Page 4
ANOTHER DAY - ANOTHER APARTMENT - RAIN OUTSIDE
The building is a little more modern. They arrive in front of a door. Peephole. Chewing-gum. Shears. Ring. Routine. But today nobody replies. Léon nods. Mathilda rings again. Again nothing.
LÉON (thinking at high voice) I left him half-an-hour, after he got in... He couldn't get out from the back.
Mathilda waits. Léon puts down his shears and pulls out a crowbar.
LÉON Stairways cover.
Mathilda pulls a gun out of her jeans and gets in position near stairways. Léon pulls out a metal plate and slides it beneath the door, breaks the lock by the crowbar. The door is virtually intact. Léon gets in, weapon at hand. Léon moves in along the corridor. Mathilda is at the entry, now.
LÉON (low voice) Interior cover.
Mathilda gets in and closes the door behind her, by the way she pulls in the shears Léon left outside.
Léon is still moving, the living room is empty. Open windows, still rain. Léon sighs.
LÉON ...Shit!! We'd found him. We waited for him to get upstairs and he got out of the window.
MATHILDA What shall we do?
LÉON I think.
Mathilda turns back and walks toward the corridor.
LÉON Where are you going?
MATHILDA Piddle.
She smiles and looks for the bathroom. She finds it and is going to get in when she sees the head of a man in the bath, walkman on. She witholds a shout and gets against the wall, without moving. She doesn't dare passing before the open door again to join Léon. In the living room, Léon still thinks.
LÉON ...Why didn't he close the window?
He looks around and sees man's overcoat, still wet. His wet shoes are on the radiator.
LÉON ...Because he didn't get out!
Léon stands up, pulls out his gun and runs toward the corridor.
Mathilda, against the wall, looks up, to make him understand "it's not too soon"!
Léon advances. Mathilda mimicks to make him understand the bath, the walkman. Léon pulls out his personal periscope and looks into the bathroom. The man is still there, music at full blast.
Léon puts away his periscope.
LÉON He's sleeping.
He silently gets in the bathroom, followed by Mathilda.
They sit down and look at the man, sleeping in the mid of his warm bath. Léon pulls out his silencer and screws it on the gun.
MATHILDA It's cool departing this way... warm... music...
LÉON There are better things. You see the importance of the "moment". Ten minutes early or late, he'd have seen death. He'd have suffered it. This way, he already departed. Without knowing.
MATHILDA ...I'd like knowing what he's listening to...
LÉON ...Later.
Léon lifts his gun's cock and puts the weapon in front of the man.
- Close-up: a finger pushes a lift's button.
- Close-up: red light on, lift's coming.
- Close-up: Lèon's hands open a packet of chewing-gums.
* * * * * * * * * *
ANOTHER BUILDING - ANOTHER DAY
Mathilda and Léon in the corridor of a banal building. Léon offers a chewing-gum to Mathilda, who accepts it. She's listening to a walkman. Léon sweetly pulls the headphones off her head.
LÉON (kindly) Mathilda, we're at work! No music, OK!
She smiles.
MATHILDA OK... I like it. It gives me the rhythm.
He smiles. Mathilda finds the door, places her chewing-gum on the peephole and gets in position for her "chat". True routine. Léon in position. Mathilda rings the doorbell.
MAN ...Yes?
MATHILDA Excuse me, Mister... I'm looking for Mister Rubens' apartment, but it's dark out here and I got lost...
MAN ...One second.
She thumbs up, alright. Léon keeps concentrated. He hears a noise he knows. He searches in his memory.
FLASH: Lèon loads a kalashnikov. Same noise. Léon catches Mathilda and literally throws her to the soil. Behind her, the door explodes with numberless impacts.
The man inside empties his charger on the door. Léon threw away his shears and pulled out his shotgun.
He's furious, to this extent he fears for Mathilda. He gets concentrated as he's never been. The man inside shouldn't have become that nervous. Furthermore, he goes on.
MAN Come on, little stupid? Is it enough or want some more! Then? Come on, show me your face! Come!
MAN Did you think you could get me by such an old trick?! The gum trick, I played it before your birth, idiot! Come on, show me your little fucking face! The gum trick! Huh! I go.
Mathilda's recovering. Léon sighs.
LÉON (to Mathilda) When it starts this way, it's bad. You have to make it quickly, or he'll keep us here for hours with his bullshit!
Léon gets a hand under his overcoat and pulls out something.
LÉON (to the man) Hey!... What about the ring trick... Do you know it?
MAN The ring trick? ...Come on, little idiot! Show me your famous trick. Come on, I'm waiting! Come!
From the inside, you see a granade rolling in the apartment.
MAN ...Shit.
The apartment explodes. Nothing more.
Léon turns toward Mathilda and shows her the ring in his hand.
LÉON This is the ring trick.
Mathilda stupidly shakes her head: she's dismayed.
* * * * * * * * * *
TONY'S RESTAURANT
About 4pm. Restaurant is desert, apart from Dino, who's keeping books at his usual table. An elegantly dressed man gets inside. He's forced to put away his sunglasses because of the fieble interior light. He looks nervous. He sits in front of Tony. He's a little surprised.
TONY Tell me, there's nobody in the restaurant: you're not forced to sit at my table?
MAN (still not at ease) ...I need company.
The man pulls out his badge and hands it to Tony. He works for FBI.
TONY Rinaldi... Rinaldi... What region do you come from?
RINALDI Messina.
TONY Emilio? Due grappe! [to Rinaldi] ...Why the hell did you come here?
He returns his badge.
RINALDI Rightly... I came here to recover.
Rinaldi hands him a small photograph. Tony looks at it and turns it to read the notes on the back.
TONY But... He works for your same employer?
RINALDI Yeah, but I don't give a shit about. I trade at left, at right and that's dangerous in there...
TONY It's a little out of the world coming to visit me this way, on mid afternoon. It really isn't the usual procedure...
RINALDI I know... But I'm a little pressed.
Tony is perplexed.
TONY ...Who sent you?
RINALDI Giancarlo... Rinaldi.
Tony smiles.
TONY Is he still alive?
RINALDI Yeah... And still in Messina. It's my uncle.
TONY Huh? Are you Alfredo's son, then?
RINALDI No... Dino's.
The kid didn't fall in the trap.
TONY (smiling) ...It's true... How is he, the old Dino?
RINALDI He's died, five years ago...
TONY (saddened) Sorry... You see what's this job, you work, you work. You even don't care visiting friends now and then...
He takes a blackboard and writes 16000 ahead. He gives it to Rinaldi. Rinaldi reads, then writes "Is it double". Tony smiles.
TONY Have you ever been in Messina, son?
RINALDI Yes... Twice.
TONY Did you fish in Messina? The "pesce spada"?
RINALDI No...
TONY It's a specialty down there. It's a fishing boat with, in front, a long pole near the surface. Then, near the cabin, a very tall mast with a little cabin for the lookout.
TONY A lookout above, one below, two fishers and a captain. A lot of people, for such a small boat like that. They depart to the sea, sometimes for days, never sure they'll get something.
Rinaldi listens. Tony speaks and writes at the same time.
TONY Sometimes, it's a lot of work for nothing. ...And then you must know that, the bigger the fish is, the older it is, the more expert it is... Therefore, the more difficult he is to get. You understand what I mean, son?
Rinaldi nods his head yes. Tony writes 12000 on the blackboard.
RINALDI I think I will get back in Messina this summer... It's too long I haven't been there.
TONY You're right, son. You must care the links with your family, always. It's the only important thing in the world.
RINALDI ...Yeah.
He says "yes" to the phrase and to the deal.
Emilio delivers two grappas. Tony gives him the photo and the blackboard. The two drink.
TONY Salute.
RINALDI Salute.
* * * * * * * * * *
NEW APARTMENT - DECREPIT
Léon prepares his tools. Mathilda sits on the windowsilk. Léon wears his overcoat.
MATHILDA (sulky) ...I preferred the hotel.
LÉON Mathilda, hadn't you told that bullshit to the receptionist, we'd still be in the hotel, I make you notice.
MATHILDA That wasn't bullshit, I said we love each other.
LÉON Yeah!... Anyway, I don't like hotels. Too much people, everyone's got the key... I don't like it. [Mathilda gets even sulkier.] ...I prefer apartments... Furthermore, there are always kids in a building. What about getting some friends?
