By Lauren Ennis
A Fighting Chance is a screenplay which chronicles a British soldier’s coming of age through his experiences fighting with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. Throughout his time in Spain, Jim comes in contact with people of various beliefs and lifestyles whose influences force him to reevaluate his view of the world his place in it.
Excerpt One: Jim and his best friend, Reg, have just arrived in Madrid. They have recently graduated from college and have traveled to Spain to fight for the Republic.
INT MADRID BAR NIGHT
Reg and Jim enter the crowded, smoky bar and make their way to an empty table. Reg signals to a Waitress as she places drinks on a nearby table.
REG
Senorita! Senorita, here!
The Waitress looks at Reg with annoyance as she takes another customer’s order. Reg signals to her again. The Waitress mutters something to the other customers and approaches Reg and Jim’s table.
WAITRESS
Well?
JIM
I’m sorry, miss, but he’s still learning Spanish customs.
WAITRESS
Maybe you should teach him some manners while you’re at it.
JIM
It’s my personal mission. Could we please have two beers?
WAITRESS
Coming right up.
REG
You know you didn’t have to make me look like an ass just to impress her; a tip would have done just fine.
JIM
(Sarcastically) When she comes back I’ll make it up to you and tell her that you’re Hemingway and she’ll be just itching to get written into your new masterpiece.
REG
That would put some spring in her step.
The Waitress returns to their table with two glasses of beer.
JIM
Gracias.
Reg raises his glass in a toast.
REG
To Spain! Viva la Repub—
Before Reg can finish his toast, one of the bar’s customers, Carlos, punches another Customer in the face, sending him stumbling into Reg and Jim’s table. Jim’s drink is knocked over and spills onto his shirt. The Customer stands and walks towards Carlos as the Waitress finds the Bartender. The Bartender leads the Customer out of the bar. The Customer resists.
CUSTOMER
I can find the door myself.
The Customer spits at Carlos.
CUSTOMER
Death to you communists and your sham of a republic!
The Bartender leads the Customer out of the bar. The other customers resume their previous activities. Reg and Jim look on stunned. Carlos approaches Jim and Reg’s table.
CARLOS
English?
REG
How’d you guess?
CARLOS
Well, you don’t seem grim enough to be Russian, and you would have been spitting more than him at the word ‘communist’ if you were German.
Carlos gestures to the spilled beer.
CARLOS
Please, allow me to replace that drink.
He signals to the Waitress.
CARLOS
Three beers.
She nods enthusiastically.
CARLOS
Thanks, beautiful.
He winks at the Waitress and turns back to Jim and Reg.
JIM
Thanks.
CARLOS
It is the least that I can do for two comrades.
The Waitress brings three glasses of beer to their table.
JIM
Would you care to join us?
REG
We are comrades after all.
CARLOS
Thank you.
He sits down at the table and raises his glass in a toast.
CARLOS
To the Republic! Salud!
All three clink glasses and take swigs from their glasses.
CARLOS
So, what do you think of Spain?
JIM
(Hesitantly) Well, it’s just our first night—
REG
But we like what we see.
CARLOS
What brings you to the Brigade?
REG
The cause, naturally; after all it’s not the sort of thing you can ignore.
Carlos shrugs and finishes his drink.
CARLOS
You might be surprised.
Carlos stands.
CARLOS
Are you two ready for another round?
Reg eagerly stands.
REG
This one’s on me.
CARLOS
Thank you.
Reg walks to the bar and Carlos sits back down.
CARLOS
He’s an enthusiastic one.
JIM
To say the least, but he’s a good man to have around.
CARLOS
I have no doubt about that. So, tell me, what really brought you to Spain?
JIM
Like he said—
CARLOS
I know, but why this cause? Why now?
JIM
Well, now, because university’s over.
CARLOS
And the Republic?
JIM
It’s as good a reason as any other to stop loafing about.
CARLOS
Ah.
JIM
I know that must sound pretty rotten, but—
CARLOS
But you’re not the first Englishman to try and play war in someone else’s country.
JIM
I don’t call coming all the way here and putting our lives on the line ‘playing’.
Carlos leans back in his chair and laughs.
CARLOS
Now, now, no need to get your knickers tied in a knot.
JIM
I’m just used to men showing their comrades some respect where I come from.
CARLOS
I meant no disrespect. I just wanted to warn you that this isn’t the fiesta that the posters tell you about.
Carlos looks back at the bar and sees Reg talking to an attractive woman. The woman laughs enthusiastically as Reg tells a story.
CARLOS
Your friend is popular with the ladies.
Jim shrugs.
JIM
More than he was at home anyway.
Reg takes three glasses of beer from the bar and brings them over to the table.
REG
Here we are.
Carlos gestures to the woman Reg was talking to at the bar.
CARLOS
It seems you really do like what you see.
Reg turns to look at the woman. She smiles at him and he nods to her.
REG
Not bad, eh?
Carlos raises his glass in a toast.
CARLOS
To your generosity, Senor…I don’t think I got your name.
REG
I’m Reg and this here’s Jim, Senor…
CARLOS
Please, call me Carlos. To your generosity, Reg.
REG
It was nothing, one soldier to another, after all.
CARLOS
I meant with the young lady.
Reg looks from Carlos to Jim and back in confusion.
CARLOS
Check your wallet.
Reg checks his pockets for his wallet and realizes that it is missing. He turns to see the woman walking out of the bar and runs out after her.
