Troy Page #5

AGAMEMNON:

Never. You're a man of honor.

Everyone in Greece knows this.

(CONTINUED)

24.

20 CONTINUED:
(2) 20

MENELAUS:

The Trojans spat on my honor. An

insult to me is an insult to you.

AGAMEMNON:

And an insult to me is an insult to

all Greeks.

MENELAUS:

Will you go to war with me,

brother?

Menelaus reaches out his hand. Agamemnon looks into his

eyes. Finally he nods and clasps hands with his brother.

21 INT. MYCENAE CITADEL - THRONE ROOM - NIGHT 21

Agamemnon paces the vast, torch-lit room. Nestor sits at

a wooden table. Spread out on the table before him is a

rough map of Greece and environs, painted on a tanned goat

skin.

AGAMEMNON:

I always thought my brother's wife

was a foolish woman. But she's

proven to be very useful. Nothing

unifies a people like a common

enemy.

NESTOR:

The Trojans have never been

conquered. Some say they can't be

conquered.

AGAMEMNON:

I haven't tried yet.

(beat)

Old King Priam thinks he's

untouchable behind his high walls.

He thinks the Sun God will protect

him. But the gods only protect the

strong.

(points at map)

If Troy falls, I control the

Aegean.

NESTOR:

Hector commands the finest army in

the east. And Troy is built to

withstand a ten-year siege.

(CONTINUED)

25.

21 CONTINUED:
21

AGAMEMNON:

There won't be a ten-year siege.

I'll attack them with the greatest

force the world has ever seen. I

want all the kings of Greece and

all their armies.

(beat)

Send emissaries in the morning.

Nestor stands and prepares to leave.

NESTOR:

One last thing.

(beat)

We need Achilles and his Myrmidons.

Agamemnon shakes his head.

AGAMEMNON:

Achilles can't be controlled. He's

as likely to fight us as the

Trojans.

NESTOR:

We don't need to control him. We

need to unleash him. The man was

born to end lives.

AGAMEMNON:

Yes, he's a gifted killer, but he

follows no king. He threatens

everything I've built.

(beat)

Before me Greece was nothing, a

province of warlords and cattle

raiders. I've brought all the

Greek kingdoms together -- with the

sword when necessary, with a treaty

when possible. I've created a

nation out of fire-worshippers and

snake-eaters.

(beat)

I build the future, Nestor.

Achilles is the past, a man who

fights for no flag, a man loyal to

no country.

Nestor waits a respectful moment before replying.

(CONTINUED)

26.

21 CONTINUED:
(2) 21

NESTOR:

Your words are true. But how many

battles have we won off the edge of

his sword?

(beat)

This will be the greatest war the

world has ever seen. We need the

greatest warrior.

Agamemnon thinks about it, pacing the room. Finally -

AGAMEMNON:

There's only one man he'll listen

to.

NESTOR:

I'll send a ship in the morning.

22 EXT. ITHACA - DAY 22

A lean, bearded SHEPHERD (40) sits on a hillside looking

over the Ionian sea.

Beside him sits his faithful hunting dog, ARGOS. They

watch a troop of EMISSARIES climb the steep hill. The

emissaries are panting for breath by the time they reach

the hilltop.

EMISSARY #1

Greetings, brother. We were told

King Odysseus is here in the hills.

SHEPHERD:

Odysseus? That old bastard drinks

my wine and never pays.

EMISSARY #2

You ought to respect your king,

friend.

SHEPHERD:

Respect him? I'd like to punch him

in the nose. He's always pawing at

my wife, trying to tear her clothes

off.

The emissaries, embarrassed, begin walking away. The

shepherd watches them go.

(CONTINUED)

27.

22 CONTINUED:
22

SHEPHERD:

(to Argos the dog)

I hope Agamemnon's generals are

smarter than his emissaries.

Emissary #1 turns to look at the shepherd.

EMISSARY #1

What did you say?

The shepherd scratches behind Argos's ears. The dog wags

his tail happily.

SHEPHERD:

You want me to help you fight the

Trojans.

EMISSARY #1

You're -

Emissary #1 exchanges glances with his compatriots.

They're confused. Finally the chastened emissaries bow.

EMISSARY #1

Forgive us, King Odysseus.

Odysseus stands and looks down at his dog.

ODYSSEUS:

Well, I'm going to miss my dog.

EMISSARY #2

King Agamemnon has a favor to ask

of you.

Odysseus smiles and rubs his dog's head.

ODYSSEUS:

Of course he does.

23 EXT. SEASIDE CLIFF - LATE AFTERNOON 23

Achilles stands in the ruins of an ivy-covered temple on a

cliff above the sea, sparring with his cousin Patroclus

(17). Both men wield wooden practice swords.

Patroclus is a talented, lean, flashy young fighter. His

sword whirls in the air like a thing alive.

Achilles, by contrast, is the apotheosis of the efficient

combatant, wasting no energy, waiting for weakness.

(CONTINUED)

28.

23 CONTINUED:
23

Patroclus presses in on the attack. Achilles tilts his

head to avoid one thrust, side-steps to avoid another.

Spying a momentary opening he lunges forward and taps

Patroclus' belly with the tip of his wood sword.

ACHILLES:

You're getting fat, cousin.

Patroclus grins and relaunches his attack, sword spinning

with blazing speed. Achilles ducks beneath an arcing

swing and sword-taps Patroclus on the back.

ACHILLES:

Fancy swordplay. The girls must be

impressed.

Patroclus grunts and charges in again. This time a

genuine duel develops, featuring splendid repartee and

parrying.

PATROCLUS:

A little nervous, aren't you?

ACHILLES:

Terrified.

Achilles raises his right hand and Patroclus lifts his

sword to parry the blow -- but Achilles no longer holds

his sword in his right hand.

Sword in hisleft hand, Achilles taps Patroclus on the

chest. Patroclus stares down at the wood blade.

PATROCLUS:

You told me never to switch sword

hands.

Achilles rolls his head to loosen his neck.

ACHILLES:

By the time you know how to do it,

you won't be following my orders

anymore.

Achilles tosses aside the sparring sword. He c*cks his

head as if listening to some distant sound. Patroclus,

oblivious to the noise, practices his swordplay.

Achilles' foot curls around the wood shaft of one of the

spears lying on the ground. In one impossibly fast

motion, he flips the spear into the air with his foot,

catches it, and throws in the opposite direction from

where he was looking.

(CONTINUED)

29.

23 CONTINUED:
(2) 23

The bronze warhead blazes between the temple's walls and

drives into the trunk of an old fir.

Only now do we see Odysseus, leading a black horse,

standing inches from the quivering shaft of the spear

blocking his path. He stares at the spear for a moment

before ducking his head under the shaft and walking

forward.

ODYSSEUS:

(smiling)

Your reputation for hospitality is

fast becoming legend.

ACHILLES:

I don't like that smile, my friend.

It's the smile you smile when you

want me to fight in another war.

(beat)

Patroclus, my cousin -- Odysseus,

king of Ithaca.

ODYSSEUS:

Patroclus, son of Menoetius?

The boy nods. Odysseus grips Patroclus's shoulder.

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