Original subtitles

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.

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.

You never would have been able to indict Max Avery

without his testimony.

If he wants a key to the city,

I suggest you talk to the mayor.

Mr. Maxwell, I already have the key to the city,

and you'd be amazed at how few doors it unlocks.

All we're asking is that something be done

about Luz Corrales.

I wasn't aware it was against the law to oppose Elliot Burch.

Miss Chandler is right.

I sympathize with your frustration, Mr. Burch,

but it's not the province of this office

to embroil itself in politics.

Do you know how much Elliot Burch pays

this city every year in taxes?

I don't think that's the issue here at all.

Look, we're getting nowhere.

Mr. Roth, would you mind stepping outside

just for a minute?

Elliot, I don't think that's wise.

I do. Please.

Look, I recognize the Burch Tower's controversial.

I'm not asking you to silence my critics.

You could have fooled me.

Let him say his peace, Joe.

Thank you, Miss Chandler.

Lawsuits, pickets, newspaper editorials

we can deal with, but when the opposition

resorts to sabotage, to theft of equipment,

harassment... I can't believe Luz would condone

that sort of thing.

Max Avery has far fewer scruples.

I took him down, and he's returning the favor.

All right, Mr. Burch, we'll look into it.

If we find that Avery is the cause of your troubles,

we'll see what we can do.

That's all I ask. Thank you.

Thanks for the help in there.

It's our job.

You have the same rights as anyone else.

Still, I appreciate it. I mean...

you know, especially since you agree with Luz.

I'm not your enemy, Elliot.

I just think your tower is a bad idea.

Well, I'd love an opportunity to change your mind.

Why? The work has started; you already have your permit.

It's going up with or without my approval.

It's true enough.

But I would like your approval regardless.

Okay. I'll listen.

I owe you that much.

I wasn't sure you'd still be here at this hour.

This is early.

Most nights I don't go home at all.

I hate to sleep-- it's such a waste of precious time.

We all need to sleep, Elliot.

We need to dream.

I know all about dreams.

Here. What do you see?

Three billion dollars.

No.

This is the stuff that dreams are made of.

You've built skyscrapers before.

They were just buildings.

This... I've waited my whole life to build this tower.

Look at it. It's a 152 stories.

Offices and apartments and shops.

Theaters. Botancial gardens.

Nine restaurants. A six-story waterfall in the atrium.

It's a city within a city, Cathy.

Restaurants and a waterfall won't make it any less...

less...

Large?

It's going to impact on the lives of thousands of people.

It'll change the neighborhood, the city.

Change isn't always bad, Cathy.

Let me show you something.

Three of my buildings are in that shot.

Can you point them out?

Don't worry. Neither can I.

I remember the first time I saw the skyline in New York.

Empire State. Chrysler Building.

I looked at them, and I knew this is where I belonged.

This was a town where anything was possible.

This town made me what I am, Cathy.

And now I'm going to give something back.

Your world and mine.

She tells us stories on these walls.

Reminds us that we are all a part of one great city.

It's lovely, Vincent.

She must be an extraordinary woman

to take bare, gray walls and fill them

with so much color and beauty.

Elizabeth is a mystery, even to us.

No one know when she left the world above or why.

She refuses to speak of such things.

What was that?

For weeks now, these explosions have grown louder and closer.

Most excavation will stop well above our level,

but this new tower...

sinks its roots deep into the earth, deeper than

any building has ever gone before.

The Burch Tower?

Mouse estimates that they'll break through

in less than a week.

We're helpless to stop this tower,

but if it's not stopped...

for all the things, it could be the end of our world.

Who's there?

Vincent.

Well, come closer child. Come see what I'm doing.

This is as if you saw it with your own eyes.

I did. In a way.

You're not my only visitor, you know.

Mouse brings me my paints.

Sometimes Mary comes, or Sarah.

They tell me stories, and I put the stories on the wall.

So, it's not magic after all.

I leave that kind of thing to Narcissa.

I think you have your own magic, Elizabeth.

So, have you come here to tell me a new story?

Or did father tell you to carry me off?

No one will take you anywhere you don't wish to go.

