Filmmaking / Directing : Sicillia by Kyle LIttle

Maybe someone will get a kick out of this little outline/short story/ prologue

And please, enjoy all of the non format and grammatical errors!!!

I'm sharing because A) maybe you'll enjoy it and B) it will help me fight procrastination and write it in format and finish the whole damn thing!

S I C I L L I A

Part one: L E M O N GROVE'S

The sun, orange, beats down on the endless valley groves, red mountains surround.

Sicily - 1 9 0 7.

A father, watching over his boy, the boy finishes his work watering the soil.

"Rest my son" The boy, drops his weight. Father and son, enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Father points his son to the small cabin home, boy runs in, father waits... Boy returns, hands father his shotgun.

Crouched over the edge of their red landscape, father and son lay, staring intently into long distance.

"Quickly boy" The boy loads his father's weapon.

Father takes aim... BOOM!

Half skinned body of a rabbit is slapped down, woodcut kitchen bench.

Father finishes cutting into the flesh, wipes the sweat from his face.

"Here boy.. like this, just finish"

His boy takes the knife, father relaxes on his crate, watches the boy, awkwardly holding the knife, like that of un-learned apprentice.

The boy hacks, short back and forth into the hard flesh, fat and fur sticks to his hands, slipping the blade from his hand.

A father's eye burns, sighs...

Standing behind the boy, grasping his hand, holding the knife.

"Long strokes, pull the fur... Don't hack at it, you cut on the down stroke, pull the knife back only to reposition it, remember CUT on the down stroke... Good boy."

Kisses the boy on top of the head, leaves him to it.

The boy slowly gets it, glides through the meat.

Crickets hum outside, hardwood table is illuminated by candle, thick liquid bubbling his heard presumably from the next room and father waits patiently, at the head of the table, cutting garlic cloves, with a Japanese saw like blade.

The boy brings a bowl, rabbit, cooked.

Father inspects the steaming work...

"Good, good, carrots?"

"Ten more minutes sir"

"okay... Good boy... Set...set your mother's plate"

Three plates of food sit at the table, only father and son sit at the table, eating in silence.

Mothers plate, cold and eaten by flies.

"My son's face is filled with melancholy, he stares at his mother's plate, and I don't think he understands our mortal fate's ...god bless him"

Before even the sun can wake, father and son tend to the lemon groves.

Part two: B L A C K GOLD

A pitchfork smashes down into grey earth "SMACK" sparks fly from the fork.

The young man handling it, sweating breathing heavy.

"Your soil is dead sir pagoni"

A fat bulldog of a man, Pagoni stands, sour as his soil, not pleased with this news of his land.

Pagoni crouches, pulls at dead roots on his ground.

"This is unacceptable, half my life's money, I've been duped into buying this shithole, if it doesn't pay off, I will get my money back, my way"

Father and son complete another fruitful day of labor, finishing early they prepare to travel in town for supplies and business.

Small cart and don't donkey, father and son have made it to town.

"Boy, go to market, buy what we need, if you can get yourself something"

Father enters exports office.

Pagoni is inside arguing and cursing the man in the office.. father must wait patiently.

You cannot help but over hear that this sour faced man in unpleased with his newly acquired land, though he doesn't understand it is of no context or obligation of these people.

A dark, handsome yet shady man listens in the background.

Father is now served, very simple he signs another years contract and picks up a fairly pleasing pay, this infuriates pagoni, grabbing this father's hand.

"This is outrageous, how is this man payed so much??" As he throws the father's hand down, his coins stipple on the floor, pagoni continues cursing the office.

Father silently prays for the man, and picks up his coins.

The dark shady fellow helps him pick the last up, father thanks the man and leaves.

Outside the boy waits in cart for his father, father hops in.

"Did you get something for yourself?"

"Yes, cannoli"

"yummy"

"I've saved some for you"

They leave, the shady man steps outside, watches them leave.

Still cursing, Pagoni steps outside, attempts to confide in the shady man.

"Can you believe this place? I work hard but the government never wants to help the honest man"

"I couldn't help over hear, you have problems with your land? ...what a strange day sir, I think I may be able to help..."

" You?"

Father and son travel the valley roads, quiet.

"Are you okay papa?"

"I pray for gods men sometimes son, men may do evil things, but not all men are evil, it's your responsibility to forgive them.... Understand?"

"...yes."

"good... Then again it's just my thoughts"

A hand grasps down at that dead, grey soil, pulls it from the earth.

The shady man inspects it....

"So? What's wrong with my soil?"

"Well, I don't know."

"well what good are you then, why do I bother to bring you here? You said you can help"

"I know there's something wrong with your soil, and you need help"

"you know there's something wrong with my soil? I already know there's something wrong with my soil, I want to know what you're going to do about it!"

"sir pagoni, I know you're a semi wealthy man, I know you've lost out on this land, but I also know you have a nest egg hidden away.."

"what do you want? What's the deal?"

"Give me a week, I don't know about your land, but I'll fix it so you'll be making double your profits by the end of the week-"

"Im making nothing, I need a lot more than double"

"I'm just talking about the end of the week, and if I prove this to you, I can keep the profit going up, but at the end of the week I prove myself to you, and you start paying me... The higher the profit, they higher my charge? Deal?"

"how do you do this?"

"that's the last thing, one rule, you never, never question my methods, or my judgment?"

Almost nervous, pagoni spends a long moment thinking it over....

"Okay... Okay."

The two men smile and shake hands.

The young dark man walks on his way, pagoni calls to him.

"Wait, young man, what is your name?"

"Sarbaturi"

"sarbaturi"

" Si, I'll see in a week from now"

T H E W E E K OF S A R B A T U R I

Sarbaturi recruit's the likes of teenage scoundrels, they sack and litter all the nearby farms.

Sarbaturi comforts these owners, telling them he can stop the scoundrels, simply taking the farmers money dry, and then reemploying the teenagers to destroy the land for good, or at least the next season.

The farmers dare try to ask sarbaturi for the money back, they are met with intimidation.

If they try to fight back, they are met with death.

Pagoni is selling a steady small stream of his weak fruits.

M O N D A Y

Pagoni is met by is new business partner, sarbaturi meets a smiling laughing pagoni, who hugs, smiles, laughs, and kisses him.

"I don't know how you do it, I don't want to know, but I thank you" pagoni throws him a sack of money.

Sarbaturi doesn't even bother to check, he simply knows the deal has been honored.

In the distance, three more dark man, brandishing shotguns, ride horseback, towards the property.

Pagoni hesitantly notices the men.

"Who are these men? Are they with you sarbaturi?"

"yes, you'll need protection, your newly fruitful business will soon attract hawks and serpents"

The three dark, stone faced, men stop behind sarbaturi, only awaiting his order.

Pagoni looking ever more hesitant...

"And what about you sir sarbaturi? Are you a hawk? ...a serpent?"

The stone eyes of the three stone men seem offended by the question.

Sarbaturi however, is a patient as well as honourable man.

"A hawk... Yes! ...as far as devouring the rats that plague the earth, a serpent? ...yes! Need you worry about what I offer you? ...I would only extend to you, that you receive a gift, you only need know it's a gift, you needn't know where it comes?!"

Pagoni is perplexed, yet he somehow understands.

Sarbaturis face can only brandish a devilish smile.

"Si?"

"..si"

"I'm sure your hospitality will extend from front yard, and with your blessings, offer my man cool water or milk, they've rode a long time?"

"...ahhh, ah, yes, yes of course come come, come in to my home.

The stone men drink goats milk in pagonies lavish brick house.

Sarbaturi and pagoni sit ahead and discuss business.

Sarbaturi explains...

"Land is cheap right now, particular farm lands, since my help are considerably cheaper, good soil, and can produce fairly quickly"

" So.. what? I'll sell this shithole and move in one of these lands yes?"

" No, keep this, invest in more"

Pagoni pulls a map from his desk.

" This place! This motherfucker has the best land in the whole, black soil, blacker than that coffee you drink! This is my goal, this is my dream this is what I want and I don't care how we do it!"

Sarbaturi contemplates the area on the map.

"I know of this man, he's a very honourable man-"

" Yes I've seen his land already, it's just him and his boy, easy to take, probably can buy him off cheap, who wants to work like that for ever?"

" This man's lands is so good, because he takes care of it, he's spent his whole life conditioning the soil, and his parents before him, you can't just buy that kind of work and time, heritage even"

" I don't care sarbaturi, I want it, it's good land, I'm telling you soil, the soil it's blacker than coal, no blacker than that, it's like tar"

Sarbaturi's face looks as with concern.

Part three:

Y E L L O W GIVES WAY TO B L O O D

"my son has grown strong, he makes me proud, he's no longer a boy, but a young man"

F I V E Y E A R S L A T E R

The old man watches over his son, the young man is tending to the groves, thy father is now too weak to handle the heavy work, but he still looks over all.

Once again the sky turns orange.

Waving his boy over "come my son, time to rest"

young man walks his father to the outside table and chairs, gently helps his father to sit. The young man runs inside, fetches some water for his father...

"Go back and get us two- get us three glasses"

" Si papa"

Young man runs inside...

The old man slips up a turned over plant pot, underneath is a bottle of wine, he checks the color to the light of the sun.

Son returns with the glasses.

"Sit boy, sit"

He pours his son and himself a glass of wine, and one for mother.

Father and son enjoy wine over the sight of the sun set.

From atop the mountains surrounding them, sarbaturi sits horseback, watching down on them, chewing a thins cigar, he shakes his head, as though he is sorrowful for the father and son, he respects them.

Sarbaturi turns and leaves.

Pagoni now owns most of the farm land in the area, he lives now in a very lavish marble house, he drinks a lot, parties but his undertone is as sour as ever.

The stone men seem to have become soft, living with this man drinking and resting for the last five years, they seem almost more loyal to pagoni than sarbaturi.

Pagoni sees sarbaturi through the door..

"Aahhhhh sarbaturi my friend, you've returned, I trust your eyes sights have set me a more prosperous land venture?"

"I've been thinking.. sir pagoni, if I may... Do you find yourself filled with... With drink? You stomach filled with bread and pasta?"

" Ya, ya?"

"you've got women at your seat, at your bath, at your bed at night and in the morning, you've got women in your toilet, have you not got a house big enough to entertain the town-"

" Sarbaturi, I hear what you're saying, but I don't know what the hell you are talking about"

"how much more do you need? What more do you want for?"

Pagoni's light spirit lowers and becomes sour.

"You don't want me to take over the father and sons land? That is to say, you don't approve? You question my dream? My goals? How dare you!"

The stone men's faces become stone again.

Pagoni's continues on sarbaturi.

"Let me ask you, what do you care for these people, I've seen you burn a man inside his own house, what the hell do you care for these peasants?"

"...I care for honour"

"remember when you first came to my house, I asked if you were a snake... And you strayed from answering my question then, just as you stray from my question now"

Pagoni, slams his bottle down and leaves the room.

One of the stone face men stands, stares sarbaturi in the eyes, and storms out in the same direction.

The moon is full, sarbaturi for s summoned to pagoni's room.

He enters pagoni's large open room, sarbaturi's man is now standing personal guard for pagoni, he walks sarbaturi inside.

Pagoni sits by the fire place.

"Come closer to me sarbaturi"

Pagoni waves the guard out of the room.

Sarbaturi is listening...

