.

'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,

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"

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.

AT NOONTIME, ,JASSIE AND N'YA}TDA GRING LUNCH.

THE STADE OF A HUGE BEOBOB TREE.

THEY STT IN

DIA RETURNS HOME, CARRYTNG HIS

BESIDE HIS FATHER.

NOW HE WORKS

T.HE STIN IS ALREADY LOW AS THEY RETURNTO THE VILLAGE

a d

SCHOOLBOOKS.

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

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.

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

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 LoM oN( 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 LoM oN( 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.

soLoM oN( v. o. )

I only know that

my thought.s
over the mount.ains
to you.
71

EXT.

BED OF GRASS -

Solomon lays

NIGHT

there.

Eyes open

find
I will
my whole lif
18

EXT.

I"IOUNTAINS -

f Iy

l7
in

a living

nightmare.

soL oM oN( v.o. )

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 -

19

SAI,{E

his SAT phone,

canopy.

worriedly

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,
No.

fron

Archer

to

the soldier.

TROOP LEADER

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.

soL oM oN( 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

The ot,her.

foot.

They check between his

CAPTAINPOISON (CONT'D)

solomon, looking inEo poison,s eyes, lifts

Poison checks between Ehe Eoes. Sacisfied.
Make it

Eoes.

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.

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.

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

c)&e.
Archer

MADDY
don'E take

you

as

che

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?

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 line!

back in

The angry

refugee

calls

out angrily.

REFUGEE#2

Ot.her ref ugees join in calling

solomon ignores t.hern, focusing
--and how is

1ine,

,'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

f guess not-

her

into

the surging

M A D D Y( C O N T ' D )

They 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

mp

like

like

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 k n o w B l a c k s . G r e w u p w i t h , J n ,
fought wiEh ,en. Behind the calm
burning with hate for what we,ire
d o n e t o , : r n . T h e y h a e e y o u , h a t e m e ,
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.

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.

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

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

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
K a i l a h u n , w ' r e g o n n a h a v e t o g o
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

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 oM oN( 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 oM oN( 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.

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
Duh.

MADDY
him a look)

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

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

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?

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
BuE you wil1.

'r wanEro say r told

ARCHER

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.

She shakes her head.

M A D D Y( C O N T ' D )

Now?

a young IiIERCENARY
tent.

(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.
Thi.s way.

SOLOMON

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

She can be as

silence.

And they

deal.

touqh

as he can.

ARCHER

Li s ten- -

No,

the

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

GET OFF ME!

Meanwhile,

are you doingl !

SOLOMON

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

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 -

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,

it

PO]SON (CONT'D)
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;;

d'i =nanA

;;

;";;;"

He goes t,o Dia and puts

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

Dia__
Dia's

eyes flicker
Dia,

Dia looks into

9mn.

Aimed ac him.

SOLOMON
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.
How far?

I'7 4
Solornon has no notion

SOLOMON

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...

Mr. Archer*-

SOLOMON

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.
Take it.

A R C H E R( C O N T ' D )

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,

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...
Archer-The connection

MADDY
!

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

rr,s ar,
Solomon looks

rows of

pOUNDNOTES.

(coN'D)
"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?
M y f a m . il v .
your

SOLOMON

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.