Ken Russell's Dracula (17 page)

he’s still missing.

VAN HELSING

Poor Renfield. If Miss

Mina’s attacker was this

Count Dracula of Jonathan’s

then Renfield’s miracle cure

in Transylvania and his

involvement with our

vampire all tie up ...

They re-enter: THE PRIVATE WARD:

MINA is fully awake, although very
pale, sitting up in bed with JONATHAN at her side holding her hand, which he
relinquishes to DR. SEWARD who takes her pulse. Urgency causes VAN HELSING to
dispense with ceremony.

VAN HELSING

Well, are they one and the

same, our vampire, and your

Count Dracula?

JONATHAN

According to Mina’s

description, ‘yes’, without

a doubt. Mina, this is

Professor Van Helsing.

VAN HELSING

Miss Murray, you have just

undergone a tremendous

ordeal, not only on your own

account but also with the

loss of poor Lucy, and in -

MINA

(
interrupting
)

Her hands were icy, and

her teeth - (
she shudders
)

I knew ...

(
pulling herself together
)

I understand from Jonathan

that you feel I might be in

some kind of supernatural

contact with my attacker.

VAN HELSING

You started talking in

your sleep; I asked you

questions, you responded.

I made a simple deduction.

MINA

You wish us to join you

In tracking him down?

Dr. Seward frowns, considering Mina
unfit for such an expedition.

VAN HELSING

If you are strong enough,

yes. By hypnotising you we

may learn things of which

your conscious self is

unaware.

The strain is beginning to tell on
Dr. Seward who wishes the whole thing over and done with.

DR. SEWARD

She’s not fit to travel.

Why can’t we all forget

about it?

The Professor looks at him gravely
for a moment before replying.

VAN HELSING

Because this dog can live

For centuries and she is

but a mortal woman. Time is

to be dreaded - now that he

has put that mark upon her

throat.

Dr. Seward pulls himself together
while Mina gives way to a moment of despair.

MINA

Oh, God, you should have

Let me die.

Jonathan puts his arm around her
shoulder comfortingly.

VAN HELSING

(
sternly
)

Until Dracula is dead you

must not die or you will

become ever as himself,

the living Un-Dead. You must

live! You must struggle and

strive to live, to fight

death himself though he come

to you in pain or in joy;

by the day or the night;

in safety or in peril.

On your living soul I charge

that you do not die - not

even think of death - till

this evil will be past.

Van Helsing’s energy transmits
itself to Mina who takes on new strength.

MINA

Very well, I promise!

The Professor takes from his pocket
the crucifix which once adorned Lucy.

VAN HELSING

And fear not, we shall

Protect you from evil at

all times.

So saying he places the crucifix
around her neck with a startling consequence - sizzling flesh, as the cross
touches her bare skin! Quickly, the Professor rips it from her as Mina screams
in agony.

INT. CAB. VIENNA. DAY.

As the vehicle races through the
streets, JONATHAN and VAN HELSING face MINA who is under hypnosis.

VAN HELSING

Try harder! Shut out all

noise of the motor. Listen

not with your ears, but with

the blood flowing in the

veins of Dracula. His heart

pumps your blood. What does

it hear?

Mina groans and seems to speak from
another plane.

MINA

Footsteps, voices, the

Hissing of snakes!

JONATHAN

That must be steam.

The Professor motions him to be
silent.

VAN HELSING

And what does your blood –

feel?

MINA

It’s floating, now lurching,

now a shock, a bump, and now

stillness.

VAN HELSING

And what does it see,

your blood?

MINA

It sees ...

She appears to be having a desperate
mental struggle.

MINA

It means a ...

(
suddenly the struggle

is over
) ... darkness,

like the grave.

Exhausted, her head falls to one
side. Jonathan is disturbed.

JONATHAN

That’s enough, Professor.

I don’t like it. It’s

obvious Dracula’s in his

casket on board the train.

The movement, the bump,

it’s as clear as day.

The Professor overcomes his own
misgivings with a grunt and endeavours to bring Mina out of her trance.

VAN HELSING

Return, Miss Mina. Listen to

The beat of your own heart.

Return ... Return ...

Jonathan glances anxiously at his
wrist-watch.

JONATHAN

Only three minutes,

Professor, we’ll never

do it.

Mina opens her eyes with a blink
and smiles.

INT. VIENNA. THE WEST BAHNHOF
STATION. DAY.

VAN HELSING, MINA and JONATHAN race
down the platform towards CAMERA until a trellised metal gate shoots across
cutting off any further progress though their momentum carries them into it
with a crash of frustration.

CUT TO: THEIR POINT OF VIEW:

Through the trellis we see the
PORTER responsible for closing the gate blow his whistle. The engine of the
Magyar Express toots in return.

CUT TO: The disappointed faces of
the travellers.

CUT TO:

The DRIVER of the train releasing
the brake. Suddenly a safety valve blows causing both him and the FIREMAN to
adopt various safety measures.

CUT TO:

The PORTER listening to their
shouts until another shout causes him to look at the travellers on the other
side of the gate, one of whom is brandishing a golden coin.

VAN HELSING

(
in German
)

Please my good man,

the train is delayed.

Accept this and let us

on board. It is a matter

of life and death.

Seeing another ENGINEER climb onto
the footplate with a big spanner, the Porter quickly grabs the coin, slides
open the gate and directs the trio along the platform to a carriage door which
he unlocks.

INSERT: SPANNER tightening a nut on
the safety valve. Whistle blowing. Driver waving. Wheels turning.

INT. FIRST CLASS
COMPARTMENT. DAY.

The THREE TRAVELLERS, hardly able
to credit their good fortune, catch their breath and as the station slips away
begin to make plans.

VAN HELSING

How far, Jonathan, from

Vienna to Budapest is it?

JONATHAN

No more than 150 miles,

Professor. We’re due there

in 98 minutes.

VAN HELSING

Go, Jonathan! See if our

little clairvoyant’s

prophecy was correct –

there is not time to waste.

JONATHAN

Right ho, Professor.

He slips quickly out of the
compartment and makes off down the corridor.

MINA

And is Vienna the closest

spot to Castle Dracula?

VAN HELSING

Our route, in truth, goes

considerably nearer, but

Budapest is the first stop

and I speculate the casket

there will be unloaded,

by which time he will be

true dead and you will be

free to marry your Jonathan.

He kisses her hand gallantly at
which Mina laughs a little strangely, but before the Professor has time to
consider why, Jonathan returns with the news.

JONATHAN

Just as we guessed. The box

Is there, there’s no

mistaking it - also a guard,

worst luck, who looks like

part of the furniture.

VAN HELSING

He would an embarrassing

Spectator be.

JONATHAN

And an even worse witness.

VAN HELSING

Perhaps soon he will

the tickets check.

JONATHAN

And what if he doesn’t?

Before you know it we’ll

be in Budapest.

MINA

(
brightly
)

Why the long faces?

It couldn’t be simpler;

all we have to do is pull

the communication cord and

stop the train. The guard

will leave his van to

investigate and you will be

waiting outside ready to go

in and do your work.

VAN HELSING

How strongly the casket

is sealed we know not.

JONATHAN

It may be a long job and

when the guard sees nothing

is up he’ll come straight

back.

MINA

Not before he has retrieved