Once Upon a Time Clifton Stewart

Transcription

1 (c) Clifton Stewart c/o Tina Betts Andrew Mann Ltd 1 Old Compton Street London W1D 5JA tina@andrewmann.co.uk. Once Upon a Time by Clifton Stewart

2 EXT OLDBARN We open on a tight shot of a girls face,. Around sixteen Li is an attractive strong willed girl with long jet-black hair and wide ALMOND SHAPED EYES, the result of her CHINESE Mother and English father. Her face is streaked with sweat, scratches, matted hair and traces of blood. She stares ahead, unfocussed while breathing heavily. The Lighting is harsh and flickering from a FIRE close by. We PULL BACK slowly to a head and shoulders shot revealing that she wears a rough hewn blanket which she clutches tightly to her. We gradually become aware of movement around her; sounds, hurried and concerned but we cannot see or hear clearly what is happening. We hear A SIREN and see BLUE FLASHING GHTS across the scene. Suddenly arms clasp Li around her shoulders this is his face also bloodied, bruised and swollen, evidence of a beating. Boyle kneels next to Li, clearly relieved to find her, she barely notices his presence. Li, are you alright? Are you hurt? (beat) Where's Martin? Li gestures with a flick of her head across her shoulder. (CONT'D) Tell us what happened? Li holds his look, then, staring ahead she stands. As she does so the blanket covering her falls away to reveal that she is wearing a FULL SUIT of SHINING, SILVER PLATE ARMOUR Like a knight from an age long past. She stands defiantly, illuminated by the lights of the fire and flashing blue lights. Li slowly looks around at those assembled who we see for the first time, POCE, AMBULANCE and TWO MEN, BIKERS, moaning and being restrained. When she speaks she does so slowly, boldly.

3 Dissolve to: Once upon a time... INT FLAT The interior of a dingy ill-kept student flat, typically art student with most affection and attention being spent on the sound system rather than decor or cleaning materials. The walls are adorned with pictures, drawing and paintings and pretty good they are too. In a corner is a CARDBOARD BOX stuffed with tubes of OIL-PAINT, BRUSHES, TURPS. A LAPTOP plays YOUTUBE clips with the sound low sits on the edge of a bed where MARTIN slowly skins up. His attention is suddenly caught by the sound of a MOTORBIKE roaring to a halt outside and soon after BANGING at the FRONT DOOR, and shouts, muffled but clear enough. BIKER 1 (V.O.) Martin you in there? Open up. Martin leaps across to peer out of his window which overlooks the front door. EXT HOUSE TWO HELMETED BIKERS, big buggers in leathers and menacingly helmeted are pounding on the door, one looks up to see MARTIN peering down, he points an accusing finger up at him. BIKER 2 Open this bastard door! INT ROOM MARTIN turns from the window grabs a bag and frantically stuffs a few belongings into it. A wall is banged. GIRL (V.O.) Open the bloody door will you.

4 MARTIN Leave it, they'll go away. GIRL (V.O.) Oh yeah? Don't think so, strange company you keep, if you wont I'll let them in. MARTIN No...Don't... Too late we hear footfalls on the stair and a door opening followed by a SCREAM from the GIRL and boots bounding up the stairs. Martin, by this time in a panic goes over an pulls open his window as his door is pounded upon. BIKER 1(V.O.) Open up you thieving bastard. Martin looks out of the window, quite a drop, he looks over at the door as a PANEL SPTS, BOOT sticking through. He turns back, is about to jump then quickly dashes to a WARDROBE and pulls a BAG from its depths and stuffs it into the backpack. CRACK/SMASH another panel shatters and a GLOVED HAND reaches through, a helmeted face close behind, the hand points accusingly at MARTIN. Martin looks, grabs a paintbrush, and sharp end first stabs it into the gloved hand, the biker screams, more in rage than pain. BIKER 1 (CONT'D) Come here. Martin doesn't wait, instead he dashes to the window and climbs out and drops down. EXT HOUSE MARTIN drops down from his window, the fall winding him but he gets to his feet and starts to flee into the night. A BIKER biker sticks his head out of the window.

5 BIKER 1 Run as far as you Like. We'll find you, your dead meat. EXT STREETS MARTIN runs through the deserted late nighttime streets. A SHOUT far away, but close enough to make Martin get up and runs again, he darts across a road, down an alleyway and is gone. He/We hear a MOTORBIKE in the distance, Martin leaps over a hedge into a garden to hide as the BIKE roar past, the slows and stops close to where he hides before roaring away again. FADE OUT INT CLASSROOM DAY FADE IN:, English Teacher. Middle-aged and enthusiastic verging on the unhealthy such is his passion for his subject. Here is a man in love with language, with books and can't understand why everyone isn't the same way, particularly this listless Year 11 class of blank bored faces, with one notable exception, Li. She of all of them shows real enthusiasm, but alas not for the books, merely the subject. He slams ROMEO and JUET down onto a desk startling and waking up all in one fell swoop. Two young lovers, feuding families and it all ends in tears. Where can you find drama like that? JASON Eastenders The class all laugh, so does Boyle. Very droll. Ah but you're lucky you have it so easy. (beat) Jason...You go out with Catherine don't you?

6 There are whoops of derision and laughter. More laughter. (CONT'D) You find out she's two-timing with Billy over there, what do you do? JASON I kill him. Ah, but she's also cheating with Reg and Simon, what then? JASON I kill her! Spoken Like the bard himself. Think of a problem then compound it. (beat) Everyone steals from Shakespeare, they have to, there's no-one better. Li Sure he stole as well. Er... Romeo and Juliet, it's just Lancelot and Guinevere. Boyle remains silent for a while then looks out at the rest of the class. The rest of you? JASON Lancelot, Lancelot. Where fore art though?

7 Li raises a ruler to strike Jason, the class roar their approval at his joke. The BELL rings, relief all around and the class are practically out of the classroom before Boyle speaks. As You Like It for next time! And I don't care if you don't. EXT CAR PARK AFTERNOON is crossing to his car, bulging bag under his arm. Li intercepts him as he opens his door, she hands him a DVD: EXCABUR. Ah you remembered? Of course, the costumes are fantastic. Not strictly accurate. It's a film about ideals, the chivalric episodes of the Grail Romance, it has to look this way, it's expected. He smiles, reaches into his car and retrieves a couple of books, both dealing with the Arthurian Tradition which he hands to Li. Told you I had them somewhere. Excellent, can I borrow them? Li you can have them, but there's a price. Anything. He hands her another book, HENRY V. She pulls a face.

8 (CONT) (CONT'D) But that... But it's full or knights and battles. She begrudgingly takes the book from him. Not quite the same thing. Well then you can entertain us all about which bits he stole then can't you? She pulls a face and turns to leave. Can't wait. (CONT) You haven't forgotten about the visit? No, but this is the last chance before they all have to go back. I'll see you all there. Gotta go. Bye...Sir. He watches as she walks away.