Page 3
Mathilda gets back in the hotel room. She sits on the couch, in front of the switched off television.
One has never seen, nor heard her that concentrated, and determined. Her face looks thirty-year-old.
Noise from the lock; she switches television on: anime. Léon gets in, gets off his stuff. He's got a parcel. He puts it on the table. Léon is stunned by her lack of interest for the parcel.
LÉON ...It's for you... It's a gift.
No reactions. No replies.
LÉON Would you like me to open it? [He's too excited.] ...I open it!
He pulls out a small dress, flowers motif. He's very happy.
LÉON ...Do you like it?
MATHILDA (harsh) ...You'd better directly buy the doll to fit in it, that would be clearer!
Léon doesn't understand. He takes the dress and checks it out for defects.
She sighs and gets in the kitchen.
Léon gives up. He sweetly lays the dress down on the table and switches television off.
Mathilda comes back with a lot of pop corn. She switches television on again, sits on the couch and turns volume up.
Léon is perplexed, he doesn't speak. He gets in the bathroom for a shower.
Mathilda turns volume down. She stands up, glances at the dress, touches it by fingertips. Her face is tense. Water flows in the bathroom, but Léon is at door's small opening and observes Mathilda. She eventually leaves the dress, switches television off and gets to the window to look at the sunset.
Lèon feels bad. He silently closes the door.
* * * * * * * * * *
Mathilda sits in front of him, like in an arena.
MATHILDA (cold) I'm sick of this, Léon.
LÉON ...You can leave whenever you want. I don't refrain you.
MATHILDA ...This is what I don't like, you see: you don't refrain me, but at the same time I can't get out!
Léon is still cleaning his weapons.
LÉON Do you think you learnt patience today?!
MATHILDA (getting nervous) Well, I'm a poor pupil about patience?! OK?
Lèon slightly smiles.
LÉON ...You stayed home, not bad. A good start.
She smiles at him and he returns.
MATHILDA I've been out all the time, stupid!
Léon's smile disappears.
MATHILDA I got home to get my stuff.
She pulls out some dollars and puts them on the desk.
MATHILDA Here. Not 8000. They're 6800. I hope you will credit me for the missing 1200. Furthermore, I'm going to make your work easier: the guy is Norman Stansfield. Office 2702 at FBI, 5th Avenue, 68th Street.
Léon is pale. Open mouth.
LÉON And... How do you know all this?
MATHILDA (as if it's evident) The above Norman was in my home when I was there, and I followed him, that's all.
Lèon tries to keep calm.
LÉON Are you calmly telling me you spent the day at FBI?
She shrugs her shoulders.
MATHILDA No! I can't get in! I remained outside! And why do you mind this? You've got client's name, money's on the table: it's a good contract, isn't it?
Léon looks at her, then looks at the money.
LÉON Not taken.
MATHILDA Why?
LÉON Too heavy.
Mathilda thinks fast.
MATHILDA Well... Then may you rent me your gear for the day?
LÉON I never rent my gear.
Blocked on every front, she sweetly starts crying.
MATHILDA Why are you doing this to me, Léon? Why don't you take me with you for contracts? If you teach me, we'll can do mine together! That would be good, wouldn't it?
Léon intensely look at her, neither severe, nor badly. Just cold, like an iceberg.
LÉON Mathilda, nothing is the same, after you kill someone. Your life changes forever. You'll can never cancel it, neither from your memory, nor from your criminal record... You'll never sleep again like before, Mathilda.
Mathilda dries up her tears. She's abandoned, exhausted.
MATHILDA If you knew, Léon...! I killed one thousand in my head... And this never disturbed my sleep.
LÉON OK... And if it's you who gets killed? [Mathilda doesn't reply. ] ...Then? Talking about other people's death is easy, but what about yours? She's here! She moves around you, and can get you in a thousandth of second. Because it was your day, your hour, your second...
Mathilda looks at him. Léon gets confused.
LÉON It's written in the sky, from the beginning, just you don't know! Then someone announces you like this! Suddenly! "Did you ask yourself what time you will die? "Well, it's now! And it's too late already, you've got a bullet in your lungs already! There!
He pushes her by his index finger, enough to hurt her.
LÉON Painful, isn't it? [He pushes again.] You don't like talking about death because you're like everyone: you fear it...
LÉON ...Well, it's this fear that makes you live. It's because you fear death that you live with so much tenacity. It's because of it that you bear what's unbearable. You can live in a hovel, on lots of trash, everything is better than death and the fear you have of it. [Pause] But me... Léon... I don't fear it any more...
They look at each other for a moment.
LÉON It takes a long to lose it, this fear, but once you lost it... You are free... And just then you can start working properly... Because you can work on other people's fear, play with it... Because "kill or get killed" have become just words... Do you understand?
Mathilda slightly nods yes.
LÉON ...You can't pretend to make this job, until you get beyond this stage. The day you get free of this fear... Not before...
Mathilda looks at his eyes, without challenge.
MATHILDA Léon... I have no fear... It's so.
Léon stares at her. He tries to ascertain truth in Mathilda's eyes.
A long pause.
LÉON OK...
He takes a weapon, empties the cylinder, then loads just one bullet.
LÉON ...Do you know this game?
Mathilda nods yes. He turns the cylinder.
LÉON One shot ahead... I start.
He gets the barrel to his temple so that, if the bullet explodes, blood will get out with a downward angle. He's ready.
He pulls the trigger. Nothing happens.
He puts the gun in front of her.
Mathilda takes it. She looks at him with so much love he almost gets upset.
She's not scared. She'd just like things to be different; maybe she'd like Léon to open his heart to her. She sighs, looks at the gun. She takes it, lifts the cock and aims the weapon at her face. She's resigned.
MATHILDA ...Love or death.
She gets the barrel in her mouth and looks at Lèon. A swear drop on Léon's front.
She pulls the trigger. Nothing. She puts down the gun. Léon stands up, turns around the table and embraces her. He holds her tight. She's surprised. She kindly pushes Lèon back, to look at his eyes.
MATHILDA Am I ready?
Léon pauses, slightly smiles and nods yes. Mathilda closes her eyes, happy and relieved. She takes his hand and embraces him for a long. Léon lets her do.
* * * * * * * * * *
MORNING - A FEW DAYS LATER
Léon and Mathilda in a '50s building. Slightly luxury.
Léon checks emergency exits, then gets in front of a door. He moves his hand along door's border.
MATHILDA What are you doing?
LÉON I'm looking for chain's position. Sometimes you can't see it, but you can feel it... Here.
He opens his overcoat and pulls out large shears. He pulls a chewing-gum out of his mouth and squeezes it on the peephole.
LÉON I ring and you make him open, OK?
He rings.
MATHILDA (caught slightly off-balance) What shall I say?
LÉON Whatever you want.
Mathilda thinks. The guy arrives behind the door.
MAN Yes?
MATHILDA Good morning, Mister... It's Danielle!
MAN Huh! You made an error, baby. I don't know any Danielle.
MATHILDA ...I got lost, Mister.
MAN Huh? Move back, baby, I can't see anything.
MATHILDA It's not me, it's dark here... and I can't find the switch.
She looks at Léon and he mimicks "mean".
MATHILDA Mister... I'm scared.
Léon thumbs up.
MAN Huh? Don't move, baby.
Noise: the man is engaging the safety chain. Léon prepares his shears at the correct heigth.
The man opens the door. The chain explodes. Léon already pulled out his silenced gun. The man is pressed against a wall.
Mathilda looks around, takes the gum off the peephole, gets in the apartment and closes the door. Léon catches man's throat.
LÉON Open your mouth.
The man obeys. Léon puts the silencer in his mouth.
LÉON ...If you let the gun... I pull the trigger, OK?
The man, sweaty, nods yes. Léon checks out the apartment and the man follows him like his shadow. Léon moves without paying attention to him, forgetting the man is totally concentrated to do not let the gun out of his mouth. In the living room, on the desk, syringes and the stuff for them. Léon finished checking, everything OK. They get in the bathroom.
LÉON (to Mathilda) We get there, good. [to the man] Let go.
The man is so scared he doesn't want.
LÉON ...You can let go, I said! [At last, he lets go.] ...Get to the end.
The man obeys. Léon hands the gun to Mathilda.
LÉON (to Mathilda) Go... It's your time.
She aims at him, concentrated. She signs to the man to move left. He obeys. She pulls the trigger. A dull noise. The man collapses to the the floor.
LÉON Good... Safety, now. The second shot.
Mathilda approaches the man and shoots again. Maybe too low: a squirt of blood on her dresses.
LÉON Here it is! Look at your dresses, now! How can you walk in the street, now? [He recovers his gun.] ...Not a good work, this. When you shoot from this angle, you always get blood everywhere. You have to move aside and shoot with a little more angle... There... This way.
He shoots. It makes no difference to the man.
LÉON ...Can you see? Look: not a drop! Come on, try.
He gives her the gun again. Mathilda moves on a side and shoots. Perfect.
LÉON Good.
Mathilda returns the weapon. She looks for a little sign of gratitude, maybe a compliment, but Léon is hermetic.
LÉON ...Let's go.
* * * * * * * * * *
They are in a luxury restaurant.
Léon pours some champagne. Mathilda is happy. They drink. Mathilda drinks everything in one gulp, like she's used to with milk.
MATHILDA (slightly inebriated) I thought we can't drink?
LÉON It's true... But a first contract, it's an exception.
MATHILDA And... May I kiss you, like in the movies, may this be an exception?
Léon's champagne goes the wrong way.
LÉON (serious) ...No.
Mathilda smiles.
MATHILDA ...Yes.
She stands up and sweetly turns around the table.
LÉON (not at ease) Mathilda, what are you doing?
MATHILDA ...I'm going to kiss you.
LÉON Mathilda, stop, please!
She heels on the bench, close to him.
MATHILDA Come on, let me do. Just a kiss.
She tries to kiss him. He avoids her.
LÉON Stop. Everyone is looking.
MATHILDA Of course, so kiss me quickly, or they'll notice us.
Léon gives up, at last. She sweetly kisses him.
MATHILDA Tongue, please.
Léon pushes her away, irritated.
LÉON No, that's enough!
Sit down, now.
Mathilda smiles and gets back to her seat. Good timing, the waiter arrives with their dishes. Mathilda exploits his presence to fill up again her glasses with champagne. The waiter gets away. Léon grabs the champagne bottle and voids it in the ice cup.
MATHILDA ...You don't believe me, don't you?
LÉON What?
MATHILDA When I say I love you.
LÉON Mathilda, don't resume, please. ...Change subject, OK?
MATHILDA ...OK. [pause] I love you anyway.
LÉON Mathilda?!
MATHILDA OK, OK! Excuse me! How old were you when you had your first contract?
LÉON ...17.
Mathilda smiles and lifts the glass.
MATHILDA Beat you!
End of Page 3
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