Babel Page #4

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RICHARD:

Here.

SUSAN:

What are you doing?

Richard just gets in the bus. Susan stares at the boy with

the binoculars for a moment and then gets in.

26 INT. BUS -- LATER

Susan sits next to the window, in the middle of the bus.

She looks hurt and sad. Richard walks over and sits next to

her.

The bus starts. Through the window, Richard can still see

the boy with the binoculars. He smiles until he sees an older

boy snatch the binoculars away and push the little boy.

The bus drives away, but Richard can't take his eyes off the

scene. The older boy walks away with the binoculars.

27 EXT. DESERT -- DAY

The bus drives down a straight road that divides the desert.

28 INT. BUS -- MOMENTS LATER

The bus drives on. Some of the old men sleep. Susan leans

her head against the window and watches the landscape scroll

past. Richard sits beside her silently.

Susan holds out her hand and takes Richard's, as a sign of

reconciliation. He holds hers and caresses it.

Susan gets comfortable to try to sleep. She closes her eyes

when suddenly something smashes the window and Susan collapses

forward.

Richard turns to look at the punctured glass and then Susan.

RICHARD:

Susan, what's wrong?

19.

Susan doesn't answer, limp on her seat.

RICHARD (CONT'D)

What happened?

Richard lifts her up and when he does he sees a thread of

blood run down her neck. Richard yells at the driver.

RICHARD (CONT'D)

Stop the bus, stop, my wife's been

hurt.

29 INT. VOLLEYBALL COURT -- DAY

In an indoor volleyball court with bleachers, several Japanese

girls play volleyball. They all compete intensely for the

point. There is excitement, but everything occurs quietly.

A player jumps and spikes the ball. Chieko (16), tall,

beautiful, with strands of hair painted purple, volleys the

ball back up. It reaches one of her teammates who sets up

another to spike it.

Chieko's team wins the point. The referee, instead of

whistling, lifts up a red flag.

The players congratulate each other silently, in sign

language. The only sound we can here is the parents' clapping

as they watch the game from the stands.

Chieko's team serves. Again, the game is heated. A rival

player spikes the ball, and it is barely out of bounds.

However, the referee, with his red flag, calls the point.

Chieko is upset and goes to argue with him.

CHIEKO:

(In sign language)

The ball was out.

REFEREE:

(In sign language)

No, it was good.

Chieko gestures violently. One of her teammates goes to

calm her down.

TEAMMATE:

Let it go.

Chieko breaks loose and approaches the referee.

CHIEKO:

That was out.

REFEREE:

It was on the line.

20.

CHIEKO:

You're not just deaf, you're blind.

REFEREE:

You're out.

Chieko is furious. She starts to make obscene gestures.

CHIEKO:

You're an a**hole.

The coach walks onto the court. He holds her to calm her

down and then takes her away. Despite Chieko's violent

reaction, everything is still silent. From the bleachers,

Yasujiro (47), Chieko's father, dressed in a nice suit with

the tie undone, with a sad pride about him, disapproves of

his daughter's actions.

30 INT. LOCKER ROOM, VOLLEYBALL COURT -- DAY

Chieko sits on a bench in her underwear. She looks aggravated

and absorbed in her own thoughts. Her other teammates get

dressed. Two of them walk past wrapped in towels, freshly

showered, and stand in front of her. They talk to each other

in sign language.

TEAMMATE 1

You shouldn't have lost your temper.

We lost the game.

CHIEKO:

It wasn't my fault, it was the ref.

TEAMMATE 2

If you hadn't been thrown out, we

would've won the game.

Chieko, angry, gets up and starts to rummage through her

locker. Her teammate walks over and gets her attention.

TEAMMATE 1

Why are you in a bad mood?

Chieko doesn't answer. Teammate 2 approaches.

TEAMMATE 2

She's always in a bad mood because

nobody's f***ed her yet.

She caps this with an obscene gesture that bothers Chieko.

CHIEKO:

I'm gonna f*** your dad to get rid

of my mood.

Teammate 1 laughs, amused. Teammate 2 gives Chieko a scornful

look. Chieko smiles sardonically.

21.

31 INT. YASUJIRO'S CAR -- DAY

Yasujiro drives while Chieko looks at the swarming Tokyo

streets. She is wearing a skirt revealing of her long

volleyball legs.

Her fathers speaks to her in sign language.

YASUJIRO:

What do you want to eat?

CHIEKO:

I said I'd meet my friends from the

team at Eve's.

YASUJIRO:

Weren't we going to have lunch

together?

CHIEKO:

Dad, I told you I was going to eat

with them, but you never pay attention

to me.

Yasujiro shakes his head in disapproval.

CHIEKO (CONT'D)

My mother always paid attention to

me.

YASUJIRO:

Why do you want to fight?

They don't say anything else. The traffic is chaotic.

YASUJIRO (CONT'D)

I miss your mother too.

Chieko just looks at him.

YASUJIRO (CONT'D)

I'm doing what I can, sweetie.

They don't say anything else. The traffic is chaos.

32 EXT. STREET, TOKYO -- DAY

Yasujiro parks his car and Chieko gets out.

YASUJIRO:

(in sign language)

Don't forget you have the dentist at

four.

Chieko looks annoyed, and blows her father a kiss goodbye.

As she is about to get out of the car, Yasujiro grabs her

arm. She turns to look at him.

22.

YASUJIRO (CONT'D)

(In sign language)

I love you very much.

They exchange a glance. She nods, closes the door and leaves.

33 INT. EVE'S -- DAY

Eve's is a restaurant full of t.v.'s, noise, video games.

There is smoke, and people talking everywhere. Chieko moves

through the crowd. A hostess intercepts her.

HOSTESS:

Do you have a table?

Chieko doesn't manage to read her lips. The hostess, smiling,

awaits an answer. Chieko waits, expectant, for the hostess

to repeat herself.

HOSTESS (CONT'D)

Do you have a table?

Chieko nods and points at her group of girlfriends, who are

sitting on the barstools next to the bar.

The hostess smiles another stupid smile and lets Chieko by.

Further off, her friends spot her and make silly faces.

Chieko laughs, walks over to them. They are all dressed the

same:
short skirts, tight t-shirts. Some of them have

piercings in their nose, lips and ears. They all exude

hormones in their silence.

Chieko goes to talk to them in sign language.

CHIEKO:

Why all the way in the corner?

Mitsu, with a good body, not very tall and with violet

highlights in her hair, points at a pair of tables where a

group of young men are drinking beer.

MITSU:

Because of the view.

Chieko turns around and stares at one of them wearing a Milan

jersey. Their eyes meet. Chieko keeps her eyes on him, and

the boy finally turns away.

MITSU (CONT'D)

Do you like him?

Chieko nods without taking her eyes off him.

23.

34 INT. EVE'S -- DAY

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