JIM
You must have eyes in the back of your head.
Carlos takes a swig of his drink and shrugs.
CARLOS
I’ve just been in Madrid too long.
Carlos finishes his drink and stands.
CARLOS
But it’s getting late.
He extends his hand to Jim. Jim hesitates then shakes his hand.
CARLOS
I hope we will meet again; I always enjoy talking to the Brigade. It allows one to travel without leaving the bar.
JIM
You should try the real thing sometime.
CARLOS
Sometime, perhaps.
JIM
By the way, I didn’t quite catch what brings you to the Loyalist side.
CARLOS
I support the Republic.
JIM
Many do. The communists, the anarchists, the socialists…
CARLOS
Let’s say that I’m just another volunteer.
Carlos stands and walks to the exit then turns around.
CARLOS
Adios.
Jim shakes his head and takes a sip of his drink as Carlos exits the bar.
Excerpt Two: Jim is being treated at a hospital for injuries sustained in battle. The hospital is staffed by a group of local Catholic nuns who largely support the Nationalists’ efforts in the war.
INT HOSPITAL NIGHT
The camera slowly fades in as Jim awakens in a hospital room that night. He starts to sit up in surprise but stops and grimaces in pain. He slowly sits up and looks around the room. The hospital room is large and contains several metal beds and windows. At one end of the room a large crucifix hangs on the wall. There are numerous other wounded soldiers spread throughout the room sleeping and talking. A nurse, Camilla, is talking with a soldier as she checks his wound. She is in her late twenties, attractive, and wears a nurse’s uniform with a nun’s habit over her hair. Her hair occasionally appears from beneath her habit and appears to have been cut in a bobbed style that has started to grow out without maintenance. She sees Jim looking around the room, bewildered and walks over to him.
CAMILLA
So, our sleeping princess awakens.
JIM
How long was I out for?
CAMILLA
You were in and out for a few hours. How are you feeling?
JIM
Like I drank about two gallons of whiskey too many before being run over by a truck.
She laughs and removes a wallet from her uniform pocket. She checks to see if anyone is looking then slips the wallet to him as she checks his wound.
CAMILLA
That sounds about right. Well, rest assured that you’ll live to fight another battle, comrade.
He looks confused then looks at his wallet and starts to remove the Republican propaganda pamphlets in them. He looks around the room at the other soldiers and quickly puts the pamphlets back into his wallet.
JIM
So you already know.
CAMILLA
Uh huh.
She starts changing the dressing on his wound.
JIM
You are a good Christian then, aren’t you.
CAMILLA
I wouldn’t say good, but I’ll settle for understanding.
JIM
Well, I appreciate all your help, Sister, but—
He starts to climb out of the bed and she gently pushes him back onto it.
CAMILLA
But I’m only a novice, and I don’t like it when my patients don’t follow orders.
He nonchalantly gestures to his wound.
JIM
This? This is just a scratch. You wouldn’t want me to let those poor blokes go it alone over just a little—
CAMILLA
A little concussion and broken arm will be just enough to keep you out of commission for a while.
He ignores her and gets up again then cringes in pain and sits down.
CAMILLA
See what bad things happen when you argue with your nurse?
She laughs at him as he sighs in exasperation.
JIM
I’ll remember that. So what’s there for a bloke to do around here besides stare at the walls?
CAMILLA
They never have told me. One of these days I’ll have to come in without the habit and find out.
She notices one of the patients reading a letter.
CAMILLA
We have some books lying around the convent if you don’t mind parables too much.
JIM
More religion? I think I’ll stick to the walls.
CAMILLA
On second thought, you probably wouldn’t have been able to read them anyway. They’re mostly in Latin.
JIM
The one class I had to repeat.
CAMILLA
Well I suppose you’ll just have to be a little more social then.
He looks around the room at the Nationalist soldiers and gestures to his wallet.
JIM
Easier said…
CAMILLA
I see your point; I haven’t exactly been a hit around here myself.
He looks at the nuns attending to patients then back to her. She nods and smirks at him.
CAMILLA
Can you read Spanish?
JIM
I’m trying, but my Spanish isn’t much better than my Latin.
CAMILLA
I’ve got an idea; I’ve got some of my own books tucked away. Would a little reading and translating be too painful?
JIM
You think you could manage it? I mean you’d have to know pretty good English…
CAMILLA
After growing up with a father who teaches English for a living there’s no escaping it.
JIM
That would be just what I needed. But, as far as I can tell I’m not your only patient.
CAMILLA
I get a break at the end of the shift and a quick one for lunch; we can work on it then.
JIM
That would be perfect!
Camilla looks up to see one of the nuns watching her and Jim. The nun shakes her head in irritation then resumes attending to a patient.
CAMILLA
Speaking of my other patients, that’s my cue.
She starts to walk to another patient.
JIM
Um, Senorita?
She stops and turns around.
JIM
Thank you, I appreciate all that you’re doing Senorita…
CAMILLA
Just Camilla is fine.
He extends his hand.
JIM
I’m Jim.
They shake hands.
CAMILLA
Well, until that break then, Jim.
She turns to walk away again.
JIM
Camilla?
She turns around again and gestures towards the disapproving nun with her eyes.
JIM
I’m sorry, I promise this will be it. It’s just; well…why keep helping me like this? After all…
He gestures to his wallet. She smirks mischievously.
CAMILLA
Tally it up to being a good Christian.
He watches as she walks away and attends to another patient.
Category: Screenplays