                         family to feed and I spend half my 
                         time here waiting for them to let 
                         us through.

               Meanwhile, a street band begins to play a waltz. Jewish 
               policemen and German soldiers are clearing a space, shoving 
               Jews out of the way, including Szpilman, Henryk and the 
               nervous man. Other soldiers are clearing a space. 

               Two GERMAN SOLDIERS pull out of the crowd a tall woman and 
               a short man and haul them into the cleared space.

                                     THE GERMAN SOLDIER
                         Dance!

               The couple dance to the street band's waltz. 

               At intervals, German soldiers select even more unlikely 
               couples: a fat woman with a painfully thin man, a young 
               boy with an elderly woman, two men, and two cripples. 

               The German soldiers are, to various degrees, amused. One 
               of them is almost hysterical with laughter.

                                     SOLDIERS
                         Faster! Go on, faster! Dance!

               The couples dance as fast as they can. A soldier kicks one 
               of the cripples who can't go on any more.

                                     SOLDIERS
                         Dance! Dance!

               Then a whistle blows, a policeman stops the traffic, the 
               barrier swings open and people swarm across in both 
               directions.

               INT. GHETTO APARTMENT - DAY

               Szpilman and Henryk enter and stop. Uneasy.

                                     MOTHER
                         Good, they're here. Yitzchak 
                         Heller's been waiting for you, 
                         Henryk.

               Seated at the table with Mother and Father is a uniformed 
               young man, YITZCHAK HELLER, unusual appearance, a man with 
               red hair and a Hitler moustache. 

               Heller remains seated, just nods at the brothers.

                                     HENRYK
                         What's this about?

                                     MOTHER
                         Sit down, have tea, I'll start 
                         lunch when the girls get back.

               Henryk and Szpilman sit. They eye Heller suspiciously.

                                     HENRYK
                         So, what are you doing here?

                                     FATHER
                         He brought cakes.

               Awkward silence.

                                     FATHER
                         His father's back in the jewellery 
                         business and doing well, isn't 
                         that so, Yitzchak? Amazing.  
                         Jewellery.

               He runs dry. Another awkward silence. Then:

                                     HELLER
                         We're recruiting.

                                     HENRYK
                         Who's recruiting?

                                     HELLER
                         Don't be clever with me, Henryk. 
                         I've come here as a friend. They're 
                         bringing Jews in from all over the 
                         country. Soon there'll be half a 
                         million people in the ghetto. We 
                         need more Jewish police...

                                     HENRYK
                              (sarcastic)
                         Oh? More Jewish police? You mean 
                         you want me to wear a cap like 
                         yours, beat up Jews with my 
                         truncheon and catch the Gestapo 
                         spirit. I see!

                                     HELLER
                              (eyes narrowed, 
                              dangerous)
                         Someone's got to do it, Henryk.

                                     HENRYK
                         But why me? I thought you only 
                         recruited boys with rich fathers. 
                         Look at my father, look at us, I 
                         mean...

                                     HELLER
                              (interrupting, 
                              flaring)
                         Yes, I'm looking at you and that's 
                         why I'm here. Your whole family 
                         can have a better life. You want 
                         to go on struggling for survival, 
                         selling books on the street?

                                     HENRYK
                              (a smile)
                         Yes, please.

                                     HELLER
                              (to Szpilman)
                         I'm doing you people a favour. And 
                         what about you, Wladek? You're a 
                         great pianist. And we've got an 
                         excellent police jazz band. They'd 
                         welcome you with open arms. Join 
                         us. You've got no work...

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Thank you. But I've got work.

               Silence. Heller rises angrily.

               INT. CAFE NOWACZESNA, GHETTO - DAY

               On a platform, Szpilman plays at a piano, but he can hardly 
               be heard above the noise of chatter and laughter. 

               The large cafe is crowded, hot and smoke-filled. Well-heeled 
               customers, pimps, whores, businessmen sit at little tables, 
               eating, talking, laughing, almost drowning the piano music. 
               Some dance.

               A couple of tables back from the piano, a customer is doing 
               business with a friend. The customer has a small stack of 
               coins, some of them twenty-dollar gold pieces. He folds 
               back the tablecloth to reveal a marble surface beneath. He 
               drops a coin on the marble and listens but the noise is 
               too loud. He sees the cafe owner, BENEK, fiftyish, and 
               makes gestures, pointing at Szpilman. Benek pushes his way 
               through to Szpilman.

                                     BENEK
                              (whispering into 
                              Szpilman's ear)
                         I'm sorry, Mr Wladek, he wants you 
                         to stop.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (continuing to play)
                         Who wants me to stop?

               Benek points to the customer, who makes an imploring gesture 
               to Szpilman. Szpilman stops playing. 

               The friend watches the customer intently as he drops the 
               coins one by one onto the marble. He drops them, puts his 
               ear close and listens.  Two or three he discards, but he 
               smiles when coins make a pure tone, and he keeps them. 

               Szpilman exchanges looks with a pretty whore, who makes 
               eyes at him. 

               Satisfied, the customer beams, nods his thanks to Szpilman, 
               who resumes his piano playing.

               EXT. GHETTO STREET - DUSK

               Szpilman walking. He passes emaciated children and beggars. 
               He steps over the corpses lying on the sidewalk.

               EXT. STREET NEAR WALL - DUSK

               The wall runs the length of the street, dividing it in 
               half and narrowing it. Buildings on one side, the wall on 
               the other.

               Szpilman walks along. A piercing whistle from the Aryan 
               side.  Szpilman stops. 

               Two women appear from a doorway, approach the wall and 
               look up.  Two or three packages come flying over from the 
               Aryan side. The women grab them and disappear. 

               Szpilman walks on and sees a child appear through a hole 
               at ground level. The child wriggles through then turns, 
               pulls a package after him and runs. 

               Szpilman walks on, hears a noise, looks back to see a SECOND 
               CHILD trying to wriggle through the same hole. But he's 
               stuck. Angry German voices from the Aryan side. 

                                     2ND CHILD
                         Help me! help me!

               Szpilman goes to him, pulls him with all his might but the 
               boy is jammed in the hole.

               From the other side of the wall, the sound of an angry 
               German voice and of a boot stamping violently on the boy. 
               The boy screams in agony.

               Szpilman continues to try to pull the boy through. 

               The sound of the German voice swearing and the dull, 
               crunching noise made by the boot smashing into the boy 
               continues, and with every thud the boy screams in terrible 
               pain.

               Szpilman struggles to help the boy whose screams are 
               becoming weaker yet increasingly desperate.

               Szpilman pulls his arms and finally manages to get him 
               through. The boy lies moaning.

               Szpilman takes the boy's face in his hands, tries to comfort 
               him, revive him, but the boy has stopped moaning. His head 
               lolls and his jaw sags. He is dead. Szpilman stands quickly 
               and hurries away.

               EXT. COURTYARD AND HOUSE - EVENING

               Szpilman approaches the house through a shabby yard.

               INT. JEHUDA ZYSKIND'S ROOM - EVENING

               The noise of a mimeograph machine. A huge, CHEERFUL MAN 
               with a perpetual cigarette in his mouth.

                                     JEHUDA
                         I always say look on the bright 
                         side. You're in the small ghetto, 
                         intellectuals, professional people, 
                         you're better off than us. Here, 
                         in the large ghetto, it's a 
                         cesspool. But you, you're living 
                         in Monte Carlo. You could say you're 
                         privileged and that, of course, 
                         goes against my principles.  
                         Nevertheless...

               He laughs and coughs, starts looking through papers. His 
               room is piled from floor to ceiling with old papers and 
               stuff. Dark, shabby, run-down.

               One of his sons, SYMCHE, is operating the mimeograph 
               machine. The other, DOLEK, is sorting the sheets as they 
               come off the roller.  MRS. ZYSKIND, holding a toddler, is 
               cooking at a small stove.

               JEHUDA finds what he's been looking for, a newspaper made 
               up of a few sheets.

                                     JEHUDA
                         Ah, here. Today's news from the 
                         other side.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         You're amazing, Jehuda.

                                     JEHUDA
                         No, I'm a socialist. I have brothers 
                         everywhere. They bring me news and 
                         food. We care about our fellow 
                         human beings. Workers of the world 
                         unite.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         So, what's the news?

                                     JEHUDA
                              (scanning the paper)
                         The Germans are advancing on 
                         Kharkhov.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I don't know why I come here every 
                         evening, it's always such bad news.

                                     JEHUDA
                         Bad news, you crazy? You have no 
                         world view, Wladek, that's your 
                         trouble. The news couldn't be 
                         better. The moment Hitler invaded 
                         Russia, I knew we'd be all right. 
                         Remember Napoleon. Same business. 
                         The Germans will freeze to death, 
                         please God.

               He beams. Szpilman leans over, takes a sheet from the 
               mimeograph.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Jehuda, give me something to do.

                                     JEHUDA
                         You're an artist, Wladek, you keep 
                         people's spirits up. You do enough.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         But I want to help, I want to.

                                     JEHUDA
                         You're too well known, Wladek. And 
                         you know what? You musicians don't 
                         make good conspirators. You're 
                         too...too musical.

               He loves this, laughs, coughs.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         There are notices going up. The 
                         city's to be cleansed of 
                         undesirables.

                                     JEHUDA
                         There are always notices going up.

               A distinctive knock on the door. Szpilman tenses but Jehuda 
               beams. To one of his boys: Symche - The boy opens the door 
               to admit a short, neat man, MAJOREK.

                                     MAJOREK
                         Hello, Symche, Dolek, Mrs Zyskind, 
                         Jehuda. Working hard?

               He stops, seeing Szpilman.

                                     JEHUDA
                         Majorek, this is the greatest 
                         pianist in Poland, maybe in the 
                         whole world. Wladyslaw Szpilman. 
                         Meet Majorek.

                                     MAJOREK
                              (shakes Szpilman's 
                              hand)
                         I know your name. I've never heard 
                         you play.

                                     JEHUDA
                         Majorek used to be in the army. 
                         Brilliant man. He's got a mind 
                         like a searchlight. The only thing 
                         I've got against him is he's not a 
                         socialist.
                              (he looks out of 
                              the window.)
                         You'd better go now, Wladek. It's 
                         nearly curfew.
                              (he hands over 
                              pamphlets to 
                              Majorek.)
                         You see these, Wladek?  You know 
                         how many copies we print of our 
                         newspaper?

               Szpilman shrugs.

                                     JEHUDA
                         Five hundred. You know how many 
                         people on average read one copy?  
                         Twenty.  That makes ten thousand 
                         readers. These will start the 
                         uprising. Majorek hides them in 
                         his underpants. And leaves them in 
                         toilets.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Toilets?

                                     MAJOREK
                         As many toilets as I can find. 
                         Germans never go into Jewish 
                         toilets. They're too clean for 
                         them.

               Jehuda loves this too, but his laugh makes him cough 
               appallingly.

               INT. GHETTO APARTMENT - EVENING

               Summer. The windows are open and the sounds of the ghetto 
               can be heard in the background. The family sit round the 
               small table as Mother comes with a saucepan of soup and 
               starts to serve.

                                     MOTHER
                         And, please, tonight, for once, I 
                         don't want anything bad talked 
                         about. Let's enjoy our meal.

                                     HENRYK
                         Okay, then I'll tell you something 
                         funny. You know who I mean by Dr. 
                         Raszeja.

                                     REGINA
                         The surgeon?

                                     HENRYK
                         The surgeon. Well, for some reason, 
                         don't ask me why, the Germans 
                         allowed him into the ghetto to 
                         perform an operation...

                                     HALINA
                         On a Jew? They allowed a Pole to 
                         come in to operate on a Jew?

                                     HENRYK
                         He got a pass, that's all I know. 
                         Anyway, he puts the patient to 
                         sleep and starts the operation. 
                         He'd just made the first incision 
                         when the SS burst in, shoot the 
                         patient lying on the table, and 
                         then shoot Dr. Raszeja and everybody 
                         else who was there. Isn't that a 
                         laugh? The patient didn't feel a 
                         thing, he was anaesthetised -

               He laughs. No one else does.

                                     MOTHER
                         Henryk, I said nothing bad.

                                     HENRYK
                         What's the matter with you all? 
                         Have you lost your sense of humour?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         It's not funny.

                                     HENRYK
                         Well, you know what's funny? You're 
                         funny with that ridiculous tie.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What are you talking about, my 
                         tie? What's my tie got to do with 
                         anything? I need the tie for my 
                         work.

                                     MOTHER
                         Boys, boys...

                                     HENRYK
                         Your work, yes, playing the piano 
                         for all the parasites in the ghetto, 
                         they don't give a damn about 
                         people's sufferings, they don't 
                         even notice what's going on around 
                         them!

                                     FATHER
                         I blame the Americans.

               The others look at him.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         For what? For my tie?

                                     FATHER
                         American Jews, and there's lots of 
                         them, what have they done for us? 
                         What do they think they're doing? 
                         People here are dying, haven't got 
                         a bite to eat. The Jewish bankers 
                         over there should be persuading 
                         America to declare war on Germany!

               Suddenly, there's a roar of engines and a screech of brakes. 
               Slamming of doors. 

               The family rush to the windows.

               EXT./INT. BUILDING OPPOSITE AND GHETTO APARTMENT - NIGHT

               A Gestapo vehicle has entered the street and screeched to 
               a halt.  Helmeted, jackbooted SS MEN, led by an NCO, pour 
               out of the vehicle. 

               The Szpilmans gather at their open window to watch. Regina 
               turns off the lights before joining them. They are all 
               terrified. Their half-eaten meal still on the table behind 
               them.

               POV - from Szpilman apartment: the building opposite. 

               The SS men pouring into the building opposite. Sound of 
               the jackboots on stairs. Lights go on floor by floor. 

               In an apartment directly opposite, a businessman, his wife, 
               three young people and an old man in a wheelchair sit at 
               their dining table. The SS men burst in, machine pistols 
               at the ready. The family is frozen with horror, remain 
               seated.

               The NCO scans their faces.

                                     NCO
                              (in a towering rage)
                         Stand up!

               The family rise to their feet fast, except for the old man 
               in the wheelchair. The NCO bears down on him.

                                     NCO
                         Stand up!

               The old man in the wheelchair grips the arms of the chair 
               and tries desperately to stand. But he can't. Without 
               warning, the SS men seize the chair with the old man in 
               it, carry him out on to the balcony. 

               THE SZPILMANS:

               Mother SCREAMS, Father shrinks back, Halina comforts him 
               and Regina comforts Mother. 

               Szpilman's and Henryk 's POV - the apartment opposite: 

               The SS men throw the old man in his wheelchair over the 
               balcony. He seems to hang in the air for a second then 
               drops out of the chair and out of sight. But there's a 
               terrible thud as his body hits the pavement and a clatter 
               as the wheelchair follows him. 

               THE SZPILMANS:

               Mother sobbing. The others, still horrified.

                                     REGINA
                              (softly, to Mother)
                         Be quiet, Mama, for God's sake, be 
                         quiet!

               Then sound of shots, slamming doors, screams, shouts.

               Szpilman and Henryk hurry to another window so that they 
               can see what's going on.

               Their POV from second window building opposite and street:

               SS Men herding a couple of dozen prisoners from the building 
               opposite.

               People watching from the windows but trying not to be seen.

               The headlights of the SS vehicle are switched on and the 
               SS Men are forcing their prisoners to stand in the beam.

                                     A GERMAN VOICE
                         Run!  Run!

               The prisoners start to run.

               The SS men open fire with a machine gun mounted on the 
               vehicle. People in the building opposite begin to SCREAM.

               The prisoners are being shot down. They are lifted into 
               the air by the bullets, turn somersaults, fall dead.

               One man escapes by running back in the opposite direction, 
               out of the beam of light and is lost to sight for a moment.

               The escaping man, a silhouette, out of the light, runs 
               with all his strength, putting distance between himself 
               and the SS. He starts to scale a wall. He looks as though 
               he's getting away.

               But there's a floodlight on the SS vehicle. It flares into 
               light, swivels and finds the man. A volley of shots.

               The man drops from the wall, dead. The SS men get into the 
               vehicle and speed off, driving over the dead bodies. 

               THE SZPILMANS: 

               Szpilman and Henryk stare at the scene, silent, shocked. 
               The only sounds, the weeping of the people opposite and, 
               nearer, Mother crying softly.

               INT. CAFE NOWOCZESNA - DAY

               Szpilman, as if in another world, playing the piano. The 
               cafe is full of customers but the atmosphere is much more 
               subdued than previously, the mood is sombre.

               EXT.  CAFE NOWOCZESNA - DAY

               A doorman with a cudgel beats away the beggars from the 
               door as Halina, distraught and out of breath, runs to the 
               cafe entrance. The doorman lets her in.

               INT. CAFE NOWACZESNA - DAY

               Szpilman snaps out of his reverie, seeing, across the heads 
               of the customers, Halina, in a state of great anxiety, 
               beckoning urgently. 

               Szpilman quickly brings the piece to a close, stands, steps 
               off the platform, threads his way through to Halina. She's 
               shivering, almost unable to speak.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What's happened?

                                     HALINA
                              (almost incoherent)
                         Oh my God, it's terrible, you've 
                         got to do something, oh my God!

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (shaking her)
                         Calm down, what, what is it?

                                     HALINA
                         They're hunting people on the 
                         streets. They've picked up Henryk.

               EXT. STREETS - DAY

               Szpilman running. Streets crowded. Corpses. Szpilman, 
               sweating, dodges and sidesteps. Then, suddenly, a woman 
               bars his way. She's the Feather Woman, brightly rouged, 
               with her thickly painted eyebrows, the unsteady mauve 
               ostrich feather rising from her straw hat.

                                     THE FEATHER WOMAN
                         Excuse me, but have you seen my 
                         husband Izaak Szerman?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I'm afraid not.

               He tries to dodge past but she grabs his arm.

                                     THE FEATHER WOMAN
                         He's tall, he's handsome. He has a 
                         little grey beard. If you see him, 
                         please do write, Izaak Szerman's 
                         his name, don't forget.

               Szpilman manages to free himself and runs on.

               EXT. LABOUR BUREAU BUILDING - DAY

               A mob of men in front of the building being herded this 
               way and that by Jewish policemen. More and more captive 
               men are brought in by the German Schutzpolizei (Shupos).  
               The mob constantly swelling.

               Szpilman reaches the back of the crowd.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (to an elderly man 
                              nearest him)
                         What's happening?

                                     THE ELDERLY MAN
                         They've got my grandson in there. 
                         They pick 'em up, they take 'em 
                         away. What do they do to them? 
                         I've stopped believing in God!

               Szpilman scans the mob. The Jewish policemen using batons 
               and whips to herd the men. No sign of Henryk. Szpilman 
               becomes alert. He's seen someone he recognises. Heller, 
               with his red hair and Hitler moustache, wielding a baton, 
               driving men into the building. With difficulty, Szpilman 
               pushes his way through the mob and gets nearer to Heller.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (yelling)
                         Yitzchak!

               Heller doesn't hear.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Yitzchak!

               Heller glances round.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Here, please! Wladek Szpilman!

               Heller shoves someone aside so that Szpilman can approach, 
               but he continues to beat and manhandle people.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Henryk's in there.

                                     HELLER
                         I haven't seen him.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Believe me, they've picked him up.

                                     HELLER
                         Tough luck.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Can you help?

                                     HELLER
                         Oh, you need me now, yes, now you 
                         need me!

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Can you help us?

                                     HELLER
                         It costs.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I've no money.

                                     HELLER
                         Then there's nothing I can do. He 
                         should've joined us when I gave 
                         him the chance..

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Yitzchak, they told me you had 
                         influence.

                                     HELLER
                         Who told you?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         People I know. They said you're an 
                         important man.

               Heller just glares at Szpilman and then moves away. Szpilman 
               stands, jostled by the crowd, uncertain, forlorn.

               EXT. ALLEY AND LABOUR BUREAU, LATER - MID-AFTERNOON

               Szpilman, keeping to the shadows of the alleyway, watches 
               the front of the building. Comings and goings. German 
               Soldiers in evidence. The mob is smaller now.

               Szpilman waits and watches, and then a POOR WOMAN passes, 
               carrying a can wrapped in newspaper followed by a RAGGED 
               OLD MAN, dragging himself along. He's shivering with cold, 
               his shoes with holes show his purple feet.

               The ragged old man suddenly lunges forward and tries to 
               grab the can from the poor woman. They struggle desperately.

                                     POOR WOMAN
                              (screaming)
                         A snatcher! Help me, a snatcher!

               The can falls to the pavement and thick, steaming soup 
               pours into the dirty street. 

               Szpilman watches, rooted to the spot. The ragged old man 
               stares at the can, lets out a groan, more like a whimper, 
               and throws himself full length in the slush, licking the 
               soup up from the pavement. The poor woman starts to howl, 
               kicking the old man and tearing at her hair in despair. 

               Then:

                                     RUBINSTEIN'S VOICE
                         Boys, keep your peckers up! And 
                         girls, keep your legs crossed!

               RUBINSTEIN, a ragged, dishevelled little man, Chaplinesque, 
               waving a stick, hopping and jumping, approaches the Germans 
               outside the bureau.

                                     RUBINSTEIN
                         Don't let 'em get you down -

               He approaches a couple of Shupos.

                                     RUBINSTEIN
                         Bandits! Crooks!  Thieves!

               He waves his stick at them. They laugh. One of them bows 
               low.

                                     1ST SHUPO
                         Good day, Herr Rubinstein.

                                     RUBINSTEIN
                         If that means good day, I'm your 
                         man, you gangsters, robbers, 
                         pirates!

                                     2ND SHUPO
                              (tapping his head)
                         Mad!

                                     RUBINSTEIN
                         Ich bin meshuge, you bandit!

               Almost in tears with laughter, they give him a cigarette 
               and he goes on his way. 

               Szpilman almost smiles, then looks again at the building. 
               He waits.

               EXT. ALLEY AND LABOUR BUREAU, LATER - DUSK

               Sun just setting.

               From the shelter of the alleyway, Szpilman continues to 
               watch the entrance of the bureau. No mob any more, but 
               people come and go - jewish policemen, shupos, a few jews. 

               Almost continuous sounds of distant shots and screams. 

               Then, Heller appears at the entrance, looks this way and 
               that and goes back inside the building. Szpilman alert. 
               Again Heller appears in the entrance. He beckons someone 
               inside. Henryk shuffles out. Heller shoves him into the 
               street. Henryk stumbles, falls. 

               Szpilman runs to him, helps him to his feet.

                                     HENRYK
                              (immediately on the 
                              attack, furious)
                         You go to Heller, did I ask you to 
                         talk to him?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         You're out, aren't you?

               They start to walk.

                                     HENRYK
                         Did you beg, did you grovel to 
                         that piece of shit, that cockroach?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I didn't grovel, I asked him to 
                         help.

                                     HENRYK
                         What did you pay him?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Pay him? With what? With what could 
                         I pay him? Every zloty I earn we 
                         spend on food!

                                     HENRYK
                         I can look after myself!

                                     SZPILMAN
                         They were taking you away.

                                     HENRYK
                         It's nothing to do with you. It's 
                         me they wanted, not you. Why do 
                         you interfere in other people's 
                         business?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         You're mad, that's your trouble, 
                         you're mad.

                                     HENRYK
                         That's also my business.

               They walk on. 

               EXT. CHLODNA STREET BRIDGE - DUSK

               A wooden bridge has been constructed, linking the small 
               ghetto to the large ghetto. Few people about, mostly beggars 
               and children.

               Szpilman and Henryk climb the stairs of the bridge, but as 
               they reach the bridge itself Henryk stumbles, sinks to his 
               knees. Szpilman gets hold of him, tries to help him stand.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What's the matter? Are you sick?

                                     HENRYK
                         Hungry.

               EXT. CAFE NOWOCZESNA - NIGHT

               Szpilman supports Henryk, helps him towards the back of 
               the cafe.

               INT. KITCHEN, CAFE NOWOCZESNA - NIGHT

               Henryk, finishing a bowl of soup and a piece of bread, 
               sits at a worktop with Szpilman and Benek. The kitchen is 
               small and busy with cooks, waiters, washers-up.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What's that mean, no employment 
                         certificate?

                                     HENRYK
                         You have to have an employment 
                         certificate to work for one of the 
                         German firms in the ghetto, 
                         otherwise...

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Otherwise what?

                                     HENRYK
                         You'll be deported.

                                     BENEK
                         So the rumours were true...

                                     HENRYK
                         They're going to resettle us. Send 
                         us to labour camps. In the east. 
                         And they're closing the small 
                         ghetto.

               Silence.

               EXT. CHLODNA STREET - DAY

               A dense crowd of people crossing the bridge in both 
               directions.

               Szpilman, shabby and unshaven, hurries along and meets 
               Jehuda Zyskind coming towards him, accompanied by the small 
               man, Majorek.

                                     JEHUDA
                         Wladek!

               Szpilman stops.

                                     JEHUDA
                         I thought you'd be off on tour, 
                         playing London, Paris, New York?

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (trying to smile)
                         Not this week.

               They're buffeted by the crowd. In the street below them, 
               cars, trams, pedestrians and German guards.

                                     JEHUDA
                         I have to say you look terrible. 
                         What's the trouble?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         You've heard the rumours they're 
                         going to resettle us in the East?

                                     JEHUDA
                              (dismissing him)
                         Rumours, rumours, you take it all 
                         too much to heart, Wladek.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I've been trying to get a 
                         certificate of employment for my 
                         father. I've managed to get 
                         certificates for me and the rest 
                         of the family but I need one more 
                         for my father. I've been trying 
                         all the firms, the shops...

                                     JEHUDA
                         Why didn't you come to me?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I didn't know you were in the 
                         certificate business.

                                     JEHUDA
                         I'm not, but Majorek is.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (to Majorek)
                         Can you help? I've no money...

                                     JEHUDA
                         Please, don't insult us.
                              (to Majorek)
                         Can you do something for him?

                                     MAJOREK
                         Be at the Schultz Workshop, 
                         tomorrow, four o'clock.

                                     JEHUDA
                         You see what a wonderful piece of 
                         luck you've had today? That's die 
                         historical imperative in action 
                         and that's why I always say, look 
                         on...

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (joining with him)
                         ...the bright side, yes, I know.

               INT. OFFICE AND FLOOR, SCHULTZ FACTORY - DAY

               The name 'Samuel Szpilman' being written on a certificate. 
               The clatter of sewing machines.

               SCHULTZ, a fat, sweaty German is filling out the form at 
               his desk. Majorek beside him, standing, chatting to him 
               and having a quiet laugh. In the doorway, Szpilman and 
               Father.

               The small office is on an upper level with a window looking 
               down on the factory floor where Jewish men and women are 
               hard at work on sewing machines making the terrible clatter. 

               Schultz stamps the certificate, hands it to Majorek, who 
               gives it to Father.

                                     FATHER
                              (doffing his hat)
                         Thank you.

                                     SCHULTZ
                              (beaming, German 
                              accent)
                         My pleasure. It won't help you 
                         anyway.

               EXT. CHLODNA STREET BRIDGE - DAY

               A great mass of agitated people crossing only one way: 
               from the small ghetto to the large ghetto, carrying their 
               belongings. A German film crew records the scene. The 
               Szpilmans among the crowd, lugging suitcases and bundles, 
               Henryk with a few books, Father carrying his violin case. 
               They struggle across the bridge.

               EXT./INT. YARD AND WAREHOUSE - DAY

               A truck backing up. The tail-gate is opened to reveal a 
               huge load of furniture, linen, clothing, mirrors, carpets, 
               bedclothes. Three Jews inside the van start to unload the 
               stuff, dumping it in the yard.

               Other Jews stand ready to start sorting the load, among 
               them the Szpilman family. Shupos and Jewish policemen 
               supervise.

               Each has their allotted task: Szpilman and Henryk sort out 
               carpets, Father mirrors, Regina linen, Halina and Mother, 
               clothing.

               The sounds of trains not far off.  

               They carry the stuff into the warehouse.

               INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY

               Szpilman and the others bring their piles of things into 
               the warehouse, which is crammed with similar objects, an 
               Aladdin's cave.

               The activity continuous.

               INT. SLEEPING QUARTERS, ABOVE WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

               semi-darkness. A large room with an improvised partition 
               of blankets to separate the men from the women. Three-tiered 
               bunks.

