X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963) Movie Script
Now, look right.
Left.
They're both fine.
Retina's clear, muscles are perfect.
How is my vision, Doctor?
Excellent, Doctor,
as we previously tested.
Let's sit over here.
Why are you really here, James?
As I told you, to get my eyes examined.
Let's have another look.
You had the same examination
three months ago.
What makes you think
your eyes have changed in three months?
Nothing. Nothing yet.
Then this has something
to do with your research.
You're planning to
experiment upon yourself, aren't you?
All right.
You're a fine doctor.
You know what you're doing.
But you only have one pair of eyes.
And with them I want to see.
You see fine.
Sam, what's the range of human vision?
- Distance?
- No, wavelength.
Between 4,000 angstrom units
and 7,800 angstrom units.
You know that.
Less than one-tenth
of the actual wave spectrum.
What could we really see
if we had access to the other 90%?
Sam, we are virtually blind. All of us.
You tell me that my eyes are perfect.
Well, they're not.
I'm blind to all but a tenth
of the universe.
My dear friend,
only the gods see everything.
My dear doctor,
I'm closing in on the gods.
Go ahead, Doctor, make a diagnosis.
Foreign object.
Bullet, it looks like,
in the chest cavity.
All right. How about this one?
Lesion in the heart area,
maybe in the lungs.
Might be carcinoma.
Or a clot. Or just a fog on the plate.
Could be any number of things.
But what is it, really?
Just a shadow play.
A pattern to be used
for intelligent guesswork.
A slight help towards saving the life
of the man who made those shadows.
Immense help, Dr. Xavier.
When you have nothing better,
anything is an immense help.
That's light.
Waves of energy that excite the eye.
And the nerve cells
transmit this energy to the brain.
And with the brain, we see.
But there are other forms of energy
with different wavelengths.
Dr. Xavier, I've read your report.
Yes, but do you understand it?
Have you any idea
what I'm trying to accomplish here?
Dr. Fairfax, I'm developing a way
to sensitize the human eye
so that it sees radiation,
up to and including
the gamma rays and the meson wind.
Yes, I understand.
I understood your objective
when I first read your report.
Then why are you here?
Because the report in question
was dated nine months ago.
Because since that time, you have drawn
over $27,000 of the foundation's money
and we haven't had a word from you.
- Well, there have been problems.
- Then report them.
To whom, a group of businessmen who
can't tell one quantum jump from another?
No, to me.
The foundation found your research
worthy of support.
They also appointed me
as liaison to these special projects.
Listen, Doctor,
I've given up my own research
to help the foundation
and I won't be talked to
as if I were a child in kindergarten.
I knew of your reputation,
but I hadn't heard about your temper.
- Now, Doctor...
- You want a progress report?
I'll give you something better.
A demonstration.
Come with me.
Doctor Morgan...
You can be of some help.
Put these on.
Now, these are hormones, enzymes.
Their megalostructures
have been slightly altered.
Prepare that one in number two,
the second cage down.
He won't bite you.
It's all right.
Now, this compound, when used
in the eye, increases receptivity.
The sensitivity is enormously increased.
- Well, you've tried it?
- No.
Well, you're blunt, Doctor.
The monkey's been conditioned,
standard pleasure-pain technique.
Come on.
Come on.
All right, bring him here.
Put him there.
Now, when he sees the white,
he'll pull the corresponding switch
and the light will go on.
When he sees the blue, he'll do the same
thing and the blue light will go on.
And the same thing with the red.
Now, watch.
Nothing up the sleeves.
White, the one he normally sees.
But he can't see the blue.
It's covered by the white screen.
But he does see it.
And the red. He sees the red.
Well, they're both covered.
But don't you understand yet? He sees
through them, as if they were glass.
What did he see?
What did he see?
Thanks, Doctor.
Can't find a thing.
The tissues are fine.
The autopsy?
Heart failure, nothing else.
I'd call it shock.
Because of what it saw?
No, because it couldn't comprehend
or adjust to what it saw or saw through.
That's all.
No pathology, no degeneration,
tissues perfectly healthy.
Dr. Fairfax...
I think after tonight's work,
you can call me Diane.
Thank you.
I'd like to buy you a cup of coffee.
That's the best experiment
I've heard all night.
You're on, Doctor.
Do you take it black?
- Yes.
- Good.
Now, you're a pretty good worker.
Why did you give up research
and take to moneylending?
I don't lend it, I give it away.
A million dollars
before breakfast every morning.
How do your eggs taste then?
Flat.
You didn't answer my question.
I did, in a way.
When the foundation picked me for the job,
I didn't want it, and then I did.
Why?
Because it needed somebody who cared,
somebody who would support
some of the...
Well, more untraveled paths.
Like mine?
James, why do you want to see so much?
Well, why do you want
to go on breathing? To stay alive.
It's much the same thing with me.
I'm curious, intensely curious.
No, I mean the purpose.
How can you use your new vision?
There are thousands of ways.
You're sitting right on top of probably
the most important one right here.
In this hospital,
there are people I can help.
Help by seeing inside them,
as if they were windows.
By seeing their sicknesses
with a clarity
that would make X-rays
a tool fit only for witchdoctors.
Your foundation doesn't like my work,
does it?
They want you to appear before them
the day after tomorrow.
I'll be there, and I'll bring them
much more than a report.
No, it's too dangerous.
Then who is going to try it?
Some student? Some intern?
Yes. Or better yet,
some convicted murderer.
Anyone who has less to lose than you.
And how are they going to report it?
"My eyes feel funny"?
"Gee, Doc, I've got a headache"?
That monkey died.
It was a monkey, not a man.
- I tell you, no.
- Yes.
I won't be a party to it.
All right. I'll proceed without you.
Sam.
Sam, I need you.
- All right. When do you want to do it?
- Now.
August 14th,
notes on experiment designated "X."
Experimental subject myself,
James Xavier.
Assisting in experiment,
Dr. Samuel Brant.
You ready, Doctor?
Ready, Doctor.
The compound fully described
in a written report has been prepared.
Dr. Brant will administer one drop
into each eye of the subject.
One drop. Any choice?
Yeah. One in the middle.
Tilt your head and look directly up.
Well, here it goes, James. Good luck.
How long?
Eight to 10 seconds.
All right, open your eyes.
James?
It's like a splitting of the world.
Vision is fragmented.
More light than I've ever seen.
Filled with light.
I have to close them.
Are you all right?
I'm fine.
I'm gonna try again.
Everything is normal.
Wait.
Sam, I can see through it.
Right through it.
"The exact combination
of hormones and enzymes
"is to be determined by analysis."
Good Lord, Jim.
You can!
Sam, your lab coat.
My coat?
There's a pen in your shirt pocket.
And there's a button missing
under your tie.
Sam, it works.
It works!
I still have just penetrated
the surface.
My eyes are not quite conditioned yet.
But it's a start.
Sam, another drop in each eye.
Not now. There should be tests.
There might be side effects.
All right, I'll do it myself.
The light!
The light!
Well, that's the tape, gentlemen.
And, of course, the reason
Dr. Xavier can't be present today.
I've asked Dr. Brant
to represent him here.
Dr. Xavier has been unconscious
since yesterday,
when this experiment took place.
I've been asked by Dr. Fairfax
to speak on his behalf
about the continuation
of his research funds.
Now, you read the reports,
you heard the tape
of Dr. Xavier's first experiment.
I think, gentlemen, you will agree
that a fantastic breakthrough is possible.
Unbelievable might be a better choice.
Dr. Xavier is unable to speak for himself,
but his work speaks for him.
It can and will be repeated
by others besides himself.
It is up to this foundation to finance
the further work that is necessary.
I must confess to you, Doctor,
that I don't believe in
the continuance of this work. I mean...
Well, there still is nothing positive
that has come out of it.
But, Mr. Bowhead...
I'm very sorry, Dr. Fairfax,
but I believe our foundation can no longer
channel its funds into this work.
And that's all. They voted against you.
I tried. Dr. Brant.
- Sam and I, we've tried.
- Everything.
They decided to withhold the funds.
So, they cut me off
like an arm with gangrene.
- Maybe they're right.
- No, they're wrong.
And I'll show them just how wrong.
We better leave now. He needs rest.
James, I'll order the bandages
removed tomorrow.
Bandages?
Yes. I hardly noticed them.
Hardly noticed them at all.
- You'll get your chance again, James.
- Yes, I will.
I think it's for the best, in any case.
You need a rest from research.
A return to doctoring
will be just the right prescription.
- Maybe the hospital could...
- No, we've been through it before.
We need all our funds
just to keep this place going.
Well, that's it.
I want you in surgery tomorrow.
You'll assist me.
Why, thank you, Dr. Benson, thank you.
It's nice to have you back with us.
You might look in on a patient
named Stanton in Ward three.
I've left the reports and the diagnosis
on your desk.
Right.
May I help you, Doctor?
Yes, a patient named Stanton?
Yes, right over here.
- Thank you. That'll be all, nurse.
- Yes, Doctor.
He's wrong.
The diagnosis is wrong.
Doctor?
Your eyes.
Go back to sleep, dear.
Pretty, isn't she?
Yes, very.
Doctor, I want you to
reconsider this operation.
Why?
You say she has a stenosis.
You're wrong.
It's a tumor directly in the auricle
attached to the valve.
Nonsense.
The X-rays were taken from every angle.
Dr. Benson, I know what I'm saying.
You'll be cutting into
the wrong area of the heart.
Doctor, I shall expect you
in surgery at 6:00.
I will perform the operation
exactly as I outlined it.
Thank you, Doctor. Yes, right away.
Doctor, someone...
Are you all right?
Yes, just a temporary headache.
- May I get you something?
- No. No, thank you.
- There's someone waiting for you, Doctor.
- All right.
I was waiting for you.
James, what's wrong?
It's nothing. It's just a readjustment.
Your eyes.
- You're continuing to use the...
- Yes, I am.
The vision comes and goes.
But tonight I saw very clearly,
very deeply.
And what the devil
are you doing here so late?
A surprise for you.
Bo, not another one.
My life's too full of them.
Come along.
Where are you dragging me?
I have young friends who have a cure.
For what disease?
Intense doctors.
Dr. Holmes...
About 10 ccs, Doctor.
- Exactly.
- Beautiful. Beautiful.
Be my guest.
Here you are, perfect martinis.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Ethyl or gin?
Well, in deference to your high standings,
Doctors, gin.
I think I got formaldehyde.
- It's been nice talking to you.
- It's all right, I love it.
Well, are you enjoying yourself?
Well, who couldn't around you?
My, you're almost romantic.
Well, it's just a passing symptom.
I don't think
I want you cured after all.
My dance, Doctor.
As one of your ex-students,
I have rights.
- That'll be all right.
- Excuse us.
Hi.
Hi, I said.
Hi.
I saw you clear across from over there.
Gee, you've got sharp eyes.
When I use them.
I want you to dance with me.
I like the way you look, kind of urgent.
I like men who look urgent.
- I'll remember that.
- Come on.
Headache?
Headache?
No, it's just my eyes.
You like the way I dance?
It's fine. It's just fine.
Jim? My turn, now.
- Did you find that fun?
- Yes. Yes.
- You know, you're quite lovely.
- Thank you.
Matter of fact, you're very attractive.
Well, one drink certainly
makes you a different man.
Well, you could say I'm really
seeing you for the first time.
And that's
the most interesting birthmark you have
above the third rib on your left side.
But how do you know that?
Why, you can see me.
And your backbone's a sheer delight.
But remember, I am a doctor.
Well, you remember that I'm a woman.
I can hardly forget it.
Come on, I'm getting you out of here.
Good morning, Doctor.
Good morning, nurse.
Good morning, James.
Good morning, Doctor.
Are you all right?
Yes. Perfectly all right.
Why do you want me here?
I don't know. I think I'm afraid.
Diane, what do you know?
Only that he's been using
the drug again.
Ready.
Doctor, you must reconsider
the procedure.
Scalpel.
Let go of my hand.
Doctor, I shall perform this operation.
James, have you gone out of your mind?
No, but I want this girl to live.
Second blade. I'm going to continue.
It seems, Doctor,
you are now unable to continue.
James, you've gone mad.
No.
I know exactly what I'm doing.
More exactly than
any other doctor's ever known before.
You think I'm mad?
Well, watch. All of you, just watch.
You know of my experiments.
Dr. Benson knows.
What I'm doing is a direct result
of those experiments.
I can see the heart and the lungs
and the internal structures quite clearly.
Doctor, we could stop him.
No.
Swab.
All right.
You see, Dr. Benson, no stenosis.
- Take the patient into recovery.
- Yes, Doctor.
Dr. Xavier, are you finished?
Yes. I'm sorry,
there was nothing else I could do,
but the girl will live.
Dr. Ryan,
will you write the postoperative orders?
You know what you did was unethical.
I had no choice.
You realize that news of it
has probably spread through the hospital,
perhaps even reached the papers.
You saw what I've accomplished.
I don't know what I saw.
But this I do know.
You will be tried for malpractice.
- Jim.
- Diane.
- You've got to get away from here.
- You're coming with us.
Yes, I'm very tired.
L, T, N,
U, E,
X.
James. James.
Yes, it persists.
The effect is cumulative.
I see veins, organs,
the blood rushing through your heart.
I look at Diane,
and she appears
a perfect, breathing dissection.
But, Jim,
there must be some way to control it.
Of course.
Ask your foundation
for the money to discover it.
We don't need the foundation,
any of them.
- We'll work together. We'll find a reversal.
- No.
That's just what I don't want.
I'm going on.
You can't. I won't permit it.
The drug works upon the eyes.
- They're the direct route into the brain.
- I don't care.
What is happening is beyond my hopes.
A cumulative effect.
Soon, I'll be able to see
what no man has ever seen.
And, Sam, I want you with me.
With new eyes, we'll explore
all the mysteries of creation.
With knowledge there is power.
The power to learn, to create, to do.
I proved it today.
Jim, who knows what other parts
of your mind are affected by this thing.
Sam.
