The Abyss
'Ed Harris tries to reanimate Elizabeth Mastrantonio who just drown'
9
Heat
'The discussion between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the restaurant'
REVISED DRAFT by Michael Mann March 3, 1994
XT. FOOD STAND - HANNA + NEIL - NIGHT at a table. Headlights stream by to and from the airport: business people, families going on vacations, people living normal lives who have never used guns to kill people, never experienced physical violence, some who have never been stolen from and never steal. Surrounded on all sides by this flow of normalcy: HANNA Seven years in San Quentin. In the hole for three. McNeil before that. NEIL Yeah. HANNA Was McNeil as tough as they say? NEIL You looking to become a penologist? HANNA You looking to go back? I chased some crews, the guys were lookin' to fuck up and get busted back. NEIL You must have worked some dipshit crews. HANNA I worked all kinds. NEIL (pause) You see me doing thrill-seeker liquor store holdups with a "Born to Lose" tattoo on my chest? HANNA No, I do not. NEIL Right. And I... NEIL (low threat) I am never going back. The adversarial intensity is eye-to-eye. HANNA Then don't take down scores. NEIL I do what I do best. I take scores. You do what you do best trying to stop guys like me. (shrugs) HANNA You never wanted a normal-type life? NEIL What the fuck is that? Barbecues and ballgames? HANNA That's part of it. NEIL That's nice. That your life? HANNA No. My wife spends half her time on the couch. My stepdaughter's got problems 'cause her real father's a world class asshole. And every moment I got, I'm chasing guys like you. NEIL A man told me once: you want to make moves? Don't keep anything in your life you're not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner. (pause) So if you're chasing me and you gotta move when I move, how do you expect to keep a family? HANNA What are you, a monk? NEIL No. (pause) I got a woman. HANNA What do you tell her? NEIL She thinks I sell swimming pools. HANNA And if you spot me around the corner. You gonna walk out on her? Leave her flat? Like that? Not even say goodbye? NEIL That's the discipline. HANNA What you're left with is pretty empty. NEIL Yeah? (beat) Then maybe you and me, we should both go do somethin' else, pal. HANNA I don't know how to do anything else. NEIL (the shared confession) ...neither do I. HANNA And I don't much want to. NEIL Neither do I. Both of these guys look at each other and recognize the mutuality of their condition. Hanna's light laughter: HANNA We're sitting here like a coupla regular fellas. You do what you do. I do what I gotta do. What happens if I am there and I got to put you away? (pause) I won't like it. But, if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're going to make into a widow, brother, you are gonna go down. 'Cause you don't HANNA have to be there. You coulda gone and been a... a mailman. NEIL There's a flip side to that coin. What if you got me boxed in and I gotta put you down? (beat) 'Cause no matter what, you will not get in my way. (beat) But now that we been face to face, I would not feel good about that. But I won't hesitate. Not for one second. HANNA (smiles) Maybe it'll happen that way. Or who knows ... NEIL ...maybe we'll never see each other again. They look at each other for a moment. Neil's wry smile. HANNA (to waitress) Can we have the bill.
8
Once Upon A Time in the West
'Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda face each other in a shootout'
7
Goodfellas
'Joe Pesci's discussion with Ray Liotta in the club'
What's really funny was that
fucking bank job in Secaucus.
I'm in the weeds lying down.
He said, "What are you doing?"
I said, "Resting. Here?"
"In the weeds? I'm resting!"
They pull me in, start asking questions.
You know, this and that.
"What are you going to tell us?"
I said, "My usual. Nothing."
"Why tell you?" The fuck. He says,
"No, you'll tell me something today."
I said, "Okay, go fuck your mother."
You saw the paper.
My head was out like this.
I'm coming around and who
do I see in front of me?
This prick again. He says, "What
do you want to tell me now?"
I said, "What are you doing here?
I said to go fuck your mother."
I thought he'd shit.
The fuckers. I wish
I was big just once.
Funny. You're really funny.
What do you mean?
It's funny, you know.
It's a good story.
You're a funny guy.
You mean the way I talk? What?
It's just, you know. You're just funny.
You know, the way you tell the story.
Funny how? What's funny about it?
You got it all wrong.
He's a big boy. He knows
what he said. Funny, how?
Just, you know. You're funny.
Let me understand this.
Maybe I'm a little fucked up.
But I'm funny how? Funny
like a clown? I amuse you?
I'm here to fucking amuse you?
What do you mean, funny?
How am I funny?
You know, how you tell a story.
I don't know. You said it.
You said I'm funny.
