Léon: The Professional

Notes:

The beginning is identical to the movie, so we considered

useless reporting it here. It's from Mathilda's first rifle

training scene that the original script is totally different

from the movie. This version is much more violent and the

affective relation between Leon and Mathilda shows no more

ambiguities. In this version, Mathilda was to be aged 13 or

14

* * * * * * * * * *

Leon and Mathilda arrive on the roof of a building which

faces Central Park. They get close to a wall and maintain this

position. Sunlight floods the park.

LEON(concentrated)

Firstly, you look. For more than one

minute. Because there are alarm systems

with one minute period. Therefore, you

wait and look. Alarms firstly, the sky

for helicopters, nearby buildings.

Meanwhile, you observe soil's color and

will try to wear dresses of the same

color. Never lighter.

Mathilda listens very carefully.

LEON:

OK. Good. Now you can assemble your

weapon.

He opens the violin case and assembles a rifle with

telescopic sight and silencer.

LEON:

The rifle is the first weapon you learn

to use, because you can keep far from the

client. The more experience you have, the

closer you get.

He finished assembling the weapon and hands it to Mathilda.

She's going to pull off telescope's cover.

LEON:

No. Always take it off at the last

moment, because of light reflexes.

They'll see you in two seconds.

They get close to roof's edge. Mathilda sits down and gets in

position.

LEON:

Relax. You must feel at ease.

Mathilda leans down properly.

MATHILDA:

OK, I'm fine.

LEON:

Good.

He removes telescope's cover.

LEON:

Here, this is the light scoop for night

shooting. There, you fix client's

distance... How much to the bench down

there in the park?

MATHILDA:

Huh... 500 meters?

LEON:

130... 140...

MATHILDA:

How can you say it?

LEON:

Look. When you can see his fingers, it's

50 meters. When you just see his hands,

it's about 80 meters. When you

distinguish arms from body, it's 120-130.

When you see nothing more than a shape,

you don't shoot. Not very sure. You have

one chance out of five to miss. A

contract means getting all chances on

your side. 5 out of 5. You can't miss a

client. Never... If the task is delicate

or the risk is too big, you double. That

is, you insure yourself by another means.

MATHILDA:

What, for example?

LEON:

Well, if the guy is far, in a car, and I

know weather is going to be bad, rain for

example, I think I would plastic the car,

with a remote here. I shoot from the

distance and if I miss I plastic.

MATHILDA:

What if you can't approach the car or he

changes car?

Leon thinks.

LEON:

Rocket launcher.

MATHILDA:

Oh really?

(She looks at the

road and imagines)

But can you miss the car?

Leon pulls a small box out of the violin.

LEON(showing a special bullet)

It's a coded bullet... You put it in the

rifle, you glue it to the car, no matter

where. Then you take your rocket

launcher and the rocket will get there

automatically.

MATHILDA:

Wow! It's brilliant!

LEON:

Yeah... Come on, have a little

training.

Mathilda gets in position.

MATHILDA:

Who'll I aim at?

LEON:

Whoever.

Leon pulled out binoculars. Mathilda looks for a victim by

telescope. She passes over playing kids.

MATHILDA:

No women... No kids....

Leon smiles:
she learnt the lesson.

LEON:

Begin from a steady target. It's easier.

She stops on a man who's reading a newspaper. The man wears

a suit, Herald Tribune, fat.

MATHILDA:

The fat man down there, on the bench.

LEON:

Perfect.

Mathilda aims at the fat man. One of bench's boards explodes.

The fat man turns his head. He doesn't understand what

happened and resumes reading.

LEON:

Try again. The same.

Second shot. The bench explodes on the opposite side. The

man is still curious but doesn't understand.

LEON(at binoculars)

Too much to the left.

Mathilda concentrates again and shoots: nothing happens.

Mathilda wonders whether she missed again and prepares for a

new shot.

LEON:

Wait...

The fat man softly leans down on his side.

LEON:

Bull's-eye.

Mathilda is happy but, evidently, she expected death to be

more spectacular.

LEON:

Come on, now a walking one.

Mathilda aims at a businessman. She really chooses the

ugliest one. She shoots. Man's case explodes and he hides

behind a tree:
he's scared and doesn't move any more.

LEON:

Good! First shot!

MATHILDA:

Yeah, but I didn't get him, I got his

case and now he's behind the tree. What

can I do?

LEON:

It's not serious, it's just training.

You have to learn from the beginning to

hit the target, then, to improve

precision, you'll train, but on

cardboards.

MATHILDA:

OK.

LEON:

Now, try a running guy.

Mathilda gets back to telescope and looks for a jogger.

MATHILDA:

The yellow and pink.

LEON:

OK.

The guy is footing, sweaty, with a walkman and headphones.

Mathilda shoots once. Twice. Thrice. The bullets pass around

the jogger, who can't see or hear anything.

MATHILDA:

Sh*t! It's hard when he runs!

Leon hands her another charger.

LEON:

Don't lose him! Concentrate. There,

reload. OK, keep calm. Calm, breathe

deeply. Look at his movements. Imagine

you're running with him. Breathe... Hold

your breathe... His movements... Now...

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