This one is 'fashionably late' but sends its apologies... As ever, these clockwork posts are a supporting article for Blogo's ongoing work at The Hermetics Lessons blog.
As I'm late, I'll post the syncs below and will maybe come back to tidy things up. I don't think my legions of followers (Google Spider and Adbot) will protest overmuch.
We start November at the Alexander residence, where Mr A has realised Alex is his former assailant. On the 13th Alex slumps after being drugged. He awakens in a room where Beethoven's ninth is played until he attempts suicide by leaping from a window at around 21st November. He awakens in hospital around the 24th where he's reunited with Pa and Em. The month ends with visit from Dr Taylor his new psychiatrist. Julli Kearns shot by shot analysis is as brilliant as ever and adds more than I could possibly hope to cover.
ALEX
Your wife, sir? Has she gone away?
MR. ALEXANDER
1st No. She's dead!
ALEX
I'm sorry to hear about that, sir.
His face contorted in rage.
MR. ALEXANDER
She was very badly raped, you see. We were
assaulted by a gang of vicious young
hooligans in this house, in this very room
you're sitting in now. I was left a
helpless cripple. The doctors said it was
Pneumonia, because it happened some months
later during the 'flu 2 epidemic. The
doctors told me it was Pneumonia, but I
knew what it was. A victim of the modern
age, poor, poor girl.
Suddenly his mood changes. He wheels right up to Alex.
MR. ALEXANDER
And now you, another victim of the modern
age. But you can be helped. 3 I phoned some
friends while you were having a bath.
ALEX
Phoned some friends, sir?
MR. ALEXANDER
Yes. They want to help.
ALEX
Help me, sir?
MR. ALEXANDER
Help you.
ALEX
Who are they, sir?
MR. ALEXANDER
They're very, very important people and
they're interested in you.
Bell rings. Julian rises,
MR. ALEXANDER
Julian. This will be these 4 people now.
Alex gets up.
ALEX
Look, sir. I'm sorry to have troubled you.
I think I ought to be going, sir.
Julian bars the way.
MR. ALEXANDER
No, no my boy. No trouble at all.
Alex slowly sits.
MR. ALEXANDER
5 Have another glass of wine.
He pours. Alex picks up glass and takes a drink.
INT. "HOME" – NIGHT
Dolin and Rubinstein enter with Julian.
DOLIN
(genial)
Hullo, Frank.
MR. ALEXANDER
Good evening, sir.
RUBINSTEIN
Frank.
DOLIN
So this is the young man?
ALEX
6 How do you do, sir?
DOLIN
Hullo.
ALEX
Missus. Very pleased to meet you.
RUBINSTEIN
Hullo.
DOLIN
I hope you forgive us for coming over at
this ungodly hour, but we heard from Frank
that you were in some trouble so we came
over to see if we could be of any help.
ALEX
Very kind of you, sir. Thank you very
much.
DOLIN
I understand that you had a rather
unfortunate encounter with the Police
tonight.
ALEX
Yes, sir. I suppose you might call it
that, sir.
DOLIN
Hahaha, 7 and how are you feeling now?
ALEX
Much better, thank you, sir.
DOLIN
Feel like talking to us. Answering a few
questions?
ALEX
Fine, sir 8 , fine.
DOLIN
Well, as I've said, we've heard about you.
We are interested in your case. We want to
help you.
ALEX
Thank you very much, sir.
DOLIN
But first we'd like to find out a few
things about you.
ALEX
What would you like to know, sir?
DOLIN
Well, shall we get down to it?
ALEX
Yes, sir.
Rubinstein takes out a notebook.
RUBINSTEIN
The newspapers mentioned that in addition
to your being conditioned against acts of
sex and violence, you've inadvertently
been conditioned against music.
ALEX
Well, er, I think that was something that
they hadn't planned for,9 you see, Missus,
I'm very fond of music and always have
been, especially Beethoven, Ludwig van...
Beethoven. B... E... E...
He leans over and looks at her writing in notebook.
RUBINSTEIN
It's alright, thank you.
ALEX
And it just so happened that while they
were showing me a particularly bad film,
of like a concentration camp, the
background music was playing Beethoven.
RUBINSTEIN
So 10 now you have the same reaction to music
as you do to sex and violence?
ALEX
Oh well, it's... it's not all music you
see, Missus. It's just the 9th.
