The Frank Darabont Script

I call B.S. until somebody produces tangible evidence. For all we know it could be written by anybody passing off as Darabont's script.
 

nitzsche

New member
I've heard mentioned that Darabont's script had no Russians in it - that the villains were a group of Nazis who escaped to the Amazon. Not just one Nazis, but a group of them. Others who have claimed to have read this script never mention Russians.

I'm also skeptical because of the Willie Scott discussion with Marion. Indy came to Nepal in 1936 and then had a romance with Marion after he met Willie Scott in 1935. Why would they only be having this discussion about Willie now? That's a huge timeline gaffe.
 

Daring Dragoon

New member
Raiders112390 said:
What year does Darabont's script take place in?

Also, does the "It's not the mileage, it's the years" line find it's way into this script?

The script takes place in 1954, and yes, the line makes it into the script. Here is the exchange.


Indy rolls painfully onto his back, barely able to move. He
sees his whip lying within reach in a tangle of wing wreckage.
He snags it with his fingers, pulls it toward him, groaning
with each little movement.

MARION
What's the matter, Jones? Mileage
finally catching up with you?

INDY
It ain't the mileage, sweetheart.
It's the years.

This gets a faint trace of a smile from her ? in spite of
everything, there's still a tiny spark here. But her smile
vanishes as she gets furious:

MARION
Who the hell were those guys? Why
were they shooting at us?

INDY
You really telling me you don't know
anything about these Russian spies?

MARION
Russian spies? Are you insane? Damn
it, Indy, what have you got me into?

INDY
Me? Why is it always me? Hey, it's
your skull they're after! You wanna
explain that?

The "conversation" escalates into a shouting match as:

MARION
Oh, please! Don't shift blame! Things
were fine until you showed up?

INDY
?yeah, I didn't hear you complaining
when I saved your life five times
in ten minutes?

MARION
?yeah, well my life wouldn't need
saving if it wasn't for you! Don't
take credit for putting out the
fire you started?

INDY

?hey, Baroness, or Highness, whatever
the hell you are, yelling at me won't
get us out of this jungle alive! You
wanna be constructive, help me figure
out where we are so we can?

Suddenly, they hear a TWIG SNAP. They fall silent, turning
slowly. Behind them are revealed:
 

Crusade>Raiders

New member
Daring Dragoon said:
Yes, but it is the nazi, and it is much cooler.

VON GRAUEN
(screaming, ecstatic)
I want the dream reborn! I want the
glory we created...


The vapor of Von Grauen's wish takes final shape, the face
of the alien flowing like smoke and re-forming into the
glorious, smiling visage of Adolph Hitler himself...

ALIEN VOICES
VERY WELL. YOU SHALL HAVE THE GLORY
YOU CREATED.

...and Hitler's smile becomes the toothy grimace of a leering,
demonic skull: Von Grauen starts SCREAMING as Der Fuhrer's
ectoplasmic hand forms a vicious talon that reaches out, sinks
into Von Grauen's disgusting black heart, and sucks the life
force right out of him in a crunch of collapsing bones...

Thats like 14 different kinds of badass.
 

Crusade>Raiders

New member
And? You didn't like it when they tried to be original with the aliens, whining about how it lacks the grittiness of Raiders and a bunch of other crap. Go back to what works.

and besides...ALIEN HITLER.

Also, I get the joke with Willie Scott marrying some big-shot director, considering Kate Capshaw married Steven Spielberg.
 

Salacious

New member
Not sure of all this. Smells like BS, but man, I can see these guys writing some crappy stuff...like Indy being swallowed by a Snake whole.

:sick:

But I do like the idea of Indy getting over his fear and then something triggers the fear back into him. I think thats great if they did that!!

Sigh...why can they go back to the gritty realism that was Raiders of the Lost Ark for Indy's final adventure. There was humour in that too, but it wasnt overkill like they are doing nowadays. (n)
 

Kingsley

Member
IndyFan89 said:
Honestly i like KOCS more than what i'm reading about this script. :hat:
Honestly, even if those dialogues between Indy and Marion aren't really from Darabonts script but made up by Daring Dragoon I find there the tone I was missing in KOTCS.
Even the "It ain't the mileage, sweetheart. It's the years" line sounds pretty good in that context.
And there is the defiant and cinical Marion from Raiders too!

Indy rolls painfully onto his back, barely able to move. He
sees his whip lying within reach in a tangle of wing wreckage.
He snags it with his fingers, pulls it toward him, groaning
with each little movement.

MARION
What's the matter, Jones? Mileage
finally catching up with you?

INDY
It ain't the mileage, sweetheart.
It's the years.

This gets a faint trace of a smile from her — in spite of
everything, there's still a tiny spark here. But her smile
vanishes as she gets furious

Wing wreckage? Now I want to read the whole thing. As some kind of Indy 3.5
But try not to regret about missing chances.


On the other hand, the Willie Scott reference doesn't sound that promising, and we still have wedding, lots cameos and too many snakes. Oh, and an Alien Hitler!! :eek:
 
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Zorg

New member
Indy being swallowed by a huge snake? Come on! Mutt doing his "Tarzan" thing is not stupid at all compared to that level of stupidity.

I can't believe Darabont wrote that... so I, too, am not buying this.
 

The Man

Well-known member
In A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, which Darabont helped write, Ol' Freddy morphs in a giant snake-slug and attempts to swallow a poor teenager, so it's possible that Darabont had a similar idea floating when he wrote City Of Gods. Doesn't make it any less ridiculous, but possible.
 

ScarfaceJoker

New member
Zorg said:
Indy being swallowed by a huge snake? Come on! Mutt doing his "Tarzan" thing is not stupid at all compared to that level of stupidity.

I can't believe Darabont wrote that... so I, too, am not buying this.

Yeah he did. At least according to Moriarity at AICN and Alexandre du Pont who have both read the script.
 

Daring Dragoon

New member
The script feels very much like Raiders. It's packed with adventure. Also, it's more of reuniting Indy with Marion, opposed to introducing Mutt.
 

weyhoops

New member
So given your impressions of the script, what is it that you think displeased George specifically? Was the tone too similar to Raiders? The Nazi inclusion? Lack of 50s references? No offspring? Indy and Marion's husband competing for her? There must be some critical difference between Darabont and Koepp scripts that really tweaked George...and I can't say that I'm really picking up on it here. There are differences, yes. But from the Spielberg quote about "agreeing to agree", George had to have some really serious problem with the script. Obviously it wasn't the goofier snake-eating stuff...
 

Dene

New member
Dragoon -- is it more thoughtful, dare I say more 'adult' than the eventual film? Are there more character beats?

[Did George Lucas want to go for an out-and-out thrill ride with Indy 4 I wonder? Must admit I've been surprised, though I suppose I shouldn't have been, by just how aggressively it has been marketed for children].

Would really love to read this some day. Thanks for the details, have been enjoying very much. I suspect if this had been filmed the haters would've been a lot happier.
 

The Man

Well-known member
Dene said:
Dragoon -- is it more thoughtful, dare I say more 'adult' than the eventual film? Are there more character beats?

[Did George Lucas want to go for an out-and-out thrill ride with Indy 4 I wonder? Must admit I've been surprised, though I suppose I shouldn't have been, by just how aggressively it has been marketed for children].

Would really love to read this some day. Thanks for the details, have been enjoying very much. I suspect if this had been filmed the haters would've been a lot happier.

Indeed, much of the 'humour' in the second hour seems aimed directly at eight to ten-year-olds. Not to mention the gophers...
 

weyhoops

New member
Good question Dene. I wonder if it was designed more like the Last Crusade script, which ultimately relies on the more adult-themed/nuanced father-son relationship to make it float. From what I've heard so far, it seems like they could/should have chopped Ox and maybe Mac and kept Marion's husband from KOTCS, allowing for some better character dynamics--especially between Marion and Indy. And more (dark) humor. Lots of possibilities there. I think it also suits Indy's character better to be playing the more cavalier/less "respectable" man that ultimately wins the girl over (at least in spirit...even if they remain apart at the end).

I say all this as an unabashed KOTCS lover.
 
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