PARTISAN REVIEW
51
kneeling at the foot of the bed, in the midground, facing the camera.
The lower part of Lena's body - she is lying on her back -
is
in
the foreground . Carl looks down at Lena with a blank expression.
His voice is flat.
CARL :
Martin has made you bad, too.
(pause)
I want to kill you.
Medium shot of Lena, from Carl's point of view. She looks
frightened.
LENA:
Why?
Back to previous shot of Carl at the foot of the bed.
CARL:
Because you' re bad and the world has to be good.
His voice becomes louder.
CARL:
Say it.
He falls heavily on top of her (toward the camera). His head
is now in the foreground of the shot.
CARL:
Say: you can kill me.
LENA
(off ) :
You can kill me.
Long shot taken from the side of the bed. Carl pulls the blanket
over them. Then they begin to make love violently, or perhaps
all
the movement is Carl's and Lena is completely passive. The act, un–
der the pile of blankets, seems grotesque. . . . We hear the sound of
the door opening, and see a spot of light on the blankets.
Full still shot, from Lena and Carl's viewpoint, of Martin
standing in the doorway. He holds a flashlight before him.
Full shot of the bed. Lena jerks away from Carl, sits up, and
pulls the blanket around her. Carl falls back, inert. The light goes off.
MARTIN
(off ) :
Don't get up.
His voice is calm, almost tender. Lena quickly gets out of bed,
pulling off the blanket as she rises and holding it against the front
of her body with one hand. She looks off camera (at Martin).
LENA:
But I didn' t want to!
The camera tilts down as Lena stoops and gathers up her clothes
with the other hand. Partly bent over, she looks up at Martin again.
LENA:
I want to be with you.
Lena stands. We hear the sound of the door closing.
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