Apocalypse Now Redux Page #6

DIRECTOR:

(to Troops)

Just go by like you're fighting.

Don't look at the camera. It's

for television. Just go through.

Just go by. Keep on going.

Willard, Lance, and Clean run by, staring into the camera

the entire time.

They make their way toward the village under siege. Willard

stops to talk with a SERGEANT, as a medevac helicopter

takes off in the background. The Hueys and Loches in the

sky drown out most of their conversation.

CLOSE ON WILLARD

Looking up as the Hueys sweep in low.

WILLARD:

Where Can I find the CO?

SERGEANT:

That's the colonel coming down!

He points to a particular Huey in the sky, and moves to a

clear spot by a large bomb crater. He takes out a smoke

bomb and pulls the pin and lays it down in the clearing,

as it spews out orange smoke.

WILLARD:

(to his men)

CO's on that chopper.

Willard moves back to Lance and Clean, they all kneel,

trying to avoid the propeller wash, as they look up.

FULL VIEW:

The helicopter is heavily laden with machine guns, etc.,

as it lands in the middle of the clearing.

A tall, strong-looking man jumps out of the helicopter.

This is COLONEL WILLIAM KILGORE. He puts on his Air-Cav

hat, then stands to his full immense height and with his

hands on his hips, surveys the field of battle.

KILGORE:

Lieutenant, bomb that tree line

back about a hundred yards. Give

me some room to breath.

LIEUTENANT:

Yes, sir!

Kilgore starts walking, then turns and shouts to the

LIEUTENANT.

KILGORE:

Bring me my body cards!

LIEUTENANT:

Yes, sir!

The Lieutenant moves back to the helicopter and Kilgore

continues forward toward a besieged village. A CAPTAIN

from tank division comes running down the street, stops in

front of Kilgore.

CAPTAIN:

I'm the Fourth Tank commander.

I've got five tanks broken down.

KILGORE:

All right with the tanks. It's

all right, Captain.

The captain turns and exits, as the sergeant walks up

leading Willard, Lance, and Clean.

WILLARD:

Captain Willard.

They exchange salutes. Willard takes out a set of orders

and hands them to him.

WILLARD:

I carry priority papers from Com-

Sec Intelligence, II Corps! I

understand Nah Trang has briefed

you on the requirements of my

mission.

KILGORE:

What mission? I haven't heard

from Nah Trang.

Kilgore hands the orders to the major, who has joined him.

He looks at them and shakes his head "no."

WILLARD:

Sir, you're supposed to escort us

into the Nung!

The major hands the orders back to Willard. By this time

the lieutenant has run back in from the helicopter with

the deck of playing cards. He hands them to Kilgore.

KILGORE:

We'll see what we can do about

that! Just stay out of my way

till this is done, Captain!

Kilgore cracks the plastic wrapping sharply, takes the

deck of new cards and fans them. Then he strides past

willard and his two young crewmen with no further

acknowledgement-the others follow.

He moves through the shell-pocked field of devastation,

soldiers gathering around him. As he comes to each V.C.

corpse, he drops a card on it, carefully picking out which

card he uses.

KILGORE:

(to himself)

All right, let's see what we have.

Two of spades. Three of spades.

Four of diamonds, six of

clubs...there isn't one worth a

jack in the whole bunch. Four of

diamonds...

He crosses on down the street, distributing his cards on

top of the dead V.C. corpses.

Willard, Lance, and Clean have been following Kilgore.

Willard bends down and picks up one of the cards from a

dead V.C.

LANCE:

Hey, Captain, what's that?

WILLARD:

Death cards.

LANCE:

What?

WILLARD:

Death cards. Lets Charlie know

who did this.

MOVING SHOT OF KILGORE

As he moves through the corpses, selecting a card and

flipping it on a body, or putting it behind an ear.

KILGORE:

(to a shell-shocked

G.I)

Cheep up, son.

As they pass by a well, two G.I.s jump out of it.

G.I.

Fire in the hole!

They all hit the deck, as a tremendous explosion comes out

of the well.

Kilgore, his lieutenant, and major stop in back of a large

gathering of villagers. They are standing around a G.I.

and ARVN Interpreter, listening to them.

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