Brazil - the screenplay
Brazil
Screenplay (Draft)
1 EXT. CITYSCAPE SUNSET 1
A beautiful golden sun is setting. The sky is on fire. The
CAMERA starts to move downwards. A large neon sign rises
into shot. It rests on top of a skyscraper and fills the
frame. The building is neither past nor future in design
but a bit of both.
Slowly we pan downwards revealing the city that spreads
below ... A glittering conglomeration of elevated
transport tubes, smaller square buildings which are merely
huge, with, here and there, the comparatively minuscule
relics of previous ages of architecture, pavement level
awnings suggesting restaurants and shops ... Transparent
tubes carry whizzing transport cages past us ... an
elevated highway carrying traffic composed primarily of
large transport lorries passes thru frame. As we descend,
the sunlight is blocked out and street lights & neon signs
take over as illumination. Eventually we reach the upper
levels of a plush shopping precinct.
2 INT. SHOPPING PRECINT NIGHT 2
Xmas decorations are everywhere. PEOPLE are busy buying,
ogling, discussing, choosing wisely from the goodies on
display. SHOPPERS are going by laden with superbly
packaged goods ... the shop windows are full of
elaborately boxed and be-ribboned who-knows-what. In one
window is a bank of TV sets - on the great majority of the
screens is the face of MR. HELPMANN - the Deputy Minister
of Information. He is being interviewed. No-one bothers to
listen to HELPMANN.
INTERVIEWER
Deputy minister, what do you believe
is behind this recent increase in
terrorist bombings?
HELPMANN
Bad sportsmanship. A ruthless
minority of people seems to have
forgotten certain good old fashioned
virtues. They just can't stand seeing
the other fellow win. If these people
would just play the game, instead of
standing on the touch line heckling -
INTERVIEWER
In fact, killing people -
HELPMANN
- In fact, killing people - they'd
get a lot more out of life.
We PULL AWAY from the shop to concentrate on the shoppers.
HELPMANN's voice carries over the rest of the scene.
INTERVIEWER
Mr. HELPMANN, what would you say to
those critics who maintain that the
Ministry Of Information has become
too large and unwieldy ...?
HELPMANN
David ... in a free society
information is the name of the game.
You can't win the game if you're a
man short.
Fur bedecked shoppers pass in front of what appears to be
banks of snow but as we pan along with them the "snow"
turns out to be fire-fighting foam. It oozes out of a shop
front that is a charred twisted mass of metal frames.
WORKMEN are busily sealing the opening with plywood
sheets, SHOPPERS pay no attention to this. Xmas carols are
being played by a Salvation Army style band calling
themselves Consumers For Christ. Santa Claus's grotto is
busy, all is well with the world.
INTERVIEWER
And the cost of it all, Deputy
Minister? Seven percent of the gross
national produce ...
HELPMANN
I understand this concern on behalf
of the tax-payers. People want value
for money and a cost-effective
service.
3 INT. OFFICE NIGHT 3
CUT TO TV screen with HELPMANN still talking.
HELPMANN
That is why we always insist on the
principle of Information Retrieval
Charges. These terrorists are not
pulling their weight, and it's
absolutely right and fair that those
found guilty should pay for their
periods of detention and the
Information Retrieval Procedures used
in their interrogation.
PULL BACK to reveal a rather clinical office. The TV rests
on a desk. A WHITE COATED TECHNICIAN is sorting out his in-
tray. Several Christmas cards are amongst he paperwork. He
comes upon a Christmassy package which he rips open, to
discover a shiny, metal "executive toy".
CUT TO the BEETLE droning up near the ceiling.
The TECHNICIAN is disturbed by the buzz of the BEETLE as
it whirrs around the fluorescent light. He rolls up some
paper and forms and gets up to swat the insect.
Scenes 4-12 Deleted. 4-12 Deleted.
13 INT. OFFICE NIGHT 13
The TECHNICIAN gets up and balances a chair on top of his
desk. He climbs up onto it attempting to swat the BEETLE
still buzzing about the room just out of reach. Beneath
him an automatic type-writing machine rattles away
compiling a typed list of names under the heading
"Information Retrieval, Subjects For Detention &
Interview". The machine is being fed from a spool of paper
which is being rhythmically chopped by an automatic
guillotine which neatly leaves each name on a separate
sheet, with the title above each name, each sheet
following its predecessor into a holding basket. In CLOSE-
UP we see the names on the sheets of paper building up in
the holding basket: TONSTED, Simon ... TOPPER, Martin F.
... TROLLOPE, Benjamin G. ... TURB, William K. ... TURNER,
John D. ... Every name begins with T.
INTERVIEWER
Do you think that the government is
winning the battle against
terrorists?
HELPMANN
On yes. Our morale is much higher
than theirs, we're fielding all their
strokes, running a lot of them out,
and pretty consistently knocking them
for six. I'd say they're nearly out
of the game.
The TECHNICIAN is tottering on one leg on the chair on the
desk as he strains to swat the BEETLE. Swish, swash, oops,
WHAP! Gottcha!!
INTERVIEWER
But the bombing campaign is now in
its thirteenth year ...
HELPMANN
Beginner's luck.
The BEETLE's career comes to a halt ... squashed flat on
the brilliantly clean ceiling ... or has it? As the
TECHNICIAN clambers down from the rickety heights, the
BEETLE's carcass comes unstuck from the ceiling and drops
silently into the typewriting machine which hiccoughs,
hesitates and then types the letter "B" and hesitates and
then continues so that the next name is BUTTLE, Archibald.
The TECHNICIAN fails to notice this and the machine
continues smoothly TUTWOOD, Thomas T. ... TUZCZLOW,
Peter...
INTERVIEWER
Thank you very much, Deputy Minister.
HELPMANN
Thank you, David ... and a very merry
Christmas to you all.
14 EXT. HOUSING TOWERS NIGHT 14
ZOOMING past foreground outdoor Xmas decorations we
TIGHTEN in on one of several massive residential tower
blocks that loom over what appears to be a poorer part of
the city
15 INT. BUTTLE FLAT NIGHT 15
HELPMANN and INTERVIEWER are on the TV, the end credits
rolling over them to the beat of a Mozart theme tune.
PULLING BACK we reveal that the TV is in a conventional
sitting room, conventionally decorated for Christmas; out
the room is oddly encumbered by huge metal conduits that
snake unpleasantly across and through the walls. Smaller
conduits radiate from the main one connecting the various
services that Central Services (the name emblazoned on the
metal) supply to this household. A conventionally poor but
proud family occupies the room. MRS BUTTLE is reading
Dickens' Christmas Carol to GIRL BUTTLE who is about six.
BOY BUTTLE plays quietly with a toy machine gun and some
action men dressed in security gear. MR. BUTTLE is putting
the final touches to a neatly wrapped Christmas present
which looks identical to the "executive toy" we have just
seen in he TECHNICIAN'S office.
Faintly from outside comes a burst of laughter. A tilt of
the CAMERA indicates that the laughter is coming from the
floor above.
16 INT. JILL'S FLAT NIGHT 16
The flat is very bare and basic. The laughter is coming
from a cheap portable television showing "Sgt. Bilko. From
BILKO'S POV we look through an open door of a bathroom
straight at a mirror propped up by the bath, to enable the
person in the bath to watch the TV. The person in the bath
is JILL LAYTON, washing the grime off herself while she
watches Bilko in the mirror. From her POV in the mirror,
the T.V. screen is suddenly obscured by part of the body
of a MAN in uniform.
JILL
(scared)
Who's there?
17 INT. BUTTLE'S FLAT NIGHT 17
The BUTTLE FAMILY as before. MRS BUTTLE is closing the
book.
MRS BUTTLE
There, that's enough for tonight. He
won't come Xmas Eve if you don't get
plenty of sleep.
GIRL BUTTLE
Father Christmas can't come if we
haven't got a chimney.
MRS BUTTLE
You'll see.
The GIRL exchanges goodnight kisses with her parents and
leaves the room.
GIRL BUTTLE
How will he get down from upstairs?
BOY BUTTLE
It's a secret.
We follow GIRL BUTTLE out of the sitting room into ...
18 INT. HALLWAY AND CHILDREN'S BEDROOM NIGHT 18
GIRL BUTTLE enters her bedroom. There is little or no
light there, and she sees a bulky figure apparently
lowering himself into the room from the direction of the
ceiling.
GIRL BUTTLE
(unalarmed)
You've come ...
As she moves, the light from the hallway shows us the
figure of what looks like a commando on a night raid,
slowly sliding down a pole in he middle of the room. The
pole at the top end disappears through a hole in the
ceiling. Things become immediately clearer
19 INT. BUTTLE SITTING-ROOM NIGHT 19
Crash! It's a raid! Battle-dressed SECURITY TROOPS smash
trough the door. Another ONE, swings from a rope, kicks in
the window from the outside and enters that way. Most
alarmingly of all, a shower of plaster comes down from the
ceiling in which a fairly neat round hole appears and
through the hole comes a fireman's pole down which slide
TWO MORE SECURITY TROOPS. The whole thing is short, brutal
and violent.
BUTTLE is grabbed violently and stuffed into a baglike
canvas device that covers him from head to waist. A metal
clamp goes round his neck, a metal bar slides up the back
of the bag. His hands are handcuffed to the metal bar. In
seconds he has become a canvas parcel. Meanwhile, GIRL
BUTTLE has been carried out of her bedroom and dumped into
the lap of her screaming mother. BOY BUTTLE has his toy
machine gun knocked out of his hands by a TROOPER who we
see is identical in dress to the action men BOY BUTTLE has
been playing with. He rushes to his mother as guns are
viciously trained on them. TROOPS are kicking open the
doors of other rooms and generally doing a good job. An
OFFICIAL, wearing plain clothes, now enters from the front
door and during the turmoil is reading aloud from an
official document. It goes something like this:
OFFICIAL
I hereby inform you under powers
entrusted to me under Section 47,
Paragraph 7 of Council Order Number
438476, that Mr Buttle, Archibald,
residing at 412 North Tower, Shangri
La Towers, has been invited to assist
the Ministry of Information with
certain enquiries, the nature of
which may be ascertained on
completion of application form
BZ/ST/486/C fourteen days within this
date, and that he is liable to
certain obligations as specified in
Council Order 173497, including
financial restitutions which may or
may not be incurred if Information
Retrieval procedures beyond those
incorporated in Article 7 subsections
8, 10 & 32 are required to elicit
information leading to permanent
arrest - notification of which will
he served with the time period of 5
working days as stipulated by law. In
that instance the detainee will be
debited without further notice
through central banking procedures
without prejudice until and unless at
such a time when re-imbursement
procedures may be instituted by you
or third parties on completion of a
re-imbursement form RB/CZ/907/X ...
... and more of the same, most of which is part of the
audible wall paper while the chaos reigns. As the front
door slams behind the captive relative peace returns,
broken by MRS BUTTLE's anguished sobbing.
OFFICIAL
(proffering a pen and a
thick book of pink receipts
to Mrs Buttle)
Sign here please.
MRS BUTTLE
(dazed. She signs weakly)
What? where have you taken him?
OFFICIAL
(taking the book)
thank you.
(he hands her another book,
this one of blue receipts)
(indicating place to sign)
Same again please. Just there.
(checking first book of
receipts)
Press harder his time. Good.
MRS BUTTLE
(signing again)
What is this all about?
OFFICIAL
(tearing out sheet from
pink book)
That's your receipt for your husband.
(taking blue book from her)
Thank you. And this is my receipt for
your receipt.
(he turns to leave along
with troopers)
JILL's shocked face appears looking down through the hole
in the ceiling. The faces of the workmen BILL and CHARLIE
also appear, above and behind her.
JILL
Mrs Buttle, are you alright?
The helmeted SECURITY TROOPS in Buttle's flat drop to
defensive positions and swing their machine guns up
towards the hole in the ceiling. All three faces retreat.
20 INT. JILL'S FLAT NIGHT 20
CHARLIE
(starting back from the
hole with Bill and Jill)
Eh! Eh! Eh! We're Department of
Works! Department of Works up here!
Careful with those bloody things!
JILL, CHARLIE and BILL are hustled aside by a SECURITY MAN
who clears the fireman's pole from the hole. We can see
the TROOPS in the room below leaving. A SECOND SECURITY
man has untied a rope hanging out of the open window. He
coils the rope up neatly and the TWO SECURITY MEN leave
the flat.
BILL
(to Jill as they watch this
highly efficient operation)
Don't take any notice, love, it's
their training makes them like
animals. Best in the world, though.
JILL
Who are you?
CHARLIE
Don't you worry love, we'll have
everything shipshape in a jiffy.
BILL
That's it. Nothing to worry about.
CHARLIE
It's Buttle downstairs who can worry,
eh?
JILL
There must be some mistake ... Mr
Buttle's harmless...
BILL
We don't make mistakes.
So saying, he drops the manhole cover, which is faced with
same material as the floor, over the hole in the floor. To
his surprise it drops neatly through the floor into the
flat below.
CHARLIE
Bloody typical, they've gone back to
metric without telling us
20a INT. BUTTLES' FLAT NIGHT 20a
MRS BUTTLE stands stunned in the middle of her decimated
flat. The KIDS wail. Slowly MRS BUTTLE collapses -
slumping to the floor with the receipt in her hand: we
tighten into CLOSE UP of "Receipt".
JILL (off CAMERA)
Mrs Buttle? Mrs Buttle?
21 INT. RECORD CLERK'S POOL 21
We come in on a CLOSE UP of a pink version of the RECEIPT
being stamped and impaled on desk spike as we PULL OUT to
reveal an infinite expanse of regularly arranged metal
desks, each desk with a built-in T.V. console, and each
(except one) occupied by a CLERK. Every desk is snowed
under with pieces of paper much like the receipts seen in
the previous scene. More pacers are delivered to each desk
intermittently by way of pneumatic tube. OFFICE BOYS
bustle about with even more paperwork. From the back of
the room we get a view of the screens which show graphs,
tabulations, figures ... All of this activity is
supervised from an elevated walkway by MR KURTZMAN.
Satisfied that all is well with his clerks he turns and
walks towards his glass enclosed private office at the top
of the room, his name lettered on the opaque glass door.
MR KURTZMAN goes through this door and as he closes it
behind him, all activity in the CLERKS pool ceases. each
CLERK adjusts his T.V. screen with the flick of a switch,
and all the screens change to something which looks very
like "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly".
22 INT. MR KURTZMAN'S OFFICE DAY 22
MR KURTZMAN also has a T.V. console. He sits behind his
desk, reaches for his In-tray, and without looking at the
console he turns his screen on. He looks through a number
of files in his In-tray. He is surprised to hear a VOICE
say, "Turn around real slow, amigo". MR KURTZMAN turns
around real slow, his expression relaxes, he thumps his
T.V. console with a large fist, and the screen obediently
flicks to a display of figures. He picks up a file which
we see as marked "Buttle, Archibald". He opens the file
and starts punching the keyboard of the console. The T.V.
starts bleeping in an alarmed way. MR KURTZMAN is puzzled.
He punches more figures. The screen starts to flash
"Error, error, error". MR KURTZMAN sighs with frustration.
He presses an intercom.
MR KURTZMAN
(into intercom)
Mr Lowry, will you step in here
please?
He returns his attention, puzzled to the file. Nobody
comes into the office. MR KURTZMAN gets up and walks over
to his door and opens it. Beyond the door the room full of
CLERKS is obediently concentrating on the bleeping and
whirring consoles. From MR KURTZMAN'S POV we see that in
the centre of the room is an unoccupied desk.
MR KURTZMAN
Does anyone know where Lowry is?
Nobody knows. MR KURTZMAN closes his door again. A moment
later it seems to him, and to us, that he has heard the
crash of six guns blazing away at each other. He re-opens
the door. The only sound again. He goes back to his desk.
He punches a few keys. The machine starts emitting even
more alarming beeps, then horse whinnies, then "Admit
you're whupped, you drygulching scum". KURTZMAN explodes
with anger, and presses the intercom again.
MR KURTZMAN
(Shouting into intercom)
Where the hell is Sam Lowry?!
23 EXT. SKY DAY 23
CUT TO brilliantly clear sky. From on high an odd bird-
like figure swoops down on the CAMERA. As it comes closer
we can see that it is, in fact, a MAN wearing strange wood
and metal bird wings. In the bright sunshine their
flapping movements create a brilliant, flashing effect.
Along with the wings, SAM LOWRY (for this is he) wears an
outfit that combines the best of Flash Gordon and a WWI
fighter pilot. He sweeps past the CAMERA and then,
banking, rises BACK INTO SHOT IN MCU. An ethereal voice
can be heard calling "Sam ... Sam ... Sam". He hovers,
looking beyond the CAMERA to something wonderful. CUT TO
face of stunningly beautiful GIRL, she is the idealised
twin of JILL LAYTON ... Her long hair swirls across her
face partially obscuring it and making her appear slightly
mysterious. The CAMERA PULLS AWAY from her as soft
billowing material sinuously undulates about her. It rises
and falls like waves carried on the wind. As the CAMERA
GLIDES BACK through this sea of gossamer we can see that
the GIRL is being held aloft by and in it. A vast
landscape stretches below her. The sun frames her in the
sky. She and SAM are engaged in a beautiful sensual aerial
ballet.
Romantic music fills the soundtrack.
SAM swoops up and away. The GIRL floats in the distance as
SAM. rises in the foreground. She beckons to him. SAM
begins to flap back towards her. But then the dreamy
quality of this scene is interrupted by threatening
rumble. SAM looks down.
The ground far below him suddenly erupts as a massive,
monolithic stone skyscraper bursts through the surface and
soars upwards with a mighty rush.
CUT to the GIRL in LONG SHOT. The monolith rises up into
FRAME partially cutting her off from view.
Before SAM can do anything, another stone skyscraper
breaks through the ground and rushes upwards. Then another
and another. There is nothing SAM can do. The GIRL is
being cut of from him by these gigantic faceless
structures. And then she is finally lost from view
somewhere in the depths of this strange stone metropolis.
SAM lies closer. The stone skyscrapers appear to be solid.
No windows. No doors. Nothing whatsoever to interfere with
their clean, harsh, rectilinear design. As he flies among
these towering blocks he sees no sign of the GIRL, only
sheer walls rising high above him. Below him the walls
plummet vertiginously into the darkish streets. No sound
but the creaking flapping of his wings can he heard in
this dead place. Coming round a corner he sees something
in the distance. far below him a dark procession is
wending its way through the narrow passages... away from
him.
CUT TO LOW ANGLE SHOT of the procession making its way
past the CAMERA. Black-robed and cowled, the sinister
figures look like heavily armed monks. These are the
FORCES OF DARKNESS. Together they are straining at several
heavy hawsers that rise in long arcs up to a huge metal
cage floating above and behind the procession. Binding the
cage are metal straps to which ropes are attached. Inside
is the GIRL - still enveloped in gossamer which billows as
if there were a breeze in constant attendance.
CUT TO SAM as He dives out of shot.
CUT to the FORCES OF DARKNESS suddenly stopping in their
tracks. They've seen something.
CUT to their POV. There at the end of the passage between
two stone skyscrapers stands SAM ... barring the way.
CUT to swords being unsheathed. Cowls being thrown back.
Underneath are rotting, broken dolls' faces. All the faces
are the same except for the manner in which they have
decayed. They smile - slobbering, sickeningly. Suddenly
the robed bodies change shape - some rising up to become
long, others expanding sideways to become bulbous, others
shrinking. From the folds of cloth come evil weapons. The
FORCES are massed ready to charge.
CUT to long shot of SAM. He removes his arms from his
wings and folds the wings behind him. He is ready.
Cut to the FORCES. Nothing moves ... except for the
constant dribble from their cracked mouths.
CUT back to SAM. Stillness. The tension is unbearable.
Suddenly SAM unleashes a terrifying scream and charges the
fearsome horde. Unarmed!
CUT to the FORCES thundering down to SAM. Weapons flailing
madly.
SAM skillfully dodges the swordthrust of the leading
field, and karate chops him senseless - at the same time
catching his sword as he falls. Spinning around he parries
a spearthrust and skewers a third attacker. Slash! Hack!
Stab! He lays waste to the FORCES. Nothing can stop this
boy. The pile of black-robed bodies grows with each swing
of SAM's sword. Wham! Bam! Smash! SAM carves his way
through the mob with nary a scratch. And then, suddenly,
they are all dead, but a heap of blackness to commemorate
SAM's prowess. The GIRL is beaming as SAM makes his way
toward the hawsers holding the cage. But then a noise
behind him makes him turn. There, behind him the pile of
black shapes begin to rise. The ropes become a mass of
flapping black cloth. This evil churning cloud coalesces
and lifts off the ground. The horrible flapping apparition
emits a terrifying maniacal laughter as it flies away. SAM
is about to rush after it to halt its escape but is
stopped by the sound of a telephone ringing. He looks
around - confused.
24 INT. SAM'S BEDROOM MORNING 24
TIGHT SHOT of telephone. The ringing continues. A hand
grapples with the receiver. SAM is in bed in a darkened
room. Sleepily he drags receiver to his ear.
SAM
Hello ... What ... what? Oh ... Mr
Kurtzman! ... You're up late. Oh, is
it?
There is an electronic box of tricks by his bed,
incorporating an alarm. SAM thumps it. The alarm goes off.
This sets of a series of other things ... The window
shutters roll up letting in the morning light. Both taps
turn on in the bathroom ...
SAM
(into phone)
The electronics here are up the
spout. Yours too, sir? Don't worry
sir - I'll be there.
SAM puts down the phone and gets into his suit which is
moving towards him. Noticing one of his film posters is
loose he pushes the pin in firmly.
In the kitchen a coffee maker starts up. In the sitting
room the television switches on. Back in the bedroom a
cupboard door springs open and a rack slides out with
SAM's clothes neatly hanging - ready to be put on. SAM
comes out of the bathroom, having turned off the bath
taps, and starts to get dressed. In the kitchen the coffee-
maker has finished making s small pot of coffee. SAM pours
a quick cup and is gone at the door. Throughout all this
we have had a chance to get a glimpse of SAM's flat. It is
functional, soulless and, though neat, has not been
assembled with a loving hand. Most of the furnishings are
built in. The walls are divided into two-foot square metal
panels painted a non-committal colour. Certain of the wall
panels have Central Services logos on them with the
admonition "Do not obstruct or remove" below. SAM has
livened his bedroom up with large and colorful film
posters. The sitting room sports several framed pictures
of wide beautiful vistas.
25 INT. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION LOBBY DAY 25
This is a gigantic, vaguely 30's monumental-style
building. The lobby is a vast impressive space containing
reception desks, fountains, statues etc. Prominent are the
security measures, which include automatic mobile cameras,
video screens and groups of SECURITY MEN who search all
who enter. SAM is finishing going through Security when he
meets JACK who is on his way out of the building.
JACK
Sam!
SAM
Jack!
JACK
Long time no see!
SAM
Well, since you disappeared up the
ladder of Information Retrieval ... I
don't expect to see you slumming in
Records - what's the problem?
JACK
Problem? - No problem - yes,
everything's going fantastically
well, wonderful, marvelous, great
career prospects, Alison in great
shape, kids fine, beautiful home, I'm
on Security Level Five now, and Mr
Helpmann relies on me more and more,
yes, couldn't be better, I feel
terrifically motivated and job-
rewarded -
SAM
You sound worried.
JACK
Me? - if I'm worried about anyone,
it's you. What happened to you, Sam?
You were the brightest of us -
As they have been talking, a nearby bank of closed circuit
TV screens has been displaying shots of people entering
the lobby. As each one enters the CAMERA ZOOMS IN TIGHT on
their faces for a frozen CLOSE-UP. JILL has just entered
and the CAMERA ZOOMS IN and freezes on her face. SAM
happens to glance up at this moment. He is startled - the
over-exposed TV image is the face of the GIRL FROM THE
DREAM. The face is only there a few seconds before being
replaced by another picture. SAM looks about to see where
the GIRL is, but JILL, in overalls, has her back to him as
she stands in the queue for the Information desk and so
there is no-one even vaguely reminiscent of the DREAM
GIRL. SAM decides he must have imagined it. Over this JACK
has been talking.
JACK
What's the matter?
SAM
Sorry. Nothing.
(snapping out of it)
See you - I'm going to be late.
JACK
(looking at his watch)
You are late.
SAM
Even later.
JACK
Sam, your life is going wrong - let
your friends tell you - Records is a
dead end department, no Security
Level worth a damn, it's impossible
to get noticed -
SAM
Yes, I know, fantastic, marvellous,
wonderful - remember me to Alison -
and the - er - twins.
JACK
Triplets.
SAM
Really? - God, how time flies!
As SAM heads off to the lift, he passes a group of MEN
standing around a temporary TV monitor. Several of them
are dressed in white lab coats. They are being explained
the benefits of a new surveillance system by a salesman
type. His assistant is operating the controls. On the
monitor we can see JILL standing in the queue for the
Information desk. The CAMERA appears to he tracking in on
her.
CUT TO JILL at top of queue with several forms in her
hand. A strange prototype radio controlled camera on a
wheeled base is whirring and clicking as it approaches
her. Throughout the next sequence it pokes around JILL in
an annoying manner - thrusting itself at her face, trying
to see what is written on the forms, peering over her
shoulder. JILL hands a form to the Information Porter.
JILL
I want to report a wrongful arrest.
PORTER
(looking at form)
You want Information Adjustments.
Different department.
JILL
(exasperated but
controlled)
I've been to Information Adjustments.
They sent me here. They told me you
had a form I had to fill in.
PORTER
Have you got an Arrest Receipt?
JILL
Yes.
PORTER
Is it stamped?
JILL
(producing Buttle receipt)
Stamped?
PORTER
(examining receipt)
No, there's no stamp on it. You see!
I can't give you the form until it's
stamped.
JILL
Where do I get it stamped?
PORTER
Information Adjustments.
The radio-controlled camera noses right up to JILL's face
as she turns. She swats the annoying thing with her stack
of forms as she storms off. The camera overbalances and
crashes into the desk - sparking and spluttering.
CUTTING BACK to the GROUP around the monitor we see a
deeply hurt SALESMAN and several sceptical white-coated
TECHNICIANS.
26 INT. MR KURTZMAN'S OFFICE DAY 26
SAM is busily working at the console, unraveling a problem
while KURTZMAN looks on anxiously and ineffectually.
KURTZMAN
Perhaps the machine's on the blink!
It keeps picking up old films. That
can't he right, can it?
SAM
It's not the machine. There's a
mismatch on the personnel code
numbers... Ah there we go! That's a
B58/732 when it should be a T47/215
... Tuttle ... he should have £31.06,
debited against his account for
electrical procedures, not Buttle.
KURTZMAN
Oh my God, a mistake!
SAM
It's not our mistake!
KURTZMAN
(eagerly)
Isn't it? Whose is it?
SAM
Information Retrieval.
KURTZMAN
Oh, good!
SAM
Expediting has put in for electrical
procedures in respect of Buttle,
Archibald, shoe repair operative, but
Security has invoiced Admin for
Tuttle, Archibald, heating engineer
SAM is still punching keys.
KURTZMAN
What a relief! I don't know what I'd
do if you ever got promoted.
SAM
Don't worry.
KURTZMAN
But if they did promote you
SAM
I've told you before. I'd turn it
down.
KURTZMAN
Would you really, Sam?
SAM
Really.
KURTZMAN
(churned up)
You've been promoted.
KURTZMAN hands SAM a sheet of printed paper. SAM takes the
paper, not pleased, and glances at it.
CLOSE UP of paper: "LOWRY, S. (RECORDS. MIN OF INF.)
TRANSFER TO INFORMATION RETRIEVAL - (Expediting, Security
Level 3).
KURTZMAN
It's your mother isn't it? Pulling
strings again.
SAM
(explodes)
What a BITCH!
27 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE DAY 27
CUT TO an old WOMAN's face reflected in triplicate in a
three-panelled mirror. A pair of MAN's hands have a grip
on her flabby cheeks, pulling them out several inches on
either side of her face. When I say several inches that's
just what I mean. Not only are her jowls being stretched
like silly putty but they are also being wrapped around to
the back of her neck to demonstrate how tight and smooth
her face can be made by DOCTOR who is prattling on over
this freak show.
DOCTOR
Now, when you come in tomorrow, Mrs
Lowry, we'll make a little tuck here
... and there ...
CUT TO WIDE SHOT of DOCTOR's surgery. It looks a bit like
a cross between an operating theatre and a boudoir. The
cold steel, glass and plastic surfaces are badly disguised
with pastel coloured chintz and satin. At the dressing
table sits the old WOMAN, SAM'S MOTHER. Behind her stands
the DOCTOR. He is much like his surgery. He has tailored
his surgical garments like a gigolo's dressing gown. It
seems that he has done a bit of tuck-taking on himself.
There is a certain plastic smoothness to his skin, but all
in all he has been fairly successful. SAM is pacing
around, raving.
SAM
(angrily)
I just wish you would stop
interfering, mother! I don't want
promotion. I'm happy where I am.
MOTHER
No you're not. Jack Lint is a lesson
to you - he never had your brains but
he's got the ambition. You haven't
got the ambition but luckily you've
got me. And Mr Helpmann. Mr Helpmann
was very close -
DOCTOR
Now, Mrs Lowry, don't get upset
(so SAM)
Please wait in reception, Mr Lowry,
you're giving her wrinkles.
MOTHER
You see!
SAM
(groans)
DOCTOR
Now Mrs Lowry, try to relax. You must
trust me. I'll make you twenty years
younger ...
SAM
Huh!
DOCTOR
(giving Sam a dirty look)
... twenty-five if we just drain the
excess fluid from the pouches ...
MOTHER
Dr Jaffe, you're a genius. Would you
like to be Surgeon General? Four
Star. I know everybody.
DOCTOR
Well they won't know you when I've
finished with you.
The DOCTOR reaches into his smock pocket for a coloured
marker. He starts colouring up her face with strokes of
different coloured markers.
DOCTOR
First we must eliminate the excess
derma ... so! ... Then the flaccid
tissues under the eyes ... And now
the forehead ... Zip! I lift the
wrinkles and worry lines right up
into the wi- into the hairline, comme
ca ...
SAM looks disgusted.
DOCTOR
And now the template ... There ...
there ... there ... Now a bit of
sticky ... There we go!
(triumphantly)
Already she is twice as beautiful as
she was before - voila!
The DOCTOR moves his body aside, revealing MRS LOWRY's
face, covered with coloured lines and wrapped in
cellophane held in shape by cellotape. SAM stares at her.
SAM
My God, it works.
28 INT. POSH RESTAURANT (ENTRANCE) DAY 28
The conversation between SAM and his MOTHER takes place
while they are going through the sort of security checks
familiar at airports. They are, however, just outside the
velvet rope of the posh restaurant.
MOTHER
(in full flow)
Mr Helpmann was very close to your
poor father. He was very close to me.
Still is. He'll take you under his
wing at Information Retrieval. You'll
like it when you get there.
SAM
You're not listening, mother.
A warning buzzer goes off as MOTHER's handbag goes thru
security check. It turns out to have been activated by a
gaily wrapped package. A SECURITY GUARD relieves her of it
and unwraps the package which contains the same kind of
executive toy which we have seen twice before.
MOTHER
It's a present for my son.
She takes the toy back and hands it to SAM.
MOTHER
I hope you like it. It's very
exclusive.
SAM
What is it?
MOTHER
It's something for executives.
At this point the MAITRE D arrives on the scene.
MAITRE D
Madam Lowry, how exquisite to see you
again. Merry Christmas.
He pulls aside he velvet rope with a grand flourish. He
looks disdainfully at SAM's unfashionable clerk's suite
MOTHER
Hello, Spiro. Merry Christmas.
SPIRO
(blocking Sam's way)
I'm sorry but ...
MOTHER
You remember Samuel, my son.
SPIRO
{suddenly unctious)
Oh, but of course ...
MOTHER
We're meeting Mrs Terrain.
SAM
Are we?
SPIRO
Ah yes, the lady is waiting.
SPIRO leads the way. SAM and his MOTHER follow, across the
restaurant which is much like the Palm Court at the Plaza
New York. Trellises, marble columns, antique mirroring,
potted palms combine to impress us with their
sophistication and taste. A string quartet can just be
made out against the far wall. Except for the unfortunate
intrusion of metal tubing and ducting brutally thrusting
across areas of the ceiling, occasionally penetrating
right through the middle of a particularly valuable-
looking mirror, the general effect is one of confident
wealth and breeding. SAM, MOTHER and MAITRE D make their
way across the room. The waltzing strains of the string
quartet accompanying them.
CUT to group of tables with diners. At one of them sits a
wealthy-looking OLDER WOMAN with a rather plain-looking
DAUGHTER in her 20s. The OLDER WOMAN is easily
distinguished from the other clientele by a large bandage
that covers a goodish part of her head. The two of them
(the MOTHER and DAUGHTER, not the MOTHER and bandage) are
perusing the menus. SAM notes the DAUGHTER, unpleased.
SAM
Mother, I thought we were going to be
able to talk .... Oh God, she's got
what's he name with her.
SAM and his MOTHER arrive at the table.
MRS TERRAIN
Ida! Sam!
MOTHER
Alma, how are you? You're looking
wonderful! Hello, Shirley.
SHIRLEY
(shy to Sam)
Salt?
MRS TERRAIN
(to Shirley)
Not yet.
(to Sam and Mother)
Happy Christmas, Sam.
She hands SAM a gaily wrapped package which obviously
contains the same executive toy.
MOTHER
Sorry we're late. Shall we order? Get
it out of the way. What are you going
to have Alma?
She starts to hunt through the huge menu the MAITRE D has
just handed her with full colour photos of the splendid
dishes available.
MRS TERRAIN
I can't make up my mind whether to
have a number one or a number two.
What do you recommend, Spiro?
SPIRO
(conspiratorially)
Between you and me, Madam, today the
number two.
MRS TERRAIN
Thank you, Spiro. Shirley, what are
you going to have?
SHIRLEY
(panics quietly)
SPIRO
(conspiratorially)
Between you and me, Mademoiselle,
today the number one. Madam Lowry?
MOTHER
Oh, to hell with the diet, a number
eight, please.
SPIRO
A most perceptive choice, Madam, if I
may say so.
(to Sam)
Monsieur?
SAM
(brusquely)
A steak, please. Rare.
(to his mother)
Mother, I need to ...
SPIRO
(piqued)
Monsieur. Quel numero.
SAM
(handing back menu)
I don't know which numero.
SPIRO
(writing on pad)
Numero, trois.
EVERYONE is a bit embarrassed here. MOTHER gives SAM a
withering look. SPIRO stalks away.
MOTHER
(trying to restart things)
Alma, you wicked thing ...
(indicating bandages)
you've started your treatment.
MRS TERRAIN
You noticed.
(enthusiastically)
I must tell you all about it.
SAM
(to his mother)
Mother, will you listen to
At this moment the food arrives. SPIRO elaborately lifts
off the silver covers and with a flourish distributes the
plates of food. Each order looks identical - a big splodge
of brown lumpy stuff. The only differences between the
lumps are the Identifying photographs on sticks stuck in
each. The beautiful colour photos match the photos which
were on the menus.
SPIRO
(showing off that he
remembers who's ordered
what)
Numero huit, braised veal in wine
sauce.
(he sets it in front of
Sam's Mother)
MRS TERRAIN
It's too exciting. I've left Dr Jaffe
and gone to Dr. Chapman.
SPIRO
Numero deux, duck a l'orange.
(he sets it in front of Mrs
Terrain)
MOTHER
The acid man?
MRS TERRAIN
Really, Ida, just because his
techniques are revolutionary ... I
don't go around calling Dr Jaffe the
knife man.
SPIRO
Numero une, crevettes à la
mayonaaise.
(he sets it in front of
Shirley)
MOTHER
I'm sorry Alma, I didn't mean to
sound so ...
MRS TERRAIN
That's all right Ida ... it's just
that he's such an artist. To him,
cutting is so crude ... so primitive.
SPIRO
Numero trois, steak.
(He sets this in front of
Sam)
Monsieur, Mesdames, Bon appetit.
ALL BUT SAM
Merci.
MRS TERRAIN
Acid on the other hand, can be used
for such wonderfully subtle shading,
such delicate nuances - just like a
Rembrant etching ... and it's so much
quicker. Why, if it weren't for a
teensy-weensy complication - the
doctor said it could have happened to
anyone - I would have had these
bandages off yesterday.
SHIRLEY
(to Sam, after attracting
her mother's attention and
receiving a nod)
Salt?
They are just about to dip into their respective splodges
when there is a terrific explosion - a huge hole is
blasted out of the wall to the kitchen. Chaos erupts
around the carnage as WAITERS try putting out the flames
with extinguishers. PEOPLE, bloody and dying, are moaning.
The DINERS not actually affected by the blast look up for
a moment and then, with a few raised eyebrows, go back to
their meals.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EXPLOSION.
MOTHER
What were we saying?
SAM
(picking bomb debris out of
his brown lump)
This isn't rare!
MOTHER
By the way, I saw a wonderful idea
for Christmas presents at the
chemists. Gift tokens. Medical gift
tokens.
MRS TERRAIN
Oh, that sounds marvellous.
MOTHER
Yes, they're good at any doctor's and
at many of the major hospitals - and
they're accepted for gynecological
complications including Caesarian
section.
SAM, in the act of taking in another forkful of his
unappetising meal, drops his form in disgust
SAM
Look - please - I'm sorry - but
honestly, mother, this is -
MOTHER.
I quite agree! - It's impossible!
MOTHER raises her arm to gain the attention of the MAITRE
D who is frantically trying to deal with the emergency.
The activity in the background has increased throughout
the conversation. The fire-brigade has arrived with sirens
blaring. Ministry TROOPS have charged in and are arresting
WAITERS. Stretchers have been bought in for the injured
and these are being rushed past our little GROUP's table.
The MAITRE D comes to the table, his DJ now blood-
spattered.
MAITRE D
I am sorry, Madam ... I don't know
what to say ... this very rarely
happens to us - I'll do what I can
straight away
He hurries away.
MRS TERRAIN
Really, Sam - when are you going to
do something about these terrorists?
SAM
What? Now? It's my lunch hour.
MOTHER
Actually, Alma, that's one of the
little things I was dying to tell you
... Sam's been promoted to
Information Retrieval.
SAM
(angry and surprised)
Mother!
MRS TERRAIN
Oh that's wonderful! Congratulations
Sam...
SHIRLEY
You can show those fucking murderous
bastards a thing or two.
MRS TERRAIN
(shocked and embarrassed)
Shirley!
SAM
Stop this!
(leaping to his feet)
I'm not being promoted. I'm not going
to Information Retrieval!
(he scrumples promotion
notification which he has
been holding and throws it
on the floor)
If I want you to stick your oar in,
mother, I'll tell you where to stick
it!
EVERYBODY is shocked. He recovers his composure slightly.
Embarrassed, he bends, and picks up the ball of paper
which he starts smoothing back into Its flat state.
SHIRLEY
(back to her uncertain
form)
Pepper...?
SAM
Look - I've got to get back -
As SAM goes, MAITRE D reappears with a group of WAITERS -
those remaining unarrested - whom he has organised to gut
up a folding screen around the table. This cuts of the
sight if not the noise of the VICTIMS of the explosion.
MOTHER
Sam ... you haven't had dessert.
SAM
I'm sorry. I don' t want dessert. I
don't want promotion. I don't want
anything.
MOTHER
Don't be childish, Samuel. Of course
you want something. You must have
hopes, wishes, dreams.
Their voices have been rising towards a shout in order to
rise above the volume of the growing chaos around them.
SAM
(shouts loud)
NO, NOTHING. NOT EVEN DREAMS!
29 EXT. BRILLIANT SKY DAY 29
SAM as his dream-self rises INTO SHOT, his wings straining
as he tows the floating cage imprisoning the GIRL. They
are rising up and away from the monolithic stone
skyscrapers that stretch away below them.
SAM
I'm taking you to a safe place. A
place where they will never be able
to get at us ... ever.
An eyeball is scanning the sky. PULLING BACK we see it is
but one of thousands, tightly packed side by side forming
a landscape that extends as far as we can see. As SAM and
the GIRL in her cage come into view it becomes apparent
just how big these eyeballs are - they are gigantic -
about 10 feet in diameter. All of them follow SAM as he
comes to rest on a platform high atop a column that rises
from the centre of this bizarre place.
SAM
There's no way they can approach us
without being seen. You're safe here.
He anchors the hawser holding the cage and takes off his
wings. Just as he starts climbing up to the cage a
terrific cracking noise is heard. SAM freezes.
A dead straight crack is bisecting the sky from somewhere
beyond the horizon - running right up the sky and over the
camera. SAM follows it as it continues over the GIRL and
down to the opposite horizon. Another crackling noise is
heard. Another crack appears. Then another. And another.
All these cracks are emanating from a vanishing point over
the horizon. Soon the sky is covered with these cracks
from horizon to foreground. Then cracks begin appearing at
right angles to them. Very quickly the sky is covered with
a mammoth grid. Once it is complete, another noise is
heard. Something like massive blocks of stone sliding
against one another. One of the squares formed by the grid
pattern begins to slide upwards as if being pulled out
from the back side of the sky. A square hole is left in
its place. We can see the sides of the hole as it extends
upwards into blackness. As soon as this first block of sky
is withdrawn, another begins to slide up and away. SAM is
frozen in position as this terrifying spectacle goes on
above him. The eyeballs are madly looking this way and
that. The grinding noises are deafening as block after
block of sky is removed. With each successive loss the
light decreases. The GIRL is crying out for SAM to save
her. Frantically SAM tries to haul the cage down to the
platform but it's too late.
Where the sky was is now pitch black. Only one block of
sky remains. Slowly that final bit of sky is pulled up and
out of shot. Total blackness. A maniacal laughter can be
heard. A beam of light is switched on. SAM has a
searchlight in his hand and is searching the darkness. The
laughter continues. Suddenly the beam catches something
black and moving. it's the same black, flapping cloth that
appeared at the end of the previous dream. The horrible
flapping thing comes thundering down on SAM.
He is engulfed in the black awfulness.
30 INT. SAM'S BEDROOM NIGHT 30
SAM is in bed, grappling with the bedclothes. He is
dripping with sweat and screaming. The room is
oppressively hot. He gets up and looks at the thermostat.
It reads 99. He fumbles with it, but to no avail. It's
stuck.
CUT to SAM coming into the sitting room. He rushes over to
the window and tries to open it. But it wasn't designed to
be opened. Screws hold it firmly shut. SAM heads to the
kitchen He finds a knife which he uses to unscrew the
window. He swings the window open and takes a deep breath.
GAG! COUGH! HACK! A terrible greeny-brown smog pours in
through the window. Desperately SAM shuts the window and
madly tightens up the screws. Swinging a newspaper, he
tries clearing a path through the clouded atmosphere. He
makes it to the front door and staggers out into the hall
gasping for air.
CUT to telephone being lifted from its cradle. Pull back
as SAM with opened telephone directory in front of him
dials. He is seated in his kitchen. In front of his open
refrigerator. The phone rings at the other end.
SAM
(into phone)
Hello - Central Services - I'm at
579B Block l9, Northwestern Section D
- that's exit 1 on Green Pastures
Highway at the Orange Blossom Flyover
- and I've got trouble with the air-
conditioning
PHONE VOICE
Thank you or calling Central
Services. am sorry, due to temporary
staff shortage, Central Services
cannot take service calls centrally
between 2300 and 0900 hours - have a
nice day - this has not been a
recording, incident-
SAM
This is an emergency!
PHONE VOICE
Thank you for calling Central
Services. I am sorry, due -
SAM
Yes, but. I've got to have a heating
engineer
PHONE VOICE
Thank you for calling Cen -
SAM slams the phone down.
CUT to SAM sitting in front of the refrigerator. The door
is open and he has wedged a chair into the gap in a
desperate bid to keep cool. He is nodding off. As his head
slumps against one of the shelves, a jar of pickled onions
falls to the floor. The onions scattering everywhere.
31 EXT. DARKNESS NIGHT 31
The milky white spheres tumble everywhere. But they are
not onions, they are the giant eyeballs burtling through
space. SAM is clinging desperately to one. He grabs the
pupil for a better handhold and it opens like a hatch
cover. SAM manages to pull himself inside. Once out of the
intergalactic maelstrom, SAM turns to survey the cramped
and dark space inside the eyeball. It seems to be bisected
by a dividing wall, from which a thin sliver of light is
escaping. Pushing on the wall in the area of the slit, SAM
is able to move a section. More light shaftes into the
tiny space from around the edges of what appears to be a
small hatch. SAM scrunches down and really puts his
shoulder to the hatch. with a metallic rasp it gives way
and SAM crashes through.
CUT to other side of opening as SAM topples through. He
catches himself in the nick of time as the camera zooms
back revealing his close call with disaster. He is high on
a vast wall of what looks like filing cabinets. The hatch
he came through was the front of one of the millions of
files-drawers composing this wall. As he scrambles back
into the opening we can see that the wall drops away for
hundreds of feet, disappear into a steaming mist. Other
walls of files enclose this vast space. From where SAM is
it looks like the view from the 50th storey of the Time
Life building in NYC. These millions of files are being
tended by MEN arising themselves up and down, as well as
sideways, on modern skyscraper window-cleaners' platforms.
The attendants are seen putting PEOPLE in different period
costumes into drawers. SAM's attention is distracted by a
sound overhead. Looking up he sees a window washer
platform being lowered in his direction. Leaning over the
side is a JOLLY GENT, who happens to look like MR HELPMANN
(as seen on TV).
GENT
Ah ha ... there you are, Sam.
SAM
What? How do you know my name?
GENT
We know everything here. This is the
Storeroom of Knowledge.
SAM
(climbing onto the
platform)
Then perhaps you can help me. I've
lost someone who ...
GENT
(interrupting)
We know that too. You've come to the
right place.
The platform carries them along the files.
GENT
Oh, yes. We've got everything here.
Every bit of knowledge, wisdom,
learning ... every experience, every
thought neatly filed away.
SAM
(incredulous)
What? You mean you've got ...
GENT
Well not exactly. But, if you help us
we'll help you. The Forces Of
Darkness have won the day ... but,
tomorrow is another one
SAM
What do I have to do.
GENT
You must save the day.
The platform has stopped. The GENT pulls out a drawer. He
reaches inside.
The GENT pulls out a wonderful sword and helmet.
GENT
This is the Sword Of Truth ... and
this the Helmet Of Justice.
As SAM begins to strap on the weapon the GENT brings out a
cape.
GENT
And this. completes the outfit.
