Monday, June 21, 2010
A prequel by Gary LeDrew
SCENE 1
FADE IN
CLOSE UP CANOE PADDLES IN UNISON
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, CHANGE.
Another canoe
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, CHANGE.
Another canoe
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, CHANGE.
PAN BACK TO FIRST CANOE
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, STOP.
Paddle down,
A rifle comes to the shoulder Close up of the stock scratched into the wood “Le Mohican” COCK! FIRE! BANG!
ALONG THE BANK A DEER FALLS, BIRDS SCREAM, THE FOREST ECHOS
CUT TO
The screen is a microcosm of leaf, crystal drops of precipitation, a stone, emerald green moss. It's a landscape in miniature. We HEAR the forest. Some distant birds. Their sound seems to reverberate as if in a cavern. A piece of sunlight refracts within the drops of water, paints a patch of moss yellow. The whisper of wind is joined by another sound that mixes with it. A distant rustling. It gets closer and louder. It's shallow breathing. It gets ominous.
We're interlopers on the floor of the forest and something is coming.
SUDDENLY: A MOCCASINED FOOT
rockets through the frame scaring us and ...
EXTREMELY CLOSE: PART OF AN YOUNG INDIAN FACE
running hard. Stops Cocks his head at the sound, His head shaved bald except for a scalp-lock. Tattoos. He's sixteen. He seems tall and muscled for his age. Heavy, even breathing. We'll learn later this youth is UNCAS, He will be the last of the Mohicans.
PROFILE: UNCAS' ARMS
flash as he runs again. One carries a Bow & arrow. Sweat on the man's skin. A calico shirt is gathered at the waist over a breechcloth. He wears leggings to protect his legs. A long-quiver hangs from his back.
CUT TO ...
ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - MASSIVE WAR CLUB - DAY
in the hand of another running man. He's heavier, older ...He stops at the sound as well.
CHEST
A green bear claw is tattooed there. Silver armband. A snake is tattooed over his left eyebrow. Silver rings in his ear. He's thirty to thirty-five. His head is shaved into a scalp-lock. It says: "Come and lift this from me. Take it, if you can ..." That prospect strikes us as extremely unlikely. This man is
CHINGACHGOOK.
The French call him "Le Gros Serpent," the Great Snake, because "he knows the winding ways of men's nature and he can strike a sudden, deathly blow."
WIDE ANGLE: CHINGACHGOOK
Changes direction runs, disturbing no leaves, no branches; making no sound. He's running parallel to Uncas through the cathedral of mature forest. It's heavily canopied. There's very little brush. The girth of the trees is huge. Shafts of light illuminate motes of dust and turn leaves emerald where the sun breaks through. Sometimes there's ferns; rhododendron, sometimes pale grass and outcroppings of rock. These men run the forest streams, over boulders, fallen trees and down into ravines as if they own them. They do.
CUT TO ...
ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - LONG BLACK HAIR - DAY
Crouching in the bushes. His shirt is tied at the waist His wampum belt holding a tomahawk and a large knife are all laying on the ground in front of him. A rifle leans beside them.
His name is ROBERT CHEVALIER. He's a five years older than Uncas. The French and the French-speaking tribes know him as Le Mohican. and CHINGACHGOOK and the Iroquois and Delaware-speaking tribes know him as Chevalier. Sweat stains his shirt. He picks through leaves to wipe himself. He hears a noise and jumps up gathers his things and flashes through the tree branches disturbing nothing. Making no sound.
UNCAS
stops dead, holding out his hand ... no sound.
CHINGACHGOOK
slips through young trees and stops, shouldering his smoothbore musket. Is this an ambush?
He enters a clearing on the river 6 canoes are pulled high there is a large stack of liquor barrels. He looks around and approaches his club held high ready to smash them.
