The River Niger (1976) - full transcript

[music playing]

JOHNNY WILLIAMS: I
am the River Niger.

Hear my waters.

A big, old, big-time
first lieutenant

in the Air Force of America,
Strategic Air Command,

navigator.

Aw, Johnny Williams, you
know you're the biggest

fool in God's Creation.

[phone ringing]

Now how in hell can
you get so worked up

over the white man's air force?



Well, I don't like
white folks either,

but I sure do loves
their war machines.

War machines?

Killing machines, there's
no heroism in that, Johnny.

It's just death--
dirty, nasty death.

The fact remains,
monkey-chasing son of a bitch,

the fact remains that
I've got a son coming

home from the Air
Force tomorrow,

and you ain't got
nobody--

--but me.

I am the last of
my line, and I ain't

about to bring no
innocent children

into this pile of horse shit.

It's presumptuous
as hell for you



to think you can
figure this shit out.

Then what have we
got brains for, huh?

It's for thinking, stupid.

My advice to you,
monkey chaser, is fart,

piss, screw, eat, run,
fight, beat your meat.

Criticize, sympathize,
but for God sakes,

stop thinking-- the
white man's sickness.

I got to go to the bathroom.

Words, words, words.

Yeah, in the
beginning was the word,

and the word was God, my
Jamaican tree climber.

I need $190.

You what?

Loan me $190.

You mean you drank
all your money away?

Hell, yes.

You were a big shot, setting
up everybody at the bar,

and now you come to me.

Right, nigger, now do
I get the bread or not?

I ain't required
to give you my life

story for a measly handout.

A measly handout of $190?

Right.

You already owe me $340.

How am I gonna
explain to Mattie?

Now, dude, are you gonna
loan me the money or not?

Well, well, well, look at
the great African warrior

now, about to get
his ass kicked.

Hello, uh, excuse me, but
I'm a friend of Jeff Williams,

and this is where
he lives, isn't it?

When he is home,
yes, but, uh, he won't

be here till noon tomorrow.

Oh, um, would you help
me with my suitcases?

Yes, ma'am.

So you are Jeff's intended?

Oh, well, not
exactly, sir, but we're

very good friends, though.

Ah, but, uh, you
intend to make him

you-- your intended, am I right?

Huh?

Then I am right, what a
lovely smile, miss, uh?

Uh, Vanderguild,
Ann Vanderguild.

Jeff never wrote us about you.

Well, he doesn't exactly
know I'm here, sir.

Say, where are you
from, little lad?

Canada, I mean originally
I am from South Africa.

Oh, this, uh,
gentleman here is Dudley

Stanton, Dr. Dudley Stanton.

Oh, I-- I am a nurse.

Perhaps you could
help me find a job.

You see, young lady, your
perspective father-in-law

here is a philosopher-poet.

A poet.

Philosopher-poet.

Uh, no, I'm just-- I'm
just a poet, uh, a house

painter and a-- and a poet.

Then read us one of
your masterpieces, eh?

Do I have to, Dudley?

$190 worth, hell yes, hmm?

Then give it to me.

You see, young lady,
he doesn't have sense

enough to collect
them for himself,

so I have to do it for him.

Then one day I'm
going to publish them.

Probably in your own name.

Read us the poem.

I am the River Niger.

Hear my waters.

Uh, no, no, that, uh, that one
is, uh, not quite ready yet.

Yeah, oh, yeah,
yeah, yeah, lord, I

ain't nowhere near tired.

And my soul seeks
not to be flabby.

Peace is a muscle-less word,
a vacuum, a hole in space.

In my dreams, I struggle
and slash and crash and cry.

Damn you, you wilderness.

I will cut my way through,
and the wilderness

shouts back, go around me.

And I answer, hell, no.

The joke's on both of us, and
I will have the last laugh.

The wilderness sighs and grows
stronger as I, too, round out

my biceps in this
ageless, endless due,

hallelujah,
hallelujah, hallelujah.

I don't feel no ways tired.

I want a musclebound spirit.

I say, I want a
musclebound soul because I

don't feel no ways tired.

I feel like dancing through the
valley of the shadow of death.

I don't feel no
ways tired, yeah.

That's beautiful.

Thank you.

Give me the damn money.

Hey, this is a
blank sheet of paper.

Yeah, I know.

I just made it up
as I went along.

Oh, hell, I'll write
it down for you.

Mama, Johnny,
Johnny, Johnny, Mom.

Hello, my dear.

Would you like me to
help you with them?

Yes, dear, [inaudible].

Who is that [inaudible]?

Just a friend of the family.

How are you feeling, daughter?

You look a bit peaked to me.

Not too well,
Mama, not too well.

You should come to
the office, Mattie.

Let me have a look at you.

He's a quack.

Don't go.

Well, I guess that's
my cue to go home.

I'll be God damned, uh-huh,
huh-uh, Mrs. Wilhelmina

Brown is going to apologize.

Over my dead husband's grave.

Would you like me to fix
dinner for you, Mrs. Williams?

Who is this child?

This is Ann Velde-- Vander--

Vanderguild.

Vanderguild, sweetheart,
uh, from South Africa.

She's a friend of Jeff's,
just passing through so I

asked her to spend the night.

Where is she gonna
spend it, the bathroom?

Mama, what is wrong
with you tonight?

She had a little too much.

That's all.

Come here, dear.

You can stay the night.

You know, Jeff will be here
tomorrow, God, [inaudible].

Yes, mom, and I'll be so
happy to see him again.

Say, why don't you and
me take a little run

and leave these black
beauties to themselves

to get acquainted.

Hold on there, Johnny Williams.

Where is it?

Where is what?

Don't play games with
me, Johnny Williams.

It's mortgage payment
week, remember?

Come on.

Give it to me.

All right, great African
warrior, do your stuff.

Oh, oh, oh.

Oh, yeah, uh-huh.

Oh, leave me with $5, woman.

That's all I ask.

Promise you won't be
out too late tonight.

I got this chick, you
see, warm as gingerbread

in the wintertime.

Johnny, there's a young
girl sitting over there.

Tender, oven-ready sweet 16
year old stuff what can shake

her some tail feathers
like the leaves in March,

and we're gonna stay in
the saddle all night.

Get out of here.

Go on.

Go on, Johnny.

Get out.

What a warrior.

Come on, sickle head.

[humming]

[knocking]

OK, OK, OK, just a
minute, just a minute.

Jeff in, baby.

Come in.

Come in?

Hey, Mama, I am already in.

Look, I'm Chips.

What's your name?

Ann.

Ann, huh, not bad, Ann,
not bad at all, baby.

