The American Page #16

CLARA:

Eduardo.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 89. page 89.

JACK looks at her.

CLARA:

Is this your real name?

A beat.

JACK:

Is Clara yours?

CLARA:

Si. Yes.

She looks at him. Waiting for his reply.

JACK:

Edward is my real name.

CLARA:

Ed-ward.

She doesn’t believe him.

CLARA:

You sure you not married, Eduardo?

JACK:

Quite sure.

About this he’s telling the truth.

CLARA reaches for the RED PURSE.

From behind the picnic hamper lid we hear the CLICK of a

cocking mechanism.

CLARA hesitates for a moment.

JACK watches her intently.

She reaches into her purse.

JACK is expressionless.

When CLARA withdraws her right hand she is holding a tube of

SUNTAN LOTION.

A beat.

JACK watches as she commences smoothing it into her skin,

rubbing it around her breasts, pushing them aside, pressing

them upwards. Then she caresses the lotion into her belly and

down her thighs, bending at the waist as she works it into

her shins.

CLARA:

Will you put this behind me?

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 89A. page 89A.

She proffers him the SUNTAN LOTION.

JACK stares at her baking body, transfixed by its terrible

and perfect beauty.

"The American" June 21st, 2010

page 90.

Hidden behind the LID of the picnic hamper...

...his trembling right hand grips tightly to his WALTHER.

A long pause.

CLARA:

Eduardo?

He’s frozen.

CLARA:

Amore?

Time seems to stop.

ECU on JACK.

Suddenly, CLARA sits up.

CLARA:

Eduardo, what’s wrong?

JACK swallows.

When he speaks his mouth his dry.

JACK:

Nothing.

When he moves towards her, he is holding nothing in his

hands.

He takes the tube of SUNTAN lotion.

JACK (V.O.)

Dear Father Benedetto...

And begins to run it into CLARA’s back.

JACK (V.O.)

I promised myself that I would

write to you- as your friend- to

say goodbye.

123

EXT. WOODS- DAY 123

SLAM!

JACK shuts the boot of the car.

He scans the river banks.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 91. page 91.

No sign of the picnic.

No sign of CLARA.

JACK (V.O.)

Everything I’ve ever done...

Then he spots something.

On the ground, not far from the car.

He walks over and picks it up.

It’s one of CLARA’s shoes.

JACK (V.O.)

I’ve done for a reason. *

JACK is staring at the SHOE.

JACK (V.O.)

I never thought the day would come

when I’d run out of reasons.

Reasons to worry. Reasons to run.

Reasons to pull the trigger.

JACK turns and walks over to the car.

CLARA is in the passenger seat.

JACK (V.O.)

Maybe that day’s come.

JACK gets into the Fiat.

JACK (V.O.)

Or maybe I’ve just found a reason

to stop.

And hands CLARA her shoe.

CLARA:

Grazie, Eduardo.

JACK:

I still don’t understand. What’s

the point of a gun if it’s not

loaded?

CLARA:

One of the girls borrow it to me

after two prostitute in Pescara is

murdered. It make me safe with

clients. I don’t tell the police,

certo, but... Madonna, Eduardo. How

they do to these two women!

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 92. page 92.

CLARA:

A police agente from Rome show me

photographs. They show photographs

to everyone around Via Lampedusa.

CLARA shivers with disgust.

CLARA:

Non capito... how one person hurt

another this way.

JACK looks lost, like a man drained of all resolution.

JACK:

Does the gun make you feel safer

with me?

CLARA:

You are not client.

JACK:

Then why’s it in your purse?

CLARA looks unhappy.

CLARA:

I work tonight, amore.

Silence.

JACK looks away.

JACK (V.O.)

There’s a chance this is suicide.

Cops often put the heat on working

girls. The girl I told you about,

Clara, might have sold me out, or

maybe she’s a hired gun. Then

again, maybe Clara is exactly who

she says she is, and my Belgian

clients will take the gun, shoot me

and keep the money. Always a risk

in my profession, or it’s possible

my trusted colleague in Rome no

longer trusts me. Maybe he just

wants out and is tying up loose

ends... maybe...

CLARA:

There’s a processione...?

JACK:

Procession?

CLARA:

Tomorrow. In Castel Del Monte. We

go to this together.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 93. page 93.

JACK:

Maybe.

CLARA’s eyes light up.

CLARA:

And after that? After tomorrow and

the next day.

JACK:

I can’t stay here forever, Clara.

As the words leave his lips he thinks how much he wishes he

could.

JACK (V.O.)

It’s not that I’ve given up on

life. Just the way that I was

living it. If you can call it

living.

JACK:

It’s time to go home.

CLARA:

Let me come to your home.

JACK:

I can’t, Clara.

She’s upset but decides not to press her demand. Jack starts

the car.

JACK (V.O.)

If I had one wish, Father, it would

be this. That it’s not Clara who

finally pulls the trigger. But

whoever it is... One thing is

certain...

CLARA kisses him and simply says:

CLARA:

Stay forever.

The car drives off.

JACK (V.O.)

...by this time tomorrow I’ll be

dead.

Fade to black.

124 EXT/INT. CHURCH- DAY 124

A POSTMAN hands the mail to FATHER BENEDETTO.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 94. page 94.

FATHER BENEDETTO

Ciao Enzo, come stai?

IL POSTINO:

Bene grazie, Padre.

We follow FATHER BENEDETTO inside as he rifles through a

bunch of church circulars. One LETTER catches his eye.

He opens it and starts to read aloud:

FATHER BENEDETTO

Dear Father Benedetto. I promised

myself that I would write to you-

as your friend- to say goodbye...

125 INT. JACK'S ROOM- DAY 125

JACK is standing in his room with a very troubled look on his

face. After staring, for what feels like minutes, he walks

over to the table and takes the M14 out of the briefcase.

JACK is making a final adjustment to the Ruger M14 rifle.

FATHER BENEDETTO (V.O.)

Everything I’ve ever done...

We cannot see what he’s doing, but we sense the significance

of the moment.

FATHER BENEDETTO (V.O.)

I’ve done for a reason.

126

JACK is standing by the door in an impeccably pressed suit,

the black SAMSONITE BRIEFCASE in his hand.

He surveys his room. All evidence of his existence has been

meticulously tidied away. Only his holdall and suitcase are

standing near the door.

JACK picks up his belongings and leaves.

127 EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - DAY 127

The sun is shining. The mountains young and sharp and

beautiful. The CAR moves swiftly across the great setting the

road is surrounded by.

128 INT. CAR- CONTINUOUS 128

INT. JACK’S ROOM- DAY126

JACK watches the road. On the long straights he looks

backwards and forwards.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 95. page 95.

129 EXT. HIGHWAY SERVICE STATION- DAY 129

JACK comes off the highway on a slip road and pulls into a

forecourt consisting of several rows of pumps, a WC, a repair

garage and a CAFE.

The car park is not large. JACK parks the Fiat near the CAFE.

JACK double checks the magazine in his handgun is full and

slips his WALTHER into his jacket pocket.

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