THREE KINGS - Daily Script

13.12CONTINUED:12Carl Weathers.off --CAPTAIN VAN METERHis arm gets shotVIGWhile he's still firing his gun -WALTERAnd when his arm hits theground -WALTER AND VAN METERHis hand keeps on firing.TROYDid you see the guy with his earhanging off, sir?CAPTAIN VAN METERArnold Schwarzenegger or CarlWeathers?TROYNo, I heard it happened here.CAPTAIN VAN METERWhatever, we'll be going homesoon, and tomorrow we round upmore Eye-Raqis.They all cheer.13&14OMITTED13&1415EXT. DESERT - SURRENDER SITE - WIDE SHOT - DAY15Hundreds of Iraqis walking in the desert, hands raisedabove their heads.TRANSLATOR(megaphone, in Arabic)Lay down your weapons, get down onthe ground.CAPTAIN VAN METERWe will not hurt you. Lay downyour weapons, get on the ground -Two tagged Iraqis with bad face wounds get medical help.(CONTINUED)

14.15CONTINUED:15Five Iraqis on their knees, plead for mercy in Arabic asthey disrobe. They grab and kiss Troy Barlow's hand, ashe holds his M-16 on the begging Iraqis. Walter tags afew.TROYIt's cool, no one's gonna hurtyou -Vig whips out his big Thunder 5 pistol, points it atthem.VIGDid you rape and torture anybodyin Kuwait, Abdul?The Iraqis wail for mercy.away.Troy pushes Vig's pistolTROYYou're making them all hysterical,and you're gonna get busted forhaving that pistol.Vig points the big pistol at an older IRAQI OFFICER whois the only one not taking his clothes off.VIGTake your fucking rags off, takethese off. No comprende English,motherfucker?TROYWhat is your fucking problem,Conrad? Could you act in a moreprofessional manner, please?VIGI'm sorry, I'm just tryin' git himto obey the spirit of things. Iwant to be professional about it.TROY(leans down)Sir? We need you to disrobe likeall the other A-rabs, okay?The Officer does not move.TROYI hate to see it come to this.Vig and Walter forcibly pull the Iraqi Officer's pantsoff. Troy turns to the other prisoners.(CONTINUED)

15.15CONTINUED:(2)15TROYStay down, it's gonna be allright.VIGWhoa, whoa, whoa. Hey.Troy looks at the Officer's bare buttocks, where a rolledup piece of paper is sticking out -TROYThere's a document in that guy'sass.VIGWe got a classified situation.WALTERDo you think he ate it?TROYIt wouldn't come out perfect likethat if he ate it.Troy pulls a latex glove out of his pocket.TROYPull it out, private.No!IRAQI OFFICER(in Arabic)Stop! Get the fuck off me.The Officer screams in protest and is forcibly subdued byWalter as Vig, wearing the glove, slowly pulls therolled-up, greasy paper from the Officer's ass -- Troylooks disgusted.Open it up.TROYVIGYou only gave me one glove.TROYI'm sorry I don't have anotherglove, but you gotta open it up.That's how the chain of commandworks.Vig takes out a U.S. Army pen and uses it to unroll thegreasy paper and lie it flat on the sand.(CONTINUED)

16.15CONTINUED:(3)15CLOSEUP - RUMPLED PAPERIt is a handwritten map, with scant Arabic writing, a fewspare roads, numbers, and three small boxes.VIGWhat the hell is that?TROYImportant enough to squeeze yourcheeks for.BERM SOLDIER #1Hey, look at this -TROYBack up, motherfuckers -Vig pushes Berm Solider #1 and another soldier as theyrubberneck.16EXT. 437TH CIVIL AFFAIRS COMPANY - DAY16Archie sits on a folding chair facing COLONEL HORN, 45,who is furious. Soldiers and vehicles pass.COLONEL HORNYou're supposed to make her feelgood about the stories we want,not push stories we don't want,and you don't walk away from herto fuck another journalist.ARCHIE GATESI never wanted this job, Ron.COLONEL HORNIt's a great job, Arch, your workin Iraq was over, I'm trying tohelp you out.ARCHIE GATESI don't even know what we did overhere.COLONEL HORNDon't even start that with me,because this has been a hugesuccess.ARCHIE GATESYou got your star clinched.(CONTINUED)

17.16CONTINUED:16COLONEL HORN(touches his collar)It's not my fault you plateaued along time ago, big-mouthed N.C.O.at heart.ARCHIE GATESJust tell me what we did here,Ron.COLONEL HORNYou want to occupy Iraq and doVietnam again, is that what youwant?ARCHIE GATESFuck it, I'm retiring, anyway.don't care.ICOLONEL HORNUntil you do, you're an Armyofficer, and you're still takingcare of that reporter, so do itright. Maybe she'll hook you upto consult with the media at home.Fuck that.17ARCHIE GATESINT. CAPTAIN'S TENT - DAY17SPLASH -- rubbing alcohol is poured over Vig's extendedhand by Chief.TROYYou've washed your hands like athousand times, Conrad.VIGLord knows what vermin live in thebutt of a dune koon.CHIEFDon't say that around me.VIGCaptain uses them terms.CHIEFWhy do you let this cracker followyou around?(CONTINUED)

18.17CONTINUED:17TROYHe's all right, man, he's got nohigh school, he's from a grouphome in Jackson -VIGDon't tell people that.CHIEFI don't give a shit if he's fromJohannesburg. I don't want tohear dune koon or sand nigger fromhim or anybody.VIGOkay, how about camel jockey andtowel head, hoo-wa?No.No.CHIEFTROYVIGI apologize but it's a littleconfusing with all that antiIraqi, pro-Saudi, and all thatlanguage.TROYDid you get those aerial photos?CHIEFYeah, I got 'em.VIGHow did you do that?CHIEFI have my ways.TROYChief is hooked up.CHIEFKeep Walter on the door.TROYWould you take those fuckingthings off?Walter stands by the door wearing night vision goggles.(CONTINUED)

19.17CONTINUED:(2)17WALTERI never got to use night vision.TROYThey don't work during the day -WALTERYeah, they kind of work.TROYJust stand outside the tent soChief can translate my Iraqi assmap, okay?Chief unfolds a big aerial-photo map of the Iraqi desert,next to the rumpled ass map.18EXT. 437TH CIVIL AFFAIRS COMPANY - PERIMETER - DAY18ADRIANA CRUZYou ready to work with me now?ARCHIE GATESYes, I'm ready to work with younow.ADRIANA CRUZGood, because I have a story andyou're gonna get it for me.SMASH CUT TO:18AEXT. MINE FIELD NEAR CAMP - DAY18AARCHIE GATESIt was in the guy's ass.CAMP SOLDIER #13That's not the real story.Archie and Adriana follow soldiers picking up mines andplacing them in a box; a TRUCK GRINDS by; they have toshout.ADRIANA CRUZWhat's the real story?CAMP SOLDIER #13It was in the guy's dick. Theypulled it out with tweezers.(CONTINUED)

20.18ACONTINUED:18AADRIANA CRUZA ten-page atlas of Saddam'sbunkers?CAMP SOLDIER #13But real small like those littlebooks you get in Cracker Jacks.19EXT. 437TH CIVIL AFFAIRS COMPANY - DAY19They talk with TEEBAUX, a French soldier taking a bath.TEEBAUXThey pull eet out the guy's ear.What guy?ADRIANA CRUZTEEBAUXI cannot tell you.ADRIANA CRUZYou said you could tell us.I'm sorry.TEEBAUXNot now.Archie pulls her off to the side.ARCHIE GATESHe's French Special Forces, he canhelp us but he's not gonna talk tome if you're around.ADRIANA CRUZYou better not be fucking with me.ARCHIE GATESI'm not, I'll bring it to you.ADRIANA CRUZI want the story this time,Archie.ARCHIE GATESI said you'll get it, okay?20INT. CAPTAIN'S TENT - DAYCLOSEUP:20Aerial map next to ass map.(CONTINUED)

