"THE DEER HUNTER" (1978)

el truck braxes and turns off the highway into a l route that is becoming a forgotten back road. der the highway, through a high uncerpass, down

A big tandenx dies smaller commercria The road winds un

towards the little steel town of Clairton, Pa.

Rearing itself enormously over the town, the steel plant is massive, grime-streaked, squatting in the river valley under five massive blast furnace stacks, each one over twelve stories high and traii- ing fat white plumes across the winter sky. Fires can be seen flickering through the windows and long flames weave and dance from the tops of guyed metal flues. Steam rises in clouds from vents and chimneys and the sound of it all -- the hissing, the clanging, the rumbling, the shrieking -- comes faintly, muted by the falling snow.

In the foreground is the town's only commercial street -- Divisicn Street -- which shares the bottom of the narrow flood plain and borders directiy alongside the mill. Division is a sad-looking street, a grim-looking street, a street hanging on by the skin of its teeth. Dilapidated stores hug the narrow sidewalks. Battered signs squeak in the wind. Sandwiched between the stores and scat- tered on twisting roads along the hillside are narrow Victorian houses. These houses, which run to three stories or more in height, all seem on the verge of toppling over, and undoubtedly would, ex- cept that they are all connected one to another by a mad arrangement of utility lines which cross and re-cross between them with occasicn- al aid from a leaning pole.

The theme music comes up -- dissonant, rather frightening music -- as we watcn the truck come charging up through the slush on Divisi Street. As it nears camera the truck seems to snake the town, roa down the slippery grade and siliges out of sight. A ficure acrears huddled against the driving snow. The ficure crosses a catwalk ¢

the mill, disappears as camera holds on the mill and the emoty stree-r Simple lettering fades in:

THE DEER HUNTER

Suddenly the theme music stops. There is a moment's pause.

A huge sheet of flame roars two stories high as pure oxygen is blown into a furnace. On a stage below, a white-hot ingot is pulled fron a "soaking pit" by a massive overhead crane. The crane comes screan- ing down a mile-long track and drops the ingot off onto the rollers Another ingot follows it, and anotner and another and another. The ingots are huge, trembling with heat, and they come on with a terri- fying rumble.

FADE IN CREDITS OVER:

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We see a CAST HOUSE CREW preparing to tap the furnace which rises in* a spidery network of catwalks and girders and deftly swinging across the troughs. There are five of them, all of whom are young. They wear leather aprons, thick goggles and asbestos hoods which extend t the waist. Warped in heat waves and glistening with sweat they seem like figures in some hellish ballet. Since they all wear goggles it is hard to distinguish between them, but there are three, who are younger, wno seem to work with particular grace. These are NICK, STEVEN and MICHAEL.

Michael takes up a long steel pole and rams it through the crust sealing the open tap hole at the base of the furnace. As the steel pole penetrates the crust there is a tremendous explosion of white- hot molten iron which gushes from the tap nole in a spectacular shower of sparks and vours into a deep trough in the brick floor. Nick slams open a heavy sluice gate and the molten iron roars out across the entire floor in a series of inter-connected channels. This last regulated by two men, one of whom is huce. He is AXEL. The other, STAN, who is the smallest man, watches as now the molten iron pours through gaping holes, into brick-lined "hot metal cars” waiting on railroad tracks below.

The heat is unbelievable, rising in waves, and as the men step back and forth across the lethal rivers of flowing iron the shapes of their bodies go through sudden, spectacular visual changes -- growin: fat, growing thin, growing short, growing tall. Michael has about him an air of command, even of arrogance. He is the "Turn Foreman".

Close on Nick. The noise is deafening, the close presence of th furnace terrifying, and the white-hot molten iron continues gus! from the tap hole in bursts of spark and flame. Taking acvanta of a slight pause, Michael jabs Nick with his pole and thev both make cuckold's horns at Steven. Steven waves them off with his hand. Michael and Nick make the horns aaain and now Steven puts both hands on his hips and studiously ignores them. Michael ane Nick begin laughing. Steven can't hold out and he begins lauching too, but now one of the troughs begins flowing and Axel turns to give them a look and they become all concentration again.

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FADE CREDITS:

And it couldn't be more of a contrast. A young, prematurely balding

PRIEST, two small ALTAR BOYS and an old CUSTODIAN are maxing preva- rations for a wedding ceremony. STEVEN'S MOTHER hovers close-by as

‘the Priest unlocks a cabinet and takes out beautiful hand-made tapers

and two golden crowns which will be used in the service. The Priest moves with precise, agonizing slowness and Steven's Mother is in the midst of a bad anxiety attack. STEVEN'S MOTHER It's all right? Everything's going to be all right?

(Revised 5/9/77) 3.

The priest smiles again.

Steven's Mother puts her hand to her mouth and bursts into tears.

The priest gives his gentle smile again. He takes Steven's Mother, who is openly weeping now, in his arms and comforts her.

A car lunges up the hill, gets about halfway and slides back. As

the car disappears, the door to one of the tilting old houses bursts open and a group of giggling BRIDESMAIDS begins scampering across the street. They have all been working on their cresses, which are not completely finished, and they all carry ribbons and scissors and pieces of material. It is freezing cold and as they make their

_ way to the other side of the slippery street they grab each other

for support. An icy wind begins blowing. One of the bridesmaids loses her dress entirely and with everyone lauqhing she rushes back to retrieve it. When the garment is captured a door comes cpen and the bridesmaids disappear inside.

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We hold on Starkweather Street for a moment. The snow slants across the boarded-up stores and piles on the gables of the tins

houses. Anotne: car arrears, lunves at the hill and slid Suddenly the cicr of one of the nouses comes cpen anc a grou: OLDER NEIGHBOREZSOD WOMEN emerge carrving a huge white weddin with a miniature bride and groom standing on the tco. The old women are all in their fifties and sixties and bundled in dark over- coats, boots and babusnkas. As they begin moving slowly up the street in the driving snow, shielding the great wnite cake between them, we see the onion-shaped domes of the church rearing over them all.

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Time clocks line the walls. As a whistle screams to mark the end of the graveyard shift thousand of steelworkers, many with their hard hats still on, goggles pushed over the top, and all of them grimy in thick layers of clothes and boots, begin checking out, streaming toward acres of parked cars or heading directly for the line of small, neon-lit bars which adjoin the mill along the entire length of a near- by block on the end of Division Street. Nick, Steven and Michael are right up in the front ranks and once they have clocked their cards they gather together in the streaming mass of men. We see them clear- ly for the first time: They are tall, strongly built, and there is a melancholy about their faces now, but this can be quickly washed out with a smile or a laugh. They are intelligent, sensitive, handsome faces, but very ethnic, very strong.

Axel appears -- six and a half feet tall, huge and stroncg-musciled

“ but with a natural smile like an angel and a stomach as beamy 2s a

coal barge -- changes course and plows across the river of departing steélworkers.

Steven punches Axel's arm. On closer view, Steven seems no longer a youth, but he is not yet a man: something about himis unfixed.

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Axel wades back into the stream of steelworkers, grabs Stan and they all push out together.

The snow is still falling. It covers the ground. It covers the acres of begrimed cars. t swirls and tosses and blows. As the five friends come out into the parking lot they all stop dead in their tracks, staring into the grey sky.

the hell is it?

. MICHAEL Sun dogs. Holy shit... sun dogs!

Everyone looks at Michael, then back up at the sky. Around the hazed winter sun is an enormous, perfect halo. At four equidistant points around the outer edge of the halo are four shimmering, faintly glow-

ing disks, each one of which is a miniature reflection of the sun it- self. °

The sight is so stunning that for a moment no one speaks.

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The others nod

MICHAEL

It's an old Indian thing.

STAN

Mike, there's sometimes nobody but a doctor can understand you.

‘no', shrug. They are all embarrassed. Thev start

heading towards Michael's car. A battered old shark-finned '59

“ Caddy Coupe de Ville.

(to the others)

Right? Am I right?

It's all right. Hev, it's all right. We'll be right here, right with you. All of us.

(looks at the

others) Won't we? Right? Am I right?

The others murmur agreement. Now Steven is embarrassed. He makes a gesture with his hand.

They all come through the swirling snow to Michael's old Cadillac, all with their arms around Steven, laughing and joxing, punching each other, but it's obvious they care about each other. They care.

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AXEL

Fuckin’ A! NICK (sardonic)

You're a regular poet, Axel.

The place is large and lovingly painted in glossy pastoral scenes of

various conflicting shades, like a huge candy box. There are high

arched windows along the outer walls. Across the floor from the en- trance is a small arched stage with an enormous American flag hanging from the ceiling behind the arch. WOMEN are laying wnite paper table- cloths on trestle tables.

Plastered to the wall just above the arched stage are three larae blow-ups of Nick, Steven and Michael. The blow-ups are high school vintage photos, patriotically edged with red, white and blue bunting. Above them is a caption: SERVING GOD AND COUNTRY PROUDLY.

As TWO OLD MEN on high ladders gingerly hold the bunting with tremblinc hands, TWO WWl VETS on the floor look up at them, their eyes peering

up intently behind thick corrective gliasses. The first vet has a sin- gle lens blacked out.

Up closer to Steven's picture!

The old men on the ladders adjust the bunting closer to Steven's picture. The two WWl vets on the floor study it.

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Suddenly there is a commotion. The women who are setting the tables ali rush to the door as the older women come in with the wedéing cake.

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The older women are half-frozen and as they move toward the table in the middle of the room the cake receives a great chor:s of obh’s anz ahh's. Suddenly the oldest woman collapses. Everwers rushes <o her aid, seats her in a chair and rubs her feet and hards. Someone comes up with a large glass of wine. The oldest woman takes the glass,

tosses it off in one swallow and gives a great, ear-splitting grin.

Michael's 'S9 Caddy careens across the parking area.

Nick, Steven, Michael, Stan and Axel are all laughing. Michael is at the wheel. The wipers have made two broad arcs in the dirt on the windshield.

The Caddy bangs over gaping potholes heading straight for the main gate which opens onto the narrow end of Division Street where it curves sharply under a railroad trestle. Obviously the caution sign is not going to be observed.

Michael careens through the gate and just as he does so a huge tractor trailer rig comes barrelling out of the underpass on his blinc side te the right and swings wide to avoid him...

Michael is highballing it two wheels up on the sidewalk scraping the

rock wall of the railroad trestle on his right. Th tractor trailer is only inches away on his left, air horn blaring. There is not en-

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ough room for both vehicles on the same narrow stretch of road.

Nick, who has been slarmed against the window on the truck side, is studying the second nana on his watch. The others are all hollering at the truck and swearing. Michael half leans pack against the seat, eyes on the road.

it!

Over this last, Nick pulls out his pick-up truck registration and throws over to Michael.

Today your lucky day?

A telephone pole alongside the wall is coming up fast. Mike swerves out more onto the street, touching the truck, floors the accelerator, cuts back around the pole. and then right, accelerates across the side- walk, and suddenly cuts left in front of the speeding trailer rig. Steven's face drains of color.

The tractor trailer misses the Caddy by a hairbreadth. The Caddy Swaps ends three times around and comes to a sliding stop in the Slush directly in front of the bar.

The angry blaring of the truck's air horn echoing in the air around them fades. Through the window of the car we see Axel, one eye still on the disappearing truck, his fist thrust forward in a victory salute. A loud cheer goes up... Michael hands Nick back his registration, gives his spare smile.

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A plump, country-pretty girl with a solemn, round face and big brown eyes, leans forward into a mirror. She is ANGELA, Steven's bridce-to- be. She is dressed in her white bridal gown and veil. She steos back from the mirror, standing in the middle of an unfamiliar rcom, looking down at her stomach. Her stomach is definitely swollen and Angela attemps, with no success, to suck it in.

ciat ANGELA ) me

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Oh, God! Now, she crosses back to the mirror and stares intently at herself.

A pause. Angela scowls and tries it again.

Angela tries it a few more times. It sounds worse and worse.

Angela stares at herself again. Now she looks desperately alone and unrelievedly forlorn. Bursting into tears she throws herself on the bed. Someone has slipped a magazine photograph uncer the clcthes piled in her beat-up cardboard suitcase. The photograph is face down and as Angela pulls. it out she sees that something is writsen on the back:

Angela frowns, turns the magazine photograph over. It is a picture of Michaelangelo's "David". Angela stares at the figure for a long, long moment... .

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Suddenly, Angelis bursts ocutside, her bridal gown anc veils swirling in the freezine wind. She runs up the steep, rickety wooden stens leading to the zon of the hill, smoke swirling in the air above the bare tree tops. And bevond, the huge stacks of the blast furnaces

belching smoke and flame tower above the tiny figure of the pride.

An overbearing sense of her fragility in the vastness of the bleak

industrial landscape.

The place is packed with boisterous steelworkers drinking boiler- makers. A television set blares above the bar. A well-known SPORTS COMMENTATOR is announcing that the Eagles are beating Oakland 14-0

at the half. Deerheads are mounted in long rows all around the bar, and hand-painted murals cecorate the walls. The murals depict hunt- ing scenes and sports scenes -- at once comical and frightening --

as if the animals held some secret from the hunters, some power beyond their own.

JOHN WELCH bangs out from behind the bar with an armload of beer pit- chers. At the same moment Steven comes in with Michael, Nick, Axel and Stan. John, who is a great coarse bear of a youth, puts down his pitchers, wraps his arms around Steven and begins jumping him around the floor, a aqap-toothec grin from ear to ear. He has skin that is rough and pekbly. Still he is, if not handsome, at least not ugiy. He is a few years older than the others, big and strong~muscled like Axel, but after’ you watch him for a moment you notice his extraordi- narily gentle eyes.

The steelworkers, to a man, all leave their bar stools and chairs and Swarm around Steven, punching, joking and shouting congratulations over the noise of the football game.

He's already put down half a pitcher of beer and for no reason on earth that he can understand, Axel is suddenly crying.

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LINDA is thin -- a fragile slip of a thing with a hauntingly lovely face. She is Nick's girlfriend, although we don't know this yet. Wearing her bridesmaid's dress she stands alone in the kitchen, staring at the ceiling. Thumping noises are coming irom the room above. The thumping gets louder. There is a crash, then another crash, as if furniture were being thrown around. A MAN'S VOICE begins cursing and there is more thumping and crashing. Suddenly there is a thud... and then silence.

Linda bites her lip. She crosses to the stove, ladles stew into a bowl, butters bread, pours a cup of tea and puts it all ona tray.

The room is a wreck of broken furniture. Chairs are turned over, lamps are smashed and the pictures hang cockeyed on the wall. In the middle of the room, face down on the bed, is LINDA'S FATHER. His coat is torn, one shoe is missing and he holds a half-empty bottle in his hand. Behind him, through the open window, snow is blowing in fiercely. And in the distance, across the roofs of the other houses leading down to Commercial Street, the mill looms over the whole house, the whole town, the whole valley. Linda's father turns, stares at the acres of steeiworkers' cars parked for the next shift. Linda comes in with the tray. She stands for a moment, expressionless, looking down at her father. Then she sets the tray on the bed and kneels beside him.

staring at all

the cars) Go... fucking hell! I'll give every car in the town a flat tire. Every goddamned car. I'll do it!

Linda reaches down, takes her father by the shoulder and lifts him up. It takes some effort and the face that comes up is gray, un-

‘shaven and implacably bitter. Saliva dribbles from his mouth, there

is a cut with the stitches still in it seaming his forehead, and as Linda looks at him he begins cursing again, rolls out of bed...

Linda gets up and closes the-window subduing the incessant sound of the mill. She comes back, gets down on the floor beside her father and pushes him toward the bed. Then, hniking up her bridesmaid's

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20A.

(Revised 5/9/77) 13.

dress, she takes him by the shoulders again and heaves him onto:

. the coverlet. The effort is almost too much for her. Tears begin

to burn in her eves, but when he slips back she tries again. Her father groans, begins to mumble, and then, when she almost hes hin on the bed, he sucdenly flaiis his arm, catches her #1211 in the face and knocks her across the room ,

Linda crashes backwards over a fallen chair and smashes into the wall. As she gets to her feet her father advances on her.

He swings, slaps her in the face, hard.

Linda's father swings at her again, loses his balance and falls on the floor. Linda stands looking at him, holding her jaw. She is erying. Tears are streaming cown her face.

Linda comes outside into the raw cold, down the stairway to the street, dogs barking in the wind.

OMITTED

Steven's mother approaches wielding a length of two-by-four -- a roar of laughter comes from inside.

Michael, Nick, Steven, Axel and John are singing. A country-western tune blasting on the juke box is at top volume anc the smoke is thick enough to cut with a Bowie knife. Now we see Stan, arguing loudly with a hulking TEAMSTER over the use of the pool table. Suddenly, from the back, comes a screech of female recrimination. The door to the kitchen bursts open and Steven's Mother apvears, swing- ing her two-by-four. The steelworkers take one look, gulp their drinks, grab their hard hats and all rush for the coors, except for Stan, who pulls his.gun on-the Teamster. The two-by-four crashing

down on tables and chairs. Pandemonium!!!

The steelworkers all stream into the snow with Steven's mother, like an avenging angel, close behind still swinging her two-by-four.

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Several varting blows are delivered and the howls

cz complaint are met with angry commands to hurry and get dressed fo

Steven's weddings.

Wort

Camera closes cn Steven, who emerces with Nick and ‘ttichael. The cole hits him a sobering blow and he comes to a stop.

They all share a laugh then go silent. Steven's mother hurries out of the alley. She is crying.

She throws herself in Steven’s arms, sobbing.

Steven throws a horribly embarrassed look to Nick and Michael. Axel just shrugs in a somewhat befuddled way. They all gesture with sym- ‘pathy - and study the snow flakes.

