The American

FADE IN:

1 EXT. NORTHERN SWEDEN - TWILIGHT 1

A lake.

A forest.

A dacha.

A Saab outside the winterhouse.

A light within.

2 INT. NORTHERN SWEDEN - HOUSE - NIGHT 2

JACK (dark, fit, mid-forties) is staring at the embers of a

log fire. He sips from a thick cut-crystal glass of whiskey.

The impressive US Army Special Forces crest tattooed on the

shoulder of his bare torso is at odds with JACK’s quiet

manner and the distinguished silver that flecks his hair and

stubble. JACK is no longer young.

A creak behind him and his eyes flick over his left shoulder.

INGRID (34) is naked. With an intimate familiarity she kisses

JACK on the top of his head, sits close behind him and wraps

her arms around her lover, linking her slender hands across

his upper chest.

Her head resting on his shoulder, her face beside his, INGRID

and JACK watch the fire together in easy silence.

3 EXT. WOODS- MORNING 3

INGRID leads JACK through the trees. Her coat has a white fur

collar. They are fresh-faced and warm from bed.

They head towards a vast and frozen lake.

JACK senses something in the woods.

Beneath the Conifers: impenetrable darkness.

JACK looks around.

Thick snow blankets the world and muffles any sound. There is

not the slightest breeze.

"The American" June 21st, 2010

page 2.

4 EXT. LAKESIDE- MORNING

4

They continue through the woods until they reach the

shoreline of the lake.

INGRID steps onto the ice.

Holds out her hand.

A beat.

JACK takes INGRID’s hand.

Solid as stone, the frozen lake takes his weight.

They walk out, INGRID slipping and laughing.

The landscape is magical.

JACK begins to relax, slipping and swearing.

Suddenly, he stops.

There are footprints in the thin snow going out across the

lake.

Beside the Snow-hare’s prints are those of a man.

INGRID:

A hunter?

JACK studies the two sets of tracks.

INGRID:

Don’t they always travel in two’s?

Those of the Snow-hare are heading out into the lake. The

man’s prints are heading in the opposite direction, towards

the shoreline.

JACK spins around in the direction they’ve just come from.

No one.

4A

EXT. FOREST - MORNING 4A

A man sits in a Mercedes Benz.

"The American" June 21st, 2010

page 3.

4B

EXT. LAKESIDE - MORNING 4B

Then, about ten metres inland from the edge of the lake, a

low branch dips and a thick rug of snow falls from the

branch.

JACK grabs INGRID, yanks her towards the cover of the

lakeside trees and pushes her down into the snow.

She grunts, winded. He lies besides her.

We hear the CRACK of a bullet- so quiet it might be a bough

snapping under the weight of winter.

It isn’t.

INGRID:

Jack?

JACK pulls a WALTHER PPK/S semi-automatic handgun from the

pocket of his Parka.

C*cks it.

INGRID:

You have a gun...why would you have

a gun...

There’s another CRACK from the trees.

JACK pinpoints the spot from the drift of BLUE SMOKE, almost

invisible in the winter air.

There’s someone in the shadows.

He rubs snow into his woollen hat, edges up until he can just

see over the snow and pumps THREE SHOTS into the dusk under

the trees.

We hear a muttering groan and then a sliding sound, as if

JACK has just shot a tobogganist.

More snow slides off the trees.

4C

EXT. FOREST- MORNING 4C

Man steps out of the Mercedes, pistol in hand. Leaves car

door open.

4D

EXT. LAKESIDE- MORNING 4D

JACK waits.

INGRID gathers her breath but loses her wits:

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 3A. page 3A.

INGRID:

You have a gun!

JACK keeps his eyes fixed on the trees.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 4. page 4.

INGRID:

Jack?

He stands up slowly and walks inland towards the corpse that

is just visible now in the shadows beneath the trees.

INGRID follows, frightened.

The MAN is slouched forwards in a drift of snow, his body

cushioned in white softness.

JACK kicks the sole of his boot.

JACK grabs his collar and turns him over. He doesn’t

recognise him.

Checks his neck for a pulse.

There isn’t one.

JACK fumbles at his buttons and rummages in his clothing.

Finds cash and a disposable cigarette lighter but no

identification.

INGRID:

What’s happening Jack?

JACK:

Ingrid, go back to the house and

wait.

INGRID:

Who are you?

INGRID sets off, stumbling up the track they have made

through the snow.

JACK shoots her just once, in the nape of her neck.

She twitches in the snow, her blood staining the white fur of

her coat collar.

From a distance, INGRID looks like a shot Snow-hare.

JACK approaches her.

And steps over her, trying not to look down.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 5. page 5.

Trying not to look back.

5 EXT. FOREST - MORNING 5

There is a MAN in the forest; he’s standing about 5 meters

away from a dark Mercedes-Benz sedan.

The second hunter.

He is holding an automatic pistol and he’s on alert.

JACK comes from behind, walks around the car and kicks the

car door closed. The man turns around surprised, and Jack

gives him a bigger surprise, he fells him easily with a

bullet in the head.

He removes the clip from his WALTHER and reloads it. Steps in

to the Mercedes and drives to the House.

6 INT. HOUSE - MORNING

JACK packs a few belongings in a large holdall.

6

7 EXT. HOUSE - MORNING

JACK shoots the front right tire of the SAAB.

Then he gets into the MERCEDES.

And drives off down the forest road.

7

8 EXT. FERRY - LATE AFTERNOON

We see JACK on the moving ferry, standing next to his car,

looking at the water, his surroundings.

8

9 INT. ROMA TERMINI TRAIN STATION- DAY

We’re on JACK

PAVEL (V.O.)

Pronto?

JACK:

It’s Jack. I’m here.

PAVEL (V.O.)

What do you mean, “here”?

JACK:

Rome.

Pause.

9

*

*

*

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 5A. page 5A.

PAVEL:

(calm)

Sh*t.

*

A beat.

PAVEL:

There’s a bar not far from the

station. Caff. Vigeti via Voltorno.

Wait here.

*

PAVEL puts the phone down. *

10 OMITTED 10

"The American" June 21st, 2010

page 6.

11

INT. BAR- DAY 11

JACK washes his face in the cramped bathroom at the back of

the bar.

JACK’s well trained ear picks up sounds coming through the

ventilation:
sounds from the street, from the kitchen.

JACK stares at himself in the mirror. He looks exhausted.

PAVEL *

Turn right outside the bar, then *

second left, Via Magenta. *

while I sort this out. *

JACK looks at him. There is tension between the two men.

PAVEL reaches into his inside pocket. JACK watches closely.

*

*

PAVEL produces an envelope and pushes it across the table. *

She had nothing to do with it. *

PAVEL *

A pity. I’ve made arrangements for

you in a small town in Abruzzo,

*

*

to take some time. Did she set you *

up? *

JACK *

A friend. Who were the Swedes... *

PAVEL *

I’m working on that... It’s going *

PAVEL *

Who was the girl? *

JACK *

but much gravitas.

It’s clear there’s a long history of mutual respect between

these two men.

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