21.20CONTINUED:20CHIEF (O.S.)These are definitely Saddam'sbunkers between Karbala andNazaria.What's inside?TROYCHIEFAccording to Intel, Picasso, Sony,Rolex, Armani. Kuwait was ArabBeverly Hills and Saddam sackedit.TROYIt would be nice to bringsomething home besides sandfleas -CHIEFWhatever, the good Lord put thismap in our path and we're gonnafind something -TROYHe could also put a land mine inour path if we go out there -CHIEFDon't worry, you're safe with me,I was fire baptized.TROYWhat the hell are you talkingabout?CHIEFI have a ring of Jesus fire toguide my decisions.TROYI'm not following this.putting me on, right?You'reCHIEFFor those who understand, noexplanation is necessary; forthose who don't, no explanationwill suffice.21EXT. CAPTAIN'S TENT - DAYBLOWN-OUT POV of Walter's night vision -- BLURRY IMAGE ofArchie walking right up to Walter.(CONTINUED)21

22.21CONTINUED:21ANOTHER ANGLEWALTERSir, sir, excuse me, sir, thistent is restricted -ARCHIE GATESGet the fuck out of my way.WALTERMayday, Mayday -22INT. CAPTAIN'S TENT - DAYTroy and Chief scramble to put the maps under the tableas they stand to attention.ARCHIE GATESGood afternoon.He looks them over.ARCHIE GATESWould this be the proctology tent?CHIEFYes, sir, I mean, no, sir.ARCHIE GATESThen maybe it's the urology tent,or the neurology tent, or the ear,nose and throat tent.TROYCaptain's at a staff meeting, sir.ARCHIE GATESIs the captain a urologist or aproctologist?They look puzzled.ARCHIE GATESIt doesn't matter. I'm notlooking for the Captain, I'mlooking for Sergeant Barlow.Archie pushes his finger into Troy's name tape, reachesunder the table, and takes the map, smells his fingers.ARCHIE GATESYou're on the path to truth whenyou smell shit, isn't that whatthey say?22

23.23EXT. CAPTAIN'S TENT - DAY23Walter, outside the tent, practices blocking positions,and his eyes are messed up from too much brightness.WALTERDamn. Freeze. Do not pass.it, freeze. Stop. Freeze.24HoldINT. CAPTAIN'S TENT - DAY24VIGI don't recognize you, sir.you in this division?AreCHIEFHe's not in this division.Special Forces.He'sCLOSEUP - ARCHIE'S S.F.Crossed Arrows and Special Forces patch.They look at Archie, intimidated.ARCHIE GATESDid you good soldiers present thismap to your Captain?Not yet, sir.TROYARCHIE GATESI'll take it to him.TROYThat's not necessary, sir. We'lltake it to him. He's our C.O.He tries to pull the map, Archie puts him in a wristlock.ARCHIE GATESDon't get grabby, Sergeant.He stares at Troy, who's in pain.TROYHe's our C.O., sir, we'll have totell him you took it.ARCHIE GATESIt won't do either of us any goodthen, will it?(CONTINUED)

24.24CONTINUED:24They all look at him.Archie lets go, looks at the map.ARCHIE GATESWhat do you see here?Bunkers, sir.CHIEFARCHIE GATESWhat do you think is inside thebunkers?TROYStuff they stole from Kuwait.ARCHIE GATESBullshit. I'm talking about 700million in Kuwaiti bullion.They all look at him for a moment while it sinks in.VIGYou mean those little bullion cubesyou put in hot water for soup?ARCHIE GATESNo, not the little bullion cubesyou put in hot water for soup.Gold bricks.TROYArchie stares at each of them.ARCHIE GATES,Saddam stole it from the sheiks, Ihave no problem stealing it fromSaddam. My guess is that hedivided his bricks into manydifferent stashes. Just one stashshould be easy to take from hissurrendering army, and that wouldbe enough to get us out of our dayjobs, unless you reservists are inlove with your day job.DOLLY:25OMITTEDTroy, Chief, Vig stare at Archie.25