CHEVALIER'S POV:
MASSIVE WAR CLUB - DAY
Through the trees ahead he sees Chingachgook. Five feet and fourteen pounds of club is elevated
CHEVELIER SCREAMS most un Indian like. ...FATHER NO-OOO ARRÊT! STOP!
leaps out of the bushes ...
WIDE
Suddenly Indians are appearing out of the woods from everywhere. Chevalier’s men with the deer. The different tribes eye each other warily. Chingachgook’s men with partridge, turkeys and several rabbits. We realize they were all hunting separately. Both sides look at as Chevalier Hugs Uncas and Chingachgook. Chevalier is stepson and stepbrother.
The two younger men treat Chingachgook with an respect and affection. Chevalier's a dialectic of two cultures and technically an enemy. In his coloration and worldliness he's more the French Settler. In his independent views and candid manner and in his canoe and combat skills and woodsman -ship, he's more native American (Mohican or Algonquin).
CHINGACHGOOK
Looks at Chevalier’s men warily
(low Mohican; sub-titled)
Are they Huron?
CHEVALIER
No Father Algonquin
They are my brothers and my crew.
They Make Greetings
Then Chingachgook taps his club on a barrel...]
CHINGACHGOOK
(low Mohican; sub-titled)
Does my white son wish to infect my people with devil rum.
CHEVALIER (low Mohican; sub-titled) ..
No Father It is finest Brandy I wish to sell to Americans .for my white father.. We were going to make a cache here until I found you to help me.
Looking at Chingachgooks’ men
CHEVALIER (low Mohican; sub-titled) ..
This is not a hunting party? It looks more like a war party.
CHINGACHGOOK
(low Mohican; sub-titled) ..
We are being careful Mingos are scouting us.
Cache no good now bring firewater to Village
Uncas stays with Chevalier they load the canoe and head further down the small lake as Chingachgook and hunting party melt back into the forest.
FADE OUT
SCENE 1
FADE IN
CLOSE UP CANOE PADDLES IN UNISON
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, CHANGE.
Another canoe
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, CHANGE.
Another canoe
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, CHANGE.
PAN BACK TO FIRST CANOE
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, STOP.
Paddle down,
A rifle comes to the shoulder Close up of the stock scratched into the wood “Le Mohican” COCK! FIRE! BANG!
ALONG THE BANK A DEER FALLS, BIRDS SCREAM, THE FOREST ECHOS
CUT TO
The screen is a microcosm of leaf, crystal drops of precipitation, a stone, emerald green moss. It's a landscape in miniature. We HEAR the forest. Some distant birds. Their sound seems to reverberate as if in a cavern. A piece of sunlight refracts within the drops of water, paints a patch of moss yellow. The whisper of wind is joined by another sound that mixes with it. A distant rustling. It gets closer and louder. It's shallow breathing. It gets ominous.
We're interlopers on the floor of the forest and something is coming.
SUDDENLY: A MOCCASINED FOOT
rockets through the frame scaring us and ...
EXTREMELY CLOSE: PART OF AN YOUNG INDIAN FACE
running hard. Stops Cocks his head at the sound, His head shaved bald except for a scalp-lock. Tattoos. He's sixteen. He seems tall and muscled for his age. Heavy, even breathing. We'll learn later this youth is UNCAS, He will be the last of the Mohicans.
PROFILE: UNCAS' ARMS
flash as he runs again. One carries a Bow & arrow. Sweat on the man's skin. A calico shirt is gathered at the waist over a breechcloth. He wears leggings to protect his legs. A long-quiver hangs from his back.
CUT TO ...
ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - MASSIVE WAR CLUB - DAY
in the hand of another running man. He's heavier, older ...He stops at the sound as well.
CHEST
A green bear claw is tattooed there. Silver armband. A snake is tattooed over his left eyebrow. Silver rings in his ear. He's thirty to thirty-five. His head is shaved into a scalp-lock. It says: "Come and lift this from me. Take it, if you can ..." That prospect strikes us as extremely unlikely. This man is
CHINGACHGOOK.
