Romantic Screenplays 101 (20 page)

Act II = Life 180 degrees: Survival trek to then away from doomed Ft. William Henry

19-21 Trekking by river falls, climbing, Uncas watches Alice, Duncan thanks scout but Nathaniel corrects him, “How can you go west to Kentucky?” “Head north and turn left sudden-like ‘cause not your damn militia.”

22-24
Sudden silence
as approach homestead clearing, burned cabin, Uncas touches dead Alexandra, scan charred building, Uncas in midst, shown leg-foot of dead child, Chingchagook identify print of Ottowa & 2 French, raiding party, walking when Cora challenges to bury& challenges Nathaniel’s “cruel indifference”, backs as he turns on her. “Not strangers & stay as lie.” (
really
LOOK
)

25-26 Night in forest, Cora to Nathanial position (
INTEREST
), “Why?” “Sign of our passing.” Apologizes, Nathaniel “Expected, father—Chingachgook—told breed apart & try not to understand”, “Breed apart?” Cocks rifle, everybody hunkers down.

27 Ottawa & French approach but stop & refuse closer so withdraw.
“Why?” Points to
nearby
burial grounds. “Make allowance.”

28-30 Nathanial tells of parents, trappers (
personal sharing/ENGAGEMENT
), Chingachgook at age 1 or 2, English school, “Why defenseless place?” “Indentured poor homestead answering to no one, John & Alexandra Cameron. Stars & Native American legend, so there’s monument to Camerons & my parents.” Cora: “I don’t understand but stirring to my blood.” (
admitting PERMISSION
) When she turns on side away, Nathaniel studies her.

31
Move thru dark forest, still cautious, Duncan encourages weakening Alice,
Uncas sees distant Indian tracking them.

32-34
Sudden distant cannon sounds.
Nighttime, French cannon lines, canoe on lake with women & Nathaniel in lake swimming alongside, explosions & smoke light up night, workers digging trenches, lining up cannon angle, men killed, canoe at shore, disembark below cannonade, approach fort with kilted British troops & torches

35-36.
Pinch I:
Sudden nearby explosions
,
Enter fort chaos, Militia friends: “Hello, boys!” “See how doing & need to talk to you”, weepy Alice forward with “Papa!” “What are you doing here, gels? Where my reinforcements?” Duncan: “Webb has no idea, attack en route”. Munro thanks three. “Powder supplies?” “Indebted”. Cora & Alice with Dr. Phelps.

37-39 “Situation?” “Bigger, more guns, digging closer, days.” “Webb’s at Edward, not Albany.” Nathaniel “Cameron’s cabin, murder by Ottawa ally of French” “So?” “Will attack up & down frontier. Men here have families,” “You are dismissed,” Duncan: “No one spared, things done,” Munro: “Subordinate to interests of the Crown.”

40-41
Sudden children singing
.
French encampment. Montcalm with Ottawa then
Magua approach, “How are things?” Report on Ft. Edward & dead couriers. Montcalm “Two women escorted into Ft. Wm Henry.” “Will have under knife again.” “Why hate Gray Hair?” “Carve out his heart, wipe seed from the earth.”

42 Nathaniel to infirmary as Cora bandages Uncas. “Done holding hands?” Takes piece silk cloth, hesitates, looks. Cora: “What looking at?” “Why you, Miss?” Smile to smile. (
ATTRACTION
)

43-44 Nathaniel & Uncas at fort wall with militia, dispatch runner ready, “silk gives another 40 yards”, men ready guns, runner into woods, Nathaniel & Uncas shoot attackers until longest shot made by patient Nathaniel

45-46 Cora overhears argument to release militia, “Nat word gospel & here longer than you”, Nathaniel: “Agreement with Webb. What saw, Major?” “Nothing to warrant releasing these men.” Nathaniel: “Better with the French.” “Sedition! See you hanged.” “Some day have a real disagreement.” Munro dictates threat of punishment of prison or shot .

47 Duncan to Cora, Wimpy Alice rises & leaves, Duncan: “When back in England won’t matter,” Cora: “Persist but answer No!”

