CRY: A STORY OF THE THREE MARYS
Written by
Kevin Michael Irvine
(c) U.S. Copyright MMXXI Kevin Michael Irvine EXT. JUDEAN HILLSIDE AND BURIAL SITE - PRE-DAWN
Threatening CLOUDS roll.
A RED SKY eerily backlights a hillside while shifting FOG obscures trees and rocky environs.
TITLE CARD: “Judea, 33 C.E.”
Panicked FOOTFALLS and excited BREATHS of MARY of MAGDALA (called “Magdalene”), 32, are HEARD.
TITLE CARD: “In the hours after the crucifixion of an innocent rabbi, three women named Mary were forced from their homes and cast adrift into a boat with no paddle, sail, or rudder.”
Reveal: MARY of NAZARETH, 48, wakes. Her HANDS tremble as she holds tightly onto an alabaster JAR:
MARY OF NAZARETH (In Aramaic) Who is there?
TITLE CARD: “Of multiple theories, it is believed the women were Mary of Nazareth, mother of the rabbi, also called ‘Mother Mary --”
Reveal: MARY of BETHANY (called “Bethany”), 34, somewhat frumpy caregiver to Mary of Nazareth, wakes. Startled, she protectively nuzzles Mary of Nazareth.
TITLE CARD: “Mary of Bethany, her caregiver, called ‘Bethany’ --”
Reveal: A grazing OX attached to a CART is SEEN in background.
BETHANY (In Aramaic) Who is it? Show yourself.
Bethany’s fatigued yet anxious EYES dart about as DAWN breaks over the landscape.
Mary Magdalene’s VOICE is HEARD:
MAGDALENE (O.S) (In Aramaic) Shh, be quiet. It’s me.
Bethany’s face flushes as she looks up and SEES:
Magdalene’s SHADOW eclipses the new SUN. 2.
TITLE CARD: “And Mary of Magdala, known as Magdalene, a follower of the rabbi.”
Perspiring, Magdalene is nonetheless radiant. Her reddish- brown hair drapes her face as she bends down to them:
MARY OF NAZARETH (In Aramaic) Magdalene, what happened? You sweat.
Magdalene’s eyes dart back and forth skittishly.
She SEES:
EXT. JUDEAN COUNTRYSIDE - DAWN
Reveal: Hillside and vague cityscape of JERUSALEM:
Bleating is HEARD.
A SHEPHERD, 14, leads a FLOCK of SHEEP down the hill.
Just beyond and standing empty, THREE ROMAN CROSSES are SEEN.
TITLE CARD: “This is a fictionalized account of their ordeal.”
EXT. JUDEAN HILLSIDE BURIAL SITE - SAME TIME
BETHANY (In Aramaic, to Magdalene) Speak, you frightened us!
Magdalene grabs hold of Mary of Nazareth’s HANDS:
MAGDALENE (In Aramaic) Mother Mary, Mary Bethany.
BETHANY (In Aramaic) What is it?
Mary of Nazareth’s careworn EYES revive as she heeds Magdalene’s urgency.
MAGDALENE (to Mary of Nazareth) I saw your son.
Mary of Nazareth gasps. 3.
BETHANY When?
MAGDALENE Just now.
BETHANY Impossible.
Mary of Nazareth’s HANDS tremble as she reaches out.
MAGDALENE Mother Mary?
Mary of Nazareth responds to the shaking. She knows a seizure is upon her:
MARY OF NAZARETH It will pass.
BETHANY (to Magdalene) Has not the death been enough? You saw nothing. Eashoa cast out your demons for such visions.
MARY OF NAZARETH (to Magdalene) Where was he?
Mary of Nazareth attempts to steady, but Bethany SEES she has no control:
BETHANY (to Magdalene) See how you make it?
MAGDALENE (to Mary of Nazareth) In the garden.
BETHANY Why you? Why not come to all of us, to his own mother?
MAGDALENE He said, “Many have done well, but you tower over all.”
Bethany resents this, as if Magdalene is somehow more deserving:
BETHANY This, to a woman. 4.
MAGDALENE I could not sleep, so I walked until I came to a garden. There, I saw a man. I thought he was the caretaker, but the voice was unmistakable when he said my name.
BETHANY A dream.
MAGDALENE He said, “Peace be upon you Mary Magdalene and your house.” It was as if he freed me.
BETHANY From what?
MAGDALENE From my past! “Go tell the others,” said he.
BETHANY Why would he say that? He knows no one would believe a woman. Not in this culture. (Do you) think you are Ruth or (that you) have the influence of Esther over a king?
MAGDALENE I reached out to him, but he said, “Touch me not. I am between two worlds and I want no harm to you.” If you don’t believe me, look.
Magdalene indicates the TOMB:
CUT TO:
EXT. TOMB - SAME
FOG dissipates revealing an OPEN TOMB.
A gigantic STONE once covering the tomb has been rolled away.
Reveal: TWO ROMAN SPEARS and TWO SHIELDS lie abandoned on the ground.
MAGDALENE (O.S.) He said, “Be my apostle to my apostles.”
CUT BACK TO: 5.
EXT. JUDEAN HILLSIDE BURIAL SITE - SAME
Mary of Nazareth leans on a crude CANE to SEE the tomb:
MARY OF NAZARETH The stone.
Bethany struggles to assist Mary of Nazareth:
BETHANY Mother Mary.
MARY OF NAZARETH O, my son!
Suspect, Bethany turns on Magdalene:
BETHANY Magdalene, if you spread this word, you put thousands at risk not to mention (the three of) us. Where is your proof?
MAGDALENE I said: “Rabbi, give me a sign or no one will believe me.” He said, “You are my sign.” He charged me to tell you and the others.