Jeff won't be here
until noon tomorrow.

I know that.

That's what he wrote to family.

But he wrote Moe that he
might be here tonight.

Who is Moe?

Who-- who's Moe?

Man, Moe is the leader.

The leader of what?

He's the leader.

Now are you trying to
be funny or something?

Now he wrote him he
will be here tonight.

You tell him we'll be back
round about midnight, fine ass.

Hey, girl, now one
thing I can't stand

is a rambunctious black bitch.

You hear me?

You get the hell out of here.

Hey, if I wanted
to, I can go and cut

your drawers off without
touching your pants

and take what I want.

You hear, take what I want?

Over my dead body.

[shouting]

[laughter]

Ain't no big thing, baby.

I even made it
with a cop before,

and she was pretty, too,
looked something just like you.

It wasn't bad.

Once I got off on two.

You damn dog, you get
the hell out of here!

[laughter]

Be cool, girl.

Be cool, and, oh, look here.

You tell Jeff that, uh,
Moe and I will be back

round about midnight, hear?

Oh, shit, man.

[music playing]

[knocking]

Just a minute.

[knocking]

Just a minute, Mr. Williams?

Mrs. Williams, is that you?

Hey, Ms. Ann.

Ms. Ann, I want you
to meet Big Moe.

Big Moe, this is Ms. Ann.

-Hey, Ann.
-Ain't she fine?

Come on.

Let me see that
[inaudible], baby.

Don't you touch
her, [inaudible].

Hey, hey, cool it.
Cool it.

Now get yourself
together, Chips.

Get yourself together, nigger.

[arguing]

Hey, hey, lighten up.

Lighten up.

Is Jeff here?

No.

No, what do you mean, no?

Just what I said, no.

Ain't she a smart ass?

Just like I told you.

Be quiet.

Man, well, she seems like
she's for real anyway.

Oh, Moe, Ms. Ann [inaudible],
uh-huh, ain't you, baby?

Hey, why don't you shut
the fuck up and sit down?

All right, Moe, all right.

I'm-- I'm sorry, uh, Ann.

Skeeter, man, if you fall
asleep, I will break your head.

Do you hear me?

I-- I'm just meditating.

Ann, just excuse
all this dumb-- look.

All we want to do
is wait for Jeff.

I think you understand.

You know what I think?

I think you are all a bunch
of very rude bastards.

That's what I think.

Oh, Moe, please, just let
me squeeze up on her chest

once, please.

Now look, we ain't
got time for no--

[door opening]

Mr. Williams, Mr. Williams.

Oh, shit, huh?

Mr. Williams.

Huh?

Uh-oh, hmm, company, I see.

Unwanted company, sir.

Uh, we just wanted to
see Jeff, Mr. Williams.

Ain't that Little
Moe, Little Moe Hayes?

[laughter]

Ain't that what we used
to call you, Little Moe?

Boy, I ain't seen you
since [inaudible].

Hey, how you
doing, Mr. Williams?

Good to see you, son,
yeah, who are your friends?

Oh, uh, this is, uh, my girl,
Gail, and this is old Chips.

And then you remember Skeet,
and this is the new guy, Al.

This is Mr. Williams
and Dr. Stanton.

Nice to meet you, now,
gentlemen, go home.

It's the wee hours
of the morning.

Well, uh, we're gonna
wait for Jeff, sir.

Moe--

What did you say?

I said we're gonna
wait for Jeff.

Well, uh, we're gonna have
a celebration for Jeff noon

tomorrow, and you're welcome
to come, all of y'all, but, uh,

that's noon tomorrow.

No, no, we can't leave
until we see Jeff.

Now I'm sorry.

Hmm, you sorry, huh?

All right, you wait
till I get back,

then you're gonna see
how sorry I am, OK?

Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do.

Yeah, well, father
may forgive them,

but I don't, not
worth a God damn.

Say, baby, you ain't the
only one in here with no

smoke machine, and this
mother fucker will pop,

you know, when I'm--

Put that thing up, man.

Ann, Dudley, I don't know if
this old hand grenade will work

or not, but when I pull the
pin and throw it at them

niggers, you jump
in the kitchen, OK?

Hey, Moe, uh, this
old man is crazy.

Uh, just don't move.

Oh, Moe, he's just faking.

Uh, uh, yeah, OK, uh,
Mr. Williams, uh, you win,

noon tomorrow.

Let's go.

I gotta give it to
you, Mr. Williams,

you got some real
stuff going for you.

I know.

Impressive, presumptuous
as hell, but impressive.

Yeah, and if I don't get this
pin back in this mother fucker,

it's gonna get impressive.

Come on, Dudley.

[humming]

The old bag is dreaming.

What?

Dudley, I've been waiting
for this a solid week.

What?

I said, you're gonna
have one for the road.

Be patient, nigger.

Be patient.

[humming continues]

Pot ain't nothing
but a big wreck.

I used to tell that,
uh, big Ben Brown.

That big, old black
man of mine sure

could hunt him some possums.

Here's to Grandmammy.

Here's to us.

Here's to Jeff.

Here's to his daddy.

Here's to his sweet mommy.

Here's to Jesus Christ,
one of the baddest dudes

that ever dropped.

[music playing]

Hey, baby.

Jeff, oh, Jeff, Jeff, Jeff,
I promised your mother.

Jeff, oh, Jeff, Jeff, Jeff,
I promised your mother.

Oh, you did?

Well, she won't know,
and what she don't know--

Well?

I don't know for sure, Mattie.

I mean, it's obvious you've got
some growths on your ribcage,

but, uh--

You mean you don't know
whether or not they're

malignant or not, right?

I want Dr. Charles
to take a look at you.

He'll probably
recommended a biopsy.

I've just finished talking
to him on the phone.

He's expecting you.

Is he the one that
operated on me before?

Yeah.

11 years, I
thought I was cured.

He's a good man.

Did I ever tell you how
beautiful your hands are?

Mattie, dear Mattie.

Promise me you're gonna
tell him, Dudley, at least

after a while.

I promise.

Hear my waters, rushing and
popping with muffled finger

drum staccato.

It is life.

It is life.

It is life.

It is life.

It is life you hear, stretching
its limbs in my waters, yeah.

It is life you hear, stretching
its limbs in my waters, yeah.

You're just in time.

For what?

Do you know that I, me,
lightning, Johnny Williams,

more powerful than a
speeding locomotive,

I have just fixed up this
whole yard all by myself.

And now I am making it.

Without telling the captain.

What's that supposed to mean?

Johnny, Mattie came by my
office this morning, early.

I examined her, and,
well, I discovered

a lot of irregularities.

