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The Prisoner of Zenda Installment Two
By The Host
Here's the next installment: 8 pages, bringing the film to the 15-minute mark. The next installment will hopefully be a little longer.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. BIRTISH CHANNEL – DAY
SUPERIMPOSED over a MAP tracing a line from London to Paris; a small steamer crosses the Channel. . .
EXT. PLAINS – DAY
. . .And a train crosses the flat countryside of northern France.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. PARIS – EVENING
The skyline of Paris is not yet dominated by the Eiffel Tower. Instead, the spires of Notre Dame still form an imposing pinnacle on the River Seine.
SUPER:
Paris
EXT. PARIS OPERA HOUSE
The stunning Opera House is in the heart of the busy city.
INT. THEATRE
The AUDIENCE watches on as SINGERS onstage perform one of Mozart’s operas. WE FOCUS ON a distinguished young gentleman – SIR GEORGE FEATHERLY – sitting in good seats in the Orchestra section. Rudolf Rassendyll picks his way along the row to sit in an empty seat beside George, disturbing his neighbors. George is momentarily distracted by him, and annoyed.
EXT. OPERA HOUSE – NIGHT
The patrons spill out of the Opera House and into the chill French night. George walks alongside Rudolf.
GEORGE
So what brings you to Paris, Rudolf Rassendyll?
RUDOLF
An old maxim of my Uncle William’s: no man should pass through Paris without spending four-and-twenty hours there.
GEORGE
Come, now, make it four-and-thirty. I’m going to a soiree, as the French would call it.
RUDOLF
I’ll spare ten hours for you, George.
INT. APARTMENT – LATER
George and Rudolf, into their second bottle of wine, laugh hysterically at some joke in the lavish salon of a Parisian apartment. The only other man in the room is a short, balding, overweight little man, and morose to boot. He is the literary critic and poet BERTRAM BERTRAND. Rudolf, noticing the other’s sadness, speaks quietly to George.
RUDOLF
What is the matter with our friend?
GEORGE
(Loudly)
Oh, Bertram is in love! Isn’t that right, Bert? Infernally in love!
BERT
Infernally.
RUDOLF
Oh, you’ll write better poetry.
Bert doesn’t answer but instead lights a cigarette. George strides over to the mantelpiece and smiles shrewdly.
GEORGE
You may as well throw it up, Bert. She’s leaving Paris tomorrow.
BERT
I know that.
GEORGE
Not that it would have made any difference if she had stayed. She flies higher than a poet, I’m afraid!
RUDOLF
Who?
GEORGE
Antoinette Mauban.
BERT
De Mauban.
GEORGE
Actress, heiress, mysterious beauty. . .
RUDOLF
Where’s she going?
GEORGE
Nobody knows. To Streslau perhaps, with her Duke.
Bert groans.
GEORGE (cont’d)
You’ve met him, then, Bert? An extremely accomplished man, I thought him.
RUDOLF
Duke Michael of Streslau? He’s not in Paris now, is he?
GEORGE
Oh no! He's gone back to be present at the King's coronation; a ceremony which, I should say, he'll not enjoy much. But, Bert, old man, don't despair! He won't marry the fair Antoinette-- at least, not unless another plan comes to nothing.
Bert seems little consoled.
EXT. PARIS TRAIN STATION – MORNING
It’s a cool gray morning as George and Rudolf stroll along the train platform. George wears a stylish coat; Rudolf, on the other hand, is bundled haphazardly under many layers and carries a small case with him. It has rained recently; the two are careful to avoid puddles. PASSENGERS and ATTENDANTS rush about them.
GEORGE
Off to Dresden now, and then where? Tyrol? Really?
Rudolf thinks a moment before speaking.
RUDOLF
Ruritania. Perhaps.
GEORGE
Ruritania? Do you think that’s wise? They’ve moved the coronation date forward; King Rudolf is to be crowned now in a matter of days. Surely you won’t find accommodation in Streslau. I hate to think what might happen with Duke Michael. And with your family history. . .
RUDOLF
What about--? You don’t think it’s obvious, do you?
GEORGE
With that face? That hair? Why, you could be next in line for the throne!
RUDOLF
Well, whatever the case, I’m going. And I don’t want you telling this to anybody, now, George. Especially not my brother and especially not his wife. I’d never hear the end of it.
GEORGE
Who’s more trustworthy than I?
RUDOLF
Brutus? Judas? Benedict Arnold?
George ignores his quip and suddenly darts ahead to a small group of PEOPLE surrounding the beautiful, self-assured ANTOINETTE DE MAUBAN. Rudolf continues slowly ahead to the entrance of his train car, curiously watching his friend speak with her. As the CONDUCTOR shouts ‘All Aboard!’ George runs back to Rudolf.
