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Shaft in Africa (1973)
300? NOT A HAPPY FIGURE,
HERR SCHMIDT. YOU GUARANTEED 750. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR PROBLEMS ARE. LOOK, YOU FULFILL YOUR CONTRACT. 750, ALL IN PRIME CONDITION, ON THE JOB IN DUSSELDORF MONDAY. SMOKE BOTHER YOU? WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S FIRE. BRIGHTEN MY DAY. [CAR PHONE BEEPS] CALL BACK. [HONKS HORN] [HONKS HORN] MR. AMAFI. JUST ONE MOMENT. GOOD MORNING, MR. AMAFI. SCHMIDT'S MAKING A DELIVERY ON MONDAY... 750 TO DUSSELDORF. FROM THE IVORY COAST? ONLY 300, THE REST FROM SENEGAL. TELL ANGELO TO COME HERE, WILL YOU? AND GET YOURSELF A CUP OF COFFEE. YES, MR. AMAFI. [KNOCK ON DOOR] YES? NAMES, DATES, PLACES... HE'S BEEN A BUSY BOY. YOU SURE HE'S THE EMIR'S SON? TOOK SOME PERSUASION, BUT HE FINALLY TALKED. FOR THE BENEFI OF THE OTHERS, AN EXAMPLE HAS TO BE MADE. KILL HIM. WHAT ABOUT HIS FATHER? HE'S GOT A LOT OF CLOUT. HE CAN'T THROW A SPEAR ALL THE WAY FROM NEW YORK, NOW, CAN HE? ANGELO, I SAID KILL HIM. [FOOTSTEPS] [GUNSHOT] [GUNSHOT] WHAT'S HAPPENING? HEY, SOME AFRICANS ARE LOOKING FOR YOU, BROTHER. I DON'T KNOW ANY AFRICANS, BROTHER. [SPEAKS AFRICAN LANGUAGE] YOU COME. Woman: Central Answering. Can I help you? YEAH, BABY, ANYTHING? Yeah. Is that you, Mr. Shaft? THAT'S RIGHT. Well, a Mr. Ramila's been calling you every 10 minutes since 2:00. YOU COME. YOU TELL MR. R. IF HE CALLS AGAIN, THAT I GOT TOO MANY FRIENDS WITH TROUBLES. I DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH STRANGERS. FREEZE. [SPEAKS AFRICAN LANGUAGE] THERE'S NOT A STREE THAT YOU CAN WALK YOU GOT TO WATCH JUS WHO YOU'RE TALKIN' TO THEY'RE OUT TO GET YA CAN'T TURN YOUR BACK ON A SMILIN' FACE SMILIN' FACE NEXT THING YOU KNOW THERE AIN'T NO TRACE OF YOU AND THIS I BETCHA SOME PEOPLE LOSE AND SOME FOLKS WIN IT'S A MATTER OF WHAT THEY DO ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? BIG AND BAD ENOUGH? ARE YOU GONNA LET 'EM SHOOT YOU DOWN? WHEN THE EVIL FLIES AND YOUR BROTHER CRIES ARE YOU GONNA BE AROUND? SOMEONE NEEDS A FRIEND JUST AROUND THE BEND AROUND THE BEND DON'T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE THERE? ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH WHEN THE GOIN'S ROUGH? IS IT IN YOUR HEART TO CARE? THERE'S NO PRETENDING IT GOES AWAY WITH EVERY STEP THAT YOU TAKE YOU PAY YOUR DUES AND I AIN'T LYIN' YOU'VE GOT TO STRUGGLE TO SEE THE LIGHT SEE THE LIGHT 'CAUSE SOMEONE'S LOOKIN' TO STEAL YOUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE AND THEY DON'T STOP TRYIN' IT'S LIKE A JUNGLE OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR AND IT'S KEEPIN' YOU SO CONFUSED ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? BIG AND BAD ENOUGH? ARE YOU GONNA LET 'EM SHOOT YOU DOWN? OOH! WHERE DID YOU STUDY STICK FIGHTING, MR. SHAFT? CONDUCTING THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC. THE EMIR WILL BE PLEASED... ALSO BY THE FAC YOU'RE ALREADY CIRCUMCISED. Man: Mr. Shaft, the temperature is 110 degrees. Are you comfortable? SHIT. I'D BE A HELL OF A LO MORE COMFORTABLE IF YOU'D FORGET TO PAY YOUR LIGHT BILL. We want you to walk back and forth across the sand for the next eight hours. If you survive, we will talk. MAN, I ALREADY GOT MY TAN. LET'S TALK NOW. I said walk. Walk or die. Very ingenious, Mr. Shaft. FORGIVE US, MR. SHAFT. THIS IS EMIR RAMILA, LEADER OF THE MANTA TRIBE IN EAST AFRICA. OUT OF MY TURF. THIS IS WASSA, MY BRAIN, AND OSIAT, MY STRONG RIGHT ARM. THEY WILL PREPARE YOU. MINERAL WATER, MR. SHAFT? QUITE PURE. GIVE ME SOME SCOTCH, MAN. I KNOW A GREAT DEAL ABOUT YOU, BUT UNTIL TONIGHT, IT WAS ALL HEARSAY. I HAD TO KNOW. KNOW WHAT? WOULD YOU KILL A MAN? [SPEAKS MANTA] MR. SHAFT, YOU FIRED TWO SHOTS AT OSIA WITHOUT HESITATION. YES, I LEARNED. YOU WOULD KILL A MAN. ABOUT THOSE SHOTS... WHY IS THE BROTHER STILL BREATHING? NEXT TIME, BETWEEN THE EYES. MY SECOND QUESTION... HOW GOOD ARE YOU WITH A STICK? A CAT NAMED SHAF AIN'T GOING TO BE BAD WITH A STICK. FROM CHILDHOOD, THE MEN OF MY TRIBES USE THE STICK TO HERD CATTLE, WARD OFF HYENAS, AND TO FIGHT. IF YOU WERE AWKWARD WITH A STICK, IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN TOO LONG TO TRAIN YOU. THANKS FOR THE OFFER, BUT I LIVE IN A RESTRICTED NEIGHBORHOOD... NO HYENAS. NOW, YOU WAN TO CALL ME A CAB? THIRD QUESTION... COULD YOU SURVIVE UNDER DESERT CONDITIONS? I LIKED WHAT YOU DID, BURYING YOURSELF IN THE SAND. WE'VE FOUND OUR MAN, MR. SHAFT. YOU. OKAY, I'LL WALK. I MAKE YOU A MOST GENEROUS OFFER... $25,000. IS THAT AMERICAN OR HONG KONG? $15,000 NOW, $10,000 LATER. AND WHA DO I HAVE TO DO? BECOME A SLAVE. COLONEL GONDAR, JOHN SHAFT. THE COLONEL IS OF THE CENTRAL POLICE AUTHORITY IN ADDIS ABABA. HE'S WORKING WITH US AND THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY. A GOOD DEAL OF TIME AND MONEY HAVE BEEN INVESTED IN SELECTING YOU, MR. SHAFT. AND I GUESS WHAT YOU DID IS LOOKED IN THE ADDIS ABABA YELLOW PAGES, AND THERE I WAS... JOHN SHAFT, INVESTIGATOR, RIGHT? IT WAS SOMEWHA MORE INVOLVED THAN THAT. WHAT'S THIS SLAVE JIVE, HUH? TWO MONTHS AGO A TRUCK CROSSED THE BORDER FROM ITALY INTO FRANCE. [POUNDING INSIDE TRUCK] [MEN SHOUTING] [SHOUTS IN FRENCH] Gondar: THE DRIVER MANAGED TO ESCAPE. THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES GAVE THE MEN WATER AND TIME TO REST, THEN HUSTLED THEM BACK ACROSS THE BORDER INTO ITALY AND MARKED THE INCIDENT CLOSED. WHAT WERE THEY, ITALIANS? NO, NO, YOUNG AFRICANS. THIS PARTICULAR GROUP HAD BEEN SMUGGLED IN FROM THE IVORY COAST TO ITALY, THEN INTO FRANCE. SMUGGLED, WHY? TO DO ALL THE DIRTY BACKBREAKING JOBS WHITE EUROPEANS REFUSE TO DO... ROAD GANGS, FACTORIES, KITCHENS. MAYBE THEY NEEDED THE BREAD. THE RECRUITERS ARE LURING THOUSANDS OF YOUNG AFRICANS INTO EUROPE EVERY MONTH. THEY'VE NO WORK PERMITS, NO SOCIAL SECURITY. IF THEY COMPLAIN, THEY'RE DEPORTED. THEY WORK A 16-HOUR DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FOR LITERALLY PENNIES. THIS, MR. SHAFT, IS SLAVERY IN THE 20th CENTURY. SO WHY DON'T YOU JUS ARREST THE CATS WHO ARE HUSTLING THE PEOPLE? THAT'S THE END OF THAT. WE WANT THE MEN AT THE TOP. WE NEED A TRAINED INVESTIGATOR... SOMEBODY THEY DON'T KNOW TO INFILTRATE THEIR ORGANIZATION. TO DO THIS, HE HAS TO LET HIMSELF BE RECRUITED IN AFRICA. SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST GE AN AFRICAN INVESTIGATOR? THEY KNOW ALL OUR MEN. SO GET SOMEONE WHO'S NOT AN INVESTIGATOR. WE DID. MY SON LET HIMSELF BE RECRUITED IN EAST AFRICA. HIS BODY WAS FOUND LAST WEEK IN PARIS IN A DITCH. UPTOWN DUDE LIKE ME... SPOT ME A MILE AWAY. NOT IF YOU'RE BRIEFED IN TRIBAL WAYS AND LEARN THE MANTA DIALECT. YEAH, I WAS 21 BEFORE I FOUND OU THAT "ISN'T" IS ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING "AIN'T." OSIAT. [SPEAKS MANTA] THIS IS MY DAUGHTER ALEME. ALEME HAS COME TO INSTRUCT YOU, MR. SHAFT. THEY VANISHED AS MYSTERIOUSLY AS THEY APPEARED, BUT THEY LEFT BEHIND OUR SPOKEN CULTURE, THEIR DRUMS, THEIR COPPER SPEARS, THEIR BEADED CROWNS. NOBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM, BUT OUR TRIBES ARE DESCENDED FROM THESE PROUD ANCESTORS. DON'T LAUGH, MR. SHAFT, YOUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH YOU CAN REMEMBER. WHO'S LAUGHING? I WAS JUST