Lilith (1964) - full transcript

Hi.

Oh, thank you.
Can I help you?

Yeah, can you tell me where
I can find a Miss Brice?

That's me.

Well, I'm Vincent Bruce.

Oh, please come in.

Won't you sit down?

- Would you like some coffee?
- Yeah, thank you.

- How do you take it?
- Black.

Well, we can begin either with your
telling me all about yourself...

...or my telling you all about us.
Which would you rather do?



Well, maybe I'd better tell you about me.
Then you might not want to bother with the rest of it.

All right.

Well, there's not really very much to tell.
I've been out of the Army for a while.

I guess I've never had a job
that I was really interested in.

You live here in Stonemont,
don't you?

I've lived here all my life...

...and I was always kind of curious
about this place.

Why?

I don't know. I guess I just was.

Are you interested in a permanent job
or just some sort of summer work?

No, I mean a permanent job.

I want to do some kind of work where
I can be of direct help to people.

And that's why I decided
to come here.

(laughing)



Get out of here.

Vincent, I'd like you
to meet Mr. Polakis.

- Hello.
- This is Mr. Bruce.

It's not as disturbing
on this floor, is it?

Somehow insanity
seems a lot less sinister...

...to watch in a man than in a woman,
doesn't it?

I thought it best
to show you the worst first.

Hey, young man.

- Are you a new patient?
- No, no, I'm just a visitor.

I may go to work here.

Tell me, have you read
Dostoyevsky?

I've read Crime and Punishment,
and Brothers Karamazov.

Oh, have you?
Tell me, do you believe it?

Do you believe that if there is no God,
there can be no such thing as virtue?

No.

- Do you?
- No.

I do hope you'll come and work here.
We shall be very great friends.

I hope so.

You handled that very well.

- Have you done a lot of reading?
- Some.

When you're in the Army,
you've got nothing but time.

It's a lot different
from a state institution, huh?

Most of these people come
from very wealthy families.

They pay several thousand dollars
a month to keep them here.

Hi, Miss Brice.
Are you going to have lunch now?

It's a nice day, isn't it, Miss Brice?

I hope you have a nice lunch,
Miss Brice.

You have a very nice-looking friend.

It certainly is a nice day,
isn't it, Miss Brice?

Yes, Miss Glassman. It's a lovely day.

Of course, at first you'll be nothing
but an orderly, more or less.

It's long hours, terrible pay.

It's dirty, often degrading,
sometimes dangerous.

Do you know why you work here?

- Maybe I shouldn't ask you that, huh?
- No, no. That's all right.

It's something that all of us
who work here have to ask ourselves.

And we're better off
if we can answer it...

...as honestly and as thoroughly
as possible.

I hope you will too.

Miss Brice.

Think about it this evening.

If you don't change your mind,
I'll see you in the morning.

- Hi.
- How are you?

- I'm fine. How are you?
- Fine.

- I heard you were back.
- Yeah, I've been back for a while.

I'm glad. They told me
you were wounded or something.

Yeah, or something.

- Gee, you look good.
- Thanks. So do you.

Did you get my letter?

- Yeah, how is your husband?
- He's very well, thanks.

He's working with the electric
power company right now...

...hoping to be made
office manager in the fall.

- Right here in town, huh?
- Yes.

In all your letters to me, Vincent, you never once
mentioned anything about us or our future.

- Didn't I?
- No.

And since we never really had any
understanding of a romantic nature...

There's my bus.

I hope you come and visit us sometime, Vincent.
I'd like you to meet Norman; that's my husband.

- I will. I will.
- Bye.

I can have the job if I want it.

- Do you?
- Yeah.

- You've had no training.
- They'll train me.

I want the very best for you.
You know that, don't you, Vincent?

Nothing to be ashamed about
working in an insane asylum.

Nothing wrong
with curing sick people.

Or is there, Grandma?

I'm not hungry.

Vincent.

If your poor mother knew
about this job...

...I think she would be very happy.

This was their greatest moment...

...their moment of triumph...

...over the bodies
of wounded and dying men.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

You'll die.

She dies.

Everybody dies.

Fourth floor.

- Good morning.
- Morning.

You take the third.
Polakis and Levitz.

