Rebel Without a Cause Page #14

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Two shot. JIM and BUZZ. JIM is staring below. He is

beginning to perspire. He lights a cigarette. Without

taking his hand from JIM's shoulder, BUZZ borrows the

cigarette from his lips, takes a drag and hands it back.

JIM takes another puff then tosses it into the abyss.

BUZZ:

(quietly)

This is the edge, boy. This is the

end.

JIM:

Yeah.

BUZZ:

I like you, you know?

JIM:

Buzz? What are we doing this for?

BUZZ:

(still quiet)

We got to do something. Don't we?

Long shot. JIM and BUZZ with PLATO in f.g. JIM and BUZZ

appear to him as two close friends. Suddenly they break and

go, without speaking further, to their cars. They back up

to the opposite end of the plateau, headlights dark. PLATO

follows them with his gaze.

Group shot. GOON and others looking up as the cars glide by.

Med. shot. JUDY waiting as BUZZ and JIM move into starting

position next to her. JUDY goes to BUZZ. JIM is in b.g.--

looking on.

JUDY:

Feel okay?

BUZZ:

Give me some dirt.

She bends out of sight for a moment as BUZZ goes on talking,

then hands him the dirt. He rubs it into his palms.

BUZZ:

Hey, Toreador! She signals. We

head for the edge. The first guy

who jumps--chicken!

JUDY and BUZZ kiss, without much interest.

BUZZ:

What's happening?

JUDY:

Good luck, Buzz.

She starts out, without kissing him again.

JIM:

(calling softly)

Judy.

Med. shot. JIM's car as JUDY comes to him.

JIM:

Me too.

She looks at him a moment then bends and hands him some dirt.

Their heads touch for an instant.

JIM:

Thank you.

She breaks the look and hurries away.

Long shot. The cars. They are lined up in two rows--

headlights facing each other. JUDY comes into shot. When

she gets near camera, she stops and turns back to face them.

BUZZ:

Hit your lights!

Suddenly the headlights of all the cars come on full.

Reverse shot. JUDY. She is in the center of the glare.

Behind her we see the other kids filing out of their cars,

hurrying toward the edge of the bluff. The sound of the two

motors revving then dying and revving again.

Inside JIM's car. JIM grips the wheel firmly, relaxes his

hands to rub his palms together and crack his knuckles. He

grips the wheel again. Steps on the accelerator, winding

his engine into a roar. He lets up, looks tensely at--

BUZZ in his car. His chin juts forward. He lets go of the

wheel, starts to comb his hair.

Slow pan shot. Spectators staring off at the cars. A boy

has his arm around the girl in front of him, his cheek

against hers. Both are looking off. Some of the kids smoke.

All are involved in the blasting of engines.

PLATO among the spectators near edge of the bluff. He is

chewing his lip. Camera pans down to show that the fingers

of both his hands are tightly crossed.

Close shot. JUDY staring tensely into the glare. Suddenly

she raises her hands high above her head.

Close shot. JIM sweating it out. He leans forward,

squinting, ready.

Close shot. BUZZ. He puts his comb between his teeth and

clamps it hard. He settles himself for the run.

Long shot. Plateau. The cars are in close, seen from the

rear. JUDY is a small distant figure, arms stretched high.

The exhaust blasts. Now she drops her arms. The cars leap

ahead.

Med. shot. JUDY. She whirls to see the cars snap by, then

begins running up the center of the plateau between the

lines of spectators.

Full shot. Spectators. Shooting over their shoulders as

the cars approach and scream past.

Pit shot. Cars. As they approach, gaining speed, and

thunder over the camera.

Inside JIM's car. (Process). He is tense.

Inside BUZZ's car. (Process). His hands hard on the wheel.

The comb is still between his teeth. He begins edging

toward the door on his left.

Moving close shot. JUDY biting hard on her finger, as she

runs forward.

Close shot. PLATO. Both hands cover his mouth. The

fingers are still crossed.

Inside JIM's car. (Process). As he edges to his left. He

is driving with one hand. He opens the door, gets set for

his jump.

Inside BUZZ's car. (Process). He reaches for the door

handle and misses. As he raises his arm to reach again, the

strap of his windbreaker sleeve slips over the handle. He

looks down in panic, then back at the drop ahead. He tugs

but cannot get the sleeve loose.

Closeup. PLATO staring. He shuts his eyes tight and keeps

them shut.

Shooting at backs of the two cars as they race through the

row of lights toward the edge.

Inside JIM's car. (Process). His face is soaked. He looks

once toward BUZZ--then ahead. His eyes widen in fear. He

shoves left and flings himself forward, and out.

Outside JIM's car as he sprawls forward--into camera.

Inside BUZZ's car. (Process). BUZZ leans way forward now.

He seems to rise in his seat. His mouth opens and the comb

falls out.

Full shot spectators staring in disbelief. Suddenly a youth

ducks his face into the neck of his girlfriend so he cannot

see. At the same instant--

CROWD:

(in a single breath)

Oh!

Rear view. Edge of the bluff as the two cars go over.

There is NO human sound.

Close shot. JIM as he stops rolling.

BUZZ's car in flight. (Special effects). The car soars

through the night, the vehicle of a terrible journey.

Med. shot. BUZZ. (Process). Surprise has gone. He rides

lightly on the thrill of his last moment--then suddenly, his

face twists in a spasm of protest and loss.

The kids staring at his flight.

JIM unaware of the disaster--glad he made it.

Low angle. Edge of the bluff. With headlights blazing,

both cars dive down.

Med. shot. JUDY standing frozen as the spectators shove

past and around her.

Wide angle. Edge of the bluff as spectators swarm to it,

stand looking down.

JIM on hands and knees, trying to rise. Legs rush by him,

knock him onto his face.

Long shot. (Special effects). Both cars plunge into the

ocean below.

JIM at edge of bluff. He is pushing through spectators.

JIM:

(a harsh whisper)

Where's Buzz! Where's Buzz!

PLATO working his way through the crowd.

PLATO:

(calling)

Jim! Jim!

CRUNCH. CRUNCH looks up as he hears JIM's repeated cry.

JIM enters behind him, continuing blindly on his way.

CRUNCH:

(tight fury)

Down there! Down there is Buzz!

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