9

SEQ. 05 - PROLOGUE

The Focus Features logo appears on screen and we slide INTOthe “O” in Focus.

Stock dissolves from 35mm to 16mm. BLACK & WHITE. GRAINY,

like OLD DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE.

SCIENTIST’S VOICE

Experiment 208, day 20...

INT. SCIENTIST’S LAB - DAY

We see an early incarnation of a MACHINE (this will be theinner brain of the FABRICATION MACHINE). We see the scientist, in a white coat.

We pull back to see the Scientist is playing a complicatedMULTI-LEVEL 3-D chess game on a MULTI-LEVEL GAME BOARD with

the MACHINE. The Scientist makes an elaborate multi-level

move. The Machine reaches an arm out into the chess game butthen malfunctions and strews the game everywhere.

We pull back further to see the back and legs of the DICTATOR, with black-uniformed soldiers flanking him. The

regime’s emblem can be seen on the uniforms.

DICTATOR:

Useless.

SCIENTIST:

Please. Give it a chance.

We’re on the machine, which is clicking and jerking as itmalfunctions.

DICTATOR (V.O.)

One more. That’s all.

He turns to leave. We hear the clicking of boots as the soldiers accompany him out.

We see the scientist’s dejected face as he comes towards thecamera to turn it off.

CUT TO:

BLACK:

And then...

2.

INT. SCIENTIST’S LAB - NIGHT

The grainy footage rolls again; we see the scientist moving away from the camera (having just turned it on).

The lab is shadowy, late at night. We see his worktable for

the first time, covered with discarded sketches, a furiously filled-in journal, and pieces of failed machinery (the floor is also similarly littered). The TALISMAN sits on the

worktable. Nearby is a small old-fashioned tiny little box.

SCIENTIST:

(tired, but dictating to

keep the documentary

record complete)

My last possible solution....

(muttering to himself)

It must work...

He gently brushes his fingers over the little box as though for good luck. He picks the TALISMAN up off the table. He

moves over to insert the talisman into the port of the machine.

His back to us, he faces the machine. We see him putting something over his face (but only from behind).

There is a sudden FLASH OF GREEN LIGHT and the machine JOLTS,

and then suddenly, starts up...lighting up, electricity crackling, parts moving in smooth coordination, etc.

The scientist waits, watching. The machine continues to run.

Its arms move smoothly, almost curiously.

The scientist puts the device covering his face down and gets up and comes towards the camera.

We see the camera’s POV as the scientist comes toward us:

CLOSE on the scientist’s face, which is exhausted, cheeks sunken, eyes wide, pupils dilated.

Pull back to show the machine purring, suddenly full of a new sort of energy. Something new has happened.

The scientist switches off the camera and:

CUT TO:

3.

INT. SCIENTIST’S LAB - A DAY LATER

The machine zips through the complex 3-D chess game at

lightning speed, checkmating the scientist in seconds as the Dictator watches.

The scientist laughs fondly and pats the machine.

DICTATOR:

Perfect.

SCIENTIST:

(proudly)

You see, it evolves.

The scientist proudly gives the machine to the dictator. Aflash goes off: someone is taking a picture O.S.

The dictator exits; we hear the click of boots and see as much as possible of the soldiers flanking him.

OUT OF SIGHT OF THE SCIENTIST,

CLOSE on the machine: the dictator is gripping it with a nasty firmness. The machine seems to try to squirm away.

The director’s BLACK-GLOVED HAND grasps it harder.

The machine, responding to the brutality, lashes an arm out and grabs the nearest soldier (seen from the back, we see only the uniform and helmeted head) by the back of his arm,

BREAKING his ARM. The soldier falls (if possible).

The dictator CONTINUES ON WITHOUT BREAKING STRIDE.

DICTATOR:

(chillingly)

Yes. Perfect.

And we:

DISSOLVE TO:

SEQ. 010 - Title Sequence

IN BLACK:

TITLE CARD #1

4.

RADIO (V.O.)

(robotic sounding)

Alert. We are in a state of

emergency...

Sounds of WAR:
EXPLOSIONS, MACHINE GUNS, SCREAMS...

FADE UP INTO:

INT. SCIENTIST’S WORKSHOP - DAY

A tiny, cluttered attic, filled with bits and pieces of found material--burlap, door hinges, an old shoe, old eyeglasses,

rusty scissors, pen nibs, gas masks, etc. We see the tiny little box sitting on the cluttered makeshift worktable.

TITLE CARD #2

RADIO (V.O.)

...the Machines have become

uncontrollable... they are shooting at will... ALERT: stay in your homes.

Grainy footage as we see the scientist looking around desperately--he’s obviously in hiding.

SCIENTIST:

(heartbroken)

My invention... my beauty... beauty was taken...

He is feverishly cobbling together a SMALL BURLAP DOLL.

He labels the burlap doll on its back: “1.” He makes frantic notes in a journal. He brushes his fingers over the little box for good luck, then moves towards a strange contraption on the table.

FLASHES and EXPLOSIONS shake the workshop horribly.

TITLE CARD #3

RADIO (V.O.)

Reports are coming in... they’ve breached the Northern walls of the city...

The radio voice is DROWNED OUT BY EXPLOSIONS.

DISSOLVE TO:

5.

TITLE CARD #4

INT. SCIENTIST’S LAB - ANOTHER DAY

RADIO (V.O.)

An announcement from our

Chancellor!

DICTATOR’S VOICE

(on the radio)

Comrades, I have lost control. TheMachine is now our enemy. We need

to join forces to fight against it.

Rate this script:3.2 / 10 votes