The Invisible Cut Read online

  EXT. STREET - DAY

  Long shot of car speeding down a residential street. It passes a bungalow and turns into the driveway. Gittes get out of the car and heads to the front door.

  CUT TO:

  Medium shot of Gittes at the front door. He knocks on the door and a Chinese servant (KAHN) opens it. Gittes starts to push his way in, but Kahn holds him back.

  KAHN

  You wait.

  GITTES

  You wait.

  They argue in Chinese as Gittes pushes past him and camera follows him inside. A breathless Evelyn rushes down the stairs, coming between them.

  CUT TO:

  Medium shot of Kahn, Evelyn, and Gittes.

  EVELYN

  How are you? I’ve been calling you.

  (to Kahn, waving him off)

  It’s all right.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Medium shot over Gittes to Evelyn and Kahn.

  EVELYN

  Have you…have you slept?

  GITTES

  Sure.

  Kahn closes door and starts to head up stairs.

  EVELYN

  Have you had lunch? Kahn can fix you something.

  GITTES

  Where’s the girl?

  EVELYN

  Upstairs. Why?

  GITTES

  I want to see her.

  EVELYN

  She’s… she’s having a bath right now, why do you want

  to see her?

  GITTES

  Going some place?

  Gittes moves past her into living room and crosses in front of half-packed suitcases. Camera lingers on luggage for a beat.

  EVELYN

  (OS)

  Yes, we have a… 5:30 train to catch.

  CUT TO:

  Medium close shot of Gittes. Camera pans with him as he moves across room then pans down to telephone. He picks up receiver and dials.

  EVELYN

  (OS)

  Jake?

  CUT TO:

  Medium close shot of Evelyn. Camera pans with her as she moves across room toward Gittes until they’re both in a two shot.

  GITTES

  … J. J. Gittes for Lieutenant Escobar.

  EVELYN

  Look, what’s the matter?? What’s wrong? I told you

  we’ve got a 5:30.….

  GITTES

  (cutting her off)

  You’re going to miss your train!

  (into phone)

  Lou, meet me at 1972 Canyon Drive…

  Yeah, soon as you can.

  EVELYN

  Why did you do that?

  Camera pans with him as he moves past her, away from camera.

  GITTES

  Do you know any good criminal lawyers?

  EVELYN

  (OS)

  No.

  Camera settles into medium long shot as he sits down on couch, opens cigarette case.

  GITTES

  Don’t worry.… I can recommend a couple. They’re expensive but you can afford it.

  Shot now includes Evelyn’s back in the foreground.

  EVELYN

  Will you please tell me what this is all about?

  He lights cigarette, pulls folded handkerchief out of his pocket, lays it on table and opens it to reveal a pair of eyeglasses inside.

  GITTES

  I found these in your backyard in your pond. They belonged to your husband, didn’t they?

  FRAME GRAB #1

  CUT TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn reacting, surprised.

  FRAME GRAB #2

  GITTES

  (cont’d, OS)

  Didn’t they?

  EVELYN

  I don’t know…yes…probably.

  CUT TO:

  Close shot of Gittes as he stands up into camera.

  FRAME GRAB #3

  GITTES

  Yes positively!

  Camera follows him as he walks away from her.

  GITTES

  (cont’d)

  That’s where he was drowned.

  He turns to look at her.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn.

  EVELYN

  (disbelief)

  What?

  GITTES

  (OS)

  There’s no time to be shocked by the truth

  The coroner’s…

  CUT TO:

  Close-up of Gittes.

  GITTES

  …report proves that he had salt water in his lungs when he was killed, just take my word for it, all right? Now I want to know how it happened and I want to know why and I want to know before Escobar gets here because I don’t want to lose my license.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn.

  EVELYN

  I don’t know what you are talking about. This is the craziest, most insane…

  He grabs her.

  GITTES

  (yells, OS)

  STOP IT!!… I’m gonna make it easy for ya.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Gittes.

  GITTES

  You were jealous. You had a fight. He fell. He hit his head. It was an accident. But his girl is a witness.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn, looking at him in disbelief.

  FRAME GRAB #4

  GITTES

  (OS)

  You had to shut her up. You don’t have the guts to harm her but you got the money to keep her mouth shut. Yes or no.

  EVELYN

  NO!!!!

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Gittes. He takes a beat.

  GITTES

  Who is she? And don’t give me that crap about

  your sister because you don’t have a sister.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn.

  EVELYN

  I’ll tell you.… I’ll tell you the truth.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Gittes, blowing smoke out of his nose.

  FRAME GRAB #5

  He calms down, for just a beat.

  GITTES

  Good. What’s her name?

  A beat.

  EVELYN

  (OS)

  Katherine…

  A beat.

  GITTES

  Katherine who?

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn. A beat.

  EVELYN

  She’s my daughter.

  FRAME GRAB #6

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Gittes.

  In a fury, he swings his arm at her.

  FRAME GRAB #7

  CUT TO:

  Medium close shot over Gittes to Evelyn, being slapped.

  FRAME GRAB #8

  GITTES

  I said I want the truth!

  EVELYN

  She’s my sister.

  He slaps her again.

  EVELYN

  (cont’d)

  She’s my daughter.

  He slaps her again.

  EVELYN

  (cont’d)

  My sister, my daughter!

  He slaps her again – and again. She’s crying.

