THE AMERICAN Screenplay by Rowan Joffe Based on the novel A ...

"The American" June 21st, 2010 page 27.
46 EXT. ROAD- DAY
46
FA<strong>THE</strong>R BENEDETTO...
...is sitting in his APE three-wheeler.
He’s broken down on the road between CASTEL DE MONTE and
CASTELVECCHIO.
His comical and endearing method of rural transportation is a
cross between a moped and a miniature pick-up truck.
In the back of the truck are two bleating LAMBS.
The APE is turning over but it won’t start.
The bonnet is open. JACK- who’s FIAT is parked just up the
road- is fixing the engine.
He gives a signal and FA<strong>THE</strong>R BENEDETTO turns the ignition key
again.
This time the engine starts. FA<strong>THE</strong>R BENEDETTO cheers.
FA<strong>THE</strong>R BENEDETTO
(in italian) See you tonight !
And drives off. JACK only now sees the lambs. He walks
towards his car. Castel del Monte is visible in the
background.
47 INT. FA<strong>THE</strong>R BENEDETTO’S KITCHEN- EVENING
47
Sixteenth century. Sombre wood panelling stained dark with
polish and smoke. Two paraffin lamps stand on a huge antique
sideboard, their frosted orbs engraved with scenes from the
life of Our Lord.
The room is filled with a dining table: a massive black
edifice of oak, five inches thick with six legs fluted like
the columns of cathedrals.
Using antique crockery, ancient copper pots and utensils like
old fashioned instruments of torture FA<strong>THE</strong>R BENEDETTO
performs culinary alchemy: transforming flesh into meat,
dough into bread, hard earth nuggets into vegetables.
He hums as he cooks: Madame Butterfly arias.
JACK sips from a glass of wine and watches FA<strong>THE</strong>R BENEDETTO
potter around the wood fired stove. The priest has his own
wine which he sips as he works between bouts of humming.