The Deer Hunter Page #5

JOHN:

Oh, well...

VINCE:

Oh well! What do you mean Oh well?!

The guy is actually... He did it

again! That's what he's doing...

He... He's reaching in, John, to

her --! I'll kill him! I'm gonna

kill him right now.

VINCE marches up and taps FRED on the shoulder. FRED releases

MARSHA. MARSHA waits, one hand on her hip, while the two of

them exchange words. VINCE turns MARSHA, points to her ass.

FRED turns MARSHA, pints to the small of her back. VINCE is

hopping up and down now. So is FRED. MARSHA, who is getting

bored, points to the door. VINCE and FRED bang out. As soon

as they have gone MARSHA is taken by someone else who puts

his hand right back where FRED had it.

INT. V.F.W. POST - TRESTLE TABLES - NIGHT

NICK, SAL and MERLE are standing together, looking at the

SERGEANT.

MERLE:

Nick, he just came back.

NICK:

From Nam?

MERLE:

F***ing A. See that ribbon in the

left. That's Quan Son. That f***ing

guy was at Quan Son!

MERLE gestures with his head. NICK and SAL cross with him to

the SERGEANT.

MERLE (CONT'D)

We, ah... We're going too.

The SERGEANT looks at them and delivers a big, blank smile.

SERGEANT:

Pow!

MERLE:

What?

The SERGEANT keeps smiling.

MERLE (CONT'D)

(to Nick)

What'd he say?

NICK:

Pow.

MERLE:

Pow?

NICK:

Pow.

MERLE:

Oh.

MERLE nods.

MERLE (CONT'D)

(clears his throat)

Uh... well, maybe you could tell us

how it is over there?

SERGEANT:

Pow!

MERLE:

Pow?

SERGEANT:

Pow!

MERLE looks at NICK. NICK looks at SAL. They all begin

scratching their heads, trying not to laugh.

MERLE:

Well, thanks a lot.

They turn away and then, when they are out of earshot, they

all break up, howling.

SAL:

Who the hell is he?

MERLE:

Who the hell knows!

NICK:

Is he from here?

MERLE:

Hell no!

NICK:

Well, where's he from?

MERLE AND SAL:

(in unison)

Who the hell knows!

MERLE:

(soberly)

Maybe he's lost.

SAL AND NICK:

Lost???

MERLE:

(throws up his hands)

Well, I don't know!

INT. V.F.W. POST - NIGHT

The GUESTS have formed in a long double line which extends

from the dance floor right out into the street. Everyone is

pretty drunk and they are all armed with streamers and bags

of rice. As SAL and ANGELA appear from out of a back room

there is a great rowdy CHEER. The MUSICIANS strike up a

MARCH. Followed by the MUSICIANS, showered with streamers,

rice, advice and encouragement, SAL and ANGELA walk the

gauntlet toward the street, where a glossy, bright red

Pontiac with headers and straight pipes is being revved in a

series of ear-splitting crescendos.

EXT. V.F.W. POST - STREET - NIGHT

JOHN, ALBERT, MERLE and VINCENT are standing by the door.

Their tuxedos are stained and torn. Their carnations are

squashed and their clip-on bow ties are either missing

entirely or dangling from the open collars of their shirts.

VINCE looks the worst, with a black eye and half his pant leg

torn away, and they are all guzzling beer.

VINCE:

Bullshit! That's bullshit!

MERLE:

You wanna bet?

VINCE:

I'll betcha! That's bullshit and

I'll betcha! You're fulla sh*t!

MERLE:

How much? How much do you wanna

bet?

OTHERS:

Bet him! Bet him, Vince!

VINCE:

I'll betcha! I'll betcha... I'll

betcha twenty dollars!

EXT. V.F.W. POST - PARKED PONTIAC - NIGHT

SAL and ANGELA emerge to more CHEERS and a shower of

streamers and rice. ANGELA is helped into the Pontiac on the

right. NICK throws an arm around SAL and walks him around to

the driver's seat.

