Troy Page #10

58 EXT. AJAX'S SHIP - CONTINUOUS 58

Ajax and his men rappel down the ship's hull while arrows

rip into wood and flesh.

Ajax carries a giant battle-axe and a shield twice the

size of most men's.

When he reaches the surf he doesn't wait for his men; he

roars and charges at the archers in the dunes.

59 EXT. TEMPLE OF APOLLO - CONTINUOUS 59

Achilles, not even breathing hard after the slaughter,

removes his helmet and rests it on the wall. The

surviving Myrmidons search the grounds, dispatching any

dying Trojans.

Eudorus hurries over to Achilles' side.

EUDORUS:

The temple is secure.

ACHILLES:

The Sun God is the patron of Troy,

our enemy. Take whatever treasure

you can find.

The Myrmidons cheer and rush the temple.

EUDORUS:

With your permission, my lord -

ACHILLES:

Speak.

Eudorus gestures to the sun above them.

EUDORUS:

Apollo sees everything. Perhaps

it's not wise to offend him.

(CONTINUED)

53.

59 CONTINUED:
59

Achilles nods and walks over to the towering statue of

Apollo in front of the temple.

Eudorus watches in horror as Achilles climbs atop the

statue and beheads Apollo with a swing of his sword.

60 EXT. TROJAN BEACH - CONTINUOUS 60

Hector and Tecton rein in their horses.

TECTON:

He dares attack Apollo?

Hector spurs his horse and races toward the invaders,

followed by his twenty men.

The other sixty Apollonians gallop to Ajax's landing spot.

61 EXT. TEMPLE OF APOLLO - CONTINUOUS 61

Achilles gazes at the sky as if waiting for the sun to

blast him for blasphemy. Nothing happens.

Hearing hoofbeats, Achilles turns and spots Hector and his

men, two hundred yards away.

ACHILLES:

(to Eudorus)

Get inside the temple, warn the

men.

Eudorus hurries to warn his comrades.

ACHILLES:

Eudorus! Wait, wait a moment.

The Myrmidon captain stops. Achilles hefts a spear,

judges the distance, and throws.

One hundred yards from Achilles, the spearhead finds its

mark:
Tecton's breastplate. Tecton is knocked from his

horse and skewered to the ground. He clutches at the

wooden shaft, not comprehending his fate.

Hector reins in his horse and stares at his fallen

captain. The man is finished. Hector turns to look at

Achilles.

Eudorus's eyes are wide. No other man alive could have

thrown a spear that far or that accurately.

(CONTINUED)

54.

61 CONTINUED:
61

ACHILLES:

Now you can go.

Eudorus runs inside the temple.

Hector kicks his horse and gallops toward Achilles. His

men cry out and follow him. Achilles waits. Hector

raises his own spear. When he is fifty yards away, he

throws.

At the very last moment, Achilles bends his head to one

side, an almost lackadaisical movement. The spear rips

through the air occupied by Achilles' head half a moment

before.

Achilles smiles.

Hector draws his sword and charges, his men right behind

him. Achilles walks, with insulting insouciance, into the

temple.

A series of high steps lead inside the temple. Hector and

the Trojans dismount and proceed cautiously to the temple.

62 EXT. TROJAN BEACH - DAY 62

An arrow sticks out of Ajax's leg but he doesn't seem to

notice it. He bulls forward, giant shield held in front,

and slams into the Trojan ranks.

Where Achilles is all grace and speed, Ajax is brute

force. Parrying his blows is useless: his battle axe

splits bronze shields, bronze swords, bronze helmets.

The sound of his axe carving through a breastplate and the

man beneath the breastplate is like nothing else on earth.

As Ajax drops another Trojan, he lifts his ax to the

heavens.

AJAX:

I am Ajax, breaker of stones,

widow-maker of Salamis! Look upon

me, Trojans, and despair!

The Apollonians join the fight against the Greeks. The

Guards are far better than the archers at hand-to-hand

combat.

55.

63 INT. TEMPLE OF APOLLO - DAY 63

Hector and his men enter the temple. Eyes adjusting to

the gloomy light, they gingerly advance. All is quiet.

Evidence of looting is everywhere.

At the back of the temple, stairs lead up to the altar

room. Hector walks toward the stairs. Blood trickles

down the steps. Hector raises his eyes.

Achilles stands atop the staircase, both hands wrapped

around the hilt of his sword, the sword point resting on

the top step. He stares down at Hector.

WAR CRIES explode through the temple. The Myrmidons burst

from their hiding places and rush the Trojans.

Hector is an obvious target. Two Myrmidons charge him,

their spears leveled.

If Achilles is the apotheosis of martial grace, Hector is

something altogether different -- a man of ordinary gifts

who has become an extraordinary warrior by dint of

experience, endless training, and powerful intelligence.

As the Myrmidons charge he waits. At the last moment he

swings his sword, slicing both spearheads from their

shafts. The Myrmidons stare at their decapitated spears.

Hector doesn't give them a chance to recover. He pounces,

sword flashing, and both men fall to the temple floor.

Achilles watches from the top step. Hector begins running

up the stairs. Achilles disappears inside the altar room.

Another Myrmidon bounds up the stairs after Hector. The

prince wheels about and kicks the Myrmidon in the

breastplate. The soldier tumbles down the steps. Hector

continues up the stairs.

64 EXT. TROJAN BEACH - DAY 64

As more Greek ships make landfall, the Apollonian officer

sees that their position is no longer defensible.

APOLLONIAN OFFICER

Back to the city! Back to the

city!

The Trojans begin to retreat. The archers still turn to

fire whenever there's time. Mounted Guards haul fleeing

archers onto their horses.

56.

65 INT. ALTAR ROOM - DAY 65

Hector finds the bodies of two PRIESTS. They lie on the

stone floor, limbs splayed, throats slit.

Sitting atop the altar, half-hidden by the shadows, is

Achilles. He's a terrible sight to behold, splattered

with blood, his bronze sword still dripping.

ACHILLES:

You must be very brave or very

stupid, to come after me alone.

(beat)

You must be Hector.

Hector stares at Achilles a moment before kneeling by the

dead priests' bodies.

ACHILLES:

A private audience with the prince

of Troy. I'm flattered. Do you

know who I am?

HECTOR:

These priests weren't armed.

Hector closes the eyes of the murdered priests. Achilles

jumps down from the altar and looks at the bodies.

ACHILLES:

I didn't kill them. Cutting old

men's throats -- there's no honor

in that.

HECTOR:

Honor?

(spits)

Children and fools fight for honor.

I fight for my country.

Hector charges. Achilles dances back, staying just out of

reach. Achilles looks relaxed, almost playful.

HECTOR:

Fight me.

ACHILLES:

Why kill you, prince of Troy, with

no one here to see you fall?

Achilles backs out of an archway opening onto the bright

day outside. Hector follows.

57.

66 EXT. TEMPLE OF APOLLO - CONTINUOUS 66

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