RABBIT, RUN

Written by

Harvey Wilmot-Payne

15 JULY 2020
FINAL SHOOTING DRAFT
 OVER BLACK.

The screeching of sea birds. Waves lapping up against land.

Wind can be heard although the climate appears to be calm,

alluding to the setting of a coastal environment.

1 EXT. WINDY SANDY BEACH - DAY, 1944 1

MEDIUM SHOT of a YOUNG SOLDIER (late teens), running down a

coastline close to the shore, kicking up sand and water onto
his mud-encrusted uniform. Panicking.

He looks exhausted but continues to run as fast as possible,

frightened of something close.

The camera steadily TRACKS his progress behind him, slowly

rotating round his body.

He continues to run.

CUT TO BLACK.

The MAIN TITLE fills the screen --

“RABBIT, RUN”

A moment later, more text appears in an identical typeface.

“1944”

2 EXT. WINDY COASTLINE - DAY 2

WIDE SHOT of the ocean and coastline.

A sense of desolation is felt by the audience as there are no

features to focus on out at sea - only the clouded sky and
grey ocean can be seen.

The weather appears to be close to rain. Thunder rumbles in

the distance.

CLOSE SHOTS follow of the coastline. Grass. Sea. Mud.

There is little sign of any human settlement except from the

odd rusted item of belongings buried in the sand, possibly
from tourists or passing regiments.
 2.

3 EXT. SANDY BEACH SHORE - DAY 3

HANDHELD CLOSE UP level with the water, the body of a CHOKING

BOY comes into view, gasping for air.

He is wearing a World War 2 soldier’s uniform that is torn

and damp. Waves lap up against his boots and blazer. He has
no visible weapon with him, only bottles and sacks strapped
to his body carrying dwindling supplies.

The audience recognise him as the young soldier running

earlier.

He is visibly dishevelled; his hair is dark and damp and sand

is plastered to his uniform.

He looks tired. His eyes are bloodshot and his whole body is
dirty.

Reaching for breath, his arms rake the sand as spittle

dribbles from his mouth.

He slowly becomes aware of his surroundings as his breathing

returns to normal.

Sitting up, exhaustion is obvious on the soldier’s face.

Suddenly, the sound of artillery fire and encroaching fighter

jets can be heard O.S. The soldier kneels to the ground. He
clutches his head in his hands in an attempt to block out the
noise.

His face paints a picture of psychological agony as a CLOSE

UP reveals the true terror the soldier is experiencing.

SLOW PAN OUT, the noise of the battlefield fades away to be

replaced by waves and seabirds once more, the soldier
noticing that nothing surrounding him has been destroyed and
the fear and terror he experienced was all inside his head.

He is dealing with a form of PTSD.

His laboured breathing relaxes slightly as he continues

looking out to sea.

4 EXT. LARGE BOULDERS ON BEACH - MOMENTS LATER 4

We are further up the beach now, the sound of waves distant.

Our soldier is perched upon a boulder eating corned beef out

of a tin - fetched from a satchel containing his remaining
rations.
 3.

He is watching the movement of the water intently whilst

gulping down the food.

He appears hungry and on edge.

Beat.

He spots a rounded object floating in the sea and, leaving

his beef uneaten, wades out into the water to get a better
look at it.

5 EXT. SANDY BEACH SHORE - DAY 5

It’s a military helmet. Well worn and dented.

Surrounding it in the water is a pool of blood.

He pauses.

The young soldier adjusts it to fit his own head and fastens
the helmet in place, seemingly unbothered by the blood pool
lapping up against his knees.

The sound of a distant thunder rumble O.S. can be heard

further up the beach, noted by the soldier.

The weather is turning and he must find shelter soon.

Wading out of the water, he collects together his tattered

belongings and begins his journey down the beach, accompanied
only by his footprints imprinted in the sand.

