The Danish Girl Page #11

---

LILI:

Gerda...? Oh - you’re wet through.

Gerda seems angry. Lili tries to stay buoyant...

LILI (cont’d)

Did it go well...? Tell me - how

was it?

GERDA:

You’d know if you’d been there.

Lili falters, then points to the table... set with flowers...

LILI:

I’ve made us a supper...

GERDA:

You should have come.

LILI:

A little sort of celebration...

GERDA:

This is not how it goes! We do

these things together!

LILI:

That’s you and Einar.

Gerda’s pent-up frustration begins to boil over...

GERDA:

Stop playing that stupid, stupid

game!

LILI:

Don’t you say this is a game!

GERDA:

You should have been there!

LILI:

How could I be? Look at me!

This further enrages Gerda

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

58.

CONTINUED:

GERDA:

Not everything’s about you!

Gerda is suddenly overwhelmed with emotion

GERDA (cont’d)

I need to see Einar.

Lili flinches, shakes her head, touches Gerda, tender.

LILI:

Let me help...

Gerda cuts her off sharply, desperation building:

GERDA:

I need my husband. Just get him!

LILI:

I can’t...

Lili’s eyes cloud. Gerda moderates, already losing hope...

GERDA:

I want to talk to my husband. I want to

hold my husband. I need him. Can you get

him? Can you at least try?

Lili’s pained by the request. Her eyes plead, but Gerda’s

desperate, won’t give up. Finally Lili shakes her head,

desperately sorry. Gerda turns on her heel. The front door

BANGS as she heads off into the night, leaving Lili alone and

deeply sad.

EXT. JARDINS DE LUXEMBOURG

Gerda sits in the dark, watching the rain on the pond.

EXT. HANS AXGIL’S APARTMENT, NIGHT

Hans heads for his building, is amazed to see Gerda on the

front step...

HANS:

Gerda... what is it?

She gets to her feet...

HANS (cont’d)

You’re soaked...

He goes to comfort her, and she embraces him... initiates a

desperate snatched kiss before breaking away, upset. Hans

pursues her...

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

59.

CONTINUED:

HANS (cont’d)

Gerda... wait...

GERDA:

I can’t...

HANS:

Wait...

He hurries to catch up.

INT. PARIS APARTMENT, BEDROOM, NIGHT

Lili transitioning to Einar. It happens awkwardly, and when

Einar looks in the mirror, he’s baffled by his reflection.

I/E. HANS’ CAR/RAINY STREETS, NIGHT

Hans drives an exhausted Gerda, pulls up outside their

building.

HANS:

Will you be alright?

GERDA:

I’m always alright.

He reaches for her hand. Gerda stiffens.

HANS:

For God’s sake. Take some kindness where

you can.

He keeps hold of her hand. Gerda feels the warmth of him.

Her eyes fill.

GERDA:

Einar always comes back in the end. He

always has...

HANS:

Maybe this time... he just can’t.

GERDA:

I’m sorry.

Gerda shakes her head, gently rejecting Hans.

GERDA (cont’d)

I’ve never not finished a painting, I don’t

know how to give up.

Hans smiles, rueful. Finally lets Gerda take back her hand.

26/11/15

60.

INT. PARIS APARTMENT, BEDROOM, NIGHT

Gerda appears in the doorway. Sees Einar sitting in the

chair by the bed. She’s struck by how vulnerable he looks.

He looks up, and with genuine regret:

EINAR/LILI

I don’t think I can give you what you

want...

He looks away, ashamed. It’s unbearable. Gerda approaches

him. He looks like Lili dressed as Einar.

EINAR/LILI (cont’d)

I don’t know how long we can go on like

this.

GERDA:

No.

She pushes in beside him. Einar/Lili lies in Gerda’s lap.

They hold each other into the night.

EXT. OPERA GARNIER, PARIS, TWO WEEKS LATER, NIGHT

Establishing shot.

INT. OPERA GARNIER, STAGE, NEXT DAY

Einar watches a group of dancers rehearse on stage. Sitting

in the stalls, Gerda and Ulla are talking, as Ulla unbinds

her feet. We see callouses over the knuckles of her toes,

toenails broken and sore. She’s used to this.

ULLA:

He needs to see someone.

Gerda checks Einar’s well out of earshot.

GERDA:

You know what happened with Hexler.

ULLA:

But he’s so thin, Gerda...? There’s

something wrong with him.

Gerda looks across at Einar.

GERDA:

Lili watches her figure...

Ulla lowers her voice

ULLA:

Look, there’s a doctor - he runs the

Women’s Clinic in Dresden.

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

61.

CONTINUED:

Gerda’s face changes as she hears what Ulla’s telling her.

ULLA (cont’d)

He’s interested in men like Einar. Men who

are... different. Who are... confused.

Gerda’s surprised.

ULLA (cont’d)

He’s often in Paris.

Before Gerda can reply, Ulla is writing a name on a card -

ULLA (cont’d)

Just talk to him? It couldn’t hurt, could

it?

-“Prof. Kurt Warnekros”. She gives the card to Gerda. Gerda *

looks up at Einar. Finds him looking back, plainly exhausted.

INT. PARIS APARTMENT, MORNING

Gerda has made coffee. Einar comes in, dressed and with some

energy.

GERDA:

Oh good... you’re awake... how do

you feel?

Einar nods - pretty good. She pours him coffee.

GERDA (cont’d)

Come.

EINAR:

I can’t - I have somewhere to go...

He pulls on a jacket.

GERDA:

Where?

He recoils from the question. Gerda gives up

GERDA (cont’d)

I’m sorry - I don’t know how to hold on to

you any longer.

EINAR:

I know. But I love you and I’m

going to find an answer.

26/11/15

62.

INT. BIBLIOTEQUE NATIONALE, DAY

Einar at a desk piled high with books. He reads, driven,

fascinated. We see the books: The Normal and Abnormal Man, A

Scientific Study of Sexual Immorality...

EXT. PARK, LATER

Einar makes his way through the park. He looks bizarre in

daylight, like a woman dressed as a man. He passes a couple

of rough-looking younger men. One HISSES under his breath:

YOUNGER MAN:

Lesbian...

Einar looks round, amazed, almost amused at the mistake...

when the men recognise that Einar is - in fact - a man, they

LAUGH, shocked. Einar keeps walking, conscious of the men

shadowing him, making silly obscene noises and comments.

Einar presses on, anger and anxiety building as the men

pursue. Now the men pull level with him, jostle, one moving

ahead and rubbing his crotch.

YOUNGER MAN (cont’d)

You speak English? Are you a boy...

YOUNGER MAN 2

Or a girl...?

The first Young Man leers and LAUGHS and then we suddenly see

his nose burst with blood as Einar’s fist connects. The two

men are caught by surprise as he lashes out with terrific

energy, but they regroup and then Einar’s down, fists and

feet flying, the men beating him furiously, until they

finally run away.

INT. HANS AXGIL’S OFFICE, QUAI D’ORSAY, PARIS DAY

Animated discussion between Hans and another man.

HANS:

But I’m worried that will be too late. I

can’t hold the buyers much longer...

Hans’ secretary puts her head around the door. He glances

up, annoyed, but something in her face gives him pause.

Behind her, a man appears... A beat before Hans recognises

the badly swollen face.

HANS (cont’d)

Einar...

26/11/15

63.

INT. HANS AXGIL’S OFFICE, BATHROOM

Hans tenderly cleans Einar’s face with iodine.

EINAR:

You’re good at this.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote