This Revision; notes to self: Okay, from my limited research it seems the outline is king. Therefore, I will continue working on the outline, which is apparently the Concept and Structure. I need to keep asking myself "What is this movie about?". However, can't seem to stop myself from also writing in / filling in more of the story.
I've also done something, no doubt very amateurish; I've placed known actors in character roles, using the actor's names. This helps me "flesh" out my characters until a future revision.
last updated: 3/09/06
A Synopsis:
This is a story about a burnt out shell of a man, who's life seems to have reached rock bottom. Random odd events send him out of his world and into a completely different existence (a sharp juxtaposition); half-way around the world. Dramatic / terrifying events shock him into looking at life differently (but he does not change overnight). Extraordinary and beautiful events gradually transform him. He sees the beauty - pure beauty of things on this planet. For the first time in many years he feels a fire ignite within his center; a light that his old life had extinguished. He sees the stars in an infinite universe, like he's never seen them before. He talks to a woman with purity of soul; as pure as that starry night. Nature reveals itself to him (with her help). In this setting, as his mind is opened, he discovers friendship from a most unlikely source. As that friendship unfolds, he climbs down from the throne of "superior being" and takes on the mantle of servant.
Killers Of Land And Sea
Scene: We open with a nice dinner club upscale feel; fancy waiters; slightly "gaudy"; with nice jazz quintet; slight cabaret feel to it (happy, but not to gay).
Out of focus shot of woman in blue dress, at table slightly to side and in front saying something (inaudible) to man she is with, stands up, gives peck on cheek and walks past us. Woman in red dress sitting at "our" table puts pack of cigarettes and lighter in purse and follows first woman at discreet distance. We catch images of nice dinner dresses; dressy shoes; pretty hair; as both women walk toward ladies room.
Scene: Ladies Restroom; brightly lit; large mirrors at sink; clean and shiny upscale motif to match nightclub interior.
Woman in blue is at mirror fixing face etc. Woman in red enters room and goes into stall. There are large spaces between stall partitions and doors. Person in stall removes small high-tech camera, disguised as hard-pack of Marlboro, from bag and begins taking pics. We observe that camera is indeed very sophisticated; lcd viewer (tiltable) zooms in on person at mirror as they adjust their wig. We hear very faint Click, click, Click (covered by background sounds) as camera auto drive takes multiple shots and movie camera zooms in to see series of sharp captures on LCD. We see the face of person in blue very clearly in LCD and zoom in to see some color and shortness of hair under wig, beard, adam's apple and iris of eye. We can hear band faintly. Person in red dress, in stall; concentrating very hard on images.
Someone flushes and opens stall next to ours, which causes "woman" at mirror to look, via mirror, in our direction. Close up shot of LCD shows a close up image of lady in blue; she seems to be staring straight at us. For a very long fraction of second it seems as though he (at mirror) is looking right at us - full frame close-up. We pull back startled and a little afraid. Person from next stall (clearly 100% female; they don't seem to know each other) goes to sink next to person in blue, "Wonderful band!?"
Man, in perfect falsetto - sounds like female voice, says, "Oh, I love the trumpet player!"
"Yes, I know what you mean; he's very cute too." She seems to take for granted that he is a she.
Man in dress leaves, followed shortly by woman.
Woman in red waits a moment, then goes out.
Scene: Reverse view of nightclub from restroom. We pan floor show table previously used by lady in blue; main entrance.
Person in blue and date are no longer around (we, in red, interpret this as a bad sign). We leave out front entrance.
Scene: Front exterior of dinner club; walk to parking lot.
Lady in red heads for car in parking lot. En route, very "slight of hand" we swap media card in camera and stash first card in hidden pocket. Our shot of her walk shows near ankle length dress; narrow at bottom; causes short, but rapid steps. We make it all the way to car, no sign of anyone. Then a refined voice, "Pardon me madam, may I trouble you for a cigarette?"
Spins around, heel catching; three large men converge from different directions (one may have stepped around from behind van; wearing suits, ties and micro-headsets), one with hand inside jacket (suggesting gun). Very stern looks from all three; there's a slight pause (the lady in red is revealed). It becomes finally clear that "our" character in red is disguised as a woman; has expression of being caught in the act and looking pretty ridiculous (Our guy didn't seem to know he had just broken into the "big league" - this was not the small-time job he was led to believe.). Off balance, wobbling in high heels and tight dress; he is in no position to fight or flight. First guy holds big meaty hand out palm up. Man in red dress reaches in pocket; tough guys tense up; our guy slows, "Marlboro man?" he asks as he slowly pulls cigarette pack out. He hands over camera which first man pretends to drop, "Oops". Then he pretends to accidentally step on camera, "Oh, I'm so sorry 'mam'; I'm so clumsy". He stands back up (camera still under shoe) and looks menacingly into our guy's face, "This is your lucky night bud. Next time this will be you." and Viggo winces, as the big foot grinds the camera into the pavement - winces at the sounds of all that expensive gear cracking, popping, shattering. The lead guy walks away and one of his others picks up cigarette box; rattling directly in our guy's face, "Good night Mr. Viggo". They walk away.
