TOMMASSINO COURTYARD MUSIC comes up; as MICHAEL, dressed in new clothes from Palermo, and carrying a stack of wrapped gifts, gets into an Alfa Romeo. CALO and FABRIZZIO each dressed in their Sunday best, are in the rear seat, huddled together, with their luparas on their shoulders.
DON TOMMASSINO waves them off, as the little car drives off, rocky and bouncing on the dirt road.
VITELLI HOUSE MICHAEL is presented to each of the Vitelli relatives, by the yard of their little hilltop house; the BROTHERS; the MOTHER, who is given a gift; several UNCLES and AUNTS.
Finally APPOLONIA enters, dressed beautifully in appropriate Sunday clothing. Now he presents the wrapped gift to APPOLONIA. She looks at her MOTHER, who with a nod gives her permission to open it. She unwraps it. Her eyes light at the sight of a heavy gold chain; to be worn as a necklace.
HILLTOP NEAR VITELLI HOME MICHAEL and APPOLONIA are walking through a hilltop path, seemingly alone, although a respectful distance apart.
As the VIEW PANS with them, we notice that her MOTHER and a half dozen AUNTS are twenty paces behind them, and ten paces further behind are CALO and FABRIZZIO, their luparas on their shoulders.
Further up the hill, APPOLONIA stumbles on a loose stone, and falls briefly onto MICHAEL's arm. She modestly regains her balance, and they continue walking.
VITELLI VILLAGE CHURCH Church bells in an ancient belfry ring out. Music, old and dissonant, plays.
There is a bridal procession in the street of the village; the same in feeling and texture as it might have been five hundred years ago.
Donkeys and other animals have been decorated with abundant flowers; children carrying candles and wearing white confirmation gowns walk in the procession, followed by countless townspeople, members of the clergy, even the police.
We present the entire bridal procession and ceremony with all the ritual and pageantry, as it has always been, in Sicily.
