The Deer Hunter Page #17

CAMERA PULLS SLOWLY BACK. NICK is standing below a furnace

which is seven stories high, towering above him into a maze

of cat-walks and monstrous steel-hipped cranes.

ALBERT and VINCE give a signal and the CRANE OPERATOR raises

the door at the bottom of the furnace. NICK is now alone,

standing like Don Quixote with his lance. As NICK advances

toward the base of the furnace with his rod the surface of

his asbestos suit begins to smoke and bits of lint which have

stuck to it burst into flame. Within reach of the furnace

now, NICK pauses. Then, lifting the metal rod, he jams it

through the open doorway at the base of the furnace. There is

a white flash as the metallic strips explode and then a

geyser of molten steel erupts in a huge jet through the

doorway, passing NICK at the level of his shoulders and

showering him in a great cascade of white sparks.

INT. JOHN'S BAR - NIGHT

NICK sits at the bar, silent, hunched over a beer, lost in

thought. All around him STEELWORKERS are shouting, yelling,

cracking jokes. After a moment VINCE pushes in, claps him on

the back.

VINCE:

How's it feel, huh? How's it feel

to be back?

NICK:

(forced enthusiasm)

Great. Feels great... F***in' A!

VINCE:

I mean, I guess you still think

about Nam. Right? I mean --

NICK:

Naw.

(shakes his head)

Uh-huh.

VINCE:

Hey, Nick, you ever do it with one

of those slants?

NICK:

No.

VINCE:

No!

NICK:

Never one.

VINCE:

Oh, Jesus!

(looks around)

You're kiddin'!

NICK:

One, Vince... you have to

understand, doing it with one...

would be... like nothing. They're

small, see, so if you're smart you

get about six or eight. I mean, if

you want to have any fun.

VINCE:

Six or eight.

(nods)

And they go wild?

NICK:

(lowers his voice)

They have these little sticks,

Vince. They call them "chomp

chomps", and when you get these

girls going, you have to stick 'em

in their mouths.

VINCE stares at NICK. His respiration is up, his mouth is

bone dry and his eyes are as big as saucers. For a moment his

belief is total, then a frown crosses his face.

VINCE:

You're full of sh*t!

NICK:

(nods)

Yeah.

VINCE:

(pounding him on the head)

And I believed you! I oughta punch

you out! I oughta...! Hey. Hey,

let's go huntin'! Albert! Hey,

Albert! Let's go huntin'. What do

you say? Nick? What do you say?

NICK:

Sure.

ALBERT:

Hey! F***in' A! Hey!

He spots JOHN passing with a tray of beer.

ALBERT (CONT'D)

Hey, John!

ALBERT scoops JOHN into his arms where he holds him from

behind.

JOHN:

Yes, Albert?

ALBERT:

(into his ear)

John,we're going huntin'.

JOHN:

Who's going?

ALBERT:

We're all going.

JOHN:

Nick's going?

ALBERT:

Nick, Vince, Albert and John.

JOHN:

No women?

OTHERS:

No! No women! Jesus! What are you,

crazy?

JOHN:

Take these beers.

They all take a beer. JOHN raises his glass, solemnly.

JOHN (CONT'D)

Here's to huntin'.

ALBERT:

Hey! F***in' A!

VINCE:

(hopping up and down)

Just like always! Just like it

always was! Right, Nick? Am I

right?

NICK:

In the timeless words of Squire

Albert...

VINCE cracks up, howling.

VINCE:

Squire Albert...

VINCE collapses on the floor.

NICK:

In the timeless words of Squire

Albert...

ALL:

(in a ragged chorus)

Hey! F***in' A!!!

INT. NICK'S TRAILER - NIGHT

NICK sits on the bed in the back part of the trailer. His

hunting gear is piled on the floor, the lights are out and he

is staring at the telephone which is illuminated through the

window by a street light on the corner. There is a sound

outside, then the lights come on as LINDA enters with

groceries.