Oh hell, they even know his name. Viggo tears wig off head and throws to ground; grumbling to self, "I'm so sick of this crap! How low do I have to go?!"
scene: Editor's office; slightly tacky / low rent.
Editor is at desk flipping thru pictures taken by Viggo. Editor is trying to hide his excitement (happy and nervous). We see excellent capture in photos, "Viggo, you never cease to amaze me. How did you do it?
"Look Chief, you told me to get the pics and there they are. Hey, I've got expenses . . "
"What expenses?"
If you're not going to cover me . . . maybe I can find someone who will?"
Editor is very agitated, "Hold your horses; what's the damage?"
Viggo is trying to get expensed for lost camera,"Three big ones."
"Three hundred dollars!?!" phony indignation.
"No, oh defender of the free press, three thousand!"
"Three thousand . . . you gotta be . . ."
"Dammit! That was a Glasfelsen (loosely translated from German "glass rock"), a third generation Leica. If you don't think it cost me three K, look it up on E-Bay.
"Okay, my best photographer needs his camera; I'll take care of it." He tears up the first check and writes a new one, as Viggo looks over his shoulder.
Surprised at editor's giving in so easily; Viggo picks up a photo (zoom close up of face in photo), "Who is this guy?".
"Do you want your money or not?"
"Just another assignment, another day, another (holding one side of check and reading) . . . seven thousand bucks (?)." Editor grabs photo and releases grip on check.
"The weather channel says it's going to get hot and sticky around here. So, this is perfect timing." Editor hands him 9"x12" manila envelope, "I've got a very juicy out of town assignment for you. I want you to stay out there a little while - take some vacation; you remember what a vacation is don't you? Stay out there a few weeks; let the weather settle down here before you come back. Everything is in the envelope: assignment details, ticket and some per-diem."
"Who am I shoot'n?"
"I told you its all in there; you can read it on the plane - and you better hur . . "
"Plane . . ?"
"It leaves in eight hours. If you and your gear are not on that jet when it leaves the ground, you're finished here!! NOW, GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!"
story details:
Our protagonist - disillusioned photo/journalist - relegated to paparazzi work (played by Viggo Mortensen) is ordered by his boss to leave his current assignment pursuing some dirty old politician (played my Charlie Sheen) in San Fran (Please keep, similar to tone of rest of film - please don't start out to "silly" and comedic, prefer slightly dark and cynical. Would like to shoot for PG-13.).
What Viggo doesn't know is that his editor is bought off. Charlie's rich and powerful handlers pay editor not to run pics and story. And the plan is to send Viggo far, far away. Viggo is in the dark as to name of man in pics and not aware,though slightly suspicious, of possible extortion perpetrated by editor.(The viewer is not privy to the identity or significance of Sheen's character, yet.)
So, Viggo is a little angry, but doesn't care; his life is meaningless, it just doesn't matter. He is sent to Australia to follow up a report that some big star (make somebody up like Russell Crowe - we'll call him Crewe) is once again cheating on his wife with another big name.
[Will have to develop Viggo's persona, background etc]
scene: Airliner to Australia
Viggo, puts job notes back in folder; leans head back; deep breath; closes eyes; exhales; tries to take a break.
Movement of person next to him, reaching into back seat magazine pouch - removing a magazine - gets his attention. He looks at next magazine revealed by first being taken out. He stares at cover girl. (Man notices him staring.)
Face of girl morphs as Viggo hallucinates (toward end of long flight; fatigue; alcohol; meds),"What's the matter baby? Can't get me out of your mind?"
Man next to him, mildly perplexed/annoyed by stare, grabs magazine hallucination disintegrates "Pretty girl"; hands him the magazine. Viggo, says nothing, flips magazine around and places into Viggo's pouch in front of him, backwards.
"Not your type?"
"She used to be .. my type; till she divorced me; took me for everything I had and put me on the street with nothing but the clothes on my back. That's gratitude for ya; I thought she loved me. I put her on the biggest covers in the country. What a sucker I was." He gets up; steps on man's foot (without apology) as he heads for the bar.
scene: Sydney Airport
We see Viggo just inside airport terminal on phone. Fellow passengers filing past him. Jet-liner visible in background. Viggo learns, from local contact, that Crewe is on a yacht off the coast; some remote area. He is told how to get to small plane that is waiting for him; departs via small plane from same airport.
scene: Small plane flying along Australian coast. (mid-day)
Plane arrives just in time to see Crewe (recognizes him with binoculars) leave yacht and board speedboat with beautiful famous star. Viggo (classic, despicable, paparazzi), constantly orders the reluctant pilot to dive-bomb the speeding boat, closer and closer; getting some swell pictures. Crewe intentionally drives his boat into a large flock of birds sitting on the water; they fly up; pilot can't react quickly enough; birds crash thru windshield and "fowl" plane engine; plane goes down. Crewe speeds away very pleased.
