Planet of the Apes Page #10

The male has awakened. He stares stupidly at Taylor. Nova is

whimpering, little strange cries of fear. Taylor moves o.s.

204ANOTHER ANGLE - PANNING WITH TAYLOR

He leaves the cage, moves swiftly to the nearby door and exits.

205INT. A DARK CORRIDOR - FULL SHOT - DAY

Barefoot, Taylor silently pads down the corridor to a locked door.

206CLOSE ON A DOOR

Which is visible because of a beam of sunlight from the half-open door

of a guard room. We HEAR a murmur of ape voices and LAUGHTER. Taylor

fumbles with the keys, finds one that fits the lock and opens the door.

207EXT. ANIMAL COMPOUND - MED. SHOT - TAYLOR - DAY

He emerges, quietly locking the door behind him. Two tethered horses

can be seen in deep b.g., and another gust of LAUGHTER can be heard

from the nearby guard room. Taylor looks off.

208LONG SHOT - WHAT TAYLOR SEES:

As already established, the animal compound is situated on the

outskirts of the apes' community. The strange skyline of the town can

be seen in the distance.

209PANNING WITH TAYLOR

He starts to cross an open field outside the compound. At that moment

we HEAR a shrill police WHISTLE from the guard room. Taylor breaks into

a run.

210REVERSE ANGLE - THE COMPOUND

As the two gorilla officers emerge from the building and run toward

their horses.

211EXT. A DIRT ROAD - LONG SHOT - TAYLOR

He runs down the road, starts across the long causeway that bisects a

small lake, looking over his shoulder.

QUICK DISSOLVE TO:

212EXT. APETOWN - LONG ESTABLISHING SHOT - DAY

The community we sue at the end of the causeway is small and arcane.

There are no power lines, no street lamps -- indeed, no streets as

such, but only a small cluster of buildings around a pleasant mall. The

architecture of the buildings is faintly derivative of the simpler and

less rococo work of Antonio Gaudi -- columns and pillars of brick or

exterior masonry look like the trunks and branches of great trees and

suggest an arboreal past.

A small number of apes are visible on the mall:

Taylor darts behind the buttress of a building, casing the situation.

He looks back at:

213EXT. LAKE AND CAUSEWAY - LONG SHOT - MORNING

The two mounted gorilla-police can be seen on the causeway, galloping

straight toward CAMERA. It is evident they will soon spot Taylor.

214BACK TO TAYLOR - CLOSE SHOT

He retreats from the buttress to a dark archway and vanishes inside the

building.

215INT. A DARK VESTIBULE - MOVING WITH TAYLOR

The vestibule is nothing, no set required, a dark space through which

Taylor moves toward a shaft of light. We HEAR faintly the discordant

chords of an organ. Or is it an organ? At any rate,a strange and

melancholy tune. Taylor arrives at a font.

216INT. A TEMPLE - PANNING WITH TAYLOR

He appears out of darkness into half-light. The rear of the temple is

obscure. Taylor darts behind a screen. Crouching there, he observes:

217A FUNERAL CEREMONY IN THE TEMPLE - MED. LONG SHOT

The temple itself is small and austere. There is no altar, but against

a plain backdrop we see a statue of the Lawgiver, a Great Ape holding a

book. Below the Lawgiver is an ORANGUTAN MINISTER clothed in black

robes. He stands in front of a closed coffin. A dozen mourners, seated

on comfortable wicker chairs, form a semi-circle around the coffin. The

ape ladies wear cowls.

MINISTER:

Weep if you must, but make an end of

sorrow. He lives again. Yes, he has

found peace in Heaven.

218CLOSEUP - TAYLOR

Crouching, listening, wide-eyed.

MINISTER'S VOICE

(o.s.)

He was a model for us all, a gorilla to

remember; hunter, warrior, defender of

the Faith.

219BACK TO FUNERAL CEREMONY - FROM TAYLOR'S P.O.V.

As the minister continues his eulogy, a small ape boy detaches himself

(as children will) from the group of mourners and comes marching up the

aisle toward the rear of the temple.

MINISTER:

Cherished husband, beloved father,

generous master -- yes, he was a font

of simian kindness.

220 REVERSE ANGLE - SHOOTING AT TAYLOR

Who is still crouching behind the screen in deep b.g. The small fry is

coming closer. Over this we hear:

MINISTER'S VOICE

(o.s.)

The dear departed once said to me:

'I never met an ape I didn't like'...

The small fry spots Taylor.

CHILD:

(shrill soprano)

Look!. It's a man!

The mourners' heads turn. Taylor slinks toward the vestibule.

221ANOTHER ANGLE - FEATURING THE MINISTER

He is aghast.

MINISTER:

In Heaven's name ...

(aside to ushers)

Get rid of that creature.

Two ushers rise, moving past CAMERA and o.s.

222EXT. TEMPLE - CLOSE ON VESTIBULE DOOR

Staying close on the temple wall, Taylor moves stealthily away from the

vestibule door. The two ape ushers appear.

FIRST USHER:

(pointing)

There he is:

They move toward Taylor.

223FLASH SHOT - TAYLOR

He runs out onto the mall.

224FULL SHOT - THE MALL

Taylor belatedly sees that he is running straight toward his two

mounted pursuers. Darting off in another direction, he races past

startled pedestrians.

225REACTION SHOT - TWO CHIMP PEDESTRIANS

They do a slow take.

FIRST CHIMP:

You see what I saw?

SECOND CHIMP:

Must've escaped from the zoo.

226MED. SHOT - A MOUNTED COP

He has spotted Taylor. Drawing a folded net from his saddlebag, he

swings it overhead (like a cowboy with a lariat) and gallops off in

pursuit of the man.

227-SEVERAL SHOTS - TAYLOR AND PURSUING MOUNTIE

231

Taylor runs frantically from building to building, rounding corners,

vanishing momentarily and reappearing on another part of the mall. At

one point the mountie nearly overtakes him and flings his net, which

falls short. Taylor runs on.

232EXT. AN AMPHITHEATER - LOW ANGLE SHOT (FROM GROUND LEVEL)

It is an open-air structure, like a Greek theater, located near the

central mail. Steeply tiered, it seats no more than fifty apes. The

dais in the pit is some fifteen feet above ground level.

Taylor enters scene, running toward the amphitheater. Changing

direction, he darts into what appears to be an access tunnel. A moment

later the pursuing cop rides into' scene, dismounts and walks toward

the amphitheater, looking around for Taylor.

233EXT. AMPHITHEATER - HIGH ANGLE SHOT (FROM TOPMOST TIER)

Taylor suddenly emerges from the access tunnel and runs up a ramp

encircling the amphitheater. (A retaining wall shields him from the

view of the apes.) Pausing for breath at the top of the ramp, Taylor

crouches behind the uppermost tier of seats and peers down:

THE AMPHITHEATER - FROM TAYLOR'S P.O.V.

The cop looks around, spots Taylor at the top tier, and starts up after

him.

235-OUT

237

238EXT. TOP OF AMPHITHEATER - PANNING WITH TAYLOR

He starts to run back down the ramp, but is suddenly confronted by his

original pursuer (the dismounted cop coming up the ramp. Reversing

direction, Taylor runs around the rim of the amphitheater and vanishes

into an exit tunnel. The cop blows his whistle, summoning another cop,

who joins him in the chase.

239-ANOTHER PART OF THE MALL - A SWIFT SEQUENCE OF SHOTS

244

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