147 pages

English

Se7en

script-cinema - Andrew Kevin Walker

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147 pages

English

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Description

Draft script, 8/8/94.

Sujets

Thriller

Informations

Publié par	script-cinema
Publié le	01 janvier 1995
Nombre de lectures	8
Licence :	En savoir + Paternité, pas d'utilisation commerciale, partage des conditions initiales à l'identique
Langue	English

Extrait

"Seven", unproduced draft, by Andrew Kevin Walker

SEVEN

Andrew Kevin Walker

January 27,1992

The world is a fine place, and worth fighting for.

- Ernest Hemingway For Whom the Bell Tolls 1940

EXT.COUNTRY CHURCH -- DAY

The white cross on the church steeple stands against blue sky. The church bell rings, resonating.

Mass has let out.Small church, small congregation.The dirt road in front is lined with pick-up trucks and parishioners on foot heading to outlying farms and homes.An old two-story house sits across the road.Lone.

INT.OLD HOUSE -- DAY

Sunlight comes through the soot on the windows, more brown than bright.SOMERSET, 45, in a suit and tie, stands in this empty second-story room.He looks around, at the ceiling, at the worn wooden floor, at the peeling wallpaper on the walls.

Somerset walks to one wall where the current wallpaper is peeled away to reveal flowery wallpaper underneath.He runs his finger across one of the pale red roses that decorates the older paper. He pushes the grime away, brings the rose out more clearly.

He pulls at the edge of the paper, carefully ripping off a roughly squared section with the rose at its center.

He studies it in his hand.

EXT.OLD HOUSE -- DAY

Birds sing.Somerset stands, pondering the forested landscape.

MAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

Is something wrong?

Somerset does not respond. The MAN, in an ill-fitting real estate jacket, is seated on the hood of a dirty Ford Thunderbird.He holds a check and a booklet of receipts.

MAN (CONT)

Is something the matter?

SOMERSET

No... no.There's nothing wrong.

Somerset still seems distant.

MAN

(writes receipt)

Not that it's any of my business... but, are you figuring on moving out here eventually?

SOMERSET

Soon.

MAN

I just never seen a man mortgaging an empty house before.

SOMERSET

Everything here still seems... seems so strange to me.All this.

MAN

I don't know.I'd say this place is about as normal as places get.

The man walks over to hand over a receipt.Somerset accepts the receipt, folds it.Somerset smiles.

SOMERSET

That is exactly what I mean.Strange.

Somerset looks back at the house.The man does not understand.

INT.AMTRACK TRAIN -- DAY -- (CREDIT SEQUENCE BEGINS)

Somerset is in a window seat, smoking a cigarette, looking out the speeding train.He is near the back of the car, away from the few other passengers.

Outside, farms, small homes and lawns pass.The entire panorama is dappled by the rays of the soon setting sun.

The light flickers across Somerset's placid face.

INT.AMTRACK TRAIN -- LATER DAY

The train is nearly full.Somerset has his suitcase on the aisle seat beside him.He has a hardcover book unopened on his lap.He still stares out the window, but his disposition has soured.The train is passing an ugly, swampy field.

A car's burnt-out skeleton sits rusting in the bracken.A little further on, two dogs are fighting, circling, attacking, their coats matted with blood.

Somerset turns his head to watch the dogs.

Away in the field, another dog sprints to join the fight.

INT.AMTRACK TRAIN -- EARLY EVENING

Passing urban streets below.Slums.Smashed cars.People stand on the corners, under the bleak glow of street lamps.

Somerset's suitcase is by the window.Somerset is now in the aisle seat, reading his book.

INT.SOMERSET'S APARTMENT -- LATER NIGHT -- (END CREDITS)

Curtains closed.The SOUNDS of the CITY are here as they will be everywhere in this story.A CAR ALARM SHRIEKS.Somerset's life is packed in many moving boxes, except for clothing in a closet and hundreds of books on shelves.

Somerset, dressed only in his underwear, lays back on the bed. He reaches to the nightstand, to a wooden, pyramidical metronome.

He frees the metronome's weighted swingarm so it moves back and forth.Swings to the left... TICK, swings to the right... TICK. Tick, tick, tick, measured and steady.

Somerset situates on the bed, closes his eyes.The metronome's ticking competes with the sound of the car alarm.Somerset's face tightens as he concentrates on the metronome.

His eyes close tighter.

Tick, tick, tick... the swingarm moves evenly.Somerset's breathing deepens.The car ALARM seems QUIETER.

Tick, tick, tick.Somerset continues his concentration.

The METRONOME is the ONLY SOUND.Somerset's face relaxes slightly as he begins to fall asleep.Tick, tick, tick...

EXT.CHINESE BODEGA/CITY STREETS -- NIGHT

DAVID MILLS, 31, exits with a bagged 40oz bottle of beer.He is a lean, attractive man, constantly coiled, eyes always smoldering.FOLLOW as he walks quickly past iron-gated storefronts.He crosses the street under elevated subway tracks.A train roars overhead.

