Darkest Hour Page #15

WINSTON stalks off, taking the steps down, down. Now everyoneis stopping to let him go by - PEOPLE are STUNNED SPEECHLESS.

INT. PLATFORM/ DISTRICT LINE EASTBOUND/ ST JAMES PARK TUBE - DAY

WINSTON arrives on the PLATFORM as a TRAIN arrives. The busyCHATTER dies down at once - as everyone recognizes WINSTON.

WINSTON:

So--this is the Underground!

He BOARDS.

INT. DISTRICT LINE TRAIN - DAY

He boards the TRAIN with an UNLIT CIGAR in his mouth. COMMUTERS

look up and FALL SILENT at once, all RISING to their feet, as ifa Lady has entered a room.

WINSTON tips his HAT to them.

84.

WINSTON:

What are you all staring at? Haveyou never seen a Prime Ministerride on the Underground before.

When he sits, the COMMUTERS follow suit.

The TRAIN doesn’t immediately start going. He waits. Then he

looks around him.

EVERYBODY is doing their best to be well mannered and not stare,

but all are failing! They immediately avert their eyes fromWINSTON. WINSTON remembers his unlit CIGAR -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Does anyone have a match?

Down the CARRIAGE an OLD MAN shakes a box of matches. WINSTON

rises and goes to him. The OLD MAN strikes a match on theTHIRD STRIKE. With a SHAKING HAND he lights WINSTON’s CIGAR.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Thank you.

WINSTON offers his hand...

WINSTON (CONT’D)

What is your name?

OLD MAN:

Oliver Wilson, sir.

WINSTON:

And what do you do Mr Wilson?

OLD MAN:

Brick-layer, sir.

WINSTON:

Good!

(loudly)

We shall have great need of bricklayers

soon! Business will belooking up!

The GROUP laughs, as - the TRAIN lurches into MOTION.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Progress!

The mood of REVERENCE lightens now, as WINSTON goes to -

-a WOMAN WITH A BABY, touches its head.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

How old?

85.

WOMAN WITH BABY:

Eight months, sir. He looks like

you.

WINSTON:

Madam, all babies look like me.

The causes widespread DELIGHT. Another woman steps up toshake his hand -

WOMAN WITH BABY:

Mrs Jessie Sutton.

Everyone has got the hang of this now, and don’t need to bespoken to. They step forward in close order -

YOUNG WOMAN:

(shaking WINSTON’s hand)

Abigail Walker.

WEST-INDIAN MAN

(shaking WINSTON’s hand)

Marcus Peters.

YOUNG IRISH WOMAN

(shaking WINSTON’s hand)

Agnes Dillon.

YOUNG MAN:

(shaking WINSTON’s hand)

Maurice Baker.

MIDDLE AGED WOMAN

(shaking WINSTON’s hand)

Alice Simpson.

MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN

(shaking WINSTON’s hand)

Miss Margaret Jerome.

WINSTON:

My mother was a Jerome--I expect weare closely related!

Laughter.

He now switches into SPEECH MODE, switches on the inner lights -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

And how are you all bearing up?

A great hearty response.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Of good spirits? Just as well!

(laughter)

We will need them!

(MORE)

86.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Now let me ask you all something-which

has been weighing on my mind.

Perhaps you can provide me with an

answer.

A hushed SILENCE again - they wait. He studies their faces,

reading their minute expressions

WINSTON (CONT’D)

The British people. What is their

mood? Is it confident?

YOUNG MAN:

Very.

OLD MAN:

Some people say it’s a lost cause.

WINSTON:

Lost causes are the only ones worth

fighting for. Now let me ask you

this--if the worst came to pass,

and the enemy were to appear on

these streets, what would you do?

YOUNG MAN:

Fight.

MIDDLE AGED WOMAN

Fight the fascists!

OLD MAN:

Fight them with whatever we can lay

our hands on!

IRISH WOMAN:

Broom handles if we must!

YOUNG WOMAN:

Street by street!

WEST-INDIAN MAN

They'll never take Picadilly!

