Agnes of God Page #10

He sets the folder down on a table and starts going through it.

They both

look at the plans.

MAN (Cont.)

Ah viola! This has everything. Even

the secret entrance. They all had

that. Usually to get from building to

building in the snow...

(he indicates on

the plan)

... like that one.

MARTHA:

(murmurs)

That's how he got in... or she got

out.

MAN:

Oh excuse me, what did you say?

MARTHA:

Nothing. May I take some notes?

MAN:

Oh yes, (distorted)

Martha starts drawing a rough plan.

67 INT - CRYPT - DAY

The crypt is deserted but candles are burning in front of a

statue of Saint Michael. Martha walks over to it,lights a candle and

goes behind it and

finds a stairway there leading underground. She goes down

into...

68 INT - TUNNEL - DAY

Martha walks through the dimly lit passage. She stops for a

moment to look

at a cross carved on the stone floor, then continues. Finally

she reaches

more steps and goes up into the...

69 INT - BARN - DAY

Martha emerges through a trapdoor in to the barn which is full

of doves. It begins to make sense for her.

70 EXT - CITY - DAY

Various closeups of famous statues. A bell is tolling. Two nuns

come out of

a building, down streets, across the road as though traffic did

not exist

and into another building.

71 INT - LIFT - DAY

The nuns are Sister Anne and Mother Miriam. In the lift an

OFFICE GIRL:

checks her lipstick in the reflective metal walls. The lift

stops and the

Sisters get off.

72 INT - CORRIDOR - DAY

They walk down the modern carpeted corridor into...

73 INT - MARTHA'S OFFICE - DAY

Mother Miriam addresses the secretary, HELEN.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Is the Doctor in her office?

HELEN:

Ah, who shall I say is calling?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

(grimly)

General MacArthur.

She heads onto Martha's office. Helen jumps up after her.

HELEN:

Just a minute please, you can't go in

there.

Mother Miriam pushes the door open to reveal Martha.

MARTHA:

(standing)

It's... it's alright Helen, just close

the door.

Mother Miriam walks in and throws some papers down onto

Martha's desk.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I've just met with the bishop. We're

taking you off the case.

MARTHA:

(picking up the papers)

You're what?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

If we want to hire a psychiatrist for

Agnes. we'll find our own, thank you.

(starts to leave)

MARTHA:

One that will ask the questions you

want asked.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

(halting)

One that will approach this matter

with some objectivity and respect.

MARTHA:

For the Church?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

For Agnes.

MARTHA:

You think she's a saint?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

She's been touched by God, yes.

MARTHA:

How? How? She hallucinates, stops

eating and bleeds spontaneously. Is

that supposed to convince me she

shouldn't be touched. Give me a miracle.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

The father!

MARTHA:

Who is he?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Why must he be anybody?

MARTHA:

(laughs and sits down)

My God, you're as crazy as...

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Stop laughing, I don't say it's the truth,

I'm saying...

MARTHA:

How (distorted) ?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Don't be ridiculous.

MARTHA:

Well give me a reasonable explanation

MOTHER MIRIAM:

A miracle is an event without an

explanation. If she's capable of putting

a hole in her hand without benefit of a

nail, why couldn't she split a cell in her

womb?

MARTHA:

This is insane.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

There as no man in the convent on that

night and no way for any man to get in

or out.

MARTHA:

You're saying God did it?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

No, that's as much as saying Father

Martineau did it. I'm saying God

permitted it.

MARTHA:

But how did it happen?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

You'll never find the answer for

everything God did.

MARTHA:

I thought you didn't believe in miracles

today Mother?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

But I want the opportunity to believe.

I want the choice to believe.

MARTHA:

But what you are choosing to believe

is a lie because you won't face the fact

that she was raped... or seduced...

or that she did the seducing.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

She is an innocent.

MARTHA:

But she is not an enigma Mother.

Everything that Agnes has done is

explainable from modern psychiatry.

One, two, three, right down the line.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

That's what you believe she is? The

sum of her psychological parts?

MARTHA:

That's what I have to believe...

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Then why are you so obsessed with her?

You're losing sleep over her?

(Martha gets up disturbed)

You're thinking about her all the time.

You're bent on saving her. Why?

Martha has no answer.

MOTHER MIRIAM (Cont.)

(calmer)

I'm not accusing. I'm recognizing.

MARTHA:

There's a tunnel out of the crypt into

the barn. Did you know about that?

There's an answer Mother. That's how

she got out.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

That's crazy. How could she find out

about it?

MARTHA:

Somebody told her.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Who? That tun... that tunnel hasn't

been used in fifty years.

MARTHA:

Oh, would you stop lying Mother!

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Why would I lie?

MARTHA:

Because it's murder we're talking about.

Aren't you concerned about what she told

us about the other person in her room.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I'm concerned about her health.

MARTHA:

Who was that person Mother? Was it

you?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

If you believe this is murder, it is the

Crown attorney you have to talk to, not

me. And definitely not Agnes.

She goes out and slams the door.

74 EXT - POND - DAY

After a couple of establishing shots of the convent, the nuns

are shown ice skating on the frozen pond. They are quite

uninhibited, like little

children. Their singing (off) from the chapel continues until

the end of

scene 78.

75 INT - CHAPEL - DAY

Sister Genevieve, the other novice is being consecrated. She

approaches the altar all dressed in white, carrying a single candle

and kneels down.

76 INT - LAW COURTS - DAY

Martha and Justice Leveau come up the steps and into the

corridor.

MARTHA:

All I want is one more week.

LEVEAU:

Why?

(continues in French,

then...)

You've done nothing to show any progress.

MARTHA:

Yes, that's because I'm getting to her.

LEVEAU:

You're getting to all of us Martha, let's

face it.

MARTHA:

I'll have a decision by next week.

LEVEAU:

It's gone on long enough. You're out.

MARTHA:

Oh Joe... Joe she didn't kill the baby.

LEVEAU:

(halting)

You have proof?

MARTHA:

I'll have it.

LEVEAU:

When?

MARTHA:

Next week.

LEVEAU:

(walking on)

No, no, no...

MARTHA:

I can get you new evidence next week.

LEVEAU:

No!

MARTHA:

Tomorrow... tomorrow, I'll get it by

tomorrow. I will.

They reach the door of Leveau's office. He thinks...

LEVEAU:

Yes, demain (?)

77 INT - CHAPEL - DAY

The scene consists of a number of shots dissolving into one

another. Sister Genevieve lying face down in front of the bishop,

Genevieve praying on her knees, her family (4) watching from

behind the grilled gate. Genevieve's

hair being cut, her joy at the habit being fitted to her,

running out to

join her family, a jolly old singalong on the piano, this time

the nuns

singing along from behind the gate.

78 EXT - CONVENT - DAY

Martha drives up in her car and walks across the now snow

covered grounds to the convent.

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