Apocalypse Now Page #22

WILLARD:

Yeah. I know.

He thinks.

240 INT. KURTZ HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT

VIEW FROM INSIDE -- Willard approaches the stakes with

the shrunken heads. Chef and Lance with him. Willard

steps in -- Lance and the Chef crouch outside, waiting.

241 WILLARD'S VIEW

An austere stone savern in the temple: Kurtz's head-

quarters. Electric lights hanging in odd contrast to the

ancient stone. We SEE what is left of the maps and other

military charts -- they had been tacked up on big boards,

but have now fallen into decayed disuse.

There are other indications of the modern headquarters

this had been. Now all those things are no longer impor-

tant. Kurtz sits alone, slumped back in a wicker chair.

There is a large wooden planning table next to him, with

maps, lamps and apile of debris that is practically

garbage. There are native decorations to ward off evil

spirits; and graffiti on the stone walls, things ranging

fromm "Viet Nam, love it or leave it" to quotes of Nietzsche

"Nothing is true -- everything is permitted."

Moonby, who had been crouching in a corner, moves to

Willard.

MOONBY:

He's asleep -- don't bother him.

KURTZ:

I'm awake.

Willard steps in closer. Kurtz looks to Moonby.

KURTZ:

(continuing)

You. Get out.

Moonby hesitates -- not wanting to leave him alone with

Willard.

KURTZ:

(continuing; suddenly)

I said get the f*** out !

(to himself)

I'm going to kill the little

weirdo myself tomorrow.

(he shows some pain

when moving his

midsection)

He´s only stayed alive this long

because he's a good orderly and

medic. He knows how to use a

hypodermic.

WILLARD:

You're gonna get hit tonight,

bad -- a whole regiment of NVA

regulars.

KURTZ:

That's right, the little gook-

pricks. But they are noble

little gook-pricks, noble.

Because they fight with their

guts, like animals. And for an

idea ! That's rich. We fight

with ingenious machines and

fire, like Gods, and for nothing.

But I'll call in a major blotto

airstrike tonight. We'll have

ourselves a helluva airstrike

tonight, a lightshow. How do

you like The Doors': 'C'mon Baby

Light My Fire...'

Willard shrugs.

KURTZ:

(continuing)

Do you?

WILLARD:

Yeah, I like it...

KURTZ:

I love it.

He rests back, grinning.

WILLARD:

You've gone crazy.

KURTZ:

(angrily)

No. My thinking is clear.

(calmly)

But my soul has gone mad.

Suddenly Kurtz is seized with a terrible pain from his

stomach wound. He groans horribly, clutching at it. He

literally falls from his chair onto the dirt floor.

KURTZ:

(continuing)

My gut -- Oh, Christ, my gut !

Willard leans over him; checking the seriousness of the

wound.

242 EXT. THE HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT

Lance is crouching by the stone entrance -- Chef leans in,

witnessing the proceedings inside.

CHEF:

(muttering)

Kill him -- come on, why don't

you kill him

243 INT. THE HEADQUARTERS - MED, VIEW - KURTZ AND WILLARD -

NIGHT:

Willard examining the wound.

KURTZ:

(in pain)

Oh sh*t -- on the table; morphine.

Willard moves to the table, opens the medical packet. He

takes out a morphine capsule, leans over the writhing

Kurtz and injects him with the drug.

KURTZ:

(continuing; looking

up in pain)

You see how stupid it would have

been to blow out my brains? I'm

dying from the gut anyway.

Willard quickly prepares another shot. Kurtz, truly

frightened, holds up his hand.

KURTZ:

(continuing)

No -- I don't want to sleep.

I want to think. Water. Give

me water.

WILLARD:

You can't have water after

morphine.

KURTZ:

Still playing by the rules.

(almost

affectionately)

You're a damn good kiler.

WILLARD:

(still holding the

second morphine)

How's the pain?

KURTZ:

How's yours?

WILLARD:

I can handle it.

KURTZ:

Pain is easy to handle -- but

nobility.. the nobility of a

man is judged by how much Truth

he can handle.

WILLARD:

What Truth?

KURTZ:

The truth that you were sent

here to murder me, ans so far

you haven't done it. And do

you know why?

(looks at him)

Yes, you know why.

(he looks)

Your mission makes about as much

sense as those idiots who sent

you on it. A**hole ! Schmuck !

How long does it take you to

figure out that nobody knows

what they're doing here.

(coldly)

Except me.

He rests back. The drug is beginning to take effect.

KURTZ:

(continuing)

Gimme water.

WILLARD:

No water.

KURTZ:

You know what you're doing?

You are interfering with my

plans !

He crawls in pain toward the canteen Willard watches

him impassively.

KURTZ:

(continuing)

This water's got Moonby's acid

in it --

He drinks sloppily from the canteen, water spilling all

over. Then he throws the canteen to Willard.

KURTZ:

(continuing)

Drink it -- drink it for tonight.

Think of it. A whole regiment

of those shitty little Cong --

War. Total war -- war like you've

never known it. It's beautiful

-- you'll love it. Trust me.

244 EXT. THE HEADQUARTERS - MED. VIEW - LANCE AND CHEF - NIGHT

We can SEE into the headquarters: Kurtz offers the canteen

to Willard. Chef is terrified -- Lance is stoned out.

CHEF:

Lance -- the f***er's not gonna

do it.

KURTZ:

Goddamn -- You've gotta dig

napalm on Speed, too. It's

spectacular, you'll see.

Lance stands up holding his M-16, looks into the cavern

with Chef.

245 INT. HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT

Willard stands there, holding the morphine needle in his

hand.

KURTZ:

Look into the jungle. You can't --

it's too terrible. You have to

smear yourself with warpaint to

look at it -- you have to be a

cannibal.

(whispered)

That's why warpaint was invented.

Then it becomes your jungle.

Willard shoots himself in the arm with the morphine.

WILLARD:

How did we get here?

KURTZ:

Because of all the things we do,

the thing we do best -- is lie.

WILLARD:

I think think a lie stinks.

KURTZ:

Oh Captain, that is so true.

WILLARD:

Stinks. I could never figure --

(he drinks from

the canteen)

I could never figure how they

can teach boys how to bomb villages

with napalm -- and not let them

write the word 'f***' on their

airplanes.

Willard drinks more of the LSD water.

KURTZ:

(angrily)

You could never figure it because

it doesn't make sense.

WILLARD:

F*** no.

KURTZ:

I'll tell you what makes sense !

Air strikes ! White Phosphorus !

Napalm ! We'll bomb the sh*t out

of them if they don't do what

we want.

WILLARD:

We'll exterminate the f***ers !

Chef steps into the Headquarters -- he is terrified.

He draws his bayonet.

CHEF:

Captain -- kill him.

KURTZ:

Think of it -- for years, millions

of years, savages with pathetic

painted faces were scared shitless

that fire would rain down from

the sky. And goddamn, we made

it happen. God bless Dow !

CHEF:

Kill him !

Chef rushes at Kurtz with his bayonet -- instinctively,

Willard GUNS him -- then there is additional automatic

FIRE. Chef is being riddled by bullets.

246 VIEW ON LANCE

He has let loose with his M-16 at Chef, like some sort

of mindless, programmed killer.

LANCE:

(FIRING)

Hot damn !

Then hes tops -- Chef falls to the dirt -- there is an

instant of silence, then:

247 EXT. OF THE TEMPLE AT NU MUNG BA - NIGHT

The DOORS begin LIGHT MY FIRE , loud and overwhelming,

as illuminating flares light up the blackness.

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