Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

CHATTAR LAL
Mola Ram is telling the faithful of out victory. He says the British have left the palace, which proves Kali Ma's new power.

INDIANA

Yes, I understand.

Indiana bows his head to receive the mystical markings. He listens to Mola Ram's rantings – Indy's eyes are ominously vacant as he stares up at the hideous statue of Kali.

INT. MINE TUNNELS – DAY

Beneath the temple, down in the bowels of the mountain, the pitiful children dig at the earth with their fingers. A FAT GUARD slouches down the tunnel, flogging malingerers with a aleather strap.

Short Round sweats next to the others, clawing at the rocks, doomed to work with them now in their search for the last two Sankara Stones.

The leather strap suddenly flays Short Round's back and he barely manages not to scream out in pain. The fat guard passes – Short Round and the other kids pull a large rock which suddenly comes loose out of the wall!

They fall back and see they've exposed a vein of molten lava! Hearing their shouts, the fat guard returns – yelling at their stupidity, he whips them and shoves them aside brutally.

Short Round see the fat guard's eyes glowing fiercely in anger. Suddenly the fissure shoots out steam and spews some molten lava over the guard's legs.

The guard screams and falls to the ground, thrashing about, trying to kick the searing lava off his smoking flesh.

As the other kids cower, Short Round's humane instincts cause him to jump forward to help the guard who moments earlier was beating him –

Short Round tosses dirt on the guard's legs and grabs a gunny sack and starts rubbing the lava off. Shorty notices something strange:

The guard's eyes, which were glowing yellow before, are now dimming and returning to normal. The moaning guard looks at Shorty thankfully and then looks around as if waking from a nightmare –

SHORT ROUND
(to another slave kid)

His eyes – they go out.

Other guards appear and lift the guard – suddenly he starts struggling against the guards not wanting to return to the nightmare of Kali –

FAT GUARD

(as he's dragged away)

No! NO!

SHORT ROUND

The pain – the pain makes him wake up!

(thinking quickly)

Indy! I can make Indy wake up!

But the other guards push and beat the children back to work. Short Round is shoved against a wall and groans – he reaches over and grabs a large rock, lifting it defiantly –

But rather than heaving it at the guard, Short Round smashes the rock down on the leg chains binding him to the other children. Shorty beats at the chain with the rock, determined to escape.

SHORT ROUND
Indy!

INT. THE TEMPLE OF DEATH

The wind moans and joins Mola Ram's voice echoing maniacally over the multitude gathered in the enormous temple. On his throne, the little Maharajah listens transfixed.

INT. THE ALTAR

Chattar Lal watches Indiana staring hypnotically at the High Priest as he speaks –
 

CHATTAR LAL

You understand what he tells us?

INDIANA

Kali Ma protects us now and for ever, and we must pledge our devotion by worshipping her with an offering of flesh and blood!

Suddenly there is a heart-rending scream of terror and the priests draft forward the next sacrificial victim –

Indiana's glowing eyes watch emotionlessly as Willie is brought out. Dressed in a Rajput maiden's outfit, Willie has been jeweled and draped with flowers – a strange contrast as she struggles desperately.

CHATTAR LAL
Your friend has seen and she has heard – now she will not talk.

As Willie is dragged past she sees Indy and calls to him –
 

WILLIE

Indy! Help me! Indy?!

Willie is shocked seeing that Indiana remains impassive and uncaring as she's dragged to her death.

CHATTAR LAL

(to Indy)

This will prove your devotion to Kali.

Indiana looks away from Willie's terrified face and stares up adoringly at the monstrous statue of his goddess Kali.

INT. THE MINE

In the dark tunnel, a rock smashes down onto a chain – and breaks it! Short Round is exhausted. He looks around furtively and sees a guard approaching.

Short Round takes a chance – he dives and rolls across the tunnel. He ducks behind a mine car full of rocks being pushed out by two chained children.

The guard lumbers past unsuspectingly as Short Round makes his escape using the moving mine car as cover.

INT. THE ALTAR
 

Up in the temple, Willie continues to struggle as her legs are strapped to the iron sacrifical frame. Chattar Lal grabs her hand and ties it down. Willie's free hand reaches out imploringly toward Indiana –

WILLIE

(hoarsely)

Please, God, don't let them do this to me – help me, Indy!

