Ninotchka Page #16

A clock strikes.

LEON:

Do you hear that?

NINOTCHKA:

It's twelve o'clock.

LEON:

It's midnight. One half of Paris is

making love to the other half. Look

at the clock. One hand has met the

other hand. They kiss. Isn't that

wonderful?

NINOTCHKA:

That's the way a clock works. There's

nothing wonderful about it. You merely

feel you must put yourself in a

romantic mood to add to your

exhilaration.

LEON:

I can't possibly think of a better

reason.

NINOTCHKA:

It's false sentimentality.

LEON:

(trying desperately

to make her mood

more romantic)

You analyze everything out of

existence. You analyze me out of

existence. I won't let you. Love is

not so simple. Ninotchka, Ninotchka,

why do doves bill and coo? Why do

snails, coldest of all creatures,

circle interminably around each other?

Why do moths fly hundreds of miles

to find their mates? Why do flowers

open their petals? Oh, Ninotchka,

Ninotchka, surely you feel some slight

symptom of the divine passion... a

general warmth in the palms of your

hands... a strange heaviness in your

limbs... a burning of the lips that

is not thirst but a thousand times

more tantalizing, more exalting,

than thirst?

He pauses, waiting for the results of his speech.

NINOTCHKA:

You are very talkative.

That is too much for Leon. He takes her into his arms and

kisses her.

LEON:

Was that talkative?

NINOTCHKA:

No, that was restful. Again.

Leon kisses her again.

NINOTCHKA:

Thank you.

LEON:

Oh, my barbaric Ninotchka. My

impossible, unromantic, statistical...

The telephone rings.

LEON:

(continuing)

Glorious, analytical...

NINOTCHKA:

The telephone is ringing.

LEON:

Oh, let it ring.

NINOTCHKA:

But one of your friends may be in

need of you. You must answer.

Leon exits out of shot to answer telephone.

CLOSE SHOT -- AT DESK

Leon enters, sits down, takes the telephone.

LEON:

(into phone)

Hello?... Yes... I'm sorry but I

couldn't make it. I ran into a friend

from the army... What?... The deal

is off! Are you crazy, Buljanoff?...

CLOSE-UP -- NINOTCHKA

She is startled by the name.

LEON -- AT TELEPHONE

LEON:

...A special envoy arrived... What?...

That sounds better. I'll be glad to

see her any time she wants... Oh,

she doesn't want to see me? What do

you know about that? Why?... Well,

I'll get in touch with her myself.

What's her name?...

(he takes a pencil

and a piece of paper)

...What?... Yaku... How do you spell

it?... Heavens! those Russian names!

(he starts to write

it down)

...I... Oh, Y...

Camera pulls back and Ninotchka enters the shot. She takes

pencil from Leon's hand, writes out the name, and leaves

again. At first Leon is not aware of the full significance

of her action. Then it dawns on him.

LEON:

(continuing)

Yakushova... Ninotch...

At last the situation is entirely clear to him.

LEON:

(into phone)

All right. Thank you.

He hangs up and stares at Ninotchka. She is putting on her

jacket.

LEON:

(camera panning with

him as he walks over

to her)

Ninotchka...

He takes her arm.

NINOTCHKA:

I must go.

LEON:

Ninotchka, or shall I say Special

Envoy Yakushova...

NINOTCHKA:

Let's forget that we ever met.

LEON:

I have a better suggestion. Let's

forget that the telephone ever rang.

I never heard that you are

Yakushova... you are Ninotchka... my

Ninotchka...

NINOTCHKA:

(firmly)

I was sent here by my country to

fight you.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes