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

David kicks Limping Man’s daughter and explains he is giving her a limp; Heartless Woman suggests he should also give her a nosebleed.

Scene 54 of 123 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Limping Man
David
Heartless Woman

Act oneAct two

Begins 43 min into a 1:28 film

The story so farBefore scene 54

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 51
David replays Biscuit Woman’s final phone message, listening with visible regret as Bob wanders away.
Scene 52
Heartless Woman fakes choking on a cherry while David does not react; she stops the act and declares they are a match.
Scene 53
David and Heartless Woman move into a double room and have sex, but she watches his face when he tries to hide pleasure.
Scene 54
This scene

54EXT. HOTEL GARDENS - MORNING

David, Heartless Woman and the dog are out for a walk. The couple walk hand in hand. They meet Limping Man, who is out walking with Nosebleed Woman and a LITTLE GIRL.

LIMPING MAN

Good morning.

DAVID

Good morning.

LIMPING MAN

Congratulations.

DAVID

Thank you.

LIMPING MAN

This is our daughter. Her name is

Elizabeth. Elizabeth, give the nice

man a kiss. He’s a friend of mine.

The girl goes up to David. He does not bend down to be kissed.

DAVID

The last thing I want right now is

a kiss from a silly little girl.

They stand there a little, motionless and then David kicks the child on her shin. She bursts into tears and Nosebleed Woman takes her into her arms.

DAVID (CONT’D)

Don’t cry, Elizabeth. You should

thank me, now you’ll have a limp

and be more like your father.

David and Heartless Woman leave with the dog.

HEARTLESS WOMAN

You should have punched her in the

face too and bloodied her nose and

then said, “Don’t cry, Elizabeth.

You should thank me, now your nose

is bloody and you’ll be even more

like your father.”

DAVID

You’re right. Why didn’t I think of

that.