Brazil Page #14

SAM:

(broaching the subject)

Well, I ...

In maneuvering HELPMANN SAM clumsily knocks over one of

the pretty pots which fussily decorate MOTHER's bathroom

shelf. A thin layer of powder is spread over the wash-

stand.

SAM:

Sorry ...

HELPMANN:

Your father and I were very close. Of

course Jeremiah was senior to me but

we were close friends ... especially

after the bombing

(he indicates his legs)

and I

(chuckles)

keep his name alive at the office

every day.

With his finger HELPMANN is tracing letters in the

powdered surface.

HELPMANN:

It's as though he's there speaking to

me - "'ere I am, J.H.!" The ghost in

the machine.

We see that HELPMANN has traced the letters EREIAMJH in

the powder.

HELPMANN:

I know he would have wanted me to

help you ... And I promised your

mother I'd take you onto the team at

information Retrieval. But I gather

that ...

SAM:

Mr Helpmann. I've changed my mind.

I'd like to accept the transfer - am

I too late?

HELPMANN:

Too late? That's for me to say.

SAM:

Well ... well, I ...

HELPMANN puts out his hand. SAM takes it.

HELPMANN:

Welcome to Information Retrieval!

HELPMANN blows away the spilled powder and EREIAMJH with

it.

Scene 58 deleted Scene 58 deleted

59 INT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL LOBBYDAY 59

CUT to WIDE SHOT of massive imposing lobby - much like the

Records lobby - but this one is very austere. No crowds.

No statues. No decoration. Not even the ever-present

security checks. Impressive. And a bit unnerving. Framed

in the doorway is a lone TINY FIGURE. CUT to CLOSE UP.

It's SAM. He hesitates and then enters. CUT to video

screen. The video camera follows SAM across the lobby -

til he stops in tight profile at Reception Desk. We tilt

up revealing SAM standing facing us just beyond the

monitor which is on the desk.

SAM:

(diffidently to the porter)

My name is Sam Lowry. I have to

report to Mr Warren.

PORTER:

(looking down his nose at

Sam's unsleek clerk's suit

and then handing him an

I.D. badge)

Thirtieth floor, sir. You're

expected.

SAM:

Er, don't you want to search me?

PORTER:

No, sir.

SAM:

(taken aback. Reaching into

his pocket)

My I.D. cards.

PORTER:

No need, sir

SAM:

(nonplussed)

But I could be anybody.

PORTER:

No you couldn't, sir. This is

Information Retrieval.

(indicating to the right)

the lift's arrived, sir.

60 INT. 30TH FLOOR CORRIDORDAY 60

SAM steps out of the lift.The lift doors close. SAM looks

up and down the corridor hearing nothing. Silence. Then

he, and we, begin to hear a sound. It is a curious

whirring murmuring tummeling sound, and it seems to be

growing closer. Suddenly a scrum of PEOPLE swings into

view around a corner at the far end of the rather long

corridor. At the centre of the scrum is a TALL MAN with a

magisterial expression and an air of eternal bustle. This

is MR WARREN. He is surrounded by the EXPEDITERS who are

competing for his attention with bits of paper and bits of

sentences. MR WARREN is snapping out decisions. Satisfied

EXPEDITERS drop out of the scrum at intervals,

disappearing one at a time through one of the many doors

which line both sides of the corridor.The scrum doesn't

get any smaller because new EXPEDITERS dart out of other

doors and join the milling MOB. The whole circus is coming

by SAM at the rate of knots. The sound it makes breaks

down into something like this.

EXPEDITER 1

(waving pager)

Mr Warren, this order ...

EXPEDITER 2

(waving same)

Mr Warren ...

EXPEDITER 3

(ditto)

About this invoice ... Victim's list

...

WARREN:

(dealing on all sides)

Yes ... No ... send that back ...

wrong department ... of course ... of

course not ... yes ... no ... maybe.

CUT to SAM watching this caravanserai with awe as it

starts pass him.

EXPEDITER 4

... about these requisitions ...

EXPEDITER 5

Mr Warren ... EX/27 has 15 suspects

still outstanding.

EXPEDITER 6

... a decision, Mr Warren ...

WARREN:

... cancel that ... okay ... put half

as terrorists, the rest as victims

... yes ... yes ... no ... definitely

no ...

SAM doesn't have the nerve to jump into this. The scrum

sweeps by and fades away along the corridor, and finally

disappearing around the corner at the other end. SAM

follows. Silence has descended again.

61 INT. CORRIDOR DAY 61

SAM gets to the corner of the corridor and finds a similar

corridor at right angles. He hesitates and continues. Then

he starts to hear the sound again. It is coming up from

behind. MR WARREN has circumnavigated the building. The

same sort of business is being enacted at the same pace.

As the scrum reaches SAM he gathers his nerve and jumps

right in beside WARREN, and keeps going.

SAM:

(in a hurry)

I'm Lowry, Mr Warren ... Sam Lowry.

WARREN:

(putting arm around Sam)

Ah. Lowry ... yes.

(still dealing with

Expediters)

... no, cancel that ... glad to have

you aboard ... yes ... no ... don't

be ridiculous Jenkins ... Yes, yes,

yes ... you'll like it up here ...

send that back ... we've got a crack

team of ... are they kidding? ...

decision makers ... No, in triplicate

... I'm expecting big things ... two

copies to Finance ... of you ... send

that to Security ... uh, uh, uh.

(poring over forms)

Uh, don't let Progress see this ...

between you and me, Lowry, this ...

no, no ... department ... tell

Records to get stuffed ... is about

to be upgraded and ...

WARREN suddenly pivots around, swinging SAM 240 degrees in

the direction they came from plus a bit.

WARREN:

Ah, here we are!

(they are standing facing a

door - one of the hundreds

of identical doors lining

these corridors)

What do you think?

The door says:
OFFICER DZ/015.

SAM has no idea what he ought to say.

WARREN:

(solemnly)

Your very own number... on your very

own door ... and behind that door

(he turns the knob and

opens the door)

... your very own office.

Congratulations, DZ/015, welcome to

the team.

WARREN whirls off in a flurry of paperwork and EXPEDITERS

leaving SAM standing dumfounded at the entrance to his

office.

CUT to SAM's POV of the office. It is about four feet

wide. A small blacked-out window high on the far wall is

bisected by what looks like a recently constructed side

wall. The room is bare except for a chair and a desk which

is also bisected by the new wall. Pneumatic tubes hang

from the ceiling. SAM slowly enters the room.

62 INT. SAM'S OFFICE DAY 62

SAM looks lost ... disoriented. He doesn't know where to

begin because there's nothing to begin with. He squeezes

in behind his desk and for want of anything else to do

starts arranging his "in" and "out" baskets. There in his

"in" basket is one of the ubiquitous executive toys -

gaily wrapped with a card from HELPMANN - Merry Xmas &

Welcome. SAM can't quite believe. He returns to lining up

his pencils, placing a couple of bocks (phone books)

against the wall on the left extreme of his desk. SAM

turns his attention away from the books when suddenly they

both fall over with a "plop". Puzzled, he stands the books

up again, turns his eyes away and "plop". Same result.

Intrigued, a bit exasperated, SAM carefully, and before

his very eyes, the desk begins to disappear into the wall,

and "plop", the books topple over. Puzzled, SAM grabs hold

of the desk and begins to try to pull it back through the

wall. The desk moves back an inch or so, but then stops,

somehow held stubbornly. SAM grits his teeth, reallllly

pulls, grimacing a bit, but the desk won't budge.

Intrigued, SAM gets up, goes around his desk and heads for

the door.

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