How am I funny? What the
fuck is so funny about me?
Tell me what's funny.
Get the fuck out of here, Tommy.
Motherfucker! I almost had him.
You stuttering prick, you.
Frankie, was he shaking?
I wonder about you sometimes, Henry.
You may fold under questioning.
Jaws
5
Pink Panther Strikes Again
'Peter Sellers in the living room with the staff'
4
Pearl Harbor
'The attack in the port by the Japanese'
EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY The harbor lies quiet. It's a sleepy Sunday morning. Children are playing, officers are stepping from their houses in their shorts to get the morning paper... EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE - OAHU - DAY Hawaiian Boy Scouts are hiking on a side of one of the mountains overlooking Pearl. Suddenly booming over the mountain, barely ten feet above the summit, comes a stream of planes. The boys are awed. What is this? EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY QUICK INTERCUTS - Between the approach of the Japanese planes, and sleepy Pearl Harbor... -- The planes, in formation, their propellers spinning, their engines throbbing... -- Pearl Harbor, with the ships silent, their engines cold, their anchors steady on the harbor bottom. -- The Japanese submarines heading in. -- The American destroyers docking, instead of going out to search for them. -- Another formation of Japanese bombers climbing high, into attack position. -- The Japanese torpedo planes dropping down to the level of the ocean, their engines beginning to scream. -- The American planes bunched on the airfields. -- ON THE JAPANESE CARRIERS, Yamamoto and his staff huddle tensely, over their battle maps. ON THE JAPANESE CARRIER DECKS, the second wave of planes is being brought up and loaded with munitions...the Japanese flag snaps tautly in the wind... ON THE GOLD COURSE NEAR PEARL HARBOR, American officers are laughing on the putting green near the club house, where the American flag droops from the flag pole, limply at peace. -- The Japanese planes roaring down just over the wave tops of Pearl Harbor itself. -- Children playing in the early morning sun, looking up as they see the planes flash by. The children look -- they've never seen this many, flying this low...but they are not alarmed, only curious. The images come faster and faster, the collision of Japan's determination and American's innocence... EXT. DECK OF OKLAHOMA - DAY Two sailors are standing on the deck, sharing a smoke, looking out over the quiet harbor. One of them sees the first few planes streaking in. SAILOR 1 Look at that. SAILOR 2 It's the Army again, practicing on us. Something drops from the lead plane and splashes easily into the water; the plane banks away. SAILOR 2 Practice torpedoes. A white streak runs through the water at them. SAILOR 2 Now listen, you'll hear a little thud when it hits the side of the ship. They watch it rush at them...then, a MASSIVE EXPLOSION! It throws up a fifty foot wall of water, hurling the sailors and everything else on the deck into the sea. EXT. THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR - DAY -- The first wave of planes drop more torpedoes; they plunge BENEATH THE SURFACE, their wooden fins working perfectly, the torpedoes speeding to their targets... We see their AWESOME BLASTS against the anchored ships as the torpedoes hit home. -- The Japanese LOW ALTITUDE BOMBERS come in; some drop their bombs directly into the ships; some skip their bombs across the water, the bombs glancing off the surface and then slamming the sides of battleships with tremendous explosions. -- INSIDE THE SHIPS, sleeping sailors are thrown from their bunks; those already awakened run for their battle stations, and try to make it up to the deck; but there's no escape there, as... -- Zero fighter planes strafe the ships, raking the decks and killing sailors with MACHINE GUN FIRE. EXT. ON THE AMERICAN SHIPS - DAY Fire and smoke are turning everything into chaos. some sailors rush to man the guns, they find the ammo boxes locked. Under the bombing and strafing, they find a wrench and start pounding on the lock, trying to break open the ammo box. Then they break open the lock -- and find the ammo box empty. SAILOR Shit! I'll get some ammo! He runs for the ladders, and is shot down before he gets there. EXT. SKIES OVER PEARL HARBOR - DAY The dive bombers scream in. EXT. DECK OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY Bombs are hitting the deck. Sailors are blown into the air and out into the oily water. Nearby ships are catching fire; the flames spread out onto the oily water itself. INT. BELOW DECKS OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY Dorie Miller, the boxing champion/kitchen helper, is working picking up the breakfast trays when he feels the ship shudder. The intercom comes alive -- INTERCOM Battle stations! Battle stations! This is not a drill! Men