Film Culture (Winter 1963-64)

He sits down at the table. One of the men sets a plate of polenta in front of him, the woman a plateful of fried eels. Dale begins to eat with a tremendous appetite. He drinks up a glass of muddy water which had been taken from the canal. Close-up of the table: a man enters and sets a large basket on the wooden table, he picks up a knife, then one by one takes a number of eels from out of the basket, and while they are still alive and kicking, starts cutting them up into little pieces. Exterior. A high embankment. (Day) Within a sunken area of the terrain, the partisans are sprawled out on the ground at rest. Among them are the two men from San Marco, still listening attentively at the radio. Dale and Cigolani appear from out of the bushes. Two of the partisans get up and go over to help them down with the bundles. Dale joins the group of men and squats down among them. The man from San Marco yanks off his earphones. San Marco: They’ve confirmed the airdrop for tonight. Dale begins to distribute the polenta and the eels among the men. Then he makes a separate little bundle and calls one of the partisans to him. Pointing towards a group of houses where Dan is stationed, he says: Dale: Take this to that other American over there! The men continue eating with a great amount of zest. Exterior. In the marshes. (Night) Late at night, at the appointed hour, the partisans are assembled near the bank of river, waiting for the arrival of the airdrop. Their ears are cocked for the sound of the plane. Groping around in the darkness, the partisans are trying their best to maintain their bearings. They cannot afford to make the least bit of noise or set off any kind of light. Suddenly a plane comes swooping down from the sky, and a series of splashes are heard as the bundles drop into the water. All the bundles fall too far out in the middle of the river. The partisans creep down into the water and begin searching around in total darkness, heading towards the area where they had heard the splashes. But the entire search is in vain. Far off in the 64 FILM CULTURE distance, a burst of machine-gun fire is heard. Voices: They’re shooting at Maddalena’s house. Exterior. Maddalena’s house. Across the wide open clearing in front of the house and further down upon the platform of little bridge, a scattering of human forms lie sprawled out and motionless on the ground. A little child comes toddling across the scene crying. A great big dog ambles over to the child. Dale and Alan are seen walking across the field, heading towards the house where the entire family lies massacred on the threshing floor. Exterior of the Pancirli barracks. (Day) On the waters of a canal all the canoes of the partisans are at rest. The men are gazing up at the sky. An airplane zooms past them overhead; it turns around and starts heading back again, losing altitude. And suddenly, far out over the sea, it begins falling. Alan: Look at that plane over there! It’s in flames! Dale: Quick! Let’s go. The boats glide swiftiy over the water, heading straight to one of the little houses on the farther end of the shore. They come closer and closer. Dan and the two partisans are seen coming out of the house which is situated on a flat piece of land encircled by a group of small canals. The little fleet of canoes finally reaches the shore. The two men from San Marco quickly enter into the house as the other men go over to the edge of the clearing that looks out over the sea. Far out from shore, near the flaming wreckage of the fallen airplane, two aviators are heard yelling for help. The partisans signal back to the survivors as Dale and Cigolani jump into their canoes and take off. They come closer and closer to the flaming wreckage. Clinging to the fragment of a wing, the two British aviators call out to their rescuers. Dale and the partisans are also shouting. Their voices are drowned out by the wind, the flames, and the roar of the sea. . Ist Officer: Help! Help! Dale: Are you all safe? 2nd Officer: Are you American? Dale: Yes, ’m American!