Film Culture (Winter 1963-64)

Cigolani brings his boat up alongside the shore. He jumps out into the shallow water and starts removing the life preserver from the inert body that is lying face down in the water. Dale looks out over the horizon. Far off on the beach the mine is seen like a small black spot. And then comes the explosion! A billowing cone of smoke shoots up into the sky, turning into a great big cloud swept along by the wind. Shell fragments hit the ground just a few yards away from Dale. Having been temporarily distracted by the tremendous noise of the explosion, the Germans in the pillbox now resume firing at Cigolani who is struggling with great deal of effort to get the dead body of the partisan into his canoe. From a point on the marsh, Dale stands up in his canoe and fires a rifle shot towards the pillbox. The Germans shift their line of fire in his direction. The bullets hit up against the reeds which tremble and shake as if disturbed by the wind. Dale fires another shot. Having lifted the dead partisan into his boat, Cigolani takes off. Cigolani rows his canoe into a small canal. Dale is waiting for him on a small strip of land that divides one canal from another. Dale rows out quickly to meet him. He pulls his boat up along the bank and then goes over to help Cigolani maneuver his boat into the other canal. With this done, Cigolani continues on his way. Dale slides his own boat back into the water and jumps in. Exterior. A marsh. (Day) A strip of dry land along a shallow part of the river. Dale and Cigolani are approaching the shore in their canoes. Other armed partisans appear together with two Americans. Cigolani: There was another dead man in the Po! Dale is the first one to set foot on the shore, and he walks up ahead with his two buddies who had come over to greet him. One of the other two Americans is in uniform. He is a very young lad. The other one is dressed in civilian clothes with an army trench coat thrown over his shoulders. He is tall, thin and pale. On his lean face one can detect signs of malaria. Dale: What’s new? Hear anything from the Fifth Army General Headquarters? Alan: General Alexander has just issued an 62 FILM CULTURE order requesting all partisans to return to their homes and cease all activities. Dale: And in the meantime here’s another partisan in the Po! Dan: These people are not fighting for the British Empire; they’re fighting for their very lives ! The partisans pick up the dead body in their arms and carry it inland to a barren and naked clearing. They lay the body down gently on the ground. A few feet away, they begin digging a grave. Dale steps aside, away from them, and addresses himself to Alan and Dan. Dale : But did you tell them we didn’t have any provisions, and no means whatever to defend ourselves? Alan: I told them the whole situation, but they kept telling me the same old story: Stop all defensive action. Dan: Outside of that, General Headquarters isn’t interested in anything else. Anyhow, one way or another, we’ll all be killed. Alan: I’m waiting for an answer to a message I sent yesterday asking for an air drop of arms and ammunition. Dale: But the Germans will spot us! Alan: There was nothing I could do. Dale: Okay. Anyway, we couldn’t be any worse off than we are now. A short distance away in the background, the partisans pick up the dead body and set it down in the grave, covering it with handfuls of earth. Cigolani takes the life preserver, places it on top of the small mound of earth, and inserts the placard into it. Then he pulls off his woolen cap and kneels down in front of the grave together with his companions. A brief prayer. Dale and the two other Americans also gather around and stand silently before the grave. The partisans get up and head towards their canoes. One by one the small boats slide into the water and among the reeds. Exterior. A pond. (Day) Two large kegs, like those used as decoys for hunting wild ducks, are resting in the shallow water. The boats come on the scene. Alan’s boat is in the lead. In a loud voice he calls out. Alan: San Marco! San Marco! Out from under one of the large kegs appears the head of a soldier from San Marco. He lifts a