2281
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I want to share the following still because, like several others for NoDS, it depicts a moment that's not really associated with the actual scene in the film -
(Click here for a 700X476 version)
- because nowhere during Scene 80 is Carlotta seen lying across the bed and looking to be in anguish. In fact, Carlotta remains calm and cool throughout. But hey, perhaps Grayson wanted to do an alternative take on things just for a photograph. Or perhaps the photographer simply wanted to showcase one of Selby's assets from just the right angle and pretended Grayson was the desired subject. We'll probably never know...
(Plus this version shows slightly more than the version shared in the Fest's 1999 Movie Calendar. Very slightly more, but still more...)
Grayson's script's versions of Scenes 79 & 80:
79 INT - UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR - DAY 79
as Quentin RUNS TOWARD CAMERA and pulls open a
door to one of the bedrooms.
CARLOTTA
Did you wish something, Mr.
Collins?
80 Carlotta ENTERS THE SHOT from the room. 80
QUENTIN
I saw a little girl - in that
window.
80 CONTD CONTD 80
CARLOTTA
Little girl?
QUENTIN
I was outside --
CARLOTTA
I know. I saw you from the window.
QUENTIN
But I didn't see you. I saw a
child -- holding a teddy bear --
CARLOTTA
There's been no one here but me.Yes, this is
It must have been a trick of a little girl's
the light. room It was
FLASH CUT - LITTLE GIRL IN THE WINDOW Mrs. Stoddards when
she was a child
as he remember's what he saw.
QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP
QUENTIN
Yes, it must have been.
Then not knowing what else to do
Well, I'd better get to work.
He EXITS toward the Tower as she stands there watching
him go. You'll understand later
youre
almost
ready
End of scene.
Notice that:
- As I alluded to in an earlier post, in Grayson's script there's no indication that Carlotta's line in Scene 79 was changed.
- Missing from her script in Scene 80 is the identification of the room as Sarah's - Carlotta simply enters the shot.
- Also missing from her script is the whole explanation of where Carlotta is in the room and what she's doing - as I also mentioned in an earlier post, Grayson simply added a notation to her script that she would be busy in the room, but in later copies of the script the directions and descriptions specifically say she's straightening the room, even though it was supposedly stuffed animals.
- And also missing from her script is the indication that Quentin crosses to the window and looks out (the second half of which isn't seen, anyway).
- And as I also mentioned in an earlier post, the idea that Sarah was holding a teddy bear is written into her script but is actually incorporated into Quentin's dialogue in later copies of the script.
- And also missing from her script is the indication that Quentin would look around the room after bringing up the teddy bear (though he doesn't actually look around the room in the film, anyway).
- And it's very interesting that they dropped Carlotta's explanation that there hadn't been anyone in the room but her. Perhaps they felt that might have given away too much too soon, so that's why it was replaced by the Mrs. Stoddard's childhood room excuse?
And speaking of the subjects of the little girl and the room, the close captioning leaves out another bit of dialogue - after Quentin asks, "This was a child's room, wasn't it?" in the film, Carlotta replies, "Yes, it was," and then follows that with, "It was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a little girl" - but when it comes to the closed captioning the "Yes, it was" is dropped and only that latter part is presented -
- (though also in this case the subtitles get everything correct).
Have you seen His Excellency? asks Aristede--he must be angry about the way I ran away, isn't he? You're wasting your time, says Tate--you can go grovel at the feet of your master--maybe he'll take you back--then again, maybe he won't! Afraid, Aristede asks--you go see Petofi and tell him I'm back, explain why I ran away--once you explain why, I'm sure he'll understand. Then why not explain yourself? asks Tate. I can't face him, protests Aristede--please do me this favor, you won't regret it. I have my own problems, says Tate--I'll see to it you're fed and get some nice clothes--and you do need all that--but as far as getting you together with Petofi and making things up, I draw the line. Tate opens his door--good night, Aristede.
and does Quentin really remember what he saw?
It's interesting that the quote from the script for today is:Page 30A/Scene 80 - Quentin: 'But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a teddy bear...'