But the lower chambers are safer

and full of empty walls calling out for your heart.

Rock walls?

No, those walls are no good, child.

Not smooth like these.

The blasting...

I know all about the blasting.

It makes no never-mind. I'm not finished!

You have to finish what you start.

Father believes these tunnels could collapse

any day now.

You could be killed.

This is my life. It's... here.

On these walls.

You didn't think I was going to live forever,

did you, child?

The excavation will reveal at least

four levels; possibly five or six.

And even if we start sealing up

all the surrounding tunnels today,

there's no way to minimize the exposure.

No. Relocation is the only answer.

You know as well as I do

that Elizabeth will never agree to relocate.

We can't just wash our hands of her.

Well, Sarah, what would you have us do?

Take her to someplace safe. It's for her own good.

She does not wish to go.

The painted tunnels aren't safe.

She could be crushed, buried alive.

She knows that.

But she will not leave her work.

Then she must be made to leave.

The paintings are beautiful, yes,

but they're not worth her life.

Elizabeth says they are her life.

Who are we to tell her that she's wrong?

Yes, but we cannot stand by idly and let a woman die.

No one dies.

Figured it out.

Do you have a plan, Mouse?

Good plan.

Better than good. Better than better.

Can't build where there's water.

Flood the foundation, that's all.

Make them stop.

And how do you propose to do that?

Underground river runs here.

Mm-hmm. Break through the wall, dig a channel, move the water

here, here and here.

Water won't run uphill. We'll have to make it.

Mouse, have you any conception how many man hours

it would take to divert an underground river?

Better start right now.

No, I'm sorry, Mouse,

but I'm afraid your plan is impossible.

Your heart does you credit.

But father's right.

Oh, look what you made me do!

I had just broken into the Pentagon computer.

I was going to disarm all the warheads.

Now I'm back to square one.

I'd swear that looked like a home shopping program.

If a nuclear war breaks out this afternoon, it's all your fault.

I suppose you want to know about the Luz Corrales?

Yeah.

I went to law school with Luz.

We weren't exactly friends, but I can't picture getting

involved with scum like Max Avery.

The machine says Lois is so clean, she squeaks.

Live modestly. Takes care of her aging mother.

Rides a subway. Not so much as a parking ticket.

Why do I get the feeling you're about to drop the other shoe?

Her group.

Had maybe about 350 dues-paying members six months ago.

Now they nearly got a thousand.

And how does $50,000 in recent anonymous

donations strike you?

I haven't seen her since we took the bar.

Maybe it's time for a reunion. Yeah.

Luz? Yeah?

Hi. I appreciate you coming on such short notice.

Yeah. Well, you got me curious.

It's been a long time since law school.

Nice place you got here.

Thank you. Come in.

Can I get you something to drink?

A glass of wine?

A beer would be nice.

Beer it is.

You've been doing good work.

Seems like every week I see your name in he paper.

Yeah, well, you've got to keep the headlines coming

otherwise the contributions dry up.

So, Catherine, how are things at your daddy's law firm?

I left my father's firm a year ago.

I'm with the DA now.

I wanted to talk to you about Burch Tower.

I didn't think this was just for old time's sake.

We don't call it the tower, you know.

To us, it's the monster.

It's going to devour that whole neighborhood.

You know, Burch's people have studies to prove

the whole area will be revitalized.

Sure. All the sidewalk hustlers and bagladies

will be revitalized to another part of the city.

All the discount stores will be revitalized into boutiques.

The rent for five blocks around will be revitalized

right through the roof and all the old people

and black people and brown people

will be revitalized into yuppies.

Never mind, though.

There's going to be a waterfall in the lobby.

It'll make everything okay.

Well, excavation is already under way.

I mean, how can you hope to stop it now?

We're going to take Elliot Burch to court.

Class action suit on behalf of the whole neighborhood.

We can use a donation.

You've been getting a lot of donations lately.

Aren't you concerned about where they're coming from?

Money is money.

It pays for the legal fees, buys the ads.

Our landlord gets a bit testy if we don't pay the rent

on the storefront.

Our offices is concerned that this money is coming

from Max Avery.

What are you saying?

That we're taking dirty money?

Look, I think I've heard enough.

Luz, Luz.

All I'm saying is, be careful.

Sometimes our commitment can blind us.

Since when did you know anything about commitment?

Did you buy some with your daddy's credit card?

Maybe you didn't deserve that. I don't know.

We'll look into it. I don't like being used.

Thanks for the beer.

You're welcome.

Vincent, Jamie has just returned.

She tells me that she's found a whole series

of chambers 600 feet down.

Near the Whispering Gallery.

Maybe we should go take a look.

I know those chambers.

When the rains are heavy, they are likely to flood.

Oh, my God.

And, of course, it we get below the levels of the pipes,

we'll have no communication.

It's all been taken away from us, Vincent.

The work of lifetimes.

Everything we've built-- lost.

What's lost can be found again...

built again... as long as we have each other.

Our world will survive.

I wish I could believe that.

I've got three kinds of green,

yellow, lots of orange.

Oh, good! I was almost out of orange.

Thank you, Mouse. You're a dear child.

Look what they've done.

It's not fair. They have no right.

I'm going to stop it.

Look. Just another stupid tower.

Got plenty on top. Don't need this one.

I'll fix it.

But it's so big. How can you stop it?

Vincent's not the only one who can do things.

You'll see.

Good as done.

Don't worry!

Elizabeth.

Hello, child.

So, this is where you live.

Oh, it's very sweet.

I had one of these once.

Oh, it was a long time ago, but I remember.

Only mine was silver.

Elizabeth, we're both delighted to see you.

But... But?

I never leave my paintings, do I?

Hmm-mm.

And you can't imagine why I'm here.

But I'm not so old as all that, you know.

And I get around better than some

when I have a mind to.

So tell me, why are you here now?

Mouse, the dear child, he went off to help me.

And I tried to go back to work...

but I can't stop fretting about him.

He's a rather odd boy, have you noticed?

And it's such a large tower.

I'm just not sure that he's going to...

Do you have any idea where he's gone?

Up, up, you know, to stop that damn blasting.

Elizabeth, thank you.

Hold it.

Spread them.

This way.

Burch's men are holding Mouse.

They caught him at the excavation.

He was trying to help stop the tower.

Was he arrested?

There were no police.

That's something anyway.

I'll see what I can do.

Don't worry, Vincent.

Let me take the little puke outside, huh?

I'll get the truth out of him.

There's no need.

I'm sure our friend is going to be reasonable.

So, your name is Mouse?

Who sent you?

Nobody.

What's this for?

Makes things sweet.

Is that so?

And I suppose this is for making pottery?

Mister, you're not fooling anybody.

You don't think we know plastic explosives?

You were going to sugar a little gas tanks.

Set off an explosion or two.

Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in?

I want to go.

You're not going anywhere.

Maybe we need to start all over again.

What is your real name?

Do you have any idea how much that equipment costs, Simon?

Listen, if he'd done any serious damage, we'd...

He what? Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

First you telling me that he's some dimwit dressed

like he just escaped from Iritania,

now you're telling me that he wants to talk to his attorney?

Catherine Chandler. I'll get back to you.

Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on?

Your security people are exceeding their authority.

That's what's going on.

They apprehended a trespasser.

Fine. Then call the police

and have him charged with trespassing.

And you'd better cross your fingers

he doesn't sue you for false imprisonment.

Here. You call the police.

Let him go, Elliot.

He won't bother you again, I promise.

He asked for you.

He doesn't know the name of the President of the United States,

but he knows your name.

Now, I find that just a little curious.

Please just let him go.

No harm was done.

What good would it do you to have him arrested?

I might get a few answers.

A few months ago, you came to me,

you needed my help, but you couldn't explain why.

Trust me, you said.

Well, trust is a two-way street.

If you want me to let this person go,

then trust me enough to answer some of my questions.

You can't barter for trust, Elliot.

And I can't tell you what you want to know.

I made a promise.

Well, then why should I let him go?

Because I'm asking you to.

Well, first thing we have to do is take whatever steps

are necessary to raise the bail money.