And watch Dostoyevsky.
He's on his fresh-blood kick.

- Vincent Bruce, Bob Clayfield.
- We met earlier.

Oh, well you're to accompany him for the week,
observe the way he deals with the patients...

...learn the Lodge rules
and procedures...

...and become generally oriented
to the hospital.

Come in.

- Good morning.
- Morning.

I thought you might like to meet Mr. Bruce.
He's a new OT.

- Mr. Bruce, Mrs. Meaghan.
- Hello.

How do you do, Mr. Bruce?

- Please sit down.
- Thank you.

It's such a lovely day outside, we thought
you might like to take a walk around the grounds.

Yes, it is a lovely day.

It's very kind of you,
but I cannot leave the building.

As you know, I have many enemies.

It will be perfectly safe.
Today, there are two of us to protect you.

That's very kind of you.
Perhaps another day.

- Does Mr. Bruce play gin rummy?
- Sure, I play gin.

I should enjoy playing cards
for a while, if you have the time.

Good.

I'll be out in a little while.

- You wanna deal?
- Yes.

Cut, please.

She plays quite magically.

She made it herself.
Quite remarkable, isn't it?

Stop playing.

I said, stop playing!

I understand you've restricted
her playing to certain hours.

I think that's monstrous.

It was a staff decision.
Some of the patients complained, I believe.

Monstrous.

I don't feel like
playing cards anymore.

I'll be back in a minute.

Wanna play?

Yes.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Vincent.

Try to get her down here, will you?

Are you going on the picnic?

May I carry it?

- I don't know. May he, Mr. Bruce?
- Sure.

- You're very perceptive. I'm glad you came here.
- Thank you.

- What nationality are you?
- I'm an American.

- No, I mean what descent are you?
- Oh, mostly English, I guess.

English, English. Would you marry an English girl?
I mean, a girl of English descent?

I don't know, I'm...

- Would you think I was Jewish?
- It never occurred to me.

Many think I am, but I'm not. I'm Polish.
My grandfather was a priest.

You know, I might be getting out of here pretty soon.
I'm almost well. I might even be getting married.

(laughing)

Should I bring them back?

No. Stay where you are
until it lets up.

He says we can stay.

I never knew
you could paint like that...

...simply with grasses
and things of that kind.

They fade, but there are no colors
like them while they last.

I'd love to paint
or do anything like that.

How do you begin?
What is it that you do?

I don't do anything.
My hand just moves, and I follow it.

That's it.
Your hand moves, mine doesn't.

I can't trust my hands.

You have to learn to trust them if you
want them to lead you to things you love.

No, I'm afraid I have
a scholar's mind, not an artist's.

It's a very different faculty,
you know.

You have the gift of tongues.
That's a great gift.

But it's nothing compared to you.

I've studied them, yes. I know the grammar,
but you've invented one of your own.

- That's the greatest gift.
- I didn't invent it.

- It was taught to me by my people.
- You actually hear it, then?

I mean, you actually
hear them speaking it?

Oh, I'd love to hear it. I'm fascinated
by languages, you know.

Do you think they would
speak it to me?

Or perhaps you would teach me.

No, I wouldn't be allowed to teach you
unless it was approved.

It's a language very few
are permitted to speak.

But what would I have to do?
I'm sure I could persuade them.

You would have to demonstrate great
courage and a great capacity for joy.

Oh, but I can. But I can.
You don't understand me.

Eat this, then.

Oh, they might make me sick.
They could be poisonous.

Don't do that. Spit it out.

- Have I made you angry, Mr. Bruce?
- He was right. That might be poisonous.

It wouldn't hurt me if it is.

- You worry about me, then?
- I'm responsible for you.

Yes, then I'll be very good.

I promise not to get sick.
I wouldn't want to embarrass you.

You hurt my hand.

Let me see.

You have exquisite hands.

I bite my nails.

If I learned to trust my hands...

...would they really lead me
to the things I love?

Vincent, come on. We're leaving.

Mr. Bruce, you haven't said anything
about my painting.

- Do you know what you almost did?
- What?

You almost killed a boy.
How can you let a paintbrush...

...fall 15 yards in front of you?
- I was shaking the paint out of it.

Twisting it in my fingers, like this.
I always do it.

