The American Page #2

12

JACK waits.

12INT. BAR- DAY

PAVEL enters.

Sits at JACK’S TABLE.

*

He is older than JACK. Refined but tough. A man of few words

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 6A. page 6A.

PAVEL (V.O.) *

You’ll find a dark blue Fiat Tempra *

with Pescara plates. I’ve marked a *

small town called Castelvecchio on *

the map. Stay there and lay low *

‘till you get my call. *

We cut back to the cafe. *

PAVEL *

Don’t talk to anyone. And Jack, *

above all else don’t make any *

friends... you used to know that. *

JACK watches him go. *

PAVEL rises. *

We now cut to Jack at the car parked on the street,

(Previously hot.) as we hear Pavel.

*

*

12A INT. BAR - DAY (ALTERNATE VERSION) 12A *

JACK waits. *

PAVEL enters. *

Sits at JACKS table. *

He is older than JACK. Refined but tough. A man of few words *

but much gravitas. *

It’s clear there’s a long history of mutual respect between *

these two men. *

PAVEL *

Who was the girl? *

JACK *

A friend. *

PAVEL *

A friend? *

JACK *

Who were the Swedes... *

PAVEL *

I’m working on that... It’s going *

to take some time. Did she set you *

up? *

JACK *

She had nothing to do with it. *

PAVEL *

A pity. *

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 6B. page 6B.

Beat. *

PAVEL *

I’ve made arrangements for you in a *

small town in Abruzzo while I sort *

this out. *

JACK looks at him. There is tension between the two men. *

PAVEL *

Don’t talk to anyone. And Jack, *

above all else don’t make any *

friends... you used to know that. *

PAVEL reaches into his inside pocket. JACK watches closely. *

PAVEL produces an envelope and pushes it across the table. *

PAVEL *

Turn right outside the bar, then *

second left, Via Magenta. You’ll *

find a dark blue Fiat Tempra with *

Pescara plates. I’ve marked a small *

town on the map, Castelvecchio. *

Stay there and lay low ‘till you *

get my call. *

PAVEL rises. *

JACK watches him go. *

"The American" June 21st, 2010

page 7.

13

EXT/INT. CAR- DAY 13

JACK walks down a narrow street lined with parked cars.

He passes an dark blue FIAT Tempra from around 1995.

JACK waits until he’s certain no one’s following him before

he doubles back on himself, grabs the key from its hiding

place on top of the rear right tire and climbs inside.

Checking the rear view mirror and the road ahead, JACK opens

the glove compartment and finds a PLAIN MANILLA ENVELOPE.

Inside the envelope is:

-a PASSPORT bearing Jack’s photo in the name of Edward Clarke

-a DRIVER’S LICENSE in the same name

-several thousand euros in CASH

-A MOBILE PHONE in a cellophane bag.

-and a MAP.

14

EXT. AUTOSTRADA- DAY - TITLES OVER THIS PART 14

A long tunnel:
one of the longest in Europe.

JACK at the wheel.

It seems like night: black ceiling, strip lights, shadows.

Vast fans suspended from the ceiling shift the traffic fumes.

A button of light, expanding...

...as we burst into daylight, blinding Jack.

15

EXT. ITALIAN LANDSCAPE- DAY - TITLES CONTINUED 15

We’re in another world and Jack puts on his sunglasses.

"The American" June 21st, 2010

page 8.

JACK'S CAR is driving thru an amazing, hard but breathtaking

landscape and finally winds its way up a twisting mountain

road towards...

...a ramshackle, lonely, desolate Italian HILLTOP TOWN.

The town sits beneath it’s own castle. Medieval towers,

gables, streets and church bells: framed by the snow-capped

mountain peaks beyond.

This is not the Italy of E.M. Forster or of Bella Tuscany.

This is the Italy where the Crusaders built their fortresses.

The Italy where Sergio Leone conceived of his great Westerns.

A CHURCH BELL tolls...

16

EXT. CROSS ROADS- LATE AFTERNOON 16

JACK slows down, taking in the roadsigns.

At the crossroads are SIGNPOSTS, one of which pointing to the

town.

The sign reads:

CASTELVECCHIO.

16A

INT. CAR- CONTINUOUS 16A

JACK looks at the sign and drives up the road to

Castelvecchio. (POV)

17

EXT. CAR - LATE AFTERNOON 17

He looks at the quiet townsquare, at the vast stone ramparts.

An OLD MAN comes out of a crooked medieval doorway, stares at

JACK and disappears into another building. Two women stop

talking to each other and look at him.

JACK looks at the dead sockets of the windows, random beneath

the rotting patchwork of rooves.

A DOG barks. The atmosphere is deathly.

JACK makes a decision.

And drives away.

18

EXT. VIADUCT- LATE AFTERNOON 18

We see JACK’S CAR heading away from CASTELVECCHIO.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 8A. page 8A.

The CAR crosses a spectacular VIADUCT that spans a deep

RAVINE.

The passenger’s window opens.

A MOBILE PHONE in a cellophane bag is thrown out.

It drops hundreds of feet down the ravine.

FADE TO BLACK:

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 9. page 9.

19 EXT./INT. CASTEL DEL MONTE, MAIN SQUARE- DAY 19

FADE UP:

CASTEL DEL MONTE is a well preserved, happy looking little

mediaeval town with a small handful of tourists.

A chunk of time has passed.

JACK is sitting at a table inside a small BAR wearing dark

glasses, sipping a coffee and reading a guide book on

Abruzzo. He looks like a tastefully dressed, almost Italian

looking, educated American tourist. He blends in. And no one

pays him much attention as he finishes his coffee, pays his

bill, gets up and leaves.

20 EXT. CASTEL DEL MONTE, OLD TOWN CENTRE- DAY 20

At a leisurely pace, JACK passes a row of municipal rubbish

bins just inside the fortified gates to the old town.

Behind the bins we catch sight of JACK’s FIAT.

21 EXT. CASTEL DEL MONTE, TOWN SQUARE- DAY 21

We’re right in the heart of the mediaeval old town: like the

stronghold at the centre of a castle.

JACK comes out of a shop, clutching a bag containing bread,

cheese and tomatoes.

JACK approaches an old building just off the main square: an

ancient apartment block with a small sign that reads LOGGIA

ARBRUZZO.

22 INT. LOGGIA ABRUZZO, JACK'S ROOM- DAY 22

JACK walks in and puts the bag on the kitchen table and the

guidebook on the bedside table. Apart for this, JACK has

avoided unpacking: living entirely out of his holdall for

some time.

In the bedroom, JACK takes his binoculars off the wall and

goes to the window.

Looks at CASTELVECCHIO through his casement window.

He then hangs them back on the hook on the wall and starts

doing push ups. While he does those, we look at elements of

his apartment, the sound of his push-ups accompanying us:

A toothbrush in the glass by the sink

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 9A. page 9A.

A Nikon camera with a long lens on the kitchen table.

One jacket hanging on a hanger.

It is sparse and spartan.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 10. page 10.

23 INT. LOGGIA ABRUZZO, JACK'S ROOM- NIGHT 23

JACK is lying on top of his bed, fully clothed and wide

awake.

Taped to the inside of the wooden bed frame...

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