The Beach THE BEACH by John Hodge Based upon the novel by Alex Garland EXT. BANGKOK. NIGHT A single headlamp in close up shines directly and brightly out. Extreme noise and light. Beyond its glare can be seen the outline of a motorized tricycle ("tuk-tud") and its Thai driver. A young man, Richard, sits in the back, his rucksack beside him, swaying with the motion of the vehicle. He is worn and sweating. They travel through nocturnal Bangkok: fleets of tuk-tuks, taxis, road works, food vendors, dogs, tourists. Music and credits. EXT. KHAO SAN ROAD. NIGHT The bright headlight comes to a halt. Richard climbs down from the tuk-tuk RICHARD (V.O.) When you hit Bangkok, there's really only one place to go. The street is busy, full of Thai's and travelers. Richard picks his way through the crowd, his rucksack on his back. He absorbs the scene as he passes boarding houses and hotels, and the shops and stalls selling food, clothes, pirated tapes, jewelry, travel tickets, and international phone calls. Restaurants are filled with western travelers watching American films or European sport. RICHARD (V.O.) (continuing) The Khao San Road is a decompression chamber between east and west. It's where you learn to breathe car fumes and tropical air for the very first time, or else carefully rearrange your memories before you catch your flight home. Richard is approached by a young male Thai Hustler who walks backwards in front of him while making his pitch. HUSTLER You need somewhere to stay? RICHARD I'll be OK, Thanks. Richard politely ignores each of his subsequent offers. HUSTLER What do you want? Sell your passport? Buy passport? Airline tickets? You want silk? I'll take you to the best silk place? You get a suit in twenty-four hours. Diamonds? You want to come with me, you get present for your girlfriend. Maybe no girlfriend. You want a girl, no problem. Good time. Boy girl fucking no problem. You want to drink some snake blood? At this last one Richard stops and addresses the Hustler. RICHARD No thanks. Richard walks on, the hustler fading out behind him. HUSTLER You want designer clothes? I get you Versache, Gucci, Armani, no problem. You want a camera, all the best makes: Nikon, Leica, Canon I can get you. RICHARD (V.O.) Yeah, it's all here: you an phone home, meet up with strangers, split up with your friends, watch Hollywood movies while you sip Budweiser and eat a burger or get some massage and green chicken soup. You could be anywhere in the world but you could only find it here. And what do they want, all these people? EXT. KHAO SAN ROAD. NIGHT./ INT. BARS AND SHOPS. NIGHT. Various young travelers, male and female, in snapshot exerpts, address their comments to the camera or each other. TRAVELER 1 Where you been? TRAVELER 2 Where you going? TRAVELER 3 I've been there. TRAVELER 4 It's a waste of time. TRAVELER 1 We just got back. TRAVELER 2 Fantastic. TRAVELER 3 How much did it cost? TRAVELER 5 A complete rip off. TRAVELER 3 Too many people. There's a much better place along the coast. TRAVELER 4 We're going exploring. We've read this book. It tells us all the best places to explore. TRAVELER 2 I know a place that everyone says is really unspoiled. TRAVELER 1 I heard they built a big hotel there. TRAVELER 5 Some sort of sewage problem, apparently. TRAVELER 1 We're going anyway: all the rooms have got air conditioning. RICHARD (V.O.) But for me it's all about finding out something about a place, and something about yourself. And when you get off the beaten track, that's where you find out what there is to find out. Richard turns into one of the restaurants. INT. RESTAURANT. NIGHT. The restaurant extends deeply back away from the street. Richard passes many diners not dissimilar to himself. Some are talking, many are engrossed in the video entertainment. At the back he reaches a reception desk where he drops his pack. A Thai female HOTEL RECEPTIONIST sits behind the desk. She immediately shows Richard a "menu" of available rooms. The menu offers a spread of prices for single/double/window/fan/aircon/bathroom. Richard points to the cheapest combination and hands over 300 bath. The Receptionist becomes aware that he is being started at. A worn, disheveled man in his mid-thirties is standing at the nearby bar, a bottle in his hand, studying