- Why'd you make him go after it?
- Because he's a fool.

Well, if he's a fool,
why do you lead him on like that?

Because I'm mad.

Perhaps she was testing him.

Demanding a
demonstration of courage from him.

- Or an act of worship.
- I don't know what she was doing.

If she wanted to kill him, why do you suppose
she didn't simply push him off the cliff?

All I know is, I shouldn't have
left him alone.

Look, that was my mistake, not yours.

I gave you the assignment.
You didn't have enough experience yet.

I thought it would be
good training for you.

The hard way, huh?

When I brought her back to the room,
I tried to get her to admit what she had done.

It was like trying to get her
to admit she's insane.

- She makes you forget she's a patient.
- Yes, she does.

She's very clever.

You still want to resign?

Could it be that you're
afraid of failing?

Do you remember I told you
we never issue a set of keys...

...to a worker until we think
he's ready?

Look, f you didn't feel so deeply,
I wouldn't have this much respect for you.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Have you seen her? Is she all right?
Did she ask about me?

- Did she say anything about last week?
- I haven't seen her.

I haven't either,
or heard her playing either.

- You don't suppose she's ill?
- No, no, I don't think so.

Listen, I think you ought to realize it wouldn't
be quite right for me to act as a go-between.

I understand, yes, of course.
I beg your pardon.

I hope you weren't offended,
but I thought you'd understand my being anxious.

I do. And when I see her,
I'll tell her that you asked about her.

Will you? That's very kind of you.

I don't mean to embarrass you, Mr. Bruce,
but you see, it means a great deal to me.

- I know.
- I suppose you think it's rather foolish...

...rather absurd,
this attachment of mine.

I don't think there's anything
foolish about it.

- You don't?
- No.

Not even under
these grotesque conditions?

No.

Well, still, it's possible to think of it
as a rather foolish thing.

She's so proud, you know?
Such a delicate creature.

And yet she allowed me to touch her hair
for a moment. You saw that she allowed me.

You see, I really have
nothing else to live for.

Fourteen.

So many of these people
have such extraordinary minds.

Such extraordinary sensibilities.

Too extraordinary, I think, sometimes.

This is not a scientific theory.

Maybe it's romantic, but I often
compare them to fine crystal...

...which has been shattered by the
shock of some intolerable revelation.

I often have the feeling when I talk
with them, that they have seen too much...

...with too fine an instrument.

That they have been close
to some extreme...

...to something absolute
and been blasted by it.

That they have been destroyed, one
might say, by their own excellence.

Regarded in this way,
they are the heroes of the universe.

Its finest product
and its noblest casualty.

Schizophrenia, however,
is far from being an exclusive affliction...

...of the superior mind.

As a matter of fact, by using a
substance from the blood of humans...

...schizophrenia has been
induced in dogs...

...spiders, as well as men.

As you will note, the web
of most normal spider species...

...is as distinctive and invariable
as their coloring.

But the mad ones spin out
fantastic, asymmetrical...

...and rather nightmarish designs.

A most unsettling fact.

What's that...?
What language is that?

It's mine.

What do you mean,
your own language?

Why did you come here?

I needed a job.

You could get a job in a butcher shop.

Grocery store, gas station.

You were in the Army?

Were you a hero?

I didn't think so.

Did you come here for excitement?

Excitement?

Adventure?

I'm not an adventurer.

I think you are.

Why?

You're ill at ease. Adventurous people
are always a little ill at ease.

They're shy. They aren't bold
the way people think they are.

They go stumbling around,
breaking things, being scolded.

Always looking for a place
where they'll feel they belong.

They have that crooked look.

The crooked look?

Of not really matching anything.

I'd like to go for a walk now.

I didn't think they'd let me go on
any more trips after the picnic.

Well, there's some
pretty smart people here.

My people punished me.

How?

What'd they do to you?

They wept.
That's how they always punish me.

They come and kneel at my bed
and sob.

Have you ever heard someone
that you loved weeping?

Sometimes I hear my mother cry.

Do you?

Is she unhappy?

Not now.

At least, I hope not.

What was your mother like?

Hands lie so still in death.

You've killed with these hands. Why?

That's the business of a soldier.

You must love your god a great deal
to kill for him and still go on loving him.

