84C MoPic

Patrick Sheane Duncan

Description

Shooting draft.

Informations

• Publié par: script-cinema
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1989
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• Licence : En savoir +
  Paternité, pas d'utilisation commerciale, partage des conditions initiales à l'identique
• Langue: English

Extrait

LIEUTENANT DREWRY -- EL TEE

Bright green, brand new issue tropical fatigues, boots, M- 16, and .45 pistol. Just out of Officer Candidate School. Crewcut, clean face, ambitious and full of the wrong ideas. 24 years old.

SERGEANT O'DONIGAN -- OD

Well-faded tiger fatigues, scuffed boots, a lot of trail behind him. A black man from a large family, takes care of his team. Carries a CAR-15, carbine model of the M-16, and a Model 70 Winchester bolt action sniper rifle with scope, both with long black muzzle flash suppressors. A natural leader. An intensely serious man on the job, his rare smile dazzles. OD is 21.

SPEC/5 -- CRACKER

Spotted camouflage fatigues, worn and faded. He never tans, just gets red. Trace of a Southern accent and an old man's eyes. Defers to OD. Carries a 12-gauge riot shotgun with bandolier, and an M-14 sniper rifle with scope and flash suppressor. Dry wit, likes to watch the interplay between the others and wait for his opening. He is 24, but looks older.

SPEC/4 BALDWIN -- PRETTY BOY

Handsome, all-American, clean cut, easy going, he keeps the peace between Easy and Hammer. His tiger fatigues look tailored. Carries an M-79 grenade launcher with two bandoliers of grenades. Quick to smile, Easy's best friend and audience. Pretty Boy is 20.

SPEC/4 THORPE -- HAMMER

Short, stocky, Fu Manchu mustache, too-small tiger fatigues accented with black t-shirt and black leather gloves with the fingers cut off. Swaggering macho style, carries his M- 60 machine gun like he's seen too many John Wayne movies. Half immature teenager, half warrior, he is jealous of the affection shown toward Easy. He is 19.

PRIVATE EASELY -- EASY

Skinny, homely, his tiger fatigues look baggy. He carries the PRC-25 radio and M-1 carbine. Walks with a bounce, even in the jungle, and talks like an urban, rock and roll speed freak. Takes nothing seriously, least of all himself. Loves Pretty Boy, admires OD, teases Hammer because he's an easy target. He's been in the war too long and he is now getting scared. Easy is 21.

VIETNAM - The Central Highlands - 1968

The CAMERA STARTS and focuses on the ground where the words --

-- have been scratched.

An M-16 bayonet is jabbed into the ground next to the letters. The lettering goes fuzzy then sharp, fuzzy then sharp, as the Cameraman focuses.

A hand reaches in and pulls the bayonet out of the ground.

The Camera pulls back and focuses on LIEUTENANT DREWRY. He sheaths the bayonet and turns on the tape recorder that is next to his rucksack. He fiddles with the dials and looks at the Camera.

Sound on.

DREWRY

...turns this thing on? How do you tell if it's working? Outstanding.

They stand outside a large tent with a sign in front of it -- "S-2/S-3". A soldier whitewashes a line of rocks that form a square in front of the tent. Further away a soldier casually guards four Vietnamese who are filling sandbags. Music plays in one of the tents.

The Camera catches everything, including the rise of ground in front of the tent, the helicopter pad.

Drewry finishes a cigarette as he tries to tighten the straps on his pack. The Camera dwells on Drewry as he puts out the cigarette on the heel of one shiny new boot, field strips the butt and scatters the tobacco, balls up the paper and pockets it and the filter. He is nervous.

He stands and faces the Camera, adjusts his gig line and tries to look serious.

DREWRY

Ah... Drewry, Richard B., First Lieutenant... Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade... Vietnam. (beat) Lessons Learned Project, DASPO.

He pauses a moment and thinks.

CAMERAMAN (O.S.)

Mission.

DREWRY

Reconnaissance mission, Central Highlands. Our goal is to record procedures peculiar to this combat situation. Uh...

The fluttering of a distant helicopter is heard. It gets louder. Drewry looks into the sky and finds the helicopter.

DREWRY

That must be ours.

The Camera finds the helicopter, a Huey. It descends toward the pad where a soldier helps it land, using hand signals.

The blades kick up a huge cloud of dust.

Through the dust walks the team with OD in the lead. Packs on their backs, weapons in hand.

The Huey engine idles, the whoop-whoosh of the blades a slow, steady beat.

OD halts the team and Easy gooses HAMMER with his thumb. Hammer just grins.

HAMMER

Damn, Easy, you got a cold nose.

Drewry walks over to the team.

DREWRY

Which one of you is Sergeant O'Donigan?

OD

Yo, sir.

The men play for the Camera. Easy cranks up a middle finger. Pretty Boy waves, "Hi, Mom". Hammer pretends to jack off. Cracker gurns. OD tries to ignore the Camera, but he is wary.

DREWRY

Glad to be working with you, Sergeant. I'm your new Officer in Charge. Major Nolin has briefed me on the mission. We're prepared to move out.

OD looks at Drewry in surprise. He looks at the Cameraman, then back to Drewry. The team is stunned.

OD

We'll see about that.

Angrily he drops his pack and weapons and strides into the S- 2 tent. Nonplussed, Drewry hesitates, then follows.

The rest of the team look at the Cameraman.

EASY

TV news?

CAMERAMAN (O.S.)

Army. How about a roll call?

EASY

Easely, Private E-2! Soon to be promoted to PFC... Private Fucking Civilian! 27 days and a wake up! I'm short, sir!

HAMMER/PRETTY BOY/CRACKER How short are you?

EASY

I'm so short I can parachute off a dime, sir!

Easy gives a half-assed salute.

The Camera focuses on Pretty Boy.

PRETTY BOY

Spec 4 Baldwin, San Bernardino, California.

He straightens his hair and just stands there.

CAMERAMAN (O.S.)

Don't look at me, look at the camera. (beat) Say something.

PRETTY BOY

Something.

Easy grabs the microphone from the Cameraman.

EASY

Testes, testes, one, two.

HAMMER

"Jingle bells, mortar shells...

HAMMER/EASY ...VC in the grass...

TEAM

...You can take your Merry Christmas and stick it up your...

They all laugh.

The Camera moves in on Hammer. He steps forward, at stiff attention.

HAMMER

Thorpe, William. Specialist 4th Class. US 16-848-107. Machine gunner.

EASY

What a lifer.

HAMMER

Put a liplock on my love muscle, Easy.

EASY

Let me fuck you in the ear so you can hear me coming.

CRACKER

I think they're in love.

EASY

We are, we're engaged.

Easy leaps on Hammer and sticks his tongue in his ear.

HAMMER

That's disgusting, man.

Easy tries to kiss Hammer. Pretty Boy, and Cracker join the pile up on Hammer. They roll in the dirt.

The Cameraman singles out Cracker, who is a little worried.

CAMERAMAN (O.S.)

You want to sound off?

CRACKER

Uh, right. Spec 5 Frye, weapons specialist. I'm hare-lipped, hump- backed and half crazy. Not responsible for my own actions.

Hammer stands behind Cracker and gives him horns. Easy puts a wet finger in his ear, and Pretty Boy raises a clenched fist between Cracker's legs.

Cracker ignores them.

OD and Drewry walk out of the tent accompanied by Major Nolin.

OD is looking grim. Drewry salutes Nolin.

OD

(to team)

Let's get our shit together. We got a mission.

The team grab their gear and walk toward the helicopter. Easy takes off his soft cap and puts on his steel helmet.

The Cameraman moves in on OD.

CAMERAMAN (O.S.)

How about your name and rank? Don't look at me, look at the camera.

OD

I'm not talking to the camera, I'm telling you. Get that thing out of my face.

OD shoulders his gear. Cracker hands him his weapons and looks at OD with a question in his eyes. OD shakes his head.

The team boards the Huey easily, they've done it a thousand times, a casual ride in the country. Drewry and the Cameraman wait to board last.

Drewry looks at OD. OD glares at him.

The Cameraman is helped in and he catches a shot of the S-2 tent. Major Nolin watches the chopper.

The engine revs and the Huey lifts.

BLACK. Sound off.

STOCK FOOTAGE -- Vietnam countryside from the helicopter P.O.V., passing over a fire base.

CAMERA ON.

Hammer tries to talk with the door gunner. Easy blows into his thumb, inflating his middle finger. Pretty Boy sleeps. The Camera focuses on Easy, who looks nervous, but tries to cover it.

The Camera turns and catches a view of the jungle below. Rice paddies, peasants working, water buffalo.

STOCK FOOTAGE -- The Central Highlands, mountains, triple canopy jungle.

BLACK.

The CAMERA STARTS as the helicopter hits the ground. Sound on.

Cracker and Hammer drop first and wait for the rest of the men to clear the helicopter. The wind from the helicopter blades beats the brush with hard rhythm.

The men run through the brush, OD in the lead, followed by Pretty Boy, Easy, Drewry and the Cameraman. The sounds of the helicopter fade as it flies away off screen.

Drewry's rucksack and harness rattle and clatter, flopping loosely on his back, straps flying.

The Cameraman turns and kneels to capture Cracker and Hammer pulling up the rear. They run past him. The Cameraman gets to his feet and follows. Cracker stops for a second and grabs the Cameraman by the shoulder and shoves him ahead.

CRACKER

Move your ass, troop.

The Cameraman runs on. Branches whip at the lens as it breaks through the dense brush. Sometimes the branches obliterate the picture completely for a second.

