Troy Page #11

Down at the beach, scores of Greek ships are on the sand.

HECTOR:

Why did you come here?

Achilles gestures at the invading flotilla.

ACHILLES:

They'll be talking about this war

for a thousand years.

HECTOR:

In a thousand years even the dust

from our bones will be gone.

ACHILLES:

Yes, prince. But our names will

remain.

A band of bloodied Myrmidons, led by Eudorus, emerges from

the temple. Hector, surrounded by enemies, warily backs

off.

EUDORUS:

(to Achilles)

The Trojans are dead.

ACHILLES:

Go home, prince. Drink some wine.

Make love to your wife. Tomorrow

we'll have our war.

HECTOR:

You speak of war as if it's a game.

But how many wives wait at Troy's

gate for husbands they'll never see

again?

ACHILLES:

Perhaps your brother can comfort

them. I hear he's good at charming

other men's wives.

Hector stares at Achilles and the Myrmidons for another

moment before walking away.

EUDORUS:

Why did you let him go?

ACHILLES:

It's too early in the day for

killing princes.

58.

67 EXT. TROJAN BEACH - DAY 67

Thousands of Greek soldiers on the beach watch as the

Trojans retreat, many of the archers riding behind their

Apollonian saviors.

Hector mounts his horse and rides back toward the city.

When the Greeks see Achilles climbing onto the temple's

roof they stare in awe, silent.

Achilles raises his bloodied bronze sword toward the sun.

The CLAMOR that erupts from the beach is deafening.

Thousands of men cheering and yelling his name: Achilles!

Achilles!

68 EXT. AGAMEMNON'S SHIP - DAY 68

Agamemnon, still aboard his ship, waits for the gangplank

to be lowered. His dark eyes are cold and hateful as he

listens to the men cheering.

69 EXT. BEACH ENCAMPMENT - LATER 69

Soldiers tug more and more ships onto the sand. From the

landed ships, primitive cranes are already beginning to

lower boxes of provisions, military materiel, and horses.

Achilles walks across the beach, carrying his helmet,

accepting the congratulations of the troops. Ajax,

shirtless, strides over.

AJAX:

Achilles!

Achilles halts. For a moment there seems to be tension in

the air. Everyone watches. Ajax gives Achilles a bear

hug.

AJAX:

You're as fearless as a god.

ACHILLES:

The gods are immortal. What do

they have to fear?

Ajax laughs and releases Achilles.

AJAX:

I'm honored to go to war with you.

Achilles nods and grips the big man's thick arm.

(CONTINUED)

59.

69 CONTINUED:
69

ACHILLES:

I don't have to worry about my back

with you behind me.

Achilles continues walking. He sees Odysseus walking down

a gangplank from his ship to the beach.

ACHILLES:

(calling out)

If you sailed any slower, the war

would be over.

ODYSSEUS:

I don't mind missing the beginning

of the war -- as long as I'm here

at the end.

Achilles smiles and keeps walking. He arrives at the

Myrmidon's newly established base. Patroclus, Eudorus,

and the other surviving Myrmidons greet Achilles.

EUDORUS:

We have something to show you.

Achilles follows Eudorus and the grinning Myrmidons to a

large tent twenty yards inland from their beached ship. A

few Myrmidons hammer the last tent pegs deep into the

sand.

Eudorus holds open the tent flap. Achilles looks at his

captain for a moment before entering the tent.

70 INT. ACHILLES' TENT - CONTINUOUS 70

No rugs have been laid down yet, so loot from the temple

has been stacked on the sand: gold chalices, black

amphorae, woven tapestries, goatskins filled with sacred

wine.

But Achilles does not look at this plunder. Bound by the

wrists to the center pole of the tent is Briseis, dressed

in her white robes.

Terrified but trying to retain her composure, she returns

Achilles' stare. Robes torn, hair disheveled, bleeding

from the lip:
she still possesses her innate dignity and

strength. Something changes in Achilles' eyes when he

looks at her.

(CONTINUED)

60.

70 CONTINUED:
70

EUDORUS:

The men found her hiding in the

temple. They thought she'd...

please you.

ACHILLES:

Leave us.

Eudorus bows and exits.

Achilles pulls a small, sharp knife from his belt.

Briseis stares at the blade.

Achilles walks over to her and cuts the ropes that bind

her. She sits back, rubbing the chafed skin of her

wrists, still watching Achilles. He sheathes his knife.

ACHILLES:

What's your name?

Briseis stares at him but doesn't answer. Achilles

becomes aware, for the first time, that he's covered in

blood. He wipes a hand across his face. Briseis looks

about the tent, as if searching for a way out.

ACHILLES:

You're safer in this tent than out

there. Believe me.

BRISEIS:

You killed Apollo's priests.

ACHILLES:

I've killed men in five countries.

But never a priest.

BRISEIS:

Then your men did.

(beat)

The Sun God will have his

vengeance.

Achilles removes his bronze grieves.

ACHILLES:

What's he waiting for?

Briseis is stunned by such blunt blasphemy but she can't

take her eyes off him, because Achilles, after all, is

Achilles.

BRISEIS:

The right time to strike.

(CONTINUED)

61.

70 CONTINUED:
(2) 70

Achilles removes his breastplate.

ACHILLES:

His priests are dead and his

acolyte's a captive.

(beat)

I think your god is afraid of me.

Briseis laughs bitterly.

BRISEIS:

Afraid? Apollo is master of the

sun. He fears nothing.

Achilles nods and looks around the dark tent.

ACHILLES:

Then where is he?

Briseis has no answer. Achilles smiles and she looks

away.

A bucket of hot water sits beside a washcloth. Achilles

wets the cloth and begins to scrub the blood from his

body.

BRISEIS:

You're nothing but a killer. You

don't know anything about the gods.

ACHILLES:

You haven't seen twenty summers and

you think you know my heart? I

know more about the gods than

priests could ever teach you.

(beat)

You're royalty, aren't you?

Briseis says nothing. Achilles smiles again.

ACHILLES:

You've spent years talking down to

men, you must be royalty. What's

your name?

(beat)

Even the servants of Apollo have

names.

BRISEIS:

Briseis.

(CONTINUED)

62.

70 CONTINUED:
(3) 70

ACHILLES:

Are you afraid, Briseis?

Briseis is quiet for a moment. She watches Achilles with

a mixture of fear and curiosity.

BRISEIS:

Should I be?

EUDORUS (O.S.)

(calling from outside

the tent)

My lord -

ACHILLES:

What is it?

Eudorus sticks his head inside the tent.

EUDORUS:

King Agamemnon requests your

presence.

ACHILLES:

Why would I want to look at him

when I can look at her?

EUDORUS:

All the kings are there,

celebrating the victory.

Achilles stands.

ACHILLES:

Give me a moment.

Eudorus withdraws. A long beat while Achilles studies

her.

ACHILLES:

You don't need to fear me, girl.

You're the only Trojan who can say

that.

71 EXT. AGAMEMNON'S TENT - LATER 71

Two muscular GUARDS stand by the opening to Agamemnon's

tent. Achilles, wearing clean clothes, doesn't bother

waiting for the guards' permission to enter; he brushes

past them and through the tent flap.

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