TSAR'S DAUGHTER MARIE（30）

【原創電影劇本英文版】

INT. CHEKA HEADQUARTERS -- HOTEL AMERIKA -- DAY

MONTAGE

More letters are discovered in loaves of bread and parcels. The letters are replaced by forgeries composed by the Cheka.

INT. NICHOLAS' BEDROOM -- IPATIEV HOUSE -- NIGHT

The window keeps open. Tatiana brings a new letter. She hastens to open it, her parents and siblings approaching.

TATIANA

(reading softly)

...With the help of God and your sangfroid, we hope to succeed without any risk. Make sure that one of your windows be opened. Please indicate this window accurately. The fact that the Little One is not able to walk complicates matters, but we may arrange to furnish something for that purpose...

Tatiana gets ready to write a reply letter dictated by her parents.

NICHOLAS

(looking at the window)

...The second window from the corner, facing the square, has been opened, day and night. There's a machine gun on the balcony. We have the doctor, a chambermaid, a footman and two cooks with us. It would be ignoble of us to leave them behind after their voluntarily following us into exile. Fifty guards are in a little house across from our five windows on the other side of the street...

Tatiana finishes writing the letter and places it into an empty jug.

EXT. IPATIEV HOUSE -- NIGHT

Storm erupts over Ekaterinburg. Wind howls and rain pours. The guards are more watchful.

INT. NICHOLAS' BEDROOMS -- NIGHT

LIGHT is on. Sound of STORM is annoying. The prisoners sit up, keeping vigil fully dressed and awaiting a rescue attempt.

Storm stops. CLOCK ticks. Nothing takes place. Some guards patrol under the windows.

GUARD 1 (V.O.)

(yelling)

Hey, is there a catch in the windows?

GUARD 2 (V.O.)

(shouting orders)

Watch out.

INT. SECONDARY HALLWAY -- NIGHT

Victor is on duty at the hallway. As Marie passes the hallway, Victor stretches his hand to grip her arm and pulls her to a dim corner.

MARIE

Victor, what's going on? You look so anxious.

VICTOR

Marie, I must tell you, your folks are fooled.

MARIE

Fooled? By Whom? What do you mean?

VICTOR

The letters about a monarchist plot for rescuing your family are false.

MARIE

Oh, it's false? Are you sure? How do you know?

VICTOR

I've just got the secret from my buddy Sasha who served the tea at the Cheka's conference.

MARIE

Cheka? What's Cheka?

VICTOR

You've never heard about Cheka? Well, it's the Bolshevik secret service.

MARIE

What's the secret?

VICTOR

The secret is that those letters were composed at the Cheka headquarters. The author is a Bolshevik. They played games with your family and you're not suspecting it at all.

MARIE

Oh, how vicious, how hideous. So, we're awaiting the rescue attempt in vain.

VICTOR

Don't worry, dear. I'll find another way out. I'll lead you to a place. Follow me please.

Victor and Marie sneak out of the hallway and go downstairs through the secondary staircase, fumbling in the darkness.

INT. STOREROOM -- NIGHT

Victor and Marie grope their way in the storeroom. The Moon shines in the sky out of the window. Gradually their eyes are adapted to see varieties of personal possessions deposited in disorder.

MARIE

Where are we?

VICTOR

We're in a storeroom. Recently, I've been inspecting the entire house.

MARIE

Whose house is this before we moved in?

VICTOR

This house belonged to Ipatiev, an unlucky mining engineer who was ordered by the Ural Soviet to clear out of his house in twenty-four hours for your family to move in. He left all his furniture where it was and placed his personal possessions in this cement storeroom.

Victor leads Marie to a heap of trash beside the wall. Victor rapidly removes the trash aside to reveal a hidden access panel. Victor opens the access cover and shows Marie the underground passage.

MARIE

Oh, it's adventurous to find such a secluded place.

VICTOR

I've been to this room alone before and discovered this underground passage below the cement floor hidden by a heap of trash.

MARIE

An underground passage? What's the use of it?

VICTOR

Engineer Ipatiev is a rich man. An underground passage may be used by the wealthy family in an incident, such as an assault or a robbery.

MARIE

Can we go through it?

VICTOR

Not yet. I didn't get the exit. I need to search it further. As long as I find the exit, your family may flee through it.

MARIE

Victor, you're so kind, so brave and so considerate. I'm so grateful to you.  But you know my parents, they won't go. Alexei is too sick to go. Olga and Tatiana want to take care of Alexei. Only Anastasia may want to go with me.

They sit in the darkness for a while. Victor watches Marie blinks back her tears, entwining his fingers with hers. They embrace and kiss each other.

INT. CHEKA HEADQUARTERS -- HOTEL AMERIKA -- DAY

A Cheka member takes the letter from the empty jug and opens it, watched by his comrades.

CHEKA MEMBER

(reading the letter)

We do not want to and cannot flee. The Commandant and soldiers who guard our prison as well as our lives are good to us. We do not want them to suffer for our sakes, nor you for us.  Above all, in the name of God, avoid bloodshed. It is utterly impossible to descend from the window since the guards are alert...