6 EXT. SANDY BEACH - DAY 6

A SEQUENCE of different shots follow the soldier’s journey

down the coast; focusing on his face, uniform, surroundings,
footprints etc. Aerial shots may accompany.

The score is solemn, reflecting the soldier’s current mood

and emotions.

After some time, he notices a FIGURE further down the

coastline, watching him.

We see the figure from the soldier’s perspective - blurry and

out of focus - stood in the centre of the beach.

The figure waves his hands in the air and shouts something,
barely audible above the sound of the rushing wind.

The soldier panics.

 4.

He rushes towards land, splashing through puddles whilst

occasionally glancing back at the figure on the beach.

7 EXT. BOTTOM OF BEACH CLIFF - DAY 7

Our soldier clings to the mud wall of the low eroded cliff
face.

He’s dirty, panicking, and fearful that the figure he just

saw has noticed his location.

He hears shouting O.S. and blinks hard, hoping he can open

his eyes and the person will be gone.

The shouting is getting closer. The soldier realises he is

trapped and begins to scale the mud wall in an attempt to
escape.

Struggling amongst the dirt, he manages to haul himself to

the top and sets off once more.

8 EXT. LONG GRASS FIELD - WINDY DAY 8

The chase is on; the soldier desperately hauling himself

through a field amongst tough grass stalks.

We see SHORT BLURRY CUT SHOTS through the grass as the

atmosphere intensifies.

The audience struggles to focus on the person chasing him -

we see the chase from the soldier’s panicked viewpoint.

Suddenly he trips and falls to the ground, crying out a yelp

of alarm. He spits blood and wipes his face.

On the move once more.

Reaching the top of a grass verge, the soldier stops,

exhausted and out of breath.

The figure running after him appears to have given up.

Grass sways around his feet. The danger has gone.

He turns to view his surroundings - empty hills - and exhales

deeply.

The click of a service pistol’s safety being turned off can

be heard as the barrel of a gun comes into view, pressing
against the soldier’s right temple. The owner of the gun is
holding it - the same figure who witnessed the soldier run
from the beach.
 5.

He is a FARMHAND (late teens); wearing braces over a tight-

fitting shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the young man’s
arms dirty with mud. Fitted with trousers and boots, the
farmhand has clearly been working in the fields recently. His
face is dripping with perspiration and a large swathe of rope
is wrapped around his shoulder.

FARMHAND
(signalling with gun)
Raise your arms.

The soldier does as he says. The pistol remains pressed to

his temple.

Wind whips through the boys’ hair.

FARMHAND (CONT'D)
That’s it. Nice and slow soldier.

The farmhand suddenly pulls back and knocks the soldier over
the head with the barrel, hard and with intent.

He crumples to the ground unconscious.

Pistol pointed at the soldier’s forehead, the farmhand towers

over him.

Once assured he is immobile, he slings the rope off from

around his shoulder and begins to tie the soldier’s boots and
hands together, rendering him incapable of movement once he
comes around.

The farmhand searches his pockets and packs. He removes a few

coins and a pocket knife.

Clutching the knife within his mouth, he begins to drag the

soldier through the grass, still unconscious.

Breathing heavily under the weight of the young man due to a

limp in his left leg, he starts to heave the body through the
field.

A loud rumble from the sky accompanies a WIDE SHOT of the

field and the unconscious soldier being dragged amongst the
dirt.

The rain is here.

TIME CUT:
 6.

9 I/E. ABANDONED BROKEN DOWN BARN - LATER 9

A dilapidated barn in a different field to the one the

audience just witnessed.

Heavy rain is pouring down, battering the barn’s broken roof

and the surrounding tree’s leafy branches.

Everything is soaking. The roof is rusting. Hinges creak.

Water droplets splash in the mud.

The storm continues.

10 INT. ABANDONED BROKEN DOWN BARN - RAINY DAY 10

Despite being midday, the lighting is poor and moody inside

the old building.

The soldier sits motionless on a propped-up chair. He’s tied

at the hands and feet. A small bruise is beginning to form on
his forehead.

