Feel Acute Empathy with New Screenplay - Term Paper Example

Escape from the City INT:Torino’s Bar and bed and breakfast, Columbiana, Ohio -- Afternoon The town is isolated as we can acknowledge from the empty cars and rotting remains of birds that lay bare on the ground. The scene shifts to a bar setting, as a group of three rugged looking men go on their paces as they drink from the same bottle of rum. Two of the men adorn moustaches and a man sitting at the back of the bar stretches out an old map and calls the three men sitting at the counter top of the bar. Dembe Amigos? We need to find a better route to Boston, if we stick around we will end up scavenging the remains lying around in the streets. (The view of the camera changes as the three men pick up their guns which were initially lying on the floor. One of the men picks up a knife from his back pocket and carves a symbol on the wooden counter.) Lucas We wouldn’t want to do that, would we? Dembe So we better hurry before we become someone’s steak. The three men at the counter are Lucas, Tayo and Idris. Lucas, 37 is the loudest in the group. He enjoys making fun of the situation and drawing all his remarks from sarcasm which is his way of expressing humor. The second guy is Tayo, 26, the quietest one, formerly a teacher in High school, his long face and marks of his right hand give an account of the changes in the state. The third man sitting at the extreme end is Idris, 44, he is lethal and tactical which is as a result of his service in the army. Before the beginning of the scourge he was off duty in an evening barbecue with the three. Tayo (Speaking with a Hausa’n accent) You guys know we don’t have the whole day. We should start strategizing. Lucas The man has a point, though he is a tough nut to crack. Idris (Finishing up on his carve) we should go along with the original plan, what has changed? Dembe Everything has changed, the army is barricading all the roads leading out of Columbiana, and so unless you guys have figured a way on how we can fly over them, we have to get to work. (They all walk towards Dembe and surround the table he is sitting on and they plan on a new route.) Lucas (Walking out of the bar), I should have brought a cooler with me, I would freeze this sickos to their second death. Tayo You can’t be serious, I didn’t even get to carry my mat. Idris (Intercepts) Kid, are you sick, or has this godforsaken town had an effect on your reasoning. Dembe Easy guys, we have a long way to go. Play nice. Lucas (As he enters a jeep) Is anyone hearing those noises, I suggest we get out of this place before we become toast. (Dembe and Idris hold their guns high and starts aiming at the origin of the noise) Tayo (Addressing Lucas) If only you would shut up, this stuff would never happen. Dembe You guys better shut up, we are trying to concentrate here, and I suggest you do the same. (They all advance towards the area with the noise and aim at the door as the noise continues) Lucas Who’s there? All Seriously? A group of craws gather at the next building as the four advance towards the door. Dembe opens the door and a craw flies outside. Dembe We should go in, maybe there is someone in there who needs our help. The presence of that crow does not make it any more obvious. Tayo I don’t like the sound of that. Dembe On three guys. One, two, three. (They all run into the building and they encounter two bodies at the entrance, as they advance they hear the sound of a crying child in the adjacent room) Dembe Let me check out on that noise guys, Tayo,back me up. Cover us guys, we should be out by 2 minutes. Idris Watch your backs guys, this monsters do not make this situation any easier, we should have left by now. Dembe (Running) Check out that room I will look in the next one for any survivor. (Shadows emerge on the wall as Tayo senses the presence of a person in the room and points his gun towards the wall where he had seen the shadow. The scene changes and we see Dembe carrying a child in his hand as he runs out of the room.) Dembe Guys we should leave, where is Tayo? Lucas If my memory serves me right I would bet that you guys went in together. Idris Ignore him, we haven’t seen him yet, maybe he is still in the room. We should go check it out. (Dembe hands the baby to Lucas and starts advancing towards the room) Lucas Do you guys realize that this is not the best time to become Daddy of the year, I suggest we leave him behind, maybe he has already been nibbled? All You are a sorry case! Dembe He was in this room, where did he go? Idris Maybe he decided to go for his mat, he is very unpredictable you know. The guy is a psycho. Dembe (Laughing) Give the guy some break, maybe he is pain in one of these corners. Idris (Walking towards one corner, he sees Tayo lying on the ground hurt) Over here! Dembe What happened? Tayo It came out of nowhere and scratched me on the wrist, I dropped the gun and tried to run but I fell. Dembe You are lucky we still have some of the concoction with us, we would have left you behind. Be careful next time. There are not so many of us left. Idris He is too soft for this scourge, we should leave him behind. Kid no offence, just stating the truth. Dembe That won’t happen, he is family. (They both help Tayo onto his feet and they support him outside where they meet Lucas whose already settled in the car holding the rescued baby. They drive off in their jeep in an animated mood) Treatment Idris jets back to Columbiana from his deployment in the war tone region of Kismayu. On the next day, he goes to a barbecue which is hosted by his friend Dembe an army general who is also on vacation alone in his two hundred acre ranch in Columbiana. In attendance is Tayo, Dembe’s cousin and Lucas who was also in the army. The three friends Dembe, Idris and Lucas were recruited into the army together but Lucas was fired due to a case resulting to the loss of his battalion’s equipment. They sit outside busking in the afternoon sun and after some time they decide to switch on the stereo in Dembe’s car to reminisce on their memories after joining the army. Soon after they had switched on the stereo they had an announcement which detailed that the town was under attack from indescribable figures which thrived in the dark and the media was following up on the proceedings of the event. Minutes later after the announcement the stereo goes dead and they all retreat to the house to brainstorm on the matter. All their families are in other states and efforts to contact them are hampered by the lack of functionality of their phones. They all decide to search the area for working phones and are dismayed by the silence in the town and the absence of people. They continue searching and end up in an arms store which is also empty and they make away with a number of firearms. Soon after their departure, the radio in their jeep comes up again, and the announcer advices all people to go to the border of the state for evaluation and placement under quarantine. The announcement continuous as the announcer states the magnitude of the event. They content expressed in the plot is a subsequent recap of their escape plan from an event that is beyond human comprehension. They drive off to a desolate town where they seek refuge for the night as they strategize on their escape plan. In the town they encounter varying events as they also embark on a crusade to help those that have survived the scourge. Tayo later succumbs to the effects of the scratch and they all resolve to take him to a safer place to limit the possibilities of his condition affecting their health. They are strategic as Dembe and Idris aid in the establishment of a safer route which protects them from the stringent protocols established by the army barricading the area. Their journey is faced by different challenges as they find ways to sustain their lives and cater for the needs of the baby they had rescued. Additionally, they rescue more people and establish a safe haven in form of a camp where the survivors gather before they are transported to the border. They decide to evade the border and seek an alternative route as illustrated above where they encounter continued resistance. The screenplay refutes the assumption that blackness is a limiting factor and thus reiterates the fact that all humans are equal irrespective of their racial differences. Dembe leads the group efficiently which is backed by their survival as illustrated by the screen play. Dembe embraces the leader’s role and works in cohesion with the group. As illustrated above, his role before the occurrence of the scourge illustrates his importance and valuation even before the unwarranted event happened. Due to his leadership, the group has managed to stay safe and his approach has always been thorough leaving no stones unturned in relation to saving other people’s lives while ensuring that his friends stay safe. He is able to mitigate danger and assess the situation before it gets out of hand which negates the assumption and stereotype concerning black people and their capabilities in the society. The choice of the topic was inspired by (Vale, 1972) an assertion which illustrates that detail in a screen is the most effective part of any screenplay. The screenplay grows and develops with time to inspire reasoning, and changes the concept to reflect on other vital components relating to speculation, suspense and anticipation. In general, dwelling on the minority or on a subject that inspires a new form of emotional connection changes the audience’s perception to the story (Bell, 2004). Empathy and an illustration of maximum emotions in a plot tends to be compelling to the audience than other film compositions. The writer of the script should be accurate and disseminate information without changing the structure. In general, a screen play should be objective and easily decodable for easier scrutiny and to increase the scope of subject covered(Mile, 2010). References Bell, J. S. (2004). Plot & structure: Techniques and exercises for crafting a plot that grips readers from start to finish. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books. Miles, L. (2009). Writing a screenplay. Chicago, Ill: Raintree Vale, E. (1972). The technique of screenplay writing: An analysis of the dramatic structure of motion pictures. New York: Grosset & Dunlap Read More