Ken Russell's Dracula (7 page)

of them.

RENFIELD

Yes, Doctor Seward,

certainly, I will crush

the life out of them here

and now if you wish, but

if you could allow me a

little while longer I shall

dispose of them to greater

purpose.

CLOSE SHOT: Dr. Seward’s eye
through the peephole.

DR. SEWARD

(
voice-over
)

I will consider it,

Renfield.

DR. SEWARD’S POINT OF VIEW:

RENFIELD nods thankfully then
busies himself staring into the corners of the room.

INT. SANATORIUM CORRIDOR.
DAY.

DR SEWARD turns away and speaks to
LUCY.

DR. SEWARD

His case grows more

Interesting daily. This

zoophagous tendency is a

completely new departure.

LUCY

Zoo ... what?

DR. SEWARD

Zoophagous - life-consuming.

LUCY

(
lightly
)

Well, if nothing else flies

are a very economical diet.

At this rate you’ll soon be

able to afford central

heating.

DR. SEWARD

(
showing concern
)

Are you cold, dearest?

LUCY

Yes.

(
wondering if it is the

hand of Death she is

feeling
)

It is cold in here,

isn’t it?

DR. SEWARD

(
playing along
)

Now you mention it, yes.

Come along.

Lucy realises he is humouring her
and becomes stubborn.

LUCY

First tell me about the

Patient. What’s a madman

doing in your home for

incurables?

Dr Seward, seeing her growing
anxiety, reluctantly informs her.

DR. SEWARD

His name is Renfield.

Like you he was suffering

from leukemia.

LUCY

... Was?

Dr. Seward mentally bites his
tongue, evades her question and hurriedly continues.

DR. SEWARD

He went off to Europe

looking for a miracle cure

and came back from

Transylvania totally

deranged.

LUCY

(
persisting
)

... and totally alive.

How long ago?

DR. SEWARD

(
reluctantly
)

About six months, but he’s –

To Lucy at death’s door, six months
seems an eternity.

LUCY

(
interrupting
)

A lifetime! Maybe I should

follow his example? Better

mad than dead.

Lucy turns back to the peephole and
stares at Renfield with new interest as he commences to prophesize.

RENFIELD

And he shall come riding

In triumph on the crest of

the wave. And he will bring

to the faithful the Kiss of

Peace which is life eternal,

for the blood the life,

the power, and the glory,

amen.

RESUME: CORRIDOR.

DR SEWARD gently pulls LUCY away
from the peephole to face him.

DR. SEWARD

Lucy, come away, please;

Renfield cannot help us.

You’re upsetting yourself.

LUCY

(
breaking down
)

I’m sorry, it’s my fault.

I made you show me around.

I thought that seeing other

condemned unfortunates like

myself would help ...

but it doesn’t.

DR. SEWARD

Let me see you home.

LUCY

(
flaring up
)

Just because I am dying

doesn’t mean you have to

spend every minute with me.

(
she regrets her outburst

and softens
)

No, darling, I’ve wasted

enough of your time as it

is. I came here uninvited;

it was foolish of me. I can

drive myself back.

Dr. Seward looks at her adoringly
and takes her hand.

DR. SEWARD

Then I shall call on you

Tomorrow as usual.

LUCY

(
falling against his

chest weeping
)

Oh Martin, I’m so afraid.

The farewell performance.

I can’t do it, I can’t.

DR. SEWARD

(
interrupting gently

but firmly
)

You must, Lucy dearest,

you must carry on as if you

were going to sing forever.

You must be strong for all

those that care for you and

love you; and for me.

She embraces Dr.Seward and kisses
him passionately,then runs off along the gloomy corridor in tears. Briefly, Dr.
Seward goes to follow her, but checks himself, believing it best not to be
witness to her distress. As her sobbing dies away he turns back to Renfield’s
cell.

DR. SEWARD

You have forty-eight hours

to get rid of the flies,

Renfield.

RESUME: RENFIELD’S CELL.

RENFIELD is standing on his table
staring at a corner of the ceiling.

RENFIELD

Thank you, Doctor, you are

Most kind; almost as kind

as the Master.

SLOW DISSOLVE: THE SS DEMETER
Steaming through calm seas at dusk.

SUPERIMPOSE: a pair of burning
eyes.

FADE OUT THE SHIP: leaving the eyes
alone which are now seen to be peering from a narrow slit in the raised lid of
the casket containing Dracula!

THE HOLD OF THE SS DEMETER.
DUSK.

On ascertaining that he is alone,
DRACULA throws back the lid of the casket, climbs out and begins to scale a
ladder towards an open hatchway in the deck above.

DISSOLVE TO: A Death’s Head Spider
climbing up its web.

CUT BACK TO REVEAL:

INT. RENFIELD’S CELL. DUSK.

RENFIELD, with a childlike smile on
his face, watches the climbing spider until a well-known voice causes him to
spin round to the door with a guilty look.

CLOSE UP: DR. SEWARD’S eye looking
through the peephole.

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

Show me your matchbox,

Renfield.

Sheepishly, Renfield complies and a
nest of spiders cascades onto the floor. Instantly he is on his hands and knees
desperately trying to retrieve them.

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

They are a source of

anxiety, Renfield. For your

own peace of mind you must

get rid of them.

Renfield continues chasing the
spiders while jabbering away to the doctor.

RENFIELD

I was just doing as you

said Doctor, disposing of

the flies.

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

You need more therapeutic

pursuits, Renfield; I shall

see to it.

RENFIELD

Thank you, Doctor.

Of course, if I might

have just a little time

longer to clear them out ...

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

Of course, Renfield.

RENFIELD

Thank you, Doctor,

thank you!

As Renfield scuttles about the
floor the CAMERA zooms into the Death’s Head Spider sucking the blood of a fly
entangled in its web.

DISSOLVE TO: What at first appears
to be a close shot of the web but which is revealed to be the mesh of a hammock
in the boatswain’s cabin on board –

THE SS DEMETER. NIGHT.

The BOATSWAIN sleeps blissfully as
DRACULA sucks gently from a wound in his neck draining his very life blood,
then creeps away like a spider bloated with the blood of a fly, spun in a web
of death.

INT. RENFIELD’S CELL.
NIGHT.

By the light of the moon, RENFIELD
is seen at his barred window feverishly making a primitive cage from rushes and
twine.

DISSOLVE TO: A sparrow pecking up
bread on a window-sill. Suddenly a hand enters frame and grabs it away.

INT. RENFIELD’S CELL. DAY.

Renfield stuffs the bird into his
home-made cage and laughs in triumph.

CLOSE SHOT: The bird twittering
noisily.

CLOSE SHOT: A seagull screeching.

CLOSE SHOT: A corpse bound in the
Union flag hitting the water.

EXT. SS. DEMETER. DAY.

The CAPTAIN and CREW, EIGHT MEN in
all, stand solemnly by the rail, heads bowed in remembrance of their dead
shipmate.

CAPTAIN

May his soul rest in peace.

As the seagulls cry mockingly, the
CAPTAIN stomps off to the bridge.

CAPTAIN

Carry on, Mister Mate.

The Mate turns towards the troubled
crew.

MATE

Return to your duties!

The men shift and murmur uneasily.

MATE

Come on, jump to it!

Unable to put into words their
disquiet, the men reluctantly disperse.

INSERT: Dr. Seward’s eyes staring
through the peephole.

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

Have you disposed of the

spiders, Renfield?

INT, RENFIELD’S CELL. DAY.

RENFIELD turns quickly away from
his barred window and scooping up the matchbox from the cell, bounds over to
the door as pleased as a puppy doing a trick for its master. He slowly opens
the matchbox. It is empty.