A bucket is being filled with water. It’s carried towards the

centre of the barn and thrown at the sitting figure. Water
splashes down over the soldier’s face.

He wakes suddenly, dripping with cold water.

His eyes dart frantically and his hands tighten against the
rope - his movement has been severely restricted.

The farmhand who has dragged him here sits on the overturned
bucket a few paces from the soldier. He holds a lighter
whilst continuously flipping the lid back and forth.

FARMHAND
2nd Ranger Battalion eh?

The soldier appears confused at how the farmhand knows this

fact.

Noting his confused expression, the farmhand produces a few

well-worn military documents from his breast pocket and
unfolds them.

FARMHAND (CONT'D)
(re: the documents)
Took ‘em from your pocket. US Army
right?

Beat.
 7.

SOLDIER
(slight stammering)
British. I er, signed to the
Rangers from the Navy a couple
months back.

The farmhand appears content with this response.

Unfolding the papers, he begins to burn them away with his

lighter, raising them into the air until the papers have
blackened and become too hot to touch. He drops them and uses
his boot to put out the rest of the flames - the soldier’s
documents burnt to a crisp.

FARMHAND
You got a name?

Another beat passes.

SOLDIER
Eddie.
(beat, re: burnt papers)
I needed those.

FARMHAND
(standing up)
That why you were runnin’ away back
there on the beach now was it? You
don’t need those to run, Eddie.

EDDIE
(pauses and swallows)
I thought you were the enemy. I
couldn’t tell.

The farmhand drags the bucket close to where Eddie is sitting

- directly in front of him.

He leans in so their faces are uncomfortably close.

FARMHAND
I think it’s time you tell me what
you’re doing seven miles from your
nearest battalion - alone - and
lookin’ like shit.
(pauses)
Can I take off that rope now?

The farmhand takes out Eddie’s pocket knife from his pocket
and uses it to cut his hands and feet free from each other.

Eddie begins to rise but the farmhand motions him to stay

seated. He looks uncomfortable at this request but does as
the farmhand asks.
 8.

FARMHAND (CONT'D)
(re: chair)
You can stay there for a bit. I’m
not your enemy Eddie, but I might
be unless you start talkin’.

The farmhand begins to whittle a piece of wood with Eddie’s

pocket knife whilst listening to the boy’s story.

EDDIE
Our craft capsized before we even
reached the shore. Our boys were
scattered everywhere, bobbin’ up
and down, already drowning or
hoping too before night set in.
There were so many we couldn’t
save... we just sailed and cut
right on through them.

Eddie pauses for a few beats, his face distant.

The farmhand continues too whittle.

EDDIE (CONT'D)
We landed late which lost us our
surprise. We formed the beachhead,
us and the 29th, but...
(winces)
So many... it seemed never-ending.
Men with no arms or legs, half
their face melted away... and in
that second.. the sound... we were
being slaughtered like pigs.

FARMHAND
So you left ‘em behind?

EDDIE
No. I, er, was trying to protect--

FARMHAND
(interrupting)
--You ran. You left them to die on
their own.

EDDIE
(angry)
No you don’t know you weren’t
there! I had no choice...

Eddie is close to tears. His eyes are red and puffy.

The farmhand stops whittling. He lays the sharpened piece of

wood on the floor.
 9.

Beat.

FARMHAND
(speaking softly)
When did you leave them?

EDDIE
I don’t know... a month ago at
best.

FARMHAND
(speaking softly)
You could be tried for desertion if
they catch you. You would be shot--

EDDIE
(interrupting)
--They can’t kill me, I was
protecting myself... you didn’t see
what it was like... I couldn’t do
that to myself anymore...

FARMHAND
They won’t see it that way.

EDDIE
They have to.
(pauses in realisation)
You’re not gonna...?

FARMHAND
No, I’m not.
(pauses to think)
You can stay if you want... here,
not back at the house. My father
wouldn’t... I’ll bring you some
food, you must be empty.

