Darkest Hour Page #14

-WINSTON on the ROOF until - WINSTON is no bigger than a TOYLEAD SOLDIER.

INT. SPARE ROOM/ 10 DOWNING STREET - NIGHT

CLEMMIE enters and sees -WINSTON, sitting on a large boat-

shaped bed in the dark staring into space, amid UNPACKEDBOXES. He’s at a very low ebb.

CLEMMIE:

Darling, Winston, Darling?

No answer. She goes to him. He’s clearly in trouble -

WINSTON:

I -

CLEMMIE:

Shhh. Shhh. You’ve the full weight

of the world on your shoulders. Butthese inner battles, darling -

78.

WINSTON:

I can’t -

CLEMMIE:

-I know, I know - but they haveactually trained you for thismoment. You are strong because youare imperfect. You are wise becauseyou have doubts. From thisuncertainty the wisest words willcome. Now. I will let him in.

WINSTON:

Who?

CLEMMIE:

The King.

WINSTON:

Which King? Our King?

CLEMMIE:

Well if it isn’t him, it’s a

wonderful impersonation.

CLEMMIE closes the door. WINSTON looks DISHEVELLED, his suit

RUMPLED. A Mess. He makes a small effort to tuck in a shirt

and buttons his waistcoat.

KING GEORGE VI enters - the most ‘proper’ man in Europe. Theheight of manners and decorum. Wears an IMPECCABLE SUIT.

KING GEORGE VI:

Mr Churchill--I hope you can for-give

the late hour but your wife

thought tonight would be a goodtime.

Winston is standing by the bed.

KING GEORGE VI (CONT’D)

Shall we sit?

The KING sits in an ARMCHAIR. Winston sits on the bed.

WINSTON makes a futile effort to put on his public face...

WINSTON:

Something to drink? Er -

KING GEORGE VI:

No, thank you.

WINSTON remains seated on the edge of the bed.

KING GEORGE VI (CONT’D)

I received a visit...

79.

WINSTON:

From?

KING GEORGE VI:

Viscount Halifax.

(beat)

It appears--the prospect of a peace

deal with Hitler--has increased

dramatically.

WINSTON:

Later today I will address TheHouse. The war cabinet is draftinga letter to Mussolini, asking himto broker talks with Herr Hitler.

GEORGE VI:

Then Halifax was correct.

WINSTON:

I should like to know your mind.

GEORGE VI:

It would be helpful to know yoursfirst.

WINSTON:

Mine? I should like to know it

myself.

(beat)

Nations which go down fighting riseagain, but those which surrendertamely are finished.

GEORGE VI:

Belgium?

WINSTON:

Collapsed.

GEORGE VI:

Norway

WINSTON:

Holland. France any hour.

After a hard silence -

GEORGE VI:

And the mood of parliament?

WINSTON:

Fear. Panic.

GEORGE VI:

And are you not afraid? At all?

80.

WINSTON:

I am most terribly.

GEORGE VI scrutinizes him closely -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Our defeat in France is the most

crushing in the history of the

Empire. Support among my party for

a campaign of resistance has

collapsed.

Finally - GEORGE has heard what he has wanted to hear, and somakes his pledge - He moves to sit next to Winston on the bed

GEORGE VI:

You have my support.

WINSTON cannot believe his ears.

WINSTON:

Your Majesty?

GEORGE VI:

You have my support.

(pause)

I must confess, I had some

reservations about you at-at first.

And while some in this countrymight have dreaded yourappointment, none dreaded it like-

like Adolph Hitler.

WINSTON - speechless.

GEORGE VI (CONT’D)

Whomever can strike fear into that

brute heart is worthy of all our

trust. We shall work together. You

shall have my support. At any hour.

(passionate)

Beat the buggers.

WINSTON:

I fear I may be defeated.

GEORGE VI:

You--you once gave me some advice.

Perhaps I can give you some. Go to

the people. Let them instruct you.

Quite silently, they usually do.

But tell them the truth.

Unvarnished.

WINSTON:

I shall speak to parliament, but

without support in my own party, I

must sue for peace.