Jim, it's the only way.
Someone has to care for you.
Now, push up your sleeve.
No!
You killed him.
- Yes.
- Jim.
- He was my friend.
- You've got to get away.
But you saw what happened.
They won't believe me,
not after the operation.
They'll think you're insane.
Insane?
Insane?
Diane, do you...
The police.
Jim, you've got no time.
They'll blame you no matter what we say.
One of the most fantastic performances
ever to appear here in the carnival show.
And you'll enjoy the fabulous things
he can do with his fantastic eyes and mind.
Hey, you boys over there.
You two fellows, step right over here,
you're embarrassing the girls.
Come on over here and see a show.
We're gonna present to you
one of the finest shows on earth.
Big deal.
Hey, buddy, how would you like it
if I step on your hands?
Nobody likes a wise guy.
This man, ladies and gentlemen,
he can read your mind.
Tell you what you're thinking.
Can he tell me where my wife is?
Yeah, buddy, on a broom
flying around the pier.
That's where your wife is.
I need guys like you.
Come on, you people,
he's ready to begin.
The man they call Mentallo.
The Mentallo,
the man with the miraculous mind.
Step right up, folks.
You're in for one of the greatest,
exciting evenings of your life.
Good crowd.
Yes, I know.
All right, everybody. All right, gang.
Here he is, Mentallo.
Write your thoughts down here
and he will read them to you
just by pressing them
against his forehead.
Anything you wanted to write,
anything at all.
How about my mother-in-law's will?
I hope she leaves a picture
of your wife, smart guy.
Ask him where you get those clothes.
The same Army & Navy store
you bought yours. Okay?
Here's a pencil. Come on, gang.
He's a fake. I know how they do this.
The first paper he gets is a phony.
When he opens the second one to check
on it, he's really reading the first.
He's one ahead the whole time. Smart.
Smart? I heard that, too.
Everybody, let's feed the monkeys,
so we can go on with the show.
All right, pal?
You got a thought, or do you wanna
sit there and play with your blocks?
I could play with your blocks.
Here, give him this.
Real smart kid.
I love those kind of guys.
We meet them every time here,
but doesn't phase Mentallo.
He'll answer every one of them.
Here we go. Here you are.
This is from a lady who wants to know if
I wear this outfit to pin tails on donkeys.
See? That's the ringer.
That's the ringer, smart guy?
What are you, Dick Tracy?
How about that, folks?
That's exactly what the young lady said.
That's right.
If the lady will step forward,
I will demonstrate.
This is from a man who wants to know
how much money he has in his pocket.
- There it is.
- I spent it all to get in here.
If the gentleman will stand up,
I will tell him.
Judging from your appearance,
I would say a quarter.
This is from a young man
who says I am a fake.
Would you like a further demonstration
of my powers?
- It's a trick.
- Is it?
Your name is John Trask.
You've come from Phoenix.
You're 27 years of age,
you're unmarried.
Your social security number is
6-0-9-1-0-6-6-1-4.
You have a watch on your person,
a gift from your father.
How do you know that?
You also have a letter in your pocket
from a girl you deserted.
A girl who loves you.
Shut up.
This is your trick, ain't it?
I have no trick.
You gotta. Everybody does.
It's in the mask.
Can you see through it?
No.
There's a switch or something.
No switch.
Then, how?
Look, you can trust me.
You've been on the pier a month now,
and nobody's caught on.
You've got something great here. Great.
Thank you.
In fact, it's so great,
I sometimes wonder what you're doing here
on the small-time hustle.
What do you mean?
I didn't mean nothing.
Except, I wonder,
what do you want, Mr. Mentallo?
Please leave.
I didn't mean nothing.
Come on, get out.
September 19th,
the fluid is almost gone.
I use only the smallest amounts now,
but the effect seems to be cumulative.
But how can I work without a laboratory,
without equipment,
without money to buy what I need?
There's so much undone,
so much I don't understand.
He drove them off today
like they were scared.
I saw them run from his show.
Said he saw too much.
He's all right, does his job.
He keeps to himself.
Why not? He's got a right.
Does he? We all live and work together.
He gives me the creeps.
Maybe we give him the creeps.
Did you ever see his eyes?
He always wears those glasses
and that mask.
Now, Crane hustles for him.
Crane, he thinks he's real.
Real? What do you think, he's a ghost?
Well, what he does is real. No tricks.
- Coffee?
- Sure, you bet.
Two coffees.
He sees
not through your mind,
but through things like paper and cloth.
- He's got a good act, that's all.
- No.
Yeah, an act. What else could it be?
A man that could really see through things,
he wouldn't be here. No, he wouldn't.
He'd be something big, powerful.
He'd be something special.
What would he be?
He'd know secrets. Secrets he could use.
A hold on people,
that's what he would have.
Something to make them listen to him.
That what you think?
I never think. I eat.
Maybe he could help
keep people from hurting each other.
How?
By telling everybody everything.
No secrets,
what's anybody got to fight about?
Same things they've always fought about.
Ideas, thoughts, differences.
I'd stop them.
If I had your power, I'd stop them.
I'd make them do things my way
or I'd hurt them all, if I had your trick.
Trick? I thought you said it was real.
Man was real, he wouldn't be here.
Maybe this is all he could be.
This, and nothing more.
Nothing more than just a man.
Fake. Cheap fake.
Don't pay them no mind.
Me, I know what you got is real.
And you, what do you want to see?
All the undressed women
my poor eyes could stand.
And you?
What about you, Mr. Mentallo?
First, money.
And then, to be able to open my eyes.
A wonderful performance.
- Green, go get a doctor, quick.
- Right.
She's got a broken leg.
Crane, get some wood for splints
and some rope.
She's also got two broken ribs.
How do you know?
Never mind.
Take hold of her, it's gonna hurt.
Take it easy.
- These are all I could find.
- They'll do.
- The doctor's on his way.
- Good.
I also saw two broken ribs.
Hang on to this
while I immobilize this leg.
You've got the power,
the power to see inside.
Shut up.
- Here he comes now. Here he is.
- Here comes the doctor.
Good. He can take over.
- You ain't no mind-reader.
- No?
But I know what you are.
What am I?
You're a healer. A healer of the sick.
I watched you over there.
You looked right through that girl
and you knew what was wrong.
A broken leg shows.
But not broken ribs.
I couldn't see nothing.
Don't you understand?
It means money,
more money than you could make
in 10 years working on the pier.
You can heal them
just by laying on your hands.
You're out of your mind.
But you can look right through a guy
and see what's wrong with him, can't you?
You said you wanted money, didn't you?
We could set up a place in the city.
Nothing fancy, no advertising.
Just through word.
When you're poor, the word gets around
about a man
that can heal just by looking.
And we don't charge them a thing,
not one penny.
What about your money then, Mr. Crane?
Donations, Mr. Mentallo.
Everybody gives what he can.
Just what he can.
Here it is.
It ain't much,
but you said it don't matter.
Any other rooms?
Two,
the bedroom and another storage room
about half the size of this one.
- Let's see them.
- Right.
The one in the back is the storage room.
Wait. I'll tell you this once,
and that's all.
