The first version of my script for the western, which includes notes on how I want the music to sound and the feel of each chapter/scene
Plot Outline and Script
Plot:
- Opens with instrumental theme
- Narrator starts speaking – still with instrumental
- A lone weary woman on a dirt road, been walking since her horse died of exhaustion a few hours ago, she has been riding for days.
- She has been trying to keep up with a man who has kidnapped her love.
- Man is her husband, (arranged, loveless marriage – her true lover is the man’s sister)
- Lost sight of them a day ago when her horse died, looking for next town to ask if he has been seen.
- She comes across a trading post/saloon lonely out in the sticks.
- Asks at bar if anyone has seen her husband and his sister, bar says no but she hears a raucous upstairs.
- She runs upstairs into one of the hotel rooms, she hears arguing
- She bursts into the room seeing her husband and lover, he has gun drawn on his sister.
- Protagonist draws gun as well aims at husband
- Sister draws gun at her, protecting her brother.
- Three-way stand-off, argument.
- Husband shoots protagonist, sister shoots husband runs towards protagonist.
- Crying she sees her dead lover on the floor bleeding out.
- Sheriff burst into room retrain her, seeing that she has killed two people.
- Narrator explains that Sherriff sentenced her to death
- Nobody wins sad harmonica.
- Reprise of Emeline’s theme (first son)
Script:
Emeline’s Theme:
Moderate pace, acoustic guitar with harmonica and distorted acoustic (fast delay)
CHAPTER 1: Leaving Comfort
Narrator (American accent):
Three days she had been riding, she left home hurried and unprepared with nothing but the weight of her clothes and the iron on her hip. The already malnourished nag she had stolen from the neighbouring ranch had given up a couple of miles back, and that was when she lost sight of them.
Harmonica and Guitar
Who was she in pursuit of? You may ask. Well, I’ll tell ye, that would be her husband and his sister. You see, although they were married you would not be using the word happily in the same sentence.
Four years back her daddy old her like cattle to a wealthy east coast businessman who had just moved his family west in search of cheaper land, that was when Emeline here was married off to their bachelor son. She never loved Jack, but he only had eyes for her. Her eyes in contrast were fixated on his dear sister, Celeste, and so their relations flourished in secret behind the back of her devoted husband, Jack. Well, that was the case until 4 days ago when Jack came home to find his beloved wife and dear sister together.
CHAPTER 2: Pursuit of jack
Guitar (fast) with distorted acoustic as lead
Narrator:
Now Jack was a calm man but that day something snapped behind those deep brown eyes, he stuck Emeline with his revolver frame and when she came to, they were gone. She ran out of their home in haste to see a distant wagon with the silhouette of jack driving.
Guitar and harmonica
Narrator:
With blistered feet from worn leather boots, Emeline continued down the dirt road. She had passed multiple abandoned wagons now, could they be Jack’s? there was no real way of telling. What she did know is that this road was the only safe passage through this barren and unforgiving land, and there was no way highbrow Jack would be able survive out there without supplies, so wherever they were headed it was bound to be on this road.
Guitar and harmonica, also flute
The sun was low, and dusk was rolling in when Emeline spotted the first sign of civilisation she had seen since she left. The literal sign in question reading “Tanners Bridge Town, ¾ mile”, she picked up her pace and saw the timber roofs peeking out just beyond the foot of the ridge.
Jacks Theme:
Acoustic/electric: maybe slide guitar + harmonica, 7/8
Chapter 3:
7/8, similar to Jacks theme but slower, more serious
Jack’s perspective from point of finding Emeline and Celeste. Leaving with Celeste, wagon breaking on the trail – travelling to hotel in tanners Bridge hence broken wagon passed by Emeline.
Narrator:
After 3 long weeks in his father’s factory, Jack couldn’t hack another week of intense labour and decided to take the fourth off, with his father’s permission, of course. Spending four weeks away from home jack hoped he had left his wife Emeline in good company of his dear sister Celeste as he usually would when leaving home on business. Now if you have been listening keenly, you can probably tell where this is all headed.
Instrumental
Four of Jacks happiest years fell away in front of those deep brown eyes, he had never felt such distrust, betrayal and range in all his years on God’s fine Earth. The heat of the moment got the better of him and he lost it, and well I guess you know the rest. After three days on the road Jack and his then captive, Celeste, needed rest if he was going to continue back along the road to his father’s factory. A small mining village of the name, Tanners Bridge crept up on them from behind a ridge, this seemed like an appropriate place to rest up for the night.
Chapter 4: Tanners Bridge: Saloon and guesthouse
New scene – inside moderately busy saloon, piano playing (maybe banjo?)
No narrator in this chapter – 5.1 surround
Fight with Emeline on centre channel, Surround L/R Jack and Celeste.
Hear footsteps approach the bar.
Barman:
Can I help you ma’am, you look a little lost?
Emeline:
(tired), Have you seen a man and a young woman come in?
Barman:
Look around darlin’, you see many young folks in here, we don’t exactly get much new folk around-
- Interrupted by raucous and shouting upstairs,
Emeline:
Thanks
- Wooden floor footsteps across room and walks upstairs
- Muffled shouting behind wooden door
- Opens door, sees Jack and Celeste
- Jack has gun drawn on Celeste
Jack:
(distressed) HOW DARE YOU, HOW Dare you, I’ll do it
- Cocks gun
- Emeline grabs her gun from her waist and cocks her gun too, points at Jack
- Jack moves gun to Emeline
Celeste:
NO, NO stop it!
Emeline:
Get out of here Celeste, you don’t want to see this.
Celeste:
He is my BROTHER!
- Pulls her gun out points it at Emeline
Emeline:
(distressed) Don’t do this, you know I Love you.
- Jack screams and shoots Emeline, she drops to the floor
Celeste:
(Angry) NOoo
- Shoots Jack, body falls to the wooden floor.
- Celeste starts to cry
- Door Bursts open
Sherriff:
What on Gods fine Earth is going on in here
- Celeste still Crying
Celeste:
It was h-him *Sniff*
Sherriff:
Ma’am I am going to have to take you in on suspicion of murder.
Celeste:
(In denial, protesting) NO, no it wasn’t me, I didn’t start this
Sherriff:
That’s for me to decide ma’am, now if you would kindly step away from the bodys and step this way.
Celeste’s Theme:
Electric Guitar comes in with drums– quick lead line before narrator comes in.
CHAPTER 5: Tanners bridge Demise
Guitar, with electric lead, slower
Narrator:
Now that poor girl Celeste, she didn’t get much a fair trial when her turn came round, after spending the rest of the night in a cell. Sherriff Riggs decided there was sufficient evidence to convict her of murder and hence she was sentenced to death by hanging, real nasty way to go.
Guitar continues
Sherriff:
(loud) Celeste Edwards, you have been found guilty of double homicide in this here town, as punishment for this, most inhuman of crimes, you will be hung by your neck until you are pronounced dead, do you understand this.
Celeste:
(Crying) Ye… yes, I do understand.
Sherriff:
Good, now let’s get on with this
- Celeste still crying, stool is kicked by sheriff
- Sound of body struggling and rope swinging
Emeline’s Theme (Reprise):
Alternate version of first song starts playing – Emeline’s theme (reprise)