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flight. "Ll be living right

upstairs when I came home. (pauses)

I love Angela, Ma. She loves

me.

The trailer is a dented two-tone silver job which looks as if it had been purchased third-hand off a construction site. It stands on cin- derblocks in a small lot on the corner of a hill overlooking the town and the blast furnaces of the mill. A beat-up pick-up truck with rifle racks set in behind the seat is parked to the right. On the left is a bare-branched tree. View moves to reveal Michael's black "59 Caddy coming uphill toward the trailer. The Caddy makes a sliding stop. Michael gets ovt. He is wearing his rented tuxedo but wears his boots and carries his rented dress shoes. The sudden sight of him in a tuxedo is jarring. He mounts the cinderblock steps and pounds on the trailer door. Nick opens the door and motions him in.

The place is cramped, littered with the two bacheiors' garbage, but mostly hunting paraphernalia. A very beautiful deer head is mounted above the sink. Nick, who is half into his tuxedo, is applying water- proofing to a pair of heavy boots. Michael smiles, sits on the sink -and tries on his rented patent leather shoes.

Nick shakes his head, laughs, continues waterproofing his hunting boots

s I~ | 3 Revised 5/9/77) 16.

. MICHAEL oc ‘ That way it sets. tO \ NICK ~

Yeah. I know that, Mike.

Pause. Lo

now? NICK NN

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uh?

all year. . NICK So do I. I guess. MICHAEL (sharp) You do? NICK (nods)

Yeah. What the hell... I think about that. I think about Vietnam.

Nick abruptly takes down his ritte and begins wiping the oil off it.

what the hell we're even doing ¢ alking

sray\ Whete. a last tjme before the Whole thing' Sey

“silence ve to one in articular) Fuck. ~

I'll telly ou one “thing... If I found out my life had to end up in the moun- tains fit would be all right... you know. (watches Nick for a moment)

ae nas to be Enere nes your mind.

NICK Y

What? One shot?

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(Revised 5/9/77) 17.

NICK ; I don't think about one shot that much anymore, Mike.

You have to think about one shot. A deer should be taxen with one shot. One shot is what it’s all about. You try to tell people. They won't listen.

(studies him) You really think about Vietnam?

hole. NICK (laughs) Who's an asshole? MICHAEL (turns)

Who's an asshole? Who do you think's an asshole? They're all assholes. I mean, they're all great guys, for Christ's sake, but... The point is, Nick, without you, I'd hunt alone. Seriously.

I would. That's what I'd do.

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Just then, there is cursing and ban¢cing from outside. Nick opens the door. ‘ve see big Jonn, and Axel, who is getting drunker by the minute. Two menacing but comic figures, both in rented tuxedos that are much too small. Loaded with camping cear, they are pounding on the trunk of the Caddy, trying to get it open. Nick and Michael go outside.

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Axel kicks the trunk in the indicated spot and the lid snaps open.

Axel. (stops, catches himself) AXEL (trying to ignore this last) I love Mike's car. Some cars

sit, you know? This car, a car like this... grows. I mean, you never know, with a car like this, where this car is going.

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Michael gives him a long look. Axel, not knowing what the hell to do. toasts them all with a can of beer. Stan comes up, also in tuxedo, dragging a totaliy disorscanized clutter of hunting sear behind aim. But unlike the others, his cuxedo fits as if it were tailor made for him. His shoes polished to a high gleam, he is the perfect picture of a band leader in the forties.

Axel looks around at his friends. He surveys the back of the Caddy, then from some dim dark place in his memory he Gredges up an old litany from his days as an altar boy; blesses the car, sanctifies his friends with a last sprinkling of beer. Then he expands his -chest, thumps on it with both fists and yodels out a magnificent, mile-carrying Tarzan call. As the echo of it comes back the church bell begins ringing down the street and a group of more excited bri- desmaids come hurrying up, slipping and sliding on the ice, the mill below them at the bottom of the hill, as Axel throws himself onto the Caddy, attacking it.

As the bridesmaids begin straightening ties, one of them starts putting on Axel's carnation.

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Nick hears someone call his name. He turns to find Linda standing beside the trailer where she can't be seen. She looms pale end very frightened and she holds a small suitcase in her hand.

(forces a smile) Nick, your shoes are soaking.

Linda tries to speak, can't. She fights against it but the tears begin to come. Nick looks around, pulls her inside the trailer.

Nick clears a place in the clutter on the couch. Linda sits, holding her suitcase in her lap.

front of her) Linda... hey, Linda!

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2A.3

They meeet in a long look. Nothing more is said, but a lot of emotion is going on.

Nick and Linda are holding the crowns above Steven and Angela who stand facing each other as an overwhelmingly vibrant chorus of male voices comes up singing the powerful and haunting Russian wedding music.

As the priest continues with the Holy Sacrament, camera picks up FACES in the congregation. We see familiar faces from the VFW post, the steelworkers from the bar and their WIVES, and Steven's mother who chased them home to change. . They are hard faces -- working-class faces -- but we sense a fortitude among the congregation, a community of both heart and spirit. The music is now so emctional it would seem impossible to increase it in intensity, but it does go higher.

‘Camera picks up Michael, Stan and Axel in a row opposite the brides-

Maids. And then John, who is standing in the choir loft singine with the other men. His great voice booming over the others, seeming to carry the entire choir. The expression in his eyes is beyond descrip- tion, tears welling up in them now.

Michael, Stan and Axel look back up toward John, all disheveled. Their tuxedos are suffocatingly too small and their shoes are soaking wet from walking in the snow. Except for Stan who amazingly, despite the weather, is as neat as a pin.

Nick catches Linda's eye and they hold each other across the interven- ing space like two children who are amazed.

The priest hands white tapers to the bride and groom. Camera closes Slowly on the priest. The man is impressive -- gentle, soft, yet full of power. The vriest lights the tapers -- first Angela's, then Steven's -- and looks out across the assembled congregation. The

(OMITTED) 22.

rem tne singing riding over it all, so that continues...

great wave of emotion we have to Strain as he

Save for the lone figure of Linda's father, muttering, trudging home, the street is ceserted, left to the gently falling snow. The music passes through the walls cf the church. A sound that is so rich, so vibrant, so Garkly pure, that it seems enough to break the heart.

It goes beyond the great onion-shaped domes of the church, beyond the town, beyond the massive silhouette of the steel mill lit with fire.

Michael, Nick, Stan and Axel join-the bridesmaids to assist the priest in the crowning of Steven and Angela. The priest has just crowned Angela. Now Steven is crowned.

Guiding the couple by their joined hands the priest leads Steven and Angela and the other friends around the little altar. The movement is very precise, very formal, a circling to represent eternity. Linda meets Michael in a look as the music builds to an unbearably emetional

climax. Michael's eyes for a long moment on Linda who helds hils locx

at first, then down.

The wedding couple hurries frem the church down the steps to the one waiting car, Michael's old black Caddy decorated with colored paper streamers. Evervbody is cheering and shouting and as the car pulls out toward Lemko VFW Ilall, Michael, Nick, Stan and Axel go running down the street after the’ car, slipping and sliding on the ice, grab- bing up fistfuls of snow and throwing snowballs at the car. Steven and Angela laughing, wavine back at them. And beyond all of this,

the whole congrecation moving towards the reception in cars, Nick's pick-up truck, and on foot. John watches the congregation from a high window in the choir loft and follows them with his eyes in the falling snow, advancing toward Lemko VFW Halil.

Pandemonium. The band ‘is going full blast and the whirling COUPLES,

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35.-

young and old, are laughing. All the servers are women and they are serving as fast as possible =o all the people jammei tocether. Half the men are already quite drunk. Wwe see Steven and Angela, Nick and Linda, Stan, Amel and John. The only one of the ¢greuo not dancing

is Michael. Michael is drinking heavily, standing alone on the side of the floor chugging beer in tense, rapid-fire gulps. We sense im- mediately that he feels out of place, at a loss to join spontaneously in the spirit of the party. Suddenly all the old women start clanging forks against their glasses. The sound gets very loud fast and every time the sound is made Angela and Steven must kiss, as they do now. — Michael finishes the beer, crumples the can and starts on another.

As he picks up the second can he notices that a sad-looking GIRL is sitting against the wall behind him, waiting for someone to ask her to dance. The sad-looking girl gives Michael a smile. Michael pre- tends not to see and moves behind a post, stares up at his high schoo: picture above the stage between Nick and Steven's pictures, intensely.

Now all the old women begin singing as the wedding cake that was carried in earlier is brought out, the miniature bride and groom are slightly askew, but still standing in the middle. Unnoticed by Steven. his mother and Angela eye the little figures. Both women are in rathe- teary condition and begin moving toward the cake. Suddenly, 4s the crowd shifts, they encounter each other face to face. Smiles are ex- changed -- strained smilies, which get stretched and stretched and stretched. Then, Angela deserts the smiling and removes the figures from the cake, gives them to Steven's mother who looks down at her Sugar-coated groom and bride. Then they eye each other, burst into tears and throw themselves in each other's arms, moaning and sobbing.

Another late-arriving COUPLE tries to enter the place. It is ealready overflowing with coats on racks. They finally find their way to the door and squeeze inside.

Inside the whole place is literally throbbing. The band is now play- ing the loudest dancing polka music anyone has ever heard anywhere.

The new man is stopped by Jonn who stands at the head of a receiving

line holding a large basket full of money and envelopes. Next to him is Axel.

MAN ‘ What's this?

. AXEL

For a buck you get a shot, a cigar and a dance with the beautiful bride.

Axel is swaying slightly but holding firmly onto a large tray with shot glasses of whiskey each filled to the brim, and laden with cigars. Before the man goes any further, he puts his dollar in Jonn's

basket, then Axel gives him a shot and a cigar and the man gets

-a four-sscond turn on the dance floor with Angela, who is beaming,

showing her ring to everybody as she whirls and twirls. In the midst ci ail a2 we vary frequently see man, deaé Jrunk, being carried out. wdéenly, the band stozss dead, and the band leader addresses the cr rowd at a shout, without the aid of a microphone.

i, te]

The old vets put their hats over their hearts. Then the old women begin banging on the glasses again and Steven and Angela kiss once more. Then the whole bridal party switches partners and as the music starts. up again they dance. Michael is now going to have to dance with Nick's girl, Linda, but his manner as he takes her hand, is forced. Nick shoves them off onto the dance floor together. He passes John. John stops him. There is an awkward moment.

They meet in a long look. Nick is touched. He puts his arm around John and hugs him, not knowing what the hell to do. The crowd is loud with excitement.

As we watch Michael dancing with Linda, they seem removed from the rest. They look at each other - she breathing hard, he in controlled desire, as if they were separate, alone.

MICHAEL , I'm not the. greatest dancer.

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Michael takes off. Linda sits down at a table shaking her head in puzzlement as Michael goes to the cooler to get a Miller's. He gropes around in the tub, finds one and pops the tab. Suddenly he notices that Nick has crossed to the sad-looking girl by the wall. He has stopped in front of her and is asking her something. The sad-looking girl gives a blush, gets out of her chair and Nick takes her in his arms and begins to dance. The sad-looking girl looks transformed.

She begins chattering and laughing just like the others.

Michael crosses back to Linda and gives her the Miller's. As he pulls up a chair to sit down beside her he stumbles and nearly loses his balance, and for the first time we notice he is very, very drunk, and it surprises us. ;

Nick swings by with the sad-looking girl and makes a dramatic flashy turn, smiles as they go by.

Michael doesn't say anything for a moment. He seems to be trying to contain a floodtide of emotion. Looks up at his high school picture next to Nick's again. Big and absurd and yet terribly moving.

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The rack is still more jammed with wet, soggy coats. ‘teung couples, squeezed furtively between the coats neck passionarei--. The racks quiver and shake and the music is now playing sweet and low, dut somehow still manages to sound hectic. ,

The front door comes open and a young U.S. Army Special Forces SERGEANT steps into the darkened hallway. The man wears nis dress green uniform and beret. On his chest is a row of battle ribbons and his jump boots are mirror-polished. The Sergeant gives a slight shake of his head and moves toward the bar area.

The Sergeant passes between groups of still celebrating guests, plucks a beer from one of the coolers and sits down alone at the end of one of the white trestle tables littered with food and debris. Watches Angela dancing, expressionless.

Axel suddenly gives his Tarzan cry, picks the bridesmaid who fixed

his carnation off her feet and marches around holding her above his

head. She had been cutting ribbons from presents and still has the scissors in her hand when he sweeps her up into the air.

Meanwhile Stan and John are standing together. Stan is burning because his girl is dancing with someone else.

Instead, Stan suddenly marches up ane taps the man on the shoulder. The man releases Stan's girl. The girl waits, cne mand on ner hin, and abructly Sian decks ner with a wicxed leit hook, knocking her flat on her ass. Stan is hopoirg u> and Gown, shouting now. The man is getting che hell out of there fast. Now, Stan pats his still neat hair once ecain, making certain every strand is in place.

Nick, Steven and Michael are standing together, looking at the younc

veteran sergeant with as much awe and respect as they can manage in their condition.

He looks like a good killer. See that ribbon on the left? That's Quan Son.

Michael gestures with his head. Nick and Steven cross with him to the sergeant. ‘

The sergeant looks at them and delivers a big, blank smile.

The sergeant keeps smiling.

‘ NICK Fuckit. MICHAEL Fuckit? NICK

Fuckit.

-MICHAEL That's what I thought he said.

. Steven nods.

Michael looks at Nick. Nick looks at Steven. They all begin to laugh, but nervously.

They turn away and then, when they are out of earshot, they all break up, howling. Axel comes up, pouring sweat, his jacket starting to split down the back.

Well, where's he from?

. AXEL Fuckin’ A!

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The guests have formed all around the stace. drunk and they are all armed with streamers and ba-

Steven and Angela appear on Angela throws her bouquet - Strikes up a roll, followed streamers, rice, advice and toward the front edge where

Evervone is pretty the stage there is a areat rows cheer. Linda catches it, then the DRUMIER

by the other musicians. Showered with encouragement, Steven and Angela walk Steven's mother carefully brings out two

wine glasses on one stem.

Steven and Angela begin to drink down the wine Simultaneously. There Nick turns to Linda and says abruptly, as i

is a tremendous cheer. he wanted to say something else:

Linda blushes, completely taken aback.

Linda nods - a solemn nod.

the hell I mean.

Linda's lip begins to tremble. Tears stand in her eyes and she tries

to give a little nod of her head.

Nick stares at her. He just said.

can still hardly believe she said what she

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3O0A.

Nick nods. Linda is suddenly excited, suddenly radiantly happy. She drops the Eoucuet of flowers and throws herself in Nick's arms.

He breathes deeply to collect himself. Linda laughs nervously. Then their eyes meet, just as Steven and Angela finish drinking the wine. Only we notice a single tiny drop on Angela's white gown. Now sud- denly the women all begin singing, and Steven picks Angela up in his arms, jumps off the stage with her and runs through the hall to Mike's Caddy outside. The singing of the women going even higher.

John, Axel and Michael are standing by the door. Their badly fitted rented tuxedos are stained and torn. Their carnations are squashed and their clip-cn bow ties are either missing entirely or dangling from the open collars of their shirts, all still amazingly quzziing beer. Stan.looks the best, same as when he walked in; still not a hair out of place. He turns to Michael, winks at him, grinning...

. STAN You wanna bet?

Steven and Angela strucgle into the Caddy to more hollering and applauding and a shower of streamers anc. rice. Angela is helped

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in by John. Axel and Nick throw their arms around Steven and help him around to the driver's seat. There is an awesome coilection of tin cans tied to the back of the Caddy.

NICK

Don't worry what Stan says... STEVEN

Right. NICK

Just forget that. Forget what Stan says. He's got a big mouth.

People are crowding around.

Nick just gives Steven a big hug. Steven slides in the car.

“> ,

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4l.

STEVEN

Right. See you Monday.

Steven looks over at Angela.

Angela nods. Steven puts the car into gear and starts slowly off.

Fists pound on the car. Rice and streamers shower down. Suddenly, through the front windshield, Michael appears, stark naked, running in front of the car with colored paper streamers floating out from

his upraised right hand. For a split second Steven cannot believe

what he is seeing. He throws a look at Angela. Angela covers her

mouth in amazement and quickly shifts the hand to the horn.

Michael weaves up the street in front of the growling, slipping Cadd:, tin cans bouncing everywhich way from behind it. Michael is not just running. He is leaping and bounding, as if released from gravity anc entered into a realm of pure ethereal space.

Nick, Axel, Stan and John pound up the steep street behind the Caddv. Axel carrying Michael's clothes, slipping and siiding in the slush, goes ass over tea kettle, scattering the clothes all over the street.

“EXT. HILL STREET - NIGHT

The road forks, one road going high to a beat-up basketball court on a cliff overlooking the steel mill, the other descending to Steven's mother's house and to the mill below. Michael runs up the incline toward the basketball court while the Caddy goes straight down and disappears around the bend toward Steven's mother's house.

Axel, Stan and John stagger to a stov, panting helplessly, halfwey up the hill. Stan is trying to clean the slush off his shoes. Nick takes off for “the top.

Michael slips under one of the baskets and comes to a sliding stop on the slushy freezing cround, remains motionless, looking out across to the blast furnaces going in the mill as Nick approacnes. The night is brilliantly clear and the fires from the furnaces light up the sky with an eerie glow. And all over the neighborhood dogs are yapping and howling.

_Nick comes to a sliding stop a few feet away from the basket. The

dogs really going at it now.

Michael rolls over, turns. His face is almost blue with a strange, distant look. He gives Nick an almost feral grin.

“Nick helps lift Michael up beside him. He removes his tux jac::

and wraps it around Michael. Both of them huddled there together in the moonlight under the basket, the glow of the blast furnace flickering steadily. Neither of them knows what the hell to say.

You know something? The whole thing is:right here. I love this fuckin' place... I know that sounds crazy, but if any- thing happens, Mike, don't leave me over there. I mean, don't leave me... You gotta promise, Mike.

©)

Nick lets out his breath... It is as if some great weight had been pressing on him.

Michael's battered old shark-finned '59 Caddy comes screaming past. Some wedding streamers still cling to the door handles and bumpers, rattling in the wind.

Nick, Michael, Stan, Axel and John, all of them still in their rented tuxedos and drunk out of their minds, are jammed in the car between knapsacks, sleeping bags, huge piles of six-packs of beer and deer rifles. Nick and Michael start singing the "Screaming Eagles Air- borne Song” :

AXEL

Fuckin' A!.

(starts singing in

a high sweet voice) Let me be free! Let me be free! If... you... will let me be free -.-You'll always be happy... with ‘me~e-e-e!

GET Ne STL Ui

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o

John looks at Axel, smiles gently.

a“ *

fie EXT. /mourtars ROAD ~- DAWN / _ a . Le blasting by erailing a great rooster tail of fresh

ovhé Caddy comes * SNOW, . a”

a

a “

Ack is hunched over the wheel, his eyes gone completely glassy.

4ichaicl and John are on the nod, while Axel and Stan, both half-asleez are having a lead-voiced conversation hazed by too much alcohol,

There is a long open.

gloomy pause. They both struggle to keep their eyes

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Nick }eetread is~sunk™below~the-upper .rim .of.,the.steering “wheel. ..Oze eye “is entirely shut-rand the-open one. seens close-tn-deathe Suddenly his head—snavs.unemeiw® slams his foot down on the Erake and the Caddy fishtails, rubber screaming, to a sliding, bumping stop.

Everyone in the car comes awake -- ten bleary eyes staring out throuch the windshield.

There is a deer in the road, a big buck standing shocx-still in the 4

glare—of—tha—neadlignts. ynerliw,

Stan, Axel, Nick and John pile out, grabbing up their rifles. Stan immediately siips and falls down. Michael remains right where he is, unmoved, watching the others and he is beginning to sober up now.

get him! JOHN Who's got the ammo? AXEL Ammo! Get ammo! STAN I'll get it! Where is it? JOHN It's in the trunk! . AXEL It is not! JOHN

It's in the trunk, Axel! It's in the trunk! I'm telling you, it's in the trunk!

Stan, Axel and John rush around to the trunk. Axel begins kicking it. He slips, falls on his ass, Stan screaming at him.

fc

ic AXEL Stanley,

you never could hit shit anyway!

like madmen,

his rifle.

Pushing and shoving each other, Stan, Axel and John ransack the trunk scrambling for weapons.

Michael gives Nick a sidelong glance, then slips out of the car with gust -- and then he looks at the deer. qrere-of=rbront,

He looks at the others with an expression of absolute dis- Still watching.

The deer is hvuanatized inuthe If anything, it has edced closer ani his expression of polite curiosity throws Michael into a blind rage. MICHAEL Get out of here,

damn you! Go home!...

Scat!... Shoo!

Michael, whose rifle is fully ready, slams a shell into the chamber and lets off a shot above the deer.

Then, as it scatters in panic: MICHAEL (cont)

Come on, scat! Shoo! Get lost!

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At this moment the others all crowd around; deer disappearing in the snow;

lost the point of the hunting trip. OMITTED

watch him watching the they all think he is drunk ane has

i

The sky is codi@ -- there is the pink glow of first l&#@ht over the “rim of the hillSs<- with low, dark wind-driven clocds. down and we see theé~Caddy coming up a narrow rx pitous, heavily forest

\

Camera tilts G flanked by preci-

(Stan's

ping over Watch it, dick i

Ounds Nick on the shoulder) This is it!

e!

This is he place we stopped at last year. \

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ae

Nick pulls to a stop on the shoulder, disgustedly.

. The sky is just turning grey-white. A cold wind is blowing, moaning

in the trees and swirling a fine haze of snow across the open valley below. The guys all pile out in their totally wrecked tuxeécs and cracked patent leather shoes.

~ They lock in a glare for a moment. Finally, Stan avoids Axel's eyes.

- STAN Holy shit, I'm starving!

There is a moment of tension. Then everyone begins eating cold bal- oney, ripping slices of them out of half-dozen near frozen plastic packages, dipping them in a jar cf mustard and stuffing them down --

everyone, except Nick. Mustard has dripped over everything, sotato

chips are littered everywhere and beers are being passed arcund. Axel, his mouth half-open, full of food, stares at Nick in wonderment.

It ain't natural. What do you say, John?

AXEL

Gimme a Twinkie, Mike.

Axel tears off the wrapper, dips it in the mustard and glomps it

; JOHN You just put mustard on your twinkie!

John just shakes his head.

-Definitely! This is not it!

I'm telling you, they changed it!

30s

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Jesus, it's freezing!

They all meet in a look, stand silently for a moment frozen in tab- leau in their crushed rented tuxedos at the side of the Caddy in the snow, the icy wind beating at their clothes, the dark mountains rear- ing themselves over them, the air filled only with the sound of wind. Then they raise their beer cans, drink.

Suddenly, they all seem minuscule, overwhelmed by the massive, black Slopes looming up from the narrow road.

After'’a moment of silence, Axel kicks the trunk oepn and they all be- gin taking stuff out.

Michael strips down right where he stands, and begins putting on his hunting clothes.

Axel and Stan grab their own gear and fcllow the example of Nick and John, who are changing on the corner of -:he seats.

Hunting gear is hanging all over the fendgers, bumpers, etc. They are all fumbling, struggling, half-naked, half-insane figures...

You know, you got a really terrific vocabularv, Axel.

Michael who is crouched down studying the hillside, lcoks over...

the mess of sorry-

looking things he

has brought) Never mind, Mike. Never mind. I got ‘em... Where the hell are my boots? Anyone: see my boots? --- Who the hell took my boots!

Stan begins plunging in the squashed baloney, crumpled tuxedo jackets, potato chips, shoes, sleeping bags, etc.

Stan tears into the trunk again, comes up with nothing and is shiver- ing now. It is very cold.

Michael, Nick, Axel and John stand by the roadside while Stan is still half in his tuxedo and patent leather dress shoes, draped only in a gigantic red goose down vest that could only have come from Axel. They have all seen this a million times, look at each other and shake their heads. Michael's knapsack lies on the ground in front of him and we can see that it contains an extra pair of Vibran- soled mountain boots. . AXEL (over) I got a boot: for you, Stan. (starts a move as if to kick) Here... right up your ass!

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The word hangs there in the air for a moment. There is a sudden

tension.

Some fuckin' friend... You're some fuckin' friend, Mike!

over Axel) You got no jacket, you got no pants, you got no knife and you got no boots. All you got is that stupid pistol you carry around like some wise guy cop. You think that's always gonna take care of you! That's what you always think!

-

STAN

You're a fuckin’ bastard, Mike. You know that? You're a miser- able fucking selfish bastard!

STAN

I fixed you up a million times, Mike!

(to the others) I fixed him uv a million times! I don’t know how many times I fixed him up with girls, and nothing ever happens... Zero!

(to Michael) The trouble with you, Mike, no one ever knows what the hell you're talking about! "This is this"? What does all that bull- shit mean, "this is this"?

(turns to the others

for moral supvort) I mean, is that.some faggot- sounding bullshit he's running down, or is that some faqgot- sounding bullshit! And if it isn't, what the hell is it?

(to Michael) You know what I think? There's times I swear I think you're a goddamn faggot!

‘JOHN Hey, you guys--

.

(Revised 5/9,’77) 44,

Last week! Last week he coulda had that new reé-headed waitress at the Bowlacrome: te cdulda had it knocked: And look what he did. I mean, look what he fuckin' die! Nothin'! That's what!

This last from John, strong, and it surprises us. Axel just throws up his hands in a comical way. But Michael's stare at Stan is un- wavering and it unnerves the others. Nick is watching Michael very intensely.

Michael -- who remains completely unmoved throughout Stan's tirade -- pumps another shell in the chamber of his rifle without sound. The silence lies there cold and killing. John freezes in his tracks and stares at Michael, his face gone blank. The color is draining out of Stan's face.

Michael says this last with a hardness we haven't seen him exhibit with his friends before. John looks at Axel, who is riaht behind him, and they both back away. Stan, who is standing directly op- posite Michael, begins to tremble. His mouth comes open, closes and comes oven again. His hand beqins moving in his jacket pocket, stops. Michael's face is grave. Suddenly, Nick steps forward -- he looks long and hard at Michael, crosses to the knapsack, takes out Michael's extra pair of boots, walks over to Stan and throws them on the road. Stan laughs. He is the only one who does.

OMITTED

OMITTED

It is later in the morning: and a cold sun is rising through the mists of swirling snow, with only the keening of the wind on the high slopes.

Close on Nick, we see he is struggling for breath, gasping air in

strangled little gulps, trying to keep up with Michael. Then sudden- ly Michael stops. Instantly he levels his rifle. He is about io

about to squeeze the trigger when we hear the movement of a deer the snow. Nick is transfixed. ‘Then the deer is there. He is

of a size and magnificence that gives him an almost iaythical qual of presence. Michael puts a single shot into the heart of the deer. The deer shudders and falls without a sound in the

snow. For a moment the two men look at each other in the strange eerie light.

The place is about nine-by-twelve. The floor is rotted out, boards are missing from the walls and the entire structure is canted to the right. Hanging from the roof peak is a Coleman lan which sways in the wind. Daggers of afternoon slant light stab - through the cracks in the walls.

Stan, Axel and John are sacked out, sound asleep. Beer cans -- some old, some new -- litter the floor. Wetclothes hang from tie-~boards and nails. Snow is blowing in -- dry, crystal bright. It swirls over everything and settles on the exhausted sleeping figures on the floor. - ;

Camera turns as Michael and Nick come in. They both stare at the men lying in sléeping bags on rusted becsprings on either side of the broken door. . The wind gusts and moans.

The cabin shudders and then there is a sudden lull.

Returning weekend traffic is heavy, and unending flow of cars, a river of headlights suspended on the curved concrete trestle which seems to float in thin air. Behind is the steel mill, — the furnaces blowing heavy smoke and ablaze with fire.

Nick's Caddy appears, horn blaring, weaving through the traffic. The car sits low. Trussed to the hood is the carcass of the magnificent deer.’ Rope-ends flutter and bang in the wind. The car shudders and thuds. Inside, grinning, Nick, Michael, Stan, Axel and John are all singing, happy. .

The Caddy appears, swerving through the underpass onto Division St. past the town, tnen down towards Steven's house, tires spinning.

We see Axel reaching frem the back seat to lean on the horn. He and Stan are hancing out the windows shouting to tne house, whistling for Steven and Ancsela, and banging a triumphant tattoo on the Goors. The car spins, swaps ends aiongside the house. The lights all coming on now, dogs, barxing, Steven's mother's face appearing in one of the

. windows.

As the Caddy comes under the railroad trestle the mill appears behind

it, seeming to locm upward under the nicht-dark sky. A sign on the door of the bar proclaims: Closed: Gone Deer Hunting.

Camera holds as the Caddy comes towards it. The headlights blaze

. white, like huge hungry stars, and the eyes of the beautiful dead

deer on the hood glitter gold and green and red.

Axel leans out the window and gives his Tarzan call. It seems to echo as if coming from far away...

The men all sitting in different positions around the room, suddenly

silent, unmoving. Outside the bar the sound of the mill comes clearl: through. Michael's attention has been riveted toward the sound. Then the men look at each other for a moment. Abruptly, John turns to the

old upright piano against the wall opposite the bar. He sits down and

begins to play Chopin. it is so unexpected, so beautiful, so sensi- tive, that it startles and moves us. John's face is grave and proud in the dusty light. Suddenly from outside beyond the wall comes the sound of an approaching train. It passes like a tornado, shaking the whole building, rattling the glasses on the shelves. The Chopin con- tinuing through it all. Michael gives Nick his spare, closed-mouthed smile, but the. music reaches him too, as now we --

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67. -

OMITTED

And it couldn't be more of a contrast. There is a chopper, coming fast and low, just around a cut in an outcropping of jagged rock, sweeping over a field. Sunlight gleams on its black paint, and murderous-looking rockets are packed to its underbelly in fat clus- ters, like eggs.

Suddenly, it fires the rockets...

As the rockets streak into a cluster of huts the lightened chopper roars over a dirt road, shoots upward, lost to sight. There is an eerie silence, and then the whole tiny village explodes, vanishes in a sheet of smoke and flame.

But the air support has been too late...

A platoon of AMERICAN RANGERS has already been ambushed on the road bordering the little village. The bodies lie helter-skelter -- head- less, armless, legless, guts spilled in the dirt. No one moves and there is absolute silence except for a sudden heavy low buzz of flies.

There is a slight sound. A V.C. LIEUTENANT emerges into view. The V.C. Lieutenant spins and gives a hand signal command. Fifty feet away are the remains of the village. He motions for his MEN to spreac out and then he starts toward a clump of dried branches in the fielc.

OMITTED

South Vietnamese VILLAGERS -- WOMEN, CHILDREN and a few OLD MEN -- sit huddled in the semi-darkness of the deep hole in the ground, roofed with bamboo poles. The women hold their hands over their BABIES' mouths. Flies buzz and there is a look of stark terror in their faces.

One of the fallen American Rangers moves. Camera closes on the Ranger. His face is in the dirt and flies are nuzzling at a gash on his temple. The face is bearded, frighteningly gaunt and in- drawn. The skin stretched taut on his face, his eyes sunken and half-crazy, but we recognize that it is Michael... not at first glance, but we recognize hin.

A woman's scream comes from the direction of the hole. A muffled grenade explosion rings out. Michael pulls himself to his hands and knees and holds there, on all fours, like a dog.

ey

carrying a small dead baby. One of the soldiers swinsc, levols his AK-47 and lets it go on full automatic. The woman and the baby flip over like rabbits.

One of the women emerges from the smoking hole, torn ind sinced and

Michael strips a flamethrower from one of his dead ccmsanions, slams

‘it onto his back, the metal so hot from the sun it burns him, and

starts for the burning huts. His movements are slow, almost dreanm- like, and his face is expressionless, like someone risen from ‘the dead.

The dead woman and baby lie in the dust. A dog tries to play with the baby. A V.C. soldier, who took a Rolex watch from one of tne dead Rangers, squats nearby, winding it.

Close on Michael's eyes. They are cold, dreaming things, glittering blankly. He spins out with the flamethrower on full burn. The V.C. soldiers go down screaming, arms and necks thrown back, disappearing in a wall of flame.

Above the hoarse roar of Michael's flamethrower we hear a growing sound, like thunder.

In the shimmering waves of heat, it is coming back in low around the towering outcropping of jagged rocks.

OMITTED

The villagers stand motionless, staring at Michael and frozen with terror.

Michael stands alone with his flamethrower, like the angel with the flaming sword, surrounded by clouds of billowing black smoke. There is no sound but the dying rush of heated air and the faint crackle

-of flames. Michael's clothes are close to burning. Flames are lick~

ing up his trouser legs. He looks like a blackened scarecrow, or a standing cead man.

In front of Michael the V.C. soldiers lie in charred heaps, motion- less now, like roasted stones.

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The chopder just touches the field for seconds, more Rangers rush out, moving through the ¢rass flutterinas fiercely in the rotor wash. The chopper hauling ass straight the hell out of there.

An AMERICAN RANGER LIEUTENANT steps into the burning clearing. Michael and the Lieutenant spin on each other anc then the Lieutenant lowers his armalite rifle.

More Rangers appear, a squad, coming out of the still-smoking high grass in spread-out clusters. Among them are Nick and Steven.

The Lieutenant heads down the line. Nick stares at Michael, shrugs, in evidence that he does not recognize his friend. As Steven passes, he looks at Michael close up and fecuses his eyes for a moment, emits a little gasp of surprise.

Michael turns and looks at Steven. He seems to be looking right through him. Nick stops, turns around and comes up behind Steven. They meet in a strange look. ~—

Suddenly a burst of sharp flat sound rings out. The Lieutenant goes down and suddenly the Ranger Squad is caught in a murderous ambush. Mortars rain out of the distant trees. Michael, Nick and Steven dive for the ground.

Out of the smoking high grass soldiers begin to appear, more and more of them, swarming out in scores.

An extraordinarily beautiful: bend in the river, the strange, Asian- looking peaks of the mountains beyond rearing themselves enormously over the jungle. Below, our view moves closer toward an ordinary looking fishing hut, typical of the river, and as we do we notice

“that in the sand beach a shallow pit has been dug and fitted with

bamboo gratings held down by stones, and covered with fishing nets. The river is running high and the pit is filling with water to with- in a foot of the bamboo gratings. In the pit are about a half-dozen

men ~~ SOUTI] VIETNAMESE and some of the AMERICAN RANGERS. Their hands grip the gratings and their eves are hollow. Other than an fo. groan, there is only the sound of the falling rain. Sud- enly --

A V.C. soldier trudges out of the fishing hut. As he reaches the pit he walks over the hands and begins urinating on the bamboo gratings. The hands disappear. As soon as one comes back, the soldier stomps on it.

Our view keeps moving closer --

We see the fishing hut in its totality. It is a raw hut propped on pilings half-jutting onto the beach. The hut is small with a thatch- ed roof. The walls are almost open and we can see a few V.C. soldiers moving about inside. But now below the floor, we notice the pilings are wrapped from top to bottom with barbed wire...

