Apocalypse Now Movie Script



1  PRIMEVAL SWAMP - EARLY DAWN

It is very early in the dawn - blue light filters through 
the jungle and across a foul swamp. A mist clings to the 
trees. This could be the jungle of a million years ago.

Our VIEW MOVES CLOSER, through the mist, TILTING DOWN to 
the tepid water. A small bubble rises to the surface;
then another. Suddenly, but quietly, a form begins to 
emerge; a helmet. Water and mud pour off revealing a set 
of beady eyes just above the mud. Printed on a helmet, 
in a psychedelic  hand, are the words: "Gook Killer." 
The head emerges revealing that the tough-looking soldier 
beneath has  exceptionally long hair and beard; he has no 
shirt on, only bandoliers of ammunition - his body is
painted in an odd camouflage pattern. He looks to the 
right; he looks to the left; he looks INTO CAMERA, and
slowly sinks back into the swamp, disapperaring completely.

Our VIEW HOLDS, We begin to HEAR natural, though 
unrecognizable JUNGLE SOUNDS, far off in the distance.
We PAN TO REVEAL a clump of logs half submerged in the
swamp; and part of what seems to be a Falstaff beer can
in the mud. A hand reaches out, and the beer can disappears.
As we TILT UP, we NOTICE that the log is hollow 
and houses the rear of a M-60 machine gun, hand painted
in a paisley design.

Now the VIEW MOVES AWAY, ACROSS the ancient growth, PAST
the glimmer of what seems to be another soldier hiding in
ambush, wearing an exotic hat made from birds and bushes.
ACROSS to a dark trail where the legs of those in black
pajamas move silently across our ever TIGHTENING VIEW.
Their feet, boots and sandals leave no impression; make
no sound. A slight flicker of light reveals a pair of
eyes in the foliage across the path, waiting and watching.

The VIEW PUSHES ALONG WITH the Vietnamese, MOVING FASTER
AND FASTER WITH them, until suddenly, directly in front
about ten feet away, an enormous AMERICAN clad in rags
and bushes and holding a 12 gauge automatic shotgun
casually at his side, steps in front of them. He smiles
laconically, and BLASTS OUT FIVE SHOTS that rip THROUGH
US. By the second shot, the whole jungle blazes out 
with AUTOMATIC FIRE.

Out VIEW TURNS as the men around us are thrown and torn,
screaming and scattering into the jungle. More AMERICANS
appear; unexplainably, out of the growth. It is now that
we fully SEE the bizarre manner in which they are dressed.
Some wear helmets, others wear strange hats made from
feathers and parts of animals. Some of them have long
savage-looking hair; other crew-cut or completely shaved;
they wear bandoliers, flak jackets, shorts and little else.
They wear Montagnard sandals or no shoes at all, and their
bodies and faces are painted in bizarre camouflage patterns.
They appear one with the jungle and mist, FIRING INTO US
as they move.

The soldier we saw earlier emerges from the swamp, dripping
mud, his MACHINE GUN BLASTING FIRE.

We begin to move quickly with one Vietnamese, breathlessly
running for his life; we MOVE INTO the jungle with him,
only to be impaled on a large spear of a smiling AMERICAN
painted and wearing feathers like an Indian. OUR VIEW
FALLS WITH him to the ground, STARING UPWARDS, as FLAME
and EXPLODING MUD scatter above us. Men scream and die
around us. The screams amid the GUNFIRE and EXPLOSIONS
are piercing and terrible, as though the jungle itself is
frightened.

An AMERICAN wearing a jungle hat with a large Peace Sign
on it, wearing war paint, bends TOWARD US, reaching down
TOWARD US with a large knife, preparing to scalp the
dead.

OUR VIEW MOVES AWAY, along with the running sandals of a
Vietnamese soldier, MOVING FASTER AND FASTER, only to be
stopped by still another of the savage-looking AMERICANS
with primitive ornamentation, wearing only a loin-cloth
and green beret. He opens his flame-thrower directly ON US
and the NVA soldier and we are incinerated in flame,
bright psychedelic orange-red flame. Outrageous, loud,
electric ROCK MUSIC OVERWHELMS the SOUNDTRACK :


	MAIN TITLE : APOCALYPSE NOW


2  TITLE SEQUENCE

The CREDIT TITLES proceed as the FLANE CONSUME US, 
growing more intense, brighter, more vivid, purifying;
transforming into an intense white heat that we can barely
look at, like the sun itself.

Then it EXPLODES, breking apart, and shattering once
again. It begins to cool, as the TITLES CONTINUE. It
is as though WE ARE MOVING through the white center of
cooling flame, forming a spinning web, and becoming more
distant. The TITLES CONTINUE.

We are MOVING TOWARD planetary nebulae; MOVING through the
stars; MOVING closer to the Earth. We can BARELY HEAR the
MUSIC  now.

We MOVE CLOSER to the earth; beautiful, covered in clouds,
as though SEEN from a satellite. The TITLES CONTINUE.

We are MOVING CLOSER to the earth; through the soft clouds,
close enough that we can MAKE OUT the Western Hemisphere;
CLOSER to North America; CLOSER, to America, then California;
Los Angeles, STILL CLOSER to the odd, finger-like
shapes of :


3  EXT. MARINA DEL REY

The VIEW finally SETTLES ON a partically luxury cabin
cruiser harbored at a particular dock late in the day.

It is large, pleasure boat: The people are relaxing in
bathing suits and towels and robes. They are drinking
cocktails, and snapping pictures. The boat belongs to the
head of a large American Corporation, and this is his
party. This man, CHARLIE, is sitting, his shirt off to
catch some of the late sun. Others have their faces
smeared with white suntan oil that reminds us of war
paint. Charlie is going on and on :

		CHARLIE
	... It's crazy -- sugar is up to
	200 dollars a ton -- sugar !

		LAWYER	
	What about oil ?

		CHARLIE
	Food, oil --look, let me show you
	something. This is the economy of
	the United States in two years --

He takes a newspaper, draws a circle.

		CHARLIE
	     (continuing)
	This is West Germany.
	     (he draws another,
	      bigger circle)
	This is Japan.
	     (another , bigger)
	This is Italy.
	     (a dot)
	This is Iran.
	     (a very big circle)
	And this is Saudi Arabia... In
	two years ?
	     (a gigantic circle)
	Do you understand ?

		ACCOUNTANT
	What's to prevent it ?

		CHARLIE
	Maybe nothing. But I'll tell you,
	I didn't build a two-billion-dollar
	company in the last twenty years
	by doing nothing. We can protect
	our interests.
	     (pause, for a drink)
	We are still the most powerful
	nation in the world. Militarily.

He leans to his associates, in a half-whisper.

		CHARLIE
	     (continuing)
	You know bodyguard; he was a
	captain in Viet Nam. You talk to
	him, except he won't talk. This
	kind of man can kill you with his
	pinky. A nice quiet fella, though.

The VIEW BEGINS TO PULL AWAY from this group.

		CHARLIE
	     (continuing)
	Carries a attache case at all
	times. You know what's in it ?
	     (another sip)
	An Ingram Machine pistol.

Gradually, Charlie's voice softens as we MOVE AWAY, and a
NEW VOICE, the voice of someone thinking, COMES IN OVER it :

	CHARLIE					WILLARD (V.O.)	
I don't tahe chances, and		Bullshit. You can kill
neither should this country.		with the ridge of your
If we're strong, we should		hand to the throat; you
protect our interests, and		can crush a skull with
we should have the respect		your knee... but you
of the world, even if it		can't kill anybody with
takes another war.			your pinky.

The VIEW MOVE ALONG the guests of this small party :
Pictures being taken, some people are swimming. It is the
good life. Now WILLARD'S VOICE TRACK DOMINATES.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	The attache case has been empty
	for three years, but it makes him
	safe to think there's a machine
	pistol in it.

	I don't like automatic weapons.
	They jam.

	I saw a friend of mine get
	ripped open because he flicked his
	M-16 to automatic, and it jammed.
	How much money did the contractors
	make on the M-16 ?

Our VIEW IS MOVING through the people on the boat; some
reading, flirting, drinking.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	He likes to hear stories about Nam.
	I tell him I can't; they're not
	cleared. The truth is he wouldn't
	understand.

We can now SEE A MAN with his BACK TO US, looking the
opposite way. An attache case resting near to him. We 
MOVE CLOSER.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	There's no way I can tell them...
	what really happened over there.

	I wouldn't've believed it if
	someone'd told me.

We are now RESTING on his back. Occasionally, he sips
from a beer, but we cannot see his face.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	There was only one part that
	mattered -- for me, anyway. I
	don't even know if I remember
	all of it. I can't remember
	how it ended, exactly -- because
	when it ended I was insane.

				DISSOLVE TO :

4  EXT. A STREET IN SAIGON - DAY

A Saigon boom street in late 1968. There are bars and
shops for servicemen; the rickshaws, the motorbikes.
Our VIEW MOVES TOWARD one particular officer; B.L.
WILLARD , in uniform, a Captain of the Airborne, followed
by four or five Vietnamese kids trying to shine his
shoes and sell him things.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	But I know how it started
	for me -- I was on R. and R.
	in Saigon; my first time south
	of the DMZ in three months. I
	wasn't sure, but I thought this
	guy was following me.

Willard looks back.


5  HIS VIEW

an American CIVILIAN.


6  MED. VIEW

Willard ducks into a bar.


7  INT. THE SAIGON BAR - DAY

Not much in this place -- a bar, linoleum flooring, a few
tables and chairs, and a juke box. The lounge is fairly
crowded. Willard takes off his cap and walks quietly
past the soldiers at the bar. Some of them, catching
sight of his ribbons, stop talking as he moves by.

An INFANTRY CAPTAIN enters the bar, buys a couple of
drinks and approaches Willard's table.

		CAPTAIN
	How about a drink ?

		WILLARD
	Sure, thanks.

He sits down at the table with the drinks.

		CAPTAIN
	Winning the war by yourself.

		WILLARD
	     (he calls for the waiter)
	Part.

		CAPTAIN
	Which part is that ?

		WILLARD
	My part.
	     (TO THE WAITER)
	Beer, with ice and water.

   
		CAPTAIN
	That's good gin.

		WILLARD
	I'm sure it is, but I had hepatitis.

		CAPTAIN
	Delta ?

		WILLARD
	No.

		CAPTAIN
	North ?

		WILLARD
	Yeah. Way north.

		CAPTAIN
	What unit were you with ?

		WILLARD
	None.

		CAPTAIN
	Rangers, eh?

		WILLARD
	Sort of.

The JUKE BOX starts BLARING. Annoyed , Willard looks over
his shoulder.

		CAPTAIN
	Were you Longe Range Recon --

		WILLARD
	No -- I worked too far north for
	LRRP.

He reaches into his shirt pocket for a cigarette, and the
Captain leans over the table to light it for him. Willard
notices the CIVILIAN on the street has glanced in the bar,
then enters and sits down at a table by the doorway.

		CAPTAIN
	That's quite an array of ribbons...

		WILLARD
	Let's talk about you.

		CAPTAIN
	I was an FO for the 25th.

		WILLARD
	Tracks ?

		CAPTAIN
	Yeah.

		WILLARD
	Fat. That's real fat.

		CAPTAIN
	Sometimes.

		WILLARD
	At least you always have enough
	water. How many gallons does
	each one of those damn things
	carry ?

		CAPTAIN
	Thirty -- sometimes fifty.

		WILLARD
	You know, I can remember once,
	getting back below the DMZ -- and
	the first Americans we ran into
	were a track squadron. I just
	couldn't believe how much water
	they had. We'd been chewing
	bamboo shoots for almost a week,
	and before that, for two weeks,
	we'd been drinking anything --
	rain water, river shit, stuff
	right out of the paddies. And
	there were these guys standing
	by their trucks spilling water
	all over. I could've killed them.
	     (solemnly)
	I swear to God I would have, too,
	if ...

		CAPTAIN
	I didn't know we had units up
	there in North Vietnam.

		WILLARD
	We do.

		CAPTAIN
	How long were you up there ?

		WILLARD
	A long time.

		CAPTAIN
	A year ? Waiter another beer.

		WILLARD
	I go up on missions. Listen
	Captain, buy me all the beer
	you want, but you better tell
	that asshole over there you're
	not going to find out anymore
	about me.

Willard glances over his shoulder and indicates the
Civilian. The Civilian is given a sign by the Captain.
He rises and comes over to the bar.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	What do you want ?

		CIVILIAN
	     (indicating the Army jeep)
	If you're B.L. Willard, 4th Recon
	Group, we'd like you to come with
	us.

		WILLARD
	Whose orders ?

		CAPTAIN
	Headquarters 11 Corps -- 405th
	A.S.A Battalion -- S-2 --
	Com-Sec -- Intelligence --
	Nha Trang.

		WILLARD
	Who are you ?

		CIVILIAN
	The agency.

Willard looks at the Civilian a moment, and then walks
roght out toward the jeep without saying another word.
The Civilian follows.


8  EXT. HELICOPTER - DUSK

A darkly painted "HUEY" ROARS over low paddies and jungle
before emerging onto an open plain. It crosses a barbed
wire and sand-bagged perimeter and lands in a heavily
fortified, concealed compound.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	They took me to some place outside
	Nha Trang... Intelligence Headquarters
	for all operations in South East Asia.
	I'd worked for Intelligence before --

Armed men jump from the Huey -- among them Willard. A
large camouflaged cover is moved, revealing an underground
corridor -- they enter.


9  FULL SHOT - UNDERGROUND PLOTTING ROOM

A door swings wide -- Willard steps through and comes to
attention, blocking the view of the room. A strange
reddish light pervades. The room is covered with plastic
maps and filled with smoke.

The whole place has been hewn out of the ground itself
and there is a sense of the cut-back jungle growth slowly
reclaiming it.

		WILLARD
	Captain B.L. Willard, G-4 Headquarters,
	reporting as ordered, sir.

		COLONEL (O.S.)
	Okay, Willard, sit down.

Willard sits in a chair that is set in a center of a
bare concrete floor. Across from him, around steel desks
and tables sit several men. The nearest one, a COLONEL
puts his cigar out on the bottom of his shoe -- behind
him sits a MAJOR and a seedy-looking CIVILIAN.

		COLONEL
	Have you ever seen this officer
	before, Captain Willard ?

He points to the Major.

		WILLARD
	No, sir.

		COLONEL
	This gentleman or myself ?

		WILLARD
	No, sir.

		COLONEL
	I believe on your last job you
	executed a tax collector in Kontum,
	is that right ?

		WILLARD
	I am not presently disposed to
	discuss that, sir.

		MAJOR
	Very good.

He turns to the Colonel and nods his approval. The
Colonel gets up and goes to a large plastic map.

		COLONEL
	You know much about about Special Forces;
	Green Berets, Captain ?

		WILLARD
	I've worked with them on occasions
	and I saw the movie , sir.

The officer smiles at this.

		COLONEL
	Then you can appreciate Command's
	concern over their -- shall we say
	'erratic' methods of operation.
	     (pause)
	I have never favored elite units,
	Captain, including your paratroopers
	or whatever. Just because a man
	jumps out of an airplane or wears
	a silly hat doesn't give him any
	priviliges in my book -- not in
	this man's army.

		MAJOR
	We didn't need 'em in Korea --
	no sir, give me an Ohio farm boy
	and an M-1 Garand, none of this
	fancy crap -- no sir.

		CIVILIAN
	     (stopping him)
	Major.

		COLONEL
	We have Special Forces A
	detachments all along the
	Cambodian border. Two here and
	another one here -- twelve or
	fourteen Americans -- pretty
	much on their own; they train
	and motivate Montagnard natives;
	pick their own operations. If
	they need something, they call 
	for it, and get it within
	reason. What we're concerned
	with is here.


10  CLOSE VIEW - ON THE MAP

		COLONEL
	The A detachment at Nu Mung Ba.
	It was originally a larger base,
	built up along the river in an
	old Cambodian fortress.
	
	The area has been relatively
	quiet for the past two years --
	but --


11  MED VIEW

		COLONEL
	... Captain, we know something's
	going on up there -- Major --

The Major looks at some papers in front of him.

		MAJOR
	Communications naturally dwindled
	with the lack of V.C. activity,
	this is routine, expected ... but
	six months ago communication
	virtually stopped.

		COLONEL
	About the same time -- large numbers
	of Montagnards of the M'Nong descent
	began leaving the area -- this in
	itself is not unusual since these
	people have fought with the Rhade
	Tribe that lived in the area for
	centuries. But what is unusual is
	that we began to find Rhade refugees
	too -- in the same sampans as the
	M'Nongs. These people aren't afraid
	of V.C. They've put up with war
	for twenty years -- but something
	is driving them out.

		MAJOR
	We communicate with the base
	infrequently. What they call for
	are air strikes, immediate --
	always at night. And we don't
	know what or who the air strikes
	are called on.

		WILLARD
	Who ?

		MAJOR
	You see, no one has really gone
	into this area and come back alive.

		WILLARD
	Why me ?

		MAJOR
	Walter Kurtz, Lieutenant Colonel,
	Special Forces. We understand
	you knew him.

He puts Kurtz' dossier in Willard's hand.

		WILLARD
	Yeah.

		COLONEL
	He's commanding the detachment
	at Nu Mung Ba.

The Colonel gets up and walks over to a tape recorder,
flicks it on. The recording is first STATIC -- the
AIR CONTROLLER then asks for more information on target
coordinates -- it all sounds very routine, military.
Then a frantic VOICE comes on, talking slurred, like
someone dumb, except very fast.

		VOICE (ON TAPE)
	Up 2 -- 0 -- give it to me quick --
	Mark flare -- affirmative damn --
	Immediate receive -- hearing
	automatic weapons fire man ...

GUNFIRE is HEARD and a lower, slower VOICE in background.

		SECOND VOICE
	Blue Delta five
	This Big Rhine -- three
	Need that ordinance immediately
	Goddamn give it to me immediate
	Christ -- Big Rhino --
	Blue God -- Delta damn -- goddamn.

A heavy BURST of AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE -- INSANE LAUGHTER
-- STATIC, and faintly, very faintly we HEAR HARD ROCK
MUSIC -- more STATIC -- suddenly a low, clear VOICE
peaceful and serene, almost tasting the words.

		THIRD VOICE
	This is Big Rhino six -- Blue Delta.

		MAJOR
	That's Colonel Kurtz.

		KURTZ (V.O.)
	I want that napalm dropped in the
	trees -- spread it among the
	branches.

	We'll give you a flare -- an
	orange one -- bright orange.
	     (STATIC)
	We'd also like some white phosporous,
	Blue Delta. White phosporous, give
	it to me.

STATIC interrupts -- the Major turns the machine off.

		WILLARD
	I only met Kurtz once.

		CIVILIAN
	Would he remember you ?

		WILLARD
	Maybe.

		COLONEL
	What was your impression of him ?

Willard shrugs.

		CIVILIAN
	You didn't like him.

		WILLARD
	Anyone got a cigarette.

The Major offers him one; they wait as he lights up, thinks.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	I thought he was a lame.

		COLONEL
	A lame ?

		WILLARD
	This is years ago, before he
	joined Special Forces, I guess.
	We had an argument.

		COLONEL
	About what ?

		WILLARD
	I don't know. He was a lame,
	that's all.

		COLONEL
	But why ?

		WILLARD
	He couldn't get through a
	sentence without all these
	big words; about why we kill.

		COLONEL
	Well, he's killing now.

		WILLARD
	Maybe.

		CIVILIAN
	What does that mean ?

		WILLARD
	Maybe it's not Kurtz. I don't
	believe he's capable of that.
	I just don't believe it.

		COLONEL
	It's got to be Kurtz.

		CIVILIAN
	The point is that Kurtz or
	somebody attacked a South
	Vietnamese Ranger Platoon three
	days ago. Last week a Recon
	helicopter was lost in the area --
	another took heavy damage --
	direct fire from their base
	camp.

		WILLARD
	Our Recon flight ?

		CIVILIAN
	Ours.

		WILLARD
	Touchy.

		CIVILIAN
	You can see, of course, the
	implications, if any of this --
	even rumours leaked out.

		WILLARD
	You want me to clean it up --
	simple and quiet.

		CIVILIAN
	Exactly -- you'll go up the
	Nung River in a Navy P.B.R. --
	appear at Nu Mung Ba as if by
	accident, re-establish your
	acquintance with Colonel Kurtz,
	find out what's happened -- and
	why. Then terminate his command.

		WILLARD
	Terminate ?

		CIVILIAN
	Terminate with extreme prejudice.


12  FULL VIEW - ON THE DELTA

A waterway leading out to the ocean -- it is broken and
divided into hundreds of channels, islands, water farms.

A Navy patrol boat (P.B.R.) is waiting by a dock area.
This is small, light craft, very fast, and heavily
armed. Its men stand at attention in a small and simple
military ceremony. Willard approaches them in battle-
dress: Tiger suit, full field pack, forty-five, helmet,
M-16. The boat commander salutes Willard.


13  MED. VIEW

We hear the introductions faintly, UNDER Willard's VOICE.
		
		WILLARD (V.O.)
	I met the P.B.R. crew; they were
	pretty much all kids, except for
	Phillips, the Chief -- Gunner's
	Mate Third Class L. Johnson --
	Lance Johnson; Gunner's Mate
	Third Class J. Hicks -- The Chef --
	Radio Operator Second Class T.
	Miller; they called him Mr. Clean.

		WILLARD
	Chief, try to keep out of where
	we're going -- Why we're goin' and
	what's gonna be the big surprise.

		CHIEF
	All right with me, I used to drive
	a taxi.

		WILLARD
	Let's go.

The Chief nods.  They all break formation and jump aboard
and otherwise go about their work.

The twin diesels kick up -- and t he boat moves away from
the dock. The Chef jumps aboard; Lance mans the forward
twin fifty-caliber machine guns -- they wave to the guards
on the dock and move away into the complexity that leads
to the ocean.

				DISSOLVE TO :



14  FULL VIEW - STORMY SEA

The boat slams through the heavy sea ; hurtling off the
top of a wave and crashing full into the trough of another.


15  MED. SHOT - BOAT COCKPIT - WILLARD AND CHIEF

Willard holds on to whatever he can -- he looks very pale.
Water crashes over the bow and drenches everyone. The
Chief mans the wheel and the ENGINES WHINE. Lance climbs
back from his position. He looks at Willard, who just
stares ahead into space, swallowing.

				DISSOLVE TO :



16  LONG SHOT - BOAT DUSK

The dusk is spectacular through the broken storm clouds --
the sea is calm again.

				DISSOLVE TO :


17  VIEW ON THE BOAT - PROCEEDING UP THE COAST

The Chief is at the helm -- Willard approaches him.

		CHIEF
	The Delta closes off to us about
	ten  miles out of Hau Fat. We'll
	be able to pick up some supplies --
	bit I think there are only two
	points we can draw enough water
	to get into the Nung River. It's
	all Charlie's turf from there on
	out.

		WILLARD
	We're gonna have some help to
	get in the river. You know
	these waters, Chief ?

		CHIEF
	'Bout six months ago I took a man
	up to Lo Mung Bridge. He was
	regular Army too. Shot himself
	in the head. I brought his body 
	back down.

		WILLARD
	Shot himself. What for ?

		CHIEF
	Beats me -- the sun was too much
	for him, or the mud. Who knows ?

Pause, looking at Willard.


18  CLOSE SHOT - ON WILLARD

Suddenly, his attention is diverted -- there is a slow
buffeting, as if the air around them is being sucked out
and replaced quickly. The boat shakes slightly. There
is a distant ROLLING NOISE like interrupted thunder. All
the men have stopped whatever they're doing -- stand up
and look out toward the shore and the green jungle hills
beyond. The buffeting and NOISE CONTINUES -- they all
stand silently -- suddenly it stops.

		WILLARD
	Arch light.

		CHEF
	I hate that -- Every time I hear
	that noise something terrible 
	happens.

		CHIEF
	Anybody see some smoke ?

		CLEAN
	Too far inland.

		LANCE
	There they are.

He points up to the sky.


19 FULL SHOT - ON THE SKY

Way up -- past any clouds and barely discernible, we SEE
the black silhouttes of four B-52 bombers, their vapor
trails streaming white against the dark blue sky.

		CLEAN
	Charlie don't ever hear 'em. Not
	till it's too late -- don't have
	to hit you neither, concussion'll
	do it for a quarter mile or better.
	Burst your ears -- suck the air
	outta your lungs.


20  FULL SHOT - BOAT - CREW

They are looking up. Willard sits down, unconcerned.
He takes out the dossier given him by ComSec. He
flips through the letters and other documents.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	The dossier on A detachment had
	letters from Kurtz' wife and the
	wives and families of his men.
	All asking where to send future
	mail, understanding the necessery
	silence due to the nature of
	their work -- None of the men had
	written home in half a year.

Occasionally, in the b.g., we FEEL the terrifying buffeting
of the distant B-52 BOMBING.


21  CLOSE - ON WILLARD

studying, examining a report.


22  MONTAGE - PICTURES OF KURTZ

Kurtz' face evolves through the various stages of his
career as represented in the pictures in the dossier,
as Willard reads :

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	Lieutenant Kurtz has shown a
	dedicated and well-disciplined
	spirit. He is a fine officer,
	combining military efficiency --
	with a broad background in the
	Humanities, the Arts and Sciences ...

Another picture of Kurtz in Germany, standing next to the
161st Petroleum Supply Group sign.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	... He views his military career
	as the dedication of his talents
	to bringing our values and way of
	life to those darker, less
	fortunate areas in the world.

A SHOT of Kurtz at jump school.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	... I feel Captain Kurtz' request
	for Special Forces training is
	highly unusual in regard to his
	past humanitarian concerns, and
	his somewhat liberal politics,
	though I can see no reason to
	deny it.

A CLOSE SHOT of Kurtz with Green Beret on in the Vietnam
jungle. His face is blank and vacant.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	... We feel Major Kurtz' need to
	bring a sense of Western culture
	to the backward peoples of these
	areas will be of use in
	accordance with our 'Vietnamization'
	programs ...

MOVE IN TO Kurtz' empty eyes until the photograph is just
a BLURRED MASS OF DOTS.

				DISSOLVE TO :


23  EXT. HAU FAT - AN ADVANCE STAGING AREA

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	One day later we came to an
	advanced staging area along the
	coast. This was our last chance
	to pick up supplies before
	approaching the mouth of the
	Nung River.
	 
The VIEW OF THE COASTLINE leading up along the long load-
ing docks at Hau Fat, an advance staging area for opera-
tions "Brute Force" and "Mailed Fist."

Everywhere are tents -- oil drums -- sandbagged bunkers --
helicopters -- tanks -- guns -- men. Nobody builds
advanced staging areas like the Americans.

As the P.B.R. approaches the docking area, Lance notices
something.

		LANCE
	Hey.

They look as a Chris-craft speeds by pulling a fancy water-
skier who waves as he slaloms by. The men just look at
one another.


24  VIEW ON THE DOCK

The P.B.R. pulls in -- the men scan the busy surroundings.

		CHIEF
	Lance -- I want you to go with the
	Captain an' get three extra drums
	of fuel and maybe scrounge some
	more 50 caliber.

		LANCE
	Yeah -- look at those uniforms.


25  FULL SHOT - PARADE GROUNDS - TROOPS

A platoon drills in the hot, lazy sun; they are clean and
pale, in contrast to Lance and the others, just off the
airplane.

		CHIEF
	Poor bastards, have a long year
	to go.

The troops turn and march TOWARD US with six weeks of
Advanced Infantry Training to back them up.


26  FULL SHOT - DOCK - P.B.R. - CREW

They are tying up at the dock -- a young SERGEANT is fill-
ing cut papers concerning them and talking with Willard.

		SERGEANT
	I don't know anything about these
	papers, sir.

		WILLARD
	They're in order -- it's perfectly
	clean -- just check with ComSec-
	Intel like I said.

		SERGEANT
	Well, you know I don't have the
	priority to do that, sir. It
	says here not to contact Com-Sec-
	Int. Who's your commanding 
	officer ?

		WILLARD
	Right now -- I am.

		SERGEANT
	Well who the hell verifies that ?

		WILLARD
	I do.

He signs it quickly, leaving the Sergeant totally confused.

		CHIEF
	No shit -- what's all the activity
	for around here ?

		SERGEANT
	The show --

		WILLARD
	What show ?

		SERGEANT
	Big show in the parade grounds
	this noon -- some boss stuff --

		WILLARD
	This -- Bob Hope or the like --

		SERGEANT
	No sir, I think -- this'll be a
	little bit different --

		CHIEF
	Where's it gonna be ?

He points --


27  FULL SHOT - PARADE GROUNDS - PEDESTAL

A large, well-built pedestal has been erected -- this is
surrounded by a deep moat filled with punji stakes and
garnished with concertina wire. It is empty --

				DISSOLVE TO :


28  FULL SHOT - PARADE GROUNDS - TROOPS

The entire area around the pedestal and right up to the
wire is mobbed with seething American fighting men. Some
of these boys have just gotten here -- others have been in
the jungle for months. All have one thing in common, to
see and if possible grab an American girl. Their need far
surpasses that of the run-of-the-mill rapist, pervert,
or child-molester. To counter their need of course are
the moat, punji stakes and barbed wire -- but implementing
this are seven "riot control positions" equipped with the
lastest in teargas launchers, attack-trained German shep-
herds and assorted psychological warfare aides. Even so
armed, the great mass of wild men are right up to the wire.


29 FORWARD AREA

jammed in the crowd

		CHEF
	It's really too much -- I mean
	I've collected every picture of
	her since she was Miss December.

		CLEAN
	Yeah -- you can really get hung
	up on them like the cat in the
	Delta.

		CHIEF
	What cat  ?

		CLEAN
	One that went up for murder -- he
	was an Army Sergeant.

		CHIEF
	I never heard about that.

		CLEAN
	Yeah -- he really dug his Playboy
	mag, man -- I mean like he was there
	when it arrived -- He just knew.

		CHEF
	So what happened ?

		CLEAN
	He was working A.R.V.N. patrols
	and had one a them little cocky
	gook asshole Lieutenants -- anyhow,
	the Lieutenant took his new Playboy
	one day, sat on the end of the dock,
	and wouldn't give it back.

		CHEF
	Yeah -- typical A.R.V.N.

		CLEAN
	Then went too far -- he sat
	there and starts mutilating the
	centerfold. Poking pins in her an'
	all that. Sergeant says, don't do
	her like that. You leave your
	shitty little hands off that girl.
	Gook Lieutenant says Fuck you in
	Vietnamese -- Sergeant says, don't
	do that again. You'll wish you
	hadn't. Then he stood up, flicked
	his iron to rock and roll and gave
	the little zero a long burst
	through the Playboy mag. Man, it
	blew him clean off the dock --
	Hell, just the magazine was floatin'
	there all full of holes.

		CHIEF
	They nail him for it bad ?

		CLEAN
	He's in the L.B.J. -- didn't
	give him no medals or nothing --

In the b.g., we begin to HEAR a SWELL of TWO THOUSAND
MALE VOICES; the ENGINES of four helicopters approaching.
All heads turn skywards while one descends onto the
pedestal kicking up a lot of dust and general resentment.
On the nose amd doors of the black Huey are painted large
Playboy rabbits. Finally the blades are trimmed and a
strange silence descends over the men. The door of the
copter slides partially open -- two young Green Berets
step out with M-16's to varied catcalls. When this
abates a young, extremelly well-dressed man emerges. He
is the epitome of a Hollywood AGENT. Hair is combed
impeccably and free of dandruff -- clothes are formal
but hip -- shoes are shined -- Quite some dude -- his
presence causes some stirring but seems to strangely
quiet the man.

He walks over to the microphone.

		AGENT
	I'd like to say hello from all of
	us up here, to all of you out there.
	All of you who've worked so hard
	during Operation Brute Force --
	Paratroopers -- Infantry -- Airmen
	-- Medics -- Marines -- and Sailors.
	And I want you to know that we feel
	proud of you and know how hard your
	job is. To prove it -- we've brought
	some entertainment we think you're
	gonna like: The Playmate of the Year
	and her two runners up !

He pulls open the door and three unbelieveably beautiful
sex playmates in fringed go-go outfits leap out and start
dancing to the Creedence Clearwater Revival singing
"Suzy Q."


30  MONTAGE ON THE GIRLS AND MEN

VARIOUS SHOTS as the girls dance in an incredibly erotic
manner -- smiling.

The faces of the G.I.'s pass -- their jaws drop -- some
look almost horrified. Chef is hypnotized -- Mr. Clean
cries. Chief mouths unspoken obscenities with sentimental
tenderness.

Others grab the air in front of them. With each movement
their need increases by the square.


31  FULL SHOT - PEDESTAL - GIRLS - MEN

They crush forward starting to scream -- men fall on the
wire -- the guards in the "riot control positions" forget
-- the attack dogs are trampled. The mob as one surges
forward onto the wire. Men scream and fall into the moat,
which is filling up fast. The Agent sees this all as he
has seen it before. He casually pulls the pin of a smoke
grenade; the girls retreat into the copter -- he follows,
then the two Green Berets. The ROTARS WHINE -- the black
Playboy Huey lifts off just as the first crazed men reach
it. They grab frantically for the wheels, but miss. The
Huey wheels up into the blue sky, leaving them all below.

Such are the ways of war.

				CUT TO:


32  EXT. FULL VIEW - DAY

The P.B.R. moving further up the primitive coastline.
There are few signs of civilization; no villages, no
boats -- just the overwhelming presence of the jungle.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	Two days out of Hau Fat, there was
	nothing but us and the coastline.
	I felt like I had set off for
	the center of the earth...

Suddenly, Chief looks out, ahead.

		CHIEF
	Smoke !

		WILLARD
	Where ?

They all turn. Chief points up the coast.


33 FULL SHOT - THE COASTLINE

A thick train of black smoke rises from the green jungle.

		WILLARD
	Black smoke ... secondary burning.

The Chief grabs field glasses.

		CHIEF
	Yeah -- fishing village --
	helicopters over there. Hueys,
	lots of 'em.

		WILLARD
	First Air Cavalry. They're the
	ones gonna get us into the River.


34 FULL SHOT - THE BEACH AND VILLAGE

A vast field of devastation -- smashed and smoking palm
trees -- deep, ragged craters -- gutted and burning huts
-- shattered sampans and bodies washing around in the
surf.


35  MED. SHOT - BEACH - WILLARD AND CREW

They wade through the water to the beach where they are
met by a heavily armed group of men.

Overhead jets swoop by FIRING ROCKETS, the NOISE drowning
out Willard's attempt at conversation with some of the men.

We can't hear any of the talk, but we notice that the
Sergeant turns up to a particular Huey, and points to it.


36  FULL SHOT - HELICOPTERS

Three Hueys swoop in low -- they are heavily laden with
machine guns -- rockets and loudspeakers. The two out-
side copters hover, while the center copter lands, raising
a lot of dust. It cuts its rotors and the other copters
pull up and off to the side. Two armed soldiers jump
from the doors and stand with guns ready. Then a tall,
strong looking man emerges. He wears a well-cut and
neatly-stretched tiger suit. It is COLONEL WILLIAM KILGORE
-- tough looking, well-tanned, with a black mustache.

He crouches over, holding his hat in the rotor wash. It
is no ordinary hat but a L.A. Dodgers baseball hat. He
walks out, and then stards to his full immense height and
with his hands on his hips he surveys the field of battle.
His eyes are obscured by mirror-fronted sunglasses.

		KILGORE
	     (bellowing)
	Lieutenant: Bomb that tree line
	back about a hundred yards -- give
	me some room to breathe.

A Lieutenant and radio man nod and rush off.


37  CLOSE VIEW ON WILLARD

He was not quite prepared for this.


38  VIEW ON KILGORE

turning to his GUARDS

		KILGORE
	Bring me some cards.

		GUARD
	Sir ?

		KILGORE
	Body cards, you damn fool --
	cards !

The soldier rushes over and hands him two brand new
packages of playing cards wrapped in plastic. Two other
soldiers get out of the copter and walk over. They are
well-tanned and carry no weapons. They seem more casual
about the Colonel than anyone else. The Sergeant walks
up, leading Willard, the Chief and Lance.

		WILLARD
	     (formally)
	Captain B-L. Willard, sir -- 4th
	Recon Group -- I carry priority
	papers from Com-Sec Intelligence
	11 Corp -- I believe you understand
	the nature of my mission.

		KILGORE
	     (not looking up)
	Yeah -- Na Trang told me to
	expect you -- we'll see what we
	can do. Just stay out of my way
	till this is done, Captain.

He cracks the plastic wrapping sharply -- takes out the
deck of new cards and fans them. The Colonel strides
right past Willard with no further acknowledgement. The
others follow,


39  TRACKING VIEW

The Colonel walks through the shell-pocked field of
devastation. Soldiers gather around smiling; as Kilgore
comes to each V.C. corpse he drops a playing card on
it -- carefully picking out which card he uses.

		KILGORE
	     (to himself)
	Six a spades -- eight a hearts --
	Isn't one worth a Jack in this
	whole place.

The Colonel goes on about this business.


40  TRACKING ON KILGORE

moving through the corpses, dropping the cards.

On of the two tanned soldiers rushes up and whispers
something to him. He stops.

		KILGORE
	What ? Here. You sure?

The soldier points to Lance, who immediately puts down
the card he was holding. Kilgore strides over to the
young man, who almost instinctively moves closer t
Willard.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	What's your name, sailor ?

		LANCE
	Gunner's Mate, Third Class --
	L. Johnson, sir.

		KILGORE
	Lance Johnson? The surfer?

		LANCE
	That's right, sir.

Kilgore smiles -- sticks out his hand.

		KILGORE
	It's an honor to meet you Lance.
	I've admired your nose-riding for
	years -- I like your cutback, too.
	I think you have the best cutback
	there is.

		LANCE
	Thank you, sir.

		KILGORE
	You can cut out the sir, Lance --
	I'm Bill kilgore -- I'm a goofy
	foot.


41 VIEW ON WILLARD

His entire, top priority  mission has been put in the
background.

		KILGORE (O.S.)
	This is Mike from San Diego and
	Johnny from Malibu -- they're good
	solid surfers -- none of us are
	anywhere near your class, though.

Lance blushes, sort of mumbling thanks.

		WILLARD
	My orders are from Com-Sec
	Intel -- B.L. Willard, 4th Recon --

		KILGORE
	Just hold up a second, Captain --
	I'll get to you soon enough --
	We've got things to do here.

Willard eats it, for now. Kilgore puts his hand on
Lance's shoulder, and continues flipping the cards in-
discriminately on the bodies as they talk.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	... we do a lot of surfing around
	here. Like to finish up operations
	early and fly down to Vung Tau for
	the evening glass. Have you ever
	surfed the point at Vung Tau? I
	liked the beach breaks around Na
	Trang a lot -- good lefts.

He passes a twisted gun emplacement with about five
bodies -- sprinkles cards all over them.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	... we keep three boards in my
	Command Huey at all times. You
	never can tell when you're gonna
	run into something good. I got a
	guy in Cam Rau Bay that can predict
	a swell two days in advance. We
	try to work it in.

He stops at a particularly wild-looking Viet Cong who
has died with his mouth agape -- staring wild-eyed in
horror at the sky. Kilgore pauses.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing; to himself)
	Hell, that's an Ace if I ever saw
	one.

He puts the card in the gaping mouth.


42  CLOSE VIEW OVER THE VIET CONG

We SEE the Colonel and the others walk off -- the dead
Viet Cong and card are in the immediate f.g. The card
has the shield of the CAV printed bautifully, and above
it the motto: DEATH FROM ABOVE.

		KILGORE
	Where've you been riding, Lance?

		LANCE
	I haven't surfed since I got here.

		KILGORE
	That's terrible -- we'll change 
	that -- I'd like to see you work --
	I've always liked your cutback;
	got a hell of a left turn, too.

				DISSOLVE TO :


43  EXT. THE HELICOPTER - MED. SHOT

Willard is sitting with Kilgore on acouple of chairs by
a table set up in front of the command copter.

Everywhere we SEE armed men, sandbags, barbed wire, oil
drums etc. Hueys are constantly ROARING over. ARTILLERY
BOOMS in the far distance. Kilgore looks at the map.

		KILGORE
	Why the hell you wanna go up
	to Nu Mung Ba for?

		WILLARD
	I got bored in Saigon.

		KILGORE
	What's the furthest you been
	in?

		WILLARD
	Haiphong.

		KILGORE
	Haiphong? Shit, you jump in ?

		WILLARD
	No. Walked.

		KILGORE
	What'd you do for supplies?

		WILLARD
	     (he shrugs)
	Mercenaries -- agents, traitors --
	they put out caches.

		KILGORE
	Can you trust them?

		WILLARD
	No. They put out two or three
	for every one I needed. When
	you get to the one you'll use,
	you just stake it out. If
	something feels wrong, you just
	pass it up. On one mission, I
	had to pass up three and ended
	up living on rats and chocolate
	 bars.

		KILGORE
	Nu Mung Ba. Last I heard, Walter
	Kurtz commanded a Green Beret
	detachment at Nu Mung Ba.

		WILLARD
	When did you hear?

		KILGORE
	'Bout a year ago? Is Kurtz
	still alive?

		WILLARD
	Who knows.

		KILGORE
	Seems to me he got himself
	fragged. i heard some grunt
	rolled a grenade in his tent.
	Maybe a rumor. Helluva man --
	remarkable officer. Walter
	Kurtz woulda been a General
	some day. General of the Army.
	Shit, Head of the Joint Chiefs
	of Staff. Did you knew Kurtz?

		WILLARD
	I met him.

		KILGORE
	Don't you agree?

		WILLARD
	He musta changed !
	     (pointing to the map)
	I got to get into the Nung
	River, here or here.

		KILGORE
	That village you're pointing at
	is kinda hairy.

		WILLARD
	Hairy ?

		KILGORE
	I mean it's hairy -- they got some
	pretty heavy ordnance, boy --
	I've lost a few recon ships in
	there now and again.

		WILLARD
	So? I heard you had a good bunch
	of killers here.

		KILGORE
	And I don't intend to get some of
	them chewed up just to get your
	tub put in the mouth of the
	goddman Nung River. You say you
	don't know Kurtz?

		WILLARD
	I met him.

		KILGORE
	You talk like him. I don't
	mind taking casualties,
	Captain, but I like to keep
	my ratio ten to one in this
	unit -- ten Cong to one.

		WILLARD
	You'll find enough Cong up there.

		KILGORE
	What about this point here?

He puts his finger on the map.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	What's the name of that goddamn
	village -- Vin Drin Dop or Lop; damn gook
	names all sound the same.

He motions to one of his surfers.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Mike, you know anything about
	the point at Vin Drip Drop?

		MIKE
	Boss left.

		KILGORE
	What do you mean?

		MIKE
	It's really long left slide,
	breaks on the short side of the
	point -- catches a south swell.

		LANCE
	Nice.

Willard looks at Lance -- then at Kilgore.

		KILGORE
	Why the hell didn't you tell me
	about that place -- a good left.
	     (to Willard)
	There aren't any good left slides
	in this whole, shitty country.
	It's all goddamn beach break.

		MIKE
	It's hairy ,though. That's
	where we lost McDonnel -- they
	shot the hell out of us. It's
	Charlie's point.

		KILGORE
	How big it is?

		MIKE
	Six to eight feet.

Kilgore gazes out across the parked helicopters.

		KILGORE
	     (to himself)
	A six-foot left.

Willard nudges Lance -- who gets the idea.

		LANCE
	Boss. What's the wind like.

		MIKE
	Light off shore -- really hollow.

		WILLARD
	We could go in tomorrow at dawn
	-- there's always off-shore wind
	in the morning.

		CHIEF
	The draft of that river might be
	too shallow on the point.

		KILGORE
	Hell, we'll pick your boat up and
	lay it down like a baby, right
	where you want it. This is the
	Cav boy -- airmobile. I can
	take that point and hold it as
	long as I like -- and you can
	get anywhere you want up that
	river that suits you, Captain.
	Hell, a six foot left.
	     (he turns to an advisor)
	You take a gunship back to division
	-- Mike, take Lance with you -- let
	him pick out a board, and bring me
	my Yater Spoon -- the eight six.

		TOM
	I don't know, sir -- it's -- it's --

		KILGORE
	     (hard)
	What is it?

		TOM
	Well, I mean it's hairy in there
	-- it's Charlie's point.

Kilgore turns and looks to Willard, exasperated.

		WILLARD
	Charlie don't surf.


44  FULL SHOT - HELICOPTERS - DAWN

What seems like hundreds of Hueys standing, their rotors
churning a great wind -- Inside, the men of the 1st
Cavalry Airmobile -- toughest unit in Vietnam.

Kilgore's helicopter is being loaded with ammunition and
has surfboards strapped underneath.


45  MED. VIEW

Kilgore strides up to the side door, dressed for battle.
He looks out, around. He turns to his door GUNNER.

		KILGORE
	How do you feel, boy?

		GUNNER
	Like a mean motherfucker, sir.

He turns to his R.T. man.

		KILGORE
	Let's go.


46  FULL VIEW

Helicopter rotors build up speed -- gas turbines
belching fire from their jet pipes -- dust flying
as fifty helicopters rise; ROAR OVER CAMERA and
deploy into attack formation.


47  NEW VIEW

Helicopters moving THROUGH the FRAME: almost a dance of
dragonflies.


48  INT. COMMAND COPTER - MED. SHOT - KILGORE, WILLARD,
       OTHERS

Willard looks ahead -- Kilgore sits near the door.
Below they see the jungle whisk by and they are
suddenly over the ocean, low and fast.


49  MONTAGE

CLOSE SHOTS of rocket pods -- mini-guns in bizarre
looking mounts.

CLOSE SHOTS of the three surfboards strapped below the
command helicopter, next to the fearsome weaponry.

And finally, CLOSE SHOTS of the men -- nervous, excited
very few of them really scared -- they fondle their
rifles, grenade launchers, anti-personnel grenades,
claymore mines; plastic explosives cord; flame-throwers;
M-60 machine guns; expandable rocket launchers; mortars
and bayonets.


50  INT. COMMAND COPTER

Kilgore cranes his neck and almost leans out to watch
the waves -- then he sits back relaxed.

		KILGORE
	     (to Willard)
	We'll come in low out of the rising
	sun -- We'll put on the music about 
	a mile out.

		WILLARD
	Music?

		KILGORE
	Yeah. Classical stuff -- scares
	the hell out of the slopes -- the
	boys love it.


51  MED. SHOT

POV behind the PILOT and CO-PILOT -- the ocean rushes
below.

		PILOT
	Big Duke six to Eagle Thrust --
	turn on coordinates 1-0 -- niner,
	assume attack formation.

The helicopter banks into a tight turn and bears
toward the coast.

		RADIO (V.O.)
	Eagle Thrust formation target
	2800 yards -- begin psch-war
	operations.


52  CLOSE SHOT - LOUDSPEAKERS

The ocean rushes below as suddenly the LOUDSPEAKERS
BLARE out Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries."


53  FULL SHOT - HELICOPTERS

From the water we SEE the massive grouping of Hueys -- gun-
ships -- troop carriers -- medevac and recon -- ROAR over
low in battle formation BLARING out "Ride of the Valkyries."


54  INT. HELICOPTER - MED. SHOT -CREW

POV behind pilot --

		PILOT
	700 -- 600 yards -- 500 --
	Commence firing.

The whole copter shakes.


55  EXT. VIET CONG FISHING VILLAGE - FULL SHOT

A Vietnamese coastal fishing village built along the
beach and palm trees -- with rice paddies behind. This
village commands a delta where ocean and river merge.

Sampans are pulled into a cover where they are being
unloaded. We SEE bunkers with N.V.A. regulars ambling
about.

Suddenly we HEAR the distant MUSIC -- Everyone stops;
they stare out to see. Men scream orders -- women run
from huts bearing ammunition and rifles -- Everywhere
there is activity to prepare for the defense of the
village.

Camouflage is removed from anti-aircraft emplacements.
People feverishly unlimber weapons of all types and run
to tunnels and trenches.

The MUSIC GROWS LOUDER with the FAINT SOUND of ROTORS


56  EXT. THE HELICOPTER FORMATION - AERIAL VIEW

coming directly at us; WAGNER BLARING.


57  HIGH ANGLE

looking down through the helicopters as they approach
the village.


58  INT. HELICOPTER - MED. SHOT - CREW

POV behind pilot

		PILOT
	700 yards -- 600 -- 500 --
	commence firing.

The whole copter shakes.


59  EXT. HELICOPTERS - MONTAGE

We SEE rockets ROAR from pods -- MACHINE GUNS RATTLE --
grenade launchers POUND away -- and MINI-GUNS pour
streams of lead and tracers with the SOUND of a DIESEL
HORN.


60  FULL SHOT - HELICOPTERS

POV behind lead gunship. They ROAR in over the beach
streaming FIRE from doors, pods and nose -- The ground
is alive with smoke and fire -- a hut EXPLODES. The
leads ship banks sharply up over the trees -- men run
below SHOOTING back.


61  MED. SHOT - ANTI-AIRCRAFT EMPLACEMENT

EXPLOSIONS crash around -- the MUSIC and SOUND of the
COPTERS almost drown them out. The gunner FIRES
frantically -- COPTERS are ROARING over -- GUNFIRE
rips around. The gunner is blown away.


62  MED. CLOSE ON WILLARD

as the ship he is in swoops down, its MACHINE GUNS
FIRING into the village.


63  MED. SHOT - SWOOPING COPTER

The Pilot leans out and SHOOTS a charging V.C. in the
head with his .38, then ducks back in.

		CO-PILOT
	We're down, Eagle Thrust -- we're
	hit. We got a hot L.Z. here.

BULLETS RIP through the plexiglass. The Pilot FIRES
back.

		CO-PILOT
	     (continuing)
	Hell of a hot L.Z. Need immediate
	air strike on the tree line, Eagle
	Thrust.


64  INT. COMMAND COPTER - MED. SHOT - WILLARD, KILGORE,
       OTHERS

Kilgore has R.T. equipment -- he leans out near the
door gunner.

		KILGORE
	Big Duke Six to Hell's Angels Four
	-- bring it in on along tree line
	and huts.

		RADIO (V.O.)
	Hell's Angels Four to Big Duke
	Six -- we'll need green smoke --
	suggest you have the FAC mark it.

		KILGORE
	Haven't got time, Hell's Angels --
	lay it right up the tree line.


65  FULL SHOT - JET SQUADRON

Four F-4H Phantoms peel off and streak toward the
coast.


66  INT. COMMAND COPTER - VIEW ON WILLARD AND KILGORE

		KILGORE
	Fucking savages.
		
		WILLARD
	Who?
	
		KILGORE
	The enemy. Who else?


67  HELICOPTER'S POV - THE JETS

The jets streak by below laying in huge gobs of orange
napalm along the trees.

		KILGORE (O.S.)
	     (on radio)
	Very good, Hell's Angels -- suggest
	you follow with cannon fire.


68  INT. COMMAND COPTER - MED. SHOT

They circle the battle.

		RADIO (V.O.)
	This is Baker Delta Four --
	Captain hit bad -- need dust-off.
	Receiving heavy automatic weapons
	fire from huts about thirty yards
	to our left.

		KILGORE
	Big Duke Six to Baker Delta Four
	-- hold -- we're right over you.

He turns to door gunner.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Right along the doors, boy.

The gunner FIRES leaning out --

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Fine... fine... little higher.
	Through the roof; yeah, that's
	good.

He leans back in.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Didn't anybody bring me any
	bombs, grenades, claymores or
	anything?

		LIEUTENANT
	You didn't tell me to, sir.

		KILGORE
	     (grumbling)
	You shoulda known.

Suddenly, BULLETS SMASH through the copter -- Plexiglass
SHATTERS; the copter vibrates and turns sharply. Kilgore
is thrown down where he hangs on.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Sonuvabitch -- anybody hurt?

		WILLARD
	Automatic weapons flashes along
	those trees -- probably eleven
	millimeter guns and AK-47's.

		KILGORE
	The trees, eh...

He grabs the R.T.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Eagle Thrust Four -- Big Duke
	Six. Join me in sparaying some
	trees.

		RADIO (V.O.)
	Affirmative, Big Duke Six -- We're
	even got some rockets left.

		KILGORE
	Take her in low, Lieutenant.


69  FULL SHOT - THE TREES, HELICOPTERS

The two helicopters swoop up out of the smoke and blast
the trees with ROCKETS, MACHINE GUNS and GRENADE LAUNCHERS.

Other copters join -- The V.C. break and run through
the rice paddies in the f.g. -- BULLETS EXPLODING around
them -- they scream and fall FIRING back.


70 INT. COMMAND COPTER - MED. SHOT - KILGORE, WILLARD

Kilgore looks out as three V.C. break and run through
the rice paddies -- the helicopter turns and follows
them -- the door gunner swings out and BLASTS two of
them into the mud. He takes a bead on the third.

		KILGORE
	Hold it, boy.

He puts his arms across the sights -- the gunner swings
back inside.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Take her up to 300 feet,
	Lieutenant.

They rise above the paddy -- the man below runs for
all he's worth. Kilgore motions to the door gunner who
steps aside. Kilgore buckles himself into the gunner's
harness.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Rifle.

A hand passes him a M-16.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing; hard)	
	My rifle, soldier.

There is some fumbling and then a hand passes him a 300
Weatherby Magnum with a zebra wood stock -- mother of pearl
inlays and a variable power scope. Kilgore takes it and
opens the bolt.


71  VIEW ON WILLARD

Amazed at these proceedings.


72  VIEW ON KILGORE

as he loads the rifle with huge cartridges. He gets
into the sling and slams the bolt shut.


73  MOVING POV. ON THE V.C.

He is running hard, but starting to sink into the mud.
The Huey DRONES overhead, its huge shadow behind him
on the mud. He turns and FIRES with a pistol.


74  INT. COPTER - MED. SHOT - KILGORE, WILLARD

Kilgore leans out; pulls the gun in tight -- takes
careful aim and the Cong is BLASTED flat into the paddy.
Kilgore leans back, opens the bolt, ejecting the spent
cartridge out the door. He hands Weatherby back
into the copter.


75  VIEW ON WILLARD

The gaudy rifle passed by him.

		SOLDIER  (O.S.)
	That's 27, sir.

		WILLARD
	Anyone got a card?

Somebody hands Willard the deck. He takes a card and
flips it out of the copter, never lifting his gaze from
Kilgore.

				DISSOLVE TO :


76  FULL SHOT - BATTLEFIELD - THE CAV, V.C.

Americans run through the hooches FIRING and throwing
GRENADES. Helicopters swoop overhead -- JETS ROAR by
-- Uniformed N.V.A. regulars burst from a tunnel en-
trance and charge the Americans. The SHOOTING is at
point blank range -- automatic, as the V.C. are cut
down.


77  INT. COMMAND COPTER - KILGORE, WILLARD, LANCE, ETC.

Kilgore leans out carefully, looking over the battle-
field. He has the R.T.

He leans back, deliberately avoiding Willard to speak
to Lance.

		KILGORE
	The L.Z.'s cooling off fast --
	we'll move in another company
	an' then we'll own it.
	     (he laughs to himself)
	Charlie's point.

He looks out toward the ocean.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Good swell.

		LANCE
	What, sir?

		KILGORE
	I said it's a good swell -- hell
	of a good swell 'bout six feet.
	Let's get a look at it.

Lance looks at Willard and then agrees.


78  FULL SHOT - COPTER, SURF

The pilots are used to this -- they bank sharply
and swoop in on the lineup of waves, coming in  low
over the point and streaking down a long, lined-up
green wall as if surfing it. They tip up over and up
at the last minute as the wave breaks.

				DISSOLVE TO :


79  FULL SHOT - BEACH HUTS, SOLDIERS

Americans line up blindfolded Viet Cong and N.V.A.
regular troops outside a burning hut. GUNFIRE is
DISTANT and sporadic -- an occasional MORTAR round
SCREAMS in. A soldier yells in Vietnamese in a
southern accent and the prisoners are marched away.
Other soldiers are already setting up heavy weapons
emplacements -- 50 cal machine guns etc. Three
Hueys ROAR in, fanning the smoke with their wind.
The center one, the command ship, lands. JETS SCREAM
over and the two gunships pull up at 200 feet. Another
Huey zooms in low and lands behind the Colonel's. The
doors open, guards jump out, check the situation, and
out steps Kilgore and Lance. From the other copter
are more guards, Kilgore's surfers and others of the
P.B.R. crew. Willard follows.


80  FULL SHOT - THE POINT

They stride out across the debris-strewn beach. Kilgore
stands majestically on the point watching the waves. A
SHELL SCREAMS overhead.

		SOLDIER
	Incoming !

They all dive, except Kilgore. He is watching a big set
-- the SHELL EXPLODES in the water about a hundred yards
away, sending up a huge geyser of spray. Kilgore is
unmoved.

		KILGORE
	Look at that.

They look.

		LANCE
	This  L.Z. is still pretty hot,
	sir, maybe we oughta stand
	somewhere else.

Kilgore pays him no mention.

		WILLARD
	I'm waiting for the fucking boat,
	Colonel.

		KILGORE
	     (without looking)
	It'll get here, soldier.

He turns to Mike and Johnny who have their faces in the
sand.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Change.

		MIKE
	Wh -- what?

		KILGORE
	Change -- get out there -- I
	want'a see if it's ridable --
	change.

		MIKE
	It's still pretty hairy, sir.

		KILGORE
	     (bellowing)
	You want'a surf, soldier?

He nods yes meakly.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	That's good, boy, because it's
	either surf or fight.

They turn and hurry off -- Kilgore grabs an M-1 from
one of the guards. They all think he's going to
shoot the surfers or someone. They move back uneasy.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	I'm gonna cover for 'em -- that's
	all.

He cocks thye weapon. Lance looks around uneasily. The
Colonel walks over.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	You think that section on the
	 point is ridable, Lance?

		LANCE
	I think we ought to wait for
	the tide to come in.

A SHELL SCREAMS OVER -- they all hit the dirt except
for Kilgore. It EXPLODES throwing sand through the
air. Kilgore leans down yelling over the NOISE.

		KILGORE
	Doesn't happen for six hours.

Lance looks up at him terrified, holding onto
his helmet.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	The tide -- doesn't come in for
	six hours.

				DISSOLVE TO :


81  FULL SHOT - SURF - MIKE AND JOHNNY

They walk through shallows carrying brightly
colored boards. They look very scared. JETS SCREAM
overhead, FIRING CANNONS. Helicopters wheel by
carrying out wounded.

They wear olive drab surfing trunks with the Cav's
shield on the left leg. The same shield is emblazoned
on the boards along the word "Airmobile". They edge
into the water and paddle through the mild shorebreak.


82  FULL SHOT - THE POINT - SURFERS

They paddle up the point in the calm channel -- the
beautiful waves breaking beyond them.

83  CLOSE SHOT ON JOHNNY, MIKE

They paddle on their stomachs, keeping low -- breathing
hard and constantly looking around scared out of their
minds.


84  MED. SHOT - KILGORE AND LANCE

Kilgore looks at them with his field glasses. Lance
kind of sits below taking cover in a shell hole.

		KILGORE
	They far enough?

		LANCE
	Sure -- fine --

Kilgore turns and takes a giant electric megaphone from
a waiting lackey.

		KILGORE
	     (through megaphone)
	That's far enough -- pick one
	up and come on in --


85  FULL SHOT - THE POINT, SURFERS

They line themselves up on the point. A good set is
building. Mike turns strokes into it -- takes off
-- drops to the bottom and turns -- trims up into a
tight section -- everything right except he keeps looking
around frantically.


86  CLOSE SHOT ON LANCE AND KILGORE

Another SHELL SCREAMS over and EXPLODES down the beach.
Lance looks over at Willard.

		LANCE
	     (to himself)
	Maybe he'll get tubed.

		WILLARD
	What?

		LANCE
	Maybe he'll get inside the tube --
	where -- where they can't see him.

A SERIES of SHELLS ROAR in.
	
		WILLARD
	Incoming !

Lance ducks -- puts his hands over his head. The SHELLS
SCREAM over Kilgore and out towards the point. Kilgore
looks through his glasses -- two EXPLOSIONS in the water
are HEARD.

		KILGORE
	Son of a bitch.

Lance looks up and out toward the point in horror.


87  FULL SHOT - THE POINT

Two surfboards float in the channel bobbing up and down
on the waves.


88  MED. SHOT - LANCE AND KILGORE

		LANCE
	     (to himself)
	The tragedy of this war is a
	dead surfer.

Willard looks over, beginning to think Lance is crazy,
too.

		WILLARD
	What's that?

		LANCE
	Just something I read in the
	Free Press.

		KILGORE
	They just missed a good set --
	the chicken shits !

Lance looks up.


89 FULL SHOT - THE POINT , SURFERS

They come up near their boards and climb on -- smoke
hangs over the water.

		KILGORE (O.S.)
	     (megaphone)
	Try it again, you little bastards.


90  BACK TO SCENE

He turns to Willard.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	I'm not afraid to surf this place.
	I'll surf this place.


91  CLOSE SHOT ON KILGORE

He turns, glowering to his lackeys.

		KILGORE
	Bring that R.T., soldier.

He grabs it.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	Big Duke Six to Hell's Angels --
	Goddamit, I want that treeline
	bombed -- yeah -- napalm --
	gimme some napalm -- son of a
	bitch -- yeah, I'll take H.Z.
	or C.B.U.'s if you got any of
	them -- just bomb 'em into the
	Stone Age, boy.

He throws the R.T. back to a soldier -- another SALVO
WHISTLES over -- everyone drops.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing; to himself)
	Son of a bitch.

As the SHELLS EXPLODES on the beach behind him, KIlgore
raises his M-16 and EMPTIES it full automatic in the
general direction of the trees. He mumbles a few un-
intelligible swear words and jams a new clip into his
rifle turning to Lance --

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	We'll have this place cleaned up
	and ready for us in a jiffy, boy.
	Don't you worry.

He FIRES another clip as the JETS SCREAM overhead.



92  FULL SHOT - RIVER - COPTERS

A sky-crane without pod descends slowly toward us --
The P.B.R. hangs below it.

The Chief, mr. Clean and Chef stand watching this sight
alomg with other soldiers. A man guides the descending
copter till the boat settles carefully in the shallows.
The Chief and others leap aboard; unshackle the hoists
-- load on ammunition and fuel. The battle is still
going on around them. They all look up as a wadge
of PHANTOMS streak over low and peel off one by one to
begin their bombing run.


93  FULL SHOT - PHANTOMS - MONTAGE

Phantoms RAKE the trees with 20 mm CANNONS -- FIRE five
inch ROCKETS in salvo -- "Bull Pup" MISSILES -- drop
H.E. (high explosives) and C.B.U's (Cluster Bomb Units)
and finally an immense amount of NAPALM.


94  FULL SHOT ON THE P.B.R.

The Chief is at the helm --the engine starts; Clean
and Chef work feverishly, ducking for cover every-so-
often when an EXPLOSION hits nearby. The boat begins
to back out of the shallows. The EXPLOSIONS of NAPALM
are reflected on their faces; the ROAR of the FIRE drowns
out almost everything.

		CHIEF
	Forget that extra drum -- it's
	too damn hot.

		CLEAN
	Clear on starboard -- Where's
	Lance an' the Captain?

		CHIEF
	I saw that Colonel's Huey on the
	point --

Two HELICOPTERS SCREAM over FIRING ROCKETS.

		CHIEF
	     (continuing)
	Let's just get outta here.


95  FULL SHOT - THE POINT - KILGORE, WILLARD , LANCE,
       OTHERS

Kilgore watches the waves with his field glasses --
smoke drifts over.

Lance crouches below. Willard is up looking off in another
direction. SHELLS SCREAM over, but even their noise is
drowned out by the fierce SHRIEK of the PHANTOMS and the
deafening BLAST of HIGH EXPLOSIVES. Willard stares at the
tree line where it comes down to the river. The JETS are
making a hell of the tree line; a hell of fire and bust-
ling steam thet nothing could live in. Willard's glance
goes further downriver through the black smoke and there
merging in the river -- small and vulnerable, is his boat.

		WILLARD
	     (to Lance)
	Look. There it is; the boat.

Lance looks over --  a tremendous relief on his face. But
still there remains the threat of Kilgore, standing stark
against the sky. Willard silently motions Lance toward
the boat.

		LANCE
	     (whispers)
	He'll kill us.

		WILLARD
	He can't kill us.
	     (realizing as he says it)
	We're on his side.

Kilgore FIRES another clip at the tree line, and then
strides back without looking at them.

		KILGORE
	     (almost to himself)
	You smell that.
	     (louder)
	You smell that?

		LANCE
	What?

		KILGORE
	Napalm, boy -- nothing else in
	the world smells like that --

They reflect the glow from the burning trees.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing; nostalgically)
	I love the smell of napalm in
	the morning. 

	One time we had a hill bombed
	for 12 hours. I walked up it
	when it was all over; we didn't
	find one of 'em ... not one
	stinking gook body. They
	slipped out in the night -- but
	the smell -- that gasoline smell
	-- the whole hill -- it smelled
	like ...
	     (pause)
	victory...

He looks off nostalgically.

		WILLARD
	You know, some day this war's
	gonna end..

		KILGORE
	     (sadly)
	Yes, I know.

Suddenly he senses something -- he stops -- lifts his
hand -- then frantically licks his fingers and puts
them up in the air.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	The wind --

		LANCE
	What?

Sure enough there is a rushing breeze that increases.

		KILGORE
	     (rising maniacally)
	Feel it -- it's the wind -- it's
	blowing on shore -- It's on shore !

He leans down and practically grabs Lance.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing; screaming)
	It's gonna blow this place out.
	It's gonna ruin it ...

		WILLARD
	The kid can't ride sloppy waves.

They turn and stare out to sea.


96  FULL SHOT - THE POINT - SURFERS

The wind has changed. Instead of blowing spray back
over the waves and hollowing them out, this strange
wind is causing white caps and cross chop.. reducing
the swell to slop. Mike and Johnny lay low on their
boards, overjoyed.

		WILLARD (O.S.)
	The kid can't stand sloppy waves.


97  MED. SHOT - THE BEACH - LANCE, KILGORE, WILLARD

		WILLARD
	You don't expect this kid to
	ride that crap, do you? He's
	a goddamn artist, he needs
	something to work with...

Slapping Lance on the shoulder.

		LANCE
	Yeah, I'm an artist, goddamit !

		KILGORE
	     (apologetically)
	Yeah -- yeah, I can understand
	how you feel.

He turns toward the trees.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing)
	It's the napalm -- it's causing
	the wind -- ruining my perfect
	left.

He staggers off toward the trees followed by his
guards and other lackeys.

		KILGORE
	     (continuing; mumbling)
	The napalm -- ruin -- napalm
	my perfect left -- my perfect
	left point break -- napalm --

Lance motions with his eyes to Willard.


98  FULL SHOT ON THE P.B.R.

The P.B.R. along the river shallows -- The Chief and
crew waiting and yelling.


99  MED. VIEW ON WILLARD AND LANCE

		WILLARD
	Are you finished surfing?

		LANCE
	Yeah... thanks.

		WILLARD
	Want to say goodbye to the
	Colonel?

		LANCE
	Nah.

		WILLARD
	Then let's get the hell out of
	here.

They break and run like hell toward the boat in the
distance. OUR VIEW TRACKS with them. They are
cheered by the crew -- suddenly, Willard sees some-
thing and stops... Lance continuing. In a pile of
equipment that the Hueys have left are two surfboards
-- Willard looks at them.

		LANCE
	No -- no, Captain.

		WILLARD
	Which one's the Colonel's?

		LANCE
	The Yater -- the clear one
	with the thin stringer.

Willard glances over to it with determination. There
is still MORTAR FIRE coming in between him and the
board. Suddenly, Willard makes a run for it.

		CHIEF (O.S.)
	Incoming ! Incoming -- son of
	a bitch.

The ROUNDS bracket the P.B.R. and line up the beach
toward Willard. He stands there and doesn't move, the
surfboard under his arm. The shells kick up sand.
Lance has dropped. Fragments whistle by, one rips 
a chunk of foam and fibreglass from the rain of the
board.

		WILLARD
	     (calm)
	This one , Lance?

		LANCE
	Yeah, Jesus Christ !

Once again, Willard takes off fast as hell with the
board under his arm. Lance follows toward the boat,
through the water. Willard hands the board up to Mr.
Clean, and they both scamper abroad, exhausted and
relieved.

		CLEAN
	What'd you that for?

		WILLARD
	When I was a kid I, never had
	a Yater spoon.

Mr. Clean stuffs the board in the stern 50 Cal. mount.
The boat turns -- ENGINES RUNNING HARD and ROARS OFF
toward the deeper water of the river -- the board
clearly visible on the stern.

				DISSOLVE TO :


100  FULL SHOT ON THE RIVER - P.B.R

The P.B.R. ROARS BY going down the river at full speed.
It is swerving and zig-zagging to avoid potential enemy
fire.


101  MED. SHOT ON THE CREW

They all are in full battle positions -- their twin
fifty Cal. guns turning; warily covering the jungled
banks. The Chief is at helm -- Willard crouches
against some armor plate, huddled with his M-16 ready.
Chef is behind him at the radio. Lance leans back
from his forward turret.

		LANCE
	     (yelling)
	Maybe we better stay in under
	the trees till dark -- we got
	his Yater.

		WILLARD
	He didn't look like he'd take
	that sitting down.

They all look up into the sky -- expecting the worst.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	Let's put some distance between
	us and Charlie.

The Chief nods.

		CHIEF
	Lance ---
	
		LANCE
	Yeah.

		CHIEF
	Why don't you roll us a big
	joint? I think the Captain'd
	like that.

They all look at Willard uneasily. After a suspensful
pause, Willard smiles:

		WILLARD
	Take one a mine --

He fishes into his breast pocket -- pulls out a huge
cigar-sized joint. They all smile -- Willard lights
up.

				DISSOLVE TO :


102  FULL SHOT - THE P.B.R.

It zig-zags away from us down the river at high speed.

				DISSOLVE TO :


103  FULL SHOT - THE TREES, BOAT, CREW - NIGHT

The boat is hidden under some trees along the river
bank. The men wait tensely listening --

		LANCE
	You hear it again?

		WILLARD
	No -- I don't think so. But
	it'll be back. They were
	circling. It'll be back.

		LANCE
	You think he'd of shot us?

		WILLARD
	When?

		LANCE
	Any time -- us -- Americans.

Lance looks over at Willard.

		WILLARD
	I don't think he'd of shot us on
	the beach but -- he'd of shot us
	if he saw me taking the board --

		LANCE
	A Yater spoon is hard to get --
	especially here.

		WILLARD
	He's a man who knows what he 
	wants -- he does know what he wants.

		CHEF
	Can I go get those mangos now?

		CHIEF
	I'll go with you in a while --
	judt hold tight awhile --

		LANCE
	Captain -- that was all true
	about the rats and chocolate
	and stuff?

		WILLARD
	Sure.

		LANCE
	And you could just tell when
	the supplies were booby trapped?

		WILLARD
	It's a feeling you get in the
	jungle. When you get good, you
	can find a track and tell not
	only how many they are, but
	their morale, how far they're
	going, whether they're near
	their camp, the weapons they're
	carrying.

		CLEAN
	How can you tell their weapons..
	an' how far they're going?

Willard smiles.

		WILLARD
	Mostly from the imprints when they
	put them down to rest. their morale
	from the way they drag their feet,
	or the joints that may be lying
	around. If they're near a base
	camp, they wouldn't be conserving
	food; they'll be throwing it away
	half-eaten. If the branches aren't
	broken, their weapons are slung.
	But all this is just technique..
	There's a feeling you get after a
	while, that's what's important.
	I was going through a village once.
	I was looking for a certain party.
	I took off my boots, and walked
	into each hut. It was midnight.
	I went into three like that and
	suddenly I realized I'd gone into
	each hut the same way -- standing
	up -- so the next one I went in on
	my belly. An RPD burst took out
	the door a bit above my head.
	     (he shrugs)
	Things like that.

A pause, and then suddenly his attention is diverted --
They all are silent -- It is pitch dark -- we HEAR the
distant SOUND of ROTOR-BLADES and indistinguishable
language on a loudspeaker -- The talk stops -- the
ROTORS grow LOUDER until almost overhead.

		KILGORE (V.O.)
	     (over a loudspeaker)
	I'm not gonna hurt or harm you,
	boy -- I just want the board
	back -- You can understand --
	It was one of my best -- You
	know how hard it is to get a
	board you like, boy. I'm not
	gonna hurt or harm you --
	Just leave it where I can find
	it --

The HELICOPTER DRONES on into the night -- the same
speech starts again further off -- Finally the noise
ceases.

		CLEAN
	Jesus -- that guy's too damn
	much.

		CHIEF
	I wonder if that was the same
	copter.

		WILLARD
	He's probably got 'em all over
	the river with that recording.
	We better move now while it's
	dark.

Chef steps forward with a plastic basket.

		CHIEF
	Yeah, Chef -- go ahead -- take
	Lance with you --

		WILLARD
	I'll go with him --

They all look at him.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	I wanta get my feet on solid land
	once in awhile --

He grabs an M-16 and follows Chef over the side.


104  MED. SHOT - THE JUNGLE - CHEF, WILLARD - NIGHT

They cautiously walk through the underbrush.

		WILLARD
	Chef.

		CHEF
	Yes, sir --

		WILLARD
	Why they call you that?

		CHEF
	Call me what, sir?

		WILLARD
	Chef -- is that 'cause you like
	mangoes an' stuff?

		CHEF
	No, sir -- I'm a real chef, sir
	-- I'm a sauciere --

		WILLARD
	A sauciere --
	
		CHEF
	That's right, sir -- I come from
	New Orleans -- I was raised to
	be a sauciere.. a great sauciere.
	We specialize in sauces; my whole
	family. It's what we do. I was
	supposed to go to Paris and study
	at the Escoffier School; I was
	saving the money. They called
	me for my physical so I figured
	the Navy had better food.

		WILLARD
	What are you doing out here?

		CHEF
	Cook school -- that did it.

		WILLARD
	How?

		CHEF
	They lined us all up in front of
	a hundred yards of prime rib --
	magnificent meat, beautifully
	marbled.. Then they started
	throwing it in these big
	cauldrons, all of it -- boiling.
	I looked in, an' it was turning
	gray. I couldn't stand it. I
	went into radio school.

They move into a slight clearing.

		WILLARD
	     (whispering)
	-- quiet --

Chef crouches close -- redies his M-16. Willard ges-
tures that he heard something; he points.


105  MED. SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE

PAN SLOWLY over jungle -- END REVEALING Willard and Chef.

		WILLARD
	     (silent)
	There...

He points -- motions Chef to move away -- they cover
the spot. A few yards from them they hear something
move. It is obviously no small jungle creature. They
walk toward a patch of black elephant grass; their guns
at the ready. They look at each other. Willard is
cold, methodical, doing something he knows well. There
is a noise again -- some of the growth rustles.  He
and Chef move a distance apart, and join in stalking
the probable V.C. Willard directs the Chef with hand
gestures, and bird and cricket sounds. They move
stealthily, closing the apex of their triangle on the
hunted. The two men drop low into the elephant grass,
and remain motionless. Then Willard makes the cricket
noise, and they move closer. Willard's left hand edges
out along the M-16's far end, so that he only has to
point the finger of that hand and he will hit what he
wants. He makes another command and they rush the
trapped enemy.


106  MED. SHOT - THE ELEPHANT GRASS - WILLARD AND CHEF

Suddenly there is a RUSHING SOUND -- The grass folds
down quickly toward them -- willard plants his feet and
from the hip lets go FULL AUTOMATIC. The Chef retreats
FIRING short BURSTS into the grass -- the grass folds
almost to Willard -- then a huge tiger leaps out at
them; snarling magnificently. They FIRE wildly,
emptying their clips.

		CHEF
	It's a motherfucking tiger --
	goddamn...

He turns and bolts through the jungle, as scared as a
man can be.

		CHEF
	     (continuing; screaming)
	Goddamn -- Jesus Christ tiger --
	motherfucking tiger -- ohhhhhhhhh --

Willard jams another clip in his gun and backs out of
the clearing, covering the bushes and runs, scared
out of his head as well.


107  FULL SHOT - THE BOAT - THE CREW

They all are armed -- Lance has the twin 50's pointed into
the jungle. Chef comes screaming out of the brush, throws
his rifle into the boat and dives headfirst after it.

		CHEF
	     (hysterical)
	Ohhhh -- tiger ! Oh goddamn !
	It's a tiger ! Jesus Christ !
	Goddamn, a tiger ! Ohhhhhhhh.

The Chief tries to grab him; takes his gun away, but is
unable to take a hold of the Chef, as he slithers around
the boat, trying to find safety. willard follows from the
jungle -- The Chef is moaning and stares off into the night.

		LANCE
	What's this tiger shit?

		WILLARD
	No shit... I think I shot the
	hell out of him.

		LANCE
	You think?

		WILLARD
	I wasn't looking.. I was running.

		CLEAN
	Was a big tiger -- no shit?

		WILLARD
	Who stopped to measure him -- let's
	get the hell out of here.

		CHEF
	A motherfucking tiger -- I could've
	been killed.

The ENGINE ROARS to life -- the P.B.R. pulls away with great
speed.

		CHIEF
	You forgot the mangoes, didn't
	you?

		CHEF
	Mangoes? There as a fucking
	tiger in the woods -- I could've
	been eaten alive. I'm never
	going into that jungle again.
	I gotta remember never get out of
	the boat; never get outta the boat.

They move off; swallowed by the darkness. The JUNGLE 
NOISES remain, as OUR VIEW BEGINS a MOVE INTO the jungle.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	He was right, the Chef -- never
	go into the jungle, unless you're
	ready to go all the way.

				DISSOLVE TO :


108  EXT. THE BOAT IN MARINA DEL RAY - NIGHT

Willard, thinking, his BACK TO US. Suddenly, he turns
around, and we SEE his face.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	What was in the jungle? What was
	there, waiting for me?

He lights the cigarette; the light of his match illuminating
his face momentarily. There is something different about
him; a maturity, a cool inner peace.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	... Kurtz was in there. Or was he;
	was it Kurtz? He was just a name
	to me now; I couldn't remember a
	face, a voice -- he just didn't
	add up to me. all his liberal
	bullshit about the end of savagery
	-- and the role of our culture,
	our way of life...

Willard looks toward the group of people on the boat --
there is still some MUSIC. They talk and drink and laugh.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	Our way of life -- I really
	started to look forward to
	meeting Kurtz again.

				DISSOLVE TO :


109  WATERWAY - MOVING FORWARD - DAY

We HEAR: 

		RADIO
	-- must remember that we owe
	our thanks for these to the
	wonderful services of the U.S.O.
	-- here's another oldie -- this
	one dedicated...


110  VIEW ON CHEF

by himself on the P.B.R.; he has wiped mud under his
eyes to kill the glare; it is incredibly hot. He is
barechested, wearing a hat made of a banana palm.

		RADIO
	... to the fire team at An Khe
	from their groovy C.O. Fred the
	Head --


111  VIEW ON THE GROUP

		RADIO
	The Rolling Stones and "Satisfaction..."

		CHEF
	Outa sight.

The SONG BLARES ON -- they all dig it.

PAN TO Willard, sitting alone in the rear, reading from
his file on Kurtz. We REVEAL Lance in the b.g., water-
skiing behind the P.B.R., slaloming back and forth on
his single ski to the MUSIC -- jumping the wake occasion-
ally.


112  NEW VIEW - ON THE P.B.R.

Lance waterskiing to "Satisfaction."


113  VIEW ON CLEAN

alert, at the rear of the boat -- his M-16 ready, just
in case.


114  VIEW ON WILLARD

_Willard opens a letter from the packet.

We can SEE it is a private correspondence -- feminine
writing on the envelope.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	The dossier of A Dtachment
	contained letters from the families
	and wives of Kurtz' men There
	were letters from Kurtz' wife as
	well.


115  CLOSE SHOT - ON THE LETTER

It is addressed to Colonel Walter Kurtz -- in the corner
is the return addess of Mrs. Colonel Walter Kurtz --
Willard's hand fushes through the packet and comes up
with apicture of a very attractive, thirty-five year
old American Beauty... She is classically American.


116  CLOSE SHOT - ON WILLARD
	
looking at the picture -- puts it back, then opens the
letter, straightens it.
      
		WILLARD (V.O.)
	Dearest Walt -- I have to confess
	something. I know how you feel
	about this, but I had to ask Bob
	to find out what he could -- I
	just couldn't stand it anymore,
	not knowing where you are, whether
	you're alive or dead. I'm sorry
	Walt, I'm sorry I said that. Bob
	didn't tell me anything -- he said
	he couldn't -- I can't stand it
	anymore, Walt -- I just can't
	stand it.

Willard looks out at the jungle.

Deep imppenetrable jungle -- dark and primeval forests
pass by. The Rolling Stones CHANT on in the b.g.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	I have to take the kids to school
	every morning now -- carpools just
	never work out.

	Jeff came home with a black eye
	on Tuesday but said he won anyway.
	He wouldn't tell me what the fight
	was about. Jeff keeps asking
	where you are -- he has maps of
	Viet Nam in his room now. He
	misses you very much. I can't
	take this much longer, Walt. I
	love you and I just can't stand
	it.


117  CLOSE ON WILLARD

He folds the letter up, files through some others quickly
and gets to a peculiar envelope stamped Top Secret with
a stenciled date on it. It is also noted that this was
the last correspondence to leave Nu Mung Ba. It is
addressed to Kurtz' wife. He opens the letter -- it is
written in a scrawled savage hand to no one in partic-
ular. It reads:

			Sell the house
			Sell the car
			Sell the kids
			Find someone else
			Forget it
			I'm never coming back
			Forget it --

He folds up the letter.


118  CLOSE SHOT - WILLARD

He looks out at the ominous jungled mountains.

				DISSOLVE TO :


119  FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - RIVER OUTPOST - RAIN

The P.B.R. pulls in towards an American outpost that is
being used as a forward medical evacuation center.
Various helicopters pads are SEEN, but only one heli-
copter -- the H-34 painted with Playboy rabbits that
brought the girls to Hau Fat. Several soldiers in rain-
coats come out the dock as the P.B.R. pulls up.


120  MED. SHOT - WILLARD, SOLDIERS

Willard looks into some empty tents -- looks around the
dreary muddy camp. Two soldiers pass.

		WILLARD 
	Soldier -- where''s your C.O.?

		SOLDIER
	Stepped on a booby trap, sir --
	got blown all to hell --

		WILLARD 
	Well , who's in command here?

		SOLDIER
	I don't know -- don't have any
	idea -- I'm just the night man --

He turns and walks off babbling incoherently -- 

		WILLARD 
	What about you, soldier?

The soldier he was talking to turns around smiling
idiotically and making animal noises. He stumbles off
after his friend.


