| 2nd MAN | |||||||||
| (terrified) | |||||||||
| He's coming..! | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| Quick - hide this. | |||||||||
| The MEN pull the huge STAKE to one side and cover it with rushes as | |||||||||
| THE BOULDER is pushed aside and the FLOCKS come BELLOWING in, followed by Polyphemous, who rolls the STONE back... | |||||||||
| Odysseus and his remaining men have little choice but to stand there as the monster surveys them. It's going to be two for dinner - but which two? Finally - | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Suppertime. | |||||||||
| Odysseus, Elpenor and the men, tears streaming down their faces, force themselves not to move. They are SHAKING... | |||||||||
| Suddenly, as before, a HUGE HAND, snatches two of the men, one them was our "lst MAN". | |||||||||
| STAY ON ODYSSEUS and ELPENOR | |||||||||
| as they force themselves to listen to the hideous CRIES and then the CRUNCHING. Then silence, except the FIRE and the SHEEP and GOATS giving out the occasional BLEAT. Finally - | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| Perhaps you would like something to wash down your food. | |||||||||
| Off the giant's questioning look, Odysseus pours some of his WINE into a BUCKET and hands it to the giant, who swigs it down in an instant. After a moment, he smiles. | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Good. | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| Have some more. | |||||||||
| *He motions to his men - they empty ALL THEIR WINE into a *VAT. Impatiently the giant waits, then seizes the vat and downs the entire contents with a GLUG. He hiccoughs, then - | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| What is your name? | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| (fractional pause) | |||||||||
| Nobody. | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Nobody? | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| (casual) | |||||||||
| I am called Nobody. Mother, father, friends - everyone calls me Nobody. | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Nobody - that wine was good. I shall eat you last, Nobody. | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| You are too kind. | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| You're funny. | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| Am I? | |||||||||
| Another staring contest, but the wine is potent; Polyphemous' eyelid droops; he stares some more, than rolls over onto his back, pulling ANIMAL SKINS over him. | |||||||||
| Odysseus watches without expression. His five men gather next to him, breathless. Everyone FREEZES. Then the giant begins to SNORE. Still Odysseus waits. Then, he motions with his hand to bring forth the stake - | |||||||||
| THE FIRE | |||||||||
| the TIP is re-immersed in the FLAMES until it GLOWS... | |||||||||
| Odysseus nods, satisfied... | |||||||||
| With great effort they extricate and position the STAKE, climbing onto one of the GOAT PEN FENCES so that we are | |||||||||
| ABOVE THE MONSTER'S CLOSED EYE | |||||||||
| looking down at it, as Polyphemous moves in his sleep. | |||||||||
| They FREEZE, fearful of discovery, but he does not wake. | |||||||||
| Odysseus positions the point, like a DRILL. He looks at his men - they at him. He nods... | |||||||||
| With a mighty THRUST, they shove the STAKE directly down! | |||||||||
| BLOOD squishes up, covering Odysseus, followed by a SCREAM. | |||||||||
| Polyphemous sits up, the STAKE sticking out of where his EYE used to be. He tugs it from the smoking socket and his SCREAMS ricochet off the walls as he staggers about, stumbling into his SHEEP PENS, stampeding his flocks in the cave; the NOISE and CHAOS is stupendous. | |||||||||
| As Polyphemous thrashes wildly, Odysseus and his men must be nimble to avoid being crushed by the monster or his HERD. One of the MEN is TRAMPLED because he isn't fast enough. | |||||||||
| EXT. CAVE - NIGHT | |||||||||
| some distance away as can HEAR the BELLOWING. REVEAL | |||||||||
| SEVERAL OTHER CYCLOPS | |||||||||
| at their evening meal, reacting to the NOISE. | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS' VOICE | |||||||||
| Help! Help me! | |||||||||
| The CYCLOPS look at each other, puzzled. | |||||||||
| CYCLOPS | |||||||||
| (yelling) | |||||||||
| Polyphemous? Polyphemous! | |||||||||
| 2nd CYCLOPS | |||||||||
| (standing) | |||||||||
| What has happened? | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS' VOICE | |||||||||
| (a wail of pain and fury) | |||||||||
| I am blind! He has blinded me! | |||||||||
| The Cyclops look at each other, puzzled... | |||||||||
| CYCLOPS | |||||||||
| WHO has blinded you? | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Nobody!! Nobody has blinded me! | |||||||||
| lst CYCLOPS | |||||||||
| Nobody?? | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Nobody has blinded me! Ahhh..! | |||||||||
| The Cyclops can't make it out, shrug, go back to their dinner, mumbling "Nobody". The distant NOISES subside. | |||||||||
| INT. POLYPHEMOUS' CAVE - NIGHT | |||||||||
