Chinatown Page #14

The Rainmaker now glances down at Gittes, who as usual is

immaculately dressed.

GITTES:

Some associates and I are thinking

of buying property out here -- of

course, we're worried about the

rainfall.

The Rainmaker steps down.

RAINMAKER:

No problem with me on the Job.

GITTES:

-- Yeah.

(glancing around at

the desolate, dry

field)

Do you have any references?

RAINMAKER:

City of La Habra Heights -- filled

an 800,000 gallon reservoir with

sixteen inches of rain in two days.

GITTES:

(nods)

That's swell. But how about here?

(pulling out names

from his pocket)

Ever worked for Robert Knox, Emma

Dill, Clarence Speer, Marian Parsons,

or Jasper Lamar Crabb?

RAINMAKER:

Never heard of 'em... new owners?

GITTES:

-- Yeah.

RAINMAKER:

(climbing back .up)

Lot of turnover these days.

Better tell them to get in touch with me if they want to

hang onto their land.

GITTES:

-- Yeah, I'll do that.

GITTES DRIVING:

is now covered with a film of dust:

76.

He reaches a fork in the dirt road. There are a couple of

mailboxes. Gittes takes this fork and begins a slow ascent.

As he does, the tops of a line of bright green trees can be

SEEN, coming more and more INTO VIEW, row upon row of avocado

and walnut groves, their foliage heavy.

The few structures in the distance are white-washed, and

well kept, right down to the white-washed stones that mark

the pathway to the home. Towering above it all is a huge

wooden water tank.

Gittes drives through a gate that has "NO TRESPASSING" and

"KEEP OUT -- PRIVATE PROPERTY" signs neatly printed on it.

He drives down the road into the grove.

GITTES:

pulls to a halt in the road flanking the orchard lanes. He

puts the car in neutral, stares at the trees. By contrast

with what he has seen -- they are lush and beautiful, their

heavy branches barely swaying in a light breeze, Then a

SHOTGUN BLAST abruptly strips bare the branches. of the

tree he'd been staring at.

EXT. AVOCADO GROVES - DAY

Gittes is shocked. He looks behind him. Riding on horseback

down the field in the direction he had just driven is a Red-

Faced Man in overalls. His hat blows off his head. He does

not, however, lose the shotgun he has just used. Gittes'

lane of retreat is denied him. He guns the car, and takes

off down one of the orchard lanes.

MOVING WITH GITTES

The dirt lane is rough. As Gittes nears the end of it, a

Younger Man on a mule blocks the exit.

Gittes veers a sharp left, knocking a branch off one of the

trees, heading down one of the cross-lanes. Here he's pursued

by a scraggly dog that nips at the tires.

Gittes yells at it.

ANGLE ON GROVE:

Two farmers on foot, one using a crutch, run down the lanes

toward a dust trail rising above the trees -- they've spotted

it -- clearly it's from Gittes' car.

This hide-and-seek chase between one man on horseback, one

on a mule and a couple on foot continues up and down and

across the orchard lanes -- until Gittes' front tire and

radiator are ruptured by another SHOTGUN BLAST.

77.

Gittes' car veers off, scattering a stray gaggle of geese -and

smacks into an avocado tree, shaking loose a barrage of

the heavy fruit onto Gittes and the car.

Gittes immediately tries to get out through the branches

over the back of his car, but he's pulled off it by one of

the younger farmers -- a huge brute who he begins to tussle

with -- the Crippled Farmer begins to bang Gittes on the

back with his crutch. The two of them manage to pound Gittes

to the ground within moments, where the Crippled Farmer

continues to whack away at Gittes with the crutch.

The older Red Faced Farmer with the shotgun and the Man on a

mule ride up.

RED FACED FARMER

All right, quit it! Quit now!

Search the man, see if he's armed.

Gittes is hefted half off the ground and the two younger

Farmers spin him around, going through his clothes.

Gittes is badly banged up and half out on his feet. They

toss his wallet, his silver cigarette case, etc. on the

ground.

RED FACED FARMER

I said see if he's armed, not empty

his pockets.

BIG FARMER:

-- He ain't armed.

Gittes leans against the back of his car, breathing heavily.

RED FACED FARMER

All right, mister -- who you with -water

department or the real estate

office --

Gittes' back is to the Red Faced Farmer. He has trouble

catching his breath. The Crippled Farmer pokes him rudely in

the back with his crutch. Gittes turns sharply.

GITTES:

(to Crippled Farmer)

Get away from me!

CRIPPLED FARMER:

Answer him!

GITTES:

Touch me with that thing again and

you'll need a pair of them.

78.

BIG FARMER:

(shoving Gittes)

Whyn't you pick on somebody your own

size?

RED FACED FARMER

I said cut that out! Give him a chance

to say something.

Gittes looks up at the Red Faced Farmer.

GITTES:

(reaching down for

his wallet)

Name's Gittes -- I'm a private

investigator and I'm not with either

one.

RED FACED FARMER

Then what are you doing out here?

GITTES:

-- Client hired me to see...

whether or not the water department's

been irrigating your land.

RED FACED FARMER

Irrigating my land?

(exploding)

The water department's been sending

you people to blow up my water tanks!

They threw poison down three of my

wells! I call that a funny way to

irrigate -- who'd hire you for a

thing like that?

Gittes reaches into his pocket -- the paper's on the ground.

He picks it up.

GITTES:

Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray -

BIG FARMER:

Mulwray? That's the son of a b*tch

who's done it to us.

GITTES:

Mulwray's dead -- you don't know

what you're talking about, you dumb

Oakie -

The Big Farmer takes a swing at Gittes. Gittes kicks him

squarely in the nuts, knees him in the jaw after he's doubled

up, and hits him solidly. The Crippled Farmer takes careful

aim and brings his crutch down on the back of Gittes' head.

Gittes is knocked to the ground and lies still beside the

Big Farmer who is writhing in agony in the dirt.

79.

RED FACED FARMER

Well -- that's that.

BLACK SCREEN:

There's a PURLING SOUND, which soon becomes defined into the

SOUND OF VOICES talking quietly -- about whether to move or

not to move, doctors, etc.

CLOSE - EVELYN MULWRAY

is staring down at Gittes who's lying in the screened-in

porch of the farmers. His wife, the Red Faced Farmer, and

the Big Farmer are there, along with the dog.

The Red Faced Farmer's wife has set tea out. The farmers -all

of them -- now seem awkward and a little embarrassed.

FRONT PORCH - RED FACE FARMER'S HOUSE - REACTION - GITTES DUSK

He focuses on Evelyn who sits right next to him. He's got

dried blood down the side of his face from his nose, a huge

mouse on his cheek, and his clothes are torn in a couple of

spots.

GITTES:

(to Evelyn)

What's going on?

DUBOIS:

(quietly, almost as

if he were in a

hospital)

-- You didn't look too good, so we

thought we better call your employer.

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