               On the men's side, Father is on the upper bunk, Henryk on 
               the lower. Szpilman, stripping down to his underwear, is 
               preparing to climb into the middle bunk.

                                     FATHER
                         At least we've got work in the 
                         ghetto. At least we're still 
                         together.

               Szpilman nods, climbs into his bunk, settles down. Somewhere 
               near, the sound of a train.

               Then a volley of shots, German voices shouting.

               Szpilman slips off his bunk, hurries to the door, opens it 
               and comes face to face with a German NCO and soldiers.

                                     NCO
                         Out! Assemble in the yard!

                                     SZPILMAN
                         We're employed here, we've got 
                         certificates -

               The NCO cracks Szpilman across the face, turns and goes. 

               Szpilman retreats into the room, his nose bleeding. The 
               women are watching from behind the blankets, but Mother 
               hurries towards Szpilman. She wipes his nose.

               Shots, shouts, a scream.

               EXT. WAREHOUSE YARD - DAWN

               Still quite dark. The Szpilmans and about twenty others 
               lined up under lights shining on them from a couple of 
               German vehicles.

               The NCO goes along the line, making a selection, using his 
               pistol to prod people into moving. When he gets to the 
               Szpilmans he selects Henryk and Halina. Then, he turns to 
               those who are left:

                                     NCO
                         The rest of you get dressed then 
                         report back here. Bring your 
                         belongings. Fifteen kilos only.

                                     A YOUNG WOMAN
                         Where are you taking us?

               The NCO turns his pistol on the young woman and shoots her 
               through the head. He marches off while she lies on the 
               ground with blood spurting out of her.

               INT. SZPILMAN ROOMS, WAREHOUSE - DAWN

               The partition has been pulled aside. People, including the 
               Szpilmans, are dressing or dressed, packing up their 
               belongings.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I'm sorry, I did my best, I thought 
                         the certificates would save us 
                         all.

                                     MOTHER
                         Stop it, Wladek.

                                     REGINA
                         Let's just hope that Henryk and 
                         Halina will be better off -

               Sounds of shots, screams, shouts, a piercing whistle.

               EXT. STREET LEADING TO UMSCHLAGPLATZ - MORNING

               Hot, fine summer's day. Jews, among them Szpilman, Mother, 
               Regina and father, clutching their meagre belongings, walk 
               towards wooden gates and come to a halt. Jewish policemen 
               approach and order the people about, pushing and shoving 
               them into line.

                                     REGINA
                              (to a Jewish 
                              policeman)
                         Where will we be going?                                                     

                                     JEWISH POLICEMAN #1
                         You're going to work. You'll be 
                         much better off than in this 
                         stinking ghetto. The gates are

               The gates are opened. 

                                     JEWISH POLICEMAN #2
                         Move!

               They shuffle forward.

               EXT. UMSCHLAGPLATZ - DAY

               Szpilman, Mother, Regina and Father, with others, enter 
               through one of the gates, which closes on them. They pause 
               for a moment to take in their new surroundings. 

               The Szpilmans and their POV: 

               Their first sight of the large rectangle, walled on two 
               sides and overlooked by buildings. Several hundred people. 
               People walk up and down.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Let's sit over there.

               But he stops again, and so do the others. Something they 
               see causes them to stand stock still, expressionless.

               THE SZPILMANS' POV:

               An unoccupied space at the edge of the compound where 
               bloated, decaying bodies lie near to a wall. The wall itself 
               is spattered with blood. Large flies walk over the dead. 
               Nobody goes near.

               THE SZPILMANS:

               Szpilman turns away and leads the others to another space. 

               Later:

               Glaring sun. The Szpilmans have settled down on the kerb 
               of a pavement and are waiting. Szpilman stands, observing 
               the scene.

               Mother sits on a bundle of things, staring vacantly, her 
               hair hanging down in strands. Regina, beside her, has her 
               hands over her face and is weeping, the tears running 
               through her fingers.

               Father walks nervously up and down, hands behind his back, 
               four steps one way, four steps back. Near them, a YOUNG 
               WOMAN begins to wail.

                                     THE YOUNG WOMAN
                         Why did I do it? Why did I do it?

               A young man, beside her, whispers to her, but she does not 
               seem to take in what he's saying. Her cries continue at 
               intervals. 

                                     THE YOUNG WOMAN
                         Why did I do it? Why did I do it?

               The sound of trucks. Everyone looks towards the gates. 

               More Jews are being unloaded from trucks and are marched 
               through the gates. Mothers, children, old people, begging, 
               most of them holding papers. Pandemonium. 

               Later: 

               The sun high, blazing. Szpilman is wandering around, 
               occasionally greeting people. The place is crowded now, 
               packed. Trucks bring more and more Jews at intervals. 

               Old people lying down, exhausted, impossible to tell whether 
               some of them are alive or dead. Women carrying dehydrated 
               children drag themselves from group to group. One WOMAN 
               approaches Szpilman.

                                     WOMAN WITH CHILD
                         He's dying, don't you have a drop 
                         of water? My child's dying of 
                         thirst, he's dying, he's dying, I 
                         beg you!

               Szpilman shakes his head sadly. The woman with child wanders 
               off to another group.

                                     A MAN'S VOICE
                         I'm telling you, it's a disgrace.

               Szpilman turns to see a man, DR. EHRLICH, haranguing Father.

                                     FATHER
                         I can hear you.

               Szpilman goes to them.

                                     DR. EHRLICH
                              (overlapping)
                         We're letting them take us to our 
                         death like sheep to the slaughter!

                                     FATHER
                         Dr. Ehrlich, not so loud!

                                     DR. EHRLICH
                         Why don't we attack them? There's 
                         half a million of us, we could 
                         break out of the ghetto. At least 
                         we could die honourably, not as a 
                         stain on the face of history!

               Another man, Grun, joins in.

                                     GRUN
                         Why you so sure they're sending us 
                         to our death?

                                     DR. EHRLICH
                         I'm not sure. You know why I'm not 
                         sure? Because they didn't tell me. 
                         But I'm telling you they plan to 
                         wipe us all out!

                                     FATHER
                         Dr. Ehrlich, what do you want me 
                         to do? You want me to fight?

                                     GRUN
                         To fight you need organisation, 
                         plans, guns!

                                     FATHER
                         He's right. What d'you think I can 
                         do? Fight them with my violin bow?

                                     GRUN
                         The Germans would never squander a 
                         huge labour force like this. They're 
                         sending us to a labour camp.

                                     DR. EHRLICH
                         Oh, sure. Look at that cripple, 
                         look at those old people, the 
                         children, they're going to work? 
                         Look at Mr Szpilman here, he's 
                         going to carry iron girders on his 
                         back?

               A loud cry from Mother. Szpilman and Father spin round.

                                     MOTHER
                         Henryk!

                                     REGINA
                              (glancing up, shocked)
                         Oh my God!

               Near the gates, among a large bunch of new arrivals, Henryk 
               and Halina.

                                     MOTHER
                         Halina! Henryk!

               Regina and Szpilman also call and wave. Henryk and Halina 
               struggle through to them. Halina falls into Mother's arms 
               and they hug.

                                     HALINA
                         We heard you were here...we...didn't 
                         want...we...we wanted to be with 
                         you.

               Mother comforts her. And so does Regina. Father smiles 
               sadly.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (shakes his head, 
                              almost to himself, 
                              a forlorn smile)
                         Stupid, stupid!

                                     THE YOUNG WOMAN
                         Why did I do it? Why did I do it?

               Szpilman stands and stares at her. 

               Later: 

               The sun lower but the heat still intense.

               The place is now packed to suffocation. People calling out 
               names, trying to find each other. The wailing of women and 
               the cries of children.

               A cordon of Jewish policemen and SS guards are, almost 
               surreptitiously, ringing the compound.

               The Szpilmans sit in the same place, with Henryk sitting a 
               little apart and now reading a small book.

                                     THE YOUNG WOMAN
                         Why did I do it? Why did I do it?

                                     HALINA
                         She's getting on my nerves. What 
                         did she do, for God's sake?

               Grun leans across to her.

                                     GRUN
                              (quietly, to Halina)
                         She smothered her baby.

               Halina looks at him in disbelief.

                                     GRUN
                         They'd prepared a hiding place and 
                         so, of course, they went there. 
                         But the baby cried just as the 
                         police came. She smothered the 
                         cries with her hands. The baby 
                         died. A policeman heard the death 
                         rattle. He found where they were 
                         hiding.

               Later:

               Szpilman and Henryk.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What are you reading?

                                     HENRYK
                              (a crooked, ironic 
                              smile)
                         'If you prick us, do we not bleed? 
                         If you tickle us, do we not laugh? 
                         If you poison us, do we not die? 
                         And if you wrong us, shall we not 
                         revenge?'

               Szpilman takes the book and reads the title page: 
               THE MERCHANT OF VENICE BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Very appropriate.

                                     HENRYK
                              (taking the book 
                              back and resuming 
                              his reading)
                         Yes, that's why I brought it. 

               Later:

               The Szpilmans seated on the kerb. Their attention is caught 
               by a BOY who has a box of sweets on a string round his 
               neck. And he's setting the sweets, pocketing money.

                                     HENRYK
                         Idiot. What's he think he's going 
                         to do with the money?

               Father calls to the Sweet Boy and beckons him over.

                                     FATHER
                         How much for a caramel?

                                     THE SWEET BOY
                         Twenty zlotys.

                                     FATHER
                         What? For one caramel? What d'you 
                         think you're going to do with the 
                         money?

                                     THE SWEET BOY
                         Twenty zlotys.

                                     FATHER
                              (turning to the 
                              family)
                         Have we got twenty between us?

               They search their pockets and handbags, hand over to Father 
               what change they can find. He, in turn, hands the money to 
               the Sweet Boy, who hands over one caramel and goes on his 
               way.

               Father holds the caramel between thumb and forefinger and 
               examines it carefully. Then, carefully takes out his 
               penknife and with great care divides the caramel into six 
               pans. He hands a part to each of the family.

               They all exchange a look, an acknowledgement of each other, 
               almost like a toast, and then they chew, slowly, 
               deliberately.

               The whistle of a locomotive. Sound of trucks rattling over 
               the rails.

               At once, a sound of great agitation from the Jews in the 
               compound.

               EXT. RAILWAY SIDING - DAY

               The locomotive pulling cattle and goods trucks comes into 
               sight, rolling slowly towards the boundary of the 
               Umschlagplatz and coming to a halt.

               EXT. RAILWAY SIDING - DAY

               A cordon of Jewish policeman and SS guards. Among the great 
               throng of people, the Szpilmans trudge towards the train. 

               Szpilman and Halina walking.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Halina?

                                     HALINA
                         What?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Funny time to say this.

                                     HALINA
                         What?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         wish I knew you better.

                                     HALINA
                              (a smile)
                         Thanks.

               THE TRAIN:

               The Szpilmans near the train. The first trucks are already 
               full, the people inside pressed close together, SS men 
               pushing them with their rifle butts.

               People in the trucks cry out in desperation. 

               The Szpilmans are pushed along by SS men along the cordon 
               of Jewish policemen, past loaded trucks. 

               Then, suddenly:

                                     A VOICE
                         Szpilman! Szpilman!

               A Jewish policeman grabs Szpilman by his collar and pulls 
               him back out of the police cordon. It's Heller. The rest 
               of the family have reached the next truck to be filled. 

               A scuffle as Szpilman tries to resist. Another Jewish 
               policeman shoves him.

               Szpilman stumbles, falls to the ground, in front of him 
               the closed ranks of the Jewish policemen's backs.

               He stands, runs at the cordon, seeing between their heads, 
               shoulders, Mother, Regina, Henryk and Halina clambering 
               into the trucks. Father is looking around, bewildered.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (yelling)
                         Papa!

               Father sees him, takes a step towards him, but stops, 
               smiling helplessly. He raises his hand and waves, then 
               turns and goes towards the trucks.

               Again, Szpilman flings himself at the policemen's shoulders.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (desperate)
                         Papa! Mama! Halina!

               Heller turns on him.

                                     HELLER
                         What do you think you're doing, 
                         Szpilman? I've saved your life! 
                         Now, go on, save yourself!

               Szpilman stands for a moment, confused, terrified. Then he 
               turns and starts to run.

                                     HELLER
                         Don't run!

               Szpilman drops to walking pace, makes for the gates. Workers 
               are pushing carts piled with the bloated corpses that lay 
               against the wall. Szpilman falls in with them and they 
               pass through the gates.

               EXT. TRAIN - DAY

               The doors of the trucks are closed. The train begins to 
               move. Slow, laborious. From the trucks, the faint cries of 
               the occupants.

               EXT.  STREET BY THE SIDING - DAY

               Szpilman catches his breath by a building. An SS man and 
               Jewish policeman emerge. The Jewish policeman is servile, 
               crawling to the German. He points to the train -

                                     JEWISH POLICEMAN
                         Well, off they go for meltdown!

               They laugh as they walk away. Szpilman turns and stumbles 
               down the empty street. The cries from the trucks fading. 
               He begins to weep, loud, agonised sobs, and staggers on.

               EXT.  GHETTO STREET - EVENING

               Szpilman, lost, empty, aimless, tries to catch his breath 
               in the aftermath of his tears.

               He wanders forlornly down the street, passing empty 
               buildings with their doors open, windows smashed. Furniture, 
               torn mattresses and pillows lie scattered. Feathers fly. 
               Desolation.

               He turns a corner.

               EXT. COURTYARD, JEHUDA'S STREET - EVENING 

               Szpilman comes into the courtyard. He stops, his face blank.

               Lying outside the door, the bodies of Jehuda, Mrs. Zyskind, 
               their two sons and the toddler.  Szpilman steps across the 
               bodies.

               INT. JEHUDA ZYSKIND'S ROOM - EVENING

               Chaos. Papers, pamphlets strewn all over the place. The 
               mimeograph smashed.

               Szpilman enters, stands, surveying the devastation. 

               Distant sounds of shooting, shouts, cries. 

               He gathers up some papers in a pile, takes off his jacket 
               and covers the pile of papers, making a pillow. He lies 
               down on the floor.

               He stares into the darkness, expressionless, empty.

               EXT. STREET NEAR CAFE NOWOCZESNA - DAY

               Szpilman shuffles along, comes to the cafe. No sign of 
               life, but the door is wide open. He goes inside.

               INT. CAFE NOWOCZESNA - DAY

               A shambles. Szpilman wanders through the upturned tables, 
               broken chairs. Stops, looks about. Nothing.

               Distant shots, automatic fire.

               He turns and makes for the door. Then he hears an urgent 
               hiss. He turns sharply and tries to find the source of it. 
               He hears the hiss again.

               Now he sees, hiding under the platform, Benek, beckoning 
               to him. Szpilman hurries over and crawls on his back until 
               he's beside him. Benek replaces a plank and they are hidden 
               from view.

               INT. UNDER THE PLATFORM, GHETTO CAFE - DAY

               Thin slivers of light illuminate the two men on their backs 
               in the cramped space.

                                     BENEK
                              (looking at him, 
                              mystified)
                         Why are you here, Mr. Wladek?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         It's like this... I...we...all of 
                         them.

               He can't continue. Benek nods.

                                     BENEK
                         Perhaps they're lucky. The quicker 
                         the better.
                              (Brief pause.)
                         It isn't over yet. We'll stay here 
                         for a couple of days. Until things 
                         die down.
                              (Another pause)
                         I've bribed a policeman. He'll 
                         come when it's over.

               EXT.  GHETTO STREET - DAY

               In bright sun, Szpilman and Benek march in a column, four 
               abreast, under the command of two Jewish foremen, guarded 
               by two German policemen. They are being marched out of the 
               ghetto gates.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (to Benek)
                         My God. I haven't been outside for - 
                         it must be two years.

                                     FELLOW WORKER
                              (on the other side 
                              of him)
                         Don't get over-excited.

               EXT. ZELAZNA BRAMA SQUARE - DAY

               Street traders with baskets full of wares, fruit, 
               vegetables, fish, tins of preserves. Women bargain with 
               them, making purchases. Lively, colourful. Dealers in gold 
               and currency calling monotonously.

                                     DEALERS
                         Gold, buy gold! Dollars! Roubles!

               Later:

               Szpilman, on top of a free-standing scaffold, Benek and 
               the others demolishing a ghetto wall, wielding skdgehammers. 
               They work slowly. 

               A smartly dressed young couple are passing, but stop. 

               They stare. The young woman is extremely attractive and 
               knows it. The foremen, workers and the German policemen 
               ogle her.

                                     THE YOUNG WOMAN
                         Look - oh, do look!

               Her young man is puzzled; she points.

                                     THE YOUNG WOMAN
                         Jews!

                                     THE YOUNG MAN
                         Can't be the first time you've 
                         ever seen Jews.

               Embarrassed, she giggles and they go. Szpilman, Benek and 
               the others continue to work.

               The foremen sit, sunning themselves, and the German 
               policemen stand, deep in conversation, ignoring the workers. 

               Szpilman suddenly stops work. He has seen something in the 
               square that alerts him.

               At the furthest stall, he sees a woman, attractive, chic, 
               in her thirties, buying vegetables at a stall.  Her name 
               is JANINA GODLEWSKA.

               Surreptitiously, Szpilman raises a hand, trying to catch 
               her attention. But he's frightened of alerting the German 
               policemen and the foremen. Benek has noticed.

                                     BENEK
                         Someone you know?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Yes.

               Again Szpilman tries, but Janina, her profile to him, 
               doesn't see.

                                     BENEK
                         A beauty. Who is she?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         A singer. Her husband's an actor. 
                         I knew them well. Good people. I'd 
                         like to talk to her.

                                     BENEK
                              (playful)
                         Don't forget, Mr. Wladek, they 
                         hang them for helping Jews.

               He goes back to work.

               The German policemen wander over to one of the stalls to 
               buy fruit. The moment they do so two Jewish workers scamper 
               across to another stall to buy bread.

               Szpilman glances across the square: Janina is still at the 
               stall.

               He comes to a decision. He jumps down, is about to dash 
               towards Janina, but stops dead.

               Janina is no longer there.

               EXT. GHETTO STREET - DAY

               As before, Szpilman and Benek march towards the ghetto 
               gates in the demolition column, four abreast, under the 
               command of the Jewish foremen and guarded by the two German 
               policemen.

               Suddenly:

                                     YOUNG SS MAN
                         Halt!

               The column halts before a young SS man, wild-eyed, with 
               his sleeves rolled up and wielding a pistol. He talks 
               excitedly to the policemen then turns, walks along the 
               column dividing them up: some men to the right, others, 
               seven of them, to the left. Benek he orders to the left, 
               Szpilman to the right. 

               Young SS man turns to those on the left.

                                     YOUNG SS MAN
                         Lie down!

               Terrified, they obey. He stands over them and, one by one, 
               shoots them. When he comes to Benek, the seventh man, his 
               pistol runs out of ammunition. He changes the clip, shoots 
               Benek and marches off.

               EXT. BUILDING SITE, OUTSIDE GHETTO - DAY

               Szpilman, bent almost double, carries a hod on his back 
               piled with bricks. He is mounting a wooden ramp that runs 
               up beside scaffolding on a small building site where an 
               extra floor is being added to a house. There are Polish 
               workers, too, who don't, of course, wear armbands as the 
               Jews do. There's a wooden hut serving as a store on the 
               site.

               Halfway up the ramp, Szpilman hears someone whistle. He 
               stops, turns to see, at the bottom of the ramp, Majorek, 
               smiling and giving a discreet wave.

               Later: 

               Szpilman and Majorek sip gruel out of mugs. They sit apart 
               from the others who are also taking a break.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         How long have you been here?

                                     MAJOREK
                         Since last night. I was pleased to 
                         see you.

               Brief silence.

                                     MAJOREK
                         They're going to start the final 
                         resettlement now. We know what it 
                         means. We sent someone out. Zygmunt. 
                         A good man. His orders were to 
                         follow the trains out of Warsaw. 
                         He got to Sokolow. A local 
                         railwayman told him the tracks are 
                         divided, one branch leading to 
                         Treblinka. He said every day freight 
                         trains carrying people from Warsaw 
                         forked to Treblinka and returned 
                         empty. No transports of food are 
                         ever seen on that line. And 
                         civilians are forbidden to approach 
                         the Treblinka station. They're 
                         exterminating us. Won't take them 
                         long. We're sixty thousand left. 
                         Out of half a million. Mostly young 
                         people. And this time we're going 
                         to fight. We're in good shape. 
                         We're organised. We're prepared.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         If you need help...

               Whistle blows.

               A little later: 

               Szpilman again mounting the ramp with a hod full of bricks 
               on his back. The noise of airplanes overhead.

               EXT. SKY - DAY

               A swarm of Russian bombers. Anti-aircraft fire. Puffs of 
               exploding shells.

               EXT. BUILDING SITE - DAY

               The workers look up. So does Szpilman and, as he does so, 
               the bricks slide off his hod, crashing to the ground below.

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                         You!

               An SS man, ZICK-ZACK (his nickname), with a whip, approaches 
               Szpilman.

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                         Here!

               Szpilman goes to him. Enraged, Zick-Zack grabs him by the 
               hair and presses his head hard between his thighs and then 
               beats him mercilessly.

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                              (with every stroke, 
                              hissing through 
                              clenched teeth)
                         Und-zick! Und-zack! Und-zick! Und-
                         zack!

               After a dozen or so strokes, Szpilman falls forward and 
               lies in the dirt. Zick-Zack nods, satisfied.

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                         Get him away from here.

               Two Poles, without armbands, one of them Bartczak, drag 
               him away.

               Bartczak and the other man help Szpilman to his feet.

                                     BARTCZAK
                         Hope you played the piano better 
                         than you carry bricks.

                                     POLISH WORKMAN
                         He won't last long if he goes on 
                         like this.

                                     BARTCZAK
                         I'll see if I can get him something 
                         better.

               INT./EXT. STORES AND BUILDING SITE - DAY

               Winter. Rain. Cold. The store, a wooden hut, contains wood, 
               nails, tools, paint, metal brackets.

               Szpilman sits at a table, where a line of workers has 
               formed. Szpilman makes a record in a ledger of the tools 
               each worker takes out on the site.

               A worker puts his head into the store.

                                     WORKER
                              (hissing)
                         Trouble.

                                     A GERMAN VOICE
                         Assemble! Fall in! Only the Jews! 
                         Poles go on working! Only the Jews! 
                         Poles go on working!

               The Jewish workers start to assemble on the site in 
               haphazard ranks as an SS Captain strides in.

               The SS Captain, with much jollity and jokes, hops up on to 
               scaffolding and stands, beaming broadly, surveying the 
               workers.

                                     SS CAPTAIN
                              (in English)
                         I have important and good news for 
                         you. There are rumours circulating 
                         that resettlement measures are 
                         again going to be taken.

               A glance between Szpilman and Majorek.

                                     SS CAPTAIN
                              (in English)
                         I want to assure you personally 
                         that no such measures will be taken 
                         now or in the future. Posters will 
                         be going up also to this effect. 
                         As proof of our good will, we want 
                         you to select a delegate, who will 
                         be permitted to go into town once 
                         a day to buy, on each worker's 
                         behalf, five kilos of potatoes and 
                         one loaf of bread, which you will 
                         be allowed to take back into the 
                         ghetto. Now, why would we do that 
                         j if we meant to resettle you?

               He beams; no reaction from the workers.

                                     SS CAPTAIN
                              (in English)
                         You can do good business on what 
                         you don't eat. Isn't that what you 
                         Jews are best at? Making 'geld'?

               Rubs thumb and forefinger and leers; still no reaction; 
               his smile vanishes.

                                     SS CAPTAIN
                              (in English)
                         Carry on.

               EXT. BUILDING SITE - DAY

               Snow. Majorek pulls a barrow by a rope attached to its 
               shaft across the site. On the barrow, five sacks. The Jewish 
               workers are phased to see him.

               Majorek pulls the barrow to where Szpilman waits.

                                     MAJOREK
                              (under his breath)
                         The smaller one. At the bottom.

               Szpilman nods and starts unloading the sacks as Majorek 
               moves away.

               INT.  STORES - DAY

               Szpilman has unpacked the sacks and laid them in the corner. 
               He kneels before the smallest of the sacks and unties the 
               string around its neck.

               He puts his hand inside the sack and potatoes tumble out. 
               He reaches to the bottom and is still as his hand finds 
               something. Carefully, he removes a pistol, then another, 
               both wrapped in oil cloths. He hides them under his jacket.

               INT./EXT.  STORES AND BUILDING SITE - NIGHT

               Szpilman and a Jewish worker distribute the potatoes to 
               the other Jewish workers lined up with empty containers of 
               various kinds. There are scales on the table, and they 
               weigh out five kilos of potatoes, pour them into the men's 
               containers and drop in a loaf of bread.

               EXT. STREET LEADING TO GHETTO - NIGHT

               The Jewish workers, all carrying their parcels of potatoes 
               and bread, march back towards the ghetto gates escorted by 
               two Polish policemen. Szpilman walks beside them. Ahead of 
               him, Majorek near the front of the column.

               As the column nears the ghetto gates, Majorek tosses his 
               package over the wall and when Szpilman reaches the same 
               spot, he throws a similar package. The column marches on.

               INT. JEWISH BARRACKS - NIGHT

               A small room with several three-tiered bunk beds. The sound 
               of men's heavy breathing and snoring.

               Szpilman lies awake, staring at the ceiling. He reaches 
               inside his jacket, finds a scrap of paper and a pencil, 
               writes something.

               He slips off his bunk and crosses to another set of bunks, 
               crouches down at the bottom one, where Majorek sleeps.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (whispered)
                         Majorek!

               Majorek is instantly awake.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Have a favour to ask. I want to 
                         get out of here.

                                     MAJOREK
                         It's easy to get out, it's how you 
                         survive on the other side that's 
                         hard.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I know. But last summer, I worked 
                         for a day in Zelazna Brama Square. 
                         I saw someone I knew. A singer. 
                         Her husband's an actor. They're 
                         old friends. (
                              (He holds out the "   
                              piece of paper.)
                         I've written their names down. And 
                         their address. If they're still 
                         there. Janina Godlewska and Andrzej 
                         Bogucki. Good people. Majorek, you 
                         go into the town every day. Would 
                         you try and make contact? Ask them 
                         if they'd help me get out of here?

               Majorek takes the paper but says nothing. He turns over 
               and goes back to sleep. Szpilman returns to his bunk.

               INT. STORES - DAY

               Szpilman has unloaded the sacks of potatoes into the corner 
               and is kneeling, about to untie the string on the smallest 
               sack. A sound alerts him. He looks round.

               An SS Lieutenant has entered the stores, sucking his finger, 
               which is bleeding.

                                     SS LIEUTENANT
                         Any fucking plaster?

               Szpilman immediately hurries to a cupboard, finds a First 
               Aid tin, removes a plaster and gives it to the SS 
               Lieutenant.

                                     SS LIEUTENANT'S VOICE
                              (while he applies 
                              the plaster to his 
                              finger)
                         What were you up to?

                Nothing from Szpilman.

                                     SS LIEUTENANT'S VOICE
                         What the fuck are those?

               He indicates the sacks with his chin.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (in German)
                         We're allowed to take food into 
                         the ghetto. Five kilos of potatoes 
                         and a...

               The SS Lieutenant walks over to the sacks and kicks the 
               smallest one.

                                     SS LIEUTENANT
                         Open it.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         It's only potatoes and bread.

                                     SS LIEUTENANT
                         Fuck that, you're lying, I can 
                         smell it. Open it.

               Szpilman tries to untie the string, but he's too terrified 
               and can't manage it. The SS Lieutenant shoves him out of 
               the way, then takes from his belt a dagger and cuts the 
               string.

               The SS Lieutenant reaches in and withdraws a handful of 
               long yellow beans. He glowers at Szpilman, reaches in again, 
               produces a handful of oatmeal.

                                     SS LIEUTENANT
                         You're all the same. Give a Jew a 
                         little finger, he takes the whole 
                         hand.

               He throws the oatmeal in Szpilman's face.

                                     SS LIEUTENANT
                         You lie to me again and I'll shoot 
                         you personally.

               He kicks Szpilman viciously and marches away. Szpilman 
               catches his breath, then quickly reaches into the bottom 
               of the sack and finds a pistol and ammunition. He hides 
               them under his clothes.

