Dunkirk Page #10

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Tommy stares, shocked. Alex moves back slightly, taking this

in.

A burst of machine-gun fire. Everyone ducks from ricochets.

ALEX:

A Frog. A bloody Frog. A cowardly

little queue-jumping Frog...

With the end of his rifle Alex shakes Gibson’s tags

ALEX (CONT’D)

Who’s Gibson, eh? A naked dead

Englishman lying out on that sand.

Or did you at least have the

decency to bury him?

“Gibson” just stares.

TOMMY:

He did. I helped him. I thought it

was his mate.

ALEX:

Maybe he killed him

TOMMY:

He didn’t kill him

ALEX:

How do we know?!

TOMMY:

How hard is it to find a dead

Englishman on Dunkirk beach, for

God’s sake?! He didn’t kill anyone he

was looking for a way off the

damned sand like the rest of us!

The water is spraying in from more and more holes as the

water level rises...

Alex has the rifle on Gibson. Another burst of machine-gun

fire.

57.

HIGHLANDER 2

Hadn’t they had enough practice by

now?!

HIGHLANDER 1

They’re making sure she won’t

float.

Highlander 2 looks at the holes spraying water, the water is

pooling in the bottom of the hold. He turns to the Seaman

HIGHLANDER 2

Will she still float?!

The Seaman assesses the leaks...

SEAMAN:

Float, yes. With less weight, yes

ALEX:

And we know who’s getting off

TOMMY:

You can’t do that. We’re on the

same side.

Alex nudges Gibson with the rifle

ALEX:

Go on, up you go

TOMMY:

As soon as he pokes his head out

they’ll slaughter him.

ALEX:

Better him than me

TOMMY:

It’s not fair

ALEX:

Survival’s not fair.

HIGHLANDER 1

No, it’s sh*t. It’s fear and greed.

Fate squeezed through the bowels of

men. Sh*t.

TOMMY:

He saved our lives.

58.

HIGHLANDER 2

And he’s about to do it again -Go

on

Alex starts shoving Gibson up the stairs.

TOMMY:

No! Just stop!

Alex turns to Tommy, looks him in the eye

ALEX:

We need someone to get off so the

rest of us can live -You want to

volunteer?

TOMMY:

F*** no. I’m going home.

ALEX:

And if this is the price?

TOMMY:

I’ll live with it, but it’s wrong.

Alex shoves Gibson up another step, opens the door

TOMMY (CONT’D)

Alex, one man’s not going to make

enough difference

HIGHLANDER 1

You’d best hope it does, cos you’d

be volunteering next

TOMMY:

What?

ALEX:

(indicate Highlanders)

We’re regimental brothers, mate.

Just the way it is.

Gibson grabs for the rifle. Tommy jumps at Alex to help

Gibson. They smash against the hull -as they drop into the

water, the ship levels

SEAMAN:

FLOAT! WE FLOAT!

HIGHLANDER 2

START THE BLOODY ENGINE!

The Seaman is already crawling out the hatch, reaching up

59.

The engine starts, loud as loud can be

Machine-gun fire strafes the hull. The men duck below the

waterline...

The Seaman throws the screw into reverse, full throttle...

The men hold their breaths under the water at the bottom of

the hold as bullets pepper the hull...

CUT TO:

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 2 -DAY

Collins, water up ti his ears now, grabs the flare gun swinging

underwater less effective.

Now he panics, pushing his face up against the canopy,

banging with his fists, instinct taking over, no more

thought, no more plan -banging, banging, water rising over

his ears. Smash -something cracks into the canopy right

above his head. He recoils. It impacts the canopy again,

smashing the hole

It is a boat hook...

Collins pulls himself through the hole, elbow first, forcing

himself through, pushing off his seat, underwater, he pushes

up from the sinking plane...

EXT. WATER, JUST OUTSIDE DUNKIRK HARBOUR -CONTINUOUS

Collins breaks the surface, gasping, looks around

A private yacht with a young man on the bow, boat hook

extended...

Collins grasps the boat hook.

COLLINS:

(breathless)

Afternoon.

CUT TO:

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -DAY

Farrier comes around again, searching the sky for the German

planes...

60.

He looks down at the destroyer. It is leaking oil from a

large hole in its side...

The dark oil slick spreads quickly across the water, covering

the men in the water between the trawler and the destroyer...

CUT TO:

EXT. THE MOLE -DAY

The destroyer Basilisk casts off. Men cover every available

piece of deck.

Commander Bolton watches her wake. Colonel Winnant

approaches COLONEL

WINNANT:

We’ve wasted the day, Commander.

COMMANDER BOLTON

I share your frustration, Colonel.

They hear distant shots Commander

Bolton raises his field glasses... He sees a blue

trawler stuck in the shallows miles down the beach.

COMMANDER BOLTON (CONT’D)

Grounded trawler, taking fire.

Colonel Winnant takes the field glasses...

COLONEL WINNANT:

The enemy’s breaking through the

dunes to the east. This is it.

INT. HOLD, GROUNDED TRAWLER -DAY

Tommy comes up for air, gasping, spluttering...

Water is pouring in from dozens and dozens of holes...

Alex comes up, coughing, with Gibson...

ALEX:

We’re off!

Alex crawls over to the stairs, climbs out into the well

61.

EXT. TRAWLER -CONTINUOUS

Alex pokes his head out as the Seaman is sneaking up to see

where they are headed

The Dutch Seaman turns the wheel, jumps back onto the floor

of the well as bullets impact the cabin. He throws the engine

into forward gear, turns to Alex

DUTCH SEAMAN:

THE HOLES! PLUG THE HOLES!

Alex crawls back downstairs

INT. HOLD, TRAWLER -CONTINUOUS

Alex falls down the stairs

ALEX:

PLUG THE HOLES! PLUG THE HOLES!

The men stuff rags, bolts, fingers, anything they can lay

hands on to plug as many holes as possible...

CUT TO:

INT. CABIN, MOONSTONE -MOMENTS LATER

Collins, drying himself with a blanket, looks down at George,

whose breathing is shallow, sightless eyes open.

COLLINS:

(to Peter)

I don’t really know, son. You were

right not to move him.

(reassuring)

You’ve done the best for him you

can.

EXT. MOONSTONE, WATER OUTSIDE DUNKIRK HARBOUR -CONTINUOUS

The Shivering Soldier watches Collins come out on deck

SHIVERING SOLDIER

Is he alright?

PETER (O.S.)

No.

Peter is glaring at the Shivering Soldier.

62.

PETER (CONT’D)

No, he’s not

BOOM! Collins follows Mr. Dawson’s gaze to a destroyer up

ahead being bombed by a Heinkel, huge plumes of water rising

just beside her.

The Shivering Soldier retreats into himself. Peter runs up to

the bow

A blue fishing trawler a quarter of a mile off, sinking...

PETER (CONT’D)

Dad, there’s men in the water!

Mr. Dawson looks ahead to where Peter is pointing. He puts

the throttle forward, heading into the fray...

Collins spots Spitfire 1 arcing around, trying to get a bead

on the Heinkel...

COLLINS:

Come on, Farrier...

CUT TO:

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -DAY

Farrier pulls on the stick, lining up behind a 109...

He fires, chasing down the plane, firing again... Smoke from

the German plane, which starts to drop...

Farrier is in a heavy dive, when his engine chokes.

Farrier’s hand darts forward, switching to his reserve tank

before the engine can die...

The engine catches again. Farrier pulls out of the dive...

CUT TO:

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