Basquiat Page #5

Andy stares dead ahead, Sphinxlike.

Bruno watches the non-interaction between the two.

MAITRE'D

(to Jean, flustered)

Can I help you?.

He taps Jean's shoulder.

MAITRE'D (CONT'D)

(to Jean)

Sir...?

BRUNO:

(sympathetically)

I think it's ok.

MAITRE'D

Of course, Mr. Bischofberger.

Bruno picks up one of the cards.

BASQUIAT:

You wanna buy some ignorant art? Ten

bucks.

ANDY WARHOL:

Ignorant art?

BASQUIAT:

Yeah... Like – stupid, ridiculous, crummy

art.

ANDY WARHOL:

Ohhh. That's new. That sounds good.

BASQUIAT:

Ten bucks apiece.

ANDY WARHOL:

I can give you five. You didn't do very

much to these.

BASQUIAT:

You don't even work on your stuff!

BRUNO:

It doesn't matter how much you worked on

them. It matters how much you can get for

them.

BASQUIAT:

I can get ten.

ANDY WARHOL:

I'll take two. This one and... that one.

(to Bruno)

Can I borrow some money, Bruno?

Bruno pulls out a hundred dollar bill.

BRUNO:

Here. Do you have change?

As WAITER arrives with the tray, Jean pockets the bill.

BASQUIAT:

You made a good deal. Here, you can have

these, too.

He leaves all the cards and walks toward the door.

BRUNO'S POV:

Jean leaving past stupified Maitre'd.

EXT. GINA'S APARTMENT – DAY

Jean and Benny are outside the entrance to Gina's building. Jean

carries two huge bags overflowing with groceries and flowers. He

buzzes. There's no answer.

BASQUIAT:

I'll be right back.

He produces a key and lets himself in.

He enters the building.

INT. GINA'S APARTMENT – DAY

Jean sets the groceries on the counter and leaves.

We notice the Bugspray painting on the wall, along with more of

Jean's work and supplies.

EXT. GINA'S APARTMENT – DUSK

Jean rejoins Benny in front of Gina's building.

As they're leaving, Gina comes up the street.

BASQUIAT:

(to Benny)

Check you later, man.

BENNY:

Hi Gina.

GINA:

Hi.

INT – GINA'S APARTMENT – DAY

Flowers and groceries are strewn on the counter.

FADE TO BLACK:

FADE IN:

Over the following MONTAGE we HEAR:

RENE (O.S.)

... 'APT 20'... The church bells would

ring at noon and six a.m.. 24 strokes:

How many times we counted them.

We called our bed the cloud.

And there we'd float.

The bathtub was in the kitchen

and took forever to fill up.

We'd bathe together afterwards.

Oh the countless cigarettes and

take out Chinese food...

The bed was so narrow

Three years we made it fit.

The sheets were green the

sheets were pink the sheets

white linen from the past.

Little home, farewell,

The broken windows

and the bodega on the corner.

Now from my balcony

I look out over all New York...

INT. GINA'S APARTMENT – NIGHT

Jean and Gina are sleeping.

SERIES OF DISSOLVES: As they're turning together in their sleep.

FADE TO BLACK:

FADE UP:

INT. KITCHEN / LIVINGROOM (GINA'S APARTMENT) – DAY

Filled with Jean's paintings.

SERIES OF DISSOLVES: Paintings and objects fill the room.

FADE TO BLACK:

SUPER:
"A YEAR AND A HALF LATER EAST 9TH ST."

FADE UP:

INT. GINA'S APARTMENT – DAY

Jean watches "The Little Rascals" on TV in the living room. The

sound is turned off and a record player PLAYS Gypsy music loudly.

Rolled up in a large drop cloth, Gina is asleep on the floor. Next

to her, Jean works on all fours, drawing figures, crowns, and

houses.

Working feverishly, he writes "HEY, HEY, HEY" in big clusters,

then writes other words: SHARK, IMMORTALITY, JOHN THE REVELATOR,

FAME, INK, TEETH, HAWAII SUPERMARKET, POLE STAR, BABOON and TAR.

He has an acoustics manual and Bible open on the floor. He copies

the technical blueprints from the manual. He reads the Bible,

following the text with a dirty finger. It seems that he watches

TV, draws, listens to the music and reads at the same time.

He mixes Liquitex paints and puts some colors on the drawings. He

draws a long blue line and carries it over onto the floor. Up the

wall. Through the fridge. Across the window.

He takes off his paint-covered clothes and changes into Gina's

black slip. He rummages around the room, gathering pieces of his

and Gina's clothes.

He spreads the clothes on the floor, and selecting wide brushes

with long bristles, picks up the cans of Liquitex paint.

When paint spills on the clothes, he spreads it into shapes.

Gina wakes up. She reaches for one of the painted shirts.

GINA:

(in disbelief)

Basquiat, those are my best clothes!!!

What are you doing?

BASQUIAT:

C'mon, baby, I painted them for you.

They're beautiful now.

GINA:

I'm going to my parents this weekend. What

am I going to wear?

(she begins to cry)

How could you do that to me?

Jean wipes his hands off on his thighs and puts his arms around

Gina, holding her.

BASQUIAT:

... I'll buy you some new ones.

GINA:

You don't have any f***ing money..

Jean lets her cry for a moment, then notices the music playing on

the stereo – a Gypsy song sung in Spanish.

BASQUIAT:

Do you know what he's saying?

GINA:

What who's saying?

BASQUIAT:

Manzanita....

(translating song)

... if one day I die, and you read this

piece of paper, I want you to know how

much I love you. Although I'll never see

you again, Gypsy, Gypsy, your hair, your

hair, your face, your face'

Gina looks up at him.

BASQUIAT (CONT'D)

'Even though you were never mine

And you never will be

You have a piece of my heart

You have, you have, you have...'

(he reaches down, wiping off

Gina's face)

'Gypsy, Gypsy, your hair, your hair, your

face, your face.'

No longer crying, Gina leans her head against Jean.

We HEAR a CALL from the window:

BENNY (O.S.)

Willie Mays!!! Willie Mays!!!

BASQUIAT:

(at the window)

Come on in!

CUT TO:

Benny and two GUYS come barreling into the apartment. Immediate

chaos. Benny holds up a packet of drugs and jiggles it temptingly.

They make themselves at home. Jean sits with them and starts to

chop up the drugs.

Gina gives Jean a look. She stands, still wrapped in the drop

cloth. She lets it fall to the floor. She's wearing only her

underwear. She walks to the bedroom. Benny watches her.

BASQUIAT:

Gina, don't you want any of this? You

could use some.

Gina doesn't respond. She comes out of the bedroom with a small

suitcase.

GINA:

See you later.

She leaves.

Silence.

GUY #1

Nice underwear...

They start to laugh.

INT. GINA'S APARTMENT – LATER

Kneeling on the floor, Jean covers the surface of the refrigerator

door with fast, rushing strokes. He mixes paint in a large

soupbowl and dips his hair in the bowl. Pressing his head to the

door, he paints with his hair. He stops to examine the marks.

He HITS his head against the door harder and harder.

FADE TO WHITE:

INT. GINA'S APARTMENT – MORNING

CAMERA PULLS BACK: Revealing Jean's eyes. They're open and

motionless. His head is tilted toward his chest.

OFF SCREEN WE HEAR the sounds of Gina coming home:

The LOCK turns. The door OPENS.

Gina comes in and drops a bag on the floor.

GINA:

Basquiat?

Silence. She picks up the mail from under the door and walks into

the room. There's a lump on the floor. It's Jean.

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