"BOUND" (1996)

BOUND

Written by

Larry and Andy Wachowski

FADE IN:

Inside a closet.

It is a large closet with double doors, a crisp line of light cutting down through the center of the darkness.

As we begin to descend, voices echo in our head.

We move past a shelf filled with hatboxes and handbags. It is a woman's closet.

We glide over the tightly packed hangers, close enough to feel the different fabrics and descend past the dresses to the racks of high heels.

We slide along the delicate taper of a stiletto heel and reach the bottom of the closet, where we find a pair of black Dr. Martens boots that are tied together with a white rope.

We move up the boots and we see it is a woman who is bound, lying motionless on the floor of the closet, the rope coiling tightly around her wrists.

The crack at the bottom of the door lights her face. She is gagged and unconscious, a trickle of blood running down her forehead. Her name is CORKY.

Leaning against the back of the elevator is Corky, a very butch-looking woman with short hair and a black leather jacket. She is a lesbian and wants people to know it.

As the doors begin to slide shut, a woman yells.

Corky pushes the "open" button. A couple steps into the elevator. His name is CAESAR, a middle-aged Italian, wearing an expensive suit and sunglasses.

She is VIOLET; a piece of sexual candy that would melt in your mouth.

She hears it again, a guttural sound.

She hangs up the phone and walks toward the wall.

As she gets closer, we hear a bed rocking, tapping against the wall.

The man's breathing grows more and more labored until finally it swells --

The whining motor of a high-powered drain-rod.

The spiral cable whips wildly, spiraling deeper into the tub drain, black goo splattering everywhere.

The machine is so loud Corky almost cannot hear someone pounding on the apartment door.

Killing the motor, she stands and goes to the door.

Behind the door is Violet, wearing jeans, a white T-shirt and cowboy boots.

She is holding two cups of coffee: one black, one with cream.

Violet steps inside as Corky goes back to the bathroom to wash off the drain dreck.

Corky calls from the bathroom, scrubbing her hands vigorously.

She wipes her hands on her overalls, returning to the main room.

Violet hands her the cup of black coffee.

They both sip from the piping hot mugs.

She looks at Corky's hands cupped around the mug.

Corky smiles.

VIOLET SIPS

Corky suddenly feels she has revealed something.

Smiling, she says nothing else.

CORKY watches her leave.

A dirty bar hidden away on a dark street, its cracked, moon- white sign the only evidence it exists.

Corky's truck swings into a space in front of a couple of large motorcycles. She flips her collar and heads for the door.

The smell of leather and cigarette smoke fills Corky's nose as she crosses to the bar.

Corky sits as the fat bartender waddles over.

Corky puts a cigarette in her mouth and lights it.

Sue opens the refrigerator and pulls out two Old Styles.

They click the bottles together and drink.

Sue laughs.

Corky gets off the stool.

Looking around, she sees a woman alone at one of the back tables. Through the smoky din, she bears a slight resemblance to Violet.

The woman is dressed all in black, including a leather jacket.

Smiling, Corky slides into the chair beside her. There is no one smoother.

The woman smiles just as someone taps Corky on the shoulder.

She turns and is face-to-face with a large bull of a woman in a heavy leather Chicago Police jacket. She is more wide than fat.

Her coat opens as she puts her hands on her hips. A service revolver is clipped to her belt.

She squints at Corky, her head nodding in recognition.

Corky smiles at the woman in black.

She heads for the exit.

The neighborhood would be politely described as "rough." Corky's truck does not stand out parked alone on the littered street.

It is a hole but it is home.

Corky is lying on her futon staring up at the ceiling, a beer resting on her stomach; a folk singer quietly croons from the radio.

We see the ceiling, a circle of light hovering over the small desk lamp. We move in on the spot, which slowly fills up the screen until there is nothing but the white light.

Suddenly a wet paint roller loaded with white paint cuts a swath across the ceiling.

Corky is painting the ceiling. The folk ballad has become an angry Riot Grrrl anthem.

She is working hard, the roller sucking back and forth. Sweat covers her face.

Dropping the roller down, she reloads it in the tray when the phone rings. She stops and answers it.

She listens for a moment.

She glances at the main wall.

She hangs up and looks again at the wall, feeling... curious.

Corky knocks and after a moment Violet opens the door. She seems surprised.

She steps back and Corky walks inside.

Violet leads her through the apartment. It is expensively furnished with very masculine tastes; a lot of gray and black leather.

Corky looks at her blankly.

An eyebrow goes up.

Violet nods.

She opens the sink cabinet and pulls out a pair of channel locks from her back pocket. The teeth of the channel locks open and bite onto the pressure nut.

She hands one down to her. Corky slides it under the curved pipe.

As she works, Corky feels herself staring at Violet, at the hem of her dress curving tightly around her thighs.

Water begins to trickle into the pan.

The nut slides loose and Corky tips the trap. Water splashes into the pan with a soft metal "tink."

Corky fishes into gray water and pulls out the earring.

Violet screams, a huge smile on her face, half-falling as she tries to hug Corky.

Corky leans back under and replaces the trap.

Corky checks the drain by running the water.

Corky eyes her for a moment.

She smiles and turns to the bar.

Corky sits on the black leather couch and Violet returns with two bottles of Heineken. Corky sneers.

They clink the bottles and swig.

She looks at Violet, then takes another long pull on the bottle.

Violet smiles, her eyes again talking for her.

Violet notices the tattoo on Corky's arm.

She reaches over and touches it.

Corky is a bit suprised that she knows what it is. She nods, rubbing it as if trying to hide it.

She moves closer, sliding over the leather cushions as she opens the front of her dress.

She is not wearing a bra.

Set against the soft white skin of her breast is a bright green-stemmed violet.

Corky looks up from Violet's breast to her dark eyes.

She runs her fingers softly over the slightly scarred skin.

Corky feels the blood pounding in her ears as Violet takes her hand and places it on her breast.

Violet looks at her.

Corky watches her, trying to figure her out even as her thumb presses into Violet's nipple.

Inhaling sharply, Violet closes her eyes; she can feel Corky staring at her.

She takes Corky's wrist and begins pulling her hand down her body.

She forces Corky's hand between her legs, up under her dress.

Violet opens her eyes, a wanton smile on her lips.

Corky's forearm flexes and Violet moans.

With both hands, Violet takes hold of Corky's forearm.

Violet's head swims; she is unable to breathe.

Now it is Corky who smiles.

Violet shivers, her thighs rubbing, her hips thrusting against Corky's hand.

Her eyes barely open.

In a single motion, Corky takes hold of the back of her neck and covers Violet's open mouth with her own.

With her hand still stuffed between Violet's legs, Corky lays her back onto the couch as the kiss becomes more --

More desperate, more hungry until --

We hear the front door unlock and open.

Violet's eyes pop open and she pushes Corky back.

They scramble to compose themselves.

He comes around the corner and in the dim light sees the two figures sitting close on the couch.

He mistakes Corky for a man.

Violet stands as Caesar barrels toward the couch.

Corky stands and turns, Caesar suddenly realizing that she is a woman.

He reaches to the wall for the lights.

Caesar extends his hand.

Corky shakes his hand.

He looks at her as if he knows something.

Corky shakes her head.

Corky doesn't like this man.

He whistles.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thick fold of money and peels several hundreds. Corky stares at it.

Corky takes it. Caesar smiles.

Close on the paintbrush, Corky's fingers pushing through and separating the black bristles under the running water.

When the brush is clean, she flicks it dry and resets the edge.

She goes to the sink to wash her hands when she stops, noticing her left hand.

It is the hand that was between Violet's legs.

She is about to smell her finger when she sees herself in the mirror.

She drops her hand.

She scrubs her hands clean.

It is late, the area burnished with amber street light. Corky walks from the building to her truck.

She climbs inside and slides the key into the ignition, when suddenly the passenger door opens and --

Violet gets in. Stunned, Corky stares at her.

Violet smiles.

She slides across the seat.

She kisses Corky, and if Corky is trying to resist, we can't tell.

The windshield is beginning to steam when Violet, panting, breaks the kiss.

Unable to speak, Corky reaches over and starts the engine.

The sex.

There is nothing flower-scented or out-of-focus about it.

It is sweaty, slippery, body-grinding, bed-squeaking lesbian sex --

Pungent and potent --

And when it is over, neither woman can move.

Finally, Corky's eyes flutter open.

Violet smiles.

Slowly, Corky gets up and goes to the fridge. She grabs a beer and presses it to her sweating forebead.

After a moment, she lowers it, gently pressing the cold can elsewhere. Eyes closed, she lets out a long "Ahh."

Violet hears the sizzle-pop of the beer as Corky returns to the bed.

She holds the beer to Violet's lips and tilts the can, watching Violet's throat as she drinks.

Violet's eyes open.

Corky hands her the beer as Violet sits up a bit.

Corky stares at her beer. She knows what Violet is thinking.

Corky sips her beer.

It isn't like her to talk about this, especially with someone she just met.

We can almost hear the coins tinkling on the tile floor.

Violet smiles. She likes this woman.

Sbe swallows that with beer.

She glances at Violet.

Violet laughs.

Corky gets out of her truck carrying her tools. Grinning like someone who has been well-laid, she whistles off to work.

Between the main doors she sees a man. His name is SHELLY and he is an overdressed accountant.

He is very nervous, talking to someone through the intercom.

Fiddling with her keys, Corky recognizes the voice that answers him.

Shelly glances over his shoulder at Corky, answering in a hushed voice.

For a moment the intercom is silent. Then the door buzzes and Shelly pushes inside. Corky follows him to the elevator.

Corky glares at Shelly and begins pumping the trigger of her circular saw.

Shelly hides behind his sunglasses, watching the elevator numbers go up. The doors open and he scurries out.

She watches him enter Caesar's apartment, her smile now completely gone.

It is later. Through the wall we listen to the same sound as before of two people making love. We drop down and find Corky's brush, still wet with paint, abandoned in her tray.

Her face glistening with sweat, Violet climaxes, letting the orgasm spread through her like melting butter.

She flattens her palms against the soft cradle of her pelvis.

As she opens her eyes, we see that her lover is Corky. Violet watches as she gets off the bed and begins to get dressed.

Corky does not answer as she yanks her pants on. Violet sits up. She can feel that something is wrong.

Violet pulls the sheet around her.

That knocks Corky back.

Violet stare pins Corky to the wall.

That's all Violet can take.

Violet turns away.

That stings but Corky walks out without looking back.

It is dark now. Corky is standing above the paint tray that has skinned over. She picks up the brush. It is dry with paint.

She throws the brush across the room.

A green-and-white street sign juts in the foreground of Caesar's upscale apartment building.

The sign reads: "FRANKLIN STREET."

The rusty Chevy glides to a stop in a parking space near the service entrance. In its payload is a boxed bathroom vanity and sink.

Corky climbs out of the cab and into the back, unhooking the bungee cords that hold down the boxes.

She looks up as a black Lincoln Town Car screeches into a spot not far from her truck. THREE SERIOUS-LOOKING MEN get out, leading a fourth, Shelly.

He is the only one who seems to notice Corky.

They enter the building, the door closing behind them.

Corky's legs jut out from the old wicker vanity as she finishes detaching its anchors and pipe work.

She stands, giving it a yank and pulling it away from the wall, when voices begin to filter in from the next-door apartment.

She listens - a rising string of warbling sobs drowned out by an angry voice.

We hear a scream.

Each sentence is punctuated with grunts and thuds.

We begin to close in on Corky as she listens to each thud, watching something that disturbs her.

With each thud the water in the toilet shimmers like a struck cymbal. As we move closer, the sound swells until --

Where blood splatters the toilet, heavy drops hitting the water and spreading like inverted mushroom clouds.