The French call him "Le Gros Serpent," the Great Snake, because "he knows the winding ways of men's nature and he can strike a sudden, deathly blow."
WIDE ANGLE: CHINGACHGOOK
Changes direction runs, disturbing no leaves, no branches; making no sound. He's running parallel to Uncas through the cathedral of mature forest. It's heavily canopied. There's very little brush. The girth of the trees is huge. Shafts of light illuminate motes of dust and turn leaves emerald where the sun breaks through. Sometimes there's ferns; rhododendron, sometimes pale grass and outcroppings of rock. These men run the forest streams, over boulders, fallen trees and down into ravines as if they own them. They do.
CUT TO ...
ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - LONG BLACK HAIR - DAY
Crouching in the bushes. His shirt is tied at the waist His wampum belt holding a tomahawk and a large knife are all laying on the ground in front of him. A rifle leans beside them.
His name is ROBERT CHEVALIER. He's a five years older than Uncas. The French and the French-speaking tribes know him as Le Mohican. and CHINGACHGOOK and the Iroquois and Delaware-speaking tribes know him as Chevalier. Sweat stains his shirt. He picks through leaves to wipe himself. He hears a noise and jumps up gathers his things and flashes through the tree branches disturbing nothing. Making no sound.
UNCAS
stops dead, holding out his hand ... no sound.
CHINGACHGOOK
slips through young trees and stops, shouldering his smoothbore musket. Is this an ambush?
He enters a clearing on the river 6 canoes are pulled high there is a large stack of liquor barrels. He looks around and approaches his club held high ready to smash them.
CHEVALIER'S POV:
MASSIVE WAR CLUB - DAY
Through the trees ahead he sees Chingachgook. Five feet and fourteen pounds of club is elevated
CHEVELIER SCREAMS most un Indian like. ...FATHER NO-OOO ARRÊT! STOP!
leaps out of the bushes ...
WIDE
Suddenly Indians are appearing out of the woods from everywhere. Chevalier’s men with the deer. The different tribes eye each other warily. Chingachgook’s men with partridge, turkeys and several rabbits. We realize they were all hunting separately. Both sides look at as Chevalier Hugs Uncas and Chingachgook. Chevalier is stepson and stepbrother.
The two younger men treat Chingachgook with an respect and affection. Chevalier's a dialectic of two cultures and technically an enemy. In his coloration and worldliness he's more the French Settler. In his independent views and candid manner and in his canoe and combat skills and woodsman -ship, he's more native American (Mohican or Algonquin).
CHINGACHGOOK
Looks at Chevalier’s men warily
(low Mohican; sub-titled)
Are they Huron?
CHEVALIER
No Father Algonquin
They are my brothers and my crew.
They Make Greetings
Then Chingachgook taps his club on a barrel...]
CHINGACHGOOK
(low Mohican; sub-titled)
Does my white son wish to infect my people with devil rum.
CHEVALIER (low Mohican; sub-titled) ..
No Father It is finest Brandy I wish to sell to Americans .for my white father.. We were going to make a cache here until I found you to help me.
Looking at Chingachgooks’ men
CHEVALIER (low Mohican; sub-titled) ..
This is not a hunting party? It looks more like a war party.
CHINGACHGOOK
(low Mohican; sub-titled) ..
We are being careful Mingos are scouting us.
Cache no good now bring firewater to Village
Uncas stays with Chevalier they load the canoe and head further down the small lake as Chingachgook and hunting party melt back into the forest.
FADE OUT
Labels:
Sunday, June 20, 2010
FADE IN
AMBROSE BUTLER’S WAREHOUSE NIGHT
Chevalier and Ambrose shake hands over the kegs of Cognac. Chevalier points to a score of muskets and buys twenty muskets and powder etc. from the gold Ambrose has paid him. Ambrose’s beautiful daughter comes in and Ambrose notices the instant spark between her and Chevalier.
FADE OUT
FADE IN – MISTY PRE-DAWN MORNING MINGO CAMP
The Mingos have gathered a score of canoes to attack the Mohicans. The canoes are pulled well up on the shore. Chevalier with the Algonquins and Mohicans now armed with new muskets take out the Mingo sentries. They attack the awakening Mingo and retreat to the shore where they cast off the canoes and pick off more Mingo from a safe distance.
CHEVALIER
AMBROSE BUTLER’S WAREHOUSE NIGHT
Chevalier and Ambrose shake hands over the kegs of Cognac. Chevalier points to a score of muskets and buys twenty muskets and powder etc. from the gold Ambrose has paid him. Ambrose’s beautiful daughter comes in and Ambrose notices the instant spark between her and Chevalier.
FADE OUT
FADE IN – MISTY PRE-DAWN MORNING MINGO CAMP
The Mingos have gathered a score of canoes to attack the Mohicans. The canoes are pulled well up on the shore. Chevalier with the Algonquins and Mohicans now armed with new muskets take out the Mingo sentries. They attack the awakening Mingo and retreat to the shore where they cast off the canoes and pick off more Mingo from a safe distance.
CHEVALIER
FADE IN MOHICAN VILLAGE NIGHT
The village looks prosperous, The Mohicans obviously are very successful farmers. They are entertaining their Algonquin guests in style helped from the days hunting. As the official party winds down Chingachgook and Chevalier wander down to the canoes. The canoes are guarded by Uncas and Askook. Robert goes to a canoe and takes out a jug of cognac. He takes a drink and passes it Chingachgook.
CHINGACHGOOK
No firewater my son.
CHEVALIER
This is different father it is very expensive. This the eau d’vie for the rich whiteman.
CHINGACHGOOK
I will taste it to know the difference.
He takes a drink and Chevalier takes a drink and stoops to put it away. Chingachgook stops him and has one more long pull.
Uncas looks on surprised.
CHEVALIER (SMILES)
Will I make my father a drunkard.
CHINGACHGOOK(smiles)
Maybe
CHEVALIER
Why are the Mingo here. This is not their land.
CHINGACHGOOK
A white man wants our farmland. He has paid the Mingo to attack us.
CHEVALIER
Are not the Mingo friends with the British like you are?
CHINGACHGOOK
Who knows The Mingo were with the French and now with the British. Tomorrow ? (shrugs)
CHEVALIER
Looks across the lake. He sees something and goes to his canoe and gets a telescope. Focus on faint glows in the far forest.
Mingo!
FADE OUT
The village looks prosperous, The Mohicans obviously are very successful farmers. They are entertaining their Algonquin guests in style helped from the days hunting. As the official party winds down Chingachgook and Chevalier wander down to the canoes. The canoes are guarded by Uncas and Askook. Robert goes to a canoe and takes out a jug of cognac. He takes a drink and passes it Chingachgook.
CHINGACHGOOK
No firewater my son.
CHEVALIER
This is different father it is very expensive. This the eau d’vie for the rich whiteman.
CHINGACHGOOK
I will taste it to know the difference.
He takes a drink and Chevalier takes a drink and stoops to put it away. Chingachgook stops him and has one more long pull.
Uncas looks on surprised.
CHEVALIER (SMILES)
Will I make my father a drunkard.
CHINGACHGOOK(smiles)
Maybe
CHEVALIER
Why are the Mingo here. This is not their land.
CHINGACHGOOK
A white man wants our farmland. He has paid the Mingo to attack us.
CHEVALIER
Are not the Mingo friends with the British like you are?
CHINGACHGOOK
Who knows The Mingo were with the French and now with the British. Tomorrow ? (shrugs)
CHEVALIER
Looks across the lake. He sees something and goes to his canoe and gets a telescope. Focus on faint glows in the far forest.
Mingo!
FADE OUT
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About Me
- Gary LeDrew
- Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Artist / Writer garyledrew@gmail.com 902-270-0910