He puts the cape around SAM's shoulders and helps him step
into the drawer. A moment's hesitation and then SAM outs
the helmet on and lies down in the drawer. It fits just
like a coffin.. As he lies back the GENT pushes the drawer
in.
GENT
It won't be pleasant but, trust me.
As the drawer is pushed in SAM suffers a sudden bout of
claustrophobia. Looking up at the diministing opening he
is surprised to see - not the face of the JOLLY GENT - but
a terrifying SAMURAI WARRIOR's masked helmet. SAM
struggles to prevent the drawer being closed.
32 INT. SAM'S FLAT NIGHT 32
SAM is grabbing the walls of the fridge. Water from the
defrosted freezer compartment drips on his head. He wakes
up. Before he can really take in where he is the phone
rings. He staggers over to it.
SAM
Hello ... hello ...
PHONE VOICE
Hello. Mr Lowry?
SAM
Who's that?
(pause)
A sound at the kitchen door turns SAM's head - and ours -
just in time to half see a quick blurred movement, but
then a rapid voice in his ear-piece brings his head back.
PHONE VOICE
Put the phone down and your hands up.
SAM
(into the phone)
What? Who is this?
SAM realises that the voice is also in the room behind
him. He turns round and sees TUTTLE. TUTTLE is middle-
aged, a short tough figure dressed in dark clothes
suggesting a cross between a cat burglar and a night-raid
commando. In one hand he holds a gun pointed at SAM. The
other hand is holding a telephone receiver which TUTTLE is
in the act of placing in the large capacious bag at his
feet. SAM puts down his phone, and his hands up.
TUTTLE
Nice and easy now. Keep your hands
where I can see them.
SAM
What is this?
(indignantly)
Who the hell are you?
TUTTLE, keeping the gun on SAM, goes to different doors,
leaning backwards into bedroom, bathroom and closet.
TUTTLE suddenly relaxes and pockets his gun.
TUTTLE
Harry Tuttle. Heating engineer. At
your service.
SAM
Tuttle! Are you from Central
Services?
TUTTLE
Ha!!
SAM
But ... I called Central Services.
TUTTLE
They're a bit overworked these days.
Luckily I intercepted your call.
SAM
What?
By now, BOTH are pouring with sweat.
TUTTLE heads across the room and swiftly begins to undo a
wall panel.
SAM
Wait a minute, what was that business
with the gun?
TUTTLE hands SAM the panel and plunges his arm into the
space behind it.
TUTTLE
A little precaution, sir. I've had
traps set for me before now. There
are people in Central Services who'd
love to get their hands on Harry
Tuttle.
SAM
Are you saying this is illegal?
By now TUTTLE has managed to pull out some sections of
flexible ducting from the welter of mechanical offal
behind the removed panel. It is all very complicated and
greasy and it looks as though there is a lot more where
that came from. TUTTLE is amazingly neat and deft as he
works. A real pro. As he works he hums a wee tune ... yes
... BRAZIL!!
TUTTLE
Well, yes ... and no. Officially,
only Central Service operatives are
supposed to touch this stuff ...
Could you hold these.
TUTTLE
(he hands Sam a bunch of
wires that he has detached)
... but, with all the new rules and
regulations ... unncgh, c'mon, c'mon
... they can't get decent staff any
more ... so ... they tend to turn a
blind eye ... as long as I'm careful.
(he hands Sam a torch)
... Mind you, if ever they could
prove I'd been working on their
equipment ... well, that's a
different matter ... up a bit with
the torch, sir.
SAM
Sorry. wouldn't it be easier just to
work for Central Services?
TUTTLE
Couldn't stand the pa - ah - we're
getting warm -
SAM
The pace?
TUTTLE
The paperwork, couldn't stand the
paperwork.
(indicating the torch)
Over to the left please, if you don't
mind sir. Hold it there. Yes, there's
more bits of paper in Central
Services than bits of pipe - read
this, fill in that, hand in the other
- listen, this old system of yours
could be on fire and I couldn't even
turn on the kitchen tap without
filling in a 27B/6.... Bloody
paperwork.
SAM
(mildly)
Well I suppose one has to expect a
certain amount
TUTTLE
Why? I came into this game for
adventure - go anywhere, travel
light, get in, get out, wherever
there's trouble, a man alone. Now
they've got the whole country
sectioned of and you can't move
without a form. I'm the last of a
breed. Ah ha! Found it!
(he holds up a small
charred gadget)
There's your problem.
SAM
Can you fix it?
TUTTLE
No. But I can bypass it with one of
these
He pulls another gadget from his bag.
SAM
Fine.
The door bell. TUTTLE grabs for his gun.
TUTTLE
Are you expecting anyone?
SAM
No. Wait here.
He goes out closing the immediate door and goes to the
front door which he opens. He is confronted by two
officious little men in boiler suits who are standing
outside his door. Their names are SPOOR and DOWSER. DOWSER
is SPOOR's echo.
SAM
Yes?
SPOOR
Central Services.
DOWSER
...ervices.
SAM
Uh - what? - I ...
SPOOR
You telephone, sir.
DOWSER
...elephoned sir.
SPOOR
Trouble with your air-conditioning.
DOWSER
...ditioning.
SAM
(gulps)
No, not at all. I mean, it's all
right. It's fixed.
SPOOR
Fixed?
DOWSER
Fixed?
They don't like that.
SAM
I mean it fixed itself.
SPOOR
Fixed itself.
DOWSER
...ixed itself.
SPOOR
Machines don't fix themselves.
DOWSER
... fix themselves.
SPOOR
He's tampered with it, Dowser.
DOWSER
...ampered. with it, Spoor.
SAM
Look, I'm sorry about your wasted
journey
SAM tries to close the door but SPOOR prevents this.
SPOOR
(to Dowser)
I think we'd better have a look.
DOWSER
... have a look.
SAM
No you can't.
He is pushed aside. SPOOR followed by DOWSER, heads for
the door behind which is MR TUTTLE. SAM is paralysed.
SPOOR approaches the door as if it is dangerous. He turns
the handle quietly and gives the door a little nudge. The
door begins to swing slowly open. SAM suddenly finds
inspiration.
SAM
Just a minute!
SPOOR and DOWSER turn round as the door continues to swing
open. When the door is open, behind their backs TUTTLE is
seen holding his pistol in a two-handed grip, his knees
slightly bent. TUTTLE freezes like that, pointing his
pistol through the open door.
SAM
Have you got a 27B/6?
DOWSER looks very angry. Veins stand out on his forehead
and he goes into what looks like some sort of fit. SPOOR
knocks him to the ground.
SPOOR
(to Sam)
Now look what you've done to him.
SAM
Have you got one or haven't you?
SPOOR
Not ... as such ...
DOWSER moans and begins to get back on his feet.
SPOOR
But we can get one.
SPOOR
(worried about Dowser)
It's all right, Terry, it's all
right, everything's all right.
SAM
(ushering them to the door)
I'm sorry, but I'm a bit of a
stickler for paper work. Where would
we be if we didn't follow the correct
procedures?
SPOOR
We'll be back.
DOWSER
...Be back.
SAM
(Closing the door on them)
Thank you.
SAM turns back to TUTTLE who is coming forward pocketing
his gun.
TUTTLE
Thanks, Lowry, you're a good man in a
tight corner.
TUTTLE returns to work, fitting in the new by-pass gadget
and tightening the nuts, and happily humming "BRAZIL".
SAM
Listen .. um ... I don't want to get
involved in any of this. But I work
at the Ministry of Information, and I
happen to know that Information
Retrieval have been looking for an
Archibald Tuttle, Heating Engineer.
You wouldn't by any chance be -
TUTTLE
(pleased)
My friends call me Harry. Information
Retrieval, eh? Interesting!
SAM
What do they want you or?
TUTTLE
Time to go.
TUTTLE finishes the job and throws his tools into the bag.
SAM
Thank you very much. How much will
it...?
TUTTLE
On the house. You did me a favor.
Check the corridor.
SAM goes to the front door, opens it and looks out.
SAM
All clear.
TUTTLE slips out and heads off down the balcony corridor.
SAM
Hey that's a dead end.
But TUTTLE merely undoes a pre-arranged rope and swings
Tarzan-like off the end of the balcony and across a multi-
story void to a neighboring block. SAM is amazed - not to
say - stunned.
33 INT. RECORDS POOL DAY 33
SAM is at his desk among all the desks. Documents are
being delivered right, left and centre through the vacuum
tubes. All the CLERKS are busy. The screens are devoted to
their proper use. All this activity is explained by the
fact the MR KURTZMAN's door is wide open. At the next desk
is another CLERK much like SAM, his NEIGHBOUR.
NEIGHBOUR
I think Kurtzman getting is
suspicious.
SAM
What have we got on today?
NEIGHBOUR
Casablanca.
KURTZMAN appears in his doorway.
KURTZMAN
(calls out)
Mr Lowry! Would you step in here a
moment please.
We go with KURTZMAN as he closes the office door behind
him, we are now in ...
34 INT. KURTZMAN'S OFFICE DAY 34
KURTZMAN is pacing anxiously. SAM walks into the office.
During the brief opening and closing of the door we just
manage to hear the piano player in "Casablanca" singing,
"... a kiss is just a kiss ...". KURTZMAN is too worried
to notice. He is holding a piece of paper gingerly as if
it were contagious. He waves it frantically as SAM enters.
KURTZMAN
(hysterically)
Thank God you're here! We're in
terrible trouble! Look at this! Look
at this!
He thrusts the piece of paper at Sam.
SAM
(taking the paper)
A cheque.
KURTZMAN
The refund for Tuttle!
SAM
(startled)
Tuttle?
KURTZMAN
I mean, Buttle! It's been confusion
from the word go! He's been wrongly
charged for Electromemorytherapy and
someone somewhere is trying to make
us carry the can!
SAM
I've never seen a Ministry cheque
before.
KURTZMAN
We've got to get rid of it! There's
been a balls-up somewhere, and when
the music stops they'll jump on
whoever's holding the cheque!
SAM
Send it to somebody else. Send it to
Buttle. It's his cheque.
KURTZMAN
I've tried that! Population Census
have got him down as dormanted, the
Central Collective Storehouse
computer has got him down as deleted,
and the Information Retrieval have
got him down as inoperative ...
Security has him down as excised.,
Admin have him down as completed
SAM
Hang on.
SAM sits down at the console and punches keys. He does
this very efficiently, muttering to himself and generally
demonstrating an expertise which obviously leaves KURTZMAN
way out of his depth, until -
SAM
He is dead.
KURTZMAN
Dead! Oh no! That's terrible! We'll
never get rid of the damned thing!
What are we going to do?
SAM
Try next of kin.
KURTZMAN
(a revelation)
Next of kin!
SAM punches more keys.
SAM
There we go. Mrs. Veronica Buttle.
What's the number on the cheque?
KURTZMAN
(reading it)
27156789/074328/K.
SAM has been efficiently punching this in.
SAM
Into memory. Now ... Central Banking
... Buttle, Veronica ... Deposit
SAM rips off a print out, rapidly stuffs it and the cheque
into a cannister and then into a vacuum tube. A job well
done.
KURTZMAN
(fervently)
Please don't come back! Please don't
come back!
Unfortunately KURTZMAN's prayers are not answered and the.
vacuum tube returns almost immediately. SAM opens it up.
From the computer screen comes a voice "Play it again,
Sam" - SAM and KURTZMAN look at the screen. We get a quick
glimpse of Humphrey Bogart before the screen reverts to
numbers.
SAM
Problem. She doesn't have a bank
account.
KURTZMAN
(hysterically)
Well, that's it! I may as well go and
hang myself! This sort of thing
couldn't have happened before the
stupid seventh tier reorganization!
That was Simmons doing! And he and
Jeffries always sit together at
lunch! The bastards!
(he thumps his hand hard on
the desk top)
Ow!
(He picks up the offending
cheque)
Perhaps we can lose it ... behind the
filing cabinet ... or destroy it ...
burn it ... eat it ...
Under this tirade SAM has begun to hum "BRAZIL" - not
entirely sure what inspired him.
SAM
You'd never get away with it.
Besides, you can't do that to
somebody's refund. It's Christmas.
There is one more option.
KURTZMAN
(depressed. Not really
believing it)
What?
SAM
Drive out to Mrs Buttle, give her the
cheque, tell her to sign her name on
the back, cash it at the corner sweet
shop.
KURTZMAN is dumbfounded by the audacity of this.
KURTZMAN
That's brilliant!
SAM takes over. In no time at all he has battered away at
the keyboard, slammed a cannister into a vacuum tube and
received almost immediately a cannister containing a sheaf
of different coloured papers.
SAM
I'll do it for you. Authorise the
cheque. What's the address?
KURTZMAN scribbles it down for him.
KURTZMAN
Here. What do I do next?
SAM
Call the motor pool and authorise
personal transport.
KURTZMAN
Of course, of course. Leave it to me.
How do I authorize a cheque?
SAM
(separating the and blue
sheets)
Here we are. Pink and blue receipts.
All you've got to do is sign these
and the back of the cheque.
KURTZMAN takes out his pen and tries to sign the papers
but his hand is giving him trouble.
KURTZMAN
(exhausted after all the
emotion)
Oh God! I think I've broken a bone.
What a pathetic thing I am.
SAM
(taking the pen from him)
Here.
SAM signs the cheque and receipts. A big CLOSE UP shows
that he is scribbling KURTZMAN's signature. SAM pockets
the papers and the pen.
SAM
That's it.
KURTZMAN
You are good to me Sam.
SAM
(leaving)
Don't mention it. See you later.
35 EXT. MOTORWAY TUNNEL DAY 35
CUT to SAM at the wheel of the little car, beetling along
in a seemingly endless, tube-like tunnel, menaced fore and
aft by huge buses, lorries and other carriers which
literally lift the little three-wheeler from the road
surface and shake it by the scruff of its tiny neck.
CUT to SAM in interior of the Messerschmidt. He is singing
along to an obscure arrangement of "BRAZIL".
RADIO
(plays music for a moment
which then fades out)
... We interrupt this programme to
bring you news of a terrorist bombing
at the ...
(Sam switches off)
36 EXT. MOTORWAY TUNNEL DAY 36
CUT to exterior view of Messerschmidt still merrily
progressing in arterial tunnel. CUT to very tiny exit
sign: Exit 49.
CUT to SAM peering at sign.
CUT to Messerschmidt taking the exit just as a huge lorry
roars by.
37 EXT. BUTTLE FLATS DAY 37
Beautiful utopian block of high-rise flats gleam in the
sunlight. Pulling back we reveal it to be an architect's
model in a protective perspex case standing in the centre
of a decorative fountain that has long ceased to work -
graffiti and junk are now the only decorations. In the
background is the grim reality of the massive housing
tower. SAM's Messerschmidt is just puling up in the shadow
of the building which is grey, decrepid, vandalised. Huge
conduits, pipes, and tubing frame the scene. SAM gets out
of the car under the cool and none-too-friendly gaze of a
few LOCALS. Self-consciously, SAM looks around him, then
at the paper in his hand. A little group of KIDS sit
pitching pennies against a wall. SAM goes over to them.
SAM
(super polite)
Excuse me. Can you tell me ...
But before he can finish, the smallest, tiny KID looks up.
KID
Eff off.
SAM, uncomfortably, effs off.
He is watched, at some distance, imapassively by the
little GIRL BUTTTLE. As SAM enters the buildings one of
the kids gets out a can of something and approaches the
car. Another is fiddling, with a box of matches.
38 INT. BUTTLE FLATS DAY 38
CUT to SAM hesitantly walking into the semi-derelict lobby
of the big block of flats. Graffiti, vandalism are in
evidence everywhere. He walks up to the lift. Pushes the
button. Nothing happens. He pushes again. This time the
lift door shudders and sparks. SAM tries to pull the doors
apart. They jam open with a three-inch gap between them -
still shuddering and grinding. In the sparking light, SAM
can make out an interior crammed with garbage, junk, old
furniture, dead cats. Yechhhh. Resignedly, he turns
towards the stairs.
39 INT. CORRIDOR DAY 39
CUT to SAM coming breathlessly out of the stairwell. On
the wall next to it is the number 37. Walking down the
corridor he looks at the number and starts to knock, but
then notices that the door is cracked open. SAM tries to
knock on the door, but it keeps edging open and he settles
for knocking on the door frame a bit feebly.
SAM
Mrs Buttle
(silence)
Uh, Mrs Buttle?
(silence)
SAM stands not knowing what to do.
SAM pushes the door a bit more open gingerly and puts
about 65 per cent of his body into the hall of the flat.
CUT to SAM's POV of darkish hall.
SAM
Mrs Buttle ...
40 INT. BUTTLE SITTING ROOM DAY 40
CUT to SAM entering extremely tacky sitting-room shrouded
in half-darkness. This is the same flat from which the
FATHER was taken at the beginning of the film: the hole is
still in the ceiling. SAM becomes aware of a woman sitting
absolutely still at a small table by the only (still
broken) window in the room.
SAM
Are you Mrs Buttle?
The WOMAN nods very slightly without looking at him.
SAM
My name is Lowry - Sam Lowry. I'm
from the Ministry of Information.
(no response)
I've come to give you a cheque.
SAM takes the cheque out of his pocket and puts it on the
table to tempt MRS BUTTLE into a flicker of interest but
she fails to notice it - or him for that matter. SAM
pushes the cheque a little way towards MRS BUTTLE but she
does not respond.
SAM
(indicting cheque)
It's a refund ... I'm afraid there
was a mistake.
MRS BUTTLE
Mistake?
SAM
(encouraged)
Yes. Not my department ... I'm only
records. It seems that Mr Buttle was
overcharged by Information Retrieval.
I don't think they usually make
mistakes ... but, er ... I suppose
we're all human.
SAM looks around and sees the hole in the ceiling.
Oh ... what happened to the ...?
He gets nothing back.
Actually, my bringing this here is
rather unorthodox ... Usually any
payments are made through the central
computer ... but, er ... there were
certain difficulties, and rather than
cause delay, we thought you might
appreciate this now ... it being
Christmas.
MRS BUTTLE
My husband's dead, isn't he?
SAM
Er ... I assure you Mrs Buttle, the
Ministry is always very scrupulous
about following up and eradicating
error. If you have any complaints
which you'd like to make, I'd be more
than happy to send you the
appropriate forms.
MRS BUTTLE
What have you done with his body?
SAM
Um ...
MRS BUTTLE starts to cry.
SAM
Look, I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid
I don't know anything about it ...
I'm really just delivering the
cheque. Er ... If you wouldn't mind
signing these receipts
(producing blue and pink
receipts)
I'll go and leave you in peace.
SAM picks up the cheque and gives it to MRS BUTTLE
together with the receipts. MRS BUTTLE tears them up and
throws them in his face.
SAM
Uh ...
MRS BUTTLE
He hadn't done anything ... He was
good ... What have you done with his
body?
SAM looks around for an escape and sees a YOUNG BUTTLE
standing in the doorway. The BOY is looking at him with a
blank tearful face. Suddenly the BOY launches himself at
SAM with terrible ferocity. SAM is knocked against the
wall. A mirror falls off the wall and smashes on the
floor. The BOY is all over SAM kicking and pulling his
hair. MRS BUTTLE's reaction, however, is to try and pull
the BOY away from SAM. By the time she succeeds, SAM is on
his hands and knees, in pain. The BOY is crying and
shouting, and MRS BUTTLE is loudly trying to quieten the
BOY.
From SAM'S POV, a piece of broken mirror lying on the
floor reflects the hole in the ceiling ... with JILL's
head and shoulders framed in the hole. The moment is
unreal for SAM in his dazed condition. The vision seems
unreal too. JILL is staring at SAM out of the piece of
mirror and. she's very much the GIRL from his dream now.
JILL
Are you alright?
SAM
(mumbles)
It's you ... it's you ...
JILL
Mrs Buttle, are you alright?
SAM grabs at the image, i.e. at the mirror, shifting the
angle so that the vision disappears. He looks for the
vision on the floor but can't find it. Then he begins to
realise the reality of what he has seen. He stands up,
dazed and battered. MRS BUTTLE has been looking up at the
ceiling. SAM looks up at the ceiling but there is now only
the empty space of the hole.
SAM
Wait! Stop! Come back!!
MRS BUTTLE is shouting. SAM rushes out of the flat.
41 INT. BUTTLE'S CORRIDOR DAY 41
SAM looks both ways and heads for the stairs.
42 INT. BUTTLE'S STAIRCASE DAY 42
SAM runs up the stairs to the floor above and finds
himself in -
43 EXT. SIMILAR CORRIDOR DAY 43
He runs along the corridor but has omitted to count the
doors downstairs and now doesn't know which door to knock
at. He hesitates. He rings the bell on what he hopes is
the right door. The bell doesn't work. He bangs on the
door. The door opens a crack. A malevolent eye looks at
him.
SAM
Girl ... fair hair ...
The door shuts firmly. SAM rushes to the next door.
44 INT. JILL'S FLAT DAY 44
SAM bursts into JILL's flat. He sees the hole in the
floor. The place looks derelict. He hears an explosion and
looks out of a window to see his car in flames. JILL is
apparently retreating from it across the forecourt. She is
carrying a suitcase and bundles.
45 INT. STAIRCASE DAY 45
SAM rushes down the stairs.
46 EXT. BLOCK OF FLATS DAY 46
SAM charges out into the open air. JILL has disappeared.
The Messerchmidt, however, is in flames. SAM doesn't know
which way to turn. Spotting an old mattress lying by the
building he grabs it and throws it over the car in an
attempt to smother the flames. The group of CHILDREN watch
him silently. Suddenly with a great roar, JILL's lorry
comes round the corner at speed. SAM sees that JILL is at
the wheel. SAM runs after the lorry.
SAM
(shouting)
Wait! It was nothing to do with me!
The lorry roars away. SAM dashes back to his smoldering
three-wheeler. He flings himself into it and starts it up.
He also roars away, except that he doesn't move... all
three wheels have been removed. He turns round in despair
and sees the group of CHILDREN regarding him
expressionlessly.
They include the little GIRL BUTTLE.
Defeated, he slumps down against his charred vehicle. A
shadow passes across his face. Looking up he sees GIRL
BUTTLE standing over him.
SAM
Go away.
GIRL BUTTLE
Her name is Jill.
SAM
What? ...Jill? Jill who? Jill who?
GIRL BUTTLE
Layton.
SAM
Jill Layton ...
(getting up)
You're a very good little girl. What
are you doing here?
GIRL BUTTLE
I'm waiting for my daddy.
SAM
(uncomprehending)
He will be pleased when he comes
home.
GIRL BUTTLE doesn't answer and SAM starts to walk away.
After a few yards, the thought strikes him: he turns back
to look at the little GIRL BUTTLE who stands alone
patiently in the vandalised wilderness.
47 INT. RECORD CLERKS POOL DAY 47
It is the end of the work day. The CLERKS are busily
getting their coats and leaving the office. As the last
one goes MR. KURTZMAN comes out of his private office with
his hat and coat on. He turns out the office light. He
sees SAM isolated in the empty room, still working at his
computer console. Totally absorbed in what he is doing.
KURTZMAN
Oh ... Sam. I've had the transport
pool onto me ... You don't know
anything about a personnel
transporter gone missing do you?
SAM doesn't seem to hear him. On the computer screen is a
front and side view picture of JILL. Her name and code
number is at the top of the screen. SAM is punching up
personal dossier information like "age", "height",
"weight", "colour of hair", "colour of eyes",
"distinguishing marks" etc.