And in the darkness under the floor boards; we see faces from a dis- tance, peering out, unshaved, animal-like, staring up at the cracks in the floor above them.

A cry comes from the hut. There is the thud of a rifle butt on flesh and the cry abruptly stops.

In the middle of the hut is a tin kitchen table with a plastic too.

At opposite ends of the table are two chairs. A South Vietnamese prisoner sits in one of the chairs. In the other chair, facing hin, is another South Vietnamese prisoner. Poth South Vietnamese prisoners have welts on their heads which they are wrapping in filthy red rag¢cs, and one of the half-dozen V.C. soldiers in the hut is screaming a4 them to hurry. In the middle of the table, between the South Viet- namese prisoners, is a single-action, high-velocity magnum, revolver with a double American eagle carved on its ivory grip.

It is incredible, impossible and startling; and in the middle of a prisoner of war camp, an absolutely terrifying scene. We are looking at a game of Russian Roulette. :

Michael looks up through a crack in the floorboards, guietly, waitins; but his eyes are working, glittering like a wolf's, taking in every detail of this strange scene.

The V.C. soldier gives one of the South Vietnamese prisoners a final glancing blow, takes up the magnum revolver with a dramatic flourish and loads one cartridge into the chamber. Immediately the other sol- diers begin placing bets.

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Sl.

The V.C. soldiers are a ragged bunch -- wet, half-drunk on captured

Miller's High Life beer, and it takes a moment's time to straighten things out. Forget the Geneva Convention here.

Now, close on South Vietnamese and American prisoners standing, sit- ting, kneeling; staring up. Most of them have been badly beaten and all have their elbows tied behind their backs. Among them, standing beside one another, are Nick and Steven. Nick looks crey, like a skinny ghost. Steven is sobbing ouietly. Michael xeeps staring up through the crack in the floorboards.

The betting is now completed. The V.C. in charge waves the magnum revolver around and calls for silence -- then, snapping shut the cylinder containing the single cartridge, he points the revolver at the ceiling and clicks through the empty chambers until the revolver goes off with a deafening roar. A big hole blows open in the roof and bits of thatch flutter down from the ceiling, the rain coming through the hole now.

The South Vietnamese prisoners begin trembling, continually blinking

their eyes in the rain pouring down over their faces from the hole

in the roof.

The V.C. in charge now reloads the revolver with one cartridse again, snaps the cylinder shut, puts the gun on the table between the South Vietnamese, and gives it a good spin.

The revolver slows and finally comes to a stop pointing to one man. He stares at it for a long beat. Then he picks it up, spins the cylinder, cocks it, puts it to his temple and pulls the trigger. The hammer falls on an empty chamber with a loud click.

" ‘The V.C. in charge grabs the revolver, throws it back on the table,

and pushes it toward the other South Vietnamese priscner. The South Vietnamese begins shaking uncontrollably now. Fumbling horribly, he finally manages to get the gun in his hand. He spins the cylinder, cocks the hammer and puts it to his temple. The gun weaves around... The South Vietnamese closes his eyes and pulls the trigger. There is a loud click.

The V.C. in charge quickly takes the revolver again. He spins it, cocks it -- all in one smooth motion -- puts it to the temple of the other South Vietnamese and pulls the trigger himself. There is an- other click. He pushes the’ gun back across the table. This time

the other South Vietnamese takes it up with giddy confidence. Ne spins the cylinder, cocks it, puts.it to his temple and pulls on the trigge:.

THERE IS A SUDDEN, EAR-SPLITTING ROAR. The South Vietnamese is fly- ing in the air away from the kitchen table and blown clear through the grass wall. Then there is a moment of pure silence. As below --

Michael doesn't even blink. Now the guards begin hoctina and lauchirs wiping spots of blood from their clothes -- and Michael stares tc at them, watcnes svery gesture, every movement... like a cat, but sudden- ly his face splits with a smile, wipes off quickly.

Several bodies lie by the steps in the pouring rain. The bodies are both South Vietnamese and American. Huge dark water rats are already scurrying over them.

Steven is at the table now, opposite Michael. It will be a sudden

“and shocking cut. His face is twitching, dripping sweat and both

he and Michael are holding onto each other's eyes. Steven is shaking and trembling, his eyes beginning to wander around in their sockets as if they had been suddenly cut loose. Michael is trying to talk

to Steven over the excited murmurs of the guards as their betting begins with another round of typical Oriental haggling.

Steven cannot speak at first, just keeps shaking his head negatively. Then --

You have to do it.

—,

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go home, see? You and me and Nicky.

Steven looks down. The pistol is ending its spin and the muzzle comes up pointing at him. He stares at the gun and tears begin to fill his eyes. The guards begin yelling at him, urging him on and then Michael gives him a smile of such unwavering faith that Steven picks up the gun, fumbles the cylinder around, cocks it and puts it to his temple. For a moment Michael and Steven look at each other. Steven is taking his faith straight out of Michael's eyes and now Michael gives him another encouraging nod.

Steven starts to squeeze the trigger, but at the very last instant jerks the gun away from his head. There is an explosion and the top of his head is horribly burned and bloodied.

Steven sits motionless, his jaw hanging open and his face formed in an expression of terrible puzzlement. Then his face begins to move, begins to twitch, as if the muscles were trying to discover a frown. Steven looks around, a thin trickle of blood runs from his head down into his eyes. He looks back again at Michael and he begins to cry. We can see all the youth being sucked right out of his eyes.

_ Suddenly, Steven is thrown out of his chair, jerked to his feet ancé

pushed below. A South Vietnamese is pulled up and placed opposite Michael. The South Vietnamese is only a kid, even younger. than Steven, and he is trembling with terror.

A couple of South Vietnamese sit huddled together in the muck on the uphill side. A third lies sprawled on his back, dead. The rain pours through the few leaves placed over their heads and splashes in great cascades around their feet.

On the downhill side are Steven, Nick and Michael. Steven is ina

‘fetal position, gripping his knees and rocking himself back and forth.

Michael has torn one sleeve of his shirt off and wrapped it around Steven's wound as best as he could. Steven's eyes are vacant and his face is fixed in an expression of horror, as if he were still at the table. Beside Steven is Nick. Nick sits slumped against the bamboo, careful of the barbs. One knee is raised and he is picking at the threads of his.trousers where they have torn at the knee.

ry

Michael is standing, gripping the barbed wire 'walls' of the comsouncd and looking out at the pit.

The pit is about twenty feet away. Running mud and river water gurgle into it, coming out through shaliow trenches on the cown side. There are fewer hands than the day before, far fewer. Only one pair is left and as Michael watches he sees that these hands are struggling to keep their grip.

Suddenly one of the hands slips away. The hand comes back for a moment, then both hands disappear under the muddy water.

Michael turns away from the pit. He looks down at Steven, then he

looks at Nick. His expression is one of exasperation, as if he had been having a long argument.

How bad do you want to get out of this, Nick?

outta options! This is no fucking time for hoping or praying or wishing or any other bullshit with angel's wings! This. is it. Here we are... And we gotta get out: ; NICK

_ You're right... okay, you're right. You're always right! Okay?

c

A shout comes from above. The two surviving South Vietnamese whip around in fright. Michael and Nick turn.

Through the slits in the floor we see the V.C. guards coming down from the hut. The guards are all drinking Miller's High Life beer again and the guard in charge is waving the pearl-handled magnum

‘revolver.

Nick looks at Michael. The whole thing is beginning to finally totally unnerve him. .

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way. NICK More bullets in the gun? MICHAEL (even)

More bullets in the gun... The trouble is that still leaves one of us with his hands tied up, so that means we gotta play each. other.

Nick stares at Michael. Rain is easing off, fading in rivulets. The voices of the guards coming down are getting louder.

panic)

No fucking way!

him with his eyes) I'll pick the moment, Nick. The game goes on until I move. When I start shooting, go for the near-

the motherfucker!

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You're crazy! No way! Now you're crazy! You're completely insane!!

The guards begin screaming orders from the stair ladder and one of

- them lets off a blast of automatic rifle fire which shreds the piling

just alongside Nick's head. Nick looks at Michael and they watch as the guards grab Steven and drag him out toward the pit.

As Steven emerges from under the hut one of the guards smashes him with his rifle butt, screaming orders. Nick and Michael make a move and are both knocked to the ground by furious blows. When they get to their feet they see Steven.

Steven has absolutely no comprehension of what is about to happen to him. His eves are dreamy, far away, as if he had mentally transportec himself to some distant place. There are great gashes in his head from the additional blows he has received and as he stands waiting on the sand he looks exactly like a very small child wno has experienced some terrible confusion.

Suddenly the guard standing beside Steven wrenches him around. We see the pit now, close up. There are four bloated corpses floating in the muck.

We see Steven's face, close up. He gives a little cry and tries to turn away.

We see the guards pick Steven up, screaming. We see the splash as Steven hits the water and then we see him surface between the bloated corpses, still screaming, paddling desperately and trying to find something solid to hold him up. Then the bamboo grating crashes down as he grabs hold.

“5

Nick stands motionless, stunned, listening to Steven's tathetic screams. In contrast, Mich2zel has his attention focused only on

the guard in charge, and when he glances in their direction Michael slugs Nick in the stomach and begins beating him viciously to the ground. Nick struggles to his feet, his eyes full of question marks. Michael attacks him again and now, as the guard in charse comes over to see what's going on, Michael begins charging Nick again and screan- ing.

The guards look at each other, becoming interested.

Michael and Nick sit facing one another across the tin kitchen table. The guards are all grinning and even the South Vietnamese kids are watching with grim fascination. Nick has the revolver. He is trem- bling visibly. Already Michael has managed to draw the cuards in closer and as Nick spins the cylinder of the deadly-locking magnum and cocks the hammer, Michael jumps up and begins pounding on the: table.

Nick almost loses what little control is left and his hand.begins shaking violently.

Side bets begin changing hands.

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. Michael grabs it, spins it, sticks it to his temple and clicks out, talking all the time.

oY

the table) More! Put in more! You under- stand more? More! More bullets!

(he mimes with

his fingers) Three bullets! You understand three?

Michael starts laughing maniacally. The guard in charse looxs 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.

Michael joins right in.

The guard in charge takes the revolver, opens the cylinder and begins sticking in two or more cartridges. Nick is just shaking his head in disbelief as if wondering how he got there.

Michael suddenly screams at Nick, jabbing his finger at him, as if in fury.

The guard in charge places the revolver on the table, spins it.-

The muzzle stops pointing at Michael. Michael 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 came, are yelling and shouting.

Michae]. picks up the revolver, spins the cylinder, cocks it...

MICHAEL (cont)

No way: Never:

(begins to cnant) Mike is mightv! Nixe is strong! Mike is magic: Mike lives long! Lemme hear it from the bench. Come on, motherfuckers, lemme hear it!

Michael takes a glance at the guard in charge again. The cquard in charge is still eyeing him with caution, not understanding a2 word he's saying.

- Michael places the revolver to his temple... and clicks into an empty

chamber.

He pushes the gun across to Nick. Then he stabs his finger at hin, screaming again, as if in a fit of rage.

Nick looks down at the revolver and picks it up. He stares at Michael 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 hooting and jeering at those betting on Michael.

Michael sits motionless, as if stunned, as if utterly defeated, his brow furrowed in a dark 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.

Michael 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.

@)

Michael roams 4 clowering eye over the watching guards, as if sudden- ly Ciscoverins nimself among traitors. Slowly, he susnes himself to his feet. The san is stiil on the table, still in his right hand,

ct

and as he gets => he lets his hody sac over it. MICHAEL Who here is for Micnael...?

Michael, the Archangel!

There is absolute silence now except for the sudden drumming of new rain. It is as if the war had disappeared, vanished. The guards stand motionless, hardly breathing, so captivated by Michael's per- formance that they suddenly resemble little children.

Michael begins his chant again. His voice is low, very dramatic, and the guard in charge joins in a sing song imitation of Michael's words.

Suddenly, Michael snaps the revolver level in his hand and blasts the guard who has been singing, hitting him full in the face.

At the same time Nick throws himself onto the guard who is standing behind him, soins and slams the: guard's AK 47 into his chin. Two more shots blast out from Michael's magnum and we see two more guards crash over the kitchen table. Nick now opens up with the AK 47, and

.as Michael backs off beside him, also with an AK 47, they gun down

the remaining guards to the floor, who fire back as they fall.

For a moment everything is a roaring blur, then it is over in an instant. Bodies lie all over the place in a bloody, tangled mess under a pathetic paper lantern. The rain has stopped --

Nick staggers, badly wounded. Michael picks himself off the floor and pulls Nick out of the fishing hut toward the river...

Michael appears carrying Nick on his back. Nick is unconscious and the effort that Michael has expended to get him this far can be mea- sured in his eyes. As Michael approaches the bamboo pit along the side of the river, we suddenly see Steven, staring up, his eyes burn- ing like coals.

Michael comes to a stop, unshoulders Nick and lays him on the ground. As he stands looking at Steven, gasping for breath, Steven stares up at him with an expression of pure terror.

(

f)

“For a moment there is nothing -- silence. The rain drones on and

we can hear Nick's breath, which comes in short, shallow rasps.

Camera closes siowly on Steven's face. Nis gums are bleeding and his skin is ¢rawn tight so that every sone stands out in nis sxuil. His teeth are zered, his eyes are hollow and he looks within a hair's breaécn of beirs completely mad. He makes a strangled ani- mal sound, so faint as to be almost imperceptible. Michael pulls

loose the baxhoo grating and raises Steven out of the slime.

A huge battle is taking place in the distance. The earth trembles and shakes.

Michael stagcers down into the water with Nick, almost too tired

to move. Steven comes behind. He is hunched over, like a gnome. The rope which Michael has tied around his neck drags in the water. His eyes are huge with terror and his voice comes in a loud rasp.

Steven follows them into the water. .

\ MICHAEL (barely moving his lips)

Yeah, kid.

Another explosion shakes the earth, this one much closer. Nick's breath rattles in his throat. Michael, who lies low in the water beside Nick, holding him, closes his eyes for a moment as if to gather strength. ;

Michael gets to within a foot of a snaggled uprooted tree floating by, he lunges out and grabs it, then he pushes Nick on it and lays him on his back. The huge root end is so soggy that it barely sup- ports Nick's weight and his chin is within inches of the water.

Cy.

$3.

Michael loops one strand of rope around Nick and ties him down with a knot he can instantly release, then he slips some ag Seanenes under the rove so that he will not be visible from shore.

Oo. Wn Q

Michael crosses back to Steven who sits in the water with the rope around his neck.

Michael leads Steven out to his neck in the water. Steven balks,

- Staring doubtfully at the boil and swirl of the fast moving current.

A sound comes from the clearing. Michael snaps around. V.C. SOL- DIERS are coming out of the trees -- about twenty of them.

Steven hesitates and then Michael yanks him to the tree raft and the heavy run of the current sweeps them silently out around a great, rainswept bend...

The rain has stopped. Michael holds Steven who clings to the tree raft staring out at a landscape of strange, hump-like hills. Gnarled pine trees cling to the rock walls and a dreamy mist seems to hold them in a spell.

I don't think I can make it...

“EXT. CANYON - DAY

Nick, Michael and Steven sweep around a bend. The river suddenly narrows, locked on bcth sides with sheer walls. There is no wav to get to the shore and in the distance there is the ominous rumbling sound of falls.

They are racing now, riding a crest of deep, fast-moving water whose surface is deceptively smooth. The river funnels around another bend. Suddenly, dead ahead, there is an ancient suspension foot bridge

across the river. The sound of the falls is much louder now and the

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derelict bridge, which sags to within only a few feet of the w

at is their last hove. The oniv trouble is that a younse V.C. GUERR is squatting on one bank, standing guard.

Michael claws his way to the upstream end of the huge root supportinc Nick, who suddenly lifts the AK 47. Just as he dees so, the V.C. guerrilla turns and sees him. Nick fires first and the guerrilla crumples:down through the rotting slats into the water and sinks below the surface.

Nick drops the rifle into the river. The sound of the falls is like thunder now and the bridge is coming up fast.

Michael steadies himself and as they pass under the suspension bridge he lunges upward and grabs hold of one of the rotted slats. The bridge swings sideways, tipping the slat to a vertical position so that the slat snaps in Michael's grip.

The current is ferocious, building up a high head of boiling water around Michael's body. As Steven watches, the slat slowly tears away from the dead bridge and then, suddenly, it separates entirely and they are out in the river again spinning toward the mounting thunder of the falls.

Michael drops the broken slat, releases the rope that holds Nick to the tree and screams at Steven:

Michael pushes Nick off, holding him on his back. A moment basses.

* The tree drifts slowly away. The thunder of the water gets louder

and louder and then the huge tree suddenly tilts upward and dis- appears.

Steven, Nick and Michael sweep over the edge...

The river drops about thirty feet into a deep pool. There is nothing visible in the pool except the huge tree log, plunging around like a great horned beast in the roaring water.

Michael lies on a rock clutching Nick in his arms. Michael's head is bleeding and Nick is unconscious. Michael shakes his head, wipes the blood from his eyes and says in a cracked voice:

r

Michael looks over at Steven and notices that he is staring at some- tar

thing, staring as if he couldn't believe his eves. “Michael whins around. <A hundred varads downstream a beat-up SOUAD OF AMIRICAN RANGERS is being evacuated by choppers. The Rangers are under fire,

the sandbars are tco narrow to set down on, and the only way the choppers can pick the men up is to swoop down and try to pluck them out of the water. ; Michael turns back te Nick, picks him up and drags him back into the heavy run of the current. Steven hesitates. Michael pulls him viciously back into the river with the rope and then moves them all towards the focus of evacuation.

