Fatherhood
Fade In:
EXT. Battle Ground - Day
We look upon a battleground. A wasteland of fallen soldiers, only time knows how long they've laid. Two armies exhausted, facing each other. Men, Women, Children, preparing to kill once again. Two men walk out, dividing the armies, great leaders among their people. Representing their dreams and ideas. They prepare to fight for a new world, for their people.
We CUT to a frame of the men standing 10 FT apart. Everyone else behind them:
The men are battle-scarred and bloody. Scars that tell their past, and blood that will determine their future.
They begin to clash. An exchange of attacks and parries. Sparks flying. A push and pull of offense and defense. A battle of life or death. But not for selfish gain, but one of selfless cause.
In one moment, they both land a blow. The other strikes one's shoulder, and one pierces the other's leg. Stepping back to recover, they both hear the roaring of two worlds.
One looks back. He sees the men, women, and children he's dedicated his whole life for, howling and screaming. But not for him, for the death of the other.
The other looks back. He sees the men, women, and children he’s dedicated his whole life for, cheering and yelling. But not for him, for the death of the other one.
The only difference being, that one realized, it wasn't for peace.
We CUT to them both on each side of the frame. Preparing again to strike for the people behind them. But before they leap back into battle. The first word in this generational war was spoken.
The One
“Why?”
The other pauses. The momentum of a train instantly stopped within him. Filled with confusion because for the first time, he was asked to think.
The Other
“What do you mean?”
The one looks at him. The other can see in his eyes that a part of him is no longer in the fight.
The One
“Why… Why do we fight?-
He looks back. Then back to The other.
The One
“Why do they ask for death? When I look back, instead of the families and people I love, I see monsters and beasts. The very monsters and beasts I swore to protect them from. And now they too thirst for blood, exactly like them, exactly like the ones that killed my parents, and my parents' parents. The ones I've hated my whole life. I now lead an army of them. Why?”
The Other
“You must be a fool. Because when I look behind you, I see men, women, and children cheering for the success of their world. People begging for their ideas, their passions, their dreams to be realized. People who want to live-”
The other begins to approach for an attack, but is stopped, again.
The One
“But why? Why is it that in order to accomplish this… one of us must die? Why does blood have to be the road to our future? Why is it that to build a world of peace, we must create it out of its complete opposite?”
The Other
“That's the way it works. If you want something you must take it. And the only way to achieve this is through pure strength, through sheer dedication. There is no other way of creating the foundation of your belief. Of your new world. And it calls for anything that stands in your way to be moved.”
They stand in silence. Moments go by. The other begins to move forward. He is stopped. Again.
The One
“But why must we kill? Is it the only way to push our beliefs, our new world into motion? Why can't we coexist, is our hate that strong that we cannot overcome it? We are not animals, we are people who feel, are we not the same?”
The Other
“You said it yourself. You protect your people from monsters, from that in which you hate the most. How could you possibly “coexist” with us? The only way we can overcome this fear is by eliminating the source. By killing the very thing that brings our people's safety into question. And from where you stand that is me, and from where I stand -”
The other lifts his weapon. Pointing it at The one.
The Other
“That is, you.”
The Other lowers his weapon. There is a brief pause.
The One is looking up on the cloudiest day of his life. Finding a ray of sun breaking through.
The One
“You are right.”
The One
“In the pursuit of saving my people, we became the very thing we were running from. And worse, we’ve become something others had to run from. And now here we are. On the edge of everything, where hate and fear are at their most, we must make a choice.”
The one looks directly at the other. For the first time, they see each other.
The One
“Can I ask you something?”
The Other relaxes his body, and nods.
The One
“Do you have a family? A Wife? daughter? son?”
The Other
“I do, a wife and daughter. It is the entire reason I am here. Fighting to make sure that they will flourish. That they are given a chance at life.”
The One
“You want them to have a better life than we did? One without blood thirst, without killing, one of peace?”
The Other
“I do. And the only way to achieve this is by ensuring that no one will threaten their way of living.”
The One
“But look behind you, all your people want is blood. They are not thinking of peace, they only want death. That is the example we give; the path we are taking them on. We live in a world of hate and are only feeding it more. Even when one of us dies, one of our own will stand up and continue the fight. The endless cycle of hate.”
The Other
“Then I will kill anyone who stands against me. Your men, your women, your children. If they threaten the existence of my world's peace then I will strike - Them - Down.”
The One
“And that is the problem! I refuse to believe that this is the only answer. I refuse to raise a family in a world, under the belief that the only way to survive and to succeed, is to kill. You desire peace, though you actively fight against it. And how can you stand there and say you want
what's best for your family, as you expose them to the filthiest parts of life? Is the only way to peace making sure you are the only ones there for it. Is the only way to make your people safe ensuring they are the only ones alive. You'd be destroying the whole world, for the name of peace!”
The one is exhausted. Out of breath. But has never felt more alive.
Silence. The roars in the background take the air. The two men standing there. One far gone from the battle, the other still in it.
The Other
“Yes. It is the only way.”
The Other then takes a stance. Preparing to continue the fight.
The One
“No. That is not peace. And I will not raise a family from death and blood.” The one then drops his weapons. And walks away.
FIN
Written by Brady Casas.
My name is Brady Casas, I am a filmmaker who is inspired by love and life. This Script represents the ways people corrupt the pursuit of peace.