The angry voice belongs to JOHNNIE MARZZONE. Shelly is kneeling in front of the toilet, hands tied behind his back with electrical wire.

Johnnie Marzzone is a flashy young man in Armani slacks, silk shirt and silver-tipped cowboy boots. His tie is tucked in, as if torture were a fine-dining experience.

Caesar and two other men are crammed in the small bathroom.

Shelly screams as Jobnnie repeatedly rams his face into the toilet.

Caesar hands a towel to Johnnie, who stuffs it into Shelly's mouth.

Like Corky, Violet can hear the beating. She is trying to block it out but cannot.

Standing at the bar, she runs the blender, grinding ice cubes, trying to drown out the sounds of the bathroom.

The bathroom door opens.

Caesar steps out, shutting the door, masking the sounds behind him. Violet moves toward him.

The door opens again as someone else steps out.

She nods.

He takes hold of her.

He embraces her. Over his shoulder she sees MICKEY MALNANO in the hallway, staring at her.

He is an older man, hair graying, built like a fireplug. Sinewy mass strains at his Brooks Brothers suit.

Mickey continues to stare at Violet, who looks up at him with her big doe eyes.

He goes to the kitchen.

Mickey moves closer to Violet, lifting her chin the way a father would do to his little girl.

She smiles.

Caesar returns from the kitchen. He is holding a pair of tin snips. Mickey takes them.

Violet watches them return to the bathroom.

Mickey takes off his coat and hands it to a large man named LOU. He slaps Johnnie on the back.

Johnnie hits Shelly once more.

Johnnie checks his hair in the mirror, carefully. Then he begins putting on the rings he had removed for the beating.

Mickey kneels down next to Shelly's ear and motions to Lou, who lifts Shelly's bound arms.

Mickey grabs Shelly's pinky finger, putting it between the metal blades.

Shelly whimpers, red-faced and sobbing. There is a sick crunch and Shelly howls into his gag as his pinky finger bounces to the floor amid the expensive leather footwear.

We hear Caesar retrieve a tissue and his hand enters the frame, scooping up the pinky.

He plunks the severed finger into the toilet and it sinks to the bottom.

Caesar drops the toilet seat down and flushes.

Corky can't stand it anymore. She throws her tools down, leaves the bathroom and finds --

Violet waiting in the main room. Both women stand apart in silence.

Violet seems on the verge of saying something but doesn't know how to start. Her lip begins to quiver; her eyes search the room, returning to Corky each time.

The violence in the next room can still be heard.

Almost unnoticeably, Violet shakes her bead. Corky puts her arm around her.

It is the kind of bar businessmen drink at in the afternoon. Dark wood and padded leather.

The bartender, joking with a cluster of men, does not notice Corky as she moves up to the bar.

The bartender glances over.

Corky eyes the men, who stare into their drinks.

The bartender says nothing as he puts the drinks in front of her.

Corky heads for her table, ignoring the whispers and snickers.

Corky and Violet, the only women in the room, sit close together at a far corner table.

Violet's voice is hushed.

She glances around the room; a man at the bar smiles at her.

Two men sit down near them, laughing.

Violet stares at her glass, at the melting ice.

She downs the last of her drink.

She turns to Corky.

Corky stares at her, knowing where this is going. She glances around the crowded bar.

Corky's truck sits in a gravel parking lot.

Through the back window of the truck, Violet and Corky are silhouettes against the street light.

Corky quietly swallows that pill. It begins to rain.

Violet nods.

She knows Violet is challenging her.

Violet stares, her face poker-blank.

She moves closer to Violet, the sound of the rain beating against the metal cab.

She stops.

They are close enough to kiss.

Corky pulls back.

Violet springs from the couch as the front door crashes open, Caesar charging in. He is doubled over, clutching something to his stomach.

He rushes to the kitchen, dumping a bloody bundle into the double sink. There is blood everywhere, smeared up and down Caesar's front.

Violet takes a step toward him, unsure of what has happened.

He pulls a bottle of whiskey and a glass from the cupboard.

He pours himeslf a shot, belting it back.

He begins unbuttoning the bloody shirt.

He throws down another shot.

He tears open the bloody bag, wet money bricks spilling out.

Caesar is exasperated.

He looks at the pile of bloody money.

Searching through a sink cabinet, he can't find what he needs.

Caesar walks down the ball to the bathroom. Violet's eyes do not move from the pile of money.

Corky seems to come from nowhere. She whispers.

Violet nods.

Corky's hands twitch, and then flex against the ropes that bind them.

A reflex echoes through her body, muscles spasm and limbs jerk against their bonds.

As if in a dream, she struggles, trying to get free, fighting toward the edge of consciousness until --

She seems to succumb, slipping back into stillness.

We move toward her face, her closed eyes as we again hear the voices in her head.

Violet is on the bed, Corky at the window.

She turns to Violet.

She begins to focus on the memory.

Moving in on her face.

Benjamin Franklin's face on a hundred-dollar bill.

Franklin's face rotates as we pull back, seeing rows of bills carefully paper-clipped to lines of string.

Eyes filled with green, Violet turns inside the laundry lines of money until she sees Caesar.

Wearing his undershirt, he is across the room standing at the ironing board, ironing every single bill.

He seems to have one eye on her, one eye on his work.

He sprays starch across several bills and presses the steaming iron to them.

Violet is in bed, unable to sleep, listening to the machine- shuffle of Caesar's bill counter.

We move past her, floating toward the wall.

We drift across Caesar's desk, past bricks of bound bills, as Caesar folds the paper tape around another stack.

He hits the counter again and we hear the sound, now very loud as hundreds blur by, fluttering beneath us.

The sound rolls into thunder --

That seems to shake the apartment.

Violet cautiously enters the office with a cup of coffee.

Working furiously at the computer, Caesar jumps when he sees her, bloodshot eyes animal-wide.

He checks his watch as she sets the coffee in front of him.

He nods automatically, back in his work, as she sees the briefcase filled with perfect rows of hundreds.

