Short Film - Script

Scene opens with the older officer sat down at the table with some letters.

The younger officer walks up to the table and salutes to the older officer

The older officer looks up at him for a couple seconds, then finishes reading the letter. He then stands, gives a very little salute and says:

“You must be my new Lieutenant (Said as Left- tenant)”

The younger officer then replies:

“Sir Yes Sir! Second Lieutenant Lawrence Baker, reporting for duty sir”

The older man signals to Lawrence to sit down with him at the table where there is a bunch of letters and a chess set. He follows this up by saying:

“Lawrence eh? Just like that chap in the Desert (referring to Lawrence of Arabia). Fancy a game of chess?

Lawrence agrees to the game with a nod of his head.

The old man then speaks again:

“Chess is a great game for officers to play, it really is like commanding a battle and every move could mean a win or a loss…”

The younger officer then sees that the older officer has left a pawn in the open and quickly moves one of his knights to take it; and then says with a big grin:

“A mistake like that”

The officer is unfazed by this and shakes his head, and says:

“You’re the one who has made the mistake…” he then moves one of his pieces to take his knight, and follows this up with “ Check” with no emotion of his face.

Lawrence has a shocked looked on his face and then quickly moves another of his pieces to take the oppositions piece.

The older officer shakes his head again, looks at the younger officer and then moves another piece and then says:

“Check Mate”

Lawrence is stunned

“But… But… how? You were just throwing pieces away, how is that fair?”

 

 

 

 

The older man then relaxes again and picks up another letter and begins saying:

“In war you need to make sacrifices in one place to make a gain elsewhere. It has been done all through history in past wars all the way back to the Romans, and if any other war happens in the future, which would be very unlikely, it will happen then. You need to learn this if you ever want to become as successful as me”

(this line is said slowly with cuts in it after a few words have been said to make it look like he is saying it very seriously. As he is speaking the camera will zoom in on him to show his facial expressions)

Lawrence is shocked by what he has just heard and then says:

“But these are British men, your men, you are throwing away, men on our side of the war, friends not foes. These men loved and were loved and now what? They now lie in some field where poppies blow. Between the crosses row on row. You would rather throw these men away to make a gain of what?! A few metres. I was in those trenches I know what it is like and now I see you treat us like pawns.”

(this line will be said rather quickly because he is angry about the he has reacted and whats to get his point through. The camera will be a wide shot as he will be standing up and moving around picking up chess pieces to make it look like he really cares)

The older man is now angry and replies:

“Careful Lawrence, remember who you are speaking to. This is the only way this war of attrition can be won, unless you have a new tactic? … No? Didn’t think so. I was like you when I was first promoted and I tried new tactics but they failed and I lost some good men and great friends. So trust me this is the best way for us and them.

(it now goes back to slowly speaking with cuts. He will also stand up when speaking to make him look aggressive and put the younger officer back in his place. When he is finished he will sit back down sitting up straight while officer I slouched down to show that the general has won)

Lawrence is silent, he goes to speak and then stops he thinks about what he wants to say but can’t think of what to say. The camera then fades while on him and then the scene ends.