VILE By Karim Khan

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INT - HOSPITAL - MORNING The camera scans a body in a bed, covered with a white sheet. You can see his feet and his hands displaced like dead matter. The beep sound of the machine repeats repeatedly, emphasising Dales utter fragile position. The sound becomes more emphatic, as the camera gets closer to the face of our protagonist - Dale. The sequence then alternates between camera shots of Dales paralysed position on the hospital bed, and a joyous atmosphere where Dale drinks constant beer with friends. The alternation becomes more and more emphatic to the extent that the sequence flashes in black and white mode. Titles appear: (working titles) (V/O) DALE: It was supposed to be harmless fun, drink! Drink when your sad, drink when your happy, drink when your angry, drink when your excited. Never, did I know that all those emotions would leave me lying here, unable to do anything. His eyes flutter and his mouth opens as something comes out, leaving a ghastly portrayal of his demeanor. INT - BAR - NIGHT Dale sits round a table with a friend laughing and perpetuating constant banter. He drinks his beer and gasps at the end for a fresh breath. The background music is joyous and up-beat to reflect the current tone, that harshly degenerates as the film continues. They shout to get their voices overheard. MARK Steady on mate, how many of those have you had? Your liver is probably crying out for its life. DALE (in a mildly drunk voice) Oh shut it Marky! You have had as many as me. And Ive only had three, four, five...

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2.

Dale looks at his hands as he attempts to count the drinks hes had. Just as Dale counts his sixth beer, Mark interrupts him suddenly. MARK Thats it mate, lets take you homeTinas probably worried sick about you. Mark holds onto Dale to take him but he lets go as he becomes restless and irritant. DALE Well I didnt tell her to get worried did I- if shes worried she can go to hell. No body cares about me anyway. Dale bows his head into the drink again. Mark drags him out of the pub; just as he closes the door, Dale suddenly falls down onto the gutter. The music harshly cuts as the door closes. MARK Look man, your girlfriend is pregnant and you have to take a bit of responsibility now. Find a job, make something of yourself. Dont crawl in the gutter all your life! Dale looks into the bars of the gutter in absolute fear and ghastly horror as he realises where he has arrived. Dales dialogue is slurred and segregated in different ways to suggest how mentally, he feels detached from reality. DALE Its alright for you Mark, youve got your As and A*s but me, what have I got. I aint even got a job and nothing to show. Ive got a whisky and it will stand by me for ever. It makes me feel gooood. Tina and the baby are better without me! MARK They probably are if your gonna act like this. He carries him out and takes him forward. (CONTINUED)

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3.

Dale sings out with a loud voice and rises both his hands as though to reveal his falsely perceived power. They arrive at the house, Mark knocks on the door. INT- DALE AND TINAS HOUSE- NIGHT Tina comes to the door. She is dressed in a dressing gown, impregnated, she holds the door frame to gain some stature. She speaks in a chavy accent. Tina falsely smiles at Mark to hide her latent anger and frustration. TINA Oh cheers Mark! Mark places Dale into the hallway. MARK Tara TINA Seeya then. Tina standing, looks down at Mark and speaks in a rushed way. TINA Look at you, you bafoon! You make me sick, Im here with a six month year old baby and your out there day and night, getting wasted. She breathes and then, walks away and shuffles some clothes in a motherly way. Were not little kids anymore, Dale. DALE Oh shut your trap- Ive had enough of your moaning. winge, winge, winge. You make me sick. Tiny gets a wet cloth and wipes his face to make him sober, treating him in an infantile sense. He pushes her away like a child. DALE Get off me! She persists by getting closer.

(CONTINUED)

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TINA I have to mother two children now. DALE No body is asking you to mother anyone! She drops back and questions him. TINA Whats that supposed to mean? Dale pauses then ponders whether to actually articulate his arguably skewed thinking. But through his slurred pronounciation, says: DALE abortion Tina looks at Dale in a stern way as though he had extremely insulted her. She frowns at him and replies so powerfully that her words echo throughout the room. Unlike her rather rushed way of speaking, she speaks slowly and articulately. TINA This baby is a part of me! If you dont want to be involved, then dont, but Im not giving up on it. She strokes her stomach and a slight smile leaves her angered face. She walks away, but Dale remains idley sat and drunk. INT- HOSPITAL - MORNING. In the hospital, Dale is still unconscious but his body pulsates repeatedly, a hand reaches out to his arm and kisses it. The camera moves toward the face and it is Tina, in utter sadness. V/O OF DALE: my sweetheart, Tina. What have I done to you? Tears begins to fall from Tinas eyes. My idiotic behaviour has brought tears to your eyes. I remember the school days where we were like idle star-gazed lovers - everything has changed now. The weight of the (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: V/O OF DALE: (contd) world has dropped on our shoulders and...the drink has come between us Tinas hand leaves him suddenly, as she parts from him. and now...were dead inside. The voice of Dale fades slowly. EXT- PARK - MORNING. With a load of alcohol, Dale sits on a bench and drinks away.

5.

POV of Dale: the park looks plain, this suddenly changes. Giant balloons arise throughout the picture of all sizes and colours in the most bizarre sense. Group of dancers, dancing in a spectacular way, but all the more bizarre. Adventurous music. (Oxford Youth Dance Company). A child appears on the scene playing on the swings and slides and then rushes towards him, shouting: CHILD Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! The sweet child voices becomes more and more alarming until it morphs into the voice of a boy, it appears to be his own. YOUNG DALE Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! INT- HOUSE- DAY FLASHBACK: He up, but he is the father is cannot access is a small child and tries to wake his father drunk, sitting in an arm chair. The image of blurred and unclear. It appears as though he his elusive father.

White flash as he awakes from his sudden unconsciousness. EXT- PARK - NIGHT. The park has now darkened as Dale has entered the twilight zone through his drunk musings. He gets up from the bench and in a struggled way and walks back home. DARK SCREEN (CONTINUED)

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White implodes within the darkness. The footage is blurred and unclear as a little child arises; she walks around and plays games. She looks towards the camera, in a childish way. A couple then dance around, it appears to be Tina and Dale in a lovely and romantic way. Alternating shots betweeen: 1. Dale on the ground. He wakes up in a heavenly, white lit area, he seems to be enlightened by his own epiphany and ready to change his ways. 2. Innocent and beautiful images that appear through connected montage of a little child and the young couple, having fun, as aforementioned. Soft and mellow music with strong lyrics appears during this sequence to emphasise how there is a new turning point within he film. The end.