Slow West Page #2

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SILAS begins to cut the bags free

SILAS (CONT’D)

First lets save your pony’s life

SILAS cuts a case free and it drops to the ground

SILAS (CONT’D)

I counted a dozen of them bastards

attack them Indians back there.

Minus three that leaves.. too many

JAY’s turns and looks into the woods in all directions

SILAS, now down on his knees, rakes through JAY’s case.

Tosses out a kettle, throws a useless box over his shoulder.

Tosses boots and a shirt

Finds a book, looks at the cover and holds it up to JAY

JAY reads the title

JAY:

‘Ho for the West. A traveller and

Emigrants Hand-book

SILAS keeps looking at JAY

JAY (CONT’D)

To Canada and the North West States

of America’..

SILAS keeps staring

JAY (CONT’D)

..By Edward Hepple Hall

SILAS throws the book over his shoulder

8.

SILAS:

Well ho for the West

SILAS casts the whole case aside, gets up and walks towardsJAY

SILAS (CONT’D)

Dollars. Fifty now, fifty when wesplit

JAY turns his back to SILAS and fumbles in his wallet

Turns back around and hands SILAS fifty dollars

JAY:

Until we reach a forest called

Silverghost

SILAS snatches the cash, counts it, and walks off

SILAS:

Lets drift

JAY runs around and picks up his ‘Ho for the West’ book,

grabs the reins of his pony and follows SILAS

CUT TO:

10 EXT - FOREST - DAY 10

JAY rides behind SILAS through the forest, brushing theremaining ash from his hair and suit

JAY trots up level with SILAS

JAY:

What’s your name?

SILAS snaps

SILAS:

Drop back, single file

JAY drops back behind SILAS

SILAS leads, JAY follows, staying single file as instructed

JAY (SHOUTS)

Why you headin’ West?

SILAS does not respond

JAY (CONT’D)

You care not why I’m headed West?

No response

9.

JAY (CONT’D)

There was an accident - My girl andher father fled from Scotland,

settled out West. It was all myfault

SILAS (TO HIMSELF)

Take a hint kid?

JAY:

We love each other

SILAS (TO HIMSELF)

Sure you do, kid

They ride on in silence

Close up of JAY, sound of waves breaking - Another memory ofRose

11

EXT -SCOTTISH SAND DUNES - FLASHBACK - DAY 11

Moody grey sky

Large waves crash onto a sandy beach, the beach becomes sand

dunes

JAY stands at the top of a large dune

ROSE, standing at the bottom, shouts up to JAY

ROSE:

JAY! A thousand ways to die, choose

one

JAY strikes a thinking pose

JAY:

Bow and arrow

She pulls a pretend arrow from a pretend quiver and pretendfires it at JAY

JAY pretends to be shot in the heart and falls dramatically

He rolls down the dune to ROSE’s feet and lays still, face

up, eyes shut, tongue out

ROSE jumps on top of JAY and smiles. (This is the moment wesaw in JAY’s first memory at the beginning of the film)

JAY’S eyes are shut, ROSE places her hand on JAY’S chest andleans in, her ear to his chest, continuing the charade bychecking if JAY is breathing

JAY places his hands on Rose’s hands

10.

ROSE smiles, but pulls away, breaking the moment, pushesJAY’s head to the side

ROSE:

Silly boy

ROSE jumps up

Runs up the dune, shouting

ROSE (CONT’D)

My turn

JAY looks up to the sky

12

EXT - LIGHT FOREST - DAY 12

JAY rides behind SILAS

Low light, long shadows

Distant echo of a pretty acapella song emanates from the

trees ahead

JAY head slumped, the music stirs him from his daydream

Three AFRICAN MEN, clothed in dusty ragged Union soldier

suits, sit in a circle, one in a makeshift wooden wheel

chair, one on crutches, wounds from the Civil War

They sing a beautiful Congolese song. (They’re Congolese)

SILAS rides straight past, JAY stops to listen

SILAS stops, grumps, spits, and turns

SILAS wolf whistles, JAY ignores

SILAS shakes his head, turns and trots off

The band smile, singing for the pleasure of singing. The songends and the man on crutches looks up at JAY

SINGER (IN FRENCH)

Did you enjoy our music?

JAY answers in French

JAY (IN FRENCH)

Yes. I enjoyed the song very much

SINGER (IN FRENCH)

It’s a song about love

11.

JAY (IN FRENCH)

Love is universal, like death

JAY nods to the band, who start playing again, and ridesafter SILAS

13 EXT - DRY LAKE, DEAD TREE, FLOWERS - DAY 13

The Sun bakes the land. JAY and SILAS keep heading WEST

SILAS SELLECK (V.O.)

The kid was a wonder. He saw things

differently. To him we were in a

land of hope and good will. The way

I saw it, kick over any rock and

most likely a desperado would crawl

out and knife you right in the

heart if there was a dollar in it

CUT TO:

14 EXT - RIDGE OVERLOOKING DRIED RIVER BED - DAY 14

A rag-tag posse of seven men and a woman, all on horseback,

form a row and watch a distant SILAS and JAY cross the river

bed

The posse are all distinct and characterful

A Chinese man, ‘TATOO MAN’, in traditional Chinese garb, longblack hair and beard

A Dylan-esque musician ‘THE MINSTREL’ with a feather in hishat and a banjo strapped to his back

A Mexican woman, poncho and braids ‘MARIMACHO’

A wizened ol’ gold-digger type. Large soft hat, silver beard -

this is SKELLY

A good looking young kid, arrogant expression. This is ‘THEKID’

A crazy looking goggle-eyed man, aged beyond his years bydrugs and liquor. This is PEYOTE JOE

The gang leader - PAYNE - Massive fur coat, cigar

PAYNE watches SILAS and JAY with added interest and a knowinghalf smile

CUT TO:

12.

15

EXT - NIGHT - FOREST CAMP 15

SILAS and JAY have set up camp

JAY sits on his blanket, SILAS up against a tree

JAY throws rabbit bones from his plate into the trees

SILAS sees this

JAY lies back and looks at the stars while SILAS is filling

bullet shells with fresh gunpowder

JAY:

Same stars. Same moon

SILAS ignores him

JAY (CONT’D)

One day we’ll be wandering ‘round

that moon

SILAS ignores

JAY (CONT’D)

They’ll build a railroad

SILAS keeps ignoring

JAY (CONT’D)

But a railroad up and down the

ways. A railroad to the moon. And

when we get there, first thing

we’ll do is hunt the natives down

SILAS bites

SILAS:

No Indians on the moon

JAY sits up

JAY:

No. The natives of the moon. The

moon people

SILAS flashes JAY an incredulous look

JAY lies back down, points to stars and begins his nightly

recital

JAY (CONT’D)

Pegasus, The Great Bear, The Dragon

A crackle of sticks under foot in the darkness

SILAS:

Shh!

13.

JAY shuts up

SILAS gets up, picks up rifle

JAY sits up

SILAS soldier-like, c*cks rifle, moves off into the woods

JAY about to follow

SILAS (CONT’D)

Sit down

JAY obeys, and now feels more alone than he did when he wasalone..

JAY brings his gun out and stays still for a BEAT

SILAS emerges from the shadows

SILAS picks up Jay’s rabbit bones and throws them into the

fire

SILAS (CONT’D)

This is the last time I’m gonna

clean up your sh*t

SILAS sits back up against the tree, places his rifle on hislap and covers himself with a blanket

SILAS’ way of saying good night

JAY looks around

Wolves howl

JAY lies back and stares up at the moon and stars and slowly

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