Interview with the Vampire Page #4

Louis stops, hand going around his waist as he feels acramp of pain.

LESTAT:

Your body's dying, pay noattention. It will take twentyminutes at most.

Louis is horrified, but the beauty of moon flowers andbanana trees continues to distract him. The sky isviolet, flooded with luminosity. Again he feels pain.

LESTAT:

Come, you're going to feed now.

LOUIS:

I want a woman.

Lestat laughs and the laughter echoes like bells inLouis's ears.

LESTAT:

That doesn't matter anymore,

Louis. You'll see. Come...

LOUIS'S DAZZLED POV - SWAMP

Small high ground. Camp of runaway slaves. Several share

a bottle of rum around the fire. Male slave rises, a

gorgeous hunk of flesh in the firelight, simply beautiful(Razor Rudduck) and goes into swamp to relieve hisbladder.

LESTAT (O.S.)

They're all beautiful now. Men,

women, the old, the young... simplybecause they are alive.

BACK TO SCENE:

Louis sees.

The slave comes nearer.

Louis pushes past Lestat. Lestat is surprised but amusedand proud, and folds his arms to watch. Louis sees the

tiny crucifix on a chain around the slave's neck. Stops.

Lestat snatches the crucifix off the man and throws it

away, urging Louis towards him.

19.

SLAVE'S POV

Two gleaming white beings stand before him with devil's

eyes.

BACK TO SCENE:

As the slave tries to bolt, Louis embraces him easilythen his teeth into the powerful neck. They are newfangs, he has to really bite into the victim, but he isravenous to do it. Holds tight to the man as he drinks.

LOUIS'S POV

Trance as he drinks the blood. ECHO of Lestat's LAUGHTER

as the swoon thickens. Distant firelight gets brighterand brighter.

INT. POINTE DU LAC - NIGHT

Main floor parlor and dining room with floorlength windowsto porches on all sides. Building for all its high ceilings

is crude. Furnishing is lavish Parisian Louis XVI.

Lestat plays the harpsichord rapidly and exuberantly...

an improvisation on Bach as Louis -- skin whiter, eyesbrighter -- wanders from room to room, dazzled by thecandles, the light on the furniture, the petit pointtapestry of the chairs, the draperies. Before a mirror

he stops amazed to see his reflection. In the distance,

over the MUSIC, Lestat laughs.

LESTAT:

Yes, that's you, my handsomefriend. And you'll look that wayuntil the stars fall from heaven!

Louis draws closer to the mirror, and sees his small, now

fully-developed fangs. He runs his tongue over them.

LESTAT:

Those will make it easier next

time to neatly puncture the flesh.

We are well mannered immortals,

always remember.

WILD MUSIC.

YVETTE:

the mulatto slave, stands still in alarm on the porchgazing at Louis as he stares into the mirror.

(CONTINUED)

20.

CONTINUED:

Slowly Louis turns to her and is stupefied by her naturalbeauty.

The MUSIC gets LOUDER and more FRENZIED.

Louis moves out past the dazzled Yvette, along the -

EXT. GALLERY AND STAIRS TO GROUND

He moves out onto the grass and looks up at the stars.

He begins to turn around. And suddenly he raises hishands to his lips and he roars. It's a long, horrified,

grief-stricken roar. It DROWNS OUT the MUSIC.

INT. BASEMENT OF POINTE DU LAC

A brick walled storage room. Two coffins stand on the

floor. Lestat, holding a lantern, closes and bolts thedoor. Then turns to see -

LOUIS:

a full-fledged vampire of high gloss -- sitting on a benchstaring at the coffin. Louis is stunned.

Lestat is apprehensive and protective of Louis. He

approaches the nearest of the coffins and opens it. It is

fitted with satin inside. Louis stares at it in shock.

Then looks away sharply, staring at the lantern.

LESTAT:

You must get into it. The sun can

burn you to ashes.

LOUIS:

But is it magical or merely ashelter?

LESTAT:

It's the best shelter that you canhave.

Louis rises, approaches the coffin, hands trembling as hepeers into it.

LESTAT:

Don't be afraid. In moments you'llsleep as soundly as ever you sleptwhen you were living. You'll dream.

And when you wake I'll be waitingfor you, and so will all the world.

(CONTINUED)

21.

CONTINUED:

Louis looks for assurance at Lestat's beaming face. We

can see the fear behind Lestat's smile. The uncertainty.

LOUIS:

You told me something. Earlier.

You said that you didn't have achoice. Was that true?

Lestat smiles bitterly and nods.

He points to the coffin.

CLOSE ON HIS HAND

pointing into the coffin.

LESTAT (O.S.)

Some night I'll tell you thatstory, if you like. We have a lot

of time now to talk to each other.

Louis gracefully crawls into the coffin, fearful yet fascinated,

and is suddenly lying on his back as the lidcomes down with a bang. Total darkness. Sounds of his

breathing, of his gasp. Of a whispered prayer:

LOUIS (O.S.)

Dear God.

EXT. NEW ORLEANS

A big lavish drinking place with a raised stage.

Italian actors in buffoonish costumes act crude commedia

dell'arte on the stage.

Plantation owners in soiled brocade, lace, crooked wigs,

some pretentious, some drunk, some merely young and happy,

watch the show as tavern wenches move about.

CLOSE ON TERESA:

entering. Looking about.

TERESA'S POV

Louis and Lestat at a small table watch the comedy.

Lestat laughs uproariously at the antics of the actors,

who trip or hit each other Punch and Judy style. Louis

is quietly amused and amazed as much by the wine in hisuntouched glass, or the light on his boot. But he too

watches the stage.

22.

BACK TO SCENE:

Teresa comes, offers the men two more drinks, even thoughtheir wine is untouched. Sits in Lestat's lap.

Lestat winks at Louis who is enthralled.

Teresa lifts the fresh glass to Lestat's lips as he flirtswith her.

TERESA:

Come on, mon cher. The best in

the colony. Once you taste this,

you never go to any other tavernagain.

LESTAT:

You think so, cherie? But what if

that's not what I want to drink.

Lestat sinks his teeth into her neck as he looks playfullybeyond her at Louis who is amazed and amused in spite ofhimself.

ANTICS ON STAGE:

Laughter rocks the tavern.

Lestat slips the dying, dazed Teresa onto Louis's lap.

Louis studies her but does not drink. Gently he puts herin the chair beside him, and folds her hands on the table.

She appears drunk. He wants to laugh but is ashamed. No

one notices. Lestat lays gold coins on the table, andtouches Louis's knee.

LESTAT:

Let's get out of here!

Delighting in their own mischievousness, they rush out.

EXT. STREET

Louis is suddenly distracted by the moon moving beyondthe clouds. Distant MUSIC from a ball room. The breeze.

LESTAT:

Come, let me show you a lovely game.

EXT. BALLROOM

Quadroon house of ill fame. Beautiful dark-skinned

quadroons, octaroons, mulattresses are dancing with whitemen as a mulatto or quadroon orchestra plays.

(CONTINUED)

23.

CONTINUED:

Men and women dance minuet. But even more men and women

merely cluster everywhere, talking and laughing andflirting. Drinking wine.

Lestat spies a pretty dark girl, neglected.

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