Léon: The Professional Page #6

Leon looks at her, then looks at the money.

LEON:

Not taken.

MATHILDA:

Why?

LEON:

Too heavy.

Mathilda thinks fast.

MATHILDA:

Well... Then may you rent me your gear

for the day?

LEON:

I never rent my gear.

Blocked on every front, she sweetly starts crying.

MATHILDA:

Why are you doing this to me, Leon? Why

don't you take me with you for contracts?

If you teach me, we'll can do mine

together! That would be good, wouldn't

it?

Leon intensely look at her, neither severe, nor badly. Just

cold, like an iceberg.

LEON:

Mathilda, nothing is the same, after you

kill someone. Your life changes forever.

You'll can never cancel it, neither from

your memory, nor from your criminal

record... You'll never sleep again like

before, Mathilda.

Mathilda dries up her tears. She's abandoned, exhausted.

MATHILDA:

If you knew, Leon...! I killed one

thousand in my head... And this never

disturbed my sleep.

LEON:

OK... And if it's you who gets killed?

(Mathilda doesn't

reply.)

...Then? Talking about other people's

death is easy, but what about yours?

She's here! She moves around you, and

can get you in a thousandth of second.

Because it was your day, your hour, your

second...

Mathilda looks at him. Leon gets confused.

LEON (con't)

It's written in the sky, from the

beginning, just you don't know! Then

someone announces you like this!

Suddenly! "Did you ask yourself what time

you will die?" Well, it's now! And it's

too late already, you've got a bullet in

your lungs already! There!

He pushes her by his index finger, enough to hurt her.

LEON:

Painful, isn't it?

(He pushes again.)

You don't like talking about death

because you're like everyone: you fear

it...

LEON:

...Well, it's this fear that makes you

live. It's because you fear death that

you live with so much tenacity. It's

because of it that you bear what's

unbearable. You can live in a hovel, on

lots of trash, everything is better than

death and the fear you have of it.

(Pause)

But me... Leon... I don't fear it any

more... They look at each other for a

moment. It takes a long to lose it, this

fear, but once you lost it... You are

free... And just then you can start

working properly... Because you can work

on other people's fear, play with it...

Because "kill or get killed" have become

just words... Do you understand?

Mathilda slightly nods yes.

LEON:

...You can't pretend to make this job,

until you get beyond this stage. The day

you get free of this fear... Not

before...

Mathilda looks at his eyes, without challenge.

MATHILDA:

Leon... I have no fear... It's so.

Leon stares at her. He tries to ascertain truth in Mathilda's

eyes. A long pause.

LEON:

OK...

He takes a weapon, empties the cylinder, then loads just one

bullet.

LEON (con't)

...Do you know this game?

Mathilda nods yes. He turns the cylinder.

LEON:

One shot ahead... I start.

He gets the barrel to his temple so that, if the bullet

explodes, blood will get out with a downward angle. He's ready.

He pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. He puts the gun in

front of her.

Mathilda takes it. She looks at him with so much love he

almost gets upset.

She's not scared. She'd just like things to be different;

maybe she'd like Leon to open his heart to her. She sighs,

looks at the gun. She takes it, lifts the cock and aims the

weapon at her face. She's resigned.

MATHILDA:

...Love or death.

She gets the barrel in her mouth and looks at Leon. A tear

drop on Leon's front. She pulls the trigger. Nothing. She

puts down the gun. Leon stands up, turns around the table and

embraces her. He holds her tight. She's surprised. She kindly

pushes Leon back, to look at his eyes.

MATHILDA:

Am I ready?

Leon pauses, slightly smiles and nods yes. Mathilda closes

her eyes, happy and relieved. She takes his hand and embraces

him for a long. Leon lets her do.

* * * * * * * * * *

MORNING - A FEW DAYS LATER

Leon and Mathilda in a '50s building. Slightly luxury. Leon

checks emergency exits, then gets in front of a door. He moves

his hand along door's border.

MATHILDA:

What are you doing?

LEON:

I'm looking for chain's position.

Sometimes you can't see it, but you can

feel it... Here.

He opens his overcoat and pulls out large shears. He pulls a

chewing-gum out of his mouth and squeezes it on the peephole.

LEON:

I ring and you make him open, OK?

He rings.

MATHILDA (caught slightly off-balance)

What shall I say?

LEON:

Whatever you want.

Mathilda thinks. The guy arrives behind the door.

MAN:

Yes?

MATHILDA:

Good morning, Mister... It's Danielle!

MAN:

Huh! You made an error, baby. I don't

know any Danielle.

MATHILDA:

...I got lost, Mister.

MAN:

Huh? Move back, baby, I can't see

anything.

MATHILDA:

It's not me, it's dark here... and I

can't find the switch.

She looks at Leon and he mimics "mean".

MATHILDA:

Mister... I'm scared.

Leon thumbs up.

MAN:

Huh? Don't move, baby.

Noise:
the man is engaging the safety chain. Leon prepares

his shears at the correct height. The man opens the door. The

chain explodes. Leon already pulled out his silenced gun. The

man is pressed against a wall. Mathilda looks around, takes

the gum off the peephole, gets in the apartment and closes the

door. Leon catches man's throat.

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