"You came to me with a promise of a dream, and so far, you didn't disappoint me, you've come close to a son to me... Time to leave home, you have one more task for me, and I'll pay you enough, you'll have your own fortune"

" What is the task?"

"take care of the father, take care of the boy, ill take care of the rest, and you're done"

Pagoni waves the guard back in, the guard escorts sarbaturi out.

Pagoni watches his fire.

"You have till morning to think about it"

Sarbaturi confides in his last two men.

"One of our brothers is not with us, tell me your loyalty still remains with me?"

The last two stone men, nod.

Sarbaturi is satisfied with that.

M O R N I N G

The old man sleeps in thismorning, his son doesn't want to wake his father, he begins work without him.

The young man tends to the end of the long deep groves.

Sarbaturi wakes early, pagoni's new guard informs sarbaturi.

"Pagoni will meet you half way, if you're not there he'll take it you've dishonored his deal"

Sarbaturi rides off.

The old man wakes, calling for his son, realises his son must have started work at the far end of the land.

The old man sits at the outside table, drinks his wine, waits for his son.

Sarbaturi reaches the halfway point, his two stone men are waiting for him, they hold shotguns aimed at him.

Sarbaturi laughs it's off, waits with them.

The old man enjoys his wine.

The boy is sweating away at the far opposite end of the land.

Finally sarbaturi is met by pagoni and his guard, also brandishes a shotgun.

Pagoni looks down on sarbaturi.

"Ahh good morning the snake, I'm Glade you honour your deal, let's continue quickly"

They all trot along, horseback.

Finally they make it to the mountain cliff looking down on the old man and his farm.

Pagoni orders his guard.

"Go fetch the old man, we'll do it right here"

The guard rides fast down the mountain towards the old man.

Sarbaturi looks nervous, they wait in silence.

The guard rides to the old man...

"Can I help you young man?"

The guard slaps him, the poor old man falls.

The guard grabs him.

"Where's the boy? Where is he?"

"I don't know, I don't know what you're talking about, there's no boy"

The guard searches the house, trashing it.

The guard, throws the old man over his horse and rides him up to the mountain cliff.

Pagoni, sarbaturi and men watch the arrival.

Pagoni to his guard.

"Where's the boy?"

"He says there is no boy"

"Oh there's a boy"

The guard stands the old man in front of pagoni over the cliff edge.

Pagoni address the old man.

"Where's the boy? He's in the garden? Huh?"

"there's no boy"

Pagoni waves his guard over to him.

"We'll have to just flush him out"

Pagoni takes the shotgun from his guard, without thinking and or bating an eyelid BOOM! he blows the boys father away, off the edge of the mountain cliff.

The boy hears the echo of the shot, runs home.

Sarbaturi racks his own shotgun aiming it at pagoni, but his guard has now got his six shooter pistol aimed at sarbaturi between the eyes.

Pagoni sees the stone men are not aimed.

"Hey, wake up!"

The stone men, both aim lazily at sarbaturi.

Pagoni smiles at sarbaturi.

"I told you l, I'm taking this land no matter what, you can die now if you want?"

Sarbaturi lowers his weapon.

Pagoni laughing.

"We'll bring the boy up and he will be your responsibility, I just did half of your work, so you'll understand I can't honour your payment as full, you don't mess with me and you can leave standing up"

The guard lowers his six shooter.

Pagoni pats the guard on the shoulder.

"Go scoop up the little boy, I don't have all morning I'm a busy man"

Guard get back on his horse.

Sarbaturi quickly raises his weapon BOOM!

blows the guard of the cliff.

Pagoni shrieks, slips bullet into his weapon, raises it to sarbaturi.

Sarbaturi, ducks and gets out of the way, clearing it for the stone men.

The stone men, aimed at pagoni, BOOM! BOOM!

pagoni blown off the cliff.

The bodies of the two men and the body of the boys father, bleed on the yellow of lemons they lay atop.

In the distance the boy runts to tend to his father.

End of prologue.