He reaches out slowly and Willie grabs his hand tightly. Indy looks into her eyes and then stares at her hand – and slowly lifts it and starts tying it to the iron frame.

WILLIE (CONT'D)

No – no!

Willie cries is disbelief as Indiana calmly betrays her.

INT. THE MINES BELOW

Short Round races up a tunnel and then flattens himself behind a corner. He peers anxiously into a large craven and sees two guards walking away.

When the coast is clear, Short Round darts across the cavern to a long wooden ladder tilted up against a wall. Short Round looks up the high ladder and sees a kid with a sack of rocks descending from a burrow-hole half-way up the wall.

The exhausted kid nearly collapses at the bottom – then jumps seeing Short Round. Shorty motions for him to keep quiet. Amazed, the kid watches Short Round scramble up the ladder. Shorty continues until he is high above the floor.

Dirty faces stare out of the high burrow as Short Round stops climbing. The kids are astonished as Short Round suddenly grunts and kicks the ladder away from the wall!

The high ladder falls in an arc and what seem like sure suicide slowly resembles a mini-Indiana Junes stunt as Short Round swings to the other side of the falling ladder –

Short Round holds on for dear life as the ladder crashes against the opposite cavern wall – giving Short Round access to the roof-hole that leads up to the temple!

Short Round scurries up the ladder and pulls himself up into the chamber behind the altar. He looks at the light flaring around the statue of Kali –
 

SHORT ROUND
Indy!

INT. THE TEMPLE OF DEATH

Chains clank and gears grind as the sacrificial frame is raised over the crevasse. Stretched out on it, Willie looks horrified as she hangs suspended face down above the boiling lava!

The frame and victim descend slowly into the crevasse and the crowd around the little Maharajah chants louder.

 
INT. THE REAR CHAMBER
 

Short Round dashes across the dark chamber behind the altar. He peers out and sees Willie disappearing into the crevasse! He sees Indiana watching impassively –

SHORT ROUND

No – Indy – wake up!

Then Shorty sees a flaming torch hanging on a wall bracket and he has an idea.

INT. THE ALTAR

Short Round suddenly darts out onto the altar and Mola Ram sees him and yells. Several priests grab for Shorty. He eludes the first priest, smashes the second in the stomach with his head, and runs like a little quarterback toward the fiery torch –

Short Round snatches the torch from the wall and charges toward Indiana. Seeing him coming, Indy's eyes start glowing yellow and when Short Round runs up to him, Indiana suddenly swings and backhands the little guy brutally across the face!

The torch flies out of Shorty's hand as he's knocked against at wall by Indy's vicious blow – Short Round wipes a little blood from his chin and stares at his hero in wounded disbelief.

Chattar Lal watches approvingly – a priest moves toward Shorty. Chattar Lal looks back toward the crevasse.

Willie hangs on the lowering frame, heat waves rising up now to scald her skin and she chokes as the sulfuric air burns her lungs!

Meanwhile Short Round is crawling backwards across the floor with a look of terror on his face – Indiana stalks him, hissing, snarling, his eyes glowing –

Short Round springs to his feet and tries to run – Indy grabs him and pulls him – Shorty's hand grabs for another wall torch and just manages to yank it free!

Indiana spins Short Round and clutches his throat. As Indy strangles him, Short Round struggles and finally jams the torch into Indy's side. The fiery torch burns Indy, smoking as it sears his flesh, and he yells in pain.
 

SHORT ROUND
Wake up! It's just a nightmare, Indy! Wake up, please Indy!

Indiana writhes in pain and Short Round sees the evil yellow glow in Indy's eyes getting dimmer and finally going out. Now it seems like the old Indiana staring at him –

SHORT ROUND (CONT'D)

Indy, you back?

Suddenly a priest grabs Short Round and pulls him off Indiana.

INDIANA

No! Give him to me!

Short Round is frightened as Indy grabs him from the priest. Indy lifts Short Round into the air –
 

SHORT ROUND

No, Indy, no!

He sets Short Round down on the brink of the crevasse an inch from doom. Shorty looks down at the lava and is terrified. Indiana finally flashes him a quick smile and winks!

Then Indiana whirls and punches the priest in the face! Short Round cheers, realizing that Indiana is back.

SHORT ROUND (CONT'D)

We got to help Willie!

Indiana springs into action, stopping another priest with a quick punch in the stomach. Then he rushes over to the crankwheel and pulley platform. Indy jumps onto it, yanking one priest off who spills onto the floor.

A second priest, who works the controls lowering the sacrificial frame, sees Indy and releases the crankwheel.

Down in the crevasse, Willie screams as the iron frame suddenly plummets toward the fulminating lava!

On the platform, the priest lunges at Indiana – Indy uses the man's own momentum to throw him over his head. Indy then dives for the crankwheel and manages to stop it –

Down in the crevasse, the fram jolts to a stop only yards above the spumes of fiery lava. The heat is so intense now that Willie's clothes start smoking and she passes out... On the platform above, Indiana cranks furiously, raising the sacrificial frame.

INT. THE TEMPLE
 

The chanting stops at the Kali worshippers notice the battle on the altar. The little Maharajah looks concerned and leaves, shoving through the crowd behind his bodyguards.

INT. THE ALTAR

Mola Ram shouts at his priests and another one of them runs toward Indy on the platform. Short Round dives and tackles the priest.

Chattar Lal finally leaps onto the crankwheel platform and Indy sees him pull a dagger. He slashes at Indiana and Indy has to let go of the crankwheel – the gears scream and the chains screech!

Below in the crevasse, the iron frame plunges again toward the crimson lava!

On the platform, Indy hears the frame lowering and looks panicked. Chattar Lal slashes again with the dagger – keeping Indy away from the cogwheel mechanism –

Indy suddenly kicks the dagger from Chattar Lal's hand slugs him in the stomach and dives toward the cogwheel mechanism. He grabs a iron rod and throws it into the gears –

the gears mangle the iron rod but finally grind to a stop. Indiana grabs the crankwheel and starts winding it up furiously.

Meanwhile, Short Round jumps onto the platform with Indy and grabs a long wrench. He starts swinging the wrench, keeping the last priests off the platform.

The sacrificial frame finally rises up into view and Indiana grabs it and swings it over onto the platform. He looks at Willie anxiously as he releases her bindings –

Willie moans and moves her head. Indy pulls her off the frame and she starts coughing. Gasping for breath, Willie revives as fresh air flows into her lungs.

Finally Willie opens her eyes and she sees Indiana. Then she notices something else and manages to cry out hoarsely.

WILLIE
Look out – !

Chattar Lal grabs a pistol from an unconscious guard and Indiana whirls to see him pointing it – Indy kicks the gun from his hand and suddenly Chattar Lal starts shouting in a terrifying voice –

Chattar Lal's eyes glow as he lunges suicidally at Indiana, attempting to take Indy with him as he dives from the platform!

Crashing into Indy, Chattar Lal knocks both of them back onto the sacrificial frame which swings out over the crevasse –

Indy manages to dive off the frame just in time. He grabs hold of the platform as the crankwheel screams and the frame falls!

Looking up from the depths of the crevasse, we see the frame with Chattar Lal on it plummeting downward into the sulphurous smoke! The frame finally crashes, splashing into the molten lava.

Chattar Lal's body explodes in a flame firefly – his flesh is broiled off in an instant – we glimpse a skeleton momentarily – and then all is consumed and obliterated by the blazing lava.

scramble over to Short Round who jumps off the platform and they follow him across the altar.

Indy sees Mola Ram quickly collecting the sacred Sankara Stones. Indiana rushes over and spins Mola Ram around –

He slugs the High Priest in the face and Mola Ram keels over backwards against the statue of Kali. Short Round helps stuff the Sankara Stones into Indiana's shoulder bag.

INT. THE REAR CHAMBER
 

Short Round, Willie and Indiana rush across the chamber behind the altar. They run over to the ladder and start climbing down into the mines.

INT. THE MINES

Willie follows Short Round. Indiana jumps down last and pulls the ladder away, letting it crash to the floor so they won't be followed.

They draw the attention of the slave children working in the tunnels around the cavern. But it's the sight of the approaching guard that worries Indy –

INDIANA
Come on, quick!

They duck into one of the tunnels. As they hide, Indy watches the guard passing.

WILLIE

What're we going to do?

Indiana looks around at the silent, frightened children who've stopped working in the tunnel and his anger darkens –
 

INDIANA

We're going to get them out of here!