We see the open top with its silver flip-over locks.

Violet is trying to remember.

Corky begins to pace, ordering the information in her head.

Violet suddenly feels that she has made a mistake.

Corky covers her mouth.

Eyes wide, she paces, pulling at her lip, mumbling.

Suddenly she freezes as it clicks into place. She looks at Violet.

She's pacing again.

Something occurs to Corky.

Corky smiles, the wheels rolling.

She turns from the window and gets onto the bed.

Violet is getting dressed, lining her lips with lip-pencil.

As she works on her face, we see the room behind her and the discarded dresses scattered about.

Corky breaks her thought-train.

Caesar again checks his watch.

The watch reads 6:10. Caesar rubs his eyes, his temples.

Violet is at the bar in a sexy dress and high heels.

He laughs as Violet smiles, handing him an enormous drink.

He takes the drink.

She gives him a woman's sympathy pout; he knows what it, loves it anyway.

Smiling, he slides his hand down over her ass.

She smiles and waits for the kiss she knows is coming.

Both women are starting to feel it, to believe it.

Corky sits on the floor of the dark apartment. She has taken off her boots, which are beside her.

Through the wall we can hear the shower.

Corky opens a thin box filled with needle-thin lock picks.

She selects several and slips them into her multi-pierced ears like earrings.

In slow motion, Caesar drops the shower plunger and water chokes from the faucet.

Behind the bar, Violet pulls out the bottle of Glenlivet.

Violet steps out from the bar, her eyes on the bedroom, when the bottle slips from her hands.

We watch it slowly fall --

Caesar yells from the bathroom.

Hearing Caesar, Corky gets up, moving quietly toward the door.

Caesar enters, a towel wrapped around him, hair still dripping.

Violet looks terribly upset as she begins to clean up.

Caesar realizing what happened.

He rushes at her.

She stands up.

She turns him back toward the bedroom.

Violet opens her door, stepping into the hall where Corky is waiting.

They pass each other in silence, Violet stepping out as Corky slips in.

Caesar is working intensely on his fingernails. We glide over a set of gleaming metal manicure tools. We see his hand as he delicately applies a coat of clear polish to a nail.

Through the open door, we see Corky moving almost casually across the living room.

Corky is looking for something.

She finds a black duffel bag from one of her tool buckets.

Corky slips her hand in between the mattress and box spring, pulling out a gun.

She tosses the gun on the bed.

The black case is lying on the desk, locked shut. Corky moves around the desk, dropping down behind it.

From her earlobe, she chooses the right pick, sliding out the silver tool.

It takes only a second and the first lock pops open.

She is working on the other lock when the door is pushed open and Caesar walks in.

Corky drops down, grasping for her gun --

As Caesar, wearing only underwear, enters. He blows on the drying polish on his fingernails before delicately selecting a suit from his closet.

The gun ready, Corky, pressed against the desk, waits until he leaves.

She lets her breath out, then pops the second lock, unzips the black duffel bag and quickly empties the case, filling the bag with fat money bricks.

Finished, she zips up the bag and looks about.

Sbe sees a stack of newspapers hidden near the desk.

She fills the case, then closes it.

She thumbs the locks shut and they snap, unnaturally loud, into place.

They are both on the bed.

Their faces are close, eyes still trying to read each other.

The door bursts open. Violet enters quickly, carrying a bottle in a thin brown bag.

Caesar wanders out, tightening his tie. She looks at her watch.

He smiles, grabbing the bottle from her.

Caesar turns.

She watches him, her words caving in around him.

Violet thinks.

His eyes dart. His forehead beads with sweat. He turns toward the office.

Violet is staring at Corky's mouth.

She pauses.

Caesar stands over the desk, afraid to open the case.

She looks dead at Violet.

The key turns and the locks pop. When Caesar sees the newspaper, the whole world begins to spin.

His chest collapses onto itself while his hands ball into fists.

She moves around the side of the desk and sees the newspaper.

He slams the case shut, his head hanging down.

After a moment he looks at her, like a little boy about to cry.

He seems ready to scream but can't say anything.

The name is like water hitting hot oil.

He starts punching the desk, each blow harder than the last.

Corky can hear him pounding. She looks down and smiles. Between her legs is the open bag stuffed with money.

Caesar is choking on his own rage.

He starts to pound his fists against his own head.

He grabs hold of his chair, using it to support himself

She watches him, his body rocking against the chair.

The words squeeze out like tears.

He swings the swivel chair over his head and smashes it down on the desk. Again and again.

The chair falls and he stands alone, covering his face to hide his tears.

She goes to hold him.

He backs into the corner of the room.

Violet watches him trying to wipe the tears and sweat from his face.

Violet enters, closing the door quietly behind her. She looks at the wall, then goes to the bed and picks up the phone.

As she dials, we move along the phone cord, following it down to the jack in the wall.

We move out from another jack, following a different cord.

Corky is sitting with her back to the wall. The black phone beside her barely rings once before she answers.

She waits, saying nothing.

Violet whispers, her hand cupped over the mouthpiece.

Violet hears him.

She hangs up quickly just as Caesar bursts in.

Corky presses against the wall, trying to hear.

Caesar is pacing.

She throws open her closet.

She grabs a suitcase from under the bed.

She starts yanking the dresses from the closet.

She turns and sees that he is holding a gun.

Now it is her turn to feel the world spin.

...

She slaps him hard. He stares at her.

He moves past her, picks up the dresses and returns them to the closet.

He shuts the closet.

Caesar is at the bar, drinking the Scotch. The gun in front of him. Across the room, Violet sits, staring holes through him.

They wait in silence.

Violet says nothing.

In the dark, Corky sits, her face, her posture very similar to Violet's.

She is concentrating, her mind somewhere else, when the door buzzer sounds.

She turns her head and hears Caesar faintly answering the intercom.

Corky stands just as --

Violet stands.

Caesar faces her for a moment, then shoves the gun into his belt behind his back.

Corky watches through the door peep as three men pass by.

