The Godfather教父 1972 Movie Script

DON CORLEONE:

I want no inquiries made. No acts of vengeance.

(pause) Consigliere, arrange a meeting with the heads of the five families...this war stops now.

He rises and unsteadily leaves the room, turns...

DON CORLEONE:

Call Bonasera...he will do me a service.

And leaves. HAGEN moves to the phone; dials...

HAGEN:

This is Tom Hagen; I'm calling for Don Corleone, at his request.

BONASERA (O.S.) Yes, I understand I'm listening.

HAGEN:

You owe the Don a service. He has no doubt that you will repay it.

EXT DAY:

BANK BUILDING (SPRING 1946) Day in Manhattan. An impressive Bank Building in the financial center of New York. Many limousines are parked, uniforms and plain-clothed CHAUFFEURS waiting quietly.

INT DAY:

BOARD ROOM (SPRING 1946) The Board Room of a bank, daylight shines in the windows.

CARLO TRAMONTI, an impressive, handsome middle-aged man, sits quietly, smoking a Di Napoli cigar, OUR VIEW moves to a MAN sitting to his left, and a little to the rear, and settles on JOSEPH ZALUCHI, a moon-faced amiable-looking man; as the view continues, around the table, we HEAR: DON CORLEONE (O.S.) I want to thank you all for coming.

I consider it a service done to me personally and I am in the debt of each and every one of you.

Especially those of you who have traveled from such distances as California, St. Louis, Kansas City; and New Orleans... The VIEW PASSES to FRANK FALCONE and ANTHONY MOLINARI, both younger than any of the others; then on to DOMENICK PANZA, short and squat sitting in a wheelchair; then around the table to DON VINCENENZO FORLENZA, who is whispering to his JEWISH ASSISTANT; the VIEW PASSES on to ANTHONY STRACCI, an older man, sipping from a drink and smoking a cigar; OTTILIO CUNEO, in his middle sixties with a jolly round face; then DON PHILLIP TATTAGLIA, a delicate older man with dyed hair and a pencil mustache; and finally, EMILIO BARZINI, in his early sixties, a man to 'respect'; whom we had seen at CONNIE's Wedding.

DON CORLEONE:

Ah well, let's get down to business.

We are all honorable men here, we don't have to give assurances as if we were lawyers.

(he sits, gazes out at them, and sighs) How did things ever go so far?

Well, no matter. A lot of foolishness has come to pass. It was so unfortunate, so unnecessary.

The VIEW examines the room once again, as the DON speaks. A large, clicking board is changing numbers at various times, and two tapes, showing the fluctuations of the Market during the day's trading, and projected above.

DON CORLEONE pauses; and TOM HAGEN hands him a cold drink.

DON CORLEONE:

Tattaglia has lost a son; I have lost a son. We are quits. Let there be a peace... (he gestures expressively, submissively, with his hands) That is all I want...

BARZINI:

Don Corleone is too modest. He had the judges and politicians in his pocket and he refused to share them.

His refusal is not the act of a friend. He takes the bread out of the mouths of our families. Times have changed, it's not like the old days where everyone can go his own way. If Don Corleone had all the judges and politicians in New York, then he must share them or let others use them. Certainly he can present a bill for such services, we're not Communists, after all.

But he has to let us draw water from the well. It's that simple.

DON CORLEONE:

My friends, I didn't refuse out of malice. You all know me. When have I ever refused an accommodation?

But why, this time? Because I think this drug business will destroy us in the years to come.