LEON - THE PROFESSIONAL: SELF-WRITTEN SCRIPT
by Nenad Jovanovic
newest version available at
http://swi.priv.at/~predi/leon/index.htm
email: predi@swi.priv.at
Sources: "Leon" - Widescreen Edition (English, Approx. Running Time: 106 mins.)
"Leon" (ordered at www.fnac.fr; English with French subtitles, Approx. Running Time:
128 mins)
"Leon - Der Profi" (German, Approx. Running Time: 127 mins)
Sound files and videos from the WWW
DC - These scenes appear only in the Director's Cut (sometimes called "Integral Version")
The large red parts were mainly copied from the DC-script I found at
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Bungalow/5102/integ1.htm
NC - This short sequence is said to be part of a so-called "New Cut" - not part of German Director's
Cut (a video can be found at http://www.natalieportman.com)
["A Bird In New York"]
[Intro: streets of New York, Little Italy, "Supreme Macaroni Co."]
Tony: [lights a cigarette]
Allora, come stai, Leone?
Leon: Bene.
Tony: [stubbing it out]
Okay, okay. Let's talk business.
[pushes a photo towards Leon]
This fat bastard is trying to move in on Maurizio's business. Now you know,
Maurizio is a reasonable guy, he just wants ... a little conversation. But this guy, he
don't wanna hear about it. Maybe he'll listen to you. He comes to town every
Tuesday. Are you free Tuesday?
Leon: Yeah, I'm free Tuesday.
[drinks up a glass of milk, takes the photo]
["Fatman"]
[Fatman and his bodyguards enter a hotel]
Receptionist: Nice to see you again, Mr. Jones.
[nobody answers, they move on to an apartment on the 20th floor]
Fatman: [to one of his men]
Remember, neatness counts. You got one half hour.
[sees a woman waiting for him]
Aah.. one hour.
[a shadow falls upon the receptionist, Fatman is contacted via walkie-talkie]
Fatman: Yeah, what?
Tonto: [a gun pointing at his face]
This' Tonto downstairs. There's a guy who wants to talk to you.
Fatman: What's he look like?
Tonto: ..Serious.
Leon: Tell him I'm coming up.
Tonto: He's coming up.
[silenced gunshot]
Fatman: Somebody's coming up. Somebody serious.
Bodyguard: [to the walkie-talkie]
Mickey, open your eyes, we got company.
[bodyguards check the stairway]
BG Chief: We got company.
[notices the activated elevator, motions to his men]
Come on.
[take position in front of the elevator, shoot as soon as the door opens]
BG Chief: Stop! Stop men!
[look at Tonto's lifeless body]
Fatman: Tonto..
BG Chief: Tell the driver to wait for us out back, and hurry up.
[checks the elevator, hears a silenced gunshot coming from the stairway; is pulled
down by Leon as he bends over the banisters]
Mickey: [checks another stairway after his monitor fails]
Blond Babe: Hey sweety, what's going on?
Fatman: [quickly collecting money from a drawer]
Don't worry baby. It's cool. Take a nap.
[Mickey gets hung by Leon]
Fatman: [sees Mickey on the monitor]
Oh my god. Those fuckers blocked both of the exits.
[runs through the apartment in panic]
Check the terrace!
[three remaining bodyguards get shot on the terrace behind the shade]
Fatman: Hey! Yo!
[Leon peers through a hole in the shade; Fatman wildly fires at him with his
machine gun; runs through the apartment, finds the back door blocked, takes a
phone and calls the police]
Service: 911 emergency.
Fatman: I need help! Somebody's trying to kill me!
Service: Alright, just stay on the line, I'll just be off for a moment... Sir, I'm gonna connect
you with an officer.
Fatman: Okay.
[surprised by Leon, who places a knife at his throat]
Officer: Detective Jefferson, may I help you?
Fatman: I'll call you back.
[hangs up]
Hey, relax man. I've got half of Bolivia sitt'n in those suitcases over there. Ha'n even
been cut yet. Alright, take it, 'ts yours.
Leon: [takes out a piece of paper]
Dial this number.
Fatman: [obeys]
Blond Babe: [frightened, trying to look friendly]
I'll talk to you later sweety, okay?
[leaves the room]
Fatman: Hello?
Maurizio: [on the phone]
This' Maurizio. Remember me? I see you're back in town?
Fatman: Yeah - No, I mean no. Just for the day.
Maurizio: Aha. So it's safe to say today's your last day in town and we'll never see your fat
fucking face again.
Fatman: Yeah.. right.
Maurizio: Let me speak to our mutual friend.
Fatman: He wants to talk to you.
Leon: [takes the phone]
Yes.
Maurizio: Make sure he understands, and let him go.
[hangs up]
[sirens in the background]
Leon: Do you understand?
Fatman: [nods]
Leon: So say it.
Fatman: I-I understand.
Leon: Good.
[returns the phone to him, disappears]
Fatman: [paralyzed for a few seconds, relieved]
Jesus..
Leon: [in the subway; getting milk from a shop]
Clerk: Ah, amigo! Two milk as usual, eh?
["Ballad For Mathilda"]
[Leon enters the apartment building]
Mathilda: [puts the cigarette down when she sees Leon coming]
Hi.
Leon: [turns around]
Why did you hide the cigarette?
Mathilda: This building is full of rats. I don't want the old man to find out. Got enough
problems.
Leon: [notices a bruise on her face; she slightly bends forward, covering it with her hair]
What happened?
Mathilda: I fell off my bike.
Leon: [leaving]
Mathilda: Hey. Don't tell my dad about the cigarette, okay?
Leon: [stops, then walks on]
[Stansfield comes out from an apartment, listening to some music; Mathilda throws the cigarette
away; Leon shuts the door (6D) behind him]
Father: [upset]
I don't know how it happened, I mean what's my job? I'm just a holder, I hold the
stuff just like you give it to me. I don't look at it, I don't touch it, I don't even know
how to cut it.
Malky: Try to follow me. In June, we gave you the dope, it tests a hundred percent pure.
Now its July, we pick up the dope, and it tests ninety percent pure. Now somewhere
between June and July ten percent turned to cut.
Father: I don't know, that's none of my business, I'm just a holder. You give me the stuff, I
hold the stuff, that's all I know.
Malky: Hey look, you know, I'm trying to help you outta here. But, you know, if you're
gonna be hard-assed about it, I gotta disturb him. Now let me tell ya: When he's into
his music, he hates being disturbed.
Father: I'm telling the truth!
Malky: I hope so. Because he's got a talent for sniffing out a lie. It's scary, it's almost like a
sixth sense. Now you're going to change your tune, or ???
Father: I'm telling you the truth.
Malky: [giving up]
Alright.
[nervous]
Stan.. Stan, I, I'm sorry, h-he said he didn't cut the dope.
Stansfield: Oh.
[turns around with a sick expression; approaches Mathilda's father, sniffs at him,
pats his head]
Of course he didn't.
[embraces him]
Just do me a favor. Find out who did, for tomorrow, noon.
[leaves with Malky]
Father: Malky, hey, wait! Hey, I didn't cut your shit! Find out yourself!
[to Mathilda]
What the hell're you doing out here? Get inside and do your homework.
Mathilda: I did it already.
Father: Oh yeah?
[slaps her face]
So you can get inside and help your sister clean up the goddamn house! And stop
smoking cigarettes!
[Mathilda runs into the apartment, shuts the door]
["Leon The Cleaner"]
[Leon closes his peep-hole, moves his plant away from the window, closes it; takes off his cap,
glasses, coat; takes a shower, sits in front of a glass of milk, irons, cleans the plant, goes to sleep in
a chair]
[next morning in Mathilda's apartment]
Mathilda: [in the background her half-sister's fitness channel can be heard]
Time's up, my turn now.
Sister: Change the channel, and I'll smash your face.
[Leon making sit-ups]
Mother: [her husband runs into the door she just opened]
Sorry, sweetheart.
[Mathilda embraces her brother, who just got up; Mother pats their heads]
Mother: [to Sister]
Sweetheart, turn that down, mom has got a headache.
Mathilda: She took my turn.
Sister: She just wants to watch these goddamn cartoons, it wouldn't hurt her to move her ass
a bit.
Mathilda: I'm not the one with the fat ass around here.
Mother: Can someone who's doing nothing all day but watching cartoons move her little ass
and go get some food?
Sister: Don't dare say that again.
[Leon still making sit-ups]
Father: Margie, I think I screwed up.
Mother: [putting on lipstick]
It wouldn't be the first time, I mean you always come up with something, right?
Father: Yeah, but I think I went a little too far this time.
[embracing her from behind and kissing her neck]
Mother: I think you're going a little too far right now. I'm gonna be late for work.
Father: How about working at home today?
[Mathilda switches to the cartoon channel, runs away]
Mathilda: She's gonna hit me!
[opens the door to the bathroom, surprises her parents]
Father: Shut the goddamn door!
[Sister shuts it, hits Mathilda with the remote control]
Sister: Fucking bitch.
[returns to her training]
[Mathilda leaning against the wall; the phone rings]
Father: Hey, can somebody answer the phone!?
Sister: I'm busy!
Mathilda: [answering the phone]
Hello?
Headmistress: This is Margaret McAllester, headmistress at the Spencer School in Wildwood, New
Jersey. Is Mr. or Mrs. Lando home?
["She Is Dead"]
Mathilda: [with a lowered voice]
Yes, this is she.
Headmistress: Mrs. Lando, when your husband enrolled Mathilda at Spencer, he told us she had
problems. Well, as you know, we pride ourselves in turning troubled girls into
healthy, productive young women. But if they are not here, there is very little we can
do. Now, Mathilda left school without permission nearly two weeks ago. I know
your husband paid tuition in advance for a year. But if you will refer to page 20 in
the "Rules and Regulations Manual" we sent you, you will see that unless there is a
valid excuse for prolonged absence, your tuition will be forfeit.
Mathilda: [embittered]
She's dead.
[hangs up]
[Leon finishes his training, puts the plant on the window-sill; hears Mathilda's father shouting
around as he leaves; watches a Gene Kelley film in cinema]
Leon: [comes up the stairs; sees Mathilda's bleeding nose; looks around, reaches her his handkerchief]
Mathilda: Is life always this hard, or just when you're a kid?
["Noon"]
Leon: ..Always like this.
Mathilda: [shortly looks at the bloodstained handkerchief, then turns her eyes back to him]
Leon: Keep it.
[moves on]
Mathilda: Hey. I'm going grocery shopping. Want some milk? One quart or two? It's two,
right?
Leon: [hesitates, then nods]
Mathilda: [runs down the stairway, smiling again]
Leon: [in his apartment; takes milk, looks at the clock: 3 to 12]
[appearing on the corridor: Stansfield's man, Benny, Blood, Veteran, Malky, Stansfield]
[Stansfield takes drugs in his very special way]
Stansfield: I like these calm little moments before the storm. It reminds me of Beethoven.
Can you hear it? It's like when you put your head to the grass. You can hear it
growing. You can hear the insects, bzzz...
Leon: [notices sounds coming from outside; observes them through peep-hole]
Stansfield: Do you like Beethoven?
Malky: [nervous]
Couldn't really say.
Stansfield: [takes his pumpgun]
I'm gonna play you some.
[shoots at: the door, Sister (missed), Mother]
Malky: Benny, stay here.
[enters]
Sister: [running away from Stansfield and his men]
Daddy! Daddy!
Stansfield: [shoots at Sister again, killing her this time]
[devastates the kitchen; approaches Father, who stands trembling in a corner]
Stansfield: We said noon.
[tapping his wristwatch]
I've got one minute past.
[snaps his fingers, ending the music]
You don't like Beethoven. You don't know what you're missing. Overtures like
that get my.. juices flowing. So powerful. But after his openings, to be honest,
he does tend to get a little fucking boring. That's why I stopped!
[laughter]
Touch the apartment.
["Birds Of Storm"]
[Mathilda buying milk]
[Stansfield's men searching the apartment]
Stansfield: [pointing at Father]
You are a Mozart-fan. I love him, too.
[with a singer's voice]
I lo-o-ove Mozart! He was Austrian, you know.
But for this kind of work, he is a little bit light. So I tend to go for the heavier guys.
Blood: [investigating a record]
Cool.
Stansfield's Man: What the fuck are you doing?!
Blood: Man keep your bumbakut mouth shut.
Stansfield: Check out Brahms, he's good, too.
[goes]
Blood: What the fuck do you know about music?
Stansfield's Man: Knock it off!
Veteran: Checked the mattress?
Blood: [still looking at the record]
Nope.
[Veteran starts cutting it up; Father shoots Stansfield's Man, grazes Stansfield; Brother
leaves his hiding-place under the bed and runs; Blood wildly shoots around]
Blood: Wow.
[Father throws away the pumpgun, tries to flee, but gets shot by Stansfield]
Stansfield: [stands up, discovers a hole in his suit]
Oh, fuck!
Malky: [hiding under a table in the kitchen]
Stan?
Stansfield: [to Father]
Look what you did.
Malky: Stan, you're right?
Stansfield: [outraged]
Look - what - you did!
Malky: Stan!
Stansfield: [shoots at Father four more times, starts reloading his gun]
Malky: [holds him off from continuing]
Stan, what are you doing?! What are you doing, he's dead!
Stansfield: But he ruined my suit.
Malky: I know, but he's dead! ?? Forget about it! Calm down.
Stansfield: I'm calm.
Malky: Stay there!
Stansfield: Okay.
Malky: Benny! Benny..
[looks out of the door, rushes back as Benny loses his nerves and shoots]
Jesus fucking Christ Benny! It's Malky and Stan!
[to Stansfield]
Come on, let's have a cigarette, alright? Benny! We're coming out! Benny, don't fire!
Get in! Jesus fucking Christ Benny!
[gives a cigarette to Stansfield]
Stansfield: ..you wear something new..
Old Lady: [coming out of her apartment]
What's happening out there?
Malky: It's alright Mam, go in. DEA, police.
Old Lady: Why don't you leave that poor family alone?
Malky: [to Stansfield]
Everything's alright, okay? Just calm down.
[goes into the apartment]
Stansfield: I am calm. I'm calm.
Old Lady: Why don't you leave them alone?
Stansfield: [shoots the window next to her into pieces]
He said: Go back inside.
["What's Happening Out There?"]
Malky: [enervated]
Stan, I think it's better if we go inside, alright?
[pushes him into the apartment]
[Mathilda returns from shopping; sees Veteran guarding their door, where her father's
body is lying; hears Malky from inside]
Malky: Benny, turn the kitchen upside down, find that shit.
Willie Blood, look what you did! You killed the four year old kid! Did you really
have to do that?!
[Mathilda walks on to Leon's door, rings]
Mathilda: [crying as quietly as possible]
Please open the door..
please.. [rings twice]
..please.. [rings twice]
[Leon opens; light falling on Mathilda's face; she enters, fills the refrigerator]
Malky: [finds a photo]
Benny, there are three kids here. I think Stan killed this girl, and Willie that asshole
shot the little boy. The third one's missing. Find her.
Benny: [to Veteran, as he leaves the apartment]
Oh shit, hey we missed a little girl, I'm trying to find the fucking super of this
goddamn building.
[Veteran becomes suspicious, slowly approaches Leon's apartment; Leon prepares to shoot him
through the door]
[Mathilda turns on the TV; Leon startled; Veteran goes back again]
Blood: Yo, I found it!
Stansfield: Bingo!
Malky: Stan, he found it.
Stansfield: I know.
