Apocalypse Now

CHEF

I've got every one of your pictures – I've got the centerfold – the Playmate's review – the Playmate of the Year run-off – everything, even the calendar –

LYNDA

Well, get undressed and let's get it over with –

CHEF

I can't believe it – I'd a never even got to see you if it wasn't for this war –

She lies down on the cot in only her panties.

CHEF

(continuing)

You wouldn't mind – uh kinda draping that jacket over you sort of the way you were in the calendar, would you?

LYNDA

Come on – cut this crap – I gotta get back to Saigon –

CHEF

Just let me look awhile – I just don't believe –

CUT TO:

INT. TENT – CLOSE SHOT – LANCE, CATHY

They have just finished making love. Cathy looks very pleased. Lance finishes tying his boots – she draws on his back. He gets up – starts to leave.

LANCE

Well – uh thanks – see you around.

CATHY

Yeah.

He leaves – she pulls herself up and starts combing her hair – Mr. Clean walks in.

CATHY

(continuing)

Who are you?

CLEAN

I'm next –

She shrugs.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. TENT – MEDIUM SHOT – WILLARD, TERRI

He finishes tying on his boots – pulls on his jacket – his gun belt and picks up his M-16. She looks up at him –
 

WILLARD

Ma'am – I'd like to thank you for what you an' all your friends have done for us – I want you to know that me an' the men appreciate you coming all this way – riskin' your lives – living uncomfortably an' doing all you can to entertain us. I want you to know personally, Miss, that for the past few minutes you have made me feel at home.

She picks up a shoe to throw at him. he turns, exits foreground.

WILLARD

(continuing)

Just wanted to say that, ma'am.

The SHOE CLANGS off his helmet.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE P.B.R. APPROACHING DO LUNG BRIDGE – FULL SHOT – NIGHT

The boat edges in toward the wrecked bridge in the distance. Along the banks are sandbagged fortifications with U.S. soldiers in them. There is a bright fire burning uncontrolled in the distance; the sparks and white light from welding on the bridge momentarily lights up the night.

WILLARD (V.O.)

Two days and nights later, we approach the Do Lung Bridge.

VIEW ON THE FACES OF THE P.B.R. CREW

Watching. Everywhere are wrecked boats – parts of trunks sticking out of the water – smashed helicopters on the banks. The bridge is in a state of siege. Mortars and rockets arc through the night indiscriminately and rip through the nearby jungle. Soldiers are everywhere – scurrying from trenches, carrying materials for the bridge or tending to the wounded, the maimed and the dead. Light automatic WEAPON FIRE is HEARD occasionally. The P.B.R. edges in under the span of the old bridge. Soldiers run up through the water. They are obscured in the darkness.

SOLDIER

I gotta get out a here – I'll pay – I got money.

CHIEF

Get away from this boat.

WILLARD

Who's your C.O., soldier?

The Soldier ducks back and runs away.

SOLDIER

Fuck you, you'll get what's coming to you.

Other men approach the boat. A young LIEUTENANT steps forward.

LIEUTENANT

Captain Willard?

WILLARD

That's me.

LIEUTENANT

Captain Willard – we got these from Nha Thrang two days ago – they expected you here then –

He hands up a plastic bag, maximum security markings, Willard takes it.

LIEUTENANT

(continuing)

You don't know how happy that makes me, sir.

WILLARD

Why?

LIEUTENANT

Now I can get out a here – if I can find a way out.

WILLARD

We'll be needing some supplies and fuel – do you know anybody who can give me a hand?

LIEUTENANT

I'd just clear out as soon as I could if I were you, sir. They're gonna start working on the bridge with torches again. Charlie will start throwing it in hard –

WILLARD

What is this bridge?

LIEUTENANT

It's of strategic importance for keeping the highway into Bat Shan open – the generals don't like to admit that Bat Shan is surrounded.

He points to the men getting ready to work.

LIEUTENANT

(continuing)

Every night we build it and by 0800 they've blown it up – it and a lot of good men – But the generals like to say the road is open – ha! Nobody uses that road except Charlie.

He turns and splashes off into the darkness.

