The Dark Knight
Scene 1
The scene opens on a panoramic view of Gotham City and pans down into a main street to join a crowd of onlookers at some TV’s blaring from behind a shop window.
Newswoman: With less than a week to go the pressure is on for workers preparing the city for the New Year’s Eve festivities and Mayor Thorne promises nothing less than an “extravaganza”.
-Cut to Mayor Thorne on TV-
“The events planned are a celebration of the success Gotham has seen in the past year: a gross rise in public funding, a boom in employment, not to mention a dramatic drop in crime. This night will mark the beginning of a new era in which our recent achievements will be ever duplicated and indeed dwarfed”.
Newsman: Any comment on the May election?
Thorne (smiling): Oh I’m in too festive a mood for politics now! But I can assure you that we will be seeing through the year to come together! (Gesturing to the badge on his chest representing his party, “the Rose Party”
It’s set to be a very rosy picture indeed”.
Newswoman: Well, there you have it…
Her words tail off as the camera soars up and out into the night sky high above the rooftops and it seems that perhaps we have taken the view of something swooping through the air. Is that breathing we hear or just another tone of fluctuating wind?
Our night flight continues revealing extraordinary views of the city, beautiful multiple scenes of tiny people below. Is that the sound of pistons firing as we rise and fall somewhat on our journey (grappling hooks perhaps?). We are alarmed to have our attention drawn to a worrying scene below of a woman with two men closing in on her in an alley way and hostile voices. The scene passes and we begin to worry why only to find that after a fast downwards descent we are suddenly turning at ninety degrees and soon the same alley appears from the other side. It looks as if we are about to land right in it!
In the alley-
A slight clatter is heard as a figure lands in the shadows.
Thug 1: (to his accomplice in alarm) What was that?
Thug 2: I didn’t hear nothing, but lets just get this over and done with…(with malice and staring at the woman) for your sake too sweetheart…
A little thing like you shouldn’t be hanging around in alleyways at night…
The men begin to close in on her a long blade protruding from thug 1’s hand.
We close in on the sneering face of the second thug as he nears he terrified woman.
Thug 2: Me first. I found her after all.
The silhouette of his friend behind him is hauled out of view, by a fist perhaps?
No sound is heard.
The man draws nearer but the woman looks a little perplexed, a little hopeful that her nightmare situation might end soon.
Her eyes dart around trying to figure out where the other man disappeared to and as the thug draws right up close he seems somewhat offended at her lack of interest.
Thug 2: Hey (he grabs her face roughly, fingers pressed into her cheeks) what’s the matter? Ain’t I your type”.
Her eyes widen with terror.
“No… bad breath” comes the deep and monster-like reply from behind him.
We now see his own eyes widen a petrified scream escape from his lips as we rise into the air to be followed by him clutched at the neck by Batman, his hand covering his mouth. We rise quickly but as we do we see the original thug tied and gagged on a lower rooftop watching our descent, eyes wide, and hear the muffles of his terror.
On a very high rooftop we wait for a second and are joined by Batman and his new friend. This building is between the original alley and a second and we view this from above, briefly glimpsing the woman in the first.
Back on the roof-
Batman: (holding the thug to his face, still covering his mouth and from his perspective).
A little thing like you shouldn’t be hanging around in dark alley’s like this at night (should elicit some humour. He takes his hand away from the thug’s mouth and we are met with the sound of rapid choked breathing).
Might run into some trouble.
Batman lowers to thug to the ground and lets go off him, staring down with contempt. The thug stares back in fear and then turns and runs out of frame. Batman shoots upwards his cape roaring in the wind. We now take the perspective of the thug, near the edge of the building and searching for an escape root, peering here and there over the side of the railing in hope of a ladder. Turning around we bump straight into batman and the thug screams. We dart around quickly with him and try to flee before he stops in his tracks, deciding it’s hopeless.