I'd never ask that of a lover.

I'd only ask his joy.

Look at her. She wants to be like me.

She's lovely.

My kisses kill her.
She's like all of them.

Destroys them to be loved.

Can I go farther?

Lilith?

You call me "Lilith."

Well, at least that'll be
a very unusual kind of cloth, huh?

- You think it's beautiful?
- Yes.

You gonna cut your hair?

Mm-hmm.

There are scissors there on the table.
Will you hand them to me?

Nope.

You won't?

What'll you do then? Leave me
chained here by my hair until I starve?

Gonna set you free.

That'll be difficult.

This was to be a present for you.
A throw for your bed.

I made it especially for you.

To make you dream.

You're very gentle.

I'm glad you're not leaving.

I think you do a great deal of good
here. I think the patients trust you.

It'd be very foolish
if you were to leave.

These reports of mine
are not completely accurate.

They're factual, but they
don't express what really happens.

You feel the atmosphere of your relationship
is different from what these reports indicate?

- Right.
- Are you disturbed about it?

Let me put it quite candidly.

Do you feel she's trying
to seduce you?

Well, it's not that simple.

Well, you could call it that.
But it's not...

It's not just a physical thing.
It's much more than that.

I'm not sure what it is
that she's trying to offer.

It's almost like she wants to share
this magic little world of hers.

And...

I don't know.
Does that all sound strange to you?

No, that doesn't sound strange.

It isn't unknown, you know,
for patients to seduce personnel...

...and vice versa, unfortunately.

Do you ever feel inclined to accept?

Yeah.

Yeah, sometimes I do.
And...

You see, I don't really think
that Lilith is unhappy.

Most of the patients are.

But I don't think she is.
She's got some...

- I don't know, she's got a kind of a...
- Rapture.

- What was the word?
- Rapture.

Rapture? That's a very good word for it.

Yes, it is a very good word.
In Shakespeare's time, it meant "madness"...

...as the words "ecstasy"
and "innocence" often did.

I think all of us here are concerned
with rapture in some way.

And when a man devotes himself
to studying the nature of rapture...

...he may find himself
dispossessed by it.

That's one of the risks we take.

Does she ever talk to you
about her delusions?

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

In her case, it's seldom possible
to tell what is fantasy and what is fact.

Has she ever spoken to you
about her family?

No, I don't think so.

She had a brother who was
killed accidentally in a fall.

She's never mentioned him,
I suppose.

Well, you know,
I never try to question her.

No, I wouldn't.

That's apt to be disastrous.

How long did you say
that she's been here?

Since she was 18.

What do you think of her chances?

Very small.

Still, you never can tell.
She's been doing very well lately.

I'm particularly pleased with the
influence you seem to have had on her.

This is a girl that, since she's
been here, has had no contact...

...with any world except her own.

I think you're doing a damn good job.

It's a very small chance
that we're talking about.

You saw Dr. Lavrier last week,
didn't you?

You talk about me?

Among other things.

What'd you say?

Tell me.

You think I should, huh?

You think I would?

I invent all sorts of stories for him
about my childhood.

You think he believes them?

He'll believe anything about me
except that I'm happy.

It's all he exists for,
inventions and confessions.

- I'm sure he'd love to hear some of yours.
- What would I tell him?

Don't you know?

Excuse me.

Good morning, Miss Arthur.

I'm making something for you...

...in the shop. They told me
next week was your birthday...

...and I wanted to give you something.
I wonder if I should tell you.

Still, I think it's going to be quite nice.

I've been spending a lot of time on it.

It should be finished in a day or two.

Are you going bicycling?

It's a lovely day for it.

May I come with you?

I'm sorry...

...maybe we can do it another time.

That's very disappointing.

Wait, wait.

Wait.

Tell me now, please.

You think I don't know
how you suffer?

I do. I know how terrible it is
to love somebody...

...and not be able to confess
your love.

But you can tell me.

Please.

I can't stand it.

I can't stand it anymore.

This is a bad cut.
We're gonna have to go back.

You've got blood on your face.

You feel cleaner now?

You think I infected you?

Lilith.

I've never been able to do
anything worthwhile in my life.

I wish you would help me to do
just one thing well, honorably.

If you wanna help me, go away.