Though as we know, what Quentin actually says in the film is "But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a doll...", and that's exactly what we saw him see. Apparently at some point after the script was written, it was changed to a doll.
I'm supposing (hoping) that the teddy bear was changed to a doll because otherwise it would have been rather anachronistic. What Quentin saw in his vision was something that happened around hundred years before the development of teddy bears. (And commercially produced stuffed toys didn't appear until just a couple decades or so before the teddy bear.)
I didn't even think of that, KMR - in 1810 Teddy Roosevelt wouldn't even be born for something close to 40 years! Having Sarah holding a teddy bear would have been very wrong!! Plus, like I said, I think a doll just works so much better (and for a variety or reasons that we'll be getting into later).
It's interesting that the quote from the script for today is:Page 30A/Scene 80 - Quentin: 'But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a teddy bear...'
Though as we know, what Quentin actually says in the film is "But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a doll...", and that's exactly what we saw him see. Apparently at some point after the script was written, it was changed to a doll. And honestly I think that works out better for what I'm holding off on getting into until later on. But what's also interesting is that in Grayson's version of the script, originally there was no dialogue referencing Sarah as holding anything - and as we'll see when I post Grayson's version of Scene 80, the holding of a teddy bear is something that was added by hand. So, apparently, first Sarah wasn't necessarily holding anything, then it was a teddy bear, then finally it became a doll.
And as far as DC's script goes, he has a notation that Quentin would turn to Carlotta before he delivers today's quote, and that's exactly what he does before he delivers the reworked version of the quote. However, DC also had some other notation - but he erased it so well that it's hard to decipher what he'd originally written - but if one really does look closely, it seems to be an intent to have panned to a close-up of Carlotta after Quentin turned to her and then to have panned to his close-up. And with the exception of panning to Carlotta's close-up (which will be dealt with when we discuss tomorrow's quote), that's pretty close to how things play out, so who knows why DC erased it?
Wrapping up DC's script's version of Scene 80, beginning with Quentin's followup action to claiming to have seen girl holding a "teddy bear":
He looks around the room.
And that's when yesterday's quote -Page 30A/Scene 80 - Carlotta: Yes, this is a little girl's room. It was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a child. It must have been a trick of light.'
- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:
FLASH CUT - LITTLE GIRL IN THE WINDOW
as he remember's what he saw.
QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP
QUENTIN
Yes , it must have been.
Then not knowing what else to do
QUENTIN
Well I'd better get to work.
He EXITS toward the tower as she stands there watching
him go.
End of scene.
And when it comes to what's different with the dialogue, after mentioning the girl, Quentin actually asks "This was a child's room, wasn't it?" - to which Carlotta actually replies "Yes, it was. It was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a little girl," and then there's a pause before she adds "It must have been a trick of the light."
And yes, there is an extra space in the script between "Yes" and the comma - and yes, there's no comma or period after "Well".
And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, Quentin doesn't actually look around the room - and interestingly enough, it's Carlotta who's in close-up when Quentin asks if the room was a child's room - but things return to a two shot when Carlotta answers that the room was once Mrs. Stoddard's - and as Carlotta finishes with that remark and as she offers that it must have been a trick of the light, the camera does indeed pan to Quentin as DC's erased notation once indicated that it would - and does Quentin really remember what he saw? - and DC also has a few other notations, like how Carlotta will be in close-up after Quentin recalls what he saw (and the way she looks at him, with a tilt of the head, seems to speak volumes), how Quentin will then be in close-up as he agrees it must have been a trick of the light (though in reality he's in more of a medium shot), and how as he exits the room, the camera would pan to Carlotta - however, we don't actually see Quentin exit the room in the direction of the tower because the camera doesn't actually pan from Quentin because it goes right to a close-up of Carlotta and we simply see Quentin's chest and left arm pass briefly in front of her face as she closely watches him leave.
And Grayson's script also has notations for this section of the scene, but I'll hold off getting into them until I post her script's version of Scene 80...