Donnie Brasco
LEFTY Donnie — did I say you was a rat, Donnie?
DONNIE You’d have to be the biggest fucking mutt in the history of the Mafia.
LEFTY You fucking laxed, Donnie. Don’t get on your high horses.
DONNIE’S POV
as Bruno emerges from the boat. Lights a cigarette. Looks around,
DONNIE Shit. He’s up again.
LEFTY How the fuck am I supposed to explain this to Sonny?
DONNIE You ask me it’s the funniest fucking thing in the world. Those fucking agents could scam Senators and Congressmen and meanwhile we had a party on their boat and they didn’t get a fucking thing on us. Sonny’ll laugh his ass off.
LEFTY Where is the joke, Donnie?
DONNIE We outsmarted the agents. We got a higher I.Q. than the fucking Congressmen.
LEFTY You got so many black marks on you now, Donnie, a fucking Einstein couldn’t count them.
DONNIE What black marks?
LEFTY That time with the luggage and, uh, uh… the other time.
DONNIE Are we gonna whack this fucking guy or not?
LEFTY I ain’t no fucking mutt, Donnie.
Donnie checks the action on his gun…
DONNIE How the fuck did I know it was a fucking Federal boat?
LEFTY I die wit’cha. I’m your best friend, Donnie.
Donnie opens the door, climbs out, gun in hand.
DONNIE That’s right, Left — you’re my best friend.
“Your best friend is the one who kills you.” Donnie FREEZES. Lefty looks at him.
LEFTY’S GUN
pointed at Donnie’s back… As his finger moves toward the trigger.
Then suddenly —
LIGHT EXPLODES
from police cherrytops… SWARMS of FBI MEN in blue windbreakers with big white letters — “FBI” — descend on the car, guns drawn. They GRAB Donnie and Lefty. Jules hustles Donnie away.
LEFTY (calling) Donnie, don’t say nothing. Don’t say nothing to them.
JULES Congratulations. It’s over, Joe.
DONNIE What do you mean, it’s over?
JULES You’re coming out.
DONNIE What the fuck? Nobody –. I’m not coming out.
JULES It’s over, Joe.
DONNIE It’s not over. I’m too close!
Donnie starts to run. FBI MEN are on top of him, wrestling him down.
Donnie STRUGGLES, exchanges a look with Lefty as he’s dragged away.
LEFTY Donnie, don’t say nothing!
CUT TO:
INT. DAY. MOTION LOUNGE
PHOTOS OF DONNIE
at the FBI Academy at Quantico, then with Berada, LeBow and other FBI MEN, as Marshall and Jules show them to Sonny, Nicky and Boobie.
MARSHALL You know this guy as Donnie Brasco. He’s an FBI agent. We just wanted to tell you.
CUT TO:
EXT. DAY. MOTION LOUNGE
Sonny, Nicky, Lefty, Legs and Philly Lucky watch as the FBI men drive off. They stand on the street corner — DEATH and disbelief written in their faces.
SONNY You believe that fucking guy? There’s no fucking way Donnie could be an agent.
NICKY The culliones on him, bluffing us like that.
LEGS You think they got him?
ON A ROOFTOP
A TECH TEAM aims a PARABOLIC MICROPHONE and a TELEPHOTO LENS. The whir of an autowinder and a FREEZE FRAME as they stand outside.
SONNY No way he could be an agent.
LEGS Nowadays they can doctor a picture any fucking way they want.
PHILLY LUCKY It still don’t explain that boat.
NICKY Fuggedaboudit, Philly.
Lefty listens. Says nothing. He knows the truth. ZZZH! And another FREEZE FRAME.
SONNY That boat was a set-up. Then we think Donnie’s a rat and we get scared and fuggedaboudit.
NICKY Maybe they brainwashed him. Like in that movie, with Sinatra?
ZZZH! ANOTHER SHOT. ZZZH!
PHILLY LUCKY They say he’s an agent, I say he’s a fucking agent.
SONNY You’re talking through your ass.
NICKY You didn’t know him.
SONNY You didn’t know Donnie, Philly.
CLOSE ON — LEFTY
as he listens. Says nothing.
CUT TO:
INT. NIGHT. LEFTY’S APARTMENT
Lefty sits, BROODS, watches TV. The phone rings.
LEFTY Hello? (listens) Yeah, okay, Nicky. Okay.
He hangs up. Thinks a beat. As he looks into his open grave… Takes off his GOLD WATCH, sticks it in a drawer. Then the CROSS he wears around his neck. The KEYS to his Cadillac. Closes the drawer as Louise enters.
LOUISE Who was that?
LEFTY Nicky. I’m going out.
He gives Louise a kiss.
LEFTY Don’t wait up for me.
LEFTY Donnie calls, tell him if it was gonna be anyone, I’m glad it was him.
CUT TO:
INT. DAY. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Donnie sits at his desk, preparing his testimony. Marshall drops some SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS off.
MARSHALL They just took these yesterday.
Donnie picks them up.
DONNIE’S POV
Photos of Lefty’s rooftop. As the PIGEON COOPS are dismantled.
JULES
in his office. Donnie ducks in. Jules looks up, sees Donnie struggle a beat with his emotion. Then the mask descends again.
DONNIE You can stop looking for Lefty.
CUT TO:
INT. ANOTHER DAY. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE MANHATTAN
Under heavy guard, Donnie walks up a back staircase. Up a marble hallway. Doors open and he enters the courtroom. A HUSH falls as the MAFIA DEFENDANTS, lined up in the docks — all faces we’ve seen earlier, including Sonny, Nicky, Legs, and Philly Lucky — turn and look at him.
PROSECUTOR The government calls Special Agent Joseph D. Pistone.
CLOSE ON — DONNIE
as he takes in the proof of his accomplishment. With the knowledge of what it has cost him.
FREEZE FRAME. A final CRAWL runs over this, The evidence collected by “Donnie Brasco” led to over 200 indictments.
