Batman Page #10

VICKI:

We went there once when I was

little. I played on the beach. And

at nights -- they had a band -- I

danced with my father on the hotel

patio.

(shrugging)

That was Corto Maltese. When the war

broke out I had to go back. And I

promised myself that this time... I

wouldn't look away.

BRUCE:

What did you see?

VICKI:

... Terror.

The conversation is getting rather intense -- at both ends.

VICKI seems to have hit some weird chord within BRUCE.

BRUCE:

There's terror everywhere. Some

types are just more -- familiar

than others.

For a moment BRUCE seems to be drifting back into his

familiar 'preoccupied' mode. VICKI laughs apologetically.

VICKI:

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to -- I

know it all seems a million miles

away, out here on the water, with

all this --

BRUCE:

Insulation?

VICKI is momentarily stuck for a reply. In some way she

can't quite grasp, he seems to be challenging her.

VICKI:

Bruce, really, when I say these

things I don't mean to criticize

you.

BRUCE:

I think you see things very clearly.

VICKI:

I'm happy to talk about something

else. I don't want to be depressing.

BRUCE:

(smiling)

Do you assume that if I know you

better I won't like you as much?

VICKI starts laughing. BRUCE is a notorious womanizer, but

if this is a come-on, it's like no come-on she's ever seen.

VICKI:

I'm sorry, Bruce, I have to ask. Are

you like this with the other women

you know? -- Because I just can't

seem to get a handle on this

conversation.

BRUCE:

(taking her hand)

Vicki, if I say anything cryptic, or...

ambiguous, I think you should put

the most flattering possible

interpretation on it. Because even

if it doesn't sound that way...

that's how I'll mean it.

Bingo. The guy's a chessplayer, but on the other hand he's

also rather touchingly, almost childishly, sincere. Before

she knows it, VICKI finds herself melting.

CUT TO:

INT. GOTHAM CITY OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT

Rigoletto. THE DUKE onstage, launching into his big

crowd-pleaser, "La Donna e Mobile."

WE PAN THE AUDIENCE, finding several mobile young DONNAS in

the crowd -- drop-dead beauties in slinky gowns. Although

most eyes are fixed, reasonably enough, on the stage, DONNA

#1 is staring with undisguised envy at a PRIVATE BOX above

the orchestra seats. Her mouth twists in disgust.

She scans the crowd, finds her counterpart (DONNA #2) some

rows back, on the arm of a bald bigwig. DONNA #2 is wearing

a similar sour expression, staring up at the same box.

DONNA #3 is even less discreet than her comrades. She has

her opera glasses trained on the couple in the box.

HER POV - THROUGH OPERA GLASSES - THE BOX

BRUCE and VICKI. He whispers in her ear. She smiles and

whispers back.

A beat. He whispers again. This time she doesn't laugh. But

her lips part slightly. SCREEN GOES BLACK as the opera

glasses SNAP SHUT.

ANGLE ON CROWD - DONNA #3

staring icily at the DUKE as he finishes up to a round of

TUMULTUOUS APPLAUSE.

CUT TO:

INT. WAYNE MANOR - NIGHT

BRUCE and VICKI enter. He takes her coat, drops it on a

chair by the door. VICKI is giddy, all champagned up.

VICKI:

-- but it's not fair. I'm half

drunk and you're not even --

BRUCE:

Would you like me to take you home?

VICKI:

God. You would.

(sidling up to him)

Come on, Bruce. I just want to get

two drinks in you. As an

experiment.

BRUCE:

Maybe we should just kiss.

VICKI:

... We could try that.

WIDER ANGLE:

BRUCE embracing VICKI in the vastness of the darkened entry

hall, framed by long semicircular STAIRWAYS on opposite

walls. A SUDDEN FLASH OF LIGHTNING transports us to:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING - ESTABLISHING - NIGHT

Broken windows, graffiti on the walls: a decrepit rathole

near the Gotham docks.

INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE - NIGHT

TIGHT ON a face swathed in bandages. The patient sits erect

in a wooden chair, surrounded by the grimy paraphernalia of

an unlicensed gangland doctor.

The DOCTOR, a nervous little ferret with the bedside manner

of a back-alley abortionist, steps up with a scissors.

DOCTOR:

Well, Mr. Napier, let's see how we

did.

He begins to snip away. As the bandages come off, we get:

JACK NAPIER'S POV

The last strands of gauze peel away. The DOCTOR stands

there, looking at his handiwork. His mouth falls open. His

eyes bug out. He GAGS.

JACK (V.O.)

Mirror.

The DOCTOR just stands there staring AT CAMERA, stock-

still, apparently transfixed by the sight of JACK's face.

JACK (V.O.)

Mirror.

ANGLE ON DOCTOR:

He clears his throat, reaches apprehensively for a hand

mirror, and passes it out of frame to JACK. Two beats.

Then, the sound of GLASS SHATTERING as the mirror drops to

the floor.

JACK begins to laugh. THE DOCTOR gets a little edgy.

DOCTOR:

You understand the facial muscles

were completely severed --

JACK keeps on laughing.

The DOCTOR turns uneasily away, gestures apologetically at

his seedy equipment.

DOCTOR (cont.)

-- you can see what I have to work

with here --

MORE LAUGHTER. The trembling DOCTOR covers his face with

one hand, whining now, not daring to look at JACK.

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