Darkest Hour Page #12

EXT. CALAIS - NIGHT

The CITADEL rises, ancient and proud above the town, as -

-a GERMAN RECONNAISSANCE PLANE flies a circle over the

CITADEL and lays a CIRCLE OF WHITE SMOKE.

ISMAY (O.S.)

... as a last, and probably

hopeless, stand. The order, ‘everyman for himself’ has been given.

INT. CITADEL/ CALAIS - NIGHT

BRIGADIER NICHOLSON, surrounded by the DEAD and WOUNDED,

reads the dispatch from CHURCHILL - grim reading. He lowersit, stricken, afraid, as he hears...the DRONE of 50 GERMAN

BOMBERS rising...coming closer...closer...He looks up into

the dark skies...

EXT. GERMAN BOMBER - NIGHT

From the POV of a GERMAN bomber, at high altitude -

-the CIRCLE OF SMOKE comes beneath it, and in the middle of

the circle, perfectly targeted far below, the CITADEL.

Into the CIRCLE of SMOKE the BOMBER drops its PAYLOAD.

INT. MAP ROOM/ WAR ROOMS - NIGHT

ECU on:
WINSTON’s EYES, as if -while staring at the map- he

is witness to this defeat...

EXT. CALAIS - NIGHT

The BOMBS fall on the town, and at last the CITADEL itself

takes a DIRECT HIT. It crumbles, and falls...

67.

INT. WINSTON’S STUDY / 10 DOWNING STREET - NIGHT

ECU ON:
A MILITARY DISPATCH, that reads:

CALAIS FALLEN. NUMBERS OF DEAD OR CAPTURED UNCERTAIN.

GENERAL GORT.

Across the room, WINSTON is at his desk, immobile, nursing aglass of whiskey and soda, as, -

-CLEMMIE enters - and looks at him, with concern.

CLEMMIE:

(worried)

Go to bed, Pig.

He gives no reply

CLEMMIE (CONT’D)

You must sleep.

WINSTON:

Leave me, Clemmie.

CLEMMIE:

The opportunity for doing sopassed a long time ago.

She gets an idea, and exits urgently, leaving him alone.

INT. OFFICE/ 10 DOWNING STREET - MORNING

WINSTON, in his SILK ROBE, still sits at his desk. The

curtains are drawn. It’s MORNING. He walks to a TELEPHONE and

dials - ADMIRAL RAMSAY.

WINSTON:

Bertie--what’s been the response?

EXT. BATTLEMENTS/ DOVER CASTLE - DAY

ANGLE ON:
5 SMALL CRAFT, arriving at DOVER - a packet boat, ayacht, a fishing boat, a skiff...

ANGLE ON:
RAMSAY, talking into a FIELD TELEPHONE, watchingfrom atop DOVER CASTLE.

ADMIRAL RAMSAY:

It will take time. It’s too soon

to judge.

WINSTON:

How many boats so far?

ADMIRAL RAMSAY:

It will take time.

68.

WINSTON:

The request for civilian boats

was not a request, Bertie.

It was an order!

In frustration, WINSTON slams down the PHONE, as -

-SAWYERS, the VALET, enters and draws the curtains. As LIGHT

floods the room-CAPTION:

MONDAY, MAY 27, 1940

EXT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY

A CROWD of ON-LOOKERS are gathered there, as -

-WINSTON, emerges to get into a GOVERNMENT CAR. He is angst-

ridden now, gives the (POLITE) V-FOR-VICTORY SIGN, (PALM-OUT)

but his heart isn’t in it. Hunch-backed, his eyes downcast,

he gets in his GOVERNMENT CAR.

INT. BUCKINGHAM PALACE - DAY

WINSTON and the KING at lunch at a DINING TABLE. WINSTON eats

heartily. The KING, with little appetite, smokes, watchesWINSTON wash down the food with hearty gulp of champagne.

GEORGE VI:

(pours drinks)

How do you manage drinking duringthe day?

WINSTON:

Practice.

After another silence -

GEORGE VI:

I have been asked--if plans should

be drawn--to evacuate my f-familyand I--to Canada. I wish to know

the opinion of our prime minister.