Malky: It's the cops outside, we better go.
Stansfield: It's the cops outside, we better go. You stay here.
Blood: What do you want me to tell them?
Stansfield: Tell them.. we were doing.. our job.
["Cute Name"]
Leon: What's your name?
Mathilda: Mathilda.
Leon: Sorry about your father.
Mathilda: 'f somebody didn't do it one day or another I would've probably done it myself.
Leon: Your mother, she ..
Mathilda: 's not my mother. My sister, she wanted to lose some weight anyway. Bet she never
looked better. Not even my real sister. Just a half sister, and not a good half at that.
Leon: If you couldn't stand them, why are you crying?
Mathilda: Because they killed my brother. What the hell did he do? He was four years old, he
never used to cry, just used to sit next to me and cuddle. I was more mother to him
than that goddamn pig ever was.
Leon: Hey, don't talk like that about pigs. They're usually much nicer than people.
Mathilda: But they smell like shit.
Leon: [shakes his finger]
Not true. As a matter of fact, right now I have one in my kitchen. That's very clean,
smells very nice.
Mathilda: You don't have a pig in your kitchen.
Leon: Yes I do.
Mathilda: I was just in there and I didn't see any goddamn pig.
Leon: Don't move, I'll get him.
[disappears in the kitchen]
Piggy! Piggy, where are you?
[grunting]
Ah, there you are.
[grunting, playing Piggy]
Hi Mathilda.
Mathilda: [a little consoled]
Hi Piggy.
Leon: [still playing]
Hi.
[takes place at the table, playing]
How are you today?
Mathilda: I've seen better days.
Leon: [continues grunting a little, then starts feeling uncomfortable about his question]
Mathilda: What's your name?
Leon: Leon.
Mathilda: [her eyes fixed on him]
Cute name.
Leon: [spills a whole glass of milk over his face]
Do you have anyone you can go to, any family, any place else?
Mathilda: [shakes her head]
Leon: [sighs, notices that there is no milk left]
I'm gonna get some more milk.
Mathilda: [finds a bullet, opens the box next to her containing Leon's equipment]
Oh shit.
Leon: [returns with milk, closes the box and sits down]
Don't touch that, please.
Mathilda: Leon, what exactly do you do for a living?
Leon: [uncomfortable]
Cleaner.
Mathilda: You mean you're a hitman?
Leon: Yeah.
Mathilda: Cool.
Leon: [surprised look]
Mathilda: [pours him a glass of milk]
Do you clean anyone?
Leon: No women, no kids, that's the rules.
Mathilda: How much would it cost to hire someone to get those dirtbags who killed my
brother?
Leon: Five grand a head.
Mathilda: Wow. How about this: I work for you, and in exchange, you teach me how to clean.
Hm? What do you think? I'll clean your place, I'll do the shopping, I'll even wash your clothes. Is it a deal?
Leon: No, it's not a deal.
Mathilda: [grieved]
What do you want me to do, hm? I've got no place to go.
Leon: You've had a rough day today. Go to sleep and we'll see tomorrow, okay?
[in the sleeping room]
Leon: [awkwardly covers Mathilda with a blanket]
Mathilda: You've been really great with me, Leon. ??? not always like that, y' know?
[embraces two of his fingers]
Good night.
Leon: [confused, switches the lights off and leaves the room]
[Unknown Song]
[Leon sits in the darkness, unable to sleep; stands up, puts a silencer on a gun and enters Mathilda's
room, determined; aims, but can't do it; goes away again]
[next morning; Leon puts his plant on the window and starts training; hears Mathilda]
Leon: Sleep well?
Mathilda: [nods]
Leon: Good. Because after breakfast, you gotta take off.
Mathilda: Where to?
Leon: Not my problem.
[goes to clean his guns]
Mathilda: [throws a piece of paper on the table]
Read it.
Leon: [takes it]
.. aahm ..
Mathilda: You don't know how to read.
Leon: I'm learning, but.. I had a lot of work lately so.. I'm a little behind. What's it say?
Mathilda: I've decided what to do with my life. I wanna be a cleaner.
Leon: Wanna be a cleaner? Here.
[puts a gun and ammunition in front of her]
Take it. It's a goodbye gift. Go clean. But not with me. I work alone, understand?
Alone.
Mathilda: Bonnie and Clyde didn't work alone, Thelma and Louise didn't work alone. And
they were the best.
Leon: [sighs]
Mathilda, why are doing this to me? I've been nothing but nice to you, I even saved
your life yesterday, right outside the door.
Mathilda: Right, so now you're responsible for it. If you saved my life, you must have saved it
for a good reason. If you threw me out now it's like you never opened your door. You
could've let me die right there in front of it. But you did open it. So..
Leon: Mathilda..
Mathilda: If you don't help me I'll die tonight. I can feel it. But I don't want to die tonight.
Leon: Mathilda, you're just a.. little girl so.. don't take it badly, but I don't think you could
do it. I'm sorry.
Mathilda: [determined, takes the gun, goes to the window and shoots six times, puts it back]
How's that?
Leon: [speechless]
["What's Happening Out There?" - modified version]
[on the street with their baggage]
Leon: [walking angrily, suddenly stops]
Mathilda, don't you ever do that again or I'll break your head, you got that?
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: I don't work like that. It's not professional. There is rules.
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: [angry]
And stop saying "Okay" all the time, okay?
Mathilda: ...Okay.
Leon: Good.
[continues his way, followed by Mathilda]
[they enter the hall of the "Hotel National"]
Mathilda: Hi!
Receptionist: [sees the violin-case]
[grumpy]
Expect to use that in this hotel?
Mathilda: Mister.. I have to use it, because.. I have an audition at Juliet next month, and.. I
have to practice.
Receptionist: [softened]
Ah okay, okay, okay. But not after ten, hm?
Mathilda: Okay, I promise.
Receptionist: Alright. I'm gonna put you at the end of the hall so that you don't disturb anyone.
[pushing some papers to Leon]
Would you fill those out please?
Leon: [uneasy look]
Mathilda: Oh, ahm, daddy, can I please fill them out, you know how I like to check in to
hotels.
Leon: [surprised by her quick reaction, nods]
Mathilda: Thanks pap.
[to the receptionist]
I'll bring these back in a minute.
Receptionist: Fourth floor!
Mathilda: [running up the stairs]
Thanks mister!
Receptionist: Oh you're lucky to have a little girl that's interested in things. I have a kid,
seventeen, does nothing all day long.
Leon: Can I leave my plant here while I take my stuff upstairs?
Receptionist: Of course.
Mathilda: [to Leon, who just entered and immediately starts investigating the apartment]
Hi.
[writing]
I'm putting in the name of a girl in my class who makes me sick.
When things get hot, she'll take the heat.
[Leon finally takes place]
Mathilda: There, finished.
NC
Leon: How old are you?
Mathilda: Eighteen.
Leon: Eighteen?
Mathilda: Wanna see my license?
Leon: No. You just look a little.. younger.
Mathilda: Thanks.
NC-over
Mathilda: [sits down in front of him]
Leon, I want you to teach me how to be like you. I wanna be strong like you, smart
like you.
Leon: Mathilda..
Mathilda: I know I'm not strong enough yet, but I can learn the basics, the theory. What do you
think? Just the theory. I need this, Leon. I need time to get my head together.
Leon: Yeah, and I need... a drink.
Mathilda: Don't move, I'll go get one.
[at Tony's]
Leon: Salute.
Tony: [lights a cigarette, beholds one of his men, who puts down a suitcase next to him]
You know when you told me to get this baby out for you, I thought my hearing's
going. I says to myself, Leon's a pro, nobody uses that, except beginners.
Leon: I like to stay in shape.
Tony: Sure. Always stay on top. It's like me, I gotta know where everything is all the time.
That's why I don't leave this place, except to go from here to there.
Leon: [slightly uncomfortable, smiles]
Tony: Change ain't good, Leon. You know?
Leon: [his smile fades]
Yeah.
Tony: [places the suitcase on the table]
Check it. Make sure it's the right thing.
Leon: I trust you.
Tony: One thing's got nothing to do with the other. Remember that, Leon.
Leon: I will.
[opens it]
["Feel The Breath"]
[on the roof]
Leon: [assembling the rifle]
The rifle is the first weapon you learn how to use, because it lets you keep your
distance from the client. The closer you get to being a pro, the closer you can get to
the client. The knife, for example, is the last thing you learn. Okay?
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: Position.
[they lie down near the edge; closes the lid of the objective one second after
Mathilda opened it]
No, never take it off until the last minute, it reflects light. They can see you coming
from a mile away. And always dress down, never brighter than the floor. Okay?
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: Let's practice now. It's the best way to learn.
[takes out his binoculars]
Mathilda: Who should I hit?
Leon: Whoever.
[Jogger, apparently a politician, gets out of a limousine, followed by bodyguards]
Jogger: I'll be with you in a second, alright, give me a few minutes, thank you, thanks a lot.
[to his bodyguards]
You guys in the suits get lost, I don't wanna see you, alright? It has to look natural.
Mathilda: [aiming at a group of playing children]
No women, no kids, right?
Leon: Right.
Mathilda: Jogger in the yellow and orange?
Leon: Okay. Keep calm. Don't take your eyes off him. Breathe easy. Watch his movement.
Pretend you're running with him. Try to feel his next movement. Take a deep
breath - hold it. Now.
[red spot appears on the Jogger's shirt]
Jogger: [covered by his upset bodyguards]
I'm alright! I'm fine, I'm fine!
Mathilda: One shot not bad, huh?
Jogger: I'm fine, just please get down from me!
Mathilda: Can we try with real bullets now?
Leon: Not today, let's pack up.
[pack up and go away]
["Venus As A Boy" by Björk]
[Leon showing Mathilda how to handle a gun; Mathilda washing the laundry, cleaning the window,
coming home from shopping, washing the dishes, cleaning guns; Leon putting his plant on the
window; both of them making sit-ups; Leon offering a glass of milk]
Mathilda: No, thanks.
Leon: No discussion.
[Mathilda obeys reluctantly; puts milk into the refrigerator; goes to bed, exhausted, while Leon sits
down in a chair as usual; Leon putting his plant on the window again, waking Mathilda up; making
sit-ups alone: Mathilda doing fitness training in front of the TV; pouring her a glass of milk;
Mathilda teaching Leon how to write]
Mathilda: It seemed... to Socrates... to So-cra-tes...
[Mathilda having trouble with loading a gun]
Leon: I'll do it.
[finishes the procedure after a few moments, returns the gun to impressed Mathilda]
[Leon putting his plant on the window once more, pouring her a glass of milk again]
Mathilda: Leon, all we do is work. We need a break. Let's play a game!
Leon: What kind of game?
Mathilda: I've this great game. 't makes you think and it helps your memory. It's exactly what
you need.
Leon: ... Okay.
[Unknown Song]
Mathilda: [joyfully collects some clothes in the other room, singing some melody]
[appears as Madonna, performs "Like A Virgin"]
Okay, who is it?
Leon: I don't know.
Mathilda: Okay..
[leaves, returns as Marilyn Monroe, performs "Happy Birthday, Mr. President"]
Leon: [uncomfortable, flushing]
I don't know.
Mathilda: [appears as Charlie Chaplin]
Leon: Aaah..
Mathilda: [pointing at it]
Mustache..?
Leon: ... no.
Mathilda: [appears as Gene Kelley, performs "Singin' In The Rain"]
Leon: Gene Kelley?
Mathilda: [relieved]
Aah, good. Your turn now.
Leon: Huh?
[appears as some cowboy]
Okay, pilgrim.
Mathilda: Aaah.. Clint Eastwood?
Leon: [tries another position]
Mathilda: I don't know, I give up.
Leon: [disappointed]
John Wayne.
Mathilda: I was just about to say that, I swear. It's amazing, Leon, really, brilliant..
Leon: [walks off with sadly lowered head]
Mathilda: Amazing..
["How Do You Know It's Love?" - strongly modified version]
Mathilda: [observing Leon cleaning his plant]
You love your plant, don't you?
Leon: It's my best friend. Always happy, no questions. And it's like me, you see?
[lifts it up, points at the empty space below it]
No roots.
[smiles]
Mathilda: If you really love it, you should plant it in the middle of a park so that it can have
roots.
Leon: ..Yeah.
Mathilda: I'm the one that should be watered if you want me to grow.
Leon: You're right.
[grabs the squeeze-bottle and splashes Mathilda; she runs away, returns with a
bucket full of water]
No...
Mathilda: Yes...
Leon: ... no..
Mathilda: ... yes..
Leon: ..no..
Mathilda: ..Yes!
Leon: ..No!
[Mathilda throws the bucket at Leon, flees, followed by him; he catches her in the bathroom, puts
her into the wardrobe; the fierce battle makes its sliding door break off]
[at Tony's]
Tony: [in the kitchen, to the cooks]
They gotta be jumping out of the plate, they gotta be alive.
[bringing a meal for Leon and an old man]
It's been a long time, Leon. I missed you. And you missed some nice jobs, too.
Leon: Been training.
Tony: Training's good. But don't overdo it eh, you know training don't pay as good as
working, Leon.
Leon: Tony.. all the money I.. make, that you keep for me..
Tony: You need some money?
Leon: No, just curious.
Tony: Ah.
Leon: Because I've been working a long time and I haven't done anything with my
money... I thought maybe some day I could... use it.
["Tony The IBM"]
Tony: You met a woman.
Leon: [shakes his head firmly]
Tony: [sighs]
Leon... Leon, you gotta be careful with women. Remember when you arrived in this
country, Leon. When I took you in, you were still wet behind the fucking ears, and
already you were in deep shit because of a woman. Don't forget that, Leon.
Leon: Wish I could sometimes.
You know, about my money, maybe I.. maybe I could give.. little.. to someone... you
know.. to help out.
Tony: Hey, it's your money, I mean I'm just holding it for you, you know, like a bank,
except that, you know, better than a bank, because, you know, banks get always
knocked off. And no one knocks off old Tony. And besides, in a bank there's always
tons of forms to be filled and all that shit. But old Tony, nothing to read, nothing to
write - it's all in his head.
Leon: I know how to read now.
Tony: That's good, Leon, good. Your money is here, whenever you want it, you just ask
me, okay? Here's a grand.
Leon: [reluctant]
Tony: Come on, take it, have some fun, right? Take it.
Leon: [takes it]
Thank you.
Tony: Alright? Now let's talk business. Don't move, I'll go get the file.
[as he goes away]
Manolo, a glass of milk for my friend Leon here.
[disappears behind a door]
Leon: [sees Mathilda talking to some guy on the street, who offers her a cigarette; goes out,
takes her aside, with a suspicious look fixed on the youngster]
Listen Mathilda, better be careful, you can't just speak to any guy off the street.
Mathilda: Leon, get a grip. What's the big fucking deal, I was just smoking a butt while I was
waiting.
Leon: I want you to stop cursing. You can't talk to people like that all the time. I want you
to make an effort to talk nice.
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: And I want you to stop smoking, 't will kill you.
Mathilda: [throws away the cigarette]
Okay.
Leon: Stay away from him, he looks like a weirdo.
Mathilda: ... Okay.
Leon: I'll be out in five minutes, stand where I can see you.
Mathilda: .. Okay.
["How Do You Know It's Love?"]
Mathilda: [lying on the bed]
Leon, I think I'm kind of falling in love with you.
Leon: [spills another glass of milk over his face]
Mathilda: It's the first time for me, you know.
Leon: How do you know it's love if you've never been in love before?
Mathilda: Because I feel it.
Leon: Where?
Mathilda: Here in my stomach. It's all warm. I always had a knot there, and now.. it's gone.
Leon: Mathilda, I'm glad you don't have a stomach ache any more, but I don't think that
means anything. I'm late for work. I hate being late for work.
[puts on his coat, picks up his equipment; leaves]
["Noon" - shortened]
[shuts the door behind him; leans against the wall, looking unusually tired; puts on his glasses]
Receptionist: Ah, how's the practicing going?
[Leon marches past without answering]
Receptionist: And how are we today, Miss?
Mathilda: I'm sick of practicing.
Receptionist: Yeah, I understand. But are you doing all right? I haven't received any complaints at
all.
Mathilda: Well, I put a cloth over the strings to lessen the noise.
Receptionist: Oh, that's very smart.
Mathilda: Not everyone loves music.
Receptionist: Yeah I know. What exactly does your father do?
Mathilda: Hm, he's a composer.
Receptionist: Ah, that's wonderful.
Mathilda: Except he's not really my father.
[looks at him]
He's my lover.
Receptionist: [shocked]
Mathilda: I'm gonna go for a walk.
[indicates "Bye" with her lips]
["Back On The Crime Scene"]
[Mathilda goes to her former hotel; a policeman guarding the apartment is busy talking to his
girlfriend]
Girlfriend: What're you doing on Saturday?
Policeman: What about dinner?
Girlfriend: Aahm..
Policeman: [to Mathilda]
Hey, where are you going?
Mathilda: Visiting friends at 6J.
Policeman: Ah okay right.
[continues his conversation as Mathilda slips through the door]
[Mathilda picks up a teddybear; depressed after seeing the outline of her brother's body on the floor;
retrieves a bunch of money from a secret place; hides when she hears footsteps]
Old Detective: We know you're a busy man, and we'll try to make this as short as possible. Now, if
you just take us step by step through exactly what happened.
Stansfield: [bored]
The guy was here, he went for his gun, bang, we shot him.
[critical looks from the Detectives]
Serious Det.: Where exactly were the kids?
Stansfield: I don't know. They should have been at school, don't you think?
Old Detective: But in the statement you said you were the first man in, didn't you see any kids?
Serious Det.: The door was broken, what happened? Did you follow the procedure?
Stansfield: [getting aggressive]
I lost a good man here. What the fuck do want with me?
Serious Det.: Cooperation.
Stansfield: [exploding]
I haven't got time for this Mickey Mouse bullshit! You want cooperation? Come up
my office, will you? Fortysix-o-two.
[storms out, ignoring the yellow tape]
["Room 4602"]
[outside; takes away the basketball from a kid that crosses his way]
Kids should be at school.
Kid: Hey! Hey come on, that's my ball!
[Stansfield passes it to Benny]
Hey, give that back! Hey come on, where are you going? Damn! Where are you
going man? That's my ball!
Mathilda: [gets into a taxi]
Follow the blue car!
Taxi Driver: And I suppose you want me to blast the music and go through the lights, eh?
Mathilda: No. Drive slowly. Take the hundred bugs and shut the fuck up, okay?
[silently accepted by him]
[Mathilda follows him to the DEA building]
[in the apartment; Mathilda watches cartoons; Leon enters, blood flowing down his right hand,
which she doesn't notice]
Leon: [puts a "Cignal"-sac on the table, smiling]
It's for you. A present. Do you want me to open it? I'll open it.
[reveals a pink dress to her]
How do you like it? Nice, eh?
[Mathilda remains indifferent]
[knocks at the door]
Receptionist: Mr. McGoffen?
[Leon opens the door]
[strict look]
Can I have a word with you?
["Can I Have A Word With You?"]
[again carrying their baggage through the streets; Mathilda inspects the new apartment, the
teddybear in her arms; Leon under the shower, suturing his wound]
DC
[Leon comes out of the bathroom, looks around; Mathilda pours him a glass of milk, which makes
him sit down]
Mathilda: Here, it's for a contract, 20 grand, right? His name is Norman Stansfield and he's in
room 4602 in the DEA building, 26 Federal Plaza.
Leon: I'm not taking it.
Mathilda: Why not?
Leon: Too heavy.
Mathilda: Well, will you rent me your gear for the day?
Leon: I never lend out my gear. But,
[pushes a revolver towards Mathilda]
you still have your gun, use it. Just do me a favor, don't shoot out the window, okay.
Mathilda: Why are you so mean to me? You're all day killing people you don't give a shit
about, but you won't get the bastards that killed my whole family?
["The Fight (part 1: The Swat Squad)"]
Leon: Revenge is not good, Mathilda. Believe, it is better to forget.
Mathilda: To forget? After I've seen the outline of my brother's body on the floor, you expect
me to forget? I want to kill those sons of a bitches, and I'll blow their fucking heads
off!
Leon: Nothing's the same after you've killed someone. Your life is changed forever. Why
have to sleep with one eye open for the rest of your life.
Mathilda: I don't give a shit about sleeping, Leon. I want love, or death. That's it.
Leon: Love or death. Get off my case Mathilda, I'm tired of your games.
Mathilda: There's this really great game, Leon. Makes people nicer, starts them thinking. The
kind of game you love.
[puts three bullets into the gun, spins the chamber, shuts it]
If I win, you keep me with you. For life.
Leon: And if you lose?
Mathilda: You go shopping alone, like before.
Leon: You're gonna lose, Mathilda. There's a round in the chamber. I heard it.
Mathilda: So what .. 's it to you if I end up with a bullet in the head, huh?
Leon: Nothing.
Mathilda: I hope you're not lying, Leon. I really hope that deep down inside there is no love in
you. Because if there is.. just a little bit of love in you, I think that in a few minutes
you'll regret you never said anything.
[puts the gun to her head]
I love you Leon.
[slowly pulls the trigger]
Leon: [rushes forward, pulls her hand away; the shot knocks down a lamp behind them]
Mathilda: [crying heavily]
I win.
[at Tony's; Mathilda and Leon sitting at a table in front of him]
Leon: I, ah, I took a hit. I need a hand now. I know she is young, but she learns fast. Kids
need to be shaped into something, right?
Tony: Yeah I know, I told you that. But ain't there an age limit?
Leon: She's eighteen.
Tony: Oh really?
Leon: How about something to drink, Tony?
Tony: Yes, sure, Manolo, a glass of milk for Leon.
Mathilda: Nice tattoo.
[wide grin]
Leon: [looks from Tony to Mathilda and back again, surprised and embarrassed]
Tony: Manolo, make that two.
["Feel The Breath" - strongly modified]
[in a hallway]
Mathilda: [looking at Leon, who puts on his cap]
What's that for?
Leon: Can't afford to catch a cold.
[sticks chewing gum on the peephole]
First you find out where the chain is. You can't see it, but you can feel it.. here.
I ring, you start talking.
Mathilda: What do I say?
Leon: Whatever you want.
[rings, moves the bolt cutter to the right position]
Voice: Yes?
Mathilda: Hi, it's Susan.
Voice: I'm sorry, you must have the wrong door, little girl. I don't know any Susan. Move
back a little, I can't see anything.
Mathilda: The light's out. It's all dark out here... mister, I'm scared.
Voice: Okay, okay.
[opens the door]
[Leon snaps the chain, rushes into the apartment, followed by Mathilda]
Leon: ???
[jams a pistol into the Drug Dealer's mouth]
If it leaves your mouth I'll pull the trigger, capiche?
[Drug Dealer nods]
[checks the apartment]
Here is okay.
[to Dealer]
Let it go. I said let it go.
[Dealer obeys]
Move. Move over.
Dealer: [stumbles over the bed as he moves to the window, very scared]
Leon: [to Mathilda]
Go ahead, your turn.
Mathilda: [opens her box containing a pistol with silencer, assembles it quickly]
Dealer: Ahm, sir.. sir, ahm.. sir? Sir, it's not my dope. Sir.. look I.. it's not my dope..
Mathilda: [takes firing position]
A little left please.
[Dealer is surprised, but obeys]
[shoots a paintball at the Dealer's shirt]
Dealer: [screams]
Leon: Okay, now the security shot.
[Mathilda fires another paintball, Dealer screams again]
No, the second goes higher on the chest. Aim for the heart and lungs. There, right
there, you see? The first shot takes him out of order, the second finishes him.
[Dealer curses around, out of breath]
Never in the face. If they can't recognize the client, you don't get paid. Because you
could take out anybody and say you did the job. Got it?
Mathilda: Got it, never in the face.
Leon: Okay, now you can put the tools away.
[Mathilda walks back to her box]
Dealer: What the fuck is going on?? Hey mister..
[Leon shoots him]
Leon: You'll see when you use the silencer a lot, you have to put a piece of cloth here,
because it gets very hot and can burn it inside. A damp, black cloth is the best.
What're you doing?
Mathilda: You said no women, no kids. Who do you think this is gonna kill, donkeys and
monkeys?
[Mathilda spills some inflammable liquid over the drugs, ignites it]
Now, it's clean.
Leon: Let's get out of here.
["The Game Is Over"]
[in an expensive restaurant]
Mathilda: I thought we don't have the right to drink.
Leon: I know, but we're making an exception. For your first client.
Mathilda: Well, if we're making exceptions for a job well done, how about a kiss? Like in the
movies.
Leon: [shakes his head]
No.
Mathilda: Yes..
[leans over]
Leon: What're you doing?
Mathilda: I'm gonna kiss you.
Leon: Mathilda, stop please.
Mathilda: Come on, just a kiss.
Leon: Stop, everyone is watching us.
Basta, go sit down.
[pushes her back]
[Mathilda receives a bottle of champagne from the waiter, pours it into her glass, spilling most of it
over the table]
Waiter: Enjoy...
Leon: [hides the bottle under the table]
Mathilda: You don't believe me, do you?
Leon: How's that?
Mathilda: When I say I'm in love with you.
Leon: Mathilda, please, drop it. Just change subject, okay?
Mathilda: Okay, okay, sorry... So, how old were you when you made your first hit?
Leon: Nineteen.
Mathilda: Beat ya!
[drinks up her glass of champagne, followed by the laughter sequence]
[Unknown Song]
[in a hallway again]
Leon: [looking at Mathilda, who puts on a cap]
What're you doing?
Mathilda: Can't afford to catch a cold.
[they visit several clients, following the same procedure as above; but the next one makes problems]
Mathilda: There's no doorbell.
Leon: So knock on the door.
[she knocks]
Voice: Yes?
Mathilda: Hi. I'm looking for Mr. Rubens' apartment. But it's all dark out here in the hall, and
I'm lost.
Voice: Just a second.
Leon: [hears the sound of a lever being pulled on a gun; grabs Mathilda, swings her
around to the other side as a barrage of bullets come blasting through the door]
Voice: You want more? C'mon, show me your fucking face!
Think you can get me that easily?
[continues shooting]
Leon: When it's tough like this, you know it's gonna be ugly. Better make it quick, or else
you will be all day listening to his crap.
[to cursing guy inside]
Hey. What about the Ring Trick, you know that one?
Voice: Ring Trick? C'mon asshole, I'm waiting. Show it to me, motherfucker.
Leon: [throws a grenade in, protecting Mathilda from the explosion with his body; shows
her the grenade pin]
That's the Ring Trick.
DC-over
[Leon appears in front of Tony's]
Tony: [to his barber]
Mario, go back to the barber shop, we'll finish later.
[Mario leaves as Leon enters]
Hey Leon, what's up? All done already?
Leon: No no.
[investigating some plastic pigs]
Nicer than people, eh?
Tony: [amused]
I told you that. You got a problem?
Leon: No.
Tony: Get the chair, sit down, sit.
Leon: [sits down in front of him]
I.. I was.. thinking. If something happens to me some day..
Tony: Hey, Leon, nothing's gonna happen to you. You're indestructible, bullets slide off
you, you play with them.
Leon: Tony I.. thought about my money.
[Tony seems to feel uncomfortable]
You remember the.. the girl who came here the other day?
Tony: ... Yeah.
Leon: Her name is.. Mathilda. If anything happens to me, I... I'd like you to give her... my
money.
Tony: You can count on me Leon.
Leon: Thank you, Tony.
Tony: Yeah.
DC
[in their apartment, Leon preparing to go]
Leon: I won't be long.
Mathilda: Did I do something wrong?
Leon: No. This one is.. too big.
Mathilda: Yeah, and I only get the leftovers, is that it?
Leon: Mathilda, since I met you, everything's been different. So I... just need some time
alone. And you need some time to grow up a little.
Mathilda: I've finished growing up, Leon. I just get older.
Leon: For me, it's the opposite. I'm.. old enough. I need time to grow up.
[leaves slowly]
Mathilda: ... Shit.
["What's Happening Out There?" - shortened]
[Mathilda smoking on the open window, thinking; filling the refrigerator; cleaning the plant;
watching TV; throws away a lighted cigarette while sitting downstairs; noticed by four
youngsters playing basketball]
Leader: [to his gang]
Come on.
[to Mathilda]
You're new, aren't you? Fifth floor, right?
[Mathilda nods]
Well you can't sit here like that.
Mathilda: [unimpressed]
Really? Why not?
Leader: Nothing's free. Like a parking meter. When you stop, you pay. It's the law.
Mathilda: Only on TV...
Leader: What did you say?
Mathilda: Forget it, how much is your meter?
Leader: Ten dollars.. a month.
Mathilda: [takes a 100 dollar bill from a whole bunch of money]
Got change?
[impressed sounds and countenances, shake their heads]
Don't worry about it, we'll do ten for twelve. I'll pay now for the rest of the year,
okay?
Leader: [perplexed]
..Okay, a year.
Mathilda: Does paying rent here mean I have to put up with you guys?
Leader: Uh.. no.
Mathilda: So go play somewhere else. I need to think.
[they run away]
DC-over
["Very Special Delivery"]
[in their apartment; Mathilda puts on her working outfit, including Leon's glasses; waits in
front of the DEA building; Stansfield and Blood arrive, walk towards the entrance; Mathilda
starts pursuing them with a sack in her arms, quickly turns her back to Stansfield as he returns to
say something to the driver; at the security check she pushes the sack past the metal detector]
Security 1: [bored]
Food.
Security 2: Where are you going?
Mathilda: Special delivery for room 4602.
Security 2: Sign here.
[to some leaving girls]
Have a nice weekend, girls.
[follows Stansfield to the gentlemen's room, predicts him to be in the toilet at its end; but
he appears behind the door she had forgotten to close, startling her as he shuts it]
Stansfield: [indifferently looking into a mirror]
Special delivery, huh? Let me guess..
[shakes his little drug box]
Chinese..?
Thai, maybe..?
I've got it. Italian food.
[consumes a capsule]
[with a satisfied look]
What's your name, angel?
Mathilda: Mathilda.
Stansfield: [whispering]
..Mathilda.
[washes his face, sneezes]
Mathilda, I want you to put the sack on the floor.
Mathilda: [obeys, trembling]
Stansfield: Good.
[pulls his gun, coming closer]
And now I want you to tell me everything you know about Italian food. And don't
forget the name of the chef who fixed it for me.
Mathilda: Nobody sent me. I do business for myself.
Stansfield: So t - t - this is something p - personal, is it?
Mathilda: [nods, scared and crying]
Stansfield: What filthy piece of.. of sh - shit.. did I do now?
Mathilda: You killed my brother.
Stansfield: ... I'm sorry.
[bends down to her]
And you want to join him?
Mathilda: ..No.
