Proof Summary

Proof Summary (directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse)

Photos of outdoors and Bill the dog; Martin on street with camera. Andy in alley at restaurant with cat Ugly. Martin in alley, trips, injures Ugly.
Martin at home. Celia smoking on couch: “Can I look at your photographs? … I could describe them for you.” Martin goes to safe for money. Resists Celia’s help. She leaves, putting ashtray in his way. Sounds of apartment.
Martin as boy. Touching sleeping mother: “You can’t touch people whenever you want. Fingers aren’t the same as eyes.”
Martin in restaurant. Can’t get served, pores wine on table. Andy talks to Martin outside. Shows him the injured Ugly. Martin takes cat.
Veterinarian’s office. Martin takes out camera. Has Andy direct him. Takes pictures of people and pets.
Drive home. Andy: “A blind photographer. Now that goes down as the weird sight of the week.” Martin: “My mother gave me a camera when I was a boy.” Andy: “Sort of cruel, wasn’t it?” Martin: “I wanted a camera. … I thought it would help me to see.” Andy: “See you around.” Martin: “So to speak.”
Andy at restaurant; Martin arrives with pictures, Andy describes them, Martin labels them. Andy: “What are you doing?” Martin: “I’m labeling them.” Andy: “Why?” Martin: “Proof. That what’s in the photograph is what’s there.” Andy: “That photograph could be anywhere of anything.” Martin: “Except it wasn’t. … This [photograph] is proof that what I sensed is what you saw through your eyes – the truth.” Martin asks Andy to regularly describe photographs for him. Martin: “You must never lie to me.” Andy: “Why would I do that?”
Martin’s mother describing the scene out the window: a man raking leaves. Martin: “I didn’t hear him before. … He’s not there. There’s nobody there.” Mother: “Why would I lie to you?” Martin: “Because you can.”
Celia at Martin’s apartment. Martin: “What’s that smell?” Celia: “I’m baking a cake.” Martin: “What’s that going to cost me?” Celia’s thirtieth birthday: “You know what they say: once you’re over thirty you can’t call yourself a girl anymore; you have to admit to being a woman. But you wouldn’t know about that, Martin, the difference between a girl and a woman, would you, Martin?” Celia puts his hand on her blouse. Martin: “You won’t get a birthday present from me, Celia.”
Park. Martin takes picture of leaf. Martin calls Bill, who doesn’t come right away.
Andy describing pictures. Describes Celia as plain, not a bag. Martin: “Celia has no heart. … I hate her. … She wants me. I know that if I continue to deny her what she wants, she can never feel pity for me. Instead I can pity her.”
Drive-in, watching slasher flick. Andy goes to concession stand. Martin touching things in the car. Steering wheel cover falls off. Stares out window. Holds up condoms. Confrontation. Drive off with Martin in driver’s seat. Pull over for police. Martin: “I can’t see!”
Hospital. Policeman: “It looks like your friend Martin has been blinded.” Handshake from policeman. Doctor to Martin: “You’ve been blind all your life. … What were you doing driving a car?” Martin: “I forgot.”
Andy at Martin’s apartment. Photograph of mother on mantel. Andy describes the photograph. Martin: “I never went out with my mother at all. She was embarrassed by me. She always wanted an ordinary child she could do ordinary things with. But she got me. … One day I might show you a photograph … just a garden that was visible through one of the windows of our flat. But it’s the most important photograph I’ve ever taken. … I was always trying to catch her in a lie.” Andy: “Why would your mother lie to you?” Martin: “To punish me, for being blind.” Andy: “Does it really matter if she lied to you about some garden?” Martin: “Yes. It was my world.”
Celia assembling composite picture of Andy. Andy at door. Celia: “Perhaps the camera loves us. Can’t be Martin. Doesn’t know the meaning of the word.”
Park. Bill goes to Celia, who holds him when Martin calls. Martin snaps picture with Andy, Celia, and Bill. Celia picks up pictures. Martin wants Andy to describe pictures from the park. Andy says Bill is with another dog. Celia: “Probably a bitch, on heat.”
Celia takes picture of Martin on toilet, threatens to pin it to his clothes unless he spends evening with her. Takes him to concert hall without telling him where they are. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Martin thanks Celia, asks for the photograph.
Celia’s apartment, covered with pictures of Martin. Celia: “I’m a bit of a photographer myself, Martin.” Martin: “What do you photograph?” Celia: “Things I love. I think you realize how fond I am of you.” Martin: “I’m getting a fair idea.” Celia unbuttons blouse: “Tonight’s been all I’ve hoped for. And more. Hopefully, more. … I never knew my father, and my mother died ten years ago. So now there’s only me, and you. … Why do I stay with you?” She tries to seduce him. He leaves the apartment. Celia picks him up. Celia: “I do everything for you Martin. … I’m like a wife to you, but you don’t trust me. I want your trust, I want your respect. … Are you firing me?” Martin: “I was right, you enjoy it.” Martin in bed crying.
Martin as boy with mother. She tells him she is dying. Martin: “You don’t want to see me anymore. … But you aren’t, you’re just saying you’re dying to get away from me. … You’re not telling the truth, I’ll never believe you.” Martin knocks on casket: “It’s hollow.”
Andy and Celia at Martin’s. Celia: “He hates me. … I think he loves you. … You lied for me, in case.” Andy: “In case of what?” Celia on bed: “Let’s pretend we’re blind.”
Park. Martin photographs leaf Andy says is there. Andy says he is irresponsible, a black sheep. Martin reaches down to check for leaf.
Vet. Picture on Bill’s collar, in park with Celia and Andy. Martin arrives home where Andy and Celia are. Grabs Andy. Andy: “Celia and I are in love.” Andy and Celia go to Celia’s apartment, where Andy sees pictures of Martin. Celia: “He won’t forgive you. Not now.”
Martin at cemetery, at mother’s tomb. Martin: “Do you ever get cases of an empty coffin being buried?”
Celia at Martin’s apartment. Martin: “I’m sorry I tormented you for so long. I knew how you felt about me, and it was wrong of me to exploit your feelings. You’re fired.” Celia puts coatrack in doorway.
Martin and Andy outside Martin’s apartment. Martin: “You should have taken care, Andy. I’m a blind man, I’m not like other people. You can’t know how important truth is to me.” Andy: “Everybody lies, but not all the time.” Martin: “How can I believe you?” Andy: “You can’t. You tell the truth, Martin, your whole life’s the truth. Have some pity on the rest of us.”
Martin takes an old photograph from his safe. Andy describes it: “It’s a man in a garden. …It’s a nice photo.” Martin: “Keep it.”
Martin as boy in front of window.

Citation: O\'Connor, D. (2007, April 13). Proof Summary. Retrieved November 23, 2009, from Notre Dame OpenCourseWare Web site: http://ocw.nd.edu/philosophy/ancient-wisdom-modern-love/writing-assignments-1/proof-summary.