Tài liệu Writing the short film 3th - Part 40 pdf

7. EXT. DIRT ROAD ON THE EDGE OF THE FOREST—DAY A man pulls his GOAT down a muddied path. WE SEE THREE LARGE KNIGHTS DRESSED IN BLACK RIDE UP ON HORSEBACK. They stop when they reach the peasant. The knight closest to the old man points at the man’s hands, which are covered by gloves. The man, who is very humble, takes off the gloves revealing that he has black fingernails. He looks up at the dark knight with humility. A flash of terror registers on the man’s face. TIGHT ON THE DARK KNIGHT. WE SEE A CLOSE-UP OF A SWORD AS IT GOES UP. CLOSE-UP ON THE BULL AS WE HEAR THE SOUND OF THE SWORD CRASH DOWN. 8. EXT. FOREST—DAY The sunbeams seep through the green leaves and fall upon the forest. WE CAN SEE A WOMAN IN A COLORFUL DRESS WALK THROUGH THE FOREST. She is Rachel (25 years old). Rachel is carrying two buckets of water attached to a yoke that goes across her shoulders. Though it appears to be spring, she is wearing gloves. SHE IS HUMMING VERY SOFTLY. WE HEAR IN THE DISTANCE A MAN SCREAMING, SOUNDS WE CANNOT MAKE OUT, AND CHILDREN SCREAMING. SHE QUICKLY MOVES THROUGH THE FOREST. She is frightened. She comes upon a small fairy-tale house with a thin stream of smoke rising from its chimney. Through the clearing mist WE SEE ANNA AND MERYL COME RUNNING OUT OF THE HOUSE. WE SEE THEY ARE THE SAME GIRLS EXCEPT THEY ARE DRESSED IN FAIRY-TALE CLOTHING. Both girls wear mittens. They are screaming and take refuge in their mother’s skirt. Rachel looks up and sees a man with a scary mask running out of the house. For a moment, the mask is threatening and ominous, then we realize it is play. This is ADAM (30 years old). He is hunched over pretending to be an animal. He studies Rachel carefully and pulls off his mask. The two girls peek out at them. RACHEL Adam . . . you frightened me. ADAM I didn’t mean to, Rachel. Short Screenplays 263 App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 263 Adam glares at her. Rachel gently hands off a basket to Anna. RACHEL (to Anna) Anna . . . Meryl, please gather the eggs. We follow Anna and Meryl as they walk beside the house where the chicken nests are. Anna reaches in and pulls out several eggs; they are a deep shade of blue. Meryl reaches in and gets another blue egg. WE HEAR THE SOUNDS GETTING LOUDER FROM RACHEL AND ADAM, THOUGH WE CAN’T MAKE OUT WHAT THEY’RE SAYING. Meryl and Anna peer back at them. The children are scared. We are not sure why. Adam walks over to the children. Adam smiles; he bends down to their eye level. He places his finger over his mouth with a motion to shhh them. With their attention he takes off his gloves. WE SEE HE HAS BLACK FINGERNAILS. HE REACHES BEHIND ANNA S EAR AND PULLS OUT A TOY. THE TWO GIRLS LAUGH. WE HEAR THE SUDDEN THUNDER OF HORSES. TIGHT ON THE EGGS FALLING ON THE GROUND. TIGHT ON ADAM REACHING FOR HIS GLOVES. Adam reaches for his ax. RACHEL LOOKS CONFUSED. Rachel and Adam look around at the empty forest. The children look at their parents. The sound disappears. 9. EXT. S0MEWHERE IN THE FOREST—DAY Meryl is sitting with her doll across from her. MERYL (in a motherly tone) You must wear your mittens and you mustn’t talk to anyone. (in a baby voice) But I don’t want to wear my mittens! (in a motherly tone) You must! You have black fingernails. She puts the little mittens onto the doll’s hands. Anna jumps out, grabs the doll, and holds a stick like a sword at Meryl. 264 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 264 ANNA What do we have here? She doesn’t want to wear her mittens? Well, don’t believe the King would like that! (to Meryl) You can’t be trusted! (in baby voice) Kill her at once . . . Anna takes the doll and runs off with it. Meryl follows in fast pursuit. WE FOLLOW AS THEY DASH THROUGH THE WOODS. THE CAMERA FOLLOWS THEM AS THEY DART THROUGH THE LEAVES AND BRANCHES. Meryl almost catches up, only to fall. Anna gains some distance; once again, Meryl gains on her. Meryl stops to catch her breath and loses sight of Anna, then catches sight of her dress. Off she runs. 10. EXT. S0MEWHERE IN THE FOREST—DAY Meryl is out of breath. Anna is still in the lead, staggering ahead. They approach a group of five children at play. They have not seen other children in a long time. They stand statuesque for a moment and then are lured in by the children’s game. 11. EXT. THE SHACK—DAY Rachel is taking down the linens. The sound of children laughing is in the background. WE HEAR THE CLANGING IN THE WIND OF A BELL. Rachel looks up. TIGHT ON RACHEL. HER STARE GOES FROM CALM TO HORROR. 12. EXT. S0MEWHERE IN THE FOREST—DAY They are playing King of the Mountain. The sun slightly begins to set. As Meryl is about to reach the top, WE FAINTLY HEAR THE SOUNDS OF HORSES. The children continue to play. The children stop playing. They look up at MERYL and stare in terror. THREE DARK KNIGHTS ARE ON HORSEBACK BEHIND MERYL. The children look down at ANNA’s hands and back away. Short Screenplays 265 App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 265 13. EXT. THE SHACK—DAY Adam comes upon the house. He sees the ramshackle remains of the shack. The windows of the house have all been smashed. Rachel is nowhere to be seen. He shakes his head in denial. Adam frantically calls out Rachel’s name. WE HEAR EVER SO FAINTLY THE SOUNDS OF HORSES. He screams for Anna and Meryl. 