"Hotel" booth - Interior day
Once again Travis is sitting in front of a mirror, in a booth which is identical to the first one except for the colour of the telephone. He shuts his eyes and holds a hand in front of his face. He has to wait like this for a long time until the light behind the mirror goes on, and someone comes in. Again the mirror becomes a window. But Travis does not raise his eyes. Anxiously, he awaits the voice he will hear.
JANE- (off)Hi! Are you out there?
Jane's voice! Travis doesn't raise his eyes, and he doesn't say anything. He sits motionless and listens to the voice which is distorted by the loudspeaker. A long pause follows.
JANE- (off)Well, I see your light's still on, so I guess you must be out there. (Pause)It's okay if you don't want to talk, you know. I don't want to talk either, sometimes. I just like to stay silent. (Pause)Do you mind if I sit down?
Now, finally, Travis raises his eyes. Looking into the little room through the reflecting window, Travis can see Jane still standing at the door, in her short red woollen dress. She is waiting for an answer. Like the others, the room is decorated with a few cheap props which, in this case, are supposed to represent an average American hotel room. Jane leans forward on the chair in the middle of the booth.
JANE- Do you mind if I sit down?!
TRAVIS- No.
Relieved, Jane sits down.
JANE- Thanks. My legs get a little tired from standing around all the time. Is this your first visit here?
TRAVIS- Yes.
JANE- (laughs)Oh, well, then this whole thing must seem kinda' strange to you, huh? You realize that I can't see you even though you can see me? Well, you get used to. Say, am I looking at your face now?
Travis doesn't answer. Her good mood is contagious, and he smiles, although his eyes are brimming over with tears. Jane laughs out loud:
JANE- Oh God, it don't matter. (Pause)If there's anything you want to talk about, I'll just listen, alright? I'm a real good listener.
Another long pause. Jane is at a loss what to do with this silent customer.
JANE- Is there something... I don't know, is there something I can do for you?. Do you mind if I take off my sweater?. I'll just take it off my sweater.
She starts to take off her woollen dress. Travis' reaction is unexpectedly violent.
TRAVIS- No, no, no! Don't! Please! Please leave it on!Jane stops, astonished. It's a rare occasion for a customer not to want her to take off her clothes. She smoothes down her dress.
JANE- I'm sorry. I just don't know exactly what it is you want.
TRAVIS- I don't want anything.
JANE-Well, why'd you come here, then?
TRAVIS- I want to talk to you.
Jane waits for him to continue. But again there is only silence. She turns to the little loudspeaker out of which she hears Travis' voice.
JANE- Is there something you want to tell me?
TRAVIS- No.
JANE- You can tell me. I can keep a secret.
TRAVIS- Is that all you do... just talk?
JANE- Well... yeah, mostly. And listen.
TRAVIS- What else do you do?Jane is rather surprised at his persistence. Then, suddenly, she has to laugh at his question.
TRAVIS- Why are you laughing?Jane pulls herself together.
JANE- I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
TRAVIS- What else do you do?
JANE- Nothing, really. You see, we're not allowed to see the customers out here.
TRAVIS- Where do you see them, then? Do you go home with them?
JANE- No, sir, we don't. We're not allowed to have any outside relationships with our customers.
For the first time, the camera shows what Jane sees: her own reflection and, behind it, the almost imperceptibly faint glow of the table lamp on Travis' side. Travis himself cannot be seen at all. Travis is working himself up into a full-blown rage.
TRAVIS- Yeah, but you can really see them if you want, can't you? I mean, you can go home with them, if you want to, all these places say that. How much extra money do you make? How much, huh?! How much money do you make on the side?!
This sudden outburst has shocked Jane. She tries to keep calm.
JANE- I'm sorry, sir, but I think maybe you wanted to talk to one of the other girls. I'll see if I can find one for you.
She stands up.
TRAVIS- No! No! No, no! Please! Please don't go!Jane stops behind the chair, and leans towards the mirror again.
JANE- I just don't think I'm the one you want to talk to.
TRAVIS- Please! Please don't go! I'm sorry.
Held back by the earnestness of Travis' pleading, Jane hesitates. Finally, she sits down again.
JANE- All right.
TRAVIS-I'm sorry. I'm sorry.Jane is composed again. She smiles at her anonymous customer.
JANE- That's okay.
With the tears running down his face, Travis lays down the receiver next to the telephone, and wordlessly leaves the booth. Jane carries on talking - to the empty booth.
JANE- You know, I know how hard it is to talk to a stranger sometimes. Just relax, and tell me what's on your mind. I'll listen to you. I don't mind listening. I do it all the time.
After a while, she senses that there is no-one at the other end of the line. Perplexed and thoughtful, she stares at the silent loudspeaker next to her.
