A Man Called Horse Script - Dialogue Transcript

Voila! Finally, the A Man Called Horse script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the Richard Harris movie.  This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of A Man Called Horse. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to drop me a line. You won't hurt my feelings. Honest.

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A Man Called Horse Script


   

                   

Oh, Wakantanka,

Great Spirit of the Sun 



 

                   

source of all life, created

in violence, pleasure and pain



 

                   

which then takes life

to sustain life,



 

                   

continuing the eternal cycle

of life and death 



 

                   

l stand humble and obedient

before you.



 

                   

Make me worthy!



 

                   

How many is that?



 

                   

Six, Your Lordship.



 

                   

Maddock.



  

                   

l'm sorry.



  

                   

"John."



  

                   

You may address me as "John."



  

                   

Yes, sir.



  

                   

lt won't happen again.



  

                   

You slip at least

once a day.



  

                   

How many weeks have l been

dinning it into you.



  

                   

Yes, Sir John.



  

                   

Six, did you say?



  

                   

ln a row.



  

                   

That's good shootin', John.



  

                   

Thank you, Maddock.



  

                   

You may address me as "Joe."



  

                   

Joe.



  

                   

What did you say that was?



  

                   

Prairie chicken.



  

                   

Grouse.



  

                   

Huh?



  

                   

Grouse.



  

                   

At home in England,

l'd be shooting grouse.



  

                   

lt just occurred to me,



  

                   

l've traveled halfway

around the world



  

                   

at great expense



  

                   

simply to kill

a different kind of bird.



  

                   

Well, what's wrong with that



  

                   

if you ain't got

nothing better to do?



  

                   

Oh, l ain't, Joe.



  

                   

For five years, l ain't got

nothin' better to do.



  

                   

You musta picked up a lot

of beans



  

                   

somewhere.



  

                   

Not only beans, Joe



  

                   

but family titles, family

property, family position 



  

                   

all picked up,

all inherited.



  

                   

Everything l ever wanted

in life l've bought,



  

                   

including you three.



  

                   

ln England, l looked up

to God and royalty



  

                   

and down upon everybody else.



  

                   

Well, what you been doin'

for five years?



  

                   

Looking, Joe.



  

                   

Just looking.



  

                   

ln      l committed

the unpardonable sin



  

                   

of resigning my commission

in the Guards.



  

                   

lt wasn't an earned commission

anyway.



  

                   

ln my family,

it came with birth.



  

                   

So, here l am 

shooting birds.



  

                   

Your Northwest Territory 



  

                   

it is beautiful.



  

                   

Hey, Ed 



  

                   

l dumped the water outta that

damned tub into his tent.



  

                   

All over his tent 



  

                   

And look what l found.



  

                   

Oh.



  

                   

Rum.



  

                   

That spell "rum", don't it?



  

                   

R-U-M.



  

                   

Yeah.



  

                   

Hey, Ed  draw.



  

                   

Still drunk as coots.



  

                   

l'm going to have

to talk to those two.



  

                   

ln a pinch, l've known

'em to drink coal oil.



  

                   

Oh  beat the drums

and sound the brass,



  

                   

here come one big horse's ass.



  

                   

What were you two firing at?



  

                   

Nothin' in particular.



  

                   

That was an accident.



  

                   

Even at this range,

l'm inclined to believe you.



  

                   

How long would it take us

to go back to St. Louis?



  

                   

Maybe a month if,

if we don't do no more huntin'



  

                   

and that wagon holds up.



  

                   

We'll start in the morning.



  

                   

lf the wagon breaks down,

abandon it and the team.



  

                   

We'll travel by riding horses

if necessary.



  

                   

ls them orders, John?



  

                   

Those are orders, Maddock.



  

                   

Well, you've boozed us

out of another job.



  

                   

We ain't shuttin' down camp.



  

                   

He guaranteed us

four months wages.



  

                   

You'll get your money.



