Jamaica Inn Page #12

.

JAMAICA INN EPISODE 1 SHOOTING SCRIPT 23.9.13

51

The shape is moving nearer, suddenly terrifying and MARY

starts to run as well.

- the baaing of sheep, herding and bolting and panicking -

MARY caught up among them, got to keep running now for fear

of otherwise being knocked over by them and trampled

-glimpses of the dark shape preying closer - MARY starts to

gasp and sob - out of breath -

- but then she hears a voice behind her

VOICE/JEM

Stop! Mary!

- but suddenly the ground is wet and MARY’s feet are sinking

- she stumbles over, it’s a bog - around her sheep are doing

likewise, some of them already stuck in it, others that have

managed to avoid it, bolting ahead MARY

Oh no. No.

MARY struggles to get out, but her efforts only make it worse

and now she’s sinking.

The sheep have now abandoned her, all of them got free, and

she’s left alone with only old skeletons of sheep who were

not so lucky to keep her company

JEM:

Don’t struggle!

MARY’s sinking, looks around wildly as JEM suddenly hurries

up, a hunting knife shoved in his belt and a dead rabbit

hanging from it. He looks a mess as though he’s living rough.

MARY:

Get me out of here! Please!

He shakes his head.

JEM:

If you’d taken that nag I gave you

she’d have kept you out of there.

He considers her and hesitates, and MARY ripples fear -

MARY:

JUST GET ME OUT!

He grins. Guesses she’s had enough. He uncoils the rope

that’s on his belt and throws it to her

JEM:

Here.

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

52

As MARY grabs it and wraps it around her.

JEM wades in until he’s knee deep and pulls on the rope hard

to pull her to him.

When she’s close enough, he reaches down and holds her under

the arms, wrapping his arms around her to pull her out.

Both fall over backwards on the ground, MARY lying on top of

JEM, both completely covered from top to toe with the same

messy gunk from the bog, matching identically.

Both are intensely aware of their physical proximity; for

both a deep unspoken sexual attraction flares again.

EXT. BODMIN MOOR - DAY 5 - LATER 72

JEM has given MARY his jacket and she wraps it around herself

as she determinedly walks the same way she was headed before,

brushing bog from her clothes, still glancing about for the

phantom shadow but there’s no sign of it now.

JEM walks alongside her, hands her his flask of water

JEM:

Didn’t my brother tell you not to

walk the moors alone?

MARY:

I’m not sure that I’d listen to a

word your brother said.

JEM:

(shrugs)

He’d be right about that one.

Bogs are dangerous.

MARY:

Like a lot of things round here.

Including you.

JEM:

Me?! I thought that I just saved

your skin?

MARY glares

MARY:

Ran me in, more like! Skulking on *

the moors, trying to scare me.

But she’s very attracted to him. She hides it with bravado -

MARY (CONT’D)

I know that you were there last

night

(MORE)

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

53

MARY (CONT’D)

(direct challenge)

-and I think that a man was

murdered?

MARY stops, daring him to admit it. JEM says nothing,

wrestling with his fear of her judgement of him. He knows

someone was murdered and knows that he did nothing to stop it

and he doesn’t want to admit that.

MARY is still waiting, so he tries to sidestep it, speaking

quietly, with a sense of hidden shame about his past -

JEM:

And murder would be wrong then,

would it?

MARY:

Of course it’s wrong! *

Again, he thinks for a moment, feeling a twinge of

defensiveness about his own life. Equivocates.

JEM:

And what if the law tells you to do

it? If you’re a soldier and you go *

to fight the war? *

MARY tuts, resumes walking, not interested in getting drawn

in his story or sympathy for him - JEM follows -

JEM (CONT’D)

They tell you to kill plenty then

MARY turns away, impatient - JEM follows, persists

JEM (CONT’D)

-so it seems that it’s all dandy *

when it suits the king, and a

hanging offence when it doesn’t.

MARY:

So that’s your excuse, then, is it?

