Полная версия
Condemned Gold. Script in English according novel «Russian scenario for Hollywood»
Condemned Gold
Script in English according novel «Russian scenario for Hollywood»
Александр Кваченюк-Борецкий
© Александр Кваченюк-Борецкий, 2018
ISBN 978-5-4490-3385-7
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Fade in:
EXT. WILLKIE FARMER’S HOUSE – UNITED STATES – DAY (1960)
Big old house somewhere in the Midwest. Willkie Farmer a man in his early twenties exits home. His mother – CHARLOTTE – runs after him.
CHARLOTTE
Where are you going, son?
WILLKIE
Ma, I’m not a small boy anymore,
don’t ask me where to? It’s time
for me to do a real man’s job!
CHARLOTTE
Well, you can look after cattle
here, it’s a man’s job
WILLKIE
(after a pause)
I’ll drop you a line, ma. Don’t
worry about me.
WILLKIE turns and walks away down the dusty road.
INT. BAR OWL – UNITED STATES – NIGHT (1960)
WILLKIE sits in a bar next to a middle-aged COWBOY, who sips his beer slowly. The man has a big SCAR on his left cheek. After a glass of beer COWBOY turns his swarthy face to WILLKIE and looks at him with his piercing gray hawk-like eyes. COWBOY wipes his mouth with a sleeve.
2
COWBOY
Whiskey?
WILLKIE
(readily)
I wouldn’t mind.
COWBOY nods to the bartender. He pours the men two glasses of spirits.
COWBOY
Where are you going, son… if it’s
not a secret?
WILLKIE
Looking for job!
COWBOY
What kind of job?
WILLKIE
One that pays money
At this moment a doorway in the bar opens wide and THREE GENTLEMEN in suits enter.
COWBOY slowly puts his right hand under the table.
The GENTLEMEN say something to one of the men in the bar and leave.
COWBOY follows them with his eyes, then turns to WILLKIE.
COWBOY
I might have a job for you, son.
WILLKIE
What do I do?
COWBOY
What I tell you to.
3
WILLKIE
Nope! That will not do. Tell me
what’s the job or I won’t go for it.
COWBOY
As you wish! (long beat) But I pay
with pure gold!
COWBOY takes out a little leather bag from his pocket and throws it on the table in front of WILLKIE. A handful of golden sand dusted on the top.
Looking at the bag, WILLKIE mutters something unintelligible. Seeing what a strong impression the gold has made on his new companion COWBOY grunts with satisfaction.
At this moment THREE MEN in suits enter the bar again. While WILLKIE weights the little bag in his hand, they approach him and the cowboy.
FIRST MAN IN SUIT
Texas Police! Nick Gordon, follow us.
The MAN in SUIT grabs the leather bag from Willkie’s hands.
FIRST MAN IN SUIT (CONT’D)
Heavy.
COWBOY takes out his colt
COWBOY
It’s not yours
4
THE FIRST MAN throws the bag on the table and steps backwards.
FIRST MAN IN SUIT
(quietly)
You’re dead!
COWBOY
Can I see you warrant, officers?
FIRST MAN IN SUIT
Here it is.
He hits COWBOY’S hand with the gun. The fight starts.
EXT. BAR – CONTINUOUS
COWBOY and WILLKIE run fast away from the bar.
BANG.
One of the bullets swishes over WILLKIE’s head. The second one reaches COWBOY.
He screams with pain.
WILLKIE catches up and drags him to the car.
The three men chase them.
WILLKIE jumps in the car and darts off.
5
INT. COWBOY’S CAR – NIGHT (SEVERAL HOURS LATER)
COWBOY breaths with difficulty
WILLKIE
Who were those guys? They were not
from the police, right?
COWBOY shakes his head
WILLKIE (CONT’D)
We need to treat your wound.
He tries to lift COWBOY, but he wheezes and moans. WILLKIE puts him back down.
COWBOY
In my right pocket.
COWBOY glances at his jacket
COWBOY
Take it… there, in the right pocket.
6
WILLKIE unbuttons the pocket and takes out a folded white envelope.
