Black Swan Page #7

41 INT. APARTMENT BATHROOM - NIGHT 41

Nina sits on the toilet, stripped to her underwear. She does

her best to cover herself.

38.

Erica finishes dabbing her back with HYDROGEN PEROXIDE and

replaces the cap on the bottle.

She pulls out NAIL CLIPPERS and cuts Nina’s nails down to

their base. Each CLICK makes Nina twitch.

ERICA:

I thought you’d outgrown this

disgusting habit.(click) You

haven’t done it for years. (click)

NINA:

Mom, please.

Erica grabs Nina’s other hand.

ERICA:

It’s the role, isn’t it? All this

pressure... I was worried it’d be

too much.

Nina stares at her, seething.

42 INT. NINA’S BEDROOM - LATER 42

Nina crawls into bed, avoiding her mother’s eyes.

ERICA:

Don’t be mad at me. You know I love

you, you know I want what’s best.

But we have to take care of you.

Nina doesn’t respond.

Erica opens the JEWELRY BOX and the tinny music begins

playing.

She hums and starts to stroke Nina’s hair.

Nina tries to brush her hand away.

But Erica brings it back and keeps stroking.

43

INT. NINA’S BEDROOM - MORNING 43

Nina lies wide awake after a restless night.

She slowly reaches down under the covers, down between her

legs, to complete Leroy’s “homework assignment.”

She closes her eyes and starts to maneuver.

39.

She suddenly hears a RUSTLING sound and a short SNORE.

She freezes and opens her eyes. She slowly sits up in bed and

sees Erica SLEEPING on a chair in the corner of the room.

Nina glares at her.

44 INT. LARGE REHEARSAL SPACE - DAY 44

Nina waits her turn as a row of DANCERS perform grand jetes

diagonally across the room.

She watches Veronica perform her leaps. She rejoins the

group, giving Nina a nasty stare.

Nina avoids it, looking towards Lily, who gives her a small

smile.

Just as Nina’s turn arrives, a panicked YOUNG CORPS DANCER

rushes in and makes a beeline for the severe ballet mistress.

Nina takes one leap and then stops dancing, sensing

something’s wrong.

The corps dancer whispers into the ballet mistress’ ear. A

look of shock on the mistress’ face.

The dancer collapses into the older woman’s arms.

The piano music trickles to a halt.

Nina exchanges glances with some of the other dancers.

First a few, then more dancers approach the two women,

wanting to find out what’s happened.

Nina hangs back, filled with a sinking feeling.

45 EXT. LINCOLN CENTER FOUNTAIN - DAY 45

Nina sits as Leroy, worse for the wear, stares at the jets of

water.

NINA:

What happened?

40.

LEROY:

She walked into the street, got hit

by a car.

NINA:

Oh my god...

LEROY:

I’m sure she did it on purpose.

NINA:

How do you know?

LEROY:

Everything Beth ever did came from

within. From some dark impulse.

It’s what could make her so

thrilling to watch. Even perfect at

times. But also destructive.

Nina hesitates, but has to ask.

NINA:

Was it right after we saw her?

LEROY:

It’s not your problem. This has

nothing to do with you.

She looks away, not so sure.

LEROY (CONT’D)

Nina, don’t let yourself be

distracted. Dance is not

immortalized like music, poetry or

art. It lives for now. For this

moment only. And this is your

moment.

She attempts a nod.

A46 INT. PRINCIPAL DRESSING ROOM - DAY A46

Beth’s belongings have already been packed up and cleared.

Guilt-ridden, Nina tries to get ready.

She picks up her duffel bag, and removes her SATCHEL. She

unpacks its contents onto the counter: needle and thread,

cigarettes, a makeup compact, and the tube of lipstick.

She looks over at the vase of flowers. A few have wilted.

She pulls them out to make the bouquet look fresh again.

41.

46

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY 46

Nina exits the elevator with a BROWN SHOPPING BAG. She walks

down a stark hallway and approaches Beth’s hospital room.

Members of BETH’S FAMILY surround the bed, blocking Beth from

view.

Nina considers going in, but shyly sulks past, drawing the

attention of an OLDER NURSE.

OLDER NURSE:

You can go in.

NINA:

It’s okay.

The older nurse gives her a skeptical glance and continues on

her rounds.

Nina walks a little further and leans against the wall to

wait.

She hears the sound of shuffling feet, looks over, and sees

the group of people exit the room and walk down the hall,

comforting one another.

Nina steps out from hiding and goes inside.

47

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM- DAY 47

Beth is bandaged and unconscious, attached to MACHINES.

Nina stands at a distance, too intimidated to approach at

first.

She looks around the room. It is lined with large, EXPENSIVELOOKING

BOUQUETS.

She removes the flowers Leroy gave her from the brown bag,

and sets them next to the others.

Nina slowly approaches Beth’s bedside.

Beth’s face is heavily wrapped with bandages. Only her closed

eyes and pale lips can be seen.

She scans down her body, sees a sliver of her thigh, purple

with bruises.

Curious, Nina lifts the top edge of the blanket and peeks

underneath.

42.

The legs are bloated and horribly bruised, pierced with large

pins to reset the shattered bones.

She looks lower and lower, and discovers MAGGOTS feeding on

her ankles.

Nina turns away, confronted by the Older Nurse.

OLDER NURSE:

What are you doing?!

Nina doesn’t have an answer. She just stumbles out the door.

A48

INT. UPPER WEST SIDE APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT A48

Nina steps out of her apartment into the dim hallway, lugging

a bag of trash.

She notices some WOODEN DEBRIS from an apartment renovation

sitting near the trash chute.

Nina drops the trash bag in the chute, then picks up a piece

of BROKEN WOOD.

She considers it for a moment, and hides it inside the sleeve

of her sweatshirt.

B48

INT. UPPER WEST SIDE APARTMENT - LATER B48

Nina quietly steps inside and heads towards her bedroom.

Through Erica’s open bedroom door, Nina can see Erica busily

sewing ribbon onto pointe shoes, humming to herself.

Nina quietly slips back inside her room.

She removes the wood piece and jams it between the door

closet, creating a makeshift doorjamb

She tests it. Holds pretty well.

She hears a creek. FOOTSTEPS approach. She removes the wood

and sticks it inside her dresser, not ready just yet.

She quickly lies down on her bed and waits to be tucked in.

The door SQUEAKS open, and Nina looks towards it.

42A.

48A INT. PRINCIPAL REHEARSAL SPACE - DAY 48A

Nina, David, and the dancer playing ROTHBART rehearse the

Black Swan and Prince Siegfried’s Pas De Deux from Act 3.

David lifts her, then sets her down, and they lean-in towards

each other, almost kissing.

LEROY:

No, no, not so stiff. Don’t be

scared of him.

She pulls away from David, not at all coyly. Leroy exhales,

frustrated.

43-46.

48B

INT. LARGE REHEARSAL SPACE - ANOTHER DAY 48B

Nina and David dance the next part of the section, looking

more worn out.

LEROY:

Forget about control. I want to see

passion.

She still looks tense, not getting it.

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