[Stephen sits in his favorite armchair, but
he is in near total darkness. Only a single light illuminates him.
As usual, he addresses the camera directly.]
Stephen: As a director I create my own worlds. I reshape them to suit my
will, all in the name of entertainment and, in my own limited way, art.
But I would hate to live in a world where I actually had the power to reshape
things to my whim.And, far, far worse is the idea of living in a world where
someone else had that power. Tonight we begin the two-part season finale
of Stephen Sommers Presents with a tale of eight
ordinary people who find themselves with just that sort of power. It’s a
heady tale, different from others we’ve presented, that we’ve chosen to call:
New Gods
Superscript:
[An aging woman {Dame Judi Dench} putters around her
Widow [VO-Internal monologue]: All my life I considered the ocean my
friend. Part of my family, even. The fish
got harder and harder to find and I still encouraged my son to take over the
family business. I took odd jobs to pay bills while my husband and son
went farther and farther out to sea… And then…
[Flashback, a small fishing vessel is caught
in a horrendous storm]
Widow [shuddering, VO]: And then, I have no family. I gave my life to
the sea and what did it give me in return? No…that’s not fair. It’s
people who have done the sea wrong not the other way around. And it just keeps
getting worse. [She sighs deeply.]
Widow [Aloud, staring at the sea] Something has to
change.
Superscript:
[In a small city we see a montage of an
aging police captain {William Fitchner} going about
his daily work. He seems quite hard-line in his approach to justice, particularly
when dealing with youths. Though he is not brutal or violent he does seem
to cut very little slack. As the montage continues we hear an ongoing
internal monologue.]
Police Captain [VO-Internal monologue]: What happened? There
was a time when morals were part of what every single person in this country
shared. Now, everyone thinks they can do whatever they want and nobody
gives a damn about the community. This town used to be farmers, hard
workers, salt of the Earth people. Now, now
everything is in chaos. People think they can reshape the entire world in
a minute. The world has been here a long time. The Earth doesn’t change
overnight. Why do we think we can? Maybe things weren’t perfect in
the past but changing every single thing all at once didn’t help, did
it?
[He confiscates skateboards from a group of
sk8r boi wannabees, busts
drunken homeless people and evicts poor families.]
Police Captain [VO-Internal monologue]: Can’t people see the value
in tradition?In
constancy?
[He is seen investigating the scene of a gun
battle between rival gangs]
Police Captain [VO-Internal monologue]: Something has to change.
Superscript:
[A young -- roughly 18 years old -- Inuit
male wanders, seemingly aimlessly, around northern native community. He
passes a group of other youths his age, and younger, sniffing gasoline.]
Young Inuit [VO-Internal monologue]: How did we get here? Is
this what my people have been reduced to? Numbing their minds to deal with
living on the scraps the white men toss us? What future do we have here?
[He wanders outside the city and watches as
a flock of Junkos take to the sky]
Young Inuit [VO-Internal monologue]: I envy you. Creatures of the air. You aren’t tied down by
economies, history, bitterness or failure. You go where you will. How I
wish I could.
[He turns to look back over the planned
community]
Young Inuit [VO-Internal monologue]: Something has to change.
Superscript:
[A young Italian prostitute {Audrey Tautou} works the streets. Though she seems excellent
at her job she is shown crying when she is alone.]
Prostitute [VO internal monologue, begins in Italian but fades
into English within a few seconds, sad and resigned]: …just not fair. All
I ever really wanted was to be loved and now…now I sell my affections in a
mockery of it.
[She is seen with a pimp, who seems to treat
her respectfully but without any affection.]
Prostitute [VO internal monologue]: Is there no love left in
the world?Are we just going
through the motions and making a mockery of what we truly desire?
[The
Prostitute [VO internal monologue]: Is there any hope left for
humanity? Something has to change.
Superscript: Outside
[An archaeological dig
site. A middle aged African
archaeologist is working the dig site when an excited young American man
{Stephen Dorff} rushes up to him.]
Young American: Sir!
Archaeologist [not looking up from his work]: Yes?
Young American: Word just came through on the radio. There are
rebel forces moving into this area. We’ve been ordered to evacuate.
Archaeologist: Ordered by whom?
Young American: The military.
Archaeologist: Gather the rest of the camp together. Tell
them whoever wishes to leave can leave. And whoever wishes to stay can
stay. I’ll be staying.
Young American: But sir?
Archaeologist [looking up, forceful]: What?
Young American [intimidated]: I’ll go now.
[The archaeologist returns to his work.]
Archaeologist [VO internal monologue]: Amazing. I’m here on
the verge of digging up evidence of a battle that happened over eight thousand
years ago and what am I being interrupted by? A battle. Condemned to repeat it indeed. Are we really incapable of
learning as a species? Is there really no respect for history.
Are we doomed to make the same mistakes over and over and over again?
[He digs out what appears to be spearhead and studies it carefully]
[Fade to-dream sequence-a battle between
ancient African warriors with spears, it is brutal and brief with heavy
casualties.]
[Cut back to the archaeologist, holding the
spearhead.]