I can't be saved by honor.

Well, how does everybody
feel today?

You're all so solemn.

Did anything happen that was interesting today
that somebody would like to talk about?

Doesn't anybody
have anything to say?

Miss Verigold...

...you've just come back to us.
Is there anything you'd like to say?

I'm happy to be back with...

(laughing)

That is so stupid.

- "Marigold."
- Well, I would like to...

Why were you laughing when
Miss Verigold was speaking, do tell us?

I just think her name is so funny.

Her name is so funny,
it cracks me up.

I have a new understanding now.

Benito, you said you had something
on your mind to tell the whole group.

How about it?

Did you ever see
a dancer that smoked?

I don't want it anymore.
I don't know why.

I was born to do it.
I was born to move.

I was born to be free.
I was born to express, to create.

I got nothing left anymore.
I'm drained.

I know I do...
I know...

Love it.

But it seems to me that
that love that I have I can easily hate.

- Destroy because it seems to, like, possess me...
- Who the hell gave you the right to destroy anything?

- Who the hell gave you the right to destroy anything?
- Nobody gave me the right.

- I chose the right.
- You have no such right.

You have no right to destroy the gift
that God gave you. It belongs to us all.

I don't accept that. It's my gift.

- I do with it as I please.
- Who do you think you are?

How dare you take such a prerogative
into your own hands!

- Really?
- Yes! Yes!

- You have no right.
- What do you mean, who am I?

Who are...?
God gave you a great gift.

It was for us that he meant it.
It's for us...

...to judge whether you have the right...
- It's not for you to judge anything.

What you lack is a sense of reality.

What's so wonderful about reality?

Why don't you tell me you love me?
Why don't you tell me you want me?

Because I love you.

I can't be saved by honor.

To make you dream.
To make you dream.

What was your mother like?
What was your mother like?

You call me "Lilith."

To make you dream.
To make you dream.

You call me "Lilith."

Good morning. That was some storm
we had last night. Did you see any of it?

Yeah. About 3:00, the shutter
broke loose, woke me up.

I don't think I've seen rain like that.

- I read your report. Did it go well?
- It went pretty well.

How you feeling about yourself?
Any more secure?

I think that was all imagination
or beginner's nerves or something.

Are you still getting a lot of fantasy?

No, I mentioned that in the report.

No personal talk
that I should know about?

- No. No.
- Well, keep in touch with me.

She'd like to go and see that
jousting tournament over in Barnesville...

...and I said I'd ask
your permission, so...

Did you ask her yourself?

It just came up. Something we
were talking about. Horses, I think.

Well, all the other OTs have given me such
good reports. I'm very pleased about it.

By all means, take her.

Thank you.

It's like another time and place.

- Knights and lances.
- Oh, this is a very, very old custom.

They brought it over here from England.
Except nowadays...

...instead of trying to knock each other
off the horses, we just spear that little ring there.

Really?

I used to do this before I was in the service,
you know, when I was a kid.

You any good at it?

I'm pretty good.

Candy apples. Candy apples.

Get your candy apples. Fifteen cents.

Candy apples. Fifteen cents.
Get your candy apples.

That doll.

- Which one?
- That one. I want it.

How much are your watermelons?

Twenty-five cents.
The big ones is 25 cents.

- How much is the ice?
- We're not selling the ice, ma'am.

I'd rather have a piece of ice.
Couldn't you let me just have a tiny piece?

Yes, ma'am.

Let me do it.

It's like a diamond.

Yes, ma'am.

She swallowed the diamond!

It'd cut her all up inside if it was.
She'd bleed.

- Wanna see my blood?
- Yes, ma'am.

Touch my lips.

It ain't none.
I known you was fooling.

There is, but you can't see it.
It's clear, like water.

She got white blood.

- What color's yours?
- Mine's red. I get cut a lot.

No, it's not.

It's blue.

Hot and blue.

I don't have any money.
Can't pay you for the diamond.

Shall I give you a kiss instead?

- Yes, ma'am.
- Come here.

Goodbye. Thanks. It was delicious.

He's the most beautiful one of all.
He shines like gold.

Vince never told me he was
gonna bring you. He's a sly devil.

Are you gonna ride?

For me?