Richard. This is Daffy. RICHARD Good evening. Daffy says nothing but continues to stare and takes a drink. Richard will not be stared down. Neither turns away. The Receptionist passes over a key and smiles broadly. HOTEL RECEPTIONIST Welcome to Thailand. Richard turns to her. RICHARD Thank you. INT SHOWER. NIGHT In a small windowless shower room, Richard stands motionless, eyes closed, facing with pleasure the spray of cold water. INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. NIGHT The sound of the shower can be heard through a door marked with a shower sign. The sound stops and the door is opened. Richard emerges with a towel wrapped around his waist, carrying his key and washbag. He walks the short distance to his room. He puts the key in the door but the lock is stiff and he has to fiddle with it, bent over and dripping water on the floor. While he is doing so, the sound of footsteps climbing nearby stairs can be heard. There is the sound of a loud wolf-whistle. Richard turns to the source of the whistle. A beautiful European woman is smiling at him. This is Francoise. She approaches and takes the key from his hand. She turns the key in one direction, then the other, while twisting the handle. FRANCOIS Et voila. The door swings gently open. She stands back RICHARD Thank you. Footsteps approach from the stairs. Francoise is joined by a young man, ETIENNE, who catches up with her. He nods at Richard as he takes her arm. They walk away from Richard to the next door. FRANCOISE Bonsoir. RICHARD Eh - bonsoir. ETIENNE Goodnight. The couple reach their door. They enter their room and the door is closed behind them. Alone in the corridor again, Richard contemplates their presence. RICHARD (V.O.) I was traveling alone for two reasons. First of all, being alone allows you more opportunity to absorb your experiences on a personal level. Secondly, and this I felt acutely at that moment, there was no one who wanted to go with me. INT RESTAURANT. NIGHT Richard is in the restaurant which is quiet now. He is alone at a table eating and drinking. On a high shelf several feet away a Hollywood action film, all gunshots, car chases, and explosions, plays on the television. Most of the tables around him are empty. Richard is interrupted by the man he met earlier, Daffy, who pulls up a chair beside him. DAFFY Excuse me. RICHARD Yes? DAFFY I'm Daffy. RICHARD Richard. Hi. DAFFY Look, I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you could help me out. RICHARD Help you out? DAFFY Yeah; just ten or fifteen dollars maybe. RICHARD I'm sorry, I don't think so. DAFFY I'm waiting on some money coming through. It's just that at the moment, you know, I'm short. They're going to chuck me out. On the street in Bangkok, that's bad. RICHARD I'm really sorry but I just arrived; I'm on a pretty tight budget myself. I just can't afford it. DAFFY Just five dollars, please. He leans in close to Richard. DAFFY (continuing) I'll share something with you. RICHARD I'm sorry. I can't lend you any money. Daffy retreats. Richard turns back to the video and his food. Daffy approaches two young women sitting at a nearby table. DAFFY Excuse me, ladies, is there any chance you could help me out. I'm down on my luck at the moment. The two young women seem uncomfortable. Richard notices. DAFFY (continuing) If you could see your way to lending me some cash - RICHARD Here. He leans across and holds out a ten dollar note for Daffy. DAFFY Thank you, sir. Thank you. I promise I will repay you. RICHARD Just take it, OK. Daffy takes it. Richard returns to the video as a big yellow explosion is reflected on his face. INT. RICHARD'S HOTEL ROOM. NIGHT. Some light enters from the street through a small window. Richard lies on his bed, watching the fan rotate above him. He is listening to the sound of Etienne and Francoise engaging in noisy sex. They reach the climax of their activity and fall silent. Richard just has time to enjoy the silence when a new disturbance begins, this time from the next room in the other direction. It is a man, Daffy, banging on the wall just above Richard's head and shouting in time. DAFFY (O.S.) Have. You. Got. Anything. To. Smoke. Have. You. Got. Anything. To. - INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. NIGHT. Richard knocks sharply