Midnight Express Page #9

"Its in my memory locked." He slowly extends his right

arm stiff out to his side.

BILLY watches, fascinated.

HAMIDOU lets the arm linger; then:

SMASHES BILLY across the face with an open palm. BILLY

shoots back:
and smashes against the wall just from the

force of one blow. Stunned.

HAMIDOU advances, taking a wooden CLUB (FALUKA STICK) about

feet three long and three inches wide from a GUARD.

BILLY scared, emphasizing the words, trying to make himself

understood.

BILLY:

It was cold. Cold! I get blanket.

Blanket! Cold!

THWACK!

BILLY'S LEG BUCKLES, where the faluka stick has just smashed

him behind the kneecap. He SCREAMS going down.

BILLY looks up from the floor:

HAMIDOU with his club in hand.

HAMIDOU:

(In some sort of

English, smiles)

No do. No do.

Raises the club.

BILLY tries to block it with his hand, and the CLUB smashes

his thumb. SCREAM.

SHARP CUT:

BILLY is hoisted upside-down in his UNDERPANTS ONLY with

thick rope tied about his ankles, the legs spread - onto a

PULLEY suspended from the ceiling. He is yanked upwards,

then lowered slightly, his head and backs of shoulders

banging against the stone floor.

THE PULLEY is LOCKED into place. (LOUD SOUND)

BILLY has this surprised look on his face still, through

the tears. What's happening?

Hamidou motions the GUARDS out of the room (AD LIB). Turns

back to BILLY, raises his club.

BRINGS IT DOWN FORCE on the soles of BILLY'S BARE FEET.

SCREAM. He c*cks the club again.

BILLY twists To avoid The blow

CLUB catches him On The ANKLEBONE

BILLY SCREAMs louder than ever as we hear The SOUND of

wood On bone. Whimpering SOUNDS follow.

BILLY looking through teary eyes, sure now that he is going

to be killed. The CLUB - OFF - smacks sole skin with the

same force as the first blow. No let up.

CUT:

BILLY still in the same position, vomits all over himself.

HAMIDOU SPINS the PULLEY to a new position bringing:

BILLY into a steeper, more vertical position. He is on

the verge of fainting, bleary-eyed, looking as:

HAMIDOU moves around in between his legs. Doing something

indistinct with the stick between his legs, then dropping

the stick. Then, with this bizarrely excited expression on

his hairless face, he begins to undo his own pants. But,

for Billy, it all BLURS OUT TO:

JAPANESE SILK SCREEN depicting a fat jovial Buddhist monk,

fishing placidly by a stream. Then moves to soap carvings

of chess pieces Then a bed-sheet hung as a curtain with

astrological symbols paint; on it. SOUND OFF, of a blaring

radio. Atonal TURKISH MUSIC.

VOICE:

(close, intense)

Hey man, he's gotta walk, or his

feet gonna swell up worse.

2ND VOICE

(softer, sonorous,

Swedish accent)

We take him down to courtyard...

Then:
ERICH - a gentle long bird's face. Long whitish-blond-

hair, Swedish, well above six feet, 25.

Another FACE moves into view JIMMY BELL, American, 23 fiery

eyes, black hair and moustache, intense, strong.

BELL:

Smoke this rocket, it'll cool the

pain.

ANOTHER ANGLE - BELL puts a huge cone-shaped JOINT with

aluminium foil filter into BILLY'S LIPS. He hardly knows

what it is, Puffing weakly. Though dehydrated and his face

white without color, he has no facial markings.

BELL:

You gotta walk around some man, or

your feet gonna swell up something

bad...

BILLY looks down at

HIS FEET Bloated black and blue with inflamed red points

in various spots. A vicious bruise on his anklebone. ERICH

is running a cold rag from a basin of water over them, his

fingers tender.

BELL (OVER)

You've been out for days man,

talking all kinds of sh*t. Come

on, we'll walk you down to the

courtyard.

BELL eases BILLY up from the bed, as ERICH puts a pair of

clip-clops on his feet.

ERICH:

Okay?

BILLY nods. They rise together, bracing his shoulder.

BILLY adjusting to the sensation of standing.

ERICH:

How's it feel?

BILLY:

(dizzy)

About as good as it looks.

BELL:

Getchmis olsun

BILLY:

Getchmis...?

BELL:

Olsun - "May it pass quickly." I'm

Bell, Jimmy Bell. This is Erich

something Swedish.

ERICH:

(smiling)

Just Erich.

BILLY:

I'm Billy Hayes... At least I used

to be.

Looks around.

A DORMITORY TYPE ROOM with 24 bunk beds set head to head

in horizontal fashion, cramped and with minimal privacy. A

narrow WALKWAY leading towards a TOILET AREA and STAIRCASE.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes