The Godfather

While this remains, we hear: "I believe in America."

Suddenly we are watching in CLOSE VIEW, AMERIGO BONASERA, a

man of sixty, dressed in a black suit, on the verge of great

emotion.

BONASERA:

America has made my fortune.

As he speaks, THE VIEW imperceptibly begins to loosen.

BONASERA:

I raised my daughter in the American

fashion; I gave her freedom, but

taught her never to dishonor her

family. She found a boy friend,

not an Italian. She went to the

movies with him, stayed out late.

Two months ago he took her for a

drive, with another boy friend.

They made her drink whiskey and

then they tried to take advantage

of her. She resisted; she kept her

honor. So they beat her like an

animal. When I went to the hospital

her nose was broken, her jaw was

shattered and held together by

wire, and she could not even weep

because of the pain.

He can barely speak; he is weeping now.

BONASERA:

I went to the Police like a good

American. These two boys were

arrested and brought to trial. The

judge sentenced them to three years

in prison, and suspended the

sentence. Suspended sentence!

They went free that very day. I

stood in the courtroom like a fool,

and those bastards, they smiled at

me. Then I said to my wife, for

Justice, we must go to The Godfather.

By now, THE VIEW is full, and we see Don Corleone's office

in his home.

The blinds are closed, and so the room is dark, and with

patterned shadows. We are watching BONASERA over the

shoulder of DON CORLEONE. TOM HAGEN sits near a small

table, examining some paperwork, and SONNY CORLEONE stands

impatiently by the window nearest his father, sipping from a

glass of wine. We can HEAR music, and the laughter and

voices of many people outside.

DON CORLEONE:

Bonasera, we know each other for

years, but this is the first time

you come to me for help. I don't

remember the last time you invited

me to your house for coffee...even

though our wives are friends.

BONASERA:

What do you want of me? I'll give

you anything you want, but do what

I ask!

DON CORLEONE:

And what is that Bonasera?

BONASERA whispers into the DON's ear.

DON CORLEONE:

No. You ask for too much.

BONASERA:

I ask for Justice.

DON CORLEONE:

The Court gave you justice.

BONASERA:

An eye for an eye!

DON CORLEONE:

But your daughter is still alive.

BONASERA:

Then make them suffer as she

suffers. How much shall I pay you.

Both HAGEN and SONNY react.

DON CORLEONE:

You never think to protect yourself

with real friends. You think it's

enough to be an American. All

right, the Police protects you,

there are Courts of Law, so you

don't need a friend like me.

But now you come to me and say Don

Corleone, you must give me justice.

And you don't ask in respect or

friendship. And you don't think to

call me Godfather; instead you come

to my house on the day my daughter

is to be married and you ask me to

do murder...for money.

BONASERA:

America has been good to me...

DON CORLEONE:

Then take the justice from the

judge, the bitter with the sweet,

Bonasera. But if you come to me

with your friendship, your loyalty,

then your enemies become my enemies,

and then, believe me, they would

fear you...

Slowly, Bonasera bows his head and murmurs.

BONASERA:

Be my friend.

DON CORLEONE:

Good. From me you'll get Justice.

BONASERA:

Godfather.

DON CORLEONE:

Some day, and that day may never

come, I would like to call upon you

to do me a service in return.

EXT DAY:
MALL (SUMMER 1945)

A HIGH ANGLE of the CORLEONE MALL in bright daylight. There

are at least five hundred guests filling the main courtyard

and gardens. There is music and laughing and dancing and

countless tables covered with food and wine.

DON CORLEONE stands at the Gate, flanked on either side by a

son:
FREDO and SONNY, all dressed in the formal attire of

the wedding party. He warmly shakes the hands, squeezes the

hands of the friends and guests, pinches the cheeks of the

children, and makes them all welcome. They in turn carry

with them gallons of homemade wine, cartons of freshly baked

bread and pastries, and enormous trays of Italian delicacies.

The entire family poses for a family portrait: DON CORLEONE,

MAMA, SONNY, his wife, SANDRA, and their children, TOM HAGEN

and his wife, THERESA, and their BABY; CONSTANZIA, the

bride, and her bridegroom, CARLO RIZZI. As they move into

the pose, THE DON seems preoccupied.

DON CORLEONE:

Where's Michael?

SONNY:

He'll be here Pop, it's still early.

DON CORLEONE:

Then the picture will wait for him.

Everyone in the group feels the uneasiness as the DON moves

back to the house. SONNY gives a delicious smile in the

direction of the Maid-of-Honor, LUCY MANCINI. She returns

it. Then he moves to his wife.

SONNY:

Sandra, watch the kids. They're

running wild.

SANDRA:

You watch yourself.

HAGEN kisses his WIFE, and follows THE DON, passing the wine

barrels, where a group of FOUR MEN nervously wait. TOM

crooks a finger at NAZORINE, who doublechecks that he is

next, straightens, and follows HAGEN.

EXT DAY:
MALL ENTRANCE (SUMMER 1945)

Outside the main gate of the Mall, SEVERAL MEN in suits,

working together with a MAN in a dark sedan, walk in and out

of the rows of parked cars, writing license plate numbers

down in their notebooks. We HEAR the music and laughter

coming from the party in the distance.

A MAN stops at a limousine and copies down the number.

BARZINI, dignified in a black homburg, is always under the

watchful eyes of TWO BODYGUARDS as he makes his way to

embrace DON CORLEONE in the courtyard.

The MEN walk down another row of parked cars. Put another

number in the notebook. A shiney new Cadillac with wooden

bumpers.

PETER CLEMENZA, dancing the Tarantella joyously, bumping

bellies with the ladies.

CLEMENZA:

Paulie...wine...WINE.

He mops his sweating forehead with a big handkerchief.

PAULIE hustles, gets a glass of icy black wine, and brings

it to him.

PAULIE:

You look terrif on the floor!

CLEMENZA:

What are you, a dance judge? Go do

your job; take a walk around the

neighborhood... see everything is

okay.

PAULIE nods and leaves; CLEMENZA takes a breath, and leaps

back into the dance.

The MEN walk down another row of parked cars. Put another

number in the notebook.

TESSIO, a tall, gentle-looking man, dances with a NINE-YEAR-

OLD GIRL, her little black party shoes planted on his

enormous brown shoes.

The MEN move on to other parked cars, when SONNY storms out

of the gate, his face flushed with anger, followed by

CLEMENZA and PAULIE.

SONNY:

Buddy, this is a private party.

The MAN doesn't answer, but points to the DRIVER of the

sedan. SONNY menacingly thrusts his reddened face at him.

The DRIVER merely flips open his wallet to a greed card,

without saying a word. SONNY steps back, spits on the

ground, turns, and walks away, followed by CLEMENZA, PAULIE,

and another TWO MEN. He doesn't say a thing for most of the

walk back into the courtyard, and then, muttered to PAULIE.

SONNY:

Goddamn FBI...don't respect nothing.

INT DAY:
DON'S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)

DON CORLEONE sits quietly behind his massive desk in the

dark study.

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