The Shape of Water Page #2

The bus arrives.

9 INT. CITY BUS - NIGHT 9

Elisa, still whistling. Almost entirely alone, on the bus

(except for a FAT GUY snoring) looking out the window with

great longing.

POV Industrial landscape passes by- reflections of fire and

smoke against blue steel night sky.

She uses her beret and scarf as a pillow.

She closes her eyes.

10 OMITTED 10

10A EXT. OCCAM RD -NIGHT 10A

BUS drives by a huge clock and plaque that reads: OCCAM

AEROSPACE RESEARCH CENTER.

The time:
11:55

11 11

EXT. 1284 OCCAM RD. BUILDING - NIGHT

A SQUARE, SQUAT concrete structure. Employees rush towards

the building.

ELISA climbs out of the bus- walks in. THRONGS OF WORKERS

walk out-

12 OMITTED 12

12A INT. ELEVATOR - NIGHT 12A

Elisa in an elevator- goes down, down, down until it opens

into:

Her watch:
11:58

13 INT. HERDING AREA - NIGHT 13

WORKERS are moving out. A GOLF CART arrives with MP’s

Elisa runs and barely makes it. Yolanda, a Latin girl,

protests.

A PUNCH CLOCKS, Standing in line we see ZELDA, a plump

African American woman in her 30’s. She signals Elisa to getin.

Elisa runs and barely makes it. Yolanda a Latin girl,

protests.

YOLANDA:

Hey- watch it, Dummy!!

ZELDA:

Leave her alone, Woman. I was

keeping her place.

YOLANDA:

I get reported- I come looking for

you and the mute...

ZELDA:

You do that, Yolanda. You do that.

Elisa checks in-

CLACK!! 12:
00 PM

CUT TO:

14 INT. LOCKER ROOM - SAME 14

Elisa, Zelda and others get dressed in their JANITORIAL andKITCHEN / SERVICE garments.

Change their shoes to low-heeled ones.

All around them:
Propaganda posters: “Loose Lips Sink Ships”

etc

ZELDA:

My feet are killin’ me already- We

ain’t started and my feet arealready killin’ me

15 OMITTED 15

15A INT. LONG CORRIDOR 15A

6 cleaning ladies walk down the corridor in 2 lines of 3.

They split off and walk into the adjacent labs. Behind themElisa and Zelda follow and continue down the corridor.

16 INT. LONG CORRIDOR (GREEN SCREEN, NOT TRANSLIGHT) 16

ZELDA:

I wear ‘em low-heeled shoes and it

hurts just the same. My toes getall bunched up- and I feel like

dyin’. Lord.

Zelda and Elisa push into a long corridor full of

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-STYLE DOORS, each bearing a number and a

letter (B-67, C-25, etc).

A GROUP OF SCIENTISTS walks alongside a MAN IN A CANVAS

ASTRONAUT SUIT. They carry a multitude of canvas DUCTS

extruding from it.

About a DOZEN MP's guard the corridor.

17 INT. JET ENGINE LAB - SAME 17

Elisa removing a piece of chewing gum. Zelda empties a WASTEBASKET.

ZELDA:

Made Brewster pigs in a blanket

tonight before leavin’. Fresh dough-

the good sausages- thick- and Boy,

he just ate ‘em up.

(beat)

No thank-yous-no yum-yums- not a

peep, tho- Man is silent as the

grave. But if farts were flattery,

honey- he would be Shakespeare

17A INT. COMMAND CENTER - SAME 17A

Zelda and Elisa empty waste baskets.

ZELDA:

Then I get home and I make him

breakfast. Bacon and eggs and

buttered toast. I butter the man’s

toast, Elisa. Both sides- As if he

were a child... And I don’t get a

“Thank You”

18 INT. LAB - SAME 18

Zelda picks up a waste basket and a few pieces of paper-

ZELDA:

Hey- Lou- Lou! You boys mind

throwing the trash in the bin?

That’s what it’s for...

