Peeping Tom Page #6

CLOSE SHOT of Mark.

MARK:

Yes.

Suddenly - and healthily - his temper snaps.

MARK:

...and this!

He pushes a lever on his projector as far forward as it

will go.

The film is now shown at tremendous speed - We catch a

glimpse of a long line of cars.

MARK:

...her funeral!

It speeds by.

MARK:

...and this!

A confused picture of earth and flowers.

MARK:

...her burial!

The briefest glimpse of a little boy with a spade.

MARK:

...and this!

WE SEE a girl in a bikini by sand-dunes. Mark offers no

comment.

HELEN:

Mark, who is that?

MARK:

Her successor.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen.

HELEN:

Suc-?

MARK:

He married her... six weeks after...

the previous sequence.

He pulls back the lever of his projector... the film returns

to its normal speed.

WE SEE the same attractive young woman standing in a garden.

She is holding a bewildered and defiant Mark by the hand.

Suddenly the girl runs towards camera - leaving Mark

standing alone.

MARK:

She filmed... what comes now.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen watching intently. It's out of focus!

From Helen's POV WE SEE a tall man in a black coat walking

away from camera. He hurries towards small Mark - who

watches him anxiously.

HELEN:

Is that your father?

MARK:

The morning that he left for his

honeymoon.

The back of Mark's father suddenly obscures our view of

small Mark... all we can see is that tall figure looking

downwards standing very still.

Camera wobbles - as if the person holding it is laughing.

HELEN:

What is he doing?

MARK:

Giving me a present...

HELEN:

What was it?

Mark stares at the blurred screen, perspiration trickling

down his forehead.

MARK:

Can't you guess?

The small screen comes back into focus - and suddenly our

camera rushes towards it.

WE SEE a CLOSE SHOT of a CLOSE SHOT - and at the moment we

see it, Mark's Voice is overlaid... A whisper which echoes

round the room.

MARK (O.S.)

A camera...

We are looking at a close shot of a camera in a small boy's

hands.

There is a single shrill chord of music on the sound track.

CLOSE SHOT of the shelf which encircles Mark's room.

We are looking at the very same camera which the small boy

is holding.

CLOSE SHOT of the camera in small Mark's hands.

His father's finger points lo the view-finder.

Small Mark stares into it. Small Mark begins to smile.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark watching himself being born.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen watching Mark.

HELEN:

Switch it off!

He continues to stare at the screen.

HELEN:

Switch it off, Mark!

She turns to the projector - touches the wrong switch.

Small Mark and his father go rapidly backwards.

Mark turns off the projector abruptly.

The room is in darkness.

WE CAN HEAR both of them breathing quickly.

The light goes on. Mark is standing by the exit - he keeps

his face averted.

Helen walks slowly towards the exit. She glances round

once, over her shoulder, then goes into the other room.

Mark stares after her.

INT. MARK'S SITTING ROOM - NIGHT

She walks towards the door... turns round suddenly - almost

in anger.

HELEN:

So he was a scientist?

He keeps his face averted.

HELEN:

What kind of scientist, Mark?

MARK:

Biologist.

HELEN:

What was he trying to do to you?

He doesn't answer.

HELEN:

Mark!...

He turns round slowly. From his POV WE SEE the willingness

to understand on her face.

HELEN:

What was he trying to do to you?

MARK:

Watch me... grow up...

She walks towards him... takes his handkerchief from his

jacket pocket and wipes his forehead.

MARK:

He wanted a record of a growing

child... complete in every detail -

if such a thing were possible -

and he tried to make it possible

by training a camera on me... at

all times...

CLOSE SHOT of Mark.

MARK:

I never knew... the whole of my

childhood... one moment's privacy...

HELEN:

And those lights in your eyes?...

and that - thing?

MARK:

He was interested ... in the

reactions of the nervous system...

to fear... Fear?

HELEN:

Fear?

MARK:

Fear.

CLOSE SHOT of the word 'fear'.

CAMERA PULLS BACK

We are looking at the spine of a book on Mark's shelf. The

full title reads: The Physiology of Fear by Professor A.

N. Lewis.

MARK'S VOICE IS OVERLAID:

MARK (O.S.)

Especially fear in children - and

how they react to it.

CLOSE SHOT of the word 'fear' on the next book.

CAMERA PULLS BACK

The full title reads: FEAR AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, PART I.

PROFESSOR A. N. LEWIS. There is a row of such books all

by Professor Lewis.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark.

MARK:

I think he learned a lot... from

me... I'd wake up... screaming...

sometimes... and he'd be there...

taking notes... and pictures...

and I'm sure good came of it...

for some people... He was brilliant.

HELEN:

A scientist drops a lizard onto a

child's bed - and good comes of

it?

MARK:

I don't know... if he did... but

if he did... he'll have learned

something of value...

HELEN:

If only about lizards! Mark - it

sounds to me as if your father

was...

MARK:

He founded clinics.

HELEN:

He sounds completely...

MARK:

He was famous! Professor A. N.

Lewis... three clinics.

HELEN:

Why do you still live in his

house... and watch his films?

MARK:

They helped make me... what I am.

HELEN:

A photographer? It's no wonder, is

it? But you still haven't shown me

anything you've photographed!

He looks at her in silence.

HELEN:

Will you?

There is a knock on the door.

MARK:

One day...

He hurries to the door, and opens it.

Tony is standing there.

TONY:

Excuse me, but...

From Tony's POV WE SEE Helen looking at the door of the

dark room.

TONY:

Oh, there you are, Helen.

She turns towards him.

TONY:

The party looks like breaking up,

and we were wondering if...

HELEN:

I'm coming.

She turns to Mark.

HELEN:

I wish you'd join us.

Mark shakes his head.

MARK:

Thanks... work.

HELEN:

I hope that you...

She is suddenly aware of Tony watching her. She glances at

the birthday cake on the table.

HELEN:

... have a sweet tooth!

She smiles at him.

HELEN:

Thank you... for my present.

She goes into the passage.

TONY:

Good night, old boy.

He puts his arm round Helen, and closes the door.

Mark stares after them, motionless.

The CAMERA LINGERS on the birthday cake.

As the light fades, a voice yells: Cut!

CUT TO:

INT. FILM STUDIO - DAY

HIGH ANGLE SHOT of a set showing part of a large West End

store.

A blonde is lying unconscious in front of a lift - and a

crowd of extras surround her.

As the word 'cut' dies away, the extras relax - and the

blonde (DIANE ASHLEY) props herself onto her elbow, looking

towards the Director.

CLOSE SHOT of the Director (ARTHUR BADEN) standing beside

the camera.

BADEN:

OK. Print that one!

He glances at the CHIEF CAMERAMAN (PHILIP TALE), who nods

his head in agreement.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark standing at the back of the camera crew.

He shakes his head in disagreement.

The Chief Cameraman spots Mark's small mutiny and wags his

finger at him. As the Chief Cameraman turns away, Mark's

finger automatically wags back.

CLOSE SHOT of Baden looking at his watch. He sighs, then

nods to the Assistant Director who stands beside him.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

All right, everyone! Back at two!

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