               EXT. STREET LEADING TO GHETTO - NIGHT

               Freezing cold. The Jewish workers, with their bundles of 
               potatoes and bread, march back towards the ghetto gates 
               escorted by the two Polish policemen. In the column, 
               Szpilman, near the policeman with the moustache, and a 
               little behind them, Majorek. Distant sounds of gunfire. 

               Majorek falls in beside Szpilman.

                                     MAJOREK
                         I tried your friends. They're not 
                         at that address any more.  But.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         You made contact? 

                                     MAJOREK
                         Be ready to leave in two days' 
                         time. Same place as last night.

               Sudden, frantic cries from the head of the column, which 
               comes to a stop.

               Two SS men, blind drunk, drinking vodka from bottles, are 
               lashing the column with whips. One of them is Zikk-Zack, .

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Oh, shit!

               As the SS men advance on Szpilman and Majorek's section, 
               Majorek slips back to his place in the column. Szpilman 
               hides his package inside his coat.

               Zick-Zack lashes out at the workers blindly.

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                         Und-zick! Und-zack!

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

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                              (shouting")
                         I'll soon teach you discipline! 
                         Jew pigs!

               He is staring directly at Szpilman with glassy eyes. 
               Szpilman is terrified, trying as surreptitiously as possible 
               to cover his hidden package with his hands. A moment of 
               danger. Zick-Zack grabs Szpilman by the cottar.

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                         Know why we beat you?

               No response; shaking him.

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                         Know why we beat you?

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (tentatively, in 
                              German)
                         No. Why?

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                         To celebrate New Year's Eve!

               He and his comrade find this hilarious; recovering from 
               his laughter.

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                         Now, march! Go on, march!

               The column starts to march. ....

                                     ZICK-ZACK
                         And sing!
                              (he belches.)
                         Sing something cheerful!
                              (laughs.)
                         And sing it good and loud!

               A brief silence, then from the back, a solo voice starts 
               to sing, 'Children of Warsaw will go to fight!' 

               Szpilman glances back, sees that it's Majorek singing. 
               Szpilman smiles, Majorek nods. Szpilman joins in. Now, so 
               do the others.

               They march on, singing lustily. 

                                     ALL WORKERS
                              (singing)
                         Hey, ranks unite 
                         And follow the White Eagle! 
                         Stand up and fight 
                         Our mortal enemy.
                         Riflemen, hey!
                         Let's give them fire and brimstone.
                         We'll blow away 
                         The yoke of slavery.
                         Punish and rout 
                         The rapists of our nation.
                         We'll smash the knout 
                         To save our dignity.
                         Soon we'll be proud
                         Of our liberation - 
                         
                         Hey, take your sights! 
                         Aim sharply at the heart. 
                         Hey, load! Hey, shoot! 
                         Hey, load! Hey, shoot!  
                         Give 'em a bloody start! 
                         Hey, load! Hey, shoot! 
                         Aim sharply at the heart.

               The column reaches the lamp posts near the ghetto gates. 
               Szpilman his package over the wall. So does Majorek.

               INT./EXT. STORES AND BUILDING SITE - EVENING

               The Jewish workers lined up to get their potatoes and bread. 
               Szpilman and two others weigh the potatoes.

                                     GERMAN VOICES
                         Get on with it and fall in! Fall 
                         in!

               Calmly, Szpilman leaves the table with the scales, walks 
               past Majorek and the others, who, having got their potatoes, 
               are assembling in a column, preparing to march back into 
               the ghetto. The Polish workers have packed up their tools 
               and are talking among themselves, also about to leave the 
               site but in a casual way.

               The SS guards shout orders for the Jewish column to move 
               off. Szpilman seems as if he's going to join them, but at 
               the last moment turns and falls in with the Polish workers, 
               beside Barczak, who just glances at him then moves so that 
               Szpilman is in the middle of the group.

               Szpilman slips off his armband, stuffs it into his pocket. 

               The group walk into the darkness.

               EXT. WISNIOWA STREET - NIGHT

               Dimly lit. Empty street. Szpilman walks fast to the corner, 
               stops, looks round anxiously. Nothing. He takes the armband 
               from his pocket and drops it through the grating of a drain 
               in the gutter just as there's movement in a darkened 
               doorway. Szpilman tenses.

               Then, out of the darkness of the doorway, a woman: JANINA 
               GODLEWSKA.

               She turns and starts to walk quickly. Szpilman, putting 
               the collar of his coat up, follows, keeping pace. A 
               pedestrian walks past in the opposite direction but pays 
               them no attention.

               Janina and Szpilman walk on.

               EXT. BOGUCKI BUILDING - NIGHT

               Janina comes to the front door, opens it with a key, goes 
               in. Szpilman, a little distance behind, catches up and 
               follows her inside.

               INT. HALL, STAIRS AND 3RD FLOOR, BOGUCKI BUILDING - NIGHT

               Janina waits as Szpilman closes the front door, then starts 
               up the stairs. Szpilman follows. She stops, turns to him, 
               smiles, kisses him on the cheek, then continues up the 
               stairs.

               INT. BOGUCKI APARTMENT - NIGHT

               ANDRZEJ BOGUCKI, a handsome man, fortyish, tries to conceal 
               his sense of shock at seeing Szpilman He holds out his 
               hand and Szpilman shakes it.

               Szpilman looks around the nicely furnished, large apartment. 
               He looks at Bogucki and Janina. Tears well up in his eyes. 
               He fights it hard, not to cry. So does Janina.

                                     BOGUCKI
                         We haven't much time.

               INT. SMALL BATHROOM, BOGUCKI APARTMENT - NIGHT

               Szpilman lies in a steaming bath, eyes closed, as though 
               he's in a trance.

               A gentle knock on the door and Bogucki slips in with some 
               clothes. He gazes at Szpilman, whose eyes remain closed.

                                     BOGUCKI
                         You must hurry.

               Bogucki holds up a towel. Szpilman lifts himself out of 
               the bath and dries himself.

                                     BOGUCKI
                         We're going to have to keep moving 
                         you. The Germans are hunting down 
                         indiscriminately now. Jews, non-
                         Jews, anybody, everybody.
                              (handing him the 
                              clothes')
                         See if these fit. And, Wladek, 
                         you'd better shave. Use my razor. 
                         In the cabinet.

               INT. LIVING ROOM, BOGUCKI APARTMENT - LATER

               The ceramic stove. Szpilman's ghetto clothes, torn into 
               strips, are being stuffed into it and burned. Janina shoves 
               the strips of clothes into the stove. Szpilman, now wearing 
               Bogucki's suit and clean-shaven, watches the clothes burn 
               while he spoons hot soup into his mouth.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Thank you, I don't.

                                     BOGUCKI
                         You'll be looked after by Mr 
                         Gebczynski. He's on the other side 
                         of town. You'll stay there tonight. 
                         Then we'll find you somewhere else.

               Janina adds the last strip of clothing.

                                     JANINA
                         I'll bring you food.

                                     BOGUCKI
                         Let's go.

               EXT. WARSAW STREETS - NIGHT

               A rickshaw carrying Szpilman and Bogucki travels along the 
               dark streets.

               EXT. GEBCZYNSKI'S STORE - NIGHT

               The rickshaw comes to a halt outside a store. The moment 
               it stops the shutters of the store are raised and Bogucki 
               escorts Szpilman to the door, then quickly returns to the 
               rickshaw, which moves off fast.

               INT. GEBCZYNSKI'S STORE - NIGHT

               GEBCZNYSKI shakes hands with Szpilman, ushers him in and 
               then pulls down the shutter.

               Gebczynski's store is for sanitary furnishings and supplies: 
               lavatories, basins, baths, taps etc.

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         I'll show you where you're going 
                         to sleep.

               He leads the way and as he goes he picks up a cushion from 
               a chair and a blanket. Szpilman follows.

               STAIRS TO BASEMENT:

               Gebczynski leads Szpilman down the stairs.

               BASEMENT STORE ROOM:

               Dark, shadowy. Shelves with taps, washers, pipes. Gebczynski 
               leads the may to a particular set of shelves. He puts aside 
               the cushion and blanket, then starts to push at the shelves. 
               Szpilman, although puzzled, helps. Slowly, the shelves 
               move to reveal a secret compartment.

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         It's not going to be very 
                         comfortable.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I'll be fine.

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         You'll have to stay here until 
                         tomorrow afternoon.

               He helps Szpilman into the compartment.

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         We've got a flat for you. Near the 
                         ghetto wall. But it's safe.

               He hands over the cushion and the blanket to Szpilman; 
               then, putting his back to the shelves and his feet against 
               the wall, he pushes the shelves back into place so that 
               Szpilman is now hidden.

               INT. SECRET COMPARTMENT - NIGHT

               In the cramped space, Szpilman is not quite able to stretch 
               full out. With difficulty, he puts the cushion behind his 
               head, starts to cover himself with the blanket but stops, 
               seeing something.  

               In niches, neatly stacked: rifles, pistols, grenades, 
               ammunition

               Szpilman stares, expressionless.

               EXT. TRAM STOP, WARSAW STREET - AFTERNOON

               Szpilman and Gebczynski wait with others at the stop as 
               the tram trundles towards them and comes to a halt.

               As they board:

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                              (quietly, to Szpilman)
                         Go as near to the front as possible, 
                         to the German section.

               INT. TRAM (TRAVELLING) - AFTERNOON

               Gebczynski and Szpilman apprehensive, push through the 
               rear section, packed with Poles, seated and standing, until 
               they reach a chain and a sign:

                                     GERMANS ONLY

               In the German section, only three or four passengers. Some 
               read newspapers, others stare into space or out of the 
               windows, but never looking at the Poles.

               Szpilman tries to appear as inconspicuous as possible. The 
               tram rumbles on its way.

               INT. 1ST APARTMENT, 4TH FLOOR LANDING AND DOOR - AFTERNOON

               Gebczynski and Szpilman come up the stairs to the landing 
               and to a door. Gebczynski unlocks the door and they go in.

               INT./EXT. 1ST APARTMENT, 4TH FLOOR, AND GHETTO - AFTERNOON

               A charmingly furnished bed-sitting room with a comfortable 
               divan. Gebczynski leads the way in. Szpilman glances around, 
               goes to the window, looks out.

               SZPILMAN'S POV: 

               He can see a section of ghetto wall below. Beyond it, inside 
               the ghetto, a narrow street leading to deserted buildings. 
               Gebczynski comes up behind him.

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         Must feel better this side of the 
                         wall.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Yes, but sometimes I'm still not 
                         sure which side of the wall I'm 
                         on.

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         Here.

               He leads Szpilman to the small kitchen.

               Gebczynski opens a cupboard to reveal potatoes, bread.

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         I'll come again. And Janina Bogucki 
                         will visit twice a week. Bring 
                         more food. See how you are.

               He closes the cupboard.

               THE MAIN ROOM.

               Gebczynski makes for the front door, stops.

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         Yes, now, this is very important. 
                         In case of emergency, I mean 
                         emergency, go to this address.

               He hands over a scrap of paper, shakes Szpilman's hand and 
               goes quickly.

               Alone, Szpilman stands, lost for a moment. Then, he takes 
               off his shoe and stuffs the scrap of paper into it. While 
               he does so, his eyes light on the divan bed.

               He goes to it, slips off his other shoe and lies down, 
               testing the divan's springiness with his whole body.

               He smiles beatifically. He shuts his eyes and is instantly 
               asleep.

               INT./EXT. 1ST APARTMENT - DAY

               Szpilman still fast asleep. Voices wake him. He opens his 
               eyes. He's not certain where he is for a moment. 

               He hears the voices again, coming from the adjoining flat.

               Intrigued, he rises, goes closer to the watt, puts his ear 
               against it, listens. After a brief silence:

                                     KITTEN'S VOICE
                              (angry)
                         Puppydog, what d'you mean, you 
                         forgot?

                                     PUPPYDOG'S VOICE
                         What d'you think I mean, Kitten? I 
                         forgot, that's what I mean.

                                     KITTEN'S VOICE
                         You know what? You treat me like 
                         dirt!

                                     PUPPYDOG'S VOICE
                         I treat you like dirt because you 
                         are dirt.

                                     KITTEN'S VOICE
                         Pig!

                                     PUPPYDOG'S VOICE
                         Cow!

                                     KITTEN'S VOICE
                         Pig!

                                     PUPPYDOG'S VOICE
                         Bitch!

                                     KITTEN'S VOICE
                         Dirty pig!

                                     PUPPYDOG'S VOICE
                         You're a dirty pig!

                                     KITTEN'S VOICE
                         Takes one to know one! Pig!

               Silence.  Szpilman is enjoying himself. 

               Then the sound of a piano being played with great feeling 
               but a lot of wrong notes.

                                     PUPPYDOG'S VOICE
                         You play like an angel, Kitten.

               The piano continues for a moment, but suddenly stops:

                                     KITTEN'S VOICE
                         If I play like an angel, why don't 
                         you listen?

                                     PUPPYDOG'S VOICE
                         I was listening, Kitten.

                                     KITTEN'S VOICE
                         Liar, you fell asleep. Pig!

               A door slams.

                                     PUPPYDOG'S VOICE
                              (wheedling)
                         Kitten, let me in.

               Silence.  Szpilman smiles but then hears the sound of rifle 
               shots and a huge explosion. 

               He crosses quickly to the window, looks out.  

               SZPILMAN'S POV - THE GHETTO.

               Deserted. Stillness. Silence. From the ghetto smoke drifting 
               slowly.

               INT./EXT.  1ST APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING

               Szpilman asleep on the divan. The roar of motor car and 
               motorcycle engines. Sporadic firing. 

               He wakes, rushes to the window.

               SZPILMAN'S POV:

               A German personnel carrier, an open car carrying officers, 
               and a motorcycle and sidecar roar down the narrow street 
               below towards the buildings at the far end. German soldiers 
               follow behind on the trot, pulling a field gun.

               Unseen marksmen fire down on the Germans from the buildings. 
               As the German soldiers dismount from their vehicles one of 
               them is hit and falls. The others rush for cover.

               EXT. INSIDE THE GHETTO - MINUTES LATER - EARLY MORNING

               The German Commander and two officers alight from the car 
               and take cover.

               The Commander orders the field gun to be trained on the 
               buildings. Spasmodic firing continues. 

               He gives the order to fire.

               The gun roars. The shell tears into the building. At once 
               the German soldiers open fire with their rifles and lob 
               grenades into the building. The gun fires again. 

               The building begins to burn. Flames and smoke.

               German soldiers with flame-throwers advance carefully then 
               unleash their fire into doorways and windows, and quickly 
               retreat.

               At ground level, Jewish fighters try to fight their way 
               out and are mowed down.

               The fire spreads quickly through the building. Smoke begins 
               to pour from the upper floors.

               The Germans, less cautious now, stand and watch.

               A woman struggles out on to her narrow third-floor balcony. 
               She climbs over, holds on to the wrought-iron railings and 
               hangs on for dear life. Shots ring out and she drops like 
               a stone. 

               From inside the building, screams and shouts.

               From another upper window, a man in flames jumps and falls 
               to his death on the pavement below.

               The Germans have stopped firing. They stand, spectators, 
               watching the building burn.

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

               Szpilman at the window, watching, his mood downcast. 

               The noise of a key in the door.

               He turns to see the door of the flat open. Janina enters 
               with a parcel of food. She kisses Szpilman on the cheek.

                                     JANINA
                         wanted to come earlier but...

               She hands him the parcel.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Thank you.

               He goes into the small kitchen and unpacks the contents 
               while Janina gazes out of the window.

                                     JANINA
                         No one thought they'd hold out so 
                         long.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         should never have come out. I 
                         should've stayed there, fought 
                         with them.

                                     JANINA
                              (turning to him)
                         Wladek, stop that. It's over now. 
                         Just be proud it happened. My God, 
                         did they put up a fight.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Yes, so did the Germans.

                                     JANINA
                         They're in shock. They didn't expect 
                         it. Nobody expected it. Jews 
                         fighting back? Who'd have thought?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Yes, but what good did it do?

                                     JANINA
                              (passionate)
                         What good? Wladek, I'm surprised 
                         at you. They died with  dignity, 
                         that's what good it did. And you 
                         know something else?  Now the Poles 
                         will rise. We're ready. We'll fight, 
                         too. You'll see.

               she turns to look again out of the window.

               EXT. INSIDE THE GHETTO - EVENING

               The building burning. Corpses lie scattered on the pavement. 
               The Germans stand about chatting and laughing. 

               A handful of Jewish fighters are lined up and shot. 

               Satisfied, the Commander returns to his car. Another officer 
               confers with him before the engine starts up and he is 
               driven away. The building burns.

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

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

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

               Autumn leaves falling and gusting in the wind. Szpilman 
               gazes out.

               EXT./INT.  1ST APARTMENT - DAY

               Snow. Ice on the windows. 

               The sound of the key in the door. 

               Szpilman turns as the door opens and Gebczynski enters, 
               distraught. Whispered, at speed:

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         Get your things together, you have 
                         to leave!

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What's happened?

               Gebczynski takes out a cigarette and lights it. While he 
               does so:

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         I'm on the run!

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What's happened?

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         The Gestapo found our weapons. 
                         They've arrested Janina and Andrzej. 
                         They're bound to find out about 
                         this place, too - you must get 
                         away at once.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Where do you want me to go?  Look 
                         at me. No, no, I'm not leaving. 
                         Can't I take my chances here?

                                     GEBCZYNSKI
                         That's your decision.
                              (Stubs out cigarette.)
                         But when they storm the flat, throw 
                         yourself out of die window - don't 
                         let them get you alive. I have 
                         poison on me, they won't get me 
                         alive either!

               And he goes. Szpilman listens to his footsteps clattering 
               down the stairs.

               He sees the cigarette stub, takes it, lights it, coughs, 
               smokes awkwardly. 

               Later: 

               Szpilman hears a car engine and the screech of brakes. He 
               tenses. German voices shouting and their heavy footsteps 
               on the stairs.

               He goes to the window, opens it. He gets a chair, places 
               it sideways in front of the window to make a step. He's 
               working out how best to throw himself out.

               He leans against the wall near the door and waits.. 

               Slamming of doors, German shouts, a scream.

               Szpilman steels himself, ready to jump.

               Again footsteps on the stairs, but this time descending. A 
               door slams.

               He cautiously goes to the window and looks out. 

               INT./EXT. 1ST APARTMENT - DAY

               SZPILMAN'S POV - THE STREET. 

               In the street below, he sees SS men escorting two prisoners 
               and shoving into a car. The car speeds off. The street is 
               empty.

               INT.  1ST APARTMENT - DUSK

               Snow. Howling wind.

               Szpilman lies on the divan. He is cold, unshaven, hair 
               filthy and long. He manages to rise.

               THE SMALL KITCHEN. 

               A mess. Szpilman goes into the kitchen. From a bread tin 
               he takes a small, flat greaseproof paper parcel and unwraps 
               it. A slice of bread, stale and mouldy. He tries to bite 
               it but can't. He finds a knife and tries to chop a piece 
               off the bread but knocks the bread tin, which falls to the 
               floor with a clatter. 

               He continues to try to cut the bread, when there's a loud 
               hammering on the front door.

               Szpilman stiffens.

               THE LIVING ROOM. 

               The hammering continues as Szpilman stumbles into the room, 
               looks around, confused, not knowing what to do.

               From the other side of the door female voices, words 
               indistinct, and then:

                                     KITTY'S VOICE
                         Open this door at once, or we'll 
                         call the police!

               He is galvanised into action, puts on a crumpled jacket, 
               grabs his tattered coat and scarf, collects up a few of 
               his things, stuffs them into a paper bag. 

               The hammering stops. Szpilman cautiously approaches the 
               door, listens, then opens it quietly and slips out.

               INT.  1ST APARTMENT, LANDING AND DOOR - DUSK

               He slips out of the flat, goes to the stairs and stops 
               dead. KITTY, young and fierce, stands on the stairs, 
               blocking his way.

                                     KITTY
                         Are you from the flat in there? 
                         You're not registered.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         It belongs to a friend of mine. I 
                         came to visit but I must have just 
                         missed him.

                                     KITTY
                              (shouting)
                         Have you got your identity card? 
                         Let me see your identity card!

               Szpilman hesitates; she shouts more loudly.

                                     KITTY
                         I want to see your identity card!

               On various floors, doors open, tenants put their heads out 
               to see what's going on.

               Summoning all his strength, Szpilman makes a dash for it, 
               pushing past Kitty.

                                     KITTY
                              (screeching)
                         He's a Jew! He's a Jew! Stop the 
                         Jew! Don't let him out!

               Szpilman clatters down the stairs, reaches the ground-floor 
               landing. Another woman tries to bar his way but he pushes 
               past her and out of the house.

               EXT. STREET - EVENING

               Heavy snow. Szpilman stumbles into the street and runs. He 
               darts down a side street.

               EXT. SIDE STREET - EVENING

               Szpilman lurches into the narrow street. No one about. He 
               stops, almost collapses, but manages to keep hold of 
               himself. He puts on his coat and wraps the scarf round his 
               neck. He leans up against a wall.

               He removes a shoe and takes out the scrap of paper 
               Gebczynski gave him. He reads it.

               EXT. NARBUTT STREET - NIGHT

               Szpilman drags himself along, trudging through snow and 
               slush. Passers-by give him a wide berth. He tries to walk 
               normally, with dignity, but he's weak and slips, and finds 
               the going hard.

               He comes to a villa.

               INT. VILLA, NARBUTT STREET - NIGHT

               He goes to the front door, rings the bell and waits.

                                     WOMAN'S VOICE
                              (from behind the 
                              door)
                         Yes?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Mr Gebczynski sent me.

               The door opens and Dorota stands there. She is pregnant. 

               They stand for a moment staring at each other.

                                     DOROTA
                              (a whisper)
                         Wladyslaw Szpilman. 

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Dorota. 

                                     DOROTA
                         Come in! come in!

               INT. DOROTA'S VILLA - NIGHT

               Szpilman follows Dorota into the living room.

                                     DOROTA
                         Sit.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I'm sorry - I was given this 
                         address. I'm looking for a Mr--
                              (He checks the scrap 
                              of paper.')
                         -- a Mr Dzikiewicz.

                                     DOROTA
                              (nodding)
                         Michal Dzikiewicz. He's my husband.

               Szpilman sits down slowly.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I need help. 

                                     DOROTA
                         He'll be back before curfew.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I've been in hiding. I need 
                         somewhere to stay.

                                     DOROTA
                         He'll be here soon.

               Awkward silence. He gazes at her. She looks away.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         How long have you been married?

                                     DOROTA
                         Just over a year.

               He nods. Brief silence.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         And how's Yurek?

                                     DOROTA
                         Dead. 

               Again, the awkward silence.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         When's your baby due?

                                     DOROTA
                         Christmas.
                              (A pause.)
                         This is not a good time to have 
                         children. But then...

               The door opens and Michal Dzikiewicz enters. He sees 
               Szpilman and stops. Szpilman stands.

                                     DOROTA
                         This is my husband. Wladyslaw 
                         Szpilman. Marek Gebczynski sent 
                         him.

                                     MICHAL
                         Oh, yes. I remember.

               He shakes hands with Szpilman.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Mr Gebczynski said to contact you 
                         only in an emergency, but...

                                     MICHAL
                         Don't worry now. We can't move you 
                         tonight.

               Szpilman, dizzy, leans on the table for support.

                                     MICHAL
                         You'll sleep on the sofa.

               He and Dorota look at him.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Excuse me, could I have a piece of 
                         bread?

                                     MICHAL
                         Yes, of course, we'll eat.

               INT. DOROTA'S VILLA - MORNING

               Szpilman asleep on the sofa. The sound of a cello. He opens 
               his eyes. Listens.

               He swings his legs off the sofa, stands, and crosses to a 
               door. Quietly, he opens it a little.

               Szpilman and his POV - another room.

               Dorota, partially turned away from him, plays Bach on the 
               cello.

               Szpilman watches her and listens.

               INT. 2ND APARTMENT (4TH FLOOR), LANDING AND DOOR - NIGHT

               A padlock being unlocked. Then, a key is inserted into the 
               Yale lock, turned, and the door opens.

               Michal and Szpilman on the landing, enter the flat.

               INT./EXT. 2ND APARTMENT AND STREET - NIGHT

               A large room, sparsely furnished but with an upright piano 
               and a bed.

               Michal carries a bag of provisions and puts them on a table 
               while Szpilman goes immediately to the window and looks 
               out.

               SZPILMAN'S POV: 

               There are views of the city, but in the street below, 
               opposite, is a hospital and, on the corner, a building 
               flying a Nazi flag and guarded by a sentry, standing at 
               his sentry-box.  

               Michal comes up behind Szpilman.

                                     MICHAL
                              (in whisper)
                         You're in a very German area. The 
                         building opposite is a hospital, 
                         taking in wounded from the Russian 
                         front. Next door is the 
                         Schutzpolizei. It's the safest 
                         place to be. Right in the centre 
                         of the lion's den.

               THE APARTMENT:

               Michal makes for the door.

                                     MICHAL
                         I'll be locking you in. No one 
                         knows you're here. So keep as quiet 
                         as possible.

               He nods and goes. The sound of the padlock closing. Szpilman 
               takes in the room. He sees the piano, is still for a moment, 
               then goes to it. 

               He sits on the piano stool and adjusts its height. He opens 
               the lid. A cloth covers the keys. He removes the cloth. He 
               gazes lovingly at the keyboard. He flexes his fingers.

               Then, without touching the keys, his fingers floating just 
               above them, he plays. Silently. Passionately.

               EXT. CITY SKYLINE. POINT OF VIEW THROUGH WINDOW - DAY

               Snow falling.

               INT. 2ND APARTMENT - DAY

               Szpilman alert, hearing the padlock being unlocked and 
               then iheYdle. The door opens and Michal enters, accompanied 
               by a man, aged about thirty, Szalas, confident, a little 
               brash. 

               In whispers:

                                     MICHAL
                         All well?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Thank you.

                                     MICHAL
                         This is Antek Szalas.

               Szalas and Szpilman shake hands.

                                     MICHAL
                         He's going to look after you. I've 
                         given him a second key. He'll bring 
                         you food. See that you're all right. 
                         He's with the underground, a good 
                         man.

               Szalas produces a quarter bottle of vodka, thumps the back 
               of the bottle so that the cork flies out. He finds glasses 
               and pours. While he does all this:

                                     SZALAS
                         You don't remember me, Mr. Szpilman?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         No, I don't think so?

                                     SZALAS
                         Warsaw Radio. I was a technician. 
                         I saw you almost every day.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Sorry, I don't remember.

                                     SZALAS
                         Doesn't matter. You've nothing to 
                         worry about. I'll visit often.

                                     MICHAL
                         And you'll be pleased to hear the 
                         Allies are bombing Germany night 
                         after night - Cologne, Hamburg, 
                         Berlin.

                                     SZALAS
                         And the Russians are really giving 
                         them hell. It's the beginning of 
                         the end.

               He gives the others their vodka.

                                     MICHAL
                         Let's hope so. I don't know when 
                         I'll see you again?

               They clink glasses and drink.

               EXT. 2ND APARTMENT - DAY

               Summer. Trees in leaf.

               Comings and goings at the Schutzpolizei building. And an 
               ambulance draws up at the hospital, disgorging a couple of 
               stretcher cases, who are carried inside.

               INT. 2ND APARTMENT - DAY

               very weak and his skin yellowish, drops four beans into 
               boiling water. 

               The Sound of the padlock being opened.

               Szpilman hurries to see the door open and Szalas enter 
               with a small and grinning cheerfully.

               In whispers: 

                                     SZALAS
                         Still alive then, are you? Here. 
                         Sausage. Bread.

               He hands over the package. You still got that vodka? 
               Szpilman stares at the package.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         How long is this meant to last?

               Szalas shrugs, finds the vodka, pours two glasses

                                     SZPILMAN
                         think I've got jaundice.

               He unwraps the package to reveal sausage and bread. He 
               takes a bite of sausage, chewing deliberately, slowly.

                                     SZALAS
                         You don't want to worry about that. 
                         My grandfather was jilted by his 
                         girl friend when he got jaundice.
                              (chuckles.)
                         In my opinion, jaundice is not 
                         very serious. Drink up.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Why didn't you come sooner? It's 
                         been over two weeks.

