The Production GuideScript To Screen: War Games
by Martin Willey
The Production GuideThe October 23rd script amendments and Landau's line amendments include some technical changes, but also a shift in the characters motivations from basic survival toward proactive diplomacy and philosophical reflection. Koenig's final lines in scene 77, at the end of Act One: "Copy book tactics. First eliminate the fighter defences. Then send in the bombers."
77 INT. MAIN MISSION 77
KOENIG races in. SANDRA is at the console, staring up
at the screen in utter horror.
SANDRA
Commander!
KOENIG races to look also. KOENIG puts an arm round
SANDRA.
ON BIG SCREEN. SFX.
The bomber fleet, huge and menacing moves towards camera.
KOENIG
(phoney cool)
Copy book tactics. First
eliminate the fighter defences.
Then send in the bombers.
20
78 EXT. SPACE. SFX. 78
The bomber fleet heads towards Alpha.
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT ONE
COMMERCIAL BREAK:
Martin Landau rewrites his lines, first changing "copy book" to "text book", then adding a new line, spoken as "Well, they're going by the book." A copybook was a book for copying handwriting, but in UK English it can have a more generic meaning as a textbook.
The command conference at the start of Act Two underscores their desperate situation. Again, Landau rewrites some of the lines.
They all look at KOENIG as he contemplates their trapped
situation. KOENIG suddenly looks up at CARTER.
KOENIG
Alan, get an unarmed
reconnaissance Eagle winched
up to a functional launch pad.
CONTINUED:
27
95 CONTD. (2)
They all look at him questioningly. He looks at HELENA.
KOENIG
(answers them)
We're going down to the
planet.
There is a spontaneous outburst of objection.
BERGMAN's is the voice that continues.
BERGMAN
I think they've been trying
to tell us to keep away...
KOENIG turns on him.
KOENIG
The reason they've stopped
firing, Victor, is that they
don't need to bother. Alan
may have stopped the bomber
from delivering the coup de
grace - but Alpha's dead anyway.
We can't live here, and there's
nowhere else to go. Computer's
estimate remains. That planet
can support us. Unless anyone's
got a better idea, there's just
one course open to us as I see
it - we make for the planet as
planned.
They all react.
96 EXT. ALPHA. SFX. (STOCK) 96
A reconnaissance Eagle lifts off the one undamaged pad.
97 INT. EAGLE COMMAND MODULE 97
KOENIG at the controls. HELENA beside him.
HELENA
Do you think they'll believe
we're unarmed?
KOENIG
Who knows what they'll believe.
Firstly, the line about the unarmed Eagle being "winched up to" a launch pad is crossed out; they merely have to get the Eagle "on" the pad.
Next, Landau crosses out most of his final speech.
He adds a line giving them a specific diplomatic goal: "Go and meet them on their own turf, face to face, and see if we can't persuade them to talk." The original version is purely practical and desperate: they cannot live on Alpha and have nowhere else to go. Now Koenig is seeking a peaceful resolution, not just survival.
The following page was replaced on 24th October. Here is the original version.
28
98 INT. MAIN MISSION 98
The place is cleared up, but the people are still gloomy.
MORROW is at the console, calling the Planet, as he has
obviously been doing for some time.
MORROW
... the ship now approaching your
planet is unarmed. Our Commander,
John Koenig, requests permission
to meet and to discuss our
situation with your leaders. We
ask for mercy to be shown to the
survivors of this base. This is
Moonbase Alpha calling ... the
ship now approaching ...
SANDRA walks up to the Commander's desk, where BERGMAN
sits making calculations and plans. MORROW'S voice
continues under.
SANDRA
Casualty list has increased
to a hundred and twenty nine.
BERGMAN shakes his head.
SANDRA (contd.)
Why has all this happened to
us, Professor?
BERGMAN
The gods using us for their
sport perhaps?
99 INT. EAGLE COMMAND MODULE 99
KOENIG turns to HELENA after long thought.
KOENIG
I can think of no logical reason
why these people, this far out
in space, should copy Earth
technology ...
HELENA
Perhaps we've run into
another Earth.
100 EXT. SPACE. SFX. (STOCK) 100
KOENIG's Eagle close to the Planet.
Scene 98 in Main Mission is unchanged in the new version, but scene 99 gets new dialogue.
99 INT. EAGLE COMMAND MODULE 99
KOENIG turns to HELENA after long thought.
KOENIG
They have weapons like ours; they
fight by the same book of rules.
HELENA
Then we have to show them they
have no need to be afraid of us.
KOENIG
They've discovered that already.
100 EXT. SPACE. SFX. (STOCK) 100
KOENIG'S Eagle close to the Planet.
"WAR GAMES"
24th October, 1974
The original dialogue reflected on the use of Hawks from Earth, but in the new version. this element is downplayed merely to "weapons like ours"; the appearance of Hawks is mostly unexplained or even remarked upon. Koenig is thinking more tactically, rather than on a simple practical level. Also new in this version, Helena makes the argument the diplomacy, rather than simply being "another Earth".
The October 23 version adds dialogue that clarifies the characters' mindsets and the gravity of their situation.
Copyright Martin Willey.