Once again Travis is sitting in front of a mirror, in a booth which is identical to the first one except for the colour of the telephone. He shuts his eyes and holds a hand in front of his face. He has to wait like this for a long time until the light behind the mirror goes on, and someone comes in. Again the mirror becomes a window. But Travis does not raise his eyes. Anxiously, he awaits the voice he will hear.
JANE- (off)Hi! Are you out there?
Jane's voice! Travis doesn't raise his eyes, and he doesn't say anything. He sits motionless and listens to the voice which is distorted by the loudspeaker. A long pause follows.
JANE- (off)Well, I see your light's still on, so I guess you must be out there. (Pause)It's okay if you don't want to talk, you know. I don't want to talk either, sometimes. I just like to stay silent. (Pause)Do you mind if I sit down?
Now, finally, Travis raises his eyes. Looking into the little room through the reflecting window, Travis can see Jane still standing at the door, in her short red woollen dress. She is waiting for an answer. Like the others, the room is decorated with a few cheap props which, in this case, are supposed to represent an average American hotel room. Jane leans forward on the chair in the middle of the booth.
JANE- Do you mind if I sit down?!
TRAVIS- No.
Relieved, Jane sits down.
JANE- Thanks. My legs get a little tired from standing around all the time. Is this your first visit here?
TRAVIS- Yes.
JANE- (laughs)Oh, well, then this whole thing must seem kinda' strange to you, huh? You realize that I can't see you even though you can see me? Well, you get used to. Say, am I looking at your face now?
Travis doesn't answer. Her good mood is contagious, and he smiles, although his eyes are brimming over with tears. Jane laughs out loud:
JANE- Oh God, it don't matter. (Pause)If there's anything you want to talk about, I'll just listen, alright? I'm a real good listener.
Another long pause. Jane is at a loss what to do with this silent customer.
JANE- Is there something... I don't know, is there something I can do for you?. Do you mind if I take off my sweater?. I'll just take it off my sweater.
She starts to take off her woollen dress. Travis' reaction is unexpectedly violent.
TRAVIS- No, no, no! Don't! Please! Please leave it on!Jane stops, astonished. It's a rare occasion for a customer not to want her to take off her clothes. She smoothes down her dress.
JANE- I'm sorry. I just don't know exactly what it is you want.
TRAVIS- I don't want anything.
JANE-Well, why'd you come here, then?
TRAVIS- I want to talk to you.
Jane waits for him to continue. But again there is only silence. She turns to the little loudspeaker out of which she hears Travis' voice.
JANE- Is there something you want to tell me?
TRAVIS- No.
JANE- You can tell me. I can keep a secret.
TRAVIS- Is that all you do... just talk?
JANE- Well... yeah, mostly. And listen.
TRAVIS- What else do you do?Jane is rather surprised at his persistence. Then, suddenly, she has to laugh at his question.
TRAVIS- Why are you laughing?Jane pulls herself together.
JANE- I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
TRAVIS- What else do you do?
JANE- Nothing, really. You see, we're not allowed to see the customers out here.
TRAVIS- Where do you see them, then? Do you go home with them?
JANE- No, sir, we don't. We're not allowed to have any outside relationships with our customers.
For the first time, the camera shows what Jane sees: her own reflection and, behind it, the almost imperceptibly faint glow of the table lamp on Travis' side. Travis himself cannot be seen at all. Travis is working himself up into a full-blown rage.
TRAVIS- Yeah, but you can really see them if you want, can't you? I mean, you can go home with them, if you want to, all these places say that. How much extra money do you make? How much, huh?! How much money do you make on the side?!
This sudden outburst has shocked Jane. She tries to keep calm.
JANE- I'm sorry, sir, but I think maybe you wanted to talk to one of the other girls. I'll see if I can find one for you.
She stands up.
TRAVIS- No! No! No, no! Please! Please don't go!Jane stops behind the chair, and leans towards the mirror again.
JANE- I just don't think I'm the one you want to talk to.
TRAVIS- Please! Please don't go! I'm sorry.
Held back by the earnestness of Travis' pleading, Jane hesitates. Finally, she sits down again.
JANE- All right.
TRAVIS-I'm sorry. I'm sorry.Jane is composed again. She smiles at her anonymous customer.
JANE- That's okay.
With the tears running down his face, Travis lays down the receiver next to the telephone, and wordlessly leaves the booth. Jane carries on talking - to the empty booth.
JANE- You know, I know how hard it is to talk to a stranger sometimes. Just relax, and tell me what's on your mind. I'll listen to you. I don't mind listening. I do it all the time.
After a while, she senses that there is no-one at the other end of the line. Perplexed and thoughtful, she stares at the silent loudspeaker next to her.
1972
parís, texas(Pablo Garcia Casado)
parís, texas(Pablo Garcia Casado)
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