WINSTON:

My opinion? My opinion would bethat you must do what you feel isright for yourself, your family,

and for the country. Your survivalis paramount. Prime Ministers--weseem to come and go at anastonishing rate.

GEORGE VI:

Your--p-position in parliament,

I hear, is not strong.

69.

WINSTON:

My party resents how Chamberlainwas pushed aside. And many othersdoubt me. I was not a popularchoice.

The KING nods - he himself resented WINSTON - and he turns

away briefly, in embarrassment.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

They want Halifax still. But whyget rid of the organ grinder andreplace him with the monkey.

GEORGE VI:

Lord Halifax is a close personalfriend of mine!

WINSTON:

I am unwanted. I’ve never been

trusted since the Gallipolicampaign. Unwanted.

GEORGE VI:

Perhaps--it is because--you scare

people.

WINSTON:

Who?!

GEORGE VI:

You scare me.

WINSTON:

(scarily)

What?! What nonsense!

What could be scary about me?

GEORGE VI:

One never knows what is going tocome out of your mouth next.

Something that w-will flatter-or

wound.

WINSTON:

My emotions are unbridled.

WINSTON drops some meat into the mouth of a CORGIE waiting at

WINSTON’s feet for food.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

A wildness. In the blood. I share

it with my father.

(beat)

Mother also. We lack the gift of-temperance.

70.

GEORGE VI:

Were you close--to your parents?

WINSTON:

My mother was glamorous--butperhaps too widely loved.

This draws an eye-brow rise from the King.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

My father--to me was like God-busy

elsewhere.

The KING smiles. He cannot help but like this man.

INT. CORRIDOR/ WAR ROOMS - DAY

WINSTON walks through the MEN and WOMEN en route to his OFFICE.

He stops before ELIZABETH LAYTON - looks into her eyes. She cansee the DOUBT, the SADNESS, the PAIN.

WINSTON:

Miss Layton.

ELIZABETH LAYTON

Sir.

WINSTON:

Reach--I need to reach--speak to...

ELIZABETH LAYTON

To?

WINSTON:

3pm.

ELIZABETH LAYTON

3pm, sir?

WINSTON:

Ask Bridges to summon the--the uh-the

War Cabinet for 3pm. Thank you.

She watches him walk away -

- only for WINSTON to be stopped by JOHN EVANS with aCOMMUNIQUE.

JOHN EVANS:

Sir!

WINSTON:

What is it?

JOHN EVANS:

Sir-from Lord Gort, in France.

71.

WINSTON reads the message -- his EYES WIDEN.

WINSTON:

Belgium has fallen. They willsurrender at midnight. Francewill soon follow suit.

REACTION WINSTON: Shock.

INT. WAR CABINET ROOM/ WAR ROOMS - DAY

WAR CABINET MEETING 3.

PRESENT:
9 PERSONS. The Main War Cabinet (CHURCHILL,

CHAMBERLAIN, HALIFAX, GREENWOOD, ATLEE) and the FOLLOWING(EDEN, CADOGAN, IRONSIDE, BRIDGES.)

A FILM REEL is projected onto a SCREEN. We see images ofGERMAN SPEEDBOATS. We see the NAZI leadership, holding maps,

pointing out to sea toward Britain...We see a giant LONGRANGE

SUPER CANNON being revealed by GERMAN soldiers. Over

this, we hear -

IRONSIDE:

We have received reports that themost probable method of attack,

which Germany might employ againstthis country, is a large fleet offast motor boats, possibly up to200, carrying 100 men apiece tocarry out a seaborne raid on alarge scale. By this means aconsiderable force of the enemycould be landed at many points onthe coast simultaneously with airborne

raids inland. We do not feel

that by naval or air action wecould prevent such a landing.

HALIFAX:

Could you repeat that?

HALIFAX turns to look hard at WINSTON.

IRONSIDE:

We must prepare for the imminentinvasion of our island.

The shock registers on all the faces. Hold on ANTHONY EDEN, ashe lowers his HEAD.

BRIDGES opens a BOTTLE of WHISKEY and starts to pour intotumblers for the non-military personnel.

Silence, as IRONSIDE sits.

72.

Silence. Lost looks. General state of high anxiety. They lookto WINSTON for leadership - and he appears to be about to saysomething in response to this black news - BUT NO WORDS COME.

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