81.

GEORGE VI:

You warned us this day was coming.

We failed to listen to you. Lift usup, Mr Churchill.

WINSTON:

On certain matters I have few

people with whom I can talkfrankly.

GEORGE VI:

Perhaps now we have each other?

WINSTON:

I no longer scare you?

GEORGE VI:

Only a little. I can cope.

WINSTON:

Yes you can. Your majesty.

They remain sitting there, side by side on the boat-shapedbed, friends hereafter.

INT. DYNAMO ROOM/ BENEATH DOVER CASTLE - MORNING

CAPTION:
ENGLISH COAST, TUESDAY, MAY 28

RAMSAY, dressed in UNIFORM, is on the phone to -

INT. WINSTON’S BEDROOM/ 10 DOWNING STREET - MORNING

-WINSTON, in bed, taking the call.

(INTERCUT, as necessary - )

RAMSAY:

We are ready. More or less.

WINSTON:

More or less what, Bertie?

Give me a number!

INT. DYNAMO ROOM/ BENEATH DOVER CASTLE - MORNING

RAMSAY opens the METAL FRENCH DOORS and steps out onto -

EXT. BALCONY/ DYNAMO ROOM/ BENEATH DOVER CASTLE - MORNING

RAMSAY’s POV OF: over 800 SMALL boats, the “LITTLE SHIPS”,

ARRIVING or MOORED. NAVAL officers and VOLUNTEERS board them.

A RAG-TAG ARMADA.

82.

RAMSAY:

In total--860 vessels. The biggest

civilian fleet ever assembled.

WINSTON:

May God watch over them all.

The SHOT PULLS AWAY from RAMSAY on the BALCONY -

RAMSAY:

Operation Dynamo waits uponyour command...

-and we reveal - that the BALCONY of his BEDROOM is cut

right into the cliff-face of THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER!

WINSTON:

Admiral--you may initiate Dynamo.

-CAMERA pulls back and back - until we see the ENTIREENGLISH COASTLINE, complete with the “DYNAMO” FLEET.

EXT/INT. PRINCES STREET/ WINSTON’S CAR - DAY

WIDE SHOT of - WINSTON’s CAR, moving slowly through the rainystreet. WINSTON, in the back seat, looks out the window at

the human traffic - seems like he’s in a gold-fish bowl,

disconnected. He watches as -MEN IN BOWLER HATS and YOUNG

WOMEN in SUMMER DRESSES walk to work. As they rush throughthe rain shielding themselves with umbrellas and newspapers.

WINSTON, with an UNLIT CIGAR in his mouth, searches his

pockets for a MATCH. But he can’t find his matches.

When the CAR stops at a RED LIGHT -

-TOM LEONARD hears the car door slam. He turns, looks back,

WINSTON has jumped out of his car. Tom Leonard opens his doorand stands looking around for Winston, as crowds rush past inthe pouring rain.

INT. WAR CABINET ROOM/ WAR ROOMS - DAY

BRIDGES puts down the TELEPHONE and turns to the ASSEMBLEDWAR CABINET -

BRIDGES:

We’ve lost the Prime Minister!

INT. ST JAMES PARK UNDERGROUND - DAY

The CROWD of COMMUTERS parts to reveal -

WINSTON, closely studying the UNDERGROUND MAP, trying to workit out, until he is RECOGNISED for the FIRST TIME.

83.

A great commotion starts, as people watch respectfully theirPRIME MINISTER trying to work out how to use the TUBE.

ANGLE ON:
WINSTON, studying the MAP, lighting a CIGAR, as -

-a TEENAGE GIRL stands beside him. She looks at the MAP too.

WINSTON notices her.

WINSTON:

Do you know how to use this thing?

TEENAGE GIRL:

Yes -

(recognising him, her eyes

widen)

-yes sir.

WINSTON:

So--tell me--how do I get toWestminster?

TEENAGE GIRL:

Westminster? Um, the District Line.

East. One stop.

WINSTON:

District Line. East. One stop.

Doesn’t sound so hard.

TEENAGE GIRL:

No, sir.

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