The farmhand gets up to leave, carrying his pistol with him.

FARMHAND (CONT'D)
Watch yourself Eddie.

He runs out into the pouring rain - back to the farmhouse for
supplies.

TIME CUT:

CLOSE UP of Eddie ravenously ripping into a loaf of stale

bread.

The farmhand’s voice can be heard O.S. He is sat in a

different place in the barn now, looking more comfortable and
at ease.
 10.

The rain appears to be easing off.

FARMHAND (O.S.) (CONT'D)

(re: Eddie’s bread loaf)
How is it?

EDDIE
(whilst chewing)
Great. Thanks.

Beat.

Eddie takes a final bite of the remaining chunk and begins to

wrap the remains in crumpled brown paper stored in his bag.

EDDIE (CONT'D)
(re: army)
How come you’re not... you know...
out there? With us.

Another beat.

FARMHAND
Fractured my leg a while back, not
been the same since. I struggle to
run, walkings’ bad enough - this
metal girder slid and slammed down
on it. Crippled condition meant
couldn’t sign up for the army
myself. Killed me that did.
(pauses and holds out
hand)
Archie by the way.

Eddie looks puzzled by the friendly and open attitude from

the farmhand. He shakes his hand nonetheless.

Archie watches whilst Eddie does this then reaches for his
rifle. He stands up and dusts himself off.

ARCHIE
(looking outside)
Rains slowin’. You wanna leave?

Eddie does not look like he wants to. He shakes his head
slightly.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
I spotted some trails up at the
forest not long ago. Could hunt
some deer, maybe bring in a buck?
(Eddie remains still)
It’d take your mind off things.
 11.

Eddie reluctantly stands up, looking sheepish.

Archie nods. Eddie gathers his supplies together.

Archie props open the barn doors then signals for him to
leave first, followed by the farmhand himself clutching the
pistol.

DOOR SLAM JUMP

CUT TO:

11 EXT. FOREST - LATER 11

WIDE SHOT of Archie and Eddie trekking through a forest,

thick with damp undergrowth. Archie leads the way despite his
damaged leg leaving Eddie trailing behind.

The sound of the forest is loud with the screeching of birds

and rustling in the undergrowth. Small amounts of light dance
on the forest floor, leaving the rest in shadow.

They walk in silence for a distance.

Suddenly Archie raises his arm, signalling to stop, and lifts

his gun.

He’s spotted something in the undergrowth.

The camera FOCUSES on the pair’s facial expressions rather

than the subject of their focus. The animal they are hunting
can faintly be heard O.S.

Both Eddie and Archie crouch down.

Archie turns off the pistol’s safety whilst Eddie peers

tentatively over his shoulder.

Archie leans in to shoot and pulls the trigger aimed at the

creature.

BANG!

Suddenly Eddie throws himself at Archie, forcing him to miss

his target as the pair tumble to the ground.

An enraged Archie struggles with Eddie over the weapon, both

angry and confused. He’s lost all chance of killing the
creature now - the animal is long gone.

Eddie is suffering another post-traumatic stress attack

caused by the battlefield and triggered by the sound of the
pistol.
 12.

Sounds of war and explosions can be heard - only accompanying

close up shots of Eddie - as the audience hear the sounds of
their fighting and tumbling in the undergrowth.

The pair lose their balance just as Eddie begins to

recuperate from his mental panic, slipping down a small muddy
incline. Mud splatters Eddie’s uniform and Archie’s shirt.

Eddie begins to resist the fight as he becomes aware of what

is happening and attempts to escape, crawling away and
beginning to run from Archie.

Archie throws himself at the soldier as they collapse to the

ground once more. Archie produces Eddie’s pocketknife from
his breast pocket and holds it close to Eddie’s neck.

He has him trapped.

ARCHIE
(angry)
What the hell was that? What’s
wrong with you?

