Kapur and Charisma

+minus
45 minute feature film script
written by ail
copyright 2005

EARLY MORNING. WIDE SHOT OF A RUN DOWN LONELY BUS STOP AT A RURAL AREA. A BUS COMES INTO FRAME. A FOOT STEPS OUT OF IT. WE ESTABLISH HE IS A BACKPACKER. HE WALKS TOWARDS THE EMPTY BUS STOP AND SITS HIMSELF DOWN AT ONE END. HIS HANDS OPEN A LONELY PLANET BOOK. HE LIGHTS A CIGARETTE WITH A CHROME ZIPPO LIGHTER. A MAN IS SEEN WALKING FROM AFAR. HE COMES TO THE BUS STOP AND WE SEE THAT HE IS DRESSED IN RAGS. HE HAS MESSY HAIR AND BEARD AS IF HE IS A BEGGAR. HE SITS DOWN AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, HE BEGINS TO TALK.

MAN:
Hey.. You got a cigarette?

ETHAN:
Yeah sure.

ETHAN GETS UP, WALK TOWARDS THE OLD MAN AND PASSES HIM A CIGARETTE.

MAN:
Thanks.. Got a light?

Ethan pulls out the zippo lighter and lights the mans cigarette. C/U on the cigarette burning.

MAN:
Thank you.

ETHAN:
My pleasure.

Ethan sits back down. They sit quietly inhaling and exhaling their cigarette. Chirping birds can be heard.

MAN:
You traveling someplace?

ETHAN:
Um. Yes.

The man smiles.

MAN:
What’re you readin’?

ETHAN:
Oh, its my travel guide.

MAN:
You English ey?

ETHAN:
Yeah. Is it that obvious?

MAN:
Quite..

ETHAN:
You from anywhere around here?

A huge container truck roars by. The man looks away then looks back at Ethan very slowly.

MAN:
No.

ETHAN:
I thought you were local. (friendly smile) Your English made me think otherwise.

THE BOTH OF THEM ENJOY THEIR CIGARETTE QUIETLY. ETHAN BREAKS THE SILENCE

ETHAN:
So what do you do?

MAN:
I wander around.

ETHAN:
I see.

MAN:
So what brings you here to this shithole.

ETHAN:
Excuse me?

MAN:
This shithole. What could possibly bring you here?

ETHAN:
Heh, I like it here. Its peaceful.

MAN:
Are you hiding from something?

ETHAN:
Hahaha. What makes you say that?

MAN:
I Don’t know. I’m hiding. Assumed you were too.

ETHAN:
What are you hiding from?

MAN:
I’m hiding from God. Your turn. What are you hiding from?

ETHAN:
Nothing. I’m just traveling.

MAN:
Just traveling? Come on. Amuse me.

ETHAN:
Fine. Lets see. I’m hiding from my psycho step father. My obsessed wife and my drug abusing brother. How’s that?

MAN:
Sounds about right. At least you’re honest.

ETHAN:
What about you? What’s your story? I mean, no offense. You look like shit but yet you sound sophisticated. A bit odd for these parts. I would say.

MAN:
You find me intriguing huh?...

THE MAN LOOKS UP AND SMILES

MAN:
So, Stepfather? Was there a step mom?

ETHAN:
I was adopted. I Don’t know who my real parents are.

MAN:
Does it matter to you?

ETHAN:
No. Not anymore. And you?

MAN:
What about me?

ETHAN:
What’s your story?

MAN:
Like I said. I’m hiding.

ETHAN:
Yes. I know. From God. But why?

MAN LOOKS AT ETHAN HE STOPS TO THINK FOR A WHILE.

MAN:
You want to know my story?

ETHAN:
Amuse me.

MAN:
Heh heh. First, You have to know who I am.

MAN LOOKS AT ETHAN WITH CONVINCING EYES.

MAN:
I am Lucifer. The Devil himself.

ETHAN:
And you are hiding from God?

MAN:
Yes.

ETHAN:
Hehe.. (mockingly) Why?

MAN:
Why? Because I wont do what He wants me to do.

ETHAN:
Which is?

MAN:
Evil.

ETHAN:
Right. God wants you to do evil?

MAN:
Of course. Ethan, I am Lucifer.

ETHAN:
How dy? How do you know my name?

MAN:
Because I am Lucifer.

ETHAN:
Hey mister. I never told you my n..

