CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE THE BOOKSTORE A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting By Joshua A. Berman May 2017 The thesis of Joshua A. Berman is approved: Professor Jon Stahl Date Professor D.E. Wynter Date Professor Scott Sturgeon, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii Table of Contents Signature Page......................................................................................................ii Table of Contents..................................................................................................iii Abstract.................................................................................................................iv The Bookstore......................................................................................................1 iii Abstract The Bookstore By Joshua A. Berman Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting Hailed as a hero of WWI and famous author of "Soldier of Steel", Maxwell Fleisher, reviles the rise of Nazism, and is content to live a quiet life as the owner of a bookstore. After his Jewish friend and neighbor is arrested by the SS, Max reluctantly becomes the father figure of the two young sons left behind. Relentlessly bullied by Hitler Youth, Max teaches the boys to defend themselves. However, when their defense becomes offence, the ire of the SS is upon them, and now Max must again become the soldier he once was, but this time on the right side of history, and to avenge the ones he'd grown to love. iv The Bookstore FADE IN: EXT. COLOGNE, GERMANY - DAWN The sprawling, peaceful city seen from above, still damp from a night rain. EXT. HIGH CATHEDRAL OF SAINT PETER - DAWN Birds soar past the towering twin steeples of the Gothic styled structure. EXT. BRONZE STATUE OF EMPEROR WILHELM I - DAWN The statue, green with age, depicts the first German Emperor upon his horse, mid-gallop, with a stern expression. EXT. COLOGNE POLICE STATION - DAWN Two OFFICERS exit the main double doors. Others enter. From a window above, an officer unfurls a BLOOD-RED BANNER down the length of the building -- a Nazi swastika at it's center. SUPERIMPOSE: COLOGNE GERMANY - SPRING 1933 EXT. VENLOER STREET - MORNING Small shops line cobblestone sidewalks. Buildings are married together side by side, some one story, and some two or three, with residential apartments on upper floors. TOWNSPEOPLE trickle into the street, starting their morning routines. An apple cart VENDOR wheels into position. A BAKER flips his shop window SIGN from GESCHLOSSEN to GEOFFNET as do a TAILER, and a BUTCHER. EXT. BOOKSTORE - MORNING A three story high corner building is at the end of the street. The storefront window below reads BUCHHANDLUNG. Several BOOKS are on display in the window including ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, THE GREAT GATSBY, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY and prominently up front SOLDIER OF STEEL; THE ULTIMATE GERMAN SOLDIER FROM THE GREAT WAR By Maxwell Fleisher. 1 A light illuminates from the window on the top floor. INT. BOOKSTORE APARTMENT MASTER BEDROOM - MORNING Aged hands, knuckles swollen with arthritis turn the last page of a book. A BRAVE NEW WORLD is set down on the desk, next to an empty tumbler and half empty bottle of vodka. A pair of reading glasses are tossed atop the cover. MAXWELL FLEISHER (55) stares out his third story window that looks across Ehrnfeld district of Cologne, a dense landscape of buildings and factories split by the majestic Rhine river, twisting through its center. His thin gray hair is slicked back. His face is weathered with deep lines. Although tired looking, he's distinguished. Jaw, square. Eyes, cold steel blue. His room is in order, very neat. Two twin beds are separated by a night stand. The room is plain, solid shades of gray for the linens, wallpaper and curtains. The furnishings are wooden and of simple design. EXT. BOOKSTORE - MORNING MENDEL STEINBRUCK (30's), tall and pot bellied, with short curly black hair, wears an old coat over an apron. He stands at the door with two boys. HANS (11) is lanky like his father. He has dark curls that dip below his hat line. His ill fitting school uniform is too small. He stands straight, arms crossed. JACOB (7), has soft features, kind eyes. He has sandy brown hair that's also too long. His uniform is a size too big. Mendel RINGS the bell. No answer. He looks down at Hans, who looks back and shrugs. He takes a deep breath, He RINGS again. He steps back, looks up and sees the light on. MENDEL Mr. Fleisher? INT. BOOKSTORE APARTMENT MASTER BEDROOM - SAME Maxwell, standing at his bureau, puts on a fresh shirt. His open closet door reveals the edge of an officers UNIFORM. He goes to the window, still buttoning, and sees Mendel looking up at him. Mendel smiles and waves. MAXWELL Shit. 2 EXT. BOOKSTORE Maxwell ducks back inside the window. HANS Let's just go, Pop. We're already late. MENDEL Mr. Fleisher? MAXWELL (O.S.) One minute! MENDEL See, he's coming. Mendel waits patiently. Max OPENS the front door. MAXWELL Yes? MENDEL Good morning Mr. Fleisher. Up reading all night? MAXWELL Yes, Mendel. What is it? MENDEL Yes, well the boys had their books stolen, and I was hoping you'd allow them to borrow some. MAXWELL I don't open for an hour. MENDEL Yes I know, but they're already going to be late. MAXWELL I have a very busy morning. MENDEL Please, Mr. Fleisher, the boys already have trouble. Without their books, they could be sent home. Just imagine, them running around my store and up an and down these streets all day. You don't want that..., I don't want that. Maxwell lets out an agitated sigh. 3 MAXWELL Fine. Quickly. Maxwell steps aside. MENDEL Go help your brother. Hans takes Jacob's hand and leads him carefully past an imposing Maxwell, through the doorway. INT. BOOKSTORE SHOP FLOOR The two boys enter, bee line to the textbook aisle for the correct editions. EXT. BOOKSTORE Mendel and Maxwell share an awkward silence in the doorway. MENDEL Anything interesting? MAXWELL What was that? Mendel speaks louder. MENDEL Did you read anything interesting last night? MAXWELL Ah, oh yes. No. Back to shared silence. INT. BOOKSTORE SHOP FLOOR Hans puts a book into Jacob's sack. JACOB How come he's so mean? HANS I think it's because he's lonely. JACOB 4 He should make friends. HANS Okay yeah, you tell him. EXT. BOOKSTORE MENDEL Let's go boys! Hurry up! Mendel laughs a bit. MENDEL (CONT'D) Kids. MAXWELL Hmm. Yes. MENDEL You know it's been six months without their mother, and we're still not adjusted. Maxwell looks away, and back into the store for the boys. He shifts his weight, and is visibly uncomfortable with the personal turn of the conversation. MAXWELL Yes. It's unfortunate. MENDEL Well, I can't thank you enough for all you've done for us, even back when she first got sick. MAXWELL Just keep paying the rent. The boys appear at the door, their sacks heavy with books. Maxwell looks relieved. MENDEL Boys, say "thank you". JACOB Thank you. Mendel shoots Hans a stern glance. HANS Thanks. 5 MENDEL Thank... Maxwell shuts the door before Mendel can finish. INT. BOOKSTORE SHOP FLOOR Maxwell sits in a swivel chair at his desk behind the register, takes a deep breath. EXT. VENLOER STREET - MORNING MENDEL walks the kids to school, Jacob at his side and Hans a few steps behind. JACOB He's so mean, Papa. MENDEL He's not mean, he's direct. HANS He's a jerk. Mendel stops and faces Hans. MENDEL Hey! He's a great man. And he's been very generous with us. Be grateful. He's been through a lot, that's all. Hans walks around Mendel. HANS Oh yeah, well I've been through a lot too, and I'm not an ass. Mendel GRABS Hans by the arm and spins him around and levels a light attention grabbing slap across his cheek. MENDEL You don't disrespect me. Jacob gets between them. JACOB Don't fight, don't fight. Mendel gets down on his knees and embraces both boys. 6 MENDEL I'm sorry. I know it hasn't been easy. For any of us. But we can get through this. Things will get better. I promise. A black convertible Mercedes-Benz 770 passes by with the top down. HEINRICH MULLER, the passenger, is a high-ranking Gestapo captain. The CHAUFFEUR is a lower ranking officer. GUNTER KONIG and OTTO WEBER are both lieutenants who report to Heinrich. It's being followed by an open truck lined with a dozen GESTAPO TROOPERS. Both vehicles bear the gestapo insignia with the eagle atop a swastika hood ornament. Heinrich sees Mendel on the side of the road. Mendel and his two boys watch him drive past. MENDEL (CONT'D) Okay. You boys go on. I've got to open shop. It's already late. Jacob protests. JACOB But Papa... MENDEL Don't fuss. Hans can take you the rest of the way. Quickly, you're going to be late! HANS Let's go, brat. I'll race ya! Hans sprints off and Jacob runs after him. Mendel heads back the other way. He passes a NEWSPAPER SALESMAN, smoking a cigarette with an armful of morning editions. He's soliciting COMMUTERS passing by. NEWSPAPER SALESMAN Papers, papers. Hitler awarded emergency powers by presidential decree! Mendel fumbles in his pocket, extracts a few coins, then gives it to the man for a copy. He reads the front page. NEWSPAPER SALESMAN (CONT'D) Law for the Protection of the People and State passed. Civil liberties suspended! 7 Mendel folds the paper under his arm and walks off with haste.