THINKING, THEY MADE US STUDY SHAKESPEARE IN SCHOOL. MAN, WAS HE A JOHNNY-COME-LATELY, COMPARED TO YOUR CATS GROOVING ON POETRY A THOUSAND YEARS AGO. I'M SURE lT'D BLOW THEIR MINDS AT PS 64. OUR OFFICIALS FALL INTO TWO CATEGORIES. MACHA, TULAMA. NOT BAD. YOU'RE PROGRESSING. LOOK, UH, WHY DON'T YOU GET RID OF THE JOLLY GIANT OVER THERE SO YOU AND I CAN GET DOWN TO THE FINER STROKES? OSIAT HAS GUARDED ME SINCE I WAS A CHILD. SOMETIMES I THINK OF HIM AS MY LIVING CHASTITY BELT. DAMN. A MAN THAT SIZE, BABY, THAT'S A WHOLE LO OF CHASTITY. I'M STILL IN MY FIRST AGE-GRADE. WE CALL THAT FAREITA. NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO MARRY WHILE THEY'RE IN FAREITA. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR RELAXATION? I ENTER CHELA, MY SECOND AGE-GRADE THIS FEBRUARY, THEN EVEN THE EMIR'S DAUGHTER MAY HAVE SEX AND MARRY AFTER MY CLITORIDECTOMY. YOUR WHAT? MY CLITORIDECTOMY... FEMALE CIRCUMCISION. YOU MEAN WHEN THEY CUT OFF YOUR... ARE YOU AFRAID TO SAY THE WORD? MY CLITORIS? YES. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO IN THE TIME OF CHELA. HELL, NO WONDER THE NATIVES GET RESTLESS. MR. SHAFT, THE EMPHASIS IN OUR MARRIAGE IS NOT UPON SEXUAL PLEASURE, BUT UPON THE REARING OF CHILDREN. LISTEN, BABY. NOW, FEBRUARY'S JUST AROUND THE CORNER. NOW, HOW IN THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING UNLESS YOU GIVE I A LITTLE WEAR AND TEAR BEFORE THEY TAKE IT AWAY? ARE YOU VOLUNTEERING? YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT. DO NOT KISS! WHERE YOUR STICK? IT'S TIME FOR YOUR LESSON. SH... IT'S BACK THERE. WHY DON'T YOU GET IT FOR ME WHILE I WARM UP? COME ON. SHH. COME ON. COME ON. TINGAT, WULAN... SAHO. HERE IS YOUR FIRST PAYMENT, MR. SHAFT... A CHECK FOR $15,000 AND YOUR AIRLINE TICKET. YOU LEAVE IN THE MORNING. FROM UP HERE, IT DOESN' LOOK SO BIG, DOES IT? I MEAN, NEW YORK. IT'S NOT SO BIG. L.A.'s GO MORE SQUARE MILES. TOKYO AND LONDON BOTH HAVE MORE PEOPLE. [SPEAKS MANTA] OH, YOU DON' YOU MUST BE AFRICAN. MANTA. OH, MY NAME'S WILLIAMS. WELL, IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU NEED, JUST LET ME KNOW. STANDARD OIL? BY GOD, NOW THAT'S SOMETHING. CAN'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE, BUT KNOWS ABOUT STANDARD OIL. HOW ABOUT GENERAL MOTORS? COCA-COLA. AAH! ARE YOU OKAY, MR. SHAFT? GO CATCH YOUR PLANE TO ADDIS. WHO ARE YOU? I'M NO WITH STANDARD OIL. THEN I GUESS HE'S NO WITH COCA-COLA. THANKS. TO QUOTE YOUR EXACT WORDS, "HE WILL NEVER LIVE TO REACH AFRICA." YET I'M TOLD HE'S ALREADY BOARDED ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 175 AT ORLY EN ROUTE TO ADDIS ABABA. HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? THEY HAD SOMEBODY WITH HIM OUT OF NEW YORK. HE TOOK MY MAN BY SURPRISE. SHAFT WAS SIMPLY LUCKY. FIRST EDITIONS ALWAYS WORRY ME. LUCK CAN RUN OUT, EVEN FOR YOU, MY BLACK BROTHER. CONSIDER HIM A DEAD MAN. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION YOU PLANNED TO KILL WHOEVER THE EMIR HIRED IN NEW YORK. WASN'T THAT OUR AGREEMENT? THE EMIR MIGH HAVE SUSPECTED ME, AND ANYWAY, THIS MAN SHAF SEEMED TOO DANGEROUS ON HIS HOME GROUND, BUT... BUT IN AFRICA... PICTURE, SIR? HE IS QUITE TAME. I HOPE YOU'LL BOTH BE VERY HAPPY. COLONEL GONDAR SENT ME. THIS WAY, PLEASE, SIR. WE HAVE A CHOICE OF POSES. YOU CAN KNEEL AND PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND HIM, YOU CAN STRADDLE AND RIDE HIM, OR YOU CAN PUT YOUR HEAD IN HIS MOUTH. IS THAT RIGHT? [GROWLS] YOU ARE TO GO AT ONCE. THANK YOU, SIR. KEEP THE RECEIPT. I'LL SEE YOU GE THE PICTURE TOMORROW. SORRY ABOUT ALL THIS CLOAK-AND-DAGGER BUSINESS, BUT THE INCIDENT AT ORLY GAVE US A NASTY SHOCK. THAT INCIDENT AT ORLY GAVE ME A NASTY SHOCK. YOU TRUST HER? SHE'S A COUSIN OF MINE. I'LL NEVER TURN MY BACK AGAIN ON A CLEANING WOMAN. WHO WAS THE CAT IN DRAG THAT TRIED TO KILL ME? A SARDINIAN NAMED BOCCO. AN ASSASSIN... LONG CRIMINAL RECORD. AND THE DUDE WHO SAVED MY ASS? HE WORKS WITH US. WELL, MR. SHAFT, IT SEEMS WE'VE BROUGHT YOU A LONG DISTANCE FOR NOTHING. OBVIOUSLY, THE OPPOSITION KNOWS ABOUT YOU. IF YOU CHOOSE TO CALL IT OFF, WE'LL UNDERSTAND. WHAT, AND BLOW 25 GRAND? ONLY MONEY BRINGS YOU HERE? HELL, NO. I JUST LOVE TO HAVE MY PICTURE TAKEN WITH LIONS. YOUR FOREBEARS WERE DRAGGED IN CHAINS FROM THIS CONTINEN AND DUMPED ONTO THE COTTON PLANTATIONS OF AMERICA. I SHOULD THINK YOU'D WANT THIS ASSIGNMEN FOR STRONGER MOTIVES THAN MONEY. YOU'RE WRONG. SEE, MY FOLKS WEREN'T IN COTTON. THEY WERE IN TOBACCO. THE EMIR TELLS ME YOU'VE LEARNED HOW TO USE THIS. THIS PARTICULAR FIGHTING STICK IS A RATHER SPECIAL ONE. 36 EXPOSURES, EXTRA FILM IN HERE. YOU'LL LEAVE YOUR BAG WITH ME AND TAKE THIS ONE. THERE'S FOOD IN HERE, AND THIS... TAPE RECORDER. TO RECORD, TURN CLOCKWISE. TO STOP RECORDING, TURN IT BACK. NOW, WAIT A MINUTE. NOW, I'M NOT JAMES BOND, SIMPLY SAM SPADE. WEAR THAT POUCH AROUND YOUR WAIS UNDER THIS ROBE. I HOPE THAT'S A 40-LONG. YOU'LL BE LIVING IN IT, ALONG WITH THESE SANDALS, UNTIL THE RECRUITERS ISSUE YOU WESTERN WORK CLOTHES... IF YOU GET THAT FAR. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT SOME IRON? IRON? A PIECE. NO GUN. TOO DIFFICULT TO HIDE AND A DEAD GIVEAWAY IF SOMEBODY SEARCHES YOUR BAG. ANYWAY, YOU'VE GOT YOUR STICK. IS THAT RIGHT? WE'VE SELECTED A ZABANA HE WON'T LEAVE YOUR SIDE. A ZABANA? A BODYGUARD. NOW, IF A GUN IS TOO CONSPICUOUS, A BODYGUARD IS GOING TO BE LIKE PUTTING IT ON THE 6:00 NEWS. ONCE YOU LEAVE ETHIOPIA, YOU'LL BE IN A TERRITORY WHERE EVERYBODY HAS ZABANAS. EVEN THE ZABANAS HAVE ZABANAS. YOURS IS NAMED KOPO. HE WILL JOIN YOU ALONG THE WAY. STUDY THIS. IT'S A ROUTE WE'VE LAID OU WHICH SHOULD BRING YOU INTO CONTAC WITH THE RECRUITERS. IF YOU LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO GET TO PARIS, THERE'S A TELEPHONE NUMBER WRITTEN HERE. MEMORIZE IT, AND CALL THE MOMENT YOU ARRIVE. AND BURN THAT MAP AND THAT NUMBER BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS ROOM. MR. SHAFT... I WISH YOU LUCK. GOD KNOWS YOU'LL NEED IT. [HORN HONKS] [SPEAKING MANTA] [SPEAKING MANTA] [HORN HONKS] THERE. AH-AH-AH. THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL. GOT TO MAKE IT LAST. [DOG BARKS] SPOT, COME HERE. COME HERE! DUMMY, COME HERE! [HONKS HORN] FOLLOW ME. COME ON. NO ONE'S GOING TO SEE US. MY PEOPLE BUILD THESE NESTS TO KEEP CROWS AWAY FROM THE CORN. NOW, IS THAT A FACT? THE FARMER GETS UP HERE AND FIRES AWAY... WHAT THE... HA HA! [BARKING] HOW DID YOU GET RID OF YOUR BIG SHOT OLD OSIAT? HE JUST HAD HIS SIXTH CHILD, SO I SLIPPED AWAY WHILE HE WAS CELEBRATING. I PASSED YOUR BUS NEAR THE BORDER, BUT WHEN I GOT THERE, YOU WEREN'T ON IT, ONLY THAT DEAD MAN. SO I DOUBLED BACK. I HAD TO SEE YOU. JOHN, THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE. WELL, I FIGURED THAT. THEY ALREADY TRIED TO KILL ME TWICE. DON'T WORRY, THEY CAN'T MAKE IT. WERE YOU DISAPPOINTED I WASN'T A VIRGIN? HMM? HA HA. HELL, NO, BABY. YOU HAD SOME GOOD TEACHERS. JOHN... THIS IS HARDLY THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT I'VE MADE AN IMPORTANT DECISION BECAUSE OF YOU. WELL, MY DADDY TOLD ME, HE SAID, "JOHN, THE ONE TIME" "YOU SHOULD NEVER, EVER MAKE AN IMPORTANT DECISION IS RIGHT AFTER YOU'VE MADE LOVE." IT'S ABOUT MY CLITORIDECTOMY. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DECISION, ALL RIGHT. WHEN FEBRUARY COMES, I'M NOT GOING TO LET THEM DO IT. [BARKS] I AM KOPO, YOUR ZABANA. PUT OUT YOUR HAND. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS GESTURE? IT JUST MEANS, BROTHER, I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU. COME. [WOMAN ULULATING] [CHANTING] [SPEAKING MANTA] [SPEAKING MANTA] [BARKS] WHAT WAS THA ALL ABOUT? HE'S THE DISTRICT HEADMAN. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS AROUND HERE, HE KNOWS. HE SAYS THE... THE WHITE MAN THIS WEEK TAKES OUR PEOPLE FROM THE TOWN OF MAIBERRA TO THE NORTH. THEN WE GO NORTH. [HEADMAN CALLS OUT] [SPEAKING MANTA] HE SAYS THAT IN MAIBERRA, WHEN THE SUN STANDS TWO MORE TIMES ABOVE OUR HEADS, TWO MEN WILL DIE. [BARKS] MAIBERRA? [HORNS HONKING] [BARKS] [BARKING] [DOG BARKING] [MEN SHOUTING] Man: GET IN LINE! GET IN THERE! MOVE IN! MOVE IN! [DOG GROWLING] [DOG YELPS] Man: GET INTO LINE! FALL IN LINE! [CHEERING] GET OUT OF HERE. GET OUT OF HERE. SIGN. WHAT I SIGN? SIGN, YOU SAY YOU GIVE BACK MONEY... FOOD, CLOTHES, BOAT. HOW MUCH YOU PAY ME? 200 FRANCS EACH MONTH. WHAT'S YOUR NAME? JOWI. OKAY, JOWI. JOWI. TAKE YOUR DOG AND BURY HIM. NOBODY'S EVER CRIED FOR YOU, HAVE THEY, BABY? NOBODY EVEN KNOWS YOU'RE GONE. [GUNSHOT] [GUNSHOT] AAH! YOU SON OF A BITCH, YOU KNOW WHO I AM, DON'T YOU? WHO TOLD YOU? WHO? WHO SENT THAT CAT AFTER ME AT THE AIRPORT? AND ON THE BUS? TALK, MOTHERFUCKER! TALK! MARCO SASSARI. A LITTLE LATE, NOT-SO-GREAT SARDINIAN. DIED DECEMBER 12th FROM A STIFF NECK IN A TOWN CALLED MAIBERRA... AS THE SUN STOOD OVERHEAD. HEADMAN SAID THAT TWO MEN WOULD DIE. HE WAS WRONG. ONLY ONE MAN DIED AND TWO DOGS. QUICK! COME, WE GO! COME! [SPEAKS MANTA] [MEN SPEAKING MANTA] NOW! ALL OF YOU! THIS ZUBAIR. HE TAKE YOU ACROSS DESERT. I NO FORGET YOU. [SPEAKS MANTA] LITTLE. ZIBA... YOU BEAT HIM? I BEAT. GOOD. I DON'T LIKE ZIBA. YOU RIDE FRON WITH ME, HMM? YOU KNOW HOW TO RIDE CAMEL? NO RIDE CAMEL. RIDE ASS. HA HA HA. YOU LEARN TO RIDE CAMEL. I SHOW YOU, HUH? COME ON. SIT HERE. CROSS LEG LIKE THIS. SEE? EASY. NOW YOU. CROSS LEG! CROSS LEG! CROSS! [SPEAKING MANTA] SLOW DOWN. I'D GIVE 10 YEARS OF MY LIFE IF I COULD DO THAT... TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE WORLD ONLY IN SEXUAL TERMS, AND TO FEEL I THE WAY YOU DO, JAZAR. [HONKS HORN] SUCH DILIGENCE, MR. WASSA. I'M IMPRESSED. IMAGINE YOU FLYING ALL THE WAY FROM AFRICA TO BE SURE YOUR LABORERS ARE DOING WELL. LOOK AT THEM... HAPPY IN THEIR WORK. ARE YOU HAPPY IN YOUR WORK? PIRO AND SASSARI ARE BOTH DEAD. SHAFT KILLED THEM. THE LAST TIME WE TALKED, IT WAS SHAFT'S LIFE OR YOURS. HE WILL BE BOARDING VANDEN'S BOA TOMORROW MORNING. I FLEW IN TO ASK YOU TO CONTACT VANDEN, GET HIM TO DELAY HIS DEPARTURE. I WILL NOT CONTACT VANDEN. HE'S TOO WEAK IN THE STOMACH. I SUGGEST YOU GET DOWN TO EL JARDIA TODAY AND DEAL WITH MR. SHAF PERSONALLY. MAY I HELP? HOW? I COULD DIVER HIS ATTENTION WHILE WASSA DID WHATEVER HE WISHED TO DO. THE REAL REASON, MY PET. I'M BORED. I NEED SOME EXCITEMENT. WE BOTH DO. LISTEN, MR. WASSA. I DON'T LOVE THIS YOUNG LADY. I DON'T EVEN PARTICULARLY LIKE HER, BUT SHE'S THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD I'VE EVER FOUND WHO CAN GET IT UP FOR ME. I WANT HER BACK BY FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK. IF ANYTHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO HER OR IF SHAF IS STILL BREATHING BY THIS TIME TOMORROW, I'LL HAVE YOU KILLED WHEREVER YOU HAPPEN TO BE. THE YOUNG LADY WILL MEET YOU AT THE AIRPOR IN ONE HOUR. I WISH I COULD WATCH YOU WITH SHAFT. WHERE WILL YOU DO IT? ON THE BOAT. I LIKE THE WAY IT ROCKS YOU BACK AND