"Vincent:" "This is where the wealthy and the powerful rule." "It is her world," "A world apart from mine." "Her name..." "Is catherine." "From the moment I saw her, she captured my heart" "With her beauty," "Her warmth and her courage." "I knew then, as I know now," "She would change my life..." "Forever." "Catherine:" "He comes from a secret place, far below the city streets," "Hiding his face from strangers," "Safe from hate and harm." "He brought me there to save my life." "And now, wherever I go, he is with me in spirit." "For we have a bond stronger than friendship or love." "And although we cannot be together," "We will never, ever be apart." "(bell jingling)" "Cathy, how long is this going to take?" "We're running late already." "I just want to browse for a few minutes." "I love old books." "Here, this one's old." "The collected sermons of cotton mather?" "Not exactly what I had in mind." "Man:" "Perhaps I could be of some help?" "Uh, yeah, she's looking for a book." "Oh." "Something very special-- um..." "First edition maybe?" "Poetry." "English poetry's at the end of aisle three." "You can feel free to browse" "As long as you want." "We've only got, like, 32 minutes" "Man:" "Young man, there is" "A video store on the next block." "I understand they have vampire cheerleaders in stock." "Hey, I read." "I'm a lawyer." "We shan't hold that against you." "(both chuckle)" "I'll be back in 20 minutes." "You're on your own for lunch, radcliffe." "We shall miss you, young man!" "(cathy laughs)" "This way, please." "(door bell jingling)" "¶ ¶" "Try this one." "Tennyson." "A first edition." "Oh, this is perfect." "Thank..." "I see you found your book." "Yes." "Well, that's mr." "Tennyson's book, actually," "But it was waiting for you." "All books wait." "They sit patiently on their shelves" "Collecting the most refined dust" "Until their cover is opened and the pages are turned" "By the proper person." "Okay, radcliffe, lunch is over." "We got ten minutes to get back to court." "Oh, joy!" "The tit-willow is back." "(laughs)" "That's funny." "(people conversing)" "Six continuances!" "I can't believe this." "At this rate, I'll be drawing social security" "Before we get to trial on this thing." "Hold the elevator!" "Wait." "See ya up there." "(catherine sighs)" "(indistinct crowd chatter)" "(clicks tongue, sighs)" "(sighs)" "Excuse me." "You." "I know I've got it here somewhere." "Ah, yes, I think this is-- no, that's not it." "You know, I really must get mouse" "To build me some bookshelves." "(subway cars chugging and clanging)" "No." "On second thought, I better ask cullen." "Vincent, what is it?" "Nothing." "I... (soft laugh)" "For a moment, I felt a coldness." "Boy, this sort of thing is never very easy." "What sort of thing?" "Are you often approached by strangers?" "This is new york city." "I'm approached by all sorts of..." "Lunatics, yeah." "Well, I-I'm not" "A lunatic, but, uh," "I'm the next best thing." ""kristopher gentian."" "Artist?" "Honest." "Well, good for you, mr." "Gentian." "What do you want?" "Just you." "Call me kristopher." "I beg your pardon?" "You can call me kristopher." "I caught that part." "Oh, okay." "Uh, I thought maybe you could, uh, model for me." "Model for you?" "Too eccentric?" "Is this some kind of come-on?" "Oh, no." "No, no, really, it's not like that." "Um, you can bring your boyfriend or something," "You know, to-to-to watch, to make sure I don't, um," "Try anything, you know?" "That might be interesting." "Yeah." "I want to make you immortal." "(elevator bell dings) modest, aren't you?" "Thank you." "I don't think so." "Uh, wait, uh..." "My card." "I only have the one." "(indistinct, overlapping chatter)" "Catherine:" "Would I kid you, jen?" "Right down in the lobby." "Then he took back his card?" "Yes." "He said he only had one." "(laughs) he sounds like an artist, all right." "Do you remember craig?" "Oh, god, yes." "The one with the ponytail?" "Yeah, and the unheated loft." "Anyway, I posed for him for three weeks" "In February in a sheet," "And when I finally looked at the painting," "I wasn't even in it." "No!" "(laughs) well, he told me that he liked" "To look at naked women while he was working." "That it-it helped his creative juices or something." "But do not let me influence you." "They all can't be like craig, and you never know." "This guy might turn out to be another picasso or something." "So you think I should pose for him?" "Well, you may wind up on the wall of the metropolitan," "And I'll buy postcards of you and send them to my friends." "Oh, yeah, maybe you could publish calendars." "Sure, or framed prints," "Or wrapping paper, or coffee mugs." "(catherine laughing)" "There is no telling where this might end." "Well, this had better end right now." "The tit-willow needs me." "Jenny:" "What?" "(catherine laughing)" "I'll tell you next week at dinner." "(laughs) okay." "Bye." "What was that all about?" "An artist followed me back from the bookstore." "Jen thinks maybe I should pose for him." "Pose for him?" "Cathy, you got to watch out for these artsy types." "I mean, they get you alone, they give you a little wine," "And the next thing you know, well..." "I mean, they've all got a line, these guys." "They-they like to take advantage." "How is that, joe?" "Well, you know, they try to talk you into, uh," "Or out of..." "Well, it's not like fashion modeling." "Sometimes you have to pose" "Without any, um..." "Well, kind of nude." "Oh, is that all?" "You don't have to worry, joe." "I posed for a life study class in college." "Are you blushing, joe?" "Hey, look, this is, uh, none of my business, okay?" "I need" "The ketter testimony broken down by tomorrow morning." "Are you sure this guy's on the up-and-up?" "There's a scam on every corner in this city, radcliffe." "He give you a name?" "Mm-hmm." "Kristopher gentian." "Gentian?" "Relax, joe." "I'm sure he's harmless." "Yeah, famous last words." "I need that stuff tomorrow morning." "Okay." "I'll take it home, do it tonight." "In college-- that'd be radcliffe, right?" "You had me going there for a second, chandler." "That's a girl's school." "Didn't radcliffe go coed?" "Mm-hmm, in 1971." "But you better not tell joe." "(laughs)" "It's been so long." "I was afraid..." "That I might not come?" "I was away." "There's a place..." "Miles beneath the city" "A nameless river" "That runs through the darkness." "Sometimes I go there." "I wanted you to have this." "Tennyson." "First edition." "I always loved idylls of the king." "I even knew some parts of it by heart." "Some nights I dreamt of camelot..." "And lancelot." "Lancelot was fatally flawed," "Destined never to find the grail." "Still," "He was the greatest knight of all." "Vincent:" ""but in her web, she still delights" ""to weave the mirror's magic sights." ""for often through the silent nights," ""a funeral, with plumes and lights," "And music, went to camelot..."" "Man:" ""when the moon was overhead, came two" "Young lovers lately wed."" "Go!" "Go before they see you!" ""...'half sick of shadow" said the lady of shalott."" "Kristopher?" "!" "You didn't have to send him away." "What in the hell do you think you're doing here?" "God, he reads beautifully." "I want you to stop following me." "Do you understand?" "!" "Do you think he'd sit for me?" "(sighs heavily)" "Who are you talking about?" "What century did he walk out of, cathy?" "What storybook?" "This is outrageous." ""and over our heads floats the blue bird," ""singing of beautiful and impossible things," ""of things that are beautiful..." ""of things that are lovely and never happen" "Of things that are not, and should be."" "It's oscar wilde." "Where are we going?" "Home." "Okay." "Does that mean you want to pose for me?" "Father:" "Did he see you?" "I don't know." "Perhaps a glimpse, but..." "A glimpse?" "And if he thinks about what he saw?" "If he wonders about it?" "Vincent, you realize the risk?" "I've lived with that risk all my life." "Do you think I could ever forget it?" "I think sometimes you..." "You grow careless," "Especially of late." "You and catherine lose yourselves in the moment." "And the night and the stars." "And in each other." "No, that is not how it was." "I heard all of the stirrings of the city," "The distant sound of traffic," "The wind rustling in the