Mills watches it as he walks on.

Blue sparks spit off the third rail and illuminate Mills, throwing his shadow long down the deserted street.

EXT.URBAN STREET OF ROW HOMES -- NIGHT

This rotting neighborhood lives in the shadow of a single fat skyscraper.Mills walks, looks at the broken refrigerators and pieces of junk in the gutter.

Ahead in the street, TWO YOUNG THUGS struggle with a crowbar to break into the trunk of a parked car.

Mills draws near.One thug looks up, doesn't think Mills will be a problem, continues prying.Mills stops, calm.

MILLS

Is that your car, man?

FIRST THUG

What the fuck do you care?

Mills pauses, switches his beer bottle to his other hand.

MILLS

Does that car belong to you?

The thugs look at each other, gauging.They face Mills.

FIRST THUG

Yeah, it's my car, alright?Fuck off.

MILLS

You're telling me that's your car?

The second thug starts the long way round the car.

SECOND THUG

Well, for some strange reason, I don't believe you.

Mills gives a "isn't that silly" laugh, shifts his gaze --

Sees the first thug slide the crowbar so it's held as a weapon.

FIRST THUG

(steps forward)

You can fucking suck my...

Mills swiftly finishes that sentence by smashing his bottle against the first thug's head.The thug falls, swings blindly.

The second thug moves from the side, brings out a knife.

Mills averts, swings, pounds the side of his fist into the second thug's face -- CRACK.Broken nose.

The second thug stumbles back, drops the knife, his nose squirting blood.

Mills turns, enraged, breathing hard.

The first thug is screaming, trying to stand.Mills takes one step, punts the first thug's head.The crowbar clatters away.

Mills is in the process of kicking a man when he's down, when the second thug grabs him from behind, pulls him backwards.

Mills clutches at the thug's arm, trying to avoid a choke-hold. They both struggle spastically.The thug's winning.

Gurgling, gasping for air, Mills shifts his weight, drops to one knee and spins the thug, slamming him against the car.

Mills breaks loose, grabs a handful of the second thug's hair and holds the man's head against the car's side window.Mills' free hand pounds the thug's face: once, twice -- third time's the charm as the window shatters.The thug goes out cold.

Mills backs off, still incensed.He rubs his throat, looking at the two prone men.Slowly, he regains some composure.

He takes a keychain from his pocket.He unlocks the door of the car, loads one of the thugs into the back seat.He walks to collect the other thug off the street.

INT.SOMERSET'S APARTMENT, BEDROOM -- MORNING

Somerset picks items off a moving box:keys, wallet, homicide badge.Finally, he opens the hardcover book from the train.

From the pages, he takes the pale, wallpaper rose.

INT.TENEMENT APARTMENT -- DAY

A wall is stained by a starburst of blood.Somerset stands, melancholy, looking at a body on the floor under a sheet near a sawed-off shotgun.The apartment is gloomy.DETECTIVE TAYLOR, 52, looks through a notepad.

TAYLOR

Neighbors heard them screaming at each other.It was nothing new or unusual. But, then they heard the gun go off. Boom, boom... both barrels.

SOMERSET

Did his wife confess?Did she actually speak the words?

TAYLOR

When the patrolman got here she was trying to put his head back together. She was crying too hard to say anything. (shuts notebook) Crime of passion.

SOMERSET

Yes.Look at all the passion splattered up on the wall here.

Taylor shifts his weight, impatient, annoyed.

TAYLOR

This is a done deal.All but the paperwork.

Somerset looks at a coloring-book open on the coffee table. There are crayons beside it.Somerset picks the book up.

He flips through: crudely colored pictures.

SOMERSET

Did their son see it happen?

TAYLOR

What kind of question is that?Huh? (pointing) He's dead.His wife killed him.There it is.That's all.Anything else has nothing to do with nothing.

Somerset replaces the book, digs up a cigarette from his pocket.

TAYLOR (CONT)

You and your fucking questions, Somerset.I'm glad I'm getting rid of you today.You know that, you fuck?

David Mills enters, dressed in a suit.He looks a bit lost.

MILLS

Uh... Lieutenant Somerset?

Somerset lights his cigarette, looks to Mills.

MILLS (CONT)

I'm David Mills... your new partner.

EXT.TENEMENT/CITY STREET -- DAY

A body-bag is carried through the crowd around the tenement doors.Somerset follows.Mills follows Somerset.They walk towards the end of the filthy block.

MILLS

I'm a little thrown.I just finished orientation at central, and they dumped me off down here.

SOMERSET

I heard you brought in two small-timers last night.

MILLS

Yeah.Two real idiots.

SOMERSET

Since we are just starting out, I thought we could go to a bar.Sit and talk for awhile.That way we can...

MILLS

Excuse me, but I'd rather start sniffing for a case, if it's all the same to you. Seeing how we only have a week for this whole transition thing. (waits) I want to get into the shit a.s.a.p., know what I mean?

Somerset walks, no reply.Mills searches to get a read on him.

