Voila! Finally, the Mute Witness
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the Anthony Waller movie. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Mute Witness. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
We interrupt this program to bring youa special news bulletin.Ernest Strohbeckerand two accomplices...... escaped from a maximum- securityward in Bellevue Hospital last night...... after brutally stabbing two nursesand a custodian to death.Strohbecker is extremely dangerous,brutal and unpredict...
Harry?
Harry?
Harry?
Harry!
He has the hots for you.
For me? No.
Cut. Brilliant.
Natasha!
Okay, I think we have
a little communication gap here.
When I said "more"...
...I didn't mean trash the fucking set.
This is not Chekhov. You're not
the star. You're just another victim.
You get stabbed. You die.
I want to see the pain.
I want to see the blood spurting.
Billy, where was the blood?
I want to see her bleed to death.
Okay? Okay?
Let's do it again, folks!
You make the blood flow
by squeezing the bag with your elbow.
- Okay?
- Sure.
We're gonna be here till Christmas,
right?
Natasha!
Tell him you make the blood flow
by squeezing the bag with your elbow.
- Okay.
- Tell her...
...that he will get it right next time.
She heard you.
Y'all keep forgetting
she can hear you perfectly well.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- It's okay.
Okay, from the top.
Stop. Stop. Stop!
What's the holdup?
What is he saying?
He says he's awfully sorry, but he
needs at least a day to redress the set.
A day?
Okay, well, let's just do the close-up of
the corpse, and that'll wrap it for today.
All right. Okay.
So, what I want to do is zoom in, do a
slow zoom into the puddle of blood...
Billy.
Madame Olga wants some sugar
in her blood again.
Thank you.
So, he's kind of cute.
Three months in Moscow,
cold winter nights...
Just a thought.
Billy, that's what Mom would say.
Hi.
He says use more white
like a real dead body.
Okay, Boris, get everyone ready.
Out of frame, Billy.
What is going on now?
Andy. Sorry, : .
- One more shot!
- We have no time.
One shot! I can't believe this.
She needs to go get Strohbecker's face.
Right! His dummy falls off
the balcony on Monday.
We'll wait here for you.
Karen, she's got her own car.
Okay. Okay. Don't forget tonight.
Yeah, yeah, yeah! Fiesta!
I'm making my famous chili con Clarke.
Alex, what do you say? You coming?
Sorry. I have tickets
for the Bolshoi Ballet tonight.
Well, try and stay awake.
Yeah!
Damn.
Honey! Honey, can you get that?
Honey!
I'm in the shower!
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Didn't it even cross your mind?
It could've been Billy.
I was thinking about dinner.
I'm still thinking about dinner.
She's not there either. Shit.
Okay.
Hello, Billy! Thank God. She's there.
- Are you all right?
- Ask her about the mask.
You want to tap something through?
Wait. Wait.
- Oh, man!
- A...
- Oh, man!
...O...
- Man!
...L?
- Oh, man.
- Was it L? The second letter, was it L?
Shit!
A-L-L?
O-K.
- We're eating out tonight.
- Okay.
So are you coming over now?
Do you have the mask?
Well, don't worry. Just get over here.
You hungry?
Bye.
Stop. Stop. Stop.
Hey.
Hello?
Is anyone there?
I can explain.
Hello?
Billy!
Wait. I explain.
Lyosh! Lyosh!
Hello!
Hello? Is anybody there?
- Come here, quickly!
- Oh, my God, Billy.
Quickly!
- What happened?
- I don't know.
She slipped and fall bad. Poor Billy.
Andy, she's at the back!
Get the doctor, quickly.
You go. I'll stay here with her.
- Let go of her.
- No, I must hold her. She must not move.
Danger she'll never walk again
if she move.
- Go!
- Yeah, okay.
Andy!
Billy!
Billy, you mustn't move.
You may become paralyzed.
It's dangerous.
Don't worry. I'll be right back. I promise.
Andy!
What's going on?
Andy, go with the janitor
and fetch an ambulance!
- Billy's had an accident.
- What?
Don't just stand there! Do it now!
Ambulance!
Come on!
It's all right, sweetie. I'm here now,
and an ambulance is on its way.
Let go of her.
She's trying to say something.
Police?
Murder?
Andy! Andy!
