APOCALYPSE NOW
REDUX
an original screenplay
by
John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola
Narration written by Michael Herr
Final Draft - A Transcription
First published in the United States 2001
by Talk Miramax books
First published in the United Kingdom 2001
by Faber & Faber Limited
All rights reserved (c) 2001
Zoetrope Corporation
FADE IN:
EXT. A SIMPLE IMAGE OF TREES - DAY
Coconut trees being VIEWED through the veil of time or a
dream. Occasionally colored smoke wafts through the FRAME,
yellow and then violet. MUSIC begins quietly, suggestive
of 1968-69. Perhaps "The End" by the Doors.
Now MOVING through the FRAME are skids of helicopters, not
that we could make them out as that though; rather, hard
shapes that glide by at random. Then a phantom helicopter
in FULL VIEW floats by the trees-suddenly without warning,
the jungle BURSTS into a bright red-orange glob of napalm
flame.
The VIEW MOVES ACROSS the burning trees as the smoke ghostly
helicopters come and go.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. SAIGON HOTEL - DAY
A CLOSE SHOT, upside down of the stubble-covered face of a
young man. His EYES OPEN...this is B.L. WILLARD. Intense
and dissipated. The CAMERA MOVES around to a side view as
he continues to look up at a ROTATING FAN on the ceiling.
EXT. IMAGES OF HELICOPTERS - DAY
They continue to fly slowly, peacefully across the burning
jungle. The colored smoke comes and goes. Morrison
continues with "The End".
INT. SAIGON HOTEL - DAY
The CAMERA MOVES slowly across the room...and we SEE
WILLARD, a young army captain. He looks out the window to
the busy Saigon street.
WILLARD (V.O.) *
Saigon...shit. I'm only in Saigon.
Every time, I think I'm gonna wake
up back in the jungle.
He moves back to the bed, lies down. He's unshaven,
exhausted, probably drunk. We SEE alcohol bottles, photos,
documents scattered on the table.
WILLARD (V.O.)
When I was home after my first
tour, it was worse. I'd wake up
and there'd be nothing. I hardly
said a word to my wife until I
said yes to a divorce. When I was
here, I wanted to be there. When
I was there...all I could think of
was getting back into the jungle.
I'm here a week now. Waiting for
a mission. Getting softer. Every
minute I stay in this room, I get
weaker. And every minute Charlie
squats in the bush...he gets
stronger. Each time I looked
around...the walls moved in a little
tighter.
He's up now, naked, going into a frenzy, drinking, doing
some sort of martial arts, eventually collapsing onto the
floor.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
INT. SAIGON HOTEL - STAIRWAY - DAY
Two extremely sharp army men walk up the stairs to Willard's
room, a SERGEANT and a PRIVATE.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Everyone gets everything he wants.
I wanted a mission. And for my
sins, they gave me one. Brought
it up to me like room service.
They knock on the door. A second knock.
SERGEANT
Captain Willard, are you in there?
WILLARD
Yeah I'm coming.
The army men wait for him.
WILLARD (V.O.)
It was a real choice mission. And
when it was over, I'd never want
another.
Willard unlocks the door and opens it. The men react to
his condition.
WILLARD
What do you want?
SERGEANT
Are you all right, Captain?
WILLARD
What's it look like?
Willard turns back into the room, sits on the bed. The
Sergeant follows him.
SERGEANT
Are you Captain Willard? 505th
Battalion? 173rd Air-Borne?
Assigned to SOG?
Willard looks over at the Private by the door.
WILLARD
Hey, buddy, you gonna shut the
door?
The private enters the room, closing the door behind him.
SERGEANT
We have orders to escort you to
the airfield.
WILLARD
What are the charges? What did I
do?
SERGEANT
There's no charges, Captain.
The sergeant opens the letter he has been holding.
SERGEANT
You have orders to report to Com-
Sec Intelligence at Nah Trang.
He holds up the letter in front of Willard's face so he
can see it. We see the word 'RESTRICTED' across the top.
WILLARD
I see.
SERGEANT
All right?
WILLARD
Nah Trang, for me?
SERGEANT
That's right.
The sergeant folds the letter back and puts it back in the
envelope. Willard doesn't move.
SERGEANT
Come on, Captain, you still have a
few hours to get cleaned up.
WILLARD
I'm not feeling too good.
He lays his head on the pillow and closes his eyes.
SERGEANT
Captain?
(to private)
Dave, come here and give me a hand.
We've got a dead one.
The two of them move over to Willard and pick him up.
SERGEANT
Come on Captain, Let's go take a
shower.
WILLARD
Don't be an ass.
SERGEANT
(to private)
Get hold of him good. We're going
to take a shower, Captain.
They drag him into the shower, and turn on the cold water.
SERGEANT
Stand under this, Captain.
Willard shudders and yells as they begin to clean him up.
EXT. MILITARY COMPOUND - DAY
A darkly painted Huey lands in a guarded military compound
somewhere in Nah Trang. The two enlisted men jump out of
the helicopter, leading Willard, who seems in much better
shape. As he gets out he sees a platoon of new men drilling
in the hot hazy sun. They are clean and pale.
MEN (Chanting)
I wanna go to Vietnam.
I wanna kill a Vietcong-
WILLARD (V.O.)
I was going to the worst place in
the world, and I didn't even know
it yet. Weeks away and hundreds
of miles up river that snaked
through the war like a circuit
cable...plugged straight into Kurtz.
He follows the escort across the fields as the platoon
drills.
WILLARD (V.O.)
It was no accident that I got to
be the caretaker of Colonel Walter
E. Kurtz's memory, any more that
being back in Saigon was an
accident. There was no way to
tell his story without telling my
own. And if his story is really a
confession, then so is mine.
They approach a civilian-type luxury trailer. It is
surrounded by concertina wire, and its windows have grenade
protection, but it still seems out of place in this austere
military base.
CLOSER ON WILLARD
He stands before the door for a moment, as the M.P.s
guarding the trailer check his papers.
INT. TRAILER - DAY
Cool and comfortable, furnished like home. Pictures on
the walls, certificates, photos of Presidents Kennedy,
Johnson and Nixon and other mementos decorating the room.
A small table is covered with linen and place settings for
three.
Willard enters. He salutes, and the COLONEL salutes him
back.
COLONEL
(to Willard)
Captain. Good. Come on in.
WILLARD
Thank you, sir.
COLONEL
Stand at ease.
Willard notices somebody O.S. and reacts.
WILLARD
General.
The General crosses over to a cabinet and picks up a pack
of cigarettes, as the CAMERA REVEALS a CIVILIAN; probably
with the Department of Defense, sitting at the bar, and a
GENERAL sitting on a sofa.
The colonel turns and offers Willard a cigarette from the
pack.
COLONEL
(to Willard)
Do you want a cigarette?
WILLARD
No thank you, sir.
COLONEL
(indicating civilian)
Captain, have you ever seen this
gentleman before?
WILLARD
No, sir. Not personally.
COLONEL
You've worked a lot on your own,
haven't you, Captain?
WILLARD
Yes, sir, I have.
COLONEL
Your report specifies intelligence,
counter-intelligence with Com-Sec,
I Corps.
WILLARD
I'm not presently disposed to
discuss those operations, sir.
There is a pause as the colonel lights his cigarette, then
moves to the sofa. He bends down and picks up a dossier,
looks at it.
COLONEL
Did you not work for the CIA in I
Corps?
WILLARD
(pause)
No, sir.
COLONEL
Did you not assassinate a government
tax collector...Quang Tri province
June 18, 1968?
Willard doesn't answer.
COLONEL
Captain?
WILLARD
Sir, I am unaware of any such
activity or operation, nor would I
be disposed to discuss an operation,
if it did in fact exist, sir.
A pause. Willard is tired and confused and hung over, but
he is handling himself well. The general rises.
GENERAL
I thought we'd have a bit of lunch
while we talked. I hope you brought
a good appetite, Captain.
Willard gets up and moves towards the dining table with
the general and the civilian. They sit down.
GENERAL
I noticed that you have a bad hand
there. Are you wounded?
WILLARD
Had a little fishing accident on R
and R, sir.
GENERAL
Fishing on R and R?
WILLARD
Yes, sir.
GENERAL
But you're feeling fit? You're
ready for duty?
WILLARD
Yes, General. Very much so, sir.
The food is being passed around.
GENERAL
Well, let's see what we have here.
Roast beef, and usually it's not
bad.
(to civilian)
Try some, Jerry. Pass it around.
To save a little time, we might
pass both ways.
(to Willard)
Captain, I don't know how you feel
about this shrimp, but if you eat
it, you'll never have to prove
your courage in any other way.
The colonel, who is not eating with them, walks to the
table, holding a small photo.
COLONEL
(to Willard)
Captain, you've heard of Captain
Walter E. Kurtz?
He shows the photo to Willard.
INSERT THE PHOTO
It's an eight-by-ten black-and-white portrait of an army
officer wearing a beret.
WILLARD
Yes, sir. I've heard the name.