The Cameraman loses sight of Hammer and he tries to catch up. The Cameraman suddenly reaches Hammer and the others stopped behind some brush at the edge of a clearing ten to fifteen meters across.

OD crosses the clearing, running in a low crouch. Easy is on the alert, watching intently as OD disappears into the brush on the other side of the clearing. Cracker and Hammer watch the flanks, Pretty Boy the rear.

Drewry sits on the ground huffing and puffing. He's not used to this.

DREWRY

How long... we gotta... run?

PRETTY BOY

This is Indian country, sir. Dime to a dollar, Chuck saw or heard that chopper. He don't figure the pilot stopped to take a piss. Best to put some klicks between the LZ and us. Can you dig it?

Pretty Boy doesn't look at Drewry, he watches the jungle behind them.

OD comes into sight on the other side of the clearing, his fist pumping in the air.

EASY

Clear.

Easy runs across the clearing. He makes it safely. Hammer goes next.

Pretty Boy hits the top of Drewry's helmet.

PRETTY BOY

Quick, like a bunny fucks.

Drewry takes a deep breath and runs across the clearing. Pretty Boy follows.

Cracker covers the rear.

CRACKER

(to Cameraman)

Your turn in the barrel. Go.

The Cameraman runs across the clearing.

The team is clustered together, each man facing a different direction, alert. Drewry adjusts his pack straps. The Cameraman turns and catches Cracker crossing the clearing, then he tries to focus on the entire team.

They are gone. All the Cameraman catches is Pretty Boy's back disappearing into the jungle.

The Cameraman runs after them. He trips and almost falls, but runs on. Branches blind his lens.

More busting brush, just keeping Pretty Boy's back in sight.

The Camera explodes into a small circular clearing, an open pocket in the jungle growth.

Drewry has fallen into a sweaty heap.

Hammer and Pretty Boy stand on alert.

Easy and OD crouch together. Easy is on the radio.

EASY

Stone Hombre, this is Outrider. Down and happy. Say again, down and happy. Sit Rep Alpha Oscar Kilo. Over.

RADIOMAN

(filtered)

Outrider, Stone Hombre. We read you Lima Charlie. Down and happy. Sierra Romeo checks Alpha Oscar Kilo. Over.

EASY

Outrider, out.

The Cameraman sits.

OD looks at the Cameraman and Drewry in disgust.

OD

You ever heard of noise discipline? Easy, get these FNG's shit together.

OD opens his map. Cracker joins him.

EASY

Pretty Boy, duct tape.

Easy walks over to the Cameraman. Pretty Boy tosses him a roll of olive green duct tape and walks over to Drewry.

EASY

OD says your shit's flaky, your shit's flaky. (laughing quietly) You two are noisier than two skeletons fucking on a tin roof...

PRETTY BOY

...using a soup can for a rubber.

CRACKER

Make more noise than a Chinese gang bang.

HAMMER

Noisier than a baby in a blender.

EASY

No sweat, GI, we'll just square away this load-bearing equipment.

Pretty Boy gets another roll of olive drab duct tape from his pack and begins to tape down and tighten the loose straps on Drewry's pack. Drewry helps where he can.

In the background, OD and Cracker consult the map and their compass.

DREWRY

I didn't have time to do this myself. I just reported in and they said I was going out into the field. Barely had time to go to Quartermaster and get my issue and weapon.

CRACKER

You never been on line, sir?

DREWRY

No.

EASY

I can't believe they gave us an El Tee, but, shit, a cherry El Tee.

HAMMER

Just what we need, an FNG. No offense, sir.

DREWRY

FNG?

CRACKER

Fucking New Guy, sir.

Drewry has two grenades hooked to his harness suspenders. Pretty Boy unhooks them and puts them into a pouch.

PRETTY BOY

A vine or branch could pull the pin. Never "John Wayne" your grenades, sir.

EASY

Yeah, the last thing you want to do is blow yourself away, El Tee. A chest wound is nature's way of saying you fucked up.

DREWRY

What I heard, they had a man assigned to you from one of the line units, but his chopper crashed. So they grabbed me.

OD looks at Drewry and shakes his head. Pretty Boy unclips one of Drewry's dog tags and hooks it behind his boot laces.

PRETTY BOY

Just in case you get separated.

EASY

How long you been in-country, fresh meat?

CAMERAMAN (O.S.)

48 days down, 308 to go.

DREWRY

26 days. You?

EASY

Oh, El Tee, you're so new you ain't been born yet. Me, I am short.

PRETTY BOY

(to Easy)

How short are you?

EASY

I'm so short you have to dig a hole to kick my ass. (to Cameraman) What's your MOS?

CAMERAMAN (O.S.)

84 Charlie MoPic.

EASY

No shit? 84 Charlie. Gotta be better'n 11 Bravo. MoPic? What's that stand for? Like Motown?

PRETTY BOY

Maybe MoPower.

HAMMER

Or MoFucker.