121  MED. SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - WILLARD

He looks around disgustedly

		VOICE (O.S.)
	     (whispering)
	Captain --

Willard turns around looking for where the voice came
from.

		VOICE (O.S.)
	     (continuing)
	Over here, Captain --

He turns to see the Hollywood Agent under the flap of a
large tent so that he won't get wet. He wears the same
clothes as before, but is much dirtier. He motions
Willard into the tent.


122  INT. TENT - MED. SHOT - WILLARD, AGENT

They duck inside -- it is dark and damp.

On cots around astove sit the three playmates and the
pilot. The nearest one, CATHY, a blonde, picks leeches
out of her feet. The other two, TERRI and LYNDA, play
cards with the helicopter pilot. Willard looks over 
the situation.

		AGENT
	You came in on that boat, didn't
	you?

		WILLARD
	Yeah --

		AGENT
	Where are you headed?

		WILLARD 
	What's it matter? Get to the 
	point.

		AGENT
	Look -- you know the girls --
	Thta's Terri -- she was playmate
	of --

		WILLARD 
	Yeah, I caught your show at Hau
	Fat.

They all look over.

		AGENT
	Oh -- I see -- Well, girls, this
	is Captain -- eh --

		WILLARD 
	Captain Willard -- go ahead.

		AGENT
	Look -- we got in a little trouble
	-- they rudely took our helicopter
	for MedEvac work on this -- uh
	Operation Brute Force -- They just
	brought it back this morning.

		WILLARD 
	Yeah.

		AGENT
	Well I mean like they also took
	our fuel -- We've been here two
	days.

		WILLARD 
	Dreadful.

		AGENT
	Look -- the girls could get
	killed -- we're not supposed to
	be this close combat, I mean
	real combat.

		WILLARD 
	Well --

		AGENT
	We could use some fuel -- just a
	half drum -- just enough to get
	us out a here.

		WILLARD 
	We need all our fuel.

He turns and starts to leave.

		AGENT
	But, Captain, think what these
	girls have done for the boys --
	think of how they've risked --

Willard is almost out of the tent.

		TERRI
	Captain --

He turns around.

		TERRI
	     (continuing)
	It's really rough here -- Captain
	-- we're just not built for it --

The Pilot laughs.

		PILOT
	That's rich --

		TERRI
	Do us a favor -- I'd do one for
	you -- if I could --

Willard just stares at her -- even though she's in jeans
and field jacket she is something to see -- The Agent
takes Willard aside -- Terri goes back to the others.

		AGENT
	Look -- you know who that is,
	Captain -- you know what she's
	saying -- you'll never see stuff
	that good outside of a magazine
	for the rest of your life.

		WILLARD 
	I'm not that fond of blondes --
	maybe I like brunettes --

		AGENT
	Take your pick -- they all like
	you -- I can tell --

		WILLARD
	I like all of them --

		AGENT
	Good -- like I said, take your 
	pick.

		WILLARD
	I said I like all of them.

		AGENT
	Now just a second -- I'm doing
	you a favor, buddy -- what're you
	trying to pull?

Willard turns to leave again.

		WILLARD
	We need all our fuel anyway.

		AGENT
	Wait -- wait -- don't get up tight
	-- what I meant was we'd need a
	whole drum for that --

		WILLARD
	Sit down -- we'll talk about it.

Willard sits down on a metal chair -- motions the Agent
to do likewise.

		AGENT
	What's there to talk about -- this
	whole thing disgusts me.

		WILLARD
	My men --

		AGENT
	What !

		WILLARD
	That's what there is to talk 
	about -- my man -- I take a good
	care of my men --

The girls are trying to pretend they're not listening --
the helicopter Pilot is cackling to himself.

		AGENT
	You're out of your skull --

		WILLARD
	We have a lot of pride in our
	unit --

		AGENT
	How far do you think you can
	push -- what kind of people do
	you think --

		WILLARD
	Esprit de corps --
	
		AGENT
	No -- absolutely not --

		WILLARD
	One for all -- all for one --

		AGENT
	You can keep your fucking fuel --

Willard gets up.

		WILLARD
	You make some of your closest
	friends in the army -- war has a
	way of bringing men together.

		AGENT
	Get out --

		WILLARD
	Men of all races -- nationalities --

He gets up and starts out.

		AGENT
	Two drums --

Willard turns around slowly.

		AGENT
	     (continuing)
	Two whole drums --

		WILLARD
	We can use some fifty caliber and
	a 16 too --

		AGENT
	I don't know what you're talking
	about -- Get fucked --

		WILLARD
	I will -- I assure you that --
	You got a fifty on that H-34 --
	leave the ammo in boxes -- I'll
	get my men to bring the first drum
	with 'em --

He turns to go under the tent flap.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	Have the girls freshen up a bit --
	comb their hair -- put on
	something -- you know what I mean --

He leaves.


123  FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - CREW

They are all working on patching the boat and cleaning
it up in general. Mr. Clean sits in f.g., cleaning an M-16.

		CLEAN
	You keep this thing in this
	condition an' it's gonna jam,
	Lance -- mark my words.

		LANCE
	Why don't you go pet the water
	buffaloes -- get off my back.

Behins them on the beach stand several water buffaloes
eating mud or whatever they do. They are painted jungle
brown and green camouflage with grey bottoms -- on their
sides the words have been stenciled in black:
		
		1 Each --
		Buffalo, Water B-1A
		U.S. Army No. 15239

Willard walks through them down to the boat.

		CHIEF
	Careful,  Captain, they've been
	known to charge.

		WILLARD
	All right I got a little surprise
	for you --

They all look up.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	I've arranged with those people
	we saw at Hau Fat to give us some
	50 caliber in trade for a couple
	a drums of fuel --

		CHEF
	No shit.

		WILLARD
	Chef -- since you're such a fan
	of Miss December's I think you
	should be detailed with Lance and
	Clean to take the first drum up
	there.

		CHEF
	I don't believe you --

		CHIEF
	What're you trying to say, Captain --

		WILLARD
	You'll see soon enough -- get going,
	sailor --

		CHIEF
	No shit -- hot damn --


124  INT. TENT - MED. SHOT - LYNDA, CHEF

He has followed her into the tent awe-struck -- she
casuallu starts unbuttoning her fatigue jacket and taking
off her pants. he just stands there, his arms at his
sides.

		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 calender --

		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
	calender, 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:


125  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 :


126  INT. TENT - MED. 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 f.g.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	Just wanted to say that, ma'am.

The SHOE CLANGS off his helmet.

				CUT TO:


127  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 fortificvations
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.


128  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.


129  MED. 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.


130  CLOSE SHOT - TRENCH

They dive in, a SOLDIER is crounched in f.g. 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 aminute 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.


131  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.


132  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.


133  MED. 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 :


134  EXT. FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - CREW - RAIN

The boat moves uneasily upriver, through this tropical
downpour. Mr. Clean is in thef.g., 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.


135  EXT. THE RUSHING RIVER - NEW VIEW - RAIN

The river is moving fast against them. all manner of de-
bris; 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 !

		CHIEF
	This is my crew and my fucking
	boat, and I'm the responsible
	party.

		WILLARD
	Get in there now or I'll bury
	you in this river.

It's clear that Willard will kill the Chief if he doesn't
do as he says.

		CHIEF
	     (finally relents, 
	       turns the helm)
	You're fucking crazy. You're
	going to get us all killed.

The P.B.R. navigates through the rush and into the mouth
of the tributary.

				DISSOLVE TO :


136  EXT. THE TRIBUTARY - P.B.R. - RAIN

Rain is pouring down, but the P.B.R. is slowed down to a
snail's pace by Hyacinths, literally across the
waterway.

Willard, Chef and Clean in the water, cutting through
them with machetes.


137  VIEW ON LANCE

having climbed to the highest point of the cockpit.

		LANCE
	It breaks through in about
	twenty feet.


138  VIEW ON WILLARD

cutting through. he looks to Chef, who has stopped cut-
ting, and is staring into the jungle.

		WILLARD
	What do you see?

		CHEF
	I don't know.

He looks out -- the jungle at this point is very dark
and high -- totally impenetrable.

		WILLARD
	Keep cutting.

They work feverishly, knowing something is wrong.


139  VIEW ON CHEF

cutting with all he's got.

		CHEF
	I know it sounds stupid, but I
	feel like the goddamn jungle's
	watching us.

		WILLARD
	Probably is.

		CHEF
	Whatdoya think it thinks.

		WILLARD
	That we're dumber than we look.

Chef stops again, looks hard, trying to penetrate the
darkness and from the very depth of it -- the darkness of
it, comes a stream of tracers, lazily arching out at them.
It whips between them -- the SOUND FOLLOWING much later.

Other BULLETS SMASH through and ricochet off the deck
fittings. GLASS SHATTERS, and a huge hunk of paint is
removed from the armor shield by a 20 mm cannon.

		CHIEF
	Lance -- 'bout twenty meters
	starboard.

Lance leaps down to his position. Willard, Clean and Chef
cut feverishly, as the trapped boat struggles to get free.

		CHEF
	There in the trees !

Everything is confusion -- yelling -- GUNFIRE -- the THUD
of heavy BULLETS ripping inti the P.B.R.'s fibreglass hull.


140  VIEW ON LANCE

Lance's twin guns return the FIRE. The Chief moves to one
of the heavy guns and joins Lance in returning the FIRE.


141  VIEW ON THE MEN IN THE WATER

pushing, cutting. Bullets SMASH and EXPLODE around.
Clean climbs onto the boat, and leaps onto a gun emplace-
ment.


142  MED. VIEW

Nobody really knows where the erratic fire is coming from.

		CHIEF
	     (back at the helm)
	Elevate Lance, in the tree. No,
	I saw another.

		CHEF
	Thirty meters up, Lance; I saw
	the fucking flash.

Lance grits his teeth, FIRING --


143  CLOSE SHOT ON CLEAN


144  POV BEHIND CLEAN

He BLASTS short bursts of tracers into the jungle, cutting
it to salad. Suddenly more tracers from another direction
-- Clean swings around -- BULLETS smash against his shield
and rip chunks from the surfboard. He BLASTS a long heavy
burst at the jungle -- trees crumble.

		CLEAN
	I'm ripping 'em, man, son-of-a-
	bitch, it's jammed, oh God,
	it's jammed.

Clean is riddled by MACHINE GUN FIRE.

Chief runs to Mr. Clean -- it is obvious that he is dead.
He looks angrily to Willard.

Willard and Chef are practically through. Willard leaps
up, as Chef finishes the last strokes. He moves toward
the cockpit.

		WILLARD
	Throw me that ordnance.

Chef throws him an M-79 and several shells -- Willard
opens it, jams a huge projectile and pulls himself over
the edge of the cockpit.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	Give me some kind a field a fire --

BULLETS rip by.

		CHEF
	     (exhausted)
	We're through.

He climbs aboard and collapses.

		CHEF
	     (continuing)
	Oh, God --

		LANCE
	     (FIRING)
	I ain't finished ! I ain't finished !

		WILLARD
	Bring that bow ordnance into 
	those trees.

He jams his gun up as he sees a flash and FIRES -- there
is a low POP and a WHISTLE as the GRENADE arches into the
jungle.


145  POV. - BEHIND THEM

He FIRES another burst as the GRENADE EXPLODES brightly.
There is another POP and WHISTLE , another BLAST. A large
tree falls, just as the craft speeds up through the thin-
ning growth. We HEAR strange SCREAMING from the trees and
jungle, hideous MOANS and terror-filled CRIES.


146  CLOSE SHOT ON THE CHIEF

He jams the throttle forward -- the boat surges ahead.
Willard FIRES another GRENADE from his M-79.


147  FULL SHOT ON THE P.B.R.

The boat slams through the hyacinth growth, moving through
the river, FIRING BACK at unseen enemy in the jungle.

				DISSOLVE TO :


148  FULL VIEW ON THE P.B.R. - TWILIGHT

The boat moves ahead at half speed through a wide, flat
area in the river.


149  MED. VIEW

The men sit around, exhausted, brutalized, wounded.
They look like animals, but they are relaxed, be-
cause they know they're too far from the banks to
be shot at.

They smoke pot and eat silently. Lance smokes a
joint and looks at his gun. Splotches of paint
have been blown away from the armor shield -- pieces
of deck are ripped and ragged around the mount.
The boat is a floating wreck.

Clean's body is being prepared in a plastic sack
by Chief. All of the men are silent.

Chef comes up from below; he has been wounded in the
shoulder.

		CHEF
	There's some bad holes, man,
	and the cracks -- water's coming
	through the cracks. Food's shot
	to hell.

		WILLARD
	How much is left?

		CHEF
	Less than half -- sure is a
	mess down there.

Chief has been silent by the body of Clean in a plastic
sack.

		WILLARD
	And the grass?

		CHEF
	Still got a lot of that stuff
	from Nha Trang. But we're
	running low on the other.

Chief pushes Clean's body into the river.


150  VIEW ON WILLARD

He notices something in the distance.


151  WILLARD'S POV

A light.


152  MED. VIEW

Willard stands up, pointing up the river.

		WILLARD
	Hey.

They all look over.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	That's a light down there --

		CHEF
	Yeah, it is.

		CHIEF
	What the hell is it?

		WILLARD
	In the middle of the jungle --
	a goddamn light.


153  FULL SHOT - THE P.B.R. - THE TWILIGHT

The P.B.R. approaches the distant light -- which seems
to be on the dock of an overgrown plantation building.


154  VIEW ON WILLARD, CHIEF

straining to see; he uses field glasses.


155  POV - THROUGH THE GLASSES

Seems to be some figures standing on the dock. The
figures pull back behind some drums.


156  BACK TO SCENE

		WILLARD
	Watch it !

They duck as SHOTS RING OUT from the dock, stitching the
water across the P.B.R.'s bow. The crew crouches, guns
trained on the dock as the boat still approaches.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	They're not Cong.

		CHIEF
	     (over the loud-hailer)
	We're Americans.

Another BURST, closer.

		CHEF
	Maybe you shouldn't say we're
	Americans?

Willard stares at the dock and building, trying to figure
it out.

		WILLARD
	Chef, try your French.

Chief hands the loud-hailer to Chef, who shrugs and shouts:

		CHEF
	Nous sommes Americains --

Silence.

		CHEF
	     (continuing)
	Nous ne voulon pas vous agresser.


157  VIEW ON WILLARD

He looks through the glasses.


158  POV THROUGH THE GLASSES

Gradually, a small group appears from behind the drums
on the dock.

		WILLARD (O.S.)
	French Nationals -- they may not
	be too friendly, though.


159  BACK TO SCENE

We drift closer to the dock. The Chef starts enjoying
speaking French.

		CHEF
	Nous sommes Americains -- nous
	sommes des amis --

There is silence as the boat drifts closer. Then:

		FRENCHMAN
	     (shouting out)
	Vous parlez Francais comme une vache
	espanole.

		CHEF
	     (to himself)
	I thought it was pretty good,
	myself.

		CHIEF
	What'd he say?

		CHEF
	Said I speak French like a
	Spanish cow.

		FRENCHMAN (O.S.)
	Laisser tomber vos armes --

		CHEF
	Put the guns straight up -- stand
	away from the mounts.

		WILLARD
	Do it.

They do.

		FRENCHMAN (O.S.)
	Vous pouvez approcher mais
	doucement --

		CHEF
	Take her in slow.


160  FULL SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - DOCK

The men on the dock move forward, cautiously. They are
a young man, PHILIPPE, about 25, strong and handsome, save
for a scar down on the side of his face and through his left
eye, which is covered by a patch. He is dressed in a
tiger suit and the red beret of the French colonial para-
troops. Also of the red beret are HENRY LeFEVRE, a bear-
ded, dark-looking man of 35, and TRAN VAN KAC, a middle-
aged half-breed slave. They all bear automatic weapons
and suspicious in their eyes. As the boat pulls up to the
dock, another Frenchman joins the group, obviously the
head man, GASTON De MARAIS, about fifty, small and deli-
cate, with a strength about him.

		PHILIPPE
	Hands on the heads.

		CHIEF
	I can't steer with my goddamn
	feet.

		CHEF
	Hey, they speak American.

		GASTON
	Who is the commanding officer?

		CHIEF
	I --

		WILLARD
	I am -- I'm Captain B.L. Willard.
	This is Chief Warrant Officer
	Phillips -- it's his boat. We
	were shot up bad downriver and
	need repairs and food -- we can
	pay you in gold.

		GASTON
	Philippe --

Philippe moves to another position -- Kac grabs the rope
from the deck and ties it to the dock.

		LANCE
	I'll help you with --

		PHILIPPE
	Do not move --

Gaston looks at the skyward pointed twin fifties admiringly.

		GASTON
	Fifty calibers, eh, Captain --

		WILLARD
	As I said, we can pay you in
	gold.

		GASTON
	Entirely unnecessary, Captain.

He puts down his gun -- the others do likewise --

		GASTON
	We share a common enemy -- you
	are our guests.
	     (he steps back)
	I am Gaston de marais -- this is
	my family's plantation. It has
	been such for 121 years. It will
	be such after I die.
	This is my son, Philippe -- he
	has fought in Algeria and held
	the rank of Captain. And Henry
	LeFevre -- a sergeant; he was
	at Dien Bien Phu. My personal
	servant, Tran Van Kac ---

Then he motions to the trees. A young man in a tiger suit
and three women come forward from different positions --
all wear bush clothing and bear weapons.

		GASTON
	     (continuing)
	My youngest son -- Christian --


161  CLOSE SHOT - CHRISTIAN

He carries an M-60 machine gun in his hand -- a belt of
ammunition trailing off behind him.

		GASTON
	Christian's wife -- Ann-Marie --

A tall girl, goodlooking, but severe -- she carries an
M-16.

		GASTON
	     (continuing)
	And my youngest daughter --
	Claudine.


162  CLOSE ON CLAUDINE

an attractive girl about eighteen. She wears a red
paratrooper beret and a well-fitted bush suit. She carries
an M-79 grenade launcher and plenty of ammunition.


163  FULL VIEW - P.B.R. - CREW, GASTON, OTHERS

They stand there, exhausted and amazed. Philippe yells
in Vietnamese -- about a dozen native men in tiger suits,
heavily armed, walk out of the trees from all around them.
They look the Americans over warily and assemble at
Philippe's command.

		WILLARD
	American weapons?

		GASTON
	We took them from the dead.
	     (smiles)
	Now -- I assume you want to rest,
	to shower. We'll attend to your
	repairs after dinner.

		CHEF
	Shower.

Willard's men look at one another, dazed.

		WILLARD
	We don't want to bother you any,
	we --

		GASTON
	A man of war is never bothered to 
	aid an ally -- you will follow me,
	Captain.

Willard steps off -- then stops, reaches back and picks
up his M-16 by the stock.

		WILLARD
	A habit of men of war, sir --
	you understand.

		GASTON
	Of course, Captain -- an
	unfortunate necessity.

The men are relieved. They pick up their weapons and
follow.

		CHIEF
	What about the boat?

		PHILIPPE
	My men will keep it for you --

		CHIEF
	Yeah -- well, I'll stay with the
	boat.

		WILLARD
	Chief.
	     (pause)
	Come with us.

They look at each other a moment. The Chief shrugs
and follows.


164  FULL SHOT - PLANTATION - WILLARD, GASTON, OTHERS

Gaston stops, points to a guest house off the main struc-
ture which is a typical jungle plantation house, save the
many sandbagged gun emplacements and barbed wire.

		GASTON
	A suitable accomodation for
	your men, captain -- you will,
	of course, be quartered with us --

He indicates that the men should follow Philippe. The
Chief is hesitant.

		WILLARD
	Go ahead --

Philippe leads them on, muttering.

		GASTON
	Captain, this way.

Willard follows -- they walk over past the house and toward
the jungle, approaching a huge crater, 100 feet across and
about thirty feet deep. The bottom is filled with water and
young French and Vietnamese children swim in it. On the
opposite rim, sit two men and a woman with machine guns.
Gaston strides up and looks down at the crater with pride.

		GASTON
	     (continuing)
	Magnificent, eh, Captain?

Willard looks.

		GASTON
	     (continuing)
	It is very good -- there is no
	current -- It is very good. I
	have never seen one like it in
	all Indochina. I was in Paris
	when it arrived -- do you know
	what might have caused --

		WILLARD
	Looks like a two thousand pound
	to me. Yeah, a two thousand
	pound bomb.

		GASTON
	No, I've seen those in Normandy.
	This is much better.
	     (pause)
	My country -- my country could
	never originate this. Magnificent.

Gaston stands in serious admiration for this feat; Willard
looks between him and this big hole in the ground in
amezement.


165  INT. WORKMEN'S SHOWER - EVENING

A foreman's shower from the old plantation days. The
Chief steps out of it, refreshed, though still exhausted.
Lance stands there, about to step in, absolutely filthy,
caked with blood. His reaction is odd; rather than just
stepping into the shower, he seems almost frightened,
reluctant to step in. Chef is waiting behind him.