The Colonel accidentally drops the dossier. Papers, photos,
etc., scatter all over the floor. He stoops down to pick
them up.
COLONEL
Jesus...Operations officer, Fifth
Special Forces.
GENERAL
Luke, would you play that tape,
for the captain, please?
(to Willard)
Listen to it carefully, Captain.
The Colonel moves to a tape recorder and turns it on.
MALE VOICE (ON TAPE) (V.O.)
"October 9, 04:30 hours, Sector
Peter, Victor, King."
GENERAL
These were monitored out of
Cambodia. It's been verified as
Colonel Kurtz's voice.
All the men, including Willard, listen in wonder.
KURTZ (ON TAPE) (V.O.)
"I watched a small snail, crawling
on the edge of a straight razor.
That's my dream. It's my nightmare.
Crawling, slithering, along the
edge of a straight razor, and
surviving."
MALE VOICE (ON TAPE) (V.O.)
"Transmission 11, received '68,
December 30, 05:00 hours, Sector
King, Zulu, King".
KURTZ (ON TAPE) (V.O.)
"But we must kill them. We must
incinerate them. Pig after pig.
Cow after cow. Village after
village. Army after army. And
they call me an assassin. What do
you call it, when the assassins
accuse the assassin? They lie.
They lie and we have to be merciful,
for those who lie. Those nabobs.
I hate them. I really hate them."
The TAPE is TURNED OFF.
GENERAL
Walter Kurtz was one of the most
outstanding officers this country's
ever produced. He was brilliant.
He was outstanding in every way.
And he was a good man, too. A
humanitarian man. A man of wit
and humor. He joined the Special
Forces, and after that, his ideas,
methods, became...unsound. Unsound.
COLONEL
Now he's crossed into Cambodia
with this Montagnard army of his,
that worship the man like a god,
and follow him every order, however
ridiculous. Well, I have some
other shocking news to tell you.
Colonel Kurtz was about to be
arrested for murder.
WILLARD
I don't follow sir. Murdered who?
COLONEL
Kurtz had ordered the execution of
some Vietnamese intelligence agents.
Men he believed were double agents.
So he took matters into his own
hands.
GENERAL
Well, you see, Willard, in this
war, things get confused out there.
Power, ideals, the old morality,
and practical military necessity.
But out there with these natives,
it must be a temptation to be God.
Because the rational and the
irrational, between good and evil.
And good does not always triumph.
Sometimes, the dark side overcomes
what Lincoln called the better
angels of our nature. Every man
has got a breaking point. You
have and I have them. Walter Kurtz
has reached his. And, very
obviously, he has gone insane.
Willard looks from the colonel to the general to the
civilian. They are intensely interested in his response,
which they want to be "yes."
WILLARD
(carefully)
Yes, sir. Very much so, sir.
Obviously insane.
The three men pull back, satisfied.
COLONEL
Your mission is to proceed up the
Nung River in a navy patrol boat,
pick up Colonel Kurtz's path at Nu
Mung Ba, follow it, learn what you
can along the way. When you find
the colonel, infiltrate his team
by whatever means available, and
terminate the colonel's command.
WILLARD
(to General)
Terminate...the colonel?
GENERAL
He's out there operating without
any decent restraint, totally beyond
the pale of any acceptable human
conduct. And he is still on the
field commanding troops.
CIVILIAN
Terminate with extreme prejudice.
The civilian hands Willard a cigarette, and lights it for
him.
COLONEL
You understand, Captain, that this
mission does not exist, nor will
it ever exist.
CLOSE ON WILLARD
Smoking the cigarette, thinking about the mission.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE MEKONG DELTA - DUSK
A HUEY helicopter flying over the mountains moves over
rice paddies, the Mekong River, MOVING CLOSER until we
view a dock area.
WILLARD (V.O.)
How many people had I already
killed? There were those six that
I knew about for sure...close enough
to blow their last breath in my
face. But this time it was an
American, and an officer. That
wasn't supposed to make any
difference to me, but it did.
We SEE a small patrol boat. It moves away from the dock,
out into the delta.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Shit. Charging a man with murder
in this place was like handing out
speeding tickets at the Indy 500.
I took the mission. What the hell
else was I gonna do? But I really
didn't know what I'd do when I
found him.
EXT. PBR - DAY
We are CLOSE ON THE BOAT, the PBR. Willard is lying on
the deck, his eyes closed.
WILLARD (V.O.)
I was being ferried down the coast
in a navy PBR, a type of plastic
patrol boat, pretty common sight
on the rivers. They said it was a
good way to pick up information,
and move without drawing a lot of
attention. That was okay. I needed
the air and the time. Only problem
was, I wouldn't be alone.
Willard awakens to see a young black crewman squatting in
front of him, brushing his teeth.
WILLARD (V.O.)
The crew were mostly just kids.
Rock 'n' rollers with one foot in
their graves.
(to Clean)
How old are you?
CLEAN
Seventeen.
VIEW ON CHEF, lanky, with a mustache.
WILLARD (V.O.)
The machinist, the one they called
Chef, was from New Orleans. He
was wrapped too tight for Vietnam.
Probably too tight for New Orleans.
VIEW ON LANCE, blonde, handsome, laid-back surfer type.
He is sunning himself with a reflector.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Lance, from the forward 50's, was
a famous surfer from the beaches
south of L.A. To look at him, you
wouldn't believe he's ever fired a
weapon in his life.
VIEW ON CLEAN, the young black man brushing his teeth.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Mr. Clean was from some South Bronx
shit-hole, and I think the light
and the space of Vietnam really
put the zap on his head.
VIEW ON THE CHIEF, an older black man. He is at the helm,
studying a map of the delta.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Then there was Phillips, Chief.
It might have been my mission, but
it sure as shit was the Chief's
boat.
PHILLIPS
(to Willard)
There's about two points where we
can draw enough water to get into
the Nung River. They're both hot,
belong to Charlie.
WILLARD
Don't worry about it.
He takes out a pack of cigarettes and offers one to the
Chief.
CHIEF
Don't smoke. You know, I've pulled
a few special Ops in here. About
six months ago, I took a man who
was going past the bridge at Do
Lung. He was regular army, too.
I heard he shot himself in the
head.
Willard lights his cigarette as the boat continues to move
out into the ocean.
EXT. RIVER - THE PBR - DAY
Willard is sitting, smoking a cigarette, and looking down
at a large pouch. He opens the flap and WE SEE there are
several dossiers inside. He opens one, thumbing through
the material. WE SEE the personal letters, photographs,
reports, files-the entire case history of Colonel Walter
E. Kurtz.
WILLARD (V.O.)
At first, I thought they handed me
the wrong dossier. I couldn't
believe they wanted this man dead.
Third-generation West Point, top
of his class...Korea, Airborne,
about a thousand decorations, etc.,
etc. I'd head his voice on the
tape and it really put the hook in
me, but I couldn't connect up that
voice with this man. Like they
said, he had an impressive career.
Maybe too impressive. I mean,
perfect. He was being groomed for
one of the top slots in the
corporation. General, chief of
staff, anything. In 1964, he
returned from a tour with Advisory
Command in Vietnam, and things
started to slip. His report to
the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Lyndon
Johnson was restricted. Seems
they didn't dig what he had to
tell them. During the next few
months, he made three requests...for
transfer to Airborne training,
Fort Benning, Georgia...and was
finally accepted. Airborne? He
was thirty-eight years old. Why
the fuck would he do that?
1966...joins Special Forces, returns
to Vietnam.
Suddenly we HEAR a sound, a distant EXPLOSION. The crew
all stop whatever they are doing, look out beyond the shore
and the green jungled hills. There is a distant ROLLING
NOISE, like interrupted thunder. The buffeting and noise
continue.
CHEF
What's that?
WILLARD
Arc light.
LANCE
What's up?
WILLARD
B-52 strike.
CHEF
What's that?
WILLARD
Arc light!
CHEF
I hate that. Every time I hear
that, something terrible happens.
CLEAN
Charlie don't never see them or
hear them, man.
LANCE
There they are!
He points up to the sky.
EXT. SKY - FULL SHOT - DAY
Way up-past any clouds and barely discernible we SEE the
black silhouettes of four B-52 bombers, their vapor trails
streaming white against the dark blue sky.
CLEAN
Concussion'll suck the air out of
your damn lungs.
CHEF
Something terrible is going to
happen.
CLEAN
Smoke! Secondary burning.
FULL SHOT-COASTLINE
Black smoke rises from the jungle.
CHIEF
Hueys over there. Lots of Hueys.
WILLARD
Let's have a look Chief.
The Chief hands Willard the field glasses. He looks through
them out at the burning coastline.
WILLARD (V.O.)
It was the Air-Cav, First of the
Ninth.
(to Chief)
That's them.
All the crew move to battle positions, get their flak
jackets, helmets, etc.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Our escorts to the mouth of Nung
River. But they were supposed to
be waiting for us another thirty
kilometers ahead. Well, Air Mobile.
Those boys just couldn't stay put.
The PBR moves to the beach through a chaos of other boats,
low-flying helicopters, and soldiers rushing by onshore.
