Apocalypse Now Page #18

ROXANNE:

I will fix you breakfast.

He starts to get up.

WILLARD:

I'm afraid I won't have time --

I gotta --

ROXANNE:

Whe you reach the boat you will

find that half your fifty calibre

stores -- a case of grenades, a

mortar and two M-16's and a

case of clips are being

transfered to us by your order.

He stops -- seemingly stunned.

WILLARD:

So that's it.

ROXANNE:

You may think what you wish,

Captain, but I like you very

much.

She turns to go.

WILLARD:

What if I say no.

ROXANNE:

Then Philippe will have to kill

all of you.

She leaves.

189 EXT. DOCK - FULL SHOT - WILLARD, OTHERS

He walks down onto the dock. Gaston's men are transferring

ammunition boxes.

Gaston is standing with Philippe, who are covering the

Chief and crew with M-16's.

GASTON:

Two of my men deserted last

night. It happens from time

to time. I assume my daughter

told you of our conditions.

WILLARD:

Your daughter.

CHIEF:

They taking half our ammo,

Captain -- said it was your orders.

He pauses for a second.

WILLARD:

That's right -- I did.

The Chief spits in the water disgustedly and starts the

engines. Willard looks hard at Gaston.

WILLARD:

I guess this is whAt men of war

do -- eh?

GASTON:

We endure, captain -- you can

blow up the house and we will

live in the cellar -- destroy

that and we'll dig a hole in the

jungle and sleep on it. Burn

the forest and we'll hide in

the swamp. all the while, we

do but one thing -- clean the

blood off our bayonets.

(pause)

Au revoir, Captain.

190 LONG SHOT - DOCK - P.B.R.

Willard climbs on board and it pulls away.

191 EXT. P.B.R. - MED. SHOT - WILLARD, CHIEF

The BOAT ROARS out across the river. The Chief looks over

at Willard. They stare at each other for a moment.

CHIEF:

Next time we get in a good fire

fight -- I'd like to know how

she was, Captain.

Willard just smiles at the Chief. he leans over and pulls

up a floorboard -- the men stare in amezement; it contains

the contents of all those ammo boxes. .50 calibre; clips;

grenades.

CHEF:

Holy sh*t.

CLEAN:

What did you put in all those

ammo boxes?

WILLARD:

Rocks, sand -- those two men

who deserted.

CHIEF:

When'd you do it?

WILLARD:

While you were sleeping.

He lets the board drop.

Willard moves to the back of the boat.

192 FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - RIVER , CREW

The river has narrowed and runs swifter -- the water dark

and deep. The trees are higher in this area and much of

the river is shaded on one side. There is no undergrowth,

just the tall trees and ferms. They move ahead at half

speed, alert, ready for anything.

WILLARD (V.O.)

We moved deeper and deeper into

the jungle. It was very quiet

there. It was like wandering on

a prehistoric planet, an unknown

world ... where the men thought

they crawled to, I don't know.

For me, we crawled toward Kurtz --

exclusively.

Willard looks out ahead and points.

They all turn their guns in that direction. We PAN TO

REVEAL a small village of huts along the bank.

193 FULL SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - VILLAGE

194 POV. OF THE P.B.R.

They pass in front of the village which is rundown and

completely deserted. The huts are on stilts to avoid the

flooding of the river -- they are just skeletons of what

they once were.

CHEF (O.S.)

Flood.

CHIEF (O.S.)

No -- most of 'em are still

standing -- might've been

disease.

WILLARD (O.S.)

I don't know -- there'd still

be some sign -- it's just like

the one this morning.

DISSOLVE TO :

195 POV BOAT - FULL SHOT - JUNGLE

The canopy of trees grows taller and stretches out across

the river filtering the sun. The forest itself has grown

darker and more twisted with ferns and creepers. Strange

birds fly out of the trees as the boat passes -- a huge

snake slips along an overheading limb. The depth of the

jungle is dark, ominous -- yet cool and strangely inviting.

196 FULL SHOT - BOAT - JUNGLE

Suddenly the river widens, the trees give way to marsh

and as they emerge into the light a strange shadow falls

upon the boat. It is the shadow cast by an enormous

vertical tail section of a B-52 bomber thrusting out from

the mud. Pieces of aluminum hang loosely from it, oxi-

dizing in the sun. Creepers have already started to grow

up around its heights -- the jungle is claiming it. But

once under its shadow, they have passed a gateway. A

gateway to paradise.

The river widens and the trees at its edge are soft and

seductive. The hills beyond are purple and lush. Strange

orange colored water-fowl swim lazily out of their way.

The water itself is glass smooth and black as if there

were no bottom. The sun is warm and the breeze gentle

and laced with wild gardenians. It is indeed the most

peaceful valley in all the world and each man looks upon

it and has never known such a sense of peace and well-

being.

Each man in his heart feels a need to stay -- his soul

cries to stop -- stop their madness -- this spiral into

hell.

Here is all that can be had of earth. But no hand moves.

The boat drifts on its own toward a hole at the end of

the clearing. A hole into the jungle from which a

darkness permeats. The boat follows the river into this

hole.

DISSOLVE TO :

197 FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - RIVER - DAWN

The skull looms in the f.g. -- the P.B.R. is pulled back

about seventy yards -- Early morning mist still hangs on

the water -- as it clears, we SEE another post and skulls

on the opposite bank, It is strangely quiet.

CHIEF:

-- All right, Lance --

Lance's TWIN FIFTIES split the silence as they POUR into

the skulls on the opposite bank -- Suddenly there is a

tremendous EXPLOSION and SECONDARY ONES from the jungle

as shrapnel rips into the jungle and water from CLAYMORE

MINES obviously set to cover the mound of skulls. The

smoke clears.

LANCE:

The other one --

WILLARD:

No -- leave it --

CHIEF:

Why -- Charlie put it there to kill --

WILLARD:

Thta's not Charlie's work --

There is silence.

WILLARD:

Whoever put'em there didn't do it

to kill people -- They put 'em up

as signs --

CHIEF:

Signs?

WILLARD:

Yeah -- like keep out --

Willard motions -- the Chief accelerates -- they move ahead

past the smoking mound.

198 EXT. THE RIVER - FOG - DAY

The P.B.R. pushed deeper into this mysterious area. Mist

swells in and around the river, as the boat moves into

an obscure fog. The Chief cuts the engine, and they coast.

WILLARD (V.O.)

Toward the night of the fifth

day out of Do Lung Bridge, we

judged ourselves about eight

miles from Kurtz' base.

Everything was still, the trees,

the creepers, even the brush

seemed like it had been changed

into some kind of stone. It was

unnatural, like a trance. Not

a sound could be heard. I began

to think I was deaf -- then the

fog came suddenly, and I was

blind too.

The boat disappears in the thick fog.

199 MED. CLOSE ON WILLARD

We catch glimpses of him, even though we are close.

WILLARD:

Listen.

CHIEF:

What is it?

WILLARD:

Listen.

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