Well, what are you quacks gonna
do now, remove her other tit?

Johnny, I don't want to
alarm her until I'm sure.

MATTIE: Johnny.

She just keeps
on going, Dudley.

I don't know how in
the hell, but she

just keeps on keeping on.

When are you gonna
know for sure?

This Friday evening.

Johnny, Johnny?

She just keeps on keeping on.

[music playing]

Hey, Jeff, you little jive-ass
turkey, when did you get home?

That ain't nice, Jeff.

Hey, listen, Big Moe
is looking for you.

Stop being so obvious.

If Moe ever finds out
about your sweet shit--

He won't, sweet baby.

Then don't give me
that sweet baby jive.

Look, man, have you got it?

Well, fuck you.

I hate smart-ass dope fiends.

Look, man, you-- you don't
have to catch an attitude.

I'll catch a 'tude
if I so desire.

Now I got the shit,
and you want it.

So you walk soft, or you go
to center now, nigger man.

Come on.

Look, come on man.

I'm sorry.

I know.

That's your problem.

You're the sorriest mother
fucker I have ever come across.

Finish telling me
about Buckley, man.

Oh, why do you always
want to know about Buckley?

You sure they sent you from
the home office, nigger?

Ever since they sent
you here, you've

been bugging me about Buckley.

Hey, look, man, if there
is a single man on the team,

I want to know who it is.

That's all, and
why are you getting

so heated up about a
little party gossip, huh?

I mean, you're
getting so heated up,

baby, you clean forget
about that deep-freeze chill

that's slipping and sliding
through your bones, sugar baby.

Don't you make a
mistake and think

a sissy can't play that
Gary Cooper shit if he wants

to, nigger man.

I hate your guts.

Yeah, well, that's cool.

But I got what it takes
to get your guts together,

and don't you forget it.

I got all the hole cards, baby.

I can even pull this
trigger quicker than you can

because I stay in shape
and you are a dope fiend.

Give me the shit, Al.

Just answer me one teeny,
tiny, little question.

That's all.

Who killed Buckley?

Was it you?

No.

Chips?

It was-- it was out.

It was outside, dude.

Who?

Who?

He didn't leave his name.

He just-- he just
did it and split.

Hey, man, the last I he-- the
last I heard, man, the dude was

in-- was in Frisco.

Frisco?

Honest, man.

Why did y'all hate
Buckley so anyway, huh?

He-- he was on a narco
squad, and he used to raid it

and steal the scag and
push it to the school kids,

always little girls.

He'd get 'em hooked
and strung out and make

'em do freaky shit for a fix.

Any one of us would
have blown him away.

I seen you trying
to fill up on Chips.

You're lying, nigger.

You mean to tell me you
don't know about Chips?

He mated with an embalmed
corpse, and he brags about it.

Do you know what Moe calls him
when he really gets mad at him?

Formaldehyde dick.

That shit you're snorting is
not gonna last you forever.

We ought to call you
formaldehyde brown eye.

Say, here come
Formaldehyde himself.

You flake off, nigger boy.

I'm warning you.

Do you hear?

And you want to know
something else, Alfreda?

That shit I told you about
an outside dude ripping

off Buckley, I made that up.

You know something, boy?

Your ass is gonna be mine.

Do you hear?

You wait and see.

And you want to
know something else?

I'm getting some good
stuff as soon as we

get through rapping with Jeff.

I really don't need
your shit, nigger.

[laughter]

Hey, wait, man.

What's this fool laughing about?

Old Gary Cooper here just
got some lemon in his sucker.

[knocking]

Oh, bless my soul if it
ain't foxy mama herself.

What's happening, baby, huh?

Hey, why don't you come
over here and give me

a hug and a squeeze?

Oh, no?

Is Jeff back, huh?

He'll be here any minute.

Well, who else is here?

Uh-oh, you mean nothing
but us chickens?

You mean little old Ms. Ann
is in this big, old house

by herself, huh?

Like I said, he'll
be here any minute.

Then we got to, ooh,
get it on before he

gets back, right, mama?

Now why don't you,
uh, show me just--

Eddie, come on, man.

[arguing]

It's all right.

Huh, the Chips.

He wants to see Jeff's room.

Well, I am going
to show it to him.

All right, now you tow
just take it easy and relax.

Make yourself at home, and call
me if you see Big Moe coming.

Hey, he who hesitates
is lost, right, mama?

All I want is just
a hug and a squeeze.

You know where I'm coming from.

Show me Jeff's room.

There goes Formaldehyde.

I'll show you about the
American brothers, huh, huh?

Oh, oh, yeah, this
is gonna be sweet.

Lay your ass down.

I said, lay down now, because
I got something for you.

What I got to do for you,
they don't do in Africa, baby.

Look at that chocolate.

I'm gonna wear you out.

Hey, hey, what?

Jeff is here.

You OK, baby?

[frightened shouting]

Oh, please, don't do me, man.

She was [inaudible] on me, man.

Wait a minute.

Cool, nigger, be cool.

She don't mean that.

When I got the dough,
she was feeling my balls.

Here comes Formaldehyde.

Nigger, look here.

Now, baby, you stay right here.

I'll be right back, hear?

Jeff, I didn't
do anything, man.

I just looking at the house.

That's for real, brother.

Listen to me.
-Move it.

Move it.

Hey, Jeff, I don't
want to [inaudible]

your romance. [inaudible].

What's wrong with you, Jeff?

Don't be pulling on me.

That was a joke, yeah?

That was a joke, huh?

That's a joke, man.

That ain't even loaded, baby.
-This ain't loaded?

Yeah.

Then if I pull the trigger,
it won't matter then, right?

Oh, shit, don't do that.

Huh, right?

[interposing voices]

One of your generals, Moe.

Oh, get this fool off me.

Please, get him off me, man.

The next time I catch you
looking cross eyed at my woman,

I'm gonna rid the world
of one jive-ass nigger.

Moe, Moe, stop, fool.

He'd better become shy,
quiet, and very unassuming,

'cause that's the only
kind of nigger I tolerate.

You dig, huh?

Is, uh, that your steel, Joe?

It-- it's Chips'.

Shut up.

I'm Gail.

Oh, yeah, uh, uh, Jeff,
this is my woman, Gail.

Hi, this is Ann,
my woman, Moe, Gail.

Hello.

Oh, hey, man.

We are some viable machine.

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

---and the more ferocious
the survival machine,

the better his chance of
getting back to God, who is

the supreme survival machine.

[agreeing]

--because he walks in,
on, and in between air,

and that's why black
folks are so magnificent,

you magnificent
survival machine.