EXT. BEACH AND VILLAGE - DAY
A vast field of devastation, smashed and burning huts,
shattered sampans and bodies washing around in the surf.
Willard jumps off the boat, Clean and Lance fall in behind
him, they head ashore.
WILLARD (V.O.)
First of the Ninth was an old
cavalry division that had cashed
in its horses for choppers, and
gone tear-assign around Nam looking
for shit. They'd given Charlie a
few surprises in their time here.
What they were mopping up now hadn't
even happened yet an hour ago.
They make their way across the beach, weapons in hand.
Explosions go off around them; there is smoke everywhere.
Suddenly they are stopped by a VOICE.
VOICE (O.S.)
Go on, keep going. It's for
television. Don't look at the
camera.
Willard and the two who are following stop incredulously,
their M16s still in hand.
VOICE (O.S.)
Go on, go on, keep going. Don't
look at the camera.
REVERSE ANGLE OF WHAT THEY SEE
A NEWS TEAM, dressed in fatigues and combat dress. A
director, cameraman, and soundman; the director keeps waving
them by.
DIRECTOR
(to Troops)
Just go by like you're fighting.
Don't look at the camera. It's
for television. Just go through.
Just go by. Keep on going.
Willard, Lance, and Clean run by, staring into the camera
the entire time.
They make their way toward the village under siege. Willard
stops to talk with a SERGEANT, as a medevac helicopter
takes off in the background. The Hueys and Loches in the
sky drown out most of their conversation.
CLOSE ON WILLARD
Looking up as the Hueys sweep in low.
WILLARD
Where Can I find the CO?
SERGEANT
That's the colonel coming down!
He points to a particular Huey in the sky, and moves to a
clear spot by a large bomb crater. He takes out a smoke
bomb and pulls the pin and lays it down in the clearing,
as it spews out orange smoke.
WILLARD
(to his men)
CO's on that chopper.
Willard moves back to Lance and Clean, they all kneel,
trying to avoid the propeller wash, as they look up.
FULL VIEW
The helicopter is heavily laden with machine guns, etc.,
as it lands in the middle of the clearing.
A tall, strong-looking man jumps out of the helicopter.
This is COLONEL WILLIAM KILGORE. He puts on his Air-Cav
hat, then stands to his full immense height and with his
hands on his hips, surveys the field of battle.
KILGORE
Lieutenant, bomb that tree line
back about a hundred yards. Give
me some room to breath.
LIEUTENANT
Yes, sir!
Kilgore starts walking, then turns and shouts to the
LIEUTENANT.
KILGORE
Bring me my body cards!
LIEUTENANT
Yes, sir!
The Lieutenant moves back to the helicopter and Kilgore
continues forward toward a besieged village. A CAPTAIN
from tank division comes running down the street, stops in
front of Kilgore.
CAPTAIN
I'm the Fourth Tank commander.
I've got five tanks broken down.
KILGORE
All right with the tanks. It's
all right, Captain.
The captain turns and exits, as the sergeant walks up
leading Willard, Lance, and Clean.
WILLARD
Captain Willard.
They exchange salutes. Willard takes out a set of orders
and hands them to him.
WILLARD
I carry priority papers from Com-
Sec Intelligence, II Corps! I
understand Nah Trang has briefed
you on the requirements of my
mission.
KILGORE
What mission? I haven't heard
from Nah Trang.
Kilgore hands the orders to the major, who has joined him.
He looks at them and shakes his head "no."
WILLARD
Sir, you're supposed to escort us
into the Nung!
The major hands the orders back to Willard. By this time
the lieutenant has run back in from the helicopter with
the deck of playing cards. He hands them to Kilgore.
KILGORE
We'll see what we can do about
that! Just stay out of my way
till this is done, Captain!
Kilgore cracks the plastic wrapping sharply, takes the
deck of new cards and fans them. Then he strides past
willard and his two young crewmen with no further
acknowledgement-the others follow.
He moves through the shell-pocked field of devastation,
soldiers gathering around him. As he comes to each V.C.
corpse, he drops a card on it, carefully picking out which
card he uses.
KILGORE
(to himself)
All right, let's see what we have.
Two of spades. Three of spades.
Four of diamonds, six of
clubs...there isn't one worth a
jack in the whole bunch. Four of
diamonds...
He crosses on down the street, distributing his cards on
top of the dead V.C. corpses.
Willard, Lance, and Clean have been following Kilgore.
Willard bends down and picks up one of the cards from a
dead V.C.
LANCE
Hey, Captain, what's that?
WILLARD
Death cards.
LANCE
What?
WILLARD
Death cards. Lets Charlie know
who did this.
MOVING SHOT OF KILGORE
As he moves through the corpses, selecting a card and
flipping it on a body, or putting it behind an ear.
KILGORE
(to a shell-shocked
G.I)
Cheep up, son.
As they pass by a well, two G.I.s jump out of it.
G.I.
Fire in the hole!
They all hit the deck, as a tremendous explosion comes out
of the well.
Kilgore, his lieutenant, and major stop in back of a large
gathering of villagers. They are standing around a G.I.
and ARVN Interpreter, listening to them.
SOLDIER (OVER P.A.)
This is an area that's controlled
by the Vietcong and North
Vietnamese! We are here to help
you! We are here to extend a
welcome hand to those of you who
would like to return to the arms
of the South Vietnamese government.
A line of villagers are throwing all their belongs on top
of a large APC parked by the road, and filing into the
carrier. Kilgore stops and watches the G.I.s help them,
then he moves over and looks at the inside, where the
villagers are crowded together, waiting and scared.
KILGORE
(to woman)
Get in! Hurry up!
(to soldier)
Move it out!
SOLDIER (OVER P.A.)
This is an area that is controlled
by the Vietcong and North
Vietnamese...
Kilgore turns and continues down the burning street with
his group. He comes upon a wounded V.C., groaning. The
man has tied a wash bowl over his belly-and is groaning
for water . Kilgore turns to a soldier.
KILGORE
What's this?
SOLDIER (OVER P.A.)
This man's hurt pretty bad, sir.
About the only thing holding his
guts in, sir, is that pot lid.
KILGORE
(to ARVN soldier)
Yeah? What does he have to say?
ARVN SOLDIER
This soldier is dirty V.C. He wants
water. He can drink paddy water.
KILGORE
Get out of here! Give me that
canteen.
He pushes the ARVN soldier away, turns, and then gets a
canteen full of water from the lieutenant.
KILGORE
Any man who's brave enough the
fight-
(to ARVN soldier)
Get outta here! I'll kick you
fucking ass! Any man brave enough
to fight with his guts strapped on
him can drink from my canteen any
day.
He stoops down-starts to quench the prisoner's thirst from
his canteen. A soldier rushes up to him.
SOLDIER
Colonel, I think one of those
sailors is Lance Johnson, the
surfer.
KILGORE
Where? Here? You sure?
The solder points at Lance.
SERGEANT
Down there.
Kilgore rises, hands the canteen back, and moves over to
Willard and his crew. Looks at Lance.
KILGORE
What's your name, sailor?
LANCE
(salutes)
Gunner's Mate Third Class L.
Johnson, sir.
KILGORE
Lance Johnson the surfer?
LANCE
Yes, sir.
Kilgore smiles, sticks out his hand.
KILGORE
Well, it's an honor to meet you
Lance. I've admired your nose
riding for years. Your cutback,
too. I think you have the best
cutback there is.
LANCE
Thank you, Sir.
KILGORE
You can cut out the "sir" crap,
Lance. I'm Bill Kilgore. I'm a
goofy foot.
Kilgore leads Lance off to meet some other soldiers.
Willard's entire top-priority mission has been out in the
background.
KILGORE
(making introductions)
I want you to meet some guys.
This is Mike from San Diego. Johnny
from Malibu. We're pretty solid
surfers. None of us are anywhere
near your class, though.
MIKE
No way.
Lance shakes their hands. Kilgore moves on, the group
follow him.
KILGORE
We do a lot of surfing around here,
Lance. I like to finish operations
early, fly down to Yung Tau for
the evening glass. Been riding
since you got here?
LANCE
No way. I haven't surfed since I
been here.
They stop to see Catholic Mass going on in the middle of a
graveyard. Many helicopters continue to hover overhead.
Willard looks around him, looks at the Mass being held, as
the Priest continues his alter on a gravestone in the midst
of the bombing and evacuations.
EXT. AREA BY DESTROYED VILLAGE - NIGHT
The area is illuminated by large cans filled with sand and
jet fuel, bonfires, and the burning village in the
background. There are maybe fifteen to twenty helicopters
secured against the wind, in orderly patterns. Men are
grouped around the fires, eating steaks, hot dogs,
hamburgers, drinking beer. It has the bizarre resemblance
of some sort of barbarian beach party.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Kilgore had a pretty good day for
himself. They choppered in the T-
bones and the beer...and turned
the L.Z. into a beach party. The
more they tried to make it like
hone, the more they made everybody
mis it.
Kilgore is seated at the fire with some of his men,
strumming a guitar and singing.
KILGORE
(to the Chief)
Make my meat rare. Rare but not
cold.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Well, he wasn't a bad officer, I
guess. He loved his boys, and you
felt safe with him. We was one of
those guys that had a weird light
around him. You just knew he wasn't
going to get so much of a scratch
here.
Kilgore looks at Willard, who more or less sits by himself.
KILGORE
What happened to your mission,
Captain? Nah Trang forget all
about you?
He laughs. Willard gets up, carrying the map he's patiently
been holding. He lays it down in front of Kilgore; squats
and points.
WILLARD
Sir, two places we can get into
the river. Here and here. It's a
pretty wide delta, but these are
the only two spots I'm really sure
of.
KILGORE
That village you're pointing at is
kind of hairy, Willard.
WILLARD
What do you mean "Hairy", sir?
KILGORE
It's hairy. Got some pretty heavy
ordinance. I've lost a few recon
ships in there now and again.
The Chief comes over, leans in to take a look at the map.
KILGORE
What's the name of that goddamn
village, Vin Drin Dop or Lop?
Damn gook names all sound the same.
(to one of the surfer
soldiers)
Mike, you know anything about this
point at Vin Drin Dop?
MIKE
That's a fantastic peak.
KILGORE
Peak?
MIKE
About six foot. It's an outstanding
peak. It's got both the long right
and left side, with a bowl section
that's unbelievable. It's just
tube city.
Kilgore considers this.
KILGORE
Well, why didn't you tell me that
before? A good peak. There aren't
any good peaks in this whole shitty
country. It's all goddamn beach
break.
MIKE
It's really hairy in there, sir.
That's where we lost McDonald.
They shot the hell out of us there.
That's Charlie's point.
Willard sees his chance, jumps in.
CHIEF
We may not be able to get the boat
in. The draft at the mouth of
that river may be too shallow.
The colonel rises, looks at Willard.
KILGORE
We'll pick your boat up and put it
down like a baby, right where you
want it. This is the First of the
Ninth, Air-Cav, son. Air mobile!
I can take that point and hold it
just as long as I like, and you
can get any place up that river
that suits you, young Captain.
Hell, a six-foot peak! All right.
Take a gunship back to division.
(to Lance)
Lance, go with Mike and let him
pick out a board for you. And
bring me my Yater Spoon, the eight-
six.
Mike reacts, doubtful.
KILGORE
What is it, soldier?
MIKE
It's pretty hairy in there. It's
Charlie's Point.
Kilgore looks at him, exasperated.
KILGORE
Charlie don't surf!
CUT TO:
EXT. HELICOPTER FIELD OUTSIDE DESTROYED VILLAGE - DAY
It is the next morning. The helicopters, pilots, and men
are ready for battle. The helicopters slowly start up, as
the soldiers scurry to their various positions.
We FOLLOW Kilgore and his group, including Willard, the
Chief, Clean, Lance, etc., as they walk across the field.
They all get into a helicopter, except Kilgore. He takes
off his hat, reaches in, and pulls out his helmet, puts it
on.
ANGLE ON OUR CREW
Seated in their helicopter, looking out.
CHEF
Jesus, Clean, you ain't believe
this. Look.
WHAT THEY SEE:
The PBR being airlifted up by the helicopter.
CLEAN
Hey! They're picking up the boat!
BACK TO KILGORE'S HELICOPTER
Kilgore picks up some gloves and starts to put them on as
he crosses to the gunner by the helicopter.
KILGORE
(to soldier)
How you feeling, Jimmy?
SOLDIER
Like a mean motherfucker, sir!
KILGORE
(to bugler)
All right, son, let 're rip.
The bugler begins to play as Kilgore climbs into the
helicopter.
EXTREME FULL SHOT
THE HELICOPTER takes off, rotors spinning, gas turbines
belching fire from their jet pipes, sand and dust as twenty
helicopters RISE.
NOISE ROAR OVER CAMERA. The helicopters deploy into a
formation.
NEW VIEWS - HELICOPTERS
They move THROUGH THE FAME, almost a dance of dragonflies.
INT. COMMAND COPTER - MED.SHOT - KILGORE, WILLARD, OTHERS -
DAY
Willard looks ahead, Kilgore sits near the door. Below,
they see the jungle whisk by and are suddenly over the
ocean, low and fast.
MONTAGE - CLOSE SHOTS OF ROCKET PODS WITH MINI-GUNS
In their bizarre-looking mounts as well as the men-young,
anticipating, holding their rifles, looking down.
CLOSE ON WILLARD - HIS POV
Looking out from the side door. The various troop ships
moving by. The men waiting, sitting on the floor, sitting
on their helmets, looking back at him.
FULL VIEW OF THE HELICOPTERS
They are magnificent in the sky as they split into two
columns.
INSIDE HELICOPTER
Kilgore cranes his neck and leans out to watch the waves,
then turns back to Lance.
KILGORE
I never have got used to a light
board. I can't get used to one.
I'm used to a heavy board.
LANCE
I know, it's a real drag.
KILGORE
You prefer a heavy or light board?
LANCE
Heavier.
KILGORE
Really?
LANCE
Yeah.
KILGORE
I thought young guys like lighter
boards.
LANCE
Can't ride the nose on those things.
The pilot alerts the colonel.
PILOT
(to Kilgore)
Duke Six, this is Eagle Thrust
Seven. We've got it spotted.
KILGORE
Eagle Thrust, put on heading two-
seven-zero, assume attack formation.
PILOT
That's a Roger, Big Duke. We're
going in hot. Here we go.
KILGORE
(to Lance)
We'll come in low out of the rising
sun, and about a mile out, we'll
put on the music.
LANCE
Music?
KILGORE
Yeah, I use Wagner. Scares the
hell ot of the slopes. My boys
love it.
LANCE
(to Willard)
Hey, they're gonna play music!
INT. PBR CREW'S COPTER - DAY
As they near the destination, several of the soldiers take
off their helmets and sit on them. The PBR crew reacts
with surprise.
CHEF
How come all you guys sit on your
helmet?
SOLDIER
So we don't get our balls blown
off.
Chef laughs, looks around. Then he takes off his own helmet
and sits on it.
INT. COMMAND COPTER - DAY
VIEW ON KILGORE
KILGORE
(to Pilot)
Eagle Thrust, put on psy war op.
Make it loud. This is a Romeo Fox
Trot. Shall we dance?
A HAND switches on the tape deck. MUSIC COMES UP, Wagner's
"Ride of the Valkyrie", blaring through the external
speakers of the choppers, as they make their decent into
enemy territory.
EXT. THE COMMAND HELICOPTER - DAY
With enormous twelve-driver loudspeakers BLASTING out the
music.
INT. PBR CREW'S COPTER - DAY
Out crew is silent, nervous.
EXT. COPTERS - DAY
We SEE the bombs and surfboard attached to the bottom of
the helicopters.
EXT. VIETCONG VILLAGE - FULL-SHOT - DAY
Typical quiet Vietnamese coastal village, rather large,
built along the beach and trees with rice paddies behind.
Sampans are pulled into a cove where the are being unloaded.
We SEE different aspects of the life of the village, the
people working there.
MEDIUM SHOT - SCHOOLYARD
A teacher and little girl come out into the courtyard,
quickly followed by other students pouring from the
schoolhouse in the background. A North Vietnamese soldier
runs in to the teacher, who then turns back to the children.
The soldier waves to the children to get out of the area.
CLOSER ON THE TEACHER
gathering children together. Peasants run through as the
teacher starts the children running out. One small boy
remains, an older girl runs back to get him and run after
the others .
Soon the village is buzzing with activity. Trenches are
used to pass weapons and ammunitions, young V.C. - both
men and women. N.V.A. regulars rush along the trenches to
take their positions.
NEW VIEW - N.V.A. AND V.C.
rushing along the trenches and taking the camouflage
covering off a large automatic antiaircraft weapon.
EXT. THE SKY - NEW VIEW - DAY
Moving behind an assault column of helicopters.
INT. COMMAND COPTER - DAY
Kilgore monitoring the transmission.
CLOSE VIEW ON WILLARD
watching the spectacle.
CLOSE VIEW ON KILGORE
calm and very effective. Seems almost like an astronaut.
Willard looks down at this incredible battle.
WILLARD'S POV - AERIAL VIEW - THE VILLAGE
The village under attack. The invincible cavalry charges
in, hurling all its fearful weaponry, blasting out the
Wagner.
INT. POV BEHIND PILOT - DAY
PILOT
(to Kilgore)
We've spotted a large weapon down
below. We're gonna go down and
check it out.
The helicopter shakes as we SEE the smoke of the rocket
shoot ahead of us.
REVERSE ANGLE
A Vietnamese house goes up in flames.
MEDIUM CLOSE UP - GUN SHIP
sweeping down, its mini-guns FIRING. V.C. scatter.
INT. COMMAND COPTER - DAY
KILGORE
Outstanding, Red Team.
(to Pilot)
Get you a case of beer for that
one.
COPTER'S POV ON SQUARE - HIGH ANGLE
Watching Vietnamese loading ammunition into an old Citroën
car. The copter circles over them.
PILOT #1
We're over the village right now.
I think I see a vehicle down in
the courtyard. I'm gonna check it
out.
KILGORE
Well done, Hawks. Well done.
Want some twenty-Mike-Mike-Vulcan
right along those tree-lines.
Ripple the shit out of them.
PILOT #2
Got a vehicle on the bridge, fifty
caliber on-board. He's moving
across to resupply weapon.
KILGORE
Big Duke Six. Clear the area.
I'm coming down myself.
(to himself)
Don't these people ever give up?
VIEW - THE COMMAND COPTER
It circles the area. Gunships hit the Citroën that's trying
to cross the bridge. The car bursts into flame and the
ammunition is EXPLODED.
LANCE
(to Kilgore)
Nice shoot, Bill!
The copter suddenly lurches over to the right. The ship
is jostled around badly. There are some flames and smoke
and it looks as though the copter has been seriously hit.
There is confusion and we realize that the bullets have
hit a box of flares which have gone off inside the copter.
KILGORE
(to soldiers)
Un-ass that shit and get it out of
here! It's just a flare, it's
alright, it's just a flare.
Everybody all right? Lance, you
all right?
LANCE
I'm fine!
EXT. VILLAGE - COPTERS LANDING - DAY
A small group of copters come down and land, kicking up
clouds of dust. Soldiers start to jump off, run for cover,
as shells hit the ground. All jump out except for one
YOUNG SOLDIER.
YOUNG SOLDIER
I'm not going! I'm not going!
I'm not going!
Another soldier comes back, grabs him by the arm, and pulls
him out of the copter.
NEW VIEW - AMERICANS ON THE GROUND
proceed in driving to the V.C> from the village, firing
into houses. One soldier fires his rifle into a row of
storage jars in front of a house. They explode. A black
soldier so thrown by the blast.
SOLDIER (OVER RADIO)
We got some secondaries down there
in the plaza.
SOLDIER #2 (OVER RADIO)
Hold onto your positions.
SOLDIER (OVER RADIO)
Duke Six, Duke Six. We've got
wounded down there.
VIEW ON THE COURTYARD
Soldiers huddle around the severely wounded black G.I.,
who is screaming out. The RT man is frantically calling
for a medevac as two Vietnamese elders babble on for their
lives, explaining that they didn't know the booby trap was
near their house.
MEDIC
Get a stretcher over here!
WOUNDED SOLDIER
Please, God, help me!
MEDIC
Let's give him some morphine.
SOLDIER (OVER RADIO)
Zero-three-seven-seven-four-two.
MEDIC
Where's that duster?
INT. COMMAND COPTER - DAY
Kilgore looking out the door as he flies from the river
down over the courtyard.
KILGORE
(into radio)
I want my wounded out of there and
in the hospital in fifteen minutes.
I want my men out.
COPTER'S POV OF COURTYARD
SOLDIER (OVER RADIO)
Somebody stand tight there with
Big Duke.
SOLDIER #2 (OVER RADIO)
This is Ten-Ten, we're going to be
in there and get out.
EXT. THE COURTYARD - DAY
As a medevac helicopter comes down landing by the smoke.
They carry the wounded G.I. into the helicopter.
Frantic Americans push the two older Vietnamese into the
medevac ship for questioning. A YOUNG VIETNAMESE WOMAN
suddenly rushes out from one of the buildings, making a
fuss about the older Vietnamese. Then she throws her coolie
hat into the open helicopter door.
SOLDIER
She's got a grenade! She's got a
grenade!
EXT. HELICOPTER - HIGH VIEW - DAY
Helicopter BLOWS into flames. Men rush out on fire. They
frantically try to out themselves out.
INT. COMMAND COPTER - DAY
Looking down on the burning helicopter.
PILOT
They blew the shit out of it.
KILGORE
Fucking savages.
CO-PILOT
Holy Christ, she's a SAP. I'm
gonna get that dink bitch. Get
over there, Johnny. Out the right
skid right up her ass.
MEDIUM VIEW - THE GROUND
It swerves down. We can SEE the disaster as well as the
three Vietnamese running away. It ROARS down, the machine
gunner FIRING.
VIEW ON THE GROUND
The Vietnamese are mowed down.
OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOT OF THE TREES BELOW THE COPTER
Shells are fired from the grove of trees at the copter.
PILOT (OVER RADIO)
We gotta get some air up in these
trees. It's goddamn eat-up with
the enemy down there.
The LOH swerves past the tree line taking sniper FIRE and
finally a dead-on HIT. It swerves around in circles, black
smoke coming from it, cascading toward the ground.
Copters fire at the bridge. Smoke and debris fly upward.
Geysers of water almost obscure it. The bridge is
destroyed, the village burns in the background.
INT. COMMAND COPTER - DAY
Kilgore turns to look at Lance.
KILGORE
What do you think?
LANCE
It's really exciting, man.
KILGORE
No, no! The waves!
LANCE
Oh, right.
KILGORE
Look at that, breaks both ways.
Watch. Look! Good six-foot swells!
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Kilgore's copter kicks up a cloud of dust as it sets down.
Kilgore pop's out, followed by Lance and other officers
and strides across the beach looking out toward the sea.
SOLDIER (O.S.)
Incoming!
They all dive except Kilgore; he's watching a big set.
The shell EXPLODES in the water about a hundred yards away,
sending up a geyser of spray. Kilgore is unmoved. The
others get up and join him.
MAJOR
This L.Z. is still pretty hot,
sir. Maybe you ought to surf
somewhere else.
KILGORE
What do you know about surfing,
Major? You're from goddamn New
Jersey!
He whistles Mike and Johnny over, who look like they're
ready to hit the dirt again as explosions go off around
them.
KILGORE
I wanna see how rideable that stuff
is. Go change.
MIKE
It's till pretty hairy out there,
sir.
KILGORE
You wanna surf, soldier?
They nod "yes" meekly.
KILGORE
That's good son, because you either
surf or fight. That clear?
They turn and leave. Kilgore grabs an M16 from one of the
guards-they all think he's going to shoot the surfers or
someone-they run back uneasy.
KILGORE
One get going. I'll cover for
them.
(to others)
And bring a board Lance.
He cocks the weapon-Lance looks around uneasily.
WILLARD
(to Lance)
We can't do shit till the boat
gets here.
KILGORE
Lance, I bet you can't wait to get
out there.
LANCE
What?
KILGORE
(gesturing to ocean)
See how they break both ways? One
guy can break right, one left,
simultaneous. What do you think
of that?
LANCE
Bill, I think we ought to wait for
the tide to come up.
He starts away.
KILGORE
Lance, come here. Look.
SOLDIER (O.S.)
Incoming!
A shell screams over-they all hit the dirt except Kilgore.
It explodes, throwing sand through the air. Kilgore leans
down yelling over the noise.
KILGORE
The tide doesn't come in for six
hours! You wanna wait here for
six hours?
ANGLE ON THE PBR
in the sky, being dropped by the helicopter onto the water.
MEDIUM SHOT - SURF - THE TWO SURFERS
out on the water on their boards, trying to surf.
KILGORE (O.S.)
(through megaphone)
Okay, fellas, quit hiding. Let's
go, dickheads, take off.
ANGLE ON KILGORE, HOLDING A MEGAPHONE
watching the surfers. JETS SCREAM overhead, FIRING CANNONS.
Helicopters wheel by carrying out wounded.
WILLARD
Goddamnit! Don't you think it's a
little risky for R and R?
KILGORE
If I say it's safe to surf this
beach Captain, it's safe to surf
this beach! I mean, I'm not afraid
to surf this place! I'll surf
this fucking place!
He rips off his shirt and scarf.
KILGORE
(to soldier)
Give me that R-T, soldier.
(into radio)
Dove Four, this is Big Duke Six.
Goddamnit, I want that tree line
bombed!
BOMBER PILOT (OVER RADIO)
Big Duke Six, Roger. Dove One-
Three, stand by.
KILGORE (O.S.)
(into radio)
Bomb them into the stone age, son.
He throws the R-T back to the soldier. We SEE from among
the Vietnamese prisoners being herded, a woman running,
covered with blood, carrying a bloody baby. She is trying
to offer it up to the colonel, but a soldier is dutifully
trying to keep away from him.
SOLDIER
No, ma'am, no!
KILGORE
Let me take care of this now.
(indicates soldier's
rifle)
Get that out of here!
Kilgore intercedes, pushing the soldier's rifle away.
KILGORE
(to woman)
Come here, now. All right. Sorry,
you can't go!
He takes the wounded baby in his hands, tenderly, and calls
a soldier over.
KILGORE
Jimmy!
ANGLE ON "LOC" SPOTTER PLANE IN THE SKY
LOC (OVER RADIO)
Hawk One-Two, Dove One-Three.
They need some napalm down there.
Can you put it there?
FIGHTER PILOT (OVER RADIO)
Right, One-Three. We're fixed to
fuck with them.
LOC (OVER RADIO)
Trying to suppress some mortar
fire off the tree line down there.
FIGHTER PILOT (OVER RADIO)
Roger. Here we come.
LOC (OVER RADIO)
Good. Give it all you got and
bring in all your ships. Wing
abreast.
KILGORE
(to Jimmy)
Tell them to get my chopper, get
back to the hospital.
He hands the baby to the soldier. Woman protests.
KILGORE
No, no . You've got to go with
him. Go! Go!
(to soldier)
Get it out of here! And tell my
guys I want my board!
LOC (OVER RADIO)
Big Duke Six, this is Dove One-
Three. The jets are inbound now.
They got about thirty seconds to
bomb station. Get your people
back. This is gonna be a big one.
Kilgore returns to Lance, who is cowering in a foxhole
with Willard.
KILGORE
Don't worry. We'll have this place
cleaned up in a jiffy, son. Give
me those shorts.
He turns to his aide, who hands him a pair of Air-Cav
trunks.
KILGORE
(to Lance)
These are from the Air-Cav, a
present from me and the boys. I
wanna see you do your stuff out
there.
Jets break the trees, we HEAR the EXPLOSIONS of 20mm
CANNONS, and then the entire tree line ERUPTS INTO FIRE
with an immense amount of napalm.
Kilgore stands there, hands on hips, looking at the burning
jungle in the distance.
KILGORE
You smell that? Do you smell that?
LANCE
What?
KILGORE
(pointing to trees)
Napalm, son. Nothing else in the
world smells like that.
(crouches down)
I love the smell of napalm in the
morning. You know, one time we
had a hill bombed for twelve
hours...and when it was all over,
I walked up. We didn't find one
of them, not one stinking dink
body. The smell, you know that
gasoline smell? The whole hill-
smelled like-victory.
He looks of nostalgically. A shell comes in and HITS in
the background. Willard and the soldiers react; Kilgore
ignores it.
KILGORE
Someday this war's gonna end.
A tremendous sadness enveloping him. The he stands up and
walks off. Willard turns and looks toward him. He
understands what the colonel is saying to him.
ANGLE - KILGORE - WALKING OUT TOWARD THE SURF
Suddenly he senses something. He stops, lifts his hand-
then licks his fingers and puts then in the air.
KILGORE
(to Lance)
Lance! The wind! The Wind! It's
blowing onshore! It's gonna blow
this place out. It's gonna ruin
it!
Sure enough, there is a rushing breeze that increases.
LANCE
Not cool!
KILGORE
It's the goddamn napalm, that's
what's doing it!
WILLARD
I'm really sorry, Colonel, but I'm
afraid that does it. The kid's
got a reputation. You can't expect
him to surf those sloppy waves.
KILGORE
I understand what you're saying.
LANCE
Yeah, I'm an artist, Bill. I
couldn't surf that crap.
MEDIUM VIEW - KILGORE, WILLARD, LANCE
Willard calmly goes about picking up Lance's clothes as
Kilgore apologizes to Lance for the conditions.
KILGORE
Look, I apologize. It's not my
fault. The waves are getting blown
out by the napalm. It's the bombs
causing a vortex with the wind.
LANCE
I accept your apology.
KILGORE
Hang around just twenty minutes.
WILLARD
Some other time, Bill.
KILGORE
Just twenty minutes!
Willard grabs Lance and walks him away from Kilgore.
LANCE
I'm an artist!
WILLARD
(to Lance)
Keep walking.
Kilgore takes the megaphone.
KILGORE
(into megaphone to
surfers)
Let's give it a try, guys. One
goes left and one goes right.
(to Lance)
Look, Lance...
Lance and Willard keep walking, fast.
WILLARD
You through surfing? Wanna say
good-bye to the colonel?
LANCE
No!
WILLARD
You sure?
LANCE
Yeah!
WILLARD
Then let's get the fuck out of
here!
Kilgore is left frantic on the beach with his megaphone.
KILGORE
(calling to them)
Lance, it's the fucking napalm!
Just wait twenty minutes! Fuck!
Willard and Lance run like hell toward the PBR in the
distance. In his frustration, Kilgore throws the megaphone
in the air and wanders off.
AT THE PBR
The crew help Willard and Lance climb onto the boat.
Suddenly Willard sees something and stops. In a pile of
equipment that the Hueys left are two surfboards-willard
looks at them.
WILLARD
(to PBR)
Don't leave without me!
CLEAN
Where the fuck are you going?
He runs to the copter where Kilgore's surfboard is attached.
WILLARD
Incoming!
All the soldiers at the copter duck and during that moment,
Willard snatches the colonel's surfboard. A soldier tries
to stop him.
SOLDIER
That's the colonel's surfboard!
WILLARD
Get the fuck off me! It's mine!
He rushes back to the boat, handing the board up to Clean,
and scampers aboard. Clean stuffs the board in the stern.
The boat turns, ENGINES RUNNING HARD AND ROARS OFF toward
the deeper water of the river.
MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT - WILLARD
On the bow: laughing, exhausted, feeling satisfied with
himself.
EXT. VILLAGE - DAY
The PBR passes the burned-out village, through the destroyed
bridge, and heads out toward the river.
EXT. PBR - DAY
The crew relaxing. Clean sits down next to Chef, who is
rolling a joint.
CLEAN
Chef, light up, man. Come on,
let's get high.
CHEF
(to Lance)
Wanna smoke?
CLEAN
Light up.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Someday this war's gonna end.
That'd be just fine with the boys
on the boat. They weren't looking
for anything more than a way home.
CHEF
Captain?
Chef offers the joint to Willard. He waves it off.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Trouble is, I'd been back
there...and I knew that it just
didn't exist anymore.
LANCE
(to group)
Buddha time.
The crew shares the joint.
CLEAN
All right. That's grass. That's
shit.
Willard pours himself a drink from a bottle.
WILLARD (V.O.)
If that's how Kilgore fought the
war...I began to wonder what they
really had against Kurtz. It wasn't
just insanity and murder. There
was enough of that to go around
for everybody.
EXT. RIVER - FULL SHOT - THE BOAT - DUSK
It is parked, hidden under some trees along the riverbank.
CHEF (O.S.)
I'm not here...I'm walking through
the jungle gathering mangos, and I
meet Raquel Welch. I can male
nice mango cream pudding. You
know, kind of spread it around on
us...
Chef is lying on his back, his eyes closed. Lance is
standing on the riverbank next to the PBR. He is taking a
leak. He finishes, then turns and squats next to a blue
bucket and starts washing his Air-Cav trunks.
CHEF
...See, she's into mangoes, too.
She's like one limb above me.
We're both in the jungle here,
nude.
We HEAR a helicopter coming toward the vicinity of the
boat. The wind begins to hit the trees and boat.
CLEAN
(to Chief)
Hey, Chief? Here comes that colonel
guy again.
The SOUND of the helicopter gets closer...and an
indistinguishable language on a loudspeaker. Lance gathers
his bucket and soap and jumps up on the PBR.
KILGORE (OVER P.A.)
"I will not harm or hurt you.
Just give me back the board, Lance.
It was a good board and I like it.
You know how hard it is to find a
board that you like."
The helicopter drones on into the distance-the same speech
starts again farther off-finally the noise ceases.
CHEF
Determined motherfucker, ain't he?
Cock-sucker!
Willard snaps off a salute at the passing copter. It
disappears into the distance.
CLEAN
Jesus Christ. That guy's too
fucking much, man.
LANCE
Do you think he would've shot us?
WILLARD
He would've shot us on the beach,
or if he saw me taking his board.
CLEAN
(singing)
Let's go surfing now, Everybody's
learning how..
LANCE
Let's get this board out of my
turret.
CLEAN
Sucker.
LANCE
Come on, how am I gonna shoot him
the next time he comes around?
WILLARD
Hey, Chef, make some room back
there for the board.
They stow the board in the back of the boat, hiding it.
CHIEF
I wonder if that's the same chopper.
WILLARD
Hell, he's probably got them all
over the river with that recording.
We'll have to hold up here till
dark, Chief.
(to Lance)
Don't worry Lance, he won't follow
us too far.
LANCE
What makes you say that?
WILLARD
You think that Cav colonel wants
everyone up river to know we stole
his board?
LANCE
I didn't steak it!
Willard laughs, lights up a cigarette.
CHIEF
Captain? Just how far up this
river are we going?
WILLARD
That's classified, Chief. I can't
tell you. We're going up pretty
far.
CLEAN
Is it gonna be hairy?
WILLARD
I don't know, kid. Yeah, probably.
CHIEF
You like it like that, Captain?
When it's hot, hairy?
WILLARD
Fuck.
(a beat)
Maybe you'll get a chance to know
what the fuck you are in some
factory in Ohio.
Chef steps forward with a plastic bucket.
CHEF
Hey, Chief, I'm gonna go get those
mangoes now, okay?
CHIEF
Take somebody with you.
WILLARD
I'll go with him.
He turns and follows Chef off the PBR. They climb up the
bank, away from the boat, into the jungle.
