The Godfather Scene 8

TOM *O.S.* *into phone*: This is Tom Hagen. I'm calling for Vito Corleone, at his request. Now you owe your Don a service. He has no doubt that you will repay it. Now he will be at your funeral parlor in one hour. Be there to greet him.

CUT TO: THE BASEMENT OF BONASERA'S FUNERAL PARLOR

[From the elevator, two men carry a stretcher forward. Tom and the Don follow as Bonasera, frightened, watches.]

VITO CORLEONE: Well, my friend are you ready to do me this service?

BONASERA *nervously*: Yes. What do you want me to do?

VITO CORLEONE: I want you to use all your powers and all your skills. I don't want his mother to see him this way... *after the Don uncovers the blanket, revealing Sonny's mangled face, shaken* Look how they massacred my boy...

CUT TO: TOMMASINO'S VILLA COURTYARD – SICILY – DAY

[Apollonia, laughing, is trying to drive the car almost hitting the
short walls. Michael is teaching her how to drive. The car stops,
and Michael gets out. All the while, they are laughing and joking
in Italian.]

MICHAEL *once the car stops, he gets out* *in Italian*: I can't do this... It's safer to teach you English!

APOLLONIA *in Italian*: I know English... *in English* Monday...Tuesday...Thursday...Wednesday...Friday...Sunday...Saturday... *in Italian* Let's go! Let's go!

MICHAEL: Aie, bravo!

APOLLONIA *in Italian*: Come on! Let's go! Let's go!

[Tommasino's car drives in, sounding its horn. Michael walks over
to it.]

MICHAEL: A salute, Don Tommasino. *Tommasino says something in Italian.*

MICHAEL *in Italian*: How are things in Palermo? *Michael helps Tommasino out of the car as Apollonia runs over and
kisses him.*

APOLLONIA *in Italian*: Michael is teaching me to drive – watch, I'll show you. *Tommasino smiles at her, as she runs back to the car.*

MICHAEL *in Italian*: How's Palermo?

TOMMASINO *in Italian*: Young people don't respect anything anymore. Times are changing for the worse. This place has become too dangerous for you. I don't think you're safe here. I want you to move to a villa near Siracusa, right now... Right now, right?

MICHAEL *putting his hand on Tommasino's chest; in Italian*: What's wrong?

TOMMASINO *in Italian*: Bad news from America. Your brother, Santino, they killed him.

APOLLONIA *pressing the car horn; in Italian*: Michael, let's go... let's go... you promised me.

[DISSOLVE TO: THE VILLA – DAY]

[Calò sits under a tree. Fabrizio is on the wall near the gate. Michael steps out onto the balcony.]

MICHAEL: Fabrizio!

FABRIZIO: Yes?

MICHAEL *in Italian*: Get the car.

FABRIZIO: Are you driving yourself, Boss?

MICHAEL: Yes.

FABRIZIO: Is your wife coming with you?

MICHAEL: No – I want you to take her to her father's house til I know things are safe...

FABRIZIO: Okay, anything you say, Boss.

CUT TO: INT. VILLA/KITCHEN

[Calò sits at the table, eating, as Michael enters.]

MICHAEL *in Italian*: Calò, where's Apollonia?

CALÒ *in Italian*: She's going to surprise you – she wants to drive.

MICHAEL: Ahh...

CALÒ *in Italian*: She'll make a good American wife. *after Michael exits* Wait, I'll get the baggage...

CUT TO: VILLA COURTYARD

[Calò carries suitcases to the car and puts them into the trunk. Apollonia is in the driver's seat.]

MICHAEL *seeing Fabrizio walking toward the gate; in Italian*: Fabrizio! Where are you going?

APOLLONIA *sounding the car horn; in Italian*: Michael, wait there! I'll drive to you.

MICHAEL *after seeing Fabrizio hurry through the gate*: NO! No, Apollonia! *The car that Apollonia is in blows up and Michael is thrown into the bushes.*

CUT TO: MICHAEL

[In shock, is lying in bed as Apollonia's mother wipes his forehead
with a washcloth. Tommasino is at the side of the bed.]

MICHAEL *whispering; in Italian*: Apollonia...?

TOMMASINO *in Italian*: Dead.

MICHAEL *whispering; in Italian*: Fabrizio...? *after Tommasino shakes his head not knowing where Fabrizio is* Get me – Get me – Fabrizio. *then* Find him... Fabrizio.

[DISSOLVE TO: BANK BUILDING BOARDROOM – NEW YORK CITY – DAY]

[There are Dons and aides seated and standing around a conference table. Barzini sits at the head of the table.]

VITO CORLEONE: Don Barzini, I want to thank you for helping me organize this meeting here today. And also the other heads of the Five Families, New York and New Jersey. Carmine Corleone from the Bronx and ah...Brooklyn...Philip Tattaglia. An' from Staten Island, we have with us Victor Strachi. And all the other associates that came as far as from California, and Kansas City, and all the other territories of the country...thank you. *sitting down* How did things ever get so far? I don't know. It was so unfortunate...so unnecessary. Tattaglia lost a son and I lost a son. We're quits. And if Tattaglia agrees, then I'm willing to let things go on the way they were before...

BARZINI: We're all grateful to Don Corleone for calling this meeting. We all know him as a man of his word...a modest man...he'll always listen to reason...

TATTAGLIA: Yes, Don Barzini...he's too modest. He had all the judges and politicians in his pocket. He refused to share them...

VITO CORLEONE: When...when did I ever refuse an accommodation? All of you know me here. When did I ever refuse? Except one time. And why? Because I believe this drug business is gonna destroy us in the years to come. I mean, it's not like gambling or liquor...even women, which is something that most people want nowadays, and is ah forbidden to them by the pezzonovante of the Church. Even the police departments that've helped us in the past with gambling and other things are gonna refuse to help us when in comes to narcotics. And I believed that then and I believe that now.

BARZINI: Times have changed. It's not like the Old Days when we can do anything we want. A refusal is not the act of a friend. If Don Corleone had all the judges, and the politicians in New York, then he must share them, or let us others use them. He must let us draw the water from the well. Certainly he can present a bill for such services; after all we are not Communists.

ZALUCHI *after some laughter from the group, stands*: I also don't believe in drugs. For years I paid my people extra so they wouldn't do that kind of business. *Tattaglia whispers something to his aide.*

ZALUCHI *continues*: Somebody comes to them and says, "I have powders; if you put up three, four thousand dollar investment we can make fifty thousand distributing." So they can't resist. I want to control it as a business, to keep it respectable. *as he slams his hand on the table* I don't want it near schools. I don't want it sold to children! That's an infamia. In my city, we would keep the traffic in the dark people – the colored. They're animals anyway, so let them lose their souls...

VITO CORLEONE: I hoped that we would come here and reason together. And as a reasonable man I'm willing to do whatever's necessary to find a peaceful solution to these problems...

BARZINI: Then we are agreed. The traffic in drugs will be permitted, but controlled and Don Corleone will give up protection in the East and there will be the peace.

TATTAGLIA: But I must have strict assurance from Corleone as time goes by and his position becomes stronger, will he attempt any individual vendetta?

BARZINI: Look, we are all reasonable men here; we don't have to give assurances as if we were lawyers...

VITO CORLEONE *holding up his hand to interrupt Barzini*: You talk about vengeance...is vengeance gonna bring your son back to you? Or my boy to me? I forgo the vengeance of my son But I have selfish reasons. My youngest son was forced to leave this country... *as he stands, with Tom's assistance* Because of this Sollozzo business. All right ... and I have to make arrangements to bring him back here safely – cleared of all these false charges. But I'm a superstitious man and if some unlucky accident should befall him...if he should get shot in the head by a police officer or if he should hang himself in his jail cell or if he's struck by a bolt of lightning then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room. And that, I do not forgive. *then* But that aside let me say that I swear on the souls of my grandchildren that I will not be the one to break the peace that we have made here today... The Don and Tom move toward the head of the table where Barzini is sitting. Tattaglia does the same. The Don and Tattaglia embrace as the others applaud.

CUT TO: THE DON'S CAR DRIVING – NIGHT

[Inside the car where the Don and Tom are sitting in the rear.]

TOM: When I meet with the Tattaglia people, should I insist that all his drug middlemen have clean records?

VITO CORLEONE: Mention it. Don't insist. Barzini is a man who'll know that without being told.

TOM: You mean Tattaglia...

VITO CORLEONE: Tattaglia's a pimp...he never'a could've outfought Santino. But I didn't know until this day that it was Barzini all along... Michael, who has returned from Sicily, is walking and talking with the Don in the Don's garden.

VITO CORLEONE: Look at this tomatoes, peppers...all of this perfecto...

MICHAEL: Pop, what about Sonny? *then* What about Sicily?

VITO CORLEONE: I swore that I would never break the peace.

MICHAEL: But won't they take that as a sign of weakness?

VITO CORLEONE: It is a sign of weakness...

MICHAEL: Well you gave your word that you wouldn't break the peace, I didn't give mine. You don't have to have any part. I take all responsibility.

VITO CORLEONE: Well, we have a lot of time to talk about it now.

[CUT TO: NEW HAMPSHIRE SCHOOL – DAY]

[Kay leads a group of children into schoolyard.]

KAY *to the children*: Come on, Nancy...keep together, everyone. Blanche. Okay, all right... *when Kay notices Michael
standing beside his Cadillac* How long have you been back?

MICHAEL: I've been back a year. Longer than that, I think. *then* It's good to see you, Kay...

[DISSOLVE TO: COUNTRY ROAD – DAY]

[Michael and Kay are walking together as Michael's car follows
behind. A boy on his bike passes, followed by his dog.]

BOY *as he passes*: Come on, Dano!

MICHAEL: I'm working for my father now, Kay. He's been sick...very sick.

KAY: But you're not like him, Michael. I thought you weren't going to become a man like your father. That's what you told me...

MICHAEL: My father's no different than any other powerful man. *after Kay laughs* Any man who's responsible for other people. Like a senator or a president.

KAY: You know how naive you sound?

MICHAEL: Why?

KAY: Senators and presidents don't have men killed...

MICHAEL: Oh who's being naive, Kay? *then* Kay, my father's way of doing things is over...it's finished. Even he knows that. I mean in five years, the Corleone Family is going to be completely legitimate. Trust me. That's all I can tell you about my business
*then* Kay...

KAY: Michael, why did you come here? Why? What do you want with me after all this time? Here I was calling and writing...

MICHAEL: I came here because I need you ... because I care for you.

KAY: Please stop it, Michael...

MICHAEL: Because I want you to marry me...

KAY *shaking her head*: It's too late...it's too late...

MICHAEL: Please, Kay I'll do anything you ask ...anything to make up for what's happened to us... *after Kay shakes her head*... because that's important Kay. Because what's important is that we have each other. That we have a life together that we have children. Our children...*after Kay puts her hands to her face* Kay I need you. And I love you. Michael beckons toward the car. Michael and Kay get in.

[DISSOLVE TO: THE DON'S OFFICE]

[The Don is feeding the fish in his aquarium.]

TESSIO'S VOICE *O.S.* *to Michael*: Barzini's people chisel my territory, and we do nothing about it. Pretty soon there won't be one place in Brooklyn I can hang my hat!

MICHAEL'S VOICE *O.S.*: Just be patient...

TESSIO'S VOICE *O.S.*: I'm not asking you for help, Mike – just take off the handcuffs.

MICHAEL'S VOICE *O.S.*: Be patient.

CLEMENZA'S VOICE *O.S.*: We got to protect ourselves. Give me a chance to recruit some new men.

MICHAEL'S VOICE *O.S.*: No I don't want to give Barzini an excuse
to start fighting.

TESSIO'S VOICE *O.S.*: Mike, you're wrong...

CLEMENZA *to the Don*: Don Corleone you once said that the day would come when Tessio and me could form our own Family. Til today, I would never think of it. I must ask your permission...

VITO CORLEONE *looking away*: Well, Michael is now head of the Family, and if he gives his permission, then you have my blessing...

MICHAEL *seated on a chair*: After we make the move to Nevada you can break off from the Corleone Family and go on your own. After we make the move to Nevada.

CLEMENZA: How long with that be?

MICHAEL: Six months.

TESSIO *to Don Vito*Forgive me, Godfather, but with you gone me and Pete'll come under Barzini's thumb sooner or later...

CLEMENZA: And I hate that goddamn Barzini! In six months' time there won't be nothing left to build on...

VITO CORLEONE: Do you have faith in my judgment?

CLEMENZA: Yes...

VITO CORLEONE: Do I have your loyalty?

CLEMENZA: Yes – always, Godfather...

VITO CORLEONE: Then be a friend to Michael, and do as he says.

MICHAEL *who is now seated behind the desk*: There are things being negotiated now that are gonna solve all your problems and answer all your questions. That's all I can tell you now... *to Carlo* Carlo, you grew up in Nevada. When we make our move there, you're gonna be my right-hand man. *to the group* Tom Hagen's no longer Consiglieri. He's gonna be our lawyer in Vegas. That's no reflection on Tom, but that's the way I want it. *then* Besides if I ever need help, who's a better Consiglieri than my father? Well, that's it. Rocco opens the door to let everyone leave. Clemenza walks past Michael, shakes Don Vito's hand, and exits.

TESSIO *shaking Michael's hand*: Alright...*Tessio walks past Don Vito as he exits. As Carlo exits, Vito pinches Carlo's cheeks.*

CARLO: Thank you, Papa...

VITO CORLEONE: I'm happy for you, Carlo.

TOM *seated on the couch*: Mike, uh why am I out?

MICHAEL: You're not a wartime Consiglieri, Tom. Things may get rough with the move we're trying.