Dunkirk Page #6

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COLLINS:

The swell looks good, I’m ditching.

CUT TO:

INT. HOLD, DESTROYER -NIGHT

The munching and slurping of starving soldiers.

The engines kick into gear as the destroyer starts to move

A cheer goes up around the hundreds of men in the hold...

31.

EXT. DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

Up on deck, Gibson watches several row boats heading towards

them. Hearing the engines, they start shouting MALE

VOICES:

Wait! Wait for us!

Gibson spots white water on the black sea -a wake MALE

VOICE (O.S.)

TORPEDO!

An explosion lifts water at the side of the ship

INT. HOLD, DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

The cheering stops, Boooooms shudder the suddenly fragile

iron walls of the hold, massive percussions of wobbling metal

sheets.

EXT. DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

A blast that moves every bolt of the destroyer

INT. HOLD, DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

Anyone standing is thrown off their feet

EXT. DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

A vast plume of fire explodes up and out of the funnel. The

deck blasts apart

INT. HOLD, DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

Men scream as the iron plates of the walls buckle. A glimpse

of water blasting in The

lights go out. Complete darkness...

Sound of men screaming barely audible over the sound of

blasting water and bending metal

32.

EXT. DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

The ship lists, rapidly sinking. The row boats pull away,

hard. Gibson prepares to jump -glances back at the closed

door to the hold -jumps back, opens the door

INT. HOLD, DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

Blackness.

The dim light of the open door becomes a beacon. Tommy spots

Gibson waiving Tommy

and Alex claw their way up the steps as the entire ship

goes under

EXT. DESTROYER -CONTINUOUS

Tommy and Alex burst free of the door as it sinks beneath the

waves and They

pull away from the disappearing ship with the strength

born of absolute desperation...

CUT TO:

EXT. MOONSTONE, ENGLISH CHANNEL -DAY

George hears planes behind them. He looks up Three

Spitfires in confident formation sweep overhead...

Mr. Dawson keeps his eyes on the black smoke ahead of them.

MR. DAWSON

Spitfires, George. Greatest plane

ever built.

George smiles. Then looks quizzical GEORGE

You didn’t even look.

MR. DAWSON

Rolls Royce Merlin engines.

Sweetest sound you could hear out

here.

33.

INT. CABIN, MOONSTONE -CONTINUOUS

Peter is folding a chart. A clicking sound catches attention

the handle of the forepeak door is being rattled from the

other side. Peter freezes, uncertain what to do...

BANG -the rattles become bangs

SHIVERING SOLDIER (O.S.)

Hello?! Anyone there?!

Peter puts the chart down, takes a step towards the door BANG!

SHIVERING SOLDIER (O.S.) (CONT’D)

OPEN UP, DAMMIT!

Peter freezes. Turns back to the companionway

EXT. MOONSTONE -CONTINUOUS

Peter pokes his head out. Mr. Dawson looks at him, quizzical-

PETER:

He wants to come out The

banging and shouting of the Shivering Soldier continues.

MR. DAWSON

What did you do? Lock him in?

Peter is at a loss.

MR. DAWSON (CONT’D)

Let him out, for God’s sake!

INT. CABIN, MOONSTONE -CONTINUOUS

Peter comes down the companionway, reluctantly approaching

the banging, rattling door...

The banging stops...

Peter reaches up to the bolt, braces, gently slides it

back...

Opens the door. The forepeak is empty... Peter rushes in,

spots the open forward hatch...

34.

EXT. MOONSTONE -CONTINUOUS

Mr. Dawson leans down to try and see in the cabin

SHIVERING SOLDIER (O.S.)

You haven’t turned around!

Mr. Dawson turns calmly to the Shivering Soldier.

MR. DAWSON

No. We have a job to do.

SHIVERING SOLDIER

Job? This is pleasure yacht! You’re

weekend sailors, not the blood

navy! A man your age

MR. DAWSON

Men my age dictate this war. Why

are we allowed to send our children

to fight it?

SHIVERING SOLDIER

YOU SHOULD BE AT HOME!

MR. DAWSON

There won’t be any home if we allow

thus slaughter across the Channel.

There’s no hiding from this.

CUT TO:

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -DAY

Farrier chases the 109 as it circles around on Collins...

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 2 -DAY

Collins glances out at his burning wing. Checks his

altimeter, checks his canopy is locked in the half-open

position-

Lower...

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -CONTINUOUS

Farrier fires at the 109, chasing him off

FARRIER:

He’s turned tail, I’m after him

35.

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 2 -CONTINUOUS

Collins checks his belts are tight, checks the release pin on

his harness

COLLINS:

Good luck. Watch your fuel...

(reads)

Fifteen gallons.

Checks his Mae West, puffing into the inflating tube

Lower...

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -CONTINUOUS

Farrier grease pencils the reading on the chart FARRIER

Fifteen gallons, understood...

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 2 -CONTINUOUS

FARRIER:

(over radio)

Best of luck, Collins.

Collins checks wind direction, checks wave direction on the

surface of the water Lower...

Turns, lining up along the waves as he descends...

Lower...

The water rushes by blindingly fast...

INT. COCKPIT, SPITFIRE 1 -DAY

Farrier watches Spitfire 2 carve gracefully across the water,

before coming to a stop, floating.

Farrier spots a civilian yacht heading for Collins...

He sees Collins’ hand stick out of the canopy, waving... He

tips his wings at Collins, turns away, looks ahead, chasing

the 109 towards Dunkirk...

CUT TO:

36.

EXT. WATER, JUST OUTSIDE DUNKIRK HARBOUR -NIGHT

Tommy and Alex, life jackets on, swim on the swell, bodies

and burning wreckage all around, fuel burning on the surface

of the water.

Tommy and Alex pull for an overloaded row boat. Tommy grabs

the side, tries to climb. He’s pushed off by the men inside

MALE VOICE:

Piss off -it’s too crowded!

Alex is grabbing at the rail as well

ALEX:

You can’t leave us! Make some room

SOLDIER (O.S.)

You men, leave off. You’ll capsize

the boat -it’s gone over twice on

the way out here...

Tommy looks at the Soldier. It is the Shivering Soldier, not

yet shivering, in full control of his faculties.

SOLDIER (CONT’D)

You have to stay calm. There are

plenty of boats.

ALEX:

Calm?! Wait till you get torpedoed,

then tell us to be calm!

SOLDIER:

You have life jackets?

MALE VOICE:

Yeah, they do.

SOLDIER:

Don’t panic, the water’s not too

rough, or too cold. We’re heading

back to the beach

MALE VOICE:

F*** off! Let’s go to Dover!

Several voices join in.

SOLDIER:

We can’t make it across the Channel

on this, lads. We need to get back

to the beach and wait for another

ride.

(MORE)

37.

SOLDIER (CONT'D)

(gestures)

It’s not even half a mile. You men

in the water float here, save your

strength, we’ll come back for you.

The men start rowing.

Gibson is in the back. Alex spots him.

Gibson quietly drops the rear painter (a small rope attached

to the stern) into the black water.

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