Stansfield: It's always the same thing.
[touches her hair]
It's when you start to become really afraid of death.. that you learn to appreciate life.
Do you like life, sweetheart?
Mathilda: ..Yes.
Stansfield: [fondling her]
That's good. Because.. I take no pleasure.. in taking life.. if it's from a person who
doesn't care about it.
[slowly moves his gun near her face]
Blood: [enters breathlessly]
Stan! Stan, shit Stan I've been looking all over for you man I've checked upstairs
and..
Stansfield: What? I'm busy!
Blood: It's Malky man, he's dead.
[Stansfield turns away from Mathilda]
Malky was making a buy for us from the Chinamen. Yo but they got nothing to do
with it man. They told me, this guy came from the outside. He was a pro, he was
fast. He fucking came outta nowhere. Boom. Shoots the chinamen dead in two
seconds.
(Malky: Easy man, I'm a cop.)
Then turns around, says something to Malky like..
(Leon: No women, no kids.)
([Leon kills Malky])
[Stansfield dismayed, looks at Mathilda, sighs]
I think it was something personal.
Stansfield: Death is... whimsical today.
[moves beside Blood, aims at Mathilda; takes his hand down, the gun pointing at
Blood, who starts getting afraid]
Blood, you hear me?
Blood: Yeah man, I hear you Stan, just chill out man.
Stansfield: Would you take her up to my office?
Blood: Alright, yeah.
[Stansfield leaves]
Jesus fucking Christ..
["When Leon Does His Best"]
[in their apartment, Leon has just returned from work]
Mathilda: [read by Leon in her letter]
Leon my love. I know where to find the guys who killed my brother. Their boss is
Norman Stansfield, and he is in the DEA building, room 4602. I'm gonna do that
myself. If something goes wrong, I left you 20 grand on the table. It's for a contract,
five grand a head, right? I know I'll feel better after I do this. I love you - Mathilda.
[a Taxi arrives in front of the DEA building]
Leon: Wait for me, I won't be long.
Taxi Driver: I can't park in front like this, it's a federal building!
[marches through the metal detector, knocks down the security officer; surprises another while he's
telephoning]
[in Stanfield's office]
Blood: [examining the sack's contents in front of crying Mathilda]
..Nine milli... bullets... and another nine milli. What did you plan to do with all
these guns, eh?
Veteran: [cynical]
Maybe she was planning on taking out the whole building.
Blood: Holy shit, what've we got here? Lunch.
[takes out a piece of pizza]
Veteran: Careful Blood. Might be poisoned.
Blood: No man, there's not anchovies on this.
[Leon rushes in, shoots him and the Veteran dead; Mathilda jumps into his arms; Leon heaves a sigh
of relief, holds her for a few seconds]
[back in the taxi]
Taxi Driver: Is that what you call "I won't be long"? I was hanging around here for at least ten
minutes!
Leon: I did my best. Avanti.
DC
[in their apartment; Leon takes his plant off the window, examines it as Mathilda enters the room,
wearing the red dress he had bought her]
Mathilda: Do you like it?
[pours him a glass of milk]
Leon: Yes.
Mathilda: So say it.
Leon: I like it.
Mathilda: [smiles; reaches him the glass, takes place next to him]
Not thirsty?
[Leon nearly empties it]
A girl's first time is very important. It determines the rest of her life's sexuality. I
read that once in one of my sister's magazines. Girlfriends told me that they hated
their first experience. That's because they didn't love their guys. They just did it to
show off. Afterwards they started liking it, like cigarettes. I wanna like it, the first
time.
Leon: Mathilda, no.
Mathilda: Why not?
Leon: I just can't.
Mathilda: Do you love someone else?
["Leon The Cleaner"]
Leon: No.. I mean... there was someone a long time ago. Before I came to the States. Her
father didn't want her to see me. She was from a very respectable family. Mine was..
well, not so respectable. Her dad went nuts every time she took off to see me.
Mathilda: But she still snuck off to see you, right?
Leon: Right.
Mathilda: See, nothing can stop love, Leon.
Leon: He killed her. One shot to the head. They kept him in jail for two days, and then let
him go free. They said it was an accident. So... one night I... waited for him. 500
feet, with a lens. He also had an accident. The same night I took a boat and came
here, to meet up with my father. He was working for Tony. I was nineteen. Since
then I've.. never left the city and... I've never had another girlfriend. You see
Mathilda.. I wouldn't be a good lover.
Mathilda: Okay. Just do me one favor.
Leon: What?
Mathilda: I'm sick of watching you sleeping on your chair. We're gonna share the bed.
Leon: I don't think that's a good idea.
["How Do You Know It's Love?"]
[on the bed; Mathilda gently pushes Leon down]
Mathilda: It's okay.. put your legs up on the bed.. yeah, that's nice.
[takes off his shoes]
Put your head down, it's okay, relax.
[switches the lights off, lies down, pulls his arm around her]
Good night, Leon.
Leon: ...Good night.
[Mathilda falls asleep]
DC-over
[at Tony's, in the evening; Tony celebrating birthday with the kids, when a mean looking guy with a
pumpgun comes in]
Tony: Manolo, take the kids in the kitchen.
[Stansfield, Benny and several other men enter; in the kitchen the kids bump into another one;
Stansfield sits down in front of Tony amidst birthday balloons, doesn't look too happy]
Stansfield: [puts his gun on the table]
I have a lot of respect for your business, Tony. When you've.. you've killed for us in
the past, we've.. we've always been satisfied. And that's exactly why today is going to
be very, very hard for me. Excuse my mood..
[presents him a photo of dead Malky]
My man was killed right here, in your turf. And the Chinks tell me that the hitman
was kind of the ah.. Italian type. So we figured that ah.. Tony might know
something.
Tony: Ah..
Stansfield: Wait, there's more. You're gonna love this. A few hours later, a little twelve year old
girl comes into my office, armed to the teeth, with the firm intention of sending me
straight to the morgue. And you know who came and got her in the middle of the
afternoon right there, in my building? The very same Italian hitman. I'm dying to
meet him.
[in their apartment]
Leon: [startles as he wakes up on the bed]
Mathilda: Relax, everything's fine. Sleep well?
Leon: I never really sleep. Got one eye open ?.
Mathilda: Oh, I forgot. You know I never saw someone with one eye open snore so much.
Leon: I snore?
Mathilda: Like a baby. And I go get some milk for breakfast, I won't be long.
Leon: Don't forget the code when you come back.
Mathilda: Two knocks, then one, and two knocks again, right?
Leon: Right.
[while Mathilda takes a shower, Leon stretches over the whole bed and continues sleeping]
["The Fight (part 1: The Swat Squad)"]
[in the shop]
Mathilda: Hola senor! Ring these up and I go get some milk.
[happily returns, observed by Stansfield; a few meters in front of the apartment she is suddenly
pulled aside by a Swat, holding her tight]
Main Swat: From here out now you don't make a sound. You answer my questions by nodding
yes or shaking your head no, you got it?
Mathilda: [nods fearfully]
Main Swat: Is he alone?
[Mathilda nods]
Does he expect you?
[nods]
Do you have keys to the apartment?
[reaches him the keys]
Is there a code, a way of knowing so he knows it's you?
[Mathilda hesitates, then nods; knocks a wrong code - 321]
[he signals to his men, the attack begins]
[a Swat knocks the wrong code]
Main Swat: [to the walkie-talkie]
Alpha-Team, final position, we're ready to go.
Stansfield: [to the walkie-talkie]
Be careful.
[Swat unlocks the door and enters, followed by three others; as soon as they are all inside, the door
closes and shots are fired]
["The Fight (part 2: Bring Me Everyone)"]
Main Swat: [upset, pushing one of his men away]
Move, move!
[takes a look around the corner: the door opens, revealing the dead Swats]
Shit.
[to the walkie-talkie]
Alpha team, men dead, men dead.
Stansfield: [to the walkie-talkie]
I told you.
Benny. Bring me everyone.
Benny: What do you mean, "everyone"?
Stansfield: Everyone!!!
[Benny follows his order, and a few minutes later the whole area is full of policemen and Swats]
[another Swat slowly enters the apartment, this time heavily secured by Swats outside; Leon
manages to kill them all, but gets shot in his shoulder]
Main Swat: [quite clueless]
Take this.
[hands his rifle to one of his men]
[to the walkie-talkie]
Aahm..
[to one of his men]
Go take a look.
[he does, breathing heavily; as he stretches his head out he sees Leon's gun directly in front of him]
Leon: [exhausted]
Don't move.
Main Swat: Do you see anything?
Swat: [nods slowly]
It's the guy. He's here, he's got a gun on my head.
[they shrink back, Mathilda tries to call his name]
Main Swat: Okay, nobody moves.
Leon: Let the girl go.
Main Swat: Take it easy man..
Leon: Let the girl go!
Main Swat: Okay, the girl's coming out.
[to the Swat holding Mathilda]
Let the girl go.
[the Swat releases her, Mathilda spits into his face, falls into Leon's arm]
Leon: [to Mathilda]
Grab the axe off the wall. Over there, go.
[to the Swat]
You're coming with us.
[takes him hostage while Mathilda gets the axe]
[before following Mathilda into the apartment, he shoots at a fire sensor at the
ceiling, causing the water to go off; shoots into the air four times; leaves the Swat
outside]
Main Swat: ? He shot him!
[jumps out, shoots without seeing anything because of the water]
Bastard!
[they kill their own man; Leon returns fire through a hole in the door, hitting one of them; they draw
back]
Main Swat: Shut the fucking water off!
Swat: Got it.
Leon: [taking the axe from trembling Mathilda]
Go!
Main Swat: [to the walkie-talkie]
We're in a bad way here, send the Cats, I repeat, send the Cats!
Mathilda: [crying and sobbing]
I don't know what happened, I didn't see them coming, I swear, I just went
shopping, and I came back and they were everywhere, they..
[overwhelmed by her tears]
Leon: Stay away from the window.
[whirls past the window, snatching his plant, narrowly escaping the snipers' bullets]
Mathilda: Leon? Leon..
[rises cautiously, sees the apartment crossed by target lasers]
Leon: [motions Mathilda to come over; she crawls to him]
Snipers.
[outside the water is turned off]
Main Swat: Okay, now get this fucking asshole outta there.
["The Fight (part 3: The Big Weapon)"]
Mathilda: [hiding in the corner]
How are we gonna get out of here Leon?
Leon: Leave it to me, we're checking out.
[knocks down a table to protect Mathilda from fragments; breaks an air shaft open
with several gunshots and the axe; envelops the plant in his coat, throws it down the
shaft; helps Mathilda get inside]
Mathilda: Leon, it's not big enough for you.
[starts climbing out again]
Leon: What?
Mathilda: It's barely big enough for me.
Leon: We said no discussion.
[pushing her back]
Mathilda: No! I'm not letting..
Leon: Listen to me..
Mathilda: [desperate]
I'm not going!
Leon: Listen..
Mathilda: I won't go! I won't go!
Leon: [trying to calm her down]
Listen to me, listen to me, listen to me, we have no chance together, but if I'm alone
I can do it, trust me, I'm in good shape Mathilda, I know I worked a lot of money
with Tony, a lot, we'll take it and leave together, just the two of us, okay? Go!
Mathilda: No! You just say that so that I won't worry!
[Swats preparing the big weapon]
I don't wanna lose you Leon!
Leon: [embracing her]
You're not gonna lose me Mathilda, you've given me a taste for life, I wanna be
happy, sleep in a bed, have roots, you'll never be alone again Mathilda.
[Swats making progress]
Please, go now ?, go. Calm down, calm down. Go. Go. See you at Tony's. I'm gonna
clean them all. Tony's in one hour.
[Swat putting his finger around the trigger]
I love you, Mathilda.
Mathilda: I love you too, Leon.
[climbs down]
[Leon turns away and screams; in that moment the big weapon is fired, the explosion knocks him
down to the floor]
["The Fight (part 4: One Is Alive)"]
Stansfield: [to the walkie-talkie]
Hey, heyeyey, what the fuck is going on up there? I just said take the guy out, not the
whole fucking building.
[Swats with gas masks storm the apartment; find wounded Leon, disguised as one of them; pick him
up, lead him down the stairs past hundreds of Swats; sits down]
Swat: You're okay?
[Leon nods]
Hey, I need a medic over here!
Angry Swat: [to the walkie-talkie]
Open your fucking asses! Squad number one, what's the status on the apartment?
Another Swat: [from Listening Swat's walkie-talkie]
Can't see shit, too much smoke in here, give us five minutes to clear it up.
Listening Swat: Okay, you got it.
Stansfield: What what what you're 200 men and you can't find one man and a girl?! Did you
find the girl?!
[Mathilda arrives at the end of the air shaft]
Medic: Hi, how're you doing? Take the mask up, quick.
[Leon takes it up]
Let me see you. That's deep. Right. This one here.
Angry Swat: You're from the third precinct?
Leon: Yeah.
[is discovered by Stansfield]
[Mathilda runs through a narrow passage]
Medic: You sit here for two minutes, I'll be right back.
Leon: Let me put the mask back on, I breathe better with it.
Medic: Okay, you're right. Sit here.
Stansfield: [in a hallway leading outside, to the policemen]
Okay, come on, everyone out! Come on, let's go, let's go, let's go! Come on, out!
[Mathilda comes out on the street]
["Two Ways Out"]
[Leon goes away]
[Mathilda walks past the policemen]
Policeman: What're you doing here? Get out, get out!
[Leon hesitates in front of a group of policemen blocking the way]
[Mathilda walks on]
[Leon walks down the stairs, reaches the empty hallway, takes off his mask, his eyes fixed on the
exit; Stansfield appears behind him; aims; shoots]
[Mathilda escaped, now runs to Tony's]
Leon: [lying on the floor beneath Stansfield, dying]
..Stansfield?
Stansfield: At your service.
Leon: [puts something in his hand]
..This is.. from... Mathilda.
[dies]
Stansfield: [opens his hand, finds a grenade pin; discovers Leon's equipment]
Shit.
[big explosion]
[at Tony's; Mathilda with a glass of milk, still crying]
Tony: [with bruises in his face]
Leon asked my to help you out if.. if something happened. And I think something
happened, right? He put on the side a little cash for you. So, what I'm suggesting is
that ah, seeing as how you are still so young, I should hold the money for you, you
know, 'till you're older. Like a bank, you know, except that it's better than a bank,
because, you know, banks get always knocked off. No one knocks off old Tony. But
it's.. it's your money, and in the meantime all you gotta do is come here every once
in a while, and I'll dish it out so that you can have a little fun, okay?
[puts some money on the table]
Here's a hundred bugs to start with.
Mathilda: Can't take any job instead?
Tony: A job? What the hell can you do?
Mathilda: I can clean.
Tony: I ain't got no work for twelve year old kids, so get it outta your goddamn head! It's
over, the game's over, Leon's dead! You hear me!
[which makes Mathilda cry again]
["The Game Is Over"]
Tony: Come on. Come on, do you think I ain't hurting, too?
[Mathilda turns her eyes back to him]
But he's dead. And you gotta forget all this craziness, and get your little ass back to
school, capiche? Now take this money and get the hell outta here, and don't let me
see your face 'till next month, for something tells me I'm about to lose my famous
kind streak.
[night; sadly walks through the streets; looks out of the Roosevelt Island Tram]
[in the office of Spencer School]
Mathilda: My parents.. died.. in a car accident four weeks ago. It was terrible.