on the door of Daffy's room. The door is opened immediately by Daffy, looking even worse then before. RICHARD No, I don't have anything to smoke. Daffy stares at him for a moment. Recognition dawns. DAFFY You. You're the guy that lent me the money. RICHARD Yeah, that's right. Now could you be quiet so I can get some sleep. DAFFY Ten dollars. I'll find a way to pay you back. How would you like to know About somewhere special? The perfect beach. Paradise. No one else knows about it. That's got to be worth something. What do you say? RICHARD Look I don't care about the money right now: I just want some sleep. So if you could be quiet - DAFFY Yea, OK. I will be, I will be, I promise. RICHARD Thanks. Richard turns away. DAFFY Richard - He turns back. DAFFY (continuing) Been nice knowing you. He sticks his hand out. Richard politely reciprocates. RICHARD Sure. They shake hands. INT. EXT. RESTAURANT. DAY. The restaurant fronts on to the street where a new day's activity is beginning. Richard watches this as he eats his breakfast. He notices Etienne and Francoise sit down at the next table. RICHARD Bonjour. ETIENNE Good morning. FRANCOISE Did you sleep well? RICHARD Not too bad. FRANCOISE I hope our noise did not keep you awake. Richard looks from one to the other. RICHARD The noise? Don't worry. You're on holiday. ETIENNE She means your neighbor. The Scotsman RICHARD Oh, that noise! Yes, he certainly did. ETIENNE We moved rooms because of him. FRANCOISE He tried to borrow money from us. ETIENNE What idiot would lend him money? It would disappear. FRANCOISE He said if we lent him money h would tell us about a secret beach. ETIENNE It's on an island that no one get to. FRANCOISE But he has been there, off course. ETIENNE It was ridiculous; all this at three o'clock in the morning. RICHARD It would be nice though, if there was a place like that. You know, that no one could get to. ETIENNE Of course, but look; all these people. If that place existed, they'd all be there. INT. TRAVEL AGENT'S. DAY On a large board are details, photographs and prices of various standard excursions. A Thai TRAVEL AGENT reels them off at great speed. TRAVEL AGENT Nakhon - Pathom - Phra Ptahom Chedi - Damnoen Sadual floating market - eight hundred baht. Kanchanburi - Erwan national Park Phrathat Cave, huang Khamin Falls - six hundred baht. Nam Tok, hellfire Pass, Three Pagodas, Sai Yok National Park - fifteen hundred baht. Bang Pa In Royal Palace, Ayatthaya, Wat Phra Manhathat, Wat Raburna - one thousand baht. What do you want? Richard studies the board but is not excited. RICHARD Twenty Marlboro light, please. Instantly the Travel Agent produces the packet of cigarettes from a shelf and lays them on the counter. EXT. KHAO SAN ROAD. DAY. Richard lights up and looks around. He looks through the tapes at a stall. INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. DAY Richard walks along the corridor towards his room, his new tape playing on his walkman. On his door, a folded sheet of paper is attached with a pin. Richard lifts it off and unfolds it. It is a detailed and carefully drawn map of a cluster of islands. Some are named. One is unnamed. On it, some features are marked; hills, forest, river and a letter X. In the corner it reads "X = beach". Richard switches his Walkman off. He studies the map then walks to Daffy's door and knocks. No reply. Richard twists the handle and pushes gently. The door opens. INT DAFFY'S ROOM. DAY. The room is dim, be even so the blood can be seen sprayed and smeared around the walls, sheets and floor. There is no sign of Daffy. Richard treads carefully, avoiding the pools of blood on the floor. He reaches the other side of the room. There, wedged in the narrow gap between bed and wall, is Daffy's corpse. His wrists have been cut. Richard studies the map again. RICHARD (V.O.) You hope and you dream, but you never believe that something's going to happen for you, not like it does in the movies. And when it does, you sort of expect it to feel different. More visceral. More real. Like IMAX maybe. I was waiting for it to hit me, but it didn't. And just for the record, I never did get my ten dollars back. Richard switches his walkman back on. INT. POLICE STATION. DAY. In an office, two policemen, one in UNIFORM and the other a