The Godfather Page #20

FABRIZZIO:

Take me to America! You need a

good lupara in America?

(pats his shotgun)

You take me, I'll be the best man

you got. "Oh say, can you

seeee...By da star early light..."

MICHAEL laughs.

EXT DAY:
ANOTHER ROAD

The TRIO continues down a dirt road, as an American Military

convoy speeds by; FABRIZZIO waves, and calls out to each of

the U.S. drivers, as they move by.

FABRIZZIO:

America.

Hey America!

Take me with you!

Hey, take me to America G.I.!

EXT DAY:
CORLEONE HILL

They continue their long hike, high on a promentory; until

they hesitate, and look down.

CALO:

Corleone.

They can see a grim Sicilian village, almost devoid of people.

EXT DAY:
CORLEONE STREET

MICHAEL and his bodyguards move through the empty streets of

the village. They walk behind him, and spread to either

side about fifteen feet away from him.

They move down ancient steps, past an old stone fountain.

MICHAEL hesitates, cups his hands and drinks some water.

They go on.

They move up a very narrow old street. MICHAEL looks at the

doorways that they pass.

MOVING VIEW:
Each door has a plaque, with a ribbon or flower.

CALO sees MICHAEL looking.

CALO:

The names of the dead.

MICHAEL hesitates in the center of the main street. He looks.

The street is empty, barren. Occasionally, an old woman

will pass.

MICHAEL turns his head.

The other side of the street: empty and deathly.

A HIGH VIEW of MICHAEL standing in the center of the old

street, the shepherds a respectful distance away.

-------------------------------------FADE OUT-----------

EXT DAY:
BARONIAL ESTATE

A green ribboned field of a baronial Estate. Further ahead

is a villa so Roman it looks as though it had just been

discovered in the ruins of Pompeii. There is a group of

young village GIRLS accompanied by two stocky MATRONS,

dressed in black. They have been gathering the pink sulla,

purple wisteria, and mixing them with orange and lemon

blossoms. They are singing, off in the distance as they work.

MICHAEL, CALO and FABRIZZIO are silent as they watch this

Fantasy-like scene.

FABRIZZIO:

(calling out to them)

Hey, beautiful girls!

MICHAEL:

(sternly)

Shhhhh.

He settles down to watch.

The GIRLS are dressed in cheap gaily painted frocks that

cling to their bodies. They are still in their teens, but

developed and womanly.

They are moving along the fields, picking blossoms, not

aware of the three men watching them from the orange grove.

Three or four of the girls begin chasing one of them

playfully, in the direction of the grove.

The GIRL being chased holds a bunch of purple grapes in her

left hand and with the right, picks more grapes, and throws

them back at her pursuers laughing.

They come closer and closer. Just short of the grove, she

poses, startled, her large, oval shaped eyes catching the

view of the THREE MEN. She stands there on her toes about

to run.

MICHAEL sees her; now face to face. He looks.

Her face. Incredibly beautiful with olive skin, black hair

and a rich mouth.

FABRIZZIO:

(murmuring)

Jesus Christ, take my soul. I'm

dying.

Quickly, she turns, and runs away.

MICHAEL stands up never taking his eyes from her. We hold

on him for a long while; and eventually hear the SHEPHERDS

laughing. Then he turns to them.

FABRIZZIO:

You got hit by the thunderbolt, eh?

CALO pats him on the shoulder.

CALO:

Easy man.

MICHAEL:

What are you talking about?

FABRIZZIO:

You can't hide it when you're hit

by the thunderbolt.

EXT DAY:
BARONIAL VILLAGE

The little village built attendant to the Baronial Estate,

is decked with the flowers the girls had been picking.

MICHAEL, followed by the bodyguards, moves into the central

square, and onto the balcony of a little cafe.

The proprietor of the cafe, VITELLI, is a short burly man;

he greets them cheerfully, and sets a dish of chickpeas at

their table.

FABRIZZIO:

You know all the girls in this

town, eh? We saw some beauties

coming down the road. One in

particular got our friend hit with

the Thunderbolt...

(he indicates MICHAEL)

VITELLI gives a big knowing laugh, and looks at MICHAEL with

new interest.

VITELLI:

You had better bring a few bottles

home with you, my friend; you'll

need help sleeping tonight.

(he laughs)

FABRIZZIO:

This one could seduce the devil. A

body! and eyes as big and black as

olives.

VITELLI:

(laughing with

them...pouring more wine)

I know about what you mean!

FABRIZZIO:

This was a beauty. Right, Calo?

VITELLI:

(laughing)

Beautiful all over, eh?

FABRIZZIO:

And hair. Black and curly, like a

doll. And such a mouth.

VITELLI does not laugh quite so much.

VITELLI:

Yes, we have beautiful girls here...

but virtuous.

VITELLI is no longer drinking with them.

MICHAEL:

She wore a red dress, and a red

ribbon in her hair. She looks more

Greek than Italian. Do you know a

beauty like that?

As MICHAEL describes her, VITELLI laughed less and less,

until he wears a scowl.

VITELLI:

No.

Then he curtly leaves him, and walks into the back room.

FABRIZZIO:

God in Heaven, I think I

understand...

He goes into the back room after the innkeeper. Then he

returns.

FABRIZZIO:

Let's get out of here; he's boiling

up his blood to do us mischief.

It's his daughter.

They start to leave; but MICHAEL doesn't move.

CALO:

Come quickly.

MICHAEL:

Innkeeper. More wine!

FABRIZZIO:

(whispered)

The old bastard mentioned two sons

he only has to whistle up.

MICHAEL turns to FABRIZZIO with his cold authority.

MICHAEL:

Tell him to come to me.

The two BODYGUARDS shoulder their luparas, and disappear in

a moment they return with the red-faced angry VITELLI

between them.

MICHAEL:

(quietly)

I understand I've offended you by

talking about your daughter. I

offer you my apologies, I'm a

stranger in this country, I don't

know the customs very well. Let me

say this, I meant no disrespect to

you or her...

CALO and FABRIZZIO are impressed.

VITELLI:

(shrugs)

Who are you and what do you want

from my daughter?

MICHAEL:

I am an American hiding in Sicily

from the police of my country. My

name is Michael. You can inform

the police and make your fortune

but then your daughter would lose a

father rather than gain a husband.

In any case, I want to meet your

daughter. With your permission and

under the supervision of your

family. With all decorum. With

all respect. I am an honorable man.

CALO and FABRIZZIO are stupefied; VITELLI pauses, and then

asks:

VITELLI:

Are you a friend of the friends?

MICHAEL:

When the proper time comes, I'll

tell you everything that a wife's

father should know.

FABRIZZIO:

It's the real Thunderbolt, then.

VITELLI:

(formally)

Come Sunday morning: My name is

Vitelli and my house is up there on

the hill, above the village.

MICHAEL:

Your daughter's name?

VITELLI:

Appolonia.

-------------------------------------FADE OUT-----------

EXT DAY:
TOMMASSINO COURTYARD

MUSIC comes up; as MICHAEL, dressed in new clothes from

Palermo, and carrying a stack of wrapped gifts, gets into an

Alfa Romeo. CALO and FABRIZZIO each dressed in their Sunday

best, are in the rear seat, huddled together, with their

luparas on their shoulders.

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