Headmistress: You know we didn't have the time to get to know one another when you first came
here, but.. I want you to kn
by Nenad Jovanovic
newest version available at
http://swi.priv.at/~predi/leon/index.htm
email: predi@swi.priv.at
Sources: "Leon" - Widescreen Edition (English, Approx. Running Time: 106 mins.)
"Leon" (ordered at www.fnac.fr; English with French subtitles, Approx. Running Time:
128 mins)
"Leon - Der Profi" (German, Approx. Running Time: 127 mins)
Sound files and videos from the WWW
DC - These scenes appear only in the Director's Cut (sometimes called "Integral Version")
The large red parts were mainly copied from the DC-script I found at
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Bungalow/5102/integ1.htm
NC - This short sequence is said to be part of a so-called "New Cut" - not part of German Director's
Cut (a video can be found at http://www.natalieportman.com)
["A Bird In New York"]
[Intro: streets of New York, Little Italy, "Supreme Macaroni Co."]
Tony: [lights a cigarette]
Allora, come stai, Leone?
Leon: Bene.
Tony: [stubbing it out]
Okay, okay. Let's talk business.
[pushes a photo towards Leon]
This fat bastard is trying to move in on Maurizio's business. Now you know,
Maurizio is a reasonable guy, he just wants ... a little conversation. But this guy, he
don't wanna hear about it. Maybe he'll listen to you. He comes to town every
Tuesday. Are you free Tuesday?
Leon: Yeah, I'm free Tuesday.
[drinks up a glass of milk, takes the photo]
["Fatman"]
[Fatman and his bodyguards enter a hotel]
Receptionist: Nice to see you again, Mr. Jones.
[nobody answers, they move on to an apartment on the 20th floor]
Fatman: [to one of his men]
Remember, neatness counts. You got one half hour.
[sees a woman waiting for him]
Aah.. one hour.
[a shadow falls upon the receptionist, Fatman is contacted via walkie-talkie]
Fatman: Yeah, what?
Tonto: [a gun pointing at his face]
This' Tonto downstairs. There's a guy who wants to talk to you.
Fatman: What's he look like?
Tonto: ..Serious.
Leon: Tell him I'm coming up.
Tonto: He's coming up.
[silenced gunshot]
Fatman: Somebody's coming up. Somebody serious.
Bodyguard: [to the walkie-talkie]
Mickey, open your eyes, we got company.
[bodyguards check the stairway]
BG Chief: We got company.
[notices the activated elevator, motions to his men]
Come on.
[take position in front of the elevator, shoot as soon as the door opens]
BG Chief: Stop! Stop men!
[look at Tonto's lifeless body]
Fatman: Tonto..
BG Chief: Tell the driver to wait for us out back, and hurry up.
[checks the elevator, hears a silenced gunshot coming from the stairway; is pulled
down by Leon as he bends over the banisters]
Mickey: [checks another stairway after his monitor fails]
Blond Babe: Hey sweety, what's going on?
Fatman: [quickly collecting money from a drawer]
Don't worry baby. It's cool. Take a nap.
[Mickey gets hung by Leon]
Fatman: [sees Mickey on the monitor]
Oh my god. Those fuckers blocked both of the exits.
[runs through the apartment in panic]
Check the terrace!
[three remaining bodyguards get shot on the terrace behind the shade]
Fatman: Hey! Yo!
[Leon peers through a hole in the shade; Fatman wildly fires at him with his
machine gun; runs through the apartment, finds the back door blocked, takes a
phone and calls the police]
Service: 911 emergency.
Fatman: I need help! Somebody's trying to kill me!
Service: Alright, just stay on the line, I'll just be off for a moment... Sir, I'm gonna connect
you with an officer.
Fatman: Okay.
[surprised by Leon, who places a knife at his throat]
Officer: Detective Jefferson, may I help you?
Fatman: I'll call you back.
[hangs up]
Hey, relax man. I've got half of Bolivia sitt'n in those suitcases over there. Ha'n even
been cut yet. Alright, take it, 'ts yours.
Leon: [takes out a piece of paper]
Dial this number.
Fatman: [obeys]
Blond Babe: [frightened, trying to look friendly]
I'll talk to you later sweety, okay?
[leaves the room]
Fatman: Hello?
Maurizio: [on the phone]
This' Maurizio. Remember me? I see you're back in town?
Fatman: Yeah - No, I mean no. Just for the day.
Maurizio: Aha. So it's safe to say today's your last day in town and we'll never see your fat
fucking face again.
Fatman: Yeah.. right.
Maurizio: Let me speak to our mutual friend.
Fatman: He wants to talk to you.
Leon: [takes the phone]
Yes.
Maurizio: Make sure he understands, and let him go.
[hangs up]
[sirens in the background]
Leon: Do you understand?
Fatman: [nods]
Leon: So say it.
Fatman: I-I understand.
Leon: Good.
[returns the phone to him, disappears]
Fatman: [paralyzed for a few seconds, relieved]
Jesus..
Leon: [in the subway; getting milk from a shop]
Clerk: Ah, amigo! Two milk as usual, eh?
["Ballad For Mathilda"]
[Leon enters the apartment building]
Mathilda: [puts the cigarette down when she sees Leon coming]
Hi.
Leon: [turns around]
Why did you hide the cigarette?
Mathilda: This building is full of rats. I don't want the old man to find out. Got enough
problems.
Leon: [notices a bruise on her face; she slightly bends forward, covering it with her hair]
What happened?
Mathilda: I fell off my bike.
Leon: [leaving]
Mathilda: Hey. Don't tell my dad about the cigarette, okay?
Leon: [stops, then walks on]
[Stansfield comes out from an apartment, listening to some music; Mathilda throws the cigarette
away; Leon shuts the door (6D) behind him]
Father: [upset]
I don't know how it happened, I mean what's my job? I'm just a holder, I hold the
stuff just like you give it to me. I don't look at it, I don't touch it, I don't even know
how to cut it.
Malky: Try to follow me. In June, we gave you the dope, it tests a hundred percent pure.
Now its July, we pick up the dope, and it tests ninety percent pure. Now somewhere
between June and July ten percent turned to cut.
Father: I don't know, that's none of my business, I'm just a holder. You give me the stuff, I
hold the stuff, that's all I know.
Malky: Hey look, you know, I'm trying to help you outta here. But, you know, if you're
gonna be hard-assed about it, I gotta disturb him. Now let me tell ya: When he's into
his music, he hates being disturbed.
Father: I'm telling the truth!
Malky: I hope so. Because he's got a talent for sniffing out a lie. It's scary, it's almost like a
sixth sense. Now you're going to change your tune, or ???
Father: I'm telling you the truth.
Malky: [giving up]
Alright.
[nervous]
Stan.. Stan, I, I'm sorry, h-he said he didn't cut the dope.
Stansfield: Oh.
[turns around with a sick expression; approaches Mathilda's father, sniffs at him,
pats his head]
Of course he didn't.
[embraces him]
Just do me a favor. Find out who did, for tomorrow, noon.
[leaves with Malky]
Father: Malky, hey, wait! Hey, I didn't cut your shit! Find out yourself!
[to Mathilda]
What the hell're you doing out here? Get inside and do your homework.
Mathilda: I did it already.
Father: Oh yeah?
[slaps her face]
So you can get inside and help your sister clean up the goddamn house! And stop
smoking cigarettes!
[Mathilda runs into the apartment, shuts the door]
["Leon The Cleaner"]
[Leon closes his peep-hole, moves his plant away from the window, closes it; takes off his cap,
glasses, coat; takes a shower, sits in front of a glass of milk, irons, cleans the plant, goes to sleep in
a chair]
[next morning in Mathilda's apartment]
Mathilda: [in the background her half-sister's fitness channel can be heard]
Time's up, my turn now.
Sister: Change the channel, and I'll smash your face.
[Leon making sit-ups]
Mother: [her husband runs into the door she just opened]
Sorry, sweetheart.
[Mathilda embraces her brother, who just got up; Mother pats their heads]
Mother: [to Sister]
Sweetheart, turn that down, mom has got a headache.
Mathilda: She took my turn.
Sister: She just wants to watch these goddamn cartoons, it wouldn't hurt her to move her ass
a bit.
Mathilda: I'm not the one with the fat ass around here.
Mother: Can someone who's doing nothing all day but watching cartoons move her little ass
and go get some food?
Sister: Don't dare say that again.
[Leon still making sit-ups]
Father: Margie, I think I screwed up.
Mother: [putting on lipstick]
It wouldn't be the first time, I mean you always come up with something, right?
Father: Yeah, but I think I went a little too far this time.
[embracing her from behind and kissing her neck]
Mother: I think you're going a little too far right now. I'm gonna be late for work.
Father: How about working at home today?
[Mathilda switches to the cartoon channel, runs away]
Mathilda: She's gonna hit me!
[opens the door to the bathroom, surprises her parents]
Father: Shut the goddamn door!
[Sister shuts it, hits Mathilda with the remote control]
Sister: Fucking bitch.
[returns to her training]
[Mathilda leaning against the wall; the phone rings]
Father: Hey, can somebody answer the phone!?
Sister: I'm busy!
Mathilda: [answering the phone]
Hello?
Headmistress: This is Margaret McAllester, headmistress at the Spencer School in Wildwood, New
Jersey. Is Mr. or Mrs. Lando home?
["She Is Dead"]
Mathilda: [with a lowered voice]
Yes, this is she.
Headmistress: Mrs. Lando, when your husband enrolled Mathilda at Spencer, he told us she had
problems. Well, as you know, we pride ourselves in turning troubled girls into
healthy, productive young women. But if they are not here, there is very little we can
do. Now, Mathilda left school without permission nearly two weeks ago. I know
your husband paid tuition in advance for a year. But if you will refer to page 20 in
the "Rules and Regulations Manual" we sent you, you will see that unless there is a
valid excuse for prolonged absence, your tuition will be forfeit.
Mathilda: [embittered]
She's dead.
[hangs up]
[Leon finishes his training, puts the plant on the window-sill; hears Mathilda's father shouting
around as he leaves; watches a Gene Kelley film in cinema]
Leon: [comes up the stairs; sees Mathilda's bleeding nose; looks around, reaches her his handkerchief]
Mathilda: Is life always this hard, or just when you're a kid?
["Noon"]
Leon: ..Always like this.
Mathilda: [shortly looks at the bloodstained handkerchief, then turns her eyes back to him]
Leon: Keep it.
[moves on]
Mathilda: Hey. I'm going grocery shopping. Want some milk? One quart or two? It's two,
right?
Leon: [hesitates, then nods]
Mathilda: [runs down the stairway, smiling again]
Leon: [in his apartment; takes milk, looks at the clock: 3 to 12]
[appearing on the corridor: Stansfield's man, Benny, Blood, Veteran, Malky, Stansfield]
[Stansfield takes drugs in his very special way]
Stansfield: I like these calm little moments before the storm. It reminds me of Beethoven.
Can you hear it? It's like when you put your head to the grass. You can hear it
growing. You can hear the insects, bzzz...
Leon: [notices sounds coming from outside; observes them through peep-hole]
Stansfield: Do you like Beethoven?
Malky: [nervous]
Couldn't really say.
Stansfield: [takes his pumpgun]
I'm gonna play you some.
[shoots at: the door, Sister (missed), Mother]
Malky: Benny, stay here.
[enters]
Sister: [running away from Stansfield and his men]
Daddy! Daddy!
Stansfield: [shoots at Sister again, killing her this time]
[devastates the kitchen; approaches Father, who stands trembling in a corner]
Stansfield: We said noon.
[tapping his wristwatch]
I've got one minute past.
[snaps his fingers, ending the music]
You don't like Beethoven. You don't know what you're missing. Overtures like
that get my.. juices flowing. So powerful. But after his openings, to be honest,
he does tend to get a little fucking boring. That's why I stopped!
[laughter]
Touch the apartment.
["Birds Of Storm"]
[Mathilda buying milk]
[Stansfield's men searching the apartment]
Stansfield: [pointing at Father]
You are a Mozart-fan. I love him, too.
[with a singer's voice]
I lo-o-ove Mozart! He was Austrian, you know.
But for this kind of work, he is a little bit light. So I tend to go for the heavier guys.
Blood: [investigating a record]
Cool.
Stansfield's Man: What the fuck are you doing?!
Blood: Man keep your bumbakut mouth shut.
Stansfield: Check out Brahms, he's good, too.
[goes]
Blood: What the fuck do you know about music?
Stansfield's Man: Knock it off!
Veteran: Checked the mattress?
Blood: [still looking at the record]
Nope.
[Veteran starts cutting it up; Father shoots Stansfield's Man, grazes Stansfield; Brother
leaves his hiding-place under the bed and runs; Blood wildly shoots around]
Blood: Wow.
[Father throws away the pumpgun, tries to flee, but gets shot by Stansfield]
Stansfield: [stands up, discovers a hole in his suit]
Oh, fuck!
Malky: [hiding under a table in the kitchen]
Stan?
Stansfield: [to Father]
Look what you did.
Malky: Stan, you're right?
Stansfield: [outraged]
Look - what - you did!
Malky: Stan!
Stansfield: [shoots at Father four more times, starts reloading his gun]
Malky: [holds him off from continuing]
Stan, what are you doing?! What are you doing, he's dead!
Stansfield: But he ruined my suit.
Malky: I know, but he's dead! ?? Forget about it! Calm down.
Stansfield: I'm calm.
Malky: Stay there!
Stansfield: Okay.
Malky: Benny! Benny..
[looks out of the door, rushes back as Benny loses his nerves and shoots]
Jesus fucking Christ Benny! It's Malky and Stan!
[to Stansfield]
Come on, let's have a cigarette, alright? Benny! We're coming out! Benny, don't fire!
Get in! Jesus fucking Christ Benny!
[gives a cigarette to Stansfield]
Stansfield: ..you wear something new..
Old Lady: [coming out of her apartment]
What's happening out there?
Malky: It's alright Mam, go in. DEA, police.
Old Lady: Why don't you leave that poor family alone?
Malky: [to Stansfield]
Everything's alright, okay? Just calm down.
[goes into the apartment]
Stansfield: I am calm. I'm calm.
Old Lady: Why don't you leave them alone?
Stansfield: [shoots the window next to her into pieces]
He said: Go back inside.
["What's Happening Out There?"]
Malky: [enervated]
Stan, I think it's better if we go inside, alright?
[pushes him into the apartment]
[Mathilda returns from shopping; sees Veteran guarding their door, where her father's
body is lying; hears Malky from inside]
Malky: Benny, turn the kitchen upside down, find that shit.
Willie Blood, look what you did! You killed the four year old kid! Did you really
have to do that?!
[Mathilda walks on to Leon's door, rings]
Mathilda: [crying as quietly as possible]
Please open the door..
please.. [rings twice]
..please.. [rings twice]
[Leon opens; light falling on Mathilda's face; she enters, fills the refrigerator]
Malky: [finds a photo]
Benny, there are three kids here. I think Stan killed this girl, and Willie that asshole
shot the little boy. The third one's missing. Find her.
Benny: [to Veteran, as he leaves the apartment]
Oh shit, hey we missed a little girl, I'm trying to find the fucking super of this
goddamn building.
[Veteran becomes suspicious, slowly approaches Leon's apartment; Leon prepares to shoot him
through the door]
[Mathilda turns on the TV; Leon startled; Veteran goes back again]
Blood: Yo, I found it!
Stansfield: Bingo!
Malky: Stan, he found it.
Stansfield: I know.
Malky: It's the cops outside, we better go.