Plane nose dives and sinks quickly.
scene: Under water
Viggo comes to senses under water (small pocket of air); pilot is dead; lots of blood; Viggo has head injury and bleeding.
Viggo takes deep breath from pocket; fights way out of cockpit and discovers he is 100feet down with great white sharks circling; plane continues slow descent into dark abyss. Because of his head injury (and that sometimes "he just doesn't care") the moment becomes surreal. He knows the situation is hopeless as he watches a great white rip the pilot's arm out of the cockpit window; swimming away with its prize.
Maybe he flashes back (replays his life, as they say some do before they die - little more insight into his character; where did things go wrong for him?); such a wasted life.
Just as the largest shark comes in for the kill, a much greater, dark shadow shoots out of the depths and rips the sharks belly open. Then this same, huge, black "shark" comes at, and grabs Viggo. And, that's it, "lights out"; Viggo passes out.
In dream time we (and perhaps somehow Viggo) witness a huge killer "shark" bring Viggo to the surface (held by the collar of his jacket), take him to shore and beach him (photographic evidence/documentation - killer whales will follow prey just beyond the edge of the water - so this is do-able.).
scene: Beautiful deserted beach ; late afternoon
Hours later, he is found on an isolated beach by a beautiful (part aboriginal, part caucasian) woman (fill in actress here); (Hey it's a movie! It works for me.). Look of concern on her face, mutters something in aborigine. Of course she can't just let him die and they are many miles from anyone/anywhere - so she has no choice ...
With her help, Viggo staggers to feet; speechless and we fade as she helps him inland toward the "bush". He grunts; no words spoken by either.
scene: Hastily, but skillfully,built camp just inside bush (we can see beach just beyond.)
We see Viggo sleeping on a grass mat under a large lean-to built from plants. Smoke and the aroma of roasting fish seems to almost rouse him. Woman smiles at this as she brings more leaves and begins expertly, rapidly tying them into the roof of the lean-to.
Girl has no choice but to nurse him back to health (there is a little smattering of the "old" ways, "dream time", healing plants etc as influenced by the girl's aboriginal great-grandmother). In the weeks that follow he learns something about the aboriginal relationship with nature (including the creatures of the sea).
He doesn't remember anything about how he survived the crash (nothing of the ordeal underwater); he doesn't remember the sharks. But, nearly every night, he has nightmares - of blood and great shark teeth coming at him, in the blackness of the deep. He dismisses the odd holes in the collar of his jacket. After a few weeks he is healed; at least to the point at which he can walk to the nearest town.
Scene: Winding trail thru brush.
Beautiful woman guides him to Brumby.
Scene: View of town from within edge of bush
The nearest town is practically a ghost town. The town is called Brumby. She takes him to the edge of town, but oddly - she won't go into town with him; she is silent when he asks for an explanation. With a tear and a kiss on the cheek; she disappears back into the brush.
The brush is no place for this fellow; he walks into Brumby.
scene: Old run down whaling village; arriving early afternoon; no apparent activity; almost ghost town feel; walking thru village we come across a touristy museum
story details:
Tourists still visit occasionally to tour the old museum and listen to the old timers talk about the legend of "Battler" the killer whale. But, most of the residents have died off; the young moved away.
Viggo has been thru hell-and-back and now he just wants to go home. But, of course there is the girl who saved his life. Okay, he's conflicted - maybe he will allow himself to care about something/someone again. But, he is falling back into his old ways, and begins trying to find someone that will help him get back to "civilization". So, he goes from one odd old character to another trying to find a way out (love those old Aussies). And in the process, unintentionally at first, begins peeling back the layers of the story of The Killers Of Brumby. He begins to realize that it's not just a story to lure in the tourists to an old defunct whaling town. Could the legend be true?
scene: Run down B&B; couple ancient looking folks in rocking chairs on porch
story details:
Having no luck finding a way out and still recovering from the crash, he stays a couple nights in a primitive bead & breakfast. Finds old hardbound copy of Moby Dick in night stand (drawer was jammed shut; much effort to open; he was in cranky mood and yanked on it) which he barely remembers reading when a kid, but seems to remember enjoying it. A note inside book falls out saying,"I hereby trade my bible for yours. This book served me well before the pact was broken. Now I have greater need of Gideon." signed with initials (camera shot of cursive - hard to make out). (He reads note with some puzzlement.) He drifts off to sleep reading Moby (insert quote via narrative). He remembers how he used to enjoy reading and feels attachment to old book; purchases it (landlady tells him that drawer had been jammed shut for as long as she could remember). Every night his dream of the shark becomes a little more detailed. That greatest "shark" which finally gets him (in his dream), he notices, has a large scar above the left eye.
scene: Walks down thru village and out onto pier; several boats; carrying Moby book.
story details:
Well, he finally finds someone (a crafty old fisherman who wants to get this bloody Yank "to hell out of his Brumby"). The fisherman, for a fee, agrees to take him up the coast to a mining operation. (His wallet survived; full of 20s and 100s; Aussies seem to be okay with US currency.)
scene: Old fishing boat traveling up coast; maybe 50 yards from shore
They set off, up coast; beautiful calm day. Viggo purchased Moby Dick and is reading (quote passage - Viggo's narrative or we could get "character" voice to mimic Melville). Half way there, Viggo hears the skipper curse beneath his breath, "Bloody bastards!" Looking in the direction of the man's brief gaze, he sees 3 small beached whales; gulls circling and ripping apart their bloated flesh. Skipper again, "There's no respect for God's gift; its a cry'n shame! Nobody cares. Soon they'll all be gone."