You will never enter these rooms.
Never, under any circumstances.
All right, all right.
Whatever you say, Doc.
He's there.
It's just like I said, honest.
I'm afraid, Mr. Crane.
Now, you come along.
Maybe he will, maybe he won't.
- He's asleep.
- It won't take a second.
Healer, I brought you someone.
Who are you?
It's me, Crane. Don't you remember?
Yes. Crane.
I didn't mean to wake you.
I brought Mrs. Mart. This is her.
She says she's pained and sick to death.
I thought you might be willing
to tell her something.
I have this pain in my back.
It's tight, like a fist. And it grows.
I think it's a cancer come to eat me.
It's nothing. Nothing.
Just tiredness and age,
and nothing.
And the pain?
It'll be gone soon.
I was afraid,
but you are a good man.
She's going.
She's beyond my help.
She said you were a good man.
I guess she knows.
She's a smart old woman.
She'll pass the word.
What?
You're a healer. You can heal.
I can't heal. I only look.
And I tell what I see.
Sure. I know what you mean, Doc.
But that's enough.
You wait and see.
In one week's time,
this place will be so packed
you'll be turning them away.
The effects of the compound
are still unpredictable.
At times,
I can see through walls, through stone
just as easily as I can see
through the air.
At other times, I can hardly penetrate
the first layer of a man's skin.
Sometimes I wonder
why I keep on searching.
I don't want power or fame or...
I told you never to set foot in here.
Yeah.
You got quite a setup here.
You got people waiting, lots of them.
I'll be with them in a minute.
You better come now.
Here he is now.
Here he is.
All right, everybody, just take it easy.
The healer will see everybody
in a few minutes.
You, miss.
Hey, hey, you ain't in line.
I'm his friend.
I never saw you before.
I've never been here before.
Hey!
Sit down.
There's nothing wrong with you,
young lady.
You're perfectly healthy.
Why are you here?
To see you, Jim.
- Diane?
- Yes.
How did you find me?
I left the foundation,
took up my practice again.
Patients. First one, then others.
They came to me for treatment knowing
exactly what was wrong with them.
Only one man could tell them that.
It took me more than a month to find you,
but I knew who I was looking for.
I didn't want to see you again.
But I'm here now.
Yes. If what I'm seeing is really you.
No, don't. It's worse without them.
- The "X" effect?
- Yes.
Double. Sometimes triple.
And sometimes, when I look up
and I see all those people above me,
pressing down upon me,
the whole of humanity.
And at night, while they sleep,
I close my eyes and I can still see
through my own eyelids.
Oh, Lord.
I'd give anything,
anything to have dark.
I've come to help, if I can.
You can't go on like this.
They're bound to discover you.
You've got to go away somewhere
where it's safe.
No, no. You ain't going nowhere.
I'm not letting you go.
Not when things are
just starting to pay off.
Haven't you had enough
out of their misery?
Only my share.
My share for keeping you
out of the hands of the cops.
I've got my power over you,
Mr. Mentallo.
Dr. James Xavier.
I've known about you for some time.
Ever since we hit this town.
But I don't care.
As long as I get my share.
Get out of my sight.
Get out of my way!
You leave now and I'll turn you in,
that's what I'll do.
I'll see you hang, you murderer!
No, you're not gonna get out of here.
I'll tell you that.
You're not gonna get out.
You won't get away!
He ain't no healer. He ain't.
He looks inside you and he gives you
the sickness. And you die! Killer!
- Murderer!
- Watch out!
Murderer! Police, police!
What do you see?
This city, as if it were unborn,
rising into the sky
with fingers of metal,
limbs without flesh,
girders without stone,
signs hanging without support,
wires dipping and swaying without poles.
A city unborn,
its flesh dissolved in an acid of light.
A city of the dead.
Diane, I'm sorry,
but I've got to get away.
I must go somewhere I can work,
where I can solve this thing,
- learn to control it.
- Where?
Anywhere. Across the border,
anywhere where I can work.
- It'll take money.
- I know.
Would you come with me?
Yes.
You know,
across the desert is a place
where they have more money
than I'll ever need.
And I can get it.
As a matter of fact, I'm the only
man in the world, probably,
who can get it
and get away with it.
You wait here. I'll be back in a moment.
You've taken the drug again.
I had to. The effect is wearing down.
Are you all right?
For what I have to do, yes. Come on.
- Are you nearly finished with this machine?
- This machine's nearly finished me.
It's set to jackpot in two plays.
Here.
- I don't gamble.
- This is not gambling.
Well, what next?
Over there.
Eighteen.
Can't win them all, darling.
Hit me.
Fine.
Twenty. Pay the point.
Twenty-one.
You don't seem very worried.
It's the house's money.
Ain't mine, win or lose.
Blackjack.
Blackjack pays one-and-a-half times.
Hit me.
- He can't lose.
- Again.
Once more.
Fine.
Twenty.
Twenty-one.
This table is closed.
All right,
I'll play over at that table, then.
Give me your bag.
Jim, you've got enough, nearly $20,000.
I could go on winning forever.
They can't stop me from winning.
I'll show you how to win.
Now, wait a minute.
- Deal.
- Cut.
I believe you.
I stand.
Don't draw. Don't draw.
Why not?
Because you've got 16 there.
The next card's a face card.
Jim, please,
we'd better cash in and get out of here.
All right. Pay me.
Pardon me, sir,
I'd like to ask you a few questions.
Questions?
You won a lot of money.
I'd like to make sure you won it honestly.
- What's it matter to you?
- Jim.
Look! Look!
- No.
- Look at his eyes.
- What's the matter with him?
- No!
No!
Look at his eyes.
No!
Something's real wrong with this one.
Harry, you better go for the sheriff
right now.
Jim, they're calling the police.
It's free. It's free.
Hey, hey, what are you doing?
Attention, James Xavier.
This is the California Highway Patrol.
Attention. You can't escape.
I repeat, you can't escape.
All forces have been alerted.
Give yourself up.
Stop and give yourself up.
All roads are blocked.
Let me sing hallelujah
When he comes, hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
On that day
- Hallelujah!
- Hallelujah!
The children of God.
Amen.
For we are truly God's children.
Hallelujah.
He will guard and protect us
against the ravages of sin.
Amen.
Now tell me, whom do we love?
The Lord!
Yes, we love the Lord.
And what do we hate?
Sin!
Yes, we hate sin. We must destroy it.
Hallelujah.
And how shall we save our souls?
Go forth.
Then come forward and save your soul.
Come forward and save your soul.
Are you a sinner?
Do you wish to be saved?
Saved? No.
I've come to tell you what I see.
There are great darknesses,
farther than time itself.
And beyond the darkness,
a light that glows and changes.
And in the center of the universe,
the eye that sees us all.
No!
You see sin and the Devil.
But the Lord has told us
what to do about it.
Said Matthew in Chapter Five,
"If thine eye offends thee,
"pluck it out."
Pluck it out! Pluck it out!
Pluck it out!
Pluck it out?
Pluck it out! Pluck it out!
Pluck it out!
Pluck it out! Pluck it out!
Pluck it out!