THREE KINGS - Rev. 1/27/992625.FANTASY - INT. OFFICE26Silent -- Troy kneels at a disassembled photocopier,tools and parts all around him, opens a bag of toner,which spills black dust all over his white shirt.27EXT. KENNEDY AIRPORT27Silent -- Chief wears the uniform of a baggage loader ashe drives along the tarmac in baggage carrier.28EXT. MISSISSIPPI WOODS28Vig FIRES his PISTOLS with fury at a series of stuffedanimals on logs -- blowing the stuffed animals tosmithereens.END OF FANTASY.29BACK TO SCENE29VIGI don't really have a day job.ARCHIE GATESFirst we have to be sure the mapis more than a love letter fromone Iraqi to another.TROYIt's a series of bunkers nearKarbala, sir.Maybe.ARCHIE GATESCHIEFDefinitely, sir. Recon photosmatch.Archie holds the mapthe table, turns theviolet flashlight hemap appears in greenDag.up to the light. He puts the map onlight off and clicks on an ultrapulls out. A completely differentmarkings.VIG(CONTINUED)

26.29CONTINUED:29ARCHIE GATESThat's why S.F. is so badass, weget the best flashlights.Still looks like a series ofbunkers in three villages. A bitfarther to the east.CHIEFSeventy-five klicks north.More like 65.ARCHIE GATESVIGThat's north of any allied troops,we can't do that.TROYIt's perfect, we don't want anytroops around.Exactly.CHIEFTROYWhat about mines?ARCHIE GATESThe grid was swept by the 82nd,but we'll stick to the roads.Leave at dawn, back by lunch.Take a little French leave, weshouldn't be missed, but I'llhave a friend occupy your C.O.just to be sure. What's theguy's name outside?Walter.TROYARCHIE GATESBolo, come in here.Walter comes in.ARCHIE GATESYou will tell Adriana Cruz I'vegone ahead and checked things out,and you're taking her to meet me.In Iraq?WALTER(CONTINUED)

THREE KINGS - Rev. 11/28/9829CONTINUED:27.(2)29ARCHIE GATESNo. I'll give you a fake copy ofthis map. You will then take heron a ride that lasts all morningand takes her nowhere near thevillages outside Karbala. Whenyou don't find me it's because yougot lost, is that clear?Yes, sir.here?WALTERHow do I get her out ofARCHIE GATESYou're gonna take a Chennowth witha radio and drive her out. I'llcall you if I need you. Any otherquestions?VIGIs it true you got to cut off anenemy ear to be Special Forces?ARCHIE GATESAre you able to control him?TROYHe'll be fine, sir.ARCHIE GATESI'll see you at West Gate in themorning.30EXT. 437TH CIVIL AFFAIRS COMPANY - WIDE SHOT - DAWN30Three figures in fatigues crouch low to the ground asthey run to a Chennowth dune buggy. Walter STARTSthe ENGINE. PACO the cameraman sits behind Walterwith a video camera. Adriana Cruz crouches in witha satellite phone and dramatically gives Walter thethumb's up.31EXT. DESERT - ROAD TO CRATER - MOVING HUMVEE - MORNINGBach's "GLORIA," from Mass in B Minor plays as:Pull.CHIEFTroy throws a painted football into the desert. ChiefFIRES his M-16 and blows the ball to pieces. Archiedrives, playing BACH on the CD PLAYER.(CONTINUED)31

THREE KINGS - Rev. 11/28/9831CONTINUED:27A.(A1)31This humvee is loaded with weaponry and gear, a mounted60 mm machine gun, a Bart Simpson doll on the grill. Asecond humvee leads the way, driven by Archie, PLAYINGthe BACH.Two humvees roll into the vast desert, littered withburned-out tanks, black craters, overturned vehicles, nopeople.Pull.CHIEF(CONTINUED)

28.31CONTINUED:31Troy throws another ball, Chief BLOWS it away.Pull.TROYChief throws a football from the moving humvee, TroyFIRES an M-16 and misses the ball as it bounces to thedesert.TROYI gave you a better arc, Chief.CHIEFWhat are you talking about?TROYI threw the ball in a higher arcthat was easier for you to hit.Bullshit.CHIEFVIG(driving)Blacks make better receivers thanquarterbacks.TROYStop speaking right now, Conrad.CHIEFWarren Moon will kick any ofayquarterback's ass.VIGThe Oilers have gone nowherebehind Warren Moon.CHIEFRandall Cunningham.TROYDon't get down in the mud withhim, Chief.VIGThe Eagles will never get to theSuperbowl with Cunningham.CHIEFDoug Williams took the Redskins tothe Superbowl and won, okay?(CONTINUED)