Viggo turns to the skipper with a questioning look. But the brooding skipper says nothing more and tosses Viggo a bottle of liquor, and before long, Viggo dozes off. Again he dreams, yet more clearly. This time, in his dream, he is oddly unafraid of the great black beast with the scar above its left eye. Something like a strange singing, causes him to softly open his eyes; still feeling the dream state. He hears the "chug chug" of the boat engine; feels the warmth of the sun; sees fluffy clouds reflected on the glassy surface of the water. Then, his eyes come more into focus. There, just below the surface; is that the shadow of the boat? And that white, the white of the clouds; beneath the surface? He watches transfixed as the shadow rises; slips out of the glass veil of water and with a most extraordinary eye, looks - as if into his soul. Just above that left eye is a scar.
With a loud exclamation, he leaps to his feet, stiff as a board and shaking he turns to the skipper at his wheel, "LOOK!" he shouts.
"Look at what mate?"
Viggo turns back; there's nothing. "You must have seen it!?!!"
"It was nothing mate. The sea can be a trickster; it's just the booze. No worries mate, we're almost there - look ahead. You've been thru a lot; you'll be okay once you leave this place."
(Of course the old fisherman saw everything.)
He doesn't know what to think; is he losing his mind?
scene: Small, industrial looking port; in good repair; boat sheds; larger / higher dock able to accept larger vessels
story details:
Viggo is waiting at the mining station (This could be mining, oil, chemical, etc) - for the next ship out to where he can take a flight back to the states. He buys an army surplus daypack and some other supplies at the company canteen/store. (The ship won't be here until tomorrow, but he has no place else to go.)
While nosing around (instinctive journalist that he is) he discovers this is a front for a private research facility performing experiments with the use of high powered sonar (sees crates labeled sonar, asks around).
[Now, let this author state right here that I am not anti-military. But, I am anti-bad science that does not respect the other inhabitants of this planet.]
He meets a scientist (Kim Basinger; a favorite of mine, so be nice. I just have a lot of respect for her and I'd like to see the chemistry between her and Viggo.)
scene: Near pier. Front exterior of small office; sign above door says "Shipping Office" ; lit by small lamp.
Basinger is leaving office, late, after working on her report. She wants to get it done so she can leave. She is walking the 100 feet to her quarters in old, but somewhat sturdy looking building (possibly a quonset hut); when she is startled by a sort of snort. She discovers Viggo sleeping in some sort of crate or other makeshift shelter; wrapped up in surplus army blanket. Her look is of concern and compassion; looks tempted to wake him - bring home with her? But she shakes head and continues down to her quarters.
Basinger has been brought here from the states to "rubber stamp" an environmental report for the Australian govt. In fact; she is not even a qualified ocean biologist. She's a "no non-sense" pragmatist - just there to do a job and get out. There is some connection between she and Viggo, but on the surface they don't seem to like each other (What's to like; they both seem unredeemable).
scene: Viggo, near end of pier; leaning up against piling, reading.
story details:
The next day Viggo is sitting at the dock waiting for the ship to take him away, reading (find another quote?) when the same killer whale appears again, just ten feet away. This time he's stone sober. They stare into each other's eyes and Viggo begins to understand the astonishing truth. Now he remembers the great white sharks; and he remembers this creature saving his life.(We see flash backs of orca saving him)
Just at that moment there is a loud "bang" and a "thud"! Viggo turns, as the killer whale sinks, to see a man (company foreman, John Rose)standing on a moored boat with a gun, cursing, "Die you black devil!!"
Viggo gets into an argument, there's a fight; gets beat up; misses his ship out.
scene: Basinger's living room
Basinger has had Viggo delivered to her place because clinic can't house him during convalescence and she knows he has no place else. Converts couch or there's a company cot for use by Viggo.
During convalescence he starts to hook up with Basinger (Little Ms, I'm all about hard science and doing what I'm told.).
Viggo convinces Basinger they both deserve a holiday (all work; no play) and they take a little excursion to visit Brumby. Dr Basinger takes the boat assigned to her project (a working holiday?). Viggo's real agenda was to have her meet the old timers, hear the stories and explore the archives of the museum.
scene: Company boat heading to Brumby with Basinger and Viggo
story details:
Boat is piloted by Gus, a local, hired by company. Heading for Brumby.
En route Viggo nods to shore toward another beached whale. Basinger stares as boat continues. Boat pilot, "'Been see'n quite a lot of that lately.
scene: front exterior of dilapidated house that may have been best in town at one time
He takes her to meet a person of interest, someone he heard stories about when he was last here; the 110 year old recluse who lives in a dilapidated mansion at the edge of town. Her family had been ostracized by the whaling village; nearly 100 years ago.