Eddie trembles but does not speak.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
(angry)
Say something!

Archie presses the knife closer to his throat.

A beat passes.

EDDIE
(trembling)
Archie I can’t... the sound of
it... all the killing.

Realizing what has happened, Archie removes the knife and

tosses him to the ground in disgust. Eddie fumbles in the
mud.

ARCHIE
You’re pathetic.

He spits at Eddie’s feet.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
(angry and pointing
towards empty
undergrowth)
I had that animal cornered.
Deserter scum like you... you ruin
everything.
 13.

Eddie appears confused. A beat passes.

EDDIE
(trembling and confused)
What...?

ARCHIE
You left your post. The army was
your only job here... you got
nowhere else to go. Fuck’s sake
you’re not even in your own
country. Where were you plannin’ on
runnin’ too?

EDDIE
(trembling)
You said I could stay--

ARCHIE
(interrupting)
--You had your job. You failed.

EDDIE
(trembling)
You can’t say that. You didn’t
fight on those beaches! You don’t
know what we went through!

ARCHIE
We...? There was never a ‘we’. Just
you and them. There’s men out there
right now Eddie, fighting without
you. A coward left em’.

EDDIE
(trembling)
Archie...

ARCHIE
God knows what you did... the shame
you must feel.. I can’t imagine.
Only men fight at war... not some
girly little bitch.

Eddie finally erupts, launching himself at Archie as the pair

collapse into the undergrowth.

The boy’s scrap with each other. Neither boy appears to gain
the upper-hand and neither inflict any serious damage.

Archie notices his pistol laying a short distance away whilst

being crushed by Eddie’s weight.
 14.

He stretches through the mud and reaches with one arm but
cannot quite grasp it.

Shuffling closer, he manages to wrap his hand around the grip

and throws it around Eddie’s neck, holding him in a
strangulation position.

He pulls tight and Eddie begins to choke. He suddenly finds

his pocketknife and manages to slash Archie’s left cheek.

He screams out in pain and released Eddie momentarily.

Eddie makes for an escape, sprinting off into the

undergrowth, dazed and in danger.

Archie shouts out in anger.

The shot changes to a FAST-PACED SEQUENCE of Eddie running

through the forest, similar to the one in the long grass
field after escaping the beach.

He is panicking now, fearing for his life.

He is dirty, afraid and once again, alone.

Archie remains far behind due to his limp but carries his
pistol with him - raised and aimed - prepared to fire at any
moment.

The forest is quiet as he hunts down Eddie. He soon spots the

soldier who darts away once more, followed by a frustrated
gunshot the farmhand fires from the rifle.

12 EXT. TOP OF BEACH CLIFF - DAY 12

The chase continues until Eddie reaches the top of a low

beach cliff.

He turns back to see a distant Archie making his way towards

him through the undergrowth. He decides to jump, slamming
down into the sandy ground.

Archie appears at the top of the cliff face with his pistol
aimed at Eddie’s chest.

He slowly lowers himself down as he speaks, no longer in any

rush as his gun points directly towards Eddie.

13 EXT. SANDY BEACH - DAY 13

ARCHIE
Do not move Eddie.
 15.

Eddie raises his arms slowly in surrender.

EDDIE
(trembling)
Look, I get why you see me this
way. The boys in the Rangers...
they would have given their lives
for me. But once it started...
(points towards body)
The pain out here... I could deal
with...
(points towards head)
But the pain in here... I can’t do
that no more...

Archie continues to point his gun towards Eddie as he moves

closer.

ARCHIE
You’re a coward.

EDDIE
(trembling)
No, please--

ARCHIE
(interrupting)
--They died for you... you don’t
deserve em’. You don’t deserve to
be here.

EDDIE
(trembling)
I just want it to end...

ARCHIE
And it will. Shortly.

Eddie looks up towards Archie.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
They won’t catch you. You’re right
here. But I’ve got you.

He raises his rifle towards Eddie’s head.

The soldier understands what he intends to do and begins to

back away.

EDDIE
(trembling)
Archie. Don’t. I’m sorry...
 16.

ARCHIE
You don’t want to be here anymore
you said it yourself. I’m just
doing what they should of done in
the field.

EDDIE
(trembling)
I don’t deserve--

ARCHIE
(interrupting)
What you deserve is a bullet in the
brain.

Eddie realizes there is no longer any hope of negotiation

with Archie.

He begins to walk backwards slowly, developing into a run as

he turns around and attempts to get the furthest away
possible.

Archie limps into the centre of the beach, providing him with
a clear shot of the running soldier.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
(shouting)
Gone on Eddie! Run away! Run
rabbit! RUN!

He aims his pistol.

SLOW MOTION of the soldier sprinting down the beach - the

same shot the audience witnessed at the beginning of the
film.

The weather has cleared; the climate calm apart from the wind
that ruffles both boys’ hair.

Eddie carries on running down the coast. His face is a

picture of exhaustion, fear, and guilt.

He never stops running from his problems.

Archie turns off his pistol’s safety.

Eddie keeps running.

BANG. Archie fires once but misses, hitting sand close to

Eddie’s foot causing it spray into the wind.

Eddie keeps running.

 17.

BANG. Archie fires once more and the bullet rips through
Eddie’s left leg, immobilizing him.

He falls to the ground, blood beginning to stain his uniform

and pour out the open wound.

Eddie curses and tries to halt the blood loss, attempting to

bandage it with a dirty cloth retrieved from one of his bags.

The bleeding is too much - the cloth is quickly turning a

dark shade of red.

EDDIE
(trembling)
No, no, no...

Archie walks towards him slowly, smiling slightly.

He lowers himself to his knees close to Eddie’s bleeding

body, the rifle propped up in his right hand.

He observes Eddie’s leg wound, lacking any signs of remorse

or compassion.

The blood is beginning to spread, dripping down his leg and

into the sand.

Eddie frantically clutches at the wound and writhes in agony.

His hands becomes coated in blood and he looks down at them;

horrified.

Archie’s lack of sympathy angers Eddie who, with a final

burst of energy, throws himself once more at Archie, catching
him off guard and toppling him off balance.

The pair wrestle with each other - Eddie on top of Archie’s

body as Eddie’s blood seeps into the pair’s clothing.

Eddie manages to wrap his bloodied hands around Archie’s neck

and squeezes, choking the farmhand.

He quickly reaches for the pistol laying at his side and

pushes away from Archie, swiftly turning the gun against him.

Archie remains gasping for breath in the sand.

Eddie is shaking. Blood covers his uniform.

Archie, realizing his fate, presses his forehead against the

barrel of the gun. He stares cooly into Eddie’s eyes. Blood
drips down his neck.
 18.

ARCHIE
Do what you gotta’ do soldier. I’m
not afraid to die. You’ll be the
one with the blood on your hands.

Eddie was not expecting this comment.

He suddenly becomes aware of what he was about to do. He

looks down weakly at the pistol in his bloody hands, pointed
at Archie.

He stares down the empty beach. There is no one there for

him.

He has no place to escape too. He’s tired of running.

In a moment of insanity, he turns the pistol on himself,

firmly pressing the muzzle into his mouth.

CLOSE SHOT of the soldier for a long period of time. He is

shaking.

The only sound audible is one of the waves and the screeching
of sea birds.

Wind whips through the soldier’s hair.

He has made his decision.

Eddie shakes with grief as he prepares to take his own life.

He blinks.

The sound of a bullet rips through the sequence.

CUT TO BLACK.

“Run, Rabbit Run!” plays over credits.

THROUGHOUT WORLD WAR II, ALMOST 100,000 BRITISH TROOPS

DESERTED FROM THE ARMED FORCES.

THESE SOLDIERS WERE NOT COWARDS, JUST ORDINARY MEN.