29.31CONTINUED:(2)31TROYWe can all agree there are manyexcellent black quarterbacks.Chief throws a ball.Vig FIRES his giant PISTOL, misses.CHIEFHit it, you sorry-assed cracker,you ain't never gonna hit an Eyeraqi.VIGI'll shoot an Eye-raqi, I'll blowhis head off.Vig FIRES his big PISTOL while he drives:BLAM.32BLAM, BLAMEXT. DESERT - ROAD TO CRATER - DAY32The humvee ahead stops abruptly; Vig JAMS on the BRAKES;Troy and Chief fall down. Archie sits, pissed.TROYYou said we could fire some roundswhen we were far away from camp,sir.Archie gets out and starts walking.Come here.ARCHIE GATESThey follow him to the side of the road, where a deadbody lies next to a bomb crater while a skinny cowloiters nearby.ARCHIE GATESIs this what you're after?Archie picks up a rusted metal rod and pushes it into thebloated corpse with a HISS of GAS escaping. They pullback and cover their mouths and noses. Chief wretches,Troy backs up and trips over an arm sticking out of thesand.ARCHIE GATESWe dropped a lot of bombs outhere. We also buried guys alive.TROYWhat do you mean we buried guysalive?(CONTINUED)

30.32CONTINUED:32ARCHIE GATESBradleys with big plows brokethrough the berm and buried thetrenches.33FANTASY - EXT. DESERT - BURIAL TRENCH - DAY33A huge plow on the front of a Bradley pushes sand rightTOWARD the CAMERA.ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)They had the option to surrender,but they chose to die for theircountry.DOLLY INTO three terrified Iraqis, eyes open with fear,as the sand rolls over them.END OF FANTASY.34EXT. DESERT - ROAD AT CRATER - DAY34VIGDamn, we missed that, only actionwe seen was on C.N.N., 'cept forthat guy Troy shot.Archie takes Vig's giant revolver, empties the chambers.ARCHIE GATESShot him in the neck, didn't you?TROYThat's right, sir.VIGI was there and it was amazing.Vig swings his arms in his pseudo-karate routine.ARCHIE GATESDo you know anything about gunshotwounds?They look at him.ARCHIE GATESWhat makes any gunshot wound bad,provided you survive the bullet,is something called sepsis.(CONTINUED)

31.34CONTINUED:34CHIEFInfection of the blood.ARCHIE GATESSay a bullet tears into you rightnow --35FANTASY - EXT. DESERT OPEN AREA - DAY35A soldier in a T-shirt stands in an open area, a bullethits him in the side.CAMERA SWOOPS IN as shirt and skin are snapped away likehandkerchiefs, REVEALING his insides pierced by a bulletin SLOW MOTION -ARCHIE GATES (V.O.)It creates a cavity of deadtissue, the cavity fills up withbile and bacteria and you'refucked.END OF FANTASY.36EXT. DESERT - ROAD AT CRATER - DAYThey look at him uncomfortably.ARCHIE GATESThen you got the kind of woundthat paralyzes or castrates or hasa scary name like tension pneumothorax. That's when a bulletpierces your lung, so every timeyou breathe, air leaks into yourchest cavity, and it fills up likea balloon, crushing your heart,your liver, your lung. Your ownbreathing kills you, one breath ata time.They look at the corpse.ARCHIE GATESBut we're going to do this withoutfiring any bullets. And just tobe sure, we're gonna do a dry run,so put your suits on.36

32.37EXT. DESERT - ROAD AT CRATER - DAY (LATER)37Troy and Chief sit in the parked first humvee, Vig behindthe wheel. Archie sits behind the wheel of the secondhumvee. They all wear anti-gas suits.ARCHIE GATESViolence of action means yourmovement is so decisive andpowerful, the enemy i

Soldiers whip brightly-painted toy footballs at Troy. He whips the balls back, is tackled over a table, crashes. Soldiers -- Vig, Walter, others -- scream viscerally as the music blasts. Two soldiers fire their fingers like pistols at Troy on the floor screaming like a fierce animal. TROY Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Vig screams into Troy's face at point .