You know why Chips, uh, chowed
down on your lady like he did?

'Cause he's a nigger.

No, I think it's a
little bit more than that.

I think it's because
of your letters, man.

You mean, uh, you showed
my personal letters

to you to them, huh?

I mean, the last
thing we expected,

come back talking about
going to law school

and rapping about the
Constitution and a whole lot

of upside the wall shit.

What's the point, man?

I'm talking about
revolution, man.

Yeah, revolution, Moe, Moe,
this ain't the '60s, man.

And the revolution ain't nothing
but-- but talk, talk, talk.

Go into law, it's something,
uh, it's concrete.

Yeah, it's concrete, man,
and it's something that I

can do, not just talk about.

Hey, man, and we ain't
just talking, either.

And we are about to
serve notice on whitey,

and we want you with us.

JEFF: You already got
it all figured out, Moe.

You don't need me.

Oh, no, we don't need nothing.

We want you with us.

Yeah.

Yeah, Jeff.

Uh, I hear you, man, and I'm
still for whatever advances

the cause of the black folks.

[happy chatter]

But I reserve the right
to choose my own weapons.

Now, gentlemen, um, my folks--
my folks-- yeah, my folks

are throwing me a
homecoming party,

and you're all invited, all
of you, even you, nigger.

But that's only if you're gonna
help make the atmosphere stay

warm and groovy.

You can dig it,
right, about 12:00?

Is that an order,
Lieutenant, sir?

Yeah, well, I don't play
that lieutenant shit.

You're talking about
my house, nigger.

Hey, and I don't play
that nigger word, either,

and you throw it around
just a little bit too much.

Well, then, pat your
foot while I play it.

Well, hey, we can make you
do anything we want you to.

How are you gonna do that, man?

We might just have to work
on your mama and your daddy.

You jive-ass nigger, Mr. Zero
trying to becoming Malcolm X,

huh?

See him sitting here in his
Captain America uniform, huh,

surrounded by all his generals?

There's Skeeter, Skeeter the
dope fiend, huh, and old Chips

here, yeah, Chips, Chips the sex
pervert, Moe the magnificent,

still playing cowboys and
Indians, huh, cops and robbers

in your mid-20s, man, trying to
be somebody and don't know how.

Don't you talk
to him like that.

It's all right, baby.

It's all right.

Yeah, you been thinking
this shit for a long time,

ain't you, brother Jeff?

Yeah, man, and all that
shit about laying something

on my folks, if you tried
something like that,

man, your ass would be mine.

You know that, don't you?

Or have you forgotten
what a mean, evil black

bastard I can be?

I got more determination
in my toenail

than you got in your
whole soul, nigger.

Well, at least
you still talk bad.

Oh, God damn, Moe, I ain't bad.

I'm crazy, motherfucker.

Now I don't want to see you
or your-- your Marquis de

Sade or your dope fiend
friend within a hundred miles

of my house, and don't call me.

I'll call you, huh?

[music playing]

No.

Yeah, oh, oh.

I think it's cute.

Baby, if my grandmother--
if my grandmother only knew.

Can I talk to you?

What?

What?

Can I talk to you?

Of course.

Moe thinks I
started [inaudible].

The organization has gotten
to be a real hassle, Jeff.

Mm-hmm, how could
it be anything else

with them nothings at his back?

Well, that's why he needs you.

Moe thinks in time the movement
will straighten them all out.

Yeah, baby, Moe is a saint.

I'm a realist.

Then help him, Jeff.

Help him.

He don't need my help.

He's confident about
where he's going

and how he's gonna get there.

That's not true.

That jive about, uh,
threatening me and my folks,

I'd jump in an elephant's
chest behind that jive.

GAIL: He was only
saying that for them.

Why crucify me for
a bunch of nothings?

Do you know Moe, Jeff?

JEFF: I thought I did.

He's a desperate guy, Jeff.

Everything is all mixed up, but
a few years ago everything was

straight up and down, you know?

Ride on for the people.

And now everybody is splitting
up, going every which way.

We learned that
[inaudible] front.

Moe is about to snap, Jeff.

Do you hear me?

He is about to snap.

To hell with the movement, Jeff.

Help us.

Please, help us.

Help him before he falls
apart, please, Jeff.

He'll help you, Gail.

I know he will.

[music playing]

Ann, my love, let's
get married, baby.

Are you serious?

I glory for you, woman.

Besides, you got the
bossest dogs in town.

Oh, Jeff.

Boo.

You big, old, good-for-nothing
thing, you, oh, bless God.

Ben Brown, the spitting
image of Ben Brown.

You know, you weren't
supposed to come until noon.

Until noon?

Well, then, I'll go back, and
I'll come at noon, all right?

Oh, come on back here
with your simple self.

Hey, now, Mama, Mama,
Mama, you know what I want

for dinner, huh, hmm, yeah?

Some cornbread,
uh-huh, and-- and some

of Grandma's mustard greens.

[inaudible].

And some black-eyed peas
and some of Grandma's

candied sweet yams with
some, uh, lemon and some

raisins all over.
-[inaudible].

[inaudible]?

And don't tell me you
don't like lemonade no more.

[inaudible]

And what about some
sassafras tea, huh?

Got it straight from
that new health store.

You did?

Aw, Mama, Mama,
Mama, do you realize

that I am home for good, huh?

Thank God.

Yeah?

Thank God, Jeff.

And this is Ann.

We've met, hmm.

Well, I'm glad because this
foxy mama and your son, me,

the baddest dude to
catch an attitude, hmm,

God's gift to the female race--

Now wait.

I know you don't want
me to take off my shoe

and go upside your head.

Oh, well, Mama, what
I'm trying to tell you--

You're gonna marry
this here brazen gal?

Oh, Mama.

Indubitably.

Dub, Jesus, Uncle
Sam done turned

him into a cockeyed ignoramus.

You're too young to fart good,
talking about getting married.

I'm 25, Grandma.

Well, that still don't
make no difference.

You're too young to saddle
yourself with a wife.

Where's my medicine?

Where is my pocket book?

Is this what you've been
putting up with, baby?

In my personal opinion, if
y'all would have asked me, I,

uh, I would think that you
would wait a little while,

at least until, uh, Jeff
finished law school.

Mama, ever since I come home,
people have been telling me

what to do and what not to do.

Now I want to marry Ann because
she's a fine girl, Mama,

something rare.

When I come home and I
seen my sweet baby here,

it was like God was telling
me, son, this is your woman.

I made her for you.

And God damn it, Mama--

Jeff.

I'm following what I
feel inside my soul.

Then you do that, sweet baby.

You follow the lord.

As mad as he makes me
sometimes, I-- I don't think he

ever really steered me wrong.

I think then that makes
you one of the family.

Dead louts that I want
to throw destruction.

I just want to weed
out the bullshit,

change the value system so
that Beverly Hills has as many

welfare residents as whites.

Well how in hell are you
going to do that, fool?

By finding the
battlefield, like

I've been telling you
all along, like I've

been telling everybody.

Every motherfucker that dropped
from a pretty black poontang

has got to find his
battlefield and go to war.

All hail to the
philosopher-poet.

I'm a poet!

You philosopher poet!

I am a poet!

Philosopher-poet.

I'm just-- man,
I'm just a poet.

When this country, when
this world recognizes

the true meaning of
hope, poetry is what

the revolution is all about.

We must never lose sight
of the true purpose

of the revolution, which is to
restore poetry to the Godhead.

Poetry is religion, the
alpha and the omega,

the cement of the universe,
the super eye that scrutinizes

all other eyes, and
it stretches from one

to infinity, from bullshit to
the beatific, the rocking horse

of the human spirit.

God-- God-- God himself is
pure, unadulterated poetry.

[laughter]

DUDLEY: Bravo, bravissimo.

Jeff, I'll be damned.

How you-- how you been?

Where's your uniform?

Dr. Stanton.

Hey, Jeff, boy, you're
looking fine, just fine,

a little skinny, but fine.

Mattie, get Jeff's uniform.

John, are you drunk?

Yes, my love.

[inaudible].

[SINGING] Jesus
going on before.

Mrs. Brown, I have never
hit an old lady in my life.

Well, you hit this old lady--

And what?

She's gonna jump
down your throat.

And what?

And batter your gizzard.

And what?

And gallop your brains out.

You're the biggest
fool in the world,

but I sure do love
me some Grandmama

Geneva Wilhelmena Brown.

Stinking wino, you.

Yeah, yeah, I-- I
love you, too, Dudley.

Don't you kiss me.

Oh, Dr. Dudley Stanton,
[inaudible], you

walk through life with a
broomstick up your ass.

Although we just met, I also
love me some Ann, sweet fire.

[mumbling]

Oh, hey, Jeff.

You met-- you got
yourself a mama.

Mama is gonna
protect your flame.

She's a fighting lady.

I know, Pop.

Yeah, oh, so thank
you, good looking.

And my son, who I loves
more than I love myself,

my big-time big,
old United States

of America Air Force
first lieutenant

son whose coming home today.

No, I'm here, Pop.

No, you ain't.

Oh, no, you ain't here
yet because if you were,

you'd have your uniform on.

Yeah, well, I don't
like to wear it, Daddy.

-Why not?
-Well, I guess--

Come on.
Spill it out.

I guess it's because
I feel ashamed of it.

I don't really believe
in this country anymore.

Have I been waiting
here, waiting

to see you in that
God-damned uni-- put it on.

I made a vow with
myself, Daddy J.

Well, God knows this country
ought to be torn down,

but shouldn't we
make sure it's torn

down for the right to become
an officer if you're able?

It's an accomplishment.

When I see you in that
uniform with them bars

on your shoulder and
wings on your chest,

it's, uh, it's a kind of a--

Heresy.

Poetry, Jeff, black poetry.

I didn't make it through
navigator school, Pop.

I washed out.

I flunked out, whatever.

My son flunked out?

Oh, no, huh-uh, you didn't write
us nothing about flunking out.

Were you lying?

Now put it on.

I didn't write you because
every letter I got from you

and Mama was telling
me about how proud

you were of your navigator son.

We thought you was
doing all right.

You thought that because
that's what you wanted to think.

Well, what else were
we supposed to think?

You could have
thought about me, huh?

You could have thought about,
uh, uh, uh, Jeff Williams.

Damn your pride, Pop.

You could have thought about me.

Pop, I hated navigation school.

I never liked figures, Pop.

Oh, you-- you didn't
work hard enough.

No, no, not at the math,
Pop, that was you, not me.

See, I don't like math, Pop.

Don't you see that?

Well, no, you flunked out, my
son, and that's all I can see.

Y'all had a piece of my toe.

Yeah, everybody had
a piece of my toe.

Pop, there were only eight
black officers out of 300

at that school, and
they kept telling

me, man, you've got to make it.

You've got to be a
credit to your race.

JOHNNY: What's wrong with that?

And then there was this
chick I was shacking up with,

and she kept telling me, Jeff,
honey, we need that extra $130

a month to keep me
in the style to which

you have made me accustomed.

Get to the point.

But don't you see
the point, Pop?

Everybody had a piece
of my toe but me.

My fine fox, my fellow black
officers, the pig instructors,

you, Mama, everybody had a piece
of my toe but Jeff Williams.

Jeff Williams is Johnny
Williams' son, God damn it.

You mean, none of
me belongs to me?

I want to see you in
that God-damned uniform.

Now go put it on.

Shh.

Pop, don't you see?

All this talk is
about you and about me

and about the battlefields
you always been talking about.

Pop, who is Jeff Williams?

Hey, hey, who is he?

He is a dude who
hated navigation school

and to the point to where
he got migraine headaches

on every flight.

Oh, my--

No, don't baby me, Mama.

Don't baby me, hmm?

I'm still the baddest.

But I ain't now, nor do I ever
want to be a super nigger,

'cause that's all a super nigger
is, a super nigger, somebody

who spends his whole
life trying to prove he's

as good as the man.

On my last flight exam,
a night celestial.

I was circling the field.

I tear off a piece
of my flight log

and started writing me a poem.

But anyway, along comes
the [inaudible], hmm,

a Texas cracker
whose-- whose one

joke repeated over and over
again is, uh, he, ha, students.

Never worry about being lost.

At least you all know you're
in an airplane, yuck, yuck.

Well, this-- this orangutan
caught sight of my poem

and started laughing,
and that did it, Pop.

I says to myself, what
am I doing this shit for?

This navigator job ain't for me.

So they sent me-- they sent me
to a board of senior officers.

You see, this was
not the first time

I had failed my night-flying
celestial exam, you see.

So they give me,
Pop, they give me

a white, all-American
lieutenant for counsel,

and do you know what he told me?

He told me to cop a
plea, to express love

and dedication to my country
and to the Air Force,

to lick ass, Pop.

But I told that board
to let go of my toe,

and they said, what,
you know, you know,

the way white folks
can do when they--

when they can't
believe their ears?

So I screamed at the top of my
voice, let go of my nigger toe

so I can stand up and be a man.

And they must have thought I
was insane 'cause they hemmed

and they hawed, but
they let go of my toe.