| Polyphemous crawls around on all fours, whimpering, clutching his forehead where his eye used to be... | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Nobody - I'll get you, do yo hear me? If it's the last thing I do, I'll get you... | |||||||||
| Odysseus watches, impassive, says nothing to give his position away. | |||||||||
| THE HORIZON | |||||||||
| the SUN appears... | |||||||||
| EXT. ODYSSEUS' SHIP - SUNRISE | |||||||||
| Eurylochos and the rest of the CREW watch the SUN come up. | |||||||||
| PERIMEDES | |||||||||
| Third day. | |||||||||
| POLITES | |||||||||
| He said we should leave on the third day... | |||||||||
| EURYLOCHOS | |||||||||
| (torn) | |||||||||
| Not yet... | |||||||||
| He looks over to the island... no sign... | |||||||||
| INT. POLYPHEMOUS' CAVE - DAY | |||||||||
| The SHEEP are BLEATING something FIERCE, crowding at the entrance, wanting to get out as per their routine. | |||||||||
| Polyphemous stands by the stone, unsure, his hands reaching out, trying to find his mutilators. | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Nobody! Nobody, you'll stay here til you rot. Do you hear me? Til you ROT. | |||||||||
| Odysseus hears alright. He waits as Polyphemous reluctantly pushes | |||||||||
| the STONE to one side. The SHEEP start out but Polyphemous stays by the cave mouth, stroking each one, top and sides as it goes past... | |||||||||
| Odysseus shows his men what to do. They each take one of the fleecy sheep and grab onto the wool from BELOW THE BELLY, allowing themselves to be DRAGGED out past Polyphemous' inquiring hands on inspection. | |||||||||
| Odysseus grabs the belly of BIG RAM and goes last, looking up anxiously... | |||||||||
| HIS POV | |||||||||
| traveling under the sheep as Polyphemous' HUGE FINGERS come NEAR, blindly feeling, like tentacles from a GIANT SQUID... | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Ares, you are always first to leave the cave - why are you last, today? | |||||||||
| The RAM can only BLEAT, not give Odysseus away... | |||||||||
| Once the RAM has passed, Polyphemous rolls the rock back. | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| Nobody? Nobody? I can wait... | |||||||||
| He sits there, the picture of grief... | |||||||||
| EXT. POLYPHEMOUS' CAVE - DAY | |||||||||
| as the SHEEP emerge, Odysseus and his men drop off their bellies, standing, brushing themselves clean... | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| Quick now, herd them to the ship before they weigh anchor... | |||||||||
| SEVERAL ANGLES | |||||||||
| as the FOUR remaining MEN, acting like sheep dogs, move the large SHEEP downhill towards | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS' SHIP | |||||||||
| where they are indeed sadly ready to make sail. | |||||||||
| PERIMEDES | |||||||||
| Look! | |||||||||
| They see the SHEEP and Odysseus and four men only, running. | |||||||||
| EURYLOCHOS | |||||||||
| Where are the rest? | |||||||||
| Odysseus drives one of the sheep aboard - | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| All dead except for these. Weigh anchor! Hurry! | |||||||||
| INT. POLYPHEMOUS' CAVE - DAY | |||||||||
| POLYPHEMOUS | |||||||||
| (mutters to himself) | |||||||||
| Are you hungry yet, Nobody? You will be... | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS' VOICE | |||||||||
| (from far off) | |||||||||
| Can you hear me, son of Poseidon? It is I, Odysseus, who repaid your hospitality by taking your eye! | |||||||||
| Polyphemous straightens up, in SHOCK. With increasing speed, he fumbles for the mouth of the cave; rolls back the STONE- | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS VOICE (cont'd) | |||||||||
| Polyphemous! We have escaped your clutches and you must know that it was the King of Ithaka, who brought you low! | |||||||||
| EXT. POLYPHEMOUS' CAVE - DAY | |||||||||
| The monster emerges, turning his head in the direction of Odysseus' VOICE. FAR BELOW Odysseus' ship is leaving the island and Odysseus is yelling up from the deck... | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| Polyphemous! Can you hear me? I am ODYSSEUS! Tell your father I AM NOT NOBODY! | |||||||||
| Polyphemous, in a rage, pulls up an enormous ROCK.. | |||||||||
| ON ODYSSEUS' SHIP | |||||||||
| Elpenor tries to restrain Odysseus. | |||||||||
| ELPENOR | |||||||||
| In heaven's name, my lord, do not antagonize him. You've had your victory... | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS' VOICE OVER | |||||||||
| I would not listen. I was drunk with foolish pride at my own cleverness and rage against the monster... | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS | |||||||||
| (in a frenzy) | |||||||||
| He killed my men! And I have | |||||||||
| repaid him! Polyphemous, where is your eye? Is Odysseus wearing your eye?! Tell your father! | |||||||||
| OUTSIDE HIS CAVE | |||||||||
| Polyphemous has heard the direction of the VOICE. He HURLS the HUGE STONE DOWN in the DIRECTION OF ODYSSEUS' SHIP. | |||||||||
| ODYSSEUS and HIS MEN | |||||||||
| react to the sight of the huge ROCK hurtling towards them. | |||||||||
| WIDE ANGLE | |||||||||
| as the ROCK plunges into the sea BEHIND Odysseus' ship, the SPRAY DRENCHING EVERYONE LIKE A TIDAL WAVE, we CUT TO: | |||||||||
| INT. BANQUET HALL, ITHAKA - DAY | |||||||||