Thesis Title ENEMY ALIEN Author's Name USA McGREGOR Degree MASTERS of CREATIVE ARTS (RESEARCH) Year of Submission 2014 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP I certify that the work in this thesis has not previously been submitted for a degree nor has it been submitted as part of requirements for a degree except as fully acknowledged within the text. I also certify that the thesis has been written by me. Any help that I have received in my research work and the preparation of the thesis itself has been acknowledged. In addition, I certify that all information sources and literature used are indicated in the thesis. Signature of Student: Date: 5112114 Lisa McGregor Masters (Research) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Table of Contents i) Abstract p.l ii) Screenplay Enemy Alien pp.l-102 iii) Exegesis Enemy Alien pp.l- 39 Lisa McGregor 2 Bishops Ave, Randwick, Sydney 2031 [email protected] Enemy Alien Abstract Project Name: Enemy Alien Student: Lisa McGregor Degree: Masters of Creative Arts (Research) Supervisor: Margot Nash Enemy Alien is a feature screenplay inspired by the diaries of a German-Australian internee written during World War One and based on true stories of the treatment of the German-Australian community during this conflict. Its characters are both real historical figures and characters who have been invented. The exegesis explores the interplay between 'soft fiction' and 'hard fact' in the writing of an historical screenplay. The exegesis examines the creative process of transforming historical fact into cinematic drama and asks to what extent the screen writer can invent parts of a screenplay and still call it history? When does a creative work set in the past cease being history and start being fiction? The exegesis charts the recent 'History Wars' debates in Australia during which historians and commentators argued over the nature, methods and purpose of history. lt also looks at ongoing and fiercely argued debates between fiction writers and historians over where the line between these two genres should be drawn. Finally, the exegesis explores how the creative process transforms historical figures and facts into something more than themselves- into symbols and allegories. lt asks whether cinematic representations of history should be judged by different rules to literary history. February, 2015 THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT ARE PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL ENEMY ALIEN BY USA McGREGOR Fl RST DRAFT, MAV 2014 ©USA McGREGOR 2 BISHOPS AVE, RANDWICK, SYDNEY NSW 2031, Australia lis a mcgregor@ optusnet.com.a u MOB 0411 315 145 1 INT. POLICE STATION, 1914 - LATE AFTERNOON A vertical crack of light appears and widens, as a MAN, in silhouette, opens a door and enters a room. He looks around a dim, cluttered police station. we can't see him clearly but we can see he's youngish with dark hair. A dusty shaft of light illuminates the silhouette of a lone POLICEMAN 1 working at a table behind a counter. There's an empty chair on the other side of the table. He beckons the Man to sit down. The Man hangs his hat on the hat-rack and sits opposite Policeman 1 who hands him a form. We snatch a glimpse of it's title: ALIEN REGISTRATION .•• In a series of shots, which suggest rather than reveal, we see the man fill out this form. In the AGE box he writes 31. He ticks the MARRIED box. In the BORN box he writes GERMANY. His shoulders and head lean against the wall with a measuring line painted on it. The top of his head comes a few inches under the 6ft mark. The man's heavy work boots step on scales. The Policeman writes 10 stone 12 pounds in the WEIGHT box. The man's thumb presses down into a black inkpad then presses a black print onto the form. He has rough workers hands. From behind the shoulder and neckline of Policeman 1, we see half of the man's face against a plain wall. A flash goes off as the Policeman takes his photo. Policeman One presses a big stamp into an inkpad then stamps the front page of the form, in big red letters: ENEMY ALIEN CUT TO BLACK: FADE UP: 2 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE, BROKEN HILL - MORNING The wide, blue sky of the Australian outback. The sound of an approaching train and laughing voices. SUPER: In August 1914, world war breaks out. Great Britain, France and Russia are at war with Germany and Austria. 2 In the distance, an open-carriage train, about 20 carriages long, cuts across the horizon line. It's crammed with people. Fast fiddle music comes from the train and there's laughter and clapping. SUPER: 10 000 miles away, Australia sides with Great Britain and her allies. The train slowly snakes its way through the scrubby desert. SUPER: By November, Great Britain, France & Australia are at war with Germany's ally, Turkey. 3 EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY The wheels of a rickety, wooden cart bump up a rocky desert, squeaking noisily. The distant sound of the approaching train and music. 4 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY A large banner flutters from one of the carriages of the train: 'Broken Hill Miners' Picnic'. SUPER: New Year's Day, 1915 5 EXT. TRAIN CARRIAGE - DAY On an open carriage, a quartet of fiddlers plays a furious jig and the revellers, dressed in their Sunday best, dance, clap and cheer. Leaning on the side of the carriage, we see FRANK, tapping his foot to the beat. He's an intense, attractive man in his early 30s. He could be the Man in the opening scene. Like all the men, he's smartly dressed, in suit, tie and hat. Frank is staring at IVY, a handsome young nurse, who's on the other side of the carriage. A lively woman in her late 20s, Ivy is talking and laughing with another NURSE. Catching her eye, Frank walks straight through the dancers to her. Frank takes off his hat and bows with an old-fashioned formality. He offers Ivy his hand and when he speaks, there's the slightest European accent. FRANK Madame, would you do me the honour? 3 I~ (flirtatiously) With pleasure. Ivy accepts his hand and Frank leads her to the centre of the dancers. The two soon lose themselves in the dance and each other. It is clear they know one another. From the side of the carriage, GRACE (7 years) watches them dance, entranced. 6 EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY A YOUNG TURBANNED MAN and an OLD TURBANNED MAN wearing white, flowing pants and robes, pull the rickety wooden cart up the hill. Painted on the side of the wooden cart is a peeling 'Ice-Cream for Sale' sign. The men reach a rocky outcrop half-way up the hill and park their cart behind it. They hoist a flag with a white Islamic crescent on a red background. It's the flag of the Ottoman Empire. The men begin to unload ice-cream boxes from the cart but when they open them we see it's not ice-cream inside. The boxes are loaded with guns and ammunition. 7 EXT. ON THE TRAIN - DAY The train heads for the base of the hillside where the rocky outcrop is. The band plays faster and louder. Frank and Ivy and the crowd are dancing wildly. Grace, who's still watching from the sides, waves to Frank and Ivy and they wave back to her. 8 EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY From behind the rocky outcrop, the Old Turbanned Man and the Young Turbanned Man load and cock their rifles, aiming straight at the train. 9 EXT. ON THE TRAIN - DAY As the dance reaches a crescendo, the sounds of gunshots ring out. The revellers are oblivious and keep dancing but the shots continue and a YOUNG FEMALE DANCER next to Frank and Ivy is hit in the chest and staggers into the arms of her boyfriend. Then an OLDER DANCER, is shot in the head and slumps to the ground. Confused, then afraid, the picnickers panic. Some scream, some keep dancing and some dive for cover. Seeing the two dancers fall, Frank quickly pushes Ivy, then Grace to the floor, then dives down over Grace. He yells to the crowd: 4 FRANK Down everyone! Get down! Still under constant fire, the train screeches to a halt. The crowd is suddenly silent but the shots continue to rain down. After lying low for a moment, Frank sees TWO POLICEMEN with rifles leap off his carriage on the opposite side to the snipers. FRANK (to Ivy) I'm going to help. Ivy nods and holds Grace close. Frank and THE LEAD FIDDLER carefully climb out of the carriage and join the policeman. The two men join the group of now FOUR POLICEMEN - Policemen 2, 3, 4 and 5 - all of whom are scanning the hillside, trying to locate the snipers' position. POLICEMAN 2 Over there, where those rocks are. Policeman 3 takes charge. POLICEMAN 3 (to Policeman 4 and 5) You two, go wide and surprise them from behind. We'll try the front. Policeman 2 looks fearfully at Policeman 3. POLICEMAN 3 We'll use the bushes for cover. POLICEMEN 4 and 5 run off towards the front of the train and disappear. FRANK We could track back and call town for help. POLICEMAN 3 Yep, but keep your heads down. Frank and the Lead Fiddler both head back in the direction from which the train came, using the carriages as protection. Policeman 2 and 3 watch them head off. Then they cross the train tracks between the carriages and head for the hill, Policeman 3 leading the way. The bullets are still raining down on the train. 10 EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY The two turbanned men see that Policeman 2 and 3 are coming their way. They fire at them but the officers hide behind bushes and rocks and inch forward to the base of the hill. The turbanned men continue to open new boxes of ammunition and reload their guns. 5 EXT. BOTTOM OF HILL - DAY Under fire, Policemen 2 and 3 approach the base of the hill, taking cover behind wherever they can. Whenever they can, the policemen return fire. 12 EXT. RAILWAY LINE TELEPHONE - DAY Stooping and running at the same time, Frank and the fiddler dive on the ground whenever they hear bullets. About half a mile down the track they arrive at an emergency phone box on the side of the train tracks. Frank makes the call. FRANK (out of breath) The picnic train. It's under attack. 13 EXT. ON THE TRAIN - DAY All the train passengers are crouched down. Ivy is sitting with her arm around Grace. BOYFRIEND Help! Miss! Keeping low, Ivy crawls over with her nursing kit to where the wounded Young Dancer is lying, her head resting on her BOYFRIEND"S lap. Grace follows her mother. Ivy's Nurse friend also crawls over and helps. Together they work quickly, trying to staunch the chest wound. Grace watches on, worried. IVY (urgently) Grace, I need your petticoat, quick. Grimacing, Grace kneels, holding up her skirt in front of her face. Working fast, Ivy rips the petticoat into strips and with her colleague, bandages up the young dancer's chest wound. An OLD WOMAN calls out for help for the Older Dancer, who is lying on the floor, unconscious. He has a head wound. OLD WOMAN Over here!· Quick! Ivy leaves the Young Dancer with her friend, grabs her kit and crawls over to help the Older Dancer. 14 EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY From behind a bush, POLICEMAN 2 and 3 watch as POLICEMAN 4 and 5 go wide of the snipers and climb up the hill. The snipers don't notice them.