48-49 Scenes of fort at night: Singing, comforting wounded, Indians smoking, as militia meet with Nathaniel, “Right to protect settlements”, “British no longer sovereign, absolutism, each man his own.” Nathaniel: “North then clear pickets by dawn,” “Staying?” “Reason have striped skirt & work in infirmary?” “It does & better lookin’ than you.” (
admit
LIKING
)

50 Nathaniel addresses Mohawk who is staying because gave word, Cora with man as he dies, exhausted & stands, looks around at waiting needy, leaves.

51-53
Mid-Point:
Nathaniel stops in fort grounds when sees Cora, walks by, taking her hand (
CONNECTION
), Secluded beyond dancing, couple look, touch, kiss turning into heavy petting, savoring embraces, insinuate making love, Nathaniel calmly holds her at dawn.

54-55
Sudden sounds of break-in
,
Nathaniel, Uncas, Chingachgook on their feet as soldiers invade quarters with handcuffs, Chingachgook: Asks & Nathaniel tells of helping friends leave. Cora defend to father, not guilty of sedition since stayed, “Duncan, you spoke falsely.” “Shouldn’t ask you to speak for him”. “He didn’t.” “Defend because infatuated”, “Think poorly of you now”. Munro: “Cora!” “Justice? Better with the French. Makes me guilty, too.”

56 Cora to Nathaniel’s cell. “Going to hang you. Why didn’t leave, too?” “All interested in is here. Fort will fall, stay with officers. I will find you. Promise to stay with officers.” (
MISUNDERSTAND
). “All the world’s on fire.”

57-58
Sudden cannons firing
, walls exploding. French at gate with white flag, in prison Nathaniel reminds Cora, morning dawns with drums & British marching to French lines & flags. Munro & Montcalm face one another.

59-61 Bowing formally in greeting, “Listen to my terms of surrender”, “See size of Webb’s forces?” “Intercepted dispatches”, junior officer reads aloud in English, Webb can’t send & suggests surrender, Duncan takes dispatch “Yes, Webb’s signature. Men rather die.” Montcalm asks “Listen to terms, no prison, keep guns, men leave, colonists home.” Munro: “Disappoint another British officer (Webb) not support.”

62-65 Maugua with French Indians watching
//
Sudden night quiet
)
Montcalm with squad, consult with Magua, “Hatchet not red. Friends with British?” Montcalm: “Ordered to make peace.” Magua: “Village burned, children killed, wife married another, all because of the Gray Hair. Became blood-brother to Mohawk but always Huron. Believe Gray Hair?” “But not Webb.”

66
Sudden drums beating
Soldiers marching in long line from fort mixed with civilians & wounded, Cora & Alice ride tandem on horse, all march by French soldiers & Montcalm, Munro: “The fort is yours.” Nathaniel among cuffed prisoners with Uncas & Chingachgook alongside.

67-70 All marching on narrow road through forest-lined field, watched from trees by outlined Indians, solo braves charge line to hack at soldiers, soldiers form up, but being shot down, all nervous watching trees, Nathaniel straining to see Cora ahead, increased rifle firing from trees as Indians charge up and down the line on both sides, brutal fighting, Nathaniel removes cuffs & Chingachgook gives rifle as the three weave through fighting toward Cora.

71 Cora & Alice off horse but protectors killed, Cora shoots Indian, Alice freaking, Nathaniel, Uncas, Chingchagook running & cutting down Indians en route, Duncan’s troops decimated at lakeside.

72 Magua sees Munro & shoots his horse, bends over him announcing vengeance then cuts out & holds up Munro’s heart.

73
Pinch II: Indian holds Alice as Cora attacks & he knocks her away, running Nathaniel screams her name, as Indian holds Cora to cut throat Nathaniel clubs him then collects Cora & hugs. Chingachgook gets Alice and Uncas leads way through battle.

74 At lakeside fighting, Nathaniel sees canoes, women into boat, paddling through mist
, Duncan aiming. Nathaniel: “Nothing better to do on the lake today, Major?” “I’ll see you hang!” All paddle intensely.

