Pawn Sacrifice Page #17

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BOBBY:

The board. When I look at it, I see

nothing. It's always been...I don't

know...alive.

(shakes his head)

With that move, I tried to make it

come alive. I thought...maybe I could

make it...alive again. Jolt it.

It's never happened before. I don't

get it........

He closes his eyes. Lombardy and Marshall look at each other.

Pink Revision 10-01-13 93A.

A164 EXT. REYKJAVIK STREET - NIGHT (2ND UNIT) A164

Boris' limo heads home.

164 INT. LIMO, TRAVELING (POOR MAN'S PROCESS) 164

Boris and Nei settle into their seats and the car pulls away.

Boris removes his sunglasses. He looks deeply weary.

Green Revision 10-14-13 94.

NEI:

He broke apart at the first hard

blow.

BORIS:

He shot himself in the the head.

For no reason.

NEI:

You loaded the gun.

Boris stares thoughtfully out of the window.

BORIS:

My chess teacher taught me....A man

who is prepared to commit suicide

always has the initiative.

165 INT. GRANITE COUNTRY HOUSE, HALLWAY 165

Lombardy brings Bobby a dinner tray. As he enters, we HEAR

another RECORDING of The Worldwide Church of God.

CULT PREACHER (O.S.)

...We know the truth of history,

friend, you and I. We see them

everywhere, working through their

banks and corporations, through

politics and the media...

LOMBARDY:

You should be preparing for tomorrow

instead of listening to this garbage.

BOBBY:

You really don't get it, do you?

This isn't about me, or Spassky, or

even Russia and America. This is

about power, absolute global power.

Bobby-LOMBARDY

*

BOBBY:

You think they care about chess -wooden

pieces on a board?

(his eyes are wild)

They run everything. Behind the

scenes, pulling strings in secret!

Now I know who they are.

*

*

Marshall has entered during Bobby's rant.

Green Revision 10-14-13 95.

Who?

MARSHALL:

Who runs things?

LOMBARDY:

(wearily)

He's talking about the Jews.

*

The Jews?

MARSHALL:

What about the Jews?

*

BOBBY:

They've been there from when I started

playing. They've always been there.

Lombardy shakes his head and walks out. *

MARSHALL:

You got your ass handed to you today.

If you don't get your head in the

game, you're going to be humiliated

in front of a billion people.

*

Bobby is madly scribbling something, hands it to Marshall. *

BOBBY:

Give them this. *

He ushers Marshall out and slams the door. *

166 INT. GRANITE COUNTRY HOUSE, LIVING ROOM 166*

Lombardy is studying Bobby's disastrous move in Game One as

Marshall enters.

*

*

LOMBARDY:

What he did today makes no sense...

*

MARSHALL:

(hands him the note)

Unless the rest of the games are

played without an audience and without

cameras he isn't going to show up.

*

Green Revision 10-14-13 96.

LOMBARDY:

(reading the note)

He'll only continue if the games are

played-(

a disbelieving pause)

--in the ping pong room...??????

*

*

*

MARSHALL:

He says it's the only place that's

quiet.

*

He looks up at the ceiling. We HEAR the muffled recording.

MARSHALL (CONT'D)

And he wants a different board.

Says the marble makes too much noise

when he sets the pieces down. Sh*t.

Sh*t. Sh*t. The kid has the world

in the palm of his hand and he's

throwing it all away.

(thinks)

It's like you said about Morphy.

Chess is destroying his brain.

*

*

LOMBARDY:

Chess isn't destroying Bobby. *

MARSHALL:

Then why the crazy demands? It's

like he wants them to say no. I

think he's afraid of what happens if

he loses.

LOMBARDY:

I think he's afraid of what happens

if he wins.

167 INT. NATIONAL THEATER, PLAYING HALL 167

The audience sits in stunned silence.

Boris steps onstage but there is no applause. He sits down

at the chess table. Bobby's seat is empty.

Caption:
Game Two.

168 EXT. ICELANDIC HILLS 168

A pastoral idyll. We find Bobby playing around, laughing

with an Icelandic pony. He runs with it, strokes its mane.

Pink Revision 10-01-13 97.

169 INT. NATIONAL THEATER, PLAYING HALL 169

Boris sits perfectly still. Schmid hits the clock and the

COUNTDOWN to Bobby's forfeit begins. The audience doesn't

move a muscle.

Suddenly the door to the auditorium OPENS and all heads turn.

But it is only a match official who freezes in his tracks.

The clock TICKS.

170 EXT. ICELANDIC HILLS 170

Bobby rides his bike through the hills. It's the most

carefree we've ever seen him.

171 INT. NATIONAL THEATER, PLAYING STAGE 171

Boris's clock hits zero. A sigh from the audience.

SCHMID:

Mr Fischer failed to show. Mr Spassky

wins by forfeit.

The SCOREBOARD changes to: Spassky 2 Fischer 0.

Schmid reads from a typed sheet.

SCHMID (CONT'D)

According to Federation rules, Mr

Fischer has 24 hours to indicate in

writing that he wishes to continue.

172 EXT. ICELANDIC HILLS 172

Bobby is on his knees. A pony comes and licks his hand.

Bobby checks his watch...

SCHMID (V.O.)

Otherwise, Mr Fischer will be

disqualified and Mr Spassky will be

declared World Champion.

173 INT. SAGA HOTEL, BORIS SPASSKY'S ROOM - LATER 173

Spassky is alone -- pacing -- listening to radio commentary.

RADIO ANCHOR (V.O.)

What a disappointing turn. Experts

are saying the match is Spassky's,

regardless of what happens now --

Livo Nei enters, carrying a bottle of champagne.

Pink Revision 10-01-13 98.

RADIO ANCHOR (V.O.) (CONT'D)

--a two point advantage is considered

practically insurmountable.

A message card is tied to the bottle. Nei reads it aloud.

NEI:

From Comrade Brezhnev. He sends

congratulations on your victory.

BORIS:

Victory?

Nei opens the bottle and pours two glasses.

NEI:

If Comrade Brezhnev says it is a

victory-(

toasts)

-- it is a victory.

174 EXT. GRANITE COUNTRY HOUSE (REPEATED SCENE) 174

We repeat the scene that opened the movie -

The granite house at dawn. The police car approaching.

175 INT. GRANITE COUNTRY HOUSE, BOBBY'S BEDROOM - DAWN 175

The scene continues where it left off:

MARSHALL:

Bobby, please...get dressed, comb

your hair.

A long pause. Finally, Bobby looks up at Marshall.

BOBBY:

Ping pong.

Marshall's face turns to stone.

MARSHALL:

I will report your words to the

President of the United States. You

have betrayed your country. May you

rot in hell you crazy son of a b*tch.

Marshall leaves. Bobby looks...almost content.

176 INT. SAGA HOTEL, BORIS'S ROOM - EARLY MORNING 176

Boris is pacing, playing six boards at once. He wears

pajamas. In his anxiety and fast movement he resembles Bobby.

Blue Revision 9-24-13 99.

BBC ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

The world chess championship looks

to be ending in humiliation for the

American, Bobby Fischer, whose demands

that the game be held in a store

room have led to widespread ridicule.

Boris checks his watch.

177 INT. GRANITE COUNTRY HOUSE, OUTSIDE BOBBY'S BEDROOM 177

Marshall holds a stack of telexes. He knocks.

MARSHALL:

I have messages from a million people

all over the world who want you to

open this door.

Silence. Marshall kneels and shoves them under the door.

MARSHALL (CONT'D)

You still have two-and-a-half hours.

No reply. Marshall opens the door. Bobby is gone.

178 INT. SAGA HOTEL, BORIS'S ROOM 178

Boris prowls from chess game to chess game, he stops and

stares at the empty chair on the other side of the chessboard.

BORIS:

I know exactly what game you are

playing and I will not let you win.

Boris begins to speak to the walls and the furniture.

BORIS (CONT'D)

I cannot win this way.

(to the room)

I know you are listening. You are

always listening.

He approaches the wardrobe and speaks with formality.

BORIS (CONT'D)

Mr Bubnov, Mr Geller, General

Secretary Brezhnev, I know your

listening devices can hear me.

He suddenly HURLS a chess table across the room.

BORIS (CONT'D)

I WILL NOT WIN THIS WAY...DO YOU

HEAR ME--!!

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