The choppers have machine guns mounted in their open doors. They hover with their skids just above the river, the rotor wash whipping water, and as they rake the tree line with machine gun fire what is left of the Ranger squad pull themselves out of the water and climb aboard.

A chopper roars down over Michael, Steven and Nick, who suddenly Slide into view. They are the last to be picked up and the chopper takes heavy fire from the shore. Michael manages to get Nick pulled aboard and then, as he is trying to get Steven up, the fire from the shoreline intensifies and the chopper begins to lift up. Hands reach down to Steven and Michael who are both now hanging from the skids, faces blurred in the spray of water. Suddenly, as tne chopoer reaches a height of about forty feet, Steven loses his grip. For a split second Michael watches him falling... and then he lets go.

Steven and Michael hit the rock-strewn river with two plumes of spray. They both surface and show an arm or leg, and then disappear around a bend.

Michael has dragged Steven from the river and props him up in a low muddy cut of a creek bed. Steven's legs are horribly broken and

Michael kneels over him -- out of breath, tears streaming from his cavernous eyes -- howling with helpless rage. MICHAEL

Damn you! God damn you!

Michael looks down at Steven. Steven's body is a mass of raw fiesh but his eyes look up at Michael with lunatic, unwavering trust.

ey

The mountains rear themselves over the road, immense and mystericus. REFUGEES are streaming down the road in a desperate, frightened humar torrent. There is every imaginable means of conveyance -- from bull- ock carts to motorbikes -- but the vast majority carrying their meager belongings, are fleeing on foot. Burned-out vehicles of ever: kind litter the drainage ditches off the side of the road, and the great human tide overflowing the road streams around them as if thev were

‘islands. In the distance comes the sound of machine gun fire and

mortars are coming in nearby. MEDVAC helicopters packed full of wounded men clatter overhead, with more wounded strapped to the skids. Now and then a U.S. Army tank comes highballing through, scattering the refugees into the drainage ditches. .

We catch a glimpse of Michael moving along the embankment on the far side of the road with Steven on his back. Camera closes slowly on Michael's face. His nose is bleeding from fatigue, and rivulets of Steven's blood run down his legs...

Suddenly a tank approaches with a full bird COLONEL in it. The tank is completely encrusted with men. Clinging to every available sup- port or protrusion are men's hands. The refugees begin scattering to make way for the tank.

Michael stops, turns and stares at the fast-approaching tank --

blankly, without comprehension. He waits. The tank barrels closer. Michael waits until the last instant and then, carrying Steven, and with sudden passionate hate, he lunges into the middle of the road.

The tank is almost on top of them before it grinds to a sudden, sliding, wrenching stop at his feet. Now finally, Michael. puts Steven down on the road, utterly exnausted.

The Colonel and the TANK COMMANDER get out swearing and start toward Michael. ;

~COLONEL (warily) Little R and R and you'll be standing tall again, son...

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The Colonel walks right up to Michael.

We now see that Michael is leveling the pearl-handled revolver ana he, cocks the hammer with an audible click.

The Colonel and the tank commander pick up Steven and scramble to the already overloaded tank and pile him on.

Michael watches them go, Steven safely aboard, without expression. On the road the refugees stream past -- by the hundreds, by the thousands, by the tens of thousands. For a long moment Michael watches. Then he jams the gun in his pants and joins the vast human torrent.

Michael is walking with the fleeing refugees. Camera pans past the uneven rimrock of the mountains holding on Hichael as he grows small- er and smaller. He dwindles to a spot in the distance to the South.

The corridor is narrow, jammed with wounded men on stretchers and tables; some propped on chairs. In fact, the whole place is a steamy. madhouse of confusion. Nick is there, staring out the window looking down to the courtyard below. He is so changed that we do not recogni- ze him at first glance, see only the shadowy form of what we take to be just another patient. Camera closes on Nick -- and as we do re- cognize him -- we notice that around his neck is a piece of plastic on which is stapled a colored paper marker.

Nick reaches for the big paper marker on his neck and peers down at it from the corner of his eye. It seems to remind him of something and he takes out his wallet. In his wallet is a photograph of Linda. Nick peers at the photograph intently, then closes his wallet and puts it away. The strain on Nick is now glaringly aoparent, both in his face and in his movements; a feeling of complete, radical discon- nection between Nick and everyone else. There is a hint -- a look in his eye -- that he is in the edge of madness.

Departing aircraft thunder overhead and there is. the sound of wooden coffins being stacked into trucks in the courtyard.

Black body bags are laid out in countless rows on the hot concrete. PFC's are stacking them on pallets and more PFC's, driving hydraulic fork lifters, are loading the pallets of coffins into the holds of the trucks.

Nick turns away from the window and looks down the corridor, down the rows of blank staring faces. Everything appears grimy, even in

. here, and the only clean white thing seems to be the cigarette in

Nick's hand. Suddenly a couple of NURSES burst in and a harassec DOCTOR follows them in.

Nick shakes his head affirmatively.

Nick nods.

The doctor looks at the paper marker on Nick's neck, marked N.P.

Nick shrugs.

™/!

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The doctor stares at him for a moment, shoots a sidelong glance at one of the nurses, then he staples another colored marker around Nick's neck. He directs a finger at Nick.

The doctor slams back out the door, the nurses following in his wake. Another jet thunders overhead. The hydraulic fork lifts in the court- yard shriek and whine. Suddenly, from somewhere nearby, comes the sound of a wounded black G.I.'s voice:

VOICE (0.S.) (laughing; almost chanting) Roll ‘em all out of Nam. Roll ‘em daid! Feet first! Let ‘em all go home with their boots on...

Banks of telephones line the wall. Stretching out from the telephones are long, racged lines of SERVICEMEN waiting to call home. The roon is huge, full of echoes. Re-enlistment posters are blastered every- where and cannec music is playing over the considerable noise of a hundred men, all shouting over their long-distance connections at the same time.

Nick, wearing civilian clothes, blends into one of the lines with cnlv one ;2rson in front of him. Ue looks anxious. He taxes out his wal- let again, peers intently at Linda's photograph, then puts it back. He takes a half-step forward -- staring at the telephone -~- and then he stops, turns and walks away. No one takes any notice.

A shimmering, iridescent confusion of flashing neon signs. Nick comes along the sidewalk, a crowd of MILITARY PERSONNEL and HUSTLERS sellins everything from electric blenders to women. He seems drunk and he mo- ves unsteadily, as if he were walking on ice. Suddenly, across the

street, something catches his eye.

Nick throws himself into the traffic headlong, without even looking.

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(Revised 5/28/77) 70,

Vehicles ‘swerve and screech to a stop. Wick dodges between them gains the sidewalk on the other side lunging throush an alley con- necting to another street lined with bars. He clars his hand on the back of a passing G.i. The G.I. turns. It is not Michael at all but the resemblance is almost close.

The G.I. makes no reply, just continues on his way into the concre- gation of AMERICAN SOLDIERS milling about the middie of the streets.

“The crowd streams around it, a sea of bobbing, brilliant coior. Nick

enters the nearest bar.

The place is jammed and very dark, ear-splitting rock music is play- ing. Bikini-clad GIRLS are dancing with the American soldiers while above the bar on pedestals half-naked girls are dancing to the music with obscene contortions.

Nick comes into the smokey and noisy room, wedges into an opening at the bar. By now a very young, very pretty BAR GIRL is giving him her undivided attention. She whispers something in his ear which we do not hear.

his ear) I show you. Come. You come.

(pulls him

to his feet) Not like with girls home, in U.S.A.

Nick nods. He looks as if he might be about to cry.

The bar girl comes around a corner with Nick, guiding him up the steps of a flight of narrow stairs into a fluorescent lit, horribly decrepit room with sad little plastic flowered curtains and a torn Mattress on the floor. In one corner of the room, jammed between piles of clothes and cooking utensils is a baby, asleep in a tiny crib. The bar girl puts one hand around Nick's waist and slides

(Revised 5/28/77) 71.

the other down the front of his pants. A look of terrible sadness a crosses his face.

oe

Suddenly, with a fever bordering on brutality he undresses her and desperately, as though barely controlling his hysteria through the force of his passion, he pushes her onto the dirty mattress in the middle of the floor. After a moment, Nick pulls away, without the Slightest interest in the girl beside him, staring at the windew at the end of the room. He tears himself loose from the bar girl and pushes up against the filthy glass, opens it.

A filthy, grimy dark place loud with the fierce whirring sound of hundreds of ancient, leaking air conditioners. Seated on a chair against the wire fence of the opposite building is an OLD “AN with - an old food stand on bicycle wheels, surrounded by a collection of Ne white ceramic elephants for sale. A military police jeep roars in front of him, a few motorcycles sputter past and a few girls with soldiers hurry in both directions. The old man sits motionless, like the guardian of some timeless, silent kingdom.

* Nick spins away from the window, tears rolling down his cheeks.

* The bar girl stares at him. The baby begins crying now. Suddenly, Nick, startled at the sound, bolts and charges back down the stairs with the bar girl hot on his tail.

( 108. EXT. NARROW TWISTING STREET - SAIGON - NIGHT

The sky is alight with fires. Now and then huge distant explosions rock: the night and sirens wail.

a

A lone figure appears walking down the middle of the 5

(Revised 5/28/77) 72.

: hee the figure approacnes we see that it is Nick. He is al burning with chills and fever. The street is almost deserted excent for the type taxis whizzing by carrying soldiers out

Nick stops, swallows, as if to force back some overwhelming emction. Then continues down the street passing under a lamp vost leaning precariously over him, and beqins singing softly again, his voice thin and cracking now.

Suddenly, there is the sharp flat report of a pistol shot from some- where nearby. Nick spins, reflectively, staring at a small complex of wooden buildings behind a high corrugated metal gate, anc there is the unmistakable sound of Vietnamese voices, hooting and cheering.

Nick stares at the buildings for a long moment, then he crosses through some passing trafic toward the gate.

EAT. YARD BEHIND GATE - NIGHT

From another wooden house, beyond the others and closer to the river, a tiny light glows insicGe a paper lantern. Mick moves to- ward the light coming from the riverfront house. Lying on th ground under a grove of bougainvillea nearby are three CORFS=IS, all of them Asian, all of them with one side of their heads blood- jed. As Nick stands looking at them a door comes oven of the back of the building and TWO BURLY VIETNAMESE MEN bring cut another corpse.. The body is that of a young American. Like the Asians he

‘is dead from a bullet in the right temple.

Nick turns. A man is standing in the shadows of a very beautiful little arbor, eyeing him with a look of cold amusement. The man's accent is French. His name is JULIEN. Beside him, on the seat of a gleaming European sports car, is a bottle of champaqne and severai silver cups. Nick stares at this strange sight unbelievinge!iy, blinks several times to clear his mind of this vision. Then after a moment, savs in a distant voice:

. JULIEN Mais certainement...Sometimes a great deal of money. Naturally I do not do it myself. I myself do not possess the nerve. (smiles) But I am always... how do you say... looking out for those things quite rare. Champagne perhaps? Tch, tch. Don't say no. When a man ; says no to champagne, he says no . to life. (gives Nick a cup) You saw this before?

.A moment of silence passes between them. Then--

. “NICK Up north. yy JULIEN Ah, yes. Of course... (smiles)

Allow me please to introduce myself. I am Julien... And you are?

There is another shot from inside and another round of hooting anc cheering. .

; "NICK I have to go. JULIEN But you must come in. ; NICK . : JULIEN

But I insist.

‘ NICK

Julien refills Nick's cup. Nick looks at it. The cup is as highly polished as a mirror and the sparkling bubbles dance and hiss. Nick lifts the glass and empties it in one swallow.

cy

Mon cher ami! But I insist! He guides Nick toward the little wooden house on the river. JULIEN (cont)

After all, it may not quite be .le Grand Hotel but it is, never-

~~ . theless even for Saigon, really : quite extraordinaire. Something ‘CC you must not miss. That is my

hope. After you...

Nick hesitates, then precedes Julien through the door.

oe

ry

The narrow hallway is lined on both sides with cases of French wine and champagne, maxing it still narrower.: Ahead, from a nearky roen comes the sound of voices and the faint but unmistakable commotion

of odds being given and bets placed -- an excited numming chaos...

We watch Nick come through with Julien past cases of American liquor and cigarettes stacked to the ceiling, into a room lit only with a Single fierce overhead drop iignt. Ne is now even more unrecognizable.

Several big imposing BODYGUARDS from different parts of Asia are spread around ~-- some standing, some sitting. They are in varying degrees of dress -- some in suits, some in casual clothes. The one element they have in common is their size. Directly under the sin- gle bright light is a table and two chairs. Two CONTESTANTS, both of them Vietnamese, sit opposite one another. Between them, lying on the table, is a revolver. Both are wrapping their heads with strips of red cloth in a ceremonial way. The REFEREE inspects the wraps, crossing first to one man, then to the next; satisfied, he nods. Now he holds a pistol by its cylinder, turns to address the room.

Spectators, predominantly Asian, jam all the available space around the table. And in the middle of it all we see a vague, familiar shape. It is Michael. But all this seems remote and unreal to him now, something out of a world from which he has already taken leave and from which he is becoming more distant and detached every moment.

A CHINESE CLERK taking the last bets, chalks the final od@s on a laresz board. The bettine has been heavy. Chamvaacne flows like water and the, atmosphere is cne of reckless abandon, as if monev, like love, were good for an hour. The referee holds the pistol up for all to see and inserts a single cartridge into the empty chamber.

Camera closes on Nick, staring at the evolution of the game he once played for his life. Ne is bordering on obsession now; we feel a restlessness in his movements unlike anything we have seen before.

The contestants have finished wrapping their heads with the scarlet cloth. They sit and look at each other, strange in the eerie light.

“It is like a dream. There is a sudden silence; a sense of upcoming

climax among the spectators.

os

o-)

111A.

752A,

The Chinese referee puts the pistol on the table in front of the two men. Nick, without taking his eves off the pistol, sbruptly, wades through the crowd, pulls one of the contestants out of his chair and sits at the table opposite the other Vietnamese player.

Michael, who's attention is suddenly snagged by Nick, recognizes him. Nothing at all seems to happen for a moment. Then a startled, chened cry of terror escapes him -- he cannot believe that he is looking at

Nick. He stares in wonderment and panic at the sight of Nick grabbin the pistol. Suddenly and frighteningly all of the spectators begin t shout in confusion.

dQ

€

Nick, resting his elbows on the edge of the table like someone having

.a conversation in a bar, spins the pistol, cocks it, puts it to his

own head. Involuntarily, Michael cries out. For a brief moment, the two men simply -- and to powerful effect -- stare at each other. Then Nick gives Michael an odd, searching look. Suddenly -- -

Michael lunges forward with a great heave, but Nick has already click- ed out and is being dragged from the table, screaming. Michael strud- gles fiercely to rip free from the other bodyguards who are stopping him.

There is a sudden movement in the darkness. And with terrible force one of the bodyguard's feet comes up into Nick's stomach. His body lifts off the ground, shuddering with the impact, and crashes down, stunned. Punches, kicks and blows come from every direction. All of it sudden and shocking. Nick gathers himself, mixes punches, then lands a swift, stunning two-punch combination. He backs off, turns away on the same beat, leaving the bodyguard to drcep unconscious, and lurches out of the courtyard.

_Michael pushes outside, looks around with the confused look of a man

who has arrived in a strange city for the very first time. He backs away from the building and hurls himself through the courtyard.

Julien, who has said nothing during the whole scene, follows outside onto the street.

Michael catches a fleeting glimpse of Nick, breaks into a stiff run that becomes more and more violent.

Then, as if all this last had been too much for him, he stops -- waves

y= 113A.

CY

down one of the passing rickshaw-type taxis. Just then, Jul es him in his car.

We see Nick fall back into the seat and his eyes cizss -- he

ien paess-

iooks

half-dead. All the life seems to have gone out of him. Sudéenly, he opens his eyes. Julien is alongside, driving. Julien studies Nick

for a moment and then smiles.

For a moment Nick doesn't answer. His eyes seem to look throuch Julien, as if to some landscape far beyond. Julien takes out a thick wad of American bills and presses them on Nick. Nothing at

all seems to happen for a moment. Suddenly, Nick throws the

money

out the window. Julien says nothing, gives Nick a long look. There is a sound of scuffling, then shouting. Julien turns to look back.

There is a full-scale riot breaking out in the street. People fight- ing for the money. In the distance the sky goes up in a huge flash of fire and then the dollar bills whip across the street in a great

hot wind.

There is a sudden, mad scramble of taxis. Michael lunges into the

closest one to him, takes off. After a moment, he sees Nick

in Jul-

ien's car disappearing from view. He looks at the people fighting for the money and suddenly he is moved almost to tears. He sees the fluttering Collar bills -~ perhaps it is that that touches hin; a

sharp awareness that he is no demigod, but human like Nick. too, it is the sense that Nick will never really come back.

Perhaps,

It is freezing cold. The trailer is all decked out like a plum cake, with tiny American flags. Stretching from the trailer to the tele-

phone pole across the street is a huge, hand-lettered banner says: “WELCOME HOME MICHAEL!" and it whips and snaps in the wind. The billowing smoke from the steel mill, blown by the wind across the town below, sweeps over it all.

winter fierce

Michael's battered Caddy is in the yard, tires sagging, frozen flat.

Alongside it is Nick's pick-up truck and a bunch of much newer cars.

Axel, John and a bunch of familiar-looking steelworkers, all of them half-bombed, are dragging out two more kegs of beer from garbage cans filled with ice. Linda is peering out one of the trailer windows,

looking pale and anxious. Stan, who is unofficial lookout, up and down at’ the approach of every car and screaming:

is jumpin:

We see the empty street into which a taxicab turns.

Michael, in his Airborne dress uniform, sits hunched forward in the back seat surrounded by his baggage, his chest bemedaled with a lot of ribbons and expert badges.

= Suddenly, as the cab comes over the crest of the hill, the trailer t. looms into sight, straight ahead. Through one window we see Stan peering out of the trailer at the approaching cab. CAB DRIVER

. . Jesus! Will you look at all , this...

Michael just stares at the fast approaching trailer.

That's not it.

Keep going. Go straight down to the highway.

é)

ay

cy

Cy

Michael slumps in the seat out of view.

Linda is at the window, standing with Stan and Axel pressed ciose together, all of them watching the cab.

The taxicab comes thudding by. Linda, Stan and Axel all watch as it disappears under the flapping "Welcome Home Michael" banner.

Linda gives a thin smile. Stan puts one arm around her shoulders.

‘Linda nods, but not too hopefully.

A huge neon sign stands against the grey sky, buzzing angrily, as if it were full of bees.

The taxi driver comes out of one of the rooms, gets back in his cab and pulls away.

oY

Michael stands in the doorway where the driver just left hin His duffle bag and the rest of his gear are’at the wall i. his leet His head is thrown back and he is draining the last of a bottle

of whiskey, gulping it down in a great raw swallow.

Michael lowers the bottle, catches his breath. The stark panic is gone, but there is still fear -- blind, nameless fear, like that Of an animal run to the ground.

Michael crosses to the window, grips the frame with both hands and looks out across the valley.

The five great blast furnace stacks trail their ribbons of smoke across the pale winter sky. Steam billows upward in huge, silver- edged clouds and there is the familiar and somehow comforting flash and gleam of fire.

Michael turns back to the room. He stares at it blankly -- stares at the bed, the bureau, the chair -- all of it cheap plastic and syn- thetic imitation decor: then he opens his bag, pulls out the weddins picture and props it up on the bed. He drags a chair over, sits down heavily and outs his feet up on the bed. Then he reaches down and picks up a new bottle from his bag, closes his eyes and begins gulping whiskey Gown, gulping it hard, fast. As hard and as fast

as he can -- staring at the picture of Linda in front of hin.

The banner stretching to the telephone pole across the street has been whipped to shreds by the wind. Everyone has tone home. [In the yard, parked beside Michael's Caddy is only one other car about the same vintage. There is a case of beer on its roof, the windows are entirely frosted over and the engine is running. After a moment, Axel, Stan and John stagger out -- blearyv-eyed, hung-over and freezing. Linda comes out of the trailer, but just as she emerges the whistle at the mill goes off. Axel and Stan begin yell- ing at each other, then they throw themselves back in the car and start off. .The case of beer on the roof crashes to the ground. They stop, pile out, pick up the cans, heave them in the back seat and take off again.

John stands in the yard alone with Linda. She kisses him lightly on the cheek, John smiles. They hug each other and John starts down a rickety wooden stairway, disappears.

Linda turns and goes back inside the trailer.

We see Michael standing in the freezing cold, and i: looks as thous. he has been standing there for a long time. It is his POV of the © trailer we have been watching. Michael is powerfully moved. He gathers his breath and starts down the stairway toward the trailer.

Half-eaten cakes, cookies, six-packs of beer and emoty bottles of wine cover almost every inch of available space. inda sits cn the little plastic-covered settee, wedged between two cases cf beer and hunched over a white sweater which with painful slowness she has knitted for Nick. Frightened, lonely, she is trying not to cry. She is trying her goddamnedest. Suddenly--

There is a knock at the door. Linda freezes. Then, trying to be

totally matter-of-fact, she puts down the sweater, crosses to the

door and opens it, revealing a grinning Michael. He looks, in his uniform now, as the airborne sergeant did at the wedding. Tough,

wizened beyond his years. An expert-looking killer.

Linda stares at him. The sound of his voice is even more of a shocx to her than seeing him. For a split second she seems not to recog- nize him. Michael gives a little laugh and steps up into the traiie- lifts his arms out to her.

She hugs him for a moment, as hard as she dares, then they pull aparc.

Linda gives him a quick look; then looks away. The intensity in Michael's eyes and the tone of his voice combine to frighten her.

_LINDA I was hoping... Oh, Michael, I was hoping-- (back -in his arms) I was hoping somehow Nick would be with you!

MICHAEL

They pull apart. She looks at him searchingly. to ofen expression of feeling as they will ever be. Then Michael

says only:

Linda nods, makes no reply.

. MICHAEL (laughs)

- How are you?

But--

80A.

Both are as close

?~ MICHAEL

It was just the usual compli- cations. All the guys go through it.

ON.

The remark reaches Linda. They both stand rigidly.

are on her. There is an awkward pause. Then--

el.

Michael's eyes

Michael removes his fitted jacket. Linda pulls the sweater over him, y touches his shoulders for a moment, gingerly, as if she hadn't touch-

ed a man for so long she can't remember how it went.

C, The sweater is huge, a great rumpled thing reaching almost to

Michael's knees.

The pressure of the moment is too intense for her.

She crosses to

one of the garbage pails full of melting ice and stuffs the sweater

in it.

— MICHAEL (s Would you mind if I walked you to work?

Linda softens, they meet in a look.

ao

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&2.

LINDA’ You're so funny, Michael. You're always like a gentleman.

Her face starts to quiver; against her will, she begins to sob. Camera closes on her face.

Michael, wearing his uniform, and Linda are some distance away. Michael is seen shaking hands with an enthusiastic older MAN while Linda stands to one side, watching his face. She looxs suddenly in- vigorated by the cold air and the prospect of mystery, danger. An- other older MAN comes over. Linda takes the man's arm and presents Michael to him almost as an object of wonder. Suddenly noticing

her reflection in a store window, she fixes her hair, aware of Michael's eyes on her. We cannot hear what is being saic. The only sound comes from the steel mill which looms up behind them out of the frozen valley below.

Across the street a coal train is rumbling slowly by and Michael is caught by it. The cars are black, interchangable, and they roll on and on. Suddenly the.last car appears. The car passes and there is Silence.

Michael. gives Linda a friendly little kiss. Linda stares up at him.

“She doesn't know what to say, how to respond. Michael forces a grin,

gestures with his head and shrugs. He holds her hand and they con- tinue on down the street -- obviously uneasy.

MICHAEL

Linda... I just want to say how sorry I am about Nick. How... I know you loved him and I know it can never be the same. I mean, maybe... I don't know, if you want to even talk--

(no reply)

The small place is overflowing with crates and boxes. A couple of girls in smocks are stacking and unpacking. Michel comes in with Linda. A cigar-chewing MANAGER comes right up, starts pumping

Michael's hand, slapping him on the back and shouting orders all at the same time. The cirls working as checkers are all smiling, ad- miring the hell out of Michael, running their fingers over his uni- form; as if <nliyv by touchine him they could tell he was real. Every- body making small talx as the manacer keens interrupting. MANAGER (to Michael) You did a good job, kid. Petruccio, gimme a count on those pears! (back to Miche2el) I think we got ‘em now, know what I mean? Have a cigar.

He goes off. A STOCK BOY comes by and whistles at Linda.

Linda hurries off. The manager comes up from behind, clapping Michael on the shoulder again as he goes outside for his car, a brand-new Cadillac. Michael watches it pull out of view. He does not move or speak for a moment, and the girls stare at him. Then he just leaves without another word or a look back.

Michael waits by the entrance to the mill. It is cold and he looks as if he had been waiting for some time. Suddenly steelworkers begir streaming out the doors, heading for their cars. Michael cranes his neck and then catches sight of Axel and Stan making their way toward: John's bar down the street.

Axel turns. ‘He grabs Stan and pulls him through the departing steel- workers.

cy

cy

(Revised 5/28/77) 84.

STAN

Mike...? (sees him) Jesus, Mike!

Stan grabs Michael's hand, shakes it. Then Axel does the same, grabs him in a big bear hug.

Right? Am I right, Axel?

The question hangs there for a moment.

Stan seems suddenly relieved. There is an awkward silence for a Moment, then everybody nods silently .and they start for John's bar.

(Revised 5/28/77) 84A.

(

Axel makes a threatening gesture to Stan, then shrugs. AXEL

Show him the new gun. Show him the new gun, Stan.

a

-. f™

cy

Stan looks around. Cars are streaming out of the lot, horns blaring. Stan hikes up his lavers of sweaters and sweatshirts and shows a spanking new .38 Smith and Wesson in a clip holster on his belt.

MICHAEL ; What the hell's that for?

Michael comes through the crowd of steelworkers toward the bar, shaking hands. The men treat him with immense respect. There are no cracks, there are no jokes. They squeeze his shoulder, pat his back, punch his arm, reaching out for him, touching him.

Suddenly John comes out of the back kitchen.

Stan! John pushes them all back into the kitchen.

The door shuts behind him. One of the bartenders bangs in, brings a

pitcher of beer and a bottle of Seagram's whiskey,

nods and leaves.

cy

(Revised 5/28/77) 86.

They all stand there silently for a moment looking at ¢ach other. The other mood is suddenly gone.

John, Axel and Stan exchange glances. JOHN (amazed) You didn't know?

Michael is silent. Tears begin streaming down John's face.

_ STAN Hey, John...

JOHN

Mike, we don't know where Steven is... Angela won't tell us. '

- JOHN She won't talk to anybody.

Michael walks in a circle and then stops, staring at them. Then he turns and goes straight out.

fF 131.

cy

Cy

(Revised 5/9/77) 87.

The room is very dark. gela sits propped-un in bed uné covered comforter by phe | window. The only illuminsc: re the glow of the blast furnaces. Surrounding che rad : ances, many in unopened cartons (blenders, at.v., ah radios, electric curlers, other aifts, etc.) And inst 7 it all, playing with a toaster, is a chubby four-vear-old &

There is a sound from the hallway, then Steven's mother comes in with Michael. She gives him a look raising her head slichtly, in- dicating Angela. Then she closes the door soun alesslv anc leaves, leaving Michael alone with Angela. As she goes out, we catch a last glimpse of her quickly making the sign of the cross.

Michael stares at the cartons of appliances and gifts and at the smiling boy. Then he shifts his look to Angela, who stares right through him. An unblinking, terrifying stare.

Angela begins to tremble, fiddles with the dial on a tiny portable radio in her hand, going from one station to another, the whole time staring at Micheel. Finally she reaches for a magazine and writes down a number in a tiny, nearly illegible scrawl. Michael moves closer to her now. Angela finishes, puts Gown the ven and tears off the tiniest piece of paper, looks at it once, and gives it hesitantingly to Michael.

Angela just gives him a strange, twisted smile, avoiding his eves too directly. Michael leans over, kisses her gently on the fore- head, looks one more time at the smiling boy and goes out... Camera closes on Angela who just keeps staring into space.

Michael walks past on his way to the trailer with the piece of paper Angela gave him in his pocket. It is snowing and from inside the church we hear the choir singing. The sound is massive, deep and dark, like a great river rolling through the growing night.

Ahead we see a lone telephone booth at the curb. The door is half- open and snow is plowing in. Michael starts to reach for Steven's number in his pocket, stops, closes his eyes, leans forward into the wind. The telephone looms closer and Michael almost stops, but doesn't and passes by.

om.

CG

133»

(Revised 5/28/77) 88.

Michael sits in a chair in the back of the trailer. His knuckles are white from the pressing tension. He locks Crained and exhausted. His old Geer nunting sear is still cried on the Llser alongsice Nick's, right where tha. left it ali. the lichts are out ang Micha! is staring az =he telesnone which is illuminated througn the window by a streat tight in the corner. There is a&@ sound outside, then the lights come on as Linda enters with groceries. Michael is packing = pistol.

LINDA

Michael? MICHAEL . Right here.

Linda crosses through the living room to where Michael is sitting in the dark.

. MICHAEL Oh. Nothing... getting my gear out. I'm just leaving.

There is a long silence. Silence holds past the point where we expect someone to speek, then it holds still longer. When Linda finally speaks, her voice seems teasing yet sad.

There is another long, tense silence.

Michael swings all his hunting gear on his back, picks up his rifle and heads for the door. Linda follows, still clutching her grocer- ies, her emotions so pulverized she can hardly speak.

Lo

i34A,.

Michael is gone. Linda stands motionless, clutching her groceries,

Staring at the trailer door. It is dark outside. Snow is blowing in. The deer closes slowly, with a faint hiss, and then clicks shut. From beyond the door there is the sound of Michaei's Caddy starting up. Linda hesitates a moment longer, then drops the groceries an¢ rushes outside.

We watch Linda step out of the shower and begin to dry herself. When she speaks it is loud enough to be heard in the other room.

Linda wraps on a short fresh bath towel and it is very sexy, then

looks at herself in the mirror. She is very excited, but there is an uneasy balance between sexual desire and guilt in this moment.

She strikes a pose, pulling down the bottom of the towel a bit.

Michael doesn't answer. Linda pulls the door fully open, takes one last look at herself in the mirror and goes out.

As Linda comes out of the bathroom her face falls and she stops dead in her tracks.

Michael is lying on the bed -- sprawled on his back, his uniform and boots still on, sound asleep on top of the cheap bedspread.

Linda lets out a little moan and pulls down the top spread beside Michael, then she slips slowly under the covers moving as close to him as she can get. She moves one arm out from underneath and puts it around him, staring at the moonlit shadows moving on the ceiling.

Camera holds on both of them like this for a long moment. Michael's mirror-polished jump boots gleaming in the shine of the moon.

OMITTED

cy

People are coming and going and each time one of tho inner eco

open the sound of the bowling alley comes.in. We cats a flsscine glimpse of Linda letting go of a ball. Her movement is uncconscious- ly erotic, although no cne else but Michael seems to be aware of it

The BARTENDER lifts a beer over to Michael, gestures with his hands, "this round is on the house". Michael nods. Across from him, at the far end of tne bar is Stan, fast-talking a redhead who is mar- velously stoned, sitting on the bar stool with amazine ecuilibriun, her glass held near her mouth. She occasionally turns her heal to look at Michael, keeping herself in delicate balance, moving as if her head were in danger of snapping off at the neck if she were to

“move suddenly too fast.

Michael is high and seemingly does not notice her or Stan, continues watching Linda with growing, obsesSive appreciation, excitement. Stan gets up, comes over to Michael and claps him on the back.

How's it feel to be back?

i37.

a

I don't know. That's what I'm trying to find out! Maybe she's ~ good in bec.

(shouts to girl) You good in bed, honey?

The redhead gives him a look of pure agreeable imbecility. But before she can answer (supposing she can answer at this stage) there is a roar of screams from the bowling lanes.

Axel is flat on his stomach wedged under an automatic pin setter which has come down on him. He is hollering at the top of his voice but only his legs are sticking out, wriggling frantically. John and Linda are running toward him and begin tugginad on his legs, but they cannot budge him. We follow Michael and Stan running across the alleys to help. Linda and John are pulling like mad and Axel is yelling his head off.

Michael stares at John. He is perspiring, trying to hold the weicht of the pin setter off Axel. Then a big smile splits his face and he begins to laugh; and then, pulling cn Axel all the sime, Linda iauch: and they all laugh together uproariously. They can't help it. ,

Stan is furiously jacking up the pin setter while everyone stands watching. Slowly, Axel wriggles back out, his bowling ball clutched triumphantly in his hands. ’

STAN

Axel! Hey, Axel! You all right?

Axel straightens up slowly, his great stomach in his hands.

Fuckin' A!

Axel scoops Linda into his arms and holds her up over his head, then puts her down, laughing.

He's going!

JOHN ; Mike's going. Right, Mike? Michael hesitates, gives a sidelong glance to Linda, fixes directly into her eyes, setting up a special connection between the two of them. But Linda looks suddenly nervous and just turns and walks of the lane. Michael watches her go for a moment, composed, then lift his beer.

< - -

rain

(hopping up

and down) Just like old times! Right, Mike? Am I right?

Snow is blowing, swirling past the trunks of stark, ice-covered trees. There is no horizon. Sky and earth are bound in a moan of wind, in the faint creak of frozen limbs and the whispering, fitful, spinning flakes.

Michael appears suddenly, as a gust of wind shifts the slanting snow. He is moving easily, heading steadily up-hill, follcowing the contcur of the slope. As he draws closer we see that he is following a set

of fresh tracks on the highest ridge -- that to the east which falls sheer to jagged rocks standing out in the river below -- then to the west. .

Then the deer is there. He is a magnificent seven-point buck, stand- ing in a grove of hemlock, looking at Michael. He is like the es-

- sence of a deer seen in a dream; and what gives him the over-masterins

and mythical quality of presence is something beyond his color and size and beauty: It is the sense of his power and vitality, as if he: were a piece of primal and unconditional energy, luminous and immortal.

Michael catches his breath, barely visible in the swirling snow.

The buck watches Michael for a moment longer, then turns, throws up his head and curvets over the high ridge to the west.

Stan is out of breath, clawing his way up a steep slope on all fours. John and Axel, who have reached a level area above Stan, unsling their rifles. Shots are going off in every direction and the sound is so magnified by echoes that it sounds like a full- scale war.

2~\

ey

EY

in his lunes) What are you, kidcin'? Are you kiddin' me, Axel? Twenty times we coulda had it!

(wheezing) If I'd'a been where you were--

John signals with his head, Stan turns. Finally a deer, an old greying buck, nas come out of the woods. The deer is rattled by the gunfire and peers at Stan uncertainly. Stan spins and grabs his gun, which immediately goes off. He slams another shell in the chamber and scrambles to his feet, but the rifle sling is hooked on the branches of a bush and his shot ricochets off a near- by rock. John and Axel dive for cover. As they look up, they see the deer trot down the slope and then Axel, firing, running after ..

