Tài liệu Writing the short film 3th - Part 38 pdf

PIGEON
(La Colombe)
by Anthony Green
Based on a True Story
Setting: Winter—Early December—Small town of Reims
in France—1941, Nazi regime has occupied France for
nearly 18 months.
FADE IN: EXT. SMALL TRAIN PLATFORM AT TICKET
WINDOW—DAY.
JOSEPH
One to Milano please.
JOSEPH WEISNER, 55 years old, stocky, grey-haired
male takes his ticket from the small opening in the glass
partition of the ticket office. The open-air station leaves
the harsh winter breeze free to prey on the dozen
passengers waiting for the next train. JOSEPH walks to
the closest bench with his newspaper under his arm and
suitcase in hand and sits.
EXT. SOUTH END OF TRAIN PLATFORM. DAY
Joseph sits patiently on the bench reading his
newspaper. He then reaches into his pocket and pulls out
a sandwich and tries to eat it while awkwardly holding
the newspaper in front of him.
A lone pigeon startles Joseph when it begins pecking at
his shoe. Joseph breaks off a few crumbs and tosses
them down for the pigeon. Joseph does this repeatedly
until finally the pigeon seems to be content and walks
away. Joseph returns to his newspaper.
Pause.
Joseph puts down the newspaper reacting to STRAY KID 1
and STRAY KID 2’s LAUGHING.

STRAY KID 1 (O.S.)
Now! Now! Now!

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He looks to his right to find two kids ten feet down the
platform as they load a slingshot. In front of them sits
the pigeon.
STRAY KID 2 (O.S.)
He’s so ugly.
STRAY KID 2 begins to aim his slingshot when Joseph
jumps up off the bench and runs over to the two kids.
CUT TO: EXT. NORTH END OF TRAIN PLATFORM. DAY.
JOSEPH REMAINS IN FOCUS IN THE BACKGROUND.
FRANCOISE, in her early 40s, says goodbye to a man
with a soft kiss. The man turns and leaves; as Francoise
watches him go she hears the commotion unfolding at
the other end of the platform. She watches as Joseph
nearly stops the kids.
CUT TO: EXT. SOUTH END OF TRAIN PLATFORM. DAY.
Joseph snatches the slingshot from STRAY KID 2 just
after the stone narrowly misses the pigeon. STRAY KID
1 tries to pull the slingshot back out of JOSEPH’S hands.
JOSEPH turns his back to the kids and walks over to a
waste bin. As he walks, STRAY KID 1 distracts Joseph
by trying to reclaim the slingshot while STRAY KID 2
sneaks behind him and slips his wallet and papers out
of Joseph’s pocket. The two then run off. JOSEPH does
not notice and drops the slingshot into the bin. As he
turns around to head back to his bench, he looks to the

end of the platform and spots three Nazi soldiers.
Joseph quickly sits back down on the bench and
continues with his sandwich and paper.
In the distance, an ESCALATING RUMBLE accompanied
by a SCREECHING WHISTLE can be heard.
JOSEPH looks down the tracks at the glorious steam-
powered locomotive approaching the station.
The train slows into the station surrounded in a cloud of
steam and comes to rest. Through the haze JOSEPH makes
out the Nazi soldiers boarding the last passenger car. He
jogs over to the bench to retrieve his suitcase under cover
of the steam and boards the first passenger car.
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INT. FIRST PASSENGER CAR ON TRAIN. DAY.
Joseph walks down the aisle toward the last row of the
car. The car has only about ten passengers in it who
have managed to take up nearly all the seats with their
luggage. Joseph puts his suitcase in the compartment
above him and sits next to the window in the furthest
corner from the back of the train.
Francoise enters afterward and sits across the aisle
from him. She opens up a book and begins reading.
Joseph looks at her suspiciously and then quickly
glances away when she looks back at him. Joseph sits
and stares anxiously out the window waiting for the
train to lurch into motion. It doesn’t.
He watches the two kids, who have returned for their
slingshot, huddled around the trash bin trying to reach

to the bottom for it. Their arms simply aren’t long
enough. The pigeon sits peacefully in front of them.
The train remains motionless.
MUFFLED SHOUTING from the passenger car ahead.
Joseph reaches into his right pocket. He looks scared,
then pushes his hand further into his pocket and pulls
out nothing. Francoise glances over from her seat and
then back at her book. He checks his left jacket pocket,
same thing.
He starts patting his whole body over trying to find his
papers and wallet. His movements become more
frantic.
Francoise gives a longer look at Joseph. He is visibly
upset.
Joseph opens his hands and looks down at his sweaty
palms and caresses a wedding ring. He then goes
through each pocket for a second time.
Francoise looks up from her book again to see him.
Pause.
FRANCOISE
Your papers?
Joseph turns to her and slowly nods and then leans
over to scan the floor looking for his papers. He comes
back up unsuccessful.

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FRANCOISE (CONT.)
You lost them?
JOSEPH says nothing and turns around in his seat to

get a look at the exit of the train. He turns back around
and stares out at the pigeon, contemplating his next
move, when a soldier with a large dog walks by his
window.
LOUDER SHOUTING from the next car.
Joseph brings his head down to his hands. His whole
body shudders. He begins to mutter a Hebrew prayer.
JOSEPH
Baruch atah adonai . . .
Francoise looks around the train; no one else seems to
have noticed. She turns back to him.
FRANCOISE
(loud whisper)
Shut up!
Joseph seemingly doesn’t hear her and continues to
pray.
Francoise stares at Joseph who has lost his composure.
Her eyes begin to show some degree of compassion.
Pause.
The train remains motionless.
SHOUTING IN THE NEXT CAR CONTINUES TO ESCALATE.
JOSEPH finishes his prayer and gazes blindly out the
window as STRAY KID 1 and STRAY KID 2 pull the
slingshot out of the garbage bin just out of his view.
BANG! The far door of their car swings open.
The three heavily armed Nazi soldiers enter shouting.
SOLDIER 1
Your Papers!
All the passengers in the car go reaching for their bags
and pockets to find their papers as the soldiers continue

to shout orders.
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Francoise glances at the approaching soldiers, springs up
and begins to yell at Joseph.
FRANCOISE
(loudly)
You stupid man! You stupid, stupid, stupid man!
The Nazis continue down the aisle interrogating each
passenger, not yet paying attention to the drama that
has unfolded in the rear of the car. As the first and the
last soldier demand the papers, the soldier in the middle
clutches his rifle, pointing it at each passenger.
SOLDIER 2
Identification!
Francoise’s outburst only becomes more and more
extreme as the soldiers approach them. Joseph
confused sits helpless as SOLDIER 1 approaches
steps away.
FRANCOISE
(shouting)
You’re an idiot! A complete fool!
Francoise seemingly does not notice the soldiers
approaching and begins hitting Joseph over the head
with her book.
SOLDIER 1
(yelling)
Stop! Stop! Stop immediately! Papers!
Francoise ignores him.

FRANCOISE
(shrieking)
How do I do it? You sicken me. I feel sick looking
at you.
Not sure what to do, SOLDIER 1 looks back at his
superior, SOLDIER 2. SOLDIER 2 brushes by SOLDIER
1 and pulls a hand gun out from his holster and
points it at her head.

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