Dunkirk Page #11

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EXT. THE MOLE -DAY

Through the binoculars Colonel Winnant watches the blue

trawler pushing out to the sea, low in the water...

Commander Bolton watches a destroyer, under full steam,

heading out to the Channel...

Where there are shapes of boats on the horizon...

63.

EXT. DECK OF TRAWLER -CONTINUOUS

The Dutch Seaman aims the boat at a destroyer out at the

mouth of the harbour...

EXT. HOLD, TRAWLER -DAY

Tommy, Gibson, Alex, Highlander 1 and the others stuff the

holes as best they can. The makeshift plugs pop out every few

seconds -the soldiers scrabble under water to find them and

stuff them back in, hands pressed against water jets, spray

coming in everywhere...

EXT. THE MOLE -CONTINUOUS

Omitted.*

* In previous drafts of the script, this is the point at which Bolton and Winnant

first see the Little Ships. Ultimately in the cutting room, they returned the entrance

of the Little Ships to this location in the film.

EXT. DECK OF TRAWLER -CONTINUOUS

The Dutch Seaman looks over the rail, concerned, to see how

fast his boat is lowering into the swell...

CUT TO:

EXT. MOONSTONE, WATER OUTSIDE DUNKIRK HARBOUR -DAY

Collins watches Farrier spin around to get after the Heinkel.

The Moonstone comes up on the men in the water. Collins comes

to the side, to help Peter fish men out, notices the surface

of the water

COLLINS:

(to Mr. Dawson)

Oil. We’re getting into oil!

Mr. Dawson puts the screw into reverse, stopping the boat.

They fish men out of the water -the men covered in oil,

anonymous in their glossy black filth...

CUT TO:

64.

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -DAY

Farrier chases down the Heinkel, closing in as its top turret

opens up on him, tracer fire lighting up all around him

He dives down under the range of the rear turret, then angles

up, firing at the bomber’s tail...

CUT TO:

EXT. BLUE TRAWLER -DAY

The Dutch Seaman sees water sloshing over the deck.

DUTCH SEAMAN:

ABANDON SHIP! ABANDON SHIP!

INT. HOLD, TRAWLER -CONTINUOUS

The soldiers, holding back the water, cannot hear him... One

by one they start to abandon the task. More and more water

pouring in... Alex and Gibson are last -Alex turns, sees

they are alone, grabs Gibson by the shoulder then jumps for

the exit. Gibson, still holding back the water, notices too

late

EXT. BLUE TRAWLER 0 C

Tommy gets on deck, sees the Keith, a quarter of a mile away.

He dives into the water, pulling away from the swamped

trawler

All the men dive off the sinking boat, swimming for the

Keith.

INT. HOLD, TRAWLER -CONTINUOUS

Gibson dives for the exit. He is blasted back by water,

dragged down with the sinking trawler...

CUT TO:

EXT. MOONSTONE, WATER OUTSIDE DUNKIRK HARBOUR -DAY

Peter, Collins and the first oil-covered men pull more oily

men from the water, the decks of the yacht rapidly filling.

Mt. Dawson looks at the oil slick, concerned. He addresses

the oily survivors

65.

MR. DAWSON

Below deck.

OILY SURVIVOR:

No fear.

MR. DAWSON

We need to get as many of you on

board as we can before the oil

catches fire. Get below or get off

my boat -your choice.

The oily survivors head below decks. Peter runs back to the

companionway to shout down

PETER:

Careful there!

INT. CABIN, MOONSTONE -CONTINUOUS

Peter pokes his head down, sees two oily survivors moving

George from the bottom of the steps =

PETER:

Careful!

The oily survivors look up at him. Alex is one of them ALEX

(quiet)

He’s dead, mate.

Peter takes this in...

PETER:

So be bloody careful with him!

EXT. THE MOLE -CONTINUOUS

Commander Bolton stares at the shapes in the distance...

He grabs the field glasses from Colonel Winnant, puts them to

his eyes Boats.

Civilian boats. All shapes and sizes. An armada.

Colonel Winnant peers over Commander Bolton’s shoulder...

COLONEL WINNANT:

What can you see?

Commander Bolton slowly lowers the glasses.

66.

COMMANDER BOLTON

(gentle)

Home.

Colonel Winnant grabs the glasses, confused...

EXT. DECK OF DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

The soldiers peer over the railing at the absurd collection

of vessels passing them in the opposite direction:

Yacht, paddle steamers, fishing trawlers, day sailors,

ferries, dredgers, dinghies, row boats...

Crewed by:

Fisherman, merchant navy sailors, naval officers, civilian

crew, naval crew, nurses, retired sailors...

The exhausted soldiers lining the decks of the Basilisk start

to clap, then to cheer... Some are crying...

EXT. MOONSTONE, WATER OUTSIDE DUNKIRK HARBOUR -CONTINUOUS

Peter steps out of the cabin, reeling. Meets his dad’s

questioning glance with unmistakable shock SHIVERING

SOLDIER (O.S.)

The lad...

Peter turns. The Shivering Soldier is looking up at him with

terrified eyes, blanket tight around his shoulders.

SHIVERING SOLDIER (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Will he be okay?

Peter looks at the Shivering Soldier. Sees the white knuckles

clasping the edge of the rough blanket. Peter nods.

The Shivering Soldier turns, staring out at the destroyer.

Peter catches Mr. Dawson looking at him. Approving.

Collins, pulling a man from the water, looks up at the

Spitfire 1 chasing down the Heinkel COLLINS

Come on, Farrier...

CUT TO:

67.

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -DAY

Farrier strafes the Heinkel -no apparent effect. Zipping

over it, he dives down out of range of its turret, banks hard

left to line up another shot. A 109 cuts across him, Tracer

fire shooting past.

CUT TO:

EXT. WATER, JUST OUTSIDE DUNKIRK HARBOUR -DAY

Tommy swims for the Keith...

He hears an airplane... looks up to see a Heinkel coming in

over the Keith... The bombs drop, plumes of water shoot

upwards all around the ship. Tommy dives under the water for

protection. The explosions are deafening -he holds his ears

with his hands

Tommy breaks the surface. The barrage is over, the Keith is

still afloat. Tommy swims for it. Getting closer, Tommy

realizes he’s swimming oil, the black sludge covering his

head and arms. He looks back -the blue trawler is gently

slipping beneath the water...

Tommy makes for the Keith, even as he sees men jumping into

the water from her decks, lifeboats being lowered...

Tommy spots another craft -a yacht heading towards them.

Tommy pulls for the yacht as hard as he can...

CUT TO:

EXT. BEACH AT MALO LES BAINS -CONTINUOUS

The rag-tag collection of small ships works the beach,

picking men up in the shallows, ferrying them out to bigger

ships...

Small open boats use the truck ‘pier’ to load men as the

Engineer looks on with pride...

EXT. MOONSTONE, WATER OUTSIDE DUNKIRK HARBOUR -DAY

The Moonstone is filled with oil-covered men, throughout the

hold and across the decks -many more still in the water.

The Keith lists, men jump off the far side, away from the oil

slick, where small ships are gathering to pick them up...

68.

Collins moves up the side, watching Farrier bank hard to get

behind the Heinkel. A 109 zips across his path, guns

blazing...

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