Archaeologist [VO internal monologue]: Something has to change.
Superscript:
[In a modern high-rise a
young female executive {Zhang Ziyi} works away at a
mountain of paperwork. She
seems bored and impatient and often stops to gaze at a row of framed pictures
across her desk. The photos appear to be her with a wide variety of
family members taken over a number of years. Her phone rings.]
Executive [in Mandarin, subtitled]: No, no we can’t do that
anymore. Because it has to be cleared through the
housing ministry. Yes I realise that
will delay production. There’s nothing I can do about it. Talk to
the government. No, I’m not criticizing them. Yes, thank you.
[She hangs up and picks up a picture of
herself and an older woman]
Executive [VO internal monologue]: Have I failed you
mother? You always said freedom was the most precious thing and now I’m
helping the Chinese government gain more and more control over our home.
I feel like I owe you something. I feel like I owe everyone
something. But I have to think about the living. Are my obligations
to the dead more important? I just don’t know. All I really know is
something has to change.
Superscript: The Occupied
[At the checkpoint between the West bank and
Palestinian [VO internal monologue]: Merciful Allah not
again! Someone else blows themselves up to try to help their
situation. Madness. And the Israelis will
retaliate and kill more people, then we’ll kill more
of them. And so it goes. When will we be cleansed of this?
Does it all need to burn down to allow us to grow anew? Can we never
escape the same battles that have been going on for centuries? When is
enough, enough?
[Shouts continue around the
checkpoint. Injured people are being carried away while clearly dead
bodies are piled in rows.]
Palestinian [VO internal monologue]: Something has to change.
[Shot of the Earth, from orbit as all eight
characters voice over, simultaneously]
VO: Something has to change.
Superscript: The Occupied
[The driver is still sitting in his
car. A boy, barely a teenager, goes running away. Several soldiers
are chasing him with guns drawn. They shout then stop and prepare to
fire.]
Palestinian [VO internal monologue: No. No please, he’s
just a child.
Palestinian [Shouting] NO!
[The soldiers’ guns begin to glow red and
they drop them as if they are burning. Once on the ground the guns
continue to heat up until the melt and actually burst into flames.The
soldiers step back in amazement.]
Palestinian [VO internal monologue, in shock and disbelief]: Did
I do that?
Superscript:
[The executive still sits looking at the
picture. Suddenly a voice speaks]
Voice [subtitled]: You are my
daughter. I will always love you.
[She looks up in shock only to be even more
surprised as she sees the woman from the picture standing across her
office. Something is strange however as the woman seems slightly
transparent, and tends to waver.]
Executive [subtitled]: Mother?!
Mother [subtitled]: Yes my dear.
Executive [subtitled]: But you’re…you’re dead!
Mother [subtitled]: Yes my dear.
Executive [subtitled, calming herself]: I must have fallen
asleep at my desk. I’ve been working too hard.
Mother [subtitled]: You are not asleep dear, and you are not going mad.
Executive [subtitled]: There aren’t a lot of other
explanations mother.
Mother [subtitled]: You asked for a change, dear. And one has come to
you.
Executive [subtitled]: What change?
Mother [subtitled]: There’s only so much I am permitted to say. Great
changes are beginning and you are to play a major role in them.
Executive [subtitled, to herself]:
This can’t be real.
Mother [subtitled]: It is. And I trust you to make the right choice.
Executive [subtitled]: Just, just go. Please.
Mother [subtitled]: Goodbye dear.
[She vanishes.]
Executive [subtitled]: Mother? Wait I…Did I do that?
Superscript: Outside
[The dig site is abandoned except for the
lone archaeologist who continues to work. In the distance a motor can be
heard. A military jeep with three soldiers in it drives into the camp,
knocking over several crates of supplies. One of the soldiers gets out of
the jeep and walks up to the archaeologist.]
Soldier [subtitled]: Doctor. I have instructions to remove you from this
area. For your own safety.
Archaeologist [subtitled]: My safety is my concern.
Soldier [subtitled]: I have my order.
Archaeologist [subtitled]: Damn your orders. I have work to do!This site needs to be excavated
before more of you gun wielding fools destroy it!
Soldier [subtitled]: Nonetheless, I have my orders. You will come with
us, now.
[He approaches the scientist and reaches out
to grab him. The archaeologist pulls away.]
Archaeologist [subtitled]: Stop!
[The soldier freezes, totally unmoving.The doctor is surprised, then
looks to see the other soldiers are also frozen. No wind blows, there is
total silence and, finally he looks up to see a bird hanging in the air,
utterly motionless yet unaffected by gravity.]
Archaeologist [subtitled, to himself]:
Did I do that?
Superscript:
[It is night and the prostitute is leaving a
building. She spots a lone man walking up the road towards her. She
approaches him]
Prostitute [subtitled]: Looking for some company mister?
[He looks up at her and, instantly, a kind
of total wonder comes across his face.]
John [subtitled, blurted out]: I love you!
[She smirks and then notices the wedding
ring on his finger.]
