Zulu Dawn Page #11

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MELVILL:

Don 't tell me the Zulu managed to get up there after alt

203.EXT. CAMP. ISANDHLWANA. DAY.

LT. RAW rides into shot.

RAW:

Zulu!

204.MOVING SHOT. CAMERA follows RAW as he rides up to PULLEINE'S

tent and dismounts.

RAW:

They're here.

PULLEINE emerges from his tent.

RAW:

I've sent to Lord Chelmsforct

PULLEINE:

Bugler. Sound "The Alert".

BUGLER runs into foreground. CLOSE UP as he sounds "The Alert".

205.PTE. WILLIAMS is feeding the horses. On hearing the "The

Alert" he jumps

to attention running out of shot. After a beat he returns to

collect his helmet

which is positioned on top of one of posts.

206.BOY-PULLEN & STOREY emerge from their tent. There are troops

scramblingeverywhere. V.0. Fall in! At the double!

Heavy artillery moves into and out of shot.

207.

208.

209.

PULLEINE & MELVILL, both on horseback, watch the proceedings.

EXT. BATTLEFIELD. ISANDHLWANA. DAY.

SGT. WILLIAMS is rallying a Company of Redcoats.

SGT. WILLIAMS

Wheel 'em in! wheel 'em in! Wheel 'em in! Come on now. Tighten

those ranks!

COGHILL, on horseback surveys the ranks from the rear.

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210.A young BOY-SOLDIER walks in front of the redcoats. He

carries an

armful of markers. With him is STOREY.

SGT. WILLIAMS

Private Storey. Get those markers pegged out at the double.

STOREY:

Serg'!

SGT. WILLIAMS

One every 'undred yards

STOREY (To Boy Soldier)

Come on boy, scamper.

SGT. WILLIAMS

and Bugler, make sure he pegs 'em in a straight line - towards

the enemy!

211.RUSSELL & his men with a group of Natal natives run forward

to position

the rockets.

RUSSELL (Through clenched teeth as he works)

Hold them please God three minutes please hold them!

(With increasing urgency) Come on, come on, come on. Come on

men!

212.STOREY is pacing out the markers on the battlefield. The

BOY SOLDIER:

follows him.

STOREY:

Ninety two, ninety three, ninety four, ninety five, ninety six,

ninety

seven, nighty eight, ninety nine (Coming to a standstill)

What's

next, boy?

BOY SOLDIER stands motionless. He stares towards the horizon.

STOREY:

Oy.You useless little bastard. Come 'ere. Scamper.

BOY SOLDIER (Pointing behind Storey)

Look. Look!

STOREY turns to look.

213.Vast masses of Zulus appear over the horizon. They are

chanting, menacing

like a fast approaching swarm of bees.

214.Closer shots of the Zulus as they approach. Their assegais

poised high

above their heads at the ready.

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215.CAMERA PANS to the tiny white tents of the camp in the

distance. The

small Company of Redcoats is seen before them and for the first

time it is

obvious just how outnumbered they are.

216.EXT. ZULULAND EAST OF ISANDHLWANA. DAY.

CHELMSFORD & CREALOCK admire the pleasant surroundings. They

walk towards a canopied dining area. Servants have prepared a

magnificent

table. Silver dishes, polished beautifully and gleaming in the

hot sun, are

carried from a small field kitchen behind a screen.

CHELMSFORD:

Splendid site, Crealock, splendil I want to establish Camp here

immediately.

CREALOCK:

Certainly, Sin

Standing around the table are several officers including

HAMILTON-BROWN,

HARFORD & MILNE. NOGGS is also present. As CHELMSFORD sits, so

do

the others.

HAMILTON-BROWN stands apart, drinking uneasily.

CHELMSFORD:

After lunch, Brown, I want you to return to Isandhlwana and

instruct

Colonel Pulleine to join us here immediately.