SAM
(preoccupied)
A "personnel" transporter? They've
got it wrong. I had a personal
transporter. I'll do the paperwork
tomorrow -
SAM punches up a few more categories for JILL's dossier.
KURTZMAN
Is it all right about Mrs Buttle's
cheque?
SAM
I delivered it.
KURTZMAN
Can I forget it?
SAM
Yes.
SAM punches a few more buttons on the computer.
KURTZMAN
What a relief!
(on reflection)
I shall probably have nightmares.
At this point the word "Classified" superimposes itself
over most of the screen and "IRQ/3" starts agitating at
the bottom
SAM
Damn! Blast!
KURTZMAN
What's the matter?
SAM
You don't happen to know how I can
get around an IRQ/3 do you?
KURTZMAN
All information on 3rd Level Suspects
is classified.
SAM
I know that.
KURTZMAN
All enquiries to Information
Retrieval. Which is hopeless, of
course. They never tell you anything.
But come the time they want something
from us ...
Throughout this verbal wallpaper SAM has been punching
keys cancelling the CLASSIFIED overprint. He then punches
in the code for a hard-copy print-out. JILL's two-view
computer portrait rolls out as SAM ponders his options.
SAM
(cutting off Kurtzman)
I've go to accept that promotion to
get behind this, haven't I?
KURTZMAN
Yes.
(realising what he's
suggesting)
NO! You can't! You've only just
turned it down!
(thinking Sam is joking)
SAM
I never signed the form.
KURTZMAN
I did it for you.
SAM
What! Shit!
KURTZMAN
It's what you wanted isn't it?
SAM
Yes ... No ... I don't, know.
KURTZMAN picks up JILL's print-out and glances at it. He
grimaces and drops it back on the desk with a shudder.
KURTZMAN
Come on, before they turn the lights
out.
SAM nods. He turns off the machine. He stands up and
follows KURTZMAN towards the door. The door is some
distance away, and before they get there all the lights go
out. KURTZMAN bumps into a desk and curses.
48 INT. TRANSPORT CAGE EVENING 48
Packed tightly between other passengers SAM is busy
drawing long flowing hair with a pencil on the computer
print-out of JILL turning her into the DREAM GIRL. The
transport cage rattles through its elevated tube towards a
tower block.
49 INT. SAM'S CORRIDOR EVENING 49
The transport cage arrives at the platform forming the end
of SAM's corridor. Passengers disembark and head for
various doors along the corridor. SAM almost fails to get
off in time - so concentrated on JILL's picture is he.
Looking as if he's trying to make up his mind about
something he heads for his own front door.
50 INT. SAM'S FLAT EVENING 50
SAM enters. The place is in a state of turmoil. Servicing
panels are off the walls. Conduit, ducting, pipes, unknown
mechanical horrors spew from the wall as if the place was
disemboweled. SPOOR stands in the middle of it all trying
to direct two other WORKMEN who are poring over wiring
plans which seem to make little sense to them. DOWSER is
not visible but there is a great deal of clunking and
banging going on somewhere behind the wall.
SAM
What the - ? How did you - ?
SPOOR
Emergency procedures.
DOWSER (O.S.)
(muffled)
...ergency procedures.
SAM
(angrily)
I haven't got an emergency. Get out
of here.
For reply SPOOR whips a small tape-recorder out of his bag
and plays back SAM's original phone call to Central
Services, claiming "an emergency". SPOOR shuts off his
machine, puts back into his bag and comes out with what
looks like a quite thin phone hook with carbon paper
between each page. SPOOR indicates the bottom of page 1.
SPOOR
Sign here please.
SAM
What is it?
SPOOR
(surprised)
It's a 27B/6, what did you think it
was?
SAM takes out KURTZMAN's old-fashioned fountain pen from
his pocket, signs where indicated. SPOOR registers that
SAM's signature has hardly penetrated through he first
carbon let alone the other 43
SPOOR
(sourly)
Haven't you got a ballpoint?
SAM resignedly starts signing all the other pages one by
one. SPOOR realises that DOWSER's echo has gone missing.
SPOOR
Now where's he got to?
(shouts)
Dowser!
DOWSER bursts through a panel in the wall. This is the
panel which TUTTLE had removed and replaced. A few of the
flat's intestines have come out with DOWSER. DOWSER has
made a find - TUTTLE's spare part.
SPOOR
What have you got there?
DOWSER
(highly excited)
Got there!
DOWSER points to TUTTLE's spare part which is hanging out
of the wall attached to rubber tube. SPOOR examines this
closely. SAM watches alarmed. The TWO MEN go into a
mumbling huddle.
SPOOR
Mumble ... mumble ... mumble ...
Tuttle
DOWSER
Mumble ... Tuttle ...
SPOOR
Tuttle! ... mumble!
(to Sam)
You've had that scab Tuttle here,
haven't you?
DOWSER
...aven't you?
SAM
What?
SPOOR
Who fixed your ducts?
DOWSER
...your ducts?
SAM
I fixed it myself.
SPOOR
Oh yeh? Where'd you get this from eh
(he holds up Tuttle's spare
part)
out yer nostril?
DOWSER
...Yer nostril?
SPOOR
Central Services don't take kindly to
sabotage!
DOWSER
...sabotage!
SPOOR and DOWSER and the other workmen gather up their
tools - put them in the bag, grab everything else that
belongs to them and are leaving. SPOOR grabs the form-book
out of SAM's hands, rips out the last page, thrusts that
page at SAM, shoves the book into his bag. The WORKMEN
begin leaving the flat.
SAM
Hang on! Wait a minute! You can't
just go and leave it like this!
SPOOR
(mock innocent)
Why not? All you've got to do is blow
yer nose and fix it, haven't you?
DOWSER
...ven't you?
SPOOR
(leaving)
You're putting your talents to very
odd use Mr Lowry - yes, odd use - to
pit wits against Central Services -
DOWSER
...sod you, stupid twit.
They go, slamming the door behind hem, leaving SAM in the
ruins of his flat.
SAM stands in the maimed sitting-room. Wall panels are
off. Tubes, ducting wires etc. spill out into the room
like greasy intestines. SAM more or less collapses onto a
couch. He stares at the ceiling. The room is gently
hiccoughing and belching around him. He stares at the
print-out of JILL's face. Slowly it dissolves into the
DREAM GIRL.
51 EXT. CONDUIT FOREST NIGHT 51
DREAM GIRL's face fills screen. The camera pulls back to
reveal that she is separated from us by a tangled forest
of conduit/ducting-like vines. SAM is struggling through
the vines, which grab at him, entwine and entangle him.
Finally bursting free he reaches out for the GIRL hovering
before him, But as he embraces her she dissolves in smoke
and he plummet into a void beneath his feet.
52 EXT. CLOUDS NIGHT 52
CUT to SAM plummeting down through dense clouds, his cape
twisting around him. Somehow he manages to wrestle it
clear of his body. Gripping the corners he whips the cape
up and over his head. The wind catches it and fills it out
until it acts as a parachute slowing SAM's descent.
Suddenly the clouds thin out and SAM can see below him.
53 EXT. STRANGE LANDSCAPE ANTI-DAY 53
SAM is heading down towards a barren landscape. Strange
mounds dot the barrenness - they ooze smoke and the
occasional flame. Near one of the mounds are two long
lines of shrouded FIGURES being forced into two giant
cages, suspended beneath two great misshapen balloons. The
black-robed FORCES OF DARKNESS (FOD) surround the
PRISONERS, relentlessly herding them towards the cages.
The entire scene is strangely coloured by unearthly light.
The sky is blood red and where the sun should be is a
black disc. SAM descends on his cape-parachute.
CUT to PRISONERS in their grey shrouds, shuffling towards
the jaws of the brutal cages. They are defeated,
destroyed, without hope. The FOD prod and whip them
forward. One of the FOD raises his spear to force a
stumbling PRISONER to his feet but stops with the spear
raised above his head. He has seen something. Other FODS
turn to see what it is. CUT to SAM landing on the beach -
a short distance away. The PRISONERS stop and look up. We
see their faces clearly for the first time. One of them is
MRS BUTTLE. Others are PEOPLE SAM saw in the flats, and
the KIDS. SAM recognises them. He is slightly taken aback.
A look of determination crosses his face. He draws the
sword. EVERYONE is frozen in place. SAM starts forward.
But he is stopped by a violent tremor as the earth begins
to tremble and shake. EVERYONE looks terrified. With a
mighty roar a crack opens up in the ground between SAM and
the OTHERS. Brilliant rays of light shaft upwards from the
opening. And then, with a maniacal shriek, the large black
flapping thing shoots out of the crevasse and streaks high
into the sky. SAM hesitates and turns to look down into
the light. There, under several meters of the earth's
crust are fluffy white clouds darting about in a beautiful
blue sky. SAM is delighted but as he looks up he is frozen
in his tracks by an enormous FIGURE that straddles the
crevasse. This terrifying CREATURE stands over 12 feet
high. He is encased in a frightening concoction of ancient
Japanese armour which seems on closer examination to he
made of computer parts. His face is hidden behind a
horrific steel mask. It is the GIANT SAMURAI WARRIOR that
was pushing the drawer closed in the Storeroom Of
Knowledge. In his hand is an evil-looking spear. SAM is
unsure which way to turn. The GREY PRISONERS are being
loaded into the cages with more speed. He turns to face
the GIANT WARRIOR. As SAM steps forward the GIANT stands
ominously still. Then very slowly he raises his spear in
an almost religious gesture. POOF! He vanishes. As he does
the light from the day is cut off. Looking down, SAM sees
that he crevasse has vanished as well. Maniacal laughter
from the flapping black thing makes SAM look up to see the
ballooned cage packed with GREY PRISONERS rise up from the
ground and begin to float away escorted by the Black
flapping Thing. SAM rushes after it grabbing one of the
trailing ropes. But as he is hoisted into the air it is
severed by the FODS. He tumbles to the ground. Looking
around he sees that, for some reason, the second ballooned
cage is still tethered nearby. SAM rushes over to it and
begins chopping the tethers away.
The cage bobbles ungainlily as SAM cuts the last
restraining rope. Grabbing hold he is pulled upwards, but
before he can reach the cage something clutches his leg
halting his progress. As he struggles his other leg is
caught. He is being pulled back by two giant hands.
Looking down he can see that from the top of one of the
smoking mounds a head and two giant arms protrude. The
face looks like MR KURTZMAN. SAM desperately clings on to
the rope as he struggles with the restraining hands.
MR KURTZMAN OF THE MOUND
Don't go! It's a trap! She's not what
she seems.
SAM kicks and strains but the hands hold firm.
54 INT. SAM'S FLAT NIGHT 54
SAM wakes up. His feet are entangled in some wiring and
ducting. He is still in his devastated sitting room. As he
untangles himself the door bell rings. It takes a moment
for SAM to recognise it as the door bell. Annoyed and
still disturbed by the dream he gets up and goes to the
door. He opens it. In bursts a GIRL dressed in a silly
bell-boy costume with lots of glitter, net stockings and
big-bowed tap dancing shoes. She launches into a terrible
song and dance routine.
GIRL (singing)
Mrs Ida Lowry requests the pleasure
of your companyyyy
at her apartment tonight,
from eight thirtyyyy
midnight
to celebrate the completion
of her recent cosmetic surgeryyyy
The guest of honour will be
Mr Conrad Helpmann,
Dep. Under Minister of State
for Public Information,
R.S.V.P. by singing telegram.
SAM and the GIRL stand looking at each other uneasily for
a moment.
SAM
Er ... Thanks ...
GIRL
It's reply paid.
SAM
Oh ...
(he sings uncertainly)
Thank you very much, mother, but
actually -
GIRL
You don't have to sing it.
SAM
Oh, right ...
The GIRL begins to dance again - but this time in a rather
strange strangled fashion.
SAM
(he looks at his watch)
Aren't you a bit late? - the party
started half an hour ago.
GIRL
Yes, I know. It's the backlog,
everybody complains. Was it all right
otherwise?
SAM
Yes, it was ... very nice ... thank
you.
GIRL
Do you mind if I use your bathroom?
55 INT. MOTHER' S CORRIDOR NIGHT 55
SAM rings the doorbell to his mother's flat. He is
wearing. an unstylish tuxedo and bow tie - obviously his
only dress outfit. The door is opened by a LIVERIED FLUNKY
who's about to speak when an attractive 40-year old
woman's face appears over his shoulder and addresses SAM
over the threshold.
WOMAN
Sam, I'm so glad you came. Do come
in.
56 INT. MOTHER'S FLAT NIGHT 56
SAM steps inside, where the flunky proceeds to search him.
The place is full of sleek people - smartly but less
formally dresses than SAM. It is an elegant baroque room -
lavishly appointed but still violated by the ubiquitous
Central Service ducts that thrust through antique
tapestries and gilt mirrors with little regard for
aesthetics or the interior decorator's feelings.
SAM
(bewildered)
Mother? Is that you?
MOTHER
(taking his arm - looking
slightly askance at his
clothes)
Of course. Isn't it wonderful? The
bandages came of this afternoon. Come
and join the fun. Everybody's here.
SAM
Is Mr Helpmann here?
MOTHER
Yes he is - he wants to talk to you.
SAM
I want to talk to him.
SAM pushes away the FLUNKY who is by now passing a metal
detector over him.
MOTHER
It seems you're the first person ever
to turn down a promotion. He thinks
you should see a doctor.
SAM
Actually, I've decided ...
DR JAFFE hoves into view.
MOTHER
Oh, Louis! You know Sam.
DR JAFFE is no longer suave. He has been transformed by
drink and success. Mostly by drink.
DR JAFFE
(as high as a kite)
Can you believe it?! Just me and my
little knife! Snip - snip - slice -
slice - Can you believe it?
SAM
(repelled)
Congratulations ...
DR JAFFE
And this is just the beginning!!
SAM
Really?
DR JAFFE
Chirst yes, you've seen her with her
clothes off. Faces are a doddle
compared to tits and arse.
(explains)
No hairline.
MOTHER
(primly)
Really, Louis.
A handsome young piece of BEEFCAKE delivers a drink to
MOTHER.
BEEFCAKE
I've been looking everywhere for you,
Ida.
The BEEFCAKE takes MOTHER away.
DR JAFFE
Ah, dear boy ... And what do you
think of your mother now?
VOICE (off camera)
It will never last.
SAM and DR JAFFE turn to see who is speaking. It is DR
CHAPMAN a tall, pipe-smoking, professional-looking gent.
DR JAFFE
(a trifle haughtily)
Excuse me, Dr Chapman, did you say
something?
DR CHAPMAN
That technique ... I've tried it. A
nice effect. But highly unstable. In
six months she'll look like Grandma
Moses.
SAM wishing to escape from this bitchery turns away but
suddenly freezes - the reflection in the large wall mirror
next to him is not that of the party guests - but of the
GREY PRISONERS in his dream - they are massed in the room
looking pleadingly towards him.
DR JAFFE
(unsuave again)
Now see here, Chapman. At least mine
don't look like they've been mugged.
Through the GREY PRISONERS pushes MRS TERRAIN.
MRS TERRAIN
(calls)
Sam!
SAM turns around to see her pushing through the party
guests.
MRS TERRAIN is limping and is even more heavily swathed in
bandages than the last time.
DR CHAPMAN hastily moves away as MRS TERRAIN comes up. She
claims SAM, taking his arm.
SAM
(looking at her worriedly)
Whatever happened to you?
MRS TERRAIN
There was a slight complication. Dr.
Chapman says it often happens with a
delicate skin like mine. Nothing to
worry about. He's promised me I'll
have these bandages off in a ...
SAM
(trying to disengage)
Actually, there's someone I want to
meet ...
MRS TERRAIN
(roguishly)
I know, I know ...!
She drags SAM through the party and we arrive at her
daughter, SHIRLEY, who is, of course, a wallflower.
MRS TERRAIN
Here we are! I'm going to leave you
two lovebirds in peace.
SAM
I ... uh ...
But he is alone with SHIRLEY, standing at the entrance to
his MOTHER's embarrassingly rampant boudoir style bedroom.
In amongst the diaphanous curtains enclosing the bed
MOTHER is playing hide and seek with a YOUNG STUD.
SAM
Can I get you a drink, Shirley?
SHIRLEY looks at him terrified.
SAM
Look ... Shirley ... your mother ...
and my mother ... they seem to have
got the idea ... I mean, I'm terribly
flattered, of course, but, um, the
thing is, I don't want you to be
under any false ...
SHIRLEY
{struggling into speech
shyly)
It's ... it's ... all right ... I
don't like you either ...
This isn't what SAM expected. He smiles weakly at her.
VOICE (off camera)
Sam!
SAM turns round, to see JACK LINT a few paces away.
SAM
Hello, Jack!
JACK
You remember Alison?
He indicates his cute blonde perfect junior executive's
WIFE
SAM
Hello, Alison. You look different.
ALISON
Well, I'm two years older.
JACK
And she's been to Dr. Jaffe!
ALISON locks displeased.
JACK
{winking at Sam)
She doesn't like me telling anyone
but she's pleased as anything really.
SAM
Er, I knew you looked different.
JACK
Remember how they used to stick out?
SAM
What? - Oh, yes - vividly. I used to
wonder if they were real.
ALISON
What, my ears?
SAM
Your ears?
JACK
Dr. Jaffe has pinned her ears back.
SAM
(covering up hopelessly)
Quite, absolutely - I always thought
they were false.
JACK
(looking past Sam)
Mr Helpmann!
SAM spins round and sees a very pleasant-looking
distinguished OLD MAN moving in their direction. He is in
a wheelchair.
HELPMANN
Hello, Jack.
JACK
You remember my wife ... Alis -
HELPMANN
Of course. Barbara isn't it? How are
you?
ALISON
Um ...
JACK
(instantly. Conveying to
Alison that she mustn't
object)
Barbara's very well, thank you, sir.
How are you?
HELPMANN
Fine, thank you. Hello, Sam. Ida said
you might be here. Have you got a
minute?
(to Jack)
Would you excuse us?
JACK is taken aback, envious and eager to please.
JACK
Of course .... of course ... Come on
Alison - Barbara
JACK propels his WIFE away.
HELPMANN I need your help, Sam.
57 INT. BATHROOM NIGHT 57
It's the sort of bathroom you would expect of MOTHER, an
adjunct to her boudoir. The pink or purple lavatory is in
the process of flushing, while SAM holds MR HELPMANN
vertical, grasping him under the armpits, while MR
HELPMANN is zipping his fly.
HELPMANN
Thanks very much Sam.
SAM
That's all right Mr Helpmann. Glad to
help.
He is lowering HELPMANN into the wheelchair.
HELPMANN
If I can help you ...
SAM
(broaching the subject)
Well, I ...
In maneuvering HELPMANN SAM clumsily knocks over one of
the pretty pots which fussily decorate MOTHER's bathroom
shelf. A thin layer of powder is spread over the wash-
stand.
SAM
Sorry ...
HELPMANN
Your father and I were very close. Of
course Jeremiah was senior to me but
we were close friends ... especially
after the bombing
(he indicates his legs)
and I
(chuckles)
keep his name alive at the office
every day.
With his finger HELPMANN is tracing letters in the
powdered surface.
HELPMANN
It's as though he's there speaking to
me - "'ere I am, J.H.!" The ghost in
the machine.
We see that HELPMANN has traced the letters EREIAMJH in
the powder.
HELPMANN
I know he would have wanted me to
help you ... And I promised your
mother I'd take you onto the team at
information Retrieval. But I gather
that ...
SAM
Mr Helpmann. I've changed my mind.
I'd like to accept the transfer - am
I too late?
HELPMANN
Too late? That's for me to say.
SAM
Well ... well, I ...
HELPMANN puts out his hand. SAM takes it.
HELPMANN
Welcome to Information Retrieval!
HELPMANN blows away the spilled powder and EREIAMJH with
it.
Scene 58 deleted Scene 58 deleted
59 INT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL LOBBY DAY 59
CUT to WIDE SHOT of massive imposing lobby - much like the
Records lobby - but this one is very austere. No crowds.
No statues. No decoration. Not even the ever-present
security checks. Impressive. And a bit unnerving. Framed
in the doorway is a lone TINY FIGURE. CUT to CLOSE UP.
It's SAM. He hesitates and then enters. CUT to video
screen. The video camera follows SAM across the lobby -
til he stops in tight profile at Reception Desk. We tilt
up revealing SAM standing facing us just beyond the
monitor which is on the desk.
SAM
(diffidently to the porter)
My name is Sam Lowry. I have to
report to Mr Warren.
PORTER
(looking down his nose at
Sam's unsleek clerk's suit
and then handing him an
I.D. badge)
Thirtieth floor, sir. You're
expected.
SAM
Er, don't you want to search me?
PORTER
No, sir.
SAM
(taken aback. Reaching into
his pocket)
My I.D. cards.
PORTER
No need, sir
SAM
(nonplussed)
But I could be anybody.
PORTER
No you couldn't, sir. This is
Information Retrieval.
(indicating to the right)
the lift's arrived, sir.
60 INT. 30TH FLOOR CORRIDOR DAY 60
SAM steps out of the lift.The lift doors close. SAM looks
up and down the corridor hearing nothing. Silence. Then
he, and we, begin to hear a sound. It is a curious
whirring murmuring tummeling sound, and it seems to be
growing closer. Suddenly a scrum of PEOPLE swings into
view around a corner at the far end of the rather long
corridor. At the centre of the scrum is a TALL MAN with a
magisterial expression and an air of eternal bustle. This
is MR WARREN. He is surrounded by the EXPEDITERS who are
competing for his attention with bits of paper and bits of
sentences. MR WARREN is snapping out decisions. Satisfied
EXPEDITERS drop out of the scrum at intervals,
disappearing one at a time through one of the many doors
which line both sides of the corridor.The scrum doesn't
get any smaller because new EXPEDITERS dart out of other
doors and join the milling MOB. The whole circus is coming
by SAM at the rate of knots. The sound it makes breaks
down into something like this.
EXPEDITER 1
(waving pager)
Mr Warren, this order ...
EXPEDITER 2
(waving same)
Mr Warren ...
EXPEDITER 3
(ditto)
About this invoice ... Victim's list
...
WARREN
(dealing on all sides)
Yes ... No ... send that back ...
wrong department ... of course ... of
course not ... yes ... no ... maybe.
CUT to SAM watching this caravanserai with awe as it
starts pass him.
EXPEDITER 4
... about these requisitions ...
EXPEDITER 5
Mr Warren ... EX/27 has 15 suspects
still outstanding.
EXPEDITER 6
... a decision, Mr Warren ...
WARREN
... cancel that ... okay ... put half
as terrorists, the rest as victims
... yes ... yes ... no ... definitely
no ...
SAM doesn't have the nerve to jump into this. The scrum
sweeps by and fades away along the corridor, and finally
disappearing around the corner at the other end. SAM
follows. Silence has descended again.
61 INT. CORRIDOR DAY 61
SAM gets to the corner of the corridor and finds a similar
corridor at right angles. He hesitates and continues. Then
he starts to hear the sound again. It is coming up from
behind. MR WARREN has circumnavigated the building. The
same sort of business is being enacted at the same pace.
As the scrum reaches SAM he gathers his nerve and jumps
right in beside WARREN, and keeps going.
SAM
(in a hurry)
I'm Lowry, Mr Warren ... Sam Lowry.
WARREN
(putting arm around Sam)
Ah. Lowry ... yes.
