Wednesday 24 March 2021

Badinage

 
 





 
 
EXTERIOR- RUNNING TRACK- GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY- DAY 
 
 
 
In training gear, Karras is running laps. Seated on a bench at the edge of the track, watching Karras, Lt. Kinderman. Karras seems curious, if not disturbed, by Kinderman's presence. When Karras stops, panting, Kinderman rises and moves toward him. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN

Father Karras? 
 
 
 
Karras picks up his towel and wipes his brow. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
Have we met? 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
No we haven't met, but they said I could tell; that you looked like a boxer. 
 
Kinderman shows his badge. 
 
KINDERMAN
William F. Kinderman. Homicide. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
What's this about? 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
Yeah, it's true. You do look like a boxer.
John Garfield, in Body and Soul.
Exactly John Garfield anyone told you that Father? 
 
KARRAS
Do people tell you look like Paul Newman? 
 
KINDERMAN
Always. 
 
Karras walks away toward the campus. 
 
KINDERMAN
You this director was doing a film here, Burke Dennings? 
 
KARRAS
I've seen him. 
 
KINDERMAN
You've seen him.
You're also familiar with how last week he died? 
 
KARRAS
Only what I read in the papers. 
 
KINDERMAN
Papers. Tell me, what do you know about the subject of witchcraft?
From the witching end, not the hunting. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
I once did a paper on it 
 
KINDERMAN
Really? 
 
KARRAS
From the psychiatric end. 
 
KINDERMAN
I know. I read it.
These desecration's in the church…you think they have anything to do with witchcraft? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
Maybe. Some rituals used in Black Mass. Maybe. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
And Dennings, you read how he died? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
Yeah, a fall. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
Let me tell you how Father, and please confidential. Burke 
 Dennings, good Father, was found at the bottom of those steps 
leading to 'M' Street, with his head turned completely around. 
Facing backwards. 
 
KARRAS
Couldn't it of happened on the fall. 
 
 
KINDERMAN
It's possible. Possible however… 
 
KARRAS
Unlikely. 
 
KINDERMAN
Exactly. So on the one hand we've got a witchcraft type of murder 
and a Black Mass style of desecration in the church. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
You think the killer and the desecrator are the same? 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
Maybe somebody crazy, someone with a spite against the church, some unconscious rebellion, perhaps. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
Sick priest, is that it? 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
Look, Father this is hard for you- please. But for priests on the 
 
campus here, you're the psychiatrist; you'd know who was sick at 
 
the time, who wasn't. I mean this kind of sickness. You'd know 
 
that. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
I don't know anyone who fits the description. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
Ah, doctor's ethics. If you knew you wouldn't tell, huh? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
No I probably wouldn't. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
Not to bother you with trivia, but a psychiatrist in sunny 
 
California was thrown in jail for not telling the judge what he 
 
knew about a patient. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
Is that a threat? 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
No, I mentioned it only in passing. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
Incidentally I mention only in passing that I could tell the 
 
judge that it was a matter of confession. 
 
 
 
Karras walks off toward his dormitory and Kinderman chases him. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
Hey, Father? You like movies? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
Very much. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
I get passes to the best shows in town. Mrs. K though, she gets 
 
tired and never likes to go. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
That's to bad. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
Yeah, I hate to go alone. You know, I like to talk film; discuss 
 
the critique. D'you wanna see a film with me? I got passes to The 
 
Crest. It's Othello. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
Who's in it? 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
Who's in it? Debbie Reynolds, Desdemona, and Othello, Groucho 
 
Marx. You're happy? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
I've seen it. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
One last time: Can you think of some priest who fits the bill? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
Come on! 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
Answer the question, Father Paranoia. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
Alright. You know who I think really did it? 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
Who? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
The Dominicans. Go pick on them. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
I could have you deported, you know that? 
 
 
 
Karras walks to the front door. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
(shouts to Karras)
 
I lied! 
 
 
 
Karras turns around. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
(shouting to Karras)
 
You look like Sal Mineo! 
 
 
 
Karras smiles and walks inside. 
 
 
*****
 
MERRIN
Give way to Christ, you Prince of Murderers —
You're Guilty, before Almighty God, 
Guilty before His Son, 
Guilty before The Whole Human Race.

 It's The Lord who expels you. 

He who is coming to Judge both The Living and The Dead 
and The World 
by Fire
 
 
 
As Merrin kneels by the bed, Karras crawls over and covers Regan with a blanket. 
 
 
 
MERRIN
Are you tired? 

Karras nods. 
 
MERRIN
Let's rest before we start again. 
 
 
 
Merrin leaves the room, but Karras stays sat on the bed, shivering with both coldness and fear. Regan is asleep. 
 
 
 
INTERIOR- MACNEIL HOUSE- SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY- STAIRS- NIGHT 
 
An exhausted Merrin and Karras are sitting in the hallway, on the stairs, outside the bathroom. 
 
KARRAS
Why this girl, it makes no sense? 
 

MERRIN
I think the point is to make us dispair... 
To see our selves as... 
animal and ugly... 
To reject the possibillity that God could love us. 
 
