Apocalypse Now Page #10

Lance motions with his eyes to Willard.

98 FULL SHOT ON THE P.B.R.

The P.B.R. along the river shallows -- The Chief and

crew waiting and yelling.

99 MED. VIEW ON WILLARD AND LANCE

WILLARD:

Are you finished surfing?

LANCE:

Yeah... thanks.

WILLARD:

Want to say goodbye to the

Colonel?

LANCE:

Nah.

WILLARD:

Then let's get the hell out of

here.

They break and run like hell toward the boat in the

distance. OUR VIEW TRACKS with them. They are

cheered by the crew -- suddenly, Willard sees some-

thing and stops... Lance continuing. In a pile of

equipment that the Hueys have left are two surfboards

-- Willard looks at them.

LANCE:

No -- no, Captain.

WILLARD:

Which one's the Colonel's?

LANCE:

The Yater -- the clear one

with the thin stringer.

Willard glances over to it with determination. There

is still MORTAR FIRE coming in between him and the

board. Suddenly, Willard makes a run for it.

CHIEF (O.S.)

Incoming ! Incoming -- son of

a b*tch.

The ROUNDS bracket the P.B.R. and line up the beach

toward Willard. He stands there and doesn't move, the

surfboard under his arm. The shells kick up sand.

Lance has dropped. Fragments whistle by, one rips

a chunk of foam and fibreglass from the rain of the

board.

WILLARD:

(calm)

This one , Lance?

LANCE:

Yeah, Jesus Christ !

Once again, Willard takes off fast as hell with the

board under his arm. Lance follows toward the boat,

through the water. Willard hands the board up to Mr.

Clean, and they both scamper abroad, exhausted and

relieved.

CLEAN:

What'd you that for?

WILLARD:

When I was a kid I, never had

a Yater spoon.

Mr. Clean stuffs the board in the stern 50 Cal. mount.

The boat turns -- ENGINES RUNNING HARD and ROARS OFF

toward the deeper water of the river -- the board

clearly visible on the stern.

DISSOLVE TO :

100 FULL SHOT ON THE RIVER - P.B.R

The P.B.R. ROARS BY going down the river at full speed.

It is swerving and zig-zagging to avoid potential enemy

fire.

101 MED. SHOT ON THE CREW

They all are in full battle positions -- their twin

fifty Cal. guns turning; warily covering the jungled

banks. The Chief is at helm -- Willard crouches

against some armor plate, huddled with his M-16 ready.

Chef is behind him at the radio. Lance leans back

from his forward turret.

LANCE:

(yelling)

Maybe we better stay in under

the trees till dark -- we got

his Yater.

WILLARD:

He didn't look like he'd take

that sitting down.

They all look up into the sky -- expecting the worst.

WILLARD:

(continuing)

Let's put some distance between

us and Charlie.

The Chief nods.

CHIEF:

Lance ---

LANCE:

Yeah.

CHIEF:

Why don't you roll us a big

joint? I think the Captain'd

like that.

They all look at Willard uneasily. After a suspensful

pause, Willard smiles:

WILLARD:

Take one a mine --

He fishes into his breast pocket -- pulls out a huge

cigar-sized joint. They all smile -- Willard lights

up.

DISSOLVE TO :

102 FULL SHOT - THE P.B.R.

It zig-zags away from us down the river at high speed.

DISSOLVE TO :

103 FULL SHOT - THE TREES, BOAT, CREW - NIGHT

The boat is hidden under some trees along the river

bank. The men wait tensely listening --

LANCE:

You hear it again?

WILLARD:

No -- I don't think so. But

it'll be back. They were

circling. It'll be back.

LANCE:

You think he'd of shot us?

WILLARD:

When?

LANCE:

Any time -- us -- Americans.

Lance looks over at Willard.

WILLARD:

I don't think he´d of shot us on

the beach but -- he'd of shot us

if he saw me taking the board --

LANCE:

A Yater spoon is hard to get --

especially here.

WILLARD:

He's a man who knows what he

wants -- he does know what he wants.

CHEF:

Can I go get those mangos now?

CHIEF:

I'll go with you in a while --

judt hold tight awhile --

LANCE:

Captain -- that was all true

about the rats and chocolate

and stuff?

WILLARD:

Sure.

LANCE:

And you could just tell when

the supplies were booby trapped?

WILLARD:

It's a feeling you get in the

jungle. When you get good, you

can find a track and tell not

only how many they are, but

their morale, how far they're

going, whether they're near

their camp, the weapons they're

carrying.

CLEAN:

How can you tell their weapons..

an' how far they're going?

Willard smiles.

WILLARD:

Mostly from the imprints when they

put them down to rest. their morale

from the way they drag their feet,

or the joints that may be lying

around. If they're near a base

camp, they wouldn't be conserving

food; they'll be throwing it away

half-eaten. If the branches aren't

broken, their weapons are slung.

But all this is just technique..

There's a feeling you get after a

while, that's what's important.

I was going through a village once.

I was looking for a certain party.

I took off my boots, and walked

into each hut. It was midnight.

I went into three like that and

suddenly I realized I´d gone into

each hut the same way -- standing

up -- so the next one I went in on

my belly. An RPD burst took out

the door a bit above my head.

(he shrugs)

Things like that.

A pause, and then suddenly his attention is diverted --

They all are silent -- It is pitch dark -- we HEAR the

distant SOUND of ROTOR-BLADES and indistinguishable

language on a loudspeaker -- The talk stops -- the

ROTORS grow LOUDER until almost overhead.

KILGORE (V.O.)

(over a loudspeaker)

I'm not gonna hurt or harm you,

boy -- I just want the board

back -- You can understand --

It was one of my best -- You

know how hard it is to get a

board you like, boy. I'm not

gonna hurt or harm you --

Just leave it where I can find

it --

The HELICOPTER DRONES on into the night -- the same

speech starts again further off -- Finally the noise

ceases.

CLEAN:

Jesus -- that guy's too damn

much.

CHIEF:

I wonder if that was the same

copter.

WILLARD:

He's probably got 'em all over

the river with that recording.

We better move now while it's

dark.

Chef steps forward with a plastic basket.

CHIEF:

Yeah, Chef -- go ahead -- take

Lance with you --

WILLARD:

I'll go with him --

They all look at him.

WILLARD:

(continuing)

I wanta get my feet on solid land

once in awhile --

He grabs an M-16 and follows Chef over the side.

104 MED. SHOT - THE JUNGLE - CHEF, WILLARD - NIGHT

They cautiously walk through the underbrush.

WILLARD:

Chef.

CHEF:

Yes, sir --

WILLARD:

Why they call you that?

CHEF:

Call me what, sir?

WILLARD:

Chef -- is that 'cause you like

mangoes an' stuff?

CHEF:

No, sir -- I'm a real chef, sir

-- I'm a sauciere --

WILLARD:

A sauciere --

CHEF:

That's right, sir -- I come from

New Orleans -- I was raised to

be a sauciere.. a great sauciere.

We specialize in sauces; my whole

family. It's what we do. I was

supposed to go to Paris and study

at the Escoffier School; I was

saving the money. They called

me for my physical so I figured

the Navy had better food.

WILLARD:

What are you doing out here?

CHEF:

Cook school -- that did it.

WILLARD:

How?

CHEF:

They lined us all up in front of

a hundred yards of prime rib --

magnificent meat, beautifully

marbled.. Then they started

throwing it in these big

cauldrons, all of it -- boiling.

I looked in, an' it was turning

gray. I couldn't stand it. I

went into radio school.

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