		CHEF
	A hot shower, hot damn.

He pushes him forward into the water. The dirt and
caked mud go swirling off his face and shoulders, and
he relaxes as though he suddenly remenbers what a
shower is.


166  EXT. THE DOCK - P.B.R. - EVENING

battered and torn -- a few of Philippe's Vietnamese
guard at the boat.


167  INT. WILLARD'S QUARTERS - EVENING

A beautiful European room with tall ceilings. Still
elegantly furnished, although old and decaying.

Willard sits in a comfortable chair in the corner of
the room, looking out over the carpet,  the bed with
its elegant spread; the wash basin; the bidet. His
battle dress is black with muck, with bloodstaines and
burns.

He rises from the chair and steps to a dresser above
which is a large mirror. There is an album on the
marble top of the dresser. He turns to a page at random.


168  VIEW ON WILLARD

haggard, looking down at the album.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	I wondered -- how long has this room
	been like this; how long has the
	furniture been standing in these
	places?


169  VIEW ON THE ALBUM

Some old photographs of people standing around a car
in the 20's in front of the plantation. Another picture
shows a child playing by the rubber trees near the
plantation.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	Was it like this sixty years ago?
	Eighty years? But here, even
	eighty years is nothing.

He turns the page,

The plantation being built. Pictures of the framing,
skeletal against the sky and jungle.


170  VIEW ON WILLARD

fascinated

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	It was jungle, once; and it will
	be jungle, again...


171  VIEW ON THE ALBUM

Onlu the very beginnings of the house; the first struc-
tures. Then another picture of the jungle site where
it was to be built.


172  CLOSE VIEW ON WILLARD

He looks up and sees his own face, reflected in the garish
mirror. He barely recognizes himself.


173  MED. VIEW

Willard looks at himself in the mirror, in this odd, out-
of-time room.


174  INT. DINING ROOM GROUP - TRACKING SHOT

TRACK DOWN the long table, covered with delicious food.
The P.B.R. crew sits with others of the De Marais group.
The table is headed by St. LeFevre. Chef's face lights
up as he regards the wonderful European-style food.

		CHEF
	This food is wonderful ! I can't
	believe the chef is a slope.
	    (turning to Clean)
	Some more?

Opposite the table, sitting next to the Chief, Lance
reaches hungrily for bread and other food with his hands.

		CHEF
	     (continuing)
	Hey -- Lance.

		LANCE
	Huh? Oh. Um, wouldya ..
	wouldya pass me the Rice-a-roni,
	please.

And then he looks to his friends for approval.

Our VIEW REVEALS that behind a transparent silk curtain
there is another, more elaborate table, where the
De Marais family is dining with Willard. Our VIEW MOVES
through the curtain and settles in a MEDIUM VIEW of the
group.

The men rise as a very attractive woman enters the room.
Willard finally does as well, and she moves to the chair
next to him.

		GASTON
	Roxanne, I hope you are feeling
	better.

		ROXANNE
	Je vais bien maintenant.

		GASTON
	May I present Captain Willard?
	He is of a paratroop regiment.
	You know the difference between a
	paratrooper and a regular soldier,
	don't you , my dear?

		ROXANNE
	     (smiling and taking
	       Willard's hand)
	Yes, they come from the sky.

She sits -- there's an uneasy silence.

Willard is caught with this exotic woman on one side of
him, and the ongoing conversation on the other. He is
forced to face toward Gaston, and drawn to look at Roxanne.

		WILLARD
	I would like to know more about
	the .. uh, plaque...

Philippe turns around, points to an elaborately scripted
wooden plaque with various tallies on it.

		GASTON
	Attacks repulsed, as I was saying.
	     (hard)
	This is only  for this war, Captain.
	Viet Cong -- 54; North Vietnamese
	regular forces -- 15; South
	Vietnamese -- 28 -- regular
	forces and otherwise.
	     (pause)
	Americain -- 6. Of course, they
	were, perhaps, mistakes, Captain.

		WILLARD
	Of course. I -- Once we make
	our repairs, we could send word,
	we could have you evacuated
	from here.

		GASTON
	Captain?

		WILLARD
	You'll get blown outta here some
	day.

		GASTON
	We will never 'evacuate', Captain
	-- this is our home. Indochina is
	ours; it has been so for a hundred
	and twenty-one years, there is
	something to say for that.

		WILLARD
	The Vietnamese think it's theirs
	-- I guess the Americans do,
	too.

		GASTON
	But we civilized it. A place
	belongs to those who bring light
	to it, don't you agree.

		WILLARD
	I always thought the French came
	here to get the rubber.

		PHILIPPE
	Excuse me, I must attend to my
	men.

He gets up, and leaves abruptely -- followed by his wife.

		ROXANNE
	May I ask where the Captain is
	going in his little boat?

		WILLARD
	We were going upriver when we
	got caught in a storm, ma'am.

		GASTON
	Upriver? Why upriver? There is
	nothing there, only jungle.

		WILLARD
	Do you know that jungle?

		GASTON
	When I was a boy, my father would
	take me there, to hunt. There
	are a few savages, but no man
	can live there, no white man.

		WILLARD
	What about an American named
	Kurtz?

There is a pause.

		GASTON
	We have never heard of him.

Gaston rises, and takes Roxanne's hand.

		GASTON
	     (continuing)
	Bon nuit, Roxanne -- bon nuit,
	Captain.

Willard turns.

		WILLARD
	Good night.

Gaston leaves. Willard and Roxanne are left alone. The
servants clear the table.

		ROXANNE
	You must realize, Captain -- we
	have lost much here -- I, my
	husband. Gaston -- his wife and
	son.

		WILLARD
	I'm sorry to hear that.

		ROXANNE
	     (rising)
	Cognac?

		WILLARD
	I should be checking on the
	boat.

		ROXANNE
	The war will still be here
	tomorrow.

She walks out of the room.

		WILLARD
	     (thinking)
	I guess so.

He follows.


175  INT. SITTING ROOM - FULL SHOT - WILLARD AND ROXANNE

Roxanne sits, pouring a brandy, while Willard stands.

		ROXANNE
	Do you miss your home, Captain?
	Have you someone there?

		WILLARD
	No. Not really.
	
	I was discharged from the army
	four years ago. I went home,
	wasted some time, bought a Mustang
	Mach 1, drove it a week. Then
	I re-upped for another tour. No,
	everything I love is here.

		ROXANNE
	Then you are like us.

She reaches out to him; indicating that he sit.

		ROXANNE
	     (continuing)
	What will you do after the war?

		WILLARD
	I just follow my footsteps, one
	at a time, trying to answer the
	little questions and staying away
	from the big ones.

		ROXANNE
	What's a big question?

		WILLARD
	Kurtz.
	     (pause)
	I know you've heard of him.

		ROXANNE
	Yes.

		WILLARD
	What did you hear?

		ROXANNE
	That strange things.. terrible
	things have occured around this
	American, Kurtz.

		WILLARD
	What things?

		ROXANNE
	Gaston would never tell me. It
	was asubject not to be spoken of,
	Captain.

		WILLARD
	Yes.

		ROXANNE
	Did you know -- deeper in the
	jungle, upriver -- there are
	savages?

		WILLARD
	I know.

		ROXANNE
	But Captain, I mean -- cannibals.

A long pause. Then she looks at the cognac she poured for
him.

		ROXANNE
	     (continuing)
	What a pity, you don't drink.
	Since my husband died, there
	are so many things I must do
	alone.

She takes a sip.

Willard moves to the French doors, which have been left
partly open to let a breeze in. He steps onto a terrace
overlooking the river.


176  EXT. THE TERRACE - MED. VIEW - WILLARD - NIGHT

A machine gun emplacement is situated on the terrace cover-
ing the front of house, from the river.

		ROXANNE
	     (from the sitting room)
	Are you warm, Captain?

		WILLARD
	The river is beautiful.

In fact, we REALIZE that he is checking the boat.


177  WILLARD'S POV.

The P.B.R. is under guard by a couple of Gaston's
Vietnamese.


176  MED. VIEW ON WILLARD, ROXANNE

She, thinking it romantic to talk about the river, comes
up behind him.

		ROXANNE
	I spend hours watching that
	river from my bedroom window.
	It fascinates me.

She moves her body close to his; and, in a moment, he is
kissing her.

179  CLOSE ON WILLARD, ROXANNE

One eye steals another look at the P.B.R.	


180  VIEW ON THE P.B.R.

Two of the guards leave -- two remain, getting ready
for the long night.


181  VIEW ON WILLARD, ROXANNE - ON THE TERRACE

His hands wander over her body as she clings to him. Then
she takes his hand, and leads him back into the sitting
room, and up the stairs.


182  INT. ROXANNE'S ROOM - FULL VIEW

It is dark. She leads him into her room and closes the
door. He stands there. In the center of the room is a
large canopied bed with mosquito netting hanging down over
it. The windows also have netting and barbed wire --
there is a .30 calibre machine gun mount in the far one.
He look around. she goes over to the bed, and turns
down the sheets. Then she slips out of her dress and
stands there facing him.

He puts down his gun and strips off his shirt. She lays
down on the bed and watches him.

		ROXANNE
	I have been lonely here, Captain.

He moves to her, slipping into the bed. M-16 is
leaning against the wall in his reach.

				FADE OUT.


183  EXT. ROXANNE'S TERRACE - NIGHT

We can VIEW into the room, as Willard has silently
slipped out of her bed, and is a dark sinister figure
kneeling in final preparations for going out in the
night.

Without a sound, he comes out to the terrace, and
scales down the wall of the old building, disappearing
into the darkness.


184  EXT. THE DOCK - P.B.R. - NIGHT

Two Vietnamese guard the P.B.R. -- suddenly, feet first,
the first disappears into the thicket.


185  CLOSE VIEW ON WILLARD

in the thicket; we realize he has just killed the man with
a knife. Willard stalks the second guard and makes quick
work of him with his knife. He even enjoys it. Silently,
he drags the body out of sight.


186  MED. VIEW ON THE P.B.R.

The dark figure boards the boat silently. He disappears
into the hold.


187  NEW VIEW

He lifts out several cases of supplies, working quickly,
with a grace that indicates he is a man who has done his
best work alone, and at night.

				CUT TO.


188  INT. ROXANNE'S ROOM - CLOSE SHOT - WILLARD - MORNING

He sleeps soundly alone in the bed - we HEAR SOMEONE
moving around in the room. He wakes suddenly -- PULL
BACK TO REVEAL Roxanne combing her hair and buttoning up
her blouse. She notices he is awake and smiles.

		ROXANNE
	I will fix you breakfast.

He starts to get up.

		WILLARD
	I'm afraid I won't have time --
	I gotta --

		ROXANNE
	Whe you reach the boat you will
	find that half your fifty calibre
	stores -- a case of grenades, a
	mortar and two M-16's and a
	case of clips are being
	transfered to us by your order.

He stops -- seemingly stunned.

		WILLARD
	So that's it.

		ROXANNE
	You may think what you wish,
	Captain, but I like you very
	much.

She turns to go.

		WILLARD
	What if I say no.

		ROXANNE
	Then Philippe will have to kill
	all of you.

She leaves.


189  EXT. DOCK - FULL SHOT - WILLARD, OTHERS

He walks down onto the dock. Gaston's men are transferring
ammunition boxes.

Gaston is standing with Philippe, who are covering the
Chief and crew with M-16's.

		GASTON
	Two of my men deserted last
	night. It happens from time
	to time. I assume my daughter
	told you of our conditions.

		WILLARD
	Your daughter.

		CHIEF
	They taking half our ammo,
	Captain -- said it was your orders.

He pauses for a second.

		WILLARD
	That's right -- I did.

The Chief spits in the water disgustedly and starts the
engines. Willard looks hard at Gaston.

		WILLARD
	I guess this is whAt men of war
	do -- eh?

		GASTON
	We endure, captain -- you can
	blow up the house and we will
	live in the cellar -- destroy
	that and we'll dig a hole in the
	jungle and sleep on it. Burn
	the forest and we'll hide in
	the swamp. all the while, we
	do but one thing -- clean the
	blood off our bayonets.
	     (pause)
	Au revoir, Captain.


190  LONG SHOT - DOCK - P.B.R.

Willard climbs on board and it pulls away.


191  EXT. P.B.R. - MED. SHOT - WILLARD, CHIEF

The BOAT ROARS out across the river. The Chief looks over
at Willard. They stare at each other for a moment.

		CHIEF
	Next time we  get in a good fire
	fight -- I'd like to know how
	she was, Captain.

Willard just smiles at the Chief. he leans over and pulls
up a floorboard -- the men stare in amezement; it contains
the contents of all those ammo boxes.  .50 calibre; clips;
grenades.

		CHEF
	Holy shit.

		CLEAN
	What did you put in all those
	ammo boxes?

		WILLARD
	Rocks, sand -- those two men
	who deserted.

		CHIEF
	When'd you do it?

		WILLARD
	While you were sleeping.

He lets the board drop.

Willard moves to the back of the boat.


192  FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - RIVER , CREW

The river has narrowed and runs swifter -- the water dark
and deep. The trees are higher in this area and much of
the river is shaded on one side. There is no undergrowth,
just the tall trees and ferms. They move ahead at half
speed, alert, ready for anything.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	We moved deeper and deeper into
	the jungle. It was very quiet
	there. It was like wandering on
	a prehistoric planet, an unknown
	world ... where the men thought
	they crawled to, I don't know.
	For me, we crawled toward Kurtz --
	exclusively.

Willard looks out ahead and points.

They all turn their guns in that direction. We PAN TO
REVEAL a small village of huts along the bank.


193  FULL SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - VILLAGE


194  POV. OF THE P.B.R.

They pass in front of the village which is rundown and
completely deserted. The huts are on stilts to avoid the
flooding of the river -- they are just skeletons of what
they once were.

		CHEF (O.S.)
	Flood.

		CHIEF (O.S.)
	No -- most of 'em are still
	standing -- might've been
	disease.

		WILLARD (O.S.)
	I don't know -- there'd still
	be some sign -- it's just like
	the one this morning.

				DISSOLVE TO :


195  POV BOAT - FULL SHOT - JUNGLE

The canopy of trees grows taller and stretches out across
the river filtering the sun. The forest itself has grown
darker and more twisted with ferns and creepers. Strange
birds fly out of the trees as the boat passes -- a huge
snake slips along an overheading limb. The depth of the
jungle is dark, ominous -- yet cool and strangely inviting.


196  FULL SHOT - BOAT - JUNGLE

Suddenly the river widens, the trees give way to marsh
and as they emerge into the light a strange shadow falls
upon the boat. It is the shadow cast by an enormous
vertical tail section of a B-52 bomber thrusting out from
the mud. Pieces of aluminum hang loosely from it, oxi-
dizing in the sun. Creepers have already started to grow
up around its heights -- the jungle is claiming it. But
once under its shadow, they have passed a gateway. A
gateway to paradise.

The river widens and the trees at its edge are soft and
seductive. The hills beyond are purple and lush. Strange
orange colored water-fowl swim lazily out of their way.
The water itself is glass smooth and black as if there
were no bottom. The sun is warm and the breeze gentle
and laced with wild gardenians. It is indeed the most
peaceful valley in all the world and each man looks upon
it and has never known such a sense of peace and well-
being.

Each man in his heart feels a need to stay -- his soul
cries to stop -- stop their madness -- this spiral into
hell.

Here is all that can be had of earth. But no hand moves.
The boat drifts on its own toward a hole at the end of
the clearing. A hole into the jungle from which a
darkness permeats. The boat follows the river into this
hole.

				DISSOLVE TO :


197  FULL SHOT - P.B.R. - RIVER - DAWN

The skull looms in the f.g. -- the P.B.R. is pulled back
about seventy yards -- Early morning mist still hangs on
the water -- as it clears, we SEE another post and skulls
on the opposite bank, It is strangely quiet.

		CHIEF
	-- All right, Lance --

Lance's TWIN FIFTIES split the silence as they POUR into
the skulls on the opposite bank -- Suddenly there is a
tremendous EXPLOSION and SECONDARY ONES from the jungle
as shrapnel rips into the jungle and water from CLAYMORE
MINES obviously set to cover the mound of skulls. The
smoke clears.

		LANCE
	The other one --

		WILLARD
	No -- leave it --

		CHIEF
	Why -- Charlie put it there to kill --

		WILLARD
	Thta's not Charlie's work --

There is silence.

		WILLARD
	Whoever put'em there didn't do it
	to kill people -- They put 'em up
	as signs -- 

		CHIEF
	Signs?

		WILLARD
	Yeah -- like keep out --

Willard motions -- the Chief accelerates -- they move ahead
past the smoking mound.


198  EXT. THE RIVER - FOG - DAY

The P.B.R. pushed deeper into this mysterious area. Mist
swells in and around the river, as the boat moves into
an obscure fog. The Chief cuts the engine, and they coast.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	Toward the night of the fifth
	day out of Do Lung Bridge, we
	judged ourselves about eight
	miles from Kurtz' base.
	Everything was still, the trees,
	the creepers, even the brush
	seemed like it had been changed
	into some kind of stone. It was
	unnatural, like a trance. Not
	a sound could be heard. I began
	to think I was deaf -- then the
	fog came suddenly, and I was
	blind too.

The boat disappears in the thick fog.


199  MED. CLOSE ON WILLARD

We catch glimpses of him, even though we are close.

		WILLARD
	Listen.

		CHIEF
	What is it?

		WILLARD
	Listen.

They are silent. We can HEAR the most ominous SOUND
COMING FROM THE BANKS. The GROANING, OR WAILING .. of
HUNDREDS OF MEN.

		CHIEF
	They're on the banks of the
	river.


200  VIEW ON LANCE

Frantically, he swings the twin fifties around.

		LANCE
	Jesus !


201  VIEW ON CHIEF

We can barely SEE him -- in and out of the fog.

		CHIEF
	No, Lance. Not while you can't 
	see.


202  VIEW ON WILLARD

listening. The SOUND IS TERRIBLE, HORRIFYING.

		CHIEF
	Will they attack?

		WILLARD
	If they have boats ... or
	canoes... they'd get lost in
	the fog. We can't move either --
	we'll end up on the shore.

		CHEF
	God...

		LANCE
	Sounds like hundreds of them.

		WILLARD
	Shhhhhh.

The CHORUS OF GROANS in unbearable. But it is not ahostile
cahnt; or a war chant, but rather the SOUND OF HUMAN
ANGUISH.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	It doesn't sound hostile --
	it sounds like they've seen us
	coming and it sounds like --
	I don't know, a funeral. I
	don't understand.


203  VIEW ON LANCE

A glimpse of him, almost in tears. We then SEE glimpses,
fog moving, of all the men on the P.B.R.

				DISSOLVE TO :


204  MED. VIEW - THE P.B.R.

MOVING THROUGH the thinning mist. The Navy craft proceeds
cautiously.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	Two hours after the fog lifted,
	we moved slowly to a spot we
	thought was roughly a mile and
	a half below Kurtz's camp. We
	approached a long sand-bank
	stretching down the middle of
	the river.

		CHIEF
	Which way? Right or left?

		WILLARD
	Who knows? Right.

		CHIEF
	Looks pretty shallow.

The P.B.R. moves toard the right-most channel. Chef
takes a long pole and begins sounding depth.


205  VIEW ON WILLARD

The men are really tense now -- Lances swivels his gun from
bank to bank. Chief keeps his fingers on an M-16. Willard
takes out the TOP SECRET packet he received at Do Lung.
Tears it open. We MOVE IN ON him.

		WILLARD
	     (reading)
	Upon reaching objective. Target
	key personnel and commence
	operation. Should difficulty
	arise from which extraction is
	impossible, break radio silence
	Com-Sec Command code Strong Arm --
	indicate purgative air strike --
	code -- Street Gang.
	     (pause)
	Purgative air strike ! Purgative !
	They'd kill me too !

Suddenly Chef lays out flat on the bow. Hundreds
and hundreds of slender sticks fly onto the P.B.R.
rattling against the boat.

		CHIEF
	Shit ! Fucking arrows ! They're
	shooting fucking arrows at us.


206  CLOSE ON WILLARD

looking toward the banks.


207  WILLARD'S POV

Frags of men -- naked limbs, arms, breasts, glaring eyes
entangled in the dense jungle gloom. And hundreds of
pathetic wooden arrows flying out toward them.


208 VIEW ON THE P.B.R.

crazily zig-zagging up the river in the midst of the
childish assault.

		WILLARD
	Steer her right.


209  VIEW ON THE P.B.R.

arrows hitting the deck. The men open up everything
they've got. Lance is FIRING the two fifties wildly.
	
		WILLARD
	Keep going.. keep going.
	They're just fucking sticks !
	Chief, stay at the helm.

But Chief seems out of control -- he lets the clip of his
M-16 go. Then slowly lets the rifle fall out of his hands,
and falls to Willard's feet, a primitive spear having
caught him right through the ribs. Willard looks down in
horror.


