.. 

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

"The Quest"

Written by

Howard Gordon & Alex Gansa

Directed by

Christopher Leitch

           

WITT/THOMAS PRODUCTIONS	FIRST DRAFT 
956 North Seward Street 
Hollywood, CA 90038	February 4, 1988 
(213) 856-0589
(213) 856-4994

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

"THE QUEST"

LIST OF CHARACTERS

CATHERINE 
VINCENT 
FATHER 

AEROBIC INSTRUCTOR 
ERLIK 
WINSLOW 
PASCAL 
JAMIE 
PARACELSUS 
NARCISSA 
WATERMAN 

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

"THE QUEST"

SETS

INTERIOR 

CATHY'S APARTMENT 
-LIVING ROOM 
-TERRACE 

CHAMBER OF THE WINDS (MATTE)  
DEEP CREVASSE (MATTE) 
DESCENDING TUNNEL 

PASCAL'S PIPE CHAMBER (MATTE) (STOCK) 

DEEP TUNNELS
-LONG TUNNELS 
-MINING SHAFT 
-WIND TUNNEL 

COLISEUM CHAMBER 
-FIRST LEVEL 
-FIRST LEVEL OPENING 
-PIT 

UPPER TUNNELS 
-ND TUNNEL 

MIDDLE TUNNELS 
HOLE CHAMBER 

VINCENT'S CHAMBER 

PARACELSUS' CAVE 

CAVERN WITH FIRE 

UNDERGROUND LAKE 
-SHORE 
-WATERMAN'S LEAN-TO 
-OPPOSITE SHORE 

LABYRINTH 
-PERPENDICULAR JUNCTION 
-DEAD END 
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

“THE QUEST"

ACT ONE

		FADE IN:		
1 
thru OMITTED 
4 

4A	AN AEROBICS INSTRUCTOR

		perfectly toned, leading her class of beautiful people
		in the latest form of physical torture.  She has to yell
		to make her voice heard over the blaring techno-pop
		soundtrack, keeping time...

						INSTRUCTOR
				Okay. Now with the arms... four,
				Five, six...
		
Happily, effortlessly, the automatons join right in.

		WIDEN, and we are:

5	INT. CATHY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

    		Where Cathy, in navy blue sweats and shoes, is anything
		but happy or effortless, as she tries to keep pace with
the video workout – doing jumping jacks with her legs and windmills with her arms.

						INSTRUCTOR
				...SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE TEN.  One 
				More time.  Three, four, five,
				Six, almost done, nine, ten.  Okay,
				Lets bring it down...

		Cathy exhales a sigh of relief.  This she can do... when 
she notices the curtains to her balcony billowing, the 
  		door half open.  She stops working out and looks more
		carefully.  A silhouette passes before the curtain.

						CATHY
				Vincent?

		As she crosses the room and steps out onto:

6	THE TERRACE

		and approaches the hooded, cloaked figure who turns toward 
		her from the slanting shadows...                  

2. 

6	CONTINUED:

CATHY
					Vincent...

		Only it’s not Vincent.  Into the light steps an enormous 
		and bearded giant-warrior, ERLIK.  For a moment, Cathy
		is paralyzed with fear.

		FLASHCUT

6A	INT. VINCENT’S CHAMBER - SAME TIME

		Vincent senses her panic, starts his journey toward her. 

6B	RESUME CATHY

		gasping as Erlik swipes at her in a broad, fast, sweep 
		...bringing a large black cloth, sparkling with an
		anaesthetic drug, toward her face. 

7	HER POV

		as the blackness overwhelms her.  The only sound now is
		the drone of the aerobics class.  HOLD.  Then:

	FADE IN;
 
8	INT. CHAMBER OF THE WINDS - NIGHT - (MATTE)

		The wind moans like a dirge sung by some unseen choir.
		From the dark shadows, Erlik appears, carrying Catherine
		over his shoulder, descending the large stairs, each step
		echoing with metronomic sure-footedness.  As they 
		disappear down and down, as if into the very bowels of 
		the earth, we:

DISSOLVE TO; 

9	EXT. CATHY’S TERRACE - NIGHT

		Vincent now stands at the threshold of the terrace, facing
 		into the apartment, the curtains billowing behind him...

VINCENT
						(calling)
					Catherine.

		But there’s no response.  Vincent’s face reflects a 
darkening suspicion, as he turns back out onto the 
		terrace, moves to the railing.

3.

10 	ANGLE - VINCENT 

from the side, looking out to the nightscape of Manhattan 
as if in hope of an answer, when something twinkles below, 
at the periphery of his vision. He turns and: 

11	RACK FOCUS 

on a one-ounce gold coin lying on the ground beside him, 
twisted and half-melted. Vincent kneels to pick it up, 
then palms it thoughtfully, knowingly, as a voice from 
the past echoes within his memory. 

PARACELSUS' VOICE
I know more about you than your 
name. . . 

Vincent looks down at the gold coin in his palm.  Then: 

PARACELSUS' VOICE
(derisive) 
Found as a baby outside St. 
Vincent's Hospital... 

CUT TO: 

12	INT. PARACELSUS' GARDEN - CLOSE ON PARACELSUS (FLASHBACK) 

whose face is etched with pity and disdain 

PARACELSUS
Did you really believe that 
all these years? 

12A	RESUME VINCENT 

in the present, reflecting painfully on those words, and: 

PARACELSUS' VOICE
Did you really believe --? 

CUT TO: 

13	CU - PARACELSUS' WRIST (FLASHBACK) 

from which the jagged dagger springs forth, glistening, 
and:

4.

14	ANOTHER ANGLE 

 		as Paracelsus deftly slashes Vincent across the chest, 
sending Vincent backward into a table, his lantern 
spinning in the air... 

Vincent touches his hand to the bloody gash on his chest, 
but Paracelsus is upon him. Vincent catches his wrist, 
and with his other hand, strikes Paracelsus, who flies 
back and falls into an unconscious heap. 

The fire is spreading quickly around them, igniting row 
by row -- spitting up flames of every color. Vincent 
hoists Paracelsus up, arm-over-shoulder, supporting 
him across the back, and begins carrying him down the aisle, toward safety, Paracelsus' feet dragging like a puppet's, 
into: 

15	ADJOINING TUNNEL 

 		as Paracelsus begins to regain consciousness. His face 
registers horror at the conflagration that's framed by 
the tunnel entrance. Paracelsus shrugs out from under 
Vincent’s support. Vincent moves toward him, but Paracelsus 
lifts his wrist-knife, brandishing it against Vincent's 
advancing figure. Paracelsus' eyes glaze in manic defiance. 

