It was late at night; David lay largely naked in bed with unthinkable awkwardness and fear of being found out. Maria, Josef’s beautiful blonde wife, trying to be helpful, was putting a little bit of perfume for the big night; but she was clearly not looking forward to it, and was obviously sulking. Josef closed the bedroom door for them and went to sit down at the table. He poured himself an ounce of vodka, and bang!!!!!!! Suddenly the deafening silence was broken by a series of impatient knocks on the door downstairs.
Out came David in horrible fright, running for the cell he’d been staying. But Josef grabbed him and said, ”what are you trying to do? Go back to the bed!”
’R I N G!!!!!’ and out came Maria in panic, shouting, ”the bell! Someone’s rung the door bell!”
Josef pushed them back towards the bedroom, shut the door, and told them with unbelievable calm and confidence that he would take care of the unexpected visitor at such late hours.
Off he went.
Downstairs at the gate, of course, was Hurster, the Czech-German friend of the young couple, who had, for a long time now, really, been lusting after Maria. He threatened to renounce them for keeping a man, even though he hadn’t really the evidence yet. He was being mean because his attempts to get his hands on Maria had failed miserably the day he took her out on an expedition.
Josepf went back upstairs after Hurster was gone. David was paralysed in one bed, while Maria was sitting with tears all over her face in the other. They were not making babies. Joseph then set to the task of talking Maria into sleeping with David again, while at the same time pulling the boy back from getting away in shyness and fear, telling her it’s okay and she has to, and telling him it’s okay it’s not that he’s no good. Finally he lost patience, and was simply ordering them to ”do it!”
”Ｉｔ’ｓ ｏｕｒ ｌｉｖｅｓ！！ Ｆｏｒ Ｇｏｄ’ｓ ｓａｋｅ！！”
He yelled in desperation.
—。—。—。
At this point the audience burst into hysterical laughter. This was the funniest scene. At the back of my mind, though, I was weeping with shame. Shame on myself, for not loving with more strength, for being so weak, and for not appreciating the peace I have always had the luxury to possess without even having to work for it.
David Wiener, Marie Cizkova and Josef Cizek…
Look how Josef has to pamper Marie, his wife, into making love to David, the poor young Jewish refugee he brought home one day out of kindness, and without much thought.
Look how Marie feels helplessly reluctant and humiliated, having been cajoled by her own husband, the person with whom she is in love, to have sexual intercourse with another man.
Look how awkward and embarrassed David feels in this absurdity, knowing that this is just simply necessary and a part of the price they have to pay to stay alive.
...
Pleading your wife to sleep with some concentration camp runaway, while persuading him to go with the plan at the same time; this isn’t supposed to be funny at all. It is decidedly miserable!
Yet, amongst the others in the auditorium, I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t be sure if the tears rolling down my face were for profound sadness or ridiculous farce.
Source of image:
http://films.site9internet.com/filmimages/dividedwefall_1.jpg 