run to the ladders, and the shaking of the ship from a bomb blast tosses them off; Dorie's at the foot of the ladder when men fall back on top of him. EXT. BRIDGE OF WEST VIRGINIA - DAY The Captain of the ship has reached the command bridge, where most of his staff is lying wounded from a bomb blast. CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA Stay calm! Find your positions. Medics, get the wounded to sick bay! Load and -- MORE TORPEDOES and BOMBS blast into the ship. A big chunk of shrapnel tears into the Captain and rips his stomach open. The medics he was just directing to other men now run to him, as the men they were going to help have been blown apart. EXT. DECK OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY Sailors run up from below and are gunned down and blasted down before they can reach their weapons. Dorie Miller emerges from below decks and sees the carnage, the confusion. A bloody OFFICER grabs him. BLOODY OFFICER Boy! We need stretcher bearers on the bridge! Dorie runs into the fire and smoke, toward the bridge. EXT. BRIDGE OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY Dorie arrives to see the medics crouched over the disemboweled Captain, who is still giving orders. CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA Radio for air cover. Organize the other medics. Initiate fire control. Dorie helps the medic lift the Captain to take him below. INT. BELOW DECKS OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY Dorie carries the Captain down the ladder by himself, using one arm to climb and one to hold the Captain like a child's teddy bear. When they reach the bottom the pain has grown too much for the Captain; he know's he's dying. CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA Put me down here. Dorie puts him down; the medic jumps down the ladder and reaches the Captain, who tells him -- CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA Find my executive officer and tell him he's in command. Tell him to fire the boilers and... He trembles in death throes... CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA Make sure the gunners have enough ammuni -- He's dead. The Medic runs toward the ladder, reaches the hatch, and is blasted back to the bottom by an explosion overhead. Dorie runs for the ladder, and climbs out into hell. EXT. DECK OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY Dorie emerges into even greater carnage and confusion. A sailor, his body on fire, runs past and leaps into the oily water -- but it is in flames too. Then Dorie sees it: an unmanned anti-aircraft gun. He runs to it, through the strafing. The gun already has a belt of ammo in it -- apparently loaded by the gunner who lies beside it with his chest shot open. Dorie swings the business end of the gun toward the Zeros coming in out of the smoke, and he begins to fire. The Zeros keep coming and he keeps firing; nothing on earth will knock him from that gun. INT. NURSES' BARRACKS - DAY Evelyn is up, dressed; her roommates are just stirring. EXT. NURSES' QUARTERS - OAHU - DAY Evelyn has stepped to the door when she hears a distant rumble and looks across the harbor to see smoke rising, ships taking hits. EVELYN Oh my God... EVERYBODY TO THE HOSPITAL! As she runs, Japanese planes are coming toward the base. EXT. THE MESS HALL AT HICKAM FIELD - DAY The men were sitting down to breakfast, but the machine gun bullets tearing up the outer walls have them clogging the doors, and it's so clogged they can't all get out. A steel bomb crashes through the roof and slams through the room, taking out tables and chairs before bouncing off the wall and coming to a stop. TWO SOLDIERS, trapped within the mess hall, see it stop without detonating. They are bug-eyed, hearts stopped. MESS HALL SOLDIER Dud. The bomb detonated, blowing everything to bloody dust. INT. HOSPITAL - DAY Evelyn reaches the hospital first and runs to the cabinet, withdrawing supplies. Barbara and Sandra appear at the far door, both terrified. EVELYN Get everything out! Bandages, sutures -- oh God, the men in traction... Come with me! She races into the hallway, the other two following. INT. HOSPITAL - TRACTION WARD - DAY Four men from a jeep accident are lying in traction, their casted limbs roped in the air. Evelyn runs in, grabbing a razor blade from the medical cabinet -- and telling Barbara and Sandra. EVELYN Cut them down, and take cover!! Hurry! Bombs are falling outside, on the airfield this wing of the hospital faces. Evelyn slices the traction ropes of a man with both legs broken; ignoring his groans, she rolls him out of the bed and covers him with the mattress. The other nurses follow her lead. The bombs are coming toward the hospital ward; Evelyn finishes with the fourth man and covers him and herself with the mattress, just as a bomb craters outside the window. The nurses and patients look up after the explosions have passed; there's a chunk of smoking shrapnel lying on the springs of the bunk where the last man had been lying. EXT. HICKAM FIELD - DAY The Japanese low-altitude bombers, with Zero escorts, zoom in over the field, blasting the clusters of American warplanes, whole squadrons taken out with one bomb. The mechanics and pilots, caught in the open, run from the strafing. The Zeros rake them down with machine gun fire. It's carnage. EXT. PHOTOGRAPHER'S HOUSE - DAY Sammy, the amateur photographer, is leaving his house for a morning of working his "Pictures of Paradise" business, when he sees the Japanese formations rumbling toward Pearl. He races back inside. INT. PHOTOGRAPHER'S HOUSE - DAY He fishes into his drawer for a film camera, and digs out cans of film, struggling to load it as he runs back out. INT. HICKAM FIELD - BARRACKS - DAY The pilots of Danny's squadron have returned from their night of drinking and brawling and are crashed on their bunks. Red stirs and staggers toward the head; he bumps into the wall, backs up like a wind-up toy and lurches blindly forward again, into -- INT. BARRACKS - THE HEAD - DAY Red sleepwalks to the urinals and unleashes a marathon piss stream, still in his sleep. A rumble penetrates his brain, and his eyes come open a fraction. Through the window slits above the urinals, he can see a cloud of Japanese planes rushing past. He squeezes his eyes shut, and looks again; the planes start bombing the distant hangers. Red pisses along the wall as he races to the barracks, trying to get his pecker back into his drawers. He shouts to the sleeping guys -- RED Th-th-th-th-th- He slaps his face with both hands, and stomps his feet... RED Th-th-th-th-Dammit! Th-th-th- He still can't get it out, can't wake them; bursting with frustration, he suddenly blasts out singing -- RED (singing) The Jaaaps!! The Jaaaps!! He's belting it like a baritone in a bizarre opera. His friends stir; what the hell? Red points outside and tries to talk, but now he can't mutter a syllable. The guys hear the explosions, and realize... EXT. HICKAM FIELD - BARRACKS - DAY The pilots stagger out, half drunk, half dressed. Seeing what's happening, they race toward the flight line, where the clustered American planes are blowing up in groups, and the pilots are knocked to the ground. BILLY Goddamn Japs! Billy jumps to his feet and starts to run toward a cluster of fighters that hasn't gone up yet. ANTHONY Billy! Anthony tries to grab him and drag him back to earth but he misses; Billy gets a few steps before the fire from a strafing Zero catches up to him; his friends watch in horror as Billy gets shorter as he runs; the Zero's machine gun fire is sawing his legs off from the feet up. Billy falls, legless but still alive; then a bomb falls almost on top of him, sending body parts over the pilots. Their innocence, like America's, is gone in that moment. EXT. ROAD TO MAIN AIRFIELD - DAY Danny and Rafe are in Danny's Buick, hung over and asleep, Danny in front, Rafe in back, and they're a miserable sight -- their shirts ripped, blood dried in a leak trail from one side of Rafe's nose and the corner of Danny's mouth. The rumble of planes moving overhead makes them stir; the rumble grows huge, as the shadows of a massive formation makes the sunlight flicker. Danny and Rafe squint up, their heads pounding, and realize what they're seeing. Suddenly their headaches are gone, and Danny's gunning the Buick down the road, toward the base. EXT. AIR BASE - DAY Danny blasts through the main gate; the guards are too busy taking cover and haven't even closed the barrier. He races to the tarmac, where some of the planes are still undamaged. Rafe is out the door before the car stops rolling, and Danny's right behind him. They're running toward a cluster of fighters, when it goes up with a bomb blast. Rafe and Danny dive at each other; their first instinct is to cover their best friend with their own bodies. They look at each other on the ground. They see machine gun bullets thudding into the planes on the flight line, and ripping along the walls of the buildings. It's as if the whole Japanese airforce is attacking this one base, and not leaving a single plane airworthy. RAFE Get me into a plane! DANNY Come on! Danny sprints; Rafe follows. Danny reaches a phone booth, and digs a dime from his pants. RAFE You're making a phone call?! Danny dials, as waves of bullets sweep the area, and more planes blow up on the flight line. Rafe thinks he's lost his mind. DANNY (into phone) This is Walker! We're under attack! Get those planes fueled and armed RIGHT NOW! He runs back toward the car; Rafe, in the nonsense of battle, reaches in to hang up the receiver, before Danny grabs him and leads him on a sprint to the car, as the phone booth shatters behind them from the strafing. On the way to the car they dive back to the ground to avoid strafing -- and see their friends lying nearby, in shock. ANTHONY They got Billy. DANNY Come with us! He and Rafe jump up and run again. Anthony, Red, and several other pilots reach the Buick and dive in. Danny drives away, through the strafing. RAFE Where are we going? DANNY Auxiliary field at Haleiwa, ten miles north of here. RAFE What's there? DANNY Six P-40's. As the Zero pilots see the Buick moving, they go after it. Danny drives like a madman through the strafing, zigzagging and gunning the Buick's V-8. EXT. THE OKLAHOMA - STILL AT ANCHOR - DAY The number of attacking planes seems endless -- and their strategy flawless. Torpedoes hitting one ship lifts its hull with a blast, enabling the next wave of torpedoes to rush under and hit the next ship anchored behind. The American battleships are bobbing like see-saws. The OKLAHOMA takes an entire barrage of torpedoes, blowing thirty foot holes along it's hull; the ship immediately begins to list. INT. THE OKLAHOMA - DAY Doors are wedged shut by the deformation of the structure; vertical ladders are becoming horizontal, and water is pouring in. Men fight their way up against the water. INT. INNER COMPARTMENT OF THE OKLAHOMA - DAY Water is up to the trapped sailor's waists when they grab a wrench and start taking turns pounding S.O.S. in Morse code on the bulkhead. EXT. DECK OF OKLAHOMA - DAY As the listing grows more severe, sailors start jumping from the deck into the water. Still the Marines on deck are firing back at the planes; some Marines are even using handguns. But courage does not save them...THE OKLAHOMA ROLLS OVER The men still on its deck try to run, but it's not just the fires and the water they can't escape; the gun turrets' 1400 pound shells break loose with the capsizing of the ship and tumble through everything like massive wrecking balls. The sailors and marines, thrown into the water, struggle to get away from the suction as the giant battleship turns turtle. BELOW THE WATER men are sucked down with amazing force, every hair on their heads streaming behind them as they're snatched to the depths. INSIDE THE OKLAHOMA, everyone and everything is spilling upside down. The ship's generators sputter out and the lights go out. The flashlights of the few sailors who can find them cut raggedly through the darkness, and water spills in. There is no escape. BELOW THE WATER, the Oklahoma's superstructure hits bottom; some men are crushed there. For others it's salvation, as the BACKWASH blows them toward the surface. ON THE SURFACE the men are launched almost completely out of the water, before splashing back into the water and burning oil. A few feet of the steel hull and a portion of the propeller protrude above the surface, but most of the Oklahoma is under water. Men in the water swim toward a medical launch carrying wounded away from the wreckage. A bomb hits the launch and blows body parts everywhere. INT. OKLAHOMA - REAR COMPARTMENT In one compartment there are a dozen trapped men. They've survived the roll-over, and are in a chaotic world where the floor is now the ceiling. The water is up their waists. Some of the SAILORS are panicking. One sailor has a flashlight and switches it on, flashing the light from face to face. SAILOR WITH THE FLASHLIGHT Don't panic! Don't panic! PANICKED SAILOR The water's rising! It's coming up, we're all gonna drown! SAILOR WITH THE FLASHLIGHT The air pressure will equalize it! But the water keeps rising, along with their fears. Several of the sailors are still screaming... The water's already to their bellies. One of them grabs a wrench and starts slamming Morse code against the bulkhead. One sailor in the middle of the room is particularly panicked, not just yelling but crying and whimpering -- TERRIFIED SAILOR Get me out! Get me out! SAILOR WITH THE FLASHLIGHT Stop it! Come on! Save your air! TERRIFIED SAILOR MY FOOT'S CAUGHT! He's at the lower end of the compartment, where the water is deeper -- the ship's nose is lower than her stern. The water's up to the guy's neck. The man with the flashlight dives down, and finds the guys foot wedged together in the pipes of the ships ceiling -- now their floor. He pops up again. The water's up to the trapped guy's mouth; he's already gagging. SAILOR WITH THE FLASHLIGHT Is there a hacksaw in that locker?! They open it; tools spill out -- among them is a hacksaw. They hand it to him; the sailor dives down and cuts off the guy's foot. The trapped man is underwater, muffling his scream. He comes free, and surfaces gasping. His severed foot floats to the surface and then the horror really hits them. The sailor with the flashlight pops up, in the blossoming of blood. He and another sailor tie a tourniquet around the stump, to stop the bleeding. The drama of this has caused the other trapped men to stop their signaling. Now they start banging, twice as loudly as before.
3
Ben-Hur
'Chariots Race'
2
The Deer Hunter
'Robert De Niro uses the Russian roulette in Viet war camp'
EXT. CLEARING IN THE JUNGLE - THE "PITS" - DAY SAL has absolutely no comprehension of what is about to happen to him. His eyes are dreamy, far away, as if he had mentally transported himself to some distant place. There are great gashes in his head from the blows he has received and as he stands waiting in the pouring rain he looks exactly like a very small child who has experienced some terrible confusion. Suddenly the GUARD standing beside SAL wrenches him around. We see the pit now, CLOSE UP. There are four bloated CORPSES floating in the muck. We SAL'S FACE, CLOSE UP. He gives a CRY and tries to turn away. We see the GUARDS pick SAL up, SCREAMING. We see the SPLASH as SAL hits the water and then we see him surface between the bloated CORPSES, STILL SCREAMING, paddling desperately and trying to find something solid to hod him up. EXT. CLEARING IN THE JUNGLE - WAITING PRISONERS - DAY NICK stands motionless, stunned, listening to SAL'S SCREAMS. MERLE has his attention focused on the GUARD IN CHARGE and when he glances in their direction MERLE slugs NICK in the stomach and begins beating him furiously to the ground. NICK struggles to his feet. MERLE attacks him again and now, as the GUARD IN CHARGE comes over to see what's going on, MERLE begins hopping up and down, pointing at NICK, pointing at the revolver in the GUARD'S hand and screaming. MERLE Him and me!!! Him and me!!! The GUARDS look at each other, interested. MERLE (CONT'D) Him and me, goddamn it! Him and me! INT. THATCHED HUT - HEAVY RAIN - DAY MERLE and NICK sit facing one another across the rose patterned kitchen table. The GUARDS are all grinning and even the SOUTH VIETNAMESE are watching with grim fascination. NICK has the revolver. He is trembling visibly. Already MERLE has managed to draw the GUARDS in closer and as NICK spins the cylinder and cocks the hammer MERLE jumps up and begins pounding on the table. MERLE This is it, motherfuckers! Now he's going to do it! Watch! You watch! NICK almost loses what little control is left and his hand begins shaking violently. MERLE (CONT'D) Look at him! See! This is it and he knows it! Side bets begin changing hands. MERLE (CONT'D) Last chance to lose your money there, guys. Goodbye money! Hurry, hurry. Here he goes! NICK puts the revolver against his temple and pulls the trigger. There is a dull CLICK. NICK puts the revolver back on the table. His hand is shaking so badly it falls with a clunk. MERLE grabs it, spins it, sticks it to his temple and CLICKS OUT, talking all the time: MERLE (CONT'D) This is stupid! You understand stupid? On and on! At this rate we'll still be here tomorrow! (throws the revolver on the table) Wait a minute. I know! Hey, I got it. More! Put in more! You understand more? More! More bullets! (he mimes with his fingers) Three bullets! You understand three? That way BLAM! BOOM! MERLE hops up and down, laughing maniacally. MERLE (CONT'D) KA-POWIE!!! BA-ROOM!!!... 'Cause I want that bastard! Him I want boom! Him or me!!! The GUARD IN CHARGE looks at his COMPANIONS. They all begin shouting for him to go ahead. The GUARD IN CHARGE purses his lips, as if imitating a general coming to a decision, and then nods his assent. The GUARDS all howl. MERLE joins right in. MERLE (CONT'D) He's terrific! Great fucking guy! The GUARD IN CHARGE takes the revolver, opens the cylinder and begins sticking in two more cartridges. MERLE (CONT'D) KA-POW!!! BA-ROOMIE!!! MERLE hops up and down again, then screams at NICK, jabbing his finger at him, as if in fury. MERLE (CONT'D) Both of us may have to pull on this, so get your shit in fuckin' shape!!! (to the GUARDS) Him or me!!! Now we got it, him or me!!! (he rubs his hands and sits back down) Place your bets, motherfuckers! Now we're going! Now we got a game! The GUARD IN CHARGE