Locke

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1 INT. LAND ROVER/EXT. LARGE CONSTRUCTION SITE - NIGHT 1

Through the window of a Land Rover, we see a construction

site working at full capacity. Huge arc lights and

floodlights illuminate the scene and men are hard at work.

A group of men are in discussion in a pool of light. There

is a conversation, then one of the men breaks off and takes a

call on his cellphone. He is distant, not even the focal

point of the shot. He puts his finger in his ear to hear the

call more clearly. He is too far away for us to see his

reactions or expression but, when he cuts the call, he walks

directly toward the car and the other men turn to watch him

go.

As he gets closer we see he wears a tie and heavy boots and a

heavy coat. He wears a hard hat. He finds a key fob and

hits it. The lights inside the car glow in response.

The man gets into the driver’s seat. He is in his thirties,

a face made of stone and unused to expressions of emotion.

This is IVAN LOCKE.

He sits in the driver’s seat for a few moments. He takes a

breath and we might guess (or we might not) that he has just

had some important news. Is he scared, angry?

He takes out his cellphone and looks, deciding whether or not

to make a call. He checks his watch. He decides there isn’t

time for the call. He puts the phone away quickly and fires

the engine.

He shifts gear and reverses. We stay with him and will stay

with him intensely for the rest of the story.

The car bumps over rough ground as Ivan heads for the big

secure gates that open out onto the street. The construction

site is massive and it takes a while to reach the edge of it.

Trucks rumble and generators roar. This is Ivan’s world.

The gates are opened by a guy in a high viz jacket. Ivan

reaches the kerb of the road and indicates right as a reflex.

But he doesn’t pull away.

He realizes that this time he must choose which way he will

go. He has a decision to make but he is a man who makes a

hundred hard decisions a day. Even so, he takes time.

A massive truck pulls up inches behind him and its headlights

fill Ivan’s car. Ivan continues to make his decision as his

indicator ticks away the seconds.

The truck hoots its baleful horn, the voice of fate.

Ivan hits the indicator to indicate left instead of right.

He turns left and joins light evening traffic.

Locke - Shooting Script - Feb 21st 2013 3.

2 EXT. SITE THROUGH CCTV CAMERA 2

We see Ivan pulling out of the site through the lens of a

CCTV camera...

3 INT. LAND ROVER/EXT. CITY STREETS 3

Ivan will now drive through city streets toward the M6

motorway, a couple of miles away. We will not blink as we

study him as he drives...

Ivan is now confronting the crisis in his head. On the site

he was in a familiar place but now he is on a journey and

must necessarily begin to consider the destination and the

place he is leaving.

His first decision is to make a phone call on his hands free

car phone. This is an important component of the story so we

should take some time establishing the mechanism. He has a

long list of speed dial numbers, identified by names or

locations.

He speed dials a number labelled ‘Bastard’...

IVAN:

Hello, can I speak to Gareth?

We hear a woman’s voice from the hands-free phone. Many

voices will come into the car during this story. The first

is a woman in her forties (GARETH’S WIFE)...

GARETH’S WIFE (OOV)

He’s not back yet. Can I ask who’s

calling?

IVAN:

Ivan Locke.

GARETH’S WIFE (OOV)

Can I say what it’s regarding?

IVAN:

Concrete.

Ivan takes a moment and decides an explanation would be

pointless...

IVAN (CONT’D)

Can you tell him it’s urgent and

tell him to call me back.

GARETH’S WIFE (OOV)

Does he have your number?

IVAN:

Yes.

Locke - Shooting Script - Feb 21st 2013 4.

We hear children in the background and a TV. Ivan reacts to

the family sounds because the world of children and family is

about to explode and he will be cut adrift from it forever.

GARETH’S WIFE (OOV)

What was your name again?

IVAN:

Ivan Locke.

GARETH’S WIFE (OOV)

Something about concrete.

IVAN:

Yes.

GARETH’S WIFE (OOV)

Will he know what?

IVAN:

No. Something has come up. I need

to tell people...

Ivan almost chokes on some unexpected emotion. It is a shock

to us and to him, like undigested food hitting his gullet...

IVAN (CONT’D)

It’s urgent.

A dog barks.

GARETH’S WIFE (OOV)

What?

IVAN LOCKE:

I said it’s very urgent. Thanks.

He cuts the call and drives. The emotion that just struck

him was a bad development so early. He has a lot to do in

the next hour and a half and he must hold this together at

all costs. He drives for a while to calm himself. Then,

when he is sure he is ready, he makes another call...

We hear a mobile phone answer message. The voice is BETHAN,

early thirties...

BETHAN’S ANSWER MESSAGE (OOV)

Hi, this is Bethan. I can’t get to

the phone right now, please leave a

message.

Ivan misses the cue of the beep by a second because he’s

getting his voice straight. Finally...

IVAN LOCKE:

It’s Ivan. I got your messages.

I’m on my way and I’ll get there.

I’m in the car now.

(MORE)

Locke - Shooting Script - Feb 21st 2013 5.

IVAN LOCKE (CONT'D)

It’ll be about an hour and a half

unless there’s traffic.

He takes a moment...

IVAN LOCKE (CONT’D)

It’ll be ok. If the nurses or

anybody wants to talk to me I’m

only on this number. Or if the

doctors or anybody. It’ll be ok.

I’ll get there. The traffic should

be ok.

He cuts the call. He drives and twenty seconds later his

phone rings...

IVAN LOCKE (CONT’D)

Ivan Locke.

We hear a soft Southern Irish accent...

DONAL (OOV)

I just got your message. It’s a

joke, is it?

IVAN LOCKE:

I know it’s a shock but it will be

ok?

DONAL (INCREDULOUS)(OOV)

Ok?

IVAN LOCKE:

I will go through everything with

you and it’ll be ok.

DONAL (OOV)

You know where I am? I’m at a

service station. I’m turning the

f***ing van round. I put the other

lads out on the hard shoulder. I

was halfway home.

IVAN LOCKE:

Yeah.

DONAL (OOV)

What the f*** happened?

IVAN LOCKE:

It’s a family thing.

A pause.

DONAL (OOV)

Is someone...

A pause.

Locke - Shooting Script - Feb 21st 2013 6.

DONAL (OOV) (CONT’D)

Is it a bereavement?

IVAN LOCKE:

I don’t have a choice...

DONAL (OOV)

Is it one of the kids?

IVAN LOCKE:

Donal, I need you to just fix this

up and be alright...

He pauses.

IVAN LOCKE (CONT’D)

And solid. Which you are. Which

you are. Just from when the sun

comes up tomorrow morning until

when it’s all been pumped. I need

you to hold it together. You won’t

be alone. I can be on the phone.

I’ll talk to you every five minutes

until the pump is finished...

DONAL (OOV)

On the f***ing phone?

IVAN LOCKE:

On the phone.

DONAL (OOV)

Have you gone mad?

IVAN LOCKE:

I don’t think so.

DONAL (RUNNING ON)(OOV)

Ivan, at 5.45am tomorrow morning we

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