Leon Page #8

MATHILDA:

It's cool departing this way... warm...

music...

LEON:

There are better things. You see the

importance of the "moment". Ten minutes

early or late, he'd have seen death. He'd

have suffered it. This way, he already

departed. Without knowing.

MATHILDA:

...I'd like knowing what he's listening

to...

LEON:

...Later.

Leon lifts his gun's cock and puts the weapon in front of the

man.

- Close-up:
a finger pushes a lift's button.

- Close-up:
red light on, lift's coming.

- Close-up:
Leon's hands open a packet of chewing-gums.

* * * * * * * * * *

ANOTHER BUILDING - ANOTHER DAY

Mathilda and Leon in the corridor of a banal building. Leon

offers a chewing-gum to Mathilda, who accepts it. She's

listening to a walkman. Leon sweetly pulls the headphones off

her head.

LEON(kindly)

Mathilda, we're at work! No music, OK!

She smiles.

MATHILDA:

OK... I like it. It gives me the rhythm.

He smiles. Mathilda finds the door, places her chewing-gum on

the peephole and gets in position for her "chat". True

routine. Leon in position. Mathilda rings the doorbell.

MAN:

...Yes?

MATHILDA:

Excuse me, Mister... I'm looking for

Mister Rubens' apartment, but it's dark

out here and I got lost...

MAN:

...One second.

She thumbs up, alright. Leon keeps concentrated. He hears a

noise he knows. He searches in his memory. FLASH: Leon loads

a kalashnikov. Same noise. Leon catches Mathilda and literally

throws her to the soil. Behind her, the door explodes with

numberless impacts. The man inside empties his charger on the

door. Leon threw away his shears and pulled out his shotgun.

He's furious, to this extent he fears for Mathilda. He gets

concentrated as he's never been. The man inside shouldn't have

become that nervous. Furthermore, he goes on.

MAN:

Come on, little stupid? Is it enough or

want some more! Then? Come on, show me

your face! Come!

MAN:

Did you think you could get me by such

an old trick?! The gum trick, I played

it before your birth, idiot! Come on,

show me your little f***ing face! The gum

trick! Huh! I go.

Mathilda's recovering. Leon sighs.

LEON(to Mathilda)

When it starts this way, it's bad. You

have to make it quickly, or he'll keep us

here for hours with his bullshit!

Leon gets a hand under his overcoat and pulls out something.

LEON(to the man)

Hey!... What about the ring trick... Do

you know it?

MAN:

The ring trick? ...Come on, little

idiot! Show me your famous trick. Come

on, I'm waiting! Come!

From the inside, you see a grenade rolling in the apartment.

MAN:

...Sh*t.

The apartment explodes. Nothing more.

Leon turns toward Mathilda and shows her the ring in his

hand.

LEON:

This is the ring trick.

Mathilda stupidly shakes her head: she's dismayed.

* * * * * * * * * *

TONY'S RESTAURANT

About 4pm. Restaurant is desert, apart from Dino, who's

keeping books at his usual table. An elegantly dressed man

gets inside. He's forced to put away his sunglasses because of

the feeble interior light. He looks nervous. He sits in front

of Tony. He's a little surprised.

TONY:

Tell me, there's nobody in the

restaurant:
you're not forced to sit at

my table?

MAN (still not at ease)

...I need company.

The man pulls out his badge and hands it to Tony. He works

for FBI.

TONY:

Rinaldi... Rinaldi... What region do

you come from?

RINALDI:

Messina.

TONY:

Emilio? Due grappe!

(to Rinaldi)

...Why the hell did you come here?

He returns his badge.

RINALDI:

Rightly... I came here to recover.

Rinaldi hands him a small photograph. Tony looks at it and

turns it to read the note on the back.

TONY:

But... He works for your same employer?

RINALDI:

Yeah, but I don't give a sh*t about. I

trade at left, at right and that's

dangerous in there...

TONY:

It's a little out of the world coming to

visit me this way, on mid afternoon. It

really isn't the usual procedure...

RINALDI:

I know... But I'm a little pressed.

Tony is perplexed.

TONY:

...Who sent you?

RINALDI:

Giancarlo... Rinaldi.

Tony smiles.

TONY:

Is he still alive?

RINALDI:

Yeah... And still in Messina. He's my

uncle.

TONY:

Huh? Are you Alfredo's son, then?

RINALDI:

No... Dino's.

The kid didn't fall in the trap.

TONY (smiling)

...It's true... How is he, the old

Dino?

RINALDI:

He's dead, five years ago...

TONY (saddened)

Sorry... You see what's this job, you

work, you work. You even don't care

visiting friends now and then...

He takes a blackboard and writes 16000 ahead. He gives it to

Rinaldi. Rinaldi reads, then writes "Is it double". Tony

smiles.

TONY:

Have you ever been in Messina, son?

RINALDI:

Yes... Twice.

TONY:

Did you fish in Messina? The "pesce

spada"?

RINALDI:

No...

TONY:

It's a specialty down there. It's a

fishing boat with, in front, a long pole

near the surface. Then, near the cabin, a

very tall mast with a little cabin for

the lookout.

TONY:

A lookout above, one below, two fishers

and a captain. A lot of people, for such

a small boat like that. They depart to

the sea, sometimes for days, never sure

they'll get something.

Rinaldi listens. Tony speaks and writes at the same time.

TONY (con't)

Sometimes, it's a lot of work for

nothing. ...And then you must know that,

the bigger the fish is, the older it is,

the more expert it is... ...Therefore,

the more difficult he is to get. You

understand what I mean, son?

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