Gilgamesh: A Screenplay

ISBN: 9781483510132

INTRODUCTION

Gilgamesh is an amazing story. Indeed, it has attained the status of an epic. In its time, it was very popular. First in an oral tradition, recited often and then written on cuneiform tablets. The oral tradition was lost. The written record too was lost for 2.5 millenia until the tablets were discovered in the ruins of Ashurbanipal's library. They lay in the British Museum until 1872 when they were deciphered by George Smith who read the tablets and revealed their contents to an amazed world.

While reading the English translation of the tablets, their world is evoked in one's imagination. And this world seems to demand that a motion picture be made. Our efforts in writing this screenplay is the result of that demand.

A few words about the screenplay format. This screenplay is a reading script in contrast to a shooting script. This script does not have scene numbers, camera directions or the other elements of a shooting script. For those who have not yet read a motion picture script, there are a few pointers to consider. This will make it much easier to read.

Firstly, there are scene headings, also known as sluglines, that are written in all capital letters and answer the questions: Where am I? and What are we seeing? Scene headings usually correspond to camera placement. Another thing to note about scene headings is whether the camera is inside buildings or outside buildings. The abreviations EXT. and INT. stand for Exterior and Interior, respectively. This tells us where we are in the world that the screenplay is evoking. Beneath the scene heading is description and, since a motion picture involves movement, there will be descriptive action. Secondly, all the characters in the screenplay, when they speak, have their names all in capitals in the center of the page and their dialogue directly beneath. That's it. After a few pages this reading script style becomes second nature.

Jim Lee, San Francisco, CA 2013

GILGAMESH-A SCREENPLAY

Written by

James Edward Lee

&

Raymond Vincent Proca

Based on The Epic of Gilgamesh

FADE IN:

EXT. THE WALLS OF URUK - DAY

A group of men are walking along the top of the walls of Uruk.

NARRATOR’S VOICE

He had the walls of Uruk built. See its walls which are like a copper shield. See, its bricks are baked bricks!

He is superior to other kings, a warrior lord of great stature, a hero, born in Uruk, the beautiful. He is the one who saw into the abyss. He, who knew all things. He saw many secrets, opened places hidden. He traveled many roads, exhausted, in pain, seeking immortality.

This is his story. Behold, the man: Gilgamesh.

EXT. CITY STREETS OF URUK - DAY

GILGAMESH, a tall, muscular man dressed in fine clothes and carrying a baton, the sign of kingship, descends the staircase from the battlements. He is accompanied by his faithful bodyguard, ETUM, another muscular man with a spear tipped in bronze, and two others. Gilgamesh walks among the people showing himself superior, his head held high.

NARRATOR’S VOICE

He walks among his people with unbridled arrogance, lording over them. Day and night his behavior is overbearing.

Gilgamesh goes over to a young, good-looking girl standing next to her mother. He looks her over and turns to Etum.

GILGAMESH

Etum, take her to my palace. I will enjoy her beauty this afternoon before tonight’s wedding ceremony.

Etum takes the girl’s arm and leads her away. The MOTHER OF GIRL reacts in anger. Gilgamesh walks on, the other two guards follow him.

MOTHER OF GIRL

Aruru, why did you create such a man? Is there no one who can tame him? Aruru, you created mankind! Now create someone who is a match for him and maybe, just maybe, Uruk can find peace.

INT. GILGAMESH’S PALACE A LARGE CEREMONY HALL - NIGHT

A large group of people are gathered in this place. Tables and benches are laden with food and drink. Musicians are playing loudly. The bride and groom stand in a group with their families. The groom has a ring of daisies on his head.

Gilgamesh enters dressed in a white tunic and a short skirt. All the people bow down. He goes over to the bride and groom, takes the ring of daisies from the head of the groom, puts it on his own head, takes the hand of the bride and leads her into the Bridal Chamber.

Etum and the two guards close the doors to the chamber and stand in front with their arms folded across their chests.

INT. PALACE BRIDAL CHAMBER - NIGHT

A shaft of light comes from the pale moon that shines in through a window high up near the ceiling. A large, ornate bed stands in the middle of the room. Gilgamesh leads the bride over to the bed and pushes her onto it. The sounds of the wedding celebration come in muffled from the ceremony hall.

