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I thought about this idea for a movie script, after watching Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds". I really enjoyed Waltz's performance as a vicious, brutal, but keen, super-intelligent and often humorous SS "Jew Hunter". We all are led to believe (by Tarantino's script), that this Hans Landa character is merely a sketch of the typical Nazi SS officer. But that made me think long and hard.


You see, in the movie, there are actually certain qualities and attributes of "Herr Landa" that one could perhaps, find as civilized or even pleasing. He believes himself to be a "good detective" and thus shrugs off (in an "ewwww" manner) the comment made by Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt), about him being a "Jew Hunter", and that he was only keen in finding evidence and using that evidence to find what he is looking for. To this effect, he survives the war (although not entirely "undamaged") because of his intellect and logic and sheer cunning.

Well enough of that movie. Let's go back to my script idea.

The scene takes place sometime 200,000 and 100,000 years ago, during an event which is now currently referred to as the "Recent single origin hypothesis" or (Recent) Out-of-Africa model. I won't go into the details of this theory, but it basically says that, in recent geologic time, Homo Sapiens Sapiens, our species, started to migrate out of Africa and spread out into the different continents around the world.


Now, there are related articles describing an event related to the theory I mention above, about a situation that these humans were in, like they were starving to death, and their days were numbered, but a handful (the theory estimates it at about 2,000 individuals) managed to survive and keep trudging along, and thus, the rest is history (i.e. the entire world became populated with human beings).

Now, let's try to exaggerate the "starvation" situation a bit. Supposing say, only a few tens of humans were left, struggling to "get out" of Africa, and find greener pastures in continental Asia, Europe or India. Now, most of you know of the "Lord of the Flies" story/movie, which sort of encapsulates what dark things humans are capable of when in situations involve envy, fear, want, greed, and hunger.


The thought struck me, to somehow place a "Hans Landa" type of human being, amongst those few scattered remnants of Homo Sapiens Sapiens, now trying to survive (for if they don't survive we won't even be here, and I wouldn't even be writing this at the moment). Well, naturally, being intellectually superior than most, it would be natural to assume that he would use his cunning, brutality, and sharp logic, to perhaps outwit the other humans who are now essentially his rivals for food, shelter, clothing, and of course *** (with the remaining females of the tribe), which would ensure the survival of the human race.

Now just think. We can picture all the other males in the tribe as brutish and "alpha male" types, who use brute strength to resolve situations. But let's imagine again, that by sheer genetic accident, our "Hans Landa" tribe member, though not of "hunkish" physique, still manages to outwit all the other males in the tribe and thus reign superior. Now (I know it's a bit too farfetched but, for the sake of this argument, try to imagine it), what if by some force of nature, only HE survives, the sole male of the tribe, with perhaps a few females. A man who only survived through his total lack of remorse, and utter selfishness.

So yes, the idea of my movie script is, to somehow find a way, to create that chilling thought in the mind of the readers/moviegoers that, we can perhaps be, all of us, descended from one cunning, vile, treacherous, and brutal human being, as "Hans Landa" was. Now, the entire movie will not focus on him, of course, but will basically try to distract the viewer by focusing on other characters in the tribe, to the point that the viewers couldn't possibly imagine that the last man to survive in the tribe (and thus be our direct ancestor i.e. "adam-like") would be our "Hans Landa".


And, perhaps, contrive the ending to the point that it would ask the moviegoers a question like... "Now that you know the truth, would you have wished that he died?"

-RODION