Story Design
Page 19
CLOSEUP: JAKE’S EYE BATHED IN GREEN LIGHT
“Everything is backwards now. Out there is the true world. In here is the dream,” narrates Jake. He gets out of his container and into his wheelchair. He wheels down the corridor to his video tape recorder. Jake shaves off his beard.
MEETING ROOM
Jake sits by the table as Quaritch approaches. “Haven’t got lost in the woods, have you? Your last report was more than two weeks ago,” says Quaritch. “I’m starting to doubt your resolve. It’s time to terminate the mission.” “No, I can do this,” says Jake. ‘You already have,” replies Quaritch.
“You gave me good, usable intel. This Tree of Souls place. I got them by the balls with that when this turns into a shit fight, which it will. Time to come in. By the way, you’re going to get your legs back. I got the corporate approval. It’s a done deal.” The Colonel keeps his promise, but Jake will not.
“I got to finish this,” says Sully. “There is one more thing. A ceremony. The final stage of becoming a man. If I do it, I’m one of them. They’ll trust me. And I can negotiate the terms of their relocation.” Quaritch gets up from his chair. “Well, then you better get it done, corporal.”
HOMETREE
Neytiri puts paint on Jake’s face. “The Na’vi say that every person is born twice. The second time is when you earn your place among the people. Forever,” narrates Jake.
“Now you are a son of the Omaticaya. You are part of The People.” They all place their hands on Jake and through their network make him part of their community.
PANDORA FOREST – NIGHT
Neytiri and Jake run through the blue-green-pink forest. Neytiri bonds with the strands of the vines hanging down from the Tree of Souls. “The Tree of Voices. The voices of our ancestors.” Jake bonds with the vines and hears the voices. “They live Jake, within Eywa.”
Neytiri stares longing at him. “You are Omaticaya now. You may make your bow from the sacred tree. You may choose a woman. “
“I have already chosen,” says Jake. “But this woman must also choose me.”
“She already has,” says Neytiri. They kiss then mate.
“I am with you now Jake. We are mated for life.
BIOLAB LINK UNIT
Jake wakes in his human form, and says to himself, “What the hell are you doing, Jake?”
PANDORA FOREST
Jake and Neytiri are sleeping together. Neytiri hears the sounds of the human earth movers approaching, and she awakes. They are knocking down trees in the forest. She tries to awaken Jake.
LOCAL LINK BASE
Jake is talking to Norm. Grace tells Jake to eat his breakfast. Grace will not let him leave until he finishes his food.
PANDORA FOREST
Neytiri desperately tries to wake up Jake as the machines continue to knock down trees.
[The emotional desperation of Neytiri is transferred to the audience. This is why the scenes are inter-cut with Jake eating his breakfast as Neytiri drags his body away from the falling trees.]
Finally, Jake transmits his consciousness and returns to the body of his avatar.
Jake wakes up and waves to the machine to stop.
RDA MACHINE
Driver stops and tells Parker that a native is blocking his way. Parker tells him to continue.
PANDORA FOREST
Jake climbs onto the machine and smashes the video-cameras, forcing the machine to stop. Soldiers shoot at him. Jake and Neytiri run through the forest. Na’vi warriors on horseback ride to the scene and see the destruction.
RDA MACHINE
Quaritch replays the video of Jake destroying the camera while Parker watches. The angry Quaritch says “Get me a pilot!” and storms out of the room.
HOMETREE
A war party is formed to be lead by Tsu'tey. Grace tries to stop this, but her comments are rejected. Jake and Neytiri arrive and try to stop the war party. Tsu'tey pushes Jake to the ground, and it is revealed that Jake and Neytiri have “mated before Eywa.” Tsu'tey attacks Jake.
“I am not your enemy. The enemy is out there and they are very powerful,” says Jake.
LOCAL LINK BASE
Helicopter lands near the base. Quaritch and soldiers enter and unplug all the units.
HOMETREE
The avatars of Grace and Jake collapse under Hometree. Tsu'tey attacks the collapsed body of Jake. Neytiri ferociously defends him.
LOCAL LINK BASE
Jake awakes and screams at Quaritch. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?”
“You crossed the line,” says Quaritch as he punches Jake.
RDA WAR CENTER
They review the videotape of Jake smashing the cameras.
Conflict between Grace, Quaritch, and Parker as they try to salvage the situation without killing a lot of people. “There is some kind of electro-chemical communication between the roots of the trees,” says Grace. “Like the synapses between neurons…with more connections than the human brain. It’s a global network and the Na’vi can access it. They can upload and download data and memories.”
“What the hell have you people been smoking out there,” laughs Parker. “They’re just goddamn trees!”
Quaritch plays a segment from Jake’s video diary. “No Doc, they are not going to make a deal...There is nothing that we have that they want. Everything they send me out here to do is a waste of time. They are never going to leave Hometree.”
PARKER’S OFFICE
Parker plays with the rock that is his primary object: the source of immense energy. “I’ll do it with minimum casualties,” says Quaritch. “I’ll drive them out with gas first. It will be humane… more or less.”