She would now share, in the last days of her life, with this young couple "the rest of the story"; what really happened - what defiled the sacred relationship between man and beast.
She recounted the history known well by a few. She told of the origins of the unique relationship; how the aborigines befriended the killer whales. And how the killer whales extended that friendship; in partnership with the whalers of Brumby.
And then, the great lady shared the dark secret for the first and last time of her life. With tears, she explained why the aborigines moved away from this beautiful bay. They moved away, never to return, because of the betrayal of her father.
You see, one tragic day, her father arrogantly and violently - broke the covenant between creatures of land and creatures of sea.
At first captive and then captivated; they listened in that darkened parlor as her voice carried them all, back in time:
"I was a wild one back then . . ." (Voice trails . . .)
scene: A"tomboy" of about age ten standing behind a low rock wall set on a rise overlooking the bay.
The sun is just going down (just a burning tip of red light remains; sliding into the ocean on the horizon). A slight wind blows her unruly hair back from her face. We hear her mother calling her to dinner in the background, but she stands, with great intensity; very still, for an excited little girl. She is watching for a movement in the twilight, in the water below (maybe 300 feet away). Mother is still calling; now more agitated. Nora's sharp young eyes see a movement in the water; convinced, she leaps onto the rock wall and begins waving both arms above her head.
She is silent, though ready to explode with excitement. She seems to be trying to get the attention of "something" in the bay; as she hovers above the rock wall waving; a big smile of anticipation.
Now, directly below her, about 100 feet away a killer rises above the surface of the waves, nearly clearing the water. The whale turns ninety degrees away from her so that when he re-enters the water his great fluke tail is directed toward her and as the whale disappears the tail comes down hard with an explosive clap. So as, not to be ignored, the whale repeats this noisy display as it very slowly swims back toward the sea.
The first "clap" was enough for Nora; releasing a pent up "WHUO-EEEEE!" she races into the house.
scene: Front exterior of same house, but in good condition; light in windows
scene: Nicely furnished dining room
Rocketing into the dining room amid a scolding mother and a father trying to remain "dignified"; Nora rattles on with unbearable excitement, "Father he's here!! Battler is in the bay signaling us!"
Mother tries to head off what she sees coming; "Now Colonel, we've just set the table . . ."
"Father you said that I could go the next time you went at night!"
"That's correct", he agrees, "but your mother has made this lovely din . . . ."
"Mother I've been plenty of times in the daylight! . . . Please! . . . . . ."
Mother tries to put her foot down, but she knows it is useless. She was not able to give her husband a son; their only child, Nora, would have to do.
"My dear lady, we have not brought a whale in for three weeks; we can't afford to pass this by. And Nora knows her business on the boat; she'll be fine. Fix us some dinner in the basket while we make ready."
story details:
Her father, a retired colonel in the British Army is the wealthiest man in the village; their boat, the finest. The boat is white; 52 feet long; with a small gas engine and sail. It is even especially equipped with a hand-crank winch to pull the whale in close, once it is harpooned. But, the real marvel of his rig was the latest invention; a swivel mounted, canon-propelled harpoon.
The Colonel moved here 6 months ago; not well received or well liked; either for his arrogant behavior or his introduction of new fangled, whale killing technology.
scene: Cut to scene - arrival, via Colonel's boat, at location of whales being attacked by killer whales. Another whaling boat has arrived just ahead of them; an open boat with four men. It is dark and chaotic; the winds have picked up; white caps; there is some shouting heard above the wind, but most of the sound is that of the killer whale pod attacking the whales (several) and their cries of slow tortured death.
Nora is told by her father to stay by the main mast at the center of the boat. This type of event is nothing new to Nora. She is at the same time horrified and intrigued by this study of survival in nature. As an omnivore, she sides with the killer whale; this was the way of her world and she would not shy away from it. She possessed a true hunter's heart. She also understood the agreement; the hunting partnership that existed between the killers of land and sea.
The first boat was waiting for a sign; for the orcas to pull back a little so they could go in and finish the whale; in time honored fashion. Once the whalers harpooned and killed the whale, they would wait and allow the killer whales to move back in and feast on the whale's tongue - the prize they were most after. After the pod was finished feeding then, and only then, would the whalers haul their prize back home.
The Colonel ignored the sentiments of the other boat. With his modern ship, equipped with the latest tools of the trade, he needn't bother with this superstitious lot. And too hell with these killer whales; he was king of the food chain and this was about survival of the fittest; competition, not cooperation!
He piloted his craft past the angry shouts and warnings and into the fray of white water; coming along side the weakened whale. He aimed the stern mounted harpoon canon and fired! The whale ceased to struggle. He quickly pulled the slack out of the thick hemp rope and began cranking the wench to pull the dead whale closer to his boat.
Furious words shot thru the wind from the other boat, "Damn you man! You'll ruin it for us all!!"
