June 25th, 1965: Dossier H-10

Hamilton, Guy

Born 1936 under the sign of Capricorn.
Occupation: Journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Service
Jakarta, first assignment as foreign correspondent

You're an enemy here Hamilton, like all Westerners. President Sukarno tells the West to go to hell. And today, Sukarno is the voice of the Third World.
 

Most of us become children again when we enter the slums of Asia. And last night I watched you walk back into childhood. With all its opposite intensities: laughter and misery, the crazy and the grim, toy town and a city of fear.
 
 

Scene One: Typical Journo's Answer

 

BILLY
And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 

GUY

What's that?

BILLY

It's from Luke, chapter three, verse ten. What then must we do? Tolstoy asked the same question. He wrote a book with that title. He got so upset about the poverty in Moscow that he went one night into the poorest section and just gave away all his money. You could do that now. Five American dollars would be a fortune to one of these people.

GUY

Wouldn't do any good, just be a drop in the ocean.

BILLY

Ahh, that's the same conclusion Tolstoy came to, I disagree.

GUY

Oh, what's your solution?

BILLY

Well, I support the view that you just don't think about the major issues. You do whatever you can about the misery that's in front of you. Add your light to the sum of light. You think that's naive, don't you?

GUY

Yep.

BILLY

It's alright, most journalists do.

GUY

We can't afford to get involved.

BILLY

Typical journo's answer.
 

You're ambitious, self-contained, moderate to conservative in politics,  and despite  your naivete, I sense a potential, something immediately apparent, a possibility - could you be the un-met friend?
 
 
 

Scene Two: I Can be Your Eyes


BILLY
Did you get an interview today?

GUY

What?

BILLY

Did you get an interview?

GUY

No, no I didn't.

BILLY

You're in trouble, do you realize that?

GUY

It's early days yet.

BILLY

All the top doors are shut to Western journalists.

GUY

Curtis got an interview.

BILLY

Curtis and Wally have got reputations, they can't be ignored. Your only way in is personal contacts. Potter sabotaged you.

GUY

What do you want me to do, shoot myself?
Ten years I've waited for this. And if I mess it up, they'll send me back to the newsroom in Sydney, and that's a bloody graveyard.

BILLY

If you could get any interview you want, excluding one with Sukarno, who would it be?

GUY

The leader of the Communist Party

BILLY

I'll get it. I can get you to him tomorrow.

GUY

He doesn't give interviews.

BILLY

He does when he needs to. He's a friend of mine. I've alredy spoken to him about you.

GUY

How come you're on speaking terms with the head of the-

BILLY

If you want it, it's yours. It should make quite a stir internationally.

GUY

If you can get me to Aidit, I'll get you all the film work you can handle. Exclusive.

BILLY

That's great old man.That's what I've always wanted, a real partnership.

GUY

Why the break to me? Why not Potter?

BILLY

I didn't like him. We'll make a great team old man. You for the words, me for the pictures. I can be your eyes.

 

Scene Three: A Great Aphrodisiac


FRANK
Beauty among the squalor. Took that with a 200mm. Got a natural elegance, haven't they?

PETE

Condon, Condon, Condon. I'm talking elegance, all you ever shoot are tits. Why don't you quit trying to sell us the pursuit of abstract beauty and admit you're a pervert?

KEVIN

Come on Billy, you're a professional, is that pornography or art?

BILLY

If it's in focus, it's pornography, if it's out of focus, it's art.

WALLY

Definitely art. They really are exquisite creatures, aren't they.

PETE

Let me ask you something Hamilton. I've been worried about this ever since you got here. What do you do for sex?

GUY

You worry about that?

PETE

Yeah, whenever I hit the front page I get a hell of a hard on.

GUY

So what do you do?

PETE

I go up to the cemetary. Ever heard of the cemetary?

GUY

What are you, a necrophiliac?

BILLY

No, it's where the prostitutes hang out.

PETE

Fantastic girls Hamilton. Best value for your money ass in Asia. Come on, I'll take you up there right now, huh?

GUY

Some other time.

WALLY

Wise man.

FRANK

They're riddled with VD.

PETE

You've never heard of penicillin? I'm telling you, you will love this action. You want to spend the night? Costs you one dollar.

BILLY

Starvation's a great aphrodisiac.

PETE

Keep it up Billy, keep it up. We'll just nail you to the old cross, huh? Besides, he can afford to be virtuous you know, he's holding hands with the best looking chick in town.

BILLY

She's a friend Curtis.

PETE

Sure she is Billy.

BILLY

You'd find that kind of relationship hard to understand, wouldn't you Curtis?

PETE

Oh get me the nails, I'm going to hang the little bastard up right now.

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