Charles Bukowski's life and literary career

Bukowski Scene

INT. DINER -- LATE AFTERNOON

A quiet fall day at a diner in the middle of the city in November 1919, a year after World War I ended. There is a chill in the air. The day has progressively darkened as dark storm clouds roll in. The greens of the trees and grasses appear to become saturated and the reds, yellows, and oranges of the foliage become more pronounced as the clouds filter out the sun's bright, harsh rays.

The diner is for almost empty. JACK sits at a table near the window, his back to the entrance. On the other side of the diner sits an OLD MAN eating hot soup. JACK looks out the window and is distracted by an approaching storm. He is wearing khaki colored pants, a dark red plaid button up shirt with a plain white undershirt underneath, a dark olive jacket, and brown, lace-up boots. The sky becomes electrified and thunder rumbles in the distance. JACK flashes back to France and war in the trenches.

JACK (V.O.):

We are

Born like this

Into this

Into these carefully mad wars

Into the sight of broken factory windows of emptiness

JACK looks like he has not slept in days. He is distracted and does not notice the WAITRESS refill his cup of black coffee. The WAITRESS asks JACK something, but he does hear what she has asked. A crash of dishes in the kitchen snaps JACK back to the present and he instinctually ducks for cover.

JACK (V.O.) continued:

Made crazy and sick by this

Made violent

Made inhuman

Embarrassed, JACK seeks to get out of the diner as fast as he can. He drops a nickel on the table and heads out the door. The storm has moved in overhead and the sun has been completely blotted out. JACK's mind begins to race and even though he knows he is no longer on the warfront, he cannot reconcile his past and his present.

EXT. PARK -- LATE AFTERNOON

JACK cuts through a park as he tries to get as far away from the diner as possible. The ground is littered with leaves of every shape and every hue of red, orange, yellow, and green. The leaves crunch and crackle with every step JACK takes. JACK pulls a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes from his jacket's breast pocket and a weathered trench lighter from his right jacket pocket. JACK never smoked until he went to war.

JACK (V.O.) continued:

The heart is blackened

The fingers reach for the throat

The gun

The knife

The bomb

The fingers reach toward an unresponsive god

The fingers reach for the bottle

The pill

The powder

It begins to rain. JACK tugs at his jacket collar trying to get it to close just a little bit more. The leaves no longer crunch under JACK's boots. The path begins to turn into thick, black mud. As he marches on, he is again transported to the trenches.