Stansfield: It's the cops outside, we better go. You stay here.
Blood: What do you want me to tell them?
Stansfield: Tell them.. we were doing.. our job.
["Cute Name"]
Leon: What's your name?
Mathilda: Mathilda.
Leon: Sorry about your father.
Mathilda: 'f somebody didn't do it one day or another I would've probably done it myself.
Leon: Your mother, she ..
Mathilda: 's not my mother. My sister, she wanted to lose some weight anyway. Bet she never
looked better. Not even my real sister. Just a half sister, and not a good half at that.
Leon: If you couldn't stand them, why are you crying?
Mathilda: Because they killed my brother. What the hell did he do? He was four years old, he
never used to cry, just used to sit next to me and cuddle. I was more mother to him
than that goddamn pig ever was.
Leon: Hey, don't talk like that about pigs. They're usually much nicer than people.
Mathilda: But they smell like shit.
Leon: [shakes his finger]
Not true. As a matter of fact, right now I have one in my kitchen. That's very clean,
smells very nice.
Mathilda: You don't have a pig in your kitchen.
Leon: Yes I do.
Mathilda: I was just in there and I didn't see any goddamn pig.
Leon: Don't move, I'll get him.
[disappears in the kitchen]
Piggy! Piggy, where are you?
[grunting]
Ah, there you are.
[grunting, playing Piggy]
Hi Mathilda.
Mathilda: [a little consoled]
Hi Piggy.
Leon: [still playing]
Hi.
[takes place at the table, playing]
How are you today?
Mathilda: I've seen better days.
Leon: [continues grunting a little, then starts feeling uncomfortable about his question]
Mathilda: What's your name?
Leon: Leon.
Mathilda: [her eyes fixed on him]
Cute name.
Leon: [spills a whole glass of milk over his face]
Do you have anyone you can go to, any family, any place else?
Mathilda: [shakes her head]
Leon: [sighs, notices that there is no milk left]
I'm gonna get some more milk.
Mathilda: [finds a bullet, opens the box next to her containing Leon's equipment]
Oh shit.
Leon: [returns with milk, closes the box and sits down]
Don't touch that, please.
Mathilda: Leon, what exactly do you do for a living?
Leon: [uncomfortable]
Cleaner.
Mathilda: You mean you're a hitman?
Leon: Yeah.
Mathilda: Cool.
Leon: [surprised look]
Mathilda: [pours him a glass of milk]
Do you clean anyone?
Leon: No women, no kids, that's the rules.
Mathilda: How much would it cost to hire someone to get those dirtbags who killed my
brother?
Leon: Five grand a head.
Mathilda: Wow. How about this: I work for you, and in exchange, you teach me how to clean.
Hm? What do you think? I'll clean your place, I'll do the shopping, I'll even wash your clothes. Is it a deal?
Leon: No, it's not a deal.
Mathilda: [grieved]
What do you want me to do, hm? I've got no place to go.
Leon: You've had a rough day today. Go to sleep and we'll see tomorrow, okay?
[in the sleeping room]
Leon: [awkwardly covers Mathilda with a blanket]
Mathilda: You've been really great with me, Leon. ??? not always like that, y' know?
[embraces two of his fingers]
Good night.
Leon: [confused, switches the lights off and leaves the room]
[Unknown Song]
[Leon sits in the darkness, unable to sleep; stands up, puts a silencer on a gun and enters Mathilda's
room, determined; aims, but can't do it; goes away again]
[next morning; Leon puts his plant on the window and starts training; hears Mathilda]
Leon: Sleep well?
Mathilda: [nods]
Leon: Good. Because after breakfast, you gotta take off.
Mathilda: Where to?
Leon: Not my problem.
[goes to clean his guns]
Mathilda: [throws a piece of paper on the table]
Read it.
Leon: [takes it]
.. aahm ..
Mathilda: You don't know how to read.
Leon: I'm learning, but.. I had a lot of work lately so.. I'm a little behind. What's it say?
Mathilda: I've decided what to do with my life. I wanna be a cleaner.
Leon: Wanna be a cleaner? Here.
[puts a gun and ammunition in front of her]
Take it. It's a goodbye gift. Go clean. But not with me. I work alone, understand?
Alone.
Mathilda: Bonnie and Clyde didn't work alone, Thelma and Louise didn't work alone. And
they were the best.
Leon: [sighs]
Mathilda, why are doing this to me? I've been nothing but nice to you, I even saved
your life yesterday, right outside the door.
Mathilda: Right, so now you're responsible for it. If you saved my life, you must have saved it
for a good reason. If you threw me out now it's like you never opened your door. You
could've let me die right there in front of it. But you did open it. So..
Leon: Mathilda..
Mathilda: If you don't help me I'll die tonight. I can feel it. But I don't want to die tonight.
Leon: Mathilda, you're just a.. little girl so.. don't take it badly, but I don't think you could
do it. I'm sorry.
Mathilda: [determined, takes the gun, goes to the window and shoots six times, puts it back]
How's that?
Leon: [speechless]
["What's Happening Out There?" - modified version]
[on the street with their baggage]
Leon: [walking angrily, suddenly stops]
Mathilda, don't you ever do that again or I'll break your head, you got that?
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: I don't work like that. It's not professional. There is rules.
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: [angry]
And stop saying "Okay" all the time, okay?
Mathilda: ...Okay.
Leon: Good.
[continues his way, followed by Mathilda]
[they enter the hall of the "Hotel National"]
Mathilda: Hi!
Receptionist: [sees the violin-case]
[grumpy]
Expect to use that in this hotel?
Mathilda: Mister.. I have to use it, because.. I have an audition at Juliet next month, and.. I
have to practice.
Receptionist: [softened]
Ah okay, okay, okay. But not after ten, hm?
Mathilda: Okay, I promise.
Receptionist: Alright. I'm gonna put you at the end of the hall so that you don't disturb anyone.
[pushing some papers to Leon]
Would you fill those out please?
Leon: [uneasy look]
Mathilda: Oh, ahm, daddy, can I please fill them out, you know how I like to check in to
hotels.
Leon: [surprised by her quick reaction, nods]
Mathilda: Thanks pap.
[to the receptionist]
I'll bring these back in a minute.
Receptionist: Fourth floor!
Mathilda: [running up the stairs]
Thanks mister!
Receptionist: Oh you're lucky to have a little girl that's interested in things. I have a kid,
seventeen, does nothing all day long.
Leon: Can I leave my plant here while I take my stuff upstairs?
Receptionist: Of course.
Mathilda: [to Leon, who just entered and immediately starts investigating the apartment]
Hi.
[writing]
I'm putting in the name of a girl in my class who makes me sick.
When things get hot, she'll take the heat.
[Leon finally takes place]
Mathilda: There, finished.
NC
Leon: How old are you?
Mathilda: Eighteen.
Leon: Eighteen?
Mathilda: Wanna see my license?
Leon: No. You just look a little.. younger.
Mathilda: Thanks.
NC-over
Mathilda: [sits down in front of him]
Leon, I want you to teach me how to be like you. I wanna be strong like you, smart
like you.
Leon: Mathilda..
Mathilda: I know I'm not strong enough yet, but I can learn the basics, the theory. What do you
think? Just the theory. I need this, Leon. I need time to get my head together.
Leon: Yeah, and I need... a drink.
Mathilda: Don't move, I'll go get one.
[at Tony's]
Leon: Salute.
Tony: [lights a cigarette, beholds one of his men, who puts down a suitcase next to him]
You know when you told me to get this baby out for you, I thought my hearing's
going. I says to myself, Leon's a pro, nobody uses that, except beginners.
Leon: I like to stay in shape.
Tony: Sure. Always stay on top. It's like me, I gotta know where everything is all the time.
That's why I don't leave this place, except to go from here to there.
Leon: [slightly uncomfortable, smiles]
Tony: Change ain't good, Leon. You know?
Leon: [his smile fades]
Yeah.
Tony: [places the suitcase on the table]
Check it. Make sure it's the right thing.
Leon: I trust you.
Tony: One thing's got nothing to do with the other. Remember that, Leon.
Leon: I will.
[opens it]
["Feel The Breath"]
[on the roof]
Leon: [assembling the rifle]
The rifle is the first weapon you learn how to use, because it lets you keep your
distance from the client. The closer you get to being a pro, the closer you can get to
the client. The knife, for example, is the last thing you learn. Okay?
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: Position.
[they lie down near the edge; closes the lid of the objective one second after
Mathilda opened it]
No, never take it off until the last minute, it reflects light. They can see you coming
from a mile away. And always dress down, never brighter than the floor. Okay?
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: Let's practice now. It's the best way to learn.
[takes out his binoculars]
Mathilda: Who should I hit?
Leon: Whoever.
[Jogger, apparently a politician, gets out of a limousine, followed by bodyguards]
Jogger: I'll be with you in a second, alright, give me a few minutes, thank you, thanks a lot.
[to his bodyguards]
You guys in the suits get lost, I don't wanna see you, alright? It has to look natural.
Mathilda: [aiming at a group of playing children]
No women, no kids, right?
Leon: Right.
Mathilda: Jogger in the yellow and orange?
Leon: Okay. Keep calm. Don't take your eyes off him. Breathe easy. Watch his movement.
Pretend you're running with him. Try to feel his next movement. Take a deep
breath - hold it. Now.
[red spot appears on the Jogger's shirt]
Jogger: [covered by his upset bodyguards]
I'm alright! I'm fine, I'm fine!
Mathilda: One shot not bad, huh?
Jogger: I'm fine, just please get down from me!
Mathilda: Can we try with real bullets now?
Leon: Not today, let's pack up.
[pack up and go away]
["Venus As A Boy" by Björk]
[Leon showing Mathilda how to handle a gun; Mathilda washing the laundry, cleaning the window,
coming home from shopping, washing the dishes, cleaning guns; Leon putting his plant on the
window; both of them making sit-ups; Leon offering a glass of milk]
Mathilda: No, thanks.
Leon: No discussion.
[Mathilda obeys reluctantly; puts milk into the refrigerator; goes to bed, exhausted, while Leon sits
down in a chair as usual; Leon putting his plant on the window again, waking Mathilda up; making
sit-ups alone: Mathilda doing fitness training in front of the TV; pouring her a glass of milk;
Mathilda teaching Leon how to write]
Mathilda: It seemed... to Socrates... to So-cra-tes...
[Mathilda having trouble with loading a gun]
Leon: I'll do it.
[finishes the procedure after a few moments, returns the gun to impressed Mathilda]
[Leon putting his plant on the window once more, pouring her a glass of milk again]
Mathilda: Leon, all we do is work. We need a break. Let's play a game!
Leon: What kind of game?
Mathilda: I've this great game. 't makes you think and it helps your memory. It's exactly what
you need.
Leon: ... Okay.
[Unknown Song]
Mathilda: [joyfully collects some clothes in the other room, singing some melody]
[appears as Madonna, performs "Like A Virgin"]
Okay, who is it?
Leon: I don't know.
Mathilda: Okay..
[leaves, returns as Marilyn Monroe, performs "Happy Birthday, Mr. President"]
Leon: [uncomfortable, flushing]
I don't know.
Mathilda: [appears as Charlie Chaplin]
Leon: Aaah..
Mathilda: [pointing at it]
Mustache..?
Leon: ... no.
Mathilda: [appears as Gene Kelley, performs "Singin' In The Rain"]
Leon: Gene Kelley?
Mathilda: [relieved]
Aah, good. Your turn now.
Leon: Huh?
[appears as some cowboy]
Okay, pilgrim.
Mathilda: Aaah.. Clint Eastwood?
Leon: [tries another position]
Mathilda: I don't know, I give up.
Leon: [disappointed]
John Wayne.
Mathilda: I was just about to say that, I swear. It's amazing, Leon, really, brilliant..
Leon: [walks off with sadly lowered head]
Mathilda: Amazing..
["How Do You Know It's Love?" - strongly modified version]
Mathilda: [observing Leon cleaning his plant]
You love your plant, don't you?
Leon: It's my best friend. Always happy, no questions. And it's like me, you see?
[lifts it up, points at the empty space below it]
No roots.
[smiles]
Mathilda: If you really love it, you should plant it in the middle of a park so that it can have
roots.
Leon: ..Yeah.
Mathilda: I'm the one that should be watered if you want me to grow.
Leon: You're right.
[grabs the squeeze-bottle and splashes Mathilda; she runs away, returns with a
bucket full of water]
No...
Mathilda: Yes...
Leon: ... no..
Mathilda: ... yes..
Leon: ..no..
Mathilda: ..Yes!
Leon: ..No!
[Mathilda throws the bucket at Leon, flees, followed by him; he catches her in the bathroom, puts
her into the wardrobe; the fierce battle makes its sliding door break off]
[at Tony's]
Tony: [in the kitchen, to the cooks]
They gotta be jumping out of the plate, they gotta be alive.
[bringing a meal for Leon and an old man]
It's been a long time, Leon. I missed you. And you missed some nice jobs, too.
Leon: Been training.
Tony: Training's good. But don't overdo it eh, you know training don't pay as good as
working, Leon.
Leon: Tony.. all the money I.. make, that you keep for me..
Tony: You need some money?
Leon: No, just curious.
Tony: Ah.
Leon: Because I've been working a long time and I haven't done anything with my
money... I thought maybe some day I could... use it.
["Tony The IBM"]
Tony: You met a woman.
Leon: [shakes his head firmly]
Tony: [sighs]
Leon... Leon, you gotta be careful with women. Remember when you arrived in this
country, Leon. When I took you in, you were still wet behind the fucking ears, and
already you were in deep shit because of a woman. Don't forget that, Leon.
Leon: Wish I could sometimes.
You know, about my money, maybe I.. maybe I could give.. little.. to someone... you
know.. to help out.
Tony: Hey, it's your money, I mean I'm just holding it for you, you know, like a bank,
except that, you know, better than a bank, because, you know, banks get always
knocked off. And no one knocks off old Tony. And besides, in a bank there's always
tons of forms to be filled and all that shit. But old Tony, nothing to read, nothing to
write - it's all in his head.
Leon: I know how to read now.
Tony: That's good, Leon, good. Your money is here, whenever you want it, you just ask
me, okay? Here's a grand.
Leon: [reluctant]
Tony: Come on, take it, have some fun, right? Take it.
Leon: [takes it]
Thank you.
Tony: Alright? Now let's talk business. Don't move, I'll go get the file.
[as he goes away]
Manolo, a glass of milk for my friend Leon here.
[disappears behind a door]
Leon: [sees Mathilda talking to some guy on the street, who offers her a cigarette; goes out,
takes her aside, with a suspicious look fixed on the youngster]
Listen Mathilda, better be careful, you can't just speak to any guy off the street.
Mathilda: Leon, get a grip. What's the big fucking deal, I was just smoking a butt while I was
waiting.
Leon: I want you to stop cursing. You can't talk to people like that all the time. I want you
to make an effort to talk nice.
Mathilda: Okay.
Leon: And I want you to stop smoking, 't will kill you.
Mathilda: [throws away the cigarette]
Okay.
Leon: Stay away from him, he looks like a weirdo.
Mathilda: ... Okay.
Leon: I'll be out in five minutes, stand where I can see you.
Mathilda: .. Okay.
["How Do You Know It's Love?"]
Mathilda: [lying on the bed]
Leon, I think I'm kind of falling in love with you.
Leon: [spills another glass of milk over his face]
Mathilda: It's the first time for me, you know.
Leon: How do you know it's love if you've never been in love before?
Mathilda: Because I feel it.