LINDA:

Nick?

NICK:

Right here.

LINDA crosses to the doorway.

LINDA:

What are you doing?

NICK:

Oh. Nothing... Sitting.

LINDA:

You're going hunting?

NICK:

(blankly)

What?

LINDA:

I see you're going hunting.

NICK looks at the equipment on the floor.

NICK:

Yeah... All the guys, we're all

going huntin'. Like we did. You

know? Like we always used to.

LINDA:

That's wonderful. I think you

should... fresh air.

NICK gets to his feet, suddenly. His face is twisted with

pain and his voice is cracked with emotion.

NICK:

You know how sometimes you're going

along... You're going along... And

that's all...! One thing is right

after another, like steps... And

you step along.

NICK can hardly breathe. It is as if he were choking.

NICK (CONT'D)

I don't know where that is... It's

gone! That's gone!

A car pulls up outside. The HORN begins blowing, then VINCE

and ALBERT begin pounding on the wall of the trailer.

VINCE (V.O.)

Let's go!!!

ALBERT (V.O.)

Hey! F***in' A! Time to roll!!!

NICK:

I gotta go.

NICK swings his pack on his back, picks up his rifle and

heads for the door. LINDA follows, still clutching her

groceries, her emotions so pulverized she can't even speak.

NICK (CONT'D)

I'll be... I don't know... Couple

of days.

NICK IS GONE. LINDA STANDS MOTIONLESS, CLUTCHING HER

GROCERIES, STARING AT THE TRAILER DOOR. IT IS DARK OUTSIDE.

SNOW IS BLOWING IN. THE DOOR CLOSES SLOWLY, WITH A FAINT

HISS, AND THEN CLICKS SHUT.

EXT. MOUNTAINS - MIXED HARDWOOD FOREST - DAY

Snow is blowing, swirling past the trunks of stark, ice

covered trees. There is no horizon. Sky and earth are bound

in a moan of wind, in the faint creak of frozen limbs and the

whispering, fitful, spinning flakes.

NICK appears, suddenly, as a gust of wind shifts the slanting

snow. NICK is moving easily, heading slightly uphill,

following the contour of the slope. As he draws closer we see

that he is following a SET OF FRESH TRACKS.

EXT. MOUNTAINS - MIXED HARDWOODS - ROCK LEDGE - DAY

A magnificent SEVEN POINT BUCK stands by a grove of hemlocks,

looking down the slope.

NICK appears below, barely visible in the swirling snow.

The BUCK watches NICK for a moment, then turns unhurriedly

and vanishes into the trees.

EXT. RIDGE NEAR CAMP - DAY

VINCE is out of breath, clawing his way up a steep slope on

all fours. JOHN and ALBERT, who have reached a level area

above VINCE, unsling their rifles. SHOTS are going off in

every direction and the sound is so magnified by echoes that

it sounds like a full scale war.

VINCE:

What are you, kiddin'? Are you

kiddin' me, Albert? Twenty times I

coulda had her! She...! One time

she begged me, practically begged

me. Listen, I had her tit, which

was out, in one hand, and my other

hand... You know that mole on the

inside of her right leg? Well, I

was past that mole, way past that

mole, and I was --

JOHN nudges ALBERT. FOUR DEER are coming down the slope,

single file. JOHN and ALBERT raise their rifles and FIRE. TWO

OF THE DEER FALL AND THE REMAINING TAKE OFF. VINCE, who is

just getting to his feet, unslings his rifle, trips and falls

down. JOHN and ALBERT drag VINCE to his feet and then rush

over to the TWO DEAD DEER.

VINCE (CONT'D)

(coming after them)

Nice shootin', you guys. Not bad.

Not half bad.

Leans his rifle on the horns of one of the fallen DEER.

VINCE (CONT'D)

'Course how could you miss, right?

Twenty, maybe thirty feet. I mean,

if I'd'a been where you guys were --

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