  GITTES

  I said I want the truth!

  He grabs her and throws her across the room, making her fall onto the couch. She struggles to sit up.

  EVELYN

  She’s my sister and my daughter!!

  She’s sobbing, then looks off suddenly.

  FRAME GRAB #9

  CUT TO:

  Medium long shot of stairway as Kahn rushes down stairs.

  FRAME GRAB #10

  EVELYN

  (cont’d, OS)

  Kahn, go back! For God’s sake, keep her upstairs, go back!

  CUT TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn in profile. She turns to camera, tears streaming down her face. She look up at Gittes, then away from him.

  EVELYN

  My father and I…

  (closes her eyes, then looks up at him)

  Understand? Or is it too t
ough for you?

  FRAME GRAB #11

  CUT TO:

  Close-up of Gittes looking down at her.

  FRAME GRAB #12

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn. She makes eye contact, then looks away for a long beat. She cries, laying her head down.

  GITTES

  (OS)

  He raped you.

  She looks up at him, then looks away again, devastated.

  FRAME GRAB #13

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up at Gittes, reacting.

  FRAME GRAB #14

  He takes a beat

  GITTES

  Then what happened?

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn.

  EVELYN

  I ran away.

  GITTES

  (OS)

  To Mexico.

  EVELYN

  (nods)

  Hollis came and took care of me.

  FRAME GRAB #15

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Gittes.

  EVELYN

  (OS)

  I couldn’t see her.

  FRAME GRAB #16

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn, looking down, tears streaming down her face.

  FRAME GRAB #17

  She looks up at him.

  EVELYN

  I was fifteen… I wanted to but I… I couldn’t…

  Now I want to be with her. I want to take care of her.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Gittes.

  GITTES

  Where are you going to take her now?

  EVELYN

  (OS)

  Back…

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn.

  EVELYN

  …to Mexico.

  GITTES

  (OS)

  Well, you can’t take the train. Escobar will be looking for you everywhere.

  EVELYN

  (standing up)

  H.. h.. how bout a plane?

  GITTES

  (OS)

  No, that’s worse.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Gittes.

  GITTES

  You better just get out of here. Leave all this stuff here.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Evelyn.

  GITTES

  (OS)

  Where does Kahn live? Get the exact address.

  EVELYN

  All right.

  Camera follows her as she backs away toward stairs — and looks down.

  EVELYN

  (cont’d)

  Uh…those didn’t belong to Hollis.

  She turns away toward stairs.

  GITTES

  (OS)

  How do you know?

  She turns back, looks at him.

  EVELYN

  He didn’t wear bifocals.

  She looks down at glasses again, back at him, then spins around to head up stairs.

  FRAME GRAB #18

  CUT BACK TO:

  Close-up of Gittes, his eyes following her up the stairs.

  FRAME GRAB #19

  He looks down, thinking. He walks for a beat, looks down again.

  CUT TO:

  Insert of eyeglasses on handkerchief.

  He picks them up and turns them over in his hand. Hand starts to leave frame…

  FRAME GRAB #20

  CUT TO:

  Medium full shot of Gittes, as he puts glasses inside jacket pocket.

  FRAME GRAB #21

  He’s thinking, then looks up.

  CUT TO:

  Medium long shot of staircase.

  Evelyn and teenaged girl appear in stairway

  EVELYN

  Katherine, say hello to Mr. Gittes.

  Camera moves in slightly on two women.

  KATHERINE

  (shyly)

  Hello.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Medium full shot of Gittes.

  GITTES

  (smiles gently)

  Hello.

  CUT BACK TO:

  Medium long shot of stairs.

  Evelyn nods to daughter, who heads back upstairs.

  EVELYN

  He lives at 1712 Alameda. Do you know where that is?

  CUT TO:

  Close shot of Gittes.

  Camera moves in closer, he reacts strongly.

  GITTES

  Sure.

  He looks down, deep in thought.

  FRAME GRAB #22

  CUT TO:

  Medium long shot of Gittes looking through window at street.

  In the foreground Gittes closes blinds and in the background, through the window, Evelyn, Katherine, and Kahn get into car and drive off.

  DECONSTRUCTION

  While the first scene was about hiding the truth, this one is about revealing the truth. Previously, Evelyn’s evasive looks and actions spoke louder than what was said, but in this scene Gittes and the audience are demanding more, and the change in tone is clearly reflected the way the scene is shot and edited.

  The moment Gittes enters the house, he and Evelyn are crowded within the frame. The intimacy of how these actors are positioned reflects their previous sexual intimacy — and Gittes’ anger — and as that fury escalates, so does the momentum of the editing.

  The scene really picks up pace when Gittes shows Evelyn the “smoking gun,” the eyeglasses that he insists are her husband’s (the “out” frame is Frame grab #1). The editor has saved Evelyn’s first close-up for her important reaction to this evidence (the “in” frame is Frame grab #2). The editor also overlapped the dialogue slightly when he cut to the shot of Evelyn, satisfying the audience’s urgent need to see her reaction.

  frame grab 1

  frame grab 2

  When Gittes demands her to answer whether the glasses are, in fact, her husband’s, the editor makes a high-energy visual choice. The point where he cuts to Gittes (the “in” frame is Frame grab #3) comes in the middle of his jumping up to challenge her. The editor stays with Gittes’ energy as he paces.