(still dealing with
Expediters)
... no, cancel that ... glad to have
you aboard ... yes ... no ... don't
be ridiculous Jenkins ... Yes, yes,
yes ... you'll like it up here ...
send that back ... we've got a crack
team of ... are they kidding? ...
decision makers ... No, in triplicate
... I'm expecting big things ... two
copies to Finance ... of you ... send
that to Security ... uh, uh, uh.
(poring over forms)
Uh, don't let Progress see this ...
between you and me, Lowry, this ...
no, no ... department ... tell
Records to get stuffed ... is about
to be upgraded and ...
WARREN suddenly pivots around, swinging SAM 240 degrees in
the direction they came from plus a bit.
WARREN
Ah, here we are!
(they are standing facing a
door - one of the hundreds
of identical doors lining
these corridors)
What do you think?
The door says: OFFICER DZ/015.
SAM has no idea what he ought to say.
WARREN
(solemnly)
Your very own number... on your very
own door ... and behind that door
(he turns the knob and
opens the door)
... your very own office.
Congratulations, DZ/015, welcome to
the team.
WARREN whirls off in a flurry of paperwork and EXPEDITERS
leaving SAM standing dumfounded at the entrance to his
office.
CUT to SAM's POV of the office. It is about four feet
wide. A small blacked-out window high on the far wall is
bisected by what looks like a recently constructed side
wall. The room is bare except for a chair and a desk which
is also bisected by the new wall. Pneumatic tubes hang
from the ceiling. SAM slowly enters the room.
62 INT. SAM'S OFFICE DAY 62
SAM looks lost ... disoriented. He doesn't know where to
begin because there's nothing to begin with. He squeezes
in behind his desk and for want of anything else to do
starts arranging his "in" and "out" baskets. There in his
"in" basket is one of the ubiquitous executive toys -
gaily wrapped with a card from HELPMANN - Merry Xmas &
Welcome. SAM can't quite believe. He returns to lining up
his pencils, placing a couple of bocks (phone books)
against the wall on the left extreme of his desk. SAM
turns his attention away from the books when suddenly they
both fall over with a "plop". Puzzled, he stands the books
up again, turns his eyes away and "plop". Same result.
Intrigued, a bit exasperated, SAM carefully, and before
his very eyes, the desk begins to disappear into the wall,
and "plop", the books topple over. Puzzled, SAM grabs hold
of the desk and begins to try to pull it back through the
wall. The desk moves back an inch or so, but then stops,
somehow held stubbornly. SAM grits his teeth, reallllly
pulls, grimacing a bit, but the desk won't budge.
Intrigued, SAM gets up, goes around his desk and heads for
the door.
63 INT. CORRIDOR DAY 63
Cut to SAM coming out of his office, turning right and
walking to the next door, the nameplate of which reads:
OFFICER DV/048.
As is his custom, SAM opens the door without knocking.
63a INT. LIME'S OFFICE DAY 63a
CUT to SAM'S POV. Here is an office much like his. It's
the other half of his room bisected by the partition wall.
The other half of his desk is occupied by a slimy looking,
round-headed little JUNIOR EXECUTIVE wholly occupied with
trying to drag a bit more of the desk into his office. He
is unaware of SAM.
SAM
Hello.
LIME startled, lets go of his desk and vents his
irritation on SAM whom he mistakes for someone else.
LIME
No, you can't have any more chairs!
There's only one left in here now,
and I need that to sit on!
(realizing his mistake)
Oh ... er, sorry. Who are you?
SAM
Sam Lowry.
LIME
(becoming unctuous)
Ah, yes, you're the new boy from next
door, ha ha!
(he advances toward Sam
with hand out to shake.
Shaking hands)
My name's Lime. Harvey Lime. Welcome
to Expediting.
SAM
Ah.
(he pauses - looking
around)
Would you mind if I borrowed your
computer console?
LIME
What?
SAM
I'll bring it back in ten minutes.
LIME
You want to take my console into your
office?
SAM
Yes.
LIME
(after a moment's
consideration)
I'll tell you what .... You tell me
what and I'll do it for. I'm a bit of
a whizz on this thing.
(indicates computer
console)
SAM hesitates, but sees that there's no other way.
SAM
(taking print-out on Jill
from his pocket)
Alright. There's someone I want to
check out. A woman called Gillian
Layton.
LIME
(leering)
A woman eh? I see.
SAM
(trying to ignore this)
I know her age and distinguishing
marks. But I need an address or a
place of work or something
LIME
(continuing to leer)
This is your dream girl, is it?
SAM
(taken aback)
What?
(recovering)
Look, let me use the console for a
few minutes.
LIME
(trying to be jocular)
You must be joking -
(entirely unconvincing)
When there's a woman involved -
there's no stopping me. Now, let me
have that sheet.
He takes Jill's print-out sheet from SAM and begins to
punch the keys laboriously with one finger. Nothing
happens.
LIME
Sod it, it's broken!
SAM
You haven't switched it on.
LIME
Oh - yes. Look you're putting me off,
standing there! Go back to your
office and I'll give you a knock when
I've finished.
SAM hesitates, but goes.
LIME
Go on. I'm not going to elope with
her.
SAM exits.
64 INT. SAM'S OFFICE DAY 64
SAM is sitting in his office listening to the protracted
one finger exercise which is going on next door. He stares
dumbly at the shining, absolutely useless, executive toy.
65 EXT. ICY SEA ANTI-DAY 65
The CAMERA skims along over an icy sea. This is SAM'S POV
as he wings his way over the water with his new gleaming
wings. In the distance rises a strange massive ship.
As he gets closer we can see that the snip is listing
heavily to one side. In fact it is barely afloat. Closer
still, it becomes apparent that the ship is made of stone.
Dark, evil, grey blocks of granite form not only the hull,
but the super-structures and smokestacks. It looks like a
massive medieval fortress gone to sea. The screen is
engulfed in stone. The CAMERA heads up the side of the
ship. Higher and higher we climb - past course after
course of mammoth stones. Reaching the first deck, we
continue upwards. There appears to be no entrance. SAM is
looking frustrated and angry. But then he spots an
opening. A few stones have come loose - one of them juts
out forming a ledge. As the cage passes, SAM jumps and
managed to gain a foothold on the outcropping. Squeezing
thru the gap in the rocks, he makes his way thru a dark
passage. Emerging from the opening he finds himself
teetering over an enormous abyss formed by the outer hull
and the inner stone core of the ship. Great stone ribs
curve downwards thru the darkness broken only by narrow
shafts of brilliant light streaming from occasional cracks
and fissures in the stone core. For a brief moment SAM
gets a glimpse of blue sky thru one of the openings but
his attention is distracted by a distant moan. Huddled far
below him at the bottom of the dark abyss are hundreds of
grey shrouded PRISONERS. Their moan blends with the creaks
and groans of the stones as the ship slowly wallows back
and forth. Suddenly a great boom resounds throughout the
ship. SAM is unsure where it comes from. And then another
boom reverberates about him. He has to steady himself as
the ship quivers from the noise. Another book. He clutches
at the wall.
66 INT. SAM'S OFFICE DAY 66
SAM's head is leaning against the wall of his office. The
boom repeats. LIME is knocking on the other side. SAM
leaps up. As he leaves his office he looks back to see the
desk creep through to LIME's office a little bit more.
67 INT. LIME'S OFFICE DAY 67
SAM enters. LIME is standing, proudly holding out a sheet
of paper.
LIME
Computers are my forte.
SAM
(reading)
Gillian Layton, age twenty three,
eyes, blue, hair, black, weight, one
hundred and twenty-one pounds,
distinguishing marks, blemish on
right shoulder, scar on left elbow
He stops, having come to the end. He looks at the other
side of the paper but there's nothing there.
Is this all you got?
LIME
It's a start isn't it.
SAM
(disbelieving)
But I already knew this!
LIME
Best to take it slowly where some
women are concerned.
SAM sits on LIME's chair and deftly punches the computer
keys.
LIME
Hey - that's my desk!
SAM
(working quickly)
Gillian Layton - Suspect S/5173.
Truck driver! All enquiries,
reference officer 412/L - Room 5001.
(switching off the machine
and getting up)
That's what I wanted to know. Thank
you very much.
68 INT. CORRIDOR DAY 68
SAM heads off down corridor. WARREN & CO. appear.
WARREN
Ah, Lowry, glad I caught you ...
(he continues to deal with
expediters in between
dealing with Sam)
No, send it back for ... Are you
settling down? ... I want this order
rescinded ... There's a query on a
personnel transporter you took out
from the pool ... Tell them no, tell
them yes, ... or was it a personnel
carrier you took out from
transportation ... Send that up to
Security ... Some kind of eight-wheel-
half-track, was it? ... Tell him I
want to see him ... Send round the
paperwork, Lowry ... Arrange a
conference on that one ... Anyway,
tidy it up, Lowry, there's a good
chap - get a new suit. Did you want
the lift?
The cavalcade is passing the lifts. SAM backs away into
the open lift. The cavalcade passes on out of sight. The
lift contains a CHARLADY with a bucket and mop. She
remains in the lift as SAM joins her.
69 INT. THE LIFT 69
SAM presses the button for the 50th floor. The lift doors
close on him and the CHARLADY. From somewhere far away
there is the groaning shriek of a man in pain. SAM glances
around the lift. There appears to be an air conditioning
vent in the ceiling.
SAM glances enquiringly at the CHARLADY who merely smiles
at him. Another scream is heard.
SAM
What's that?
The CHARLADY smiles again.
Doesn't that disturb you?
The CHARLADY fiddles with something in her ears and pulls
out a pair of wax earplugs.
CHARLADY
Beg your pardon?
The lift arrives.
70 INT. 50TH FLOOR CORRIDOR DAY 70
The lift arrives. SAM steps out. The CHARLADY remains in
the lift. The doors close. SAM heads down surgically clean
white-tiled corridor.
Passing a white-coated TECHNICIAN monitoring what appears
to be electric meters, SAM comes to a door with 5001.
Above the door a red light is glowing. SAM knocks. The red
light goes out and a green light comes on. SAM enters.
71 INT. ROOM 500l DAY 71
Inside there is a connecting door to he next door room but
the only person in the immediate room is a pleasant-
looking FEMALE typist, wearing headphones, chewing gum and
typing with great facility. SAM approaches the TYPIST who,
busily typing, twinkles a greeting (mimed) and silently
mouths the words ...
TYPIST
It won't be long now.
(she carries on typing)
SAM nods, and stands quietly by her. He can hear tiny
sounds coming through her headphones. He looks down at the
piece of paper in the typewriter. He reacts a bit
strangely, perhaps even winces. We see he close up of the
words being struck crisply on paper.
ON TYPEWRITER
AHHHH, Oh God ... No, don't ... UHH,
please ... I ... STOP!! I can't stand
... AIIEEEE.
TYPIST
(quietly, still typing)
Can I help you?
She is looking at SAM helpfully, holding one of the
earphones away from her ear. From this earphone we can
just hear quietly ...
EARPHONE
Oooooooh ... aaaaaahhh ... please ...
arrrrrghhhh no ... please ... Oh God,
No ... No, stop, I don't know ...
SAM
I'm looking for Officer 412/L.
The TYPIST nods smiling. She puts back the earphone and
carries on typing.
TYPIST
I'm sure he won't be long now.
She types a little more but suddenly stops.
I thought so!
She takes off the earphones and takes the paper and
carbonums out of her typewriter and starts collating all
the different copies.
Through the frosted glass door leading into the next area,
SAM can see a FIGURE come through a double door and turn
left, making a silly 'hi' sign to the TYPIST as he exits
from sight. She is charmed. Almost immediately after them,
a white-coated TECHNICIAN exits, but to the left.
TYPIST
You can go in now.
72 INT. JACK'S OFFICE DAY 72
SAM goes through the glass door and is about to push open
the double doors in front of him. He is halted by a noise
from the TYPIST - she indicates that he is to go to the
left. He does so and enters an office. An antique desk
with a large collection of executive toys and other
tastefully reassuring furniture fill the room which is a
rather oddly shaped ... distorted as it by the curved wall
of the much larger room that SAM was stopped from
entering. Nevertheless the feel of the room is confidently
successful. A buzzing noise draws SAM's attention to the
wash basin in the far corner. The Information Retrieval
TECHNICIAN is standing by a sink massing his temples with
old-fashioned scalp vibrators. His back to us.
SAM
Excuse me. Are you officer 412/L?
The TECHNICIAN makes no sign of having heard this. He
continues vibrating his temples.
SAM
(a bit louder)
Er, excuse me!
Getting no response SAM walks over to the TECHNICIAN. As
he passes the desk he notices a strange mask lying face
down on the desk top. It seems strangely familiar - but as
it is a negative concave image SAM isn't sure. He
continues over to the TECHNICIAN.
SAM
(louder)
Excuse me.
He touches the TECHNICIAN on the shoulder, who jumps with
a start. He spins around and turns out to be none other
than JACK LINT. He is amazed to see SAM.
SAM
(surprised)
Jack!!
JACK
(recovering slightly)
SAM! What a surprise!
SAM
(even more surprised)
Are you officer 412/L?
JACK looks confused. He pauses, and then removes ear
plugs.
JACK
(shaking Sam's hand)
Sorry about that ... Mr Helpmann told
me you were coming aboard -
congratulations!
SAM
Thanks. Are you officer 412/L?
JACK
For my sins. Are you settling in
alright?
SAM
Yes, thanks.
JACK
Terrific. I'm really glad you dropped
by. Unfortunately, I don't have any
time right now I've got a queue of
customers to deal with - er, why
don't we have a drink tonight?
SAM
(diffidently)
Ah ...
JACK
What?
SAM
I don't want to take up your time
now, but I was hoping you could give
me some information on somebody. It's
a security level three matter and
Information Retrieval records says to
refer to you.
JACK
OK. Come back this afternoon, about
four o'clock. If you give me the
number of the case, I'll have the
dossier here waiting.
(he pulls card from his
pocket - pushes it towards
Sam)
My tailor,... well worth the
investment.
SAM
(taking print-out sheets
from his pocket)
I've got numbers all over these - I'm
not sure which is the one you want.
JACK
(looking at the print-out
picture of Jill over Sam's
shoulder)
Layton! Oh shit!
SAM
What is it?
JACK
You clever bastard! I might have
guessed. You only moved in today and
you're already hot on the bloody
trail.
SAM
Am I?
JACK
Please, Sam, we're going to have to be open to each other
on this one. If you make a reputation with this case,
it'll be at my expense.
SAM
How do you mean?
JACK
How much do you know?
SAM
Not much.
JACK
Enough though, eh?
SAM
(getting sucked into this
exchange)
Not really, no.
JACK goes over to the sink and turns on the taps full
blast, splashing the water noisily into the basin.
JACK
OK. OK. Let's not fence around ...
This is the situation. Some idiot
somewhere in the building, some
insect, confused two of our clients,
B58/732 and T47/215.
SAM
B58/732, that's A. Buttle isn't it?
JACK
Christ! You do know it all!
SAM
No, no, I don't. I'm just beginning
Honestly. Sorry, carry on.
JACK
Well, your A. Buttle has been
confused with T47/215, an A. Tuttle.
I mean, it's a joke! Somebody should
be shot for that. So B58/732 was
pulled in by mistake.
SAM
You got the wrong man.
JACK
(a little heated)
I did not get the wrong man. I got
the right man. The wrong man was
delivered to me as the right man! I
accepted him, on trust, as the right
man. Was I wrong? Anyway, to add to
the confusion, he died on us. Which,
had he been the right man, he
wouldn't have done.
SAM
You killed him?
JACK
(annoyed)
Sam, there are very rigid parameters
laid down to avoid that event but
Buttle's heart condition did not
appear on Tuttle's file. Don't think
I'm dismissing this business, Sam.
I've lost a week's sleep over it
already.
SAM
I'm sure you have
JACK
There are some real bastards in this
department who don't mind breaking a
few eggs to make an omelette, but
thank God there are the new boys like
me who want to maintain decent
civilized standards of terrorist
eradication. We've got the upper hand
for the moment, but they're waiting
for us to slip up, and a little slip-
up like this is just the chance
they're looking for.
SAM
So how ...?
JACK
What I've got to do now is pick up
Tuttle, interrogate him at the same
voltage as Buttle, to the same meter
reading to the last penny, and juggle
the books in electrical banking.
SAM
What has Tuttle done?
JACK
We suspect him of freelance
subversion.
SAM
(dumbly)
He's a freelance subversive?
JACK
He's a compulsive heating engineer. A
maverick ex-Central Service repair
man with a grudge against society.
Now, fortunately, we're nearly out of
the wood, I think. At least we will
be when I get this Layton woman under
arrest.
JACK turns off taps and goes behind screen.
SAM
(agitated)
What's she done?
JACK
You didn't know as much about this
business as you pretended to, did
you?
SAM
Er ... no.
JACK
Very smart.
SAM
Er ... but I would've found out
anyway.
JACK
Yes. I'm impressed.
SAM
(playing the game)
Tell me about Layton.
JACK
She witnessed the Tuttle arrest - the
Buttle arrest - and since then she's
been making wild allegations,
obviously trying to exploit the
situation - she's working for
somebody, and she's not working for
us.
SAM
A terrorist?
JACK comes from behind the screen with a look confirming
just what SAM fears, and hands him a suit.
SAM
Ah ... thanks.
SAM begins to put the suit on.
SAM
(hesitantly)
But surely, I mean, perhaps she just
happened to live above the Buttles,
and ...
JACK
(picking up photograph of
wife and kids from his
desk)
Look after that suit, eh. Barbara
chose it for me.
SAM
Right. Er, you're not going to keep
calling her Barbara, are you?
JACK
Barbara's a perfectly good name,
isn't it?
SAM
(preferring to let his
drop)
Look, about the Layton woman - maybe
she's just trying to help the Buttle
family.
JACK
Why?
SAM
Why? Hell, not for any reason ...
JACK
{baffled)
I don't follow you.
SAM
Out of kindness.
JACK
(utterly baffled)
Kindness? What's the purpose behind
this line of enquiry?
SAM
(deciding to abandon this
line of country)
So what are you going to do about
her?
JACK
Get her out of circulation - I've put
her on the detention list.
SAM
(thinking fast)
You mean you're going to invite her
in so that she can spill the beans
inside the department?
JACK
(taken aback)
Well, I ... Good point. What do you
suggest?
SAM
Let me try to get to her. I'll
deactivate her.
JACK
What does that mean? I don't want to
be involved in anything unsavoury.
SAM
Trust me. You do trust me, don't you?
JACK
Of course. We went to school
together. You're my oldest friend.
SAM
And you're mine.
JACK
You're the only person I can trust.
SAM
Then we'd better keep this business
just between the two of us.
JACK
Right! Just between as and the
Security Forces.
SAM
They weren't at school with us.
JACK
But, I've already put her on the
search and detain list.
SAM
Take her off the list.
JACK
There's no procedure for that until
she's been arrested.
SAM
Say it was a mistake.
JACK
We don't make mistakes.
SAM
Well, I'd better get out there and
try to get to her before security
does. Let me borrow her dossier for a
while.
JACK
Er ... alright. For Christ's sake
don't lose it. Here, you'd better
sign for it.
JACK presents SAM with something to sign. He then gives
him the dossier.
SAM
Thanks, Jack. I'll be in touch.
JACK
Do you know what you're doing.
SAM
(about to say no, then
pauses)
Trust me.
JACK
(admiring Sam's new look)
Sam ... we're proud to have you at
Information Retrieval. Merry Xmas.
(he hands Sam another
executive package)
73 INT. CORRIDOR DAY 73
SAM steps out of Room 5001, newly suited with old suit
over arm. TWO GUARDS are guiding a BAGGEE down the
corridor ahead of him. Suddenly, the BAGGEE breaks away
from his GUARDS and begins to cannonball down the corridor
directly at SAM. SAM is flattened against the wall as the
BAGGEE rockets by.
CUT to GUARDS strolling past SAM.
CUT to BAGGEE running full tilt to the end of the
corridor, smashing into the wall, bouncing back, getting
up (now cross-ways in the corridor), bouncing off that
wall, then the wall behind him, then ...
74 INT. LIFT DAY 74
Slightly unnerved, SAM gets in the lift, pushes the button
for his floor - the 30th - and immediately begins perusing
JILL's dossier. The lift descends. But unnoticed by SAM
continued past his floor without stopping. It stops at the
Lobby Mezzanine. SAM looks up and realizes he is on the
wrong floor. Angrily he pushes the correct floor number
but before the doors close he hears an angry woman's voice
echoing through the massive lobby. He looks in the
direction of the porters desk. There stands JILL arguing
with the PORTER.
JILL
But you've stamped this form before!
Why won't you stamp it now?
PORTER
You've just said yourself, Miss,
we've already stamped it. Why should
we stamp it twice?
SAM is frozen. He can't believe what he sees. The lift
doors close. SAM is too slow to stop them. Madly he pushes
the buttons - to no effect. The lift descends. (At this
point we had better describe the lift. It is a cross
between the old metal grille lifts with accordion grille
doors and the super-sleek modern lifts that rise and fall
in glass tubes so that one can have panoramic views of
dramatic architectural spaces such as the lobbies of the
Ministry.)
SAM can see JILL and if JILL were to look up she could see
SAM descending. He is shouting and rattling the bars of
the lift cage but no sound escapes to catch her attention.
SAM sinks below the floor of the lobby desperately trying
to stop the demon lift. From his POV we see JILL
disappearing from view still arguing with the PORTER.
75 INT. BASEMENT DAY 75
The lift comes to rest. SAM is still trying to get it to
respond and return him to the lobby. TWO TECHNICIANS are
waiting as the doors open. From SAM's POV he sees them
hang a sign on the door and walk away. He bangs the
buttons for another moment with no result. He looks out of
the lift and is able to read the sign - "LIFT OUT OF
ORDER". Frantically he looks around for another lift. All
the others are on distant floors - then he spots one off
to one side, its doors standing open. Rushing over to it
he leaps inside and reaches to push the floor number - but
there are no numbers on the buttons, only letters. Before
he can sort this out a voice shouts at him.
VOICE
Hey, you - get out of there.
A GUARD approaches looking tough and mean.
GUARD
What do you think you're doing ...
that's the Deputy Minister's lift.
SAM
Sorry, I'm in a hurry.
GUARD
Hold on, sonny ... let's see your
I.D.
SAM fumbles through his pockets desperate to get back to
the lobby before JILL leaves. He has forgotten he is
wearing his new I.D. badge. The GUARD can't see it because
JILL's dossier is covering it.
SAM
Shit ... it's here somewhere. My
name's Lowry, Sam Lowry - Expediting
... can't this wait?
GUARD
No, sir ...
(getting out book of forms)
I'm going to have to file a report on
this. Now ... what date is it
today?...
SAM gives up trying to find his I.D. card.
SAM
(frantic)
Sorry, it'll have to wait.
He runs off - dropping suit - towards some stairs he has
spotted.
GUARD
Stop!! Come back!
He starts to run after SAM. TWO OTHER GUARDS also give
chase.
75a INT. STAIRS DAY 75a
SAM scrambles up the stairs. GUARDS in pursuit.
76 INT. BASEMENT DAY 76
The original GUARD rushes over to a guard desk and inserts
key into cover of what is clearly an alarm button.
77 INT. STAIRS DAY 77
SAM still running.
78 INT. LOBBY DAY 78
JILL is still arguing with PORTER.
JILL
(sweetly)
You're a stupid, fat arsed,
obstructive, fascist moron aren't
you?
PORTER
If you say so.
JILL
You think these are tits don't you?
PORTER
Ah.