You went to war so now you can do

what you like? With no morals and

no conscience?

.

JAMAICA INN EPISODE 1 SHOOTING SCRIPT 23.9.13

54

JEM:

Mary? There’s things here you don’t

understand. You need to be careful

who you talk to.

All too confusing. He stops but she continues walking away

JEM (CONT’D)

So where are you going now then?

(guesses)

Launceston, is it? For the

Magistrate?

MARY:

It’s none of your business.

JEM:

Well you’re headed the wrong way

then.

MARY:

(stops, impatient)

The new Magistrate’s in Launceston

JEM:

-but he rode past half an hour ago

headed west, and I’d guess he was

riding for Jamaica Inn.

MARY hesitates, frowns, doesn’t want to give herself away

JEM (CONT’D)

Go. You’ll see.

After a beat, MARY begrudgingly complies and turns around and

goes back past him. But he catches her arm-

JEM (CONT’D)

And when you see I’ve told the

truth, do me a favour? Don’t say

that you’ve seen me. Please Mary.

MARY is deeply bewildered; afraid of what he means, and what

it is he’s done. She makes no promises. As she goes he calls -

JEM (CONT’D)

Stick to the ridges. Anything that

looks like easy pasture’ll be a

bog!

She does as he says and climbs a ridge, then she turns and

glances back at him

-and standing there, watching her, surrounded by sheep, JEM

looks very much like the person who’s been stalking her.

JEM (CONT’D)

I’ll come and find you soon Mary.

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13 55

MARY stares. Perhaps that’s what she’s afraid of.

73 EXT. COURTYARD, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 73

It’s pouring with rain but PATIENCE darts into the yard as

MARY tramps back, soaking wet and still bog-covered -

PATIENCE:

(big panic)

The magistrate has come! Did you

call him, Mary?

*

*

*

MARY’s expression clearly says ‘no’ as she shelters under the

porch and eases off her sodden shawl. But she’s still trying

to decide what to do, confused by ELI and BETH and JEM when-

*

*

*

The MAGISTRATE, BASSATT, appears in the doorway-*

MAGISTRATE BASSATT

You girl. What’s your business

here?

*

*

*

MARY hesitates as she eyes the LAWMAN, but LEGASSIK is behind

him (junior to BASSATT) *

*

LEGASSIK:

Says she’s Merlyn’s niece.

*

*

He fixes her with a cold glare, glances at the rain-soaked

moors, then nods them both inside -*

74 INT. FRONT BAR, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 74

BASSATT closes the door and turns to the WOMEN *

MAGISTRATE BASSATT

This inn’s a byword for everything

that’s damnable on God’s earth, and

the guilty men will swing for it. *

PATIENCE glances at MARY, fearful she might talk. *

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

56

*

BASSATT simply nods to LEGASSIK to get on with it, and he

picks up a heavy iron bar and turns to head upstairs.

*

PATIENCE realises what they’re doing and mutters *

PATIENCE:

Oh no. No…

75 INT. LANDING, JAMAICA INN - DAY 5 75

MARY and PATIENCE watch the MEN as they hold the iron bar

together *

- and ram it hard against the lock in the door.

Again. Again. Until with a CRACK! It breaks -

and the door flies open on… nothing.

Except a rope that MARY jolts to recognise is the one that

made the noose. PATIENCE looks fearfully at her, realising

she’s recognised it.

LEGASSIK is inscrutable, but BASSATT, sees only an empty room

and isn’t happy.

*

*

MAGISTRATE BASSATT

Damn it! Who tipped him off that I

was coming?!

*

MARY’s wondering the same thing, remembering JEM’s unconcern

that the MAGISTRATE was headed here.

PATIENCE:

I don’t know what you mean, I MAGISTRATE

BASSATT:

You girl. What do you know of the

dealings at this inn?

PATIENCE freezes with fear; MARY swallows - waivers -

undecided what to do. For now she fudges -

MARY:

Nothing sir. I only came a few days

ago.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes