Dunkirk Page #12

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Collins looks down at the oil-covered water...

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -CONTINUOUS

Farrier pulls around, hard. The Heinkel is in front of him,

side on, heading in for another run at the Keith.

Farrier banks and pulls up to keep the bomber in his sights

as he fires his cannons The

Heinkel catches fire and starts falling...

EXT. MOONSTONE, WATER OUTSIDE DUNKIRK HARBOUR -CONTINUOUS

Collins sees the heinkel catch fire -turns to Mr. Dawson.

COLLINS:

GO! GO! GO!

Mr. Dawson throws the engine into gear, turns the wheel The

Heinkel falls flaming towards the oil slick...

Peter has hold of one last oil-covered survivor, who hangs on

for dear life as the boat drags him through the oily water

The men left in the water shout with despair as the Moonstone

motors away The

flaming Heinkel hits the water -explodes The

surface of the water catches fire, spreading across the

water. Men duck underwater to escape the flames.

Underwater:
Highlander 1 pushes down under, looking up at the

fire. The surface is aflame as far as he can see...

Peter holds on to the oil-covered soldier Who

is now being washed with cleaner water as they come out

of the slick. As the oil comes off his face we see that it is

Tommy...

Collins watches, appalled, as the men in the water are

engulfed by relentless flames... The Keith is going down survivors

on the far side are picked up by the various small

ships...

69.

Under the water, Highlander 1’s air runs out. The flames rage

above...

His instinct to breath pushes him up into the flames where he

is engulfed, screaming, dying

Tommy lies on the deck at Peter’s feet, eyes closed...

TOMMY:

(a whisper)

Take me home.

CUT TO:

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -DAY

Farrier sees the Heinkel explode, turns away towards the

beaches...

He looks down at The

thousands of men on the beach.

The small ships ferrying out to the larger vessels.

The narrow mole with its endless rope of men...

Farrier is awestruck...

He hears his engine starts to sputter...

It dies and the prop stops...

EXT. THE MOLE -CONTINUOUS

Commander Bolton watches with satisfaction as a paddle

steamer ties up. He calls up to a Stewardess (fifty-nine) COMMANDER

BOLTON:

Where’s you from?

STEWARDESS:

Out of Dartmouth!

Bolton shakes his head in joyous disbelief. He watches men

load into a small open sailboat crewed by two young men.

COMMANDER BOLTON

From Deal?

They nod.

70.

COMMANDER BOLTON (CONT’D)

Mind the current at the mouth,

boys.

Bolton spots Spitfire 1. It soars overhead. He waves MALE

VOICE (O.S.)

Where’ve you all been all my life?!

Commander Bolton sighs at this... then notices. No engine

noise.

He watches the Spitfire, concerned, until Hears

something -another engine... A high whine... He turns

to see A

Stuka...

The men lining the mole shift restlessly. Trapped...

CUT TO:

EXT. MOONSTONE, ENGLISH CHANNEL -EVENING

The Moonstone chugs along, low in the water, men laying down

along her decks...

INT. CABIN, MOONSTONE -CONTINUOUS

Men lie on every available space, packed in like sardines.

Tommy catches sight of Alex looking at him. Tommy nods.

EXT. MOONSTONE, ENGLISH CHANNEL -CONTINUOUS

Mr. Dawson is at the helm. Collins hears a distant engine

COLLINS:

That’s a fighter

MR. DAWSON

ME 109, from the South. Peter, take

the wheel, listen for my

instructions.

Mr. Dawson steps up onto the seat to look above the roof of

the cabin...

MR. DAWSON (CONT’D)

Point her south.

71.

Peter turns the wheel, the Moonstone swings to port,

straightens up. Mr. Dawson spots the 109, closing...

CUT TO:

EXT. THE MOLE -DAY

Commander Bolton turns to see the Stuka approaching, its

distinctively kinked-wing silhouette bearing down like an

awful bird of prey...

The soldiers stir, some crouching, some closing their eyes.

Commander Bolton takes a knee, bracing. He bites his lip as

the Stuka goes into its dive, that terrible whine building...

CUT TO:

EXT. MOONSTONE, ENGLISH CHANNEL -EVENING

Mr. Dawson stares at the approaching 109MR.

DAWSON:

Full speed ahead.

Peter throttles up The

109 is growing close now...

MR. DAWSON (CONT’D)

Get ready to pull hard to port...

before he fires he’ll have to lower

his nose, I’ll give you the

signal...

Peter reaches over to the side of the wheel, ready to throw

it. The 109 is practically upon them...

CUT TO:

EXT. THE MOLE -DAY

Commander Bolton is mumbling a prayer as he watches the Stuka

come at them BLAM

BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!!

The Stuka is strafed with fire as Spitfire 1 flashes past

72.

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -CONTINUOUS

Farrier darts past the Stuka, gliding, guns blazing...

EXT. THE MOLE -CONTINUOUS

The Stuka never fires, it just smashes into the sea... The

soldiers all along the mole cheer.

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -CONTINUOUS

Farrier watches the Stuka disintegrate on the surface of the

water. He nods... feeling the unaccustomed silence...

CUT TO:

EXT. MOONSTONE, ENGLISH CHANNEL -EVENING

Mr. Dawson stares at the approaching 109. Peter glances back

and forth between the 109 and his father...

MR. DAWSON

Wait for it... wait till he’s

committed to his line...

The nose of the 109 dips down MR.

DAWSON (CONT’D)

NOW!

Peter throws the wheel, the Moonstone lurches to port The

guns on the 109 light up, strafing the water to starboard

-

The 109 flashes over... Collins watches it recede.

COLLINS:

He’s off.

MR. DAWSON

Bigger fish to fry.

Collins looks at Mr. Dawson. Curious.

COLLINS:

How’d you know all that, anyway?

Mr. Dawson steps onto the deck.

73.

MR. DAWSON

My son’s one of you lot. I knew

he’d see us through.

Mr. Dawson moves forward. Collins steps up beside Peter.

COLLINS:

You’re RAF?

MR. DAWSON

Not me. My brother. Flew

Hurricanes. He died third week into

the war.

Collins looks forward at the proud father standing by the

mast.

CUT TO:

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -DAY

Farrier sits in the silence, gliding... looking to see how

far he might make it up the beach...

CUT TO:

INT. CABIN, MOONSTONE -EVENING

Tommy gets to his feet, steps over other men as he slips over

to the stairs...

EXT. MOONSTONE, ENGLISH CHANNEL -EVENING

Tommy and Alex poke their heads out PETER

Stay below, please.

TOMMY:

We just want to see the cliffs Tommy

looks over at white cliffs, ghostly above the dark

water.

TOMMY (CONT’D)

Dover?

Peter shakes his head, amused.

PETER:

Weymouth.

74.

Alex shakes his head, sadly.

ALEX:

We let you all down, didn’t we?

Peter just looks at this exhausted, ragged boy his own age.

CUT TO:

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -DAY

Farrier glides, banking, looking for a suitable stretch of

beach to ditch...

In the strangely silent plane, he passes over the troops,

lines up on the vast stretch of sand beyond Malo Les Bains...

CUT TO:

EXT. HARBOUR AT WEYMOUTH -NIGHT

Soldier after soldier climbs out of the yacht. The Corporal

handing out travel chits marvels at the absurd amount...

CORPORAL:

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