JILL
I bet you'd like to touch them?
PORTER
Oh.
JILL
Well don't. You're looking at twenty
pounds of high explosive! And if you
don't stamp this form I'm going to
blow the place up!
JILL thumps the desk with her fist.
79 INT. BASEMENT DAY 79
The GUARD throws the alarm switch.
80 INT. LOBBY DAY 80
Alarm bells start ringing and from secret doors heavily
armed GUARDS leap out, their guns trained on JILL as she
appears to be the only person around.
GUARD
(shouting)
DROP IT!!
JILL has only the form in her hand - which she dutifully
drops. She is terrified by the suddenness and size of the
response to her hitting the desk. The GUARDS close in.
SAM rushes out of the door leading to the stairs. He can't
believe the sight that greets him. He responds
instinctively,
SAM
STOP! Let her go!
He rushes over to the Porter's desk just as the GUARDS
behind him come through the door. He doesn't have a clue
what he is going to do but, as he reaches the group of
GUARDS they snap attention. Confused he looks around and
then realizes his I.D. badge, is on his lapel and the
GUARDS are responding as trained. The GUARDS chasing him
screech to a halt when they see the others snapping to
attention. Everyone looks confused, embarrassed, hesitant
to make the next move. SAM breaks the silence.
SAM
Well done ... uh ... excellent work
... quick thinking. I'll take charge
of her now ...
Realising he has JILL's dossier, he shows it to everyone -
her print-out pictures are on the front page.
It's a classified matter ... I'll include your fine
handling of the situation in my report
SAM is suddenly aware he is still holding the executive
toy present - he hands it to the PORTER.
SAM
(grabbing Jill)
Come with me, please.
He hustles her towards the door.
81 EXT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL BUILDING DAY 81
SAM marches JILL out of the main door and down the front
steps of the Information Retrieval building. As he
struggles with her some of the papers in the dossier slip
out unbeknownst to SAM and leave a trail of litter behind
them.
JILL
Who are you? Let go!
SAM
Don't look back! Act naturally!
JILL
How can I act naturally, when you've
trying to break my arm?
CUT to the POV of the Ministry of Information front door
GUARDS. They are looking down the steps at the retreating
backs of SAM and JILL who are jostling each other. The
GUARDS see JILL elbow SAM in the ribs.
SAM
(wincing)
Ow! That hurt!
JILL
Good!
VOICE FROM BEHIND
STOP! Come back here!
SAM
Oh, God ... no!
He turns around, knowing that the game is up. But instead
of one of the GUARDS shouting - it's an OLD LADY angrily
glaring at him and pointing to a "Keep your city tidy"
sign above a litter bin.
OLD LADY
(screaming)
Can't you read english? You
illiterate foreign pig! You come here
from your own filthy country and
think you can mess our streets up!
You should be fried alive, you dirty
verminous ... etc. etc.
SAM sees the trail of dossier litter blowing about the
pavement. He lets go of JILL for a moment to grab at the
papers. The LADY continues screaming at him, her little
Pekinese dog (who incidentally wears a plaster over his
bum hole) yaps at his ankles, ripping SAM's new trousers.
SAM is torn between trying to regain the pages of the
dossier and following JILL who has disappeared round the
corner. He gives up retrieving the paper and rushes after
JILL.
CUTTING back to the TWO GUARDS, who have been observing
all this bizarre activity, we see one of them reading one
of the pieces of paper.
OTHER GUARD
Hey, you shouldn't be reading that
it's classified.
82 EXT. JUST AROUND THE CORNER DAY 82
JILL is behind the steering wheel of her lorry which is
just starting to move off. SAM frantically runs towards
the lorry, leaps on the running board and pulls himself up
into the cab.
83 INT. LORRY CAB DAY 83
SAM
(climbing in)
Well done, that's it ... Let's go!
Vrmmm. Vrmmm.
SAM looks up and down his side of the street anxiously
before realizing that JILL has switched off the engine and
is sitting glaring at him. They are stopped, right in
front of the Ministry building.
SAM
(frantic)
What are you doing? For Christ's
sake! Get moving!
JILL
Who are you?
Desperately SAM pulls roller blind down over window.
SAM
(hurriedly)
Sam Lowry. Hello. This sounds insane,
I know, but I've been dreaming about
you. Even before I saw you you were
in my dreams. Weird isn't it. I mean
... I don't know what it means ...
but it might mean something ...
mightn't it? I hope so. Anyway you're
in danger and I think we should get
out of here, now, quick! Come on!
Still JILL does nothing. SAM pulls down roller blind over.
window.
SAM
(desperate)
Bloody hell! Do as I say!
JILL
(hard, icy cool)
No.
SAM
(beginning to lose his
bottle)
Please!
JILL continues to sit, glaring.
SAM delves into his pockets and drags out a handful of
I.D. cards and papers, most of which fall onto the floor.
He then remembers that the badge he's looking for is
pinned to his jacket. He thrusts it forward at JILL.
SAM
(beside himself with panic)
Alright! Alright! Alright! I'm
Information Retrieval Officer -
(he checks the number
somewhere. On the badge?)
DZ/015, and I'm arresting you for -
your own good! Now start up and get
moving before I hand you back to
them!
(indicating M.I. building)
JILL
Them?
SAM
Us. Them. I don't know ... just get
going.
JILL starts up and moves off, very cool, in her own time.
By now SAM has got the shakes.
JILL
(indicting the papers that
Sam has dropped)
Don't litter my cab!
SAM
(picking them up)
Oh, sorry.
84 EXT. CITY FREEWAY DAY 84
A high shot of the lorry, moving through the city among
traffic.
85 INT. TRAVELLING LORRY DAY 85
JILL is preoccupied with driving. She is smoking a
cigarette. SAM occasionally glances at her.
SAM
... This is amazing ... for me ...
being here with you. I mean, in my
dreams you ...
JILL
I don't want to hear about your
fucking dreams!
SAM
Oh. But ... Look, I'm sorry I shouted
at you.
JILL
(mainly to herself)
Why are they all pigs at Information
Retrieval?
SAM
I don't know.
(realizing that this
includes him)
Hey, that's not a very nice thing to
say.
JILL blows smoke in SAM's direction.
SAM
(waving the smoke away)
You know, smoking's bad for you.
JILL
It's my fucking life.
SAM
(winding down the window)
Yes, of course. Sorry.
JILL
(lighting up another
cigarette)
I know you. I saw you through the
floor, didn't I?
SAM
Yes. Ceiling. Why did you run away?
JILL
I didn't run away. I left the flat.
SAM
Why?
JILL
I didn't like it.
SAM
Why not?
JILL
It had a hole in the floor. Where are
we going?
JILL
Where are you taking me?
SAM
What?
JILL
Where are you taking me?
SAM
Ah ... Er ... It looks as if you're
taking me.
JILL
It does doesn't it?
SAM
(slightly worried)
Where are you taking me?
86 EXT. TRAVELLING LORRY 86
We PULL BACK and lift off to see that the beautiful
countryside through which we've been travelling is in fact
a solid wall of giant bill-boards, advertising all sorts
of wonders like pine scented lavatory paper, sea spray
flavored cigarettes - you name it - These advertisements
form an unbroken corridor down which the road travels.
From a bird's eye POV we see that the land behind the
hoardings is blasted and blighted with garbage etc.
87 EXT. POWER PLANT DAY (LATE AFTERNOON) 87
The power plant is an extensive, brutal, Dante's Inferno
of a landscape made mainly of steel ... towers, chimneys,
huge pipes, buildings which look like bomb shelters ... It
is still daylight but the whole scene is murky and
forbidding because of the swirling steam and smoke. In the
murk can be seen sinister-looking FIGURES in protective
clothing and hard hats.
This is the world which is now entered by JILL's lorry ...
The lorry halts at a despatching hut near the crane and
JILL jumps down from the cab. SAM stays inside, looking
around. Something catches his eye.
CUT to facade of house. Window boxes with flowers and
shrubbery surrounded by a white picket fence provide
domestic charm, however, in the doorway stands a MAN with
protective clothing and something like a gas-mask over his
face. He is waving to someone. Slowly the house rises out
of frame.
In a WIDER SHOT we can see the house is suspended from and
a giant crane that swings it through the air - air filled
with stead, smoke, evil-smelling fumes. It is lowered onto
the back of a lorry and we can see that the house is one
of many prefabricated houses used in the construction of
the power plant.
88 INT. LORRY CAB DAY 88
SAM watches JILL walk away from the lorry and enter the
despatcher's hut. He looks around uneasily and then he
start examining the inside of the lorry and opens a
compartment which seems to be full of maps, rags, etc. He
gets grease on sleeve of his suit. In the space behind the
seats he finds the pieces of luggage which JILL had
carried away from the flat. He starts to examine this
cautiously and is startled by the sudden opening of the
cab door.
JILL
Don't act guilty. Act like me. I'm
just getting on with my job. Or, are
you just getting on with yours?
JILL gets into the cab and closes the door and drives to a
forward looking position.
SAM
What's going on here?
JILL
What does it look like ... I'm
collecting empties.
The lorry stops and JILL gets out. From SAM'S P.O.V., the
house suspended from the crane starts moving through the
sky towards the lorry. He glances back to see JILL slip a
package out from behind the seat. She glances
surreptitiously over her shoulder and slipping the parcel
inside her jacket she walks away.
89 EXT. LORRY LATE AFTERNOON 89
SAM climbs down from the cab trying to keep an eye on
JILL. He ends up standing next to a rusty Kodak Photospot
standard. The picture on it - though faded by pollution -
is of the beautiful valley that has now been replaced by
the murk and mess of the power plant. JILL has made her
way over to a rather SHADOWY FIGURE lurking around the
corner of one of the metal structures. They appear to be
exchanging parcels. SAM is worried by this suspicious
behaviour - reinforced as it is by a Ministry poster on
the side of the building that illustrates, almost
identically, the action we have just seen along with the
warning: "MIND THAT PARCEL. EAGLE EYES CAN SAVE A LIFE".
CUT to the house being lowered and secured onto the lorry.
90 INT. LORRY CAB LATE AFTERNOON 90
JILL is starting up the lorry. SAM is glancing over her
shoulder at the suspicious parcel which is tucked behind
her. They move off. The last view of the power plant is of
a group of MEN all in protective clothing and masks
happily playing a game of volleyball.
91 INT. TRAVELLING LORRY LATER AFTERNOON91
SAM
OK. What's in the parcel?
JILL
What parcel?
SAM nods knowingly in the direction of the parcel.
JILL I don't know. Christmas present.
SAM picks it up.
SAM
It's heavy.
JILL
A heavy Christmas present.
He glances at her suspiciously.
JILL
Open it if you don't trust me.
SAM hesitates and puts the parcel down.
SAM
I'd rather trust you.
JILL gives him a quizzical look and smiles slightly, in
spite of herself. She turns away so that he won't notice.
92 INT. TRAVELLING LORRY IN CITY TRAFFIC DUSK 92
JILL
What are you doing in Information
Retrieval?
SAM
Looking for you.
JILL
No, really.
SAM
Really.
JILL
I mean, it doesn't suit you.
SAM
(looking at his jacket)
Suit me?
JILL
Don't you know the sort of thing that
Information Retrieval does?
SAM
What do you mean? Would you rather
have terrorists?
JILL
We've got both.
SAM
Things would be worse without
Information Retrieval.
JILL
They couldn't be worse for the
Buttles.
SAM is at a loss.
JILL
Why don't you say, no system is
perfect.
SAM
Well, no system is.
JILL
Say, all wars have innocent victims.
SAM
Well, all wars do -
JILL
Who is this war against, Sam?
SAM
Well, terrorists of course.
JILL
How many terrorists have you met?
Actual terrorists?
SAM
Actual. terrorists? Well ... it's
only my first day.
JILL bursts out laughing. SAM joins in. They are both
laughing hysterically as they approach the Central
Supplies depot.
93 EXT. CENTRAL SUPPLIES DUSK 93
The impression is that the place could be an abandoned
airfield out to the use of a vast open air warehouse whose
contents is arranged in a grid pattern of "streets", all
the streets being lined by stacks, piles, ranks, jumbles
of goods and objects which seem at first to be arbitrarily
grouped, some of them (like the stacks of prefabricated
houses) standing in the open others protected under simple
areas of roofing. Each group of Assorted Supplies lies
inside the squares of the grid of streets. The streets are
eerily lit by lights just being switched on, and each
square is also lit by harsh localized lighting. The effect
is a nightmarish gigantic Aladdin's cave of black shadows
and garishly lit mountains of stuff.
94 INT. LORRY DUSK 94
JILL's lorry starts down one of the "streets".
JILL
(as they pass a clock in
"C"s)
Look at that - right on time.
SAM
What? I thought you were free to come
and go as you please.
JILL
Well, almost ... unfortunately I do
have to punch in by 5.00 every day.
SAM
(slightly surprised)
Every day?
SAM
Turn around!
JILL
What?
SAM
They'll be there waiting.
JILL
Who will?
SAM
Security.
JILL
You're joking.
SAM
No. Please. They're going to arrest
you.
JILL
I thought you arrested me.
SAM
Yes ... but, this is real. Now, stop!
(he grabs for the emergency
brake)
JILL
(pushing his hand away)
Cut it out, Sam.
SAM
(grabbing at the steering
wheel)
Will you please turn back.
JILL
(shoving him back)
Get away!
SAM
(lunging for the steering
wheel)
Turn!
JILL
(unable to control him)
Stop it ... damn you!
SAM throws the lorry into a gut-sucking skid.
95 EXT. CENTRAL SUPPLIES DUSK 95
The lorry skids around a corner and roars down a side
street of containers.
96 INT. LORRY DUSK 96
SAM and JILL are fighting for control of the lorry.
JILL
You're mad! You're out of your mind!
At that moment the air is split apart by the wail of
sirens. SAM and JILL look back.
97 EXT. CENTRAL SUPPLIES DUSK 97
From inside two strategically placed wooden containers
stacked amongst the piles of containers marked
"AUTOMOBILES" burst forth two Security vehicles. Wood
flying, lights flashing, wheels smoking - they squeal away
in pursuit.
98 INT. LORRY DUSK 98
SAM
I was right! Step on it!
JILL
Let go! We've got to stop!
SAM
Now you're the one that's out of your
mind.
JILL
Sam ... we can't outrace them. You'll
kill us!
They struggle for control of the lorry.
99 EXT. CENTRAL SUPPLIES DUSK 99
The lorry rumbles down the street of containers lurching
from side to side as the battle in the cab wages back and
forth. Containers are smashed open and their contents
spill out only to be further damaged as the pursuing
Security vehicles crash through them. The lorry escapes
from the streets of containers and cannons through the
main gate and out on to the streets of the city.
100 INT. LORRY CAB DUSK 100
SAM and JILL are still struggling violently for control of
the lorry. SAM is terribly inexpert as a driver but he
behaves like someone possessed. Through the rear view
mirrors he can see the Security vehicles catching up with
them. He starts fumbling with he multiple gear levers.
JILL
Don't touch those!
101 EXT. DOMESTIC STREETS DUSK 101
The lorry roars down a street of terraced houses and then
screeches around a corner.
102 INT. LORRY DUSK 102
SAM pushes JILL's hand back and grabs for the lever that
he thinks is overdrive. But rather than gaining speed
there is a terrible lurch as the house and trailer
disconnect from the cab.
103 EXT. DOMESTIC STREET DUSK 103
The house slides off the trailer which is skidding
sideways and crunches to the ground just as the Security
vehicles round the corner.
104 INT. SECURITY VEHICLE DUSK 104
From behind the DRIVER we can see that the house has
settled across the roadway at right-angle to the other
houses, making it appear to be a normal dead end street.
So shocked is the DRIVER that he fails to stop in time and
KABLOW!! the car smashes into the house.
105 EXT. DOMESTIC STREET DUSK 105
Hot on the heels of the 1st car, the 2nd vehicle skids and
then smashes into the house which collapses and then
explodes in flames.
106 INT. JILL'S LORRY DUSK 106
SAM sits paralysed with shock. The lorry has come to a
halt. JILL is desperately trying to get him to move.
JILL
Come on, let's go! Let's get out of
here!
SAM
Oh God! What have we done?
JILL
We? Don't blame me!
SAM
It wasn't supposed to happen like
this.
JILL
(looking behind)
Shit! The house is on fire!
SAM
"And your children all gone."
JILL
What?
SAM
"Lady bird, lady bird, fly away home,
your house is on fire and your
children all gone" ... Do you think
anyone's hurt?
JILL
Yes.
(tapping him on the
forehead)
Come out, I know you're in there
107 EXT. DOMESTIC STREET DUSK 107
A Security vehicle in full banshee howl roars through the
streets. We roar along with it as it rounds a corner and
skids to a halt at a safe but striking distance from
JILL's lorry. Heavily armed SECURITY POLICE pour out and
take up firing positions behind parked cars or whatever
other cover is available. Searchlights are played on the
lorry. The OFFICER IN CHARGE appears with a loud-hailer.
OFFICER IN CHARGE
Come out, we know you're in there!
You cannot possibly escape. Throw
your weapons from your vehicle and
come out slowly with your hands on
your heads. Obey my instructions and
no harm will come to you. But if you
force us to shoot we'll shoot to
kill.
During the above speech a SMALL BOY on a tricycle "roars"
around a corner behind the SECURITY POLICE. He rides into
a gap between them, rolls his tricycle over and "takes
cover" behind it. He points his toy rifle at JILL's lorry
and takes shot. In reaction to the noise made by the kid's
rifle the OFFICER IN CHARGE dives for cover and the
SECURITY TROOPS open fire and pepper JILL's lorry cab with
holes. A few of the SECURITY TROOPS then rush forward and
fling open the cab door. The cab is empty. The OFFICER IN
CHARGE gets to his feet and looks about. His uniform is
covered with dust, oil and shit from the street. He just
misses seeing the back of the BOY as he disappears round
the corner on his tricycle.
108 INT. LINGERIE DEPARTMENT/SHOPPING CENTRE 108
To the lush sound of musak we glide through the glittering
sensuous, supportive world of ladies undergarments. As we
slip past girdles, bras, panti-hose for a variety of
exotic occasions we come upon SAM and JILL pushing a
shopping trolley. In the trolley is the "suspicious"
parcel which JILL was given at the power plant.
SAM
This is a hell of a time to buy a
nightie.
JILL
Are you still following me?
SAM
Please, Jill ... I love you.
JILL
Go away.
SAM
There are plenty of other safe
places. Why don't we go back to my
flat?
JILL
Leave me alone!
SAM
You've got to trust me. It sounds
silly but I know we were meant to
meet.
JILL
You mean you were meant to hijack my
truck, make me crash it, and have
every security man in town looking
for me?
SAM
I vas just trying to help. I decided
to trust you. Maybe I was wrong.
Whose side are you on really? Who are
your friends? Who was the man who
gave you the parcel? What's in it?
It's the only thing you saved from
the lorry .... It must he something
very special.
JILL
I saved you from the lorry and you're
not very special.
SAM
........... It's a bomb isn't it?
JILL
(exasperated)
Oh ... Jesus!
SAM grabs the parcel from the trolley and tries to start
tearing it open.
SAM
I'm going to open it!
JILL
(grabbing parcel and trying
to take it from him)
No you're not!
They start an ugly little struggle for the parcel. SAM's
suit gets slightly ripped. Their tug-of-war is interrupted
by a voice off camera.
VOICE
SAM!!
SAM turns to see MRS TERRAIN and SHIRLEY a short distance
away. MRS TERRAIN is heavily bandaged and sitting in a
wheelchair which SHIRLEY is pushing.
MRS TERRAIN
It's me and Shirley!
From the TERRAINS' POV SAM looks as if he is wrestling
with a dummy, or with himself if he is beside a full
length mirror. The mirror or something obscures JILL. MRS
TERRAIN and SHIRLEY exchange puzzled looks and proceed
toward SAM.
SAM
Ah ... hello, Mrs Terrain. SAM lets
go of the parcel and pushes JILL
away. She moves off.
SAM
(after Jill for Mrs
Terrain's benefit)
I think that'll hold it.
(to Shirley)
Hello Shirley. Just helping someone
tie up a Christmas present. How are
you?
MRS TERRAIN
My complication had a complication,
but Dr Chapman says I'll soon be up
and bouncing about like a young
gazelle. Are you buying a Christmas
present for your mother?
SAM
(Trying to keep an eye on
Jill who is disappearing
from sight)
Er, yes ...
MRS TERRAIN
Shirley and I come here regularly. I
love romantic lingerie.
She unwraps a set of red and black, fur trimmed things
with strategic holes in them.
MRS TERRAIN
(coyly)
Picture me in these.
At this moment there is an almighty explosion from the far
corner of the store. It is the corner that we last saw
JILL moving towards. SAM races towards the smoke, dust
covering his suit. He finds bras, knickers, broken shop
dummies, bleeding CUSTOMERS and SHOP ASSISTANTS all over
the place. On the edge of this devastated area he sees
JILL struggling out from under a pile of negligees and
plaster dust. He rushes over to her.
SAM
(frantic)
Are you alright?
JILL
Yes.
SAM
(anxiety giving way to
anger)
You don't deserve to be! You should
be dead, or maimed like them .... How
could you ...?
(indicating the wounded)
What a bloody stupid thing ... I
should. have made you open it in the
lorry
She has dug the parcel out of the debris and has ripped it
open. Under the brown paper are a dozen brightly coloured.
Christmas packages - yes you guessed it - executive toys.
She throws the parcel and its contents hard into SAM's
chest. He topples back-wards - tangling himself up with
the severed limbs of a shop dummy.
JILL
There's your bomb! Our annual bribes
for official ass-holes like you!
SAM sits in the debris - ashamed and relieved. Liquor
oozes from the broken bottle all over SAM's suit. He is at
a loss for words.
JILL's attention is attracted by moans coming from the
badly hurt BOMB VICTIMS. She goes to help them.
JILL
(to Sam)
Come on, make yourself useful, there
are people hurt!
JILL goes around trying to make the INJURED comfortable.
SAM follows her. He takes off his jacket with his
Information Retrieval badge on the lapel and uses it to
make a pillow for one of these VICTIMS. By now sirens are
wailing, water sprinklers are functioning, and there is
general pandemonium. SECURITY GUARDS run into the area and
begin arresting everyone, including the DEAD and INJURED.
ONE OF THE GUARDS tries to drag off the WOMAN whom JILL is
attending.
JILL
Hey stop ... she's hurt!
The GUARD gives JILL a thump in the side of the face with
his gloved hand. SAM sees red.
SAM
DON'T TOUCH HER!!
The GUARD looks up and as he does so he is transformed
into the GIANT WARRIOR from SAM's dream. He towers over
the WOUNDED, the DYING and the debris of the blasted
lingerie department. SAM grabs for a weapon and comes up
with one of the arms (now detached) of the shop dummy. It
makes a passable club.
JILL
SAM .... don't!!
The TWO COMBATANTS square off ... looking for an opening
... a chink in the other's defences - at which point SAM
is flattened from behind by a TROOPER's gun butt.
108a INT. STONE SHIPANTI-DAY108a
SAM is falling down the inner wall of the stone ship. He
tumbles end over end - unable to stop his crashing
descent. With a thud he hits the bottom. Stunned, bruised
and battered he tries to get up. Standing over him are the
GREY PRISONERS. They press forward.
SAM
(feebly)
Where is she? Is she here?
The GREY PRISONERS dissolve into what looks like several
BAGGEES.
109 INT. BLACK MARIA EVENING 109
The BAGGEES hang from a track on the ceiling of the Black
Maria. SAM is lying on the floor, covered by his jacket,
with his badge prominently displayed. He is dazed and
mumbling ... the only BAGGEE in the wagon apart from TWO
GUARDS who have removed their helmets and are relaxing
while travelling back to base.
GUARD A
(scratching his head)
These helmets don't half make your
scalp itch.
GUARD B
Ooh, don't mention it.
(beginning to scratch his
head)
And they make you sweat. Half the
time I can't see where I'm going -
there's a great Niagara of
perspiration coming down.
GUARD A
I'm lucky, I've got thick eyebrows.
That keeps it up and channels it out
to my ears.
SAM stirs and groans
GUARD B
Who's he?
GUARD A
Someone from Information Retrieval
they're always hanging about in
lingerie.
SAM is coming to his senses. He takes in the situation,
sees all the BAGGEES and staggers to his knees.
SAM
Jill! Jill! Are you there?!
He begins rummaging through the BAGGEES. ONE of which is
dressed as FATHER CHRISTMAS. SAM opens the "face vent" of
the BAGGEE'S' hoods. A pair of strange eyes look out.
GUARD A
Excuse me, sir - that's government
property.
SAM
Is here a girl here? Tall, fair hair,
blue eyes?
GUARD A
Dunno sir. They check all that at the
depot.
SAM continues fumbling about the BAGGEES.
GUARD 3
(pulling Sam back)
We can't allow you to do that sir,
it's more than our job's worth.
SAM
(shaking Guard off)
I've got to find her! Jill! Jill!
GUARD A
You can always fill in an application
form, if you're a relative, sir.
Please stop, sir.
SAM takes no notice.
SAM
Jill! Jill!
GUARD A hits SAM, knocking him out again.
GUARD A
Sorry about that sir. Regulations.
We'll have you safely back in your
office in no time.
Scenes 110 & 111 deleted. Scenes 110 & 111 deleted.
112 INT. SAM'S OFFICE EVENING 112
SAM recovers consciousness to find himself sitting at his
desk in his office. He is bruised and battered and has a
black eye. His suit is torn and bloody. MR WARREN is
gripping him by the throat and giving him a lecture.
Behind WARREN, crowding the doorway, are the PEOPLE who
circulate around him and are the cast of the WARREN high
energy circus. LIME is with them.
WARREN
This is a black eye for the
department, Lowry! ... And I don't
care how you behaved when you were at
Records! Information Retrieval is an
executive branch! We're proud of our
reputation and we protect it!
One of his ACCOLYTES thrusts a paper into his hand - he
glances at it.
Damn it, Lowry, that convoy of troop
carriers is still not accounted for
... I thought I told you to deal with
it.
He slams the form down onto the desk which is covered with
other forms.
And what the hell is this mess? An
empty desk is an efficient desk.
He has picked up some of the forms.
Good God! ... queries from Security,
searches from Central Banking about a
cheque, clarification notices from
Accounting concerning unreturned
receipts, another demand from the
Motor Pool.
SAM
Mr Warren ... I have to find out
about ...
WARREN
Shut up! I don't know what's going on
here, Lowry, but don't think you can
intimidate us with your friends and
relatives in high places! Now shape
up!
He dumps the papers and folders onto SAM's desk and storms
off with his ENTOURAGE, leaving a gleeful LIME in the
doorway.
SAM
(grabbing Lime as he starts
to slip away)
Lime, I need to use your computer
LIME
Sorry, a bit busy at the moment.
(he indicates Sam's
smothered desk)
You seem to have quite a lot to do
yourself.
(he disappears into his
office)
112a INT. 30TH FLOOR
CORRIDOR DAY 112a
SAM rushes out of his office after LIME. But, LIME has
locked his door. SAM bangs on the door.
SAM
Shit!
112b INT. SAM'S OFFICE DAY112b
SAM storms back into his office. Reaching a peak of
frustration, he stuffs all his paperwork into the
pneumatic tube and sends it off into oblivion. Within
seconds it returns. SAM sends it off a second time. It
doesn't return a second time, periodically something
passes through the tubes causing them to move. SAM's
pneumatic tubes continue to pulsate, pressure building up.
At this point SAM's desk begins, as before, to creep
through the wall. He grabs it violently. He pulls it.
There is a scream from the other side of the wall. SAM
smiles. Th pneumatic tubes give a final convulsion and
then there appears to be a muffled explosion outside SAM's
office door. It shakes the whole building. SAM goes to his
door and opens it.
113 INT. SAM'S CORRIDOR CONTINUATION 113
Every door in the corridor has been opened by the
occupants of the room. All the occupants stick their heads
into the corridor, all gazing with SAM at the variously
coloured blizzard of paper which has errupted through the
whole length of the corridor ceiling, from which protrudes
the intestines of the pneumatic system.
114 INT. JACK'S OFFICE CORRIDOR & INFORMATION EVENING114
RETRIEVAL CORRIDORS
It is the end of the working day. JACK is leaving for
home. He is putting on his executive-styled bullet-proof
vest and packing his "Secret Connection" briefcase. As the
scene progresses SAM and JACK proceed out of the door and
down he corridor, passing other I.R. OFFICIALS. SAM is
dishevelled and causing acute sartorial embarrassment to
JACK to is trying to distance himself from him.
SAM
Come off it, Jack! Of course you can
check to see if she's been arrested.
JACK
I'm sorry, Sam, I'm afraid this whole
case has become much more complicated
since last we talked.
SAM
(exasperated)
She's innocent, Jack --- she's done
nothing wrong.
JACK
Tell that to the wives of the
Security men she blew up this
afternoon. Listen, we've also had a
report just in from Central Services
that Tuttle has wrecked an entire
flat and sabotaged adjacent Central
Services systems - as a matter of
fact, in your block. I'd keep my eyes
open if I were you, Sam. Bye.
SAM
(catching up with Jack)
You don't really think Tuttle and the
girl are in league?
JACK
I do. Goodbye.
(steps into lift)
115 INT. LIFT EVENING 115
SAM
It could all be coincidental.
JACK
There are no coincidences, Sam.
Everything's connected, all along the
line. Cause and effect. That's the
beauty of it. Our job is to trace the
connections and reveal them.
(whispers)
This whole Buttle/Tuttle confusion
was obviously planned from the
inside. Bye bye.
116 INT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL LOBBY EVENING 116
JACK and SAM have just emerged from the lift. The lift
doors close. SAM agitatedly speaks.
SAM
Jack, she's innocent!
JACK
Sam - we've always been close,
haven't we?
SAM
(eagerly)
Yes we have, Jack!
JACK
Well, could you stay away from me
until this thing blows over.
117 EXT. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION RETRIEVAL NIGHT 117
BUILDING
SAM is leaving the Ministry of Information Retrieval. The
lights in the foyer are blazing behind him, the street
lamps are lit. He is exhausted and depressed and anxious
about the safety and whereabouts of Jill. He begins to
retrace their first journey together, down the Ministry
front steps and around the corner to where Jill's truck
was parked.
117a EXT. JUST AROUND THE
CORNER NIGHT 117a
SAM stands in the passageway where JILL's lorry was first
parked. The only hint of its once-upon-a-time presence is
a small splodge of oil by the kerb. SAM stands lost and
beaten under a street light. He slumps down to the
pavement unsure his next move. The street light is
reflected in the pool of oil. As he stares at the
reflected light it expands and becomes a patch of blue
cloud-filled sky. SAM turns to look at the actual street
light. It has become a crack of blazing light coming thru
the inner wall of the great stone ship.
117b INT. STONE SHIPANTI-DAY117b
DREAM GIRL'S VOICE
I'm here Sam. Don't give up.
SAM is pushing thru the GREY PRISONERS. The light from the
crack shafts across the space in which they find
themselves imprisoned, striking the opposite wall. There
in the bright pool of light are SAM's wings - beautiful,
shimmering silver... But, nailed to a large stone
cruciform - like a crucified eagle. SAM rushes towards
them and begins to pull them loose, But before he can, a
great cracking noise reverberates thru the ship and a
black shadow falls across SAM and the wings. Looking round
he saees the inner wall has split open to the level of the
floor - but, blocking the opening is the GIANT SAMURAI
WARRIOR. SAM draws his sword and rushes toward the GIANT.
The GIANT stands ominously still. Then very slowly he
raises his spear in front of himself in an almost
religious gesture. Poof! He vanishes! SAM is confused.
Suddenly a PRISONER shouts a warning and SAM spins round
just in time to avoid a slash of the spear by the gigantic
WARRIOR who is now standing directly behind him. SAM
parries a couple more thrusts of the spear and then
strikes with his sword. At thin air! The GIANT has
vanished again. SAM can't figure it out. But he hears
something whoosh and instinctively dodges as the GIANT who
is once again behind him brings the spear crashing down.
Again SAM manages a few parries as he is forced backwards.
He trips and falls to the ground. The spear goes into the
ground.
Before the GIANT can wrench the spear loose, SAM slashes
at him with his sword. But again the GIANT disappears. SAM
spins around. The GIANT is a short distance from him. SAM
rushes him. Again he vanishes. This time he reappears next
to the spear and tries to free it. But SAM attacks again
and the GIANT is forced to do his vanishing act before he
can recover the spear. SAM is becoming exasperated with
his behaviour, and as the GIANT reappears he shouts at him
to hold still, at the same time throwing his sword at the
big fellow. The sword pins the GIANT's foot to the ground
before he can disappear. Instead of blood pouring from the
wound, fire issues forth. SAM takes advantage of the
situation and manages to wrench the spear from the ground.
The GIANT is unable to escape as SAM charges, but manages
to dodge a bit. However the spear catches his arm and
opens a gash. Again fire pours out. As the big GUY tries
to stop the fire, SAM charges again. This time he succeeds
in striking dead centre. The GIANT gasps as fire gushes
from his chest. He staggers and crashes to the ground. The
wounds continue to bleed fire.
SAM gets his breath back and approaches the fallen
WARRIOR. Reaching down he removed the GIANT's mask. Fire
rushes forth from all the facial orifices. But the thing
that makes him catch his breath is the face itself. It's
his ... SAM's! While he stares in amazement the fire
begins to melt the face. In a moment it is unrecognizable.
SAM stands there stunned. Somewhere in the distance a bell
tolls.
118 EXT. JUST AROUND THE CORNER NIGHT 118
SAM's face is reflected in the puddle of oil. He is
staring wide-eyed. A church bell tolls in the distance.
SAM is definitely spooked. He scrambles to his feet. He's
got to get out of here. He heads off down the passageway
but is brought quickly to a halt. There, in the shadows,
is SOMEONE smoking a cigarette. He hesitates and reverses
direction but, before he manages 2 paces a familiar voice
comes from behind him.
JILL
You're late.
SAM spins around. Stepping out from the shadows is JILL -
cigarette in her mouth.
SAM
(stunned)
Jill! What are you do ... I mean ...
how did you ... Are you alright?
JILL
Yes.
SAM
What happened to you after ...
JILL
Your face ... are you hurt?
SAM
No. No. I'm fine. I was worried sick
about you ... I thought ...
A patrol car approaches. Quickly SAM grabs JILL and goes
into a kiss to explain their presence. The car hesitates
for a moment and drives on.
JILL
(through kiss)
They're gone.
SAM
(through kiss)
Are you sure?
JILL
(through kiss)
Yes.
They resume passionate kiss. After a moment
SAM
(urgently)
C'mon, we've got to get you off the
streets.
They head off clutching one another.
119 INT. SAM'S CORRIDOR NIGHT 119
The Elysian Fields train arrives clattering. SAM and JILL
are the only passengers to emerge. They can't keep their
hands off one another. This is young love at its freshest
and most exciting. SAM looks up and down the platform
cautiously but there is no-one in sight as the train
clatters off again into the darkness. SAM and JILL
approach SAM's front door. He puts a key in the door and
tries to open the door but has some difficulty. Something
creaks. He gives the door a heavy shove and the door opens
and a shower of white powdery ice falls on his head..
120 INT. SAM'S FLAT NIGHT 120
SAM enters, followed by JILL. His breath immediately
starts come out of his mouth like clouds of steam. The
flat looks as though it has been disembowelled and then
deep frozen. Icicles are hanging down from everywhere. The
flat looks like a scrap dump. Every wall has spilled out
its disgusting steel and rubber entrails, filling most of
the available space and making progress through the flat
difficult. Half a dozen MEN are at work. They are
impossible to identify because they wear arctic clothing
and look more like spacemen. Their voices however belong
to SPOOR and DOWSER.
SAM
For God's sake, what's happened?
SPOOR
Thermostat's gone. And then some.
DOWSER
... And then some.
SAM
What have you done to my flat?
SPOOR
Sign here, please.
DOWSER
... ere please.
SPOOR offers a clipboard and pencil. He bangs the
clipboard against the furniture to knock the ice off it.
SAM
What is it?
SPOOR
It's a 27B/6 of course.
DOWSER
...B/6 of course.
JILL
(to Dowser)
Do you repeat everying?
DOWSER
(nods)
... Everything.
SPOOR
(indicating the mess)
This is what you get when you have
cowboys round yer ducts.
DOWSER
... yer ducts.
SPOOR
I think you've got your T41 crystal
inductor wired up to a reverse bobbin-
threaded-solenoid-control. It's
either that or a new washer.
DOWSER
... new washer.
SPOOR
Sign the form so we can get to it.
DOWSER
... get to it.
SAM grabs the clipboard and smashes it over SPOOR's head.
The board is so cold that it snaps in two. The paper on it
also snaps in two.
121 INT. SAM'S CORRIDOR NIGHT 121
SAM pulls JILL out into the corridor.
JILL
Don't you like parties?
SAM
C'mon. We've got to get out of here.
As SAM and JILL begin to move down the corridor they see a
cigarette glow brightly in a dark recess.
JILL
(seeing cigarette light)
TOO LATE!
They ere about to run when TUTTLE steps out of the
shadows.
TUTTLE
I'll fix the damage when they've
gone. I'll be ready for you tomorrow.
122 INT. MOTHER'S CORRIDOR NIGHT 122
A venerable PORTER carrying a single key on a large ring
is preceding SAM and JILL along the corridor which we have
seen before. The PORTER's name is MATTHEWS.
SAM
My mother said it would be all right.
MATTHEWS
She didn't say anything about it to
me.
SAM
Well, she's my mother, not yours.
MATTHEWS
I won't be held responsible.
SAM
How long will she he away?
MATTHEWS
(darkly)
There are some who go to Dr. Jaffe's
clinic who never come back at all.
MATTHEWS unlocks MOTHER's door.
MATTHEWS
(to Jill)
You're not a professional, are you?
JILL
No, amateur.
SAM
(firmly)
Thank you, Matthews.
With which he ushers JILL through the door and closes the
door in MATTHEWS' face.
123 INT. MOTHER'S FLAT NIGHT 123
SAM
Make yourself at home. Don't answer
the phone or open he door to anyone.
I won't be long.
JILL
Where are you going?
SAM
I'm going to pull some strings. It's
our only hope.
JILL
Don't do anything silly.
SAM
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
JILL
Take care.
SAM goes.
124 INT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL FOYER NIGHT 124
SAM arrives at the Ministry of Information Retrieval
reception It's late. GROUPS OF CLEANERS are operating
cleaning machinery. SAM approaches the DESK PORTER who is
playing with the executive toy SAM gave him.
SAM
Excuse me, Dawson, can you put me
through to Mr Helpmann's office?
PORTER
I'm afraid I can't, sir. You have to
go through the proper channels.
SAM
And you can't tell me what the proper
channels are, because that's
classified information?
PORTER
I'm glad to see the Ministry's
continuing its tradition of
recruiting the brightest and best,
sir.
SAM
Thank you, Dawson.
SAM crosses the foyer, checks to see that Dawson is no
longer watching him engrossed as he is with the executive
toy, and slips past the lift which, at that moment,
disgorges a leg-bandaged, be-crutched LIME who hobbles
across the lobby without seeing SAM, who slips down the
stairs which he knows lead to Helpmann's private lift.
125 INT. BASEMENT NIGHT 125
SAM creeps along the corridor to the lift door - avoiding
a GROUP OF SECURITY MEN who are singing carols in close
harmony. ONE GUARD is conducting and giving instruction.
They are all incredibly big and brutal looking.
CHOIR MASTER
(stopping them)
No, no, no, Arthur, you're going flat
on that G. It's your breathing. Take
a breath on the end. of the previous
line, after Noel. Right, one, two,
three.
The CHOIR begins singing again. SAM reaches the lift and
looks at the small panel of letters set into the wall.
CLOSE UP of SAM's face concentrating. He hears, we hear, a
reprise of MR HELPMANN talking to SAM in MOTHER's
bathroom.
HELPMANN (V/O)
Of course, Jeremiah was senior to me,
but we were close friends, and I keep
his name alive at the office every
day. It's as though he's there
speaking to me. "'ere I am, J.H."
SAM is already typing the letters EREIAMJH into the
keyboard. The lift judders and star s to ascend.
126 INT. MR HELPMANN'S OFFICE NIGHT 126
SAM steps out of lift into an ante-room. No-one is there.
Tentatively he knocks on the connecting door into the
office. No reply. He slowly opens door.
SAM
Mr Helpmann? Are you there? Hello?
The office is empty. SAM looks around - not sure what he
wants to do. He notices his MOTHER's picture on HELPMANN's
desk. He is just about to leave when his eye is caught by
an elaborate computer console in a side room. It
occasionally chatters away. Paper print-outs fill a large
bin. Hesitantly SAM approaches it. Looking around to make
sure the room is still empty he punches the On key and the
machine lights up.
He cautiously pushes a couple more keys. The teleprinter
machines have paused but one starts chattering now. He
looks at the one which is busy. A CLOSE UP shows us the
message coming through: TOTAL - TOTAL -TOTAL - CAR 15
REQUEST FEEDBACK STATUS ON SUBJECT BENJAMIN GEORGE
TROLLOPE - VAGRANT - DETAINED TERRORIST/SUSPECT/ASSOCIATE.
This is followed by a code number. The teleprinter falls
silent.
SAM returns to the keyboard and switches it off. He turns
to leave.
The teleprinter starts chattering again. SAM stops and
goes back to it and looks at the page again. A CLOSE UP
shows us: UPDATE - SUBJECT TROLLOPE DECEASED - CAUSE OF
DEATH GUNSHOT RESISTING ARREST. PLEASE DELETE FROM SPECIAL
CATEGORY. The computer spool revolves back and forth for
two or three seconds and then stops. SAM ponders this for
a moment and then heads back to the keyboard and swtiches
on the machine. He has he answer.
127 INT. MOTHER'S FLAT NIGHT 127
SAM enters the flat. JILL is nowhere to be seen. The
lights are out but, from the partially opened bedroom door
beams a shaft of bright light. Music pours forth ... it is
"BRAZIL".
SAM
(cautiously)
Jill?
Getting no answer he goes to the door and peers through.
There is JILL but, transformed. She is wearing one of
SAM's MOTHER's wigs which billows in the air blown by a
fan. She is also wearing a diaphanous nightdress borrowed
from the extensive wardrobe and is dancing slowly. She
looks like the DREAM GIRL. SAM stands open-mouthed. JILL
notices him and smiles.
JILL
What do you think? ... is it me?
SAM
(still stunned)
You don't exist any more. I've killed
you. Jill Layton is dead.
He holds out a print-out. She reads it and slowly looks
up.
JILL
Care for a bit of necrophilia?
They rush together.
128 INT. STONE SHIP ANTI-DAY 128
The screen is filled with brilliant white clouds rushing
about a beautiful blue sky. They course this way and that.
Pulling back we reveal that this patch of sky is inside a
mammoth glass-like cube held aloft by four stone columns.
The absolutely amazing scale of this cube is revealed as
SAM sweeps up into shot - his wings gleaming in the light.
He is a tiny speck but, overjoyed -he has found the day.
far below him the GREY PRISONERS gather beaming with
happiness. Diving back to the ground - SAM unsheaths his
sword and holding it aloft rushes to the base of one of
the great columns. The FORCES OF DARKNESS who have been
lurking in the shadows slink back. SAM, with one mighty
swing, strikes the column - the noise reverberates as
cracks begin to race up and through the column. It is
disintegrating. As it crumbles the mammoth cube begins to
topple. Everyone steps back. Down it plummets. And smashes
into a million pieces. The bright blue sky escapes in all
directions. The GREY PRISONERS' iron collars and chains
fall from their necks as they stand, surrounded by a
beautiful blue sky. They look up to the sun. SAM is
exultant.
129 INT. MOTHER'S BEDROOM DAWN 129
Pull back from the sun through a window. The light falls
on SAM's smiling sleeping face. Showly he wakes. He little
by little remembers where he is and reaches over for JILL.
She isn't there. Sam panics.
JILL
Merry Xmas.
She is sitting at the foot of the bed grinning at him. She
crawls over to him - they start to embrace.
SAM
Everything is going to be all right.
But crash !!! it's a raid! Like a giant drill a whirling
cylinder has plunged through the ornate moulded ceiling of
Mother's bedroom, and we now see what made the neat hole
in the BUTTLE ceiling ... CUTS show doors being burst open
by SECURITY TROOPS. JILL and SAM are frozen in panic.
SECURITY TROOPS are sliding down a fireman's pole" from
the hole in the ceiling.
SAM
(shouts)
She's dead. Check the list!
But it is SAM they have come for. He is being dragged out
of the bed.
GUARDS
(as they struggle with him)
You Turncoat Bastard! JUDAS!!
TRAITOR!!
A canvas bag is plunged over his head. All goes black.
SAM
(muffled)
JILL!!!
A shot rings out. JILL screams. It echoes through the
blackness.
130 INT. PROCESSING AREA 130
In absolute inky darkness, SAM and the CAMERA move through
space and time marked only by voices and sounds
encountered on the way. This sound-sequence fades in and
out a few times, indicating that the journey is longer
than the real-time period of the blacked-out sequence. We
hear:
Footsteps of SAM and GUARDS.
Distant howl of pain.
Muzak.
Iron gate.
Footsteps again.
Lift doors opening and closing.
Muzak.
Typing pool.
FEMALE VOICE
a wonderful gift, I changed it at the
chemist for some antibiotics and
bathroom scales and there's enough
left on the voucher for a
tonsilectomy if I want to treat
myself ...
Office door opens and closes.
GUARD'S VOICE
Christmas Parcel for you, sir ...
sign here please ...
What looks like a rectangular hatch in the blackness
opens. It is the eyeslit on the front of SAM's bag being
opened by a SECURITY GUARD.
The SECURITY GUARD peers in for a moment and then steps
back to reveal two SMART OFFICIALS sitting at a desk. They
are looking up at SAM/us.
OFFICIAL A
93/HKS/608, you are charged with the
following:
Passing confidential documents to
unauthorized personnel - viz IR
dossier/Gillian Layton. Destroying
Government property - viz an
indeterminate number of personnel
carriers. Taking possession under
false pretences of said personnel
carriers. Forging the signature of
the Head of Records, Third
Department. Attempting to misdirect
Ministry funds, in the form of a
cheque to A. Buttle, through
unauthorized channels. Tampering with
Central Services supply ducts.
Employing unqualified suspected
persons for this purpose. Attempting
to conceal a fugitive from justice.
Obstructing the forces of law and
order in the exercise of their duty.
Giving aid and comfort to the enemies
of society.
Bringing into disrepute the good name
of the Government, and the standing
within the community of the
Department of Information Retrieval.
Attempting to disrupt the Ministry of
Information Retrieval's internal
communicating systems. Wasting
Ministry time and paper.
OFFICIAL B
We would advise you that a plea of
guilty will save you and the tax
payer money, and will always be
looked upon more favourably than a
plea of not guilty. All you are
requested to do at this stage is to
sign this form.
OFFICIAL B waves a sheet of paper. We hear SAM's voice.
SAM
Where's Jill?
OFFICIAL A
Not interested?
SAM
What have you done with Jill?
OFFICIAL A
Right. Next!
The SECURITY GUARD appears briefly and zips up the hood
again plunging us back into darkness. We get more muffled
shouts, heavy breathing and subterranean son et lumiere.
Another SECURITY GUARD opens the flap on SAM's hood. We
see another TWO OFFICIALS.
SAM
(more hysterical)
Where's Jill? What's happened to
Jill?
OFFICIAL C
93/HKS/608, you've got quite a list
of misdemeanours here, haven't you?
All this is going to take time and
money, and I'm afraid, according to
your bank statement and credit rating
here, you're likely to be in deep
financial trouble by the end of it.
Now, either you plead guilty to say,
seven or eight of these charges,
which'll bring the costs down to
within your reach, or you can borrow
a sum to be negotiated, from us, at
very competitive rates. We can offer
you something at say, eleven and a
half per cent, over thirty years. But
you will have to buy insurance to
qualify for his scheme.
OFFICIAL D
All you have to do is to agree to
sign the appropriate boxes on these
forms. Yes or no?
SAM
I'm not guilty! Not guilty you stupid
bastar...
THE GUARD closes the flap. Once again darkness and
confusion. until another SECURITY GUARD opens the flap
again to reveal another TWO OFFICIALS.
OFFICIAL E
(examining forms)
Now, since you've elected to plead
not guilty on all these charges,
you'd be well advised to take some
sort of insurance cover. Preferably
comprehensive, or if you'd prefer,
something more specific - say,
against electrical charges over
f70.00. And for food and
accommodation costs of say, £800.00.
Detention can be a very expensive
business.
OFFICIAL F
Now, before we bore you with the
small print perhaps you'd like to
tell us whether you'd like to sign
this insurance acceptance form or
not. Think carefully before you
decide. Thinking ahead in financial
matters is always the wise course.
The flap is closed and opened again very quickly - NEW
OFFICIALS are revealed. This process repeats again and
again - getting faster and faster. The OFFICIALS' faces
seem to become a changing blur. Their voices overlap in a
growing cacophony. The desk and the other items in the
room remain static. To add to this disturbing effect the
FORCES OF DARKNESS begin to gather in the room behind the
OFFICIALS. As they increase in number they begin to press
forward unseen by the OFFICIALS. Soon they fill the view
through the flap.
OFFICIAL
We're here to save you and the tax
payer money.
OFFICIAL
Would you like to pay the premium for
a single room with a shower and a
soft bed?
OFFICIAL
For a small charge we can keep visits
from friends and relatives down to to
a minimum.
OFFICIAL
Plead guilty, it's easier, quicker,
and cheaper for everyone.
OFFICIAL
We're doing a survey ... Aimed at
providing a better service.
OFFICIAL
Do you think the present system is A.
efficient, B. inefficient?
OFFICIAL
As a taxpayer are you A. impressed,
B. unimpressed
131 INT. STONE SHIP TIMELESS 131
CUT to SAM struggling with the FORCES OF DARKNESS. He is
overwhelmed by the black hordes. They fill the screen. SAM
disappears under their onslaught. A pause. Then SAM is
raised, spread-eagled, above the black sea of the FORCES.
Strong hands hold him. The maniacal laughter starts up.
SAM is turned in its direction.
CUT to a shot over the top of the mass of robed FIGURES.
Rising from the ruins of the stone columns, the black
cloth thing flaps menacingly towards camera. We can see
the towering filing cabinet skyscrapers of the Storeroom
of Knowledge in the background.
SAM looks terrified. As the thing hovers above SAM in all
its huge twisting awfulness, it slowly begine to unfold
like some deadly flower blooming in stop motion.
SAM freezes as the interior becomes invisible. There in
the billowing blackness is the GIRL. She is beckoning.
GIRL
Sam.
But the VOICE is no longer the mysterious feminine voice
of before - it is the voice of the maniacal laughter.
SAM struggles with the restraining hands. He twists and
turns, but to no avail. From the darkness above him
descends the JOLLY GENT looking just like MR HELPMANN) on
his window washer's platform. However he is now dressed as
Father Christmas.
GENT
Sam, what are we going to do with
you?
GIRL
Ha ha ha ha ha.
132 INT. CELL DAY/NIGHT 132
The filing cabinets of the Storeroom of Knowledge dissolve
squares of padding that form the walls of a cell. The
laughter echoes round the cell. SAM sees that MR HELPMANN,
in his wheelchair is watching him. He is dressed as Father
Christmas. They are alone in the cell. SAM scrunches up
into the corner.
HELPMANN
Sam, what are we going to do with
you? Can you hear me, Sam?
SAM
(in a hoarse urgent
whisper)
Where's Jill? What have you done to
her? Where is she?!
HELPMANN
Gillian Layton?
SAM
Yes, you've got to get me out of
here. I've got to find her.
HELPMANN
I understand, Sam, I know exactly how
you feel. So I brought you a bottle
of barley water.
HELPMANN holds up a bottle of barley water.
SAM
(desperately)
Help me!
HELPMANN
I assure you, Sam, I'm doing
everything within my power. But the
rules of the game are laid down, and
we all have to play by them - even
me.
SAM
This is all a mistake! Don't you
understand?!
HELPMANN
Yes, well, from the Department's
point of view you're certainly a bit
of an own goal, but ...
SAM
I'm not a terrorist! You must know
that! I'm not guilty! Get me out of
here!
HELPMANN
Sam, if you've been going out there
and playing a straight bat, all the
way down the line, you've got
absolutely nothing to worry about.
SAM
Please, I've got to find Jill.
HELPMANN
Sam, I think I ought to tell you ...
I'm afraid she's upped stumps and
retired to the pavilion.
SAM looks blank.
Thrown in the towel.
SAM
(takes a moment to work
this out)
Dead?
HELPMANN nods.
HELPMANN
Yes, it's all a bit confusing but, it
seems she was killed resisting
arrest.
SAM
(relieved)
No, no ... I did that...
HELPMANN looks surprised. SAM shuts up.
HELPMANN
The odd thing is it appears to have
happened twice ... a bit of a
disputed call, I'm afraid.
SAM has gone catatonic.
HELPMANN
(starting to go)
So, there you are. All I can say is,
don't fall at the last fence. The
finishing post's in sight. See you in
the paddock. Good luck. Keep your eye
on the ball. Got to go .... Can't
keep the orphans waiting.
HELPMANN goes. A GUARD helps him out and then returns with
ANOTHER to help put the restraining bag over SAM.
GUARD
Don't fight it, son .... confess
quickly ... Before they get into the
expensive procedures. If you hold out
too long you could jeopardise your
credit rating.
The bag blacks everything out.
133 INT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL ROOM 133
The bag comes off. SAM finds himself strapped into an
Information Retrieval chair. The CAMERA tracks back
frighteningly fast revealing that he chair stands in an
unbelievably vast room. The walls curve up and out of
sight.
The floor doesn't seem to be a floor at all - strange
light undulates beneath. The whole effect is one of total
disorientation and overwhelming size. SAM is desperately
trying to take it in. Next to the chair is a porcelain
tray of evil and frighteningly ambiguous instruments.
Worrysome electrical connections and meters are near at
hand. As the GUARDS leave SAM to take up their positions
near the distant door they hand over documents to the
white-coated INFORMATION RETRIEVAL OFFICER.
GUARD
11/AFT/607, sir.
They all sign the document which the I.R. OFFICER retains
after giving carbon copies to the GUARDS. The GUARDS then
proceed to the door and take up positions on either side
of it. The I.R. OFFICER heads toward SAM. We can now see
he wears a mask. It is the face of the FORCES OF DARKNESS.
A smiling baby doll face. SAM sits, mesmerized, watching
him approach. Within fifteen or twenty yards of SAM the
I.R. OFFICER comes to an abrupt halt. He seems to sway.
After a moment he turns slightly, hesitantly, giving the
impression that he may return to the door. He looks at the
GUARDS, pauses, straightens himself up, takes a deep
breath and continues again towards SAM, rather more
briskly than before. SAM watches, terrified and
fascinated. The I.R. OFFICER goes to the table which is
covered with evil-looking surgical-type instruments - he
blunders clumsily into it, knocking a couple of them onto
the floor. He picks then up quickly and replaces them.
SAM
Jack?
The I.R. OFFICER reacts to this as if he's been hit in the
solar plexus, and he tries to disguise it by simulating a
coughing fit. He then picks up a nasty looking implement
and advances on SAM.
SAM
Jack?... Jack?
JACK
(hysterically from behind
mask)
Shut up!
SAM
Jack, I'm innocent! Help me.
JACK
Bastard!!!
SAM
This is all a mistake. Jack, please
take that mask off.
JACK is very close to SAM, he is shaking. He lifts up his
mask to reveal sweaty face, contorted with fear and anger.
JACK
You stupid bastard!
SAM
What?
JACK
How could you do this to me?
SAM
Help me, Jack! I'm frightened!
JACK
How do you think I feel? You shit!
SAM
Jack ...
JACK
(pulling down mask)
Shut up! This is a professional
relationship!
JACK comes at SAM with the horrifying implement.
SAM
JACK!! ... You can't ... No, don't!
SAM's eyes widen in terror. From his POV we look up at
JACK approaching. The ceiling above and behind JACK is
suddenly and. loudly penetrated by the Ceiling Hole
Machine, and in an instant without benefit of "fireman's
pole", the commando-like figure of MR TUTTLE gun in hand,
leaps through the hole.
TUTTLE is immediately followed by similar looking MEN with
balaclavas, guerilla-type clothing, and very efficient
guns. JACK is cut down. So are the TWO GUARDS who have
opened the door from the corridor and are shooting into
the room.
TUTTLE raps out into a walkie-talkie
TUTTLE
Detonate!
From somewhere near at hand there is a large explosion
which rocks the room. TUTTLE is already unstrapping SAM.
TUTTLE
Let's go!
134 INT. CORRIDORS NIGHT 134
CUT to RESCUERS, with SAM in the middle, fighting their
way in the terrific battle with GUARDS, until they get to
a door leading to the stairs.
135 INT. ENDLESS STAIRWAYS NIGHT 135
CUT to RESCUERS, their members thinning, and SAM, fighting
down flight after flight of stairs with lots of neat-oh
violence and blood and, gunshots and ... falling and
bleeding and -
136 INT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL LOBBY NIGHT 136
CUT to the RESCUERS fighting their way to the entrance.
Another group of RESCUERS at the door are providing cover
fire The PORTER sits behind his desk watching the battle
on his bank of monitors.
2ND GROUP
Quick! We've only got thirty seconds
to get clear!
TUTTLE tosses SAM a dark overcoat to cover his light grey
detainee outfit. Together, the TWO GROUPS burst out
through the door into the large empty forecourt.
137 EXT. FORECOURT NIGHT 137
The forecourt is suddenly illuminated by huge arc lights.
Machine gun installations open fire. The RESCUERS are
totally exposed.
They are cut down left and right.
Desperately they battle their way across the open space.
Time running out. SAM, knowing the way, leads TUTTLE
towards a shielded spot. Will they make it? As the last
RESCUER is cut down SAM and TUTTLE dive for cover.
KOWBLAMMPOW! A massive explosion. Then another. And
another. SECURITY TROOPS caught unprotected are decimated.
SAM looks up. Christ! The building is being blown to bits.
Certain windows are lit. They spell out MERRY XMAS. With a
final massive haemorrhage the building erupts in a geyser
of masonry, steel, paper and dozens of T.V. consoles and
visual aid apparatus including, in large chunks, MR
HELPMANN's masterpiece. But also tons and tons of paper.
Every file in the building has burst its seams and ejected
its load skywards. The night sky is full of white
rectangular wisps. Ashlike they flutter down over the
city. SAM looks around and can't see TUTTLE anywhere. He
shouts for him. But the remaining TROOPS have spotted SAM
and SAM runs.
138 EXT. CITY PASSAGES NIGHT 138
SAM runs madly through paper-littered passages
139 EXT. SHOPPING PRECINCT NIGHT139
Eluding his pursuers, SAM dives into a crowded, garishly
lit, shopping centre. Once among the protective company of
he mindlessly shopping MOB, SAM slows down and proceeds
casually. The SHOPPERS go about their programmed business
paying no attention to the paperwork swirling about them.
Searching the CROWD, SAM spots TUTTLE making his way
towards him. TUTTLE is having a bit of trouble walking
against the steadily increasing wind. As he proceeds
across an open area a blown piece of paper. catches on his
foot. He tries shaking it off.
It remains firmly stuck. While he is struggling with the
piece of paper another, larger piece catches his other
leg. He begins to lose his temper trying to dislodge the
flying debris. Another hits him and twists around his arm.
Still more paper blows against him. He is having
difficulty staying upright. Twisting this way and that he
tries to free himself, but more and more paper covers him.
He is practically obscured from view. SAM can't believe
what he is seeing. SHOPPERS continue about their business,
apparently unaware of TUTTLE'S terrible plight. Apart from
ONE SHOPPER who loses control of her shopping trolley -
and watches it career down the steps of the shopping
precinct. By now TUTTLE is totally encased in this cocoon
of litter. He is now just a ball of paper writhing about
on the ground. SAM has to do something. He rushes out from
his hiding place and tries to pull the litter off TUTTLE.
The pieces come loose with surprising ease. The wind
carries them away as SAM frantically tears at the pile.
But there is no sign of TUTTLE. Nothing. The last few
pieces of paper flutter away leaving SAM standing there
with a couple of posters in his hands. He realises that he
is suddenly very visible. All the shopping bustle has
stopped. They are all staring at him. SAM spots TROOPS
shouldering their way towards him. He turns tail and
dashes off.
140 INT. MOTHER'S FLAT NIGHT 140
The drawing room door burst open as SAM dashes in. SAM
goes straight through and into the bedroom. The room is
empty of all terrestrial human life forms. A hollow wind
blows the curtains.
141 INT. MOTHER'S BEDROOM NIGHT 141
The room is in chaos (and there is a hole in the ceiling).
SAM turns and sees a silhouette in the doorway. He rushes
forwards.
142 INT. MOTHER'S FRONT DOOR NIGHT 142
But it's MATTHEWS the porter who is at the door watching
SAM running towards him.
MATTHEWS
(piously)
A sad loss. Your mother was with her
at the end. The doctor said there was
no pain.
SAM grabs MATTHEWS round the neck and shakes him.
SAM
Where is she?
143 EXT A CORNER NIGHT 143
SAM comes running around corner. He is suddenly bathed in
a strange blue light. He halts and looks up. There
opposite him is a large blue neon cross above the entrance
to a chapel of dully modernistic design. Holy music from
an electric organ can be heard. SAM rushes up the stops
and through the door.
144 INT. CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF THE CHECK-OUT COUNTER NIGHT 144
CUT to SAM slipping into the chapel (in tight spot) and
suddenly being confronted by SPIRO the Maitre D.
SPIRO
Ah, yes, Mr Lowry. It's so good you
could make it. Right this way.
SAM, dumbfounded, follows.
CUT to SAM being lead into the middle of the cold, modern
chapel which, possibly for the occasion, has been tarted
up with some red velvet curtains that help make it a bit
theatrical. A large flower-smothered coffin rests on some
sort of raised stand in front of the altar, a VICAR stands
in the pulpit, and a fair sprinkling of PEOPLE sit in
stepped seats on three sides of the room.
The coffin is closed, but a length of bandage has escaped
the lid. Standing amidst the floral tributes is a large,
rather idealized, colour portrait of MRS TERRAIN looking
not so much young as beautiful. Among the MOURNERS are DRS
JAFFE and CHAPMAN and others in their operating gowns.
To enlarge on the scene, we see SHIRLEY T snuffling in her
hanky and a few others chatting amongst themselves, the
VICAR standing in his pulpit waiting to get on with it,
etc. CUT to SAM trying to take all this in, stopping in
the middle of the room. Don't forget DR CHAPMAN sobbing.
SPIRO
(stopping and looking back
at Sam)
Mrs Lowry? Mrs Lowry is ...
In the background the VICAR begins speaking, and we hear
his voice throughout the following action. CUT TO SAM'S
POV ....
VICAR (in background)
At these times of giving and
receiving let's remember the greatest
gift of all: not a gift to be
spurned, not a gift to be opened and
carelessly set on one side, not a
gift to be taken back and changed,
but the gift of eternal life. Mrs
Terrain has just received that most
wonderful of all gifts. She came to
us physically new, she goes hence
from us not so physically new. But
the spirit never grows old. And in
the domain of the Eternal Giver, Mrs
Terrain shall dwell in bountiful joy
forever.
..... (CUT to SAM's POV) ... past SPIRO to a section in
the bleachers directly across from the coffin and the
VICAR where a WOMAN (her back to SAM) is surrounded by a
buzzing flock of very handsome and well-dressed YOUNG MEN.
SAM
(trying to take in scene)
what? ... Oh ...
(starts to follow Spiro)
SPIRO
(coming up to back of
woman)
Madam ...
CUT to WOMAN turning, half in flirtatious conversation. It
is SAM's MOTHER, but miraculously another twenty years
younger and ... a parody of SAM's Dream Girl.
MOTHER
Sam!!!
(uncertainty in her
expression)
SAM
(staring dumbly, not
knowing what to say)
Mother? ... What ... what's ...
you've got to help me ...
MOTHER
(embarrassed, unsure)
Not now ... please
YOUNG GALLANT
(belligerently)
Ida, is this fellow bothering you?
(getting up)
I'll -
But before we can find out what he'll:
SFX:
TERRIFIC CRASH.
CUT to entrance to Chapel as a squad of TROOPS come
crashing in. PEOPLE begin to scatter, screaming. The
TROOPS spot SAM who dashes away from his MOTHER and heads
for a door behind the altar. In his panic he crashes
against the coffin which topples over spilling its
contents ... a hundredweight of offal. SAM covers his
mouth and dashes through the door.
145 EXT. MAZE-LIKE DARK PASSAGES NIGHT 145
CUT to SAM, really dashing madly, tripping over things,
hurting himself, getting up running.
He is in a maze of machinery. Every way he turns his path
seems blocked by either TROOPS or FIGURES from his dreams.
The walls of the maze become more simplified as he goes
deeper into it. More rectangular, higher. We see a top
shot of the maze with SAM separate from the pursuing
FORCES but they are closing in on him from all sides. The
maze extends as far as we can see. SAM turns left and
right through it, always there is a chance of turnings.
Until ... he rounds a corner and for the first time there
is nowhere to go. The maze leads straight ahead to a dead
end.
At the end of the maze is a great pile of detritus from
the consumer society. Televisions, washing machines, hair
dryers, junk. SAM can do nothing but try to dig through
this pile.
Maybe he can defend himself with something here. He
scrabbles away. Looking back he sees the massed AGENTS,
TROOPS, FORCES OF DARKNESS heading toward him. No escape.
He digs, harder, faster. Junk flies everywhere. He
actually reaches the end wall. Back to it, he turns to
face the foe. But as he moves against the wall his hand
touches something. A door knob. He turns. It's a door. The
knob turns easily. The door swings open. SAM dives through
it.
146 INT. HABITATION UNIT NIGHT 146
SAM finds himself in a strange little house empty of
furniture except a few fitted cupboards and a fitted bed
frame. He tries to lock the door behind him but there is
no key. He puts his weight against the door to keep it
shut. From outside there is the general noise of pursuit
but this fades and resolves itself into a fairly quiet
uniform engine-sound. SAM lets go of the door carefully.
He looks around but there is only one window and it is
shuttered. He carefully opens the door a crack and he sees-
SAM'S POV: A rapidly receding street.
147 EXT. CITY NIGHT 147
JILL's truck, with the house on its back, is driving
dangerously through he streets. It lurches round the
corner.
148 INT. HABITATION UNIT NIGHT 148
- The lurch throws SAM to one side. He picks himself up,
and, fighting the centrifugal force, works his way to the
shuttered window which is at the front end of the house,
in the wall opposite the door. SAM undoes the shutters and
finds himself looking at the rear window of JILL's cab. He
sees the back of the DRIVER's head. The DRIVER is wearing
JILL's cap. He sees the back of the DRIVER's cab. He bangs
on the glass of the cab. The DRIVER raises her head so
that the face is visible to SAM in the driving mirror. He
sees that it is JILL, in a flat cap. She smiles at him.
SAM sobs with relief and love.
149 EXT. THE ROAD NIGHT 149
The lorry, travelling slowly now, approaches then breasts
the rise beyond which lies ... looking more than ever ...
JILL'S VALLEY. We ZOOM towards it through a MIX ...
150 INT. TRAVELLING LORRY NIGHT 150
Through the windscreen we see the dawn coming up ahead.
The reverse shot shows us JILL driving and SAM next to
her. They glance at each other.
151 EXT. SMALL ROAD EARLY MORNING 151
The lorry, travelling slowly now, approaches and then
breasts the rise beyond which lies ... A STUNNINGLY
BEAUTIFUL UNTOUCHED VALLEY. We ZOOM towards it through a
MIX ...
152 EXT. BEAUTIFUL VALLEY DAY 152
Half hidden in the heart of the valley is the truck with
the house on its back. Creepers and wild roses have grown
up over the truck and some of the house. A curl of smoke
rises from a makeshift chimney which has been attached to
one of the walls. A small piece of ground around the truck
has been cleared and made into a pretty garden with a
vegetable plat. There is also a pretty cow, and some
chickens. JILL appears locking like CRUSOE carrying a
basket of eggs.
153 INT. HOUSE MORNING 153
SAM is in the bed, just waking up. He opens his eyes,
locking calm. Off screen we hear the door opening.
JILL (off screen)
Morning. Sleep well?
SAM nods his head slightly, on the pillow.
SAM
(quietly)
I don't dream anymore.
(he embraces her)
154 EXT. HOUSE AND GARDEN MORNING 154
A high shot. Everything in the garden is definitely
lovely. The music tells us. The music swells and the
camera slowly pulls back, and back. It's a happy ending.
And then, in the foreground, TWO HUGE HEADS appear looking
straight at the camera. It is MR HELPMANN and JACK. They
both shake their heads.
MR HELPMANN
He's got away from us, Jack.
CUT to their POV.
155 INT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL ROOM DAY 155
Sam is sitting in the IR chair. He is strapped in. His
eyes are open but miles away. His face is wreathed in a
benign and very happy smile.
JACK
I'm afraid you're right, Mr.
Helpmann. He's gone.
A wide shot of the room shows us HELPMANN and LINT turn
away and leave. SAM is left alone. He is humming.. The
camera pulls back and back. The Information Retrieval room
with SAM in it floats away into the most beautiful
glorious sky ever.
SAM's humming into a full orchestra, and we hear ......
"Brazil, where hearts were entertained in June,
We stood beneath an amber moon,
And softly murmured 'Some day soon'
We kissed and clung together,
Then, tomorrow was another day.
The morning found me miles away,
With still a million things to say,
Now, when twilight beams the sky above,
Recalling thrills of our love,
There's one thing I'm certain of,
Return, I will,
To old Brazil."
THE END
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