.'BLOODDIAMOND''
oy
Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz
Draft
JuIy 27,
2005
THESE WORDSAPPEAR:
. ' S I E R R AL E O N E , 1 9 9 9 "
].
INT.
- A HUT - BEFORE DAWN
A MAN's HAND, hardworking,
1
rough,
light.s
twigs
under a kettle.
Predawn light
trickles
Ehrough Lhe tin walls onto well worn
pick, axe, a yoke for an ox.
farming tools,..hoe,
AnimisU
Lotems and charms hang.
we are in a typical
Mende FARMER'S
HUT. Excepu for Che ENGLISH SCHOOLBOOKS
on a she1f.
The HAND EhaE lit. Lhe ketrre
t,akes Ehe books off the shelf
and gently nudges a 14-year-o1d BOy awake wiEh them.
The
boy, Ota is his name, groans in sleepy protesE.
SOLOMON
VANDY smiles
down at his
son.
SOLOMON
(in Mende; subtitled)
Don't want to be 1aEe.
The boy sits up, harf asleep.
sleepily pu11s a shirt over
his head. His English is more schooled than his faEher's.
h Y l
(in ltendli"suUti rted)
English boys go Eo school
every
day?
solomon fills
a tin cup of powdered milk.
lle is a rnan marked
by quiet pat.ience, in Lhe worn trousers and whiLe cotEon
shirt
of a Mende farmer.
He hands Ehe cup to the boy.
SOLOMON
(in Mende; subtiCled)
yes, Ehev do.
n7l
(in Mendli'"uu.iL1ed)
Not every
day.
SOLOMON
(in Mende; subtitled)
Every day.
Just like you.
So you
can become a doctor.
Not walk behind
an ox like your father.
T h e b o y c a t c h e s h i s M O T H E R ' se y e a s s h e b r e a s t - f e e d s
his
TNFANT BROTHER. His twelve-year
o1d sister,
N,YANDA, snuggles
with them.
she sticks her congue ouE at her brother.
soLoMoN (coNT'D)
Don,t worry.
She will be joining
you next. year.
JASSfE sends both her men a kiss
as Ehey head out.
L.
JASSIE
(in Mende, subuitled)
Be carefuJ
on the road.
Solomon gives
2
EXT.
wife
his
VTLLAGE -
HUT -
an
"r
look.
know"
2
CONTINUOUS
lighc.
the early
Solomon and Dia emerge into
in a hamlet amidsc cassava paEches eeked out
Their
of the
huE is
jungle.
DIA
want Eo be a doctor.
(of.f. Solomon's look)
want. Eo be President.
Don't
f
Solomon puts
his
arm around
him.
They
head
into
the
fields.
CREDTTS OVER
3
IT IS A TIMELESS
S O L O M O NA S H E W O R K S I N T H E F I E L D S .
ONE OF PASTORAL BEAUTY AND SIMPLICTTY.
PICTURE.
3
4
AT NOONTIME, ,JASSIE AND N'YA}TDA GRING LUNCH.
THE STADE OF A HUGE BEOBOB TREE.
THEY STT IN
4
5
DIA RETURNS HOME, CARRYTNG HIS
BESIDE HIS FATHER.
NOW HE WORKS
5
o
T.HE STIN IS ALREADY LOW AS THEY RETURNTO THE VILLAGE
a d
SCHOOLBOOKS.
6
CREDITS END
Solomon stands sEock seill,
sensing someEhing
A few
away wiEhouE crowing.
chickens flit
The oxen are skiccish.
SOLOMON
Go back insi-de...
NOWI
Dia is confused.
Solomon pushes him inco the huE as grinning
TEENAGEREBELS appear. One wears a Tupac t-shirt.
He rakes
people.
everything wich AX-47 FIRE. Huts.
Animals.
Sofomon dives eo Lhe ground.
VILLAGERS run screamj.ng.
Chickens sguawk, oxen bray.
A rumble.
Two mud-splat.Eered
PICK-UP TRUCKSwith sawed-off roofs crash through Ehe brush,
f u l 1 o f R . U . P . R E B E L S ,w h o g u i c k l y j u m p o f f - - s h o u t i n g ,
wielding machetes and automatic rj.f les, BAI{DOLIERSOF AIvIMo
criss-crossed
on their bare chests, GRENADES
on Eheir be1Es.
Solomon cowers amidst the gunfire,
looks around francically.
Men and boys are being rounded up.
Huts seE on fire.
Suddenly he is yanked up as t.wo REBELS pu1l him away-.lassie
exics
cheir
huc,
infant
in her arms, mad with
fear
--
JASSIE
Solomon !
Only one word'
He shouEs back.
SOLOMON
Drrn
I
She just stands Ehere screaming his
She doesn't.
Solomon's son and daughter come out of the hut.
name.
Now
DIA
PAPA!
choking him,
Solomon, the rifle
as he's
dragged away.
SOLOMON
RUN!
Jassie grabs her son's arm, He resisEs, staring in anquish
And with the ewo younger
BuE she tugs at hin.
at his father.
Running.
in tow, they join others.
children
Solomon wacches them disappear
inco
che bush.
rN THE NEXT MOME}IT
he's rounded up with the oTHER I'IALES. only a few able-bodied
boys.
among thern. Most are old, skinny men and terrified
R E B E L Sp r o d t h e m w i t h r i f l e s ,
makingr them form a line.
under the watchful sunglasses of an R.U.F. COLONEL.
Al.1
The PIRST VILLAGER is shoved to his knees in front of a tree
stu:np.
A muscle-bound, SHIRTLESS REBEL wich a gleaminS AxE
struLs over, his eyes qlazed from palm wine and marijuana.
A second rebel grabs Ehe village
man's HAND and places iE on
puEs
The man pu11s his hand away. Tupac E-shirt
Ehe stump.
Ehe Ak-47 to his head.
The choice
is
clear.
The vj.11ager tries
through his head.
The next
man in
Your head or your hands.
Eo scramble away. RAT-A-TAT!
The choice is made for him.
line
is
made to kneel
at
the
Bul1et
sEump.
T U P A CT - S H I R T
Long sleeve or short sleeve?
The other
sEoned rebels
find
this
hilarious.
O N S O L O M O Nw, i t n e s s i n g h i s m u t i l a t i o n
rise around him.
The discarded limb
The next
in
1ine,
WAILS
as terrified
is thrown into a bag.
A STRONGYOUNGMAN, is
pushed to
the
stump.
4.
R.U.F. COLONEL
He can work.
Not bim.
The STRONGYOUNGI,IAN is herded into a waiEing Cruck.
NexE
comes ADI OLD MAN. Shaking, he offers
his withered hand.
ON SOLOMON. The "crunch"
of
the axe bores
into
The o1d man is lifEed to his feet in clinicaL
his forearms end in bloody sEunps.
his
soul.
shock.
BoEb
R . U . F . C O L O N E L( C O N T ' D )
You are the messenger.
Spread the
word.
Guv'menE say da future is in
your hands? We say R.U.F. is da
fut.ure. Revolution is at hand.
Solomon is nexE.
He cl,oses his eyes as his hand is placed
on Ehe tree st.ump slick with blood.
The Colonel looks him
Motions Ehe henchmen to stop.
over.
You will
Solomon is
8
R.U. F. COLONEL
need your hands.
herded into
the cruck.
EXT. STERRALEONE -- (SEEN FROU ABOVE)
A seaplane soars above the bush.
AE the scick,
DANNYARCHER.
He has seen more in his thirty
years than mos0 people have
seen in a lifetime
of watching bad teLevision.
He scans Ehe landscape Ehen dips Eoward the esEuary of
broad river,
eventual-ly splashing Co a sLop.
9
a
NEARBY, ON THE SANDY BANK
sitcing
in a lawn chair is COMI'IANDER
RAMBO, a twenty yearoId R.U.F. fighEer with a goaEee, wrap-around sunglasses,
and a Bob MarLey E-shirE.
Arrayed behind him, several
B O D Y G U A R DcSr a d l e a u t o m a t i c w e a p o n s w h i l e e a t . i n g m & m , s . A
h u g e B O O MB O X t . h r o b s o u t T u p a c ' s " I f I D i e 2 N i t e . "
1O
TNT. COCKPIT
1_0
FAWAZ, a Ehin Lebanese man, siEs
rebels waiting
on Ehe riverbank.
Say one for
beside Archer and eyes che
Murmurs a prayer in Rrabic.
ARCHER
me, ny friend.
Archer closes his eyes for a moment, then checks the clip on
his 9mmsig-sauer before rucking it. into his belt and pulring
his shirE-taiLs
over it.
Takes a deep breath
5.
11
EXT.
11
ON SHORE
Eeenagers
Imagine
Ehe group.
wades in and approaches
Archer
Their menace is
in Bed-SEy carrying
AK-47's.
on a corner
palpable
even as they laugh and pass around a big spliff-
You are
I
ARCHER
Zero?
Colonef
COMMANDER RA],IBO
am Commander Rambo.
i{hat
No response.
ARCHER
happened Eo CoLonel
A few of
the
rebels
Zero?
gi-ggle.
COMI"LANDERRAIVIBO
He was noE comrniEted Eo Ehe
You are here to help us
revoluEion.
againsE the oppressor.
in our struggle
I'm
They
eye
each
ARCHER
Eo do business.
here
other
in
silence.
ARCHER (CONT'D)
someEhing for me.
You have
CO}OIANDER RAMBO
FirsE you will
show me what you
brought.
No.
First
ARCHER
will
@.
pay
for
have
chem.
Archer
Rambo looks aE him with
dead eyes.
looks back with
A nasty stand-off.
eyes equally
dead.
Rambo hands
Until
him a smal-l, filEhy
cloth
SACK. Archer
tips
a few rough
diamonds inco his hand.
Ihis
ARCHER (CO}M'D)
(in xrio;
subtiEled)
i-s noE what was aqreed.
(in
Krio;
COI-,IANDERRAMBO
subElcled)
Eheweapons
and
;iY:'u:"'lll.iile
Archer closes
his eyes again,
looks back at Ehe seaplane.
The cargo door SLIDES OPEN, revealing
the muzzle of a M-130
AssaufE Weapon.
Fawaz racks its
slide.
In
response,
che Rebeis
slide
the
bolEs
on their
weapons.
b.
ARCHER
(in Krio; subtitled)
Maybe I'11 just do my business with
At least E.he
Ehe governnent.
oppressor pays his bi11s.
He turns
and stargs
back Eoward the plane.
COMMANDERRAI{BO
Wait...
Wait...
Rambo smiles as if it has aff been a joke.
He reaches into
a rusEy coffee can and pul1s out a huge handful of diamonds.
COI'S{ANDERRAI{BO (CONT' D)
This is what you wanE? tlere...
So
many, I don't know whaE to do h/iEh
them all.
He gestures
handful .
for
Archer
to hold
ouE his
hands and pours
him a
COMMANDER
You bring a satellite
dish nexL time,
yah?
I want to watch NYPD BIue.
11A
MOMEDTIS
LATER
IIfI
As the seaplane takes off, we see the rebels
of RPGs with Ukranian markings.
12
INT.
unloading
craLes
PLANE
Fawaz gleefully
L2
examines t.heir
haul .
FAWAZ
I'm buying an elecEronics store.
SiL on my ass all day, drink sweet
Lea and watch dvd's. How abouE it.,
Danny?
Archer
closes
his
eyes for
a moment.
He is
free-
ARCHER
Fly che p1ane.
13
EXT. DIAMONDFIELD - SIERRA LEONE _ DAY
An open pit a1luvial
mine
and boys toil
knee deep in
hands, shoveling silt. into
waLchful eyes and guns of
banks passing a fat joint
13
carved beside a jungle river.
Men
rnuddy water.
They dig with their
wooden troughs.
A1I under Lhe
R . U . F . R E B E L Sw h o s t a n d o n t h e
rolled
in newspaper.
MeanwhiLe, Eheir feader -- cAprArN porsoN -revolut.ionary
dogrma to the diggers:
spouts
twisted
t_
CAPTAIN POISON
The Freetown guv-a-ment and Eheir
white masters have raped your land
Eo feed their greed!
We have freed
you!
No more slave and masEer here!
We are all broEhers I
Solomon. his back straining
under Ehe weight of a circuLar
si.eve, pauses to wipe sweat f rorn his eyes.
He,s prodded
wiEh a rif1e,
looks up into Lhe fierce FACE of CapEain poison.
CAPTAIN POISON (COIVT'D)
Back to work ! Your work is your
liberat.ion!
Work harder!
Diq harder!
Solomon turns back !o his sieve.
his sieve, plucks someEhing out,
AMTHER DIGGER, peers inco
hol_ds ic up in his hand.
DIGGER
Kunaa !
A11 work stops.
A rebel comes over.
The digger hand.s him
the Einy, milky crysEal.
A diamond.
WithouE. a word, Che
Commander wraps t.he st.one in a piece of paper.
As work resumes, solomon watches the piece of paper handed
off to a RUNNER, who runs it over to the SAI'{ECoMMANDER,who
sits under Lhe shade of a palrn frond umbrel1a read.ing a
Hustler magazine.
He stuffs
the diamond int.o his shirt pocket
without even looking at it.
Across from solomon, a 3RD DTGGERglances
picks a sLone from the sieve and slips ic
around.
inco his
Furt.ively
mouEh.
He meeEs solomon's eyes.
solomon looks away, keeps working.
When he becomes aware of CapEain poison's
eyes on him
solomon cries to shake off Ehe eyes by shaking Ehe sieve.
capEain Poison remains staring aE him, intently.
Then, calmly
walks over co the 3rd digger wicn che diamond in his mouth.
AND SHOOTSHIM, ac poinE blank rangre.
Everyt,hing sEops.
You.
poison
Bring
turns
back co Solomon.
CAPTAIN POISON
hirn ouE.
solomon puEs down his sieve.
Looks at the BoDy floatinq
nex! to him, turning
Ehe muddy waEer red
soLoMoN (V. O. )
Dear Jassie.
I cannot. wriee well
enough to put in a letter
aII the
Ehouqhts in my head.
8.
14
EXT. R.U.F.
DIzu'IONDCA],IP- SUNSET
1A
Solomon devours a meager porcion of rice gruel in a Lin cup.
fetid clothes on Ehe ground.
Others sleep in their
so LoMoN( v.o. )
Even if I could,
let me send it.
15
my quards would not'
EXT. DIA}4ONDCA],IP - NIGHT
I5
looking out at the guards on watch.
Solomon sits shivering,
Beyond, a 1it TENT where rebels drink and shout back aL a
TV playing,
saLellite
"Whs WanEs To Be a MiTTionaire. "
so LoMoN( v.o. )
I do not know where you are.
not even know where I am.
16
I do
IN THE BINTUMANI FOOTHILLS
EXT. SOMEWHERE
15
Jassie and the children
are among a group of homeless Mende.
Dia carries the infant.
Hearing trucks cominq, they scatter
into the bush.
An R.U.F convoy roars past.
After a momenc,
they return to tne road.
so LoMoN( v. o. )
I only know that
my thought.s
over the mount.ains
to you.
71
EXT.
BED OF GRASS -
Solomon lays
f Iy
NIGHT
there.
Eyes open
l7
in
a living
nightmare.
so LoMoN( v.o. )
find
I will
my whole lif
18
EXT.
I"IOUNTAINS -
you. Jassie.
ff it
takes
e.
We will
be t.ogether.
DAY
18
A high pass.
Misty peaks in the distance.
A BRrLLrAIllf RED
SHAPE comes into
view - the bright
headdress
of a HAUSA
SHEPHERD. He carries
a spear as he leads a herd of GOATS,
be11s clinking
around their
necks.
Picking
up Ehe rear is Archer.
SATELLITE PHONEbuzzes. . .
ARCHER
We're two clicks
from
WhaE've you got?
19
EXT/INT.
Piloted
looking
checking
Gps.
His
Ehe strip.
TWIN ENGINE TURBO PROP by Fawaz. He speaks into
down on the dense jungle
a handheld
FLYING -
SAI,{E
his SAT phone,
canopy.
19
worriedly
q
FAWAZ
20
Exr.raom,r-rarrv:"1"il,
20
sure enough, over the hirr,
comes an armed patrol
SOLDIERS. The TROOPLEADER approaches Archer.
papers.
Archer
fishes
ECoMoG
TROOP LEADER
ouc idencificacion.
pllioc
of
Hands it
over.
ARCHER
Snirh, NaEional Geographic.
TROOP LEADER
you are crossing into
t iberia.
ARCHER
I have a letEer from Ehe MinisEer
of
InE,erior and a Liberian visa as-we]f
.
(as the Captain sEudies
che papers)
Doing a sEory on the Hausa who,
y o u k n o w , a r e a l l o w e d t o c r o s s ' t h las
border to get Eo grazins
Si"u"A".'
Up above, the tiny plane drones pasE.
The Eroop l_eader
glances up, Ehen ar. Archer,
,l? ;;;;;"";=iu'orr"rs
an unopened
pack of cigaret.t,es from his
snrrt pockeE.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Ever read NaEional Geographic?
The Eroop leader. ignores him,. waLks
over t,o a goaE. and runs
his hands down Ehe goaE,s UicL,
His hands
parE a rufr of hair __ reveali"s undei il=-Jfrir,.
;-"ur;i;"iiy
sEraishr line
o f S T T T G H E Si n E h e s o a E ; ; k i " .
Archer feer-s che shape of the gmm
under his
around at the rifles.
Too many ot Ehem.
shirt.,
100ks
The Eroop reader takes ouc a KNrFE
and cuts into Ehe sEicches.
The goat squears a rit.re-rttak
i
c
k
s
angrily.
From under Ehe
goat,'s skin, he t,akes a
dozen smal_l, ,iuqh,DfAI{ONDS.
The t,roop leader
draws his
.45 on Archer.
TROOP LEADER
You are under arresE for smuggling.
Af(LHts.r(
Now you listen
here, my man. I am a
good friend of ltinister
Somora. He
will noc be pleased you f."ru-lnEertered wich his business.
10.
Clearly
''
Ehe name of Minister
Sornora carries
some weiqhE.
ARCHER (coNT'D)
You know who I am, don't you? WhaE
I am. . . ? I don't think you want Eo
mess wiEh me, Or my friends,
eh?
(changes his t.ack)
How about I jusE look Ehe ot.her way
and you pocket one or Ewo of Ehose
sEones. Buy someLhing nice for E.he
wife.
Or maybe Ehe mistress,
eh?
(re the shepherds)
Who's going Lo te11? Thern?
The shepherds l-ook, uncertain,
fron
Archer
to
the soldier.
TROOP LEADER
No.
The Eroop leader FIRES. One of the shepherds fal1s dead.
rhe ot.her i-s cut down as he tries
t.o flee,
The leader frowns
aE Archer, whose worLd has suddenly t.urned upside down.
T R O O PL E A D E R ( C O N T ' D )
We will
go back to Freetown and ask
Minister
Somora how he wishes Eo
thank his business associaEe.
2I
INI.
AN AIVOIIn.IOUSROOM-_ DAY
2L
Archer is handcuffed Eo a chair.
A largre, rotund
enEers, silhoueLEed against t.he bright windows.
FIGURE
ARCHER
Mr. MinisEer, there seens to have
been a Eerrible misundersE-_
SOMORABACKHANDS
him.
I
Archer's
head rocks
backwards.
MINISTER SOMORA
thought. we were friends.
ARCHER
you ,re righE, you're righE..
..
I
Eook a 1itt.1e init.iauive
buL__
Another SLAP.
MINISTER SOMORA
Have I noE been good t.o you?
ARCHER
(Iicks his sp1it. 1ip)
absolutely.
And I was planning
to
cuE you in.
Haven,L f always been__
This
lies
backwards Eo the
chair
Somora fooms over him.
SLAP knocks Archer's
for a moment.
there
cemenE.
He
ARCHER (COMI'D)
Look. .. if you wanted to ki11 me,
you would've
done it already.
So
what is it you want me to do?
Somora smiles.
22
INT.
One of
his
THE TINITED NATIONS -
The SECRETARY GENERAL of
Eeeth
has
NEW YORK -
a tiny
diamond.
DAY
Lhe UN Addresses
SECRETARY GENERAL
We propose
Ehen to prohibit
the
of all
import
or indirect
rough
diamonds from conflict
zones to
of Member States
territory
ZZ
a a fu11
ASSEI,IBLY.
direct
the
at the front
He looks
row where TWO MEN fN SAVILLE ROw SUITS
One is sandy-haired,
4Q, his
sit
among the Representatives.
name is SIMMONS. He serves a distinguished-looking
older
man, 60, with a shock of white hair.
His name is DE WEltTE.
SECRETARY GENERAL (COI\lll' D)
As we know, these stones are only a
smal1 percentage
of the legitimate
;::rli:;5,
:i$fi
:,i:l:li"i:
:3x"n:,
.
support
The well-dressed
23
LATER -
of
such
diamond
CHAMPAGNE I5
a ban.
indusEry
reps
smile
back.
SERVED
ZJ
REPS and WIVES
in a reception
ha11.
The Diamond industry
with
IJN MEMBERSand other
US AMBASSADOR
mingle
DIGNITARIES.
De Wente, holds
WALKER approaches
out his hand.
lilister
AMBASSADOR WALKER
De Wente. . . Judd Walker--
Ambassador.
you.
DE WENTE
Good to finally
meet
AMBASSADOR WAIKER
You don't. spend much tj.me this
of the Atl.an: rc .
DE WENTE
f'm hoping to change that.
wich your help.
side
Perhaps
la
La.
AMBASSADORWALKER
Mr. De Wente, f'm afraid I don't
in any indusEry's
have much faith
to police ieself.
ability
DE WENTE
I assure you, sir, we both want the
same thing.
These 'conf lict'
st.ones
puE the legitimacy
of our entire
business ac risk.
De WenEe's young blonde WIFE appears aL his side.
It's
hard
to decide which is more beauEiful,
Ehe woman or the twomillion-doIlar
D I A M O N DN E C K L A C Es h e ' s w e a r i n g .
D E W E N T E( C O N T ' D )
This is Ambassador Walker.
Dar1ing...
How nice
D E W E N T E ' SW I F E
to meet vou.
oe weNre
(his arm around her)
f C's my belief , Arnbassador, Ehat
diamonds should be associated with
romance and beauty.
Not warfare.
Don't you agree?
How can the Anbassador not be d.azzled?
diamonds, we cut toi
24
EXT. DIAI{ONDFIELD -
From the glicCering
PIT - DAY
24
Solomon works in the muddy water, his eyes transfixed
by the
sparkling reflections
of the river and Lhe swaying trees
that seejn so unaffected by the brutality
beneath.
so L oMoN( v.o. )
Dear Jassie.
