LEGEND OF DARKNESS

LEGEND OF DARKNESS  

by

William Hjortsberg

TITLES ROLL:

CLOSE ON a finely-worked Medieval tapestry. In the

background, beyond the intricate foliage, stands a moated

castle where a troop of mounted hunters set out for the

chase with dogs and lances. In the foreground, a lovely

young maiden heads for the forest, carrying an armful of

flowers. The forest, stylistically rendered by the

weaver's art, has numbers of small animals cunningly

worked into the warp and woof. A Green Man, clad only in

leaves and vines, hides behind a tree, watching a stately

pair of unicorns grazing on the greensward.

TITLES END:

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOREST GLADE - DAY

The woven image on the tapestry gives way to a pair of

white unicorns browsing in a sun-dappled glade. A male

and female, these animals are of surpassing beauty, their

tapered, spiraling horns glowing like precious metal.

Their movements are so graceful that every other living

creature seems clumsy by comparison. The SOUND of a

distant hunting horn makes them pause. A second NOTE is

heard. The unicorns drift, silent and languid, into the

farther reaches of the forest.

EXT. HILLSIDE OVERLOOKING CASTLE - DAY

The hunting horn SOUNDS a third time. A young woman still

close to childhood, fifteen at most, turns back to look at

the castle in the distance. A troop of armed men rides

out hunting, accompanied by braying hounds and the blare

of horns. One of the company is masked and dressed all in

black.

The girl's name is LILI. She is a princess of the distant

castle and dressed in splendid brocades and silk. In her

arms, she carries a bouquet of wildflowers wrapped in a

lace napkin. Like these blossoms, she herself is young

and fresh and innocent. She sings a simple country air as

she runs through the waving grass toward the deep woods.

EXT. DEEP WOODS - DAY

On an emerald patch of moss in the shade beneath the

spreading limbs of chestnuts and oaks, numbers of small

animals gambol. Squirrels and rabbits, hedgehogs and

foxes, all manner of creatures leap and frolic about the

feet of a curious young man. This is JACK O' THE GREEN.

His hair is long and unshorn and he wears a costume woven

from ivy leaves, skins and vines. On his feet are bark

sandals. His features are tanned berry-brown and woven

into his tangled locks is a wreath of flowers. He is a

legendary "Green Man" or "Wild Man" who lives the free

life of a hermit alone in the deep woods.

Jack, the "Green Man," feeds morsels of bread and fruit to

the animals dancing around his feet. He is a friend to

all the beasts of the forest and carries food for them in

a split-willow basket. Birds fly down and land on his

head and shoulders, taking seeds and nuts from his lips.

The musical sound of someone approaching alerts him. His

eyes have an animal quickness and his instincts are as

finely tuned as any creature of the wild. The birds fly

from his shoulders to the treetops. His furred companions

dart for cover. In three quick bounds, Jack is himself up

a nearby tree, clinging to a high branch like a cat.

The Princess Lili comes singing down the path. She spots

the fallen willow basket and looks around for the Green

Man.

LILI

(calling)

Jack... Hello, Jack...

There is no answer. Puzzled, Lili sits on the moss, puts

aside her flowers, and rummages through the contents of

the basket. The dried apples, walnuts and sunflowers

don't occupy her for long. She is annoyed. A princess is

not someone to trifle with.

LILI

(calling)

Jack-o'-the-Green...? Green Jack?

Oh bother, I know you're here. Why

are you so cruel?

Unseen, high in his tree, Jack-o'-the-Green watches the

young princess. He is amused by her anger but there is

nothing malicious about his smile. He climbs quietly to a

lower branch, hangs suspended for a moment, then drops.

Jack lands close to the unsuspecting girl. Startled, she

screams in surprise. Jack laughs at her unwarranted

terror.

JACK

Greetings, my lady, the green wood

is honored.

LILI

Oh, Jack, you are a wild man to use

me so.

Jack spies the bouquet of wildflowers and reaches for it.

JACK

These for me?

LILI

If you like.

Jack gathers up the bouquet, bowing low as he jumps to his

feet. A bluebird flies out of the greenery and lands on

his shoulder.

JACK

(to the bird)

She brings a gift as fair as

herself.

EXT. ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - DAY

The Green Man and the Princess wander together down a

meandering path. Birds circle about them and numbers of

small animals scamper shyly at their heels.

LILI

You promised!

JACK

Never.

LILI

But you did... you did!

JACK

I may have said perhaps...

LILI

Liar!

JACK

Or perchance...

The distant BLARE of a hunting horn interrupts them. The

animals freeze, wild-eyed.

LILI

It's my father, gone a-hunting. The

Baron Couer de Noir is his guest and

must be provided with some sport.

JACK

(bitterly)

Sport, indeed.

LILI

The Baron is a frightful man. They

say he's an ogre. He wears a mask

so none may see his face.

JACK

Blackheart. Aptly named.

LILI

Oh, fie. What about the unicorn?

JACK

Unicorn?

LILI

A promise is a sacred oath.

JACK

All right. I'll show you something

sacred.

EXT. A CLEARING BY A STREAM - DAY

A small meadow: a sun-gilded amphitheater within the

darker confines of the forest. At its edge flows a gentle

stream. An evil-looking viper moves sinuously along the

grassy back as Jack and Lili step from the concealing

shrubbery nearby.

LILI

Let's rest a minute. I'm so

thirsty.

JACK

Stop complaining.

LILI

A gentleman would offer water.

JACK

Only were he a fool to boot.

(pointing)

See yon viper?

LILI

(shuddering)

I detest serpents.

JACK

That viper has envenomed the water.

No animal will drink here now.

LILI

What shall we do?

JACK

Be patient.

They crouch together behind the shrubbery.

LILI

Oh, dear.

JACK

What's the matter?

LILI

I've lost my napkin. It was all

elf-work and lace... I must have

dropped it when you startled me so.

JACK

(rising)

I'll go search for it.

LILI

Don't leave me now. I fear the

unicorn won't show himself without

you.

JACK

I'm not its master.

LILI

(touching his arm)

The napkin will keep. I'd rather

not be alone.

JACK

(with a smile)

Your command is my wish, Princess

Lili.

EXT. DEEP WOODS - DAY

A pair of ferocious hounds bray under the tree in which

Jack was hiding. Another sniffs at a few scattered

blossoms and Lili's lace napkin lying forgotten on the

moss.

The hunting party rides up at a gallop. At the head of

the troops are Lili's father, KING GODWIN, pink-cheeked

and white-bearded; a kind-hearted, elfish man, though weak

and ineffectual; and BARON COUER DE NOIR, a powerful

knight on a black charger. His greaves and breastplate

are black as midnight as is the heavy cloak which envelops

him. His hands are covered with black gauntlets and a

horned black hood with a wolf's lupine features masks his

face. His voice rumbles with dread authority as the party

reins to a stop.

BARON

What spoor have the hounds for us?

A lance-bearer dismounts and takes the lace kerchief from

the dog's foaming mouth.

KING GODWIN

My daughter's napkin. That's

certain.

The Baron unstraps a crossbow from his saddle leathers.

BARON

We proceed. Have three men restrain

the dogs. Don't come until you hear

the horns.

The hunters ride on, leaving the dog handlers to control

the straining hounds.

EXT. CLEARING - DAY

Lili and Jack wait behind the bushes, watching the stream.

LILI

How much longer?

JACK

Shhh!

LILI