| SCRIPTS |
| Late Script - Opening Scene to Inside Willow's House |
| "WILLOW" * Story by George Lucas * Screenplay by Bob Dolman * Second Draft Second Revision April 1, 1987 * |
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Act I
FADE IN:
EXT. NOCKMAAR CASTLE - DAY
Under gloomy sky WE HELICOPTER DOWN until WE SEE a huge fortress on a volcanic
mountainside. From within WE HEAR the agonizing scream
of a woman giving birth.
INT. NOCKMAAR CASTLE - DAY
The scream continues as WE MOVE THROUGH the grim corridors of the castle TOWARD
stairs leading down to a dungeon.
INT. DUNGEON - DAY
As WE MOVE DOWN the dungeon stairs, the screaming stops.
Silhouetted in shadows, three Nockmaar GUARDS stand
outside a jail cell where six fully pregnant WOMEN watch
from behind iron bars. SORSHA: (O.S.) Is it a girl? ETHNA: (O.S.) Yes. SORSHA: (O.S.) Show me its arm. ETHNA: (O.S.) It bears the marking. SORSHA, a plainly-dressed teenage girl with long red hair, hurries PAST CAMERA, followed by a robed DRUID. SORSHA: The omen is true. I must tell my mother. ETHNA, a midwife, leans over the MOTHER and wraps the BABY in
swaddling. On the baby's arm is a small marking. Ethna gently
places the baby on the mother's breast, and the baby stops crying. The mother clasps Ethna's
wrist.
MOTHER: Ethna, please. Help me. They're going to kill her.
Afraid for herself, Ethna looks out at the guards, then shakes her head at the mother.
ETHNA: Queen Bavmorda will kill you if you try to stop her.
MOTHER: Save my baby. Take her far away... Please!
Ethna hesitates. Then decides. She quickly bundles some rags into the shape of
a baby and gives them to the mother.
MOTHER: Ethna... thank you.
She kisses her baby and hands her to Ethna, who hides her inside a basket of rags.
Ethna carries the basket past the guards and cowers as QUEEN BAVMORDA swoops down into the
dungeon. Sorsha and the druid hurry alongside. Ethna and the guards fearfully move away
as Bavmorda enters the cell. Ethna hurries up the stairs. BAVMORDA: So. You were the one. MOTHER: You cannot change the prophecy. BAVMORDA: This child will have no power over me. Start the ritual. Bavmorda grabs the rags and tears them apart. BAVMORDA: Where is the baby! SORSHA: The midwife! Bavmorda flies into a rage, intensely pointing her finger at Sorsha, while the mother rants. BAVMORDA: Find that baby, Sorsha! Use the dogs! Bring her back to me alive! MOTHER: My daughter will destroy you, Bavmorda! Your
reign of terror is at an end! You can't stop her!
During this, Sorsha obediently charges upstairs followed
by two of the guards. Bavmorda turns to the third guard, as the mother keeps ranting. BAVMORDA: Kill her. EXT. NOCKMAAR CASTLE - DAY - TITLES BEGIN War drums begin to beat. Ethna hurries away from the fortress, clutching the baby. EXT VOLCANIC LANDSCAPE - DAY - TITLES CONT'D
She flees across dark lava rock EXT SNOWY MOUNTAINSIDE - DAY - TITLES CONT'D She hurries through swirling snow, protecting the baby from the cold. EXT. SNOW VILLAGE - DAY - TITLES CONT'D
Nockmaar troops on horseback charge into a desolate
village, driving ferocious DEATH DOGS into huts,
violently searching for the baby. Some villagers are
beaten.
Ethna hides behind a hut, still holding the baby, then runs away from the
village. EXT SNOW CREVICE - DAY - TITLES CONT'D
Ethna huddles with the baby in a sheltering roci while a blizzard roars
around them.
EXT. GRASSLAND - DAY - TITLES CONT'D
Ethna treks across an open grass field. It has been weeks
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT - TITLES CONT'D
Exhausted and hungry, her clothes filthy and torn, Ethna huddles by a fire and
rocks the crying baby, who is now two months old.
Ethna bathes the baby in a stream.
EXT. OCEAN CLIFFSIDE - DAY - TITLES CONT'D
She climbs over the rocks on a windswept coastline.
EXT WOODS - DAWN - TITLES CONT'D
In a kind of permanent camp, Ethna is awakened by dogs howling in the
distance. She clutches the baby and runs. EXT. FOREST - DAWN Ethna runs desperately for her life. Chasing her are two vicious DEATH DOGS. She scrambles across a shallow river. She claws at a rock and tears away sticks and driftwood matted together with weeds. Into this she places the baby and sets it afloat downstream. With a sudden howl, the dogs lunge from the woods and splash across the river. The midwife claws her way up a steep bank, luring the dogs. As they attack her: ETHNA: You can't have her. No! No! She grabs a stick and tries to defend herself, thrashing at the snarling dogs. From the baby's view, as it floats down the river, WE SEE the dogs kill the midwife beyond the distant trees. EXT. DOWNRIVER - DAY - MONTAGE - TITLES CONT'D The little raft of sticks swirls precariously in the
current. It glances off jutting rocks, tumbles over
rapids, and scrapes under overhanging trees.
EXT. RIVER - NIGHT - TITLES CONT'D
The baby continues to drift downriver.
EXT. RIVERBANK - DAY
TITLE SEQUENCE ENDS
At last the raft catches in some weeds, almost dumping
the baby.
Suddenly WE HEAR rustling leaves, possibly another Death Dog. Then WE HEAR
giggling. RANON: Dada! Dada! EXT. UFGOOD FARM - DAY Holding onto a plow, WILLOW UFGOOD, about 20 years old, struggles behind a huge hog. From a heavy sack slung over his shoulder he tosses seeds. RANON: Dada! We found something in the river! Willow beams with joy as Ranon grabs his sleeves and tugs him away from his plow. WILLOW: I can't run off and play with you now, Ranon. I've got work to do. RANON: But Dada, you gotta see it! Hurry! Willow drops his sack of seeds. The ugly hog glares at him like a guilty conscience. Ranon squeals with excitement as his father runs toward the river with him. EXT. RIVERBANK - DAY WE SEE Willow from the baby's view. His eyes pop open. He quickly backs his children away. Mims is hauling the raft to the bank. WILLOW: Mims! Back! Don't go near it. We don't know where it's been. It could be diseased. MIMS: But Dada, it's a baby! RANON: It's not like us. WILLOW: No, it's not a Nelwyn, it's too big. It looks like a Daikini baby. RANON: What's a Daikini? WILLOW: Daikinis are big: giants who live far away. The baby seems to smile at him. MIMS: Ooh, she's so cute... WILLOW: Mims! Careful. It might bite.
Willow drags Mims away. Then the baby starts crying. RANON: Can't we keep it, Dada? WILLOW: Absolutely not. We'll push it downstream and forget we ever saw it. BURGLEKUTT: Ufgood! Willow Ufgood! Willow, in a sudden panic, hears BURGLEKUTT the village Prefect in the distance. WILLOW: Shhh, shhh! It's the Prefect -- that's all I need. Keep quiet. Don't touch it. EXT. UFGOOD FARM - DAY Willow's wife KIAYA chases Burglekutt across the field, her beautiful long hair flowing behind her. Willow quickly zips behind his plow like he's been there all day. Burglekutt furiously scoops a handful of seeds out of Willow's sack and shakes them under Willow's nose. KIAYA: Mr. Burglekutt! My husband hasn't stolen anything! BURGLEKUTT: Ufgood! You still haven't paid your debts to me. Where did you get these seeds? Willow brushes Burglekutt's hand away. WILLOW: Maybe I used my magic. BURGLEKUTT: You're no sorcerer, Ufgood. You're a clown. I sell the planting seeds around here. Now tell me where you got these. With pride, Willow puts his arm around his wife. WILLOW: My family's been gathering these seeds in the forest since last fall. There's no law against that, Mr. Burglekutt. Suddenly the children laugh in the distance. KIAYA: Where are the children? Willow, you didn't leave them alone by the river? In alarm she runs off before Willow can stop her. Willow nervously keeps one eye on the riverbank as Burglekutt sweeps the horizon with his walking stick. BURGLEKUTT: Magic! You'll need magic if you expect to get your planting done before the rains start. He dashes the seeds against Willow's boots, then grabs Willow by the collar. BURGLEKUTT: I will have this land, Ufgood, and you will end up working in the mines. He lets go of Willow and arrogantly turns away, walking right into the hog. It grunts and butts him into the mud. EXT. RIVER - DAY Kiaya cradles the baby in her arms. Willow frantically runs up with patriarchal authority. KIAYA: (lovingly) Oh Willow... WILLOW: Kiaya, absolutely, under no condition, is anyone in this family going to fall in love with that baby. The baby laughs and they all fall in love with her all the more. The children follow Kiaya up the bank, walking right past Willow. WILLOW: Hey! I will not be ignored! Ignored, Willow huffs after them across his unplowed field. INT. UFGOOD HOUSE - DAY Willow paces nervously as Kiaya pours water in a wooden
tub. The house is cluttered with magic act props.
WILLOW: This is terrible, Kiaya. If we're caught with
her it'll be the end of us. What are we going to do?
KIAYA: We're going to give her a bath. Now don't be such a ninny-goat.
As Kiaya lifts her into the bath, the baby giggles.
MIMS: Isn't she cute? Look at her toes.
Ranon plays with some colored feathers and cloths.
WILLOW: Careful with that, Ranon. I need it for the festival tomorrow. Kiaya looks closely at the baby's arm. On it is a small birthmark in a circular design. KIAYA: Honey, do you think we should take her to the Village Council? WILLOW: No! They'll think it's a bad omen! There'll be a flood or a drought and they'll blame me for it! (paces and gestures) "Ufgood brought around that Daikini, didn't he?" "That's right, and he's a lousy farmer too!" "Let's get him." KIAYA: Willow, calm down. WILLOW: Calm down?? Kiaya! Tomorrow's my big day! I'm about to become apprentice to the High Aldwin. KIAYA: Love, the High Aldwin hasn't picked a new apprentice in years. WILLOW:Tomorrow's going to be different. He's going to pick me. And this little baby's not going to ruin it. The baby cries. Kiaya wraps her in a sheet and holds her out to Willow.
WILLOW: Hey, I don't want her, Kiaya.
KIAYA: Hold her while I get some milk.
WILLOW: I don't want anything to do with her. The baby keeps crying. Finally Willow takes her in his arms. Instantly, she becomes quiet and content. RANON: She likes you, Dada. Willow squints at the baby. She smiles at him. He can't help but smile back. |