foliage," "Someone skipping stones across the lagoon." "So how could this man possibly creep up on you unawares?" "I don't know." "Well, there must be a rational explanation." "Fine." "Tell me what it is." "You're still mad, aren't you?" "You might even say furious." "I know, I know, I shouldn't have followed you," "I shouldn't have spied on you," "But if I hadn't would you be here with me now?" "Would I have seen him?" "I don't know who you think you saw..." "Yes, you do." "Yes, you do." "When are you going to tell me about him?" "You are being very trying, kristopher." "I can't help it." "I'm an artist." "An artist, I know." "Since when is invasion of privacy" "Part of the creative process?" "I had to follow my heart." "Well, next time" "You may just follow it past the louvre and into city jail." "Did you hear that?" "She said "next time"!" "Next time!" "That means she's forgiven me!" "She's forgiven me!" "(woman screams)" "Don't worry, we're having him committed, soon!" "She's smiling." "Yes..." "Yes, yes, that is definitely a smile." "I thought you were shy." "I am large, I contain multitudes." "Do you like espresso?" "Kristopher." "Cappuccino?" "Cafe au lait?" "Cannoli?" "A zabaglione" "That'll break your heart." "Kristopher..." "Just an hour, that's all I want." "Well, maybe two." "I won't speak about vincent" "And I'll never bother you again." "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please...?" "(chuckles)" "It's great, isn't it?" "I love this place." "It always makes me feel like lorenzo de medici" "Might walk in at any moment to discuss a commission." "With you?" "Who else?" "But he will have to wait" "Until I have finished having coffee with simonetta vespucci." "She was sandro botticelli's great inspiration." "You can see her face in all his paintings." "You used to cut the crusts off those." "It's all right." "I'm allowed to eat crusts." "So, did simonetta and botticelli" "Meet for coffee on a regular basis?" "Oh, yeah, he was very fond of her," "Even though she was destined to be with another." "She loved guiliano" "De medici." "But botticelli took them both to heart." "Hey." "Oh, it's all right." "See?" "There's simonetta and guiliano." "They both became inspirations." "And did they live happily ever after?" "Guiliano was killed during the pazzi rebellion." "And simonetta was taken by a fever." "Nothing is forever, cathy." "That's a strange thing for an artist to say." "They live forever..." "Here." "Can I have my book back?" "Yeah, sure." "Oh, hey, are you using that sketch pad?" "I just bought it." "Great." "Thanks." "You know, they do sell those." "Only to people with money." "Where do you exhibit, kristopher?" "You haven't sold much of your work?" "My stuff is a little..." "Strange." "Still..." "Look up there." "Yours?" "I ran up quite a tab." "The owner took it as payment." "He was, like, a million years old, cathy," "You would have loved him." "He's dead now." "I'm sorry." "Still..." "That's a sale, isn't it?" "Kind of." "Do you like it?" "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, don't tell me." "If you hate it, I'll be crushed." "It's..." "Very powerful." "You're talented, kristopher." "You like it?" "Yes." "I knew you would!" "So you'll pose for me, right?" "(chuckles)" "You never give up." "Does a moth give up" "When he's seen the most beautiful flame" "He's ever beheld?" "Well, that is a good way to get your wings singed." "Hazards of my profession, cathy." "My wings are forever singed." "Okay, just sit there, sip your espresso," "And let me sketch you." "What can it hurt?" "(sighs)" "All right." "Great." "Great." "You won't be sorry, cathy, I promise." "I can't believe I'm doing this." "You wouldn't happen to have a pencil, would you?" "(laughs)" "¶ ¶" "¶ ¶" "Catherine:" "Where are you?" "Catherine?" "Where are you?" "¶ ¶" "He's dead." "(echoes):" "Dead." "¶ ¶" "(indistinct voices)" "You finished with the ketter breakdown yet?" "Oh, I'm about halfway through." "Can you give me two more hours?" "I thought you were going to finish it at home last night." "Yeah, I was, but something came up." "Well, this something doesn't have anything to do with" "The