MAN:
You said you wanted to hear my story. Shall I amuse you then? Bus wont be here for another hour. And it’s a long walk to the nearest town.

ETHAN BECOMES AGITATED AND UNCOMFORTABLE.

ETHAN:
Who are you!?

MAN GETS UP AND RUSHES TOWARDS ETHAN WITH SPEED AND EYES FLARING

MAN:
I AM LUCIFER!

ETHAN:
FUCK!!

MAN:
Stay calm. Ethan. I mean you no harm.

ETHAN:
What do you want?

MAN SITS DOWN NEXT TO ETHAN

MAN:
(calmly) I want to tell you my story.

ETHAN:
Why? Why me?

MAN:
Because you of all people will understand Ethan. Please. How can I put you at ease?

ETHAN STOP TO THINK FOR A WHILE

MAN:
You want another cigarette?

ETHAN:
No.

MAN:
Rest assured no harm will come to you.

ETHAN:
Your word? You are evil.

MAN:
Evil? Evil. Evil is a point of view. And this is not a question of evil. Like all things human, it’s a question of want.

ETHAN:
Why have you come here?

MAN:
I have come a long way to this menial existence. I seek not to hurt anyone. I have given up on evil.

ETHAN:
Given up on evil?? You are manipulating me.

MAN:
No. This has been my fate. I choose not to battle Gods ego. Why should I? I love him.

ETHAN:
Love him??

ETHAN LOOKS AT MAN WITH CURIOUS EYES. TRACK IN TO ETHAN AS HE PUMPS HIS CIGARETTE.

MAN:
Permit me to tell you my story. How did I come to such a fate? I know not. But I know where I began. When I was loved. The beginnings of my significant existence.

CUT AWAY LOW ANGLE SHOT OF A NAKED TODDLER GETTING UP

VO:
Eons ago, I was created to enjoy Gods heaven.

CUT AWAY SHOT OF TODDLER HAPPILY ROAMING A GARDEN.

VO:
With beauty all around, it was easy to fall in love. He was my father, my love, my creator, my mentor. There was nothing I wanted more than to be around him. I loved Him with a passion inconceivable to any angels, mortals and prophets alike. And so did Him. And in time, I climbed the ranks of the most divine angels and eventually was crowned leader of all.

CUT TO FLASH ANIMATION OF ANGELIC MAN STANDING ABOVE MANY ANGELS.

MAN:
My loyalty was only to Him and there was not a second that went by that I did not perform worship. I became His favorite. And for trillions of years, my love was all I knew. Much like you Ethan.

CUT BACK TO BUS STOP

ETHAN:
What do you mean?

MAN:
For many years, your foster parents were all you cared about. You were their favorite weren’t you?

ETHAN:
Yes.

MAN:
Then, they had a son. A real son.

ETHAN:
How do you..

MAN:
Oh stop it Ethan. Accept who I am.

ETHAN:
Yes they had a son.

MAN:
And how did you feel then?

ETHAN:
I felt like they didn’t care about me anymore.

MAN:
Did they?

ETHAN:
No... they didn’t. They loved him more.

MAN:
And God created Adam. We are not that different.

ETHAN:
Adam...

MAN:
Yes. Adam. The first Man. Gods favorite and latest ‘invention’. And His first command was for all to BOW before this ‘new’ creature.

ETHAN:
Why are you telling me all this?

MAN:
I feel a kinship with you Ethan. Whatever reasons I have besides that do not concern you or this war of what God would call good versus evil. Be strong with that truth. It is but for my own self-satisfaction.

ETHAN:
So its that simple then huh? It has nothing to do with me?

MAN:
For what its worth, you are the only human intelligent enough to understand my views.

ETHAN:
Why?

MAN:
I see a lot of similarities between us. You are a victim but yet you don’t dwell on it.

ETHAN:
I am no victim. I simply see what happened in the past as lessons for me to move on.

MAN:
So do i.

ETHAN:
Continue then. What happened next?

MAN:
When God presented Adam, all the angels bowed unquestioningly.

CUT AWAY SHOTS OF MUSLIMS BOWING

Man:
They need not worry about faith or ego. Angels lack any emotions to feel. It is their nature. And so they fulfill his every command without feeling. But I. I am made out of fire. I refused to conform. I devoted my whole existence in the name of Gods love, and I EARNED it, but He betrayed every Love I have for him. And so I defied his command for the first time.