Thug2: Look, man. Please…I don’t know what you want…just don’t hurt me
Still in his perspective, we turn slowly around, hands outstretched in surrender, but are met with just the sight of the opposite railing. He has vanished again.
Thug 2: Oh god…please…
A cruel laugh emanates from the darkness and the scampering begins again, a meas of escape must be found. His breathing quickens and the camera pans around as we hear various clankings and scrapings from the walls around, as there high buildings joined on other sides and metal catwalks above. The thug and us with him find a ladder at the furthest edge of the building and begin to get our leg over the railing.
Batman (from behind) going down?
We hear a metallic sound and suddenly we are plummeting ten stories, pushed out and over, screaming. We stretch our arms across our face as the ground (the alley on the other side) becomes oh so near. Immediately our arms are jerked away and splaying as we are racing back upwards. The camera shows us this from the third person and we see the thug flying back upwards on a bungee chord. He reaches near the top and is caught by the ankle in batman’s right hand, standing atop the building.
Batman: What are you doing out so late at night?
Thug: N---o---oh…dsvf….
Batman: Well….? ANSWER ME!
Thug: Oh….I…Oh please….I don’t know…oh god…
Batman ( pulling him up, grabbing his other half and twisting him upright to face him) YOU DON’T KNOW!....I WANT AN ANSWER OR THIS TIME I JUST LET GO (he releases the grip on the thugs body and sends him back into the upside down position. The thug duly begins to whimper and Batman drops to one to get closer to him.
Batman: well? What’s your answer?
The thug merely whimpers in what has escalated to a new height of terror.
Batman: So be it (in a mixture of third person and the perspective of the thug, Batman draws him out further sway from the edge of the building in preparation to drop, the thugs frantic breathing and groaning increasing. Back in the thugs perspective we fall fast through the air going through all angles, a terrible scream accompanying the plummet. We are about to hit bottom when we race back up again and in one lighting manoeuvre we are thrust back into the Batman’s face.
Batman: I don’t ever want to see you here again!
With that tearing is heard and a gag is plastered over our mouth before we are swivelled around and a chord is heard being pulled. We are wrenched back into the air with batman, all the while in thug perspective and we are back are descending toward the original thug still where he was left.
We watch Batman reunite the friends with the dropping of the second on the first.
Some seconds have passed and the camera sits atop a new high roof top as batman joins us. We watch him observe something and see the woman, now moving away from the alley to some police who are arriving on the scene on foot. A car is seen approaching in the distance. Batman smiles and shoots back off and away into the sky. It raining somewhat now and storm could be on the way.
We’re on the ground now with the woman and the police and two officers move away and down into the alley, the camera on their faces as they do so. At the bottom they stop in their tracks.
Cop 1: Well I’ll be dammed…
We see before them the two thugs tied together and swinging by a chord from a catwalk staircase above. On the wall beneath them and directly opposite the police is a batarang embedded in the wall.
Cop 2: ( he approaches it and attempts to pull it out of the wall, failing to do so) I told you he was real…
End of scene 1.
Scene 2.
It’s the following morning. The camera rests for a while on the newly rebuilt Wayne manner, a magnificent site.
Inside and Alfred dusts a vase before ascending a flight of stairs and pausing just outside Bruce Wayne’s bedroom. He exhales deeply, concerned before flinging the doors open and entering. A startled Bruce shifts in bed and awakes bewildered as to the disturbance.
Alfred: You were back la- early this morning master Bruce.
Bruce: (rubbing his eyes and sitting up) Busy night. But today’s Sunday-
Alfred: Indeed sir and on you wishes I remind you of your appointment at city hall. You have an hour I believe.
Bruce: That’s today? Oh…are any of Al’s quick pancakes available? (getting up, stretching, going to the en suite bathroom.
Alfred: …yes (with concern and a hint of sternness) but perhaps you should commit to an earlier bed time…at least once a week.
End of scene.
Scene three.
Outside city hall, where the press are gathered and where Rupert thorne prepares to hold a conference with Gotham’s powerful elite.
Scene 1
The scene opens on a panoramic view of Gotham City and pans down into a main street to join a crowd of onlookers at some TV’s blaring from behind a shop window.
Newswoman: With less than a week to go the pressure is on for workers preparing the city for the New Year’s Eve festivities and Mayor Thorne promises nothing less than an “extravaganza”.
-Cut to Mayor Thorne on TV-
“The events planned are a celebration of the success Gotham has seen in the past year: a gross rise in public funding, a boom in employment, not to mention a dramatic drop in crime. This night will mark the beginning of a new era in which our recent achievements will be ever duplicated and indeed dwarfed”.
Newsman: Any comment on the May election?
Thorne (smiling): Oh I’m in too festive a mood for politics now! But I can assure you that we will be seeing through the year to come together! (Gesturing to the badge on his chest representing his party, “the Rose Party”
It’s set to be a very rosy picture indeed”.Newswoman: Well, there you have it…
Her words tail off as the camera soars up and out into the night sky high above the rooftops and it seems that perhaps we have taken the view of something swooping through the air. Is that breathing we hear or just another tone of fluctuating wind?
Our night flight continues revealing extraordinary views of the city, beautiful multiple scenes of tiny people below. Is that the sound of pistons firing as we rise and fall somewhat on our journey (grappling hooks perhaps?). We are alarmed to have our attention drawn to a worrying scene below of a woman with two men closing in on her in an alley way and hostile voices. The scene passes and we begin to worry why only to find that after a fast downwards descent we are suddenly turning at ninety degrees and soon the same alley appears from the other side. It looks as if we are about to land right in it!
In the alley-
A slight clatter is heard as a figure lands in the shadows.
Thug 1: (to his accomplice in alarm) What was that?
Thug 2: I didn’t hear nothing, but lets just get this over and done with…(with malice and staring at the woman) for your sake too sweetheart…
A little thing like you shouldn’t be hanging around in alleyways at night…
The men begin to close in on her a long blade protruding from thug 1’s hand.
We close in on the sneering face of the second thug as he nears he terrified woman.
Thug 2: Me first. I found her after all.
The silhouette of his friend behind him is hauled out of view, by a fist perhaps?
No sound is heard.
The man draws nearer but the woman looks a little perplexed, a little hopeful that her nightmare situation might end soon.
Her eyes dart around trying to figure out where the other man disappeared to and as the thug draws right up close he seems somewhat offended at her lack of interest.
Thug 2: Hey (he grabs her face roughly, fingers pressed into her cheeks) what’s the matter? Ain’t I your type”.
Her eyes widen with terror.
“No… bad breath” comes the deep and monster-like reply from behind him.
We now see his own eyes widen a petrified scream escape from his lips as we rise into the air to be followed by him clutched at the neck by Batman, his hand covering his mouth. We rise quickly but as we do we see the original thug tied and gagged on a lower rooftop watching our descent, eyes wide, and hear the muffles of his terror.
On a very high rooftop we wait for a second and are joined by Batman and his new friend. This building is between the original alley and a second and we view this from above, briefly glimpsing the woman in the first.
Back on the roof-
Batman: (holding the thug to his face, still covering his mouth and from his perspective).
A little thing like you shouldn’t be hanging around in dark alley’s like this at night (should elicit some humour. He takes his hand away from the thug’s mouth and we are met with the sound of rapid choked breathing).
Might run into some trouble.
Batman lowers to thug to the ground and lets go off him, staring down with contempt. The thug stares back in fear and then turns and runs out of frame. Batman shoots upwards his cape roaring in the wind. We now take the perspective of the thug, near the edge of the building and searching for an escape root, peering here and there over the side of the railing in hope of a ladder. Turning around we bump straight into batman and the thug screams. We dart around quickly with him and try to flee before he stops in his tracks, deciding it’s hopeless.