RUBINSTEIN
You mean Beethoven's 9th Symphony?
ALEX
That's right. Er... I can't listen to the
9th any more at all. When I hear the 9th,
I get like this funny feeling.
RUBINSTEIN
When you say this funny feeling, you mean
the state of mind brought on by the
treatment they gave you?
ALEX
That is correct, sir. And then all I can
think about is 11 like trying to snuff it.
RUBINSTEIN
I beg your pardon?
ALEX
Snuff it, sir... um... death, I mean,
missus... Er... I just want to die
peacefully like with no... pain.
RUBINSTEIN
Do you feel that way now?
ALEX
Um... oh no, sir, not exactly, I still
feel very miserable, 12 very much down in
spirits.
RUBINSTEIN
Do you still feel suicidal?
ALEX
Um... well, put it this way... I feel very
low in myself. I can't see much in the
future, and I feel that any second
something terrible is going to happen to
me. 13
He pitches forward, face into the plate of spaghetti.
RUBINSTEIN
Well done, Frank. Julian, get the car, 14
will you please?
INT. HI-FI ROOM – DAWN
Alexander sits looking up. Rubinstein, Julian and Dolin also
listening to Beethoven played loudly on tape recorder.
INT. DOLIN'S HOUSE – PRISONER BEDROOM – DAY
The 9th Symphony booming up through the floor.
Alex slowly regains consciousness.
ALEX (V.O.)
I woke up. 15 The pain and sickness all over
me like an animal. Then I realised what it
was. The music 16 coming up from the floor
was our old friend, Ludwig van and the
dreaded 9th Symphony.
He staggers to the door. It is locked. He kicks and tugs the door.
ALEX
Open the door... 17 turn it off... turn it
off. 18 - 20
CUT TO:
THE BILLIARD ROOM BELOW
Hi-Fi gear laid out on the table. Large speakers facing upwards.
Mr. Alexander trembles and twitches. He is now completely mad. The
others merely wait, coolly.
INT. DOLIN'S HOUSE – PRISONER BEDROOM – DAY
Alex on his knees. His hands cupped over his ears, banging his
head on the floor.
Then he stops and slowly straightens up, staring at the window.
ALEX (V.O.)
Suddenly I viddied what I had to do, and
what I had wanted to do – and that was to
21 do myself in, to snuff it, to blast off
forever out of this wicked cruel world.
One moment of pain perhaps and then sleep
– forever and ever and ever.22
EXT. WINDOW – DAWC
Alex leaps out of the window.
INT. HOSPITAL WARD
Alex in bed. Camera slowly tracks along length of his body.
Everything is bandages and plaster splints, wire cages, blood
drips.
ALEX (V.O.)
I jumped, O my brothers, and I fell hard
but I did not snuff it, 23 oh no. if I had
snuffed it, I would not be here to tell
what I have told. I came back to life,
after a long, black, black gap of what
might have been a million years.24
We hear Alex moan, and then another moan. Alex and the other – a
few times.
Suddenly, some curtains which have been drawn around another bed
in the ward are parted, and a nurse hurries to Alex, hastily
buttoning up her uniform. She is trailed by a young Intern
fumbling with his trousers.
NURSE
25 Oh, he's recovered conscienceness, Doctor.
25 -26 Newspaper montage 'Alex recovered'
INT. HOSPITAL – DAY
Em and Pee sitting around the bed.
PEE
28 Hullo, lad.
EM
Hullo, son, how are you?
PEE
Are you feeling better?
ALEX
What gives, O myee P and Em, what makes
you think you are welcome?
Em sobs. Pee comforts her.
PEE
There, there mother, it's alright. He
doesn't mean it. You were in the papers
again, son. It said they had done great
wrong to you. 29 It said how the Government
drove you to try and do yourself in... and
when you think about it, son... maybe it
was our fault too in a way... your home's
your home when it's all said and done,
30 son.
Em sobs.
INT. HOSPITAL
Psychiatrist wheels trolley to Alex's bed. He is sitting up.
ALEX
Good morning, Missus.
DR. TAYLOR
How are you feeling today?
ALEX
Fine. Fine.
DR. TAYLOR
1st December Good. I'm doctor Taylor.
ALEX
I haven't seen you before.
DR. TAYLOR
I'm your Psychiatrist.
ALEX
Psychiatrist? Huh, do I need one?
