Days of Heaven Page #7

75ISOLATED ON CHUCK

Chuck watches from a distance, fearful that

tonight may

be the last he will ever see of her.U

76TGHT ON ABBY, EFFIGY, MARS, ETC.I

The harvesters shape and dress the final sheaf

as a woman.

The LAST of them to finish that day carries the effigy at

the end of the pole to the Belvedere. His mates follow

behind, jeering and throwing dirt clods at him.U

Aby watches. We sense that anything she sees mightI

figure in her decision.U

Mars hangs low and red in the western sky._

77URSULA AND DRUNK

Ursula is looking at her figure in a pocket

mirror whenU

a DRUNK appears behind her.I

DRUNK:

See what happens to you? Little sh*t. Get out

there and make that

big money and don't spend time dicking around.

78EXT. PIT OF COALS - DUSKU

A feast is laid on. ONE PERSON rolls a flaming

wheel down a hill. ANOTHER sets off a string of

firecrackers. GERMANS pelt each other with spareribs. Ursula

spears hogsheads out of a pit of hot coals. The YOUNGER MEN

tease her. She is too much of a tomboy to interest any of

thm seriously. The effigy sits off in a chair by itself.�

1

79TIGHT ON ABBY AND CHUCK - DUSKChuck awaits

Abby's answer.I

ABBY:

There's a problem. I have to keep my baby sister

with me. Someday_ my baby sister with me. Someday

I'm going to save up enough, see, and send her to school.

(pause)

My brother, too. I can't leave him.I

Abby fears she has asked too much. Chuck hesitates, but only

to suggest he still has the prudence he long since has

abandoned.

CHUCK:

There's work for them, too.

ABBY:

Really?

80EXT. BONFIRE - DUSK.

A bonfire burns like a huge eye in the vat of

the prairie night. The band strikes up a reel.

Chuck and Abby lead the dancing off, as though to celebrate

their agreement. Their giant shadows dance with them. Soon

the other harvesters join in.

81TIGHT ON BILL - DUSKU

Bill watches Abby dance--it almost seems in

farewell to their innocence. After a moment he turns off

into the night.I

82MONTAGE - NIGHT_

The effigy is held over the flame at the end of

a pole until it catches fire. The harvesters prance around

in the dark, trading it from hand to hand.

The MUSICIANS, drunk and happy, bow their hearts out.

83TIGHT ON BILL - DAWN

While the others pursue their merriment, Bill

walks the fields by himself, trembling with grief and

indecision. Dawn is breaking. The eastern sky glows like a

forge. Suddenly he comes upon a wolf. He catches his breath.

The wolf stares back at him for a moment, then turns and

pads off into the stubble.

84EXT. RAILROAD TRACKS - DAWNEEXT. RAILROAD

TRACKS - DAWNU

Early the next morning the HARVESTERS wander by

the hundreds down to the railroad tracks to catch a train

for the North, where the crops are just now coming into

maturity. A subtle feeling of sadness pervades the group.

Bill gives his sword cane away to a MAN who seems to have

admired it. The MAN offers him money, but he declines it.

85EXT. TRAIN - URSULA AND JOHN - LATER

Ursula says goodbye to her favorite, a redhead

named JOHN. She is hoarse, as always.

JOHN:

Why don't you come with us?

URSULA:

They won't let me. So when am I going to see you

again?

JOHN:

Maybe in Cheyenne.

She nods okay. They both know they will never see each other

again. On a sudden impulse she gives him a love note.

JOHN:

What's this?

She takes it back immediately, but he snatches it away from

her and, after a brief, giggling scuffle, hops aboard the

train, now picking up speed. Ursula runs along behind,

cursing and throwing rocks at him.

86TIGHT ON BILL AND ABBY

Bill and Abby look on.

BILL:

I told her, "none of my business Urs, I just

hope you're not rolling

around with some redhead is all." She looks me over. "Why?"

she says,

"What've you guys got that redheads don't?" I pity that kid.

Ursula runs up and throws herself tearfully into Abby's

arms.

BILL:

What's the matter? What'd he do?

Bill starts off after the train.

87EXT.-"SHEEP POWER"

Abby tends a washing machine driven by a sheep

on a treadmill. Chuck

watches from the front steps of the Belvedere.

ABBY:

I'm just about done with this.

CHUCK:

Good.

ABBY:

So what's next?

CHUCK:

Next?

ABBY:

There's nothing else you want done?

CHUCK:

Not that I can think of. Not right now.

Miss Carter, the housekeeper, steps out on the porch and

pours a bucket of milk into a cream separator.

ABBY:

How about the cream?

CHUCK:

She takes care of that.

He nods at Miss Carter, who conspicuously lets the screen

door clap shut as she goes back inside. She misses no

opportunity to express her disdain for these newcomers.

She and Benson are the only employees seen at the Belvedere.

Several dozen others have stayed on after the harvest but

they keep to their quarters down at the dorm.

ABBY:

You mean I'm done for today?

CHUCK:

(uncomfortably)

Something else might come up.

In truth, Chuck does not want to see Abby degraded by menial

labor, considering her more a guest than an employee. They

look at each other. Abby does not know quite what to make of

him

ABBY:

Well, I'm going back to the dorm.

CHUCKU:

Is everything okay down there? In the way of

accommodations, I mean.U

She nods and waves goodbye.I

88EXT. BARN

Down by the barn Bill teaches Chuck how to shoot

dice. Chuck feigns interest.

BILL:

I like to gamble, and I like to win. I make no

bones about it.

Got to where the guys on Throop Street wouldn't even lag

pennies

with me on account of I was such a winner. I'm starting out

level

with you, you understand.

CHUCK:

Have you ever been in trouble with the law?

Bill looks around. Abby would think it impolitic of him to

speak so openly with Chuck.

BILLI:

Nothing they could make stick.

My problem has always been not having the education. I

bullshitted

my way into school. They gave me a test. It was ridiculous.

I got in fights. Ended up paying for a window. They threw me

out. Don't blame them either. Still, I wanted to make

something of myself. I mean, guys look at

you across a desk, you know what they're thinking. So I went

in

the mill. Couldn't wait to get in there. Begin at seven, got

to have a smile on your face. Didn't work out, though. No

matter what you do, sometimes

things just don't go right. It gets to you after a while. It

gives you that feeling, "Oh hell, what's the use?"

(pause)

My dad told me, forget what the people around

you are doing. You got enough to worry about without

considering what somebody else does. Otherwise you get

fouled up. He used to say (tapping his temple)

"All you got is this." Only one day you wake up, find you're

not the smartest guy in the world, never going to come up

with the big score. I really believed when I was growing up

that somehow I would. I worked like a bastard in that mill.

I felt all right about it, though. I felt that somewhere

along the line somebody would see I had that special gleam.

"Hey, you, come over here." So then I'd go.

They are silent for a moment.

CHUCKI:

You seem close to your sister._

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