Vertigo Page #16

SCOTTIE:

My love... because I love you.

MADELEINE:

(Whispering)

I love you too... too late... too

late...

SCOTTIE:

No... we're together...

MADELEINE:

Too late... there's something I must

do...

He holds her gently, now; brushes his lips along her to her

eyes, down to her mouth.

SCOTTIE:

(murmuring)

Nothing you must do... no one

possesses you... you're safe with

me... my love...

And they kiss again. As they part:

MADELEINE:

Too late...

She looks up at him with deep regret and wonder in her eyes

then suddenly breaks from him and runs out the door. He stands

still, startled for a moment, then runs after her.

EXT. LIVERY STABLE - (DAY)

Madeleine is running across the grass toward the church.

Scottie catches up with her.

EXT. LIVERY STABLE - (DAY) - REVERSE ANGLE

Scottie swings her around to face him.

SCOTTIE:

(Firmly)

There are things I have to tell you,

about how we met, and why we are

together. But they can wait. The

only important thing now is that I

love you and I'm going to keep you

safe.

MADELEINE:

(Trembling)

You can't.

SCOTTIE:

Why?

MADELEINE:

Let me go.

SCOTTIE:

Where?

MADELEINE:

To the church, I must go there.

SCOTTIE:

Madeleine --

MADELEINE:

Please let me go.

She pulls away and turns and walks swiftly toward the church,

her head bowed. CAMERA DOLLIES with her. She is frightened,

and close to tears. Scottie follows her a half-step behind.

The livery stable drops away out of the SHOT, and the two

heads fill the screen with only the sky an background.

SCOTTIE:

Madeleine, don't fight me off, don't

put me away. You've been fighting

alone, and you're lost, but no more.

Hold on to me. Be sure of me, always.

And whatever it is, we'll lick it. I

promise.

No answer. They keep walking, and then suddenly with head

bowed, she begins to run again, and runs out of the SHOT. A

moment, then he runs after her.

EXT. THE MISSION AND CLOISTERS - (DAY) - SEMI-LONG SHOT

We see Madeleine running toward the Cloisters, Scottie after

her. Finally he stops her once again.

EXT. THE CLOISTERS - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT

Scottie grabs her by the arm.

MADELEINE:

(Head low, brokenly)

It's not fair, it's too late. It

wasn't supposed to happen this way,

it shouldn't have happened...!

SCOTTIE:

It had to. We're in love. That's all

that counts. Madeleine --

MADELEINE:

(Frantic, struggling)

Let me go! Let me go!!

SCOTTIE:

(Holding her; sharply)

Madeleine!!

The struggle ceases. She remains limp in his grasp for a

long moment, then slowly raises her head to look at him. Her

eyes study his face searchingly.

MADELEINE:

You believe that I love you?

SCOTTIE:

Yes.

MADELEINE:

And if you lose me, you'll know that

I loved you and wanted to go on loving

you.

SCOTTIE:

I won't lose you.

Pause.

MADELEINE:

Let me go into the church alone.

SCOTTIE:

Why?

MADELEINE:

Please. Because I love you. He stares

at her, sees the pleading look in

her eyes, and lets go. She turns and

walks away toward the church, slowly,

her head bowed. He watches her go

and starts to move after her. Then

slowly, as she goes, her head begins

to go up until finally, as she walks,

she is staring high above her. And

then, suddenly, she breaks into a

broken run.

EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)

Scottie jerks his head up to see what she was looking at.

EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)

From Scottie's viewpoint: the high church tower.

EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)

Scottie, immediately alarmed, brings his eyes down and looks

toward the church entrance.

EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)

From Scottie's viewpoint: Madeleine runs through the open

front door of the church, and vanishes.

EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)

Scottie starts to run toward the church.

SCOTTIE:

Madeleine!!!

He runs to the church door and runs in.

INT. CHURCH, SAN JUAN BAUTISTA - (DAY)

Scottie runs in and looks around frantically. The church is

empty. A moment, then he hears the sound of footsteps running

up wooden steps. He turns in the direction of the sound,

sees a door standing open at the side of the church, and

through the door the beginning of a flight of steps. He runs

to the open door and goes through.

INT. CHURCH TOWER - (DAY)

Scottie runs in, stops at the foot of the steps, hears the

running footsteps, and looks up. From his viewpoint we see

Madeleine running up the open stairway that spirals up along

the walls of the high tower. She is already well on her way.

Scottie is immediately stricken by vertigo, and the tall

tower seems to slide away from him. He makes an attempt to

start up the stairs, flattens himself against the wall and

struggles up. He claws his way up, crosses over to the hand-

handrailing and uses it to pull his body up the steps, one

by one railing struggling for breath, unable to call, though

he tries. And Madeleine keeps running. Madeleine reaches

the top goes through a small wooden door. We see it slam,

hear it locked. Scottie, struggling up, reaches a landing

next to a small open arch that looks out on the back garden,

and has to stop to tight his nausea. There is a scream from

above. Through the arch he sees a body fall. He calls

"Madeleine"!, and looks down through the arch.

EXT. ROOF - (DAY) - LONG SHOT

Figure of the dead Madeleine. Her body is lying on the roof

of the cloister.

INT. CHURCH TOWER - (DAY)

The vertigo hits Scottie again and the body and the root of

the cloister move and fall away into space, and this

DISSOLVES THROUGH TO:

The body of the policeman falling from the rooftop, tumbling

through space to the street below. Scottie has to look away

in desperate horror. He hears voices, looks through the arch

again, and sees two nuns hurrying across the garden from the

dormitory at the back, looking up at the roof of the cloister.

He turns and gazes down the great height he now has to

descend, flattens himself against the wall, and with

trancelike desperation tries to start moving.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

EXT. MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA - (DAY)

Once again we see the whole of the square, but now, in sharp

contrast, it is filled with cars parked along the roadway

that encircles the green.

EXT. MISSION SAW JUAN BAUTISTA - (DAY) - LONG SHOT

Before Plaza Hall, the large grey wooden building next to

the Livery Stable, and on its front porch, groups of citizens

are gathered, talking. Some people glance up to the second

floor, where the windows are open, and from which a droning

voice can faintly be heard. The CAMERA ZOOMS UP to the open

window, and as it does, the voice of the speaker becomes

louder and the words more intelligible.

INT. PLAZA HALL ROOM, SAN JUAN BAUTISTA - (DAY)

The Coroner's Inquest is in session. The Jury of twelve local

people is at one side. Among the people assembled we see:

the two nuns, escorted by a priest; Gavin Elster with

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