A BESPECTACLED MAN (Dr. BOB HOFFSTETLER) measures thetemperature of the water with a long, industrial thermometer.

He eyes Zelda.

ZELDA (CONT'D)

Yes. That’s what it’s for... Hard

to believe, uh?

LOU:

Alright. Alright. Sorry Zelda.

Elisa and Zelda mop and sweep around a group of workers

readying a big Filter/storage TANK of massive proportions

next to a tiled HOLDING POOL.

Roughly 20 men working at the same time.

Fleming supervises the entire operation.

The WORKERS are making a mess.

Elisa signs Zelda.

ZELDA:

I don’t know Honey. I don’t know

what they’re doing.

(purposefully loud)

Mostly making a Goddam mess is what

I’d say...

Hoffstetler whispers in Fleming’s ear.

FLEMING:

(dabs his nose)

Zelda, please-Watch the volume.

And, there’s no call for the

blaspheme, please-

ZELDA:

Yessir, sorry, Mr. Fleming, Sir-

FLEMING:

(claps his hands)

A moment of your time- Today, wewill be receiving a new team andasset here in T-4. This here is Dr.

Robert Hoffstetler...

Zelda and Elisa look at each other.

FLEMING (CONT’D)

I don’t want to bolster - or

overstate the matter

(proud laughter)

-but this may be the most sensitiveasset ever to be housed in this

facility...

Hoffstetler looks at Elisa.

Everybody suddenly turns to attention. The sliding steel door

opens and MP’s pour in-

Fleming thumbs them out. The door slowly slides opens and-

Zelda and Elisa pick up their carts and- as they exit

-they see a group of SPECIALISTS wheel a MASSIVE STEEL

CYLINDER into the room. It’s twice the size of an iron lungand more elaborate.

It is escorted by 4 MP's, and a square-jawed, steely-eyed man

dressed in a black, immaculate suit and tie: RICHARD

STRICKLAND, 30’s.

In his right hand: an electric CATTLE PROD.

The CYLINDER SHAKES!! SOMETHING LARGE MOVES INSIDE!! IT

HOWLS!! A WEBBED HAND slams against the glass!!!

A WEBBED PALM HITS THE GLASS!! Elisa jumps, startled.

HOFFSTETLER:

(to Fleming)

They have to leave-

FLEMING:

Yes- yes-

HOFFSTETLER:

You:
help me move the cylinder into

the compressor! There!

They exit. Elisa sees a large form moving in the tank as they

-close the door.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. MEN’S BATHROOM - NIGHT 19

ZELDA:

Will you look at this?

Elisa removes dirty towels from the multiple towel racks andputs on fresh ones. Zelda points to the urinals.

ZELDA (CONT’D)

Look-Some of the best minds in our

country- peeing all over the floor

in this here facility.

(beat)

There's pee freckles on the

ceiling!! How do they get it up

there?

ZELDA resumes mopping the checkered floor.

ZELDA (CONT’D)

Just how big a target do they need,

you figure? They get enough

practice that’s for sure. My

Brewster, no one ever called him a

great mind, even he hits the can

seventy percent of the time.

Suddenly, Strickland enters. In his hands: the cattle prod

and a plastic bag of GREEN HARD CANDY. He places them on thesink. They start to leave, but

STRICKLAND:

No. No. That’s alright... Go on-

He washes his hands with the precision and care of a surgeonpreparing to operate.

STRICKLAND (CONT’D)

You ladies seem to be chatting

enjoyably. Girl talk no doubt.

Don't mind me.

He makes eye contact with Elisa. Chews on the candy.

Methodically.

ELISA looks at the cattle prod.

STRICKLAND (CONT’D)

Look but don’t touch

(beat)

That lovely dingus there is an

Alabama Howdy-do...

Strickland goes to the urinal and proceeds to piss- his hands-

clenched in a fist, rest on both his hips.

STRICKLAND (CONT'D)

Molded grip handle. Low-current,

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