Apocalypse Now Redux

FADE IN:

EXT. A SIMPLE IMAGE OF TREES - DAY

Coconut trees being VIEWED through the veil of time or a

dream. Occasionally colored smoke wafts through the FRAME,

yellow and then violet. MUSIC begins quietly, suggestive

of 1968-69. Perhaps "The End" by the Doors.

Now MOVING through the FRAME are skids of helicopters, not

that we could make them out as that though; rather, hard

shapes that glide by at random. Then a phantom helicopter

in FULL VIEW floats by the trees-suddenly without warning,

the jungle BURSTS into a bright red-orange glob of napalm

flame.

The VIEW MOVES ACROSS the burning trees as the smoke ghostly

helicopters come and go.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SAIGON HOTEL - DAY

A CLOSE SHOT, upside down of the stubble-covered face of a

young man. His EYES OPEN...this is B.L. WILLARD. Intense

and dissipated. The CAMERA MOVES around to a side view as

he continues to look up at a ROTATING FAN on the ceiling.

EXT. IMAGES OF HELICOPTERS - DAY

They continue to fly slowly, peacefully across the burning

jungle. The colored smoke comes and goes. Morrison

continues with "The End".

INT. SAIGON HOTEL - DAY

The CAMERA MOVES slowly across the room...and we SEE

WILLARD, a young army captain. He looks out the window to

the busy Saigon street.

WILLARD (V.O.) *

Saigon...sh*t. I'm only in Saigon.

Every time, I think I'm gonna wake

up back in the jungle.

He moves back to the bed, lies down. He's unshaven,

exhausted, probably drunk. We SEE alcohol bottles, photos,

documents scattered on the table.

WILLARD (V.O.)

When I was home after my first

tour, it was worse. I'd wake up

and there'd be nothing. I hardly

said a word to my wife until I

said yes to a divorce. When I was

here, I wanted to be there. When

I was there...all I could think of

was getting back into the jungle.

I'm here a week now. Waiting for

a mission. Getting softer. Every

minute I stay in this room, I get

weaker. And every minute Charlie

squats in the bush...he gets

stronger. Each time I looked

around...the walls moved in a little

tighter.

He's up now, naked, going into a frenzy, drinking, doing

some sort of martial arts, eventually collapsing onto the

floor.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

INT. SAIGON HOTEL - STAIRWAY - DAY

Two extremely sharp army men walk up the stairs to Willard's

room, a SERGEANT and a PRIVATE.

WILLARD (V.O.)

Everyone gets everything he wants.

I wanted a mission. And for my

sins, they gave me one. Brought

it up to me like room service.

They knock on the door. A second knock.

SERGEANT:

Captain Willard, are you in there?

WILLARD:

Yeah I'm coming.

The army men wait for him.

WILLARD (V.O.)

It was a real choice mission. And

when it was over, I'd never want

another.

Willard unlocks the door and opens it. The men react to

his condition.

WILLARD:

What do you want?

SERGEANT:

Are you all right, Captain?

WILLARD:

What's it look like?

Willard turns back into the room, sits on the bed. The

Sergeant follows him.

SERGEANT:

Are you Captain Willard? 505th

Battalion? 173rd Air-Borne?

Assigned to SOG?

Willard looks over at the Private by the door.

WILLARD:

Hey, buddy, you gonna shut the

door?

The private enters the room, closing the door behind him.

SERGEANT:

We have orders to escort you to

the airfield.

WILLARD:

What are the charges? What did I

do?

SERGEANT:

There's no charges, Captain.

The sergeant opens the letter he has been holding.

SERGEANT:

You have orders to report to Com-

Sec Intelligence at Nah Trang.

He holds up the letter in front of Willard's face so he

can see it. We see the word 'RESTRICTED' across the top.

WILLARD:

I see.

SERGEANT:

All right?

WILLARD:

Nah Trang, for me?

SERGEANT:

That's right.

The sergeant folds the letter back and puts it back in the

envelope. Willard doesn't move.

SERGEANT:

Come on, Captain, you still have a

few hours to get cleaned up.

WILLARD:

I'm not feeling too good.

He lays his head on the pillow and closes his eyes.

SERGEANT:

Captain?

(to private)

Dave, come here and give me a hand.

We've got a dead one.

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