places the revolver on the table, spins it. MERLE (CONT'D) Watch! Now watch! He's going to get it. And then KA-POW! BA-ROOMIE!!! The muzzle stops pointing at MERLE. MERLE scowls, looks over at the GUARD IN CHARGE. The GUARD IN CHARGE has lifted the barrel of his AK 47 and is watching him with caution. The OTHER GUARDS, who are totally caught up in the game, are yelling and shouting. MERLE You guys think I'm in trouble, right? MERLE picks up the revolver, spins the cylinder, cocks it... MERLE (CONT'D) No way! Never!!! (he begins to chant) MERLE IS MIGHTY! -- HA! MERLE IS STRONG! -- HA! MERLE IS MAGIC! -- HA! MERLE LIVES LONG! Lemme hear it. Come on, motherfuckers, lemme hear it! MERLE starts it again. The GUARDS who are bett ing on him JOIN IN: MERLE (CONT'D) (with GUARDS) MERLE IS MIGHTY! -- HA! MERLE IS STRONG! -- HA! MERLE IS MAGIC! -- HA! MERLE LIVES LONG! MERLE takes a glance at the GUARD IN CHARGE again. The GUARD IN CHARGE is still eyeing him with caution. MERLE places the revolver to his temple... and CLICKS into an empty chamber. MERLE (CONT'D) See! Nothing to it. He pushes the gun across to NICK. Then he stabs his finger at him, screaming again, as if in a fit of rage. MERLE (CONT'D) You got an empty chamber and it's in your mind! Just put that empty chamber in the gun! NICK looks down at the revolver and picks it up. He stares at MERLE for a moment. Then he spins the cylinder, cocks the hammer, Puts it to his head... and CLICKS into an empty chamber. The GUARDS let out expressions of disbelief. Those betting on NICK begin taunting those betting on MERLE. MERLE sits motionless, as if stunned, as if utterly defeated, his brow furrowed in a mighty frown. NICK pushes the revolver across the table. His face is twitching but he gives the gesture a certain flair, as if throwing back a challenge. MERLE stares at the revolver -- stares at it with an expression of utter gloom. Then he reaches out, takes the revolver in his hand and pulls it toward him, as if he no longer possessed the strength to pick it up. MERLE (CONT'D) (gloom) Who's for Merle? (he thumps his fist on the table) Is anyone for Merle??? MERLE roams a glowering eve over the watching GUARDS, as if suddenly discovering himself among traitors. Slowly, he pushes himself to his feet. The gun is still on the table, still in his right hand, and as he gets up he lets his body sag over it. MERLE (CONT'D) Who here is for Merle...? There is absolute silence now except for the drumming of the rain. It is as if the war had disappeared, vanished. The GUARDS stand motionless, hardly breathing, so captivated by MERLE'S performance that they suddenly resemble little children. MERLE (CONT'D) Who... here... is for Merle...? MERLE begins his chant again. His voice is low, very dramatic, and the GUARD IN CHARGE joins right in. MERLE (CONT'D) (with GUARDS) MERLE IS MIGHTY! -- HA! MERLE IS STRONG! -- HA! MERLE IS MAGIC -- HA! MERLE snaps the revolver level in his hand and BLASTS the GUARD IN CHARGE, hitting him full in the face. At the same time NICK throws himself into the GUARD who is standing behind him, spins and slams the GUARD'S AK 47 into his chin. TWO MORE SHOTS BLAST OUT FROM MERLE'S .45 and we see TWO GUARDS crash over the kitchen table. NICK now opens up with AK 47, and as MERLE backs off beside him, also with an AK 47, they GUN the remaining GUARDS to the floor. It is over in an instant. The BODIES lie in a bloody, tangled mess under a pathetic paper lantern. The rain drones on -- uninterrupted, undiminished, eternal... EXT. CLEARING IN THE JUNGLE - HEAVY RAIN - DAY Barely visible against the dripping foliage -- like a shadow is a startled V.C. SOLDIER. The man takes a half-step forward, unslings his rifle and OPENS FIRE. INT. THATCHED HUT - DAY The SOUTH VIETNAMESE PRISONERS are hit where they stand. NICK spins, BADLY WOUNDED. MERLE throws himself on the floor and lets go with the AK 47.
