Hollywood Art: System of sunnys

August 1998.

Second week of recording.

Billy was exhausted; the whole story felt like a whisper drifting through the air. Now the only thing that seemed to be failing him was his legs, which refused to respond, and so Billy did what he could do best: take a long, steady breath. He answered casually and played cards with the guys for a while, just enough time. He was about to finish his second shooting scene, and the dialogue would soon be over, and afterwar,d he would remain there almost as a placeholder while the following shots were prepared, because anyone who claimed that ten minutes was nothing clearly had never worked on a set.

-They say you’ve got another role. Don’t you have something for us poor guys? - asked Edward Burns.

-Actually, I do. I’ve got a new series that’s about to begin. I need soldiers—brave soldiers—to fill out some of the characters. Don’t get me wrong, this time it’s about medieval soldiers, with swords and armor. There’s a role for Barry, Edward, and well… for Vin too, but we’ll need you to wear a wig. - Billy laughed.

-Well, I guess I’m out then. - said Barry. -I’ve got two shoots left this year and maybe one more at the start of next year.

-I think I could play the villain. I’ve never done that kind of role before. - replied Vin.

-I’m in. -

-There are three films. The pay is four hundred thousand, spread across the three releases. If you look at it closely, you’ll end up doing it. Altogether, er it comes out to a little over a million. - Billy replied, noticing that taxes in New Zealand worked differently than what he was used to, and that was actually a good thing.

-How long would it take? - Vin asked.

-Six months of work at least. Probably a bit more, maybe eight months. - Billy replied. He needed that time because Billy wanted many characters, a wide range of characters, and that was the right rule, a brilliant and deliberate choice. He could be precise, because thanks to Billy’s planningng he gathered all the characters and explained to Jackson the main cast: Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Orlando Bloom, and Cate Blanchett. Then Hugo Weaving, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, and Sean Bean. He gave details for every role and added several others as well. He callseveral othe f artists who would appear in secondary parts—real actors, though only in supporting roles.

-I want strong characters, because the story will be complex. - Billy commented, knowing the film would run for three hours and contain many voices. Yet it would also be surprising, because in the future audiences would watch extended versions, and those versions would need good characters—those small characters capable of giving the story an extra leap.

For example, the story of Tom Bombadil would last only three or four minutes, but they planned a small narrative glitch where Tom would be given his own brief moment in a short sequence lasting five to ten minutes, introducing Frodo after he became lost while running through the forest with the four hobbits, before reaching the inn called the Prancing Pony. It would almost feel like a miniature series within the film, perhaps only a minute or two long, but enough to give background to a character who deserved a story.

Then there would be fifteen minutes with Goldberry. They would need a beautiful woman and an older man, though still somewhat youthful, because that was the magic of portraying a role. It was also a way of honoring those characters who usually never appear in the films but would be granted a few precious minutes now that the sets had already been built. The real success would lie in carrying these short stories gracefully, and that was precisely why it was so interesting when rarely used characters managed to hit the mark.

-Scene 33, take 1. -

EXT. MACHINE GUN NEST – BRIDGE – NIGHT

Sarge, Upham, and Reiben sit with Ryan in the darkness. Ryan is lost in thought, far away somewhere inside his own mind. One by one, Miller’s men glance at him.

SARGE

Soldier, I’m sorry about your brothers.

Ryan nods. Then, with some effort, he begins the long journey in his memory—from Iowa to France. He turns toward Sarge.

RYAN

What was the name of the guy who died climbing up here?

SARGE

Wade.

RYAN

Wade… man, he died climbing up here. Wade… he died climbing up here trying to keep me alive. I never even met him… he didn’t know me at all… strange. What was he like?

SARGE

Good man. Kind of cheerful.

Reiben here used to call him a

happy idiot.

REIBEN

No way. No way.

RYAN

My brothers would be furious if they knew I let someone come after me… if they knew someone died trying to keep me alive.

SARGE

You didn’t let anyone die. You didn’t even know we were coming up here.

RYAN

Yeah… I know… but still… yeah, I know, but still…

(sighs)

Damn it… damn it…

The others nod quietly, watching Ryan closely.

EXT. GERMAN EIGHTY-EIGHT POSITION – NIGHT

Darkness. No gunfire. Two German soldiers stand guard.

A SHADOW

It’s Miller, moving through the darkness, creeping closer to one of the sentries.

Miller spots Jackson silently approaching another sentry from behind. Miller nods to Jackson. They move at the same time, sliding in behind the guards.

Their knives flash.

The sentries’ throats are cut.

BEHIND THE EIGHTY-EIGHT

Forrest removes the wheel chocks.

A GERMAN SENTRY

Approaches. He spots Forrest just as he’s about to fire his submachine gun. Miller lunges from behind, stabs him, and silently lowers the body to the ground.

MILLER AND JACKSON

Join Forrest beside the eighty-eight.

Together, they hook the artillery piece to a German truck.

ANOTHER GERMAN SENTRY

Rounds the corner. Sees them. OPENS FIRE WITH HIS SUBMACHINE GUN.

Forrest DIVES AND RETURNS FIRE.

OTHER GERMANS

Come running toward them, SHOOTING.

JACKSON

Covers them, opening fire and cutting down the advancing Germans.

Miller frantically secures the eighty-eight to the truck.

Forrest drops several more Germans.

Jackson takes a grazing shot to the shoulder.

He spins.

Spins again.

Keeps firing.

Covering Miller.

Miller jumps into the truck’s cab.

Jackson and Forrest leap onto the back.

Jackson fires at the Germans closing in.

The WINDSHIELD

shatters under the hail of bullets.

Glass explodes everywhere, slicing Miller’s face and hands.

FORREST

At the back of the truck, spraying the Germans with his Thompson.

MILLER HITS THE GAS.

The truck plows through the Germans.

The Germans FIRE at the truck and the eighty-eight being dragged behind it.

MILLER, JACKSON, AND FORREST

Speed into the night as the Germans SHOOT after them.

EXT. ROAD LEADING TO THE BRIDGE – NIGHT

Miller, Jackson, and Forrest race down the road through a band of Germans. As they approach the bridge, the Americans cover them with gunfire. Miller drives the truck straight toward the bridge.

THE TRUCK CRASHES INTO THE SANDBAGS.

The other Americans, with Ryan at the front, jump the barricade and drag the captured eighty-eight toward the bridge.

MILLER

RYAN! GET BACK THERE!

Ryan ignores him. They haul the eighty-eight safely behind the barricade. Miller grabs Ryan.

RYAN

Sorry, sir.

Miller is furious. He looks over at Reiben, Sarge, and Upham, who only shrug—clearly not angry with Ryan.

MILLER

Don’t do that again. Don’t you ever do that again.

RYAN

I won’t need to, sir. It’s alreIt’st’ss already here behind the barricade.

Miller GRUNTS.

RYAN

(continuing)

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Miller stares at Ryan for a long moment, then strides away.

EXT. FIELD – NIGHT

Miller and Upham carefully dig up a German mine. With extreme caution, they place it on a growing pile of mines.

EXT. ROAD LEADING TO THE BRIDGE – NIGHT

Miller and Ryan place a mine in the dirt. They cover it and step back carefully.

Then they move on to the next one. Upham covers their tracks while Jackson digs the holes where the rest of the mines will go.

EXT. BRIDGE – NIGHT

Silence. Darkness. Everything is ready.

There is nothing left to do.

Now they can only wait.

-cut.-