Blackthorne--Scene 47

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Blackthorne

Cinemagenic Forty-Seven

Quest

“If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven

--the endeavor alone is honorable, whether successful or

not.”--E.O. Wilson.

1(medium close-up) At first he ran alone out across the prairie

vastness, until the blood & warpaint sweated off him.

2(sound cue) piano & french horns.

3(cut to pulling back to overhead drone shot, in slow motion)

the gray-black specter loping, his hooves flashing silently, with

a rooster tail of white puffs, like an equine dust devil, rising up

behind him; this grandiose dappled fury.

4(cut to medium close-up) the stallion was standing at rest, his

spotted sides heaving slightly, bobbing his head, his long silver

mane standing out from his muscular neck in the breeze. A 

seething vermilion sun was rising up, its molten head breaking free

into cerulean shadows beyond the low rolling hills in the distance.

5(sound cue) coronet--soft  blasts.

6(medium close-up) The stud staring off toward the right of the frame.

7(sound cue) six-string strumming over the rolling thunder of horse hooves.

--with the morning dew & the wind whispering along the badlands, he

could finally smell them--the strong scent of los mestenos, the wild ones.

8(cut to medium wide shot) a ragged herd of dun & black mustangs enter

the frame from the right.

9(close-up) the stallion’s eye.

10(sound cue) the stud’s strong whinny.

11(medium static shot) as the majestic horse bolted & galloped off toward

the herd, his unshod hooves kicking up clods as he lunged. 

1(sound cue) saxophone low notes, harmonica & snare drums.

2(medium two-shot) Buck & the Eagle sitting atop their steeds, 

the Red & Jesus.

3(cut to medium close-up)

--Johnny: Do you see him? Sonofabitch--do you see that giant spotted

stallion?”--pointing down to the herd of horses on the flats below them.

4(two-shot) angle on Buck: An Appaloosa for sure. I had heard that some

stud renegades had run off from the Nez Pierce, but I’ve never seen one

this far east before. Damn, he’s a real vision!

5(angle on Johnny) over Buck’s shoulder:

--He is a medicine horse--a real buffalo hunter like you, a spotted monster

over those ponies! He’s just your size too. He’ll bring good luck. I can already

see many spotted colts among the new herd at your rancho.

Let’s go catch him!

6(sound cue) Indian seed rattle, trumpet & drum roll.

7(cut to medium wide shot) the two men unraveled their lariats

& nudged their steeds with their anxious knees. The two stallions

caught the scent of the mares below, & their flanks quivered.

8(cut to overhead drone shot) watching the two riders galloping

down the hill toward the herd of broncos-with Johnny in the lead.

The herd immediately came to life & began running out of the frame.

9(sound cue) piano, guitar & hooves.

10( cut to traveling vehicle tracking shot) the barrel-chested Appaloosa

ran at point, the vertex of the mustang living spearhead, quickly out-

distancing the others with huge leaps.

11(cut to wide overhead drone shot) for a time they all ran along

together, pounding along the prairie’s spine, flat out of the grass

into the sand, then into the cracked hard mud on the salt flats.

12(cut back to the traveling vehicle tracking shot) at first in slow

motion. Now there is just the three of them, the terrible trio of red,

silver & spotted studs, all their tails high, their dozen hooves tearing

at the salt.

13(cut to reverse traveling shot) close behind them, but from a slightly

higher perspective so that we can see the Appaloosa beginning to pull

away from them. Soon the pursuing strawberry & silver stallions begin

to feel the strain of their riders.

14(sound cue) blues guitar slide over tack creaking, horses breathing

hard & staccato hooves pummeling the ground.

15(medium close up) Buck & the Eagle leaning forward almost on the

necks of their horses.

16(tighter close up) in slow motion; the horse’s eyes bulging, the men’s

chins clamped, red & white withers lathering up.

17(overhead drone medium wide shot) the spotted stallion begins to

lengthen his lead.

18(cut back to vehicle tracking shot) this time in front of them, with the

Appaloosa moving closer to the lens, inching toward the center of the

frame. A marbled apparition berserk-galloping, his stride never slacking,

his strong legs never tiring--like he had heat lightning in his hooves &

invisible wings, his wide hooves barely touching the ground.

19(sound cue) drum solo over guitar licks.

Glenn Buttkus

Posted over on dVerse Poets Pub OLN