The Beach Page #3

DETECTIVE:

You go to Patpong? See smoke from p*ssy,

ping pong ball from p*ssy, razor blade

from p*ssy; bird from p*ssy.

RICHARD:

I don't think so.

DETECTIVE:

Why not? Thai girls best in the world.

Thai food best in the world. Thai dope

best in the world.

RICHARD:

I wouldn't know anything about that, sir.

INT. POLICE STATION CORRIDOR. DAY

The door of the office opens and Richard walks out.

Lined up in the corridor, slouching against the walls, are

several other travelers from the hotel. At the front of the

queue are Francoise and Etienne.

The officer beckons Etienne into the office and closes the

door.

Richard and Francoise acknowledge each other with a smile.

INT. RICHARD'S HOTEL ROOM. DAY.

Richard is seated at the top of his bed, addressing his

speech out of shot while he holds the map.

RICHARD:

OK, this island may not actually exist.

And even if it does, we might not be able

to get there. But look at it like this:

what else is there to do around here?

Richard is alone.

RICHARD:

(continuing)

So what do you think? Are you going to

come or not. I'd be thrilled if you'd join

me, you and your…you and your boyfriend.

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. DAY

Richard knocks on his neighbors' door.

Etienne opens it.

RICHARD:

Hi. You want to take a hike? I mean a trip.

A journey. With your girlfriend and me. I

mean the two of you, and me. It's a secret

island. Paradise. You know the kind of

thing I'm talking about.

Francoise appears behind Etienne.

FRANCOISE:

Hi.

RICHARD:

Hi there. Here, take a look.

He shows Etienne the map.

RICHARD:

(continuing)

It's a map. The dead guy left it for me;

I think it's the place he tried to sell

you. It's going to be just f***ing great.

You want to come? I'd be thrilled if...

Francoise and Etienne are looking at him.

RICHARD (V.O.)

I realized that I had absolutely no idea

of how I was going to get there.

EXT. RAILWAY/THAI COUNTRYSIDE. NIGHT.

A train travels at night alongside fields.

INT. TRAIN. NIGHT

Richard is awake. Opposite him, Etienne and Francoise are

slumped together in sleep.

RICHARD (V.O.)

Etienne, however, and I have to hand it

to the guy, was f***ing great. He

organized the whole thing: tickets,

timetables, best route, the whole damn

trip.

EXT. SEA. DAY.

The bow of a passenger ferry crashes through a wave.

EXT. BOAT DAY.

The decks are crowded with travelers and their packs. Amongst

them are Richard, Francoise, and Etienne. Maps and guidebooks

are being studied by many. The noise of the engines and the

wind deters conversation.

RICHARD (V.O.)

Thanks to him we hit the final stop on

the tourist trail inside twenty-four

hours, where, Etienne assured me, we would

hire what he called a "local fisherman" to

take us on the last stage of our journey.

INT EXT. TRUCK. DAY

Inside back of a covered, converted pick-up, four people are

seated down each side, amongst them Richard, Francoise, and

Etienne.

Behind them as they bump along, can be seen the dusty red

road bordered with dense green shrubs.

The truck stops.

EXT. ROAD. DAY.

Richard unloads the final of the three rucksacks from the

roof of the truck, passing it down to Etienne who stands at

the back with Francoise.

The truck pulls away, revealing as sign, "Seashell

Bungalows".

EXT. BUNGALOW. DAY.

A simple wooden shack on stilts, one of several standing in

a line at the edge of the beach. There is a small porch to

the front.

INT. BUNGALOW. DAY

A spartan room:
bed, mosquito nets, chair, cupboard, fan.

Richard dumps his rucksack.

Ext. SEA/BEACH. DAY.

A long inflatable tube is towed past by a motorboat, its

passengers whooping with delight.

As it passes, Francoise is revealed, standing in the water,

looking in towards the shore. She begins to walk in.

On the beach there are sunbathers, games of beach volley

ball, and vendors selling food and sunglasses.

RICHARD (V.O.)

This was just the kind of place I didn't

want to hang around. Not that it's lacking

in comfort. Quite the opposite. It's got

everything. Everything you could possibly

need to make you feel at home. And what's

the point of that.

On the beach Francoise picks up a towel.

EXT. BEACH RESTAURANT. DAY.

The restaurant fronts on to the beach. At the back there is

a bar.

Richard sits alone at a table with a drink, watching the

scene on the beach, including Francoise.

Etienne pulls up a chair and sits down.

Francoise will join them as the dialogue proceeds.

ETIENNE:

It's arranged. Tomorrow morning. Eight

hundred bath.

RICHARD:

Nice work.

ETIENNE:

There is one problem.

Etienne opens the map on the table.

ETIENNE:

He will not take us to the island. It's

in the National Park and it is forbidden

to go there. But we are allowed to travel

to this one to stay for one night.

RICHARD:

That's the wrong one.

ETINENNE:

I know that.

Francoise sits down with a drink.

RICHARD:

So from there to there?

FRANCOISE:

We swim.

RICHARD:

Swim?

ETIENNE:

We leave our rucksacks on this island and

then we swim.

FRANCOISE:

You can swim?

RICHARD:

Yes, of course I can swim. How far do you

think it is?

ETIENNE:

One or two kilometers.

RICHARD:

Oh. Great. Not far at all. I don't like

to be negative, but do you think we should

let someone know where we're going?

ETIENNE:

Why?

RICHARD:

We're going to swim "one or two

kilometers" across open sea, from one

uninhabited island to another. Something

goes wrong. What then?

FRANCOISE:

Have you told someone?

RICHARD:

No.

FRANCOISE:

I think it's a bad idea to tell anyone.

ETIENNE:

Richard, it's secret. That's the whole

point.

RICHARD:

Yeah, OK. Forget it. We won't tell anyone.

Richard picks up the map

EXT. BUNGALOW. DAY

Richard sits on his veranda, under cover. Beyond him is a

tropical downpour.

He hears two sets of footsteps rushing up the stairs of the

next door bungalow. Two men, Americans, Zeph and Sammy, try

to open their door but cannot.

ZEPH:

F***, I knew we locked it. We should have

left it unlocked.

Sammy addresses Richard

SAMMY:

We lost our key.

RICHARD:

Where did you lose it?

ZEPH:

On the beach. Or in the water.

SAMMY:

The truth is we don't know.

RICHARD:

You try reception?

ZEPH:

Closed. Back later. We hope.

RICHARD:

Pretty annoying

SAMMY:

It's a disaster, to which there is only

one sensible, considered, appropriate,

and timely response.

EXT. BUNGALOW. NIGHT.

All three are stoned. A joint is passed around while Zeph

sings badly.

ZEPH:

I smoke two joints in the morning, and I

smoke two joints at night, and I smoke

two joints in the afternoon, and then I

feel alright. I smoke two joints in time

of peace, and two in time of war. I smoke

two joints before I smoke two joints and

then I smoke some more. I can't remember

the rest.

RICHARD:

Perhaps you smoked too much dope.

ZEPH:

Not possible.

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