WGA 97744
I UNSEEN / THE MISUNDERSTOOD
First he gets murdered - then his adventure begins.
PLOT SUMMARY
It's 1967. Flamboyant rock band The Misunderstood cross the Atlantic from America and become poised on the brink of stardom in swinging London. With a major deal in the bag, they're ready to rock the world, but the dream is shattered when lead singer Rick is drafted into the US Army.
Forced back to the US, Rick is shipped off to boot camp, next stop Vietnam. At his wits end, and unwilling to "kill, kill, kill!" he flees in
desperation. With a little help from his friends,
Rick escapes the US, becoming estranged from his
family, living destitute as a fugitive in India.
After spending seven years as a Hindu devotee in a primitive ashram, Rick is again forced to run as
the feds close in. Trekking into the Himalayas, he
seeks refuge with 100-year-old mystic Kali Baba.
Pursued and nearing the end of his rope, Rick learns of a secret ruby mine, which offers the promise of untold riches and a shot at redemption.
Torn between the claims of two competing gurus, a wanted man, and with nothing left to lose, Rick plunges over the edge into the seedy Asian underworld - uncertain of where fate might lead and unaware of the shocking life-secret he is bound to uncover.
Inspired by a true story.
[Formatting on-screen is a close approximation.]
BLACK
SFX. Shouts, screams in HINDI. Sounds of rioting.
FADE IN:
EXT. MID-1940s NORTH INDIAN TOWN - DAY.
Muslim Indians rioting, burning buildings and looting.
SHOCKING VIOLENCE. People are dragged out of their
burning homes and stabbed to death.
FX. Text: India, 1947
Indo-Pakistan Partition Riots
EXT. INDIAN STEAM TRAIN - DAY.
Train roof is crowded with poor people. Among them is
an old Indian MONK, long white beard, 80 years old.
Zoom to MONK'S FACE.
EXT. INDIAN STEAM TRAIN - DAY.
Train moves through open north Indian LANDSCAPE.
Train crosses a wooden BRIDGE over a river. Pan to
BODIES, human and animal, floating in the river.
INT. TRAIN BOILER ROOM POV.
Riots at the next station. Crowds fighting. Burning
CART is pushed onto the track to stop the train.
Engineer opens full-throttle.
SFX. Train jerks and picks up speed again.
INT. TRAIN CARRIAGE.
Passengers are jolted.
EXT. TRAIN ROOF - DAY.
Monk and others are jolted.
EXT. BURNING BLOCKADE. ONCOMING TRAIN POV - DAY.
Train crashes through burning cart - sending debris
flying in a shower of flames.
INT. TRAIN CARRIAGE.
Passengers are thrown to the floor.
EXT. TRAIN ROOF - DAY.
Some people FALL OFF and are attacked by Muslim mob.
Shocking violence and murders.
EXT. TRAIN. SIDE OF THE TRAIN PASSES BY - DAY.
EXT. TRAIN ROOF - DAY.
The monk and others pick themselves up.
Behind the monk POV, the BURNING STATION grows smaller.
CU OF MONK'S FACE.
MONK
Hey Bhagavan, meri raksha koro.
EXT. TRAIN CHUGS ALONG. SUN SETS - NIGHT.
ZOOM TO ROOF --
CU MONK'S FACE. He sighs then lays on his back and
looks up at the night sky.
EXT. STARRY SKY - NIGHT.
FX. Monk's POV - stars form into a skull.
EXT. SUN QUICKLY RISING.
EXT. TRAIN STATION SIGN, "RISHIKESH" - MORNING.
EXT. CU OF MONK'S FACE - MORNING.
Monk squints at the station sign, bows, and prays.
EXT. PAN RIVER AT RISHIKESH, GHATS AND TEMPLES -
MORNING.
SFX. Religious chants, Indian music, loud flowing river.
EXT. TRAIN STATION - MORNING.
Monk climbs off the train and falls. He gets up, shaking his head. Grabs his bag and starts to walk.
Monk hobbles past a temple and approaches the river.
EXT. GANGES GHAT - MORNING.
The monk descends steps to the river's edge, where he disrobes to loincloth and bathes by taking three dips.
SFX. Quick heartbeats, breathing.
The monk exits the icy water. Hand-wipes himself dry. Puts on a clean loincloth. Then he sits in meditation, reciting mantras, glad to be safe.
SUDDENLY --
SFX. Truck engines roar and screech. Breaking glass. Shooting. People scream in Hindi and Urdu.
INS. CU MONK'S STARTLED FACE.
EXT. BAZAAR ABOVE RIVER - MORNING.
Market is invaded by trucks of Muslim rioters.
EXT. RIVER GHAT - MORNING.
Crowds of terrified people rush down the riverside steps. Bricks, rocks, bottles and bullets rain on the crowd. Some jump into the river. Others are pushed in. The monk stands up and begs the attackers with outstretched arms to stop.
MONK
Nahi, nahi.
SFX. A GUN FIRES.
SLOW MOTION --
FX. BULLET. ONCOMING POV - SPINNING.
Monk's side POV - bullet rips through his NECK. Knocks the monk backwards into the river.
SFX. Splash. Sounds stop.
BLACK
SFX. Song: I'm Not Talking by The Misunderstood.
FADE IN:
WHIRL OF NEON COLOR - 1966 LONDON MOD SCENE - NIGHT.
FX. Text: London, 1966.
EXT. SOHO LONDON. THE MARQUEE CLUB SIGN- NIGHT.
"LIVE - The Misunderstood from America"
INT. MARQUEE CLUB STAGE. LIGHTS FLASH.
CU of RICK, 20, tall, blond, lead vocalist, singing.
RICK
I'm not talking. That's all I gotta say.
PAN BACK --
Band onstage, viz., Rick, GREG, 20, tall, guitarist, MOE, 19, short, drummer, STEVE, 22, big, bass player, and GLENN, 22, frail, long hair, steel guitar.
PAN THE PACKED AUDIENCE.
PAN TO BACK OF THE CLUB:
NIGEL, 24, thin, mod, band manager, talks to record company A-n-R man, DICK, 27.
CONTINUED...
Contact us to request a copy of the formatted 100 page screenplay 97744 |