FORTH. GET IT ON TAPE. PLAY IT BACK FOR ME FRIDAY. THAT'S A DELICIOUS IDEA. IF YOU DO IT, I'LL BUY YOU AN EMERALD. HOW LARGE AN EMERALD? HMM? [SCREAMING] [MAN GIVING ORDERS] BOAT COME TOMORROW. YOU BE HERE FIRST LIGHT, HUH? NOW YOU GO TO TOWN. GET GIRLS, HUH? BUY GIFTS FOR HOME, HUH? NO MONEY. I GIVE. YOU SIGN PAPER, YOU PAY LATER, HUH? HEY, YOU MY GUEST. GOOD SHOT. YOU COME TO TOWN WITH ME, HUH? NO, LEAVE IT HERE. IT'S SAFER. WHERE WE GO, THE GIRLS... HA HA... THEY STEAL. [SINGING IN MANTA] NO WONDER THEY CALL AFRICA THE MOTHER COUNTRY. AND, MAMA, I AIN'T GONNA FIGHT IT. [MEN YELLING] WHERE IS JOWI? COME ON! [YELLING IN MANTA] CIAO, BABY. [YELLS] [GUNSHOT] I WANT NAMES, BABY. I WANT TO KNOW EVERY NAME YOU KNOW. WHO'S PAYING YOU AND WHO SENT YOU AFTER ME? WHO?! IF I TELL, THEY KILL ME. WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I'M GOING TO DO? NOW TALK. I-I'M YOUR FRIEND. I-I KILL MAN WHO SENT ME. I DO THIS FOR YOU. SURE. TALK! TALK! [ARM BREAKS] AAH! NOW TALK, OR I'LL BREAK THE OTHER ONE. NEXT TIME, YOU MOTHER, DON'T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW. [SHIP HORN BLOWS] ALL THAT LOT? I AM TO BE PAID FOR 41. WHAT DO YOU THINK WE'RE RUNNING, THE QUEEN MARY? I AM TO BE PAID FOR 41. 100 MORE. FOR WHAT? I BRING YOU HAPPY MEN. THEY SIGN, YOU PAY. STOW IT, SADI! THE MAN'S ENTITLED TO HIS MONEY. THAT'S THE CONTRACT. ANY EXPENSES ADVANCED HAVE TO BE COLLECTED ON DELIVERY BEFORE THE NEXT LEG OF THE TRIP. DON'T WORRY, WE'LL GET I BACK WHEN WE DOCK. MAY ALLAH BE WITH YOU. ALL RIGHT, GENTLEMEN, EVERYONE INTO THE HOLD. GO ON, MOVE IT! SADI, GET THEM STOWED BELOW. [SADI YELLING] GET THEM OUT OF THOSE ROBES AND INTO WORK CLOTHES. [SADI YELLING] [HORN BLOWS] WELL? WHEN DID HE BATHE LAST? VERY SOON NOW, IN 500 FEET OF WATER. NOT UNTIL I SPEND THE NIGHT WITH HIM. WHAT IF HE HURTS YOU? I'M COUNTING ON IT. LOOK, IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO YOU, AMAFI WILL KILL ME. IF I DON'T GET TO SPEND THE NIGHT WITH THIS MAN, I'LL TELL AMAFI YOU RAPED ME. YOU KNOW WHAT HE'D DO TO YOU. WHEN IT'S DARK, HAVE THE CAPTAIN BRING THEM UP ON THE DECK IN SMALL GROUPS FOR FRESH AIR AND, UH, AND FOR EXERCISE. PSST. THEY ARE GOING TO KILL YOU. DON'T PRETEND YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. YOU ARE JOHN SHAFT. JOWI. JOWI. LOOK, MR. SHAFT, I AM OFFERING YOU LIFE. WHY? IF YOU HELP ME, I'LL HELP YOU. HA HA. YOUR PLACE OR MINE? MR. SHAFT, I DO HOPE YOU'RE NOT LOOKING FOR THE SHOWER. I LIKE A NATURAL MAN. WHO'S PLANNING TO KILL ME? WASSA. WASSA. SO THAT'S WHERE IT LEAKED. HOW LONG IS YOUR PHALLUS, MR. SHAFT? MY WHAT? YOUR COCK. BABY, BY NOW IT'S SHRUNK DOWN TO 20 INCHES. WASSA, THAT SON OF A BITCH. YOU CAN USUALLY TELL BY THE SIZE OF A MAN'S NOSE OR THE LENGTH AND THICKNESS OF HIS THUMBS. I ALWAYS LOOK FOR A MAN WITH A PROMINENT NOSE... AND LONG THICK THUMBS. BABY, YOU'RE NO TURNING ME ON. I GOT TOO MANY THINGS ON MY MIND. A MAN WHO'S BEEN IN THE DESER AS LONG AS YOU HAVE? YOU KNOW, THE MAN WHO PAYS MY BILLS THINKS I'M OVERSEXED. HA HA HA. AND WHATEVER GAVE HIM THAT IDEA? BABY, THIS JUST MAY BLOW YOUR MIND, BUT I AIN' ABOUT TO FUCK YOU. I'M TAKING YOU OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW AS A HOSTAGE. DO IT LATER. PLEASE. PLEASE. MOVE IT, BABY. NO HIDDEN GUN. LOOK FOR YOURSELF. WE'RE BEING RECORDED. BY WHAT NETWORK? HE ASKED ME TO PU OUR LOVE AFFAIR ON TAPE. WHAT'S HIS NAME? IF I TELL YOU, WILL YOU COME TO BED? TELL ME FIRST, THEN I'LL DECIDE. HE'S THE ONE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. VINCENT AMAFI... HEAD OF THE WHOLE BUSINESS. AND, OF COURSE, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE ME TO HIM, YES? I KNOW HE'D LIKE TO MEET YOU. WHERE IS HE? PARIS. PARIS. SO WE MAY AS WELL BE COMFORTABLE TOGETHER WHILE WE CROSS THE MED, HUH? WHAT'S YOUR NAME? DOES IT MATTER? OH... MY GOD. BABY, MY NOSE MAY NO BE TOO PROMINENT, BUT I'VE GOT TWO OF THE LONGEST, THICKEST THUMBS... YOU SAVED AMAFI THE TROUBLE. GET DRESSED, BABY. WHY? THERE'S A MOTORBOA ON DECK. WE'RE TAKING I FOR A RIDE. YOU KNOW SOMETHING? YOU'RE THE FIRST MAN WHO'S EVER MADE LOVE TO ME THE WAY A MAN SHOULD. FANTASTIC, BABY. YOU CAN WRITE MY CONGRESSMAN LATER. COME ON, GET DRESSED. WHATEVER YOU SAY, JOHN. UNTIE IT. JOHN! THANKS, BABY. [TELEPHONE RINGS] [RING] HELLO. Woman: Your call, Mr. Amafi. OH, YES, OPERATOR, PUT HIM ON. AH, GOOD MORNING, CAPTAIN. BLOODY ROTTEN MORNING. WASSA'S DEAD... SHOT TO DEATH. MY FIRST OFFICER DESERTED AT SEA. The police are due any minute. AND THE GIRL? Who the hell knows? PROBABLY GONE OFF WITH SADI IN THE MOTORBOAT. THE MEN YOU BROUGHT ACROSS, WHERE ARE THEY NOW? THEY'RE IN THE TRUCKS ON THE WAY TO PARIS. WHERE ELSE SHOULD THEY BE? IDIOT, YOU LET THEM GO? Listen, there's a goddamn corpse aboard AND A HULL FULL OF ILLEGAL AFRICANS. HOW DO YOU THINK I COULD EXPLAIN THEM TO THE POLICE? THIS IS GOING TO COST YOU EXTRA MONEY, MR. AMAFI, OTHERWISE FROM NOW ON, YOU CAN GET YOURSELF ANOTHER CAPTAIN. ANGELO. COME ON. COME ON. [WHISTLING] PERREAU IS HERE. YOUR FRIEND PERREAU IS HERE. COME ON. COME AND LISTEN TO PERREAU. ME PERREAU, YOUR FRIEND. ME TELL YOU WHAT TO DO, WHERE GO, WHERE WORK. I PICK UP MONEY... YOUR MONEY. SAVE YOU TIME. PAY BACK COS OF YOUR JOURNEY, THIS ROOM, CLOTHES, FOOD. PERREAU... I TAKE CARE EVERYTHING. NOW, THIS ROOM COSTS YOU EACH 100 FRANCS A MONTH. WE ONLY EARN 200 FRANCS A MONTH. FOR THIS ROOM, WE PAY HALF. NO SPACE IN PARIS. VERY COSTLY. NO ROOM, YOU IN STREET. IN STREET... POLICE COME, ASK QUESTIONS, SEND YOU HOME. BUT HOW YOU GO HOME? OWE MONEY. SO, GO PRISON. LOCK UP. 100 FRANCS A MONTH... EVERYBODY STAY HAPPY, NO? THIS IS A CLOCK, ALARM CLOCK. [ALARM RINGS] [ALARM STOPS] PERREAU SET TIME. YOU SLEEP THREE HOURS, THEN CLOCK RING, YOU GET UP. I COME, PICK YOU UP, WE GO WORK. HERE... FRANCS. FRANCS FOR SOAP, CANDY. YOU DIVIDE. THREE HOURS... I COME BACK. [MEN MURMURING] WE FRIENDS OF JOWI. JOWI HERE? JOWI? JOWI? JOWI! JOWI! JOWI NOT HERE! OYO, HIS FRIEND... THAT ROOM! OYO? YOUR NAME OYO? [MEN YELLING] [MAN YELLING] AAH! [SPEAKS MANTA] AAH! AAH! AAH! INSPECTOR CUSSET, JOHN SHAFT. A PLEASURE, MONSIEUR. ALL OF US ARE IMPRESSED AND GRATEFUL. PICTURES AND TAPES, STARTING WITH THE CA WHO TRIED TO TAKE MY SEA ON THE BUS IN ADDIS AND ENDING RIGHT HERE IN PARIS WITH A LITTLE GOPHER NAMED PERREAU. HE'S GOING TO PICK US UP IN THREE HOURS. WE'LL PROCESS THIS IMMEDIATELY, THEN IF YOU ARE NOT TOO TIRED, A POLICE STENOGRAPHER WILL TAKE DOWN YOUR ENTIRE STATEMENT. NOT TOO TIRED. PERREAU... THE NAME IS UNKNOWN TO ME. A LITTLE GOPHER, YOU SAY, COMING TO PICK YOU UP. SURELY HE CAN'T BE THE KINGPIN OF AFRICAN RECRUITING. KINGPIN'S A CA NAMED VINCENT AMAFI. ANOTHER UNKNOWN NAME. WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH MONSIEUR AMAFI AND PUT HIM UNDER SURVEILLANCE. I'LL FIND HIM. I'M GRATEFUL, MONSIEUR, BUT FROM NOW ON, WE WILL DO THE WORK. I'VE GOT A PERSONAL THING WITH MR. AMAFI. I REMIND YOU, MONSIEUR, YOU ARE NOW BACK IN A CIVILIZED COUNTRY WHERE DUE PROCESS OF LAW PREVAILS. INSPECTOR, I RESENT THAT IMPLICATION. MY COUNTRY WAS BUILDING CHURCHES WHILE YOUR PEOPLE WERE STILL LIVING IN CAVES. FORGIVE ME, COLONEL. I DIDN'T MEAN TO IMPLY... LOOK, GET YOUR STENOGRAPHER IN HERE, AND I'LL GIVE HER 10 MINUTES, AND THEN I'VE GO THINGS TO DO. [TELEPHONE RINGS] [SPEAKS FRENCH] AMAFI DID THIS TRYING TO FIND ME. THE LAW WILL PUNISH HIM, MONSIEUR. FUCK THE LAW. WHAT IS THE LAW DOING ABOUT THE SHITHEADS WHO CHARGE 100 FRANCS A MONTH TO STAY IN A CRAPHOUSE LIKE THIS? WHY DON'T YOU REALLY CLAMP DOWN ON THE SLAVE TRADE? I'LL TELL YOU WHY. BECAUSE THE BLACK GHETTOS OF PARIS IS AS FAR AWAY FROM THE CHAMPS ELYSEES AS 125th STREE IS FROM PARK AVENUE, AND YOU NEED A BUNCH OF POOR BASTARDS TO WORK ON YOUR ROADS AND YOUR GODDAMN KITCHENS! DON'T LAY ANY OF THA LAW-WILL-PUNISH-HIM SHIT ON ME. Aleme: JOHN! ALARM CLOCK... SHE WORK. HEY! WHERE DO YOU TAKE THE MONEY YOU COLLECT? [SPEAKS FRENCH] AAH! WHERE DOES AMAFI DO BUSINESS? PERREAU... HE KNOWS NOTHING. AAH! [SPEAKING FRENCH] ELEVEN! STAY HERE AND KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN. DAMN CLOSE, BABY. I HEARD SHOOTING AND I... DAMN RIGHT. LOOK AROUND AND CHECK THOSE FILES... ANYTHING THAT COULD LEAD US TO AMAFI. [MOANING] AAH! NOW TELL US, WHERE IS JOWI? DON'T KNOW. DON'T KNOW. [ELECTRICAL SHOCK] AAH! AAH! AAH! JOWI! [MOANING] AAH! Aleme: AAH! THIS IS WHERE THEY KILLED HIM. KILLED WHO? MY BROTHER. HE WROTE THIS IN OUR LANGUAGE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? CASTLE... MOUNTAIN... FORT. CASTLE, MOUNTAIN, FORT? "CHATEAU MARQUIS. "CHATEAU MICHELLE. CHATEAU... CHATEAU MONTFORT." "BUILT BY COUNT ANDRE MONTFOR IN 1787. "FAMILY RESIDENCE UNTIL COMMANDEERED "BY GERMAN OCCUPYING FORCES. "USED AS GESTAPO HEADQUARTERS AND PRISON FROM 1942 TO 1944." WHERE IS IT? "SITUATED 14 KILOMETERS OUTSIDE OF PARIS ON THE MAIN ROAD TO AMIENS." OKAY. CALL INSPECTOR CUSSE AND TELL HIM WHERE I'VE GONE. OKAY. [LABORED BREATHING] HAS HE TOLD YOU? NO, NOTHING. YOU DUMB BASTARDS, TRYING TO RUN AWAY TO GO TO THE POLICE. I'VE GIVEN THOUSANDS OF JOBS TO AFRICANS. THEY DON'T COMPLAIN, BUT BECAUSE OF YOU TROUBLEMAKERS AND THAT BLACK BASTARD SHAFT, I HAVE TO LEAVE THIS COUNTRY. SO, I'M GOING TO BURY YOU ALL ALONG WITH THE EVIDENCE. AAH! AAH! ALMOST THERE. [COCKS GUN] AAH! MR. SHAFT? YEAH, ME. I PLAYED THE TAPES. I LISTENED TO YOU MAKING LOVE TO HER AND HER TO YOU. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL HER? ONE OF YOUR MEN THREW A KNIFE. SHE WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME. THEN WHY WASN'T HER BODY STILL ON BOARD SHIP? I PROMISED HER A BOAT RIDE. WELL, SHE WOULD HAVE LIKED THAT. ALL RIGHT, THROW OUT YOUR IRON. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT OF HERE. I'VE WIRED THIS PLACE FOR DEMOLITION. I'VE GOT 40 HOSTAGES DOWN BELOW. UNLESS YOU DROP YOUR GUN AND STEP OU WHERE I CAN SEE YOU, I'LL SET OFF THE CHARGES. YOU'RE BLUFFING, MAN. LOOK DOWN AT YOUR FEET. NO POINT IN YOUR TRYING TO PULL THOSE LINES. THE WIRES ARE FOR THE UPPER STAIRCASE ONLY. I'VE GOT A DETONATOR DOWN HERE FOR THE CELL BLOCK. ALL RIGHT. OUT WHERE I CAN SEE YOU. YOU BASTARDS! HEY, JOWI! MONSIEUR, UNLESS YOU HURRY, YOU ARE GOING TO MISS YOUR PLANE. WHERE DOES A GUY GET A CAB AROUND HERE? MERCI. ALLE AROPORT. AH, LA, LA, LA, LA. EXCUSE ME, SIR. ONE OF OUR PASSENGERS HAS ASKED IF YOU'D MIND COMPANY. PUT IT RIGHT HERE, BABY. BETTER KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PASSERS BY BETTER WATCH YOUR STEP 'CAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE THE KNIFE WILL GO AND THEY AIN'T MISSED YET THE STRONG SURVIVE AND THEY STAY ALIVE THEY'RE ALWAYS COOL BUT THAT THEY NEVER TEACH YOU IN SCHOOL ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? BIG AND BAD ENOUGH? ARE YOU GONNA LET 'EM SHOOT YOU DOWN? ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? |
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