Cinema Paradiso Page #13

And he hands her her lunch with a smile. She recognizes him.

ELENA:

Oh, thanks. I hadn't noticed...

She takes the bundle as SALVATORE touches her hand delicately.

SALVATORE:

My name's Salvatore...And yours?

ELENA:

(Smiling)

Elena. My name's Elena.

SALVATORE is very flustered. He feels as if all his blood were

throbbing in his head. He tries to say something else, but the words

catch in his throat.

SALVATORE:

I...I...The other time at the

station.

BOCCIA suddenly grabs him by the collar and yanks him away. ELENA is frightened,

puts her hand over her eyes so as not to see.

56:
CINEMA PARADISO.PROJECTION BOOTH.INT.AFTERNOON

SALVATORE has a black eye, swollen shut. He is setting up a little 8mm projector

on a stool. ALFREDO is sitting in one corner. He has come to keep him company.

He listens to the sound-track of the movie being shown.

ALFREDO:

Chaplin's Modern Times! Right, Toto?

SALVATORE:

That's right, Modern Times.

ALFREDO:

I've shown it so many times I know it

by heart. The first time I showed

it, in 1940, was the Sunday my first

wife died. They kept it hidden from

me all day so they wouldn't have to

close down the movie house. I only

found out that night, after the last

show. Those are things you never

forget...

(Changing his tone.)

So, Toto, how are these home movies

going?

(SALVATORE has switched on

the little projector and a

square of light appears on

the wall beside ALFREDO,

with the scenes shot in

town.)

SALVATORE:

Yes.

(The shots of the

slaughter-house have

appeared.)

ALFREDO:

(Whispering)

What is it, what is it? What's the

picture?

SALVATORE:

It's people in the slaughter-house

killing a calf. There's blood all

over the floor, like a lake. And

through this lake another calf passes

by on its way to die.

ALFREDO is concentrated, as if SALVATORE'S description transmitted the

real image to him, the colours, the forms. The railway station has appeared on

the wall, and the sequence of ELENA. SALVATORE does not move, does not say a

word, as he gazes at those blue eyes looking into the camera. ALFREDO senses

something funny in the boy's s11ence.

ALFREDO:

Now what can you see?

SALVATORE:

Nothing, there's nothing. It's all

out of focus.

ALFREDO:

(Smiling)

Is there a woman?...Tell me the

truth...

(SALVATORE is shamed,

uncertain, doesn't know

whet to say. A tender look

filters through ALFREDO's

dark glasses. He has

obviously caught on and

whispers:
)

There is a woman.

SALVATORE is forced to admit it, with a sigh.

SALVATORE:

Yes, it's a girl I saw at the

station.

ALFREDO:

What's she like? What's she like?...

And as other shots of ELENA appear on the screen, SALVATORE describes her. As

only somebody in love could.

SALVATORE:

She's nice. My age...Slender, with

long hair, brunette. She had big blue

eyes, a simple expression and a

little beauty mark on her lip, but

really tiny. You can only see it

close-up. And when she smiles...She

makes you feel...

He stops. Only now does he realize that he has let himself be carried away by

passion, by the desire to talk about her. ALFREDO smiles, spellbound...

ALFREDO:

Eh! Love...what a mystery!

(SALVATORE turns off the

projector and heaves a

deep sigh, almost of

liberation. ALFREDO'S

sympathy does him a lot of

good. It's nice to be

understood. He moves over

closer to him. ALFREDO

runs his hand through his

hair, whispers:
)

I understand you, Toto...The ones

with blue eyes are the

most beautiful. Whatever you do, you

can't make friends with

them.

(SALVATORE is comforted by

the way he talks. He

didn't think it

was possible to put into

words the things he has

felt since meeting

ELENA. He nods his head.

ALFREDO sighs.)

Eh, there's nothing to be done about

it! The heavier a man is,

the deeper his footprints. And if

he's in love, he suffers,

because he knows he's up a one-way

street. Because love is a

meaningless thing when a man gets it

into his head to do what

he wants...

(SALVATORE is touched by

his sensitivity, by his

intense, passionate, sweet

way of speaking.)

SALVATORE:

What you say is wonderful! But sad...

ALFREDO:

(Smiling)

They're not my words. John Wayne said

it in Shepherd of the Hills.

SALVATORE suddenly changes expression, as if discovering he was being made fun

of.

SALVATORE:

Stinking two-timer!!

(And they burst out

laughing.)

57:
CINEMAPARADISOANDVARIOUSSTREETS.EXT.DAY

A grey, windy day. It is opening-time and the shutters of the movie

house are being rolled up. SALVATORE is about to enter through the

small door of the spiral staircase, when in the distance he catches sight

of...

ELENA crossing a street with her books under her arm. She is alone.

SALVATORE doesn't stop to think twice, dashes off, runs through streets

full of dust, another square, turns the corner, but has lost sight of her.

He looks around in all directions there she is! He starts running again.

And finally catches up with her, all out of breath, practically

speechless with emotion.

SALVATORE:

Hi, Elena!

ELENA:

Hi. Why are you running?

SALVATORE:

No particular reason...

(He is entranced by her

eyes. He wants to tell her

all sorts of

things, say all the words

he has memorized a

thousand times. But

now he can't get them out.

His knees tremble. He does

his best to

overcome his confusion,

but all that comes out

is:
)

Nice day, huh?

(A gust of wind envelops

them in a cloud of dust

and a clap of

thunder rends the air.

ELENA laughs, amused by

the blunder.)

ELENA:

Yes, nice day.

(SALVATORE laughs too. He

gazes at her long hair

tossed by the wind. She

turns to leave.)

...I've got to go now. Bye-bye.

SALVATORE:

Bye-bye, Elena.

(ELENA walks away. And

SALVATORE also turns to

leave. Only now is he

seized by disappointment,

regret at not having made

the best of the

opportunity. He talks to

himself.)

...What an idiot! What an idiot!

'Nice day'! Christ!!

58:
SALVATORE'S BEDROOM.INT.DAY

SALVATORE projects images of ELENA on his wall. He lies across his bed gazing at

her image.

SALVATORE:

You probably don't believe me, but

I'm going to become the leading man

in your life. Sure, I don't look like

Marlon Brando, but look at me, really

look at me. Am I really so ugly? So

should I try once more? Maybe It'll

succeed. What do you

say?

ELENA seems to be saying, Yes. As SALVATORE kisses ELENA, her image disappears.

He is left with his face against the wall in the white light from the

projector.

59:
PHONEB00TH AND ELENA'S HOUSE.INT.DAY

SALVATORE is in a phone booth. The telephone will certainly help him feel less

nervous.

SALVATORE:

Hello, can I speak to Elena, please?

WOMANS VOICE:

Yes.

(SALVATORE recognizes

ELENA's voice, changes his

tone, turns sweeter, more

personal.)

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