Malcolm X Page #10

CLOSE - MALCOLM

Holding the deadly instrument, fascinated by it, hefting it,

feeling its power.

ARCHIE:

It's yours, baby. Put it on.

Malcolm slips it carefully into the small of his back, behind

his trouser belt. His first gun: the feeling shines in his

eyes, Bogart has become a black man.

ARCHIE:

How's it feel?

MALCOLM:

Solid, daddy.

ARCHIE:

Okay, baby. Now you outfitted. You

ready to tackle the street?

MALCOLM:

Let 'em come. I'm ready.

INT/EXT. VARIOUS LOCATIONS - SERIES OF CLOSE SHOTS

A FIVE DOLLAR BILL. CAMERA GOES IN for the last three digits.

STOCK MARKET BOARD at the end of a day's trading. GO IN for

the last three numbers.

PREACHER in a pulpit, reading from the Bible.

PREACHER:

Let us turn to the Gospel according

to St. John. Chapter 3, Verse 83.

A VOICE:

3, 8, 3.

Malcolm scribbles the number onto a piece of paper.

A CASH REGISTER:

Ringing up an amount: $2.98.

A VOICE:

2, 9, 8.

Malcolm's hand writes out the number.

CLOSE - TRAIN TERMINAL SIGN

It reads "New York to Chicago." PAN DOWN TO SHOW "Train

arrives 1:
05."

VOICE:

1, 0, 5.

Archie with Malcolm as the latter writes down "1, 0, 5."

ARCHIE:

I told you less paper, less trouble.

MALCOLM:

I'm working on it.

ARCHIE:

I keep all my numbers in my head.

I've never written any down.

He taps his head.

CLOSE - FACE OF AN ELDERLY WOMAN

ELDERLY WOMAN:

I saw it in my dream. 5, 5, 5. And

last week my sister had a dream and

she hit.

CLOSE - FACE OF AN ELDERLY BARBER

BARBER:

I got it from Ching Chow. It got to

be 2, 5, 1.

INT. MOVIE THEATRE - NIGHT

CLOSE - MALCOLM

WE ARE TIGHT ON Malcolm's intense face, he is pulling on a

fat joint.

We hear BOGART blasting his way out of a police blockade.

A phone rings.

INT. ARCHIE'S ROOM - NIGHT

There is music playing. Wordlessly, Archie sprinkles a few

grains of fine crystal onto a round shaving mirror. He slides

it across a table to Malcolm and hands him a short straw.

Sophia sits next to Malcolm; she and Archie are already high.

Malcolm leans over the mirror, placing the straw in his

nostril.

TIGHT CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM'S FACE

In the mirror (something satanic about him) -- as he sniffs

the cocaine well into his nose.

A beat as he leans back waiting for the drug to take hold,

Malcolm looks into dressing mirror.

ARCHIE:

It hit?

MALCOLM:

Nnnnnnn!

Malcolm with gun in hand does his Bogart gangster imitation.

ARCHIE:

Ain't nuthin' in the world to give

you that real deep cool. Like girl.

You there?

MALCOLM:

I'm there, daddy. Wheww. I'm cool

enough to kill.

ARCHIE:

Bet you are.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

FREEZE FRAME:

SOPHIA'S VOICE

Malcolm, you're so funny.

She continues to laugh.

BACK TO REAL TIME.

MALCOLM:

You got any money.

Before Sophia can answer he grabs her pocketbook, dumping

all the contents on the floor but the dough.

SOPHIA:

Baby, I was gonna give it to you.

MALCOLM:

Well, b*tch you move too slow.

ARCHIE:

Sometimes you got a big ugly mouth.

MALCOLM:

Yeah, and I'm putting my money where

my ugly mouth is. I'm putting you

back in the numbers right now.

(to Sophia)

Baby, what's today?

Sophia is not sure of this, or anything else.

SOPHIA:

August 2nd. I think. Yeah.

She laughs at her achievement.

MALCOLM:

Daddy, put me down for a combination.

Combinate me, daddy: 8, 2, 1. You

got me? 8, 1, 2; 1, 8, 2...

With each number he throws a bill at Archie.

MALCOLM:

1, 2, 8; 2, 8, 1. I git 'em all?

ARCHIE:

(angrily taking the

money)

I'll take your goddam bet.

Malcolm slides his tongue down Sophia's throat.

EXT. SMALL'S PARADISE - NIGHT

A miserable night, raining and cold. Malcolm turns into the

bar.

INT. THE BAR - NIGHT

Shaking off the rain as Malcolm walks through. He is now a

familiar figure to the bar's DENIZENS. He is met with ad lib

cries:
"Hey, Little," "Have a taste," from the men; and from

the women:
"Come here, sugar," "Where you been?"

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