분야
hwp Third draft by
Frank Pierson
Participating writers:
Ann Biderman
Jay Presson Allen
INT. LECTURE HALL BERKELEY - DAY
The hall is full. On the stage, DR. HELEN HUDSON is
speaking. HELEN is a forensic psychologist. Behind her is
a projected diagram: PREDISPOSITION, DISSOCIATION, TRAUMA,
FANTASY, VIOLENT FANTASY, FACILITATORS, MURDER, and
TRAUMA-REINFORCEMENT which she can point to with a laser
pointing device. We see her from a considerable
distance... the back of the balcony. Her voice is crisp and
assured.
HELEN
Our society creates these socially
and psychically disenfranchised
men, and their revenge on society
is terrible. They are hard to
catch. They are "the nice guy next
door," their employers -- if they
work at all -- find them quiet and
uncomplaining. Early abuse and
rejection have taught them
passivity. Only in their violent
fantasies do they feel alive. What
they seek in their frenzied
assaults on their victims is relief
from passivity. For these men, ten
minutes relief is worth far more
than the life of another human
being. Torture, the pain they
inflict, the screams of the victim,
are all part of the ritual that
gives them a brief respite from
their own psychic pain. And then
the depression, the forgetting, the
feeling of sadness and despair
begins the cycle all over again.
Like addicts seeking their drug,
Albert DeSalvo, Bianchi and Buono,
Berkowitz, Dahmer, Bundy -- they
seek out their next victim.
During the second half of this speech, the eye of the camera
has moved slowly forward until it settles just behind the
balcony railing.
CLOSEUP: HELEN
HELEN
The cycle is endless until they are
caught. And they are caught by
chance -- they run a red light, and
a body is in the trunk. A leaking
pipe brings a plumber to a basement
where they is the smell of death.
Her eyes have come to rest on the spot of the camera eye in
the balcony... Her voice chokes off. She stares.
HELENS POV:
Sitting in the front row of the balcony, a YOUNG RED-HEADED
MAN (DARYLL LEE CULLUM) leans forward, resting his tattooed
arms on the railing. He smiles intimately at HELEN.
HELEN cuts her eyes to the left. She sees:
Backstage, an overweight COP in plain clothes. Instantly
alert to HELENS alarm, he jumps up, comes within an inch of
exposing his presence to the audience. A SECOND COP, in the
wings on the other side of the stage, also springs to
attention. FIRST COPS eyes follow HELENS...
Their POV: THE BALCONY - YOUNG RED-HEADED MAN is no longer
there.
HELEN Can she believe her eyes? Resumes:
HELEN
At any time, right now, as you
listen, the FBI estimates there are
30 to 35 serial killers stalking
their victims. The serial killer is
a plaque that must be addressed not
only by the law, but by science.
Florida spent eight million dollars
to execute Ted Bundy. It would
have been better spent building a
forensic penal facility devoted to
research.
Once again her eyes fix on the balcony to reassure herself
that the smiling man is not there...
HELEN
Confined for life, without parole,
and subjected to scientific study,
these mens lives might finally, in
some small measure, educate and
thereby protect society. Thank
you.
Applause as Helen warily checks for the TWO COPS. They are
carefully casing the crowd.
CUT TO:
LATER:
The crowd is breaking up. FIRST COP walks HELEN to the
ladies room. People reach to shake Helens hand; she copes
as well as she can with her fear. THEY LEAVE THE STAGE
THROUGH A DOOR OPENING TO A CORRIDOR LEADING BACK TO
DRESSING ROOMS AND A LADIES ROOM...
CUT TO:
INT. LADIES ROOM - DAY
THE COP, clearly embarrassed, pokes his head in and looks
around. Under one stall he sees a womans HIGH HEELS. He
hastily ducks back into HALL and signals an okay to Helen.
Before the door behind her closes, we see the COP prepare to
stand guard outside. HELEN walks past the stall with the
high heels to a stall several doors down.
CLOSE UP HIGH HEELS:
And a tattoo that the cop missed seeing on one of the
ankles. The shoes are kicked off. The feet disappear from
view as
HELEN, a few stalls away, methodically places toilet paper
around the seat before raising her skirt. A faint noise
makes her freeze. Her hand reaches for the door. She is
just able to unlock it, but no more, before a NOISE COMES
DOWN FROM THE NEXT STALL.
Like a lariat it falls over HELENS head and is violently
yanked tight. She kicks at the stall door.
CORRIDOR: COP, leaning against outside door smoking, hears
the clang of metal as the stall door bangs open. He
reacts...
INT. LADIES ROOM - CONTINUED
The RED-HEADED MAN is struggling to secure the rope around a
hook inside his own stall. KNOCKING (o.s.)
COP (o.s.)
Doctor Hudson? Are you okay in
there?
The MAN lets slip a little slack.
HELENS fingers, thrusting between the rope and her neck,
get just enough air for HELEN to let out a strangled little
scream.
CORRIDOR: COP, not certain what to do about the ambiguous
sounds from inside. Women stands nearby, inhibiting him for
a split second from going in the Ladies Room
