| SCRIPTS |
| Transcript - Nelwyn Festival to Village Council Meeting |
| "WILLOW" * Story by George Lucas * Screenplay by Bob Dolman * Released May 1988 * © Lucasfilm Ltd.1988 * |
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The next morning, Willow walks away from his house dressed in his best clothes and
a cloak and carrying a heavy bag. He
kisses Kiaya (who is holding the baby), and continues across the yard.
WILLOW: Come on, kids! Let's go! They follow him as Kiaya waves goodbye. Wild folk music is playing at the village festival, and the camera pans across a variety of entertainments. We see Willow onstage performing a trick with rings. We also see dancing, the band, a fire eater, a woman holding a baby, children playing, a rowdy tug of war, men drinking. The camera cuts back to Willow as he slips a small hollow log over his right arm. Ranon hands him a long stick with its tip in flames. WILLOW: Thank you, son. Willow flourishes the flaming stick before the audience. WILLOW: (dramatically) If you're easily shocked, please turn away! He thrusts the firebrand through the log, and, apparently, his arm, sawing it back and forth. The crowd gasps in amazement. Even Burglekutt is impressed, and nods in startled approval. Willow withdraws the stick, blows out the flame, removes the log, and displays his unscathed arm. He and Ranon bow before the applauding audience, which includes the very enthusiastic Meegosh, Willow's best friend. Cut back to the general festivities. Vohnkar the warrior walks up to a fruit stand. VOHNKAR: Give me a ripe one. (he receives one) Good. A young couple kisses, and the band plays on. The scene returns to Willow, who is holding a piglet in his arms. WILLOW: And now! For my final amazing feat, I will make this entire pig...disappear! Burglekutt chuckles with anticipation. Ranon, now on the sidelines, looks worried. Willow covers the piglet with his cloak. Ranon points at the stage. RANON: (to Mims) See? Willow lifts the covered animal into the air. WILLOW: Please watch very closely. Whuppity bairn, deru, deru! Willow whips the cloak aside. The pig is gone! The crowd goes wild. VILLAGER: What happened to your pig? Willow basks in the applause, but then his eyes widen in alarm as the piglet runs out from beneath the table with a loud squeal. Willow tries to catch it as the crowd erupts with uproarious laughter. WILLOW: (to the pig) Hey! Come here, you! Burglekutt is laughing louder than anyone else. Even Mims and Ranon are laughing. The crowd breaks up. BURGLEKUTT: (turning away happily) I've seen enough! Humiliated and alone, Willow slumps down dejectedly with his head on his hand. A fanfare announces the appearance of an old man with a long, white beard who is carried to the main stage in a thronelike litter. COUNCILMAN: (on the main stage) Attention! The High Aldwin will now make his choice for a new apprentice! Bring forth the hopefuls! Next to the stage, Meegosh shakes Willow's hand. MEEGOSH: (almost inaudible) You'll be OK. You'll be fine. Good luck. RANON: Good luck, Dada. Willow walks up the steps of the platform with two other candidates. Burglekutt does a double take at this. BURGLEKUTT: (loud and mocking) Willow Ufgood?! A hopeful? How'd he get picked? Is this a joke? Willow looks resentfully at Burglekutt, who is laughing with his companions. The High Aldwin also gives them an angry look, then stands before the three would-be apprentices. HIGH ALDWIN: Magic is the bloodstream of the universe. Forget all you know, or think you know. All that you require is your intuition. (he holds up his hand with fingers outstretched) The power to control the world is in which finger? The first candidate points to the High Aldwin's middle finger. The Aldwin grimly lowers that finger, and shakes his head, to the candidate's great disappointment. The second hopeful chooses the index finger. The High Aldwin lowers it and shakes his head again. There are only two fingers left to choose from. Under the stern gaze of the High Aldwin, Willow hesitates, looking at his own hand. With sudden decision he chooses the High Aldwin's ring finger, then waits anxiously for the High Aldwin's response. The High Aldwin lowers all his fingers then angrily strikes the ground with his staff. HIGH ALDWIN: No apprentice this year! The crowd sighs with disappointment, but then the music starts again and the festivities continue. A thoroughly depressed Willow shuffles off the stage. Suddenly a loud howl interrupts the music, and a Death Dog bursts into the village. People scream and run for their lives. Willow hurries over to Meegosh and Ranon. Willow: Where's Mims? MEEGOSH: I don't know! She was right here! WILLOW: (pointing) Take Ranon in there, quick! The Death Dog rampages through the village. Mims is standing on a low platform, screaming and sobbing with terror. Willow dodges through the fleeing people, looking for her. WILLOW: Mims! Mims! Willow's eyes widen with shock when he sees the danger she is in. He runs to save her. MIMS: (wailing, doesn't see Willow) Mama! WILLOW: Mims! He grabs her hand and leads her to a hiding place near a small corral, then drops to his knees and holds her tightly. The Death Dog leaps into the corral, which was being used as a temporary nursery, and starts tearing apart the empty cribs. Vohnkar runs up, leading several other men armed with spears and pitchforks. VOHNKAR: Come on! They swarm into the corral, and fight the Death Dog as Willow and Mims watch. Vohnkar stabs the creature, losing his spear in the process. The wounded beast charges him, but another soldier quickly throws Vohnkar another spear and the beast impales itself on it. The soldiers stab the Death Dog repeatedly to make sure it's dead. With the festival mood utterly shattered, the villagers return slowly and silently to look at the dead beast. Ranon runs toward his father. RANON: Dada! Dada! Relieved, Willow embraces him, then looks back at the scene of carnage. Vohnkar holds up a broken crib. VOHNKAR: (puzzled) It was looking for somebody's baby. A woman looks fearfully at the baby in her arms and then at her husband, who pulls her into an embrace. Mims looks up with tearstained eyes. MIMS: (faintly) Mommy! WILLOW: (with sudden fear) Kiaya! He frantically runs home. He bursts through the door, to be greeted by emptiness and silence. WILLOW: (terrified) Kiaya!! Kiaya!! Kiaya walks across the bedroom doorway with the baby in her arms. KIAYA: (calmly) I'm here. Willow heaves a massive sigh of relief. Kiaya lays the baby on the bed as Willow rushes over to embrace her. WILLOW: Oh, Kiaya. (turning to look at the baby) We can't keep the baby, Kiaya. We have to take her to the village council. Kiaya nods in understanding, and they cling together sorrowfully. Cut to a hastily convened council meeting in a barn. The whole village is present, and it's noisy and chaotic. BURGLEKUTT: Silence! One beast we can kill, but there may be more! And you can be assured that they won't give up until they find what they're looking for! During this speech, Willow and his family cautiously enter the barn. Willow is carrying the baby. The villagers respond loudly to Burglekutt's statements. FIRST VOICE: It's a sign! SECOND VOICE: Who's to blame for this? THIRD VOICE: We must find the culprit and throw him in the pit! MANY VOICES: Yeah! The pit! (chanting) In the pit! In the pit! In the pit! In the pit!... Willow exchanges a significant glance with Kiaya, then quietly turns and starts to walk out of the barn. The High Aldwin gazes after him. HIGH ALDWIN: Willow! Willow Ufgood. Come forward. As he speaks, the crowd falls silent and turns to stare at Willow. Caught, Willow reluctantly turns around. As he approaches the High Aldwin, the startled villagers murmur about the strange baby in his arms. WILLOW: My children found this baby alone by the river, High Aldwin. He lays the baby at the Aldwyn's feet. The High Aldwin bends down to look at her, then looks up at the crowd. HIGH ALDWIN: A Daikini child! BURGLEKUTT: That's what the beasts want! Let's give it back to them! VILLAGERS: Yeah! Give it back! WILLOW: (to Burglekutt) They'll kill her! You can't! BURGLEKUTT: It isn't one of us! The High Aldwin has been studying the child. HIGH ALDWIN: This child is special! This child must be taken beyond the boundaries of our village. All the way across the Great River, to the Daikini Crossroads! VILLAGER: Well, who'll do that? The High Aldwin is about to speak, but Burglekutt beats him to it. BURGLEKUTT: It seems only fair that the man to take this baby to the crossroads be the very man who plucked it out of the river. I nominate Willow Ufgood! Burglekutt claps his hand on Willow's on the shoulder while the crowd roars its approval. Willow shakes his head in futile protest. Kiaya cries out "No!", but can't be heard above the din. The shouting dies down as the High Aldwin starts shaking a gourd hanging from around his neck. HIGH ALDWIN: I will consult the bones! A hush falls as the High Aldwin tips five small pieces of bone out of the gourd and onto the ground. The High Aldwin squats down to examine the pattern they make and whispers conspiratorially to Willow, who has also bent down for a look. HIGH ALDWIN: The bones tell me nothing. Confused, Willow looks glances back and forth between the High Aldwin and the bones. HIGH ALDWIN: (still whispering) Do you have any love for this child? Willow solemnly looks down at the baby, then nods and looks back at the High Aldwin with a faint smile touching his lips. WILLOW: Yes. Yes I do. The High Aldwin stands up. HIGH ALDWIN: (to the crowd) The bones have spoken! Willow Ufgood, the safety of this village depends upon you. BURGLEKUTT: Praise the bones! The villagers echo his cry, while Kiaya closes her eyes in sorrow. Willow grimly picks up the baby. HIGH ALDWIN: But you'll need help. Who has the courage to protect our brave fellow on his journey? Meegosh steps forward. MEEGOSH: (with quiet determination) I'll go with him. Willow smiles and nods in appreciation for his friend's support. BURGLEKUTT: (grinning) Ah. Meegosh. Excellent choice. Then Vohnkar steps forward, spear in hand. VOHNKAR: I'll go. The crowd shouts their acclaim for the great warrior. THE CROWD: Vohnkar! Vohnkar! BURGLEKUTT: No! Not Vohnkar! He's the best warrior in the village! We need him here! Vohnkar, step back! Vohnkar looks at Burglekutt with disgust, but does as he is told. The High Aldwin is not pleased. Burglekutt stares at him defiantly, but the Prefect is no match for the crafty old man. HIGH ALDWIN: All this expedition needs is a leader. And according to the bones, that leader is....you, Burglekutt! Burglekutt's eyes bulge and his jaw drops. He turns in the direction of the departing warrior. BURGLEKUTT: VOHNKAAAAAAAR! |