so-called artist, does it?" "Now, look, cath, I don't know how to say this," "But I'd stay clear of this guy, if I were you." "He's running some kind of a scam on you." "Joe, what are you talking about?" "Kristopher's an artist." "Yeah, a con artist, you mean." "He told you his name was kristopher gentian, right?" "Yes." "Well, he can't be." "What do you mean?" "Well, I had escobar run a little check on him, and it's..." "You what?" "I know, I know," "It's none of my business." "Okay, fine, shoot me." "I was worried about you." "And you ought to be glad I made it my business." "Kristopher gentian has been dead for almost two years." "I want that in two hours." "Radcliffe, this is nuts." "Why don't you just let me buy you lunch" "And we'll forget about this, huh?" "Hello?" "Is anyone here?" "Cathy, what's it going to take" "To convince you?" "The guy's dead." "Well, then a dead man did a sketch of me last night." "Hey, you said it, I didn't." "Look, we went to a coffee house." "I had espresso." "He had zabaglione." "Dead men can't even spell zabaglione." "And five'll getcha ten he stuck you with the check, am I right?" "I told you the guy is nothing but a scammer." "Oh, can I...?" "Oh, it's you." "Did you enjoy mr." "Tennyson?" "Yes, very much." "There was a man in the shop when I was here yesterday." "Of course there was." "Well, I need to talk to him." "That should be easy." "He's standing right behind you." "No, no, not joe." "I understand." "Joe:" "She's looking for" "Some guy she met back in the poetry section." "Well, it's definitely not you, then." "Claims he's an artist." "We get a lot of artists here." "Sometimes one of them even purchases a book." "This man is about this tall," "Uh, kind of rumpled, wears a mets cap." "His name is kristopher gentian." "I can't recall any such person." "Perhaps you saw him somewhere else." "No, it was here." "You must have seen him." "I'm afraid not." "Now, if there's nothing else..." "Can we go now?" "I don't know what's going on." "If your memory should happen to return," "Would you give me a call?" "(door opens, bell jangles)" "(rustling)" "(faint scraping)" "Who's there?" "(snarls)" "(gasps)" "Mouse." "I thought for a moment..." "I thought I saw an intruder in the shadows." "Down here?" "In your chamber?" "It makes no sense." "Finished new aqueduct." "Little problem." "So I see." "Need your help." "To stop a flood?" "No." "Fixed it." "Swimming lessons." "Tomorrow." "We'll go to the mirror pool." "I'm going to see narcissa." "Tell father I'll be back by evening." "Intruders." "Don't scare mouse." "(gasps)" "Well, let's just say I've never seen a ghost" "With a cappuccino moustache." "But why would anyone pretend to be dead?" "Well, the world has a way of ignoring live artists" "And celebrating dead ones." "Kristopher would not be the first painter" "To fake his own death." "Let's see what you've got on our elusive mr." "Gentian." "Well, he was a native new yorker," "Went to cooper union, an arts scholarship." "His family's deceased." "He had a small inheritance," "But it must have run out." "He owed money to everybody when he died." "Sounds like kristopher, all right." "Address?" "A loft in the east village," "But he'd been evicted." "Living on the street." "The night he died," "The temperature got down to 20 below." "They found the body in an alley off bleeker." "With all of kristopher's I.D.?" "Mm-hmm." "A friend viewed the body-- confirmed identification." "A mr." "Smith." "No, smyth." "Jonathon smyth." "He owns a bookstore." "Let me guess." "It's in the village." "7-7-7?" "Vincent." "Come." "You heard me approach?" "I saw you, in the waters." "Oh, yes, child, come look." "Vincent:" "All I see is ripples and reflections," "The flame of the candle." "You are your father's son." "What do you see?" "The past, the future," "The faces of the dead." "Spirits seek their own level, too, vincent, like the waters." "(laughing)" "But I am a crazy old woman" "Ask the father." "Did he tell you ghost stories when you were young, child?" "I..." "Fled the headless horseman." "Rode in kipling's phantom rickshaw." "Yes." "I remember marley's ghost." "Bound by chains he