               Szalas goes to the window, looks out.

                                     SZALAS
                         Problems. Money. I've got to raise 
                         money to buy the food. I need things 
                         to sell, it' s not easy.

               Szpilman thinks for a moment, then takes off his wristwatch, 
               hands it to Szalas.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Sell this. Food's more important 
                         than time.

               Szalas pockets the watch, makes for the door, stops.

                                     SZALAS
                         Oh, yes. I meant to tell you. The 
                         Allies have landed in France. The 
                         Russians'll be here soon. They'll 
                         beat the shit out of the Germans. 
                         Any day now.

               He grins, downs Szpilman's vodka, gives a mock salute and 
               goes.  Hie padlock is locked on the other side. Szpilman 
               enjoys his sausage.

               INT. 2ND APARTMENT - DAY

               Sunshine floods in through the windows. 

               Szpilman lies inert on the bed, weak, starving, ill. 

               The sound of the padlock. He doesn't stir.

               Dorota, no longer pregnant, and Michal enter, come to the 
               bed. 

               In whispers:

                                     DOROTA
                         Wladek? Wladek!
                              (to Michal)
                         I knew it, I knew this would happen!

               Szpilman barely has strength to open his eyes and focus on 
               them. He mutters incoherently.

                                     DOROTA
                         I'm going to get a doctor.

                                     MICHAL
                         You can't, it's too dangerous.

                                     DOROTA
                         I'll get Dr Luczak, we can trust 
                         him.

                                     MICHAL
                         Dorota, don't be ridiculous, he's 
                         a pediatrician.

                                     DOROTA
                         He's still a doctor.

               She starts for the door.

                                     MICHAL
                         No, you stay, I'll go.

               He leaves. The padlock sound. 

               Dorota goes to the kitchen, wets a towel, comes back to 
               the bed, kneels it, places the towel on Szpilman's brow. 
               He focuses on her, smiles.

                                     DOROTA
                         We came to say goodbye. We're going 
                         to stay with my mother in Otwock.The 
                         baby's already there. It's safer. 
                         There's talk that the uprising 
                         will begin any day now.

               Szpilman suddenly winces with pain.

                                     DOROTA
                         That man Szalas should be shot. 
                         He's been collecting money on your 
                         behalf all over Warsaw. Apparently, 
                         people gave generously. So he 
                         collected a tidy sum. He told us 
                         he was visiting you daily.

               She looks at him; barely audible.

                                     DOROTA
                         Oh God!

               Later: 

               Szpilman looks up at Dr Luczak, who has a stethoscope in 
               his ears. Dorota and Michal stand behind him.

                                     DOCTOR
                         Acute inflammation of the gall 
                         bladder. Liver the size of a 
                         football. But he'll live. I'll try 
                         to get hold of some levulose, but 
                         it's not easy.

                                     DOROTA
                         Can you visit him again?

                                     DOCTOR
                         Who knows?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Doctor, thank you.

                                     DOCTOR
                         Don't speak. Rest.

               The Doctor and Michal leave his line of vision. 

               Dorota moves in beside him.

                                     DOROTA
                         Michal brought food. I'll prepare 
                         something now for you, then we 
                         must go.

               Szpilman tries again to say something, but he can't, just 
               lies there, distressed.

               EXT./INT. APARTMENT - SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

               Szpilman looking down from the fourth-floor window. 
               Peaceful. A few pedestrians. An everyday atmosphere. 

               At the far end, at the T-junction with a main road, a tram 
               rumbles down the street and comes to a halt, disgorging 
               passengers on the far side and so out of sight. 

               The tram continues on its way, now revealing the few 
               passengers who alighted '97 women, an old man with a stick.  
               Last, three young Poles, carrying long objects wrapped in 
               newspaper.  

               One of the men looks at his watch, glances around, then 
               suddenly kneels and puts the package he's carrying to his 
               shoulder. The sound of rapid firing, which makes the 
               newspaper at the end of the packet glow to reveal the barrel 
               of a machine gun. 

               His two companions have also put their packages to their 
               shoulders and begin shooting, all aiming their fire at the 
               Schutzpolizei building. 

               The sentry is hit and falls in front of his box. 

               As if these young men have given a signal, now from all 
               over the city comes the sound of gunfire. 

               The pedestrians have scattered except for the old man, 
               gasping for breath, hobbling on his walking stick, who 
               eventually manages to disappear inside a building. 

               Rifle and machine-gun fire from the Schutzpolizei building. 

               The firing intense. The three young Poles manoeuvre to the 
               corner opposite the Schutzpolizei and toss grenades into 
               the building. 

               EXT. DOWN IN THE STREET - DAY

               A battle raging.

               The Germans firing from the hospital. 

               The three young Poles have been joined by other fighters 
               and they the Schutzpolizei building. 

               Grenades thrown, machine-gun fire exchanged.

               The sentry box blows up, splinters of wood cascading. A 
               couple of Poles make a dash for it and enter a building 
               opposite to the Schutzpolizei.

               EXT./INT. 2ND APARTMENT - SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

               Szpilman watching from his window, looks in the opposite 
               direction and sees smoke rising.

               When he turns back to look towards the T-junction, he sees 
               a Panzerfaust anti-tank rocket firer poking out from a 
               window in the next-door building but on the floor below. 

               The Panzerfaust fires. The shell hits the hospital.

               EXT. CITY SKYLINE - NIGHT

               The city in flames.

               Sound of firing becoming sporadic, less intense. Isolated 
               explosions.

               INT. 2ND APARTMENT - NIGHT

               Szpilman, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. 

               EXT. 2ND APARTMENT - SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

               The interior of the Schutzpolizei building burnt to cinders. 

               An ambulance is being loaded with patients from the 
               hospital.

               A horse-drawn cab rounds a corner and clatters down the 
               street.

               INT./EXT. 2ND APARTMENT - SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

               Szpilman at the window, watching.

               The horse-drawn cab clatters out of his sight. He is about 
               to draw back when he sees, directly beneath him, a man and 
               woman walking with their hands in the air. Then, a German 
               soldier, pointing his rifle at their backs, appears. 

               Suddenly, the man and woman begin to run.

               The man turns and disappears. The woman also turns, but 
               the German soldier drops to one knee and fires.

               The woman clutches her stomach, drops slowly to her knees 
               and collapses on the street in an awkward kneeling position, 
               and that's how she remains.

               Szpilman watches, aghast. Then, he hears voices outside 
               his door, shouts, footsteps, panic. 

               THE APARTMENT: 

               He runs to his front door and listens.

                                     VOICES
                              (confused)
                         Where? Where? Just get out! 
                         Everywhere! Get out into the street!

               More clatter of footsteps. Then:

                                     A MAN'S VOICE
                         Get out now! The Germans have 
                         surrounded the building! They're 
                         going to blow us to pieces.

               Footsteps descending stairs, more shouts, and:

                                     THE MAN'S VOICE
                              (further off)
                         Everyone out, please! Leave your 
                         flats at once, please!

               Szpilman runs to the door, tries it but it's padlocked and 
               he can't open the door.

               In panic, he runs back to the window. 

               His eyes grow wide with terror. 

               SZPILMAN'S POV: AGAIN THE STREET. 

               A German tank bringing its gun to bear on the building 
               next to his.

               The gun jerks back and there's a great roaring noise. 

               The whole building shakes. Szpilman reek back, falls, gets 
               to his feet and crawls back to the window. 

               He sees the tank turret swivelling slowly, bringing the 
               gun to bear directly on a lower floor of his building. The 
               roaring noise again.

               A terrific explosion. His windows are shattered. Glass 
               everywhere. He is thrown back across the room. Smoke begins 
               to billow and fill the room.

               INT. 2ND APARTMENT AND ADJOINING APARTMENT - DAY

               Smoke filling the room. Szpilman gets to his knees, peers 
               through the smoke and sees that the wall separating his 
               apartment from the one next door has been partially 
               destroyed, with a large hole blasted in it. He stumbles 
               into the next-door apartment and out of the front door.

               INT. 4TH AND 5TH FLOOR LANDINGS - DAY

               Smoke everywhere. Szpilman staggers up to the fifth-floor 
               landing. There's a metal attic door. 

               Szpilman pushes open the door and steps into the attic.

               INT. ATTIC - DAY

               The roof space with laundry drying on lines. Szpilman enters 
               the attic, closes the door, leans on it.

                                     GERMAN VOICE
                         Fourth floor, Fischke!

               He looks round, sees that the roof has been shattered, 
               leaving a large, jagged gap. He climbs through the gap, on 
               to the roof at the back of the building.

               INT. 4TH FLOOR LANDING - DAY

               The attic door being kicked in by a German boot. 

               A German soldier, wearing his gas mask, bayonet fixed, 
               enters the attic, looks round, sees nothing, then:

                                     GERMAN VOICE
                         At the double, Fischke!

               The soldier turns and hurries out.

               INT. ROOF, BACK OF BUILDING - DAY

               On the sloping roof, Szpilman clutches the skylight and 
               has his feet in the roof gutter.

               He listens - all quiet in the house.

               And then a bullet ricochets off the tiles beside him. 

               Szpilman, terrified, drops, involuntarily catching a lower 
               edge so that his feet dangle above a balcony below. More 
               shots. He drops on to the balcony and looks back.

               EXT. ROOFTOP, TWO STREETS AWAY - DAY

               Two German soldiers are firing at Szpilman.

               INT. ROOF, BACK OF BUILDING - DAY

               Szpilman clambers back into the building through the smashed 
               balcony door. A couple of shots dangerously close.

               INT. STAIRCASE - DAY

               Smoke. Szpilman staggers down the stairs, stumbles over a 
               corpse and almost falls headlong.

               EXT. GARDEN AND BACKYARD - LATE AFTERNOON

               The sun is setting.

               Szpilman crawls into the backyard. He hears German voices 
               shouting commands. He hides behind three garbage bins by 
               the wall.

               He waits. Listens.  Silence

               EXT. STREET - EVENING

               Deserted. Buildings on fire but dying out. Corpses in the 
               street, including the woman who was shot, still in her 
               strange kneeling position.

               EXT. FRONT DOOR AND STREET - NIGHT

               Szpilman watches from the doorway. Then, dropping down, he 
               crawls across the road on his stomach, threading his way 
               through the dead bodies, now besieged by flies, and makes 
               for the hospital opposite.

               German soldiers appear from around a corner. Szpilman 
               immediately lies still, pretending to be just another 
               corpse. Flies alight on him. When the Germans pass, he 
               sets off again.

               INT. RUINED HOSPITAL, OPERATING THEATRE - NIGHT

               Dark.  Szpilman crawls into a corner, rests. He's exhausted.

               He tries to take stock of his surroundings. He can make 
               out the operating table. He manages to drag himself on to 
               it.

               He lies there, his eyes grow heavy. He sleeps.

               EXT. RUINED HOSPITAL - DAY

               German soldiers dragging the corpses into a pile.

               A sergeant douses the bodies in petrol, then sets them 
               alight.

               The bodies burn.

               INT./EXT. RUINED HOSPITAL - SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

               From a shattered window on the first floor, he looks at 
               the burning bodies.

               Two German soldiers wander into his eyeline. He draws back 
               a little but watches them warily. 

               They sit just beneath him, chatting, and take out their 
               food-tins, drink coffee and eat bread.

               INT. PASSAGE AND WARDS, RUINED HOSPITAL - DAY

               Szpilman wanders down the passage, sees into the wards, 
               the empty beds, the broken furniture and medical equipment.

               INT. KITCHEN, RUINED HOSPITAL - DAY

               Szpilman opens cupboards, drawers, searching, but trying 
               to be as quiet as possible.

               He sees the refrigerator, quickly gets to it, pulls open 
               the door. Empty.

               He looks around and notices a red fire bucket with a spade 
               and a box of sand next to it. The bucket is full of water, 
               covered with an iridescent film and full of dead flies.

               He drinks as much water as he can without swallowing the 
               flies and, while he's doing so, he spots a couple of sacks. 

               He opens the first: potatoes. The second contains barley. 

               He tries to eat the uncooked barley but can't. 

               Later: 

               A fire on the floor. Szpilman holds a saucepan over it and 
               is cooking the barley and some potatoes. He manages to 
               scoop out a spoonful, blows to cool it, then eats.

               INT./EXT. RUINED HOSPITAL - SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

               Szpilman at a window sees autumn leaves thick on the ground. 
               And at the end of the street, a line of Poles, some with 
               their hands in the air, others with hands on heads, being 
               marched away by German soldiers.

               INT. WARD. RUINED HOSPITAL - DAY.

               Szpilman lies in bed under several layers of blankets. Ice 
               on the windows. He hears German voices shouting commands. 
               He sits up.

               INT./EXT. RUINED HOSPITAL, SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

               Szpilman gets to a window and looks out.

               German soldiers with flame-throwers are burning the 
               buildings opposite.

               One soldier, with a bucket of white paint and a brush, 
               numbers the building.

               Szpilman cranes to see them reach the end of the street, 
               then cross over and start on the buildings on his side, 
               working their way towards the hospital.

               He pulls away and makes for the back of the hospital.

               INT. BACK OF RUINED HOSPITAL - DAY

               Szpilman goes to a window, jumps out. He twists his ankle. 
               He's in pain. He crawls across the back garden and climbs 
               over the wall.

               EXT. RUINED STREETS - DAY

               Devastation, not a human being in sight. 

               Nothing. Emptiness. 

               He is alone.

               Szpilman hobbles away.

               EXT. RUINED VILLA - EVENING

               Cautiously, Szpilman limps towards the villa, a once grand 
               building, but now partly damaged by shell fire. 

               He makes his way in.

               INT. HALL, RUINED VILLA - EVENING

               Szpilman enters the hall, still showing signs of its former 
               opulence. I Silent. Ominous.

               He looks round anxiously, then sees the stairs leading 
               down to the basement. He hurries towards them and descends.

               INT. KITCHEN, RUINED VILLA - EVENING

               Dark, shadowy.

               Szpilman comes down a flight of wooden stairs that had 
               directly into the kitchen.

               Immediately, he begins to search fractically, opening 
               cupboards, drawers. He finds a can with a label illustrating 
               pickled cucumbers. Desperately, he searches for something 
               to open it with.

