Wave, screenplay

Wave

ACT I

Wave by Frank Sinatra plays, its romantic cadence echoes throughout the room.

--Show in black and white--

A man with tortured eyes wearing ball gag stares into the camera, his face is pressed down against a wooden table and is partially obscured. He tries to scream, but his tongue is clasped tight against the gag. The room is darkly lit by a barren lightbulb.

“The fundamental loneliness goes, whenever two can dream a dream together” croons a whimpering  homosexual voice, in time with the track.

The garglings and screams of the man continue for another forty seconds. His eyes light up in realisation, as if something has entered him.

Slowly a knife emerges from stage right and slices the throat. A mighty gash appears and a deluge of blood drips onto the camera.

--full colour--

We are in an LA police station. Mercer a bitter, recently divorced homicide detective discusses the details of the murder with his superior.

“looks like he was fucked to death” says Mercer to the Sgt.

“his ass was all cut up”

“the slice to the jugular must have finished him”

“Christ, who would do that to a man”

The police sergeant pauses for a while and considers the photos.

“Christ indeed” replies the Sgt.

ACT II

We are at the end of the working day. Mercer leaves the station in a poor part of urban LA,

The night is cold and a man huddled behind a dumpster calls out to Mercer.

“spare any change”

“please”

Mercer walks on by in the snow.

ACT III

We are once again in the station. Mercer presents the photos a second time and is discussing the murder with his superior.

“the autopsy showed that the man was in his late forties” says Mercer

"white american"

"he's probably local"

There is a pause and the sergeant looks at him,  but this time maniacally . 

“You dumb bastard Mercer” says the sergeant,

“can’t you tell who it is yet?”

The Sgt then begins to hum the tune of wave to himself and Mercer finds he is being dragged into a dimly lit room. His face is pressed down against the table, a ball gag is thrust into his mouth.

--show in black and white--

“The fundamental loneliness goes, whenever two can dream a dream together” croons a whimpering  homosexual voice, in time with the track.

Mercer is painfully sodomised, tears stream down his face, and yet his ears are enraptured by the beautiful track. The knife enters from stage right.

Before the moment of his death Mercer sees the face of the devil in the whites of his own eyes, he knows at once he is condemned. Anxiety fills his final moments as he contemplates the infinity of hell. 

--Repeat ad infinitum--