GLADIATOR
by
David Franzoni
FIRST DRAFT REVISED
April 4, 1998
FADE IN:
EXT. NEAR THE GERMAN FRONT - 180 A.D. - DAWN
The rising sun unveils steep hills and luxuriant mountains
untouched by man. Snow flurries dart in the frigid air
and on the horizon CROWS gather.
EXT. DIRT ROAD
A column of Praetorian Cavalry flank two enclosed wagons
as they rattle along a rock and log accordion road. On
all sides
Me too.
- Now everybodys been heard from.
Forgive my ignorance, but I dont
know him from a hole in the ground.
- Head of the Boy Rangers.
- A boy?
No, Jeffs a man. Biggest expert we got
on wild game, animals and rocks.
Right now hes the greatest hero.
Its all over the headlines.
Didnt you see about the forest fire
all around Sweetwater?
Jeff put that out. Himself.
- If you really want a se
In black, we hear a chain-gang chant, many voices together, spaced around the unison strike of picks against rock. A title burns in:
O muse!
Sing in me, and through me tell the story
Of that man skilled in all the ways of contending...
A wanderer, harried for years on end...
On the sound of an impact we cut to:
A PICK
splitting a rock.
As the chant continues, wider angles show the chain-gang at w
SHOWER OF SPARKS, A SCREECH OF RUBBER AND METAL
As the gear hits the deck. The hook catches the 3 wire and the F-14 TOMCAT is slammed to a halt. Its the scariest thing youve ever seen, the most dangerous maneuver in aviation and just another day at the office for a Naval Aviator.
TITLES OVER
HARD DRIVING ROCK AND ROLL - The Cars - "Ride Me High".
FLIGHT DECK - THE LANDING SIGNAL OFFICER - (LSO)
slope, upside-down, eyes closed.
His burned suit is smoldering. He has a sly but tired face, late-
20s, sandy hair, cold and scarred. This is RUDY DUNCAN.
He opens his eyes.
RUDY (v.o.)
I never was much for the holidays.
CUT TO BLACK.
THE SOUND OF A WINTER WIND
rises, as a TITLE appears: "SEVEN DAYS BEFORE..."
And then, to complete the sentence: "... XMAS."
FADE IN:
EXT. IRON MOUNTAIN STATE PRISO
sandals of a Vietnamese soldier, MOVING FASTER AND FASTER, only to be stopped by still another of the savage-looking AMERICANS with primitive ornamentation, wearing only a loin-cloth and green beret. He opens his flame-thrower directly ON US and the NVA soldier and we are incinerated in flame, bright psychedelic orange-red flame. Outrageous, loud, electric ROCK MUSIC OVERWHELMS the SOUNDTRACK :
Rock n roll driving. -It feels good.
If youd hit the brakes sooner, that wouldnt have happened.
You drive your typewriter, Ill drive my car.
Alex, its a computer. You are such an asshole. Computer!
Sorry.
Ill be all right.
God, I hope so, Alex.
Just do one thing.
Nibble my ear.
For luck.
Alex, this is a public place.
-I wont race unless you do it. -You are nuts!
Youre serious?
I love you.
-Are yo
rock in their lives.
The hardest things they know are wood and bone.
They live in a gentle world, where nothing is as hard as rock, steel or concrete.
Only miles to the south, theres a vast city.
And here you find civilized man.
Civilized man refused to adapt himself to his environment.
Instead he adapted his environment to suit him.
So he built cities, roads, vehicles, machinery.
And he put up p
ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC as the POWER RANGERS LOGO
BURSTS ONTO THE SCREEN. Now the logo EXPLODES, revealing
모
1 EXT. PROP PLANE / FLYING - DAY 1
A prop plane whisking across the deep blue sky.
ROCKY
YeeeoowwWWWWW!!!
모
2 INT. PROP PLANE / FLYING - DAY 2
The six Power Rangers, TOMMY, KIMBERLY, BILLY, AISHA, ADAM and
ROCKY sport sleek sky diving suits, parachute packs and
helmets. Tommy is strapped i
rocking horse?
Les! Go and open the gate.
- Black can do that. - I want you to do it.
- When Im ready. - Now!
Les, dont split em!
Bastard.
Billy, Zac, bring up the tail!
Get em up, get em up!
Whoo!
Whoo!
Ha! Hey! A wash, lovely, lovely.
Come on! Leave me alone, will ya?
Hey, Archy, him wash.
Prefer the company of blacks, hey, Archy?
- Zacs my mate. - We run together.
You fancy yourself as a runne