LIEUTENANT

(continuing)

This is the cesspool of hell.

SOLDIER (O.S.)

Incoming.

SHELLS WHISTLE OVER and CRASH into the bridge – MEN SCREAM in the distance – the EXPLOSIONS are thunderous.

CHIEF

(yelling)

All right – Lance, go with the Captain an' see what you can scrounge –

Willard climbs out with Lance.

CHIEF

(continuing; to Willard)

Better make it fast, sir – we don't really need much anyway.

Willard nods and they scurry off the bank under the bridge.

MEDIUM SHOT – WILLARD, LANCE

They dash up the embankment and along the barbed wire on the edge of the road. SHELLS SCREAM overhead, they don't know where to run.

VOICE

Straight ahead, son-of-a-bitch.

They dive towards the voice. CLOSE SHOT – TRENCH

They dive in, a SOLDIER is crounched in foreground holding his buddy who is crying uncontrollably.

SOLDIER

You came right to it, son of a bitch –

WILLARD

Son-of-a-bitch, sir.

The Soldier doesn't respond.

WILLARD

(continuing)

Where's your chief supply officer?

SOLDIER

Beverly Hills –

WILLARD

What?

SOLDIER

Straight up the road – a concrete bunker – Beverly Hills – where else you think he'd be?

WILLARD

C'mon –

There is an apparent lull and they dash out along the road. Suddenly to their right an M-60 STARTS OPENING UP from a sandbagged emplacement.

SOLDIER (O.S.)

Get your asses down, buddy.

They drop and crawl to the slit trench and run up to the emplacement. Several SOLDIERS man a M-60. One has a sniper rifle – another tries to spot for the Gunner. Willard and Lance edge up along the trench. Willard trips.

VOICE

Watch your feet, asshole –

Willard looks down.

VOICE

(continuing)

You stepped on my face.

LANCE

We thought you were dead.

VOICE

The whole world loves a smart ass.

They move ahead more carefully. The Gunner BLASTS away into the night, there is a pile of brass cases about three feet high next to him. Finally he stops swearing to himself.

WILLARD

What're you shooting at, soldier?

GUNNER

Gooks.

He turns and sees it's an officer.

GUNNER

(continuing)

I'm sorry, sir.

WILLARD

It's all right, sergeant – what's out there?

GUNNER

They were tryin' to cut through the wire – I got 'em all I think.

OTHER SOLDIER

Oh yeah – listen.

There is a low moaning SCREAM from out in the wire – it stops for a minute then continues hideously.

GUNNER

He's trying to call his friends – send up a flare.

The Spotter does, it arcs up, then bathes them in eerie light. The Gunner FIRES a long BURST.

SPOTTER

Those are all dead, stupid, he's obviously underneath 'em –

They think about this as the flare goes out. The SCREAMING gets more intense.

GUNNER

Wake up the Roach.

The Spotter moves down to where a tall lanky SOLDIER is leaned up against the trench. He kicks him hard several times. Roach wakes and just looks up. On his helmet are the words: "GOD BLESS DOW."

ROACH

Yeah, man.

SPOTTER

Slope in the wire – hear him.

He listens, he does, he nods.

SPOTTER

(continuing)

Bust him.

Roach gets up somewhat annoyed but very cool. He saunters up the machine gun dragging his M-79 which has paisley designs all over it.

GUNNER

Hear him?

ROACH

Sure , yeah.

GUNNER

You need a flare –

ROACH

No, it's cool.

He opens the breech of his shotgun-like weapon and plunks the big slug into it. He snaps it closed then rests it across his forearm over the trench – he listens to the SCREAM, calculating.

ROACH

(continuing)

He's close – real close.

He adjusts his sights so that the gun is aimed high into the air. He listens again then FIRES. The GRENADE WHISTLES off into the night. There is a sharp EXPLOSION that cuts off the scream. Then the THUD of bodies or pieces of bodies coming down around them.

ROACH

(continuing)

Muhhh Fuhhh...

He staggers back down the trench to go to sleep.

