Argo

FADE IN:

BEGINNING LOGO:

The familiar logo WARNER BROS. PRESENTS COMES UP.

After a beat, it is consumed by FIRE.

It becomes AN AMERICAN FLAG, BURNING in the street.

1 EXT. U.S. EMBASSY (TEHRAN) - MORNING 1

Effigies of Jimmy Carter and the deposed Shah -- crowds

chanting .“Magbar Carter! Magbar Ahmrika!.” Fists in the

air.

SUPERIMPOSE:
TEHRAN - NOVEMBER 4, 1979

YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN -- about 2/3 men and 1/3 women, some

with flak jackets; about half the young women wear full

chador. Many wear plastic bibs with photographs of

Ayatollah Khomeini.

PASTED TO ROOSEVELT GATE: photographs of STUDENTS who

were killed under the deposed Shah of Iran.’s regime.

Signs in English: .“U.S.A. RETURN THE SHAH.” -- .“JUSTICE

FOR MURDER..” A few IRANIAN POLICE attend -- more as

bystanders than peacekeepers.

A MAN frantically stabs an EFFIGY of the SHAH.

An IRANIAN STUDENT films the scene with a Super 8 camera.

2 EXT. EMBASSY GROUNDS - MORNING 2

From INSIDE THE EMBASSY GATES we can hear the noise of

the protest. There are three primary buildings on

campus:
the CHANCERY, the embassy.’s main building, THE

AMBASSADOR.’S RESIDENCE, and the CONSULATE.

We can see that the compound is securitized: sand-filled

traps and steel bars on the windows of the consulate.

3 INT. U.S. EMBASSY - CONSULATE OFFICE - MORNING 3

Now, we see the POV THROUGH those steel bars.

Standing on a chair looking at the protest outside the

gate, is BOB ANDERS, late 40s-50s, a consular officer.

(CONTINUED)

BOB ANDERS:

Carnival.’s bigger today.

MARK LIJEK, 29, a consular officer, joins Anders at the

window.

4 EXT. ROOSEVELT GATE - MORNING 4

Then, in a famous piece of archive footage, something

simple happens. A YOUNG MAN IN A SWEATER climbs the gate

and makes it to the other side.

And now, we see the REVERSE of that famous shot. This

isn.’t archive footage anymore.

We.’re looking at the POV of TOM AHERN, 48, the CIA

station chief here.

5 INT. MARINE GUARD POST - MORNING 5

From a pillbox on the embassy campus, SGT. ROCKY

SICKMANN, a young MARINE, can also see the protestors

break across the lawn.

MARINE SGT. SICKMANN

(into his radio)

... Fort Apache is breached -- *

please advise --

6 EXT. ROOSEVELT GATE - MORNING 6

The PROTEST in front of the gate is getting rowdier --

its energy and numbers swelling.

A group of STUDENTS -- these more brisk, organized, all

bearded and dressed in flak jackets -- push their way to

the front of the protest --

WOMEN raise a banner. It.’s a signal.

As if on cue, the IRANIAN POLICE move from the gates. A

WOMAN removes a large pair of bolt cutters from

underneath her chador -- hands them to a BEARDED STUDENT

-- who gets to work on the CHAINS holding the gate

closed --

When one YOUNG MAN wearing a green military field jacket

raises his fist, we can see that he has a concealed

PISTOL in his clothes.

More STUDENTS climbing the wall -- dropping the 12 feet

to the other side, one after another.

ARGO - Final 2.

3 CONTINUED:
3

7 INT. MARINE GUARD POST - MORNING 7

MARINE SGT. SICKMANN

THEY.’RE COMING OVER THE WALLS --

8 EXT. ROOSEVELT GATE - MORNING 8

But a moment later no more climbing is required, because

the GATE CHAIN IS CUT and protestors FLOOD through the

embassy gates, a human dam breaking --

9 INT. CHANCERY OFFICE - MORNING 9

Mounting chaos in here, the nerve center of the embassy.

Everyone on a different phone. It.’s like an emergency

room where the patient is the whole building.

ANN SWIFT, 31, Deputy Political Officer, has the phone by

her ear -- trying to hear reports from D.C.

ANN SWIFT:

There are hundreds of people out

there --

(looks out)

No, thousands... There are *

thousands -- *

10 IN THE CONSULATE OFFICE - MORNING 10

Mark Lijek and Bob Anders look out windows, nervous, but

not like the Iranian VISA APPLICANTS who are close to

panic.

