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breakinglight11Scene nine of The Wicker Man remake! I almost didn’t adapt this scene, as I struggled how to translate the consequences of it to the particular idiom and logic I’m using here. But once I figured it out, I decided it was too iconic to cut.
Day #27 - "The Schoolhouse"
From The Wicker Man
By Phoebe Roberts
EXT. TOWN CENTER – DAY
Elise crosses town toward the school as Willow directed her. As she walks through the central green, she watches Benjamin Cairn and a few other men raising a maypole, trailing ribbons of many colors. Cairn sings to himself as he works.
CAIRN: “In the woods there grew a tree,
and a fine fine tree was he…”
Elise approaches the schoolhouse, a charming little cottage with flowering hedges forming a fence around it. She can hear the voice of the schoolmistress MISS ROSE as she lectures the students.
MISS ROSE: …our rituals are very old. They have been passed down for generations from our ancestors who first claimed this island.
INT. SCHOOLHOUSE – CONTINUOUS
Elise can be through the window drawing near to the school. Miss Rose, a pretty, motherly woman in flowing clothes and soft colors, is in the middle of lecturing the class.
MISS ROSE: They wished to carry on the ancient traditions of our people free of the persecution of the crown, the church, and the small-minded general populace. And so, as the May Day celebration approaches, we shall thank the old spirits and powers for their granting us the gifts of the earth that sustain us.
Elise appears in the doorway, knocking on the open door.
ELISE: Hello, beg pardon? I’m sorry to interrupt your lesson, Ms…?
MISS ROSE: Rose. Miss Rose.
ELISE: Right. But I’m Sergeant Woodward, a police detective from the mainland— I know you don’t have those here, but… I help people, and keep the law. Do you understand what I mean?
MISS ROSE: They know we live differently from other places, sergeant.
ELISE: Yes. Well, I’m here because I was told a girl by the name of May Morrison has disappeared from her home here. So I’ve come to find her, and make sure she’s all right. Since she’s about your age, I thought some of you might know her. She might even be your classmate.
She holds up the photograph on her cellphone and walks it around the classroom. A dozen pairs of eyes gape at her goldfish-like. None of them speak.
ELISE: Really? Are you quite sure?
She goes to the chalkboard and writes May’s full name on it, looking at them expectantly.
MISS ROSE: I’m sorry, sergeant, but May Morrison isn’t part of our class.
Elise’s attention is drawn by a scuffling sound from among the children. Her eyes fix on an empty desk that appears to have the scrabbling coming from inside it.
ELISE: Then whose desk is that?
She approaches it, feeling strangely hesitant. She flips up the desktop, and jumps as a terrified hare springs out, mad eyes gaping and scrabbling on a wounded leg. Despite its injury, it leaps to the ground and scrambles to freedom through the door Elise left open.
The children laugh all around her. Elise looks at them in horror.
BOY: We wanted to see how long we could keep it in there.
ELISE: Why!?
He laughs again, the others joining in. Elise drops the desktop closed and stomps back to the front of the room to stare down Miss Rose.
ELISE: I want to see your class roster. Now.
MISS ROSE: You’ll need to have permission from Lord Summerisle.
ELISE: This is a police matter, Miss Rose!
MISS ROSE: Sergeant, you don’t understand our—
ELISE: Your class roster! Or I won’t be the only officer coming to ask for it.
After a moment, Miss Rose goes to her desk and retrieves her attendance book. Elise takes it and studies it without a word. After a moment, she looks up with an expression of contempt for every soul in the room.
ELISE: Liars. You’re a pack of little liars. How dare you deny knowing a girl who sits beside you when she’s missing to God knows where?
MISS ROSE: Sergeant, I think you ought to know—
ELISE: And you are the biggest liar of all! One more lie out of you, and I will charge you with obstruction. Now, for the last time— where is May Morrison?
Beat.
MISS ROSE: Perhaps we could speak outside a moment.
After a moment, Elise gives a terse nod.
MISS ROSE: Children, you are dismissed for the morning. Go on out to the maypole early.
Elise follows Miss Rose out the front door of the schoolroom, students streaming past them to get to the green common.
Day #27 - "The Schoolhouse"
From The Wicker Man
By Phoebe Roberts
EXT. TOWN CENTER – DAY
Elise crosses town toward the school as Willow directed her. As she walks through the central green, she watches Benjamin Cairn and a few other men raising a maypole, trailing ribbons of many colors. Cairn sings to himself as he works.
CAIRN: “In the woods there grew a tree,
and a fine fine tree was he…”
Elise approaches the schoolhouse, a charming little cottage with flowering hedges forming a fence around it. She can hear the voice of the schoolmistress MISS ROSE as she lectures the students.
MISS ROSE: …our rituals are very old. They have been passed down for generations from our ancestors who first claimed this island.
INT. SCHOOLHOUSE – CONTINUOUS
Elise can be through the window drawing near to the school. Miss Rose, a pretty, motherly woman in flowing clothes and soft colors, is in the middle of lecturing the class.
MISS ROSE: They wished to carry on the ancient traditions of our people free of the persecution of the crown, the church, and the small-minded general populace. And so, as the May Day celebration approaches, we shall thank the old spirits and powers for their granting us the gifts of the earth that sustain us.
Elise appears in the doorway, knocking on the open door.
ELISE: Hello, beg pardon? I’m sorry to interrupt your lesson, Ms…?
MISS ROSE: Rose. Miss Rose.
ELISE: Right. But I’m Sergeant Woodward, a police detective from the mainland— I know you don’t have those here, but… I help people, and keep the law. Do you understand what I mean?
MISS ROSE: They know we live differently from other places, sergeant.
ELISE: Yes. Well, I’m here because I was told a girl by the name of May Morrison has disappeared from her home here. So I’ve come to find her, and make sure she’s all right. Since she’s about your age, I thought some of you might know her. She might even be your classmate.
She holds up the photograph on her cellphone and walks it around the classroom. A dozen pairs of eyes gape at her goldfish-like. None of them speak.
ELISE: Really? Are you quite sure?
She goes to the chalkboard and writes May’s full name on it, looking at them expectantly.
MISS ROSE: I’m sorry, sergeant, but May Morrison isn’t part of our class.
Elise’s attention is drawn by a scuffling sound from among the children. Her eyes fix on an empty desk that appears to have the scrabbling coming from inside it.
ELISE: Then whose desk is that?
She approaches it, feeling strangely hesitant. She flips up the desktop, and jumps as a terrified hare springs out, mad eyes gaping and scrabbling on a wounded leg. Despite its injury, it leaps to the ground and scrambles to freedom through the door Elise left open.
The children laugh all around her. Elise looks at them in horror.
BOY: We wanted to see how long we could keep it in there.
ELISE: Why!?
He laughs again, the others joining in. Elise drops the desktop closed and stomps back to the front of the room to stare down Miss Rose.
ELISE: I want to see your class roster. Now.
MISS ROSE: You’ll need to have permission from Lord Summerisle.
ELISE: This is a police matter, Miss Rose!
MISS ROSE: Sergeant, you don’t understand our—
ELISE: Your class roster! Or I won’t be the only officer coming to ask for it.
After a moment, Miss Rose goes to her desk and retrieves her attendance book. Elise takes it and studies it without a word. After a moment, she looks up with an expression of contempt for every soul in the room.
ELISE: Liars. You’re a pack of little liars. How dare you deny knowing a girl who sits beside you when she’s missing to God knows where?
MISS ROSE: Sergeant, I think you ought to know—
ELISE: And you are the biggest liar of all! One more lie out of you, and I will charge you with obstruction. Now, for the last time— where is May Morrison?
Beat.
MISS ROSE: Perhaps we could speak outside a moment.
After a moment, Elise gives a terse nod.
MISS ROSE: Children, you are dismissed for the morning. Go on out to the maypole early.
Elise follows Miss Rose out the front door of the schoolroom, students streaming past them to get to the green common.
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