Cinema Paradiso Page #9

28 PROJECTION BOOTH AND SQUARE. INT/EXT. EVENING

Trying not to put his hand in front of the lens, ALFREDO removes the

frame with the glass that protects the projection. He wheels it around

and motions SALVATORE to look...On the wall behind the projector:

the film picture appears gradually, reflected by the glass, moves as the

glass moves all the way over to the window looking out over the square.

There it disappears. SALVATORE can barely believe his eyes, as if it

were a piece of magic. He takes a quick look through the hole to see if

the film is still showing on the screen. It is.

ALFREDO:

(Mysteriously)

Go to the window, boy, and have a

look...

SALVATORE goes over to the window. Looks out. The reflected

beam of light ends up on the white row of houses facing the

square. It's like another screen. Except the images are

backwards, like when you look in a mirror. And here and there

are the windows of the houses...For SALVATORE, it's a

wonderful spectacle, like a dream, ravishing.

SALVATORE:

Alfredo, it's beautiful.

(A voice is heard in the

crowd of people jammed

around the entrance to the

movie house.)

VOICE IN CROWD:

(Shouting)

Hey, look there!! The movie!!

(All heeds turn to look at

the house behind them.)

CROWD:

Oh, praise the Lord!! It's true!

Look! The movie!! There's Toto!!

Hurry! Hurry!...THANKS, ALFRED0000!!

And everybody runs over to the other side of the square, in front

of the strange new screen. ALFREDO and SALVATORE watch with glittering eyes.

SALVATORE lays his hand on the shoulder of his great pal.

SALVATORE:

Good for you, Alfredo!

A close-up of Toto projected on the houses, and one of the windows opens. A MAN

appears, in his pajamas. Dazzled by the light, he shades his eyes with his hand.

He sees all those people looking at him and laughing together.

CROWD:

Shut the window!! Shut the window! Go

to bed!!

The MAN is dazed. Doesn't now what's going on. Looks around, and sees the

black-and-white figures of the film dancing around him. He pops back inside,

slams the window shut, almost cared.

VOICES IN CROWD:

(To ALFREDO)

Sound!!! Sound!! Alfredooooo!!

ALFREDO:

What do you say, should we make them

happy?

SALVATORE:

(Smiling)

Sure, sure!

ALFREDO takes the loudspeaker of the monitor, rings it over to the window,

turns it around towards the square. He turns up he volume and the sound-track

fills the square. A chorus of approval.

CROWD:

Aaaaaaaa! At last!

ALFREDO:

(Looking at SALVATORE)

Do you want to go down there?

(SALVATORE gives a

contented nod.)

Go on.

SALVATORE runs on. ALFREDO looks wistfully towards the huge image in the

square. Down in the square SALVATORE heads for the crowd, his eyes trained on

the house-front screen. Behind him, the door of the movie house opens. The

PRIEST, Father Adelfio, sees the film being projected on the house front,

the people standing or sitting on the ground, laughing. His eyes nearly pop out

of his head. Then he motions over the TICKET-SELLER, whispers something into his

ear. The TICKET-SELLER strides over to the shivering spectators, pulls the pad

of tickets out of his pocket.

TICKET-SELLER

Ladies and gentlemen! You have to buy

tickets! Reduced rate!

An irresistible chorus of Bronx cheers washes over him. SALVATORE looks around,

highly amused.

CROWD:

F*** off!! The square belongs to

everybody!

(The VILLAGE IDIOT peers

Out Of the crowd, all

worked up.)

VILLAGE IDIOT:

No!!! The square's mine!!! Come on,

kids, no joking around here!!!

Otherwise...

The crowd roars with laughter. SALVATORE laughs too, as if carried away by it

all. And over the general merriment looms the shadow of ALFREDO, standing in the

window of the projection booth. All at once, on the house-front screen, the

image of Toto slows down for an instant, a white blister appears and spreads

until it fills the whole screen. The crowd gives a start of bewilderment and

fear. SALVATORE jerks his head around to look at the booth.

29 PROJECTION BOOTH. INT. DAY

The film bursts violently into flame among the gears and sprockets of the

projector. ALFREDO is taken off-guard. He breaks the film running into the take-

up reel, but is unable to do it for the delivery reel. He grabs the film which

is catching fire and pulls it out quickly, tries to stop the flames from

reaching the reel in the f reproof housing. A desperate race against the speed

of the fire. The flames on the floor burn his legs. ALFREDO gives a jump, slows

down the movement of his hands for an instant and inevitably the flames run

ahead, reach the upper housing. It's like an explosion. The flames leap out,

striking him full in the face. ALFREDO doesn't have time to scream, struggles

desperately and falls to the floor. Meanwhile the flames envelop everything.

30 SQUARE.EXT.EVENING

The flash of the flames flares up in the windows of the projection booth.

SALVATORE is appalled, elbows his way through the moving

crowd. Inside the movie house the murmuring of the audience can be heard,

growing louder and louder. A scream...

3I:
CINEMA PARADISO. INT. EVENING

A violent spurt of flames leaps out of the mouth of the plaster lion's head,

into the darkness broken by the screams of people rushing for the exits.

32 SQUARE AND CINEMA PARADISO ENTRANCE. EXT. EVENING

The crowd streaks out of the movie house, enveloped in a cloud of black smoke.

CROWD:

Heeeelp! Run for your lives!!!

In the general panic, SALVATORE tries in vain to get inside, elbows his way

towards the street with the stairs leading to the projection booth. The audience

clashes against him, knocks him to the ground, almost trampling him underfoot.

He is suddenly seized by a superhuman force; gets up, claws his way desperately

ahead, with people falling on top of him and to the floor. He finally succeeds,

starts up the stairs...

33 CINEMA PARADISO. STAIRS AND PROJECTION BOOTH. INT. EVENING

The place is filled with smoke. The air is suffocating. SALVATORE streaks up the

stairs, gasping for breath. The projection booth is enveloped inflames.

ALFREDO's body on the floor, burning. SALVATORE moves quickly, throws a blanket

over his shoulders, drags him by the feet over to the stairs, as boxes and other

objects fall on him. Using the same blanket, he stamps out the flames that have

seared ALFREDO'S clothes. With the force of desperation, he drags him further

down the stairs which have been reached by the smoke but not by the flames.

ALFREDO doesn't move, his face is burnt. SALVATORE looks at him and only now is

panic-stricken, lets out a terrified shriek, like a wounded colt.

SALVATORE:

Alfredo! Heeeelp! Help!!!

34 CINEMA PARADISO. INT. EVENING

The plaster lion looks like a dragon spitting fire and smoke. The statue of the

Virgin Mary is also in flames. And the movie screen.

35 SQUARE AND CINEMA PARADISO. EXT. EVENING

The fire has been put out. Nothing remains of the movie house but the skeleton.

Everything has gone up in smoke.

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