Thug2: Look, man. Please…I don’t know what you want…just don’t hurt me
Still in his perspective, we turn slowly around, hands outstretched in surrender, but are met with just the sight of the opposite railing. He has vanished again.
Thug 2: Oh god…please…
A cruel laugh emanates from the darkness and the scampering begins again, a meas of escape must be found. His breathing quickens and the camera pans around as we hear various clankings and scrapings from the walls around, as there high buildings joined on other sides and metal catwalks above. The thug and us with him find a ladder at the furthest edge of the building and begin to get our leg over the railing.
Batman (from behind) going down?
We hear a metallic sound and suddenly we are plummeting ten stories, pushed out and over, screaming. We stretch our arms across our face as the ground (the alley on the other side) becomes oh so near. Immediately our arms are jerked away and splaying as we are racing back upwards. The camera shows us this from the third person and we see the thug flying back upwards on a bungee chord. He reaches near the top and is caught by the ankle in batman’s right hand, standing atop the building.
Batman: What are you doing out so late at night?
Thug: N---o---oh…dsvf….
Batman: Well….? ANSWER ME!
Thug: Oh….I…Oh please….I don’t know…oh god…
Batman ( pulling him up, grabbing his other half and twisting him upright to face him) YOU DON’T KNOW!....I WANT AN ANSWER OR THIS TIME I JUST LET GO (he releases the grip on the thugs body and sends him back into the upside down position. The thug duly begins to whimper and Batman drops to one to get closer to him.
Batman: well? What’s your answer?
The thug merely whimpers in what has escalated to a new height of terror.
Batman: So be it (in a mixture of third person and the perspective of the thug, Batman draws him out further sway from the edge of the building in preparation to drop, the thugs frantic breathing and groaning increasing. Back in the thugs perspective we fall fast through the air going through all angles, a terrible scream accompanying the plummet. We are about to hit bottom when we race back up again and in one lighting manoeuvre we are thrust back into the Batman’s face.
Batman: I don’t ever want to see you here again!
With that tearing is heard and a gag is plastered over our mouth before we are swivelled around and a chord is heard being pulled. We are wrenched back into the air with batman, all the while in thug perspective and we are back are descending toward the original thug still where he was left.
We watch Batman reunite the friends with the dropping of the second on the first.
Some seconds have passed and the camera sits atop a new high roof top as batman joins us. We watch him observe something and see the woman, now moving away from the alley to some police who are arriving on the scene on foot. A car is seen approaching in the distance. Batman smiles and shoots back off and away into the sky. It raining somewhat now and storm could be on the way.
We’re on the ground now with the woman and the police and two officers move away and down into the alley, the camera on their faces as they do so. At the bottom they stop in their tracks.
Cop 1: Well I’ll be dammed…
We see before them the two thugs tied together and swinging by a chord from a catwalk staircase above. On the wall beneath them and directly opposite the police is a batarang embedded in the wall.
Cop 2: ( he approaches it and attempts to pull it out of the wall, failing to do so) I told you he was real…
End of scene 1.
Scene 2.
It’s the following morning. The camera rests for a while on the newly rebuilt Wayne manner, a magnificent site.
Inside and Alfred dusts a vase before ascending a flight of stairs and pausing just outside Bruce Wayne’s bedroom. He exhales deeply, concerned before flinging the doors open and entering. A startled Bruce shifts in bed and awakes bewildered as to the disturbance.
Alfred: You were back la- early this morning master Bruce.
Bruce: (rubbing his eyes and sitting up) Busy night. But today’s Sunday-
Alfred: Indeed sir and on you wishes I remind you of your appointment at city hall. You have an hour I believe.
Bruce: That’s today? Oh…are any of Al’s quick pancakes available? (getting up, stretching, going to the en suite bathroom.
Alfred: …yes (with concern and a hint of sternness) but perhaps you should commit to an earlier bed time…at least once a week.
End of scene.
Scene three.
Outside city hall, where the press are gathered and where Rupert thorne prepares to hold a conference with Gotham’s powerful elite.
