Transcript of the Film (A Work In Progress) SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!
Transcribing films whose scripts aren't readily available seems popular on here, so I figured I'd give it a go with this mostly overlooked little World War II thriller.
Hornets' Nest
A Transcript by Bill Hiers (Kooshmeister)
Directed by Phil Karlson and Franco Cirino
Screenplay by S.S. Schweitzer and Story by Stanley Colbert
Note: To help with this transcript, I consulted Michael Avallone's novelization of the film. Some of the Italian actors playing the German characters are unfortunately a little difficult to understand and with no copy of the screenplay available, Avallone's book was the next best thing. For purely trivia purposes, where the novel differs from the film, I'll mention it.
SCENE 1 - REANOTO
Italy, 1944. The small village of Reanoto lies in an idyllic valley in the northern part of the country. We see a column of vehicles approaching - motorcycles and troop carriers mainly. Their license plates have SS prefixes. Their roaring engines disrupt the early morning peace and quiet as they tear into town.
As each truck passes by a building, WAFFEN-SS TROOPS armed with K98 rifles and MP40 machine guns jump out.
The SS men enter all of the houses and buildings and start pulling the townspeople - MEN and WOMEN with BABIES and CHILDREN - out, forcing them into the street at gunpoint. They even pull the local PRIEST from the church, clutching his Bible. The Germans give no explanation, they simply make everyone come with them.
None of the Italians resist, holding their hands up in submission, whimpering in terror as the invaders make them all line up on one side of the road, their backs to their homes, their hands on their heads. The SS allign themselves opposite their prisoners, facing them in a similar formation. They hold their guns threatetingly.
In a field several yards outside of town, we see a group of young children, the oldest of whom isn't even fifteen yet, hiding in some tall grass and watching. The oldest at fourteen is the blonde-haired DINO, although the younger, fiercer ALDO is the group's leader. The other children are CARLO, SILVIO, FRANCO, TONIO, ROMEO, MIKKO, PAOLO, ARTURO, TEKKO, RICO, LUIGI, GIORGIO, and Dino's younger siblings MARIO and MARIA. Mario and Maria are the two youngest.
As the SS finish lining the villagers up, MAJOR TAUSSIG stands up in his Volkswagen Kübelwagen. He smirks at his captive audience.
TAUSSIG
Where are the Partisans?
There is no reply. The villagers look down at the ground, averting their eyes, unable to look at him. A baby begins crying.
A second group is revealed to be watching from nearby, a little closer than the children in the field. The very PARTISANS Taussig is seeking. They look on from the concealment of some bushes.
One of the townspeople rushes forward out of line. Whether to try and escape or confess is unclear. Two of his neighbors grab him and pull him back. Still no one answers. Taussig is becoming visibly impatient and angry.
TAUSSIG
Where are the Partisans?!
Stony silence. Taussig's mind is made up. He addresses his men.
TAUSSIG
Ready!
The villagers scream and begin weeping as the SS cock their guns. In the bushes, Partisan leader SCARPI reflexively brings up his scoped rifle to fire. Another Partisan fighter, JULIO, forces his weapon down, stopping him.
TAUSSIG
Aim!
He raises his arm. The Germans all raise their weapons.
TAUSSIG
Fire!
The SS open fire. The roar of automatic weapons fills the air. As the bullets rip into the defenseless villagers - men, women and children alike - we intercut between their deaths and the reactions of Aldo and the others. Tears run down their faces as they watch their mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents, friends and neighbors, all being killed. It's over quickly. The SS cease firing. Among the watching children, Mario and Maria don't quite seem to grasp what they've just witnessed.
MARIO
(quietly)
Mama...
Where a line of people once stood there is now a line of corpses. From his own hiding place, Scarpi is quietly enraged.
SCARPI
(whispers)
Bastards!
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Michael Avallone's novelization has a completely different beginning, depicting Turner and his team preparing to take on the Della Norte Dam by attacking a different, Allied-held dam under the supervision of a guy named Major Darcy, with American troops standing in for German ones.
The novel's second chapter is the doomed paradrop and Avallone omits the massacre of Reanoto entirely and only ever alludes to it. The character of Taussig is introduced much later in the book as a consequence and his role as the one who ordered the massacre is never mentioned.
I think this was a mistake on Avallone's part. Without this opening scene, the children's intense desire for revenge against the SS is not as powerful and indeed their characters (particularly Aldo) are watered down somewhat. Ditto Taussig, whose comeuppance later loses some satisfaction if he isn't the executioner of the town. Rather than being the mass murderer getting what he deserves, he's just some schlub we don't care about getting shot.
The new opening chapter does however have the added bonus of giving names to Turner's doomed crew, if not actual personalities.
"I mean, really, how many times will you look under Jabba's manboobs?"