Excuse me. It's true.
We just fake murder.
If we really want to murder,
why make film of it?
We're not stupid, really.
No, no. Sorry.
We understand how she feel.
She think she see
a real murder and panic.
Where did you see the murder from?
And it was this man?
But you say here, "He wore a stocking
pulled over his head.
And then they chased me through
the building and try to kill me as well."
Guys! Guys. English, please.
We make test for you.
For your film.
We try make blood much big.
He's lying!
Sorry, Billy. We not tell you.
Keep secret not to hurt your feelings.
- I would've let you done tests.
- Andy.
What I mean is...
Let's see their film.
I'll know if it's real.
You're right.
Wait. Stop!
He could expose the film.
Let her do it. Please.
This lets you unload the film
without needing a darkroom.
I see.
God, it's hot in here.
If he had exposed the film to the light, he
could have destroyed all the evidence.
Actually, I haven't done this
since film school.
Right. It's safe in the can now.
Here. Take it to the lab immediately
for developing.
It's okay.
It's okay.
Murder weapon? Where?
Stop. Stop. Stop!
- I'm...
- What?
- I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.
- You...
Oh, my God!
- Tastes sweet.
- It's for the actors.
They put the stuff in their mouths.
- What she say?
- That it's her knife.
They broke into her box
and used the blood.
So now she say it was a trick.
It happened so fast
she couldn't see the knife clearly.
But everything else
she saw tonight was clear?
The body in the elevator shaft.
She saw that.
- What?
- What? What?
Sweet.
- It is fake blood.
- It's fake blood.
They could have soaked the sheets
in fake blood afterwards.
But where is the body?
Here you say, "A head cut off."
Wait. Wait.
She says...
Well, there were more bags
in there before.
No, she's right.
I will show you.
From lift shaft
we take the rubbish here.
Fast. Easy.
Hey, we need that.
Sorry, I can do nothing for you now.
But I will call you
after I see the film. Okay?
Sorry.
Well, I've never been more
embarrassed in my entire life.
I don't get it. I mean, Billy's a pro.
She'd know the difference
between a real murder and a gag.
Please, has she even seen
a real murder?
That's my point.
If what she saw tonight was real,
then she has seen the difference, right?
Oh, come on. We all bought the guy
cutting me up tonight. Even I believed it.
Because you're a wuss.
I'm gonna let that slide.
No offence, Billy, but I'd like to re-shoot
the stuff today using that guy's knife.
It was her knife. God!
Whatever. It looked good.
Shut up.
Buka!
Buka?
Buka.
Buka.
Please, Billy, take some of mine.
You'll feel better.
Okay.
Could you pass me the salt, please?
You could at least make the effort.
Listen...
...l'm sorry. All I can think about now is
the movie, but as soon as we get back...
...I promise, I'll learn.
- How often have I heard that?
Come on. I can understand
some of what she's saying.
What?
Okay, how about this?
- Means "makeup," right?
- Wrong.
It means somebody's look,
the expression on their face.
- That was close.
- Billy said...
...she'll never forget the look
on the girl's face...
...from the moment she knew
she was gonna die.
She said the pain
and the terror was real.
You can't act that.
Come closer, Mr. Hausmann.
I won't bite.
- Did it go smoothly?
- About the money...
- Did it go smoothly?
- Yes, of course. No problem.
Did it go smoothly, Mr. Hausmann?
- We did our job. The condition was...
- That everything would go smoothly.
Yes. Yes, and we have your diskette.
And who informed the police?
American girl say something,
but nobody believe her.
As long as there are witnesses,
there's no money.
You mean...?
I think we understand each other,
Mr. Hausmann.
You can come back to our place, and
we'll set up the couch if you want.
You're not on one of your "I'll show her
how independent I am" kicks, are you?
Honey, you coming or what?
- Andy, don't you care about her?
- I don't care? I don't care?
Fine. I'm calling the American
Embassy tonight, okay?
- It's the weekend. They're closed.
- Not for us.
My dad gave me the duty officer's
number before we left, just in case.
So say goodbye.
Mr. Lovett, these are the two officers
who answered the complaint.
- Good evening.
- Good evening.
Please speak English
to the ambassador's secretary.
My chief asked me
to meet Mr. Lovett here.
If this witness is correct about
what she saw tonight...
...she may help my investigation.
- Your English is good, Mr. Larsen.
- My mother was a translator.
- In the university?
- No. KGB.
Please.
We've been tracking
gangsters in Moscow...
...running an international
pornography and prostitution racket.
Sit down, please. We have information
they have made snuff films here...
...and sold them all over the world.
Snuff film. Is that what I think it is?
Victims believe they are
making a sex film...
...but they are murdered
in front of the camera.
What is the name of the witness?
What is it?
- Billy Hughes, sir.
- Billy Hughes. Yes.
She claims to have seen
one being made.
The victims are illegal immigrants
exploited as prostitutes by a gang...
...headed by one man.
He is brutal, ruthless.
They call him The Reaper.
I'm surprised his men gave
up the film so easily.
If it is what I think it is...
...our witness, Billy Hughes,
is in great danger.
Hello, this is Billy Hughes speaking.Hello.Hello, this is Billy Hughes speaking.Hello.
Have you seen, how do you say,
snuff film before?
Have you seen, how do you say,
snuff film before?
I saw a woman tied to a tree...
...kept alive while her arms
and legs were cut off.
It's hard to talk about it...
...or even think about it.
And it makes you sick to watch it.
You never forget the look
in the victim's eyes.
The sheer panic and horror...
...when they realize
they're about to die.
Yes, sir.
No, sir.
Right.
Right.
Right, sir. Right, sir.
Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. I appreciate
the call. I'll give Dad your best. Right.
Well?
I told you.
There's nothing to worry about.
He says the film's the biggest
piece of shit he's ever seen.
Hello, this is Billy Hughes speaking.
Hi, Billy. It's Karen.
I hope you weren't sleeping. I just
wanted to check and see if you're okay.
I am fine. No need to worry.Did you call earlier?
No, I got straight through.
You sure you're okay?
Sure. Had bath. All fine.Now I go to bed. You too.
I just wanted to tell you...
...they saw the film,
and it's not the real thing.
That's good. Right?
Did I hear something there?
Doorbell. Wait. I'll see who.What? It's almost : .I wouldn't get that, Billy. Billy?
Billy? You be careful, now.
Check who it is first.
Please. I want to talk.
- Billy! Billy, are you still there?
- Would you leave her alone?
I heard a noise, Andy.
Something's happened. I swear.
Billy!
Okay, that's it. I'm going there.
What?
Karen, help. Call police. Emergency.Hello?
- Hello?
- Police, emergency.Police?Yes.
Da.
Hello, my name is Billy Hughes.My address is apartment - ...... Kievsky prospekt.Telephone - ...Billy Hughes speaking.This is a digital voice computer.
- Please have patience and I will answer.
- Hello? You English?My name is Billy Hughes.Yes? What do you want, please?Hello?Help. Intruder.I no understand. Sorry.Bad man want to kill me.Bad man?I get man who speak English, yes?Hello? Hello? I speak English.Are you okay?If you just give your address,we send somebody immediately.Hello?
Where's the diskette?
Where is the diskette?
I know you have!
My name is Alexander Larsen.
I'm a policeman. Take your clothes.
We must get out of here.
You must hurry.
I explain everything in the car.
In the car. No time now.
They are coming.
We are in great danger.
Quick.
It's not over yet.
- My...
- Oh, my God, it's trashed!
Billy, where are you?
I'll call the police!
Billy. Oh, Billy. Oh, my God.
How do you work this thing?
Oh, there it is.
Someone's dead in the ba...
God! Oh, my God!
- Get the door!
- Get a chair!
- Get the chair!
- What chair?
- The chair!
- Out of the way! Move!
- Put it over there!
- Move! Get the wardrobe over!
- Andy, quick!
- Push it!
I'm pushing! Get out of the way!
What are you doing?
I can't. Oh, my God!
- I can't. I can't! You hold the door!
- Get out of the way!
- Come here! Andy! Come here!
- Don't yell at me!
I'm trying to get the goddamn wardrobe
near the fucking door!
Oh, my God!
The girl you saw murdered tonight...
...her boyfriend stole a diskette
full of information.
Money, names, connections, everything.
He blackmailed The Reaper.
Very dangerous. And now he thinks
that you have the diskette.
Me?
You have it?