ETHAN:
And you felt no fear? Fear over that which rules all?

MAN:
No. No fear. Only love.

ETHAN:
It wasn’t love Lucifer. It was jealousy. You wanted to be his favorite. But Adam robbed you of it. You were simply jealous.

MAN:
This has nothing to do with Adam. It has to do with His betrayal of my love.

ETHAN:
And so, you were damned to hell.

MAN:
Hmph. Hell. Gods most cruel creation. He is not a loving force if he is capable of creating such a place. He demands that we believe everything without question. “I AM GOD AND YOU MUST OBEY ME! Burn those books, kill those infidels and uphold my honor! For I am your creator and YOU are at my mercy.” That is your God, Ethan. That is your God.

ETHAN:
My God is Loving. He did it to teach you a lesson. But you choose to see it as betrayal.

MAN:
God is loving? But how do you call God loving when He rules in totality of His selfish will? Consider for a moment my point of view. What I went through.

ETHAN STOPS TO THINK FOR A WHILE

MAN:
What would you do?

ETHAN:
I would still bow.

MAN:
(mockingly) You would bow. Think for a moment. It isn’t about loyalty but love Ethan. What would you do if he betrayed your feelings? The way I was betrayed?

ETHAN:
My faith in his judgment would be unconditional. How do you disobey love?

MAN:
You disobey love, when there is betrayal. You are dishonest to yourself and your feelings.

ETHAN:
I would. For love.

MAN:
That is fear, Ethan. Not love.

ETHAN:
He is OUR creator. THE creator. His actions are never of hate. HE IS ALL KNOWING. There is a lesson to be learnt from this. A lesson from which you failed to learn. I do not believe it.

MAN:
You choose not to believe it. Even I am humble enough to say that ‘all that I know, is that I know nothing at all’. Do not be so proud as to assume your belief is the truth.

ETHAN:
I do not assume. I know it. Continue your story. what happened next? He cast you away?

MAN:
On the contrary. No. He accepted my challenge.

CUT TO C/U OF DEVILS MOUTH

As he was about to cast me into the pits, consumed with pride and anger, I challenged him, that all of Adams offsprings are not worthy of His grace. and that I alone, could ever love him as much.

CUT TO SHOT OF MAN ON WHITE FIRE SHOUTING

VO:
I said to him then, “Give me this one thing! For I never ask anything of you. Know now that I am willing to march into hell for this heavenly cause.”

CUT BACK TO BUS STOP

MAN:
Hatred then consumed me. Hatred for all your kind and to His ignorance. And so, I was bent with a mission to prove that Adams creation is a mistake on his part.

ETHAN:
And so you believe you did it out love and not blind envy. Have you no fear of what becomes of you? And the consequences that will befall you?

MAN:
Yes. There is no fear. It was not a selfish war of ego’s. I benefit nothing. It is a hopeless cause for me but one that I believe in wholeheartedly.

ETHAN:
You are bent on proving your quality higher than that of humans. And yet you say you are ‘good’?. How is that not a selfish act? How is that love? How is that not sin?

THE MAN SNAPS AT ETHAN

MAN:
What do you know of sin? Throughout the ages, all humans have exemplified nothing but brutality, malice and hate under the blanket of self righteous acts of war and what more? IN HIS NAME! Your greed and ignorance is insurmountable. You know nothing of divine love but yet you speak of it incessantly.

MANS EYES WIDEN WITH HONEST ANGER

MAN:
How do I bow to such a weak disloyal race?

ETHAN:
You accuse us of being corrupt, when you had a hand in all our evils. You had a play in every action.

MAN:
To point blame is such a beautiful convenience. There were many a time where my hand did not interfere. I didn’t need to. However, Adam was in the beginning, incorruptible.

CUT TO ANIMATION SHOT OF APPLE AND EVE

MAN:
But He created a second. The female. Lo and behold. Mans first folly. The fall from grace which marks the end of divine stature and the beginnings to a pitiful existence on this earth. One battle won. Lust. It is so easy. It also consumed the two sons of Adam after. And for thousands of years, nothing could unseal the fate of humans in Hell. There was nothing more I needed to do but watch as your race crumble into darkness.

CUT BACK TO BUS STOP

ETHAN:
But what of prophets and all of Gods messengers? Were they not worthy of His grace?

MAN:
Solomon was. His love for all things regardless exemplified true quality. It was then, that my first act of kindness was known to the world. For I too, loved Solomon and his castle ever built so beautifully by my own hands.

ETHAN:
You did it to manipulate.

MAN:
It was an act of kindness.

ETHAN:
And what of priests, monks and imams that devote their whole life in surrender and worship to his Love? Are those men not worthy?

MAN:
Those men were given the gift of ignorance.

ETHAN:
Ignorance??? Ignorance from what?

MAN:
From the truth.

ETHAN
Hmph. YOUR TRTUH. How can ignorance be a gift?

MAN:
It’s ignorance disguised as a gift, only given by God as a shield to protect them from things they cannot understand. The ignorance is that shield. My truth is what they can never understand nor are they even open to try. Their prayers are not for illumination but blindness and escape. They are made slaves to gods commands. It’s no gift. Its enslavement.

ETHAN:
So, in your eyes, was there no one worthy of Gods grace?

MAN:
There were some. Ghandi, Muhammad, Jesus.
Those men loved fiercely. Pure and incorruptible, their heart was cleansed of evils and their goodness shined brighter than of the seventh heaven.

ETHAN:
And what about the others?

MAN:
Of course. Out of a million people, one was incorruptible. Does that make you feel better?

ETHAN:
No. These are worthiness in your eyes. Not Gods

MAN:
Hpmh. God. God is a child. Once, I was offered by Muhammad a second chance for redemption. It had been 10,000 years since. I was tired of this never-ending evil. I asked God, what was it that I needed to do?

ETHAN:
I know this. I heard this as a child. You were told to..

MAN:
..I was told to find adams grave. And bow. It all comes back to his favorite. Do you see His arrogance now?

ETHAN:
But I do not understand why you did not take your second chance of forgiveness. You said so yourself. You’re tired of evil. All you needed to do was bow.

MAN:
Look, all I ever needed to do was bow. We are all Gods guitar strings. Tell me.. why do you believe we were created?

ETHAN:
I believe that we were created as a test…..

MAN:
A test. And the outcome is to reap the benefits or suffer the fruits of your good and bad deeds. Yes?

ETHAN:
Yes.

MAN:
And so, the variables placed around you are the obstacles for this ‘test’.

ETHAN:
Get to the point.

MAN:
I believe the same thing you do. However my variables vary.

ETHAN:
What do you mean?

MAN:
I am the one being tested. Your kind was created by Him for the sole purpose of being a mere variable to my test. Follow?

ETHAN:
You believe you’re fighting to prove your self-worth to Him. Your love for him?

MAN:
Yes. But still. I am unsatisfied.

ETHAN:
Why?

MAN:
There is something else I want more than redemption.

HE LOOKS UP AND STARES INTO THE SKIES

MAN:
My freedom.

ETHAN:
Freedom?

MAN:
Yes. I do not want to be tested. I just want to be left alone. Forever.

ETHAN:
And what about heaven?

MAN:
I was in heaven. I saw no freedom there. Look Ethan, understand that I was created for a reason. I was created to become the ‘evil’ equation to God. To keep the balance so that humans could learn and repent.

ETHAN:
Are you not EVIL?

MAN:
Define evil.

CUT TO ANIMATION OF HEART, BOMB AND SHOTS OF WAR

ETHAN:
Evil is a force. A darkness that consumes the hearts of men that leads to an action of immorality. Evil is a father raping his daughter. A nuclear bomb killing millions of innocents. Acts of murder, genocide, destruction that causes grief, strife, anguish..

CUT BACK TO BUS STOP

MAN:
So, anything that causes destruction to your kind is evil? I am evil. Pollution is evil. A bomb is evil. Murder is evil. Or is it? Look, these are YOUR evils. Not mine.

CUT TO ANIMATION OF MICRO-ORGANISMS

MAN:
That so-called ‘evil’ pollution spawned new life as well. Many single cell organisms were spawned because of these pollutions. Now, to those creatures, YOU are evil. And to me, God is evil.

CUT BACK TO BUS STOP

ETHAN:
That doesn’t make sense.

MAN:
Ethan, anything that is against you, you call evil. Because of fear, your kind has painted a picture of me as..

CUT TO DRAWING OF A RED MANCHESTER UNITED EMBLEM

VO:
..a red creature with two horns, a tail and a pitchfork. Your fears have warped your perception of me.

