The Big Blue Page #2

ENZO pats his shoulder reassuringly.

ENZO:

(to his brother)

Roberto, mio palmo!

ROBERTO who has already started to moisten his big brother's

gear in the water, holds a pair of dripping flippers and a

glistening mask. The pope watches the scene with obvious

pleasure.

ENZO:

(to his brother on

the edge of the

pier)

Count!

Sure of himself, ENZO takes a deep breath and dives in the

water. ROBERTO counts out loud.

ROBERTO:

The kids all walk over to the edge of the pier. A few

feet away, JACQUES takes off his flippers. ENZO bursts

out of the water, the coin in his hand. The children cheer

and clap. ROBERTO rushes to catch the equipment that comes

flying at him, piece by piece.

ENZO walks over to JACQUES.

ENZO:

(showing him the

coin)

Who's is it now? You saw it but I

dove for it!

JACQUES doesn't answer.

ENZO smiles and slowly puts the coin in his pocket. He

pulls it out again and waves it under JACQUES' nose.

ENZO:

(without turning

around)

Roberto? How long?

ROBERTO:

Six seconds.

ENZO looks at JACQUES for a while.

ENZO:

I'll throw it back into the water.

You dive and if you do less than six, it's yours.

JACQUES doesn't say anything, then finally shakes his head,

negatively. ENZO smiles, taps him on the shoulder.

ENZO:

Brava!

The first boy finally sums up his courage to speak.

BOY:

(timidly)

Enzo? I saw the coin first... We

split?

ENZO:

(smiling)

You can't split a coin, stupid.

ENZO laughing, sticks the coin in his pocket and leaves

the pier with his gang.

The pope smiles and pulls a coin from his pocket.

With his flippers dangling from one hand, JACQUES sadly

stares out at the sea. The pope calls him over.

PRIEST:

Jacques... Come, look.

JACQUES goes over to him, sees where he is pointing, the

faint gleam of the coin underwater.

PRIEST:

Is it a coin shining down there?

JACQUES:

(overjoyed)

It is. It's a coin! I'll get it

for you, Father!

PRIEST:

It'll be for the poor.

JACQUES, intent on the coin's glimmer, quickly slips on

his fins, prepares his mask. He swims in the water like a

fish, goes directly to the coin. Scoops it up, brings it

to the surface.

He breaks water, waves the coin, looks for the priest and

sees he is no longer there.

JACQUES:

Padre?

He looks at the ancient impression on the coin -- "Boy on

a Dolphin".

DISSOLVE TO:

ON JACQUES - UNDERWATER

He's swimming near the spot where he fed the moray eel.

He senses something behind him and turns around. He sees

a dolphin, still and silent, floating vertically. It seems

to be watching him. The surprise is such that JACQUES is

in a panic, leaps up to the surface...

ON JACQUES - IN BED

He bolts upright, as if suddenly awakening from a dream.

INT. ROOM - ON JACQUES' FATHER - DARK

A BURLY MAN, around fifty, crosses the room in the shadows

and throws open the shutters with a bang. Sunlight pours

in. He walks over to JACQUES' bed in the one room house,

and runs his hand through his hair.

FATHER:

(with a smile)

... Come on, time to get up,

Jacques!

JACQUES rubs his eyes. His father walks over to a pile of

blankets on the floor, on the other side of the room. He

gives the pile a kick.

FATHER:

(screaming at the

top of his lungs)

Louis, wake up!

He uncovers a kettle on the fire and ladles up a big bowl

of soup for Jacques. A fifty year old man pokes his head

out from under the pile of blankets. It's UNCLE LOUIS,

who is having a very hard time, waking up.

EXT. HOUSE - DAY

JACQUES bursts out of the house, running. Diving gear

under his arm. A piece of buttered bread in his mouth.

He catches up with his father and UNCLE LOUIS. They're on

a path winding down to the port. JACQUES slows down

abruptly. Tries to imitate their stride. The weather is

balmy and the sea lies before them, peaceful and blue.

EXT. SEA - DAY

Their boat on the water. The chug of its ENGINE ECHOES

off the cliffs. A few gulls -- drawn by the sound -- skim

the waves of its wake.

EXT. BOAT - DAY

On board. JACQUES' Father checks the antique air pump.

JACQUES polishes the enormous copper diver's helmet and

lays out the rest of an old fashioned deep sea diver's

suit.

At the foot of an old monastery another boat passes.

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