VINCENT
Come with me. There's nothing 
for you here. 

PARACELSUS 
(shakes his head;
 realizing) 
My gold... my gold! 

Vincent tries to grab Paracelsus, but with this last 
utterance, the old man rushes back to his garden. Vincent 
starts after him, when a burst of flame spits through the entrance, consuming Paracelsus' running figure, which 
disappears now in a wall of fire. And as the 
conflagration continues, reflected in Vincent's tormented 
eyes, we PUSH IN SLOWLY and... 

FATHER'S VOICE
Paracelsus?

										MATCH CUT TO: 

16	VINCENT

still tormented, agitated, very much in the present, and 
we are:

5. 

17	INT. VINCENT'S CHAMBER - NIGHT 

Father is seated behind a desk, trying to digest both 	
this difficult news and Vincent's strange state.

							FATHER
But how?  I thought -- 
 
VINCENT
(overriding) 
He's alive, Father. 

As Vincent says this, he tosses the gold coin onto 
Father's desk, almost defiantly. The coin is proof 
enough. 

VINCENT
And he's taken Catherine 

FATHER
Do you know where? 

VINCENT
No... Our connection has been 
broken somehow... and part of me 
is lost. I've never felt so 
helpless. 
(choked) 
I'm afraid even to wonder. 

Vincent bows his head, as Father rises from behind his 
desk and moves toward him. 

FATHER
I know Paracelsus. However 
twisted his mind may be, it's 
still complex... full of 
structures and designs. 
(then) 
If he meant to kill Catherine, 
he would have done so already. 

Consoled by Father's logic Vincent slowly looks, up at
Father. 

FATHER
He's luring you, Vincent. Calling 
you away from this place of safety. 

VINCENT
I have no choice but to try and 
find her.
						(CONTINUED)

6. 

17	CONTINUED: 

FATHER
(distraught) 
I know... 

Beat, as Vincent shakes his head. 

VINCENT
Father: why is Paracelsus doing 
this? 

FATHER
Because in his mind, you are all 
that prevents his return to our 
world... a world he still 
considers his own. 

As Vincent picks up the gold coin... 

FATHER
(continuing) 
I'm afraid the consequences of 
his action may extend far beyond 
Catherine. 

... and regards it in his palm thoughtfully. 

VINCENT
Yes. 

FATHER
The very future of what we've 
built here is in the balance. 
You must expect anything. And you 
must be careful. Paracelsus has 
misled you before. 

VINCENT
I haven't forgotten. 

AS Vincent's gaze focuses inward, remembering... 

PARACELSUS' VOICE
I know more about you than your 
name. 

Father notices Vincent’s distant torment. 

FATHER
Vincent? 

Vincent regards Father, listening.

7. 

17	CONTINUED:

FATHER
I promise you: there is a truth 
beyond knowledge. 
After a beat, Vincent nods, and closes his fist around 
the coin. 

VINCENT
I will take care, Father. 

18	INT – PASCAL’S PIPE CHAMBER - NIGHT    (MATTE)  

People are communicating. The pipes are alive, tapping and clanging. Pascal sits on Winslow's shoulders, reattaching a 
loose fixture on the ceiling of the chamber. Winslow groans 
and suffers under Pascal's weight. 

WINSLOW
Ever hear of a ladder, Pascal? 

PASCAL
(straining) 
Just one more second.  I've almost 
got it.  
(beat) 
There. 				

Winslow helps Pascal clamber down off his shoulders 

PASCAL
Thanks, Winslow. 
(looking around) 
Now where're my sticks? 

Still irritable, Winslow gestures to the corner, where 
Pascal's sticks are leaning against the wall. 

WINSLOW
					Surprise, right where you left
					them. 

As Pascal bends down to retrieve the sticks, something 
catches his attention... an old, rusted stump of a pipe 
that thrusts through the floor of the chamber. Pascal 
hunkers down to listen. A faint pinging. 

WINSLOW 
What is it?

 (CONTINUED)
 
8. 
18	CONTINUED: 

		Grabbing his sticks, Pascal springs to his feet and, moving 
deftly through the chamber, taps out a signal on all the pipes: 
an emergency quiet. It takes a few seconds, but gradually the chamber goes SILENT -- except for the old pipe, which continues sounding, barely audible, a message repeated over and over again. 

WINSLOW
Why the all-quiet?

PASCAL
Shhh. 

WINSLOW
Pascal -- 

PASCAL
Listen. 

Winslow concentrates.  After a moment: 

WINSLOW
I don't recognize the code. 

PASCAL
I'm remembering. 
(beat) 
Yes. A repeated sequence.  Just 
one word. 
(to the sound of the 
 pipe) 
Vincent... Vincent... Vincent... 

 		On Winslow's reaction, we: 
TIME DISSOLVE TO: 

19	INT. PASCAL'S PIPE CHAMBER - LATER 

 		Pascal glances up from the old pipe, as Winslow leads 
Vincent into the chamber. 

PASCAL
Vincent! 

VINCENT
Has it stopped? 

PASCAL
					No.  Like a machine 

VINCENT
Let me listen.
(CONTINUED) 

9. 
19	CONTINUED: 

 		Pascal moves aside, and Vincent kneels to listen to the 
sounding. He places his hands around the stump of the 
pipe, trying to intuit the presence on the other end. 
After a moment. 

PASCAL
Is it Catherine? 

Vincent shakes his head. 

VINCENT
(straightening) 
Tell me, Pascal, where does this 
pipe lead? 

PASCAL
Down, down... below the seventh 
level. After that... 
(shrugs; then) 
It's been silent ever since I can 
remember. 

VINCENT
How far away's the tapping? 

PASCAL
Hard to say. The pipe twists in 
and out of bedrock. But judging 
by the faintness -- three day's 
travel... two at least. 

VINCENT
And the code? 

PASCAL
Archaic. One of the very first 
my father taught me. A Morse 
derivative. You remember, 
Vincent: before we shorthanded 
the system. 

VINCENT
So Paracelsus would know this 
code... 

Pascal exchanges a concerned glance with Winslow.  Then: 

PASCAL
He probably invented it 

Vincent considers this. 
 											(CONTINUED) 

														10. 
19	CONTINUED: (2) 										                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

VINCENT
Pascal, do you think you could 
take me there... to the source? 

PASCAL
I don't know. I could try. 

VINCENT
Would you? 

PASCAL
Of course. 

VINCENT
Then prepare your things. We must
leave at once. 

Vincent starts out of the chamber. Winslow calls after him. 

WINSLOW
Vincent.
 
Vincent pivots to face him. 

WINSLOW
I'm going too. 
 
VINCENT
Winslow, thank you. But already 
the danger's too great. 

WINSLOW
If Paracelsus has Catherine, then 
the danger is to all of us. 

VINCENT
Yes. But we should try and limit 
the risk. 

WINSLOW
						(flashing) 
Vincent... I got my reasons. 

Vincent reads the seriousness of Winslow's resolve. 

WINSLOW
(softening) 
Besides, Pascal says the journey 
could be many days. You'll need 
sleep. Somebody will have to stand 
watch. And three shifts are safer 
than two.					
	
														11. 

19	CONTINUED: (3) 

Vincent is silent for a beat.  Then he places a hand on each of their shoulders. 

VINCENT
You are my friends. I accept your 
help. But our path... 
is uncertain. Both of you must 
promise to return at the first 
sign of trouble. 

WINSLOW
I promise. 

Vincent looks to Pascal. 

PASCAL
I promise. 

VINCENT
(beat) 
Then we'll go. The three of us... 
together. 

CAMERA captures the resolve in all their faces, as we: 

CUT TO: 

19A  INT. UNDERGROUND LAKE - NIGHT 

still unconscious, Cathy lies in the hull of a dory, as 
Erlik ferries her across this shallow and beautiful body 
of water. 

CUT TO: 

20	INT. DEEP TUNNELS - LABYRINTH 

The heat is thick down here, hellish. Cathy begins to 
come to consciousness, and Erlik sets her down on her feet. 

21	CLOSE ON CATHY 

Sweat stinging her eyes. She looks warily at Erlik, but 
is too dazed to make a break for it. Instead she tries to 
get her bearings, noting landmarks, etc. 

12. 

22	BACK TO SCENE 

 		Still dazed and rocky, Cathy is led through the circular 
maze -- past volcanic rock formations, like sculptures. 
Steam escapes through fissures in the walls. She falters, 
and Erlik forces her onward.

									CUT TO: 
 
23	INT. COLISEUM CHAMBER – LATER – (MATTE) 

MOVING with Cathy and Erlik as they emerge from a narrow, 
dark tunnel into the vastness and light of this natural 
amphitheater -- forged eons ago from hot lava. Several 
other tunnels converge on the first level where they now 
stand. An open pit, ringed by a twenty-foot obsidian 
wall, is below them. Erlik pushes Cathy forward, and only 
now does she notice the tall and gaunt figure standing 
before her, his back turned. Slowly, he pivots... 

24	HER POV 

It is Paracelsus, half his face covered by a pounded-gold 
mask, extending from his chin to just above his cheekbone. 
Both eyes bore into her. 

25	BACK TO SCENE 

She recognizes him, but from where?  Then she knows... 
 
CATHY
Paracelsus... 

On Paracelsus, impassive and evil, we 

FADE OUT 

END Of ACT ONE

13. 
ACT TWO

FADE IN: 

26	INT. TUNNELS - ND JUNCTION – DAY						26 

Simultaneous voices create a white noise din as a cluster
of tunnel denizens, including Father, Jamie, and Kipper 
gather around Vincent, Winslow, and Pascal. The travelers 
accept gifts as they pack the last of their provisions 
in makeshift knapsacks, each with a lantern strung to 
the side. Kipper is handing each of them a beautiful stone, 
polished and variegated. To Vincent, who receives his last: 

KIPPER
It's for good luck 

VINCENT
(smiling) 
Thank you, Kipper. 

Vincent pockets the stone and addresses the assembled 
group. 

VINCENT
And all of you, for your good 
wishes. 
 
As Vincent slings the pack over his shoulder, Father steps 
toward Vincent. The look passes between them is one of 
complete and mutual understanding. 

FATHER
Safe journey, Vincent 

Father takes Vincent's face in his hands and kisses him 
tenderly. Then the two men embrace for a sustained, 
powerful moment. As they part, Father continues to hold 
Vincent's shoulders. 

FATHER
Come back to us. 

Father slowly lowers his arms. Vincent holds Father's 
look for another moment before he nods, then starts off 
with Winslow and Pascal... 

JAMIE (o.s.)
Wait! 

as Jamie steps forward, through the crowd, and presents 
herself to the trio. She's tentative, and doesn't speak 
at once. 

(CONTINUED)
14. 
26	CONTINUED: 
WINSLOW
(glowering) 
Well, what do you want? 

Jamie is shy but determined 

JAMIE
I want to go with you 

WINSLOW
(amused outrage) 
What?? 

Jamie turns to Vincent, as if in appeal. 

JAMIE
Catherine's my friend, too. 

VINCENT
(sympathetic) 
I know. But where we're going 
is too far, and the way too 
dangerous. 

JAMIE
Too dangerous for who? 

WINSLOW
 (flashing) 
For you. 

JAMIE
(right back) 
I can take care of myself. I 
always have. 
 
PASCAL
She's got a point. 

WINSLOW
She's crazy -- 

VINCENT
  (overlapping)
--Winslow. 

WINSLOW
  (to Vincent) 
Well I'm right, ain't I? Girl's 
got no business comin' along. 
We all know that. 

Jamie looks pleadingly to Vincent, who's sympathetic and 
genuinely feels bad about having to turn her away. 
15. 

26	CONTINUED: ( 2) 

VINCENT
I’m sorry, Jamie.  It's for the
Best. 

Jamie does her best to show her indignation, but is near 
tears... 

JAMIE
Best for who? 

WINSLOW
Now get. Come on. You've slowed 
us down enough already. 

Jamie regards the three travelers, her pride sorely 
injured, then turns and EXITS FRAME. Winslow regards 
Vincent and Pascal, slightly abashed. with Jamie gone, 
the hardass veneer falls away, and Winslow softens a bit. 

WINSLOW
It's just cause I care for her. 
That's all. 

Winslow is the first to pick up his pack and continue. 
And as Vincent and Pascal follow, we: 

DISSOLVE TO: 

27	OMITTED 

 	27A	INT. COLISEUM CHAMBER - PARACELSUS' CAVE - NIGHT 

 		This is the small chamber from which Erlik emerged, almost 
two stories above the pit itself. It's more like a cave 
in here, with primitively crafted table and chairs, 
completely lined with books. The light is gray and dusty. 
And it's hot. Unbearably hot. 

Erlik stands watching at the opening to the pit: arms 
crossed, impassive... as Cathy sits in one of the chairs, 
mopping her brow with a cloth. Paracelsus approaches, 
thrusting a deep, roughhewn wooden bowl before her. 

PARACELSUS
Drink or you'll dehydrate. 
(impatient; off her. 
 reluctance) 
Go ahead. You're certainly no 
good to me dead. 

										(CONTINUED) 

16. 

27A	 CONTINUED: 

 		Cathy accepts the bowl with both hands. She holds the 
bowl close to her face, as if to smell it, then thirstily 
drinks its contents. Paracelsus watches neutrally as 
Cathy finishes drinking, then looks up at him, almost 
ashamed for having to drink anything proffered by this 
man. She regards him, defiant and inquisitive. 

CATHY
 Why?  Why are you doing this?

		Beat, then:

PARACELSUS
To reclaim my home. 

As Paracelsus circles behind Cathy, his bitterness 
rising... 

PARACELSUS
The world I created years ago. 

CATHY
And almost destroyed. 

PARACELSUS
No. It was wrested from me... 
by the man you know as Father. 
Just when I was so close to 
everything I'd ever dreamed of 
achieving. And even then, after 
exiling me, he wouldn't allow me 
to live in peace. 

CATHY
I know the story, and it's not 
that simple. 

PARACELSUS
It is that simple. 

CATHY
Fifty people died because of you. 

PARACELSUS
I killed no one. They died 
because they were fools. 

CATHY
They were weak. There’s a 
difference... 

(CONTINUED)
17.
 
27A	CONTINUED: (2) 

Cathy stiffens as Paracelsus' black-gloved hand brushes 
away her hair, exposing her scarred cheek. She doesn't 
turn to him, but he's right there, over her shoulder, the 
naked half of his face slashed by shadows from his mask. 

PARACELSUS
Ah, but you're not weak, are you, 
Catherine? You're strong, intrepid... 

CATHY
(overlapping) 
What do you want with me? 

PARACELSUS
(ignoring her) 
Once a person has been visited 
by violence, everything changes. 
Isn't that so? 
(then) 
Nietzche said: "That which does 
not kill me makes me stronger." 
Well I am stronger now. Strong 
enough to go home again. 

CATHY
You still haven't answered my 
question. 

Paracelsus yanks Cathy's chin up so that she can see him 
now. . . 

PARACELSUS
Vincent is the answer to your 
question. He is all that stands 
between Father and me... in more 
ways than you know. 

As Paracelsus removes his half mask, unveiling beneath it 
a grotesque patchwork of burned scar tissue. He holds 
Cathy's chin tightly, forcing her to regard his 
disfigurement. 

PARACELSUS
And this is why I must destroy 
him. 

Cathy doesn't flinch, not wanting to draw Vincent with 
her panic. Paracelsus releases her. 

CATHY
I'm not afraid... 
(CONTINUED)
18. 

27A	CONTINUED: (3) 

PARACELSUS
You will be. 
(then) 
You see, Vincent is also coming 
here to watch you die. 

Cathy steels herself as Paracelsus addresses the giant. 

PARACELSUS
Go now, Erlik. And make certain 
that Vincent continues his 
journey... unaccompanied. 

DISSOLVE TO: 

28	OMITTED 

29	INT. MIDDLE TUNNELS 

START on a pipe jutting from the ceiling of the tunnel,
     and FOLLOW it down to the uplifted faces of Pascal, 
Winslow, and Vincent. 

PASCAL
The tapping's stopped. 

VINCENT
Are you sure it's the same pipe? 

Pascal extracts one of his sticks from his satchel. Taps
on the pipe. Listens as the sound reverberates. 

PASCAL
Positive.  The tone's identical. 

WINSLOW
What do we do now? 

VINCENT
The only thing we can. We 
continue... 

as they begin to follow the pipe, and turn a dog-leg in 
the tunnel. Before them gapes a large hole in the ground. 
A ladder, black from soot, rises out of the chamber. 
Vincent cautiously nears the edge, and looks down. 
Winslow and Pascal hover behind him.

19. 
30	VINCENT'S POV - NARCISSA 

down in the hole, taking mineral scrapings from the tunnel 
wall. Her head tips back to observe Vincent and his 
friends -- white cataracts reflecting brilliantly. She 
smiles. 

NARCISSA
Welcome, children. 

31	RESUME SCENE 

VINCENT
Narcissa! 

NARCISSA
(magnanimous) 
Vincent. Please, enter. Bring 
your friends. 

Vincent, Pascal, and Winslow descend the ladder into the: 

32	INT. HOLE CHAMBER 

where Narcissa addresses them. 

NARCISSA
And why do you come traveling 
so far? 

VINCENT ~
We are searching for Catherine -- 

NARCISSA
The woman. The answer to all 
desire... the guide to the deepest 
chamber of the soul, the life of 
everything that lives, the death 
of everything that dies. Mother, 
sister, mistress, bride... 

WINSLOW
						 (aside to Pascal) 
What the hell's she talking about? 

NARCISSA
(to Vincent) 
Why do you seek the woman? 

VINCENT
She was taken from her home. 
We're following the ghost of a 
message on the pipes. 

(CONTINUED)
20. 
32	CONTINUED: 

NARCISSA
And who do you say has taken her? 

VINCENT
Paracelsus. 

Narcissa visibly recoils at the sound of the name. 

VINCENT
What is it, Narcissa? 

NARCISSA
(evasive) 
I am crazy old woman. Don’t 
listen to me. 

VINCENT
You have knowledge. Share it with 
us. It may help us on our 
journey. 

Narcissa regards him. Finally, she reaches into the 
hidden folds of her clothing and extracts a handful 
of tiny sea shells. Beside her is a small table with 
a deep bowl carved in the thick dark wood. Narcissa 
throws the shells into the bowl... observes the result. 

NARCISSA
Turn back, Vincent! Journey no 
more!

VINCENT
She is my life, Narcissa. I am 
bound by my heart to go on. 

NARCISSA
(indicating shells) 
There is death, I see it. 

VINCENT
I must continue. 

NARCISSA
Then my first duty is served. 
I have warned you. 

VINCENT
I hear your warning. 

Narcissa studies him for a long beat. Then, quietly, 
conspiratorially:

(CONTINUED)
21. 

32	CONTINUED: (2) 

NARCISSA
Vincent, this man you know as 
Paracelsus, he is not alone. 

VINCENT
Have you seen him? 

NARCISSA
No, but many down here follow him, 
protect him. The simple ones, 
the lost ones... 

VINCENT
How many? 

NARCISSA
(paranoid) 
They fear my magic. But I have 
said too much already... 

VINCENT
Narcissa -- 

NARCISSA
(overriding) 
Good luck, children. The way is 
dangerous before you. But the 
way... is beautiful. 

She turns away from Vincent. Pascal and Winslow look 
dubiously at each other. ON Vincent, weighing Narcissa's 
words, we: 

CUT TO: 

32A	INT. TUNNELS - SERIES OF SHOTS 

A) STONE STAIRWAY 

The three travelers, Vincent, Pascal, and Winslow, 
descend the stone stairway, glowing lanterns lighting the 
way. . . 

