Black Swan Page #15

Nina sees Leroy on stage chewing David out, behind the closed

curtain.

David spots Nina, glares at her, and sulks away.

Leroy runs his fingers through his hair, his back to Nina.

Nina cautiously approaches.

NINA:

It wasn’t my fault. He dropped me.

He can’t even look at her.

LEROY:

(raging)

What a f***ing disaster!

He walks away.

All alone, Nina sees everyone backstage looking at her.

She runs, escaping their stares.

106 OMITTED 106

107 INT. PRINCIPLE’S DRESSING ROOM - SAME 107

She closes the door behind her, ready to cry.

She looks up, and finds Lily putting on makeup and wearing

the Black Swan costume.

LILY:

Rough start, huh? Pretty

humiliating...

95.

NINA:

Get out of here.

LILY:

Wow...rude.

Lily coyly smiles, and continues applying makeup.

LILY (CONT’D)

I’m worried about the next act. Not

sure you’re feeling up to it.

NINA:

Stop. Just stop.

LILY:

How about...I dance the Black Swan

for you?

Nina looks into the mirror. Instead of Lily’s reflection

there’s the Double.

NINA:

Leave me alone. Leave me alone.

DOUBLE:

(in mirror)

But it’s my turn.

Nina’s fury rises up from inside.

NINA:

Leave me alone!!!

She charges...

And smashes her into the WALL LENGTH MIRROR, shattering it.

Shards fall everywhere.

The Double flips Nina over and wails on her. Punch after

punch.

Nina does her best to block the onslaught.

They scuffle, knocking things over, bumping into walls.

The Double gets her hands around Nina’s neck...

Gasping for air, Nina tries to pull the hands free, but she’s

too strong.

96.

Her hands frantically scramble along the surface of the

floor. The fingers barely touch the edge of a MIRROR SHARD,

but can’t grasp it.

The Double squeezes down.

The blood vessels in Nina’s eyes BURST again. Her neck starts

to stretch unnaturally. Strength surges through her body and

she lunges...

Finally grabbing the SHARD.

And DRIVES it into the Double’s stomach.

Nina glances at her hand, cut by the mirror, then back up.

The Double is now LILY. Stunned, Lily looks down and touches

the stab wound.

NINA (CONT’D)

It’s my turn.

Lily coughs up blood and collapses, dead.

Nina stares at her, breathing heavily, high on adrenaline.

A KNOCK on the door.

STAGE MANAGER (O.S.)

Black Swan, places in 5.

Nina drags the stiffening body into the wardrobe closet.

108

INT. PRINCIPAL DRESSING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER 108

Nina zips up the back to the Black Swan costume.

She deliberately applies the Black Swan makeup. Dark eye

shadow and rouge, maroon lipstick.

Dressed in black and wearing the dark make-up of the Black

Swan, she looks fierce.

She stares at her reflection, her eyes burning RED. New

rash bumps pop up on her arms, the intensity building within.

97.

109 OMITTED 109

110 OMITTED 110

111A INT. STAGE - NIGHT 111A

Nina bursts onto stage as the Black Swan, accompanied by

Rothbart.

She looks powerful, intense as she moves towards David.

His face shows his surprise.

Nina dances the first Pas de Deux with him. They finish and

exit

111B BACKSTAGE 111B

DAVID:

Wow-

She walks away from him.

Alone, she looks at her arms, sees black points trying to

push through again.

Some fully emerge as shiny BLACK FEATHERS.

She just watches them, not panicking, but accepting the

transformation taking place. Even beckoning it.

Her second entrance cue is played.

STAGE MANAGER:

That’s you!

She leaps back on

111C STAGE 111C

For the Coda. She takes a brief pause, closing her eyes once

more, and then completely lets herself go.

She spins with ferocity. More BLACK FEATHERS burst out from

her shoulders and back.

At last, she truly embodies the Black Swan.

98.

She finishes the Coda, punctuating her last spin with a sharp

step that echoes through the theater.

The audience looks on, mesmerized. Too stunned to clap at

first.

111D Nina looks down at the stage, her face glazed with sweat 111D

She has returned to normal. No feathers. Normal eyes. A

woman.

She finally looks up at the audience, and they ERUPT in a

standing ovation.

Nina walks to the front of the stage, takes her bow.

Nina looks up at the MASS OF BODIES filling the auditorium,

vibrating with applause.

Proud, Nina smiles and bows again. Again and again.

She finally runs off stage, the applause still going strong.

112 INT. BACKSTAGE - SAME 112

Nina enters the wings, other dancers cheer loudly. Even

Veronica and Galina.

She pushes past all the smiling faces. It feels very

surreal.

She sees Leroy clapping and shaking his head. Blown away.

LEROY:

Get back out there! Get back-

She stops his mouth with a kiss. The kind of kiss that you

can’t stop. Not desperate, but adamant.

Finally she disengages, staring at him in the eyes, but

before he can say anything...

She turns and rushes back on stage. He’s stunned. Like he’s

been run over by a truck.

113 INT. BACKSTAGE HALLWAY - LATER 113

She walks towards her dressing room, a satisfied smile on her

face.

She passes the stage manager.

99.

STAGE MANAGER:

Great job. You got fifteen til the

last act.

She nods and arrives at her room.

She opens the door, makes sure no ones looking, and enters

quickly.

114

INT. PRINCIPAL DRESSING ROOM - SAME 114

She closes the door behind her, locks it. Turns and sees the

broken glass all over the floor.

She eyes the closed wardrobe. A pool of blood drips out from

under the door.

She picks up a towel and lays it over the blood.

She starts to undress.

115

INT. PRINCIPAL DRESSING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER 115

Back in the White Swan costume, she re-applies the makeup.

There’s a KNOCK on the door. She looks towards it, her face

only halfway made-up.

NINA:

One second.

She goes to the door, opens it just a crack.

She peeks through and finds...

LILY looking back at her.

LILY:

Hey...you were amazing.

Nina’s petrified.

LILY (CONT’D)

Seriously. I’m sorry things got so

messed up between us. Just, holy

sh*t, totally blown away...

100.

Nina barely manages a nod.

LILY (CONT’D)

Anyway, wanted to tell you. I’ll

let you finish. Merde.

Lily turns and walks away.

Nina swiftly shuts the door.

She turns around, stares at the wardrobe.

She steps cautiously towards it, her face repeated

countlessly in all the reflective shards.

She lifts the towel from the ground and looks at it.

It is clean. No blood. She looks down at the floor. No blood

there either.

She slowly opens the door to the wardrobe...

And finds it empty. No body whatsoever.

She looks over at the broken mirror. Sees her reflection

staring back at her.

She stares at it for a long beat, and realizes something.

She touches her stomach and winces a little. Pulls back her

hand. It’s coated with red liquid. Blood.

It’s started to soak through the costume, creating a faint

red spot. The fabric is ripped at the center of the stain.

She feels inside for confirmation.

And discovers a stab wound, in her own stomach.

She pulls out the sharp tip of mirror still stuck inside.

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