Left.
They're both fine.
Retina's clear, muscles are perfect.
How is my vision, Doctor?
Excellent, Doctor,
as we previously tested.
Let's sit over here.
Why are you really here, James?
As I told you, to get my eyes examined.
Let's have another look.
You had the same examination
three months ago.
What makes you think
your eyes have changed in three months?
Nothing. Nothing yet.
Then this has something
to do with your research.
You're planning to
experiment upon yourself, aren't you?
All right.
You're a fine doctor.
You know what you're doing.
But you only have one pair of eyes.
And with them I want to see.
You see fine.
Sam, what's the range of human vision?
- Distance?
- No, wavelength.
Between 4,000 angstrom units
and 7,800 angstrom units.
You know that.
Less than one-tenth
of the actual wave spectrum.
What could we really see
if we had access to the other 90%?
Sam, we are virtually blind. All of us.
You tell me that my eyes are perfect.
Well, they're not.
I'm blind to all but a tenth
of the universe.
My dear friend,
only the gods see everything.
My dear doctor,
I'm closing in on the gods.
Go ahead, Doctor, make a diagnosis.
Foreign object.
Bullet, it looks like,
in the chest cavity.
All right. How about this one?
Lesion in the heart area,
maybe in the lungs.
Might be carcinoma.
Or a clot. Or just a fog on the plate.
Could be any number of things.
But what is it, really?
Just a shadow play.
A pattern to be used
for intelligent guesswork.
A slight help towards saving the life
of the man who made those shadows.
Immense help, Dr. Xavier.
When you have nothing better,
anything is an immense help.
That's light.
Waves of energy that excite the eye.
And the nerve cells
transmit this energy to the brain.
And with the brain, we see.
But there are other forms of energy
with different wavelengths.
Dr. Xavier, I've read your report.
Yes, but do you understand it?
Have you any idea
what I'm trying to accomplish here?
Dr. Fairfax, I'm developing a way
to sensitize the human eye
so that it sees radiation,
up to and including
the gamma rays and the meson wind.
Yes, I understand.
I understood your objective
when I first read your report.
Then why are you here?
Because the report in question
was dated nine months ago.
Because since that time, you have drawn
over $27,000 of the foundation's money
and we haven't had a word from you.
- Well, there have been problems.
- Then report them.
To whom, a group of businessmen who
can't tell one quantum jump from another?
No, to me.
The foundation found your research
worthy of support.
They also appointed me
as liaison to these special projects.
Listen, Doctor,
I've given up my own research
to help the foundation
and I won't be talked to
as if I were a child in kindergarten.
I knew of your reputation,
but I hadn't heard about your temper.
- Now, Doctor...
- You want a progress report?
I'll give you something better.
A demonstration.
Come with me.
Doctor Morgan...
You can be of some help.
Put these on.
Now, these are hormones, enzymes.
Their megalostructures
have been slightly altered.
Prepare that one in number two,
the second cage down.
He won't bite you.
It's all right.
Now, this compound, when used
in the eye, increases receptivity.
The sensitivity is enormously increased.
- Well, you've tried it?
- No.
Well, you're blunt, Doctor.
The monkey's been conditioned,
standard pleasure-pain technique.
Come on.
Come on.
All right, bring him here.
Put him there.
Now, when he sees the white,
he'll pull the corresponding switch
and the light will go on.
When he sees the blue, he'll do the same
thing and the blue light will go on.
And the same thing with the red.
Now, watch.
Nothing up the sleeves.
White, the one he normally sees.
But he can't see the blue.
It's covered by the white screen.
But he does see it.
And the red. He sees the red.
Well, they're both covered.
But don't you understand yet? He sees
through them, as if they were glass.
What did he see?
What did he see?
Thanks, Doctor.
Can't find a thing.
The tissues are fine.
The autopsy?
Heart failure, nothing else.
I'd call it shock.
Because of what it saw?
No, because it couldn't comprehend
or adjust to what it saw or saw through.
That's all.
No pathology, no degeneration,
tissues perfectly healthy.
Dr. Fairfax...
I think after tonight's work,
you can call me Diane.
Thank you.
I'd like to buy you a cup of coffee.
That's the best experiment
I've heard all night.
You're on, Doctor.
Do you take it black?
- Yes.
- Good.
Now, you're a pretty good worker.
Why did you give up research
and take to moneylending?
I don't lend it, I give it away.
A million dollars
before breakfast every morning.
How do your eggs taste then?
Flat.
You didn't answer my question.
I did, in a way.
When the foundation picked me for the job,
I didn't want it, and then I did.
Why?
Because it needed somebody who cared,
somebody who would support
some of the...
Well, more untraveled paths.
Like mine?
James, why do you want to see so much?
Well, why do you want
to go on breathing? To stay alive.
It's much the same thing with me.
I'm curious, intensely curious.
No, I mean the purpose.
How can you use your new vision?
There are thousands of ways.
You're sitting right on top of probably
the most important one right here.
In this hospital,
there are people I can help.
Help by seeing inside them,
as if they were windows.
By seeing their sicknesses
with a clarity
that would make X-rays
a tool fit only for witchdoctors.
Your foundation doesn't like my work,
does it?
They want you to appear before them
the day after tomorrow.
I'll be there, and I'll bring them
much more than a report.
No, it's too dangerous.
Then who is going to try it?
Some student? Some intern?
Yes. Or better yet,
some convicted murderer.
Anyone who has less to lose than you.
And how are they going to report it?
"My eyes feel funny"?
"Gee, Doc, I've got a headache"?
That monkey died.
It was a monkey, not a man.
- I tell you, no.
- Yes.
I won't be a party to it.
All right. I'll proceed without you.
Sam.
Sam, I need you.
- All right. When do you want to do it?
- Now.
August 14th,
notes on experiment designated "X."
Experimental subject myself,
James Xavier.
Assisting in experiment,
Dr. Samuel Brant.
You ready, Doctor?
Ready, Doctor.
The compound fully described
in a written report has been prepared.
Dr. Brant will administer one drop
into each eye of the subject.
One drop. Any choice?
Yeah. One in the middle.
Tilt your head and look directly up.
Well, here it goes, James. Good luck.
How long?
Eight to 10 seconds.
All right, open your eyes.
James?
It's like a splitting of the world.
Vision is fragmented.
More light than I've ever seen.
Filled with light.
I have to close them.
Are you all right?
I'm fine.
I'm gonna try again.
Everything is normal.
Wait.
Sam, I can see through it.
Right through it.
"The exact combination
of hormones and enzymes
"is to be determined by analysis."
Good Lord, Jim.
You can!
Sam, your lab coat.
My coat?
There's a pen in your shirt pocket.
And there's a button missing
under your tie.
Sam, it works.
It works!
I still have just penetrated
the surface.
My eyes are not quite conditioned yet.
But it's a start.
Sam, another drop in each eye.
Not now. There should be tests.
There might be side effects.
All right, I'll do it myself.
The light!
The light!
Well, that's the tape, gentlemen.
And, of course, the reason
Dr. Xavier can't be present today.
I've asked Dr. Brant
to represent him here.
Dr. Xavier has been unconscious
since yesterday,
when this experiment took place.
I've been asked by Dr. Fairfax
to speak on his behalf
about the continuation
of his research funds.
Now, you read the reports,
you heard the tape
of Dr. Xavier's first experiment.
I think, gentlemen, you will agree
that a fantastic breakthrough is possible.
Unbelievable might be a better choice.
Dr. Xavier is unable to speak for himself,
but his work speaks for him.
It can and will be repeated
by others besides himself.
It is up to this foundation to finance
the further work that is necessary.
I must confess to you, Doctor,
that I don't believe in
the continuance of this work. I mean...
Well, there still is nothing positive
that has come out of it.
But, Mr. Bowhead...
I'm very sorry, Dr. Fairfax,
but I believe our foundation can no longer
channel its funds into this work.
And that's all. They voted against you.
I tried. Dr. Brant.
- Sam and I, we've tried.
- Everything.
They decided to withhold the funds.
So, they cut me off
like an arm with gangrene.
- Maybe they're right.
- No, they're wrong.
And I'll show them just how wrong.
We better leave now. He needs rest.
James, I'll order the bandages
removed tomorrow.
Bandages?
Yes. I hardly noticed them.
Hardly noticed them at all.
- You'll get your chance again, James.
- Yes, I will.
I think it's for the best, in any case.
You need a rest from research.
A return to doctoring
will be just the right prescription.
- Maybe the hospital could...
- No, we've been through it before.
We need all our funds
just to keep this place going.
Well, that's it.
I want you in surgery tomorrow.
You'll assist me.
Why, thank you, Dr. Benson, thank you.
It's nice to have you back with us.
You might look in on a patient
named Stanton in Ward three.
I've left the reports and the diagnosis
on your desk.
Right.
May I help you, Doctor?
Yes, a patient named Stanton?
Yes, right over here.
- Thank you. That'll be all, nurse.
- Yes, Doctor.
He's wrong.
The diagnosis is wrong.
Doctor?
Your eyes.
Go back to sleep, dear.
Pretty, isn't she?
Yes, very.
Doctor, I want you to
reconsider this operation.
Why?
You say she has a stenosis.
You're wrong.
It's a tumor directly in the auricle
attached to the valve.
Nonsense.
The X-rays were taken from every angle.
Dr. Benson, I know what I'm saying.
You'll be cutting into
the wrong area of the heart.
Doctor, I shall expect you
in surgery at 6:00.
I will perform the operation
exactly as I outlined it.
Thank you, Doctor. Yes, right away.
Doctor, someone...
Are you all right?
Yes, just a temporary headache.
- May I get you something?
- No. No, thank you.
- There's someone waiting for you, Doctor.
- All right.
I was waiting for you.
James, what's wrong?
It's nothing. It's just a readjustment.
Your eyes.
- You're continuing to use the...
- Yes, I am.
The vision comes and goes.
But tonight I saw very clearly,
very deeply.
And what the devil
are you doing here so late?
A surprise for you.
Bo, not another one.
My life's too full of them.
Come along.
Where are you dragging me?
I have young friends who have a cure.
For what disease?
Intense doctors.
Dr. Holmes...
About 10 ccs, Doctor.
- Exactly.
- Beautiful. Beautiful.
Be my guest.
Here you are, perfect martinis.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Ethyl or gin?
Well, in deference to your high standings,
Doctors, gin.
I think I got formaldehyde.
- It's been nice talking to you.
- It's all right, I love it.
Well, are you enjoying yourself?
Well, who couldn't around you?
My, you're almost romantic.
Well, it's just a passing symptom.
I don't think
I want you cured after all.
My dance, Doctor.
As one of your ex-students,
I have rights.
- That'll be all right.
- Excuse us.
Hi.
Hi, I said.
Hi.
I saw you clear across from over there.
Gee, you've got sharp eyes.
When I use them.
I want you to dance with me.
I like the way you look, kind of urgent.
I like men who look urgent.
- I'll remember that.
- Come on.
Headache?
Headache?
No, it's just my eyes.
You like the way I dance?
It's fine. It's just fine.
Jim? My turn, now.
- Did you find that fun?
- Yes. Yes.
- You know, you're quite lovely.
- Thank you.
Matter of fact, you're very attractive.
Well, one drink certainly
makes you a different man.
Well, you could say I'm really
seeing you for the first time.
And that's
the most interesting birthmark you have
above the third rib on your left side.
But how do you know that?
Why, you can see me.
And your backbone's a sheer delight.
But remember, I am a doctor.
Well, you remember that I'm a woman.
I can hardly forget it.
Come on, I'm getting you out of here.
Good morning, Doctor.
Good morning, nurse.
Good morning, James.
Good morning, Doctor.
Are you all right?
Yes. Perfectly all right.
Why do you want me here?
I don't know. I think I'm afraid.
Diane, what do you know?
Only that he's been using
the drug again.
Ready.
Doctor, you must reconsider
the procedure.
Scalpel.
Let go of my hand.
Doctor, I shall perform this operation.
James, have you gone out of your mind?
No, but I want this girl to live.
Second blade. I'm going to continue.
It seems, Doctor,
you are now unable to continue.
James, you've gone mad.
No.
I know exactly what I'm doing.
More exactly than
any other doctor's ever known before.
You think I'm mad?
Well, watch. All of you, just watch.
You know of my experiments.
Dr. Benson knows.
What I'm doing is a direct result
of those experiments.
I can see the heart and the lungs
and the internal structures quite clearly.
Doctor, we could stop him.
No.
Swab.
All right.
You see, Dr. Benson, no stenosis.
- Take the patient into recovery.
- Yes, Doctor.
Dr. Xavier, are you finished?
Yes. I'm sorry,
there was nothing else I could do,
but the girl will live.
Dr. Ryan,
will you write the postoperative orders?
You know what you did was unethical.
I had no choice.
You realize that news of it
has probably spread through the hospital,
perhaps even reached the papers.
You saw what I've accomplished.
I don't know what I saw.
But this I do know.
You will be tried for malpractice.
- Jim.
- Diane.
- You've got to get away from here.
- You're coming with us.
Yes, I'm very tired.
L, T, N,
U, E,
X.
James. James.
Yes, it persists.
The effect is cumulative.
I see veins, organs,
the blood rushing through your heart.
I look at Diane,
and she appears
a perfect, breathing dissection.
But, Jim,
there must be some way to control it.
Of course.
Ask your foundation
for the money to discover it.
We don't need the foundation,
any of them.
- We'll work together. We'll find a reversal.
- No.
That's just what I don't want.
I'm going on.
You can't. I won't permit it.
The drug works upon the eyes.
- They're the direct route into the brain.
- I don't care.
What is happening is beyond my hopes.
A cumulative effect.
Soon, I'll be able to see
what no man has ever seen.
And, Sam, I want you with me.
With new eyes, we'll explore
all the mysteries of creation.
With knowledge there is power.
The power to learn, to create, to do.
I proved it today.
Jim, who knows what other parts
of your mind are affected by this thing.
Sam.
Jim, it's the only way.