HAMILTON-BROWN (Downing the contents of his glass)

If you '11 excuse me, My Lord.

CHELMSFORD:

No appetite, Colonel? (He indicates to a nearby servant to

refill his

glass).

HAMILTON-BROWN

My men haven 't eaten since yesterday and there won 't be any

supplies

until I get them back to Isandhlwana.

CHELMSFORD:

Well they can start off now and you can join them when you've

eaten.

HAMILTON-BROWN

Kind of you, My Lord. But I don't think it would be proper for

me to

sit at your table while they're with their bellies stuck to

their

backbones.

EXITS.

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HARFORD (Rising to leave)

Excuse me, Sir.

CHELMSFORD:

Learn nothing from that Irishman, HafforJ

behave.

HARFORD:

Yes, Sir.

Except, how not to

General ad. lib. Smug laughter, banging of cutlery on table and

cries of

"Here, here".

217.Solitary SIKALI HORSEMAN approaches Chelmsford's camp.

218.RETURN to dining table. The meal is now over. CHELMSFORD

cuts the

end off a cigar with a silver cigar-cutter. NOGGS is peeling an

apple with

a silver fruit knife.

CREALOCK walks into shot. He speaks in CHELMSFORD'S ear.

CREALOCK:

A strange message from Vereker, My Lord. It would seem Pulleine

has a battle on his hands. No details. No intelligence.

CREALOCK resumes his place at table as CHELMSFORD turns to the

others.

CHELMSFORD:

Mr. Milne. Kindly take your telescope to a high point Note the

events at Isandhlwana.

MILNE:

Sir. (He leaves).

CHELMSFORD also rises and leaves the table.

219.CLOSE-UP of CREALOCK, then NOOGS. They both share a sense of

foreboding.

220.CHELMSFORD walks slowly and deliberately towards an empty

wagon. He

goes to the front and leaning against the front panel, lowers

his head. He

wants to be alone.

221.EXT. BATTLEFIELD. ISANDHLWANA. DAY.

SHOTS OF THE ZULU ARMY. They stand, chanting, beating their

weapons against their shields, ready to attack.

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222.CAMERA PANS BACK to reveal the vast enormity of the ZULU

army in

comparison to the small Company of Redcoats.

223.VARIOUS CLOSE-UPS of kneeling Redcoats, poised, rifles at

the ready.

Their faces reveal the terror of the reality before them.

224.There is a uniform, disciplined, victorious shout from the

ZULU IMPI:

ZULU iMi'i

Usutu... . Usutu!

Only three hundred yards away, the Zulu Impi advance, vastly

outnumbering

their enemy ahead.

225.CLOSE-UP OF PTE. WILLIAMS. Extremely nervous, he looks to

SGT.

WLLIAMS for reassurance.

SGT. WILLIAMS removes a ceremonial sash from his inside pocket

and

places it defiantly over his tunic. He winks at PTE. WILLIAMS

who

returns to face the Zulu with renewed confidence.

226.DURNFORD leads his column onto the battlefield.

Dismounting, the

Company takes up it's positions and commences to fire a volley.

DURNFORD (Still on horseback)

Steady men. Steady. Steady now.

(Addressing one of his men) Sergeant

SGT.

Yes, Sir.

DURNFORD:

Ride to Lord Chelmsford. Ride toward Ulundi. Tell him the

battle he

longs for has started and he needs to move here quickly.

Quickly.

Yes, ColoneL

SGT.

227.CAVAYE'S AND MOSTYN'S COMPANIES

The last echo of the "Stand To" is heard. RUSSELL'S men fire a

rocket and

then another. They sail erratically over the heads of the ZULU

IMPI. The

third, however, finds it's target and strikes at the centre of

the advancing

warriors.

228.STOREY and BOY SOLDIER run forward hurriedly trying to

position

their markers.

STOREY:

All right, this '11 do. (Stopping, he hands BOY SOLDIER his

rifle)

Here, grab that.

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