The Lobster · written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou · 2015

Limping Man admits he is faking the nosebleeds so he can escape with Nosebleed Woman; he says goodbye and stains David’s shirt with blood.

Scene 43 of 123 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

David
Limping Man

Act oneAct two

Begins 34 min into a 1:28 film

The story so farBefore scene 43

After his wife leaves him, David has 45 days to find a partner at a hotel or become an animal; he escapes, falls for a shortsighted loner, and must decide whether to surrender his sight so they can stay together.

Scenes 1–15
David moves from his broken home into the hotel, where couplehood is imposed as the norm.
Scenes 16–24
He must find a partner before the 45-day limit turns him into an animal.
Scene 25
David loads a tranquilliser gun and joins the hotel’s hunt, entering its violent courtship system.
Just before
Scene 40
Lisping Man says he agreed to have his captive turned into a parrot and shows her feathers; after Limping Man punches him, the trainer tells David to shoot loners through the heart.
Scene 41
The Maid gives David twelve replacement darts and makes him endure the hotel’s forced sexual therapy before leaving him desperate.
Scene 42
Limping Man fakes a nosebleed to attract Nosebleed Woman, who recognizes the shared trait.
Scene 43
This scene

43INT. ROOM 101 - EVENING

David is sleeping. The dog is sleeping too. There’s a knock at the door. David gets up and answers it. Limping Man stands outside.

DAVID

What’s the matter?

LIMPING MAN

I want to talk to you.

DAVID

Have a seat.

LIMPING MAN

I came to say goodbye.

DAVID

I saw what you did. It must have

hurt.

The man bangs his nose against the wall and it bleeds.

LIMPING MAN

I’m going to ask you a question and

I want you to answer me honestly.

What’s worse, to die of cold and

hunger in the woods, to become an

animal that will be killed and

eaten by some bigger animal, or to

have a nosebleed from time to time?

DAVID

To become an animal that will be

killed and eaten by some bigger

animal.

LIMPING MAN

Exactly.

DAVID

She doesn’t suspect that you’re

lying?

LIMPING MAN

No.

Limping Man hugs David. He stains his shirt with blood.

LIMPING MAN (CONT’D)

Don’t worry about your shirt. Rub

it with salt or scrub it with

ammonia and it’ll come out right

away but whatever you do, don’t use

hot water. Goodnight.