Batman begins

BATMAN BEGINS
By
DAVID GOYER

BLACK. A low KEENING which becomes SCREECHING that BUILDS
and BUILDS until- RED flickers through black as the screen
BURSTS into life: Clouds of REELING BATS silhouetted against
a blood red sky, bolting away from camera, MASSING in the
sky... FORMING a density the shape of an enormous BAT-LIKE
SYMBOL. More BATS mass, swamping the symbol, DARKENING thescreen to- BLACK. Distant children’s LAUGHTER which comes
closer as- SUNLIGHT flickers through black. Sunlight through
trees running through a SUMMER GARDEN. A BOY. Chasing a
GIRL. The Boy reaches a Victorian GREENHOUSE. Stands in the
doorway catching his breath. This is Bruce Wayne, aged 8,
and we are1

EXT. GARDENS, WAYNE MANOR -- DAY

1

YOUNG BRUCE peers down rows of plants on longtrestle
tables.
YOUNG BRUCE
Rachel?
No response. Sunlight streams through wrought iron and
glass. Young Bruce advances, cautious. He is GRABBED from
behind and pulled under a table by a young girl, aged 10.
This is RACHEL. She puts her hand over Young Bruce’s mouth.
FEMALE VOICE (O.S.)
Rachel?! Master Bruce?!
A woman STRIDES past the windows: MRS.DODSON, Rachel’s
mother, housekeeper ofWayne Manor.
YOUNG BRUCE
(whispering)
What’re you doing?!
RACHEL
(matter-of-fact)
Kidnapping you. They” pay a lot for
precious Brucie.
Young Bruce stares, wide-eyed. She SMILES. He relaxes. Young
Bruce BOLTS out from under the trestle table - SPRINTS for
the back door. Rachel TEARS after him.
2

EXT. DISUSED KITCHEN GARDEN, WAYNE MANOR -- CONTINUOUS

2

Young Bruce crouches in themouth of a DISUSED WELL, peering
over the stone wall at Rachel, who searches for him.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

2.

RACHEL
Bruce, I can see you.
Young Bruce suppresses a giggle- the BOARDS beneath him GIVE
WAY and he PLUMMETS into...
3

INT. OLD WELL -- CONTINUOUS

3

Young Bruce DROPS thirty feet- LANDS painfully on the rubble
strewn bottom of the shaft.
4

EXT.KITCHEN GARDEN, WAYNE MANOR -- CONTINUOUS

4

Rachel, hearing, RUNS to the well.
RACHEL
BRUCE?!!
5

INT. OLD WELL -- CONTINUOUS

5

Young Bruce lifts his head from damp dirt and rocks,
groaning.
6

EXT. KITCHEN GARDEN, WAYNE MANOR -- CONTINUOUS

6

Rachel SPRINTS towards the house.
RACHEL
MOM!! MISTER ALFRED!!
7

INT. OLD WELL -- CONTINUOUS
Young Bruce, in shock, groans. Hehears SQUEALING- freezes,
PEERING into the DARKNESS of an OPENING between rocks...
BATS EXPLODE from the darkness, filling the air. HE
SCREAMSCURLS against their flapping, squawking, fluttering
BLACKNESS.
A JOLT: OLDER GREEN EYES FLICK OPEN, WAKING... in DARKNESS.
Filthy, sweating darkness... and we are in-

7

3.
8

INT. BHUTANESE JAIL -- MORNING

8

The eyes belong to abearded, weathered, young man’s face.
BRUCE WAYNE aged 28. An OLD ASIAN MAN sits staring at him.
OLD MAN
A dream?
WAYNE
A nightmare.
OLD MAN
Worse than this?
Their cell is a tin box. Light seeps through gaps in the
roof. Shouts ECHO. Wayne shrugs.
9

EXT. PRISON COURTYARD -- LATER

9

Wayne and the Old Man line up for gruel. PRISONERS are
scattered in small groups. All eyes on Wayne.OLD MAN
They are going to fight you.
WAYNE
I fought them yesterday.
OLD MAN
They will fight you every day.
Until they kill you.
Wayne holds out his plate. Watches gruel dribbled onto it.
WAYNE
Can’t they kill me before
breakfast?
Wayne turns from the table. His path is blocked by an
ENORMOUS MAN, backed by six aggressive prisoners. The
Enormous Man SMASHES his plate away.
ENORMOUSMAN
(broken English)
You are in hell, little man...
He PUNCHES Wayne- Wayne goes down hard.
ENORMOUS MAN (CONT’D)
...and I am the devil.
Wayne picks himself up. Dust himself off.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: (2)

4.

WAYNE
You’re not the devil...
The Enormous Man SWINGS again- Wayne CATCHES his fist, KICKS
the big man’s knee out an, as he goes down, BOOTS his face.
WAYNE (CONT’D)...