210  VIEW ON CHIEF

laying at Willard's feet -- the long spear through him,
bleeding onto Willard's boots. He looks up at Willard,
about to say something.

		CHIEF
	A spear?

He dies.


211 MED. VIEW ON THE P.B.R.

The men are still crazily FIRING into the empty jungle
long after those who attacked beat their retreat.

		WILLARD
	Stop it. Stop it !

Slowly he pulls his boots from under Chief. They are
absolutely soaked in blood. He is stunned -- sits down
and begins to unlace the bloody boots, and take them off.

		LANCE
	Chief's dead.

Willard unlaces the other boot, and holds the bloody boot
in his hand.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	It was the strangest thing --
	I don't know that I can explain
	it. Two of my men dead, and all
	I could think of was whether
	Kurtz was dead too. That's all
	I wanted: to see Kurtz, to hear
	Kurtz.

He starts to wipe the blood off the boot.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	     (continuing)
	Somehow, in the middle of this ...
	carnival, Kurtz had grown into
	something -- a gifted officer;
	a great man.
	Somehow, he was the only light
	in this hopeless, hopeless
	darkness.
	And now I was too late --
	he was probably gone, disappeared...
	by a grenade rolled into his
	tent -- or by some spear on the head.
	Christ, I felt like howling like
	those animals in the fog.


212  EXT. THE BOAT AT MARINA DEL REY - NIGHT

The people at Charlie's cocktail party on the boat.
Some flashbulbs are going off. Some people are dancing
to the MUSIC. OUR VIEW MOVES SLOWLY TOWARD Willard, on
the edge of the party.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	Here they are in Los Angeles.
	Everything is safe. There's a
	supermarket around the corner,
	the police station around the
	other. It would seem ridiculous
	to them that I was shot to hell
	because I had lost the privilege
	of listening to the mysterious
	Colonel Kurtz.
	     (pause)
	Of course I was wrong. He was
	waiting for me. Kurtz was alive
	and he was waiting for me.

				DISSOLVE TO :


213  EXT. THE RIVER - P.B.R. DAY

The P.B.R. moving up the river. The men are practically
in a trance now, looking at the banks of the river. They
don't even make an effort to touch their weapons.


214  WHAT THEY SEE

Hundreds and hundreds of Montagnard natives -- dressed
in the most ornate and primitive manner: feathers, parts
of birds and animals; cod-pieces -- all in body and face
paint of the most savage nature. But there is a purity
about them, men and boys, standing passively watching
the small Navy craft flying the strange flag of red,
white and blue.


215  VIEW ON THE P.B.R.

The men of the crew are not the same men who began this
voyage. Their manner is lifeless as though in a trance.
The various decorations and paraphenelia that they have
picked up along the way seem oddly relevant to the
savages that stand before them. The Chef has made a
hat of birdfeathers; Lance's face has been painted with
mud under the eyes to block the glare of the sun. He
wears certain animal skins; trinkets; some animal teeth.
Their uniforms have been torn and patched throughout the
difficult journey. They start to move to their gun
positions.

		WILLARD
	Just stand here with me where
	they can see us. Do nothing.


216  VIEW FROM BEHIND THE P.B.R.

MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD the fantastic human wall of feathers
and war paint, standing on canoes across the river. The
men on the crew stand in a group, their hands visibly
without weapons. The natives standing across the river
make no hostile gestures as they approach. They accept
the small boat moving toward them with a sort of inevi-
tability. The boat moves closer, approaches the wall of
feathers -- which slowly and automatically gives away, in
almost a ritual of birth, undulating, allowing the little
boat to penetrate.


217  VIEW ON WILLARD

Mus on his face (to protect it from the sun), the palms
of some jungle vegetation protecting his head, he looks
something like atribal chieftan himself. His intuition
was right. He senses that they would be allowed to pass.


218  FULL VIEW ON THE RIVER

Hundreds of Montagnards who had been lining the river
now run, absolutely silently, along the banks, keeping
pace with the P.B.R. There is no hostility in these
faces, only curiosity and a sort of grief.


219  VIEW ON WILLARD, THE CREW

They look up toward the bank.


220  THEIR POV

The temple at NU MUNG BA, a fortified encampment, built
around the ruins of a former Cambodian civilization.
Stone walls, barbed wire, cracked pyramids and rows and
rows of Escher-like sandbags arranged in an endless maze
around the fortress.


221  VIEW ON WILLARD

He picks up his field glasses and looks through.


222  WILLARD'S POV - THROUGH GLASSES

A sign entangled in the barbed wire -- its lettering
strict and military:

		FOURTH SPECIAL FORCES
		MISSION F-82
		NU MUNG BA

The GLASSES POV MOVES REVEALING another sign written in
a wild psychedelic hand.

		OUR MOTTO: APOCALYPSE NOW !

The POV OF THE GLASSES MOVE once again and come upon an
astonished sight, a black man dressed in a tatter of
colored fabrics, feathers, and an Australian bush hat.
He looks something like a multi-colored harlequin waving
frantically to the P.B.R. The POV OF THE GLASSES MOVE
OFF of him.


223  VIEW ON WILLARD

not believing what he's just seen.


224  THE GLASSES POV

Once again the young black man is now waving his
Australian hat.


225  VIEW ON THE P.B.R.

Willard shouts out to the starnge greeter.

		WILLARD
	We've been attacked.

		AUSTRALIAN
	     (shouting back)
	I know, I know, it's all right.
	Come in this way. It's mined
	over there. This way. It's
	all right.

Willard look at Chef who is at the helm. He shrugs and
they do as this man says. The P.B.R. moves towards the
water's edge where there is a dock covered with concertina
wire. The odd Australian stands waving his hat, guiding
them safely in.

A thick greasy smoke hangs from fires that burn near the
fort; fresh shell craters indicate a recent battle. Near
the dock there is a tangled clump of corpses -- half sub-
merged in the water. Other piles of bodies lie about, some
of them on fire. Fire literally burns from out of the
ground. Chef nods at the bodies.

		CHEF
	Charlie?

		WILLARD
	Looks that way.

		CHEF
	     (looking at the Australian)
	Who's he?

		WILLARD
	God knows.

The boat pulls up. The Australian harlequin hops on
board; the crew regards him with their dark faces splat-
tered with mud and blood.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	Who the hell are you?

		AUSTRALIAN
	Moonby. Got any Winstons?

		WILLARD
	Moonby what?

		AUSTRALIAN
	Moonby, 4th battalion, Royal
	Australian Regiment, Task Force.
	Ex-Corporal Moonby, deserted.

		WILLARD
	    (incredulously, indicating
	      the hundreds of natives)
	What is this?

		MOONBY
	Oh, they're simple enough people.
	It's good to see you, baby.
	Nobody has any Winstons?

Chef automatically offers Moonby a Winston.

		MOONBY
	This boat's a mess.

		WILLARD
	Where's Kurtz? I want to talk
	to him.

		MOONBY
	Oh, you don't talk to Colonel
	Kurtz.
	     (he puffs, then smiles)
	You listen to him. God, these
	are good. I kept these people
	off you, you know. It wasn't
	easy.

		WILLARD
	Why did they attack us?

		MOONBY
	Simple. They don't want him to
	go.

		WILLARD
	You're Australian?

		MOONBY
	Pre-Australian, actually. But
	I'd dig goin' to California.
	I'm California dreamin'.

		WILLARD
	      (almost to himself)
	So Kurtz is alive.

		MOONBY
	Kurtz. I tell you, that man
	has enlarged my mind.

He opens his arms wide, to indicate the breadth of his
mind's expansion.

		MOONBY
	     (continuing)
	But lemme tell you, he is the
	most dangerous thing in every
	way that I've come on so far.
	He wanted to shoot me. The
	first thing he said is, 'I'm
	going to shoot you because you
	are a deserter.' I said I
	didn't desert from your army,
	I deserted from my army. He
	said, 'I'm going to shoot you
	just the same.'

		WILLARD
	Why didn't he shoot you?

		MOONBY
	I've asked myself that question.
	I said to myself, why didn't he
	shoot me? He didn't shoot me,
	because I had a stash like you
	wouldn't believe. I hid it in
	the jungle; the wealth of the
	Orient: Marijuana -- Hashish
	-- Opium -- cocaine -- uncut
	Heroin; the Gold of the Golden
	Triangle. and Acid -- I make
	Koolaid that makes purple Owsley
	come on like piss. Now I'm
	Kurtz' own Disciple -- I listen
	he talks. About everything !
	Everything. I forgot there's
	such a thing as sleep. Everything.
	Of love, too.

		CHEF
	Love?

		MOONBY
	Oh, no, not what you think...
	Cosmic love. He made me see
	things -- things, you know.

The whole time Moonby is chattering on, Willard has
picked up his field glasses and scans the fortress.


226  WILLARD'S POV - THROUGH THE FIELD GLASSES

Men in small groups, huddled over food.
Now he settles on the entrance in the temple. There
are stakes in front, and on top of them are horrible
shrunken heads.


227  BACK TO SCENE

		WILLARD
	Sounds like he's gone crazy.

		MOONBY
	No, Colonel Kurtz couldn't be
	crazy -- if you heard him talk,
	just last week, you'd never think
	he was crazy.

		WILLARD
	Is that where he is? By the 
	shrunken heads.

		MOONBY
	Those heads, yes. Well, the
	rebels...

		WILLARD
	     (to his men)
	We're going ashore. Tie her up
	-- and leave your guns up, Lance.

		LANCE
	What?

		WILLARD
	Bring your rifles, that's all.
	     (looking at Moonby)
	Take us to him.

		MOONBY
	Right on -- he's been waiting
	for --

		WILLARD
	And shut up.

Moonby nods and shrugs, and hops off the P.B.R. willard
and the men follow.


228  MOVING VIEW - WILLARD, MOONBY AND THE CREW

As they proceed closer to the fortress-temple, men appear
where a moment before there was only jungle.

They are mostly Montagnards, but far more savage looking
than any we've seen before. They wear only loinclothes
and bandoliers of ammunition. their bodies are painted
in strange patterns. They carry Army M-16's, Russian
AK-47's and a wide variety of knives and clubs. Women
emerge from the brush as well. they are armed and
equally primitive looking. Interspersed among them
are a few taller men with paler skins, with the remnants
of Army insignia on them. The paint on their bodies is,
if anything more bizarre. We CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS
the entire group up to the stone gates of the fort,
where thirty or so more are seen silhouetted against
the sky. Willard and his men look up at people more
primitive and more savage than any since the time
of Captain Cook.

They encounter, in the center of the group, what once
appears to have been an American. he is tall, gaunt,
wears a flak jacket, but is otherwise naked, save a
loincloth. His face is darkened from dirt, battle smoke,
strange camouflage patterns. His hair and beard are
long, matted with mud and grease. He carries an AK-47
decorated with scalps and human ears. Willard approaches
this beast, who seems shy and retiring.

		WILLARD
	Who are you?

		MOONBY
	     (breaking in)
	His name is...

		WILLARD
	I'm not ever goin' to tell you
	to shut up again.

Moonby shuts up. The MAN tries to speak, but nothing
comes out. He is dumbstrucked at seeing them, as they
are to see him.

		MAN
	Colby. Exec. officer, A-Team...
	Special Forces. F-82 -- Col.
	Walter Kurtz, commanding.

		WILLARD
	What happened here?

		COLBY
	What -- happened here.

		WILLARD
	Charlie?

		COLBY
	NVA regulars. They're coming
	again tonight. Tet -- their
	big -- assault.

Willard is the man in the middle -- he doesn't know what
to say to this man, but he understands the forces that
pounded him. He takes his arm.


229  REVERSE ON COLBY

looks at Willard, not understanding.


230  REVERSE ON WILLARD

Six months later, and he and Colby would be identical.

		WILLARD
	I'm taking you back.

Moonby slaps himself in the head with his hand.

		MOONBY
	Oh, no, don't say that.

		COLBY
	Take us back. Take us back !
	But, the operation -- the team.
	Colonel Kurtz has such plans for
	-- the team.

		WILLARD
	Take me to him, Major.

Colby starts, and then, seeing the shrunken heads on
poles, he turns, agitated, to Willard:

		COLBY
	I had nothing to do with these
	operations -- I did not do the
	planning -- none of us did.
	It was all Colonel Kurtz -- he
	was the genius. You'll see --
	the genius of our Colonel. He
	should be made a General, don't
	you think? A General? It's...

Suddenly, frightened, he stops. Without looking Willard
knows that Kurtz is standing behind him. He turns.

Kurtz has stepped out from his headquarters: He is
a powerful man, though obviously very ill. He slowly
attempts to pull the remnants of his uniform together,
though it is ripped and bloodied, and now combined with
primitive ornaments designating him a tribal chief, as
well as his U.S.A. Colonel's insignia. He is feverish,
with long blonde hair and beautiful features. His eyes
almost hypnotize. His midsection is bandaged from what
seems to be a serious wound.


232  VIEW ON WILLARD

This is not what he expected. He is quiet, and then,
automatically, he comes to an attention.

		WILLARD
	Colonel Kurtz, I guess.

		KURTZ
	I'm Kurtz.

		WILLARD
	     (he salutes)
	Captain B.L. Willard reporting
	his presence, sir.


233  VIEW ON KURTZ

looking at him a long time. Then he returns the salute,
and simply:

		KURTZ
	At ease...
	     (pause, as he regards him)
	Sit down.


234  MED. VIEW

There is, of course, no chair or anything like a chair.
But behind and around him, Kurtz's men begin to sit on
the ground, cross-legged. Finally, Willard sits as well.
Then Kurtz does.

Moonby lights a joint, and passes it respectfully to
Kurtz -- throughout the scene, the joint is passed from
man to man, ritualistically.

		KURTZ
	     (slowly)
	Why did you come to ... my province.

		WILLARD
	We were attacked -- down river.
	We need supplies and medical 
	help.

		KURTZ
	You were not coming here, to
	see me?

		WILLARD
	     (finding it more and 
	      more difficult to go
	      on with this lie)
	No -- no, sir.

		KURTZ
	You came up my river -- in that
	small boat. So simple. I
	always thought the final justice
	would come from the sky, like
	we did.
	     (pause)
	You are the final justice,
	aren't you?

		WILLARD
	What do you mean, Colonel?

		KURTZ
	     (gently)
	What other reason could you
	have come? A Captain. Ranger.
	Paratrooper. Graduate of the
	Recondo School. Am I right
	about these things?

		WILLARD
	You know you're right.

There is a clear, incredible intelligence about this man.

		KURTZ
	Then the Agency approached you.
	Maybe in a bar in Quinon or
	Pleiku. Simple. A year's pay
	for one life. Perhaps a village
	elder, or a tax collector.
	Nobody's orders but your own.
	Exciting work.


235  CLOSE ON WILLARD

He remains silent.


236  CLOSE ON KURTZ

He smiles.

		KURTZ
	You've spent tome at the Royal
	Tracking School of Malaysia.
	I can tell from the way the
	laces on your boots are tied.
	I understand you, Captain. We
	understand each other.

There is a long pause,  as the two men regard each other.
Then Willard reaches to his holstered .45 -- withdraws
it, and places it on the dirt before Kurtz, as an act
assuring Kurtz that he is not an assasin.

		WILLARD
	Do you know me?

		KURTZ
	Yes.

Kurtz reaches down; takes the .45 -- and without another
word or gesture, shoots and kills a man.

		KURTZ
	     	(continuing)
	Do you know me ?

He throws the .45 back on the dirt. Rises, and walks
back into the cavernous headquarters behind the shrunken
heads. Moonby scampers off after him, a respectful
distance behind. Even Willard is stunned.

		CHEF
	Holy shit.


237  EXT. KURTZ'S OUTPOST - FULL VIEW - TWILIGHT

Dotted with campfires; Montagnard families -- it is like
a primitive civilization.


238  VIEW BY THE TEMPLE WALL

Willard is alone by a campfire -- his M-16 leans by a wall
next to him. He is exhausted.

Lance sleeps by the fire, a little distance away. Chef
approaches, crouches down.

		CHEF
	Captain -- they've been probed
	all this week -- Cong and NVA
	regulars. There's gonna be a
	big offense any time.

		WILLARD
	I know.

Lance stirs; starts to wake up.

		CHEF
	What are we doing here?

		WILLARD
	Kurtz. I'm supposed to kill him,
	just like he said.

		KURTZ
	Yeah, I can see that. He's 
	fuckin nuts --

		WILLARD
	Yeah.

		CHEF
	He killed that guy without feeling
	anything.

		WILLARD
	Not a thing.

		CHEF
	When you kill Cong, don't you
	feel something.

		WILLARD
	Sure.
	     (thinking)
	Recoil... I feel the recoil of
	my rifle.

Willard rises. Chef looks at him, confused and frightened.


239  FULL SHOT - WALL - WILLARD, CHEF , LANCE

Willard walks along the top of a thick wall -- sandbagged
and dug out every so often for an M-60 or a mortar
emplacement.

Wild looking savages man these guns, and seem to bow
to Willard as he passes.

		WILLARD
	This is good -- triple overlapping
	fields of fire -- walls so thick
	ordinary artillery just cleans
	the moss off their surfaces.

A woman tentatively moves to Willard, bowing, and then
runs off to her bunker.

WE ARE TRACKING with them as they move past the groups
of people, huddled by their fires... men, women and
children. Skulls, shrunken and otherwise hang from
every hut -- adorn every sandbagged bunker -- dried
scalps hang from barbed wire. A child is chewing on
a big piece of almost raw meat.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	I've done things, when I was
	alone in the jungle -- that I
	never told anyone about.

They continue past amount where the shattered wreck of
half a helicopter is laying. It has been altered and
fortified with sandbags and concertina wire. The wreck
lays on its side so that a 7.62 mini-gun that was mounted
there sticks up above the sandbags. The emplacement is
built on amound so the gun commands a clear field of
fire into the jungle beyond.

Some Americans, barely recognizible because of their
beards and savage manner, sit near the gun. Several
Montagnard children giggle at their feet and play with
bayonets.

		CHEF
	This is evil -- evil, Captain.
	We're all gonna die here.

		WILLARD
	Yeah, I know.

		CHEF
	I don't get it -- You said your
	mission was to kill him. Let's
	do it, an' get our asses outta
	here. This  Kurtz is ruining the
	war; I mean, this don't look
	good for America !

		WILLARD
	     (lost in his thoughts)
	... he's an amazing officer.

		CHEF
	You got to kill this sonuvabitch
	-- Lance and me, we don''t
	understand none of this -- Jesus,
	Captain -- I don't wanna die here
	-- Do it quick.

Lance just stands there; his eyes vacant.. He sort of
nods, sucking a joint.

		WILLARD
	Yeah. I know.

He thinks.


240  INT. KURTZ HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT

VIEW FROM INSIDE -- Willard approaches the stakes with
the shrunken heads. Chef and Lance with him. Willard
steps in -- Lance and the Chef crouch outside, waiting.


241  WILLARD'S VIEW

An austere stone savern in the temple: Kurtz's head-
quarters. Electric lights hanging in odd contrast to the
ancient stone. We SEE what is left of the maps and other
military charts -- they had been tacked up on big boards,
but have now fallen into decayed disuse.

There are other indications of the modern headquarters
this had been. Now all those things are no longer impor-
tant.  Kurtz sits alone, slumped back in a wicker chair.
There is a large wooden planning table next to him, with
maps, lamps and apile of debris that is practically
garbage. There are native decorations to ward off evil
spirits; and graffiti on the stone walls, things ranging
fromm "Viet Nam, love it or leave it" to quotes of Nietzsche
"Nothing is true -- everything is permitted."

Moonby, who had been crouching in a corner, moves to
Willard.

		MOONBY
	He's asleep -- don't bother him.

		KURTZ
	I'm awake.

Willard steps in closer. Kurtz looks to Moonby.

		KURTZ
	     (continuing)
	You. Get out.

Moonby hesitates -- not wanting to leave him alone with
Willard.

		KURTZ	
	     (continuing; suddenly)
	I said get the fuck out !
	     (to himself)
	I'm going to kill the little
	weirdo myself tomorrow.
	     (he shows some pain
	       when moving his
	       midsection)
	He's only stayed alive this long
	because he's a good orderly and
	medic. He knows how to use a
	hypodermic.

		WILLARD
	You're gonna get hit tonight,
	bad -- a whole regiment of NVA
	regulars.

		KURTZ
	That's right, the little gook-
	pricks. But they are noble
	little gook-pricks, noble.
	Because they fight with their 
	guts, like animals. And for an
	idea ! That's rich. We fight
	with ingenious machines and
	fire, like Gods, and for nothing.
	But I'll call in a major blotto
	airstrike tonight. We'll have
	ourselves a helluva airstrike
	tonight, a lightshow. How do
	you like The Doors': 'C'mon Baby
	Light My Fire...'

Willard shrugs.