Someone has to care for you.
Now, push up your sleeve.
No!
You killed him.
- Yes.
- Jim.
- He was my friend.
- You've got to get away.
But you saw what happened.
They won't believe me,
not after the operation.
They'll think you're insane.
Insane?
Insane?
Diane, do you...
The police.
Jim, you've got no time.
They'll blame you no matter what we say.
One of the most fantastic performances
ever to appear here in the carnival show.
And you'll enjoy the fabulous things
he can do with his fantastic eyes and mind.
Hey, you boys over there.
You two fellows, step right over here,
you're embarrassing the girls.
Come on over here and see a show.
We're gonna present to you
one of the finest shows on earth.
Big deal.
Hey, buddy, how would you like it
if I step on your hands?
Nobody likes a wise guy.
This man, ladies and gentlemen,
he can read your mind.
Tell you what you're thinking.
Can he tell me where my wife is?
Yeah, buddy, on a broom
flying around the pier.
That's where your wife is.
I need guys like you.
Come on, you people,
he's ready to begin.
The man they call Mentallo.
The Mentallo,
the man with the miraculous mind.
Step right up, folks.
You're in for one of the greatest,
exciting evenings of your life.
Good crowd.
Yes, I know.
All right, everybody. All right, gang.
Here he is, Mentallo.
Write your thoughts down here
and he will read them to you
just by pressing them
against his forehead.
Anything you wanted to write,
anything at all.
How about my mother-in-law's will?
I hope she leaves a picture
of your wife, smart guy.
Ask him where you get those clothes.
The same Army & Navy store
you bought yours. Okay?
Here's a pencil. Come on, gang.
He's a fake. I know how they do this.
The first paper he gets is a phony.
When he opens the second one to check
on it, he's really reading the first.
He's one ahead the whole time. Smart.
Smart? I heard that, too.
Everybody, let's feed the monkeys,
so we can go on with the show.
All right, pal?
You got a thought, or do you wanna
sit there and play with your blocks?
I could play with your blocks.
Here, give him this.
Real smart kid.
I love those kind of guys.
We meet them every time here,
but doesn't phase Mentallo.
He'll answer every one of them.
Here we go. Here you are.
This is from a lady who wants to know if
I wear this outfit to pin tails on donkeys.
See? That's the ringer.
That's the ringer, smart guy?
What are you, Dick Tracy?
How about that, folks?
That's exactly what the young lady said.
That's right.
If the lady will step forward,
I will demonstrate.
This is from a man who wants to know
how much money he has in his pocket.
- There it is.
- I spent it all to get in here.
If the gentleman will stand up,
I will tell him.
Judging from your appearance,
I would say a quarter.
This is from a young man
who says I am a fake.
Would you like a further demonstration
of my powers?
- It's a trick.
- Is it?
Your name is John Trask.
You've come from Phoenix.
You're 27 years of age,
you're unmarried.
Your social security number is
6-0-9-1-0-6-6-1-4.
You have a watch on your person,
a gift from your father.
How do you know that?
You also have a letter in your pocket
from a girl you deserted.
A girl who loves you.
Shut up.
This is your trick, ain't it?
I have no trick.
You gotta. Everybody does.
It's in the mask.
Can you see through it?
No.
There's a switch or something.
No switch.
Then, how?
Look, you can trust me.
You've been on the pier a month now,
and nobody's caught on.
You've got something great here. Great.
Thank you.
In fact, it's so great,
I sometimes wonder what you're doing here
on the small-time hustle.
What do you mean?
I didn't mean nothing.
Except, I wonder,
what do you want, Mr. Mentallo?
Please leave.
I didn't mean nothing.
Come on, get out.
September 19th,
the fluid is almost gone.
I use only the smallest amounts now,
but the effect seems to be cumulative.
But how can I work without a laboratory,
without equipment,
without money to buy what I need?
There's so much undone,
so much I don't understand.
He drove them off today
like they were scared.
I saw them run from his show.
Said he saw too much.
He's all right, does his job.
He keeps to himself.
Why not? He's got a right.
Does he? We all live and work together.
He gives me the creeps.
Maybe we give him the creeps.
Did you ever see his eyes?
He always wears those glasses
and that mask.
Now, Crane hustles for him.
Crane, he thinks he's real.
Real? What do you think, he's a ghost?
Well, what he does is real. No tricks.
- Coffee?
- Sure, you bet.
Two coffees.
He sees
not through your mind,
but through things like paper and cloth.
- He's got a good act, that's all.
- No.
Yeah, an act. What else could it be?
A man that could really see through things,
he wouldn't be here. No, he wouldn't.
He'd be something big, powerful.
He'd be something special.
What would he be?
He'd know secrets. Secrets he could use.
A hold on people,
that's what he would have.
Something to make them listen to him.
That what you think?
I never think. I eat.
Maybe he could help
keep people from hurting each other.
How?
By telling everybody everything.
No secrets,
what's anybody got to fight about?
Same things they've always fought about.
Ideas, thoughts, differences.
I'd stop them.
If I had your power, I'd stop them.
I'd make them do things my way
or I'd hurt them all, if I had your trick.
Trick? I thought you said it was real.
Man was real, he wouldn't be here.
Maybe this is all he could be.
This, and nothing more.
Nothing more than just a man.
Fake. Cheap fake.
Don't pay them no mind.
Me, I know what you got is real.
And you, what do you want to see?
All the undressed women
my poor eyes could stand.
And you?
What about you, Mr. Mentallo?
First, money.
And then, to be able to open my eyes.
A wonderful performance.
- Green, go get a doctor, quick.
- Right.
She's got a broken leg.
Crane, get some wood for splints
and some rope.
She's also got two broken ribs.
How do you know?
Never mind.
Take hold of her, it's gonna hurt.
Take it easy.
- These are all I could find.
- They'll do.
- The doctor's on his way.
- Good.
I also saw two broken ribs.
Hang on to this
while I immobilize this leg.
You've got the power,
the power to see inside.
Shut up.
- Here he comes now. Here he is.
- Here comes the doctor.
Good. He can take over.
- You ain't no mind-reader.
- No?
But I know what you are.
What am I?
You're a healer. A healer of the sick.
I watched you over there.
You looked right through that girl
and you knew what was wrong.
A broken leg shows.
But not broken ribs.
I couldn't see nothing.
Don't you understand?
It means money,
more money than you could make
in 10 years working on the pier.
You can heal them
just by laying on your hands.
You're out of your mind.
But you can look right through a guy
and see what's wrong with him, can't you?
You said you wanted money, didn't you?
We could set up a place in the city.
Nothing fancy, no advertising.
Just through word.
When you're poor, the word gets around
about a man
that can heal just by looking.
And we don't charge them a thing,
not one penny.
What about your money then, Mr. Crane?
Donations, Mr. Mentallo.
Everybody gives what he can.
Just what he can.
Here it is.
It ain't much,
but you said it don't matter.
Any other rooms?
Two,
the bedroom and another storage room
about half the size of this one.
- Let's see them.
- Right.
The one in the back is the storage room.
Wait. I'll tell you this once,
and that's all.
You will never enter these rooms.