There is a knock and Caesar opens the door.

GINO MARZZONE is an old Italian whose face is a mask of irritated indifference.

ROY, his enormous driver, is behind him.

Caesar smiles, greeting them in Italian with open arms.

Johnnie is the last inside. He has tape over his broken nose. He smiles and hugs Caesar.

He smiles again, patting him on the shoulder, then throwing a fake punch.

Caesar sees Gino with his bright Italian smile, flattering Violet, kissing her.

As he bends to kiss her hand, she sees Caesar watching them.

This makes Violet very uncomfortable.

Caesar's hand shakes as he pours Gino's Scotch.

Pacing in her socks, Corky tries to think through several possible situations. She stops, staring at the bag of money.

The idea of its sitting out in the open suddenly bothers her.

Caesar hands Violet and Johnnie a drink. He stares at her. She stares back.

Caesar watches Johnnie, suspecting everything he does.

Johnnie reaches into his pocket and takes out a cellular phone.

Each man sits on either side of Gino.

Caesar sees Johnnie smiling at him, but when Gino turns, the smile disappears.

Corky drops a hefty bag, knotted tight, into an open five- gallon bucket of paint.

As she picks up a paint stick, we see a second bag beside another bucket.

She pushes the first bag down until it disappears, enveloped by the milk-white liquid.

Caesar puts the briefcase onto the coffee table.

Gino looks up at Caesar, very serious, with his hand on the case.

He looks dead at Johnnie.

Caesar shakes his head.

Gino throws down the last of the Scotch.

Gino checks his watch, shouting in Italian. Johnnie shouts back until Gino throws up his hands, refusing to listen.

He gestures to his empty glass, then folds his arms, leaning back. Caesar gets the bottle.

Johnnie whistles as Caesar pours Gino another Scotch.

In Italian tells him to shut up.

Caesar sees it so clearly now.

He pushes the case toward him.

Johnnie stares at him, feeling that something is very wrong.

He tries but it's locked.

Caesar smiles and tosses the key onto the table.

He reaches for the key. Caesar stands up and gives Violet his drink.

He can see the fear on her face as she goes to the bar.

Time drips.

The key turns. One lock pops.

Then the other.

Tbe case opens like a scream and Johnnie sees the newspaper.

Before anybody can move, Caesar whips around with his gun.

Roy jumps off his stool, his drink crashing to the floor.

Nobody can believe what is happening.

Caesar levels the gun.

He stands up.

He does.

She doesn't know what to say.

Boom! Caesar blows a hole in the couch right between Johnnie's legs. Johnnie screams.

Gino jumps up.

He starts walking toward Caesar. Roy moves around for a good angle.

He backs up as Gino walks straight to him.

He reaches up and takes bold of the barrel. Caesar looks resigned as he shuts his eyes.

Close on Gino's hand holding the gun barrel as --

Caesar fires.

From behind the gun we watch Gino's grip yanked free, time melting away as he falls, blood bubbling from his chest, his eyes wide in disbelief.

His body hits the floor and the room erupts.

Roy dives, drawing his gun as Caesar continues to fire, pumping the trigger.

Violet drops behind the bar as Jobnnie screams, falling towards his father.

Blood spurts from Roy as two bullets hit, his gun clattering and sliding across the floor.

Johnnie lunges at Caesar as Caesar turns and fires, hitting Johnnie everywhere; blood and meat spray and speckle everything around him.

The gun continues to fire as Corky clutches the phone, whispering.

Crunched down behind the bar, Violet listens to the only sound, repeating in the unnatural quiet:

Click. Click.

Click.

Rising, she peers over the edge of the bar.

Caesar is standing in the aftermath. His gun is still aimed at Johnnie as he pulls the trigger over and over.

The bodies are still, blood silently pooling around them.

Blinking the sweat from his eyes, Caesar sees Violet.

He looks down at Jobnnie, hate rising like bile.

Kicking the body, be causes a series of sickening wet noises.

He stops, panting, unable to catch his breath. Violet is afraid to even look at him.

Blood creeps along the edge of the floorboards.

Caesar tries to clear his head, mopping the sweat from his face. He bends down and starts searching Johnnie's pockets.

He finds his keys.

Lost in thought, he goes to Gino. Throwing open the coat, he sees the airplane ticket. There is a bullet hole in it.

He checks the times and then his watch.

He smiles.

He picks up Roy's gun and stuffs it in his belt.

In the distance, the wail of a police siren can be heard.

Through the window they see a squad car, lights blaring, roll up in front of the building.

He turns back to the carnage.

Caesar flies into action.

Grunting, he hauls Gino's body up, drags it to the bathroom and throws it into the tub. He returns for Johnnie's body.

Standing near the bathroom, Corky hears the metal echo of the tub. Looking at her tub, she imagines what he is doing.

Through the wall, she hears the door buzzer.

The buzzer sounds again as Violet sees him lift Roy's body.

He heads back to the bathroom, dropping Roy onto the other two.

The three bloody bodies fill the tub.

We see Johnnie's arm hanging over the edge as Caesar snaps the shower curtain around, hiding them.

COP #1 (V.O.) This is the police, ma'am.

She cuts them off using the intercom.

Over her shoulder she sees Caesar moving the furniture, clearing the area around the heavy bloodstains.

COP #1 (V.O.) We had a report of gunfire, so if you could --

Violet sees Caesar hurry to his office.

COP #1 (V.O.) No joke, ma'am. Please open the door.

Caesar seizes the beautiful oriental rug in his office and yanks it up, overturning furniture. Dragging it out, he slams the door behind him.

Violet looks at Caesar, who is working with the calm, single- minded focus of a machine.

COP #1 (V.O.) Ma'am, you have to open the door.

She buzzes them in as Caesar throws the rug like someone making a bed, letting it fall to the floor and cover most of the blood.

The cops are waiting for the elevator. After a moment, the door slides open.

Violet moves away from the intercom as Caesar begins arranging the furniture on the rug.

His words push her to the bathroom.

Stuffing a towel into the sink, she turns on the water. She does not even look at the shower curtain.

The elevator opens and the cops step out.

Caesar grabs the television remote, hits "on" and jacks the volume until it is obviously loud.

Violet returns and he snatches the towel from her.

As the two cops walk down the hall, they hear the television. They look at each other, already knowing what happened.

Like a maniac, Caesar wipes at any blood still visible until there is a knock on the door. He grabs Violet by the arm.

She nods.

There is another knock, much louder.

Violet goes to the door as Caesar rips off his blood-soaked jacket and shirt.

He drops down behind the bar Leaving the chain on, Violet opens the door. Tbe cops smile.

COP #1 See? We're for real.

COP #1 You did the right thing.

Crouching, Caesar wipes vigorously at the blood on his hands and face.

Violet opens the door.

Caesar crams the bloody wad under the bar sink.

Just as the cops enter the living room, Caesar stands, looking comfortable in no shirt, with ice cubes in his hands.

He plunks the ice into a glass and walks from behind the bar

COP #1 Pretty good, sir.

Caesar turns his head.

Tbe cops look at each other again.

Wiping his wet hand on his pants, Caesar shakes hands with each of them.

They smile at Violet as Caesar puts his arm around her.

Violet sees the gun wedged in the back of his belt.

COP #2 Yes, sir, a neighbor in the building called in.

COP #1 I think we know what happened.

COP #2 It was probably just the television.

He looks at Violet.

Violet walks across the rug and turns off the TV.

COP #1 It's all right, sir.

COP #2 No big deal.

COP #1 Not on duty, sorry.

COP #2 But, uh, would you mind if I used your bathroom?

Caesar's face tightens.

COP #2 Thanks.

He heads for the john.

Violet watches Caesar back up to the bar, moving behind it.

COP #1 Go right ahead, sir.

Cop #2 enters, walking right past the shower curtain. We hear his sigh as he starts to piss.

Cop #1 walks onto the rug, looking around, turning to Violet.

COP #1 This is a beautiful place.

She stares at his shoes on the rug.

Watching everything, Caesar takes a sip of his drink. He slips his gun out and holds it at his side.

There is a bulge in the shower curtain where we imagine Johnnie's arm is hanging.

Slowly we slide down to the bottom edge of the plastic curtain, where a drip of blood forms and --

Plips into a small red spot on the white tile floor.

Close on the heel of the cop's black shoe, where we can almost see the blood seeping up through the oriental rug.

COP #1 Is this a condo?

Violet nods.

Everyone turns when Cop #2 busts out of the bathroom.

COP #2 Okay, let's roll.

Cop #1 walks across the rug to the hardwood floor. He turns to Caesar.

COP #1 Try to keep the extra batteries for your aid around.

Corky hears the cop say goodbye to Violet. The door closes. She isn't sure what she should do.

Over her shoulder, she notes the bucket of paint. She lets the cops leave.

Caesar puts on a new shirt, the gun stuffed in his pants.

Corky rises at the sound of Caesar's door closing.

We track her along the wall to the foyer as she follows the faint sounds of Caesar and Violet's footsteps.

As they pass by, Violet looks up to the door of the empty apartment, straight at the peephole.

at the peephole.

She sees that Violet is afraid as the two women seem to speak to each other with their eyes.

Caesar is on his knees, searching under the seats of Johnnie's Mercedes. Unable to find the money, he is ready to snap.

From the main doors, Corky slips out of the building. Hiding behind a column, she sees Violet and Caesar across the lot.

Corky moves behind the parked cars, the gun squeezed in her hand.

Violet edges away, on the verge of running, looking toward the busy street.

Standing, Caesar pounds on the car.

Ignoring her, be tries to think.

Still too far from them to do anytbing, Corky sees Caesar slam the trunk.

Violet looks around the lot, looking for some way out.

Corky can only watch as Violet gets in and the car rips away.

Alone, Corky stands over the bucket of paint. She kicks it with her boot-toe.

She sighs, wondering how long she can make herself wait.

The BMW is parked in front.

Close on Caesar, as he rakes his sweaty hair back, his face knotted in torment.

He turns as if he just came in through the front door.

We see Johnnie's home has been laid to waste. The furniture is broken, cushions split open, pictures shattered, holes punched in the drywall -- even the carpeting has been torn up.

Caesar doesn't look much better.

Huddled in a corner, Violet watches him.

Caesar moves from the front door, trying to get into Johnnie's head.

He takes a couple of steps into the room.

He looks at a closet. It's gutted, searched 10 times already.

A couple more uneasy steps and he looks at a large over- turned rolltop desk.

He starts looking around the room as if he is seeing for the first time that it is destroyed. He is near the breaking point.

His voice cracks. There is nowhere else to look.

He explodes. A terra cotta lamp sails across the room.

He smashes his forehead into the wall, denting the drywall.

He holds his head, sinking to the ground.

She sits next to him, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder.

He knows what he has to do. Digging through the debris, he finds the phone.

Already dialing, he does not answer

Ceaar takes a deep breath, mustering composure.

Caesar looks at Violet.

He hangs up.

Caesar drags himself in. Violet closes the door behind them.

Caesar moves into the room where it happened. He is dizzy and confused and does not want to be here.

Violet turns him around.

She turns him toward the bathroom. He nods.

Nodding, he heads for the kitchen.

Violet enters and goes straight for the phone. She looks at the blank wall as she dials.

The phone rings.

When Corky answers, Violet almost collapses with relief.

A box of Hefty bags tucked under his arm, a coil of clothesline in his hand, Caesar searches through several cabinets.

Violet glances at the door.

Corky falls against the wall.

Mumbling to himself, Caesar walks out of the kitchen, heading for the bedroom.

Violet reaches out and touches the wall, as if she were touching Corky.

...

Corky turns to the wall.

Her fingers gently touch the wall as we travel up and over, where we see they are actually touching the wall in the exact same place.

Suddenly, Violet hears Caesar.

As he opens the door, she slams down the phone.

The line cuts off.

Fear and panic paralyze Violet as Caesar drops everything, grabbing for his gun.

He levels the gun at her.

She stands and be rushes at her, grabbing her by the throat.

She shakes her head and he throws her on the bed. The gun aimed at her, he picks up the phone and --

Hits the redial.

Unsure of what happened, Corky hears the phone ring and answers it on reflex.

Listening, she waits.

Caesar listens, waiting as long as he can.

Corky hangs up, jumping away from the wall.

Caesar hits the redial again.

Panicking, Corkydoesn't answer it, but as it rings very loud in the empty apartment, she realizes her mistake.

Turning slowly toward the wall, Caesar hears the phone ringing in the empty apartment.

Corky rips the plug out of the wall.

The line goes dead.

She tries to get away, but he grabs her and slaps her to the ground.

Corky hears Violet scream and that does it. Gun in hand, she flies at the door.

The door to the empty apartment slams shut and Caesar, hearing it, starts to run --

But Violet reaches out, catching his ankle, sending him crashing to the dresser.

The door to Caesar's apartment is locked. Corky falls to one knee, whipping two lock picks from her earlobe.

Caesar raises the gun to pistol-whip Violet and she screams.

Working the lock, Corky hears Violet's scream cut off.

She feels the tumblers click, and rotates the cylinder.

A shadow stirs under the crack of the door as she hears something that sounds like footsteps. Corky freezes.

Corky presses down low against the door beneath the peephole.

She can almost feel Caesar beyond the door, but grits her teeth and turns the doorknob.

The door cracks open and Corky slips in, gun-first. As she moves into the room, we see Caesar behind her.

He puts his gun to her head.

Corky hesitates.

She does.

Rising from her crouch, she turns and he recognizes her.

He starts to laugh when she strikes --

Knocking the gun, she punches him, slamming him back against the door as --

She twists, diving, grabbing her gun, just as --

He steps and kicks her full in the face.

Still unconscious, Corky's head jerks, reacting to the kick. We see the dried blood caked to her check where his kick split the skin. She is again swimming toward consciousness.

We hear water splash, her face flinching as we move closer, the sounds and voices echoing.

We hear Caesar slapping her.

Corky's face is dripping with water as her eyes slowly blink open.

Coming into focus is Caesar, standing over her with an empty glass in one hand.

Except for the gag, she is bound as we have seen her bound in the closet.

Caesar yanks out his gun and puts it to her head.

She sees Violet on the bed, also bound hand and foot.

The gun digs into her cheek.

He thumbs back the hammer.

He aims the gun at Violet.

He fires and she jumps as the bullet punches through the wall behind her.

His point made, he puts the gun back to Corky's head.

Blood temperature rising again, Caesar pulls the gun back and slaps her with it.

He rushes at her, grabbing a fistful of her hair.

He looks at Corky.

He looks at her as if unable to recognize her

He shoves her down.

He stomps around the room.

He throws open the closet.

He seems to believe what he is saying.

He doesn't want to hear this.

He slaps her.

He leans closer.

He storms out of the room.

Corky looks up at Violet.

She pulls at the ropes as Violet slides off the bed.

Caesar throws open the broom closet and grabs the clippers that Mickey used to cut off Shelly's finger.

The two women are back-to-back, fingers working at each other's knots when Caesar bursts into the room.

Grabbing Corky by the boots, he drags her and flips her so that she can now see Violet.

He drops down onto Violet putting the clippers in front of her face.

Her eyes widen with terror. She starts to scream when he stuffs a towel in her mouth.

Laying against Violet, he turns to Corky.

He takes hold of Violet's pinky finger, stretching it out.

He puts the finger between the blades.

Corky sees Violet thrashing helplessly. She has no choice. Her mouth opens as --

The door buzzer rings.

Caesar is distracted, trying to think who it could be.

He sees the phone, where he dropped it, lying off the hook.

The door buzzer rings again, more insistently. Corky sees him momentarily unnerved.

He looks back at her.

He starts to cut and Corky screams --

He stops, the door buzzing continuously.

As she speaks, the sound of the door buzzer changes.

He is not looking at her; listening, he realizes that Mickey is buzzing the other apartments.

CAESAR stands as the buzzing stops. He pulls out his gun and aims it at Corky.

He cocks it.

His hand start to shake with ftustration. He is beginning to hate this woman more than he ever hated Johnnie.

Taking a deep breath, he eases back the hammer.

He kicks her again, snapping her head back.

After he leaves, Violet looks over and sees Corky lying unconscious.

Caesar tries to open the door to the empty apartment but it is locked.

At the end of the hall, the elevator "dings." Just as the door opens, Caesar jumps back into his apartment.

His mind a racing blur, he locks the door and runs back to the bedroom.

With another towel, he gags Corky and drags her into the closet. In her pocket, he finds the key.

He closes the doors, then hangs up the phone.

Grunting, he hauls Violet up over his shoulder --

When there is a knock on the door.

Carrying Violet, he hurries to the kitchen, where he throws Corky's gun into the freezer. Mickey is banging on the door as Caesar heads for the bathroom.

Dropping Violet onto the floor, he reaches behind the curtain and turns on the shower.

We hear the water hitting the bodies while Caesar starts tearing off his clothes.

He picks up his gun.

She stares hard at him and his gun, then nods.

We move toward the door as the lock clicks open.

Violet's hands are untied. She pulls off the gag and the ropes at her feet.

Naked, Caesar sticks his head under the shower spray, wetting everything.

Still dripping, Caesar walks into the room, a towel wrapped around his waist, another towel in his hand.

Mickey and Lou are standing in the middle of the room.

Caesar jumps.

Caesar holds his chest, laying it on a bit thick.

He sees they both are holding their guns.

Mickey smiles, putting his gun away.

Behind the bar, he sets down the towel be was holding and we see the gun hidden inside it.

Violet watches through a sliver of open door, her mind already working.

Caesar is making the drinks.

Caesar hands him a drink.

Mickey smiles as he sips his drink.

Violet stands and goes to the shower curtain. She reaches in and turns off the water. Steadying herself, she pulls back the curtain, exposing the wet, bloody bodies.

Mickey is looking at the furniture.

The knot in Caesar's stomach tightens.

He laughs, and Lou laughs with him.

Caesar smiles feebly.

Violet has pulled up Johnnie's body and is digging through his coat pockets, searching for something.

Mickey sees the briefcase still on the coffee table.

Caesar puts his hand inside the towel as Mickey walks across the rug.

Talking to Lou, be picks up the case and walks back, somehwo moving right between the wet spots.

He slaps the case up onto the bar.

He thumbs the latches but the case is still locked.

Caesar takes the smallest breath.

He pulls out a lock-pick and starts working the lock. The muscles in Caesar's forearm bulge as he tightly squeezes his gun.

He is slipping toward that same desperate choice. He is going to attack when --

Across the room, the phone rings.

Everyone looks at it.

The phone is near the couch. Caesar doesn't want to let go of the gun.

The phone continues to ring.

Violet has Johnnie's cellular phone.

Watching through the cracked door, Violet sees Caesar cross to answer the phone.

Caesar looks toward the bathroom.

Caesar's eyes light up.

Mickey jumps up.

Violet has her robe over her dress, wrapping her hair in a towel, making sure the bruise on her forehead is hidden.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watches Violet come out of the bathroom.

Mickey sees Violet.

Caesar hangs up.

Mick is already on the way.

Caesar sees Violet walking toward the kitchen.

She stops, looking straight at the freezer.

She turns to him.

She turns to the bathroom.

He grabs the briefcase.

Where Corky remains bound, still unconscious. We hear the name echo in her head.

Suddenly, her eyes blink open.

Her eyes blink again as she tries to focus.

Violet hands Mickey the keys for the car and the case.

He kisses her on the cheek.

Mickey and Lou leave. Violet is staring at Caesar, standing near the door.

In his right hand he is holding the other towel. He smiles.

He drops the towel, raising the gun.

He smiles again.

Corky is wide awake, thrashing-mad, biting her gag, struggling to get free.

Caesar pulls his pants on.

Caesar drags Violet througb the front door.

The closet doors burst open as Corky fights her way out.

Caesar sees the buckets of paint.

He rips the lid from the nearest and kicks it over. Paint spills out across the floor.

Suddenly Corky stops; something has caught her eye. We drop down, focusing on what she is staring at --

The clippers.

He kicks over the second bucket and the bag tumbles out with the rushing flow of paint.

He turns to Violet, who is already running out the door.

Violet turns down the hall, bare feet beating against the floor.

Caesar slices out of the room behind her.

He aims the gun as she hurls her self into the emergency door.

She flies, hands on the rail, spiraling down each flight as he charges after her.

Straining, Corky's fingers curl around the handle of the clippers.

Violet smashes through the door, but instead of turning to the main doors, she runs straight for the elevators.

She pounds the button and waits.

She hears Caesar coming just as the elevator opens.

Caesar crashes out of the stair door, running toward the exit. When he doesn't see Violet, he turns to the sound of the elevator --

And catches a glimpse of her as the doors close.

Taking a really deep breath, he throws open the door to the stairs.

Violet takes Johnnie's cellular phone from the robe pocket and dials a number.

Mickey answers on the car phone.

Whispering, she acts terrified.

She hangs up, eyes blazing.

Sweat pouring off him, Caesar climbs the stairs.

The elevator opens, Violet bolts out. She runs down the hall, past the empty apartment, back to her door.

She rushes to the bedroom, where she finds the coils of cut rope.

She looks at the wall separating the apartment.

Caesar half-falls out of the stair door, drenched with sweat.

Gun ready, Caesar throws open the door.

Spread out like a pond of milk is the spilled paint, but --

The money is gone.

Leading away from the white pool are boot prints and the drip trail of the plastic bag.

The tracks lead to the bathroom.

Caesar kicks open the bathroom door and finds the bag of money next to Corky's empty boots.

Over his shoulder we see Corky already swinging a massive pipe wrench.

At the last second he is able to duck, falling to the ground as --

The doorjamb splinters with a terrible metal crunch.

Before he can recover and shoot, she brings the wrench down on his arm.

He screams as the gun hits the floor.

She kicks it, sending it skidding, hydroplaning across the paint pool to the other side, leaving a jet trail of white swirls and spirals on the wood floor.

They fight, Corky raining blows onto his back and flailing arm until --

He catches her foot, flipping her as he clambers up.

Scrambling across the paint, slipping, crawling for the gun when --

Violet bursts in, pointing the gun from the freezer.

Caesar, on hands and knees, looks at her, then at his gun still out of reach.

Violet stands for long time, the gun trained carefully on him as he rises from the floor.

Panting, Caesar watches her like a mad dog.

He smiles.

She glances down and sees the paint-covered gun.

He turns to the gun.

Violet fires --

The bullet hits Caesar in the shoulder, knocking him off balance. Another doubles him over as blood speckles the pool of paint.

She empties the gun into him. His body arcs back, falling, splashing into the paint.

Caesar's blood bubbles out bright red against the glistening white.

It is empty and clean. In the bedroom, only a few hangers are left dangling in the open closet.

Mickey is standing with Violet, next to his Lincoln Town Car.

Mickey nods.

She hugs him and he kisses her. Then he gets in his car. Violet watches him drive away and knows that she is free.

Corky sitting on stoop, patient, like a rock.

She looks up as she hears high heels, and smiles at --

Violet standing there, new outfit.

Corky stands in front of her.

Corky nods.

Violet nods.

Corky digs out alarm keys, aims, fires. Violet turns, looks.

New truck.

Violet turns to Corky, eyebrow cocked.

Smiles, they get in.

Corky admires truck.

Lean for kiss, as dolly in.

Guns engine.

Zoom.