Cinema Paradiso Page #7

EXAMINING BOARD MEMBER

A merchant owns two stores. In the

first he sells fruit and vegetables.

In the second he sells nails and

cement...

(The PRINCIPAL comes in,

interrupts the dictation.)

PRINCIPAL:

Excuse me, professor. Here are the

men taking the exam for the

elementary school certificate.

(Turning to the door)

Come in, please...

(All the children turn to

look. A MAN around thirty

enters, ill at ease. The

children recognize him and

laugh mischievously. The

second is the BLACKSMITH,

the one who falls asleep

at the movies. The third

is a twenty-year-old-boy,

ANGELO. The fourth is

ALFREDO, embarrassed and

red in the face. SALVATORE

is speechless. Gives a

slightly ironic laugh.

There is a look of revenge

in his shrewd little

eyes.)

Cut to:

The assignment is now being carried out. There is dead silence in the

hall.

TEACHERS and the PRINCIPAL moue about, checking to be sure there are no notes

being handed around or other forms of 'collaboration'. The four outsiders are

having a hard time. It can be seen on their faces. ALFREDO is also in trouble,

doesn't know how to solve the problem, the calculations are too diff cult. He

looks at the desk next to him, where SALVATORE is sitting. SALVATORE is about to

look up at him, but ALFREDO immediately looks away, too proud to let himself be

seen.

The exchange of glances continues, grotesque, almost comical. SALVATORE

meanwhile writes down numbers and operations quite quickly. ALFREDO can't stand

it any longer, is nervous, beaded with sweat. He's sorry he ever showed up.

SALVATORE laughs up his sleeve, now he has the upper hand. ALFREDO tries

sneaking a look at his exercise book in order to copy something. But SALVATORE

turns his back, hiding it from sight. ALFREDO tries sneaking a look at somebody

else's exercise book, but the damn kid also covers it. It looks like a

conspiracy against him. ALFREDO has no way out. He has to accept the idea of

eating humble pie. He looks at SALVATORE, motions him with his eyes in a

conversation of glances. He asks for help, but SALVATORE stands firm,

implacable.

ALFREDO tries to put it into words in a low voice.

ALFREDO:

YOU jerk. Tell me how to solve this

f***ing problem!

TEACHER:

Ssssh! Silence back there!!

ALFREDO insists with his eyes. SALVATORE makes him understand with gestures

that he could help him maybe, but...on one condition. He imitates the gesture

of winding the crank of the projector. ALFREDO gets the message. It's pure

blackmail. He rubs his hand over his sweating face, raises his eyes to the

ceiling as if he were swearing. Then he surrenders, accepts the condition.

SALVATORE is serious, does not flaunt his victory, but you can tell he is happy.

He takes out a sheet of paper he had already prepared, with the solution to the

problem, rolls it up into a tiny ball and as soon as the TEACHER passes by,

takes aim and flicks it to him. ALFREDO'S hand catches the precious and dearly

bought message in mid-air. Their quarrel is over.

2I VARIOUS SETTINGS. INT. DAY/EVENING

A bright, lilting tune marks the rhythm of the quick, blurred images, as

in a dance, the images of ALFREDO teaching SALVATORE all the

secrets of the projectionist trade.

ALFREDO slips the reel on to the projector, unrolls the trailer and hands

it to SALVATORE. SALVATORE mounts the film on the sprockets.

Now SALVATORE sets the projector into motion, opens the shutter and

stands on tip-toe to see the screen from the hole...

A shot from In nome della legge. The main-floor audience applauds a

line spoken by Massimo Gironi. And from the balcony, the same little

MAN with the face of a public notary spits below.

MAIN FLOOR VOICE

Bastard!! Pencil-pusher!!

ALFREDO shows SALVATORE the running of the film. He points

to a place on the projector.

ALFREDO:

Pay attention. This is where it can

easily catch fire. If it

happens, the first thing you've got

to do is break it off, here

and here, so the whole reel doesn't

go up in fames.

On the screen, a shot from Riso amaro. A kiss. Unrelenting, the PRIEST rings his

bell. SALVATORE licks the film on one side, then on the other. He laughs.

ALFREDO:

You understand which side the

gelatin's on?

SALVATORE:

It tastes wonderful!

A shot of Amedeo Nazzari in La figlia del capitano. A jump,

an out-of-rack frame. The audience whistles.

AUDIENCE:

Fraaaame!! Wake up, Alfredo!

(SALVATORE tries to do a

hand-binding. ALFREDO

winds the film, hangs a

slip on a nail in the

wall.)

ALFREDO:

These are the shipping invoices for

the film. They are always to be kept.

You see?

SALVATORE:

OK, Alfredo.

Down on the main floor, a scene from Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Everyone screams and hides their faces when Hyde looks at the

camera.

AUDIENCE:

Holy Mother! What a face! So ugly!

One young man, ANGELO, doesn't hide his face. He looks up at

a young woman, ROSA, in the balcony, who turns and smiles at

him.

ALFREDO gives SALVATORE a wooden stool. He's had it made especially for him, so

he can be high enough to reach the reels of the projector and the arc lamp.

SALVATORE climbs up on it. He laughs, all excited.

ALFREDO:

Now you can run it by yourself.

SALVATORE gives another smile. He is posing in a photographer's studio . He is

all dressed up for first communion, holding a white lily. The flash goes off

like lightning during a storm. Now SALVATORE is posing next to his mother and

little sister. They smile without hugging. Another flash of light. Click!

22 FIFTH GRADE. INT. DAY

Another click. The transparency of Rita Hayworth in her black gown

from Gilda. MASINO is pasting it inside a minute pair of plastic field

glasses. Other pupils crowd around him in excitement.

MASINO:

(In a whisper)

Christ, what a piece of ass!!!

But there is not a cheerful atmosphere in the class - on the

contrary, a strange silence. The pupils are all standing around the

teacher's desk, having received their end-of-the-year report cards.

PEPPINO, who shared SALVATORE s desk, is saying goodbye to

his schoolmates. BOCCIA, COLA, the others. They have serious,

sad expressions. He and SALVATORE kiss like grown-ups. The

TEACHER is standing among them. One of the schoolmates does

not respond lo PEPPINO's goodbye gesture. He takes a few steps

back, serious, scared, his eyes lowered.

TEACHER:

Di Francesco, aren't you saying

goodbye to your schoolmate?

(DI FRANCESCO gives his

head a little shake. The

TEACHER leans over to

him.)

But why?

(DI FRANCESCO whispers,

almost into her ear.)

DI FRANCESCO:

My father says he's a Communist...

23 SQUARE AND PROJECTION BOOTH, CINEMA PARADISO. EXT/INT. DAY

Another farewell scene in the square. PEPPINO to his grandparents. His father

and mother are also there, saying goodbye to the old folks. There are tears. The

cardboard suitcases tied with string are loaded on to the luggage rack of the

black car. The scene is watched by SALVATORE and ALFREDO, up in the window of

the projection booth. They look like old friends. On the sound monitor, the

strains of some American musical comedy tune.

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