MATTHIAS-
...and, oh, brothers and sisters, I ask
you to look at him. Does he have
the Marks? Do you see them?
(muffled answers
of "no, no.")
You see him as we were before the
Punishment, before we gained grace.
You see lying there, the last of
scientists and bankers and business-
men...the users of the wheel! Do
we use the tools of the wheel, as
he does?
("no, not.")
Is he of The Family?
("no, not")
Is he of the Sacred Society?
(no, not.")
Then ... what is he?
(confused mumbling,
anger)
Yes, you were a scientist. The kind of man who understood nothing until there was almost nothing left to understand
CAMERA CLEARS VERY SLOWLY TO AN UP SHOT NEVILLE's POINT OF VIEW
WE SEE the vague image of someone in robes in a high pulpit, behind a high bench. CAMERA MOVES SLOWLY, APPEARING TO SEEK FOCUS. THEN IT SNAPS INTO FOCUS IN ZOOM - VERY CLOSE SHOT of large reflective sunglasses. It is Matthias. His hood is pushed back, and the rooms illumination is quite low.
He seems to float in the darkness with candle-flames flickering around and behind him.
LONG DOWN SHOT - NEVILLE TIED ON FLOOR MATTHIAS POINT OF VIEW
Neville is regaining consciousness. CAMERA MOVES SLOWLY DOWN on him as Matthias talks.
MATTHIAS (O.S.)
He is part of the dead...he has no place here. He has the stink of oil and electric
circuitry about him. He is obsolete...
( ...yes, yes.")
WIDE ANGIE SHOT CHAMBER IN FEDERAL COURT BUILDING
Its former function should still be evident, but it-now serves as the place where the Sacred Society governs the Family. It is courtroom, meetinghouse, church of the group. It is dark, hung with black cloth. The room is full of the hooded creatures that we have seen before. Only Matthias and perhaps half a dozen of his immediate followers do not wear hoods. Their hair and skin is dead white, their eyes are covered by an assortment of shields.
MATTHIAS
And what shall we do with old machinery...?
ZOOM CLOSE SHOT - MATTHIAS - NEVILLE'S POINT OF VIEW
He points at Neville.
MATTHIAS
... you are discarded. You are the rubbish of the past...
MED. CLOSE SHOT - NEVILLE
His initial horror and fear past, he LAUGHS aloud.
NEVILLE
This is a bloody Halloween party...
Youre all sick ... You need...
Those nearest, knock him back down, silence him.
MED. SHOT - MATTHIAS
He smiles, shakes his head. His voice becomes soft with false compassion. He leans down over his pulpit.
MATTHIAS
How hard it is to admit the truth.
(beat)
Take him to the little room. For the Questioning...
MED. SHOT - CREATURES DRAGGING NEVILLE CAMERA FOLLOWS as they take
Neville into a smaller room.
Fora da Família não há salvação
He's confessed all, Brothers. Murder, use of forbidden tools, practice of proscribed rites. He admits 'science, medicine, weapons, machines, electricity. He has not shared the Punishment; he does not bear the Marks...
MED. LONG SHOT - THE LITTLE ROOM - MATTHIAS AND NEVILLE
This room resembles the small chambers in which private questioning took place during the Inquisition. The table is long and there are candles and books on it. The scene should be Gothic and just this side of a put-on. Taste here, as elsewhere, must be exquisite so as to tread the line between the grotesque, the demented, and the Camp.
MATTHIAS
Well, now, Mr. Neville, we can talk for a little while. It's been a
long time since you've talked -- except to yourself.
CLOSE SHOT - NEVILLE'S REACTION
Neville is surprised. He has assumed Matthias was truly and completely insane.
NEVILLE
So you dont rant all the time? Why bother with it at all?
MED. SHOT - MATTHIAS
He LAUGHS, walks around the dark room.
MATTHIAS
Yes, you were a scientist. The kind of man who understood nothing until there was almost nothing left to understand.
NEVILLE
(surly)
I'm getting along...
MATTHIAS
You're getting dead, Mr. Neville -- or doctor or colonel, whatever they called you. I have responsibility for the last tiny remnant of mankind ... I have that responsibility.
NEVILLE
Then why the hell dont you live up to it? Why don't you throw away the costumes and get these people organized, try to work on a cure...
Matthias turns on him angrily.
MATTHIAS
Oh. we are organized. You know that well enough. A cure? There is none. In the early days ... Have you seen the ruins of the general hospital? Thousands of bodies littering the corridors, rooms jammed with the dead ... and finally... those pitiful few who were left, hopeless, going mad, lynching the doctors, the technicians who had betrayed them... By the way, why weren't you there... Doctor?
REACTION SHOT - NEVILLE
NEVILLE
I tried. There was a crash...
TWO SHOT - MATTHIAS AND NEVILLE,
MATTHIAS
It doesn't matter. There was no cure. Is none. The curse you people created, couldn't stop, is... forever. So Ive turned that curse into a blessing.
CLOSE SHOT - NEVILLE'S REACTION
MATTHIAS (O.S.)
No. now the Family has found its way. It can bear the burden -- the only curse left is -- you.
NEVILLE
You are insane. And before very damn long, youll be dead -- can't you see that?
CLOSE SHOT - MATTHIAS
MATTHIAS
(angrily)
last night you killed how many? Three of us? And today We don't know yet. And before that? You've killed dozens...Youre the messenger of death, Doctor, not us.
TWO SHOT - NEVILLE AND MATTHIAS
OTHERS come INTO the room now, and Matthias manner changes. Once again he adopts the portentous pose of judge-prophet.
NEVILLE
I was defending myself ... You lunatics came after me...
MATTHIAS
He's confessed all, Brothers. Murder, use of forbidden tools, practice of proscribed rites. He admits 'science, medicine, weapons, machines, electricity. He has not shared the Punishment; he does not bear the Marks...
CLOSE SHOT - NEVILLE
NEVILLE
What is the Punishment? The Marks?
WIDE ANGLE GROUP SHOT - MATTHIAS AND GROUP OF FAMILY
As Neville speaks, the group stares at him. This is the first group appearance of the Family. WE SEE that they are of both sexes and all races. Some seem fairly young, however there are no children. In addition to the hoods, we find some wearing goggles, some helmets with dark visors, etc. Obviously, all these forms of eye guards have been scavenged in the empty city.
SERIES OF CLOSE SHOTS - INDIVIDUAL FAMILY MEMBERS
As CAMERA PANS from one to another, each removes his or her glasses, goggles, etc. revealing blank white eyes. CAMERA completes pan, stops on Matthias. He removes glasses, shows his own white eyes. For the first time, WE SEE the OPAQUE EYES of the Family.
MATTHIAS
(quietly)
These are the Marks, Mr. Neville ... The Punishment is what you and those like you brought upon us...
CAMERA CLOSES on Matthias, closes slowly on his face, eyes, as he talks.
Xeque-Mate para Neville
You call us barbarians, Neville'. Very well, it's an honorable name. We mean to cancel the world you made. We will simply erase history from the time that machinery and weapons began to threaten more than they offered
MATTHIAS
In the beginning, we tried to help one another, those that were left. We tried to clean things up, set them straight. We buried and burned. And it came to us that we were spared for just that work...
PAN SHOT - FAMILY MEMBERS LISTENING TO MATTHIAS
MATTHIAS (O.S.)
... to bury what was dead, to burn what was evil, dangerous...
Neville's VOICE breaks in harsh, angry.
NEVILLE (O.S.)
So you burned libraries, laboratories...You wrecked computer centers, engineering facilities ... a herd of insane barbarians. Every night you go on burning.
PAN SHOT ENDS ON MATTHIAS. He still speaks very quietly.
MATTHIAS
You call us barbarians, Neville'. Very well, it's an honorable name. We mean to cancel the world you made. We will simply erase history from the time that machinery and weapons began to threaten more than they offered.
CLOSE SHOT - NEVILLE
NEVILLE
You'll play hell...
CLOSE SHOT - MATTHIAS
MATTHIAS
No, you've played hell you and your dead kinsmen of the car and the plane and the tank and the bomb ... and when you die, the-last living reminder of hell will be gone ... forever.
As he speaks, CAMERA PULLS OUT TO GROUP SHOT. The Family RS assent.
Matthias turns to Zachary.
MATTHIAS
Brother Zachary?
ZACHARY
We got everything ready.
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