1
The Godfather
'Al Pacino shooting Sollozzo the Turk and the Chief of the Police'
THIRD DRAFT PARAMOUNT PICTURES 1 Gulf and Western Plaza March 29, 1971 New York, New York 10019EXT NITE: LUNA AZURA RESTAURANT (WINTER 1945) The car pulls up in front of a little family restaurant in the Bronx: The "LUNA AZURA". There is no one on the street. MICHAEL looks to see if the DRIVER is going to get out with them. He gets out, and opens the door. SOLLOZZO, McCLUSKEY and MICHAEL get out; the DRIVER remains leaning against the car. They enter the restaurant. INT NITE: LUNA AZURA (WINTER 1945) A very small family restaurant with a mosaic tile floor. SOLLOZZO, MICHAEL and McCLUSKEY sit around a rather small round table near the center of the room. There are empty booths along the side walls; with a handful of CUSTOMERS, and ONE or TWO WAITERS. It is very quiet. MCCLUSKEY Is the Italian food good here? SOLLOZZO Try the veal; it's the finest in New York. The solitary WAITER brings a bottle of wine to the table. They watch him silently as he uncorks it and pours three glasses. Then, when he leaves, SOLLOZZO turns to McCLUSKEY: SOLLOZZO I am going to talk Italian to Mike. MCCLUSKEY Sure, you two go right ahead; I'll concentrate on my veal and my spaghetti. SOLLOZZO now begins in rapid Sicilian. MICHAEL listening carefully and nodding every so often. Then MICHAEL answers in Sicilian, and SOLLOZZO goes on. The WAITER occasionally brings food; and they hesitate while he is there; then go on. Then MICHAEL, having difficulty expressing himself in Italian, accidentally lapses into English. MICHAEL (using English for emphasis) Most important...I want a sure guarantee that no more attempts will be made on my father's life. SOLLOZZO What guarantees can I give you? I am the hunted one. I've missed my chance. You think too highly of me, my friend...I am not so clever...all I want if a truce... MICHAEL looks long and hard at SOLLOZZO, who is smiling holding his open hands up as if to say: "I have no tricks up my sleeve". Then he looks away and makes a distressed look on his face. SOLLOZZO What is it? MICHAEL Is it all right if I go to the bathroom? SOLLOZZO is intuitively suspicious. He studies MICHAEL with his dark eyes. Then he thrusts his hand onto MICHAEL's thigh feeling in and around, searching for a weapon. MCCLUSKEY I frisked him; I've frisked thousands of young punks; he's clean. He looks at a MAN sitting at a table opposite them; indicating the bathroom with his eyes. The MAN nods, indicating no one is there. SOLLOZZO Don't take too long. MICHAEL gets up and calmly walks to the bathroom, and disappears inside. INT NITE: LUNA AZURA TOILET (WINTER 1945) MICHAEL steps into the small bathroom; he is breathing very hard. He actually uses the urinal. Then he washes his hands with the bar of pink soap; and dries them thoroughly. Then he moves to the booth, up to the old-fashioned toilet. Slowly he reaches behind the water tank; he panics when he cannot feel the gun. We see behind the tank his hand is just a few inches from the gun...he gropes searchingly...finally coming to rest on the gun. CLOSE ON MICHAEL; the feel of it reassures him. Then he breaks it loose from the tape holding it; he takes a deep breath and shoves it under his waistband. For some unexplainable reason he hesitates once again, deliberately washes his hands and dries them. Then he goes out. INT NITE: LUNA AZURA (WINTER 1945) He hesitates by the bathroom door; and looks at his table. McCLUSKEY is eating a plate of spaghetti and veal. SOLLOZZO turns around upon hearing the door, and looks directly at MICHAEL. MICHAEL looks back. Then he smiles and continues back to the table. He sits down. MICHAEL Now I can talk. I feel much better. The MAN by the far wall had been stiff with attention; now he too relaxes. SOLLOZZO leans toward MICHAEL who sits down comfortably and his hands move under the table and unbutton his jacket. SOLLOZZO begins to speak in Sicilian once again but MICHAEL's heart is pounding so hard he can barely hear him. The WAITER comes to ask about the order, SOLLOZZO turns to speak, and without warning, MICHAEL shoves the table away from him with his left hand, and with his right hand puts the gun right against SOLLOZZO's head, just touching his temple. He pulls the trigger, and we see part of SOLLOZZO's head blown away, and a spray of fine mist of blood cover the entire area. The WAITER looks in amazement; suddenly his white jacket is sprayed and stained with blood. SOLLOZZO seems in a perpetual fall to the floor; through he seems to hang in space suspended. MICHAEL pivots, and looks: There is McCLUSKEY, frozen, the fork with a piece of veal suspended in air before his gaping mouth. MICHAEL fires; catching McCLUSKEY in his thick bulging throat. He makes a horrible, gagging, choking sound. Then coolly, and deliberately, MICHAEL fires again, fires right through McCLUSKEY's white-topped skull. The air is filled with pink mist. MICHAEL swings toward the MAN standing by the bathroom wall. He does not make a move, seemingly paralyzed. Now he carefully shows his hands to be empty. The WAITER steps backward through the mist of blood, an expression of horror on his face. MICHAEL looks at his two victims: SOLLOZZO still in his chair, side of his body propped up by the table. McCLUSKEY finally falls from the chair to the table. MICHAEL is wildly at a peak. He starts to move out. His hand: is frozen by his side, STILL GRIPPING THE GUN. He moves, not letting the gun go. MICHAEL's face; frozen in its expression. His hand: still holding the gun. His face: finally he closes his eyes. His hand relaxes, the gun falls to the floor with a dull thud. He walks quickly out of the restaurant, looks back. He sees a frozen tableau of the murder; as though it had been recreated in wax. Then he leaves.FADE OUT
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