NICK:

Don't worry what it says in the

book.

SAL:

Right.

NICK:

Just forget that. Forget what it

says in the book.

SAL:

I'm gonna start slow... At the top.

Then I'm gonna work down.

NICK:

Great. That's great.

SAL:

That's my plan.

NICK gives SAL a hug. SAL gets in the car.

NICK:

See you Monday.

SAL:

See you Monday.

INT. PONTIAC - NIGHT

SAL looks over at ANGELA.

SAL:

All set, hon?

ANGELA nods. SAL puts the car into gear and starts slowly

off. Fists pound on the car. Rice and streamers shower down.

Suddenly, through the front windshield, MERLE appears, stark

naked, running in front of the car with colored paper

streamers floating out from his upraised right hand. For a

split second SAL cannot believe what he is seeing. He throws

a look at ANGELA. ANGELA covers her mouth in amazement and

then quickly shifts the hand to cover her eyes.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

MERLE weaves down the street in front of the growling red

Pontiac. MERLE is not just running. He is leaping and

bounding, as if released from gravity and entered into a

realm of pure ethereal space.

NICK, ALBERT, VINCE and JOHN pound down the street behind the

Pontiac, ALBERT carrying MERLE's clothes.

GUYS:

Look at that! F***in' guy! F***in'

Merle!... Unbelievable!

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

The road forks, one road going high to a parking area, the

other descending to the valley below. MERLE swerves up the

incline toward the parking area, while the Pontiac goes

straight and disappears down the hill.

ALBERT, VINCE and JOHN stagger to a stop, panting helplessly.

NICK grabs MERLE's clothes from ALBERT and takes off up the

hill.

EXT. HILLSIDE PARKING AREA - NIGHT

MERLE stands motionless, looking out across the valley as

NICK approaches. The night is brilliantly clear and the fires

from the mill light up the sky with an eerie glow.

NICK comes to a stop a few feet away.

NICK:

Merle?

MERLE turns. His face has a strange, distant look, and he

gives NICK an almost feral grin.

MERLE:

You think we'll ever come back?

NICK:

(startled)

From Nam?

MERLE:

Yeah.

NICK moves up beside him. He doesn't know what to say.

MERLE (CONT'D)

I love this f***in' place... That

sounds crazy. I know that sounds

crazy, but I love this f***in'

place... If anything happens, Nick,

don't leave me there. I mean it.

Don't leave me... You gotta

promise, Nick. You gotta promise me

that.

NICK:

(half laughing)

Merle --

MERLE:

Promise! You gotta promise!

NICK:

You got it.

MERLE lets out his breath. It is as if some great weight had

been pressing on him.

MERLE:

(with a laugh)

Let's go huntin'. I mean let's do

it!

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THRUWAY - NIGHT

NICK'S battered old shark-finned Cadillac comes screaming

past.

INT. CADILLAC - NIGHT

NICK, MERLE, VINCE, ALBERT and JOHN, all of them still in

tuxedos, are jammed in the car between knapsacks, sleeping

bags, six packs of beer and deer rifles.

GUYS:

(singing)

Let me be free! Let me be free!

If... you... will let me be free...

You'll... always be happy... with

me-e-e-e!!!

ALBERT:

(making a trumpet sound)

Wa-wa-wa!... Waaaaa!!!

EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - NIGHT

Tale Cadillac comes blasting by...

INT. CADILLAC - NIGHT

NICK is hunched over the wheel, his eyes gone completely

glassy. MERLE and VINCE are on the nod, while ALBERT and

JOHN, both half asleep, are having a lead-voiced

conversation.

ALBERT:

She f***ed you?

JOHN:

She f***ed me.

ALBERT:

She f***ed me too.

JOHN:

She f***ed you?

ALBERT:

She f***ed me too.

There is a long pause. They both struggle to keep their eyes

open.

JOHN:

She f***ed us both.

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