Brazil

From somewhere near at hand there is a large explosion which rocks the room. Tuttle is already unstrapping Sam.

TUTTLE

Let's go!

INT. CORRIDORS – NIGHT

CUT TO RESCUERS, with Sam in the middle, fighting their way in the terrific battle with GUARDS, until they get to a door leading to the stairs.

INT. ENDLESS STAIRWAYS – NIGHT

CUT TO RESCUERS, their members thinning, and Sam, fighting down flight after flight of stairs with lots of neat-oh violence and blood and, gunshots and... falling and bleeding and –

INT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL LOBBY – NIGHT

CUT TO THE RESCUERS fighting their way to the entrance. Another group of RESCUERS at the door are providing cover fire The Porter sits behind his desk watching the battle on his bank of monitors.

2ND GROUP

Quick! We've only got thirty seconds to get clear!

Tuttle tosses Sam a dark overcoat to cover his light grey detainee outfit. Together, the TWO GROUPS burst out through the door into the large empty forecourt.

EXT. FORECOURT – NIGHT

The forecourt is suddenly illuminated by huge arc lights. Machine gun installations open fire. The rescuers are totally exposed.

They are cut down left and right. Desperately they battle their way across the open space. Time running out. Sam, knowing the way, leads Tuttle towards a shielded spot. Will they make it? As the last rescuer is cut down Sam and Tuttle dive for cover. KOWBLAMMPOW! A massive explosion. Then another. And another. SECURITY TROOPS caught unprotected are decimated. Sam looks up. Christ! The building is being blown to bits. Certain windows are lit. They spell out "MERRY XMAS". With a final massive haemorrhage the building erupts in a geyser of masonry, steel, paper and dozens of TV consoles and visual aid apparatus including, in large chunks, Mr. Helpmann's masterpiece. But also tons and tons of paper.

Every file in the building has burst its seams and ejected its load skywards. The night sky is full of white rectangular wisps. Ashlike they flutter down over the city. Sam looks around and can't see Tuttle anywhere. He shouts for him. But the remaining Troops have spotted Sam and Sam runs.

EXT. CITY PASSAGES – NIGHT

Sam runs madly through paper-littered passages

EXT. SHOPPING PRECINCT – NIGHT

Eluding his pursuers, Sam dives into a crowded, garishly lit, shopping centre. Once among the protective company of he mindlessly shopping MOB, Sam slows down and proceeds casually. The SHOPPERS go about their programmed business paying no attention to the paperwork swirling about them. Searching the crowd, Sam spots Tuttle making his way towards him. Tuttle is having a bit of trouble walking against the steadily increasing wind. As he proceeds across an open area a blown piece of paper. catches on his foot. He tries shaking it off.

It remains firmly stuck. While he is struggling with the piece of paper another, larger piece catches his other leg. He begins to lose his temper trying to dislodge the flying debris. Another hits him and twists around his arm. Still more paper blows against him. He is having difficulty staying upright. Twisting this way and that he tries to free himself, but more and more paper covers him. He is practically obscured from view. Sam can't believe what he is seeing. Shoppers continue about their business, apparently unaware of Tuttle'S terrible plight. Apart from ONE SHOPPER who loses control of her shopping trolley – and watches it career down the steps of the shopping precinct. By now Tuttle is totally encased in this cocoon of litter. He is now just a ball of paper writhing about on the ground. Sam has to do something. He rushes out from his hiding place and tries to pull the litter off Tuttle. The pieces come loose with surprising ease. The wind carries them away as Sam frantically tears at the pile. But there is no sign of Tuttle. Nothing. The last few pieces of paper flutter away leaving Sam standing there with a couple of posters in his hands. He realises that he is suddenly very visible. All the shopping bustle has stopped. They are all staring at him. Sam spots TROOPS shouldering their way towards him. He turns tail and dashes off.

INT. MOTHER'S FLAT – NIGHT

The drawing room door burst open as Sam dashes in. Sam goes straight through and into the bedroom. The room is empty of all terrestrial human life forms. A hollow wind blows the curtains.

INT. MOTHER'S BEDROOM – NIGHT

The room is in chaos (and there is a hole in the ceiling). Sam turns and sees a silhouette in the doorway. He rushes forwards.

INT. MOTHER'S FRONT DOOR – NIGHT

But it's Matthews the porter who is at the door watching Sam running towards him.

MATTHEWS

(piously)

A sad loss. Your mother was with her at the end. The doctor said there was no pain.

Sam grabs Matthews round the neck and shakes him.

SAM

Where is she?

EXT. A CORNER – NIGHT

Sam comes running around corner. He is suddenly bathed in a strange blue light. He halts and looks up. There opposite him is a large blue neon cross above the entrance to a chapel of dully modernistic design. Holy music from an electric organ can be heard. Sam rushes up the stops and through the door.

INT. CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF THE CHECK-OUT COUNTER – NIGHT

CUT TO Sam slipping into the chapel (in tight spot) and suddenly being confronted by Spiro the Maitre'D.

SPIRO

Ah, yes, Mr. Lowry. It's so good you could make it. Right this way.

Sam, dumbfounded, follows.

CUT TO Sam being lead into the middle of the cold, modern chapel which, possibly for the occasion, has been tarted up with some red velvet curtains that help make it a bit theatrical. A large flower-smothered coffin rests on some sort of raised stand in front of the altar, a VICAR stands in the pulpit, and a fair sprinkling of PEOPLE sit in stepped seats on three sides of the room.

The coffin is closed, but a length of bandage has escaped the lid. Standing amidst the floral tributes is a large, rather idealized, colour portrait of Mrs. Terrain looking not so much young as beautiful. Among the mourners are Drs. Jaffe and Chapman and others in their operating gowns.

To enlarge on the scene, we see Shirley T snuffling in her hanky and a few others chatting amongst themselves, the Vicar standing in his pulpit waiting to get on with it, etc. CUT TO Sam trying to take all this in, stopping in the middle of the room. Don't forget Dr. Chapman sobbing.

SPIRO

(stopping and looking back at Sam)

Mrs. Lowry? Mrs. Lowry is...