The Ghost and the Darkness Page #2

Synopsis: Sir Robert Beaumont (Tom Wilkinson) is behind schedule on a railroad in Africa. Enlisting noted engineer John Henry Patterson (Val Kilmer) to right the ship, Beaumont expects results. Everything seems great until the crew discovers the mutilated corpse of the project's foreman (Henry Cele), seemingly killed by a lion. After several more attacks, Patterson calls in famed hunter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas), who has finally met his match in the bloodthirsty lions.
Production: Paramount Home Video
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.8
Rotten Tomatoes:
50%
R
Year:
1996
110 min
543 Views


HELENA:

Go, now.

(He kisses her hand)

Such a gentleman.

(Now he holds her)

PATTERSON:

I am desperate to see Africa- but I

hate the leaving.

CUT TO:

HELENA. She hates it, too.

HELENA:

You build bridges, John-

(beat)

-you've got to go where the rivers are.

They hold each other a moment more, then break, then back into

each other's arms a final time, then-

CUT TO:

THE TRAIN, and thick clouds of steam-

-Patterson runs into the clouds and disappears.

HOLD FOR A MOMENT.

KEEP HOLDING.

Patterson runs out of the steam and we

PULL BACK TO REVEAL

A DIFFERENT TRAIN, A DIFFERENT COUNTRY, A DIFFERENT WORLD.

This is the train to TSAVO and Patterson is alone on the engine

seat- a wooden bench in front of the engine used by railroad

inspectors and visiting VIPs. Behind it is a white circular piece

of wood used to keep the engine heat from the passengers.

CUT TO:

NIGEL STARLING, running as best as he can alongside the train,

trying to pull himself up onto the engine seat.

STARLING is a terribly appealing young man. Clothes do not fit him

well, and he is constantly tugging at this sleeve or that

shirttail, trying to get things right. He wears glasses, tends

nonetheless to squint at the world. He is, above all, a good man,

morally impeccable and very much a product of these Victorian

times.

STARLING:

(as Patterson helps

him aboard)

Many thanks.

(squints)

You're Patterson, yes?

(Patterson nods)

Nigel Starling- I'll be assisting you

at Tsavo- but surely Beaumont must

have told you that.

PATTERSON:

He just gave me his "monster" speech.

STARLING:

That. I know Robert seems dreadful,

but when you truly get to know the man,

well, he's much worse.

(beat)

And I'm one of his defenders.

(Patterson smiles)

Forget him for now- it's your first

ride to Tsavo- I think you'll find it

breathtaking.

(And on that word-)

CUT TO:

STARLING coughing like crazy, hands over his face which is caked

with dust- he and Patterson stare out at an absolutely dreary

desert.

PATTERSON:

(shouting toward Starling)

"Breathtaking" doesn't begin to do it

justice.

(As Starling starts to

laugh, his mouth opens

and sand flies in, and

his coughing fit returns

and)

CUT TO:

THE DESERT. ENDLESS. LATER IN THE DAY.

CUT TO:

THE TWO OF THEM, bent over, arms covering their faces as the dust

gets worse- a wind has kicked up.

CUT TO:

THE TRAIN, TRYING TO MAKE IT UP A STEEP GRADE. STILL LATER.

Patterson and Starling are walking beside the train now, helping

to push it, trudging through the dust. All the other passengers

spread out behind them, also pushing- the train obviously needs

all the assistance it can get.

CUT TO:

INSIDE A RAILROAD CAR, EARLY EVENING.

Patterson and Starling, filthy, sit together. Starling has nodded

off. Patterson has a book open in his lap-

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William Goldman

William Goldman (born August 12, 1931) is an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist, before turning to writing for film. He has won two Academy Awards for his screenplays, first for the western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and again for All the President's Men (1976), about journalists who broke the Watergate scandal of President Richard Nixon. Both films starred Robert Redford. more…

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Submitted by aviv on November 03, 2016

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