We don't have any diskettes.
Not that one. That's my script.
The girl had it when
she went into the studio.
Then she was murdered,
and it was gone.
Where is it?
Think. You were the only person there.
Think.
Write. Write it.
Write it.
Quick, write.
Police? Yes. Yes,
but only with the diskette.
Why?
You know, I work undercover.
The Reaper thinks I work for him.
Trust me. Trust me.
Crazy!
They'll kill you!
Get in!
Get in!
Please, give me the keys.
Write. Where is the diskette?
We cannot escape in this car.
Write. Write.
Studio. Where in the studio?
Delta three. Delta three.
Delta three. Delta three.
What?
What?
This is all
a big misunderstanding and...
Excuse me, but this is...
You don't have to arrest us.
Why is he arresting me?
This is ridiculous.
I'm an American citizen.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
I'm a director.
I'm directing a movie here.
I'm bringing a lot of money in.
And my father, okay, he knows
a lot of big people, and... Listen.
You want money?
Is that what you want?
I don't understand what is going on here.
We don't have a diskette!
You have one more chance
to tell me where is diskette.
The diskette.
You know, I mean, this is ridiculous.
We don't have a diskette.
That's what I'm saying.
Karen, get the key!
Get the key! Unlock me!
Find the key!
- He's not gonna move, is he?
- Okay, okay.
- Delta three. Delta three.
- Let's get out of here.
- Answer it.
- Why?
They may say something about Billy.
Delta three.
I got something
about studio. Come on.
Look out!
It's not what you think.
What do you say...? How do you...?
In Russian, what...?
What? What does that mean?
- Hel...
- Hello? We need help!
I'm a director, and I'm making
a movie here. This is not a movie.
Put the gun away.
You look like a hit man.
- He thinks we're gonna kill him!
- We're not gonna kill you!
- This is not even ours!
- The policemen wanted to kill us!
- We gotta get out of here.
- I think we should call the cops.
- Are you crazy?
- Well, we can explain this.
Explain? You are crazy.
Come on. Here.
I'll take these too.
And now?
Child locks.
Don't look now,
but our friends are still here.
I will block the other entrances.
What are you doing?
That's Red Square.
Oh, perfect.
This damn gun, I can't work the safety.
Holy shit!
Around the back.
- Okay. Jump, Andy. I got you.
- What?
I got you. I got you.
It's no use. All lines are cut.
Where is it?
You helped us a lot, Billy. Thank you.
The Reaper wants to meet the woman...
...who has kept him up all night
and witnessed a live snuff.
He wants you to do it.
You know why we call him The Reaper?
You see his face, you die.
Nice night, isn't it?
I'm just taking a piss.
Right, you know, just...
Who the hell is that?
Well, whoever it is,
they're coming here.
- I can't work the safety.
- Andy, come on.
Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.
Hurry!
Where is she, Larsen?
- Larsen, are you reading me?
- Somebody's coming.
I'm waiting.
I'm bringing her out now.
- Shoot him. Shoot him, Andy.
- Okay.
Be careful of Billy! God.
Billy!
Stay where you are!
Run, Billy. Run! Run!
Stand back!
Not out there!
Kill her, Larsen.
No!
Now please, let me explain.
- Please?
- Explain?
Karen!
Will you...?
Kill him.
You genius!
You thought we were tourists, huh?
Guess again, pal.
Don't move.
Don't move! I'm talking to you!
I'm warning you.
Don't move or I'm gonna shoot you!
Okay, one more step! All right.
- Billy! Billy! Billy!
- She's okay. She's fine.
She's okay?
I'm fine.
A cop?
A cop?
- Oh, my God, I'm sorry.
- Sorry.
Forget it. Your sister was brilliant.
Next time, hit back.
Oh, this is the remote.
- I get it.
- Big cowboy.
What?
That was an invitation
to dinner sometime.
How you say...?
It would be a pleasure.
Pleasure?My pleasure.
- I still don't understand.
- What?
I don't understand...
...why The Reaper didn't take
the diskette off me.
Who?
Shit. I'm sorry.
Big cowboy.
Billy, tomorrow!
Tomorrow!
What's the matter?
Big cowboy.
Guys, could we get out of here, please?
The expression?
The car?
The car...
Get out of the car! Get out of the car!