SOMERSET

I meant to ask you something... when we spoke on the phone.I can't help wondering... (pause) Why are you here?

MILLS

(wary)

I... I don't follow.

SOMERSET

All this effort you've gone through, to be transferred from Philadelphia to here.It's the first question that pops into my head.

Mills formulates his response.

MILLS

I'm here for the same reasons as you, I guess.Or... at least the same reasons you used to have for being here... (cutting) ...before you decided to give up.

Somerset stops and faces Mills.

SOMERSET

You think you know me?You just met me two minutes ago.

MILLS

Maybe I don't understand the question.

SOMERSET

It's very simple.You've come from the "City of Brotherly Love" to the "City of Brotherly Hate," detective.I've never seen it done that way.

MILLS

I don't know.Maybe I thought I could do more good here than there. (pause) You know, it'd be great by me if we didn't start right out kicking each other in the balls.But, you're calling the shots, lieutenant, so however you want it to go.

SOMERSET

Let me tell you how I want this to go. I want you to look, and I want you to listen.

MILLS

I wasn't standing around Philly guarding the fucking Liberty Bell.

SOMERSET

But, you've never worked homicide in this city.

MILLS

I realize that.

SOMERSET

Well, please do me the favor of remembering it.

Mills just stares back at Somerset.Somerset walks.Mills rolls his eyes, looks to heaven like, "what'd I do to deserve this?"He follows Somerset.

INSERT -- TITLE CARD

MONDAY

INT.SOMERSET'S APARTMENT, BEDROOM -- EARLY MORNING

Somerset lies asleep on the bed.It is still dark outside. Relatively quiet.The PHONE beside the inactive metronome RINGS HARSHLY.Somerset awakens suddenly, rankled.

INT.MILLS' APARTMENT, BEDROOM -- EARLY MORNING

It is barely becoming light outside.Mills can't sleep.

Alone in a double bed.He sits up, frustrated.Sits on the edge of the bed and looks around.The room is a shambles, filled with moving boxes.

The light coming through the window glows upon a football trophy on one box.Large and noble, a golden player stands in frozen motion at the trophy's pinnacle.

Mills looks at the trophy and a fond smile forms on his face. The CLINKING of DISHES and SILVERWARE is HEARD from another room.Mills looks at the closed bedroom door, troubled.

INT.MILLS' APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM/KITCHENETTE -- EARLY MORNING

Across a living room full of boxes, TRACY MILLS, 30, a beautiful woman, stands in her bathrobe.She's upset about something, takes dishes out of boxes, puts them on the kitchenette counter.

She pulls a mug from a clump of newspaper and pours some tea from a pot on the stove.Blowing on the steaming tea, she leans back on the counter, looks over at the closed bedroom door.

The tea is too hot to sip, and as Tracy is placing the mug on the counter behind her the PHONE RINGS.Startled, she releases the mug too close to the edge.It falls --

Crashes to the floor, shatters.

INT.APARTMENT/CRIME SCENE, HALLWAY -- MORNING

A dark hall.Somerset and Mills stand with OFFICER DAVIS, 28, a beefy, uniformed cop.Light from a camera's flash spills in from the nearby kitchen.Davis hands Somerset two flashlights.

SOMERSET

At what time did you confirm the death?

DAVIS

Like I said, we didn't touch anything, but we were on scene at like o-five- hundred, so he's had his face in a plate of spaghetti for about half an hour.

MILLS

Wait, wait, wait.You didn't check him? You didn't check vital signs?

DAVIS

Believe me, he's gone.Unless he's breathing spaghetti sauce now.

MILLS

No.The point is, when you're first man in, you check vital signs.

DAVIS

This guy's sitting in a pile of his own shit and piss.If he ain't dead he would have stood up by now.

MILLS

(getting angry)

Listen, Godzilla...

Somerset steps in, heads Mills off.

SOMERSET

Thank you, Officer Davis.We'll see you again after we've had a look.

DAVIS

Yes, sir.

Davis leaves, eyeing Mills.Mills watches him.Somerset hands Mills a flashlight, takes out surgical gloves.

SOMERSET

I wonder what exactly was the point of the conversation you were about to get into?

MILLS

And, I wonder how many times Officer Davis there has found a supposedly dead man who didn't really die until Davis was back in the patrol car calling the morgue and eating a powdered donut.

Somerset snaps one glove over his hand and checks the fit.

SOMERSET

Drop it.We have more important concerns just now, don't we?

MILLS

Fine... for now.

INT.APARTMENT/CRIME SCENE, KITCHEN -- NIGHT

The POLICE PHOTOGRAPHER packs up, hoists his camera and equipment bag.Somerset and Mills enter.Mills puts on his own pair of rubber gloves.The grubby kitchen is small; barely room for four people to move around in.The photographer exits:

PHOTOGRAPHER

Bon appetit.

The only light is a murky green illumination from the ceiling.

The light bathes an OBESE MAN who is slumped forward in a kitchen chair, face-down-dead in a plate of spaghetti.