Conqueror of Shamballa Script Notes - Part B

[sinnesspiel]

Notes from the script in the Shamballa Scenario Book, which has the film's script. I'm just picking out excerpts of the side notes I thought were interesting and/or may be useful to people discussing the series, roleplaying, etc.; those that I am skipping are historical facts that one could look up in far more detail if they had interest, things already assumed to be known by most English speakers (what the Aryan race is, etc.) or references back to the series that I think all fans will know without reading it here (who Sig and General Hakuro are, what 'Flame Alchemist' means, etc.)

Prototype script notes are on other posts with the prototype tag. Note that some prototype script notes actually include notes/intentions relevant to the final cut as well. Some notes also overlap, such as the ones about Roy's crews ranks. For these posts I'm doing them just by where the notes appear in the book; either at the bottom of pages of the final cut script or in the prototype commentary list at the end of the script. I may do a synthesis post on ura_hagaren if I decide that's the best format.



The scriptwriter decided to make the "last boss" a character based on Eckart because the original man was somebody closely involved with the early Nazi movement, Thule Society, and who died under vague circumstances shortly after the Beer Hall Putsch. Aikawa notes that only the name and position are the same and that Dietlinde Eckart is a completely fictional character.

In the script text, Lang is called Mabuse. While Lang was toying with Ed who didn't get the joke (Doctor Mabuse being a hit movie at the time) the scriptwriter thought that Ed overthinking the name was funny, so he used that as his name in the script until he could be identified as Lang.

While climbing the "oppressively long staircase" and seeming to make progress, "at last a look of curiosity comes forth." A script note adds: "At this point, Ed still hasn't remembered Envy. He's only thinking that something interesting seems to be starting. It's meant to give the feel of his Edness returning."

"In exchange for getting through of the gate Envy exchanged his transformation ability: he can only return to his original form (and?) the shape of a serpent. He's lost all of his powers as a Homunculus."

(I'm not actually sure if it means his original form as in the form he came to that world in: it's written "true form * serpent" so I'm assuming it means that, but one could argue it means his original human Hohenheim's son form AND the shape of a serpent. My own opinion aside, either way is grammatically supportable.)

"At this point Envy by and large has no reasoning left. In other words, he's become a monster."

"Envy fled here from the Thule Society. Trying to sacrifice his body to open the Gate, I think that he went through something akin to torture at the hands of the people in Thule. It was incommplete, but when they had some success in opening the gate, that was likely what allowed Haskin's bomb to come through."

When Hess comments on all the Lances of Longinus (Lance of Longinuses?) throughout the world they strove to collect, "It was meant to be a scene to make viewers understand how caught up in Occult delusions Hess and company are. But, in a twist that's either interesting or just strange, there are rumors that Hitler was also trying to get the Lance of Longinus. However, who knows if that was true or not?" The script note further emphasizes that it's not anything supernatural holding Envy back; it's purely the mechanical aspects at work.

Script note says that in reality it's very unlikely that Lang and Haushofer met, it might be an interesting idea to people familiar with Lang to imagine he did know such people, as he spoke of Japan, though likely didn't go. In the end this too is all noted to be fiction. This note gets made a lot. In short, this world is not an actual pure parallel to 'our' world even if it's called "our world" or reality frequently in staff interviews and notes.

The director made a note to have the people in 'our world' call it a 'Door' rather than a 'Gate' because it would be strange to have two people in two worlds call it the exact same thing.

The script is intentionally vague on whether the Gate opens as a result of Hohenheim or Eckart's "magic." Eckart's variety of magic certainly does something but whether it's properly functional is unknown.

"Hohenheim was originally cooperating with the Thule Society but as he found out what their plans were and was wavering on what he should do, Envy appeared through the Gate. Since Envy's body is made up of materials from the other side, Eckart and company believe it may be able to call to something to make the Gate open up. By the way, Envy's lost his mind. Once they realized they could control Envy by using Hohenheim as a live offering, he ended up a prisoner of war. That would be the circumstances around why Hohenheim disappeared from Ed."

The next set of notes are from Roy's first scene in the movie when his crew comes to visit him.


"In regards to Roy, who had defeated the Fuhrer, I don't think he had any alternatives at this point other than to voluntarily re-enlist as a Corporal. Just speaking practically, there were his physical injuries, and most of all the man who overthrew the Fuhrer could never think of standing at the top of the military. Still, he was probably thinking he wanted to do something for the country, or rather, for the people."

In regards to his salute towards Havoc and Breda.


"At this point we're showing that Roy's rank has lowered. They wouldn't send somebody of high status up north, and out of convenience we left his former subordinates at their former ranks. It would be more realistic if those ranks had changed, but..."

In regards to Breda saying it's a choice that seems like one the Colonel would make to be stationed out in the north.


"The reason he's stationed in the north is because he wanted to be on the front lines as far removed from Central as possible. Knowing he would be looked after by his subordinates as long as he was in Central, it's characteristic of him to take them into consideration like that. On the other hand, there are a lot of that type amongst superiors, the type their subordinates would call a nuisance, aren't there?"

The scene where Winry is at Izumi's home in Dublith.

"Winry knows that Al had undergone training under Izumi and is doing what she can do---carrying around the automail she's prepared for Ed to wear when he returns, training as an automail mechanic for two years in hopes of having him wear it for her. She isn't as confident as Al is in the belief that Ed is alive."

"Izumi living on two years with her body like that seemed unlikely, so with the passing of time she naturally died. In her remaining time, she put Al through training again. Still, I can't help feeling like I owe an apology to Izumi's actress, Tsuda Shouko-san."

"This time Wrath was given the important role in getting Al to open the Gate. At first he may seem to harbor some malice, but in the end he's a character with good intentions. At this point he's gotten the feeling that Izumi has died."

The reason Al's first appearance was chosen to be in the desert en route to Liore is because it's meant to be a throwback to the first episode in the series where Ed and Al were so excited to find water. By contrast, this time Al can make a well out in the desert. It's meant to show how advanced his alchemic ability is by comparison to that time."

"As for Armstrong's leaving the services, guessing by his personality, one factor is that he could certainly never continue to serve in a military against which he lead an insurrection, for one thing, and another factor is the line he often says, about creation and destruction. Right now what the nation needs is creation..." and so he went about to the task of rebuilding towns and such.

"Roze has been adopting the children who have lost their families and living with them in Liore. It isn't that she's been doing officially or with any organization or anything, it's just something she's doing personally."

"Where the Gate opened in Liore was simply a matter of where it was easiest for it to appear. When someone tries to open the Door from the other side, space is warped thusly."

The reason more characters from the TV series didn't appear in Liore was because it would have taken too much time in the movie to explain the Ishbal War again and the racism theme was already being played in the real world with Noah.

They considered making ALL the armors look like Al's.

"Those involved with the military know about the underground city, but the average citizen doesn't know anything about it."

Al grins and looks to be enjoying himself during the fight with the armor as he claps his hands and touches two of them. "You could say Al is running wild with his guardian Izumi no longer about." Before Ed was the one running wild and Al had to do the mitigation, but.. they weren't sure if Al should qualify as being able to do hand-clap alchemy or not, but it was decided by Director Mizushima to place the circles on his gloves



While Al is still a child and has straight forward thoughts like "if Nii-san is on the other side of the Gate, it just needs to be opened again" without any thoughts of what it might entail or how dangerous it would be, Aikawa didn't want the reunion to be too happy, and he wanted to show that there was the problem of whether it was right to open the Gate again or not.

The scene when Ed mentions he may be able to go back to Alfons.


"Ed couldn't be sure if Al was really still alive, so he stayed with Alfons as a source of trifling reassurance he needed to get by. But at this point he's met with Al in the armor and has confirmed that he's alive. so at this point Alfons's own existence has become a moot point for Ed. In this scene, Alfons gets a sense of this. In short, Alfons has quickly and already just become something unnecessary for Ed at this point."

At this point Ed is only thinking about going home and also hasn't realized what it may entail yet.

Scene: Winry and Roy on the phone.

"These two, over the past two years, have mutually closed in on the distance between each other. As long as they have the subject of Al between them, while it's unknown what would happen if they were to meet directly, their relationship is at least to the point where they can talk about that on the phone and have things be all right."

"Roy is the first to realize a connection between Central and Liore. He is thinking that if a squad of armor arrived in Liore that Central would be next. At the same time, he knows that what Al is doing is going to be for Ed's sake, and so he realizes more than likely what Al will be doing next. But, Roy is still mulling over whether he himself should take any action."



That's all for Part B. Thanks for reading!