The wind is much stronger, moaning in the trees. Michael is moving fast, at a near trot. Suddenly he stops, listening. At the same moment there is a snort. Michael wheels. For a split second the buck comes into sight in a break in the trees, then springs away. Michael is transfixed for a moment, then darts after it, as the great buck thunders through the trees.

The wind shifts and we see that Michael has stepped onto a boulder which is loosely planted at the top of a steep scree slope. As

he watches in horror, the boulder begins to roll, then to bouna, dislodging other rocks and boulders, all of them botncing and leaping and cracking... and then falling -- soundless -- over a sheer ledge to unknown depths below.

Axel and John have dragged their dead deer to an old weathered log beside the shack. They sit side by side, drenched in sweat, guz- zling beer out of both hands.

Shots explode nearby. At first the shots are scattered but they quickly open into a full barrage. Axel and John stand up.

ey

Stan comes barreling through the trees, shouting ani screaming His clothes are in tatters, the sole is.gone from on snoe and the barrel of his rifle is jammed up with mud and perceps<ibly bent

Stan loses his footing and rolls down an embankment, nead over heels.

Stan's deer staggers through the trees, drops quietly in the softly falling snow.

On the rugged cliffs above the lake the wind is blowing in custs, slanting the snow first one way and then the other. Michael appears in the distance, a black speck in the endless expanse of shifting white. His pursuit has become nightmarish.

As Michael draws closer we can see that he is near exhaustion. His clothes are caked with snow, his breath comes in a shallow casp and his gait is uneven, favoring one leg. As Michael approaches camera he falters and limps to a stop. There are no more tracks. There is nothing to go by and he hunkers down in the driving snow.

The wind bangs in from one way, then it shifts and bangs in again from another way. Suddenly it stops entirely. In the moment of pure silence there is a sound -- the click of a hoof on rock.

Instantly the buck comes flashing into view.

Again, Michael is transfixed for a moment, then he pushes himself to

-his feet, raises his rifle and sights down the barrel.

We see the buck through Michael's sights. The buck whirls and stops facing him. It is a clear shot. Michael's finger is on the trigger. For a second the buck is too astonished to move. He trembles across his whole body.

Michael stands motionless, squeezes the trigger; but at the last instant he raises the barrel. The shot misses.

.Almost as if the buck had’ understood, he hesitates, staring at

Michael. Then, throwing up his great head, he begins to run.

Michael is so wonder-struck he has forgotten to breathe. He turns with his back against a sneer rock face high in the air. As he does he looks out over a snow-shrouded landscape of such spec-

tacular. beauty that it might be something from a dream.

wt,

(Revised 5/28/77) 96.

The wind keening through the high passes, and then faintly, the echo comes back.

_A Coleman lantern hangs from one rafter, rocking in the wind. John

is out cold. Axel and Stan are both high on beer and are cleaning their deer rifles. Stan finishes first and then pulls out his .38 caliber pistol and begins cleaning it.

. AXEL (noticing) What's that stupic little gun up here for?

Stan is sheet-white, trembling. He grabs up the pistol and cocks it.

Michael is just coming in, half-frozen. He stares at the pistol in disbelief. Suddenly looks as if he is going to kill scmebody. He springs, seizes the gun with one hand and slams Stan to the floor. Stan gets up. Michael starts to move on him. Axel quickly lurches over, pulls Michael away. —

(Revised 5/28/77) 97.

r AXEL i Mike, easy! MICHAL (grimly)

Yeah.

Stan gets tc his feet. There is a dazed look on his face.

Michael takes the pistol, then he points it at the roof and squeezes the trigger. The gun goes off with a deafening roar, blows a hole in the roof. John snaps awake.

For a moment there is absolute silence. The wind moans in the trees, snow curls through the open hole, splinters and snowflakes raining down. John is still trying to find his breatt

CY

Michael lowers the pistol, looks at it, turns it over in his hands...

Michael snaps open the cylinder, empties all but one cartridce and Slams it shut. Stan is chewing his lip. John is staring in utter disbelief at the ghastiv scene about to take vlace. Michael spins “the cylinder. Then there is absolute silence.

Axel notices that his hands are shaking. Michael suddenly cocks the revolver and in a single motion grabs Stan by the throat and

puts the gun to his head. Stan's eyes rolling madly in astonish- ment and cutrage.

Simultaneousiv, there is a dull click, as the hammer strikes into an empty chamber. Stan clamps his eyes shut and a scream tears out of his throat.

* Michael still clenches Stan, but then slowly, with every last ounce

fr of control he has left, releases his grip. Stan gasps for air, gags and throws up, then he reels, like a rudderless ship, and crashes Co to the floor where he lies motionless beside Axel's feet. Michael

stands right where he is, nerves alert.

ry

For another moment there is an absolute stillness. John, who has not said a word the whole time, is struck mute, staring at Michael.

Michael comes out the door and stands for a moment, listening to the wind. He looks down at the pistol turning it over in his hands, then he heaves it into the trees as hard as he can. He looks half- destroyed. He is stiff, sore and exhausted. Slowly he comes back into his other world.

The motel is lonely-looking, cheap and cold. Michael's Caddy pulls into the yvard beside the big trucks and cars and slides to a stop. Michael goes around to the trunk, removes his gear and slams the. lid. He crosses to his room and goes inside. And now for the first time we notice that Axel, John and Stan are still in the car, Silent and unmoving. Momentarily they file out, grab their gear and without a word to each other walk home in separate directions.

Division Street is empty except for scores of abandoned shopping carts on the sidewalk near the market which a CLERK is banging to- gether.

Michael pulls up in his Caddy, stops and goes in.

A GIRL is closing out the two registers up front.

GIRL

How was the hunting?

The girl is about to say more but Michael goes down a long aisle of bright packages. Coming out at the back he finds Linda sitting on the floor surrounded by boxes, crying.

~~ fas GD

~

99’.

" MICHAEL There must be something.

Linda looks up at him, tears streaming down her face.

Michael cannot reply for a moment. Then:

Michael hesitates, then turns and walks back down the aisle between the bright packages. He is silent but obviously moved.

Michael sits behind the wheel, watching the lights go out. His hands begin shaking uncontrollably and he gets back out of the car.

The clerk is rounding up the last of the abandoned shopping carts. The carts crash and clank as he rams them together. The lights inside the market are going out.

Michael watches the last light go out in the market. Linda comes out of the decor and crosses towards hin.

Did you ever think life would turn out like this?

He fumbles, opens her door. Linda suddenly slips in and slams the door shut tight.

--Michael is lying on his back. Outside the bedroom we hear a door

open, then bare footsteps. Michael -- and we -- make out Linda's naked figure through the darkness. She comes to him gently, slowly, decisively. They make love.

a

“.

cy

a59'.

(Revised 5/28/77) 100.

The wind is blowing. No one. A beer can rolling in the wind...

We watch Michael back away from the window. For a moment he stands motionless, turns, looks at Linda asleep -- lying en her back, arms flung out across the pillows, like an angel in a child's story. Ke hesitates; then he pulis on pants, shirt, jacket, and jams his feer into a p2ir of bcots.

Michael comes walking up the street. There is no one in sight. He crosses to the intersection, near the church, with the telephone booth.

Michael jams himself into the booth, zippers his jacket. He is irk- ed with himself, a little frightened. He hears a car door close anc an engine start up. A car pulls out of a nearby street and comes past him, slowly. As Michael watches, the tail lights grow small, then the car dips over a hill and disappears.

Michael pulls out the tiny scrap of paper with Steven's number that Angela had given him before. He lifts the frozen receiver and be- gins to dial a number...

Moonlight streams through windows. A Bingo game is in full swing. Dozens of men in wheelchairs, some eating, are watching the tote board with absolute concentration.

A NURSE enters the foreground with a telephone message. Beyond her we see the wheelchsir fleet coming from the recreation rcom toward her. As the nursé continves we realize she is moving directly to- ward Steven. Steven is dressed in a shite hospital gown, the bottom of which hangs over the front of the wheelchair and trails limpily on the floor. Both of his legs have been high amputated and ke has lost the use of one arm. Eis face is scarred and what expression

he displays is centered in his eyes.

We watch Steven take the telephone message from the nurse.

Suddenly, Steven begins wheeling himself rapidly down the polished corridor. At the doorway to the telephone room he pauses, looking at the dangling receiver.

He wheels around in a little circle - pained, terribly upset. His eyes fall back on the receiver. Then he hurries toward it.

(Revised 5/28/77) 101.

Michael stands in the beoth huddled anxiously over the receiver. I+ is very cold.

| MICHAEL Steven? Steven, it's me, Mike.

Steven suddenly looks around in desperation. A flurry of wheel- chairs go past.

cy

Michael holds the receiver, staring into it.

°163. INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT

* . STEVEN’

(with every-

thing he has) Place is great. It's like a re- sort... Basketball, bowling. You mame it. Even Princess Grace visited us here. I gotta get back, Mike. Curfew.

(clicks off)

«ey

om

co a4

f

a 165. INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT

Camera closes slowly con Steven. His head has f as if he were drowning. in front of him is the 4d: A nurse approecnes... .

fallen to one side -- angling receiver.

Someone’ is getting out of a cab. After a moment the feet appear,

Clad in highly solished jump boots. We see military trousers with the razor crease tucked in the boots, a belt buckle embossec with

an eagle's head... ané then suddenly, Michael's face. Then Axel,

Stan and John following.

They all slow their approach, stop, looking at the hospital building. It is huge. We watch Axel, Stan and John take seats in the lobby as Michael heads for the elevators.

Steven watches Michael approach for a moment, his face utterly with— out expression. Michael continues coming closer. As he sees Steven’ condition, he tries to hide his reaction, but in his eyes we see how

hard he is hit.

a STEVEN l Michael. I don't want to go home. 7 MICHAEL (nods) I know. STEVEN You go hunting? MICHAEL Yeah..- STEVEN You get one? MICHAEL No. STEVEN

You didn't get a deer?

. MICHAEL I tracked one, a big buck. God, he was a beauty!

5)

te}

CY

Michael cets behind Steven's wheelchair, pushes him along.

Michael swincs Steven's wheelchair around to his bed area. No- tices the lic of his footlocker is locked with several very large padlocks.

Michael keeps looking Gown at all the padlocks on the footlocker at his feet. They are everywhere.

Steven bends over to the footlocker, as best he can, and beqins opening the locks with keys from a chain worn aroune his neck. As he straightens up, Michael notices wedged in between his underweer and toilet articles wadded-up bundles of hundred-dollar bills and ceramic elephants, which are familiar to us from the street peddler in Saigon. Some of them are still stuffed with money. The corners are all chipped and it looks as if they have been in there for a long time.

Michael reaches down, slips a single bill out, feeis the paper; realizes it is real and folds it. He looks us, watching Steven. Other men in wheelchairs roll-slowly by. Steven sits with the footlecker of money at his feet, utterly bewilderec, tears well- ing up in his eyes.

This last with a growing edge of hysteria. Michael looks at the men going by in wheelchairs. His head is spinning and he brings himself back with effort, looks suddenly exhausted.

Michael makes no reply. But the intensity in his eyes frightens Steven.

(Revised 5/28/77) 1G4.

a * STEVEN

\. That place is ygornna be caught in a terrible shit storm. Where is a guy lixe Nick getting money like this?

Michael rises, looking down at the money. The reality of what he is thinking has nearly overwhelmed him, and it is only with tre- mendous effort that he maintains a casual tone.

* . STEVEN (panicked)

Like hell you are! I don't fit int! Mike! No!

For a moment both of them look like the worn-out survivors of a terrible struggle. And they are. They are. After a moment, © Steven says quietly:

There is a moment’s pause. Then Michael suddenly gets behind the wheelchair and pushes Steven right out of the warda with quick, hareé steps. As he is wheeling Steven through corridors, an increasing number of NURSES gather around, questioning, everyone talking at once.

The place is a madhouse of activity. As jet scream TROOPS disem- barking from Saigon are being counted and re-counted. SERGEANTS are yelling off names. CLERKS are typing forms. Forklift trucks weave in and around a few OFFICERS waiting to go to Saigon, look-

ing lost. - Michael is still in uniform. He stands at a window watching a jet — transport being prepared for loading. A CLERK comes by, arauing ay with a SERGEANT. The Sergeant sets cown his clipboard to consult

the clerk's papers. Michael picks up the clipboard and fades into the crowd.

cy

(Revised 5/9/77) 165.

169. OMITTED

Michael has the Sergeant's clipboard and flashes it as he casually boards with the others. A YOUNG LIEUTENANT is shouting up at the pilot, who shrugs back at him.

The sound of the jet whine revving up overrides him as the cargo doors are slammed shut anc the big plane lumbers out onto the run- way. The figure of the lieutenant quavers in the waves of heat, breaks up like smoke as the plane taxis into position for takeoff.

VIET CONG SAPPERS have just attacked. A number of jet fiqhters are burning, bodies are strewn over the tarmac and jeeps with SOLDIERS are racing back and forth. Out beyond, the jet troop transport taxis into view, lumbering like a great silver monster out of the night

Michael stands in the aisle next to a COLONEL who is peering out the window. A lone MAJOR sits nearby.

Michael nods. Everyone starts out.

Sirens are screaming in the @istance. Michael looks around ner- vously. Smoke hangs over everything.

Cc

(Revised 5/9/77) 1cé.

The scream of the sirens grows louder. Suddenly a military vcolice jeep, mounted with a 59-caliber machine cun, careens into view Just as a nuge black chopzer sets down. The peopie who stream out are of all ages, Scth Asian and Americam. They all have identifi- cation tags whipping around their necks in the rotor wash, and all are carrying some kind of luggage.

COLONEL

That's me. (nudges past Michael and

waves) Right here, Sergeant: I'm right here! M.P. Right this way, sir. I suggest we run.

Michael, the Colonel, and the Major are rushed unceremoniously to the chopper and pushed on board.

They take off just as another round of mortar shells comes screaminc.

Michael sits on a seat in the stripped-down, clattering chopper. He is squashed in between the Colonel and the Major who is reading

‘the latest Wall Street Journal.

The chopper veers, suddenly tilting over to one side. Michael twists around to look out the window... In all of these next scenes we will see, and we will hear the increasingly Gesperate population of a city under assault.

The roof of the Embassy is. jammed with people standing on every inch of available space. Enormous red lights glare from the four corners of the roof. The helicopter pad us there is ringed with M.P.'s with machine cuns who are checking ID's as they let vdeople aboard another chopper, one at a time. The helicopter on the pad taking people on has its rotors going, and other helicopters are

circling. But it not only the roof of the Embassy which is jammed.

(>

(Revised 5/9/77) 107.

From Michael's vantage point he can see that the area around the swimming pool in the courtyard below looks like a refugee camp.

Michael's chopper sets down with the doors already open. He and his three travelling companions jump out and rush to a door leading to an interior fire stairway.

Michael looks back. The chopper he came in on is already loaded and taking off, while another is coming in to land right behind it.

Michael and the other officers descend the stairs behind two ARMED GUARDS. The doors are open on the landings. Through one doorway Michael can see into the swimming pool area:

Sitting around the pool, filling the entire courtvard right to

the edge of the water, are hundreds of silent, waiting PEOPLE.

The people are both Asian and American. As in scenes everywhere in the city, they have piles of luggage. They all hold documents in hand and they have the blank-eved look of those who have been waiting for days. Except for the clatter of the choppers in the air above and the clicking of typewriters, there is hardly a sound. The image appears briefly; like a hallucination.

Suddenly they come on a Coke machine. It is a huge Coke machine, standing on the ground floor. :

Corporal, we're all running late?! The Colonel nods. GUARD 1

(snaps out of it) We can't get any of you off to GHQ till morning... might as well relax.

A yelling, screaming, shrieking, hysterical MOB OF VIETNAMESE are pressed up against the tall red and white striped poles of barbed wire outside the gate. Michael sits in an open jeep with the

Colonel, the Major, a DRIVER at the wheel, and a CORPORAL holding

oy

178A.

(Revised 5//2£/77) 168

a machine gun in between them. Suddenly a siren goes off. The

Main gate is opened and then MP's with automatic rifles charce eut to a smaller wire-mesh gate that opens through the barbed wire. The MP's open fire above the heads of tke mob bi ocKing the wire- mesh gate and as they begin to move to the side and open a path

the driver revs up the jeep.

He snaps the clutch and they smoke off for the still closed wire- mesh gate. Just as the jeep arrives at the gate, the MP's swing it open and the jeep careens on two’wheels down a narrow human corridor of shrieking, jeering, screaming people.

The city seems of two minds, at the very least, about its approach- ing fall. On seme streets everything is calm, on other streets refugees are still frantically streaming in, hoping to flee, carry- ing every last possession they own on bicycles, motorcycles, rick- shaws, carts, and wagons. The jeep whips through it all, fast. A grenade is thrown at the jeep. The machine gunner bats it back with a baseball bat. As behind them in the receding distance there is a dull explosion,

The old colonial-style building in which General Headquarters is housed fronts the river. Between the building and the river is a parking area full of staff cars and jeeps mountecé with 50-caliber machine guns in which drivers are all soundly sleeping. The en- trance is through a gate ina high chainlink fence topped by three rows of barbed wire, but there is no mob outside the fence and the two MP's at the gate hardly salute when Michael and the ofticers are driven in. The jeep pulls up at the front entrance, screeches to a stop. Michael watches the others climb out, head into the compound. Then he gets out, exactly as if he knew what he was doing. He does not; watches it ail for a moment.

There are bumping sounds ahead of him. CLERKS are wheeling out tall green file cabinets. TWO CORPORALS are carrying huge piles of American flags, others carrying trunks, etc.

The officers staring at’ it all.

The whole area looks as if a tornado had hit it. Papers are all over the steps. More file cabinets are standing around everv which

Way, some with their drawers torn cut, some lying on their sices

some empty, some full. In between the file cabinets, the Colonel moves up the steps into the building, passing a SERGEANT with horn- rimmed glasses which he keeps pushing back up on the bridge of his nose.

)

189A.

cy

(Revised 5/28/77) 109,

The sergeant looks around, making a hopeless gesture with his hands.

The Colonei stares at him for a moment, shakes his head. The lights inside suddenly go off, there is a dull, far-off explosion. Michaei is gone.

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

Traffic streams by the GHQ. In the distance there is the dull crump of artillery fire. A taxi appears and screeches to a stop in front of the GHQ compound. We see Michael get in the taxi, then the taxi pulls out, merging into the flow of other similar taxis.

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

Loud, crowded and steamy as ever, except now the dancing girls above the bar are stark naked. Music is blaring and the place is almest pitch-dark. The girls dancing, seeming in a frenzy but

with wistful, far-off gazes. We watch Michael walk straight past the bar, then through a tiny kitchen door, closes it behind him.

The hundreds of air conditioners propped-up with sticks, poles, wire, and boards, are all older; still dripping, squeaking and

shaking. And the old peddler with the food stand and ceramic elephants is still there.

¢ y

1898.

Michael comes outside wearing civilian clothes now. MNoticine the old peddler he moves on, threading his way throuch the dark 4

He walks with urgency, breathing hard.

A nearby building is burning. The street is littered with corpses

lying this way and that, like broken dolls. HWMichsasi walks sast the body of a dead child. Then suddenly, as if by a miracle, he finds

himself standing in front of the courtyard where Juiien served Nick champagne.

A KID appears out of the shadows holding a gun in his hand. Micheel gives a little laugh, gropes in his pocket, takes out his roll and counts out a few bills. In the space of an eyeblink, the money and the kid disappear. Michael steps into the familiar courtyard.

The old courtyard seems entirely menacing, mysterious, everywhere grown over with weeds. A loaded truck is just pulling out reveal- ing Julien's car. Discarded crates lie around, along with @ corpse. As Michael looks at the corpse, there is a sound of footstess cominc from inside the shuttered wooden pbuilding on the river. Michael stands for a moment, listening, then he watches as a figure pulls open the door. It is Julien.

In the darkness, Julien suddenly finds his way blocked by Michael. He steps back and for a moment the two men are locked in stares.

Michael comes close, looks Julien long and hard in the eye, remem-_ bering him. Julien starts to squirm. Suddenly, Michael smacks him in the face. Julien is shocked, stunned.

ly at Michael) C'est extraordinaire! Nick?

(Revised 5/9/77) 112.

be

Julien turns, vul

_ te ls open the door to nis car, muttering to himself and rubbing nis fa

Ss MICHAEL Hold it, Ace...

This last with a strong aroma of contempt.

Michael begins slapping bills down on the hood of Julien's car.

Michael smacks down more money. Julien flinches. Michael gives him a look that suggests he should not start the car. He doesn't.

Michael smiles at the last line, speaks softly, lighting a cigarette as he does.

Julien watches with unwavering eves, finally gives a slight frantic nod of his head. .

cw

a

191A.

1918.

(Revised 5/9/77)

to ~~

“ uy e

Julien doesn't answer.

Julien hurries off to the wooden building and disapsears insice. Now Michael crosses to the door.

Michael steps inside and moves into the middle of an empty room. The same room where the audiences for Julien's gambling used to sit. And everywhere more remnants of black-market crates and

torn cartons of American cigarettes littering the floor. Michael looks out over the river reflectively. Our view begins to move Closer to him. We begin to hear music of the wedding, havopy music; as we move closer to Michael we see --

‘The river is crowded with houseboats of every size, shape and des-

cription -gently rolling in the wake of passing power boats...

Michael turns around --, Julien reappears, wearing his still-elegant white linen suit, the trousers of which are a bit shiny now; trying to remember his old importance.'

Julien lurches out the door’ on the river side.

oy

(Revised 5/9/77) OMITTED 113A.

Julien's boat is about twenty feet long and two feet wide. Michael sits in the front, broken crates sit in the middle, and Julien oper- ates a tiny but incredibly noisy outboard from the stern. As they move up the river, bridges come cliding overhead, one after another, each of them jam-packed with refucees on the move to God knows whers. The bridges are so full that pecsle are almost falling off the sid As they pass Michael can hear babies crying. Now and then, asa rocket hits closer to the city the sky glows and then, like ana thought, the sound of the explosion runs out across the night.

)t

hi

ace

(

t

0) MN

Fh

The dock is half-rotted, sunken into the water next to two decrepit Esso gasoline pumps wrapped in chains, and beyond, a two-storied warehouse-type building surrounded by truck sheds and mountainous Stacks of gleaming silver five-gallon tin cans.

Julien runs his boat right up on the dock, hops into the water, takes hold of the rope and lurches off. Michael follows; the dock Sinking further, bringing the water almost to his knees. He sur- veys the scene, shaking his. head.

As Michaei and Julien approach the warehouse there is a sound of clanking and banging, getting louder and louder. Dim light shows from the upper story of the warehouse through chinks and cracks, but it is impossible to see anything at all of what is going on inside.

There is an entrance on the ground floor and an entrance to the top floor via wooden stairs, directly above it. Julien heads for the ground floor entrance, lugging his cans. When he reaches the door he knocks. After a moment the door comes open, and there is a furious argument with some unseen person, and then suddenly the door slams shut.

Julien carefully mounts the steep, rickety wooden stairway leading to the second floor, gathers his breath and knocks. The door comes

- open instantly and as instantly slams shut. Julien shouts somethins

aes. e i

cy

in Chinese and pounds on the door. The door re-opens and a dan- gerous-looking CHINESE MAN comes out into partial view on the landing. Julien gces on with his explanation. The Chinese man glances down at Michael and says something to Julien in Frenecn which we do not translate.

He takes the stairs two at a time with urgency, breathing hard.

As Michael reaches the landing the Chinese man sticks out his hand. Michael slaps five thousand dollars into it.

Julien translates the question. The Chinese man does not answer. Michael slaps another thousand dollars into the Chinese man's hand. The Chinese man says something, which Julien translates:

He says thev have the famous American who has survived twenty- seven games... and that this in- formation has deprived him of his valuable time... and that vou owe him another thousand dollars.

Michael slaps another thousand dollars into the Chinese man's hand but stinging hard this time. The Chinese man smiles, finally opens the door and they all go in. .

The Chinese man guides them into a dimly lit room; it is long and rather high. At the back of the room is a small office under a bal- cony which encircles the room. The door of the office is open slichi- ly, showing light. On all sides of the room every conceivable kine of black-market American merchandise is piled in cartons to the cei:- ing. From whatever operation is being conducted on the floor below, comes a furious din of clanking and banging, as if thousands of per-

Oy

11é.

sons were hammering on metal cans. The air is thick with smoke. The only light in the rcom comes from a fierce G@ret- licht hune from the ceiling focusing on one area, a broxen-2:-- table. Ee-

cause the lighting leaves other parts dark or in intncws it dces not allow us to see it all at once, but there is a suggestion of armed BODYGUARDS all over the place.

On closer view, we see TWO YCUNG-LOOKING VIETNAMESE MEN seated at the table. Closely surrounding the table is a seedv-lookins group of about TWENTY MEN who are eating and betting out cf péver bags filled with monev. The noise of =he banging from relow is such that neither the clicks of the hammer into empty cylinders nor the firing of the pistol can be heard at all. Nobody even tries to talk and everyone communicates with hand signals and signs, indi- cating the shifting odds.

As Michael comes in he -- and we -- are startled yet shoule not be completely surprised to catch sight of Nick, who is just wréDping

a scarlet cloth around his head. He stands in the narrcw aisle be- tween the contraband crates, his face without expression whatsoever. For a split second, HNichael stares at him in horror, then he cuick- ly moves out of the shadows toward him.

Nick’ looks at Michael, studying his face with the blank detachment of one stranger eyeing another, pale, exhausted; yet imposing and

appealing. Michael leans in closer toward him, stops. He coesn't know -- we don't know -~- what he is going to do. MICHAEL

(over the noise) Nick, it's me! It's Mike!

Nick makes no reply, staring at him, like someone watching it rain.

Nick doesn't respond; looks straight at him.

Nick still doesn't answer him.

I don't believe this whole thing!

(then, directly

to Nick) You always told me I was crazy..! Why are you doing this?... I don't know what did this to you...

\

Silence. ‘Michael fixes directly inte Nick's eyes.

Nick just keeps locking at him. It is now apparent to Michael that he is out of control the situation. He clears his throat.

Just then, one of the Vietnamese pulls the trigger, clicks out, pass- es the pistol to the other man, who spins it, cocks it, pulls the trigger, clicks out, and passes it back just as quickly. Nick stili shows no reaction, and now his name is called by one of the Chinese.

Michael breathes deeply to collect himself. He looks around for Jul- ien, finds that he has disappeared. He turns back to Nick who is ai- ready heading toward the next game.

The first Vietnamese now has the pistol to his head cnce more. He pulls the trigger, clicks cut, and pushes the pistol back the other man. The man spins it, cocks it and puts it to his head. Suddenly, with only the sound of the banging from below, his kody blows away from the table. There is a small puff of white smoxe in the gloon. One man outreaches his companion and catches the pistol as the dead man crumples to the floor.

Two MEN remove the body matter-of-factly, as if carrying out a drunk.

' Suddenly Michael whirls, spots Julien, crosses to him and grabs his arm.

A thin, good-looking CHINESE sits at a table, eating. Sitting around

him are several other MEN who could only be bodyguards. Covering the wall behind the Chinaman and the standing bodyguards are framed

‘photographs of relatives, ail of them tilting out from the wall as

if to gaze upon him directly. The noise in the office is fully equa: to the noise outside and as Michael and Julien are brought in, the Chinaman and the others are all eating, watching TV.

Ca ?

cy

Michael yanks out all of his remaining money, very last bill he has, Slams it down on the table.

All of the men at the table stop eating to confer. Suddenly Julien nods to Michael.

Nick and Michael sit facing each other over the battered table. Nick holds the pistol to his head -- frowning, staring at Michael with a puzzled expression -- as if somehow he might have met him before. Michael holds his eyes, holds them as hard as he can, trying to breaéx through, trying to reach him, get him to speak. The tension shows in Michael's face and manner and tone.

This last line delivered to mock the game. Nick says nothing; clicks out; pushes the pistcl across the table. Tremblinag like a flame shoor: through HMichael's body, then he picks the pistol up, spins, cocks, an: clicks out, talking all the time, trying to feed the faint ember of recognition beginning to flicker in Nick's eyes.

He says this flatly; colder. He hesitates, pushes the pistol back to Nick. Nick picks it up, spins, cocks, puts it to his head. Suddenly, just as he is about to pull the trigger, the puzzled look opens inte a startled grin of recognition.

But Nick's finger was in motion. Michael suddenly lunges across the table for the pistol -- as Nick squeezes the trigger and the pistol goes off... Nick's body is driven back by the bullet out of his chaiz.

-In slow motion we see Nick and Michael fly slowly away from the tabie,

producing a stunning effect they crash into stacked cartons of Ameri-~ can cigarettes. Michael does not move a muscle; the feeling is almesz= perfectly suppressed. Only his eyes suggest how hard he has been hic.

eo - ~

‘201. lm {— ~ 202.

y

. . : / We see Nick lying on the flocr and we watch Michael stumble to his

. feet starine at Nick's blood on his hands, grim, motioxiless, strick-

en, @s the tinny bancing builds ané builds. ‘ va

We see the huge grey shape of an American aircfaft carrier. The sun is behins it, reflecting on the water, and helicopters are coming in cverhead. Po - N y

‘“

\ The flight deck of .the carrier is bédlam. VIETNAMESE REFUGEES and AMERICAN EMBASSY PERSONNEL are being pulled out of the arriving helicopters and flight\crews are” pushing the helicopters over the side.

A WOMAN TELEVISION CORRBSPONDENT\is looking into camera. She is a thin blonde in her nid- thirties with her hair pulled back and wearing a short- sleeyed bush shirt , Nlapping. in the wind. Her face is intelligen “looking, a little ‘worn.

WOMAN CORRESPONDENT

his seems to be the last chapter in the history of American involve- ment in Viet Nam. It's also been the largest single movement of ‘

people in the history of America \

itself. \ (pauses) :

... Hilary Brown, ABC News, abcard \

the attack aircraft carrier USS Hancock, in the South China Seas.

LEEDS

ee

The place is empty. There—ts—tire-teinthiss-ofteaking—=steam=

\V eA. SSaEEO—On- Ens ELT EOF the little stage is one of the old vets.

Beside the flag, an a bugle, €2- trying to play taps. He shades x -

at, SAT EOO TET ae / co A ta ace 3. : CHORCE = = ETARKHEARHER STREET - Bay

OS hearse vaits at the curb. The day is cold and_grey* And the

Camera closes slowly on

gleaming bIatk~wehicle emits a ghostly cl white exhaust.

Nt doors of the church. The choir

is singing. At firstthie sound arely audible. Then it begins to grow louder louder, ascending in dark.triumph to a sudden, final note . _

ee

.

In the ringing silence of the music's end the dcors to the ch

Ww “A uScx swing open. Michael, Stan and John appear with Nick's flac-draped coffin. John is holdinc up one whole side by nimseif. His face 2S impasSive. Next, Axel wneels Steven carefuli. isn the icv sterc

Angela holding lightly onto one of his arms for Surscove ans koldin: her child tightly in the other. They are followed bv more mourners.

as the coffin is placed siowly into the hearse.

Smoke drifts across the leaden sky as the mourners stand together on a steep hillside of tilted, weather-worn headstones. The steel mill looms behind them, breathing steam and fire and uttering a dull concordia of rumbling sounds.

The priest we saw at the beginning of the film completes his readings of the 23rd Psalm.

Camera closes on Michael, Stan, Axel, John and Steven. Axel helps Steven to the side of the grave. It is awkward. The chair gets stuck and they all have to help carry it. Each of them has a sin- gle flower and then, following Michael's lead, they throw it in.

Michael looks up from the grave to the blast furnaces, then meets Linda in a long look. Their faces tell us all we need to know abouc this day.

The place is quite dark and a sign that says “CLOSED" hangs in the window. Michael, Stan, Axel carrying Steven in his arms, Linda anc John, and Angela with her child all come inside. They stance watch- ing John as he drags out a table into the middle of the floor. Thev have all just come from the cemetery. They are 2@ii in their coats. and boots, awkward and tired, and they go bumping into each otner trying: to bring chairs.

Axel brings a chair with a broken leg and places it carefully at

the table where it sits at a ridiculous angle. Something like a sob is wrenched out of him... a stifled sound, irrepressible. Look- ing up he says hoarsely:

John takes away the broken chair and replaces it with another. He appears emotionally drained and physically tired.

John goes in.the kitchen and comes back with a pce: of coffee which he puts on the table. Everyone stares at the pot of coffee, as if they would lock the memory away forever.

fs

oy

a Bat

(barely a whisper) I'll help.

Everyone except Steven follows John into the kitchen and begins loading up with cups.

JOHN

We don't want to get too many. MICHAEL

I can take more. AXEL -

Put some here, Linda. Load me

up.

Everyone goes back to the table with their cups. Obviously there are too many cups and after counting themselves and getting it all confused they put the extra cups on adjoining tables.

Toast, toast...! John rushes back into the kitchen with Stan behind hin.

John opens the oven coor and pulls out a tray of toast he prepered earlier. He goes back outside. Stan remains alone for a moment. He gives the little kitchen an odd, searcning look. Then, his eyes suddenly close as if he were bearing a sharp pain.

- INT. BAR - DAY

Cy

Everyone helps make room on the table. John sets down the tray of half-burned toast. Stan comes back inside, his eyes all red.

AXEL

I'll get 'em. Wait. Let me...

Axel goes to the bar to get the beers.

coffee.

Linda pours the coffee. Angela sits down next to Steven, holding her child. Both are very moved, though they maintain their reserve.

Steven nods. He looks like he's about to cry.

Axel comes back with glasses of beer and puts them on the table. There is a big awkward pause, then they all sit down. Silence.

Michael looks around at everyone. He looks at the beers sitting on the table and suddenly, soundlessly, tears begin to well up in his eyes. He moves his mouth, as if trying to say something, but he

can't say a word and the tears roll on down his face. Linda draws

a deep breath.

Scrambling eggs, John is trying to hold himself together by humming to himself. Suddenly, he lets out a long, shuddering sigh, then

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come great body-wracking tears, but the dicnity with which he does all things is still there.

Back at the table everyone sits in silence, listening. All of them are tremendously moved as John's voice becomes steadier, more power-

ful.

Linda, who is on the verge of bursting into tears herself, begins to sing in a gentle, lovely voice:

Over the sound of her singing we hear Michael and then the others join in.

John slowly ccmes out through the door behind Linda. His expression. goes from sorrow to astonishment. Now he joins in aioud. They all seem caught in the intensity of the moment, Eut wnether in joy, re- lief, or for some other reason, we cannot tell.

All of them there and the singing are like one thing, a thing in-

‘evitable, older than the memory of man.

They all stop and there's an awkward moment. Michael looks around the room; no one will meet his eye except Linda. In the faint glow of light they look at each. other.

Michael reaches out for one of the glasses of beer and The gesture is mace with a smile and Linda smiles «co.

Suddenly, all of them, registerin

have always sought to hold, say with one voice: ALL

Here's to Nick!

raises it.

g a last moment of the imace they i