How can it be that one
sEone is worth more than another?
Solomon wi11s himself
back to the soul-ki11ing
work.
Suddenly, a WATERPUMP BREAKS-- gushing like a fire hose -knocking over Solomon and several diggers.
Solomon,s sieve
is swept down river.
He swims after the SfEVE. Grabs it.
sloshing his way back, when he stops...
There, underwater,
by the riverbank,
is something SHINY ENOUGH
to reflect. the sun.
As the silt
washes away, the objecE
remaj.ns underwater, A ROCK of a st.artling
pink color.
Solomon blinks
down at
it..
The DIAI'IONDsparkles
up at
him.
13.
so LoM oN( v. o. ) ( coNT' D)
And how can a Ehing E.hat comes from
our moc.her t,he eart.h be so beauEifuL
a s E , om a k e p e o p l e w a n t t o k i I I ?
Solomon looks around.
Rebel guards are fixing
shout,ing at. digrgers E.o geE back to work.
Ehe pump,
solomon scoops the diamond inEo his sieve, covers it with
silu.
His heart is pounding as he wades back t.o Ehe bank.
REBEL GUARD
You daydreaming?
Get back t.o work!
solomon nods.
25
silt-heaped
sieve.
EXT. I'IIDERNEATH THE MUDDY WATER - COMIINUOUS
solomon overt.urns
diamond.
26
submerges his
Quickly
t,he sieve.
t)
His BARE Foor catches
E,he
EXT. ABOVE THE WATER - SAI'{E
26
solomon raises his hand Eo get. t,he guards,
cluEches his abdomen, painfully.
attent,ion-
He
SOLOMON
I musE go badly.
(pleading)
Can'E hold iE in, boss.
The guard motions him out.
solomon climbs ouE, sliding
his
second foot carefully.
He shuffles to the edge of the jungre.
CAPTAIN POISON
SEop.
poison searches solomon.
solomon freezes.
sEarting with
his hair, his ears, nose.
squeezing his cheeks to 6ee inuo
his mouEh. Frisking his panEs, unrolling
his cuffs.
Lift
Solomon rifts
CAPTAIN POISON (CONT'D)
your fooE.
his
righE
foot.
They check between his
Eoes.
CAPTAINPOISON (CONT'D)
The ot,her.
solomon, looking inEo poison,s eyes, lifts
Poison checks between Ehe Eoes. Sacisfied.
Make it
his
left
fooE,.
CAPTAIN POISON (COMrD)
guick.
cl,osE oN soloMoN's Foor, as he lowers it.
The Eoes curl
lnto Ehe soft muddy earth, obviously ret.rieving
someEhing.
1A
2'7
EXT. EDGE OF JLTNGLE- MOMENTSLATER
As Sofomon sguats behind a falLen
through the broad leaves.
tree,
21
he eyes the guards
He
Quickly, his toes release the rnuddy gob under his fooL.
rt's raw beauty is almost unnatural,
rubs the mud off it.
He glances back to make sure he is
the cuff off his pants.
A CLICK at his
head,
SoLonon sIowly
looks
Give it
up
into
unobserved
and then rips
t h e B A R R E LO F A C O L T . 4 5 .
CAPTAIN POISON
Lo me.
Solomon doesn't move. What difference
awaits the crack of the gun, when:
does it
make?
He
A MORTARROUNDCOMES SCREAMINGOUT OF THE JUNGLE.
THE EXPLOSIONknocks
Solomon to
the ground.
government troops appear, fi.ring
MOREMORTARS. ECOMOG
auLomatic weapons. Solomon scrarnbles over to Poison's bleeding
body, removes the MACHETEfrom the belt.
As shrapnel shreds the greenery, he furiously
digs with the
machete.
Wraps the DIAI{OND in his ToRIv GREENCUFF and plants
it in the hoIe.
When he is
STRUCKIN THE HEAD BY A RIFLE BUTT.
He falls.
ECOMOG
S O L D I E R Sa r e s h o u t i n g a t . h i m i n M e n d e .
S o l - o m o nr e a l i z e s h e s t i 1 1 h o l d s t h e m a c h e t e , l e t . s L t . d r o p .
Don't
shoot!
SOLOMON
I am not R.U.F!
Around him ECOMOG
soldiers
sti.cks
in the distance,
28
beat the rebel prisoners
with
o t h e r s a r e E X E C U T E Da L r a n d o r n .
- DAY
ExT. FREETOI^IN
28
A c o n v o y o f M I L I T A R Y T R U C K Sr o l l s
through teeming streets.
W o m e nw a l k w i t h b a s k e t s o n t h e i r h e a d s , t r i b a l
bel1s jingling
around their ankl-es.
"Businessmen,' in white suiCs sip CocaColas outside a hote1.
A UN helicopter
circles
overhead.
29
ExT. BACK oF A MILITARY TRUCK - SAME
Solomon sits chained to other rebel prisoners.
He's never
been to a city,
never seen so many people.
It's
overwhelming.
29
1:.
He sEares aE the BEGGARSwho run alongside.
War orphans,
the same age as his own son.
He searches every face
30
TNT. FREETOWNPRISON (PADEMBAROAD) -_ DAY
Archer looks up from a game of soliEaire
are marched past. his dank ce1l.
30
as REBEL pRrsoNERS
REBEL #1
R.U.F. is eoming! OperaUion Chop
Hands I GeE ready, my brothers !
Archer curns his actention back co his game as Ehe ce11 door
nexE Eo his is opened and Solomon is E.hrown in.
SOLOMON
f arn noE R.U.F. My name is
Vandy! famafarmer!
Archer assesses him.
Solomon
Solomon grives him a hard stare.
MOREPRTSONERS
are broughc in, one carried
on a streccher.
A bandage covers half his face.
But when he turns his head,
we see that it's
capE.ain poison.
Solomon turns away.
Poison lifcs
his
head, sguinting
Ehrough Ehe CELL BARS.
CAPTAIN POISON
What. did you do wirh it?
Solomon doesn, E acknowledge poison.
CAPTAIN POISON (CONT'D)
you hear mel?
I'rn t.alking to youl
Where is uhe diamond! ?
Archer pricks
up his
A pink
ears,
buE, goes on playing
soliEaire.
CAPTAINPOISON (CONT'D)
diamond.
f saw you uake it! I
Archer's hand-, flipping
over a card, stops.
int.enCly now buE careful not to show iU.
you are mad.
Lisuening
SOLOMON
I do not. know you.
CAPTAIN POISON
I saw iu wiEh my own eyes | !
Poison reaches int.o his sweaE sEained shirt., an rVoRy CHARM
from around his neck.
Holds it up for all to see.
Thj_s big!
Solomon just
CAPTAIN POISON (CONT'D)
Biggest I have ever seen!!
shakes his
head, absurdlv.
r9.
B U ? A R C H E R ' SE Y E S . . . a r e o n c h e i v o r y c h a r m , e v e n a s h e k e e p s
playing solitaire.
Poison ca11s to the guards.
C A P T A T NP O I S O N ( C O N T ' D i
give a t.housand dollars
I will
Eo
the man who cuEs it out of him!
These words do somet.hing to Solomon.
He stands and rips off
Until he st.ands
Then his torn pants.
Everyching.
his shirt.
completely naked, facing Captain Poison Ehrough the bars.
SOLOMON
Where is a diamond? Do you see a
diamond!? You devils have taken my
farnily.
My home. Everything!
Here!
Look! What is lefrt?
What. is left.!?
If Ehere is a dianond, then you are
the one who has taken it ! !
Poison lifts
his
Liar!
upper body from Ehe stretcher.
CAPTAIN POISON
He's a LIAR!
The army guards have had enough. They silence
Poison with
rifle
butt to the face.
As they drag him away, Ehey give
Solomon a "goE my eye on you, Eoo" g1are.
a
Archer lays out a new hand of solitaire.
His eyes move to
SoLomon, then away. He's heard all he has Eo.
Solomon begins putting his clouhes back on.
The fury sti11
in his eyes.
Through Ehe bars, he gives Archer a final
g1are.
Archer turns away, just keeps playing cards.
But then
ever so carefully
he picks out the ACE OF
DIAMONDS. Folds iE in ha1f.
He gets up and goes ro his
ce1l door.
W a i t s u n t . i 1 a p R I S O N G U A R Dp a s s e s b v .
ARCHER
Excuse me, brother.
Think you could
get a message Eo Minister
Somora?
The prison guard sees the PACK oF CTGARETTES- and the
card - that. Archer holds through the bars.
3].
folded
EXT. PRISON GATE _- NEXT DAY
Archer walks out into
3J.
the street,
blinks
in
the sunliqht.
ACROSSTHE STREET - THE SA}TESCENE
is observed in
wit.h a reddish
FAWAZ appears
uhe REARVIEWMIRROR of a parked
crewcut.
His name is ,JOOSTand hands Archer
his
hat.
car
by a man
'1 1
How on earth
you go?
FAWAZ
dld you get
Ehem to
1et
f|llLN.gK
Ihere's a farmer in there.
might've found a Plnk.
.
He
FAWAZ
iliur|?.1.r"o.
you'd geE
rold Somora
fII1L11.E.r(
I need to
London.
I
thought
0lho needs
Archer
t.el1
can
thac
- -What ?
contact
our
FAWAZ
we were working
ARCHER
Somora if
Fawaz is
him
the
in
for
pink
holdi.ng
Somora.
is
real?
sornething
back.
ARCHER (CONT'D)
FAWAZ
London wanEs nothinq
vou.
Fawaz hands
friends
a newspaper
more
to
do with
clipping.
Al(Ln.gK
( reads )
"The arrest in Sierra Leone on June
One of Daniel Archer, former mercenary
and smuggler with Eies Eo the De
u:::;,:iil;"S,:;lH'ollflnii:l';,:l:,,
(crumples it)
Fucki.nq hel1 .
He starts
off
down the sEreeL, calling
over his
shoulder.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
His name is Solomon something.. ,
MorEgage the plane i.f you have co -just gec him ouc.
32
INT.
A SHABBY ROO}TIN AN APARTMENTHOTEL --
Drippi.ng wer from a shower, Archer
is
DAY
working
the phone.
32
ARCHER
(on the phone)
We1l, can you t.eIl
Danny Archer called?
A...R...
JUMP CUT -_ LATER -Archer
smokes his
Mr. De Went,e
Archer.
ANOTHERCALL
tenth
cigarette_
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
(on the phone)
What time did he say he'd be back?
JIIMP CUT --
LATER --
Archer pounds his
ANOTHERCALL
fist
inco a wafJ.
ARCHER (CONT'D)
Yes, he definitely
knows what this
yes. . . .
is in regard to. . .
Yes..
..f've been ho1ding....
In frustracion,
33
he throws the phone across
EXT. FREETOV,IN
STREET --
the room.
DAY
??
Archer leaves the shabby hotel,
having changed clothes.
He
is mobbed by che inevitable
swarm of beggari who carr him by
name. . . . "Arrr-cherrr,
Arrr-cherr.
"
ARCHER
piss off.
He pushes his
)A
MEANWHILE--
way pasE, without
a t.race of
compassion.
THE DOORTO ARCHER'S HOTEL ROOMIS KTCKED OPEN
34
.roosr, the man we saw surveilring
Archer, ent.ers and begins
t o S E A R C Ht h e r o o m . . . H e i s p r o f e s s i o n a r - a n d . b r u t a l
-- rlpping
apart bedding, smashing the phone machine, even sricting-[r-r"
.
carpee into chin strips with a razor blade.
It
35
is
clear
he is
EXT. BEACH BAR --
looking
for
something quite
small.
DAY
Every ra/arzone-has a place like this.
Soldiers,
smugglers,
opporcuniscs of,every stripe stand shoulder to shoulder
at a
bamboo bar.
Bad guys and do-gooders, uN workers and ecobackpackers drink overpriced,
watered-down liquor,
irade
gossip, and hook up for desperate expatriate
,,Sierra
sex.
Afrigue" blends African drums and el6ctric
bass.
Every now and !hen, in ghe distant
hills,
the muted souND oF
AN EXPLOSIONand a rising
COLUMNoP SMOKE. No one pays any
at.tent.ion.
There is serious drinking
Eo be done.
35
19.
snippets
brief
As Archer shoulders his way pasc, we OVERFIEAR
A Nigerian peacekeeper hiEs on a tipsy
of conversaEion.
blond Red Cross Worker.
PEACEKEEPER
this place is noEhing but husElers
I will
t.ake you back to
and dopers.
Nigeria.
Show You Ehe real Africa.
RED CROSSWORKER
Is
Ehat, so?
He whispers in her ear and she giggles.
SUITS from Ehe Chemical Bank:
NexL to
Uhem, Ewo
SUIT #1
And EhaL's
Fif t.y Ehousand in cash.
jusE Eo get a meecing with him.
SUIT #2
beEween the crooks
The only difference
who run the country and t.he R.U.F.-The AFRICAN BARTENDER(M'ED) serves
Cheir
drinKs.
AFRICAN BARTENDER(M' ED)
--is fifty
mi1es.
Word on de screeE
dey took Marampa yesEerday,
He poinEs up into
t.he hil1s
where anoEher explosion
rises.
A F R I C A N B A R T E N D E R( M ' E D ) ( C O M T ' D )
Time to reconfirm dose fliqhc
reservations,
maybe.
Archer approaches the bar.
His arrival
is cause for
whispered remarks among those in Ehe know.
How de body,
several
AFRICAN BARTENDER(U' EO1 (CO}flI'D)
1"1r. Archer?
ARCHER
Every day above ground, M'ed...
(Iooks Eo the hills)
Your rebel friends planning co visic
us one of Ehese davs?
AFRICAN BARTENDER(M' ED)
Oh, I 'magine dey come do some
shopping verrry
soon.
He laughs darkly.
Archer salutes him wiEh his drink.
an ATTRACTfVE WOMANEaps her sw:-zzle seick on Ehe bar
'99" ends:
Oasis' "ParCy Like It's
Nearby,
as
AA
zv.
RADTO AI{NOUNCER (V.O. )
AnoEher
This is Ehe Voice of America.
good day on WaI1 SEreeE,, Ehe Dow
ive point.s,
t.he
lTones up twenty-f
In the Whit.e House,
Nasdag up forty...
again defended his
President
Clinton
with Monica Lewinsky-reLaEionship
The woman near
Archer
speaks
up:
WOMAN
Are you listening
to this?
The
and aLl we
apart
worl-d's
fal-Iing
hear about is Blowjobgace...
turns
to MADDY BOWEN. Maddy's a 'handful'
Archer
intelligence
the kind of fierce
that
sends
belies
for Ehe door.
Archer
running
likes
what he sees.
When's
fallrnq
ARCHER
the last
time
apart?
the
world
whose beauty
most men
wasn't.
MADDY
A realist,
Been Ehere, done
Oh.
goE the t*shirt.
that,
Is that. it"
ARCHER
Danny Archer.
MADDY
Maddy
Bowen.
ARCHER
(appraising
her)
American.
MADDY
Guiltv.
Americans
Maddy raises
ARCHER
usually
are.
an eyebrow.
He plays
rough.
She likes
it.
MADDY
Ouch.
ARCHER
Don't. t.eII me, you're
di f ference .
And you're
Archer
smil-es.
It's
MADDY
here to
here
t.o make a
make a buck.
been a long
time
since
he was interested.
2I
ARCHER
guy?
See that
Government miniscer
disaster
caught pockeuing
relief
money.
Bad move, know why?
Wasn't
giving
a big enough cut uo his boss. . .
(poincs nearby)
Thac one. . . ?
Se1ls AK-47's Eo che
rebels
and waiEs for a cease-fire
co
buy 'em at a discount,
then afcer
starts
the f ight.ing
se11s
again,
them back at a profit.
MADDY
point
is?
And your
ARCHER
it's
There
is,
Africa.
You want. anocher?
The point
no point.
MADDY
Rocks.
Vodka.
Archer
catches
M'ed.
is
Med's
eye
--
who nods
approvingly
ARCHER
Same aqai.n.
You were
MADDY
born here?
ARCHER
Rhodesia.
MADDY
You were there
during
have been rouqh.
(o:iering
Loved ic.
And you're
the
war?
Musu
ARCHER
nothing)
MADDY
a smuggler.
ARCHER
Arn I?
Somehow I
MADDY
don'E take
you
as
che
c)&e.
Archer
jusu smiles.
M A D D Y( C O N T ' D )
T was going to say 'sol.dier-of fortune' buu it's
such a cliche.
UNICEF
at
Maddy.
How about
like
thaE
ARCHER
grun.
hired
one.
People
seem to
MADDY
Diamonds?
I
What if
For
ARCHER
you I
told
was a missionary.
MADDY
( laughs )
De Wente?
ltt{'LrlE.t{
It's not just
of questions,
dangrerous.
rude to ask those kind
Ms. Bowen, it's
also
MADDY
1'11 take my chances.
(1eans closer)
So... te11 me about blood diamonds.
And then,
suddenly,
gets
Archer
it.
His
face turns
to stone.
ARCHER
. . .You're a journalist.
MADDY
That's
Archer
right.
sEands up from his
stool.
AJ1LrlEt(
Piss off.
He Ehrows some money onto
36
the bar.
Maddy follows
EXT. BEACH BAR __ COITTINUOUS
MADDY
De Wente Diamonds closed its buying
offices here to avoid U.N. sanctions.
But they're using cut-outs to buy
sEones from Ehe rebels on the cheap.
That way nobody accuses them of
profiEing
from Ehe war --which they
clearly are.
ARCHER
I'm shocked.
him out.
?6
23.
MADDY
-
I::.::'=:"if;:$
:il';3"'i":3.'::5-r..
you roE in jai1.
(grabs him)
Don't you want a chance
He keeps
even?
walking.
Hey,
She qrabs
Eo get
his
MADDY (CONT'D)
a second.
waic
arm.
Moves closer.
MADDY (CONT'D)
(the slightesc
sexual
promi se )
Help me out here...
He can't
help
but
give
a bitter
ARCHER
Maddy, righC?
(she nods)
...Usua11y I liked
to
I get fucked.
He wal-ks off,
JI
INT.
walks
in
and
THE BATHROOM _-
sees
A FLASH CUT --
the
be kissed
before
inevitable
swarm of
beggars.
AFTERNOON (MUSIC OVER)
che wreckage
MOMENTS LATER
Archer stares
ac himself
opens a boeEle of vodka
38
to
A R C H E R ' S H O T E L R O O I ' {- -
Archer
]N
her
leaving
laugh.
of
his
5t
life.
(MUSIC O\rER)
i.n che remains
and chugs ic.
of
his
mirror.
He
3B
GRAINY BLACK & WHITE
Souch African
Forces BREAK DOWN a door and roust
Security
a
middle-aged
sleeping
ANC supporter
from his bed.
His wife
puts a bag over the man's head.
S C R E A I " I Sa s A r c h e r
39
Archer
takes
With a pliers
40
39
BACK TO THE BATHROOM
a long pu1l of vodka and Losses the boEcle.
he grips
a fal-se crown atop A BACK TOOTH.
A.TVOTHER
FLASH CUT - The Bl-ack prisoner
what is being done
as he watches.
40
GRA]NY BLACK & WH]TE
is naked, tied
to
co him.
Instead,
a chair.
we sLudy
we do noE see
Archer's
face
z4
A'1
BACK TO THE BATHROOM
{l-L
BrighE drops of blood drip into the sink.
Ignoring
pain, Archer rips ouE Lhe crorrrn.
incredible
Int,o his
A'>
pa1m, he Eaps a bloody
the
ROUGHDfAMOND.
EXT. RAWDONSTREET (FREETOWN)-_ ST'NSET (MUSIC OVER)
+z
A crowded street
of lit.cle
STOREFROI{TS
wit.h hand-painEed
signs of diamonds. StreeE merchants lick t.heir palms and
hiss as Archer passes.
43
INT. FAST EDDTE'S --
LATER (MUSICOVER)
43
LiECle more than a corrugated shack.
We
and rel.uctantly
accepting less cash Ehan his
QAA
INT.
Joost
Archer haggling,
st.one is worEh.
FREETOWN- STREETS _ LATER THAT DAY
is waiting
in
Ehe road,
A\II'U
44
making no aEEempt Eo hide.
T! E T1
Joost,.
Long
t.ime,
JOOST
mate.
ARCHER
How's AIice?
JOOST
We11, Ehanks.
Tirn must
Big
kids,
Company's
ARCHER
be in co11ege.
JOOST
big problems...
you
know.
ARCHER
doing well?
JOOST
Can'E complain.
Eleven wars on the
continent.,
business
is brisk.
(looks ar him)
Heard you had a bit. of E.rouble in
the bush.
ARCHER
Somora cal1ed you.
JOOST
Minist,er
Somora and
old friends.
the
Colonel
are
25.
JoosE smiles.
Archer Eakes out a pack of cigarettes,
offers
one.
JoosE demurs. Archer pats his pocket.s for a maEch.
ARCHER
coe a light?
Joost reaches into his pocket., t.akes out a lighEer.
leans in co lighE Archer's cigareEEe--
As he
ARCHERGRAES HIS HEAD AND SMASHESIT DOWNONTO HIS UP-THRUST
KNEE, LOW-PUNCHES
HIM IN THE GROIN, SWEEPSHIS LEGS OUT FROM
L'NDERHTM, AND THEN STOMPSHIM IN THE KIDNEYS.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
NexE Eime the Colonel has a quest.ion.
A11 he has co do is ask.
He walks
45
Joost. wriChing
EXT. CAPE TOWNAIRPORT -Archer
45
away, leaving
pays cash for
in
che st.reeE.
DAY (MUSIC OVER)
a round-trip
ticket
45
Eo London.
EXT. LONDON (CHARTERHOUSE
STREET) -_ DAY (MUSIC OVER)
The global nexus of the diamond Erade.
Archer gets ouE, wearingr a suiE.
46
A cab pu11s up and
ACROSSTHE STREET, a small group of PROTESTERS
wirh signs
thaE read, "No Blood Diamonds, " and 'DTC Funds Torture.',
One sign has a drawing of a diamond ring on a severed finger.
4'7
TNT. DIAITIOND
TRADING COMPANY(DTC) --
DAY (MUSIC OVER)
4'7
Archer passes Ehrough securit.y: fingerprint.
reader, scanner,
the works.
He is buzzed rhrough an ANTI-BAILISTIC DOOR.
48
INT,IN A WAITING ROOM
48
He glances at Ehe well-lj-E display cases -- one of which
feaEures a replica of ehe 530-carac "SEar of Africa".
A FLAT-SCREENMONITOR
plays a Ridley ScoEt commercial for De WenEe diamonds.
RomanEic. Flashy.
A young man proposes Co a beauEiful
blushing gir1.
An older couple celebrate
their anniversary.
Rappers wearing 'b1ing'
on t.he Grammy Awards.
DTC CLERK
MisEer Simmons will
see you now.
49
INT.
DTC EXECUTIVEOFFICES *-
DAY
R O L A N DS I M M O N ' So f f i c e
is tasEeful and inoffensive.
Rol and Simrnons. We lasr saw him at. Ehe UN.
49
So is
zo.
Come in.
S]MMONS
Tea?
Come in.
ARCHER
No Ehanks.
SIMMONS
Whac brings you Eo London?
So.
Reg...
ARCHER
Spare me.
He'd raEher
S i m m o n sa d j u s t s t h e E r o u s e r s o f h i s b e s p o k e s u i t .
talk about anything but business, but if Archer insisEs:
SIMMONS
of this company
A month ago, officers
sat in front of the Uniced Nations
and pledged co uphold a ban on
diamonds.
"confIict"
(looks out the window)
We are no longer accept.ing the stones
you supply.
I'm truly sorry you've
come all this way, but our
relationship
is officially
over.
Archer
Looks around.
Realizes-
ARCHER
You're recording this.
S i m m o n ss m i l e s .
Archer doesn't
give a shit.
Record this.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
You're losing your hold on the global
market.
BiS finds in Russia, Canada.
You need me more than ever.
S i r n m o n sg l a n c e s a t h i s
watch.
SIMMONS
You don'c plan t.o lecEure me on the
trade, do vou?
AT(UtsItsK
The trade?
Oh, that has such a nicer
ring to it than "cartel,"
"CarteL"
is for Columbian
drug dealers
and
oil
sheiks.
ft's
so...
unbecoming.
Archer
stands
distinguished
and walks
to a FRAI4ED WALL PHOTO of the
older
MAN whom we last
saw at t.he tJN.
But since
Reg, let's
ARCHER (CONT'D)
just
it's
the two of
cut the bullshit.
(MORE)
us,
zt.
ARCHER (COMr' D)
You've got eight-billion-dollarsgathering
worth of stones
dust. in
those vaults
downstairs.
(leans forward)
If you didn't
keep 'em off
the market,
that
rock on your finger
would cost
less t,han your shoes.
Fine.
Wrire
SIMMONS
a book.
Tell
the
BBC.
ARCHER
(continuing
over hirn)
--Which
Ls why it would be a shame
if,
stsy, anoEher company got all
the
press,
noL t,he mentiOn the prof its
from Ehe largesE pink ever Co find
its way to market*This
pu1ls
Simmons up short.
you're
SIMMONS
bluffinq.
ARCHER
Probably.
But if
I'm not, /ou're
going to be the one having
Eo explaLn
Eo Mr. De Wente how it happened.
He sEands and st.arEs
ouE.
Nice talking
new hairline.
ARCHER (CONT'D)
to you, Reg. Love
Simmons holds up a hand., as if
flips
a switch and MUSIC fills
What are
you
Ten percent
fee.
Ehe
'waiE
Lo say,
the room.
SI!&{ONS
asking?
ARCHER
of markeE as a finder's
SIMMONS
Fi_ve.
AR.HER
seven.
SI}O{ONS
Agreed.
ARCHER
ALways a pleasure
doing
business.
a second.'
He
28.
He t,urns and walks
out.
Simmons picks
up t.he phone.
SIMMONS
Get me De Wente.
50
EXT. FREETOWN
PRISON -Solomon walks out
DAY
of prison
to
find
Fawaz waicing.
FAWAZ
Solomon Vandy?
SOLOMON
What, do you want?
FAWAZ
Some friends
of mine Ehought you
look like an honest. man.
Fawaz hands him a wad of
51
cash and walks
away.
EXT. HIGH COMMISSIONFOR REFUGEESOFFICE - DAY
An abandoned schooll,Ien, women with babies
t,ribal cloth.
They are impatient,
unruly_
swaddled
51
in
solomon sees the line snaking around the block.
He walks
casually
Eoward t.he front., acting as if he knows someone.
SOLOMON
He11o my broEher.
How's de bodv?
Do I
REFUGEE#1
know you?
Solomon insinuaEes himself
beside him in
1ine.
SOLOMON
Sure, sure.
We meE at your cousin's
wedding.
Don,t, you remember?
Another refugee,
farther
back in
1ine,
calls
out angrily.
REFUGEE#2
Back in line!
Ot.her ref ugees join in calling
solomon ignores t.hern, focusing
--and how is
The angry
refugee
,'end of the 1ine, ,' eEc.
on the man beside him.
SOLOMON
che happy couple?
GRABS Solomon by Che arm.
REFUGEE#2
Hey, mon, who you think
you are?
,a
Solomon Eurns on him wich quiet
menaee.
SOLOMON
If you don't let go, I will break
break your
your arm.
Then I will
head.
The man
Solomon's eye is Eruly terrifying.
The oEher refugees stop their grumbling.
The wild look in
recoils
in fear.
52
INSIDE THE OFFICE
Hundreds of NAMES, posted
on reErms of paper
cover
Ehe waI1s.
methodically.
Even as he's shoved
Solomon searches the list
The names he seeks are noE
and pushed, he holds his ground.
there.
soLoMoN (v. o. )
Can it be Ehat no one
Dear Jassie.
in our country has a horne?
He looks around for someone in authority.
S O L D I E Rs p e a k i n g M e n d e .
Hears an African
S O L O M O N( C O N T ' D )
(in Mende, subticled)
Please, f must tajk to someone- My
faniTy 's nane is not on the List.
The soldier,
who is being ye1led at by five other people
simultaneously, replies angrily in subtiEled Mende:
MENDESOLDIER
Go to Kambe, there is another
fist.
SOLOMON
I have been to Kambe, and Mombolo,
and Tibili.
and-MENDESOLDIER
Talk to che whites.
He poinrs
onslaught
t o a h a r r i e d R E D C R O S SO F F I C I A L w h o f i e l d s
an
of questions.
Solomon pushes his way to hj-m.
SQLOMON
Excuse me, sir,
my name is-- -Check
I
The Brit.
the
RED CROSS OFFICIAL
1is[.
SOLOMON
have checkeq the lisrs.
shoucs
Eo be heard
over
Ehe tumult.
RED CROSSOFFICIAI
You have to f i1e papers with t.he
Office of Refugees!
I have fiied
SOLOMON
papers!
RED CROSSOFFICIAI
Then God help you, man. Because I
can' t.
Solomon wants to scream at him, but
53
the Brit
is
right.
E X T . O U T S I D ET H E F I E L D O F F I C E
Solomon sit.s
in
t.he rniddle of
53
the crowded street.
Beref t.
soLoMoN (v.o. )
They told us freedom would rnake our
country into a paradise.
But it has
turned it int.o a sewer instead.
54
IN THE SIERFA LEONE HILLS -EXT. SOMEWHERE
CONTINUOUS
54
Dia, Jassie and his sister wait for food at an R.u.F. outpost.
e rebel wearing a DOO-RAGeyes then.
Dia glares as the man
offers his twelve year-o1d sister
a Milky Way bar.
Jassie pu11s her daughrer away bur ANOTHERsoLDrER puts his
arm around her waist -- pinning her arms behind her back.
R.U.F. SOLDIER
Maybe you are my new wifel
Doo Rag starts ro lead N'yanda away. Dia flings
himself at
the rebel, bur OTHERSjump him and begin to bear him with
thei.r rif 1e butLs.
Jassie's screans are drowned ouL bv t.he
laughter of their tormentors.
Dia, meanwhile, is
truck with several
55
lifted
other
u p a n d T H R O W Ni n t o
TEENAGEBOYS.
EXT. CAPE TOWNAIRPORT --
the back of a
DAY
Archer walks to the curbJoost
His eyes are still
black-and-blue
55
is waiting beside a Mercedes.
behind sunslasses.
,JOOST
He want.s to see you.
f|t(Ln.Lt(
I'm going back to Sierra
actual 1y.
Leone,
Two square-jawed MERCENARTES
emerge from the Mercedes,
oucline of handgruns obvious beneath Ehe tails
of their
the
shirEs.
31.
A R C H E R( C O M I ' D )
I don'E suppose, 'I'm sorry,'
suffice?
would
hem in
The mercenaries unobtrusively
JoosE smiles Ehinly.
Archer on both sides.
He expects Eo be pummeled at any
moment. Inst,ead they politely
open Ehe car door.
,loosT
Af E.er you.
55
EXT. CAPE TOVIIJCOU}i"IRYSIDE--
55
DAY
The Mercedes winds iE way into che South African Veldt,
passing elegant stables, grape orchards and crickec pieches.
57
INSTDE THE CAR
57
Archer expecLs to be beaten aE any momenE. It, doesn'E happen.
57A
DRIVING DEEPERINTO THE VELDT
5?A
The landscape has grown barren.
AL a gaEe lined wit.h barbed
wire, a sign -- "ExecuE,ive Outcomes"
is flanked by armed
wearing crimson berets,
soldiers
who wave them on.
They
fol1ow a deserted dirt road, unEil-58
A RUSSIA}I ATTACK HELICOPTER
maEerializes out of nowhere.
pass, ic flies away.
58
After
making a perilously
close
BESIDE A}J OLD VTCTORIAI{ FARMHOUSE
The Mercedes glides
co a sEop beside
a spreading
acacia.
C O L O N E LT H E O C O E T S E E ,6 0 ,
Looks like he could still
lead a platoon on a fifty
mile
forced-march in hostile condit,ions.
In facE, he stilI
does.
HeIIo,
THE COLONEL
Danny.
ARCHER
Sir.
THE COLONEL
You look beEt,er Ehan JoosE here.
ARCHER
rheco,o"",
:il:::""".':::,:'ff""
1",",1";arrini.
JZ.
THE COLONEL
(raising his glass)
Here's to us and Ehose like
us--
ARCHER
(f inishing
t.he toast )
--Damn few.
They sip.
THE COLONEL
I want you to come back.
ARCHER
Thanks buE I orefer noE Eo.
THE COLONEL
We'11 be coming your way soon.
Our
with Ehe
lawyers are in conversation
governmenE of Sierra Leone, such as
iL is.
Archer
smiles
darkly.
T H E C O L O N E L( C O N T ' D )
They wanE us Eo take back Ehe di.amond
mines and f need someone who knows
his way around up Ehere.
Archer
just
takes another
sip.
The Colonel
studies
THE COLONEL ( COI\]II'D)
According to our Minister
Somora,
you've got someEhing in Ehe works.
Someching...pink.
ARCHER
(disrnissive)
The fanE,asy of some Mende f armer. . .
THE COLONEL
There is the small maEter of paymenE,
on some RPG's. You haven't forgotten
who arranged that shipmenE from our
Ukranian friends...?
ARCHER
But who is iu, I wonder, who tipped
off Ehe ECOMOG
to the goat routine?
The Colonel's
t.one loses
Pay your
Eo work.
some of
its
warmEh.
THE COLONEL
debt. in cash or come back
Your choice.
him.
33.
ARCHER
'
i fu'=tii'"ol"3i'if,'3'3li'I::*:?'"*
THE COLONEL
( laughs )
Oh, Danny... You']L never leave.
You're African to the bone.
(disnrissing him)
.loost will" see you back to Cape Town.
I appreciaEe
ARCHER
thaE.
Thank you.
THE COLONEL
We'11 meet again soon?
ARCHER
sj.r, but I hope not.
No disrespect,
THE COLONEL
weapons is beEter
You think selling
chan using uhem? At least when it's
you pulling
t.he trigger,
lou know
you're not the Earget.
The Colonel
59
and gives
chuckles,
JoosE a subt]e
nod.
BEHIND THE FARMHOUSE
They approach
Ehe parked Mercedes.
Okay, just
59
Archer
turns
to JoosE.
ARCHER
get it over with.
The Ewo mercenaries grab Archer's arms.
.Ioost smif es
s)rmpathetically and then begins to beaE Ehe shit ouL of him.
60
- DAY
IIVT. THE "EXECUTIVE HOTEL'' - FREETOWN
I{alf of its SIGN has been blown away.
leads to a colonial
facade.
A filthy
60
red carpet
Soiomon, in a red vesE chaE serves as a uniform, carries a
businessman's bags.
As the businessman geEs into a cab, a
pack of I'larlboro 100's falls out of Ehe man's pocket.
soLoMoN (v. o. )
It has been so many
Dear .Tassie.
weeks and I still
cannot find you.
Sofomon waiEs until
Lhe cab pu11s away.
pockets Ehe cigarectes.
Then he kneels
and
34.
61
IN1" THE "EXECUTIVE" HOTEL - LATER
51
Solomon carries bags up a back stairs.
He checks to see if
anyone is watching then rifles
the bags for anything of value.
62
EXT. FREETOWNSTREET -At an open-air market,
other stolen items for
DAY
Solomon exchanges the cigrarettes
hard eurrency.
and
soLoMoN(v. o. )
The city is loud and crowded and
dirty.
I miss the farm and cannot
help wondering what. has happened to
the cassava crop.
63
INT. HOSPITAL -Sol-ornonbribes
DAY
53
a LNICEF OFFICIAL with
the curreney.
He walks pasE rows of civilian
casualties,
many of them
He forces hirnself to smile aE each face he casses.
children.
64
E X T . S Q U A T T E R ' SC A M P - -
NIGHT
54
Places like this define every ciUy in the third wor1d.
Sol-ornonhas Eaken residence in E.he rusted hulI of an old
fE is bare excepE for an extra shirt
ear.
folded neaEly.
soLoMoN(v. o. )
MosE of all I miss our family all
Eogether in Che hut. at ni.ghE, Ehe
sound of ehe childrens'
breaEhing,
and your warmEh beside me.
He lighEs
a candle before
a wooden animist
st.aEue.
soLoMoN (v.o. ) (coNT,D)
Whenever I feel myself losing hope,
I think of Ehese chj-ngs and I know
i E wi 11 be aI I right. .
55
EXT. SOMEWHERE
IN THE BUSH -.- CONTINUOUS
Dia sit.s in a dark hut. along wit.h several TEENAGECAPTIVES.
The door is flung open and GUARDSbrucally
drive E.hernout Eo
form a line.
Dia sEands, Eerrified,
in a driving rain.
R.U.F. TRAINER
Your moEhers and fathers are dead.
Your broEhers and sisEers are dead.
You are dead t.oo. BuE. you will
be
reborn wit.h us.
We are your farnily
now.
55
35.
66
55
ANOTHERDAY
Dia and ochers are being
5'1
caughc eo fire
an AK-47.
6'7
ANOTHERDAY
jug of paln wine through the rebelDia carries a plastic
he inadvercenEly SPfLLS
camp. Handing it an older guerilla,
The man begins to BEAT him.
some on Ehe man's t*shirc.
b U
68
IrA J. trll
as a cut. is
Dia is held down by two rebels
powdery drug is poured
and an unidenEified
69
opened in hls
ineo the cut.
59
LATER
the wal1s of the hut -Dia is bouncing
off
teenage boys are similarly
Several
his nind.
.]O
E X T . F R E E T O W NS T R E E T ( A R C H E R ' S H O T E L ) - -
sEoned out
wasted.
A MILITAR.Y ,JEEP is parked in f ront of
perhaps waiting
E C O M O Gt r o o p s
loiter,
Not
taking
any chances,
Archer
Curns
his
for
HOOKER
You l-onely tonight,
{pul-1s down her
I'm safe.
No HIV.
ExT.
BEACH BAR --
big
1n
His
face
is
hote1.
Several
him, perhaps noE.
away.
E X P L O S I O N S L I K E D f S T A N T T H T I N D E Rr u n b l _ e
nighc as he walks.
A car is on fire.
grrowing out of control
.
A Y O U N GA F R I C A N W O M A N , m i n i s k i r t . ,
of
NIGHT
Archer gees oul of a cab, carrying
his bag.
and sunglasses
cover a black
swollen
eye.
.]I
arm
Ehrough the stif ling
A sense of things
earrings
beckons
him.
Archer?
top)
You use condom.
'7)
NIGHT
is burnE.
People crowd the remaining
Half of it
haff,
drinking
as heavily
The African
as ever.
Techno-BeaE
Archer gets Med's attention
at Ehe bar,
sets down his
ARCHER
Mj - n d l o o k i n g
af cer chis f or
(M' ed nods )
...Like
what you've done to
me?
the
pIace.
BARTENDER (M'ED)
F o k k i n g F . . U .F . r r y r o h i t
the guv'ment
'cross da street.
building
ShiE,
mahn, half
da people heah be R.U.F.
( M O R E)
throbs.
bag.
?(
BARTENDER (M'ED) (CONT'D)
(halds hin the usual)
Ever'body
doh.
Good for business
much as dey can 'fore
de rebels
drink
uP de rest.
come an drink
ARCHER
Mighc be time to get
ouL, my friendThe facade
of
Your
prof essional
Med's
familY
jovialit.y
disappears.
BARTENDER
.Jus' f ire uP de
And go where, mahn?
you people?
chopper and f1y away like
We here
No, mahn, dis my counCry.
you came and long after
long 'fore
you gone.
He stares
despair.
at Archer,
his
He turns away.
Fawaz approaches.
He is
eyes
a nervous
Oh, my God,
FAWAZ
are you
Where's
ARCHER
farmer?
the
a tragic
mask of
defiance
and
wreck.
all
right.?
FAWAZ
He found a job at a hotel.
Spends
his time at Lhe refugee offices.
all
the behavior
Not exactly
of a man in
possession of a priceless
stone.
Another
EXPLOSION in
the
distant.
hi1Is.
Fawaz flinches.
FAWAZ (CONT'D)
The main road to Masiaka is cut in
gonna
The governmenE's
three places.
fa11 any second, and I'm following
farmer.
some delusional
Archer
looking
sees Maddy through
somewhat dazed as
apart,
t.he crowd.
She's standing
to Ehe music.
she moves sIowly
FAWAZ (CONT'D)
The man was a digger.
The odds of
him getting
away with even a sma1l
They s1it. you open
stone is zero.
just
alive
for sweating.
I
think
ARCHER
Somora is lookinq
for
me.
??
FAWAZ
(rea11y worried
Allah forfend...
now)
ARCHER
(moving away)
Just. stay on the farmer.
FAWA'
But-Archer
coming
niddle
bodies
has already begun heading toward Maddy.
she sees him
and watches him walk t.oward her.
They meet in the
of a crowded dance floor.
All around then, sweaty
are swaying to the African
beat.
MADDY
Am f supposed to kiss you or
you?
I can,t remember.
ARCHER
How about you dance with
fuck
me.
MADDY
Should I ask what happened to your
face?
He takes
her hand and leads
her
into
the surging
M A D D Y( C O N T ' D )
f guess notThey dance as best. they
can in
the crush.
M A D D Y( C O N T ' D )
This is insane.
I,m drunk in an
African bar dancing with a mercenary.
ARCHER
Whar would they say in
Ohio?
}4ADDY
Chicago.
ARCHER
...you can tell a loc about someone
by the way t.hey dance.
MADDY
Then you can probably te11 right
away t.haE f can' t dance.
They look at
each ocher.
crowd..
38.
M A D D Y( C O M T ' D )
In Mozambigue, you were parE of a
search-and-destroy
unit EargeEi.ng
ANC leaders.
Then in Angola, you
hooked up with De Wente and started
guns for diamonds.
trading
Is
ARCHER
on the record?
this
}4ADDY
But you blew it all
and trying to go ic
getting greedy
a1one. Why:
He doesn'E answer.
They are looki.ng at each other.
The
music is pounding.
SweaE is pouring off boEh of then but
neither boE,hers to wipe it away.
I4ADDY (CONT'D)
So you're, what, a Nihilist.?
OpporEunist?
Scumbag?
Maybe I just
chi ldhood.
rhink
in
MADDY
I,ve never met people
You think
you?
I
ARCHER
wasn,t breast-fed
ARCHER
you gec off on people
like
like
mp
MADDY
Fuck you.
ARCHER
That,
They
keep
too.
dancing,
Ehei.r
faces
verv
close.
MADDY
What T'11. . .never understand. . . is
how. . . you can. . . compartmental i ze. . ,
human suffering.
He stops dancing.
Looks at her.
Thanks for
He walks
away.
ARCHER
the dance.
39.
72
OUTSIDE THE BAR
72
He lights
a cigareEte.
she appears and sEands guietly
him.
Together they watch the dist.ant explosionJ.
MANN\/
I didn'a -"..tIIV
He cakes
a long
drag.
r,ura your f eetings?
Exhales.
ARCHER
How long you been in Africa?
MADDY
Four rnonEhs. Before
Ehat. Kosovo.
ARCHER
Okay.
How many BJacks do you know
back in the States -- besides the
girl
who cleans your house and the
rnan who picks up your garbage?
MADDY
What's that. got to do with
it?
ARCHER
f know Blacks. Grew up with ,€Jn,
fought wiEh ,en. Behind the calm
burning with hate for what we,ire
done to ,€:rn.They haee you, hate me,
haEe each other and hace thernselves.
And your bleeding heart isn,t
sonna
scop 'ern butchering each otherl
Half t.he continent
is starvinq and
the rest is dying of eros while rheir
Ieaders selJ medicine ro build pali-es
and drive Mercedes.
?hat doesn't
MADDY
make it
riqhL.
ARCHER
No it doesn't,.
But apart from a few
do-gooders who show up for a week
with their flak jackels,
their
faptops, and their little
bottles of
hand sanit.izer Ehe White world doesn,r
give a fuck about the Black world.-Look at Sudan.
Look aE Rwanda.
Your country loses thirty_four
marines
in Somalia and then does noehing as
a nillion
people die.
it
except p
-on
picEures of starving
childrln
rv
to flagellate
their guilty
conscience.
(MORE)
beside
40.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
(shakes his head)
So someone's got to do Ehe dirEy
you Ehink America doesn't
work-seI1 arms or hire professionals?
You call Ehern'contracCors'.
I sell
guns. If I don't, somebodyelse will.
IIADDY
The 1aw of she jungle.
(sighs )
If only I had a nickel for every
piece-of-shiE. who uses ic to juseify
his existence.
He Eurns to
I
look at her,
like
her face radiant. wiEh sweaE.
ARCHER
your smell.
Wel1, that
MADDY
makes me weak at
the knees.
ARCHER
It's
all gonna blow any minut.e.
should get out.
MADDY
An ECOMOG
relief
colurnn leaves
the morning.
What about you?
You
in
A!(UtlEt(
Business
to
f inj-sh
up.
MADDY
What could possibly
and geccing yourself
He looks
at
her,
offers
a grim
be worth staying
ki11ed over?
smiIe.
MADDY (CONT'D)
Oh.
He indicates
Right.
the
bare
"wedding
ring"
finger
ARCHER
TelI
me you never dreamt of having
sparkly
dianond
of your very own.
(as he walks away)
. . . Peace.
73
EXT.
SQUATTER CAIIP --
of
her
left.
hand.
a
NEXT DAy
solomon emerges from his rusted
hulk to find
Archer waiting.
Archer
looks as if he's been up all
nighc avoidingr the
-- which in fact. he has.
Minister's
troops
73
4t.
ARCHER
Mrat did you do, bury
anyone is
liscening.
Solomon in
Ehe eye.
to see if
looks
sofomon insEinctively
it?
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
r would have buried ic.
SOLOMON
(heart racing)
What are you calking abouc?
Archer removes his
looks
sunglasses,
At(\-tlEt(
WhaE a:n I
abouE?
SOLOMON
musE. go Eo work
I
Archer
galking
follows
as
SoLomon walks
through
ARCHER
t"Iy friend
Fawaz paid an awfully
bribe
Eo gee you ouE of jail.
Ehe shanEyEown.
large
SOLOMON
pay Mister
I will
Fawaz back.
He
And now you have my
has my word.
word.
And we have f i.nished
speaking.
SoJomon runs
14
INT.
for
a crowded
EXECUTIVE HOTEL --
Solomon is
gteE ouE of
bus.
Archer
waE.ches him
LATER THAT DAY
14
carrying
bags for WesEern businessmen
FreeE,own before
it's
Eoo late.
Deposicing
t.heir bags
Eo f ind Archer leaning
in a t.axi, he walks back
againsE a post., smoking
ARCHER
W h y w o u l d E . h a E .R . U . F . c a p E a i n
che bandaged eye make up such
Solomon again
t,ries
disappear-
co ignore
franEic
t.o
inEo ghe lobby
a cigaret,E,e.
wi t.h
a sEory.
him.
whara'e u""T:T:; I:"5:;Dl"rr iE
yourself?
To who? For how much?
You need he1p, friend,
wheE,her you
w a n E ,i E . o r n o c .
AnoE.herporter is eavesdropping.
Solomon escapes inEo E,he
aI ley beside t.he hot.el , aurns on Archer.
42.
15
'15
EXT. AILEY - COTITINUOUS
SOLOMON
And what You
f know who you are.
Men like You have Eurned mY
are.
counEry into a land of Ehieves and
I do nor need Your he1P.
kj-11ers.
Al(Lrllitl
I could help
Whau if
At. Ehese words,
find
something feral
your
family?
appears in Solomon's eyes'
SOLOMON
Whag do you know of my farnilY?
ARCHER
agenci.es are useless, the
The relief
There
hospiEals are overwhelmed.
are oEher ways.
SOLOMON
Li.ar !
ARCHER
t^IhiEe people.
f know people.
Solomon LTINGES-- pinning Archer
He doesn'E.
could fight.
againsE
the wall.
Archer
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
The. . .right.. . . sEone-Solomon want,s noEhing more chan Eo sErangJ-e him, but, he also
He relaxes his grip.
Archer nrighE be his only hope.
intuits
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
--can buy anyching.
fnformaEion.
Even freedom.
BuE a big
Safety.
The minuEe
stone doesn't sEay secret..
you show iE, your l-ife j.s worthless.
I'rn guessing the onLy reason you're
sEi11 alive is because you haven't
Right?
Eold anyone where it is.
Archer's
piEch --
fueled by desperation
-*
is mesmerizing.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
The lasE pink Eo come ouE of Africa
dol1ars.
fetched Een million
I know
You know
because I carried it ouc.
whac I goc for ic?
He opens his
shirt.
A H U G ES C A R c r o s s e s h i s
chesE.
+5.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
f learned that a man
I was luckY.
do anYthing for a diamond.
will
SOLOMON
fou would say anything.
Erust you--?
How can f
OF AN EXPLOSION, FOLLOWEDBY THE CHATTER
NEARBY, THE CRUIVIP
WEAPONS...FROMA BLOCK OR TWO AWAY.
OF AUTOMATTC
ARCHER
TheY
IE's started.
Hear that?
nust've snuck into the city overnight.
(1ooks at Solomon)
What's it gonna be, fri.end?
A BLOCK AWAY
Three cut-down trucks of Rebels SQUEAL into view
with automatic weapons.
spraying everything
and begin
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Yes or no.
can change with
A whole life
a single
sy11able.
SOLOMON
Yes.
A TRUCK COMESCAREENINGAROUNDTHE CORNER. Archer pushes
Solornon as Lhe wa11 behind them is stitched with bul1ets.
ARCHER
Go.
They begin
76
GO!
t'o run.
76
THEY RUN THROUGHTHE CITY
Their
fates
suddeniy
And death lurks
joined
by the need to scay a1ive.
ac every corner.
Bands of teenagers roam the sEreels,
FIRING AUTOMATICWEAPONS
at anything that moves. Signs, store windows, cars.
Urban
Rap dopplers past as trueks wj.th boorn boxes speed by.
At an intersection,
an impromptu ROADBLOCK. People are pu11ed
out of cars and beaten while their cars are set on fire.
Archer and Solomon double back and sprint
hotel where a gang of Rebels are entering.
the sound of SCREAMTNG
and more GUNFIRE.
pase the Executive
From inside comes
People are being taken -- black and white alike -- and forced
into trucks.
M I N I S T E R S O M O R Ai s 1 e d a w a y a t g u n p o i n t .
44.
Women are dragged by the hair into
out of a fourEh-sE.ory window.
In
fact,
it
alle)ruays.
was much worse t.han anything
Archer, and Solo4on conlinue
to run for
A man is
we can ever
their
Ehrown
show.
1ives.
Storefronts are looced.
ft's
impossible to tel1 Ehe rebels
from the civilians.
edults carry Lelevisions.
T \ ^ / om e n c a r r y
a barca-lounqer.
Teenage boys wear womens' wigs and Ehrow
molot.ov cockt.ails rnade from Swedish vodka.
Rebel ceenagers
are sacking The Beach Bar -- drinking everything
in sight.
Me'd lies dead, splayed across the bar.
Archer and Solomon run through
rockets light
up the sky.
t.he darkening
streets
as
They dive into a resLaurant doorway, taking refuge with others
huddled, terrified,
on the floor.
Windows are shot out. as
rounds rip in and plaster
rains down on their heads,
After a deafeni.ng moment -- quiet.
crack in the door as ECOMOGtroops
wal1 and executed.
'7'7
Archer watches t.hrough a
are lined up against a
HOURS LATER - DARK AT LAST
Archer
and Solomon set
off
aqain
They do their best to stay in shadows, hugging the wal1s of
pock-marked buildings,
as Lhey try to sneak past the roving
patrols and trucks f i11ed wit.h men, and out of t.he citv.
SOLOMON
How. . .much. - . . farther?
ARCHER
Sooner, . .or. . .1ater.
the bush.
/6
. .we, 11 be in
AN HALF-HOUR LATER
Thev are stili
t6
rLrnninq.
Both men are exhausted,
filthy
wich soot and shreat, their
chests heaving.
But neither
even considers
stopping.
Around
t.hern, the houses are becoming
fewer-
'79
'79
UP AHEAD _ AN OPEN FTELD
And then anocher.
Nothing
beyond except
a t.angle of
Erees, ruined
cassava groves,
and the densely-covered
banana
hi11s.
ARCHER
There-- !
they pick
With renewed energy,
up and run:
themselves
THE SOTINDOF VOICES --
CLOSE AT HA}ID
Sends chem DIVING into
a ditch.
Solomon
Three R.U.F. soldiers
are seEEing up a machine gun.
If they are
There is nowhere to go.
looks around wi1d1y.
If Ehey
be discovered.
there by daybreak, Ehey will
scill
be shot.
try Eo run, they will
A look of resolve sEeaLs over Archer's face as he reaches
Without a backward glance, he
into his boot for his knife.
out of Lhe ditch.
slithers
80
THE KTLLTNG OF THE THREE SOLp{ERS
80
one's chroat is s1it,
Is a deadly baI1et.
the second is
gutted.
But his weapon FIRES -- alercing
Ehe third soldier,
just in time for his body to be scirched by
who whirls
rounds from the dead man's M-47 -- which Archer now holds.
It has all happened in a matter of seconds.
has alerted more soldiers
from nearby.
But the gunfire
ARCHER
COMEON!
Archer and Solomon take off
soon begin co streak past.
81
into
--
the field
as TRACERS
AT LAST THEY BREAK INTO THE BRUSH
81
Vines whipping againsE their faces, rhorns ripping
Eheir
hands and clothes -- until
long after
the gunfire has stopped.
aE last
chev stop.
Bent over double.
Gaspj.ng for
breath
in
the humid night.
A 1i v e .
The two men look at one anot,her.
They could never arciculace
it, bur borh inruirively
know rhis will be rhe defining
journey of their lives.
82
EXT. MAKENI ROAD --
DAWN (FROM HIGH ABOVE)
In Carnbodia, in E1 Salvador, in Sudan as in Sierra Leone,
the image of a downErodden, dispossessed multitude
traveling
on foot coward an uncert,ain end has become Ehe signature
image of our cime.
It is the Age of the Refugee.
82
46.
Ox-drawn carts
Archer and Solomon Erudge amidsg the Ehrong.
feeE churn up a sea of dusc.
and thousands of shuffling
SOLOMON
Where are we going?
ARCHER
camp in Port. Loki.
There's a relief
,-lournalisLs will
have access co a
SAT-phone. I'11 have Fawaz meeE us
wich che p1ane.
SOLOMON
I have agreed to nothing.
Archer
looks
straighE.
ahead as he walks.
ARCHER
You wiLL.
83
EXT. ECOMOGSTAGING AREA - MASIAKA * DAY
83
In a soccer sEadium, ECOMOG
soldiers
distribute
stacks of
BOXES of MEDICAI, SUPPLIES.
GRAIN bearing rhe UNICEF srencil,
Archer is ouEside the fence, talking
He is
to a guard.
buffeted by hordes of refugees crying to get Eo the food.
flrlLtlt
r(
--I work for E.he Cape Town Herald.
My wa11eE, my credentials,
everything's
sti1l
in Freetown.
We
barely goE out wit.h our lives...
GUAR.D
Back away from t.he fence-Archer
gives
up.
Solomon has been watching.
SOLOMON
You are not a journalisc.
f 'm crying
AI(LltEr(
Eo get us out of here.
SOLOMON
IE. is as I said.
You will
anything.
Archer
sees 'JOURNAI,ISTS- He waylays
say
an Austral-ian
AJ1LNE.t1.
Hey, mate.
I'm l"ooking for somone
you might know.
Nane's Maddy Bowen.
American.
If you've met her you
wouldn't forget it.
CAIVIERAMAN.
4 " 7.
AUSSIE
ft-K\-nf.
11-
her
Could you te1l
got the story
I've
I'm out
see her
Archer's
here
she want.s.
and
AUSSIE CA}4ERAI'IAN
If I
of here in an hour.
her.
before Ehen, f'11
tell
ARCHER
Cheers.
Thanks.
84
CAMEFAMAN
know her.
f
LATER -_
84
Archer and Solomon are
Solomon searches every
broiling
passing
under
face.
a relenEless
sun.
Archer dozes.
}IADDY (O. S. )
V^li
f vs
^^F
:rvL
rrf
vqe.
ARCHER
This
I"laddy.
He110,
is
Sol0mon Vandy.
I{ADDY
How do you do?
(to Archer;
all
business )
I'm on deadline
and I've
been waiting
four hours to use a SAT-phoneWhat
do you want Eo tefl
me.
Archer
moves her
out
of
So]omon' s earshot.
ARCHER
An outfit
named Scar
blood diamonds.
Mines
is
buvino
MADDY
Ano.
/
ARCHER
De Wente has no visible
ties
Lo Star
but through
a maze of crossholdings
--
;H,::p lfe:1":;
:;:ni;.ln:I"3l-"if;,n:"
dged
they
uo uphold.
MADDY
You have proof of chis.
(he nods )
y
And ou'J-1 go on record?
He looks
at
her.
48.
Al:(u.rl.trt(
ff
you help me out.
!4ADDY
f knew it.
trJLLIl.Cll,
Before you say anyEhing -- Ehe man
is a Mende farmer.
His village
was
burned to the ground.
He was forced
Eo work the mines, buE his fanily
fled -- wife and three children.
He's been crying Eo find Chembue
he's drowning in red Eape.
Maddy looks
again
at
Solomon.
MADDY
How do you even know t.his
man?
l+I.Lrl.LK
I
Maddy looks
know him.
back
You're
at
Archer.
using
MADDY
me.
AIILTtEI(
And you're using me. Isn,E ehac how
i- t works ?
(leaning in)
You r.,rant.Eo make a dj_f ference,
Maddy?
Starc wich this man. you,ve got
access Eo U.N. databases, you know
all che N.G.O.'s.
Look around,
does helping
MADDY
Archer.
What difference
one man make?
He looks aE her.
Jesus.
M A D D Y( C O N T ' D )
Did I rea11y say EhaE?
Maddy's eyes remain on his,
O F H E L I C O P T E RB L A D E S . ..
85
conflicted,
as we HEAR t.he BEATTNG
EXT/INT. UNHCRHELICOPTER- DAY
LooKrNG DowN on a su/eep of grassland
on which a sea of
flapping white Eents suddenly appears...thousands of them...
There it
is.
M A D D Y( V . O . )
85
49.
85
INT. HELICOPTER- SAME
85
Solomon, Archer and Maddy have hitched a ride on a U.N.
chopper.
Solomon's never been up in one.
He sEares down at
the sprawling tenE ciuy below.
MADDY
At the moment, the second largest
refugee camp in Africa.
My wife
Maddy reads
SOLOMON
here?
In Guinea?
is
from Ehe computer manifest
in
MADDY
Jassie Vandy, Kono District.
j.nto Guinea six weeks ago.
Crossed
SOLOMON
And rny children?
Six weeks.
Maddy hesitates.
her hand.
folds
the manifest,
then just
nods.
MADDY
You would have found them.
Somecines
it takes a year before new manifests
reach che field offices.
(glances at Archer)
I was lucky t.o gec access Eo the
UNHCRdatabase.
SOLOMON
know how to thank you.
f do not
What can Maddy say?
B'7
She nods.
EXT. REFUGEECAr'{p - DAy
g7
Archer,
soromon and Maddy step off the chopper
SEA OF HUMA}JITYbehind a CHAIN FENCE SLret;hing
to find-A
for miles.
WORXERSwith worrd Food program armbands unload supplies
REFUGEESrush the fence, pressing
forward,
shoucin!-.
Ihis is
like.
Solomon stares.
I'{ADDy
what a million
These are his
c l o s E o N A R C H E Rt . a k i n g i c a l l
everything there is to see in
people
as
look
people.
in.
He,s seen preccy much
1ife.
But no one is-unaffected.
M A D D Y( C O M I ' D )
You might catch a minute of this on
CNN somewhere between weather and
sport.s.
As they approach the fence, Solomon sees that many of che
refugees are A]'IPUTEES. Some reaching through the chain link
with stumps of arms.
Solomon's heart is pounding.
M A D D Y( C O N T ' D )
f L says they're in Sector T\,vo.
as Maddy shows her
Solomon follows
reads her slip of paper and points
BADGE to a UN GUARD, who
out the right direction-
Archer stares through the fence at
1eg, yet nanaging to kick a plastic
two KfDS, each with one
jug back and forth.
OEher amputees stare su11en1y.
JOURNAIISTS WITHOUTSSS'
a sign
reads,
" N O P H O T O SF O R
A WRINKLEDOLD MAN blows his lips at Archer through the fence.
Archer walks on.
The old man shadows him.
Until
ercher
realizes the fe11ow is gesturing to the cigarettes
in his
shi-rt pocket.
Archer takes out a cigarette,
is about to
slip one through the fence -When he sees the man has no hands.
Grimly, Archer sticks
Then moves on.
88
j.n the man's mouth.
the cigarette
EXT. REFUGEECAMP - SECTORTWO GATE - LATER
A FRENCHUN GUARDrelays
Stay at
Ihe paper
88
Io an AFRICAN WFP MONITOR.
FRENCH GUARD
the fence.
Quarantine.
Solomon grips the fence, waLching the WFPmonitor
disappears into che teeming mass.
Archer
has rejoined
thenr.
He notices
as he
Maddy,s expression.
ARCHER
What'" *rorrgi^'Maddy shakes her head.
something from him.
But Archer
can tell
she's
keeDinq
Solomon catches sight of the WFp monj.tor.
He has a woman
with him.
A woman carrying a litt1e
boy and a young girl.
SOLOMON
Jassie . . .?
(and then he's sure)
J a s s i e ! J A S S I EI
f,],
.lassie
her name, looks
hears
up through
t,he hordes
of people.
JASSIE
SOLO!
Solo!
SOLOMON
. ] A S S I E! !
t.o joy
Solomon's face morphs frorn disbelief
Ehrough a crush of bodies t,o him -Their
their
as ,Jassie runs
They run
fingers GRASPeach oEhers Lhrough Ehe fence.
hands over each ot,hers faces, unable to speak.
in her arms, an infant
Solomon l-ooks at the one-year-old
He t.ouches hirn Ehrougrh the fence,
when last he saw himThe girl , silent., of fers a weak smil-e,
She's seen t,oo much.
Then Solomon looks
puzzled.
around,
S O L O M O N( C O N T ' D )
Dia?
(to .lassie,
V'lhere is Dia?
The boy is
nowhere in
in Mende)
sight.
(CONT'D)
SOLOMON
Where is my son?
Wagching this,
Archer
Eurns Eo Maddy.
ARCHER
He has a son who goes to
reads English.
school,
MADDY
There were only two children
on t.he manifesE..
--Whar.?
Maddy turns
list,ed
ARCHER
away, her eyes brinnring.
A T T H E F E N C E . S o l - o m o nr e a d s . l a s s i e ' s
eves.
soLoIlON
Where is he ! ?
She rubs her cheek against
They...took
his
hand,
her body trernbling.
JASSIE
him.
Solomon looks at her, incomprehensibly.
And Ehe words come
out in a flood of Mende - Ehat breaks into a WAIL of grief.
Solomon d,rops Eo Ehe ground as if every muscfe
He struggles for breat.h.
had been cut.
Archer
cannot
grief
waEch their
yet
cannot
in his
turn
body
away.
ARCHER
Fuck this
to pry Solomon's hands from the fence, buE he
A GUARDtries
the guard cal-l-s ANOTHERGUARD
Sensing trouble,
won't let go.
Both of then cry to pu]l Sol-omon from che fence.
over.
Let
SOLOMON
thern ouc.
,Jassie doesn't
fet
go of her husband's hands.
LJAJJT
shaking
S o l - o m o ns t a r t s
Let
r
Sol-o
Solo
the fence.
SOLOMON
thern out !
The guards begin Eo beat his hands with their rifle
But Solomon keeps shaking the fence as if to uproot
posCs.
butts.
the steel-
S O L O M O N( C O N T ' D )
LET THEI{ OUT!
Archer
puts
himself
between Solomon and Ehe guards.
ARCHER
Get of f hin!
A guard points
Fj.ne!
89
INT.
his
rifle
and shout.s in an unknown dialecc.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
,Just get of f him!
HELICoPTER - LATER
B9
Archer and Maddy ride in sil-ence.
SoLomon sLares out Ehe
chopper window.
His knuckl_es bandaged.
Devoid of emotion.
MADDY
They're afraid some of the refugees
might be rebel s . They won ' t. be
rel-eased until
Chere's a cease-f ire.
I'm sorry.
Solomon sEares out. aC the distant
fog-shrouded
mountains.
SOLOMON
What you wanE, Mist.er Archer, is
That is where I
beyond those hills.
buried iL.
heart
Archer's
rea1.
skips
a beat.
spoken of
Whac was only
is
now
And then
Maddy looks ac Solomon, his face knotted in grief.
the pieces together.
back at Archer.
She is putting
90
EXT. ECOMOGSTAGING AREA - MASIAJ{A - EVENING
90
Maddy marches away from the helicopter.
.f{J(L.FtE,F(
Maddy, waic...
He grabs
her
arm.
She wrenches
free
of
his
ARCHER (CONT'D)
take his son!
I didn't
Don't
EhaE on me !
Din
I pin
you.
MADDY
on all
of
ic
us.
grip.
Especially
ARCHER
Yah, we fucked the black man.
My
father
did and my grandfather
before
him.
Now the black man fucks himself.
Tell me something I don'E know.
Tired,
91
EXT.
f urious,
done wich
sparri.ng,
E C O M O GS T A G I N G A R E A - -
solomon and Archer
hundreds of fi.res,
she walks
MASIAXA --
o f a M A C H E T Ew i t h
a flashlight.
Al1Ln.CK
You say che mine j.s near t.he Moa
River.
Where exaccly on this map?
Solomon's eyes remain on t,he machete blade.
SOLOMON
I do noE need a mac.
ft.I1'\-
We fo11ow his
91
NIGHT
huddle
beside
a fire.
Around them are
each wiEh huddled
figures
silhouetted.
solomon's
sharpens che blade
Archer pores over a MAp wich
ttre11, I
of f .
n.L
K
do.
finger
ON THE MAp as he La1ks.
a whecstone.
ARCHER (CONT'D)
We're here....
The press convoy is
going to Kaifahun.
Diamond mines
are here.
Where did you bury it?
/
:il';:l;
a line upone
currrNG
:il:',::i.i3i"ui3iiJ"ii3:n.is
ARCHER (CONT'D)
You understand, when we get to
Kailahun, w€'re gonna have to go
overland.
You better damn well be
able to find it.
Solomon is
lost
in
a worl-d of ritual.
SOLOMON
(almost to himself)
My son is a very good studenE.
He
walks f ive miles Eo the Sist.ers'
school every rnorning to study English.
He is going to be a doctor one day.
The pain of self-injury
is an attempt to inure himself to
the pain of Loss.
He turns away to scare inEo the fire.
Archer
92
has to walk away.
NEARBY - AN ASANDONEDBUTLD]NG
92
houses the palcry assortmenc of journalists.
Archer waLks
past the guards wit.h a wave of Ehe finger.
They assume -because he is white -- that he belongs there.
MADDYis
f ingers.
hunched over a portable
tlpewriter,
tlping
Archer l_eans over her shoulder t.o read.
ARCHER
"...in
the ninety degree heat, farmer
Solomon Vandy drops Eo his knees
against the chain-link
fence--',
Maddy whi.rls
around.
"--rattl_ing
hands... "
Archer
finishes
the senr.ence.
ARCHER (CONT'D)
Che wire with his
powerful
MADDY
(d e f e n s i v e )
. . .What?
ARCHER
Nothing.
You think
MADDY
I'm exploiting
his
grief.
with
Lwo
55.
Archer just
looks at her.
She loses
it.
M A D D Y( C O N T ' D )
Do you
You think f like being here?
have any idea what I cou1d make back
garbage about
in the sLates writing
movie stars--?
(righteous fury)
All anybody sees here are victims.
And lives.
Noc people.
With faces.
They deserve a voice.
(shaking her head)
And the world deserves to know where
And
the things they buy come from.
how much they rea11y cost.
(Lurns away)
So get out of my face and let. me
work.
Archer
watches her work
for
a moment.
Rubs his
eyes.
ARCHER
. . . Solomon thinks his son is going
to be a docEor one day.
(she looks up)
What's Ehe life
expectancy for infants
in a camp like this?
WhaU's going
girl?
to happen to a twelve year-old
Thac diamond is the only chance he's
got of geEting his family out.
MADDY
You expecE me t.o believe you give
rat's ass abouc his familv.
No.
ARCHER
I'm just exploiting
his
a
grief.
She glares at him, then looks away. There are
cont.radictions
in both Uheir intentions.
inherent
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
f need co get to Kailahun.
The only
way now is with a UN convoy.
I'm a
TV journalist
and he's our cameranan.
Maddy's shaking her head.
She won't
do ic.
MADDY
No.
ARCHER
f sewed R.U.F. diamonds into the
skins of goats.
I was smugrgling
them across the border into t,iberia.
Maddy is
taken by surprise.
She's wary but
ready to listen.
ARCHER (COI\rI'D)
The stones go to a middleman
Monrovia. . .
93
FLASH CUT -*
Fawaz spills
in
93
THE BACK ROOI4 OF A SEEDY SHOP
a bag of
rough
diamonds
onto
the
counEer.
ARCHER (V.O. )
...who pays off a cuscoms official
who cerEifies
were rnined
the dianonds
in Liberia...so
they can be
Legi timacely
exported.
94
FLASH CUT --
A CUSTOMS DESK
94
where a CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN bearing
is
a Liberian
seal
signed,
stamped and affixed
t o a W O O D E NB O X N A f L E D S H U T .
ARCHER (V. O. )
Once they reach London or the
cuEting
houses -- no guestions
95
FLASH CUTS --
IN THE BOWELS OF THE DTC -
A SOR?ER discards
che cerEificaEe
of
DIAI'IONDS onTo a SORTING TABIJE, mixes
They
95
FLASH CUT -There are
Electronic
Antwerp
asked.
become
ARCHER (V. O. )
like
any other
LONDON
-orig,in
Them wilh
spil1s
the
OTHER DIA.MONDS.
diamond.
WIDER
many sorting
surveillance
95
95
tabl-es,
each wiEh PILES
cameras observe
it all.
MADDY (V. O. )
And De WenEe knows about all
OF DIAMONDS.
this?
ARCHER (V. O. )
Supply and demand, Maddy.
Control
the supply
and you keep demand higrh.
91
FLASH CUT --
THE UN
91
Dewente and Simmons sit
before
accepting
the congratulations
Ehe General
Assembly piously
for their
righteous
stand.
A_t(uttEf(
When African rebels flood the markeE
with a bj.l1ion dollars
worth of rough,
De Wente can't afford to ignore it.
Technically speaking he's noc
promoting the war.
He's just giving
Ehem the means to do it.
/.)
98
BUILDING -.
BACK IN THE ABAI\TDONED
Maddy's staring
of her career.
98
NIGHT
He's gi.ving her
at Archer.
Ehe biggest
story
MADDY
You'11 go on the record?
Archer gives
her a long Iook.
AlLLrtE
Nods yes.
l.(
And if f come ouc with this stone...
Danny Archer -- such as he is
disappears from the face of Lhe earth99
INf.
PRESSBUS - MORNING
99
on the side of
Someoneis using sgrips of tape to write
speaks into a
ltboard Lhe bus, a Spanish reporter
the bus.
chats with a French radio
A CNN reporter
recorder.
digiCal
A BBC crew plays cards across Lhe seats.
type.
Solomon stands outside the bus awkwardly holding
canera, a laminated PRESS rD around his neck.
r cannot
a video-
SOLOMON
do chis-ARCHER
Why noE?
SOLOMON
I am not a journalist.
tI]aL.NEf(
Of course you're
noE.
SOLOMON
Then how can I say I am?
ARCHER
how
Because you do, because that's
you get on the bus-..,fust do it!
Archer
Archer and Solomon make their way down the aisle,
smiling co all like he belongs there, Solomon massively
Solomon takes a seac
uncomfortable.
They nod to Maddy.
beside a Spanish reporter.
SOLOMON
(utterly
wooden)
I am...Ehe caneraman.
lOO
EXT/IMI.
J o U R N A L I S T ' S B U S ( T R A V E L I N G )- -
1OO
DAY
The UNICEF convoy winds its way through Che Kanagari
Solomon stares out aE Lhe passing landscape.
hilIs.
58.
(v.o. )
soLoMoN
Dia.
Yesterday I rode in a
helicopter.
Oh, my God. You would
is
noL believe how big and beautiful
this land of ours.
101
101
A MUDDYJUNGLE TRATL
A platoon of child soldiers
trudges along, singing a
revolutionary
song: "The peopJe wiTl benefiE from Ehe rjches
of Eheir land; R.U.F, js Ehe savior we need. " A ninet.een
year-o1d leader prods Dia to sing louder.
102
BACKTO THE BUS
where Solomon is
IO2
talking
quietly
to Maddy.
so L oM oN( v.o. )
f have been living
in the white
people' s wor1d.
Comput.ers, videoyou
phones.
caneras and satellite
wouLd like it verv much.
103
AN R.U.F.
ENCAMPMENT
TO3
The child soldiers prepare for battle.
Under Ehe wacchful
eye of their older commanders, some fietd-strip
weapons and
paint their
faces, while oEhers sniff
amphet.amines. Tvro
strong men hold Dia's arm and inject
hinr.
so L oMoN( v.o. )
I hope you are able to keep up wich
you must sEudy
your schoolwork.
hard if you truly hope to be a doctor.
104
A FIREFTGHT IN THE JUNGLE
a p l a c o o n o f R . U . F . i s A T T A C K I N Ga s m a l l
fighters
walk behind the child soldiers,
them unless they advance.
104
hamlec.
Older
threaEening to shoot
D i a f i r e s h i s A I < - 4 ' 7i n d j , s c r i m i n a r e J . y .
He kills
an ox and
then a man who tries
to f1ee.
Tears strean down his face.
so L oMoN( v. o. )
Your mot.her and sisters
are alive,
Dia.
You must keep yourself alive,
too.
Unt.i1 I can find you.
And
bring you home.
105
THE BUS COMESTO A SUDDEN,CREAKING STOP.
Everyone looks out the window.
Up ahead, the road is blocked
by shouting VILLAGERS. ECOMOGsoldiers
try to keep order.
IRTSH JOURNALIST
What's going on?
105
59.
A RED CROSSTRUCK lies overturned on the road.
hole in its si.de from the RPG thac hit ir.
Chrisc.
Charred.
A
I R I S H J O U R N A L I S T( C O M I ' D )
Must have been an RpG.
The word, "RPG" has a special resonance for Archer.
rush to grab Eheir gear.
Time to go to work.
Cameramen
ARCHER
Wait.
The journalists
No...
push past him.
ARCHER (COI{II'D)
The R.U.F. is out there, just waiting
for another target..,
It's danqerous.
(gives
MADDY
him a look)
Duh.
She pushes past him down the aisle.
]-06
OUTSIDE THE BUS
]-05
Maddy and solomon navigaEe the confusion of solders and
,,. . . ,,these
villagers.
Journalises
speak into recorders
peop)e, having come onJy to heLp, have now become targets.,,
A soLDrER eyes solomon suspiciously.
camera? Archer lifcs
ic to sol0mon's
why isn'E he using the
eye and Eurns it on.
THROUGHTHE VIEWFINDER (VIDEO IMAGE)
solomon PAIIS rhe tragic
scene -- coming to resr
begging for someone to help her wounded son.
on a MoTHER
The sound of gunfire.
ECoMoGtroops have seen somethinq
.he tree-line
and have begun exchanging fire.
in
ARCHER
Hurry ir up, folks ! Unless you wanc
to end up the same way!
solomon can'r
move, just
scares at
uhe boy and mother.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Solomon--- let's goSolomon put.s down t.he canera and approaches
the boy.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
What. are you doing?
solomon picks
up r.he boy and begins
carrying
him co the bus.
50.
No. . .
107
ARSHER (CO}IT'D)
What are you doing! ?
AT THE BUS
Maddy helps
TA]
.
the
injured
You can't
Let
boy
aboard.
A JoURNAlrsr
seops
him.
FRENCH JOURNALIST
do this -- there's no room!
AUSSIE JOURNALIST
'sm on, you bloody
frog!
M O R EJ o u R N A L r s r s j o i n i n : " f e r c h r i s s a k e "
"might as werl
do something!"
"Make room"
"who the hell needs this?
TV CAI'TERAMAIV
Lay him across che seat.
Easy-The boy's
mot.her chatEers her thanks in Mende.
AUSS]E JOURNALIST
Where you blokes gonna sit?
Good guestion.
Archer
looks around.
No seats
1eft.
ARCHER
Bo11ocks.. .
COCKNEY\TOURNALIST
They can ride wit.h me. Come on.
1OB LATER _- ARCHER, SOLOMONA.IVDMADDY
now ride in
is driving.
1nR
the Land Cruiser.
A loquacious COCKNEYJOURNALIST
Ahead, the bus belches black diesel.
COCKNEY.JOURNALIST
--Like the fookin' M-4. Just what
this place needs, bit of environmenfaL
blight on cop of the resE of iE.
Fr9m. Ehe passenger seat, Archer looks back and sees Maddy
nodding off in the back, her head resting. against the wihdow.
COCKNEYJOURNAIIST (CONI' D)
--Diesel
fumes, toxic chemicals,
pesticides,
maybe a nuclear reaccor
cr two to melt down...
A TREMENDOUS
EXPLOSION AI{EAD
The lead mini*bus has Hrr A iJAIID M]NE.
inLo a chirnney of black smoke.
AUTOMATICWEAPONSFTRE PROM THE BUSH
A f ireball
rises
51.
R.U.F.
fighters
are emerging from Ehe Ereeline.
JUST AHEAD
T h e b u s i s R A K E Dw i t . h f i r e .
IT SKIDS TO A STOP, blocking
their way. Rebels, armed wit.h Ak-47' s, close in.
ARCHER
GET OFF THE ROAD!
But the Cockney falls
The
against. Archer, SHOT in the head.
car KEEPS MOVING as Archer t.ries Eo reach past. Ehe dead man
Before he can gain conErol:
and grab Ehe wheel.
THE LAND CRUISER CAREENSoff
SMASHINGinE.o a Eree.
the shoulder
of
Ehe road,
GUNFIRE shaEEers Eheir windows as Solomon THROWSHIMSELF on
of the vehicle.
Eop of Maddy, pushing her down Eo the floor
ARCHERmanages Eo push the dead journalist
Ehrow t.he Land Cruiser int.o reverse.
out
Ehe door and
R . U . F . F I G H T E R S* - w h o h a v e b e e n r u n n i n g t o w a r d t . h e c a r - are forced Eo scaEEer or else be run over.
As Archer rarns Ehe shifEer inE.o firsE,
a REBELruns up to
Ehe car from behind, his weapon held above his head, preparing
to shooE down inEo Ehe back seat.
JusE as he FIRES, Ehe car
lurches forward and his bullets
sEitch the carqo hatch.
THE LAND CRUISER
Swerves away, taking off the front. bumper of the lead Eruck.
A rebel raises an RPG Eo his shoulder, takes aim.
Fires.
ARCHERswerves aE Ehe last moment. The RPG passes by,
exhaust trail
the only evidence of the near-miss.
its
They crashe headlong into Ehe brush. It's
a bone-jarring
jagged branches loom and penet.rate Ehe windows, Ehe
ride:
chassis groans as tires pound over roots and hidden boulders.
BACK ON THE ROAD
JournalisEs
109
are rousted
EXT. DIRT ROAD --
aE gunpoint. toward an uncertain
AN HOUR LATER -*
faE.e.
AT DUSK
The Land Cruiser emerges from the bush.
IE.,s a wreck.
The
wheels grind against the wells,
two E.ires are f Iat, srnashed
windshield. bu1leE holes along its length.
Archer stops and has to
peers under Ehe bonnet.
force the door open to get ouC. He
Bullet ho1es.
It's hopeless.
1no
62.
Grab your
ARCHER
things.
They have no choice but
110
Eo seL off
on foot.
LATER - THE NIGHT SKY ]S SPECTACULAR
110
One
canopy of sEars.
As they Erudge along under a bright
Archer uses dead reckoning.
mighE even think of diamonds.
ARCHER
Long as we head
The SouUhern Cross.
North, we'11 hit the main road.
They walk in
silence
for
a moment.
MADDY
What do you Ehink happened Eo Lhe
people on the bus.
ARCHER
You rea11y want to think
about
i.t?
Up ahead, Solomon sEares up at a part.icularly
Kya kwayera
We call
it
bright
st.ar,
SOLOMON
taariq.
MADDY
Venus.
SOLOMON
We say the moon's wife.
(pointing)
She follows him through the sky.
Two days before t.he new moon, she
comes out alone, looking for him.
The moon and his wife are never
separated for very 1ong.
He is
111
thinking
of .Iassie.
Maddy is
moved.
AT F]RST L]GHT - A BURNT-OUTCHURCH
111
Looms out of the jungle as they walk a narrow Lrack.
Pornographic GRAFFITf has been spray-painted
on the church,
and "West Side Wiggaz."
H E A D L E S SB O D I E S h a n g f r o m t h e t r e e s .
II2
SUDDENLY- OUT OF THE .]T]NGLE
natives adorned
Come a scary-looking
band of semi-primiUive
wi.th colorful
They carry a
amulets, she11s and talismans.
miscellany
of handguns, macheces and spears.
SOLOMON
Be very sti11.
(MORE)
II2
oJ.
S O L O M O N( C O N T ' D )
not
Do
:.ook thejn in the eye.
(to Archer)
They are Kamajor.
gestures angrily
The HEADSMAN
at
eyes and responds deferentially.
Archer.
Archer
Sofomon lowers his
whispers to Maddy:
AKL.lttrK
Protecting
Local militia.
homes.
their
The Headsman qestures with his machece. Several
prod Archer forward with an old double-barreled
1]3
LATER . THEY WALK A JI]NGLE PATH
Archer
114
of his men
shoEgun.
looks
around
for
EXT. MENDEVILLAGE --
113
any means of escape.
There is
none.
DAY
LIA
They emerge from the bush to discover a cluster
of buildings
untouched by the ravages of war.
Flowering gardens and neatlyraked paths.
After all chey have seen, it seems dreamlike.
A GROUPOF CHILDREN
Emerge from the buildinq
and race
toward
them.
MENDECHILDREN
Where are you frorn? Have you come
from America? Do you have CD's?
A GENILE VOICE cal]s
ouI.
GENTLE VOICE
Don't be bochering the people now.
Let them come in.
The children
inscancly
obey.
BEN,JAIIINKAPANAYappears in
doorway.
year-01d distinguishedHe is a EaII, sixty-five
looking Mende with a trim whire beard.
BENJAI{IN
(in Mende; subtitles)
you can leave
Thank you, Ubani.
thern here.
I take responsibility.
KAMAJOR HEADMAN
(in I'lende; subtitles)
Good. Now they are your problem.
The Kamajors back away, vanishing
into
the foresE.
BEN.JAI{IN
If you're looking for money, weapons
or fueI, f don't have anv.
54.
ARCHER
food?
f{ow about
BENJAI,IIN
If you ask politely.
genjamin
Kapanay.
Danny Archer.
--Maddy
My name is
ARCHER
And this
is--
MADDY
How do you
Bowen.
BENJA}IIN
Lhank you.
Very weI1,
do?
Chicago?
MADDY
How-BENJAI'{]N
the accentrecognize
(Eo Solomon; in Mende)
Welcome, Brother.
--I
I
SOLOMON
(in Mende; subtitles)
from
am Solomon Vandy,
Bo.
BENJAI'{IN
(in Mende; subLitles)
I make of your
Whac. should
Solomon doesn't
know how Co answer.
companions?
He lies
badlrr.
SOLOMON
(in Mende; subtitles)
Ihey are. . . journalist.s.
\h.
Solomon
looks
BENJAI.IIN
(in Mende; subtitles)
And I suppose you are,
away,
ashamed.
too.
Benjamin
turns
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
you in a glass
Might f incerest
lemonade?
]-15
EXT. MENDE VILLAGE
Under
young
--
Lo Maddy.
of
LUNCH
].15
porch,
a covered
they eat l-unch -Mende wife and his three children.
BENJAI'{IN
I don't
undersLand
would willingly
live
(MORE)
served
why anyone
in t.hat cold.
by
Benjamin's
55.
BENJAI{IN (COMT'D)
The wind off
the lake.
I cried
night. rny f irsE winter.
How did
you
Because
e] se?
of
every
MADDY
end up ac NorEhwestern?
BENJAI,IIN
PresidenL
Kennedy,
who
MADDY
Excuse
rne?
BENJA}IIN
By way of ,Jarnes McGrat.h, a young
Peace Corps vol-unE.eer frorn Winnecka -who found a semi-Jicerace
Mende boy
and was foolish
enough Eo believe
he
couJd benefit
from higher
educaEion.
How long
ARCHER
were you in
Ehe St.aces?
BENJAMIN
Whj.ch Eime?
I ended up getEing my
-- betCer cJimaEe.
MasCers aC Stanford
Buc you
MADDY
came back?
BENJAI{IN
To show my people Che way.
They are served a pLat'Cer of
ten year-old
boy.
Benjamin's
Thank you,
You builc
Hah.
vegeLables
by a well-mannered
son, UCHENNA.
BENJAI{IN (CONT'D)
Uchenna.
SOLOMON
this
school?
BENJAI,IIN
Scarcing in 1967.
Children
from all
over the district
find
Cheir way
here.
Over five
hundred graduates
since we beqan.
Y,ADDY
r,alouldyou mind
That's
remarkabJe.
if I Eurned on my cape recorder.
BENJA}4IN
I'll
make you a deal, Miss Bowen -I gi_ve you an interview
and you teach
at my school for a monEh.
MADDY
( l-aughs )
like that.
I'd
BEN.JA}TIN
But you won't do it.
I'IADDy
No.
BENJAIqIN
An honest journalist.,
how refeshing.
The Eruth is, f have done well_ Eo
k e e p a J - o wp r o f i I e .
This is a very
dangerous parE of Ehe country with
Ehe diamond mj-nes so close by.
Solomon, meanwhile, hasn't. been able to take his eyes off
Benjamin's young son.
The boy smil_es back at him.
of
SOLOMON
My son wanEs to be a docEor.
Very good.
BENJA}I]N
Where is he now?
A sifence.
AJ(LNtsK
We don'E know.
BENJAMIN
I undersE.and. . .
]-15
A SERIES OF ]MAGES
115
Benjamin gives them a Eour: a group of eight year-o1ds crowd
around a single compuEer; a ten year-old girr
is being taught
to use an arEificial
linb;
Ewelve year-old boys play cricket.
BENJAI.{IN
Many of these children
were taken by
the R.U.F. We have taken them back.
(Jooks at Solomon)
Some of them have been made to do
horribl-e things.
We are t,rying Eo
b r i n g t , h e mb a c k E o 1 i f e .
Solomon turns
1.I'I
LATER --
away to hide
Ehe surge of
emotion,
AT STINSET
They siE drinking
wine.
II7
The African
BENJA},ITN
iE was al-1 very clear
(MORE)
sunseE is
in
1954.
inimitable.
BEN'JAI"IIN (Collll' D)
freedom plus economic
Political
development equals happiness.
But
leads to chaos
sometimes revolut,ion
doesn't
and economic opportunity
necessarily
bring out t.he besc in
people.
Certain personality
tlpes
realized
freedom could be another
name for greed.
(raises his glass)
And here we are.
MADDY
But Look what you've
accomplished.
BEN,IAI'{IN
And Look what good it has done my
countrY. . .
MADDY
"There is no easy wa1k to freedom. "
We can only do Ehe best we can.
BENJA-I'{IN
Mandela.
His best is a biE better
Ehan mine...
He Eakes a long look at his
children.
ARCHER
Had manv attacks in the area?
BENJA}IIN
I've known mosC of the young people
in this district
since they were
born.
The local commander is still
afraid I'11 come af ter him wiLh nry
ruler ARCHER
You Ehink because your inEentions
are good Ehey'11 spare you?
Benjamin takes
the question
in stride.
BENJAI'IIN
My heart always told me Ehat people
are inherenEly good.
My e)q)erience
suggests otherwise.
Which to believe?
Benjamin t.urns his
penetrating
gaze on Archer.
BEN.]A}IIN (COMT'D)
What about you, I{r. Archer?
In your
long career as a. . . journalist.
..
Would you say people are mostly good?
hx
T h e s o u N D o f A G H I L D R E N ' sc H o t R ' . .
Archer scares back.
'
118
rN THE cElrrER oF THE vTLLAGE --
118
THAT NrcHT
The children are singing "High We Exult Thee, Realm of the
Solomon and
Free, " the nat.ional anthem of Sierra Leone.
Maddy sie wich Benjamin and his family.
Maddy sees Archer
119
geE up and walk
away.
119
AT THE EDGE OF THE COMPOUND
Archer sEands alone.
jug.
Maddy steps out
Palm wine.
the tree,
He offers
He t,akes a lonq puII
from Ehe shadows.
ARCHER
Sap comes right
from a plastic
out of
t.o her and she takes a swig.
Makes a face.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
You geL used Eo ic.
He takes another
long drink.
Drank chis
He's pretty
drunk.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
as a boy.
MADDY
Rhodesia.
(off his look)
I Eake noces.
Indeed, her Iitt.le
spiral notebook is already in hand.
looks at her -- considering -- then, what the hell, . ,
ARCHER
I got sent Eo South Africa
muntz overran Lhe farm in
--After
when the
'16-
MADDY
you lost your parenLs.
ARCHER
(dark laugh)
ThaE's a polit,e way of puct.ing ic.
Mum was raped.
Dad was decapitated
and hung from a hook in che barn.
You were,
Nine.
MADDY
whaE, ten
ARCHER
Boo-hoo.
years
oLd?
He
Then
at
MADDY
you
eighteen
joined
the
:.m\t
Archer peers -a n"r.
ARCHER
Want to hear about the
banged a journalist?
She just
looks
first
time
at him. He takes another
I
long drink.
Re1ents.
ARCHER (COIIT'D)
Yah, yah.
First
they had us doing
dirry
1itr1e jobs in Lhe rownshipsMADDY
With Ehe Security services.
ARCI{ER
You think you know about the SecuriEy
servi ces ?
(another dark laugh)
You don'E know shiEe.
That was a
picnic
compared Eo what we did on
Ehe Moz border.
Sometimes I think.
'God will
forgive us for what we
did-'
Then r look around and f
wonder...what would God want with a
place Like this?
He takes another
drink
but
the
jug is
empty-
He tosses
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
By '94 I 'm a ten years vet.
Then
poof.
No more apartheid,
no more
army.
Thanks very much, see ya later.
Truth and reconciliation.
Kumbaya.
He raises
his middle
finger
in a universal
gesture.
ARCHER (CO}TT'D)
They Lold us we were fighEing
Communism. protecting
our 'way of
Iife.'
(a rueful laugh)
Tt's about who gets what.
Oi].
Coltan.
Diamonds- So one dav I
decided, fuck it, now I want tnine.
MADDY
Are you going to steal
his
ARCHER
We have no chance rn heLl
Che dia-nrond.
diamond?
of
getting
it.
MADDY
Doesn'E answer the quesEion.
ARCHER
That diamond -- wheEher I steal iE
or just Eake the commissj-on -- is my
ticket out of here.
I4ADDY
To go where?
Archer hasn'c
I2O
gotten
that
far
in his
Ehinking.
EXT. HILL COUNTRY- NEXT MORNING (SEEN FROM ABOVE)
Benjamin drives
animal tracks.
them down roads chaE. are 1itt1e
more than
Bush pigs scamper.
Chimpanzees chatcer above.
Solomon looks up into
in and out of view.
the canopy of
forest
as the
sun darts
soLoMoN(v. o. )
Dear Dia.
I have found a place for
your studies once you return home.
Benjamin shows Maddy the hippos
splashing
in
Ehe river.
BENJAM]N
Do not be fooled by the movie where
Ehey wear pink skirEs and dance on
Eheir toes.
They are exEremely
dangerous, easily angered, and very
fast.
Benjamin's love of all Chac he sees is infectious.
As he
plays tour quide, Ehey forget for a moment their dire
circumsEances and surrender to the joys of the natural
wor1d.
so L oM oN( v.o. )
There is a man I want. you to meet.
He is a teacher.
You will
like hin.
nenjamin
turns
a wry eye to Archer.
BENJAHIN
1^3:";';:il
H'i"Yiln3i,'fiIl'ii3n:l;"
ARCHER
Thank you for your he1p,
I won't forgeE it.
BENJA-I,IIN
I hope Ehe sEory will
you want it
to.
end
Mr.
the
Kapanay.
way
120
'7r.
I2I
UP A}IEAD .
A TEMPORARY ROADBLOCK
guATded
TWO TWELVE YEAR-OLD CHILD
by
I2I
SOLDIERS.
ARCHER
Keep going.
BENJAI{IN
What.- - ?
Drive
InsEead
ARCHER
at them.
righE
Benjamin
slows
Ehe car.
BENITAI{IN
Do you know where the word,
comes from?
IE means child
They are just
children
THE TWO R.U.F.
panic.
They'11
'infanEry'
soldier.
SOLDIERS
are indeed children.
One wears a Michael
tTordan jersey,
Ehe
other
has skateboard
stickers
gun.
on his
Ingram submachine
BUE Eheir eyes are glazed
and deadened.
He11o, litE1e
your names?
I
BENJAI{IN (CONT'D)
broEhers.
WhaE are
CHILD SOLDIER #1
arn Dead Body.
Who dis mothafuckah?
BENJAI{IN
We are Eeachers on our
Kai lahun.
Only
R.U.F
I undersEand
vray Eo
CHiLD SOLDIER #2
on da road!
BENJAJVIIN
but we have
Eo--
CHILD SOLDIER #2
ONLY R.U.F I
Now listen
The boy FrRES Hrs
in the chest..
BENJAMIN
herel
I am--
wEApoN withouE
ARCHER
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!
warning.
Benjamin
is
hic
'72.
HC 1CANS
OVCT ANd
STOMPS ON THE
GAS
ThC
PEDAL.
CAT
LURCHES
FORWARD,knocking aside the other boy. Archer has Lo
pracEically
the wounded man Eo speed away'
straddle
L22
L22
IN THE CAR (TRAVELING)
Benjamin Eries
from his
Bl'ood bubbles
Lo speak.
lips'
*lj(uflEt(
not
hiE
If You're
Do NOT Ery Eo Ea1k.
only because you're
dead, it's
in the lung noL the heart.
Solomon is
over
leaning
Ehe seat,
Benjanin's
opening
shirE.
ARCHER (COMT'D)
(to Solomon)
abouE Ehe enEry wound.
Don'E worry
going to
Lean him forward,
there's
Press
be a big hole in his back.
your hand againsc
thereit..
Keep it
(to MaddY)
any wine lefE in chat
If there's
jug,
pour iE al1 over everyLhing.
(co Benjamin)
How far Eo Kailahun?
BEIV.]AI{IN
(weakly)
You. . .said. . .noE Eo EaIk.
ARCHER
comedian.
A fucking
He pushes
I23
IN
Ehe old
car's
acceleraEor
--
THE CAR (TRAVELING)
Benjamin
is
slumped,
How's his
to
its
limit.
T23
DUSK
unconscious,
againsE
the
passenger
door.
ARCHER
pulse?
MADDY
IL's
I24
a pulse.
L24
ROUNDING A BEND
They are suddenly
confronEed
by ewo ARI'IORED CARS and a platoon
wear
all
The soldiers
of whiEe mercenaries
carrying
Uzi's.
E.o.
maroon bereEs wich che initials
725
MOMEIITS LATER _ TWO MEDICS ATTACH AN IV
Archer and Solomon help
again.
conscious
place
him
?O BEN.]AMIN
on a litt,er.
He is
L25
You'11 be all
right.
BENJA}ITN
(looks hin in rhe eye)
Will you?
He is
hurried
away as--
A}T ATTACK HELTCOPTER?AKES OFF NEARBY
Raising
a cloud of dust.
Archer...what
'TKLr
furiously
appears out of
the confusion.
JOOST
the fuck--
Good to see you,
Maddy is
Joost
T,r(
too,
scribbling
Joost.
notes
of all
she sees.
JOOST
l V e 'r e e v a c u a t i n g a l l n o n - m i l i r a r y
personnel.
Relief workers,
journalisEs.
(to Archer)
Shi te-bags .
How far's
ARCHER
the tront line?
JOOST
There is no fronr line.
buggers are everll^rhere.
(starts off)
Colonel's this way.
125
Littie
THE COLONEL'SHQ
A large tent.
a SAT-phone.
I25
The colonel pores over a map while
Archer and Joost enter.
THE COLONEL
(on the phone)
--but if we block their escape
by
cutting the bridge-(sees Archer)
Wait One...
(covers the rnout.hpiece)
ilir:l
'r wanEro say r told
ARCHER
BuE you wil1.
tarking
on
THE COLONEL
li:":l'"u
T:".:'::::ri;::'.fl:";l#:l5
ARCHER
In reEurn for a mining
Ewo, no doubt.
/trlltr
or
concession
.\nT.n\]trT.
(a modest nod)
I've got a C-130 Eouching down aE
1400. Everybody noE prepared Eo get
dirty is on it.
(checks his waEch)
minutes to make up
You've got thirty
your mind.
You're either with us or
ouE of here.
He turns
727
back Eo his
conversation-
EXT. A}IOTHERPART OF THE CAMP -l4addy is
waiting
as Archer
walks
Archer
is
dismissed.
I21
N]GHT
back.
ARCHER
How is
he?
MADDY
They say he'11 1ive.
ARCHER
You're on a plane for
an hour.
(looks aE her)
Do me one last favor.
Ghana in half
I.laddy just looks aE him.
Archer indicates
sEanding guard in front of a large supply
Go te11
that
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
guard you wanL t,o put
F::,:i:'*:;":l:.:"ver
of soldier of
MADDY
You're going in.
(Archer nods)
You and SolomonArcher
nods agaj.n.
a young IiIERCENARY
tent.
She shakes her head.
M A D D Y( C O N T ' D )
Now?
(anorher nod)
You're an idiot.
15.
ARCHER
Help me or noE?
Haddy shakes her head sadly.
She turns away, pushing t.he
hair out of her face as she approaches the YOUNGMERCENARY.
Hi, there.
You mind if
MADDY
I'laddy Bowen, VaniEy Fair.
I ask you a few questions?
YOUNGMERCENARY
Depends what they are-I'IADDY
Oh, so you're faniliar
with
devious ways, are you?
our
She flashes a devastating smiIe.
And while his back is
t.urned, we SEE Archer edge pasE toward the back of Ehe cenE.
T2B
INSIDE THE SUPPLYTEMI
Archer forages for
his pack he stuffs
I2B
whatever he can 1ay his hands on.
K-rations,
a GpS, first-aid
kiL-
lnEo
He desperaEely looks for one more thing.
And there ie is.
A SAT-phone. He sEuffs ic in.
outside,
t h e S O U N Do f a p l a n e .
T29
EXT. AIRSTRIP --
MOMENTSLATER
A giant. C-130 Hercules
I2g
Eouches down.
THE SWARMOF JOURNAJ,ISTS
Aid workers, and refugees surge onEo the t,armac.
carrying
her bag, Maddy moves against. t.he tide,
looking around
Solomon appears beside her, subEly caking her arm.
SOLOMON
Thi.s way.
ARCHERis wait.ing behind a Eent, t.he pack already
shoulders.
She turns E.o Solomon.
Good luck
l'lADDY
E,o you, Solomon Bo.
Solomon t.akes her hand in both of his.
soLol'10N
Thank you for all you've
done.
MADDY
I h o p e y o u f i n d w h a E ,y o u , r e
for.
She Eurns co Archer.
They look
looking
aE each ot.her.
on his
-7
6.
Yeah.
ARCHER
Thanks.
-*Just
I'{ADDY
keeping my end of
A moment of
the
She can be as
silence.
deal.
touqh
as he can.
ARCHER
Li s ten- -
No,
And they
t"lADDY
listen--
you
just
stare
In
another
at
each
other.
ARCHER
life,
maybe.
MADDY
Okav...
Sure...
ARCHER
Find yourself
a good man, Maddy.
You deserve
to be happy.
She considers
--
him
wishing
she were
less
affected
I'IADDY
f have three sisters.
A11 married
to "good men. " Long as their
prescript.ions
are fi-11ed t.hey're
happy.
No rhanks.
I prefer
my 1ife.
(hands him her card)
phone, home phone, ce11 phone.
Office
I'm used to being pursued.
but what
rhe he1l.
He smiles.
It's
a world
ARCHER
get on the
You should
He smiles
I'IADDY (CON?'D)
phone, by the
So should
MADDY
you.
and Eurns
away.
Are
you
Soon as
plane.
I'IADDY (CONT'D)
going to call
me?
I'm
ARCHER
near a phone...
way.
by him.
77MADDY
Yeah, right.
She Eurns Eoward Ehe plane.
130
130
rN THE BUSH
Archer
13]-
They head Ehe opposiEe way.
and Solornon begin
co jog'
].31
BACK AT THE AIRSTRIP
Maddy is
Ehe plane
abouE Eo board
when JoosE waylays
her.
,JOOST
Where is
he?
MADDY
Where is who?
' J o o s E .l o o k s a r o u n d .
She cont.inues up Ehe sEeps Eo Ehe p1ane,
The wheels begin Eo Eurn in his head.
No sign of Archer.
L32
I32
ARCHER A}]D SOLOMONTREK
puEEing disEance beEween
They move guickly,
inEo the bush.
E h e m s e l v e s a n d E h e E . O . c a m p . A s t h e y r u n , T H E C A M E R Ar i s e s
up, higher and higher, unEil their ciny figures have
disappeaTed and Ehe PRAMEIS FILLED WITH NOTHING BUT GREEN.
We sense of
133
the immensity of
E X T . T H E B U S H- -
Ehe challenge
chag lies
ahead.
LATER
133
Archer and Solomon have stopped Eo catch Eheir breaEh.
Archer
digs out the SAT-phone, fires iE up and punches in a number.
ARCHER
(on Ehe phone)
...Fawaz?
. -.1 know. No gime now....
That 's right. . . .Two days to geE in,
one Eo get ouE.. I'11 cal 1 when we're
'Bye.
headed for che sEripRighe...
He looks up to see if Solomon has been lisrening.
is scaring off inco che jungle.
BUE Solomon
soLoMoN (v. o. )
I am coming.
Dear Dia.
WiEh every
I can feel you
sLep I am closer.
are nearby.
I am coming soon.
134
EXT. A ruNGLE TRAIL
ELSEWHERE
A column of R.U.F. guerrillas
walk a jungle
SEE by t.he gouges of earth EhaE Ehey are in
Dia, looking much older, carries an AK-47.
134
We can
Erai1.
diamond counEry.
t6.
135
BACK TO ARCHERAND SOLOMON
135
as he stuffs
the SAT-phone into his
a word, knowing Solomon will
follow.
136
He sets
off
without
THEY TRAVEL BY NIGHT
On narrow dirt
137
back.
135
roads,
1it
only
by the moon.
HEADLIGHTSAPPROACH
Archer
R.U.F.
137
and solornon take cover as TRUCKSpass fi11ed wich
teenagers, laughing, smoking ganja, music blasting.
Solomon studies each passing face.
Almost invoruntarily
he
rises to his feet -- trying
ro get a better 1ook.
suddinly
he thinks he sees a familiar
face -- could it be Dia? He
moves closer -- but the truck is moving away.
SOLOMON
Dia! !
Heads turn
suddenly
ground.
in
the passing truck.
solomon is grabbed fron
Archer looms over him.
It,s
behind
not Dia.
and thrown
to
che
fulLnEl{.
What the
fuck
are you doingl !
SOLOMON
GET OFF ME!
Meanwhile,
on the road,
the trucks
have slowed.
Suddenlv__
THE BRUSH EXPLODESWITH GUNFIRE
Red and Green TRACERSshred the dense foliage
around them.
BulleEs WHrZ by their heads, RrcocHET off ancient trees.
They scramble to their
feet and race brindly
back into
bush.
Behind them, the SOTINDof eheir pursuers.
the
soon the brush grows more dense.
rn the pitch darkness they
are 1iLera1ly fighring
their way forward, flailing
with both
arms to rip holes chrough rhe thick foliage.
thelr
hands
and faces are soon cut and bleedino.
13 8
THEY RUN
].3 B
unt.i1 they can run no further.
Archer st,urnbles and falrs.
solomon crump-1_esto the ground beside him.
As they 1ie there,
winded, rhey HEAR VOICES:
They can see the GLOWOF CIGARETTESthrough rhe foliage
a few yards away as R.U.F. soldiers
approach.
only
ON SOLOMONAIVD ARCHER
as the soldiers'
boots pass wiEhin inches of gheir
p1ace.
They bury t.heir faces deeper in the mud.
139
hiding
DAYBREAK
139
finds them sti11 hiding.
Cautiously,
Ehey energe -- sEiff,
weE, and miserabfe from a night spenE on the jungle floor.
ftl(LrlEx,
( furious )
NexE t.ime you pu1l somet,hing like
EhaE I will
shoot you rnyself .
SOLOMON
(equally
furious)
Shoot me nor^r. IE is what
planning
anyway.
what
you
are
ARCHER
taLking
you
are
about,?
SOLOMON
You Ehink I do not know che kind of
you buy diamonds
man you are?
from
Ehe same people
who took my son.
Archer
ARCHER
you.
--Maddy
rold
Is
SOLOMON
true?
looks
Ehis
at
Yes.
him.
It
And all
diamond
Eoo, is
is
ARCHER
true.
SOLOMON
you have said...
How the
will
free my family.
?his,
a lie.
fs it not?
ARCHER
don't
know.
Maybe.
(looks at. him)
BUE I'm not, Che only one who tells
1ies, am I?
I
SOLOMON
I
do noc lie.
ARCHER
No? you don'E give a fuck
finding
rhe diarnond.
(MORE)
abouc
.JU.
ARCHER(CONT'D)
You're ouE here looking for your
And you'd cut my hearE out in
son.
a second if it means a chance to get
him back.
shocked into
Solomon is
Yes.
The cwo men stare
It
silence.
Archer
is
right.
SOLOMON
true.
is
ac each other.
AKLI1Et(
Long as we understand
He sets off
into
the brush,
each oEher.
limping
heavily.
SOLOMON
You are hurt.
(without
I'm f ine.
ARCHER
looking
back)
Solomon reaches to take Ehe heavy pack from Archer's
shoulder.
Archer grabs his hand.
They lock eyes for a moment..
SOLOMON
You ehink I'm going to steal
it?
Archer turns and walks away.
Solomon looks down to see BRIGHT
D R O P SO F B L O O Df r o m A r c h e r ' s b o o E s t a i n i n g
Ehe grround.
140
LATER - THE UNMISTAKABLESOUNDOF APPROACHINGHELICOPTERS
140
forces them Co take cover.
Two E.O. gunships streak past.
Are the choppers looking for them, or is it a coincidence?
]41
LATER THAT DAY - THE SUN HAS REACHEDITS ZENTTH
T4T
as they trudge onward.
Archer's
limp is more pronounced.
He tips back his canteen and finds it empEy. Solomon notices.
He passes his canteen to Archer, who hesit.ates for a moment,
then laughs and puts his mouch to a black man,s canteen.
).42
LATER - THEY TRAVERSEA HIGH RTDGE
In t.he distance, we see Ehe receding peaks.
Archer begins
conversation,
as much ouE of boredom as anyUhing else.
,+t1LT!L11
So you're
Solomon looks
a farmer...
aE him warily.
Nods.
I42
a
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
What do you grow?
SOLOMON
. Casava.
ARCHER
I grew up on a farm.
(rernernbering. . . )
Hated every minute of
End of conversation.
143
it.
They walk on in
silence.
STILL LATER - DEEP PITS IN THE EARTH
143
Begin to appear as Archer and Solomon climb through
landscape.
Solomon stares at Ehe diamond mines.
It
He walks on.
144
is
like
Archer
SOLOMON
they are eating
labors
a hi11y
the earth.
Solomon's pace.
to keep up with
ABANDONEDHOUSES
:-44
caved-in and 1ist.ing, line a street where deep piLs have
been dug beneath Eheir foundations.
rmpoverished SQUATTERS
fo11ow them with listless,
hungry eyes as they pass.
Archer is jiccery
Lo be observed.
everlruuhere. Blood squishes in his
145
people
But in Africa,
boot as he walks-
are
BY SUNSET
145
They have been walking
for
twelve
hours.
Archer
ARCHER
How much farcher--?
SOLOMON
One day more.
He kneels before
Archer.
S O L O M O N( C O N T ' D )
Let me see your leg,
AP'1JtrP
tt's
f ine
Solomon touches
it
and Archer
GRUNTSin pain.
ARCHER (COMil D)
It's
infected.
From lying there
fucking night.
Solomon lifEs
Archer's
pant leg.
all
Exarnines ic.
has to sit.
oz.
Give
me your
SOLO}TON
knife.
A H (
In the other
H F
K
boot.
Archer grics his teeth.
We cannot
Solomon takes the K-Bar.
see what Solomon does -- but from tbe expression on Archer's
face, we can only imagine.
Solomon sEands.
Archer
to buE the pain
is
overwhelming.
SOLOMON
be back.
I will
Archer pulls
tries
his
Sig-Sauer
9mmfrom his
beLt.
ARCHER
No-Solomon sEarts
walking
You think
away.
COCKSthe weapon-
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
I won't shoot you.
SOLOMON
Shoot me, then.
And try
diamond yourself.
(keeps walking)
f wilL be back.
L46
to
find
the
LATER THAT NIGHT - A SMALL VILLAGE
146
has been Eaken over by CHILD SOLDIERS. They sit,
throwing
bullets
i n t o a b a r r e l f i r e a n d L A U G H I N Ga s E h e y e x p l o d e .
Solomon creeps to the edge of a huE --
peering
aE the faces.
No Dia.
Six more teenagers are loading Ehe spoils
onto a truck.
One of them could be Dia,
I47
of Ehe village
He isn'E.
HOURSLATER - THE MOONHAS RISEN
Archer
bush.
I47
awakens to see solomon walking Eoward hirn ouE of
He carrj.es a poultice made of leaves and mud.
He kneels
and begi.ns Eo apply
it
Eo Archer's
Ehe
wound.
SOLOMON
I thoughE about not coming back.
(1ooks at hinr)
f Ealked to my son abouE it.
Archer
looks
aE him.
WhaE rhe hell
is
he ualking
abouE?
R?
SOLOMON(CONT'D)
f talk to him all the cime.
(works on the 1eg)
He says f must forgive what you have
done in the past.
And trust that
you will
help gec my fanily
back.
Archer doesn't. know how Eo respond to this
simple
absolution.
Af(\-n.trK
You're
Solornon finishes
f will
He stands
fuckingr crazy.
wrapping
the poultice.
SOLOMON
go and find us water.
agrain and walks
away.
Archer can't bear feeling powerless.
FighEing the pain, he
stands and tri-es Eo walk.
rt.' s excruciat.ing.
sti tr rre
continues hobbling -- unEil finarly
he sics on the ground.
148
CAPE TOI^JNAIRPORT TERMINAL --
NIGHT
14g
Maddy de-planes with a conEingent of journalists.
Like
everyone else who geEs off a plane chese days, she t.urns on
her ceLl phone to check for messages. There are none.
Archer hasn't
I49
cal1ed.
DAWNIN THE JUNGLE
L4g
is soft and ful1 of promise.
Low crouds hang jusE above the
treetops as f i-rsE. light
touches the moist greenery.
Archer's
face is
at peace as he wakes.
solomon sleeps
nearby.
Archer reaches to scratch his nose and realizes
he is covered
wich BLACKANTS. scrambling co his knees, he frantica:.ty
brushes them off.
They are in his ears, inside his shirc.
solomon awakens and begins Eo laugh at Archer,s
frenzv.
ARCHER
r HATE FUCKING ANTS!
I
SOLOMON
Ehink you are feeling
beEter.
And then Solomon realizes
thac he, too, is infested.
He
reaches into his pant.s and begins to hop around.
Now iE's
Archer's turn to laugh.
soon Ehey are bot.h sic:ing
on the ground,
reason -* except.. of course, as a release
befallen them.
L A U G H T N Gf o r n o
from arl thaE has
QA
150
THE ENDLESS HILLS
glow
from
150
pink
in the dawn as t.hey wa1k.
Ehe brush and bound majestically
...You
Me?
of
anterope
burst,
SOLOMON
how o1d?
are
ARCHER
One.
ThirEy.
And you
A herd
away.
have
SOLOMON
no wife?
ARCHER
No.
SOLOMON
No children?
ARCHER
r,^
l\u.
Solomon
shakes
his
head.
That
a momenc, Archer
can,t
resisE.
ARCHER (COIUT'D)
.-whaE?
Truly,
I
people.
After
SOLOHON
do not. undersEand
makes
whice
ARCHER
two of us.
AS THEY CREST A HILL
Solomon suddenly
sLops.
He looks around.
Then he fa11s Eo
his knees.
Archer climbs
Eo where he is and looks around-A I4ASS GRAVE
has been fashioned
piled
high -- men,
from an abandoned
women, children.
diamond
None of
piE.
BODTES
Lnem soldiers.
ARCHER (CONT'D)
Animals.
SOLOMON
No animal
would ever do such
IE makes no sense.
Solomon forces
himself
to
t.hac his son is not. anong
a thinq.
walk among Ehe corpses,
praying
then.
teirs
stream down his cheeks.
SOLOMON(CONT'D)
My people value life.
The t'tende
find ic hard even to Eake the life
of a chicken.
God gives l j.fe; only
he rnay Lake it back.
(a strangled cry)
How can they do Ehis?
Archer
has no answer.
Just
looks
at him.
SOLOMON(CONT'D)
(numblY)
Why is Ehere so much evil here?
What is wrong with us?
1 5 1 - H O U R SL A T E R
Archer
151
uses a tree
branch as a cane.
ARCHER
(feeling his forehead)
I've stopped sweaEing. We've got Eo
find water.
SOLOMON
Then we must move faster.
Archer nods and pushes himself
L52
pasE Ehe pain
in his
Ieg.
HOURSLATER - THE ST'N IS SCORCHINGAT }{ID-DAY
]-52
Archer stumbles.
Solomon offers a hand to lift
him to his
feet.
Archer ignores it.
Ahead is a CLEARING,and in it:
A BULL ELEPHA}TT
stands tal1 and menacing.
Beside him, on the ground,
male -- grievously
wounded and BELLOWINGpiteously.
For a moment, Archer
Back away.
and Solomon are
too stunned
to
is
his
speak.
ARCHER
And watch where you step.
Solomon freezes.
SOLOMON
Is
iE--
A ninefieLd.
ARCHER
Yes.
They scare at Ehe MAGNTFICENTCREATUREwho refuses to
his fa11en mate.
51ow1y they retrace their st.eps.
leave
No sooner have they turned Eheir backs Chan AII EXPLOSION
shakes the ground and A FLOCK OF BIRDS rises over the field.
ac
They
'
153
know what
it
means.
Grimly,
t.hey keep
moving.
THE JUNGLE AT NrcHT
153
place at the bese of times with
is a freaky
strange
shapes,
shadows, and noises
everpvhere.
fn their
it. feels
state,
a bad acid trip.
like
Solomon hears the WHISPEREDVOICE of
his son.
He carries
on an imagined
conversat.ion.
....Why?
the upper
SOLOMON
The cows will
past.ure. ..
do fine
in
ARCHER
Hey. . .
SOLOMON
(in a kind of trance)
-- Yes.
And next year we will
coffee- -
plant
ARCHER
HEY !
(Solomon is startled)
You're hallucinatinq.
No.
.
I54
HOURS LATER -
I
SOLOMON
am not.
ARCHER
154
Archer
is half-asleep
as Ehey trudge
chrough deep jungle.
He stops
suddenly.
A SNAKE hangs menacingly
from a t.ree.
Do you
see
ARCHER
that?
SOLOMON
What?
ARCHER
The...snake.
SOLOMON
No.
ARCHER
Good.
Archer
now sees ehat it
is
only
a t.ree branch.
THEY WALK ON FOR A MOMENT
This
Cime it
is
Sol,omon who sEops short..
87.
SOLOMON
Wait. . .
(listening)
Can you hear it?
Archer
listens
hard.
croaking
A weird
sound.
Frogs?
ARCHER
Froqs ! !
SOLOMON
Y E S!
Frogs mean water.
They stumble
forward
themselves onto their
bellies
to discover--
A S]'IALL STREAJVIBED
They fling
What if...this
ARCHER
water...is
You can wait
SOLOMON
for beer.
Good point.
155
Archer drinks
his
and begin
to drink.
bad?
fil1.
THE NEXT MORNING
Finds them siEting
155
by the stream.
Archer
studies
his
map.
ARCHER
Thrs rnusc be the Meli.
f t runs from
the North.
The Moa runs from the
Where the rivers meet is where
Easc.
the mine is, righc?
Solomon says nothing.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Righe ?
Solomon just
glares
at him.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
You get that diamond, you can hire a
Eeam of people to find him.
You can
buy the whole damn governrnent!
(Ieaning in)
What are you gonna do, spend the
resE of your life
searching the bush?
Solomon looks
I55
aE him.
Yes.
If
necessary.
HOURSLATER _ THEY FOLLOWTHE STREA}I
now grown inEo a broad river.
155
PR
T5'7 HOURSLATER - THEY CLIMB A STEEP RAVINE
T5'7
Archer is sEruggling.
a hand to
Once again, Sol.omon offers
accepts
This time, Archer grudgingly
help him over a boulder.
the hand.
The moment is underplayed buE deeply significant.
CresEing a hi1l,
Solomon looks
gorge.
A familiar
two rivers.
down on Ehe confluence
of
the
SOLOUON'
S POV - THE DIAMONDMINTNG CAI"IP
is spread ouE be1ow. HOLES and PITS pock the landscape.
Archer joins him at Ehe overlook.
That's
it,
ARCHER
iE?
isn't
Solomon's face is clouded wit.h memory. IE's a place
A place he hoped never to see again.
nighEmares.
A LARGE CONTINGENTOF R.U.F,
from his
TROOPS
Archer can see dozens of
is encamped near t.he mines.
f ires with trooDs huddled beside t.hem.
tiny
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Christ..
He kneels
--
trying
to
figure
ouE Eheir
next move.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Okay...
He digs
inco his
pack for
Ehe SAT*phone.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
The E.O. would want. to know about a
If I call Joost,
force this size.
he'11 send in an air strike...
(the plan unfolds)
We use it as a diversion.
Below Ehen, TEENAGEREBELS play soccer in a ragged
Is Dia arnong them? It is too far away to know.
No air
SOLOMON
sE.rike.
ARCHER
How do we get. in Ehere withouE
kind of diversion?
SOLOMON
No...air...sErike.
He isn'!
ARCHER
down there.
some
fie1d.
89.
SOLOMON
How do you know?
AJILI
TK
(c o l d l y )
ilm calling iE in.
(turns on SAT-phone)
They'11 come in at firsu light..
Lor,r. Over Ehat ridge.
That's how
rnueh Eime you've got..
Solomon turns
and starcs
down the hill.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
HoId up Ehere, boy-- !
Solomon reacEs Eo Archer's
inst.inct.ive
use of
"boy."
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
you get yourself
I'm noE letting
killed
unEiI I have Ehar fuckino
sEone. We wait. for dark.
A LIST OF CALL NUMBERSis Eaped Eo rhe inside
phone's case.
Archer punches in a nurnber.
Lhe SAT-
of
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
(on che SAT-phone)
G e E ,m e J o o s t
Archer. . . .He'11
know-- Ask if he's interesEed in the
location of a major R.U.F. canp.
158
LATER --
THE DIA}4ONDCAUP --
NIGHT
158
is jusE as we remember iE.
Muddy and exhaust.ed SLAVE WoRKERS
try t.o keep ouE of A DRTVTNGRArN, sguaEt.ing under corrugraged
:in roofs while eaEing Eheir tiny poruion of rice gruei.
Rebel sordiers -- adults and teenagers alike
raEions while Erying to keep warm and dry.
--
eat. Red cross
ARCHERAND SOLOMON
have crawled
forward
t.o the edge of
the camp.
ARCHER
I can'c walk in L.here. you scay in
TIl:T:::."ifl::":"*"';:i"':::LI""
jl"oEBIl*erer.
rhe air sErike happens
(racks the sli-de of
his Sig-Sauer)
You do exacaly as I say.
And don't
you
miscake me for your friend.
fuck with me and I,ll
surely
kiII
YOu.
90.
A SENTRY
huddles miserably
in the rain.
Archer SPRINGS out of the shadows and choke-holds him -then drags him back into the bushes where Solomon is hiding.
Archer t.akes his weapon - an H&K assault rifle,
Solomon stands up and walks into Che camp as inconspicuously
as possible.
Archer watches under cover of the brush as:
15 9
SOLOMON
t_5 9
insinuaEes himself among the miserable workers, moving
hut to hut -- trying !o see if Dia is among them.
He isn't.
Solomon moves deeper into
from
the vi11age.
AT(L11Er(
curses as Solomon walks out of his
1 60
line
of
sight..
IN THE CA}IP
Solomon is
15 O
about, to give
H E . S E E SD I 4 .
up hope, when--
Solomon blinks
back his
disbelief.
D i a ' s w i r h T W O O L D E RR E B E L S , w h o a r e w a t c h i n g h i m r . a k e a h i t
from a big spliff,
laughing as he chokes on the smoke.
Solomon Eries
1 61
Dia to Eurn in his
direction.
ARCHER
Scuttles
I52
to will
1 51
Ehrough the bush --
trying
Eo get
a line
of
sight.
EXT. TWO SENTRIES
162
appear nearby -- carrying
food for the sentry Archer has
killed.
Unable t,o f ind him, rhey begin to CALL out for him.
163
IN THE CAI{P
153
Dia and the other
the shadows -
soldiers
separat.e.
SOLOMON
(whispering)
Dia- Dia turns
--
Solomon takes
uncomprehending.
his
arm.
Solomon moves out
from
91.
DIA
(suddenly fearful)
NO!
Dia.
iE's
SOLOMON
m e!
Three months of horror,
of depravaEion,
of lrauma, of
unspeakable acts have Eaken rooE in Ehe soul of Ehis young
boy.
His face conEorts in struggle.
Then-lJI1{
GET AWAY FROM ME!
( screaming )
FARMER! TRAITOR!
He tries
soldiers
164
Lo break free of Solomon's grasp.
A few oEher
H E A Rh i m c r y o u t .
They E,urn Eo look.
ARCHER
164
hears iE as we11. He steps
to see what is happening.
165
GET AWAY!
fron
his
hiding
place
--
tryi.ng
AN R.U.F. SOLDIER
155
sees Solomon holding Dia by Ehe arm.
He HITS HIM IN THE
B A C Kw i E h h i s r i f l e
buEE. Sofomon crumples Eo the ground.
165
ARCHER
155
aims Ehe assault rif1e,
buc the GUARDShave picked up Solomon
and -- at sixty yards, aE night,
in the driving
rain -there's no way Archer can get off a clean shotThen-The SOUNDof a SLIDE being
is placed against Archer's
I5'7
EXT. THE REBEL CAMP --
racked.
head.
The barrel
of
NEXT MORNING
167
Solomon's arms have been TIED behind his back -looped over a tree branch and re-Eied.
He looks
DIA. standing with several guards.
His face is
withdrawn.
He turns away from Solomon,s gaze,
A S H O V E Li s
thrown at
an AK-A7
the rope
up Eo see-hard and
Solomon,s feet.
VOICE
I knew you would come back.
Solomon looks up into the disfigured
face of
A bruEal scar only adds Eo Ehe malice in his
CAPTAIN POISON.
eyes.
Poison motions to the dozens of HoLES Ehat pock the landscape
gianE scars of diamond fields
thaE have been mined out.
--
AA
POISON
See how I have dug.
I have found
nothing.
(co solomon)
You will
digr again for me. you will
dig up what you have come back for.
SOLOMON
No.
POISON
No? Do you think the white
rescue you?
He turns Solomon's head violently
man will
to the left,
where:
r|I{L.'IE}{
Has been made to kneeL, arms ti.ed behind his back, head to
the ground, wich a gun held to the back of his sku11.
POISON (COIJT'D)
This white man is the cause of your
suffering.
This white man, his
masters abroad -- and his black
puppets in t.he government.
Poison whips out a dog-eared manifesto
from his
army jacket.
POISON (COM| D)
Foday Sankoh say -- resisE and
overthrow t.hose who would exploit.
you!
Shed their blood.
He slaps
Solomon's head with
Ehe book.
POISON (CON"'D)
Maybe some more digging will
you learn this lesson.
The rope holding solomon is cuL.
is prodded to his feec by several
help
He fa1ls to the ground and
soLDrERs holding Ak-47's.
Solomon looks down at the shovel.
But doesn,t move.
surrepEitious]y
Archer glances at his watch.
rc is 5:59.
pick
Why?
With a sigh,
PO]SON (CONT'D)
it
uD.
SOLOMON
you are going to ki11
poison whispers in
me any*ay.
Solomon's ear:
93.
POTSON
I do not need to ki1l you, Solomon
Vandy.
Because now you have a natne.
And a family.
If you do not give me
rhi
il;;
c
d'i =nanA
;;
;";;;"
He goes t,o Dia and puts
I
will
f ind
this
round your son.
his
--
fanily
arm around him.
P O T S O N( C O N T ' D )
f will
rape your wife in front
you, then slit
her t,hroat.
(smiles )
And I will
keep your daughters
mysel f.
of
for
It is Ehe first
t.ime we bave seen the liqht
go out of
SoLomon's eyes
in part because of poiion,i
words, buc
mostly because of Dia's look of indifference.
P O T S O N( C O N T ' D )
You think I am a devil.
BuE only
because I have lived in hell.
I
want to geE out.
You will
help me.
Curiously
enough,
first
we met him.
Ehese words could
He watehes as:
have been Archer,s
when
Solomon takes the shovel.
Ar1 his hopes and dreams end here.
He is musr dig the earth one 1ast, timL uo save his family.
He looks out at the jungle.
Nothing
trees SWIRLING. .making him dizzy.
f don't
familiar
--
the
SOLOMON
remernber...
Archer, head to the ground,
another peek at his watch.
.i F r
! l r rnA
"'i u ! s ,
looks
^-o91to*
vr y\.,ur
watches solomon crosely.
Sneaks
0500 hours.
No air st.iike.
family
will
die!
As if sleep-walking;
Solomon begins to walk toward Lhe pits.
Poison and severar armed rebels folrow close behind.
168
T H E F I R S T R O C K E TE X P L O D E S
158
in t.he middle of the carnp *- sending a corrugated
high.
Everyone is knocked to the giound.
An E.O. HELICOPTERGUNSHIP sTreaks by overhead,
RocKET hits a Eruck -- inst.antry turning iu into
hut
sky
THE SEcoND
a firebalr.
THE GTINSHIP'S GATLING GUNS
fire.
800 ROUNDSpER sEcoND chew up everything
in
iE.s path.
94.
ARCHER'S GUARD
is almosE cut in half by the devastaEing firepower.
r o 1 l s b e h i n d a t r e e - - C H U N K SF L Y f r o m i L s b a s e .
SOLOMON,CAPTATNPOTSONAND AN R.U.F.
Archer
GUARD
Solomon hugs
have been knocked into a muddy DIAUOND PIT.
the ground.
the ground as the jet SCREAI{Sover -- st.itching
toward Dia -- ignoring
ARCHERgets eo his feet and sprints
Since his hands are sti1l
E h e E X P L O S I O N Sa l l a r o u n d h i m .
ineo che back
Eied behind his back --he hurEles a BODYCHECK
of the SOLDIER guarding the boy.
He THROWSHIMSELF on top of uhe boy -- as the gunships make
anoEher pass -* KILLING R.U.F. soldiers who Lry Lo escape.
159
EXT. AT THE BOTTOMOF THE DIA},IONDPIT
169
Solomon Eurns over Ehe body of a dead guard and finds A
MACHETEin his be1E.
CapCain Poison looks up from Lhe muck
in his holst.er.
and reaches for his 9run -- only it isn't
Frantically,
he digs in ghe mud. It.'s nowhere to be found.
Solornon, meanwhile, geEs Eo his feet, and moves Eoward Poison
who francically
t.ries to climb out of t.he piE --
--
The sides are high and sli-ck. The closer Solomon gets, the
more frant.ically
Poison Eries Co claw his way out.
BuE Ehe
wa1ls are just too slippery.. .
He FALLS back -- sliding
down -- aE. lasE finding his gun.
He raises ic, but. it's
Eoo lace -* Solomon RAfSES THE MACHETE.
A11 we can see is the 1ip of che pit,
buE we can HEAR Poison's
SCREAI{Sas Solomon's powerful arm RISES and FALLS.
Solomon's face is cont,orEed -- as E.he rage Ehat has been
buried for so long finds iEs expression,
He brings the
machete down again -- and again witn all his night.
Blood
spauEering him.
Unt,i.1 he st.ops.
WiEh disbelief
170
and horror
aE whaE he's
done.
TWO ARMORED
VEHICLES
appear wiEh .50 caliber machine guns FIRING from Eheir mount.s.
Behind them, MERCENARIESwearing Ehe red beret of Ehe E.O.
Joost organizes blocking posiCions around the perimeEer of
-- cut,Eing down anyone who tries
Ehe village
E,oescape.
It, is
all
over
in a mat,Eer of minuEes.
170
95.
171
171
A SILENCE
THE
As the SMOKEand DUST clears,
hardly a soul is moving,
COLONELstrides
inEo camp followed by TWO BODYGUARDS.
ARCHERsquints
int,o the
sun as Ehe Colonel
looms above him.
THE COLONEL
in the location.
Thank you for calling
A}(Utttrt(
You're
welcome.
THE COLONEL
you had an ult.erior
fhen again,
noEive.
from the
S O L O M O Ne n e r g e s
-- this
terrifying
sight
kind of monster.
pit,
covered
in blood.
gentle
man transformed
He is a
into
some
THE COLONEL (CONT'D)
must be the famous Mr. Vandv.
(to Archer)
us.
Introduce
fhis
AKL]:TEt(
Ihi.s is Colonel
the diamond.
No more
Archer
than
True
nods.
(calls
JooSE.
'' tJ^ .o. o s t a p p e a r s ,
D y Ln. :l s^ tr^ar l c n e r ' s
Lt.
A mercenar"y
Coetsee.
He wants
THE COLONEL
rzou.
enouqh.
THE COLONEL (CONT'D)
ouc)
holding
a 9mm to
appearance.
Dia's
head.
THE COLONEL (CONT'D)
(ca11s out.)
Gans.
LIEUTENANT appears.
THE COLONEL (COMT'D)
You will
organize
the wirhdrawal.
We move out in thirty
minutes.
(turns
to SoLomon)
LeE's take a walk, shall
we?
The Colonel's
two bodyguards
follow.
Dia
is
shocked
96.
L72
MOMEMIS LATER - ARCHER AND SOLOMON
T12
by the Colonel's
are led at gunpoinE inEo the diamond fields
BODYGUARDS.The Colonel and Joost follow behind with Dia.
JOOST
How much fart,her?
Solomon doesn'c
answer.
They pass one pie
afEer
another.
by one of t,he Colonef's
A SAT-phone RINGS in the pack carried
The guard answers it and hands i.t to The Colonel.
bodyguards.
?HE COLONEL
(on che SAT-phone)
....No
...No transport, for
ffi:i'ffi:i';;;
i;'?ff:ifi: .:T:::
He hands E,he phone back t,o Ehe bodyguard.
I73
HAI,F A MILE ON _ IN A GROVEBY THE RIVERSIDE
Solomon sEops.
The oEhers react,,
T73
expectant.
Looming out of the thick growt.h is THE RUBBERTREE. Vines
definitely
have covered iEs base, but it's
Ehe same tree.
Solomon measures Ehe distance.
Takes another
few steps.
He is about Eo raise Ehe shovel.
Then sEops dead, Ehe rnuscles
Tnches from his fooE, unmist.akable -of his arm tensing.
i s t h e T R I G G E Ro f a l a n d m i n e - - p a r E i a l l y
covered by vines.
Solomon glances back to Joost,
He doesn't see it,
who stands
Solomon looks back at Ehe urigger
curns in Archer's direcEion...
--
yards
several
an idea
forming-
away.
He
SOLOMON
(looking around)
An elephant. graveyard.
What?
JOOST
Keep digging.
Archer knows Solomon is
Solomon carefully
into the earE,h.
He sinks
Erying
him someEhing --
in code.
Eakes a st.ep sideways.
Sinks Ehe shovel
in one piece.
Swa11ows. He's sti1l
Ehe shovel
in again.
The Col oneL watches , intent.ly.
And again.
Digging.
91Solomon throws uhe shovel aside.
Gecs down on his knees,
digging with his hands now. Faster.
Scooping out dirc and
Uncil there is nothing left
rocks and sand.
to scrape oue.
He stares
int.o Che empty hole,
confounded...
He looks to Joost, then Archer, then back into the ho1e.
Grabs the shovel again, starts digging Ehe hole larger,
wider.
Ic
SOLOMON
is noc here
it
is
not here!
THE COLONEL
What do you mean?
SOLOMON
This is where I buri.ed ehe st.one.
In this pIace.
But it is not here!
(beside himself)
Someone has taken ic ! Come see for
yoursel f 3
The Colonel motions Joosc over co Sofomon.
by che Colonel's side.
As the mercenary ventures
SoLomon glances
reads the look.
leaves
Dia
--
over
at Archer, his eyes convey someching.
Archer
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees:
The TRIGGER- IE lies
Solomon Eries
comes closer.
Joost
between Solomon's hole and Joost.
desperaEely not
Closer.
to look
at
Che Erigger
as JoosE
JOOSE'S bOOEHITS ThE TRIC.GER. CLICK. A MiIIiSCCONd Of
realizaE.ion on t.he stunned mercenary's face before-T H E E X P L O S I O Nb l o w s h i m E o b i E s .
Solomon is
Dia is
already
thrown
to
DIVING behind
a Eree scump as--
t.he ground.
Archer seizes the momenE -- sending an OPEN-HANDSTRIKE Eo
Ehe throat of his would-be executioner,
Ehen grabbing Ehe AK4J , and shooting him before ripping
the gun out of his hands.
ARCHER
STAY DOWN!
SOLOMON
remains
flat,tened
behind
the
Eree sEump, head down.
Archer sprays GUNFIRE aE the mercenaries -- hiEting
the
Colonel and the guards.
He e>cpends the entire
c1ip.
And no one is
lefE
standinq
98.
He looks back aE the rebel canp -- knowing
mercenaries have heard che GUNFIRE.
go !
Let's
that
other
ARCHER (CO}M'D)
S o l - o m o ng e t s u p , o r i e n t s h i m s e l f a n d b e g i n s
Spears the shoveL into the earEh.
Digs.
to count
steps.
ARCHER (COIVI'D)
(admiringly)
You lying bastard...
Solomon throws
Ehe shovel
down.
THEREfN THE HOLE -- peeking out of the dirc
is
green cuff of a pantleg.
Sol0mon digs it out with
rhe rorn
his hands.
FAR OFF VOICES
can be heard --
coming their
way.
Armed E.O. mercenaries.
Archer rams a fresh clip into che nrachine gun, and reaches
i-nto the dead bodyguard's pack for his SAT-phone. But as he
looks up, he sees
ULA
holdingr The Colonel's
9mn.
Aimed ac him.
SOLOMON
Dia__
Dia's
eyes flicker
Dia,
Dia looks into
from Archer
to solomon and t.hen back.
S O L O M O N( C O N T ' D )
look ac me.
Solomon,s eyes.
S O L O M O N( C O N T ' D )
(in Mende)
You are Dia Vandy. Of the proud Mende.
Your mother loves you -- and she
waits by the fire making plaintains
and red palm scew with your sister,
N'yanda, and the new baby.
(moves closer)
The cows wait for you.
And Babu Ehe
wild dog who minds no one but you.
(moves cl_oser sEill)
And f am your faEher who loves you.
go home with me, and be
And you will
my son.
He walks right
up to him,
arms around him-
ignoring
the gun,
and wraps his
99.
Dia goes limp,
allows himself
the gun hangs loosely
to be he1d.
aE his
side
--
as he
BEHIND THEM, THE JUNGLE ERUPTSWITI] .GUNFIRE
Solomon Ehrows Dia to Lhe ground.
Archer
eakes cover,
FOUR MERCENARIESARE ADVANCING
--
across
the river
firing
Archer
R E T U R N SF I R E , h i t c i n g
as Ehey come.
two,
The others
the ground.
hit
ARCHER
MOVE, MOVE. MOVE!! !
He SHOVESSolomon and Dia t.o their
ANOTHERSPRAY OP GUNFIRE pins
f eeE.
Chem down.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
When I sCart firing.
You g!
(scands up)
....NOW!
He lays down COVERINGFIRE -- as Solornon and Dia head for
the brush.
Archer wait.s unEil they are safe, then-IE's
his
Ic's
only
turn
to make a run.
Ehirty
He takes off.
yards or so, buE they seern an ecernity.
He is
almost
inEo the brush when--
He is
HIT in
Ehe baqk.
He grunEs and doubLes over.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Fuck !
He fights
the shock and Ehe pain -and stumbles into the dense cover.
I'I4
adrenaline
kicking
in
--
UP AHEAD - IN THE BUSH
He finds Solomon waiEing.
has been wounded.
I'7 4
Solornon has no notion
SOLOMON
How far?
ARCHER
(Ehrough gritted
teech)
Ihere's...a
strip...on
a ridge...
fifteen
kilomeEers, . .souch.
Fawaz
, . r i 1 1m e e t u s . . . . . G O !
They Cake off
in
chat direcEion.
EhaC Archer
1n n
175
IN THE JTINGLE-An eerie
Archer
in his
175
MTNUTESLATER
guLet., broken only
by the calls
of
leads them -- paying for every step.
back is sma11, a]mosc unnoticeable.
He stops and pulLs
birds.
The entry
wound
Dials.
the SAT-phone.
out
exotic
ARCHER
(on Lhe SAT-phone)
..Where are you? We're tweLve
Two hours at most...
clicks out......
F A W A Z( O . S . )
--You have it?
ARCHER
(on che SAT-phone)
...Roger that.
F A W A Z( O .S . )
Don't know
Carrying a lot of fuel.
if I can handle three more onboard.
Archer
looks
up ahead to where Solomon and Dia are waiEing.
ARCHER
(on the SAT-phone)
f'11 get it sorted.
He punches the button
L76
and starts
off
again.
THREE KILOMETERSLATER
SoLomon is
arm pit -Archer
I15
STARING at the bloody
the stain spreading.
sees him see it.
exit
wound below Archer's
Looks at him.
SOLOMON
You must s i. t .
f|J(LrlE|(
just
Yeah, let's
He starts
L11
have tea.
moving again.
THREE KILOMETERS LATER
Archer has to stop.
rnouth. Looks at his
His breathi.ng is
hand.
No blood.
AJILn-trt(
Missed. . . the lung. . .but it 's
sLi11....colLapsed.
Could...
be. . . .worse. . . .f guess.
L11
Labored.
He wipes his
J.UJ..
SOLOMON
not
They will
ResE now.
looks
Archer
As if
around.
find
sensing
us.
Eheir
pursuiE'
ARCHER
good.
They're
(scruggles
to his
feeE )
LeE's go...
iJe wills
1?8
himself
onward.
178
THREE MORE KILOMETERS
have
says
t.oIl.
taken their
Eo Dia
something
in
carry
We will
Archer
is
Mende.
scunrlcling
now.
Solomon
SOLOMON
you.
ARCHER
No.
SOLOMON
Yes.
They each take
Yoked Eogether,
I'79
one of Archer's
they st.ruggle
arms
on.
over
their
shoulders.
I19
TWO KILOMETERS MORE
And Ehey have
E.akes ouE the
reached
the base of a rocky
and sees-binoculars
BINOCULAR POV --
ridge.
Archer
OFF IN THE DISTANCE
T W O E . O . A R I " I O R E DV E H I C L E S c h u r n u p d u s t a s E h e y a p p r o a c h .
Behind
them come a squad of inf anE.ry on f ooE.
IN
THE SKY ABOVE
The Cessna appears,
circling.
THE RIDGE ABOVE THEM IS
VERY STEEP
way.
with
dense brush blocking
their
In order
sE.rip, they will
have Co climb iU.
the landing
It. would be difficult
carry
anot.her man --h
i
s shoufder
over
Eo make ic
enough Eo climb on one's own, but Eo
as Solomon Eries
as he hoisEs
Archer
is beyond imagining.
ARCHER
t.o
1n)
SOLOMON
No-One step.
Another
sLep. And then another.
Solomon's st.rengLh is tremendous.
over hand.
Rock by rock.
They make progress.
Hand
solornon's face conEorts with the ef fort.
His legs trernble
but still
he keeps going.
The top of the ravine appears,
far away, but t.antalizingly
in sight.
For a moment we might even believe they will make it
Lhen Solornon loses his footing.
He st.umbles.
Archer is slammed to the ground,
reaehes to pick him up again.
grunting
in
pain.
--
but
Solomon
ARCHER
STOPI DAI'TN.T!.
Archer's shirt-fronE
gasping for breath.
No.
i s S O A K E Di n B L O O D . H e i s p a l e a n d
Solomon goes to pick him up again.
ARCHER (COI,IT'D)
LeE me...see it...
SOLOMON
Mr. Archer*ARCHER
You. . . .want it a1l. . . for
solomon shakes his
he realizes
Archer
He hands Archer
head, smiles
is noE going
yourself _
ruefu11y.
This
to make it.
the wrapped st.one.
Even wrapped in-a dirty
cloth,
like sonething from the Gods.
it
Archer
takes
peels
is
it
the breath
the momenc
open.
away --
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
ft's
He holds
it
real. . .
up to bhe warm afternoon
light..
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
So. . . .beautifu1.
Archer looks up to see solomon sbaring
back in the c1oEh.
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Take it.
at hirn.
He wraps it
1 0 3.
SOLOMON
I thougrht you would steal
me,
It
from
it
ARCHER
Lo me.
occurred
Solomon smiles.
SOLOMON
To me, as well.
180
1BO UP ABOVE
The plane
181
touches
down.
181
D O W NB E L O W
The Armored Cars are getting
182
closer.
ARCHER
TB2
Looks over
Dia.
at
Solomon --
who has his
arm protectively
around
IN THE BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOONLIGHT
The boy looks
like
the same innocent
he once was.
child
ARCHER
Take. . . . .your. . . .boy. . . .home.
Solomon looks back at him,
He nods.
Archer
tears
In deep and simple
nods back.
in his
eyes.
gratitude.
Then-A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Help ne...
He struggles to pick
into his hands.
up the machine gun.
Solomon puts
it
A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )
Put the strap...over
my shoulder.
Solomon helps
secure
it
in p1ace.
.50 CALIBER ROUNDSFROM THE ARMOREDCAR
Begin to land -183
short
--
but getting
closer.
ARCHERFIRES A BURST PROMHIS MACHINE GUN
Momentarj.ly stopping
their
progress.
183
J-U{.
ARCHER
co Now.
.
SOLOMON
Goodbye. . . . Danny.
Archer's
eyes flicker
for
a moment.. Smiles,
ARCHER
Te11 Fawaz if he tries
t.o cheat. you,
I'11 be waiting for him in He11.
Solomon nods once more.
Dia meeLs Archer's
Solomon leads his
]-84
eyes for
Ehe firsE
time,
Ehen looks
away.
son up the ridge.
ARCHER
18 4
settles
himself -- as cornfortably as he is able -- among the
He FIRES another burst -rocks.
to distracE them from
Solomon and Dia as they climb the ridge.
185
DoWNBELoW
The attacking
195
mercenaries
scramble for
cover.
We SEE Solomon and Dia run for the plane.
whau is said above rhe ROAR OF THE pROp.
187
BACK TO ARCHER
I87
He has taken the sAT-phone from Ehe pack.
Maddy's card.
He dia1s.
188
We CAI.{NOTHEAR
EXT. CAPE TOI,VN- AN oUTDooR CAFE -Maddy sits
with
a group of
rn his
hand is
INTERCUT
journalists.
188
Her ce11 phone RINGS.
MADDY
uaddy Bowen...
ARCHER
Told you f woul-d ca1l.
Maddy is shocked co hear his voice.
and walks away from the Lable.
MADDY
And I'm so glad you did.
going to see you?
F\
ARCHER
LiEtle
problem there.
She immediately
When am I
gets
up
| {tl
Whau do you
Above
on the
ridge,
MADDY
mean--?
Archer
HEARS the
ARCHER
Listen...Maddy..
.I want
favor.
me anocher
By now Maddy can hear
breaching.
Then, the
you..
t.he weakness in
SOUND of gunfire
MADDY
you all
Archer,
are
Listen,
f
Archer,
MADDY
what's going
plane
.to
taking
do
the
his voice,
from below.
rigthc?
ARCHER
need you to
go to
Guinea.
on--?
ARCHER
you just
Will
shuc up and listen-Got to...meet
Solomon aE the UN camp.
Found. . .his son. . .but they,re. . .going
to need. . .he1p.
You're
you?
f 'm in
And...I
hurt.
MADDY
Oh, my God--
where
are
ARCHER
a rea11y. . .beautiful
place.
wish you were here..,
Archer,
help- -
oh,
MADDY
shit.
Let
me get
. .
you
ftlLLl-t.gJ.(.
Tell
..you take care of Solomon....
his scory
f gotta go...
Maddy's eyes are welling
up.
MADDY
Archer--ARCHER
Goodbye, Maddy...
MADDY
Archer-The connection
!
has been 1ost.
Archer
off.
has hung up.
labored
105.
189
ARCHER
189
pushes away the phone and siUs back against a mossy rock,
his face in repose.
He looks up aE che shafts of sunlight
made visible
bv the dust and haze.
In che quieu, birds flit,
insect,s buzz, the leafy branches
of trees hundreds of years o1d sway in che breeze.
Ic reminds us of how Solornon experienced
he found t.he diamond.
when first
E,he nat.ural
world
He looks down -- a half-smile
o n h i s f a c e a s D R O P SO F H I S
B L O O Dm i x w i E h E h e r e d d i r t
of Africa.
He looks up inEo Che sky -- where THE CESSNAgrows srnaller
and smaller as i! flies
out of view.
190
A R M E DE . O . M E R C E N A R I E S
swarm up Ehe hillside
FIRE, buE he doesn't-
190
toward Archer.
We expecE him t,o reEurn
As Ehe firsE soldier reaches his posiuion,
we SEE Ehat Archer
is dead. He siEs with hj.s back against. t.he mossy rock -eyes closed.
At peace aE lasE.
191
E X T . L O N D O N( T O E S T A B L T S H )- -
DAy
191
From pasEoral tranquilicy
to t,he chaos of urban 1ife.
Solomon
sEands Eransfixed by Ehe noise, Ehe Craffic,
Ehe crowded
sidewalks of t.he City of London.
He stands aE a st,reeE. corner, uncomforEable in a suit
sizes E.oosrnall and sEif f new leather shoes.
Maddy is
Ehere by his
Come on.
I92
side.
She gently
touches his
two
arm.
MADDY
We' re almost. t,here.
THEY REACH THE EMBAI..IKMENT
Maddy stops
beside
Just. walk
che Hungerford
I92
fooEbridge.
MADDY
t.o t,he middle.
SOLOMON
You're not comino?
MADDY
f 'm noE here.
S o 1 o m o nc o l l e c r s h i m s e l f .
He has survived hosrile jungle,
yet t.his seems as daunEinq.
mercenaries and the R.U.F..
1 . 0 1.
193
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE
Solomon waits.
It,s
Simmons.
SIMMONS
Solomon Vandyl
You are
solomon nods.
193
A man approaches.
several
paces behind
And you are?
Simmons are
two B.D'GUARD..
SOLOMON
SIMMONS
r am Lhe end of your journey.
simmons motions for a briefcase.
one of the men brinqs
forward, unlocks rhe combir.,.tior,,
oJJ"J ia.
194
THE IMAGE FREEZES. CLICX
Maddy is behind a wa1l,
195
Tg4
taking
pictures
wirh
a telephoco.
EXT. THE BRIDGE - COMIINUOUS
195
SIMMONS
You must understand, MisLer
Vandy,
Ehac your diamond coufd nive enOed
up no place else but wlth usSolomon stares
ac the neat
rows of
pOUNDNOTES.
(coN'D)
rr,s ar,
Solomon looks
"o,rljYott
from the money, to
Simmons.
rr is nor .":3;f;To*
r- assu5e
pounds
is
*:::
E h a n".rltHStir,rion
anyone wilt offei you for
chat sEone, under the circurn"iarr""".
r.w?nr,^,nr.i3!o|?l*r""u ro meby
Archer.
Mister
SII"DIONS
__ ( s w a l l o w i n g i r r i t a c i o n )
..What was promised
to you?
SOLOMON
M y f a m . il v .
your
f ami r"att*ot'
it
108.
SOLOMON
They are in a refugee calnp. When
get the stone.
they are here, you will
Simrnons takes
a moment t,o diqest
f wil.l
S O L O M O N( C O N T ' D )
take the money, too.
Sirnmons sees t.hat Solomon is
I"lay t
t.his.
serious.
SIMMONS
see what I'm buying?
You will
is here.
SOLOMON
get Ehe stone once my family
SIMMONS
How do I even know you have it?
SOLOMON
You have my word.
He Looks from Simmons, to t.he ot,her men, back Lo Simmons.
soLoMoN (co\It,D)
Mister Archer told me this business
is based on a person's word.
And a
deal- is made with a handshake.
With a cordial
196
INT.
smiLe, he ext,ends his
hand to
SMALL LONDONHOTEL ROOM- EVENING (MUSTC OVER)
Solomon sits on the edge of the BED, waiting.
roorn is lit.t.ered with empty boxes of take-out,.
I9'7
Simmons.
LATER - TIFPA}IY'S ON BOND ST.
195
The little
(MUSTCOVER)
Igl
solomon st.ares at a DrAI'IONDNECKLACE t.he window.
He's never
seen a polished stone, let alone forEy in a dazzling set.ting.
Now that's
He looks
up to
find
I beg your
WOMA}J'SVOICE (ENGLISH ACCENT)
what I call bling.
an atEractive
E N G L T S Hw o M A N , b l a c k ,
SOLOIV1ON
pardon?
BLACK WOMAN
. . .You're African.
(off his took...)
I'm good with accents.
She offers
her hand.
30,s.
1nq
Elizabeth
I
198
LATER -
BLACK WOMAN (CO}CT'D)
Sweet.
arn Solomon
SOLOMON
Vandy.
198
AS THEY WALK ALONG REGENT STREET
BLACK WOMAN(ELTZABETH)
--Ehen after unj-versiEy I went to
I've
to work for Ehe bank.
straight
always regreEted not having taken
Africa
more time off to Lravel.
especially.
It
SOLOMON
verv beauciful.
is
BLACK WOMAN
I can only imagine.
Te1l me about
Sierra Leone...
Solomon stops walking.
Suddenly very
SOLOMON
How do you know where I
afraid.
come from?
BLACK WOMAN
You said-SOLOMON
I did not say.
(steps toward her)
WHO ARE YOU? W}IAT DO YOU WAIVT?
No.
BLACK WOT"IAN
(backpedaling)
Look-cEr
Ihey
SOLOMON
AWAy FR9M UE!
only
BLACK WOMAN
want t,o make sure
you have
:ts
Solomon looks around, suddenly frightened,
are being observedHe turns and runs off
199
certain
now they
down the street.
LATER - BACK rN SOLOMON'SHOTEL ROOM (MUSTCOVER)
He sics
alone on the bed.
The phone RINGS.
SOLOMON
H e l 1o ?
His eyes begin
Eo we1l.
He picks
199
it
up.
11n
2OO
INT.
HEATHROWIIITERNATIONAL TERMINAL - DAY
2OO
the cusEoms
corning through
Solomon watches the travelers
gaEe, his eyes rnoving over every face.
Maddy is
nearby,
Then..,Ehere
waE.ching from a respectful
Only real-.
Like a vision'
Ehev are'. '
remove'
JASSIE
Sola !
Solomon's daughter approaches more
She runs to him.
Solomon kneels down, scoops her in his arms.
tenCaEively.
Nearby, Dia sEands awkwardly, something damaged in his
S1owly he allows himself Co be drawn int,o his father's
Maddy is
crying
as weJl.
The family remains in an embrace as the world
Ehem, unaware of the moment's significance.
201
eyes.
arms.
moves around
BRIDGE -_ DAY
EXT. WATER],OO
2AI
Solomon and Simrnons meet again.
A Bentley
idles
nearby.
SIMMONS
You are saEisfied?
Solomon nods, starEs
to reach into
pocket.
his
S I M M O N S( C O N T ' D )
Nol here.
He climbs
202
inEo the waiting
car.
Solomon warily
foflows.
202
IN THE CAR
Simmons Eakes
S i m m o n ' s A S S O C I A T Eh a n d s o v e r t h e b r i e f c a s e .
panEleg with some distaste,
but when he
torn-off
the dirty,
opens ic, his expression changes Eo wonder.
SIMMONS
Extraordinary.
The two associates
stare
at
the stone in disbelief.
S I M M O N S( C O } I I ' D )
May I drop you somewhere. Mr. Vandy?
No.
SOLOMON
Thank you.
Solomon opens the door,
uses a phrase
we have heard before.
111.
S O L O M O N( C O N T ' D )
Always a pleasure doing business.
203
T- LATER (MUSIC OVER)
FOUR STORIES UNDERGROUND
203
The thick STEEL DOORof the VAULT hisses open.
The DIAMOND,
now locked in a glass box, is wheeled in on a cart,
Security
calneras foLlow it..
The box is placed in its own STEEL DRAWER,
amid a wall of sEeel drawers
2A4
INT. A S}4ALL OFFICE -.
Maddy tl4)es
205
SAIUE (MUSIC CONT)
204
away on a laptop.
EXT. FRONT OF DTC BUILDING - LONDON- DAY (MUSIC CONT)
As De Wente steps out of a shiny
TV CAMERASand REPORTERS.
LIMO, he is
205
met by several
REPORTER
Mister De Wente! Cary Wright, CNN.
Could you comment on allegations
that your company buys blood diamonds
from Sierra Leone?
BODYGUAF-DS
insist
the reporters
keep their
distance.
DE WENTE
f 'm not going !o comrnenL on some
sensationalisU
magazine art,icle.
De
Went,e fnternational
is as concerned
as anyone about diamonds from t,hese
regions reaching Ehe marketplace.
206
I}ilT. TIN HEARING ROOM
Superimpose:
205
UN Sl:bcom4rittee. on Intefnat.ional
Trade,
2002
AIVIBASSADOR
WALKER
--this
situation
is accountable for
unspeakable Cragedy. . .
(scans the room)
...The natural. resources of a nat.ion
are the sovereign property
of its
people...
THE FACES OF REPRESENTATIVES,Ehoughtful
and skeptical
TO MADDY'S FACE as she siE,s among the reporters.
wash over her.
AI"IBASSADOR
WALKER (V. O. )
...They are not ours to sEeal, or
take by force, or exploit
in the
name of our comfort., our corporations,
or our consumerism.
alike
The words
(CONT'D)
--
J.72.
2O'I
'
INT.
OUTSIDE THE UN CHAMBERS- SAME
sits
SOLOMON
207
on a marble bench wearing
his
new suit.
AMBASSADOR
WAIKER (V.O. )
The Third World is not a world apart
and the witness you will
hear today
speaks on its behalf.
In Solomon's fap is a copy of Vanity
l4addy's story on the diamond trade.
Fair.
It. is
open to
workers in a diamond mine;
On a facing page are PHOTOGRAPHS:
Solomon at the refugee camp; child soldiers
cluuching weapons,.
An4.g p_icture pf Arc4er.
A LIN PAGE opens the
They're
Solomon closes
Vibrant,
inEense,
haunted.
DOOR.
UN PAGE
ready for you, sir.
the magazine.
Stands.
And heads in.
A-},IBASSADOR
WALKER (V.O. )
Let us hear the voice of that world,
J.et us J.earn from that voice, and
let us ignore it no more.