Monster

In Steve’s screenplay, the narrative switches to the third person.

The scene begins as he is preparing to begin the first day of his trial. Readers encounter motion picture notation and abbreviations, such as “VO” for voice over, “Cut To” meaning the camera changes its focus from one subject to another, “CU” for close up, “MS” for medium shot, and “LS” for long shot, or a panorama of all that can be seen in a single shot.

The opening sequence portrays Steve preparing for court, traveling to the courthouse from the jail, and sitting with his lawyer, Kathy, who discusses the proceedings with him, stressing the importance of Steve remaining engaged throughout the trial.

This scene introduces the characters who will always be in the courtroom when the trial is in session: the prosecutor, judge, King’s defense attorney, and King, the co-defendant. Only Steve and King are Black.

As the judge calls for the jury, the scene shifts to an earlier time when Steve was in a classroom discussing the making of films with his instructor, Mr. Sawicki. In his lecture, Sawicki comments: “When you make a film, you leave an impression on the viewers, who serve as a kind of jury for your film. If you make your film predictable, they’ll make up their minds about it long before it’s over” (19).

The scene shifts back to the courtroom, where Sandra, the prosecutor, begins her opening statements. She says that “there are monsters in our communities—people who are willing to steal and to kill, people who disregard the rights of others” (21).

When the defense attorney sees Steve writing the word “monster” repeatedly on his notebook, she takes away his pencil, crosses out the words, and tells Steve he must believe in himself if he is going to convince the jury he is innocent.

In her opening statement, Katy lingers on the notion that the rights of the accused are constitutionally preserved. She reminds the jury of their duty to consider Steve innocent until the State provides evidence to prove he is guilty.

After her opening statement, Asa, King’s attorney, speaks. He advises the jury that the witnesses they are about to hear for the most part are self-serving and loathsome. He wants the jury to judge the witnesses as well as his client.

The prosecution introduces several ancillary witnesses, starting with José Delgado, an employee of the drugstore who testified to the store’s routines. José was the individual who found the body of the drugstore owner, Mr. Nesbitt, after he was shot.

The next witness is Salvatore Zinzi, a prisoner who testifies that he relayed information he heard about another prisoner buying cigarettes stolen from the drugstore during the robbery. Zinzi was serving time on Riker’s Island. He wanted to use information about the cigarettes to help him avoid sexual assault during his incarceration. Both Asa and Kathy cross examine him to highlight the self-serving nature of his testimony.

When Zinzi steps down from the stand, the scene shifts to an occasion four years earlier in which a 12-year-old Steve and his friend Tony are walking in a park. While playfully throwing rocks, Steve accidentally hits a young woman who is walking with a tough-looking boyfriend. When the boyfriend approaches, Steve tells Tony to run, implying it was Tony who threw the rock. The boyfriend then attacks Tony.

Steve describes the pervasive violence and threats that surround him in the jail. He gives examples of the minor slights that result in prisoners being beaten and humiliated. He writes, “I hate this place. I can’t write it enough times to make it look the way I feel. I hate, hate, hate, hate this place” (46).

The prosecution continues to present its case. They call Wendell Bolden, the man who allegedly bought cigarettes from Bobo Evans and learned in the process they had come from the robbery of the drugstore when Mr. Nesbitt had been killed.

When Bolden names Bobo as the seller of the stolen cigarettes, the scene flashes back to an exterior stoop in Harlem the previous year. Steve is sitting on a step next to King, a woman named Peaches, and a man named Johnny. King complains that he has no money and reflects aloud on the best establishments to rob for an easy payday. Johnny says that the best places are those run by immigrants, since they are less likely to report the crime.

The scene shifts back to the courtroom. Bolden is still on the stand. Bolden testifies that Bobo told him he stole the cigarette just prior to Christmas. Asa cross examines Bolden and asks why Bobo would share this information with someone he scarcely knows. Asa points out that Bolden avoided a lengthy jail sentence by testifying against Bobo. An exchange between the prosecutor and defense attorney grows testy, and the judge adjourns court for the day.

The scene shifts back to the detention center, where two inmates are beating a third while a fourth stands look out. The camera shows Steve lying on his bunk, listening to the attack, which turns into a sexual assault.

The scene shifts back in time to the interior of Steve’s home. He is having a conversation with his little brother Jerry about what kind of superhero each of them would be.

A grainy black-and-white photo shows a Black youth sitting on a bed in a jail cell. 

Steve comments on the treatment of prisoners, noting that many prisoners have suicidal thoughts. He remarks that the court proceedings seem detached from him even though they directly impact his future. Everyone in the courtroom plays a role in determining his future except, so far, from him. He recognizes different ways in which he is being demonized by the prosecution.

Steve describes a minister coming to the recreation room and asking if anyone wanted to pray. One prisoner loudly curses the preacher, resulting in everyone in the rec room losing their TV privileges.

Steve describes a dream in which he is in the courtroom trying to speak and no one can hear him. Despite his sleeplessness and physical discomfort, the next morning he must return to the courtroom.

Waiting for the trial to begin, Steve listens to a casual conversation among the judge, court officers, Sandra, and Asa. The scene changes to one of the prosecutors questioning Officer Karyl on the witness stand. There is a cut to the interior of the drugstore just after the robbery where José is speaking to the detectives. Back in the courtroom, the prosecutor produces photos of the crime scene that are given to Kathy and then placed before Steve. Sandra questions the detective about the scene and the procedure leading the arrest of the suspects.

The scene shifts to Steve sitting on a bench in a police precinct where he is being questioned by Karyl and his partner, Officer Williams. They try to frighten Steve into thinking he is going to be held responsible for the shooting of Mr. Nesbitt. The scene shifts to Steve imagining himself being executed.

The scene returns to the courtroom, where Asa is cross examining Karyl. The testimony reveals the haphazard and incomplete nature of the police investigation.

In the next scene, in an anteroom to the courtroom, Kathy finds Steve sitting, handcuffed to a bench. She tells him the testimony is doing nothing to establish distance between himself and the witnesses and other defendant. Steve responds, “I thought you’re supposed to be innocent until you’re proven guilty” (79). Kathy discusses the fine line they must walk to demonstrate that the prosecutors are mistaken in charging Steve.

The scene shifts to a prior conversation between Steve, his acquaintance Freddy, and 14-year-old Osvaldo. Steve and Osvaldo engage in adolescent taunting of one another. The scene ends with Osvaldo saying Steve will not be around “when the deal goes down” (82).

The camera focuses on Osvaldo on the witness stand, who testifies he participated in the crime by guarding the door of the drugstore as the robbers ran out. He says he did so because he was afraid he would be attacked by Bobo if he did not comply. He says he was afraid of Bobo, King, and Steve.