Apocalypse Now Redux Page #38

PHOTOGRAPHER:

He can be terrible, and he can be

mean, and he can be right. He's

fighting the war. He's a great

man. I mean, I wish I had words

you know? I wish I had words. I

could tell you something like, the

other day he wanted to kill me.

WILLARD:

Why did he want to kill you?

They come to a stop.

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Because I took his picture. He

said, "If you take my picture again,

I'm going to kill you." And he

meant it. See, just lay cool, lay

cool. Lay back, dig it.

They start walking forward again, as the photographer

continues.

PHOTOGRAPHER:

He gets friendly again, he really

does. But you don't judge the

colonel. You don't judge the

colonel like ordinary men.

ANGLE ON WILLARD

looking carefully as he moves forward

MOVING POV:

More natives and savages. Interspersed among them are a

few taller men with paler skins, with the remnants of army

insignia on them.

ANGLE ON WILLARD

reacting, as he moves forward. Chef is frightened, as he

follows Willard.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

They move closer and closer to the temple. The photographer

runs up ahead of Willard and stops in front of the man

with paler skins...these are remnants of the Green Beret

"A" Team.

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Okay, watch it now! These are

Americans! Americans!

(to Willard)

You can feel the vibe of this place.

Let me take a picture. Hey, could

you hold it? Hello? Could you

hold it for a minute?

The photographer starts clicking away with a Nikon, as

Willard moves toward what once must have been an American.

He wears only a shotgun cartridge and striker pants. His

face is darkened from dirt, battle smoke, matted mud and

grease.

Willard stops and looks at him.

WILLARD:

Colby?

Colby is silent. Then he and the other Berets, woman,

children, etc., slowly part, making way for Willard.

Willard slowly moves through the group and looks.

WHAT HE SEES:

The stone steps of the temple. Resting on the steps are

freshly screed heads, blood washing down from them. They

sit decorating the entrance to the temple like so many

gruesome pumpkins.

PHOTOGRAPHER:

The heads. You're looking at the

heads. Sometimes he goes too far,

and he's the first one to admit

it.

Chef, behind Willard, looks at the heads.

CHEF:

He's gone crazy.

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Wrong! Wrong! If you could have

heard the man just two days ago,

if you could've heard him then.

God. You were gonna call him crazy?

CHEF:

F***ing A.

WILLARD:

I just want to talk to him.

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Well, man, he's gone away. He

disappeared out in the jungle with

his people.

He continues forward. The others follow.

WILLARD:

I'll wait for him.

PHOTOGRAPHER:

He feels comfortable with his

people. He forgets himself with

his people. He forgets himself.

CHEF:

Captain, maybe we should wait back

at the boat.

WILLARD:

(turns back to him)

Okay, Chef, we'll go back to the

boat for a while.

CHEF:

Yeah. Stay with Lance.

EXT. KURTZ COMPOUND - DUSK

A stone head with palm ;eaves hanging over it.

EXT. PBR - DUSK

Lance is squatting at the bow of the boat holding a spear,

sticking it into the water, probably trying to spear a

fish.

A GROUP OF NATIVES are gathered by the steps of the dock.

One of the natives climbs the tree next to the dock and

cuts loose a dead body. It falls into the river with a

splash.

Chef sits next to Willard in the cabin.

CHEF:

This colonel guy, he's wacko, man.

He's worse than crazy, he's evil!

That's what the man's got set up

here, man! It's f***ing pagan

idolatry! Look around you! Sh*t,

he's loco.

Willard is putting on his tiger shirt.

WILLARD:

Then you'll help me?

CHEF:

F***ing A, I'll help you. I'll do

anything to get out of this joint!

We could blow all them a**holes

away!

CAMERA PANS the savages onshore, who have gathered around

them, watching them. We SEE a sign written in a wild hand

with white spray paint on a wall: "OUR MOTTO: APOCALYPSE

NOW!"

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