14. EXT. CASTLE ON AN ISLAND—DUSK NIVY (V.O.) The Evil King did not destroy all his subjects; for some he had other plans. The castle is dark and sinister. The sunset ripples off the water. 15. INT. DUNGEON Anna and Meryl are now dressed only in flimsy burlap uniforms and clogs. WE SEE A DEEP SPACE WITH ONLY A HINT OF LIGHT COMING FROM A TINY CRACK WAY UP ABOVE. As they walk into the dungeon, the sounds of moaning are present. Anna and Meryl are bothered by the foul odor. Other prisoners walk past the girls. Anna and Meryl almost get separated, but cling to each other. MERYL (whispering) Anna, why are we here? Is it because we’re bad? Anna motions to Meryl to be quiet. Anna takes Meryl’s hand and holds it. 16. INT. DUNGEON ENTRANCE TO WORKERS’ ROOM Anna and Meryl stand next to each other in a line. WE HEAR THE BELL SOUND. Girls are to either side of the little girls. MERYL I like sugar . . . and I like strawberries. 266 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 266 ANNA I like rainbows and . . . I like chocolate. MERYL I like ponies . . . and . . . A light from a doorway flashes a crimson glow on the girls. MERYL I like . . . snowmen . . . and I like unicorns. ANNA and . . . DISSOLVE: 17. INT. DUNGEON WORKER ROOM NIVY (V.O.) Little Anna and little Meryl toiled in the King’s dungeon. The days grew into nights, the nights into weeks. A red glow flickers in the room. A small girl comes towards the camera. She has a shovel in hand; her face is covered with sweat. She lifts the shovel and dumps the coal in towards the camera. Anna comes up and does the same thing. Meryl walks up and dumps the coal in towards the camera. Another little girl follows in the same motion. A bell sounds, everyone leaves frame. 18. INT. DUNGEON NIVY (V.O.) That night the King’s guard entered the dungeon. WE PULL BACK AND SEE THAT TIME HAS PASSED. ANNA AND MERYL HAVE RATTED HAIR, PALE SKIN, SUNKEN EYES, AND ARE MUCH THINNER. A tall man in black enters. Short Screenplays 267 App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 267 GUARD (in NIVY’s voice) Anyone who will work all night to dig ditches will receive . . . a bowl of soup. Meryl looks at Anna who looks frail and weak. Meryl goes with the man. Anna slumps back. NIVY (V.O.) Only Meryl had the strength. SLOW DISSOLVE: 19. INT. DUNGEON Anna lays with her eyes closed, and the camera slowly rises above her. 20. INT. DUNGE0N—UNKN0WN Meryl is covered in mud. She staggers in, carrying a tin bowl of soup. She is so exhausted that she can barely make it to Anna. Anna appears even paler than when Meryl left her. Meryl places the bowl of soup in front of Anna. She shakes Anna several times to wake her up. Anna leans up, looks at the soup, then looks at Meryl. Anna lies back down. Meryl shakes her again; Anna doesn’t get up. Meryl hands Anna a spoon. Anna dips her spoon in and Meryl dips hers in. Anna brings her spoon to her lips and, just before she puts it in her mouth, ever so carefully spills the soup back into the bowl so Meryl doesn’t see. Meryl brings her spoon to her lips and, just before she puts it in her mouth, ever so carefully, so Anna doesn’t see, spills her soup back into the bowl. Again Anna dips her spoon into the soup and again she carefully spills it back into the bowl. Again Meryl dips her spoon into the bowl and again she too spills it back into the bowl. This continues again and again; the spoon drops the soup back into the bowl. The soup’s level in the bowl stays the same. Meryl stares at Anna and sees what she is doing. Meryl smiles. Anna sees that she has been found out. Meryl dips her spoon in and places it at Anna’s lips. Anna 268 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 268 opens her mouth and eats the soup. Anna then dips her spoon and feeds Meryl. Meryl and Anna feed each other until there is no more soup. MERYL (V.O.) (impatiently) So, what happened to them? 21. INT. LIVING ROOM—DUSK THEY ARE SILHOUETTED BY THE FIRE. Meryl and Anna are moved. Anna stares at her fingertips, then looks at Meryl who is staring back at her. NIVY Many say that it was that simple little bowl of soup that saved Meryl and Anna. But I say it was also their hope. For the Evil King that had caused so much misery was overthrown. And the dark and sad dungeons were open and people with black fingernails no longer had to cover their hands. MERYL Grandma, that sounds like a real story. Just like a movie. Meryl gets up and hugs Nivy. Anna hugs them both. ANNA Grandma, where did you hear that story? Nivy leans back to turn off the reading lamp behind her. The light is on long enough to reveal the numbers that are tattooed into her arm. NIVY That’s another story . . . THE LIGHT IS SWITCHED OFF—FADE TO BLACK ROLL CREDITS THE END Short Screenplays 269 App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 269 . puts the little mittens onto the doll’s hands. Anna jumps out, grabs the doll, and holds a stick like a sword at Meryl. 264 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd. WE SEE THEY ARE THE SAME GIRLS EXCEPT THEY ARE DRESSED IN FAIRY-TALE CLOTHING. Both girls wear mittens. They are screaming and take refuge in their mother’s