Bethany scoffs:
BETHANY Those cowards? They scattered like pigeons at the arrest. One ran away naked.
MARY OF NAZARETH (to Bethany) I believe her. My son wanted change and died for it. Do you think after all that has happened, we should sit here, wring our hands and weep?
BETHANY Yes.
The alabaster jar slips from Mary of Nazareth’s grasp.
The jar breaks into pieces, spilling Myrrh oil:
MARY OF NAZARETH No need of it now.
As Magdalene readies to exit, Bethany glowers: 6.
BETHANY No one will believe you.
Magdalene exits.
MARY OF NAZARETH He put faith in her.
Bethany’s shoulders constrict as she yells after Magdalene:
BETHANY No one will ever believe you!
CUT TO:
INT. APOSTLES' ROOM - MORNING
A burning CANDLE is the only light source in a compact ROOM as TEN MALE APOSTLES of the deceased rabbi loll about, cower, or hold their heads in their hands.
MARK, 17, is not an apostle but a curious rebel. Anxious and pushy, he turns on them:
MARK How long do we sit here?
JOHN, 24, is rolled up on the floor next to PETER, 33, who has the look of a kenneled dog. The others, ANDREW, 35 (Peter’s brother), JAMES (YOUNGER), 32, MATTHEW, 30, JAMES (ELDER), 36, PHILIP, 28, JUDE, 34, SIMON THE ZEALOT, 28, and BARTHOLEMEW, 32, stir.
JOHN “We?”
ANDREW (to Mark) Shut your mouth, insect. Stop shadowing. You are not one of us.
MARK Maybe not, but I was with him at the arrest just like you. I deserve to be. We should act.
JOHN Against who, Mark?
MARK You want a list? 7.
JOHN Build your own cross, boy, die like he did, then talk to us.
MARK I’m no “boy” after what I’ve seen.
Andrew spits:
ANDREW He means “after what we’ve seen.”
JOHN (to Mark) How brave you were: running naked from the arrest.
MARK Romans tore my linen. It wasn’t my fault. You didn’t tell Mother Mary?
JOHN She knows you?
EXT. JERUSALEM STREET - APOSTLES' ROOM - SAME
Magdalene bounds up a deserted STREET. She stops at a CRUMBLING DOOR. She jiggles it, but it’s locked, so she rattles it.
CUT BACK TO:
INT. APOSTLES’ ROOM - SAME
Everyone cowers.
MAGDALENE (O.S.) Open up. It’s me.
Nobody moves.
SOUND of WOOD CRACKING is HEARD.
WIND blows the CANDLE, but the FLAME survives.
Bounding up, Peter knocks his head on a rafter.
Afraid for their lives, everyone shudders.
DUST settles as Magdalene enters. Her EYES traverse the room: 8.
MAGDALENE (CONT'D) Simon Peter!
PETER Magdalene.
MAGDALENE Why do you sit in the dark like criminals?
Menacingly, Peter approaches her:
PETER We are criminals.
MARK What do you want, woman?
Magdalene scrutinizes Mark, then glowers with sarcasm:
MAGDALENE I see you found your garment.
ANDREW Speak, Magdalene. Magdalene raises her arms, then with a deep whisper:
MAGDALENE (in Aramaic) He is risen. I have seen him.
Peter takes huge exception to this: he can swallow neither the fact that it’s true nor that Magdalene was told first.
PETER You?
JOHN Risen?
Magdalene backs away from Peter as he hovers.
MATTHEW Impossible.
MAGDALENE Don’t bark at me, tax man. He said “Those who have ears, let them hear.” ANDREW If he is alive, where is he now? Why is he not here with us? 9.
MAGDALENE He said he will meet us in Galilee. Peter, brother. You believe me?
PETER He came to you first? A woman.
MATTHEW Mad woman. Wasn’t it you who said, “Stars swirl in the night sky?”
ANDREW And “The sun sets on my house while, what? Rivers of blood run under my feet?” -- Deny those were your words.
PETER You, of all people.
MAGDALENE What can you be thinking? Go to the tomb. See for yourself.
John turns contemplative:
JOHN My brother, risen.
As Peter fumes, the others cower:
PETER For him, I gave up my boat, my nets, my family --
MAGDALENE That is all you can say? You worry about your boat?
Angrily, Peter and John bump past Magdalene, then exit.
Mark follows, but stops to challenge the others:
MARK Are you coming?
Almost in unison, they shake their heads “NO.”
Mark exits. 10.
EXT. JERUSALEM INN - MOMENTS LATER
Handsome and rich, LAZARUS of BETHANY, 36, (brother of Mary of Bethany) and overweight APOSTLE THOMAS, 35, enter the street staggering from an INN. Weary, slurring, and spiritless, Lazarus shares a WINE SACK with Thomas as they SEE:
Bethany drives the OXCART up the street with Mary of Nazareth seated next to her. When Bethany SEES Lazarus and Thomas, she yanks on the REINS, halting the cart:
BETHANY Lazarus, brother. Have you been at the inn all night?
LAZARUS Where else, wise sister? The high priests want me for questioning and Pharisees ransacked the house.
Bethany hangs her head.
LAZARUS (CONT'D) But away for two nights, how could you know? Anyway, Magdalene and I fought, so I slept at the inn. Where is Martha?
BETHANY Our sister fled to Damascus, thanks to you. But being at the inn, how could you know?
MARY OF NAZARETH (excited; struggling) Lazarus --
Words fail her.
THOMAS Mother Mary (are you all right)?
BETHANY Another spell.
Mary of Nazareth tries to speak again, but is interrupted as:
John and Mark race past, followed by Peter. Breathlessly, John skids to a stop at the cart: