THE WOMAN

You don't belong here. There's still a

chance for you to get away.
BILL is momentarily unnerved by this but he is also completely

captivated by the beauty and sensuality of this woman.
BILL

I'm terribly sorry but I think you've

mistaken me for someone else.
THE WOMAN

Please don't be foolish about this. You

must leave at once.
BILL

Who are you?
THE WOMAN

It doesn't matter. You must go.
BILL

Will you come with me?
THE WOMAN

That's impossible.
BILL

Impossible?
THE WOMAN

Impossible.
BILL

Is there someplace else here we could

go?
THE WOMAN

Absolutely not. Please believe me, if

you are discovered it will go hard with

you.
BILL moves closer to her but she steps back.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANOTHER WOMAN

What's the matter. Why don't you

dance?
BILL sees two men watching him from another corner and suspects

that this woman has been sent to put him to the test.
He smiles.
BILL

I would love to dance.
But just at that moment, THE WOMAN returns.
She pretends that she has just noticed him and says in a voice that

can be heard by the two men.
THE WOMAN

Returned at last.

(she laughs)

All your efforts are useless. I know you.
Then turning to the other woman she whispers:
THE WOMAN

Let me have him first - just for a while.
The other woman smiles agreement, and with a light step goes to join

the two men who have been watching.
THE WOMAN

Don't ask any questions, and don't be

surprised at anything. I have tried to

lead them astray but you can't fool

them for much longer. Go before it is

too late, - and be careful that no one

follows you. No one must know who

you are. There would be no more

peace for you. Go!
BILL

[illegible]?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE WOMAN

There is no way.
He takes her hand and draws her closer to him.
BILL

I must see you again.
She whispers, despairingly
THE WOMAN

Go.
BILL

Is there no way I can ever see you

again.
THE WOMAN

No. We must never meet again. It

could cost your life and mine.
Just at that moment, a tall man stops before them, and with a slight

bow, courteous but imperative, says:
TALL MAN

Will you dance with me?
THE WOMAN hesitates but the TALL MAN puts his arm around her

waist and leads her away the adjoining room.
A moment later, a voice whispers behind BILL.
ELEGANT MAN

Password!
BILL turns around and sees two men.
One, heavy-set, the other, slim and elegant.
ELEGANT MAN

Password!
BILL

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fidelio Rainbow.
ELEGANT MAN

That's right, sir. That's the password

for admittance, but may I ask what is

the password for the house?
BILL is stuck. He takes a deep breath..
ELEGANT MAN

Won't you be kind enough to tell me

the password of the house?
This time it sounds like a threat.
BILL can't think of anything to say. He shakes his head and shrugs.
BILL

Sorry. It looks like I must have

forgotten it.
The elegant man walks to the middle of the room and raises his hand.
Everything gradually comes to a stop.
Blindfolded, Nick stops playing when someone places a hand on his

shoulder and whispers something to him.
With all eyes on him, the two men walk back to BILL.
ELEGANT MAN

The password, sir! I must demand that

you give it.
BILL

Look, I'm terribly sorry but I've told

you, I must have forgotten it.
ELEGANT MAN

That's unfortunate. For here it doesn't

matter whether you have forgotten it or

if you never knew it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the men slowly gather around BILL.
BILL

Well, gentlemen, I seem to owe you

all an apology.
ELEGANT MAN

It is too late for apologies.
BILL

Well, be that as it may, you have my

most sincere regrets for not

remembering the second password.
ELEGANT MAN

I'm afraid this is not a question of

regret but of _expiation_.
BILL

Well, gentlemen, you must excuse me

now. I am leaving.
ELEGANT MAN

I'm afraid that is no longer possible.
BILL

Gentlemen, don't you think this farce

has gone far enough?
BILL looks for a way out but no one makes way for him.
ELEGANT MAN

You will kindly remove your mask.
BILL looks around at the masked faces surrounding him.
ELEGANT MAN (sharply)

Please remove your mask.
BILL slowly removes his mask and puts it in his pocket.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE WOMAN

I am ready to redeem him.
There is a murmur of surprise in the room.
THE WOMAN reaches for the veil, which is wrapped around her

head, face and neck and unwinds it with a wonderful circular

movement.
It sinks to the floor, leaving her naked, her dark hair falling in great

profusion over her shoulders, breasts and hips.
ELEGANT MAN

You are ready to redeem him?
THE WOMAN

Yes, I am.
There is a low gasp from the assemblage.
ELEGANT MAN

You know what you're taking upon

yourself in doing this?
THE WOMAN

Yes.
Another murmur from the room.
The elegant man turns back to BILL.
ELEGANT MAN

You are free. Leave this house at

once. But first I must warn you that if

you make any further inquiries or

inform anyone about what you have

seen here tonight, there will be the

most serious consequences for yourself

and your family. Do you understand

that?
BILL doesn't reply immediately.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BILL

How is this woman to redeem me?
ELEGANT MAN

That has nothing to do with you.
BILL shakes his head.
BILL

I can't let this woman pay for me.
ELEGANT MAN

You would be unable, in any case, to

change her fate. When a promise has

been made here there is no turning

back.
THE WOMAN

_Go! You cannot save me._
As she says this, she tears off the mask, allowing BILL a momentary

glimpse of her face.
Then he is seized by irresistible arms and pushed out.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

INT BILL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

It is four o'clock in the morning.
BILL, now changed back into his own clothes, enters his apartment.
Everyone is asleep.
He goes into his study and locks the costume and tux in a closet.
In order not to wake ALICE, he undresses before going into the

bedroom.
BEDROOM

ALICE is asleep, lying with her arms folded under her head
Her lips are half open and painful shadows surround them.
It is a face BILL does not know.
He bends down over her, and at once her forehead becomes lined

with furrows, as though someone had touched it, and her features

seem strangely distorted.
Suddenly, still in her sleep, she laughs so shrilly that he becomes

alarmed.
BILL (involuntarily)

Alice.
She laughs again, as if in answer, in a strange, almost uncanny

manner.
BILL

Alice?
She opens her eyes, slowly and with difficulty.
She stares at him, as though she does not recognise him.
BILL (softly)

Alice?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As she wakes up, an expression of fear, even of terror comes into her

eyes.
Half awake, and seemingly in despair, she raises her arms.
BILL

What's the matter?
ALICE stares at him, still frightened.
BILL

Alice, it's me.
ALICE breathes deeply, tries to smile, drops her arms on the blanket.
ALICE (in a far away voice)

Is it morning yet?
BILL

It will be very soon. It's a little past

four o'clock. I've just come home.
She nods but barely seems to have heard or understood him.
She stares into space, as though she can see through him.
He bends over and touches her forehead.
She shudders slightly.
BILL

What's the matter?
She shakes her head slowly and he passes his hand gently over her

hair.
BILL

Alice, you laughed so strangely.

What's the matter?
ALICE (distantly)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been dreaming.
BILL (gently)

What have you been dreaming?
ALICE

Oh, so much, I can't quite

remember.
BILL (gently)

Perhaps if you try.
ALICE

It was all so confused - and I'm tired.

You must be tired, too.
BILL

Not really. I don't think I'll go to

bed at all. You know, sometimes when

I come home so late it's better to just

go straight to work.
ALICE nods without interest.
BILL

But why don't you tell me about

your dream?
He smiles a little artificially.
ALICE

You really ought to lie down and

take a little rest.
BILL hesitates a moment, then he stretches himself beside her, though

he is careful not to touch her.
They lie there silently with open eyes, and they feel both their

closeness and the distance that separates them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a while he raises his head on his arm and looks at her for a long

time, as though he can see much more than just the outlines of her

face.
BILL

Tell me about your dream.
Bill says this, once more, as if she had been waiting for his invitation.
She holds out her hand to him, he takes it, and as he had often done

before, he holds it and plays with her slender fingers, more absent-

mindedly than tenderly.
ALICE sighs and begins to speak uncertainly.
ALICE

I think it started in my parents house.

They weren't there. I was alone. That

surprised me because our wedding was

the next day and I didn't have a

wedding dress.
Then you and I were floating above a

ancient city. It was a kind of crazy mix

of ancient architectural styles.

Oriental, Egyptian, Greek and Roman

architecture. And it was completely

deserted. The streets were empty - no

people, no animals. And I remember

thinking, so this is our honeymoon.
Then it was night and the sky was so

full of stars, and so blue and wide it

seemed like it was painted. You said it

was the ceiling of our bridal chamber

and you took me in your arms and

made love to me and said you would

love me forever.
BILL

I hope you loved me, too.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BILL says this with an invisible, malicious smile.
ALICE

Even more than you did me. We

made love and it was wonderful,

though there was a sadness to it, and a

presentment of sorrow.
Suddenly it was morning and we were

somewhere in the strange city.
We were still completely alone. But

something terrible had happened - our

clothes were gone. I was terrified as I

had never been before, and felt such a

burning shame that it almost consumed

me.
At the same time I was furious with

you because I thought it was your fault.

And this sensation of terror, shame and

fury was more intense than any

emotion I had ever felt before.
You felt guilty and rushed away naked,

to go and get clothes for us.
As soon as you were gone I felt

wonderful. I neither felt sorry for you,

or worried about you. It was heavenly

to be alone.
I was lying in a lush garden, stretched

out naked in the sunlight, and I was far

more beautiful than I ever was in

reality.
And while I lay there, a young man

walked out of the woods. He was the

young Naval officer I told you about

from the hotel.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

He looked different but I knew it was

him. He stopped in front of me and

looked at me searchingly.
I laughed seductively and wantonly, as

I have never laughed in my life, and he

held out his arms to me and sank down

beside me.
ALICE falls silent. BILLS throat is parched. In the darkness of the room

he can see she has concealed her face in her hands.
BILL

A strange dream, but that's not the

end, is it?
ALICE doesn't reply.
BILL

Was that the end?
ALICE

No.
BILL

Then why don't you tell me the rest of

it?
ALICE

It's not easy. Some things are not easy

to say.
BILL

It's was only a dream.
ALICE sighs and continues, hesitantly.
ALICE

He looked at me...and slowly took me

in his arms...and we began making

love.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALICE (continuing)

I seemed to live through countless

days and nights - there was neither

time nor space. And the more we

made love the more our hunger for

each other increased.
And just as that earlier feeling of terror

and shame went beyond anything I had

ever felt, so nothing can be compared

with the freedom and happiness and

the..._desire_ that I now felt.
Then I realized there other couples

around us - hundreds of them, and

they too were making love.
Then I was making love to the other

men, and as soon as my longing was

satisfied with one, I wanted another.
I can't say how many I was with.

And yet I didn't for one moment forget

you. And all this time, you were

buying the most beautiful clothes and

jewellery you could find for me.
Then you were being followed by a

crowd of people who were shouting

threats. Then you were seized by

soldiers, and there were also priests

among them. Somebody - a gigantic

person, tied your hands. You were still

naked.
I knew you were going to be crucified

but I felt no sympathy for you. I still

blamed you for everything that had

happened.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I felt that I was far removed from you

but I knew you could see me naked in

the arms of countless men in this sea

of nakedness which foamed around

me.
The soldiers began to whip you and

blood flowed down you in streams. I

saw it without feeling any surprise or

pity.
Then you smiled at me as if to show

you had fulfilled my wish and bought

me everything I wanted. But I thought

your actions were ridiculous and I

wanted to make fun of you - to laugh in

your face.
They began to nail you to the cross

and I hoped that you would be able to

hear my laughter. And so I laughed as

shrill and loud as I could... That must

have been the laugh that you heard

when I woke up.
Neither of them moves or says anything. Any remark at this moment

would seem futile.
BILL realizes he is still holding ALICE'S hand.
She remains silent and motionless.
Ready as he is to hate her, his feeling of tenderness for these slender,

cool fingers is unchanged except that it is more acute.
Involuntarily, he gently presses his lips on the familiar hand before

he lets it go.
ALICE'S eyes are closed and there is the trace of a happy, innocent

smile playing about her mouth.
He feels an incomprehensible desire to make love to her.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

He rolls over and puts his arm around her but then checks himself.
He stretches himself out beside ALICE, who now seems asleep.
As he closes his eyes, he thinks:
V.O.

Whore of her dreams.
There is now a sword between us.
We are lying here like mortal enemies.


Eyes Wide Shut screenplay: next page (7)
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