Titanic (Scriptment) Page #12

Rose is not nearly as swooningly overwhelmed as Cal would have hoped. She of course knows the cost of such a fabulous diamond. She also knows that to Cal, paying such a price is a measure of his power and wealth, and not his love for her. In fact, in a moment of clarity she realizes that she is much like the diamond to him, a prize of great value, something to show the world how great Caledon Hockley is.

Rose, on this of all nights, is not prepared to deal with Cal's gift. The blue stone seems somehow malevolent to her... too large, out of all proportion. Beautiful but ominous.

Cal places the necklace around her throat, holding the two ends in his hands from behind her, modeling it on her so she can see it in the mirror. It is stunning.

There is no question.

But to a girl who has just stood at the boundary between life and death, the value of things can change dramatically. And something about the way he puts it on her reminds her of a tag being put on a pet.

She struggles to appear grateful.

Cal is going on about the history of the stone, the French Crown Jewels and so on.

Rose gazes at herself in the mirror, wearing a diamond once worn by Louis XVI. TRACKING IN ON HER FACE. HOLD IN TIGHT CLOSEUP A BEAT, THEN...

MATCH-DISSOLVE (OR MORPH) TO OLD ROSE. Only the eyes stay the same as the face transforms through 83 years of life.

KELDYSH LAB DECK / IMAGING SHACK.

BODINE:

So let me get this right. You were gonna kill yourself by jumping off the Titanic?

(he guffaws)

That's great!

LOVETT:

(warningly)

Lewis...

But Old Rose laughs with Bodine.

BODINE:

(still laughing)

All you had to do was wait two days!

Lovett, standing out of Rose's sightline, checks his watch. Hours have passed. This process is taking too long.

LOVETT:

Rose, tell us more about the diamond. What did Hockley do with it after that?

ROSE:

I'm afraid I'm feeling a little tired, Mr. Lovett.

Lizzy picks up the cue and starts to wheel her out.

LOVETT:

Wait! Can you give us something to go on, here. Like who had access to the safe. What about this Lovejoy guy? The valet. Did he have the combination--

LIZZY:

That's enough.

Lizzy takes her out. We see Lizzy and the wheelchair silhouetted against the deck lights for a moment in the doorway. Rose's old hand appears in a frail little wave goodbye.

CUT TO KELDYSH DECK, NIGHT.

Lizzy finds Lovett in the launch/recovery area as the big hydraulic jib swings one of the Mir subs out over the water. Lovett has decided to dive round the clock with his remaining time at the site growing short. He is having the backup ROV team search Lovejoy's stateroom just to cover all the bases.

Lizzy takes him aside and warns him not to push Rose. Lovett tries to give her the big picture... how much it is costing him a day for this operation... how he's getting his ass shot off from all sides... the media are making him out to be a grave-robber, the lawyers are circling faster than sharks in a feeding frenzy, and the limited partners, those overnight experts on marine salvage who never spent a day on a ship in their lives, are giving him his last extension: two more days, then they pull the plug.

He needs a clue, anything Rose can give him. He asks Lizzy to help him.

She replies that Rose is going to do this her way, and there's nothing either one of them can do about it.

LIZZY:

I've worked for Rose for 12 years, and she never said a word about any of this. Do you think she was really on the Titanic?

LOVETT:

Yeah. I'm a believer. She was there.

THE NEXT SESSION. The usual suspects gathered in the IMAGING SHACK. Bodine starts the tape recorder. Rose is gazing at the screen.

THE LIVE FEED FROM THE WRECK-- SNOOP DOG is moving along the starboard side of the hull, heading aft. The rectangular windows of B deck march past on the left.

ROSE (V.O.)

Saturday was another day of splendid weather, and I remember thinking as I walked along the deck how the sunlight felt... as if I hadn't felt the sun in years.

MATCH DISSOLVE from the rusting hulk to the gleaming new Titanic in 1912, moving along the outside of B deck and pushing in. We pass the end of the enclosed promenade just as Rose walks into the sunlight right in front of us. She is stunningly dressed and walking with purpose. Rose is hatless, and will never wear a hat again in scenes on the ship. She has begun the slow and painful transformation from flower to person.

IT IS SATURDAY APRIL 13, 1912

Rose looks around and unlatches the chain to go down into third class. The steerage men on the deck stop what they're doing and stare at her.

Rose enters the common room, scanning it for the one face she knows. The activity in the room stops... a hush falls.

Everyone watches Rose as she moves through the room, feeling suddenly self-conscious. The steerage class passengers stare openly at this princess walking through their midst, some with resentment, some with awe.

Jack has his back to her, but Fabrizio and Tommy see her coming. Jack, noticing their mouths hanging open, turns when Rose is twenty feet away. She sees him and gives a little smile, walking straight to him. Jack is so surprised he forgets his manners and doesn't stand. She looks down at him.

ROSE:

Hello Jack.

Fabrizio and Tommy are floored.

It's like the slipper fitting Cinderella in front of the evil stepsisters, except Jack is Cinderella and his friends are good.

He jumps up finally and she moves closer to him.

ROSE:

Could I speak to you in private?

JACK:

Uh, yes. Of course. Where?

ROSE:

I thought perhaps we could take a stroll on deck.

JACK:

Yeah, definitely, a stroll sounds great.

Jack walks out with her, leaving a stunned silence.

ON THE SUNLIT BOAT DECK PROMENADE, Jack and Rose walk side by side. They pass people reading and talking in steamer chairs, some of whom glance curiously at the mismatched couple.

A steward scowls at Jack, who is clearly not a first class passenger, but Rose just glares him away.

JACK:

(looking around)

So this is first class. It's okay, I guess. Smells better anyway.

He feels out of place in his rough clothes. They are both awkward and tentative, for different reasons.

ROSE:

I want to thank you for what you did.

JACK:

Thanks. I mean thanks for thanking me. I mean, you're welcome.

When Jack is nervous he talks too much.

ROSE:

I feel like such an idiot. It took me all morning to get up the nerve to face you.

JACK:

Well you're not an idiot. But you woulda been if you'd let go of that railing.

ROSE:

Would you really have jumped after me?

JACK:

(he thinks about it)

I don't know. It just popped into my head... you know, I was trying to get you to do something.

She likes his answer. Truthful. She doesn't get much truth among her peers.

ROSE:

Yes. People are always trying to get me to do what they think is best.

JACK:

Hey, you got a name?

ROSE:

Rose. Rose De Witt Bukater.

JACK:

I may hafta get you to write that down. So Rose... is that short for anything? Rosemary? Roselee? Rosanna? Rosabella? Ro---?

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