20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

LITTLE MAN...

HA HA HA HA!

GENTLEMEN, PLEASE BE SEATED.

THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING BEING WAIVED,

WE CAN NOW PROCEED WITH OUR PRESENTATIONS.

NOW, AT LAST, WE WELCOME TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF MARITIME SCIENCE

PIERRE ARRONAX, JUNIOR INSTRUCTOR

AT THE PARIS MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.

THANK YOU...

AND, UH...

MY TITLE IS--EXCUSE ME-- ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,

NOT JUNIOR INSTRUCTOR.

UH...

UH, IF SOMEONE COULD PLEASE CLOSE THE SHUTTERS.

THANK YOU.

LET ME BEGIN.

JULY 20, 1866...

THE CAPTAIN OF THE GOVERNOR HIGGINSON

SIGHTS A HUGE MASS OFF THE WESTERN COAST OF AUSTRALIA.

A MASS WHICH MYSTERIOUSLY OUTRACES HIM

TO THE HORIZON LINE.

JULY 26, 1866...

THE CRISTOBAL COLON SIGHTS A SIMILAR MASS IN MID-PACIFIC.

THIS CAPTAIN DETERMINES THE CREATURE ITSELF LARGER THAN ANY WHALE.

BUT HOW COULD IT HAVE TRAVELED SO FAR...

SO FAST?

MARCH 1867...

THE MORAVIAN STRIKES A HUGE ROCK IN THE MIDDLE OF OPEN WATERS

WHERE NO SUCH ROCK EXISTS.

APRIL...THE SCOTIA , PRIDE OF THE CUNARD LINE,

SEES THE CREATURE FROM A DISTANCE

AND TRIES TO INVESTIGATE.

FOR ITS TROUBLES,

THE SCOTIA IS RAMMED BY SOME UNSEEN FORCE,

AGAIN NEARLY SINKING THE SHIP.

THE HOLE FOUND IN THE HULL IS A CLEAN CUT,

AS IF MADE BY A GIANT KNIFE.

ALL THIS IS KNOWN TO US!

WHAT IS YOUR THEORY?

DEBATE HAS RAGED IN BOTH THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND THE POPULAR PRESS

OVER THE NATURE OF THE CREATURE.

IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS SOME GREAT UNDERSEA CRAFT

IS STALKING THE WATERS.

AND WHO COULD BUILD THIS CRAFT AND KEEP IT SECRET?

SUCH AN EFFORT WOULD REQUIRE THE STRENGTHS AND THE TALENTS

OF MEN ACROSS THE WORLD.

WHEN HAVE THE WORLD'S GOVERNMENTS EVER PERMITTED SUCH AN EXCHANGE?

ARE YOU PREPARED TO BELIEVE IN SOME MASTER INVENTOR

WHO LIVES OUTSIDE NATIONAL BOUNDARIES?

IN SOME FREELANCE GENIUS WHO OUTSTRIPS ALL KNOWN NAVAL TECHNOLOGY?

SO IT IS NOT A MAN-MADE CRAFT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS, LITTLE MAN?

SIR... WE KNOW EACH OTHER.

MANY TIMES I HAVE LISTENED TO YOUR TIRADES.

INDULGE ME THIS ONCE.

I PROPOSE THE EXISTENCE

OF A GIGANTIC...

NARWHAL.

A CREATURE BELIEVED IN BY THE ANCIENTS.

A HYBRID MAMMAL CAPABLE OF SWIMMING AT FANTASTIC SPEEDS,

WITH AN IVORY HORN WHOSE POINT IS INCISIVE ENOUGH

TO CLEAVE THE HULL PLATES OF SHIPS LIKE THE MORAVIAN AND THE SCOTIA .

THE CREATURE--

HE WANTS US TO BELIEVE IN SOME SORT OF UNICORN OF THE SEA!

THERE ARE MANY MYSTERIES IN THE SEAS.

HE COULD BE RIGHT.

HERR SCHNEIDER, ARE YOU BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

FROM HIS MAGIC LANTERN SHOW?

HE OFFERS US SOME SORT OF CARNIVAL SHOW

INSTEAD OF A SCIENTIFIC LECTURE, AND YOU ARE IMPRESSED!

WELL SAID.

WE ARE SCIENTISTS, NOT STORYTELLERS.

WHEN ONE HAS RULED OUT ALL OTHER ALTERNATIVES,

WHAT MORE--WHAT MORE--

IT'S THE FRENCH, YOU KNOW.

THEY'RE ALWAYS DREAMING!

STOP WASTING OUR TIME!

THE WRITINGS OF ARISTOTLE ARGUE THAT SUCH A CREATURE--

THAT SUCH A CREATURE--

THAT SUCH A CREATURE DID IN FACT EXIST!

THANK YOU, FATHER.

REALLY, ARRONAX, DID YOU HAVE TO?

HE WON'T EMBARRASS ME WITH THOSE LUDICROUS THEORIES, LYDIA.

BUT HE'S GOING TO LOSE--

HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO KNOW THAT BEING A MAN

MEANS HE'D BETTER KNOW HOW TO FIGHT.

NOW, THIS EVENING... DINNER WITH THE COVINGTONS?

OR SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE PRIVATE?

MONSIEUR ARRONAX?

WHERE ARE YOU HEADED IN SUCH A HURRY?

THE NEXT SHIP BACK TO FRANCE.

IF YOU CONTINUE AT THIS PACE, SIR,

YOU'LL OUTRACE AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT.

EDWARD SAXON OF THE CUNARD LINE.

IS THIS A JOKE?

MY FATHER SENT YOU TO EMBARRASS ME FURTHER?

NOT AT ALL.

I WOULD LIKE TO GRANT YOU

A SCIENTIFIC OPPORTUNITY, YOUNG ARRONAX.

I'D JUST AS SOON YOU DIDN'T CALL ME "YOUNG" ARRONAX.

I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THAT ATTITUDE FOR ONE DAY.

AS YOU WISH.

MAY I HELP?

THANK YOU.

WERE YOU INVOLVED IN THE WRECK OF THE SCOTIA ?

TO SOME MINDS, I WAS ALMOST SINGLE-HANDEDLY RESPONSIBLE.

WHAT? THE SCOTIA WAS ATTACKED

BY THE SAME BEAST AS ALL THE OTHER SHIPS, YES?

WELL, ONLY AFTER I INSISTED THAT THE CAPTAIN INVESTIGATE.

YOU BLAME YOURSELF.

NO, NO. I'D DO IT AGAIN.

IT'S MY JOB WITH THE CUNARD LINE

TO DEVELOP NEW FORMS OF OCEAN TRAVEL.

NOT JUST AS MERE TRANSPORTATION,

BUT AS A FORM OF LEISURE ACTIVITY FOR THE MONEYED CLASS.

SO THIS BEAST THREATENS YOUR JOB WITH EVERY VESSEL IT ATTACKS.

LET'S PUT IT A LITTLE LESS CRASSLY.

THE BEAST THREATENS THE DOMINION WE HOLD

OVER THE EARTH AND THE SEAS.

THE OCEAN ISN'T SIMPLY OURS TO DO WITH AS WE PLEASE, MR. SAXON.

PERHAPS THE BEAST REPRESENTS THE OCEAN CALLING FOR RESPECT.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND PUT IT CRASSLY, THEN.

FOR THE SAKE OF MY JOB, I WANT TO PUT A STOP TO THIS BEAST.

NOW, FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR CAREER, ARE YOU WILLING TO HELP?

OR AT THE VERY LEAST BE WITNESS TO IT ALL?

GOOD GOD, MAN, WHAT IS THE MATTER?

"HE WHO HESITATES." HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD THAT ONE?

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY SHOULDN'T FIND ITSELF

TOO GRATEFUL TO COMMERCIAL SUPPORT, MR. SAXON.

LOOK, YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE AT THAT CONFERENCE

INTERESTED IN SOMETHING BIGGER THAN PLANKTON.

SOMETHING BIG ENOUGH TO MATTER TO MEN LIKE YOU AND ME,

AND THEY LAUGHED AT YOU.

NOW, DO YOU WANT A CHANCE TO PROVE THEM WRONG?

OR DO YOU WANT TO BE CALLED "YOUNG" ARRONAX

FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAMN LIFE?

ARRONAX, SR.: HAVE YOU ACTUALLY READ MY SON'S NOVEL?

IT IS FILLED WITH MORE OBSCURE GREEK PHRASES THAN...

PIERRE!

I AM SO GLAD YOU DIDN'T LEAVE.

HERE, JOIN US. I'M SURE YOUR FATHER REGRETS THE SCENE.

PARDON MY LANGUAGE, BUT HELL WILL FREEZE SOLID

BEFORE MY FATHER EXPRESSES REGRET OVER ANYTHING.

YOU DIDN'T DESERVE THAT TREATMENT.

YOU SPOKE WONDERFULLY.

IT WAS A REMARKABLE PRESENTATION.

YES, WHICH WON ME THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING DISMISSED AND RIDICULED

AS AN IMAGINATIVE DREAMER.

IGNORE THEM.

THOSE MEN WERE BORN WITHOUT A DROP OF IMAGINATION.

YES, AND THEY DON'T ENVY ME THE QUALITY I HAVE.

WELL, THEY SHOULD.

WHAT SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES CAN BE MADE

WITHOUT IMAGINATION TO CHART THE WAY?

I'M NO PROFESSOR, BUT I WAS QUITE MOVED.

I'VE--I'VE READ YOUR BOOK,

BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU AT WORK BEFORE.

WELL...TREASURE THE MEMORY.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

LYDIA!

WHO ARE YOU DALLYING WITH?

OH. THE OFFSPRING.

REALLY, ARRONAX, DOESN'T YOUR SON DESERVE BETTER?

DON'T I DESERVE BETTER?

I'VE BEEN ASKING MYSELF FOR YEARS.

I'M SORRY TO HAVE DISAPPOINTED YOU SO, FATHER.

YES, I KNOW.

I KNOW YOU ARE, AND YOU'RE SORRY

FOR ALL THE TROUBLE YOU CAUSED AT THE ACADEMY,

BUT WHAT IS DONE IS DONE.

I'LL CONVEY YOUR APOLOGIES TO ALL,

WE'LL SAY NO MORE ABOUT IT.

NICE OF YOU TO DROP BY.

ARRONAX.

LYDIA, YOUR ATTENTIONS TO PIERRE ARE GENEROUS.

MORE THAN GENEROUS, BUT, UH...

DON'T GO SETTING YOURSELF UP AS THE BOY'S MOTHER.

PIERRE, DON'T MIND HIM.

HIS LAST MOTHER DIED GIVING BIRTH TO HIM.

HE CAN BE QUITE HARD ON A MOTHER.

OR A FATHER.

LYDIA, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORY.

I NEED TO SPEAK TO YOU ALONE, FATHER.

OF COURSE YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO ME ALONE.

YOU DON'T FARE SO WELL AT PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES, DO YOU?

I'VE COME TO SAY GOOD-BYE.

HOW SENTIMENTAL MY SON IS.

VERY WELL, GOOD-BYE. SEE YOU AT CHRISTMAS.

THIS IS NOT AN ORDINARY GOOD-BYE.

IT MAY BE MY LAST.

HE HAS A SENSE OF THE DRAMATIC, NO?

I AM BOARDING A TRAIN FOR BOSTON HARBOR IN THE MORNING.

THE CUNARD LINE AND THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

ARE SPONSORING AN EXPEDITION.

WE ARE GOING TO HUNT THE BEAST UNDER THE SEA.

IT IS POSSIBLE WE WILL NOT RETURN.

ARE YOU SAYING...

ARE YOU SAYING I MIGHT NOT EVER SEE YOU AGAIN?

AND THIS IS A SETTLING OF ACCOUNTS?

A FINAL FAREWELL?