SO LONG MARIANNE Screenplay By Robbie Moffat Paul Wiffen From an Original Story by Gabriel Murray Current Revisions 19th August 2020 Production Company Name Palm Tree Universal / Hydra Films Address Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath Phone +44 7736 904349 page 1. 1 INT. TV STUDIO - NIGHT 1 FADE IN BLACK AND WHITE: Close on LEONARD COHEN (32) sitting opposite ADRIENNE CLARKSON, the interviewer. CLARKSON How does it affect you when you read a poem you have forgotten. Is it like reading something written by someone else. LEONARD I had to read this poem for you. I haven’t read it for some time and I’ve forgotten the meaning of the whole poem. CLARKSON Doesn’t that in some way disturb you? LEONARD It doesn’t disturb me because I don’t think anything was at stake. The message comes through with the body, eyes and the voice. I could just as easily be reading the instructions from a shoe polish can. CLARKSON What’s the point of writing poetry then when you could just read the instructions on how to polish your shoes? LEONARD If you want shiny shoes, you want to have very good instructions. If you want to polish other parts of yourself, you have to do it with poetry. CLARKSON For other people looking at you, Leonard Cohen the poet, the novelist, the man who lives in a white house on the island of Hydra, son of a Jewish family from Montreal, writer of pop songs ... (MORE) Copyright Aug 2020 Palm Tree Universal / Hydra Films page 2. CLARKSON (cont'd) All these things may add up to Leonard Cohen, but they do look rather complex. LEONARD I’m all in one place. CLARKSON Oh, I don’t know ... You may seem so to yourself. LEONARD Well, you know, I think the borders have faded. People are no longer capable of these kind of poses. The poet on the mountain with the cape. The singer catering to the masses. Its just a matter of what your hand falls on. If someone offered me a building to design, I’d take it up. If someone offered me a small country to govern, I’d take it. CLARKSON Would it matter that the building you have designed would fall down, or the country you governed would turn into chaos? LEONARD I don’t think the building would fall down. My government would protect the people from government. People are fine as they are, I would just leave them alone. Some people may want a building to collapse over them at a specific time. Cars are designed with in-built obsolescence, why not buildings. CLARKSON What about poetry? LEONARD I think that history and time builds in obsolescence in poetry unless its the great stuff. You never know if you are really hitting that. Copyright Aug 2020 Palm Tree Universal / Hydra Films page 3. CLARKSON Don’t you ever? LEONARD Sometimes you know about it. Sometimes it has that kind of ring. I’m not interested in posterity which is a paltry form of eternity. I’d like to see the headings, something like ‘artist finishes painting today’. I’m not interested in an insurance plan for my work ..... FADE OUT: OPENING CREDITS MUSIC by Leonard Cohen 2 EXT. NEW YORK - DAY 2 View of 50’s New York skyline 3 EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING, NEW YORK - DAY 3 A brown stone building five storeys high. CAPTION: NEW YORK 1959 4 INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY 4 An open suitcase full of clothes with an acoustic guitar leaning against it. Leonard(25) is collecting pages of poems together. He places them and his guitar into a soft case. FRANTIC DOOR KNOCKING Leonard opens the door. IRVING LAYTON, 47, poet pushes in. IRVING I just heard you were leaving. LEONARD I’m going to London to write a novel. Copyright Aug 2020 Palm Tree Universal / Hydra Films page 4. IRVING Yeah? Which girl are you running from this time? LEONARD You always tell it like it is, Irving. Irving lifts up a book of poetry by Lorca. IRVING Franco had Lorca shot! Leonard snatches the book from him, throws it in his suitcase. He draws Irving to the window. LEONARD Do you really want to be part of the tedious rat race? Don’t you want to be one of the beautiful people? Irving shrugs his shoulders. LEONARD My grant came through from the Canada Council. He shows him a handwritten letter. IRVING Shit. You got a writer’s grant? How much? LEONARD Three thousand dollars. IRVING On top of your pop’s trust money? Irving stares at him intently then breaks into a grin. Irving bear hugs him. IRVING You’re a lucky kid. No more part-time jobs. You’re one of those beautiful people you talk about. Copyright Aug 2020 Palm Tree Universal / Hydra Films page 5. 5 EXT. NEW YORK HARBOUR - DAY 5 A 1950s ship sailing out of New York harbour. 6 EXT. LONDON STREET - NIGHT 6 CAPTION: London 1959. Leonard, suitcase in hand, guitar case over his shoulder, looks up in confusion from the letter. SIGN - Gayton Road. His eyes dart - come to rest SIGN - BOARDING HOUSE Leonard climbs the steps to the door. He rings the bell. The door opens - STELLA PULLMAN, 50ish, homely, kindly. LEONARD I was told you have rooms to rent. She looks him up and down. STELLA You can take the cot in the living room until one of my rooms is free. LEONARD How much? STELLA If you bring in the coal every morning, light the fire, I’ll not charge you until you get a room. LEONARD Thank you .... Leonard starts up the stairs STELLA You play that guitar? LEONARD I was in a folk band at school. Copyright Aug 2020 Palm Tree Universal / Hydra Films page 6. 7 INT. BOARDING HOUSE - DAY 7 Stella ushers Leonard into the living room. STELLA I’ve had quite a few young Canadians staying with me. LEONARD I got your address from my friend. Morten? STELLA He slung his hook last week. NANCY BACAL, 25, redhead, enters the room. NANCY Leo! You finally got here! LEONARD What have you done to yourself, Nancy? The rabbi would have a fit. NANCY I’m an actress now, Leo. This is where I am at. They hug warmly. LEONARD Where’s Mort? NANCY Gone to live in his studio with a model. Nancy hides her hurt. NANCY How’s the poetry going? LEONARD I’m here to write a novel. Do you know where I can get a typewriter? NANCY Leonard, the first thing you need in London is an overcoat. Copyright Aug 2020 Palm Tree Universal / Hydra Films page 7. 8 EXT. BOARDING HOUSE - DAY 8 Leonard emerges with a spring in his step accompanied by Nancy who is carrying an umbrella. The sun is shining as they march arm in arm down the street. 9 EXT. SHOP - DAY 9 The rain is making rivulets down the shop window. Leonard, squeezed under the brolly with Nancy, settles his eyes on a blue Burberry coat. Nancy nudges him to go inside. Leonard turns away - Nancy pulls him back to the window. Leonard feels the rain on the back of his neck - resigns himself. 10 EXT. SHOP - LATER 10 Leonard emerges from the shop wearing the Burberry. Nancy places a Trilby on his head. Leonard takes it off - Nancy puts it back on his head. NANCY It suits you. LEONARD Are you trying to turn me into an actor? NANCY We are all actors, Leonard. LEONARD I’m a writer, Nancy. NANCY Doesn’t mean that you can’t act. Let’s find you a typewriter. She takes him by the arm and launches them both into the rain. Copyright Aug 2020 Palm Tree Universal / Hydra Films page 8. 11 EXT. MONTAGE LONDON - DAY 11 Montage of rainy London showing the transition of time. 2nd Unit shoot. 12 INT. BOARDING HOUSE - DAY 12 Leonard brings in the coal and struggles to light the fire. CUT TO: Leonard is typing on his new Olivetti typewriter. He is hesitant at first - then more confident. CUT TO: Leonard lights the fire more successfully. CUT TO: Leonard is typing furiously. He stops. He touches a rear tooth - winces. Stella enters with a hot drink. He barely acknowledges her - drinks from the mug - winces again. STELLA Come to the dentist where I work and get that tooth pulled. LEONARD No thanks. STELLA Such a nice looking Jewish boy, Nancy. It’ll be a shame when his teeth fall out. 13 EXT. EAST LONDON STREET - DAY 13 Leonard emerges from a house closely followed by Stella in a dental assistant gown. He is rubbing life back into his cheek. Copyright Aug 2020 Palm Tree Universal / Hydra Films page 9. STELLA There’s a bank around the corner. He mumbles and nods. Stella smiles and goes back inside. 14 INT. BANK - DAY 14 Leonard approaches a BANK TELLER who has a deep tan. Leonard tears out his last travellers’ check - pushes it across the counter. LEONARD Can you cash this check for me, please? BANK TELLER Certainly, sir. Leonard signs the check. LEONARD Where did you get your tan? BANK TELLER Visiting my family on Hydra. LEONARD Where is that? BANK TELLER An island in Greece. LEONARD Is it a large island? BANK TELLER No. There are no cars there. LEONARD It must be very remote? The Bank Teller warms to Leonard. BANK TELLER Not at all. There’s a direct ferry from Athens. Sophia Loren made Boy On A Dolphin there.