You better take the lance too.
It's over there by the tree. I'll get it.

I'll get it.

How you gonna ride? I gotta fill out
a entry blank with your name.

- Knight of Poplar Lodge.
- What colors?

Can I use your scarf?

Blue and gold.

We will now commence
the riding of the tournament.

Sir knights, the rules are as follows:

Distance of the course is 80 yards.

The time to ride the course
is 10 seconds.

Your rings are now hanging...

...6 feet, 9 inches from the ground.

We will now commence
the riding of the tournament.

Knight of Doranstown,
prepare to charge.

Clear the track, please.
Keep your balloons still, if you will, children.

Charge, sir knight.

Three rings.

We will now reduce the rings
to three-quarter of an inch.

The ring hangers will now hang
the three-quarter inch rings.

Knight of Doranstown,
prepare to charge.

Keep the tracks clear, please.

Charge, sir knight.

Three rings. Three rings.

Knight of Poplar Lodge,
prepare to charge.

Charge, sir knight.

Three rings!

9.3 seconds.
Best of the day, and the winner.

- Is this your lady?
- Yes.

Crown her queen
of love and beauty.

I love you.

If I died tonight,
would it have been enough?

Then I'll live forever.

So smooth...

...everywhere but where they
wounded you.

Now the wound's mine.

Hello.

Good evening.

Aren't you gonna go in
to dinner?

In a little while.

I can bring a tray up to your room
if you want me to.

No, thank you.

I couldn't help noticing
that you've succeeded...

...in persuading Miss Arthur to
accompany you on several occasions.

That's really quite remarkable,
considering she hasn't been out in months.

That, of course,
is in your line of duty, isn't it?

Isn't it?

I'm sure you think of yourself
as a very persuasive young man.

That's my job.

I should find it a most
depressing kind of work.

Entertaining eccentric spinsters,
pushing witless girls about.

I don't think of it that way.

No, I'm sure you don't.

You seem to be a man
of principle.

That's less flattering
than you believed.

Good evening, Mr...

Bruce.

Oh, yes, of course.

Principles, Mr. Bruce...

...should always be examined.

We have to be careful.

Do you think loving me is sinful?

Think I have a talent for love?

If my talent were greater than you
think, would you stop loving me?

I don't think you love me.

There are a lot of things that
aren't allowed, but we've done them.

I wonder what they'd do
if they knew.

Should I tell them?

I think, if you think they'll take your
word against mine, you tell them.

If someone on the staff were to support
my story, maybe they would.

What are you talking about?

If I lose this job,
then we don't see each other anymore.

I love you, Vincent.

You dirty bitch.

If you should discover
that your god loved others...

...as much as he loved you,
would you hate him for it?

I show my love for all of you,
and you despise me.

Oh, Mr. Bruce?
I want to show this to you.

It's the gift I'm making for her.

I showed it to Miss Brice before.
She thought it was lovely, didn't you, Miss Brice?

- Yes.
- It's made out of cedar.

As you can see,
the design is very intricate.

You know, I've never made anything
with my hands before.

It's for her pastels.

I've never seen her so happy before,
have you?

Vincent?

Vincent, my goodness.

What in the world are you doing
out there in the rain?

I just went out for a walk,
then I happened to be passing by.

Oh.

Why don't you stop in for a minute?

We're just about to have our coffee.

Would you like to have
a cup with us?

I know Norman would like
to meet you very much.

If it isn't too much trouble,
I'd like to meet him.

Norman.

Norman, this is Vincent Bruce
that I told you so much about.

Well, how do you do? Golly, we've been
waiting long enough for this pleasure.

- Thank you.
- Vincent just happened to be passing by.

- He'll have a cup of coffee with us.
- Fine, wonderful.

Sit down there, Vince,
while Laura stirs us up some coffee.

- You won't be long now, will ya hon?
- It's almost ready.

- Remember my meeting?
- I don't see how I could forget it.

I've got United Citizens Council
tonight.

Women don't understand
the importance of civic things.

A man attends
his civic responsibilities...

...and they feel deserted.
- I guess they do.

Well, I guess you're mighty glad
to be back, aren't you?

- Yeah.
- It's quite an adventure, wasn't it?

Yes, it was.

I tried twice to sign up myself,
but I couldn't make the grade.