  

                   

That's one thing

the dude ain't is  cheap.



  

                   

Yeah, and if he runs

a little short,



  

                   

his family can always

sell the "cawstle'.



  

                   

Oh, l never seen such a fella.



  

                   

He won't even chew tobacco.



  

                   

That water's powerful cold,

Your Lordship.



  

                   

Thank you, Maddock.



  

                   

l can assure you l've been bred

to get used to it.



  

                   

This ain't gonna be no bath.



  

                   

He's goin' ice-skating.



  

                   

Listen, you rum-heads,

that's enough.



  

                   

We was just warnin' him.



   

                   

Somethin' must have spooked him.



   

                   

Coyote maybe.



   

                   

Naw. He seen Tin-pan Morgan

goin' by.



   

                   

Oh, my God.



   

                   

Christ!



   

                   

l've had enough!



   

                   

You bunch of bloody bastards.



   

                   

l'm not a horse!



   

                   

l'm not an animal.



   

                   

No! No!



   

                   

Whatever the bloody hell

the name is.



   

                   

Man! Man!



   

                   

l am a man!



   

                   

Homme, oui.



   

                   

Pauvre bęte. ImbęciIe.



   

                   

Une fois, tu I'as eu

Ia chance. Une fois.



   

                   

Pas content.



   

                   

AIors maintenant peau faire

Ia grande promenade, promenade?



   

                   

Qui es tu?



   

                   

Amęricain? Huh?



   

                   

American.



   

                   

Don't be absurd.



   

                   

AngIais.



   

                   

AngIais?



   

                   

Oui.



   

                   

Merde!



   

                   

Arręte. Reviens.



   

                   

Eh, eh, eh, eh.



   

                   

Me speak AngIais.



   

                   

Good AngIais.



   

                   

Well, when you address me,

would you kindly speak it?



   

                   

Yes. l will speak it.



   

                   

You lucky chief like angry.



   

                   

You yell, make strong.



   

                   

Lucky not kill.



   

                   

Yes, very lucky.



   

                   

l can hardly believe

my good fortune.



   

                   

Who the blazes are you?



   

                   

Moi. Batise.



   

                   

Prisoner, five years.



   

                   

Five.



   

                   

Well, you speak French



   

                   

in a most peculiar way.



   

                   

You're not French.



   

                   

Non. Sacre BIeu, non.



   

                   

Papa Francais.



   

                   

Blue eyes, see.



   

                   

Mais maman 



   

                   

Flathead lndian.



   

                   

Pure. See.



   

                   

Family all killed.



   

                   

These lndians. These Sioux.



   

                   

l can well believe it.



   

                   

Did you never try to escape?



   

                   

Yes.



   

                   

Cut leg.



   

                   

Oh, yes.



   

                   

Zip.



   

                   

Me try to run again 



   

                   

zip, zip, other leg.



   

                   

After crawl. Crawl.



   

                   

Ah.



   

                   

But now me very clever fellow.



   

                   

Play crazy, see?



   

                   

lndian don't

kill crazy man 



   

                   

Crazy man no hunt, no work.



   

                   

Got spirit. Wakantanka 



   

                   

Good luck for village.



   

                   

So you gave up.



   

                   

Me give up nothing.



   

                   

Nothing!



   

                   

Me very clever fellow.



   

                   

But you, oh 



   

                   

Great important Englishman.



   

                   

Yes, you go, yes.



   

                   

Like fox.



   

                   

Dodge hounds.



   

                   

And you know what happen?



   

                   

Mean, bad lnjuns out there.



   

                   

Shoshone, Blackfoot,

Rikaree.



   

                   

Cut off everything 



   

                   

zip, zip, zip, zip, zip.



   

                   

But you no man

anymore anyhow.



   

                   

You workhorse for old woman.



   

                   

Buffalo Cow Head.



   

                   

Maybe she 



   

                   

maybe she 

maybe she zip anyway 



   

                   

Stallion no good for workhorse.



   

                   

Everybody be happy,

except you maybe.



   

                   

No, no.



   

                   

No! No! No! No!



   

                   

lt's rancid fat.



   

                   

Don't you have any dried 

dried meat?



   

                   

Batise 



   

                   

What in the hell's

going on?



   

                   

Black Eagle come

for Yellow Hand sister.



   

                   

Sister?



   

                   

l thought she was one

of his wives.



   

                   

No, no. That one

Running Deer.



   

                   

She is sister.



   

                   

Other one is wife,

Thorn Rose.



   

                   

Now, Black Eagle buy sister.



   

                   

Buy her?



   

                   

Yes. Marriage.

Marriage lndian way 



   

                   

Must buy wife.



   

                   

Very big important

for Black Eagle.



   

                   

He only chief number two.



   

                   

lf she have him,

he be Yellow Hand brother.



   

                   

Trčs important.



   

                   

Big trouble 



   

                   

Yellow Hand say no.



   

                   

Work hard, eh? Water?



   

                   

Yes 



   

                   

now that her son is dead,

she has no other man.



   

                   

Nobody protect her.

Nobody care.



   

                   

Cut off finger. Scavenge.



   

                   

Come winter, she die.



   

                   

Like you, one time

big grand English 



   

                   

Now horse, toujours 



   

                   

& Pour toujours

et tous les jours. &



   

                   

Shut up!



   

                   

Stop that idiotic giggling,

you bloody fool



   

                   

and listen to me.



   

                   

l've had enough

of your nonsense.



   

                   

Now, you play your fool

to them, but not to me.



   

                   

l'm going

to get out of here



   

                   

and you're going

to help me.



   

                   

And why l do this?



   

                   

Because you want

to get out, that's why.



   

                   

Now, these other lndians

around here you spoke of



   

                   

we'll need a war party

to get through them.



   

                   

l don't suppose

these Sioux have any guns?



   

                   

What they know about guns?



   

                   

Never see guns.

Must fight close.



   

                   

More brave to touch enemy.

They count coup.



   

                   

You look, hmm?



   

                   

You like, hmm?



   

                   

l have a big idea 



   

                   

You marry Running Deer.



   

                   

Then maybe Yellow Hand

give you war party 



   

                   

All that for you,

grand white gentleman.



   

                   

She say no

to Black Eagle



   

                   

and give herself

away to horse.



   

                   

Hey, but, ah, you got mane.



   

                   

Not even old squaw

kiss hair on face.



   

                   

l have a lot to learn, Batise,



   

                   

and you are going to teach me.



   

                   

Give them to your mother.



   

                   

For her with my compliments.



   

                   

l didn't think that giving

flowers was so humorous.



   

                   

Um 



   

                   

l'm sorry.



   

                   

Me make love to her?



   

                   

Good God! No.



   

                   

Batise! Batise 



   

                   

What is this about her shoe?



   

                   

What is she

trying to tell me?



   

                   

She say she have no hole

in her moccasin.



   

                   

What the hell is

that supposed to mean?





 

                   

lt mean, ah 

lt mean she virgin.



 

                   

l have no reason

to doubt it.



 

                   

Virgin take any husband she want



 

                   

but not you, Anglais.



 

                   

Oh!



 

                   

Get away, you

horrible old hag.



 

                   

They say you kill

two Shoshone.



 

                   

C'est vrais? ls true?



 

                   

And l took these horses!



  

                   

Ah! And scalps! Scalps!



  

                   

Whoo-hoo!



  

                   

Big chance!



  

                   

La chance!



  

                   

- l can't hear you!

- Horses! Scalps!



  

                   

Wife! Now  wife!

Then  warrior!



  

                   

Then soon  Chief!



  

                   

The wife sounds good

right now.



  

                   

Let's get straight

to her!



  

                   

Oui, oui, oui, oui!



  

                   

And then war party,

and then we go!



  

                   

Oui, oui! We go!



  

                   

Yoo-hoo!



  

                   

We go!



  

                   

We go, we go, we go!



  

                   

No, no. Do not look mother in

face  taboo, or you be cinksi.



  

                   

Cinksi?



  

                   

"Son," yes. You'll be

her son till she die.



  

                   

Oh. That suits me

perfectly.



  

                   

- Horses.

- Hmm?



  

                   

Horses!



  

                   

Does that mean we're married?



  

                   

Not yet, not yet.



  

                   

What the hell's

going on now?



  

                   

Saying "No scars, no vows."



  

                   

Scars, vows?



  

                   

Yes, scars, vow to sun.



  

                   

Say you make vow to sun,

then he vow you brother.



  

                   

But l just bought her.



  

                   

l just bought her, didn't l?



  

                   

What the hell did l do?



  

                   

Marriage is good.



  

                   

But, uh, must be

made sacred first.



  

                   

Sun Vow.



  

                   

lf no pain,

nothing good is born.



  

                   

Even seed burst to make grass.



  

                   

Now, make vow for courage.



  

                   

l vow to prove my courage 



  

                   

to withstand all tests of pain.



  

                   

You stand in sun all day,

all night 



  

                   

until sun come again 



  

                   

then suffer much pain.



  

                   

God watch you now.



  

                   

Now you ready for Sun Vow in 

holy lodge.



  

                   

Hope for courage.



  

                   

Pray Wakantanka

let you live.



  

                   

l will live, Batise.



  

                   

Oh, yes, and after

we get war party.



  

                   

And England we go.



  

                   

England?



  

                   

Wherever you go, l serve you.



  

                   

l serve you well, oui?



  

                   

Oui, Batise.



  

                   

You have served me well.



  

                   

When do l kiss the bride?



  

                   

You prove you man in Sun Vow,

and then she kiss 



  

                   

Oh!



  

                   

She kiss plenty  in white

teepee women make for you.



  

                   

- That one?

- Mm-hmm.



  

                   

She must make

pure in sweat bath.



  

                   

Sweat bath?



  

                   

Yes. lndian way.



  

                   

She sweat, sing,

pray, make pure.



  

                   

Medicine man pray

to Wakantanka,



  

                   

that no bad things

come for she and you.



  

                   

And then you have 

peace  and love.



  

                   

Chief  Chief want me, too 

need my tongue.



  

                   

He speak about Shoshone.



  

                   

Counted coup scalps 

big medicine.



  

                   

Oh, c'est bon, c'est bon.



  

                   

Must show God you brave.



  

                   

Must prove courage.



  

                   

Now, you say why you should be

permitted to make Sun Vow.



  

                   

Yellow Hand 



  

                   

when you first

brought me here 



  

                   

you said l was a horse 

an animal!



  

                   

And to me, you were 

all of you  mean 



  

                   

vicious 



  

                   

 ignorant, superstitious 



  

                   

- No, no.

 ugly, benighted savages.



  

                   

No 



  

                   

- No!

- Repeat it.



  

                   

No.



  

                   

Repeat it!



  

                   

Repeat it.



  

                   

Accurately.



  

                   

To me, you are no different



  

                   

from men all over the world.



  

                   

When your stomachs are full

and you sleep the long night,



  

                   

you know you must hunt again



   

                   

for food.



   

                   

And when you fight your enemies



   

                   

and their arrows

pierce your skins,



   

                   

you bleed like all men.



   

                   

But it seems to me that you only

live to hunt your buffalo 



   

                   

to fight the Shoshone 



   

                   

and to have your women.



   

                   

l know you would say to me,

"What else is there?"



   

                   

Yellow Hand say your words good.



   

                   

But, Medicine man say

your words not good.



   

                   

Now, tell them this 



   

                   

one day l will be a chief.



   

                   

One day, l will be a chief!



   

                   

Say, what proof you brave?



   

                   

Suffer pain, yes.



   

                   

Give up, now. Out.



   

                   

He said because you white,

you weak, you give up.



   

                   

Shame before Wakantanka.



   

                   

Oh 



   

                   

Medicine bag, bones, beads.



   

                   

Good luck things. Great honor.



   

                   

Jesus!



   

                   

l am Tatankaska,

spirit animal, buffalo, white.



   

                   

Speak the truth in humility

to all people.



   

                   

Only then can you be a true man

and free of your chains.



   

                   

l want you. My hunger is real.



   

                   

But freedom

is what you mean to me.



   

                   

When the chance comes,

l shall go.



   

                   

l know. l know.



   

                   

Grouse.



   

                   

What did you say?



   

                   

Grouse.



   

                   

lt's a small bird, Batise.



   

                   

l used to shoot it in England,

a long time ago.



   

                   

Hmm.



   

                   

Batise!



   

                   

What's the matter

with Yellow Hand?



   

                   

Yellow Hand

take Bear Skin belt,



   

                   

he swear to Wakantanka

never to retreat in battle.



   

                   

He now want brave death 

to save his honor because



   

                   

Black Eagle take Thorn Rose.



   

                   

He was her first man.



   

                   

lnjun law. So 



   

                   

that means Black Eagle

can take Yellow Hand's woman



   

                   

when he wants her.



   

                   

lf Yellow Hand complains,

he's weak.



   

                   

Ay. Only 



   

                   

this may be good.



   

                   

He die, you be

made chief quicker.



   

                   

Get war party, and we go.



   

                   

Five years you've lived here



   

                   

and you've learned nothing

about these people!



   

                   

All his death is to you,



   

                   

is a means of escape.



   

                   

Take her away from this.



   

                   

Take her away from this!



   

                   

Oh  you're making it

very, very difficult for me,



   

                   

Little Freedom.



   

                   

Very, very difficult.



   

                   

Free  Free 



   

                   

Freedom?



   

                   

Freedom.



   

                   

You  are Little Freedom.



   

                   

Freedom.



   

                   

Freedom.



   

                   

Mother?



   

                   

Oh 



   

                   

Little Freedom 

now is the truth.



   

                   

You are part of me.



   

                   

When l go, you go.



   

                   

Forever.



   

                   

Lakota Lake, mountains 



   

                   

Peace River, south 



   

                   

Adirondack.



   

                   

Medicine man say

buffalo go after winter.



   

                   

Village move.



   

                   

This place bad medicine now.



   

                   

Oh, maIheurs!



   

                   

Move west.



   

                   

Away from home.



   

                   

You'd better finish that map,

Batise.



   

                   

He say something is wrong.



   

                   

Go and get your weapons.



   

                   

Dear God!



   

                   

Get the weapons!



   

                   

Shoshone Chief take Bear Belt!



   

                   

Batise!



   

                   

Get everyone

to the Ceremonial Lodge



   

                   

and get the bows and arrows!



   

                   

Line them up there!



   

                   

Face the Shoshone!



   

                   

Form two lines!



   

                   

One in front and one back here!



   

                   

First line  to their knees!



   

                   

Second line remain standing!



   

                   

First line fire only!



   

                   

Fire!



   

                   

Now we go! Anywhere 



   

                   

Oh, no 



   

                   

Hiya!



   

                   

Hiya!



   

                   

Little Freedom.



   

                   

John!



   

                   

Oh, my God 



   

                   

you've got nobody left

to provide for you.



   

                   

You'll give

everything you have away.



   

                   

You'll scavenge for offal 



   

                   

With winter coming,

you won't last a month.



   

                   

Son.



   

                   

l will be your son.



   

                   

Good-bye, Little Freedom.



   

                   

Hiya! Hiya!









  

  

 
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