Nora watched it all unfold; holding fast to the mast. She knew in her heart that her father was wrong.
Winching the carcass within twenty feet of the stern; the Colonel ignored them all.
But he would not ignore Battler.
Battler, the largest, and king of the pod, rose vengefully out of the water and, with the weight of his great body, clamped down on the hemp rope; just two feet from the stern.
The white boat lurched with a cracking sound and began to capsize. As Battler rose again to gain a final leverage to roll the boat, he saw Nora, holding tight to the mast. Their eyes locked.
Battler, still fixed on Nora, slowly began to release his grip.
The Colonel, now mad with terror, grabbed a heavy oak spar and charged; hammering at the killer whale. Nora screamed and ran forward, grabbing at her father; pleading for him to stop.
Battler withdrew. Nora collapsed; sobbing with remorse.
Camera fades
scene: back to dark sitting room in current time; and final narration by Nora
"Battler could have turned that boat over and left us for the sharks, and some might say he had reason to; what with our stealing the food they offered to share; breaking the long held covenant between us. But Battler was better than that. That beautiful creature showed compassion; he turned the other cheek. And my father struck him down."
"The next morning the aborigine crew did not show up to help us process the carcass. We spent the whole day doing all the work ourselves.
Some time later the king of the killer whale pod, 'Battler', was found dead on the shore. And the killers stopped herding the whales into the bay to share with the whalers.
My father was never forgiven and the town has slowly gone to the ghosts.
I never went near the water again and have remained in this small dying village, as penance to my father's sin."
Basinger was very moved, but - breaking the heavy silence - she said, "It's late and we really need to get back."
"Wait, I want you to take this with you", as she handed Basinger a small black lacquered box.
Basinger, very uncomfortable with this situation, "You are so kind mam, but I just can't …."
"Please, it would mean so much to me!" the lady exhorted, "Please make an old lady happy."
"And the only thing I ask in return" she said sternly; slipping it into Basinger's bag, "… is that you not open this box until you find a time when you are not in such a hurry."
Basinger, a little stung by that last, gave the best smile she could, "Yes mam."
"You promise?"
"Yes, mam. I will wait until I can give it my full attention."
The great lady sank back into her old English chair, "You both have made me very happy. I wish you the very best."
They showed themselves out. Viggo was more convinced than ever; his life was saved for a reason, though yet unclear - and for the first time in many years "life" began to take on meaning; a promise of purpose.
scene: Walking out pier toward boat
After they leave Nora's (walking toward and down the pier), Viggo begins to lay out his theory for her; reviewing every thing he's shown her. She's having hard time accepting it. Viggo recounts all incidents of legendary events. "There are accounts of people being saved (falling into his old journalist traces; he rattles of their names, dates, details); accounts of whales working with people (recounts). There is something very special about these orcas and your company is going to kill them off before anyone even gets a chance to find out what's going on here."
Basinger dismisses it as all anecdotal, "The orcas chased their prey into the shallow waters of Brumby Bay - because they were easier to kill, trapped there. The whalers took advantage of that. You're trying to make this into something it's not; there's no record of inter species cooperation between humans and wild animals - nothing remotely like this. Look, Nora Patterson's story was very moving, but I'm afraid she is a victim of a small town's superstitions and her father's failure to respect local custom. The whales stopped coming in, because of over-hunting, not because Colonel Patterson killed Battler. I'm sorry, but none of this is real; not in the way you make it out to be. "
But, he does not tell about his experience, "Well, aren't we open minded. I guess there's no point in telling you about my experience with an orca."
"What experience?"
"Forget it. Its not going to pass your scientific scrutiny, and I'm not going to have you throw it back in my face; a figment of my superstitious mind."
Basinger, stops in her tracks; turned off by this man who seems to be going off the deep end. She's wishing she hadn't agreed to spend the day with this nut.
Viggo doesn't wait for her.
Just then, Gus hollers, "Dr Basinger! I'm think'n you might want to see this."
Basinger quickens her pace to catch up to Viggo.
As they walked down the pier to board the boat, Gus points to a killer whale in the bay. They watched in amazement as it swam toward them.
It was the great killer whale (scar above the left eye) that had saved him from a certain bloody death; he had not been murdered by the sniper.
And now Viggo, desperate to prove to Basinger how wrong her science was, in a leap of faith, jumped into Brumby harbor with the killer whale that he owed his life to.
Basinger screamed, maybe she loved this quarrelsome man (poor fellow; hit on the head one too many times) diving, like a madman, to certain death by the jaws of this killing machine.
Basinger watched on as the two creatures, one of land, one of sea - shared a most exquisite communion.
Her barriers of skepticism and denial of life, fell away and she began to remember why she became a scientist; out of - not only fascination - but reverence for all creation.
Basinger is now truly changed in this moment. The Killer disappears and Viggo climbs up a ladder back onto the pier.
Gus reaching out a helping hand, "I've never seen anything like that. And Soldier, he's the orneriest of the bunch.
"Soldier?", Viggo.