BOB ANDERS:

Are these supposed to be *

bulletproof?

MARK LIJEK:

Well, they.’ve never been tested.

11 INT. CHANCERY (MARINE POST ONE) - MORNING 11

Six MARINES watch images from closed-circuit television

cameras on chunky 1970.’s monitors. Crowds of protestors

from every part of the embassy campus.

AL GOLACINSKI, 30, chief of security for the embassy,

shouts into a radio.

ARGO - Final 3.

(CONTINUED)

AL GOLACINSKI:

Marines to Number One -- FALL

BACK --

12 EXT. CHANCERY - MORNING 12

PROTESTORS come running, turning the corner to reach the

building. They use bats and crowbars to smash the

windows of the building.

13 INT. CONSULATE OFFICE - MORNING 13

BOB ANDERS:

(on the phone)

Can we get some f***ing police

please?

14 INT. MARINE POST ONE - MORNING 14

One by one, the security monitors are going black -- or

smashed. The Marines stare.

15 EXT. TALEGHANI AVE. - MORNING 15

An IRANIAN POLICE CAPTAIN smokes a cigarette, watching

the mayhem, impassive.

16 INT. MARINE POST ONE - MORNING 16

MARINES are putting on armor, gas masks, riot gear. AL

GOLACINSKI goes down the line reminding them of protocol.

AL GOLACINSKI:

Don.’t shoot. You don.’t want to be *

the sonofabitch who started a war -

-

CUT TO:
*

AL GOLACINSKI *

They need an hour to burn the

classified -- Hold.

(beat, stern)

You shoot one person, they.’ll kill

every one of us in here.

17 EXT. CONSULATE - MORNING 17

PROTESTORS, now on the embassy grounds, carry banners.

ARGO - Final 4.

11 CONTINUED:
11

(CONTINUED)

PROTESTORS:

La ilaha ilallah --

A WOMAN IN A CHADOR uses her own radio.

Some of them ring around the building, holding hands and

chanting. Some carry AUTOMATIC WEAPONS openly.

18 INT. MARINE POST ONE - MORNING 18

AL GOLACINSKI:

(into walkie)

Tear gas as last resort ONLY -- I

repeat, only if your life is under

threat!

19 INT. HALLWAY - MORNING 19

Gallegos and Sickmann hear Golacinski.’s admonition, but

PUMP TEAR GAS out a window onto protestors below despite

it. One cannister after another.

20 INT. CONSULATE OFFICE - MORNING 20 *

Now the five in the consulate are joined by LEE SCHATZ, *

32, an agricultural attache. *

JOE STAFFORD:

-- We.’re not going out in this --

MARK LIJEK:

(interrupting)

We are in the only building with

an exit direct to the street. We

need to GO --

The SOUNDS OF MARINES barking at one another over the

radio.

21 OMITTED 21

22 INT. HALLWAY - MORNING 22

They look out a small WINDOW to see a MOB outside.

AL GOLACINSKI:

I.’m going outside.

ARGO - Final 5.

17 CONTINUED:
17

(CONTINUED)

GALLEGOS:

Why?

AL GOLACINSKI:

To reason with them. *

Marines open the Chancery door, with a look --

23 INT. CHANCERY OFFICE - MORNING 23

FRED KUPKE, 34, communications officer, is shouting at

staffers who pile up documents for the shredders --

KUPKE:

Just everything. Don.’t sort it --

ANN SWIFT:

(on the phone)

-- NONE, there are no police --

ZERO --

24 EXT. CHANCERY - MORNING 24

Al Golacinski steps out onto the steps and immediately

there is shouting, and a protestor puts a GUN to his head

-- blindfolds him -- PUSHING AL.’S head to the ground...

25 INT. CONSULATE OFFICE - MORNING 25 *

CORA LIJEK:

-- Second floor -- anyone who can

hear this -- we need help --

As we MOVE DOWN the line of desks, JOE STAFFORD is also

on a radio repeating the same in FARSI --

Others PACK things.

26 INT. THE HALLWAY - INTO THE VAULT - MORNING 26

MARINES and STAFFERS -- including TOM AHERN -- RUN down

the hall, pushing a cart of items to secure. They reach

the security locker -- code the door -- and enter the

locker, heading to the INCINERATOR to begin destroying

classified material --

27 EXT. CHANCERY - MORNING 27 *

Golacinski HELD UP TO THE DOOR -- GUN TO HIS HEAD. He

starts to panic.

ARGO - Final 6.

22 CONTINUED:
22

(CONTINUED)

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