EXT. JUNGLE - MEDIUM VIEW - DUSK
Chef and Willard cautiously walk through the dark
underbrush. We SEE fragments of them, LOSE then
occasionally, and just MOVE through the jungle. WE HEAR
this conversation throughout:
WILLARD
Chef?
CHEF
Yes, sir.
WILLARD
How come they call you that?
CHEF
Call me what, sir?
WILLARD
Chef. 'Cause you like mangoes and
stuff?
CHEF
No, sir. I'm a real chef. I'm a
saucier.
WILLARD
Saucier?
CHEF
Yes, sir. See, I come from New
Orleans. I was raised to be a
saucier. A great saucier.
WILLARD
What's a saucier?
CHEF
We specialize in sauces. Gotta be
a mango tree here somewhere...Then,
I was supposed to go to Paris, to
the Escoffier School. But then I
got orders for my physical.
As they move deeper into the jungle.
CHEF
Well, I joined the navy. Heard
they had better food. Cook school,
that did it.
WILLARD
Oh, yeah? How's that?
Chef puts down his bucket and rifle, takes a leak. Willard
takes a few steps farther in the jungle and then sits by
him on a log.
CHEF
You don't wanna hear about that.
They lined us up in front of a
hundred yards of prime rib. All
of us, you know, looking at it?
Magnificent. Magnifique. Next
thing, they're throwing the meat
into these big cauldrons.
Willard has heard something in the jungle during this
explanation. He becomes alert.
CHEF
All of it. Boiling it. I looked
inside, man, it was turning grey.
I couldn't fucking believe that
one! That's when I applied for
radioman's school, but they-
Chef looks up, seeing Willard standing a distance away,
poised with his rifle. Willard signals to him to come
cautiously. He motions to Chef to move with him, each
covering the other. They walk a few yards from where they
have heard something move.
CHEF
What is it? Charlie?
MEDIUM SHOT - PANNING - WILLARD
moving through the jungle cautiously, he is comfortable in
this environment. He signals and directs his way very
expertly, giving silent instructions to Chef on how to
move with him.
They seem to have the intruder localized and proceed very
quietly toward where he is.
MEDIUM SHOT - THE ELEPHANT GRASS - WILLARD AND CHEF
Suddenly the grass folds almost to Willard, and a huge
TIGER leaps out at them, snarling magnificently. They
fire wildly, emptying their clips.
CHEF
It's a motherfucking tiger! It's
a tiger, man! A tiger!
He turns and bolts through the jungle, as scared as a man
can be.
CHEF
Motherfucking tiger!
Willard backs out of the clearing, covering the bushes and
runs, scared out of his head as well. They fire their
M16s indiscriminately running back to the boat, screaming.
FULL SHOT - THE BOAT
The crew is armed. They've heard the screaming. Lance
has the twin fifties pointed into the jungle. Chef comes
screaming out of the brush. Throws his rifle in the boat
and dives headfirst after it.
CHIEF
Battle stations. Lance, up front.
Get on your sixty, Clean.
CHEF
Fucking tiger!
CLEAN
Let's go!
CHEF
Chief, you were right. Never get
out of the fucking boat!
CHIEF
Clean, bring that 60 forward.
CHEF
Never get out of the boat! I gotta
remember! Gotta remember! Never
get out of the boat!
CHIEF
How many is it?
CHEF
A fucking tiger!
CLEAN
What?
CHEF
Tiger!
CHIEF
Tiger?
CHEF
(going berserk)
I'm done with this goddamn fucking
shit! You can kiss my ass on the
county square, because I'm fucking
bugging out! I don't fucking need
it! I didn't get on the goddamn A
train for this kind of shit! All
I wanted to do is fucking cook! I
just wanted to learn to fucking
cook, man!
The others try to calm him down.
LANCE
You're all right. You're all right.
CHEF
All right. It's gonna be all right.
It's gonna be all right. Never
get out of the boat. 'Bye, tiger!
'Bye tiger!
The boat pulls away as he continues ranting about the tiger.
CLOSE ON WILLARD
Looking back into the jungle.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Never get out of the boat.
Absolutely goddamn right. Unless
you were going all the way.
EXT. RIVER - THE PBR - NIGHT
The PBR moves down the dark, silent river through the night.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Kurtz got off the boat. He split
from the whole fucking program.
How did that happen? What did he
see here that first tour?
Willard lights a cigarette and holds a flashlight as he
looks at the dossier. As he speaks we see CLOSE SHOTS on
the newspaper articles, letters, and photos.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Thirty-eight fucking years old.
If you joined the green berets,
there was no way you'd ever get
above colonel. Kurtz knew what he
was giving up. The more I read
and began to understand, the more
I admired him. His family and
friends couldn't understand it.
And they couldn't talk him out of
it. He had to apply three times,
and he put up with a ton of shit,
but when he threatened to resign,
they gave it to him. The next
youngest guy in his class was half
his age. They must've thought he
was some far-out man humping it
over the course. I did it when I
was nineteen, it damn near wasted
me. A tough motherfucker. He
finished it. He could've gone for
general, but he went for himself
instead.
MEDIUM VIEW - OF THE PBR
gliding up the river. Chef is sitting in the back of the
boat, writing a letter. He is using a flashlight to see
by, as he reads to himself outloud as he writes.
CHEF
(writing letter)
Dear Eva. Today was really a new
one. Almost got eaten by a fucking
tiger. Really un-fucking
believable, you know? We're taking
this guy, Captain Willard, up river,
but he hasn't told us yet where
we're taking him...
Clean is at the helm, singing to himself, the Chief is
sleeping. Willard looks at an article about Kurtz in a
magazine.
WILLARD (V.O.)
October, 1967. On special
assignment, Kontoom Province, Two-
Corps...Kurtz staged Operation
Archangel with combined local
forces. Rated a major success.
He received no official clearance.
He just thought it up and did it.
What balls. They were going to
nail his ass to the floorboards
for that one. But after the press
got a hold of it, they promoted
him to full colonel instead. Oh,
man, the bullshit piled up so fast
in Vietnam, you needed wings to
stay above it.
Suddenly, from around a bend, the boat is illuminated by a
strange artificial light. Lance and Chief are awakened.
Willard reacts as he looks out toward the light. It becomes
brighter and brighter as they move closer.
WHAT THEY SEE:
EXT. HAU PHAT - FULL VIEW - NIGHT
The PBR goes by the base, tents, oil drums, sandbagged
bunkers, etc., but the biggest surprise of all is a huge
oval STAGE built in the water, lit by banks of lights.
Preparations for some sort of show are in progress.
They all react, incredulous, as the PBR pulls into the bay
and up to the dock.
CLEAN
This sure enough is a bizarre sight
in the middle of all this shit.
CHIEF
(to Willard)
Expecting us this time?
WILLARD
Damned if I know.
It looks like an amusement park, with strings of lights,
etc.
CHEF
Jesus Christ...
EXT. SUPPLY DOCK AREA - NIGHT
The supply docks of this base. Tents, oil drums, sandbagged
bunkers, helicopters, tanks, guns, and men. As they walk,
Chef and Clean stop a moment and look at a group of
motorcycles. The dock is crowded with all kinds of goods,
freezers, refrigerators, etc., all the nonessentials for
fighting a war.
CLEAN
Hau Phat. You ever been up here
before, Chef?
CHEF
I bet you could score up here.
CLEAN
Yo, man, check out the bikes, man.
Yamaha, Suzuki.
CHEF
That's a good one.
CLEAN
Yeah, Sukiyaki.
Willard moves on, Chef and Clean catch up with him.
CLEAN
This must be the guy.
WILLARD
Right over there.
Willard and the men approach a harried SERGEANT at a
requisition desk, filling out papers, answering questions,
shouting out orders to the frenetic activity around him.
There are soldiers scurrying back and forth, loading and
unloading supplies. They constantly interrupt the sergeant
with their questions.
Chef and Clean stop in front of the sergeant.
CLEAN
Three drums of diesel fuel, PBR-
Five...
SERGEANT
Move! We have one hour, that's
all!
(to Clean)
What do you want?
CHEF
Can I get some Panama Red?
SERGEANT
Panama Red? Yeah, I'll get you
Panama Red.
CLEAN
Sergeant.
SERGEANT
Destination?
CLEAN
I don't have a destination.
SERGEANT
You can't get a goddamn thing
without a destination.
Willard steps in.
WILLARD
Sergeant.
SERGEANT
I need a destination. I can't do
a goddamn thing about it.
WILLARD
Hey, Sarge, these guys are with
me. Destination classified. I
carry priority papers from Com-Sec
Intelligence, II Corps.
SERGEANT
Listen, sir, it's a real big night-
(to another soldier)
Eight dollars for that camera-
With unexpected rage, Willard suddenly reaches up and grabs
the Sergeant by the collar, pulling him down across a table,
really frightening him. Everybody is quite surprised.
WILLARD
Just give them some fuel.
SERGEANT
You got it.
Willard lets go of the sergeant, almost embarrassed for
the show of temper. The sergeant goes back behind his
desk and starts signing papers.
SERGEANT
Listen, Captain...I'm really sorry
about tonight. It's really bad
around here. Just take this over
to the man at the supply desk and
you got it.
He tears off a requisition and hands it to one of the trio.
SERGEANT
(to crew)
Listen, would you guys like some
press box seats for the show? You
want those? The show, man, out
here. The bunnies.
LANCE
The Playboy bunnies?
The sergeant finally leaves the trio, grabs a bottle of
cognac, and moves to Willard. Hands him the bottle.
SERGEANT
Hey, listen, Captain...on the house.
No hard feelings.
Willard looks down at the bottle in his hand and then up
at the stage.
DISSOLVE TO:
The SOUND of ENGINES is heard. A HUEY and TWO LOCHES
descend from the clouds. The Loches hover and circle,
while the Huey descends onto the platform stage. There is
a large black-and-white PLAYBOY INSIGNIA painted on the
nose.
EXT. STAGE - FULL SHOT - NIGHT
The entire area around the stage and right up to the barbed
wire is mobbed with hundreds of seething American men.
Some of these boys have just gotten here, others have been
in the jungle for months. It's the Vietnam military version
of a happening. Guys from all walks of life, from the
cities, guys with flowers in their hair and peace signs
around their necks, other guys with their short-time sticks
and war medallions around their necks. Black G.I.s
congregate together with their clenched-fist black power
medallions. There are signs and posters and graffiti
everywhere. Some guys have guitars, everyone seems to
have a camera. Rummaging, sitting, waiting expectantly,
before the enormous stage, which is protected by rings of
concertina wire, a moat, and M.P.s every three feet at
riot control positions. Many joints and pipes are being
passed around. Snapshots are being taken. It has a strong
resemblance to a love-in or even Woodstock. Except that
they're all in various degrees of combat fatigues, and
they're all men.
CHEF, CLEAN, LANCE, WILLARD AND THE CHIEF move down an
aisle to their seats. It is through WILLARD'S EYES that
we see this spectacle, bad every so often we will see an
enthusiastic Lance, Chef, and Clean. The Chief remains
noncommittal, and somewhat bored. To the others, it's a
wonder of wonders.
Over by the dock, behind the chain-link fence, there is a
group of VIETNAMESE who have gathered to watch the show.
They have brought rice, food, etc. They will watch and
react throughout, along with the American soldiers who are
standing guard in front of them.
VIEW ON THE STAGE
The Playboy copter descends onto the stage. The door of
the Huey slides open and TWO YOUNG GREEN BERETS step out
with their M16s to varied CATCALLS. When this abates, a
young and extremely well-dressed man emerges. He is the
epitome of the Hollywood agent. He's informal, high-strung,
and good at what he does. His presence causes some stirring
and occasional shouts of "ripoff" from the men. He gets a
microphone from the stage, then walks to the front and
addresses the men.
AGENT
How you doing out there?
(beat and reaction)
I said how you doing out there?
(beat and reaction)
Wanna say hello to you from all of
us up here, to all of you out there,
who work so goddamn hard on
Operation Brute Force. Hello, all
you Paratroopers out there! And
the Marines! And the Sailors! We
wanna let you know that we're proud
of you, 'cause we know how tough
and how hard it's been! Yeah!
And to prove it, we're gonna give
you some entertainment we know
you're gonna like!
The band starts its rock 'n' roll amp, playing the Creedence
Clearwater Revival rendition of "Suzy Q".
AGENT
Miss August, Miss Sandra Beatty!
Miss Nay, Miss Terri Tersay! And
the Playmate of the year, Miss
Carrie Foster!
Two very beautiful PLAYMATES in exotic, brief costumes
come out of the helicopter. They are TERRI and SANDRA,
and they start swaying to the music.
SANDRA
Hello, out there!
The two playmates jump down and dance to the front of the
stage. The G.I.s go crazy and the girls dance their erotic
dance. In the meantime. The two Green Berets at the
helicopter help out the PLAYMATE OF THE YEAR, CARRIE FOSTER.
The Berets carry the Playmate out on their rifles to the
center of the stage, and put here down. She dances forward
and joins the other two girls and the front. Carrie is
dressed in a Western outfit. They all dance to "Suzy Q".
VIEW OF THE CROWD
Appropriately, they go wild.
MARINE
I'm here, baby! I'm here!
LANCE
(to Terri)
You fucking bitch!
MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT - THE AGENT
Looking at little worried.
ANGLE ON WILLARD AND THE CHIEF
watching the spectacle. Willard takes a drink from the
bottle that was given to him by the supply sergeant.
HIS POV
The three Playmates going through all their gyrations.
MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT - WILLARD
Reacting, shaking his head. Chef, Lance, and Clean all
think it's fantastic.
VIEW ON THE CROWD
Audience continues to react as the three Playmates sway
and hump. Fights are breaking out. Some of the G.I.s
pull out centerfolds of the three girls from under their
uniforms.
MARINE
Sign my centerfold!
He leaps madly, climbing up on the stage. Other guys start
to follow him. The M.P.s try to stop them but to no avail.
Before you know it, a mba is storming the stage.
VIEW ON AGENT
Knows the show is over.
AGENT
(to Pilot)
Start her up.
(to M.P.s)
Get the girls! Let's go!
(to crowd)
So long!
The Playmates are helped back into the helicopter. The
rotors whine and the Huey lifts off just as the first of
the enthusiast mob reaches it. The agent sets off a smoke
bomb to disperse the crowd. Some guys are even hanging
onto the skids of the helicopter. They finally let go and
fall into the water below, as the helicopter flies away.
WILLARD (V.O.)
Charlie didn't get much U.S.O. He
was dug in too deep or moving too
fast. His idea of great R and R
was cold rice, and a little rat
meat. He had only two ways home-
death, or victory.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. HAU PHAT - DAY
As the PBR pulls away from the Hau Phat area, Willard looks
back at the clean-up operations, a helicopter hovers over
the littered area, shirtless men sweep and mop up the stage,
burn trash; others dismantle the floating lights.
WILLARD (V.O.)
No wonder Kurtz put a weed up
Command's ass. The war was being
run by a bunch of four-star clowns,
who were gonna end up giving the
whole circus away.
EXT. PBR - DAY
Chief is steering the boat. Chef is looking at a Playboy
magazine centerfold of Terri.
CHEF
You know, man, that was far fucking
out. I collected every picture of
her since she was Miss December.
(showing Clean the
centerfold)
Hey, Clean, look at that. She was
here, man! I even wrote to the
cunt. She didn't write me back.
CLEAN
You can get really hung up on these
broads, like that cat in the delta.
CHEF
Yeah. What cat?
As Clean talks, Chef tears the centerfold out of his
Playboy, then kneels down by the bulkhead in back of the
wheel. He tapes the centerfold onto the bulkhead.
CLEAN
The one that went up for murder?
He was an army Sergeant. This
cat, he really dug his Playboy,
man.
As he continues, Lance moves to the back of the boat and
starts unwrapping the plastic from his new water skis.
CLEAN
I mean, this cat, when the thing
arrived, he was there to meet it,
man!
CHEF
(indicating photo)
Look at these beautiful fucking
jugs, man!
CLEAN
Anyway, he was working ARVN patrols,
had one of them cocky gook asshole
lieutenants, and one day the gook
took his magazine and wouldn't
give it back! Cat said "Gimme my
magazine back!" Good said, "You
shut up. I have you court-
martialed", you know?
CHEF
Typical fucking ARVN, man.
CLEAN
The gook went too far.
CHIEF
Chef, take the wheel.
Chef takes the wheel of the boat as the Chief moves back
and starts brushing his teeth. Lance continues to unwrap
his skis.
CLEAN
Sticking pinholes and mutilating
the centerfold and shit like that.
And the sergeant said, "You better
not do that to her. You leave
your shitty little gook hands off
of that girl!" Gook say, "Fuck
you!" In Vietnamese, right?
Sergeant, man, he just couldn't
handle it no more. He just picked
up his iron-
He picks up an M16 rifle to demonstrate.
CLEAN
-flipped it to rock 'n' roll and
boom! Gave that little zero a
long burst straight through the
Playboy mag. It blew his ass clear
out off the dock. There wasn't no
more lieutenant that day. That
was it for his ass.
CHEF
They burn him for it?
CLEAN
The sergeant? Yeah, man. They
stuck his ass in the L.B.J. It's
too bad he didn't get no medals or
nothing.
He puts the rifle back in the rack. Disappears down the
hole of the ship. They all shake their heads at the cruel
injustice of life.
CHEF
Fucking ARVN, man. They should've
killed the fuck. Should've given
that fucker a Silver Star. Bummer
for the gook, though, ain't it?
EXT. RIVER - THE PBR - DAY
We HEAR a radio station playing. Willard is seated looking
through the dossier, documents from the C.I.A.
RADIO HOST (OVER RADIO)
Good morning, Vietnam. I'm Army
Specialist Zack Johnson on A.M.N.V.
It's