forged in life." "But there are other kinds of chains, vincent." "Fear, love, hate..." "Dreams." "Your world has room for spirits, narcissa." "Catherine lives in another world." "A world where ghosts walk only in stories." "Are you so sure, child?" "Come, then." "Look again." "Open your eyes." "Look deep." "Could such a being as this" "Walk the world your catherine lives in?" "(door bell jangles)" "Oh, I'm sorry, we're closed." "You are the persistent one, aren't you?" "Is that a compliment, mr." "Smyth?" "You lied to me." "Well, I fibbed." "How long have you known kristopher?" "When he was a little boy, he used to come in here." "He'd sit and read for hours, book after book." "Mythology, folklore, poetry." "Even after he grew up, he'd rather read than eat." "Then why did you pretend you didn't know him?" "Because it is such a bother." "No one believes me, anyhow." "You're not the first, you know." "Not the first what?" "To see kristopher's ghost." "He materializes for all" "The more attractive young ladies." "I can't believe this." "You see." "You're still claiming he's dead?" "My dear young lady, kristopher is dead." "I had to identify the body myself." "Such a shame." "He had so much talent." "(sighs)" "That's it." "I give up." "Wait a minute." "His paintings." "There was no will, no family..." "He never sold any of his paintings." "What happened to them?" "His landlord took them." "A dreadful man." "For back rent?" "Yeah, he took all the books, too," "But I bought those back." "I thought it was only right." "Old friends coming home again." "The landlord must have tried to sell the paintings, too." "Undoubtedly." "But the only portraits that he appreciated" "Were the ones on dollar bills." "I doubt if he succeeded." "Kristopher's work is most probably off" "In storage somewhere," "If they still exist." "They exist, all right." "Otherwise what's the point of this charade?" "My dear young lady," "You're so young and so cynical." "You should not be so certain." "The world devours all of our certainties." "And all of our beauties, as well." "(dog barking)" "(distant siren blares)" "(engine starting)" "¶ ¶" "(gentle creaking)" "(gasps)" "Damn it." "Damn it." "(gasps)" "Vincent." "For a minute there, I thought... (sighs)" "Well, thank god it's you." "I tell you, I am..." "Half-sick of shadows?" "Yes." "I was ready to give up before you unlocked the door." "Catherine..." "I didn't unlock any doors." "Then... (roars)" "Hi." "Catherine:" "How long have you been here?" "Kristopher:" "Here?" "I don't know." "It's funny, you know." "I can't seem to remem..." "It's this way." "I think." "I want some answers, kristopher." "How did you open that padlock without my seeing you?" "I just did." "I didn't want you to go away." "You're living here now, is that it?" "So many questions." "Watch out, you might get answers." "You'll explain all the wonders and mysteries in life." "And all the wonders and mysteries..." "Die." "I hate questions." "That's my stuff!" "(chuckles)" "(sighs)" "Coloring books." "I couldn't get enough of these when I was little." "You went outside the lines." "I liked going outside the lines." "Vincent:" "Some men ignore the boundaries." "Hmm." "All the boundaries." "Catherine:" "Coloring books is one thing." "Pretending to be dead is something else." "Dead?" "What do you mean, dead?" "Who's dead?" "Good question." "Look, I don't think you planned it." "I never plan anything, if I can help it." "You'd just hit rock bottom," "Your work was gone." "You were living on the street." "No one cared." "You stumble across a dead man." "Roughly the same age, same build." "Maybe I am dead." "As good as dead, anyway." "An artist is only as alive as his work, right?" "And botticelli will live forever," "But me..." "¶ ¶" "Oh, kristopher, these are wonderful." "Where are...?" "Oh, I hate it when he does this." "He's gone, catherine." "I have no sense of him." "That's impossible." "Is it?" "Oh, he must be hiding somewhere." "Maybe there's another door." "Or a magical one." "I don't believe in magic." "Then what is all this?" "Jenny:" "If the revisions aren't in by this week," "He will not make the fall