The Danish Girl Page #13

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EINAR:

I feel strange going dressed like this.

GERDA:

It’s important. Hans says the Germans will

check your papers.

HANS:

Don’t take any chances. You’re nearly

there.

Hans and Einar embrace, then Hans holds him at arms length.

EINAR:

I won’t be seeing you again.

HANS:

You know, I’ve only really liked a handful

of people in my life and you’ve been two of

them.

Einar half-laughs. Hans twinkles.

HANS (cont’d)

Take care. Take care. *

The men part. Hans withdraws. Einar turns to Gerda. What

can he say? They hold one another close, intensely private.

GERDA:

I wish you’d let me come with you.

EINAR:

I can’t. You love Einar. And I have to let

him go.

They kiss, an emotional parting. She removes her bright

scarf.

GERDA:

Here, take this...

He takes it, smiles, and boards the train - just in time.

The air fills with steam and NOISE. Gerda raises her hand to

wave as the train pulls out, carrying Einar away. Einar

fights tears as he moves off... Gerda runs alongside a

little way, the gap that’s opening between them suddenly

unbearable. And then... the train has gone. Gerda turns to

leave, finds Hans waiting. She walks past him, bereft.

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

70.

CONTINUED:

HANS:

Gerda...? Let me give you a lift.

She barely turns, hands stuffed firmly in her pockets.

GERDA:

I’m going to walk.

She strides down the platform, trying to outpace the pain,

face set, body strong. She could walk like this forever.

INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT, DAY

Einar watches the scenery fly by outside.

INT. PARIS APARTMENT, STUDIO, EVENING

Gerda prepares a fresh canvas.

INT. TINY BATHROOM ON TRAIN.

Einar opens a document - his passport. Takes a long look

GUARD (O.S.)

148 Next stop, Dresden. Dresden is the 148

next stop...

INT. PARIS APARTMENT, STUDIO, DAY

Gerda, charcoal in hand, the canvas before her, waits to

begin. Then there’s a swift line on the canvas - the curve

of a flank - conjures a nude Einar or Lili... Whatever name

is attached to it now. She sketches the form of a body she

loves. Strong magic to keep it from harm.

EXT. STREET, DRESDEN, AFTERNOON

Lili walks into town, a high road that gives her a panoramic

view of the river.

INT. WARNEKROS’S CLINIC, RECEPTION, EARLY EVENING

RECEPTIONIST:

Hello...?

LILI:

Yes, my name is Lili, I’m here to see

Professor Warnekros. *

RECEPTIONIST:

Lili what?

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

71.

CONTINUED:

Lili wonders, surprised at the question...

LILI:

Oh... Lili Elbe. Yes. Like the river.

The Receptionist nods. Writes it down.

RECEPTIONIST:

Please take a seat...

Lili settles... looks around. A sanctuary. For women.

INT. WARNEKROS’S OFFICE, EVENING

Lili sits with Professor Warnekros. Behind him, anatomical

models of women’s reproductive parts, plastic foetuses.

LILI:

Must I really wait?

WARNEKROS:

It’s only a week, We need you to rest and

gain some weight. We can’t risk an

infection.

Professor Warnekros rises, rests his hands on Lili’s

shoulders, paternal. Lili pats his hand, tender, submissive.

WARNEKROS (cont’d)

For what I’m attempting, you’ll need to be *

strong.

LILI *

This is not my body, Professor. *

Please take it away. *

EXT. WARNEKROS’S CLINIC, DRESDEN, GARDEN, DAY

Lili amidst other young women patients, many pregnant. She

concentrates on balancing a teacup on her knee. A VOICE:

URSULA (O.S.)

Do you think Spring will come early?

Lili looks round. A delicate blonde, URSULA, sits nearby.

URSULA (cont’d)

I saw you looking at the crocuses.

LILI:

Oh - yes. You’re having a baby.

Ursula nods, cradles her round belly.

URSULA:

And you?

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

72.

CONTINUED:

LILI:

No - I’m ill inside. But Professor *

Warnekros’s going to make me better. He’s

operating tomorrow.

URSULA:

Will you be able to have children after?

The question catches Lili by surprise, sets her thinking...

LILI:

I don’t know.

URSULA:

I hope so.

Lili smiles, full of optimism.

INT. WARNEKROS’S CLINIC, DRESDEN, LILI’S ROOM, EVENING

A particularly solicitous NURSE gives Lili a white pill.

NURSE:

To help you sleep tonight.

Later - Lili at the sink, wipes a washcloth over her face.

The water runs a peachy colour as powder and rouge rinse

away. Lili looks in the mirror at Einar for the last time.

INT. PARIS CAFE, EVENING

Hans smokes his cigar. Picks a speck of tobacco from his

tongue.

HANS:

Rasmussen called. The Dufour people want

you in their group show. I like the idea.

Gerda looks across at him, hasn’t heard anything.

GERDA:

I’m sorry?

HANS:

The Dufour Gallery?

But Gerda shakes her head. Hans SIGHS, considers, then:

HANS (cont’d)

Gerda, why don’t you go...?

GERDA:

He asked me not to.

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

73.

CONTINUED:

HANS:

He wanted to protect you. You

should be there. I’ll go with you.

Gerda turns on him:

GERDA:

No. If I go, it’ll be alone.

HANS:

Now you’re sounding like Einar.

GERDA:

I am like Einar.

Hans seethes, frustrated.

HANS:

What do you want me to do Gerda?

GERDA:

I want you to go away.

Hans is surprised, hurt.

HANS:

Really?

Gerda looks down, fixes her eyes on a burn mark on the

tabletop. She senses movement as Hans chair is pushed aside.

GERDA:

No, I’m sorry...

But it’s too late. Hans is gone.

INT. WARNEKROS’S CLINIC, DRESDEN, NEXT DAY

Einar/Lili sleeps a deep sleep. We pull out to see the

operating theatre around her, Warnekros prepped to begin.

INT. PROFESSOR WARNEKROS’S CLINIC, DRESDEN, *

CORRIDOR/LILI’S ROOM *

Warnekros escorts Gerda along the corridor.

WARNEKROS:

She only regained consciousness very *

briefly. We’re having to give her a great

deal of morphine, of course, so that’s to

be expected.

As they reach Lili’s room, a CRY fills Gerda with fear. *

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

74.

CONTINUED:

WARNEKROS (cont’d) *

It’s nothing, I assure you... *

Gerda is stunned to see Lili held down by ropes weighted with *

sandbags. She looks terrible, grey-green, exhausted. A

nurse administers morphine, another soothes.

NURSE:

You mustn’t move Lili. It only makes it

worse...

GERDA:

(under her breath)

My God...

The nurse pushes a paralysed Gerda gently aside -

NURSE:

Excuse me...

The nurse slips a mask over Lili’s face. She sucks

gratefully at the numbing gas. Gerda comes to, galvanises

herself, moves the nurse aside, takes hold of the mask.

GERDA:

I’ll do that. I’m here now. Don’t worry,

I’m here...

The nurse looks to Warnekros - he nods. She withdraws. Gerda *

smooths Lili’s brow, determined, devoted.

EXT. WARNEKROS’S CLINIC, GARDEN, TWO WEEKS LATER, DAY

Lili dozes in her wheelchair. Gerda sketches. Lili smiles a

little but her eyes don’t open. Gerda notices, stops.

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