127 Hours Page #9

INT. CANYON. DAWN.

Aron is very still, looking at the rock and the open blade

lying on top of it. Suddenly he looks over his shoulder to

see...

CUT TO:

INT. CANYON. MORNING.

A dagger of sunlight appear behind him. His won sunrise.

C.U. WATCH.

9.30am

CUT TO:

INT. CANYON. DAWN.

He looks at ithe sunbeam as though it's his prey and it might

run away. It makes it's way along the canyon walls towards

him. He's very still. But it shifts across the floor and

it's going to miss him. He whips off his left shoe and sock

and pushes it towards the coming light. Slowly it climbs and

caresses his ankle and lower calf. He pulls the other sock

off and alternates the feet. He looks like he's doing yoga.

As it leaves him passing overhead it suddenly bursts into the

opening in front of him.

29.

It's a beautiful sight as the colors of the canyon reawaken

but we can see from above that he appears to be behind a door

with a room of life beyond him.

CUT TO:

TITLE:

" SUNDAY ":

CUT TO:

INT. CANYON. DAY. VIDEO MESSAGE ONE.

ARON:

It's three-oh-five on Sunday. This

marks my twenty-four-hour mark of

being stuck in Blue John Canyon

above the Big Drop. My name is

Aron Ralston. My parents are Donna

and Larry Ralston of Englewood,

Colorado. Whoever finds this,

please make an attempt to get this

to them. Be sure of it. I would

appreciate it.

He takes long blinks and seems to avoid looking at himself

though the screen is facing him. He looks alarmed and wide

eyed, startled, in contrast to his slow slurred delivery.

ARON (CONT'D)

So... I was hiking Blue John Canyon

yesterday... and this happened.

He pulls the camera round to show where his forearm and wrist

disappear into the horrifyingly skinny gap between the

chockstone and the wall. As he does that we

INTERCUT WITH:

INT/EXT. VARIOUS. CANYON. DAY.

Flashes of the accident-almost in silhouette - like an

animatic side view. It freezes just before the moment of

entombment.

CUT TO:

INT. CANYON. DAY. VIDEO FOOTAGE.

ARON:

What you're looking at there is my

arm, going into the rock... and

there it is, stuck. It's been

without circulation for 24 hours.

(MORE)

30.

ARON (CONT'D)

It's pretty well gone. If the

colour doesn't come across on the

video, it's grey and blue.

ARON (CONT'D)

Unnhhhhh.......I'm in deep stuff.

ARON (CONT'D)

So I have very little water.

He can't help look in the camera towards those who know what

that means in this place.

ARON (CONT'D)

Yeah, I have about a third of a

litre left.

He picks up the water bottle and shakes it for the camera.

INTERCUT WITH:

INT/EXT. VARIOUS. CANYON. DAY.

Different angle on the freeze-frame.

CUT TO:

INT. CANYON. VIDEO FOOTAGE.

ARON:

So the way I see it... there's kind

of four things happening here... I

tried to move it with some

rigging... useless... and I tried

chipping away at the rock... I

think part of the problem is, is

that my hand is actually supporting

the rock. Which means every time I

chip away the rock moves a bit and

settles onto my hand again. I

can't feel it happening but

microscopically, it seems to be,

because the little gap over there

between the rock and the wall seems

to be getting smaller. And this

chockstone is the hardest thing

here.

CUT TO:

31.

INT. WIDE. MOVING THROUGH CANYON. REALTIME.

A breeze slides through the canyon and he shudders

involuntarily for five seconds.

CUT TO:

INT. CANYON. DAY. VIDEO FOOTAGE.

ARON:

So the third thing left was to cut

my arm off.

PAUSE:

ARON (CONT'D)

I don't know whether I could do

that but it's pretty much suicide.

It's four hours to my vehicle that

way and with very difficult

climbing with one hand and the bike

is like two, two and a half hours,

that way but the climbing... fourth

class climbing... which I think

will be probably impossible with

one hand... between the blood loss

and the dehydration I think I would

die if I cut off my arm.

ARON (CONT'D)

Which means I'm waiting for someone

to come along.

He summons up the guts to let the evidence out.

ARON (CONT'D)

I didn't tell anyone where I was

going and I didn't leave a note on

the truck.

ARON (CONT'D)

Dumb.

The video whirrs on until he suddenly looks straight into the

lens.

CUT TO:

INT. CANYON. DAY. REALTIME.

He hears voices.

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