Apocalypse Now Redux Page #16

Willard lights a cigarette and holds a flashlight as he

looks at the dossier. As he speaks we see CLOSE SHOTS on

the newspaper articles, letters, and photos.

WILLARD (V.O.)

Thirty-eight f***ing years old.

If you joined the green berets,

there was no way you'd ever get

above colonel. Kurtz knew what he

was giving up. The more I read

and began to understand, the more

I admired him. His family and

friends couldn't understand it.

And they couldn't talk him out of

it. He had to apply three times,

and he put up with a ton of sh*t,

but when he threatened to resign,

they gave it to him. The next

youngest guy in his class was half

his age. They must've thought he

was some far-out man humping it

over the course. I did it when I

was nineteen, it damn near wasted

me. A tough motherf***er. He

finished it. He could've gone for

general, but he went for himself

instead.

MEDIUM VIEW - OF THE PBR

gliding up the river. Chef is sitting in the back of the

boat, writing a letter. He is using a flashlight to see

by, as he reads to himself outloud as he writes.

CHEF:

(writing letter)

Dear Eva. Today was really a new

one. Almost got eaten by a f***ing

tiger. Really un-f***ing

believable, you know? We're taking

this guy, Captain Willard, up river,

but he hasn't told us yet where

we're taking him...

Clean is at the helm, singing to himself, the Chief is

sleeping. Willard looks at an article about Kurtz in a

magazine.

WILLARD (V.O.)

October, 1967. On special

assignment, Kontoom Province, Two-

Corps...Kurtz staged Operation

Archangel with combined local

forces. Rated a major success.

He received no official clearance.

He just thought it up and did it.

What balls. They were going to

nail his ass to the floorboards

for that one. But after the press

got a hold of it, they promoted

him to full colonel instead. Oh,

man, the bullshit piled up so fast

in Vietnam, you needed wings to

stay above it.

Suddenly, from around a bend, the boat is illuminated by a

strange artificial light. Lance and Chief are awakened.

Willard reacts as he looks out toward the light. It becomes

brighter and brighter as they move closer.

WHAT THEY SEE:

EXT. HAU PHAT - FULL VIEW - NIGHT

The PBR goes by the base, tents, oil drums, sandbagged

bunkers, etc., but the biggest surprise of all is a huge

oval STAGE built in the water, lit by banks of lights.

Preparations for some sort of show are in progress.

They all react, incredulous, as the PBR pulls into the bay

and up to the dock.

CLEAN:

This sure enough is a bizarre sight

in the middle of all this sh*t.

CHIEF:

(to Willard)

Expecting us this time?

WILLARD:

Damned if I know.

It looks like an amusement park, with strings of lights,

etc.

CHEF:

Jesus Christ...

EXT. SUPPLY DOCK AREA - NIGHT

The supply docks of this base. Tents, oil drums, sandbagged

bunkers, helicopters, tanks, guns, and men. As they walk,

Chef and Clean stop a moment and look at a group of

motorcycles. The dock is crowded with all kinds of goods,

freezers, refrigerators, etc., all the nonessentials for

fighting a war.

CLEAN:

Hau Phat. You ever been up here

before, Chef?

CHEF:

I bet you could score up here.

CLEAN:

Yo, man, check out the bikes, man.

Yamaha, Suzuki.

CHEF:

That's a good one.

CLEAN:

Yeah, Sukiyaki.

Willard moves on, Chef and Clean catch up with him.

CLEAN:

This must be the guy.

WILLARD:

Right over there.

Willard and the men approach a harried SERGEANT at a

requisition desk, filling out papers, answering questions,

shouting out orders to the frenetic activity around him.

There are soldiers scurrying back and forth, loading and

unloading supplies. They constantly interrupt the sergeant

with their questions.

Chef and Clean stop in front of the sergeant.

CLEAN:

Three drums of diesel fuel, PBR-

Five...

SERGEANT:

Move! We have one hour, that's

all!

(to Clean)

What do you want?

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