Kundun Page #5

The senior LAYMAN is on his knees, speaking.

LAYMAN:

I believe that the Regent is asking

for too high a reward for his part in

finding the Dalai Lama. Too much

money, too much land.

INT. HALLWAY DAY

Tenzin Gyatso peeks through a door at the great assembly.

The Lord Chamberlian stands behind him.

INT. GREAT HALL DAY

The Layman continues.

LAYMAN:

Our treasuries are empty. Our army

is depleted. He would have us pull

the hair from our noses.

INT. HALLWAY DAY

The Dalai Lama is confused, but continues listening.

INT. GREAT HALL DAY

The Layman returns to his cross-legged position.

The senior MONK speaks.

MONK:

We note this. Now, the Chinese.

There is audible expression of tension.

MONK:

The Allies wish to build a supply-

road from India, crossing Tibet, as

part of their war effort. The road

would lead directly to China.

The Layman gets to his knees.

LAYMAN:

We cannot allow it.

Right now, we have a only a small

Chinese mission in Lhasa, the first

since the Thirteenth Dalai Lama

threw them out in 1912.

The road would increase the size of

that mission. The Chinese would

try to control our trade, as they did

once before, control our contact

with the outside world.

INT. HALLWAY DAY

The Lord Chamberlain touches the boy's shoulder and Tenzin

Gyatso leaves his hiding place, as the speaker's voice fades

away.

As the two walk down the hallway, Tenzin Gyatso spots an

unusual wooden door. He lets the Lord Chamberlain get a

little bit ahead of him, and then the boy tries the door.

It is heavy. It almost opens.

INT. HALLWAY LATER, DUSK

Tenzin Gyatso and his brother Lobsang are pulling at the

heavy door. Behind them, in the distance, we hear:

MONKS (OC)

Kundun! Kundun!

The door opens. The boys disappear inside.

INT. STORAGE ROOM DUSK

A treasure awaits them.

It looks like Aladdin's cave - full of odd, European items.

There are glittering music boxes, a porcelain sink, a gilded

mirror, a lacquered rocking horse. There are hats,

umbrellas and even a pair of lace-up, cordovan shoes.

Tenzin Gyatso lifts a reel of film. There are piles of

magazines and books. There is a stack of tires in the back

corner. The boys uncover a train set and a good collection

of lead soldiers. The Dalai Lama pockets a gold watch.

Just as the monks find their young charges and we hear them

at the door, Tenzin sees something truly spectacular. It is

a telescope.

The monks enter the room as the young Dalai Lama reaches for

this miracle.

TENZIN GYATSO:

What is it?

THE ATTENDANTS:

Ah, it is a telescope, Holiness.

With this you can see a long way.

TENZIN GYATSO:

And, is it mine?

ATTENDANT:

These are all gifts sent to

your predecessors.

LOBSANG SAMTEN:

Yes! Then it is yours!

TENZIN GYATSO:

I need it.

INT. DALAI LAMA'S PRIVATE ROOMS NIGHT

We are in the adjacent room, listening, as Norbu Thundrup

tells a bedtime story.

Golden butter lamps burn before a statue of Buddha.

NORBU THUNDRUP (OC)

One night, not too long

ago, an old monk saw a woman in that

very same hallway where you ran away.

INT. BEDROOM NIGHT

The boy is in bed. The Sweeper finishes-off his story as

the boy wiggles deeper under the covers.

NORBU THUNDRUP:

She carried a basket in

her arms, a big, heavy basket, and

the old monk cautiously approached.

She opened her basket and showed what

she had. Heads. Human heads. Only

the heads.

TENZIN GYATSO:

Is that true or pretend?

NORBU THUNDRUP:

It is a story, you decide.

TENZIN GYATSO:

Pretend.

NORBU THUNDRUP:

As you say.

The Sweeper tucks the boy in as the Master of the Robe

finishes his nightly preparations and with a pat and a

smile, the two men leave the room.

A mouse steals a bit of tsampa from the offerings placed on

the altar before the Buddha.

Tenzin Gyatso peeks out from under his covers and looks to

see if those curly-toed shoes are visible under the

partition. They are. The Master of the Kitchen is still

near.

Tenzin Gyatso pulls the golden pocket watch from under the

covers. He pries and digs at the back of the watch until he

succeeds in popping it open, revealing its miraculous

insides.

Finally, Tenzin Gyatso's eyelids grow heavy. The camera

passes over his face, as his eyes close.

The boy begins to speak, mumble, as he falls asleep:

TENZIN GYATSO:

"I be an island for those who

seek one, a lamp for light."

We find two scrolls; the first is PENDEN LHAMO, the special

protectress of the Dalai Lama.

She rides her wild mule through a sea of blood - between

rows of jagged mountains. Pointed fingers and spreading

toes, her hair gone crazy, her fangs revealed - the details

are incredible. A garland of freshly severed heads hangs

around her body, snakes hold up her skirt, five skulls form

ber crown.

TENZIN GYATSO (VO)

"May I be a bed for all who wish

to rest,

and a slave for all who want a

slave."

Beside her, on the second scroll is MAHAKALA. He is the

fierce representation of the Buddha of Compassion. Crows

fly in the clouds to the left of the terrifying, black, six-

armed figure.

A skull rosary is held in the upper right arm, a Trident is

held in the left hand. The deity wears a crown of five

skulls. He has three eyes. He tramples an elephant.

We might have been in a dream, as the camera finally moves

back to find the peaceful1 protected face of the young Dalai

Lama. Asleep.

The camera moves across the mural devoted to the story of

the Fifth Dalai Lama. It is a fantasy of green, with

mountains and lakes and deities and monsters.

We find the statue of Seventh Dalai Lama, sitting on his

golden cushion, and we look, deep into the eyes of the

Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Fantastic. Deeper. Deeper.

TENZIN GYATSO:

"May I be wishing jewel, a magic

vase...

VIEW THROUGH AN EYEPIECE

We see the Dalai Lama place his young eye at the viewfinder.

EXT. TERRACE, POTALA DAY

Norbu Thundrup holds the boy steady.

And, a wondorous view of Lhasa is presented.

Vendors hawk their goods to elegant ladies, wearing

turquoise jewelry and carrying silken parasols. Animals are

herded through town by young boys. Children play and

squabble. A white wall is covered with cartoons, lampoons -

political posters - picturing the Regent, perhaps, as a man

holding too much power.

TENZIN GYATSO:

I want to go down there.

NORBU THUNDRUP:

You can only go with attendants and a

big ceremony.

TENZIN GYATSO:

I want to run down the street.

I want to buy a toy. Eat from

the shops.

NORBU THUNDRUP:

You cannot.

TENZIN GYATSO:

I want to be a shepherd, taking those

goats and cows out to the hillside.

NORBU THUNDRUP:

But you are not a shepherd, you are

the Dalai Lama.

TENZIN GYATSO:

Maybe in the next life, the

world will not need a Dalai Lama.

NORNU ThUNDRUP

I would not know. Maybe.

The view travels and we see a prison yard. Shackled men

share the yard with hairy, fat dogs.

One man looks up and sees that the yard is under

surveillance. Of course the men all know that this terrace

belongs to the boy Dalai Lama.

As the boy watches, first one poor, ragged man, then another

prostrates.

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