"Hell yeah! He's a fighter. He's always running little sorties tearing up the companies underwater gear. Two months ago, just before you got here Dr Basinger, the company brought in this "shark hunter" fella; big bad, ex-special forces; arms bigger'n my chest. The guy had all kinds of fancy gear, "fish finders" and such. Don't tell anyone I told ya; .. ah . . . he was dropping these mini-depth charges; KABOOM! He claimed he got Soldier, cause he layin on the bottom. So he waited awhile; then took a line down to tie 'em off; tow him back to Mr Rose for the bounty. Well, the water got kind of cloudy down there and when things settled - they were both gone. They never did find the guy and his crew pushed off."
Basinger, perplexed, beyond stunned; looks at Viggo's bliss filled expression.
Basinger and Viggo board company boat as Gus, casting off mooring, "I just don't get it. Soldier is one mean kill'n bastard, but he was as gentle as a baby with you?? Like you were old friends."
Basinger turn and looks at Viggo again, "I'm opening my mind."
Viggo, still high, turns to her, his eyes shining and gives her a smile.
scene: On board company boat heading along shore back to company port
They begin their trip back to the research facility. The orca is no where in sight.
They both sit quietly; near each other, but each in their own "space". They take in the beauty of everything around them; traveling close to shore. The boat jolts slightly as it rolls with a small wave; and the black box slides out of Basinger's bag. Sitting cross legged on the deck, she ponders for a moment the story told to her by the elderly lady. She carefully picks up the shiny box and leans back against the wheel house. Stretching her legs out in front; she rests the box in her lap. Embossed into the lid of the box is an etching of the distinctive dorsal fin of the killer whale. She slowly pries the stiff hinged box open, revealing to the bright sun a great gleaming ivory tooth. Her eyes fill with tears, "Bless, that poor woman; what she must have endured; to hold such a sad secret."
Viggo turns, at her troubled voice, and comes to sit beside her in silence.
"That's Battler's tooth!" declares the boatman from the wheel house window above, "I've seen far more of these than I should like to admit; that's the largest killer whale tooth I've ever seen. The stories about the old ladies father 'are' true! She found this tooth in the rope they used to pull the whale in that night."
Basinger shuts the box between them and they both close their eyes; holding each other in a timeless moment
scene: Coming near beach; sight of beached whale
Later, on the return trip back up the coast, Basinger orders the boatman (local, hired by company) to stop the boat and they wade ashore (looking for sharks first) to examine a small whale they had past earlier from the trip down. Preliminary inspection shows no sign of any sort of attack or injury. It's a small rare whale. She and Viggo attach the whale to a rope and tow it back to the research facility.
scene: At company dock and moving whale inside boat shed
Back at the dock; a winch brings the whale up and a crew carries it into a boat shed. Basinger is perplexed; still no sign of cause for beaching; discusses the phenomenon of whale beaching (and her limited knowledge of it). She begins to feel a sadness for whale and observes its beauty.
John Rose barges in and cautions Basinger to not stir anything up (Viggo looks at him with hatred). She takes Rose aside and explains that Viggo is a reporter, so she is just trying to give the impression of being thorough. A final ominous warning by John Rose; he then leaves.
Then she remembers an old school friend was researching whale beachings in Hawaii. She calls him via satellite phone. He confirms that he has been working on this same issue for the past 8 years. He feels he has some pretty compelling evidence that it is caused by some types of sonar. But, he is having great difficulty getting anyone to listen to him. Viggo gets a "look" in his eye; like a slow idea coming into focus; hand on jaw as giving it more thought, a smile slowly spreads across his face. We fade out; sparkle in viggo's eye (A macro shot, zoom-in into his eye might be good here; may resonate with film's closing scene).
scene: Back in states; Basinger and Viggo sitting on a bench in a some-what ornate hallway.
An aide comes and tells them, "He will see you now.".
scene: Walk thru outer office to chamber
They move past an outer office and into a chamber. There we see a silhouette of a man standing; looking out a window.
Viggo, "Senator, it's so nice to see you again." The Senator turns "limply" and moves slowly toward them. "Senator, I was telling my friend, Dr Basinger . . ."
The Senator turns to Basinger and nods, "Madam." His dismissive greeting is cut short, by the beauty in her eyes - lit from afternoon sun thru the window.
"Senator (a little louder), I was telling my friend, that when you heard about this problem, you were the first in Congress to step up?"
Viggo, drawing the Senator's attention back with an outstretched hand, "Senator, is it really true? You are going to clear your agenda and make this your priority?"
Senator extends a limp hand (attempting to hide his resignation).
Viggo tightens his grip ever so slightly and gets the Senator's attention with a slight forward and backwards movement of the tightening handshake.
"Senator," tightening his grip, just a little more; the Senator's eyes come more into focus and meet with Viggo's, "the people are going to love you for this!" The Senator's grip gains strength.
"My constituents,", regaining his senatorial bearing, "have always been great protectors of the environment. And after all, it is a small world; and it needs protecting."
"Well spoken Senator Sheen. It is a small world." (A subtle exchange of eyes in acknowledgment.).
