Original subtitles

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.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

(engines purring in distance)

♪ ♪

(revving)

(roaring)

(roaring)

Come.

Catherine: They weren't policemen.

They couldn't have been.

Do you have any idea who might've sent them?

Do you really think they were sent by someone?

Well, catherine, what happened in the park

Hardly seemed...

Random.

But who would've done such a thing? Why?

Nasty stuff.

How'd you beat the meat wagons, spirko?

Lucky guess. Yeah.

So...

What's my story?

You tell me.

A bear from the bronx zoo

Who's got a thing against cops.

Hey, not bad.

Only these guys weren't cops.

What?

Talk to me, jesse. What happened here?

How should I know? And even if I knew,

I wouldn't tell you.

Listen, jesse.

My instamatic busted on me.

I could use a good negative for tomorrow.

You know I can't do that.

Who's gonna miss one lousy snapshot?

Come on, spirko.

I got tickets for the knicks game,

Night after tomorrow. Tenth row on the floor.

I don't follow basketball.

You will in these seats.

I can't do it, spirko.

Why the hell not? It didn't stop you last time.

That was different.

Not to the captain it wouldn't be.

Why don't you just take the tickets,

Make it easier on both of us?

(typing)

Spirko (on tape): Claude oakes. Oakes with an "e".

31, died of massive blood loss

Incurred by deep wounds of some unknown nature.

Like an animal did it.

What do you know about animals, spirko?

I know what I see.

Look at the faces on these people.

No one knows what the hell is going on here.

Hi, cathy.

Elliot.

Well, this is the last place in the world

I would expect to find you.

What are you talking? I'm an old aficionado of greasy spoons.

Really, why are you here?

I just wanted to see you, cath.

Elliot...

I just want you to know that I'm here for you.

Waiting.

I don't want you to wait for me.

Cathy, I don't want to either.

But the way things seem to be, I don't have much choice, do I?

I mean, you said to me

That there's somebody else in your life.

I can't do anything about that.

And I can't change how I feel about you.

♪ ♪

(doors creaking)

The door was open.

Sit down. You're late.

Your cigarette, please. The smoke bothers me.

You were also late last night.

Hey, I got there as soon as I could.

Not every guy that calls me is on the level.

And you're convinced at this point that I'm on the level?

Sure.

Had you arrived at the park sooner,

You would have seen something extraordinary.

Like what?

Patience, mr. Spirko.

You're only at the very beginning.

Do I get to see you

Or are we just going to sit here in the dark?

My one and only condition

Is that I remain anonymous.

And if I refuse?

You're a fool.

My editor won't print a story without a verifiable source.

Which is why I won't be your source.

I'll give you the information,

But you will have to discover the truth yourself.

Either you show your face,

Or I'm walking.

Spirko.

You were chosen with great care.

For your tenacity.

For your singular character.

I don't think you could

Walk away from this story if you wanted to.

Now sit down.

Take out your notebook.

The pattern of killings began about two years ago.

It's a gruesome pattern of evisceration,

Throat puncture wounds, deep slashings.

The victims are generally left to bleed to death.

You mean, last night wasn't the first time?

No. Nor will it be the last.

You're saying you know the killer?

Not exactly. But I know why he kills.

Why?

To protect someone.

Who?

A beautiful woman.

A very beautiful woman.

She's the key.

You find her, she'll lead you to the killer.

What's her name?

She is...

An assistant district attorney.

Her name is catherine chandler.

How'd the trial go?

Fine.

I'm bernie spirko.

New york sentinel.

Can I talk to you for a minute?

Actually, now is not a very good time.

I'd appreciate it.

It's important.

What do you know about this?

About what?

Remember?

Remember what?

I think you know.

I've been in this long enough to know

When someone's lying.

I am not a liar, mr. Spirko.

Excuse me.

Everyone's a liar.

Hey, I'm just trying to find out

What happened that night. It's my job.

What makes you think I know anything?

Come on.

I'll show you.

Mind if I smoke?

Actually, I do.

This you remember, right?

And the police report on carol stabler,

The woman who was set to testify against those men

Who attacked you two years ago.

The safe house was compromised.

She was murdered before she could testify.

That's right, and that same night,

Someone killed those men who attacked her.

Literally tore them apart.

Not very pretty, huh?

No, it isn't.

What does this have to do with me?

There are other, similar incidents connected to you.

October 9, 1987.

You investigated a complaint filed by some elderly people,

Claimed they were being harassed by a developer.

The investigation resulted in the termination

Of that prospective project

As well as the lives of four of the developer's leg men.

You are speculating.

There is more.

If you want, I'd be happy to review it all for you.

I'm a reporter, miss chandler.

I find things out, I dig up secrets.

That's what I do.

What do you think you're going to find?

I don't know yet...

But you do.

Come on, what is the big secret?

Why not just tell me?

Because with or without you, I'm going to find out.

Believe me.

Father: You're hesitant about telling vincent?

The memory of those moments is painful to him.

Catherine, he should be told.

Every time you meet,

Every moment you spend together now,

Increases the risk.

I know.

You mustn't blame yourself.

This was inevitable.

I knew from the moment he first brought you to us.

I do blame myself, father.

Well, don't.

It's me he protects.

What he does, he does in my name.

He protects all of us.

He protects the people he loves.

It's a feeling of shame, father.

I have watched.

I have seen him when he loses himself.

Yes, I know, it's terrifying. No.

Anyone would feel the same. No.

Part of me shares that with him.

In some deep way, I wonder...

(sighs)

Have I been reckless?

Have I put myself in danger,

Knowing that he would come to me?

I never expected to see you so soon.

I'm nowhere on this story.

Would you care to speculate?

On what?

I got half a dozen police photographs,

All telling me the same thing, only I can't figure out what.

And your assistant da...

You saw catherine? What about it?

You gave me her name.

You're thinking too literally.

It's my fault.

Then talk to me.

Mr. Spirko, this is not some crazed vigilante

Fixated on catherine chandler.

This is something entirely different.

This is something that has never been.

You keep saying cryptic stuff like that.

You should hear the sounds.

The sounds?

Of his killings.

Sounds you will never forget.

Who is he?

As I told you before, mr. Spirko,

You'll have to discover that for yourself.

I'm at a dead end here.

Open your mind, mr. Spirko.

Imagine.

(classical music playing)

(footsteps approaching)

Catherine.

Vincent.

The reporter.

Father has already told me.

I'm sorry.

No need to apologize.

We will not let this defeat us.

Come.

They've only just started.

(classical music continues)

(thunder rumbling)

Cathy still loves me.

I know she does.

I'd do anything for her.

I told her that.

I promised her.

Do you believe me?

Sure, I believe you.

I wouldn't be here if I didn't.

She ran away.

Why did she run?

You can tell me, steven.

Why did she run?

(thunder rumbling)

Cathy!

Because...

She knew he would come.

Who did she know would come?

(grunting, roaring)

He ruined my legs.

I'm sorry,

I really am,

And I want you to know that I'm trying to help.

He ought to be punished.

Not for me-- I don't care about me--

But for cathy.

I can't do anything about that.

We can't...

Until you tell me what happened.

(vincent roaring)

No, vincent! You'll kill him, no!

It's... Over!

It's over.

She called him vincent.

Vincent?

That's his name.

What does vincent look like?

Tell me anything you can about him.

They have a sick relationship.

He is not a man.

I mean, he is not human.

You see now?

(horns honking)

Man: How far back do we go, spirko?

I don't know, what, nine years?

Ten. You think you'd learn

Something in that time.

Bill, give me a break.

You got some incredible stuff here, don't get me wrong,

But none of it fits together right.

You're missing pieces.

You heard the tape.

Yeah. Of a certified psychotic.

I'd go over to bellevue right now

And come back with a much better story than this.

I have another source.

A good one.

Who's that?

Elliot burch.

You're kidding me.

Names, places, dates, you name it.

Burch?

On my mother's grave.

He's had a thing going with chandler

On and off for almost two years now.

I don't know what their story is,

But he's got her number... Down.

You think he'd go public?

What do you think?

And I'm not going to push it either.

Well, I think you better start.

'cause that's your story.

Unless he speaks up, I can't print a word.

Even though I'm telling you it's clean?

What do you want me to say?

Go sell it to the inquiring star

If you're so damn anxious.

They pay better.

Hi.

How about some lunch? Are you crazy?

Maybe.

I spoke to an old boyfriend of yours yesterday.

He told me this very

Interesting story. (recorder clicks on)

Bass (on tape): I don't know.

They have a sick relationship.

He's not a man.

I mean, he is not human. (recorder clicks off)

How could you do that to steven?

I told you: I am just after the truth.

Steven does not know the truth.

What about those scars vincent left him with?

I got pictures, if you're interested.

This is harassment, mr. Spirko.

And if you continue, I will have you arrested.

Steven bass and I are not

The only ones who know about vincent.

There's someone who knows a hell of a lot more than either of us.

(subway train passing in distance)

Vincent.

Am I disturbing you?

No.

Please.

I found an old favorite poem

I'd long since forgotten.

Father... Let me just read this to you.

(sighs): No poetry.

Just listen to the first few lines.

If I asked you...

Would you tell me the truth, father?

Of course.

Am I a man?

Part of you is.

And the part that is not?

The part that... Takes over...

The man in me cannot forget,

Cannot close his eyes in peace.

I don't know the answer to that, vincent.

I honestly don't know.

You have educated the man.

You have nurtured the man...

Read him poetry...

Taught him to love.

But the other...

You don't understand.

You don't understand its power.

Vincent...

Father,

I cannot control my thoughts.

Father, I'm afraid.

(machine clicking rhythmically)

(machine clicking rhythmically)

Bernie spirko.

Catherine: You said you came to me out of concern,

And the whole time, you've been undermining

Everything that meant anything to me.

Cathy, calm down.

Would you mind telling me

What it is I'm supposed to be I'm doing.

You know damn well. Why don't you believe me?

The only time that I've seen bernie spirko's name's

On a byline for the new york sentinel.

You leaked the corrales story to him last year.

And for all I know, he is still on your payroll.

I never paid him a penny.

How can you deny it?!

Listen to yourself!

You're supposed to be an attorney.

Whatever happened to innocent till proven guilty?

This is not a court of law.

Cath...

Okay, cathy,

I know you've got secrets in your life, okay?

I know what's happening is very real to you,

And it's causing you a lot of pain, but you can't...

Stop it, elliot.

Just stop it.

Get me manning.

(gate creaks)

What is it, catherine?

It's elliot burch.

Elliot is the one who's been feeding information.

To the reporter.

Elliot?

They know your name, vincent.

Somehow they got to stephen bass.

Father's right.

The risk has become too great.

We can't see each other until this is over.

Perhaps if elliot understood...

No.

But he is a man who could understand.

I thought so, too, once.

But he's shown himself.

He's out to condemn us,

To destroy us.

Condemn us?

He knows that we are different,

That we are beyond his experience,

And that must threaten him.

It is I who is different.

No, vincent.

It's us.

I've learned that.

We share the responsibility

Of who we are together.

My mind is filled with thoughts beyond imagining.

If they ever found you...

They would never find me.

I would vanish,

Bury myself deep inside the earth.

And you would be lost to me.

Without you, I would be lost to myself.

Well?

His name is vincent.

His face is deformed in some way,

Grotesque.

And so are his hands.

Tell me about his hands.

They're incredibly strong.

He uses them to kill.

And this may sound strange,

But I think they're more like claws.

Is he human, mr. Spirko?

What else could he be?

I'm asking you.

He walks, he talks.

He loves.

Catherine chandler.

Have you seen her?

This morning.

She was pretty shaken up by what I knew.

Would a picture be useful to you, mr. Spirko?

You've done a very good job.

I think you've earned the privilege.

I think it's time I arranged a little introduction.

♪ ♪

Ow!

Shoot!

Hell of a way to make a living, spirko.

♪ ♪

(chattering)

Hey. Can I help you guys?

Yeah, we, uh, we're, uh,

We're doing some work for catherine chandler.

Oh, yeah.

Uh, service elevator's around the corner there.

Here, I'll show you.

Hey, thanks. That's nice.

(silenced gunshots, grunts)

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

(muffled grunting)

(muffled grunting)

(muffled grunting, footsteps approaching)

We'll do it here. This is where he said.

(roaring)

(screams)

(screaming, camera clicking rapidly)

(vincent roaring)

(camera clicking rapidly)

(yelling)

(roaring)

(shutter clicking)

(growls)

Vincent...

No, no, please.

I didn't have anything to do with this.

Here. Come on, take it.

Take it. Come on. Please? Come on.

I had nothing to do with this.

No! Please!

(growls)

(gasps)

(whimpers)

All right.

I'm outta here.

You set up this whole thing.

I didn't set up anything.

Catherine: Those men are dead because of you.

Spirko: I was just following a lead.

Elliot burch.

Come on, miss chandler.

You can't do this.

Why not?

'cause you don't know...

Hey, lady, don't tell me what I know!

I earned every word of this story.

Catherine: You have no idea what this story is about!

I think I've seen enough, don't you?

If you print that,

It'll destroy vincent and myself.

Doesn't that mean anything to you?

It's not a personal thing, miss chandler.

It's news.

(recorder clicks)

I'm shaking.

What you said was true, catherine.

It must end now.

We must end.

They know everything.

No.

This man will never stop-- elliot.

He'll never stop.

They will hunt me till they find me

Or until I'm dead.

Then I'll come with you.

It's no life for you.

Or for you.

But it is my life.

(soft sobbing)

I don't know what to do.

We must face what we both feared might come to pass

From the beginning.

Vincent...

It is all we can do.

Remember our love.

Let it guide you, give you courage.

Know that what we had can never be taken away from us.

Vincent, don't!

Catherine, go.

Quickly, please.

(sobbing)

Hold me.

Just hold me one last time.

Spirko: I know who you are.

Do you? Yeah.

Elliot burch.

Mr. Spirko, you surprise me.

I was there.

I got the pictures. Now I want the rest.

The rest?

Everything you know:

Where he lives, who he is, what he is.

You have a lot to answer for, burch.

Such as?

Those bikers in the park.

Those two guys tonight.

You sent them to their deaths.

It would have been far better for you, mr. Spirko,

If you hadn't figured that out.

Don't threaten me.

My editor knows I'm with you.

You're smoking.

(deeper voice, english accent): It's elliot burch who doesn't smoke.

Sadly, I have become addicted.

Oh, trick of the throat.

Something I learned as a child.

Must useful.

Who are you?

That is of no consequence.

Remember what you saw tonight,

Mr. Spirko, the glory of it.

Now you can print your photographs and your hypotheses

Or you can print the truth;

Always a much larger story.

Let me, um, show you something in the light.

Come look.

He did this.

Vincent.

Yeah. He left me to burn in the fire.

(chuckles)

Now you want me to crucify.

Turn your tape machine on, mr. Spirko.

It's already on.

I asked you before

If he was a man.

Well, now you've seen for yourself.

He's beyond man.

In his own right, he's a god, a warrior.

But you see, he-he tries to be a man.

And in that, denies his own greatness.

He is a source of primal rage

And secret urging; instinct.

He's a killer.

That is his greatness.

That is his nature.

(tape machine clicks)

But if he'd have killed you tonight, mr. Spirko,

As I hoped...

(gasps)

If he'd killed an innocent man,

I believe he would finally have understood

And shed the false skin of his humanity.

(groans)

He would have become what I always dreamed for him.

He would have become my son.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