               He discovers a pair of scales with a variety of weights. 
               He seizes one of the weights when, very close, he hears 
               the sound of a car coming to a halt, then the car door 
               slam, a German voice giving commands.

               He drops the weight but, holding the tin, he scampers up 
               the stairs.

               INT. BACK STAIRS, RUINED VILLA - EVENING

               Szpilman, clutching the unopened tin, makes his way up the 
               narrow, wooden staircase.

               INT. TOP FLOOR, RUINED VILLA - EVENING

               Szpilman, panting heavily, reaches the top floor. He sees 
               a small door, tries it. It opens.

               INT. ATTIC AND LOFT, RUINED VILLA - EVENING

               Szpilman enters, closing the small door behind him. He 
               leans back, resting, recovering.

               And then he hears from down below a piano playing a 
               Beethoven piece.

               After a few bars, the music stops. Szpilman listens 
               anxiously. Silence.

               He looks around, finding himself in an attic space filled 
               with junk, a ladder, rotting material, travelling trunks. 
               Last light of day filtering through a dormer window. 

               There's a ladder leading up to a trapdoor. Szpilman climbs 
               the ladder.

               He crawls into a small empty space. With enormous effort 
               he pulls up the ladder and closes the trapdoor.

               Exhausted and trying to catch his breath, he gazes at the 
               unopened tin. He peers through the darkness but sees 
               nothing.

               His eyes begin to droop.

               EXT. WARSAW CITY SKYLINE - NIGHT

               Artillery fire. Fires glow on the horizon.

               INT. LOFT, RUINED VILLA - NIGHT

               Szpilman wakes suddenly. He listens. Silence but for the 
               distant gunfire. He sees the unopened tin of pickles, stares 
               at it. He opens the trapdoor.

               INT. BACK STAIRS, RUINED VILLA - NIGHT

               Szpilman, a shadow, a spectre, creeps down the stairs.

               INT. KITCHEN, RUINED VILLA - NIGHT

               Szpilman has placed the tin and the weight on a shelf and 
               is engrossed in searching again. He finds a pair of chicken 
               scissors. Using the weight, he starts to hammer the point 
               of the scissors into the tin making a perforation round 
               the rim.

               The tin slips off the shelf and rolls across the floor 
               coming to rest at a pair of highly polished jackboots. 
               Szpilman stifles a gasp.

               On the stairs, in silhouette, gazing down at him, the figure 
               of a GERMAN CAPTAIN, the thumb of one hand caught in his 
               belt above his pistol.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                              (stern)
                         Who the hell are you?

               Szpilman just stares at him.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Who are you?

               No response.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         What the hell are you doing?

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (barely audible, in 
                              German)
                         I was... I was trying to open this 
                         tin.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Where do you live?

               No response.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         What's your work?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I am... I was a pianist.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         A pianist.

               He studies Szpilman for a moment, then with a nod orders 
               him to follow. Szpilman picks up the tin and follows.

               INT. ROOMS, RUINED VILLA - NIGHT

               Szpilman follows the German Captain through a double door, 
               hanging off its hinges, into a room with a broken table in 
               the centre, what once was the dining room. And then through 
               another set of doors. The German Captain's boots echo. 

               They come into a spacious room. Faint moonlight filters 
               through the large windows. Fallen masonry and broken glass.  
               A couple of chairs. And a grand piano in the corner.

               The German Captain points at the piano.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Play.

               Szpilman hesitates, then limps to the piano, puts down the 
               tin, and opens the lid. He turns and drags one of the chairs 
               over and sits.

               The German Captain stands and watches.

               Szpilman glances surreptitiously at his hands, and then he 
               plays Chopin.

               The German Captain listens, expressionless. The pale 
               moonlight shows him to be a handsome, elegant man. 

               Szpilman finishes playing.

               Silence.

               Somewhere, a cat mews. Distant burst of rifle fire.

               The German Captain stares at Szpilman. After a moment:

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Are you hiding here?

               Szpilman nods.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Jew?

               Long pause. Szpilman just stares at him.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Where are you hiding?

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (in German)
                         In the attic.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Show me.

               Szpilman hesitates, takes the tin and then shuffles past 
               the German Captain towards the door.

               INT. ATTIC AND LOFT AREA, RUINED VILLA - NIGHT

               Szpilman and the German Captain enter.

               The German Captain takes out a flashlight, sees the ladder 
               in place, leading up to the loft.

               Szpilman climbs the ladder, squeezes into the loft and 
               looks down at the German Captain, who shines his light on 
               him.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Have you anything to eat?

               Szpilman shows him the tin.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         I'll bring you something.

               He goes quickly, leaving Szpilman in darkness. Szpilman, 
               overcome by relief, can barely catch his breath.

               EXT. RUINED VILLA - NIGHT

               The German Captain strides out of the villa, down the front 
               steps to a waiting car and a driver. He gets into the car.  
               The driver starts the engine and the car speeds off into 
               the night.

               INT. LOFT - NIGHT

               Szpilman hears the car's engine growing fainter. He starts 
               to tremble and then begins to cry. He weeps uncontrollably.

               INT. HALL, ROOMS, RUINED VILLA - DAY

               Much activity: officers coming and going, orderlies typing. 
               Officers king on field telephones. Desks, filing cabinets. 

               The German Captain, carrying a bulging shoulder bag, marches 
               into a room just off the hall and goes to his desk just as 
               an orderly drops papers in his in-tray. On the desk, there's 
               a framed photograph of him nth a woman and two children. 

               German Captain glances at the papers, takes a pen, initials 
               one or two and then goes. 

               THE GRAND STAIRCASE:

               The German Captain marches up the stairs purposefully, as 
               if he's on urgent business.

               INT. LOFT AND ATTIC - DAY

               The German Captain enters. He puts two fingers in his mouth 
               and whistles.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Open up.

               After a moment, the trapdoor shifts and Szpilman looks 
               down.

               The German Captain takes a package from his shoulder bag 
               and throws it up into the loft. He turns to go.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Please.

               The German Captain stops.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What's all that gunfire?

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         The Russians. On the other side of 
                         the river.
                              (Turns to leave, 
                              stops; with a touch 
                              of irony:)
                         All you have to do is hang on for 
                         a few more weeks.

               He goes quickly.

               Szpilman opens the package, finds bread and marmalade. 
               Then he finds a tin-opener.

               EXT.  RUINED VILLA - DAY

               Snow. The sound of distant gunfire. 

               The Germans are evacuating the villa. Men carry out boxes, 
               filing cabinets, desks, papers and load them into trucks. 
               They're careless, leaving a trail of debris. No sentries 
               now.

               INT. ATTIC AND LOFT AREA, RUINED VILLA - DAY

               Szpilman, listening and shivering with cold. He hears the 
               whistle. He opens the trapdoor to see the German Captain 
               in the attic, carrying a package.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Come down.

               Szpilman descends.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What's happening?

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         We're getting out.

               Szpilman faces the German Captain.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (in German)
                         Are the Russians here?

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Not yet.

               He hands Szpilman the package. Szpilman opens it to find 
               inside several loaves of bread.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I don't know how to thank you.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Don't thank me. Thank God. It's 
                         His will that we should survive. 
                         Well. That's what we have to 
                         believe.

               Silence. Szpilman shivers with cold. The German Captain 
               takes off his coat and gives it to him.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         What about you?

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         I've got another one.  Warmer.
                              (brief pause)
                         What will you do when it's all 
                         over?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I'll play the piano again. On Polish 
                         radio.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Tell me your name. I'll listen out 
                         for you.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Szpilman.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                         Szpilman.
                              (a crooked smile)
                         Good name for a pianist.

               EXT. STREETS NEAR RUINED VILLA - DAY

               Freezing weather.

               Empty streets.

               Then the sound of recorded music, as a car, with a 
               loudspeaker and a Polish national flag, comes into view, 
               the Polish national anthem blaring out from the speaker.

               INT. LOFT - DAY

               Szpilman, wearing the German Captain's coat and under the 
               eiderdown, hears the strange sound of the music, which he 
               recognises.

               He's astonished, puzzled. He comes to a decision and starts 
               to leave.

               INT./EXT. HALL AND STREET, RUINED VILLA - DAY

               Cautiously, in his German military overcoat, Szpilman trots 
               down the staircase into the empty hall. 

               He goes to the front door, opens it a crack and cautiously 
               goes out. 

               EXT. STREET - DAY

               Szpilman looks around, hearing the car loudspeaker 
               indistinctly.

                                     LOUDSPEAKER VOICE
                         ...German army! Polish soil 
                         liberated!  Official!

               His excitement grows and he walks out into the street. 

               He sees at one end soldiers serving soup from afield kitchen 
               to a group of people. 

               On the opposite side of the street, he sees a man and a 
               woman who have left the field kitchen. The man carries a 
               two-tiered canister.

               Szpilman rushes towards them, grabs hold of the man and 
               tries to kiss him. The man, totally bewildered, tries to 
               fight him off. The woman is terrified.

                                     THE WOMAN
                         German! German!

               She runs, yelling, towards the field kitchen. So does the 
               man.

               Szpilman stands and stares, then sees one of the soldiers 
               cock his rifle and fire at him.

               Szpilman runs, the firing continuing.

               EXT. RUINS - DAY

               Szpilman bolts into the doorway of a ruined building. He 
               peers out to see Polish soldiers beginning to surround the 
               ruined building, firing shots, lobbing in a grenade or 
               two.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (shouting)
                         Stop, for God's sake, I beg you, 
                         I'm Polish!

               More shots and another grenade explosion.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         Don't shoot! I'm Polish!

               The Polish soldiers: Two of the officers stand near the 
               entrance, hearing Szpilman's shouts.

                                     1ST POLISH OFFICER
                         He's Polish!

                                     2ND POLISH OFFICER
                              (yelling)
                         Come out with your hands up.

                                     SZPILMAN
                              (obeying)
                         Don't shoot! I'm Polish! Please, 
                         please! I'm Polish!

                                     1ST POLISH OFFICER
                         Yes, he's Polish!

                                     2ND POLISH OFFICER
                              (as Szpilman 
                              approaches')
                         Why the fucking coat?

                                     SZPILMAN
                         I'm cold.

               The Polish officers confer briefly in whispers. Then:

                                     2ND POLISH OFFICER
                         Take him to headquarters.

               And they march him off.

               EXT. LONG COUNTRY LANE AND HOLDING CAMP - DAY

               Spring. Idyllic. 

               A column of men and women stretching along the length of 
               the lane. A couple of horse-and-carts. One or two bicycles. 
               Some of the people wear concentration camp garb, others in 
               tattered clothing. 

               Four men walk together and when they come to a narrow 
               junction, stop, seeing something 

               Behind barbed wire, German prisoners of war, guarded by 
               Russian soldiers. Desolate place. No shelters, no tents. 
               The POWs sit or lie on the ground, silent, broken, 
               shattered.

               The four men gaze at them. :

                                     1ST MAN
                         Look at them - bastards!

                                     2ND MAN
                         German fuckers!

                                     3RD MAN
                         I prayed for this, never thought 
                         I'd see it.

               The fourth man, ZYGMUNT LEDNICKI, approaches the barbed 
               wire.

                                     LEDNICKI
                         Murderers! Assassins!  Look at you 
                         now! You took everything I had!  
                         Me, a musician!
                              (wagging his finger 
                              fiercely)
                         You took my violin! You took my 
                         soul!

               He stands glowering at them, then sees a POW rise from a 
               group, wretched, shabby, unshaven. It's the German Captain, 
               uniform tattered, a wreck. He comes to the barbed wire.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                              (urgent) (in German)
                         Do you happen to know another 
                         musician, a Mr Szpilman? A pianist! 
                         Polish radio?

                                     LEDNICKI
                         Yes, of course, I know Szpilman.

                                     THE GERMAN CAPTAIN
                              (desperate)
                         I helped Mr Szpilman when he was 
                         in hiding. Tell him I'm here. Ask 
                         him to help me...

               A RUSSIAN GUARD, inside the compound, approaches, grabs 
               hold of the German Captain.

                                     RUSSIAN GUARD
                              (to Lednicki, in 
                              Russian)
                         Hey! No talking to the prisoners. 
                         Get away from there!

               He drags the German Captain away from the wire.

                                     LEDNICKI
                              (as he backs away, 
                              calling)
                         What's your name?

               The German Captain is being bundled away by the guard, who 
               aims a kick at him. The German Captain shouts out his name 
               but it's unintelligible.

                                     LEDNICKI
                         What?

               The German Captain and the guard have disappeared. Lednicki 
               stands for a moment, then turns and goes.

               INT. STUDIO, WARSAW RADIO STATION - DAY

               Szpilman playing the piano. He looks something like his 
               former self, fairly well dressed and groomed. 

               He glances towards the glass booth and sees Lednicki with 
               the technicians. He smiles. Lednicki nods, smiles back.

               EXT.  SITE OF POW CAMP - DAY

               Szpilman and Lednicki looking around an empty field.

                                     LEDNICKI
                         It was here, I'm certain of it.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         It's not here now.

                                     LEDNICKI
                         I shouted abuse at them, I'm not 
                         proud of it, but that's what I 
                         did, and, I'm certain, I stood 
                         where you are now. There was barbed 
                         wire, and this German came up to 
                         me.

                                     SZPILMAN
                         You didn't catch his name.

                                     LEDNICKI
                         No. I'll ask at the factory. They 
                         may know something.

               Lednicki goes.

               Szpilman stands, looking around the empty field. He is 
               filled with sadness. He sits. He closes his eyes and put 
               his face to the sun.

               SUPERIMPOSE CAPTION:

                             IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT
                            THE NAME OF THE GERMAN OFFICER
                              WAS CAPTAIN WILM HOSENFELD.
                         ALL THAT IS KNOWN IS THAT HE DIED IN
                        A SOVIET PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMP IN 1952.
                         WLADYSLAW SZPILMAN CONTINUED TO LIVE
                       IN WARSAW UNTIL HIS DEATH ON 6 JULY 2OOO.
                            HE WAS EIGHTY-EIGHT YEARS OLD.

               INT. CONCERT HALL - NIGHT

               Szpilman plays Chopin's Piano Concerto No 1 with full 
               orchestra and conductor. He plays superbly. The music is 
               glorious. 

                                                               FADE OUT:

                                        THE END