Eyes and hands still locked; we fade out ...
scene: the steps of the US Capital
Basinger and Viggo walking down the steps of the US Capital building. Basinger is almost giddy from the "total experience". When they get to the bottom of steps she asks Viggo, "How did you do that!?"
"I could tell you . . . but . . ."
"You'd have to kill me!" she finishes with a laugh and gives him a peck and a hug.
scene: Two months later; we seem to be in a cozy apartment, but as scene unfolds we eventually realize we are in a schooner cabin.
story details:
Viggo thumbing thru a very nice coffee table book of photos; his and his writing. The jist of this is - he became the photo/journalist he was meant to be; put together a best seller. He pauses at pic of Soldier. All the time we hear banter between the two about getting ready for something. When its time to go we see him put book on coffee table; we see title (maybe title of this movie?) and his name as author / photographer. We don't realize they are on a boat, initially. Then we have the fun transition of tumbling off boat - and there is Sydney Harbor.
So, we can see he has resurrected his career and life; we still have a strong connection to Soldier. And the two (or three - with orca) are on a mission.
Basinger, "Have you got everything?"
Viggo, "Yes, for the 4th time. Look (glancing out portal), there's the limo at the end of the pier; we better get a move on before somebody car-jacks it.
(They are dressed as for a formal dinner. Thru all of this exchange we can hear the news on the radio; fading / weaving in and out of their conversation.)
Radio announcer in background bits and pieces, ". . . here in Sydney tonight . . . the international community will be in attendance this evening for a discussion on establishing . . . the use of and experimentation with sonar . . . Some believe this group may be able to exercise some real clout now that the United States is onboard. . . . (Fades in/out) . . . A moratorium on Sonar experimentation in the US went into effect last week . . . 'I firmly believe we have a shared responsibility . . .' Senator Sheen went on to say . . . ".
"Click" sound as Basinger turns radio off. Basinger, high heels in one hand, grabs her purse (next to the radio) and pushes it into Viggo's hand; "Silly man."
scene: Perhaps we are surprised: a 60 foot schooner moored in Sydney Harbor; beautiful evening; wonderful lighting from city lights
She shoves him out onto the floating dock. He loses his balance and reaches toward her.
She grabs his hand; steadied, he pulls her onto the dock and he says, "That 'silly man' may be the next president." (He doesn't understand that she wasn't referring to Sheen.)
scene: walking floating dock toward limo
He with purse; she with shoes in hand, walk down the moving dock toward the limo.
Viggo slowly stops; an old feeling, like sensing the presence of an old friend. He turns and looks back at the water lit up by thousands of city lights. He pauses for 5 (long) seconds, his eyes searching the light-speckled water. She patiently waits and then lovingly turns his face to hers and gives him a tender kiss.
They resume up the dock to the limo; as she says, "Silly man."
"What?" still a little lost in thought.
She pinches his behind; surprised, he shouts, "Hey!" They laugh and tease their way up the dock.
story details: About The Ending
I would like the ending to draw together the "meaning" of this movie - what the movie is about (which at this writing I'm still trying to distill). So, what I'm going to do here is work with several endings, so I can begin to get a feel for what I'm after:
- Walking toward limo, about twenty feet from end of dock; viewers and Viggo faintly hear a sound coming from the harbor; sounds a little like a "spouting" orca? Basinger didn't notice. We see a rush of remembrance flash across Viggo's face. He turns in direction of Basinger; they exchange looks (his more serious, hers compassion for him). Choreography - as he turns toward Basinger, he swaps purse to other hand. Viggo starts to pull away toward harbor, but Basinger holds his hand to her belly with both her hands , still holding her shoes, "You are not going swimming tonight" half in jest. (Hell, I guess she could be pregnant, but I'd rather no - this is an older couple; as environmentalist - they should respect the serious issues with over population). She is his anchor. Basinger understands, as best she can, the connection he has to the orca. She'll never really know "what it was like", but she will always give him the space he needs for those feelings; and at the same time "be his anchor". Viggo does not struggle to break Basinger's grasp; he is part of two worlds and doesn't want to sacrifice one for the other.
What's a guy to say?
Simple short and vague? Long poetic? Fierce; tearful? Maybe repeat part of an earlier quote from Moby Dick?
- Viggo to orca, "You gave life back to me. Thank you Soldier." Turning in reverse to Basinger, "They'll listen; I'm not gonna stop until they do." And they continue short distance to end of dock.
The camera from a point near boat as they fade out of focus.
scene: At sound of closing limo door, camera cuts to a reflection of city lights in a macro shot.
The camera pulls slowly back and we discover that it is the reflection of the city in our killer whale's eye.
After a second, the eye disappears beneath the surface amid a powerful swirl of water.
The End
Might throw a little text just before credits roll at end such as:
The true value of the things of the sea and of the land are still being discovered! How little man knows about the life on this planet. Do we know enough now, to cease its destruction?
My writing here, is inspired by numerous writings, stories, documentary footage and other history of similar events that may have actually occurred.
And remember, you saw it here first.
Written by Will Kelley