Leon: Where?
Mathilda: Here in my stomach. It's all warm. I always had a knot there, and now.. it's gone.
Leon: Mathilda, I'm glad you don't have a stomach ache any more, but I don't think that
means anything. I'm late for work. I hate being late for work.
[puts on his coat, picks up his equipment; leaves]
["Noon" - shortened]
[shuts the door behind him; leans against the wall, looking unusually tired; puts on his glasses]
Receptionist: Ah, how's the practicing going?
[Leon marches past without answering]
Receptionist: And how are we today, Miss?
Mathilda: I'm sick of practicing.
Receptionist: Yeah, I understand. But are you doing all right? I haven't received any complaints at
all.
Mathilda: Well, I put a cloth over the strings to lessen the noise.
Receptionist: Oh, that's very smart.
Mathilda: Not everyone loves music.
Receptionist: Yeah I know. What exactly does your father do?
Mathilda: Hm, he's a composer.
Receptionist: Ah, that's wonderful.
Mathilda: Except he's not really my father.
[looks at him]
He's my lover.
Receptionist: [shocked]
Mathilda: I'm gonna go for a walk.
[indicates "Bye" with her lips]
["Back On The Crime Scene"]
[Mathilda goes to her former hotel; a policeman guarding the apartment is busy talking to his
girlfriend]
Girlfriend: What're you doing on Saturday?
Policeman: What about dinner?
Girlfriend: Aahm..
Policeman: [to Mathilda]
Hey, where are you going?
Mathilda: Visiting friends at 6J.
Policeman: Ah okay right.
[continues his conversation as Mathilda slips through the door]
[Mathilda picks up a teddybear; depressed after seeing the outline of her brother's body on the floor;
retrieves a bunch of money from a secret place; hides when she hears footsteps]
Old Detective: We know you're a busy man, and we'll try to make this as short as possible. Now, if
you just take us step by step through exactly what happened.
Stansfield: [bored]
The guy was here, he went for his gun, bang, we shot him.
[critical looks from the Detectives]
Serious Det.: Where exactly were the kids?
Stansfield: I don't know. They should have been at school, don't you think?
Old Detective: But in the statement you said you were the first man in, didn't you see any kids?
Serious Det.: The door was broken, what happened? Did you follow the procedure?
Stansfield: [getting aggressive]
I lost a good man here. What the fuck do want with me?
Serious Det.: Cooperation.
Stansfield: [exploding]
I haven't got time for this Mickey Mouse bullshit! You want cooperation? Come up
my office, will you? Fortysix-o-two.
[storms out, ignoring the yellow tape]
["Room 4602"]
[outside; takes away the basketball from a kid that crosses his way]
Kids should be at school.
Kid: Hey! Hey come on, that's my ball!
[Stansfield passes it to Benny]
Hey, give that back! Hey come on, where are you going? Damn! Where are you
going man? That's my ball!
Mathilda: [gets into a taxi]
Follow the blue car!
Taxi Driver: And I suppose you want me to blast the music and go through the lights, eh?
Mathilda: No. Drive slowly. Take the hundred bugs and shut the fuck up, okay?
[silently accepted by him]
[Mathilda follows him to the DEA building]
[in the apartment; Mathilda watches cartoons; Leon enters, blood flowing down his right hand,
which she doesn't notice]
Leon: [puts a "Cignal"-sac on the table, smiling]
It's for you. A present. Do you want me to open it? I'll open it.
[reveals a pink dress to her]
How do you like it? Nice, eh?
[Mathilda remains indifferent]
[knocks at the door]
Receptionist: Mr. McGoffen?
[Leon opens the door]
[strict look]
Can I have a word with you?
["Can I Have A Word With You?"]
[again carrying their baggage through the streets; Mathilda inspects the new apartment, the
teddybear in her arms; Leon under the shower, suturing his wound]
DC
[Leon comes out of the bathroom, looks around; Mathilda pours him a glass of milk, which makes
him sit down]
Mathilda: Here, it's for a contract, 20 grand, right? His name is Norman Stansfield and he's in
room 4602 in the DEA building, 26 Federal Plaza.
Leon: I'm not taking it.
Mathilda: Why not?
Leon: Too heavy.
Mathilda: Well, will you rent me your gear for the day?
Leon: I never lend out my gear. But,
[pushes a revolver towards Mathilda]
you still have your gun, use it. Just do me a favor, don't shoot out the window, okay.
Mathilda: Why are you so mean to me? You're all day killing people you don't give a shit
about, but you won't get the bastards that killed my whole family?
["The Fight (part 1: The Swat Squad)"]
Leon: Revenge is not good, Mathilda. Believe, it is better to forget.
Mathilda: To forget? After I've seen the outline of my brother's body on the floor, you expect
me to forget? I want to kill those sons of a bitches, and I'll blow their fucking heads
off!
Leon: Nothing's the same after you've killed someone. Your life is changed forever. Why
have to sleep with one eye open for the rest of your life.
Mathilda: I don't give a shit about sleeping, Leon. I want love, or death. That's it.
Leon: Love or death. Get off my case Mathilda, I'm tired of your games.
Mathilda: There's this really great game, Leon. Makes people nicer, starts them thinking. The
kind of game you love.
[puts three bullets into the gun, spins the chamber, shuts it]
If I win, you keep me with you. For life.
Leon: And if you lose?
Mathilda: You go shopping alone, like before.
Leon: You're gonna lose, Mathilda. There's a round in the chamber. I heard it.
Mathilda: So what .. 's it to you if I end up with a bullet in the head, huh?
Leon: Nothing.
Mathilda: I hope you're not lying, Leon. I really hope that deep down inside there is no love in
you. Because if there is.. just a little bit of love in you, I think that in a few minutes
you'll regret you never said anything.
[puts the gun to her head]
I love you Leon.
[slowly pulls the trigger]
Leon: [rushes forward, pulls her hand away; the shot knocks down a lamp behind them]
Mathilda: [crying heavily]
I win.
[at Tony's; Mathilda and Leon sitting at a table in front of him]
Leon: I, ah, I took a hit. I need a hand now. I know she is young, but she learns fast. Kids
need to be shaped into something, right?
Tony: Yeah I know, I told you that. But ain't there an age limit?
Leon: She's eighteen.
Tony: Oh really?
Leon: How about something to drink, Tony?
Tony: Yes, sure, Manolo, a glass of milk for Leon.
Mathilda: Nice tattoo.
[wide grin]
Leon: [looks from Tony to Mathilda and back again, surprised and embarrassed]
Tony: Manolo, make that two.
["Feel The Breath" - strongly modified]
[in a hallway]
Mathilda: [looking at Leon, who puts on his cap]
What's that for?
Leon: Can't afford to catch a cold.
[sticks chewing gum on the peephole]
First you find out where the chain is. You can't see it, but you can feel it.. here.
I ring, you start talking.
Mathilda: What do I say?
Leon: Whatever you want.
[rings, moves the bolt cutter to the right position]
Voice: Yes?
Mathilda: Hi, it's Susan.
Voice: I'm sorry, you must have the wrong door, little girl. I don't know any Susan. Move
back a little, I can't see anything.
Mathilda: The light's out. It's all dark out here... mister, I'm scared.
Voice: Okay, okay.
[opens the door]
[Leon snaps the chain, rushes into the apartment, followed by Mathilda]
Leon: ???
[jams a pistol into the Drug Dealer's mouth]
If it leaves your mouth I'll pull the trigger, capiche?
[Drug Dealer nods]
[checks the apartment]
Here is okay.
[to Dealer]
Let it go. I said let it go.
[Dealer obeys]
Move. Move over.
Dealer: [stumbles over the bed as he moves to the window, very scared]
Leon: [to Mathilda]
Go ahead, your turn.
Mathilda: [opens her box containing a pistol with silencer, assembles it quickly]
Dealer: Ahm, sir.. sir, ahm.. sir? Sir, it's not my dope. Sir.. look I.. it's not my dope..
Mathilda: [takes firing position]
A little left please.
[Dealer is surprised, but obeys]
[shoots a paintball at the Dealer's shirt]
Dealer: [screams]
Leon: Okay, now the security shot.
[Mathilda fires another paintball, Dealer screams again]
No, the second goes higher on the chest. Aim for the heart and lungs. There, right
there, you see? The first shot takes him out of order, the second finishes him.
[Dealer curses around, out of breath]
Never in the face. If they can't recognize the client, you don't get paid. Because you
could take out anybody and say you did the job. Got it?
Mathilda: Got it, never in the face.
Leon: Okay, now you can put the tools away.
[Mathilda walks back to her box]
Dealer: What the fuck is going on?? Hey mister..
[Leon shoots him]
Leon: You'll see when you use the silencer a lot, you have to put a piece of cloth here,
because it gets very hot and can burn it inside. A damp, black cloth is the best.
What're you doing?
Mathilda: You said no women, no kids. Who do you think this is gonna kill, donkeys and
monkeys?
[Mathilda spills some inflammable liquid over the drugs, ignites it]
Now, it's clean.
Leon: Let's get out of here.
["The Game Is Over"]
[in an expensive restaurant]
Mathilda: I thought we don't have the right to drink.
Leon: I know, but we're making an exception. For your first client.
Mathilda: Well, if we're making exceptions for a job well done, how about a kiss? Like in the
movies.
Leon: [shakes his head]
No.
Mathilda: Yes..
[leans over]
Leon: What're you doing?
Mathilda: I'm gonna kiss you.
Leon: Mathilda, stop please.
Mathilda: Come on, just a kiss.
Leon: Stop, everyone is watching us.
Basta, go sit down.
[pushes her back]
[Mathilda receives a bottle of champagne from the waiter, pours it into her glass, spilling most of it
over the table]
Waiter: Enjoy...
Leon: [hides the bottle under the table]
Mathilda: You don't believe me, do you?
Leon: How's that?
Mathilda: When I say I'm in love with you.
Leon: Mathilda, please, drop it. Just change subject, okay?
Mathilda: Okay, okay, sorry... So, how old were you when you made your first hit?
Leon: Nineteen.
Mathilda: Beat ya!
[drinks up her glass of champagne, followed by the laughter sequence]
[Unknown Song]
[in a hallway again]
Leon: [looking at Mathilda, who puts on a cap]
What're you doing?
Mathilda: Can't afford to catch a cold.
[they visit several clients, following the same procedure as above; but the next one makes problems]
Mathilda: There's no doorbell.
Leon: So knock on the door.
[she knocks]
Voice: Yes?
Mathilda: Hi. I'm looking for Mr. Rubens' apartment. But it's all dark out here in the hall, and
I'm lost.
Voice: Just a second.
Leon: [hears the sound of a lever being pulled on a gun; grabs Mathilda, swings her
around to the other side as a barrage of bullets come blasting through the door]
Voice: You want more? C'mon, show me your fucking face!
Think you can get me that easily?
[continues shooting]
Leon: When it's tough like this, you know it's gonna be ugly. Better make it quick, or else
you will be all day listening to his crap.
[to cursing guy inside]
Hey. What about the Ring Trick, you know that one?
Voice: Ring Trick? C'mon asshole, I'm waiting. Show it to me, motherfucker.
Leon: [throws a grenade in, protecting Mathilda from the explosion with his body; shows
her the grenade pin]
That's the Ring Trick.
DC-over
[Leon appears in front of Tony's]
Tony: [to his barber]
Mario, go back to the barber shop, we'll finish later.
[Mario leaves as Leon enters]
Hey Leon, what's up? All done already?
Leon: No no.
[investigating some plastic pigs]
Nicer than people, eh?
Tony: [amused]
I told you that. You got a problem?
Leon: No.
Tony: Get the chair, sit down, sit.
Leon: [sits down in front of him]
I.. I was.. thinking. If something happens to me some day..
Tony: Hey, Leon, nothing's gonna happen to you. You're indestructible, bullets slide off
you, you play with them.
Leon: Tony I.. thought about my money.
[Tony seems to feel uncomfortable]
You remember the.. the girl who came here the other day?
Tony: ... Yeah.
Leon: Her name is.. Mathilda. If anything happens to me, I... I'd like you to give her... my
money.
Tony: You can count on me Leon.
Leon: Thank you, Tony.
Tony: Yeah.
DC
[in their apartment, Leon preparing to go]
Leon: I won't be long.
Mathilda: Did I do something wrong?
Leon: No. This one is.. too big.
Mathilda: Yeah, and I only get the leftovers, is that it?
Leon: Mathilda, since I met you, everything's been different. So I... just need some time
alone. And you need some time to grow up a little.
Mathilda: I've finished growing up, Leon. I just get older.
Leon: For me, it's the opposite. I'm.. old enough. I need time to grow up.
[leaves slowly]
Mathilda: ... Shit.
["What's Happening Out There?" - shortened]
[Mathilda smoking on the open window, thinking; filling the refrigerator; cleaning the plant;
watching TV; throws away a lighted cigarette while sitting downstairs; noticed by four
youngsters playing basketball]
Leader: [to his gang]
Come on.
[to Mathilda]
You're new, aren't you? Fifth floor, right?
[Mathilda nods]
Well you can't sit here like that.
Mathilda: [unimpressed]
Really? Why not?
Leader: Nothing's free. Like a parking meter. When you stop, you pay. It's the law.
Mathilda: Only on TV...
Leader: What did you say?
Mathilda: Forget it, how much is your meter?
Leader: Ten dollars.. a month.
Mathilda: [takes a 100 dollar bill from a whole bunch of money]
Got change?
[impressed sounds and countenances, shake their heads]
Don't worry about it, we'll do ten for twelve. I'll pay now for the rest of the year,
okay?
Leader: [perplexed]
..Okay, a year.
Mathilda: Does paying rent here mean I have to put up with you guys?
Leader: Uh.. no.
Mathilda: So go play somewhere else. I need to think.
[they run away]
DC-over
["Very Special Delivery"]
[in their apartment; Mathilda puts on her working outfit, including Leon's glasses; waits in
front of the DEA building; Stansfield and Blood arrive, walk towards the entrance; Mathilda
starts pursuing them with a sack in her arms, quickly turns her back to Stansfield as he returns to
say something to the driver; at the security check she pushes the sack past the metal detector]
Security 1: [bored]
Food.
Security 2: Where are you going?
Mathilda: Special delivery for room 4602.
Security 2: Sign here.
[to some leaving girls]
Have a nice weekend, girls.
[follows Stansfield to the gentlemen's room, predicts him to be in the toilet at its end; but
he appears behind the door she had forgotten to close, startling her as he shuts it]
Stansfield: [indifferently looking into a mirror]
Special delivery, huh? Let me guess..
[shakes his little drug box]
Chinese..?
Thai, maybe..?
I've got it. Italian food.
[consumes a capsule]
[with a satisfied look]
What's your name, angel?
Mathilda: Mathilda.
Stansfield: [whispering]
..Mathilda.
[washes his face, sneezes]
Mathilda, I want you to put the sack on the floor.
Mathilda: [obeys, trembling]
Stansfield: Good.
[pulls his gun, coming closer]
And now I want you to tell me everything you know about Italian food. And don't
forget the name of the chef who fixed it for me.
Mathilda: Nobody sent me. I do business for myself.
Stansfield: So t - t - this is something p - personal, is it?
Mathilda: [nods, scared and crying]
Stansfield: What filthy piece of.. of sh - shit.. did I do now?
Mathilda: You killed my brother.
Stansfield: ... I'm sorry.
[bends down to her]
And you want to join him?
Mathilda: ..No.
Stansfield: It's always the same thing.
