Raiders of the Lost Ark Page #20

On the Bantu Wind, Katanga executes what might be taken for a

salute.

The Wurrfler’s Captain smiles, salutes crisply, then goes

below, pulling the hatch closed. Immediately, the Wurrfler

begins to move. And as it does, we see the rail at the aft of

the main deck. From nowhere, a wet sleeve appears and a hand

grabs the rail!

Indy pulls his dripping body onto the sub’s main deck. He has

lost his felt hat once and for all. Other than that, his

outfit is the same as always, just wetter. Suddenly, water is

washing over his feet; the Wurrfler is beginning to submerge.

Indy runs through quickly deepening water toward the haven of

the conning tower. Halfway there, he slips and goes down.

87.

Only by grabbing the base of the aftmast light does he keep

from being swept away. He struggles to his feet and sloshes

through knee-deep water to the base of the conning tower.

Indy climbs the ladder to the bridge of the conning tower and

looks down. The water is rising toward him fast. Indy climbs

the ladder to the top of the turret and braces himself

between the two uprights there - the 7 foot radio mast and

the 20 foot periscope. Still the ocean comes up to meet him.

Soon the top of the turret is under water and radio mast is

disappearing. Indy shifts his grip to the periscope, working

his way up it and hanging on for dear life as the ocean whips

at his body. The periscope is quickly going under. Indy hangs

on to the top three feet, all that remains above.

.

The forward movement of the sub continues, but, to Indy’s

slowly dawning delight, the dive stops. No more of the

periscope goes under. Indy smiles; it’s a pretty good smile,

too, given the circumstances. Indy pulls out his bullwhip and

begins tying himself to the periscope.

131 EXT. THE PERISCOPE - AFTERNOON 131

The sun warms that part of his body Indy has contrived to

keep out of the water. The rest floats out behind. Indy isn’t

comfortable, but all in all, it’s not as terrible as he might

have feared.

DISSOLVE TO:

132 EXT. THE PERISCOPE - DUSK 132

It’s as terrible as Indy might have feared. He looks wasted.

Waterlogged and exhausted. The wet leather of the whip is

contracting and he must struggle constantly to keep it from

cutting into his skin.

DISSOLVE TO:

133 EXT. THE OCEAN - NIGHT 133

Several shark fins cut the surface, appearing and

disappearing in the bright moonlight. They are shadowing -

134 EXT. THE PERISCOPE - NIGHT 134

Indy looks through barely open eyes at the sharks running

alongside. There is nothing to be done. His eyes close.

88.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

135 EXT. THE PERISCOPE - NIGHT 135

The submarine has stopped. The water is calm. The moon is

bright. A gentle swell splashes Indy awake. He blinks, tries

to regain his senses. He makes an inventory of his body.

Surprised to find himself intact, his spirits lift. Some

hidden reserve of energy flows through him. He frees his

aching arms from the wet leather of his whip, leaving only

one loop around his waist to hold him to the sub. He rubs his

hands and stretches. Once again, he has survived. To fight

again. He looks around.

.

WHAT HE SEES. A lovely island. No sign of man’s presence. The

sub has stopped at the mouth of a wide cove completely ringed

by tall white rock cliffs. Suddenly the sub begins to move

again. It is headed directly toward the center of the cliffs.

Indy holds on, mystified, alert. When the cliffs are very

close, the sub begins to dive.

INDY:

Damn!

He thinks hard. Inspiration hits just before the water. Indy

flips his leather jacket up over his head and holds the

jacket out in front of him. His head is hidden by the jacket

as he goes under water.

136 INT. THE UNDERWATER TUNNEL - NIGHT 136

The sub enters an underwater tunnel that penetrates into the

cliffs. Indy is held to the periscope by his crossed legs and

the whip. His improptu air bubble is working, but it’s a

struggle to maintain it.

The sub begins to cut through thick marine vegetation. Each

dangling growth pulls at Indy’s body and slaps at his leather

bubble. Now a clump of entwined seaweed rips the leather out

of his hands and his bubble of air rises away. Indy hangs on,

holding his breath, but the vegetation gets denser. Finally,

it pulls him off the periscope. The sub moves on,

disappearing ahead.

Indy rises desperately through the dark water, his hand

outstretched. Then, almost simultaneously, hand and head hit

solid rock. But no air. Indy feels along the ceiling of rock.

Nothing. It’s all submerged.

89.

Indy dives, stroking deep into the tunnel. When he has

descended 15 feet, he grabs a vine and steadies himself. His

eyes search the dim roof of the tunnel. He sees his last hope

in the distance -- a small blue circle, an air pocket. He

swims for it.

.

In the air pocket, Indy’s head breaks the surface and smashes

into rock again. The pocket is only six inches deep. No

matter. Indy loves it. He’d like to move in. He gulps air.

137 INT. THE SUB BASE - DOCKING BAY 137

The Wurrfler has arrived at an extraordinary base built in

the hollow interior of the island. This chamber, with the

docking bay, is almost all water. A huge natural cavern, it

has been reinforced and enlarged by the Germans.

The Wurrfler sits surfaced at the dock. The Ark has been

unloaded and placed on a cart. Shliemann, Belloq and Marion

have just disembarked and been met by a Nazi contingent from

the base. Marion looks worse for the trip. Her white

nightgown is now ripped and smudged.

One of the greeting Nazis, a TALL CAPTAIN, salutes Shliemann

and Belloq. As he speaks to them, we notice that right behind

this group, just above a great deal of sub unloading

activity, Indy’s whip hangs from the periscope. Working Nazis

pass within feet of it unaware; the Tall Captain would see it

in a moment if he were not so focused on the new arrivals.

TALL CAPTAIN:

(to Belloq)

The tents have been arranged in

accordance with your radioed

instructions, sir.

BELLOQ:

Good. We must take the Ark there

now.

Shliemann looks a little unhappy about this exchange, but

says nothing. The groups moves swiftly toward the end of a

mine train arrangement. The train, consisting of small,

separate, electric-powered cars, sits on a track which

disappears into a tunnel cut in the rock.

On the turret of the Wurrfler, the Wurrfler’s Captain lights

a cigarette as he watches the mine train disappear, then

returns his attention to the activity on the dock. He leans

idly against the periscope, his head two feet below Indy’s

dangling whip. Something catches his eye, he yells an order

and climbs down from the turret to deal with the matter.

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