The Deer Hunter Page #16

ALBERT:

Vince thinks... you know...

NICK:

(nods)

Hey... hey, let's drink!

INT. JOHN'S BAR - NIGHT

NICK comes through the CROWD OF STEELWORKERS shaking hands.

The STEELWORKERS treat him with immense respect. There are no

cracks; there are no jokes. They squeeze his shoulder, pat

his back, reaching out for him, touching him.

STEELWORKERS:

Nice going! Good going, Nick! You

did good, boy; you did fine! Let

him through! Damn good, boy! Let

him through! He's all right! Did

his part and he did it good! Let

him through! Let's make a little

room!

JOHN pushes out of the crowd.

JOHN:

Nick! Hey, Nick!

(gives him a big hug)

Boy! Boy oh boy! Are you okay?

You're okay, huh?

NICK:

Fine. Hey, I'm fine.

JOHN:

Sit down. Here. Right here.

(calls)

Albert! Vince!

JOHN pushes them all into a booth. A tray arrives loaded with

beer and shots of whiskey.

JOHN (CONT'D)

Here. Here we go.

(he raises a beer)

Here's to you, Nick!

ALBERT:

F***in' A!

VINCE:

(stands)

Here's to Nick, you guys. He did

his part. He did... what hadda be

done... and so he did it... and

here he is!!!

INT. JOHN'S BAR - NIGHT - LATER

NICK sits at the bar flanked by VINCE and ALBERT. Both VINCE

and ALBERT are completely glassed out. Behind, in the booths,

three or four STEELWORKERS are sleeping. JOHN moves around

behind the counter wiping things off.

JOHN:

Rough, huh?

NICK:

Rough.

(he nods)

We didn't have to do it, John.

JOHN:

No?

NICK:

No. How's Angela? How's she taking

it?

JOHN:

Not so good.

NICK:

No?

JOHN:

Worse since she talked to him.

ALBERT:

(with a dull beery blink)

F***ing A.

NICK:

Worse since she talked to who?

JOHN:

Sal.

NICK:

Talked to Sal?

(stares at him)

Sal's alive?

JOHN:

Kind of. You didn't know?

NICK:

(pushes off the counter)

Sal's alive???

JOHN, ALBERT and VINCE exchange glances, nod.

ALBERT:

He's real bad, Nick.

NICK:

(stares at them)

Well, where the hell is he!!! I

mean what are we all sitting here

for!!!

(tears begin streaming

down his face)

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS???

ALBERT:

Nick...

VINCE:

Hey, Nick...

JOHN:

Nick, we don't know where Sal is...

Nick, Angela won't tell us.

NICK:

Why?... What do you mean?... Why???

JOHN:

Nick, she won't say why.

NICK:

But Sal's mother! What about Sal's

mother!

JOHN:

She's out of her tree, Nick. She is

straight out of her tree.

NICK:

(stares at them)

Oh, Jesus.

He walks in a circle and then stops, staring at them.

NICK (CONT'D)

Oh, Jesus!!!

NICK turns and goes out.

INT. SAL'S HOUSE - FRONT PARLOR - NIGHT

The room is very dark. ANGELA sits at a lace-covered table by

the window where a street lamp illuminates her in an eerie

glow. ANGELA holds a portable radio in tier hand, a very tiny

one, and she fiddles with the dial, going from one station to

another.

There is a sound from the hallway, then SAL'S MOTHER comes in

with NICK.

SAL'S MOTHER

I know I know you. So familiar.

Such a familiar face. Oh, I know

now! The toaster man! I'll go and

get it for you.

SAL'S MOTHER goes out. ANGELA lights up a cigarette.

ANGELA:

You're back.

NICK:

Yeah.

ANGELA:

I'm glad. Seriously... I'm very

glad.

NICK:

Angela, I just heard Sal was alive.

ANGELA:

Sure. Why not.

NICK:

Where? Where is he?

ANGELA:

Nick, he's fine. He's in a hospital

and they're fixing him up.

NICK:

You talk to him?

ANGELA:

Oh, sure... Twice a day.

NICK:

What hospital is he in? Where?

ANGELA:

Nick... Sal is very weak. He

suffered a severe wound... and

right now he doesn't want a whole

lot of people to get involved in a

whole thing.

NICK:

Hey, Angela, Sal and I go back a

long way.

ANGELA:

He doesn't want people bugging him,

Nick!

ANGELA begins to tremble, jabs out her cigarette and stands

up.

She stares at NICK for a moment, goes to a telephone pad and

writes down a number in a tiny, nearly illegible scrawl. NICK

comes up behind her. ANGELA finishes, puts down the pen and

stands with her back against the wall. NICK tears off the

piece of paper, looks at it, puts it in his pocket.

NICK:

Angela...?

ANGELA laughs and gives a strange, twisted smile, avoiding

NICK's eyes.

ANGELA:

Did you ever think life would turn

out like this?

NICK:

No.

ANGELA:

You know what Sal's got now?...

Sal's got... one arm, Nick, and...

that's it.

The door to the kitchen bangs open and SAL'S MOTHER comes in

with an electric toaster and a screwdriver.

SAL'S MOTHER

Here. This is it. What you do, you

stick this in here.

Pushes the toaster in NICK's arms.

SAL'S MOTHER (CONT'D)

Then you jab it, see. Jab it good.

Something's in it. Hear? Listen.

Something's in it. What? What's

there?

EXT. RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH - FRONT STEPS - NIGHT

NICK sits on the steps with the toaster that Sal's mother

gave him in his lap. It is snowing and from inside the church

we hear the CHOIR SINGING. The sound is massive, deep and

dark, like a great river rolling through the night.

CAMERA CLOSES ON NICK. He is staring at something, tears

glistening in his eyes.

EXT. ORTHODOX CHURCH - REVERSE ANGLE (NICK'S POV) - NIGHT

We see a lone telephone booth at the curb. The door is half

open and snow is blowing in.

EXT. ORTHODOX CHURCH - ORIGINAL ANGLE - NIGHT

NICK closes his eyes, leans his head forward and takes it in

his hands.

INT. MOTEL NICK'S UNIT - BATHROOM - NIGHT

LINDA steps out of the shower and begins to dry herself.

LINDA:

It just seems sort of strange

coming to a motel... Like a

honeymoon. Or some kind of parlez

vous ... Not parlez-vous!

(she giggles)

What am I saying? That's those

cocktails! Parlez-vous!... What I

mean is rendezvous. Some kind of

rendezvous.

LINDA pulls on a short and very sexy nightie, then looks at

herself in the mirror. She is very excited, very nervous. She

strikes a pose, pulling up the bottom of the nightie and

poking a finger in her mouth.

LINDA (CONT'D)

Do you know what I mean?... Nick?

NICK doesn't answer. LINDA pulls the door full open, takes

one last look at herself and goes out.

INT. MOTEL - NICK'S UNIT - BEDROOM - NIGHT

As LINDA comes out of the bathroom her face falls and she

stops dead in her tracks.

NICK is lying on the bed -- sprawled on his back, one shoe

off and sound asleep.

LINDA:

Nick?

NICK doesn't stir, doesn't budge. LINDA crosses and looks at

him -- hungrily, top to bottom -- then she gives his toe a

wistful shake.

LINDA (CONT'D)

Nick...? Nick, it's me!

But NICK is out, gone. LINDA lets out a little moan and sits

down on the chair beside the bed. Then, almost immediately,

she stands and begins taking off his clothes. She takes off

his shoes, then both socks. As she goes to undo his belt, his

shirt, which is unbuttoned, falls slightly open, revealing a

fresh scar. LINDA stares at the scar for a moment, then she

slowly exposes the whole of NICK's chest.

NICK'S CHEST IS COVERED WITH A SERIES OF TERRIFYING FRESH

SCARS. THE SCARS ARE RAISED; THEY ARE INTER-CONNECTED AND

STUDDED WITH ANGRY SUTURE MARKS, LIKE A TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF

SOME UNKNOWN BATTLEGROUND.

CAMERA HOLDS ON LINDA'S FACE.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. STEEL MILL - CASTING ROOM - DAY

NICK stands at the handle of a long metal rod. At the other

end of the rod ALBERT and VINCE are attaching metallic

strips. When ALBERT and VINCE have secured the strips they

signal to NICK and all three of them lower their goggles.

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