INT. LARGE CEREMONY HALL - NIGHT

The doors to the bridal chamber open inward. Gilgamesh, fully dressed, with the daisies still on his head, enters the hall. The guards stand aside. The celebration subsides as all attention is centered on Gilgamesh. Standing to one side is the distraught, slender young groom, eighteen years old. His parents have their hands on his shoulders to soothe his injured feelings.

GILGAMESH

My people, this is a celebration of marriage between this young man and his pretty bride, who waits for him in the bridal chamber. I have fulfilled my duty, the right of first night!

The men applaud. The women scowl. Gilgamesh goes over to the groom and his parents. With a paternal smile he takes the ring of daisies from his head and places it squarely on the boy’s head.

GILGAMESH (CONT’D)

Go to your bride! She waits for you!

He pats the boy on the back. The groom obediently goes into the bridal chamber, closing the doors behind him.

GILGAMESH (CONT’D)

(to the parents)

Your son will be proud of her!

The parents turn away in disgust. Gilgamesh ignores them.

Gilgamesh raises both arms high overhead and to the gathered celebrants, smiles broadly.

GILGAMESH (CONT’D)

Eat! Drink! Be merry! I feel great!

He motions to the musicians to begin and the music starts up once more. He steps down into the crowd. He is handed a large earthen mug filled with beer. He laughs heartily and takes a big swallow of beer. His laughter is joined in by the men while the women scowl.

As Gilgamesh walks to the exit, the women vent their anger and disgust, calling him unflattering names. (Ad lib.) He ignores it. As he nears the door, he hands the half-empty mug to an ELDERLY WOMAN, who angrily throws the beer on the floor. He pauses, turns to her with a grin and admonishes her.

GILGAMESH (CONT’D)

My dear lady, your disrespect does not hinder me from doing my duty, the right of first night. I think, dear woman, you are jealous because you have never enjoyed such pleasure from the likes of me.

The men laugh as he makes a quick exit.

ELDERLY WOMAN

Pah! Your right of first night. Disgusting!

She spits on the floor and goes over to a group of women.

ELDERLY WOMAN (CONT’D)

How much longer must we put up with these outrages on our daughters?

Another WOMAN in the group falls to her knees and looks up, raising her arms heavenward.

WOMAN

Oh, great Aruru, goddess and mother! End this injustice! End this insult to our women!

One or two men laugh but stop their merriment when they see the women scowling at them.

EXT. OPEN FIELD - EARLY MORNING

The clouds scud slowly across the face of the low moon. Out of the clouds appears ARURU, all in white, her gown flowing out behind her.

ARURU

I have heard your prayers.

She descends slowly, floating down to earth. She stoops and picks up a handful of clay. She mixes it with the morning dew. She kneads the clay until the figure of a naked man appears. The figure stirs and stands up straight, facing Aruru. His entire body is shaggy with hair. He has a full head of hair like a woman, his locks billow in the dawn breeze.

ARURU (CONT’D)

You shall be known as ENKIDU. You will live in the wilderness. You will eat grass with the gazelles, jostle at the watering hole with the other animals. And, when the time comes, you will answer the prayers of the people. Go!

Enkidu runs off.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

It is a beautiful cool morning, not a cloud in the sky.

Enkidu runs with the gazelles, drinking with them at the watering hole.

A gazelle suddenly cries out and falls to the ground. Enkidu and the other gazelles gather round. The gazelle, in great pain, has fallen into a man-made trap. With anger in his eyes, Enkidu easily pulls apart the trap. But it is too late. The gazelle dies. In a burst of anger Enkidu tears apart the rest of the trap, tossing the pieces high into the air.

EXT. WATER HOLE AT THE EDGE OF THE DESERT - DAY

An angry TRAPPER is in the bushes at the edge of the pool of water inspecting his torn traps. He hears a sound, looks up and pushes aside a frond. He sees four gazelles timidly coming to the pool for a drink. The trapper’s eyes widen when he beholds a naked, wild-looking man step out from behind a tree. His long scraggly beard has leaves stuck in it. Enkidu puts a hand on the back of a gazelle and pets it.

On seeing Enkidu, the trapper’s face goes rigid with fear. Though stock-still, his heart pounds, his face drains of color. The trapper shifts his weight and breaks a twig. The gazelles instantly become alert and bolt for the open field. Enkidu runs away with them, loping across the desert. The frightened trapper quickly collects his torn traps, puts them in a gunnysack and hurries off.

EXT. STREET OF URUK - DAY

The Trapper hurries down the street with his gunnysack filled with his torn traps.

EXT.