Slow West Page #4

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STOREKEEPER, who falls down dead behind the store counter

MARIA is now hysterical

MARIA (CONT’D)

Johan!!

She stops breathing, in shock, turns and points her gun atSILAS

SILAS, unarmed, stares at MARIA

SILAS:

Breathe

CHANGING ROOM:

JAY picks up his gun from the stool

SILAS (CONT’D)

Breathe.. In.. And out

MARIA (PLEADINGLY)

Money!

20.

CHANGING ROOM:

JAY is listening to SILAS and breathing in and out in time.

SILAS is actually talking to JAY, to calm him and direct him,

and its working

SHOP FLOOR:

MARIA (MORE DESPERATE) (CONT’D)

Money!!

SILAS:

Breathe in.. And out

CHANGING ROOM:

JAY breathers in and out

MARIA (O.S.)

Money !

SHOP FLOOR:

SILAS:

Breathe

JAY walks out of the changing room, directly behind MARIA,

and MARIA directly in front of SILAS

MARIA (RAGING)

Money !

SILAS:

In.. And out

And on “out” JAY pulls the trigger, shooting MARIA in theback, MARIA falls down dead

JAY frozen to the spot, stares at the dead body, drops his

gun

SILAS breathes a sigh of relief, then gets up fast

SILAS (CONT’D)

Grab some provisions

He turns to see JAY still frozen to the spot, staring at the

woman

SILAS (CONT’D)

Jay!

SILAS collects useful items, tins of food, ammo, oil

JAY collects useless items, chocolate, honey etc

21.

21 EXT - OUTSIDE TRADING POST - DAY

21

JAY exits the trading post into the bright daylight

He stops abruptly

Two CHILDREN stand, hold hands, waiting for their parents

A GIRL aged ten, a little BOY aged six, blond, sweet

SILAS exits and sees the kids

SILAS (TO HIMSELF)

Sh*t..

SILAS shuts the door before the kids can see the fate of

their parents

JAY approaches the kids

SILAS goes to fetch the horses

JAY lays all the stuff he’s gathered from the shop at the

feet of the kids then just stares at them

KID (SWEDISH)

Why are you sad?

SILAS reappears with the horses

SILAS:

Dry your eyes kid - let’s drift

JAY begrudgingly turns, mounts and they ride off, leaving thekids to their fate

22

EXT - ROCKY LANDSCAPE / EDGE OF FOREST - DAY 22

JAY and SILAS ride in silence

SILAS begins to whistle a tune - Yankee doodle..

JAY snarls, thinking SILAS is happy

CUTTING TO SILAS, we see he is putting on a brave face,

holding back a tear

SILAS looks down at his hand

His hand is shaking violently. SILAS clenches into a fist

JAY:

We could have taken them in

SILAS growls

22.

SILAS (TO HIMSELF)

In where?

CUT TO:

23 EXT - CAMPFIRE FOREST - NIGHT 23

JAY lies awake and we enter his thoughts, his memories

CUT TO:

24

INT - SCOTLAND - COTTAGE - DREAM FLASHBACK - DAY 24

Single room crofters cottage, basic but homely. Hard packedearth floor, small kitchen table, fireplace for heat and

cooking. Bunk beds down one wall, a tiny window the onlylight source

JAY and ROSE sit side by side on the bed

JAY looks mournful, ROSE happy

ROSE makes a gun shape with her hand and pretends to shoot

JAY in the heart, and smiles

JAY makes an effort to smile back

JAY:

How do you feel.. About me

ROSE turns serious

ROSE:

You’re the little brother I never

had

JAY gutted, almost resentful

JAY:

You don’t mean that. That’s not

what you mean

JAY looks at ROSE, that same longing look from the dunes

ROSE:

I’m sorry my Romeo, but theseviolent delights..

ROSE grabs JAY and tickles him

ROSE (CONT’D)

Have violent ends..

JAY stands up and turns to ROSE

23.

JAY:

What choice do you have? A farmer,

a fisherman!

ROSE’s smile wiped

ROSE:

Best you leave now, Jay

ROSE hears a gate shut outside and springs into nervousaction, looking around for a place to hide JAY

He should not be in here

JOHN ROSS (O.S.)

No violence, we need protection,

crofters rights..

The voices of ROSE’s father, JOHN ROSS, and another MAN

approaching the door, ROSE panics

ROSE:

Under the bed

JAY shakes his head

JAY:

No

ROSE does not take no for an answer and pulls JAY under thebed

JAY crawls under, turns himself around to look out

ROSE’s father JOHN ROSS is a big man

He is with a smaller man named CALUM, a friend of the family

ROSE:

Daddy

JOHN ROSS:

Rose

CALUM:

Hello Rose

JAY watches from under the bed

CUT TO:

LATER - More men enter the room, JAY still stuck under the

bed

CUT TO:

24.

25

EXT - NIGHT - CAMP 25

JAY stirs

SILAS is up and taking a piss

He scratches his ass with the barrel of his gun

JAY turns over and drifts back into..

26

EXT - SCOTLAND - COTTAGE - EVENING 26

The room is now full of people and JAY is still trapped underthe bed

Two WOMEN sit knitting in the corner of the room

Three MEN play musical instruments

JOHN ROSS holds court at the table, telling a wild tale

ROSE stands by the bed, looks down at JAY and they exchange a

quick smile

Another man enters the crowded room and lays a lobster creeldown by the bed, right in front of JAY

Inside the creel is a cat

Another MAN recites a Gaelic poem

The atmosphere cuts dead when..

Another MAN enters, flanked by two BURLY MEN. This is RUPERT,

JAY’s uncle and the landowner

This wipes the smile from ROSE

The rest of the room looks nervous

JAY shrinks to the dark back wall of the bed

JOHN ROSS:

Lord Cavendish! May I help you?

RUPERT:

I’ve come for my nephew

Rupert looks under the bed and finds JAY

RUPERT (CONT’D)

You should not be in here. These

people are peasants

CUT TO:

25.

27 EXT - CAMP - NIGHT

27

SILAS finished pissing, returns to his camp bed

CUT TO:

28

EXT - SCOTLAND - OUTSIDE ROSS COTTAGE - NIGHT 28

RUPERT drags JAY by the scruff of the neck out the door of

the Ross cottage, followed by JOHN ROSS, ROSE, and some ofthe other MEN

JAY breaks free of RUPERT and walks to ROSE’s side

JAY:

I’m with Rose now

This is news to ROSE, news to ROSE’s FATHER, and news to

RUPERT:

RUPERT slowly approaches JAY

He lifts a hand to slap JAY, but instead slaps ROSE

This enrages JOHN ROSS, he grabs RUPERT and throws him

backwards to the ground

A thud as RUPERT smacks his head on a rock

The rock drips with blood and RUPERT looks all but dead

JAY runs off into the dark of night

29

EXT - CAMPFIRE - FOREST - DAWN 29

JAY turns to look at SILAS, fast asleep

JAY quietly and slowly rises up and rolls up his blanket all

the time watching SILAS

SILAS appears not to waken

JAY glances round camp to check he’s not left anything

SILAS opens his eyes and looks at JAY, then shuts his eyes

again

JAY creeps out of camp

30

EXT - PLAINS - MORNING 30

JAY rides, morning has broken

JAY is out of the forest and now on the vast flat plains of

Southern Colorado

26.

31

EXT - PLAINS - DAY 31

Noon sun, JAY sleeps as he rides WEST

32

EXT - PLAINS - LATE AFTERNOON 32

Sun low, shadows long

JAY stops

In the distance a horse and wagon, a camp fire, one MAN

A DOG trots over from the camp towards JAY, a little wolf

like scrubby mongrel

Pants happily, sits looking at JAY

JAY decides to approach the camp, slowly

The MAN now stands, rifle in hand

JAY stops again - within earshot of the MAN

The MAN places his gun down and waves

This man is WERNER. He has a kind, intelligent face, middle

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