Troy Page #6

ODYSSEUS:

I knew your parents well. I miss

them.

Patroclus nods again, looking at his feet.

ODYSSEUS:

Now you have this one watching over

you, eh? Learning from Achilles

himself -- every boy in Greece must

be jealous.

(to Achilles)

We need to talk.

ACHILLES:

Tell me you're not here at

Agamemnon's bidding.

Odysseus hesitates. Achilles shakes his head.

ACHILLES:

How many times have I done the

savage work for the King of Kings?

And when has he ever shown me the

respect I've earned?

(CONTINUED)

30.

23 CONTINUED:
(3) 23

ODYSSEUS:

I'm not asking you to fight for

him. I'm asking you to fight for

the Greeks.

ACHILLES:

Why? Are the Greeks tired of

fighting each other?

ODYSSEUS:

For now.

ACHILLES:

The Trojans never did anything to

me.

ODYSSEUS:

They insulted Greece.

ACHILLES:

They insulted one Greek, a man who

couldn't hold on to his wife. What

business is that of mine?

ODYSSEUS:

Your business is war, my friend.

ACHILLES:

(angry)

Is it? Am I the whore of the

battlefield? Can my sword be

bought and sold?

(beat; calmer)

I don't want to be remembered as a

tyrant's mercenary.

ODYSSEUS:

Forget Agamemnon. Fight for me.

My wife will feel much better if

she knows you're by my side. I'll

feel much better.

PATROCLUS:

Is Ajax going to fight in Troy?

ODYSSEUS:

Of course. You've heard of Ajax,

eh?

PATROCLUS:

They say he can fell an oak tree

with one swing of the axe.

(CONTINUED)

31.

23 CONTINUED:
(4) 23

ACHILLES:

Trees don't swing back.

Odysseus chuckles, but he's alert to the boy's enthusiasm.

ODYSSEUS:

We're sending the largest fleet

that ever sailed -- a thousand

ships.

PATROCLUS:

A thousand ships! Prince Hector,

is he as good a warrior as they

say?

ODYSSEUS:

The best of all the Trojans. Some

say he's better than all the

Greeks, too.

(beat)

Even if your cousin doesn't come,

Patroclus, I hope you'll join us.

We could use a strong arm like

yours.

Patroclus beams with pride and looks at his cousin.

Achilles wraps his arm around Odysseus's shoulders and

leans closer to the Ithacan. The embrace is friendly, but

there's no mistaking the power in Achilles' grip.

ACHILLES:

Play your tricks on me, if you'd

like. But leave my cousin out of

it.

ODYSSEUS:

You have your sword, I have my

tricks. We play with the toys the

gods give us.

Odysseus goes back to his horse and mounts.

ODYSSEUS:

We sail for Troy in three days.

(beat)

This war will never be forgotten.

Nor will the heroes who fight in

it.

Patroclus, eager but frustrated, watches him ride away.

32.

24 EXT. BEACH - SUNSET 24

Achilles makes his away across the sandy hillocks. He

spies a woman in the distance.

25 EXT. SEASHORE - SUNSET 25

Achilles finds his mother, THETIS (45), standing in the

surf. Her long black hair is streaked with gray. She

sees a shell that she likes and stoops down to pick it up.

ACHILLES:

Mother.

Thetis turns and smiles at Achilles.

THETIS:

I thought I'd make you another

seashell necklace.

ACHILLES:

I haven't worn a seashell necklace

since I was a boy.

Thetis looks at Achilles' bare neck.

THETIS:

Don't you like them anymore?

Achilles spots a good shell. He hands it to his mother.

THETIS:

Oh, that's a pretty one.

She surveys the beach for more pretty shells.

ACHILLES:

They want me for another war.

Thetis bends down and scoops up a silvery shell.

ACHILLES:

Are you listening?

THETIS:

Yes, my sweet. Another war.

ACHILLES:

Patroclus wants to go.

THETIS:

Patroclus has never seen war.

(CONTINUED)

33.

25 CONTINUED:
25

Thetis examines the shells in the palm of her hand.

Finally she stands and looks at her son.

THETIS:

If you stay here, with me, with

your family, you'll have a long,

peaceful life. You'll marry,

you'll have children, and your

children will have children.

They'll love you, and when you're

gone they'll remember you. But

when your children are dead, and

their children after them, your

name will be lost.

Thetis reaches up to touch her son's cheek. Her eyes are

clear, her voice steady. She speaks these lines with no

hesitation, no doubt.

THETIS:

If you go to Troy, no one will earn

more glory than you. Men will tell

stories of your victories for

thousands of years. The world will

remember your name.

Achilles stares at her, his eyes burning. These are words

he's wanted to hear since the day he was born. His mother

waits a moment before speaking again. The words hurt her.

THETIS:

But if you go to Troy, you'll never

come home. You'll die there.

ACHILLES:

And you know this, mother?

THETIS:

I know it.

Achilles looks out to the sea. Thetis, tears in her eyes,

smiles bravely.

THETIS:

Whenever your father came home from

war, he'd stare at the sea, just

like that.

(beat)

He never stayed for long.

In the distance Achilles sees a white sail. He fixates on

the lonely spot of white on the endless expanse of dark

water.

34.

26 EXT. AEGEAN SEA - DAY 26

We soar above the greatest armada the world has ever seen.

ONE THOUSAND SHIPS sail east, crowding the sea, churning

the waves with their keels.

The white sails are painted with the signs and emblems of

the various nationalities represented in this alliance.

One ship sails slightly out of formation. Alone amongst

the entire fleet, this ship's sail is black.

27 EXT. ACHILLES' WARSHIP - DAY 27

Achilles stands in the prow of his boat, staring east.

Patroclus stands behind him, wearing a new SHELL NECKLACE.

28 EXT. TROY - DAY 28

Hector, Paris, Helen, and an entourage of SOLDIERS walk

through the gates of Troy.

The city is magnificent, a wonder of white-washed walls,

lush gardens, and towering STATUES of the gods. ZEUS,

APOLLO, APHRODITE, and POSEIDON stand eighty feet high in

the four corners of the main square.

The princes' return is a holiday for the Trojans.

Thousands of ONLOOKERS line the road, cheering. Other

well-wishers, standing on the roofs of houses, throw

flower petals.

Paris holds Helen's hand and occasionally whispers in her

ear, pointing out various sights, but Helen looks nervous.

People in the crowd, mystified by her appearance, point at

her and whisper amongst themselves.

Helen holds her head high and pretends to ignore the

murmurs and stares. Hector looks at her. She carries

herself like a queen -- but she's gripping Paris's hand

with white knuckles.

29 EXT. PALACE OF TROY 29

At the bottom of a long staircase leading into the palace,

four APOLLONIAN GUARDS, wearing horsehair-plumed helmets,

are mounted on beautiful WHITE HORSES.

(CONTINUED)

35.

29 CONTINUED:
29

Hector reunites with his wife, ANDROMACHE (30), pale

skinned and dark eyed. He holds her to his chest; she

closes her eyes, and they stand like that for a long time.

A NURSE standing nearby holds Hector's ten-month-old son,

SCAMANDRIUS. Now Andromache takes the baby from the

nurse. Hector stares into the boy's wondering eyes and

puts his finger in the boy's hand.

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