Cat People Page #8

QUICK DISSOLVE:

EXT. PARK WALK - DAY

Irena walks along the park path. The CAMERA is MOVING with

her. Her eyes are searching for a likely spot of earth to

bury the dead bird. Under a bush she spies a bit of soft

earth. She stops, and takes a step toward It. A whistled tune

attracts her attention, and she looks up.

A policeman has rounded a corner of the path, and is coming

toward her amiably swinging his nightstick, as he whistles

"Who?" Irena swiftly pushes the purse back on her arm and

continues walking along the path, passing the policeman,

who goes right on whistling.

EXT. PANTHER CAGE - PARK - DAY

Irena comes up the walk. The panther is pacing back and

forth behind the bars. It stops pacing as she passes the

cage. She, too, stops, and looks at the beast. Suddenly, as

if under the compulsion of some thought or desire outside

herself, she hurriedly takes the box, tears off the lid, and

throws the dead body of the canary into the cage.

CLOSE SHOT of the panther, as daintily, with little paw pats,

it begins to play with the dead bird, shuffling the tiny

yellow body across the dusty floor of the cage,

CLOSE SHOT of Irena watching the animal. She shudders,

almost as if recovering herself, and turning, walks quickly

away.

DISSOLVE:

INT. IRENA'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Irena is standing looking out the window. Oliver is opening

the little cabinet which they use for a bar. He half turns

and calls over his shoulder to her.

OLIVER:

Would you like some sherry?

Irena doesn't answer. Oliver fills two glasses with sherry

and brings them over to her. He offers her one.

OLIVER (CONT'D) (cont'd)

Here. If you're determined to mourn

that bird...we'11 have a regular

wake...

IRENA (LOOKING AT HIM)

It's not just because the bird

died.

Oliver puts a glass Into her hands and stands beside her. She

takes a little sip of the wine and stares into the glass,

thoughtfully.

IRENA (cont'd)

It's me. I envy every woman I see

on the street.

OLIVER:

They can't match your little

finger.

IRENA:

I envy them. They are happy. They

make their husbands happy. They

lead normal, happy lives. They're

free...

(a pause)

The bird...do you know what

happened to the bird?

OLIVER:

It died.

IRENA:

It died of fright when I tried to

take it In my hand.

OLIVER:

All right. The bird was afraid of

you -- that's nothing. I had a

rabbit once that hated me; yet I

grew up to be quite a nice fellow.

IRENA:

(shaking her head)

Oliver, when I went past the

panther's cage I had to open the

box; I had to throw the bird to

him,

(a pause; then more

intensely)

Do you understand?...I had to. I

had to do it! That's what

frightens me.

Oliver looks at her for a moment then, speaks quietly, no

longer mocking her.

OLIVER:

I've been trying to kid you out of

it. Maybe that's wrong. I've

tried...

IRENA:

(taking his hand)

No one could have been more gentle

or more patient.

OLIVER:

I've tried to make you realize all

these stories that worry you are so

much nonsense. Now I see it's not

the stories... it's the fact that

you believe them. We've got to have

help, Irena.

Irena half turns. The statuette of King John is on the table

before her. She lets one hand rest for a minute on the base

of the figure. Oliver follows the direction of her gaze and

he shakes his head.

OLIVER (cont'd)

Not that sort of help. There's

something wrong, and we have to

face it in an intelligent way. We

don't need a King John with fire

and sword. We need someone who can

root out the reason for your belief

and cure it. That's what we need �

a psychiatrist.

Irena turns toward him, her face eager and hopeful,

IRENA:

(eagerly)

Find one for me, Oliver. The best

one...the very best one I

DISSOLVE:

INT. DR. JUDD'S OFFICE - DAY

CLOSE SHOT of Irena. She is in a dark room. Coming diagonally

across is a square shaft of light which falls softly on

Irena's face, framing the closed eyes, the nose, and the

mouth, leaving everything else in undisturbed darkness. From

the darkness comes a male voice, a very persuasive, insistent

voice.

JUDD:

the cats...the cats...you were

saying the cats....the cats...

IRENA:

(eyes still closed as

she speaks)

They torment me. I wake in the

night, I fool their warmth and

their strength in me...in me. I

walk in the day, and the tread of

their foot whispers in my brain.

I have no peace...for they are in

me...

She pauses, and a little grimace of pain goes over her

features. From her closed eyes two tears course slowly down

her cheeks. From the darkness the voice continues to urge

her on.

JUDD:

In me... in me...

There is no response. The man gets up, so that we see him in

silhouette. He crosses the room and draws the curtains,

letting in the brilliant sunlight. Irena lies with eyes

closed, breathing with the shallow, regular breath of sleep,

undisturbed by the harsh light.

TWO SHOT of Irena and Dr. Louis Judd. He stands for a moment

watching her. Judd is a harshly ugly man of early middle

ago. There is an arrogance in his bearing which makes some

women see him as the suave, continental man, perfectly sure

of his success with any woman. His consulting room is clean,

antiseptic, and sparsely furnished with a couch, a chair, and

a gooseneck lamp on a stand. Irena is lying on the couch.

Judd, standing beside her, makes a few notations on a pad.

Then he lightly pats her cheek to wake her. She comes from

sleep very quietly.

JUDD (cont'd)

You are very tired.

IRENA:

(smiling uncertainly)

No...not very.

Dr. Judd pours her n drink from a carafe.

JUDD:

Hypnosis always tires me. And some

of my patients, too, find it

exhausting.

IRENA:

(taking the glass he gives

her)

It's only that I remember nothing.

JUDD:

But It 1s my duty to remember,

(patting the notebook in his hand)

I have it all here. Most

Interesting. You told me of your

village, and the people, and

their strange beliefs.

IRENA:

(anxiously)

Is that all I told you?

JUDD:

You told me tales of blood,

violence...mangled bodies in dark

forests...men torn to death by

woman half witch, half panther.

IRENA:

I am so ashamed. It must seem so

childish.

JUDD:

And the cat woman of your

village...you told me of them,

too...woman who In jealousy or

anger, or out of their own

corrupt passions, could change

into great cats, like panthers.

And if one of those woman were to

fall in love...and if her lover

were to kiss her...take her into

his embrace, she would be driven

by her own evil to kill him.

JUDD (cont'd)

(pausing, coming closer

to her)

That's what you believe and what

you fear, isn't it?

Irena nods her head but does not raise her eyes.

JUDD (cont'd)

Frankly, there is no need to be

ashamed. This is only what we call

a psychological block...a thing

which stands between you and what

you really desire.

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