		KURTZ
	     (continuing)
	Do you?

		WILLARD
	Yeah, I like it...

		KURTZ
	I love it.

He rests back, grinning.

		WILLARD
	You've gone crazy.

		KURTZ
	     (angrily)
	No. My thinking is clear.
	     (calmly)
	But my soul has gone mad.

Suddenly Kurtz is seized with a terrible pain from his
stomach wound. He groans horribly, clutching at it. He
literally falls from his chair onto the dirt floor.

		KURTZ
	     (continuing)
	My gut -- Oh, Christ, my gut !

Willard leans over him; checking the seriousness of the
wound.


242  EXT. THE HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT

Lance is crouching by the stone entrance -- Chef leans in,
witnessing the proceedings inside.

		CHEF
	     (muttering)
	Kill him -- come on, why don't
	you kill him


243  INT. THE HEADQUARTERS - MED, VIEW - KURTZ AND WILLARD -
         NIGHT

Willard examining the wound.

		KURTZ
	     (in pain)
	Oh shit -- on the table; morphine.

Willard moves to the table, opens the medical packet. He
takes out a morphine capsule, leans over the writhing
Kurtz and injects him with the drug.

		KURTZ
	     (continuing; looking
	       up in pain)
	You see how stupid it would have
	been to blow out my brains? I'm
	dying from the gut anyway.

Willard quickly prepares another shot. Kurtz, truly
frightened, holds up his hand.

		KURTZ
	     (continuing)
	No -- I don't want to sleep.
	I want to think. Water. Give
	me water.

		WILLARD
	You can't have water after
	morphine.

		KURTZ
	Still playing by the rules.
	     (almost
	       affectionately)
	You're a damn good kiler.

		WILLARD
	     (still holding the
	       second morphine)
	How's the pain?

		KURTZ
	How's yours?

		WILLARD
	I can handle it.

		KURTZ
	Pain is easy to handle -- but
	nobility.. the nobility of a
	man is judged by how much Truth
	he can handle.

		WILLARD
	What Truth?

		KURTZ
	The truth that you were sent
	here to murder me, ans so far
	you haven't done it. And do
	you know why?
	     (looks at him)
	Yes, you know why.
	     (he looks)
	Your mission makes about as much
	sense as those idiots who sent
	you on it. Asshole ! Schmuck ! 
	How long does it take you to
	figure out that nobody knows
	what they're doing here.
	     (coldly)
	Except me.

He rests back. The drug is beginning to take effect.

		KURTZ
	     (continuing)
	Gimme water.

		WILLARD
	No water.

		KURTZ
	You know what you're doing?
	You are interfering with my
	plans !

He crawls in pain toward the canteen Willard watches
him impassively.

		KURTZ
	     (continuing)
	This water's got Moonby's acid
	in it --

He drinks sloppily from the canteen, water spilling all
over. Then he throws the canteen to Willard.

		KURTZ
	     (continuing)
	Drink it -- drink it for tonight.
	Think of it. A whole regiment
	of those shitty little Cong --
	War. Total war -- war like you've
	never known it. It's beautiful
	-- you'll love it. Trust me.


244  EXT. THE HEADQUARTERS - MED. VIEW - LANCE AND CHEF - NIGHT

We can SEE into the headquarters: Kurtz offers the canteen
to Willard. Chef is terrified -- Lance is stoned out.

		CHEF
	Lance -- the fucker's not gonna
	do it.

		KURTZ
	Goddamn -- You've gotta dig
	napalm on Speed, too. It's
	spectacular, you'll see.

Lance stands up holding his M-16, looks into the cavern
with Chef.


245  INT. HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT

Willard stands there, holding the morphine needle in his
hand.

		KURTZ
	Look into the jungle. You can't --
	it's too terrible. You have to
	smear yourself with warpaint to
	look at it -- you have to be a
	cannibal.
	     (whispered)
	That's why warpaint was invented.
	Then it becomes your jungle.

Willard shoots himself in the arm with the morphine.

		WILLARD
	How did we get here?

		KURTZ
	Because of all the things we do,
	the thing we do best -- is lie.

		WILLARD
	I think think a lie stinks.

		KURTZ
	Oh Captain, that is so true.

		WILLARD
	Stinks. I could never figure --
	     (he drinks from
	       the canteen)
	I could never figure how they
	can teach boys how to bomb villages
	with napalm -- and not let them
	write the word 'fuck' on their
	airplanes.

Willard drinks more of the LSD water.

		KURTZ
	     (angrily)
	You could never figure it because
	it doesn't make sense.

		WILLARD
	Fuck no.

		KURTZ
	I'll tell you what makes sense !
	Air strikes ! White Phosphorus !
	Napalm ! We'll bomb the shit out
	of them if they don't do what
	we want.

		WILLARD
	We'll exterminate the fuckers !

Chef steps into the Headquarters -- he is terrified.
He draws his bayonet.

		CHEF
	Captain -- kill him.

		KURTZ
	Think of it -- for years, millions
	of years, savages with pathetic
	painted faces were scared shitless
	that fire would rain down from
	the sky. And goddamn, we made
	it happen. God  bless  Dow  !

		CHEF
	Kill him !

Chef rushes at Kurtz with his bayonet -- instinctively,
Willard GUNS him -- then there is additional automatic
FIRE. Chef is being riddled by bullets.


246  VIEW ON LANCE

He has let loose with his M-16 at Chef, like some sort
of mindless, programmed killer.

		LANCE
	     (FIRING)
	Hot damn !

Then hes tops -- Chef falls to the dirt -- there is an
instant of silence, then:


247 EXT. OF THE TEMPLE AT NU MUNG BA - NIGHT

The DOORS begin LIGHT MY FIRE , loud and overwhelming,
as illuminating flares light up the blackness.


248  MED. CLOSE VIEW

of enormous loudspeakers protected behind spirals of
razor-sharp concertina wire. LIGHT MY FIRE is blasted
out to the enemy, poised to attack.


249  ANOTHER LOUDSPEAKER

Cannibal-painted men in savage decorations wait. Bay-
onets are fixed. Men are stoned to acid, injecting
speed, sniffing cocaine, eating grass, smoking hashish
in water pipes. One looks up to the sky.


250  EIS VIEW

A rocket illuminates the sky, strobing, as in a psyche-
delic hallucination.

251  VIEW ON THE SOLDIER

		SOLDIER
	Wow...

Another behind him is chanting the word NAPALM softly t
himself.


252  MED. VIEW ON THE GATE

Willard strides out of the darkness, into the positions
around the gate. He looks like a magnificent warrior --
Genghis. All the men: Montagnards, fierce Americans,
even the savage men of the P.B.R. crew either bow,
salute or kneel before Willard. The color pulsates
around the edge of the image, red and green, mauve and
purple.

We SEE Lance; waiting, with his weapons -- garlands of
teeth around his neck, his face painted.


253  FULL VIEW - MONTAGE

Enemy ARTILLERY BLASTING away at the fortress.


254  CLOSE SHOT - A MORTAR

A hand drops a shell and it FIRES.


255  CLOSE SHOT - ROCKET LAUNCHER

It FIRES. EXPLOSIONS around the fort, red and orange
and blue and green. They hit and grow, outward like some
sort of cosmic flower.


256  CLOSE SHOT - A FLAME-THROWER (ON TANK)

Shoots out a stream of burning napalm that looks like a
death ray gun, radiating outward with ice-blue energy.


257  SHOT ON LOUDSPEAKERS

blasting out music.


258  MED. CLOSE VIEW ON YOUNG SOLDIERS

With the MUSIC, like those people you see listening to
radios in their cars.


259  SHOT ON THE COMMAND BUNKER - WILLARD , KURTZ , OTHERS

(In SLOW MOTION) Shells WHISTLE in and EXPLODE on the
walls in the compound. The men behind them are setting
up rocket launcher (missile) . Everywhere metal and rock
and flame fly and it is beautiful to see.

Willard looks through the infra-red sniper scope.


260  WILLARD - INFRA-RED POV

Strange, luminescent images of North Vietnamese approach-
ing the outer perimeters. Thousands of them.


261  FULL SHOT ON KURTZ

		KURTZ
	Mini-gun. Colby. Sergeant.
	Mini-gun.


262  MED. SHOT - MINI-GUN

A SERGEANT in feathered head-piece and wildly painted
operates the mini-gun with several native helpers. SHELLS
BURST  around them. When they FIRE the SOUND is incredibly
loud and steady like a high-pitched foghorn. A solid
stream of molten lead seems to pour into the darkness as
7000 rounds a minute rip into the enemy. The pass of
the lead reaches out in beautiful patterns as the Ser-
geant sweeps the area. The sergeant laughs maniacally
as the GUN resumes FIRING, right up to the moment he is
blown to eternity by an all-engulfing 105mm shell.


263  VIEW ON WILLARD

Exhilarated, and moving with the MUSIC.

		WILLARD
	Napalm.

Colby pushes a row of plungers: Advancing NVAs il-
luminated by napalm drums, phosphorescent napalm EXPLODES
beautiful, like a magnificent firework.


264  VIEW ON KURTZ

		KURTZ
	Claymores, claymores.

The SOUND DISTORTED of tremendous HOWLING EXPLOSIONS
penetrate the track of LIGHT MY FIRE one after another.
Kurtz's face is illuminated by each of these. His face
seems to change from one grotesgue primitive face to
another, as though the whole history mankind is evolv-
ing in front of us.

The SCREAMS of maimed and dismembered men almost pene-
trates the INCREDIBLY LOUD MUSIC and we HEAR Kurtz's men
LAUGHING and SCREAMING in delight.

Kurtz looks out over the field of slaughter.


265  FULL SHOT - NVA CHARGE

through wires and claymore glass, each wilder and more
extreme. They burn in the pools of luminescent napalm
but press relentlessly on. SHELL BURSTS overhead. They
chant to themselves as they advance. NVA have reached
the walls and throw down scaling ladders and start up.
Suddenly the sky is bright with flares which produce
weird psychedelic light. Blared out at tremendous vol-
ume over and above the DIN OF BATTLE is LIGHT MY FIRE.


266  FULL SHOT - WALL - EVERYBODY

The Americans and Montagnards stand up screaming.
Spurred by MUSIC, they charge up. M-16's in both hands,
blasting, kicking, bayoneting, gouging, splittin throats,
biting necks, both sides collide in the utter and most
horrible savagery.


267  MED. SHOT - WILLARD

standing on the wall BLASTING as bodies fall around him;
he thrusts his bayonet into one attacker, removes it with
a foot and stabs another. From him he takes his AK47 and
BLASTS more as they come.


268  MED. SHOT - LANCE

The VC rush his position. Willard trips a claymore that
BLASTS most of them to shreads. More fill in. Lance
opens up FULL AUTOMATIC . Willard and Lance move down to
the nest wall, FIRING , bodies tumbling over.

Lance is caught in a CROSSFIRE and hit several times.
He pulls himself up -- FIRES a final BURST and then falls
under the enemy's feet.


269  VIEW ON MOONBY

sees this and scampers off into the jungle, muttering
madly to himself.


270  MED. VIEW - WILLARD AT THE R.T.

shouting into the radio

		WILLARD
	Code -- Street Gang -- Street
	Gang ! Purgative air strike;
	Street Gang !

He turns and runs back through the compound with the
receding Montagnards. SHELLS are EXPLODING everywhere.
The light patterns are fantastic. Men fall, Viets break
over the walls and charge. They crouch and rip into
them FULL AUTOMATIC. They break the charge and continue
cutting their way through the NVA masses like torches 
through metal.


271  FULL SHOT - COMMAND POST - KURTZ

Kurtz watches as invaders swarm through his domain. Women
and children rush upon him now. Kurtz flicks some switch-
es and the whole north wall EXPLODES in overwhelming FIRE.
The gates are uprooted. The stone lions tumble, crushing
men below. Kurtz cocks an M-16 and walks off the bunker.


272  VIEW ON WILLARD

watching this spectacle.


273  MED. SHOT - DIFFERENT ANGLE - KURTZ

He rounds  the shadow wall.

Kurtz sees a group of Viets and rushes up and prepares a
machine gun mount. They don't see him. He braces the gun
at his side and steps out.

		KURTZ
	     (yelling)
	Charles !

They stagger and fall, shattered and bleeding, save one
who's merely lost his weapon. Kurtz looks at him, his
gun empty. He drops it and flips open the flap of his
holster. The Viet soldier goes for his pistol. Kurtz
beats him to the draw and bloes him into the night. He
moves over to pick up the NVA light machine gun. Holding
it at his hip, he stands atop one of the ruined walls
and FIRES into the masses. His native men see him and
rush for the chance to die beside him. They are quickly
encircled by onrushing Viets and are being overrun. The
machine gun jams and Kurtz grabs a rifle. When it's empty
and the bayonet is off he wields it as a club.


274  MED. SHOT - LOW ANGLE - KURTZ

taking swings with his rifle, standing atop the
wall and battering the oncoming enemy like Davy Crockett
at the Alamo.


275  FULL VIEW - THE FORTRESS

The air strike hits with all its force. Balls and rain
of fire sweeps down on the temple, the enemy, everything.
It is the biggest firework show in history.

The wall Kurtz was standing on, and he falls with it.
Willard sees this and makes his way toward him as the
air strike continues. All around us is a spectacle of
MUSIC and light and fire and overwhelming color.


276  TRACKING SHOT ON WILLARD

following Kurtz's trail in the mud. He has crawled on
all fours back into the jungle to die. He stalks Kurtz
into the jungle ; moving around and cutting off the
crawling Kurtz

		KURTZ
	Go away -- hide yourself.

		WILLARD
	What are you doing?

		KURTZ
	Going back  - to the jungle to
	die.

		WILLARD
	I'm taking you back. You can 
	still live.

		KURTZ
	I had immense plans.

		WILLARD
	I'm gonna get you out of here.

		KURTZ
	I was on threshold of great 
	things.

Willard slings Kurtz's bleeding body around his neck,
holding his hand, dragging hom through the jungle. The
spectacle continues in the b.g.


277  EXT. THE P.B.R. - THE RIVER

This wreck of a boat is still afloat. Willard crawls
out of the jungle, carrying the dying Kurtz and manages
to get him onto the boat.


278  EXTREME FULL SHOT

The spectacle of total psychedelic war: the fortress of
Nu Mung Ba.

				FADE OUT.

FADE IN.


279  EXT. THE TEMPLE - MORNING

The entire temple is devastation. Vultures by the hundreds
circle overhead. There are a few survivors. Everywhere
is smoke and heaps of bodies. Colby, a Sergeant, and
some Montagnards sit near them.

Their eyes are red and glazed, their jaws hang slack and
they tumble occasionally. They stagger away from the
field of slaughter. Willard looks down and sees something.
Moves over to it, kicks several bodies away and in the
f.g. below is Lance, dead.

Colby stumbles over. Willard holds Lance up by his hair.

		COLBY
	Who is he?

		WILLARD
	He was the tragedy -- the tragedy
	of this war.

				CUT TO:


280  THE P.B.R.

battered, moving slowly down the river.


281  TIGHTER VIEW

Colby is at helm. Kurtz lies feverish, delirious.
Willard sits by him. As the boat moves, Montagnards, those
left alive, come and pay their respects by the riverbanks.
Colby takes an automatic weapon and FIRES it into the air.
Some of the natives move in terror, frightened of him.
The battle is not over.

		KURTZ
	Don't. Don't frighten them away.

Willard looks down at him.

		WILLARD
	So you understand this?

Kurtz looks up at him, past him with fury, longing in his
eyes. There is a slight smile.

		KURTZ
	Do I not?


282  EXT. RIVER - MED. VIEW

The boat moves as though naturally carried by the river.

		KURTZ
	My river... my people... my jungle...
	my ideas... my country... 		
	my wife...
	     (he looks at Willard)
	... my death.

		WILLARD
	You had immense plans... immense plans...

		KURTZ
	Yes...

		WILLARD
	I'm taking you back.

Kurtz looks up to him, then an expression of overwhelming
intense and hopeless terror, hopeless despair. A whisper
at some image, at some vision, he cries out twice, a cry
that is no more than a breath.

		KURTZ
	The horror, the horror.

We HEAR the distant SOUND of HELICOPTERS approaching.
The SOUND of ROTORS in the distance. They look up,
craning their eyes at the sky. Colby points.

		COLBY
	There.

Over the jungle mountains the small formation of MEDEVAC
helicopters hooping toward them.

		COLBY
	     (continuing)
	How did they know?

		WILLARD
	They must have seen the fire.

The helicopters are closer now but high up. Two of
them breaking off, spiraling in TOWARD US.

		COLBY
	They're coming to rescue us.
	They're Medevac.


283  CLOSE SHOT ON WILLARD

He stares up at the sky.

		WILLARD
		     (to himself)
	They're coming to take us back.

Copters directly overhead.

		WILLARD
	     (continuing)
	Yeah.

		COLBY
	Colonel Kurtz, he's dead.

		WILLARD
	Yeah.

He raises his M-16 and FIRES the entire clip at the ap-
proaching rescue helicopter.


284  FULL SHOT - THE COPTER

It frantically pours on the power and wheels up to the
sky.


285  FULL SHOT - WILLARD, COLBY

		WILLARD
	Yeah.

Colby takes his rifle and joins Willard in FIRING at
the retreating American helicopters.


286  HELICOPTER'S POV - ON THE BOAT

The men in the boat FIRING AT US as we fly further into
the air, the boat getting smaller and smaller.

		WILLARD (V.O.)
	... Don't remember a lot about my
	rehabilitation... but I was sent
	back to the world before the fall
	of Saigon...


287  EXT. MARINA DEL RAY - EXTREME HIGH ANGLE - NIGHT

MOVING DOWN back to the pleasure boat at the Marina.

Pause. Willard is very silent.

		WILLARD
	I never answered questions about
	Kurtz -- I gave them a few of his
	unimportant papers -- but for the
	most part I saved everything.
	There were other letters, personal
	ones written earlier to his wife.
	I brought them to het. I watched
	the fall of Saigon on television
	in a bar in Alameda...


289  EXT. CALIFORNIA NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

A bright clear day in a scrubbed-clean California neigh-
borhood. Some kids are playing in the street.

Willard, years later, dressed as a civilian, proceeds past
the lawn to the attractive home, carrying a packet under
his arm. He passes a lanky, young teen-aged boy working
on a motor-scooter. Willard looks at him. The boy
looks back.

		WILLARD
	Hi.

Then the door opens, and KURTZ'S WIFE is standing at the
door. She is still beautiful, blonde, and dressed in
mourning even though she doesn't wear black. There is a
sense of purity about her, though she is not young.

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	Come in, Captain Willard.

He enters.


289  INT. KURTZ'S HOME - DAY

Everything good and secure and desirable about America.

She stands in the center of the room, a little nervous.

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	Can I get anything for you?

There are pictures of Kurtz, not too many... but he is
there in the various stages of his career.

Then she sits suddenly, and Willard sits by her.

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	     (continuing)
	Did you know him very well?

		WILLARD
	You get to know each other pretty
	well out there.

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	And you admired him?

		WILLARD
	He was a remarkable man. It was
	impossible not to --

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	Love him... Yes, it is true.
	That's the hard part for me... I
	knew him better than anyone ... I
	knew him best.

		WILLARD
	You knew him best.

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	You were his friend... You must
	have been, if he had given you
	this...
	     (the packet)
	If he sent you to his home. He
	was the best this country had --
	he was --

		WILLARD
	Yes, I know...

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	I'll never get over it -- But
	I'll always remember him...

		WILLARD
	Both of us...

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	Men looked up to him...
	     (she loses herself
	       in a thought)
	He died as he lived...

		WILLARD
	His death was -- yes, he died as
	he lived.

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	Were you with him, when...

		WILLARD
	Yes I was... He said his last
	words to me.

Pause.


290  MED. CLOSE SHOT ON WILLARD

A little of the madness is still with him. He knows what
she will ask.

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	What were they?


291  MED. CLOSE SHOT ON KURTZ'S WIFE

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	Tell me.


292  MED. CLOSE ON WILLARD

remembering that incredible day moving down the river.

Our VIEW LOOSENS	

		KURTZ'S WIFE
	Tell me what he said.

		KURTZ (V.O.)
	The horror ! The horror !

		WILLARD
	He spoke of you, ma'am.

He sits there looking at her.


293  EXT. TIGHT HIGH ANGLE ON THE MARINA DEL REY BOAT

The cocktail party is breaking up. Willard is one of
the few guests left.

We MOVE FROM Willard standing alone on the deck of the
boat. Moving back through the departing guests. Charlie
is getting ready to leave himself. We MOVE CLOSER to
Willard.

				DISSOLVE TO:


294  EXT. THE RIVER - P.B.R. - DAY

the boat floating down the river. Kurtz's body; an exhaust-
ed, half-dead Colby. And HOLDING Kurtz, Willard. We HEAR
THE DOORS' "THE END" as we present the END TITLES.

				FADE OUT.




 

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