Mama, I had cut loose the man.

So I cut loose of my
black brother officers,

and I went right home and
I cut loose my fine fox,

and I felt like there
was no more glue

holding my shoes to the track.

I felt like I could
almost fly, Pop, 'cause

I was a super nigger no more.

So I ain't proving
nothing to nobody--

black, blue, white,
polka dot, nobody,

not even to you, Daddy Johnny.

So, Mama, you can take that
thing, that, uh, uniform thing,

and you can give
it to the-- you can

give it to the Salvation Army.

You can give it to the
Goodwill or whatever 'cause

it will never have
the good fortune

of getting on my back again.

Bravissimo.

[music playing]

It's all about
battlefields, Daddy Johnny,

just like you always said.

No, no, Johnny, wait, Johnny.

Johnny, Johnny, it's just
coming home [inaudible].

[music playing]

Why didn't you
tell him the truth?

Yes, yes, it's in reference
to a missing person.

His name is Johnny Williams.

He's a black man.

No, I don't want
to try the morgue.

The reason I asked to
see you all here tonight

is, uh, well, Mattie and
I have something very

serious to discuss with you.

Dudley, do they have to know?

I think it's only fair that
they should know, Mattie.

Mattie is going to have
to be, uh, hospitalized.

I guess that's why
Johnny hasn't been home.

I guess he's, uh,
somewhere, brooding.

Dudley, you promised
not to tell him.

Somebody please tell
me what's going on.

Jeff, we got the
report today, and Mattie

has, uh, several growths,
malignant growths.

Mattie has cancer.

Dudley, you're about as
gentle as a sledgehammer.

How serious?

Very serious, but not hopeless,
the location prevents removal,

however cobalt
treatments might--

Jeff, Jeff, look at me.

I'm not upset, am I?

Look at me.

Come on, Jeff.

I'm just gonna die.

That's all.

Ain't no such thing.

You know Dudley here is
just a cockeyed quack.

Mama, the only
thing that worries me

is the whereabouts of my man.

Where is he, Mama?

Where is he?

Mama, you, uh, you can't talk
negative about these things.

What negative?

[SINGING] And I know--

Mama, hush.

Look at me.

Look at me.

I've had a full life with
an extraordinary man,

and you, where else
would I get a stronger,

finer-looking, loving Jeff?

And I'll be around
to see him marry Ann.

She's a gift to you, Jeff.

She's a gift, and
don't you abuse her.

I still have my mother beside
me, oh, yes, alive and kicking,

and Dudley, Dudley
Stanton, a mainstay,

oh, Dudley, your father
and my spiritual brother.

DUDLEY: Thank you, sweetheart.

No, Dudley, thank you, now what
old nega-- negative thing, hmm?

Don't you know if Johnny was
to walk through that door,

I'd be the happiest
woman in God's creation?

And as old Johnny
would say, lord, oh,

lord, I don't feel [inaudible].

I could go on for
another-- another century.

JOHNNY [VOICEOVER]: [inaudible]
slam the faceless [inaudible]

cold belly of the
Atlantic, you are.

I am.

You are the Mother Earth.

Sleep.

Sleep, you Mother Earth.

I am the first sperm.

I see no, hear no, speak no-- I
see no, hear no, speak no evil.

I am.

I am.

There's a stool pigeon
in the organization.

Cool it, Gail, not now.

And if we don't find
out who it is quick,

the whole thing is liable
to blow up in our faces.

Remember what I told you
all about that cop, Buckley.

What can Jeff do?

Moe's laying a trap with his--

I said, cool it, Gail.

Moe is laying a
trip with the stool.

He's gonna have
to phone his boss.

He's either gonna do it
from the bowling alley

phone next to the headquarters
or from the snack shop

down the street.

He's got the phones bugged
and ready to be monitored.

Now I'll be covering
the snack shop,

and we want Jeff to cover
the bowling alley phones.

He's the only one we can trust.

All right, she put
it out there, Jeff.

How about it?

Oh, man, uh, I ain't got time
for this cloak and dagger shit.

My family is hurting.

Didn't you hear me?

No matter what you or I
think of Moe's activities,

oh, no, I will not stand
by and let him be betrayed.

I really could not
live with myself, Jeff,

if I let that happen.

What makes you sure he's
gonna make contact, man?

Oh, he's got to, man.

He's got-- look.

We're instituting a change
of plan at the last minute,

and now, well, that rat
has got to fink to the P's.

And when he does and everybody
is going to the police station,

we're gonna be going--

Oh, no, whoa, whoa,
whoa, I don't want

to hear no more about it, man.

I'll monitor your phone
for you, but that's all.

Now don't cry on me, Moe.

That-- that's cool.

That's cool, brother.

This is as far as
I go, do you hear?

Hey, my man, where you been?

Hey, how you doing, Tootsie?

Same as ever.

[mumbling]

Hey, the man's been
looking for you.

Hey, hey, boy, get out
of my God-damned truck.

Stinking, old wino nigger.

Johnny, what are you
trying to do, huh?

What are you trying to do?

Where you been, Johnny?

Where you been?

In the desert,
out in the desert,

Mattie, like Christ,
talking to myself.

Christ was talking to
the devil, you old wino.

That's right, same
difference, but I

took care of the old bastard.

I said, get thee behind
me, prince of darkness.

And then I got thirsty and came
home because I wanted to see

myself some-- some angels.

Pop, are you OK?

Yeah.

No, Pop, I mean,
are you really OK?

Oh, yeah, welcome home, son.

My son is home, really home.

I'm glad he found
his battlefield.

Don't do that again, Johnny.

If something is troubling
you, let's talk about it, OK?

Oh, I was all right,
Mattie, really.

Kelsey gave me a
room over her bar,

and I was gonna write
a love poem for you.

Words are precious jewels.

Don't you know that?

And I couldn't find none
precious enough to match you,

so I started drinking
and couldn't stop.

And then yesterday these-- these
little men came to visit me.

That's the DTs, you know.

That's delirium tremens
from not eating.

Oh, that's why
they were so little.

Anyway, I-- anyway, I knew
it was time to come home.

I also knew it was
Friday, and Dudley

here, he was gonna have some
information for us on Friday.

We all know, Pop.

You know what?

Mattie will be admitted
on Monday morning.

[angry shouting]

You son of a bitch, why do
you keep fucking with me?

What do you want
from me, you bastard?

Oh, Johnny, Johnny,
don't talk like that.

That's blasphemy.

He just keeps fucking
with me, Mattie.

Even when I was a kid, all the
other kids used to beat me up,

and I had to fight
everyday because they

said I was a smart aleck.

