Basquiat

Basquiat 

Screenplay by       Julian Schnabel

Produced by       John Kilik

          Randy Ostrow

          Joni Sighvatsson

Directed by       Julian Schnabel

Cast List:

Jeffrey Wright     Jean-Michel Basquiat

David Bowie      Andy Warhol

Dennis Hopper      Bruno Bischofberger

Gary Oldman      Albert Milo

Michael Wincott    Rene Richard

Parker Posey     Mary Boone

Elina Lowensohn    Annina Nosei

Willem Dafoe      The Electrician

BLACK

We HEAR "Waltzing Matilde," by Tom Waits.

INT. MUSEUM OF MODERN ART – DAY (DREAM SEQUENCE IN GRAINY BLACK AND WHITE)

Fade out music.

Silence.

A well-dressed black BOY and his MOTHER walk through several galleries.

They stand before Picasso's "Guernica," holding hands.

The mother is disturbed. Crying.

The boy looks up, confused and frightened, concerned to see his mother crying in public. She looks at him tenderly.

Her brow furrows. She stops crying. She stares just above his eyes.

Something's happening: she looks with wonder at the top of his head... his eyes roll upward, trying to see – it's a crown!

He raises his hands. He touches it.

A beam of light illuminates the crown, casting its glow on his mother's face.

The beam gets whiter, the rest of the screen gets black.

INT. CARDBOARD BOX

Silence. In darkness, we hear a VOICE – imbued with a sense of its own history:

VOICE (O.S.)

Everybody wants to get on the Van Gogh boat. There's no trip so horrible that someone won't take it. The idea of the unrecognized genius slaving away in a garret is a deliciously foolish one. We must credit the life of Vincent Van Gogh for really sending this myth into orbit. How many pictures did he sell? One? He couldn't give them away. We are so ashamed of his life that the rest of art history will be retribution for Van Gogh's neglect. No one wants to be part of a generation that ignores another Van Gogh.

The beam of light shines through a small hole. It falls upon a sleeping, dreaming, delighted face. It belongs to JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT.

OUTDOOR, DAYTIME SOUNDS filter in.

Hearing the voice, Jean frowns at being woken up.

EXT. TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK – DAY

A long, rectangular cardboard box.

SUPER: "NEW YORK CITY"

ANGLE ON:

RENE RICARD (early 30's), seated at a park bench, hunched over a notebook. He's a raggedy dandy: A poet in a hooded sweatshirt and white hightops.

As he writes, he reads aloud, as if addressing Posterity.

RENE (CONT'D)

(sighing theatrically)

In this town one is at the mercy of the recognition factor. One's  public appearance is absolute.

Beyond him, a HAND gropes its way out of the box. It tosses a can of YOOHOO chocolate drink.

RENE (CONT'D)

I consider myself a metaphor of the public. I am a public eye. I am a witness.

A HEAD appears from the box. It's Jean's.

Jean sees the start of a crisp, colorful autumn day. The urban park around him is alive with a typically full range of the good and bad in life. He eases himself out of the oversize box in which he has spent the night. There's something about the way that he stands while waking up that suggests he's almost surprised at his own body, the adultness of his limbs – just a subtle hint of him coming out of a dream.

He squints in the sunlight. He has a soft, gentle, Haitian face. His hair is pulled tight to his head. He wears two pairs of blue jeans (one cut like chaps over the other) a paint-covered Wesleyan University T-shirt, and the inside lining of an overcoat. His appearance is unruly, but it's deliberate. He's stylish.

He shakes himself off and collects his stuff, which includes: a small book of Pontormo drawings, a can of black spray paint. and a cigar box made into a loudspeaker with pencil holes and masking tape.

Jean walks out of the park and looks up past the buildings at the sky:

SUPERIMPOSED IN THE SKY – STOCK FOOTAGE OF A HAWAIIAN SURFER
 

Jean sees the surfer, 'riding the nose' in glistening, shimmering sunlight.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK – DAY

Rene grabs the box for use as a desk and continues to speak out loud as he writes.

RENE (CONT'D, O.S.)

Part of the artist's job is to get the work where I will see it.

EXT. LOWER EAST SIDE ST. – DAY

As he speaks, we see Jean pass the wall of a funeral parlor. He spraypaints: "SAMO AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO GOD"

RENE (CONT'D, O.S.)

When you first see a new picture, you don't want to miss the boat. You have to be very careful because you may be staring at Van Gogh's ear.

Jean signs his words with his 'logo', a triple pointed crown.

As he presses the spray can, we HEAR the roar of a breaker.

CUT TO:

INSERT: CLOSEUP OF SIDEWALK

Pressed into the concrete is a pair of EYEGLASSES. A light-colored piece of rock completes the picture to make a face.

EXT. LESHKO'S RESTAURANT – DAY

JEAN'S POV: His shoes pause next to the face in the concrete.

CUT TO:

IN FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT

Is a METAL BILLBOARD with red plastic magnetized LETTERS that reads: "TODAY'S SPECIAL: CLAM CHOWDER $1.50. TRY IT!!!"

CUT TO:

INT. LESHKO'S – DAY

Jean enters.

CUT TO:

EXT. LESHKO'S RESTAURANT – DAY

The sign. It now reads: "SAMO'S DAY OLD TEETH $5.00"
 

CUT TO:

INT. LESHKO'S RESTAURANT – DAY

Bending over a countertop, we see GINA CARDINALE, 22. He fixates on her.

She looks up and notices his stare. She continues to work.

Still staring at her, he sits down at a table. He pours maple syrup onto the table. He draws in the syrup with his fingers.

CLOSE ON Syrup on table

ANOTHER WAITRESS arrives at his table. She's put off by the syrup.

WAITRESS

What'll it be?

Jean thinks about it, eyes still following Gina.

BASQUIAT

Ummm. It'll be great. We'll live together in peace. What's her name?

(indicates Gina)

He looks up at the waitress.

WAITRESS

Gina. What'll it be?

BASQUIAT

Pancakes.

She leaves and whispers something to Gina. Gina turns and glances over at Jean.

Jean pours more syrup and starts writing his name.

At the grill, LESHKO, the burly Owner/Cook, has his watchful eye on Jean. He doesn't like what he sees.

Jean smears the syrup thinly, so it doesn't erase itself. He draws a picture of Gina, using his fingers and the silverware, rendering her last expression strikingly with a few quick lines.

A GAUNT YOUNG MAN saunters up to Jean's table. He's sort of a  tall Puerto Rican Alain Delon with sleepy eyes. He is BENNY.

BENNY

Hey – Willie Mays.

BASQUIAT

Willie Mays.

Suddenly, Rene Ricard enters – a one-man parade. He beckons to Gina, snapping his fingers.

RENE

Nurse!!! Oh!!! Nurse!!! Carrot juice. Tofu burger. Rapido!

GINA

We don't serve that – amigo.

RENE

Fine... A greasy cheeseburger. Fries – and a vodka.

BASQUIAT

(under his breath)

Who's that?

BENNY

The Devil, man. Rene Ricard. Art critic – writes for Artforum. People read him. Tell him who you are..

BASQUIAT

Who am I?

BENNY

SAMO.

BASQUIAT

Oh yeah..

Rene lands at the counter.

Jean's gaze is still on Gina.

She waits on a MAN at a nearby table.

CUSTOMER

How's the special today?

GINA

It's your stomach.

She hurries past Jean.

BASQUIAT

Hey.

She slows down, not wanting to.

BASQUIAT (CONT'D)

What do you think?

She looks at her portrait in the syrup... She can't resist smiling.

GINA

It's me. I've never been done in maple syrup. Here's a rag.

Gina smiles. She offers him one. As she holds it out, their eyes lock. She tries to resist his smile.

BASQUIAT

(gently)

Gina?

She puts her finger in the syrup and licks it off.

Benny takes it all in.

Leshko is upon them.

LESHKO

Alright. Look at you, staring at this girl,  making a mess.

He waves Jean toward the door.

Jean takes Gina's rag and begins cleaning his mess, seemingly compliant.

BASQUIAT
How about those pancakes?

He brings out a roll of dimes to the tabletop and splits it open. Dimes roll all over the table and stick in the syrupy parts. The manager explodes.

LESHKO

OK! Goodbye!

GINA

Pipe down, Lech. Let him order.

LESHKO

You nuts? Let him order? You on his side? You're not such a good waitress. You get out, too.

GINA

I just don't think you're being fair.

LESHKO

I need this?

GINA

I need this?

Gina quietly removes her apron in disbelief.

Benny gets up to leave very casually.

BENNY
(waving g'bye to Jean)

Willie Mays.

LESHKO

(to Gina)

That's right. You go with them. Make babies the government has to pay for.

CUT TO:

GINA AND JEAN

Leave the restaurant.

Behind them, we see Rene, absorbed in his writing.

EXT. AVE. A – DAY

They stand outside, not knowing quite what comes next.

Jean gives Benny a look (i.e. 'scram').

BENNY
Catch you later.

Benny leaves.

A CHILLY WIND picks up.

Jean's mood is suddenly downcast.

They button up their overcoats, about to leave.

GINA

What's a job, anyway?

(pause)

What's wrong with you?

The truth is, he feels awful for causing Gina's trouble, but shows it by moping like a child.

GINA (CONT'D)

No, don't tell me – you just got fired by your crazy boss.

BASQUIAT

I guess you did.

GINA

Guess I just got sick of him.

BASQUIAT

Can I walk you home?

GINA

I think I could do that alone.