Screenplay adaptation of Poe's Raven
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
We see the outline of a long haired man in the darkness.
Only his eyes are illuminated, as if wearing some strange
robber’s mask of light.
First shot from the side, and he’s looking down pensively.
His eyes flick back and forth across the floor, as if
pondering the answer to some question.
Second shot from above, and he looks up into the camera,
staring -- apparently disturbed and perhaps frightened.
Black screen. Title: The Raven
EXT. MARKET - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Narrator walks along street with a prim lady on his arm.
They give each other sideways glances, they are smiling;
happy. We hear the clip clopping of a horse drawn wagon
nearby.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
Bird’s eye view of Narrator’s desk, illuminated by candles
and a newly revived fireplace; covered with large, archaic
looking books--each open to a certain page. He’s thumbing
frantically through the one immediately before him.
Close up shots on the open books, displaying strange
forbidden rites and secrets relating to revival of the newly
dead. We hear his paging and murmuring in the background.
Fade between shots of his face, with eyes beginning to
droop, and of turning pages. Then there is silence.
Bird’s eye view of desk. We see the Narrator is motionless,
his head limp and hanging forward. Fade to black.
INT. STUDY - DAY (DREAM)
Black screen. We hear the churning of a pestle and mortar.
Camera on, close up of pestle and mortar which the Narrator
is apparently employing in the creation of some compound.
Pan back, a full shot of his kitchen where various basic
ingredients are strewn about. He’s following a recipe
outlined in one of his books.
Close up shots on the labels on the various containers, each
faintly reminiscent of the occult.
2.
INT. BEDROOM - SUNSET (DREAM)
Bird’s eye view of the bedroom floor. The bed has been
flipped onto its side to make room for the ritual taking
place. The Narrator is on his knees, bent over a large
circle drawn on the floor, apparently composed of the
mixture he had developed over the day. He is pouring out the
last from the mortar.
He sits up and we see he has constructed a hexagram made of
powder.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT (DREAM)
Camera shot from behind Narrator as he stares out of his
window at the passing of the sun. He holds a knife in his
hand and raises it up to look at. Camera shot of his
reflection in the knife as he stares into it. The sun sets
as he does this. It is time for the ritual to begin.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT (DREAM)
Camera follows behind Narrator who ceremoniously leads us
into the bedroom, holding a candle in one hand, a knife in
the other, and a book nestled beneath that arm. Queue
strange trance music like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SONGcgo7TOk as we slow motion
our way through the aperture, long hair bounces upon
shoulders in anticipation, the candle’s light illuminates
the bedroom before us and dances across the tiny dunes of
the hexagram.
Fade through various shots of the Narrator on his knees
before the sigil, reading incantations from the book. Music
stepped up in tempo.
His reading abruptly stops, closing the book and laying it
on the floor. He’s staring forward, raising both hands above
the middle of the hexagram; one is closed around the knife,
the other is open, palm facing upward. Blur hands into
foreground, as the knife is applied to the open hand.
Close up on center of hexagram, blood drips into it, filling
it. In the reflection we can see the hands above; the knife
still employed.
Camera back on Narrator as he withdraws his arms, discarding
the knife and wrapping his hand in multiple layers of some
cloth he had prepared. Now, ceremoniously he takes the
candle and holds it closely over the nearest corner of the
hexagram. It ignites.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.
Bird’s eye view of hexagram as it languidly turns to flame.
An oily red flame emerges and his face is lost to view. We
hear him coughing; choking.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT (DREAM)
Camera shot lost in the smoke as we hear him stumbling
toward the window in the study to ventilate the apartment.
He reaches the window, which he struggles with in the
choking air before finally opening.
Camera shot from behind the Narrator as the smoke moves as a
single organism from his apartment into the night’s sky. He
steps forward, looking up into the sky.
Camera shot on the sky, the red smoke has painted a strange
picture upon the clouds, abstract and sinister. It’s joined
by a new soundtrack of a "gentle tapping" apparently
emanating from beyond the clouds.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
Narrator is back at his desk with his books. Close up on his
eyes as they suddenly open, and he raises his head as if
startled. The fire has died down and a faint light dances on
the floor.
He looks over at his window. The curtains are drawn but move
slightly. He gets up and moves promptly to the window where
he draws the curtains aside and peers upward out the window.
Seeing nothing there he draws the curtains back, picks up a
candle and moves to his bedroom where everything is in
order: his bed has not been moved; there is no hexagram on
the floor. We see a faint relief cross his face, in apparent
realization that it was only a dream. But then the "gentle
tapping" resumes, apparently emanating from his chamber
door.
He looks at his clock and sees it is the witching hour.
NARRATOR
Who on earth could it be at this
hour?
More tapping.
NARRATOR
Coming! Why I do apologize, you see
it’s quite late and you caught me
dozing off.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.
He moves to his door and begins to unlatch the various locks
he’s installed.
NARRATOR
You see, I could barely hear you
knocking, you do it so softly.
He pulls the door open, but is stopped by a last chain lock.
Camera from other side of door. There is utter darkness save
the light from the aperture, providing a silhouette of the
Narrator. He peers through the aperture, then backs up and
shuts the door. We hear him unlatching the chain lock, and
then he opens the door completely. His entire body is
outlined; his features are lost but we can tell he is
peering out into the void toward the camera. He freezes,
apparently recalling his dream, maybe thinking it was real
after all, and was perhaps successful in recalling her
ghost.
NARRATOR
Len ... Lenore?
O.S. VOICE
Lenore!
He steps back in some fright, hesitates, then shuts the
door. Black screen.
Camera from within chamber. We see the Narrator with his
back against the door, exasperated, looking down, his eyes
in shadow.
EXT. MARKET - DAY (FLASHBACK)
The couple come to an antiquities store. There is a bust of
some personage in the display window.
LENORE
Oh look, Allan, how quaint! Let’s
do go in.
ALLAN
Certainly, my dear.
They enter the store. The shop keeper is busy unloading the
contents of some boxes when he notices them.
SHOP KEEPER
My friends, welcome! You’ve come to
the right place. We have a little
piece of every corner of the globe
here.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.
LENORE
What can you tell me about that
marble bust in the window there?
SHOP KEEPER
My dear lady, what a keen eye you
have! What exquisite taste! And
what else should I expect--my, look
at you. That is none other than
Pallas Athena, recently acquired
from our friends in Greece,
apparently carved sometime in the
mid 16th century. I’m sorry to say
by whose hands is unknown, the
signature on the bottom has been
somewhat effaced.
Lenore and the shop keeper banter on about the myth of
Athena and the battles fought for the name of Pallas. Allan
(the Narrator) leaves them to it, wandering to the further
reaches of the store, finding there a set of ancient looking
book cases, each supporting an equally ancient assortment of
books, all leather bound. Close up on the titles, one of
which is called the Necronomicon. He retrieves it from the
shelf and begins to peruse. We see that he is immediately
struck by the strangeness and apparent authenticity of the
content.
ALLAN
A queer assortment of literature
you keep here.
Shop Keeper looks over at Allan and adopts a look of dismay.
He hurries over to the book cases.
SHOP KEEPER
There are many strange and unusual
things in this world, my friend. As
I said, we have a little piece of
it all here, even from those mystic
biblical lands in the middle east.
Um ... if I may.
Shop Keeper holds out his hands for the book to be given
back. Allan glances once more at the pages, raising his
eyebrows, then closes the book and hands it to the other
man.
Shop Keeper begins to put the book back in its place.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.
SHOP KEEPER
I’m afraid I have a bit of business
to take care of down the street.
Perhaps, there is something you’d
like to purchase before I close up
the shop for the day?
The Shop Keeper looks over at Lenore who is still admiring
the sculpture, and the question is left to linger.
A tapping sound begins, and seems to come from all
directions.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
We are back before the Narrator, with his back to the door,
looking down. The tapping sound continues, this time with an
exact locality: the window near his desk.
