The American Page #5

36 EXT. L’AQUILA, VIA LAMPEDUSA- DAY 36

JACK passes a sign for a MODELLING AGENCY. It’s a small,

inconspicuous sign, but it catches his eye because its

graphics are subtly lewd and it’s attached to the buzzer of

what is otherwise a purely residential apartment block.

A beautiful twenty six year old girl, CLARA, pulls up on her

Vespa and parks it on the sidewalk in front of the agency.

She takes off her helmet.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 22A. page 22A.

She and JACK look at one another.

She goes inside and JACK walks on.

"The American" June 21st, 2010

page 23.

36A

36A

37

EXT. CASTEL DEL MONTE, LANDSCAPE- TWILIGHT 37

The sun is sinking.

It’s hunting hour.

An EAGLE hovers on the wind above the town, looking for prey.

38

INT. CASTEL DEL MONTE, LOGGIA ABRUZZO- NIGHT 38

JACK is lying on top of his bed, fully clothed but fast

asleep.

He’s dreaming.

In his left hand is a BOOK of MEDIEVAL ART AND ARCHITECTURE.

Twitching in his sleep, JACK's grip on the BOOK slowly

loosens...

THUD!

As the BOOK hits the floor JACK opens his eyes, sits up and

rips the taped WALTHER from beneath the right side of the

bed, pointing it at the door.

Silence.

JACK’s heart is beating.

39

INT. LOGGIA ABRUZZO, JACK’S ROOM- MORNING 39

JACK is looking through his Binoculars.

JACK’S POV:

...of CASTELVECCIO.

Empty but for the occasional stray dog and an old woman.

40

EXT. L’AQUILA- DAY 40

JACK parks his car in the same tourist car park.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 24. page 24.

41 EXT. L’AQUILA, STREET- DAY 41

JACK has been watching the entrance to the local POST OFFICE

for about 5 minutes to make sure no-one is there to surprise

him in any kind of unpleasant way.

JACK makes his move.

42 INT. L’AQUILA, POST OFFICE- DAY 42

The shop is small. JACK walks up to one of the two tellers,

the one with the female postal clerk.

JACK:

Buon giorno.

No reaction.

JACK:

Il fermo posta?

The clerk makes a sign with her right hand towards the other

teller. JACK moves to his left and repeats:

JACK:

Buon giorno. Il fermo posta?

The POSTMASTER draws a bundle of general delivery envelopes

held together by an elastic band from a shelf near him. Some

letters have been there for weeks. Months even.

POSTMASTER:

Nome?

A beat.

JACK:

Clarke.

Deftly, like a teller counting through a thick wad of

banknotes he flicks through the mail with thin, wasted

fingers.

POSTMASTER:

Clarky?

JACK:

Clarke. Una pacchetto.

POSTMASTER:

Pacchetto!

This makes all the difference. The POSTMASTER looks

underneath a table where he stores packages.

POSTMASTER:

Clarky, Clarky, Clarky. Ecco.

"The American" June 21st, 2010

page 25.

...and reappearing with a PACKAGE.

The PACKAGE is from an Italian PHOTOGRAPHIC SUPPLIERS.

JACK:

Grazie.

POSTMASTER:

Identificazione.

JACK flicks his eyes downwards. He has already put his

PASSPORT on the counter.

The POSTMASTER scoops it up with bony fingers.

Looks from the picture to JACK.

JACK bears the scrutiny with a deadly straight face.

43

INT. CASTEL DEL MONTE, LOGGIA ARBRUZZO- EVENING 43

JACK unwraps the PACKAGE.

He removes:

-film

-photographic paper

-development fluids

-fixing solutions

-film protection bags

Then:

-a solid, monolythic rectangular receiver made out of a

single piece of lightweight alloy.

-a bolt assembly.

-a barrel.

Only with this final piece is the puzzle complete.

Laid out on the floor is a Ruger M14 semi automatic rifle.

Without touching it, JACK studies the weapon like a

connoisseur looking at the hue of a wine. In particular he

notices that the SERIAL NUMBER has been scratched off.

Then he moves slowly, assembling the weapon with precision

engineered expertise:

-inserting the barrel into the front of the receiver and

securing it with the nut,

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 26.

-opening the sidefolding tubular stock and engaging the

buttpad,

-snuggling the buttpad to his shoulder,

-looking down the barrel,

-and slowly squeezing back the finger-grooved TRIGGER as we

SMASH CUT TO:

44 INT. L’AQUILA, VIA LAMPEDUSA, CLARA’S ROOM- NIGHT 44

Our beautiful twenty four year-old Italian girl enters.

CLARA.

She sits on the edge of the bed, whose aging metal springs

squeak slightly, and puts her smoking cigarette in an ashtray

on the bedside table.

She kicks off her slip-on shoes.

Lifts off her dress.

Slips off her panties and lies back on the bed in one

practised motion.

JACK sits on the bed beside her.

He doesn’t look at her.

ITALIAN GIRL:

Amore?

She reaches up to touch JACK as we cut to:

45 EXT. CASTELVECCHIO, PAY PHONE- DAY 45

JACK:

I’ll make the delivery and then I’m

out.

JACK knows this is impossible.

A very long pause.

JACK:

Pavel?

When PAVEL speaks it’s with a calmness pregnant with intent.

PAVEL:

OK, Jack.

A beat.

*

*

*

*

*

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 26A. page 26A.

PAVEL *

You’re out. *

CU on JACK - suspicious.

45A EXT. STREET ROME - DAY - CONTINUOUS 45A *

We stay with Pavel on the phone. He dials and then... *

Hello?

MATHILDE (V.O.) *

*

PAVEL:

Now listen to me carefully...

*

*

CUT TO:
*

45B 45B

"The American" June 21st, 2010

page 27.

46

EXT. ROAD- DAY 46

FATHER BENEDETTO...

...is sitting in his APE three-wheeler.

He’s broken down on the road between CASTEL DE MONTE and

CASTELVECCHIO.

His comical and endearing method of rural transportation is a

cross between a moped and a miniature pick-up truck.

In the back of the truck are two bleating LAMBS.

The APE is turning over but it won’t start.

The bonnet is open. JACK- who’s FIAT is parked just up the

road- is fixing the engine.

He gives a signal and FATHER BENEDETTO turns the ignition key

again.

This time the engine starts. FATHER BENEDETTO cheers.

FATHER BENEDETTO

(in italian) See you tonight !

And drives off. JACK only now sees the lambs. He walks

towards his car. Castel del Monte is visible in the

background.

47

INT. FATHER BENEDETTO’S KITCHEN- EVENING 47

Sixteenth century. Sombre wood panelling stained dark with

polish and smoke. Two paraffin lamps stand on a huge antique

sideboard, their frosted orbs engraved with scenes from the

life of Our Lord.

The room is filled with a dining table: a massive black

edifice of oak, five inches thick with six legs fluted like

the columns of cathedrals.

Using antique crockery, ancient copper pots and utensils like

old fashioned instruments of torture FATHER BENEDETTO

performs culinary alchemy: transforming flesh into meat,

dough into bread, hard earth nuggets into vegetables.

He hums as he cooks: Madame Butterfly arias.

JACK sips from a glass of wine and watches FATHER BENEDETTO

potter around the wood fired stove. The priest has his own

wine which he sips as he works between bouts of humming.

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 28. page 28.

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