Gangs of New York Page #32

The Butcher THROWS ASIDE his gun and takes out his CLEAVER... walking

through the smoke ...

... and past gang members who FLEE the explosion around them... toward

Amsterdam.

BILL THE BUTCHER

Don't look away, Amsterdam. You wanted this so long.

A HAZE of ash and gunpowder BLOWS across the Butcher's face, making him

look like a phantom... but making the ground where Amsterdam lies

indistinct. For just a second.

But time enough. A WOODEN PLANK filled with NAILS cuts through the haze,

catching the Butcher across the middle. He goes down howling...

... and Amsterdam, wounded in the leg, kneels before him. Then SPRINGS at

him, pinning him like some crazed lover. The CLEAVER flies from the

Butcherls grip.

The two men STRUGGLE desperately. But the gang members FLEEING around them

pay no attention. This great epic combat, this tremendous blood feud, has

been reduced to its essence: it is a street fight. But a street fight to

the death.

WE WATCH Amsterdam and the Butcher struggle from street level, the fight

often obscured by the legs and feet of the gang members RUSHING past.

These two ancient antagonists could be anyone. Anyone at all.

The Butcher is atop Amsterdam now, iron hand? at his throat...as

Amsterdam's hand rises, holding the pirate's knife... searching for the

strength ... and the place... for one final blow ... the Butcher's fingers

TIGHTEN ... Amsterdam's hand moves ... and the pirate's knife DRIVES HOME

right into the Butcher's stomach: the belly of the beast.

The Butcher bellows. Amsterdam FLIPS him over, starts to SLIT him up the

front, but the knife cannot cut the pelvic bone. Amsterdam puts his knee

on the Butcher's throat, PINNING HIM.

AMSTERDAM:

Don't look away.

And he SLAPS his hand over the Butcher's one good eye, so he can't see the

death blow, EXTRACTS the knife...and PLUNGES it like a stake into the

Butcher's heart.

He takes his hand away. All the Butcher can see is Amsterdam's face as his

EYE starts to roll back in his head at the approach of death.

BILL THE BUTCHER

Thank... thank God I died a true American.

And he dies. There is no triumph in Amsterdam's face. Only pain, and

satiation. He SEES: the CLEAVER, on the ground a few yards from him. And

Jenny, staring at him. Amsterdam GESTURES for the cleaver.

JENNY:

(quietly)

Get it yourself.

Amsterdam tries to get up. He can't. So he CRAWLS through the mud... for

the cleaver. Grabs it.

DISSOLVE TO:

125 EXT. CEMETERY DAY

The headstone of Priest Vallon. Now it has an inscription, which Amsterdam

is finishing. He uses the handle of the Butcher's cleaver for a hammer,

the blade of the piratels knife as a chisel. WE SEE the inscription:

"Priest Vallon/ 1814-1844/ New York City... of

The blade BREAKS on the final letter. Amsterdam sits back an the ground

near the grave. Behind him across the river (MATTE), the fires of the

riots still burn.

JENNY:

You'll have to come back to finish.

AMSTERDAM:

Maybe I'll leave it.

(beat)

Are you leaving?

JENNY:

I'm going west.

AMSTERDAM:

Well wherever you go, you got to go back through the city. so we're going

the same way for a while.

He starts to STAND, STUMBLES to one knee.

AMSTERDAM:

Help me, will you?

She looks at him... a lingering moment ... then goes to him.

JENNY:

Give me your hand.

She HELPS him up, puts his arm over her shoulder... and they start to walk

away together through the graveyard toward the burning island beyond.

The CAMERA pulls back.... and as Amsterdam and Jenny WALK AWAY the SKYLINE

OF NEW YORK starts to take shape before us. TOWERS of steel and concrete

start to rise.

As the SUN begins to descend, we see, in outline, the familiar

contemporary SKYLINE of New York. As the SUN FALLS, the outline of the

city becomes grander still, until, in the late afternoon light, it gives

off an almost SPECTRAL GLOW...

... which SHINES for a last moment on the now-aged headstone of Priest

Vallon, its inscription unfinished.

As, in the distance, the sun SETS an New York and the city grows still and

black in the wash of impenetrable darkness.

THE END.

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