Gangs of New York Page #29

AMSTERDAM:

Chance of what?

JOHNNY:

A chance... a chance to do what you want. Bury the Butcher, draw what

blood you got to. But you better make speed. The Natives will move on the

Armory too.

AMSTERDAM:

And what's any of it mean to you?

JOHNNY:

It means whatever's left of friendship, I don't know. There's still part

of me here. I don't

want to see you lose everything in your life at once.

AMSTERDAM:

I'm going to lose nothing.

(beat)

If you believe me, you can stay.

JOHNNY:

I got to go.

He turns so Amsterdam can't see his face and LEAVES-

JENNY:

So Tammany's going to kill the Butcher. That puts you and Tweed on the

same side. Does that make the path clear enough to suit you?

From Amsterdam's face, trying to work out all the new angles, we...

DISSOLVE TO:

111 INT. NATIVE AMERICAN HIDEOUT

... Amsterdam's face, full of resolve, staring unblinking as ...

... the barrels of two dozen RIFLES SURROUND the edges the screen, boxing

Amsterdam in, as if his head were in a frame.

And Bill the Butcher gazes at him with astonishment. We are, for the first

time, in the Natives' lair, a house hung with American flags of all shapes

and vintages, some of them torn by battle, others by years of weather and

use. Some of them go back to the early days of the republic. There is not

an inch of wood or wall space to be seen for all the stars and stripes.

BILL THE BUTCHER

Murder Me? No one's going to murder me.

AMSTERDAM:

Then you better learn to fight locking over your shoulder, Bill, because

that's the only way you'll ever see it coming.

BILL THE BUTCHER

I don't believe it, and I don't believe it's you telling me. You got no

reason to care about any danger to me.

AMSTERDAM:

One reason. You're my kill, Butcher. No one else is going to have you, not

Tweed, not Tammany, not those pigs in the street. No one--not even you,

Bill--will ever take the pleasure of your death away from me. I'd do

anything to keep you for my own, even if I have to protect you.

BILL THE BUTCHER

You protect me? Get out of here and go to hell.

AMSTERDAM:

Fine, so long as I pass you on my way.

BILL THE BUTCHER

Maybe I'd believe you more if I knew who was talking to you.

AMSTERDAM:

Someone I credit.

BILL THE BUTCHER

That means nothing to me. None of this means nothing to me because I am

Tammany. Without me and my Natives they're nothing but a bunch of old

horses at a trough.

AMSTERDAM:

You join with me and we fight against Tammany, fight them back and out of

the Points. Then you and me can settle. But if you don't join with me,

then there won't be no settlement because you'll be murdered in the street

and the whole Points will be mine.

BILL THE BUTCHER

I relish the thought... just the thought... of cutting you up and opening

you wide. So if just thinking about it gives me such pleasure, imagine how

I'm going to enjoy doing it.

AMSTERDAM:

Why don't I make it easy for you, then.

He TURNS his back on the Butcher and starts to walk out, through the

entire gang of Natives.

AMSTERDAM:

Same as you're making it easy for Tweed.

He keeps walking... through the Natives ... dozens of ancient enemies

glowering at him.

BILL THE BUTCHER

Amsterdam!

(Amsterdam looks around)

Don't be like your father. Don't make it too easy.

Amsterdam struggles to keep his temper. But he turns and keeps walking

through the enemy camp as we...

DISSOLVE TO:

112 INT. JACOB'S LADDER

....Amsterdam walking. But this time, he is WALKING among his gang. All

the Dead Rabbits are assembled, weapons ready. Jenny is beside him. Then

Jimmy Spoils. Then a few others.

As the group passes, others STAND and walk with them...

... until the whole gang is rallied...

... and bound for the passageway in the corner of the room that leads

under the building.

DISSOLVE TO:

113 INT. BASEMENT

As Amsterdam and the gang heads through the catacomb-like basement, past

the graves, into a tunnel. Torchlight GUTTERS all around. Their steps echo

like repeated rifle shots.

DISSOLVE TO:

114 INT. TUNNEL

The whole gang MARCHES down a tunnel under the Old Brewery. Except for

Amsterdam and Jenny, they all wear their tamlas. Many have marks and gang

insignia on their faces. All of them have weapons. A lot of weapons.

Frightened FACES--people seeking shelter and safety from the riots--appear

in the darkness, then vanish like ghosts.

As the Rabbits walk, they summon memories of the first fight, that same

march through the tunnels when Amsterdam marched beside his father.

Amsterdam's face gives little away. But perhaps he is remembering that day

too.

DISSOLVE TO:

115 INT. TUNNEL

The last tunnel.. Shreds of light from a door in the distance. Amsterdam

walks up to the door and--just as Monk Eastman did years before--KICKS it

down. Dim dawn LIGHT FLOODS the tunnel as the Dead Rabbits step out.

CUT TO:

116 EXT. CANAL STREET DAWN

The first thing we see is an ELEPHANT, who trumpets fearfully at the

sudden sound of the sattere door. The gang stops, wary of this huge

refugee from Barnum's Museum, but the animal is more frightened of them.

It hurries on down the street...

... revealing behind it a group of several dozen RIOTERS who carry a huge

American flag and a long wooden plank bearing the legend "No Draft." They

stare at the Rabbits with something near reverence.

AMSTERDAM:

Where's the Native Americans?

RIOTER:

Ain't seen them. Ain't here.

AMSTERDAM:

And the militia?

RIOTER:

There's a detachment coming on from two streets over. The rest is still

north of here. What are you after?

Amsterdam POINTS to a formidable building a block away: the Armory. It

looks like a fortress.

RIOTER:

The Devil himself couldn't take that place.

AMSTERDAM:

That's why he sent us.

CUT TO:

117 EXT. STREET NEAR ARMORY/ DAY

The DETACHMENT of militia proceeds warily towards the Armory. They are a

young, uncertain-looking outfit; their COMMANDER looks like an upstate

farm kid. He tenses and his eyes widen as he sees Jenny walking toward

him, carrying a BOY in her arms.

JENNY:

(crying)

Help me. Oh please help me. He's shot, we need a doctor, please help.

DETACHMENT COMMANDER

Miss, we ain't a medical outfit. The main unit's ten minutes behind us,

they'll have...

He doesn't get the chance to finish. Jenny DROPS the Boy from her arms and

shoots the Detachment Commander once, cleanly...

... as the Boy roles into a prone position and FIRES two shots into the

stunned Detachment...

... while the Dead Rabbits SWARM from every doorway along the street,

FIRING GUNS and brandishing weapons.

It's over in seconds. The Detachment has hardly gotten off a shot. Every

one of them lies dead or wounded in the street...

... as the Rabbits CROUCH over their bodies.

CUT TO:

118 EXT. ARMORY DAY

A rifle emplacement manned by a dozen GUARDS- They stand anxious post in

front of the Armory. Each window is barred and fortified, and the front

door is massive. But the tension in the Guards' faces eases a little when

they see ...

... the Detachment of militia heading towards them down the street. Some

of the Detachment are wearing bloody uniform jackets; several are being

carried. The Detachment, unrecognized by the Guards, is made up entirely

of Dead Rabbits.

Rate this script:3.0 / 2 votes