 
 
MERRIN
Will you excuse me, Damien? 
 

Merrin rises and moves toward the bathroom. 
 
 
 
INTERIOR- MACNEIL HOUSE- BATHROOM- NIGHT 
 
Merrin sits on the toilet and takes out his pilbox. He extracts nitorglycerin tablet and places it under his tongue. He is  shaking with fear as he holds his head with exhaustion. 
 
 
 
INTERIOR- MACNEIL HOUSE- SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY- NIGHT 
 
 
Karras moves back toward the bedroom and enters. 
 

INTERIOR- MACNEIL HOUSE- REGAN'S BEDROOM- NIGHT 
 
 
Karras is shocked to see an instant apparition of his mother, laying on the bed in place of Regan. It vanishes. He moves toward Regan, who is shivering and drenched with sweat. 
 
 
 
REGAN/MRS. KARRAS
 
Dimmy, why you did this to me? 
 
 
 
Karras gets out a stehoscope and places it on Regan's chest. 
 
 
 
REGAN/MRS. KARRAS
 
Please Dimmy, I'm affraid. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
You're not my mother. 
 
 
 
REGAN/MRS. KARRAS
 
Dimmy please! 
 
 
 
Merrin re-enters the room. 
 
 
 
MERRIN
 
What is it? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
Her heart. 
 
 
 
MERRIN
 
Can you give her something? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
She'll go into coma. 
 
 
 
Regan, in the voice of Karras' mother, speaks a few pleading 
 
phrases in Greek to Karras. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
(shouting)
 
You're not my mother!!! 
 
 
 
MERRIN
 
Don't listen. 
 
 
 
REGAN/MRS. KARRAS
 
Why, Dimmy? 
 
 
 
Damien breaks into convulsive sobbing. 
 
 
 
MERRIN
 
Damien. 
 
 
 
REGAN/MRS. KARRAS
 
Dimmy, please! 
 
 
 
MERRIN
 
Damien! Get out! 
 
 
 
Damien arises from the bed. Merrin leads him out, and then re-
 
enters the room himself. He sprinkles some holy water on Regan 
 
and kneels at her side. He holds her hand tightly. 
 
 
 
MERRIN
 
Our Father, who art in heaven... 
 
 
 
INTERIOR- MACNEIL HOUSE- FOYER- NIGHT 
 
 
 
Downstairs Karras sits brooding as Chris enters. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
Is it over? 
 
 
 
Karras shakes his head negatively. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
Is she gonna die? 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
(firmly)
 
No. 
 
 
 
He rises and starts ascending the stairs with renewed conviction. 
 
The doorbell rings and Chris moves toward the door. Before 
 
opening she applies the chain lock on. She opens the door slowly 
 
and we see Kinderman staring at her from the gap. 
 
 
 
INTERIOR- MACNEIL HOUSE- REGAN'S BEDROOM- NIGHT 
 
 
 
Karras re-enters Regan's room and sees Merrin face down on her 
 
bed. Regan is sitting up against the bottom right hand bed post 
 
as Karras pulls Merrin to the floor. Karras feels for Merrin's 
 
pulse, then tries frantically to pump life back into the priest 
 
with blows to his chest, but gives up when he realises Merrin is 
 
dead. He hears a giggle and turns to Regan. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
You son of a bitch! 
 
 
 
He grabs her and pulls her to the floor. He begins to punch her 
 
in the face and head, then shakes her and nearly strangles her in 
 
his fury. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
Take me! Come into me! God damn you! Take me! Take me! 
 
 
 
A gargantuan struggle is visible in the demonic features of 
 
Regan's face. His face has taken on a demonic shade, and his eyes 
 
have turned bright green. She screams out as Karras' body jerks 
 
back, apparently manipulated by some inner force, which now 
 
reaches toward Regan to strangle her. Karras fights the force for 
 
control of his body, and he screams, compelling it toward the 
 
window. 
 
 
 
KARRAS
 
No!! 
 
 
 
With his last angiushed cry, Karras leaps out of the window. We 
 
see him roll down the concrete steps outside and hit the floor at 
 
the bottom. His cry was immediatly followed by frightened sobs 
 
and whimpers that are unmstakably those of an ordinary little 
 
girl. 
 
 
 
REGAN
 
(crying)
 
Mother...Mother...Mother...Mother... 
 
 
 
Chris rushes in and pauses to make sure that it's really Regan 
 
again. She's follwed in by Kinderman. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
Rags? 
 
 
 
She dashes over to where her daughter is cowering on the floor. 
 
She flings herself down on top of Regan, cradling her and crying 
 
in hysterical relief, as Kinderman looks at Karras' body from the 
 
window, looks at Merrin's dead body on the floor and then looks 
 
at Chris and Regan. 
 
 
 
EXTERIOR- M-STREET- STEPS- NIGHT 
 
 
 
A crowd is gathering at the scene of an accident. Their 
 
attentionis focused by a man lying in a pool of blood on the 
 
pavement at the foot of the steps under Regan's window. 
 
 
 
BYSTANDER
 
Somebody fell at the bottom of the steps here! 
 
 
 
Father Dyer pushes through the crowd and kneels beside Karras. 
 
Fighting back tears, he grasps Karras' hand and leans close to 
 
whisper in his ear. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
Do you want to make your confession? Are you sorry- (his voice 
 
catches)
 
Are you sorry for having offended God, with all the sins of your 
 
past life? (he breaks down for a moment, then starts 
 
administiring the last rites)
 
Ego to abslovo in nomine patris, et filli, et spiritus sancti. 
 
Amen. 
 
 
 
As a wailling siren signals the approach of an ambulance, Dyer 
 
weeps openly. 
 
 
 
EXTERIOR- PROSPECT STREET- TOP OF STEPS- DAY 
 
 
 
On a bright, sunny day, we are looking down the steps which are 
 
now clean. No blood, or body at the bottom. 
 
 
 
INTERIOR- MACNEIL HOUSE- DINING ROOM- DAY 
 
 
 
Sharon and Chris are briskly packing up last minute items before 
 
moving out. 
 
 
 
SHARON
 
Where do you want this? 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
What is it? 
 
 
 
SHARON
 
Phonograph. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
Storage. 
 
 
 
Sharon puts in in one of the large cardboard boxes that are 
 
standing about. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
I'm gonna miss you. 
 
 
 
SHARON
 
Me too. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
Sure you won't change your mind? 
 
 
 
Sharon shakes her head. She reaches into her pocket and hands 
 
Chris the St. Joseph medal. 
 
 
 
SHARON
 
I found this in her room. 
 
 
 
Chris puts in her pocket. 
 
 
 
SHARON
 
That's everything. 
 
 
 
Chris hugs her. She pulls away and walks to the foot of the 
 
stairs. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
Regan! C'mon honey we have to get going! 
 
 
 
EXTERIOR- MACNEIL HOUSE- PROSPECT STREET- DAY 
 
 
 
We see Karl is loading the car with cases. Father Dyer is 
 
standing outside the gates. Chris exits the house and Dyer moves 
 
toward her. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
She doesn't remeber a thing. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
That's good. 
 
 
 
Regan exits the house and walks to Chris. 
 
 
 
REGAN
 
All done. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
Honey this is Father Dyer. 
 
 
 
REGAN
 
Hi Father. 
 
 
 
DYER
 
Hello. 
 
 
 
KARL
 
Ready Mrs. 
 
 
 
Chris shakes Father Dyer's hand. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
Goodbye Father. I call you. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
Okay. 
 
 
 
Chris gets into the car, but Regan stands staring at Dyer's 
 
collar. She leans forward and kisses Father Dyer on the cheek. 
 
Not sure of what she has done, she retreats to the car. The car 
 
drives out to the street and Father Dyer waves goodbye. Father 
 
Dyer walks out and Willie closes the gates. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
Goodbye. 
 
 
 
WILLIE
 
Good bye Father. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
I hope to see you again soon, 
 
 
 
WILLIE
 
I hope so too. 
 
 
 
The car stops and we hear Chris call. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
Father Dyer? 
 
 
 
Dyer rushes to the car. 
 
 
 
CHRIS
 
I thought you'd like to keep this. 
 
 
 
She hands him Karras' St. Joseph medal. Dyer clutches it tightly. 
 
The car drives on, and Dyer watches it drive off. Dyer walks down 
 
toward the top of the M Street Steps. He looks down them and 
 
frowns, we see Regan's window in the background, boarded up. Dyer 
 
then turns away and walks back to Prospect Street. As he turns 
 
the corner he sees Kinderman standing outside the house. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
Lieutenant? 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
I came to say goodbye. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
You just missed them. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
How's the girl? 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
She seemed fine. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
Ah, that's good. That's all that's important. Back to business. 
 
Back to work. Bye now, Father. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
Good bye. 
 
 
 
They both walk their separate ways. Kinderman stops. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN :
Father Dyer? 
 
 
 
Dyer turns back to him. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
Do you like films? 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
 
Sure. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
I get passes. 
In fact I got a pass for The Crest tomorrow night. 
Would you like to go? 
 
 
FATHER DYER
What's playing?
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
Withering Heights. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
Who's in it? 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
Heathcliff, Jackie Gleason, and in the role of Catherine  Earnshaw, Lucille Ball. 
 
 
 
FATHER DYER
I've seen it. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
(smirks) Another one. 
Had your lunch? 
 
FATHER DYER
No. 
 
 
 
Kinderman loops his arm around Dyer's. 
They start to walk off. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
I'm reminded of a line in the film Casablanca. At the end Humphrey Bogart says to Claude Rains, " Louie- I think this is the begining of a beautiful friendship." 
 
 
 
DYER
 
You know you look a bit like Bogart. 
 
 
 
KINDERMAN
 
You noticed. 
 
 
 
We fade out as Tubular Bells starts to play. 
 
 
 
FADE TO BLACK 
 
 
 
The music changes to the loud Fantasia For Strings. 
 
 
 
THE EXORCIST 
 

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