Midnight Express Page #5

REVERSE ANGLE - OVER CAMERAMAN

BILLY in the middle, flanked by SECOND and THIRD OFFICER,

grinning like big game hunters, their arms on his shoulders.

The FIRST OFFICER, sticking a bunch of hashish plaques

into Billy's hands, runs OUT OF FRAME. BILLY looks from

side to side. The SECOND OFFICER pats him hard on the back

of the head, meaning 'look at camera'. BILLY glances at

him, sees the grin on both the officers' faces. Thinking

this is the necessary expression, he grins at the camera.

CAMERAMAN disgustedly looks up from his eyepiece.

CAMERAMAN:

No.. He's smiling. Make him look

miserable.

SECOND OFFICER slugs BILLY in the stomach with a quick

back-handed fist. BILLY groans, sinks to his knees. The

plaques fall on the floor.

FIRST OFFICER:

(running up)

Gel? Gel??

He growls, grabbing Billy's arm and hauling him up,

gathering the hashish plaques and putting them back in his

arms. The TWO OFFICERS put their arms back on Billy's

shoulders. BILLY, in pain, makes the proper expression of

misery.

FLASH! The bulb goes.

CUT:

THE 707 PAN AMERICAN PLANE, destination New York, roars up

into the sky. PULL BACK all the way to BILLY sitting next

to the window, huddled over, feeling woozy and near

vomiting. He glimpses the plane but it is anti-climatic

now; as he stares down at his boots. Then remembers

something! Surprised.

ANOTHER ANGLE - ROOM. The Turkish OFFICERS talk AD LIB

among themselves, congratulating, slapping shoulders,

pointing to the hashish plaques, etc.

In center background, we see BILLY submissively lifting

his arm for permission to speak,

THIRD OFFICER nods, approaches, followed by OTHERS.

BILLY slowly, partly out of pain, pulls off one of his

boots, bangs it on the heel and two more PLAQUES clatter

to the floor.

TURKISH MOUTHS drop open.

BILLY finishes the process with the other boot. An awkward

silence OFF.

BILLY:

(trying to explain,

innocent)

I forgot... I really did.

(makes ineffective

gestures)

ANOTHER ANGLE. The room explodes with screams and commotion.

AD LIB:

THIRD OFFICER:

(screaming at SECOND

OFFICER)

You idiot, you fool. You told me

the American was searched... and

he's pulling hashish out of his

boots! You're all dogshit!

SECOND OFFICER:

(turning on First

Officer, screaming)

You worthless piece of garbage,

where did you learn to search a

prisoner? He's been in our custody

for an hour, etc.

FIRST OFFICER:

(screaming at the

others)

Who searched him? Who?

Amid all the screaming TWO POLICEMEN rush over and yank

BILLY upwards, and start to strip all his clothes.

BILLY:

(protesting)

That's it! That's all I have!

CUT:

BILLY spread-eagled STARK NAKED against the wall. He is

afraid to move. A strange silence.

ANOTHER ANGLE. BILLY naked in center B.G. against the

wall.The OFFICERS and SOLDIERS quietly leering at his trim,

muscular buttocks. Hungry stares. Bisexuality is prevalent

in Turkey.But there is also embarrassment among the

officers; none would do anything openly in front of the

others; instead they just stare and smoke their cigarettes.

Low murmurs. Continued telephone calls. Much thick smoke

all over the room.

Another DOOR opens OFF. Obsequious GREETINGS in Turkish.

BILLY is afraid to look over his shoulder, feeling

enormously humiliated.

VOICE (OFF)

Howdy, Billy. Howya doing, Ok?

A perfect Texas drawl. BILLY glances over his shoulder.

Sees:

TEX a tall, lanky blonde-haired American in a business

suit with boots. Clean cut, very handsome, with a strong

flavour of danger in his blue eyes.

TEX:

(smiling, extends

Billy's clothes)

I think these gentlemen have

finished for the time being if

you'd like to put your clothes on.

ANOTHER ANGLE - BILLY, so grateful at last to see a fellow

American, reaches quietly for the clothes, his eyes never

leaving Tex. Release?

CUT:

TURKISH DETECTIVE sits at the main desk in the room. Unlike

the others, he has no moustache; a skeletal face,

intelligent looking. TEX Is behind, leaning casually up

against the wall. Angled to Billy's side is the entire

array of seated OFFICERS looking on like a tribunal.

DETECTIVE:

(thickly accented

English, sympathetic)

Are you afraid, Vilyum?

BILLY, standing to the side of the desk, clothed now,

buckling his belt - afraid.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes