12/10/2017 From The Proposition

From The Proposition

Nick Cave

The following two extracts are from Nick Caves shooting script for
The Proposition (2005), John Hillcoats drama about Australias
violent colonial history. The plot concerns the proposition given
(in the first extract) by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) to Charlie
(Guy Pearce): to free his young brother, Mikey (Richard Wilson),
from jail and pardon him of crimes, Charlie must find and kill his
older brother, the vicious Arthur (Danny Huston). The second
extract, from later in the film, is a scene involving Charlies
uneasy reintegration into Arthurs gang.

INT. JAPANESE SHACK CONTINUOUS - DAY

STANLEY at the window.

STANLEY (CONTD)
(with a hint of bitterness)
And so, it is perhaps fitting that I have been
sent here myself ... an agent of civilisation,
if you please.

STANLEY turns to CHARLIE BURNS.

STANLEY (contd)
(hard)
Make no mistake, Mr Burns, it will be done. I
will civilise this place.

CHARLIE BURNS leans forward.

CHARLIE BURNS
Two things, Stanley. If you ever lay a hand on
my brother again I will kill you. And
secondly, what the fuck are you talking about?

STANLEY
Im talking about your brother.

INT. JAPANESE SHACK (CONTINUOUS) DAY

(Outback exts DELETED. DIALOGUE continuous with Scene 5.)

STANLEY
He is out there, where no man should be. While
in town, God fearing Christians whisper his
name. But no one, Charlie, no one talks about
what he did at the Hopkins homestead. Though
you and I, and little Mikey here, we know what
happened there ... and we all know who was
responsible for the atrocity ...

INT. JAPANESE SHACK (CONTINUOUS) DAY

(Scene now continuous with Scenes 5 and 6).

CHARLIE BURNS drops his manacled hands on the table. They clank
loudly. STANLEY turns, draws from his reverie.
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12/10/2017 From The Proposition
CHARLIE
Clearly, my brother is as he wishes to be. And
it is for this very reason I no longer ride
with him.

STANLEY waves his hands at CHARLIE BURNS dismissively. He returns to

his chair and sits down facing the two captives. He looks tired.

STANLEY
Exactly. So listen now, Charlie. Dont speak.

STANLEY turns to MIKE BURNS, who is whimpering.

STANLEY (contd)
Hush, Mike. Hush now.

There is a long silence.

STANLEY (contd)
I wish to present you with a proposition.

EXT. OUTBACK DAY

CHARLIE BURNS, on horseback, moves slowly through the barren

landscape. The earth is parched, cracked. Strange, twisted gum trees
dot the sparse terrain. The sky is vast and cloudless, a merciless
sun hammers down.

CHARLIE BURNS stops and looks off to the East and the town of
Banyon, away in the distance. Flocks of bright birds thunder from
the trees. CHARLIE BURNS flexes his crudely bandaged hand and moves
off.

STANLEY (V.O.)
I know where Arthur burns is. It is a bad
place. The blacks will not go there. Not even
the black trackers ... I suppose, in time the
bounty hunters will get him. But I have other
plans. I aim to bring him down. I aim to show
that he is a man like any other. I aim to hurt
him? Well Ive thought long and hard about
that.

EXT. JAPANESE SHACK DAY

The HUNTING PARTY led by STANLEY: PATRICK HOPKINS, SERGEANT

LAWRENCE, OFFICERS DUNN and MATTHEWS, JACKO and a WAGON DRIVER watch
the TWO ABORIGINAL TROOPERS finish filling the huge hole.

STANLEY (V.O.)
I have realized, Mr. Burns, that I must become
a little more inventive in my methods ... use
my own initiative.

SERGEANT LAWRENCE spits onto the grave, grunts, then turns and heads
towards the Japanese shack, leaving PATRICK HOPKINS staring at the
fresh mound of earth.

INT. JAPANESE SHACK DAY

CAPTAIN STANLEY sits alone at the table. CHARLIE BURNS, MIKE BURNS,
and the dead BUSHRANGERS are gone. STANLEY rubs his temples, his
face grim. He reaches into his jacket and produces a flask of liquor
and a small paper envelope of headache powder, throws his head back,

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12/10/2017 From The Proposition
empties the contents into his mouth, and washes it down with the
liquor. He drinks deeply. At that moment SERGEANT LAWRENCE enters.

STANLEY (V.O.)
Dont speak, Mr Burns. Listen to me now. Dont
say a word.

STANLEY puts the flask back into his pocket.

SERGEANT LAWRENCE
(smiles obsequiously)
Another headache, Captain?

STANLEY looks up at SERGEANT LAWRENCE with loathing.

SERGEANT LAWRENCE (contd)

When youre ready. Sir.

STANLEY moves past SERGEANT LAWRENCE and exits. SERGEANT LAWRENCE

follows.

EXT. ROAD LEADING FROM JAPANESE SHACK DAY

STANLEYS HUNTING PARTY escort an iron cage mounted on a wagon.

STANLEY leads. PATRICK HOPKINS, pale and drawn, stares down at MIKE
BURNS in the cage. MIKE BURNS crouches like a wounded animal, rigid
with fear, bloody faced. JOHN GORDON is slumped against the bars
opposite him, glassy-eyed, shallow breathing. MIKE BURNS stares at
him in horror. The sun beats down.

STANLEY (V.O.)
Suppose I told you there was a way to save
your little brother Mike from the noose. That
I could spare him from the lash. Suppose I
gave you a horse and a gun. Suppose Mr. Burns,
I were to give both you and your brother here
a pardon.

EXT. OUTBACK SUNDOWN CONTINUOUS

CHARLIE BURNS quickens his horse up a steep incline, leaning forward

in the saddle, rocks crumbling under the horses hooves. At the top
of the hill, CHARLIE BURNS dismounts and gazes out over the
magnificent spectacle before his eyes the sun setting and casting
the great dead expanse in gold.

STANLEY (V.O. CONTD)

And furthermore, suppose I gave you a chance
to expunge the burden of guilt beneath which
you so clearly labour ...

CHARLIE BURNS sees a small, isolated homestead way down in the

distance. The farmhouse is black.

STANLEY (V.O.)(contd)
Suppose, I gave you till Christmas ... Now,
suppose you tell me what it is I want from
you.

INT. JAPANESE SHACK MID MORNING

C/U of CHARLIE BURNS face. His eyes are cold and he brings his
hands up to his face. His manacles clank.

CHARLIE BURNS
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You want me to kill my brother.

STANLEY moves forward in his chair and looks into CHARLIE BURNS
eyes.

STANLEY
I want you to kill your brother.

EXT. ARTHUR BURNS CAMP LATE AFTERNOON

CHARLIE BURNS stands in the mouth of the cave. JELLON LAMB peers out
behind CHARLIE BURNS. He casts a steady eye across the camp and at
the surrounding area. A short distance away, SAMUEL STOAT, bound in
a similar way to CHARLIE BURNS, lies propped against a log by the
embers of the fire. His feet are bound and he is gagged. He has a
large purple welt on his forehead. His face is scarlet with fury and
frustration and his eyes are wide in his head. When he sees CHARLIE
BURNS he begins to struggle furiously, but, confounded by his bonds,
gives up. JELLON LAMB nudges CHARLIE BURNS forward.

JELLON LAMB
On we go, nice and steady.

They move into the camp, JELLON LAMB keeping close behind CHARLIE
BURNS. As they reach the log and the campfire, SAMUEL STOAT begins
to growl and kick his legs in a paroxysm of impotent rage. Neither
CHARLIE BURNS or JELLON LAMB acknowledge his presence.

JELLON LAMB (contd)

Now, we are going to sit down on this log, Mr.
Burns. Slowly.

CHARLIE BURNS sits down on the log. Two dogs trot over and sniff at
JELLON LAMB.

JELLON LAMB (contd)

Even dogs like me, dont you see?

A gunshot cracks in the distance.

JELLON LAMB sits down beside CHARLIE BURNS. CHARLIE BURNS lowers his
head away from JELLON LAMB. JELLON LAMB opens and closes his mouth
like a fish. CHARLIE BURNS keeps his head inclined. SAMUEL STOAT is
rigid, his eyes agape. A red stain spreads across JELLON LAMBS
stomach. After a time a large dark shadow falls across them.

Slowly CHARLIE BURNS hands fall free. The noose hangs limp, around
his neck. SAMUEL STOAT struggles with his bonds, looking imploringly
at ARTHUR BURNS, then at TWO BOB. ARTHUR BURNS ignores him. TWO BOB
sneers and walks away.

TWO BOB
Fucken bloody fucken idiot.

JELLON LAMB, still sitting on the log, moves his body forward then
jerks suddenly upward. His eyes are glazed.

JELLON LAMB
(dreamlike)
"Theres night and day, brother, both sweet
things; sun and moon, and stars, brother, all
sweet things; theres likewise a wind on the
heath. Life is ... very ... sweet brother ...
"

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JELLON LAMB coughs, a bubble of blood foaming in his mouth. ARTHUR
BURNS squats down and looks at JELLON LAMB.

ARTHUR BURNS
"Life is very sweet, brother; who would wish
to die?" George Borrow, I believe. A worthy
writer and a beautiful sentiment, Sir ...

ARTHUR BURNS stands and pushes JELLON LAMB backwards, off the log,
with his great, booted foot. JELLON LAMB lies in the dust on his
back, his bloody breaths come shallow and insufficient.

ARTHUR BURNS (contd)

But you are not my brother.

ARTHUR BURNS swings around and holds the machete out to CHARLIE
BURNS.

ARTHUR BURNS (contd)

(to Charlie)
Finish him.

CHARLIE BURNS regards the machete. He does not take it.

ARTHUR BURNS (contd)

Oh dear ...

ARTHUR BURNS in one dramatic motion drops down to straddle JELLON

LAMB. ARTHUR BURNS pushes his machete slowly into JELLON LAMBS
chest and twists. JELLON LAMB shrieks.

ARTHUR BURNS (contd)

This may hurt.

CHARLIE BURNS stands. He has picked up Jellon Lamb's pistol in his

hand and points it at ARTHUR BURNS.

CHARLIE BURNS
Leave him.

ARTHUR BURNS twists the blade in JELLON LAMB again.

ARTHUR BURNS
Here we go again, Charlie. I recall hearing
those words before. (MORE)

ARTHUR BURNS stares back at his brother, the machete resting inside
JELLON LAMB. CHARLIE BURNSs gun arm trembles.

ARTHUR BURNS (contd)

I recall you holding a gun to my head at the
Hopkins place.

ARTHUR BURNS (contd)

Your arm was shaking, like it is now. Samuel
was singing and Mikey was whimpering like a
girl. And you? And you were standing there
with your gun. Tell me Charlie, why cant you
ever just stop me?

autonomous and UK Film Council 2001. Cannot be reprinted

without permission.

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