This is an adapted screen play from "Waiting for the Barbarians" by Cotzee

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Waiting for the Barbarians:

SCREENPLAY

IN. GRANANRY -DAY

TRACKING SHOT- FRONTAL VIEW

Magistrate and Joll are walking quickly down the hall. There are loud noises in the background of doors shutting and people walking)

MAGISTRATE What if your prisoner is telling the truth, yet finds he is not believed? Is that not a terrible position? Imagine: to be prepared to yield, to yield, to have nothing more to yield, (speech becomes faster and passionate) to be broken, yet to be pressed to yield more! And what a responsibility for the interrogator! How do you ever know when a man has told you the truth? (gasp)

Joll walks faster and Magistrate falls behind.

COLONOL JOLL There is a certain tone (verbal pause). A certain tone enters the voice of a man who is telling the truth. Training and experience train us to recognize that tone. (said with declaration and assurance)

CLOSE UP- MAGISTRATE show aggravation

MAGISTRATE The tone of truth!

TRACKING SHOT - FRONTAL VIEW

MAGISTRATE Can you pick up this tone in every day speech? Can you hear whether I am telling the truth? (said as he catches up with Joll)

Both men stop and face each other.

COLONEL JOLL No, you misunderstand me. I am speaking only of a special situation now, I am speaking of a situation in which I am probing for the truth, in which I have to exert pressure to find it. First I get lies, you see - this is what happens-first lies, then pressure, then more lies, then more pressure, then the break, then more pressure, then the truth. This is how you get the truth.

Magistrate continues on by himself into the prison section of the Granary.

IN. PRISON - MID DAY

SILENCE - echoes of slight whispers

LONG SHOT

Magistrate pulls...