(16)
INT. LOBBY -- MGM BALLROOM -- NIGHT
A Japanese MILITARY OFFICER swaggers in, followed by ten or more Japanese SOLDIERS. Jiemin, Dragon Brother and the entourage observe the Japanese with disdain from behind a curtain. Dragon Brother motions his entourage to set to work. The entourage take the hint and start up.
INT. DANCE HALL -- NIGHT
On the stage, a girl SINGER croons a Chinese love song, swinging her slim figure.
SINGER
(softly and slowly)
Waves of eyes flow, half shyly...
Dragon Brother gestures to the band.
DRAGON BROTHER
(snapping his fingers)
The Bull Fight, please.
The band begins to play THE BULL FIGHT. Dragon Brother waves his hand to Bailian who winks at him.
Bailian and Hans TANGO exotically and sensuously. The bystanders cheers and applauds, their passions aroused as the music thunders louder and the dancers posture hotter. Soon the dance floor is full of crazy dancers.
INT. PRIVATE COMPARTMENT -- NIGHT
The Japanese Officer dangles after a dancing GIRL who dodges about. The Officer finally catches up with the girl and flirts with her. The girl wriggles her waist to push him away and begins to take off her silk stockings one at a time. The Officer stares at her legs with an obsessive lust.
The girl waves her stockings over her head and approaches the Officer. She loops her stockings around the Officer's neck and pretends to tease him. The Officer chuckles of the amusement. All of a moment, the girl tightens up the stockings to strangle the Officer forcibly. The Officer groans and struggles to survive desperately.
Two MEN jump in, helping smother the Officer to death with a towel. The Officer's body hit the floor with a thud, his slant-eyes open wide and his bloody tongue stretching out of his mouth.
INT. KITCHEN -- NIGHT
A WAITRESS pulls out a packet of powder from her apron pocket. She sprinkles powder on several dishes of food, and dumps the rest into bottles of wine. She carries the food and wine on a tray and leaves the kitchen.
INT. PRIVATE COMPARTMENT -- NIGHT
Japanese soldiers drink wine and enjoy an extravagant meal, laughing and singing Japanese songs.
Suddenly, they become dumb and stunned. Grabbing their bellies and throats, they struggle to stand up, but stagger and fall to the floor, retching and vomiting. Bloods trickle from their noses and mouths. They collapse, dying.
Dragon Brother's entourage rush in to inspect and suffocate the Japanese who have not yet died. The corpses are moved out of the private compartment. A couple of CLEANING LADIES hurry in to erase the bloody mess and get everything in order.
The TANGO MUSIC continues booming from the dance hall.
EXT. STREETS -- HONGKOW -- DAY
Anna scurries along the streets, showing the portrait of Hans to Jewish PASSERS-BY. They look at the portrait, shake their heads and walk away.
In despair, Anna approaches a couple of Chinese rickshaw pullers sitting on the curb. Anna shows them Hans' portrait.
ANNA
Excuse me, have you seen this man?
RICKSHAW PULLER 1
(In Chinese)
Yeah, I saw him, pulling rickshaw for a day or so.
RICKSHAW PULLER 2
(In Chinese)
We haven't seen him recently.
Anna cannot understand them and leaves, confused.
INT. SURGICAL WARD -- HOSPITAL -- DAY
Dr. Behr and Mina complete operation and wash their hands. Mina wipes sweat off Dr. Behr's forehead. They look into each other's eyes and kiss.
INT. LIVING ROOM -- HEIME -- HONGKOW -- DAY
Dr. Behr puts a radio on the table and plugs it in. He tunes the radio, as the static crackles, and amplifies the volume. The refugees huddle together to listen to the news broadcast.
RADIO ANNOUNCER
After the invasion of Czechoslovakia in March and Poland in September of 1939, the German Reich occupied Denmark and Norway in April of 1940. The Nazis' conquest of Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and, in May, France, made these countries tumble like dominoes...
EXT. HEIME -- DAY
Dr. Behr carries his luggage and leaves the Heime. Refugees see him off.
REFUGEE 1
Good luck, Dr. Behr, now you've got married.
REFUGEE 2
Congratulations, Dr. Behr. We'll miss you.
DR. BEHR
Thank you. I'll be back to pay you a visit. I have patients here, and I'll bring you medicines and supplies from time to time.
EXT. DR. BEHR AND MINA'S HOUSE -- FRENCH CONCESSION -- DAY
A truck is parked in front of a three-story house. Workers unload furniture and Mina guides them into the house. Dr. Behr stands at the entrance, watching.
INT. DR. BEHR AND MINA'S HOUSE -- DAY
Dr. Behr and Mina hang their wedding photos on the wall. Mina sits at the piano and begins to play CHOPIN'S POLONAISE OP.40 NO.1. Dr. Behr stands aside, listening. Mina makes some mistakes during playing and hesitates, embarrassed and unsure of herself.
MINA
Oops, I haven't practised for quite a long while.
Dr. Behr sits down beside her and plays the opus beautifully.
EXT. CASINO -- INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENT -- NIGHT
NEON SIGN flashes in the entrance. Hans follows the four musicians into the casino. The four musicians, with their instruments, whistle and hum songs all the way.
INT. CASINO -- INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENT -- NIGHT
In the main hall, an AMERICAN, who looks like Frank Sinatra, SINGS POP SONGS and TAP-DANCES on the stage. The four musicians are playing JAZZ in the band. Hans, in his new suit, watches the performance and claps hands among the crowd.
A tipsy old FRENCHWOMAN, holding a glass of wine and a large quantity of chips in her hands, staggers toward a table to join a group of gamblers. She knocks her head on a pillar, her chapeau dropping to the floor. Hans happens to pass by, picks up the chapeau, dusts it and hands it back to the Frenchwoman.
FRENCHWOMAN
(lurching)
Oh, merci, merci, gallant young man. Uh, since my hands are full, do you mind putting the chapeau on my head?
HANS
No, I don't mind.
Hans puts the chapeau on the Frenchwoman's head and makes sure it fits well.
FRENCHWOMAN
Merci, merci.
HANS
My pleasure.
FRENCHWOMAN
Come on, would you like to join me in the gambling?
HANS
No, no. I don't have chips.
FRENCHWOMAN
Well, never mind. I can loan you.
HANS
No, thanks.
FRENCHWOMAN
Come on, you may earn what you gain, and return me my chips.
HANS
But if I'd lose.
FRENCHWOMAN
You'll win. You're a lucky man. I'm sure.
Hans pulls a chair for the Frenchwoman and joins in the game. For a while, piles of chips are highly heaped up before Hans.
(CONTINUING)