MATHILDA Friends? You're crazy! In my building, before, they just cared drugs all day and you couldn't get one, or they just cared videogames and you couldn't get one, no more.
LÉON You're darkening the picture, aren't you?
MATHILDA A little...
LÉON Is there a normal 13 or 14 year old boy?
MATHILDA Yeah... There's a lot on TV.
Léon is slightly annoyed by Mathilda's lack of cooperation.
LÉON Well, then watch television! [He switches on.] ...I won't be long, Mathilda, OK?
MATHILDA (kind) Why don't you take me with you?
LÉON It's too big.
MATHILDA Yeah... I'm just good for left-overs!
LÉON (kind) Let me alone for a while, Mathilda, OK? My life changed since I met you, you know? ...I have to find back myself a little... And, last time, you really didn't pass... And I wouldn't enjoy seeing you explode against a wall...
MATHILDA Risky business, isn't it?
LÉON ...You're young, Mathilda... You still have a chance to get out. You can't give up this chance. You have to protect it. There's a lot of things to do in life, a lot of other jobs...
MATHILDA There are just two things I'm interested in: love and death. For the moment, I have none of the two!
Léon tries to reply, vainly.
LÉON Mathilda... There's equally a lot of other things!
MATHILDA Huh, really? What? Come on, I'm waiting! [Léon searches.] ...Nothing, I tell you! Everything else reminds me a big yogurt: warm and rancid.
Léon laughs, she doesn't.
LÉON No, excuse me... It's the yogurt that made me laugh.
MATHILDA You've just to love me and I'll be the happiest woman around.
LÉON Yeah, I know! But for the moment you're not yet a woman. So, be patient... I need time... And you too. You have to grow up.
MATHILDA I don't grow up any more. I just get older.
Léon sighs. He takes his case and gets out.
LÉON I won't be long. Two days at most, promised.
He closes the door. Mathilda remains sad, at her window.
* * * * * * * * * *
RAIN ON THE CITY - MATHILDA'S BORED
SERIES OF SHORT SEQUENCES
- She's on the windowsilk and looks at the the flowing water that will temporarly clean the city.
- She smokes a cigarette.
- She opens the double bass.
- She assembles and disassembles a uzi, last model.
- She watches television, falls on her head, embedded in her soft chair. She eventually switches off, at this extent the programme bored her.
- She finishes her syrup peaches, while listening to music.
- She shoots some self-portraits by her polaroid, mandatory grimace.
* * * * * * * * * *
NO MORE RAIN - SUN RAYS OVER THE CITY
Mathilda is at a public phone.
MATHILDA ...Good day, Madam, may I talk with Jenny, please?
JENNY Yes?
MATHILDA (smiling) ...It's Mathilda.
JENNY HEY!! But what did you do?! What happened?? It's months you've disappeared. Everyone thinks you got killed, at school, above all since some FBI guys got to school and asked a lot of questions about you!
MATHILDA (surprised and proud) Huh?... Did they ask you any questions?
JENNY Yeah, pal! And I didn't say anything, I said I don't know you. But do you know what did she say, that stupid Raphaella?
MATHILDA No?
JENNY She told them you wanted her things and that she wasn't surprised police looked for you! Can you believe it?!
MATHILDA Asshole. But she won't miss anything, that. You'll see.
JENNY Good, what are you going to do? Do you come back?
MATHILDA No... I can't... I got tired. I want to live my way.
JENNY (surprised) ...Did you leave alone?
MATHILDA (smiling) ...No.
Jenny shouts.
JENNY YEAH! I was sure! Come on, tell me! I know him?
MATHILDA No.
JENNY Come on, shit, tell me! Is he beautiful?
MATHILDA (moved) ...Yes, I think.
JENNY I can't believe it! "Yes I think"... How she kids me! I can't believe it! And did he pass your thresold or not?
MATHILDA ...What?
JENNY Well... Did you sleep with him or not?
MATHILDA No... Not yet. He's very shy... and very sensitive.
JENNY ...Good... But what's special in him?
MATHILDA ...I don't know... It's true he touches me. I love him.
Tears slide down along Mathilda's cheeks.
MATHILDA I'll miss you, Jenny.
She softly puts down the receiver.
Sun recovers. City is yellow.
End of Page 4
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