DETECTIVE, stand over Richard while he signs a statement. RICHARD (V.O.) The police didn't want to waste any time on it. They were just pissed off because he was traveling on a false passport, name of Mr. Daffy Duck, birthplace Ruritania, which kind of fucked up all the paperwork. They pulled everyone in from the hotel, but all they wanted form me was a statement saying I found him and it looked like he cut his wrists. No problem. The detective studies Richard's passport. DETECTIVE What are you doing in Thailand? Tourist? RICHARD Traveler. DETECTIVE You go to Patpong? See smoke from pussy, ping pong ball from pussy, razor blade from pussy; bird from pussy. RICHARD I don't think so. DETECTIVE Why not? Thai girls best in the world. Thai food best in the world. Thai dope best in the world. RICHARD I wouldn't know anything about that, sir. INT. POLICE STATION CORRIDOR. DAY The door of the office opens and Richard walks out. Lined up in the corridor, slouching against the walls, are several other travelers from the hotel. At the front of the queue are Francoise and Etienne. The officer beckons Etienne into the office and closes the door. Richard and Francoise acknowledge each other with a smile. INT. RICHARD'S HOTEL ROOM. DAY. Richard is seated at the top of his bed, addressing his speech out of shot while he holds the map. RICHARD OK, this island may not actually exist. And even if it does, we might not be able to get there. But look at it like this: what else is there to do around here? Richard is alone. RICHARD (continuing) So what do you think? Are you going to come or not. I'd be thrilled if you'd join me, you and your…you and your boyfriend. INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. DAY Richard knocks on his neighbors' door. Etienne opens it. RICHARD Hi. You want to take a hike? I mean a trip. A journey. With your girlfriend and me. I mean the two of you, and me. It's a secret island. Paradise. You know the kind of thing I'm talking about. Francoise appears behind Etienne. FRANCOISE Hi. RICHARD Hi there. Here, take a look. He shows Etienne the map. RICHARD (continuing) It's a map. The dead guy left it for me; I think it's the place he tried to sell you. It's going to be just fucking great. You want to come? I'd be thrilled if... Francoise and Etienne are looking at him. RICHARD (V.O.) I realized that I had absolutely no idea of how I was going to get there. EXT. RAILWAY/THAI COUNTRYSIDE. NIGHT. A train travels at night alongside fields. INT. TRAIN. NIGHT Richard is awake. Opposite him, Etienne and Francoise are slumped together in sleep. RICHARD (V.O.) Etienne, however, and I have to hand it to the guy, was fucking great. He organized the whole thing: tickets, timetables, best route, the whole damn trip. EXT. SEA. DAY. The bow of a passenger ferry crashes through a wave. EXT. BOAT DAY. The decks are crowded with travelers and their packs. Amongst them are Richard, Francoise, and Etienne. Maps and guidebooks are being studied by many. The noise of the engines and the wind deters conversation. RICHARD (V.O.) Thanks to him we hit the final stop on the tourist trail inside twenty-four hours, where, Etienne assured me, we would hire what he called a "local fisherman" to take us on the last stage of our journey. INT EXT. TRUCK. DAY Inside back of a covered, converted pick-up, four people are seated down each side, amongst them Richard, Francoise, and Etienne. Behind them as they bump along, can be seen the dusty red road bordered with dense green shrubs. The truck stops. EXT. ROAD. DAY. Richard unloads the final of the three rucksacks from the roof of the truck, passing it down to Etienne who stands at the back with Francoise. The truck pulls away, revealing as sign, "Seashell Bungalows". EXT. BUNGALOW. DAY. A simple wooden shack on stilts, one of several standing in a line at the edge of the beach. There is a small porch to the front. INT. BUNGALOW. DAY A spartan room: bed, mosquito nets, chair, cupboard, fan. Richard dumps his rucksack. Ext. SEA/BEACH. DAY. A long inflatable tube is towed past by a motorboat, its passengers whooping with delight. As it passes, Francoise is revealed, standing in the water, looking in towards the shore. She begins to walk in. On the beach there are sunbathers, games of beach volley ball, and