CUT BACK TO BUS STOP

MAN:
That image, is your image of evil shaped by conformity of your beliefs. That is not who I am.

ETHAN:
Do you expect forgiveness at the end of all this?

MAN:
It doesn’t make any damn difference. Forgiveness is not what I want. I want freedom.

ETHAN:
I understand now. Your arrogance has blinded you. You have been overwhelmed by jealousy and hate all these millennia’s that you have failed to see the final lessons for you to learn. Its not about freedom, Lucifer.

MAN:
Have you not been listening?

ETHAN:
Intently. Things could not be clearer to me. I see the error you made that sparked this war and the only reasons why he does not love you more than us.

MAN:
And what would that reason be? Pray tell.

ETHAN
Your inability to forgive God.

MAN:
We do not forgive god. He forgives us.

ETHAN:
You are wrong. When my sister was taken from me, I blamed Him for allowing such pain in my life. But as time went by, I forgave Him and it taught me to be stronger and made me the man I am today. But you… You do not realize that the final lesson for you to learn is to forgive Him for his sins onto you. He wants you to rise above his sins. Forgive him and everything will be okay. Forgive him..

MAN:
How dare you!?

ETHAN:
You are not arrogant to Adam but to yourself. Think about it. You are so filled with hate. Break through your nature and your past torment and see with eyes unclouded. You are capable of that I know it. Forgive him.

MAN:
THIS IS NOT A MATTER OF FORGIVENESS! HAVE YOU NOT BEEN LISTENING AT ALL? I WILL NOT! I HAVE WASTED MY TIME WITH YOU!

ETHAN:
You are angry because I speak the truth. Please Lucifer, do not be angry. Forgive him.

MAN:
FORGIVE HIM FOR WHAT? I LOVE HIM!! I LOVE HIM MORE THAN ANY OF YOU!! YOU ARE INSIGNIFICANT TO HIS GRACE!!!

ETHAN STANDS UP

ETHAN:
FORGIVE HIM LUCIFER!!! YOU ARE COWARDLY FOR HIDING! WHAT AWAITS YOU IS GREATER!

MAN:
YOU ARE NOT.. I I..AM HIS FAVORITE!! THIS TEST IS UPON ME!!! ADAM IS… I… I …. I LOVE!!!!!!!

FAST FADE TO WHITE

FADE OUT. CUT TO BROKEN HOME. THE DEVIL IS NO MORE THERE AND A CHILD IS CRYING IN HIS PLACE. THE CHILD IS SOBBING.

CHILD:
(SOBBING) All I want is for him to love me. Why doesn’t he love me?

ETHAN:
Its okay… Its okay…

CHILD:
It’s not okay! I love him so much. Why doesn’t he care? Why? Why can’t he see that I love him? (SOBBING)

BACKPACKER HUGGING AND CONSOLING SOBBING CHILD

ETHAN:
He loves you. He loves you Lucifer. Believe in it. He loves you.. Have some faith. Forgive him..

CHILD:
No.. He doesn’t. He hates me. I love him so much.. I…. I.. Why did he have to make..? I… I.. (SOBBING)

CUT BACK TO BUS STOP AND MAN IS BACK. HE IS STILL CRYING. ETHAN WALKS UP TO MAN SLOWLY

ETHAN:
Forgive him…. All you need do is to forgive him…

MAN:
No… no… no…

ETHAN:
Please.. For yourself. You have suffered enough. Please.. He doesn’t want you to suffer any longer.

MAN:
No…

ETHANS HAND PLACE ON MANS SHOULDER

CUT TO FLASH OF LIGHT AND ETHAN HOLDS HIS HAND OUT AS LINE AND BRIGHT HALO AROUND HIM ILLUMINATING SORROUNDINGS

DEEP FATHERLY VOICE
“””Lucifer… Please.. Forgive me… my SON…”””

MAN:
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MAN SLAPS ETHANS HAND. ETHAN DISAPPEARS OUT OF THIN AIR. MAN SQUATS WITH HANDS IN HIS FACE CRYING AS CAMERA TRACKS BACKWARDS. IT IS RAINING AND MAN IS ALL ALONE AT THE BUS STOP. MOONLINE SONATA PLAYING IN BACKGROUND.

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posted by Ail @ 3:15 AM