The Abyss
AN ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BY
JAMES CAMERON
August 2, 1988
Directors Revision
THE ABYSS
OMITTED 1
OMITTED 2
TITLE: THE ABYSS -- ON BLACK, DISSOLVING TO COBALT BLUE
EXT. OCEAN/UNDERWATER -- DAY 3
Blue, deep and featureless, the twilight of five hundred feet down.
PROPELLER SOUND. Materializing out of the blue limbo is the enormous but
sleek form of an Ohio-class SSBN ballistic missile submar
searching for something to say
Or are we just simple spiralling coils
Of self-replicating DNA?
What is life? What is our fate?
Is there Heaven and Hell? Do we reincarnate?
Is mankind evolving or is it too late?
Well tonight heres the Meaning of Life.
For millions this life is a sad vale of tears
Sitting round with really nothing to say
While scientists say were just simply spiralling coils
Of sel
coils.
- Primaries cut, sir.
All clear, sir.
Look at the color of that sky.
Yeah, but Ill still take blue.
I dont know. I think a man
could get used to this...
and grow to love it.
Bosun, you can assemble the tractor.
Better check the command mike.
- The command mike, sir.
- Oh, good idea.
- Chief?
- Sir?
Youre in command now, Quinn.
You keep right at those instruments.
- Aye, aye, sir.
- Hey, wh
coiling tightly around her wrists.
MAN (V.O.)
You? Youre a jumper.
The crack at the bottom of the door lights her face. She
is gagged and unconscious, a trickle of blood running down
her forehead. Her name is Corky.
MAN (V.O.)
Are you listening to me?
CUT TO:
INT. PAROLE OFFICE
It is a small cramped office, manila folders piled
everywhere.
OFFICER
You had better listen to me.
At the desk is a lar
coil of high-test rope over their
shoulders, hooked to a D-ring on their belts, for climbing.
DEAKINS
Connie, this is going to be the best
damned summer vacation youve ever
had. Trust me.
CONRAD
(gestures to skeleton)
Did he trust you?
Deakins keeps moving through the jungle, Conrad following.
DEAKINS
Would you rather be stuck with your
parents at Disney World?
CONRAD
They went to Paris this year