Darkest Hour Page #5

CLEMMIE:

It’s your own Party to whom you’llhave to prove yourself.

WINSTON:

I’m getting the job only becausethe ship is sinking. It’s not agift, it’s revenge.

CLEMMIE:

Let them see your true qualities.

Your courage...

WINSTON:

...My poor judgement.

CLEMMIE:

...Your lack of vanity.

WINSTON:

...My iron will.

CLEMMIE:

(in playful rebuke)

...Your sense of humour.

WINSTON:

Ho Ho Ho!

CLEMMIE:

Now go.

WINSTON:

Go?

CLEMMIE:

Be.

WINSTON:

Be?

She touches his face tenderly -

CLEMMIE:

Yourself.

WINSTON:

Which self?

CLEMMIE walks away. WINSTON turns to a wall on which are

hung many HATS - (Royal Naval Yacht Club Cap, Admiral’s hatwith plume, aviator helmet with goggles, riding hat, pithhelmet, French WW1 helmet, fez, Homburg, top hat, etc ) all

on display like HUNTING TROPHIES.

13.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

(to himself)

Which self should I be today?

WINSTON surveys the collection, then plucks the TOP HAT fromits hook -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

One should have had power when ayoung man. When wits were sharp,

sinews strong. Oh well.

He returns to her -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Lead on Macduff-When

youth departs--

may wisdom prove enough.

They kiss, and she gives him a silver BOX OF MATCHES,

embossed with loving message from his children.

EXT/INT. PRINCES STREET/ WINSTON’S CAR - DAY

WINSTON, in the back seat, (with JOHN EVANS in front) looksout the window at the human traffic - seems like he’s in a

gold-fish bowl, disconnected. He watches as -MEN IN BOWLER

HATS and YOUNG WOMEN in SUMMER DRESSES walk to work.

JOHN EVANS:

Hardly seems like there’s a waron at all.

THREE DELIVERY BOYS ride by on bicycles, notice him and waveexcitedly.

WINSTON:

How odd it is.

JOHN EVANS:

Sir?

They stop, waiting behind a BUS.

WINSTON:

You know--I have never ridden a

bus. Never queued for bread. Ibelieve I can boil an egg but onlybecause I saw it done once.

EXT. BUCKINGHAM PALACE - DAY

WINSTON’s car approaches the Palace gates, which are open.

The CAR drives up to the PALACE. WINSTON gets out and he andEVANS enter the PALACE -

14.

INT. PALACE ENTRANCE - DAY

A grand hall.

Winston removing his hat and coat, hands his cane and gloves,

then hat to a LIVERIED DOORMAN whilst a LIVERIED STAFF MEMBER

waits nearby.

WINSTON:

The only time I tried to ride theUnderground was during the GeneralStrike. Clemmie dropped me at SouthKensington station. I went down-but

I got lost and came straight

back up. Awful!

(girding himself)

Well, “Here we go”...

EVANS:

Good luck sir.

WINSTON strides away, following the EQUERRY.

INT. STATE CHAMBERS/ BUCKINGHAM PALACE - DAY

KING GEORGE VI (agitated, troubled) speaks with the ill,

weak, outgoing PRIME-MINISTER NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN.

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