FULL SHOT – P.B.R. – BRIDGE – CLEAN, CHEF

They stand in the shallows waiting for Willard and Lance. Clean is nervous, he constantly checks his M-16. SHELLS WHISTLE by and CRASH in the distance.

CHEF

Geez, I wish they'd hurry.

A SOLDIER comes up on his way with some others to start building the bridge.

SOLDIER

Hey, buddy, that boat still runs, eh?

CLEAN

Yeah, it still runs.

SOLDIER

Do me a favor buddy, please.

CLEAN

What is it?

He takes out a handful of crumpled envelopes.

SOLDIER

Send these out when you get back to the world.

He puts them in Clean's hand.

SOLDIER

(continuing)

It's to everyone I really knew – the first girl I screwed – my brother – best friend – I wanted to tell 'em how much I enjoyed knowing 'em – it's been a great twenty years. I gotta let 'em know.

CLEAN

What're you askin' me for – put 'em in the first helicopter comes in tomorrow.

SOLDIER

Nobody comes in here.

He points up at the mountain ridges.

SOLDIER

(continuing)

The N.V.A. 312th – over there the 307th – on that hill we counted fourteen different guns in one minute – they got rockets mortars, snipers in those trees, there's a million of those shitty little bastards out there – we're all gonna die.

He grabs Clean and looks at him with a maniacal urgency.

SOLDIER

(continuing)

I'm gonna be dead.

Clean takes the letters.

SOLDIER

(continuing)

You got a chance in that boat – by morning you could be five miles down the river.

CLEAN

We ain't goin' down the river.

The Soldier looks at him as if he is joking.

CLEAN

(continuing)

What's up river from here anyhow –

The Soldier doesn't answer, just stares dumbfounded.

SOLDIER

Spooky.

CLEAN

Charlie?

SOLDIER

No, it'd be spooky without the war – give 'em back.

He takes the letters and leaves, somewhat disappointed and disgusted. Willard and Lance come back down the beach carrying some belts of ammunition and a couple of extra M-16's.

CHIEF

Wow, you must a found the C.O., eh?

WILLARD

We found some bodies – let's get out a here.

FULL SHOT – DIFFERENT ANGLE – P.B.R.

They edge through the shallows as the men light up their welding torches to start work on the pontoon bridge – then pull away and accelerate fast.

MEDIUM SHOT – THE P.B.R. CREW

The Chief is at the helm –  they all look back in the distance where the bridge was – the hills flash with artillery discharges – there is a fiery glow from the bridge area and the CONCUSSION of heavy EXPLOSIONS.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FULL SHOT – P.B.R. – CREW – RAIN

The boat moves uneasily upriver, through this tropical downpour. Mr. Clean is in the foreground, oiling and cleaning his 50-cal, his M-11 and M-79 – the rest of the crew are forward, taking shelter from the rain under the canvas canopy. Clean works methodically under an umbrella he was set up by leaning the surfboard against gun mount.

EXT. THE RUSHING RIVER – NEW VIEW – RAIN

The river is moving fast against them. all manner of debris; tree trunks, sweeping by the P.B.R.

CHIEF

(to Willard)

I can't see a fucking thing.

There is a loud CRACKING SOUND, as one of the pieces of tree-trunk whacks the hull, and bounces off. Willard climbs forward, and looks down.

CHIEF

(continuing)

We hit a big enough one this hull will shatter like a Corvette. Fucking plastic boat.

Willard practically hangs off forward with a long pole, warding off the big debris moving toward the P.B.R. Clean joins him, helping.

WILLARD

(shouting to Chief)

What about ducking into one of those tributaries till this river slows down?

CHIEF

Who knows what's up there?

WILLARD

Can't be any worse than this. What do you think?

CHIEF

I think this river wants to take us home fast. I'm practically goin' in reverse.

Willard points his pole in the direction of the mouth of a tributary.

WILLARD

Well, get in there.

CHIEF

This whole area is lousy with V.C. – We don't stand a chance. Lemme turn around and we'll be in Hau Fat in six minutes.

There is a really loud WHACK against the hull. Willard really mad, throws the pole at the Chief, who ducks.

WILLARD

Get in there!