A TALE OF RECKONING
NOTES
This is a biopic drama with the following elements:
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Inspired by a true story
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High adventure
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Character driven
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Love story
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Visceral
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Revenge
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Rural
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A Buddy film
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Strong female/male leads
LOGISTICS
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Locations: tax-favorable states, Alberta
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PG-13 rating
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Budget est. less than $5,000,000
Copyrighted May 4, 2014 by MICHAEL LANCE RITTER (USA) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No portion of this work may be performed, published, reproduced, sold or distributed by any means, or quoted or published in any medium, including any web site, without the prior written consent of Michael Lance Ritter. WGA Registry 1718322, U.S. Copyright #1-1410521141
LOGLINE
Based on a true story, a mountain man caught between White and Indian worlds struggles with extreme prejudice, raw danger and lost and found love as his day of reckoning closes in.
SYNOPSIS
Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the baby on the 1805 Lewis & Clark expedition, narrowly escapes a gunshot in a saloon in 1860. He recounts his tumultuous life to a journalist.
Initially adopted by the influential Clark family, Baptiste faces rejection from Clark's vicious wife due to his half-Shoshone Indian heritage. Growing up tormented and yearning for peace and a family, he falls in love with Michelle, a judge's daughter, at age 16. Their love is forbidden because of his Indian background, forcing them apart.
In 1823, Clark arranges for Baptiste to travel to Germany, where he experiences the grandeur of royal courts, racism, violence, and heartbreak. Returning to America, he is sophisticated yet broken and finds solace in the wilderness. As a novice fur trapper he gets lost in a boiling desert but is rescued by Jim Beckwourth, with whom he shares dangerous adventures.
His main antagonist, the ruthless Rublette, confronts him at a fur trade rendezvous. Their violent clashes haunt him, culminating in Rublette threatening, "Squaw man, don't sleep; it'll be me slittin' your throat." Baptiste endures lonely nights with wolves howling and his longing for Michelle. While Beckwourth has a happy family, Baptiste's dreams only about her.
During the 1846 Mexican-American War, Baptiste guides the U.S. Army to San Diego where, unbeknownst to him, Michelle and her son are living. Their reunion is emotional, and Michelle finally tells him, "Oh come here you, I have no more questions," leading to a passionate night. Baptiste finally has his family, and his past prejudices fade in the happiness they share.
He is appointed postwar magistrate in San Diego, aiding local Indians enslaved by ranchers. He can’t stop it and nearly gets killed, so they move north to the great 49er gold rush and settle down. She contracts tuberculosis but survives after nearly dying in Baptiste's arms.
Later in a saloon her son is severely beaten by Rublette, prompting Baptiste's final confrontation. He tracks down Rublette and, after a brutal fight, kills his nemesis.
The story concludes on a positive note with Baptiste's interview ending, hinting at a hopeful future—suggesting that despite his hardships, he has found peace and resolution.
POST SCRIPT
Jean Baptiste Charbonneau died in May, 1866 after trying to cross an Oregon river. He's buried near Danner, Oregon. His gravesite is a national historic monument.
Jim Beckwourth died in October, 1866 of natural causes. Beckwourth Pass in the High Sierra mountains and Beckwourth, California are named after him.
DUKE PAUL WILHELM died in November, 1860. He once traveled very close to Baptiste's gold camp but never saw him again after their time in Germany.
General William Clark, in a rare display of frontier caring, looked after the Charbonneau family his entire life. He died in St. Louis in September, 1838.
Audiences will love this compelling American saga!
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