Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Mr. Moustafa dries his eyes with his napkin, but the tears instantly return. He shrugs.

MR. MOUSTAFA

Well, I suppose there’s no way around it. You see, she saved us.

Title:

ONE MONTH EARLIER

INT. CINEMA. NIGHT

A smoky small-town movie palace. On screen, a battle scene is in progress: tanks explode while an infantry unit charges out of a trench into a tornado of machine-gun fire. In the middle of the back row, a love scene is in progress: Zero and Agatha French-kiss in a clutch with her shirt half-unbuttoned and his fingers wrapped around her clearly visible, white breast. Her hand is jammed down into his trousers. No one else in the scattered audience appears to notice them.

MR. MOUSTAFA

( voice-over )

On our third, formal rendezvous, I had asked for her hand in marriage, and she had agreed. We did not have fifty Klubecks between the two of us. No one knew, of course; but, then, who would have cared? We were both completely on our own in the world – and we were deeply in love.

EXT. TOWN SQUARE. NIGHT

Dusk. The platz in the center of Nebelsbad. A carnival fair is in full swing with a spinning carousel set to a Wurlitzer organ, a bustling gallery of games, and vendors serving beer and sausages. Agatha holds Zero’s arm as they walk through the crowd. He reaches into his uniform, pulls out a small gift-wrapped package, and thrusts it into her hands.

ZERO

Here.

AGATHA

( startled )

Thank you!

ZERO

It’s a book.

AGATHA

( hesitates )

I see.

ZERO

Romantic Poetry, Volume One . M. Gustave recommended it. I have a copy of my own, as well. I ruined the surprise, I suppose.

AGATHA

I’ll go ahead and open it, anyway.

ZERO

OK.

Agatha carefully unwraps the package, folds up the paper, and puts the ribbon into her pocket. Zero flips open the book and points at a flyleaf.

ZERO

Read the inscription.

AGATHA

( reading )

‘For my dearest, darling, treasured, cherished Agatha, whom I worship. With respect, adoration, admiration, kisses, gratitude, best wishes, and love. From Z. to A.’

Agatha looks to Zero with tears in her eyes. He smiles sadly.

MR. MOUSTAFA

( voice-over )

M. Gustave insisted on an immediate and thorough cross-examination –

INT. STORAGE PANTRY. DAY

M. Gustave sits opposite Agatha at a long table with his hand resting on top of hers as he leans close to her recounting something vividly. They both laugh uproariously. M. Gustave says loudly, aside, to Zero:

M. GUSTAVE

She’s so charming!

Zero broods in the corner. The table is piled with long-stemmed flowers, and a large, cardboard box overflows with more.

MR. MOUSTAFA

( voice-over )

– during which he presented Agatha with a porcelain pendant and five dozen individually tissue-wrapped white tulips in a box the size of a child’s coffin.

Insert:

A white porcelain crossed-keys pendant hanging from a velvet ribbon around Agatha’s thin neck.

Agatha admires her pendant. Zero grumbles:

ZERO

It’s not right.

M. GUSTAVE

( hesitates )

I beg your pardon? ( Conspiratorially to Agatha. ) Why’s he sulking?

ZERO

She’s my girlfriend. You can’t just buy her things.

M. GUSTAVE

( in disbelief )

I’m only interviewing this vision of loveliness on your behalf. ( Conveying pearls of wisdom. ) Never be jealous in this life, Zero. Not even for an instant.

ZERO

( to Agatha, like a lawyer )

Is he flirting with you?

AGATHA

Yes.

Zero looks to M. Gustave with satisfaction. M. Gustave shrugs this off with a wave of the hand, then offers a benediction:

M. GUSTAVE

I approve of this union. ( Still flirting. ) Agatha, my beauty? Return to your beloved.

Zero and Agatha stand together quietly on display, happy. She clutches a tulip. M. Gustave nods sagely.

MR. MOUSTAFA

( voice-over )

Soon, we learned –

INT. PATISSERIE. DAY

The white-marble frosting counter in the back room at Mendl’s. There are three, unfinished Courtesans au chocolat in a row with their tops open. Agatha delicately places a little tool into the fillings of each: a slender file, the head of a small hammer, and a half-scale chisel. As she closes them, she begins to apply a complex series of decorative ripples and swirls.

MR. MOUSTAFA

( voice-over )

– Not only was Agatha immensely skilled with a palette knife and a butter-cream flourish: she was also very brave.

Zero, keeping a lookout at the kitchen door, gives an urgent signal. Agatha swiftly covers the pastries with e damp cheese-cloth just as Herr Mendl crosses into the room, throws open a huge brick-oven, and checks on a batch of gâteaux l’Opéra.

INT. SORTING HALL. DAY

A prison guard searches packages on a metal table. He slices a block of cheese into quarters. He chops-up a loaf of bread into sixths. He opens a double-sized pink pastry-box – and pauses. He stares at the three pristine Courtesans au chocolat.

MR. MOUSTAFA

( voice-over )

I believe she was born that way.

The guard gingerly closes the box, slides it aside, unscathed, and moves onto the next package.

INT. LAWYER’S OFFICE. DAY

An art-deco office looking out directly onto the clock tower of Lutzbahn Station. Deputy Kovacs sits behind a wide desk. The box containing Madame D.’s will rests beside him. Its contents have been neatly organized into dozens of little stacks and piles.

Dmitri and his three sisters are seated across from Deputy Kovacs in leather armchairs. Jopling stands in the corner stroking a Siamese cat and staring out the window. Curtains sway in the gentle breeze. Deputy Kovacs sounds concerned:

DEPUTY KOVACS

Something’s missing. A crucial document, either misplaced or, conceivably, destroyed. I don’t know what it contains, I don’t know what it represents, I don’t know what it is – but there are traces and shadows of it everywhere. ( Motioning to the stacks of paper. ) Now, I don’t want to alarm you, and I don’t expect to see any significant change in the magistrate’s ultimate decision vis-à-vis your own inheritance; but, especially given the circumstances of the death, as well as the disappearance of the key witness in the murder case (Serge X.), I suggest we immediately bring this matter to the attention of the municipal inspector so there can be absolutely no question of impropriety at any future date. Agreed?

DMITRI

( simply )

Not agreed.

DEPUTY KOVACS

( puzzled )

Not agreed?

DMITRI

( with finality )

Not agreed.

Silence. The three sisters are stoic. Jopling is stony. Dmitri and Deputy Kovacs stare at each other blankly.

DMITRI

Can I ask you a question, Vilmos?

DEPUTY KOVACS

Yes, Dmitri?

DMITRI

Who you working for?