He goes to the window, pauses, then draws the curtains
quickly as if to catch whatever it is unawares. We see his
reflection in the glass, and then, as his expression changes
to bafflement and shock, point of focus fades to the other
side of the glass, and we see a large, "regal" looking
raven. Their eyes overlay each other--it’s as if they’re
staring intently at the other. The raven taps on the window
with its beak. The Narrator decides that the only thing to
do is to open the window, which he does.
The bird flutters its wings and proceeds to step through the
portal. Surprised and amused at this the Narrator steps back
to give it a wide berth. The bird does not look at him as it
hops onto the floor and then from one platform to another
until it reaches the bust of Pallas installed over the
chamber door.
The Narrator is broken from his transfixed state by a chill
wind that flows through the still open window; he moves to
shut it. He looks up at the clouds for any remnants of his
dream vision--suspicious that he might be dreaming
still--and is relieved to see no trace.
NARRATOR
So that was you, eh?
He fumbles for the cigarette case in his jacket pocket, and
looks around the room for a box of Lucifer matches. Close up
on warnings on match box. He delicately draws one from the
box, strikes it, and lights the cigarette dangling from his
mouth--he winces at the odor and swings his arm to put out
the match. Close up on the match head, still a faint ember,
trailing fine wisps of smoke, slow motion fade into smoke
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 7.
trailing from his cigarette, fade into smoke exhaled through
his nose.
NARRATOR
Well, do you have a name? What
should I call you?
RAVEN
Nevermore.
The Narrator is surprised and amused at its ability to
speak. We see the wheels of deduction churning in his mind.
NARRATOR
Cold, eh? I suppose you’ll be
leaving once it warms up. It’s ok,
I’ll let you out, just ... tap.
RAVEN
Nevermore.
NARRATOR
Your master must have been a happy
one.
He pulls a chair before his guest and takes a seat. The
bird’s shadow grows toward him, reaching quietly across the
floor, up the legs of his chair, over the velvet cushioning,
over his hand on the armrest ...
INT. STUDY - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Camera on the same armrest, but it is daytime in the
chamber, and it is someone else’s hand, that of a female’s,
that of Lenore’s. She’s looking out the window while resting
...
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
The shadow creeps over his body, until only his eyes are
illuminated.
NARRATOR
No!
He rises suddenly and begins to run toward the shadow’s
source, seemingly an infinite distance away--the walls have
melted into darkness.
8.
EXT. FOREST FIELD - TWILIGHT
NARRATOR
Lenore?
He hits an obstacle full on and is halted in his tracks. The
camera adjusts to the half-light--as his eyes presumably
are--and we see that it is a large, feathered object,
towering slightly above him. He backs up and finds himself
in a field at twilight; before him stands a crow man. The
sound of a sword fight emanates faintly from the distance;
the angry scream of a woman can be heard.
NARRATOR
Lenore!
He tries to pass and the bird man blocks him.
NARRATOR
Wretch!
EXT. FOREST GLADE - BATTLE SCENE - TWILIGHT
Lenore, dressed and otherwise symbolically equipped as
Athena, crosses swords with a crow man. We can hear the
Narrator’s calls to her, but apparently she cannot.
EXT. FOREST FIELD - TWILIGHT
The Narrator attempts to fight his way to her; each attempt
is muted or sidestepped, but he is apparently making
progress, evinced by the sound of swords drawing closer.
With each attempt the number of bird men blocking his way
increases by one.
EXT. FOREST FIELD / GLADE - BATTLE SCENE - TWILIGHT
Choreography depicting his own struggle is interleaved with
Lenore/Athena’s ongoing battle.
EXT. FOREST GLADE - BATTLE SCENE - TWILIGHT
He arrives at the moment she is slain.
NARRATOR
No!
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9.
The bird men fade into the darkness and he is left alone in
a spot light with the remains of her memory: the sword,
shield, and breastplate of Athena. He lifts and holds the
breastplate to his chest; hanging his head as the spotlight
shrinks to a pin prick and then evaporates into thin air.
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