ODE TO FREEDOM. Robert Coles and Bartley McSwine. PO Box Washington, DC,

Transcription

1 ODE TO FREEDOM by Robert Coles and Bartley McSwine PO Box Washington, DC,

2 FADE IN: TITLE CARD: MOSCOW EXT. HOME - DAY ALEXANDER, 8, stares at his index finger and thumb, shaped as a cocked pistol. Pushkin pivots and fires at LEO, 7, blond hair. Leo fires back. Pushkin pretends he is hit and goes down. He lies on the grass and stares at the sky. He looks happy, content. He hears the faint sound of two men. Pushkin gets up and sees NIKITA KOZLOV, 30, bearded. He has tucked his trousers inside his boots. Nikita shouts at a CLEAN-SHAVEN MAN on the doorstep of a neighbor s house. NIKITA She doesn t want your attention. Pushkin recognizes Nikita. He walks toward him. CLEAN-SHAVEN MAN We were just talking. NIKITA She says you put your hands on her. CLEAN-SHAVEN MAN That s a lie. I didn t touch her. The front door opens. A BALD-HEADED MAN steps out. He pulls the clean-shaven man inside. BALD-HEADED MAN (to Nikita) Hey you! Drunken idiot! Go back where you belong. NIKITA Who you talking to? I m not drunk. The bald-headed man goes inside and comes back out with a stick. Pushkin runs toward Nikita.

3 2. Stop it! The bald-headed man strikes Nikita. Pushkin rushes the bald-headed man. Tries to pummel him. The bald-headed man shoves Pushkin to the ground. Pushkin gets back up. (CONT D) Leave him alone. (O.S.) SASHA. SASHA. The bald-headed man steadies his stick. He wants to strike Nikita again. STOP it! (O.S.) Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin., early 30s, tall and attractive with golden-brown face, sees Pushkin and walks toward him from the direction of the Pushkin home. (CONT D) Where have you been? I ve been looking for you. She grips Pushkin s hand and yanks him away. BALD-HEADED MAN This is not the first time he s been over here disturbing my people. If you can t control him I ll have him arrested. Do what you must, Baron. The bald-headed man continues to beat Nikita. Nikita stumbles and falls. The stick comes down again and again. Blood flows and trickles down the street. Nikita moans on the ground.

4 3. Pushkin attempts to help Nikita. Nadezhda holds Pushkin and half-drags him back to their house. Mama you ve got to do something. Pushkin tries to pull away. She grips his hand. There s nothing I can do. He probably deserved it. What did he do? It doesn t matter what he did. He s just a serf. Pushkin squirms. He tries to free himself. (CONT D) Come on Sasha, walk straight. His resistance dies. They approach their house. What s a serf, Mama? They re the lowest class. You mean they re not people like us? INT./EXT. HOME - DAY Nadezhda and Pushkin enter. They walk down a long hallway. Books, clothes, newspapers, coffee cups, and rubbish are scattered about the living room. LVOVICH, early 40s, a little overweight, sits on the couch. He reads a book. Leo plays with OLGA, 5, blond hair. ARINA RODIONOVA, middle 40s, slight hunchback, stands to the side.

5 4. What is it now? Papa, Baron Korf was beating Nikita. Nadezhda approaches Arina, whose eyes are cast down. Get me some tea and my slippers. Arina leaves the room. Sergey closes his book. He gets up and walks to Leo. Pats him on the head. He was probably drunk and bothering the Baron s house servants again. Nikita never bothers anybody. I m with him all the time. The only thing serfs understand is the rod and the knout. Nadezhda sits in a chair. She faces Sergey. I don t know what we re going to do with Sasha. He wandered off again without my permission. (addresses Pushkin) Little black devil. You cause your mother nothing but trouble. Why can t you be more like your brother and sister? I am NOT a black devil! Don t call me that. (ignores Pushkin) If you spent more time with your son, maybe he would behave-- --I am NOT a black devil! Pushkin turns around and runs out of the room.

6 5. You hardly talk to him. What do you mean? I ve read him my poems. And he reads my books. INT. BASIL LVOVICH S HOUSE - NIGHT Pushkin stands alone in the corner of a room. A sizable room packed with nobility, seated. They focus on a young man, VASILY ZHUKOVSKY. He reads a poem in French. As Vasily concludes, the room explodes with applause. BASIL LVOVICH, late 40s, stands up. He is large in size. Sergey slumps in a chair. He pouts. When the applause dies down, Pushkin decides to speak. Why do you read your poems in French? There s a shock. Everyone turns around and sees Pushkin. What are you doing here, Sasha? I told you to stay at home. Sergey stands and grabs Pushkin s arm. Basil gestures for Sergey to let him go. Laughter. BASIL Wait, the boy deserves an answer. Why do we speak and read in French? VASILY Because French is a universal language recognized and understood throughout the world. Whoever heard of writing poetry in Russian. It s a backward language barely suitable for prose.

7 6. But why is French universal and not Russian? Is Russian inferior to French? Mumbles and murmurs throughout the room. Come, Sasha, enough of your impudence. Sergey reaches for Pushkin again, but Basil stops him. BASIL The lad has a point. The only reason we write in French is because we do feel inferior. We feel inferior to all Europeans. VASILY Speak for yourself Basil. The only person I feel inferior to is my wife. Loud guffaws among the men. VASILY (CONT D) Seriously Basil, how can you defend the Russian language when you, more than others, act and dress like a French man? BASIL You are unfortunately right. Vasily walks out in disgust. This is all ridiculous nonsense. There is nothing in Russia except backwardness and incompetence. BASIL (to Pushkin) Perhaps Sergey, but then maybe my nephew will change all that. Perhaps Sasha will grow up and show the Russian people the beauty of their language, the beauty of being Russian. Sergey pulls Pushkin from the room.

8 7.