list." "(intercom buzzes)" "All right, I've got another call." "You tell him that, okay?" "Jenny aaronson." "Catherine:" "Hi, jen, it's me." "Oh, cathy." "Hi." "Does this mean that we're finally gonna make dinner?" "Oh, I wish." "Maybe next week." "Where have I heard that before?" "(laughs)" "Listen, jen, I need a favor." "All those art books you've edited," "You must know a few gallery owners." "(chuckles)" "Some of them a lot better than I ever hoped to." "I want to arrange a show." "Easier said than done." "When?" "Soon." "A week?" "Two weeks?" "Is that possible?" "Absolutely no way." "Well, let me work on it." "I've got some people who owe me some pretty big favors." "Is this for this guy?" "The one who wanted you to pose?" "Yes." "Kristopher gentian." "Did you do it?" "My god, you did." "All right." "You have got to tell me everything." "Is he any good?" "How are his paintings?" "What should I tell the gallery owners?" "Oh, you can tell them he is better than good" "He's dead." "(soft music playing)" "(visitors murmuring)" "I don't think you'll find the model's phone number there." "What do you figure they want for something like this?" "Why?" "You thinking of buying it?" "Hey, why not?" "The guy's dead, right?" "It's gotta be a good investment." "Yeah, I think I could stand to look at her" "For a long time." "Whadda ya think?" "Put it right over the couch." "Excuse me." "(indistinct conversations)" "Catherine:" "Where is he?" "Who?" "The waiter." "With the champagne." "Oh." "Um..." "Here you go." "No, I'm not thirsty." "Mr. Smyth." "Did you come with kristopher?" "From his family crypt?" "I knew he wouldn't be able to resist his own opening." "Oh, I'm sure that he's here" "In spirit." "To think how close we came to..." "To losing all this." "You've done a marvelous thing." "All I contributed was a setting." "The marvels belong to kristopher." "They've sold half a dozen works already." "The rest should be gone before the show is over." "The gallery takes a commission off the top." "I told them to send the rest of the money to you." "To me?" "My dear young lady, whatever for?" "Kristopher, of course." "He'll need money for paints, canvas, rent." "But kristopher is, uh..." "Dead." "So you don't want the money?" "You mustn't put words in my mouth." "There's always, um..." "Cemetery upkeep." "Oh, and, um, as long as I'm here," "I hope you wouldn't mind introducing me" "To the proprietor of this establishment." "Just in case, say, more works by kristopher gentian" "Should happen to show up?" "I daresay." "You can never tell." "(laughing)" "Oh, it went great." "Don't you think it went great?" "Yeah, I'm happy." "You know," "I didn't know they made artists" "Like kristopher anymore." "They don't." "Do you want to share a cab?" "You know, the night's so lovely, I think I'll walk." "Okay." "Thanks for everything." "Oh, my pleasure." "Okay, and dinner?" "Tuesday." "Good." "Okay." "Bye." "Cathy?" "I was so afraid that you'd gone." "Here." "What is this?" "Well, I can't say for sure," "But whatever it is, it's yours." "It turned up when we were rooting" "Through that dreadful warehouse." "It was sealed up way in the back." "I don't know." "Anyway," "It has your name on it." "So I put it aside for you." "Did you know the artist when he was alive?" "Of course you..." "What..." "What am I saying?" "Anyway..." "Here." "Enjoy." "Catherine:" "He had his sketch of me to work from, I suppose," "But he must have painted you from memory." "Astonishing, isn't it?" "You might even say "magical."" "Now you're starting to sound like kristopher." "Am I?" "Hmm." "Why are you smiling?" "Kristopher worked only in oils." "Yes." "Oils take months to dry completely, catherine." "Sometimes years." "This canvas..." "Don't say it." "I have to hold onto some" "Of my certainties, don't I?" "Kristopher:" "We shall lay our hands upon the basilisk and see the jewel" "In the toad's head." "Champing his gilded oats," "The hippogriff will stand in our stalls," "And over our heads will float the bluebird," "Singing of beautiful and impossible things," "Of things that are lovely and that never happen," "Of things that are not and that should be."