Colon trouble.

The TV bother you? I'll just...

Say, I don't suppose
there's any possibility...

...that you knew my kid brother.
He's in the 1 st Marine Division...

...over there in your part
of the world somewhere.

Uh, no, no thank you.

No, no, I don't.

- That was a great outfit, though.
- Great outfit, wasn't it? Great.

Nick had a fine war record.
He's doing well now too.

He turned out to be real natural
as a traveling salesman.

Found a kind of unusual line
for an ex-Marine.

Every time I see him now, I say:

Nick, I never thought I'd see you
in ladies' underwear.

Ladies' underwear, that's his line,
ladies' underwear.

Yeah, I got it.

The joke's on us. He made 3600
last year in commissions.

There's no laugh about that,
is there?

No.

I wish sometimes
I went on the road myself.

It's a good life,
in more ways than one.

Honey!

Do you have to shout like that,
Norman?

You know Mother's
trying to get some sleep.

Well, let's not go into that now.

How about the coffee?

Listen, I don't want to
barge in on you like this.

No, no, no. You stay.
We want to hear all about you.

Laura tells me you're over
at the asylum. Is that right, Vince?

Yeah, I'm training to be something
they call an occupational therapist.

Is that so?
An occupational therapist?

I bet that's pretty interesting work,
isn't it?

- It can be.
- Yeah.

Say...

...I bet there's some pretty funny stuff
going on in a place like that, isn't there?

Come to think of it,
Laura was telling me...

...that your mother
used to be a little...

Oh, thank you.

Vince, ol' man, you caught me on a bad night.
I'm gonna have to run, or I'm gonna miss this meeting.

- I think I better be going...
- No, no, no. You stay.

Laura, you get him
some of the blueberry muffins.

Did you put the garbage out?

- I'll get it when I come in.
- That's the third night in a row...

I can't think of everything now.
I just can't think of everything.

I've got more important things
on my mind than that garbage.

- Been real nice meeting you.
- Yeah.

Hope you come back real soon,
we'll have a real chat.

Thank you.

Can you imagine that, Vincent?

Me drinking?

Please have one.

Vincent, how did you happen
to stop by tonight?

You never got that clock fixed.

Isn't that funny,
the things you remember?

I thought you'd forgotten
all about me.

You see, I wasn't sure how you felt
after Norman and I got married.

I even thought you might be
holding it against me.

Why would I do that?

I've been thinking about you.

I happened to see you passing by the
other day. I suppose that's the reason.

You were with
a very pretty blonde girl.

Oh, that's one of the patients.

Oh.

Well, I'm sure you'll make a great
success of your work, Vincent.

I always hoped you'd
find yourself someday.

Vincent, what's the matter?

- I'll be running along.
- Vincent.

Do you remember when I said...

...I'd never really let you make love
to me until I was married?

Well, I am married now.

I'm not allowed
to go across the street.

If this was my hoop, I'd put ribbons
in the rim, with little bells.

That would be a good idea, lady,
but would it cost a lot?

Then I'd have to give you
some money.

We still have some money, don't we,
Vincent? From my allowance?

- How much?
- A dollar.

There you are.
Don't forget, it's just for the bells.

Yes, ma'am, and thank you.

I'll come back and see you in a couple
of days. When, Vincent? Thursday?

- What's your name?
- David.

Ma'am, I wanna buy this aquarium.

(man screaming)

There he goes again.

He screamed like that all night. Who is
it that screams like that above me?

It's our friend Mr. Davis, isn't it?

Why don't they do something for him?
You don't know how terrible it is.

- What do you want them to do?
- Kill him.

They're not supposed to kill people
here. They're supposed to cure them.

Are they?

Do you think they can cure Lilith?

Do you know what she wants?

Do you think they can cure this fire?

Do you know
what they have to cure?

She wants to leave the mark of her desire
on every living creature in the world.

If she were Caesar,
she'd do it with a sword.

If she were a poet,
she'd do it with words.

But she's Lilith.

She has to do it with her body.

Your hands are cold.
They feel like death.

Why did you steal my doll?

- What doll?
- You know.

I don't know
what you're talking about.

You're lying.

You say you love me, and you lie to me.
How can there be love or trust between us...