Prostitute [subtitled]: Your wife might have something to say
about that.
John [subtitled]: I don’t care about her, I love you.
Prostitute [subtitled]: Alright this is getting creepy.
Goodbye.
[She starts to walk away. He follows]
John [subtitled]: No, it is true. I love you.
Prostitute [subtitled]: Leave me alone.
[She spots a female police officer ticketing
a car up the road.]
Prostitute [subtitled, shouting]: Officer! Officer!
[She runs up to the officer with the man in
pursuit. The officer looks up at her and the same look of adoring wonder
comes across her face.]
Officer [subtitled]: I love you.
Prostitute [subtitled]: What? Is this some kind of joke?
John [subtitled]: Don’t listen to her!I
love you.
Officer [subtitled]: No! I’m the one who loves you.
Prostitute [subtitled]: Crazy people in the streets.
John [subtitled, to the officer]: Leave her alone.
Officer [drawing a gun and pointing it at the John]: No you leave her alone.
Prostitute [subtitled, shouting]: Put that away! [the officer complies] Fine you both love me, now leave me
alone.
[She runs away with both of them following,
ahead a church bell begins to chime and she notices several people filing into
a nearby church for
Congregation [simultaneously]: I love you.
Prostitute [subtitled, in total shock]: Did I do that?
Superscript:
[The young Inuit wanders back into the
settlement. As he does an older man, very drunk, stumbles out of a tavern
right into his path]
Drunk [speaking into the tavern, slurring]: Watcha
mean I’m cut off. You buncha
[He nearly collides with the young man]
Young Inuit: Watch where you’re going!
Drunk: Scuse me. Say, kid, can you spare a
few dollars. I’m a little...
Young Inuit [cutting him off, angry]: So you can spend it on
booze?! Get away from me you drunk!
Drunk: Lousy kid.
Young Inuit: I’m lousy? You’re the one abandoning our
people’s heritage. You’re the one…
Drunk [becoming angry]: Shut up you punk!
Young Inuit: No! You shut up! I’ve had enough…
[The drunk takes a clumsy swing at him, but
he dodges it easily. Bystanders have begun to gather.]
Young Inuit: Get back!
[He thrusts his palm outward without making
contact. As he does however a sudden gust of wind lifts the drunk into the
air and begins to spin him around. Ice also appears to be forming on the
drunk]
Drunk: Hey! Let me down!
[The bystanders gasp and scream in amazement
with several beginning to point at the young Inuit. He looks at the
floating man in wonder and then, seemingly without planning to makes a gentle
motion with his hand towards him... The drunk settles gently to the ground
where he collapses shivering and puking.]
Young Inuit [to himself]: Did I do
that?
Superscript:
[A white male of about 30 years old {Lucian
Carter} runs down an alley carrying a purse that is probably not his.The long shot reveals the police captain at the other
end.]
Police Captain [shouting]: Stop! [He runs after him, not gaining
ground. He reaches for his gun but hesitates]
Damn it I said STOP!
[Suddenly a wall of stone rises from the
ground in front of the fleeing robber who crashes, nose-first into it.He crumples to the ground bleeding and holding his
nose. The captain walks up and handcuffs him before gazing at the new
wall in astonishment.]
Police Captain [to himself]: Did I do
that?
Superscript:
[A man in a business suit walks up to the
front door of the widow we saw way back in the first scene. He knocks. No
answer. He knocks again.Still no answer.
He walks around the house and towards shore. He spots the widow still
sitting on the dock. He approaches.]
Business man: Miss? [beat] Miss? [long pause] I’m from
the bank.
Widow: Go away.
Business man [false sincerity]: I’m afraid I can’t do that
ma’am. The bank has been very patient since the loss of your family but
we have our limits.
Widow: Go away.
Business man: Without any insurance and with no steady income I
really feel we need to discuss your future. [Patronizing] Do you really
still need this big old house?
[She turns, a look
of cold steel in her eyes]
Widow: Do I need this old house? Do I need the land I grew up
on? Do I need the sea at my back? Would it fit in your little plans
if I decided to go and live in a tiny little room in some city? Well
forget it! Now go away!
[Suddenly a wave crashes hard on the shore
and the water forms into a huge fist. It rises from the ocean and grabs a
hold of the business man. His initial screams are soon silenced as the
water envelops him. The hand pulls back out over the ocean and then sinks
beneath the waves with its victim. Moments pass with no sign of him
surfacing…]
Widow [In shock and horror]: Did I do that?
[Shot of the Earth, from orbit as all eight
characters voice over, simultaneously]
VO: I did…
TO
BE CONTINUED
CREDITS
|
|
Widow / Water |
Dame Judi Dench |
|
|
|
Police Captain / Earth |
William Fitchner |
|
|
|
Prostitute / Love |
Audrey Tautou |
|
|
|
Archaeologist / Time |
Laurence Fishburn |
|
|
|
Executive / Death |
Zahng
Ziyi |
|
|
|
Palestinian / Fire |
Oded Fehr |
|
|
|
Directed by |
Stephen Sommers |
|