We all have items of some value

which we can exchange for money in the world above.

And we can call upon our helpers. Yes.

Catherine will not fail us.

You know, I blame myself for this, Vincent.

I should have been stricter.

Mouse was such a wild spirit.

There's no telling how much damage will occur

to him in one of their jails.

Whatever happens, Mouse will survive.

He's survived for years by himself.

A shadow, moving among us, taking bits of food.

Watching us...

Until you caught him.

I remember the way he kicked and screamed.

Oh, Catherine. What's happened to Mouse?

Here.

Cathy, we have to thank you.

Mouse, well, I hope this experience

has taught you a lesson.

Yes. Good.

Shouldn't get caught.

Come here a minute, will you?

Come along. Come with me.

It is time you and I had a long, long talk.

No, I'm not annoyed that you got caught.

I am just annoyed that you were in a place

where you could get caught.

Now, what I mean to say is, it's totally unacceptable

that you should be in such a...

Your heart is full of turmoil.

It's Elliot.

It was so easy when I thought I was falling in love.

And even easier when I was certain he was evil.

But now...

Now you see him as he truly is.

Good and bad.

Strong and weak.

Capable of great deeds and great wrongs.

A human being.

Yes, with human feelings.

I feel like I'm trading on his feelings.

Elliot.

What are you doing here?

Do you know what time it is?

Uh, almost dawn?

That's okay, I mean, as long as it's not too late.

Um, I couldn't sleep. I need to talk.

Come on in. Thanks.

It's been a long night for both of us.

I have to be at work in a few hours.

I could make us some coffee.

I could use some.

Instant okay?

Anything is fine, I don't care.

I could never get enough of the city.

Thanks.

Ah, how beautiful she looks.

You ought to be able to see the tower,

way to the south about in there.

Elliot, you're not here to talk about the tower.

What is it?

I never quite felt like this before.

After I released your friend, my security chief called me up

and very politely asked me if I'd lost my mind.

You did the right thing.

Yes. I seem to making a habit of that because of you.

Cathy, I'm in love with you.

I've had other relationships,

but from the very first moment that I set eyes on you,

I knew you were different.

And then when you walked out of my life,

that was really different.

I mean... I wanted you twice as much.

Because you couldn't have me.

That's obsession, Elliot. That's not love.

At first, yes.

But then when you came to me and you needed my help,

right then, I knew that I could make you mine.

I know desperation when I see it.

When somebody has something I want, I take it.

I mean, I go for the win. It's what I do.

It's what I am.

No, it's what I've become.

But not that day. Why?

Because you're a decent man

who couldn't turn his back on a friend.

I don't have any friends, Cathy.

Somewhere... on the way up, friends became inconvenient.

Love can be pretty inconvenient, too.

You don't have to tell me that.

You think I wanted to be this out of control?

I feel like a 14-year-old boy.

I'm confused and awkward and scared.

I'm never scared, Cathy.

I don't allow myself to be scared.

You know, despite everything,

I'd rather be here now with you than any place else on earth.

There's nothing I can do about the past.

But there's plenty that we can do about the future together.

Cathy, I'm asking you to marry me.

Elliot...

Don't say anything. Not now.

All I ask is that you think about it seriously

after you've had a little sleep.

Sleep won't change anything.

It might.

I mean, give me that much at least.

I didn't ask for this, Cathy.

But it is real. And I do love you.

And I'd do anything in the world to make you happy

if you give me the chance.

I've waited my whole life to build this tower.

We're helpless to stop this tower.

And I do love you.

Father thinks, it could be the end of our world.

And I'd do anything in the world to make you happy.

It could be the end of our world.

Cathy, I'm asking you to marry me.

Luz, what's wrong?

You know damn well.

I hope you're proud.

I don't know anything about this.

The hell you don't.

You set us up, launched some bogus investigation

and then leaked it to the press.

I know how the game's played.

It doesn't say that you're guilty of anything,

only that we're investigating.

Well, that's enough.

Who's going to give money to a community group

that's being investigated by the district attorney?

Even our attorneys are backing off.

We're going to have to drop the class action.

Congratulations. You just gave Elliot Burch his monster.

I wouldn't be quite so self-righteous

if I were you, Miss Corrales.

We've been running background checks

on some of your new members.

So far, we found about 70 with ties to Max Avery.

And there's still a lot of names on that list.

I should have known.

Your kind all sticks together, right?

The old boy's network.

Only now, they let a few little girls play, too.

Next time they need a name for a hurricane,

I know what I'm going to suggest.

Well.

Catherine, no!

I have to. It's the only way.

With Luz discredited, nothing stands in the way of the tower.

Elliot leaked the story, I'm sure of it.

Luz stood in his way, so he removed her

and used me to do it.

How can you even consider a union with such a man?

He's a human being.

Strong and weak. Good and bad.

You said so yourself, Vincent.

And he loves me... as much as a man like Elliot can love.

But you do not love this man. No.

But there is more at stake than just me here.

The painted tunnels, Elizabeth...

Father and Mouse...

all the children who have found safety below

and you-- you most of all.

Vincent, you have risked your life for me a hundred times.

How can I stand by and watch your world be destroyed

when I have the power to save it?

I cannot allow you to sacrifice yourself in such a way.

I'm sorry, Vincent, but it's not your decision.

I'm going to marry him.

I have to.

I don't care what we did on the last project!

Listen, code isn't good enough.

I want this building to stand

for hundreds of years.

Yeah.

Well... send her in.

Out. I'll deal with you later.

Cathy, you didn't take very long.

I didn't expect you to...

Yes, Elliot, I'll marry you.

Oh, that's wonderful.

You won't be sorry.

Listen, go anywhere you want in the world for the honeymoon.

Once I finish the tower...

I want you to halt construction on the tower.

Stop the tower... Is this a joke?

No joke.

You say you love me, you'll do anything for me.

Cathy, no no no. You don't understand.

The tower is the most important thing in my life besides you.

I mean, the two of us up on top

watching dawn break over Manhattan,

together with you beside me...

No. It can't be.

Yes.

It's just a building, Elliot.

People are more important than buildings.

More important that dreams, even.

And if you pick up the phone and stop the tower right now,

then I know you believe that, too.

And then I'll marry you and trust you.

I can't.

I understand.

Boy, you look rotten.

Someone just run over your puppy?

Something like that.

Bet you want to look over these Corrales stuff.

Almost 200 ringers.

Who would have believed it?

I've been sniffing up the paper trail to see

who signs the checks,

but looks like Avery knows how to cover his tracks.

They were drawing paychecks?

Yep.

We got a court order freezing Avery's assets.

Where is he getting the money?

Cayman Islands. Some kind of holding company.

Max Avery wouldn't know the Cayman Islands

from Staten Island.

Joe, we've been conned.

It's not Max Avery who's been paying people

to sign up with Luz.

What are you talking about, Radcliffe?

Who else could it be?

Someone who has an interest

in making sure Luz looks tainted.

Someone who could put Max Avery's old goons

on his payroll and not even blink!

Someone subtle enough to launder his money through

a number of accounts in the Cayman Islands

so it can't be traced back!

I knew we shouldn't

have trusted Burch.

Put me through to Marino.

No, I can't wait!

We're going for an injunction against Burch Tower.

I thought I would never see your face again.

When you walked away from me,

there was such resolve in your heart.

It was the hardest thing I've done in my life.

And the noblest.

Every step was like a knife inside me.

All my love for you was calling me back.

But a greater love drove you onward.

Your strength saved us all.

Yet I feel your melancholy.

I was just thinking of Elliot.

Vincent, you helped me find the best part of who I am.

But, Elliot, he's lost more than his tower.

He's lost himself.

I met a traveler from an antique land who said:

Two vast and drunkless legs of stone stand in the desert.

Near them, on the sand, half sunk,

a shattered visage lies,

whose frown and wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command

tell that its sculptor well those passions read

which yet survive.

Stamped on these lifeless things,

the hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look on my work, yee almighty, and despair!"

around the decay

of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare.

The lone and level sands stretch far away.