...when you lie to me?
- Wait a minute. Wait a minute!

- I didn't steal your doll.
- Liar! Liar!

Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!

Liar!

Liar.

I took it because I love you.

Did I show you my paintbox?

My new one?

Don't you think it's beautiful?

It was a gift from Ronnie.

Ronnie? Who's Ronnie?

My brother.

Your brother's dead.

Is he?

He used to give me things.

Flowers.

There was a rose
in his hand that day.

What day?

All the petals
blew away like little flowers.

What did you ever bring me,
Vincent?

I want you to take us out together.

His hands are warm...

...not cold and dead like yours.

He makes lovely things for me.

He's very sweet.

I've been very cruel to him.

Tell me more about your brother.

My brother?

There's nothing to tell.

He's dead.

He asked Miss Brice
to bring it for me.

Who asked Miss Brice?

Steven.

Steven Evshevsky.
He made it for me for my birthday.

Don't you think that's touching?

You will take us walking tomorrow,
won't you?

You will take us walking.

Won't you?

Good evening.

Won't you sit down?

The music's beautiful, isn't it?

You saw Miss Arthur today.

I wonder if she mentioned
the gift that I sent her.

Yes, she did.

She did? Well, was she...?

Did she seem pleased with it?

She showed it to me.

She showed it to you?

Then she must have been
pleased with it.

You know, I really think she's
beginning to have a feeling for me.

Don't you?

You know, of all the people here, I think
you're the only one who really understands us.

How beautiful everything is.

Only last night, this very tree
terrified me.

Do you know I was just
about to destroy this leaf?

To kill it...

...just out of happiness.

How careless joy can make us,
and yet how wonderful.

One feels a kind of
heightened sensitivity.

You hear things that
you've never heard before.

You see things that
you've never seen before.

You can feel colors.

That must be what she feels when
she catches the sunlight in her prisms.

How wonderful I feel
when I'm happy.

Do you think that insanity...

...could be so simple a thing
as unhappiness?

Maybe it's the other way around.

Well, I don't understand that.

What do you mean?

I don't know what I mean.

Sometimes I just say things.
You shouldn't trust me.

Oh, but I do.

Just as I trust the way I feel.

You say she showed you my gift.

Did she say anything about it?

Did she like it?

Did she talk about me?

I'd like permission to live
on the grounds.

He got a kitchen knife
from someone.

Held it against his chest and
then fell full-length onto the floor.

- When?
- It must have been about sunrise.

Greta came over to check
when he didn't show at breakfast.

Tell them to cover up his hands.

He didn't like people
to see his fingers.

What is it? Mother here?

I saw the ambulance.

I was watching from my window.

They came to get my brother,
didn't they? They've taken him away.

I saw them. I saw the ambulance.

They took him out on a stretcher,
covered with a white blanket.

It was Steven.

Steven?

- You're lying to me.
- No.

- Why are you always lying to me?
- I'm not lying.

You mean that gentleman
with the lovely hands...

...who made me my paintbox?

Have I shown you
my paintbox?

And you were going
to take us walking, weren't you?

- No.
- You said that in a couple of days...

...we could go walking.

You don't know what I've done.
He killed himself.

He's dead.

No, I don't know what you're saying.

I don't understand
what you're saying.

You shouldn't say
such terrible things.

You're lying if you say those things.

I did the right thing.

You wanted me to do that.
Say that.

That isn't why they die.

Just say I did the right thing.

Tell me that.

Say you wanted me to do it.

I don't kill the things I love.

I didn't kill my brother.

He jumped.

He jumped because he
didn't dare to love me.

And I wanted him to.

I wanted him to.

What else you wanna know,
doctor?

You always want me to tell you things.
Don't you know enough about me, doctor?

I'm Vincent.

Vincent?

Leave me alone, please.

Leave me alone. Please.

Vincent?

Hi.

- Drinking?
- Sure.

Only it's on me.
I owe you a binge.

Scotch, water on the side.

Scotch, blood on the side.

You know, if you're in a rocket ship,
you can shoot right back at them.

They disintegrate.

You're gonna be alone
in space, you know.

Space, all alone.

I don't know which is right.

Yellow hair, yellow ribbon.

This one's for you, bitch.

Help me.