“All right, pull the trigger,” says Parker.
BIOLAB
Trudy runs into the Biolab and tells Grace and Jake
that Parker has approved the attack. “He’s going to
hit Hometree,” says Trudy.
MILITARY INDUSTIAL BASE
Gunships prepare to take off.
WAR ROOM
Parker watches the gunships. Grace storms in followed by Jake. “Are you going to kill the children?” says Grace. ‘You do not want that kind of blood on your hands. Let me try to talk them out,” says Jake.
BIOLAB
Jake and Grace get into their linkup canisters. Parker tells Jake that he has one-hour to get the Na’vi to evacuate from Hometree.
HOMETREE
Neytiri, Jake and Grace run down a branch into the center
of the tree to persuade them to evacuate before the attack. “A great evil is upon us. The Sky People are coming to destroy Hometree….You have to leave or you are going to die.”
“Are you certain of this,” says Mo’at.
“They sent me here to learn your ways,” says Jake, “so that one day I could bring this message and you would believe.” Neytiri and the Na’vi all feel betrayed.
“Bind them,” says Eytukan, the chief.
WARSHIPS FLY THROUGH THE SKY
Trudy is flying one of the planes. They approach Hometree. The Na’vi tie Jake and Grace outside. They watch the warships approach.
Quaritch sees Jake and Grace bound to a tree below. “Well, well, well. I see that diplomacy has failed,” says Quaritch. He orders the gas rounds to be shot into the front door.
The gas canisters land among the Na’vi taking shelter in Hometree. They run out from the gas. The Na’vi attack the warships with their bows and arrows.
[Emotional empathy for the underdogs making a desperate fight against the aggressor.]
“Switch to incendiaries,” orders Quaritch.
Rockets hit the base of Hometree and set it on fire. ‘No,” screams Jake. Hometree burns.
“And that’s how you scatter the roaches,” say Quaritch.
Mo’at, with knife drawn, approaches Jake and Grace. She puts the knife to Jake’s throat. “If you are one of us, help us,” she says to Jake as she cuts him loose.
Quaritch says, “Bring it down.
” Trudy refuses to press her
red button, and pulls her ship out of the fight and flies away. “I didn’t sign up for this shit.”
Hometree collapses. The Na’vi run away from it.
“Good work people. First round on me tonight. Let’s boogie,” says Quaritch.
Neytiri’s father has been wounded and dies. “Daughter…take my bow…Protect the People.” Jake tries to comfort her, but she pushes him away.
WAR ROOM
Parker watches the destruction then says “Pull the plug.” Norm tries to stop them but they pull the plug on Grace. Her avatar falls to the ground. They next disconnect Jake whose avatar also falls.
“I was a warrior who tried to bring peace…but one day you have to wake up,” narrates Jake.
Jake and Grace are escorted out of the room by the soldiers.
HOMETREE
The remnants of the Na’vi tribe walk away from the destruction around Hometree. They drag the bodies of the avatars of Jake and Grace along with them.
SECURITY CELL
Jake, Grace and Norm are locked in a security cell. Trudy pushes a cart of food towards them. The guard lets her in. She disarms him. She calls for Max. He runs to help her release the prisoners. They run down the hallway.
PLANE HANGER
Trudy and Norm race to her helicopter. Jake asks Max to remain behind. “I needs someone on the inside that I can trust.” Trudy and Norm get inside her plane and start it up.
WAR ROOM
A soldier notifies Quaritch. He sees Jake and the others trying to leave. Quaritch grabs a gun from a soldier and goes outside without a mask. He starts shooting at the plane.
PLANE HANGER
The plane takes off but Quaritch continues shooting at the people with his pistol. A soldier runs out and hands him an oxygen mask.
HELIOCOPTER
Jake celebrates their escape, but Grace is wounded.
LOCAL LINK BASE
The helicopter lifts up a trailer, which they transport north to deep on the mountains, to the Tree of Souls.
HELICOPTER
Jake administers medication to Grace. He tells her that the people can help her. “Why would they help us?” asks Grace.
TREE OF SOULS
“The People say Eywa will provide; with no home, no hope, there was only one place they could go,” narrates Jake. The Na’vi survivors gather around the Tree of Souls.
TRAILER
Norm helps Jake transmit back into his avatar.
PANDORA
Jake awakes in his avatar. The landscape around him is devastated. “Outcast. Betrayer. Alien. I was in the place the eye does not see. I needed their help, and they needed mine,” narrates Jake. “But to face them again, I would have to take it to a whole new level.” His dragon flies to him. “Sometime your whole life boils down to one insane move.” To his dragon he says, “There is something we’ve got to do. You’re not going to like it.” Jake flies searching for Toruk. He finds Toruk and jumps onto him.
TREE OF SOULS
The Na’vi are gathered around the Tree. Mo’at leads the community in prayer. A large shadow comes over them. They look up to the sky and see Toruk flying above them. Jake dismounts and goes to Neytiri. “I see you,” she says. “I see you,” Jake responds. He touches her arm, she returns the touch. “I was afraid, Jake, for my people. I’m not anymore.”
Jake approaches Tsu'tey. “I will fly with you,” says Tsu’tey to Jake. “My friend is dying. Grace is dying.”
NIGHT - TREE OF SOULS
Jake carries the wounded Grace to the base of the tree, flooded in pink-blue-green light. He lays her down next to her avatar. The Na’vi people form a network around the tree as they sway and pray in unison for Grace.
Mo'at says “The Great Mother may choose to save all that she is in this body.”
“Is that possible,” says Jake.
“She must pass through the eye of Eywa and return,” answers Mo’at. “But Jake Sully, she is very weak.”
Grace speaks to Jake. “I’m with her Jake.” Grace merges with the light of Eywa, and dies to her human form. The transfer did not work. Her wounds were too great. There was not enough time. She is with Eywa now.
Jake speaks to the Na’vi people. “The Sky People have sent us a message that they can take whatever they want. And no one can stop them. We will send them a message. You ride out as fast as the wind can carry you. You tell the other clans to come. You tell them that Toruk Makto calls to them. You fly now, with me, my brothers, sisters, we will show the Sky People that they cannot take whatever they want. And that this…this is our land.” The crowd cheers. Jake and Neytiri climb aboard the Toruk and fly into the night sky.
They flew out to the four winds…to the horse clans of the plains…to the people of the eastern sea…the Na’vi tribes gather for war.
WAR ROOM
Quaritch addresses his soldiers. “Everyone on this base, every one of you, is fighting for survival.” Quaritch prepares them for battle. “Our only security lies in a pre-emptive attack. We will fight terror with terror.” Quaritch plans to directly attack the Tree of Souls.
[Act Three begins, leading to the climax scene: classic confrontation between protagonist (Jake) and antagonist (Quaritch) with the love interest (Neytiri) caught in the middle of the fight]
WAR PLANES
They are loaded with palettes of explosives.
BIOLAB
Max communicates with Jake via a communications link that Quaritch is rigging the plane as a bomber. “Quaritch has taken over and there is no stopping him.”
“We are going up against gunships with bows and arrows,” says Trudy.
TREE OF SOULS
Jake prays to Eywa to help him fight this war.
“Our Great Mother does not take sides. She protects only the balance of life,” says Neytiri.
“It was worth a try,” says Jake. They place their foreheads together.
[This is intentional misdirection by the Writer-Director. He plants hope in the mind of the audience, but then denies it. Yet he fulfills that hope when Eywa enables the beasts of Pandora to engage in the battle to help the Na’vi overcome the RDA mercenaries.]
HELL’S GATE – MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Warplanes prepare for takeoff. Parker watches the war machines take off to destroy the Tree of Souls like the Wicked Witch watched her monkeys fly of to attack Dorothy and her companions in Wizard of Oz.
PANDORA SKY
The warships enter the flux vortex. Jake and the Na’vi on their dragons fly to meet them. Helicopters land troops on the ground. The troops move forward into the jungle.
[This is “Poppa Dragon,” says the Colonel. The battle is engaged between the human hybrid mechanical dragon versus the naturalistic dragons (Banshees and Last Shadow) of the Na’vi World of Pandora.]
Quaritch in the lead plane spots the Tree of Souls ahead, and orders the bomber to get his payload ready. Soldiers push the palette filled with explosives to the open tailgate of the plane.
Ground troops see movement and they hold their positions. Na’vi horsemen ride towards them. Na’vi on their flying dragons attack from above. The battle is engaged. The horsemen face heavy fire from the armed soldiers. They
take many casualties. “Break formation. Engage all hostiles,” orders Quaritch.
INTERCUT AERIAL WARFARE and GROUND BATTLE
Na’vi flying dragons are taking a toll on the flying warships, crashing many into the floating mountains. Norm is knocked from his horse. Na’vi horsemen retreat because of massive casualties. Quaritch finds Jake and attacks, but cannot take him out. Trudy flies in and fires on Quaritch’s plane. “Oops,” she says. ‘Light her up,” he responds. Trudy’s ship is hit and she goes down.
Neytiri’s Ikran is hit and goes down. Neytiri rolls to the ground. She mourns her dead banshee. She watches the Na’vi warriors be devastated by the gunfire. Tsu'tey is killed in battle, and falls through the sky towards the ground.
Trudy’s plane falls in flames. “Sorry, Jake,” she says. Norm is shot and falls to the ground. Quaritch watches Trudy’s plane explode and burst into flames.
[The death of Trudy, one of the protagonist supporters, designed to emotionally upset the audience and increase their concern for the safety of the protagonist and the love interest.]
Neytiri watches a horse in flames ride through the forest.
Norm falls out of his linkup unit and has difficulty breathing.
Quaritch orders the bomb run to destroy the Tree of Souls.
[All appears to be lost. The moment of ultimate desperation.]
The mercenaries arm the first pallet of explosives.
Neytiri stands alone in the forest as a column of armed soldiers approach. Jake tells her to fall back, but she refuses. Gunfire and flame throwers move towards her. “Do not attack,” orders Jake. She arms her bow with an arrow. She turns to fire an arrow.