B) DESCENDING TUNNEL 

Huddled together in the CHAMBER OF THE WINDS, Vincent and 
Winslow look to Pascal for direction. Uncertain, he 
raises his arm, pointing to a distant archway -- and 
forward they go... 

(CONTINUED)

22. 

32A	CONTINUED: 

C) LONG TUNNEL 

LONG SHOT as they steer down an impossibly long tunnel,
three golden points of light marking their progress...

D) DEEP CREVASSE

Like mountaineers, they descend a free-hanging rope ladder 
inside a deep crevasse. (Production suggestion: redress 
the elevator shaft as the crevasse.) 

DISSOLVE TO:

33	OMITTED 

34	A FIRE 

spits sparks and embers, encircled by stones 

PASCAL (0.S.) 
I studied everything he ever 
wrote. The early manuals are 
brilliant -- 

35	INT. CAVERN 

with a high, vault-like ceiling. Vincent, Pascal, and 
Winslow sit around the fire, their packs leaned up against 
several scattered boulders, with straw mats and sleeping 
bags laid out on the ground nearby. 

PASCAL
The codes, the schematics... It's 
hard to believe he's the same man. 

VINCENT
Paracelsus is not the same man. 
What he has done proves that. 

PASCAL
I know. But it still makes me 
sad. All that intelligence and 
energy... 

Pascal trails off, shaking his head. 

WINSLOW
You got a heart like a soft-boiled 
egg, you know that? 

(CONTINUED)

23.
35	CONTINUED: 

Pascal shrugs, privately defending the sadness he feels.
Then: 

PASCAL
I'm going to bed. Wake me up when 
it's my turn for watch. 

WINSLOW
Yeah. Good night.
 
 		Vincent nods with a cursory smile, then turns back to the 
fire, as Pascal rises and EXITS FRAME... 

In the silence that follows, Winslow notices that Vincent 
is lost in thought, staring into the fire. 

WINSLOW
So what's on your mind? You've 
been awful quiet since we left 
this morning. 

Over the following, Vincent's eyes remain fixed on the fire. 

VINCENT
I'm just -- thinking... wondering. 

WINSLOW
About Catherine? 

VINCENT
Yes... 
(then) 
If she is in danger, why am I 
not feeling her fear? 

WINSLOW
Don't worry, we'll bring her back. 

Vincent nods, appreciating his friend's concern.  Vincent 
continues to regard Winslow, and after a moment: 

VINCENT
When you came to me yesterday, 
to offer your help, you said you 
had... reasons. 

WINSLOW
(beat) 
Yeah 

VINCENT
Is it Paracelsus? 
(CONTINUED)
24. 
35	CONTINUED: (2) 

 		Winslow doesn't answer right away. He stokes the fire, 
deeply disturbed as the distant past works its way into 
the present... 

WINSLOW
I was just a kid when we came to the
tunnels. My mother had died and there 
was just my brother, John and me. 
He was ten years older, but he was big 
for eighteen... and strong. So when 
the Council voted to exile Paracelsus, 
John was part of the group they sent. 

VINCENT
To see Paracelsus beyond the 
perimeter... 

 		Winslow nods. What follows is painful and emotional for 
him, and it's as though he's seeing in the fire. 

WINSLOW
Only Paracelsus didn't want to go. 
They were crossing the bridge in 
the Whispering Gallery... when 
Paracelsus started to put up a 
fight... and he shoved John over 
the edge... into the abyss. 

Winslow quickly wipes at a gathering tear 

VINCENT
(sympathetic) 
Winslow. . . 

WINSLOW
(overlapping; bitter) 
So I grew up in the tunnels alone, 
in a place John promised me was 
safe, always knowing deep down 
that the exile wasn't punishment 
enough. 

VINCENT
I'm sorry... 

Winslow nods, steeling himself against the fresh pain and 
bitterness of an old memory by changing the subject. 
After a moment: 

WINSLOW
Anyway... Whyn't you get some 
rest. I'll keep watch.
(CONTINUED)
25. 

35	CONTINUED: (3)

VINCENT
I'm not tired. But you should 
sleep. We've had a long day. 

After a beat, Winslow nods, grudgingly accepting Vincent's 
offer. But something still bothers him. 

WINSLOW
(rising) 
Good night. 

VINCENT
Good night, Winslow 

Winslow takes a few steps away, then: 

WINSLOW
Vincent? 

Vincent looks over his shoulder at Winslow 

WINSLOW
I want you to know: I'm not doin' 
this just because of John. He's
dead. I accepted that a long time 
ago. 
(then) 
It's also because... I happen to 
like Catherine. She's a good 
woman -- I've always said so. 
What's between you two is 
something I've never known myself. 
But seeing it, I know it's real... 
and I believe in it. 

Winslow's look connects with Vincent: it's the most 
intimate moment they've ever shared. Then he turns his 
back without another word and moves to his sleeping mat. 
Vincent looks after him with nothing less than the love of 
a brother, then returns his attention to the fire... 

 DISSOLVE TO: 

36	INT. DEEP TUNNELS - NEXT DAY 

The trio forges ahead, still following the pipe along a 
rocky-walled tunnel. A light mist floats down the tunnel 
towards them, like a spirit. 

TIME LAPSE DISSOLVE TO: 

37	OMITTED 
26. 

38	INT. DEEP TUNNELS 

The mist has become a heavy fog that now swirls, all but 
blinding them. Vincent puts his hood up against the cold. 
Pascal and Winslow cover their mouths and noses with thick 
scarves, like caravan traders in the Sahara. Leading the 
way, Vincent reaches back for Winslow's hand, and Winslow, 
in turn, reaches back for Pascal's. Together in a chain, 
they proceed -- making slow step-by-step progress. After 
a while, Vincent stops and gestures with his free arm 
towards the pipe. 

VINCENT
Look... 

Pascal and Winslow look to the pipe on the wall... 
stops abruptly, rusting off at its corroded rim. 

WINSLOW
What now? 

Pascal moves to examine the pipe. Then he kneels and, 
brushing away some sand, reveals the broken end of the 
pipe, lying half-buried on the ground. He follows it ten 
yards or so, until both the fragment and the tunnel wall 
come to an end. They are: 

38A	INT. UNDERGROUND LAKE 

Although to them it is just some huge chamber, the water 
obscured completely by the fog. Pascal lifts his head to 
Vincent. 

PASCAL
That’s it.  It end here. 

39	CLOSE ON - VINCENT 

considering the alternatives... 

WINSLOW'S VOICE
Where the hell are we? 

40	OMITTED 

41	RESUME SCENE 

Vincent refocuses on Pascal who still crouches near the 
ground -- when suddenly, the fragmented section of the 
pipe heaves up underneath the small man and sends him 	
catapulting backward. Vincent whirls around –

27. 

42	HIS POV - ERLIK 

A colossus rising out of the swirling mist. He advances 
on Vincent and Winslow, holding the section of pipe in 
front of him like a massive club. 

43	RESUME SCENE 

Vincent roars and charges, but Erlik catches him mid- 
stride with a heavy blow to the shoulder that sends 
Vincent smashing sideways to the sandy ground. 

44 	NEW ANGLE - WINSLOW 

reacting, as Erlik closes in on him. Winslow feints to 
his left, and then grabs hold of the free end of the pipe.
They struggle for a moment... until the giant drives with 
his legs. The pipe forces through Winslow's hands and 
impacts his chest, jousting him powerfully backward. 
Winslow's head snaps forward, and he crumples. 

44A	ANGLE - PASCAL 

still on the ground, horrified by the sight. 

45	VINCENT 

staggers to his feet, in the full throes of bestial rage. 
Snarling and roaring, he attacks the towering Erlik, who 
turns to face the full force of Vincent's fury. Already 
upon him, Vincent rips and slashes with his protracted 
claws. At first, Erlik retreats from the onslaught, his 
chest gashed open. But when Vincent surges forward in 
a second wave, Erlik uses Vincent's momentum to heave him 
up over his head, flip him over, and send him crashing 
to the ground... 

Erlik moves in, as if to deliver the finishing blow, but 
passes Vincent, moving instead to Pascal, who scuttles 
along the sand in a futile effort to avoid the giant, 
who is upon him in no time. Erlik raises his fists over 
Pascal's head, when he suddenly jerks forward -- struck 
by something in his upper back. He reaches for it and, 	
with a grimace, pulls an arrow out of his shoulder. He 
turns to see: 

46	HIS POV – JAMIE - THROUGH FOG 

framed by the tunnel entrance, reloading a homemade 
crossbow. A quiver of arrows is strapped to her back. 

28. 

47	RESUME SCENE 

Erlik advances menacingly toward her. Jamie lets 
another arrow fly -- this one striking Erlik in the chest. 
The giant groans loudly in pain, and then plucks the arrow 
out. Jamie begins to reload quickly, almost frantically, as: 

48	VINCENT 

pushes back up on to his feet and moves toward the giant, 
but stops abruptly: 

48A	HIS POV 

nothing but swirling mist.  Erlik has vanished into the 
heavy fog, and: 

48B	ANGLE - JAMIE 

who's managed to reload, but now finds herself aiming at 
nothing... Immediately, she joins Vincent, who has rushed 
back towards Winslow. Pascal is already there, huddled 
down, cradling Winslow's head in his arms. He glances up 
at Vincent and Jamie, tears and shock in his eyes. 

PASCAL
He's dead.

ON Vincent, reacting to the news, powerfully saddened, we 

FADE OUT 

END OF ACT TWO

 

 

 

29. 

ACT THREE

FADE IN: 

49	INT. UNDERGROUND LAKE 

The fog has dissipated, though residual patches hover here 
and there, over lake and shore. In the bleak light, 
around a stone grave stands Vincent, Jamie, and Pascal, 
mourning their dead friend. After a long, silent moment: 

PASCAL
I'm remembering when we were kids. 
How we used to tease Winslow. 
He would try so hard not to lose 
his temper, but you could always 
see everything in his face. 
Remember at the Common meeting 
when Father named him to the Council. 
You could see it then, 
in his eyes -- that he finally 
knew how much we cared and 
respected him. 

VINCENT
That's a good memory to have. 

50	ANGLE - 

stoic, strangely numb. 

51	RESUME SCENE 

VINCENT
Winslow loved all of us. 
Fiercely. We were his family. 
Nothing could ever change that 
for him. Not conflict. Not 
anger. Not even death. Winslow 
will always be part of us. In 
our hearts. Let us remember him 
for his strength... and for his 
courage. 

Vincent places his lantern beside the rock mound. Jamie 
looks down at her hands, but she can't dam the tears which 
begin to well, or still the convulsive sobs which begin 
to shake her body. Vincent sees this, and takes Jamie 
into his arms. Jamie accepts Vincent's comfort, and 
begins to cry openly, burying her face in Vincent's chest. 
Her pain brings Vincent's to the surface. 
 
(CONTINUED)

30. 
51	CONTINUED: 

VINCENT
(softly) 
He'll continue to live, Jamie... 
through us... through our memory 
of him. 
(then) 
Allow yourself the time to mourn... 
and your pain will soften. I promise. 

Pascal steps up to his friends, regarding them sadly. 
After a moment, Jamie disengages from Vincent, wiping 
her tears with her sleeve, struggling to regain her 
composure. 
JAMIE
(with resolve) 
We have to go on... 

VINCENT
I must go alone. 

JAMIE
Please Vincent -- 

VINCENT
No.

The tragedy of Winslow has instilled in Vincent a 
determination that invites no discussion. Yet he is 
remorseful for his brusqueness. 

VINCENT
I'm sorry: but I am responsible 
for what's happened... 

PASCAL
We came by our own choice, all 
of us. 

VINCENT
I am still responsible. And I 
can no longer share that burden... 
even with my friends. 

Vincent is intractable 

PASCAL
Where will you go? How will you 
find your way? 

VINCENT
I'll follow the shore... around 
this lake. Or I'll cross it. 
(CONTINUED)
31. 

58	CONTINUED: (2) 

PASCAL
What about us? 

Vincent regards Pascal and Jamie, and after a beat: 

VINCENT
You must go back. Tell Father 
and the others what happened 
here... and why I had to continue 
alone. 

Pascal nods, while Jamie regards Vincent, consoled and 
adult enough to understand the importance of Vincent's 
request. All is quiet -- save for the dancing wind, which 
is still touching her heels down, here and there, in the 
half-lifted fog. 

DISSOLVE TO: 
	52
   thru	OMITTED
	54 

    54A	INT. UNDERGROUND LAKE – LATER

		Vincent walks alone, hugging the shore, where a strange
blue hue glows around the circumference.  His steps are
heavy, as he reconciles Winslow’s death and anticipates his confrontation with Paracelsus.  Occasionally, he lifts his 
head to take in the ironic beauty of the lake, its expanse 
and mystery.  Then something catches his attention. 

55 
   thru	OMITTED 
56

57 	VINCENT'S POV 

a lean-to about fifty yards away, near water's edge. 
Smoke drifts upward from the clay chimney, and there is 
a kind of skiff or gondola floating in the water, moored 
by a rope to a stake in the sand. 

58	RESUME VINCENT 

as he moves toward the lean-to. When he's about ten yards 
from the structure, he calls out: 

VINCENT
Hello!

He pauses before calling again. 
(CONTINUED)
32. 
58	CONTINUED: 
VINCENT
Hello. 

Just as a small man (WATERMAN) emerges from the lean-to, 
harried, cranky, and altogether unsurprised by Vincent's appearance. He's anywhere between sixty and eighty, with 
long white hair and a scruffy beard, wearing a robe-like 
outfit woven of coarse cotton. 

WATERMAN
What're you yelling for? I heard 
you fine the first time. 

Waterman's look transforms quickly from expectation to 
impatience. 

WATERMAN
Well, what do you want? 

VINCENT
I need to cross the water. 

WATERMAN
It's a long way. What's there? 

VINCENT
A  man... Paracelsus. 

WATERMAN
Never heard of him. 
(then, shrugs) 
Anyway, I can't take you. I'm 
too busy. 

As Waterman turns back to his lean-to... 

VINCENT
Please -- 
(Waterman pauses, turns) 
Your boat... 

WATERMAN
What about my boat? 

VINCENT
I borrow it? 

Waterman scratches his chin while he looks Vincent over, appraisingly.

WATERMAN
Do you have any money? 

(CONTINUED)
33. 

58	CONTINUED: (2) 

VINCENT
(incredulous) 
-- Money? 

WATERMAN
What, you expect me to give my 
one worldly possession to a 
complete stranger? Without 
compensation? I may be old, but 
I'm not stupid. 

VINCENT
I have no money... 

WATERMAN
Then I have no boat. 

The last syllable fades away as Vincent almost 
accidentally feels for and finds the melted gold coin. 
Greatly surprised himself, he holds the coin out for 
Waterman, who all but snatches it from Vincent's palm, 
eyeing it with satisfaction. 

WATERMAN
This'll do. This is just fine. 

And he pockets the coin right away, not missing a beat 
as he circles around to the back of the lean-to. Vincent 
follows... 

59	ANGLE - BOAT 

From here we can see that it's little more than a narrow 
raft: a flat-bottomed rectangle with shallow sides. 

WATERMAN
So who are you anyway? 

VINCENT
My name is Vincent. 

Ignoring -- or at least not responding to Vincent's -- 
Waterman pulls out a ten-foot pole impaled in the sand. 

WATERMAN
(handing the pole to him) 
It's shallow enough, so you can 
use this to push off the bottom. 

He gestures impatiently to the waiting skiff. 

(CONTINUED)
34. 
59	CONTINUED:

WATERMAN
Come on.  I don't have all day. 

Vincent steps into the boat, and: 

PRODUCTION NOTE:  DIALOGUE TO FOLLOW 
 
60	OMITTED 

61	RESUME SCENE 

As Waterman unhooks the looped rope, and tosses it into 
the boat, which starts to drift out a little. Vincent 
plumbs the depth with the pole. And as Vincent 
disappears into the darkness of the lake, we: 

CUT TO: 

62	A PYRE 

of wood and thatch, behind which stands four tall and 
massive Stonehenge-like monoliths. 

PARACELSUS
This is the stage upon which your 
death will be played... 

WIDEN slowly to reveal: 

63	INT. COLISEUM PIT 

the pyre is set back into a ground-level cavern, framing 
it like a shrine. Erlik's arms are wrapped around one 
of the massive monoliths, as he lifts it and places it 
closer to the mound. Cathy stands between Paracelsus and 
the ominous pyre. 

WARNING: THIS IS DUMMY DIALOGUE 

PARACELSUS
... before Vincent. 

CATHY
I'm not afraid to die. 

PARACELSUS
Good. 

CATHY
But I'm not in a hurry, either.

 						(CONTINUED) 

35. 

63	CONTINUED: 

with that, she barrels into Paracelsus, and choosing 
quickly from among the dozen tunnel entrances, finds the 
one through which she first passed with Paracelsus.

64
   thru	OMITTED
65 

66	INT. LABYRINTH - MOVING 

with Cathy, as she runs through the dark tunnel, coming at 
once to a fork. She makes the split second choice, goes 
right, disappearing into the dusty light. 

67	ANGLE - CATHY 

running down a long stretch, harder and harder, around 
a dog leg, and soon comes to another fork, this time 
choosing to go left. She glances back over her shoulder 
as she passes a perpendicular junction, and decides to 
continue past it. But the tunnel dead ends a hundred 
yards further up. Fighting fatigue, she sprints back to 
the perpendicular junction, and into the adjacent 
tunnel... 

as Cathy takes another dog-leg, really hard, pushing 
herself to the limit, past that invisible wall within 
herself... when she sees a golden light at the end of this 
stretch of tunnel. She sprints for it, and we are with 
her as she passes through, into the light, and... 

68
   thru	OMITTED
70 

71	INT. COLLISEUM PIT - CONTINUOUS  

as Cathy trips and falls headlong onto the ground. 
Gasping for oxygen, she lifts her head, realizing with 
horror that she's back where she started. Erlik steps 
up to her, towering over her fallen figure, just as a deep 
laughter begins, echoing through the high chamber. Cathy 
turns to find Paracelsus, standing where she left him. 
Over his demonic laughter, CAMERA PULLS BACK as Cathy 
grows smaller, framing her utter helplessness. 

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE

36.

ACT FOUR

FADE IN: 

72	INT. UNDERGROUND LAKE - OPPOSITE SHORE 
 
Vincent pulls his raft onto the beach, beside a dory. 
His eyes travel up the steep bank. 

73	HIS POV 

Erlik's footsteps mark a clear path in the mud, tracking 
up to a huge stone archway inlaid in the tunnel wall. 

74	RESUME SCENE 

Vincent glances back over his shoulder at the two crafts. 
Eyes narrowing in thought. He turns and pushes the dory 
back into the water, setting it adrift. PUSH IN on 
Vincent's face as he watches the current carry the dory 
gently into the darkness. His expression tells us of the 
intent and gamble of his decision. 

CUT TO: 

75	INT. LABYRINTH ENTRANCE 

Vincent passes underneath the stone archway into an 
antechamber -- where Er1ik's footsteps come to an end on 
the hard-packed soil. Immediately, the heat hits him like a physical blow, his hand instinctively shielding his face 
from the fevered air... 

76	INT. NARROWING TUNNEL 

A choice of three tunnels fans out before him. Vincent 
opts for the one in the middle, and, ducking his head, 
enters. But as he proceeds, the passage grows narrower 
and narrower, until he can no longer squeeze through. 
He is forced to turn around, and... 

77	INT. FORKING TUNNEL 

Back in the antechamber, Vincent now chooses the tunnel to 
the right. Once inside, it immediately forks again. 
Confronted with yet another decision, Vincent pauses, considering... He makes his choice.

CUT TO:

 
37. 
78	
   thru	OMITTED		 
 	82 

83	INT. DEEP TUNNELS - LABYRINTH 

Vincent passes volcanic rock formations (as did Paracelsus 
and Cathy in the first act). Fissures in the walls release pressure in the form of jets of steam. Vincent presses on... 

PRODUCTION NOTE: VINCENT ENCOUNTERS HORRIFIC SKELETON 
WEARING CATHY'S SWEATSHIRT AND PENDANT (TO BE SCRIPTED) 

CUT TO: 

84	OMITTED 

85	INT. COLISEUM CHAMBER - CONTINUOUS 
Vincent cautiously steps out into the dusty gray light 
of the pit, turning, scanning all around him. No one is 
there. No sound. No movement. Vincent steps toward the 
center, calling out... 

VINCENT
Catherine! 

His voice echoes and re-echoes throughout the vast room. 
When the last, distant syllable dies, Vincent calls out 
again. 

VINCENT
Paracelsus... 

This time, Paracelsus' voice echoes hauntingly from some unseen source. 

PARACELSUS (o.s.)
"Better to reign in hell, than 
serve in heav'n," eh, Vincent? 

VINCENT
Paracelsus...

PARACELSUS (o.s.)
Milton, actually. 

Vincent scans the cavern mouths.  Still nothing.  He hears 
a shuffling noise... 
 
VINCENT
Show yourself. 

PARACELSUS (o.s.) 
In time... 
(CONTINUED)
38. 
85	CONTINUED; 

Silence. Long beat. Vincent's concentration is intense, 
piqued. Then, he senses something, and heads toward one 
side of the pit, when: 

PARACELSUS(o.s.)
Over here, Vincent. 

Vincent wheels around, and:

86
   thru	OMITTED
88 

89	HIS POV - PARACELSUS 

stands in a second level arch behind Vincent, unmasked,
grotesque. 

90	ANOTHER ANGLE 

as Vincent moves carefully toward Paracelsus 

VINCENT
Where's Catherine? 

PARACELSUS
You still don't understand... 

VINCENT
I've come for Catherine. 

PARACELSUS
(emphatic) 
You've also come for yourself. 

VINCENT
No. 

PARACELSUS
And you deserve to know the truth 
before you die. 

Vincent stops now, before and below Paracelsus, almost 
afraid to hear this, but knowing that he must. And after 
a long beat, Paracelsus continues, like some grand 
inquisitor delivering a sentence: 

PARACELSUS
You should know that it was I who 
found you... wrapped in rags. 
Starving. It was I who saved your 
life... from what fate, only God 
can say. 
39. 

91	CLOSE - VINCENT 

as the words sink in, words he knows are the truth. 

  PARACELSUS (o.s.)
I named you Vincent.

92	RESUME SCENE  

PARACELSUS
And I found this around your neck. 

As Paracelsus tosses something twenty feet down to 
Vincent, who catches it in both hands. 

93	CU - GOLD LOCKET 

a tarnished and slightly dented heart-shaped charm on a 
delicate gold chain. 

94	RESUME SCENE 

PARACELSUS
Open it. 

Tentatively, Vincent opens the locket. Inside there's 
a tiny photograph, sepia-toned and cracked, of an 
attractive dark-haired woman. Vincent regards this link 
to his past with awe... 

   CATHY (o.s.)
Vincent 

Yanked from the past, Vincent whirls around. 
 
95	HIS POV - CATHY 
emerging from the shadow of Paracelsus' second-level cave 
-- shaken, sad, and afraid for what is about to happen. 

VINCENT
Catherine... 

96	RESUME SCENE 

Vincent quickly pockets the locket, but as he hastens 
toward Catherine, Erlik steps from the shadow in front 
of her. Vincent stops, as Erlik pushes off with one hand 
vaulting twenty feet to the ground below. 

(CONTINUED) 

 
 
40. 

96	CONTINUED: 

The two mythic creatures face off squarely in the center 
of the pit. Above them, on opposite sides of the coliseum, Paracelsus and Catherine watch their respective champions... 

Vincent is better prepared this time, and knows that his advantages are speed and agility. As Erlik advances with 
a mighty blow, Vincent ducks beneath it and pivots, facing 
Erlik now from the other side. Erlik wheels around, 
sweeping Vincent's space to grab him close. Vincent 
sidesteps the attempt by inches, following through with 
a slashing attack which draws first blood from the side 
of Erlik's head and neck. 

Erlik is stunned, as Vincent advances with a series of 
quick strikes, only some of which Erlik manages to parry. Vincent's attack staggers the giant, sending him backward 
several yards, covering his face. 

97	LOW ANGLE (OVERCRANK) - VINCENT 

as he issues a blood-curdling ROAR and springs toward the 
giant -- virtually horizontal, like a lion leaping in for 
the kill. But Erlik catches Vincent's full force, and 
uses the momentum to heave Vincent over his shoulder, 
smashing Vincent against the sharp obsidian wall. Vincent 
falls to the ground, but pushes himself up -- just as 
Erlik reaches him, lifting him effortlessly overhead and 
flinging him into the center of the pit. 

98	ANGLE - CATHY 

feeling the bone-crushing pain of Vincent's fall 

CATHY
Vincent! 

99	VINCENT 

turns toward her voice, and: 

    100	HIS POV 

fuzzy around the edges of his vision: it is Catherine.

41. 

101 	ANGLE 

as Vincent gets up again to face the approaching giant, 
though his legs can scarcely support his weight. Vincent 
swings at Erlik, but the giant easily parries the blow, 
and hammers with both hands at the base of Vincent's neck. 
Vincent crumbles to his knees... then Erlik pounds him 
again, to the very edge of consciousness. 

PRODUCTION NOTE: FIGHT CONTINUES –- VINCENT VANQUISHES
GIANT, SAVES CATHY FROM THE FLAMES – TO BE SCRIPTED

102
    thru	OMITTED
109  
 
110	INT. UNDERGROUND LAKE - LATER 

Vincent and Cathy now sit huddled close in the shallow 
hull of the raft, letting the current carry them homeward. 
Cathy is holding the locket in her palm, gazing at the 
photograph inside. 

PRODUCTION NOTE:  DIALOGUE TO FOLLOW 

THE END