The Godfather: Part II Page #8

VIEW ON VITO:

watching. The two men argue in Italian.

MED. VIEW

The young ACTRESS crosses into the area, unaware of the

difficulties. The impresario sees her, and frightened,

motions that she should keep away.

IMPRESARIO:

Carla!

But Fanucci grabs her easily by her slender wrist, and with

lightning speed, produces a knife which he holds against her

cheek. The impresario wrings his hands in agony.

IMPRESARIO:

(Sicilian)

No...please, not my daughter.

Whereupon he begins to unlock the box which holds the

receipts for the night's box-office.

VIEW ON GENCO AND VITO

hiding, watching. At first, Genco is enraged, as though he

would rush up to help his enamorata.

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

The Black Hand.

Then he backs away. Vito looks at him shocked and

disappointed in this cowardly behavior. Genco shakes his

head, and points, as though to say that where Fanucci is

concerned, there is nothing to be done.

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

(whispered)

Let's get out of here.

VIEW ON FANUCCI:

has released the girl. Her father pulls her away from him,

and slaps her for no reason; then he pays Fanucci.

FANUCCI:

(Sicilian)

Because you protested, it will cost

a hundred more.

EXT. NEW YORK ALLEY - NIGHT

Genco and Vito; Genco leans against the wall, breathlessly,

as though he's had a near escape.

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

I know what you are thinking,

Vitone, but you don't understand

yet how things are. Fanucci is of

the Black Hand. Everyone in the

neighborhood pays him, even my

father.

VITO:

(Sicilian)

He's an Italian?

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

A pig of a Neaponitan.

(spits)

VITO:

(Sicilian)

Why? Why does he bother other

Italians?

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

Because he knows them; he knows

they have no one to protect them.

Vitone? What do you think of my

angel?

VITO:

(Sicilian)

Beautiful.

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

Beautiful.

VITO:

For you, she is beautiful. For me,

there is only my wife!

GENCO:

I know. That's why I brought you

with me!

Genco embraces his good friend, and they laughingly walk

down the alley.

The stage door opens, and Fanucci exits, a sinister figure

in white, moving down the alley just in front of them, into

the night.

The two friends hold their breath, until he disappears.

EXT. NEW YORK STREETS - MOVING VIEW - DAY

Vito moves through the street, carrying groceries that he is

to deliver.

It is cold, and so vendors are huddled around fires they

have lit in old cans and drums.

He turns up an alleyway, and then stops.

VIEW UP THE ALLEY

With great strength, Fanucci lifts one of them up into the

air and throws him down hard to the concrete; but another,

holding onto his back, manages to produce a switchblade

knife and awkwardly reaching around from behind the moving

man, slits Fanucci's throat from one side to the other.

Fanucci groans like some great hurt animal. Blood pours

from the deep, smile-like slit in his throat.

He throws the young man off his back.

VIEW ON VITO:

stepping back in the alley.

VIEW ON FANUCCI:

He takes off his white fedora, and runs down the alley

toward Vito, catching the flowing blood in his hat.

The young attackers scurry off in various directions.

INT. ABBANDANDO GROCERY STORE - DAY

A tiny shop featuring imported food: trays of cured meats,

prosciutto, copagole, mortadella lies on the counter covered

with netting to keep away the thousands of flies.

Olive oil is sold in bulk, as well as wine, cheese and bacala.

Genco works here for his father, and is busy slicing paper

thin prosciutto for a customer, by hand. Vito works in the

back as a stock clerk.

Finished with his customer, Genco moves to his friend.

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

I bet you can't guess what happened?

VITO:

(Sicilian)

What?

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

Some guys from Ninth Avenue jumped

Fanucci today; slit his throat from

ear to ear.

VITO:

(Sicilian)

No, I didn't know. Is he dead?

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

Nah. Those guys aren't murderers.

They wanted to scare him, that's

all. Make him look bad.

VITO:

(Sicilian)

In Sicily, when you attack a man,

you had better finish him.

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

I wish they had. He takes fifty

dollars a week from my father's

cash drawer. But you can't kill a

man like Fanucci.

VITO:

(Sicilian)

Why?

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

Because he's what we say...

"connected"... You wait, see what

happens to those guys from Ninth

Avenue.

A customer enters; and Genco moves away to serve him.

CLOSE VIEW ON VITO

recalling what he had seen and thought.

EXT. NEW YORK ALLEYWAY - MED. VIEW - NIGHT

A young man, one of those who had tried to kill Fanucci,

runs down an alleyway, breathlessly. Then he stops, and

looks behind himself. Whoever was following him is gone.

He turns and walks ahead. Then the mammoth, white-suited

figure of Fanucci leaps down before him from the fire-escape.

He grins at the young man, and then raises his neck, showing

the gruesome wound that marks his throat.

He takes out his pistol and fires point-blank at his attacker.

INT. TINY TENEMENT - FULL VIEW - NIGHT

The very small, railroad type flat where Vito lives with his

new family.

It is late at night, and he is exhausted.

He returns home; where his young wife, CARMELLA, goes

through the silent ritual of preparing a simple meal for him.

He sits and eats quietly.

INT. TENEMENT ROOM - NIGHT

Vito and Carmella enter the darkened bedroom, and approach a

metal crib. Vito reaches down and takes the small hand of

the baby between his thick peasant fingers. Carmella waits

a respectful distance behind him.

INT. ABBANDANDO GROCERY - DAY

The shop bell RINGS; SINGER ABBANDANDO turns to see a

smiling Fanucci tipping his hat, like an old customer.

FANUCCI:

Buon giorno.

Immediately, Vito turns back to his work, and Signor

Abbandando moves to Fanucci with a sigh.

Vito notices the two men talking quietly at one side of the

store, while he goes about his work. Genco works his way

closer to his friend.

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

What did I tell you. The one who

cut him was found in an alley. And

the family of the others paid

Fanucci all their savings to make

him forswear his vengeance.

VITO:

(Sicilian)

(surprised)

And he agreed?

GENCO:

(Sicilian)

He took the money. Now he wants

double from everybody in the

neighborhood, including Papa.

Vito watches the heated, but inevitable transaction.

VITO:

(Sicilian)

(almost to himself)

A real mafioso doesn't sell his

vengeance.

MED. VIEW

Signor Abbandando seems to be arguing with Fanucci, and

every so often they turn and relate to where Vito is working.

Then Fanucci leaves, the little bell RINGING; and Signor

Abbandando reluctantly moves to Vito.

SIG. ABBANDANDO

(Sicilian)

Vitone. How is your son?

VITO:

(Sicilian)

We are all well.

It is clear that he has something difficult to tell the

young man.

Rate this script:3.7 / 3 votes