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The Public Eye Page #7
- R
- Year:
- 1992
- 99 min
- 473 Views
Chadwick brings his fists down hard onto the desk, rattling
the lamps, ashtray and desk-set.
CHADWICK:
Tell us how Portifino made his money!
BERNZY:
I don't know anything. I see the guy
once for five seconds, next time I
see him he's dead.
(he looks around)
I have to get to work now.
CHADWICK:
Oh? You have a job?
BERNZY:
(wearily, patiently)
I'm a free-lance photographer. If
I'm not on the street at midnight,
CHADWICK:
Tough way to make a living... You
Portifino, is that right?
BERNZY:
What?
CHADWICK:
You intended to blackmail him.
BERNZY:
This is a joke.
(he looks to the others)
It's a gag, right?
CHADWICK:
Mr. Bernstein, you came to this
country from Russia when you were
six years old.
BERNZY:
(getting up, putting
on his hat)
Alright, that's it. I got my cell
meeting in half an hour.
He reaches for his exposed film plates on the desk. But
Chadwick traps his hand there.
CHADWICK:
Where you going? How d'you know you're
not a suspect in the murder of Emilio
Portifino?
BERNZY:
This is the stupidest interrogation
I've ever seen. You're telling me
more than I'm telling you. Already I
know this guy got rich quick doing
something the Feds don't like. Already
I can see you're tryin' to keep it
quiet, and when you bring up Russia,
I figure it's something treasonous.
Chadwick begins to speak, but the Older Agent -- alarmed by
Bernzy's perspicacity -- takes over.
OLDER AGENT:
Mr. Bernstein, thanks for your
cooperation. We're sorry if we've
taken you away from your work. This
is a time of war, and we hope you'll
keep your conjectures about Mr.
Portifino to yourself. Fact is, we
know nothing about the man, and hoped
perhaps you did.
Bernzy doesn't believe the last part, but keeps it to himself.
BERNZY:
Yeah, okay. So if I could just get
my film plates back...
OLDER AGENT:
We can't give them to you. Not for a
few days.
BERNZY:
He's news tonight. I won't be able
to sell 'em in a few days.
OLDER AGENT:
Stop back here at Inspector Chadwick's
office in the morning. He'll give
you the proper forms to fill in.
Bernzy looks from face to face, seeing he has no choice in
the matter.
CUT TO:
Bernzy comes down the stairs of the F.B.I. building and begins
walking, camera in hand.
Across the street, a car starts up as Bernzy heads up the
block. It begins to follow him, keeping a discreet distance.
Bernzy turns off the avenue, onto the sidestreet. The car
makes the turn too.
EXT. SIDESTREET
As Bernzy moves along the dark sidewalk, he realizes the car
is following him. He picks up his pace, but the car follows
suit. Almost reflexively he begins to load a film plate into
his camera, but the car accelerates, and overtakes him on
the sidewalk. Two MEN get out -- thick-featured and thuggish --
while a third Man stays behind the wheel.
The Men close in around Bernzy. Each takes one of his arms.
The camera falls to the ground; the lens shatters. They drag
Bernzy gruffly into the car.
BERNZY:
You boys work for Farinelli, right?
(recognizing one of
them)
It's Tonio, right?
Bernzy's attempt at affability is futile: grimly serious,
they push him into the car.
BERNZY:
(as he's stuffed into
the seat)
At least pick up the damn camera!
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
The same car pulls up and parks.
As one of the Thugs pulls Bernzy out, Bernzy reaches back to
pick up his smashed camera.
CUT TO:
INT. FARINELLI'S OFFICE - NIGHT
The panelled office might belong to a well-off insurance
agent with a weakness for ugly nick-nacks.
Farinelli rises to his feet as Bernzy is pushed into the
room. He is an overweight, mid-level capo of 55. Two of his
lieutenants are sitting on a couch.
FARINELLI:
(to his goons)
What're you pushin' him around for?
We know this guy.
(he shakes his head)
Have a seat, Bernzy. Want a drink?
BERNZY:
You got coffee?
He gestures to one of the Hoods to fetch coffee.
FARINELLI:
You know Mikey and Sal?
The two lieutenants nod from the couch. SAL is lean, with a
particularly arresting face (we will see him again).
LIEUTENANTS:
Hiya, Bernzy/Bernzy.
FARINELLI:
Bernzy, you found the body of this
punk Portifino, right?
Bernzy nods.
FARINELLI:
So what d'you know about him?
BERNZY:
Nothing, really.
FARINELLI:
'Nothin.' Then why'd you call the
Feds?
BERNZY:
I didn't.
FARINELLI:
You didn't.
BERNZY:
I found the body. Not the first I
ever found. I called the cops, like
I always do. They called the F.B.I.
Annoyed, Farinelli turns to his lieutenants, speaks in
Italian. After a brief tirade, he turns back to Bernzy.
FARINELLI:
Okay, so you didn't call the Feds,
we was misinformed by a police stooge.
I'd still like to know how you knew
Portifino.
BERNZY:
I didn't. Not really.
The Hood returns with coffee from someplace outside. But
Farinelli, annoyed by now, directs him to put it on a side
table (instead of giving it to Bernzy).
FARINELLI:
You didn't, not really... Then what
were you doin' in his apartment, if
I may ask?
Bernzy studies Farinelli a beat before answering. He can see
how agitated Farinelli is about all of this.
BERNZY:
I met him the other night. At Cafe
Society. He said he needed somebody
to take his picture. He offered good
money.
FARINELLI:
You don't do commissions. I offered
you plenty when my sister's boy took
communion two years ago.
Close on Bernzy, caught in a lie.
BERNZY:
That's right, I don't. Do commissions.
But I got a nose for news. Talkin'
to this kid, it smelled like there
might be somethin' in it.
FARINELLI:
(getting up)
Oh! So that's all there is to it?
Bernzy nods; he watches as Farinelli moves next to his seat,
looms over him, smiling. But his face turns fierce as
Farinelli kicks the chair out from under Bernzy, who flops
onto his back and hits his head on the tiles.
Bernzy lies on the floor, more stunned and humiliated than
hurt, and looks up at the half-circle formed around him by
Farinelli and his thugs.
Bernzy stares up at Farinelli. He raises his right hand to
God.
After a long beat, Farinelli extends his hand, to help him
up.
FARINELLI:
Okay, Bernzy. As it is, I gotta trust
you. You never crossed nobody, got
no interest in dough, do nothin' but
take pictures, noon and night.
He circles his arm around Bernzy, and walks him to the door.
FARINELLI:
What is it with you, anyway? Dope
fiends live better than you do. You're
a f***in' freak, you know that?
BERNZY:
Yeah, well, like the guy who shoveled
the elephant sh*t said to the circus
owner, 'What? And give up Show
Business?'.
Farinelli laughs but grips Bernzy a little too tightly.
FARINELLI:
Don't go around talkin' about this
dead little f***, awright?
We begin to hear lively music play, anticipating the
CUT TO:
The usual crowd is gathered by the ropes. The other
Photographers watch sullenly as the rope is raised for Bernzy.
Bernzy is looking upward, toward the windowed office as he
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"The Public Eye" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Aug. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_public_eye_1014>.
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