Never, under any circumstances.
All right, all right.
Whatever you say, Doc.
He's there.
It's just like I said, honest.
I'm afraid, Mr. Crane.
Now, you come along.
Maybe he will, maybe he won't.
- He's asleep.
- It won't take a second.
Healer, I brought you someone.
Who are you?
It's me, Crane. Don't you remember?
Yes. Crane.
I didn't mean to wake you.
I brought Mrs. Mart. This is her.
She says she's pained and sick to death.
I thought you might be willing
to tell her something.
I have this pain in my back.
It's tight, like a fist. And it grows.
I think it's a cancer come to eat me.
It's nothing. Nothing.
Just tiredness and age,
and nothing.
And the pain?
It'll be gone soon.
I was afraid,
but you are a good man.
She's going.
She's beyond my help.
She said you were a good man.
I guess she knows.
She's a smart old woman.
She'll pass the word.
What?
You're a healer. You can heal.
I can't heal. I only look.
And I tell what I see.
Sure. I know what you mean, Doc.
But that's enough.
You wait and see.
In one week's time,
this place will be so packed
you'll be turning them away.
The effects of the compound
are still unpredictable.
At times,
I can see through walls, through stone
just as easily as I can see
through the air.
At other times, I can hardly penetrate
the first layer of a man's skin.
Sometimes I wonder
why I keep on searching.
I don't want power or fame or...
I told you never to set foot in here.
Yeah.
You got quite a setup here.
You got people waiting, lots of them.
I'll be with them in a minute.
You better come now.
Here he is now.
Here he is.
All right, everybody, just take it easy.
The healer will see everybody
in a few minutes.
You, miss.
Hey, hey, you ain't in line.
I'm his friend.
I never saw you before.
I've never been here before.
Hey!
Sit down.
There's nothing wrong with you,
young lady.
You're perfectly healthy.
Why are you here?
To see you, Jim.
- Diane?
- Yes.
How did you find me?
I left the foundation,
took up my practice again.
Patients. First one, then others.
They came to me for treatment knowing
exactly what was wrong with them.
Only one man could tell them that.
It took me more than a month to find you,
but I knew who I was looking for.
I didn't want to see you again.
But I'm here now.
Yes. If what I'm seeing is really you.
No, don't. It's worse without them.
- The "X" effect?
- Yes.
Double. Sometimes triple.
And sometimes, when I look up
and I see all those people above me,
pressing down upon me,
the whole of humanity.
And at night, while they sleep,
I close my eyes and I can still see
through my own eyelids.
Oh, Lord.
I'd give anything,
anything to have dark.
I've come to help, if I can.
You can't go on like this.
They're bound to discover you.
You've got to go away somewhere
where it's safe.
No, no. You ain't going nowhere.
I'm not letting you go.
Not when things are
just starting to pay off.
Haven't you had enough
out of their misery?
Only my share.
My share for keeping you
out of the hands of the cops.
I've got my power over you,
Mr. Mentallo.
Dr. James Xavier.
I've known about you for some time.
Ever since we hit this town.
But I don't care.
As long as I get my share.
Get out of my sight.
Get out of my way!
You leave now and I'll turn you in,
that's what I'll do.
I'll see you hang, you murderer!
No, you're not gonna get out of here.
I'll tell you that.
You're not gonna get out.
You won't get away!
He ain't no healer. He ain't.
He looks inside you and he gives you
the sickness. And you die! Killer!
- Murderer!
- Watch out!
Murderer! Police, police!
What do you see?
This city, as if it were unborn,
rising into the sky
with fingers of metal,
limbs without flesh,
girders without stone,
signs hanging without support,
wires dipping and swaying without poles.
A city unborn,
its flesh dissolved in an acid of light.
A city of the dead.
Diane, I'm sorry,
but I've got to get away.
I must go somewhere I can work,
where I can solve this thing,
- learn to control it.
- Where?
Anywhere. Across the border,
anywhere where I can work.
- It'll take money.
- I know.
Would you come with me?
Yes.
You know,
across the desert is a place
where they have more money
than I'll ever need.
And I can get it.
As a matter of fact, I'm the only
man in the world, probably,
who can get it
and get away with it.
You wait here. I'll be back in a moment.
You've taken the drug again.
I had to. The effect is wearing down.
Are you all right?
For what I have to do, yes. Come on.
- Are you nearly finished with this machine?
- This machine's nearly finished me.
It's set to jackpot in two plays.
Here.
- I don't gamble.
- This is not gambling.
Well, what next?
Over there.
Eighteen.
Can't win them all, darling.
Hit me.
Fine.
Twenty. Pay the point.
Twenty-one.
You don't seem very worried.
It's the house's money.
Ain't mine, win or lose.
Blackjack.
Blackjack pays one-and-a-half times.
Hit me.
- He can't lose.
- Again.
Once more.
Fine.
Twenty.
Twenty-one.
This table is closed.
All right,
I'll play over at that table, then.
Give me your bag.
Jim, you've got enough, nearly $20,000.
I could go on winning forever.
They can't stop me from winning.
I'll show you how to win.
Now, wait a minute.
- Deal.
- Cut.
I believe you.
I stand.
Don't draw. Don't draw.
Why not?
Because you've got 16 there.
The next card's a face card.
Jim, please,
we'd better cash in and get out of here.
All right. Pay me.
Pardon me, sir,
I'd like to ask you a few questions.
Questions?
You won a lot of money.
I'd like to make sure you won it honestly.
- What's it matter to you?
- Jim.
Look! Look!
- No.
- Look at his eyes.
- What's the matter with him?
- No!
No!
Look at his eyes.
No!
Something's real wrong with this one.
Harry, you better go for the sheriff
right now.
Jim, they're calling the police.
It's free. It's free.
Hey, hey, what are you doing?
Attention, James Xavier.
This is the California Highway Patrol.
Attention. You can't escape.
I repeat, you can't escape.
All forces have been alerted.
Give yourself up.
Stop and give yourself up.
All roads are blocked.
Let me sing hallelujah
When he comes, hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
Let me sing hallelujah
On that day
- Hallelujah!
- Hallelujah!
The children of God.
Amen.
For we are truly God's children.
Hallelujah.
He will guard and protect us
against the ravages of sin.
Amen.
Now tell me, whom do we love?
The Lord!
Yes, we love the Lord.
And what do we hate?
Sin!
Yes, we hate sin. We must destroy it.
Hallelujah.
And how shall we save our souls?
Go forth.
Then come forward and save your soul.
Come forward and save your soul.
Are you a sinner?
Do you wish to be saved?
Saved? No.
I've come to tell you what I see.
There are great darknesses,
farther than time itself.
And beyond the darkness,
a light that glows and changes.
And in the center of the universe,
the eye that sees us all.
No!
You see sin and the Devil.
But the Lord has told us
what to do about it.
Said Matthew in Chapter Five,
"If thine eye offends thee,
"pluck it out."
Pluck it out! Pluck it out!
Pluck it out!
Pluck it out?
Pluck it out! Pluck it out!
Pluck it out!
Pluck it out! Pluck it out!
Pluck it out!