Is that why, you bastard,
because I'm a smart aleck?

You can't talk to
him like that, baby.

He'll turn his back on you.

Well, you know what I'm
gonna do on judgement day?

I'm gonna grab that
motherfucker by the throat,

and I'm gonna squeeze and
squeeze till I get an answer.

They don't have to give
you an answer, Johnny.

You know, I thought
you took care of it.

I thought you said, get
thee behind me, Satan.

Well, I tried, God knows
how fucking hard I tried.

I know, baby.

I see you every second.

You should've let me
whip 'em out, Mattie.

You should have let me
whoop out the bullshit.

But we're not made that way.

We're just not made that way.

You deserve so much
more than this nothing.

I-- I wanted to
give you so much.

Why, I got you, baby.

I got you.

I got the kindest,
sweetest man in the world.

I've got the Rolls Royce, baby.

I could've done it, Mattie.

God knows I could've done it.

I know.

I put it on you, baby.

I stopped you, and I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Will you forgive me, sweet baby?

Please, forgive me.

You know, I-- I was
just selfish, Johnny.

Oh, Johnny, I was so happy.

All I ever thought of was
seeing you come to that door,

walk, stagger, stumble.

I only complained because I--
I felt I had to say something,

but I never meant a
word of it, Johnny.

I never meant one word.

Oh, no, you couldn't have
given me nothing more.

I would have just keeled
over and died from too

much happiness, Johnny.

I would have just
keeled over and died.

At 3:57 we're gonna
all meet in front

of the empty furniture store
down across from the police

station, all right?

And when we get there,
we'll come in in pairs--

Chips and Al, Skeeter and me.

When we leave, we'll all
go in separate directions.

You got it?

Fine, let's go.

Look here, I want to
go and take a pee, man.

You stay right here, OK?

Yeah, OK, man.

Hey, hey, look, chief, I
got-- I gotta make a call.

Man, come on.

[music playing]

1 able 7 to
headquarters, Lieutenant,

inform the states
that 77th Street

police station is the target.

Operation scheduled for 4:15.

Possible bomb threat.

What did you give me, Dudley?

It's so strong I can
hardly hold my head up.

Do you feel any pain?

Hmm-mm.

Good, then it's doing its job.

You'll rest well when
you take your nap.

Which can't be too long from
now the way I'm feeling it.

What did you hear, Gail?

Nothing but Skeeter
making a horse connection.

What about you?

Well, I heard
something all right

but I couldn't
identify the voice.

What did you hear?

Uh, plan B, then the
voice on the other end

said, are you sure?

And then the caller
said, yeah, plan B.

Is that all?

No, there was something
about the time,

but I couldn't hear the
thing because of all

the damn flushing going on.

Well, was the voice
familiar at all?

Maybe it was just
somebody [inaudible].

Hey, well, look, I'm
gonna run downstairs

and get a paper, man, in
case they fill it out, OK?

I'll be right back.

Hey, hey, now you hurry back
because it's cold in here.

I finished it.

What?

The poem that I was working on.

It's for you, Mattie.

It's called "The River Niger."

It's not a love poem, but
it's dedicated to you--

to Mattie Gene Williams.

Read us your poem, Nigger.

"I am the River Niger.

Hear my waters.

I wriggle and stream and run.

I am totally flexible.

I am the River Niger.

Hear my waters.

My waters are the first
sperm of the world.

When the Earth was but a
faceless, whistling embryo,

life burst from my liquid
kernels like popcorn.

Hear my waters,
rushing and popping in

muffled, finger-drum staccato.

It is life you here, stretching
its limbs in my waters.

I am the River Niger.

Hear my waters.

When the Earth Mother
cracked into continents,

I was vomited from the
cold belly of the Atlantic

to slip slyly into Africa from
the underside of her brow.

I see no, hear no, speak
no evil, but I know.

I gossip with the
crocodile and rub elbows

with the river horse.

I have swapped morbid
jokes with the hyena

and heard his dry
cackle at twilight.

I see no, hear
no, speak no evil,

but I know I am the River Niger.

Hear my waters.

Hear, I say, hear
my waters, men.

This is [inaudible].

I have laughed at the
pugnacious hips of brown mamas,

have tapped on the doors
of their honeydews, yeah.

I have shimmered like
sequence as they sucked me

over their blueberry
tongues, as they

sung me to sleep in the
glittering afternoon here.

I have washed the red wounds
of clay-decorated warriors,

but bad dudes who
smirked at the leopard.

I have cast witches
from gambling babies.

Here I have known the warm kiss
from newly-circumcised boys,

have purified the saliva
from sun-drenched lions.

Do you hear me talking?

I am the River Niger.

I came to the cloudy
Mississippi over keels

of incomprehensible woe.

I ran away to the Henry Hudson
on the sails or ragged hope,

transplanted to home when
the Harlem River dries.

Hear me, my children.

Hear my waters.

I sleep in your veins.

I see no, hear no, speak
no evil, but I know.

And I know that you know.

I flow to the end
of your spirit.

Hold hands, my
children, and I will

flow to the ends of the Earth.

And the whole world
will hear my waters.

I am the River Niger.

Don't deny me.

Do you hear me?

Don't deny me.

Look, look, look, man.

It's OK.

I know you did it.

Just don't fall apart
me on me right now.

Just be cool, and we'll
get you out of this.

[loud knocking]

Jeff?

No, no.

[interposing voices]

Sit down.

Sit down.

What's going on here?
Sit down.

I'll get the bag.

What went wrong?

Come on, man.

What the hell did you
bring him here for?

Because I figured
Doc Stanton would

be here, and as soon as he
gets fixed up, we'll get out.

Why in the hell didn't
you take him to your place?

I told you I didn't want my
family implicated in this shit.

Because I live over
at the field office,

and I figured that the pigs--

-What happened?
-I don't know.

The whole thing is just stupid.

That's all.

It's just stupid.

I mean, I changed the
plan like I said we was.

When we got to the
construction site,

I mean, there were pigs
all over the place.

They opened fire, and
the next thing I knew,

everything just went wrong.

You mean they just
started shooting?

You didn't shoot first?

Well, I didn't want
to hurt anybody if I

could help it, Mr. Williams.

Did you kill the cop?

I don't know, but
he hit the ground

so hard I could almost feel it.

Oh, Moe, you mean you come
here after hitting a cop, man?

Well, if you call
yourself a revolutionary,

you're supposed to know where
you're gonna take your wounded.

It takes more than
wearing a damn beret.

[knocking]

Hey, man, there are
wall-to-wall pigs at the field

office, and Moe said
to come over here,

man, if we get in trouble.