[touches her hair]
It's when you start to become really afraid of death.. that you learn to appreciate life.
Do you like life, sweetheart?
Mathilda: ..Yes.
Stansfield: [fondling her]
That's good. Because.. I take no pleasure.. in taking life.. if it's from a person who
doesn't care about it.
[slowly moves his gun near her face]
Blood: [enters breathlessly]
Stan! Stan, shit Stan I've been looking all over for you man I've checked upstairs
and..
Stansfield: What? I'm busy!
Blood: It's Malky man, he's dead.
[Stansfield turns away from Mathilda]
Malky was making a buy for us from the Chinamen. Yo but they got nothing to do
with it man. They told me, this guy came from the outside. He was a pro, he was
fast. He fucking came outta nowhere. Boom. Shoots the chinamen dead in two
seconds.
(Malky: Easy man, I'm a cop.)
Then turns around, says something to Malky like..
(Leon: No women, no kids.)
([Leon kills Malky])
[Stansfield dismayed, looks at Mathilda, sighs]
I think it was something personal.
Stansfield: Death is... whimsical today.
[moves beside Blood, aims at Mathilda; takes his hand down, the gun pointing at
Blood, who starts getting afraid]
Blood, you hear me?
Blood: Yeah man, I hear you Stan, just chill out man.
Stansfield: Would you take her up to my office?
Blood: Alright, yeah.
[Stansfield leaves]
Jesus fucking Christ..
["When Leon Does His Best"]
[in their apartment, Leon has just returned from work]
Mathilda: [read by Leon in her letter]
Leon my love. I know where to find the guys who killed my brother. Their boss is
Norman Stansfield, and he is in the DEA building, room 4602. I'm gonna do that
myself. If something goes wrong, I left you 20 grand on the table. It's for a contract,
five grand a head, right? I know I'll feel better after I do this. I love you - Mathilda.
[a Taxi arrives in front of the DEA building]
Leon: Wait for me, I won't be long.
Taxi Driver: I can't park in front like this, it's a federal building!
[marches through the metal detector, knocks down the security officer; surprises another while he's
telephoning]
[in Stanfield's office]
Blood: [examining the sack's contents in front of crying Mathilda]
..Nine milli... bullets... and another nine milli. What did you plan to do with all
these guns, eh?
Veteran: [cynical]
Maybe she was planning on taking out the whole building.
Blood: Holy shit, what've we got here? Lunch.
[takes out a piece of pizza]
Veteran: Careful Blood. Might be poisoned.
Blood: No man, there's not anchovies on this.
[Leon rushes in, shoots him and the Veteran dead; Mathilda jumps into his arms; Leon heaves a sigh
of relief, holds her for a few seconds]
[back in the taxi]
Taxi Driver: Is that what you call "I won't be long"? I was hanging around here for at least ten
minutes!
Leon: I did my best. Avanti.
DC
[in their apartment; Leon takes his plant off the window, examines it as Mathilda enters the room,
wearing the red dress he had bought her]
Mathilda: Do you like it?
[pours him a glass of milk]
Leon: Yes.
Mathilda: So say it.
Leon: I like it.
Mathilda: [smiles; reaches him the glass, takes place next to him]
Not thirsty?
[Leon nearly empties it]
A girl's first time is very important. It determines the rest of her life's sexuality. I
read that once in one of my sister's magazines. Girlfriends told me that they hated
their first experience. That's because they didn't love their guys. They just did it to
show off. Afterwards they started liking it, like cigarettes. I wanna like it, the first
time.
Leon: Mathilda, no.
Mathilda: Why not?
Leon: I just can't.
Mathilda: Do you love someone else?
["Leon The Cleaner"]
Leon: No.. I mean... there was someone a long time ago. Before I came to the States. Her
father didn't want her to see me. She was from a very respectable family. Mine was..
well, not so respectable. Her dad went nuts every time she took off to see me.
Mathilda: But she still snuck off to see you, right?
Leon: Right.
Mathilda: See, nothing can stop love, Leon.
Leon: He killed her. One shot to the head. They kept him in jail for two days, and then let
him go free. They said it was an accident. So... one night I... waited for him. 500
feet, with a lens. He also had an accident. The same night I took a boat and came
here, to meet up with my father. He was working for Tony. I was nineteen. Since
then I've.. never left the city and... I've never had another girlfriend. You see
Mathilda.. I wouldn't be a good lover.
Mathilda: Okay. Just do me one favor.
Leon: What?
Mathilda: I'm sick of watching you sleeping on your chair. We're gonna share the bed.
Leon: I don't think that's a good idea.
["How Do You Know It's Love?"]
[on the bed; Mathilda gently pushes Leon down]
Mathilda: It's okay.. put your legs up on the bed.. yeah, that's nice.
[takes off his shoes]
Put your head down, it's okay, relax.
[switches the lights off, lies down, pulls his arm around her]
Good night, Leon.
Leon: ...Good night.
[Mathilda falls asleep]
DC-over
[at Tony's, in the evening; Tony celebrating birthday with the kids, when a mean looking guy with a
pumpgun comes in]
Tony: Manolo, take the kids in the kitchen.
[Stansfield, Benny and several other men enter; in the kitchen the kids bump into another one;
Stansfield sits down in front of Tony amidst birthday balloons, doesn't look too happy]
Stansfield: [puts his gun on the table]
I have a lot of respect for your business, Tony. When you've.. you've killed for us in
the past, we've.. we've always been satisfied. And that's exactly why today is going to
be very, very hard for me. Excuse my mood..
[presents him a photo of dead Malky]
My man was killed right here, in your turf. And the Chinks tell me that the hitman
was kind of the ah.. Italian type. So we figured that ah.. Tony might know
something.
Tony: Ah..
Stansfield: Wait, there's more. You're gonna love this. A few hours later, a little twelve year old
girl comes into my office, armed to the teeth, with the firm intention of sending me
straight to the morgue. And you know who came and got her in the middle of the
afternoon right there, in my building? The very same Italian hitman. I'm dying to
meet him.
[in their apartment]
Leon: [startles as he wakes up on the bed]
Mathilda: Relax, everything's fine. Sleep well?
Leon: I never really sleep. Got one eye open ?.
Mathilda: Oh, I forgot. You know I never saw someone with one eye open snore so much.
Leon: I snore?
Mathilda: Like a baby. And I go get some milk for breakfast, I won't be long.
Leon: Don't forget the code when you come back.
Mathilda: Two knocks, then one, and two knocks again, right?
Leon: Right.
[while Mathilda takes a shower, Leon stretches over the whole bed and continues sleeping]
["The Fight (part 1: The Swat Squad)"]
[in the shop]
Mathilda: Hola senor! Ring these up and I go get some milk.
[happily returns, observed by Stansfield; a few meters in front of the apartment she is suddenly
pulled aside by a Swat, holding her tight]
Main Swat: From here out now you don't make a sound. You answer my questions by nodding
yes or shaking your head no, you got it?
Mathilda: [nods fearfully]
Main Swat: Is he alone?
[Mathilda nods]
Does he expect you?
[nods]
Do you have keys to the apartment?
[reaches him the keys]
Is there a code, a way of knowing so he knows it's you?
[Mathilda hesitates, then nods; knocks a wrong code - 321]
[he signals to his men, the attack begins]
[a Swat knocks the wrong code]
Main Swat: [to the walkie-talkie]
Alpha-Team, final position, we're ready to go.
Stansfield: [to the walkie-talkie]
Be careful.
[Swat unlocks the door and enters, followed by three others; as soon as they are all inside, the door
closes and shots are fired]
["The Fight (part 2: Bring Me Everyone)"]
Main Swat: [upset, pushing one of his men away]
Move, move!
[takes a look around the corner: the door opens, revealing the dead Swats]
Shit.
[to the walkie-talkie]
Alpha team, men dead, men dead.
Stansfield: [to the walkie-talkie]
I told you.
Benny. Bring me everyone.
Benny: What do you mean, "everyone"?
Stansfield: Everyone!!!
[Benny follows his order, and a few minutes later the whole area is full of policemen and Swats]
[another Swat slowly enters the apartment, this time heavily secured by Swats outside; Leon
manages to kill them all, but gets shot in his shoulder]
Main Swat: [quite clueless]
Take this.
[hands his rifle to one of his men]
[to the walkie-talkie]
Aahm..
[to one of his men]
Go take a look.
[he does, breathing heavily; as he stretches his head out he sees Leon's gun directly in front of him]
Leon: [exhausted]
Don't move.
Main Swat: Do you see anything?
Swat: [nods slowly]
It's the guy. He's here, he's got a gun on my head.
[they shrink back, Mathilda tries to call his name]
Main Swat: Okay, nobody moves.
Leon: Let the girl go.
Main Swat: Take it easy man..
Leon: Let the girl go!
Main Swat: Okay, the girl's coming out.
[to the Swat holding Mathilda]
Let the girl go.
[the Swat releases her, Mathilda spits into his face, falls into Leon's arm]
Leon: [to Mathilda]
Grab the axe off the wall. Over there, go.
[to the Swat]
You're coming with us.
[takes him hostage while Mathilda gets the axe]
[before following Mathilda into the apartment, he shoots at a fire sensor at the
ceiling, causing the water to go off; shoots into the air four times; leaves the Swat
outside]
Main Swat: ? He shot him!
[jumps out, shoots without seeing anything because of the water]
Bastard!
[they kill their own man; Leon returns fire through a hole in the door, hitting one of them; they draw
back]
Main Swat: Shut the fucking water off!
Swat: Got it.
Leon: [taking the axe from trembling Mathilda]
Go!
Main Swat: [to the walkie-talkie]
We're in a bad way here, send the Cats, I repeat, send the Cats!
Mathilda: [crying and sobbing]
I don't know what happened, I didn't see them coming, I swear, I just went
shopping, and I came back and they were everywhere, they..
[overwhelmed by her tears]
Leon: Stay away from the window.
[whirls past the window, snatching his plant, narrowly escaping the snipers' bullets]
Mathilda: Leon? Leon..
[rises cautiously, sees the apartment crossed by target lasers]
Leon: [motions Mathilda to come over; she crawls to him]
Snipers.
[outside the water is turned off]
Main Swat: Okay, now get this fucking asshole outta there.
["The Fight (part 3: The Big Weapon)"]
Mathilda: [hiding in the corner]
How are we gonna get out of here Leon?
Leon: Leave it to me, we're checking out.
[knocks down a table to protect Mathilda from fragments; breaks an air shaft open
with several gunshots and the axe; envelops the plant in his coat, throws it down the
shaft; helps Mathilda get inside]
Mathilda: Leon, it's not big enough for you.
[starts climbing out again]
Leon: What?
Mathilda: It's barely big enough for me.
Leon: We said no discussion.
[pushing her back]
Mathilda: No! I'm not letting..
Leon: Listen to me..
Mathilda: [desperate]
I'm not going!
Leon: Listen..
Mathilda: I won't go! I won't go!
Leon: [trying to calm her down]
Listen to me, listen to me, listen to me, we have no chance together, but if I'm alone
I can do it, trust me, I'm in good shape Mathilda, I know I worked a lot of money
with Tony, a lot, we'll take it and leave together, just the two of us, okay? Go!
Mathilda: No! You just say that so that I won't worry!
[Swats preparing the big weapon]
I don't wanna lose you Leon!
Leon: [embracing her]
You're not gonna lose me Mathilda, you've given me a taste for life, I wanna be
happy, sleep in a bed, have roots, you'll never be alone again Mathilda.
[Swats making progress]
Please, go now ?, go. Calm down, calm down. Go. Go. See you at Tony's. I'm gonna
clean them all. Tony's in one hour.
[Swat putting his finger around the trigger]
I love you, Mathilda.
Mathilda: I love you too, Leon.
[climbs down]
[Leon turns away and screams; in that moment the big weapon is fired, the explosion knocks him
down to the floor]
["The Fight (part 4: One Is Alive)"]
Stansfield: [to the walkie-talkie]
Hey, heyeyey, what the fuck is going on up there? I just said take the guy out, not the
whole fucking building.
[Swats with gas masks storm the apartment; find wounded Leon, disguised as one of them; pick him
up, lead him down the stairs past hundreds of Swats; sits down]
Swat: You're okay?
[Leon nods]
Hey, I need a medic over here!
Angry Swat: [to the walkie-talkie]
Open your fucking asses! Squad number one, what's the status on the apartment?
Another Swat: [from Listening Swat's walkie-talkie]
Can't see shit, too much smoke in here, give us five minutes to clear it up.
Listening Swat: Okay, you got it.
Stansfield: What what what you're 200 men and you can't find one man and a girl?! Did you
find the girl?!
[Mathilda arrives at the end of the air shaft]
Medic: Hi, how're you doing? Take the mask up, quick.
[Leon takes it up]
Let me see you. That's deep. Right. This one here.
Angry Swat: You're from the third precinct?
Leon: Yeah.
[is discovered by Stansfield]
[Mathilda runs through a narrow passage]
Medic: You sit here for two minutes, I'll be right back.
Leon: Let me put the mask back on, I breathe better with it.
Medic: Okay, you're right. Sit here.
Stansfield: [in a hallway leading outside, to the policemen]
Okay, come on, everyone out! Come on, let's go, let's go, let's go! Come on, out!
[Mathilda comes out on the street]
["Two Ways Out"]
[Leon goes away]
[Mathilda walks past the policemen]
Policeman: What're you doing here? Get out, get out!
[Leon hesitates in front of a group of policemen blocking the way]
[Mathilda walks on]
[Leon walks down the stairs, reaches the empty hallway, takes off his mask, his eyes fixed on the
exit; Stansfield appears behind him; aims; shoots]
[Mathilda escaped, now runs to Tony's]
Leon: [lying on the floor beneath Stansfield, dying]
..Stansfield?
Stansfield: At your service.
Leon: [puts something in his hand]
..This is.. from... Mathilda.
[dies]
Stansfield: [opens his hand, finds a grenade pin; discovers Leon's equipment]
Shit.
[big explosion]
[at Tony's; Mathilda with a glass of milk, still crying]
Tony: [with bruises in his face]
Leon asked my to help you out if.. if something happened. And I think something
happened, right? He put on the side a little cash for you. So, what I'm suggesting is
that ah, seeing as how you are still so young, I should hold the money for you, you
know, 'till you're older. Like a bank, you know, except that it's better than a bank,
because, you know, banks get always knocked off. No one knocks off old Tony. But
it's.. it's your money, and in the meantime all you gotta do is come here every once
in a while, and I'll dish it out so that you can have a little fun, okay?
[puts some money on the table]
Here's a hundred bugs to start with.
Mathilda: Can't take any job instead?
Tony: A job? What the hell can you do?
Mathilda: I can clean.
Tony: I ain't got no work for twelve year old kids, so get it outta your goddamn head! It's
over, the game's over, Leon's dead! You hear me!
[which makes Mathilda cry again]
["The Game Is Over"]
Tony: Come on. Come on, do you think I ain't hurting, too?
[Mathilda turns her eyes back to him]
But he's dead. And you gotta forget all this craziness, and get your little ass back to
school, capiche? Now take this money and get the hell outta here, and don't let me
see your face 'till next month, for something tells me I'm about to lose my famous
kind streak.
[night; sadly walks through the streets; looks out of the Roosevelt Island Tram]
[in the office of Spencer School]
Mathilda: My parents.. died.. in a car accident four weeks ago. It was terrible.
Headmistress: You know we didn't have the time to get to know one another when you first came
here, but.. I want you to kn