vendors selling food and sunglasses. RICHARD (V.O.) This was just the kind of place I didn't want to hang around. Not that it's lacking in comfort. Quite the opposite. It's got everything. Everything you could possibly need to make you feel at home. And what's the point of that. On the beach Francoise picks up a towel. EXT. BEACH RESTAURANT. DAY. The restaurant fronts on to the beach. At the back there is a bar. Richard sits alone at a table with a drink, watching the scene on the beach, including Francoise. Etienne pulls up a chair and sits down. Francoise will join them as the dialogue proceeds. ETIENNE It's arranged. Tomorrow morning. Eight hundred bath. RICHARD Nice work. ETIENNE There is one problem. Etienne opens the map on the table. ETIENNE He will not take us to the island. It's in the National Park and it is forbidden to go there. But we are allowed to travel to this one to stay for one night. RICHARD That's the wrong one. ETINENNE I know that. Francoise sits down with a drink. RICHARD So from there to there? FRANCOISE We swim. RICHARD Swim? ETIENNE We leave our rucksacks on this island and then we swim. FRANCOISE You can swim? RICHARD Yes, of course I can swim. How far do you think it is? ETIENNE One or two kilometers. RICHARD Oh. Great. Not far at all. I don't like to be negative, but do you think we should let someone know where we're going? ETIENNE Why? RICHARD We're going to swim "one or two kilometers" across open sea, from one uninhabited island to another. Something goes wrong. What then? FRANCOISE Have you told someone? RICHARD No. FRANCOISE I think it's a bad idea to tell anyone. ETIENNE Richard, it's secret. That's the whole point. RICHARD Yeah, OK. Forget it. We won't tell anyone. Richard picks up the map EXT. BUNGALOW. DAY Richard sits on his veranda, under cover. Beyond him is a tropical downpour. He hears two sets of footsteps rushing up the stairs of the next door bungalow. Two men, Americans, Zeph and Sammy, try to open their door but cannot. ZEPH Fuck, I knew we locked it. We should have left it unlocked. Sammy addresses Richard SAMMY We lost our key. RICHARD Where did you lose it? ZEPH On the beach. Or in the water. SAMMY The truth is we don't know. RICHARD You try reception? ZEPH Closed. Back later. We hope. RICHARD Pretty annoying SAMMY It's a disaster, to which there is only one sensible, considered, appropriate, and timely response. EXT. BUNGALOW. NIGHT. All three are stoned. A joint is passed around while Zeph sings badly. ZEPH I smoke two joints in the morning, and I smoke two joints at night, and I smoke two joints in the afternoon, and then I feel alright. I smoke two joints in time of peace, and two in time of war. I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints and then I smoke some more. I can't remember the rest. RICHARD Perhaps you smoked too much dope. ZEPH Not possible. SAMMY Do you know the Kentucky friend mouse story?" RICHARD Woman bites chicken leg, turns out to be a mouse. Or a rat. It's an urban myth. SAMMY Exactly. Always happened to someone else. RICHARD So? SAMMY So there's an urban myth, well more of a rural myth, going around here at the moment. It's about a beach. RICHARD Uh-huh. ZEPH Yea. This beach is perfect. It's on an island, right, hidden from the sea. Imagine: pure white sand and enough dope to smoke all day every day for the rest of your life. Only a few know exactly where it is and they won't tell anyone. SAMMY Of course no one's actually ever met any of these people, only met someone who has. You know what I mean. It's a Kentucky fried mouse. RICHARD I hadn't heard that one before. But it's good. It's a good story. A torch shines on them, jolting them into some sort of reaction and a woman's voice calls out. THAI WOMAN Hey, you! I got your key! INT. BUNGALOW. DAY Richard's rucksack is packed an by the door. Richard is sitting copying Daffy's map on to another sheet of paper. He finishes and writes a note on the copy. He puts the original in his pack and lifts it. EXT. BUNGALOW. DAY. Richard hops over the fence to the veranda of Zeph and Sammy's bungalow. He slips the folded copy under their door. He looks around to check that he has not been seen. EXT BEACH. DAY Richard walks along a narrow wooden pontoon, his rucksack on his back. He stops about half way along at a small narrow wooden boat with an outboard motor. He looks down into it. Etienne and Francoise walk past him along the pontoon without stopping and disappear from view. RICHARD (V.O.) OK, let's face it. There is no such thing as a local fisherman anymore. There really isn't the demand for them. If you want to catch fish you put down a hundred kilometer drag net. Richard walks away along the pontoon. RICHARD (V.O.) (continuing) And if you want to go somewhere - you get a taxi. EXT. SEA.. DAY. Richard, Francoise and Etienne sit at the back of a small powerful motor launch which skims across the surface of the sea with great noise and speed. EXT. BEACH. DAY. The motor launch idles gently as it drifts into the shallows of a small deserted bay. Richard Francoise, and Etienne jump from the boat into the shallows. EXT. BEACH. NIGHT. As the sun sets they sit in silence, each shoveling down forkloads of noodles. EXT. BEACH. NIGHT. The only sounds are those of crickets and the waves gently breaking on the shore. Richard is lying asleep on the sand. He is woken by someone rummaging through the rucksack beside him. It is Francoise, removing clothes, books, souvenirs. Eventually she finds her camera, a mini-tripod and a cable-release. She places them on an unfolded T-shirt on the sand. RICHARD Francoise - FRANCOISE Sshh. Etienne will be angry if I wake him. He thinks I waste film taking photographs of the sky. Richard wakes up and works out what she is doing. RICHARD I think so too. FRANCOISE One night I will get the perfect photograph. She presses the cable release. FRANCOISE (continuing) Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six. She lets the shutter close. FRANCOISE (continuing) Take a look. Richard leans over and squints down the viewfinder. The sky is framed. Francoise leans into the frame. Richard draws back. RICHARD You realize that in the eternity of space, there is a planet, just like this one, where you are photographing back towards us. You're photographing yourself. FRANCOISE Incredible. RICHARD There are infinite worlds out there, where anything that can happen does happen. FRANCOISE So on one you are rich, on another poor. On one you are a murderer, on another the victim. RICHARD Exactly. FRANCOISE Richard, you know something - She hands him the cable release while she adjusts the camera. FRANCOISE (continuing) That is just the kind of pretentious bullshit that Englishmen and Americans always say to French girls so that they can sleep with them. RICHARD Sorry. I thought I was doing quite well. FRANCOISE It's just the sky, Richard. She presses his thumb down on the cable release, her hand around his. FRANCOISE (continuing) Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept… EXT. NIGHT. SKY. Francoise voice fades away over an image of the night sky. Time lapse: the sky rapidly changes to day. RICHARD (V.O.) When you develop an infatuation for someone, you always find a reason to believe that this is exactly the person for you. It doesn't need to be a good reason, a bad one will do just as well. Taking photographs of the night sky, for example: in the long run that's just the kind of dumb irritating habit that would cause you to split up. But at the time - it's the charming eccentricity you've been searching for all these years. EXT. BEACH. DAY. From a different beach they look towards their target: the island. It is 1-2 kilometers away. Richard, Etienne, and Francoise stand on the beach looking towards it. Each is in their swimwear and a T-shirt, and carries a plastic bag, inflated and tied, in which they carry their valuables and some rations. ETIENNE One kilometer FRANCOISE Two. ETIENNE Richard? RICHARD I don't know - I'm American. ETIENNE So? RICHARD We think in miles, not kilometers. ETIENNE So how many miles do you think it is? RICHARD I have no idea but it looks like a long way. FRANCOISE Too far? RICHARD If it's too far, then we'll drown. But if we don’t try then we'll never know. Richard wades into the water. RICHARD So, let's go. RICHARD (V.O.) You have to enjoy a moment like that. You just don't know, you see; it may never happen again. Once more. RICHARD SO, let's go. RICHARD (V.O.) I am such a fucking hero. "Let's go". I felt like I'd waited all my life just to say something like that. So I replayed it a couple of times, taking it from different perspectives. EXT. BEACH. DAY. Multiple repeats of Richard's moment from various perspectives and speeds. RICHARD So: let's go. RICHARD (V.O.) You have to enjoy a moment like that. You just don't know, you see: it may never happen again. Once more. RICHARD So: let's go. He dives in and begins swimming. EXT. SEA. DAY. They are far out to sea now, several hundred meters from the shore. Richard swims at the front, the other two about five meters behind. RICHARD Everyone ok? ETIENNE We're ok. RICHARD I think we're about half way. A few strokes later. ETIENNE Richard - I saw a fin! RICHARD What! ETIENNE A fin! They all stop and tread water. RICHARD A shark fin? ETIENNE I don't know, just a fin. Over there. About a hundred meters. RICHARD Big? ETIENNE Yes. RICHARD Well what the fuck do you expect me to do about it. ETIENNE Nothing. I just thought you ought to know. RICHARD Well to be honest, Etienne, I would rather have not known about it. ETIENNE I'm sorry. RICHARD A bit fucking late. He starts swimming again. A few strokes later he hears a short sharp scream from Francoise. ETIENNE Francoise! Francoise! Richard turns around. Francoise is gone. Her plastic bag bobs on the surface. Etienne is frantic, hysterical. ETIENNE (continuing) She is gone! RICHARD What happened? Etienne submerges briefly and resurfaces. ETIENNE She just went under the water. She was pulled under. Oh God, I don't see her. RICHARD Was there a shark? Did you see a shark? They both start looking down at their feet and circling frantically in the water. ETIENNE I don't know! I don't know! Oh God. Suddenly Richard screams. Francoise surfaces, pulling up his ankle. She and Etienne laugh at Richard. RICHARD Very funny. You Europeans, you have such a playful sense of humor. No wonder your comedy has conquered the world. He swims on. ETIENNE What about Moliere? RICHARD Fuck off. He swims on without looking round. EXT. BEACH. DAY. One by one the three swimmers emerge from the sea and collapse on the beach. They are absolutely exhausted and lie there on the sand, unable to speak. Eventually, they tear open their plastic bags, drink some water and eat some chocolate. Richard has a little water left in his bottle. He notices Francoise and Etienne eyeing it enviously. He holds the bottle out towards them, then snatches it back and swigs down the last of the water. EXT. FOREST. DAY. Richard, Francoise, and Etienne walk through the forest behind the beach. EXT. FOREST. DAY They scramble up a steep slope through dense foliage. Richard, at the front, pauses to let the other two pass him, then he follows. EXT. TOP OF SLOPE/CLEARING. DAY. Richard reaches the top of the slope and follows the other two through a gap in the foliage. He joins Etienne and Francoise who are standing in awe at the edge of a large clearing filled with cannabis plants. ETIENNE Nice Island. They smile and examine the plants. Richard wanders a short distance away. Something glinting on the ground catches Richard's eye. He leans down and picks it up. It is an empty brass cartridge from a rifle. Richard looks around. Just ahead he sees the remains of an extinguished campfire, and beyond that, protruding from the undergrowth, a pair of male legs and beyond them, the butt of a rifle. CLOSE IN on the nest in the undergrowth. The legs and gun belong to a Farmer. He is asleep. His physique is strong and his skin weathered. Richard turns back to Etienne and Francoise. They are still strolling amongst the plants. Richard begins to back away. The Farmer wakes. He lifts his gun and stands up to look out over the dope field. EXT. FIELD. DAY. There is no one there. EXT. FIELD. DAY. The farmer looks around, sees nobody. His attention is attracted by a whistle. He looks over. A group of three more, similarly armed Farmers emerge from the forest at the other side. He waves at them. They beckon him across. He sets off through the field. EXT. AMONG PLANTS. DAY. The three intruders continue to crawl along the ground between the plants. Suddenly Richard stops. The farmer's footsteps come closer. His feet pass in the gap between Richard and Francoise. He pauses. They lie frozen in place. He lights a cigarette and drops the match. He moves on. They breath again. TO BE CONTINUED...