The Shape of Water Page #6

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He is curious and vigilant. Watches her carefully as shetakes the record and plays it: Glenn Miller’s LOVER’SSERENADE

His bioluminescent markings light up.

She lifts the needle. Music stops.

The creature reacts as if to magic.

Needle down, music back: Excitement!! Markings light up!!

The creature admires the music, tries to snatch it mid-air.

She smiles-

He smiles back

46 46

OMITTED:

47 47

MONTAGE:

-Five eggs. Boiling. Dancing slowly in the water.

-Elisa sets all five Boiled Eggs on the edge of the pool.

-The creature emerges. Does the sign for “egg”.

-Elisa chooses new records.

-Her locker room is filling up with LP’s

-Elisa travels on the bus with more eggs and records.

-Elisa mops- a smile on her face. Zelda watches, concerned.

-Elisa readies her bath- mesmerized by the water.

-Giles watches as Elisa “borrows” extra eggs from his fridge.

-Elisa packs all 7,8,9 eggs in her paper bag.

-Elisa shows a new record to the creature in the cylinder.

-She mops while the music plays

Quietly, Hoffstetler enters the lab just as the song ends:

The Amphibian Man bangs on the glass to ELISA and signs:

“play a different record.” His markings brighten.

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ELISA signs- asking him to “point.” The AMPHIBIAN MAN points.

Elisa turns the record around. “MOONGLOW” by Benny Goodmanplays.

Elisa dances in front of the cylinder.

The AMPHIBIAN MAN swims, delighted!

Elisa walks over and puts one hand up against the glass,

slowly, the creature puts a hand up “against” hers. His

markings active and color- changing.

Her smile turns wistful. She keeps her hand there. Leans herforehead on the glass.

Hoffstetler watches- a tray of raw fish in his hands-

Mesmerized. Moved.

CUT TO:

48 EXT. BROWNSTONE BUILDINGS STREET - DAY 48

HOFFSTETLER Arrives in a YELLOW CAB. Climbs the steps of hisbuilding. AN OLD MATRON smokes watches children play outside.

HOFFSTETLER:

Good morning Mrs. Peabody, how is

the gout?

She signals “So-so”

49 INT. HOFFSTETLER’S APARTMENT - DAY 49

Austere. Impersonal. Hoffstetler lights a cigarette- looks

out the window to

49A EXT. STREET POV - DAY 49A

-the empty street.

49B INT. HOFFSTETLER’S APARTMENT - SAME 49B

-He grabs a small pen knife from his desk and gets on hishands and knees.

He uses it to lift a set of floorboards. They reveal a neatly-

fitting BLACK CASE.

He opens the case: a passport, a LEATHER NOTEBOOK, some

equipment, cash, etc. He takes a set of blueprints.

50 50

OMITTED:

51 EXT. SAND PILES - DAY 51

Holding a manila envelope, DR. HOFFSTETLER smokes acigarette. He is sitting on a concrete block in an industrial

distribution centre. Looking at his watch. A Dark SEDAN stops-

a BURLY RUSSIAN climbs out of the passenger seat and heads

toward him.

BURLY RUSSIAN:

The sparrow nests on the window

sill.

HOFFSTETLER:

What?

BURLY RUSSIAN:

The sparrow nests on the window

sill.

HOFFSTETLER:

And the eagle takes the prey-

BURLY RUSSIAN:

(in Russian)

Uhhh. What?

Hoffstetler sighs. Gets up.

HOFFSTETLER:

(in Russian)

That’s the password: “And the Eagletakes the Prey” Let’s go.

52 INT. SAND PILES - DAY 52

THE BURLY RUSSIAN enters the car. Hoffstetler is squeezed

tight.

53 INT. BLACK SEA RUSSIAN RESTAURANT -DAY 53

THREE RUSSIAN VIOLINISTS, dressed in “authentic” Gipsy garbplay Ochi Chernye in a “classy” Russian restaurant.

HOFFSTETLER and BURLY RUSSIAN enter and head for

54 OMITTED 54

55 INT. KITCHEN -DAY 55

Waiters come in an out of a busy kitchen.

Sitting in front of a HUGE LOBSTER TANK: LEO MIHALKOV, asevere man with slow, deliberate speech (in Russian withsubtitles) drinks vodka and smokes.

Hoffstetler & BURLY RUSSIAN enter.

MIHALKOV:

“Bob.” How are you?

The group laughs. Not Hoffstetler. He responds in flat but

fluent, unaccented Russian.

HOFFSTETLER:

I was sitting like a moron on a

concrete block in the middle of

nowhere for an hour. I took three

taxis to get there. Again.

(looks at Burly)

Why can’t we just meet here? It’sthe same restaurant every time!!

MIHALKOV:

I could change my mind.

HOFFSTETLER:

But you don’t.

MIHALKOV:

But I could

(pours a drink)

So- Tell us, “Bob”-

HOFFSTETLER:

Dimitri, Comrade- Not “Bob.” Who

names himself with one syllable?

Dimitri/Hoffstetler offers him his notebook: in it diagramsand anatomical notes.

Hoffstetler hands him the Blueprints.

MIHALKOV:

What is this, Dimitri? Sit- Sit-

HOFFSTETLER:

Anatomical notes- and- Layout ofthe laboratory where the asset isbeing studied. Everything we needfor the extraction.

MIHALKOV:

I will pass it on to thedirectorate.

Mihalkov opens a bottle of vodka. Pours.

MIHALKOV (CONT’D)

Distilled four times- arrives bydiplomatic valise. Minsk. Isn’t

that your hometown?

HOFFSTETLER:

We must do it as soon as possible

(beat)

This creature, Mihalkov- I think it

may be able to communicate.

MIHALKOV:

Communicate.

HOFFSTETLER:

With us. I have reason to believe

it is intelligent. It-it respondsto language- to music...

(beat)

Will you please pass that up also?

MIHALKOV:

I will.

A WAITER brings three plates of steaming lobster tails and afilet mignon and a pot of butter. The Burly Russian eats.

MIHALKOV (CONT’D)

Now- eat, Dimitri. They call this“Surf-”

BURLY RUSSIAN:

“...and Turf”.

MIHALKOV:

“Surf and Turf” A feast. They boil

the lobsters right here. Theysqueak a little but they are so

soft and sweet.

KISSING MY BABY GOODBYE by Jon Erik Kellso starts.

55aA OMITTED 55aA

55A INT. HERDING AREA - NIGHT 55A

Elisa checks her time card. Strickland- calmly smoking acigarette- watches her. She sneaks an uncomfortable glance.

He smiles. She moves away.

56 OMITTED 56

56A INT. LAUNDRY AREA - NIGHT 56A

ELISA and ZELDA sort the towels, lab coats and dirty linensinto thin, tall laundry carts. YOLANDA and 3 OTHERS do as

much.

Elisa fills up itemized sheets- tears them up and puts themin the bags.

57 INT. LOADING DOCK - NIGHT 57

-Loading Dock where there is a LAUNDRY TRUCK.

They load the soiled sheets and towels.

Nearby- A couple of African American and Latin workers are

smoking. A cafeteria worker (Duane) offers a drag-

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