COWBOY (CONT’D)
It does not have a name on it, the
name of the owner of the land and
the gold mine. Write you name,
son… Go to Los Angeles, you need
to go to Gold Star, find Richard
Taylor and show him this paper.
COWBOY coughs
COWBOY (CONT’D)
But there is more, son. There is
more. There is a place in Russia
where there are sand dunes of
gold…
COWBOY chocks and falls silent.
For some time WILLKIE keeps looking at the dead man. Then he folds the envelope and puts it in his shirt pocket.
INT. ARTEMIEV’S OFFICE – GEOLOGY INSTITUTE – MODERN RUSSIA – DAY
INSERT SHOT – OLD YELLOW PAGES OF THE NOTEBOOK
7
Diary of a Convict:
V.O. LIUBOV ARTEMIEVA
March 1966. I just now realized how stupid it was! I do not even know his name. He said that he was an American journalist and writes essays on the Russian nature. I called him a Yankee as a joke. It seemed he wasn’t offended. So I called him Jan – for short. My boy – he has his eyes.
ARTEMIEVA’S HAND TURNS PAGE AFTER PAGE
September 1966. I nearly went mad with grief when my son was taken away from me.
November 1967. My son is one year and two months! How is he there? How does he look now?
August 1968. It’s him! Damn, Jan! I recognized him immediately. What the hell is he doing here in the prison? How did he get here? And this woman with him – very well dressed. No, I’m not jealous!
August 1968. I was allowed a meeting with Jan! But what to tell him? That our son was taken away from me.
August 1968. I’m afraid. It is possible that the risk would cost me even longer, if not eternal separation from my dear son!
August. In 1968. I ran away from camp with Jan!
BACK TO SCENE
ARTEMIEV closes the diary.
8
INT. CLASS ROOM – GEOLOGY INSTITUTE – MODERN RUSSIA – DAY
NICHOLAY YURSKY a twenty-five year old lecturer stands in front of his students.
YURSKY
I have good news for you guys, the
expedition was approved.
Students get excited
YURSKY
So have you decided who is going?
KOVALEV – a well-built guy with small black eyes, stands up.
KOVALEV
Yes. I’ll go, Misha Samokhvalov and
Nastya Barsukova!
STUDENT 1
Nicholay Nickolaevich, is it true
that the place where you are going
…well, it does not exist?
STUDENT 2
And there is no gold there.
KOVALEV
There are mountains of gold there.
STUDENT 2
How do you know?
9
STUDENT 1
So when do you sail away to Kolyma?
YURSKY
First of all, it’s not Kolyma, second
of all it’s not all about gold.
NASTYA
Who else is going?
The CLASS turns to her. NASTYA – a beautiful young girl with big brown eyes – looks at YURSKY – smiling.
YURSKY
Artemiev – the head of the expedition
and I.
Students begin to shout GOLD. GOLD. GOLD
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR
It is ARTEMIEV
ARTEMIEV
Do you have a minute?
10
YURSKY
All right, the class is over for today.
You can go.
Students leave.
ARTEMIEV
I’ve been told you want to see me.
YURSKY
Severkov moused out something.
ARTEMIEV
OK, we will show them the smallest
deposit. Especially since the mines
are located so close to each other.
Only you and I know about the Rapid
River.
YURSKY
Severkov requested a preliminary
assay, which I made, but then the
data is now incorrect, if we show
only the smallest deposit.
In addition, you know, the rumors
will spread if there will be less
gold than expected, meaning that
someone has appropriated it. They
will send inspectors. You
understand what I mean?
ARTEMIEV
Here is a map. Show it to this man
from the top – Elkin. Tell him it’s
(MORE)
11
ARTEMIEV (CONT’D)
just a copy and I have the original.
You made a duplicate, when you
went to explore with me, and you
do not know how to find it.
ARTEMIEV hands YURSKY a piece of paper.
ARTEMIEV
By the way, we have new people on
our team. Guess who? Kovalev!
YURSKY
I know. I was surprised myself.
ARTEMIEV
Severkov told me to take him with us.
EXT. VILLAGE ROAD – RUSSIA – LATE EVENING
A luxurious SUV drives down a dusty road at a full speed.
ERNEST KOVALEV – is in the front seat on the passenger side.
Behind the wheel – GARIK, a roguish type of person.
In the back seat – NASTYA, MISHA SAMOCHVALOV AND ELKIN.
The SUV is followed by Artemiev’s old car.
Abruptly the SUV stops in front of the impregnable walls of a dark wood.
12
Geologists gets out
ARTEMIEV
Let’s halt. We will leave tomorrow
morning.
They make a fire and eat a canned dinner. YURSKY pitches a tent.
KOVALEV
Garik and I will sleep in the car.
ARTEMIEV
Let’s decide who’s going to be on
duty tonight.
KOVALEV
Yursky. Look, he’s not tired.
NASTYA
I will replace him after two hours.
KOVALEV gives her an angry look
YURSKY returns to the fire and, taking a can with meat, sits
opposite NASTYA. They look at each other for sometime.
NASTYA smiles.
YURSKY withdraws his eyes
13
INT. ARTEMIEV’S TENT – NIGHT
ARTEMIEV continues reading a mysterious diary of a convict
FLASHBACK:
INT. CONCENTRATION CAMP – RUSSIA – AUGUST 1968 – DAY
V.O. LIUBOV ARTEMIEVA
Everything happened so fast that I really did
not realize anything. This woman who came
along with Jan suddenly came into the kitchen
where I was cooking…
An elegantly dressed WOMAN enters a dirty kitchen where another woman – LIUBOV ARTEMIEVA – stands near an oven.
The WOMAN hurriedly slips off something like a hunting suit of a dark green color. Women exchange dresses.
WOMAN
Go!
LIUBOV hesitates for a moment, looking at another WOMAN who, now in prisoner’s dress, looks very similar to herself.
Women hug each other briefly and LIUBOV ARTEMIEVA darts out of the kitchen.
14
EXT. CONCENTRATION CAMP YARD – CONTINUOUS
In the courtyard of the camp Jan waits for LUIBOV. We recognize WILLKIE FARMER in Jan. He talks to a PRISON GUARD.
When men see LUIBOV, the GUARD opens the huge heavy gate.
LIUBOV approaches the men, pretending to be as relaxed as possible. Jan takes her hand and they exit the prison.
CUT TO:
JAN AND LIUBOV STRUGGLE MOVING THROUGH TAIGA
V.O. LUIBOV ARTEMIEVA
Taking the loads of provisions and sleeping bags,
we have fled in an unknown direction, walking
day and night. But sooner or later they will
discover that prisoner number 207 has escaped.
JAN AND LIUBOV COME UP TO THE DRY RIVER BED
Above them is a cliff; one branch leads directly below the mountain range, forming a natural arch. They proceed to the pass and go through the mountains.
15
V.O. LIUBOV ARTEMIEVA
We found ourselves in a fantastic location!
LIUBOV and JAN carefully examine the place where they come to. There is a big LAKE with crystal blue water.
V.O. LIUBOV ARTEMIEVA
What we found here cannot be described.
Soon the water will strike its way back here,
destroying the dam of ice in the mountains.
It will close access to the blue lake forever.
This is my last record. Good buy, diary.
BACK TO:
EXT. FOREST – NEXT DAY
The expedition comes out on one of the gold deposits, marked on the map.
ARTEMIEV
Here.
Gentle slopes of pine and spruce surround the group.
YURSKY walks up to the nearest mountain, and with a single blow chips off a piece of ore. He puts it on his palm to show the others.
16
GARIK
Boss, and we dragged ourselves to
this goddamn shithole to find this.
It’s worth less than the diesel we’ve
used to come here
KOVALEV
Where’s the other bed.
YURSKY
What other bed?
Suddenly KOVALEV takes out a pistol. Geologists exchange frightened glances.
ARTEMIEV pulls himself together
ARTEMIEV
Put this thing down. All right?
Look…
He takes out the map.
ARTEMIEV (CONT’D)
Right here – we are here! Here next
to us are two more beds!
KOVALEV
Your map is a fake!
ARTEMIEV
No, it’s not
17
KOVALEV
No, Garik.
GARIK takes out a gun and points it at geologists.
KOVALEV (CONT’D)
Let’s see.
NASTYA
Bastards!
KOVALEV turns around. Geologists all freeze.
Suddenly BANG.
To everybody’s horror MISHA SAMOCHVALOV falls on the ground and moans.
KOVALEV, surprised himself, looks at MISHA. But then he roars.
KOVALEV
From now on you do what I tell you
to do. If, you,
(turns to Artemiev)
Don’t take me to the real bed, I
will kill all of you.
Not paying attention to Kovalev, NASTYA rushes to MISHA, who’s shoulder is bleeding. She reaches for her rucksack and takes out a first aid kit. She bandages MISHA’s arm.
18
YURSKY
We need to get back.
KOVALEV
Nobody’s going back until I get my
gold!
YURSKY
The guy will simply bleed to death
if not immediately rushed to the
mainland. Do you want him dead?
ARTEMIEV
If we go with no sleep or rest, then it
will take us no more than one and a
half days, maximum – two!
Let the guys carry him to the mainland
and I’ll take you to the gold bed.
KOVALEV
Do not even dream about it!
EXT. TAIGA – DAY
ELKIN and YURSKY carry wounded SAMOCHVALOV on a self-made stretcher.
They take turns with ARTEMIEV and GARIK every now and then and have a rest.
Samokhvalov groans and moans loudly.
19
KOVALEV
Shut up! We’ve already spent too
much water on you and treatment of
your wounds.
NASTYA
Isn’t it obvious that Misha is barely
alive? The bandage is all red with
blood. People need rest.
KOVALEV
(hesitates)
Halt!
YURSKY
Could not resist it, Kovalev?
KOVALEV
Shut up or I’ll shoot you like a dog!
YURSKY
Come on, shoot.
KOVALEV
You are in my power and I can do
what I want to. Once we arrive at
the Rapid River, I will be pleased
to make a hole in your academic
head.
(to Garik)
Tie them up together.
GARIK
But, Boss where do I get a rope?
KOVALEV
In the shop… go and buy one!
20
GARIK
Boss, I’m serious.
KOVALEV
I’m not kidding! (beat) Am I to teach
you everything!.. Stretch silk ribbons
of the tent!
EXT. RUSSIAN TAIGA – EVENING
GEOLOGISTS lie on the damp grass twisted like earthworms.
GARIK glances at KOVALEV, looking for approval.
KOVALEV
(irritably)
What do you want?
GARIK
What to do with him?
Kovalev comes close to Misha Samokhvalov who shows no signs of life.
KOVALEV
This shit – I don’t want to waste
rope on him!
21
KOVALEV touches MISHA’S shoulder.
EXT. RUSSIAN TAIGA – NEXT DAY
GEOLOGISTS still tied up, lie on the ground suffering from a terrible noon heat.
ELKIN
Water!
KOVALEV nods to GARIK, and the later runs to the river to scoop up some water.
He returns to the camp with flasks full.
KOVALEV takes one of the flasks, unscrews the cap and drinks slowly, water dripping down on his chest.
ARTEMIEV
Drink!
KOVALEV
Water is now worth its weight in gold!
The deal must be fair, on equal terms.
GARIK approaches ELKIN.
22
GARIK
Boss, the old man seems to have
lost consciousness, and the girl —
she is green and moans!
YURSKY
At least give water to Misha and
Nastya.
KOVALEV nods reluctantly at GARIK
GARIK
(giving Misha to drink)
Come on. Here. Let’s look at your
wound! If you need a fresh bandage
GARIK bares MISHA’s shoulder
GARIK (CONT’D)
Hey! And where’s your famous wound?
GARIK checks the shoulder.
EXTREME CLOSE-UP. A SMALL SCRATCH
GARIK looks puzzled at the red bandage and smells it.
23
GARIK
It’s lipstick! Boss!
GARIK hits MISHA in the face
Kovalev grabs his wrist.
KOVALEV
Quiet! Here I am – the boss!
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