You mean you told them to come
here if this happened, right?

All right, well,
I made a mistake.

I'm sorry.

Made a mistake,
you sack of shit?

I'll kill him.

[police sirens]

You people get the hell back.

Get the hell back.

There's a man in
there barricaded.

This is Lieutenant
Staples of the Los

Angeles Police Department.

We know you're in there.

We know who you are.

I am ordering you to
leave the premises.

I'm giving you five minutes.

You are completely
surrounded by the police.

If you do not give yourself
up in five minutes,

we will be forced to remove you.

I'm giving you five minutes.

Come on.

Give me those God-damned guns.

Come on.
Come on.

They can't prove a thing
without those guns.

Now come on, Moe.

Give it to me.

Somebody get those
kids out of there!

Wait, Moe.
Wait.

Wait.

Al was a Judas man.

Oh, come on, man.
You're lying.

All right, look.

There were-- there were cops
swarming all over the place.

He gave some kind of
excuse about a newspaper,

and I saw him run
downstairs and deliberately

bumped into one of them.

Hey, Moe, you're not believing
this shit, are you, huh?

Moe, Moe, I saw him whisper
into one of their ears.

Whose ear?

A pig, a pig.

And then why you
been questioning

me about Buckley, sucker?

Well, why didn't somebody
tell me this before?

Hey, Moe, let me
tell you something.

You want to know who
your informant is?

Do you want to know who he is?

I'll tell you who he is.

Look right over here.

Let me tell you something.

The pigs will do anything
for you if you do

something for them in return.

He is your informer.

He will do anything
for some horse, Moe.

Let me tell you something.

He was the one that
told the police to go

to the state office building.

He was the one.

But he was with me.

That phone call,
that phone call,

[inaudible] and that's all.

Are-- are you sure?

Can you be sure, huh?

Suppose I was to tell
you that I killed Buckley.

And suppose I was to ask you,
what do you know about Buckley?

I did it, baby.

I killed him.

Oh, how did he die?

Slug to the forehead.

What caliber, Jeff, huh?

45, I stole it
from the Air Force.

Jeff, come on.

Buckley was killed
over a month ago.

You've only been here one week.

[helicopter flying]

Suppose I was to tell you that
I got released from active duty

exactly one month
ago last Friday.

Bullshit.

My release papers.

Well, what do you know, Moe?

Will you look at this?

Actually one month
ago he was-- get up.

Get your hands up.
Move over there.

Come on.
Get up there, Moe.

What's wrong with yo?

Move, boy.

Come on, Skeeter.
Get him up.

Get over there.
Get over.

Get your hands up.

Get your hands up.

I took this assignment for
one reason and for one reason

only, to find out
who killed Buckley,

and now I know who killed him.

And let me tell you something.

He was worth all 10 of you
Brillo-headed motherfuckers.

You hear me?

Don't move on me, boy,
and now his friends

out there are gonna
take this place apart.

Get your hands up, and every one
of you fuckers are in trouble.

You motherfuckers, fucking up
the country with your slogans

and your jive-ass threats.

Militants, ain't
that a bomb, bitch?

Let me tell you something.

I hate the smell
of you stinking--

get your hands up, fucker.

Can't you see
Jeff is lying, man?

I killed Buckley.

I did it.

Hey, hey, listen.

I know where each
and every one of you

were when Buckley was
killed, and none of you

could have done it.

He did.

I don't know why I didn't think
of good, old Jeff, big boy.

Don't be stupid, man.

It was an outside job.

You bet your sweet
ass it was, him.

Jeff, what are
you trying to do?

You know you were
in Canada with me.

Drop it, son.

[gunfire]

[music playing]

The guns, Jeff, does
Alister got his, Moe?

Oh, yes.

Good.

Pop.

Now hurry.

You don't want Daddy Jimmy
to die for nothing, do you?

No, no, no, we need Moe's.

This here is yours,
isn't it, Moe?

Yes.

Don't bother with that.

Just, they'll be
in here any minute.

You're hurt [inaudible].

Go to the door and tell
Lieutenant Staples to give us

five more minutes,
just five more,

then he can come in
and make his arrests.

Don't shoot.

I am a doctor.

I want to talk with you.

OFFICER: All right,
men, hold your fire.

Come on out.

STAPLES: This is
Lieutenant Staples.

What the hell is
going on in there?

My name is Dr. Dudley Stanton.

I am the family doctor.

A man has been seriously
wounded in here.

STAPLES: Throw out your weapons.

All weapons have been secured.

Just give us five minutes,
and then you can come in.

STAPLES: If anyone
tries to escape,

my men have orders to shoot.

Do you understand that?

DUDLEY: No one will.

You have my word,
just five minutes.

STAPLES: All right, you
got your five minutes.

Go on.

Good boy, Dudley, they don't
care nothing about niggers

killing each other anyhow.

What's going on, Jeff?

It's OK.

What's going on?

It's all right, hear?

It's all right, you hear?

Jeff, come over here.

Come on.

All you all sit down and listen.

Oh, Johnny.

No, no, keep 'em away.

Dudley, keep-- keep Mattie away.

Wipe the handle off Moe's gun.

Now give it to me.

I don't want nobody's prints
on this thing but mine.

Now--

Johnny, you're bleeding.

Mattie.

You're bleeding, Johnny.

I love you, Mattie.

Yes--

But I ain't got much left.

You-- you're-- you're bleeding.

Don't-- don't--

Now, I've got to get the
children straightened out,

so just be my super bitch.

But you--

Shut up.

Now look, I am the real
leader of the organization.

You got that?

I was with Skeeter
when he got shot,

and I fired the shot that hit
the cop at the office building.

Then I came back here, found
out that Al was the Judas,

and we had a shoot out.

And don't nobody own
a gun here but me--

No.

---your leader,
now you got that?

[sobbing]

Oh, I'm so sorry.

What for?

I'm cheating you.

Oh, no.

Leaving you like this.

No, no, no, OK,
don't say that, don't.

But don't suffer
long, honey, just

give it up and take my hand.

The children will be
all right now, OK.

Don't worry.

I don't feel nothing now.

Johnny, Johnny, listen.

Listen to me, baby.

Listen.

Two battlefields for the
price of one, monkey chase.

Yeah, chief?

Oh.

[moaning]

JEFF: Oh, my God, oh, my God--

Shut up!

[music playing]

Do like Johnny told you to do.

He isn't gonna die
for nothing 'cause you

all ain't gonna let him.

Jeff, son, go to the door.

Open it, and tell
them to come on in.

Let them come on in.

OK, Mama.

And you'd better not fuck up.

[music playing]