Tyrant Page #5

LEILA:

Hello, Bassam.

Molly reaches out to Leila and initiates an embrace.

11-27-12 23.

MOLLY:

Leila, congratulations on the

wedding. You must be so proud.

LEILA:

We are very proud and happy, yes.

BARRY:

(to Leila, proud)

You remember Sammy and Emma.

LEILA:

(big smile)

I do! You guys are so big!

She shakes their hands. Barry watches her do this, weighing

in his mind a past he never lived. Then he turns to Ramzi.

BARRY:

So -- to the hotel?

RAMZI:

Yes. But first, the palace.

JAMAL:

My brother just said --

RAMZI:

Your father asked to see him right

away, the moment he arrived.

JAMAL:

(forces a smile)

Oh. Well. In that case...

Jamal BARKS an order in Arabic. The GOONS grab the luggage.

JAMAL (CONT’D)

(an uneasy laugh)

...we’ll go to the palace. Perfect.

Jamal smiles tightly at Barry with a searching uneasy energy.

INT. RAMZI’S LIMOUSINE - DAY

Ramzi’s LIMO speeds down the empty highway, part of a

motorcade. Jamal’s along for the ride. Molly and the kids

stare at the beautiful city. Its domes and minarets gleaming

in the sunlight, next to newer more modern skyscrapers.

MOLLY:

So many new buildings...

11-27-12 24.

EMMA:

How come there’s no traffic?

SAMMY:

They’re holding it, stupid. See?

He points to a side street where men in uniform stand in

front of a long line of cars. HONKING. A SENSE OF UNREST.

SAMMY (CONT’D)

Because of us...

(to Jamal)

...right?

JAMAL:

That’s right.

SAMMY:

Royalty, Emma. Royalty.

Jamal and Sammy exchange a smile. They both like power.

AS BARRY looks out the window, we go into HIS POV and see the

country the way he sees it: covered women huddling together;

poor people begging; children playing barefoot in a sewer.

SAMMY (CONT’D)

Look, there’s Grandpa.

A huge portrait of Hassan on the side of a building, staring

down at the people, like the most powerful man in the world --

but its colors are faded from the strong Middle Eastern sun.

Off Barry, staring at the portrait as they pass...

EXT. PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, GARDENS - DAY

A beautiful, oriental palace on the outskirts of the city.

Surrounded by gorgeous gardens and lakes, the palace itself

is a sprawling complex adorned with domes, arches, mosaics.

HASSAN, now 71 and frail but still fierce, stands at the edge

of the garden overlooking the city, clutching a cane. His

wise, old eyes look out at his country. He hears VOICES -

RAMZI (O.C.)

Mr. President, look who’s here.

-- and his face lights up. He turns to see Barry -

HASSAN:

Bassam!

11-27-12 25.

-- Ramzi and Jamal approach. Barry walks over to his father.

Jamal watches with veiled jealous paranoia as they embrace.

BARRY:

Hello, father. You look well.

HASSAN:

It’s been so long. Too long.

BARRY:

Between my business and the kids’

schedules, it’s hard to manage -

HASSAN:

Is that what you’ve been telling

yourself? That you don’t visit me

because you’re too busy?

As Barry takes that hit, a UNIFORMED GENERAL in his 50’s

walks over. Hassan bristles --

HASSAN (CONT’D)

Are you blind, Ziad? Do you see I’m

in the middle of someting?

ZIAD:

I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr.

President, but we’ve just received

new intelligence. From Ma’an. It’s

time-sensitive.

Ziad restrains himself, awkward to reveal any more in front

of Barry. Hassan nods, realizes this requires his attention.

He looks at Barry who -

BARRY:

Go. I’ll make sure the kids and

Molly are settling in and we’ll --

HASSAN:

No. Come. You should see this.

JAMAL:

They’re tired from the trip.

Hassan doesn’t look at Jamal; he just stays trained on Barry.

HASSAN:

No. I need both my sons with me

now. Both of them. Come.

Hassan turns and goes without waiting for an answer, leaving

Jamal to give Barry a tight smile and they walk off together.

11-27-12 26.

JAMAL:

(not meaning it)

It’s good you’re here.

BARRY:

(not meaning it)

It’s good to be here.

INT. PRESIDENTIAL, OFFICE - DAY

Hassan sits at the head of the table. He stares at the TV set

which is on but muted, playing IMAGES OF THE DEMONSTRATION we

saw from Fauzi’s window: tires on fire; masked teenagers

throwing rocks.

WIDE SHOT:
The room is packed with men. Some in uniform, some

in suits and some in Muslim garb, all of them smoke. Jamal

stands beside his father. Barry sits on the outer circle.

Hassan shakes his head wearily.

HASSAN:

Ma’an. It’s always Ma’an...

RAMZI:

(to Ziad)

You said this was under control.

ZIAD:

It was. But several of our

informants have reported the

insurgents are planning an attack

during the wedding.

Jamal is seething.

ZIAD (CONT’D)

Apparently it was the elephants.

JAMAL:

These troublemakers think they can

hold us hostage. I’ll go in myself,

with the Shabiha --

RAMZI:

Your thugs can’t solve ALL the

problems in this country -

JAMAL:

It’s MY son’s wedding!

RAMZI:

Precisely their point.

11-27-12 27.

Hassan looks at Barry to make sure he’s clocking all this.

JAMAL:

What do YOU propose we do?

RAMZI:

Make a gesture. Free some prisoners

as a gift to the people of Ma’an--

JAMAL:

Bullshit. I say we impose a curfew,

let the Shabiha go door to door --

RAMZI:

That’s exactly what the Brotherhood

wants. Exactly the excuse they need

to start rioting. Do you want us to

end up like Egypt, or Libya...?

JAMAL:

This is not like other countries,

the people adore my father!

HASSAN:

(sharply dismissive)

They don’t adore me, they fear me.

Hassan shakes off his distaste for Jamal’s unctuousness, and

then falls into deeper thoughts, which he voices for Barry.

HASSAN (CONT’D)

Or they used to. They barely fear

me anymore. Now all they want is

their precious “freedom” and

“democracy,” even though they have

NO idea what those words mean...

and no idea what it would cost

them.

(after a beat)

Nothing is simple anymore.

RAMZI:

Your father is right. The people are

calling this wedding corrupt, decadent.

We need to show them we are at least

listening.

Hassan rises, walks to the window. An expectant silence falls

over the room. When Hassan finally speaks, his voice is soft,

his demeanor commanding respect. His speech is mostly aimed

at explicating his dilemma for Barry.

11-27-12 28.

HASSAN:

If we make concessions, we appear

weak and the Brotherhood wins. If

we come down hard, we appear

ruthless and the Brotherhood

wins... Either way, we lose.

RAMZI:

But if we do nothing... this call

for democracy keeps spreading, like

a cancer. If we don’t stay ahead of

it, it will consume us.

Hassan sighs. He seems genuinely mournful. He turns to Barry.

HASSAN:

What do you think...?

BARRY:

Me?

HASSAN:

Yes. You. Tell me what you would

do.

Barry looks around and realizes he, oddly, has the floor.

BARRY:

I don’t know.

HASSAN:

But what does common sense tell you

I should do?

(off Barry’s reticence)

Answer the question.

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