Cinema Paradiso
1 GIANCALDO. SALVATORE'S MOTHER'S HOUSE. EXT/INT. DAY
The October sun slashes through the gray clouds, cuts across the
shadow towards the sea, along the coast where the new suburbs of the
city of Giancaldo have been built up.
Bright light streams through the windows, glancing off the white
walls in an almost blinding reflection. MARIA, a woman a little over
sixty, is trying to find somebody on the phone.
MARIA:
...Salvatore, that's right,
Salvatore. Di Vita Salvatore
...But, miss, what do you mean you
don't know him?!...I...Yes...
She has dialed her way
through endless numbers
but still hasn't managed
to speak to Mr. Di
sigh of relief.)
...That's right, good for you!
Oh!...yes...And I'm his
mother. I'm calling from Sicily. Been
trying all day...Ah, he's not
there...But would you be so kind as
to give me...?...Yes...
(She nods at another woman
around forty sitting
nearby:
it is LIA, herdaughter, who jots down
the numbers her
mother dictates:
)...Six, five, six, two, two, oh,
six...Thanks ever so
much...Goodbye. Goodbye.
She hangs up, takes the number LIA has jotted down, determined to have still
another try. LIA speaks to her as if she were a baby, to be more convincing.
LIA:
Look, Ma...It's useless calling him.
He'll be terribly busy, God knows
where he is. Besides he might not
even remember. Do as I say, forget
it...He hasn't been here for thirty
years. You know how he is.
MARIA pauses to think it over. The decision she has to make is important. Then,
stubbornly.
MARIA:
He'll remember! He'll remember!
(She puts on her glasses
and starts dialing
the number.)
...I'm positive. I know him better
than you do. If he were to find
out we hadn't told him, he'd be
angry. I know.
(She takes off her
glasses.)
...Hello? Good morning. Could I
please speak to Mr. Salvatore Di
Vita. I'm his mother...
2 ROME. STREETS. EXT/INT. NIGHT
It's late, but there is still traffic on the streets heading downtown.
Inside a high-powered car, a man around fifty is driving. It is
SALVATORE Dl VITA. Elegant, just growing gray, a handsome face
creased by deep wrinkles. His weary expression hides the determined,
sell-assured manner of the successful self-made man. He must be a
heavy smoker judging by the way he draws the last puffs on his
cigarette.
He stops at a red light. He stubs out the cigarette and rolls down the
window, as a little Fiat Uno pulls up alongside. A rock tune plays full
blast on the radio. SALVATORE turns instinctively to have a look at the
man at the wheel a BOY with a brush cut standing straight in the latest
fashion. He studies the Boy's expression with almost exaggerated
attention, but devoid of curiosity, coldly. The GIRL sitting beside him,
lots of curly hair, overripe red lips, returns SALVATORE'5 look,
provocatively. The BOY notices, turns to SALVATORE in a surly voice:
BOY:
Hey! What the f*** you looking at!?
Green light. The Fiat Uno shoots off, leaving a trail of music in its wake.
3 ROME. SALVATORE S APARTMENT. INT. NIGHT
The apartment is luxurious, tastefully furnished. There is no one waiting for
SALVATORE. Through the picture window on the terrace, the city can be seen
slumbering in the night. SALVATORE gets undressed on his way to the bedroom. He
moves quietly, as if to make no noise. He doesn't even turn on the light,
finishes getting undressed in the pale blue glow coming from the picture window.
A rustling sound, a movement on the bed, the voice of a woman waking up.
CLARA:
Salvatore...But what time is it?
She turns on the bedside light. It is CLARA, a young woman around thirty.
SALVATORE climbs in beside her under the covers, kisses her sweetly, then in a
whisper.
SALVATORE:
It's late, Clara. Sorry, but I wasn't
able to let you know I wouldn't be
corning...
(He fondles her, but he is
tired, feels like
sleeping.)
Go to sleep now. Sleep.
He turns over on the other side. CLARA shuts her eyes, is about to drop off,
but whispers.
CLARA:
Your mother phoned. She took me for
somebody else...
SALVATORE:
(Surprised)
And what'd you tell her?
CLARA:
I played dumb, so as not to
disappoint her. We had a nice little
talk. She says you never go see her,
and when she wants to see you she has
to come to Rome...Is it true?
SALVATORE doesn't answer. God only knows how often he's heard that question
before.
SALVATORE:
She phoned just to say that?
She reaches out to switch of the light, buries her head into the pillow.
CLARA:
She said a certain Alfredo had died.
And the funeral's taking place
tomorrow afternoon...
(A strange look suddenly
comes into SALVATORE'S
eyes. The idea of going to
sleep has clearly left
him. It's a piece of news
he didn't expect. That's
taken him off-guard. CLARA
would like to carry on the
conversation, but
sleepiness makes
it almost impossible. An
she can manage is one last
question in a faint little
voice:
)Who is it? A relative of yours?
SALVATORE:
No. Sleep. Go to sleep.
She falls asleep in the dead silence of the night. SALVATORE is seized by a
sort of chill a deep, troubled feeling. He gazes through the window al the city,
with its shimmering lights still moving in the darkness, suddenly shrouded in a
heavy curtain of rain. But he gazes off, beyond the row of houses, beyond the
dark sky; the shadow of a wind chime plays across his face summoning up endless
memories, drawing forth from the infinite depths of oblivion a past that he
thought had vanished, been wiped out, and instead now re-emerges, comes back to
life, takes on light, superimposing itself on the mellow middle-aged features of
his face, in the shadow of the city shaken by the storm, until another image is
formed, an ancient, remote image...
4 GIANCALDO. CHURCH AND SACRISTY. INT. MORNING
An image from over forty years before. In the baroque church of
Giancaldo. SALVATORE is nine years old. Dressed as an altar boy, he
is kneeling by the altar with a little silver bell in his hands. The
congregation is also kneeling. The PRIEST is consecrating the Host.
Little SALVATORE has just got out of bed, is still half-asleep, yawns
and doesn't notice that the PRIEST is standing there with the Host in
the air glaring at him, as if trying to tell him something.
PRIEST:
Pss! Pssst!
SALVATORE finishes yawning and opening his eyes meets the
withering look of the PRIEST. He gets the message at once and
rings the bell. Now the PRIEST can carry on, lifts the chalice and
the bell is heard again.
Cut to:
The service is over. The PRIEST is in the sacristy removing his
vestments. And SALVATORE is also there, removing his altar-boy
tunic.
PRIEST:
But how can I make you understand?
Without the bell I just can't go on!
Always half asleep, you are! What do
you do at night anyway? Eat instead
of sleep?
SALVATORE:
Father, at my house we don't even eat
at noon. That's why I'm always
sleepy. That's what the vet says.
The PRIEST has finished disrobing. He takes the bell
SALVATORE was holding during the service and turns to leave.
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"Cinema Paradiso" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/cinema_paradiso_269>.
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