75-76 “To the river”, paddling into river’s current, over first short falls, hearing louder falls, to shore, climbing out & shoving canoes over falls.

77-78 Walking behind curtain of torrential water into cave, Nathaniel: “Hope think gone over falls and pass by. If not, forgo the pleasure of my hanging”, directs Uncas to keep eye on backtrail cave entrance, all powder wet, Cora asks about father, Nathaniel holds her as whispers in her ear, devastated, “Don’t tell Alice.” Continue to hold one another

79 Alice mesmerized by falls, Uncas grabs back and holds, cherishes her.

80
PPII:
Magua’s trackers with torches approach
, Uncas to cave. Native American language exchanges, Cora: “Yes, go!” “If stay, no chance.” Duncan: “Coward!” Cora: “If one something of other lives, too.” Nathaniel: “You stay alive no matter what. I
will
find you.” Long stare before runs & jumps. (
SEPARATION
)

Act III = Resolution: Rescue from Magua and his retribution

82-83 Cora resigned as torches approach, Alice clutches her, Strike Duncan & kill young soldier, Magua fingers Cora’s hair speaking in Native American, binding wrists, lead away.

84
Sudden roiling water
, POV struggle in rapids, Uncas & Nathaniel hold out rifle & caught by Chingachgook who is hauled to rocks. Up and running.

85 Indians lead prisoners, Cora falls into foliage,
Nathaniel, Uncas, Chingachgook keep at run up barren rocks,
Higher up trail Indians lead tiring prisoners
, Nathaniel finds Cora’s broken foliage & running (
INCREASE
). Maintaining fast pace thru forest.

86-87 Indian women help elderly Huron Sachem to seat in front of his people, addresses Magua with prisoners,
Nathaniel, Uncas, Chingchagook arrive at look-out point, watch Indians excited movement toward action.
Magua tells “Bring gift of soldier & women to burn in fires,” reacts to distant warrior whooping.

88-90 Nathaniel enter carrying beaded belt, shoved, slashed, bashed over head, pushed into Magua, tells Duncan to repeat in French: “Let go free to reduce anger”, Magua argues in French “Now French also fear Huron”, Nathaniel accuse “Want to become like whites infected with sickness of greed, become what twisted him. I am son of the Mohican, Long Carabine, Take me for her
(
NEED
),
my death an honor.”

91-92 Magua: “You speak poison.” Sachem shuts him. “What Huron to do? You not Huron!” Hesitates. Orders Magua take younger, return officer, burn dark haired one & “Long Carabine” go free. Duncan asks them to take
him
for Cora. Magua curses Sachem as grabs Alice. Nathaniel. “Did you tell me for her?” Indians grab Duncan “For God’s sake, take her & leave.” Cora screaming for Duncan as Nathaniel drags her away.

93 Uncas watches Magua with Alice, hand to Chingachgook’s shoulder and leaves father to follow Magua.

94 Warrior cheering as Duncan tied to frame & raised above fire, screaming.
Nathaniel to hiding place, raises gun (as Cora looks away) and ends Duncan’s agony. They begin climb up slope away from camp.

95
Uncas climbing. Far from him Chingachgook, Nathaniel & Cora climb.
Sweeping view of mountains to trail along ledge where war party leads Alice

96-101 Climax: Uncas takes out front four Indians, faces Magua (older, more experienced fighter) slashes & onto rocky outcropping, Alice fearful, Magua holdsUncas then kills & shoves over cliff
, Chingachgook then Nathaniel see from afar & react,
Alice moves out to rocks as Magua approaches, she looks down at Uncas’s body, Magua lowers knife & beckons, she jumps.
At a distance Cora screams,
Magua merely waves men to move on, Chingachgook catches up with rear guard & attacks, Nathaniel shooting others. As Chingachgook continues, Nathaniel picks up unused rifles, Chingachgook confronts Magua & uses war ax to kill him.

101
Commitment:
Nathaniel returns to Cora to turn her away from the carnage.

102-103 Chingachgook & Nathaniel stand on mountain top saying prayers for Uncas in his afterlife.