Natural speed, please :) I can record Polish texts for you :)
Scene II – Walk From Bookstore to Le Pure Café
Location notes: this walk, as seen on film, cannot be duplicated exactly because Linklater cuts the camera not once, but twice between locations that are non-adjacent to each other. Therefore, the walk consists actually of 3 discrete segments: 1) through Quartlier Latin in the 5th arrondissement, the neighborhood immediately surrounding the bookstore; 2) through Le Marais in the 4th arrondissement; and 3) very briefly in the 11th arrondissement immediately outside the café. Look for additional “Location notes” in this section to guide you through each specific segment of the walk. Because each segment is quite far from one another, you should allow at least 1 hour to complete the journey from the bookstore to the café, in sequence.
(Céline waits outside the bookstore for Jesse, standing next to a statue. Her arms are crossed, and she looks down, appearing a bit anxious. Jesse walks out of the bookstore toward her, and smiles broadly, appearing more relaxed than before.)
Jesse: I can't believe you're here!
Céline: Well, I live here in Paris. Are you sure you don't have to stay, you're not supposed to talk some more?
Jesse: No, no, no, they‘re sick of me, I spent the night here last night. (Motions to the bookstore.)
Céline: Oh, you did?
Jesse: Yeah, yeah, they've got a loft upstairs.
Céline: Oh, wow. (Looks up toward the 2nd level of the bookstore.)
Jesse: Anyway, how are you? (Nervously clasping his hands together.) This is so weird.
Céline: I'm fine, it's... It's good to see you.
Jesse: It's good to see you.
(They pause awkwardly for a few moments.)
Céline: So you want to go to a cafe? (Points to her left.)
Jesse: Uh, yeah...(Waves his right hand over his abdomen.)
Céline: OK, there's one a little further, that I like. (They start walking away from the bookstore.)
Jesse: I...I...I thought I was gonna totally lose it in there. When I first saw you...I mean, how did you even know I was going to be here?
Céline: Well, it's my favorite bookstore in Paris. I, um...You can sit down for hours and read. I love it. There's fleas, but, you know...
Jesse: I know, I know, I think a cat slept on my head last night. (Motions toward his head.)
Location notes: Jesse and Céline turn right down rue Saint Julien le Pauvre as they walk past an accordionist.
Céline: So, I saw your picture on the calendar about a month ago.
Jesse: Yeah?
Céline: And that you were going to be here. It's funny because I read an article on your book, and, uh, it sounded vaguely familiar?
Jesse: Vaguely, yeah. (They both laugh.)
Céline: Yes. But I didn't put it all together until I saw your photo, so...
Jesse: Did you have a chance to read it?
Céline: Yes! I…um...I was really, really surprised as you can imagine, I mean...I had to read it twice, actually. (Furrows her brow, and looks down.)
Jesse: Yeah?
Céline: Yeah.
Jesse: Comme ci, comme ca? (Waves his hand as if to indicate the book was not very good reading.)
Céline: No, I liked it! It's, uh, very romantic. I usually don't like that... but it's, uh, really well written. It's really well written, no, I really...Congratulations! (Puts both hands on Jesse’s left forearm as if to reassure him.)
Wait! (They stop walking, and turn to face each other.) Before we go anywhere, I have a...I have to ask you...
Jesse: Sure, what?
Céline: Did you show up in Vienna, that December?
Jesse: (Clutches at the waist of his pants, and looks to his left.) Uh, did you? (Looks her in the eye again.)
Céline: No, I couldn't, but...Did you? I need to know, it's important to me.
Jesse: (Looks down.) Why, if you didn't?
Céline: (More earnestly.) Well, did you?
Jesse: No. (Shakes his head.)
Céline: Oh, thank God you didn't! (Breathes a loud sigh of relief.) Oh my god! (They start walking forward again.)
Jesse: I mean, thank God I didn't, and you didn't! I mean, if one of us had showed up there alone, then that would have sucked.
Céline: I know! I know! I know! I was so concerned with that. I always felt horrible about not being there, but I couldn't! You know, my grandma died a few days before, and she was buried that day, December 16th, that day!
Jesse: She died, the one in Budapest?
Céline: Yes, you remember that?
Jesse: Yeah, I remember everything.
Céline: Of course, it was in your book. But anyway, I was about to fly to Vienna, you know, and I...and we heard the news about her, and of course I took her to the funeral with my parents.
Jesse: Yeah, well, I'm sorry to hear that.
Céline: I know. But you weren't there anyway. (Stops to face him again, and nudges him on the elbow.) Wait. Why weren't you there? I would have been there if I could have, I made plans, and...Wait. You‘d better have a good reason! (Jesse looks down to his left, then back at her without saying anything.)
What?! (Studies his expression.) Oh...no! No, you were there, weren't you? (He blinks both eyes once, as of to say yes.) Oh, no, that's terrible! (Walks away from him, hiding her face. He follows, momentarily one step behind.) I know I'm laughing, but I don't mean it! Did you hate me? You must have hated me. Have you been hating me all this time? You have!
Location notes: Jesse and Céline turn left and walk down rue Galande toward rue Dante.
Jesse: No, no...
Céline: Yes, you have! Oh, but you can't hate me now, right? I mean, my grandma...
Jesse: I don't hate you, alright? Come on, it's no big deal, alright? I flew all the way over there, you blew the thing off, and then my life has been a big nosedive since then, but I mean it's not a problem.
Céline: No, you can't say that!
Jesse: No, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. (Puts his hand on her shoulder to reassure her.)
Céline: Oh, I can't believe it, you must have been so angry with me... I'm so sorry, I really wanted to be there, more than anything in the world! I swear...Honestly, I swear...I mean, you can't be angry...my grandmother...
Jesse: No, I know, I know, I honestly thought that something like that might have happened. I was definitely bummed, but...Mostly, I was jut mad we hadn't exchanged any phone numbers or any information.
Céline: I know, that was so stupid, no way to get in touch. I didn't even know your last name.
Jesse: I know, we had nothing to go on. I know, I know...remember, I mean we were both afraid that if we started writing and calling, that it would slowly...you know, fade out.
Céline: Yeah, it definitely wasn't a slow fade.
Jesse: No, it sure wasn't. (Laughs, and looks at Céline.)
Céline: I know, we wanted to pick it up were we left off.
Jesse: Which would have been fine if it had worked.
Céline: Yes, good idea.
Jesse: Oh well.
Céline: (Sighs loudly.) How long were you in Vienna, then?
Jesse: Just a couple of days.
Céline: Did you meet another girl?
Jesse: Aah, yeah. Her name was Gretchen, and she was amazing.
Céline: You did?
Jesse: Yeah, the book is really a composite of the two of you.
Céline: Really? Oh, no!
Jesse: No, I'm kidding! You wouldn't believe it, I even went back to the train station. I put up, you know, signs of my number, (Céline sighs loudly again) and the hotel, in case you've been delayed. I was a total dork.
Céline: Let's go this way. Did you get any calls?
Location notes: Jesse and Céline turn right. At this point, the camera cuts suddenly from the end of rue Galande to the crossroad of rue de l'Ave Maria and rue des Jardins St-Paul in the 4th arrondissement. You must cross the river via l’Ile St. Louis, and walk about 15 minutes. Metro: Pont Marie stop on Line 7. They walk up rue des Jardins St-Paul to rue Charlemagne. On their left, you can see the playground of Lycee Charlemagne.
Jesse: Just a couple hookers, looking for a gig. No, it was awful. I mean, what do you want me to say?
Céline: Oh, it's so sad. I'm so sorry!
Jesse: I walked around for a couple of days. Eventually, I flew home, I owed my dad 2000 bucks, who had warned me about French chicks, I have to say.
Céline: (Defensively.) What did he tell you about French women?
Jesse: Nothing, the guy... he's never met any French women. He's never been east of the Mississippi. (Céline laughs.)
Céline: So why didn't you put that “six months later, uh, the French bitch didn't have show up.” You know, like...
Jesse: But I did, I did.
Céline: You did?
Jesse: Yeah, no, I mean I made it more hopeful. I wrote this whole fictional version in which you actually do show up.
Céline: Oh, what happens?
Jesse: Well, um...
Céline: What?
Jesse: Well, we make love for about ten days straight, that's one part of it.
Céline: Oh, that's interesting. So, “the French slut.” Yeah, OK, OK...
Jesse: Yeah, exactly. It's just, then they, you know, they start to get to know each other better and they realize that they don't get along at all.
Céline: Oh, I like that. It's more real.
Jesse: Yeah, well, my editor didn't think that way.
Céline: No, everyone wants to believe in love. It sells, right?
Jesse: Yeah, exactly...so...
Céline: So things are going well for you, right? I mean, your book is a best seller in the U.S.
Jesse: It's a TINY best-seller. (He motions with his fingers to show how tiny.)
Céline: Oh, come on.
Jesse: Alright, yeah right, officially, yes, but I mean most people haven't read Moby Dick, you know, so why should they read my book?
Céline: Well, I haven't read Moby Dick, and I liked your book, so...
Jesse: Thanks.
Céline: You know (points at Jesse quizzically), I thought you idealized the night a bit.
Jesse: Oh, come on, it's officially fiction.
Céline: No, no, no. No, I know, I know. I know, I thought...You know, there were times when you made me a...well, I mean her, right? No, me...OK, whatever! A little bit neurotic!
Jesse: You are a little bit like that, aren't you?
Céline: You think I'm neurotic? (Furrows her brow disapprovingly.)
Jesse: No, no, no, come on, I'm kidding! Where did I do that? I didn't do that.
Céline: Well, maybe it's just me. You know, uh, reading something knowing that the character in the story is based on you...it's both...flattering and disturbing at the same time.
Jesse: How is it disturbing?
Céline: I don't know, just...being part of someone else's memory. Seeing myself through your eyes. How long did it take you to write it?
Jesse: Um, uh, 3 or 4 years, on and off.
Céline: Wow, that's a really long time to be writing about one night.
Jesse: Yeah, I know, tell me about it. (Sighs out loud.)
Céline: I always assumed you had forgotten me.
Jesse: No, I had a pretty clear picture of you in my mind. I have to tell you something. (They stop and face each other.) I just...
Céline: What?
Jesse: I wanted to talk to you for so long, you know, that now...
Céline: Yeah, me too.
Jesse: It's just surreal, you know, I feel like everything out of my mouth should be...
Céline: I know, I know, how long do we have? (Motions to her wrist.) 20 minutes and 30 seconds? Let's go!
Jesse: (Looking at his watch.) No, we got more than that. I wanna know about you. Tell me what are you doing...you know, what are you up to? (They start walking again.)
Céline: Uh, where to start...I, uh, I work for Green Cross. It's an environmental organization.
Jesse: Yeah, what are...what are they all about?
Céline: Well, we basically work on different environment issues, from clean water to disarmament of chemical weapons. You know, international laws that deal with the environment.
Jesse: And, and, what do you do for them?
Céline: We're going this way.
Location notes: they turn right on rue Charlemagne.
Ah, different things. Like last year, I was in India for quite a while, working on a water treatment plant.
Jesse: Wow!
Céline: Well, yeah, the cotton industry there is a major source of pollution, so...
Jesse: I mean, this sounds like you're actually doing something, you know, I mean, most people, myself included, just...sit around and bitch, you know. America's consuming all the world’s resources, SUVs suck, global warming is real...
Céline: You know, I'm really relieved to hear you're not one of those Freedom Fries kind of Americans.
Jesse: Hey, you know...But, how did you get into that?
Céline: I came out of political science, and I was hoping to work for the government. And I did, for a little while...ugh, terrible!
Jesse: Not good?
Céline: Yeah, no.
Location notes: they turn left onto rue Eginhard, which is a very small passage in the shape of an elbow. You can spot Fountain Eginhard behind them as they walk.
Anyway, I got really tired...let's go this way...of having this endless conversation with friends about how the world is falling to pieces. So I decided what I really wanted to do was to find things that could be fixed, and try to fix them, you know?
Jesse: You know, I always thought you'd be doing something cool like that. I did!
Céline: Thanks. I just feel really…really lucky to be doing a job I like.
Jesse: Yeah. You know, I actually alternated between thinking that...You know, everything is irrevocably screwed up, and that things might be getting better in some ways.
Céline: (Disapprovingly.) Better? How could you possibly say that?
Jesse: Well, I just mean, you know, like...I mean, I know it sounds weird, but there are things to be optimistic about.
Céline: OK...uh, I know your book is selling, which is great, I'm very happy for you, but let me break the news for you, OK? The world is a mess right now!
Location notes: they walk out of a covered passage, and arrive on rue St-Paul. They turn left, and walk a few steps toward rue St. Antoine.
Jesse: I wasn't saying that...
Céline: (Voice rising, with a mocking tone.) I can’t see how you can say things are getting “a bit better.” OK, we're moving all our industry to developing nations. We can get cheap labor free of any environmental laws. (They stop, and she gesticulates to make her points.)
OK, the weapon industry is booming. Five million people die every year from preventable water disease. So, how is the world getting any better? I'm not getting angry, I'm not getting angry, but come on, I want to know, I'm interested!
Jesse: OK, I realize that there are a lot of serious problems in the world.
Céline: OK (sighing), thank you!
Jesse: (Sarcastically.) I mean, I don't even have one publisher in the whole Asian market. (Laughs.)
Céline: OK, alright. (Turns away in mock disgust, then turns back to Jesse with her left hand raised, wiggling her fingers back and forth.) Say "stop."
Jesse: OK, OK, what? "Stop."
Céline: (Stops wiggling her fingers, and gives him just the 3rd finger.) OH!
Jesse: (Playfully grabs at her left wrist to put her hand down.) No, look, all I'm saying is that there's more awareness out there, right? (Pounds his right fist into his left palm.) People are going to fight back!
Céline: OK. (Motions for them to continue walking forward.)
Location notes: at this point, the camera suddenly cuts to the intersection of rue Jean Mace and rue Faidherbe in the 11th arrondissement in front of Le Pure Café. In reality, you would need to walk about 30 min. east to reach the cafe from rue Eginhard in the 4th arrondissement. Please see “Location notes” for Le Pure Café at the beginning of the next section for detailed directions. We see Jesse and Céline from behind, walking toward the cafe.