WINSTON:

Ha!Ha! Never Picadilly indeed!

The public laugh. WINSTON SMILES, proud of these people -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

And what--what if I put it to you

all--that we might - if we ask

nicely -receive very favourable

terms from Mr. Hitler if we enter

into a peace deal with him right

now? What would you say to that?

87.

ALL:

NEVER! NEVER!

A pause, and then -

ALL (CONT’D)

NEVER! NEVER!

When SILENCE returns, one (young) voice chimes in, late -

YOUNG GIRL:

Never!

WINSTON turns to look for the source of the voice and he

sees, and moves toward, one YOUNG GIRL...

WINSTON:

Will you never give up?

YOUNG GIRL:

Never.

Touched, he crosses and sits down opposite the child

WINSTON:

(to YOUNG GIRL)

“Then out spake brave Horatius,

The Captain of the gate:

To every man upon this earthDeath cometh soon or late.

And how can man die better

Than facing fearful odds - “

WEST INDIAN MAN:

“- for the ashes of his fathers

And the temples of his gods.”

Everyone is moved. WINSTON, himself, has tears in his eyes.

He wipes his eyes with a handkerchief.

YOUNG GIRL:

Are you crying?

WINSTON:

I blub a lot. You’ll have

to get used to it.

The TRAIN stops.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

What stop is this?

MIDDLE AGED WOMAN

Westminster.

WINSTON:

That’s my stop.

88.

Before stepping off the TRAIN he stops to look into the facesof the good, brave, true people. Emboldened by their simplecourage, he exits.

INT. WAR CABINET ROOM/ WAR ROOMS - DAY

WAR CABINET MEETING 4.

PRESENT:
17 PERSONS. The Main War Cabinet, minus WINSTON

(WINSTON’s CHAIR remains empty): (CHAMBERLAIN, HALIFAX,

GREENWOOD, ATLEE) and the FOLLOWING (EDEN, ALEXANDER,

SINCLAIR, COOPER, CADOGAN, ANDERSON, POUND, DOWDING,

IRONSIDE, BRIDGES, ISMAY, NICHOLL, WILKINSON.)

All are actively discussing the wording of a PEACE OFFER.

HALIFAX, leading the formulation of the offer, looks verypleased with the current situation.

HALIFAX:

The Memorandum--titled “Suggested

Approaches to Italy”--is asfollows...

CADOGAN:

“If Signor Mussolini will cooperate

with us in securing a

settlement of all Europeanquestions which safeguard theindependence and security of theallies...”

CAMERA moves in on: WINSTON’s SILVER BOX OF MATCHES.

EXT HOUSE OF COMMONS - DAY

WINSTON comes up from WESTMINSTER TUBE STATION and crosses toPARLIAMENT.

CADOGAN (O.S.)

“...and could be the basis of a

just and durable peace for Europe,

we will undertake at once to

discuss, with the desire to find

solutions, the matters in which

Signor Mussolini is primarilyinterested...”

INT. HOUSE OF COMMONS - WESTMINISTER HALL - DAY

Deep in anxious thought, WINSTON stalks in to the House ofCommons and walks down a long hallway....

89.

CADOGAN ((O.S.)

..”We understand that he desires

the solution of certain

Mediterranean questions: and if hewill state in secrecy what theseare, France and Great Britain will

at once do their best to meet those

wishes”.

INT. STAIRS AND CORRIDORS/ PARLIAMENT - DAY

To the first floor and is met by a relieved JOHN EVANS -

JOHN EVANS:

Sir! The War Cabinet is waiting!

WINSTON:

I am due to address the Outer

Cabinet. I haven’t spoken to themsince the formation of the new

government.

Moving up the HALLWAY, WINSTON and EVANS pass huddled groupsof YOUNGER MP’s -

WINSTON STOPS, thinks, and then turns back to them.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Good day.

(pause)

I am--about to speak to my Outer

Cabinet in my rooms and--I extend

the invitation to any of you whowould care to join them.

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