GEORGE
You've got a charming traveling companion. That's poor Bert's goddess, Antoinette de Mauban, and, it seems, she’s going your way. It's very queer, though, that she doesn't at present desire the honour of your acquaintance.
RUDOLF
I didn’t ask to be introduced.
GEORGE
Never mind, old fellow. Perhaps there'll be a smash, and you'll have a chance of rescuing her and cutting out the Duke of Strelsau! Have a safe journey.
Rudolf shakes his head, shake’s George’s hand, and boards the train as the steam whistle BLOWS.
MONTAGE
A SERIES OF SHOTS SUPERIMPOSED over a MAP tracing a line from Paris to Dresden and then south-east to Ruritania, a small land-locked kingdom nestled between Austria and Serbia:
A TRAIN makes its way through the Ardennes.
THE TRAIN crosses the River Rhine.
RUDOLF passes Antoinette in the cramped corridor of a passenger car; she looks at him strangely before hurrying away.
THE TRAIN pulls into the station at Dresden.
RUDOLF passes Antoinette on the platform; again they exchange glances.
ANOTHER TRAIN weaves through the tumbled mountains of Austria.
ON THE MAP the line ends at the village of ZENDA, ten miles across the frontier and fifty miles from the prominently-marked capital city of STRESLAU.
EXT. ZENDA STATION – EVENING
Rudolf stands on the small, wooden-frame platform. A sign above reads ‘ZENDA’. He watches the train slowly pull away. Antoinette sits at an open window trying not to look at him. Rudolf sighs and reaches down to grab his bags.
EXT. INN – NIGHT
A small inn stands grotesquely over the dark town square. The building is positively ancient and seems to be ever so slowly in the process of caving in on itself. The town is silent with no comings-and-goings.
SUPER:
Zenda
Ruritania
INT. INN – COMMON ROOM - NIGHT
The small, dimly-lit common room is empty save for Rudolf, the INN-KEEPER, and her DAUGHTER. A stout old woman, the inn-keeper bustles about preparing a meal for her guest and chattering away constantly while her pretty young daughter sits near Rudolf at the table and stares at him, enraptured.
INN-KEEPER
Ay, we know Duke Michael. He’s one of us; every Ruritanian knows Duke Michael. But the King is almost a stranger; he has been so much abroad, not one in ten knows him even by sight.
DAUGHTER
And now they say he has shaved off his beard, so that no one at all knows him.
INN-KEEPER
Shaved his beard! Who says so?
DAUGHTER
Johann, the duke's servant. He has seen the King.
INN-KEEPER
(To Rudolf)
Ah, yes. The King is now at the duke's hunting-lodge in the forest here; from here he goes to Strelsau to be crowned the day after tomorrow. But I wish he would stay at his hunting -- that and wine and women are all he loves, they say -- and let our duke be crowned on Wednesday.
DAUGHTER
For my part, I hate Black Michael! A red Elphberg for me, mother! The King’s hair, they say, is as red as a fox or as—
She looks at Rudolf, who blushes unconsciously. The old woman glowers. Rudolf changes the course of the conversation slightly.
RUDOLF
Michael and the King – they are half-brothers, right? Are they good friends?
DAUGHTER
Ay, they love one another as much as all men do who want the same throne and the same wife! All the world knows that Black Michael would give his soul to marry the Princess Flavia and that she is to be the queen.
Another man suddenly enters the room – tall and menacing, he is the Duke’s servant JOHANN.
JOHANN
Who speaks of ‘Black Michael’ in the Duke’s own town?
The girl shrieks perhaps in amusement, perhaps in fear.
DAUGHTER
You won’t tell on me, will you?
INN-KEEPER
We have company, Johann.
The man removes his cap and steps into the light to greet Rudolf. When he sees him he takes a startled step backwards. The girl smiles devilishly.
INN-KEEPER (cont’d)
This is Johann, Duke Michael’s chief servant. Johann, this is Rudolf—
(Noticing Johann’s shock)
What ails you? This is a gentleman on his travels come to see the coronation.
Johann now stares fiercely at Rudolf as Rudolf stands and shakes hands. Rudolf laughs.
RUDOLF
Pray, sir, I’m not a ghost!
JOHANN
(Muttering)
Thought I recognized you from somewhere. . .
He continues to eye Rudolf suspiciously.
Please comment and let me know what you think!
-The Host
5/29/2003 7:06:02 PM
(Updated: 5/29/2003 7:14:28 PM)
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