The Ace of Spades

FADE IN:

BLACK SCREEN:

"Saddam - One who confronts...One who frequently

causes collisions."

INT. WOMAN’S WOMB

A heartbeat quickens as a fetus grimaces. It’s utterly

vulnerable, trapped, and helpless...

INT. IRAQ - SADDAM HUSSEIN HOME - MORNING

SUBHA, 20's, serious, nine months pregnant stands four feet

from a drab wall. Arms sway slightly to her side as her head

droops. A tear slides down her cheek.

NOTE:
THE DIALOGUE IN EACH SCENE WITH AN ARABIC CHARACTER IS

SPOKEN WITH A MODERATE ARABIC ACCENT.

SUPER:
aD-Dawr, Iraq - April, 1937. Subha, Mother of Saddam

Hussein or otherwise known as the “Mother of Monsters”

SUBHA:

No. No...No.

(yells)

Nooo!

SUBHA:

La. La...La.

(in Arabic. yells)

La-aaa!

She arches her back. Her stomach forced out. She raises her

head. CHARGES the wall. Her stomach COLLIDES with a full

impact. She falls, hurt, but still determined.

SUBHA (CONT’D)

(cries)

No!

SUBHA (CONT’D)

(cries)

La!

She struggles to her feet. Wobbles to take three steps back.

RUSHES the wall. Full of RAGE. Her unborn, protected only

by her stomach-lining, SLAMS into the wall.

SERIES OF IMAGES - DECK OF CARDS

The infamous IRAQ MOST WANTED DECK OF CARDS flutter down and

land softly on a black table. The last card falls...

TITLE:
THE ACE OF SPADES

INT. AD-DAWR - SPIDER HOLE - AFTERNOON

Dust passes through a sliver of light in a confined space.

SUPER:
aD-Dawr, Iraq. 13 December 2003. 62 Years Later.

Labored breathing comes from an ELDERLY MAN.

The wood floor creaks from soldier’s footsteps above.

SOLDIER (O.S)

(excited)

Over here! Over here!

The hatch is RIPPED off.

SPIDER HOLE - SAME

Sunlight ILLUMINATES halfway down the steps into the

cavernous, musty-smelling dungeon.

Something. Someone is holed up.

SOLDIER (O.S)

Don't move. Don't you f***in'

move!

The TRANSLATOR wrangles himself next to the soldier.

SOLDIER (CONT’D)

(to translator)

Come and talk to him. Tell him to

come out before he gets killed.

The SOLDIER waves his hand over to SIX FULLY ARMED SOLDIERS.

They make a bee-line to the hole and circle it.

TRANSLATOR:

Who are you?

TRANSLATOR:

(Arabic)

Min ‘ant?

RUSTLING seeps out from the darkest part of the cavern.

ELDERLY MAN (O.C)

I am Saddam Hussein...the duly

elected President of Iraq.

The TEAMS hearts pound. This is the moment of a lifetime.

ELDERLY MAN (O.C) (CONT’D)

I am willing to negotiate.

2

SOLDIER:

Well, President Bush sends his

regards.

(to Translator)

Tell him to put his hands up and

come out.

TRANSLATOR:

Come out slowly. Very

slowly.

TRANSLATOR:

(Arabic)

Yakhruj bbt'. Bati' jiddaan.

Guns drawn. They're dialed in, barrels fixed on the hole.

EXT. BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DAY

Jet noise screams from the TARMAC while Humvee's grind down

roads and military men crowd the unpleasant landscape.

SUPER - Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) - February 2003

INT. CAMP CROPPER - ENTRY CONTROL POINT - SAME

Kyle holds a handful of manila folders in one hand and an

access card in the other while he approaches the GUARD DESK.

SUPER:
Camp Cropper - Coalition Interrogation Hub

The GUARD looks up and nods.

Kyle swipes his card and punches his code into the key pad.

INTERROGATION ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Long yellow fluorescent tube lights decorate the cold lonely

room. One metal table. Two uncomfortable metallic chairs.

Glass the size of a large family portrait lines one wall.

Kyle fumbles to lay his mess of folders on the table and

pulls the metal chair out making an ear-retching noise. The

effect heightens the awkwardness of the two men's encounter.

Kyle sits across from SADDAM HUSSEIN. Face to face.

The battle of intellect begins.

SADDAM:

(stern)

Perhaps a conversation between two

such educated people will not be

useful...

(MORE)

3

(beat)

Or successful.

Saddam, although a captive, is arrogant and confident.

Kyle calmly begins to flip through his papers as he tries to

keep his composure in front of a living legend.

KYLE:

(clears throat)

...let's begin, why don't we.

Would you consider your efforts

successful?

SADDAM:

When compared to other governments

I am not convinced my efforts are

any different, especially the

Americans.

Kyle notices Saddam avoids the question like a pro.

KYLE:

You see similarities in the actions

of the American government and

Iraq's?

SADDAM:

Of course.

Saddam waves his hands flippantly.

SADDAM (CONT’D)

Thirty million people live in

poverty in America, but this is not

consider a crime? I would never

accept that for Iraq.

KYLE:

What about your mistakes?

SADDAM:

(snarky)

Do you think I would tell my enemy

if I made a mistake?

Kyle’s voice deepens to keep from cracking but struggles with

the enormity of the situation.

KYLE:

I--I'm an enemy?

SADDAM (CONT'D)

4

SADDAM:

I do not know if you are or not,

but your demeanor is something I

can handle for now.

Saddam’s smug demeanor oozes from each word.

KYLE:

Is it the current system that's in

place that has you at odds?

SADDAM:

It works for America to a large

degree, but one party is not good

for Iraq. Multiple parties will

cause too much commotion. The

people here does not accept only

one idea. They will have to be

forced to accept it.

KYLE:

Then that would spoil the root of

the Ba'ath party. They were the

dominant ones.

SADDAM:

I wish there were political parties

other than Ba'ath. Because of you,

the only political parties in Iraq

today are the ones with the

weapons.

Kyle wants to jump down Saddam’s throat but remains calm.

KYLE:

Does a leader gain greatness

through achievement or demand

greatness through fear?

SADDAM:

Fear will not make a ruler and will

not make people love a ruler. Love

comes through communication.

People will love me more after I

pass than they do now.

Kyle looks down to keep track of his pre-interview tasks.

KYLE:

But you've suppressed them for

decades.

5

SADDAM:

I do not believe so. My people

love someone for what they have

done. I have done many things. I

concluded a peace agreement with

Barzani --

KYLE:

The Kurds?

SADDAM:

Yes, in ‘70. I nationalized the

Iraqi oil, supported the war

against Zionist, won the war

against Iran, survived the Gulf War

and lived through a boycott for

fourteen years. Does it still

exist?

KYLE:

No.

Saddam nods. He holds, straightening himself.

SADDAM:

Despite all these hardships endured

by the Iraq’s, one hundred percent

of the people voted for Hussein in

the last elections. They still

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