Peeping Tom Page #17

They walk along the street very close together, but not

quite touching. Above them a light is shining on a blind

revealing a shadow of a woman undressing.

Mark glances at the blind - then looks away quickly.

He stares ahead of him... and continues to stare ahead of

him.

Suddenly Helen tucks her arm through his, and smiles up at

him... they walk on in silence.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. HALL OF MARK'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Helen and Mark come in quietly, and close the door.

She glances round the dimly lit hall. There is no light

under any of the doors, except one at the end of the

passage.

HELEN:

Mother must have gone to bed.

(she turns to find

him looking at her)

Mark, it was a wonderful evening...

MARK:

That's what I was going to say...

a wonderful evening...

HELEN:

(gently)

And you made it wonderful... without

your camera.

A shadow passes over his face.

HELEN:

(gently)

I'll get it for you.

He stands motionless as she goes into her room...

From his POV WE SEE the half-opened door - and the bed in

the comer.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark forcing himself to look away.

Helen reappears on the threshold - the camera in her hand.

He looks down at it - then slowly stretches out his hand.

HELEN:

wonder how this sees grown-ups?

(she turns the camera

round)

...me, for instance... now that I

am one.

(she looks at herself in the lens)

MARK:

Not you!

(he takes the camera

from her)

HELEN:

Mark.

MARK:

It never will... see you!

HELEN:

Why not?

He hesitates.

MARK:

Whatever I photograph -

HELEN:

Yes?

MARK:

I always - lose...

HELEN:

I don't understand.

The door at the end of the passage opens and Tony emerges

in his dressing-gown, carrying a towel. He avoids looking

at them - goes into the bathroom opposite, and slams the

door.

HELEN:

He'll wake Mother!

There is the sound of running water.

HELEN:

... thank you, again, for my

evening.

(she is standing

very close to him,

smiling up into

his face)

Will you go to bed now - and not

stop up watching those films?

MARK:

Well... I've a little work to do...

then I'll go to bed... and think

of how to find faces for you...

He looks down at the face which he has found for himself.

She raises her head slowly.

MARK:

...faces which - are faces which...

She kisses him very gently on the mouth. The bathroom begins

to sound like a small waterfall.

HELEN:

Good night, Mark...

He watches her as she goes into the room, and doses the

door. A light goes on beneath the door.

He stands very still for a moment... then turns the camera

round and points the lens towards his lips.

Then he turns abruptly, and hurries up the stairs.

The waterfall cascades on. The screen grows dark - and

the dark-room grows out of it.

INT. DARK-ROOM - NIGHT

The big drying drum is turning, feeding the dry print into

a box. A small motor drives it. CLOSE SHOT of the box.

Mark is spooling up the film as it comes off the drier.

Once or twice he can't help glancing at an image.

CLOSE UP of Vivian's face, in the image.

Mark stops the motor and the drum, loosens the end of the

film, spools up with a snap, slides the spool off and

hurries out with it.

Mark hurries to his projector, threads the film and starts

the projector. He flicks it on, as if it were a gramophone,

then looks eagerly at the 16mm screen.

Behind him something moves in the shadows

REVERSE SHOT of Mark.

Over the shoulder of someone who is standing deep in the

shadows WE SEE Mark. His head obscures what he is watching

on the screen.

HE TURNS ROUND SUDDENLY -

From Mark's POV WE SEE the processing sinks deep in shadow.

He starts to move towards them, then suddenly stares at

the shadows at the back of the room.

Silence - except for the whirring of the 16mm projector.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark's hand - switching on the light. Mark

turns round... he is as astonished at what he sees as he

can be.

CAMERA PANS in its own good time to the back of the room.

Mrs. Stephens is standing in the shadows... a heavy hand

rests on a heavy stick... the sightless eyes stare

unerringly towards the light switch.

MRS. STEPHENS

Good evening, Mark...

MARK:

...how did you?

MRS. STEPHENS

The young man bathing himself

brought me to your door... I managed

the rest of the adventure alone...

He stands motionless, staring at her standing motionless.

Above her head an ancient, half-blind camera also stares

at her. The only movement in the room is her smile.

MRS. STEPHENS

This is one room I expected to

find locked.

MARK:

I was never allowed a key..., can't

get used to them.

Mrs. Stephens' sightless eyes stare at him.

MARK:

I brought her home early.

CLOSE SHOT of her hand - tightening on the heavy stick.

MRS. STEPHENS

Thank you...

MARK:

Is there something you...

MRS. STEPHENS

... a talk.

MARK:

Next door would be more...

MRS. STEPHENS

I'm at home here... I visit this

room every night.

MARK:

Visit?

MRS. STEPHENS

The blind always live in the rooms

they live under...

Mark nods.

MRS. STEPHENS

Every night you pace for hours

above my head! Why?

MARK:

I've no one to talk to... in the

rooms I live over...

Mrs. Stephens nods. Her hand touches the black cloth loading

bag, lying on the table.

MRS. STEPHENS

I'm told that you stare too much...

so do I.

CLOSE SHOT of her hand - touching the black cloth bag.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark - walking slowly towards her.

At once she raises the heavy stick - pointing it towards

him.

CLOSE SHOT of the stick. It is a shooting stick - with a

sharp spike on the end of it, similar to the tripod on

Mark's camera.

Mark stares at the stick, fascinated.

CLOSE SHOT of Mrs. Stephens - exploring the inside of the

black cloth bag with her free hand.

MRS. STEPHENS

Cloth... with something hard inside

it...

MARK:

It's a changing bag... we put films

in it - so that the light won't

spoil them...

MRS. STEPHENS

How odd - that the light can spoil

anything...

The screen greys out.

In Mrs. Stephens' own dark-room we hear the hum of Mark's

projector - and the pounding of Mark's heart - and, very

faintly, the sounds of Tony bathing himself.

MRS. STEPHENS

Every night you switch on that

film machine.

We hear his tiny intake of breath.

MRS. STEPHENS

What are these films you can't

wait to look at?

The sound of his footsteps softly approaching. Like a

chair?

MARK (O.S.)

Like a chair?

MRS. STEPHENS (O.S.)

What is the film you're showing

now?

Very faintly we hear Tony singing in his bath.

FADE IN:

The singing dies away, and the sound returns to normal.

Over Mark's shoulder WE SEE Mrs. Stephens holding her stick

in front of her.

MRS. STEPHENS

Why don't you lie to me? I'd never

know...

MARK:

You'd know at once -

Mrs. Stephens smiles - then turns her head towards the

16mm screen.

MRS. STEPHENS

Take me to your cinema.

MARK:

Yes.

He takes her arm gently and guides her towards us.

Both of them stare at the 16mm screen... She leans forward -

her face only inches from the screen - the light from the

projector flickering on to her.

REVERSE ANGLE SHOT of Mrs. Stephens. Slowly she stretches

out her hands and touches the screen.

MRS. STEPHENS

What am I seeing, Mark?

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